After spending the last few hours on watch, Bert stretched as he exited the Control Tower. It had been a quiet night as the mist rolled back. The first rays of the sun had already started to reveal several interesting-looking ruins and buildings in the surrounding area, and he felt good about the idea of sending out some search parties a little later today.

He was just trying to decide between cooking breakfast or getting a short nap when he saw the little half-pixie, Lily, leaning on the parapet over the gatehouse. Her shoulders were slumped, and she seemed off.

He climbed the wooden steps up the overlook, catching her wiping tears from her eyes.

“Lily, what’s wrong?” He asked.

“Nothing, M’Lord, sorry.” She looked away and started to hurry off.

“Wait, if something is wrong, I want to help,” Bert called her back.

“It’s nothing, sir,” Lily hesitated. “I just had an argument with my sister.”

“Oh, right.” Bert felt himself relax. “Anything you want to talk about?”

“I don’t think I should, but… honestly, I’m worried.” Lily took a half step back toward him, then stopped.

“Whatever it is, we will do our best to sort it out.” Bert smiled.

“It’s about the oath,” Lily winced as if she was expecting to be struck or yelled at.

“It’s kind of messed up, isn’t it?” Bert chuckled. “I didn’t even know it was possible.”

Lily stood there, trembling, her eyes wide and staring.

“What?” Bert asked. “Did you think we thought it was a normal thing to do?”

“Yes!” Lily hesitated, “Well, no.” She laughed weakly. “I guess I just assumed it was something you were used to.”

“Not even close,” Bert leaned against the wall, crossing his arms as he thought. “I kind of freaked out at first.”

“Me too.” Lily took another step closer. “I’m so worried about saying the wrong thing or upsetting you or Bell.”

“It has to be kind of terrifying.” Bert nodded. “Did you know what the oath meant when you said it?”

“Sort of?” Lily shrugged. “As soon as I wondered what Rose was talking about, I got a message explaining it.”

“And I’d guess you said it to try and look after your sister?” Bert asked.

“Pretty much.” Lily leaned against the wall next to Bert.

“I tried to find some way to release you both from the oath, but there is nothing to remove it, apparently.” Bert frowned.

“You did?” Lily shook her head. “Want to know the strangest thing?”

“Sure.” Bert shrugged.

“I don’t hate it,” Lily admitted. “Once it was done, and I accepted, I couldn’t change it… I just kind of felt relieved?”

“Why?” Bert looked down at the little half-pixie, shocked.

“My whole life, I’ve never belonged anywhere. Never knew what my future held.” She stared into the distance as she talked, “No one other than Rose cared where I was or if I was okay. There would never be someone to teach me, and no guarantee I’d ever find a home, or safety, or anything.”

“That’s tough.” Bert felt for the half pixie. He wanted to give her a hug, but she went on.

“I stood here, realizing what the oath meant. How I was never going to be able to make my own choices and all the things I gave up.” She laughed. “That was when I realized I never had choices to make before or a place to call my own or people. Sure, I gave something up, but here… I could belong. I had a place.”

“It was still a lot to give up,” Bert said.

“Was it?” Lily asked. “I may not get to choose what to do in the future, but I never really had a choice before. Poor, homeless, hunted. That isn’t a lot to give up.”

“But if we were different….” Bert frowned.

“I could have been beaten, abused, or worse?” Lily asked.

“It happens,” Bert said. “In my world, it happened way too often.”

“And I bet it was normally the poor, or the alone, right?” Lily asked, her voice flat.

“Pretty much,” Bert admitted.

“It would have been no different here,” Lily said grimly. “As we were, it was only a matter of time before we were killed or forced to sell ourselves to live.”

“Still, it was a big risk you took.” Bert sighed.

“And I won!” Lily laughed. “I may be terrified of saying the wrong thing, but at night, I sleep well and eat well. I have a new class and levels. I feel good about myself.”

“I’m glad.” Bert really meant that. The oath thing was still playing on his mind like a constant itch.

“If I could go back knowing what I know now?” Lily said. “I’d be the first to make the oath.”

“It’s still early days,” Bert warned. “You have a long time to come to regret it.”

“And at times, I am sure I will,” Lily shrugged. “But I know this is the best option for me. A better one than I ever would have had alone.”

“I worry about that,” Bert grimaced. “That I will forget how big a sacrifice you made in time, or it will make me a bastard.”

“I’d be happy to remind you if you like?” Lily grinned.

“I would,” Bert looked at her, his face serious. “If Bell or I ever take what you did lightly, remind me of this conversation.”

“Of course, M’lord.” Lily bowed.

“So, what about this argument with your sister?” Bert nudged her. “Was it about the oath as well?”

“Yes,” Lilly groaned. “She is completely freaking out and pissed at me for accepting the oath.”

“Can’t blame her,” Bert admitted.

“I actually do,” Lily said angrily. “It was her idea in the first place. She doesn’t get to pretend it is not something she CHOSE.”

“Choosing something doesn’t make it easier to accept the consequences.” Bert knew that from personal experience. “Sometimes, it just makes them hurt more.”

“Really?” Lily sounded doubtful.

“Trust me,” Bert smiled. “I know that from bitter experience.” Images of the cult danced in his mind. He chose to help twice, and something told him he would never stop regretting it.

“What if she can’t accept the consequences?” Lily asked softly. “What if it destroys her?”

Bert thought for a long time. “I have one idea.” He thought it through. “What if I ordered you both to take any other orders I or Bell gave to be suggestions, not orders?”

Lily blinked hard.

“Would it work, do you think?” Bert asked.

“It… yeah, my oath says that would work.” Lily grimaced.

“What?” Bert asked, concerned.

“I don’t want to hear that order.” She looked away. “Is that okay?”

“Uhh, sure.” Bert looked at Lily. “Are you sure?”

“I am,” Lily looked up at him. “I want to follow; if you gave me that order, I wouldn’t act any differently, but I would feel less… secure?”

Bert stared into the distance for a long moment. It was a big decision, but if he chose to make her obey the order just to make him feel better, wouldn’t he be doing the very thing he wanted to avoid?

“All right,” He nodded eventually. “I’ll get Bell; you go get your sister.”

“If she won’t come down?” Lily hesitated.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“Tell her we want her to come down. Don’t make it an order unless you have to, but I want to get this sorted,” Bert said as he trotted down the stairs and headed for the barn.

“Rose, come in,” Bell called when they saw the little half-pixie at the door to the Barn.

Lily pulled her sister into the barn and went to stand off to one side.

“Lily told us how upset you are about the oath,” Bert started.

“She’s lying!” Rose shouted. “She just wants to get me in trouble!”

Lily gasped, and Bell’s eyebrows rose.

“Rose,” Bell sighed. “We are linked to this land, to Way Way.” She shook her head. “Way Way sees everything, and they already relayed what’s been happening.”

Bert looked over at Bell, “They have?”

“Well, they have to me,” Bell grinned. “Way Way knows you like to give people privacy.”

“I’m sorry!” Rose dropped to her knees, “Please, don’t hurt me.”

“No one is going to hurt you,” Bell rolled her eyes. “We aren’t punishing you.”

“We have found a way to remove one of the restrictions of the oath,” Bert said gently.

“What?” Rose looked up, shocked. “That is impossible.”

“It’s just cheating with words,” Bell grinned. “Bert’s good at cheating!”

“Tell me what would happen if I ordered you to treat all orders from anyone as suggestions from now on?” Bert asked.

Rose looked confused, blinked, and gaped in shock as her oath told her the response.

“It would work!” Rose said breathlessly.

“Great!” Bert smiled, “Would you like me to give that order?”

“Yes, M’Lord!” Rose nodded and reached for her sister, who merely shook her head. “My sister?” Rose looked nervously at Bert and Bell.

“Are you sure you don’t want this, Lil?” Bell asked.

“I’m sure, Bell, but thanks!” Lily said happily.

Rose winced, then looked up, seeing Bell rolling her eyes.

“Can we get on with this, please?” Bell asked. “We have stuff to do today.”

“Rose, I order you to treat all orders as suggestions, no matter who gives them to you, from now on!” Bert said happily. “I order you to come and go as you wish.” Bert amended it as an afterthought.

Lily clapped her hands in joy and rushed over to her sister, who was still kneeling down, her head bowed.

Bert and Bell left them to it; they had a lot of places to search and wanted to get started.

============

“Rose, you’re free!” Lily laughed as she hugged her sister. “Isn’t it amazing!”

“Why?” Rose asked, her voice dead. “Why did they do that?”

“You were so upset about being so restricted by the oath.” Lily stroked her sister’s hair. “They did it to make you feel better.”

“It’s a lie,” Rose shook her head. “They did it for themselves. I know it.”

“Partly, yeah,” Lily admitted. “Lord Bert is not super fond of the oath.”

“He’s not?” Rose looked up, surprised.

“No! He gets really uncomfortable talking about it.” Lily smiled, remembering the powerful Lord fidgeting.

“So he didn’t do it for me?” Rose seemed to find that easier to accept.

“Not entirely,” Lily nodded. “I think he sees it as more responsibility rather than anything else.” She ran a hand through her hair. “He already tried to dissolve the oath. This was his second attempt to free us.”

“Then why didn’t you get him to give you the order?” Rose demanded. “We could have both been free!”

“Rose, I don’t want to be free,” Lily said kindly, hating the look her sister gave her. “I was free for years, and it sucked!”

“You’re an idiot!” Rose snarled. “I’m still a part of the Court, but I’m not a servant!”

“Exactly!” Lily said. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“I wanted that for both of us!” Rose protested. “This way, we could BOTH have all of the perks of being in a Court and none of the duties!” She laughed. “I can sit in that chair over there and do nothing forever; I can take their gifts and their money and use their power and never have to pay any of it back!”

“Why would you?” Lily asked, “I want to show them I appreciate it all!”

“Only a fool does anything they don’t have to!” Rose sneered. “I tried to show you that as we grew up!”

Lily realized her sister had always done exactly that. Looking back over their lives, it was always there. The difference was that they were taking so little and taking advantage of such awful people; she never felt bad about it.

All that anger and crying hadn’t been about her at all. Lily finally saw something she had been willfully blind to for a long time.

Her sister was a nasty piece of work.

“Do what you like,” Lily stood and shook her head. “I’m going to earn my place here. Starting with helping with the search team the Lord and Lady are sending out.”

“Go on then,” Rose laughed. “Go lick their boots and kiss their ass!”

“Piss off, Rose,” Lily sighed as she left the barn.

It felt like she left a part of herself behind in that room. A piece that she decided she would not miss.

She ran over to where the Lord and Lady were talking with Bud.

“Sorry to interrupt!” She said, “Can I help?”

“Sure, Lil.” Bell waved her over.

Lily beamed. Her sister would never know what she was missing.

============

“Okay,” Bert clapped his hands together. “We have three different places to go and look over.” He pointed out the windows of the Control Tower. “First, that large stone tower. It seems to be mostly intact, so it should have something inside.” Bud, I thought you and your Patrol could head that way.”

“You got it, Boss.” Bud nodded.

“There is a small set of houses to the other side that might have something useful in them,” Bert pointed to where they could see a cluster of low-roofed houses between the dead trees. “Wendy, that is all yours.”

“Can I put together my own team?” Wendy asked. “Cause Scruff is busy trying to make an oil plant and gets touchy when disturbed.”

“Sure,” Bert agreed. “And last of all is a larger structure a bit behind us.”

“We’ll be taking that one,” Bell said, looping her arm through Bert’s.

“Now Lily says there are things at each point according to her skill, so be careful.”

“Lil, can you come with me to the houses?” Wendy asked the half-pixie, who was staring out at the world around them in wonder.

“Sure.” Lily shrugged. “Anything I can do to help.”

“Great, put your teams together and head out as soon as you’re ready.” Bert nodded to the group.

“We are heading out now,” Bell added. “So have fun and be careful!”

A few minutes later, Bell was back in pixie form and perched on Bert’s shoulder as he walked across the pale ground toward the distant structure they had chosen to check out themselves.

Lily said it had been labeled as dangerous, so he and Bell were checking it out alone.

“Comfy?” He asked the pixie as she fussed around, getting comfy.

“Not really,” She complained. “When you next design some new armor for yourself, I think you should add a chair or at least a pillow.”

“You could walk?” Bert noted.

“Why?” Bell giggled. “I prefer to ride you!”

There was a moment’s silence as Bert’s mind shorted out.

“Dirty thoughts?” Bell purred in his ear, making him jump.

“No!” He insisted. “I was just looking at that tree!”

“The tree?” Bell laughed. “Thinking of wood, are we?”

“That’s not what I meant,” Bert laughed, feeling himself blush slightly. Since when did he blush? He was a grown-ass man. Surely blushing was something he outgrew?

“Next time, either admit it or get a better excuse!” Bell laughed. “A fucking tree!” She slapped the side of his head.

Definitely did not outgrow blushing, it seemed.

“So,” He coughed. “What did you think of Rose this morning?”

“Honestly?” Bell sighed. “I expect she will be gone as soon as she can.”

“Should we try and stop her?” Bert asked. “For Lily’s sake, I mean?”

“Naah,” Bell chuckled. “I think it’s better for both of them if they separate.”

“Why?” Bert asked. He had been thinking about trying to get them to spend more time together, not less.

“They grew up together. Completely alone except for the other.” Bell shifted. “Once they were separated, it changed both of them.”

“The Summerlands changes people,” Bert muttered, thinking about Gwen.

“Yes and No.” Bell said, “It is more that they grew to be different people.” Bell paused for a second before going on. “Sometimes, when you are with someone for a long time, you kind of adjust to them,” Bell said. “But a few weeks or months apart can really change who you are as a person.”

“And as much as you wish you could, you can’t go back to the way things were,” Bert said grimly.

“In your case, I suspect there was some intentional blindness involved.” Bell chuckled. “Did she really change that much?”

“I honestly don’t know,” Bert admitted as he leaped over a set of boulders in their way. “She was always kind of centered around what she wanted, but since it was always something I wanted or could give her, I saw it more as being driven, ya know?”

“But now you can’t,” Bell said.

“Yes, so I suddenly became less important, at least in the short term.” He felt Bell stiffen up for a second. “But she was always quite weak before. Not a lot of money or power, so… I think that is what made me expendable.” He swallowed, but it was easier to talk about now. “She’s powerful, independent, and having a blast. To come back to me would mean sacrificing something she always wanted.” He laughed. “The crazy thing is, I never saw it coming.”

“So you think she will come back to you?” Bell asked, her voice distant.

“Probably? Some day?” Bert laughed. “But I’m not interested.”

“What?” Bell sounded shocked, which he guessed he couldn’t blame her for.

“She tossed me aside because she didn’t need me right then,” Bert said simply. “That’s not a forever person. It’s a now and then person.”

“So what? You hate your wife now?” Bell asked.

“No!” Bert laughed. “I’m angry at her, sure. But I’ll always care for her. But I don’t love her that way anymore.” He stopped, taking a deep breath and looking around. “I’m sure we’ll be friends. Eventually. But she dumped me after abandoning me. That is going to take time to fade.”

“I guess,” Bell said. “Does it still hurt that she dumped you?”

“No!” Bert smiled. “It pisses me off, but it doesn’t hurt.”

“So, bye-bye, Gwen? Look for someone new?” Bell sounded hopeful.

“No!” Bert said with certainty.

“Wait!” Bell hopped off his shoulder and stood in his way, her arms crossed. “Why not?”

“Can we not do this right now?” Bert huffed.

“No!” Bell demanded. “I want to know why you won’t move on!”

“I didn’t say I wasn’t moving on!” Bert snapped. “I said I wasn’t looking for someone new!”

“Why not?” Bell rolled her eyes.

“I’m not saying!” Bert insisted.

Bell grinned. “Yes, you bloody are.”

“Bell!” Bert warned as she drew her Ringer and enlarged it. “What are you doing?”

“I want the answer, Caretaker.” Her eyes sparkled.

“Piss off pixie,” Bert smirked, “This isn’t the time and place.”

“Tough!” Bell slammed Ringer into the ground, causing it to crack. “Tell me, or I make you tell me!”

“Nope!” Bert refused, summoning his shield. “This isn’t how I want to do this.”

“Do what?” Bell growled in frustration. She flung Ringer off to the side. “Just tell me!” She stormed up to him, “Why won’t you find someone new?”

“Because I already have,” Bert grinned.

“You better bloody mean me!” Bell growled.

“I do,” Bert smiled.