Each of us took shifts watching Tiran to make sure he was stable and he didn't stir often aside from occasionally waking when he needed to relieve himself or asking for food. Three days after the Duel he awoke a bit more lucid than before as Irand and I were sorting through sealed letters while we sat at the table in his room.
“What are you two doing?” He asked, his voice now recovered but deeper than usual from sleep.
“Oh going through letters that have come in since your duel.” I explained as I opened another and laughed.
“Oh? Anything interesting?” He asked as he sat down next to us and gingerly leaned back, careful not to rock his arm too much in its sling.
“Well they are all requests for someone’s hand in marriage. And some of them are… very interesting.” I said with a laugh as I handed one of the more descriptive letters to him.
It took him a moment to read through it but it was wonderful to watch his face turn bright red as he did so. When he had finished he set the letter down on the table and looked between the two of us as we grinned at him.
“Are they all like that?”
“No. Lady Yanis is apparently just something of a Wordsmith. But there are quite a few. I think at this point about half the unmarried noblewomen in the Kingdom have sent requests to you. And a substantial number of the men. Including some of your knights.” I said gesturing to the stack of letters Irand had been going through.
“Those bastards. Trying to sleep with their Captain…” Tiran grumbled as he picked up one of the letters from the Knights.
Irand and I glanced at each other as he read through it and when he set it down he gave us a confused look.
“What?”
“Well we were wondering if any of them were automatic ‘No's’.”
“Hmmm? Unless they are Church Zealots… no not really.”
“No difference between men and women?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“No. I don't have a real preference. I mean I hate what Argan did to me and I would probably have to take my time with a Man but…. No, I don't have a real preference. Wait, do you? I thought you spent the night with Ruhn and Raya?!” He asked.
“Yes well… They were wonderful but Ruhn taught me that I don't really enjoy the company of men.” I explained as I felt my face flush with heat.
“So is that why Ereneya mentioned that Girl yesterday?” Irand asked.
“Ah. Yes. Odessa. She is one of the Forest Weavers. They dwell on the other side of the mountains. They are… or rather their Mother is cursed. They look like a mix between Woman and Spider but they are quite kind. And very lovely.” I explained and I watched the both of them give me looks of confusion.
They exchanged glances and thought for a moment before Irand spoke.
“Well I look forward to meeting her someday.”
I nodded and we continued to look through the letters and shared our favorites. Tiran had the biggest smile on his face as we did and I saw him blush more than a few times.
It was a few hours later, just past midday when one of the servants came up to the room and informed us that someone was here asking after Tiran. The three of us gave the servant blank stares and I rose and followed him down to the Entry Hall. There was a young woman there, conversing with one of the Maids as she waited and I recognized, Lady Nire Lasya. She gave me a warm smile as she looked up to where I stood on the stairs.
“Ah, Lady Greyson. A Pleasure to see you in person.” She said with a slight bow.
“Lady Lasya. To what do I owe the Pleasure?” I asked.
She was clad in a plain dress and with traveling boots beneath. Normal for her. Her family were all merchants and She was the Youngest of four Daughters. Her Father had taught her to be a Trader since she had been old enough to walk and she had always been the “Toughest” of the girls when we had been children. Her Black hair was pulled back into a Waist Length Braid and she had even bothered with a slight amount of makeup which was more than she bothered with when attending most of the Royal’s Parties.
“Well I had been hoping to see Tiran if he was awake and willing to see visitors.” She said calmly.
“Oh?” I asked, tilting my head in disbelief.
I doubted she would come all the way here to see if Tiran was awake. Her Family’s home was almost Half a Day’s ride out of the City. Red blossomed on her face and she stared down at my bare feet on the steps.
“I… there was something he asked me a few months past and I would speak to him about it. If he was willing to receive visitors of course.” She said nervously.
I reached out with my mind towards Tiran.
‘Care to explain why Lady Lasya is here asking to see you? And would you like me to send her up?’ I asked.
He replied a few moments later.
‘She’s here? I… I would like to see her, yes.’
I broke the connection and gave her a smile.
“He is willing to see you.”
She looked up and I saw a smile break through her nervous expression. Her teeth were slightly out of place and I remembered when we were children how she had fallen from a Tree while showing off to Ivali… to Tiran. As she followed me up I heard her ask a question that pulled me from my thoughts.
“Are you really… him? I know you are not a Man but were you really Siran?” She asked.
I turned to face her and found no malice in those eyes but concern.
“Why would you like to know?”
“Because one of my friends went missing three weeks ago and then a woman with Horns who looks nothing like him shows up and says she was him. I just want to make sure Siran is alright. All of the Greyson boys were like Family to me.” She muttered.
I relaxed my shoulders as I had been expecting something more… insulting. I took in a deep breath before I spoke again.
“I was Siran yes. This was all an accident. I didn’t mean to become this but… I found I enjoyed it. Much more than I had thought I would. If anyone offered me a way to go back I would tell them to go to the Church’s Frozen Hell. I would much rather be a Beautiful girl than a miserable boy.” I grumbled, surprising myself with that last comment.
She blinked at me in surprise before she let out a small giggle.
“You are rather fetching. Though I think you are more Cute than beautiful. I think its because you shrunk.” She said as she smiled at me.
I let her have her laughs as we continued on until we reached Tiran’s room. Irand was nowhere to be seen and Tiran was sitting alone at the now empty table with a cup of tea before him.
“Tiran!” Nire said as she nearly ran into the room to see him.
I was worried she might try to hug him but it seemed she thought better of it before she managed to reach that point. She took a seat next to him and I saw how his smile grew as she did. I hadn't seen him smile like that more than a handful of times and one of them had been when he and Irand found me with Ereneya.
‘Would you like some privacy?’ I asked in his mind.
‘I… um… I wouldn't say no.’ He replied as she ran gentle hands over his bandages.
I chuckled as I closed the door and headed downstairs.
I found Irand down in the parlour with the rest of the requests we hadn't received yet. And a second smaller stack of them was on the table, which he slid in front of me.
“Ah yes, Sister, you didn't think Tiran got all of them did you?” He asked with a mischievous smirk.
“I… Really? What interest would people have in me?”
He rolled his eyes before he realized it was a serious question.
“Well, on the one hand you are a very powerful Dragoness. And on the other hand, half of those I spoke to yesterday after the Duel made comments about your appearance. I took out the ones from the Noblemen after you mentioned earlier that you didn't have a preference for them. But there are a few noblewomen who seem to have an interest in you. I'm told that no small part of the Kingdom finds you attractive.”
I felt a blush spreading across my face as he spoke and I opened the first letter to find a very… descriptive and very neat note. It was from Lady Tasa, one of the Minor Nobility under house Tarand, and it was half a request for a “Private Tea Session” and reading between the lines it was half a request for House Tasa to be taken under our banner.
“Well I um… But isn't Lady Tasa married?”
“She is.” He said with a nod as he sipped some wine.
“Why would she ask me for… this? She has a husband. And if I remember he is one of the nicer Noblemen.”
Irand gave me a look of surprise.
“Well you know how your body weakens as you age?” I nodded. “Well, let's just say it applies to all of the body. Lord Tasa has been ailing these past few years. I imagine Lady Tasa sees it as a chance to have some enjoyment.” He explained.
“Oh. But… shes older isn't she?”
“Older yes, but I imagine she learned a thing or two in that time. You don't have to accept it, it's no marriage proposal, it's just an invitation for ‘Tea’.” He said with a laugh.
“When did you become so politically savvy? I thought you didn’t like people?” I asked as I set Lady Tasa’s letter aside and opened the next.
“Well Father and I realized some time ago that I didn’t have the natural talent for bladework that you and Tiran did so… we focused on other areas for me. I would attend meetings between the nobles and listen and learn. Eventually I branched out and I started looking into things on my own and after a few years I had a fairly substantial gossip network. And when you hear everyone’s dirty little secrets you can use those as leverage to say, get a group of nobles to side with you when you do something that seems half mad.” He said as he set aside another of Tiran’s letters.
“You Blackmail people?”
“I have. Information is power, or at least one form of it. I’m not a great fighter like you and Tiran but I can hold my own in other ways. I can keep an eye on Sophia and make sure Argan doesn’t hurt her. I can help keep the nobility from throwing hysterics about the fact that we have brought Dragons to be the Kingdom’s allies. I have plenty of leverage on most of the noble houses in the Kingdom. And if it means I can keep my family safe then I will.”
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“You are a protective big brother aren't you?” I asked with a small smile.
“... I don’t know.”
“Hmm?”
“I don’t know if I’m your Brother.”
I tilted my head and gave him a look of confusion. He met my gaze and a sad smile crossed his face.
“I don’t know. Most of the time I’m comfortable as just… me. But there are other times where I want to be someone else. I’m not sure what but just… not me. Not what I am. I don’t think its the same as you and Tiran feel. I don’t want to change permanently but I also don’t want to be stuck in this body and wither away while you barely grow at all. I was looking through all of Ereneya’s tomes to see if there was anyone who felt the same in them but… nothing yet. But no running off to tell everyone. I’m still trying to figure it out myself.”
He added the last part with a bit of a growl and I nodded. We sat there, musing about the proposals as we picked through them. I had known a few of them by name growing up but I hadn't been very close with any and I was now realizing that perhaps my enjoyment of the company of Women was not as unusual as I had thought. Most were also requests to fall under the Banner of House Greyson but my attention was usually taken by the… descriptive parts of the letters. Most all of them came from minor nobility and most were those who fell under houses like House Tarand that supported the Church.
House Greyson was one of the Major houses but that had always been due to our station within the Knighthood, we hadn't ever been leaders of other Nobles. Irand seemed to be enjoying himself as he scribbled notes in a notebook and he made a few comments about pushing some of the Minor houses towards others simply based on their territory location.
We had finished my stack of letters and were simply chatting and sipping tea when Tiran and Nire came down the steps. I could hear them laughing long before I could see them and Nire gave us a wave and slipped out the door quietly. Tiran joined us at the Table and gave us a wide but tired smile. His arm was still in a sling but he looked happier than I had ever seen him.
“So… Have fun?” I asked as I took a quick sip of my tea.
“Very much. Lady Lasya is….a very capable young woman.” He said as one of the servants brought over a cup of tea for him.
Irand snorted as he tried and failed to conceal his chuckle. Tiran gave him a look and he cleared his throat.
“Capable is a word. I thought you wouldn't enjoy being with a Lesbian, Brother.” Irand said with a smile.
Tiran rolled his eyes but spoke. “I may not enjoy the body I was born with as much as much as some might but I have what I have and she… She didn't judge me for it.” Tiran said, still smiling but a touch of sadness in his eyes.
“So will you two be seeing more of each other in the future?” I asked as I quietly sipped my tea.
“Well, we talked about it for a short while. She and her Father will be heading on a decade long expedition to the Southern Seas in only a few months so… well with Ereneya saying she would help me find a male Dragon it felt like it worked out well. She couldn't be with a normal man. She had an incident when she was younger on an expedition with a man and well, she doesn't mind men, she just doesn't handle a certain part of them very well that I don't have so I suppose in this one moment I can thank the way I was born.” He explained as he took a slow sip from his tea.
“And you are okay with this arrangement?” Irand asked.
“I am. She will be on a ship for the next ten years and I will hopefully be undergoing a great change within that time. But we promised to remain friends once she returned.”
“Well as long as you are happy. I wouldn't relish having to get in a fight with Nire because she upset you. Pretty sure I would lose that fight.” Irand said with a chuckle.
“Oh you definitely would. She's been learning swordplay from her Father's Corsair friends since she was seven, she is scrappy. And she said she will be participating in the defense of the Kingdom when the enemy arrives at our doorstep. Speaking of, do we know where and when they will attack?” Tiran asked as the front door opened and the three of us leaned in our chairs to see Father and an exhausted looking Mother walk in.
I rose from my seat and ran over to her as she leaned against Father, chest rising and falling with quick breaths.
“The Basin Fortress. Two weeks.” She said between breaths.
“They have mobile siege weapons and they outnumber our own forces at least ten to one. It was only thanks to a few fancy maneuvers from her that we weren't skewered on Ballistae bolts.” Father explained as we helped Mother to the table and sat her down.
One of the servants saw them come in and brought out some bread and cheese for her which she tore into. As we all took our seats Father's face was dark.
“It will be a long Siege. We hold the better position with the Basin but against such numbers… I don't know that it will matter. I know that you and Eren are strong and a handful of the Church Paladins can hold against so many foes but with their numbers it will be a costly battle.” Father said as he looked over at me.
“I might be able to use the water in the Basin to help. Maybe we can turn the ground to muck so they can't use their siege weapons.”
“Perhaps. Though, I want you three to promise me one thing. If the battle begins to go poorly, I want the three of you to flee.” All three of us began to speak but he held up a hand to silence our protests and we all slowly sat back down. “I know you all wish to fight but they are not here to capture our forces, they are not here to subjugate us. They have made it clear that they seek our destruction. They will not spare any of us, They will give us no quarter. Should our forces begin to break, I want Naravie to take you two and flee back to the capital. Take whoever you can with you and flee before their forces can pursue you. Eren and I discussed it while we were scouting, if the fighting falters she will buy as many of our people time as she can and we will save any we can but… Well the two of us saw the Force arrayed against us and we do wish to be under any illusion that we are guaranteed to win.”
The Three of us sat in silence as we thought on that. We all knew how skilled our Father was on the field of Battle. The Man was the Greatest Battlefield Commander in the Kingdom and he had been defending it since he was a young man. If he was suggesting that we should plan for if we lost then he meant it. He would do everything he could to defend his home but if its defense was impossible, then he would plan for that. Irand was the first to speak.
“Where would you have us go? Our Allies have abandoned us to the enemy at our gates and there are few enough places that would accept a Dragon. Not to mention the Church having an Iron Grip on many of the nearby Kingdoms means that anything even remotely close would be hostile to Naravie and now Tiran after he thrashed Argan.” He asked, his voice showing his confusion over the order.
“To the Southwest there is a massive Desert wherein dwells an Elder Dragon. He is old enough and strong enough to protect you. And he is the one I plan on taking Tiran to go see. He may be annoyed by your arrival but he will shelter you.” Mother said as she managed to catch her breath.
I flicked my eyes over to her as she spoke and her gaze was every bit as withering as Father's. I knew what they meant. If something happened to her then the Battle was lost. If something happened to her then I was to retreat with my Brothers. To the Dragon that she had pointed me to previously. I said nothing but I ground my teeth together as I realized what Father was saying. Tiran and Irand were silent as well. I wasn't sure if they fully grasped what Mother and Father were saying but they understood that Father was being deathly serious if nothing else.
After a long silence Tiran asked Father what he planned for the defense of the Basin Fortress and we began going over strategy. It was well into the evening before we each left the table, minds filled with plans and worry as we each headed to our rooms. Mother caught me before I slipped into mine.
“I am sorry.”
“For what? Telling me that you might die? That you might fall in this battle? It's a battle, there is always a chance for death in them.” I stated, doing my best to keep my face calm.
“Naravie… I am trying to make sure you live a better life than I in the event something does happen to me. I want someone to be able to teach you about our kind so you do not have to learn it all on your own. I want you to be able to be happy and live among people, not become some angry old hermit like I did.”
“But why can't we just take those we like and leave? Flee and find a new place to call home?” I asked, my eyes burning with tears as I tried blinking them back.
“Child, we could not simply spirit those we care for away. Who all would you take with us?” She asked as she opened the door to my room and pulled me inside in a gentle embrace.
“Ruhn and Raya and Nire and Sophia and Argan so he can help her stay alive.” I said, losing the battle against my tears but stubbornly refusing to break. I growled at my tear stained hands.“When did I become such a crier?”
“When you became a child once more. As I said before, your emotions run high in your youth. You went from a Grown Man's body to an adolescent Dragon, you should be glad it wasn't your anger that got out of hand.” She said softly as she brushed some of my hair out of my face. “Now then, If you tried to carry all of them away, what would happen?”
I did my best to give her an angry look but I couldn’t.
“I would fall.”
“Indeed. And what would you do with all those that they wish to save? Would you drag them from their loved ones and Friends for your own selfish desire or would you let them flee with their loved ones, knowing you would likely never meet again?”
I didn't have an answer. She was right and I knew it, I just refused to say it. I blinked away the last of the tears and looked up at her. She had a gentle look upon her face and she gave me a sad half smile as I tried to speak.
“Was it like this for you? Did you… cry all the time? Feel everything so strongly?”
“I was going through many things when I first turned. I was a bubbling pot of rage. I had just lost all my friends… everyone I had ever known. They were all gone at my hands due to a fury that I couldn't control. When I changed it made me… more. I felt everything more extremely. I was stronger and more powerful than ever but I had lost control of myself. And when I lost my mother… Something broke in me. My rage never cooled after that day. It's still always a part of me, something that I need only give a nudge to unleash it. Though I daresay as I have gained control I have lost much of the power I wielded in my youth. If I had the power that I unleashed when my Mother passed, well the approaching army would be of no consequence.” She said with an empty chuckle.
“Could I use power like that?” I asked.
“Perhaps. I don't know if you could control it. It is not as simple as wielding it against the enemy, the difficulty would be in making sure you do not harm your allies. How would you feel if you killed Tiran or Irand by accident?” She asked.
I looked up at her mortified and I saw that same pain reflected in her eyes.
“You had people you loved there, didn't you?”
“I did. Prince Callax was my best friend and my betrothed and our traveling companion Masai was… close with the both of us. She had been my friend for many years before I met Callax but… well we were close. I imagine we would have ended up in much a similar situation to You, Ruhn and Raya had we continued on as we had been. She was a Powerful Mage and I… I had hoped that maybe she had survived my onslaught and escaped with her life but I found no sign of any survivors within that hell of my own making. I had killed two kingdoms in the span of a day. I had lost everything I had cared for and been betrayed by those I had thought were welcoming me. And it was all because of me. I had done it. It is not a power that can be controlled so easily. So no, I do not believe you could. And I would not rely on it even if I thought you could. It is not some simple anger that sparks such a surge of power, it is pure hatred and rage. In all cases I have heard of, Dragons only enter such a state from the death of a loved one. Be it a Lover, Sibling, Parent or other relation. I would not put you through that.” Her eyes were wet with tears as she spoke, not those of frustration like I had but of…. Sorrow. It was a deep pain in her eyes that I didn’t think I could truly understand.
She sat down on my bed and I sat next to her, resting my head on her shoulder as she took in a deep breath. Her sadness was palpable as we sat in the quiet and I could feel her shaking as she took in a deep shuddering breath. When I spoke it was barely a whisper but in the stillness of the room it was as clear as day.
“Tell me about them, your friends.”
“Callax and Masai would have loved you. Callax was the greatest Warrior of both our lands and he always loved sparring with the younger knights. When we were betrothed he and I would often spar late into the evening… And then take our time cleaning up afterwards. I do not know if he was involved in my Mother’s death. I imagine he had to be but… I can always hope he wasn’t. I truly thought he loved me. He treated me as I wished to be and never once erred in his conduct. He was everything I wanted in a man, not unlike your Father in truth.”
“Masai was a member of the Court Magi and the one who taught me much of the Magic I still use today. She was a powerful mage, an apprentice when we first met but a rising star among them. By the time I had met Carrina she was my personal magic instructor and we had been friends for the better part of two decades. She was the one who helped me with the adjustment period between when Carrina opened my eyes to who I was and when she bestowed me her blood. Masai was the one who wove the Glamour upon me with Mother’s instruction. And she was the first one who made me feel like a woman. She aided me with learning makeup and caring for my hair among other things. And even before Callax and I were betrothed she… she and I spent a few late nights ‘studying’ within my chambers.”
I said nothing as I laid my head down on her lap, drifting off as she wove her tale.
“When Callax joined the picture we became a nigh inseparable trio. True I would spend days with Carrina but the two of them often journeyed with me to her home and she welcomed them. I think she had spent so many years alone that she was open to all company. But the three of us would travel about our lands aiding our people. During that Time Carrina had not made me aware of the possibility of transformation and so I was more akin to Tiran as he is now. I took medicine that Masai brewed that… helped with my discomfort in my body. And as I grew more comfortable with myself I was more willing to stand side by side with my friends and eventually the three of us became more than just friends. I had spent my whole life living beneath my Father’s direction and while he had trained me to be capable and decisive, I had always felt alone. With those two at my side and my Mother for company, I was so so so Happy to be alive… And then that day happened. And I lost them all. It was the worst day of my life and for so many centuries since then I felt as if I might have been better off dying that day. And I will do everything to ensure you do not feel that way. So rest well, my darling daughter. The day of your greatest challenge yet approaches and we all must be ready to greet it.” The last words were said in a whisper as she rose and placed the blankets on the bed over me.
I heard her close the door ever so gently before sleep claimed me.
The next days were full of preparation. Mother and Father used her magic to bring down parts of the Canyon, not enough to make it impassable but to bar their path and slow them down. My brothers aided in the reinforcement of the Fortress walls and I helped carry supplies much faster than any beast of burden could bear. It was unbearably long but it also went by too quickly. The last two days I was ordered by the Royals, My Brothers and My Parents to rest. I did so reluctantly but they told me I would be glad that I did when the battle began. As I settled into bed the day before the enemy army was set to arrive I could feel all the nervous energy buzzing within me. Tomorrow would be a day to remember, and I hoped it would one to celebrate rather than curse for all my days.