World Without Song

Chapter 3: Reprieve

Yhidawach and his knights returned victoriously to Silad, the Union's capital... Though they didn't actually do anything in the battle they were treated as heroes, and all of them jumped in rank.

Or at least they would have if they weren't Yhidawach's knights, which meant that only he could promote them.

Yhidawach ordered his knights to rest.

He would keep going out on missions, of course, his wounds were what he called trivial, though they all thought otherwise, no one could speak up against him.

Of course, the Union's leaders were all too eager to send him away to battlefields.

Ara had been spending her time with Alice and Melissa. Rose, Claire and Miranda presumably did the same.

Right now they were at the pub, drinking and gossiping.

"Can you believe it? Three fucking thousand, in one day... Yhidawach is a legend, I swear." Alice said as she finished her third pint of ale.

"Did we not know this when we swore an Oath to him?" Ara replied, taking a swig from her second pint.

"All we knew was the legends themselves. To think that he is even more epic in the flesh..."

"Allllriiight, but what do you reckon is his deeeeal?" Melissa interjected, slurring her words. She was a heavy drinker, and a lightweight. She drank more than her two friends combined.

"Deal? What are you talking about?"

"You hearrrd him. The sshouting at the abbey." She said as she gave her best to impersonate her lord.

"Well, he seems to be quite vicious when angered. I think that's all it was." Ara concluded.

"But maaaan, was he dashing. If we were alone, we'd have died by now for sure."

"The drink has given you some clarity I see." Rose spoke from behind Melissa.

Rose was the tallest woman among them. She had average looks but always kept her bangs short and the rest of her black hair long, she had a habit of cutting it if she felt it grew too much. She obsessed over other things as well; worst of all was her tendency to clean their plate armor, since she would force the others to strip right after battle if they got blood or dirt on them. And with Yhidawach being the way he is... she never once got to clean his armor, which infuriated her.

Though she was a solid fighter and would control herself when it really mattered or when she had no choice, Rose never quite got along with Alice, Ara and Melissa, she considered them friends and comrades, but they weren't close like sisters.

She took a free seat by her fellow knights and ordered a drink herself.

"So what are your thoughts Rose?"

"About our lord? Outside of respecting him and feeling horribly sorry for him I don't have much of an opinion."

"Feeling sorry?" Ara asked, blatantly confused.

"Well, you know... All the things he did, he's legendary for sure, but does it not make you sad? After hearing what he's done I wanted to hug him."

"Are you sure you didn't want to clean his armor?" Alice retorted.

"Hey, I wouldn't pass up the chance if I got it. Did you not feel anything from that? I know we're all barren here, but you still have some womanly instincts, don't you?"

"Well, I mostly felt angry." Ara said.

"You're always like that." Alice added.

"I didn't feel anything actually, it all happened in the past. But it is quite interesting how he is the reason behind his own suffering."