Just when Aldeheid thought he'd met all of Kitaya's associates, there were more waiting in the wings. Ever since they'd landed in Etheria, she had been shoving him in the face of every friend, acquaintance and colleague that crossed their paths. So many names and faces swirled together in his head, and he had no idea, which belonged to who.
He watched her across the room, speaking to a woman from Abydon – Videlia. He remembered her name only because she was the last person he'd been introduced to. He tore his eyes away from them looking around the large antechamber. Attendants whisked past him, carrying drinks and small bites of food. The room was alive with the chatter of hundreds of people, some familiar faces, some complete strangers.
Jayer and Jetei stood near the exit, speaking to Kemah, Kitaya's altori. Aldeheid had been avoiding them all night. Whenever Jayer came too close, he'd either make himself busy or walk to the other side of the room.
Leandyr lounged on one of the chairs, eyes closed, breathing evenly. According to Lady Hiroh, he was nursing injuries from a scuffle they'd had on the way here. Aldeheid guessed that meant there wouldn't be much in the way of training for him, which was probably for the best. After all the meetings he'd been subjected to, he was mentally exhausted.
He took a sip of his wine and immediately choked on it when someone clapped him on the shoulder.
"Long time, starry-eyed northerner." Tall, broad, massive claymore on his back. Aldeheid remembered the brute from Kitaya's one millennia party, but a name didn't come to him.
"Good gods, Siegfried, are you trying to kill him?" Kitaya strode towards them, the hem of her flowing skirt swishing around her feet.
Siegfried held both hands up in placation, backing away slowly. "My apologies, warrior maiden." He gave Aldeheid a curious look before heading to the settee Leandyr had turned into his bed. He dumped his massive body onto the vacant side, making it jump and jolting Leandyr awake. "Swordmaster, it's been a long time." He clapped Leandyr on the shoulder. "You owe me a rematch."
Leandyr's bloodshot, dark-ringed eyes, coupled with his scowl was a look that would probably kill a weaker man. "You know fighting me in this state is the only way you would have a chance of winning."
"There will be no sword fighting tonight," Lady Hiroh interjected. She came up behind the settee and laid both hands on her cape's shoulders. "We'll need to brief Gebarro before the dinner starts."
Leandyr reached both hands out towards her, like a child beckoning to his mother. "Carry me."
Ayzel rolled her eyes before taking his hand. A warm white glow suffused him, and one flash later, he was a bright red cape on her shoulders.
Aldeheid chuckled at them. He'd never seen Leandyr reduced to such a whimpering sop. But his smile soon disappeared when he saw who was approaching them. He downed the rest of his wine and beckoned an attendant for another. By the time the glass landed in his hand, he was face-to-face with Eriani and Kemah.
The Konian Queen only spared him a glance, as though that were all he deserved. Her partner and cape was more welcoming and offered him a warm smile. Aldeheid hadn't seen them in some years. They'd visited the island a while back, both to see Kitaya and to use the thin space to return to Kon. And Eriani had been just as cold and contemptuous then.
"Kitaya, when exactly do you plan on returning home?" Eriani asked. "Kon needs you just as much as this cause does."
Kitaya snorted. "Needs me for what? Because Mellidius abandoned you all? I'll be returning sooner than you think, but I have no intentions of playing politics with spoiled diplomats."
The Queen's face clouded over. "Need I remind you that you're the bearer of the Behemoth, one of our most sacred treasures. It's been off of Konian soil along with you for far too long."
"Alright, I'll come home."
Kemah smiled. "I look forward to having you back. And Aldeheid, I'm sure you'll love our kingdom."
Aldeheid saluted Kemah with his wine glass, and the pair walked off. "Why does she hate me so much?" he asked Kitaya.
She shrugged before taking a thoughtful sip of her wine. "Perhaps it's the aura you give off. I wasn't too fond of you during our first encounter either. Thought you were quite the bumbling idot."
"And now?"
"Still bumbling, but a little less of an idiot."
Aldeheid huffed and grumbled under his breath, to which Kitaya laughed. He'd stepped right into that one. There seemed to be nothing she enjoyed more than getting under people's skin for her own amusement. And, damn her, she was good at it.
An attendant stepped amongst the crowd and rang a small bell, signaling that dinner was ready. The massive crowd filed from the antechamber, spilling into the hall beyond and flowing into the double doors at its south end.
The dining hall beyond was a work of marble art, and Aldeheid expected no less from the Aiisha Bastion. Extravagance was their strong suit. Statues and decorative columns lined both sides of the room with three, tiered chandeliers hanging down the middle. The back of the room opened up to a balcony with a view of the city beyond it. Apparently there was a reason to celebrate that he hadn't been made aware of because the spread laid out of the long table was a feast fit for a King.
Kitaya led him to a seat near the head of the table opposite Eriani and Kemah. According to her, they were seated based on clout. Gebarro, the Etheria Bastion's King was at the head, with his Queen and cape at his right. Followed by Kitaya, then Aldeheid – who was sure he was supposed to be at the other end of the table.
When everyone was settled, Gebarro stood and tapped on his goblet to silence the room. "Allow me to officially welcome you all to this meeting. To begin, I have some bittersweet news. Enver, along with the research team in Abydon managed to close the thin space near their lake."
A chorus of excited murmurs rose from the table. The thin spaces that were appearing all over earth and Magika had been a problem long before Aldeheid began his training with Kitaya. They'd allowed all manner of rogue magicians and capes and vicious beast into earth unimpeded, threatening the lives of the humans who called it home. Being able to seal them meant they had a chance to rectify the problem once and for all. It was unprecedented news indeed.
"But," Gebarro continued, his voice ringing clear over the din. "It took the combined effort of four thousand magicians, and more than half were lost in the process."
Aldeheid had to clench his jaw to prevent himself from swearing out loud. Kitaya had stressed to him on multiple occasions that they couldn't afford to lose more people. Yet here they were, losing more people.
"Still, this is a significant step forward. With continued research and efforts, I believe we'll bring ourselves closer to a resolution. We will mourn our dead, but we will not dwell on our defeats."
"Gebarro," Eriani interjected. "Inform the research team that they may visit the archive in Kon. Its nigh as old as Magika, so perhaps there may be more useful information there."
"Of course." He nodded to Ayzel. "Lady Hiroh. I believe you have some news for us as well."
"I do," she said, rising to her feet. "But I'm afraid it's only bitter and not sweet. Leandyr and I were doing reconnaissance at the thin space near Opal Isles, and there were people there. They wore masks and cloaks that bore the seal of the water goddess, and they were tampering with the thin space. By the time Leandyr and I were able to chase them away, the thin space had doubled in size."
"What?" Kitaya hissed. Her fists were balled at her sides, and she was looking at Ayzel as though she'd made a distasteful joke.
Aldeheid gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. As if the monoliths weren't enough. That thin space had already been huge to begin with.
"Let's not jump to conclusions," Gebarro said. "This could be an isolated incident, but we can never be too careful. That means keeping a closer eye on the thin spaces you're assigned to watch. Any news on Glaciados?"
"It's still out there. The climate of the entire region has changed. There's constant snowfall, and unbearable cold and..." she sighed. "It's spreading. The humans have long fled, and there are many refugees. We've had to set up mobile cities. It's been rough. I fear if we don't find a stable home for them, they won't last."
A somber mood fell over their gathering. Aldeheid always walked away from these meetings and briefings with a heavy heart. It felt as though everyone was doing their level best, yet they were constantly being set back.
Now he understood why Kitaya had emotionally detached herself from it all. He wasn't sure if frustration and disappointment could kill, but if they could, he'd probably fall prey to them if he didn't follow in her footsteps.
Those thoughts weighed heavily on his head as the meeting wore on, and he focused more on his food until Kitaya placed a hand on his shoulder.
She rose to her feet and smoothed her skirt before speaking. "I believe we could all use some good news. Well, I've thought long and hard about it, and I've decided that I will take Aldeheid as my magician. If he will have me."
Aldeheid had to put a hand over his heart to make sure he was still alive. A silence had fallen over the room. A gambit of emotions ran through him, fear confusion, excitement and more confusion. "Me?"
"Yes, you." She smiled down at him. "Of course you can say no. But say yes for now and save me the embarrassment."
To think she'd want someone like him as cape? The wreck that he was? He felt so far beneath her – metaphorically. Yet she thought him worthy enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her. To have her on his shoulders.
I can say no... But would he? Could he? After spending all of his days capeless? After believing that he was doomed, cursed to never find one he was compatible with? Kitaya had been the only one to survive the insanity of his spellcasting, and here she was, asking him to be her magician. The one she'd stay bonded to until death.
"Me?" It seemed to be the only word that could come out of his mouth.
Kitaya rolled her eyes. "Yes, angel eyes, you."
"Oh, Kitaya, this is wonderful!' Ayzel said. "We need to toast this occasion." A buzz of excited murmurs rose from the gathering, but it didn't last long.
"Have you lost your mind?!" Eriani's voice shocked the table into silence, like a sharp bolt of lightning. "Both of you, with me. Now." She got up from the table and began walking out of the room, not looking to see if they were following. Not that she needed to. When the Queen of Kon gave instruction, you followed swiftly and without hesitation.
Aldeheid stifled the groan that was bubbling up his throat and rose to his feet before following Kitaya to the antechamber. Kemah came in behind them and shut the door.
"Are you stupid?" Eriani wheeled on Kitaya, cutting the air with her hand. "Honestly, of all the silly things you've done in your life, this is by far the worst."
Aldeheid sighed and and sank into a settee, making himself as comfortable as he could given the circumstances. He expected no less from Eriani. The woman didn't like the ground he walked on.
Kitaya shrugged not seeming to care for her altori's rejection. "If you brought us here to try to change my mind, you're going to be sorely disappointed."
"I thought I raised you better than this." The Queen pointed an accusing finger at Aldeheid. "He is not worthy of you!"
"That is not for you to decide."
Aldeheid felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up at Kemah.
"I'm sorry about this," he said, with a pained smile.
"You're doing this spite me aren't you?" Eriani asked. "You were always so thick-headed defiant. Never listening, always thinking you knew best."
Kitaya breathed a mirthless, haunted laugh. "You truly think this about you, Eriani? I'm doing this because I want to. You getting all hot-tempered about it is just an added bonus, my dear altori. Make no mistake, if Aldeheid accepts my offer, he will be my magician. So I'd suggest you get used to his presence."
"Will you two please stop fighting," Kemah finally said. "Darling, I know you feel strongly about this, but it is not for you or I to decide who Kitaya should be bonded to. We've done our part already."
Eriani pressed her lips together and sank into a chair, looking as though she might implode.
Kitaya opened up her mouth to speak, but Kemah cut her off.
"That's quite enough out of you as well. Honestly, I wish you two would stop biting at each other's throats like wild animals."
"Alright, I'm sorry." Kitaya turned to Aldeheid. "It's up to you now, angel eyes. Do you want to be my magician?"
Aldeheid leaned forward in his seat and laced his fingers in front of his face. "I do. More than anything, but..." He looked down at his hands, and the next words he spoke made him ill. "Eriani is right. You deserve better than me."
"Let's give them some privacy," Kemah said, guiding his magician out of the antechamber.
An uncomfortable silence followed the click of the door, and Aldeheid became preoccupied with cleaning his already clean fingernails. He couldn't look at her, not after rejecting her so blatantly. But it was best she didn't make a decision she'd later regret.
"Is that how you really feel?" Kitaya asked, breaking the silence. "That you don't deserve to have me as a cape?" She didn't sound angry, but there was something else in her voice. Disappointment? Sadness?
He scrubbed his face and sighed. "Why would you even want me as a magician? What can I offer you?"
"Think about it, Aldeheid. You are a magician that can take magic from any cape you want, bond or no. I am a cape that can use my own magic. You and I could be the most formidable pair Magika has ever seen. They'd be writing about us in the history books, bards will sing songs about our triumphs."
He quirked a brow. "That's what this is about? Power and notoriety?"
"Not entirely, no." Kitaya sat beside him, crossing one leg over the next. "I've always wanted to be... great. And I've always wondered how I'd leave my mark on this world. How people would remember me when I die. Haven't you?"
"Only once." Aldeheid grimaced. "When I was actually dying." In a time and place long past, he used to think he'd be great. A great King. With a great Queen at his side. But that ambition had been lost, along with so much more. He'd never reclaimed it, never forged another path to greatness for himself. The only goal he had now was to atone for all the death he'd caused. But to do that, he needed to be a better magician than he was now, so all his energy was put into training.
"My cards are on the table, angel eyes." Kitaya rose to her feet and stretched, before placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I'll hold no ill feelings if you decline." With that, she turned and headed for the door.
And as Aldeheid watched her retreating back, doubt clouded his mind. What in damnation am I doing? When was he going to find another cape like Kitaya? One who could withstand the spellcasting that had killed so many capes before. One who was kind and gentle, yet strong and sturdy as a pillar made of diamond. She'd given him a place when he was lost and hopeless, yet there he was, denying her the one and only thing she'd ever asked of him.
"Kitaya, wait," Aldeheid shot to his feet. The words burned his throat as he forced them out. "I'll do it. I'll be your magician."
She was at his side in a blink, looping her arm around his. "Yes! You and me, angel eyes. These realms will know our names."
"I'll try my best not to make you regret this," he said as she guided him out of the room.
Kitaya gave him a withering look. "We'll need to fix this attitude of yours first though. I don't want my magician to be remembered as a self-deprecating pessimist."
"Noted." He couldn't believe he was doing this.
As they entered the dining hall, all chatter ceased, all heads turned towards him, and his face burned with the intensity of a bonfire. Even the walls seemed to be holding its breath in anticipation. "I accepted."
The room erupted into a chorus of cheers that sent vibrations through the floor. People flocked around them, offering congratulations and words of encouragement.
"A toast," Ayzel said, raising her voice over the noise. She held her glass high. "To Kitaya and Aldeheid. To the bonded."
Everyone in the room raised their glasses in solidarity. "To Magika!"
[A/N]: This one ran on a little longer than I expected. I hope it didn't bore you guys. I know a few of you wanted Kitaya and Aldeheid to be bonded. It does feel a little like fan service. Those of you who read the first version of Magika probably saw this coming. Dedicating this one to @Regansmalls for being the first one back.