I opened the Outer Door after Irand and Tiran retrieved their Armor and Weapons from the Antechamber. The men holding the felled tree backed away as it opened and I stepped out to find them lowering their makeshift siege weapon and Argan stepping forward.

“Greetings Dragon. I am here on behalf of King Ruhn.” He said as he stepped in front of the other men, always trying to be the most important person in the room.

“And what would the King have to say to me?” I asked, almost growling at him.

“The King, after hearing the Testimony of the Devoted Lady Sophia Tarand, has made the decision that you are a threat to the safety of his people and he wishes you to be removed from his Kingdom.” Argan said, grinning like a man drunk on too much power. Which he was.

“I am not leaving my home, you cretin.” I let out a hiss that sounded like steam rushing off of a hot pan.

“The King has given me permission to remove you if necessary.” He said, placing a hand on the hilt of his sword and the men around him did the same.

“Then I will offer you this challenge, Paladin Ass, if you can land a blow on me then I will leave. If you cannot, then I will be staying until the King sends a proper reason to ask me to leave, not the words of some church mad Harlot.” I said, letting a dark grin break across my face as I spoke.

“Hmmm, perhaps. But what of the Knight Captain you have here? Tiran I seem to remember that you are loyal to the Crown. This Dragon has been deemed an enemy to your King and Queen. Surely you would not stay here with such a creature?” Argan said, walking forward until he was nearly touching Tiran.

I had seen Tiran fight men twice his size without flinching and I had fought him myself and not seen him waver. But right now I could see him shaking and I…. I realized I could hear his heart beating in his chest, hear his breath quick and short as Argan stood there in front of him. Argan reached out and took Tiran’s chin in his hand, whispering so softly that no human would be able to hear him. But I could.

“If you stay here, I promise we will have a nice long night talking about it when you come to your senses. I’m sure you don’t want a repeat of last time when you let Siran win the Champion’s Title do you, Bitch?” He whispered in Tiran’s ear.

Anger coursed through me at hearing that and I held out a hand and let the magic in me run wild. Dozens of tendrils rose out of the small stream nearby and whipped forward, wrapping around Argan’s body. I flicked my hand towards the cliff’s edge and they rushed forward, throwing him over it as they coated his body. He wouldn’t die, the lake below would break his fall and the magic would keep him from being too injured, but he would not be quick to come back up here either. I looked towards the men who had come with him.

“Who is the Second in Command here?” I asked, glazing at each of them in turn.

One of them stepped forward shakily. I gestured him close and when he approached I grabbed the collar of his armor and bent it with my fingers as I pulled him down to my eye level.

“You will collect your incompetent Commander. You will leave my home. You will not harm anyone in retaliation for this. And you will deliver a message to the King. If you do not do these things then I will Drown you in the City Square for all to watch as your lungs fill with water. Do you understand?” I growled.

He nodded.

“Good boy. You will tell King Ruhn that in five days he will be receiving a visit from myself and a handful of others to discuss terms. We are to be allowed to enter the Palace and speak with him unscathed and unhindered if he wishes our aid against the army that marches on your home. Do you need me to repeat any of that?” I asked as I twisted the metal in my grip like clay in a potter's hand.

The man shook his head and I released my grip. He gave a few hurried commands and I watched as he and his knights left the cliffside along the path that led down towards the lake below.

When the last of them had left I turned to Tiran who was still trembling.

“He’s gone. Its okay now.” I said softly, reaching out to hold his hand but he recoiled from the touch and I saw fear in his eyes.

“N-No. Don’t touch me. I-I-I I need to go wash up. I need to feel clean.” He stammered, backing away from me and tucking his arms in.

I looked to Irand but he was watching Tiran with sadness in his eyes.

“Okay. Come inside, I can help you with the shower.” I said, waving the door behind us open.

Tiran carefully and neatly put his armor into a small alcove in the Antechamber and I led him towards Ereneya’s room and showed him how to operate the shower. He gave me a quiet thank you and I left him to it. When I returned to the main chamber I found Irand with his head buried in his hands.

“Did you know?” I demanded.

“No. I still don’t know what Argan did but… I think I have a guess.” He said, looking up at me only briefly.

“So do I.” I growled and the entire mountain shook with it.

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We waited for Tiran to come back out to us and it was at least an hour later when he did. He looked haggard. Tired and… sad. He sat on the couch opposite from us. Irand and I sat in silence as we waited for him to speak. When he finally did his voice was shaky and faint.

“So… you heard that?” He asked.

I nodded.

“D-Do you know what he…?” Tiran trailed off as his hands clenched.

“We think we have an idea.” I said softly.

“He… He saw me the one time I was feeling brave enough to try and use a public bath. That was six years ago. He threatened to tell everyone what I was, to expose me and have the church put me on the Executioner’s block. And all of you with me. And to avoid that he made me… offer my body to him. The first time I came back home in the middle of the night and mom she… She knew what had happened, even if she didn’t know who. She stayed up with me all night and she wanted to go tell dad but… I didn’t want him to know. I knew he would try to Kill Argan for that, and I didn’t want him to get in trouble like that for me. So I… I made her promise to not tell anyone. And he's been lording that over me since. Sometimes it's months between times and other times it’s every day of a week. When you beat me in the Champion’s Competition he was livid and he… he used his knife on me while he was fucking me. And I-I-I I haven’t felt clean since. And anytime hes around I just feel like I want to run away and hide. I hate it. I’m a damned Knight of the Kingdom! I shouldn't be feeling powerless I shou-” He was pounding his fists into his knees as he spoke and I ran forward to stop his hands from bruising his legs.

I looked up and saw tears running down his face, red puffy eyes showed that he had been crying for far longer than just this. I looked up at him as I held his hands.

“Do you want me to kill him? Because I will. Just give the word.” I said, fury filling my words.

He shook his head and I felt my heart sink.

“No. As much as I hate him and want him gone… The Kingdom needs him. They need everyone they can get right now, even if those they can get are self righteous assholes.” He said, drying his eyes.

“You ever change your mind, give me the order and I’ll do it.” I said softly, squeezing his hands gently.

“Same with me, little brother. I have no love for the Church or those who work for them and I’ll be damned if I let my little brother being assaulted by their highest Paladin slide.” Irand said, walking up next to me and kneeling down in front of Tiran.

Tiran blinked back his tears and nodded, giving the two of us a faint smile. Irand wrapped the both of us in a hug and we fell onto the couch together. I could feel Irand wrap an arm around Tiran and Tiran wrapped his arms around me.

“I love you both so much.” Tiran said softly.

“You both know I would fight anyone for you right?” I asked.

I felt Tiran squeeze me gently in response and Irand snorted.

“Please, what's the little girl gonna do in a fight? Pout adorably? If anyone is fighting for us its me.” He said with a chuckle.

“I do believe both Tiran and I are better fighters than you Irand. And that's according to Dad.” I said smugly.

I heard Irand laugh a little bit more before Tiran buried his face into the back of my shirt and I could feel a few gentle sobs give way to calm breaths as he fell asleep. I was falling that way myself when I heard Irand mumble something to himself.

“I will protect you both, no matter what.”

I was going to respond but my eyes were still so heavy. The slipped closed and I lost myself to sleep once more.

The next few days passed quickly. It helped that I spent the majority of that time asleep. Apparently Mother had been right about me needing rest. I was reading one the romance books that Irand had already finished when Mother and Father returned, both thankfully with no injuries. Tiran was sleeping in my room and Irand was whistling away in the Kitchen while he cooked. I ran up to them as they entered, eager to hear what they had found.

“Well? What did you find?” I asked.

“Well Good news first, they will have quite a hard time clearing the pass that they had been planning on using, A few hours of work from me and that path is near useless to them.” Ereneya said, a beaming smile as she spoke.

“And the Bad News?”

“They number far more than expected. The Horse Lords of Nathal have joined them. My best guess for numbers puts them at Seventy Thousand combatants at least.” Sir Greyson said and my heart plummeted.

Seventy Thousand? Even with all the forces they could muster that would be a slaughter. I looked to the both of them to see grim smiles as the same thought went through their heads.

“The Church came here while you were away.” I said.

Mother looked concerned but I waved them away.

“They did nothing but talk and boast and I… may have launched their leader off the cliff and into the lake. Not enough to kill him but enough to drive them off. If they followed my instructions, King Ruhn will be waiting for us in two days.” I said and the both of them stared at me as if I were insane.

“The King? The Church would never allow it.” Sir Greyson said.

“The Crown cannot afford to turn away allies right now and if that means defying the Church you know Ruhn will do it. He's a good person.” I explained.

It was true, during my time as Royal Champion I had grown to know the King and Queen. Both were kind and cared about their people and neither had a particular love for the church. I was banking on that and I could only hope they would consider the proposal I planned on offering. Mother was unconvinced but Sir Greyson ran his hand through his hair and looked at me.

“Its possible but… If it goes wrong then you’ll be in the heart of Capital with the Royal Knights and the Paladin Orders around you.” He said, worry creeping into his eyes.

“If Tiran goes back and tells the Royal Knights of Argan and Sophia’s conspiracy then it may sway them. Not to mention that they aren’t brainwashed by the Church into believing the Church’s clerics will protect them from the approaching army.” I said, feeling the desperation in my words.

Ereneya watched me as I spoke and she sighed when I stopped. “You want to protect them no matter what, don’t you dear?”

“I want to offer them my aid. If they choose not to take it then… We can leave. Go somewhere they will accept us.” I said hoping it would not come to that.

It took a moment for them to respond and I could see them going back and forth via telepathy before Sir Greyson let out a long sigh.

“Alright we shall go to this meeting with Ruhn. But if things start to go poorly we will be leaving before they can truly get out of hand. Does that work for you?” He asked, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I nodded and a small smile formed on my face.

“I want to believe that there is hope for our people.”

“So do I.” He said.