Tales of Avalon: The Maid and the Falcon

✧ Chapter 8: Your Side ✧

Lily paced, staring at the circlet lying on her bed.  After what happened... why hadn't Penny come to see her?  This wasn't right, they both knew it wasn't right, but it was late at night now and her sister still hadn't knocked.

With a sigh, Lily left her room and made her way to the Champion's quarters.  Her hand shook slightly as she raised it to knock, and she hesitated.  Maybe... Penny doesn't want to see me right now.  But it was still worth a try.  Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door.

"Pen?  May I come in?"

There was an abrupt scramble and a sound of a number of things being shoved under other things.  After a moment, Lily heard her sister clear her throat.  "Come in."

Gently, Lily pushed the doors open and entered the room.  It looked the same as ever, with its beautiful gilded walls still marred by sword slashes.  Penny had done some of those, usually when Lily had pestered her as a child, especially when Lily had been in the right.  Those marks usually brought a smile to Lily's face, but this wasn't the time.

Her sister was already in her nightdress, and her hair was let down, but she looked like she'd been doing something physically demanding.  Her hair was tousled and she seemed to be breathing hard, and the curve of her neck glinted with sweat.  Lily sat down on the bed, noting where something small seemed to have been slammed into it over and over, eventually wearing a small dent into the mattress.  That hadn't been there before.

"So what did you want?" Penny asked with a bright smile.  Lily smiled back, but she wasn't as good at faking it as Penny was.

"So, you got two hydra?"

Penny nodded.  "One almost got away from me, but I caught it."

Lily raised one eyebrow archly.  "Did you finally bring me some teeth?"

Her sister snorted and rolled her eyes, acknowledging their age-old joke.  "You know I can't do that, Lil."

"Not even for a necklace?"

"Oh, wow, you really did ask me that part, didn't you?"

"You promised me you would when you were strong enough."

"And then Father talked some sense into me.  What's your point?"

Lily heard her sister's light tone wobble slightly as she mentioned the King.  Five years since Neithe, and the scars hadn't really faded from either of their hearts.

"Mmm.  You looked nice today.  I knew there was a way to make that russet look good on you."

"Or less like those resurrected monstrosities from Ishin, at least."

"Nonsense, Pen, you looked nice."  A little tired, maybe, but nice.  Lily reached out and laced her fingers with her sister's, staring at Penny's calloused and strong hand in contrast with her own delicate one.

"You looked nice too."  But Penny's voice sounded strange.

After a moment of silence, Lily looked up abruptly.

"Are you really alright?"

"Well, you know."  Penny made a helpless gesture.  "I always said it was a mistake to make the Champion and the Heir the same person.  Besides, you're better at these things than I am, and this way...."  She trailed off with a smile, but Lily already knew this tactic.

"Penny.  Are you OK?"

"I..."  Penny shook her head and swiped at her eyes with a free hand.  "I'll be alright.  I never wanted to be Crown Princess anyway.  This is how it should be."