Blackstone awoke 5 minutes after she hit the ground and was overjoyed.
When she walked inside she took Redmond’s hand.
Knowing their Mistress, a servant was already there with a glass of whiskey in hand, the general healing spell applied before a more direct healing spell had wiped the alcohol from her system.
“I don’t think I’ll be needing that.”
Wedding planning it was.
She stopped in her tracks.
“Harlan, come along now. Bring Adina as well.”
They were in her office, opulent dark stained wood flooring and furniture, white carpet, white tapestry on the black walls with her crest in bold black on them.
“Please sit. Honey, you sit next to me, bring that chair from the corner.”
Redmond was a little confused, she warmed up quickly and he didn’t even say yes yet.
“Harlan, I need to know something before your uncle marries into my home. Are you a royalist?”
“I don’t get involved in higher level politics. But, if you asked me if I had to pick, sword to my neck, I’d side with the king. His actions aren’t driven by malice or greed, he is making what he believes are the best choices for the future of the country and those choices are filtered through counsel with a friend of mine.”
“That is what I needed to hear. I will have you know that both me and Redwall are royalists. Harbinger as well. Though we are part of no organization, we put forth policy and conduct ourselves in a manner which we believe follows his ideals. Now we can move on to the important part. Your uncle will be marrying me, our houses will remain separate officially, and I would like you to avoid large moves on account of me or mine. Personal requests are one thing, but I don’t want to hear that you’ve mobilzed golems thinking that I would accept such a thing in my lands. You have, and will have, no authority from me without my express permission.”
Redmond raised his hand.
“Don’t I get a say in this?”
Fear and despair flooded the room, though Harlan was the only one to feel it.
“Redmond, please watch how you phrase everything after this point.”
“Right, sure. I’m a ranger, I’ll probably be one until they decide I’m too old or something else forces me to retire. I’m not giving up on the frontier and the people I help out there for a job pushing papers here.”
“I think Amber mentioned this, we’re expecting another 30 to 40 years before the frontier is entirely conquered.”
“I don’t care either way, honey, you have 2 months off every year, you could always ask for mid 6th month to 7th month and another from the 12th to 1st month. Or, we stay mostly on the amulets, and you and I get to know one another very well despite the distance between us.”
“I think I like having both of my months off next to one another. It took time and work to get a deal that good. I figure Harlan also had something to do with that.”
“I wasn’t actively doing it.”
“Good, with that settled, we could be married as early as next year. Though there are some other trials I would like you to pass before then. We’ve only got days, but I think you can handle them, mister ranger.
I’d like you to stay here at the house with me, meet my children, see if you can be, if not a father, at least not an issue to them.”
“I’m no-”
“Redmond, stay with your wife to be. Mom isn’t going to be mad at you. Besides, it is better to start now, then have 10 months to think on everything you learn.”
“Alright then… honey, I’d love to stay.”
“Wonderful. Onyx is going to be hard to convince, he is probably going to want a fight. Ebon, well, she will be upset, don’t fall for her tricks, if you are honest, she won’t, or rather, can’t touch you. Jet should be fine. Sable and Piceous don’t remember their father very much, so I think you should be able to curry favor with them just by getting the approval of my other children. Oh, and of course the king would need to sign off on such a thing, but I imagine it should be fine. All things considered.”
Blackstone started getting out paperwork and talking to Redmond as if their conversation was done.
“Are we done?”
“Yes.”
“Then what about Adina? Why did you tell me to bring her?”
“She is your wife to be, correct? Then she should be involved in many serious conversations between you and others. It saves time since I assume you two have the kind of relationship where you are perfectly honest.”
“Oh. Thank you then.”
“Actually, since you are still here, what about making more armors? For each of my children that are without at the moment?”
“Is Ebon in any danger? Piceous will be here, so I doubt much would reasonably happen. I didn’t choose to make one for Sable because of the off chance that she is in real danger here. I made it because she is going to the academy.”
“I don’t want them to be given immediately. Just, make them and lock them in your vault. When the next king or queen is chosen, things could become very bad, which is normal. Though I do have faith in his majesty that things will be alright, I would rather the armors be made now and never used than them not being made and in the time when they are being made my children die. Also, I can’t help but notice you didn’t mention Jet.”
“Whether he lives or dies isn’t really my concern. But, if you get me the armors, I will return in 2 weeks on a weekend and soulsmith them for you.”
“Very well.”
“Before I go, I’ll tell my people that if something happens, they have the right to give them to your children.”
“Thank you. Should I assume they are being made with a discount as before?”
“I don’t make my family pay for things like this, just give get me the materials and I’ll put it together.
I’ll see you another day.”
“You as well, I’m sure the party was wound down by now.”
“But, if you wanted to donate any mana gems, large ones, I would appreciate it.”
She just scoffed and waved him away.
Once the door was closed she turned to Redmond.
“With the party winding down. Why don’t we have a serious talk, now that Harlan’s nerves are probably at ease.”
“Thank you for your help. Zella mentioned it once, Harlan is always waiting for the next terrible thing, this should keep him calm for a little bit at least.”
“You should’ve just told him you wanted him to open up to you.”
“Needed to feel like it was his choice. Or so I’ve been told, it wasn’t my plan.”
“Oh? Is this marriage not what I thought it was?”
“No, this is exactly what it looks like. If Harlan trusts you after what happened last year, then I’m not worried about this being a big plan to get at him through me.”
“In that case, why not move onto the next trial? The night is nearly over. I might need to test your endurance.”
Out in the party hall Harlan said that everything was fine. Aida almost wanted to burst into the room and have a sitdown with Blackstone, though it would’ve been a bad idea for many reasons.
“Is this really alright? I don’t trust that woman. I should-”
“You should be ready for the wedding next year, I doubt things are going to fall apart from now to then.
Both of them seem to enjoy the other's company, it could be a quick fling, or not. Either way you aren’t stopping them.”
“After what she did, how can you trust her?”
“Remember when the mayor of Dullen died?”
“Yes, you mentioned it to us. Terrible that you had to see that happen.”
“Well, I could’ve been under investigation for what happened, but Blackstone held them off, made sure my name was clear without bothering me about it and interrupting my studies. I didn’t ask her to do that, that is just how she decided that she should repay me for what she had done before.”
“Really?”
“That is why she came to the Redwall home the other day. Well, that and she wanted armor like what we have. I wouldn’t make them for anyone I didn’t trust would use them, right? Why don’t we head home?”
“Alright. But I think Redwall wanted to talk to you. I’ll gather everyone and get ready to go.”
Harlan moved in as straight a line as he could towards the man, Adina following close behind.
“Baron Redwall, I was told you wanted a chat.”
“Not here, in a private room.”
The three of them moved to the nearest one.
“You know, I don’t really get the point of a room like this. They should just find a corner and put up a veil.”
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“It is rude to use veils in a public setting like this. And what is she doing here?”
“She already has my darkest secrets. If this is personal for you, I can ask her to leave and I won’t say a word.”
“I suppose this is fine. I wanted to know about Borden, if I wanted to sweep my cities and towns, how would I best handle such a thing?”
“Healing spells directed at the spine, if they are paying attention, anyone should be able to find them. But if you want a specific spell, I have developed my own and a simple request to the crown will make them send a scroll with the words and movements to other mages under your command. Give a free health check up on your citizens, and I don’t want you skipping past the poor and homeless like some f- like an idiot.”
“I would not make such a simple mistake.”
“I could make a golem, it would take a few days to have a handful of them. Give them out for free to you and everyone else who wants to use them, they could then go to whoever needs them next. Damnit, I should’ve used my time better, people panicking are easy pickings for what I need to do”
“Excuse me, but, what exactly do you mean?”
“If I want them to accept guards and healers, now is the best time and I’ve wasted it. I could get deals that would heavily favor me, throwing out the idea of spinal spider infestations after ten thousand died would turn heads and get them to follow rules I set.”
“Shut up, stop talking. You are making it worse.”
“Making what worse?”
“Feel his emotions, dumbass.”
Ah, fear.
“I can get a bit intense when I start making plans. I don’t mean to make it sound like I wanted to take over or force people to accept my ideas. I just want to make the world safer, and golems can’t be corrupted like people can.”
“Right. Well, perhaps we could speak of golems another time. I should get back to my home.”
“Of course. Good to see you again.”
Harlan was riding back in one of the two carriages at the moment.
“You fucked up.”
“I got too focused.”
“I should’ve been watching you, I can’t really see your thoughts until you decide which one you want to do.”
“Interesting, how does that work?”
“Focus on the problem right now. But, I can look at what you think, but people make a lot of thoughts that go nowhere, they’re just forgotten after a few seconds.”
“What is the problem then? Redwall isn’t likely to tell anyone what I said, he knows that I am valuable and easy to misunderstand.”
“That you said it outloud in the first place. I’m not Lugh, I’m not going to get squeamish, I think that you will do what needs to be done. But you can’t ever tell anyone. Be like your god, stick to the shadows. Make people think they are making the choices.”
“I’ll try.”
Mind outside. Eyes on him.
He feels no malice in the thing standing outside, invisible.
There is a wrongness in the air.
The fires start to light the night.
The thing is 10 feet tall. It stares at him and mouths words he doesn’t know.
He looks past it, bodies, dozens maybe hundreds.
Suddenly his body is jolted with pain.
“We’re home.”
“Huh? Oh, right. I’m a little shocked that I dozed off.”
“You probably aren’t fully recovered from the healing. Why don’t you go inside and sleep a bit?”
“Yeah, sure thing, mom. See you in the morning.”
He still remembered how it felt when Adina nearly knocked his jaw off, and he loved her for that, however much it hurt him.
So, he went along with her demands and didn’t work that night, nor did he plan to work the nights before they returned to the academy.
His sleep was mercifully dreamless.
Breakfast passed with congratulations for Redmond and peaceful smalltalk.
Ava didn’t even bring up how Harlan had lied to their mother about what happened in Dullen.
There was a knock at the door, they bypassed the outside arrays when they gated in, that mixed with the composition of his guests made him know exactly what to expect.
“I’ll get it.”
4 subjects, human, 3 large males, 1 small female.
“12th Princess Lily, how nice to see you. Please, come inside.”
“I want a set of armor like yours.”
“No.”
“You would do best to reconsider.”
“Your father is the one who asked that I be careful with who I share my work with. If you intend to escalate this, please speak with him and get back to me. Without a royal decree, I will not be making one for you.”
“Mind your tone when you speak wi-”
“I’m not talking to you.”
The man moved to open his mouth again.
“And if the next words out of your mouth are another threat, against me or mine, there will be bloodshed.”
Lily raised her hand and the man held his tongue.
“You were more personable last we met.”
“If there is a subject we can speak on, I have no issue speaking on it. It is your man who decided to change my mood.”
“Fine. My father mentioned you were working on something else, a transport craft of some kind.”
“Please, come inside, my maid will bring you tea.”
“I also heard it nearly killed you.”
“Miscalculation when sizing it up from a prototype. In the time where it was working, it was the smoothest ride I’ve ever had.”
“Do you still have it?”
“Yes, however, I’ve not had the chance to write my notes and it is mangled steel now. I do however have my smaller prototypes that work on the same spells, but of course at a fourth of the size.”
“I would be interested in these.”
Adina came from behind grabbing his hand and following them down to the bunker.
He had to move the prototypes from his main lab to a secondary one a floor lower; there was not a chance he would show off his and Balor’s half finished ideas.
“This is the one who you were offered?”
“Yes. Are you jealous?”
“A little.”
“Please, don’t bother talking to her unless she asks you something. There is a limit to what I can say to her. If the guards give you shit, direct them to me.”
“Calm yourself, it’s fine.”
“I don’t like royals in my home, much less one so keen on my work.”
It killed his morning and most of his afternoon, but finally she was out of his hair, having scribbled a journal full of notes.
The men who followed her were royal guard, and they knew better than to cause more trouble after being told to stop.
It was not an accident that she came on that day at that time, or that those specific guards were given as escort.
To top off everything, only moments after she left, he got a request for his presence from the caretakers.
With a heart full of fire, wondering if this wasn’t going to work out, he made his way to the couple.
They were surprised to see him.
“Sir Fomoria.”
Sherah bowed until she was near parallel with the ground.
“I am your boss, not the king. I received a message, what have you done that made the golems think I needed to be here?”
“Oh, perhaps it is because I made mention of wanting to speak with you?”
“Then what do you want to speak about?”
“I’m not sure this is a conversation we should have with you in an agitated state. Would it be alright to postpone this?”
“Just tell me.”
“Please, come into our room, I’ll get Jerah.”
Harlan followed behind her, noticing an offness about her.
The moment she passed through the door he immobilized her, not wanting to have any passing children see this if it was what he believed.
Jerah tried and failed to move out of his seat.
“Before we speak, and before you are allowed to move, there is something odd about her soul, I intend to find out what it is, but she is in no danger.”
Harlan got closer, but even inches away from her he couldn’t tell what was happening.
“Don’t misunderstand what I am doing.”
He undid a button on the back of her dress, placing his hand across her lower back and using soulsearch.
“I’m very sorry.”
The lovers were released from their hold.
“What happened? Is she alright? Oh gods, what if this is-”
“I would like to say again how sorry I am. She is pregnant.”
Jerah wasn’t moving, his mind was a jumble that Harlan could barely decipher as being happy and afraid.
“I would like to request that you let us convert one of the rooms for our child.”
“No.”
“I’m sorry to-”
“I’ll have a cabin built. So far as I am concerned, you’ve done well and the children enjoy you being around.”
“I’m going to be a father…”
“Whenever he comes out of his shock. Tell him congratulations from me. And, his father spoke with me last night. I don’t think I should go into detail out of respect for him, but, if he shows up, don’t run him off without hearing him out.”
“As you command.”
“This is a personal matter for you, I am not here to steer your life. Do not take what I’ve said as an order.”
Harlan spoke with his people about the new construction. Yes, they could decide that they wanted to go back to being nobles, but Harlan doubted it.
The days passed with Harlan fighting every urge he had to work, and instead spending the time left with Adina and Zella.
Despite their proximity, he felt that he had been growing apart from her and sought to rectify that.
“Any changes to your classes?”
“Nope. I have as many as I feel I can handle. Any more and I would be splitting my attention past what I feel comfortable with. How about you?”
“I’m planning to take up alchemy and enchanting. I know the core of the latter, but my practical experience is lacking. I could make that one ritual by heart, but I can’t figure out exactly why it reacts poorly with soulsmithing. Also, I’m not sure how to talk about it all, but, how interconnected is magic?”
“You need to explain a little better than that.”
“Have you ever thought about what telekinesis is? Enchanting? Alchemy? The nature of runes? Wards and arrays? I’ve experienced it myself, alchemy is the process of distilling a rune, in its ethereal form, into something that cannot hold its shape, yet still activates when it enters the body. Kingslayer potions can attach themselves to the soul itself. How does that happen? How CAN that happen? Soul magic was barely understood before me outside of people’s works that they kept hidden. Then comes a potion, an alchemical marvel, that binds itself beyond the flesh. And imbibing, what a thing, it has the same basis as alchemy, you are using your body as the catalyst to make you into the potion. It is just.”
He could tell that she was listening, but that he went on for a bit too long.
“Sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. It is, I don’t know… cute? How sucked into things you get sometimes. You just forget what isn’t on topic, you stop looking worried all the time, you get so… childish. I’m sure you used to look like that a lot when you were younger.”
“I don’t look worried all the time.”
“Right, you just have a resting glare that you pretend isn’t your default.”
“I got that from my mother.”
“Aida doesn’t have a glare. Well, unless you try grabbing a cookie before dinner.”
“No, not mom, I mean, the other one.”
“Do you know what she looks- looked like?”
“Do you want to see?”
“Sometimes you get strange about her, whatever her name is.”
“Eliza.”
“If it isn’t something that upsets you. I’d love to see what she looks like. Adina?”
“I already know.”
Harlan and Dawn both worked as hard as they could to stop his mind from wandering to darker places as he thought about her.
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Non-causal life form detected on collision course.
Activating ‘be not found’ protocol.