Ansel paced in the entryway with his hat and cloak on. He had a small case sitting by the door. He was not looking forward to the next few days. Not only would he be away from Griffa, but he would be forced to spend endless hours with Talon. He had determined he would get along with the man, and it shouldn’t be too hard. He didn’t dislike Talon, not really. He knew he was a good man, and they both had the same goal. They wanted to keep Griffa safe and see her to the throne.

Perhaps it was that the same goal that divided them. They definitely had something in common. Ansel had known for a long time that Talon had strong feelings for Griffa as Talon did not hide his feelings. He was very open with them. Ansel had always been secure in the love he shared with Griffa, and he even trusted that Talon would never try to do anything to hurt Ansel’s relationship with Griffa.

Still, it wasn’t easy to be around Talon and know how much the man cared about Griffa. It wasn’t easy to watch Talon and Griffa effortlessly flirt. It was hard to watch how easy Talon could perceive her feelings and thoughts. Talon could often easily lift Griffa’s mood as he always seem to know the right things to say to her. He was a fierce defender of Griffa, and quick to take care of her.

Ansel couldn’t really find fault with much of it. He shouldn’t mind that Griffa had someone else in her life to take care of her, but Ansel did find that there were times he felt jealousy at the closeness of Griffa and Talon. The thing that bothered him the most, was how well Talon fit into her life. They both grew up knowing they would lead great villages, and they were similar in many ways. Sometimes Ansel thought they might have been able to read each other thoughts. Now that Griffa was the queen, Talon was her perfect match. Ansel could see Talon ruling besides Griffa, being charming and commanding.

Ansel would never give Griffa up, not as long as he lived. He didn’t care how perfect Talon seemed to be for her. Griffa had said she wanted Ansel, and she had chosen him. He should be satisfied and trust her, and he did trust her. She did not want Talon as her king, she wanted Ansel. He would keep reminding himself of that fact, and work to better his relationship with Talon.

Talon walked into the entry hall. He carried a small case that he laid on the floor as he put on his cloak and turned to Ansel.

“Are you dreading this as much as I am?” asked Talon as he leaned against the wall.

“I am dreading being apart from Griffa, but I am pleased to do as she commands. I am proud to be able to do this for her,” answered Ansel.

“Come now, Ansel, I know that I am not your ideal traveling partner. Let’s at least start off this short adventure by being honest with one another.”

“I do not see why you would not be good company. You will certainly provide plenty of conversation along the way. I don’t think you ever run out of things to say,” said Ansel looking in the doorway as Griffa and Addie came in arm and arm, both caring small cases.

The ladies put down their cases as Ansel grabbed their cloaks. He threw Talon Addie’s cloak while he took Griffa’s. Ansel walked up to Griffa and wrapped the Cloak around her, fastening it below her chin. He took her hand and led her over to the other side of the hall, as Talon helped Addie with her cloak.

“I will miss you,” said Ansel quietly as he held Griffa’s hand. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you? You could send Max with Talon. Max is of Adalwen blood, and the leaders would be more prone to talk with him than me.”

Griffa smiled slightly. “No, I need you to go. If you are to be my king, then you will need to start acting like one. You are very capable of being charming when you want to be. Go and practice your charm on those village leaders. We will need as many people as we can get if we are going to save this kingdom.”

Ansel nodded as he held Griffa’s hand and looked at her. He wanted to spend every moment he could with her before he would have to be parted from her. Griffa looked up and over Ansel shoulder. Ansel turned to see Max and Kedan enter the room. Kedan was already wearing his cloak and his sword. He walked over and stood by his queen.

“This will also be a good opportunity for you to sit back and trust Kedan to protect me,” said Griffa smiling at her protector. She walked to the center of the hall. “Are we all ready to walk to the gates?” Everyone nodded and they followed Griffa out of the door.

Ansel walked quickly to catch up with Griffa. Talon and Addie were already walking by her side. When Ansel approached Addie smiled at him and fell back to walk with Kedan and Max. Ansel fell in step with Griffa and grabbed her hand.

“I was just telling Talon that I need you both to visit the village of Ackley today. I know you were supposed to go to another village, but I have had a letter from a group of magic users close to Ackley. They say the sickness is very bad in the village. You should take some cure there today and spend the night there before going to the other villages tomorrow.”

“Do you know the village, Ansel?” asked Talon.

“I do. It is very close to were Amican, the original home of the line of Raya, once stood. I have visited Ackley a few times in my life. It is not very large, but it is a charming village,” answered Ansel.

“Good, we can travel close by then with your directions. I am not in the mood for a long walk today.”

They were soon walking through the gates of Abscon. They gathered around and got ready to leave on their separate trips. Griffa turned to Talon.

“I have no doubt you will represent me and the Ring well, Talon. I hope you will use your time wisely and get to know your fellow traveler,” said Griffa. She offered Talon her hand.

Talon kissed it and smiled. “I will do as you command, my queen.” Talon then pulled her in and held her. “Please be safe, Griffa.”

Talon bent down and whispered something into Griffa’s ear. Griffa pulled back and blushed before she smiled and hit Talon playfully. “If that is what you wish, you shall have it,” she said looking up at him.

“No, I shall wait until another time. Maybe one with a little more privacy,” said Talon with a wink.

Griffa shook her head and then kissed Talon quickly on his cheek. She turned and walked to Ansel, taking his hand. She led him away from the group.

“I want you to know that you are everything I want in my husband and king,” said Griffa quietly. “I know you are not excited about this trip, but I need you to do this for me. You will help me lead the kingdom, and the people need to start seeing you as my king.”

“I understand,” said Ansel bringing her close to him. “I hate to be away from you, but I want to do this for you. I will do everything I can to help you win this kingdom.”

Griffa smiled and reached up and kissed him. “Stay safe, and take care of Talon. Keep him out of trouble, you know how he can be.”

Ansel kissed her again. “I will try, but you know how he is. I am only one man.”

Griffa smiled as Ansel pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. “Please be safe, my love,” whispered Ansel. “Do not be away from Kedan at any time.”

“I will stay with my protector,” said Griffa. “You take care as well, and try to talk to Talon. Find a way to get along with him.” She pulled back from him as Ansel nodded at her.

They walked back to the group, Griffa going to stand next to Kedan. She took his hand as Addie and Max hooked arms.

“We will see you in a few days,” said Griffa.

She waved and then closed her eyes. Ansel watched as Griffa and Kedan disappeared, followed by Max and Addie.

Ansel turned to Talon. “What did you whisper to Griffa?” asked Ansel.

“I was only reminding her of a favor she owes me,” said Talon with a smile. “Now come on, we need to do as our queen commands.”

Ansel huffed.

“Where we are going there is a long-covered bridge over a stream. There are many trees on the banks of the stream, and from the bridge you can see the outer ring of the village. The pathway to the village is stone.”

Talon nodded as he put his hand on Ansel’s shoulder, and they traveled just outside the village of Ackley. Ansel opened his eyes to see the covered bridge he had crossed a few times. His father had first brought him to this village in his youth. He had wanted Ansel to see the area the line of Raya had come from. Since then, Ansel had traveled to Ackley a few times, mostly just after he hit his age of majority. He came back a few times after his failed relationship with Desmona just to get out of Abscon.

“Let’s go see where they are keeping the ill,” said Talon as he walked towards the bridge.

Ansel walked with him as they followed the stone pathway into the outer ring of the village. The village had only two rings, but the second ring was large and well-developed. There were many shops and nice small homes throughout the ring. There were even two inns. As they walked around the ring, a man came out of an area between two stores and stopped in front of them.

“Are you the two mages sent by the queen?” the man asked quietly.

Ansel looked at Talon and then nodded at the man. “We are. I am Ansel and this is Talon. We are here to deliver the cure for the illness.”

“I know,” said the man with a small smile. “I am Luca. I am from a nearby small magical village. I had written the queen to come visit here. She informed me she had an important meeting she couldn’t miss, but she would send her two mages. You have the cure with you, correct?”

“Yes,” said Talon as he held up his case. “There are many vials of the cure in here. Can you take us to the sick?”

Luca nodded, turned, and started walking, Ansel and Talon following him. He took them to a long building that must have been the meeting hall for the second ring. Outside of the hall, large canvas tents were constructed, and people were laying on cots all over the front lawn of the hall. There were so many who were sick. Ansel stopped and took a breath. It was horrible. People of all ages, men and women were spread throughout the area. Ansel could see some were not moving and were probably already dead. He turned to Talon who looked like he might be sick.

“This is horrible,” said Talon looking all around. “Is the whole village sick?”

“No,” said Luca. “They have brought in many from a few area small villages, and the healers are over run. You can see that they don’t even have time to remove the bodies of those who have died. Some from our village have come to try to help, but it is overwhelming.”

Ansel looked all around as Talon opened his case to take out the cure. Ansel was glad Griffa wasn’t with them. He couldn’t imagine how she would react to seeing all the death and sickness in front of her. She had so many burdens weighing on her, and Ansel was glad he was here to take care of this for her.

Talon found a healer and spoke with him for several minutes. He gave the healer the cure as Luca and Ansel walked around to see where they could help. They started helping village workers to remove bodies of those who had passed. Talon started visiting sick folk, helping to relieve some pain from those he could. He eased the passing of others. All three worked all day, bringing aid and comfort everywhere they could.

By the time the sun was setting, they were exhausted. They washed their hands in a place provided, and then walked back into the second ring of the town.

“You will need to find a place to stay tonight,” said Luca. “The inn up ahead is not bad as they have decent beds and good food. There are plenty of drinks, and the woman are very good looking if you are needing company tonight.”

Ansel shook his head. “I am betrothed to our queen. I have no need for any company. Talon might be wanting someone to entertain. He has been known to entertain many women in the past.”

Talon laughed. “I find that I am not as interested in that kind of entertainment as I once was. Food, drink, and place to lay down is all I need. You should join us, Luca, at least for one drink.”

Luca agreed and led them to a small inn. Ansel looked up at the sign and stopped. He knew this inn. He had been there.

“Isn’t there another inn in town?” asked Ansel. “I am sure there is another closer to the town’s entrance, perhaps we should go there. It will be easier to leave the village if there is trouble.”

“You don’t want to stay there,” said Luca. “This one is much nicer, and you will not run into any trouble. The people here all know the true story of Regventus. They support our queen.”

Luca walked in the inn with Talon following him. Ansel pulled his hat low on his head and walked in. Luca and Talon had found a table towards the back, and Ansel sat in a chair across from Talon. He kept his head down.

“You are acting strange, Ansel, even more so than usual,” said Talon looking at him. “What is the matter with you?”

“Nothing,” said Ansel. “I just don’t like strange, new places or people. You know this about me.”

Talon eyed Ansel as a man came over to offer them stew and drinks. They all agreed, and soon had bowls of good stew and tall glasses of mead. By the time they had all finished their third glass, women had started circling the room. Ansel started drinking his fourth glass with his head down, as a woman stopped at their table.

“Good evening, gentleman. You seem to be all alone tonight. Perhaps, I could join you for a while?” asked a pretty woman. She looked young and bright-eyed, but Ansel knew she was older than she appeared.

“I believe we are all happy as we are,” said Talon smiling at the woman. “There seems to be plenty of tables full of men here tonight. You might want to try one of them.”

The woman smiled. “Do you speak for your friends here? What have they to say for themselves?”

“I am actually walking home soon, so I will not need a companion tonight,” said Luca.

The woman looked at Ansel. She moved closer and stared at him. “Ansel?” she asked. “Is that really you? You haven’t changed a bit.”

Talon looked at Ansel with wide eyes and a small smile. “Is this an old friend of yours, Ansel?”

Ansel sat up and raised his head. “Good evening, Margie, it is nice to see you again.”

Margie smiled and sat in the vacant chair next to Ansel. “I haven’t seen you in so long. I was sure you must have either been killed or gotten married.”

“Neither,” said Talon smiling at Ansel. “Not yet, anyway.”

“I will be married very soon,” said Ansel staring back at Talon. “To the most exquisite woman in the kingdom.”

Talon raised his eyebrow at Ansel as Margie put her hand on Ansel’s arm. “I don’t see your betrothed here tonight. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. You aren’t even married, yet. Why don’t you come spend some time with me?”

Ansel shook his arm loose. “No, I am very devoted to my betrothed. I will not be joining you tonight. Quit wasting your time and seek others who want your services.”

“Are you sure, Ansel? I would gladly spend time with you over anyone else in this place. I could give you the whole night.”

Ansel shook his head. “You will not convince me. Go on before the other ladies take all the well-paying gentleman.”

Margie stood. “If you change your mind, come find me. I will gladly throw out whoever I’m with for you.”

She walked off, and Talon started laughing. “You seemed quite familiar with that woman,” said Talon. “How many times have you been to this village?”

“A few,” said Ansel. “It has been many years. I am surprised she even remembers me.”

“But she does,” said Talon. “You must have done something to leave a lasting impression. She seems very attached to you.”

Ansel took a long drink. “It was so long ago, and I hardly remember,” said Ansel looking at Talon with a frown. “Griffa does not need to hear about this.”

“Oh, I am sure Griffa would love to meet you friend. Maybe we could stop back by when she is with us and see how the ill are doing in the village. We could stay here, and Griffa could meet your Margie.”

“She is not my Margie, Talon. It was a couple of indiscretions from my younger days. I am sure you know all about those.”

“First your enchantress, now Margie, I think you might have quite a past, Ansel. It seems you and I have more in common than I first thought.”

“At least I recognized my true love when I finally got around to admitting it. I have never been with anyone since I’ve been with Griffa. I doubt you could say the same.”

Talon smiled sadly. “No, I made many mistakes in my life; that one being the costliest. It worked out for you though. If I had acted like I should have, Griffa and I probably would have been married by now.”

Ansel chuckled slightly. “You can tell yourself that, Talon, but you know it isn’t true.”

Luca looked between the men obviously confused.

“Ansel and I have had the misfortune to fall in love with the same woman,” said Talon looking at Luca. “She has chosen to be with Ansel, but I had my chance first.”

“And you failed at your chance, because she is meant to be with me,” said Ansel. He finished his drink and looked around for the man to bring him another.

Talon smiled smugly as the man brought over drinks for all three men. Luca sat his aside, but Talon and Ansel both grabbed theirs.

“Griffa seemed quite happy in our times together,” said Talon as he took a drink. “She never had any complaints. I know for a fact how much she enjoyed herself. I could go into great detail if you wish.”

“She didn’t enjoy herself enough for you to keep her, it seems,” said Ansel taking a long drink. “You forget that I shared an unusual bond with Griffa for a time. I knew all her feelings. I know exactly how she feels about you and me.”

“She could shield you, or have you forgotten?” asked Talon. “She shielded you from many things she felt and did, and you should be thanking me right now. If not for me, you would still be serving as her protector as she prepared to marry me. If I hadn’t had been so noble and stupid, I would be with her right now.”

Ansel slammed down his glass. “I don’t know what you are talking about, and I don’t want to know. They bottom line is she has chosen me. She will always choose me. It doesn’t matter how much you flirt with her, or try to get her alone. She will always want to be with me.”

“Why?” asked Talon. “Why does she choose you? I could love her in ways you don’t even understand. You have no idea how deeply I love her. I could help her rule this kingdom better than you ever could.” Talon drained his cup. “She is meant to be with me. I know she is.”

“She is not,” said Ansel shaking his head. “She has loved me for a long time. I believe she loved me even when she was carrying on with you.”

“And what did she get from loving you? You teased her and then ignored her. She cried and doubted herself because of you. You don’t deserve her, Ansel,” said Talon shaking his head and blinking his eyes quickly as though trying to focus.

“Do you think you deserve her, Talon? You think after all you have done, you deserve, Griffa?” asked Ansel as his head spun causing him to hold onto the table for support.

“No,” said Talon quietly. He shook his head. “I don’t deserve her, but I love her. I have never loved anyone as I have loved her, and I want her so badly. My father tried to tell me. He tried to warn me that I would never get over her. I should have listened. I should have stopped her from running to you all those times. I should have begged and begged until she agreed to marry me.”

“She would never have agreed Talon, because as much as I don’t deserve it, she loves me. For some reason, she is in love with me, and she wants to marry me. I know there is nothing I have done to deserve such an excellent woman. I would tell you she is mine, but the truth is I am really hers. I am in debt to her in ways I could never repay. She loved me when I was unlovable. She fought for me and waited for me. When she told me, I would have to give her up, I refused. I could not waste all she had done to show me what real love is. I will never give her up.”

Talon had his elbow propped up on the table. His head rested in his hand. “I can’t stop loving her, Ansel, and I don’t want to stop. I know she will never love me as she loves you, but she will always be the one I love the most. No one will ever come before her. You could ask me to leave her, and you could send me away, but I would always find my way back to her side, because of how much I love her. She is everything to me. I would give up everything I have for her.”

Ansel sighed and rubbed his face. “I understand. How could you not love her? I know we can’t help who we love, but you need to understand something. Griffa will be my wife. She may love you in some way, but I will always come first to her. She will rule this kingdom, and I will be by her side. We will build a life together, and we will have children. If you stay close to her you will have to witness all of this. Griffa and I were the ones who were meant to be together. We will grow old together and when we die, we will journey on together forever. If you are going to stay and serve her, you need to realize this.”

Talon nodded. “I do understand, Ansel, and I know how much she loves you. I know I would never be able to come between the two of you. I don’t plan on even trying, but I will stay close to her. I will do everything I can to see her happy and safe. I will do my part to ensure she gets to grow old with you. I want nothing more than to see her happy.”

Talon and Ansel stared at one another. Ansel felt like he could pass out at any moment as he was so sleepy. Talon didn’t look like he would last long, either.

“I’m going to see about getting you two rooms,” said Luca standing up.

Ansel and Talon were soon slowly going up the stairs to their rooms. Ansel hung on to the railing as he focused on putting his feet on each step. Talon stumbled slightly behind him, but kept moving up. When they got to the top, they each found their room. Before going into his room, Talon turned to Ansel.

“What did you do to that Margie woman to make her remember you all these years?” asked Talon.

Ansel smiled as he looked at Talon. “You said that Griffa enjoyed her time with you. You said you could give me details of your time with her and the pleasure you believed she experienced. I could share elaborate details of my times with Griffa as well. If you would like to compare, I am game. I guarantee you will not like the results.”

Ansel chuckled softly and then went into his room. He was happy to lay on his bed and pass out immediately.

The next day they met one another below stairs. Talon had brought some elixir along that they could both take to clear their heads, and Ansel was very thankful as his head was killing him. They ate breakfast and traveled to their next destination. It was a small village on the edge of the Grasslands. They had not had time to visit this village on their last visit, and it was very close to the River Valley.

Once they got to the village, they were met by a young woman who smiled at them.

“I understand you have come to help the sick, is that correct?” asked the woman.

“Yes,” said Talon. “How did you know we were coming?”

“I have friends in other villages around here; villages that you would feel more at home in.”

Ansel nodded, understanding she was talking of magical villages. She took them to a large room with many sick people. They spent all morning giving out the cure and tending to the ill. At mid-day, the woman offered to show them where they could get some lunch. She took them to a small inn close to the entrance of the first ring of town. They sat at a table with her and ate some bread and meat. A worker brought them some wine.

“How do you have friends in a magical community?” asked Talon as he took a drink of his wine.

“Sometimes magical folk come to the village for supplies. I happen to catch the eye of a few young men. I like having a few friends to spend time with,” she answered with a wide smile.

Talon raised his eyebrows at her as he drank and looked over at Ansel. Ansel shrugged and drank deeply from his wine before taking a bite of the bread before him.

“I would ask if you would like some company tonight,” said the woman putting her hand on Talon’s arm. “But I think you might be a bit tied up by then. You are very handsome, though.”

Talon looked at her quizzically when he suddenly dropped his cup and leaned back. He looked up at Ansel with wide eyes. Ansel took a breath and could feel himself going dizzy. Everything around him seem to be blurry. He couldn’t remember where they were or what they were doing. He looked at Talon who was sitting back with a smile on his face.

Ansel sighed as he heard the woman speaking to someone. “Get some of that special rope and bind them up. We will take them upstairs and send a message to their queen.”

Ansel couldn’t understand what she meant. Why would they go upstairs? Why would she send a message to Griffa? Ansel found he didn’t care as he sat there blissfully unaware as someone tied his hands together.