Champion's Bond

by Rinelle Grey

  Kriss took the dresses awkwardly. This had been a mistake. She didn’t belong here with these frilly clothes. What was she thinking?

  But backing out right now would be rude, so she smiled unconvincingly. “Thank you.”

  Brianna took her to the curtained alcoves and pulled one open for her. “Call me if you need help getting buttoned up, it takes practice to do it behind your back,” she said cheerfully.

  Kriss nodded. Brianna pulled the curtain closed, and Kriss stared at the clothes in her arms. She had no impulse to put them on. But the others would be waiting, so she slipped out of the tight borrowed dress and reached for one at random.

  The blue dress was a little too big and after only managing to do up half of the buttons, Kriss had to admit defeat and call for help.

  Brianna stepped in, looking stunning in a butter yellow dress and cheerfully did up the remaining buttons. She surveyed Kriss critically.

  Kriss had the sudden urge to hide. But warriors didn’t hide, so she straightened her shoulders and waited.

  “It needs to be taken in a bit,” Brianna said finally, “But otherwise, I think it will be perfect. Come and have a look.”

  Looking down at the dress, Kriss couldn’t really get a feel for whether she liked it or not. She’d never really paid much attention to what she wore, besides it being warm enough. The material of this dress was soft and it didn’t impede her movement, but beyond that, it was just a dress.

  Taking her hand, Brianna led her into the main room, then pushed her in front of a shimmery board leaning against one wall.

  Kriss stared. In the centre of the board was a human woman. It wasn’t a painting though, the image moved when she did. Was that what she looked like? What magic was this?

  Her blonde hair fell in curls to her shoulders and her figure was curvy and pleasant in the light blue dress. Yes, it needed to be tighter in a few places, but other than that she could find nothing wrong with the image.

  The woman bustled over, a little cushion in her hands, “Yes, it needs to come in here.” She pulled at the fabric and stuck something in it that held it in place. “And here.” She did the same on the other side. Then stood back. “Much better.”

  Kriss barely noticed the dress though. She couldn’t stop staring at herself. It was hard to associate the picture with who she felt like inside. Would she ever get used to not being a troll? Could she ever come to see herself as this human woman?

  “What do you think?” Brianna asked.

  Kriss looked over at her and saw the concerned look on Brianna’s face. Kriss must have been lost in thought for longer than she realised. Even then, it took her a few more moments to work out what Brianna was asking about. That’s right, the dress.

  She turned back to the mirror for one more look and could find no faults. It seemed fine to her. But she didn’t know much about human customs or preferences. “I don’t know, does it look good?”

  When both Brianna and the seamstress looked at her, she blushed. It was a silly question to have asked. She should have just said she liked it.

  Brianna recovered first. “Of course, this is your first time dress shopping. Well, some of it is personal preference, we all have our favourite colours or styles. You’ll develop yours over time. But the style and colour suit you. I don’t think you could go wrong with this dress.”

  Kriss nodded, thankful for her thorough explanation. “I’ll take it then. Are we done?”

  A giggle escaped Brianna’s mouth. “Done? We’ve barely started.”

  And she was right. Brianna dragged Kriss through the change room several more times with different dresses and then through two more stores. Only when they both had two perfectly fitted dresses to bring home, and several more that they would have to pick up the next day after the alterations had been done, was Brianna satisfied.

  By then, Kriss was exhausted. As they walked down the street, where the stores were beginning to close their shutters, her stomach rumbled.

  Kriss put her hand over it, embarrassed, but Brianna laughed. “I don’t know how long dinner will be, shall we stop for a snack?”

  “That’s a good idea,” Kriss said gratefully.

  Brianna motioned to a man with a cart. Whatever it contained, it smelled delicious. Even though he was already packing up, he quickly pulled out his goods again to show them. Brianna picked out two bowl shaped pastries with something dark and red piled on them, and paid him handsomely. He bowed and thanked both of them.

  Brianna ushered Kriss over to the stone wall around the fountain in the centre of the square, and sat on the edge. She handed one pastry to Kriss and took a big bite out of the other. “Mmm, that hits the spot.”

  Kriss sniffed at the pastry tentatively. Reassured by the sweet smell, she took a bite. The sugary sweetness of the pastry contrasted with the slightly tart berry taste. Kriss had never tasted anything like it. She demolished it quickly and emulated Brianna by licking her own fingers.

  “That was delicious,” she said.

  Brianna smiled. “That’s one thing about big cities, the food is something else. I mean, a good hearty stew is wonderful and filling, but we don’t have anything like these sort of treats back home.”

  “I guess you’ll have to get used to it,” Kriss teased. “I’m sure a princess eats like this every day.”

  A shadow crossed Brianna’s face. “I suppose so,” she agreed, but she didn’t sound too excited.

  “Are you all right?” Kriss asked. She was fast on the way to considering Brianna a friend, so it was natural to be concerned, wasn’t it?

  Brianna nodded, but her heavy sigh belied her words. “It’s just I worry about leaving Mianna and Terion to manage everything in Eryvale without me. Lyall is the prince and will one day become king. His place is here, but my heart still feels tied to my hometown.”

  “That must be hard,” Kriss said gently. She could see the dilemma immediately, but she had no solutions to offer. “When you have magic though, it’s not so very far away. I’m sure you’ll be able to visit your sister often.”

  “Yes, I’m sure we will. It’s not the same though. I can’t be there immediately if there is a problem. I suppose there won’t be as many problems now that the trolls… well, aren’t trolls anymore. But I’m sure there will be different kinds of problems to work through as your people adjust to being human and living next to my people.”

  Kriss nodded slowly. “I’m sure there will be. But Mianna won’t be alone in dealing with it. She will have Jasyn and me to help her.”

  Brianna’s grateful smile was immediate. “That’s true. You will keep an eye on her for me, won’t you?”

  “Of course,” Kriss agreed. “I’m sure she’ll do fine, though.”

  “Thank you. I’m sure you’re right and she’ll be fine, but it helps to know she won’t be alone.”

  A warm feeling of contentment spread through Kriss. It felt good that the human regarded her as someone who could be trusted to keep an eye on her sister. This request, more than any of the pretty speeches back at the palace, made her feel hopeful that the humans and trolls had a future together.

  “We’d better head back to the palace,” Brianna said. “I can’t wait to show Lyall what I bought. I’m sure you’re eager to show Jasyn your new dresses too.”

  Discomfort ruined the warm feeling. Kriss didn’t want to deceive her new friend. Yes, she had been lying to Bekinda for years now, but that was different.

  She and Jasyn had kept up their ruse to present a united front to the trolls. The trolls had needed to believe that the co-champions were going to work together, not against each other. And they had needed to believe in Kriss and Jasyn’s love because it was a symbol of a different future for all of them.

  Brianna didn’t need to believe that, though. She didn’t have a past full of war and fighting to overcome.

  “Jasyn and I aren’t in love,” Kriss blurted out.

  Brianna raised an eyebrow. “You could have fooled me.” />
  Kriss felt her cheeks heat. “We’re good friends and we’ve been married for two years. We’re close, but not in love. Not like you and Lyall.”

  Brianna regarded her suspiciously. “Why are you pretending to be then?”

  It was hard to explain. Maybe she’d made a mistake in admitting the truth. “When Jasyn and I fought the champion, neither of us could have defeated him alone. We had to work together. The marriage bond helped the trolls believe we meant it. Otherwise, they would have been trying to pick sides for the inevitable moment when one of us stabbed the other in the back.”

  Brianna’s eyes widened. “Really? That’s how things worked in your village?”

  Kriss nodded. “Pretty much.”

  Shaking her head in disbelief, Brianna said, “I can’t imagine being in that sort of situation.” She paused. “Actually, I guess it was kind of like pretending to be married to Terion because the law said I had to be.”

  Kriss felt a surge of relief at the admission. Maybe this conversation hadn’t been a mistake after all. “I guess so,” she agreed. “Although it must have been worse, since you were in love with Lyall all that time. At least I don’t have that problem.”

  A frown furrowed Brianna’s face. “True. But are you ever likely to, if everyone thinks you’re married? Even if you met someone you really liked, he would assume you’re unavailable.”

  Kriss shrugged. “I’m not really focused on that right now. I need to see my people settled before I can think of what I want for myself. That’s my main goal and for now, my marriage to Jasyn will help them feel more secure.”

  This time, Brianna’s look was full of sympathy. “I can understand that. I spent years doing what I thought my people needed me to do. Turns out, they needed me to be me. Maybe you’ll find the same to be true for you?”

  “It’s too late for that,” Kriss said. “Jasyn and I are already married and bonded by magic.”

  “That doesn’t mean you can’t love someone else,” Brianna insisted. “Look at the king and queen. The fact that he is bonded to his ex-wife doesn’t affect their love in any way.”

  She had a point. The relationship between the king and queen was almost as touching as that between Brianna and Lyall.

  “Maybe,” Kriss allowed. “I’ll consider it, in a few months. Right now, I don’t think my people need another big change.”

  Brianna nodded. “Just don’t take too long. You shouldn’t have to stay in a loveless marriage for any reason. The frustration eats away at you until one day it comes out in a rush and you risk hurting the people you care about. Better to get it sorted sooner rather than later.”

  She had a point. And Kriss would consider it.

  Later.

  19

  Confessions

  When Lyall invited Jasyn to come and debrief the soldiers with him, Jasyn accepted simply out of curiosity. He wanted to know everything he could about the humans so that he could help the trolls fit into this new world.

  He hadn’t stopped to consider that it was a sign of trust, being invited to observe the opposition’s forces. Nor had he stopped to think that his side of the story might be able to help the warriors come to terms with what had happened in Eryvale.

  But when he looked at the faces of the several hundred men and women, and listened to Lyall solemnly read out the names of those who had died in the early stages of the battle, Jasyn couldn’t help shedding a tear.

  Such needless violence.

  At least it was over now.

  The responsibility for those lost lives was on his hands, even though he himself had shed no blood this time. But he had to remember that the credit for the truce was his as well. If Mugos had still been their champion, trolls and humans would still be killing one another.

  It was a solemn meeting, but one that Jasyn had left with hope. Hope that this would be the dawning of a new age of peace between human and troll.

  He really needed to stop thinking of his people as trolls. They weren’t. They were as human as everyone else. They were the same, and yet not the same. They had their own history. And in their hearts, they would never change. They would always be fierce, loyal, and ready to fight for what they believed in.

  A small part of them would always be trolls.

  “Do you have any idea what your people would like to do now?” Lyall’s question, as they walked back through the palace corridors, startled Jasyn out of his thoughts.

  “Not really. There are so many possibilities. I guess different people will choose different things. It’s good that we have that choice. We need to find a place that is ours. I don’t think we can just move into human houses and start living like all of you. The sudden change would be too much. I imagine the best thing would be for us to start our own settlement somewhere on this side of the ridge. A place from which we could explore your world and venture out as we feel comfortable.”

  Lyall nodded. “That sounds like an excellent start. Do you have any ideas where you might settle? Close to Bymere, I would imagine, where you would have easy access to supplies?”

  Jasyn frowned. While the big city did hold certain advantages, he could also see the disadvantages. “That might be too much of a jump for us. I was thinking something closer to Eryvale. If the people there will have us.”

  A smile widened on Lyall’s face. “Perfect. I will discuss it with Brianna when she and Kriss return, but I’m sure something can be worked out.”

  At least one thing regarding his people’s future had been settled. Hopefully it would relieve some of Kriss’s stress.

  “Thank you,” Jasyn said.

  “I think that will work well for your people. I’m sure you look forward to seeing what you can accomplish without the threat of war and starvation. I’m sure it will be a big relief for you and Kriss to be able to focus on your lives together.”

  Not much chance of that. Jasyn sighed under his breath.

  Lyall looked at him sideways. “Is everything all right? If there is anything else you need, you just have to ask. You know that, I hope. My people unfairly sentenced yours to a life of hardship because of that ridiculous law. We could spend our whole lives, and the lives of our children, providing for you and still not make up for what our ancestors did.”

  Jasyn looked over at him, but Lyall was serious. He really did feel that his people owed the trolls something.

  “Your people don’t owe us anything,” Jasyn said. “You are no more to blame for what happened than we are. But we will gratefully accept your help until we get on our feet. Then we will repay you. Trolls don’t like to live in debt.”

  The prince searched his face. “And yet, something still bothers you.”

  “It’s nothing.” Jasyn shrugged uncomfortably. “A personal matter, nothing to do with what is happening here.” He couldn’t bring himself to admit the cause of his sadness to Lyall. He and Kriss had kept their secret so long that it was hard to break it. Not that there was anything Lyall could do to help anyway.

  “Of course. If you ever need someone to talk to, I hope you would consider me a friend. I greatly admire the choices you have made and the obstacles you have overcome to get where you are.” He smiled. “Of course, you have Kriss to talk to, so I suppose you don’t need me.”

  Jasyn bit back another sigh, but apparently he hadn’t been quick enough.

  “Is there a problem between the two of you?” Lyall asked. “It is none of my business, but if anything on this journey has bothered her or upset her, I will do anything I can to help.”

  Jasyn felt guilty. He didn’t want Lyall thinking that his issues with Kriss had anything to do with him. “No, this is from before any of this started.”

  “How about we go sit down and have a drink?”

  And before Jasyn knew it he was ushered into a room where walls were lined with books, sitting in a comfortable chair, with a mug of warm ale in his hands.

  “So, why don’t you tell me what this is all about?” Lyall offered.

/>   Jasyn hesitated. “It’s really nothing. Just a small issue between Kriss and I, and not something I really need to talk about.” He didn’t want to offend the man who had been so kind to him.

  “I won’t press you if you really don’t want to talk,” Lyall said. “But sometimes it helps to get these things out. I promise that nothing you say to me will leave this room, if that helps.”

  Jasyn hesitated. He knew so little about relationships, and Lyall obviously had it all worked out. He had seemed so experienced and smooth when he asked Brianna to marry him. Maybe he could suggest something that would help Jasyn convince Kriss to give their relationship a chance.

  “It’s just, Kriss and I agreed to keep things to ourselves, so as not to cause unease among the trolls.”

  Lyall nodded. “That makes sense. As their leader, you have to set an example for them to follow. My father always said that his relationship with mother was on display all the time. People judged their marriage, and judged him in particular, based on how the king and queen appeared together. I suppose Brianna and I will have to deal with the same thing.”

  The look he gave Jasyn was friendly and open. “When you’re putting on a show for everyone else though, you need people you can be honest with, who can support you on that path. I’m not one of your people, so I don’t need you to put on a show for me.”

  It was that simple. Talking to Lyall was different to talking to Uma. As much as Jasyn and Uma were close, his friend still looked up to him for answers and guidance. Lyall didn’t need Jasyn to be strong. And he’d already explained that he would face the same problems in the future.

  It wasn’t betraying the agreement he and Kriss had made. This was different.

  “Our whole marriage is a show,” he admitted. “Kriss only agreed to marry me because we defeated the champion together. If we hadn’t married, the trolls would never have believed we intended to rule together.”

  He was almost afraid to look up, sure he would see pity and condemnation on the other man’s face.

  But Lyall just frowned. “Forgive me if this is rude, but it’s obvious the two of you slept together because you have the magical bond.”