CHAPTER II
BATTLES AND GIFTS
Keane and I went to bed last night speaking about Aireal, with the Prince telling me everything he knew about the current political landscape of the Kingdom.
Everyone in the Old World knew of Aireal’s past, of the deal they made with two of the Ancient Ten that resulted in the Elder Father and Mother stripping their Kingdom and people of all magical abilities, thus creating the first mortals.
The first humans. It’s a tale that was engrained in all children throughout the Old World, a tale of exceeding and perverting power and living with the consequences.
And while Aireal was sent into turmoil the first few centuries after the incident, they have continued to live in peace throughout the years since, thriving as a purely mortal Kingdom.
Keane was steadfast is his sentiment that the King of Aireal, King Voland, would not seek to terminate his father’s life.
Voland, he described, was a gentle soul, kind and placid, and ruled his Kingdom with prosperity for all.
He also noted, and I got the same impression from our past conversation with his father, that Voland and Zander were friends.
We also couldn’t forget that it was Voland who made it known at the Council that he did not agree to idea of a human, me, being around the knowledge of magic. He actively sought to distance himself and his Kingdom from the events of the Council.
So we quickly dismissed King Voland as a suspect, but that still left the full of his Kingdom.
If anyone wished to restore magic to humans, then killing Zander was a surefire way to free me from the binds of the fourth term.
Without Zander, I was allowed to practice magic, though it’s not like I really wanted to…
The use of the Old World magic still battled deep within me.
The prospect weighed heavy against my soul every time I even thought about it, so much so that I stopped writing with the oak slab and pen.
Keane had to look in my bag one morning to make sure I still had it, and I watched from my feigned sleep as his eyes furrowed in confusion when he saw it there.
I even stopped using my own location summoning.
Yesterday was the first time in a while, with the only other time before that when I was in the Southern Park, meeting with the Ancient.
Hirovale.
The dark Ancient has remained silent over the last fortnight since that night in the park, not appearing to either of us or watching me through Stormfall.
I can only guess that he’s been helping to wake Sianoa or another of his Ancient brothers or sisters, or, that he’s been leaving me alone to process the full of his words and the extent to which he has engrained himself in my life.
The Ancient grew up with me, unbeknownst on my end, and watched me at my most vulnerable moments in his sleep.
He felt all my happy and sad emotions and guided me down his path of finding his Bird of Ash.
That fateful day in Red Falls ultimately woke him as well and led me to find his prophecy, his words describing the restoration of magic back to all of the beings of the Old World.
And while I want to do everything within my power to help him, to fight alongside him against his Ancient sister Rivian and the atrocities she has already committed in Livyatan, I still battle constantly with the idea of using magic to do so.
If I have to use it, I think I will, but until then, I’d like to remain human for as long as possible.
Keane is able to sleep in this morning, waking up at dawn to bathe as I get situated for my early morning training.
I end up bringing a stool around the side of the tub after I get dressed, simply watching this man as he so often does to me.
When it comes time for him to get out, I take his towel with a grin and stand well away from the water, but Keane has no shame as he stands up in all his naked glory, his body glistening as he follows behind me with a grin of his own.
“Alex!” a hard knock comes from my door, Cal’s voice booming through the wood. “You ready?”
“Yes!” I yell back to him, catching Keane’s playful gaze.
“Saved by Cal, trouble,” he laughs. “The things I was ready to do to you.”
“Think of them, instead,” I smirk and throw the towel at him, hurriedly stepping away. “Or better yet, write them to me! You still owe me.”
I grin, knowing that I’ll make one small exception to my non-use of magic just to read his words.
“I just might, Alexis,” Keane chuckles sensually.
I give him one last look before I turn my back on him and hurry out of the bathing room. I fling my travel bag over my shoulder and move to the balcony, silently calling for Storm.
Meet us at the stables, Storm.
The Bird of Ash promptly soars into the morning sky, letting me know that he heard my request.
“Let’s go, Alex!” Cal’s voice booms from behind the door.
“Coming!” I turn around from the balcony and run straight into Keane’s hard chest. He’s only wearing the towel around his hips, his body still wet as he looks down at me with an amused smirk.
“And you say I’m the trouble,” I grumble.
I take a quick step to his left but not before brushing my hand across his length in my departure, feeling it harden in goodbye.
“Think of me, Keane,” I grin from behind my shoulder and walk through the small reading room. “Think of my lips when you use your hand.”
Both Cal and Alanna are waiting for me behind the door, their eyes growing wide when I open it. I look at them in question and step into the hall, though not before spotting Keane leaning against the arch, half naked and still dripping wet.
“Ignore him,” I laugh, catching his grin before the door closes.
Cal’s own gaze dips to my hand now on the handle, his glance eyeing the fluorite in my gold ring.
“And where’s yours, Cal?” I laugh at my big friend, pushing my shoulder against his. Alanna smirks at the two of us as we all start walking down the hall together.
“Notwithstanding all of the fluorite Alanna wears…” Cal grins and brings a hand up to his thick auburn hair. He tucks the side behind his ear, revealing the small green stone that’s nestled in a gold hoop earring. “Mine has always been here.”
“So modest,” Alanna rolls her eyes as I laugh with her.
“The Prince and Princess of Pyre arrived yesterday,” I tell them. “Claire will join us in the Palisades this morning.”
“It’ll be good to see her,” Cal beams as we take a staircase down to the first floor.
“Did they travel with their snow tigers?” Alanna asks.
“Yes,” I grin.
“Ancients.”
We walk down the rest of the east wing and out into the cool morning air, past the training fields, barracks and stables until we’re heading for the Bell Grove.
Holis and Mana are waiting for us in a clearing we’ve used before, the sun yet to break the horizon as the Discerni twins smile in greeting.
My smile turns wide when I notice Holis is holding Stormfall on top of his arm, the large Bird of Ash puffing up his chest to receive his much needed attention.
“Last training for the next few days,” Cal tells the group, extending his hand out to Mana as they clasp arms.
“Coronation tomorrow,” Holis extends his arm out to me as Stormfall hops onto my shoulder.
I nod with a smile. “And aching heads the day after that.”
Cal and Alanna chuckle as the Discerni twins both smile in agreement.
“And then we’ve got Cal’s fight the next night,” Alanna grins.
“Mana,” I turn to the brother, giving him an apologetic smile. “Do you have a way to alert Sera this morning? Princess Clair will join us in the Palisades, along with Alba.”
Mana’s blue-green eyes widen for a moment before he nods. “I’ll write to her now.”
“Thank you.”
I watch as Mana pulls out his own small oak slab and scribbles a communication to his wife.
“Come, Alex,” Cal tilts his head in my direction, “let’s start your stretching.”
Our group continues as normal into the morning, with Cal twisting my body during hand to hand combat, Holis and Alanna practicing with their bows, and Mana keeping to himself and the drills he’s set out for his kedge.
“Good,” my friend nods when I maneuver him to the ground. “When I’m on the ground, that’s when you go for your blade.”
“I will,” I exhale, offering my hand to my friend. He takes it with a grin as the two of us make our way to our bags, pulling out our canteens for a small break.
“What are his intentions, Alex?” I hear him ask softly.
There’s no use asking what he means. His eyes are filled with a deep affection, though I can also see a slight worry behind them.
“All the way, Cal,” I hold his strong gaze.
“Which means?”
I smile softly and shrug into his side. “You know what it means…”
Cal’s brown eyes widen as he shakes his head. “Alanna has been alluding, but I thought it was in jest.”
“No,” I give him another smile, “not with Keane. Never with him. Never with us.”
“Ancients,” his hand moves quickly to his hair, running down behind his neck. “I need to have a conversation with him, then.”
“Don’t,” I laugh and push my hands into his chest, “please don’t.”
“It’s going to happen, Alex,” Cal chuckles. “He’ll need to understand properly what will happen should he hurt you in any way.”
Keane’s amused laugh fills my bones at the words. I look back at my friend with the deepest of love, knowing full well that Cal actually will confront the King to Be, regardless of who he is.
The five of us stand under the Great Oak in small conversation as Castle Bardot wakes up and begins its bustling morning activities.
Stormfall is sleeping on my shoulder as we wait for the Princess to join us, his wings curling into his sides as his long tail feathers nearly reach the bottom of my back.
He truly is growing to be a massive bird, though his weight hasn’t become a burden at all.
With his wings outstretched, he easily spans the width of Millie, though Holis has mentioned that he’ll one day grow to cover the full expanse of her.