Chapter 10 - Kneeling
Selene lived a fair distance from Eolande’s house, so it would normally take a while to get there. This made it a perfect goal to compete to see who could get there first.
Lilly had equipped a pair of goggles she had bought and was focusing intensely on the staff in her hand. Beak was tucked safely under her clothes, seemingly sleeping soundly.
Eolande was just as focused, which was a first for a race between the two of them. She had lowered her stance and was just waiting for the go.
One of the guards outside the house had been tasked with starting them off, and he seemed to be taking it very seriously. His hand was raised in the air, and seemed like it was about to fall at any moment.
A few people had gathered around to see what was going on, and some were carefully cheering for Lilly, even though they had no idea what it was about.
The hand fell as the guard yelled, “Go!” And they were off.
Lilly had to spend some time getting up in the air, so Eolande managed to get a head start. But once Lilly was above the rooftops, she started flying at an incredible pace.
Not as fast as during the fight with Eolanathel, but she felt like she could have if she disregarded everything else. She could use the flame to reinforce her body and set the staff to full speed, but that would mean losing her clothes and Beak somewhere along the way.
‘We’re similar in speed over long distances, but I don’t have to care about terrain. Even with the head start, I should have this in the bag!’
At this speed, it didn’t take long to get to Selene’s house, which was quite visible from a distance. It was closer to the docks and the barracks, situated in one of the more expensive parts of the city.
Lilly looked around to see if Eolande could be seen anywhere, but didn’t manage to spot her. She decided to increase the speed a bit more for the final stretch just in case, and was now about to land right in front of the front door.
The sight of a kneeling figure forced her to change her destination slightly, so she landed gently next to him. The long ears and black leather clothing made it easy to guess who it was, but she still felt surprised to see him like this.
Rantas didn’t move so much as a muscle as far as Lilly could tell, even though someone just landed right next to him. She was about to greet him but was interrupted by a shove from the side.
Eolande just arrived and had shoved Lilly’s shoulder. Her breath was slightly labored, but her expression was terrible. “Flying is cheating, I just decided. Hey, Rantas.”
Lilly felt a bit too disconcerted by Rantas’s kneeling to smile at her, but she still replied, “It's a good thing you decided after the race was finished; I won. You can take the rules to a vote next time.”
Rantas was still not moving. His eyes were open, so he was fully awake, but he just didn’t want to move. ‘Is it a part of his apology?’ Lilly wondered, looking at Eolande with concern.
Eolande nodded and bent down to look at Rantas closer. “Apology not going too well? I can’t really blame her, but I’ll see if I can help you out a bit.” She looked back up at Lilly with a reassuring smile. “Let’s enter, Lilly. He might stay like this for days if he feels like it.”
Lilly nodded slowly, giving a final glance at Rantas before entering the door. Eolande clapped Rantas on his shoulder before following, and Lilly thought she could see him nod ever so slightly in thanks.
The inside of the house was just as extravagant as the outside. It felt rather lifeless, but they both knew Selene didn’t spend much time here. She was mostly at the barracks, training or helping Lilly. And she had no family.
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A maid was currently cleaning the floor, but she stopped as soon as she saw Lilly and Eolande enter. She hurried to get up and bowed deeply. “Welcome, Lady Protector! Please excuse the brute outside our door. We’ll have him removed soon enough. Would you like me to inform Lady Selene of your arrival?”
“Please do. We’re here to discuss a few things with her, including the brute, but it shouldn’t take long,” Lilly replied with a light smile.
The maid hurried up the stairs on one side of the entrance and disappeared out of sight. Lilly looked at Eolande with a hint of worry. “Do you think Rantas will be fine if Selene doesn’t forgive him? I only asked for the apology, not for him to beg for forgiveness.”
“I’m not sure, honestly. He is one of the clan members who hates killing the most, so I’m sure he feels guilty. Unfortunately, he’s also fiercely loyal, so he never questioned orders like I did. Now that he has a chance to ask one of his victims for forgiveness, it might be more important than we think.”
Lilly hadn’t considered that angle before. She thought he was only doing it because of an order. “That sounds more serious than I thought. Let’s hope Selene has a big enough heart, then.”
They could hear steps coming from the second floor again and looked up. Selene appeared with a smile, wearing her armor. “My two favorite girls! Have you come to discuss our plans?”
Lilly nodded. “Our plans, and perhaps the guy kneeling outside a little bit. But that can be left for last,” Lilly added, seeing Selene’s expression harden at the mention of him.
“That’s fine. We can use my office, then. It’s soundproof. I trust everyone in my house, but some secrets are better left unknown.”
She gestured for them to follow her, so they both stepped up the stairs to the second floor. “It’s a lovely house you have, Selene. Although it feels more like it was made for your status than for you personally,” Eolande said, looking at pictures on the wall as she ascended the stairs.
Selene chuckled gently at that as she turned and started showing them the way. “That’s exactly right. I had no say in how it was decorated or anything, as it was prepared before I came here to serve as Lady Protector. It’s fine, though; I don’t spend much time here either way.”
She took them through a few corridors and led them to the end of a hall where a heavy wooden door stood out from the rest. Selene placed her palm on the middle of the door before opening it, reminding Lilly of Eldrin’s home.
‘I wonder how he’s doing now… My letter should have arrived by now, right?’ Lilly felt like an eternity had passed since she sent the letter, but she realized it hadn’t even been a week.
The door opened, revealing a pretty normal-looking office. A desk with notes spread around, two chairs, a shelf filled with books, a large window behind the desk, and a simple red couch on one side of the room.
Selene sat behind the desk and cleared some space by shoving a bunch of notes in a drawer, while Lilly and Eolande sat down in the two chairs.
“Now then, what do you think I should do?” Selene asked, looking at Lilly with her fingers intertwined on the desk.
Lilly took a deep breath, hoping Selene would agree with her. “I think it’s very risky to send you to the war. If the king knows anything about our plans, or even that we know of his betrayal, you’ll be in grave danger surrounded by the military. I don’t want to risk it.”
Selene seemed a bit dissatisfied by her answer, tilting her head with a skeptical expression. “It’s not very likely that the king knows, though. And I would be very valuable in the war, as both recon and artillery. And my absence would almost certainly make them think we know.”
“You’re right, but what will they do if they know? They don’t have the resources to pressure us, especially now that the assassins are on our side. Losing you would make it a lot harder to convince people of the king's betrayal after the war, so I still think–”
“After the war, you say? I think your priorities are out of order, Lilly. This war is far from over, and even further from being won. If the options are losing the war or keeping me safe, don’t think I won’t escape in the night if I have to. Besides, you have other allies in the war. Allies who don’t even know about the betrayal.”
Lilly quickly realized how determined Selene was and thought that perhaps sending her to the war was the best solution after all. She was right; the war was far from won, and they would need every soldier they could spare.
“... Elly, what do you think?” Lilly asked, feeling a bit resigned.
Eolande crossed her arms with a focused look. “Well, I think we can send her without much fear. If the king has suspicions, it could even work as a bluff. So I think it’s a gamble worth taking, especially when she’s this determined.”
Lilly sighed, knowing the decision was made. She glared at Selene intensely. “You better stay safe, you hear? I don’t care if you feel like dying in battle; I care for you. The entire country will cheer for you once the truth is out. So come back, okay?”
Selene seemed a bit shocked at first, but slowly started smiling back. “I’ll do my best, Lilly.”