Guardian (Sequel to Fearless)

Chapter Sixty Two

A/N -- I needed some serious wine to write this chapter, guys.

Warning: *some* Mature content. Tread with caution.

Kayde and Iris finished off dinner with a glass of aged wine, both curled up together near his fireplace. Despite her other experiences with drink, she found she rather liked it. It wasn't as strong as tavern ale or Hench's whiskey, and it tasted a lot more refreshing. She was in a happy place, but found her head still right on her shoulders instead of swimming off into an inebriated oblivion.

"I like this," Iris commented, swishing the purple liquid around her glass. "It's not too strong."

"I figured you might. Careful not to drink too much of it, though. I like all my furniture and pillows in their respective places," he said with a wink, referencing her last foray with Hench at the guardian sanctuary. Iris grunted at it, wishing that everyone involved would just forget that little incident forever.

"Not my proudest moment," Iris said, and sipped her wine again before adding, "Jackass."

He chuckled, but said nothing for a minute.

Iris turned an eye to him, finding him staring thoughtfully at the flickering hearth. She inhaled a breath and started playing with some of his hair. "What are you thinking about?" she went on to ask.

"How things change," he answered.

"Hmm. Profound." Iris braided the long strand in her palms. "Any specifics?"

"A few things. One of them being you," he casually spoke. "I was actually thinking about a weekend I visited Eda. My mother had sent me a letter to come and visit her for a day -to help her repair a fence. It was a very menial task -one I had no idea how to do. But still, I decided to go because it was my mother." He chuckled. "I saw your aunt in town that day. She was buying some groceries, I believe. We didn't speak... but I did wave at her. It was a small one that got a cordial smile and a nod out of her."

"And then?" Iris raised a brow.

"And then, the very next day, she's at my mother's door asking me to go after you because you'd up and run off to war." He smiled softly, and there was a peaceful, far off look in his eyes. "And from there... madness."

Iris chewed on that statement. "So I'm an official Remorda Guardian, sitting on this sofa and drinking wine with someone I love very dearly... I've somehow turned from a simple girl, to a soldier, to a captain, to a guardian, to the Heart of Eldia." She thought some more. "A twenty-year-old cold case on my older sister came to a close, and I've been reunited with her... all of that because you decided you'd repair a fence one weekend."

He met Iris's eyes with a grin.

She returned it. "Madness," she agreed with a whisper.

Kayde looked down to where Iris laid down a second, completed braid. "What's this? Are we giving me a makeover?

Iris shrugged and combed her fingers through the silk. "Not sure. I've always wanted to mess with it. It always looks so soft," she admitted.

"How about this, then?" he said, and put his wine down on the inn table in front of them. "Give me one second." With that, Kayde stood and walked from the room for a minute. Iris waited on him, watching the doorway until he breezed back through it. He walked up to her and handed her a comb. She looked down at it and smiled a rather genuine smile.