Harvest - 5 (Patreon)

Duskhaven was a quintessential Gilnean town, one of the larger ones like Crowford, built atop a small rise beside a river and beneath the luxurious retreat of the Greymane family. I was glad to see the revitalised golden and green fields surrounding the effective capital of Gilneas' breadbasket region, the Duskmist Plains, but couldn't help but be agitated at how long it took us to get here.

Even rushing as quickly as we could, pushing Donovan to his limits – and with me spending all save this last stretch as the smallest fox I could to make his load lighter – it had taken days to fly through the passes in the Duskrocky Peaks. It would've taken longer if Lorna and Donovan didn't already know the way.

Donovan let out a fierce cry as he made his first pass over the town, bleeding off speed and alerting the residents to his presence. We had discussed coming in to land in secret outside the town, hiding our coming, but eventually decided against it. Someone was going to spot Donovan unless we came in under the cover of darkness, and landing a tired gryphon in the dark wasn't something any of us were confident in.

Not even Donovan himself.

"I see Aderic!" I called as Lorna took us in to land on the main street. I let go of Vivi to fumble with my straps, unbuckling myself and swinging off the moment we touched the ground and running towards him, with Tricks clambering out of her bag to follow me.

"Hey, wait up!" Vivi said, lagging behind me by a few moments.

I stopped in front of the Fox Speaker, pausing a moment to give him a short curtsy – he was with Magroth and a well-dressed noble of some sort, so I needed to be formal. "We received your letter and came as quickly as we could, speaker. What do you need us to do?"

He looked at me and slowly smiled: "A good day to you as well, Gwyneth. Might I introduce you to–"

"Liam!" Lorna called happily, and the noble perked up noticeably. Or... royal, as he had to be Prince Liam Greymane. "It is good to see you again, Your Highness."

"Your Highness," Vivi said, bowing deeply, and I followed suit with a curtsy.

As the prince nodded, with his gaze fixed on Lorna whom he quickly fell into a soft conversation with, I focused on Aderic again. "A good day, Speaker, but–"

"As glad as I am for your timely arrival, the matter has been resolved." Aderic said, cutting me off and letting his smirk turn truly vulpine. "Your friend, dear Magroth here–" he rapped his knuckles on the paladin's breastplate, "– and the prince were more than enough assistance in rescuing Alys from her predicament."

"Indeed," Magroth said jovially, "I was glad to be of assistance. And let me offer my thanks to you, Lady Crowley and Sir Donovan, for ferrying me here. Bishop Warren's warning was well warranted. Please, when you see her next, offer her my gratitude if it does not trouble you."

Lorna blinked distractedly, turning away from the prince to acknowledge the paladin. "It is no trouble, Sir Magroth. I will see that she hears your words. And I must thank you for your aid here."

"Wait, are you saying that we came out here... for you to have already rescued her?" I said incredulously, I was tempted to throw my hands in the air out of exasperation; that bag had not been comfortable! "You sent a letter asking for help!"

Aderic just shrugged his shoulders while keeping up his smirk. "I did, yes. And don't think we don't appreciate you rushing to our aid, young Gwyneth, nor the two of you Ladies Crowley, Mistmantle, but we are capable of solving a situation by ourselves." He let out a bark of laughter and shook his head. "Ah, the folly of youth that thinks they must do everything themselves lest it not be done at all."

As Magroth joined in the laughter with a deep chuckle of his own, I stood there feeling flummoxed. They just... dealt with it themselves? Somehow that didn't seem entirely real, but... it had happened. Apparently.

With the way Lorna’s gaze went back to the prince the moments the distractions ended, and the way Vivi was more interested in watching our friend acting positively demure, it seemed I was the only one who was surprised by the situation. The smile on Lorna’s face as she looked at Prince Liam, one he returned, was much unlike her more playful, enticing, or seductive smiles that I’d seen in the past. There was deep and genuine affection there.

Sighing deeply at what was apparently a wasted effort, I slipped my hand into Vivi's. At least Lorna was getting something out of this massive sidetrip; there was something a little wistful about seeing Lorna, who was very much my first real crush in this life, looking at someone else like that, but I was happy for her.

Worried too, for what it meant with the inevitability of the rebellion, but still happy and wishing it worked out well.

"So, redundant as this turned out to be, can you tell me how you managed it?" I said, rubbing at my throat.

"While the good prince," Magroth slapped Prince Liam on the back and sent him staggering into Lorna – who blushed, something I'd never seen on her face before – "and I created a distraction at the fore of the chapel and engaged those who sought revenge instead of justice, the Fox Speaker sneaked his way into the rear and absconded with the victim. Alys is still recovering from her ordeal, for though the grace of the Light has allowed me to erase all trace of her physical suffering, the ailments of the mind are not so easily mended."

"She is stubborn enough that I am sure she will be well in time," Aderic said with a frown.

Prince Liam cleared his throat as he adjusted his vest and tie, his cheeks above the orange of his carefully trimmed beard tinged with pink. "The recompense that’s been offered by my Father for the harm that came to her in his service, as well as the weregild from the Church of Dawn, will hardly go amiss either, I suspect. Now..." He glanced to Lorna.

She smiled back at him affectionately. "I need to see to Donovan, I am afraid. Speaker, Sir Magroth–"

"Let me assist you, please." Prince Liam said quickly, offering to take her arm. "I have quite enjoyed my experiences with Don' in the past."

I watched them go for a moment before turning away, feeling it was something reasonably private. "Well, good." I said to Aderic. Some part of me felt that Alys, as one of the people who took Meredith's side, deserved to have something bad happen to her. But... not this. Especially not something that would give credence to the bullshit Meredith had spouted. At least there was a silver lining. "Ironic that one of the people who thought we were dooming ourselves by ending our secrecy was rescued by the prince and a paladin."

"But she was kidnapped by the church." Vivi pointed out.

"Indeed she was, young miss." Magroth said, with a nod of his head. "I can only hope she understands that not all share the bishop's unfortunate views." He closed his eyes and clasped his hands before his chest, bowing his head in prayer. "May the Light guide those misguided onto the path of righteousness once more."

There was a faint glow of Light, resonating with Magroth's song of Purpose: his will and determination to defend all those that could not defend themselves.

"Oh, right. Vivi, Sir Magroth, Paladin of the Silver Hand. Magroth, Lady Vivianne Mistmantle, my bodyguard appointed by Lord Crowley and second daughter of the Mistmantle family."

"It is good to meet you, Sir Magroth." Vivi said, letting go of my hand to bow properly.

Magroth smiled down at her. "That I return to you, Lady Mistmantle. Now, as our discussions have been interrupted I have business I must see to at the church, good speaker. Might I speak with you in the morning, Witch Arevin?"

"Of course." I nodded, and he bowed before taking his leave.

"Well, I've plenty to be doing as well. The ruckus of the last few days disrupted our coordination and I need to get things back on track." Aderic waved a hand idly as he started to walk away. "Feel free to help out where you will, or occupy yourselves like the Crowley girl and the prince surely are."

"Lorna–" I squeaked, my cheeks burning as I tried to force my voice back under control. "Lorna has propriety."

I ignored the way Vivi wrapped an arm around me possessively, or rather I pretended to ignore it even as I leaned into it.

-oOoOo-

Walking into Duskhaven's church I looked around the shadowed alcoves and did much as I did back in Crowford, forming a dozen twinkling starlights and scattering them about the chamber. There were still candles in place around the room but they had been purposefully left unlit for some reason; perhaps something to do with the faint echo of the Light I could feel, the zealous fury and righteous defiance that had clashed here.

That, scarcely lingering, magical presence was the only sign of the fight that occurred between prince, paladin, and bishop. The pews were neatly in place and there were no marks on the floor or walls; not a drop of blood nor even a scuff mark on the stones. Everything had been cleaned away and hidden.

"You wanted to speak with me?" I asked as I approached Magroth where he kneeled at the altar at the far end of the chapel. The stained glass window, set to catch the morning light, shone a spotlight on him.

It was, even without any magic being involved, a magical sight. Made only more so as the paladin slowly rose to his feet and turned to me, the Light in his eyes only made more prominent due to the framing of his silhouette by the window.

"I have spoken much with the Fox Speaker on philosophy, on the differences between our worship and yours." He spoke slowly and deliberately, each word measured and careful. "On the reason why the witches, your 'kin', have stepped out of the shadows. Though he will not speak openly of it, offers riddles and metaphors, I can only come to one conclusion."

I nodded my head carefully, matching his gaze.

"The reason is you."

"And?" I asked, tilting my head quizzically. "I spurred my teacher on this path, I helped her come to her decision, I made the first inroads between myself and Darius that made this possible, but it would have happened regardless." In time, maybe later, and without the blessing of the king and queen... but it would have.

Magroth shook his head. "That is not my meaning. At Lord Crowley's request I came to Gilneas, which in turn was spurred by you. There is much good I have done here and yet, with each word I hear from beyond the wall, I wonder if more could have been done elsewhere." He walked forward, his steel boots clamouring on the stone floor of the chapel. "Adept Frazzle, Lady Lorna, Lord Crowley, myself, the good speakers... and even an Archmage of Dalaran, though she did not find you, move because of your actions."

My ears filled with a song of purpose, of will and determination and magic, Magroth's desire to protect others no matter the cost to himself. My hands clenched at my sides, tension building as he approached; I wasn't going to be taken off guard by magic again. I wasn't going to make the mistake of ignoring something just because it was pleasant.

He was suspicious of me, of my motivations and plans, of the influence I had managed to accrue over the people that I had; as meagre as they were in the grand scheme of things.

"In the Kalimdor Expedition, rumours abound of one who predicted the plague and sought to warn all of its coming. An expedition supported at great cost by Lord Crowley. Tell me," He stopped directly in front of me, looking down at me severely; then kneeled so that his firm gaze was level with mine, "who are you?"

I bit down on the inside of my lip, suppressing my desire to fidget or run, and carefully drew on the lights I had cast about the room. "If you think me some... manipulator, am I really the one you should be asking this?"

All of a sudden his face fell, the severe mien fading away to be replaced by a sad one. "Is that what you thought I meant?" He asked softly. "Perhaps... no, Witch Arevin, it is not. I ask sincerely, who are you? What drives you to act as you have? Which dread horror has taken hold of a girl that would sing a song of valour for a fallen village and scares her so?"

It was clear I had misjudged him, thought worse of him than he deserved. He wasn't... damnit, Magroth wasn't Alwyn, and didn't deserve to be treated anything like him.

"I still would, I would still sing for them." I whispered quietly. I would still call for Odyn and his Val'kyr to come and save the souls of the fallen, pray that they were whisked away from damnation. Even if there were better uses of my time, they deserved that much. "I'm just a girl, Sir Magroth. A girl who is trying her best to protect her home, to protect as many people as she can from an oncoming tide of darkness. Be that behind a wall or across the sea." I took a deep breath, banishing the magic I had called. "Maybe if you left Gilneas you could save a life, a dozen, or even more. Maybe you could stand with your fellows in the Silver Hand and protect a small bastion for a time. But, it's too late to stop the darkness from coming. I tried. And I failed. No one would listen to a child." Even now, years later, I couldn't keep the bitterness from my voice as I remembered Dalaran.

Dalaran and Modera.

Meeting his gaze with all the determination I could muster, my magic bubbling with the will to defend my home and family; the ferocity of a cornered animal. "Gilneas will weather the storm until it has passed, and then... we must muster out to protect those that remain. Even if the king... would refuse to." I finished with a hushed whisper.

He searched my eyes for something and found it. He clasped a heaving hand onto my shoulder and nodded. "Then we shall convince him otherwise. With reason or force, if needs be." He kept his voice soft, before continuing more loudly. "You would have made a fine paladin and protector, Gwyneth. I shall trust in your conviction and remain here in Gilneas despite Lord Uther's summons. I have heard tales of vicious spiders that prey upon travellers within the forest at Gilneas' heart that would benefit from the attention of a paladin."

I smiled wanly. "If you ask for aid in that matter, I am sure many of my kin would offer it. The Widow's Brood is a plague upon our home as much as it is to those that live near the forest."

"Then I will be sure to do so. Light be with you, Gwyneth."

"Fox and Raven both watch over you, Magroth."

We nodded to each other and parted. I had learned something about the paladin; he was more clever than he might appear, and now... I had maybe put the seeds of him joining the rebellion against Genn in place. Only time would tell.

-oOoOo-

“With Alys indisposed, as much out of recalcitrance as injury, it would be best if you remained for a time to aid in calling the rain and mists back to the plains.” Aderic said, sipping at a cup of tea he had just finished brewing over a small campfire outside of Duskhaven. His free hand scratched at Tricks’ ears; the kit had taken shelter with him while we were in town. “So long as you are waiting for your Crowley to finish with the prince, of course. There is much to be done elsewhere also.”

Despite having rooms available at the coaching inn, paid for by the prince no less – where Vivi and I had stayed last night, while Lorna went with the prince to Greymane Manor – Aderic had chosen to make camp in the lightly forested slopes around Duskhaven. His burrow, a woven structure of sticks he had overlaid with soil and tree branches, looked cosy enough but demonstrated a marked difference in our attitudes.

He didn’t entirely eschew the trappings of civilisation, having a steel kettle and tin cups for his tea, but clearly preferred to live rough rather than find shelter in towns and villages like I did. The latrine he’d dug was well-kept as they went, but I had access to a proper bathroom and was going to use it.

“We’ll be here long enough to do every bit of rain calling needed, won’t we?” Vivi said, nudging me with an amused smirk. “Lorna finally has time to spend with her prince so we won’t be seeing her for a few weeks.”

“It’s not like they’re going to do anything.” I said, rolling my eyes and spotting a raven that flew down into the camp to peer at us. “Don’t forget, if you tease her she’ll just tease us back.” I grumbled good-naturedly. “And she’s better at it. But, anyway! We can help; I didn’t particularly want to go north into Godfrey’s lands anyway.”

Mathis could handle that mess. Darius was going to be with them and could make sure nothing bad happened.

Getting up I moved to check the raven’s message – only for it to twist and shift, feathers turning to hair and clothes as Celestine dropped her flight form and became a human again.

“Gwyneth, good. You’re here. Frazzle’s letter was urgent and I came as swiftly as I could – Aderic, what is the plan for–”

“You have a flight form.” I said, staring up at her and feeling my frustration mount. How long had I relied on Lorna for travel? How long had Celestine had that form and kept it hidden from me? How long had she kept me in the dark? “Of course there’s a flight form, Fox and Raven, why wouldn’t there be?” I said bitterly.

Celestine shot a glare at me for my interruption. “We are dealing with a matter of urgency Gwyneth, that I am even revealing one of the speaker’s secrets to you and Vivianne is only because of that.”

I scoffed as Aderic yawned and leaned back, saying nothing. Speaker’s secret? It was more than just me and Aderic who had the fox form, it wasn’t a speaker’s secret. “Do you have any idea how much I could’ve done if I could move freely with a flight form, Celestine?” I stood, glancing at Aderic – who winked at me – before frowning at Celestine. “I could search for Uther or Tirion, I could’ve sought out Thrall, I could’ve–”

“Gwyneth!” She snapped, her eyes flinty as she glared at me. “This is not the time–”

“Alys has already been rescued.” Vivi huffed, catching my belt and tugging me back from my advance on Celestine. “There’s no emergency. Gwen, she only just became a speaker, right? Maybe it came with that.”

“It didn’t.” Aderic said, smirking mischievously.

“Not helping!” Vivi pointed at him, and he just laughed.

Celestine watched Vivi for a moment, her anger fading and distaste taking its place. “And she has–”

“Don’t ignore me!” I hissed at her. I didn’t try to tug myself out of Vivi’s grip, but I was still annoyed. “If I wasn’t so limited in how I moved around I might’ve been able to actually interfere!” If I could fly, I could’ve chased after Jaina and Arthas the moment I heard about the plague. I could’ve explained everything. Stopped him.

It wouldn’t have ended the threat of the Scourge. The Lich King lurked in Northrend, the dreadlords were here. But…

“I am not happy, Celestine.”

“It is a right of the speakers and their successors to take on the forms of the raven and the fox, Gwyneth.” She said irritably, turning her gaze back to me. “And as vital–”

Rolling my eyes I twisted and shifted, turning into a fox and chittering up at her as my tail lashed angrily. Seeing her eyes widen was all I wanted and I quickly turned back, crossing my arms and staring up at her.

“Not just the speakers and their successors,” I said pointedly. “And it’s not like it’s unique to us. The Druids of the Kaldorei, elves, have their bears and cats and stormcrows, their seals and stags; they pass around forms to dozens if not hundreds of druids. And Ursoc, Ursol, Malorne, and Ashamane are dead!” I finished with a yell, Celestine flinching back in surprise. “Ours? Ours are not.”

Celestine waited until I was finished to speak; our round-robin of interruptions ended for the moment. “It matters little who other gods offer their blessings to. The raven and the fox chose who they deem to be worthy, and it is not our place to make that decision for them.”

Aderic looked up from a sheaf of paper he was scribbling on. “It is our place to put forth those we consider worthy, as Samantha did for you.”

I flashed him a thankful smile before focusing on Celestine again. “I’ve proven worthy of one of our gods, and as happy as I am with that you have to realise how much more I would gain from the Raven.” I wanted to keep arguing, to say more, but I bit it back.

Ranting at her with more lists of people I could reach wouldn’t help. It was too late now for most of them anyway, too late to stop anything. Arthas was already headed to Northrend and it wouldn’t be long before he found Frostmourne and fell.

Celestine looked away, a conflicted expression crossing her face. “It has been less than a year. Last solstice, when we attended Emmaline’s initiation. Only when Old Grims was certain she would choose me, that I would accept, did she take me before the raven.” She closed her eyes and sighed. “Very well. I will take you before the raven this winter, that is as soon as it can occur.”

“Good. Then that’s settled.” Aderic said, putting aside his papers for a moment. “Yes, it was Alys. And as you must have thought, it was more a… personal vendetta that fuelled the attack. The situation had been tense but kept stable by our paladin friend, right up until the bishop saw her.” His normal jovial demeanour was gone, a serious mien taking its place. “They were… acquainted in their youth. The details do not match between them on what happened, but the result was a potion gone awry and the crippling of a sister’s mind. Tensions only mounted further after Alys’ father passed and she was alone.”

“Wait, are you saying she deserved what happened to her?” Vivi asked, sounding confused. “But you helped rescue her!” She looked between me and Aderic rapidly. “You wouldn’t have done that if she did something wrong, if she was a criminal. Would you?”

I shook my head. “Things aren’t that simple.” I said quietly. I had my own reasons to not like Alys, but even if she was guilty torture was not the right response.

“That was when she took to blighting crops. After her father’s death. She was already being blamed?” Celestine asked, then shook her head bitterly. “Of course she was, and she took it as an excuse to get revenge. Spiteful woman.”

“Vengefully spiteful, to be sure.” Aderic agreed, nodding to Celestine. He tapped his chin, tilting his head and looking at me after a moment. “Gwyneth, you are most familiar with the nobles of our kin. What do you say should be done to Alys?”

“She deserves to be punished, obviously!” Vivi piped up, the tone of her voice making it clear she didn’t see any alternative to be had. “If she hurt people like you said you can’t let her get away with it. Take her to the courts and let them deal with it!”

But it wasn’t Vivi they were asking, it was me. And it wasn’t as simple a question as Vivi made it out to be; if Alys went to the courts, if her crimes were made public, then people would see the bishop as being in the right. Our kin would see our declaration of protection against prosecution as being a sham. She deserved to be punished but that didn’t mean we could.

I didn’t like the question. I didn’t like being asked to answer this, even if Aderic was right and I did have insight that could be valuable. “Nothing.” I said, the word bitter and foul to say.

“Gwen?” Vivi stiffened in surprise. “Are you… being serious?”

“Yes.” I sighed, dropping my head onto her shoulder. “I am. We can’t punish her for things that she did before we considered them crimes.” It was the kind of logic that might’ve gotten Meredith off scot-free and I hated it. “And… she’s already been punished.”

Celestine let out a long puff of air. “I like it little, but I see why you say it. Alys escapes justice once more… until she acts as she always has. Aderic, add that to our… laws, if you would.”

“Of course.” He nodded. “How were the headlands before you left?”

It was nice getting to hear a little about how Robin had been, though mention of Modera turning up there was unhappy, but I didn’t join in on the conversation much. Vivi was unhappy with what had been said and I didn’t like it.

I didn’t see how I could change it either. Our unity was too important, and too fragile, to risk so soon.

-oOoOo-

As the rain started to fall, the first drops landing in mine and Vivi's hair, I swung our joined hands idly. I couldn't help but smile at my dance partner; there was something just better about going through the little ritual with her than with anyone else, a bubbling joy that wouldn't die down. As nice as it was to help Trix grow she wasn't Vivi. Leaning in I gave her a soft peck of a kiss on the tip of the nose and giggled softly at her answering blush and the way she ducked her head.

But, after a moment, her face fell and she turned away. Looking out across the shoreline and the spiked reefs that protected this part of Gilneas' shoreline, she pulled her hands out of mine and sat at the edge of the cliff.

"Vivi?" I asked, suddenly worried. It was an impressive sight, watching the mists that gave these plains their name roll in off the sea once more, but... why had she pulled away? "What's wrong?"

She stayed quiet, even as I sat down next to her and put a hand over hers.

At least she didn't pull away from me again.

"My family used to live here. The Mistmantles of Duskmist. There's a forest here, the Mistwood, which we ruled over." She said after a while, still looking out over the sea. "We even own the islands and the only port here once, where ships can slip around the reefs. But I've never seen the sea before."

"Really? But..." I thought back to the times she went flying with Lorna. They were never long trips, the Mistmantles didn't move as much, and even Crowford was deeply inland. "I guess, yeah. Growing up by Keel Harbour it's hard to think of that. I lived on an island, before. Not a small one but still an island; like Kul Tiras. Even though we lived about as far from the sea as it was possible to live, the idea of not seeing it..." It was weird to me. The ocean was just there, it'd always been a fact of life that the ocean was easy enough to reach.

"You mean your old life?" Vivi asked, her voice quiet.

"Yeah." I wasn't unloading on her or Lorna everything about it, but I wasn't hiding it away anymore. My time with Lord Renard, him asking for my name, had helped remind me it had more to offer than inventions, politics, and predictions of the future. "What made your family leave here? I like Northgate but Duskmist is..." I hesitated, struggling for a word. "Posh? Rich?"

The agricultural heartland, the safest part of Gilneas, was somewhere that was just stable and certain. Fertile and secure behind the mountains it had never been in danger, not like the Northgate region was.

Vivi plucked a stone from the cliff and tossed it into the sea. "My six times great grandfather stayed neutral in the War of Broken Oaths. He didn't join the king's armies or join the rebellion, focusing on keeping his lands safe. It wasn't a good enough show of loyalty so when the king made the Duskmist his personal retreat..."

"They were kicked out, like so many other families."

"Yeah. Since the Crowleys had proven themselves back then, he gave us to them as vassals. Howard said great granddad wasn't happy about it while he was still alive." Vivi smiled, but it was a little brittle. "Good stuff came of it, like Darius and Lorna, but it didn't start good."

I held onto her hand, wondering what had her feeling so bad, what brought this on.

"Vivi, I can tell you're upset." I asked, looking at her worriedly. She hadn't been as affectionate for a little while now, though this was the first time she'd actively pulled away from me. "I can't help fix it unless you tell me. I can't read minds."

"Did you really have to let Alys go free?" She asked softly, picking up another rock and hurling it into the sea angrily. "She doesn't deserve it. Not when the priests who didn't even take part in it are being punished."

"Even if they didn't help the bishop kidnap her, they still helped him keep her prisoner." I pointed out. "They followed orders and fought against the prince when he went to rescue her."

As things went, they were getting off lightly for disobeying the crown. Prince Liam had forgiven all of the clergy who had abandoned the bishop, who hadn't fought back, and even the brothers and sisters of the church who had stayed with him to the end were only being punished by time in the pillory. It was... kind of barbaric, compared to what I thought of as proper punishment, but it was what the court had ordered.

Only the ones who had helped torture Alys directly, or helped kidnap her, were being sent to prison. The matter of how to restrain the bishop properly was still being dealt with; the archbishop was going to get involved at some point.

But that was for Celestine and Aderic to deal with, not me. And thank the keepers for that.

"Yeah, and she blighted people's farms!" Vivi snapped, then struggled with herself for a moment. "You're working so hard to help everyone with their harvests and you're letting someone who ruined them get away with it. I've seen how relieved people are, even if they're scared, when they see they won't go hungry."

"We don't have much of a choice." I muttered. It wasn't like she was wrong, we were doing that.

"I don't like it." Vivi muttered, then shuffled closer and wrapped her arms around me. "It's awful and miserable and evil that she's going free, that the prince gave her the bishop's wealth for what happened to her when she's a criminal too." Her arms tightened as I hugged her back. "She doesn't deserve it. But..."

She trailed off, and I just held her.

I hated it too. Alys was one of the ones who helped Meredith, who stood beside her, who wasn't punished because the politics of the order didn't care enough to deal with her. She was a horrible person and wasn't even helping anymore.

But Prince Liam and Sir Magroth rescuing her had done more to convince people that us coming out was the right decision, that we weren't in danger, than any words could ever have done. I had seen some of the other witches celebrating the prince and the paladin, retelling their daring battle against the bishop ever more and more extravagantly to the townsfolk in the pub.

"I don't understand." Vivi muttered quietly, burying her head into my neck. "But I trust you. If you say it's worth it, it is. Even if I don't know why."

"Thank you." I said, my voice thick and the beginning of tears forming at the corners of my eyes.

Leaning back I smiled widely at her, then cupped her cheek and moved in for a soft kiss in the rain. Her lips were as sweet as the trust she had in me.