Sorceress of the Second Sphere

7. Pomegranates - Chrys

"Nothing. Things have been somewhat quiet since that army left some moons ago." Chrys replied, somewhat downbeat.

Hanekin assisted her with the moving of the crates. "Do you think the Empress is safe?"

"Lady Loldirr?" asked Chrys, her dimpled smile appearing at the sound of her name. "I'm almost certain of it, she's such an inspirational woman."

"You admire her greatly?"

Chrys nodded enthusiastically, "Aye, that I do. See, I've served many a noble in my life in the castle, and yet Loldirr is the only one that treated me as if I was special. So many I served because I had to, but for her, I wanted to. She is so fragile, yet so powerful, so fearful, yet so confident, naive yet intelligent. She's a conundrum I could spend a lifetime trying to work out, yet at the same time, I feel like I know her intimately. It was a privilege to serve her."

Hanekin smiled at Chrys' enthusiasm, "You serve her still. Here, now, with pomegranates, for her people."

"Oh, it's nothing really," Chrys replied with childish modesty.

A small unfamiliar frown appeared on the round-faced Hanekin. "You are running an entire network of infiltrators in the largest city of the Empire, and you think it's nothing. You've been an influence on us all, including my boy, Ioco. And trust me when I say, it's been difficult to motivate him with anything since his hormones play havoc."

Chrys was grateful for the little light in the room and that it could hide her blushing red cheeks. "The Lady Loldirr, how did you first meet?"

Hanekin smiled, showing his super-white teeth. As he waved his dominant hand in the air, Chrys watched as it sported one less finger.

"She saved my life. I was tasked to serve as a fool for the feast when you first arrived here with her. I inadvertently insulted Lady Nimue."

"She is no lady!" Chrys interjected.

"No, you are right. Nimue called for my immediate death. The lady Loldirr interjected on my behalf, commuting my sentence to the loss of a finger from the loss of my life. I devoted that day to serve her in any way possible, for my life is now hers to command."

"I remember that day," Chrys recollected, "Loldirr told me of the incident and she spent the entire evening distraught on how she caused you to lose a finger."

Hanekin looked at her confused, "Distraught?"

"Aye, 'Chrys', she said to me, 'I told them to cut a man's finger off', she said, 'I said his tongue first but changed to a finger, what have I done?'"

"Bizarre!" Hanekin responded, "If she had not reacted in the way that she did, the Emperor would have happily taken more from me than my finger. The way she spoke, her strength of character, the mercy she showed, she is the Empress that we should be serving."

"Aye, indeed," Chrys said as she collected another crate.

As Hanekin placed the last crate into the confined space, voices started to crescendo above them, an unnerving urgency appeared to embrace the tavern as a voice could be heard shouting out "WHERE IS MY FATHER!"

Hanekin immediately stopped, placing the last crate on the floor, and as the sound of feet running frantically down wooden steps shattered the peace, the concern on his face was evident for Chrys to see.

"Ioco, what is it?" Hanekin asked, watching as a boy of thirteen winters descended the stairs.

"They're coming here, with a Lionguard, they plan to turn this place upside down," Ioco responded, his breathing ragged, his heart racing.