“Spirit, Orin! Stop your struggling!” Elora snarled uncharacteristically, her mouth fixed into a firm line of concentration and eyes ablaze with ferocious intent.

“Princess... I can't breathe,” Every breath was a struggle, the air finding no purchase in my lungs as my wife continued to throttle me.

“Oh, hush! It's a neck tie, for Spirit's sake, not a hangman's noose.”

“Then why do I feel like I've been dropped at the gallows?” I wheezed, giving all I could to remaining still but finding it more and more difficult by the moment. Over the course of my admittedly short life, I'd envisioned a myriad of ways in which I would finally die. When I was a boy, it had been the threat of the gangs in Myrin and the deathly winters which put fear into my heart. When I was a warrior, it was the distinct possibility of meeting a fighter more skilled, or luckier, than I was. Now I saw that all those possible endings were not to be. No, my death would come at the tiny, but surprisingly strong, hands of the woman I loved most in the world, all in a effort to make me more presentable for a dance. Strange were the cards that fate dealt.

“You know, love, for a man who can't breathe, you talk quite a bit,” My Princess' rolled her eyes at me, a smile replacing her frown. “Just one second... I think I've almost got it.”

Elora bit her bottom lip in an adorable expression of focus, blonde hair streaming and a sheen of sweat upon her brow. She glared at the piece of fabric at my throat like she wished to rip it to pieces. I could only hope that her ire did not extend to the tender flesh beneath.

Considering that we'd been collectively trying to solve the mystery of how to tie a tie for nearly a hour now, I honestly couldn't blame her if she did.

The week that had followed my Smiths and I deciding to a take a break from training had been... well, I can't lie, I'd been finding it rather difficult. That first morning had been the most taxing. I'd awoken as I always did, still half-asleep as I reached for my sword with one hand while seeking out Elora with the other. With a kiss on my still sleeping Princess' cheek, I scrambled into my clothes and made for the door, ready for whatever fresh hell that Mastan wished to unleash upon me. It was only as I tried to leave our room that I felt the eyes of my wife upon my back, piercing my very soul and letting her displeasure be known across the Bond. My meek grin did not move her in the slightest as I met her golden eyes, peering at me accusingly from amidst a sea of comfortable sheets. Shit, even if I had made it out the door I would have most likely found Tess laying in wait, ready to jump me the moment I stepped out. Luckily that wasn't necessary.

And even if I did manage to escape my captors, it would all be for nought anyway. Tessa and Elora had made it abundantly clear to Boldrin, Vera, Annabelle, Theadora and Mastan that we were taking a brief break from training. All seemed rather accepting of the sudden declaration, with Vera in particular seeming the most relieved that I would be taking it easy for a few days. The tension that left her shoulders upon hearing the news was undeniable, as was the relief on Annabelle's. I didn't see Mastan's reaction in person. Tess refused to be around her father unless it was absolutely necessary and so tasked her mother with informing him. My savage Smith had learned from Theadora that the King of Lightning wasn't taking our decision well, apparently resulting in him throwing something of a tantrum and demanding he be allowed to speak with us. Tess had refused on our collective behalf, a decision which Elora and I wholeheartedly supported. Mastan should have the good sense by now to know that he should stay as far away from us as possible unless training was involved. Of course, if he did decide to turn up at my door in a fury I could always Bond with Elora and kick the living shit out of him. Sounded like a win-win scenario to me.

As much as I complained initially about having some time for ourselves, at least internally, I had to admit that it was nice to simply take a breather and enjoy the small moments I had with my Smiths. Being able to remain in bed with Elora instead of fleeing to practice was a particular joy after that mishap on the first morning. I took a strange joy from watching my wife sleep, a pleasure which I had deprived myself of over these past weeks. Often times during our stay in Nian, her face was marred with worry, mostly directed at me and my antics, but also her own troubles as she trained herself nearly as intensively as I did. She pushed herself both mentally and physically, straining to catch up to Tess and I, to match us in martial might as well as to continue to hone her skills as a Smith.

Elora and Tess insisted that this break was mostly for my benefit, but I couldn't deny that Elora needed it a desperately as I did, if not more so. I was used to pushing myself, to throwing caution to the wind and engaging in dangerous training methods to become more skilled, to be more than that skinny street rat from Myrin. Tess was the same. The two of us had spent the majority of our lives in pursuit of the pinnacle, each wanting to become the greatest warrior we could be. That goal, I could admit, often blinded me to what was truly important. I'd spent much of my life alone, most of it committed to nothing more than my family back in Myrin, to their continued protection and safety. The risks I'd taken, the foolish decisions I'd made in the past, all of it had been done with the understanding that, even if I died, at least I would be going out helping those I loved live a better life than I did.

But I wasn't a mercenary anymore, nor was I a simple orphaned pickpocket looking for an easy score, to make a mark before I faded into the dark memory of the Myrin Commons. Now I was the Count of the Lostwood, Royal Protector to the Princess, future King of Venos. All those titles still made my head spin, yet the responsibility they thrust upon my shoulders paled in comparison to the weight of being a Knight and husband.

Elora and Tess. They are, and would remain, my first priority. They were a part of me, their souls inexplicably tied to mine through magic beyond the ken of men. In quiet moments, I'd thought about the Bonds, how they worked and how the oath spoken aloud was enough for the most unfathomable pieces of ourselves to tightly wind themselves together. The phenomenon was nothing less than divine, at least according to those I'd asked. As much as the Masters who trained me knew about how to grow as both Knight and Smith, few knew about how the practice began or which role came first. Sister Erin had told me as much back in Myrin and speaking with Vera had confirmed it.

I didn't know if it came from the Great Spirit, the Old Gods, or some force beyond what I could comprehend, but ultimately it didn't matter. This last week had been a reminder of just how much I needed to cherish the relationships I had with my Smiths. In trying to protect them by chasing strength as a Knight, I had hidden my own pain and worry. I'd sworn not to, made them both a promise that I wouldn't try to stand alone, yet I had done just that. It was the mistake of an idiot who didn't realise what he had.

“I must have seen this done a thousand times since I was a girl,” Elora complained, still locked in an epic battle with the piece of silk at my throat. “Why is it so Spirit damned difficult!?”

My Princess turned her glare to me, searching for vindication in my answering stare and yet seeing something else entirely. Elora's lips parted softly, a gasp escaping as my arm snaked out to wrap around her waist, pulling her against me, arms pinned against my chest. Cheeks flushed as the heat between us rose, my wife's serious gaze falling away.

“Orin-” I interrupted her query with a kiss, eyes closed as I conveyed my love for her with that simplest of gestures. We must have done this a hundred times, yet I could do it a thousand more and every single one would remain as new and exciting as the first. It came to me now, that memory of Paldrum. The innocence of my Princess, her need to show me just how much she cared. In that moment, when all seemed so lost, I'd felt unstoppable, unbeatable.

We separated, out of breath, but my hold remained strong. I looked deeply into her honey coloured eyes, darkening now as evening arrived upon the mountain. “I love you, Elora. Don't say it enough, but I do.”

“I love you too, Orin,” It took my Princess a moment to respond, taken aback from the suddenness of my action, from the intensity and intent behind it. A sly grin made an appearance as she managed to free her arms, snaking them both around my neck, the tie falling forgotten to the floor. She chucked to herself, eyes shining as focus returned once again. “You say it enough, love. Besides, I already know. The way you look at me is enough.”

“Oh?” I replied, trying to keep my own smile contained but failing miserably. “Am I that easy to read?”

“To me? Always,” Elora said, returning my kiss, this one lingering far longer than the first, before pulling away to meet my gaze. A touch of concern could be seen upon her expressive face. “Are you alright, my Knight?”

“Need there be a reason behind my wish to show my beautiful wife affection?” I asked in turn, trying to gift Elora a sultry look but no doubt coming off as looking rather foolish.

“Oh, you'll hear no complaints from me,” the Princess laughed, hugging me tightly as I did the same, a touch of crimson on her cheeks still. “I missed moments like this when we were training. It's been nice to have you all to myself, waking up with you beside me instead of an empty bed has made me realise just how much I missed you when you were away.”

“And the nights?” I asked, raising my eyebrows suggestively.

Elora laughed, unable to look at me as she pushed her head into my chest. “Those too have been rather amazing, yes. Honestly, I haven't felt better in quite some time.”

“I know,” I replied gently, tenderly pressing my lips to her forehead. “Don't know why, but seeing you fuss over that tie seemed to remind me of why I fell in love with you in the first place.”

“My anger and irritation?” Elora grimaced, though the expression did not reach her eyes. “I can hardly call those my best features, love.”

“Not only that,” I laughed. “I suppose I've just realised how much we needed this week. Spending time in Nian with you and Tess, getting to know the sisters. It's... well, I think we should do this more often. Not everything needs to be about training.”

“I'm surprised to hear you say that, Orin,” Elora separated from me with one last sound peck on the cheek. “After all, you very nearly had to kill yourself before you finally started listening to Tess and I.”

I winced at the blatant disapproval in my wife's eyes. “Do you have to keep reminding me of how big of a fool I was?”

“I'm afraid so, Orin,” Elora's answer was immediate and unwavering, though there remained a little mirth dancing in her golden eyes. “Until the lesson has been learned. You forgot once, love. Tess and I won't let you do so again.”

I sighed, unable to argue with my wife's logic as I pressed my forehead against hers gently before breaking away. “Fair point.”

Elora smiled as she reached down to the discarded piece of cursed fabric at her feet, grimacing at the thing as she held it before her like some kind of venomous serpent. “Now, lets get back to the rather infuriating task of getting this thing to stay on.”

“You know, we could always ask one of the servants to help.” It usually made me rather uncomfortable to ask aid from those who served Nobility, but I had to admit that I was becoming rather desperate. We were supposed to meet with Tess and the others a few minutes ago, and already I was feeling quiet queries from my savage Smith flow over the Bond. I set Tessa's mind at ease with a single thought, but even still, I didn't like the idea of everyone waiting on us to arrive. “We've been at this a while now.”

“No,” My Princess shook her head stubbornly, mouth fixed in a firm line of concentration. “Now hush, I almost have it.”

Elora's adorable determination made me chuckle to myself lightly as I did as commanded, remaining silent as she went to work against her enemy. I was treated to a series of near inaudible curses under her breath as my Smith diligently continued with her work. Her eyes kept flickering up to mine, the smallest of smiles breaking her concentration each time as she endeavoured to complete her task.

“You know, when I was a little girl, mother always used to do this for father,” My Princess began, almost absent-mindedly as I felt her hands thread the fabric at my throat. “He hated getting all dressed up for special occasions, or events. Mother swore that if she didn't step in and make sure he dressed appropriately he would turn up in some threadbare tunic, hands stained with ink from working in his study.”

I couldn't stop a humorous smile forming at the image of the Queen chasing the King around the royal apartments, tie in hand., “I could definitely see that. Julian doesn't strike me as a man who enjoys the pageantry of court.”

“Yet he does it so well,” Elora said with a laugh. “My father is just so good at speaking with people, at playing the games of Nobility, moving them around like pieces on a board. He's had to be, considering his role as King. Smiths run the Kingdom, Knights fight the wars, or so tradition would dictate.”

“I never believed it was as cut and dry as all that,” I replied wistfully.

“Such things never are, my love,” Elora said dryly. “In truth, father needs quite a bit of help with the day to day operations of Venos and the same can be said for my mother. She's a formidable warrior, but she wouldn't be half as capable without her Smith to guide her.”

Elora's voice trailed off at the end, her mind gone, having travelled the many miles across two countries and the White Sea itself. At that moment, her thoughts were occupied with nothing but the palace in Venos, and the glorious Spires that towered over the city we both called home. This picturesque vision was marred by the shadow of Samuel, and the unknown fate of both her parents and my own family.

“Word will come, Elora,” I reassured my Princess for what seemed like the hundredth time. “I swear to you it will. Gida and Julian are strong.”

“It's been weeks, Orin,” Elora replied softly, her voice trembling as she tried to hold in her emotions. The Bond, however, betrayed her stoic exterior and let me see the raw vulnerability beneath the surface. “Weeks and we've heard not one word from Venos, not a whisper. Meanwhile, here I am preparing to visit the Singing Trees when my parents could be-”

“Stop.” The word was firm, as was the firm grasp of my consciousness along the Bond as I stilled my Princess' continually fracturing thoughts. “Thinking that way will get you nowhere, Princess. There could be a hundred different reasons why its taking so long for a reply to reach us. I know they're alright, I can feel it.”

“But how, Orin?”

I made to reply, but hesitated. I couldn't answer her question because I didn't know myself. I just felt like if something so momentous happened back home, I would know. It was a gut feeling, one born of intuition. I shrugged helplessly in the face of Elora's questioning gaze. “I just do, Elora. I can't give you a better explanation than that. Our families are too stubborn, too strong, to be laid low by one little Knight.”

“One little Knight who has the power to destroy entire Kingdoms,” Elora said morosely.

“Bah! You think that's bad? Wait until he gets a load of the Sister's switch,” I shivered at the memory of that dreaded piece of wood, “Or your mother's crippling glare? Spirit above, I nearly had a heart attack the last time she even looked at me.”

My attempt to lighten the humour worked, at least in part. Elora couldn't stop herself from laughing, eyes shining as she leaned her head against my chest affectionately. “I remember. Your face went as white as a sheet when we went to see them at the palace.”

“What can I say, your mother scares me almost as much as my own does,” I chortled, “Samuel doesn't stand a chance.”

The floodgates opened and Elora's laughter echoed around the room as I joined her. The darkness that had briefly enveloped her was banished for another, more familiar Dark, one which was rooted in her very being and wrapped us both up in the warmth and safety of its presence.

“We'll see them all again one day soon, Princess, mark my words,” I said as I broke away from my wife, cupping her cheeks in hand, “And I also know that neither your parents nor my family would want us to sit about in this room anxiously waiting for a letter. They wouldn't want us to torture ourselves. We took this week for us, and we've only got a single night left. I want to spend it with you and Tess.”

“You're right, love. I know you're right, it's just hard to try and enjoy myself when-”

“I know, Princess,” I replied gently, “I feel the same way, but we rarely get any chances to simply have fun. You said it yourself, Princess. We have all the time in the world to worry about home, Samuel, Zelato and the whole bloody mess we're in. Tonight is for us and I want to spend it drinking, eating and listening to good music with my Smiths.”

Dancing too, I hope?” Elora's face lit up at even saying the word. My own did the opposite, though I did endeavour to maintain a neutral expression. It was a task in which, I could say without doubt, failed.

“Yes... dancing as well, I suppose,” I sighed, resigned to my fate.

I'd railed against it at first, especially when Elora had first begun my lessons in the many varied forms of dance popular throughout the continent. The sheer amount of steps I needed to learn made my soul quake. Her enthusiasm, however, forced me to overcome my fear of the activity and try to throw myself into it with as much gusto as possible. Easier said than done considering my savage Smith insisted on sitting in at every practice, her muffled laughter a constant accompaniment to my extremely poor showing. All I could say was thank you to the Spirit for our ability to heal quickly, otherwise I was sure my poor wife would still be laid up in bed with bruised feet. I learned rather quickly that my rather lacklustre skills hadn't improved in the least, so that brief flash of hope was extinguished before it could even really begin to form. After a week of nights dedicated to mastering what my wife eloquently described as an 'art-form' I couldn't say I'd improved all that much.

Elora, however, was of a different opinion. The night before she had finally deemed my clumsy attempts at dance as 'passable', which I truly believed was just her being nice. Tessa, it seemed, was also of the opinion that I had taken great strides, though that compliment was delivered through fits of laughter so I took it with more than a pinch of salt. When I had protested as to why Tess couldn't join in on our exercises, my Smith had replied with nothing but a shrug and the assertion that

she already knew how to dance so the practice was pointless.

I was suspicious as to how true that statement was, but I didn't question her and instead let the matter rest. It didn't matter in any case. By the end of the night, I would lay my suspicions to rest or die in the attempt. Knowing Tess as I did, the latter was just as likely as the former.

I chuckled to myself darkly, staring into space with a devious grin upon my lips. My wife's answer to such an expression was a narrowing of her golden eyes. “Orin, what is that look for?”

“Nothing, my love,” I replied innocently, immediately dropping the insidious smile, “Nothing at all.”

“Uh-huh,” Elora stated doubtfully before shaking her head at my foolishness and going back to work.

It took another five minutes, but between the two of us we just about managed to get the tie into something of a presentable shape. Better still was that I could breathe while wearing it.

“Done!” The Princess called out in triumph, excitedly beaming as she swept her hands across my shoulders as though to sign her work. Elora stepped back and stared at me thoughtfully. I reached up to adjust the tie, but she batted my hand away before I could do so, returning to her thorough examination. Before long, the smile on her face grew wider still as she grabbed a hold of me and spun me around to face the mirror near the door, her face peering around my shoulder as I caught sight of myself for the first time dressed in all my finery. Her eyes were filled with shy hope, unsure as to my reaction.

“What do you think?”

I chuckled to myself as I wrapped an arm around the Princess, pulling her to my side and laying my forehead atop her soft hair. The faint hint of her sweet scent filling my nostrils, accompanied by the heavy richness of mountain earth that poured through the open balcony doors.

“I think you do good work, Princess,” And I meant it. Once more I was surprised by my wife's uncanny ability to make me appear far grander than I actually was.

For the first time in quite a while, I was not stained with the dirt of Dealanaich, instead wrapped in elegant silks and other luxurious fabrics which I'm sure I'd never heard of, but were all more exquisite than the last. I had scrubbed myself near raw in the bath at Elora's insistence, combing my hair and trimming my beard while also applying the near ludicrous amounts of scented soaps that were on offer. I'd left the bath stinking of roses, much to my dismay and Elora's delight.

While I irked at smelling like the Royal Gardens back in Myrin, I couldn't fault my Princess' choice of clothing. Elora had been adamant that she be the one to choose my outfit, and seeing the results of her insistence was quite something.

My wife had chosen green as a clear theme, with my tunic and breeches both being a deep emerald, the same colour as left eye. It appeared almost like a military uniform, immaculately put together and the jacket bound at the front with silver buttons, a rather obvious nod to one of my two Primary Elements. The boots went nearly to the knee, both polished to a mirror sheen and the toes capped with yet more silver. All in all, I'd say I looked just like any of the fancy Noblemen I'd seen stride through the Commons as a child, though far more wild with my beard, near shoulder-length hair and scarred face. I ran a finger through the wound idly, the mark left by Zelato had long since stopped causing me pain, yet the memory of it being inflicted remained as fresh as ever.

“None of that tonight, love,” Elora whispered softly, reaching up and pulling my hand free of my scar, and free of the past. “Tonight is for us, just like you said.”

“It certainly is,” I grinned looking down at my Princess, feeling my heart quicken as her expression matched my own.

Elora beamed, winking at me as she placed a hand against my chest, “You're staring, Orin.”

“Am I?” I replied with a sigh, taking in the whole of my wife and realising, not for the first time, just how lucky I was. “You look beautiful, Elora.”

Never had a phrase been spoken that could have been more true. While Elora and I had been focused on my tie, the sight of her was a constant source of distraction, her every movement showcasing just how much she had changed since we'd first arrived in Nian. The dress my wife had chosen for the evening complimented my own, made of a lighter shade of green that reminded me of leaves in the depths of spring, growing darker towards the hem until it was the deepest shade of pure black. Her darker skin tone from the sun's rays only made the colour all the more vibrant. Her bare arms and shoulders held a hint of definition that they had once lacked, hinting at her prowess as a burgeoning warrior. Her blonde her, done up in twisting, subtle curls, descended like a river of gold down her back. Silver earrings and a silver necklace accompanied the ensemble, as well as a twisted piece of fabric around her wrist that seemed oddly familiar to me but that I hadn't noticed until that moment. I frowned as I reached down to take a hold of the Princess' arm. Elora blushed deeply, looking away as I finally realised just what it was she was wearing.

“This is-”

“Yes,” Elora mumbled, grasping my hand gently sweetly before her fingers swept down to touch against the piece of black fabric from my wedding tunic. I hadn't known that the Princess had held onto it for so long. “I thought it fitting that I keep a piece of you close by, since you kept the piece of my dress. I've been holding onto it since Yelmora. Didn't seem right to just throw it away. Speaking of which...”

My Princess moved to our bed, grabbing something from my side table before returning. She made me spin about with an impatient finger, her face brokering no argument. I felt her grab a hold of my hair gently, tying it back with the familiar opposite of the piece upon her wrist before wrapping Tessa's favour around my arm. She made sure both were secure before stepping back, gifting me with an approving nod.

“There. Now you look ready for what's to come.”

“That sounds fairly ominous, Princess,” I replied weakly, taken aback by the gravity in my wife's voice.

“It was meant to,” Elora stated gravely, her gaze near haunted. “This is our first outing as a couple, Orin. Our first public engagement.”

“I don't really think its as important as all that-”

“Oh, but it is, my love,” Elora interrupted. “The people there may not know of us, but they soon will when they see us arrive with Lilian, Cassandra and the others. The political ramifications of tonight could not be more grave, nor more vital. It will foreshadow our relationship with Ragora as a whole for years to come.”

Each syllable the Princess spoke made my stomach roil with fear, my hands trembling at the prospect of it all. I'm good in a fight, good at blood-shed, but this whole night of dancing and merry-making seemed to be far greater than I first realised. My thoughts began to spiral as I unconsciously ran through dance moves in my head, checking to make sure that I hadn't suddenly forgotten all that Elora had taught me in a week. The blind panic that assaulted me at the idea of everyone at the Singing Trees watching me, looking for a single mistake, was almost too much to take.

Those feelings evaporated, however, when I caught sight of my Princess' smirk.

“Oh, you are hilarious,” I all but shouted, my hands still shaking. “Spirit, Elora. You almost gave me a fucking heart attack.”

The uproarious laughter of the woman I loved at my indignation did little to soothe my nerves, but I couldn't help but join in, the nervous energy Elora had generated within me needing some kind of outlet. Even if that wasn't the case, it was hard to stay mad at Elora when she smiled. It was a magic all her own, separate from our Bond or her status as a Smith, and one I was quite fond of.

“This isn't Venos, Orin,” Elora said through tears as she fixed my tie, finally getting her mirth under control though no small amount danced in her honey-coloured stare.. “This isn't some Noble ball. All classes of people will be there and none will be held above the other. It's a gathering of equals.”

“So why say that? As if I'm not anxious enough already.”

“For that very reason, my Knight,” Elora sighed as she raised her hands to cup my face, forcing my one eye to meet both of hers. “Orin, you've been overthinking this all week. I've seen how focused you've been on learning to dance, and I know about your 'extra' practice sessions. I even saw you practising alone on the balcony.”

My cheeks flushed as I winced. I'd really hoped I'd managed to hide my private training sessions from the Princess. “Shit, you saw that?”

“Yes, love.” Elora chuckled, stroking my scar with a familiar affection that made my heart beat for very different reasons. “It's hard to not hear your cursing from our bed, even if it is the middle of the night. We can be ourselves, just have some fun, finally, together. Think of this as the belated wedding party we never had the chance to have.”

“I just don't wanna mess up, you know?” For some reason, I felt strangely vulnerable, open. War, battle and blades, that was my home. In many ways I would feel more comfortable fighting Zelato or Craven again than I would stepping onto some dance floor. My last experience hadn't exactly been stellar and I had no intention of repeating such a blunder, especially in front of Elora and Tess. They'd seen me at my worst, true, and I knew that they wouldn't care regardless, but even still, I wanted to impress them at least a little. My Smiths had both grown up in this kind of environment, and though I was aware that Tess hated it, I still wanted to prove I could keep up with them in this particular arena. “Besides, it's important to you and you enjoy it. I want to at least try and see what's so good about it. Spirit knows that I'll never share your love of riding-”

Elora smiled at that, the memory of our return to Myrin after the business in Paldrum was concluded no doubt assaulting her.

“-But I can get behind the dancing thing. It's not too dissimilar to fighting, actually, if you look at it in a certain way.” It was a foolish thought, but one that I couldn't deny had crossed my mind.

Elora grinned, eyes sparkling. “I thought so as well. It's all about footwork, doing the right thing at the right time, following a pattern. The only difference is that you have to anticipate rhythm from the music, not an opponent. I think being so well learned in dance helped me quite a bit when Tessa first started to teach me.”

I frowned as I thought on that point. Now that I looked back, Elora's movements when she sparred were almost like she was dancing, her steps graceful and elegant. The same could even be said for my Savage Smith. Though the dance that Tessa harnessed in her combative arts was far more predatory, it was no less beautiful. I would have to ask her about it at a later date. Maybe that was why she was confident when she'd told me she didn't need to train, though I doubted it. My own footwork was not too shabby, but it definitely lacked the light ease of my two Smiths. Each step I took was filled with purpose and brutal efficiency, aiming to overpower and destroy. There was little guile in my swordplay, and that was something I had carried into the new style I was working to perfect.

I narrowed my eye, my attention focusing inward and into my soul as I thought back over the intricate steps Elora had instructed me in. Gazing into the fiery black, I found my focus far faster and was able to organise my thoughts much more easily. The fire soothed me, especially in the calm and almost sedate state it was currently in. As I watched the silver shedding flames I looked over the dances I'd been taught, searching for some hidden truth beneath the surface to add to my own, violent style of combat. I would be the first to admit that mine was the furthest thing from elegant as one could get. Maybe it wasn't the craziest idea to draw inspiration from the formal styles of dance I'd been taught by Elora. They all seemed flowery and unnecessary, at least to my eye, but perhaps there was more to it than that. Maybe I could-

“Orin,” Elora rolled her eyes at my predictability, “Are you thinking about using what I've taught you to fight better?”

Was it really that obvious?

“Not really,” I protested, though to say it was weak would be an understatement. “Well... Maybe a little.”

“You have to know that you're not going to find any improvements to your style by thinking on the Vistadorna.”

I grimaced, immediately shaking my head. The Vistadorna was the first dance I learned, and it was one that was mind-numbingly slow and sedate. Apparently it was a favourite at the Balls that Elora had frequented when she was young, but how she managed to make it through without being bored to tears I would never know. It was clearly reserved for slow and melancholic tunes, requiring a lot of side-stepping and quite a few spins. Honestly, the the whole thing made me feel like I was crossing the White Sea again. I was positive that there was very little to learn about combat from that particular dance. “Definitely not, but there are a few steps in some of the others that could...”

The look on my wife's face drew me short. Elora shook her head with a long suffering sigh, leaning forward to kiss my lips gently before fixing me with an entreating stare. I answered her look with a sheepish smile. “Sorry. No more talk of training or combat, promise.”

“Thank you. Though I do appreciate you taking the time to learn it. I do love it, Orin, I really do. Most of the events we held in the palace were incredibly stuffy affairs, with so much formality, rules and customs that it all about bored me to tears.. The dancing, though, that was always the highlight. Just wait and see. After tonight, I'm sure you'll feel the same.”

I narrowed my eye. “I don't think you believe that, Princess.”

Elora shrugged unapologetically, eyes alive with mischievous intent, “No, but you've already promised to come. No backing out now.”

“Oh, don't I know it,” I chuckled, separating from the Princess and glancing at myself in the mirror once again. I'd never been a vain man. Growing up covered in dirt and grime, I was lucky to find clothes that would fit me, never mind have the coin to purchase something tailored. Even Laird's prices were well beyond what I could ever afford, though I knew he donated a lot of his second-hand clothing to the orphanage. Still, I had to admit that I was becoming rather used to the luxuries that had become the norm since Bonding with Elora. It was nice to wear something new for a change, something impressive. What was that old saying? The clothes make the man. Perhaps if I wore fancy outfits more often I'd eventually wear off the sharp edges of my many new titles. I stilled a tremble than ran through my hand as I accepted the inevitable reality of where we were heading and the many eyes that would be watching. Elora had said that this would not be like a royal ball, but it certainly still felt that way. In any case, I wouldn't allow a small case of cold feet hold me back. Couldn't let my nerves get the best of me, not now.

“You know,” Elora said with a cunning grin as she wrapped her arms around my own from behind, “Cellus is an excellent dancer. Mother always said that he had no match in the entire Kingdom. All the Nobles in the attendance at the Royal Gala each year used to be enraptured every time we took the floor.”

I fought to keep my own grin contained, immediately catching onto my wife's obvious ploy. “I know what you're doing, Princess.”

“I have no doubt about that, my Knight,” Elora quipped as she slipped her hand into mine, pulling me towards the door. “Is it working?”

“You know damn well it is,” I replied reluctantly.

Elora laughed as we strode towards the exit of our rooms. I smiled at her back, simply enjoying the feeling of her excitement as it ignited feelings all my own. She was right, of course, as she always was. I shouldn't really be taking all of this too seriously. It was meant to be a bit of fun with those I loved most in the world, a chance to take some time for ourselves. For the last few days I'd been treating this little gathering as though it were a battle I needed to prepare for, not a first dance with my wife.

It was just a bit of fun, nothing more, and who cared if Cellus was the better dancer? Not me, that's certain. I didn't even know how Elora could make that comparison. She'd seen me working on my moves on the balcony, and during training, but tonight would showcase just how good I was. Even if I came up short, I comforted myself with the knowledge that in terms of martial skill I far outranked the Duke. Shit, I could beat him with both arms tied behind my back and wearing a blindfold. A serene calm fell over my mind as I imagined that exact scenario.

I wagered that it was hard to dance when you've got a pair of broken legs...

...Perhaps Elora's comment got to me more than I'd like to admit.

* * *

“Do you think he will be there tonight?”

“No Tilia, I do not think he will be there tonight. Lord Errend is still on the east coast seeing to his family's business there. Besides, isn't he already taken by Evanera? The Mirk Clan was just just boasting about their upcoming union last week. As I recall, her mother was positively glowing.”

“With drink, no doubt,” Tilia replied gruffly, waving a dismissive hand through the air. “The woman puts away wine like a dockside worker, and often talks just as much nonsense. Errend is a Knight of high esteem. His father was the personal protector to the High Lord for the Gods sake! I think he can do better than Evanera bloody Mirk.”

“Well I believe you can do much better than Errend of Clan Cullen,” Lily said from her seat beside Dawn, rolling her eyes at the dramatic reaction of her sister. “Evanera Mirk might be at the bottom of the pack when it comes to Noble blood, Tilia, but you are very much at the very opposite end of that. If we're talking in terms of social hierarchy, you stand far above both of them. Why are you fixated on Errend, anyway? The man is a second tier Knight who likes to flaunt the fact that his father had a position of note three decades ago.”

“But he's so pretty,” Tilia moaned despairingly, her face falling into her hands in an exaggerated expression of hopelessness, her eyes looking out unto the bleak, black rock of Dealanaich.

“He is attractive, I'll grant you that,” Lily said with a snort of derision, “Unfortunately, all the good looks in the world can't save you from lacking a brain. Every time the man opens his mouth he makes a fool of himself.”

“I'm not greedy, Lily,” Tilia replied with a sigh, “All the pretty ones are idiots. I could fix him, I'm sure of it.”

“I don't know about that, Lady Tilia,” Elora piped up next to me, her fingers threading their way through my own and gifting me a bright smile. “My husband seems to have beaten that particular stereotype.”

“Well, I can't argue with that,” Tilia said, suddenly fixing her steely eyes onto me. They were so much like Tessa's, near identical in fact, but the Lady of the D'viritazi held something within her gaze that my savage Smith lacked. Tilia didn't have the hard edges and sharpened stare of my Tess. Instead there was a devious cunning, one which was wrapped around a playfulness that somehow filled me with greater unease the more I was subjected to it. “You really are rather handsome, Orin. That suit suits you very well, makes you seem dashing and dangerous, a true Knight. I assume it was your wife who picked it out for you?”

“It was. Thank you, Tilia,” I replied rather awkwardly, unsure of how to react to the sudden compliment and painfully aware of all the women staring at me. I should have stayed with Boldrin and the other men in the carraige travelling behind us, but Tess' sisters, as well as my Smiths, had been rather insistent that I join them. There was a slight issue of space, however, as the carraige could only carry six, but Freida was more than happy to accommodate, riding with her husband. If Deirdric's beaming smile had been anything to go by, the man couldn't have been happier.

“You are very welcome, Orin,” Tilia purred with a grin, “You are quite the catch. A Knight of renown with many deeds under your belt so soon into your career, not to mention a Count with lands aplenty. It's a shame you're already taken. I would snatch you right up.”

“Unfortunately, he is taken,” Elora said pointedly, pulling her hand into my lap and leaning against me rather possessively, which I can't say I didn't enjoy. “Very much taken. Married, in fact.”

Tilia laughed daintily, “I'm sorry, Elora, I was just teasing.”

“Something she does constantly, and with seemingly no sense of shame. If you think about it, her lack of self-awareness is really quite incredible,” Dawn said to herself musingly, shaking her head as though in disbelief. “Sometimes I wonder if I too could be as free as my oblivious little sister. Alas, I have a conscience.”

“Now that is a bit of an exaggeration,” Tilia whined, her expression of mock hurt fooling absolutely no one. “And seriously, Dawnie, 'alas'? Since when did you start speaking like the old Lords in the mouldy Tower.”

“Since you decided to be a little-”

“Would you two stop it, please,” Lily grumbled, closing her eyes. “You're giving me a headache. All this arguing can't be good for the baby, Dawn.”

“I think he must be used to it,” The pregnant Lady said as she placed an affectionate hand over her bump, smiling down fondly. “He'll be coming any day now, and I need to prepare him for the maddening influence of his Aunt Tilia.”

“You keep calling the baby a he, but we both know its going to be a girl,” Tilia said.

“And how would 'we' know that?”

“Look at mother and father. Out of seven children, only one boy. It's going to be a girl, I can feel it.”

“Saying it over and over again won't make it true,” Dawn said with absolute confidence, “It's a boy. A mother knows best.”

“I swear you two go from one argument to the next without rest. Please, give us all some peace. Tonight is supposed to be a fun occasion, not more of you two bickering.” Lily all but begged, her head falling against the back of the carraige.

“Bickering is fun for us, though,” Tilia whispered softly to Dawn, who nodded in ardent agreement.

I watched all this unfold quietly, still getting used to the way the sisters interacted with one another. Honestly, it was a bitter sweet thing to witness. The way they spoke, ribbed, and annoyed one another reminded me more than ever of what I'd left behind in Myrin. I'd had that kind of relationship with Pater once. That easy way of speaking to one another that can only come from growing up in the same home. I found myself thinking about what my brother was doing at that very moment. I hadn't seen him since the chaos of Elora's wedding, and neither had the Sister. I didn't know whether he'd fled the city or gone into hiding after the guard and Nobility began to come down like a hammer upon the gangs. I didn't know whether he was alive or dead.

That thought caused my soul to stir. Elora and Tess both reacted to the anxious flickering of flame, each fixing me with looks of concern. They perhaps didn't know the precise source of my unease, but that didn't matter. I felt feelings of warmth flow over the Bonds regardless to put the fire to rest. I responded with one of my own, assuring my Smiths that I was alright.

I'd be lying if I said that the thought of my brother's fate had not crossed my mind over the past few weeks, but I'd always placed it aside. After all, there was nothing I could do to rectify what had happened the day of Elora's wedding. Pater had made his choices and thrown his lot in with the Common Dogs, turning against the people of Myrin and sowing chaos in the streets of our home. Saying that, however, if Pater hadn't stepped in when he did, I might not have even made it to the ceremony. If I'd tried to go through the gate to the inner city, I would have been cut down by the gangs, the guard, or a mixture of both. Considering the corruption that ran rampant in the legal institutions of Myrin, that last option wasn't entirely outside of the realm of possibility.

Stolen story; please report.

If my brother hadn't betrayed the Dogs and gotten me through the melee undetected.... Well, our mother might have died, and Elora would've never Bonded with me in a desperate act to save those we both cared for.

I felt the Princess rub the back of my hand with her thumb as she stared out of the window unto the mountain. We were still an hour away from reaching the base, mostly because the carraige was carrying the full six passengers, but there was no rush to reach our destination within a fixed time. According to Lilian, Telvani was to start playing during sunset, so we still had plenty of time to reach the Singing Trees before the entertainment began in earnest.

Another carraige rumbled along behind us, containing the other members of our party who wished to attend the night's festivities. Among the usual suspects of Boldrin, Vera, and Annabelle were Alden and Deirdric, who was joined by the lovely Freida. I'd rarely had a chance to speak with the duo after our arrival in Nian, with Alden immediately taking back his position in the household and Deirdric returning to the D'viritazi library, which his father lovingly curated. I was surprised to find when they emerged from the Nest that I was rather happy to see them, and was glad that they would be joining us for the evening. We'd had our share of differences, but they had been our constant companions on the road to Nian and the troubles we'd faced along the way. That sort of bond wasn't one that could be placed aside easily.

Both men seemed far more at ease than I had ever seen them, as though a great weight had been lifted from their shoulders. Alden had lost some of the edge that he'd maintained while in the wilds, not constantly searching for some threat hidden in the darkness. Home once more, the Fire Knight was in his element as he became Mastan's agent and advisor once again, taking his place at the King of Lightning's right hand. Deirdric himself was also claiming a position his departure had left absent, clearly basking in the love he felt for his wife. The two wouldn't keep their hands off each other, casually joking with Boldrin and Alden as they waited for the carriages to be pulled to the front of the Nest. Of the two men, it was Deirdric who had transformed the most. The Nest was his natural environment, despite how well he presented himself as a Smith. Clearly being separated from his wife for so long had a negative effect on the man. This was made especially prevalent when seeing how much he'd changed upon returning to Ragora. He'd lost much of his biting sarcasm, replacing it instead with adoring looks aimed at the woman standing beside him.

I could understand that quite acutely. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to be so far away from Elora, or Tess, for any length of time. The very idea of it made me feel like I was going to have a panic attack, but I stopped the feeling from flowing across the Bonds. While my Smiths were right to be angry with me for hiding my pain from them, I didn't really think sharing everything was healthy, especially when they were about my more childish insecurities.

I squeezed Elora's hand, receiving an answer immediately as the Princess nudged my shoulder affectionately. Without my brother I wouldn't have Bonded with Elora and Tess. I would probably still be living in ignorance, blissfully unaware of who or what I was. I would have to thank him for that the next time our paths crossed.

And I would thank him. Unless I saw his body with my own eyes, I refused to allow myself to believe that Pater was dead. He was like me, stubborn and annoyingly hard to kill. I'm sure one day we would meet again, but I couldn't help but wonder just how much we both may have changed by then.

“Perhaps you could arrange a meeting with Lord Errend upon his return?” I was pulled back into the conversation by the sound of my wife's voice, Elora leaning across my body to speak with Tilia. “If you feel strongly about someone, you should fight for them.”

“Now that is good advice,” Tilia said musingly, for some reason her eyes flickering over to Tessa. It might have been my imagination but I thought I saw a small flush cross my Smith's cheeks as her own stare bore into Tilia's with an annoyed anger. Then I blinked and it was gone.

“Good advice for someone who was serious about pursuing any form of relationship whatsoever,” Lilian said with a sigh, looking to Elora. “Don't worry about Tilia, Princess. That girl is in no way going to go after someone like Lord Errend.”

“You don't know that,” Tilia protested, though it was a rather weak objection.

“No? You've barely even mentioned the man before, but now that his family have secured a rather lucrative trade route on the coast, he's suddenly all you can think about.”

“That's just a coincidence!” Tilia said a little too quickly.

“Oh, I'm sure,” Lilian replied sarcastically.

“Of course it's all about the gold,” Dawn said sagely, eyes closed as though in deep thought. “Now that makes sense. You chasing after some sub-par Knight does not.”

As the three girls continued to argue, with Elora sometimes intervening in an attempt to keep the peace, I found myself turning my eye once again onto Tess, who had remained silent for the entirety of our time on the road. In fact, she'd barely said more than two words to me since we'd met at the grand entrance to the Nest. I shouldn't have stared. I know how much she hated being the centre of attention, yet I couldn't help myself.

Each of the Ladies of House D'viritazi had clearly gone all out for the occasion, each wearing exquisitely designed dresses of the highest quality fabrics most likely bought from the most expensive tailor in Nian. Tess was no different in that regard, as she had agreed to allow her sisters to dress her for the occasion. In fact, according to Elora, my savage Smith had actually asked for their help. Lily, Tilia and Dawn all looked beautiful, there was no doubting that. Each of the D'viritazi siblings had the sort of natural beauty that I knew many in the world would have killed for. My Tess, however... well, maybe I was biased in saying it, but her sisters didn't even come close.

Tess hated dresses. For as long as I'd known her, this had been an absolute truth, one which I had known for as long as she'd been in my life. She preferred the freedom of what was traditionally considered 'men's clothing' because it allowed her to battle unencumbered. More than anything, Tessa took pride in her identity as a fighter, as a warrior. To impede her ability to do battle in any way was simply something that Tess wasn't willing to do. In the many years that I'd known her, Tessa had worn a dress exactly once, and that was during my wedding. Even then, it had been a hard thing for Elora to actually convince her to put the damn thing on. She'd only done it, in the end, because of how much it meant to her Sister-Smith. Shit, if it wasn't for Tess we wouldn't have even had a wedding to begin with.

Which made the fact that she'd let her sisters put her in one tonight all the more meaningful. Tess never let her vulnerabilities show if she could help it, not to anyone that wasn't me or Elora. The fact that she was willing to drop her armour, to let her guard down and allow herself to be in an uncomfortable situation was something that I hadn't expected to happen so soon, not to such an extreme. I'd arrived at the carriages fully expecting Tess to wear something like she normally did, to preserve her combat ability. It was her foundation, the rock on which she built herself upon. What awaited me however, was something entirely different.

My heart went to my throat at the sight of her.

She was a dazzling vision in deep gold, the dress sharing the colour of her throne, and cut through with patterns of blinding sky-blue. The skirt was long, hanging to her ankles, while her arms were bare. Delicate straps lay across each shoulder, the sun-tanned skin beneath marked in places by thin, white scars of battles long past. It was simple, and without frills or any tacked on pieces of material. Much like the woman it was made for, it had a certain wildness to it, the lines of blue shining nearly white as they sliced across the dress in hypnotic sequences. Tessa's choice of attire, however, wasn't what threw me so much when I first saw her.

Her hair was different. I didn't know what it was at first, but before even the dress, it was the sight of her once unruly bonnet which grabbed my eye. I'd stopped, stock still, as I passed through the front door of the Nest. My Smith's typically short hair, cut to length by her own blades, had been styled elaborately, framing her face and bringing the stark depth and steely cutting pressure of her eyes into sharp focus. More than that, she seemed to be bursting with light. Tess' glow was greater even than the Ragoran sun that shined over our heads. I couldn't explain why that thought had jumped into my head. My jaw dropped involuntarily. If not for Elora's hand in mine, I might have just continued to stand there, dumb-struck by the beauty of my transformed Smith.

We didn't get a chance to exchange words before being thrust into the carraige by the D'viritazi sisters, all of them taken up with the excitement of the evening to come. Yet even as we moved, I continued to glance at Tess in a state of semi-bewilderment. She'd worn a dress at the wedding, yes, but nothing like this.

“You're staring, Orin,” Tessa said uncomfortably, glancing up at me and shifting in her seat.

I blinked, suddenly aware of where I was and what I was doing. All the women turned to look at me simultaneously, Dawn and Tilia's argument dying off instantly as they turned their gazes upon me and Tess.

I heaved in a breath as I finally, fully, came back to myself. “Sorry, Tess. You just... You look incredible.”

Tess flushed deeply, hands finding her skirt again as she anxiously wrapped in up in one hand. Then, so quietly that it was barely a whisper amidst the sounds of the rumbling carraige she muttered, “Fuck off, Orin.”

For some reason, that one comment diffused the sudden tension that came from the silence of Elora and the sisters. I laughed aloud, shaking my head at my Smith, “I mean it.”

“You truly look amazing, Tessa,” Elora affirmed, her beaming smile illuminating the carriage's dark and dank interior. “And I'm so glad you went with those colours. They look beautiful on you.”

Tess blushed all the harder, “Thanks, Elora.”

“Wait, the Princess gets a thanks and I get a fuck off?”

Tess stared at me humorously, “Yes.”

Well, I couldn't say that I was surprised.

“That was you?” I asked Elora with a raised brow. I should have known that my Princess had come up with a theme for the evening. “The colours?”

“I just thought Tess and I should dress in the same colours as our Thrones. Black and silver for me, gold and blue for Tess, and you carry a piece of all of them.”

“Gold?” Lily looked to Elora in surprise, doing the same to Tess, “Your Throne is gold, Tessa?”

“Aye,” Tessa replied hesitantly, “Elora and I can't figure out what it means, but its even more prominent than the blue of Lightning. We asked mother, but she didn't have a clue either.”

“Colour is important, isn't it?” Tilia asked aloud as she looked on in confusion.

Dawn heaved out a long-suffering sigh, not the first I'd heard pass her lips in regard to Tilia. “Sister, you are a daughter of one of the Five Houses of Smiths that came before all others. How is your knowledge of the Elements so sup-par?”

“Don't give me all that, Dawn,” Tilia replied, pointing at her sister in accusation, “You were just as bored with father's lectures as I was! All I know is that my soul is a deep blue, like Lightning. Oh, and only Heirs can have Thrones for their Smiths. Anything that came after I wasn't really paying attention to.”

“You mean anything that didn't have something directly to do with you?” Dawn scoffed.

“Exactly,” Tilia said sweetly, “It's a miracle I even recall what a Throne is, to be honest.”

“Colour is important, because it shows what type of Element a person has,” I said, strangely thrilled that, for once, I was the one who could explain something instead of the other way around. “For Smiths, that doesn't really matter, at least before they Bond. Their souls present themselves as water and are uniform in colour, but a normal persons will appear as flame. If the flames are red, then that person has an affinity for Fire. Green is Air, yellow for Earth and so on.”

I caught Tess and Elora both smiling at me knowingly out of the corner of my eye, “What?”

“You're enjoying having someone around that knows less than you do,” Tess said with a snort of laughter, Elora joining in.

“I truly am,” I replied smugly, leaning back comfortably in the luxuriously upholstered seating of the carraige, surprised once more by how smooth the ride down Dealanaich was despite the dangers presented by the rough-worn path.

“That is correct,” Lily said as she gazed into the middle-distance, clearly lost in thought, “But I have no idea what Element gold could represent. Smiths souls are gold, as are the Bonds. Could the Element have something do with the soul itself? Though now I think about it, I've never heard of such an Element. Not in our family or any other.”

Tess' eyebrows fell as she too began to drift in thought, “I had the same thought, as did Elora and Orin, but we don't think it is.”

“Why not?”

“The colour,” Tess replied, “It's... I don't know, deeper, darker? My soul and the Bond I share with Orin are brilliant, shining. My Throne is the opposite of that.”

“It's not unusual for one colour to represent different Elements, if I remember correctly,” Dawn said, cradling her belly protectively even as she stared up the ceiling, “That could be the case here. Water and Lightning are both distinguished by blue flames.”

“But they couldn't look more different,” Lily insisted, “The blue for Water is far darker than Lightning, which is almost white it's so bright.”

“And Tessa just said that her gold is different from a soul's gold,” Dawn argued, “Chances are that the Element is different as well.”

After a moment's thought, Lily nodded in agreement, “This is quite the mystery. I wish I could be of more help, Rainie, but I can't for the life of me even begin to understand what it means. Are you sure it isn't an affectation of your Throne? Just something that was added during the Forging?”

Tessa shook her head immediately, a hint of determination in her eyes. “Too prominent for that, and it seems to exude some kind of power, but I can't figure out what it is. Don't worry about it, Lily. This is just another issue on a long list of them. Once I've manifested Orin's Weapon, I'll begin to work on trying to figure out what it means.”

“We will,” Elora said reassuringly, receiving a grateful nod from Tess in return.

“Did you ask father?” Dawn's question immediately caused a chill to fill the carraige. “I know he is the last person you want to speak to, but he may know something.”

“Mother suspects he does,” Tess replied stiffly, “She asked him after Elora and I went to her for help. He wouldn't say anything beyond that he didn't know, but she thinks he's hiding something.”

“Well, that's nothing new,” Lily said darkly, folding her arms across her chest and all but glaring at the floor.

The cold air grew within the small space, the phantom of their father hanging over the sisters minds as they each wrestled with their own distrust for the man. His presence was all the more prominent in their minds after Theadora's polite refusal to join them at the Singing Trees. Her reasons were many, but first among them was that she was unable to leave Mastan's side for so great a time, being both his Smith and the Lady of the Clan she had responsibilities to both her family and her people. It was sound logic, for of course Theadora would have duties that went beyond training Tess, Elora and I, but that didn't make Tess feel less bitter about their conversation. She'd been really hoping for her mother to attend, to continue to bridge the gulf between them. They'd healed much since that first interaction atop the Sky-Bridge, but Tess couldn't help feel Theadora's inability to join them was a step back in regards to their relationship.

I knew that wasn't the case, but my savage Smith was feeling particularly vulnerable after the encounter. It took a lot for her to step outside herself and invite Theadora, only for her attempt to extend an olive branch be rejected. Elora and I had worked hard to let her know that it wasn't her that Theadora rejected. Her mother simply had other responsibilities that needed to be handled, it didn't mean Theadora cared for her any less. All one had to do was glance in the direction of the D'viritazi Matriarch to see how much she loved her children.

It helped, but by how much I could not say. What I was certain of was that Theadora had truly wanted to attend. Mastan, however, once more proved himself to be too insurmountable an obstacle to overcome. I had no doubt that Theadora would do everything she could to make up for it after the night was over, and prove Tess' faith in her right.

Unfortunately, that positive thought didn't help dispel the uncomfortable air of disappointment in the carraige. Thankfully I had found, during times like these, that there was no better balm for bad memories and old wounds than the woman who was my wife. Elora smiled at each of the D'viritazi siblings in turn and they were all taken in by the energy that suffused her, even my taciturn Tessa. As Elora beamed they couldn't help but be drawn to her, their own bad feeling banished by excitement and happiness in her eyes.

“Enough about Mastan, ladies,” The Princess said, “This night is a rare opportunity to have some fun, and I for one can't wait. Tess and I have been training Orin to dance all week in preparation for this!”

“I can't wait for Orin to fall flat on his face again,” Tess smirked at me with a satisfied stare.

I scoffed. “Tess, that was once.”

“Twice,” Tess insisted, leaning forward in her seat with a wicked grin. “And the second was as hilarious as the first. I'm sure the third will be even more entertaining.”

The ladies all shared a laugh even as my heart fell, nerves threatening to rise once again. I knew it was merely a joke at my expense and that I should laugh it off, but I couldn't help the uncertainty and barest hint of fear that sprung into being at the idea of embarrassing myself in front of so many people. I'd hardly cut a very heroic figure falling on my ass in front of the gathered masses of Nian.

Tess frowned at me, her own laughter falling short as she felt my roiling emotion over the Bond. Her eyes gleamed with shame as I felt her awareness crawl across our connection and wrap itself around my soul gently. It wasn't long before Elora joined her Sister-Smith, both physically and spiritually as my wife leaned against my body while pressing her consciousness against my black flames. The feel of them was enough to settle me down and I gave them both a grateful smile.

“I'll be glad when this is over,” Tess grumbled to herself as she looked out the window, withdrawing herself from my soul “I feel so... exposed. Dresses may look nice, but they have no real function beyond that. I just don't see the point of them.”

“For having no function, yours seems to be doing quite a lot for you, Tess. You look gorgeous,” Tilia stated firmly, her words filled with admiration. “Gods, what I wouldn't give to look like you, Rainie. Those cheekbones? Your eyes? Spirit, your whole face is ridiculous. Why is the world so cruel?”

Tessa chuckled nervously, her cheeks growing redder by the second, as she tried to dismiss the compliment. Her sisters weren't having any of it.

“I agree completely,” Lilian said with a small self-deprecating frown as she looked down at herself. “I could never look that good. I hate wearing dresses. Every time I put one on I feel like a bear in a skirt.”

Lily was certainly more muscular than any in the carraige save myself, an obvious testament to her intensive training as a warrior. Tess had muscle, but she was lithe and predatory. Instead of prioritizing power, my savage Smith had leaned into her natural gifts for fast movement and her body reflected that. Lily was like me, a heavy hitter who had the physique that came along with it.

“You're an idiot if you think that,” Dawn said dismissively, batting her sister on the arm gently, “Especially while you have your whale of a sister sitting next to you. If you feel bad about yourself and you look like that, then what am I to think?”

“You always look pretty, Dawn,” Tilia said in a rare moment of seriousness, “Even more so now.”

“Why thank you, Tilia,” Dawn replied with a genuine smile before looking at both Elora and Tessa in turn, “Unfortunately, I think we three fall short when faced with two women who look like Avatars of the Spirit.”

Tilia nodded sagely as she too looked to my Smiths, “Too true, Dawnie, too true. Any chance you two could tone it down a bit, or at the very least keep a low profile tonight? I'd like to have some eyes on me at the Singing Trees, and I'm sure Lily feels the same. We have reputations to maintain.”

“I do not.”

“Have a reputation or feel the same?”

“Both. Neither.”

“Oh, hush you. You're a very lucky man, Orin, to have what I would wager to be the two finest beauties in Ragora by your side tonight.” Tilia finished, flashing me a grin.

Elora was now suffering under the same weight of compliments that Tess was as my Smiths began to sink into the seats, smiling at each other and laughing at the antics of the D'viritazi sisters. I found that this was one of the few things my Smiths had in common, both almost collapsing under any sort of praise. I couldn't stop myself from chuckling at their reactions.

“I am painfully aware of how lucky I am, Lady Tilia,” I replied easily, leaning over to kiss Elora's cheek, gently prodding the Bond with Tess simultaneously to make sure she knew that she was included in what I said. “But I have to say, you all look beautiful tonight.”

“Now that is a very political answer,” Dawn said with a nod of approval, “Very good, Orin. Your instruction, Princess?”

“He's learning,” Elora gifted me with a fond look, “Slowly, perhaps, but he's learning.”

“I will say that you could do without the sword, Orin,” Dawn said softly, eyes drifting to Tessa's gifted blade that I'd removed from my waist and now sat between my legs. “I don't believe you will be attacked tonight. You'll find Nian to be quite safe.”

“I find it best to er on the side of caution,” I replied with a sheepish shrug, “I've been caught without a sword before and it nearly cost me my life. I'm useless with my fists, or any other weapon for that matter.”

“That's true,” Tess piped up jokingly, laughing as I fixed her with an amused stare. Perhaps a little payback for the joke my Smith made at my expense was in order.

“But I can't be beaten with a sword,” I finished snidely, my eye flickering to Tess before returning to Dawn. As soon as I said the words I knew it would provoke a reaction. “So, just in case, I like to keep one around.”

“I'm sure we've already said this, but it bears repeating; Orin has a tendency to attract trouble on an unsettlingly regular basis,” Elora said to the sisters. “It makes Tess and I happier when he carries his sword with him.”

“So we've heard, though here's hoping that tonight goes off without a hitch,” Lily said reassuringly, offering the Knight and his Smiths a kind smile. “You three have spent far too much time cooped up inside the Nest. Tonight will be good for you, good for all of us. Together, as a family.”

Lilian shared a loving look with each of her sisters, but when she turned to Tess she found my savage Smith trying to kill me with her eyes, drawing the attention of the others.

I followed their eyes and barely stopped the savage grin that threatened to break free, catching Tessa glaring at me with her blisteringly sharp gaze. I held her stare, matching her intensity. “Can't be beaten, aye?”

“I know what I said, Tessa,” I said airily, holding her gaze with a ferocious stare of my own. “No need to repeat it, we both know it's true. There isn't one warrior in this city who can match me.”

The tension in the air was thick enough to be cut with a dull blade.

“Driver,” Tess knocked on the wall behind her without breaking her eyes from my own, “Stop the carraige.”

“No, no, no!” Elora said immediately, slapping my arm and pointing at Tessa, “Drive on! No fighting tonight. You both promised. Orin, stop teasing Tessa. Tess, don't let Orin get to you.”

“He started it.”

“And I'm finishing it. How would you even fight, anyway? You haven't got your daggers with you.”

My savage Smith made to reply before she stopped herself. An expression of acute embarrassment crossed her face, squirming as realisation bloomed on the Princess' face. I held my lips together tightly, trying with all my might to not allow the laugh that was building within me to be set free. It died in my throat when my wife turned to give me a deathly look before returning her attention to her Sister-Smith.

“Tessa, are you armed?” Lily asked, impressed, as she looked at her youngest sister, “How? Where?”

A dagger strapped to each inner thigh, hilts facing downwards and bound with some thin fabric to avoid appearing through her dress. She couldn't use her normal daggers, they were too bulky, the hilts too wide. I'd say she went with a thinner blade, one with no guard. I also suspected that there was a larger blade slipped down behind her back, but I couldn't be certain given the coverage of the dress.

“That isn't important,” Tessa snapped quickly, wilting under Lily's intense sky-blue stare. “I don't like going into any situation without some means of stabbing someone.”

“Are you suspecting you will be needing to tonight?” Dawn asked carefully.

Tess shrugged, “Depends on whether Orin manages to annoy or offend some young Noble.”

Tilia giggled to herself, “That might be a problem in Venos, and even Yeles, but class is all but a word here. You remember that, Rainie. As many of our friends and acquaintances are of 'common-birth' as there are Noble. Some have more gold than others, true, but all have a voice in Nian. It'll be difficult to find someone so arrogant that they would dare to speak down to a man like your Knight. People like that don't last long in Nian before being taught a lesson in manners.”

“If they're there, Orin will find them,” Tess stated with absolute certainty. “And I would like the option to cut someone should the need arise.”

“Wait,” Elora suddenly spoke out, frowning at her Sister-Smith with accusation in her eyes, “Were you wearing your daggers at my wedding?”

Silence conquered the carraige as Tess stared at Elora blankly.

“No,” Tessa's answer was the opposite of convincing.

“In any case,” Tilia spoke up, wisely interrupting my wife before she could make further inquiries. “I don't think you need to worry about that tonight, Rainie. Orin is armed, after all.”

Tessa snorted in disbelief, rolling her eyes in my direction, “Trusting Orin to take care of himself is like expecting the rain to suddenly rise upwards. He's as likely to stab himself as he is an opponent. He needs someone around with real skill to hold his hand.”

I narrowed my eye at my Smith, grinning ferociously as she matched my glare with glee. The cutting pressure of her eyes was as sharp as always, and in no way diminished by her elegant appearance. If anything, it only made her appear all the more deadly. She seemed like a predatory flower, her beauty barely masking the deadly intent that lay beneath it.

“Driver, stop the carraige.”

“Spirit, Orin!”

The rest of the trip was mostly uneventful as the energy of the evening was restored. The ladies fell into a comfortable rhythm as they spoke of anything and everything that came to mind, the excitement of the night to come reaching a fever pitch. I still knew very little about awaited us at the Singing Trees, and neither did Elora. All efforts to glean more information was met with half-smiles and promises that we would enjoy it, nothing more. Even Tess had remained unusually quiet about the night to come, simply stating that it was hard to explain unless you had experienced it yourself.

I may not have known exactly where or what we were doing, but the anticipation in the voices of all around me was inescapable. That nagging voice at the back of my mind remained. It begged that we returned to training, that we become as strong as we possibly could, that every moment wasted was one where we could have grown in power. For the moment, however, it was uncharacteristically weak. The sight of Elora and Tess actively enjoying themselves was something that I saw all too rarely, and I swore a quiet oath to myself that I would do all I could to preserve it for as long as possible.

Elora spoke with the sisters as though she'd known them for years, swiftly becoming fast friends with all of Tessa's siblings. My wife was truly remarkable when it came to social interaction. It was no skill she'd honed over years, but simply a mark of who she was. The problem was that, throughout her time in Venos, Elora had been forced to wear a mask when interacting with others. As the Princess of the realm she always had to be wary of those who wished to be close to her because of the influence her rank commanded. Here she could truly be herself without worry or care. Each of the D'viritazi sisters, including Tess, all shared similar status to her as the daughters of Mastan, yet Ragora couldn't be more different than Venos and it showed. Dawn, Lily and Tilia were open and honest, hiding nothing of themselves or playing games for the sake of politics. For the first time, Elora was finally among those who had no ulterior motives behind their intentions beyond wanting to get to know her better. It was a joy to witness first-hand, and was made all the better by Tessa's inclusion.

During this last week of rest, Tess had become significantly more open with her sisters. She no longer used Elora as a medium, as a shield to protect her from the more difficult conversations. A bit of hesitation remained, but nothing the like of which had once plagued her when we first stepped off the ship at the docks. She still clearly found it hard initiating, but would always respond when spoken to and, given the smile she wore as she spoke with Lilian, seemed to enjoy being once again a part of her family in full. Much of the past week had involved my two Smiths dragging me along to lunches and dinners hosted by the sisters. Just watching them all, together, was enough to put a smile on my face. I mostly stayed silent during these encounters, if for nothing else than Tess and Elora both needed what I had taken for granted my entire life: A firm sense of family and friendship, of belonging.

Elora had her mother and father, of course, but she'd had no siblings and little in the way of true friends beyond Cellus, Vera and Annabelle. With Tess, my wife had found a sister and, by extension, seemed have been formally adopted by Tessa's family in turn. It warmed my heart to no end, causing my soul to sing. In Nian, we had all found healing in one form or another. To see them grow as friends, to see Tessa bloom and take to the role she'd been so terrified of re-inhabiting, was mine.

As for the sisters opinion of me, well, I couldn't quite get a read on that. I'd only ever really interacted with any of them in the presence of Tess and Elora, and never alone. They seemed a little wary of me still, and for that I couldn't blame them. After all, I was the reason their baby sister had been shipped off to Myrin when she just a little girl. In a way, I'd robbed them of a life they could've had if Tess had remained in Nian. My savage Smith insisted she would have changed nothing, but it was a difficult thing for the D'viritazi family to have to accept. I was more than aware that my mere presence reminded them of old wounds, of their father's choices. I was just grateful they were trying to accept me as Tessa's Knight. They knew how much we meant to each other. I didn't expect my acceptance by them to happen overnight, or even in the months or years to come, but the fact that they were willing to take us out for an evening spoke volumes as to their intentions.

The time passed us by quickly and before I knew it, I could spot the city down below. Once more I was stunned by the quirky randomness of the city of Nian. The houses of all different styles seemed to somehow blend together into one cohesive whole, like a wave emerging from the White Sea, one which was constructed of a thousand different colours and hues. It shouldn't make sense, yet it had an aesthetic brilliance that continued to take my breath away.

Nian was busy tonight. As we passed through the large and ancient stone gate that began the trail to Dealanaich we immediately found ourselves in the near centre of the city. I could see the High Lord's tower as it shot into the sky. While it was not as a eye-capturing as the Venosian palace in Myrin, it was no less grand. It's height alone was enough to make my jaw drop as the massive structure scraped the very sky above us. It rose taller even than the golden Spires of Myrin and was all the more awe-inspiring because of it. The fact that it was man-made instead of some creation of magic, as many suspected the Spires to be, only added to how impressed I was by the sight of it. Pulling my eyes away from the High Lord's domain, I stared out the window at the many people we passed, all dressed in the loose fabrics and bright colours that seemed to be favoured in the city. They spoke amongst themselves, many drinking from cups as they laughed and cheered. All were respectful of the carriages coming down the mountain, however. Despite the fact they held no markings, more than one citizen bowed at each in passing, no doubt to honour the D'viritazi

“There's so many people out tonight,” Elora said with a little trepidation in her voice as she too surveyed the masses that had begun moving down the well-maintained roads. “It reminds me of the Festival of Chivalry in Yeles.”

I nodded grimly, “Lets hope that the outcome isn't the same.”

“Afraid of a fight, Orin?” Tess smirked at me, clearly not over my earlier jabs.

“You know I'm not, Tess,” I said, looking at my mercenary and watching the amused expression fall flat on her face as she saw the troubled one on mine, “But now that I see all this...”

“You don't have to worry about the crowds, Orin,” Dawn said kindly. “The Singing Trees can be heard all across Nian, though only the few who've managed to secure a token to attend can stand before them in person.”

“Tokens?” Elora asked, looking to Dawn, “You have to pay to attend?”

“No, nothing like that,” Lily said with a laugh, “There just isn't enough room for everyone so they hand them out a week or so before the performance. It's free, but demand is high, especially with Telvani playing. We were lucky to get as many as we did. Poor Cassie had to stand in line for six hours.”

“She went herself? I asked with a frown, “Why not send a servant?”

“Oh dear, sweet, handsome, silly, Orin,” Tilia shook her head with a sigh, her words making my Princess grip my hand all the tighter. “All classes are equal in Nian, and that goes beyond simply in how they are viewed. Nobles could send servants, yes, but they would be turned away. The family that runs the performances have been doing so since the Singing Trees were discovered, which was before even the time of the First Knight and his Smiths. Initially the grove where the Trees sit was said to be a holy site, one beloved by the Gods. Many came to hear their songs until, eventually, there was too many to host at any one time. That was when they implemented the token system. The family, however, refused to deal with servants, claiming that the sacred nature of the Singing Trees required personal attendance to ensure their invitation, and that of their family. The idea was that, in the eyes of the Gods, all were created equal. After worship of the Great Spirit grew in popularity, it became a tradition more than a law, but one which carries a powerful message about Ragora as a whole. Even the High Lord himself would have to attend in person if he wished to claim tokens for his family, and he would have to stand shoulder to shoulder with the common folk of his city to do it.”

“And he has done just that,” Dawn said with a smile, “Quite a number of times, in fact. He famously loves to see the Trees sing, as did his father before him.”

“Do they use magic, or some kind of Inscription to determine if someone is telling the truth?” I asked, curious about the history of the practice. “People could just lie and say they aren't servants to get the tickets.”

Dawn nodded with smile, “They could, and I'm sure many have, but most respect the Singing Trees too much to do so. No Inscription is used, but its said to be bad luck to lie when taking tokens. A superstition that has remained quite strong to this day.”

“I kinda feel bad we didn't go in person then,” I said sheepishly, stretching idly at my stubble as I chuckled. “I have quite enough in the way of bad luck. No need to add to it.”

The pregnant woman beamed at me, reaching over to pat my hand, “Have no fear, Orin. It's perfectly alright to pick up tokens for your family, and you are family. I know you may fear harm might come to you tonight, you all do, but that simply won't happen.”

I flushed and made to reply, but Lily interrupted before I could.

“I know you have come a long way to reach here, Orin,” Lilian began slowly, looking to Tess and Elora in turn, “I know you have all faced hardship, but you are here now. In Nian, you couldn't be more safe. From the Hall, from the enemies that haunt you. You are Rainie's family, which means you are ours. Don't forget that.”

“They are kind words, Lilian,” I answered with a nod, “And I thank you for them. It seems that old habits are hard to break, however. I will try harder to be less... alert.”

“I wouldn't go so far as that,” Tilia said in warning as she turned to stare at Elora, “Many will be after your man tonight, Princess. Every woman worth her salt knows that nights like tonight are where they find the best suitors. Orin strikes quite the figure. I'm sure there will be many a young lady looking to snatch his heart away from you. A little alertness may do you some good.”

I burst into laughter as Tilia once again broke the tension of the moment. I was beginning to realise just how gifted she was at the skill. “I'm afraid that is task is beyond impossible.”

“Well-trained, indeed,” Dawn nodded approvingly at the Princess.

“Isn't he?” Elora replied sweetly, kissing my cheek innocently.

“Of course, that also works the other way,” Tilia continued, “Many young men will be in attendance wanting a chance to woo Tess and Elora. They do look absolutely ravishing, after all. All eyes will be on them as soon as they pass into the grotto.”

My flames flickered, yet did not burst into a maddening inferno of rage and jealousy as I half-expected them to. It made me more aware than ever of just how much control I had over my soul, and my own emotions.

“It would be wasted effort,” Elora said with a chuckle as she looked into my eye, “Like my husband said, that task is simply impossible.”

My cheeks warmed at the intent in my wife's golden gaze. I chuckled awkwardly and glanced away, unable to hold her stare. Elora had become far more confident in our relationship since our wedding. We grew closer and closer every passing day, something I had once thought impossible after all we'd experienced since we first Bonded, yet it was true. I sent a bolt of pure love across the golden tether between our souls as I kissed her hand gently. She squeezed mine in turn, sending her own message along the Bond that caused my flames to shiver.

“Well, what about you, Tessa?” Tilia asked softly, drawing all eyes to my savage Smith who continued to stare out the window in disinterest. “There will be a number of handsome men there tonight. I could introduce you to a few if you wished?”

Tessa chuckled to herself, shaking her head as she looked at her sister, “Not interested, Tilia. In fact, nothing could interest me less. I have all I need.”

“Gods, you're another Lily,” Tilia said, gasping out in shock as she leaned back into her seat, pouting at her baby sister, “Is it too much to ask for one sister who likes leading men around by the nose?”

“You do that simply so you can take as much off them as you can,” Dawn reminded her.

“So!?”

The carraige pulled up at our destination only a few minutes after entering the city, the easy roads and clearly organised populace allowing us to reach it with little to no delays. I left first, jumping out of the vehicle and onto the road, stretching my legs and looking around as I strapped the sword to my hip before turning back to the open door of the carriage.

I helped the ladies down one by one, Elora pecking me on the cheek for my trouble, an act which was replicated by Tilia much to my wife's chagrin. Tess was the last and looked at my outstretched hand like it was a snake waiting to pounce, glancing into my eye as though I was an idiot. My savage Smith accepted the help all the same however, which was warranted given how unused she clearly was to the length of her dress.

“Spirit, I'll be happy when I can get this infernal thing off,” Tess grumbled, before looking around at the gathered crowd around them, all making their way towards the grove and chatting amicably amongst themselves. Few acknowledged the carraige beyond it being an obstacle, though I noticed more than one gave the ladies a glance as they walked by, followed by an envious glare in my direction. “I can barely walk in these shoes. Why are they so tall?”

“You get used to them, Tess,” Elora said with a smile. It seemed that I wasn't the only one enjoying being the teacher instead of the pupil.

“I don't plan to,” Tess replied morosely before looking around, “Maybe I can buy a pair of boots off someone before the performance.”

“You will not,” Elora said firmly walking up to her Sister-Smith and pulling at the straps at her shoulders to untwist them, “You look absolutely beautiful and I won't allow you to sully this outfit with a pair of dirty old shoes!”

Tessa blinked in confusion, “Won't allow me?”

“You heard me, Tessa,” The Princess replied primly, “I'm First Throne.”

“You can't use that authority to control my choice of footwear!” Tess hissed quietly, glaring at Elora.

“I just did,” Elora grabbed a hold of Tessa's hand and began to pull her over to her sisters, “Come on, now. We need to stay close to one another. You said Cassie, Willow and Lily's Smith was waiting for us at the entrance, correct? Well, we best get a move on! I don't want to miss anything!”

I just about managed to keep my laughter contained as Tess threw a pleading look my way. I have to admit that it was one of the most difficult things I'd ever done in my life, and I'd fought a Knight without a shirt on... and on fire.

Nope. This was still more difficult.

“-And then she turned around and said, 'What are you talking about!? You only paid me for two!'”

Boldrin's laughter shook the ground beneath my feet as the former mercenary captain jumped down from the carraige door with ease. The whole vehicle rose near a foot after he disembarked, a testament to the weight of the mercenary. The sheer size of the man, who was dressed in a similar fashion to me but in red, caused many of the crowd to flinch away from the loud giant in a mixture of fear and surprise. At his hip was his massive sword, the blade putting mine to shame. I wondered once more if I would be able to wield it? It was a question I had often asked myself when I was in the band, yet the answer had always been no. After all, the blade was nearly as long as I was tall. I might be able to just about manage it, but I doubted I would be able to use it half as effectively as my former commander did. He was nearly as fast as Tess, and that truly was saying something.

The next to disembark from the carraige was Freida, dressed in an elegant white frock, followed by Deirdric, Alden, Annabelle and finally Vera. I was surprised to see that the only person who was laughing at the joke Boldrin had cracked was the delicate flower of House D'viritazi herself. The sweet but fragile looking woman's laughter was lost in the roar of Boldrin's, but given the shade of red on her face and the tears in her eyes, she was enjoying herself immensely. Deirdric looked pale, while Alden, Annabelle and Vera were all shaking their heads at the unlikely duo of Freida and Boldrin, smiling at them both.

“Ho there, boss,” I said with a grin, walking up to the group, “Enjoying yourselves?”

“Hey there, lad,” Boldrin turned to me as I called, grinning as he walked towards me, joined by Freida and Deirdric. He jerked his head in Freida's direction, “Seems there's at least one D'viritazi with a sense of humour. She loves hearing the old stories from my time with the band.”

“Oh, Lord Orin,” Freida said with a very unladylike chortle, pointing an accusing finger at Boldrin, “I never realised how funny your teacher is. He told us story after story as we descended, I've been in stitches the whole way!”

“Yes,” Deirdric said, his pale face speaking volumes as to what the content of the jokes were, “Story after story of off-colour humour that wouldn't be out of place in a dock-side tavern. In front of my sweet wife, who somehow found the whole thing hilarious.”

“Don't look so down, my love,” Freida said as she turned to Deirdric, kissing the man soundly, “I seem to recall that I wasn't the only one laughing. You have to admit, they were very humorous.”

“The first three, perhaps,” Deirdric said with a tired sigh, “I have to say that the appeal wore thin when we got to the seventeenth.”

“Come on, now, Deirdric,” Boldrin said as he pulled the man into a sideways hug, throwing me a wink as he messed with the scholar. “I'll tell you a tale about the time I was in the Duchies. It was a dark and stormy night, in the middle of a cruel winter. I'd become separated from my men, attacked and wounded. I'd lost my sword, my axe and any hope of getting home. What I did have was a ball of twine, a letter from one of the Three Dukes and the aid of a lovely young woman named Esmeralda...”

“Oh, Gods,” Deirdric cried out but it went unheard by Boldrin who continued to tell his story loudly, not caring if any heard. Such was his way.

Freida chuckled after her departing husband and the mercenary, turning to me and placing a hand on my arm, “I have a feeling its going to be a good night. Deirdric and I rarely had the time to do this sort of thing when we first married. Now that Rainie is back, it seems like everything is falling into place.”

“I'm sorry Boldrin seems to have stolen your husband, my Lady,” I said respectfully. “He means well, but he can be a little much at times.”

“Don't say anything, but he's enjoying himself really,” Freida said in a stage whisper, watching the man she loved as he continued to be regaled by Boldrin, head in his hands. “Deirdric is a scholar at heart, and he loves the library more than any place on the world, but I think a small part of him always wondered what it would be like to be the characters he read about on the page growing up. Leaving and looking for Rainie, meeting people like Boldrin, Vera and Annabelle, not to mention you. It gave him a taste for adventure, I think. Unfortunately, he feels guilty for it.”

“Guilty?” I asked, eyebrows rising “Why?”

“For leaving me,” Freida sighed, shaking her head, “He sees it as a betrayal that he enjoyed his time searching Venos. Foolish, I know, but my Deirdric has ever been the type to punish himself for something he cannot change. I would never shun that part of him. He is a Smith in service to my family, and I know that he will have to do dangerous things in the future. I made peace with that when I married him, but he can't help but believe he is doing me a disservice by living up to his potential. I love him more than life itself and he is the smartest person I have ever met, but for all his intelligence he can be a fool at times.

I smiled, glancing at Elora lovingly as she spoke with Tess and her sisters, “My wife says the same thing about me. Well, less about being intelligent, more about being a fool.”

Freida laughed, “Perhaps it is catching then. I've been attempting to show my husband that I accept all of him, not just those pieces he wishes me to see. Deirdric is getting more confident in himself as the days go by. It is a slow process, however. I still have a lot of work to do before he's willing to leave Nian again, never mind Ragora, but we would go to any lengths for the ones we love, would we not?”

My eye flickered to Elora and Tess, “Yes, we would.”

A comfortable silence fell between us as Tessa's elder sister and I continued to watch the gathered group, all full of excitement and anticipation. I turned to Freida after a moment's introspection to find the Lady staring at me with a complicated expression on her face. Freida hesitated for but a fraction of a second before she embraced me, much to my surprise. I stood stock still for a moment before returning the gesture warmly.

“I didn't say this when I should've,” Freida whispered into my ear, “But thank you, Orin. You brought her back to us. Thank you.”

I thought heavily on my response, “I'm the reason she was taken from you in the first place. If I'd-”

“Hush now,” Freida said in a motherly tone, rubbing my back in a matronly manner, “What did I just say about punishing yourself for things you cannot change? You cannot expect to be blamed for all that happened simply because you exist, Orin. Father was the reason she was taken, but you were the reason she returned. Even if I live a thousand lifetimes, its a debt that I will never be able to repay. Thank you.”

I sighed then, feeling a little of the weight on my shoulders lift at her words as I returned her hug more firmly, “You're welcome, Freida.”

Pulling free from me, Freida grasped both my hands and stared into my eye as though searching for something. They were the same as Mastan's, sky-blue and piercing, but carried within them the comfort of a summers day, something that her father definitively lacked. The kindness and depth of gratitude on her face almost struck me dumb.

“Do you know?” She asked cryptically.

“Do I know what?” I replied blankly, my confusion readily apparent.

After a moment or two of more staring, when the poised pause became almost unbearable, Freida finally looked away. She shook her head with a smirk, as though laughing at a joke that only she was privy to, to something deeper that lay beneath the surface of her smile. I was missing something, but for the life of me I couldn't figure out what.

“Perhaps it's best you don't,” Freida stated. “But you seem a smart man, Orin. You'll figure it out, sooner or later. I don't know your intentions, nor your heart, but be kind. That's all I'll say.”

With that, the woman turned and left to join her sisters and husband, leaving me standing there and staring at where she stood, more than a little flabbergasted by what had just taken place, yet also strangely touched that Freida had taken the time to thank me.

Chalking it up to the strangeness of the D'viritazi's, though still touched by a feeling of uneasiness, I greeted the others as they approached me from their carraige.

“Good to see you, Alden,” I said genuinely, shaking the hand of the prim and proper Knight, who returned my hand shake firmly. Straight-backed and with piercing eyes, Alden was the very embodiment of a military officer, a bearing he'd maintained unfaltering during our time on the road from meeting in Nian. I hadn't seen the man all that much since we'd arrived, spending more time with his Smith simply because of Deirdric being married to Freida. While we hadn't gotten off to the best of starts back at the orphanage, I'd grown to respect the man who had been my Smith's childhood protector. Tess had been very much in charge of the guest list for the night's events, and Alden was an obvious choice. Having made up with her mother, Tessa was far more open to the idea of restoring those connections she'd once had when she left Nian behind to find me in Myrin.

All save one.

“And you as well, Orin,” Alden said with a cheer-filled smile, the man clearly as excited for the evening as the ladies were. “I've never had the chance to attend the Singing Trees simply as an observer, so I am very much looking forward to tonight. Plus, my Smith claims I work far too much, so at least it'll keep him quiet for a while.”

I laughed at that, knowing all too well what he meant, “I'm surprised Mastan could let you go for the night.”

Alden's smile wavered, “There is much to do, that's true, especially now. I don't know how aware you are of the situation with Wellind, but it has become something of a concern.”

I frowned, my expression troubled. I'd have to be deaf to not know something was going on regarding the Wellinders at the sea border with Ragora, especially so considering the company I kept, but those in the know had been particularly tight-lipped about what was going on. Lilian and Cassandra seemed to be more involved with those kind of matters than I was, and it made sense. Cassie was a raider serving aboard a Ragoran naval vessel while Lily was heir to the D'viritazi Clan. They'd mentioned some happenings, but seemed insistent on keeping Tess, Elora and I out of the loop, which I had to admit I was glad for. We had enough on our plates without having to worthy about the fate of nations... well, the fate of another nation. Venos was quite enough for me and I'd barely gotten my head around being responsible for all those lives when I eventually became King. I was sure, whatever the problem was, that Mastan had it well in hand. A piece of shit the man may be, but he loved his country and had the power to prevent any foreign powers from causing any real hassle.

“I know very little,” I answered honestly, my eye moving to where Elora and Tess were talking with the others, now joined by Boldrin, who seemed to be keeping the group entertained. “And I'd rather keep it that way.”

Alden followed my gaze before turning back to me and nodding knowingly, “Understood. Gods know that you deserve a break.”

“Now that is an understatement,” Vera said with a hollow chuckle as she joined us, followed smoothly by the ice-cold Annabelle. “None deserve one more, I'd say. I think talk of Wellinders can wait for one night. Besides, I'm sure Mastan has everything well in hand.”

Alden chuckled and shook his head, “I'm sure he does. Forgive me for even mentioning it, Orin. I'm sure you know yourself how hard it is to switch tact after thinking of a particular problem for weeks on end. Tonight is for us, for all of us. Please excuse me, Ladies. Orin.”

The flaming Ragoran Knight bowed to each of us in turn before wandering over with hands clasped behind his back towards his Smith.

I nodded approvingly at the First Knight, her words echoing my thoughts before looking at the two sisters more closely. “Vera, Annabelle. You both look as beautiful as always.”

My compliment came as something of a surprise to Lady Vera, who looked at me as though I'd grown a second head. Annabelle on the other hand, gifted me with a brief smile, her icy facade cracking. “You seem in good spirits, Orin.”

“I am,” I replied with a grin, turning to look at Elora and Tessa, “I think I'm catching the bug from my Smiths. They've been looking forward to tonight. I actually think I have you two to thank for that.”

“You do?” Annabelle asked, though her knowing look didn't fade.

“I do. I'm sorry I put you in the position of having to lie about my condition to Elora, Vera,” I said to the First Knight earnestly, “I know she is your charge. I shouldn't have done that.”

“You're right, you shouldn't,” Vera replied before her gaze quickly softened, “But you are my charge as well, Orin. One day you will be King, and when that day comes you'll have to learn to rely on those around you. No man, or woman, is a fortress.”

“A lesson that has been enforced repeatedly over the past few days,” I winced, thinking of the sharp tongues of my Smiths as they lashed me for my idiocy.

“I'm glad to hear it,” Vera laughed. “You'll probably have to be reminded quite a few more times, knowing you. Luckily, Elora and Tess are more than up to the task.”

“As I've had to remind you only recently, dearest little sister,” Annabelle stated, fixing her gaze on a now frozen Vera, “She shared the truth of what you were doing with no one, Orin, even me. Thank the Spirit that my sister remains a lousy liar.”

“Which brings me smoothly onto my next point,” I chuckled at Vera's suddenly cowed form. Only Annabelle could bring forth such a reaction from the Knight of the Frozen River, and it was yet another reminder of my own family back home, “Thanks for helping Elora and Tess figure it out, Annabelle. Without you I might have ended up trying to jump off Dealanaich just for the chance to become stronger. I was being a head-strong fool.”

Annabelle's expression became warm, “You are most welcome, Orin. Strength will come with time and patience. It is the moments like tonight that make it all worth it. Enjoy this. You've all earned it and much more besides.”

“Thank you,” I hesitated for a moment, the words shaking upon my lips before I finally worked up the courage to say what needed to be said, “And thank you for joining us on this journey. I honestly don't know where we'd be without the two of you coming along. I know we had problems back in Myrin, but-”

“You don't have to say anymore, Orin,” Annabelle suddenly said, cutting me short, looking to her sister, who returned her look with a nod. “Any ire you had against us was deserved entirely. After what we did, we're just glad for the chance to make up for it. Even if the King and Queen had ordered us to stay, I have a feeling we would have followed regardless. Vera has shared with me what she believes you can become, and told me of the conversation you had during the journey across the White Sea. I have come to believe it as well. As much as we railed against it at the time, I know now that you were always the best choice. We were just too blind to see it. Our time together on the road has only confirmed what we both were already aware of. You are good, Orin. For the Kingdom, yes, but also for Elora. The changes I've seen in that girl over these past months have been... well, it's extraordinary, and that is all thanks to you. You will make a fine King, Lord.”

I couldn't help but let a small flush touch my cheeks at the strength of Annabelle's words as I awkwardly scratched my scar. It was pleasant to be complimented by the icy First Smith, but that didn't make the conversation any less embarrassing. Spirit, maybe I was just as bad at receiving praise as Elora and Tess were. “Thanks, Annabelle.”

“We're with you, Lord,” Vera said with a fierce smile, her white hair seeming ablaze and her deep blue eyes filled with deep conviction. “As your First Knight and First Smith, we're with you to the end and whatever may come after. Enjoy your night of rest, Orin. Just be ready come the morning, and try not to drink too much. We've all had a restful week, but your training begins anew tomorrow. Boldrin and I have come up with a few new ideas that we wish to try.”

Annabelle let loose a sigh, shaking her head at Vera, “We were having a moment, Vera. No need to spoil it with talk of training.”

The First Knight shrugged unapologetically before fixing me with her ice-blue eyes, “That may be, but there is still much work to be done before Orin can live up to his potential. While I don't want to spoil things, I need you to know, Lord, that I won't be making things any easier for you despite our burgeoning friendship. We'll be making sure that you, Elora and Tess are kept busy for the next few weeks. We need to make up for lost time, after all.”

I returned my mentor's stare with one I hoped was just as strong, catching the glint of humour in her eye that showed she wasn't being entirely serious. “I would expect nothing less, First Knight. Thanks, Vera. Thank you both. It means a lot.”

“Thank you, Lord,” Vera said earnestly, patting my arm gently, “Truly. Saying all that, I'd suggest you don't waste another moment thinking about practice. You have another war to wage on the dance floor with the Princess I suspect, one which I wouldn't even begin to know how to win. Good luck, Orin.”

With those somewhat ominous words, the two ladies moved away and I watched them depart musingly. At some point during our trip across countries I'd stopped thinking of Vera and Annabelle as untrustworthy agents of the Queen. Instead they'd become friends. I realised in that instant that I would trust each of them with my life, and would defend them with mine in turn. We had become true companions on the road, the beginnings of a band all our own. It was just a shame I hadn't understood that until our country-spanning adventure had come to an end.

I turned to look towards the sea, still very visible from where I was standing. The carraige had dropped us near the docks, but the ships were absent from sight, providing a stunning view over the seemingly infinite expanse of the White Sea. I drew in a deep breath of the salty air. I wasn't fond of sailing in any way, shape or form, but I had to admit that the sight, sounds and smells of the water had become somewhat soothing to me. This place had become a bit of refuge for the three of us, a second home, surrounded by others who seemed to genuinely care for our safety. It was nice to simply be without the worry of what might come next.

I grinned out into the ocean, finally relaxing, truly and completely, for the first time since we'd taken this week off. I might make a fool of myself tonight, and I might not. One thing was for sure, however: It would be fun and I would be with my Smiths. Nothing in the world could ruin that.

Nothing... Nothing could...

Who was she?

A woman stood upon the sandy shore ahead of me, where the land met the water. I could have sworn I recognised her, her features seeming familiar and alien all at those. Her skin was like moonlight, so pale that it seemed improbable she'd ever seen the sun before. The dress she wore was also white, yet it was the colour of bleached, ancient bone. Those characteristics in and of themselves were not particularly of note, but the hair that flowed behind her was.

It was black. A deep, endless black. More so than my flames or the void that surrounded them, the velvet locks seemed to blot out all colour and take in all light. The length was ridiculous, curling long past her body onto the sand at her feet, which I now saw were bare and buried in the sand.

What was strange was the expression she bore. Fear. It was coming off of her in waves as she jumped up and down in the sand, waving her long, pale arms above her head as though to get my attention. She seemed to be trying to speak, but no words would come. Her face, perfect and without flaw, was red with screaming. Tears stood at the corners of her eyes, spilling down alabaster cheeks as she continued to shout absently at me, and I knew it was to me she spoke. The strange and ethereal woman kept pointing out towards the horizon, looking at me as she continued to yell without a sound.

Why couldn't I hear her? It had never been a problem before.

…before?

Not one of the many around me even glanced in her direction. I tried to pick out what she was saying, leaning forward, but no sound came. I took a step towards her, then another. Something in me screamed that I needed to protect her, to keep her safe, but there was another part of me... It was a feeling both dark and primal, pulled from the very depths of my soul. It caused my feet to falter and the urge to retreat, to run for my life, sprang unbidden into my mind. My hand trembled upon my sword hilt. I was afraid of her, but why? Why was such terror gripping my heart?

All the while, she continued to scream.

“Orin!”

“Orin?”

I felt the touch of my wife upon my arm as I blinked, staring with confusion at the water and trying to get my bearings as I looked around rapidly. I could've sworn I was just staring at something, but I couldn't remember what. “Elora?”

I turned to the Princess and saw her staring at me with confused concern. Tess was on my other side, her hand reaching down to brush against my own, the one which still shook around the hilt of my sword. My savage Smith finally seemed to steel herself, resting her fingers against mine. The effect was immediate as the odd trembling seemed to dissipate. Tess looked up at me with worry etched into her face. “You alright?”

I blinked a few times at my mercenary, whose anxiousness was a mirror of Elora's, “I... I thought I saw...”

“Saw what, Orin?” Elora said softly, her grip on me firmly. “Is something wrong?”

I couldn't explain it. For some reason, as I was staring into the infinite expanse of the White Sea, I'd suddenly felt gripped by some strange terror beyond my understanding. Trying to put it into words was impossible, so I didn't try. I brushed a hand against my face absently, stilling the trembling and treacherous fingers with an exertion of will. “Sorry, it's nothing. Just... It's nothing.”

My words firmed and I wrapped an arm around Elora and Tess, pulling them close just for a second. I took comfort from their warmth, from the feeling of safety they exuded. “I just felt dizzy for a second there. Fuck, maybe I didn't eat enough today.”

“Are you sure you're fine?” Tessa asked urgently, “If you want to head back to the Nest, we can, Orin. There's no need to push yourself. You've been working yourself to the bone for weeks. You might still be feeling-”

“No, no, no,” I laughed, “You're not getting out of this that easily. It was nothing, really. I'm fine.”

I turned to look at each of them in turn, making sure that they saw that there was nothing wrong with me. After a second of staring into my eyes, Tess nodded to Elora, though I noticed there was still a hint of doubt in her eyes. I endeavoured to remove it.

I pulled both my Smiths close, grinning brightly, “I'm fine, I swear. We have an evening of dancing, food and drink ahead of us. I'm not going to ruin that because I felt a little dizzy.”

“But-”

“No buts,” I interrupted Tess, nudging her head with my own, “Come on. Let's have some of this 'fun' you two have kept harping on about.”

“I never harped on about anything,” Tessa grumbled in response. “That was all your wife.”

“You almost sound excited, love,” Elora said musingly as I turned from the ocean, both my Smiths under my arms as we headed over towards the others.

“About the food and drink? Absolutely,” I confirmed, drawing chuckles from the two women I cared about more than anyone else in the world. “As for the dancing? Well, we'll see.”

As we joined the rest of our company, our group made their way through the narrow streets of Nian, talking joyfully of the night to come. Before even a minute had passed me by, the disturbing fear that I'd felt while looking out into the White Sea had retreated to the back of my mind, so absorbed was I in the presences of Elora and Tessa.

By the time the water fell from view completely, it was gone.