Keeping my eyes on Cole was not exactly easy considering everything else I was trying to gain knowledge about. He did not seem to have a problem letting me escort him directly into meetings claiming I was just the house cat. It was annoying being treated as such a negligible being but it got me into places without sneaking around which was oddly pleasant. I was standing with Cole in Burdish’s study only a few hours after Kestrel had departed when the first bit of information was revealed.
“She maybe viewed as a disgrace but Shala Meuse has been more helpful than hindrances so far.” Burdish admitted softly.
“Her daily visits to the healer’s apothecary shop has been seen as worrisome.” Cole remarked. I did not mention my information regarding her visits seeing where this would lead.
“She’s preventing herself from getting pregnant unlike the other concubines our King plays with.” Burdish retorted. Cole simply nodded back to him. Misinformation I was not corrected. Shal was dosing all the concubines with tea containing those herbs to prevent pregnancy and terminate the early stages. She may be his first concubine but she did not want his seed spreading in the world.
“Would she have another reason considering the amount she collects?” Cole stated softly. “I have heard from Lady Mekiliean that it does taste very good in teas.” he continued pensively. “Do the King’s concubine share a tea time together?” he asked softly. He gave me quick look and a wink. Burnish seemed to think about it for a moment before shrugging.
“I will have to ask about that.” he answered. Cole had lead the Council member to a realization he had just made himself. He excused himself for us to head home with his duties completed. Barely a street from the Council Chambers, Cole turned to me arresting our walk.
“None of the concubines have gotten pregnant since coming to Atlantis.” he stated to me. “Is that odd when learning of her herbal purchases?” he asked me directly. I shrugged and smiled at him. “This is her doing.” he added as a small smile formed on his face. He started walking once more whistling a merry tune under his breath. I said nothing falling in step next to him. How quickly his mind caught on all this information and came to a conclusion I already knew was amazing but scary as well. My return home with Cole was delayed unfortunately as a squad of mixed cadet with their leader requested my time. What I thought would be a sparring session was turned into a discussion with a much older cadet.
“Yes, I am much older than the regular cadet” the woman that looked mostly human stated to me. She had the scent of cougar to which matched the features I noted on her. “I was a student at the magical institute but still wish to gain basic training.” she informed me. “I am Cassis of the Dēn bloodline.” she introduced herself in a near whisper. She looked shy now that she had revealed her name.
“Daughter of Nä'Tash-Dēn, correct?” I asked casually. She nodded slowly and leery. “Well meet first mage of Feral blood.” I replied smiling at her. I bowed to her quickly. “I am Kestrel of the Redpath clan, and presently House Cat for the Envoy, Lord Kestrel.” I told her. Her eyes went wide and a smile bloomed on her face followed with a purring giggle. “Atlantis is small allowing friends of Lord Kestrel to meet easily.” I added softly.
“If you are done, I asked you to spar with her because of your unnatural speed, young Kestrel.” the squad leader stated to us. “Even our senior cadets have issues following her magical speed enhancements.” he explained to me as we stood there. “Good luck.” he added to both of us. He stepped back and signaled for us to start while the other cadets, most younger than either of us, watched from the side.
We took positions facing each other looking for signs of an attack. The first tentative attacks were swift but hardly as fast as I could move. Our claws remained hidden as our fists, elbows, knees, and twisting bodies moved increasing our speed. As the spectacle reached the speed of the senior cadets, a gasped sounded from the cadets as we moved even faster. Strike, block, counter, counter-block, and so on as we went through all the standard attack forms of the Feral Royal Guards’ cadets. We bounced back to our side of the field with smiles while breathing hard.
“I pushed all my air abilities to keep up, it was amazing!” she stated happily.
“Ready for more?” I asked purring. “Maybe moves not taught to cadets?” I added quickly. She nodded as she pounced forward.
The second session was more playful as while she blocked my two paws, my knee touched her body in a firm tap. We moved apart and pounced at each other again, my knee meeting hers but missing my instep drop sweeping her legs from under her. I moved back as she spun back to her feet quickly barely making contact to the ground. Every new attack, she learned and countered before actually attempting them back against me. Our feet barely touched the ground as we continued these new techniques increasing our speed even faster. She eventually lost but it was close until I ended up behind her pressing her into the ground. I tapped the sand only a moment after her before moving back. She stood turning to face me with a smile.
“As annoyed as having lost, this was the greatest training session I have ever had.” she remarked. She bowed in a warriors salute towards me. “Thank you for not holding back on a pretend cadet.” she added laughing with joy. I noticed a human stood aside from the cheering cadets staring at her with a smile.
“I believe it is not only the cadets impressed by your skills.” I returned breathing hard. “And thank you for a good chance to test my limits.” I added purring harshly. I motioned her to the lone human making her face turn red with blush.
“Toma!” she exclaimed. She moved to the edge of the training field with only the short wooden fence as barrier between them. “I thought you would be busy.” she hesitantly muttered to him. “Wind magic is not very helpful to healing or building but...” she tried explaining turning redder by the moment. He bopped her forehead with a lone finger before gently caressing her face. In front of everyone present, he leaned in to rub his cheek against hers before pulling back to smile at her.
“Your mother already told me you wanted to get marshal training because of your magical gifts.” the boy spoke softly. He would have been seen as an adult in the outside world but here, he was about a hundred and forty years old and about a decade, or so, younger than Cassis. “Have I ever prevented you following your heart or your mind?” he asked so very softly to her. “You did not question my decision to join the metallurgy apprentices with my fire skills, right?” he added as she stared blankly at him. I had slowly drifted towards them as they spoke.
“Seems he truly understands and accepts you as you do for him.” I stated softly. “Hello, I am Kestrel of the Redpath clan.” I introduced myself to the elder boy. I held out a hand to him which he took slowly in a quick but firm handshake. “You must be a very close friend to Cassis Dēn.” I continued not worrying about his name. “Was she using her winds properly from your magical knowledge?” I added with a smile.
“Toma, and her control over winds is amazingly beautiful.” he replied slowly. He was having problems looking away from her to converse with me. I chuckled purring at them gaining a blush on Toma’s face nearly as bright as Cassis’.
“You do make a very cute couple but still nowhere as wonderful as Dia and myself.” I whispered in a purr to them. She reached out to pull Toma’s face close to hers brushing her cheek to his.
“How did I get such a good man in my life?” she purred as she caressed his face.
“By being such a wonderful woman.” he answered in a whisper. He reached out to caress her face tilting his head forward to touch foreheads together. “Do what you need to make yourself happy as long as you are still mine.” he added.
“Always.” she purred back. I could heard the possessive stress she placed in that single word to him.
“I believe this session is done for her.” I remarked to the squad leader. His chuckle meet my ear before he order the other cadets to team up and spar with each other. He did not move to stop Toma and Cassis innocent show of affection but I felt this affection was much deeper than either of them understood fully. Their actions and words reminded me of my time with Dia in her garden. So innocent but also so deeply important to both of us. I will need to send her another letter soon.
With this my request by the cadet squad leader was accomplished, I was slowly heading home for the day. A few surprises waited for me as I entered the garden, Cole had set a covered tray of food for me with three letter scrolls sitting beside it. “The House Cat deserves a good meal for his work today.” read the note signed by Cole. I did check the garden to see if he was hidden there watching but I was alone. Raising the cover from the tray showed his attempt at cooking which did not smell bad but looked questionable. A quick sniff did prove it edible so I ate while reading the letters from Diadem, Hawke, and oddly Reina.
Dearest Kestrel,
I have decided to follow your advice and find a young orphan to raise as an heir. I know it was a low option upon your list of advice but I will be with no other man than you, my furry Knight. I have thought this fully and discussed with Artea who agrees and accept my decision that my heart, my soul, my body are yours. Until you come to claim my maidenhood, I will be a lone Queen with an adoptive heir. I hope you can understand and accept this decision I have made since my love for you will burn in my heart until I die. Artea told me you would be happy receiving my letter and not protest my choice to always be yours only. She also said you would understand and accept just because it is coming from me. I love you so much and miss you dearly, but I understand why we cannot be a normal couple of lovers. Hopefully in my next life, I will find you and be able to be with you for that whole life. I will end my letter to you here, my one and only love. Until we can meet again, make sure to write to me, please?
Queen Diadem, your Dia.
My heartbeat was fast in my chest and pounding in my ears as I read and reread her letter. With all the distance between us, I felt her arms wrapped tightly around me holding me tightly to her body. In human years, she was a child in comparison, but in Atlantian lifespans, I was the child. If Dia had been born in Atlantis, we would be exactly like Cassis and Toma, but this would bring forth a different set of problems. The prejudice still existed between the Royal Guards bloodline and the regular citizens of Atlantis. It had reduced greatly from the first days of our curse, but still existed. It was a rare event when the regular Atlantian bonded with the feral bloodline of the Royal Guards. As rare as a Royal Guard having magical affinity which gave them a chance to be together. I then turned to the first letter from the Cavalier-Knight Hawke.
Sorry for not writing earlier my friend and brother,
But having two wives has kept me rather busy between hunting down bandits and keeping hostile creatures away from the village, as well. I miss having your help some days with the hunts. Your nose would be a great assistance to tracking some of the things I have had to face. Hannah and Sasha send you their love and eternal gratitude getting me to stop being an idiot. You deserve this gratitude and much more for helping me to see the right path that I stupidly resisted and refused to admit existed. The staff at Rouge’s miss their purring fur ball mostly because they did not all get a chance to pet you. Deidra asked me an odd question yesterday. She asked if you forgave her. Did she do something I did not know about? She will not tell me why she asked that question but refuses to simply send you a letter to ask you herself. She does seem rather regretful of whatever she did so I told her you had forgiven her which brightened her day. I hope you do not mind me doing this but I doubt you would keep a grudge if you saw the regret in her eyes. I do suggest you visit within the next two to three years. I will have either nephews, nieces, or maybe one of each to introduce to you, Uncle Kestrel. Yes, both wives are pregnant and cannot wait to introduce our children to you the man who made it all happen. I will let you go now since I have field to tend to and a patrol of the village needing to be done. Until we speak again, good luck and please visit!
Hawke, Brother Knight of Queen Diadem
Barely a year together and he was already making a family for himself. I will have to explain Deidra’s request for forgiveness without giving him the fully details. All I would have him know and repeat directly to Rouge’s daughter is how I understood why she chose me and she has my forgiveness without her needing to ask for it. My eyes shifted to the letter from Reina but waited before reading it. I reread Hawke’s letter feeling the teasing comments and him making light of difficulties he faces as his normal self. This was the Cavalier that befriended a strange beast of a boy and became a true companion and friend. It was the same sibling behavior Sert and Meli showed to each other and to a lesser extend how Sert acted towards Cole and myself. No, they did not and would not trust Colêsträ but accepted his presence and help when needed. With a sigh and my meal complete, I finally turned to the last letter, Reina’s letter.
Kestrel of the Redpath clan, Honor Guard, Squire, and Knight.
I must send you words as things are getting odder daily in my present lands. Most of the provisions, products, and treasures have been moving from the inner lands to all the sea ports. Word from those cities and town are that new granaries and vaults are being built daily to accommodate for the influx of supplies. They do not understand why this is happening but are not stopping the flow into their hands. The populous is living frugally with the bare minimum but seem to accept it. I am worried from these events but cannot find a reason for it happening. My research have come up with only a mess of rumors that none have proven as truth. Explaining this to the populous and guards have not changed what is happening. They seem to ignore what is happening. The nobles are not untouched by these events as they have also been moving their supplies out to the harbor towns and port cities. I feel impotent at helping the humans being so blatantly forced into living with the minimum requirements. I know you are far away but any advice would be dearly appreciated. Do not ask me why something effecting humans has me so invested. Just understand that I must help them since this is the land I have chosen to live within. I thank you for any wise advice but do not ask me to ignore this.
Reina
This letter did bring back that mystery in my mind. I had no advice that could help her but, like herself, I felt compelled to help. I ran through all the information we had discuss while on the dock about this oddness. Nothing could be added to her knowledge to help solve the issue unless a magical source that Meli had not noticed. It felt like a vain idea considering how talented Meli was with magic. If the source was not upon the citizen but within their homes, Meli might not have felt the magic compulsion. I will suggest this to Rena with an explanation that the populous we meet in the harbor town did not have magic upon them. The other option that came to my mind was something understood but frown upon in Atlantis: hypnotism. I will suggest it as a secondary possibility but I could not understand why this was being done. With this I climbed up into my tree perch to curl up and sleep for the night.
As dawn started to color the sky, I heard the door creak open. Cole entered to place a pot of tea and pair of cups before disappearing. He returned with a new tray placing a plate upon one bench with a second plate on the other bench. He filled the two cups and moved to sit be the bench opposite to the one that had a filled cup and plate supposedly for me. I ponced down beside the bench and sat looking at him. He motioned for us to eat without saying a word. Breaking fast was a silent event within the garden with both of us simply being in each others company.
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