After days of riding and camping and admiring the scenery of the land, we reached the capitol of Dolrin, Braetol. It was enormous; its tallest buildings five stories high and each rounded off to withstand their coastal environment. Tile formed teardrop shapes around the side of each structure facing the ocean, which was only separated from the city by a small beach and a beech forest. I looked to Rose, expecting a reaction out of her that wasn’t a scowl, which was exactly what she had on her face.

“I hate this place,” she said silently.

“Why?”

“Let’s just say bad memories. I’m not the most loved scherthara in the empire exactly.”

A coastal storm continued its rampage as a few sprinkling drops of water plinked on my armor. I made my way to the gate of Braetol, which was just as elegant as the surrounding buildings.

“Human, state your business,” one of the guards demanded.

“I am Lord Mortemer of Kansas, Duke of San Diego, the Great Masochist. I seek word with your Queen."

I whipped out my really cool Lord sticker I earned on the day I became a Lord. The sticker is renewed once a month and I can pick from a really cool looking knight, or a dragon, or a cute little deer, or a dinosaur if I want! It even glows in the dark!

“Of course, Lord Mortemer.”

The guard motioned for the gate to be opened and we stepped through, every guard eyeing us, many of them looking directly at Rose. I paid her a side glance and she met my eyes, an uncomfortable smirk on her face. What had she done to scorn almost every guard in the city?

I focused on getting to the main castle or palace, but no grand structure was in sight, only the same whimsical towers laid out to either side.

“Where’s the keep?” I asked Rose, hoping she would know.

“Oh scherthara don’t have anything like that. We like to believe we’re better than everyone else and that our rulers are ‘equal’ and we’re all ‘equals’ and we don’t divide ourselves like humans do. It’s all a sham though, it happens every day. We’re supposed to be equal under the law but there’s a clear class divide nobody wants to talk about.”

“Is that why you left?”

“One of the reasons… another you may find out soon enough once people start recognizing me…”

"Were you a thief here too?" Balfid side eyed, looking curious.

"What? No! Scherthara don't even use money, what would I steal? Food? Like, some guy's sandwich?"

"So you're some other kind of criminal?"

“Criminal in a very loose circumstance… I didn’t do anything morally wrong though, so don’t worry about your honor or whatever.”

“That doesn’t make me feel much better… Oh well, let’s go see this Queen," I shook off Rose's worried expression.

As we continued to walk, I began to come more aware of the scherthara walking around us. As we entered the heart of the city, it became even clearer the nudity of almost every person around us, genitals and all hanging about. Being a good religious man, I was repulsed; Lord G-Daddy’s teachings are very strict on dress. Rose must have noticed my uncomfortable look as she smiled at me, a smug grin on her face.

“What? Scared of weiners?”

“No, it’s just… improper.”

She simply laughed and continued on, confusing me even more as we made way to a long building at the end of the street.

I left Rose and Balfid outside then entered, two armored guards flanking me, watching on either side as I began my procession to the Queen. Although the building was small, it was albeit glamorous; mosaics flowing in smooth curves of a grayish blue and white all around the room, dancing about beneath our feet. Smooth pillars curved from the ground to support the ceiling and form grand archways, just before the chair upon which the Queen sat. She stared with her hand stroking her chin, a wonderfully complex robe on her that was revealing, but did more to cover than what I’d seen outside. As I approached, I did a traditional kneel, taught to me in my years of Lord training.

“I see you know our customs, Lord Mortemer. A pleasant surprise. What brings you to Braetol?” she said in a smooth but calculated voice.

“I seek aid, your Leadership. San Diego has been captured by rogues.”

“I see… Unfortunately, my own soldiers are dealing with a more pressing matter at the moment and cannot be spared. I'm sure you noticed the rain, it's been afflicting us for months and has become a threat. In addition, you bring no bargaining chips as far as I can tell, my Lord.”

“I cannot promise much at the moment, and for that I am regretful. But upon recapturing my estate, my troops and myself would be obliged to enter a treaty with Dolrin regarding trade and war.”

“A hollow offer if your King manages to bring the war to us. If that were to happen, I wonder whose side you would take…”

“In case of a war between Virginia and Dolrin, I would remain neutral. I am in a position to remain so, as I have done with the current war.”

“Yes but you are not allied with St. Louis, right? Very well though, under current circumstances your offer is intriguing… of course there will be some negotiations. My troops however, as aforementioned, are currently busy dealing with a threat and cannot be spared.”

“Perhaps I could help. I am unsure how useful my assistance will be, but I am skilled with a blade. I have companions as well.”

“Companions?”

“Yes, let me fetch them.”

I beckoned for Balfid and Rose to come from the entrance, receiving a nervous eye roll from her in return. As Rose approached the throne, she did the usual bow, but avoided the Queen’s eyes. She looked down to the floor instead, her face unusually blank. The Queen wore a sour, sad, bittersweet expression, her eyes in shock upon seeing Rose. What had Rose done in Dolrin??

“I-I see… I will send the three of you to my reader, Cole, in Fort Greymoon. They will give you the details. Let me mark our outpost on your map. The sooner this matter is dealt with, the sooner I’ll be able to relinquish my troops.”

“Of course your Leadership. I am humbled.”

⧫

As we approached the remote outpost, I spotted several energetic beams of magic shooting into the sky, likely the result of readers attempting to combat the rain. Guards failed to greet us as we approached the first guard house, and my suspicions grew. Perhaps they had been infiltrated?

"And this is why you don't hear about the scherthara military," Rose said as she removed her cloak and shoved it onto me.

Nimbly, she leapt onto the wall and began to climb, much to my surprise. Without a word I saw her slip inside the gatehouse and soon after, the portcullis began to open. As I walked through, I caught a glimpse of Rose through the death hole, clambering to open the second gate. As I finally passed, Rose joined me back on the ground, beaming playfully.

"I hope they won't attack us after breaking in like this," Balfid questioned.

"Nah, if I know anything about them, they're just having a grand old time and not taking anything seriously. Trust me, I've seen the inside of a scherthara unit before. A lot of sex."

"Were you in the military?" I pondered.

"Hmmm… Ya know what? Let's not go there right now."

As Rose had suggested, sure enough when we reached the main gate we discovered the two guards meant to be keeping lookout leaning against the gateway, smothering each other as they made out furiously. I watched uncomfortably for a few seconds, debating whether it would be more awkward to stop them or wait until they took notice. Rose however, wasn't as slow as she loudly cleared her throat, startling the two lovers.

"Oh shit! I'm sorry! Didn't, uh, see you there," one of them laughed, nervously pushing back his long ears.

"Wait, who are you? How'd you get through the other gate?" said the other, taking a stern face to likely hide his embarrassment.

"We climbed over," Rose stared them down with her arms crossed, her foot tapping and a perturbed demeanor about her.

"Oh wait, you're Rose—hah! Who's your friends?"

"I am Lord Mortemer of Kansas, Duke of San Diego, the Great Masochist. This is my squire and friend, Balfid. I was sent by the Queen to aid your reader in ending the terrible magic befallen your land."

"Seems legit, come on in."

As the gates started opening, I grew even more confused, "Is that it? That was awfully fast. I could be anyone. Don't I need to show my sticker or something?"

"Listen, we haven't gotten humans around here in years, and even if you’re here to cause trouble or something, then hey, I could use the excitement. We've been posted here ages and we're all bored out of our minds." The other guard nodded in agreement, shifting his feet as he looked for a place to land his eyes.

"I guess I can't ask for a better reason… Could you lead me to Cole, your reader please?"

"Not a whole lot of leading I need to do, they're in the same place every single day reading off spells and shit, no idea what they're doing. We give them their space. Right in the middle of the courtyard here."

Sure enough as I looked past the gate, I spotted a thin and perky scherthara, several scrolls in hand and bolts of magic shooting to the sky every few seconds. I gave the guard thanks and continued on to greet the reader, whom I was inclined to believe was quite powerful given the spells being cast, along with their general demeanor.

I saw a twinkle in their eyes as their lips curved up. They finished reading their spell, their body following their face. The reader went through several emotions looking over our group to greet us, but their thoughts were still hidden.

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"Ah, Mortemer. Hope you didn't find too much trouble getting in here. And Rose, funny seeing you. Still breaking into things I see,” they said with a silky, bouncy voice.

"Not my fault, nobody was at the gates."

"Oh I don’t worry too much about those… I can see everything myself from right here." They motioned to a pole stuck in the ground, magical runes inscribed on it. It was likely the source of power for whatever spells protected the fortress or at the very least gave them superior vision.

"So is that how you know me?" I asked, still taken aback they knew my name so readily.

"That, and I got a message from the Queen you were coming. Definitely glad you came, I need all the help I can get. You're a Lord right?"

"Yes."

"Good, good… That means you're far more trained than the soldiers here. We could really use you here Mortemer. You also came at a great time; I've been tracking this magic for days and I'm close to finding the source. I should know where the magic is coming from pretty soon. Until then, I'd ask that you stay here. I'll get one of my soldiers to lead you to your bed. Any questions?"

"Well, I'll be honest, whatever spell you're fighting confuses me… What purpose does it even serve?"

"Hard to say until we find the reader, but we've definitely had a fair share of problems from the spell and it's only getting worse. Although we're used to heavy rain and bad weather, it's getting to the point where our crops can't grow and we're approaching a severe food shortage. We also have a heavy fishing industry that’s getting hit hard, boats can’t even get on the water; it’s too rough. And although we've evolved to deal with this kind of weather, it's getting to the point some people have fallen ill because of the constant rain. There are probably even more unforeseen problems, for example flooding; the entire ecosystem could be destroyed. It's become quite a serious matter."

"It's surprising how much harm rain can do… Do you think this was cast by a powerful reader?"

"It was hard to tell at first, but as I'm starting to narrow down the origin, I'm getting an idea of the scale this magic has. The rain has spread far from Braetol. I still can't exactly gauge the reader's power however, for even the most powerful would need an artifact to keep the magic going. Keeping a spell cast like this would drain any person after a few hours, let alone weeks."

"So we're also trying to destroy an artifact along with the reader?"

"That's my assumption. I'll be able to tell pretty soon I think. I must get back to it though. The more time we waste the closer we get to a serious crisis. Oh, and Rose? I’ll talk to you later."

⧫

“I call bottom bunk, I roll too much when I sleep,” Rose commented as she judged the bunk we’d been led to.

“Fine by me.” I finally laid my knapsack and other belongings at the foot of the bed and took off my armor, relieved to be free of the heavy gambeson that was still slightly damp. Balfid was largely quiet, finding a bed next to us.

Without hesitation, Rose leapt onto the bed, letting out a cry of exhaustion as she sunk her face into the pillow.

“Everyone knows me here.” Although her voice was muffled, there was a strained tone added.

“What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“No. Don’t wanna talk about it. I just want to forget.”

“I understand, I won’t pressure you.”

“Thanks.”

She laid in silence, completely still with her head buried in the pillow. I removed the rest of my armor and hopped onto the top bunk, not wanting to bother her anymore.

“Hey Mortemer? Balfid? Thanks for letting me come along. ‘Night.”

“Of course, goodnight.”

⧫

Unable to sleep near him themself, Balfid kept a constant watch on Mortemer. With their distance, they wouldn't be stirred awake by potential attackers, leaving him vulnerable. He was dead asleep though, snoring loudly and fueling the rise and fall of a small snot bubble. His sleeping cap had a little ball in the end that had gotten caught in the stream of air, falling dangerously close to pop the bubble every time.

Several hours later though, and Rose was still awake too, tossing and turning with her thoughts. Restlessly she finally ejected from the bed, not paying any attention to Balfid who still watched. She had been in the fort years before, and the familiar walls were a painful reminder of her past.

She made way to a familiar room, high in one of the fort’s towers. She'd spent many nights in that tower, alone or with company. Every time she needed the room it was available, and Rose was convinced magical properties kept others away. As she approached, sure enough the last visitors were convinced to leave, an intimate couple that were still chatting. They went silent as they stepped past Rose, but she was only focused on being alone in the room. Inside was a small bench she sat on, the view outside a window catching her eye.

Stars were twinkling above, silhouetting the same tree lines Rose knew from years ago. The rocks below opened to a deeper valley, filled with lush undergrowth. Rose had once gotten lost among the many caves and twisting formations.

When she looked back around the room though, she saw Cole there, standing in the doorway. They magically sparkled, glimmering in the dim lights from the hall. Their smile was all too familiar to Rose.

“Thought I’d find you up here. And the room didn’t kick me out. Guess we’re meant to be here together.”

“Hah, yeah! I’ve never been alone for long up here… It’s been a while. It’s all still the same though.” Rose had a pleasant smile, despite where her mind was at. She was looking out the window, remembering the last time she was in that tower.

“It’s been a while for me too. Not much reason otherwise to come up here. I had to follow you up!”

“I’m glad you still remember me.”

“You’re hard to forget.”

Cole wasn’t too close to her yet, but Rose still felt some deep connection. They were one of the few people Rose didn’t just fuck right away, actually waiting it out. They had a volatile tension she remembered fondly, excited for a rare change.

“What made you come up here tonight? You don’t look like you’re feeling good,” Cole said as they sat down, concerned.

“Daisy. Basically.”

“Oh. Still?”

“Yeah, I just fucking saw them, ugh! Sorry she’s the first thing I bring up.”

“No, I asked. Daisy’s on my mind a lot too, taking orders from her.”

“Blegh, I’m glad that’s not me. How do you feel comfortable with people telling you what to do?”

“I honestly don’t. Daisy is nice though, and she agrees with me on things; always listens. Typically my orders are things we’ve mutually agreed on.”

“Well. Glad you got a good experience with her.”

“Were things really that bad?”

Rose groaned, “Ugh. Yes. But I want to say no. But I know, yes.”

“What happened?” Cole said softly.

“It’s a long story. You sure you want to hear it?”

“We’re up here to talk right? So let’s talk! I’ve only heard Daisy’s perspective on things, and she hardly went into detail. I’d like to know your side.”

“Really? Wait, what did she say?”

“She felt guilty, and didn’t want to talk about it. That’s it.”

Rose didn’t like Daisy feeling that way about her. It made it harder to just downright say she hated her.

“Sounds about right. So you want to hear it then? Everything?”

Cole smiled at Rose, their face twinkling.

“Yes.”

"Oh mum... So. When I was younger I used to be friends with Daisy. We were really close. And we got a lot closer, until we started dating. We kept it a secret though, since her family were some powerful court members and I just lived with my brother as orphans. So yeah, scandalous basically. Daisy and I didn't care though, and she saw me for who I really was. She was always there for me. Like, even though she was in a different class, with money and family and power and everything, she still could empathize with me and talk about my problems, whether she understood them or not, no matter how mundane."

"She grew up with money? Thought that was just for our treasury to use."

"Yeah, but the politicians and ambassadors use it for international trade, and Daisy's family had the privilege to use that money. As she started to get more involved with the court and stuff though, it was clear she was in line to be the next queen. I was super supportive and we were both excited for it. She made a plan to put me on the court so that we could still be together even while she was queen. And when she took the crown, it worked out as we planned and we continued our relationship.

“It wasn't traditional at all though, which was the root of the problem. I don't know how well you know court traditions and positions within it, but as far as relationships go, the Queen isn't supposed to have any close relationships at all. There's an old myth that it affects her ability to lead with a clear and objective head, which I guess could be true. So basically, when it comes to romantic stuff, a harem of lovers is supposed to be picked by the Queen to sate her lust, just as there are other members of the court to tend to her other needs, that way she can worry about doing queen stuff.

"So basically, Daisy picked me to be in her harem along with a few other girls. It sounds bad, but the others were there mostly for show, she and I were still in a relationship. It seems obvious looking back, but I spent a lot of time with her, and I was the only girl in the harem Daisy had sex with. It wasn't long before the rest of the court started to notice that I was with her almost all the time. Rumors began to spread, and pretty soon the public found out about it and it became a huge scandal. The first thing everyone did was write the Queen, or on her hearing days they'd address the problem about me with her, the other girls started complaining and coming after me, it got really rough.

"A few weeks later, a mob formed outside the palace with an official complaint written down. They were angry at me because they thought I was misusing my court position to manipulate the Queen. Nevermind Daisy or anything. It was all my fault apparently. I expected Daisy to stand up to them or say something to defend me but she didn't. I don't know if she was scared of losing her position or her reputation or something, but after that the only time we spoke again was in the trials to get me removed. So I got removed from the court and sent to serve with you, in the military for a year.

"After I was out, I tried staying in Dolrin, but everyone was so hostile to me, I couldn't take it anymore. I came home crying every day to my brother and he eventually decided to move us of Dolrin. And so we left. And that's the end of that pitiful story."

"Wow that's a mess."

"Yeah, tell me about it."

"And how are you getting through it now?"

"Shit, I'm basically not. Everyone knows me as that one girl who had the thing with the Queen, they just stare at me. Every damn time someone even tries to talk to me I can tell they're uncomfortable as hell and want to ask annoying questions. ‘Rose, why are you such a slut? Rose, what made you decide to manipulate the Queen and betray the people of Dolrin? Rose, is Daisy good at sex? Rose, can we have sex? I thought everyone would move on, but it looks like the only one who did was Daisy."

“I don’t know that she’s moved on either to be honest.”

“Shhh don’t say that shit. What else has she been saying about me?”

“Nothing else. That’s how I know she still cares about you.”

“Mum she’s so annoying! If she cares, then why wouldn’t she just talk to me!”

“You’d have to ask her that. She doesn’t really delve into her love life. I’d assume she’s so busy, we both are. I should have been trying to find you, send messages too, but I didn’t.”

“Yeah but we weren’t dating Cole. Daisy and I knew each other for years. And she just threw me away. She forced me into exile. You were just busy with magic, and I left.”

“Is that why you left?”

“No, I hated it here. You were the only good part.”

“I’m glad to hear. I’m lucky enough my reading coincides so well. This has been a good position for me to practice, actually. Help out Dolrin. If not, I probably would join you, honestly.”

“Woooowwwww you’re choosing Daisy over ME?!”

“Hah never! You’ll always be my top choice, Rose. Her? She’s my queen. But you’re my queen.”

Cole bent over in laughter, covering their mouth. Their motions were smooth and animated, as if they’d practiced that maneuver until perfection.

“Cole, that was cheesy.”

“I know.”

Cole kept their smile, looking away from Rose for once. They looked back, matching Rose’s eyes.

Rose eventually made her way back to the bunk, holding a small chat with Balfid. Rose wore a smile for her entire return, easing my mind to sleep.