The Last Knights of Cambria Book 5: Deaths of the Rose

Chapter 10: Farewell, it's been an honor

My friend's reactions to my appearance, are varied, at best, and I come to realize I am the only person who doesn't care at all. I meet my friends at St. Alban's cathedral, as promised. I promised it earlier today, for them. For me of course it's been several days. I wasn't intended to show up on a dragon, but you know what? Surprises are good for them.
"That's sick! What happened to you!"
"You show up on a dragon with disfiguring scars and you're casually eating your fist? Really?"
"Do you argue constantly? Are we not going to escape?" Joan of Arc is tired of us and really doesn't care so that's nice.
"It looks really cool did Oisin do that? Did you kill him?" Sadie asks, happily. She' s one of my best friends for a reason.
"You realize you have to explain this right? In short form? Not an entire essay? And take your fist out of your mouth and stop looking pathetic there's like a 0% chance this isn't your fault," Dancer says. He's my best friend because, well, I don't know we're stuck with each other I guess. His personality doesn't improve it just grows on you.
"I appreciate you want to talk and argue constantly but can we not LEAVE?" Joan growls. She has her priorities straight.
"I was doing a spell with Courtenay. I'm fine," I say, taking my fist out of my mouth, "Want to go home via dragon?"
"I asked for short form. I got it. Should have asked for slightly longer form, that's on me," Dancer nods.
"Heck yes, can you see out of that eye?" Sadie asks.
"Yeah," I say, putting my fist back in my mouth.
"Stop bothering him he owns the dragon what is wrong with you?" Joan asks, very tried of us I think.
"Nobody has figured that out yet but if you get an idea, please let us know we're very interested we won't change, but we're interested," Dancer says, climbing on the dragon with some difficulty. I wind up helping him, then I help Sadie up and she helps Joan.
"Are we supposed to do this?" Dancer taps my shoulder.
"No, but King Henry is kind of mad at me anyway and I'm mad at him because he was the threat to Ireland after all but now he's not because his son cried and asked him not to be and I did Courtenay a favor so we're cool, but I also punched him in the face," I say, turning around.
"See? This is why he shouldn't do short form it doesn't belong in short form," Sadie sighs.
Their arguing is broken off by the dragon taking flight, which is good, because then Dancer can swear for the next half hour or so of the flight home to Wales, and it doesn't bother anybody.
I have a good time I'm exhausted, but happy. I'm going home now. I don't say those words enough I think. I survived battle, again. And danger, and magic, again. And what I told Henry was true, I wouldn't change it for anything. And what he told me, what he told me as an adult. That he was ready. I never thought I would understand how to get there. Perhaps I do.
We're sailing through the darkness, above the clouds, then dipping back beneath them as we get breathless. I see the white capped Snowdonia's, and the end of summer wind whips through my hair. I'm flying on a dragon through the mountains. Life could not get sweeter.
We land, semi crash land because the dragon is not used to landing such that people aren't thrown off because I find being thrown off fun, and it's trying not to throw them but it doesn't work. Anyway, we semi-crash land outside Cirrcieth castle, in Wales. This isn't even atypical for them, the night watch are surprised at a dragon, but not like, overly.
"Thanks for the ride," I say, stroking the creature's red nose. It nudges me, then vanishes back into my skin, scurrying up my arm to lie down on my collar bone.
"Welcome to Wales," I say, to Joan, as she climbs to her feet, "I've got no idea when ships leave, if they do, for France but we can figure it out. All right?"
"Thank you," she nods a little.
"I'll show you to a room," Sadie says, to her.
"Come, let's get you inside; lots more people need to yell at you properly," Dancer says, patting my back.
"We're really doing this now?" I laugh.
"Oh yes," he grins, "You're not getting out of—whatever you got yourself into, that easily. What are friends for?"
The first person we find is King Elis, who was either asleep in mostly purple robes, or was still awake waiting for our return. Either way he's in his chambers, perfectly ready to freak out unnecessarily.
"GIDEON WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU???"
"Nothing really—,"
"DON'T SAY 'NOTHING REALLY' REMOVE YOUR FIST FROM YOUR MOUTH CAN YOU EVEN SEE??"
"I'm fine. The bad news is, King Henry was, spoiler alert, behind waking the Fianna, but he's been warned off sufficiently. I took off a dragon from his castle so he's going to be annoyed with me but I'm annoyed with him so it's fine. And we broke Joan of Arc out of the tower and brought her back so she can aid the Welsh and French resistance. The good news is I punched Courtenay in the face," I say, taking my fist from my mouth.
"Really? How did he look?" King Elis asks, hopefully, recovering a little.
"Better than before I punched him because he's beautiful and it's weird, but, anyway, I did punch him in the face and said it was for you," I say.
"Thank you," he says, coming over to shake my shoulders, "You're a service to Wales. Gideon, my dearest, WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU?"
"Oh that was a spell, with Courtenay, it's fine we were trying to a thing to get rid of the Fianna and it did work," I say, nodding.
"That's all I got out of him," Dancer says, sitting down and picking up a glass of wine, "It feels deeply like it was his fault though."
"I'm fine honestly," I say, as Elis inspects me for injury, "It's nothing your Majesty, absolutely worth punching him in the face."
"You're full of secrets Gideon," King Elis says, frowning at me a little, "You swear to me you are well though?"
"I am, entirely," I say, nodding.
"You should rest. I'll want, all the details, primarily of the punch, in the morning. Knowing you, you've already had a long night," King Elis nods.
"Your grace," I say, bowing. He grins at me, going to sit next to Dancer.
"We're holding you to those tales in the morning," Dancer calls.
"I believe it," I say, nodding, as I go. I'm happy to leave them to it, Dancer can fill him in on what happened in London, and I have other matters to attend to. People who I know won't be asleep.
I wonder if it's too much to hope Gareth and the Duke of Conwy are in one of the wards, sparring. So many happy summer nights I've spent with them doing just that. I didn't know how to fight when I first came. It was like heaven to me. And in fact, it still is. For the longest time I feared it wouldn't last. It wouldn't stay. That it would all be ripped from me. I mean, we have been through it. I died in King Elis' arms during the siege of Harlech. I've broken out of the Tower of London. Broken into and out of Windsor Castle, marched to war in France. It's been a good time.
But now my feet are finding their way back to the courtyard, with trust I didn't know I'd needed to build.
And I'm met with the familiar clank of swords. I make my way towards them, watching from the shadows till they notice me. The Duke of Conwy is for once without his hood, the sun is gone so he's dressed normally, though his skin is as ever pale and translucent. Gareth is just in a regular jacket, easily sparring with his bigger step-brother, but it takes both men a moment to realize I'm there. I clap, smiling.
They take my appearance the best, with a general dialogue of:
"Kid says he's fine. He's fine." the duke, of course.
"He doesn't look fine, you seriously not going to tell me what happened to you, Gid?" Gareth, of course.
"Kid said he was fine. He probably wants to spar."
"I do want to spar! Do you have those tri-blades—,"
"Gideon Saint tell me who did this to you and that it wasn't you, seriously," Gareth says, taking my head and examining it.
"It was a spell—gone right actually. Courtenay and I were getting rid of the Fianna. For the moment, Wales is safe, and Ireland's safe, and King Henry knows I can summon a dragon and torch down Windsor anytime I like, so, a good day," I say, letting him inspect me anyway.
"What are we going to do with you?" Gareth sighs.
"You can ignore him if you like it does become background noise, here are the blades I wanted to show you—,"
"I'm getting tethers for the two of you," Gareth says, looping an arm around either of our necks, fondly, as we look at the blades.
"That's fantastic, we'll have to put on mail and try them—,"
"I'm thinking they'll get through mail, might want to do plate, but I'm not busy tomorrow—,"
"Fantastic nor am I, do you think Gareth is okay or should we talk to him some more before we talk more about this—?" I ask, as Gareth mauls us both.
"No, he tries to strangle me like this sometimes it works off his pent up energy—,"
"This is a hug! I'm hugging you!" Gareth says, squeezing us, "You are getting hugged because once again I was concerned the kid wasn't coming home."
"He's fine, aren't you Gideon?"
"I'm very, very good actually. And I promise, Gareth, I'm always coming. Always," I say, smiling as he crushes me in one of his very good hugs that I love to melt into.
We spar for a little while then Gareth says we should all go to bed if the Duke and I actually plan on trying to stab each other with the new blades tomorrow. We do want to do that so we agree.
But I'm not ready to go to sleep just yet. I'm tried. But I feel. I don't know. Perhaps I haven't felt this calm before. Like something finally slipping into place in my mind. Like this whole castle, all of Wales is my hug and I want to melt into it. I'm finally home. Not finally home after three days in the War of the Roses. Finally home after sixteen years.
I am wandering one of the outer wards when I run into Oisin. He's silent as a deer, approaching from the shadows cautiously.
"How'd that go?" I ask.
"Oh um—my father does not trust him. But he knows—King Henry knows now we will rise, and we are not so easy to defeat," Oisin says, shrugging a little, "Likely the Fianna will sleep now."
"And you with them," I say.
He shrugs a little, "I'll go back. It maybe is best I stay here make sure King Henry does nothing."
"Perhaps," I say, nodding, "You're always welcome here."
"Here," he holds out a hand, my iron ring in it.
"Oh, right, thanks," I say, I'd nearly forgotten.
"Why?" He frowns.
"Why what?" I ask.
"Why did you give it to me? You barely know me why—why when I could have made my way back?" He frowns a little, pushing white hair from his face.
"Oh, um—figured it would be easier for you. And it doesn't really bother me. I can get home," I say.
"But you come from the other world?"
"Yeah, but, I was a little bit, sort of meant to be in this one. And Dancer and Sadie have amulets to get me back, nothing urgent," I say.
"My father, used to say, the most important thing for a warrior to learn, was his way home again. After the battle is won," Oisin says.
"Yes," I smile, "I think he'd be right. For a long time I would have said the battle was the most important part. I've spent most of my life, studying battles, warriors, great deeds. Not so much the coming home at the end of the day. And turns out, that's the most important part of all."
Oisin, nods a little.
"I'll see you in the morning?" I ask.
"Yes," he puts a hand on my shoulder, tentatively, "Thank you, Gideon."
I smile.
He goes his way, back inside. I'm ready to retire yet. Not to my lonely room. Not just now. Usually I fall asleep, with dreams of battles to content me. I don't want to dream of battles just now. In fact, I don't want to dream of anything.
I make my way up to the ramparts to stare out, at the stars. Millions of them, shining so bright in a world without the electric light. The outer ramparts are patrolled but in here it's quiet. So quiet. I breath in, tipping my head up to look at the stars.
I reach into my pocket and carefully pull out the dog tags. Another mystery awaits it seems. I've got a lost wizard spirit to find. And King Henry as always to monitor. Life in Wales is certainly never boring.
"So those two definitely exaggerated."
"What?" I laugh, turning. Queen Rhiannon is approaching, from the down the rampart. She's wearing a white dress, her red hair nearly down to her waist and undone.
"Dancer and my husband, they're slightly dramatic especially combined," she says, coming over, "You're not hurt though?"
"Spell gone, right, mission accomplished, I'm completely fine, I promise your majesty," I say.
"Really?" She cocks her head.
"Rhiannon," I correct. To be fair she's about my age, and we've been kidnapped together and chased around Windsor Castle by Henry V together, it's been bonding.
"Better," she says, standing next to me, "What are you doing up here?"
"Thinking, what are you doing looking for me up here?"
"I was thinking, tonight, how disappointed I would be if you didn't come back, this time. And I'm used to you coming back. And I don't like being used to things that might go away," she says, looking out at the stars.
"I'm coming back. I promise. If I die I'll just haunt you again it's completely fine," I say.
She laughs a little.
"I'm home now. Took me, little while and a few near death and actual death experiences to figure out what I'm fighting for," I say.
"And that is?"
"Wales. It's people, our home. I trained to fight, longed to fight my whole life didn't ever know how to fight for something though. I'm learning, a friend taught me that, we have a fantastic purpose which is yes to be brave and fight for our family, but that in end, it's most important to be at peace, with wherever the adventure next takes us," I say, smiling a little as I look over at her.
"I don't know if I'm there yet. I'm still, surviving, at this point," she says.
"That is the point though. We're surviving, together, and we only have this one life, that we're given, and for the longest time I thought my life was going to be boring and forever mundane but it's not, what was in store for me was perfect, for me. Three years ago if you'd told me I'd be standing here, in this fantastic castle, with a beautiful sword, having just gotten here on a dragon, next to you. I wouldn't have believed it, that my wildest dreams would have come true. And they did. And they are. There's dark bits sure but—even if we bleed out someday, fighting for our home, there's honor in that. And perhaps that day is tomorrow, or perhaps the adventure is just beginning, and I am loving, every single minute of it. I want to do this, I want to be happy. And if I die fighting for Wales it will be the best thing that ever happened to me, because this is. I'm home now. And I'll go to battle tomorrow with joy in my heart, or stand here with forever. I don't much care anymore, I'm letting go of, racing towards an end because I'm afraid of the middle. I'm here now, that is all that matters," I say.
"We may not get forever. But I'm happy for tonight as well," she says, leaning against me, and sliding an arm around my shoulders. Her hand is cold even through my shirt and I feel her shiver a little.
"You're cold," I say, swinging my coat over both of us and putting my arm around her shoulder as well, "Do you want to go in?"
"Not at all. I want to stand right here with you," Rhiannon says, leaning against me, "I'm glad you're ours, Gideon."
"I am too," I say, staring off at the stars as I lean against her. A calm, quiet night. Here on top of the world. I close my eyes and let the sea breeze drift across my skin. I have no idea what the future holds in store. Or where my next adventure will take me.
But I'm looking forward to it.
Perhaps we'll meet on one of my adventures, someday? If not you can always find me here in Cambria, our doors are always open to you.

The End