Rage and Providence

15

Irad grinned as he came into the Emperors study, his old friend signing something as he rolled his eyes. The news of Azalea's engagement was already ruffling quite few nobles feathers, and now it was the second to last day of the gathering and they hadn't met up privately between dealing with them and making sure their daughters were spending time with their fiancés rather than running off. A trying task, but one that Irad had been amused with nonetheless

"Your daughter is a waking nightmare Rady," he said, the old nickname slipping as the man pinched the bridge of his nose, and Irad laughed as he came around the side of his desk and opened the 2nd drawer where he knew his friend kept liquor and glasses for himself.

"Come now Remy, you have to admit she is exquisite," Irad said as he poured a glass for each of them. They clinked together and drank in silence a moment, and Remiel sighed while Irad smiled and looked out to the terrace as it began to sun shower.

"She's jaded is what she is. Do you know she gave me the same look you did when I told you I hadn't yet discussed things with the Five?"
"I believe it. She's so full of life and energy, and she's smarter than even I know."
"Well, that is how the two of you made her. She has as much of your skill as Amaranth's, I can see it in her eyes. She's going to be exhausting to deal with isn't she?"
"Why do you think I let her do as she pleases? She's stubborn and wild as an untamed stallion, but I assure you she will do well on the front even when she doesn't take any orders."

Remiel looked over his glass at Irad a moment, then set his glass down with a sigh.

"So, you're letting her go then? To battle?"
"More like she's decided to go regardless, but yes. The aftermath will be devastating though, she's not really one for moderation, and all I can promise is my aid in dealing with it."
"The cost of dealing with a demon spawn, and one who plagues our minds with the shadows of another."

"She's all I have left Remy," Irad said, turning to hold his old friends gaze," all that matters anyway. She will win you the war, but the cost...the cost will have to be enough, old friend, for this nation and it's people to survive."

Irad sighed and ran a hand over his face wearily, and Remiel poured him and himself another drink. You're looking more than your age old friend, Remiel thought with a frown, and that cost is not one you should continue to pay. Remiel looked over all the papers on his desk and sighed, draining his glass. We're both getting too old for this.

Remiel held up his glass to toast, and Irad clinked his glass again as they sat in silence, the other presence a comfort as they contemplated the possible horror ahead.

...........

While Irad was drinking with Remiel, Azalea sat astride the horse she'd been commissioning throughout their stay and looked back over to the castle. She'd found this small hill that looked over a good part of the captital while she'd been avoiding meetings with the twins and Adrestia's group, and when she could she came back to sit under the trees there. The final ball was tonight with tomorrow being a long brunch and a meeting to finalize the plans for meeting with the front, then everyone would be free to finally leave, though not all to the same place.

Her father would be going to their estate in Seraga then go straight to the line Danel, and Azalea would ride with with Hennig, Shu, and Jorgen to Pantheo Hall, which was the Salifet main estate in Aresa. From there they were to meet with Jorgen's brothers as they held the line along the northern border and aid in evacuations, and once they were done they were to meet up in Danel as well and push back the enemy once and for all.

For whatever good that'll do, Azalea thought, dropping down from her horse and sitting down with it with a sigh.

They'd been some issues with communications so reports were spotty, and investigating was going slowly since the men were mainly focused on quieting the skirmishes they faced. Normally the line of Xi-In oversaw such operations, but with the Viscountess still in Laysia and Shu's siblings either having limited authority or already on the front, there was little they could do besides intercept and validate anything they could find. Some of the other nobles had joined the fray recently as well; Colin Jagir, one of Baron jagir's nephews, would be riding out to meet Dame Johanna and Maman Mortezan, while Kline Mesanel and his fiance Vinay Hudan, who family oversaw Danel, would be going to hold the Danel- Lumino border. Cleo Musolon's family oversaw the Kano region, so after her time here she'd be riding out to hold the southernmost part of that same border, and Serapis troops would be working in tandem with mercenaries hired by both Calmor and Serpelan to keep the border the three countries met under control. 

There's most likely many civilians still in those areas, Azalea thought with another sigh. We could cut transport time if we used a big enough portal, but that sort of spell is-

Azalea felt a presence was approaching, and she rolled her eyes and waited, Shu riding up to where she sat leaning against the horses warm body. He dismounted and bowed low, looking all around as she waved up at him.

"May the light of the Dragons lead you to Amani."
"And you, Grand Duchess. I had heard from your ladies in waiting that you'd commandeered the palace horses so I came to find you. Are you well?"
"I'm well, yes. There's much to think about, and I enjoy places like this, the quiet is welcoming."
"I see. You won't be wanting these then?"

Azalea quirked an eyebrow at him as he sat beside her, and Shu grinned as he drew a small curved dagger and a pale green stone from his overcoat. She took the stone first, not surprised it was warm but that it was heavier and smoother than it looked, and she motioned for the dagger  as she focused her magic inher hand and muttered the order for Desmono, a deconstruction spell that weakened and dissolve matter.

"Catala, muzoli, ruvina, erodin, abradei. Now break, Desmono."

Shu tensed beside her as the blood pooling in her hand snaked up around the stone, and when she let out a deep breath the stone began cracking and eroding away, dissolving into dust and mixing with the blood as her body drew it back into the wound, and the cut started closing as Azalea watched the green tendrils spread from it, as if she'd been poisoned. 

"What was that?"
"That was me learning. Tourmaline from Laysia huh; I can see why you'd have a bit of trouble matching your energy to use cheruline if this is what you're used to, but it's close enough for me to use if need be. It would take your body quite some time to get used to though, and we don't have really have that. I trust you'll be taking some with you during our journey?"

Azalea felt him nod and looked up to see him peering at her, a somewhat guarded expression on his face.

"Yes?"
"It's just...it's quite the feat, creating an entire being from nearly nothing. I imagine it takes you much less time to process such a change."
"Yes and no. I can use and absorb any sort of energy or information I can get my hands on, but if I used too much too quickly or too often, then my body sort of resets itself and I need to rest. There's a spell, Salian, it's been woven into the fiber of this body and it's used to store anything the body absorbs through various mediums, and if I don't let it do it's job it takes it's toll and I end up sleeping at least a day. For example, if I tried to use the essence I just got from taking in that stone, I could use any spell I wished as long as I'm able, but once I'm done I'd likely sleep until tomorrow night when we're supposed to be already gone from here, and I can't be awakened from this sleep either so I'd be both unprotected and unresponsive. It's the only time I'm truly powerless."

Shu hmmed but said nothing, and Azalea pushed herself up to stand in front of him, bringing a hand up under his chin as she bent at the waist to look down at him, her hair sliding over her shoulder as it draped both sides of her face. He really was a beautiful man, and even in his confusion he was poised, elegant. She contemplated teasing him as she had teased Jorgen, but decided she was bored of him and simply pressed a kiss on his forehead and straightened. She'd made to turn away when Shu caught her hand, and Azalea watched as he swallowed hard and took up the ends of her hair, his fingers twisting around them, and he kissed her hair a moment before standing up and releasing her.

"I am truly honored, Grand Duchess, that you would accept the hand of much less powerful foreigner in marriage."

Azalea smirked and got her horse to stand, and once she'd mounted she looked back at Shu over her shoulder as he watched her.

"Foreigner or not, I believe you will prove very useful to the line of Rafflesia in one way or another. Now then...race you back?"

Shu blinked up at her, then laughed and mounted his own horse, the two of them galloping back to the castle with her still grinning wildly.

She didn't quite see the sad look on the mans face as they rode, his memories and feelings for her becoming more complicated with each breath.