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Hello all. I'm still self-editing so I apologize in advance for anything I missed. I think I'm a decent writer, but editing definitely isn't my calling so I ask for your patience. Enjoy!
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CHAPTER 16: Friends, Lovers, and... Necromancers?
"My lord the king?"
The king opened his eyes as he woke, once again lamenting the need to be able to rouse himself from a dead sleep at a moment's notice.
"Approach." He said sitting up on the bed. His lovely wife was visiting her sister, and thus he had the bed to himself. It was a shame; he slept better with her next to him. Though, that was often because of the vigorous lovemaking they undertook before bed. Alas, she wouldn't return for another few nights.
"My lord." Delabor said with a deep bow, just as tradition dictated was the proper way to greet a king. "Don't I have news from Arcanum of your wife's niece, and also the dragon?"
Just as tradition dictated was proper, Delabor phrased his statement as a question because anyone knowing something that the king didn't would dishonor the crown, and thus their ancestors. Dishonoring one's ancestors was absolutely unthinkable.
"Oh?" The king replied, his desire for sleep waning as his interest grew.
"Haven't the Dryads reported witnessing a wedding between the dragon and a Fey girl just this evening, mere hours ago?"
"The dragon married to my wife's niece." He stated as a fact, though it was intended as a question. He couldn't make it a question without dishonoring the crown. Again, that was unthinkable.
"The very same your majesty." Delebor said, and then swallowed.
The king took a long, slow breath and exhaled slowly. "And my wife's niece knows."
"Begging your pardon majesty, but wasn't she in attendance and encouraging the union?"
The king resisted the urge to throw something. He settled for clenching his fist so hard his knuckled turned as white as the driven snow.
Delabor took a step backwards. "I'm sorry my king."
The king unclenched his fist and took a deep breath. "Her shame is not your fault Delabor, neither is the disgrace she has brought - and seemingly is determined to continue bringing - to our entire race."
"Thank you your majesty." Delabor said with a bow. He parted his mouth slightly, then closed it and bowed his head too.
"You have something to say." The king stated.
"My thoughts are hardly wise enough for the king's ears." He said with another bow.
"I grant you Logioi Liberatus; speak your mind."
The herald straightened up, standing much straighter than usual because he had been granted such a prestigious benefaction from the king.
"The shame of your wife's niece is undeniable, even from birth." He began with the customary preamble of listing the subject's sin. "The circumstances of her conception are likewise disgraceful, and because of it we rightly don't speak her name aloud. To this unforgivable origin, we add the further disgrace of using our secret magical arts in stave-crafting to peddle staves to mages far and wide; staves of such potency that they shouldn't be available outside our forest."
"Her sins are numerous indeed." The king nodded. "Were it not for the houses of Kalon and Nalfigar, we would've been dealt with her long ago, and the stain of her shame would've been wiped from any association with the crown."
"You are most wise my king." Delabor bowed again. "Tradition requires nothing less to honor the ancestors. Yet she has dishonored the ancestors not only through the circumstances of her birth, but also through the unspeakable act which she was present for - and in approval of - earlier this night."
The king took another deep breath and let it out slowly.
"But my king, might we still turn this to our advantage?"
"We might." The king replied, having not considered that yet. "However, she has trespassed on my good graces for too long now. And with her direct insult to the ancestors, the crown, and our entire race earlier this night..." He shook his head.
"Of course my king." The herald agreed. "And yet, she has a connection - however tainted - with this dragon who wields lightning and raises the dead. The balance between the Houses of Kalon, Nalfigar and the crown is delicate, yet all three can lay a claim to this dragon, as you already know." He ended by assuming the king was already aware, again to preserve the honor of the crown.
"Yes, House Kalon has her mother, House Nalfigar her father, and the crown's claim is that she's my wife's niece. Extending royal protection so far is rare, but not unprecedented."
"Your insight is boundless my king." Delabor said with a slight bow, as befitted someone speaking with Legioi Liberatus. "Perhaps Illuminar - Blessed be He - has smiled on the crown by giving Your Excellency a connection faint enough not to tarnish your honor - as she isn't your blood - but close enough to gain access. Could Illuminar - Blessed be He - have done so?"
"Hmm." The king mused. "Are you privy the priest's opinion on the dragon?"
"I was so honored my king, as news of this dragon who wields lightning and raises the dead is beginning to spread throughout the Ten Kingdoms. Some say the dragon is a prophet of Illuminar - blessed be He - and some say he's a servant of Saidow masquerading as an angel of light."
"And for now, only Illuminar - blessed be He - knows which." The king said, recognizing that Illuminar was supreme even over the king, just as tradition dictated was proper.
"My king, you are well aware of the ancient saying that 'one should keep their wood-kin close but their enemies closer'; would this be an appropriate application of that sage advice?"
The king smiled. "You are wise Delabor."
"Thank you your majesty." Delabor bowed low to the ground before rising again. "If in your esteemed wisdom it would be wise to apply that saying in this situation..." He paused, clearly slightly nervous. "Would it also be a wise to dispatch summons to bring the dragon and your wife's niece here? Perhaps then the favor of the dragon would fall upon the crown and not upon House Kalon or House Nalfigar?"
"It might be wise indeed." The king replied, his mind alight with the possibilities. "And if this dragon is indeed an agent of Saidow, then our priests will discover it once he arrives."
"You are very wise my king." The herald said with another slight bow.
"Very well, alert my High Steward to make the necessary preparations to send an envoy not many days from now." The king said, then considered what it would mean to their traditions and added. "Obviously we cannot house my wife's niece in the palace, nor can I see her personally; we cannot bring such dishonor on the crown."
"Of course not my king." Delabor replied with a bow.
Tradition dictated that housing honored guests in the palace after a personal greeting from the king was proper. But a shameful visitor would never be allowed inside the palace; he couldn't tarnish the crown's honor by meeting his wife's niece personally.
He was slightly disappointed not to meet her, dishonor notwithstanding.
He was rather curious to meet a wood elf who was the offspring of both House Kalon and House Nalfigar. The kindness, goodness, and courage of House Kalon combined with the cunning, perception, and willfulness of Nalfigar would surely make for an exceptional elf.
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Rachel woke up feeling something that she hadn't felt since she was a little girl; the exquisite sensation of waking up next to someone. She wasn't sure what had made her ask if Alana would mind sharing the hammock, but she was glad she had asked. The wood elf was currently sleeping half on top of her, her soft breath was making a slight wet spot on her upper chest.
Rachel couldn't help but smile.
The elf's chocolate brown hair was splayed all across the redhead's chest and its silky smoothness felt wonderful. Her body was warm and comforting too. It felt like what she imagined that having a sister might be like and Rachel relished the feeling. It was something she'd always wanted. Alana wasn't
actually
her sister, but it was fun to pretend.
She understood why Ethan liked waking up next to her, though obviously he had other reasons that she didn't share. Those reasons had been on full display the previous night with Taloni, as her ears could attest. Taloni had been quite... vocal about how much she enjoyed herself. The noises coming out of the captain's cabin had actually made Rachel get slightly wet between the legs, not that she would ever admit that to anyone.
She settled back into the hammock and closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of closeness and not wanting to get up right now.
This morning, dozing sounded perfect.