“...Well, there’s not that many people left in the room,” Mallory commented after a short silence.

“I’m not speaking to every girl in this room,” Hector muttered. “I”m just here to see Tallow and my sister. And…”

Hector looked in LIz’s direction before turning back to the floor.

Mallory didn’t say anything. Jon didn’t either. He just waited for Hector. Jon decided that was the best course of action as well.

They stood in their pity until a loud groan erupted from Liz.

“Ohh…” Her eyes still closed, she reached up for the top of her head.

“Stop that!” Mallory said, power-walking over to her side. He grabbed her hand and pulled it away. “You’re still injured!”

“Injured?” Liz asked. She reached for her temples gently enough for Malloy not to contest and touched the badges.

“...Ahhh….” She rubbed her finger across them. “I see.”

She gave him a small frown. “Sorry.”

“You’re the one in the bed with the injury!” Mallory cried. “You shouldn’t be apologizing!”

“Yeah, but I put both of you in this predicament…” she said, reaching for Hector’s hand.

Jon didn’t know how, but he could feel Hector’s heart beating hard against the inside of his armor.

“He’s right, Liz,” Hector said, staring down at his hand within hers. “None of it’s your fault.”

“Then why do you look so disappointed in me?” Liz asked.

“It’s not that,” Mallory responded. “She lost.”

“Oh…” Liz looked down with disappointment. She clearly wasn't expecting such an answer. “She did. Lost to whom?”

“Amalia,” Mallory answered.

Liz grimaced. “I suppose… I suppose…”

She looked directly at Hector. “How do you feel?”

“How do I feel?” Hector was taken aback by the question. “I… don’t know…”

“Hmmm…” Liz placed her hand on her chin and looked down in thought. “Maybe I should have had a different strategy. Trying to overpower her with magic seems stupid in retrospect-”

“I don’t wanna marry anybody!” Hector said, interrupting her thought process. “You included! I mean…”

Hector blushed. “I wouldn’t want to force you to marry me. I just…”

“Oh, Hector, you shouldn’t feel so burdened about my feelings,” Liz said, reaching out with her other hand to add to the pile in front of them. “Being able to marry you would be a privilege-”

“But you’re my sister’s friend!” Hector withdrew his hand from her grasp. “We can’t just do that!”

Liz grimaced again, taking a look at the wall across from her. She didn’t seem to be necessarily looking at anything.

“Hector… me and Lana haven’t been speaking for a while.”

“Is it because of Lester?” Mallory asked.

“What?” Hector looked at him for an answer. “Why Lester?”

“No, no.” Liz shook her head. “It’s nothing like that. She would sooner face an entire army head-on than leave herself to Lester. We just… have drifted apart.”

“Didn’t she call you to that mission just a week ago?” Hector said, “you know, with Jon.”

“She did. She did.” Lana barely nodded. “And I was happy to do her a favor. But we hadn’t spoken in such a long time since then. I miss the old days.”

“...That has nothing to do with marrying me,” Hector muttered after a brief period of his own silence.

Liz chuckled. “I suppose not. But I had to adhere to my family-”

“Well, screw them!” Hector interrupted. “They shouldn’t decide these things for you! You’re way too strong of a spellcaster to do that!”

“...They’re the ones who decided to put me in the guild,” Liz explained. “They set up my training-”

“That guild was your birthright!” Hector responded. “It’s in your lineage. That and the training. Even before you, your parents-”

“I know my own parents, Hector,” Liz said. “But, it’s not my birthright.”

“...Wasn’t it supposed to be that way?” Hector said, fighting the urge to yell.

“You would think,” Liz said wistfully. “But alas, I must do what I need to keep me and my brother afloat, as well as the guild, and…”

She sat up some more. “Being at your side for the duration of it wouldn’t be the worst.”

“D-d-don’t…” Hector stammered as he responded. “Don’t… say that… you’re well enough…”

He swiveled his back to her, crossing his arms when he did.

Liz gave a smile, then scratched her neck until there was a loud audible crack. “Shall I return to my family?”

“No!” Mallory quickly said, bringing his hand down to the side of the bed, “you should be staying here overnight! Everyone here should! At least until the nurse-”

“Lizbeth!” A man in a white suit who had entered from the front of the room had called for her. “Your presence is expected.”

“There we go…” Liz groaned as she tried to leave the bed.

“No!” Hector ran to her and grabbed her arm. “You can’t go. Mallory said you can’t leave. At least not until the nurses come back.”

“I’ll throw him out!” Mallory said, putting his hands up, ready to fight.”

“Aw, you guys are sweet,” Liz said. “But it’ll be okay.”

She grabbed Hector’s arm light. “You would make a good husband, you see?”

Hector looked away.

Liz tried to stand, but she gasped and grabbed her head.

“I got it… I got it…” She tried to get up again, pushing herself off of the bed. “I will return to my men…”

She took a couple of groggy steps forward before standing straight again.

“Hector, Mallory. Take good care of each other.”

She looked at Jon. “You too, Jonathan. Watch over them.”

Jon nodded.

Liz took another step forward before she immediately fell over onto her face.

“Liz!” Hector ran to her side.

Jon came to the front and knelt down in front of her. She wasn’t even conscious anymore.

Jon heard a set of high pitched footsteps approaching from the door as a woman in a white dress stepped up next to him.

Jon looked up at her. She was the same one who had suggested Liz for the fight with Mercy. Up close, Jon could see how thin her face was as if her hairdo was pulling back much of her skin.

“What shall we do with you, Liz?” she asked out loud as if Liz was still awake.

“You’ll do nothing!” Hector raised his hand and pointed at her, but Mallory ran in between the two of them to stop Hector from getting closer.

“Oh, don’t you worry your little head,” the woman said. “She’s a warrior. And she’ll get the best medical attention that she needs. But…”

Her gaze swept over the room. “Not in this trash heap.”

“...She’s right, Hector,” Mallory said. “Provided she’s telling the truth about the healthcare.”

“I’m always telling the truth,” the woman said. “You think I would lie?”

“N-no, your highness Lumen, I…” Mallory gave a quick bow. “I’m just reassuring my friend here.”

“Ah, yes,” She gave a smug look at Hector. “The Quatershire.”

“...I don’t like that name,” Hector said quietly, racing the floor with his eyes.

“Trust me, boy, a lot of us don’t.” The Lumarian dignitary moved over as more of her men in white clothes came to Liz’s side and knelt down to help her out. Some of them went around to collect Liz’s armor from her bed.

“I got it…” Liz gestured lightly for some space to stand by herself before doing so. She spoke as soon as she was straight again.

“I apologize, my liege.-”

“No, no. No worries.” The dignitary didn’t show any pleasure or displeasure for her statement. “Who knows what to expect when the invaders start climbing over the mountains,” she added. “Besides, you still have your uses, assuming you’ll still be able to put up a fight after this.”

“Of course,” Liz quickly knelt down. “Always.”

“Alright, then.” The dignitary made a small shuffle of stance showing that she was ready to leave. “In light of your disappointing performance, we’ll make sure to get you home as quickly as possible.”

“Yes, your majesty.” Liz stood back up. She turned to Mallory.

“Great job on the barrier spell, by the way,” she said. “I apologize if I pushed it to the extent that the barrier could hold.”

Mallory shrugged. “You and her both. It happens.”

The dignitary had turned and started walking away, with her men following after.

“... Goodbye, my friends,” Liz said. “Say hi to your sister for me, Hector.”

Liz followed after the men and they all exited the room.

“...Pushy blowhard bitch,” Hector muttered moments after the people in white left.

There was a snort in the room that wasn’t from the men.

“That was the best you could come up with?”

Tallow!

Jon turned to her bed.

Tallow was still laying on her back, but her eyes were open.

Jon rushed to her side.

“Hi!” he said with a wide grin.

“Hi. Why do you look so happy to see me?” She turned away in her blush. “Stop that.”

“How are you feeling,” Hector said, approaching her.

“Like a bear ripped off my arm and then tied it back to my shoulder with grass,” Tallow explained, “but also like I haven’t eaten in a week. And also a headache. And a bit itchy. And my back hurts. And some cramping in my thighs.”

She pulled herself up so she could look more directly at the men.

“Did I mention I’m hungry?”

“I’m glad you’re feeling all of those things,” Mallory said, leaning over and giving her a light hug. “That means you’re still alive.”

“Then someone kill me now,” Tallow begged. “Life is pain.”

When Mallory pulled back, she took the time to study their faces. “Why does everyone look so dead.”

“Wait!” She looked away and held out her free hand to block their faces from vision. “Please tell me it was worth it.”

“We-” Hector began.

“Please tell me we won,” she asked, cutting him off.

“...We lost,” Mallory and Hector said at the same time.

“Ugh!” Tallow sunk back into the bed. “Fuck!”

She suddenly sat back up. “Holy shit! Where’s Mercy!”

“We can’t find her,” Mallory said. “She doesn’t want to be found.”

“Bull.” Tallow grabbed onto Jon’s shirt and pulled on it to try to stand herself up.

“No!” Hector stepped in front of her. “You’re not going anywhere. You need to rest.”

“Yeah, right,” Tallow said. “I don’t know if you have any balls left after it’s been torn out from under you today, but I’m gonna kick you there if you don’t get out of the way.”

“If you said it feels like your arm has fallen off and it’s just been reattached,” Mallory explained, “then that’s because that’s pretty much what happened. So, I think you should stay here so that it doesn’t happen… again.”

“...Okay…” Tallow relented and relaxed in her bed. “I won’t argue with more sleep.”

Jon was surprised that Tallow didn’t argue more.

“Come on, buddy,” she said, patting the side of the bed. “Can you sit with me?”

Jon obliged and sat down on the bed. She put her hand on his leg.

“...Holy shit,” she said. “Is that your leg?”

She rubbed it. “You can walk?”

Jon nodded. He tried to ignore whatever warm feeling Tallow gave him by rubbing his leg.

“How long have I been out?” she asked. “Did I miss the wedding?”

Hector groaned.

“Am I a war criminal now?” she asked Mallory.

“No,” Mallory answered. “If that was so, Mr. Luther would have came in here and dragged you out himself.”

“Right…” Tallow looked Jon in the eye. “So, who is Hector marrying?”

Mallory tried to answer, but movement at the door caught his attention.

Jon followed his eye. Another older woman wearing fine tailored black clothes was walking through the door. She had her hair tied up above her head as well, although it was way less fancy than the Lumen queen’s hair. It reminded Jon of his mother’s hair when she occasionally tied it back to help Jassiter around the farm.

She paid no attention to the four of them as she came to Jacquline’s side.

“Awake, my dear,” the woman said, putting her hand to Jaquline’s face. “It’s time for us to depart.”

“Uh…” Jacquline seemed to have been awoken by the woman’s voice. “Oshira?”

“Yes, it is me, child,” the woman named Oshira responded. “Come on, it is over. You have rested enough.”

“Aw.” She sat up slowly. “It’s over then.”

She turned over to Tallow.

Jon looked down to see if Tallow had noticed, but Tallow had fallen asleep on Jon’s arm, holding on to him with her free arm and leaning over.

“...She was a wonderful opponent,” Jacquline said. “I wish we could have fought in better circumstances.”

“You lost, child,” Oshira explained. “Under different circumstances, you might have lost too.”

“Right…” Jacquline stood up. She rubbed the side of her face as she did so.

Jacquline stood up, and she and the woman departed for the door.

“...Jacqueline!” Hector called out.

“Uh, yes?” Jaquline turned with curiosity. “What is it?”

“Your wakizashi skills… your form rather,” Hector started. “You fight wonderfully. I don’t know many people with that level of technique with a sword, let alone a wakizashi outside of the mountains. I wish I could have learned to use one properly… but you can do way more than that”

Jaquline’s eyebrows arched in uncertainty. “I… thank you, but I still have much work to do. I didn’t expect to lose.”

“That’s ‘cause Tallow’s crazy,” Hector explained. “So-”

Tallow’s leg reached up and kicked him in the hip.

Jon looked down at tallow. Her eyes were still closed.

“Her recklessness was the key to my defeat.” Jacquline admitted. “I hope to fight her next time. Maybe-”

Her escort cleared her throat.

“I will be incredibly busy,” Jacqueline amended. “Sorry for the inconvenience.”

She and the woman finished leaving the room.

“...That was cold,” Mallory said to Tallow after he was sure the two of them were gone.“You didn’t have to pretend to be asleep.”

“Who’s pretending?” Tallow asked, still not opening her eyes. “I’m still asleep.”

“Get some rest, queen,” Mallory said, rubbing the back of her head.

Jon expected Tallow to have some retort about being called a queen, but she didn’t. She seemed to have actually gone to sleep.

Jon felt honored to have been chosen as a pillow, but he did feel like she should rest properly.

He laid her down on the bed and put the covers back over her.

Next to her, on a small table, he saw Tallow’s claw sitting comfortably next to her sword and other equipment. She had way more than anyone else had.

The claws remind Jon of their fight together at the pier. They had helped each other out, and Tallow even obtained a new weapon. They had both been changed by the experience. He wondered if she really knew how new he was at all of this, then if she would have reacted differently in that fight.

Jon then heard the sound of metal scraping. He looked up to see that Hector, who had taken the time to make his way to his sister’s bed, had partially drawn his sword from its scabbard.

“That threat doesn’t work on me,” Luther grumbled as he made his way down the row of beds towards his daughter. “I’d actually have to be scared of the consequences of you drawing that thing..”

Hector scowled, but let the sword sit back in its sheath. When Luther made it to the bed, he stepped next to his son. The two men stood side by side watching over Macy’s bed.

“You this is your fault,” Luther said. “Because of this-”

“It’s your fault,” Hector swiftly interjected. “You didn’t have to-”

“Hey guys,” Mallory said from behind, “you know it’s her fault, right? She shouldn’t have challenged Mercy-”

“Shut up,” both men said without taking their eyes off the bed.

“Fine,” Mallory held his hands up in surrender and backed away.

“...Why is there so much hot breath over me?” Macy opened her eyes. “Oh, that’s why.”

“Macy!” Both men leaned over her.

“Back off!” Macy yelled. “And let me…”

She looked at the straps holding her to the bed.

“Hey, check these babies out,” she said in awe.

She looked up at Luther. “Works better than that shitty armor you gave me.”

Luther’s eyes widened. “Gave you? You chose it!”

“You gave me a shit choice!” Macy said, struggling to slide herself out the straps. “I mean, if I had to- Don’t!”

She pointed her finger as much as she could in Mallory’s direction. He had come to her side and was holding his fingers over her head, ready to tap her.

“I love you, Mallory,” Macy warned, “but if you touch me, I will break your fucking fingers off.”

“Alright, jeeze…” Mallory withdrew his fingers, “but you shouldn’t be moving around.”

Macy looked down at her abdomen, where her armor had been removed and she was heavily bandaged.

“That bitch got me good, didn’t she?” Macy remarked.

She looked over and saw Jon. “Jon! Hey baby! Come over here!”

Jon excitedly came down the row of beds to Macy’s side, stepping in between Luther and Hector.

“I don’t wanna see any of these bastards right now,” Macy said, “I just wanna see you.”

Jon felt a surge of hot breath blow on his shoulder the same side that Luther had stood. He didn’t want to make any assumptions.

“Ah, please, Dad,” Macy said. “you know we have this stupid fight over the kingdom just cause your couldn’t get Hector under control.”

She looked at Hector. “I mean, no one can control you, Hector.”

Hector looked away in shame.

“...What did I miss?” Macy asked.

“All this stupid fighting was pointless,” Luther explained. “Your brother’s getting married to Amalia in a couple of weeks.”

MAcy threw her head back as much as she could in the bed and laughed.

“Whoa, that bitch!” Macy grinned. “She beat Mercy? I knew she could do it, that girl. Sorry, Hector.”

Hector grumbled and looked away.

“...Did you train her?” Luther asked. “When did she learn how to fight like that?”

“I may have spotted her a bit,” Macy answered. “And maybe given her some coaching on how to beat Mercy.”

“What?” Hector turned back around, his shame replaced with anger. “You-”

“I’m so honored you think that my advice would be enough for Amalia to be able to beat Mercy,” Macy said, “but no, it takes more than that. Amalia’s been spending the past several years traveling around the different kingdoms taking notes.”

“What?” The incredulous yell came from both men. Jon was really beginning to see the similarities between them.

“Yeah!” Macy spoke as if this was all common knowledge. “She’s been getting into real fights.”

“...How does she know where to go?” Hector asked.d “I mean-”

“Hector, I know you’re dumb, “Macy said, “but you can’t be that dumb. One, she’s a princess. In Harris’s land. That means that she sees everyone who passes by here, and also knows where all the kingdoms are located.”

She struggled to slide out of the straps more. “It’s not hard for a girl to show up somewhere with a weapon and a lot of money, saying,”

Macy dotted her head side to side while speaking in a high-pitched mocking tone. “Hi, I’m a traveling warrior from a rich family, and I’m looking to train to become a better fighter. Here’s a ton of money I just happen to have with me, and a special weapon that’s mysteriously dropped into my hand that seems to like me a lot.”

With that last line, Macy gave a devilish grin in Luther’s direction.

“I… I didn’t mean… I didn’t know…” Luther grumbled.

“Wait.” Hector turned to Luther. “You gave her that weapon?”

“I didn’t know she’d be traveling the whole damn kingdom with it!” Luther explained. “I didn’t even know the damn thing was magical!”

“But… it’s still dangerous,” Hector said, ignoring his Dad while still obviously very frustrated at him. “How did she know who to trust.”

“Wait, you wanna know where she had a whole source of information having to deal with, trainers, weapons styles, fighting styles, current events…” Macy waved her head whimsical as she kept listing things.

The thought slowly dawned on Hector. “My… books?”

“Hell, yeah, dumbo.” Macy said. “What, you think she just reads them for fun?”

“...I said she could read them if she gets bored,” Hector said. “I…”

“Well, you both got played!” Macy yelled. “She’s been working under everybody’s noses the entire time!”

“...Why?” Hector asked.

“...So, she can take over!” Macy sighed. “You guys are idiots.”

“Why would she want to take over by marrying me?” Hector asked her.

“Because you’re whipped!” Macy groaned. “Don’t you realize that?”

“Whipped?” Hector looked at his Dad. “What does that mean?”

“It means…” Luther grumbled. “I mean, I guess…”

“I don’t like the way it sounds,” Hector said. “Are you trying to tell me that I’m the ideal candidate?”

“Of course!” Macy shook her head side to side. “You’re smart enough to make good decisions on your own, but you’re too dumb to realize when you’re being told what to do. That’s the same reason Dad wants you to be in charge.”

Hector gave a dirty look to his father.

“It’s not exactly like that,” Luther started to explain. “I already know you don’t listen to me, but-”

“She could have just married someone else,” Hector said, ignoring his father. “She didn’t have to marry me.”

“Correction,” Macy said, “she wants to run the kingdom. So, she has to marry someone that doesn’t want to run it.”

Hector opened his mouth but didn’t respond. His mouth slowly closed. Jon could see the inside of his head working overtime.

“...She… is it really?” He looked down .”I…”

“Take it in, bro,” Macy said. “You’re more alike than you think.”

She looked at her father. “She’s more of a daughter than me, isn’t she?”

“...I thought Harris didn’t want her around in meetings,” Luther said.

“Oh, she didn’t listen to her father?” Macy asked mockingly. “Why, that’s an unusual thing to happen.”

“It’s only you two that don’t listen…’ Luther mumbled, looking away. “All the others listen to me…”

Both men looked away awkwardly for a moment, despite standing right next to each other.

“....I need to talk to my Dad, privately,” Macy said.

Jon nodded. “Okay.”

She turned to Hector. “That means you too.”

Hector’s eyebrow raised, but then he just rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Let’s go.”

She quickly reached from under the straps and grabbed Jon’s arm right before they went away.

“I had a dream about us, you know?” she said. “It was wonderful. It was under a lit moonlight.”

“Alright,” Luther muttered. “You can go now.”

Macy still held on to Jon, preventing him from leaving.

“But it wasn’t just us,” Macy continued, not listening to her father. “I mean, it was a whole party. Mallory was there, Mercy was there, and so were Lester and Liz.”

“What were you doing?” Hector wondered.

“I mean, they were really going at it.” Macy gave a dreamy smile. “But then again, me and Jon were-”

“Uh, no, it’s time to go!” Luther pulled away from Jon’s arm and pushed him towards the door.

“We were having a great time!” Macy called while Jon was pushed out of the room. “And then, suddenly, a giant fist punched through my stomach from behind, and-”

Luther guided Jon to the door, where Hector and Mallory followed.

“I’m not staying,” Hector said as they left the room.

Luther’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“I’m leaving,” Hector said. “To finish my mission.”

“No!” Luther cried. “Her damn uncle’s here! He can take her home!”

“No,” Hector replied calmly. “Until I’m married, I’m still a part of the King’s Guard. I belong to them, and my mission isn’t finished. You don’t have any authority over that.”

“You…” Luther growled.

“Spend some time with your daughter,” Hector responded. “There’s obviously a lot that you’re missing out on that’s been going on around here.”

He shrugged. “And if you have an issue, take it up with my sister. She’s my boss.”

Hector turned and walked away.

“...You better come back!” Luther yelled.

He looked at Mallory.

“If he wasn’t gonna come back, he wouldn’t have told you,” Mallory said. “And I’ll make sure we fulfill promise. You’re still his father.”

Luther looked away. Jon was surprised to see Luther wordless.

“...I’ll protect him,” Jon said. “...And thank you.”

With that, the two men followed after Hector under Luther’s gaze.