Aetherian(Part 1): A War Begins

Oscar

As much as he appreciated it, Oscar was amazed at how kind everyone's been to him. While he was with Trevor and his friends, no one messed with him, and at the banquet, he laughed and ate with Trevor, Karlon, Melody, Belle, Darien, and Damien. He watched Darien and Damien eye a couple of girls staring at them and giggling.

"Isn't that Lady Remora Williams?" asked Darien. "And Cassandra Morvain?"

"I can't tell," answered Damien.

"I think they're looking at you."

"They're looking at you, idiot."

"Wanna bet?" asked Darien, then he raised his hand to Remora and Cassandra "Ladies, have you met my brother, Damien, the hero of the Battle of the Shadowgrove."

"Maybe I'm not in the mood," said Damien, but as the girls came close to him, he began to change his mind. "Ah, whatever." He stood from his chair and went dancing with the girls. "Dance with me, my ladies?" He returned minutes later, with a frown on his face.

"Something happen, brother?" asked Darien.

"Do not," snapped Damien. Something must not have gone well if he refused to talk about it. Oscar and Melody found themselves chuckling. They began to tell stories of the Redwald Rebellion, and recent skirmishes they've found themselves in since not everyone was happy about House Busch ruling Aetherian, even after fourteen years.

"No!" gasped Melody, as Karlon told about the Battle of Shadowgrove.

"That's how it happened, Mel," said Karlon. "I swear."

"I don't believe that at all," denied Belle.

"Believe me, the only reason we got out of there alive was because of Trevor and his squad," assured Karlon.

"Wha- That is putting it way too lightly," said Trevor.

"Oh, come on, we were all there," added Darien.

"No, no, no," denied Trevor, then he pointed to Darien, saying "We were trying to drag this guy out of the woods, as heavy as he is, and we almost got eaten!"

"Almost!?" jumped Damien. "I did get eaten!"

"I know," agreed Trevor. "You should have seen the look on your face when you carved your way out of that basilisk's stomach."

"Come on, Trevor. We're eating," said Belle.

"Covered in slime and blood," added Trevor.

"Yeah, I've lost my appetite." Belle joked, and everyone laughed.

"And I lost an arm that day," said Darien, still laughing. When Damien began to tell of the Bronze Mountains, everyone listened intently.

"I can only imagine what the Bronze Mountains look like now," he started. "They used to be my favorite place in the country before the war. Other than the heat, they were absolutely beautiful, and the rivers and lakes weren't too cool and not too warm, they were just perfect."

"Now, there's a bunch of craters and corpses," said Darien. "But you're absolutely right. They were our favorite place at one time. Now, I never want to go there again."

"Wow," said Melody. Oscar had a similar story. The Guardians usually never participated in political quarrels unless innocents were being killed, and thousands of warriors and innocents alike died in the Redwald Rebellion, including Oscar's aunt and uncle, and all three of his cousins. He didn't know who his parents were, or if he had siblings, but they were the closest to a family he had, and the Redwalds burned them alive, synonymous of their sigil of a flaming skull. Oscar was forced by them to fight for Ballard Redwald or die, fighting in almost every battle, including the Bronze Mountains. He knew that it was Ariana Lysander that struck down Lord Ballard, but he ran from the fight before he could see it happen. If the Redwalds won the war, he knew he would have met the same fate as his family, and when he found out the war ended with the King's victory, he couldn't have been more relieved. Oscar didn't dare tell his new friends of it, though. Darien and Damien, at least, would call him a traitor, probably. He wasn't sure about Trevor and the Vestarrs. The Guardians had compassion for people with a story like his, and northerners typically had a greater sense of honor than most southerners. Oscar knew that the two people he absolutely could not tell it to was the King and Queen, though. They would have him executed within hours, and when they both came to the table to sit with them, his heart began pounding with dread. Everyone stood from their seats in the presence of King Robar and Queen Alicent, but Oscar took the longest because all four of his limbs were shaking. Once the King sat at the table, everyone else did.

"Hey, are you alright?" Belle asked, to Oscar.

"I'm fine," Oscar lied. Belle touched his shoulder and could feel him shaking.

Suddenly, he heard a soft voice from behind him ask him "You aren't scared of my husband, are you?" He looked behind him and saw the Queen in her white Lysander gown.

"Your Grace," said Oscar, standing up, then bowing his head.

"You may sit," said Queen Alicent, and Oscar sat back in his seat, still turned to the Queen. "I understand a few of my brother's bannermen attacked you this morning."

"They did, Your Grace."

"What's your name?"

"Oscar, Your Grace."

"I'm sorry for what happened, Oscar," the Queen apologized. "And I'm glad to see you are well."

"Thank you," said Oscar. Queen Alicent went to sit next to the King at the other end of the table. Robar Busch was a big man with a stocky build, wearing a brown, leather jacket with a golden Busch cape flowing behind him, and a short, dark beard on and around his chin. Beside the King stood the Commander of the Dragon Guard, Ser Lloyd Greylock, along with the other four Knights, other than Arianna Lysander, who sat next to Alicent with her son, Prince Roderick.

"So, Karlon," said King Robar. "How's your father?"

"Busy, Your Grace," answered Karlon. "He says he's been investigating these ruins around the country."

"Ancient?" asked the King, and Karlon nodded his head. "What do you think is there?"

"I don't know, Your Grace," answered Karlon. "I've mostly been trying to manage a city." While Robar and Karlon were conversing, Oscar felt Melody's hand on his own.

"Oscar, talk to us," she pleaded. Melody, Belle, and Trevor were all looking to him, while Darien, Damien, and Karlon were talking to the King and Queen. Maybe Oscar could trust the Guardians and the Vestarrs with his story.

"Excuse me!?" Darien suddenly roared, standing up from his chair. "I will not sit here and take that from you, do you hear me!?"

"You will, I am the Queen," said Queen Alicent.

"I don't care who the hell you are!" shouted Darien.

"What happened?" Oscar whispered.

"She is your mother, Darien," the King reminded. "Sit down."

"No, she's not," said Darien. "She said so herself."

"I don't seem to remember that," the Queen lied.

"You lying..."

"Enough!" King Robar boomed. "I have enough to worry about without my wife and my son at each other's throats. Allie, you will apologize to Darien in the morning, and Darien, you will mind your words from now on. Do you both understand!?"

"Yes, father," said Darien, sitting back in his chair. The Queen only managed a soft nod of her head.

"I am sleeping with a dagger under my pillow tonight," Darien whispered.

"I can respect that," agreed Damien.

"Trevor, which Guardian outpost did you train at?" Oscar suddenly asked.

"Ice Spear, in the Snowlands," Trevor answered. "Why?"

"Could you take me there when you go back?" Oscar pleaded.

"Well, I live at Knight's Watch now," Trevor corrected. "Are you sure Ice Spear is where you want to go?"

"I've never seen snow before. This could be a fresh start for me."

"As a Guardian?" said Trevor.

"Right. I know what kind of people the Redwalds were, and there are still people like that out there. Isn't injustice one of the things you fight against?" Trevor nodded his head to agree. "Then let me fight against it, too."