KGWrites

Alyx

Palace Grounds, Falcon’s Nest Palace, Kingdom of Aldiron

The week following the meeting was one of the busiest of Alyx’s life, as it appeared leaving Aldiron was not as simple as packing up and heading out. In fact, most of it appeared to be more involved in the city than Iona had been in all the time Alyx had known her. She met with priests of every god of The Village, asking them for different blessings and leaving them a host of different tasks to carry out in her absence.

Meghan had spent the week mostly in her study, working on gathering any books and tomes she thought useful for their travels, as well as taking notes and planning routes. Alyx had barely seen her at all.

James and Lillian had taken to gathering supplies for the journey, food and tents and what seemed like a thousand other small things. Unlike the two of them though, Alyx was no haggler, and aside from ensuring her horse was equipped with saddlebags and a trip to a smithy in the Spring District to commission herself new armour, she’d had very little to do than wait.

Still, at least the wait would be over soon. The next morning, she would escort Iona quietly from the palace before sunrise, joining the others at a stable at the northern gates, where their horses were to be stabled, saddled and ready for the off. They’d travel across country soon after leaving the city, staying close to the coast, that way they’d hopefully be out of any cross over with Draconeus’ approaching forces. Then, once they’d crossed by the road leading towards Hill Hall, they could safely rejoin the main road northward to Blueholdt.

But that was all still to come, and Alyx could do nothing but wait for it. She was jittery, her feet itching to get moving. If it had been up to her, they’d have set off the afternoon that the king gave them their mission. But apparently that wasn’t so simple.

Which meant she was sat on a bench in a wing of the palace, watching Iona talk with Violet, when the legion horns sounded over the city, answered by the drums in the city walls.  All three women’s heads whipped around, looking down towards the Winter District. From up in the palace, they could see down and out from the city.

The main road north had a steady stream of gleaming armour moving down it towards the city, kicking up a cloud of dust in its wake. It passed by the trenches and stake walls built into the fields around the outer walls, moving quickly towards the main gates.

“Is that…?” Iona began, her head tilting and her eyes narrowed as she squinted to see better.

“The Second Legion.” Violet confirmed immediately. Alyx turned her head to look at Violet in surprise. The Second Legion, under Martyn Hills’ command, was meant to be far from the city, delaying Draconeus’ advance with short ambushes and skirmishes, giving the city time to prepare.

And time for us to get away.

The second wasn’t due to return until at least another week from now. A knot of dread formed in Alyx’s stomach.

Something was terribly, terribly wrong.

“We need to get to the throne room, right now! If the legion is that close, my father will be meeting with the forward messengers any minute.” Iona said hurriedly, grabbing Violet by the hand and practically pulling her off her feet as she ran towards the throne room.

Alyx pushed down on the bench, jumping to her feet, adrenaline already making her body react as she overtook the other two with ease, leading the way through the halls. She heard a sound that sounded as if someone had dropped an entire kitchen’s worth of pots and pans clatter behind her as Junice and Thalia immediately hurried to follow from their positions near the doors.

The dash to the throne room was quick, weaving through the corridors like there was a fire behind them. They rushed in together, arriving to a room of bustling chaos. Guards lined the sides of the hall, nobles moved every which way and King Samuel sat on his throne, his crown heavy on his brow.

Wordlessly, the three of them split off from one another, with Iona moving to her throne, flanked by Junice and Thalia, while Violet took her position near some of her other friends from court and Alyx moved over to where she’d spotted her brother, Lillian and Meghan stood near the foot of the stairs to the throne.

James silently nodded a greeting to Alyx and Lillian gave her worried looking smile. Alyx tried her best to make the smile she returned seem reassuring. She wasn’t sure it worked.

Two legion scouts, in lighter armour were bowed down in front of the throne. It was only when Iona took her seat, settling her own crown on her head that Samuel bid them rise and give their report.

“Grand Marshall Hills reports that the Second Legion’s defences have been overwhelmed your majesty. We have been forced to abandon our position and retreat to Aldiron with all haste, lest we be overrun entirely and the entire legion lost.” The first soldier, a woman with light russet brown skin reported. A shocked murmur spread rapidly through the crowd. Next to Alyx, Meghan and James exchanged a worried look.

“And Draconeus?” King Samuel asked, his voice grave as he gripped the hilt of his sword.

“A detachment of soldiers volunteered to delay him and his forces my king, as best we can tell, they’ve bought us the rest of the afternoon. But the enemy is on our tail, he’ll be at the walls come nightfall.” The soldier reported, his voice betraying the fear that his words spread through the room.

Nightfall. Only a few hours. And then Aldiron will be under siege.

Alyx chewed her lip. It wasn’t enough time. Even if they were fully packed and ready, a group of horsemen riding north would definitely be intercepted if Draconeus was that close.

Silence held over the throne room. No-one wanted to react without seeing the king’s reaction first. While everyone looked to him, Alyx watched Iona. Fear flickered across the princess’ face, before she swallowed it down and turned her head, like everyone else, she watched her father for guidance.

King Samuel stood from his throne, his fingertips drumming on the hilt of his sword as he raised his voice so the whole chamber could hear.

“The war has finally reached our gates. But not in a hundred generations of Ravellans has the city of Aldiron fallen to an enemy force. Tonight will not be any different. You two will return to your legion and tell Grand Marshall Hills to form up the second legion along the walls around the north gates, then send him here to me. Captain Turner, have my armour made ready for battle. General Fridolf, have your men from the third and fourth legions join with the second and man the walls for battle. Lord Captain Haster, summon every guardsman in the city prepared to bear arms and have them join the defences.” He commanded and the various soldiers he had addressed saluted in kind. Marius and Haster hurried from the room, deeper into the palace to prepare and the two scouts turned and dashed out, heading back to the second legion. Then King Samuel Ravellan turned to the hall at large.

“Tonight, the fate of Aldiron will rest on the shoulders of the bravest of us. I know that many in this hall are not legionnaires, or have served their time in our forces, but tonight, soldier or not will not matter. An ancient evil has come to knock on our door, and I will not wait cowering in my palace like a frightened child. I draw my sword and dare him to try and get in here, and if you wish to make safe our city, I bid you all do the same!” Cheers greeted him as he lifted his longsword into the air and the crowd around them began to stamp and salute. Alyx watched grimly.

Legionnaires, guards and nobles. Hardly the stuff of legends to face the demon.

But still, as the people moved from the hall, eager to fight for their home, Alyx had to admit that their courage was inspiring. Even if she wasn’t sure she shared it.

As the crowd shifted, King Samuel looked to Meghan and the Cobalts and waved them over, holding a hand out to Iona to stop her from leaving. Hurrying over, the small group gathered at the foot of the throne.

“How soon can you be ready to travel?” King Samuel asked as soon as they were clear of any listeners.

“If we’re travelling really light, then we only need a few hours to pack our basic supplies. But even then, it’ll be nightfall before we can leave. And with Draconeus outside the gates that’s…” Meghan reported, trailing off towards the end. But King Samuel waved a hand in quick dismissal.

“I can get you out of the city, don’t worry about that. Just worry about being ready.” He told them and Meghan nodded.

“I’ll get equipment packed and ready.” Iona told them all, Alyx turned, ready to point out that they all would when she continued.

“We need to buy a few hours, and you need to stay alive to do that father. We’ve heard about Draconeus, about his abilities and what happened to Grand Marshall Caestus.” Alyx winced, it was hard to forget Marius’ story about his father disappearing in a blast of sudden flame.

“You need someone with Meghan’s abilities by your side father. At least until we’re packed and ready to leave.” Iona went on. Her father shook his head.

“No. I won’t have you all risk yourselves in the siege when you should be making ready to leave.” He objected.

“She’s right.” Meghan cut him off. “Too many of us here would just be tripping over each other in the palace. And if Draconeus used magic to kill you and then Iona seemingly disappeared, morale wouldn’t just buckle but shatter, and so would Aldiron. You need extra protection, at least for the first while.”

King Samuel looked ready to argue further when James also cut into the conversation.

“I’ll come too, you need every bow you can get on those walls.”

Alyx stared at her brother in shock, giving her head a small shake. What the fuck are you doing James? She knew the answer of course, if Meghan was going to look out for the king, then James was going to look out for Meghan. I’ll be damned if you’re leaving me in the palace while you risk your life!

Clearly her conflict had shown on her face because Iona reached out and placed her hand on her shoulder.

“Lady Cobalt, you swore an oath to protect me with your life. Until midnight, I now extend that oath to my father. Tonight, he and I are as one and you will do for him all you would do for me.” She commanded. Alyx turned to her in surprise, but one look into Iona’s green eyes told her all she needed to know. Iona would feel much better knowing Alyx was by her father’s side and doing this allowed Alyx to watch over her brother. She bowed her head and did her best impression of a legionnaire’s salute.

“Iona, you can’t be on your own.” King Samuel began but again Iona cut him off.

“I’m in the palace father, far from the fight. Besides, I’ll have Junice and Thalia ready to protect me and Lillian and Violet can help me gather the equipment we’ll need. You need Aldiron’s best warriors on the walls with you, I’m giving you our greatest heroes, you’d be a fool to turn them down.”

Samuel ran his tongue across his lips, looking from his daughter to the people around him. Then he sighed.

“Very well. Until midnight and not a moment more. When the moon is highest, you will all return here, and we’ll get you out of the city and after the Brightblade. Iona, Lillian, you’d better have those bags packed by then.” He relented. Iona and Lillian nodded solemnly, and Samuel turned his head to Alyx, Meghan and James.

“The rest of you, get armed and armoured, let’s not keep the demon waiting.”

Alyx Cobalt’s Apartment, Falcon’s Nest Palace, Kingdom of Aldiron – Three Hours Later

It had been a non-stop whirlwind of chaotic activity once they had all left the throne room that afternoon. Lillian had immediately taken to gathering equipment from the Cobalts and Meghan and running it to Iona’s quarters, where the princess was working with Violet Hills to ensure it was packed and ready to leave.

Meghan had left for her estate, gathering herself for the coming battle. James and Alyx had also split off, going into their own spaces to get armoured up.

Alyx’s new suit of armour was definitely heavier than her old leather one. But there was no force in the world that could convince her not to wear it. The one thing she had made sure to quietly recover from their new estate was her mother’s old armour, and then she had worked with a smith personally recommended by Haster to repair it and fit it to her.

A steel breastplate was fastened around her chest with banded metal pauldrons that looped over her shoulders and down her upper arms. A gap for her elbow showed the cloth shirt she wore beneath, the cobalt blue of their new family coat of arms, before her forearms were protected by steel bracers. Leather half gloves fastened around the palms of her hands, leaving her fingers free but tightly holding the armour to her arms. A wide leather belt crossed her waist, where her sword was sheathed at one side and three leather loops held three throwing axes on her other side. More metal plates were around her upper legs and her boots now attached to metal greaves, protecting her shins.

Alyx held her mother’s helmet in her hands, looking at her reflection in it. She barely recognised herself. The thin girl in dirty rags from the Winter District was gone entirely, someone else stood in her place. Alyx liked this new person a lot better.

That was a strange feeling, actually liking herself.  

Years of running, moving from place to place and taking whatever was needed to ensure she and James could survive had certainly hardened the two of them into the survivors they had needed to become. But it had been hard to be happy with the person you saw in the mirror when you knew other people would suffer because of what you had needed to do.

But the woman looking back at Alyx from the helmet wasn’t that. This woman protected the princess from harm, fought and beat monsters like Aaron Trident and stood as a hero of the kingdom. This woman had made a choice to stand up, to fight for something more than herself. This Alyx deserved to wear her mother’s armour.

She wondered what she would say to herself, if the starving thief from the Winter District that stole a candlestick earlier that spring could see the woman that she’d become come winter.

I’d probably try and rob myself. If I would even stay around at all. I might just have run away.

Laughing, half with pride and half with the absurdity of the thought, Alyx tucked the helmet under one arm and moved to her door. Reaching down she lifted her mother’s longsword from where it was leaned against the frame, still in its blue leather scabbard, carrying it with her.

Emerging into the hall, she moved quickly down to the next door and knocked. A moment passed, with the muffled sounds of movement coming from within, and then James opened the door. He wore his leather armour, though like Alyx he also had a cobalt blue shirt beneath the armour, with a hood that was currently folded back and bunched around his neck. He wore an archer’s glove on his right hand, covering the main part of his hand with protective leather while leaving his two fingers uncovered to allow him better grip on his arrows. His bow was strung across his back and his quiver bore so many arrows bearing blue fletching that Alyx couldn’t even begin to count them.

He’d looked ready to speak, to give some sarcastic tease as he always did when he had opened the door, but upon seeing Alyx, James had completely frozen. His eyes were wide and Alyx could see them fill with tears as he looked at her.

“Alyx…” He started, his voice with the slight quiver of someone barely holding back from crying. “You look…”

“I know.” Alyx cut him off, otherwise when he broke down crying, she’d quickly follow. “I look like mother.”

James nodded, then he moved forwards suddenly, wrapping his arms around Alyx and holding her tight, burying his face in her shoulder as he hugged to her. Alyx didn’t waste a second before she hugged him back.

“Let’s hope I can fight like mother too. It’s going to be a hard night.” She said into James’ shoulder, and he chuckled, releasing the hug and stepping back with an appraising look. He sniffled and wiped at his eyes with his sleeve before he nodded.

“If there’s one thing I know you can do, it’s fight like hell. Mother would be proud.” He reassured her, and now it was Alyx who felt like crying.

“They both would. Of both of us.” She agreed and James smiled sadly, his look distant. Then Alyx became aware of the sword in her hand and she lifted it into James’ view, offering it towards him. His gaze fell on it and he stared for a second before shaking his head slowly.

“Alyx, I…” He began objecting but Alyx pushed the sword towards him, shaking her head.

“No arguments James. I know you’re not as strong a swordsman as me but you still need a sword. And both of us need a blessing from mother right now. You might have father’s mind, but tonight, you’ll need mother’s strength. So use her sword, and fight like she would.” Alyx told him firmly. James chewed his lip for a second, staring doubtfully at the sword. Then he gently reached out and lifted it from Alyx’s hand, running his fingers across the blue leather and turning it over in his hand.

After a moment, he nodded to himself and reached down, unstrapping the shortsword he had sheathed at his side and placing the longsword in its place. Then he looked up at Alyx.

“Ready?” He asked. Alyx gave a long exhale, steadying herself. Then she nodded, forcing a confident smile to her face.

“Ready.” She replied.

A few minutes later, the two of them entered the courtyard of the palace. Within, a retinue was forming around King Samuel, who was clad in armour of dark steel, wearing a green cloak and with his sword sheathed ready at his side. To one side of him stood Conrad Turner, his plate gleaming in the light of the now risen moon. The royal guard were formed up behind him, spears and shields at the ready.

Iona stood above the crowd, wringing her hands anxiously by the doors that lead towards the throne room. Alyx could see that she’d changed into what looked on the surface to be a lighter, more practical outfit than the long gown she had been wearing, with chainmail linking light leather plates over a white undershirt. Her copper hair was tied back into a long tail, rather than hanging loose over her shoulders. Alyx knew that while it looked like she was readying herself in solidarity for the siege, it would also work well as a travelling outfit, practical and armoured.

Alyx also noticed, with no small degree of satisfaction, that Iona’s eyes traced slowly over her in her new suit of armour as she walked in, and that the princess immediately bit her lip without realising. Her heart jumped in her chest slightly, disturbing a nest of butterflies that took flight in her stomach.

Mentally, a hand slapped her in the back of her mind.

Focus Cobalt! Now’s not the time to slip your mind into the gutter.

Shaking her head, she smiled at Iona and gave a slight nod. Iona nodded back, smiling quickly before her face turned serious again.

Following her example, Alyx hardened her gaze, following her brother down the short set of steps from their little side corridor to the main courtyard.

They’d barely made it two steps into the space when Lillian appeared before them, wrapping her arms around James’ waist.

He quickly dropped into a crouch, hugging the girl tight to him. Alyx joined him a second later, pulling all three of them into a group hug.

“Be safe.” Lillian told them, her voice quiet and scared. Alyx chuckled and reached forwards, ruffling Lillian’s hair. The girl giggled and swatted at her hand, but didn’t push her away.

“You make sure you’re safe too. Get those packs ready and stay with Iona, we’ll be back soon.” Alyx told her and Lillian nodded. James said nothing, but leaned forwards and kissed the top of Lillian’s hair, hugging her tight to his chest.

“See you soon Lil, promise.” Alyx said, smiling softly at the two of them before she gently pulled on James’ arm, lifting him from the hug and leading him away from Lillian and towards the royal force.

They took position next to the King, on his other side from Turner. He gave them both a serious nod and grim smile, which they returned.

And then Meghan Whiteoak entered the yard, and almost every head turned to watch her in awe. Alyx felt her stomach drop out beneath her as her mouth hung slightly open.

If Meghan Whiteoak looked beautiful in dresses and gowns, then the gods themselves couldn’t compare to how she looked in armour. Stunning was the best description Alyx could think of, as the entire gathered force seemed to freeze and watch her.

Her usual purple dresses had been replaced by a tunic of dark violet that flowed into a long drape around her legs, the edges of which bore a pattern of light grey leaves. Her legs were in leather breeches and black boots that rose to just below her knees, her thighs were protected by leather plates fastened in place around them. Around her chest was a brass metal cuirass, a full chestplate, which bore ornate designs of silver so polished it looked almost white of an oak tree in full bloom. Her shoulders bore small metal pauldrons of the same brass coloured metal, and she wore pointed bracers that left her hands free. Alyx supposed it was to allow her the little movements she might need to do to cast her magic. Her curved sword was sheathed at her side and her mane of black ringlets was tied back from her head, held in place by a brass headband. The look in her eyes alone seemed sharp enough to kill, for Alyx knew, it might be.

The drape of her clothes seemed to billow behind her as she walked forwards, like a goddess given form.

“James…” Alyx said quietly to her brother as Meghan approached. “I swear to every god. If a woman like that is interested in you, and you fuck it up… forget the demon, I’ll kill you myself.”

James reddened again, but didn’t respond. He seemed only able to stare, enraptured, as Aldiron’s secret sorceress bewitched the entire courtyard. It was only when Meghan reached the two of them and greeted them with a smile and nod that he seemed to shake from his stupor, blinking slowly, like someone waking from a dream.

The moment passed, Meghan’s enchantment falling away and the tension returning to the gathered crowd as they all waited, preparing in their own way for what the night would bring.

And then, it began.

Drumming echoed across the city, answered by the shrill blowing of legion horns. Signal fires lit in the distance across the towers around the city walls. The signal was clear, the demon of Shetani had arrived, and Aldiron was prepared to meet him.

Looking back over her shoulder, Alyx nodded once to Iona, who gave her a half smile and returned the gesture. Then she turned her head and waved once to Lillian, putting on a smile that looked far braver than she felt at that moment. The girl waved back, desperately, clearly resisting running to Alyx and James and asking them to stay. Alyx looked to Meghan with a quick smile that her friend returned.

And then she put her hand down, finding her brother’s three-fingered one waiting. Wrapping their hands together, not turning to face him, Alyx squeezed his hand three times.

A second passed.

And then three firm squeezes responded in kind. Alyx smiled.

Whatever happened next, James was with her. The two alley cats still had each other’s backs.

As King Samuel raised his sword and the group started forwards, Alyx lifted her mother’s helmet over her head and strapped it tightly in place.

And then, never letting go of James’ hand, Alyx marched forwards towards the walls of Aldiron.

And into war.