Wings, Beasts and Claws: Violet Embers

Ch. 12 : I Will Return

The day I was dreading was finally here, and I didn’t know what to do with myself for the entire morning. I couldn’t sit still, my legs feeling too energized to want to allow me any rest. My stomach ached and I refused to eat much of anything, feeling as though even a light tea was threatening to return and greet me with how tumultuous it was. Then, as it came closer to lunchtime, I prepared myself and the kids for the Departure Ceremony.

I didn’t know why but I was feeling rushed and managed to finish getting dressed and my hair styled a full three hours before the ceremony would start. And while the children were eating in the main dining hall so they wouldn’t be hungry during the ceremony itself, I ran around inspecting the outer left lawn by the main gates.

Banners with the colors and crests of families joining in the fight danced in the wind beside the many loyal Knighthoods under the command of Captains and the Commander. I was even able to spot the Delphia Knightage flag among them and smiled, pride filling me knowing that my brother, as Captain, had revived the dying Knighthood of our family. The stage that was quickly set up was large enough to hold Dorian, myself and the children so that our men could see their King and Queen before going off to war. Winter flowers were scattered all over the thinly stacked snow and dozens of horse-drawn supply carriages were lining up near the Gates. There was also a large metal pole that climbed up into the sky, nearly the same height as the Central Palace itself.

This was the rarely used City Notifier that would display different flags depending on what information I would receive from the frontlines. It was a way to show everyone that worried about the outcome of the war itself how it was going without needing to send out scouts back and forth, since the Postal service here in the Capital was run by a NonShifter family that was gifted in Aerial Delivery. So any letters or packages that would be sent to and from the frontlines would be delivered within one to two days, though a part of me wondered how this was achieved, having never seen other NonShifter gifts aside from elemental ones. For the ceremony itself, it was my job as Queen and wife of the Leader of this mass of Knights to raise the Fafner Royal flag, marking the start of the march to the battlefield.

After checking to make sure that everything was being placed in their correct locations, and ensuring that the Knights had all received their badges to wear as a unified front, I returned to the Main Hall of the Palace to greet the Nobles present to watch the ceremony.

Many were parents that were wishing their sons luck in the war, or giving last words of advice to Knights that they mentored. But a handful of them were only there to save face, having provided very little or nothing at all to our men. And among the snakes that mingled with the others stood Duke Zenan in an elegant pale grey suit. But he wasn’t alone. His daughter Norena held on to his arm as they walked around and spoke to the other Nobles. She was decked out in the best dress she no doubt had especially made for this very occasion.

It was a soft violet color with touches of grey and black accenting it. Her long caramel colored hair was spilling down her back with half of it pinned up with a glittering jeweled comb. The dress itself hugged her a bit too much and her bust was framed by the darker material of the dress, purposefully making it look larger than it truly was. The sleeves were thin and much too short for the winter, no doubt trying to use her feminine physique to call attention to herself.

It made my skin crawl that she hadn’t given up in her pursuits to seduce my husband. And I caught the self-assured smirk she tried to hide when she looked at me, taking note of the dress I wore.

I didn’t want to wear something overly elegant for such a serious ceremony, and the ending of it required that I stand in the snow to raise the flag. So something made of silk or any other fancy fabric would be ruined quickly, and be too thin to keep me warm against the snow. So I chose a deep red dress with black trimmings and long sleeves that exposed my shoulders. Gold blooming roses were printed onto the skirt and thin gold earrings and a black and gold necklace were the only bits of shine on me. I had also left my hair completely down with a deep red ribbon going across my head like a headband, since Dorian always preferred seeing my hair down.

“Thank you all for joining us.” Dorian’s voice boomed through the hall and the weight of his hand pressed down on my waist as he came up behind me. “The ceremony will begin in a few minutes, so place proceed to your designated seating.”

Many Nobles nodded, bowed and thanked us as they stepped out, but Duke Zenan and his daughter approached us, blocking our way to the doors.

“We greet the Sacred Dragons of the Night.” They said in unison, bowing as I stiffened beside Dorian.

“Please allow us to personally thank you for permitting your Vassals to be present for such a historic moment.” Duke Zenan said, beaming at my husband.

“Yes, and, if it’s not too much trouble for Your Majesty… May I give you a token of luck before you march off?” Lady Norena said, her voice sickeningly sweet as she looked at Dorian through her lashes. “It would be the greatest honor you could grant me if you would accept, Your Majesty.”

‘I want to burn that pretty little face beyond recognition.’ I thought, balling up my fists to keep my expression and emotions in check. ‘How dare you offer a token to my husband in front of me.’

“No thanks is necessary, Duke.” Dorian said, his expression bored and a little annoyed. “And I wouldn’t be so proud of this ‘historic moment’ you speak of when my men and I will spill a river of blood on that battlefield.” His garnet eyes bore into the Duke and I failed to stifle the smile that came over me as the Duke squirmed. “Especially when not all of it will come from the enemy.” He turned slightly and made the Duke's daughter flinch a little when her hazel eyes met his. “I must decline any token from you, Lady Zenan.” He glanced down at the sword at his hip and tapped it, making a long, bright white ribbon bounce. “My sword already carries the token and well wishes of my beautiful wife, and I have no need for another.”

A soft blush made its way to my cheeks and I looked up at him, seeing his eyes already softly gazing at me with a small smile.

That ribbon had been in my hair when I was a Queeness seven years ago. It had slipped out of my hair when I toppled over the edge of a cliff while atop some ruins and gotten snagged on some roots that were sticking out of the cliff face. Dorian had caught me in his dragon form before I could plummet any further. And he had told me after our wedding that he had gone back to see how I had fallen when he found it and recognized that it was mine, since I had sewn my initials onto the ends of all of my ribbons. Since then, he had kept it tied to his sword, going so far as to wash it along with it so it would keep its bright white color.

We finally moved aside and made our way to the ceremony grounds, my gaze moving to look at Lady Norena who was fuming and glaring at the ground.

Climbing the stage and watching the many Knights gather in front and to the side of us, Dorian and I waited a few more minutes before starting. We welcomed our kids to the stage along with Drako and Ivy who were dressed up for the ceremony as well. Thea was in a soft gold dress that was thick and long to keep her warm while Ivy stood outside. The twins were in matching black, red and gold outfits that nearly mirrored mine, displaying the Fafner family colors proudly. And Cal was in a uniquely tailored ensemble of the same colors that was an exact copy of his father's uniform. They had the same gold metal shoulder covers and an ink black cap clipped under them. The dagger that Cal had gotten for his birthday was pinned to his hip on the same side as Dorian and the little boots he wore were a perfect match as well. He even combed his hair back like Dorian had, keeping his longer locks out of his face, though some stubborn strands fell over his forehead still.

A few more seconds passed before Dorian went up to the podium and addressed his men. He talked about how important this war was, and how each battle won would lower the amount of time that they would have to stay away from their friends and family. He told them that he would try his very best to ensure that most of them would return, safe and sound. But the inevitable truth was that some among the mass would return to the arms of the All Mother on that battlefield. He praised them and their many skills and strengths. He called on those that were close companions, asking that they look after each other in all the chaos. And finished his long speech with some booming words of courage that had many Knights growling, hooting and shouting after him.

Dorian then stepped back and motioned to a pair of Knights near the corner of the stage. They held the deep black folded flag of the Fafner family between them, looking up at me as I descended. I nodded to each of them and led the way to the thick pole that had been placed near the tall, bush covered fence beside the Main Gates. The Knights all moved aside as I made my way through them, bowing, smiling and nodding as I passed them. I took this moment to give them a few encouraging words, earning brighter smiles and even having a few kneel down completely as a show of respect.

Once I arrived at the pole I gathered the rough rope in my hands and turned to face the two men carrying the flag. I carefully hooked each of the clips through the open loops in the thick material, gingerly raising it so the fabric would spread out. And when all the clips were secured I pulled on the opposite end of the rope and watched the flag climb higher and higher, the snowy breeze making it flap and reveal the Fafner Royal family crest.

Louder cheers and roars burst out the second that the flag was in its place at the top, making me jump while I tied off the end to keep the rope secured. I smiled and made my way back to the stage then, catching a shivering Lady Norena glaring up at the flag with her hands around her exposed arms. It was clear that she had hoped that I would make a mistake in front of Dorian and all of our Knights, since it was a heavy superstition that if the flag was to fall and touch the ground, even for a second, the war would become nothing but a failure for all our Knights.

I moved my gaze to the stage and found Dorian kneeling in front of our kids, talking to them and hugging each one as I came closer. I also found my brother, the Commander and all the other Captains with their families gathered on the side of the stage. They were all talking to their kids and wives before they walked away, mounting their horses and making their way to the Main Gates. Arden caught me as he was hugging Reya and smiled, nodding before he turned to the rest of his kids. And when I reached my family once again, Dorian gathered me in his arms, leaning down quickly and pressing his lips to mine.

“I love you.” He whispered as he backed away a little, his deep red eyes looking into mine. “You’re the center of my whole world and have given me hundreds of reasons to finish this and come back.” He cupped my face in his hands and smiled softly, his eyes gazing at me as if he were trying to commit me to memory. “As long as you and our little family are safe and protected behind these walls, I will do whatever I need to, to come back.”

I nodded, momentarily unable to speak as the guilt choked me. I hadn’t told him anything about the dream I had with the All Mother, not wanting to pile on to his mountain of stress and worry as he went off to war. But hearing him believe that we were safe within the Palace when I knew the truth was eating me up inside, and I struggled to keep myself from blurting it out mere seconds before he marched away.

“Just be careful.” I muttered, clinging to the front of his uniform. “Be safe and don’t do anything dangerous, please.” I pressed a quick kiss against his lips and then joined my forehead to his, cherishing the warmth of his body for just a moment longer. “I love you Dorian, so very much.” I finally pulled away and looked at him one last time, feeling my eyes sting with unshed tears and my heart squeeze painfully. “Please come back to me.”

He nodded softly and kissed my forehead, turning away and descending from the stage. I moved to my kids and watched as he mounted his horse and joined my brother by the Main Gates. A part of me wanted to call out to him to stay as the gates opened. To scream and beg that he send someone else in his stead as they started trotting off of Palace Grounds. And a few tears spilled as I watched his back grow smaller and smaller with the hundreds of Knights marching on behind their leaders.

Soon, the sun was starting to set and Ivy reminded me that the kids needed to have dinner and get warmed up before bed. So I turned away from the gates as they slammed shut, wiping away at my tears and refocusing on my sweet kids. My mind quickly hardened as I started to wonder where and who the threats were that were now targeting the Princes and Princesses of the Fafner Kingdom.