by Ashley West
Comman rewarded him with a smile. “Yes,” he said.
“But we’re not at war.” Ever since three movements ago when there had been an attempt on the Prince’s life at a banquet, there hadn’t even been that many attacks.
“No,” the Prince agreed. “We are not. But we do have border skirmishes all the time, and there is no telling what is looming on the horizon. I trust the safety of this planet and its people to the Stone Guard, and I know that you would never let anything happen to me or our people, but perhaps it is time for us to stop being so alone.”
“How would that work?” Kain wanted to know.
“Having warriors like you and your ilk is an enormous benefit,” Comman said. “Even when we are attacked, our people have very little to fear. There are those who don’t have that same security.”
That made Kain look up, surprised. “So what, you want us to protect everyone?”
“I want to come up with some kind of arrangement. Obviously, even with your talents, you can’t protect everyone. That would be foolhardy at best to expect. But there could be some kind of exchange. A trade of goods for their services or something like that.”
“Our people have always been self-sufficient,” Kain pointed out, not entirely sure what point he was trying to make, even.
“We have,” the Prince acknowledged. “And it has served us well, but perhaps it’s time for something different. There is no shame in having allies. I know it is not what my mother would do...”
Comman trailed off, and for the first time, Kain saw the uncertainty in his eyes. He knew that it bothered the Prince that people didn’t like him all that much, and that they continually compared him to his mother. Comman hardly ever mentioned it, but Kain knew.
“You are not your mother,” he said simply, hoping that his Prince understood that he wasn’t saying it as a bad thing. “I’m sure there are benefits to having allies.”
“There are,” Comman agreed, nodding. “And I will make sure that we do not get locked into anything that will not be to our benefit. Our people do matter to me, Kain, and I would not do this if I didn’t think it was for the best.”
Kain nodded. “I know that. I haven’t been in your guard for all these movements not paying attention, you know.”
Comman smiled at him, and Kain was relieved to see confidence in it. “Good,” he said, affecting his usual tone once more. “Then we are agreed. And you will accompany me to Earth.”
He’d known this was coming and yet somehow it still managed to take him by surprise. “We’re going to Earth,” he said.
“Of course. We have to be on neutral ground for this.”
“Is everyone coming? Your whole guard?”
“No, I don’t plan to order them to come with me. I’m not even ordering you to come, I only wish you would. Everyone will have a choice.”
Kain arched an eyebrow. “And if no one wants to go?”
“Then I will go alone.”
“Your Highness, you know that none of us can allow you to go on your own. We’ll be duty bound to accompany you.”
The smirk on the Prince’s face was actually very reminiscent of his mother, their late Queen. “Is that how it works?”
Kain gave him a flat look. “You know exactly how it works.”
“You’re right, I do. But I mean what I say. As long as at least a few of you agree to go, I won’t force anyone else. This is above and beyond the call of your duty, and I know that. I also mean what I say that I would like it very much if you would come along.”
“Why?” Kain asked. He was the newest member of the guard, even if he had been there for a while now. It was possible that of the rest of them, he spent the most time with the Prince, just talking to him, but the others had more experience than he did.
“Because I trust you,” Comman said, meeting his gaze. “I trust you to keep me safe, and I trust your judgement. And I trust that you trust me, which is more than I can say for many of the others.”
That startled Kain, but he couldn’t argue.
Four movements ago, Kain had been a new addition to the Prince's Guard. He'd stood in his uniform, fidgeting next to the Prince at Maraath's ground laying. It had been a tense affair.
Maraath, unlike most of the Stone Guard, had a family. He had a partner and four children that he'd left behind, and it was no secret that they, and indeed most everyone else, were blaming the Prince for what had happened.
The Prince blamed himself, as far as Kain could tell. With the exception of summoning him to appoint him to the guard and the small ceremony that had solidified the appointment, Comman had been quiet and withdrawn.
Remorse and guilt were in his eyes whenever Kain met them, and he didn't meet any of the other's in the eyes at all. And with the way the others were acting, Kain couldn't say he blamed the Prince.
It wasn't right. Whatever had happened, these people had been chosen to protect their Prince. It was their job to make sure nothing happened to him, and outright shunning their charge did nothing to inspire trust or confidence, as far as Kain was concerned. It just made it that much harder to have a rapport.
So he stood next to the Prince while the Druids said the last rites and the Stone Guard called the ground back with their chanting and raised hands, digging out a space for Maraath's body.
It was a beautiful service, honestly. Ground layings always were. The Druids were those who didn't have power over the stone and the ground like the Stone Guard did, but they studied it. They spoke often of the connection between them and the ground they walked on, and they instructed the Stone Guard in the ways of their power, making sure that they respected the might of it and didn't get in over their heads.
The Druids were respected for being the brains behind the power while the Guard were respected for being the force behind it. Together they kept things safe and moving on their planet.
Whenever someone died, from the strongest warrior to the smallest child, they called a ground laying ceremony to give that person back to the planet. The Druids told their tales of bodies going back from whence they came, their energy going into the planet to make it stronger and keep watch over those they had left behind, and the Guard moved the ground, pulling out a space for the body to go.
Kain watched as the land shifted, making the grave, and then the Druids lifted Maraath's body, wrapped in the richly embroidered green cloth his family had provided. A plinth of stone rose up out of the grave, and the Druid's put Maraath there, saying their last words before the stone sank back into the grave, taking the body with it.
Once it was the right depth, the Stone Guard shifted the ground back on top of it, sealing Maraath's body in and ending the ceremony.
Maraath's partner was crying, head in her hands, even as her youngest children clung to her. The eldest, a boy with Maraath's high cheekbones and strong features, stood firm beside his mother, clearly trying to be what his father had been.
Kain had to turn away. Loss was never easy, even when it was watching someone else deal with it. When he looked towards the Prince, he saw that he had moved and was standing a ways away underneath a sprawling tree. He hurried to him.
"You shouldn't wander off, Your Highness," Kain had said gently.
The Prince didn't look at him. Didn't acknowledge that he'd said anything at all, and Kain sighed. The rest of the Prince's Guard were standing now with Maraath's family, offering their support, it seemed. Kain couldn't fault them for that, but they were supposed to be guarding their Prince.
Apparently that had been up to him.
He'd stood there while the Prince had stared off into the distance, back straight and heart heavy.
Finally, Comman had turned to look at him. "Are you sure you want this job?" he'd asked.
Kain blinked. "I...beg your pardon?"
"I know we did the whole ceremony and you're wearing the uniform, and I really do need someone to join my guard, but...it's dangerous."
He didn't need to follow the Prince's
gaze to know that he'd be looking at Maraath's partner, watching her grieve. "I know the risks," Kain said. "They aren't so different from those the Stone Guard face."
"Are they not?" Comman asked. "Sometimes I wonder. My mother could protect herself. Her guard was mostly there for decoration. She intimidated anyone who might seek to hurt her. And now there's me."
"Your Highness," Kain murmured, unsure of what to say to that. It bothered him that the people's thoughts had poisoned the Prince against himself. A leader should be confident, sure of his role and his rule. The Prince was still young, but there was no doubt that as the late Queen's only son, he was the one who was meant to lead them. Who else would have been for the job? But Kain didn't know what to say, and it wasn't his place, anyway. So he just sighed. "We should probably get back to the palace. There's no telling what could happen out here."
"Do you think Maraath's partner will attack me?" Comman asked, and Kain couldn't tell if he was serious or not.
"No," he said quickly. "But those invaders from the other night could still be around. Apparently there's been trouble at the walls these last couple of days."
Comman had nodded and allowed Kain to show him back to the palace. Kain had looked over his shoulder to see a couple of the Prince's Guard watching them as they left, but none of them made any move to follow. Kain tightened his lips and kept his eyes sharp.
That was the same night that Kain had saved Prince Comman from an assassination attempt. No one knew who the man had been or who had hired him. He'd been a Shirto, who were notorious for letting people pay them to do all manner of unsavory things. It wasn't even a question of the man wanting to harm the Prince for his own ends, clearly it had been someone else using a proxy.
To this day it bothered Kain that they didn't know who had put the hit on the Prince's life.
Kain had been there, guarding the Prince's chambers when the Shirto had come through the window with a poisoned knife in his hand.
It was sadly low tech, even coming from someone from Jontira, and Kain had killed him before he could lay a finger on the Prince.
That had led to the rest of the guard getting a dressing down for being nowhere nearby when the Prince was in danger. In fact, most of them had been out drinking "to Maraath's memory." Comman had been reluctant to scold them for their inattention before, but apparently a near death experience was enough to light a fire under him, which Kain had appreciated.
That was the last time anything like that had happened, but Kain wasn't really reassured that it wouldn't happen again. The people still didn't really respect their Prince, and until that happened, Kain didn't think anything was really going to change.
"What's going to happen here while we're on Earth?" he asked, and the two of them shared a look.
Comman sighed and ran fingers through his hair. "I'll be relying on the Stone Guard to keep the peace," he said. "The Druids at least are more neutral when it comes to politics, and the Stone Guard respects the Druids, so hopefully that will be enough."
It was sad that this was what it had come to. Comman was the ruler of their entire planet, and he was relying on others to make sure nothing went horribly wrong.
Kain shook his head. "Can I be honest with you, Your Highness?" he asked.
"Of course, Kain. You know I value your honesty as well as your point of view."
"I think this is madness. I think that going to Earth to deal with others while your own people don't even treat you with anything approaching respect is a foolish idea."
Comman sighed again and inclined his head. "I knew you were going to say that. And I cannot say I don't agree with you. But perhaps..." he trailed off, but Kain had the shape of it by then and could guess what he'd been about to say.
"Perhaps this will make them respect you," he finished. "If you do this thing and it works out in our favor and makes our people stronger."
"Yes," the Prince said, inclining his head. "My mother...she was always so firm and fierce. She kept us strong for so long and the people didn't just respect her for that, they loved her for it. They adored her. And if I can do something that will make our people stronger..."
Kain sighed and wanted to smack himself in the face. Of course that was what this was about. It made him want to shake the Prince and tell him that he needed to be less earnest when it came to trying to make people like him, and then go yell at all the people to make them realize that their Prince was trying his hardest to do right by them.
But none of that was possible, so of course, it meant that he was just going to go to Earth.
Wonderful.
"Be careful with who else you take with us on this mad trip," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Some of the others aren't going to like it, and I'm not saying they'd actively try to sabotage it, but it's a long ride to Earth, and I don't want to have to listen to their complaining the whole time."
Comman smiled at him, and it was a warm thing. "You're right," he said. "Some of them aren't going to like it. I'll pick wisely."
"Good. How long until we're doing this?"
"One week?"
Kain nearly fell out of his chair. "A week? Is that enough time to get everything ready?"
The Prince shrugged a shoulder. "Why wouldn't it be?"
"Because we're going to another planet?"
"Things will be fine, Kain. You'll see. Now. I have preparations to make, and I'm sure you do as well."
"So I'm dismissed."
Comman smiled. "You really are my favorite."
Protocol demanded that he bow before he left the Prince's presence, and his sardonic look was just bordering on disrespectful, but he knew Comman wouldn't mind. He was right, of course. There was plenty to do if he was leaving in such a short time. Namely, he needed to go find Ama and tell him what madness was happening now.
All the same, though, Kain couldn't pretend he wasn't a little excited at the prospect of a new and different place to be. He liked traveling, he liked seeing new things. And Earth was about as new as it came.
He'd never been anywhere near that planet's solar system before, and it would be an adventure. An adventure that meant something to the Prince and that the Prince trusted him to take with him. That meant something to Kain.
Whatever happened with rest of the Prince's Guard, Kain was going to make sure this went as smoothly as possible for Comman and for their people.
It was his duty, and he took that seriously.
Chapter Two: Time and Time Again
“You’re late.”
“I know, I know,” Silvia said as she walked into the cafe, unwinding the scarf from around her neck and dropping it over the back of her chair before she dropped herself into it. “But considering you’re always late, I think we can call it even, don’t you?”
“Smugness doesn’t suit you.”
“Everything suits me.”
Bobby smiled, and his green eyes crinkled at the corners in the way Sil liked. “True. And now you’re just not playing fair.”
“Oh, Robert, who ever said I was interested in playing fair?” Silvia asked, batting her lashes at him.
“Don’t call me Robert.”
“It’s your name.”
“Sil.”
She laughed and leaned back in her chair. “Sorry, Bobby. It’s just so much fun to tease you sometimes.”
“I know,” he said, scowling playfully. “It’s all you ever do.”
“Now that is patently untrue. Anyway, tell me about Argentina while I flag down a waitress.”
“No need. I already ordered for you.”
Silvia narrowed her eyes a bit and sighed internally. Bobby always meant well, he really did. “Chai latte?”
“With soy. And a poppy seed muffin.”
She had to admit that he still knew her well, but it bothered her that he was always doing things like this. They’d dated for a year after college, and while the friendship that had followed them from that first party in high school was still strong, it was hard for he
r to believe that Bobby took her seriously sometimes. He had money and ambition, and Silvia was still trying to figure out who she even was and what she wanted to do.
Bobby supported her in that, of course. He knew how messed up and sheltered her childhood had been, but the problem was that he was always trying to do everything for her.
Sil was independent to a fault, especially considering how her parents had treated her right up until the point where she’d moved out of their house, but Bobby was determined that she should want for nothing. He’d bought her things without her asking, set up interviews for her at his company so she could have a job if she wanted it, even went so far as to hire a housekeeper for her apartment without asking her or even so much as telling her, so she’d gotten one major wake up call when she’d come out of her bedroom in nothing but her underwear one morning.
It was just how Bobby showed that he cared about her, and Silvia knew that. She knew that he was doing it because he wanted her to be able to concentrate on the things that mattered to her and not have to worry about other stuff.
But all it had really done was make her more aware of how different things were between them and how it would probably always be that way. Which had put something of a damper on their relationship. That, and the fact that he wanted to marry her, and she already knew that she wasn’t anywhere near ready for something like that. She was only twenty four, still out there trying to figure out what she wanted to do and who she wanted to be. Getting married was nowhere on her priorities list, and sometimes she thought Bobby took that personally.
He barely took notice of her displeasure, and instead launched into a retelling of his trip to Argentina with his mother. It had been half business trip, half vacation, and Silvia let herself relax as she listened to it.
Whatever else might change, Bobby never would. He was older and more mature than he’d been when they were in high school, but that was about it. He was still rich and awkward and one of the most genuine people she had ever met. When she looked at him, she remembered exactly why she’d been into him, and why she couldn’t stay away from him, even now that they weren’t together anymore.