Paladin's Oath

by M. H. Johnson

  Karine sighed and tilted her head in acknowledgment of the cat’s words. “Indeed, noble Twilight. That is the heart of the matter, I’m afraid.” She locked her eyes upon Jess’s, and her words were almost apologetic. “I am afraid, dear Jess, that while you slumbered, more than just the bards took an interest in your adventures.”

  Jess blinked. “What do you mean?”

  “Representatives of the Crown had stopped by while you were asleep. They were very polite, of course, congratulating my father on what appeared to be the miraculous preservation of our estates from slipping into the realm of Shadow. They were also greatly interested in speaking with the noble adventurers who had performed such a feat, though curious as to what exactly had been meant when the honorific term ‘paladin’ had been bandied about.”

  Karine's smile was almost apologetic. "Well, I'm afraid it was hardly an issue we could be silent about, seeing as how the book published in your honor, alongside the rumors started by the least discrete of my hall, many quite complimentary, I will admit, had been the source of their interest in the first place.

  “It had taken them two months to arrive with their questions, mere weeks after your honorary tome had been published, and many of our number were afraid that you had already been lost, for all that I did my best to assure your family that you would still come back to us. Onnika’s miraculous recovery, after all, waking up renewed and refreshed from the land of dreams, for all that the chamber you three had shared had been utterly empty the day before, had added fuel to the flames of our hope, as did the return of your shieldbrother, the valiant and worthy Malek de Sousel. Yet your mother’s despair was near palpable I’m afraid, and the frustration and fury she unleashed upon those nobly dressed questioners was a sight to behold.”

  Jess chuckled gently at that, well able to imagine.

  "Your mother made it abundantly clear that yours was the most noble and sacrificing of souls who had ventured, she feared, too close to the lands of death to save innocents in peril, people you loved, performing the highest duty that could be asked of any liege lord protecting those under her care, let alone such terrible burdens being placed on the vulnerable shoulders of the baron's own daughter. Duties you did not for one second shirk, embracing the true nature of your noble heritage, self-sacrifice, and bravery. The accompanying bard, for I swear the Guild is as interested in high ranking drama and intrigue as they are the fates of adventurers, had applauded Agda's sermon on the duties of nobles and on your behalf, transcribing the entire proceedings verbatim, making it quite clear as to where the Guild's sympathies lay.

  "Not surprisingly, those investigators took a very gentle path indeed with their further questions, conceding the point that you had been inspired by the noblest of intentions, and they did hope for a speedy recovery, should you make it back to the realm of the living. They then emphasized how much the Crown would love to make your acquaintance one day, while commending your noble sacrifice, should you fail to return to the land of the living."

  Jess groaned. "You mean to tell me they expect me at Court? Full of double-edged questions, stuffy etiquette, overly dressed popinjays, and unmarried second daughters eager to vamp the nearest semi-respectable lord's son that comes calling? By Justice, I'd never survive the experience!" Jess shuddered.

  Karine couldn’t help but laugh. “My dear, dear Jess. You don’t truly think that’s an accurate depiction of Court, do you?”

  "Well, I am going off what Malek has told me more than anything else," Jess admitted. "Raphael tells a different story of course, but then again, he swims through seas of etiquette and finery like a fish through water. In any case, my good friend Raphael diOnni did say Court could be quite the engaging game of strategy. I know he revels in its gossip and intrigues when he visits the capital, while being always careful to steer clear of any true transgression. But unless one has an eye for finery and ceremony, an ear for court etiquette, and enjoys fencing with words as much as blades, I think Malek's description comes close enough."

  Jess sighed, realizing how much she had enjoyed Raphael's visit that spring, his overly perfumed hair, his bemused oh so clever smile. She missed him. Him and beautiful Josie both, aspiring healer of such potential and so enamored of her paramour. What Raphael had thought a fling between enlightened peers had turned to something much deeper, much to his own continued amazement.

  Back at Highrock, Jess had always thought them both so perfect, snuggling utterly unselfconsciously in each other's arms when the Circle of Midnight would get together for their so-called secret meetings to discuss whatever the hot topic of the day was, or their own attempts to break the confines of their predetermined life paths. All of them enjoying the dream of discovering new magics, new avenues of research or discovery, or the possibility of adventuring, becoming Delvers, exploring forgotten realms laden with wonder, mystery, and unfathomable beauty.

  And much to all their amazement, they really had done it. What Jess had thought but a playful dream to while away the hours had, in fact, become a reality. She and Malek were now blooded adventurers, having survived multiple Delvings into Shadow, gaining artifacts and ancient powers even as they survived the wondrous and terrible ordeals they had been forced to endure. Her dear friends Alex and Jera, aspiring battlemages, had both survived one trip into the Shadowlands as well. Whether it had changed them in any way, Jess was uncertain. Those two, Jess felt, were just happy to have survived the horrors of that single Delving, and felt no drive to tempt fate a second time.

  Jess shook her head then, realizing how acutely she missed her friends. She acknowledged to herself that it was high time she got over her own hesitation and fear of how she would be received back at Highrock. She had control of her fury and passions. She had shown that to herself sparring with her brother and father. And as she and Malek had proven once more, together they were strong enough to take on any foe.

  Why then should she fear disparaging looks from fellow students who never understood her, or cared for her in the first place, or be bothered by the looks of awe her friends might give her? She was the same as she ever was. It was time she returned to Highrock. And not just to visit her friends and regain her sense of self, as her parents hoped she would, but to finish her training as a Squire, however long that took. To achieve that dream, and to make sure her brothers-in-arms knew she would be right there fighting by their side when the king's call to battle one day came, leading the charge against all odds, warding her fellow Squires from pike and arrow, even if she had to go around her mother to do it.

  Karine smiled politely at Jess as she pulled herself out of her reverie. “It looked like you were deep in thought, dear Jess. Is all well?”

  Jess nodded. “Thank you for your concern, Karine. I am quite all right. Just reminiscing about my friends.” She paused a moment before speaking. “You know, I think it's time I acknowledged to myself that I have been hiding a bit, afraid of what my peers back at Highrock might think or say about me. I was afraid of myself, to be honest. But I think I’ve proven to myself at least that I have control, and the ability to do what needs to be done, and I don’t need to take to heart anyone’s comments at the college, however callous or cutting they might be.”

  Jess grinned. "My fellow Squires, those who count on me to be there by their side when the tides of fate would sweep them under in the war we all know is coming, their needs are far more important to me than the opinions of hecklers training for nothing more arduous that sniping criticism at each other at Court!"

  Karine chuckled softly. “Well said, my dear Jess. Well said.”

  Jess nodded. "For some reason, I don't fear that my dreams will haunt me the way they used to, and I no longer fear that I will fly off the handle in a moment of frustration, no matter how caustic the insults thrown my way. And for all that I regret the blood on my hands, I feel that being here for you, for your lands, for Onnika, has somehow redeemed me, nonetheless."

  Twilight tilted his head, his very presence f
orcing Jess to meet his gaze. “Haven’t I been telling you that all along, dear Jess? You, the most precious being of all, pristine and perfect, are beyond anything the rabble could hope to fully appreciate, let alone be worthy of. Of course they will say snide things in the hopes of sullying your image, so that they may feel less insignificant and unworthy themselves. And frankly, a few decapitations would hardly be a great loss, at least as far as some of those knaves are concerned. And those slavers deserved everything they got. How many servants of Highrock gaze at you and your fellow Squires with utter adoration, having been saved from a most horrific fate? Truly, my Jess, you have nothing you need trouble your overly sensitive heart with, save perhaps feeding and caring for your poor kitty who is being left sadly neglected even as I so conveniently warm your lap.”

  Jess and Karine both laughed at that.

  “Allow me to take care of that straight away, dear Twilight,” Karine said with a single ring of her silver bell. An elderly, dignified butler quietly opened the door and entered, nodding solemnly at Karine’s request for sandwiches, chilled milk, and a tureen filled with the chef’s choicest fish entrees.

  “At once, my lady.” The butler favored Karine with a solemn bow before turning smartly on his heel and making his way for the kitchens with all haste, and quicker than Jess would have thought, she and Karine were sipping chilled milk and munching delightedly upon fresh baked bread filled with tasty slices of juicy pork, lamb, and cheese. Jess sighed in contentment even as Twilight purred happily, diving headfirst into the generous tureen of delightfully prepared fish treats the moment Jess placed it by the foot of her chair.

  “Truly, you possess an excellent cook, dear Karine!” Jess enthused.

  Eyes twinkling, Karine nodded her agreement. “And I plan to keep him!” Both chuckled at that, even as they savored every bite of their delicious repast before continuing their conversation.

  “Jess, let me first say that I think it is brave of you to overcome your fears and hesitancy and find it within yourself to face your former peers at the college once more. Not that you need any acknowledgment of your bravery, with the mighty deeds you and your shieldbrother have already accomplished on behalf of my family, but well do I know that sometimes it is the small things closest to our heart that give us the most pause. Overcoming those anxieties is perhaps the most potent struggle we all face in our day to day lives.”

  Jess nodded solemnly. “I won’t deny it. The thought of charging headlong into the depths of the Shadowrealms pales to the terror I feel at the thought of an arranged marriage to some stuffy lordling who imagines himself king of the household.”

  Karine's grin was sympathetic. “Somehow I don’t think you will ever have to worry about that fate, my dear Jess. A man who didn’t appreciate you wouldn’t survive the marriage bed long, I suspect.” She flushed at that. “Metaphorically speaking, of course.”

  Jess’s chuckle turned throaty. “Metaphoric my left ass cheek. If a man tried to force me, I’d break his neck!”

  "Only after I disemboweled him," Twilight quipped as he continued to devour the contents of the rather large tureen. "Oh, the things your chef does to these fish, dear Karine! So wrong, so very, very wrong… and so delicious!"

  “Thank you for the compliment, dear Twilight. I shall let my chef know that she has exceeded all expectations.” Karine’s words were solemn, though Jess could see her lips quirk in a playful smile.

  Twilight gazed forlornly at his master, looking for all the world like a sad puppy. Jess was amazed that her sardonic, frequently aloof, at times even savage familiar could pull off the puppy look so very well. “No, Twilight,” she sighed. “We are not commandeering, kidnapping, whisking away to a better life, or otherwise taking charge of Karine’s chef.”

  Her familiar pouted. Also a neat trick, an amused Jess thought.

  “I didn’t say anything,” Twilight grumbled.

  Jess nodded. “I know you, kitty, just as you know me. And if you had been thinking it any louder, my ears would be bleeding!”

  "Your ears were bleeding, after being struck with the brilliant idea of spearing an oblivion warded door. But do I get any thanks for healing those? Hardly. I can't even get my own private chef…" Twilight grumbled quietly as he ate. Jess smirked and pretended not to hear him, even as Karine's eyes locked upon her own.

  "My dear Jess, there is something I would speak to you of, if your hunger has been sufficiently sated."

  Jess instantly noted the change in posture, the considering gaze behind the smile. Gone was the lighthearted repartee of but moments ago. It was time for serious deliberations.

  "There is a topic of which I know your mother is considering, dear Jess. And I have the sense that you might not wholly approve of her idea, at first. But please understand, what is being considered is wholly and entirely being done to give the appearance of humility, and thus allow you to stay safely in the background, and seemingly out of play. Were these steps not to be taken, Jess, other reactionary elements at Court would seek to use you for their own ends, or seek to facilitate your elimination altogether, for fear of what you represent. Your mother has devised an elegantly simple solution that will keep you safely out of harm's way, and in a position to learn many useful skills in certain areas, particularly in terms of how to navigate the nuances of politics and intrigue, if one has the courage to face one's true fears, so to speak."

  Something didn’t feel right. Karine wasn’t just voicing her thoughts, she was doing her best to prepare Jess for something. Something unexpected, and perhaps even unpleasant. In a sudden dreadful epiphany, Jess understood that there was only one thing it could be.

  In a flash, Jess's vision widened, taking in the whole of the room, Karine’s melodically pitched cadence, her gentle attempt to soothe the armored girl before her, even as Jess’s combat reflexes took hold. Heart hammering even as she took controlled breaths, she held terror at bay, ready for battle. In less time than it would have taken to say ‘treachery,’ Jess’s mithril helmet was slammed on her head once more, gauntlets firmly in place.

  24

  "Twilight," Jess barked, short and sharp, and at once he was upon her shoulder, head gazing quickly for danger, ready to give warning, or strike out at any unseen foe.

  “The house guard is in standard position, they don’t suspect. Your mother, however, is making her way towards these rooms. Your sister is covering the front entrance, but is starting to make her way here.”

  Jess grunted. “The back entrance then. We are just taking a walk for air, nothing more.”

  Twilight nodded. “Good play. With your present level of Shadow-enhanced strength, fatigue is no longer an issue for you. Circle?”

  Jess nodded curtly. Their code for their first rendezvous point with friends, should things go south and one or more of their number need to flee. They would head to the college by a circuitous route and claim asylum there if they must, though if luck and memory served, they should be able to remain unseen and unnoticed, officially at least, for quite some time. And once Eloquin formally swore her in, not even her mother would be able to counter her play.

  Karine blinked in surprise at Jess's startling transformation from gossiping noble to battle-ready warrior. "Jess, I think you're overreacting just a tad, don't you?"

  Jess turned to Karine, eyes flashing. Her friend of but moments before instantly paled, stumbling back, gazing at Jess with naked fear. Jess grimaced and turned away. As peeved as Jess was, she was no monster. Karine, so grateful to Jess for saving her realm and her sister, had no cause to fear her now, for all that Jess was feeling hurt and betrayed.

  “Jess,” Karine soothed, “it wouldn’t be so bad. Let’s just talk to your mother, okay?”

  “No!” Jess hissed in sudden fury. “I am not, I repeat NOT going to finishing school!”

  “Jess, we are out of time,” Twilight hissed. “We have to leave now!”

  Sparing Karine a last hurt look, Jess slammed through the door, darting dow
n the right-hand corridor at near inhuman speed even as she sensed her mother making the turn toward Karine’s study. “Jess?” She heard her mother plaintively call behind, but that was okay. As long as Mother didn’t actually catch her gaze, she couldn’t give Jess the dreaded stare that would freeze her in her tracks.

  "Turn left Jess, now!" Twilight barked, and Jess, with the aid of her incredibly powerful physique and battle-honed agility, stopped near instantly, staying in the shadow of a startled servant, even as she sensed Apple gamely running toward her, only a dozen yards behind the confused looking man. Relieved that the servant fully blocked her from view, Jess was for the moment safe from her sister's critical 'Don't be Such a Child, Jess!' gaze of doom.

  “Good call, Twilight,” Jess said with some relief as they sprinted through the winding servant’s wing, Jess causing a flurry wherever she went, people gasping in confusion and terror as Jess carefully weaved her way through the stunned mansion’s populace, careful not to knock over too many breakables with her mithril longsword, hilt held securely to her side.

  “Did anyone see a woman decked out in mythical armor with a great big sword at her side crashing through these corridors by any chance?” Jess heard Appolonia call plaintively behind her, and Jess smiled. With all these twists and turns she was well out of sight. She was almost home free.

  But not exactly on the first floor, she realized, as the corridor ended at a shuttered vestibule that was no doubt excellent for catching the light, and spending a pleasant hour sewing or reading. "Open!" Jess roared, in her panic not reining in her instinctive communion with all things arboreal. The shuttered window sprang apart, the very wooden latticework containing exquisitely worked glass panes rippling open as if by magic, allowing an excitedly whooping Jess to leap through without shattering a single one. Sure, it was a drop of an unspecified height, but Jess knew her inhuman strength and resilience meant it was very unlikely her muscles would tear, or bones snap at anything short of an extremely lethal height. Besides, she reflected while plummeting to the ground, anything was better than finishing school.