KGWrites

Alyx

Guest Apartments, Falcon’s Nest Palace, Kingdom of Aldiron

It felt as if Alyx had been alone for hours.

Soon after Haster and James had left to find Lillian, a group of guards had arrived to escort her from the cells. They had led her up through winding dark tunnels that twisted and turned so much Alyx had been sure it was just going to end up right back where they’d started.

But they hadn’t.

They had emerged into a courtyard far wider and grander than anything Alyx had ever seen before. The space could have fit the entire Oasis, and the Kindling and probably a few other areas of shanty housing from the Winter District within it. It could have housed a hundred people. But instead it was filled with trees and flower bushes. Gazebos and benches where people in bright colourful outfits sat and drank wine and ate grapes, laughing and chattering with one another.

As she’d been led through the space, Alyx had caught more than a few of them glancing her way, looking her up and down with a similar look of revulsion as one might give a rat in their kitchens. She held their gaze.

The guards led her across the courtyard and into a building taller than any Alyx had ever seen before. It even dwarfed the feeling of being between the two city walls in the Winter District. From up close, Alyx couldn’t even make out the shape of the palace with all the tall towers and peaked roofs like she could down on the lower districts. Here, it simply was an imposing stone monolith, rising up around her like a grander version of the walls of her cell.

Within the building, Alyx had been led through yet another maze of corridors, up and down stairs, past windows that looked out over Aldiron city, until eventually her escort had come to a stop in front of a door, standing to either side of it and looking to Alyx expectantly. Cautiously, she had opened the door and had immediately gasped at what she found on the other side.

The room was huge, easily three times the space that she shared with James and Lillian in the Kindling. It was decorated with green cushioned furniture. Two couches and a small table sat upon a rug before a glowing orange fireplace. A series of shelves ran the length of two walls, with books and small statues of people sat upon them. There was a desk with papers stacked neatly on it, above which was a map, showing the kingdom of Aldiron and the surrounding nations. Several long chests and standing wardrobes were around the room and there was a strange, freestanding and foldable wooden wall towards one side of the space. Looking behind it, Alyx found a bathtub.

But the two things that had most caught Alyx’s eye in the room were the doors leading out to a balcony that looked out across the city and beyond. And the bed.

It was massive, wide enough for Alyx to lie on it completely spreadeagled and still have space either side of her arms on the bed. And the sheets on it were soft and warm, with a stack of pillows and a second blanket that could be pulled over them to keep warm. For the first hour or so, Alyx simply lay on it, sinking into the soft mattress.

Then had come the knock at the door, and the arrival of that same priestess of The Physician, who insisted on stitching the wound on Alyx’s hand, rather than simply binding it in bandages as Alyx had done. Alyx had been about to argue when the woman had unbound the bandage and instantly her hand had begun dripping blood and aching with pain. At that point, she’d decided that perhaps accepting the offered help wouldn’t be the worst idea. The priestess had cleaned the wound first, with a liquid that, judging by the amount of stinging pain it had sent up Alyx’s arm, had been at least partially alcoholic. Then, with a pair of long tweezers, she had carefully removed a broken shard of the brown glass from Alyx’s palm. Then finally, after giving Alyx a drink of a strange, milky white substance she had called “pain draught”, the priestess had stitched Alyx’s palm. The drink had dulled the pain, leaving Alyx only feeling the stitches as an odd tugging and pressure on her palm.

The woman had worked mostly in silence, only speaking again when she was finished. She’d told Alyx that the injury would take time to heal properly, and would leave her with a scar across the palm. She’d gone on to say that Alyx would need to keep it clean, and try not to stretch her hand too much until the stitches were removed and that it would likely hurt and stiffen if it got too cold.

Alyx had listened to the advice distantly, barely hearing the woman as instead, her mind wandered back to the injury’s source. The woman who had broken James’ rib during the fight, the leader of their attackers. Alyx’s first kill.

It had surprised her that she didn’t feel upset about what she’d done. In fact, Alyx barely felt anything towards the woman whose life she had ended. No rage, nor guilt. Not even a sense of justice. Instead, Alyx just felt… empty and cold. If it hadn’t been done, then James would have died, maybe Alyx and Lillian too. But it was done and now the three of them were still alive. Those were the only facts of it all that mattered, the only things that Alyx needed to worry herself about.

When the priestess had left, Alyx had stood and walked to the balcony of her room, looking out over Aldiron in the setting sunlight. The orange tile roofs of the upper districts caught the light and made the entire city seem afire. And then beyond the walls, stretching out far to the north and east, were the great farmlands and plains that surrounded Aldiron, brilliant green in the spring light.

From up here Alyx could hear the waves breaking at the bottom of the cliffs and the cries of gulls carried on the cool sea wind.  It was serene, peaceful. There were no cries of starving beggars, no squelching, cloying mud and the air was clean and fresh. In fact, with the city’s inner wall in her way, Alyx couldn’t even make out the Winter District at all. Still, there was a part of her that still knew where it was, hidden behind that wall, a dark, hungry maw in which all joy and hope was consumed.

But right now? Right now she was far from that void, and while she didn’t feel safe exactly, she did feel that she could let herself take a moment.

She stayed on the balcony for a good while, watching the sun disappear and leave the city in darkness, before a new hive of life started below her, with torches and fires lit and people heading to relax after their days of work. From across Aldiron, Alyx watched as numerous thin trails of smoke lazily rose into the air as thousands of homes lit their fires.

She was still stood there when another knocking came at her door and this time it was opened before she had her chance to turn and walk to answer it herself.

Outside stood the guards, alongside two other women in simple, functional dresses, and between them, wide eyed and skittish, was Lillian.

When she caught sight of Alyx, Lillian rushed forwards into the room, hurrying towards her. Alyx’s face lit up as she approached and she dropped down to scoop the girl up into a hug, squeezing her tight before putting her down and gently checking her for injuries. Satisfied that she was unhurt, Alyx let Lillian go and explore the room while she approached the others that were still at the door.

The guards straightened at her approach and the two simpler dressed ladies lowered their heads. The gestures made Alyx falter in her walk slightly, her mouth dropping open in surprise and confusion. These were the things done if who was coming towards you was important, or noble even. Alyx was certain she was neither of those things, and it made her skin crawl seeing it happen towards her.

“It’s alright. Please don’t bow or anything for me.” She started as earnestly as she could and the people outside the door nodded, before remaining in exactly the same positions. Alyx stopped and waited for a moment, to see if they would take her at her word, but when they didn’t and enough time had passed for it to be awkward she sighed and looked at them.

“Thank you for bringing her here. Where’s my brother?” She asked, nodding gratitude towards the guards. One of them turned to face her.

“The priestess of the Physician is with him in the next room down the hall my lady. I believe she is treating his injured rib.” He reported. Alyx had stopped listening to him halfway through the sentence however, blanching at the use of “my lady” towards her. After a second though, she composed herself, shaking her head as if to shake out the title from her ears.

“Alright, and you two are here because?” She turned towards the two women, who still didn’t look up. Up close Alyx could see they were both close to her in age, maybe a few years younger. One of them, with rosy, sunkissed skin and a plump frame, cleared her throat and looked up at Alyx for a second.

“We, if it pleases you my lady, are here to draw a bath for you and the girl and to see you cleaned.” She said to Alyx, her voice sheepish and shy. Immediately Alyx’s mind went to the feel of Samantha’s hands on her skin, in the warm water of the bathhouse. Stifling a groan, she clenched her stitched up left hand into a fist and banished the thoughts somewhere deep and private. She could trust Samantha, but these people? She was less sure.

But drawing a bath herself? Alyx wouldn’t have any idea where to start.

“Fine, but don’t call me ‘my lady’, and draw the bath only. I’ll get myself and the girl cleaned up properly, no need for you to do that.” She said, stepping aside to let them in. The two women nodded and stepped inside, moving over to the small partition wall and the tub behind it. Alyx turned to the two guards.

“I’m guessing that you’ve been told to keep us here?” She asked and they nodded. Alyx sighed.

“Then when the priestess is done with my brother, can you bring him here? I’d like to speak with him.” She said. One of the guards shifted his feet and cleared his throat.

“Apologies my… miss. But the King gave instructions that once in your quarters, you were not to leave until the morning. Even to see your brother, or the other way around.” He said and Alyx clicked her tongue in annoyance, nodding once sharply before shutting the door on the two men.

Once the bath was poured Alyx dismissed the two handmaidens and made sure Lillian was first to get into the hot water. She let the girl soak in the hot water, even managing to find a brush and work out some of the tangles in her hair. Then, once Lillian was done and wrapped in a towel, Alyx dipped into the warmth of the water herself, scrubbing off the ash and blood that had stained her skin the past few hours. She was just closing her eyes and leaning back against the tub when she heard Lillian’s voice.

“Um, Alyx?” She sounded unsure, worried. Alyx opened her eyes again.

“Yes Lil?” She asked.

“Um, our clothes are gone.” Lillian’s voice was nervous, still clearly worried. There was a sudden sloshing of water as Alyx stood from the tub quickly, yanking her towel off of the partition and wrapping it around herself as she walked around to Lillian’s side.

“What do you mean our clothes are… oh.” Alyx said as she came into view of the bed. The two messy piles of blood stained, smoke stinking, mud caked clothes they had arrived in were gone from where they had been left, and instead sitting on the bed were two folded cream nightdresses, one clearly smaller than the other.

Alyx walked forwards and lifted one of the nightdresses to examine it. The fabric was thin, not at all warm, it barely did more than guarantee dignity. It was a completely impractical piece of clothing, designed entirely for comfort and lacking all the utility of the belts and pockets that Alyx’s usual outfit possessed.

And yet, for all that, Alyx found herself instantly enamoured with it.

With a slight laugh, Alyx turned to Lillian, who still looked very concerned.

“Ah, it’s a thing. Apparently, people up here in the palace like clean clothes or something. They’ll have taken issue with our filthy peasant garb and will have taken them away to be cleaned up. Leaving us these nice, light, soft dresses to wear until the morning.” She put on her best impression of a snobbish, upper district accent, making Lillian laugh. Then Alyx ran her hand across the fabric and looked at Lillian, her features splitting into a smile. And then, giggling, the two dressed in the fine nightclothes given to them, dancing around the room in their light silks before they rolled onto the massive soft bed, still giggling as they landed amongst the nest of pillows.

They lay like that, enjoying the luxury and laughing to each other. Until a voice split the silence.

“Glad to see you two are enjoying yourselves.” James’ voice came through, accompanied by a groan of effort as he strode in from the balcony. He was wearing a shirt of similar fabric to the nightdresses and a pair of loose cloth trousers. Alyx could make out the white of a bandage through the fabric of his shirt, wrapped around his chest. Like them, he’d clearly bathed, lacking the soot that had stained his features for the past few hours.

Next to Alyx, Lillian shot up, alert and instantly worried while Alyx lazily sat up, resting her elbows on her knees.

“You took your time.” She said to greet her brother who stuck his tongue out at her.

“Hey, you try climbing across the balconies between two palace apartments with a broken rib next time, see how quickly you get here.” He replied, coming to sit on the end of the bed. Alyx shrugged, shuffling forwards on the bed to come to sit next to her brother, resting her head on his shoulder.

“What do we do James?” She asked, for the first time since her conversation with Samuel letting her guard drop and showing the anxiety she was really feeling. James shrugged next to her.

“I… I don’t know Al. We’re here now, so I suppose we make that work as best we can. See what the King wants from us in the morning. And take some rest here while we can find it.”

“Yeah but… the King wants us for something. I mean, we’re just some alley cats from the Winter District. We don’t matter to someone wearing a crown. So whatever he’s after, it can’t be good, right?” James shook his head slowly.

“Maybe. But from my time with that guard captain, Haster, they’re not exactly friends of Trident up here. Maybe this offer could be a start for us, something new.” He said, sitting back and meeting his sister’s eyes.

“But what if it’s dangerous? What if we were safer before?” She asked simply.

“Then we tell him to fuck himself and we go back to Winter. He gave us his word that we’d get to leave.” James replied with a resolute nod. Alyx had heard him talk like this before, whenever he was talking himself into an idea. She still wasn’t sure though.

“You really think he’ll just let us go?” She asked and James’ jaw shifted.

“Word of a King’s got to count for something right?” He said, though he sounded unsure.

“He’s just a man James, men can lie.” Alyx replied, with a warning edge to her voice.

“Have you got a better idea Alyx? We can’t go home right now, we’re both battered and injured. Trident and Spyder will have men out in force looking for us. We need the chance that the King’s offer can give us. Or we make our peace with the Gravekeeper.”

That made Alyx pause, and she sat back from James watching him carefully.

“Swear to me, and to Lillian, that this is just about getting away from Trident, and maybe finding our way to a better life. Not taking what you think we’re owed after all we’ve been through.” She told him firmly, crossing her arms. She knew her brother, knew the resentment he held in his heart for all those who lived comfortably with happy smiles while they suffered as children after losing everything. She didn’t put it past James that he might see this as some twisted form of justice.

“Swear that we only take this offer if it is right. Not just because it’s there.”

James scowled at her, clearly working through her words carefully in his head, unhappy with the implication she had laid at his feet.

“For years I’ve kept you and me safe, and I swore to do the same for Lillian. I promise you both, this is only going to happen if I think it’ll work. It’s about staying safe, and getting better. I promise.” He laid his three fingered hand across his heart, as binding a symbol as any the Cobalt siblings shared.

Alyx relaxed, a smile splitting her face as she reached forwards to hug her brother. Finally, she let what she had been holding back since Samuel had unlocked their cell loose. Hope. Maybe things could get better, maybe they would be alright.

After a while she released the hug and looked at James with an exhausted smile.

“Good, now get yourself back across your balcony, I want to go to bed.” She joked, jerking her thumb towards the bed, where Lillian was already beginning to drift off amongst the nest of pillows. But James shook his head.

“No thank you, once was enough. Besides, I still don’t trust anyone else here so I’m not exactly thrilled about the idea of sleeping alone in a strange room. I’ll be staying right here.” He told Alyx, standing to walk around the bed and rolling beneath the covers. Alyx glowered at him.

“Oh, come on! I get one night in a palace and my nice comfy bed gets you two stuck in it as well?” She complained, even as she too crawled into bed, feeling the thin form of Lillian immediately cuddle into her side.

“Mhmm.” Came the girl’s sleepy reply.

“Yup.” Came James’.

“I hate you both.” Alyx joked, pulling Lillian into the cuddle against her side and reaching out to hold her brother’s hand.

“Love you too.” The two replied in unison, which sent a wave of giggles through the three of them.

And then, one by one in their new surroundings, the three Winter District thieves drifted off to the most comfortable sleep they’d experienced in ages.

Guest Apartments, Falcon’s Nest Palace, Kingdom of Aldiron – The Next Morning

The next morning came to find all three completely wrapped up in the sheets and pillows, having slept longer than they ever normally would. And Alyx still woke feeling groggy. So groggy in fact that it took her a moment to remember where she even was.

And to register that someone was knocking on the door to her room.

Quickly she looked across the others, taking stock of them. Lillian was still fast asleep, her chest rising and falling in a soft rhythm. James was awake though, and like Alyx was looking carefully around the room, clearly also having just been roused from sleep but instantly on alert.

Silently, Alyx pointed towards the balcony he had come in from last night. James’ face fell and he groaned quietly, but he nodded. Moving slowly, he unwrapped himself from the bedsheets and one of Lillian’s arms that had fallen across his chest, making her groan in her sleep and roll onto her side. But she remained asleep for now. Then, stretching, James made for the balcony, disappearing out the door and swinging himself over the railing towards his own room.

Only once he was gone did Alyx move from her place on the bed, rising and moving to the door as the knock sounded again.

Opening the door, Alyx found the same two handmaidens and guards outside. Had the two guards stayed stood out there all night? She pushed the question down for later as she looked at what the handmaidens were carrying. They were bundles of clothing, both hers and Lillian’s.

But they were clean.

Alyx hadn’t actually remembered that the fabric of her tunic and scarf were actually a deep blue, not mottled black as they had been turned. Or that the breeches she had worn were actually a dark brown colour. So long she had been living with crusted mud staining that the softness of the fabric and all the colours had been lost, blending into one big dark stain. She almost couldn’t believe they were hers.

Wordlessly she nodded to the handmaidens and let them inside the room, gesturing towards the sleeping form of Lillian and motioning for them to keep quiet. Seeing the girl asleep in the bed they nodded and quietly laid the clothing down on the green fabric couches. Alyx noted with surprise that they’d even returned the dagger that Lillian had been wearing when James had brought her in.

When she then turned her attention to her own outfit pile, Alyx’s breath caught in her throat. Sat atop the pile, nestled perfectly in the centre, was a silvered ring, the metal intricately carved to resemble a bird’s feathered wing. The ring she’d been given by Iona, that she’d passed to Haster in the faint hope Iona could remember and help her. It seemed the Princess did indeed remember her saviour.

While one of the two handmaidens crouched down by the fireplace, working on rebuilding the fire that had gone out the night before, the plump one that had spoken to Alyx approached her.

“The King awaits you at breakfast within the hour miss. We’ve been sent to return your belongings to you. And, if it please you, we have been instructed to help you and the girl with your hair?” She informed Alyx softly, taking care not to raise her voice too loudly.

Alyx ran her hand through her choppy cut brown hair, feeling her fingers catch in tangles and matts. While the cutting of her hair as she did was practical, as keeping it short reduced the risk of getting it caught during thefts, or making her recognisable as a woman, it left little room for personal style.

One of the few things Alyx could remember about her mother was that she had had long, pretty, brown hair that fell in gentle waves around her head. And that Alyx herself had that same hair. It had always hurt slightly that she couldn’t allow herself to keep it. But maybe while the handmaidens couldn’t make it grow, they could help her make it look nicer.

She looked over to Lillian, a girl who had been in need of professional hair help for an insanely long time, and nodded. Her mind was made up.

“Alright. But give me a minute to wake her first, I’ll call you in when she’s up?” She suggested and the handmaiden nodded, gesturing to her companion who had managed to get the fire lit and now stood awaiting instruction. Silently, the pair left the room, closing the door behind them while Alyx walked over to gently wake her sleeping ward.

Nearly an hour later, Alyx and Lillian emerged from their room together, back in clean versions of their Winter District garb. In fact, the simple fact that their clothes were clean seemed to elevate them beyond the Winter District. Alyx, now with colour on her outfit, wore dark blue-grey fabrics strengthened and belted in places with dark brown leather belts, and her brown breeches and boots felt far more comfortable now removed from the dirt and mud. She had elected to leave the cowled cloak and scarf behind in the room, the palace was warm enough, and a cowl would only draw more eyes here than less. Iona’s ring hung from a string around her neck. While the choppy cut couldn’t be hidden, her hair now fell to her shoulders in waves and flowed loose around her head instead of being pulled tight to her scalp. In fact, the only things that marked her rough upbringing were the dressings wrapped around the stitches of her hand and the scar across the flattened bridge of her nose.

Next to her though, it was Lillian who had gone through the biggest change. Her tunic, that Alyx had always assumed to be grey, was actually a pale blue, topped with a tanned brown vest. She wore dark breeches and boots. Alyx’s dagger and a small pouch were worn at her side.  

Most strikingly though, was Lillian’s hair. Whatever sorcery the handmaidens had woven had successfully managed to free Lillian from the tangles and knots and left her with long, straight, silky black hair that shone in the flickering firelight of the room. The mess of her hair had hidden how truly long her hair was too. Now that it was straightened it fell down to the small of her back. And it was beautifully soft, Alyx could have gotten lost just running her fingers through it. She now understood why Lillian liked to twist it through her fingers whenever she was thinking.

Removed from the dirt and grime of the Winter District, Alyx found that her ward was a strikingly pretty girl. She was almost envious of Lillian.

James was waiting for them in the hallway, leaning back on one of the benches set against the wall. His clothing was a deep dark grey, crisscrossed by belts of dark leather. His tunic had a grey hood that was pulled back, forming a lumpy collar around his neck. Alyx noticed he’d forgone the tight, padded cloth chest piece he usually wore for added protection, instead leaving looser clothing over his damaged rib. He’d shaved away the rough beard that had been growing on his face, leaving only a light dusting of dark stubble across his features. His usually messy hair was swept back from his face and washed out, becoming the same brown as Alyx’s.

Upon seeing them, he smiled warmly and stood, walking over to embrace them both as if he hadn’t been staying with them the entire night before. After a quick exchange of pleasantries, the guards led the trio down through the palace again, though they avoided the yard that Alyx had been brought through before. Moving through the maze of corridors, they began to rise, staircase after staircase, until they came to a set of wide, tall, double doors.

The guards stood outside this room were different, they didn’t have simple cloths over chainmail like the city guards had. These men stood in full, heavy plate armour, leaning on long handled spears with swords sheathed at their sides and shields slung across their backs. They wore long forest green cloaks and serious looks, staring straight ahead and not changing their gaze to meet the newcomers.

Once Alyx, James and Lillian were brought to the doors, the guards turned and, in unison, opened them. Allowing the smells from beyond to wash over the trio like a wave.

Roasted and smoked meats, sweet fruits and fresh fish smells rushed through Alyx and her stomach responded instantly, growling like a cornered dog. She felt her mouth began to water as she stared wide eyed at the room beyond the doors.

A wide table was sat in the centre of the space, with three chairs set against either side and a taller, fancier looking chair at the far end. Two of the chairs, along with the big fancy one, were occupied, though Alyx didn’t bother to take in the features of the others sat in the room. In fact, Alyx couldn’t tear her gaze from the table itself.

It was stacked with plates of food. Bacon and chicken, freshly cooked and dripping with juices. Eggs, fried with shining golden yolks. Fruits of all sorts piled on platters. Whole roasted fish sat in beds of leaves and goblets of drinks sat around the table. It was more food than Alyx had ever seen in one place, and it was all for her. Looking around at James and Lillian, Alyx could clearly see they were thinking the same thing.

“Come in. Sit down. Don’t wait for food on our account.” Came the recognisable voice of King Samuel, chuckling away at the response seen in his guests towards the food. Alyx looked up and finally took in the King, sat at the head of the table, a grin splitting the deep grey beard across his face. Then she turned her gaze towards the other two people in the room with them.

The first, sat on the right of the King, was a man. He was a couple of years older than Alyx, maybe around James’ age. With pale skin and long brown hair that flowed down to his shoulders. There was a pale scar that curved near the edge of his right eye which looked out with a pale green iris. Eyes that watched the three newcomers with curiosity, even as an easy smile found its way to his face. Tall and strong, he made the chair he was sat in look like it had been carved for a child. To any other woman, he’d easily be the most attractive man they’d ever seen.

But Alyx wasn’t exactly like most women.

Indeed, her attention was far more dominated by the single most beautiful woman she had ever seen in her life, who was sat opposite the man at the table. She had dark skin and black hair, that fell in a long, curled mane around her head. Her dark eyes traced the newcomers carefully, taking in every detail. Her thin face was turned upwards slightly in a smirk from one corner of her mouth. She wore a deep purple dress that attached to her hands from fabric rings pulled across her middle fingers, keeping the sleeves tight to her arms. Arms which Alyx couldn’t help but notice, held very well-defined muscles. Alyx practically had to drag her attention back to the King.

“May I present Commander Marius Fridolf and Lady Meghan Whiteoak. Commander, Lady Whiteoak, Alyx and James Cobalt of the Winter District and their ward….” He trailed off, not knowing Lillian’s name.

“Lillian.” James said by way of introduction, taking the girl by the shoulder and leading her to the table, sitting her on the end of one side and taking the seat between Lillian and Meghan Whiteoak. Taking her cue from her brother, Alyx also walked to the table, taking the seat next to Commander Marius and eagerly beginning to fill her plate with food. But there was still a question that was bubbling in her mind.

“Where’s Iona?” She asked, blurting out the question suddenly. James looked at her incredulously across the table, if he could reach, she was sure he would have kicked her.

But the King just laughed at her sudden outburst.

“I’m afraid my daughter will not be joining us this morning. As much as she may like to. She has lessons to attend to.” He said, exchanging a strange glance with Lady Whiteoak.

“But that’s of no matter.” King Samuel went on. “Iona hasn’t played a part in what I kept you here to offer you today. But please, don’t wait on my account, I can explain why you are here, but you must be hungry, eat.”

They didn’t need to be told twice, diving into the food before them. It was amazing, the meats were hot, juicy and tender while the fruits exploded with flavour. Alyx had eaten food that she’s thought was good before, but compared to this, that food may as well have been fished from the gutter.

As they ate, King Samuel carried on talking.

“To survive the hardships you have, and to keep fighting, that drive and determination is a rare thing. And from what you’ve shown, from saving Iona through to taking in and protecting this little one.” He gestured to Lillian. “You’re not applying that to just yourselves. No, you two, I believe, are good people trying to do their best with the hand dealt to them. And good people are in short supply these days.”

He sat forwards and Alyx and James put down their cutlery, focussing on the King’s words now.

“Without saying more than I should, I believe dark days are coming for all of Aldiron, not just for the Winter District. And I’d like your help to try and brighten them before they arrive.” Samuel’s gaze turned now to Alyx, who met his eyes, scanning questioningly for what he wanted.

“You, Miss Cobalt, have met Iona. The Princess desires freedom and a chance to live her life her own way.” He said it as if it were an issue, controversial in some way. Alyx furrowed her brow.

“That seems like a fair thing to want.” She replied evenly, still trying to guess the King’s motive.

“It is, and for anyone else it would be a simple wish to grant. But Iona is the crown princess, heir to the throne. There are expectations put upon her that are not put upon others and exceptional rules she must follow that do not exist for others. Put simply, Iona cannot afford the freedoms other people enjoy, at least not without extra considerations being given.” Samuel explained and Alyx nodded slowly, she thought she understood. She could remember how quickly Haster and his men had reacted in taking Iona home after finding her.

“But Iona… struggles with those considerations. She runs away, and when she does, she sometimes finds trouble. Like the day you met her. We both know that could have been much worse, had you not been there.” Samuel continued and Alyx nodded with a slight shudder. She didn’t have to do much imagining to know what had awaited Iona without her intervention, she’d seen it enough times before.

“So, I’d like to ensure that she’s always protected, that someone like you is always nearby to make sure that when she runs away again, no harm comes to her.” He said and Alyx drew back in confusion, lost again in what the king was saying.

“Alyx, I’d like to offer you a place in Iona’s personal guard. To ensure the princess remains protected at all times. You would remain here, in your own personal apartment in the palace, be outfitted and paid as befits your rank. You would be required to remain at Iona’s side whenever she leaves the palace, and to protect her from any dangers with your life if that becomes necessary.” King Samuel concluded, and Alyx’s eyes boggled. Her stomach leapt in her chest, and she felt her heart thunder between her ears. Personal guard to the Princess? Me?

She was sure this had to be some joke at her expense, that the King was mocking her.

“But… I’m not a knight or a lady or anything. I’ve never held a sword in my life. I’m just a gutter rat from the Winter District, I don’t know anything about protecting princesses.” She objected, stammering in confusion and staring at Samuel. The King sat back in his chair, counting off her objections on his fingers.

“Firstly, no one said anything about needing to be a knight or a noble to serve on the royal guard, often it’s just the best soldiers that take the role. Second, the princess herself is undergoing training with weaponry and armour under Commander Marius, Lady Whiteoak and Lord Captain Haster. I’m sure it’ll be a simple matter to have you trained alongside her. And knowing her capabilities will likely prove just as useful as training your own. Lastly, while protecting princesses as a royal guard would isn’t something you are familiar with, you seem very familiar in doing what needs to be done to protect people from harm, which is the skill I’m asking you to employ. I have every confidence in your ability to handle the task. Think on it a while.” He told her calmly before turning his attention to the other side of the table.

As he addressed James, Alyx didn’t hear the first part of their conversation. Instead, she simply stared at her plate of food, wide eyed. The shock of what was offered to her still felt like it was freezing her very muscles in place.

Doing what needs to be done to protect people from harm. The King’s words echoed around her head as different scenes rapidly flashed through her memory. Her dagger biting deep before she dragged Iona to safety down the alleys. Tackling Spyder away from Sigmund and Lillian, focussing him and that monstrous mace on her. The meaty thwack of her club splitting the skull of the thug in the burning bar. Each time Alyx had done something horrible, dangerous and violent, and each time had been to protect someone from that same fate. Maybe he is right. She thought with a slight nod and a smile, turning her head back towards the King and James.

“- not exactly going to be the soldiering type your majesty.” James was saying, lifting his three fingered hand into view. Samuel tilted his head, agreeing.

“Perhaps not the most skilled, but still, it will be worth training alongside your sister and Iona. And that mind of yours seems sharper than some blades, so perhaps you can serve in a different way.” The King said, turning his head again to look to Lady Whiteoak who nodded some silent agreement.

“What do you know about Lord Draconeus of Shetani?” She asked, her voice proving to be as pretty as the rest of her.

Alyx furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, she knew the name, but little more than that. James however sat forwards, a similar confusion on his face.

“I… the Winter District’s people tell stories about him. That he fought against Aldiron years ago, that he lost and retreated back to his fortress in the north mountains. They say…” James trailed off, clearly unsure about voicing the next part.

“Go on.” Whiteoak encouraged, nodding her head to continue. James cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

“They say that Lord Draconeus is a demon. A creature from the days of the Evellien and the Village, from the days before Aldiron. They say he’s a monster capable of dark sorcery and curses. They say he can’t be killed except for by a magical Evellien sword, lost to history.” The words seemed to take James to some distant place and Alyx wished that she was sat at her brother’s side. It wasn’t stories from the Winter District that James was recounting, she knew, but stories told to him at his bedside by their mother and father when he had been a child.

“What if I told you those weren’t all stories.” Whiteoak said, clasping her hands in front of her and leaning her elbows on the table as she met James’ gaze. He looked up at her with a disbelieving laugh.

“I’d think you were having a joke at my expense. There’s no such thing as unkillable demons in the world. Maybe he’s just a very powerful sorcerer or something like that, no more.” He told her and she nodded.

“I’d have done the same. But I’ve been researching him for a while now, preparing for the day he might come knocking again. And I’ve found there’s more truth to the stories than you think.” She told James, who tilted his head, clearly interested.

“We’re worried that we’ll be seeing a return from Draconeus sooner rather than later.” Whiteoak continued. “And knowing our enemy is half the battle, like casing a theft before pulling it off. I could use a mind like yours helping my investigation. If you’re willing?”

“The same offer would be given to you, and to you Lillian, as was given to Alyx. Your own chambers within the palace, equipment, training and pay as befits you and the task you are performing for us. You’d be free of the Winter District, and you’d join us here, in the Falcon’s Nest court.” King Samuel explained to James, who now had his turn at looking paralysed by the offer. After a moment of silence, he looked up at Alyx, who met his questioning gaze with one of resolute surety.

We may not have the full measure of this. It may end up being a bad move, but it’s not the Winter District, and it’s certainly not Trident or Spyder.

James watched her for a minute, considering, then gave her a half nod. He reached out and gripped Lillian’s shoulder, his features lighting up into a smile which she matched with an overjoyed, excited beam.

Alyx turned her head back to King Samuel.

“Your majesty, thank you for this offer. Truly, you’ve likely saved our lives today. We would be honoured to accept this offer you’ve given us.” She told him, picking her words carefully, sounding like James negotiating for food.

King Samuel smiled widely.

“And I am honoured to have you. Alyx, James and Lillian, allow us to be the first to welcome you to your new roles. Welcome to the Falcon’s Nest. Welcome to the Royal Court.” And he began to clap his hands together, a motion soon mirrored by Lady Whiteoak and Commander Fridolf.

As they applauded, Alyx looked across at her brother and smiled nervously, letting that hope she had felt the night before bloom across her chest. They’d done it.

They’d beaten the Winter District.