Etherin at War part 5

[krystalkatz.livejournal.com]

“You should be careful what you say here within the walls of the Temple, Ryuu” Quintin said with a laugh as he watched the silent king striding out of the room. He was an interesting one and not what he had been expecting from Ryuu’s stories. In his mind he had pictured the Etherin king to be a meek little thing he was glad to find that that wasn’t true. The man had a dignified pride and a deep rooted confidence that he seemed to wear like a robe. Oh there was fear deep fear inside him but his eyes blazed with a fire that nobody had ever dared show him before. “I like him…Not quite the meek little puppy that you described…”

“What?” Ryuu hissed his eyes almost bulging out of his head as his face went a funny puce colour. The Holy father let his lip curl as he looked at him, the man had been good looking once but now he was much too like his father and uncles, and it repulsed him to look at him.
“I believe that we should offer him our aide…” Quintin said his lip twitching with a smile as the man’s face paled and even his little soldiers let out hisses instead of breaths. Oh indeed this was not the way things were meant to go, but he was bored and the little king of Etherin was so much more better looking and fun. He had seen the dark red blemish on the neck of the king and he was well aware of the rumours that had reached him. The king liked his bread buttered on the other side…A fact that he could deeply understand as it was his divine right to take who he wanted “Yes…I think that maybe he would very grateful…”

“You…You can’t be serious…How…You…” Ryuu spluttered but Quintin waved him away with little interest his eyes going to his advisor a man that was only a few years older than himself but already appeared to be in his late fifties. His ferret eyes were darting around with a worry that was almost grotesque and his tongue was darting around his lips.

“Bartholomew…I see you skulking there in the corner…Do you think me unwise?” He asked gripping the arms of the throne his nails sliding over the cold gold.

“Your…Eminence…I…We…Your will of course is divine but…We…We should remain neutral…” Bartholomew spluttered bobbing and diving in and out of bows with each word and Quintin knew that he was of course right but Ryuu was insane and if he beat the kingdom of Etherin and Auai it wouldn’t be long before he turned his attention to Solium itself. The throne of gods would not allow that.

“You are right…” He sighed and he felt Ryuu relax “We will not openly recognise our support of the country of Etherin…But I will not support Airith either, as you come here so early to plead to plead with me…Solium will stand as it always has, neutral…You may leave now…As your sweet cousin has said your countries are at war I am sure that you will have much to prepare…”

The Holy Father rose to his feet shaking out both his robes and his hair his mind on the very handsome king and the determined way that he had wrote his words defying the very gods and goddesses. No, unfortunately his advisor was right, he could not openly support the young king but it was enough for him to know that Ryuu knew where his support lay. He walked behind the throne where a small door lay hidden taking him to his private chambers. There was the matter of Nino’s lover but with any luck Ryuu would fulfil his promise and take care of him before his inevitable defeat. Ryuu was too deranged and the young king too focused for there to be any other outcome in the mind of the Holy Father but it would be interesting to watch none the less.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“So this is for the king?” A little girl, Theresa, asked lisping slightly as she looked up at him and Ohno nodded looking around at his motley looking crew. The ages ranged from 5 to 15 with a mix of both boys and girls. They hadn’t forced any of them to join him here in the garden but he was surprised at how many had turned up read to help and excited that they were doing something special for the king who had taken them in. Until now most had had deep garish shadows in their eyes and although they weren’t completely gone they had lightened somewhat.
“Yes…He is very fond of his gardens and he would like this to be as beautiful as the rest…” Yamapi told the little girl and Ohno was thankful that his friend had agreed to help out along with the maid Mizuki doubting that he alone could organise so many children. Theresa nodded her finger ending up almost in her nose as she looked around the garden muttering;

“Granma says that the king is fighting to punish the people that hurt mummy and daddy…”

“He is…And he will…”

“He can’t talk! Even babies can talk! How can he stop the bad men if he can’t talk?” A boy said running up to them with a lump of soggy earth in each hand holding it up to them and Ohno shook his head.

“He can talk…He just does it in a different way to the rest of us…I have heard his voice many times…And he promised me that he would beat them and he would never lie to me…” He said blushing when the maid turned to look at him flashing him a knowing but embarrassed smile. It had been a few weeks ago that she had walked into the bedroom and had heard him and Nino in the bath. It hadn’t taken much for her to put things together. At first it had taken some convincing but now she was as loyal and understanding as anyone else. “Just because he can’t talk doesn’t mean he’s not brave because he is…”

“And he is very upset that your mummies and daddies were hurt…” Yamapi offered out quickly aware that at least 20 pairs of eyes were staring at them all watching carefully and Mizuki nodded with a big smile rocking backwards and forwards on her heels as she added;

“Because being a king is like being a daddy to everybody…The whole country…So he has to look after us…And he will…”

“The king has a lot of children!” Theresa said before grabbing Ohno’s hand and tugging it to get his attention. Ohno looked down into the little rounded face his mouth dropping open as she asked with all honesty and innocence in her voice “If he’s the daddy are you the mummy?”

“What…Why…What…?” Ohno stammered his eyes blinking rapidly as his heart jumped against his chest unable to believe what he was hearing. His ears and cheeks burned with a blush that he couldn’t stop wondering how that girl had gotten that impression from him.

“Well my mummy was the only person that my daddy liked talking to! So it’s the same right!” Theresa asked and Ohno frowned for a minute and then gave a nod not really sure what she meant but it was better than what he was imagining with that statement.

“The king is my very best friend…So…We have to make it perfect for him right?”

“Yup! He’s our big daddy!” Theresa said cheerfully readily accepting the strange explanation and to his surprise all of the youngest children did. The older ones were doubtful but he knew they wanted to be here working so they didn’t have to think about anything else the same reason that he had allowed them here in the first place. They would distract him as he distracted them.
“Come on then…” He said and slowly they all disbursed and silently started to work, teasing out the soil and ripping out the weeds as he once again started on the fountain.
*~**~*~*~*~*
Nino rode his horse hard glad that it was taking him as far away from Solium as possible rage and fear was battling for dominance inside of him but so far rage was winning. The threat that Ryuu had given him doing nothing more that strengthening his resolve to win. He would defend his people and save his country but more than ever he would save his Ohno. His camp rose up in front of him and his urged his horse a little bit faster until finally he was surrounded by the tents with his men.

“Your majesty you have returned…” One of the generals said obviously surprised to see him so soon and Nino nodded jumping down from the back of the horse. Grabbing his pen and notebook writing quickly;

>The negotiations failed…Etherin remains at war…<

“Good…” The general spat gripping the reins of the horse before looking at him with an almost sheepish expression on his face “I am sorry for my outburst your majesty but…I am proud of my king…As are we all…And I was not ready to have a repeat of your father…<

>Your loyalty means a lot to me…< Nino wrote deeply touched by the sentiment, he had been expecting resentment that this could not had been resolved peacefully >The battle will be hard<

“Indeed but…And I speak for every man here when I say this “but I am proud to fight beside you, my king…”

>And I am honoured to fight alongside you all…<

Six Months later

Nino dodged a blade to the face and then slid through the dirt cutting and hacking away at Ryuu’s soldiers. There had been no sight of his cousin on the battlefield and he doubted that there would be. The man was a deep rooted coward and so far only his men had been taken down. Two months had passed since he had last seen Ohno, six months since his disastrous meeting with the Holy Father and cousin and already he was bone tired. Every muscle in his body was protesting his movements and he knew that he was trying to run on next to little sleep. Two months ago Ryuu’s armies had come in droves pushing forward into Etherin but now his army had pushed them back and they were already into Airith.

The losses had been heavy on both sides and Nino couldn’t help but think of the families of the men that he was cutting down. He knew that it wasn’t their fault they were just following orders or in it for the glory. Lies had been told about him…As well as some truths. Most knew now that he enjoyed the company of man over women and most believed the lies that were being spread that he had tried to seduce Ryuu. Jun had been quick to tell him that it would only last as long as Ryuu was alive as soon as he won the people would believe what they wanted them to. History was written by the winners after all but inside the things that were being said did hurt him.

His mind lost in his thought he didn’t notice the man coming up behind him until it was too late and a sword sliced into his side and he gave a silent scream his body rippling with pain. He pulled away ripping the sword out of him and turned around and stabbing deep into the heart of the man. Blood ran down his side and he stumbled backwards his hand on his side his eyes looking around. His eyes were fogged over and no matter how much he tried he couldn’t push away the pain. He saw Jun and Aiba fighting their way to him and he weakly dodged a few attacks before falling in a heap to the fall his body losing the will to carry on anymore.

TBC
A/N: I hope that this is okay as always I suck at battle scenes ^_^