Kingsley Family/Alyssa/Lay Down Your Burdens
Co-written with Everlight Family as noted.
Aftermath of Alyssa's forced resignation as Queen of Perdan.
Contents
Changing Seasons
(Everlight-Kingsley)
Another tense day was nearing its end. At her desk in the royal apartments Isana rolled up the last of the missives from the day, her mouth set in a firm line, a crease between her brows showing the tension was within as well as without. She sighed, her hands releasing the parchment, and gazed across the room.
The blushing sunlight of early evening cast across the fireplace mantle where the paired shields with their shared heraldry hung proudly. Isana smiled wistfully at their splendor. Aly should be home by now… there’s been no messenger...
A frown tugged at one corner of her mouth. She nabbed the quill once more and scrawled a short note, then stood to foray in search of her trouble-fraught darling.
--
An autumn wind breezed through the Ducal Gardens that Alyssa had so often walked. A lone yellowed leaf fell from a tree floating gently through the air and catching on the gentle wind. Alyssa lost track of the leaf as it flew off alone into the sky. She looked back at the tree it had fallen from, its green turning colours to reds and browns, and some falling off like the one she had just seen, lost to the wind or dead scattered across the dying grass.
One by one the leaves fell, reaching their inevitable fates. Alyssa merely watched from her seat on a stone bench, lost in thought, wondering what could have been done differently, her failures swimming through her mind. She heard the crunching sound but did not take notice until the other had sat down beside her.
And you, brightest light, as well.
Alyssa said nothing, but slid her arm through Isana's and leaned her head on her shoulder, watching the leaves fall one by one towards their inevitable fates.
--
Unable to read Alyssa’s emotion, Isana simply sat close beside her, an arm around her offering warmth and support. Something had changed, some energy had dispersed; Alyssa’s head found her shoulder, leaning into the strength she offered. Isana stroked her cheek against the golden hair and pressed a kiss into it.
Before them the garden’s grove was a riot of colour. The trees celebrated the bounty of the summer that was and readied for the winter to come. It was beautiful in its timelessness, the seasons changing despite all the tribulations of the populace. Optimism.
She tightened her arm around Aly in a little one-armed hug, and quietly began to recite a poem.
“The tree that never had to fight
For sun and sky and air and light,
But stood out in the open plain
And always got its share of rain,
Never became a forest king
But lived and died a scrubby thing.
Good timber does not grow with ease:
The stronger wind, the stronger trees;
The further sky, the greater length;
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men good timbers grow.
Where thickest lies the forest growth,
We find the patriarchs of both.
And they hold counsel with the stars
Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and much of strife.
This is the common law of life.”
She nuzzled down against the silky blonde head and said quietly, “We shall be the tallest and grandest trees of all, my love. Together against the storm, always.”
Alyssa nestled back, quietly for a moment, a solitary tear sliding onto Isana's shoulder before asking in a gentle whisper. "Was it me, truly, darling? I do not know what to do."
Isana’s brows collapsed into broken heaps above pleading eyes, hearing the quiet devastation in Alyssa’s whisper. She reached both arms to wrap around her, pulling her close within their walls as though they could protect her from all that assailed her.
“Aly, Aly. Love. You have always done all you can for this realm. You can’t control others’ priorities, darling.” The wind swirled around them, lifting hair and raising goosebumps as it chased the crunching leaves around their feet. Isana held Alyssa close, warm against the chill, and continued. "My dearest. I wanted to vacation with you in sweet triumph and bliss after our wedding... but, maybe... will you come with me, now, to the Riverlands and just, be us for a while?"
Alyssa clung tighter. But I am needed... was her reflexive thought. But she could not feel needed, except for with this woman whose arms held her with strength and gentleness.
"Yes." She whispered, clinging to comfort, her shelter from the raging storm within the palace walls. "Anywhere with you."
Down by the River
(Everlight-Kingsley)
The ride to Bescanon was brief, and familiar. The little hamlets, inns, and villas Alyssa had passed back and forth countless times during her Ladyship of these verdant lands passed by, the same as they ever were. Unchanged since she first reclaimed this land in the name of Perdan so many years ago, through kings and queen this gentle country kept going on without care, unnoticed by time. Alyssa's hand held firmly to Isana's as their horses, so used to their rider's affections, rode side by side down the cobbled road towards Water Town.
Nothing had changed about this place, only her. Stealing a glance behind her, she saw only the knightly escort from the Whiteguard that followed the pair, and the little retainer of staff that travelled behind, and beyond, the silhouette of the great city of Perdan, which had been her home for years prior. She felt a draw back to the city, but also a distance, more than physical. A strangeness of uncertainty.
"What home have I..." She muttered nearly silently to herself. After a little shake of her head, Alyssa gave Isana's hand a squeeze. She was here, and there was nothing but certainty in the gentle warmth of their hands together.
" 'Sana-dear," She began shifting slightly in her saddle, "Where did you intend for us to stay? The castle in Water Town has not been occupied for some time, we will find no welcome there, my love."
Isana nodded at the assessment and a small smile, incongruent to the scene, appeared. "I have it all arranged." She gave the gloved hand in hers a fond squeeze. "I think you'll like it, too. Trust me, love. We have friends yet in Perdan." She glanced to Cedric, riding glumly along nearby, and signalled him to go on ahead.
--
The rolling countryside of Bescanon gradually revealed glimpses of its grand and shining river off to their left. Not long thereafter rose the quaint and proud little city in front of them. The retinue rode quietly in along the main road. Some shopkeepers and citizens came out to greet them or waved from windows, still pleased to see their royal presence even after recent events. Isana called a halt just before they reached Bescanon's Bloody Stump, the tavern of much repute and one of which she knew Alyssa was not fond.
Cedric jogged up to meet them on foot, a bundle of keys in one hand and several rolled parchments under his arm as well as a little ornate box, and bowed low to his Knight and her Royal Lady. "Milady, I have instructions from our host. If you would please dismount and follow me...?" As they did so he handed off most of the parchments, perhaps instructions, to other members of the staff and guard.
Alyssa watched with concern as Isana dismounted, and the staff began scurrying about.
"Isana..." She said with gentle worry. "We need not stay in such a place." The architecture of this tavern was much more refined than its counterpart in the city, but the name above the door remained the same, and brought back difficult memories of an embarrassing faux pas she was implicated in by a man who had insisted on a doomed pursuit of her some time ago.
"These places tend to be... lively, with the energy of the common folk about. I think somewhere quieter might be more suitable..."
Isana stepped closer to her mounted partner and offered a hand, smiling comfort up at her. "Don't worry, dearest, I remember your feeling about the tavern. We will not be staying in the Stump proper. Alternate arrangements are in place."
"There's a private entrance, too!" Cedric piped up, showing a ring with two keys.
The page continued, "The Castellan has made everything ready--ah, there she is." A slender, older woman dressed in fine dark clothes of a simple, almost severe style, had opened the grand gate next to the Stump and now stood formally on its threshold, waiting. Beyond her a verdant riot of a garden could be seen. Isana slid her arm around Alyssa's waist, pulled her close, and lightly kissed her cheek.
"I'd been planning to carry you over this threshold, my sky. Maybe one day that will happen, but for now let's take our tired legs and minds inside and see what awaits, hm?"
The stone garden wall and heavy wood-and-iron gate enclose arching mounds of greenery. All of the ladies' favourites are there, and despite the late season a few everblooming peonies and fragrant roses still lend their colour to the lush garden. A finely crafted stone path leads through to an impressive side door, lanterns lit to either side of it. The Castellan, Cynthia, glides along ahead of the pair to open the door and welcome them. Within the solid door a broad stair leads up to the private suite.
Our Lady
The day was warm, and mild, as it typically was in Bescanon, especially near the river. Only a mild spattering of clouds dotted the bright blue sky and a gentle morning breeze filled the air as the sun crested over the horizon. Alyssa rested her hand on the sword at her hip as she walked the path down the hill towards the riverside. Something about the river always drew her in, she felt peaceful there, the gentle sound of running water helped her focus on the present, and keep her mind away from the spray of blood and the shouts of dying people.
They had had a late night, something Alyssa was more than used to, and Isana wanted to sleep in, so Alyssa pried herself from her arms and gave her a kiss on the temple before gently running her fingers through long dark hair, teasing her lightly about a fairy tale about a sleeping beauty who needs a princess to wake her up with a kiss. Promising to return soon to lift Isana's drowsy curse, Alyssa dressed lightly in a simple white shirt and black trousers, grabbing the sword belt from beside the bed and buckling it around her waist as she left for a walk down to the river.
The cobbled path was easy and the walk downhill was short, and Alyssa wandered the banks of the great river alone, peering off at Eponllyn across on the other bank. She did not think of Eponllyn though, her mind was lost in thoughts of everything that had happened, and what she would do now. Her home did not feel as home. It felt poisoned. Even this place in its relaxing and pristine splendor felt tinged ever slightly with the lingering dread, a feeling of a serpent ready to leap out at her from the tall grass by the water's edge, or that this beautiful place was just a piece of some grander, more sinister game that she could not see.
It is not so. Alyssa reminded herself, closing her eyes and sighing. Devious, misguided, selfish, destructive, spiteful, foolish. Words that came to mind. But not evil, no malice or hatred. Just greed and lust. They did not hate her and she did not hate them. Not truly. But their selfishness and desire for power and authority over others had destroyed the vibrancy, the creativity, and the brotherhood that this realm once stood for. It would lead to evil, she knew, but it was not evil towards her. Whatever concerns she had about what stood behind this place, there was still peace to be found here.
She found herself near a familiar hillock not far from Water Town, the sun had begun rising and she realized she had walked far farther than she had planned. She looked up at the little tree sat upon its top, the same one she and Isana had sat under together many years ago. She took a seat, pulling her hair back and tying it back into a neat, simple, chignon and leaned her head back against the tree, closing her eyes and letting the gentle breeze flow over her. You are finished here. What can be done?
At this her mind thought of a prayer. She had not thought of many since the temples closed. Though her heart belonged to Isana, and her shield belonged to the weak and the innocent, her spirit was bound before the Lady Leandra. In a brief, sudden rush of piety, she slid her legs beneath, turning into a kneel, and pulled her sword from its sheathe, holding it in front of her in prayer. She spoke the little rhyme that popped into her head. Raine Gildre had taught it to her many years ago as they toured a temple and met with followers young and old, and it was not scripture, little more than a simple prayer for children, but it came to her, very suddenly, and she felt a rush of comfort in the little poem Raine had taught her.
"Our Lady,
What can be done?
When the Weary cry out
and the Wicked have won?
When the light has faded
and darkness comes,
What can be done?
What can be done?
So she speaketh:
In her, light can never fade
Behind her shield the darkness can never reach
In trust we are protected,
In faith, we are the Shield
We are the Shield
We are the Shield"
As she finished, she caught her reflection in the steel of her sword. You are finished here. She admitted swallowing the sadness. But you are not finished.
The moment passing she looked around wondering how strange she would likely look holding a sword aloft and praying to the river; if anyone had seen her, which she knew they did not, and that she was totally alone. She slid the sword back into its scabbard and leaned against the tree, closing her eyes once more and feeling the cool breeze against her skin and the comforting sounds of the gentle, running river.
The Study
Alyssa had taken over the Bescanon suite's study, histories as well as religious texts of several faiths were stacked neatly on the desk, alongside a handful of loose papers, also stacked, and organized into straightened piles. The stack of tomes contained the holy writings of the Aspects of the Flames, particularly the White Flame, as well as several old Humanist texts her uncle had sent her, finally were the collected writings of Raine Gildre carefully bound. Alyssa was aware that not all of Lady Raine's correspondences would be in that volume but there was enough there to understand the experiences and philosophy of her work. Alyssa was familiar with most of it, but the writings were a useful reference all the same. The stacks of paper contained letters to be sent and received, as well as Alyssa's own notes.
The Royal Lady adjusted her spectacles and pulled long bright golden hair that shimmered in the bright sunlight shining into the window off her neck and into a loose bun as she leafed through A Treatise on Humanity. During her sojourn in Bescanon, her hair had grown past her shoulders, longer than she usually kept it, though the distraction was minor and she paid it little mind.
A different distraction however did catch her attention as a gentle knock came at the study door.
"Enter." Alyssa said stiffly, without looking up from her book. The door opened, and Thea, a steward under Alyssa's command stepped quietly into the room carrying a small bundle of letters. It was unusual, Alyssa knew, for a common girl to serve as a close personal assistant to a Royal, but Alyssa had promised the young girl protection, and she had decided it best to at the very least make her useful, and handling her letters and dictating less important correspondence was something Alyssa felt she could do with her present condition.
Alyssa glanced at the young woman as she stood at the door. Her pregnancy was very clearly in its final stages, she wondered if it might be a good idea to relieve her of the rest of her duties until the child was born and made a mental note to inquire with Dani about the specifics.
"Letters, Your Highness. One from Lord Ulric and a... great number from the rest of the realm. She held up the stack of envelopes to show her, before rifling through it to find a particular one, unsealed. "I took the liberty of dictating a condensed summary of the letters from Lady Isana. She said you would appreciate it." Very sweet, my darling. Alyssa smiled to herself at the mention of her partner.
"Thank you, Thea." She said the brief little smile returning to her typical stoic expression, her eyes returning to the book. "By the books is fine, I'll sort it later."
"It's already sorted, Your Highness." Thea answered dutifully as stepped over and placed the letters on the desk where instructed. Alyssa nodded idly but caught a glance of her belly as she did. "How far, now?" She asked the steward re-reading the same passage again she had just read.
"Oh!" The question seemed to take Thea by surprise, though she quickly composed herself, such manners she had adopted quickly in Alyssa's service, a reflection of Alyssa's own typical seriousness. "Eight months, Dani reckons," She continued before quickly clearing her throat and correcting herself. "High Healer Dani... has told me. And a week."
Alyssa nodded once, still reading. "You may sit if you wish Thea." She said in reference to a nearby chair. "I received a letter from their father. If you wish, you may read it."
"I don't." Thea answered automatically, before stopping herself from rushing into her next thought. "I'd rather not think about him."
"As you say." Alyssa answered idly. They sat quietly, Alyssa continuing with her research and scrawling notes, while Thea took a light rest by the sunlight coming from the windows. Alyssa did not see her fidgeting until her voice broke the silence.
"May I ask you a question, Your Highness?"
"You may."
"What is it that you are working on?"
Alyssa stopped again, setting her quill down gently on the desk and removing her spectacles. "What do you know of Our Lady, Thea?"
Thea cringed at her own ignorance before the royal before her. "Not much I am afraid, apologies, Your Highness. I know she is considered by some to be the White Flame. But I don't really know what that means."
Alyssa shook her head. "I do not believe so. Leandra's presence was felt long before the flames arose in the Delta. The Humanists called her The Divine, and she protected them as they sheltered the weak and innocent, and upheld her justice and wisdom in the name of peace. It was she who gifted chivalry and honour to the people of the Continent. She is a protector, Thea." She paused for a moment. "I have seen what flames do in a very direct manner. They do not protect. Fire burns and destroys and consumes. Leandra..." She continued grabbing a book from the stack containing holy texts of the Aspects of the Flames. "is not actually mentioned in the texts of the Flames, as the aspect of humanity. The White Flame is actually known to them as Riuna."
"I see." Thea said awkwardly.
Alyssa sighed. "Our kingdom, our world, is being ripped apart once again by those who have abandoned the ideals of justice, honour, and chivalry. They claim these things but do not live them. Naked ambition and imperialism has spread in realms all across the Continent, it has taken root even here in Perdan. Our Kingdom has been ripped apart by it, nobles threatening violence upon each other, ambition trampling upon the desires of the majority nobles, blatant lies being presented to the realm as truths. Greed and treachery abounding in the Grand Court and in Perleone. Blatant attempts at the subjugation free peoples along the Eastern Coast. And even here in Bescanon you cannot help but overhear the rumors of what is happening in the Colonial Realms, with the dissolution of their central government and death spreading across the land." She had risen from her seat, her voice becoming impassioned and fierce, the sunlight pouring around her from the early afternoon sun outside.
"Leandra is the embodiment of righteousness. And in an hour that the world needs her protection the most, she has been left by humanity to stand alone, while flames, and shadow, and chaos rise around us. Well, I am no longer the Queen of Perdan." Alyssa continued, leaning over the desk as she directed her gaze directly at the young woman before her. "But I will not do nothing in the face of wickedness. I am a warrior Thea, sworn to protect the helpless, and stand for justice, honour, and the truth. Perhaps I have indeed faltered in this oath in the name of kingdom. But I shall never, so long as I breath give up on that ideal."
When she had finished, she paused and straightened herself, folding her hands gently in front of her. "But, I would like to know where to begin. So I believe researching the past would be a good place to start."
Thea simply nodded. "Thank you, Your Highness, for answering my question. I will not trouble you any longer."
Alyssa waved her hand in dismissal of the concern. "That is quite alright, I did not intend to preach at you. You may go if you wish. Please be careful on the stairs."
Thea rested a hand on her belly and stood, making for the door. "You Highness," she said as she opened the door and turned back to Alyssa with a gentle smile.
"Yes Thea?"
"I see why she loves you."
Memorial
(Everlight-Kingsley)
The trip from the graveyard had been quiet. The trio; Alyssa, Isana, and the page Cedric left the little memorial in service to Henrik Heinz in reflection and remembrance, and wordlessly continued to the cemetary gate from the memorial site Isana had placed in Water Town's cemetary. Their ceremony was not long or formal, but it was heartfelt and true. Alyssa had known Henrik mostly as Isana's captain and Cedric's brother, and while they had known each other for a decade, her duties had kept her from truly knowing the man. Still, she was well aware of the impact he had upon her partner, and young Cedric, and understood both the terrible pain of losing those under one's command, and the loss of a close family member.
It wounded her heart to see the young lad holding back his tears as he tried to stand proud and strong for the brother he had lost, and she knew Isana felt a similar pain and her heart stung even more watching the woman she love feel the same loss she had felt so many times. You do not deserve such burdens my love. Alyssa held her hand throughout the little service, as the pair shared gentle words of the dutiful captain's life, and recounted stories of the good moments they had all shared.
Cedric had asked to stay behind a little longer as Alyssa and Isana began the short trek back up the hill towards the Stump, still hand in hand. Alyssa tried to read her partner's expression, and the feeling in her hand.
"How are you doing, my love?" She asked gently, breaking the silence between them.
"Better," Isana replied, clear-eyed and quiet. "Things will never be the same, but at least Henrik has been honoured and set properly to his rest."
She stopped walking and the wind at their backs pushed her long hair forward over her shoulders where it became a dark mantle. A clod of dirt by her toe became an item of intense scrutiny for a few silent moments. With a covert glance back along the road to check that the young man was still behind and out of hearing, she continued.
"I worry about Ced," she confided, turning the clod over with her boot. "Henrik was the last of his family. He's no uncles, cousins, not any direct relatives left he's aware of. Henrik was it." The depth of her mourning became clear--it was not all for the one lost, some was yet for the loyal page who went on alone.
Alyssa gave her partner's hand a gentle squeeze and followed her gaze to the young man still behind in the cemetery. She remembered that feeling, lost and alone, the knowledge that you had nothing left in the world. She closed her eyes briefly as the wind swept around them. She felt the warmth of the fire just as it were still burning in front of her. Two decades flashed as another breeze brushed against her skin. She thought of the look of worry on her uncle's face when she arrived in Whitewater, and the gentle embrace of her aunt.
"You are right to be worried, dear. He is still young and such a situation is exceptionally difficult for anyone, especially at his age." She tenderly pulled the hair from in front of Isana's face with her free hand, resting it on Isana's cheek. "But I am not sure you wholly are correct."
"I think he does have family, my dear. You have stood there with him since he first arrived. You have watched him grow from a boy into a young man. You are his rock and solace, as you are mine. And I think now is no different. The last of his blood is gone, darling, you are right. But he has you, and he has me too, if he wishes." She glanced again at Cedric who still stood by his brother's memory.
"He will not be alone."
Right This Moment
The balcony of the Bescanon Bloody Stump's private suite looked down the hill over the grand river that separated Perdan from Eponllyn. Autumn trees swayed in the lazy gentle breeze that swept across the countryside. In a loose, flowing white gown, she stood straight as she watched over the river, resting her arm on the ornately carved balcony railing. Alyssa noticed idly the trees on both sides looked the same, their seasons changing from green to red, orange, yellow, and brown. The colours displayed vibrantly as the orange of the late afternoon sun began to touch the horizon.
"I'm behind you." She heard Isana's voice say gently a few feet away. The little gesture was a common one between them, but it was one she appreciated; little considerations such as that made her heart flitter each time as Isana stepped behind her, sliding her arms around Alyssa's waist and holding her close. Alyssa sighed contentedly as she felt her beloved close, relaxing into her arms, and placing her hand easily on top of hers. Isana nuzzled her cheek and watched over the riverbank, head leaned sweetly against Alyssa's.
"It's been a while since we've watched a sunset together hm?" Alyssa said easily. She felt Isana's lips curl into a smile at that, answered with a content "Mhm."
"Do you recall the first one we watched together? It was on a hill not too far from here." Alyssa reminisced, watching the light bounce off the river. She glanced away from the river down at the courtyard below, where Cedric was chatting away happily with a few of the other younger staff members, laughing at a joke that Maron seemed to have told.
Seeing the young lad laugh brought a rare smile to her own face. "You told me that day, dear, that I was your family, that I made this place your home. I think... you were right." She paused for a moment, considering. "I have for so long given everything for this realm, for my home. And I always thought it was because of the realm itself and what it stood for."
"But here, right now, with you. After everything that has happened. Is it this realm that is my home? These past weeks it does not feel like it." She turned, to face her love, resting her arms on Isana's shoulders, their foreheads touching. "But with you, Isana. It does." She tilted her head up slightly, brushing her lips against her love's as the two shared a light, loving kiss. "This feels like home. This is my family." She turned and glanced back down at the people in the courtyard below; At Cedric, and Thea, and Maron. Maron had taken out his lute and was playing a tune for Cedric and the other staff members and knights under Isana and Alyssa's command. The atmosphere was light and vibrant and truly happy.
"Home... perhaps I have been thinking of it wrong; not a kingdom, but what we make it and who we make it with..." Alyssa nestled her head into Isana's neck, sliding one arm around her waist, resting the other hand just over her heart, closing her eyes as the sounds of music and cheer came from below. Holding each other close, they swayed together gently to the music, turning into light movement in a gentle, intimate, swaying dance.
When the song ended, cheer and applause erupted from below and Alyssa tilted her chin up slightly to meet Isana's eyes. Familiar, determined steel had come over her face. "Isana." She said gently, and with confidence. "You are my home, no matter where that is. On a battlefield, in a throne room, or a riverside villa. When I first became a Queen you asked me a question and I gave you a promise. And I let a kingdom come between that promise. Any time we could have found for each other and the people who truly care for and believe in us was set aside for Perdan. For what I believed was home, when maybe you were my home the whole time."
Maron struck up another song down below.
"I would like to be your wife, now."
Isana straightened and blinked several times to find logical thoughts amidst the dreamy reverie of the sunset moment. Her mouth fell open as she did so.
"Now like, right this moment?" she asked breathlessly, eyes darting from Alyssa's confident expression to either side and around as she thought of a thousand things at once. "Of course, love, of course. Is there even someone here who could make it official? Oh there's the Duke if he's yet home... um..." she trailed off and glanced steadily back to Alyssa. They hadn't discussed recent events in much detail, and she sensed they currently held different levels of trust toward their local host. Unease scattered among the twirling elation that swelled in Isana, her eyes sparkling as her thoughts raced past the technicalities to the wondrous event that might be upon them... finally....
Alyssa held herself close to her partner as she was seemingly caught off guard by her admission. She could feel Isana's heart begin to race against her own. "I know there is a Priest of Leandra in Water Town. A true one, not of the White Flame. Not a noble priest, but a priest true of heart and soul. The old sanctuary I believe was converted by the Duke's people, but faith does not live in temples alone. He is still a priest. We can send for him."
Alyssa slid her hand down Isana's arm, taking the other by the hand as she began to walk inside, the flowing white gown rippling behind her in the autumn breeze.
As they crossed the suite Isana abruptly stopped and tugged at the hand twined in her own. The ecstatic rhythmic thrumming of her heart did not--could not--drown out the consideration for her darling's well-being foremost. "Aly love, what about your aunt and uncle? Ought we send for them and wait?"
Alyssa was surprised by the sudden resistance in her hand. With some concern she stopped and turned, wincing slightly at the mention of the rest of her family.
"You are right, of course. I have been struck profoundly by fancy and by my affections for you." She deflated slightly, though maintained her gentle grip on Isana's hand. "I fear we shall be waiting for some time. They are in Whitewater. I had hoped to come to an agreement with Perleone regarding the return of Bisicye, but with the cease-fire in place while negotiations are ongoing. This mess will need to be cleared up first before I can see my aunt and uncle, though Lord Benjamin has checked on them and ensured their safety."
She sighed. "I am sorry, darling, I did not mean to raise and dash hopes."
Isana's head tilted to one side, a warm smile rising to grace her features where deflation had perhaps been expected.
"Well.... is their presence for you, or for them, or propriety?" She reached her other hand to gather its reflection, drawing Alyssa closer, nose to nose. She nudged her gently. "If it's not for you, my love, who has given all of herself to everyone else her whole life... I am currently considering carrying you to Water Town's temple myself, right this instant."
Mischief showed in the quirk of one cheek. Her voice rumbled out, low and husky, as she said quietly, "The last thing I ever want to do is go against your wishes. But if they are feelings of responsibility or guilt holding you to them, rather than desires of your heart, I have it on recent authority that you wish to be my wife," she paused for a gentle, lingering kiss and said significantly, "now."
Alyssa leaned forward slightly, following Isana's lips as she pulled away. She met Isana's eyes intently, answering with with a nod.
Hand in hand, the couple walked briskly down the wooden steps into the Stump's courtyard, the sun beginning to set on the horizon. Water Town sat in the foreground, down the cobbled road that fed into the main road into town, as the gentle Bescan River ran just beyond.
Their hurried footsteps seemed to catch the attention of the reveliers in the courtyard who each turned to them as the pair reached the bottom step.
"Your Highness, My Lady!" Maron called out to them. "Off so quickly, could you bestow upon us even for a moment your beauty and feminine graces?"
Alyssa had no intent on slowing down, and ignored the man, as she often did, heading out the gate with her partner in tow. The trip down to Water Town from the Stump was not long, only a few minutes by horse which Isana had dutifully helped her onto. A kiss on the hand was her reward and the two set off for town to find the priest.
Everlight
Cedric
"Maron! Do you have any sort of wedding march, or something else without lyrics?" The bard raised his brows, slightly affronted by the implication that he may not, and picked out a delicate melody in response. "Very good. Okay. You're already dressed up and probably know these things, can you see if the tavern has a couple bottles of a bubbly wine suitable for our Highness? You three, get a quick wash up. Dress jackets and boots or whatever quick formal attire you've got. Meet back here in five minutes. Bertram, fetch Dani, not a word to anyone else."
So directed, a quiet maelstrom spun out into the tavern and grounds. Cedric pulled his boot knife and turned a keen eye to the terrace garden. The few late roses still blooming he bundled with white chrysanthemums to make a fine bouquet.
Isana
Riding double with her lady Isana's mind was vivid with images. Nostalgic memories of childhood, riding along with a classmate or sibling on patrol on cool summer days; it had been decades since she had ridden any long distance sharing a saddle. As they travelled on, with her arms wrapped around Aly's waist and her love's hand over her own, the warmth building between them redirected her thoughts to images much more adult in nature. Isana grinned giddily against Alyssa's white-garbed shoulder and nuzzled it, silently communicating her excitement.
Kingsley
Alyssa and Isana followed the cobbled path and the lantern lights down the road towards the Water Town, passing only the yawning guardsmen tasked with this evening's patrols. She felt her heart beat quickly as she guided the horse down the path, one hand on the reins the other upon Isana's own, her partner's arms wrapped around her from behind.
When they had arrived through the gates of the Water Town quietly inquired after the old priest from the two gate guards who let them pass on sight. They recognized her with a quick "Your Highness." One looked at her skeptically at the mention of Leandra's priest, but the other bowed his head reverently and asked leave to escort the ladies on their holy task. The other squinted at the pious man and grumbled something Alyssa did not catch but suspected had to do with 'noble privilege' and waved his cohort onward, who bowed again to Alyssa and took the horse's lead as he guided them through the empty town streets to a small run down villa near a statue of Queen Balkese standing proudly in armour, the tip of her sword pointed to the ground in a defensive posture, a gesture of peace, but at the ready.
Alyssa admired the armoured woman, as she had when she was a child, those stories of the Warrior Queen were always Alyssa's favorites, it had been a long while since she had reflected on those she had admired growing up. You beheld Divinity, Your Majesty She thought to herself as the horse came to a stop just outside the walled courtyard of the little villa. It had clearly seen better days as grass had just begun to peak through the cobbled paths, and the small trees in the corners seemed as if they had not been trimmed in some time. The sun had set as the hours of twilight settled over the town and the full moon began to rise overhead.
Everlight
Their escort halted in front of a smallish building that had seen better days, though its symmetrical design and heavy oaken door spoke of pride and detail paid in its construction. The white-plastered finish was cracked in places, the two broad stone steps up to the entrance had begun to sink at one side giving a lopsided impression, and three of the four braziers surrounding the door were crooked. The beginnings of disrepair were held at bay by meticulous cleanliness: the slanted stairs shone, polished and gleaming in the bright light from the well-trimmed braziers and reflected off the clean white plaster. Strong and simple, proud but not boastful, Isana thought. She gave Alyssa a little squeeze then slid nimbly off the saddle to one side. Turning to smile up at her love, she offered a hand with a winning smile. "Dearest?"
Kingsley
Alyssa could not help but flash a bright smile in return as she took Isana's hand and accepted her help off the horse. She smoothed out her flowing white gown as Isana strode confidently up the steps, leading her towards towards the door and gave two firm polite knocks upon the old, thick wood. The sound echoed once, quietly in the walled courtyard.
After a few moments the door opened and a young man peeked his head out suspiciously at the pair, hand in hand before the threshold. Clearly noting their clothing and demeanor he straightened himself, yet still looked at them with some confusion and perhaps, Alyssa thought, some concern.
"Something I can help my ladies with?" He asked curiously.
"We are here," Isana began confidently, "for..." She quickly paused and looked to Alyssa who calmly finished the sentence. "the Deacon called Cantor."
"Yes! We are here to meet with Deacon Cantor." Isana repeated with nod and a smile.
"I'm afraid he's gone to sleep my ladies. And he is not at all accustomed to sudden wakings He is very old you see, and becomes disoriented and grumpy when woken early."
"Would it ease his awakening if it was on behalf of a church elder?"
The young man's face went white. "Oh my..." He sputtered. "I am sorry, Your Highness, I am afraid I have never seen your visage in person I did not realize in the dark but I can see plainly who comes to us. I will fetch him at once."
It was then a window flung open and the elderly face of a man in his sleeping gown popped suddenly out the window, the sudden noise sending a jolt through Alyssa's body as she squeezed Isana's hand a little tighter.
"Ah!" The old deacon croaked as a warm smile crossed his face. "It is you indeed, Your Highness. Royalty does not often find its way to Water Town. Please come in!"
Everlight
Isana leaned supportively against Aly and smiled up at the adorable old man in the window. "That's the Deacon?" she said under her breath, incredulous and enjoying the spectacle.
The young man at the door, now wide-eyed and moving with the abruptness born of surprise and nerves, swung open the heavy timber and stood aside, gesturing rapidly for the pair to enter. Isana smiled disarmingly at him and gave a nod of thanks. She met Alyssa's eyes for a brief moment, some meaning passing between them, then they stepped forward into the structure together, hands entwined.
