As the sun crested over the distant Rhydian Mountains, Leona was standing in front of the large window that looked out over the eastern portion of the city. The beams of sunlight piercing through the morning clouds of the incoming storm made this view infinitely more beautiful.
After a few moments of taking in the sight, she turned to her bedside table, and realized that there was no breakfast waiting for her there.
I miss Meliss. She would always bring me a morning snack, even knowing I would rarely ever eat it. I hope she's alright over there with Thoma, the Master, and… Bernar. By the Graces, I miss them all. I want to see them again, but I don't think it would be good for me to do that right now. Not with the country being in the state it's in, and the work we still have to do to fix what happened just a few months ago, she thought.
After letting out a mildly frustrated sigh, she turned away from the bedside table, and put on the dress she had laid out for herself the previous night. Just to avoid Clare's morning breath, she thought, chuckling slightly at the memory of her and Meliss sharing whispered words that one morning.
The day dragged on, as multiple meetings with local leaders and market managers began to bore her to death. This, however, wasn't enough to stop her from going out to the training yard to briefly observe Neko and Marte's training with Thorsen.
I can't quite make out what they're saying, but the way they speak to each other kind of reminds me of Bernar and his little brother. The sheer amount of back-talk is incredible. I wonder where they got that from, she pondered, placing the tip of her finger on her chin, as she tried to imagine what their parents must look like.
I'd wager it was the father that taught them that, she concluded. There's just no way their mother is anything like them.
"Your majesty," a familiar voice sounded off from behind her. "Fulco, my dear!" she said excitedly as she turned to meet her attendant who was accompanied by two guardsmen. "Oh, like you two don't know who this is," she jested at the guardsmen. They both looked at each other, shrugged, and bowed their own dismissal.
"How have you been, my old friend? It is good to see you again," she said, nearly embracing him. His features had been roughened, and a closely kept beard grew on his face. The bags under his eyes were tell-tale signs that sleep had been absent in recent days or weeks, but otherwise, he held a smile, with both arms clasped behind his back.
"I have fared well enough, considering the circumstances, your majesty," Fulco said, tears welling in his eyes. "The escape must have been difficult for you," she realized, recalling hers and Meliss' own flight.
"I-it was," he stammered, holding back tears. "But, that doesn't matter now. All that matters is that you're here, safe and sound!" he forced a weak smile. Leona returned the smile, but only partially. "What are you not telling me? What actually happened, Fulco?" she asked. The words, though meant in consolation, stabbed like a flaming hot iron.
"M-my lover, he… he didn't make it out," Fulco said, a single tear racing down his tense expression, as the memories began flooding in. "I only just escaped with my life and a missing arm because of his self-sacrifice. He was c-caught by one of those traitorous bastards," he said, the tear catching in his short beard as he let go of the empty sleeve he'd been holding behind his back, lowering his head.
Leona's eyes widened as a lump grew in her throat. "I-I'm so sorry, Fulco," she said, feeling her own emotions begin to well up. "It's alright, your majesty," he said, sniffling back some snot that threatened to run out of his nose. "It has been a few months now, but I still cannot get those images out of my head," he said, wiping away another set of tears.
"Enough about me and my fear of things that go bump in the night, your majesty. I'm glad to see you safe and sound! How did you manage it? There were so many of them that I… I thought you'd been taken, or worse," he said, trying to shake off the wave of emotions that ran over him. "And I would have been were it not for Meliss and Thorsen," she replied. "Meliss? The young girl from the Gramm Isles? I always did like her," Fulco said, reminiscing a little about their time together.
"Yes, she was instrumental in my success. She saved me from creatures and men alike, as well as helped me become more acquainted with some of the synners that came to our aid," she briefly explained. Fulco's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean to tell me that those… brutes helped save you? By the gods, where have I been?" he asked in shock.
"You'd be surprised to find they can be gentle, warm, and kind, though more than capable of doing whatever is necessary to rid this world of evil," she said, furrowing her brow a little. "Besides, you'd be even more surprised to find how good some of them are in bed, what with being so isolated and all," she immediately turned her thoughts to Bernar.
Fulco, on the other hand, nearly fainted with her words. "Your majesty! You have to be careful that those around you won't use it against you," he said, putting his hand over his mouth and looking around frantically to see if anyone had heard what she said. "But since I am no such person: Spill it," he said, a wry smile showing on his face. "Gladly," she returned the grin.
The setting sun cast darkened shadows along the Rhydian Pass. Gwili Gwynn, leader of the bandits along the pass, patiently waited to give his other members the command to pounce on an unsuspecting caravan. While there were plenty of merchants who had come through that day, this one was special in that it carried a lot of precious materials and gold to help rebuild Coltend castle. While it wasn't uncommon for kingdoms to send wealth to one another in support or solidarity, this caravan was late to the endeavor.
I wonder if that tip I got from those odd-looking Harutians was right, he said, recalling their strange garb. They certainly didn't look like normal travelers, what with their odd-looking knives. That wasn't normal Harutian garb, and I knew, for the first time since that fateful duel on this pass, that I was in over my head with them, he thought.
He could see his followers already in position to strike their respective targets. He looked to his second in command, and gave him a nod to begin the raid. Arrows soared and met their targets, as the elves expertly picked off each cart's driver, bringing the caravan to a halt.
The horses became frightened by the sound of the whizzing arrows and screams of their felled drivers. The guardsmen quickly drew their swords, but by the time they could react, there was little that could be done to defend themselves nor the cargo they were meant to.
Gwili and his group's efficiency was astounding.
"Well, that worked out well. For a moment there, I thought we'd actually have to draw our swords," he said, coming down from his infamous rocky high-point. "I thought the same, though I didn't realize they'd have that many guards with them. They must've been bringing something important," Gwili's second in command said, his voice gruff and tattered by years of living roughly on the mountainside.
"Indeed, Wyrran, there were far too many this time around. Come on, let's find out what their real purpose was," Gwili replied. Wyrran's sharp eyebrows furrowed in response as he gave a curt nod. His walnut, braided hair was tied sharply behind his head, not making any movement. Gwili and Wyrran led the others from carriage to carriage, opening each and every chest along the way.