A week later…

Normally, Alexander and Elowise briefed their staff at the map room, located in the Erlenberg City Council Building. However, as that was still being repaired that meant that Frances, Elizabeth and all the other battalion commanders and vice-commanders met with Elowise and Alexander in the Erlenberg Council Chambers.

The crowd of faces sat around a massive oblong table and Frances couldn’t help but notice the sound of nervous chatter fill the room. Alexander and Elowise weren’t here yet, but they’d asked every battalion commander and vice-commander to meet at this room.

A nudge from Elizabeth brought Frances out of her thoughts. “So, why do you think we’re all here.”

Frances kept her voice to a whisper. “I think we’re planning either our last stand or the evacuation of the remaining civilians.”

“I think so too.” Elizabeth grimaced. “Do you think we should tell them what we cooked up?”

Frances’s head snapped to her friend, eyes wide. “I think… I… Elizabeth, I don’t think we can tell our plan in front of all these people. I mean we could, but I’m just… I’m going to freeze.”

Her brown eyes dancing merrily, Elizabeth smirked. “Oh, I don’t expect you to do the talking, Frances, don’t worry. You can hide behind me. I do want to know if you think it’s a good idea, though.”

Frances snorted, but her brow furrowed in thought. “I think it’s not a bad idea to bring it up, but we’ll have to be careful. We… we look kind of out of place.” This was especially the case since Frances and Elizabeth were by a large margin, the youngest in the room. A few familiar faces were in the crowd, like Lu-Anne, who’d they’d waved to and waved back. However, they hadn’t met most of the battalion commanders in person, just run their troops in and rescue their soldiers before getting out.

“Hey, you two, which battalion are you with?”

The two girls’ eyes shot to a goblin female with oddly floppy ears. Something about the goblin screamed “veteran.” Frances first thought it probably was the coarse voice, but it could also be the no-nonsense look in her eyes.

Elizabeth pointed to herself and Frances. “You mean us?”

The goblin rolled her eyes. “No, I mean the other pair of human teenagers barely out of their diapers. Yes, I mean you two. Where are your commanders?”

Elizabeth, blinking, glanced at Frances, who knew her friend was seeking confirmation on what she just heard. Unfortunately, Frances could provide a similarly surprised expression.

Scratching her black hair, Elizabeth stammered, “But we are the commanders of our battalion.”

That drew the eyes of more of the surrounding commanders. The goblin female arched an eyebrow. “Bullshit.”

From across the table, Lu-Anne coughed loudly. “Major Limlie, that’s Elizabeth Hae-Won Kim, Commander of the Lightning Battalion, and Frances Windwhistler her second-in-command, and niece to our commander.”

As whispers abounded in the chamber, Frances tried to find a place to hide but ended up just sliding closer to Elizabeth, who smiled sheepishly. “Yup. Well, we’re Otherworlders. We get stuff done.”

Limlie, looking quite aghast, stammered, “My apologies Commander.”

Elizabeth shook her head. “It’s no problem, ma’am. We are… we do have a lot to learn too.”

“And a lot to teach us. Excellent idea hiring courtesans to support our soldiers’ mental state,” remarked a human captain.

“Oh, that was Frances’s idea.” To Frances’s horror, Elizabeth grinned at her, and the gazes shifted.

“It was just an idea. Renia Sunwing actually put it in place. She’s the head of our support staff now,” Frances stammered.

Any further chatter was cut off as the doors swung open and Elowise walked in, wheeling in Alexander on a wheelchair. This particular one was designed by Erlenbergians but probably copied from the human kingdoms, who in turn had taken the design from the Otherworlders. The commanders—with Frances and Elizabeth quickly copying them—stood up and saluted.

“At ease.” Alexander winced as he rested his elbows on the table. “I’ll get to the point. Our situation has continued to get more desperate, and despite our best efforts, we’re continuing to lose ground. It’s all we can do to hold the 3rd defensive line, but once that’s breached, holding the city will become untenable as the Alavari will be able to access major strongpoints like the Memorial Stadium, and our docks. I’ve thus called you, the commanders of our battalions, to discuss our options and how to proceed. The City Council has declared that should we decide to evacuate, we are to leave no civilian behind. However, we do have the alternative of continuing to hold our position for as long as possible.”

“The discussion will be conducted as such: all battalions are to give their opinion on what we should do going forward. We’ll then open the floor to a discussion, chaired by myself and Alexander,” Elowise explained. “Commander Elandiel, you first please.”

Frances recognized the goblin as the 9th battalion’s commander, one of the most experienced they had. Since they’d last met, the bearded goblin looked far more tired. While his eyes were still alert, his shoulders sagged.

“Sir, without Erisdalian help, we cannot defeat the Alavari. I propose we hold for as long as we can to evacuate the civillians.”

It was telling that none of the other commanders grumbled or muttered at that suggestion. They all just sat silently, even as more commanders voiced their opinion that they should hold out to evacuate the rest of the civilians.

Leaning over to Elizabeth, Frances, as quietly as she could say, “Elizabeth, maybe we should not tell Uncle Alexander here.”

“Uncle Alexander is a troll and can hear you quite well, Frances.”

Frances, cheeks beetroot red, slowly turned to her smiling uncle. “I’m sorry, commander.”

Alexander chuckled and winced. He took a deep breath and gingerly adjusted his seat. “It’s all good, but I am interested to hear you and Colonel Elizabeth’s thoughts. Please don’t hold back. We need to consider every possibility.”

Swallowing, Frances turned to Elizabeth, who cleared her throat.

“Okay, so, um, we think we ought to sally out and defeat General Helias’s army, and we have a plan on how to do so.”

The silence gave way to a disquieting rumble of murmurs. Yet, somehow, nobody interrupted.

“It is true they have two armies. The Black Banner army has between thirteen and sixteen thousand soldiers. General Helias’s 2nd Army has twelve to fifteen thousand. We have twenty-three battalions of soldiers totalling about nine thousand soldiers. I’m proposing that we hit General Helias’s army with our full strength, using the city of Erlenberg itself as a shield.”

“You mean for us to empty Erlenberg? We’d be leaving the city undefended!” exclaimed a human.

“And even if Antigones’s army can’t get around the city to reinforce Helias’s army, we’d still be attacking a superior force!” added an orc.

“And isn’t Antigones’s wife, the Assassin Princess Titania with him? She nearly killed Commander Alexander and Elowise! What if she sneaks in while we empty Erlenberg!”

Elizabeth hesitated, her eyes flickering to the other commanders, all of whom were staring at her with either wary calculation or incredulous disdain. Seeing this, Frances slid her arm to touch Elizabeth’s to remind her friend she was with her.

Elizabeth didn’t glance at Frances, but she smiled and took a short breath. “Which is why we’ll be attacking their camp at night during a thunderstorm, leaving a token force. We’ll overwhelm their defences and smash into their camp, burning their supplies, arms and killing, or capturing, General Helias—”

The uproar drowned out Elizabeth’s continuation. Frances and Elizabeth couldn’t help but sink into their chairs as commanders shouted at them, or each other.

“Quiet!” Elowise bellowed, smashing her forehooves on the table. A loud crack cut through the cacophony and the commanders fell silent.

“I would like to hear the rest of Elizabeth’s proposal,” said Alexander, his fingers steepled.

Elizabeth scratched the back of her hand. “It… it’s not entirely my idea. My friends and I all added bits to it and we worked it out together. But well, our thought was that a thunderstorm would mask our movements and deafen the sounds of the attack to Antigones’ sentries. Plus, we all know how the Alavari hate the rain.”

The Erlenberg commanders all chuckled. Everybody knew that fact quite well, as neither Alavari army ever attacked on a rainy day. They’d sat even tighter during the frequent spring storms.

“And since the Alavari hate rain, they’d be settled down in tight, rather than preparing to be attacked,” muttered Lu-Anne.

“The Alavari have posted sentries in the parts of the city they’ve taken, along with several battalions. How would we get past them without alerting them?” Elowise asked.

“We send out an advance force to take them out, but honestly, it doesn’t matter if we alert them. Three or four battalions won’t be able to stop say, six or seven thousand troops with mages charging out. We’ll charge through Southcross Street that goes from our position at the Memorial Stadium, right out of the city gates, until we hit Helias’s camp.”

“That’s still twelve to fifteen thousand soldiers against seven thousand, though,” said Alexander pensively. “Say we achieve surprise and catch them when they’re half-asleep, say even if say, you Frances, Ophelia, and our best mages bombard the camp with spells, we’d still have to cut through a lot of soldiers.”

“I don’t think we can’t guarantee success, sir,” Frances stammered. She knew Elizabeth was glancing at her, but Frances knew she had to speak. “I know this is risky, but right now, we’re going to lose our homes, even if we get everybody out. I think right now is our last chance. We and the Alavari are tired, but they’re extended into the city and we have a much smaller line to defend.”

Elowise and Alexander exchanged glances and nodded. “Hmm, why a thunderstorm, though. Can’t we just wait for rain?” the centaur asked.

Frances winced. She’d hoped that Elowise wouldn’t ask that question, but there was nothing for it. “Can you all follow me outside?”

It wasbraining, with a gale blowing. It wasn’t bad enough that ships couldn’t leave the harbour, but it was a blustery and miserable day in Erlenberg’s rainy spring season.

Thankfully, the courtyard of the Erlenberg Council Chambers had a covered gallery that the other commanders huddled other. Frances stepped out of the gallery though, ignoring the rain as it splashed against her face.

“Okay Frances, why did you ask us to come outside?” Alexander asked the city commanders behind him.

Frances, turned to her uncle, wincing as the wind whipped hair into her face. “First, let me make this clear, if this works you need to swear everybody to secrecy.”

“Everybody?” Elowise asked, frowning.

“Yes. And by magical contract if necessary, at last until the attack is over.” Frances braced herself against the turbulent wind, and shouted, “A week ago, during that last thunderstorm, I invented a spell, I’m going to demonstrate it.”

She took a deep breath. “Ivy, are you ready?” she thought to her wand.

“Yes. Let’s show them! Don’t forget your shield, though.”

Frances nodded and cast a shield over herself, white magic surrounding herself in a bubble. Then, thoughts merged, wand and wielder’s wills fell in concert, as Frances sang.

It wasn’t the same as her lightning area. She’d altered the notes. This wasn’t so much as creating a charge that travelled from her wand to the target. It wasn’t about singing the impossible to life.

No, this was calling to the howling wind, to the merciless rain, and all the energy wrapped up in the clouds that twisted overhead. It was about evoking the power of nature, asking, not begging, simply suggesting it to obey her will.

There wasn’t so much energy in the sky today. The conditions hadn’t been right for thunder and lightning, and so Frances had to pour far more of her magic into the sky.

But half a minute into her song and she could taste the ozone in the air. She could hear the sky grumble.

She raised her wand and closed her eyes.

Erlenbergians were experienced with their stormy season. They were also fully aware of lightning and while they didn’t know how it worked, they’d worked out through trial and error (thanks to Erlenberg’s numerous storms) to create rudimentary lightning rods that would direct lightning away and make sure important tall buildings were protected.

So they were stunned by surprise and the actual flash and boom of thunder and lightning when the lightning arched past the City Council building’s lightning rod and struck Frances.

Even then, she could see through her eyelids the brilliant blue of plasma that screeched down and struck her shield. Her shield also partially muffled the sound, but even then the thunder’s drumroll pounded into her mind. When she opened her eyes, the commanders were blinking and staring at her.

“You…how… what the fuck?” Elowise gasped.

Frances nodded. “I can do it again, at different targets. I just need to be protected while I do this and I can’t do it many times.”

“Unless you have a thunderstorm,” whispered Alexander.

“I’ll still need a guard detail, but yes, with a thunderstorm, I can cast the spell repeatedly.” The scary part was that when she’d first done this in the thunderstorm after she and Ivy had had their talk, it’d been easier to do the spell. It’d cost magic, but not a lot and if she stored as much as she could in her diamond ring…

Alexander nodded. “The assault is approved. Let’s go in and discuss the details. After that, I want a magical contract drawn up. Nothing about this, and what we talk about leaves this room until the day of the attack.” The troll smiled grimly. “It’s time we paid back General Helias.”

There was a lot to prepare for the assault. As the Erlenbergian meteorologists tried to divine the day of the next thunderstorm. Every battalion readied themselves for the attack. A few changes had been made to the plan, though.

For one, an escape plan had been made. A reserve force of a thousand Erlenbergian marines, drawn from the ships and not from the defenders, would cover the retreat of the seven thousand troops launching the attack. The targets of the raid would also be reworked. The first objective was General Helias and his officers, but other targets were expanded to include his food supplies and gunpowder storage.

Scouts sneaking through occupied areas in the city documented the layout of Helias’s camp by sight. Just in case, scouts were also sent to reconnoitre Antigones’s camp. The various battalions were being rotated on and off the defences to make sure they all had enough rest for the big night.

Elizabeth was not one of these scouts. She’d just finished checking in on the training of the battalion and some of its newest recruits. As many as Erlenberg’s remaining inhabitants had been recruited into the last few battalions, whether they were citizens or not. The conflict had broken down the barrier between those born in the city and those who fled to the city.

A warm sense of pride welled in Elizabeth’s throat as she watched the recruits hack at the training dummies set up in the Windwhistler compound, overseen by hardened sergeants that she and her friends had picked. How many of her old classmates who’d already returned to Earth could say they trained and led such a formidable force?

Then again, most wouldn’t be so proud they were training such a force. Elizabeth glanced down at herself. If her parents could see her, they probably wouldn’t recognize her. She’d grown much taller and much to Frances’s consternation, towered over her 5’3” friend at 5’10. She was even taller than Martin now.

“Hey Elizabeth, you free?” Ayax asked, entering the courtyard, wiping her face.

Elizabeth smiled. “Yeah, your practice with Frances went well?”

Ayax beamed her tail swishing eagerly. “I figured it out. I figured out the lightning spell.”

“Wait, really? That’s awesome!” Elizabeth reached for Ayax, froze and was about to pull back, only to have the troll slip her wrists into her grip.

“Yeah, I figured it out at the last moment.” Ayax stepped closer to Elizabeth. “Thanks by the way.”

“For what?” Elizabeth asked, trying not to splutter.

“For always telling me I could do it,” said the troll.

Keenly aware of how close Ayax was, and how warm her cheeks felt, Elizabeth stammered, “I… I… You’re welcome.” To her dismay, she realized that despite Ayax being slightly sweaty from her mage practice, she still found her very attractive. The troll’s elegant nose and graceful figure just flipped some switch in Elizabeth’s hormone-addled brain that she was having a very hard time turning off.

And suddenly, Ayax had stepped away, smirking as she did so.

“So, want to get cleaned up? Get some tea?”

“Ayax is this a date?” Elizabeth blurted out. She immediately regretted it as the troll’s smile faded slightly, her more typical stoicism returning.

“No. It’s just tea between friends. I just know Frances is working on her spell with Edana and Martin and Ginger are meeting Renia.” The troll brushed a lock of her hair over her ear, smiling softly. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“Ayax, I do. I um—” Elizabeth tried and failed to meet Ayax’s eyes. “I’ve been thinking a lot. Can… can we talk? By our usual parlour. After we clean up? I want to tell you something.”

The troll blinked and nodded. “Okay.”

Returning the nod, Elizabeth fled, knowing her cheeks were burning red.

Ayax sat on a couch, peering at the wallpaper of the lounge room that she and her friends liked to use the most. The wallpaper had a lovely floral green and yellow pattern. She wasn’t sure what was bothering her crush, but she would find out soon.

The sound of the door unlocking drew her attention. As Ayax’s eyes flickered over, her breath caught in her throat.

Now, it wasn’t that Elizabeth usually wore unfashionable garments, but she preferred comfortable shirts and pants that didn’t cling uncomfortably to her. Ayax had never seen her friend in a dress, and now she was wearing a single-piece soft pink number that was cut at her knees. Pink lace drew the troll’s eyes up past the tea tray Elizabeth was carrying to her crush’s collar.

“Hey Ayax, um—” Elizabeth walked slowly to the couch Ayax was sitting on and after putting the tray on the coffee table slid onto it. “So I was doing some thinking.”

Wincing, the Otherworlder scratched the back of her neck, eyes looking down at the maroon carpet. “You know about my religion. It’s still important to me.”

Ayax nodded slowly. Her addled mind had a thought as to what Elizabeth had to say, but she refused to believe it. Or at least, she didn’t dare hope.

“The thing is Ayax, I like you. I like you a lot. You’ve been so patient and understanding. You’ve been checking up on me every day. And you don’t even care that I might not be able to reciprocate your feelings. I’ve known since you told me that I’ve had to give you some kind of answer. I can’t… I never felt right about not being able to give you an honest answer.”

Her hands open on her thighs, Elizabeth stared down at them. “The truth is, though… I… I do like girls. Whatever the reason, God made me so that I like girls and he put me here in Durannon. It could be some cruel test of faith, but the thing is… I want to try to be with you, really try to be with you.”

“Wait, really? That’s…” Ayax almost hugged Elizabeth. However, restraint held her back. “B—but what about your beliefs? Doesn’t your church say it’s not allowed?”

Elizabeth finally turned to the troll, a warm, sincere smile on her lips. “I’ve thought about them, a lot, and even though I don’t know why, I… I trust what my church and my parents told me was to help me. I know they wanted the best for me.” She took a deep breath. “The thing is though, I’m beginning to realize that while my God is all-knowing, people aren’t. Everybody in this war is trying to do what they think is right. In the end, I can only do what I think is right. And every night, after praying to God to answer me, I… I think I came to an answer.”

Ayax’s eyes widened. “What happened? Did he visit you?” Elizabeth had told her a few of the stories and parables from her religion. Maybe her friend got a dream?

Elizabeth giggled. “I didn’t get a dream or anything dramatic like that, but one night I realized something. I realized that walking beside you, being with you… for however long I can, it felt right.”

“Huh.” Ayax blinked, a slow smile spreading across her face. She shuffled in closer to Elizabeth, placing her hands gently on the girl’s shoulders. “I’m sorry for being a little underdressed.”

“You look great. You always do.” Elizabeth hiccuped, not quite able to face Ayax, knowing that her cheeks were red. “I’ve always thought you looked very handsome.”

Tender fingers touched Elizabeth’s chin, and her eyes widened as Ayax turned her head towards her. The troll leaned forward, her nose almost touching the human’s.

“In that case, may I?” Ayax whispered.

Shutting her eyes, Elizabeth pushed her head forward until she felt soft lips against her own.

Like a flash, it was over, and the two were so close, practically bumping noses.

Ayax hesitated, studying Elizabeth’s contemplative expression. “Again?”

The human girl’s expression split into a wide, beaming smile. Reaching forward, Elizabeth placed her hands on the Ayax's sides and drew herself closer to her. “Again.”

The next day, Frances was in her swimwear, bathing in the mansion’s communal warm bath. She was with a somewhat nervous Ginger in borrowed swimwear. While Frances was humming to herself, Ginger was shifting and fidgeting, trying to stay still.

That was when Elizabeth splashed in. As she wiped spray from her eyes, Frances suddenly realized that her cousin was splashing in behind her best friend.

That alone was odd. After all, Elizabeth and Ayax had studiously made sure not to be together in the same bath. They were both in canvas swimwear, but them both being here couldn’t be a coincidence.

Ayax sank into the pool. “Morning cuz. Um, hey Ginger. Don’t see you here often.”

Being so short she was submerged up to her neck, Frances waved from her spot. “Hi Ayax, hi Elizabeth. Renia suggested I try to give myself some self-care, as a way of relieving some of my stress and helping me feel better about myself.”

Ginger made a heartbreakingly vain effort to try to cover up her scars with her arms, before sinking deeper into the pool.

“Same. Um, how are you two doing?” she croaked.

Ayax blinked and winced. “Oh, um, sorry, Ginger do you want to be alone?”

“No! Don’t mind me. I’m… I got scars, but that doesn’t mean I’m broken. They’re only scars. Sorry, trying to re-think… or was it re-frame?” Ginger slammed her head into the water, gargling into it, before pulling herself up. “Don’t go please.”

“We won’t then, and we won’t judge.” Elizabeth slid in beside Ginger and pointed at a narrow line on her right arm. “We honestly can’t judge, we all got scars. This one’s from a dagger shortly after I met Frances and Martin. We were escorting a convoy from Westfall Pass and got whacked by goblins.”

Ayax arched an eyebrow. “That little thing? Look at this one.” She shifted the strap of her swimwear to reveal a long white line running vertically up her left shoulder. “Got this one from a gunshot chasing after the assassin that killed the referee and tried to kill Frances in the Winter Tournament.”

“That wasn’t the only one, Ayax.” Elizabeth flipped her arm over to show a faded, but wicked-looking ropy line cutting up her right forearm. “Training accident with Igraine. I was climbing a mountain and slipped. Caught myself, but got a nasty scrape.”

“Training accidents don’t count. Now this one…” Ayax stood up, putting her leg on the edge of the bath. She used her tail to point to a scar, the remnants of a deep slash on her left thigh. “Got this taking out my father’s killer when I was thirteen. He tried to get at me but I gutted him and sealed the wound myself. Bet you can’t beat that.”

Frances blinked, her jaw-dropping. “Are you seriously trying to make Ginger feel better by showing off your scars?”

Ginger burst out into a fit of giggles, shaking so fiercely that water dripped down her. Wiping her moist eyes, she spluttered, “Well, I can attest that it’s working!”

The slap of Frances’s hand hitting her forehead echoed through the chamber as Elizabeth and Ayax grinned.

“I think if you’re comparing scars, I’m pretty sure I might even have Ginger beat,” Frances said. She tried to look grim, but for some reason, she couldn’t help but smile.

Ginger snorted. “Oh really?” She stood up out of the water, arms raised. It was an impressive collection that raised the eyebrows of all the girls present. “Get a good look at this. Too many little cuts from many stupid assholes hitting me to count. There’s the one on my side from an orc pike. The one underneath my breast is from a pistol shot. That one very nearly killed me. Oh and all these newer ones from trying to save those two. Stone shrapnel bloody stings.”

Frances arched one eyebrow, quite deliberately mirroring her mother. “Oh is that all.” She stood up and pointed at a mottled patch on her thigh. “That’s from a lance at Greensands.” She pointed at another pinprick just under her collarbone. “That’s from a bullet at Greensands. Thankfully my armour caught it.” She turned around, knowing she had a collection of faintly discoloured small patches and lines on her back. “These are from Robert Voidsailor hitting me with a fire spell at a masquerade. Oh and some harpies had a go at me at Vertingen when I was fourteen trying to save my mom.” Turning to face Ginger again, she moved the strap on her swimwear to point to a spot near her neck. “And this was from a knife that nearly killed me at Conthwaite.”

Ginger whistled. “Hot damn, I think it’s a tie.”

Frances wagged her finger. “Ah-ah-ah, I get bonus points for having abusive parents who beat me black and blue and caned me.”

The redhead pursed her lips contemplatively for a moment. Suddenly, she sneered, “If bruises count I can show you where Martin—”

Frances was sitting back down in the water in a flash. “I surrender! You win!” Pouting, she glared at a triumphant Ginger. “Not cool, he’s like my brother.”

The redhead cackled evilly as she sank back down into the bath. “And I am riding him. Don’t you forget that.”

Elizabeth snorted. “From what I heard he rides you just as often.”

Ginger descended into indecipherable spluttering from that and momentarily sank deeper into the water. It was a sight that got the girls giggling again.

“But would you bone Martin if you didn’t consider him your brother, cuz?” Ayax asked suddenly.

“What? No!” Frances gasped.

“I don’t believe you. Martin’s like really handsome. Besides, didn’t you say that he would make a pretty girl if you knew a spell to turn him into one?” Elizabeth asked.

Ginger’s eyes widened and suddenly, she didn’t look unlike a red-headed devil. “Wait, when was this? I need to hear this.”

“That was Kwent, a little more than a year ago. We were swimming across the river to get to the gatehouse on the other bank.” Tilting her head, Frances smirked at her friend. “I think I remember you started that conversation by asking Martin and me “So what are we comparing?” while we were half-naked in underwear.”

Ginger looked like her birthday had come early. “Wow, you were checking out my boy? I thought you were gay.”

“I am gay. I was trying to make things a little less awkward!” Elizabeth stammered.

Ayax frowned, “Wait, that means… you were looking at Frances as well.”

Elizabeth covered her mouth. “Wait, no. Ayax, it’s not like that I mean—”

The troll kept frowning at the Otherworlder for another second, but couldn’t hold her expression anymore. She burst out into laughter, slapping the surface of the water. “AHAHA, you should have seen your face!” Groaning, Elizabeth hit Ayax with a splash of water, which didn’t stop the troll from laughing.

“Wait, you’re together?” Frances asked.

Still, red from embarrassment, Elizabeth exchanged glances with Ayax and nodded. “Yeah. I… I want to see how things go.”

Ayax, also blushing, nodded. “Sorry, Liz.”

Elizabeth “Oh whatever. Though, I swear I told you that story.”

“It has been a while since we’ve just been able to sit down and talk,” said Frances. She smiled at her best friend and cousin. “Still, it’s amazing that you’re together.”

“Yeah. We’re taking it slow, but w—we kissed,” Elizabeth stammered, glancing shyly at Ayax, who had a dreamy look on her face.

“Speaking of which, Frances, you haven’t answered my question about Martin. Would you bone him?” Ginger asked, lips curling in a leer.

Frances groaned, but her brow was furrowed in thought. After a moment of blowing bubbles in the bath, she shook her head. “No. He’s handsome, but not my type. I um, I kind of already of a crush on someone. I don’t think there’s any chance of it happening, but he’s… he’s more my type.”

Elizabeth sighed, “Oh right, Timur.” She smiled wistfully. “He is really hot. I mean, even I’d like him to kiss me.”

“Who is this Timur?” Ginger asked, blinking owlishly.

Looks were exchanged between the Otherworlders and the troll, and suddenly the trio realized that Ginger had never heard of Timur.

“Um, he’s… he’s one of King Thorgoth’s children.” At Ginger’s widening eyes, Frances started to stammer. “He’s a good person and really kind. He… he makes me laugh. Even though we keep meeting at the worst times and places.”

“That’s a bit of an understatement,” said Elizabeth, scratching the back of her head.

“What do you mean?” Ayax asked.

Frances swallowed. “Um, this one time he accidentally knocked me out. We… we figured out a way for everybody to get out, though, I nearly died then.”

Ginger and Ayax eyes were as wide as plates, even after Elizabeth cut in and added, “But Timur saved her life! He healed her and we all walked away mostly fine.”

Ayax blinked and took a deep breath. “Wow cuz, that is complicated.”

“Yup, but is he hot?” Ginger asked.

Frances’s cheeks turned red again. Her jaw worked, trying to find an answer. Unable to answer, she grabbed Ivy’s Sting from where she’d put it by the bath’s edge. Picturing Timur, she sang a quick aria, summoning an image of him for her friends to see.

A miniature Timur, roguish smile and all, appeared like he was standing on the water in front of them. Frances had dressed the trogre in the maroon jacket that she’d seen in him when they’d first met.

Ginger purred, “Ohhh, a trogre. Damn, he is a looker.”

Ayax nodded slowly, and while her face was blank, her stare betrayed her interest.

The convict slid in for a closer look. “That chin, those curly locks. I would love to run my fingers through them.”

Relaxing just a tad, Frances stammered, “You… don’t think it’s weird I like the Demon King’s son?”

Ginger arched an eyebrow. “Kid, wanting a piece of that tall hunk is the most normal thing about you.”

“I second that. You have excellent taste, cuz,” said Ayax, nodding with what had to be mock solemnity.

Frances didn’t know what kind of face to make. She was torn between relief that her friends and family approved of her choice and a very odd sense of jealousy that they were ogling her crush.

“How did you ever get to know Timur, cuz?” Ayax asked. “I heard that you met at Kwent, but also that you met earlier than that, and also at Conthwaite for some reason.”

“We just keep running into each other. The first time I met him, he…his dad cursed him to run out of magic.” Frances felt her heart twist when she remembered how forlorn Timur had looked. Then her thoughts shifted to the pain and rage in Titania’s face when she’d recognized Ivy’s Sting. “I… I helped him by sharing my magic with him. I’m still thinking about how to break that curse if we ever meet again.”

“Wait, King Thorgoth cursed him?” Ayax asked.

“Yes. He also abused Timur’s sister, Titania, the trorc we fought.” Frances glanced at her wand, reminding herself not to go too much into detail. With Ivy Sting’s consent, she’d explained to her friends about the wand’s history with Thorgoth, but not the fact that she was actually Spellbinder.

“Wow, he makes our nobles look tame in comparison,” muttered Ginger.

Elizabeth blinked. “You’ve met other nobles, Ginger?”

The convict opened her mouth and immediately closed it. “Okay, honestly just Earl Darius and well we all know what a piece of work he is. I’ve heard nothing good about Erisdale’s Princess, though.” Ginger waved her hand. “Right, enough about those bastards. What’s the funniest thing that’s happened to you in Durannon?”

Ayax’s tail twitched. “You asking an abused girl, and a troll orphan whether something funny happened to them.”

It was a bad, bad joke, but Frances couldn’t help but laugh at the troll’s deadpan voice. Neither could Ginger who snorted and made a rude gesture with her hand.

Elizabeth was snickering too, but she nudged her girlfriend anyway. “Ayax!” The troll only smirked at that and shuffled closer to Elizabeth so their arms were touching.

“I think it is rather funny, though,” Frances giggled. “There was one time… when Timur knocked me out, he was trying to get a group of human spies out of Erisdale. But he didn’t want to kill me or hurt me. He only knocked me out because he didn’t recognize me at the time. So when we were talking I had to pretend he was beating me up.”

“Wait, really?” Ayax gasped.

“Yeah. I had to throw myself over and onto objects, because Timur was too scared to help and too guilty to insult me. I think he only started to help when I warned him that we’d both get found out.” Frances smiled wistfully. “He is really too kind for his own good.”

Elizabeth, Ayax and Ginger exchanged a knowing look that Frances didn’t notice.

Elizabeth swallowed. “Please don’t think I’m like… being mean, but I thought you beating Jessica and Leila was very funny.”

Frances blinked. “Wait, really?”

Abashed, Elizabeth fiddled with her fingers. “Well, I was mostly referring to when you beat them up in the tavern. The other time was funnier in hindsight.”

“Who are Jessica and Leila?” Ginger asked.

Most times, Frances did her best not to think about her bullies or her life before Durannon in general. Yet, as her thoughts turned to her former bullies, she didn’t feel the pain or anger she’d felt before. “They’re Otherworlders who bullied me before I came to Durannon. I um, I kinda beat them, twice.”

Elizabeth frowned. “Frances, that’s nowhere near close to the entire story. They kind of deserved what you gave them.”

“Kind of… okay yes they did, but not all of it. I mean sure they beat me up, made me lick their shoes and soaked me in water before school…” Frances’s voice trailed off. “Why are you all staring at me like—ohh… so maybe they deserved some of it?”

Ginger drawled, “Staaaaareee,” even whilst Elizabeth and Ayax scrunched up their noses and narrowed their eyes to slits.

Finally, Elizabeth blinked and smiled. “Okay maybe they didn’t deserve the second beating, but the first was pretty well-earned.”

“What happened?” asked Ayax.

Elizabeth chuckled. “Frances told us what they did to her and so we were… well let’s start from the beginning. Frances told us about what they did to her while we were travelling to Freeburg. While travelling, though, we had to stop at an inn and that’s when they arrived. They wanted to chat with us. However, they didn’t recognize Frances.”

Ginger grinned, a little too much like a cat that had caught its prey. “Oooh, this is going to be good.”

“Wait, why didn’t they recognize you, cuz?” Ayax asked, tail wagging.

“I think it’s because I looked different from how I was.” Frances looked at herself. She could still remember seeing the bruises on her skin and how hungry she had been. And yet, it was almost as if the thoughts were distant, like a bad dream. “I was shorter, a lot skinnier, and I looked awful.”

Ginger winced, reaching out to Frances. “Kid—”

“I’m alright. I feel a lot better about what happened now. So yeah, I’m not surprised Jessica and Leila didn’t recognize me.” Frances smiled, chuckling as she remembered the shocked faces of her former bullies. “I mean, if you were them, could you think that “foul Francy” just blasted you away and got them at wand point? They even started saying they were going to get the Red Order to get them out of trouble.”

Elizabeth exclaimed, “I remember! Oh my God, the look on their faces when you said you were Edana’s student. They were so angry about us arresting them!”

“I think that the funniest thing was that they didn’t think I would have friends to confront them. Don’t you remember how shocked they were when you and Martin first asked them to leave?” Frances shook her head. “I mean, how stupid could they be?”

“Well they kept trying to provoke you after you were put in command so yeah, not particularly smart,” Elizabeth said. She turned to Ayax. “What about you, Ayax? Do you have any fun stories from say... after you left your home and were travelling to Erlenberg?”

Ayax pursed her lips. “Hmm, it was a lot funnier living with them, to be honest. Mom and dad really liked playing pranks on one another and since he was a mage, his pranks were just wild. I think one day he changed the colour of my mother’s lingerie.”

“Wait what? Was he asking for a death sentence?” Ginger squawked.

The troll snorted. “Maybe. I remember he wasn’t sleeping with mom for some time after that, even after he changed the back. As for the journey to Erlenberg…” Ayax’s smile faded slightly. “I was… not really in the mood to find things funny. I think the first time I really laughed at something was when I started staying with Dom and Alexander. I was babysitting my adopted brother Ben whilst Dom and Alexander were having some alone time. Ben knocked over several rolls of silk and got completely tangled in them. I was so scared, but he looked so silly, wrapped up in all that fabric.”

The image of Ayax’s precocious younger wrapped in all of those silks had the girls snickering, or in Ginger’s case, “awww-ing.”

“Guess it’s my turn now.” Settling into a comfortable spot, arms resting on the side of the pool, Ginger took a deep breath. “It’s not a hilarious story, more of an amusing one. So you know the night you went to the House of Light and met Renia, Frances, Martin and I went exploring. While we were exploring, we found a nice tavern with a small stage. There was a really, really, terribly bad bard singing about our escape from Greensands.”

Elizabeth blinked. “Wait, that would have happened barely a day ago. How fast do they work?”

Ginger snorted. “Too fast. That’s why it was so bad. Did you know he called you a lightning princess, Frances? He described you as calling storms to hit hordes of Alavari, your song sounding like a banshee.”

“Really? I always thought that was how mom sounded,” said Frances.

“He was probably saying that because of who your mother is,” said Ayax. The troll frowned. “You always sounded more like a high-pitched wind.”

Ginger nodded “Yeah, anyway. Martin was pretty annoyed by it. Not because he and I were just relegated to brief mentions, because the bard was so bad. It was listening to a cat being tortured.”

“Wait, why wasn’t he being thrown out of the tavern then?” Ayax asked.

“I’m getting there, kitten,” said Ginger.

“Did you just call me a kitten?” Ayax asked, ears stiffening, and looking very much like an angry cat in water. Elizabeth and Frances giggling at her expression of disbelief didn’t help things.

“Sorry! I… I won’t—” Ginger clamped her hands to her mouth. That did nothing to stop the mirth and cackles that filled the room.

“Just get on with the story,” growled Ayax.

“Right! So the bard wasn’t being thrown out because the thing is, people have heard about things about Greensands, but nobody knew what happened, so they were trying to listen, figure out if the bard knew something they didn’t. Anyhow, we knew what had happened, but we didn’t want to make a scene, so we ate our meal and tried to get out, but that’s when my lieutenant, Helena, recognized us.”

“She was there too?” Frances asked.

Ginger grinned. “Yeah, and in the company of Borris.”

“The highwayman? Really? I didn’t think she had a thing for the roguish type!” Elizabeth exclaimed.

“Oh she was sitting on his lap, so yes, she definitely does. Anyway, she called out my name and that turned heads, including that of the bards because he went pale and ran off the stage, much to everybody’s laughter. He almost forgot his lute while he did so. We couldn’t stay long, we had to run as the tavern was trying to badger us with questions.” Ginger sighed. “That was a nice adventure and we even managed a nice snog while—”

“I think that’s enough!” Frances exclaimed.

“Right right, he’s your bro.” Ginger examined her fingers. “And I think we’ve been sitting in this water for quite enough.”

Examining their wrinkled fingers, the girls agreed and got out to wipe out.

“This was fun. Maybe we can do this again. Perhaps with Martin as well?” Ginger asked.

“Yeah, let’s. After we take out Helias?” Elizabeth asked.

Frances nodded, smiling. The battle ahead worried her. She was comforted, though, because she would have Elizabeth, Ayax and Ginger by her side.