CHAPTER XVIII #2
The inn we ride into is small, quaint in its bearings but exceedingly homey with multiple fires roaring in the walls of the main room.
It’s hidden in a quieter part of the city, one that doesn’t have the patrons of Backer roaming around outside in their raucous endeavors.
Everyone is near silent when we say our goodnights and break off to our separate rooms, feet trudging in front of us with half-lidded eyes that will fall asleep the moment our heads hit the pillows.
Keane holds my hand steady in our walk, letting me know that he has a meeting with the Lord here in the morning but that we’d depart for Gaumond shortly after.
The thought makes me smile through a heavy yawn.
I vaguely remember changing into my night slip and opening the window in the room so Stormfall can hunt.
I don’t even recall walking towards Keane as he sits at a small table set for four, catching up on all of his messages from the day.
I do, however, remember his strong arms surrounding me as he situates my body into his lap and my sigh of contentment into his chest. My eyes instantly close in his hold as I fall asleep to his voice reading updates on everything happening in Woodlands Court.
Gaumond is finally in our sights.
We ride in from the east this time, spotting the massive city through another break in the woods of the Black Forest, allowing for the strong and proud capitol to peek through in the distance. The full sight of it takes my breath away.
Gaumond still stands as the most formidable city I have ever traveled to.
In fact, the first time I visited the Warrior capitol I thought the full of the city was on fire.
Everything is built high, as if daring to pierce the sky, and surrounds itself by four massive black rises that lead up to the castle in the middle.
Thousands of torches and crates of fire line every wall and every road, the flames fueling the city and all the hearts within.
Court of Warriors banners hang from every gate and above every store, their deep emerald emblems strong in reminder that Gaumond is Warrior, through and through.
It’s a place that immediately captured my very core in ways I never suspected possible, calling on me to join the strong people who lived within.
And it felt good to be back.
There would be no court tonight, our arrival was too late.
I found myself grateful when the news was shared and looked forward to spending a quiet night with Keane as we made his room our own.
Castle Gaumond would be hosting court the following two nights, however, and by the way Keane spoke, it sounded like the people were itching to celebrate their King’s arrival after over a month of being away.
I couldn’t stop my chuckle, the announcement not surprising me in the slightest. Gaumond is Keane’s domain, his home that he takes such pride in.
I’ve never seen anyone command a city as confident and sure as he does.
The people here revere him, and they’ll want to drink with him and greet him with a celebratory fire that’s laced with unruly behavior.
The next two nights will be just rowdy as our time in Brassard. Of that I am certain.
Our group eagerly makes our way through the rest of the Black Forest before we ride up to the ominous black granite wall that surrounds the full of Gaumond.
This entry gate is just as massive as the one in the southern portion of the wall and towers high above us with the Court of Warriors banners flying at each side of it.
The encircled oak and sword wave strong in their greeting, the emerald emblems shining under the red flames from the torches above.
My heart begins to pound in my chest as we approach the gate. Keane angles Ash closer to Millie before he sends me a knowing grin, that smirk telling me he can hear it. Two guards stand waiting at the entrance when we approach them, their bows low but their own grins wide in welcome.
“Welcome home, Your Grace,” the older of the two nods to Keane before looking in my direction. “Lady.”
Home.
We were finally in Gaumond.
My features are alight when we ride into the entry level of the capitol, a full section of the city that is dedicated to blacksmiths and armories.
The sound of clanging metal fill our ears, the people here expert craftsmen at molding different cuts of weapons and fixtures over roaring fires.
I’ve always loved this section of the city.
It’s a rise that’s filled to the brim with people of purpose who use their bodies in creation, sweat dripping down their brows as their muscles bulge hard in their work.
Even as we ride through in the middle of the evening, those Discerni and human Warriors can be seen bent over their large fires as children laugh and run down the roads, everything and everyone so alive.
The people that walk the main road with us stop to greet their King with smiles, eyes roaming over him to steadily meet my gaze at his side. I meet each fiery glance with flames of my own, my heart continuing its steady beat as many of those gazes pass over the ring on my finger.
Keane begins to slow Ash in the middle of the road as we make our way through Warrior’s Row. He turns to me with a look of intensity in his eyes, his leg hitching over Ash to the ground before he takes Millie’s reins from my hands.
“Is everything alright?” I look down at him.
Keane grins, his brown eyes turning playful before he turns his glance back to the main road. I follow his gaze and spot a man walking directly towards us, a beaming smile capturing his full features.
Claymore.
Claymore is walking towards us.
But why?
Ancients, I haven’t seen him in nearly two months since he stayed behind in Fumagalli after our travel to Red Falls. But the Discerni soldier is here now, walking straight towards the King.
I quickly dismount from Millie with a smile. Claymore and I didn’t share many conversations on the road but he is a fierce Warrior, someone who was a part of the traveling crew that started in Bardot and defended our group from the Leviathans when we were set upon by Prince Yiannis.
“Claymore!” I grin. “It’s been a while.”
“That it has, Lady Alexis,” he chuckles, releasing arms with the King to turn to me.
His blue eyes are sparkling in greeting, crinkled a bit at the sides that lead into his dark blonde hair cut similar to Keane’s.
He lifts his hand towards me, and it’s then that I notice a single red rose held tight in his fingers.
“What?” I look at him in confusion.
My gaze immediately finds Keane’s, stilling again at the intensity behind his stare. He tilts his head back in Claymore’s direction, eyes telling me take the rose from his hand.
“I’m honored to be the first, Lady Alexis…” Claymore’s deep voice is solemn.
First?
My face is full of confusion, eyes quickly peeling off Keane’s to find Claymore’s strong blue gaze.
“…and stand before you now in pride at the prospect of you marrying our King. You said yes, Lady Alexis,” he grins and sends the King a look of pure amusement, as if the idea of marrying Keane is beyond him, “and our Kingdom, Warrior, rejoices at the news. We will celebrate the two of you tomorrow, but now, in your welcome back to Gaumond, we celebrate you.”
“You are worthy of nothing less than becoming our Queen, Alexis,” he continues, “and the full of Gaumond and the Court of Warriors are proud to stand at your side.”
My fingers are trembling as I reach out to take the rose, heart pounding against my chest as I come to quick realization.
I had seen this tradition in Gaumond on my first visit, had witnessed a man propose to his lover in the middle of the main road with the gesture surrounded by onlookers.
Those same onlookers now begin to grace the road with us, features warm and welcoming as each hold a single red rose in their hands.
Ancients.
Every emotion that I have right now is daring to push through, to seize the tribute that I know is going to consume me throughout our ride to the castle.
I begin laughing to hide the deep portions of me that want to cry, so high on joy and the pure sincerity of Claymore’s words and the people looking at me from afar.
My arms are quick to reach forward and grab the Discerni man around his shoulders, pulling him in a for swift hug and leaning on him for support as my legs threaten to give way.
“Thank you, Claymore,” I smile, fingers wrapped around his rose, “your words mean everything to me. It truly is good to see you. I think I’m going to need a drink to get through all this.”
“Tomorrow night,” he nods, pulling away with a sparkle in his eyes. “We will celebrate properly then.”
“Yes,” I promise, stealing another glance at Keane. He’s passing our reins to Canon and Holis, the look of pure pride taking over him.
A mother and daughter begin to move in behind Claymore, pulling my gaze back to the road. The older human woman smiles in my direction and gently pushes her child forward. The young girl gives me a tentative look and lifts up her tiny arm in my direction, passing along two more roses.
“You’re very pretty, Lady,” she says shyly. “Are you to be our new Queen?”
“I suppose I am, young one,” I chuckle down at her. “Thank you for the roses.”
“Momma says you’re human,” she continues, looking over my features skeptically, “but that you can summon.”
My eyes immediately find Keane’s again, the smile on his face unmatched as he watches me with the little girl. My heart continues racing as I grin down at the child with a nod and bring my hand up to my ear.
“I am human,” I smile, pulling my hair back to show her my ear, “and your momma is right. I can summon.”
The little girl’s eyes go wide before a wicked and determined grin flashes over her lips.
“Then I’m going to summon, too!”