Heirot

Wide-eyed, Mizuki ushered Rai to a seat a few chairs down from where the Queen sat at the head. Mizuki was numb at what to think as she stared and sat next to Rai, waiting for Soran to follow suit. It was surreal, to know they had just run into the Queen and spoken to her thusly, and then taken to the throne room casually. But this is exactly what they wanted, for her to listen and take it seriously and not make them wait for her answer. True, she had expected this to play out differently...

She swallowed, realizing she had been gawking and immediantly bowed her head. "My apologies, my Lady. I had not realized it was you..."

Sinead's lips rose in a kind smile at Mizuki's reaction. "You are quite forgiven. It was my folly to play such a trick, but if the situation allows, I always prefer to meet my subjects as an equal, so forgive me for taking pleasure in it." She turned her eyes toward Soran, who remained standing beside his chair, his stance rigid. "You need not fear attack here, young man," she told him curiously. Soran looked toward her but not directly at her face, eyes narrowed with...was that hatred? Fear? Boredom? She watched his green eyes without hesitation for a long moment, trying to figure him out. Finding no answer in his expression, she gave up and looked back at Mizuki. "Sit, young lord," she finally asserted. Soran's eyes met hers for just a second before he obeyed, dropping into a seat beside Mizuki.

"Excellent," Sinead approved as she surveyed the three of them sitting together. "Now, you've clearly made a specific effort to meet me. I have no appointment for this encounter in my plans today," she said, observing their road-weathered forms. Her face took on an expression of polite concern and her eyes went specifically to Mizuki. "What trouble concerns you this day?"

Mizuki found herself relaxing in Sinead's presence once she had understood that the Queen was meeting them as equals. She found herself pouring out all the details of the attack and how she and Soran had just barely managed to find out in time to warn the people. And when she got to the part of Sid...

"The man bound behind us is an Arken soldier, a man who betrayed our trust." She said it with all the contempt in her heart, not forgetting how he had accused her so wrongly about her relationship with Soran. She had almost forgotten that he was there standing behind their chairs, hands bound in front of him. He had followed without any hesitation, but Mizuki paid it no mind.

Sinead listened closely, her expression revealing little as Mizuki's story unfolded. When the tale was complete, she directed her attention to Sid, who stood behind them. Sid was staring at her with an odd friendliness, as if this were a casual situation to him. "Is it as this woman says, 'soldier'?" she demanded. There was nothing soft about her voice now, though her expression was composed.

Sid rolled his eyes up toward the ceiling in thought. If his hands were free, he would have pulled at his stubbled chin. "Sounds about right, yer majesty," he said.

Sinead narrowed her eyes, clearly displeased by his tone. "If it is true, you will be put to death," she warned flatly. Soran's hand twitched involuntarily around Mizuki's.

Sid shrugged, an empty but defiant smile crossing his face. "It's true whether I say so or not," he said quietly. Soran looked back at him with a sharp stare. "Heh...sorry Soran, if I'm dying here anyway, I'd rather do it without playing to anyone's tune. I'm dead sick of queens and their agendas," he said without dropping his defiant gaze from Sinead's.

Soran blinked. It was the first time Sid had called him Soran. The ache surprised him.

Sinead looked between the two of them. The hopelessness of Sid's words struck her oddly, but that wouldn't change the soldier's fate.

"Take him into custody," Sinead said firmly, and guards stepped forward from the rear of the room, drawing Sid up under each elbow. Sid shoved at them slightly as he walked with them toward the door, more out of agitation than real intent to escape.

Mizuki winced, almost wishing she hadn't been so rash in her anger to point him out thusly. But Sid was a soldier of Arken nonetheless, and he had helped mount the attack.

"My Queen," she dared venture to question Sinead's authority. "He...may have more information..?" She tried helplessly, if only to ease her conscious about her rashness and anger.

Sinead looked at Mizuki again. "We will be sure to acquire any information he has before his death," she assured, watching the half elf testingly to see if this appeased her. Soran's eyes had gone blank again, focusing on Mizuki's hand in his.

Mizuki nodded her head in acceptance and squeezed Soran's hand. "What of those in the nearby villages? And those survivors who had escaped with us?" She wanted to know they'd be provided for, taken care of and given the protection she and Soran could not fully give. She ached to see those people, the survivors of the Hepian masacre, safe and with nothing else to be fearful of. She rested her free hand on her daughter's drowsy head, drawing strength in knowing she had survived this dangerous task with them. Rai could take anything, she had the will for it, but she was too young to bear it.

Rai looked from Soran, to Sid, to the Queen. "Noo.... Why are you going to kill him?!" Rai was confused, she didn't understand the politics of it all. She knew Sid was a good man... she could feel it. Something just screamed to her that he was a good man.

"Daddy, make them stop! Please don't kill him!" she said, tugging on her father's pants. "Daddy... What's happening. He didn't do anything wrong! Mommy?"

Rai hugged Soran's leg, hiding behind it slightly as she stared at the woman worriedly, wondering if she planned to take her father away. Were all queens evil like Shea? She narrowed her blue-gray eyes, not trusting the woman at the moment.

"I know how you get information from people! I saw it in the Witch Queen's palace! Don't hurt him like that! Please?!" Her tone was both defiant, angry, yet fearful. Rai was after all a child and though she was very intellegent, she didn't entirely understand all the polotics of warfare.

"I must give some thought to our course of action for the Border. It goes without saying that-" Sinead began saying to Mizuki when Rai's protest halted the conversation.

"I know how you get information from people! I saw it in the Witch Queen's palace! Don't hurt him like that! Please?!" Rai was begging.

Sinead watched as the elven man who had previously shown only indifference met her eyes with a hard, challenging stare. He put a gentle hand on the girl's head and protective emotion flashed in his eyes.

"Don't fear, elf. I would not punish a child for being outspoken." She paused. Something was strange...she couldn't be sure, knowing nothing about him, but the elf seemed extremely uneasy at the prisoner's sentence. His free hand was clenched hard enough to the table to press his knuckles white. "If anything, I have reason to heed a child's intuition. You tell me, sir, is there more to this than I know about?"

Soran watched her without speaking, his heart swimming with uncertainty. To reveal his relationship with Sid would mean explaining his past, and would make him as much a war criminal as Sid. But Rai was voicing what he wasn't daring to say - it made his gut turn to think about what would surely happen to Sid when he was out of the civilized throne room and inside Ighten's dungeons.

Damn. What do I do, he clenched his eyes to think, to his surprise wishing for all the world he could speak to Mizuki's mind right now, and feel the calming aura of her psyche.

"Sid warned us of the attack before it took place, and worked with us to evade the enemy forces while we collected the survivors."

"You're saying he betrayed Arken to help you?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Sinead's voice was expectant.

Soran looked at Rai. He had to decide now; let Sid go forever, or tell everything, and possible join him.

Rai looked at her father an nodded to him. "Its alright, daddy!" She said, almost as if she knew what he was thing, yet again revealing one of the many uncanny abilities that seemed to show themselves every now and then.

She then glanced back at Sinead, holding her father's leg tighter.

Mizuki frowned but said not a word. Already things were starting to become more difficult. Soran flailing under the Queen's presence, reluctant to say everything. Mizuki closed her eyes, remembering Soran's memories that had flooded her mind. Friend's they had been... was it right for her to act in anger and declare Sid an Arken soldier? He had betrayed Arken for Soran's friendship, and yet Sid still was what he was.

Soran had also been a soldier of Arken, is he also a criminal?

"...He used to be a friend..." Mizuki said weakly, glumly looking at Soran from the corners of her eyes, wondering if Soran hated her for having so rashly spoken of Sid.

Sinead frowned at Soran, clearly wanting an explanation of how he came to befriend an Arken soldier. Soran thought carefully. Sid had betrayed him again and again. For a leader who demanded absolute loyalty of his men, there was no other way to take Sid's split loyalties. But Sid had saved his life, in Arken when he'd wanted it to end. He'd sheltered him during the fire at Hepian when Soran had intended to kill him. He'd followed them willingly into Lowight, knowing full well how the queen would react. Loyal or not, he was the one and only friend the rogue had ever had. Soran shook his head. He didn't understand it. But when Rai asked him to do something, he knew he couldn't lie about this in front of his daughter.

He kept his gaze locked on Sinead's and gave her the shortest version of the story that would make any sense. Images from his darkest nightmares came true in his memory as he forced himself to explain. The more he spoke, the more unbelievable the truth sounded even to him. "Sid's loyalty lies with neither side, only with me. He came here without protest. I believe it would be a mistake to take his life," he finished. Sweat had broken out on his face and neck. He knew that Sinead was watching him question her decision. Sid and the guards were watching as well, just before the exit. Rai was watching...she was learning his past for the first time. Would she understand it?

Sinead watched Soran for a long moment. "IF this tale is true, you are even more a criminal than your friend. A lost memory is a difficult concept to accept - there are but a few mages in the world capable of pulling it off. And memories or not, you've had years to learn the geography and culture of this kingdom. You are the perfect spy, and carry ten times your friend's guilt. I will have you take responsibility for the pain and injustice you inflicted on my people."

"Damn it, Rhen, keep your stupid mouth shut!" Sid's passionate shouting blasted out across the chamber, echoing off the stone walls. "He told you the truth, ya stupid queen! He's a good man. A fucking good man! You witch queens are all the same, you sit in your fortress and don't give a rat's ass how the real world works! You pass judgment with your lofty goals. He hates himself so much he's too fucking scared to care about anything, and you stand there rattling off your horseshit about taking responsibility. You have everything, how dare you--hmmfmmgm!" Sid's tirade was cut off as the guards managed to cover his mouth and deliver a hard blow to his stomach. Sid shoved the guard holding his mouth off to the side. "You kill him, and I'll haunt you and your ancester's graves!" he said hoarsely before the guards regained their hold on him and dragged him out of the room where he could do no further damage.

"Your friend has quite a tongue," sighed Sinead. If the situation weren't so serious, she'd have been quite amused by the 'haunting' threat.

Soran shook his head and looked down, no longer able to hold Sinead's stare. His complexion had gone pale.

Mizuki was feeling the breath fall right out of her lungs. Soran bear the punishment? NO! He's done nothing but be lost for years of his life until they had met!

"No! I was there for everything, he's telling the truth!" she was crying out, horror stricken and determined for them to not take half of her own soul away.... Soran...
"Gods, I love him and will not let you take him! I have seer blood running through my veins. I'll show you the truth if I have to!" She was so passionate about keeping Soran by her side that she forgot how important it was for her to keep them locked away.

Sinead looked at Mizuki, amazed at the audacity of everyone in this group. But there was something to be said for their courage, no matter how dreadful their skeletons. Why had an enemy soldier, a notorious war criminal, and his lover and child come to warn him of this war? Didn't they know the penalty for their deeds? They were leaving her with very little choice. "You wish to show me the truth, then, seer?" she said to Mizuki, patient but displeased. "Know that I will recognize a fabricated vision immediately. I am more than familiar with such magic."

"Doesn't matter," Mizuki was warning the Queen with her dark tone of voice, "I have nothing to fabricate." She stared long and hard at the Queen. Before Sinead could attempt to say anything, Mizuki had closed her eyes trying to concentrate on opening her powers up again. After a long, long time of trying to concentrate, Mizuki found herself unable to do so. Her mind flailed under the pressure they were under to produce her seer powers. Breathing hard, she came back to the conscious realm and stared disbelievingly down at the table. She couldn't do it. They were going to perish and their plea ignored because she couldn't do it.

She was hyperventilating without realising it.