It was funny letting Mish just scream her head off until she got too tired and hoarse to do it anymore.

My cabin was on the fringes of the village. Nobody would hear it. And if they did and they burst in, they'd see my Diadem and Blade a moment later and run away.

If there was proof I was just unlawfully holding someone from another territory, that might be an issue. But the honest truth, is that those laws are for nobles. Merchants. The 'important' people.

Commoners have to fight each OTHER for their own resources and protection, most often within the same territory.

Mish was just very obviously an idiot. Like Brint, apparently.

It was disappointing for more than one reason. I'd actually been able to tolerate Brint to a degree. I thought it would create too much bad blood between myself and Mish's family and all their friends to actually marry him, though. Aside from the fact that I didn't want to marry, it was just too much of a hassle to marry him.

And I feel, if you're going to do something that constitutes a crime or a manipulation... you should at least think it through and do it clever.

"Ahh," the Blade picked up a scarf from my bureau. "Is this soft enough?"

I'd told him not to put a mark on her until I wanted him to.

"Sure, just don't stuff anything in her mouth or she might choke to death," I said and swallowed hard.

I can still remember the squeaky-terrible feeling of that cloth against my teeth. The memory shudders through me and I forcibly shake my head once to get rid of it. Refocus my thoughts on the preparations.

The food was prepared for a short trip, though I was certain they'd have brought their own, I wanted to be sure I could eat, even if they had nothing but foreign ingredients I was too afraid to try. I've always been picky.

Never know when you're going to be hit with the impulse to vomit for no discernible reason at all, simply because your body 'disagrees' with a certain food.

I was assured it wasn't an 'allergy', but... that isn't saying much, is it? It won't kill you! Unless it's your only source of food.

Who knew what Necromantic Elves ate?

"Mh! Mh!" Mish was trying to scream again, but with the scarf tied that way, it was difficult, apparently.

I'd never seen a 'gag' tied around the outside of the mouth instead of going between the lips. It seemed it was restricting her jaw movements.

"I want you to teach me how to do that, later," I said.

"As you wish," he replied. And then paused. "They're finally here, Sceptarch."

Right. I'd almost forgotten about them. "They were so close?"

"We were almost to the location I could feel your energy in," he replied. "...when you called for me. The Blade is always very quick to find his Sceptarch."

Because if they die before you find them, you're dead too.

"Let them in, then," I said.

My Blade moved to do so. And when he had opened the door and stepped aside, I got my first glimpse of them all.

They wore strange face coverings, it was like a mask made of some kind of flexible material. Black and clearly meant to hide their missing noses.

After filing in, they spread out in a line of four and got down on their knees.

"Remove your masks and hoods," the Blade instructed. "Show the Sceptarch your faces."

They did so. It was like it was... a ceremony? It felt a bit special. Not like a festival or a religious event... more like a birthday.

"I am Thorn," the first in line said as he did as he was bid. His hair was long and white and held back in Elven braids. The impression I got from him was very... stolid. He was cheerless and ramrod. Professional and proud of it.

Then came the next. "I am Spike." And his hair was short, wavy and gray. Shaved on the sides. His body was bulkier than the others' as well. Almost to the point of disbelief. Elves don't typically come in that size. He was looking up at me, no effort to stare at the floor.

"I am Needle." The third's hair was darker gray than Spike's, short and slicked back on his head. The impression he gave with his ramrod positioning, but glancing upward to get a look at me, was... calculating and careful. He wanted to show deference, but he was curious.

"I am Barb." And then the fourth, whose hair was Black with a silver sheen and cut in many layers so that it framed his face... quite nicely, actually. And he was staring over at Mish from the corner of his eye.

Stolen story; please report.

"You seem to have a question, Barb," the Blade pointed out. He was standing behind them and closing the door, so I had no idea how he knew that.

Barb lowered his head immediately. "Only a curiosity."

"Questions are good," I said. It more popped out than I allowed it to escape... "They mean you're paying attention."

Barb glanced up and almost seemed surprised at what he saw, but it was a flicker. I could've been mistaken. "Then Who... is that woman, Sceptarch?"

"Oh that? That's Mish," I said and gestured dismissively. "I'm punishing her for being an idiot."

Mish made screaming noises and thrashed around, trying to get free of her bonds.

"I don't really care that she tried to perpetuate a crime against me," I said. "People like that are... well. Beneath it all, they're very pathetic. But she did it for such stupid, stupid reasons, I just can't stand it."

"What did she do, Sceptarch?" Thorn asked next. Completely emotionless. But he had something burning in his eyes as he looked at Mish.

"It isn't important," I shrugged. "What's important is that she did it so a man would like her. And it was obvious he was just using her to get to me. So incredibly obvious that anyone could've picked up on it. And anyone with any self-respect would've said 'no'."

Their expressions mostly stayed the same, but the way they glanced aside at Mish seemed to be slightly hostile.

They must resent that she tried to do something to their sovereign for such petty reasons. That's something knights resent, isn't it? Not only the attack, but also the reason they put the monarch in danger?

It was strange to me. Any human knight of any kind would be pleading with me to have mercy on a maiden. Though I doubt she IS any longer... I would assume Brint likely fed her some form of contraception after every time, though.

Out of curiosity, I asked. "Hey Mish," I looked aside into her angry, frightened eyes. "Brint feed you after you had your... liaisons? Did he make extra sure that you had something?"

Her expression went blank.

"Yeah, I figured," I said and returned my attention to the Edges. "Are you boys willing to carry my things? I'm not sure if you've got a carriage or horses or if you came on foot..."

"We brought the Sceptarch's Carriage, of course," my Blade said in a smooth voice.

There was some kind of loud shouting from outside then...

"The villagers have found the carriage," Barb remarked.

"Why are they shouting?" I asked.

"The horses might be frightening them," Needle said. "We can only hope they aren't dumb enough to get close-"

"Don't assume," I said. "Bring the Carriage here and knock back the guard if they give you trouble, but try not to kill anyone. Incidents must be avoided until I'm ensconced in the... my people call it the Palace of the Dead."

"Itra," my Blade said. "The Itra palace. The meanings are equivalent, but... 'palace of the dead' is inelegant."

"You are such a snob," Barb muttered very lowly.

Blade shot him a look, but Barb was obediently staring up at me, likely assuming I hadn't heard. Elves were often misjudging how well Humans could hear.

I didn't see any reason to correct it.

"Before we go, did you boys bring any coin with you?" I asked. "I got all my travel clothing and food before you showed up, but I could use something a bit more regal for taking Mish home."

"What is it you need?" the Blade was nearly purring it. "We have the stamp of the Sceptarch which is good anywhere. Though you are the one who must use it."

"Just something more becoming of a ruler than this," I gestured to myself in my everyday wear. "Something that commands respect. I purchased most of my belongings for fading into the background and not drawing attention, before now."

"We'll secure you the items and bring you the proprietors so you might use the stamp, if you'd rather not be seen until then," Thorn offered me.

"Would you?" I asked with an uptick to my voice. "How thoughtful."

I was under no illusions. These people were not bound to me. I'd bet that instead of the Blade, it was the Edges who killed the Sceptarch if they were going against Vireldi interests or dabbled too far in death magic and became too like them.

"We brought a maidservant as well," Needle said. "She will take a list and retrieve everything you need."

"Good," I said and turned, grabbing the notebook by my bed and turning to a new page to write out exactly what I wanted. "Be sure and let her know, if it takes a few days, I'm perfectly content to wait. No need to rush."

Mish screams from behind her gag again.

"Oh, don't worry Mish," I said. "We'll see to it that you're properly fed and watered in the meantime. It's only proper. I did say I wouldn't kill you, after all, didn't I? And allowing you to die of thirst would count as killing you, now wouldn't it?"

She was crying again, though her eyes were so irritated and red, I doubted she had many tears left.

Irritating. It was always those who would trespass against you in the most horrible of ways... who were truly pathetic people on the inside. Underneath their veneer of civility. Sniveling things that would beg for mercy and then put a knife in your back when you turned away to let them run.

That was how it was back home. That was how it was now. It was likely one of those unassailable truths. It would always be the case. But well, I've never felt sympathy for people acting pathetic. I've only ever felt revulsion. If they had no arrogant pride or some kind of conviction... why did they do it?

I tore the page from my notebook and put the notebook itself into my last bag. "Here, make sure she gets at least most of that," I said.

"As you say, Sceptarch," Thorn took the paper and immediately folded it smaller before leaving. He put the mask back on and pulled up his hood, first.

Magic from the Diadems was powerful. The only truly powerful magic there was. Everything else was subtle, like their hoods. Causing your eyes to slide over, but not really obscuring anything. Or like the Shadow Walk, my blade mentioned. It wasn't something you could use to blow anything up and it only worked over short distances, but... you could glide from shadow to shadow for miles, if they were close enough to each other.

I'd never learned any, besides the little ones everyone is taught as a child. How to start a fire with a huff of warm breath or hide from attacking forces by breathing slow and curling into a ball in a shadow. Children's magic. But...

I had always wanted to know more. And these Vireld appeared to use magic quite often. More than humans did. So I turned to the other Edges and asked... "Is there a spell I can learn within the next week? Something that will help me to stun or frighten, instead of immediately killing people with my touch?"

"That is something we should discuss," my Blade said as he secured the door behind Thorn. "Do you see the glimmering energy in your death hand?"

I looked down, but I knew what I would see. It hadn't died down since earlier.

The brambles on my right wrist were glowing slightly. Subtly. With bright silver energy. "I noticed that. I thought it would go away when I transferred the energy to someone."

"It will," he replied. "But it can also be used to fuel spells."

Oh? Fascinating.