For Forty Weeks the Sunbird Flew: An Airman's Tale

Epilogue:

He'd gone with his heart in the end. Lawrence had remained with the two of them in the palace, forsaking his life in the clouds for a far more grounded reality. If it were any other person in any other circumstance, Archer would have used the old term 'heart against mind', but this was not a situation in which the mind had any say. The choice Lawrence had needed to make, the choice between his love and his home... there was no room for the mind in such a choice. It had been a choice between his heart and his soul, and the heart had won.

Not that Archer thought either choice would have made a difference to his friend. If he had remained on the Sunbird, up in the clouds, Archer knew that his friend's gaze would have always been back towards Albion, towards them, and that he would have always seen the face of his beloved Cooke in his dreams, taunting him.

So, he had stayed with them. At first Archer had been worried; sure, Lawrence told everyone he was happy with his life down here and that he was adjusting to a sedentary life well, but what if he was simply lying so as not to hurt their feelings?

That hadn't been the case, thankfully. Certainly, Archer saw how Lawrence still gazed at the sky, how he practically lived atop the highest, most exposed towers that the palace had to offer, but he was far from sad living alongside the two of them. There were still times when melancholia seemed to overtake the man, and in those moments Archer felt as though if he could focus on anything else in the room he might almost be able to ignore the sadness hidden in his friend's eyes. Those days were always difficult for Lawrence, this he knew, but never once did he or Talon allow the man to go unaided in those times. No matter what, they never wanted him to feel as though he'd made the wrong choice, as though he were trapped down here.

Similarly, whenever Talon was overwhelmed by the stresses of courtly life, the feeling that people only saw him for what he was and not who he was, Lawrence and Archer made an effort to be there for him as much as they possibly could.

Right now the two of them were sat in an antechamber of the Albionic Parliament building, neither of them being allowed access despite the presence of their prince. Some laws even royalty had to respect, and so the two of them had given the prince a final bit of encouragement before he had needed to make his speech. If it was anything like the ones that Talon had made when he was younger then Archer was rather looking forwards to reading it in the papers tomorrow. He allowed his mind to wander a little with this moment of respite. The three of them were doing well together, and no mistake! They complimented each other's abilities, made up for any shortcomings the others may have had and helped them move forwards. Archer and Talon taught Lawrence noble etiquette, which the man had taken to like a fish to water to no-one's surprise. Lawrence and Archer reminded Talon that, whilst he was a prince and yes, he did have a great many responsibilities, he couldn't let his work overshadow his life. As for Talon and Lawrence, they made sure that Archer was always the best foot forwards at official state visits. Some nobles didn't like conversing with 'servant-types', but they often changed their tune very fast when they learned of how he'd helped see the prince home.

The Queen had been an absolute delight, Archer had been very pleased to find. Yes, she could be rather stern at first, but by God she had a mischievous nature to rival her son's. When looked at like that, was it any surprise she got on with Lawrence like a house on fire? They both had glares that could freeze over hell, but they were just as likely to use it to mess with someone as they were to actually intend to cow those around them. Her frequent trips to Hithin had also been a godsend for the three of them, since it allowed Lawrence an excuse to take to the skies. Nowadays he often ended up commanding whichever private royal vessel they were on, which all three members of the royal family found more than a little amusing. He still needed to walk with his cane, which prevented him from doing any of the maintenance work around the ship, but Archer knew that if for a second he thought he could get away with it then he would.

It was nice, in all honesty. Their lives were still of the same tale, and there was never to be a cause for them splitting apart. Lawrence could still fly, Archer could go home whenever he liked, and Talon could both oversee his duties and remain by the sides of his friends. He'd visit home soon, most likely. Perhaps in a year or two. He was certain if he really wanted to he could head back sooner, but he'd planned on being away for five years anyway and he'd only been gone for one, not to mention that there was so much work he wished to help Talon with at the moment as he reinstated himself in his position in the succession that Archer daren't abandon him and Lawrence to the masses of bureaucrats and lords wishing to see him for the next 'extremely important matter'. Trifling things, all of them. Still, the wheels of state rolled ever on. He had a job to do, and he was going to bloody well do it.

As for the rest of their friends, the officers aboard the RAN Sunbird... well, if the ship happened to be seconded to the royal family for escort duties rather more frequently than was normal then no-one had complained so far.

There was one other development that Archer found both heartwarming and thouroughly amusing; in one of the grand stairwells that branched out to either side there was a new portrait hung on the wall. It was a huge thing, extremely detailed and lifelike. Upon its canvas one could see a naval officer bleeding out on the steps of an airship as cannonfire whistled around them. The officer was being held by the crown prince, who looked down with great care as the bleeding man pointed, motioning as though he were ordering one of his crew. It was a truly magnificent painting, so true to what had happened that he'd been almost certain when he first saw it that he was back on board the old bird in that terrible battle. Still, there was one break from reality; in the painting the officer was fully clothed, whereas Lawrence had been bare-chested. He could understand why the painting had the man in his dress-uniform; it made for a far more 'heroic' and 'noble' scene than the shitshow that the real event had been.

And so there he sat, a servant of the crown awaiting his prince's return from the chambers of parliament alongside his friend and mentor. Lawrence caught his glancing look and smiled warmly at him, a gesture that Archer gladly returned. Sure, things weren't exactly perfect, but then what was? The three of them were happy, and to Archer that was perfection enough.