LOREN
Loren sighed, and rubbed his temples. The more he heard about Zariah’s actions, the angrier he got: the fact that she was beyond reach and could not answer for them just made it all worse. ”The Launceleyns serve the crown. We are humble and loyal servants. It is not our place to rule, and we should never strive to wear the crown.” His voice came out heated, with a surprising amount of venom in it. It was also surprising how he clung to that one lesson, while rejecting the rest of his family's teachings. The fact that his cousin, the one who’d been staunchest in her adherence to the old ways, who’d passed it on those the next generation even, had forgotten that one central tenet filled him with a fury that threatened to overflow. After all, what was all of it for, the torture, the torment, the horror that had been his upbringing, if not for that one fact: obedience, pure and simple.
And then it just got worse, as Remi continued to explain. The librarian took a deep, shuddering breath. ”It’s not your fault. You were trying to make the best of it, see the good in what she was trying to build. You had no idea how terrible, how irrational she could become.” Again, the summoner couldn’t help but think how much would be different it all would've been if only he had been there. He met the other man’s eyes. ”But I promise you this. If she ever dares threaten you, Ronin, or your child, or any child, ever again, I will strike her down myself or die trying.” Loren had never taken a life, not even in anger. However, in that moment, he knew he could. Doing what was necessary for the good of the many was hard, but it had been drilled into him since birth, despite his nature as a healer and a light mage.
He took a long moment to calm down, aided by Remi’s own relaxation. ”If Wessex thinks she is better suited for war than peace, than let her serve in that capacity. Find a way for her to guard those of the Hollowed Ground without building a full army that we don’t need. In fact…” Loren bit his lip, not sure whether the alchemist would agree with what the Launceleyn would say next.
But if he didn’t say it now, then maybe no one else would, and it might be too late soon. They had a chance here, not just for the two of them and those closest to them, to make something beautiful out of a tragedy. ”If I understand you correctly, we’ve already established something other than a monarchy here, multiple times, with multiple power structures. And the people did not ask for a queen, though after one seized control they asked for a king.” Looking down at the ground, the librarian tried to articulate what he was trying to say in a way that the other man might understand. Remi had always had slightly archaic ideas about government. ”I know the council back at Northaven was dysfunctional. But...I think that was more to do with the people than with the structure.” Finally, the summoner looked up again, hoping the alchemist wouldn't laugh at this idea outright. ”If we cannot find the right person or couple of people, to lead us, then why not find the right group of people? Find more, who are willing to serve, and find out where they are useful.” The librarian held his breath as he waited for a response.
It was totally radical, and half-formed, and likely doomed to fail, Loren knew that, especially coming from someone like the Launceleyn. But he’d had a lot of time to think, in this strange new world. Had done nothing but think, for the past year, and reconsider what he’d once known. About himself, about others, about the world. Mostly what he’d thought about was escaping the chains and shackles, both literal and metaphorical, that had tethered him to a past and a heritage he did not necessarily want. And here, where he was free from the curse that blighted his bloodline, the one that forced him to serve or die, and furthermore commanded by Remi to dream even when the librarian didn’t think he was capable, Loren thought he could see a path forward.
He just didn’t know if it was the right one, or if anyone would follow him on it.
Well that sucked, they had the same source. ”Yeah, he’s the one I heard it from too. Oh well.” Unfortunately, the summoner didn’t know of any way to block or detect surveillance if it was magical. Maybe if it was through more mundane means, the spycraft he’d somehow picked up from his father would serve him well. As Remi went on to make a self-deprecating joke Loren gave the other man a pointed stare. ”Yes, like you’ve never had a good idea before in your entire life.” The Launceleyn’s voice positively dripped with sarcasm. Obviously they'd accept it from the alchemist, in a way they never would if it came from the summoner.
Remi could shoot Loren all the unimpressed looks in the world. It wouldn’t change how he felt. ”I don’t think I need to tell you, of all people, just how precious a resource time is.” Not now, given the struggles they were going through, given how little of it they had left. The summoner had already squandered his time, and his chance for a better life, though he’d somehow been given a second one. He wouldn’t stand here and let the alchemist do the same.
At that response, Loren’s head shot up. ”I don’t think of you as an animal.” His voice was shocked: while it was technically true that the other man changed shape, he was still a person.
A beggar's book
outworths
a noble's blood
