Summer 4997, 21 Akamoth
A very busy year and a half had passed since the team brought down the Sutha Warlocks.
Using the information found in the tower, they managed to track four more towers and seven smuggling operations. Though they'd only managed to subdue two of the towers and five of the smugglers. Lily had gotten in the way during two of the smuggling stings and one of the towers, giving the villains time to escape. She didn't go easy on them either, breaking Oswall's wrist on one and Ebonwing's ankle on another. She seemed to take particular joy in singeing Ranito's eyebrows each time.
They'd run afoul of Rose as well. Protecting a tower off the coast and surrounded by her element, the water Sorcerer had been particularly brutal. Nearly drowning Tristen and Alena in their armor and almost washing Ranito out to sea.
Their interference was only slightly mitigated by their assistance. Lily continued to 'deliver' them leads and clues -in the form of rocks wrapped with notes and slung at Saint Giorgos Paladins- but the most notable assistance was a double sting against a thieving crew making a delivery to a tower on Winter Solstice. That had been the last time Shon had seen Lily. She'd been infuriated at having to work on the holiday they usually spent together and they hadn't found time together afterward. Lily being forced to scale a nearby cliff face -like a squirrel running up a tree- to meet Rose and disappear into the night.
Between missions, Shon continued to bond with his team members, each in their own way. He would join Oswall and Ebonwing on some nights out. The only sober person in the group, Shon would take their playful teasing silently, at least until they stumbled back home to finish the night on the roof, where he would share one drink and talk. On other evenings, Shon played board games or cards with Alena. It was an unspoken secondary game that Alena would try and get him to talk more, while Shon actually put effort into talking less. She would puff out her cheeks in frustration but hadn't yet resorted to feigned ignorance as to what his expressions meant.
Ranito had been the hardest. After a few months and missions without socializing with the Mage, Ryuuko had taken the matter into its own claws. It had driven Shon from his room, threatening more destruction than an entire horde of cats could manage if he didn't go down to read in the library rather than his nook. There, Shon had found Ranito deep in his own reading, a plate of cookies on the table beside him.
The Mage had looked up at Shon's entry but didn't say anything. Ryuuko made it quite clear where it wanted Shon to sit, so, rolling his eyes, he brought his book to the seat beside Ranito, the table between them.
They read in silence for a while before Ranito asked, "What are you reading?"
To which Shon answered, "Sir Markal's guide to exotic weapons."
The Mage had snorted without comment, but after further reading, pushed his plate of cookies closer to Shon. Understanding his intent, Shon took a cookie, and lost his place at the first bite of the freshly baked treat.
"So... How is it?" Ranito asked, looking expectantly over his book. Had he made this? The man whose meals the team dreaded? Who could mess up breakfast and master desserts?
"Delicious," Shon answered honestly, making Ranito smirk.
And so their relationship was built on a foundation of silent reading and baked goods, Ranito providing a different type of sweet snack for each of their sessions. Shon added some extra exercises to his routine to make up for it, but wasn't about to pass them up.
Tristen was by far the easiest. True to his word, the Paladin spent some of their shared free time sparing with Shon, who used a different weapon each time. The commander also confided in Shon about mission details, going over previous battles and brainstorming plans for the future. Most notable were their lunches together. Every time they worked in the office -going over reports of suspicious activities in the different provinces, lining them up with hints from Lily and information gathered on previous raids- Tristen would invite Shon to lunch with him, often at the palace.
Shon had grown to enjoy the time he spent with his team. Mostly. But some days, he didn't want to be around them. He would feel alone, despite the company, and would retreat to his room to be alone for real. On days like that he lamented his promise to Lily to make friends. It only made things harder. For them, for him, for everyone. He was convinced of it.
On days like that, it was impossible for him to see hope in the future. It felt like he would never be with Lily again, something would always get in the way because it always had. And that he was a burden to the team. That it was only their kindness, and pity, that had them spending time with him. Time they would rather spend with someone else, someone not broken. He was convinced that he was leaning too heavily on them emotionally. That it would only cause them to feel guilt mixed with the inevitable shadow of relief when he was gone. Which in turn made him feel further entrapped. Like he couldn't do anything else but further delay the end to this gloom...
Today wasn't one of those days, though Shon could feel it looming in the distance, waiting to swallow him up in darkness.
Shon and Tristen walked to the palace in companionable silence, enjoying the summer weather enough that the Paladin even suggested they take a more circuitous route through the high-end noble parks. Shon shrugged, following Tristen's lead. He wasn't in that much of a hurry for this particular lunch anyway, as Tristen had said prince Corwin might be joining them.
They passed through one of many parks, the central fountain splashing merrily, its crystal clear waters reflecting the sun around a disturbingly large crowd gathered around a Bard. Such public performances were normal on such days, but the subject matter of the Bard's tale had Shon running an embarrassed hand over his hair and down his ponytail, now hanging down to his shoulders.
"Such a noble hero hasn't been seen since times of old!" the Bard called out, her voice projecting easily over the crowd, possibly aided by her strange arcane Bard magics. Or perhaps it was something to do with her Sorcerer magic, as she had a fairy dragon familiar perched on her shoulder. Behind her, a drummer wearing a mask thrummed out a beat as she took up her lute to sing the story to all listening raptly, "Eyes as pale as the winter sky, hair as dark as a starless night..."
Shon picked up his pace, Ryuuko whistled, then twittered a dragon giggle from his shoulder. Tristen kept up, but also snickered, "You've earned yourself a fairly large fan club, Master Sergeant..." Shon shot the Paladin a glare, and Tristen lifted a hand to calm him, still smiling.
"It's been over a year." Shon grumbled, trying to duck behind Tristen to hide from some of the crowd that had turned at Ryuuko's whistle and were now pointing and whispering.
The tale of his rescue of the Sorcerers had spread like wildfire from each of the Mages Guilds the teens were being trained in. Reaching the Colleges of Saint Domhnall, whose Bards had taken up the story, embellishing it as Bards often did. The blasted artists had published books and written songs about him to be performed all over the kingdom. And though most didn't recognize Shon as the subject, those that knew the Sorcerers personally often did, and he sometimes found himself surrounded by unwanted attention.
"It's only been a year and a half." Tristen pointed out, "They will fade eventually." He assured Shon and turned them on a more direct route to the palace.
Shon could only pray Trisen was right. Ebonwing had purchased some of the books just to tease him. One even seemed to consist of fan submissions, none of which were true, they merely wished to write stories with him as the protagonist. Some of those stories had been... adult, in content, and Shon expected at least two of them were submitted by Lily herself -under the name Yuri.
Not helping his mood, they met prince Corwin and king Connar -his crown tied to his belt- inside the Palace. The Master Archmage sniffed derisively at Shon's presence, as usual, and as usual, Shon ignored him. They followed the king and his guard, not to the dining room, or even one of the gardens, but up into one of the highest towers.
A lady in waiting opened the door at the guard's knock and bowed as the king swept in, holding his arms wide for his wife to step into. The other men followed him in, and Tristen smiled wide, "Your grace. It's so good to see you."
Even prince Corwin smiled, bowing over the queen's hand, "Sister, you look as lovely as ever."
Shon hadn't seen queen Delia since their first lunch together. She turned to him with a grin, "It's been a long time, Master Sergeant. I see you're still growing your hair out."
Ryuuko whistled, flying forward to nuzzle the queen's cheek, making her giggle, then cough, though delicately, while Shon took a moment to study her. "You look well." He finally said.
To his surprise, queen Delia rolled her eyes, "There is no need to lie to me, Master Sergeant. Even for propriety's sake."
The king and his brother frowned and Tristen furrowed his brow in concern. But Shon merely arched an eyebrow at the queen, "I don't lie, your highness." he made a point of looking her over again, "You've lost some weight since our last meeting, but you've also gained some color. Overall, I think you look much better." He alternated his arched eyebrow to the other side, then asked, "Your health has improved?"
"Shon." Tristen hissed, appalled at his impropriety.
Queen Delia waved a dismissive hand at Tristen, "Oh hush cousin, it's about time someone is open with me." she smiled at Shon, and petted Ryuuko, "To answer your question, my health has seen minor improvements. We seem to have found a combination of potions that manage most of the symptoms for a few days at least. Though for the day after, things are often worse."
Shon nodded, and the king cleared his throat pointedly. He didn't like talking about his wife's health -or lack thereof- and still hadn't selected an heir. If he even planned to. The monarch gestured to a low table in the queen's sitting room, set with enough food for at least ten.
The mid-summer sun shown through large windows all along the outer walls and the king took his place at the head of the table, his wife on his left -where he could hold her hand- and his brother beside her. Tristen sat to his right, with Shon beside him.
Both Corwin and Shon avoided looking at each other as they ate. The prince didn't seem to care that Shon's power was sealed, or that Tristen and king Connar trusted him on the team. In turn, Shon didn't much like the Master Archmage or the way he argued fervently against Tristen's petitions concerning the dragons. When forced to dine together, they avoided the subject as they might talk of bodily functions.
That wasn't to say they never talked about the work the team did. As their appetites were sated, conversation turned to Warlocks. "They are far more extensive than we feared." The king said.
"We are making progress though," Tristen tried to reassure him.
"No thanks to that woman." prince Corwin grumbled under his breath, glaring at Shon, who stood silently.
He walked towards some comfortably stuffed chairs near the largest window, staring down at the city below but hearing the queen's retort, "Her information is valuable. The book in particular..." she stopped to snicker, and Shon glanced over his shoulder.
The prince threw his hands up in frustration, "Yes, a book she dropped on our guard's head!"
Far from being subdued, the queen giggled openly, pointing out, "A guard on the top of a parapet. Do you have any idea how she flew up high enough to-" she broke off with another cough from deep in her chest, though she didn't start sweating as she had last time. The queen waved her concerned husband down, taking up her water, "Don't... mind... me..." she said between coughs, taking a sip and sighing as they subsided.
Shon turned away once more, watching the four nobles speak through the reflection in the glass. A short time later the conversation moved on and the queen stood, joining Shon while the others continued their debates.
"You don't like when we talk about her," she stated. Shon merely sighed in answer.
The queen mirrored his sigh, continuing, "It doesn't bother you that she helps the Warlocks?"
Ryuuko chittered, and Shon turned his head just a fraction to arch a brow, "It bothers me that she feels she has to. Because her only other option is captivity." And that things were taking so long... Instead of getting closer, the end of their mission only seemed further and further away with each step of progress they made.
Queen Delia hummed, then surprised him, "We received a letter from her."
Shon turned fully to her, furrowing his brow and specifying his curiosity, "An entire letter?" Lily usually only pelted the Paladins with notes and clues.
She laughed, turning away from him to sit on one of the overstuffed chairs and gesturing to the other. She waited until Shon sat before she answered, "Yes, three whole pages." She snickered again, "The first two caught our guards unawares, but the third knocked the helm from Sir Yanar's head as he tried to follow the path of the projectiles."
Shon flinched, but the queen merely shrugged, "It was by far the most useful missive we've had from her. She explained that the Warlocks seem to be divided into two factions, though one is mostly secret to the other. Apparently, the group's leaders wish to continue with their biological experiments, but the other is looking for alternatives. She urged us to hurry our own studies to stop the storms and return the world to balance so we can stop with this 'foolish game of hide-and-seek.'" The queen giggled again, "She's even more blunt and honest than you are."
Rudely so. Shon thought. But he also liked that in Lily and sighed again, not sure what to say.
Once again, the queen mimicked his sigh, though she didn't question his lack of speech as others might. Instead, she lamented, almost to herself, "I wish I could meet her. I don't even know what she looks like. I've read the reports and descriptions, of course, but who is she really..." Then directly to Shon, she said, "It impresses me that she could cultivate so much love, not only from you but from other past allies. So much so that they would refuse our orders to assist in bringing her in."
Shon took a moment to study the queen as she waited patiently for a response. He glanced at the others, still talking at the table, then back to Queen Delia. Instead of answering her comments, he said, "I could show you."
She cocked her head, blinking gray eyes at him and reminding him of Lily. It made him smile, and she leaned closer, her eyes going wide, "Is that a smile, Master Sergeant Shon?"
He nodded in answer, then reached into his bag to retrieve his journal without waiting for her to answer his offer. The queen was actually interested in Lily as a person. She was the first in the entire two-and-a-half years since this had started that seemed to want to know the woman and not just the dragon they needed to capture. He flipped through the pages, passing up a few... questionable sketches of Lily, and settling on one of her performing her tumbling.
Shon presented the book to the queen, who gasped, then coughed, but reached out to take the book with one hand, bringing it to her lap. He watched her eyes as she studied the page, and explained, "You know about her childhood with the Warlocks..." the queen nodded, listening, but turned the page to find more pictures of Lily, these of her dancing. Shon continued, "After she freed herself, she trained as a tumbler and still performs in her off time. She loves traveling and tries to find the best local dishes in every town and village. She makes fast friends with merchants, refusing to pay too much or too little for the things she buys, and collects jewelry, one piece from every settlement large enough to have a jeweler."
The queen peeled her eyes away from the pictures to smile up at him, "Now I know how to get you to talk. You really do love her."
Shon nodded, "With everything I have."
"Why?"
Shon blinked in confusion at the question and the queen looked back down at the journal. Presumably, to give him time to think of the right answer. She also distracted him from doing just that by turning the pages back. Shon slapped a hand down over the page.
Queen Delia gasped, the three men looked their way, and Shon began to blush.
"My love...?" The king stood, but the queen waved him down.
"Just startled at the quality of art," she explained.
"Art?" the prince asked, though the king sat back down.
"Shon is quite the artist..." Tristen explained hastily, distracting the royal brothers once more.
The queen smiled up at Shon. Picking up his hand by a finger, she whispered, "She has nothing I haven't seen before, Master Sergeant."
He felt his blush deepen, but pulled his hand away. The queen looked at the drawing of Lily sprawled out on rumpled bed sheets. Queen Delia traced her fingers along Lily's scales, "So they continue past her face..."
Shon cleared his throat, trying to smother his embarrassment, "There are ends on her left hand and right foot as well..."
The queen turned back another page, finding another nude, this of Lily laying on her belly as though waiting for a massage. "And they twist around her body... quite sensually." She looked up, still smiling, "I hear her hair is gold?"
Shon nodded, growing less self-conscious as the queen didn't seem at all embarrassed. He knew Lily wouldn't mind, she would be a nudest if the law allowed it. "Like the metal, but soft as silk," he said.
"You still haven't answered my question." The queen prompted, "Surely it isn't just lust that has you swearing loyalty..." And his blush returned. She rolled her eyes, slapping him on the arm, "Oh don't be such a prude. There is nothing shameful about loving the accompanying activities to an intimate relationship."
They both glanced at the king, Shon with concern that he might not appreciate Shon having such a conversation with his wife, and her with a sigh. "I might not be able to give him heirs, but that doesn't mean we don't consummate our love whenever I'm healthy enough to do so. There's nothing to be ashamed of."
"Lily can't have children either..." he whispered, though their reasons were different. Queen Delia frowned, her look sympathetic. Shon shrugged, "Neither of us really want children anyway." He assured her.
She continued to frown, glancing at her husband once more and whispering, "But still..." Speaking more clearly, she added, "Perhaps she and I might bond over that." she turned back to Shon, "I really do wish we could make an exception for your happiness, Shon. But as rulers, we must look at the largest picture, the greatest number of citizens, and leave the individual persons to local legislators."
Shon nodded in understanding. He knew well the governmental structure of the kingdom. The king needed to pass laws that benefited the majority of the kingdom population, and review to approve or veto local laws, which were meant to benefit the majority of the individual populations. They really couldn't play favorites.
Shon wasn't going to bring up that hunting and imprisoning the dragons didn't benefit anyone -except the few that feared them. He'd already made his arguments, it didn't do to beat a dead horse.
Queen Delia's smile returned with an added glint in her eyes, and she moved the subject back to something only marginally more comfortable, "You really are quite the artist. Perhaps I might commission a drawing in future..."
Shon didn't think he'd ever blushed so dark in his life. Even the combined efforts of Yua and Ebonwing hadn't managed what the queen did with one sentence. He searched around for an answer. He couldn't outright deny her, not the queen herself. But luckily she laughed again and specified, "A proper drawing mind you. I might not be ashamed to talk of such things, but I don't fancy sharing that much with anyone but my husband and healers."
Shon sighed in relief, answering, "I would be honored, your highness."
She opened her mouth, but Tristen spoke over her, calling to Shon. "It's about time for us to get back to work, Master Sergeant."
Shon glanced his way to see the king approaching. His blush turned to a blanch in a blink, but the queen snapped the journal shut, standing as the king asked, "And what are you two looking at?"
Shon rushed to his feet now that the queen had stood, the other two men doing the same. "Just some sketch art. I'm thinking of commissioning the Master Sergeant for a portrait." The queen answered, passing the journal back to Shon, who slipped it quickly into his bag before the king could ask to see it himself.
"Oh?" king Connar asked, looking Shon over, "I can never have too much art of my beloved."
Shon bowed to the king, "It would be my honor." he repeated.
"Perhaps next time." king Connar said, grinning, "Until then, you have work to do and I want a quick word with Sir Tristen. Perhaps you can accompany my brother to the gates?"
Shon glanced at the prince who turned his nose up but didn't contradict his brother. The king took that as assent from both of them and turned back to Tristen, walking to the other side of the room to speak with him in private.
Before Shon could leave, the queen grabbed his sleeve, "Your answer, Shon? Why is it you love her so much?"
Shon looked down at her and answered, "I love everything about her. The way she fights. The way she loves and laughs. The way she makes easy friends and enemies. But most of all, she loves me. Accepts all of me, when no one else did..." He closed his eyes, suppressing a flinch, "even Hengist."
The queen let him go, and when he opened his eyes again it was to see her soft smile. "I hope I get a chance to meet her someday." She said.
"I think you'd like her," Shon answered, then added in thought, though she might make your maids faint and your guards draw their weapons...
Prince Corwin cleared his throat loudly, holding the door open. He seemed unwilling to leave Shon alone with the queen, even while the king and Tristen remained in the room. The queen sighed, waving Shon away and resuming her seat. Shon bowed to her, then to the king -though he wasn't looking- before leaving with the Prince out the door.
They started down the tower steps in stiff, uncomfortable silence, but once they were out of earshot, Corwin said, "I don't like you."
Shon arched a brow at the Mage, who continued, "It's bad enough that you perpetuate your tainted blood, but you also lay down with dragons and even refuse your king's orders-"
"I have no intention of continuing my bloodline." Shon interrupted, clasping a silencing hand around Ryuuko's snout and looking away from the prince. He refused to rise to the bait of insulting Lily, or the implication that Shon might sleep around. Corwin was well aware that Lily couldn't have children.
"Even the gods know you aren't to be trusted..." Corwin grumbled, his voice dropping further, "If Sorcerers were truly capable of being honorable, at least one ice Sorcerer would be a Paladin or Cleric, and could heal Delia."
Shon furrowed his brow with a frown. Some Sorcerers had been Paladins, he'd seen the records. His friends in Hamerfoss had looked them up for him after he'd awakened. To try and reassure him it wouldn't hold him back. They'd been wrong.
As much as he didn't want to extend the talk with Corwin, the prince had piqued his curiosity enough to ask, "How would a Sorcerer healer help?"
Corwin sniffed derisively at Shon's ignorance, "You don't even know your own magic." but he seemed incapable of not showing off his knowledge, "Theoretically, the cold of an ice Sorcerer's healing would counteract the accompanying fever that prevents us from healing her properly."
Yet another reason for Shon to hate his magic... To be so close to being helpful, and yet fully barred from doing so. He closed his eyes in pain.
"Perhaps," Shon said, "An ice dragon? A Cleric of the dragon gods could have-"
"We will not allow the dragons to return, Sorcerer." Corwin snapped.
Shon continued down the stairs without comment. It didn't matter if they did. Even if the dragons were brought back, their gods were dead. Killed. By this man's ancestor and god. But eventually, Shon asked, "And if that's the only way to stop the storms?"
"Then we will mitigate their damage. Nothing is worth the dragons' return."
Shon stopped three stairs from the bottom, arching his brow at the Prince, "And the cost to human life?" He asked.
"Nothing." the Prince reiterated. Then waved a dismissive hand, turning his back to Shon. "I don't like you, Sorcerer..."
Ryuuko slipped free, chittering angrily, and Shon said, "The feeling's mutual."
Corwin turned back to him, stating plainly, "Good." before he started off again. Shon stood on the stair and let him go. The prince was never so blunt or rude in front of others.
Shon didn't have long to wait before Tristen came down to join him, stopping on his step and asking, "Prince Corwin?"
Shon growled.
"Ah. Understood." the Paladin responded, then shook his head, starting off again, Shon following behind, "Don't let him get to you, Master Sergeant. His basis won't affect the king or our work. We've all been working together long enough to ignore that part of him."
Shon wasn't so sure, and couldn't help but worry about the fact that Corwin was still the only heir should something happen to king Connar. But he didn't argue. They had enough to worry about with the Warlocks.
As they reached the road back to the manor, Tristen said, "We need to cut off the head..."
Still thinking of the Prince, Shon banished the immediate and vivid image of his sword in the man's neck, praying for forgiveness for the thought, before asking, "Sir?"
"The Warlocks." Tristen explained, "The queen told you about the letter Miss Lily 'sent'?"
Shon nodded, noticing, not for the first time, that Tristen was getting much better at using Lily's name. Particularly with him.
Tristen nodded in acknowledgment of Shon's answer, "She implied that there are clear leaders of the greater organization. We need to find them. Otherwise, we'll never see the end of this."
Shon communicated his agreement -and frustration- with a sigh. Again, Tristen nodded, understanding him, "The king told me he would pass my petition once that is done. Even if we still have more work cleaning up the dregs afterward."
Shon glanced at Tristen and the Paladin smiled briefly, then frowned, "If you find an opportunity to speak with your lady, perhaps you can tell her as much."
Shon was convinced that Tristen knew, at least partially, that Shon received correspondence from Lily through a means he hadn't yet determined. This all but confirmed it. Though Tristen didn't ask directly or reprimand Shon. The knight trusted that Shon would pass over any information they could use, and the fact that he didn't, meant that what Shon and Lily did share was purely of a personal nature, and none of his business.
Shon found himself praying once more, thanking Hengist for sending him a friend. Shon hadn't had one for years. Not since Hamerfoss. Perhaps, once they'd brought down the leaders, he could enjoy a lunch like today. With the royal couple, Tristen, and Lily.
It was a nice dream...
***
