35Chapter 14
"She's missing again!" Melania snapped, pacing nervously up and down the sitting room as her daughters, son in law, and husband looked on with varying degrees of concern and nonchalance. Though none of that concern was for Andromeda.
"Is she missing if we have a good idea of where she is?" Nat asked calmly, reading through various reports that she had been given this morning.
"You know where she is?"
"I know she's with Nero."
"That is one of the things that worries me! Linus, say something. She's out there with a southerner doing Oceane knows what. What if he compromises her virtue?"
"Honestly, mother," Reanna shrugged, "with as much time as they spend alone together, I do believe her virtue is well and truly compromised."
"Reanna! How can you say something like that? Andromeda is a good child. She would never let someone touch her before marriage. I'm more concerned that he'll touch her without her consent."
"Mother," Larissa frowned, setting her teacup back into its saucer. "I know that you don't really approve of Nero, but surely you don't think him so evil?"
"He's a southerner. There's no telling what he can do."
"Oh, wouldn't it all be so simple if evil people were so easy to categorize," Aurelius grinned as he walked around the couch to sit next to Linus. "It would make judging quite a relaxing position."
Linus grinned. "If only the world were so perfect."
"Linus!" Melania turned to him, hands on her hips, eyes wide in disbelief. "How can you be so flippant about this matter? I think this is really serious. Andromeda is out there somewhere with that man and there's no telling if she'll ever come back!"
"Oh, I don't think Andromeda would leave us forever," he smiled sadly. "Besides, they have to come back sooner or later. It is nearly time for the execution, and Nero must be there to offer Vasili Xenos' soul to his goddess."
"That fills me with confidence," Melania grumbled dully. "I think you're missing the most important point here. She is letting herself be wooed by a southerner! What life could a man like that possibly offer her? He has no pedigree, he has no fortune, he cannot provide the things that she needs. We know nothing about him other than his commitment to the war goddess. Of all the gods, he had to be a servant of the war goddess."
"That does worry me," Linus frowned. "But, perhaps, we can work this out peaceably among all of us. Nero seems like a hard-working, polite sort of fellow. Wouldn't you say, Aurelius? You know him best."
Aurelius nodded along. "We get along well enough. He was tireless in his hunt for Vasili Xenos, and I never had a problem with him acting barbarically. He seemed well aware that he was in a different culture and he was being carefully sure that he blended well into our environment."
"I like him," Larissa added with a bright smile. "He seems nice. We can at least get to know him, can't we, mother? Father?"
"I suppose there's no harm in making a new friend," the king smiled.
"Friend?" The queen repeated the word incredulously. "Linus, perhaps you've not realized that neither of them is interested in only being friends. Would you really marry your daughter to a southerner? One we know nothing about? One who serves a foreign goddess directly?"
"That is a bit of a concern," he admitted, frowning.
"Furthermore, perhaps you've also forgotten that until Reanna gives birth to an heir, Andromeda is the next in line for the throne. Oceane forbids that something happens, it will be Andromeda who becomes the next queen. Should we have a foreigner who serves the war goddess as king?"
"Andromeda doesn't even want to be queen," Reanna pointed out. "She could very well abdicate and surrender the throne to Rissa."
"I wouldn't mind taking it," Larissa shrugged. "I was supposed to be queen of Methone anyway. If all else fails, Nat could be queen."
"I doubt highly that I would make a good queen," Nat said simply, still reading over her notes.
"What are you reading so seriously this early in the morning?" Melania asked, becoming irritated at the lack of concern from the rest of her family.
"Hm?" Nat was alternating her eyes between two different reports and it took a moment for Melania's question to make sense in her busy head. "There's been strange sightings in the Black Woods."
"The fairies?"
"No. A giant. Hunters are reporting someone who stands as tall and a half as a full-grown man walking amongst the trees."
"What?" Aurelius's head snapped upwards as Reanna turned her sharp gaze over. "A woman?"
"Whoever it is wears a cloak. They can't really see much about them."
"Téa-Zosma," Aurelius growled, his hands tightening into fists. "What is she doing out of her hovel?"
"No one knows. Whenever they get close, she disappears. She's been spotted all over the Black Woods. It almost sounds like she's looking for something."
"The fairies promised that they would assist us in driving her out. Maybe they're hunting her," Linus suggested hopefully with a frown that said he didn't quite believe what he said.
"Where is she now?" Reanna demanded to know.
"Hard to tell. There's been multiple sightings, but it almost looks like she's making her way around towards the sea."
"Why would she go towards the sea?"
"I don't know. I'm sure she has some sort of reason."
"We can probably catch her," Aurelius declared, jumping to his feet. "When's the most recent sighting?"
"Last night. A few hours before dawn. A fisherman saw a giant moving in the trees as he was working on repairing his boat."
"I'll rally our guards," Aurelius growled.
Reanna got to her feet. "I'll have Janus fetched. His people can help track her."
"What's wrong, Nat?" Larissa frowned at the expression on her face.
Frantic knocking at the door halted the conversation. Before Linus could allow whoever was on the other side to enter, the door was thrown open. Giles, out of breath and eyes wide with horror, rushed inside and performed a hasty, sloppy bow.
"Forgive me, your majesties."
"Giles?" Linus stood quickly, frowning. "What is it? What happened?"
Giles bowed again, shame on his face. "Please, forgive me, your majesty. I don't know how he could have done it. He was just gone!"
"Calm down, Giles," Melania grabbed his shoulder gently. "Take a deep breath. Now what are you talking about?"
Giles breathed deeply once, twice, composing himself. "It's Vasili Xenos, your majesty. He's gone."
Melania reeled back, gasping as Nat leapt to her feet.
"What do you mean 'gone'?" Reanna demanded to know. "How could he have escaped?"
Giles shook his head. "I have no idea, your highness. The gate was still locked, the bars were all intact. No one saw him coming or going. He just... vanished!"
"That's impossible!" Nat put aside her reports. "Take me to his cell, let me see."
"Princess Nat, for your own safety, I beg that you do not go. I've already summoned the guards. You all need to be placed in protective custody. Where's Princess Andromeda?"
"Linus!" Melania grabbed for her husband's arm in worry.
"Andromeda is with Nero," the king frowned seriously.
Giles frowned as well. "With the barbarian? Your majesty, surely you aren't seriously considering allowing him to marry her?"
"Of course, I'm not. Andromeda is too delicate for him. She needs to be here in the castle where we can protect her." Hearing that Vasili Xenos had escaped had clearly shaken the king. He was holding onto his wife with trembling hands. "Send out as many men as you can spare. Bring her back home."
Giles bowed. "As you command, your majesty. Please, though, head back down to the safe rooms in the basement. We don't know if he's still in the palace or not."
"Thank you, Giles," Nat said sincerely as her family filed past him into the hall.
"Forgive me, princess. This loss is my fault and I'll accept any punishment for it."
"Don't be silly. You did nothing wrong. Thank you for looking after us. I'll leave Andromeda to you. Bring her back home quickly, before Vasili Xenos can hurt her."
"Leave it to me," he bowed his head to her.
She smiled at him before turning and rushing after her family. Giles lifted his face to watch the forgotten princess run from the room. She may have been fourth in line for the throne, but at least he never need worry about another man resting his ambitions upon her.
Nero was slow and methodical as he helped Andromeda dress. It took a great deal longer than it usually would have because he kept pausing to lovingly kiss each exposed area of skin before he covered it with her clothing.
By the time he had finished fastening the last button at the top of her back, she was quivering and breathless in his arms. From behind, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and placed another sweet kiss right in front of her ear.
"Why is your clothing so needlessly complicated?" He asked with a grin.
"I have no idea," she whispered weakly. Part of her wished that it wasn't so that he could stop tormenting her, and another part wished that he would just repeat the entire process in reverse.
The bed that they had spent the night upon in the little shack with the sky carved upon the walls was tussled and messy. Nero was sitting in the center of it, his legs crossed with her perched in his lap as he buttoned her dress.
He held on tightly for a long moment afterwards, giving her blood time to cool slightly. "When will I be able to hold onto you like this whenever I please? Even in the city?"
Andromeda chuckled. "I hope you don't hold onto me like this in front of other people."
He bit her neck gently, making her laugh as her toes curled in her boots. "You know what I meant. I don't want to go so long without touching you again. I think these overly strict laws about romance are the most ridiculous thing I've found about the north thus far."
"Mm... If you marry me, you can have me forever and no one will say a word about it."
"Done. Do you want to do it today or tomorrow?"
"Nero!" Andromeda pushed back against him, laughing. "That's not the sort of thing that you do on such short notice."
"Can't imagine why. It's a vow to Oceane from you, to the war goddess from me, then we don't have to escape the city to be alone together."
She unwrapped his arms from around her waist so she could stand again. He frowned, unhappy at the loss of her warmth in his embrace. She was running her fingers through her hair, trying to straighten it after the mess he had left it in. After it became apparent that she wasn't going to return, he sighed and got to his feet as well.
"We should be getting back anyway," she reminded him with a frown. "The execution should be beginning soon. You can't miss that."
"I certainly can't," he frowned, reaching out to grab the Tacenda that he had set against the wall sometime in the middle of the night. "Afterwards though, we can continue this discussion."
Andromeda laughed. "You have to ask my father for permission to marry me."
"Again, why? I really don't understand your people. What should your father's permission have anything to do with whom you marry?"
"Your people fight each other for the right to marry. How are you going to criticize our methods?"
"Mine makes far more sense. The strongest get to breed with the strongest thereby producing stronger babies."
"Are we talking about people or horses?" She led the way to the door. "And that clearly doesn't apply to the two of us."
"What are you talking about?" Nero smirked at her as he pulled the tinderbox from his belt. "You and I are going to create scores of strong babies."
"Scores?" She blushed bright red, pausing at the threshold of the door. "What do you mean, scores?"
Nero laid his hand against her flat belly before kissing her lips tenderly. When he pulled back, he was grinning quite smugly. "I meant exactly what I said."
She pushed his hand away, biting on her lip to avoid smiling. Just the thought of bearing his children was so... enticing. She wanted to do it. Part of her hoped that they had already started. She never imagined herself having kids before, but now that the possibility was actually open for her to do so, it was suddenly something that she wanted desperately.
"Marriage first," she mumbled. "My father will have you killed otherwise."
"Fine. How long until I can marry you then?"
Andromeda giggled, backing slowly out of the door. "Well... it usually takes a fe-e-ew... months to organize a royal wedding."
"Months?!" He stared at her incredulously as she continued to laugh at the expression on his face. He scowled at her. "That's not a funny joke."
"Who said I was joking?" She asked as a large hand came swooping towards her from around the side of the house.
Nero couldn't move as she was snatched away, screaming as she was yanked clear from her feet and jerked to the side.
"Andy!" He roared, rushing outside.
"Well, well. We meet again, handsome soldier." Téa-Zosma growled out the words as she lifted Andromeda clear from her feet with her giant hand clutched tight around her waist, pinning one arm to her side while the other scratched and beat uselessly at her large fingers.
"Téa-Zosma!" Nero roared her name as he drew the Tacenda from its sheath. His accent gave the name such a dark, ominous sort of sound. Hissing, spitting the name as though that alone, in and of itself, were a wicked curse.
Andromeda was flailing her legs and beating at the arm holding her uselessly. Téa-Zosma was half again as tall as a full-grown man. Holding onto the small form of Andromeda, even using only a single hand, was an easy task.
"Put her down!" Nero ordered.
Téa-Zosma held out her free hand, the jagged and yellowing claws of her fingernails pointed upward as though her palm were a trap waiting to spring. "Give me what you stole! Give me the tinderbox and I won't crush her chest in!"
Nero's jaw clenched even as one hand reflexively brushed over the area where he kept the tinderbox in his belt. Téa-Zosma's hungry gaze followed the movement and the dark gold of her eyes sharpened with desire.
"Give it to me," she growled, her hand tightening just slightly around Andromeda's abdomen forcing a cry from her throat that was quickly choked down.
"You can't hurt her," Nero snarled in anger as his heart clenched in fear. "She's a princess of Poseidonium, if you hurt her, you invoke Oceane's wrath against you!"
"Do you think me stupid? I'm well aware of the protections surrounding the cursed princesses. She guarantees them protection only against magical attacks. Note, soldier, that I'm not using any magic. I can crush her barehanded without it."
Nero paled but his hands tightened on the Tacenda's hilt. He didn't move to grab the tinderbox though and Téa-Zosma grew angrier. Her hand tightened again. Andromeda tried to cut off the gasping whimpers of pain. She could barely breathe, much less think.
"I gave you an order! Give me my tinderbox! If you refuse me again, I'll begin breaking her bones! Do it! Now!"
Nero didn't hesitate because he was unwilling to trade Ey's life for Andromeda's. She was considerably more valuable to Nero than Ey was. The only reason he hesitated was because he didn't know if Téa-Zosma would really hand her over or not.
"Your word, witch," he demanded with a growl.
"What?" She hissed between her teeth.
"I said, your word. Give me your word that if I return the tinderbox, you'll return Andy to me, unharmed, and only then will I give it to you."
"No!" The princess gasped. "Nero, don't! You can't! Not to... Ey!"
They had just promised to free him. The only thing he had ever asked of anyone was to be freed, and they were going to do that for him. Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought of the submissive hound forced back into slavery. This time, to a witch that wouldn't care a whit about him. He would be a tool for her to use when it was convenient.
"You hold no leverage here!" Téa-Zosma snapped at him. "You give me the tinderbox, or she dies! That is the only deal!"
"Then your word that she won't die if I give you the tinderbox!" Nero pushed his stance further, refusing to give in.
He knew witches. If he surrendered the tinderbox, she might very well kill Andromeda just to get revenge on him. After all, he had reneged on their deal once. She could decide to do the same to him in return and laugh as he could do nothing to prevent it from happening.
Her continued reluctance to surrender her vow only sealed his hunch that she was planning on doing exactly that. Her eyes narrowed at him and he could just see her mind working, trying to find some way to vow to do so and still get to kill Andromeda.
The princess continued to thrash uselessly in her fist. She was only serving to tire herself out as she kicked at the air and beat at fingers the size of tree branches.
Nero decided to try pushing her along. "I know witches hide their hearts in order to protect themselves. An ordinary blade cannot kill you. Not so long as your heart remains out of sight and safely tucked away."
Her eyes narrowed on him dangerously. "What's your point, soldier?"
"My point, witch, is that my blade need not find your heart in order to kill you." He lifted the Tacenda higher, showing her the dull shine of the sharp sword. "The Tacenda will absorb the very magic that powers the corpse you call a body. It will strip you of your magic and leave you unable to keep yourself alive without a heart. I can kill you without even getting near it."
"And what of your princess?" Téa-Zosma's index finger jerked up, snatching Andromeda's free hand, and snapping it down against her side.
Andromeda screamed in agony as her arm was extended beyond its normal range of motion. It didn't break, but she could feel her fingers tingling painfully as the nerves were stretched and strained and she found her spine arching backwards in an attempt to ease some of the pain.
Nero fought back the urge to rush forward recklessly. "If you don't give me your word, how will I know you actually plan to free her?"
Téa-Zosma laughed at him. "You're in no position to bargain. The tinderbox. Now!"
"Your word!"
"I am not playing this game with you!" Her grip tightened and Andromeda began choking as she fought to take in air around the clenching fist that had hold of her.
She couldn't die like this. If she had to die, it couldn't be like this. The Tacenda couldn't pierce her heart and absorb her magic if she died this way. She wouldn't surrender Ey. She couldn't abandon her kingdom, no matter how much she might want to.
"Nero... my heart..." She gasped, her chest arching outward as though to give him a better shot. Let it pierce my heart now, she begged him silently. Kill me like this.
Nero's eyes narrowed on her, as though he knew exactly what she was thinking. Téa-Zosma shook Andromeda's body like it were a rag doll.
"Your word, Téa-Zosma. That's all it will take and I'll give you the tinderbox."
"This is not a negotiation!"
"I take no risks with her life! Your word!"
Téa-Zosma snarled at him, but she seemed to realize that she wouldn't get anywhere until she promised the girl's safety. The tinderbox was more valuable than her life anyway, and Téa-Zosma could always get her revenge some other way.
"Very well," she growled. "Give me the tinderbox, and I give you my word that I will return the princess unharmed and alive."
Nero frowned, staring at her for a long moment. It was exactly what he wanted, but the way she said it made his skin crawl. He could find nothing in the vow to force her to reword though. Reluctantly, he pulled Ey's tinderbox from his belt.
"Nero! No!" Andromeda yelled at him as Téa-Zosma loosened her grasp to allow her to breath. "You can't do that to Ey! He was finally going to be free!"
"Ey's life is not as important as yours."
He pulled back his arm. Téa-Zosma's mouth widened in a ravenous smile of victory as her eyes focused in solely on the tinderbox.
"Don't!" Andromeda begged desperately.
He threw it.
Téa-Zosma caught it in her large fist, throwing her head back and laughing. Andromeda stared, horrified. She couldn't even see the tinderbox any longer, it was so tiny in her massive paw. Nero watched, eyes hardened.
"Téa-Zosma." The short call reminded her that she had yet to fulfill her end.
The witch gave him a hard glare. "Yes, fine. Take her back. I don't want her filthy skin touching me any longer anyway."
Téa-Zosma held out her hand, Andromeda extended. Cautiously, Nero began walking forward. His eyes darted between Andromeda and Téa-Zosma. The witch didn't move. She frowned with impatience as he continued to slowly come in closer.
"Move it!" She snapped, irritated.
Nero moved the Tacenda between himself and her, but she didn't attempt to attack. As he reached his free hand out for her, Téa-Zosma's fist loosened from around Andromeda. The princess slipped through her fingers and landed on the grass.
Nero grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the witch's grasp, placing her behind him. He started backing up quickly. Not nearly quickly enough.
Her promise now fulfilled, Andromeda safely returned to him, there was nothing stopping Téa-Zosma from acting.
Her newly freed hand punched forward, slamming against Nero's chest. All the breath left him in a rush as he was thrust backwards against Andromeda. She hit the ground. He splayed on top of her, grunting as his damaged ribs struggled to gasp in a breath.
Andromeda grimaced, trying to crawl out from under Nero's heavy body. She only freed her torso, Nero falling between her legs, before Téa-Zosma's shadow was cast over them. Andromeda froze, looking up into the livid face of the large woman.
"You try to steal from me?!" She screeched angrily.
She lifted her foot. Andromeda screamed but couldn't stop the with from slamming it down onto Nero's chest. He grunted, unable to cry out as all the breath he had gathered was forced out of his body. Téa-Zosma ground him into the dirt.
"The gold wasn't enough for you? You had to take my hound, too?"
"Leave him alone!" Andromeda begged, pulling on the toe of Téa-Zosma's boot uselessly.
"Begone, filthy princess, and be happy I'm not taking your life as well." The witch's boot came up and kicked across Andromeda's face, sending her sprawling backwards.
She tasted blood on her lip, coating her tongue as the bones of her jaw ached. But Andromeda could handle pain.
She pushed herself back up, freeing her legs from under Nero. He was grunting, gasping as he tried to breath around the broken ribs in his chest. Téa-Zosma stood over him menacingly, pain and retribution promised in her unholy expression.
Andromeda already knew what kind of punishments that the witch preferred. On the whole, death might be preferable to whatever torture she had in mind.
She could allow neither to happen to Nero. She grimaced as she pushed herself back up onto her feet, glaring at the witch. Reckless instinct overcame logical thought and she ran for the large woman with a cry of effort.
Andromeda leapt forward, coming in low. She threw her entire body weight at the back of Téa-Zosma's knee, planting her shoulder against the joint and buckling it under the sudden force. Téa-Zosma yelled out as her leg collapsed her down, Andromeda rolling away from her.
She stopped with the hilt of the Tacenda digging into her arm. Nero had lost his grip on it when Téa-Zosma had begun crushing in his chest. It lay in wait in the grass.
Téa-Zosma was growling at her, pushing herself up. "I gave you a chance, little girl. I'll drain you of every drop of magical blood that you possess!"
Andromeda hefted the sword up and brought it around with a loud cry-
-Téa-Zosma slapped her away, sending her rolling onto the grass with a cry.
"Andy!" Nero grasped, trying to sit up against the pain of his broken bones.
She pushed herself up on all fours, frowning at the sword still in her hand. What did she honestly think was going to happen? What was her best-case scenario from that? She was a fool.
"Now, then..." Téa-Zosma turned her eye back to Nero. She reached down and wrapped her massive hand around his neck, squeezing it. Not tight enough to choke him, but just enough that he had to struggle for each gasping breath. "I'm going to take you home and coat your body in gold. You're going to become my next stone guardian. You'll spend the rest of my life serving me as a helpless puppet. But I'm going to make sure you're aware of every, single, agonizing second."
Nero tried kicking up at her. There were gray spots in his vision as he struggled to breathe. He felt as though his heart might burst from the force of its own beating as it tried to push blood past her thick fingers and into his starved brain.
Andromeda was shaking, tears pouring down her face. Blood dripped from her mouth, from her busted lips and from the long cut on her tongue made by her own teeth.
What could she do? What could she possibly do?!
Téa-Zosma lifted Nero partially from the ground, allowing his legs to trail as she began dragging him back towards the trees. Cackling with each step.
"Nero!" Andromeda used the Tacenda almost like a cane to push herself up. She could almost feel the weakness returning to her body with each long stride of Téa-Zosma's large legs.
He reached out for her with one hand, his legs struggling to find purchase on the ground. Téa-Zosma still held him by the neck, he could barely move.
Stop standing there! Do something!
I can't! What can someone like me possible do?!
Andromeda took an unsteady step after them, tears burning her cheeks as each ragged breath ripped through her lungs. The cold air burned like fire.
You can do it, Andromeda. She spoke the words to herself. She had to believe that she could do it. It wasn't like she had any other options. Just do it. Just try!
Screaming out desperately, Andromeda ran at the retreating witch. The Tacenda was heavy as she lifted it up onto her shoulder.
Téa-Zosma turned back at the sound of her voice, eyebrow raised curiously.
"Are you an idiot?" She asked, her voice dull with surprise.
Andromeda stepped into range. Téa-Zosma reached past the Tacenda and grabbed her arm. She threw her away, slamming her back into a tree. Andromeda cried out as she tumbled to the ground.
"Little fool. You really will die if you're not careful."
Téa-Zosma turned away. She didn't want to try killing the cursed princess. Injuring her without magic might not be forbidden, but killing her outright might be. Why tempt fate? Téa-Zosma would rather leave her there and allow her to wallow in the knowledge that her man had been slain as she coated him in a layer of burning, liquid gold.
Andromeda turned over, her fingers digging into the dirt. Leaves and bark were caught in her hair and her back was bleeding where the rough tree trunk had bitten through the soft cloth. The Tacenda was dull in her hands, almost mocking her with its uselessness.
Just stay down, an angry voice whispered in her head. You can't do it. You're too weak. You're worthless. You're useless. Don't even bother to try.
Her legs were shaking as she pushed herself slowly upwards. The Tacenda almost felt heavier. She was losing sight of Téa-Zosma now. Once the witch was lost in the trees, Andromeda knew that she would never find her again.
She would lose Nero forever.
Worthless. Useless. Watching as he's dragged away while you stand there helplessly. You really are deserving of the gift Oceane gave you.
She took a step after him, wobbling on her feet.
Fragile. Weak. You can't do anything. You never could do anything. Everyone has to look after you because you can't even take care of yourself. What did you possibly think that you could do for another person?
Nero's pained eyes were barely open on her. The dark brown gleamed at her through the sunlight coming down through the trees. He mouthed her name, his weak legs giving up in their struggle.
Delicate Andromeda. You can't do anything.
She realized now, that hateful voice... It was her own voice.
Nero looked so small next to the larger Téa-Zosma. A whisper of a fantasy. A fragment of a dream. Her hopes and her desires, her love and her life, being dragged off into the forest while she watched helplessly with a useless sword in her weak hands.
She could see in his diminishing eyes her telescope collapsing from the tower to the far ground. She could see her sisters turning their backs on her. She could see, with perfect clarity, every guard that had lost their lives so that she might continue to live.
You made me weak and breakable.
I did no such thing.
Strength is created through challenge and effort. All she ever hears from you or anyone else is that she is weak. She is delicate. She can't do anything for herself. How could she ever be anything else?
I gave you the gift of expectation, and the power to make reality from it.
It's like looking at the stars and calling them suns.
She was just too close to the problem to see it.
"Téa-Zosma!"
The hoarse yell, so strong and sure, surprised the witch into actually turning. She might have been expecting another poorly devised attack, but there was none incoming. The princess was standing in place, bruised limbs shaking as she hefted the Tacenda up and leveled the point at her.
Téa-Zosma laughed. "Please, tell me you're going to get revenge. That would be so cute."
"My name is Andromeda, the Hound Princess, second in line for the throne of Poseidonium. I do this in the name of my godmother, Oceane. In her honor!"
Andromeda gripped the Tacenda tightly. Téa-Zosma raised a curious eyebrow, turning more fully. But Andromeda still made no attempts to come in closer.
She turned the Tacenda around, placing the point at the center of her chest.
Nero's eyes widened as he gasped. His kicking began anew as he struggled against the hand that held him captive. He reached for her desperately.
"Andy!... No!... You can't... do this!"
She clenched her jaw, hands firm and sure.
"I can do this."
She plunged the Tacenda through her chest. Bone and muscle parted easily for the sharpened blade. She kept pressing down, her body arching over as pain exploded in her brain. The hilt smacked against her skin. The gleaming, bright red blade pointed towards the sky as it absorbed the magic inherent in her heart. Where her blood dripped down over her hands, over the hilt, more and more red began appearing.
For a moment, the sky seemed to shimmer.
Téa-Zosma lifted her head, eyes widening for the first time in real fear.
"No!" She yelled, taking a reflexive step backwards.
Andromeda dropped to her knees, struggling to breath around the pain. Her hands tightened further on the hilt. With stuttered cries of agony and effort, she began pulling the Tacenda out again. Her blood made it slick, made it glow a fiery red, as the blade scraped along bone and flesh.
With a great heave of effort, Andromeda threw the blade away, leaving only a gaping hole in her chest with blood pumping forth in oozing waves. She grabbed for the wound as she collapsed over onto the ground, taking in desperate, gulping breaths of air.
Horror filled Nero as a new realization came over him. He could feel strength settling into his body and mind. A strength he hadn't felt since leaving the south. Andromeda's magic had been absorbed into the Tacenda, into his goddess. Now it was the war goddess' own power that kept the barrier around Poseidonium in place.
She was no longer an unwelcome entity. She possessed influence in this region now. With the influx of her power came the return of Nero's blessings as her avatar.
His feet planted into the ground and he pushed himself up, fighting against Téa-Zosma's strength. She glared down at him, yellowed teeth bared in fury as his hands grabbed her thick fingers. He began pulling them apart with a howl of effort. As her grip loosened, air came rushing fully back into his lungs, filling him with his goddess' power.
He kicked up with both feet, planting the soles of his boots into the witch's face. She cried out, releasing him and he fell onto his back with a grunt. The electric pain from his broken ribs stole the air from him again even as he was rolling over onto all fours.
"Andy!" He cried out, making his chest hurt worse.
"No! Your life is mine!" Téa-Zosma reached for him angrily.
Nero ducked under her grasping hands, snarling in anger. The witch had stepped between him and Andromeda. His precious princess was bleeding out onto the ground, still doubled over on her hands and knees, unmoving.
His traitorous Tacenda lay beside her, still bright red from the divine power in her blood that coated its body.
He was distracted only a moment. Long enough for Téa-Zosma to knock him away with the back of her hand, slamming it into his side and throwing him away onto the dirt. He skidded against the forest floor, feeling his skin break against the rocks and the sticks he crashed against.
Struggling to take in the next breath, Nero glared at her through narrowed eyes. Téa-Zosma was stalking towards him, teeth bared in an angry snarl.
"I'll kill you slowly. I'll make you beg for death!" She promised.
Something was happening to her skin. Nero watched as tiny sparks, white and blue, caught on her flesh like burs. They began accumulating on her body, coating her in a layer of sparks. As they began burning and discharging on her skin, she hissed in pain. She swatted at them like mosquito, but those that were knocked away were quickly replaced.
"Damn you, Oceane!" Téa-Zosma roared, trying to attack them with her magic. The fire she summoned was smothered by the sparks. "He's not even one of yours!"
While she was distracted, Nero tried to stand. His broken body refused to obey and he fell back down onto the harsh ground, hissing as the rocks embedded into his back were pushed in further.
Screeching in fury, Téa-Zosma gave Nero a hateful look. Fire consumed her again and, even as the sparks were descending to snuff it out, she was vanishing.
The smoke from her fire disappeared, leaving only a scent like burning rubbish. The remaining sparks that were Oceane's protection floated gently down towards the ground before disappearing. The tinderbox that had been so tightly clenched in her fist, now coated in a layer of sparks, slipped through her immaterial grasp and hit the ground with a dull thud.
Nero just stared at the spot for a long moment. But Téa-Zosma didn't return. He turned his eye to where Andromeda was laying, motionless and huddled down on the dirt. The puddle that was her blood was no longer spreading. He couldn't even tell if she were breathing. He was honestly terrified to try and get up and find out.
The gentle crunch of footsteps caught his ear. He turned quickly. Too quickly. The ache in his ribs squeezed painfully. He grunted, grabbing for his chest.
Someone started clapping and an amused voice spoke. "That was really something. The witch flees and the princess dies. I don't think that's how it was supposed to go, do you?"
"Vasili!" Nero hissed, glaring as his enemy stopped beside him with a grin.
The madman wasn't looking at him, he was staring over at Andromeda. He clicked his tongue as though disappointed. "A shame. I wanted to be the one who did that. Suppose I can still take her skin though. She doesn't have a need for it. But it won't be so fun when she's not alive to fight me off when I do. Well, at least I still have you."
Vasili grinned back at Nero who lay helpless on the ground.
"Though, you're hardly much fun either. I really regret coming this far north now. All I've been doing for months is sitting around in those secret tunnels and waiting. Then, when I finally get to come out and play, you've all had your fun without me."
"Just kill me," Nero growled. "I don't care anymore."
"See! I have no luck at all. I mean, I'm still going to do it." Vasili grinned as he crouched down, balancing his skinning knife on his index finger. "Say, want to know a fun secret before you die?"
"No."
Vasili giggled. "I'll tell you who hired me."
"I don't care."
Vasili's grin faded, annoyed now. "Come on, Nero. It's no fun if you don't play the game. I can't even take your skin. It's covered in scars and breaks. It's nothing compared to hers. At least let me toy with you a little."
"Do what you want. It doesn't matter anymore." Andromeda was dead. What reason did he have to continue with this farce? If he was going to die here anyway, he might as well just accept it. At least he would see his princess again when he joined the death goddess' realm.
Vasili scoffed, disgust on his face. "And you call yourself a southerner. Death is too merciful for you."
He tossed up the skinning knife with one finger, then caught it as it came back down. He lifted it over his head, the shinning metal gleaming in the morning light.
Then he roared in agony when the Tacenda's blade slammed down through his shoulder, impaling him against the hard ground.
Panting, glaring through the hair that had fallen in front of her face, Andromeda growled, "Don't you dare touch him!"
"Andy!" Nero gasped, eyes widening. "You're alive!"
She smiled apologetically, lifting her torso and allowing him to see the hole that she had made through the dress. The cloth was stained red, but her skin was whole. All that remained was a long scar marking the place where she had crossed so close to death.
"How-?!" Vasili growled. "I saw you kill yourself!"
"You saw nothing, brute!" Andromeda snapped, twisting the Tacenda and making him cry out. "Oceane protected me, as she protects all of her children."
Vasili grinned. "Good. Then I get to kill you myself after all."
Newfound strength powered Nero's limbs. He thrust his body upwards, slamming his head into Vasili's. A dull crack echoed out amongst the trees. Nero snatched the dagger from Vasili's hand and twisted it around.
"In the goddess' name!" He snarled in the southern tongue before slashing the blade across the madman's neck while Andromeda held him stuck in place.
It took only seconds for the strength in his body to wane and for him to collapse forward. He continued bleeding for only moments afterwards. Nero had scrambled up and out of the way, leaning back against a tree as he watched the madman die.
Andromeda cursed, surprising Nero. He had never heard such a vulgar word coming from the princess' throat. She put her foot against Vasili's back and with a great heave of effort jerked the sword free from his rapidly cooling corpse.
"He didn't tell us who hired him," she snarled unhappily.
"Andy..." Nero's fingers loosened their grip and Vasili's knife slipped from them and down onto the forest floor.
She turned to him with a smile. "You idiot. Were you really about to let him kill you?"
"What's life without you, precious?" He asked helplessly.
Andromeda dropped down onto her knees so she could put her arms around his neck. The steady, strong beat of her heart under his ear was more comforting than the sound of her voice. It proved that the organ had survived the damage she had done to it.
"What did you do?" He asked weakly. "How did you do it?"
She smiled, brushing back his hair. "A princess' expected delicacy. That's the gift that Oceane gave me. I was always told that it meant I would be as delicate as a princess was expected to be. But that's not true at all. I'm as delicate as I expected myself to be. Or, rather, as strong as I expected myself to be."
Nero grinned. "I told you."
She laughed. "Thank you."
"Don't ever do anything that reckless again. How did you even know it would work?"
"Because I expected it to." Andromeda looked down at her chest. She could feel an actual difference now that the magic in her blood was gone. The last of it having been used up to save her life after the Tacenda had taken the majority of it away.
It wasn't a sense of being freed of something. It was the sense of having a new weight added. A new fullness, a new completeness. She didn't feel a great sense of strength as though she had been imbued with new power, but the cold winter air no longer had the same, painful bite to it. Her skin tingled in the rays of the sun instead of burned. There was a curious gnawing in her stomach that she distantly recognized as true hunger.
Her magic was gone, and with it the chains of delicacy that she had allowed others to place around her then had locked with her own hands.
"We should get you back," she said softly, running her hands gently over his chest. He hissed in pain anyway. "Can you walk?"
"Doubt it. Can't even stand." His voice was strained.
Andromeda nodded. She stood and rushed quickly over the tinderbox. She opened it and struck the flint to the steel. In the time it took her to replace the stone and metal and return to Nero's side, Ey had formed before them.
"Evening, Mistress Andy."
"Hello, Ey," she greeted with the barest hint of a smile. "Don't suppose you could do me a favor?"
"This one would be honored to assist you, mistress."
"Just Andy is fine. Can you carry Nero? He was hurt."
"Are you all right, Master Nero?"
"Ugh... Wonderful. How are you, Ey?"
The hound cocked his head curiously, unable to comprehend the question in the situation. Andromeda waved it away as unnecessary and asked Ey to come in close and lower himself down as far as possible so they could work Nero across his back.
After a painful few minutes in which Nero struggled against his beaten body, they managed to sit him along Ey's neck, right above his shoulders. He couldn't fall from Ey's back, so he didn't even have to hold on. He just had to lay there.
Ey gently got to his feet as Andromeda frowned over at Vasili.
"What about him?" She asked.
"It would be better to burn the corpse," Nero said. "He may be dead, and his soul may already be hers, but the war goddess prefers for the ritual to be completed and her offerings are bathed in fire."
"Do you wish this one to carry his body as well?" Ey asked.
"I don't want to leave it here, but I don't want him against Nero either."
Ey solved the problem for her by walking over to the body. He bent down low and put his massive jaws around his waist. He lifted the corpse up in his teeth, letting it hang limp from between his fangs. It was a macabre site, but it was better than nothing.
"Let's go then," she said, indicating with her head. "It's a long walk back to the city from here."
Andromeda led the way. Her feet hurt, and as the minutes passed she began to feel battle fatigue weighing down on her. The slight hunger she had felt before began growing more insistent until food was the only thing she could think of. She had to keep walking.
It was well past noon when the city came into view. Andromeda let out along breath of relief as she thought of the palace. She could wash all this sticky, itchy blood and sweat from her body and eat until she passed out. Nero could be treated for his wounds. And Ey could be safely devoted to Oceane's pond where no one could attempt to enslave him again.
She was only thinking about rest and recovery. She didn't spare a single thought for how she looked as she came over the horizon, walking towards the populace. Cries of alarm, then of warning, went up all along the city as people began packing along the street to look at the bizarre parade that came slowly, steadily marching down the main street.
The Hound Princess, covered in blood and wearing rags stained with dirt and forest detritus, holding a blood-stained sword. She led her massive hound who bore the injured southern barbarian on his back and the slaughtered madman in his jaws.
Her face was impassive, her stride unhurried. The people didn't attempt to stop her. The guards began lining the streets, making way for her. She didn't even realize what a picture she must make until the massive gates of the palace wall were swinging open to allow her inside and she saw the horrified expressions on the faces of her family.
Melania fainted on the spot.
"Andy!" Reanna and Nat cried at the same time as Larissa looked near close to passing out herself.
They crossed through the gates and the guards closed them as quickly as possible. Andromeda stopped, finally understanding how she must look, and cast her eyes down to see what an absolute mess she had become.
Ey didn't stop. He walked forward until he could place the slain body of Vasili Xenos at her feet. The open gash in his neck perfectly even with the point of the Tacenda she continued to hold, pointing towards the ground.
Andromeda looked up slowly, her long hair falling in her face. She licked her lips, unsure of how to break the startled silence that had fallen over the courtyard.
She cleared her throat. "Um-"
"Andy!"
Everyone turned their heads and looked high above to where Janus was throwing himself out of a window. His wings burst forth from his back and he fluttered quickly down to the ground. He came to a staggered halt in front of her, eyes wide in disbelief.
"You're... You... What...?"
"Can we maybe explain later? Nero's hurt."
Janus frowned before moving towards the downed man. His hands began glowing with warm magic as he reached up to inspect him.
"Nero's hurt?!" Reanna gasped. "What about you?!"
"Oh, I'm fine. A little hungry. A lot hungry, if truth be told. I don't suppose that food can be delivered to me while I bathe? I don't think I can wait."
"You're... hungry?" Nat said simply, her lips numb.
"Very. Nero first though. I think that Téa-Zosma might have broken his ribs."
"Téa-Zosma?!" Linus gasped, grabbing his heart as though it pained him. "Andromeda, what exactly were you doing?"
She smiled, leaning back her head to let the sunlight caress her skin. "Freeing myself."
"Are you sure that you're okay to walk?" Andromeda asked again.
"Yes, precious. I'm fine."
Despite Nero's assurances that he could walk without help, she still had her arm around his waist, one holding onto the hand she had draped around her shoulder so she could assist him. He allowed it because, well, he wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to hold her.
It had been a few days since they had returned and he had already spent most of them laying in the soft bed of his guest room. If he had to remain inside one more moment, he was likely going to go mad. He had to get up and get moving. And they had put this off long enough.
Janus' magic had dulled the pain he felt considerably. The fairy he fetched from the Black Woods who was an expert in healing magic helped more. The fairy didn't want to fix all the damage immediately as he said that could be just as shocking to his body as receiving them. However, he had cleared the blood from Nero's lungs and brought the bones in place and advanced their healing so that he could move once again.
It was only days later, but he already felt like he had been recovering for weeks.
The two of them walked slowly down the path away from the palace. The winter sunlight was a curious mixture of warm and cold against their wind chapped faces as the breeze kicked up their hair. Nero might have been able to walk, but he couldn't do it all that fast. Deep breaths still hurt like a knife being driven between his ribs, but he had to begin moving at some point.
Yesterday, though he hadn't been able to attend the ceremony, Nero had been given a knighthood from the king. There would be a more formal celebration later, but Linus had wanted to confer the honor sooner rather than later.
The king and queen couldn't, in good conscious, give their daughter to a southern barbarian. However, there was a great deal of historical precedence in allowing a man who had been knighted for heroic deeds, especially those involved with saving a princess, to be allowed her hand in marriage. It was a compromise that Reanna had come up with.
The day before that, the fairies of the Black Woods had reported to Linus that they had successfully found Téa-Zosma's tree. The witch was no longer inside of it. Some of her belongings were missing, a great majority of them were not. As though she had been in a hurry to grab only what she considered the most necessary and most valuable.
Eustacia and Sosthenes assured the king that all tainted magical relics would be destroyed by their people. Aurelius was only too happy to volunteer to help rip the hovel to pieces and then set those pieces aflame.
Téa-Zosma had not yet returned. It didn't appear that she would be doing so either. The fairy king and queen informed them, through Janus, that Oceane's barrier was strong around them now. Far stronger than it had been before. If they had tried to cross the border while it was in this condition, they had no doubts that they would have been ejected immediately.
However, they were now welcome guests. Trade was being established between their people, and Janus had become the official ambassador to the fairies in the forest.
Andromeda had begun putting on weight. For the first time in her life, she was eating more than just what was required to sustain her life. The long, unnaturally slender body that she had despised for so long was beginning to fill out properly. It took away the hard, bony edges of her hips and ribs and replaced them with soft, smooth curves that Nero did so enjoy running his hands along when no one was watching them.
She wasn't close to Reanna or Larissa and their more voluptuous bodies. However, she no longer looked as though she were ill. It was a great improvement as far as Nero was concerned.
In three days, there would be a massive ball to celebrate Nero's knighthood. At that ball, Linus would announce their betrothal. The one he had made to Giles had already been retracted. The older man assured them multiple times that he wasn't offended or unhappy with the arrangement. He was nothing but kind to Nero.
Giles was such a good man.
Finally, Andromeda was feeling that sense of completeness that she had not found before. Her cursed life was gone, and the blessing she had been given to protect her people showed through in the friendship they had developed with the fairies.
"There's one thing I still don't understand," Nero said as they approached Oceane's pond.
"What's that?" She asked calmly.
"How come you were never weak around me?"
Andromeda smiled. "Because I never expected to be. The first time we met, I thought you were a dream, and I was too drugged to realize it wasn't. The second time, I thought the dream had returned. By the time I realized it hadn't, I already no longer expected the pain when I was around you. When you kissed me and it didn't hurt, it just sealed in my mind that I shouldn't hurt around you, and so I never did."
"And what of your sisters? Why do they look the same to me?"
"Oceane gave us all the same gift. Expectation. For me and Rae, she gave us our own expectation. I was as weak as I ever expected myself to be. And Rae, she's the queen she expects herself to be. Rissa and Nat though, their expectation comes from others. The perception people have of them. They're told to expect Rissa to be beautiful and Nat to be plain, so they are."
"Yes, but you told me that as well."
"But you expected nothing. You're a southerner. You find beauty in strength. You and Vasili, you're from a different culture and you have different beauty standards. When you came to the north, you expected everything to be different from how you're accustomed. So, you knew one was supposed to be beautiful and one was supposed to be plain, but you had no expectations for our standards of those measurements. When you saw them, you didn't expect anything, and so you saw them as they truly are."
"That's true," he grinned. "I thought it might have something to do with the sword."
"You know, I said the same thing." Andromeda laughed as they were coming close to Oceane's fountain. The gently bubbling water welcomed them merrily. "Expectation is a powerful thing."
"Do you miss it? Your magic?"
Andromeda shook her head. "I'm glad it's gone. I would be able to expect more from myself now, but I think some part of me would always expect weakness. It's hard to shake that after so many years. I'd rather just be normal."
Nero nodded. "Are you ready then?"
She smiled sadly. "Shall we say goodbye first?"
Nero smiled as he reached down and pulled the tinderbox from his belt. One quick strike of the stone and Ey appeared before them, curled into a ball on the grass. He lifted his head and blinked at them once.
"Evening," he greeted without getting to his feet.
"Hello, Ey," Nero smiled, leaving the tinderbox open.
"Have you been healing well, Master Nero?"
"Very well. Thank you for asking. I'm sorry we couldn't do this sooner. It has been busy since we returned."
"This one is understanding."
"You can just say 'I understand'."
"As you say, Master Nero."
"We wanted to wish you goodbye," Andromeda smiled.
Ey's face softened as he stood up. He leaned in close and nuzzled her cheek. "It has been an honor serving you, Andy."
"Hey!" Nero snapped, indignant. "You can't call me master then turn around and call her by her name. I asked you to drop the formality a long time ago."
Ey chuckled. "As you say, Nero."
"Goodbye, Ey," Andromeda said, her expression melancholy as she scratched under his chin. "We're really going to miss you."
"This one has never had such pleasure as when this one served you both, Andy."
Nero reached over and scratched his neck. "We owe a lot to you, Ey. I hope, wherever you end up after this, you're happy there."
"This one hopes this as well."
"Well." Nero turned to the fountain, lifting the tinderbox. "Here we go."
He dropped the piece of flint on top first. It hung suspended, impossibly, over the water as it twisted in the fountain gushing up from below. It began floating towards the edge of the stone tier. It fell over with a small splash before continuing down the slide into the pond.
Sparks began appearing in Ey's iridescent hide.
Nero placed the piece of steel on top of the water spout. Once again, it floated on the water as though it were as light as air before following after the flint.
Ey's body was considerably less substantial now. All that remained strong were his bright eyes.
The lid attached to the bottom of the tinderbox, Nero placed them together onto the water. The tin floated like a boat as it spun about. Instead of watching it fall, Nero turned with his arm around Andromeda to watch Ey fade away instead.
"Thank you," the hound said sincerely. His voice sounded almost like it was submerged in water.
"The honor was ours, Ey," Andromeda assured him, wiping away tears.
Ey seemed to hesitate for a moment. He was fading away quickly as the tinderbox fell from the top tier and down into the bottom. He looked up at them and they could see the ground behind him through his eyes.
"I really did have genuine affection for you two," he said softly before disappearing.
Andromeda gasped, but it was too late. He was gone. Nero grinned, oddly proud.
"You could have just said 'I liked you'," he said to the air.
Andromeda laughed breathlessly as she turned and rested her head against his chest. "He's going to be okay. Right?"
"Sure. He's free now. No one can ever abuse him again."
She nodded. "Then, I'm happy for him. I'm going to miss him though."
"As will I, Mistress Andy," Nero said in his best Ey voice making her laugh. "Don't worry about him, precious. You know what it's like to be freed, and now he gets to enjoy that as well."
"Nero?" She laced her fingers through his.
"Yes?"
"When are you going to take me to the horizon?" She smiled up at him.
"Immediately after the wedding."
"That long?"
"Consider it incentive to hurry up the planning. I don't understand why it has to take months to plan a royal wedding. What do you people need so long to prepare?"
Andromeda laughed again. "You're going to be part of the royal family, Nero. You better get used to our silly royal customs because they're going to be yours soon."
"Nonsense." He wrapped his arms around her. "We're going to be travelers and explorers. There's going to be very little royal extravagance when we're sailing the far seas and climbing the tall mountains just to see what we can find on the other side."
"Do you mean it?"
"The goddess is angry with me right now for letting you trap her with the Tacenda. She's not giving me any assignments for the moment. We're free to explore to our hearts content. And when she does give me another task, I'll simply bring you with me."
Andromeda wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing her forehead to rest against his. "Nero."
"Hm?"
"I want you to teach me how to fight."
"All right."
"Really? You will?"
Nero chuckled at her surprised excitement. "I know that you can do it. If you believe in yourself."
She smiled. "I'll never doubt again."