by Lee LaCroix
“Come, come. We have to dance,” Kayten spoke as she hopped over the fence and took Novas by hand.
“But, I don’t know how to dance!” Novas protested with a bit of slur to his voice.
“Neither do I!” Kayten yelled as she pulled him into the crowd.
The two locked hands and went around in the spinning dance for quite some time, bumping into others with a slight pardon and enjoying some mirthful laughter. Their eyes locked often, and Kayten laughed. Novas had never seen her that happy, and he was happy that she was feeling better too. This continued until they were both quite dizzy and had to take a stand by the circle’s edge.
“Garreth told me what happened today. Even as I arrived on the outskirts of the city, there was so much shouting and excitement. He said we’ve chased the Blackwoods right out of the city. It certainly looks like we’ve succeeded. I really wish I could have been there when you stormed the palace and met the Queen,” Kayten confessed.
“Oh, it was nothing really,” Novas replied. “We only saved the kingdom and revived the Crown Aegis.”
“Hah!” she shouted. “Nothing indeed.”
“Let’s head back to the tavern,” Novas suggested. “I could use another drink.”
“Oh, you scoundrel! Well, let’s go,” Kayten replied before she wrapped her arm in his, and they took off through the crowd.
The gates of the Lower Quarter still remained smashed and bent, leaning against the walls of the tunnel for all manner of folk to pass through. The downtrodden area now flourished with life once again and was no longer congested with the tumultuous vendor queues or side street shops, for all the merchants had moved into the Trade District where there was enough room for all. Even the privileged had ventured so far to explore the southern end of their city, which was once avoided for its unfashionable denizens and its less than savory streets. With the Crown Aegis on patrol, adorned with steel plate and blood red tabard, all manner of citizenry were safe to enjoy the rustic and traditional influences of the Amatharsan past.
Little had changed about the Salty Dog though, for it remained an undimmed bastion even in the darkest of days. The pair shouldered their way inside and found their way into the back corner where their usual camaraderie resided. At the table, there was Garreth, Berault, and a collection of supporters and well-wishers.
“Ah. If it isn’t the smith. It’s a wonderful day to be well, don’t you agree?” Berault bellowed over the noise of the tavern.
“As well as I can be, and yes, I agree!” Kayten spoke up in return.
“Good, good. If it wasn’t for the arms and armour that Mose and yourself had worked so tirelessly on, we would not have achieved the victory we did today. I raise my glass to you!” Berault admitted as he raised his glass, spilling a sip of mead on the table.
“Agreed!” Garreth said as he raised his glass.
Kayten broke a small grin and made a short curtsey.
“And Novas, you are your father’s son. You have dived into places treacherous and unknown with bravery and dedication for the restoration of our fine city and its people. I am honored to serve alongside you in the Crown Aegis,” Berault pledged, raising his glass again.
Novas smiled and made a stiff nod. He had never thought of himself as one of them. However, he had acted in accordance with their duties and was, according to Berault, a fine example of one. Novas puffed out his chest and felt a deep warmness to himself that wasn’t caused by the alcohol.
“Good news travels fast I hear, and word of the city’s liberation has already spread to all shores of this continent. Guardsmen young and old have been returning to the city to retake the mantle of Crown Aegis,” Berault explained, and everyone around him raised their glasses with a clink. “When all this frenzy settles down, we’ll be able to have a guard on every street. Before long, on every highway and each crossroad.”
“This is good news,” Garreth declared. “I fear there may be more bandit camps. But with vigilance and precaution, the roads should be safe in no time.”
“But this is all talk for another day. Eat, drink, be merry. You are most deserving of some rest,” Berault told them, shooing the two away.
Novas and Kayten waved goodbye and found a table just as its occupants were stumbling towards the door. A sea chant with a rough melody rose from the bar, and a trio of men were stood on their stools, waved their mugs in the air, and tried to get the tavern to sing along. The two laughed to themselves and rested against the back of their seats. Before long, Tummas was by with two ales in chilled glasses.
“To your most deserving of victories,” Tummas spoke before he placed the glasses on the table and nodded at the two before heading back to the bar.
As they finished their brews, their spirits began to rise. They had come to the city to find resolution, and its celebration was at hand. The fear and uncertainty, the hesitation of shadows, the caution of always having to look over your shoulder, and the anxiety of waiting on the brink of conflict, all of those feelings seemed to lift from them momentarily. Novas may have been unencumbered, but he had also not been taken. Kayten would always recall that savage transgression. Even though the likeliness of those violent actions had diminished in this hard-won time, she would never believe that the treachery had subsided, nor would she ever stop fighting against it.
To the readers,
Thank you for reading Sovereign’s Wake. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. The exciting story continues with Book Two: The Spirit of Malquia, a sample of which you can read on my author’s webpage. If you’d like any more information on the series or myself, please feel free to check out the arrangement of online resources as listed below. I’d love to know what you thought of the book; please leave me a review on Amazon or Goodreads.
Truly,
-Lee LaCroix
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Copyright © 2015 by Lee LaCroix
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