The Red Glaive

“There there child.” Madame Salver said gently running her hand over Aeria’s unruly black hair after Aeria had told her what happened. She clutched tightly to a wet pillow but she was done crying. “You really shouldn’t have spoken if not addressed first.” She didn’t make Aeria feel any better. Madame Salver always meant well but she would never be a mother, or a sister.

The twins had always been so full of joy and laughter, Aeria missed them terribly. Even in times where their father was at his prickliest they somehow found a way to make everyone laugh. That was before Amberjill was sent away.

“If you’d like, we could practice some spells.” Madame Salver finally said holding out a small leather bound tome of beauty. Aeria smiled, Madame Salver did what she could. “Excellent! Now lets try a concealment spell to hide those ugly tear stains.”

Magic was tricky, Madame Salver had explained long ago, and there were two kinds. White magic and Black magic. White magic was done to aid or create, while black magic was intended to change or destroy. Madame Salver had only ever taught the girls white magic and called black magic a man’s craft. Despite their name neither was good nor bad. Magic was neutral, it was the casters who bent it to their will. White magic could be cast by a wicked person just as black magic could be cast to by the noblest of knights.

All magic started with a meditation, usually on a word related to the task. Hide Aeria repeated in her head, sounding out the syllable until she developed a rhythm in her head. Then felt the magic roll off her like invisible smoke. Running her hands over her cheeks she felt a cool mist settle on her face like a fine powder.

“Marvelous Aeria!” Madame Salver clapped her hands enthusiastically. Aeria’s reflection was now clean and her cheeks nice and rosy. Any trace of unhappiness washed away from her delicate face. “Of all your sisters your magic has always been the most profound!” she raved then added, “If only you would use it for what’s really important instead of rolling around in the fields.” Aeria smiled. Madame Salver meant well, but she would much rather have her perfecting lip plumping spells or needlework charms instead of having her figure out how to make the crops retain more water. In hard times everyone had to do their part her father had said, everyone except his own daughter, it seemed.

“Vena.” Both women stood to face to the doorway where a hard faced Baron Donavan Finch leaned heavily on his cane. Madame Salver quickly curtsied with a soft ‘my lord baron’ but he quickly dismissed her with, “I must speak with my daughter.” Madame Salver took one last pitiful glance at Aeria before closing the door behind her.

Aeria clutched the small bronze medallion around her neck. A small gold finch standing on a cypress branch been layered over it in copper. Her father’s mark but her mother’s necklace. He had given it to her to bring her comfort after Alita left and every once in a while, like this one, she would clutch it tightly seeking that comfort.

“Pa-Father, I -“ Aeria jumbled her words. Say father, not papa, you are not a child Aeria, Madame Salver had said. “I’m sorry.” Aeria said finally and her father sighed.

“Sit down.” he said softly and Aeria listened. He staggered over and took a seat next to her. Aeria let go of the medallion and placed her hands over his. Despite the hard callous that had formed from where he gripped the cane, his were so full of warmth and no matter how much she had grown his hands were always massive compared to hers. “I should apologize too. Sometimes I forget how much of your mother is in you.” They both smiled fondly. “But that doesn’t have excuse your actions tonight. I’ve told you many times Aeria, not to interrupt our meetings.”

“I know father, but I can heal Folly’s harvest.” Aeria said. “If I go one plant at a time-“ her father’s raised had stopped her

“Forget about the crops Aeria I don’t want you out there in this cold your wellbeing is what’s most important to me.” he said. “Those crops are expendable, you are not.”

“We can’t just let them die!” Aeria said careful not to become too heated. “You always say everyone should lend a hand however they can and people are starving I can help.”

“That won’t be necessary anymore Aeria.” The Baron said, silencing his daughter, “Baron Stone has agreed to give us his left over harvest. He’s already on his way here.”

Baron Stone. He owned the land neighboring theirs and was the richest baron in all of Durus because of the many gem mines that littered his landscape. Known for his cruelty, he treated his servants like slaves and was one of the few Barons that still had actual slaves from the war against Aestus. He bred those prisoners like dogs to keep his numbers up and labor costs low. Because of their close proximity, Baron Stone came to visit regularly though the Aeria did everything she could to avoid the man.

“That’s awful kind of him.” Aeria said sarcastically and crossed her arms over her chest. The mere mention of the the man irritated her. She only knew the man for his constant chiding of her father for giving his farmers time off and a livable wage.

Donavan Finch sighed and looked down at his hands. “There comes a time when you must put the needs of others before your own or even your own happiness.” Her father said. “As Baron I have to do this each and every day for our people.”

“You don’t have to carry all that by yourself.” Aeria replied and her father turned to face her. “I’m still here for you.”

The Baron smiled and clutched her hand in his. “You were an easy child Aeria. Easier than your sisters, always so understanding.” Aeria watched her father intently. The lines of his face ran deep, his age was beginning to show. “Aeria, I need you to put aside your own happiness and do what is best for Cypress Grove.”

“I will.” Aeria said quickly. “Just give me a chance.” Her father made these choices everyday, it was time she made her own.

“The Baron Stone gave us his harvest for your hand in marriage. You are to marry his only son.”

Aeria yanked back her hand from her father’s warm grasp in horror. She knew the baron’s son personally.

One day when the girls were allowed out of the castle walls to practice the side saddle they came across the Baron’s son on his own steed. Initially friendly, the had a picnic together which ended with Aget knocking him out cold for running his hand across Amberjill’s chest without her consent. They left him out in the forest and returned home,

He had grown obsessed with the sisters, particularly with the twins, at one point demanded they both marry him because he wanted a ‘set’. Thankfully, their father vehemently refused when Baron Stone came to ask for their marriage to his son. What they had found annoying when they were younger grew to be terrifying as they aged.

“No.” Aeria said firmly. “I won’t marry him. Anyone but him, he’s a terrible excuse of a human being, they both are.”

“His family is wealthy, they can provide for everything that I never could.” the Baron tried to soothe her, but he couldn’t change his mind.

“I’d rather live in squalor here than in wealth with Baron Stone!” Aeria stood already heated. She had seen how their knights paraded about the country side with gem encrusted armor and ornamental swords. A show for the common folk, they’d be useless in a real battle.

“Aeria,” the calmness of his voice settled her, but only a little. “Strength comes from sacrifice. I’m asking you to put aside your pride and be strong.”

“And what about you!” Aeria flared. “You’re the Baron you send me off while you get to stay here at home! You ask me to sacrifice for the good of the people, but what are you sacrificing for the good of the Grove!?”

The brown of baron’s eyes filled with all the sadness of a grieving father.