Martial Preparations IV

[Iwant2bafencer]

Rosaline and Rylus had been sitting in her room for the entire day, just talking. Something that had not had the chance to do in a very long time.

Late in the afternoon, early evening, a knock came at her door.

"Yes?" She called.

One of her captains opened the door slightly, poking his head around.

"I'm sorry to disturb you my lady." He nodded in respect.

"It's alright, come in. What can I do for you?" She asked, moving to pour a bit of wine for herself.

"It has come to my attention, that there was an attempt to kill the Lady Moon." He replied, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him.

Rosaline froze, her cup halfway to her mouth.

"When?" She questioned.

"Just an a few hours ago. I would have told you earlier, but I did not get the report until a few minutes ago. I came straight to you." He nodded again.

"That's alright, thank you for coming so quickly. Do we know who it was?"

"Yes my lady, they were from Muu." He replied.

Rosaline's face hardened. "I knew it."

"Knew what?" Rylus asked.

"The King of Muu is slim, Nækos threatened him that if he should try to harm Moon or Meekal he would kill him. Apparently he went back on his oath."

She turned to the Captain.

"Is that everything?"

"Yes ma'am, that and there is a new prisoner." He replied.

"You mean besides the Muuvians."

"The Muuvians are dead my lady. This one tried to attack a woman on the street."

"Anyone in particular that they attacked?" She asked.

"I've seen her around the castle my lady, all I could see was that she had red hair." He stated.

"Thank you Captain, you may go."

The soldier bowed with a fist to his heart and then left.

"Let's go check on Moon shall we?" She said to Rylus, finally taking a sip from her cup.

"You go, I'm going to go check on Kiera." Rylus replied, standing.

"Why what's wrong with her?" Rosaline asked.

"Nothing." Rylus smiled and then left.


Rosaline reached Moon's door to find it guarded.

"Any trouble since the attack?" She asked the men.

"No my lady." one of them answered.

"Very well," Rosaline nodded. "let me through."

The men stepped aside, and Rosaline knocked softly on the door before opening it.

She nodded to Ken-Dall and Willow before looking to Moon.

"How are you Moon? Is there anything I can get you?" She asked.

[Moonitic]

"Now? I have had so much company that I think I want to be alone now," Moon answered honestly from her place on the bed. Since the incident of her attack, she had crawled out from under her covers & had changed into a blouse & breeches, which gave her some comfort as her outfit of choice. Her color had returned, yet she still looked a shadow of her former self.

The women looked at one another, eyebrows raised in concern. Roz glanced around at the guard who stood, weapons at the ready for another attack. "I really don't think that's a good idea..." she said.

"I do. I am sure that I am quite safe at this point. And after such a difficult few months I believe some 'target practice' on my part would be welcome if anyone did attempt to harm me a second time," Moon stated. She raised her chin in determination, as false as it was. She simply could not stand to be watched anymore. "Now please, go. All of you."

Ken-Dall was the first to stand. She shrugged, saying, "Whatever you want, Your Highness." She snickered when her sister cast her a glare. "Come along, Rosaline...Willow." Then, she leaned over the baby & said, "You too, Daphne." Then, she looked at the other figures surrounding the room & whispered to Rosaline, "You can call off your men, too."

"I wish I could," Rosaline said. "They are under the command of the Swordsman. Nothing I can do about that." All of the women glanced at them. They stood, stone faced. One nodded in affirmation. Rosaline looked to Moon & said, "I am sorry. Until he returns, you are stuck with them."

Moon scowled. Then, a quiet growl. "Lovely," she muttered. But deep down, she was grateful for their presence. Particularly when the memories of the recent past returned. She bid farewell to the ladies, then moved to her desk, hoping to do some writing that she had cast away for far too long. The door clicked, indicating that they had left. She was 'alone', at least away from those who talked.

[Darion McNair]

Senyik, Darion and Taebryn talked for a very long time. The two warriors found out more about the girl with every passing minute. What she liked to do, the fact that she could cook, the stories she could tell, all interested them. Her life had been greatly affected by the soldiers and laws of Muu far beyond the death of her parents.

The farming industry of Muu was nothing but sharecropping on government land, or so she said. The government forced them to do anything it felt like, and the threat of land repossession or even death was always at the tail end of it.

“My parents had already paid their taxes.” Taebryn said, a thousand mile stare filling her eyes. “The king wanted more and my parents couldn’t afford it. Harvest time was a while away and we had very little money left.”

Darion looked to Senyik. The king of Muu was long dead by now and he knew it.

“Taebryn, the king of Muu has paid for what he’s done to your parents, trust me.” He told her. She nodded slowly.

Moments passed without a word from any of them. Senyik finally broke the silence.

“So now what?” he said.

“Well,” Darion began, “I have to be heading back to the castle. The guards that are watching over Lady Moon are in my charge and I should be there too. You two are welcome to come."

“Sure why not?” Senyik replied, getting up from where he sat.

“Okay let’s go.” Taebryn echoed the agreement. She forced a smile, trying suppress the emotions that were clearly running through her mind. The three made their way to the castle, talking as they went.

[Darion McNair]

After getting by the gate guards, the three made their way up to Lady Moon’s chamber. Walking down the hall they were just about to go in when Darion heard a familiar voice addressing him.

“I wouldn’t go in there if I were you.” Ken-Dall told him. She was walking down the hall from the other direction.

“Why’s that?” Darion asked. “I’m supposed to be in there. Those guards are under my command.” Ken-Dall shrugged, glancing at Senyik and Taebryn before looking back at him and shrugging.

“Suit yourself darling, but she really wants to be alone.”

Darion took the advice of his Love into account but walked in anyway.

“Is that your girlfriend?” Taebryn asked as they walked in, Darion ignored the question.


“Oh great, more people!” Lady Moon exclaimed seeing the three of them walking in.

“I’m supposed to be here, my lady.” Darion told her.

“And if he’s here then I might as well be here just in case.” Senyik added.

“And I can keep you company!” Taebryn said, sounding cheerful. Moon put her face down into her sheets again before looking up at Taebryn.

“But that’s just the thing dear, I don’t want . . . oh never mind.” She let out a heavy sigh.

[Swordsman]

Moon breathed a sigh of relief as the odd trio left her room again a few minutes later, owing to a severe lack of conversation. It turned into a sigh of defeat, however, as a shadow slipped in through the not-yet-closed door.

"You're back," she told the Swordsman.

"I am. And we have to talk."

[Moonitic]

"It seems that everyone wants to do that all of a sudden," Moon bitterly mused. "But first, could you please call off your men? I'm feeling quite safe, thank you." She folded her arms across her chest, her face stuck in a scowl. For a brief moment she wondered if she'd ever have cause to smile again.

[Swordsman]

For the sake of clarity: This is evening again, not quite forty eight hours after the attacks.

----------------------------

"Dismissed." With the single word, the men nodded and filed silently out of the room. "Better?"

"Much." His sarcastimeter twitched some, but he couldn't tell if it was a false reading or not.

"So you think I hate you."

"Don't you?"

"I do not. What makes you think so?"

[Moonitic]

"Hmm...let me think..." She rose from the bed, finger to her chin, & began to pace as he watched. "You treated me SO well at the Inn. As though it were my fault that a spell was put on me. Yes, I so wanted a botched love spell to be put on me, & a crazy, jealous brother of the king to be the one who caused it, & I so wanted to become pregnant without the benefit of marriage first." She stopped to face him, & clenched her fists at her sides. "I am not the horrible creature you think I am. I may have pushed Meekal away in the past, but I did not do it because I disliked him, or wanted to mislead him. At that point, we could not have come together. Not if it meant Arconia's demise. I love this kingdom far too much to see it fall." She took a breath, then rambled on. "And I fully intended to break the news as to who the father of my child was. But I rather hoped that Arcon would have been here to face his wife with me. Trust me, he has a lot to answer for in THAT respect. Yes, I am imperfect. I'm a horrible brat who ran away from duty, refused to listen to those in authority & yes, now I'm paying for it. But NO ONE, including you, can make me feel as rotten about this as I have made myself!"


(ed. note...whew! THAT was fun!)

[Moonitic]

Meanwhile, outside Moon's door, a considerable crowd had gathered.

"Think they'll kill each other in there?" someone asked.

"I dunno...think we should take bets?"

"Too close to call."

"Right," said Rosaline. "The Swordsman versus a pregnant Moon...frightening odds." It was only when people stared at her that she realized what she said. "Oops." She gave a weak smile.

[Swordsman]

Nækos walked slowly to the side of the room as Moon ran out of gas (air, that is), and took a seat.

"At the inn, I advised you quite strongly to treat Meekal better than you had in the past. The situation regarding the three kingdoms is no excuse. As I just demonstrated today, other means of safety are possible. Additionally, you were presuming the wedding would be announced to anybody outside the kingdom - or even outside the castle. And regardless, it is possible to treat a person as more than something to be scraped from your boot, without marrying them. I think even I manage that much, for the most part. I have not said you are a horrible creature, nor did I ever put blame on you for what happened in the tunnel - I thought it seemed, despite your obvious continued attraction to Arcon, rather unlike you. I would have imagined that he attacked you, actually, before I would have imagined you did so willingly. That it was a spell only further underscores my deep-seated hatred for all forms of witchcraft." He took a breath. "I must apologize for the incident concerning Zelda. I actually did not intend to break the news that fast; I had planned on leaving it until after the meeting. That was not meant against you. That was unfortunately having to carry through with my word. If one makes a threat, one must keep it. I am sorry that it had to involve you.

"So. With all that said - what makes you think I hate you? Disregarding the more recent past, and considering the lengths I have gone to, many times before, to get you back from others, what makes you think I have changed so much? Even the night you were attempting to kill Arcon and the queen, I still attempted to take you alive. Does that not mean a thing?"

[Moonitic]

Moon snorted. "Hardly. One can still do one's duty while hating someone. I'm sure you of all people know that. And wasn't it your 'duty' to keep me alive?" She hunkered down into her chair, arms folded. "Of every other person in this kingdom who has had anything to do with me, you have been the last person to genuinely TALK to me like a person. I am a person. I am not something that must be locked away & protected, or talked to like a stupid child. And save the 'you act like a child' tripe. I am really not in the mood for it." Though he may have been trying to make amends did not matter to Moon. She was in a foul mood, & that foul mood was amplified by the hormones coursing through her veins. And for some reason, his calm directness just aggravated her even more.

[Swordsman]

"In that case," Nækos immediately replied, "I will skip the rhetorical questions that are obviously not working, and become more direct. I do what I can to protect you, not out of duty. I do it because I love you, as I would a sister. I never have hated you, nor do I think I ever will."

[Moonitic]

All the pent up tension that filled Moon immediately deflated. She sagged in the chair, staring at him with a furrowed brow. "Oh..." she said. "Well..." She sat there for a moment, at a loss. Then, as quickly as the anger came, so did the tears. "Here I thought you hated me all this time...I'm so stupid! And now I see you don't, & I feel so rotten. And now Meekal is gone, after killing someone in such a horrible way...it was just HORRIBLE! And he's gone to kill his father. That makes him King! I'm so confused. I don't know what to do anymore!" she wailed, sobbing into her hands.

Outside the room, several ears were pressed to the door. "What's he doing to her?" Ken-Dall growled.

"It doesn't sound good," Willow noted.

"Shhh!" Tæbryn said, waving a hand. Instantly, they all settled down.

[Swordsman]

Nækos sighed. Women. Can't live with 'em, can't behead 'em...

"No, not stupid. You know as well as anyone I don't exactly show emotion, and cold is usually read as hatred." He stood, walked over near her, offered a hand. She took it, and he pulled her to her feet; it was about another half-second before she was on his shoulder. Nækos reached his arms around her, slowly closing them; his hands touched her back gingerly, as if she was something extremely hot; then again; finally he made himself actually put his arms around her shoulders. "The old king of Muu is dead; Meekal is king now. You will be his queen very soon. What he did, he did out of love for you. What you saw when he attacked the assassin...that is hatred. But know that all that he does, he does for love of you."

Tæbryn pulled her ear away from the door. "She pulled the crying card!" All the men in the group cringed.

[Moonitic]

It was at that time that Meekal appeared, striding quickly toward the group. He saw the looks on their faces as the leaned toward the door, listening to something within. "Uh...hi everyone," he said to the company as he slowed. "What's going on?"

They stole glances as one another, silently debating whether or not to tell him what they heard. Instead, they grinned & pointed at the door. "Be our guest," Darion said.

"Oooh kay..." Meekal opened the door & entered the room, the others saying, "He was such a nice boy" before curiosity got the best of them & caused them to follow him in.

What they all saw when they entered was enough to stop a bull from charging. "Oooh kay..." they said as a collective, eyes wide.

[Swordsman]

"Who's the black guy?" somebody asked.

"It's the Swordsman...and...he's hugging...Lady Moon..."

Sadly, nobody thought it strange when she shied away from Meekal's approach. Nækos held her fast, however, not letting her move around behind him. "No, no. You know him. He is still Meekal. And he still loves you far more than I ever could."

"I saw what he did..."

"I've done worse, I promise. Go to him..." The Swordsman slowly peeled her off, guiding her to Meekal. The look on the new king's face could have moved pity in even his late father.

[Moonitic]

"What is going on here?" Meekal asked, voice thick & dry, even as an invisible knife pierced his heart. He looked to Nækos, who looked to Moon. "Princess? Are you all right? What happened?" He attempted to catch her hand, but she avoided his touch, keeping her eyes to the ground.

"You," she uttered, her voice small but firm. Then, she looked up at him, her gaze accusing. "What have you done?"

Meekal took a step toward her, reaching yet catching nothing. "You heard him. I love you. I did it for you. That man would have killed you if I hadn't have done it." His imploring gaze begged her to understand.

"And your...father?" she choked, tears flowing again. "Meekal, you killed him!"

"Who do you think sent that man?" His voice rose & she cringed from it. He immediately lowered his voice. "If I didn't do it, we would have died. You, specifically, would have died. I had to do it." He tried to smile. A little glimmer of hope. "Don't you see? We can get married now? We have nothing to worry about!"

"No."

The assembly behind Meekal stared on at the proceedings, watching in uncertain silence. At Moon's statement, they all gasped. Then, their eyes turned to the only person who seemed in command of his emotions & the situation. Nækos. Only then, could anyone blink.

[Swordsman]

The Swordsman cleared his throat, astoundingly loud in the quiet room. He leaned in close to Moon. "You are pregnant, my dear. You are also unmarried. This first fact will begin to show very soon. I suggest that you be married for some time before it becomes noticeable, especially if you are to be queen."

[Moonitic]

"I really don't CARE anymore!" Moon shouted, whirling on Nækos, who stood there, arms folded, as though he expected it. "Maybe I don't want to be queen. Maybe I don't care what people say. Maybe I'll just run off & be alone!"

"Here we go again," Willow muttered.

[Swordsman]

The Swordsman had a way with word. Not words, just word. This one was, "out". And everybody left the room. He kicked the door closed behind the last one. The next word was, "down". Amazingly, Moon sat. Then he switched to multiple words, which unfortunately never works as well.

"It's time you started caring, your highness. You are out of chances to be selfish, and I don't care if you're pregnant or not. We leave tomorrow on a new expedition. You must be married by then."