12(Full Summary: Fifth in the Paladin's Series: An offer of peace has shocked everyone, but the man to deliver it seems genuine and honest. A good man who follows the orders of a bad one. The city stirs and shakes and trapped within it, Addie is losing herself.
Being a spy is all that Addie knows, and she's good at it. She agreed to sacrifice any claims to glory, fame, or even basic recognition to serve her country. Having her body broken in the line of duty seemed inevitable. Now she's confined to a chair, stuck looking out at the world as it passes her by because, if she can't be a spy, who even if she?
Ferrant is the royal blacksmith and, though a self-sworn pacifist, he creates weapons and armor for the paladins. He equips them so they can protect themselves, so that they can protect their country. When he stumbles upon a paladin that he doesn't recognize, one that no one even knows exists, he wants to protect her as well, but when he hurts her, does he even have that right any longer?
An offer of peace, a broken paladin, and the blacksmith who just wants to see his friends and loved ones safe. This could be the chance to finally end the war that has plagued their people, if the city doesn't collapse under its own shadowy weight.)
The Broken Paladin
Addie dreamed of running.
It wasn't a particularly exciting dream. She wasn't running anywhere in particular, nor was she running away from something. She was just running. The wind was blowing in her hair. The easy interplay of muscles a special joy in its own way as the ground passed easily under her feet. Laughter bubbled up in her throat but didn't quite escape as sunlight stroked gently down her face.
It was a simple dream, but a beautiful one.
And it stood in stark contrast to the bleak reality surrounding her when she opened her eyes.
Thunder rumbled through the darkened sky as rain poured down in heavy sheets. Muddy puddles overflowed onto stone walkways and stained shoes and hems alike. Occasionally, bright flashes of lightning would briefly brighten up the world, but mostly everything was gray and drowned by the seemingly ceaseless storm.
It was the third day in a row that such a storm had poured over the city, and the fifth since the clouds had begun to gather. There would be brief periods of dryness intermittently, but the cloud cover itself never dispersed. Even those who enjoyed the rain were quickly becoming discontent with the endless fall.
Addie sat in the special chair her sister Felicie had created for, parked under a sturdy awning in the gardens of the Paladin's Suite, and watched the rain drown the bushes. She had come out here during one of the dry spells but, since the storm had picked back up, she hadn't bothered braving the chill and wetness to get back inside.
So, she would close her eyes as the storm raged and dream of running.
Another growl of thunder reverberated across the sky and Addie grimaced as an accompanying ache flared in her knees. The pain was slight, but just enough to ruin the daydream. She gazed down at her legs, hidden under a blanket, and ran her hand over the deformed lumps of her knees.
Now completely immobile, she couldn't bend them in order to even sit properly. The chair her sister had designed for her lounged rather than sat up, allowing her to keep her legs out straight. She felt like she was sitting in a wheelbarrow.
It wasn't right to complain. She knew that. She was lucky to even be alive. She certainly wasn't going to voice her grievance around others when there was so much to be thankful for.
But, when she was alone and the storm was already depressing her spirits, she could look down at her useless legs and mourn her simple, unattainable dream of ever running again.
Like an old woman's aged joints, the heaviness of the storm made her knees ache painfully. She couldn't even bear weight on them because doing so felt like a knife being driven up into her leg. Even if she wanted to try, her ankles would not allow it. Although the bones of her ankle weren't broken, the taut cord at the back of them had been severed on both legs, rendering walking impossible.
It had been months since the cords had been cut and only a week short of that since her knees had been broken. Both had been done while she had been held in captivity, a result of her attempts at escape from her captors.
In her deepest nightmares, she would sometimes be forced by her own mind to relive the moments that had rendered her immobile. It had certainly hurt to have her ankles cut through, but the mallet that had been driven down onto her knees had been far more painful.
In the safety of home, having been rescued from her captivity by her sister, it was a memory that only became more distant with each passing day. However, the reminder of her time being held as a prisoner of war never truly left her and only became more acute the longer the rain stayed overhead and made her knees ache to remind her of her useless state.
She knew that she should just be thankful to be alive and spared from further harm. As she was now, her life as a spy and soldier was over. She would spend the rest of her days in peace here in the Paladin's Suite, retired due to injury and cared for by loyal servants at all hours of the day. Even now, if she wished it, she need only gesture and a servant would come from the house with an umbrella to push her wheeled lounging chair back into the manor. It wasn't a bad life, and she would never want for anything for the remainder of it.
However, she still dreamed of running.
Letting out a sigh, Addie reached down for the book she had wedged between her thigh and the arm of the chair. She had been doing a lot of reading since she had been home. It was something she used to enjoy a lot, but less so since it became all she could do any longer. It seemed a cruel irony that she used to despair of how little time she had for reading, and now that she had nothing but time, there was no joy left in the activity. She couldn't even name a single book she had managed to finish since returning.
Even now when she opened the book – a sweet tale about a young seamstress who fell in love with a mayor far out of her station – she couldn't focus on the words. She stared past the page, listening to the thunder rumble as her knees ached and her toe itched.
Eventually, she gave up on pretending she was reading and stored the book away again. She clutched the edges of her wrap and pulled it closer to preserve her warmth. It wasn't quite summer yet and the daily storms had cooled the air considerably. She had probably been out here long enough now. The last thing she wanted was to get sick and make herself a bigger burden.
She took a breath, readying herself, then lifted her hand so that it could be seen through the pane glass windows that decorated the lavish manor belonging to the paladins.
Considered blessings from the Lord, the women who made up the paladins were put into service for their country. During times of peace, there was rarely ever more than a single paladin. In this time of war, there were eight that Addie knew of, including herself. All of them had different powers to separate hers from the common person. Addie's was that of shape shifting. She could rearrange her body and features into nearly any configuration – limited by her own mass – and had used that power as a spy.
As holy servants, the paladins were treated with great honor and respect. Their manor, the Paladin's Suite, was luxuriant and situated on the Royal Complex, near the Grosamadour Palace itself which housed the royal family. They were well compensated for their work and, even retired and unable to help any longer, Addie received a large stipend just for being a paladin.
With her housing and meals provided for her, she had little use for the money and so it was just accumulating, adding to a total that was already massive because, while working as a spy, she never had the chance to spend any of it. Even now that she was back home, the wealth was largely useless and continued only to grow.
So, there was a lot to be thankful for. She wanted for nothing, everything was provided to her, and she had wealth enough to entertain herself every day for the rest of her life, even while confined to this wheelbarrow-chair.
When she reminded herself of that, it was easier to put a smile on her face. An easy, relaxed smile that concealed any sense of loss or longing she might have. It was believable enough that when the kind servant girl came out after her, an umbrella over her head and another in her hand, Addie looked completely at ease. No matter what happened, she could always find reason to smile.
"Valerie!" Addie greeted brightly as the young man reached her chair. "I think I'm ready to get back inside. I'm a bit chilly."
Valerie smiled, her freckled nose wrinkling when she did so. "I've got a fire burning in your room, my lady, and hot tea waiting for you."
"You are a wonder, Valerie. What would I do without you?"
"It's my honor, my lady." The servant girl assured her as she was raising the second umbrella before giving it to Addie so she could hold it over her head.
It wasn't large enough to cover her legs so only the blanket would protect them from the downpour, but the walk back was relatively short. Addie watched as Valerie moved around her, lifting the breaks that pushed down on the four wheels of her chair.
"Would you like your dinner now, my lady?" She asked, smiling at Addie as she walked around to the back where a pair of handles had been placed for her convenience.
Addie hummed thoughtfully. "No, not now. I'm not really that hungry."
"You haven't eaten since yesterday, my lady." Valerie said, concerned.
"Huh? Has it really been that long?" Addie frowned, stroking her stomach curiously. "I really don't feel hungry yet though."
"Perhaps something small, then?"
"Sure, that will be fine. Oh, does chef have any more of those sweet rolls? Those were delicious."
Valerie beamed, the worry across the face lifting. "I'm sure that he wouldn't mind making you some, my lady, even if we don't.
"You don't have to put him out." Addie assured her, but she knew that it had fallen on deaf ears. She had expressed a desire for something, and the servants that devoted themselves to the paladins were loyal to a fault and would give her exactly what she asked for.
Because of her position as a spy, very few people knew Addie existed. She was the only paladin kept hidden from the public. The royal family and the other paladins made up the bulk of those that knew of her. There were a few others, however, like a few of the servants at the Suite. Each of them having been sworn to secrecy about her life. Even now that she was retired, no one, not even Addie, was making any effort to change her secret status.
"Valerie, take me to the sun room." Addie told her as she was pushed through the open back doors and into the main hall of the Suite. "I think I want to look at the rain some more."
"Yes, my lady." Valerie nodded, stopping only to put down the umbrellas and set them into their stand beside the door.
With that task completed, she drove Addie through the wide corridors towards the sun room. During bright days, it was more akin to a green house, with fabulous flowers that bloomed nearly year round as well as a chess table and a reading corner that Addie couldn't enjoy properly any longer.
However, since she had been spending so much time at home, the servants had cleared out an alcove for her purposes. There were still flowers surrounding the stone outcropping, but the table that had once been here had been moved to a corner so that Addie could rest there instead. The glass roof and pane walls were warped from the constant fall of rain, nearly impossible to see through thanks to the lanterns glowing, dangling from the ceiling.
"There." Valerie nodded in satisfaction as she stood after locking the last break on the wheels. She gave Addie a bright smile. "I'll bring you that tea and tell chef that you're hungry."
"Thanks." Addie smiled at her and kept the smile in place until Valerie had walked away from her, footsteps fading away, leaving her alone in the dark sun room.
Sighing, she put her head back and, for a moment, just enjoyed the sound of the rain falling against the glass all around her.
She really wasn't hungry, and, even though the sweet rolls had been good, she didn't actually want to eat them right now. However, she knew that if she denied food for too long, one of the servants would tell Felicie and her sister would come down here wondering why she wasn't taking care of herself and if something was wrong.
Of course, she was fine. She just wasn't hungry. It wasn't that big of a deal, but she didn't want to make Felicie worry so she would choke down some food and tea. Besides, they were probably right. Not eating couldn't be good for her.
Stretching her arms up over her head, when she relaxed, she dropped them over the back of the chair and stared up at the stormy clouds through the rippling glass. As she stared beyond, she wondered how things were going in the war.
For the last nearly full decade of her life, Addie's entire mission and purpose had been to gather information for her country. Doing so, she had used her power to sneak around in the enemy country of Gascony as a variety of different people. One of the bigger downsides of her injuries – aside from being confined to this chair and her bed – was that she now no longer knew much of anything that was going on anymore.
For someone used to knowing everything before everyone else, it was like losing one of her senses and being left in the darkness. There was no need to tell her anything at all, and while Felicie and Sybille – the strategist paladin – would give her details of things whenever they were home, it usually wasn't much as there was no purpose in informing her since she no longer played a part in this conflict.
For the last year, her home country of Vasconia had been at war with their northern neighbor beyond the barrier mountains, Gascony. Hatred had been fostered between the two after assassins killed Gascony's King Robert, brother to Vasconia's own King Cyrille. The blame for the attack had been put on Cyrille himself and nothing that could be said or done would convince Queen Sabine of Gascony to the contrary.
Five years later, the first battle of the war had begun. Addie considered the start to be one of her own biggest failures. At the very least, she should have known about the attack before it started. However, the planning and execution had all taken place under her nose.
A few months ago, while following the trail of one of Gascony's top generals on an apparent secret assignment, Addie's luck had finally run out and she had been captured. Her escape attempts earned her the injuries to her legs and she had only been rescued because Felicie had found her by accident. She knew nothing about what had happened regarding that secret assignment. Sometimes, she didn't even know what was going on at the front lines.
Of the eight known paladins, she was the only one incapacitated. Sybille and Nina both planned and coordinated from the capital while Elaine, Colette, and Lea fought on the front lines. Addie had been a spy, Felicie was an assassin, and Laudine, the lost paladin, was in self imposed exile after failing to protect King Robert and King Cyrille during the assassination attempt that had served as the inciting incident for everything afterwards.
The last Addie knew, Gascony's march forward into their country had finally been pushed out thanks to Elaine's efforts in assisting Colette. However, they were now holed up in Antonin Pass, the main entry point from Gascony into Vasconia and one of the only places where it was possible for airships to pass across the barrier mountains. Nothing that could be done would remove them and the Pass was considered neigh impregnable.
So, yet again, they were at something of a standstill. However, with summer beginning to blossom, Addie was sure that the fighting would begin anew shortly. She couldn't imagine that General Firmin, the leader of the Gascony military, would tolerate being pushed back easily.
However, all of that was beyond her control. Unless their armies began knocking on her door – which was very unlikely – she didn't have to worry.
Vasconia was a flat, expansive, but mostly empty country on account of very little of the land being livable. Most of the soil wouldn't grow anything besides the tall grasses that blanketed the earth and water was scarce in the few places it might be available. Gwenael, capital of Vasconia, was built atop a mountain that provided one of the few sources of drinkable water.
However, that also meant they were relatively safe here. Addie was promised a life of luxury and ease provided their enemies couldn't make it this far. And, even if they did, there would be much bigger problems to be concerned with besides her comfort.
With such things to occupy her mind, wondering if she was hungry or not fell far down the list of her personal worries. In fact, she used to go days without eating as a spy, so she didn't know why people would worry now.
She just wasn't hungry. Mostly, she was bored. Besides, it's not like she ever did anything. What purpose did eating serve when she sat or laid down all day?
Letting out a long breath, her eyes began to close. She could probably take a nap right there. It wouldn't be her first one today, and she almost felt guilty about her lazy habits now. But it wasn't like she would be needed for anything.
At least, when she slept, time passed faster.
Before she could successfully doze, however, a voice from the front of the sun room clearing their throat caught her attention. Her eyes opened slowly, turning her head over to find Valerie standing in the door, a tea tray in her hands, and standing behind her-
"Princess Manon?" Addie said in surprise, an eyebrow raising. "This is a surprise."
Manon grinned. No, she smirked, as she strutted forward into the room. Valerie led the way, bringing the tray over to sit on Addie's lap.
"Chef is making the rolls now, my lady." She said, her voice stiff and more formal now that she was in the presence of royalty. "I've provided a second cup for your guest. Is there anything else you need of me, my lady?"
"No, that's fine. Thank you, Valerie." Addie nodded to her as Manon sat down on one of the stone benches near her chair.
Valerie bowed her head first to Addie, then to Manon, before demurely walking from the room. Addie just smiled at Manon, eagerly waiting to hear what she had to say.
The princess grinned and said, "The might of Iron holds nine."
Addie's smile widened considerably as she replied, "But the Iron has turned to rust."
Because of Addie's power, she was impossible to identify at a glance. Even when she was at home like this, wearing her preferred face, she was identical to her sister. Being Felicie's twin kept her hidden, even in this place they lived. To help her allies, they had a code phrase used to both recognize her and announce if it was safe to speak.
She had met Manon in Gascony last year and again in Lloegyr over two months ago. The princess knew both her name and power and the fact that her knees were locked in their straight position. She didn't know until this moment, however, that Addie was here.
"So, to what do I owe the honor of your visit?" Addie asked, grinning expectantly. There could really only be one reason Manon made her way here.
From the pocket of her skirt, Manon pulled out a small picture box, all four sides and the top having been solved. It wasn't open, but the paper that Addie had hidden inside was on top of it, unfolded and read by her new pupil.
"It was a lot harder than I thought." Manon admitted, grinning. "I think I spent days altogether trying to get it solved."
"Felicie said you found the key after only a week."
"Didn't help me solve the box though. Finally did it yesterday though. I would have been down here immediately but I had a state dinner to suffer through."
"Good work. You're only a couple days short of not making the deadline." Addie had given her one month to find the key and solve the box.
Manon grinned proudly. "So, you're the teacher that Felicie said was going to show me how to be sneaky? I'm shocked."
"You look shocked." Addie said sarcastically as she laughed.
"Well, I figured after a while that it had to be you."
"Figured it out on your own?"
"There weren't really many other people I could think of." Abruptly, her face darkened. "I'm sorry about your legs, Addie."
She laughed, waving away the words. "It's not your fault."
"That doesn't mean I'm not sorry. You taught me a lot while we were in Gascony, and I know how much you do for our people. I'm sad that you're hurt"
"Don't worry about it." Addie reached out and patted her hand. "There are plenty of other spies. Maybe not as good as me, true, but they're still out there, working hard."
"That's not really what I was thinking about."
Addie shrugged, leaning back. "It's not that bad, really. It's like early retirement, and I get whatever I want whenever I want it. Much more luxurious."
Manon continued to frown, obviously not convinced. Addie gave her a bright smile. Manon finally sighed, averting her eyes.
"If you insist-"
"I do."
"-then, I suppose I can't say anything about it."
"It's not really why you came down here anyway." Pushing herself up, Addie leaned forward to face her. "So, any questions before we get started?"
The princess started in surprise. "We're starting right now?"
"No point in delaying it at this point. I have a lot to teach and you probably don't have a great deal of time to devote to it. I'm sure your mother doesn't know about this and she'll probably start demanding you get a new instructor soon."
Manon made a face. Her last instructor, a dance teacher as far as her mother knew, had died in Lloegyr only a short time ago. He had died fighting in order to allow others to escape from approaching Gascony troops.
Master Damien was a good man and he had taught Manon a very specific style of dance. One that had little to do with twirling in a ballroom and more with how to kill a man as quickly, as silently, and as sneakily as possible. Even now, she had the twin, thin daggers he had given her strapped to the outside of her arms, hidden by her sleeves.
"Before we get to it though, is there anything you want to know?" Addie asked again.
Manon frowned, looking at her. "I understand most of it, I suppose. Can I ask anything?"
"Absolutely. I can't promise to answer anything, but you're always free to ask."
Manon grinned at her, leaning back on her hand. "Why do you look exactly like Felicie? I mean, I know you prefer to look like people's siblings, but you're identical to her right now. If it weren't for your, er, injury, I would have thought I was wrong about my deduction."
Laughing, Addie reached up to touch her own cheek. "Felicie and I are twins, actually."
"So, this is your real face?"
"Sure, you can say that."
Manon blew out a long breath. "Twin paladins, huh. Why don't you have the same power then?"
Addie shrugged. "We both have skin based powers, I suppose. Then again, Sybille does as well. Maybe she'd like to be our sister too."
As she laughed, Manon grinned, shaking her head. "You're entirely too carefree. I don't know anyone else who would be bound to a chair like you are and still laugh so easily."
"I can either laugh or cry." Addie shrugged. "And I'll be here the rest of my life. Is it only me you have questions about? Not what you're about to do?"
"Master Damien used to say that surprises train us how to react to the unexpected."
"I think I would have liked him."
"Yes, he was amazing."
"What exactly did he teach you? And, don't tell me dance. I know it's not true. Felicie already told me everything she learned about him."
Manon chuckled. "On the contrary. Master Damien did teach me dance. It's just not a dance that you would typically showcase in public."
Since Addie was to be her new teacher, she had no qualms about turning up her arms, lifting her loose sleeves, and showing her the daggers strapped to her forearms. Addie leaned forward, humming in interest, as she ran her fingers over the trappings.
"Very thin." She remarked curiously. "Easily hidden. Not very strong, however."
"Master Damien said that strength doesn't equal power and being the strongest doesn't always mean you're the one left alive."
"So, he was teaching you how to be a delicate fighter?" Addie nodded in approval. "I like it. Suitable for a princess. And something no one would suspect from your thin build."
"Felicie says that I should be like a snake in the grass. Allow my enemies to underestimate and dismiss me so that it makes it easier to strike at them later."
Laughter bubbled up from Addie's throat. "Goodness. My new pupil has had some interesting instructors up until now."
Manon smirked. "I like learning these things far more than all the boring diplomacy and matters of state that mother tries to force on me."
"Boring they may be, but they are vital. And, here's another lesson for you: learning something new is only a waste if you chose to waste what you've learned."
Manon frowned. "What?"
"Diplomacy and matters of state may not be interesting, but you can never know when you'll need the skills and knowledge. Part of being a spy is blending into any environment. Which means you have to know a great many things, even things that you may consider non-essential."
"Like what?"
"Well, for me personally, I am adept at calligraphy, embroidery, woodcarving, and the finer details of shoe making. I'm also fairly proficient at cooking, cleaning, negotiation, and religious teachings – both ours and Gascony's."
"Shoe making?" Manon repeated, making a face. "What does shoe making have to do with sneaking?"
"Well, after I learned it, I was able to use my skills as an excuse to visit wealthy households posing as a cobbler coming to take measurements and fix broken shoes. I was ignored because I was a servant and no one questioned me because my skills were good. If you want to be a spy, you need to learn as much as you can about everything possible."
"So, I should learn to be a servant?" Manon made a face.
Addie reached out and poked her forehead, pushing her back. "Listen here. Pride serves you absolutely no purpose. The only thing ever gained from pride was derision. If you are going to learn my skills, then you must disregard everything you consider special about yourself."
Manon frowned, pulling back from her finger. "What kind of advice is that?"
"It's not advice. It's a necessity for my line of work. Do you want to learn how to be a spy or not?"
Manon opened her mouth but hesitated. Biting her lip, she turned her eyes away. "I can't exactly stop being a princess, Addie."
"Now would I expect you to do so. But I am going to break you."
The sweetly spoken words made Manon lift her eyes again, Addie smiled at her, leaning on the arm of her chair as though she had said nothing strange.
"If I told you to, Manon, would you clean your room?"
"My room?" She frowned. "I mean, I suppose if I had to, but I have maids for that."
Addie made a soft, noncommittal sound in the back of her throat. "And if I told you to clean out the latrine pits with your bare hands and a rag, would you?"
"Ew. I guess... if I had to..." She sounded far less certain now, making a disgusted face.
Addie laughed at her. "I would. Without even a rag. I would jump into the pit while it was full."
"Ew!" Manon shook her head violently, pulling back.
"I've done something like it before. It was the only way I could escape pursuit. My life took precedence over my hygiene and I jumped in without hesitating. As you are now, you would hesitate."
"Most normal people would hesitate!"
"But you are not trying to be a normal person. A spy's life is neither easy nor glamorous. If I'm going to teach you how to do what I do, I will have to break the part of you that turns her nose up at cleaning and who disregards things she finds boring."
"I don't suppose you can't just teach me the sneaking and spying part."
"That's the exact attitude I need to get rid of. So, make your decision now. If you are going to regret this, if you are going to quit, then quit now. The skills I am going to teach you are not meant for the battlefield or the war room. I will break your pride and remake your idea of what your own limits can be. It will be difficult and you will hate it. When I am finished, you will either be irreparable, or you will be stronger than you thought possible."
Manon took in a deep and held it. She hesitated only a moment more before nodding. "I understand. I'm not going to quit."
Addie grinned. "Just remember, you can quit. At any time. You can walk away whenever you want. No one will know what you're doing, there will be no consequences whenever you decide you want to stop. This is a task that you set for yourself, and you will only get out of it what you put into it. And I will always be there to remind you that you can always quit."
Her jaw tight, Manon held her head high. "I will not quit. Break me, Addie. Remake me."
She grinned. "Good. Then, it's time for lesson number one. Give me the box."
Manon didn't hesitate this time, holding it out to her. Addie took it from her and pulled open the lid. The small space was just big enough for the paper that she had put inside here initially. Reaching inside, she pressed a hidden button on the lid, making the base pop open. Manon leaned forward, watching in surprise as Addie pulled a vial out from inside. The tiny glass held a dark gray liquid that sloshed around inside it like molasses.
"You didn't check the box." Addie said, holding it out to her. "Because you didn't, you missed this. Your punishment is to drink it."
Manon frowned, but, her promise still fresh on her tongue, said nothing as she reached out to grab it. It was cold in her hands. When she pulled out the tiny cork, the smell inside made her gag. She turned her head away with a gasp.
"What is this?" She asked, voice muffled under her hand.
"A poison. At that concentration, it won't kill you, don't worry. But it will hurt. It will cause stomach cramps and muscle spasms. Probably some vomiting and diarrhea. Depends on how well you compensate. I won't give you your next assignment until you drink it."
Manon grimaced, looking at the vial in trepidation.
"You could always quit." Addie smiled. "There's no punishment for quitting."
The princess' lower lip trembled as a shiver of fear went through her. Addie just continued to smile, waiting for what she would decide.
Taking a breath, Manon threw the contents of the vial into her throat. She tried to swallow it all before it could hit her tongue, but it was sticky like oil. It spread throughout her entire mouth and she gagged again, slapping her hand over her mouth to avoid throwing up.
"Good job." Addie smiled, plucking the vial from her hands. "Now, to your next assignment. The guard barrack latrines are backed up. Something is broken preventing them from draining."
Manon choked, still trying to keep down the poison as her eyes watered. "You're not actually going to make me clean the latrines?!"
Addie laughed. "Goodness, no. That's far too much for one person. No, you're going to go down there and find out what's broken."
"What? But, I-I don't know anything about machines or plumbing!"
"An excellent chance to learn then, don't you think?" Addie shrugged. "Oh, and try not to let anyone see how much that poison is hurting you. We wouldn't want people to worry unnecessarily, right?"
It didn't hurt yet, it was just disgusting and refusing to leave her tongue. However, Manon nodded. "Yes, mistress. I understand."
"Good. Get to work. The longer you wait, the more those latrines fill."
"Er..."
"Yes?"
"Am I allowed to ask a question?"
"You're always allowed to ask a question."
"How long are the effects of the poison going to last?" Manon ran her hand along her belly in grim trepidation of the pain that was going to come.
"Surprises teach you how to deal with the unexpected, right?" Addie grinned at her. "When you've fixed the latrines, come back to me."
Manon nodded and got to her feet. She was still rubbing her stomach as she walked away. It wasn't until she stepped through the doors that Addie's smile slipped.
"Sorry, Manon. I don't want to hurt you." But trials and stress were the only way to build strength and determination. She had already passed the first test by deliberately putting herself in harm's way, drinking the liquid, knowing it was for her own good.
Manon's birthday was coming soon, and she would be a legal adult. Once she was, adult responsibilities would be given to her in earnest. Which meant that Addie had a very short amount of time to teach her things she had learned over a whole life.
Ferrant plunged his hands down into the bucket of water he had drawn from the old fashioned tap in the back of the shop. He lifted the water up, spilling it over his arms and attempted to wash away the soot that covered him after working in the forge all day.
His clothes were a lost cause. Most everything Ferrant owned was soot stained and, even if it started out bright or colorful, it all would eventually become gray and dingy. No matter how well it was washed, the stains wouldn't improve.
He couldn't change his soot stained clothes, but he could do something about his arms. And he was trying to look presentable for today.
Water dripping from his freshly cleaned arms, he got to his feet and reached out for the towel he had waiting on his work bench. As he did so, the movement elicited a twinge of pain in his shoulder, making him grimace as his arm dropped back down. Growling in annoyance, he snatched the towel with the other hand before aggressively drying his arms.
Ever since he had returned from Lloegyr, after lifting and turning a large lifeboat, his shoulder had been aching uncontrollably. It was especially bad since all this rain had set in. He was still capable of using it, and he continued to work through the pain, but as the day progressed, it would gradually get worse until he was once again cradling it to his body as though it were broken.
Tossing aside the dirty, damp rag, he reached up to message the hurt shoulder as he leaned back against the workbench. The long case laid out behind him gleamed bright and beautiful, the black leather untouched by any of the grime of his forge.
Felicie's bow, Soeur, had been broken while she had been fighting in Lloegyr. As the official royal blacksmith, Ferrant was in charge of arming all of the paladins. Using Felicie's own notes and instructions, he had recreated her massive recurve bow, with a few changes of his own that were, for the most part, purely aesthetic.
"Your shoulder still hurt, boyo?" A withered old man asked as he stepped out of his workshop, using his hand against the wall to hold himself aloft because he was too damned stubborn to just get a cane. "I told ya to go see the physicians about that."
"It's fine." Ferrant said, dropping his hand away from his shoulder.
"What was that?"
"I said it's fine, you old coot!"
"Don't yell at me! I ain't deaf!"
"Sure you're not..." Ferrant murmured, still loud enough that a man who still possessed his full hearing would be able to pick up.
Launce was the owner of the forge that Ferrant was working at. He had gotten too old to strike the iron himself and, as a result, his body had rapidly shrunk down, losing all his muscles and creating loose skin and the illusion that he was thinner than he actually was.
Without any family or apprentices, Launce had been on the verge of being forced to sell his forge when Ferrant had arrived in town and asked for a job. He had followed his best friend, Colette, out here when her power as a paladin had been discovered, but no other smithy had wanted to hire him on account of them all being fully staffed or Ferrant being dismissed as a country bumpkin.
Launce was the only one willing to take him on. Although, that probably had more to do with Ferrant being the only one to want to work with him more than anything. Launce's forge, Leger Forge, was nearly impossible to find in the back maze of the Steel District and the aged owner could offer little in the way of connections or even simple jobs.
Then Ferrant's artistic abilities and his specific blend of steel that was stronger than the stuff typically used in the capital had caught the king's eye thanks to Colette. Now, because of his position arming the royal family, the paladins, and the high knights, Ferrant was far wealthier than he ever would have been back home and Leger Forge was considered the ultimate forge to shop at - if you could find it.
Launce, however, would hire no one else. Which suited Ferrant just fine. He enjoyed having the place to himself and being completely unrestricted in his work. All Launce really did anymore was paperwork and some designs that he had Ferrant make for him occasionally.
The old man's body was failing quickly, he was ornery and refused help on the most basic of tasks, but he had given Ferrant a job when no one else would. Ferrant was grateful to him and glad to repay his debt with what he earned as the royal blacksmith.
With Felicie's bow, Ferrant had finally finished arming all of the paladins as well as Prince Erec and King Cyrille, and he could turn his attention to other things. Although the king did not fight - and couldn't even if he wanted to on account of his missing right hand - Ferrant had made him a weapon and full set of armor first. Now, it was time to create armor for the rest of the paladins.
Groaning, he pushed himself up straight and lifted the bow case with his good arm. The entire reason he had cleaned up - slightly - was because he was bringing Felicie this weapon.
The girl he had very nearly begun courting - and would have had she not found another before they even had a chance - was still in the city. She didn't leave very often. Ferrant didn't know what she did as a paladin and he didn't want to know either.
All he did know was that she promised to meet him at the Paladin's Suite today to get this bow and that meant he would have to go to the Royal Complex. Nothing made him quite so uncomfortable as walking amongst the nobles and wealthy that tended to visit the Complex.
Ferrant had no title - aside from royal blacksmith, which wasn't really a title. Although he was wealthier than he could have imagined being back in South Gate, he was by no means wealthy. He was still a working class, middle class citizen and the wealthy and powerful people that gave his soot stained clothes odd looks made him so uncomfortable.
"Launce, I'm going out to deliver this." He told the old man as he was sitting in his chair in the small office in the back of the forge. "I already shut everything down for the day, so I'll be going home afterwards. Don't stay too long, all right?"
"Huh? Ferrant, you talking to me?"
"Listen closer, you geezer!"
"I told you to stop yelling at me! And cool down the forge before you leave."
"I already- Argh! Never mind. I'm done with you today."
"What?"
"Go jump down a well!" Ferrant yelled at him, earning a slew of curses and claims of ingratitude and selfishness in return as he stepped from the forge.
However, there was no heat to his gaze or anger in his steps as he walked quickly through the rain. He and Launce tended to snap at each other, but it wasn't out of dislike or even disrespect - that was just how they communicated. It suited the two of them well, and Ferrant actually found himself laughing at Launce's red face when he cursed so colorfully.
Ferrant hurried through the Steel District, aiming for the large lift that connected it to the Royal Complex. With the rain falling so hard, the small aircabs weren't flying, so everyone who needed to go somewhere had to do it on foot. The lift to the Royal Complex would be manned and guarded by royal soldiers, but they knew Ferrant's face by now and he wouldn't even be stopped.
He just needed to get in, deliver the bow, and leave. If he was fast enough, he needn't stay longer than fifteen minutes, max.
He reminded himself to buy an umbrella - for the at least the sixth time since the storms had started - as he turned onto the road that led to the lift.
The Steel District was the biggest district and provided most of the jobs held by those who lived in Bronze and at least half of those who lived in Silver - where Ferrant's house was located. However, they weren't the type to need to visit the Royal Complex often, if at all, and so the single lift connecting to the highest district was one of the smallest in the city.
The guard on duty nodded to Ferrant as he came inside, shaking the water out of his blonde hair that was getting just a bit too long. He kept it in a short tail at the back of his head, but most of it had managed to escape already just in jogging here.
"Evening, Ferrant. Got another delivery?" The soldier asked as he closed the doors. The lift was sealed, protecting them from the rain.
"Yeah. Shouldn't be long though."
"Hey, I was thinking about buying myself a new sword. I know I'm not exactly royalty, but I was wondering how much you charge for one of yours."
Ferrant laughed. "Not more than the other blacksmiths, I assure you."
"You make swords for the king, man. Surely that earns your stuff a little markup."
"Seems a bit unfair to charge him extra just because he's a king."
The soldier laughed as he pushed the lever up, bringing the elevator to life. "I really don't understand you, Ferrant. If I was making something for royalty, you bet your butt I'd be charging a king's ransom."
Ferrant chuckled. "Come to the shop sometime. We can discuss your sword there."
"Sure thing." The soldier grinned, pleased.
The elevator came to a halt a short time after and the soldier locked the lift in position before crossing to the other side to open the rear doors. Ferrant nodded to him as he stepped back into the rain, breaking into a jog to reach the Suite faster.
One good thing about these storms was that there weren't any nobles out to judge his dingy clothes or lack of refinement today. He could even daresay, despite the wetness, that this was probably the least uncomfortable he had ever felt coming here.
His boots splashed in the water that sat in a thick layer over the paths as he took the familiar turns towards the Suite. The manor the paladins called home was situated near the Quicksilver District and it wasn't very far from the lift he took to get here as Steel was a neighbor to Quicksilver.
That just meant he could be finished and out of here faster.
By the time he stepped under the awning of the Suite, his hair was soaked and sticking to his face, the front of his plain cotton shirt was positively soaked from running through the rain and plastered to his chest. After knocking, he tried to peel it away, but it just stuck back in place when he let go. He shrugged and gave it up as he rotated his pained shoulder.
It only took a few seconds for one of the servants of the house to open the door. Ferrant didn't recognize the young man that opened the door on him. If his sneer was any indication, the young man didn't recognize him either.
"Are you lost?" He asked, his voice falsely polite.
Ferrant held up the shiny, wet, black leather case. "I'm Ferrant Barnabe. I have a delivery for Lady Paladin Felicie. She's expecting me."
"Oh. Er, yes." The man looked down at Ferrant's soaking boots in clear annoyance.
And this was exactly why Ferrant hated coming here. Everyone always turned up their noses at him for stupid things like wet boots. It was raining outside! He could hardly be at fault for having wet shoes in a storm. But, of course, these people didn't care.
Despite his obvious distaste, the man stood aside to let Ferrant walk inside the front foyer. He did so with a squeak of his boots against the rich marble floor.
"Lady Felicie is in the sun room." The man gestured, his lip curling at the mess Ferrant was making.
"Thanks."
Turning, happy to be away from the smug servant, Ferrant walked quickly through the halls. He had been here enough to make deliveries and visit Colette - the few times that she was here and not out fighting in the war - that he didn't need a guide.
If he enjoyed knowing that he was leaving a long, wet trail for the obnoxious manservant to clean, then that was his own private business.
The sun room was in the back of the Suite, facing towards the back gardens. On a sunny day, it was a breathtaking room of splendor, filled with bright flowers and a single, trickling fountain. With the storm beating on it at all sides, it was gloomy and dark today.
Ferrant stepped inside, casting his eyes about but didn't immediately spot Felicie. Since there were an abundance of flowers and bushes set about just for that reason - to provide some semblance of privacy to those looking for a moment to relax - he wasn't surprised.
But he really wanted to get out of here, so he called out, "Felicie? You here?"
There was a beat of silence and he pricked his ear, thinking that maybe his voice had been lost under the sound of the storm. He didn't doubt that she was here. They may be pretentious, but the servants that worked here were very good. If the man said that Felicie was in the sun room, then there was no doubt that she was here.
Although, he supposed she could have just left.
Before he could follow that thought, however, a cheery voice called back, "I'm over here! Come on over. I have tea."
It was definitely Felicie's voice and Ferrant relaxed.
He might not like being around all the wealthy and powerful people here, and even sometimes knowing that his best friend had become a paladin still gave him chills. However, Felicie had always been kind and just a bit silly. She didn't act like a noble. Her excessive friendliness was a bit overwhelming, but it wasn't uncomfortable.
Following the sound of her voice, Ferrant walked down the thin path. A path made for someone far smaller than his muscular bulk. A near lifetime at the forge had built his muscles up large and he had to turn sideways at times just to walk around the greenery.
"Felicie?" He called out again, his eyes moving around.
"This way. You're almost there."
He looked forward, stepped just off the path and onto a small clearing through the bushes. A single lounge chair had been set inside. The auburn haired paladin was occupying it, her legs covered with a blanket, a steaming cup of tea in her hand, and a small plate of sweet rolls at her elbow. A book was open on her lap and she smiled at him as she closed it.
"Hey." She greeted simply.
"Er, Felicie?" He looked her up and down, a bit surprised. "What are you doing?"
"Reading. It's a lovely day for it, don't you think?"
"I didn't know you liked reading."
She laughed, snuggling deeper into the lounge chair. "Well, it seemed like something fun to do. There's really nothing like getting warm and cozy during a storm, don't you think?"
He nodded once, sitting down onto a stone bench beside her as he looked up through the glass that surrounded him on all sides.
"Yeah. That does sound good. Might try that tonight, actually. I finally finished your bow, so I'll have some time to relax."
Felicie blinked once, her eyes moving to the case. "Is that it? My bow?"
"Yep. Want to see it now?"
"Oh, please, yes." She set her book down between her leg and the chair, shifting forward as she clapped her hands together in eager anticipation.
Once again, Ferrant found himself staring at her, now confused.
"What is it?" She asked when he didn't move, her familiar golden brown eyes gleaming in the light coming down from the hanging lanterns.
Ferrant shook his head, sure that he was imagining things. "Nothing. I, er, think all this rain must be getting to me. Here. Take a look."
He lifted the case, setting it down in her lap, causing her to wince. He frowned, pulling back.
"Sorry. Is it too heavy?"
"Oh, no. The edge hit me. That's all. Let me see."
She took hold of it and brought it further up her legs, flipping the latches and pushing up the lid. Her breath left her in a rush as it fell back, revealing Soeur II.
Felicie's initial bow was rather simple, even if the recurve design made it look elegant by default. The only decorations on it before had been the bands Ferrant had created to adorn the body like bracelets that could be removed if necessary. However, the old bow had been Felicie's creation and she didn't have nearly the same skill that Ferrant had.
The thicker handle in the center of the new bow had been set with black leather then carefully and painstakingly decorated with matte silver leaves that wouldn't wink or flash in the light. The wood surrounding the leather had been carved with more leaves that had similar silver accents. The ends of the bow itself had similar markings while a single strip of more matte silver ran down the center of the body, looking inward. It wasn't strung at the moment, but the string was coiled in the case as well.
"Oh, goodness. It's beautiful." Felicie murmured, stroking her hand down the body.
"I left spaces for the rings again." Ferrant said, opening a small latch in the case and revealing the decorative silver rings. These weren't matte, although they were artistically tarnished so that the leaves inscribed into the silver were thrown into sharp relief. Peridot stones decorated the edges with a single, large diamond catching the light at the front.
Felicie's mouth had fallen open as she reached in and lifted one up.
"I can make more, if you'd like, in whatever color with whatever stone. Just like before." Ferrant reached over, showing her the leaf that disguised the locking mechanism. "Just press that there when you want to lock it on or off."
"Ooh..." She giggled, pressing the leaf to break the ring open. "It's gorgeous. And I can have one to match every outfit!"
Ferrant chuckled, sitting back. "I'd ask if you wanted to test it out, but I don't think the training arena is accessible with all this rain."
"I trust you." She assured him, gently setting the ring back in its bed. "It's absolutely perfect. Thank you. I don't think I've ever seen its like before."
Ferrant frowned, his brows furrowing as he stared at her. "Felicie... Are you all right?"
She smiled brightly. "Of course, I am. Why do you ask?"
He tilted his head back, staring at her awkwardly.
Her eyes shifted uncomfortably. She deliberately looked away from him and gently closed the bow case, latching it closed again.
"Thanks for this." She said, patting her hand on the top. "It's really beautiful."
"Felicie...?"
"Yes?"
"Are you... really Felicie?"
Addie's heart skipped a beat in her chest.
She recovered quickly, laughing at the question. "What kind of thing is that to say?"
"You're... different."
"Different how?" Her heart was racing now. Her stomach swooping. It was difficult to try to keep her face in check, set in an expression of bemused amusement.
"I don't know. You're just... different."
Ferrant tilted his head the other way, still staring at her. He felt like his eyes and his brain were having an argument and it was making him a bit dizzy.
Because this was clearly Felicie. He knew Felicie well, she was one of only two paladins that he got along with easily. The others he had met, but he only knew them briefly. He knew the king better than he knew the other paladins. The gently waving of her auburn hair, loose around her shoulders today, was as familiar to him as the shape of her big, beautiful eyes.
It was Felicie.
But it also wasn't Felicie.
Maybe it was the lack of makeup. Ferrant had never seen Felicie without her face fully painted to showcase all the smooth lines of her lovely face. Before today. Perhaps that lack was what he was seeing and, in looking at her plain, unadorned skin, her face was just different enough that it made him feel like he was looking at someone else.
But that didn't seem right. He had seen others without their face paints before and it had never caused this strange sense of disconnection.
Because this wasn't Felicie. And, no matter how hard he stared or the way he tilted his head to make her face catch the light, his eyes couldn't convince his brain otherwise.
She laughed at him. "You look like a dog listening to a whistle.
He shook his head, because even her voice was playing with his mind and ears. That was definitely Felicie's voice. He knew the sound of it.
And, at the same time, that wasn't Felicie's voice. There was something wholly different in the inflection, in the pronunciation. So close as to be nearly identical, but just different enough that he could still tell something was off. Like determining the difference between different types of steel or bronze. They looked alike but behaved subtly differently.
"Are you sure that you're okay?" She asked, grinning at him. Even her smile was just slightly off from what he would expect from her.
Ferrant leaned forward, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.
She leaned back, grinning awkwardly. "Yes? What is it?"
"Who are you?" He asked, his voice low and direct.
She laughed at him. "Why are you asking me that? Do you have a fever or something? You're soaking wet, maybe you got sick."
"You didn't answer my question.
Letting out a sigh, she rolled her eyes. "Felicie. Felicie Medee. Satisfied?"
"No. Not nearly. You're not Felicie."
She smiled at him. "Of course, I'm Felicie. Who else would I be?"
"I don't know. But, you're definitely not Felicie. Your face is different."
Addie frowned, reaching up to touch her cheek. Had she altered her appearance and forgotten to change it back? That had happened before. It was easy to forget because it didn't require any effort to keep her face in shape once she changed it.
But she hadn't used her powers since coming back to Gwenael. The few times she left the Suite, she just covered her head. With her legs as they were, she was easily recognizable even if she did change her face around, so there was no point in doing so.
"Are you sure you're not sick?" She asked, finally frowning as she looked at him.
She was probably just getting worked up over nothing. No one was able to tell her and Felicie apart once Addie began acting like her sister. It wasn't even like he had asked her to stand and had noticed her inability to do so - which would certainly set her apart now.
It wasn't possible. No one had ever seen her as anyone other than Felicie without knowing beforehand that she wasn't her.
He leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. Large, blacksmith arms over his wide, muscular chest - both of which were readily visible thanks to his wet clothes. His eyes scanned over her carefully and she continued to frown at him, concerned.
"All right." He tilted his head back. "If you're Felicie, what's my name?"
Addie grinned. She knew that. She had heard Felicie talking to him while they had been in Lloegyr - she had been using a different face then. "You're Ferrant."
"My full name."
She laughed to cover her hesitation. Because she didn't know his full name. "What kind of weird game is this anyway?"
"Tell me my full name. If you're Felicie, you should know it."
"I think you should go see a physician."
"You can't tell me, can you?" He smirked.
Addie crossed her arms, pouting. "I forgot it, all right? I forget things sometimes."
He chuckled. "You can try to play your silly act around others, but I already know that it's fake. If you are Felicie. Which you're not."
"Look, you-"
"Who are you?"
"This is way out of line-"
"Who are you?"
"Stop it!" She shouted over him, her heart pounding in her throat now.
He didn't recognize that she was a different person. Her face was identical, her act was flawless. No one saw through it without prior knowledge.
Her outburst only made his smirk widen. "Not Felicie."
There was no proof that he was right. Addie couldn't give up her lie. But he was looking at her with such certainty that it really made her hope.
Was he actually seeing her?
Shoving the question to the back of her mind, dismissing it as impossible, she crossed her arms and faced him with a frown.
"You're not usually this annoying. What's gotten into you?"
"Sorry." He grinned. "I'm really only friendly with people that I know."
"That hurts, Ferrant. I thought we were close."
"Hard to be close considering this is the first time I've met you."
"I really think you should go to a clinic. You're obviously suffering from a terribly high fever. Probably from all this rain. Don't you own an umbrella?"
"I keep meaning to pick one up. So, are you going to tell me your name?"
"I'm Felicie. I told you."
"And I'm not going to believe that just because you keep saying it." He grinned at her. "I don't know who you are, but you're not Felicie."
"I suppose, then, that I'm just some random woman who happens to look exactly like her?"
"Siblings are a thing that exist."
"Indeed. Except, everyone knows that I have no family. I was rescued from the docks as a child."
"I suppose that people could be wrong."
"But you're so completely certain that you're right about me not being who I am?"
Ferrant shrugged. He couldn't exactly say why he knew it was the truth, but he was absolutely certain that it was.
She looked like her. To a degree, she even acted like her. However, the longer he actually spoke to this woman, the more, tiny inconsistencies he saw.
"Where's your makeup? I never see Felicie without makeup."
"I was feeling lazy." She held up her tea as proof, brushing her undone hair behind her ear. "I'll have you know, it takes a lot of work to be perfect every day. Excuse me for not wanting to put in the effort for once. I didn't know you were such a snob."
"Where's Cy?"
Addie smiled because she did actually know that answer of her future brother-in-law's whereabouts at the moment. "He's working with Odi to help his trading posts on the border. They haven't been quite the same since the pirate attacks, you know."
"Not really." Ferrant lounged back on the stone seat.
Upon realizing that this wasn't Felicie, he should have been instantly uncomfortable. If this girl was here, she was clearly someone of importance. Even if that person was just Felicie's sister. Regardless of who they were, Ferrant was always uncomfortable around the rich and powerful.
But this girl who looked like Felicie was looking at him as an equal, not staring down her nose. And – another inconsistency he just noticed – she wasn't dressed in flamboyant clothing or wearing a fortune worth of jewels.
The simple dress this girl was wearing was pretty, but the plain cotton fabric was something that wouldn't look out of place on the streets. She wore no jewels, no precious metals. Her face was clean and unmarked, her hair was soft and fell naturally around her shoulders. She was Felicie, if Felicie had a completely different personality.
"Are we finished with the quiz already?" She asked him, flashing a smile that was definitely not something Felicie would have shown him. Amused, excited, and just a bit reserved.
If there was anything Felicie was not, it was reserved.
Ferrant grinned. "Sure, we're done with the quiz."
"Excellent. Then, are you convinced?"
"Not hardly." He pushed himself to his feet, grinning at her. "So, you're not going to tell me your name?"
"I already did, silly."
He chuckled, shaking his head. "All right. If that's your story, stick to it. You don't mind giving Felicie her bow for me, do you?"
Addie patted the case lovingly. "I'm pretty sure you already did that."
"I imagine that you have to be her sibling. A twin, probably, so I trust you to take care of it. I'm rather eager to get out of here. You know why, I'm sure."
"Of course."
"Why, then?"
"Hm?"
"Why do I want to leave so much?"
Addie hesitated, because she wasn't ready for the question. It was usually easy to fake her way through a conversation with someone Felicie knew that she didn't. However, they also weren't usually throwing questions at her in a deliberate attempt to reveal her ruse.
"To get your fever checked, I would guess." She laughed playfully.
Ferrant smirked, victorious. Felicie knew that he didn't like being around all this wealth. "Yes, that's rather what I thought. It was nice meeting you, Not-Felicie."
"Nice meeting you too, Febrile-Ferrant." She waved at him brightly.
He inclined his head towards her respectfully before turning to walk back through the sun room. Addie turned in her chair, keeping her eye on him. Unlike when he was looking for her, she could actually keep track of his broad shoulders and tall head as he walked through.
Despite herself, she was giddy.
He had recognized her. Even when she was insisting that he was wrong, he was insistent that she was a different person.
That should worry her. People shouldn't be able to differentiate her from Felicie on sight alone and if someone was capable of doing so, it was her fault for failing in her act.
But, even when she had been lazy about it in the past, no one thought to question her. If people saw Felicie acting weird, they would just assume it was Felicie acting weird. No one would immediately jump to the conclusion that she was a different person.
Alone once again, Addie sat back into her chair, fingernails ticking against the side of her cup as she bit her lip and thought about Ferrant.
Definitely a blacksmith of some kind. The bulging muscles and soot stained clothes were a staple of that particular profession. A weapon maker of some skill, that was easy to tell just from Felicie's replacement bow she still had on her lap.
She had seen Ferrant before while they were in Lloegyr. However, he had been one of those that hadn't had a terrible injury and, with things as dire as they had been, she hadn't paid much attention to him beyond simply making a mental note of his presence.
"What are you smiling about, huh?"
Addie jumped in surprise, her head whipping around to see Felicie herself, her twin sister, coming around her chair. She was holding a plate of food in her hands – chicken and potatoes – and was staring at the case on Addie's legs.
"What's that?" She asked, taking a seat on the stone bench.
"It's your bow. A guy named Ferrant delivered it to me just a minute ago."
"Oh, Ferrant?" Felicie's face broke into a smile as she set the plate down in order to lift the case off of Addie's lap. "It's he just the sweetest?"
Addie smiled, leaning back in her chair. "He's certainly something."
"He's a master craftsman. Did you see the bow?"
"I did. It's beautiful."
Felicie gasped as she opened the case. "Oh, my goodness. Why didn't I have him do this before? It's amazing. He's so good at this. Ah! I can't wait to shoot it."
"Why doesn't he like to be here? He was in such a hurry to leave."
"Oh, that?" Felicie chuckled as she lifted out her bow. She was more focused on her new Soeur than she was on Addie's curious expression. "He gets uncomfortable around nobility. He doesn't have a title or anything like that, so he's nervous around powerful people. You should see him when he's forced to talk to the king. Poor dear looks so stiff and uneasy."
"I see..." Addie was glad she had chosen to not answer the question, because that was not the answer she would have come up with.
Ferrant had looked entirely too comfortable here. His bulk took up space with such confidence and ease that she didn't see him as too big for this place, but rather that this place was too small for him. The way his wet hair fell around his dusty blue eyes and how his damp shirt had stuck to his muscular body tickled her in a way she hadn't felt in a long while.
"Rather handsome, isn't he?" She asked aloud softly.
"Hm?" Felicie looked up from her bow, surprised. "You're interested in Ferrant?"
"No. Don't be silly. I could hardly be interested in a man the way I am."
"Why not? It's your knees that are broken, not your, well..." Felicie chuckled.
"No man wants a cripple for his bed." Addie stuck her tongue out at her playfully. "Besides, it was just an observation."
"Well, in that case, I would have to agree. He is rather handsome. In a really sweet, simple kind of way. He's a good soul though. Did you know, he's a pacifist?"
"Really?"
"Yeah. Self-sworn pacifist. I've never even seen him raise his voice."
"Huh. A pacifist that makes weapons. That doesn't really make sense." She started laughing, now even more curious about this blacksmith.
Her mood sobered quickly when she realized that she wasn't likely to see him again. He had no reason to visit her and, according to Felicie, he didn't like coming here.
The only man that had ever seen her and not her sister...
She shook her head quickly, banishing the sobering thought. She forced a smile, looking down at the food to change the subject.
"Is that for me?"
"Yes. Valerie says you haven't been eating again." Felicie frowned, grabbing the plate and passing it over to her. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine. You all need to stop worrying." Addie laughed but inwardly groaned because she now knew she was going to have to eat this entire plate just to prove a point.
However, as she was getting started, Felicie frowned, getting to her feet suddenly and looking past Addie's head into the rain.
"What is it?" Addie asked, turning.
"I saw a ship..." Felicie frowned.
"In this weather? That's a pretty brave ship." Addie tried to grin, but Felicie's expression didn't change. While smaller boats like the aircabs wouldn't be flying in this weather, larger ships could take to the air if the captain was particularly bold. Or stupid.
Felicie shook her head quickly, looking back her. Her expression was one of fear.
"What is it?" Addie asked, setting the plate aside.
"It was... a Gascony ship."
"What?"
Felicie took off running. "I have to go!"
"Wait!" Addie turned around to keep track of her, but she couldn't reach the forward breaks on her chair. She was helpless and immobile.
Felicie left her behind and Addie turned to look out the window again.
Lightning flashed and she saw what Felicie had spotted.
Hovering out over the Quicksilver district, a large, Gascony style ship was briefly visible before the lightning faded, the roaring thunder covering up the sound of its engine.