"And until the end of time," the lord said, coming to the end of his vows. He raised his head and met Enfri's gaze. "I, Wallace the Corwyn, swear the allegiance of my house to Empress Enfri the Yora of Shan Alee."
The Corwyn was a slender and ruddy man with light brown hair, now fading to white, and gray eyes. He had an archetypical face for a man of Temradel. The Dellish were recognized by their sharp and angular jawlines, pointed chins, and thin noses. His gray and yellow clothing was fine but had seen better days, and he was thin after weeks of living on little more than bread and onions.
In fact, the whole field smelled heavily of onion. And not fresh ones either. What the Second and Third Legions hadn't stolen on the aborted march through the client kingdom of Temradel, they'd trampled, and House Corwyn had been another obstacle crushed callously beneath their boots. The young house was destitute and had nowhere else to turn.
The Corwyns needed supply and support. In return, they had eighty veteran armsmen. They owned holdings along the Vladmir River and had the service of four knights of some renown. One of Lord Wallace's sons had even studied in Nadia as an alchemist. Corwyn was a minor house in danger of losing its title but a house that brought far more to the table than Enfri would need to expend to bring them under her banner.
According to Pacifica, noble houses might barter allegiances like any other commodity, and it wasn't terribly peculiar to pledge to a greater house from a different kingdom. A Dellish house pledging to Enfri might raise a few eyebrows, but it shouldn't ruffle too many feathers. In all things, House Yora acted fully within the laws of the Highest King.
Enfri's small army of five hundred armsmen and twenty-five dragons made camp on the Corwyn's ruined cropland. Quarter was bartered for with supplies brought up the river from Ecclesia. Now, after Pacifica's negotiations, this plantation was now the newest holding of Shan Alee.
Enfri had left Ecclesia with a mere hundred armsmen, but her force had grown with each noble house that bent the knee. The original intent was to send the new soldiers to aid in the White City's defense, however King Sasha's witches gave sendings that having an armed force on maneuvers outside the walls was proving advantageous in the dealings with the other Altieri cities.
All of Altier Nashal watched Enfri's progress. They saw her power growing. Their scouts witnessed first-hand that she indeed commanded the mighty. Fear of House Yora kept Ecclesia safe. Sasha also sent word that merchants and nobles alike were flocking back to Ecclesia, wishing to live beneath Enfri's protection. Ecclesia's desperate circumstances were swiftly becoming a thing of the past.
The cost was speed. With each new group of armsmen, the army became that much more cumbersome. Before much longer, setting out with so few of her armsmen in the interest of haste would become a moot point. At this rate, they may not reach Melcia for another month. That was time Enfri wasn't willing to take, but the responsibilities of her position required it. Jin had been right when she spoke of this.
The crown made one faceless.
Pacifica stood next to Enfri at the edge of the army camp. Deebee and Adar towered behind them in their truest forms. Jin stood off to the side, ostensibly serving as a witness from the Highest Court, and Reyn recorded Lord Wallace's oath of fealty in official documentation.
Enfri approached Lord Wallace the Corwyn and gestured for him to stand. Reyn came up beside her, carrying the document and a sealing-wax candle on her writing pallet.
"Before we go on," Enfri said in a soft voice that wouldn't carry to Wallace's two sons and escort of armsmen, "are you certain? I won't hold you to anything, my lord. We'll give you supplies whether you swear allegiance or not. Say the word, and Reyn will destroy the papers."
Lord Wallace stood with a fatigued slump in his shoulders. He licked his lips nervously, his eyes drifting to Deebee and Adar before giving his reply. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for saying so. I take my oaths as binding once they leave my lips."
"Even so..."
"If I may, Your Majesty," Wallace interjected. He had difficulty meeting Enfri's eye even though he stood a full two feet over her; Dellish appeared to be exceptionally tall as a rule. "My house is young, and I am only the third Lord Corwyn. My grandfather claimed his title when I was a boy. I saw the birth of my house, Your Majesty. I don't want to see the end of it."
Enfri looked down at her feet and nodded. She understood his feelings better than he might have thought. "Your queen may be displeased by this alliance, my lord."
His lips pressed together, slight but noticeable, and there was a tremor born of frustration in them. His refined diction fled, revealing his upbringing as a southern farmer. "As I ken, Your Majesty," he said, voice tight with emotion, "Queen Indigar spat on what oaths my gran'fer gave her when she took the levies and hid behind the River City's walls. Damnation on the craven, and damnation on the houses that won't lift a finger to send help to the people 'round here. We lost everything when those floundering Altieri traitors marched through."
Wallace grit his teeth and looked away. Rumors were already circulating that dragons were responsible for the destruction in Althandor, and he may soon face condemnation for pledging his house to hers. Enfri wanted to say something helpful and profound, but all she could do was place her hand on his forearm.
"And you're willing?"
"Aye, Your Majesty. The queen's abandoned us. Half the goodfolk think we sit at feast as they starve and won't shed no tears to see our pyres."
"They'll change their minds," Enfri promised. "I'll make sure they know that House Corwyn is responsible for the supplies they're getting. Our boats have an uncontested route down the river to Ecclesian waters. I can't provide much, but it'll be enough for your goodfolk."
She raised her voice a little louder for everyone to hear. "Your family can find safe quarter in Ecclesia. They will be guests at my estate until it is safe to return home."
"And... myself, Your Majesty?"
Enfri swallowed. This part was what she found most difficult, bullying them once they were hers. "You may leave fifteen of your armsmen to secure your holdings here. You and the rest of your armsmen will be placed under the command of Knight-Marshal Bannlyth the Karst until the renegade Elise is brought to justice."
Wallace's eyes widened almost imperceptibly. "Karst," he whispered.
"My First Knight, and the Lord of Rubies."
"I thought the Karsts were gone. Traitors, the lot of them."
"Not my Karsts, my lord," Enfri said firmly. "I'd wager a penny against a mark on Ban's honor over any other man in the world."
Lord Wallace blinked, a poleaxed look on his face that quickly spread into a grin. "Aye, Your Majesty. As you say, it'll get done."
Enfri wondered if it was for the best that Ban couldn't come to see houses swear allegiance. The further from Ecclesia they went, the opinions of his family got darker. It was a blessing in disguise that he was too preoccupied with administrating the camp to attend. Whatever the reason for his absence, Enfri would need to find him as soon as her duties here were over. There was a matter to see to that was as overdue as it was unpleasant.
All that was left was for Enfri and Lord Wallace to join their seals. They signed their names to Reyn's document, then pressed their signet rings into globs of sealing wax. Reyn rolled the paper up and placed it into a scroll case for delivery to the Yora Estate clerks. After parting pleasantries, the Corwyns and their escort returned up the hill to their stately plantation manor.
This would be ten times more difficult without Reyn, Enfri thought in appreciation. I could get used to having a handmaiden.
Reyn looked her in the eye, smiled that stunning smile of hers, then withdrew to the messenger tents. She passed Jin, the two exchanging cordial nods, before continuing on her way. Enfri required a moment to remind herself that mortals needed to breathe to live.
I absolutely hate that I'm like this, Enfri thought. Winds take my wandering eyes. What I need is an investiture that's the opposite of a love potion. An ambivalence potion! That could be a thing.
It was imperative that she get over this silly puppy crush on Reyn. Her heart was spoken for, and spirits alone knew what Jin might do if she smelled a rival. Jin had said once or twice in jest that she got jealous, and Enfri didn't want Reyn to find out how true that may or may not have been.
Deebee and Adar changed to their human forms. Over the last week, they'd worked the kinks out of taking clothing through their polymorphy. It made for a lot less awkwardness at these kinds of meetings. Adar had his fine doublet, and Deebee had taken to wearing a more striking dress than what she'd been using. It was dark green silk and had a gorgeous, wispy skirt that tended to flutter behind her in the wind. No embroidery of any kind, daring neckline, backless, and snug around the hips and waist. The dress' simple beauty suited Deebee well. Enfri was certain that Jin picked it out.
Pacifica reached Enfri's side a moment before Jin and the dragons. "You were exceptional," Pacifica said in praise. "The Corwyn isn't leaving as stooped over as when he arrived."
"How do you feel?" Jin asked.
"Like I need to take a sedative," Enfri said. "This is the fifth house to pledge to me just since we left Altier Nashal, and I don't think I'll ever get used to it."
Jin nodded, but she seemed distracted by her own thoughts. Before Enfri could ask what was on her mind, Pacifica spoke up.
"Speaking to him as you did was an inspired decision," she said. "Lord Wallace seemed to be having second thoughts when Ban was mentioned, but when you used common jargon, it put him more at ease. You're a natural at this."
Enfri felt a surge of panic. "I didn't think it through that far."
She and Pacifica stared at each other, both getting increasingly wide-eyed. It was dawning on them how Enfri had been avoiding diplomatic incidents by the capricious grace of Fate thus far.
"Teach me," Enfri pled.
Pacifica nodded emphatically. "Yes, of course."
Adar hummed in consideration as he approached. "Perhaps this is the new role for Diamond Knights, my empress. In the old empire, they were Dragon Emperors. In the new, we could be diplomats. No other order fills that role."
We had no need for diplomacy, Shoen scoffed. However, the gold's suggestion isn't without merit. Shan Alee is no longer the dominant power it once was.
Enfri was surprised. Partially because the voices spoke to her less frequently than they once did, but mostly because Shoen was acting almost reasonable.
The best course at this time, another voice agreed. Golds are too valuable to risk in warfare.
"Drat," Enfri murmured. "I like the idea, but the spooks agree with you, Adar."
Adar seemed disturbed by that.
Enfri gave her head a firm shake to reorder her thoughts. "We do need people with the authority to negotiate, and Pacifica is clearly the best suited for it. When the orders start drawing up their official charters, let's see to it that the Diamond Knights are given diplomatic powers."
Jin let out a heavy breath through her nose. Enfri took note as she addressed the others.
"This was a win for us," Enfri said, "but I have misgivings."
"Misgivings?" Jin asked.
Enfri gave a sad nod. "They aren't pledging to Shan Alee because they believe in what we want to do. Corwyn, Ulthred, and the others don't see another choice. They're frightened they'll be snatched up by the other Altieri factions or overrun by bandits, and they think we're their only hope for safety."
"And you want to give it to them," Jin said. She sighed again, looking a little relieved this time.
Deebee stood straight-backed. "Well, of course she does. Unfortunately, we're stretching ourselves thin. As unbelievable as it might seem to you, love, thirty-five thousand gold marks is next to nothing on the scale we're looking to operate on. Dry goods don't come cheaply nowadays."
"Which is why the mighty are offering up portions of our hoards," Adar said with a pointed look towards Deebee.
"I keep my hoard in my lair and can't access it at a whim," Deebee said, bristling. Of the mighty, Deebee apparently had one of the more impressive stashes of riches, and she'd been showing a little of her skinflint tendencies when the subject came up.
What did dragons even do with all that gold? The more Enfri learned of dragon hoards, the less they seemed like a nest egg and more like the bauble collection of a jackdaw.
"In any case," Deebee went on, "dragon charity will only provide a temporary solution to our finances. Particularly now that our beloved deems it necessary to play the blessed saint to half the south."
Enfri blushed at the unsubtle chastisement. It wasn't as if she had a savior-complex or anything, but it was impossible for her to turn a blind eye to people in need.
"That was unworthy of you," Jin said to Deebee. "The Storyteller is the last I would expect such words from."
"You're right." Deebee appeared contrite. "My dreams of late have me on edge. My apologies, love."
Enfri touched Deebee's wrist to give comfort. She looked to Pacifica and Adar. "She's been turning her dreams towards finding where Kimpo might be."
"Have you learned anything?" Adar asked.
"Little of worth, and less to give me hope," Deebee replied. She hugged her arms over her chest in an anxious posture. "My Huntress is in flight, of that I'm certain. She isn't alone. And... she no longer feels like herself. That frightens me more than anything else."
Enfri bit her lip, anxious for Kimpo. From what Ban had said, Elise could do unspeakable things with the dragon bonds. There was every reason to believe she'd gladly use her powers of torture on Kimpo at the slightest provocation.
I can't let myself think of dragons in the same way Elise does. They're not tools.
She could feel the Dragon Emperors gearing up for an argument on the subject, but Enfri cut them off by wrenching her thoughts away from them.
There has to be something I can do, she thought, even if it's just a symbolic gesture, something to prove to myself more than anyone else, that I don't think of the mighty as my servants. Deebee, Kimpo, and Adar, they're a part of me.
The others had moved on to other issues. The maintaining of the supply line back to Ecclesia, a few minor organizational problems cropping up between the new additions to the army, keeping the wards against scries and other divination spells, and the continuing threat of drawing the attention of the Highest King were all discussed. Very little of it was resolved by the time the sun dipped towards the horizon. Deebee excused herself to return to her dreaming, and Pacifica went with Adar to mediate a few disputes popping up among the new bannermen.
Enfri was beginning to comprehend exactly why it was that an armed force took such a long time to move long distances. When it had been just her, Jin, and Deebee, they rode from Sandharbor to Ecclesia in a little over a week. In the same amount of time, even with flying groups of soldiers on dragon back, others traveling up the Vladmir by riverboat, and Ban urging them onward as fast as humanly possible, They'd barely left Altier Nashal.
It was frustrating. If there was to be any hope of rescuing Kimpo and stopping Elise from enslaving more dragons, they had to find a way to move faster.
Enfri and Jin walked together through the army's tents towards Ban's command post. They acknowledged the hails from the armsmen and dragons hard at work, but they didn't stop to speak with any of them. Enfri was preoccupied. A lot yet weighed on her, but one thing more than the rest.
"You're upset," Enfri said softly.
Jin didn't answer.
"Please, my light. Tell me what's bothering you."
It had been the wrong thing to say, and Enfri knew it as soon as it left her mouth.
Jin's mouth tightened at the corners. She kept her eyes fixed on the path ahead. "I have no cause to complain."
"But," Enfri prompted.
Jin took in a breath to steady herself. "I cannot help but think," she began, but her words trailed off.
Enfri swallowed, a sense of dread taking root. "Think what?" she asked, timid.
"It would have been better if we were on our own," Jin said. "This army is unnecessary. We might be as far north as Leyrshore by now. Further, if we flew over the mountains. You, Ban, and I were a match for Garret and Elise before."
Enfri blinked in confusion. Were they remembering the same night? They had Kimpo then. Deebee was a scholar, not a soldier. Even with all things being equal, none of them came out of that fight unscathed.
Not by a long shot.
Enfri didn't know which part to protest first. Winds, but if she had her way, they'd be bringing her entire force of armsmen to bear against Elise. Even then, she wasn't sure it would be enough. Prince Dashar, Jin's cousin, the deadliest swordsman on the Continent, had died in that fight.
And Jin thought they could be a match for Elise?
You at last comprehend the gulf between you and her, Shoen said.
I'd be a fool if I didn't see Elise is more powerful than I am, Enfri thought back.
Shoen chuckled. Not you and your aunt, girl. Between you and your pet savage.
Enfri stopped in her tracks as Shoen retreated, his mocking laughter ringing in her skull. She wanted to turn away and run, but that would only be admitting that Shoen was right.
Jin came to a stop a few paces ahead. She looked back at Enfri. "You believe I'm wrong."
"No," Enfri said, then shook her head. "I mean, yes. I want to get Kimpo back just as much as Ban and Deebee do, but we barely fended Elise off in Ecclesia. I can't even say we did beat her. She left because she wanted to, not because we made her."
Jin frowned. "You're afraid of Elise."
"I am!" Enfri clutched her hands over her heart to keep them from shaking so terribly. "Aren't you? We had Dashar on our side, and they..."
"Stop," Jin snapped.
Enfri clamped her mouth shut. Oh winds, I stung her badly with that. Went too far, you dough-headed dolt.
Her eyes dropped to Jin's hands. They were clenched tight. Enfri had never seen Jin like this. No, that wasn't true. She'd seen Jin like this in Marwin.
When Jin was her enemy.
Fear, cold and consuming, pulsed in Enfri's veins. It carried throughout her body like poison in her bloodstream. Her rational self tried to say that she was being ridiculous, that Jin wouldn't ever harm her.
Didn't you ask her to? The voices of Dragon Emperors all came at Enfri at once. They tumbled over one another, each trying to be heard over the others. Haven't you given her cause? Not yet, perhaps. You were a fool to ask such an oath. It may prove your undoing. Destroy her before she can betray you.
Enfri focused on Jin's eyes. Doing so helped banish the irrational fear, but one of a different variety stayed with her. Those weren't a killer's eyes. Enfri saw pain, raw and terrible. Jin's home was in turmoil, rumors spoke of deaths within House Algara, and Jin was here, with the enemy.
Horrid guilt rose in Enfri's heart. Since leaving Ecclesia and even before that, Enfri had been focused on her own problems and worries. Winds, but she'd even let her eye get drawn to another woman. Enfri had been treating Jin wretchedly, and she deserved so much better than that. All Jin had done and sacrificed for Enfri's sake left an empress humbled.
Jin gave up her family to be with Enfri and keep her safe. In return, Enfri ignored her pain.
Drat. I'm going to cry, right in front of the troops and everyone.
Before the tears could become more than an itch behind Enfri's eyelids, Jin unclenched her fists. "Nothing you have said is wrong. Forgive me, Enfri. I spoke out of turn."
This was even worse. Enfri couldn't let Jin think she was in the wrong for daring to have emotions. Why couldn't Enfri make her blustering tongue work right and say what she meant? Stupid, useless idiot of a girl.
A ululating cry rose up from the southern edge of camp. It was soon joined by others.
"Grellin's sentries," Jin said, looking towards the alarm. "Someone is approaching the camp. How could they come so close without the outriders spotting them?"
All around, dragons picked up their heads to look south. Armsmen rose from their cooking fires and reached for weapons. Everyone was suddenly poised on a knife's edge.
Enfri went to Jin and reached for her arm. "My light..."
Jin pulled her arm away. Enfri gasped and flinched at the abrupt motion.
Winds take me.
Her heart raced. She hadn't meant to react to Jin's sudden movement like that, but the stricken look on Jin's face revealed exactly what she was thinking. Jin knew that if even for one moment, Enfri had been afraid of her.
"The alarm," Enfri stammered, eyes wide. "I got startled. That's all."
Jin looked away, ashamed. "We can speak more later," she said. Her tone was gentle but would brook no arguments. "Please, go to Ban. He will see you safe."
Enfri nodded reluctantly. At least Jin seemed hesitant to leave things between them in such a way. It may have been a small point to take hope from, but Enfri seized upon it and wouldn't let go.
Jin dashed off through the camp. She drew her sword as she ran. A squad of Yora armsmen hurriedly assembled and rushed to follow her.
Feeling drained and miserable, Enfri turned her feet towards the center of camp. She picked up her skirts over the trampled dirt and moved along at a trot. If trouble was coming, she needed to warn Ban. Fortunately, she'd barely gone fifty paces before she heard the sentries shouting an all-clear.
Whatever the commotion had been, Ban would be getting a report on it any moment. Enfri should be there when he did. Also, there was the final task of the day to see to.
Each night, the camp was laid out in the same manner. It was all so coordinated and professional. Ban tended to downplay his involvement in the day to day operations of the army, but it was becoming plain that he was acquainted with commanding large groups of soldiers.
Ban's tent was a simple affair, large and sewn together from tanned aurochs hide. The table and benches inside were made to be assembled and broken back down for ease of transport. The rest of the furnishings were a cot and fur blanket, a pinewood chest for Ban's minimal wardrobe, a mannequin and sword rack for his equipment, a brazier, and a washbasin. Ban didn't bed down away from his post, and Enfri found that somewhat concerning.
The Lord of Rubies paced back and forth behind his table, studying the maps of Temradel laid out over the surface. He wore leather leggings and a silk shirt with the Karst colors, and he must have thrown on a chainmail hauberk when the alarm started. He'd yet to take it off.
For the past three days, he'd been debating over whether to take the eastern passes around the Nadian Ridge and skirt the Great Leyr, or veer west and move northward through the Moran Valley in Nadia. Neither choice had particular appeal, but Enfri was secretly hopeful the passage through Nadia would win out. At the other end of the Moran Valley, past Nadia's northern border, there was a small village on the desert's edge. Enfri missed Sandharbor terribly, and she wondered if circumstances might allow her to briefly take her leave of the army for a visit.
Ban looked up from his maps. "Enfri. You know what the comuckus out there was all about?"
"Comuckus?" Enfri asked incredulously. She shook her head to say that she hadn't brought word. "Is that even Althandi?"
Ban shrugged. "It sounded right. Are you well? You look like something's bothering you. The Corwyn wasn't an arse, was he?"
"Not at all," Enfri said. "He's a good sort. I'm sure you'll get on once you meet."
"Would be a welcome change from some of these others. Half whine about risking their dealings with Melcian houses, and the rest seem ready to pull steel at the first sign of Akazewi banners. There's no shortage of bad blood towards Adeyemi over him acting as Althandor's enforcer over the years."
"I don't want to start a war, Ban," Enfri said. "That's the last thing we need. We brought the army to trap Elise, not fight the Melcians."
"If we're not careful, things may go that way," Ban warned. "They don't call Adeyemi the Warrior King because he looks good in uniform. When Cathis asked him to take care of bandit problems in Iylis, Adeyemi burned down whole villages for sheltering a few fugitives. He's ruthless if he thinks he needs to be— brutal, even— and he gets the job done as simply as he can."
Enfri got the picture. She felt she knew all she needed to about King Adeyemi after what he tried to pull in Ecclesia. Even so, she didn't think he was as monstrous as Ban was making it sound. Enfri had seen an unexpected side of him. A stargazer. An explorer. Despite everything that happened between her and Adeyemi, she wanted to believe that they could come to an accord for the Aleesh hiding in his kingdom.
And where do you intend to take our people once you have them? Shoen asked. To be frank, girl, our race has little love for snow and ice.
Enfri frowned. She didn't like it when her ancestors brought up valid points. The southern weather had all but frozen her solid, and she'd avoided the worst of it.
Ban watched her closely as he came around the table. He crossed his arms and sat halfway on the edge."The spooks again?"
Enfri nodded, but Shoen's bile was the least of her concerns. She went further into the tent and hopped up to sit beside Ban on the table. She kicked her dangling feet anxiously beneath her. "I did a bad thing, Ban. I think I hurt Jin."
He raised an eyebrow. "Something silly, or something serious?"
Enfri swallowed and fought to keep her eyes from watering.
"Waves," Ban said under his breath. "Look, I've proven time and again I'm hopeless at courting, but..."
"Ban Karst, bite your tongue," Enfri rebuked while dabbing at an eye with her sleeve. "You're positively gallant with Moon."
He smiled. "But... I think I got a handle on you and Jin. The two of you are a pair of the most powerful women in the world. Either one of you has enough on your shoulders to bury whole kingdoms. Right about now, you're thinking you haven't been giving her the consideration she deserves. Am I right?"
Enfri pursed her lips. Winds take hydromancy, and winds take Ban for probably not even needing it to see through her.
Ban chuckled at her pouting. "We both know it's not true. You worry about her constantly. Don't think I haven't seen your candles burning halfway to dawn in your field lab. Any progress, by the way?"
Blushing, Enfri shook her head. Try as she might, she was unable to replicate the oren. Jin was down to her last five vials. This was another reason Enfri hoped their path would go through Nadia. It was the only place Enfri knew of where she might find the toxic mineral that was the oren's primary reagent. With luck, the Corwyn alchemist she'd just won to her service might provide some insight.
If Jin's supply of the oren ran out, the only way to save her life would be with a dragon bond, and Enfri knew how uncomfortable Jin was with the idea. Worse was that the Dragon Emperors actively encouraged Enfri to find the oren's formula. They saw it as a way to coerce Jin's continued loyalty. Winds and storms, but Enfri loathed when they came up with hideous reasons for doing good things.
"You'll have your spats," Ban said. "This will probably be one of the milder ones, to be honest. There's enough riding on you two that you'll bump heads over one thing or another all the time. At the end of the day, you love her. And waves, Enfri, I wish you could see how Jin looks at you when your back is turned. It's almost as awe-inspiring as Trent when he sees a bottle of vodka."
Enfri shut her eyes and laughed. She lay her head on Ban's shoulder, uncaring of the cold chainmail on her cheek. "Thank you, Ban. I needed to hear that. Jin should be coming soon to tell us what that... comuckus... was. I'll make amends."
A large figure in a House Yora tabard appeared at the tent's entrance. Enfri raised her head and slid off the table as soon as she recognized him.
Grimdar the Gladiator came inside and kneeled. His human form, charcoal black except for the red patterns tracing over his body, was powerful and broad. He was thick throughout the torso, built like a bear crossed with a barrel. His limbs were layered with muscle, and his hands looked large enough to hold Enfri's head in his palm. Grimdar was bald, and his face looked rather like a war hammer. Still, there was a solemn confidence to his features. Deebee called it the face of a prize-fighter.
"My empress," Grimdar said. His voice rumbled at a deep baritone, like stones rolling down a mountainside. He rose to his feet at Enfri's gesture. An imposing red dragon, Grimdar was as tall as Ban and likely twice his weight.
Ban's lips parted, and he made a soft sound of understanding. "Well, I suppose there's no point in twiddling our thumbs."
Enfri winced.
"I confess to my own reservations, my empress," Grimdar said, his green eyes hesitant. "I... all the reds... have the deepest respect for Kimpo's knight. However, the Knight-Marshal is meant to be forged to our Eldest. This feels wrong."
Ban lay a hand on Enfri's shoulder. "You've forged a dozen knights already. That can't be easy. I'll play demon's barrister here and suggest you ought consider taking a break from bond forging. Just until you can get a handle on what the costs are."
Enfri appreciated the concern, and she understood their misgivings more than she thought they realized. "I know you want Kimpo back, Ban," she said. "I do too, and that's why I want to give you the best chance for taking her back. This will be temporary. Hugin and Nooka let me experiment with unlocking and reconnecting their bond. It isn't difficult to..." Her mouth twisted in distaste at the concept, but she spoke it anyway. "...reassign knights and dragons. I don't like it either, but this might be what we need to do. This could even help with your disability."
Ban took a long breath, giving it honest consideration. "It feels like I'm giving up on her," he murmured.
A soft grunt of agreement came out of Grimdar.
"I know," Enfri whispered. "But we're not. You're not. All this is for Kimpo's sake."
Ban had a small half-smile as he nodded. "No one can say we didn't raise a stink over it. Waves, but I miss her. Right about now, she'd be whacking me upside the head and telling me to stop dithering like a rabbit on a rail line."
Enfri gave him an encouraging pat on the arm. She looked to Grimdar, and the Gladiator nodded his acceptance.
"When we have our Huntress back," she promised, "I'll forge you with your true Ruby."
Grimdar clasped his hands behind his back. "I will keep an eye open for suitable candidates, my empress."
So formal and stoic. Enfri fostered a notion of who he reminded her of but discarded it as soon as it appeared. She motioned them both to her side. The bonds she'd forged so far had been given a measure of pomp and ceremony. This one would be forged out of temporary convenience. Enfri reached into them both with her ether.
Grimdar was the easiest to find. Dragon souls burned with such ferocity, strength and ether as hot and blinding as a roaring furnace. Enfri's elder magic wove new threads from his soul towards Ban's. She drew them together, and like raindrops meeting on a pane of glass...
A scar thwarted her.
The elder magic recoiled from the wound in Ban's soul. When Enfri attempted to bond him to Grimdar, nothing happened. It was as if what could reach out and hold to another's presence had been ripped out of him.
Enfri's eyes snapped open. Grimdar looked sidelong at Ban with a pensive expression. And Ban... He kept his eyes downcast.
"Waves, I thought as much" he said. "Didn't want to think about it, but here we are."
"Ban," Enfri whispered.
"She broke me," Ban said. He sounded so defeated and hollow. "When she took her, she broke me. I can't be bonded again."
Enfri looked inside herself. She screamed into the dark recesses of her mind for answers. Tell me this isn't true! How can I fix this?
The fledgling thinks to ply us for wisdom?
Enough. Just answer me.
Shoen's answer had a hint of a sneer to it. This was a possibility. Rivalries between royal factions often led to similar outcomes. Dekaam can be vicious, and your aunt only cared to preserve the dragon. The boy should be grateful he retains any capacity for magic at all, but he will never be a Ruby Knight again.
Enfri felt like she'd been hit in the chest by a hammer. She covered her mouth and held back a sob.
Ban nodded, and he still hadn't looked her in the eye. "No point in dwelling, and I need to see what's going on in camp. By your leave, my empress."
He turned to go. Enfri reached out to him, but he was already walking out of the tent. She looked to Grimdar.
"Could you..."
"I will keep watch over him." The Gladiator gave Enfri a nod and followed Ban out of the tent, changing into a crow before flying off.
Alone, Enfri lowered herself to sit on the ground. She was stunned. This possibility hadn't even occurred to her. She'd thought all she needed to do was get Ban and Kimpo back together, and everything would go back to as it should be.
When was Fate ever so generous?
"It is tragic," a man's voice said from behind her. A wizened voice, and one Enfri recognized. "I would not have wished this outcome on him. Nor on you, Your Majesty."
Enfri wiped her eyes and stood. It took every ounce of fortitude she had, but she managed to calm herself as she turned to face him.
"Varn the Librarian," she said. "I didn't expect to ever see you again."
"I did not expect to be seen."
Varn approached from the back of Ban's tent. How he'd come in unnoticed or kept himself concealed was a mystery. His amber eyes shone in the light of sunset, and he removed his wide-brimmed hat to hold it over his chest.
"It is time that you and I talked."