A Knight and his Squire (Closed for Apollo Wilde)

[Apollo Wilde]

The Viscount was bating her, and she knew it. If she let her temper get the better of her, she’d destroy the table before dessert was even discussed. Instead, she chose to think about why the man was getting under her skin so. She’d had her name mispronounced before (her last name was particularly butchered), and she was no stranger to having her heritage mocked, either - though the latter seemed to be increasingly rare.

The Lady Chevalier joined them - and she had to stop herself from rising and giving the customary bow. She wasn’t quite the squire here, but nor was she entirely a lady. An incline of the head had been sufficient for the Viscount, and, for the Lady, Taika lowered her head and her gaze, as much as a sitting curtsey as could be managed. Not that her gesture made much of a difference, as, thankfully, lunch was served. The awkward conversation ceased for a time, and Taiki tried to dwell on the flavors of the food in front of her. It was good - a small blessing. She ate as daintily as any noble, but she gently squeezed Albus’s knee with her tail under the table in thanks for him giving her the extra meat. Polite family lunches typically had no place for half-dragons.

As the conversation of the previous engagement came up, Taika thought it best to remain silent. Not out of fear or embarassment, but out of observation. Had the Viscount or the Lady paid her any mind, they would possibly be disturbed by how intent her gaze was, the unwavering gold and red of her irises dilating, her mouth set in a fine line. It was a face that Albus would have seen many times and would be quite familiar: it was the face of an attentive, plotting Taika. No bit of information would go unmeasured.

This is fairly interesting, she thought drily to herself. I’ll have to ask Albus why he decided to join the Knights. And if he has any siblings. They certainly seem hellbent on securing this marriage. She glanced down at her hands, the embroidery on the napkins. Hm. A loose thread. She worried at it with the curved claw of her thumb, flicking the tail of the thread back and forth.

She was quiet as the Viscount addressed her - from her slowness to reply, it almost seemed as if she hadn’t heard him. But before the silence got to be unbearable, she spoke. “How was Lady Visha informed of the engagement? By letter, I presume.” She set down the napkin, and folded her hands primly on the table, interlocking long fingers, unafraid at how sinister her claws might look in polite company. “If the arrangement was made solely by letter, then it can be broken the same way. The fact that they have not met in person prior suggests that this was hastily made, which in turn, begs the question as to why the hurry.” There, you swaggering ass, she thought, with no small amount of amusement, answer that. “What deal do you have wagering on this arrangement? Please explain, as the rules of this land are still new to me.” She unlaced her fingers, laying them flat on the table, those bright eyes of hers sharp, looking to undo any argument that the Viscount made. She suspected that there was some sort of land involved; perhaps taxes. Pregnancy was certainly out of the question. So why the rush?

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Connard sounded angry when he answered her, but his face kept that look of calm, confident, sly curiosity. “If you are implying that I am motivated by anything other than securing my son’s future, then I will expect an apology. I’m sure Albus can tell you that the prospect of his marriage was, until recently, one of the few things on which he and I have agreed.” Albus nodded along. He hated agreeing with his father, especially against Taika, but it was true. “Of course there are gains for House Chevalier in an agreement of this nature: gains that my son will inherit when I pass on. Am I not allowed to work toward increasing my son’s inheritance?” He paused, raised one eyebrow, and continued. “As for my haste, I have been negotiating this arrangement for some time. I simply decided not to mention it to my son until the matter was decided. I’m sure he would thank me for not writing to him of the previous, failed arrangements as well. As for my proposed visit to the Visserigs, the fact is that breaking an engagement once agreed to is, of course, frowned upon in polite society, Miss Tai-kah, and Albus can save me from the worst of the accompanying drop in prestige and reputation by delivering the news himself. Is it not fair for me to ask him to do that, when I have, with his prior blessing, worked so hard to find him a fiancé?”

Albus wanted so badly to take Taika’s side, and argue against his father, but everything Connard said rang true. That was one of the frustrating things about his father: sometimes he knew there was a bit of dishonesty there, but he couldn’t find it.

“Taika, the things he’s saying are true, Taika. I’ve consented to him making arrangements for my marriage in the past, but I still feel it’s a cruelty to—“

Connard patted his hand. “Shh, son. Your girl and I are talking now.”

 

[Apollo Wilde]

There would be no slow blink to indicate her surprise. In fact, her calm expression hadn’t changed as she listened to what the Viscount said.

I’ve let my temper get the best of me.

She had forgotten to look at things on a larger scale - a mistake that she rarely made. Testament to how much the Viscount was getting to her, as well as her own emotions. Before their hurried confessions, Albus had been all too excited at the prospect of marriage - and as she had not been privy to whatever letters he’d gotten from his father before, well, it all made sense. It seemed that since she’d come clean about being a woman, her life had grown infinitely more complicated in ways she had not anticipated, and tired her to no extent.

“Why would there be a drop in prestige?” she asked, faintly surprised at how unperturbed her tone sounded. Deep down, she felt a brief flicker of annoyance at Albus; she could have been spared this if he had been more honest.

But the same could be said for you, whispered an internal voice. You had years to tell him, but all you did was sit by and watch the time go.

The question, perhaps, could be considered a dumb one, but it was one that allowed her breathing room to think. Her own ignorance had trapped her here, and if she was going to fight back, she needed to know more. Much more. And flattery might be a good way to find more out. “Your lands are ample and your holdings many,” she added; she had, after all, been quite observant on her way in. “One does not come by such riches without prestige of their own. And you are not at fault for wanting to preserve such things or secure a comfortable inheritance for your only son?” The last was a question, one she made clearer by adding, “Have you no other children?”

It wasn’t asked in a rude fashion, but seeking clarity. Again, she could kick herself for exposing her ignorance like this. Some battle opponent she was turning out to be. A strange, half-breed woman with no title and no marriageable laurels to rest on - surely Albus had to know how bad this would look to his father, and how it would not help her win the man over. Though she loved Albus and his wide-eyed optimism, she wished she could shake practicality into him.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Albus felt bad. Had he really told Taika so little about his family? How had he not mentioned that he had been allowing his father to make him a a match? Shockingly, how had he not told his longtime squire that he was an only child? Had he left those facts out, or was his babbling just so incessant that Taika had missed it? No, Taika never missed anything. He must not have told her. When his father spoke, gloating in his tone if not his words, Albus could feel the mistake he’d made.

“Marriages among the peerage are business transactions just as much as romantic partnerships, Miss Tai-kah, as my son so conveniently forgets. And, like any business transaction, backing out once it’s agreed to makes men wonder if your word is binding. This is the situation I find myself in. If I allow my son, my only child, to break the engagement I agreed to on his behalf, then I become a man who has broken his word.” Connard turned to Albus with a self-satisfied smile. “Surely that’s something you can understand, son.”

Albus could. He was annoyed that his father had finalized the engagement without his say-so (that was not what they had agreed to—he was only to arrange the match, for Albus himself to confirm), but word once given must be honored. Of course, that did not extend so far as to actually marry the Visserig girl over Taika, but perhaps Albus could bend a bit for his father’s sake on other ways.

He held his tongue, hesitant to agree to anything without hearing Taika’s thoughts.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

Hrm.

This was quite the conundrum indeed. Despite the Viscount’s smarmy nature and his obvious attempt at baiting her, he did raise valid points. Taika weighed her options - she did love Albus, and knew that marriage meant much to him. But so did his connection to his family - being a knight was one thing, but completely severing ties with his family altogether was something else entirely.

For a while, she was quite, weighing her options. It would be all too easy to simply be annoyed at the myriad rules that this land possessed and wave them aside, but that wouldn’t be fair. Or the right thing to do.

“So it’s a matter of honor, then…” She trailed off, allowing her thoughts to continue to move forward. Wealth, as much as she hoarded, would be easy to part with, had that been the only thing on the table. There was a faint flash of relief that this marriage wasn’t hinged on producing heirs or joining two estates. “Why was this match agreed to?” Taika didn’t sound annoyed, nor was her tone short. If anything, there was real curiosity there, a desire to understand. Perhaps she was overthinking things; there could be plenty of reasons for the Viscount to dislike her, and, growing up as she had, experiencing the world as a squire, had taught her that there would be people who disliked her no matter how noble, how kind, or how good of a person that she could strive to be. It was entirely possible that the Viscount was one of those people.

Though, she did tell herself, her and Albus needed to have quite the conversation after this eternity of a lunch was finished.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Connard stood, resting his palms on the table. “Come now, Miss Tai-kah, surely an accomplished woman such as yourself doesn’t need continual lessons on politics, economics, and high society. This conversation has gone on long enough. Tomorrow, my son and I will leave for the Visserig estate. You may accompany us if you wish, or you may stay as a guest in my home.”

Albus stood up. “No, father.”

For just a moment Connard’s eyes lit up and he turned to Albus in a rage. Before he spoke, that rage was gone, replaced with that same calm, cool, confidence. “And why not, son?”

Albus didn’t want to antagonize his father, but he needed to establish that Albus was an adult now, and Connard’s pronouncements were suggestions, and no longer orders. “I will speak with my fiancé. You will have my answer at dinner about whether or not I will be accompanying you tomorrow to Visserig lands.”

Connard narrowed his eyes and focused them on Taika as he spoke to Albus. “Son, a man runs his own house. You’ll need to--”

Albus raised his voice, just a bit. He almost never did that, but he was getting frustrated. “A man accepts, even seeks, wise counsel. If you would do more listening and less speaking, you’d find my fiancé to be a reliable source of such.”

Connard didn’t reply for several seconds. “Very well, son. Souzette and I will give you the patio. Come along, dear.”

On the way out, Souzette turned to the young couple before being tugged out by the elbow. “It was nice to meet you, Taika.”

 

[Apollo Wilde]

She wasn’t surprised at the Viscount’s condescending tone, but before she could retort, Albus was speaking. And Viscount Connard’s face abruptly changed - she was quite sure that he either forgot she was there, or past the point of caring that he was.

So much for civility.

It made her all the more appreciative for the warmth of her family, as “quirky” as they were. As Albus’s parents left, she gave Souzette a polite incline of her head.

Once they were gone, and Taika was quite sure they were out of earshot, she sighed, heavily, and let her shoulders slump.

“Albus, you are sweet, kind, and good, but not very astute,” she said, at last, warmth in her voice. “It’s strange, isn’t it, how much time we’ve spent together and still know so little about each other.” The thought had struck her more than once during the awkward lunch, but by venting it out to the wind, it took all of her previous annoyances and wiped them clean. She, too, was guilty of it. “But we do have quite the problem on our hands. I wish your father had told me exactly why the match was agreed to.”

She leaned back in the chair, wincing a bit at how uncomfortable her clothing was. She’d long since slipped her heels off under the table, but the corset was a prison she couldn’t escape from just yet. “If it’s money, I can easily provide that. Lands and holdings and titles - I have none - though, I suppose, if the cost were right, they could be purchased. Then there would be the potential of being looked down upon as someone who has merely bought their way into high society. Your father does seem to be the kind to be concerned about that as well.” Drumming her fingers against the table in an aimless tune, the sound of the wood under her fingers was soothing. “Do you know anything of the Visserigs?” But before she could finish that sentence, she was already starting on another one, as a thought occurred to her, “Nevermind that. What are the terms that you set for your father for finding a bride?”

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Albus wanted to argue with her, but he knew she was right. Especially when she asked what terms he’d set for his match. They had been quite simple, and perhaps he should have thought it through a little more.

“There was only one condition: that my father and my wife agree to let me continue in the Order, travelling the world with my squire, as long as my father lived.” His face fell. He knew that was the wrong answer, but it was true. At the time, it had seemed the only thing that mattered. Honesty, it still did.

He also felt bad that, despite being completely foreign to this world of Salariche nobility, with all its politics and positioning and prestige, she was already so much better at navigating it than he was. All Albus had ever been able to figure out was that he hated all of it. He racked his brain trying to think of more of an explanation for why his father was so dead set on this match, but the truth was that it all made sense to Albus already. The idea that, for Connard, some small political or economic gain would be worth deepening the wedge between his son and himself, without any grand conspiracy, just didn’t seem that strange to Albus. That was just the Connard Chevalier he knew. He trusted Taika, though. If she said there was more to it than that, he believed her. He had no clue what it could be, though.

“The Visserigs are northeast of us. They have a small vineyard that is said to be very high quality, but they were historically unimportant to the realm until a saltpeter mine was discovered on Visserig lands when my father was young. The Visserigs and the Soufres control the gunpowder supply in Salariche now. But, I don’t see what that could have to do with House Chevalier.”

Albus didn’t think even Taika could figure it out immediately, either. “You look uncomfortable, my dear. What if you change for a ride and I can show you some of the grounds?”

 

[Apollo Wilde]

That, slow, controlled blink of surprise. Control the gunpowder supply? Surely the riches there, what, with his being a knight, even he could see, couldn’t he?

“Albus,” she took on the gentle tones she’d used several times with him before, when she was questioning an action of his, trying to prod him into thinking a bit more. She suspected that he would never be a brilliant tactician, but a lot could be said for his heart being in the right place. Problem was, wars were not won with heart. “With the way that this land has been expanding into unknown regions - don’t you think anyone that would manufacture weapons, or aid within the production of them, would be ripe to become rich beyond their wildest dreams?”

The way of the Knight was old; that she knew. And to find someone like Albus, who believed in the stories whole-heartedly, even after being in the trenches, was a gem. That she knew. But she could also sense when the winds of change were set to blow, something she had inherited from her mother. “The Knighthood has been on decline for the last few decades,” she said, pointing it out to him, “in favor of mercenaries and armies that can be bought. Knights are specialized; it takes years to train one. That is a lot of time, effort, and money into one person. However, if you supply the regular man with a gun, teach him how to shoot, that is all of the training that they require. The role of Knight may be relegated to that of a captain in a standing army, a general. That sort of thing. Your father may have simply humored you being a knight because, if he has been communicating with the Visserigs for a while, he would know that either your term as a knight would be changing, or, in the Visserigs’s case, it could be entirely possible that they are banking on your retirement as a knight for a more plum position.”

Sure, it was all speculation, but to her, there were roots in logic. Even if she had lost herself in the daydream of time with Albus, she was still aware enough to hear the murmurings of went on around her - and not just from other squires and their knights, but from merchants, peasants, brothel workers. “Think on it. If your father was so dead-set against you becoming a knight, but still sought a match for you, and, not just that, but a match that would agree to your being a knight, there has to be more behind it. The ride to visit the grounds can wait. If we are to ride, let us ride into the town and learn more about these Visserigs.”

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Albus wasn’t sure he understood what Taika was saying. Weapons were valuable, but trained and skilled men were the most important part of warfare. Sure, the Order had been on the decline. The fantastic things Albus read about knights doing didn’t really happen anymore. The Knights of Salariche weren’t the legendary adventurers and warriors they used to be, but that didn’t mean they weren’t still the difference maker in wartime. A cavalry charge of dozens of knights could run over hundreds of regular foot soldiers. Albus didn’t see that changing, and he definitely didn’t see that changing because of guns. Sure, cannons were useful siege weapons, but to make a difference against a cavalry charge you would either have to get very lucky with a cannon, or have so many that they could fill the air with lead. That would be the only way to actually hit anything, and no one had even heard of anyone with enough cannons to do that, or enough mages to fire them. If Taika was correct, then she was very forward-thinking indeed. Albus wouldn’t put it past her.

By “town,” Taika must’ve meant Annicatu, the closest city to both the Chevalier and Visserig holdings. He didn’t think anyone in any of the closer towns would be familiar with the Visserigs. It was a small city by Salarichan standards, but it was the regional capital. It was too far away to get there and back by dinner, though. “We’ll have to stay in the city overnight. Should I tell my father I’ll go with him if he waits until the following day? Or do you want me to refuse him?”

 

[Apollo Wilde]

“No…That won't be necessary. And if anything, it might make things worse.” There went the easiest way of going about this. “Your father is set on going to the Visserigs tomorrow.” She rubbed at her chin for a moment, considering. She could cover more ground by flight than she could on horseback - if she really pushed it, she could shave a few hours off the trip if she went alone. But it was highly unlikely that Albus would have agreed to that. “While I know you do not have the best relationship with him, I think it would be against our better interests to make matters worse. But..to be fair, I understand where he’s coming from.”

That, she did - understanding did not mean sympathy, and, if she was going to be entirely fair, Albus’s zeal for marriage was partially to blame. Not wanting to make things worse between the two of them, she sighed again. If she was going to be her true self, there would be no sense in hiding what she actually felt. “Albus, you’ve really put us in a difficult position.” The natural desire was to say “me” - but she had agreed to being his fiancé. If he wanted her to be his equal, then it was only fair of her to ask of him to be more considerate. “I fear that your excitement to be married, and leave it in the hands of your father instead of looking for yourself has put us in this position. Without knowing more about the Visserigs, it will be very difficult for me to figure a way out of this one.” This time, she referred to herself alone - she was quite sure that Albus was reacting, and did not have a plan in mind. Another sigh.

If I’d known this would be such a problem…no, don’t even think that, she silently chastised herself. She loved Albus, and had for years. And this was not the first time that his lack of foresight had gotten them into trouble. How to put this in a manner that he could understand?

“I know you feel a certain way - but think about where we were a few weeks ago, before you knew I was a woman. You were so excited - and it makes me wonder,” and now she was going to be honest, even if her words could be taken as cruel, “There seems to be very little thought that you’ve put into your position and your family’s standing. Though it may matter little to you, you are an only son, and that carries much weight here. That much I know,” and she gave him a wan smile. Suddenly, she felt very tired, and longed for the warmth of her own home - the beaches, her family.

“If I knew more about what they were potentially offering your father, I could have tried to come up with a counter deal,” she folded her hands in front of her, studying her nails. “But as things are, I’m not a good match. I’m a strange creature from a strange land, who got by on deception. I offer no holdings, and no further prosperity to your father at all.” Before Albus could speak, potentially countering her, she held up a hand, indicating that she was not done with her train of thought. “You were eager to marry someone, sight unseen, so to suddenly turn about, I believe, does require a face to face explanation. I do not have to attend, if it will make matters worse.”

What a nightmare this was all shaping up to be. If he’d so wanted to be a knight, knowing his father, why had he simply not run away from home, cut all ties? There certainly seemed to be no affection lost. Strange, how Albus had made sense when they were with other knights and squires, but back in this “real” world, he seemed as if he’d lived his life in a secluded tower.

Does he actually love you, though?

It had been a tiny seed of doubt, but now, with the current circumstances watering it, it was starting to sprout. His confession had been…a little on the nose, as if her deception for these years had meant nothing. She hadn’t wanted to think about it, but now… “If I am to be honest, Albus, I am unsure if you really love me, or just the idea of what marriage is supposed to be.” Gods, things had been so much simpler not that long ago, and now everything was hurried and ill-fitting. “I wonder, had I not said anything, if you’d gone with the marriage as it was intended.”

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Albus was stunned. How could she doubt him? How many ways did he have to say it?

“Taika, I don’t know what to say. I love you. I have loved you longer than I realized.” He felt near tears. What had he done to give her doubts? He sunk into the nearest chair. “I don’t understand.”

Maybe it was all this talk of his technically current fiancé that was making Taika feel insecure? He had never seen her express any insecurity about anything, so it was hard to know for sure. After all, she had pretended to be a man for years. The process of learning who each other were with this new dynamic of love between them was just that: a process. Albus was enjoying it immensely, and every new day he felt their love deepen and grow, but just like any process there were bound to be ups and downs. Not knowing what else to say, he fell back on honesty. It hadn’t failed him yet.

“Taika, if you had kept up your charade, I would have married the Visserig girl. I probably would have even been able to be happy with her, as long as you kept pretending forever. If I had married her, then the moment you revealed yourself to me would have been the moment I knew what I’d lost. I am so thankful you didn’t wait, because I know I will be happier with you than I could have ever been with her.”

He stood up and turned to his fiancé. “Please tell me what I’ve done to give you these doubts, or at least help me prove my love to you. I will ride to the ends of the earth for you, Taika. I will give up all of this.” He spread his arms to indicate the estate and surrounding grounds. “For you. Not for her.”

He sat back down. “I know I’ve put you in a difficult position with my short-sightedness. I wish I could take those concerns away from you. I promise you, I will work as hard as I can to prevent more of these difficulties from landing on your shoulders.” He didn’t want to be critical of her at all, especially when she was vulnerable, but he had committed to honesty. “I can’t help but think you’re taking on more of these concerns than necessary. Not every part of this problem needs to be solved. You seem so concerned with my father’s opinion of you. Taika, he doesn’t even like me! And I’m his son! I’m sorry if this is another example of my lack of savvy, but I just don’t understand why it matters so much. I hope you can forgive me for that.”

 

[Apollo Wilde]

Poor, sweet, dear Albus. The sight of his distraught face tugged so hard at her heart that she felt nearly taken off of her feet. Being caught up in the moment was what brought them here, however, and she had to steel herself. Closing her eyes, she took in another deep breath; held it, clenched her hands, and unclenched them.

“Therein is the problem, Albus.” For the first time that afternoon, Taika sounded truly tired, worn to the bone. “It appears that you would be happy with anyone, had they expressed the desire to marry you.” Slipping the heels back on under the table, she strengthen her resolve. He didn’t understand; was too shortsighted still. If he would have given up his lands, why had he not done so before? There was more going on here than perhaps he knew, and she could not fault him for that. Standing now, she turned to look at him, her hands folded primly in front of her to rest on her thighs, ever the picture of a noble lady, despite her own discomfort. “And I truly cannot fault you for that. It’s one thing to feel a certain way away from family, in the world of our own, but quite another to see them through here. I would not have you dishonor your family, but I would have you learn a bit more of your position in the world.”

If I leave now, I can make it to Annicatu by nightfall.

“There would have come a time, sooner than later, that I would have had to have stopped,” and it was said with her typical placid smile, that small slice of quiet beauty that had lured many a young woman to profess a helpless love. But now, it seemed little more than a practiced mask, even in its beauty. “I could not have lived as a man forever, no matter how much I enjoyed my time with you. And perhaps even all of this is for the better. It means that I too, must wake up from my dream and walk in the real world.”

For what better word could have described their time together other than a dream? The closeness, the easy camaraderie that had been there since she first laid eyes on the bright-eyed, gangly boy that he used to be? And as much as she could have wished and longed for things to be easier, they would not be, and she had to face that truth, and face it with as much grace as she could. She knew her love for Albus was true; she had always been honest with herself there. And there had been a beauty in her longing for him from a distance, knowing that he was the biggest piece of her heart.

“I need some time to think,” the words were kind, her hands moving to rest on his shoulders, bringing them close, but not too close as to make him question his vows. She squeezed there, attempting to be reassuring. “And you need some time to better understand where your father is coming from. Accompany him to the Visserigs; I will go on my own to find out more about their family. If you are at the Visserigs without my being there, I believe it will give you time to learn more about yourself and where you stand, as well as what might be at stake.” A sliver of her true smile now, as she leaned forward, trying to ease his fears, “Think of it like a battle plan.”





It was so nice to be back in her normal clothes! As soon as she’d made it back to her quarters, she’d undressed so quickly that she, at first, was worried that she may have ripped something. Careful inspection of the shedded garments revealed that they were indeed still in tact, and she did her best to lay them out as neatly as they had been for her previously. Now back in her baggy pants, ankle boots, and loose fitting shirt, she quickly slipped out, pack on her shoulder. She’d had a change of clothes there, some money, an emergency stash of food, in case something happened. As a reassurance that she had not entirely abandoned Albus or the estate, she left Boy in the stables and the majority of her goods there, though Boy was none too pleased at being left behind. He seemed to grumble as he nuzzled her hand, then rested his massive head on her shoulder. “I’ll just be gone a night,” she whispered, stroking his nose to reassure him. “I’m going to come right back; you’ll see. But I’ll cover more ground this way,” and she touched her forehead to his, feeling that she was speaking to him as clearly as she had a moment ago with her words.

Then she was off - walking a good distance down the road, careful to make sure that no one saw her. Her presence enough would have been disturbing - to see her take nearly full advantage of her draconic heritage would have been something else all together. Readjusting her pack, she took in a deep breath of the air, the grassy smell of the fields, the fresh turned dirt, tree moss, and even now, this far away, the cloying fragrance of the sweet olive tree. Still, as she stretched her wings out, stretching them high overhead, she couldn’t help the thrill that went through her. Yes, there was a mission at hand, and it was all too easy for her to slide into the serious nature of a scholar, but there truly was nothing comparable to flight, to letting her wings and tail hang freely. One test flap, then another, and then she was running - wholly unnecessary, considering the sheer size of her wings and proven ability to take to the air in one mighty wing beat -, but this just added to her excitement; helped chip away at the doubt. Soon, she was flapping her wings every other footfall, and then, ah, she was in the air, the wind catching her, gliding beneath her. That was lucky; the wind would allow her to glide a bit rather than constant flapping. Still, with the weight of her pack and her endurance much weakened (wings, like other muscles, could atrophy from lack of use, as she was much dismayed to learn), she knew that she would need every bit of luck to get to where she needed to go in time.




The sun had begun its descent below the horizon as she flew overhead Annicatu, high enough to seem little more than a blot against the sky. Her luck had held - she had been able to spend at least a third of the trip gliding on one wind current to another, dipping and weaving to find suitable ones, even following a flock of birds, who seemed to accept her presence among them with a resigned patience.

There - that will be perfect!

She’d spied a line of buildings on the outskirts of the town - inns, she knew, having taken care to bring a hastily drawn map with her. The good thing about Salariche, she thought, was that it had been around long enough to have a fairly reliable map system and trade routes; no going off of long stories and iffy memories as her home had been. Well - that wasn’t entirely true, or fair. The Old Ones at home kept the ways of the Islands, and knew how to navigate across them by virtue of the night sky alone. One of her most treasured memories had been, upon arriving on Salariche, that the sky above her still held familiar shapes.

She glided down silently in the ring of trees surrounding the inn. From the verdant and neatly manicured farmlands of Aberatsa, the terrain eventually, gracefully, conceded back to the forest. Dense with pine and cedar, the forest stretched on for miles, the ancient darkness and menace that accompanied such old places carefully scrubbed away by a main trade road that neatly cut through the land. She had avoided the road, though the traffic was quieter the further away from Aberatsa, not wanting to be seen by others. It would have been a time sink if she had - but the end result was that by the time she did land, she nearly stumbled, so tired were her wings. Rotating her shoulders, she could feel how heavy her wings felt against her back, and knew that she would sleep well that night.

Despite her fatigue, she took a few moments to compose herself: folding her wings against her back under her shirt, wrapping her tail about her waist. Though there would be no hiding her horns, she could be mistaken for any other magical creature - perhaps given a bit of distance because of it. Her fatigue, she knew, had a habit of making her somewhat snappish, and even the thrill of flying would be enough to erase it entirely. As she took the well worn path towards the inn, she was hearted by the sight of only another horse tethered outside. The horse, a beautiful chestnut mare, lifted her head and whinnied softly, out of surprise.

“There, there - I’m not here to hurt you,” and Taika held out her hand. The mare, raw animal instinct intact despite years of selective breeding that produced her, reached out her neck for a caress.

“Oh, there’s my lovely,” Taika murmured softly, stroking the mare’s neck. Taika always had an affinity for animals - barn animals and horses in particular. Strange, considering that just the whiff of her father was enough to send most animals fleeing in a blind panic. Well, most animals but chickens and other fowls; they seemed to love him. “You’re a real beauty, aren’t you?” Taika purred, continuing to pet on the mare. Though she was no animal breeder herself, she knew money and excellent breeding when she saw it. “Someone paid a pretty penny for you, didn’t they?” As if realizing that Taika was flattering her, the mare nudged her in the arm, in a coy, almost embarrassed gesture. Laughing, Taika gave the creature one last pet before heading inside.



Shortly thereafter, she was sitting at a table, her little diary in hand, a tankard of mead in front of her, and dinner shortly on the way. The inn was small enough; thankful for whatever business that they were able to drum up. Since Annicatu was a well established city, there were no shortages of inns to choose from; many much more grander and offering much more than this place, which seemed to be little more than a home converted, hastily, into an inn. Taika was thankful for it, for with the small staff (a family of a mother, father, and daughter), came a lack of questions that would have come from a larger part. The girl, much to Taika’s amusement, was much enamored with her - though Taika had made no effort to disguise her gender. The daughter’s fumbling with her items got to be so bad that the mother stepped out to see what all of the trouble was - and instantly was as smitten as her daughter was. The resulting service, Taika had to admit, was excellent, as she nursed at her mead. The mother, Koda, was full of gossip and tales from the city, and the daughter, Matsu, was all too eager to chime in. Taika decided to get some food in her stomach and a little more mead before she started asking in earnest.

Before long, she felt eyes on her. She glanced up, her expression grave, and realized that she was looking at, she would venture, to be the owner of the fine mare. His clothing gave it away - far from rough riding gear, he was dressed in a deep red shirt, frothing with frills at the throat and wrists, and black leathers, with brown brushed calf skin thigh boots over them. His hair, too, was a mass of fine dark brown curls, given to some higher hint of honey in the candlelight. Dark blue eyes that didn’t look away as she looked to him and assessed him, and a dapper Van Dyke beard and finely curled mustache gave him the look of a dashing dandy. Rare in these parts, she’d thought.

Lifting his glass, he smiled at her. Taika simply nodded in acknowledgement, that same small smile that had worked magic on Koda and Matsu in place. Apparently he’d taken it as a sign to approach, for he picked up his wine glass and made his way over to her table.

“And what a beauty,” he spoke, not in a smarmy way as Taika had expected, but in a genuine, appreciative fashion, as if describing a painting. “May I sit with you?”

“If you have information, my table is open,” Taika said, cradling her mug.

“I am an open book,” he smiled, an honest thing that crinkled his eyes at the corner in a pleasing manner. “Percival.”

“Taika,” she responded. This close, she could better smell his expensive cologne. No ordinary traveler, she mused.

“What know you of the Visserigs?” Her voice was as dulcet as the mead, quiet as always.

“Quite a bit, seeing as I am one,” he replied, with a slight smile. “The youngest son, the errant adventurer and knowledge seeker, and to some, the embarrassment of the family, here to see the wedding of his dear twin sister, Visha.” He laughed now, showing even white teeth, and Taika could pinch herself for such good fortune - even if the reminder of the engagement was something quite bitter. “Of what interest are they to you?”

Of what interest indeed? "Your sister is to be married to a knight that I am in service to," there was no point in lying, "And I wish to know more about the family he will be marrying into, as it was arranged rather suddenly."

Percival raised his eyebrows, then carefully looked Taika over. "In service to a knight? But unless I'm mistaken, you are a woman. Is it some sort of life debt?" His face darkened, rich with concern, "For if it is, it would be against my honor if I allowed you to remain in his service. You should be free!"

Taika blinked, slowly - and sensing no dishonesty in his voice, allowed herself the smallest chuckle. "It is nothing like that, I assure you, Sir Percival."

"Please! 'Percy' to my friends; 'Percival' only in matters of legality and chastisement from my family." At ease now, he couldn't hide his curiosity, taking in her horns, the elegant curve of her ears. "Begging your pardon, but you look like no elf I've seen before."

"Because I am no elf," she replied, taking a small sip of her mead to look at him steadily. "Now, what of the Visserigs?"

"Ah, there's plenty of time for that, Lady Taika!" He inched his chair closer, "But at least let us share a meal under the guise of friendship, and I will be more than happy to divulge all that I know of the Visserigs."

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Albus

Dinner was a bleak affair for Albus. Thoughts of the last conversation between himself and his fiancé bounced around his skull. He couldn’t wrap his mind around what seemed, to him, to be a rather sudden change of heart. It was only a few weeks ago that she’d been lying under his bedroll in a sweat, desperate to confess her love. Now, the day she meets his family, she needs “time to think.” Albus knew he shouldn’t read into that, but it was hard not to wonder if he’d already lost her and just hadn’t realized it yet. What new thoughts would she have out wandering what passed for wilderness in Salariche that would bring her back to him?

At least Albus’s father seemed happy. He was delighted to hear that Albus would be going with him to see the Visserigs the next day, and shocked when Albus told him it was at Taika’s behest.

“You told me that Tai-kah girl was a source of wisdom, my boy, and it seems you were right. We’ll head out at first light, take a light lunch on the road, and reach their estate by dinner. You’ll cheer up on the road; you’ll see. You love this riding stuff.”

Albus did love riding, but mostly he loved riding with Taika. He hated riding with his father. Riding with Taika was easy. She never complained. She was always helpful. The conversation and the silence were equally pleasant. She and Connard could not have been more different. At least the lunch that had been packed for them was tasty and quick to eat. He did appreciate that his father had let them ride horseback instead of taking the carriage. Not being trapped in a wooden box was just about the only bright spot in an otherwise dim journey. His mood certainly wasn’t helped by the fact that he’d barely slept last night, either.

The ride was so unpleasant that he was almost excited to see the Visserig grounds. Almost. He was dreading this meeting too much to actually be excited. He still didn’t know what he was going to say, either to the girl or her family.

The estate was very nice. The grounds were well maintained, and the walls, fences, and fixtures looked brand new. The Visserig estate was a bit deeper into the foothills than the Chevalier estate, so the landscape was a bit rockier, but the Visserig groundskeepers had done an excellent job making sure the area was green and orderly.

As soon as they could see the estate in the distance, Albus noticed a rider coming out to meet them. Connard rode right next to Char. “Son, don’t mention breaking the engagement yet. Let’s give them some time--”

“No.” Albus couldn’t believe he was even asking that. How on earth was he supposed to broach the subject with them after spending who knows how long lying to them? No. Albus was not going to agree to that.

“Son, you have been given quite a bit of leeway in your life, but you are in for a rude awakening if you think that can continue. It’s time for you to start acting like the heir to House Chevalier.”

Albus was tired of people telling him he couldn’t do what he knew was right. “It’s simple, father. I’m only here in the first place as a favor to you, so I’m going to be honest with them from the beginning. If that is unpalatable to you, let me know now and I can ride back to the estate.”

Albus could feel the heat of Connard’s glare on his face, but he didn’t look over. He had had enough of being treated like a child, incapable of making his own decisions or trusting his own judgement. If Taika didn’t believe that he loved her, he was going to convince her, whatever it took. He knew his own heart, and he wasn’t going to let anyone put doubts where they didn’t belong. If she thought the world was just too complicated for them to be together, then Albus would just have to uncomplicate it. He kept his eyes forward and waved to the approaching rider with a smile.

“Ho, there! Connard and Albus Chevalier, here to see the Visserigs!”

The rider approaching was a tall young man, with light brown hair just long enough to show the beginning of curls, and a square, clean-shaven chin below a thin, pencil moustache.

“Welcome!” he called out from a few dozen yards away. Once they were next to each other, he repeated it. “Welcome! I just had to ride out to meet my future brother-in-law!” The man’s smile was wide and friendly. He spread his arms and dipped into a short bow. “Ernst Visserig, at your service good sirs! My sister Visha is very excited to meet you, sir knight!”

Here was one of many moments to come that Albus was dreading. “About that, my good sir, I’m afraid that—“

“MY SON IS AFRAID THAT he has forgotten his manners! Ernst! It is so good to see you again! How is Griele?”

Ernst laughed, distracted from Albus’s words. “Haha, Lord Chevalier! Wonderful to see you as well! Griele is doing as well as can be expected. Healthy and more ready than God apparently is to see the birth. How is the Lady?”

Albus stood there, in the middle of the dusty road, holding Char’s reins, as Connard put his arm around the young noble’s shoulders as led him toward the estate.

“Cheerful as always! I am a blessed man, Ernst, I’ll tell you. Now, I see your groundskeepers have outdone themselves! Tell me about this lovely rosehedge they’ve somehow managed here.”

They walked down the road, leaving Albus behind. He felt more alone than he ever really had. He didn’t blame Taika for leaving, but he keenly felt the lack of her presence and support. She’d been everywhere with him since he was a boy. He was certainly not going to make friends here, among the Visserigs, and he wished he’d brought one with him. Her wisdom would have helped him navigate the emotions and reactions that he didn’t always understand. Her counsel would have given him the words to support his honesty and goodwill. The love she had shown him, that he hoped she still felt, would have been something for him to treasure amongst all this frustration. He stood there, in the middle of the dusty road, not knowing what exactly he would do, only knowing his own resolve not to bend to his father’s way of thinking. He would not “see” the value in the kind of life his father wanted for himself, constantly concerning himself with political positioning and the price of this grain or that mineral, marrying for expedience rather than love.

Connard and Ernst walked over the small hill, discussing gardening and Lord Visserig’s health, and Albus stood there, in the middle of the dusty road, waiting for them to notice that he wasn’t following them.

Percy

Percival Visserig was intrigued by this woman. She was clearly not human. With her horns and brightly colored hair, he would almost have guessed demonborn. Demonborn, if they even existed, were said to be quite ugly, however. Her race would have to remain a mystery for now. Equally intriguing was her attire. Her clothes themselves were simple traveling clothes, built more to last than to impress, but Percy’s astute eye noticed several small details that hinted at either great wealth or great skill. The fine little embroidery here and the high quality thread woven into the stitch work there, plus the fact that Percy wasn’t even sure what some of the materials were, all gave him the impression that the woman was either an extremely skilled tailor, or she could afford to spend vast amounts of money on details most wouldn’t even notice. The whole image of Taika reminded Percy of some hidden treasure the world had forgotten, waiting to be re-discovered and brought out into the light. Finding such treasure was something he loved doing anyway, so her exotic beauty was just one more tally in the plus column. He had to learn more about her.

“What do you say we play a little game?” He twirled his finger around the lip of his mug. “A question for a question? Ladies first, of course.”

 

[Apollo Wilde]

The Visserings were old money that had lost it, then regained it by several wise marketing decisions. Apparently they couldn’t shake the shame of the poor times that had dogged them a few decades back, and with each successive generation, there was a concentrated effort not only to ensure that money continued to grow, but that nobility would be truly bred and kept within the family. They had a distinct distaste for the “new rich,” though they could have been easily described as such, and believed highly in pedigrees. They’d rather someone with a noble lineage marry into the family over someone with new money - and such pickiness in the past had contributed to those lean times. Still, though, they appeared to hold tight to the morals and ideals of their ancestors. They were charitable - a hallmark of having remembered those lean times as well - and treated their friends well, and business partners better. The generosity, though, as of late, had become more and more performative, aligning with high feast and festival days as opposed to unexpected boons. Taika listened to all with interest, not feeling the need to jot anything down. The family, in the past, had made their money from agriculture, but bad decisions and poor harvests knocked them from their post until one particularly stubborn Visserig became determined to reverse their fortunes and get his hands dirty.

“It used to be that each wife had to produce three sons - one for the nobility, one for the knighthood, and one for the clergy,” Percy had pointed out with a slight grin. “If a wife was unlucky enough to bear only daughters, the father would be allowed to take a mistress in order to produce at least one intended heir - nobility above all.” His conversation was easy - and it was clear that he was a sharp-minded fellow and not given to putting on any airs.

The family was large -something that Taika secretly envied, having wished for a brother herself- the eldest son, Ernst, married and living on his own, the eldest daughter, Catherine, married off to another old-monied, well-lauded noble family within the textile industry, the next eldest son, Johann, a member of the Order who had passed in a campaign - “Mother never did get over that,” Percy added somberly (apparently there was enough gap in their ages that Percy did not know this brother well and only had hazy memories of a severe faced young man with haunted eyes that visited rarely), another elder son, Francis, who, as tradition held, was sent to the priesthood and whom no one really saw or communicated with, and then him, Percival, and his twin sister Visha, the youngest for now, though their Mother could still potentially bear another child.

In return, she, surprising herself, answered all of Percy’s questions with quiet honesty. Strange, how she’d gone from never speaking about herself to now, twice in two days, spend the course of a meal speaking of herself. Basic questions about herself (she suspected he wouldn’t rest until he knew her heritage, which bothered her none) had quickly, much to her surprise, turned to her likes and dislikes, food, literature, the theater. Percy was well-traveled, and, without having a set place in the Visserig lineage in particular, had contented himself by a low-key sort of adventuring and trading, not damaging their family name, but not entirely being the best that he could be.

“There’s no way I could stay at home all of the time,” he’d said, as their late dinner was drawing to a close, “itchy feet, I guess,” capped with a half-hearted shrug.

As Taika went to bed that night, she felt that her head was spinning. It wasn’t from all of the information, no - she’d found that quite interesting, and in what Percy hadn’t said had explained why Visha had agreed to the marriage. Lose one knight, gain another - simple as that. The fact that Albus came from money certainly didn’t hurt, either, but Taika would bet that the assumption really was on keeping a Knight in the family.

What else kept her mind going, though her body screamed for sleep?

The conversation itself. Percy was lively, animated, intelligent - and was…fun to talk to. The latter was a strange thing from her. Speaking in general felt as a necessity, not something that could be truly enjoyed. The only times she’d enjoyed speaking in the past was with Albus - but this conversation was so different. A conversation that pulled her to think truly, and to answer as a woman, not as a squire, or as a brother. The way Percy had looked at her had been with interest, not with salacious intent, and it had warmed her.

It was nice to talk.

There was no unburdening of her heart - if anything, what she’d found out only made matters that much more difficult. Knights that would fit the criteria of what the Visserigs were looking for were few and far in-between - and, something she hadn’t expected to hit her so firmly - she found herself acutely aware, for the first time, of Visha as an actual human being, with her own hopes, dreams and desires.

And now Taika was going to play a distinct hand in making her miserable.

She folded her wings over her head as she curled up in bed. Sleep didn’t come for a long, long time.








“What’re you doing, standing out in the middle of the road? You look as if you’ve had your heart broken!”

The voice was on the edge of a giggle, feminine and kind, curious - and came from directly behind Albus. Before he could turn around, a small hand, dainty and soft, scented like roses, clasped over his mouth, and though she was much smaller than him, by her own trickery, she managed to pull him off the side of the road to the roses. “Tell me here!”

She turned him loose now, and he would be face to face with his would be captor. She was a young woman, about his age, with bright hazel eyes and a mass of curling, honey colored hair. Her skin was fair, with the hint of brown freckles across her upturned nose and naturally rosy cheeks. Her face was heart-shaped with plump cheeks, and a wide smile that produced dimples in those cheeks and in her chin. Despite her rough handling of him, she was dressed in finery - a pale blue dress with a deep blue corset, part of her hair pulled back under a messily fixed pale blue bonnet with a spray of pink roses pinned to it, the wide deep blue ribbons that held it under her chin askew and sloppily tied. White lace trimmed the sleeves and the plunging neckline of her dress.

Giggling as she looked him over, she started talking again, her voice high and charming, as pleasant as bird song - a far cry from the deep honey of Taika’s voice. “Mummy will be positively LIVID if she knew I was sneaking off into the roses with some strange man, but I was watching and saw the Viscount, so I figured you’re not that strange of a man, are you? I bet..” She hummed playfully, tapped her chin, then, lightly, poked him in the chest, “I bet you’re Albus, aren’t you? I’m Visha - I’m so glad I can finally meet you! Tell me about being a knight - I bet you’ve saved a ton of damsels and liberated villages and slew horrible, evil ogres, just like in my stories! I’ve always wanted to marry a knight - weaving my love into his garments, watching the horizon for him to appear…it’s all awfully romantic, isn’t it?”

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Albus

Albus froze when he heard the feminine voice behind him. He was still working through his thoughts, and he didn’t really want to be interrupted. Also, somehow he knew who it was. It was just a sign from God that it was time for him to do the right thing by her, with no delays. Once she took her hands off his eyes and he turned around, though, it wasn’t as easy as it had seemed.

The girl was beautiful. A dimpled, freckled face framed by shining, golden hair greeted him. She was slightly shorter than him, with a girlish figure punctuated by the work her corset was doing. It wasn’t her smile that made the rejection difficult, though. It was how happy she was. He could see it in her smile and hear it in her voice. She didn’t even need to talk about how romantic it would be to be married to a knight for him to know that he was about to break her heart. He had to just get the words out. It would hurt her more to wait.

“Visha, I have to tell you, before you have time to think that it’s got anything to do with you. I’m here to break off the engagement.”

He couldn’t even bear to look at her face. He felt awful, and he wasn’t at all sure that it wouldn’t have been better to do this in a letter.

“I made my own match. It’s someone I met before I received my father’s letter. I’m so sorry to break this news to you. I can already tell you’ll make a wonderful match for someone else. I’m so sorry.”

He felt better. Not as much better as he’d expected, though. He was still worried about his relationship with Taika, and he was still worried about the fallout, but he knew he had done the right thing. Whatever comes after that, he knew he had acted like a knight. He managed to drag his face up to make eye contact with Visha, his gut tight with apprehension.




Percy

Percy felt rested, despite staying up late thinking about Taika. The woman was a half-dragon from the Islands of the Amazons! Ha! She might as well have been calling herself a fairy from the land of make-believe, but when Percy looked at her and heard her say it, he knew it must be true. He had wanted to stay up all night with her, asking questions and hearing her stories. There was something about her that made him feel drawn to her. Maybe it was that she was one of very few women who had ever seemed interested in his stories of treasure-hunting adventure. Maybe it was that she was the only woman he’d ever met who had similar stories of her own. Maybe it was that she was beautiful. Who could tell?

Percy readied himself quickly in the morning, choosing his dark green shirt to go over his dark leathers. Once every frill and hair was in place, he walked downstairs to the main floor of the inn. He didn’t see Taika anywhere, so he walked out to see if her horse was still stabled. His Ruhani mount, Lisse, was the only horse there. Percy’s heart sank. Was last night the only time he would be able to speak with this fascinating woman? He had felt a strong connection to her. Had she not felt that same? They had not discussed talking again today or meeting up at any point, but the young nobleman didn’t want to let this opportunity slip him by. He had never met anyone like Taika before, and he probably wouldn’t again.

Percy rushed back into the inn to find Matsu dumping out some of the scraps from the breakfast they’d prepared. “The woman who was here last night. Do you know which way she went?”

The girl looked up at him and blinked. “The one with the horns and the flame-colored hair?”

“Yes, her.”

Matsu smiled, and got a faraway look on her face.

Percy decided to ask his question again. “Did you see which way she went?”

Matsu blinked and shook her head. “Oh, I don’t think she’s been down yet?”

Percy frowned. “Then where’s her horse? She said she came in from the Chevalier estate.”

Just then he saw her walking down the stairs. Percy had grown up being told that he should look for a traditional woman for a wife, with corsets and makeup who would stay home and bear children and manage his estate. He’d never bought into that idea. He’d limited himself to the odd illicit dalliance because he had no intention of leading anyone on. Taika, though, seemed to be the type of woman he could actually fall for. He couldn’t let this be their last meeting.

Percy took off his cap and bowed low. “Miss Taika, I wonder if you would accompany me to my family’s estate. I’m sure your knight is there, now, and I would very much enjoy your company on the ride.”

 

[Apollo Wilde]

Visha

Confusion was clear on her pleasant face, furrowing her brow, wrinkling her nose. “But…” So many things were whirling round in her head; namely - that how could this be? Why would he show up, after all of those nights of dreaming and longing and imagining how handsome he would be, just to tell her that he’d made an engagement with someone else?

But…maybe this might be part of the fairy tale?

She leaned forward, and tugged his arm. “Have you been enchanted? I bet that’s it, isn’t it! Enchanted by some temptress to lead you astray - because you are a fair and noble knight, after all!” And, surely, they did live in a world with magic, limited though it may have been, and he’d seen much more of the world than she had. She thought of the story of the pure virginal knight Virgil, who had been tempted to give up body and soul, by a witch who longed for him to stay with her forever and to stop his quest. Or maybe it was more like another story -

“If it wasn’t a witch, does your heart belong to another whose station is below yours and that you could never marry?” How beautiful would that be! Thinking forever of his first love, keeping her memory pure in a hidden locket as he was forced to marry, yanked away from the promise of an eternal spring with her, but in time, he would come to love his new wife and their children, but always with that sweet sadness of having lost his first love. That, she could live with, she thought, because she would love him more than enough to be okay with not being always first, and once they had children, why, those children would be wholly hers anyway, for her to love and cosset as much as she wanted to, and, with his being a knight, his body would be hers first anyway, so all she had to contend with was a memory.

“Well, either way, it’s a foolish reason to break off an engagement, Sir Albus!” She chirruped, clapping her hands together. “I don’t mind if you’re in love with someone else; such things happen all the time among our class. My brother, Percival, falls in love every other week with some serving maid or some such, content to sigh at her from a distance and write scores of bad poetry. Part of what he thinks what makes his suffering so pure is that he always seems to fall in love with someone he can’t have.” She spoke matter of factly, but there was a hint of how charming she found the whole thing, of real affection there for her sibling. “But I appreciate your being honest,” she added, sincerity in her bright eyes, “That’s how I know you’re going to be a wonderful husband.”

Taika

The sun was far higher than she would have liked when she finally got out of bed. It felt as if sleep had merely passed her by, and as she stretched, she could feel how weary her body still was in her wings. Cold water on her face and arms did little to wake her up, and the only thing that brought her a bit of warmth was thinking about Albus. Surely by now he would have reached the Visserigs and had broken off the engagement - and then, next, if luck would be with her still, they could set off on another quest, and start to re-learn who they were, to better plan out a future, with her wisdom tempered by Albus’s new understanding of his place in the world.

Thinking of Albus’s warm smile was enough to add some pep to her step. Maybe she’d overreacted; surely he loved her, even if it was a bit immature and unexpected. But maybe she should ask him why he loved her? There had to have been something there, if he had been so willing to keep her on as a squire even through his marriage. And he was a romantic; maybe part of why he’d confessed was that it seemed something out of a fairy tale, the beast transformed into a beauty. She’d have to ask him - sometimes it wasn’t the answer that was incorrect, but the question. She knew all too well about the folly of asking the wrong question and not weighing the situation in its entirety. And she knew she owned Albus an apology; she hadn’t given him a chance to explain himself, and it truly had been her fault for thinking that Albus would have been concerned with money and his titles; even as her knight, he’d never mentioned that before; his heart was set solely on saving the weak, and eventually getting married.

But maybe that means you really aren’t meant for each other.

It was a stray thought, but it cut across her mind as an arrow. She frowned. Compared to Albus, she would be considered someone prone to “overthinking,” but, again, compared to Albus, what that typically amounted to was having enough sense to look before she leapt.

Still, it was a discomforting thought, and one that nagged at her as she tidied her room (though there were maids, she believed in leaving a room in a better condition than one found it - a habit that usually had the unintended side effect of making her board a fair piece cheaper than others) and prepared her pack.

The second surprise of the day would come as Percy greeted her at the foot of the stairs. She nearly stopped still in her tracks, a brow raised in confusion. Much to her credit, her response wasn’t fumbled, or confused - as smooth and as diplomatic as ever, she answered him: “I thank you for your courtesy, Sir Percival,” a reminder of his title, his position, to inch distance between them, a bit of formality between new friends would harm no one, “But I did not ride here.” With a small smile that implied a fun secret, she gently flexed her wings against her back, allowing him to see the tips of them pressed firmly against her back. “I had originally intended on flying back to the Chevalier estate this day, as I feel my presence might complicate matters between my knight and your sister.”

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Albus

He took a deep breath, reminding himself that this poor girl was just trying to wrap her mind around her disappointment. She wasn’t trying to invalidate his words like Taika and his father had been doing to him since he returned to Salariche. He didn’t want to lose his temper with Visha. She seemed like a really sweet girl. Taika had been right about that. He could have loved Visha as long as he hadn’t known what he had missed out on in Taika. Still, he had to steady his mind before he spoke, in order to hide his irritation.

“No, Miss Visserig, I am breaking off this engagement. I have decided. It is final. I don’t mean to be rude, but I do mean to be firm and clear.” He stepped back, sliding his arm out of her grip. “Ah, perhaps I should not have come. I apologize, my lady.”

He braced himself for a slap, at a minimum. He hated himself in this moment. He knew telling her clearly and immediately was the most right thing he could do, short of never coming here in the first place. He should have known not to listen to his father. His advice was never helpful, at least not to Albus.

Percy

“Fly? You are full of surprises, aren’t you, Miss Taika?” Percy laughed like a little boy learning that Father Solstice was real, after all. “I’m afraid I must ask you to indulge my efforts a bit longer, however. You fascinate me, and I would never forgive myself if I did not at least try to convince you to spend more time with me.”

Now that he’d gotten it out, her words finally processed in his mind. “But why should your presence complicate things?” As soon as he asked it, the answer clicked in his mind. It would be the normal course of events, after all. “Ah, you suspect my sister’s wish for her husband to continue in the Order is not sincere, whether she knows it or not? I admit it’s a possibility, although I know my sister well and I believe she’s correct. She’s always romanticized the idea of being a knight’s wife.” He thought for a moment, and then raised a finger, letting his voice drift into that air of mystery that he would sometimes use to pitch these voyages to investors. “If I’m wrong, I’ll hire you as my partner! I believe I’ve tracked a certain enchanted idol to an ancient ruined temple near Putaiyal. Don’t tell anyone, but it’s the golden bust of Raja Kutaval… I could use a capable partner on this one, anyway, if you’d consider letting me steal you away from your knight…”

 

[Apollo Wilde]

Visha

If it were possible, her eyes seemed to glitter more. He was so devoted to this love! “Oh, pish-posh,” she said, with a carefree wave of her hand. “I’m not going to be like the jealous wife in those stories. Really. I think it’s absolutely charming that you’re willing to break this engagement for this woman - but if you were going to marry her, you would have done so by now. Men are such silly creatures; they think a promise is the same as actually taking action! Besides, our fathers have already consented to the match, and that might as well make it legally binding. I think you’ve spent too much time out there among other knights.” Her voice was light, but there seemed to be an undercurrent of steel; the result of centuries of blue blood and selective family breeding.

I have to show him that I am an understanding wife, but I will not be pushed over! She thought, biting the inside of her cheek. It was hard to be firm with him; she was even a little afraid. She didn’t want to leave a bad impression, but she wasn’t going to give up on her dream just that easily. She’d thought she’d died and gone to Heaven when her father presented the match to her - not because Albus was a knight, but also because he was close to her age! Just a year or two older, really, which was ideal.

She didn’t try to go for his arm again, and she stepped away to give him a good once over. “You’re still a ward of your father - so his word is binding,” she added, though she tried to make it sound as nicely as possible. “It’s only when your father passes that you become the man of the household - or, when you get married and have your own!”

Taika

“I do not think there’s enough room on your fine mare for the likes of me - and my unique heritage makes me much heavier than how I look.” Though, she had to admit, she was a bit flattered by the attention, he was starting to muck with the plans she had laid out for herself.

Before she could answer his question - though she puzzled over how to - he’d started again, speaking of a treasure hunt. Despite herself, she laughed - a breathy, soft thing that sounded more that it had been startled out of her than sharing in some common joke. “Intriguing, but I will have to decline,” and she slipped past him, as quietly as a cat. She had no interest, after all, in gold. Had he mentioned a gem, it would have been a slight possibility of her stopping before her higher nature took over. But as it was, he had hit on a point that was correct - her knight, indeed, was waiting. And she could have already made matters worse by rushing off as she had, but she had wanted to get a plan in mind.

It was with some dismay that she had to admit to herself that she had nothing to offer; even more reassured of that fact after hearing of the Visserigs, but, maybe, just maybe…she could convince Albus to just leave with her? She couldn’t threaten the Visserigs; not with their social standing and money. They could potentially call down the wrath of a standing army and go after any half-dragon or dragon, as few as they were in the world, and she would not have the potential genocide of half her people, no matter how the individuals may have regarded her, on her hands.

At the very least, I can be honest…

It was a shot in the dark, but the only thing she could think of.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Albus

Albus didn’t speak for several moments after Visha finished. She was right! Not about his father’s word being binding, of course. Such an agreement could create a legal obligation necessitating damage payments if it’s broken, but no one could compel him to say “I do” to anyone but Taika. Without such a vow there would be no marriage. As a knight of Salariche, he had, on very rare occasions, been sent with a collector to collect such damages. Thankfully, actual force had never been necessary on one of these trips, but the presence of the knights did encourage people to follow the law without too much complaint.

He shook his head to refocus. Visha had said that if he was going to marry Taika he would have done it already. That was a very good point. Why hadn’t he married her already? They had both been so confident that they were meant to be together on the ride to Salariche. Why hadn’t he pulled them away to the nearest town to find a priest? It certainly would have made this conversation with Visha easier.

He’d come this far with his father, though. Could he really leave him here with the Visserigs? He’d given his word that he would break off the engagement in person. Hadn’t he just done that, though? It wasn’t his fault if the news wasn’t received. As much as he wavered, he kept coming back to one singular thought. Taika was the one that mattered. Everything else could be solved later. He had some savings from the Order’s pay, since he wasn’t one to waste it at inns. He could give that to his father. Maybe it would even cover the damages. If he lost Taika, he didn’t know what he’d do.

“You’re right, Miss Visha. I should have married her before coming here. I must rectify that.”

Before she could stop him, Albus ran out to the road and practically jumped onto Char’s back. Taika had said she was leaving to learn more about the Visserigs, which most likely meant Annicatu. It was several hours away to the southwest, but Albus could make it before dark if he pushed his horse. He’d make it up to the old stallion later.

He pulled on the reins to pull Char to the southwest, and spurred him forward into the fastest gallop the warhorse could manage.

Percy

Percy was a man who was used to pursuing what he wanted, but he also knew when to stay his hand. Being overly pushy would often drive away the people he wanted to keep close. At least, that’s what he knew in his head, but sometimes he just couldn’t help himself. He turned and called out to her before she could disappear.

“Well, my lady, in that case, I would like to propose a wager. Since we’re both headed to my family’s estate, and I’ve never had a chance to test my Ruhani steed against a half-dragon’s flight, what say you to a race? Second one to arrive makes dinner tonight for both of us?”

 

[Apollo Wilde]

Visha

She was shocked into the extraordinary: stillness.

Long known as a flibbertigibbet, it was said that it was a sure sign that Hell was experiencing an ice storm when Visha was struck quiet. And here she was, standing in the middle of the road, her bonnet now with a decided tilt to the right, and…

She balled her fists, clenching them by her side, and did what she knew she was full within her rights to do, not only as a Visserig, but as the youngest daughter and someone who was born into the bosom of luxury and had every desire granted.

She went straight to her father.

Taika

She raised an eyebrow at Percy, less amused than she was before. If those features could drip with a faint, pitying disdain, that was both insulting and soothing in the strange way that only Taika could muster. She swallowed a sigh, and stopped still on the stairs, turning to face Percy fully. She was a few steps higher than the floor, and the added height gave her that much more of an imperious, frank air. In a ridiculous way, it seemed that even the sunlight that filtered through the window behind her was set to frame her in the most flattering light possible, the bright light bouncing off of her horns, catching sparks in her hair, filtering through the thin red tissue of her wings.

“I am not headed to your family’s estate,” she said, repeating herself as if she was speaking to an overeager child. “I am going back to the Chevalier Estate, as I believe that my appearance at your family’s holdings would not end well.” Thinking to soften her reply, she added, closing her eyes slowly with a hint of a smile, “Besides, my cooking leaves much to be desired, were I to lose.”

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Percy

“Hmmm… In that case, Miss Taika, I will admit temporary defeat. I hope it’s not too forward to say that I very much hope we meet again soon. I feel you have many more stories to share and your company has been quite pleasant.”

Percy bowed, low and exaggerated, with a sly and expectant smile. “Would you mind if I at least accompanied you to the edge of town? I’ve never seen a half-dragon fly, and I’ve seen quite a few things.”

He readied Lisse, and mounted her. He’d be riding either way. He hoped Taika would forgive him a bit of pushiness, but Percival Visserig was nothing if not a risk taker. The money he’d lost on the Aqimaq expedition was proof enough of that. She was a rare woman, and he wasn’t ready to give up on the idea of spending more time with her, but he’d accepted that it wouldn’t be today.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

At his last comments, Taika’s face softened a bit, and she gifted him with that small, placid smile that she usually wore, but said nothing else. His company had been pleasant; a much needed distraction with the added benefit of helping her get her head back on straight. Yes, conversation could be interesting, and could even be enjoyable, and well, she could learn things that weren’t just about warfare or information. As much as Taika enjoyed learning, she could be somewhat single-minded, and only focus on one aspect at a time. The finer things in life, she’d pushed to the side while she was serving as a squire. They had no real place on the battlefield, and there wasn’t much time off to truly indulge.

Maybe she should change that? What did she like, as Taika, not as a squire, not as a warrior?

Maybe now was the time?

Mmm, now, the last thing was to be rid of Percy, without being rude. She had, in the past, utilized several distractions and exit methods when the attentions of others got to be too much. This man would be a bit harder to shake, as it was just the two of them. She didn’t want to outright lie, but she was wary of telling him too much more of her plans - and moreso, she did not wish to have an escort.

Might as well be honest.

Again, that small smile, a quick quirk of her ears to show amusement without laughing. “I’m afraid that I have changed my plans. I wish you a safe and pleasant journey to the land of your people.” And, with the way she turned away from him, heading in the opposite direction, more inland towards the town, her body language would be enough to suggest that she indeed, was fine alone, and that if he pursued after her, it would not be taken well. And charming or not, it would be a true fool indeed that would risk the ire of a half-dragon.





Taika spent many happy hours in the town. As a new place, and, in a sense, as a new person, she let her boundless curiosity take her from one place to another. She tried fresh pastries from bakeries, grilled meats from market vendors, looked over sumptuous cloths, spent time in the massive town library, and, as the evening was starting to fall, stopped to listen to the town crier give the evening report.

The time had been interesting in more than one way - this far inland, dragons were believed to have been eradicated, if not whispered about as as dying breed, and while the occasional elf with a trade party may have passed through, seeing a mixed-race creature such as herself was unheard of. Stares and whispers followed her, some, she could sense, could be considered hostile, but, showing that there was wisdom still among them, no one directly commented on it. Though her appearance seemed to have caught some vendors by surprise, Albus would have been tickled to see that they, too, quickly fell under the nature charm and soft-spoken charisma that Taika possessed.

Of course, it also didn’t hurt that once she started paying for her purchases, that she was quite more wealthy than most would have expected. Only in one cafe was she instantly summed up to be a woman who appreciated the finer thing - and she had to stop herself from instantly devouring everything in front of her; it was all so good! And ever thoughtful, she picked up a few items for her family while she was out. Sending them would have to wait until they were back in the barren outskirts of the land, where her people had been heard of, and scant commerce had affected the areas. The islands that she was from had only recently (within the last few months, if she recalled), had attempted to join the wider trade routes from larger islands and the peninsula of the main land. It would take months for items to reach there and back, but her family, if anything, were startlingly patient.

After the town crier announced the last bit of news, she took a look around the city, the lamps being lit, and let out a long breath. It was nice, she had to admit, but it would have been so much nicer if Albus had been there with her - though she wasn’t sure if he would have sat through the play (to be fair; she had a hard time herself). Feeling herself to be in no rush to go anywhere in particular, she began to wind her way back to the inn on the outskirts.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Percy

“Farewell for now, Miss Taika, and hopefully not for long. Perhaps next time you’ll let me see you fly.” Percy had lost this battle, but he knew that sometimes a temporary retreat could help win the war. He had not given up on spending more time with the surprising woman, but he didn’t want to antagonize her. The only complication was that, since she’d turned around, she was actually walking in the direction he needed to go! He thought it would be awkward to walk with her, since he’d just said farewell and he gathered from her body language that she wanted to be alone. So, he dawdled near the inn for a quarter-hour, dismounting and checking his straps, accounting for everything in his pack, feeding Lisse a few oats. Once he thought enough time had passed, he saddled up and rode through the city to the northern gate.

The ride was pleasant and uneventful, at least until he reached the outskirts of his family’s estate. He passed a man in knight’s armor, riding a massive dark gray stallion. Percy assumed he was with Visha’s fiancé’s retinue, so he waved and called out as they passed, but the man kept his head down, pushing the horse hard. Percy didn’t think he needed to be so rude. He could have given him a wave and a word, after all.

Once he got to the estate, there seemed to be some sort of commotion. Several of his family’s servants were rushing one way or another, and his father was standing with Ernst, Visha, and a nobleman that Percy didn’t recognize. With a nod to his father and brother, Percy held his arms out to his twin before noticing how upset she was.

“Visha, what’s wrong? This was supposed to be a happy day…”

Albus

Albus would have to make it up to Char later. He’d pushed the old warhorse much harder than he should have, but he checked him out at the stables on the northern edge of Annicatu, and he wasn’t in danger. The horse just needed rest, water, and food. Albus was more than happy to provide all three. It was late--very late. He’d ridden nearly sixty miles in one day. He was near to collapse, but he was on a mission. He walked from inn to inn, quickly asking the tired innkeepers if a half-dragon was staying there, and moving on. There were nearly thirty thousand people in Annicatu, so there were quite a few inns. He worked his way to the western edge of the city, thinking that Taika may have stayed close to the road the Chevalier lands. He was firmly in the outskirts when the first rays of sunlight started peeking over the stone walls of the city’s buildings. He had walked all night, lumbering in his armor, oblivious to everything except looking for his former squire. He kept walking, looking for another inn to ask at.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

Visha

Seeing her twin, her favorite sibling, and right now, the light of her salvation, Visha ran, positively wailing, directly into his arms. Percy’s question sent a ripple of new sobs through her, and only muffled sounds that were supposed to be words against his chest. After she’d done a fine job of smearing his fine shirt with her tears, ruined makeup, and snot, she lifted her head away to show somewhat of a horror - her cheerful, normally rosy-cheeked face was streaked with smeared rouge and spotty black rivers of mascara running down her cheeks.

“H…H…He…HE LEFT MEEEEEEEEEEEE!” And, with another drastic cry, she buried her face in Percy’s chest again.

She wasn’t sure what hurt worse - the fact that he’d turned out to be everything that she’d dreamed of, his being in love with someone else that he hadn’t consummated the relationship with made it even better, or the fact that he’d ridden off just like that, to find his mystery lady who, she was quite sure of, was no longer an innocent and beautiful serving girl but was some sort of malevolent witch that had him in her snares and needed the blood of a pure hearted virginal knight to make mischief - it was all too much for her to take!

But, still, she gathered herself up enough to sob out the story to him - the wonderfully handsome, shy, gentle, perfect knight and the lady he was in love with and the horrible shame he’d brought to her, her family, and he was her brother and he had to do something!

“WE have to do something,” she screeched against him. “I will have Albus for my husband!”

Taika

When Albus stumbled onto the White Dove Inn, Lady Luck was smiling at him. Outside, a young girl with scads of curly red hair bundled carelessly on top of her head was fetching water from a well and stifling a huge yawn. Alerted to his presence (his armor wasn’t what anyone would call ‘quiet’), she smiled, and clumsily set her bucket down. A quick conversation later, and she was leading him inside of the Inn, straight to Taika’s door.

Before she could knock, Taika opened the door. She was not quite battle-ready, but she was quite alert, as only a soldier could be. Catching sight of Albus, her wings fluttered against her back, and her eyes widened, quite surprised. That in and out of itself was quite the sight - let alone her night appeal of an over large shirt that came to her mid-thigh. It was certainly more skin than she’d shown Albus in years, and, well, she had treated herself to it while she was in town. The fabric was a luminous cream, nearly silk, and trimmed with fine deep blue embroidery that mimicked ocean waves. As the tailor seemed to be quite taken with Taika, he’d cut and stitched holes in the back of the shirt, allowing her wings and tail to be out.

“Albus?!”