Chapter Fourteen

Fate Don’t Know You

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Fate Don’t Know You

“When hatred reigns, borders are drawn in fire.”

BRYCE

The area known as the Eastern Access Roads, leading into the city of Hamon, was very heavily guarded - with two full Royal Legions, and the Helix Legions from Veil'driel on constant alert. In the three months since the Republic of Veil’driel marched to the aid of Sindell, there had been a coalescence of the two forces, and that process had been remarkably seamless. This was much to the surprise, and even borderline shock, of Generals Thaddeus Creed and Graydon Lockhardt, who had envisioned an entire slew of logistical problems, to say nothing of the three decades worth of festering tensions. Since the end of The Looking Glass War, there had been time enough for memories of the conflict to poison one generation and be handed down to another.

The dreamers amongst the people described this new union as meant to be. The more cynical pointed out the powerful compulsion for survival over principle, and its ability to compel the adoption of any alliance. The truth most likely lay somewhere in the middle of these two ideas. However today, none of that mattered. Today would be a distraction to be cherished as a reprieve of sorts. A break from the unbearable weight of reality. And that distraction took the form of a wide, green lane cutting a swath through massive war machines and soldiers. It was a formation moved into with the efficiency of clockwork, used to accommodate potential emergency landings of airships. But on this occasion, it had been assumed for a different purpose.

​“Don’t do that spinny-twirly thing you do when the shot comes low,” Darvin Nash was saying, holding a leather glove so that Jace could push his hand inside. “It never works.”

​“I do a spinny-twirly thing?”

​“Yes,” Ferris Lang chimed in. “You do. And it never works.”

During the night, with visibility restricted, a hemisphere forcefield protected the capital city against unknown ground forces and the relentless threat of flying demons commonly referred to as Winged Creatures. Had it been up at the moment, this shield would have cut this created lane in half, but with these so-called creatures unable to endure in the sunlight, and no ground assault deemed practical, it was deactivated during the day.

The massive crowd and noise reminded Jace of the coliseum he had seen in his vision, but now that vision seemed very far away. Sunshine had a way of doing that, of burning away the uncertainties of midnight. He was no stranger to blocking things out, and this was no different. In one way or another, he had been doing it his entire life, and this was no different, and it had given him an almost preternatural ability to take refuge in the present. It had been one of the first things Thean had perceived in the early days of his training, and the Constable thought of it as both the Outrider's greatest strength, and his greatest weakness.

"—but that's just the way it goes, am I right?" Darvin asked.

Jace remade eye contact with his friend, drawn by the sound of his voice.

"I'm almost certain you're not," he said, going back to scanning the crowd. "But to be fair, I wasn't listening."

All four of the Veil’driel cavalry legions flanked either side of the lane and stretched, along with the infantry, for almost as far as the eye could see. In addition to this, there were civilians watching from high-rises looking down on him. Anyone in the Republic of Veil’driel military knew what was coming. To anyone from Sindell they had only heard of it, but as Dabriel’s legend grew amongst them, the prospect of his riding “The Gauntlet” was one of their two favorite things about it. The other was his forbidden romance with Isabelle Talabray, most popular with starstruck mothers who told the tales to their wide-eyed daughters. But in the end, all of it was a distraction, a sort of shield the young Outrider provided as powerful as any that protected them through the night.

​“Oh, and also, don’t jump my horse into anymore oceans.”

At this, Jace brought his attention back to the present, and in doing so, realized Malcom had at some point come up beside them.

“It was a bay, wasn’t it?” He asked the Whistler.
​
Malcolm nodded, twirling a toothpick in his mouth.

​“Yeah,” he confirmed. ​“You got a second?”

Jace looked over to his fellow Outriders but they were already starting away, anticipating his request.

“No spinny-twirly things,” Darvin’s voice reminded him.

Jace smiled at this as he focused more fully on Malcolm.

“What’s up?”

“Have you heard—”

​“Ladies and gentlemen, the Veil’driel Twin Stars!” the announcer said, and ruckus applause followed. There were so many people in attendance that even idle chit-chat was somewhat loud. This cheering reaction came down around them like a wave, as if sound had physical feel.

It was in that moment that they realized they had wandered slightly into the open lane to where the crowd was provided with an unobstructed line of sight, and while Jace’s reputation was approaching near legendary status, Malcolm was still famous, and intensely popular.

“They call us the twin stars?” The bowman asked.

Jace shrugged, squinting up to one of the verandas where the announcer was posted. He was standing behind what appeared to be a makeshift podium with three glowing stones embedded into it. They would pulse when the man spoke and amplify his voice.

“Apparently.”

“Because we’ve both been awarded the Veil’driel Sta—”

“I’m guessing,” Jace said. “What did you want to talk about?” He motioned around without looking. “I’m sort of in the middle of something right now.”

“Have you heard anything about our next mission?”

“No?”

The answer came out sounding like a question because by Malcolm’s demeanor, Jace had seemed to be wondering if he should have.

“We’re hearing it could be Ursinus. That we’re going after Artemus. Do you know if that’s true?”

“No,” Jace said. “I don’t.”

Malcolm frowned.

“I haven’t.”

“If you do, could you—”

“Yes,” Jace said. “You’ll be the first to know.” Then he put his hand on his shoulder. “Or at least the third or fourth.”

​In what felt like a strange bit of timing, the announcer began speaking again, shifting the moment and subject in an instant:

​“Ladies and gentlemen of our two great nations! The Republic of Veil’driel and the Kingdom of Sindell unite today in the spirit of tremendous celebration, as we assemble to commemorate the monumental accomplishment of retaking the City of Zarponda!” There was a scattering of applause at this, but not an eruption, as the crowd correctly anticipated there being more to come.

“I mean, I did most of the work but whatever,” Malcolm said.

Jace smiled but said nothing as the announcer went on:

“And as a symbol of this unprecedented alliance, we present Outrider of Veil’driel … Jace Dabriel!” ​Jace offered a little wave at the sound of his name, and now the crowd did raise to a frenzied pitch. “Bowmen, take your positions!”

​Jace was just about to start back to where Darvin’s horse was waiting, when Malcolm turned away as if taking his cue. That is until Jace tightened his grip on his shoulder and leaned closer to his ear.

​“Don’t. Even think about it,” he said through gritted teeth to maintain his smile.

Malcolm smirked, and Jace started back toward Darvin Nash’s horse without another word. When he leapt up into the saddle, another ripple of sound-excitement elevated through the crowd.

​He stood straight up in the stirrups and spread his arms, playing to the crowd and ratcheting up the tension as he had done so many times before, albeit never on this scale. So when the reactive wave of energy came back to him, Jace sat down immediately as if taken aback.

“Damn,” he muttered under his breath, and by the look on his face, it seemed likely he didn’t realize he said it.

Feeling Alarick’s hand on his leg snapped him out of it, which was almost certainly the gesture’s intention, and when Jace looked down into the older man’s familiar and supportive face, he felt that calm of the present returning.

“Come a long way since Fairlawn, ain’t we lad?”

Jace took a deep, steadying breath.

“I guess that’s one way of putting it.”

When the Outrider’s attention wavered once more, drifting back to his surroundings, the so-called guy who could get it for ya whistled to refocus it on himself. Strangely, Jace’s focus had come first to the red sash his friend wore rather than his eyes.

“Aye. Well here’s another way.” He waited for Jace to elevate his eyes. “It’s the same act, this. Audience aside, you know the players. So call the game.”

“Yes, sir, Breveteer, sir,” he said with a sort of mocking, half-salute.

And Alarick smiled, knowing Jace was back in the proper headspace. He was also taking his own advice, flipping through the strips of paper he had written on, and making a show of orchestrating the precise wagering system only he understood. He did this for show, simply going through the motions for anyone expecting the scene. He knew full well all bowmen on the line were under the strictest orders to miss. Thean understood the role distraction played on morale, but he wasn’t willing, nor stupid enough, to risk this alliance’s greatest asset.

Jace knew this as well, which explained his consenting to riding any other horse but his own, stunt ride or no. An Outrider’s ride was an extension of their very being, a symbiotic ballet of instinct and intuition developed over years of experience.

This was just a show.

But his surge of adrenaline remained the same.

The massive crowd saw to that if nothing else.

An unlit cigarette twitched between his fingers.

“You didn’t really get that horn at the Fairlawn Bazaar, did you?”

Alarick looked up quickly. Then he went back to jotting more numbers, clearly amused at the distraction, and by having to take time to reply:

“No.”

“We’ll have to talk about that sometime.”

Alarick smiled.

“Aye.”

There was a clink and Jace leaned in the saddle to accept a flame offered up by anonymous hands. Then he sat back. The cigarette bounced on his lips like a spyglass unmanned in a storm.

“Hat,” he said simply, and a soft gray felt one rose up beside him, just as the light for his cigarette had, as if summoned out of thin air. Fitting it onto his head, he looked up from the saddle: Eyes, smoke, and hat, a perfect match.

Jace rose again to full height and threw back the sides of his cloak, revealing his single-shot crossbows. Had this been more real, he would not have been wearing it on a summer morning like this one. But it was expected. And so today it served more as a costume than military attire.

Still Jace played the part to perfection.

He made one last pan of the crowd—someone handed him a slip of paper: The final tallies of the bet which simply said: Fatalistic in familiar handwriting, which the Outrider slipped into his pocket with an understanding look.

Satisfied that all eyes were on him, Jace reached down to clasp forearms with Alarick—

—who pulled him close.

“Make it past five, fearless leader, and we’ll both be rich.”

“I like our odds,” Dabriel said knowingly.

“I’m proud of you, lad.” Their grip released. “We all are.”

Jace slowly peeled the cigarette from his lips, then narrowed his eyes.

For a heartbeat, in that perfect, frozen moment, this war was just a dream. Artemus had never betrayed Jaden, betrayed his purpose, and let Arkhelan march all over Ciridian with his forces. The Helix Legions had not been tricked out of place to leave Veil’driel exposed. Sindell was not isolated, under a dark cloud of perpetual, unknown threat. There was no mysterious, deadly plague born out of Mazhira now threatening to infect the world. Cedwyn wasn’t gone and Isabelle and Relic were alive.

So Jace rose to full height in the stirrups again.

Thousands of people from all over the capital city were amassed before him, on either side him, and ascending high over him into to what felt like the firmament itself. He tugged the brim of his hat down so it crossed his brow.

A felt horizon in a world of chances – and a perfect fit.

When he spread his arms at his sides, it incited the crowd to a crescendo of cheers he could feel in his bones.

As Alarick held one finger in the air and twirled it toward the sky, the enormous throng froze to a painted tableau—like the walls that might one day bear Jace Dabriel’s legend. The subtle switch from performer to Outrider was but a glimmer, the work of a single breath.

And for Jace, timing was everything.

He leaned forward.

“Well, alright then, Dale,” he said. “What say we get this show on the road?"

With that, he clacked his heels, and the announcer's voice began its amplified narration of events.

“And he’s off, ladies and gentlemen! Jace—”

“—Dabriel. Veil’driel Star recipient and Outrider,” the Master of Ceremonies heralded him, and it was clear by the look on his face that he surprised by the introduction. He was standing at the top of the stairs, trying to loosen the cuff on his dress uniform and then froze at the sound of his name. Now he looked up and nodding out at the extravagant hall. Embarrassed, he smiled sheepishly, and then glanced back to the man who had announced his entrance and nodded to him as well.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had actually worn his dress uniform and thought it was dumb that he was wearing it now, and he started down the wide, ornate stairway at a pace that resembled more of a half-jog than the elegant walk he was expected to descend with. The applause for him was very loud and sustained, but he couldn’t wait to leave the top of the stairs that suddenly felt like a stage he was completely alone on. It only endeared him further to all of the high society, dressed in their finest, and commoners alike.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he immediately spotted Darvin Nash and Ferris Lang. They were standing beside a gigantic ice sculpture. Weaving throughout the crowd, everyone he passed made way and exchanged knowing glances as the celebrity passed amongst them. When he reached his friends, he sighed with relief. Ferris handed him a glass of champagne as he came up to them, handing it over with one hand while shaking his hand with the other. He shook Darvin’s hand and hugged Ferris’ wife and kissed her on the cheek.

Everything he did seemed a little sped up, a little awkward, and Danielle smiled.

“You look like a ship that just found a harbor,” she said.

Jace was glancing around as if he expected to be spotted by someone who knew he shouldn’t have been there. He cleared his throat and looked back to her.

​“And you look beautiful,” he said, still seeming distracted. “I don’t know what you’re doing with this guy.” He felt a gentle tug on his sleeve, and looking down, saw little Casey Lang, wearing the promised green dress, having been waiting patiently for Jace to notice her. When he looked down, he opened his mouth and gasped. ​“Wooooooah, pretty girl,” he said. “Look at you. Very beautiful.” She beamed at him, looking shy for a second before putting her arms up to Jace. Jace handed his champagne glass to Darvin Nash, put his hands under her arms, picked her up, pecked her on the lips when she pursed her lips and then transferred her over to his arm as he took the champagne glass back from Darvin.

​“Good job today,” he said as he handed back the champagne glass.

​“Mmmm,” Jace said as he took a sip. “Didn’t do that spinny thing.”

​Darvin winked at him.

​Jace glanced up at the ice sculpture.

​“What is this? A horse?”

​“Supposed to be,” Ferris said. “Don’t think the sculptor had much experience making them. Think he only made some for our benefit and presence.”

​“Huh. Kind of looks like a….,” Jace tilted his head a little to the side. “A giant … dog or something.”

​Casey who had caught sight of a small table filled with pastries and things had been transfixed by it and now was sort of squirming, and still staring asked “Mommy, can I…”

​“Yeah,” she said, go on.

​Jace put her down and she ran over there.

​“It’s ridiculous how big she is,” Jace said, watching her go.

​“Yeah, well, she just loves you,” Danielle said, but then she smiled. “But who doesn’t these days? Pretty popular, aren’t ya? For a minute I thought we were back at the Telminster Riders Ball.” She said, referencing the annual Ball held by the outrider order.

​Now Ferris stepped a little closer to his wife and slipped his arm around his wife’s waist, pulling her a little closer.

​“I could have been the most popular outrider if I wanted,” he said.

​She laughed.

​“Awww,” she said, kissing him on the lips and then wiping off the lipstick that was there.

​“Speaking of the Rider Ball, I’d say this has got it beat.”

​They all took a moment to really look over the room and take it in at that moment. Splendor. The protocol staff, who hadn’t much to do in recent memory had gone all out, but they were among the best in the world anyway. And they had a moment, where it was as if the beauty really hit them all at once and made them reflective. The music continued on, string instruments, violins, it was all so beautiful. The ceiling had steel beams all over the place but was mostly transparent, with airships flying over and around. And thinking about those annual balls, which led him to thinking about the past, about when Cedwyn was there with them.

​Jace was the first to turn back to them, holding his champagne glass a little highter in front of his chest.

​“To those we’ve lost, and those absent,” he said. “To Cedwyn,” he managed to get out, but just barely, and his hand was trembling ever so slightly.

​“To Cedwyn,” they all said.

​And Jace’s reaction made it even worse. Danielle Lang was tearing up, and Darvin reached up and squeezed Jace’s shoulder after he took a sip and it was obvious that he wasn’t recovering, and was in fact, on the brink of losing it, the beautiful music, the surroundings, and being with people he loved only intensifying the moment that he probably was just now truly reflecting all at once.

​Eyes wet and breathing through his wife to fight off doing just that, he was saved only by the sudden distraction by the guards deeper within the hall yelling out the king’s entrance into the hall on the way to the Ball. Then, as he reached the top ledge, the herald announced proudly: “His Royal Majesty, King William Bryce,” and many of his subjects bowed down to the ground. And it all got silent, the music stopping, those who were not his subjects, were quiet and bowed their heads slightly, and he was dressed in the dress uniform of the air kingdom. His advisors were there including Giles but did t say anything. He went and assumed his spot at the giant table slightly elevated over all the proceedings, the Parliament sitting there with him, all old retired pilots themselves. Then, as tradition required, he motioned to the muscicians who started playing the beautiful Air Force song that was the national anthem. It was beautiful. “ When hatred reigns, borders are drawn in fire. Tonight we continue take steps toward extinguishing those flames.

​And the airships zoomed over in every high note, every perfectly timed display. It was enough to make the hair stand on end. The must have been taking their cues from sapphires in the room.
​

​In the high eastern corridor of the Sindell Castle, Jaden was standing outside the heavy door where her unconscious daughter was in her bed. She just stood there, staring, her arm outstretched touching the wall.

​“Looking at it won’t make the courage come any faster,” the voice of Gabriel Foy came down the hall. “No matter how powerful a Tear you might be.”

​She smiled, sighed, and without hesitation walked fast over to him, hugging him and he hugged her back.

​“Has she regained consciousness, do you know?” he asked.
​Jaden shook her head.

​“Then let them be. There’s something that feels right about Avery being in there with her, you must feel it to, and we’ll wait to see how it developes.” He paused, then leaned away from the outrider sitting beside Hazel’s bed on the other side of that door, and to another, one he was much more interested in at the moment. “Heard he saved her life,” Foy said. Jaden said nothing just kept looking at the door, nodding. “Has he been told yet?”

​“I meant to,” she said. “But there was an incident. He’s been impossible to reach since then.”

​Gabriel nodded, seeing she was looking weak and supporting her.

​But Jaden knew him far too well and his silence spoke volumes.

​“What?” she asked.

​“Nothing. It’s just that he’s been here for months. It’s surprising that it wouldn’t have come up.”

​“There was never the right moment.”

​“Okay. As long as it’s not something else.”

​She stopped, and sighed.

​“You know he isn’t Art—”

​“I know he’s not!” she snapped.

​Foy didn’t seem to mind, letting it roll of him. Now would be the time she wished he was anyway. Not only did Jace resemble him so much when he was younger, but now, knowing his betrayal, it made the memory of when he was young and good that much more appealing.

​“Well, I imagine we’ll be doing it together, then,” he said. “Along with Fenlow. We’ll be doing the rest of this together, actually. As far as it takes us.”

​She looked at him, seeming grateful.

​“I still just can’t believe that Artemus. That Hazel…” she trailed off.

​Gabriel nodded.

​“Damn bad business,” he said. “No easy answers. No good or bad. No black or white.” He stepped closer, taking control, putting his hand on her shoulder. “We’ll sort it out, and there will be a time to talk to the girl. Let her rest now,” he looked away a second. “She isn’t awake yet. We’ll check on her shortly.”

​He stuck out his arm, a triangle away from his body.

​“Now what do you say we go check out this shindig I’ve heard so much about.”

​She smiled a little, sighed, nodded.

​“Have I mentioned how wonderful it is to see you again?”

​“No,” he said. “But that goes without saying.”

​She laughed a little and they started down the hall, making their way down to the Ball.

Now the National Anthem was over, Will stood up and held up a glass, his speech, also tradition about to be made.

​And while he held up the champagne glass, and hundreds of people fell to exact science, as even people all around his city and outside in the courtyards were all silence, as they had their sapphires attached to this room, listening. And so as he spoke to everyone in the room, he was speaking to everyone in his city.

​“I’m not really one for making speeches,” he joked and people laughed, knowing that was one of the most important jobs of a king, and he had made countless by the time he was a late teenager. “Now it might seem silly to some that we would be gathered to have a Ball in the middle of an unprecedented war. But I say there is never a more important time, more appropriate time than now. Not so long ago, we thought the entire world had fallen, that we were alone. We were protected by a forcefield that was orchestrated by my father, but we didn’t know as it was done behind the scenes with Jaden, as the first stage in long preparations, and then we lost him right when the rest of our world had fallen into darkness. Jaden was kept away from us, falling victim to the same lies of a deceiving force. And it was our fault. Generations of nations acting as one. Isolated from each other, only interacting out of absolute necessity, only a few places in the world where that kind of contact was acceptable or practiced. And it has, in turn, We’ve lost so many. We will undoubtedly lose more. But then there was a spark of light. Jaden arrived to us, and we learned we were not alone. And in fact, it was whistlers, outriders, another nation that made her getting to us even possible.” He turned around above him to where he knew Constable Thean and General Creed were up on the balcony looking down on everything and he saluted them with his glass and they saluted him back, and then the King turned back towards the main beautiful Ball Room. “Another nation willing to sacrifice so much so that we might be warned of what was going on. So that Jaden might reach us. Despite what happened before. Then Jace Dabriel came to us, against all odds, and yet more light shined through the dark clouds of deception and illusion, and for the first time we were not isolated behind our forcefield, but on the offensive as well. And then, the reason for this ball, the retaking of Zarponda City. No longer are we divided, never shall we be again. Even in the darkest night, there is always hope. As my father, our king who too sacrificed everything so that we might get tot his point to have a chance once said …. Even in the darkest night, there is light. And so we will fight, all of us, and we will live, not just survive, and we will win, and then we will unite the rest of the world. For that’s what tonight is about. The corner we have turned forever, and the world we have earned and know we want but now find ourselves in the position to fight for, to earn. It what we live for, it’s what we fight and hope for.” He held up his glass. “To Something.”
​Hundreds of people in the Ball room raised their glasses in unison, and though they couldn’t be seen, it was likely all over the city the scene was the same. People who had been so transfixed by this man and his words all raised their glasses and nodded.

There is a Lina Scarlet canticle not heard on Ciridian since The Looking Glass War. A conflict that left scars and dishonor on both sides that silenced them forever. But now I present Sylan Vhair to lead the chorus.

​“!” he shouted back.

​And then wild applause broke out, the music kicked back up, and the parliament was shaking his hands and they continued to talk, and all on the parliament, especially Tharod Chaypin looked genuinely moved. And then throughout all of it, the king glanced over towards where the outriders were, and they were all looking back at him, to Jace, and to Darvin and Ferris who had been the first of Veil’driel to reach Sindell with Jaden on that fateful night that felt like lifetimes ago. And to Jace, who his own people loved the way his own did.

​They saluted him back with their glasses just as Casey came running back with a cupcake in both hands and simply jumped up at her dad, knowing that he would catch her and pick her up, that absolute trust that can only exist in that kind of relationship. He flung her up, bringing her to his arms. Then she poined up, motioning up with one of her cupcakes at the glass ceiling.
​“Look!” she yelped, and all of them did. To see a beautiful shooting star streak fast across the sky. “That means a soul is going to heaven, right mommy?”

​She laughed, a little self conscious that it was now obvious that she had told her that at some point.

​“That’s right, honey.”

​Satisfied, Casey jammed one of the cupcakes against her mouth, taking a big bite, frosting all around her mouth.

​Now another small group of people walked over and took a few of the glasses of champagne from the giant pyramid in front of the ice sculpture, smiled, even they looked a little nervous around Jace. But then a servant came up to the group and looked at Darvin and Lang.

​“Excuse me, gentleman, but you wanted to be told when it was …” he paused, not knowing what he was bout to say. “Time, sir.”

​“Ah, right, Nash and Lang looked at each other.”

​“Actually, you know what? I’ll take this one.”

​“You sure? Want us to go with?”

​Jace shook his head, finishing the rest of his champagne.

​“Mm mm,” he said, and then placed his glass down.

​“You coming back?” Casey asked.

​“Right back,” he said looking down at her. “go dance with your daddy.”

​“Tell’em we said good luck,” Nash said.

​Lang took out a map he made.

​“We took the liberty of going and double checking those mines again, his route through the the mines again and we made our own map. Checked the route for him where he’s going. Kind of a superstition like last time.”

​“Thanks,” he said.

​And then he left out towards the wide open balcony door where he could walk through the courtyard, as he exited he walked to the giant exit balcony glass door, the giant bearded infantryman, raised his giant pint in salute as Jace walked by, walking slowly because he had already opened the map as he walked to the wide open door.

​“A hearty hail to ya, Captain,” he said.

​“Shaw, almost didn’t recognize ya without yer axe,” he said, mosing over to him.

​“You’re look’in surprisingly sober.”

​Jace was shaking all his group’s hands and then got to his.

​“Early yet sa, early yet. Got a limitless supply of deese fair ladies com’in ma way for this shindig is over. On account of dem boys over there and that rid’in a yers.”

​Jace twisted back around and saw the rifleman who also saluted them with their drinks, wearing the dress uniforms of a Royal Rifleman.

​Jace acknowledged them with a little upward nod, knowing the powerful sergeant’s penchant for betting on his riding of the gauntlet.

​“Well enjoy,” he said, not having read the map anymore. “Oh, and by the way, it’s an open bar,” he picked up the crystal class and the brown liquid out of the man’s hands. “Means the drinks are free,” he commented at their hesitation and then tossed it back in one shot. Wincing he blew out a breath and raised his eybrows. “Which is good for you,” he said, handing it back. “Believe me. I’ll see ya boys.”

The burly bearded infantry man whispered, staring in: “Aye. Come on then lads. Bout time we had a word with those fine lads.” That probably costs as much with the ice cubes clinking around in the glass, Jace drank it all in one shot, winced and handed it back. It’s an open bar.”

​They all looked at him in confusion as Jace had his hands in the pockets of his dress uniform, and turned around doing in a full circle as he exited out the giant sliding glass door so he could specificy. “Drinks are free,” he said, smiling as he left out of sight.

​“Ah well if that don’t beat all (funny line irish),” They started walking to the riflemen. “If that don’t beat all outta beat all,” he said. “A word, fair gents. A word!” He started over.

“You spilled all the drinks on that ice doggy!” she yelled, and she looked immediately up to her parents, expecting them to share in her shock.

​But both of them were staring at Jace.

​He was absolutely still, eyes locked on the top of the stairs where Isabelle was standing. It was an impossible sight, it was like being in a dream where the details don’t make sense if they’re thought about, but without thought nothing else matters. She was in her dress uniform. Even if she was really there, how could …

No one should k ow where their dreams come from.

The whole world was a heartbeat. And no force, natural or otherwise would have gotten through to him at that moment.
​Amazingly, for the second time, the muscicians stopped playing, this time, tradition had absolutely nothing to do with it, it was that wherever Jace went, stories of his forbidden romance was spread like wild fire, some exaggerated, some not, but his romance with Isabelle was told to young daughters by wide-eyed mothers in both Veil’driel and Sindell alike. No one could believe that Isabelle was present. It shouldn’t have been possible. And now everyone was quiet, staring at the living icon Jace Dabriel and they were the center of everything as she walked down slowly towards him, you could even hear her footsteps.

​All the eyes, even that of the king and parliament, followed her path until they all centered on the same place, right where she was standing directly in front of Jace. They were standing there, standing inches from each other, just staring.

​Danielle Lang noticed that Jace’s hands were trembling, just like they were not long before when Cedywn had come up, and he was keeping them down at his sides. It was as if the entire kingdom was holding its breath, as they were face to face, they knew that even the slightest interaction beyond military courtesy could have serious consequences. For as Darvin noticed when he glanced up back to the high level where the king had saluted them a little earlier, he saw Constable Thean and General Creed staring down at them. Everyone who was everyone was in that room, staring at them.

​Isabelle seemed to understand the situation, and nodding slightly, she actually took a small step to the side, but she looked sad as well, something torturing inside of her that she was keeping inside.

​Then Jace’s eyes drifted up to Thean up on the top balcony, whether he knew he was there or just sensed him was unclear but he looked up. And even in the dead silence, the massive attention that would be the talk of the city and everyone else for who knew how long to come, Constable Thean, standing next to General Creed motioned with two fingers towards himself. And Isabelle was standing there, nodding a little, and Jace took two or three steps away from her, towards the stairs that would lead up to where Constable Thean was.

​When he did, Isabelle nodded a little to herself, knowing that it was the right decision. The only decision, and she would have to talk to him later. But she bobbed a little in place, eyes welling up a little, and after only getting two or three steps away, Jace stopped suddenly and there was mumbling throughout the crowd, perhaps anticipating what was to come or at least talking about the fact that he just stopped.

​He spun around, and as he started back towards her he mumbled the words “To hell with it,” fluctuating, not caring about anything else as he charged her, his hands going up to the side of her face and he kissed her, like he never had before, then he kissed her cheeks, kissing her forehead, and the ball room erupted in ruckus cheer, and then he just hugged her, they hugged each other in this sea of jubilation. It was a perfect moment. An absolutely perfect moment, and the consequences didn’t matter, neither did the war. And they just hugged in spite of the consequences that were sure to come. Both of them somehow simultaneously emotionally energized to the highest level and exhausted all at once.

​And with all the laughing and the cheering, the muscicians started up again, and people went back to dancing, all over the floor, under the glass ceiling and the stars all overhead, and Isabelle was still in Jace’s arms, their eyes locked on each other, when suddenly both Darvin Nash and Ferris Lang straightened into a more locked up position as if almost to attention, but not quite, and being one to have had Thean sneak up on him many times throughout his life, a simple glance over and Jace knew the man was no doubt standing near him. He didn’t even know what to expect. He had never broken an ancient outrider edict in front of a Ball room literally filled with hundreds of people.

​Little Casey didn’t know what was going on but she recognized the serious mood that settled on the area all of the sudden, and the unreadable expression on Thean’s face.

​“Are they gonna be in trouble now?” she looked up and asked her mother.

​Danielle bounched her a little.

​“Shhhhh.”

​Even in Jace’s rebellious heyday, this would have been pretty bold. This was as crazy as anything he’d done.
​It was Darvin’s wife, who saved Isabelle without a single word, and she looked so excited like she could barely contain herself. Little Casey was similarly transfixed, stunned and quiet by the curious thing she had probably never seen before, and certainly a little intimidated or dumbstruck.

​“C’mon you,” Danielle said, grabbing her wrist. And before Jace knew it, Isabelle was pulled away from him, deeper into the party and out of his arms.

​Isabelle held her eyes locked with his as long as she could as she was pulled away, until finally they were both, along with little Casey in the other woman’s arms, swallowed by a throng of other party guests and people wanting to talk to.

​Confused as to what just happened and how it could even be possible, Jace cleared his throat, straightened his posture and tried to prepare for whatever was coming, he turned and face Constable Thean.

​“Constable,” he said.

​Before Thean could respond, the heralder, who had also must have been distracted by the spectacle of the Isabelle Jace kiss, had resumed his duty, and announced a few more people who came in, and Jace could not get himself to turn away from Thean. It was an authority the man carried, the same he had seen in Artemus at Lornda Manor, that seemed to hold everyone’s attention, and two things surprised Jace. One, Thean did not look near as furious as he would have suspected, and if he was furious the expression wouldn’t have been that different, but Jace could read them all. Second, despite what had just happened, he actually looked past Jace a bit to acknowledge the other outriders behind him.

​“Gentlemen,” he said simply.

​He was answered by two nods and rigid postures with a successive: “Constable, constable.”

​And then his gaze was back on Jace.

​“Well,” he said simply in his gravelly voice, and Jace could smell the liquor on his breath. “That was interesting, wasn’t it?”
​Darvin and Ferris exchanged a quick glance, barely registered, and then their stunned eyes were back on Jace and Thean.
​“Whaddya say you walk with me?”

​And with that, amazingly, he simply turned and started walking away into the crowd.

​“Yes, sir,” Jace said, trying to figure the situation out.
​He felt Darvin’s hand on his shoulder but didn’t turn around.
​“Good luck, brother,” he said. “I wouldn’t worry too much. I’m at least 70% sure he’s not going to kill you.”

​Jace barely reacted, this was all almost too much.
​“What. In the hell. Is going on?” he whispered.

​“Don’t know,” Ferris chimed in. “But you better go find out.”
​“Yeah,” Jace whispered to himself, in a daze, and with that he started taking his first steps after the man.
​

Chapter Fifteen  (E) Aleister confronting Leverette #2190680 by Dan Hiestand