The Champion's Ruin

by Kristen Banet

  “Why don’t they know?” she dared to ask. “You’re—”

  “Because I’ve never wanted them to know. It was never necessary. They needed a priest, someone to help guide them in the ways of our dragon gods. I could do that without them knowing the full truth.”

  She saw the wisdom of it. How could she not? He had kept this secret from the public for nearly three thousand years and convinced the priesthood of Amonora to safeguard it as well.

  “Do you have any advice for me?” she asked, dropping her eyes.

  A simple touch made her tense, but Varon’s fingers were feather-light and careful. He lifted her chin and made her look at him once more.

  “Not yet,” he answered, using Nevyn’s voice. “I can’t see the future, and I think enough meddling has been done in your life. Maybe it’s time for you to claim what is rightfully yours.” He leaned in, but it was still Nevyn talking. “Will you keep this little talk a secret?”

  “I will.” She would never expose someone’s secrets. That was cruel.

  “Thank you. You see, I’m trying to wait until the time is right. Things have been happening, and I’ve been watching them closely, trying to understand. I have to be able to watch and listen, and I can’t do that if they know.”

  “I understand.” Not really, but he’s Varon, and I’m Lilliana, so I’ll do whatever he needs.

  Varon let go of Nevyn’s hand, smiling as he straightened. Nevyn sighed.

  “We’ve only done that once before. Gives me an instant headache every time,” the warrior said, reaching up to rub his temples. “Thank you for listening to us, Lady Lilliana.”

  She nodded.

  “Now, would you like anyone to escort you?” Nevyn looked at her intently again, his red-orange eyes watching her carefully. “Now is when I remind you that Alchan wanted you to go out with Rain with you.”

  “He also said I was free to move around the valley, and Rain is busy,” she countered, looking away from him.

  “Of course,” the warrior agreed, bowing his head. “We’ll leave you to it. Enjoy your walk.”

  As she watched them walk away, Varon looked back and waved. She waved back, then headed toward the village. She had no real destination, her head spinning from what had just happened. First, it was King Alchan and Consort Rainev. Then it was Varon and Nevyn. She knew the great Champion lived in the village as well, having seen her once before.

  So many powerful people here. How does anyone get over this feeling?

  She put a hand over her heart, hoping she could will it to slow down.

  When she finally looked up, she knew she should have paid attention to where she was going. She didn’t know where she was. This area of the village didn’t feel as alive or fresh as the rest. Something about it gave her a bad feeling. The males around her were staring as they went about their morning routines, some with thinly veiled anger, some with outright rage, and some…some just scared her. They were all covered in scars, signs of the battles they had fought.

  “Look at this,” one said, sneering at her as he came closer. “Did the Champion finally allow a female to wander into our part of the valley? Of course, she would send the fucking ahren we’ve all been hearing about. Worthless, even if she is pretty to look at.”

  “Who cares? She’s here—”

  “And she’s leaving,” someone snarled. She turned to see the king and his consort land behind her. Rainev was holding the hilt of his morok, a sign he was ready for anything. The king crossed his arms, looking over her head at the male who had approached her. Rainev was the one who walked up to her and took her elbow, gently pulling her back to the king’s side.

  “Forgive me, sire,” the male said, bowing low.

  King Alchan said nothing, turning away. Rainev made her walk with them as they left.

  “Nevyn and Varon told us they saw you wandering off,” Rainev explained, his mouth a thin, tight line. “You weren’t paying attention to where you were going, were you?”

  “No, I wasn’t,” she whispered.

  “You should. Not everyone in this village is…safe,” Rainev said, sighing heavily. “That area of the village is where most of the former gladiators live. They haven’t had female company in…centuries, so we’re slowly reintegrating them. We can’t just let them roam free because there are a lot of females who wouldn’t be able to deal with violent warriors in their space.”

  “Everyone is still trying to heal,” King Alchan added. “And the safety of the more vulnerable ones takes priority over the wants of the warriors. You walking in there…”

  “I don’t think they would have done anything,” Rainev said gently. “But it’s very tense right now. They don’t like Mave, and she doesn’t like them. They see her as the reason they aren’t able to have more normal lives, where they can try to find wives or even lovers. Just keep an eye—”

  “Why did you leave without telling us?” the king asked, stopping as they found themselves in a wooded area with no listening ears. “Rain would have taken you where you wanted to go.”

  “I just wanted to walk,” she said softly, unsure of how to handle the situation. There wasn’t just one Andinna trying to berate her for her lack of thinking. There were two, and one of them happened to rule their people.

  “Did you leave before we woke up?” Alchan asked, the demand for an answer clear in his tone.

  “No,” she said in a squeak.

  “Then why—”

  “We were fucking in the kitchen while making breakfast,” Rainev snapped at his lover. “Damn the Skies, Alchan, don’t make her say it. Nevyn and Varon walked in on us, too. She isn’t going to step in and interrupt, and she shouldn’t have to sit around and do nothing while we finish. We told her she could do as she pleased. All I want is for her to know where she’s going.”

  There was silence as everyone contended with how Rainev had just snapped at the king.

  Her face heated as a blazing inferno of embarrassment flooded her body and mind. Her heart wanted to stop. She wanted to run. Instead, she stood there with her head down, staring at the dirt and the three pairs of feet.

  “My apologies,” King Alchan finally said softly. “I’m going to the war room to start my work for the day. Seanev leaves tomorrow, and he wanted a meeting today.” He jumped into the air, leaving them in a small cloud of dust from the trail.

  Lilliana didn’t move as Rainev waved a hand around, growling.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered as the dust cleared.

  “Nothing for you to be sorry for,” Rainev said, shaking his head. “This is just a learning experience for all of us, and we just need to deal with it.”

  “I…” Lilliana trailed off, unable to find what she wanted to say to him.

  Rainev watched her, then took her hand, holding it like it was fragile and precious to him.

  “Why are you so scared to speak your mind?” he asked kindly.

  “I’m an ahren,” she said, thinking it was obvious.

  “Being submissive is not the same as being afraid. Even the most submissive Andinna are allowed to voice their feelings. If anything, it’s more important we do because if we don’t…we could be the ones who get hurt.”

  “I…have only ever been locked away. I’ve never been allowed to speak my mind to anyone who makes decisions. I’ve…always been told I can’t, that I was too submissive to think of anything that might be useful.”

  “Skies damn it,” Rainev growled, looking away. “If Alchan realizes, he’ll kill her.” When he looked back, he smiled. “Come with me. We’re going to spend the day together while Alchan sits in meetings.”

  “You aren’t going to explain that part about the king killing someone?” Lilliana felt the need to point that little thing out.

  “Do you care if he kills Leria?” Rainev asked, frowning at her. “Don’t worry about it. We’re going to have some fun today. Me and you. You need a friend, and Skies damn it, I’m going to be that friend. Even the people at the botto
m don’t deserve to be alone.” There was an honest, earnest expression on his face as he spoke, and a smile she didn’t deserve.

  He should hate me. He should want me to leave. He should be making my life miserable because of what Leria did.

  But he doesn’t.

  “Okay,” she said. She knew he could never know about how she really felt seeing him with the king.

  For the first time in her life, she had wanted.

  10

  Mave

  Word traveled fast. Mave had told Emerian okay, and he told Trevan and Dave. Trevan probably didn’t tell anyone, but Dave mentioned it to Alchan and Luykas when they were in their first morning meetings. Nevyn and Varon had heard, sending word to Kian, who was supposed to be spending the day with Senri. He ran to tell Gentrin at the armory and Willem in the dining hall. Luykas told Matesh, Zayden, and Brynec.

  By the time midday was approaching and she had worked Emerian into exhaustion, they were all there, watching.

  “Keep going, we’re not done,” she said as he went through each attack and defense movement, his face focused on doing it right. She had spent half the morning correcting his form. When he realized she wasn’t going to let that go, he had listened. “Ignore them. They’ve all done this for someone in their life. Training isn’t just sparring until you win. Training is making sure each move is muscle memory. Training is understanding the mind of an opponent. Training is tenacity and making sure your mind and body can go further than the enemy’s. Do you understand?”

  “Yes,” he said with a grunt. “You said this would be hard.” He didn’t sound defeated. If anything, there was something a little cocky in the way he said it. It made her want to smile.

  “I did,” she agreed, watching him go through one more. “You’re strong, but you lack stamina. Battles can rage for a day or more, where sleep is scarce, and attacks are constant. Your form isn’t terrible. You told me someone walked you through this before, and when I caught you doing stuff wrong, you corrected without complaint. That’s good. We don’t have time to argue.” He finished the last swing, supposed to be a death blow in his imaginary fight. Before he could get back to the first position, she raised a hand. “You’re done. Good work. Let’s see what everyone wants.”

  He fell onto the grass, his arms out and the morok lying harmlessly beside him, panting. She chuckled and headed for the crowd, where they congregated around where she and Emerian had dropped their waterskins.

  “You really needed to be that rough on him for his first day?” Nevyn asked, chuckling as she grabbed her skin, and Trevan picked Emerian up from the field. She picked up Emerian’s, too, to keep it from getting stepped on.

  “Yes,” she whispered. “He’s not seriously injured. He’s tired. His body will learn as everyone’s does. And…I needed to know he’s serious.”

  “I’m not faulting your logic, but it seems a little deeper than that,” Nevyn said softly, then lightened up again, grinning. “At least there will be one warrior who might figure out how you’ve gotten so good over the last couple of seasons. There’s hope for the rest of us.”

  “You’re still on about that?” she asked, frowning. “Keep hoping.” She turned on her husbands, ignoring her curious king, and kissed each of them. When Emerian and Trevan were close, she tossed his waterskin in their direction. Trevan was fast enough to catch it and even opened it for Emerian. “You can head off, Emerian. Grab lunch, and we’ll meet here again for more. Nothing too strenuous.”

  Finally, she looked at Alchan.

  “You took on a nemari and didn’t even bother to ask me for advice,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “I’m the only person in the camp who’s had one except Seanev.”

  “Well…you slept with yours,” she pointed out. “I didn’t think your advice was going to be all that great. I understand that sword work is important, but…”

  The laughter that erupted around them was friendly. Luykas even elbowed his brother in the ribs as Alchan fought a smile.

  “If it helps, I didn’t ask Seanev, either.” She shrugged, smiling.

  “In an odd way, yes, it does,” Alchan admitted. “You know, he leaves the day after tomorrow. I have a meeting with him after lunch if you care to step in and wish him well.”

  “I’ll find him when I need to. I might not like him, but I won’t let him go to war without saying something,” she said, sighing. “Thanks for the reminder, though.” As she spoke, Zayden wrapped his arms around her waist, casually leaning on her between her wings. No one blinked an eye, but she was glad for the quiet support. She hadn’t spoken to her brother since he arrived, and she had ripped him apart for bringing the ahren. “Where’s Rain?”

  “He’s with Lilliana for the day,” Alchan said, groaning. “There was a small…It was nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

  “Okay,” she said, keeping her eyes locked on his. He was upset about something, but if he wasn’t ready to talk about it, she would trust her king—for now. “Well, go to your meeting and leave me be. You’ve had your fun watching me train someone.”

  Alchan chuckled as he turned, gesturing for Nevyn and Varon to follow him. He pointed at Luykas as well. “You need to come too when you’re done here.”

  Luykas only waved him off, agreeing to follow in silence.

  “You are so mean to him,” Zayden whispered in her ear. “It’s gorgeous.”

  “You only think so because you like it when I’m mean to you,” she reminded him.

  “I love it when you’re mean to me,” he corrected. Mat came up in front of her, taking one of her hands, but as he opened his mouth, he was interrupted.

  “I come out here to see my daughter, and all of you are being handsy,” Kian growled. “Haven’t even gotten a damn hug.”

  Every male was five paces from her in two seconds. Kian smiled as he walked up, and she accepted his hug.

  “You took a nemari,” he said softly. “Want to tell me why?” Adjusting, he took her arm, tucking it in his, walking across the clearing away from her husbands who didn’t follow. “It’s not a bad look for you, teaching other warriors. People will respect you for it. I just didn’t see it coming.”

  Mave explained to him the chain of events, then sighed as she got to the part where she needed to explain to him why she almost said no.

  “Have you ever wanted to keep someone from getting their hands too bloody?”

  “No,” Kian said, shrugging.

  “I didn’t want to get his hands bloody,” she said, trying to explain her question. “But it was pointed out to me, his life already was. Sometimes, he just seems so untouched by it all, and I really like that. At least someone is, right?”

  “Ah…” Kian nodded slowly. “That I understand. Who gave you that great advice?”

  “It doesn’t matter. So, I decided I would make him my nemari. At least then, I can keep him from getting killed, right? I’m the best warrior there is. Even Nevyn says so.”

  “That he does,” Kian agreed, chuckling. “He has a point, though. How are you getting so much better? You have everyone dying to know. Are you just a protégé who’s gone to the next level? You fight like you can read your enemies’ minds. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. I’ve been fighting with Nevyn for a long time, and he was considered the very best until you showed up.”

  “You know what?” Mave looked at her father. She knew she could trust him with anything. “On our next mission, because I know we’re going to do whatever it is together, we’ll talk about it.”

  “A mission story. I like it. I’m going to hold you to it.” He poked her nose. “Now, do you want to go to your males or spend some time with Senri and me?”

  Mave looked back at her males, wonderful husbands she saw every morning and every evening at the minimum, then back to her father.

  “I’ll come spend time with you and Senri. Are Willem and Gentrin around? I never get to bother them. They’re so busy all the time.”

  “They are welcoming a group fr
om Kerit who got here really late last night. We can find them.”

  They walked together, and Mave liked it, enjoying the warm summer day, the sun beaming down on them and not a cloud in the sky. She hadn’t heard of a group coming in from Kerit, so when they arrived, she turned on him again.

  “There was no party for them. Why?”

  “Because there’s a small group from Kerit every week, it seems. It’s a schedule, actually. There are a few traveling caravans that take supplies through our three main hubs. Here, Leria’s territory, and Kerit. They go from Leria to Kerit, then here, then back to Leria, so people new from Olost come here first to be evaluated for the army or to find old friends.” Kian scanned the crowd. Mave couldn’t, too short compared to all the males around. “There’s one of them. Willem!”

  A moment later, Willem was in front of them, grinning.

  “You came at the perfect time. There’s a friendly face from Olost!”

  “Really?” Kian looked at Willem, then Mave, who shrugged. Obviously, she didn’t know anything about this.

  “Yeah, it’s Learen!”

  “Really?” Mave knew the name. She had met the male once, though it felt like it was ages ago. She tried to think of the time that had passed since she had seen the former Company warrior. It was nearly three years ago. Learen had visited shortly before Shadra had attacked their village in Olost, forcing them to retaliate and go to the Empire to take back their loved ones.

  “Where’s Gentrin? He was talking to him,” Willem said, looking over the crowd like Kian.

  They wandered through the crowd, trying to stay out of the way of Andinna, who were unloading supplies for the stores. They found Gentrin and Learen hanging out near the back of the caravan, laughing about something. As they drew closer, Mave caught the conversation.

  “It’s so good to see you! You should have found someone last night. We would have found you a place to sleep away from the caravan.”

  “It’s fine. I figured if I didn’t see anyone during the unload, I would look for one of you.” Learen smiled. He turned at the right time, seeing Kian, Mave, and Willem. Mave lifted a hand and waved.