The Red Glaive

“You really have been causing quite a stir lately.” the voice Coyne Kue woke her up. “Nearly brought down the Ivory Bastion on our heads.” Immediately she regretted being awake. Every muscle in her body felt sore like she had worked nonstop for days.

“What happened?” Aeria groaned as she sat up.

“You overextend yourself.” her instructor said. He was old, but somehow still toned in a way that hinted daily exercises. “I’ve told you many times to never move more earth than you’re capable. And moving as much as you did, knocked you out.” Something similar had happened to Isokki. She never paid Kue any mind, none of his teachings pertained to her and her pebble anyway, well not until now.

“I couldn’t stop.” Aeria said remembering that overwhelming surge of energy. “I just wanted to show them what I was capable of.” Now they’d leave her alone, she hoped. “Is everyone okay?” Not that she minded if Brecht or any of his friends got more than little hurt.

“Everyone is alive if thats what you mean. Though one of your brothers demanded your immediate expulsion from the glaive.” Coyne said with a hint of humor.

“Brecht, no doubt.”

“Indeed.” then after a pause added, “What a whelp.”

“You’re a master Glaive, are you really allowed to say that about one of your Adepts?” Aeria said

“Master only means that I’m allowed to teach. That boy threatens to tell his uncle each and every time he has to do something unpleasant.”

“His uncle?”

“One of the King’s advisors.” Coyne said. “No one’s told him that advisors have no power here.” he added with a laugh.

“Why are people like him allowed in the Glaive?” Aeria muttered.

“Funny, your brother probably shares a similar sentiment.”

“That’s different.”

“Perhaps, but we do not exclude anyone from the Glaive regardless of where they come from or how they act. Those who wish to serve can join but we do not select glaives. Ultimately, its the gods that choose. Who are we to go against the will of the gods?”

“Then why would the gods allow someone like that?” Aeria said knowing full well she wouldn’t get answer.

“I only teach. You’ll have to see a priest to find that answer.” Coyne said, “We do not question the gods, we merely use the tools they give us to destroy the devils.”

Aeria didn’t say anything. The Colossus chose to give his gift to Brecht and Loris just as he had gifted her. Surely there was something in them that wasn’t in all the rejected prospects. Still, it made her uneasy to think that a god would deem Brecht worthy of anything.

“How long have you had that?” Coyne said pointing at the poultice stiff on Aeria’s shoulder. She felt no pain there anymore.

“The medics put it on last night when I arrived with Telfer.”

“Then it’s ready to come off.” Coyne said walking over to Aeria and ripping it off making her wince. There was a black substance on the inside of the poultice but the bite marks had scabbed over. “Oh, and you arrived nights days ago not last night.”

“What?!”

It had been too long.

When she saw Fable at the stables he was standing listless in the stable. When he saw her his ears perked up but his head remained low to the ground and his breaths were heavy. He looked so fragile. “What’s wrong.” Aeria cooed softly as she entered his stable. Fable rested a heavy head on her shoulder and Aeria rubbed his neck.

“At the very least, he’s standing on his own today.” The stableboy said. “Everyone says his lungs don’t work and that he should be put down.”

“He’s not getting put down!” Aeria snapped angrily though the stableboy had nothing to do with anything. It was her own fault. It was too late to heal Fable.

“I’ve been looking after him while you’ve been gone.” the boy said. He was no older than twelve. “the stable master wanted him removed the day I brought ‘em here sayin’ only glaive horses were allowed in this part of the stable and that lame horses had to be removed ya, ya, ya. I convinced him to let him stay at least a week and he has gotten better, but I doubt he’ll ever be able to be ridden again. I think the overseers already ordered a new horse for you.”

“I want to ride him.”

“I don’t recommend it sir.” the boy said.

“Saddle him.” Aeria ordered.

Fable’s head still drag low to the ground as Aeria rode him around the courtyard. That enthusiasm to just go was gone. When she urged him to go faster Fable would but then slow back down again. It wasn’t until she pushed him that his sides began to heave as if he had just galloped a mile. She climbed off him then.

“I’m so sorry sir, but he cannot stay here.” the stable boy said his sentiment genuine. “Perhaps you can find other accommodations for him? My old stable house wasn’t nearly as good as the royal stables but they only charge a bronze coin per day, perhaps you could take him there.” That was still more expensive than she could afford, but Aeria had a better idea.

The afternoon was getting late, so everyone in the crown city was starting to settle in for the night. Even in a city as large as Lux Aeterna there was still that fear of a devil lurking in a dark alleyway. No one paid any mind to boy leading a broken horse down the street.

She followed the streets as best as she remembered them into the residential district where all the wealthy people lived in the multi storied mansions. Aeria arrived at the largest of these homes, enclosed by a massive metal gate adorned with a peacock with a multi colored tail.

“Disperse! Only invited guests are allowed to enter,” the guard said from the other side of the gates when Aeria.

“Tell Adelaide her brother has come to visit her.” Aeria said and the guard left to the house. He returned with a butler a few minutes later and allowed her to enter.

“She is hosting a noble lady currently, she will be with you shortly.” the butler said leading her across the courtyard to the mansion. Fable trudged along behind her. “He’ll take your horse.” the butler said as a stable boy came and took the reigns from Aeria. She resisted, but only for a second.

Once inside Aeria was told to wait in the foyer with the obscene statue of her sister sitting right in the center of the room between the staircases. Aeria averted her gaze but only caught sight of the risqué paintings on the walls. She sighed and sat on the bench staring at her hands.

A few minutes later the doors to the study opened and Aeria heard a woman thanking Adelaide repeatedly. Adelaide, as beautiful as ever, appeared with a woman with stunning red hair. She stopped dead in her tracks when she caught sight of Aeria.

“Nalia this is my brother Ariel, Ariel this is the Lady Nalia Armthal, niece to Lord Bero Armthal of Flumina.” Adelaide said.

“Pleased to meet you.” Nalia said and curtsied with a grace Madame Salver hoped Aeria would one day attain. Aeria realized she was still wearing the glaive uniform she had changed into after leaving the medics, so that alone demanded some respect from others.

“Likewise.” Aeria said bluntly. Nalia looked up at her startled. Behind Nalia, Aeria saw Adelaide cover her eyes in shame, clearly she had done something wrong. Their eyes locked for a moment, Nalia’s eyes a glittering grey. What would Caius say? “The, uh, pleasure is all mine?” Aeria said hesitantly and smiled nervously.

That seemed to be it, because Nalia blushed before retreating hastily out the courtyard. Adelaide waited till the door was shut to hit Aeria upside the head. “Ow! why?”

“You’re as terrible a gentleman as you were a lady!” Adelaide said, then she hit her again. “You can’t be disrespectful to someone like her!” the onslaught continued, “Why don’t you visit!? Not even a letter!”

“It’s not safe!” Aeria rebutted. The more she came to see her the more people could suspect who she was. Aeria needed to be invisible so that Ariel could thrive. She had considered sending letters but it was too risky to send unreliable curriers to deliver her letters.

“You’re too paranoid.” Adelaide said. “Now you’re here, you must need something.”

“Well. . “

After moving to Adelaide’s private quarters, Aeria told her everything about the trip to Glacies. About what happened to Telfer and finally being able to wield the Colossus’ gift. All the while servants brought extravagant dresses for Adelaide to approve, those she did were added to a pile on her bed.

“So you’re the reason for that quake a couple days ago.” Adelaide mused.

“Which brings me to the reason I’m here.” Aeria said hesitantly. “Adelaide, I broke Fable rushing here. Space in the Ivory Bastion stable is limited viable steeds so they’re telling me to get rid of him and I just can’t.” she felt silly, knights traded horses whenever they felt was too old or used up. Glaives, surely, were no different. Reimar lost his horse on the way the capital and didn’t even bat an eye. But Fable, she couldn’t let him go.

Adelaide didn’t say anything. “Adelaide?”

“I’m just surprised you still have that beast.” Adelaide said. “I remember when you pulled him out of the forest as a tiny colt. Of course he can stay here. I’ll have my stable master care for him and make sure he recuperates.”

“Thank you Adelaide.” Aeria said giving her sister a hug. She never thought she and Adelaide could be this close.

Adelaide squirmed, “Ah, Aeria your man arms are squeezing the ever living life out of me!” she said with a laugh and Aeria let her go with a smile. “Now, you have to do something for me.” Adelaide said.

“I’m not going to like it am I?”

Fourteen dresses later, each more extravagant and harder to put on than the last, Adelaide still was still unsure of what to wear. Each of those dresses could easily buy enough food to feed everyone back home for a week.

“Adelaide, you know I have poor taste in things like these why do you want my opinion?” Aeria said miserably. Aeria was Aeria again, she had removed her pendant and Adelaide had let her borrow a simple gown to wear. She missed not having to pretend to be someone else all the time.

“I’ve always wanted to this with one of my sisters. . .” Adelaide said and a solemn look came across her face. It was always Adelaide and Amberjill who obsessed over frilly dresses and complicated hairstyles the most. Amberjill, being the youngest, always looked up to Adelaide. They were the closest. Aeria remembered a scathing letter Adelaide sent when their father had married her off to the elderly Baron Heron claiming to have disowned him as her father. That letter hurt him more than Adelaide could ever know. How long since Adelaide had last seen Amberjill? She must miss her terribly.

Adelaide shook her head, shaking away her sadness. “You’re all I’ve got, so you’re going to help me pick a dress for Radiant Week.”

“Radiant Week?”

“I forget you haven't been here for very long. You know how father used observe the Feast of Champions during the Winter Solstice?” Adelaide said. Once a year her father would invite everyone to the big house, all the counts, their families and their workers and have a massive feast. That way even the lowest born could personally meet their nobles. Lately however, the feast was less impressive and they had skipped it last year all together. “Well, here it’s not just one holiday one day, its a series of holidays that span entire week culminating in the Darkless Night where the king hosts a magnificent ball. Everyone whose’s anyone comes.”

“Sounds exciting,” Aeria said in the most monotone voice possible. It was more than a month away.

“It’s fun! I finally convinced Aget to come!” Adelaide said excitedly. That perked Aeria’s interest. Aget married the son of Baron Sparrow, a young man with him she actually took a liking to when he visited. “I tried to get Amberjill to come too but she heavy with child.” she said sadly. Amberjill was only fourteen, no fifteen now.

“Have you heard anything about Alita?” Aeria asked hoping to switch the subject before realizing that was an even sadder topic. Alita had been missing since she ran off with the blacksmith after their father agreed to marry her twin sister to Baron Heron.

“Not a trace, and I’ve got people looking for her too.” Adelaide said. The twins, being the youngest, were always sore subjects.

“I like that one.” Aeria said hoping Adelaide to return her normal self. It was just the way things were.

Adelaide picked up a olive colored dress that really brought out the green in her hazel eyes. It was embroidered throughout with peacock feathers in fantastic threads of all colors along with beads and shimmering gem stones. It looked like she wore real feathers. “I was hoping to wear red. I heard Prince Valerian likes the color red.” Adelaide said.

“Adelaide your married!”

“I don’t think Lonroth would care, in fact I think I think he might even encourage it. Maybe then the crown would pay more attention to our business ventures.” Adelaide said. Was that the way of things in the capital? “But I none of my people have even seen the prince here in the city. All these rumors have the noble ladies going absolutely demented.”

“I don’t see why.” Aeria said. “The prince’s brides are always chosen for him.”

Adelaide shook her head. “A decree passed a few years back. The young prince be allowed to choose his own bride, but that was five years ago and a the lords are getting rather impatient, he was supposed to be married by now. So now ladies half as noble are hoping be the ones woo the prince.” Adelaide leaned close. “Lady Nalia came seeking a love spell to win over the prince.”

“You didn’t!” Aeria said knowing first hand how powerful Adelaide’s spells could be.

“Relax. There’s no way any spell I craft will have any lasting effect on the prince, he has King’s blood.” Aeria stared at her blankly. The term sounded familiar but only because many Barons falsely claimed to have King’s blood. The old kings Aestus claimed to have King’s blood before they were destroyed by the crown. “Did you pay any attention to Madame Salver? Any at all? King’s blood means that they posses the strongest magic anything I craft will have very little effect on the anyone of the royal family. Lady Nalia doesn’t know that, but it’ll give her the confidence to approach him if she finds him.”

“Doesn’t explain why everyone is itching to just see this prince.” Aeria said. Women she could sort of understand now, but what about men and older folks, even more families could be seen wandering the city now.

“He hasn’t been seen publicly in a very long time. He’s very private. Last anyone knew he was in Glacies learning to be a knight, but that was over three, four years ago. He doesn’t even come home for Radiant Week, but now that he’s rumored to be here everyone wants to meet him and if possible get an audience with him.”

“Do people even know what he looks like anymore?” Aeria asked. People change a lot in four years. “How did these rumors even start?” It seemed silly to for people to go crazy over a person whose appearance they weren’t even sure of.

“Well, the prince’s horse is in the royal stables, that has been confirmed. Though anyone could send their horse back from anywhere to any stable. Lonroth has our crown stallions in Mollia right now for breeding. More incriminating; is that the Storm Knight Elric Talbain,” that name sounded oddly familiar, “has definitely been seen in the city and he’s the prince’s sword and best friend. They’re hardly ever apart, but they have been known to be in separate places occasionally. Another thing, Lord Gretommo Oimni has announced he would be coming for Radiant Week which he never did in the past as he was the prince’s host in Glacies. His announcement further fuels the suspicion that the prince is here in the city and its driving everyone absolutely insane.”

“Or, he could be arriving with Lord Gretommo Oimni’s host from Glacies and he sent his horse of ahead of the host so he could ride with the Lord.” Aeria said. It would be considered rude to ride ahead of his host after all. Not very princely at all.

“That is another possibility. . .”

“The most probable possibility.”

“That doesn’t stop everyone from getting excited. They say that ever since the queen died the king has never been the same. Hardly goes out and has his council members doing his bidding in his stead.” Adelaide said putting the olive dress over her body.

The queen. What she knew about the queen came from madame Salver’s history lessons that Aeria never really paid attention to. Being so far away from the capital her death didn’t have as big an impact in Durus as it did in Lux Aeterna, yet Madame Salver insisted they learn about it.

People hardly spoke of it in Durus, but it must’ve been the talk of the twin in the capital. The queen was taken hostage by Aestus loyalists then murdered before any demands could be made or before she could be rescued. The king answered by sending the whole Mollian host to shatter the Aestus loyalist rebellion. That happened just before Aeria was born, she never once thought about how it affected the king or the people where she lived.

“I think I like this bottom with that top.” Adelaide said pointing a deep satin green dress still on the rack. She rang a bell and a tailor entered the room and whispered something in Adelaide’s ear before removing both dresses. Then she pulled out a gold dress whose top was a lattice of gold twisted metal and the bottom a matching shimmering gold fabric.

“Do you like this one?” Adelaide asked.

“It’s very pretty.” Aeria said.

“Good, it’s for you.” Adelaide said tossing it to her.

“What?!” Aeria said. The last time she had worn a dress that complicated was for her wedding night.

“I won’t have my own sister wearing a glaive uniform as a man for her first ever Darkless Night Ball everyone is going to be there.” Adelaide said. She didn’t even know she was going.

“But. . .” Aeria paused. Everyone? Did that mean Valor would be there? If he was there then she wanted to go. Somehow the idea of wearing a nice dress didn’t seem so imposing if it meant he’d be there to see her in it.

“Just try it on.” Adelaide ordered but flinched when she saw the scared bite mark on Aeria’s shoulder. “I have a salve for scars.” She said putting a clear bottle on top of Aeria’s clothes before helping her into the dress and pulling the metal corset over Aeria’s body. Strangely as she snapped the dress on from the back the metal framework of the corset melded to her body and actually felt comfortable and light. Adelaide was working her magic again, it was so subtle Aeria barely caught it, but Adelaide was altering the dress as she snapped it on. “Let me see,” she said when she was finished.

Aeria turned to face the mirror and was surprised to find she actually liked it. The top was gold - knowing Adelaide it probably wasn't plated - and went all the way up to her neck posing her arms and back. The metal was intricate and stiff on the top before cascading down into a loose hanging thread. It wasn't a style she was familiar with.

“Oh, your eyes really stand out with this dress.” Adelaide said. “I get some rubies placed in it to offset the red in your eyes, and we’ll have to do something about that hair.”

“What’s wrong with my hair?” Aria said clasping the strands of hair that had just grown past her shoulders. She had thought about cutting it, but Caius’ hair was nearly as long as hers, so she figured it was fine if she kept it.

“It’s too short!” Adelaide said retuning from her vanity with two bottles. “You can’t wear a head dress if your hair is too short!” she said before removed the dropper and dumped the contents of the bottle on her head.

“Ah, what is that!” Aeria shouted as the liquid evaporated as soon as it touched her scalp leaving a burning sensation on her head.

“My hair growth serum, I concocted it myself.” Adelaide said holding the empty bottle. “I use it to keep my length and fullness.” she said fluffing her wavy hair.

“It burns!!!” Aeria cried afraid to touch her head in fear of getting the substance on her hands.

“Mmm, I usually only use a drop or two a day, but you need it to grow before Radiant Week!” Adelaide said.

The burning started to fade, Aeria turned to the mirror. Aeria’s hair was messy, and still shedding vapor. There were dark circles under her eyes. As much as she hated to admit, someone like her shouldn’t be wearing something so fine, she looked like a common field worker. Her skin had tanned from the days in the training yard and her arms noticeably had gotten thicker. Despite all that, she’d have to wear make up to do the dress justice and do her hair. The thought brought her dread, but then she thought of Valor. She smiled at the thought. What would Valor say if he saw her this way? More importantly, what would he do. Suddenly, she wanted to show him, more than anything.

“What’s that look.” Adelaide said with a knowing smile.

“Nothing!” Aeria said though she couldn’t hide her blush.

“I knew it! There was no way you filled that pendant by just thinking of someone. You were with someone that night.” Adelaide said, but Aeria blushed even redder. There was no point in trying to deny it. “You think you’re so sneaky little sister, but I found out who. I invited him over tonight.”

“Huh?” Aeria’s face dropped. Adelaide knew about Valor? She wasn’t ready face him like this yet. The thought of him seeing her this way had only just come to her mind. She wasn’t ready.

“Come on, he’s waiting in the study.” Adelaide said shoving Aeria out the room. A flurry of emotions overwhelmed Aeria. She knew she wanted it to happen she just wasn’t sure if she wanted it to happen now.

Before she could run away, however, they had arrived at the study and Adelaide enthusiastically pulled back the doors.

He had been sitting on the cathedral chair but when he saw the door open he stood straight. The expression on his face when he saw indicated that he was just as shocked to see her as she was to see him. His deep brown eyes stared at wide eyed beneath a mess of red hair.

“Videl?!”