Claymore and Dagger (closed)

[KieranSoares]

Rather than confront her right then and there, Sam stopped before her and assumed what she knew to be the mask of a general. "Go in, eat, get some sleep. Then th'queen will want t'see you. Invah... I need t'have a word with you meanwhile."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Sam, I'm not one of your soldiers to boss around." Fiona said as he slipped into the role of general far too easily. "I'm your fiancée. You could greet me properly after being gone for so long. You could also learn to be less of a bully when things don't go your way."

 

[KieranSoares]

"And you could learn not t'run off at a whim when yer dealin' with trained killers, dragon or no," Sam snapped though his voice remained low. "We jus' arrive in a new city an' you disappear without a word after a royal assassination attempt, an' you expect me t'be calm?"

"Samuel Durban Ghis, stop this at once," Invah growled, rising to her feet and lowering her head to stare him in the eye. Sam didn't back down, fearless in the face of a dragon. "You of all people know Fiona wouldn't go running into a dangerous situation without a plan. And she brought me. What are two men, assassins though they may be, against a Rider and her Dragon?"

"All it takes is one strike. One stab, one arrow, an' it won' fuckin' matter what or who she is," Sam snarled back. "An' it won't matter what you are either. A half-decent archer could take 'er right off your back."

"That would be the case whether you are present or not, boy," Invah gave him a nudge to make him back up. "And you will calm yourself before you say something we all regret. You are already on thin ice." She was calm but firm, like a mother against an angry child.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona knew that he was angry but this seemed out of character even for Sam. Invah came to her defense in an instant, standing up to Sam as he groused and tried to intimidate her into feeling bad for what she had done. She would have done it again in a heartbeat to keep him from having even more blood on his conscience.

She said nothing as she remained on the grass, watching to see if he would back down in the face of an angry dragon.

 

[KieranSoares]

As Sam tensed more and more, Invah spoke coolly, "What will you do? Challenge a dragon to prove a moot point? You may control armies, Samuel Ghis, but you do not control our free will. If anything you should treat Fiona as a warrior who has done a fine job, doing what you would have done. You have the assassin, a slave was freed, and Barbarossa is going to receive a clear message of warning. What more do you want? Lives will always be at risk, and you cannot protect them all or do it all yourself. Fiona is no fragile maiden to be protected and coddled. She is a Rider. And she would be a fine extension of your arm if you'd step back and let her use her full potential. I know you love her and you don't want to lose her, but this is war and she is capable of meeting the challenges before you."

Sam's fists clenched as he stared up at Invah, his stubborn nature and pure anger making him not want to listen to her clear reasoning. He knew she was right, but he hated it and he didn't want to risk Fiona. Invah kept a hand set firmly on the ground between him and Fiona, but when Sam turned away, Invah stepped forward and blocked his way with her tail. "Don't walk away. You always walk away and it solves nothing until you are chased down, cornered, and forced to lose your temper. You are not going to keep that cycle going. You are a man, not a petulant child. Now act like it."

 

[heartofcourage]

"If he doesn't feel like the job was good enough, then let him go, Invah." Fiona said softly. "It's clear that for the time being he won't be seeing me as his lover."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I didn't goddamned say any o' that!" Sam snapped, looking to Fiona, but his rage quickly quieted as he forced himself to face the facts of the situation. "You... You did fine... Perfectly, even... I jus' wish you'd told me."

 

[heartofcourage]

"If I would have told you, this situation would have been ten times worse. You wouldn't have let me go and I would have resented you. And you would have brooded more with blood on your hands." Fiona said as she presented him all of the reasons that she hadn't told him. "Do you think I take delight in upsetting you?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"A note then! Jus' somethin' so I knew y'didn' jus' disappear off gods know where!" Sam stepped forward to face her, shoving past Invah's arm.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Would you have done the same for me? Honestly?" Fiona asked him, knowing that the answer to that question very well could have been no.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam didn't want to back down, but he forced himself to take a deep breath. "If not a note, then somethin'. Anythin'."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Really, Sam? I don't believe that for a moment." Fiona insisted, her hands firmly planted on her hips as she stared at him. "Or what about blocking me out? You're awfully good at that. You ask me to marry you, to share a life with you. You're full of sweet words and sweeter moments and then you simply shut down. How do you think that makes me feel, Sam? Probably about as bad as you do right about now."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Really, Sam? I don't believe that for a moment." Fiona insisted, her hands firmly planted on her hips as she stared at him. "Or what about blocking me out? You're awfully good at that. You ask me to marry you, to share a life with you. You're full of sweet words and sweeter moments and then you simply shut down. How do you think that makes me feel, Sam? Probably about as bad as you do right about now."

 

[KieranSoares]

"What d'you want me t'say then? I'm sorry? I'm an insensitive bastard? It's pointless now." Sam turned away, his anger subsiding considerably to what she would recognize as frustration with himself more than anyone else.

 

[heartofcourage]

"It isn't pointless." Fiona said, so frustrated with the entire situation as he shut her out yet again. "It's our life. I don't know how many times I can continue to tell you that. If you can't figure this out, then there won't be an us anymore."

That statement made Fiona's heart ache in the worst way possible. It was true, however.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I can't do this right now," Sam murmured, shaking his head. "... I told you I'd figure it out when we get home... After Gallus." He walked away, leaving Invah to watch after him both in disappointment and deep concern. She could see the anger giving way to depression, made worse by what they now knew was the king's decline.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona's frustration was at an all time high as he walked away as he always did. She then deflated, her shoulders rolling forward until she was lowering her head in defeat for a long moment. When it finally passed, she turned to look at Invah.

"I suppose I'll get some rest then." She said softly, unsure of what else to do now that Sam had walked away from her.

 

[KieranSoares]

Invah turned to scoop Fiona up, hugging her close. She couldn't offer any reassurance that Sam would come around. It didn't look like he would. "I'm sorry, little kit," she whispered.

 

[heartofcourage]

"There's nothing to be sorry about." Fiona said softly as Invah held her tightly. "He can either see reason and work to make himself a better man or he won't. I'll love him either way."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I just hope that love doesn't fall on a heart stoned over again." Invah stepped away with her, letting Fiona rest with her a long while.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona was quiet after that until she excused herself to go to her room. Once there, she asked for a bath to be drawn and a meal to be brought. She wanted to get the grime of the trip off her skin and to fill her belly with something that was hot.

 

[KieranSoares]

Servants gladly brought her anything she needed, several thanking her quietly for her service. By the time she finished eating, it was late morning and a court advisor came to her door. When she answered, he bowed before her. "Lady Blackstone. The king would like to speak with you."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona had changed into a gown her chest armor still in place as Sam had insisted. She didn't want him any angrier at her than he already was. When the king's adviser showed up at her door she had just taken the last bite of her meal. She gave the man a nod, telling him to lead the way. If Gallus was awake and able to see her, she wasn't going to say no.

 

[KieranSoares]

"If you will follow me..." The man led her to the third floor of the castle and to a large bedchamber where a mountain of a man, of similar build to some of the men in Sam's family, was sitting up in bed with Marlisa holding his hand and his daughters and son close by looking relieved and exhausted.

"Your Majesty. Lady Fiona Blackstone," the advisor murmured, stepping aside for Fiona.

King Gallus was broad and tall, though not as muscular as perhaps Brogan or Durban. His long hair was laced with silver as was his full beard. He wore a light shirt and a robe under the blankets, bandages visible at the join of his neck and shoulder. Opening his dark brown eyes, he shifted to sit up straighter. "Lady Blackstone... I believe thanks are in order."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Your highness, there is nothing to thank me for. It was a courtesy that I would have done for anyone that asked." Fiona said as she curtsy to the king briefly. "If Sam considers you part of his family, I consider you family. We don't let our family suffer when we can help it."