Lorian told everyone to rest for the night, explaining only that they would ride hard for Veridia at daybreak. He offered no further details. Before he closed his own eyes, however, he knew he had to see Selena. She had likely not fallen deep asleep yet, and it felt like it would be a great injustice to leave the city without a proper goodbye.
He slipped back into Selena's room and again dropped heavily to his knees beside the stone slab. Gently, he tapped her forehead to wake her.
Selena's eyes fluttered open, there was a soft touch of confusion was in her gaze, "Is it morning already?"
"No," Lorian spoke, as his voice sank into a grim, quiet tone, "But I must leave for Veridia at first light tomorrow."
Selena's sharp mind instantly noticed the sudden darkness in him. She could see he was now carrying a terrible weight; one he had no intention of sharing with her at the moment. Respecting his boundaries, she didn't press for answers. Instead, she reached out, took his hand, and pressed it warmly against her cheek.
With a fragile, bittersweet smile, she whispered, "Please, take care of yourself. Do not let your emotions cloud your judgment, Lorian. You are so much better than that. Just... promise me you will come back."
Lorian managed a small smile, reaching up to gently ruffle her hair. He dodged her request and replied, "Just focus on getting well and returning to Veridia soon. I am going to need you by my side for what comes next."
"Your wish is my command," she giggled softly.
"Dumbo," he smiled back, squeezing her hand, "I am here for you. Always. Never doubt that."
"So am I," she murmured, a faint blush warming her pale cheeks. She fell silent for a heartbeat, her fingers gently nudging his palms, "Before you step outside... can you please tell Kaelen, Jax, and Zara to come in? Just for a brief moment."
"For it's done," Lorian said, rising to his feet and exiting the room.
As long as he was inside, his boots felt as heavy as lead; walking away from her felt like a slow torture. But the moment he came outside, his cold sense of urgency returned. He instructed the waiting trio to go inside, while he went to inform Queen Serana of his sudden departure. He also sent word for Count Leo, Torin, and Alsnow to assemble immediately.
The trio felt an awkwardness regarding the Princess's sudden request. But still they went inside. They stepped toward the mattress and bowed in unison. Selena immediately began thanking them, her voice was thick with genuine gratitude as she spoke of how they had bled to keep Lorian safe. The genuine praise left them thoroughly embarrassed and blushing under their armor and fur.
Then, Selena's gentle expression vanished, replaced by an intense seriousness, "I have a solemn request for the three of you. Will you keep it for me?"
The companions glanced at one another before Kaelen stepped forward as their speaker, "As long as it does not mean betraying our Lord or our city, Princess, we will honor any request you make."
Selena stared at Kaelen, a mixture of mild amusement and sorrow crossing her face. With a sad, fragile smile, she replied, "Why would you ever think I would ask you to betray Lorian or Veridia? Do I truly look that wicked and ungrateful to you?"
Realizing his blunt warrior manners had crossed a line, Kaelen immediately dropped to one knee. Jax and Zara quickly followed suit, though they didn't fully comprehend what wrong Kaelen had said.
Lowering his head, Kaelen said quickly, "Forgive me, Princess. My words were clumsy, not meant to offend. We only wanted to show you the absolute boundary of our loyalty. We did not mean..."
Selena let out a soft giggle- partly because she found his act as cute, and partly to break the sudden tension in the room, "No offense taken, Sir Kaelen. You said nothing wrong. In truth, I would expect nothing less from the people Lorian counts as his own. He does not see you as mere retainers; you are his truest friends. I respect your honesty. But..." she paused dramatically, her voice dropped.
"But?" Kaelen asked, looking up.
"But I am about to ask something of you... which might feel very much like defying your Lord," she said softly.
The trio were greatly shocked by this statement of Selena. For the first time since entering, Jax spoke up, "I have known you a long time, High-One. My nose has sniffed the deep affection you hold for the Master since the very first day we met. That is why I have always minded your words. You are the 'Choice'. But my mind cannot believe that you would ask us to turn our backs on him."
Selena smiled weakly and tried to shift her weight to sit up. Sensing her pain, Zara rushed forward, her soft paws padding across the stone as she gently supported the Princess's shoulders. Selena gave her a look of immense gratitude before turning back to the men.
"Yes, I am asking you to defy him," Selena said, her voice was steady despite her frailty, "Your master possesses an exceptional mind and brilliant strategy. But you know his weakness- he often lets his emotions overwhelm him, clouding his judgment when those he loves are in danger. I do not know what dark news has arrived from Veridia, but the look on his face just now terrified me. So, I am begging you three... if the situation over there is too dark, and Lorian orders you to do something suicidal- just as he did on the plaza today- do not listen to him."
Her eyes grew moist, and she tightly folded her hands together, "Focus only on keeping Lady Seraphina and Lorian alive. Drag them back to Valoria by force if you must, even if Lorian screams and commands you to stop. If he wishes to punish someone for mutiny, I will take all the blame and the punishment on my own head. But please... do not let him die. Keep him and the Queen Mother safe. I am begging you."
Moved by her raw desperation, Kaelen and Jax bowed their heads so low they nearly touched the stone, "Please, my Lady, do not beg to us," Kaelen vowed fiercely, "We swear to you, we will shield our Lord and the Queen Mother, even if it costs us our final breath."
"No!" Selena denied forcefully, "You are not allowed to throw your lives away either. Lorian loves the three of you far too much. If you die to save him, the guilt will utterly destroy him. All of you must live. Come back to this city alive, and together, with the full might of Valoria behind us, we will help Lorian fight whatever monsters wait for him."
Overwhelmed by the weight of her care for them, the three could barely find words. They wished her a swift recovery and quietly retreated from the room. They could feel their hearts burning with a new, fierce respect for the Princess.
Meanwhile, Lorian finalized his arrangements. He instructed Alsnow to remain behind to help Queen Serana restore order to the capital. Torin and Count Leo were also ordered to stay in Valoria to heal their severe wounds. The non-combatant delegates and servants were ordered to tend to the wounded nobles until further notice. Even the injured Throne Guards were left behind to recuperate.
When the sun rose, only four of them- Lorian, Kaelen, Jax, and Zara; along with seven uninjured Throne Guards, would ride for Veridia.
Queen Serana promised to treat every remaining Veridian as a royal guest. She eagerly offered to send a massive contingent of Valorian soldiers to escort Lorian home, but he vehemently refused. He argued that marching into Veridia right now would spark dangerous rumors that Valoria has become vassal of Veridia, and pulling soldiers away would hinder Serana's ability to restore order in the fractured realm. Reluctantly, Serana conceded to his logic, promising that Valoria would answer his call at a moment's notice should he ever need their blades.
The next morning, as the eleven riders passed through the palace gates, they were met with a spectacle none of them had anticipated.
The citizens of Valoria had flooded the streets in the chilly, early hours of dawn. Unlike their grim arrival when the common folk were forced to cheer for them, today it was spontaneous. They were shouting blessings to the Veridians and thanking them for saving their city. The people had never expected a foreign lord to bleed for them against impossible odds. The Throne Guards rode with their chins held high, basking in the sudden glory- all except Lorian. His mind was already miles away, buried in the shadows of Veridia.
Suddenly, a ragged woman burst through the crowd, throwing her arms wide to block their path.
The guards instantly went on high alert, drawing their steel as Valorian sentinels rushed forward to drag her away. But Lorian raised a single hand, signaling a halt. Against the frantic protests of Kaelen and his men, Lorian dismounted his horse and stepped onto the cobblestones.
"If she wanted to kill me, she wouldn't have made a scene to draw every eye in the square," Lorian murmured with a faint smirk, "And if there is a second assassin hiding in the crowd, me walking right into the thick of the people completely ruins their line of sight."
He walked straight to the trembling woman, offering a calm, reassuring smile, "What is it, miss? Why have you stopped us?"
"My Lord... because of you, I have my husband back," the woman[1] sobbed, falling heavily to her knees, "He was a high-ranking paladin, but they threw him in the dark and tortured him because he refused to betray Lady Justice. The Council stripped us of our home, our coin... His own junior officers- Arnold, Marcus, Sirus- they tormented us night and day. They beat my children, they... they did terrible things to me, they... they…. " She broke down completely into tears.
Lorian reached down, his scarred palms gently pulling her back to her feet, "It is over now. Your husband is free. Your family is safe. I promise you, the men who did this will face judgement. Your bad time has passed."
"We owe you our lives, our freedom, our dignity," she cried, clutching at his cloak, "Tell me, My Lord... how can we ever repay a debt so vast?"
"If you truly wish to repay it, then stand together and build this city back up," Lorian said, his voice echoing clearly across the listening crowd, "Make Valoria strong again. Make it prosper, so that when the people of Veridia sleep at night, they do so knowing their Valorian brothers have their backs. I did nothing extraordinary. This is what friends do- they bleed for one another. It is not our generosity; it is our sworn duty."
Against her fierce protests, Lorian pressed a heavy pouch of gold into her palms to sustain her family while her husband healed.
Turning back to his mount, Lorian caught sight of Jax and Zara. Both beast-folk had dismounted as well, and they were currently surrounded by a crowd of local children. The youngsters were cautiously reaching out, their small hands touching the thick fur of their arms- it was the first time these city children had ever seen beastmen, and they were hovering between utter terror and pure delight. To Lorian's surprise, both Jax and Zara seemed to be quietly enjoying the soft, curious attention of the little ones.
At Lorian's sharp whistle, the two gave the children a quick nod and climbed back into their saddles.
With the cheers of the whole city echoing behind them, the eleven riders kicked their horses, rushing at a fast, heavy gallop toward the Veridian border.
[1] 109 - Largesse