An Injured Captain (Aveline)

[Roland]

Roland stood in the center of a for trail crossway looking out over a vast plain. He was here again, Roland desperately tried to close his eyes as four shades emerged from him. The first shade headed north, this shade was shrouded in his usual long leather coat over top of polished guardsmail. The shade headed into the city and as he passed the people of nova chains emerged from him binding both the people and himself. The people did not show obvious signs of suffering, but Roland could see the energy and the vibrance that each living thing possessed grow duller under the restrictive chains, and he watched as more and more chair wound around his shade as it resolutely stepped forward without glancing back.

The shade that headed east also wore his black coat, but it was shabbier as if it had survived a long time. This shade also passed into the city, and its gaze swept over each person it passed. Hatred burned bright behind its eyes, but at the same time each person they fell on was evaluated and it was not until it came across a man brandishing a knife at another that he saw the shade act. With a wave of it's hand the man was caste in iron. He watched as the shades judgement turned harsher and harsher, even bringing it to bear against the guard and law itself.

The third shade headed east into the forest, a robe of shimmering white and a staff of white oak clasped in its hand. He watched as the shade stayed within the forest remaining isolated, but as he watched he saw the forest itself creeping towards the city as a thousand hungry eyes stared out.

Roland tried to stay focused on the images before him, he knew what laid behind him and it was what he feared facing most. Roland finally turned around. He saw himself and a woman, though she was shrouded in shadow. This shade was dressed in a well made vest and noble attire. Unlike the other three this shade smiled broadly as it laughed and joked with those around it. As the years passed the shade protected, supported and was supported by the people that surrounded it, but when Roland looked beyond the shade's happy life he could see Teair in flames. Never the less this was the vision that tempted him the most, he could tell, if he wanted to he could reach out, he could grasp this happiness, have a family, manage his family's land. All he had to do was throw away his conviction, and his duty.

As the fire spread Roland could not look away until he felt as though the fire itself was coming to consume him. With a yell he shot up in his bead and looked around. He was in the infirmary, he had been badly injured and a variety of bandages were wrapped around him. He was currently shirtless, though someone had apparently left him the dignity of his pants.

[severine]

Aveline lifted her hand back but did not jolt when Roland sat bolt upright. She sighed, reaching forward and placing her cool hand back on his forehead. “Lie back down. You’ve been through an ordeal.”

The young woman looked surprisingly calm, tired mostly, despite the events of the day. She was still wearing her court garments after all. The edges of her sleeves were stained a rusty color but with wine or blood it was impossible to tell. She reached over, plucking a candle up and leaning over Roland, pressing her other hand down firmer against his slick with sweat forehead to keep him down. She waved the candle over his eyes, squinting down at him with the full solemn seriousness of a healer.

“...your eyes are dilating. That’s good.” Aveline moved a hand to press against the pulse in his throat, then down to his chest, feeling the rise and fall of his breath. Her voice was quiet when she spoke, strangely calm. “I smelled Kingsbane on you. It looks like it didn’t infect you, though. I gave you an antidote to be certain.”

She removed her hand from his chest, keeping her other hand on his forehead. “I don’t know what you remember, but you were stabbed. We nearly lost you.” her fingers twitched on his forehead as she looked down to the bandaged wound on his stomach. She looked back to his face and spoke with the full seriousness that undoubtedly came from her mother. “Do you know who attacked you?”

[Roland]

Roland eyes widen as a hand touches his forehead and his eyes begin to glow dully as he gathers in power. Then he realizes who is beside him and obediently lies back down. The glow in Roland's eyes remains as he begins to check his wounds with magic, but he soon flinches and releases it. His mouth turns down into a frown. Looks like I overused my paths. It was not just the exertion from yesterday, but Roland had pushed himself to the limit magically several times over the last few days. It appeared he'd finally gone too far.

With a grunt Roland wills himself to release the mana he always held to help speed along his recovery. The glow in his eye went out and in its place were a pair of deep brown eyes, this was the first time in years Roland wasn't holding any magical power and it made him feel slightly naked. “I purified most of the king's bane before it got to me.” He explains as he watches his assistant and surprisingly a smile crosses his face.

“You certainly do have a lot of side to you don't you?” He asks the smile soon fading away and returning to his default slight frown. “I'd never guess you could be so...”

He cuts off for a moment as his eyes close for a few moments before they open up again. “Can you get me a pen and paper? I'd like to make my report while everything is still fresh in my mind.” He asks in a calm tone that made this a genuine request and not an order, in this place she was the physician taking care of him, not his assistant. Roland's exterior wound was mostly healed and when Lilith returned he could get her to fix whatever was left untreated, but he had lost a lot of blood and healing magic could only do so much, he would still need a few days to recover completely.

[severine]

"I am human. I have many sides." Aveline pulled her hand away from his damp forehead. She tilted her head down at him, her expression clouded with an unfamiliar exhaustion. Never could be so what? Her seriousness must have been surprising. But this was a deadly serious situation.


When Roland's eyes dimmed back to brown she blinked in tired surprise. She didn't know his eyes could change like that. If it were a result of his magic, then it was no wonder he looked tired all of the time. It must have taken quite the effort. But when he requested a pen and paper, she shook her head.

"You will not write. You will bleed out if you stay upright again." Aveline rose, collecting the paper and quill for herself. She reached over, pressing a hand over his eyes so he could not see. "Tell me what you saw. Do you know who attacked you?"

[Roland]

At her comment about being human an unreadable expression crosses his face for a moment before he presses back slightly harder against the pillows. He cracked an eyelid at her puzzled expression and showed a slight grin, though the expression was colored by pain. As he finally releases everything his eyes again turn heavy and draw shut.

However when Aveline told him he was not allowed pen and paper his eyes opened again and his expression turns sour, he was about to speak when she suddenly took out paper and pen for herself and indicated that she would write for him. He supposed that would be as good'a use of her time as any and nods his ascent.

“Alright, but I swear, you place too much concern in my health. I will be fine.” He says, with an edge a slight bit of bluster, though it sounded strange coming from someone who was usually so blunt and serious. As Aveline places her hand over his eyes the cool sensation helped him to relax and he placed a hand over hers and squeezed it a bit.

“Thank you Aveline.” he says, not providing context. She couldn't know how much it helped to have someone in the castle looking out for his best interests, or at least for his livelihood.

“Claire or...the woman who was going to be executed along with one other broke into my office and stole an artifact of great power. I am afraid I cannot expound upon what that artifact is at the moment, but Lieutenant Garza caught them in the act and engaged them. I showed up soon after and was taken by surprise and stabbed in the back after a set of my stronger offensive spells fizzled against some kind of anti-magic plate one of them had. The fight went on for a bit, but I lost consciousness in the middle.” He summarized, there was more to it than that, but he would need to investigate to know which of that would be germane to the report.

[severine]

Aveline smiled a little at Roland’s insistence that he was fine, despite all evidence to the contrary. Men with their bravado. “Says the man with a gaping hole in his middle, leaking humors.” When he caught her hand and held it over his eyes she gave a small start, her fingers twitching over his eyes. She didn’t move her hand though, despite how difficult it would be to write with one hand trapped. She could feel her cheeks color a bit, regardless.

“Just keep your eyes closed for now.” Aveline balanced the pad over her knees and began to write, the nib scratching against parchment as she did so. She looked over to him a little as he spoke, even though his eyes were still covered with their hands. It worried her- he looked more ashen than usual. The man needed more sun. She suspected that his true tone of skin was much warmer than he allowed it to be. Something to remedy in the future, she supposed.

“That woman.” Aveline tapped the nib of the quill against the pot of ink at her side. “Are you certain it was her? The woman who tried to murder His Majesty? And then she tried to murder you…” she tilted her head down at him, turning her hand over his eyes and grasping his fingers with hers. She pulled her hand away from his eyes so that he could open them again and she leaned over him a little.

“Did she tell you who she was? Or did you not realize who she was until after you were stabbed? Was it possible the assassin was just wearing a glamour?” She bit her lip, realizing she was asking quite a lot of questions. But this was important. Roland would be incapacitated and someone had to do something. Aveline squeezed his hand again.

“You must tell me what she took, Roland. I need to know what we will be looking for. I need you to trust me with this.”

[Roland]

“The hole is mostly closed up.” Roland points out slightly indignantly, the court healer had at least seen to that, though due to how big the hole had wound up being they couldn't close it completely hence the bandages. He was glad she did not move her hand immediately as the cool sensation felt good and helped to ease the dull ache in his head. Without the magic and his work to focus on the hundreds of small aches and complaints of his body washed over him.

“Was my health really this bad?” He wondered aloud in a soft voice. He'd known he'd been driving himself hard, but now that it was just him and his body he found himself amazed he had never realized it before. When was the last time I did not have hold of at least some mana? He wonders and realizes with a start that he could not remember. However before his light headed philosophical ramblings could go any father the vice of control and will clamped down and Roland was brought back to the present.

When Aveline asked about the woman Roland grunted and an air of surliness was conjured around him. “Have you so little faith in me that you think I would be tricked by a parlor trick like a glamour when faced with it directly?” He asks with a hint of injured pride, strictly speaking Roland did not judge himself the best investigator, but he did consider himself a worthy mage and glamours were the realm of the magical.

After moment of silence Roland says confidently. “It was her, I unmasked her after she stabbed me in the back. She's different now though. The attack on the king wasn't the malevolent assassination it was made out to be. It was more like the king prodding an angry bear the goddess dumped in his room. This was deliberate though. She's turned from a cornered animal into a vindictive revolutionary and one with some kind of powerful ties given the helper she had with her.” He admits.

A mirthless smiles spreads across his face as his deep brown eyes gaze into hers. “She hates me for catching her I imagine.” Then he closes them and thinks before reaching a decision.

“Aveline, before I go on I need to ask. If I tell you two major secrets can you keep one of my choice from your mother?”

[severine]

“Yes. It is that bad.” Aveline rubbed her thumb against his hand. Roland had always looked a bit rough but now he looked even worse. Seeing his eyes like this was odd though, much darker and more open than she had ever seen them. She placed the paper aside with the quill and shifted, sitting on the edge of his bed, still holding onto his hand. At his remark though, she began to regret moving.

Aveline frowned down at him at the snap of his wounded pride, but didn’t look too wounded. She just looked tired. She remained in silence as he continued to speak. “I would loathe you too, if I were her.” she reached over with her free hand, pushing back the damp strands of hair plastered to his forehead.

She paused when Roland spoke again, feeling something stab at her chest. The mask broke and she pulled her hand away from his forehead, unable to stop the look of hurt crossing her expression. “...you have such little faith in me, then?” Aveline asked, her voice clearly wounded. The bravado she wore was shattering and real fear crept back into her expression. He didn’t trust her. Because of her mother, he didn’t trust her. The man didn’t know anything, but how could he? He had nearly died- he had nearly died and she- “After this? Roland-” she reached forward, touching his cheek. She leaned over, the long thick trails of braids falling over her shoulders. “-don’t you know me at all?”

Aveline leaned in the rest of the way, not accounting for anyone who may enter the room and come across them, pressing her lips to his.

[Roland]

“Huh~ I wonder why I never noticed.” He replies when she tells him it is that bad. For just a moment something else seemed to well up inside of him and he seemed fragile, like iron that had gone brittle. As he watches his final words wound Aveline the pain inside of him only grows. He felt indecision and frustration and sorrow and a dozen emotions he did not understand and was not equipped to deal with.

When Aveline kisses him he reaches up and touches the sides of her face softly, wanting the contact more than anything else. When she finally pulls away she would find Roland with a dumbfounded expression that would slowly contort into an expression of apology.

He squeezed her hand and some kind of clear liquid seemed to be distorting his vision. He'd hurt Aveline, possibly the only person in the castle that cared for him as an individual and not as a tool or asset. “I am sorry Aveline, I...I did not mean it like that...living life as I have has done things to me...” He stops talking and closes his eyes then takes a deep breath.

After a moment of composing himself he wipes his eyes and says “...no that's not an excuse. You have done nothing to warrant what I accused you of. I can no more judge you for Severine's actions than I can be judged for Casters'” He says, in one breath both apologizing and revealing something about himself that he had not admitted to anyone else.

[severine]

Aveline didn’t want to pull away when she felt Roland touch her face and respond. She held on for a little longer, trying to make herself very clear in this way. This was not a courtesy, sympathy kiss. Not in the slightest. When she finally pulled away, she was fighting back tears.

“I thought I lost you.” her voice was weak when she was finally able to speak, lifting his hand up and kissing his fingers. “I thought the last words… Roland, I was so afraid-” she shook her head, pressing her forehead to his hand. It took her a moment to compose herself to look back at him, wiping her watery eyes as well.

Then he spoke again and it shocked her out of her haze of anxiety. Aveline’s eyes widened and she gripped his hand firmer, clearly in disbelief. “You-” It couldn’t quite come together in her head. “You’re- you’re Caster’s…?” her fingers traced around the corner of his eye, remembering the bright violet they once were. Goddess eyes. How did she not see it before? But it was impossible, wasn’t it?

“You’re- you’re Dova? Is that what you are saying?” her voice was filled with a sudden terrible fear and wonder. “You’re…” Aveline felt a little faint and she leaned forward a bit further, still clutching at his hand to keep herself steady. “I…” she looked back to him, her free hand moving to stroke his dark hair back from his forehead. “Of course I won’t tell anyone anything. Much less… much less my mother.”

[Roland]

As Aveline kissed him Roland could feel his surprise growing. At first he was not sure what to think, then he simple felt comforted by the contact, and then a moment before she pulled away the meaning of her action finally dawned on him. For the first time in a long time Roland felt comforted by another's touch and when she finally did pull away he found himself wishing she hadn't.

Roland's mind for a brief moment flickered back to his dream, his insecurities. Fate it, I am not going to let myself be controlled by some fear of my imagination. He decides as he watches Aveline and continues to hold firmly onto her hand.

When she raises his hand and kisses it. He feels something well up inside of him again. “I am sorry, I...I did not mean to scare you...I...” He trailed off unsure of what to say. He hadn't imagined he'd get hurt, but then again even if he had it hardly would have mattered to him. He'd never thought about what him being injured might mean for other people around him though.

Then for a brief instant after she realized what he was and she looked at him with fear in her eyes. In that moment something inside him screamed in panic. His eyes widened and his hand squeezed hers tighter. He fought for something to say to reassure her...to...to make the fear go away, but when he finally spoke the words came out in an unplanned jumble. “P..please do not be afraid.” He implores her and then as he makes direct eye contact with her and worry begins to seize him he inadvertently reaches out for mana.

As he sputters, grunts and his eyes begin to glow the words finally came out. “Aveline, I love you.”

[severine]

Aveline couldn’t breathe. Her heart slammed to a halt in her chest, her dark eyes widening at his words. She felt faint all over again, overheated with the flush growing in her face. Then a shocked laugh escaped her, restarting her breath and causing a smile to grow on her face.

He loved her. He loved her!

Joy overcame her expression for the first time that day and she lunged forward, throwing her arms around his neck to embrace him. She forgot temporarily about the wound in his middle, what had started all of this, and kissed him again.

“I- I love you.” Aveline pulled back a little, her eyes shining, beaming from happiness. “I love you!” She pushed her fingers back through his hair again, looking at his newly shining eyes. She laughed, tilting her forehead against his.

“Don’t waste your manna on me.” her eyes were wet again but she couldn’t stop smiling. “Stop that. You’ll drain yourself more.”

[Roland]

As Aveline suddenly launched forward and embraced him Roland winced in pain. He could feel a pain in his chest, but he realized...he didn't care. He wraps his arms around Aveline and pulls her closer, awkwardly but honestly returning her kiss. After several long seconds when the finally break away Roland finds himself panting.

She loved him, he couldn't believe it, but it was true. She loved him!

A wide smile spread across his face, it went from mystified to excited to to full on joyful over the span of a second, and just for a brief instant Roland looked like a much younger man and the years of stress and wear seemed to melt away. He pulled Aveline onto the bed again and kissed her enthusiastically full on the mouth.

His eyes had returned to their deep shade of brown and he says “I could not waste my mana on you because you deserve all I have and more.” He tells her with a laugh. He collapses back down and stares up at Aveline who was not on top of him and asks her “Aveline...I know this is kinda...well it's...I mean...”

Roland takes a deep breath and stops himself from rambling and then decides to charge ahead, there was no going back anymore. “Aveline will you marry me?” He asks her feeling silly that he was lacking a ring and could not even make one with magic due to his injuries.

[severine]

Aveline’s heart jolted again as Roland pulled her back into another kiss and then pulled her down with him back on the bed. She rolled a little, slinging a leg over both of his so her bracing over him would be a little less awkward than it was before. When the kiss broke she looked down at him through the curtain of heavy braids that now fell completely over her shoulders, her whole body trembling. This was really happening. This sort of thing only happened in ballads! She tried to adjust herself over him, bracing herself in a way where she wouldn’t press against his wound as he stammered through what he was trying to say.

Then those final words reached her ears and she froze, a sudden short scream of shock ripping from her lips. She slammed a hand over her mouth, looking down at Roland with huge eyes. This was impulsive. It had to be. With his injuries and their sudden confessions and their emotions sweeping each of them away and yet-

Freedom.

“Y-yes.” Aveline lowered her hand from her mouth, her hand shaking violently. She couldn’t keep herself from beaming, even as tears welled up in her eyes again. She nodded rapidly. “Yes, I- R-Roland, yes- Yes! I- I’ll gladly- I’ll be your wife.”

Lady Aveline Walker. That’s who she would be. Free of her mother, free of the dark cloud of the king hanging over her head. She would be free.

[Roland]

Roland could feel his would reopening in response to the movement and activity, but ignored it he'd slept for a night already and if he was going to die he would have already. His eyes widen in alarm as she suddenly screams, but realizing it for what it was he reaches up and pulls her down beside him. They were definitely being swept away by the moment, but he'd spent his entire life making the proper decision, it was time for him to make the right one.

When she finally accepts his expression relaxes into a smile and he leans back laughing, he felt like he was going to cry himself. Yesterday he'd woken up and been grumpy about the king's lack of security precautions and continue to run the wings of the guard at his command, since then he'd been called out in front of the nobles, stabbed, robbed, confessed his love, and now he was going to be a husband. It was almost too much to take in, but as he felt Aveline's warmth lying next to him he smiled and kissed her forehead. “Aveline Walker...it has a nice ring to it.”

“This is right.” He says and he was surprised by the confidence in his tone.

He had so many thing to talk to her about, but he wanted to stay quiet for just a little while longer and enjoy the moment. So he keeps his mouth shut and waits for her to speak.