With the sun set in Lidarion, the lamplighters were making
their way around the city. They moved in pairs one for each side of a street.
Alex watched at the pair assigned to the street outside passed by the windows
of the bar, bathing the street in soft yellow lamplight. She walked back to the
table with fresh drinks. And rejoined the others. “So Alex, how did you come to
be responsible for everyone’s favorite man child?” She asked.
Lisa accepted her next drink from Lisa as she explained. “We
met in the early years of the war. He and Bernard had been training together
before they were placed in the same unit. A unit that would be placed on the
front lines of the Tarsands offensive.” Alex and Squints flinched. The Tarsands
offensive was the bloodiest battle of the war by far. The humans had tried to
assault the orc’s coastal infrastructure in broad daylight. The Lidarion
military’s chief strategist had assumed that as a nocturnal species the orcs
would be less prepared to defend during a full frontal assault at high noon. It
turned out to be a mistake that cost nearly uncountable lives. “They barely
survived, Trent arrived in Saintcitia in a coma, and Bernard had several deep
slashes on his arms and back. Three weeks into Bernard’s recovery Trent finally
woke up, by that time I had already fallen for Bernard.” She explained.
“And where is Brandon?" Squints asked.
Lisa reached down and picked the sword sheath up. “By my
side, where he’ll be for the rest of my life, as he promised.” She set the
sheath down.
Squints stared deeply into his drink. “I’m sorry, I didn’t
know.” He stumbled over the apology.
Lisa shook her head. “There’s no way you could have.” She
admitted. “But our plans were meant for us, and now that he’s gone it’s time
for me to figure out where I’m going to go and what I’m going to do with the
rest of my life.” She started to cheer up.
Through the window Alex saw a shadow cross over the window.
She stood and crossed over to the hallway entrance on the back wall of the bar.
“I’ll be right back but I want to know what brings you to Lidarion? And how did
you get Trent to come with you.” She asked.
Lisa turned to watch Alex as she got up and moved to the
hallway entrance on the far side of the bar. Alex turned down the hall and
stopped at her back door. The knock at the back door was so faint that she
would have missed it if she wasn’t actively listening for it. She opened the
door to a figure in a robe with its hood up. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get word to
you. This isn’t a good time. In fact it’s probably the worst possible time.”
She said.
Back in the main area of the Bar Trent and Lisa were listening
to Squints talk about the state of the library district when Alex called from
down the hallway. “Trent can you come here please?” She asked.
Trent got up from the table and left Lisa and squints. He
quickly disappeared around the corner of the hallway. It wasn’t long after that
Lisa and Squints heard the sound of a slap echo back into the bar. They both
jumped up from the table and ran to the back hall. Alex was pinching her nose
with her thumb and forefingers, Trent was holding his cheek and there was a
beautiful brunette in a cloak who was absolutely furious. “Trent what’s going
on?” Lisa asked.
Trent turned to look at Lisa. “Lisa I’d like you to meet her
Royal majesty Princess Brooke.”
