Chapter Two Hundred Eleven: 'A grounded blade...'

There was no arguing with the King, it seemed. The man had made up his mind, and after receiving permission from the Queen, Lynnette Edith ended up staying at Warrenhold as well. The King's personal attendants seemed a bit upset by the sudden change in plans, but their displeasure quickly vanished once they realized that they would be receiving the next three days off, along with free lodging at The Blue Star--one of the most prestigious hotels in the nation.

As for herself, Lynnette didn't particularly mind staying. It was unexpected, sure, and she'd been planning to spend most of the weekend with her family, but after one phone call, they were very understanding.

Just another perk of having such a royalist family. When the King or Queen made a request, all was forgiven.

But boy, this place was quite a bit crazier than she'd expected. And these Rainlords... she found herself increasingly fascinated by them.

In recent months, she'd gotten accustomed to strangers acting warily or uncomfortably around her, thanks to the unremovable half-gauntlet on her left arm, but these people weren't afraid of her at all. If anything, they seemed more intrigued by the gauntlet.

She wondered if she had Hector to thank for their behavior. Had he told them all about her situation beforehand? Or were the Rainlords just like this all the time?

It was almost a problem, actually. Many of them were so interested in talking to her that it became difficult to stick by King William's side. It bothered her at first, but the King kept telling her to relax.

So she did. Or tried to, at least.

Thankfully, she could always find him and Hector together. The King had not been exaggerating when he said that he enjoyed Hector's company, apparently.

His Highness had been different, of late. Where before, the man had acted so reserved and hardly even visible in comparison to the Queen, now he was full of life and enthusiasm in virtually everything he did. And he seemed increasingly given to making spur-of-the-moment decisions, as well.

Lynnette had started noticing this behavioral shift a while ago, but here at Warrenhold, it was more obvious than ever. This whole trip still struck her as a bit strange, honestly.

It wasn't her place to question these things aloud, of course, but given the turbulent times currently facing the nation, she felt that she should be on the lookout for any and all possible warning signs. That was why, at first, she'd had the dreadful thought that perhaps King William had decided to stay at Warrenhold a bit longer because he wanted more time away from the Queen.

Thankfully, however, that worry was promptly obliterated when she noticed the King talking to the Queen over the phone for over two hours straight before finally going to sleep. She'd only intended to check on him, not eavesdrop from the other side of his door, but that was exactly what she'd ended up doing.

And now she was confident. They definitely were not having marital problems.

Never in her life had Lynnette ever gone so quickly from feeling relieved to annoyed. It had been like listening to an adolescent couple talking over the phone for the very first time.

It did get her thinking, though. If the King wasn't trying to get away from his wife, then what exactly was the point of spending so much time here? Obviously, he was enjoying himself, but was that really all it was?

She considered just asking him directly, but for some reason, she found that difficult. She had a pretty good rapport with the Queen, but she'd never really found the opportunity to build anything similar with the King. It felt somehow improper to question His Highness like that, especially with so many people around.

At length, however, on their third day at Warrenhold, she finally came up with a workaround to that problem.

She could just ask Hector.

With as much as he'd been talking to the King in the past two days, Hector probably knew him better than she did now.

...Wait, really?

Yikes.

Was that a testament to just how much Hector had been talking to the King? Or a testament to how much she hadn't been?

Probably both.

Regardless, it bothered her.

When everyone was having breakfast together, Lynnette saw her opportunity. While the King was engrossed in a conversation with a giant Rainlord, she grabbed Hector by the arm and pulled him aside.

"I need to ask you something," she whispered. "Has His Highness told you anything about why he decided to extend his stay here?"

Hector's eyes looked like they were trying to escape from his head.

Lynnette was just confused. "What's wrong?"

Hector didn't say anything. His gaze went to her hands, which were still holding his arm.

She took the hint and decided to remove them. "Ah... Sorry, do you not like to be touched?"

Still, he remained silent, though at least the expression on his face had returned to normal.

She honestly had no idea what he was thinking at all, anymore. Had his poker face evolved since he'd been out of the country? Granted, she'd never really been the best at reading people's emotions, but she at least recalled being able to tell when he was uncomfortable before.

"Hector?" she prodded. "Did you hear what I asked?"

"...The King," said Hector.

And that was it, apparently.

"Yes," she said slowly, nodding her head. "Did you hear the rest of what I asked you?"

Hector just looked at her a moment. Then he shook his head.

Lynnette took a deep breath. "His Highness. Did he tell you why he decided to extend his stay here? At Warrenhold?"

There arrived more silence as Hector stared at her blankly again.

She was trying to be patient and not succeeding. "Hector..."

"...Supporting the Queen," said Hector.

Well, that was something at least, but Lynnette was still confused. "What?"

"...Staying here. He's supporting the Queen. Is what he told me."

"Okaaay... but how does that work, exactly? How is him staying here supporting Her Highness?"

Again, Hector was silent.

Lynnette just waited this time. She felt like he was probably trying to tell her. He would manage to do it, eventually.

Hopefully.

"...The King said... that he has more freedom than the Queen, right now. Because she's so, er, busy. Everyone's watching her every move. Trying to, uh, read her intentions. Politically."

As she considered what she'd just been told, Lynnette turned back to the sight of King William sitting there, smiling and laughing in the middle of a bunch of Rainlords.

She felt like she understood. It was true that the media's interest in King William was significantly less than that of the Queen. It wasn't nonexistent, of course, but comparatively speaking, he definitely had more flexibility. With only a little bit of cloak and dagger, they'd managed to make it all the way here to Warrenhold without alerting any reporters.

But Lynnette had to wonder if Hector didn't have something to do with that, too. His relationship with the media was probably just as volatile as the Queen's, if not even more so--especially with that new bank of his attracting so much attention.

Unlike the Queen, however, the Lord Darksteel of Warrenhold never gave interviews.

And Lynnette could practically taste the saltiness of the media over that fact.

As much as they loved him, they also seemed to resent him. Lynnette remembered a few months ago--before she and Hector had gone off to Sair with Prince Meriwether--the reporters had been crawling all over this place. But now, they were all gone. They'd all given up by now.

Of course, that had also made things easier for the King. It would've been quite obnoxious if they'd had to go through an army of cameras and microphones at Warrenhold's front gate.

"So the King is hoping to build a strong relationship with the Rainlords for the Queen's sake," said Lynnette.

"...Probably," said Hector. "But... I think he also just really likes spending time with them."

"Yeah, that's pretty clear. They're a wealth of historical knowledge, which is obviously relevant to his interests."

Hector just nodded and said nothing more.

Lynnette was not surprised by this.

By the look of it, however, the King was still quite deep into a conversation with the giant Rainlord. They didn't seem like they would be wrapping up anytime soon.

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Which left her and Hector just standing there together. Observing. In silence.

Should she try to come up with another topic of conversation? It certainly didn't seem like Hector was going to.

Agh, and why the hell was that, anyway? From what she'd seen in the past few days, he didn't seem to be having much trouble starting conversations with other people, anymore. She'd watched him get along perfectly well with loads of different Rainlords by now.

And okay, sure, maybe they were a special case for him since they'd all apparently been through so much together. Fine.

But he was also getting along super well with the King, and those two definitely hadn't been through that much together--certainly not more than Hector had been through with her, at least.

Why was it only with her that he was still going all quiet?

What sense did that make, huh?

What possible... reason... could there be...?

Hmm?

No.

No, that was ridiculous. There was no way.

What kind of arrogant thinking was that, anyway? The idea that Hector might be...?

No.

Impossible.

Right?

But what other reason could there be? If Hector was acting normally with everyone except her, then...?

These questions were not helping the atmosphere at all.

Lynnette was suddenly feeling so intensely uncomfortable that she was beginning to wonder how Hector could stand there looking so calm and collected.

Wasn't he supposed to be the awkward one here? What, was he just accustomed to it now or something?

No, she must've just been overthinking it. Hector was a lord now. If anything, he was probably looking down on her.

No, wait, he wasn't like that. She knew that much about him, didn't she? What the hell was going through her head, right now?

Her brain was just trying to come up with excuses for why Hector... for why Hector...

Agh, she could hardly even articulate it to herself.

This was absurd. She was a member of the Queen's Guard. She was the White Sword of Atreya. How could she allow herself to be getting flustered over such a trifling thing? Was she a child?

She recalled the Queen teasing her about this very subject. And she recalled Hector running away from a conversation soon thereafter. And she also recalled Hector telling her later that it had been because of an upset stomach...

And now...

Wow.

She felt really stupid all of a sudden--and for contradictory reasons, somehow. It seemed obvious that Hector felt some sort of way about her, and yet, it also didn't. Like she was just being full of herself, expecting something when she shouldn't.

Well...

It might've been true that, for all the composure that Lynnette tried to exhibit outwardly, she didn't really have much experience with... this sort of thing.

She'd experienced a couple brief crushes in middle and high school, perhaps, but she'd never pursued them or even given them much real thought. She hadn't had the time. She'd known since she was ten years old that she wanted to join the Queen's Guard. Well, okay, back then it had technically been the King's Guard, but still. She had devoted herself utterly to that end.

While her time in high school certainly hadn't been as irregular as Hector's, it would be inaccurate to say that it had been normal. Unlike many other countries, Atreya didn't have any military academies that Lynnette could have enrolled in, so instead, she had often missed school in order to attend various "training regiments."

That was the only term that really suited them, because they were all so different--both in subject matter and in general quality of instruction. Karate, jujitsu, wrestling, swimming, endurance training, cross-country running; and then, of course, there were all the different types of weapons training--swords, firearms, pole arms, knives--even bow hunting and nunchakus, briefly.

She had dipped her toe into just about everything she laid her eyes on in the last ten years. That was not to say that she was truly proficient in all of those things, however. A single weapon could be studied for decades without ever achieving mastery over it or its kind. She had primarily just wanted to expand her martial knowledge base while searching for a discipline that she felt suited her best.

Firearm training was a no-brainer. Lynnette was of the opinion that every woman should know how to handle a basic pistol, at the very least. There was no greater equalizer between the genders than that, she felt. So, of course, she had ended up devoting considerable time to learning the ins-and-outs of many different types of guns.

However, nothing else had ever resonated with her quite as well as swords did. There was just something about them that she loved. Perhaps it was the myriad of ways that they could be used. Some were small; some were huge. Some were for slicing; some were for poking. Some were elegant; some were beastly. And there was an artistry to them, both in their use and in their craftsmanship. Not to mention their history.

Were she to look back on that first encounter with Abolish at Belgrant Castle, when she had fought Desmond Grantier and met Hector for the first time, Lynnette might have liked a gun on her waist instead of her sword--or preferably, in addition to her sword--but back then, the regulations of the Queen's Guard did not allow for the carrying of firearms. Such weapons were only to be distributed by the Master of the Royal Armory after receiving permission from the either the Steward of Belgrant Castle or the Queen herself.

Lynnette had always thought that to be a rather insane policy, but rules were rules. She'd heard that the intent behind it was to make the Queen's Guard appear friendlier to the general public and not like some sort of hit squad, but even so, Lynnette was only too glad when the Queen had finally changed that rule. Now everyone in the Guard had to carry their assigned service rifle with them whenever they were on duty.

Not that it mattered terribly for Lynnette, now. This aberration gauntlet of hers was far deadlier than just about any gun she had ever seen.

Regardless, all of this was to say that Lynnette Edith had experienced a rather abnormal school life, even when compared to the other members of the Queen's Guard. Most of them were sons or daughters of lesser nobles, and they had received their training from more formal sources.

Assuming they actually had received training, that was. For a few of them, that had been quite questionable.

Thankfully, however, ever since she'd been promoted to the Queen's personal bodyguard and become the White Sword of Atreya, Lynnette had gained enough clout to actually go around and ensure that all Guardsmen truly were qualified for the positions they occupied. That certainly hadn't earned her any new friends, but she didn't much care. She'd already been on fairly bad terms with most of them, anyway.

Which was, perhaps, another reason why she didn't have much romantic experience.

And so, with her mind currently swirling with uncertainty, Lynnette felt simultaneously as if she should say something to Hector and also as if she was incapable of doing so.

Was this really happening, right now? Well, no, it actually wasn't, judging from the way Hector wasn't even paying attention to her at the moment. He was still just observing the King, calm as could be. He probably wasn't giving her presence a second thought.

In fact, now that she was thinking about it, he'd been that way during most of this visit--focusing on the King so much, never really talking to her.

If she were an insecure person, she might've suspected that he was purposely avoiding her.

Yeah. If she were insecure.

Very much if.

...He was definitely avoiding her, wasn't he?

That jerk.

Ugh, what was wrong with her? Her head was all over the place. She needed to organize her thoughts. And her feelings, apparently.

Was she really flustered? Why? For what purpose? Because of Hector? He was three years younger than her. And he was a lord now. Oh, and he lived way out here in Gray Rock. How would they even be able to...? Long distances were... She didn't know if...

Wow, she was getting ahead of herself.

Did she even like Hector in that way?

Honestly, did she?

She just kind of stared at the ground as she thought about that. All the excuses in her mind, while still present, took a back to seat to that one, singular question.

And she didn't have an answer.

She liked him as a friend, certainly. She liked him as a friend a lot. He might've been one of her favorite people, truthfully.

But...

Beyond that?

It was just... hard to picture. This whole time, it had been, she realized.

She couldn't really imagine herself and Hector being together romantically.

Was that... bad?

Because it didn't seem good.

Lynnette was only growing more uncomfortable by the minute. If Hector really did harbor such feelings for her, then she had no idea what she should do. What if he actually asked her out on a date? Should she turn him down? But he was so nice... and... the last thing she wanted to do was hurt her friend's feelings.

But maybe that would be even worse? Pitying him like that? Wouldn't she be the one looking down on him, in that case? The very opposite of what she'd been worrying about a minute ago?

Agh! Why was this shit so stressful?!

"Everything alright?" came a familiar voice, making Lynnette snap to attention and see the King standing there in front of the two of them.

When the hell had he walked over here? Dear goddess, had she been that lost in thought just now? Even Hector was looking at her with apparent concern on his face.

"Yeah, everything's fine," said Lynnette. She was a bit surprised at how calm she was able to make herself sound.

The King gave her a lingering look but said nothing more of the matter. After another moment, he smiled and placed his lone hand on Hector's shoulder. "Well, in any case, I had an idea. You are still concerned about House Gaolanet, no?"

Hector gave a hesitant nod.

"Then, I say the three of us pay their estate a visit," said the King.

Hector's eyes widened a little. "Uh. Didn't you tell me that was a bad idea?"

"Ah, yes, well, perhaps you misheard me," said the King.

Hector's brow depressed a little. "I'm pretty sure I didn't, Your Highness. You said that dropping in on them unannounced would be really impolite and upset them."

The King's smile broadened. "I am not proposing that we go there unannounced. I will give them ample warning... of an hour or two."

Lynnette felt compelled to interject. "Your Highness, I'm not sure that would be wise."

"Oh, don't be a stick-in-the-mud, Ms. Edith."

Lynnette just kind of blinked as she tried to comprehend the fact that the King, of all people, had said that to her.

Hector spoke up again. "So if we called the Queen and told her of your intentions here, then--"

"You would be needlessly bothering her," the King said. "She is incredibly busy with matters in Sescoria."

"...And you don't think she'd be worried about the danger that you'd be putting yourself in?" said Hector.

"Danger?" said King William. "What danger would that be?"

"Well, there's the whole thing about how I suspect House Gaolanet might be murdering people..."

"And I am being accompanied by two of the nation's most powerful warriors," said the King. "Besides, do you honestly believe that the Gaolanets would harm their rightful king? How would that make any sense at all?"

"...I don't know," Hector admitted, "but that's also kinda the problem. We don't know that much about them."

"I have to agree, Your Highness," Lynnette added.

The King took a deep breath. "Listen, you two. There are times when bold action is necessary. We have here one such occasion. If we allow this opportunity to slip by, if we play it safe and take our time, then we will be giving the Gaolanets the chance to prepare. And they have a long history of skillful concealment. If we do not catch them unawares, then I fear the truth of things will remain forever in the dark."

Lynnette exchanged flat looks with Hector.

"Call the Queen," he said.

"On it." And Lynnette whipped out her special-issue cellphone.

The King just groaned.

It took a bit of time for the end-to-end encrypted signal to go through, but soon enough, Lynnette had the Queen on the line and was explaining the situation to her.

<"I see,"> came the Queen's voice after having been put on speaker. <"Hmm.">

The three of them just waited for her to think it over. The King looked like he wanted to say something, but if he did, he kept it to himself.

<"William...">

"Yes, darling?"

<"Why do you wish to go personally?">

The King held his hand to his chin for a moment, apparently considering his next words carefully. "I have three reasons," he said. "The first is that, if the request for a meeting comes from me, the Goalanets will not be able to refuse or delay. If it comes from Hector, they might turn him down, reschedule, or otherwise give him the runaround.

"Secondly, it would be disrespectful to House Gaolanet if I sent someone in my stead. We do not have proof of their wrongdoing, and they may in fact be perfectly innocent. For the moment, I believe they are still deserving of honor and courtesy as a noble House of Atreya.

"And my final reason, is that I genuinely do wish to meet with Hanton Gaolanet. Knowing all that I do now, of servants and reapers and the wider world they inhabit, there are many questions I would like to ask that man, because I suspect he may have answers--or at least, an interesting perspective."

For a time, the Queen was silent, until at length, she said, <"Very well. You have convinced me. Lynnette, Hector. Please take good care of my husband.">