Chapter 32: The Fog of War
Amy paced my room as she spoke, “And this seer is where?” As she moved, Quincy trailed in her shadow, tail wagging. Quincy made it clear from his posture that he thought this was the best game ever.
I pointed a finger downward, “The Hyperboreans have her in the lowest level of the catacombs. She’s a seer with a precognitive gift- like me. But somehow, she can send messages to other people with the precognitive gift. She asked me to save her.”
“How are you going to do that?” Amy asked, “You had a vision, from her. That leaves you weak as water. She has to know that as a seer herself.”
“I suspect she doesn’t have any other options. But this is a huge opportunity. I’ve written a letter for Fiona; can you have it sent over to Myrddhin House? With luck we will have her and Vincent over tomorrow to attempt this rescue operation. That’s assuming you want to come with us. You’re my personal maid, so I can take you with me whenever I want. But I don’t want you on this unless you’re comfortable.”
“You could send Fiona and Vincent down.” Amy said.
“I know the catacombs. I’ve played there many times. They haven’t.”
This was true. Now, I had played inside them as an adult on a computer, but I still knew the map.
“But you are right. I can’t go alone. And skilled warriors like Fiona and Vincent are the right people for this. And so, I’d like you to send out my letter. I want to go down there tomorrow.”
Amy nodded, “I’ll come. That way I can support you, so Vincent and Fiona are free to do any fighting as needed. And I’ll come because I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“Thank you, Amy. It means a lot to me.”
“And besides,” I continued, “The catacombs aren’t off limits. There aren’t any kids around right now, so nobody is exploring them. We are in our rights to explore them. And if I’m there, then we have somebody who belongs there. The Hyperboreans will probably avoid us.”
“Probably?”
“Well yeah. I can’t guarantee that some of them won’t be idiots.”
* * *
The next morning, as Amy finished dressing me, somebody knocked on my door.
“Who is it?” Amy asked.
“It’s Lynn.”
“I’m coming, my lady.”
Amy opened the door for Lynn. She walked in and started speaking, “Ren, do you have a moment? Leon is coming over. And I need you to distract the family so I can get him to my room.”
“Leon is coming over? Why” I asked.
“He is courting me,” Lynn answered, “And I do like him.”
“But he knows your plan now,” I said.
“Yes, and he is sympathetic to my sacrifice. And he has been generous in his willingness to help me deal with my feelings about that.”
I grinned and narrowed my eyes. “You mean he’s crazy about you. And he wants whatever time with you he can get before you throw everything away.”
“He is not crazy about me. I’m giving, with no strings attached, something all men want. That’s all.”
“You don’t think Leon is better than that?” I asked.
“He’s amazing. But he’s still a man.”
“Lady Carolynn, this is why you should follow your cousin’s strategy,” Amy giggled.
“I would if I could. But I like the stupid bundles of testosterone too much.”
“Well, as somebody who has zero skin in that game, Leon is one of the good ones.” I said.
“And speak of his grace, the duke,” Amy said, looking out the window, “That is his carriage.”
* * *
We all met in the drawing room.
“Lady Lynn, I am honored that you requested my presence,” Leon said, “I know, I’m not in your plan after all. But you’ve been in my plan since we met. Er. That is, I think of you fondly, and appreciate spending time with you.”
Lynn blushed, “I am sorry that I did not feel that I could pursue my options with you Leon.”
“I can’t fault you for your dedication in protecting Ys,” he paused, “I do worry that this sacrifice will be in vain though.”
Lynn started, “Why is that?”
“Something is happening,” Leon said, “I don’t know what yet. But smuggling is up. And whenever I capture these new smugglers, they are Hyperborean. The whole thing is too coordinated. Hyperborea is planning something. I don’t know what they are doing, but they are doing something. And I doubt your marriage will be enough to stop it.”
Lynn stiffened, “I am confident in my plan.”
He nodded and looked at the floor, “I would hope so. You are giving up everything to make this happen. I would hope that you were confident. I would hope you were certain.”
He stopped and looked at me for a moment, “Was it you? You have the precognitive gift. Did you see something that has made her this confident?”
I looked at Lynn, and she nodded. Okay. I could spin this.
“I forced several visions when Lynn learned who her suitors would be. I saw futures where Lynn married all of you. Lynn was happy in every marriage, except Wulfric’s. But in every marriage except the marriage to Wulfric, Hyperborea invaded. In most other marriages, she and her spouse had to flee Ys.”
“So, you based this on multiple visions, not just one. That is frustrating. Are you sure that her marrying Wulfric stops the invasion? Or does it delay things?”
“Oh, don’t you start!” Lynn said, raising her voice.
I smiled, “She may have heard that from me as well. She may have heard it repeatedly.”
“I may have, repeatedly, heard it repeatedly.” Lynn said.
I nodded, “I may have overplayed my hand. I don’t think I’m wrong though.”
“But what else am I to do?" Lynn said. "Pick a path that I know leads to war and exile?”
Leon paced, “I understand the dilemma. But I can’t stand the idea of you chaining yourself to that piece of dung for the rest of your life.”
“Can’t either of you respect that I’m doing this for you?” Lynn said. She stood in front of us, ankles crossed and hands on hips.
I looked at Leon and he returned my look.
“I’m pretty sure Leon agrees with me on this,” I said, "but correct me if you don’t. We respect you and we respect the sacrifice you’re making. We worry that you aren’t respecting yourself.”
“Ren has it right. I also don’t respect Wulfric. I don’t trust him to get me a drink, let alone trust him to keep his word on matters of diplomacy.”
“What other option is there?” Lynn asked.
“The point of visions,” Leon said, “Is to use them to avoid terrible fates, not embrace them. We could use what you learned to try and change things without you marrying that monster.”
“I know this path works,” Lynn said, “Anything else is a gamble. I can save Ys, and all that I have to sacrifice is myself.”
Leon sighed, “Yes. But that means everyone who loves you must sacrifice you as well.”
“Ren will get over it,” Lynn said
Leon stopped and turned away. Lynn cocked her head and blinked several times.
Finally, Leon turned back, “I am afraid that I must go. It was lovely seeing you both.”
He kissed both our hands, and that was that.
As we watched his carriage leave from the window, Lynn asked me, “What did I say?”
“You don’t know?” I asked.
She shook her head.
I nodded, “And that’s the problem. I don’t know how to get it through to you, if we haven’t already.”
* * *
“I don’t get it,” I said to Amy, as my body pressed her against the stone wall of the stairwell. “How does she not see how frustrating it is for the people she loves?”
We stood in one of the spiral staircases in one of the towers that linked the castle keep to the castle walls. I had Amy up against the wall. I kissed her neck. Amy shuddered as I grabbed her thigh and lifted her leg.
“We shouldn’t be doing this out in the open like this,” Amy whispered as I crept my hand up her thigh. But as she said that, she traced a finger along the curve of my hips.
“I agree,” I said, leaning down, “We should definitely stop.”
“In a minute,” Amy whispered, and she pushed up to her toes to kiss me.
We were still mid kiss when I heard a door open. I felt Amy flinch at the sound, and I froze.
“Oh my. Ren, is that Amy?” The voice belonged to Lynn.
I separated from Amy and turned to look at Lynn. She was alone, and I silently thanked all the merciful gods of this game world.
“Hi Lynn,” I said, with a tiny wave.
“I thought you were courting Countess Fiona?” Lynn asked.
“She is,” Amy answered, speaking faster than normal, “We started this earlier. I mean, what relationship? Oh, it doesn’t matter. You saw.”
“Saw what?” Lynn said, “I didn’t see anything.”
Amy raised her eyebrows, “Thank you Lady Carolynn.”
“Let’s say that I owe Ren for her discretion.”
“Fiona knows about this,” I interjected, “And she doesn’t object.”
“That is so wonderful. Everyone understands.” Lynn said. Her voice sounded flat.
Do they though? I wasn’t sure that I understood.
* * *
Back in my room, Amy put a hand on my shoulder, “We were very lucky there Ren. We must avoid being intimate in public.”
I nodded, “That was my fault. The sexual tension between Lynn and Leon was pretty thick in the air. And then Lynn crashed into Leon’s feelings, and he left. And all that energy sat there. And then I saw you, and that maid outfit has such a short skirt. And I didn’t think things through.”
“I was enjoying it. Don’t misunderstand,” Amy said, “But that was a high risk for us.”
“Yeah. I don’t know how to be in a relationship, do I?”
“If Lynn was gay, you’d do fine,” Amy said.
“She’s my first cousin,” I objected.
“Is that the only problem? Nobility does that all the time. You wouldn’t need me then, would you?”
“I’d always need you,” I said, “I know I’m terrible at this relationship thing. I’m screwing up right now. But I don’t know what I would do without you.”
Amy blushed, “I don’t know what I would do without you either. And I have to say, that is something I never expected to feel three years ago.”
“I’ve always thought you were attractive.”
“That must have been difficult.”
“Especially with that skirt,” I pointed.
Amy blushed and grabbed at the hem of her skirt. “I’ve never stopped being self-conscious about the skirt length. But I’ve gotten used to feeling self-conscious.”
“We aren’t good at staying on topic, are we?”
Amy looked at the ground, “Not this topic.”
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