Lezard's Triumph

Her head was throbbing, a fierce pounding against her temples, causing Lenneth Valkyrie to let out a pain filled moan. Eyes still closed, she frowned, knowing something was wrong, realizing the pain was an unnatural thing. Another moan escaped her lips, Lenneth trying to move her head, feeling agony shoot it's way down to her jaw. She was crying out then, feeling her eyes wet with tears, the liquid falling free as she slowly blinked open her eyes.

Orange light greeted her, a glowing lattice floating above her head. She squinted, raising her hand, hovering it over her eyes trying to block out some of the light. "Ah..." A voice was speaking to her, a familiar and hated voice. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't wake up."

Lenneth tried to sit up, finding her body felt heavy, her armor weighing her down. "No don't struggle...it'll only be more painful if you move about." The voice advised. Lenneth rolled her eyes in the direction of the voice, seeing blue light shining up from underneath her body. Some kind of rune cast in the ground around her.

"Lezard..." Her voice came out cracked and broken, sounding hollow and weak. Footsteps sounded on the floor, booted feet appearing at the edge of the blue light. She frowned, slowly gazing upwards, even as the man knelt down, face smiling softly at her. She tried to hiss at him, jerking backwards, body screaming out in protest at the movement.

"No hush Lenneth...remain calm..." Lezard urged her, being careful to remain at the edge of the blue light. "You'll only do yourself more harm if you move."

"What's happening to me..." She asked, gasping out the words.

"Surely you know...surely you recognize the signs..." Lezard said cryptically.

She paused, staring up at the lattice, frowning. Lenneth realized that if she relaxed, some of the pain went away, though the heaviness remained, her body desperate for sleep. Licking her lips nervously, she spoke. "The Sovereign's Rite?"

"Yes." Lezard nodded.

"Why?" She asked softly. "Why not just kill me?"

"I could never do that to you Lenneth!" Lezard protested. "I love you too much to ever harm you." She stared at him, seeing he had shed his armor, clothing a little rumpled, a little bloody, but otherwise still intact. He stared back at her, waiting for her to speak.

"I hurt." She said at last with a sigh.

"I know my darling." Lezard quickly answered. "An unnecessary side effect of the Sovereign's Rite."

"Didn't hurt when Odin did it..." She told him, frowning.

"I'm still new at this." Lezard apologized. "But I will get better...not that I hope to ever have need of this spell again, my beloved."

Lenneth fell quiet, just breathing steadily, trying to think through the remnants of pain. "Not your beloved...That's the other Lenneth..." She told him with a grimace. "Not the same person at all..."

"Not yet...but perhaps eventually you will be her..." Lezard answered.

"What do you mean? What are you planning?" She demanded, and there was a flash of anger in her eyes, shining forth through the pain.

"I'm merely going to put you to sleep for a few centuries." He told her.

"Why?"

"You still have a part to play in my carefully reconstructed time line." Lezard offered no further explanation, causing the Valkyrie to frown. "That is all you need to know at the moment." He added upon seeing her expression darken.

"Where is Freya...?" She asked instead, turning her head away from him. Lenneth tried to look around the throne room, finding it empty aside from her and Lezard. "Thor and Tyr...what have you done to them...?"

"I didn't kill them if that's what you are worried about." She turned to look at him once more, eyes questioning at the laughter hinted at in his tone. "No...I merely took their power and rendered them helpless..."

"Mortal..." Lenneth gasped, eyes wide with the realization of what he had done. "You made them human..."

"Yes." Lezard nodded.

"You've fated them to die..." She whispered sadly.

"No." He shook his head. "They brought this upon themselves when they dared to raise a hand against me. They could have continued to exist as they were if only they had kept their oath to me." He laughed then. "But I won't force them to toil away on Midgard. I will allow them to remain in Valhalla as my servants for as long as they live. Heh...it will be a reminder to the other Gods over what will happen to them should they seek to oppose me..."

"You may very well end up with no Gods at all..." Lenneth said bitterly.

"Perhaps." Lezard let out a short bark of laughter. "But your counterpart and I can create a new race of Gods in the case of that eventuality."

"You will birth nothing but monsters." She retorted. "They will be twisted and evil like you, ushering the nine realms into chaos and destruction."

"Is that prophecy you speak, or mere speculation oh Goddess of the Fates?" She was quiet, just the sound of her heavy breathing in response to his question.

Lezard let out a heavy sigh, rising to stand. "Well as...interesting as this conversation has proven to be, I'm afraid our time is at an end. Any last words Lenneth dear?" She merely closed her eyes, refusing even to look at him. Lezard shook his head, making a tsking sound. "Very well." He backed away from the edge of the blue light, hands spread wide apart, ether glowing in the palm of his hands. Lezard allowed his eyes to fall close, lips pressed into a thin line as he concentrated his power on the rune that was carved into the floor.

The ground shook, rumbling with the force of his power, and Lenneth let out a strangled gasp, her back arching, causing her to rise half off the floor. Her hands scrambled at the floor, clawing, finding no purchase against the slick marble. Orange light flowed down from the lattice, clashing against the blue, pressing in around the Valkyrie maiden. She let out a scream, her body twisting, her armor fading away. Her skin started to glow pure white, her dress vanishing leaving her naked in the center of the circle. Her features were lost in the glow of the blinding light, Lezard being forced to look away from her.

When at last the light died down, the circle was empty, the rune and the lattice beginning to fade. Lezard strode forward, breaking the barrier of the circle. He sighed heavily, seeing a long strand of silver blue hair laying where Lenneth had been. Kneeling down, Lezard carefully picked up the strand of hair, watching as it glowed from the light of his fading spell. "Lenneth..." He said wistfully, and then was crushing the hair in his fist, a pained expression in his eyes.

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Alicia leaned on the edge of the boat's rail, peering intently towards the horizon. If she squinted, she could just make out the hint of land, a large brown mass that was slowly coming into focus. "Land ho!" She heard Arngrim call out, confirming what her eyes saw. She heard the creak of wood, footsteps approaching her. Alicia turned and saw Rufus drawing near, the elf chewing on a bran and oat bar.

"Want some?" He asked, breaking the bar in half, offering a piece to the princess.

Alicia shook her head. "I prefer to wait until we're on dry land." She smiled, thinking of the home cooked meal they would have once they got to an inn.

"Suit yourself..." Rufus said, stuffing both pieces into his mouth.

"We're almost at our journey's end." Alicia said, turning back towards the ledge. She sighed wistfully, resting her arms against it, and inhaled deeply. She could smell the salty air of the sea, feel the breeze blow back her hair, as the spray of the water splashed against the side of their ship. It had a calming effect on the princess, made her less anxious, more relaxed. "I suppose Arngrim will be leaving us soon..."

"Maybe...maybe not." Rufus said, swallowing the last of the bar. "He might want to stick around, help us keep the orb safe."

"Hmm..." She made a noncommittal sound, thinking of the pack that contained the sacred treasure.

"We still haven't decided what we're going to do with the orb." added Rufus. He slumped over the rail, his green hair swirling around as the wind played with it. "Arngrim thinks we should find a safe place and just leave it."

"We can't do that!" protested Alicia. "It's too risky!"

"I didn't say we would." He replied. "Only what Arngrim said we should do." He rubbed at his nose. "What do you think we should do with the orb?"

"Truthfully?" He nodded. "I want to keep it with me. It's the only way to make sure it's safe!" She added, as he opened his mouth to protest.

"Yeah but..." He shook his head. "If we keep it, we'll have to be constantly on the move, never staying in one place for very long."

"I don't mind." Alicia said softly, reaching over to place her hand a top his. "As long as I'm with you, I don't need a home." She could see him blushing, the half elf pleased by her words.

"But we can't guard it indefinitely...I mean...eventually we'll get too old to watch over it, and then what...?" Rufuas asked.

"I've been thinking..." Her fingers were caressing against his knuckles, a hesitant smile on her face. "The ring of Mylinn prevents aging as well as decay, right?" She held up her hand, the silver ring gleaming in the sunlight.

"Yeah..." Rufus said cautiously. "It does."

"Well...what if I continued to wear it after we cure the Ghoul Powder curse?" Alicia looked at him. "I wouldn't grow old, right?"

"Yeah but.." He frowned. "Why would you want to do that?"

"Rufus..." She sighed. "You really haven't thought over your predicament have you?!" She sounded disappointed.

"What do you mean?!" He asked.

"You're an einherjar." She pointed out.

"So?"

"So..." Alicia began. "It means you will stay the way you are, never changing, never aging. As far as we know you and Arngrim are going to live forever!" She saw Rufus' mouth open and close, shock in his green eyes. "And if you have no objections..." She added shyly. "I'd like to spend eternity with you."

"You would do that for me?!" Rufus asked, amazed.

"In a heartbeat!" Alicia said, turning as he leaned towards her. She stood on tip toe, Rufus bending down to meet her halfway, the pair's lips meeting in a chaste kiss. Rufus wanted to deepen the kiss, wanted to be swept away by his desire for Alicia, but he was conscious of Arngrim and his eagle eyes. With a sigh, the half elf reluctantly pulled away from Alicia, touching her cheek with his hand.

"Then let's do it!" Rufus agreed, and Alicia's eyes widened. "Let's guard the orb together."

"Yes!" Her smile was brilliant, white teeth revealed in a wide grin. Overhead seagulls chirped, their loud cries calling attention to the white birds. The pair glanced upwards, squinting against the sunlight, looking at the birds.

"We're closer to the land." Arngrim shouted. "The gulls don't come out this far without some place to land on."

Alicia and Rufus turned, peering forward, seeing the clouds of mists part. As the thick fog rolled on past, the port town of Solde came into view. A once thriving city, it was now bereft of the ships that had allowed it's people to prosper. Only a handful of ships were docked in it's port, rickety old boats privately owned by citizens too poor to flee the diminishing city.

Houses were stacked one on top of another, and to the west of town, a sturdy light house built of sheer white stone sat situated near the outcropping of rocks. There was hardly any people about, but Alicia smiled to see the town. It was here that her adventure had truly begun, here where she had met Rufus, and she turned to look at the half elf, wondering if Solde held the same significance for him as it did for her. From the smile on Rufus' face, Alicia was confident that it did.

Arngrim's expert hands guided the ship into port, docking at one of the empty piers. Young boys barely over the age of twelve, converged on the ship, eager to earn a quick coin by seeing to it's anchor. They swarmed around Arngrim, hands held out, eyes begging, and the warrior let out an annoyed growl. With a put upon expression on his face, he loosened the purse strings on his belt, tossing a copper coin to the boy who had done the hard work of tying the ship to the pier.

"Off with you..." He barked, hand going threateningly to the handle of his sword, only half joking as he chased away the rest of the boys. "This town becomes bloated with beggars more and more every day..." Arngrim muttered. "I'd keep a careful eye on our belongings if I was you."

"Yes..." Alicia said faintly, making sure the pack with the Dragon Orb was taken off the boat. The Solde of her fond memories was no more, quickly becoming a slum, a town full of beggars, thieves and other dark sorts.

"Let's go find an inn." Rufus said, slinging an arm around Alicia's shoulders, cuddling the princess close to his body. "I'm ready for a hot bath and meal."

"As am I." agreed Arngrim, following the couple down the cobblestone road.

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Asgard lay spread out before him, not as immense in size as it once had been, many of the large expanses of land had collapsed due to the earthquakes. Large holes were set where green fields of flowers once were, an unsightly blight on the land that begged to be fixed. Lezard looked around, seeing bits of floating land in the distance, finely crafted buildings built atop the hovering land masses. It made him wonder how many had fallen out of the sky, how much of the splendor of Asgard had been lost to the devastation beset by Gungnir's removal.

With just the slightest exertion of power, he knew he could fix all this. Knew he could restore the beauty of the realm with just a thought. But Lezard stayed his hand, walking briskly forward. Down the steps of Valhalla he traveled, jaw set firmly in determination. Lezard knew if he was not successful in what he intended to do, then it would be a waste of his power to restore Asgard. The shining realm, along with the other eight would be destroyed, forcing Lezard to create a new world out of the nothingness that would follow.

No! He thought harshly to himself. I won't fail. Even without the Dragon Orb I can do this.

He passed through a field of tall grass, the tops of the plants coming to his knees. He kept his eyes straight ahead, eyeing the large tree that loomed in the distance. Yggsdrasil. Even from this far away vantage point he could see it was withered, it's branches hanging down like that of a weeping willow. It's roots lay atop the dirt, thick and bulbous, leaking poisonous sap onto the land. Screams could be heard coming from within the tree, the various monsters that guarded it's treasure shrieking in pain and fear.

Spirits of the dead encircled the great tree, wailing in agony, trying to escape. But an ill wind blew, the breeze drawing them back, ruffling Lezard's cape as he drew closer and closer. He fought against the pull, determined to reach the tree in his own time. Leaves fell off it's branches, large dried husks, the size of a person. They crumbled to dust upon touching the ground.

The ground was cracked open, a wide gap of sky between Lezard and the tree. The mage lifted up into the air, flying over the hole in the ground. He flew forward, fighting against the powerful suction of the wind until finally he was but of a few feet away from Yggsdrasil. He stared musingly at the tree, inwardly knowing it would not survive for much longer. The damage was too severe, too extensive and numerous.

He reached into his pocket dimension, removing the philosopher's stone. "Tell me what to do..." Lezard whispered, bowing his head closer to the stone. It gleamed and it twinkled, words speeding by, confirming what the mage already knew. He nodding to himself, tucking away the stone, shifting aside the ether to reveal all three of the scared treasures. They floated before him, each unique in their own way, each containing immeasurable power.

Lezard concentrated, and one by one the sacred treasures lit up, glowing gently. He gestured with his hand, and the demon sword Levantine floated away, going to pose itself on the highest branches to the Northeast. Another gesture, the Sylvan Bow guided forward by the flicker of his fingers. It settled itself in the branches to the Northwest. With a sigh, Lezard looked at Gungnir, knowing he would be at his most vulnerable once he cast the weapon away.

Nodding his head, he sped the divine lance forward, it torpedoing towards the center of Yggsdrasil's trunk. It pierced it's wood, the tree seeming to shudder in pain, sap spraying out, falling to the ground in fat amber drops. Lezard thrust his hands out straight before him, concentrating. His fingers moved, casting complex runes in the air, the glow of ether from his fingertips forming the shapes. They flew to the tree, a blue one touching Gungnir, two red ones touching Levantine and the Sylvan Bow. The scared treasures seemed to hum in response, and a line of power flowed from Levantine to the Sylvan Bow, glowing golden. Upon touching the bow, the line extended down to Gungnir, and then completed it's travel by closing the arc back into Levantine. It formed a lopsided triangle, Yggsdrasil trapped in the center of it.

A thumping sound, the triangle of power seeming to reverberate like a heart beat. Louder and faster, the tree wavering in place. Beads of sweat poured down Lezard's face, his brown hair sticking wetly to his scalp, the wizard mumbling under his breath as he concentrated his energy on the tree. "Just a little more.." He whispered, his purple eyes gleaming with power.

He shot out gold bursts of ether, mini fireworks of explosion that occurred all around Yggsdrasil, coating the tree in his power. It glittered, golden and iridescent, Lezard panting, knowing this would have been a lot easier to accomplish with the Dragon Orb. But he pushed that thought aside, eyes narrowed, murmuring in a long forgotten tongue. The words poured out of him, almost as though someone else was speaking, his voice commanding and stern. Yggsdrasil responded to his chanting, it's roots quivering, seeking to rise up and strike at him.

The tip slammed into him, slashing open his clothes, the roots smacking his body around, leaving Lezard bruised and battered. And still he chanted, ignoring the brutal assault on his body. Yggsdrasil was beginning to fade in place, and Lezard could see his world tree, see it start to superimpose itself on top of Yggsdrasil. It screamed in defiance, rallying one last assault against Lezard's body. He saw red, felt the roots of the tree impale themselves into his flesh, and still he did not cease his chanting.

Lezard was sinking downwards, barely able to keep his body afloat, weary and bleeding. His world tree slowly came into view, looking stronger now, healthier. A tangible thing that covered Yggsdrasil, eating away at it's remains. The roots fell away from Lezard's body, allowing him to heal, Lezard tiredly watching as they began evaporating into nothing. A tremor shook the land, one that could be felt in all of the nine realms, though few if any would understand the cause behind it.

He gestured, and the sacred treasures flew towards him, runes fading away. He gathered them up gratefully in his hands, feeling renewed by their energy, feeling his tiredness ease away. Lezard laughed, and it echoed loudly throughout Asgard, shaking the very ground with the sound. He was suddenly turning, fling out ether, letting his power bathe over the land.

Ether fell like a gentle rain, and where it touched down, the ground healed, holes filling in. What's more, things were rebuilt from thin air, land reappearing. Broken buildings mended, the edifices shining, being made whole once more. Life emerged, flowers growing, animals coming out to play and graze, the land tranquil once more. Lezard nodded to himself, smiling in satisfaction as he surveyed HIS land.

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They had found a moderately priced inn, one of the few left open for business in Solde. From the decrepit state of it's outside walls, Rufus had a feeling this inn would not be open for much longer. Few if any people came to visit Solde since the fall of Dipan, only the weariest of travelers bothering to stop at the city. Even adventurers ignored the town, thinking it unimportant now that Dipan was no more. It wouldn't be long before Solde completely vanished from the maps, a curious foot note in the history of the great kingdom of Dipan.

Rufus shook his head, wrapping a towel around his long hair, attempting to dry the green locks as he walked down the hall towards his room. He felt refreshed after his hot soak in the inn's sole tub, body's ache washed away along with the dirt of travel. He paused outside his room, hand knocking against the door. "Enter." called out Alicia, and the half elf swung open the door. He was surprised to see Arngrim was also in the room, the warrior leaning against the window sill.

"What's going on?" asked Rufus.

"Nothing..." Alicia said. She had taken off her boots, and she padded barefoot towards him. She pulled him deeper into the room, casting a furtive glance into the hall, making sure there was no one to spy on them. "Nothing except...well...I think it's time we try the cure."

"Now?" Rufus was surprised. "Here?"

"Why not?" asked Arngrim. "We've delayed long enough."

"Yeah but..."

"You're worried it won't work..." Alicia said, gold eyes filled with concern.

"Well..." He hesitated to answer, the half elf not wanting to frighten the princess with his fears. "Maybe just a little." He ruffled the top of her hair. "But don't worry. I'll stay with you no matter what, even if you remain one of the undead."

"We both will." agreed Arngrim, with a grim smile.

Rufus turned surprised eyes at the beserker. "You will?!"

"Yeah." Arngrim coughed, embarrassed. "For what I helped do to her father, I...I owe Alicia at least this much to help her through this ordeal."

"Now now Arngrim." Alicia said chidingly. "We've been over this. I've forgiven you your role in what happened in Dipan. You don't need to feel indebted to me any longer."

"But still..." protested Arngrim. "I'd like to stay...see you cured of the ghoul powder curse."

"Thank you." Alicia smiled at the beserker, and Rufus was surprised to find a hint of jealousy flaring up deep inside him. What's more, the half elf wasn't sure he liked the thought of Arngrim accompanying them for too much longer. The big, burly warrior was useful in a fight, and had more than a handful of surprising skills, but he put a serious squash on Rufus' romantic ambitions!

"Okay..." Alicia opened the pack with the Dragon Orb, it's soft orange glow illuminating her face. She reached inside, removing the book on the ghoul powder curse. "We have the Dumas flower. Now what else do we need..." She began flipping the pages of the book, eyes narrowed as she read the fine print. "Hmm...we need a small amount of blood from the afflicted..." She paled, not liking the thought of cutting open a vein.

"We need a base potion." Arngrim said, reading over the princess' shoulder. "We must crush the flower with a pestle, and mix it and the blood into the potion."

Rufus was digging through their things, searching out the potions. He knew they had bought some on the way to the inn, intending to mix up the more expensive curatives from the ingredients of cheaper potions. "Here you go. One base potion." He handed it to Alicia.

"We also need some traving sauce." Arngrim said. "Easy enough to get. Any inn worth it's money keeps their kitchens stocked with the sauce. Be right back." He walked past Rufus, exiting through the room's sole door.

"Here...you crush and I'll cut..." Alicia said, handing the flower to Rufus.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" asked Rufus.

"If it'll cure me, I'll try anything...once." She pulled out a small dagger, hand shaking as she held it over her palm. She closed her eyes, and with a cry slashed open her hand, letting the blood well out and drip into the opening of the potion's bottle. The clear gel turned pink from her blood, and Alicia counted out the seconds, at last deeming enough of her blood had been split.

Alicia turned to bandage up her hand, winding the white gauze around her hand. "Heal!" She cried out, hand glowing, and she could feel it mending, skin resealing over the cut.

Rufus watched her, wooden pestle in his hand, flower laying inside a ceramic bowl. He crushed the flower under the rectangular pestle's flat end, grinding it's remains into a fine paste. He was just finishing adding the paste into the potion when Arngrim returned, a smile on his face.

"Cost me an arm and a leg, but I got some!" He held up the traving sauce, yellow bottle looking small in his hand.

"Quickly, add it to the potion!" urged Rufus.

The warrior dipped a generous amount of sauce into the potion, watching as the dark brown sauce turned the pink concoction an ugly orange color. He picked up the potion bottle, giving it a good shake, making sure the ingredients mixed thoroughly. For one brief second it glowed, a poof of green smoke shooting out of the bottle. A horrendous smell filled the room, the trio beginning to cough and gag on it.

"Hurry Alicia..." sputtered Rufus. "Drink up!"

Alicia's nose crinkled in distaste, and she cast a dubious glance at the potion. But her hands reached for it, and she brought it up to her lips. Holding her breath, she quickly downed the potion, trying to drink it down in one gulp. She nearly vomited from the taste, her stomach unsettled and grumbling. She gagged, dropping the potion, the empty bottle shattering against the floor.

"Urgh..." Alicia groaned, taking a step backwards. Her knees hit the bed, and she toppled over onto the mattress. She lay still for one brief instant, and then her body began moving, writhing in place. "I'm too hot..." She cried, hands tugging at her clothes, seeking to free herself from them. "My clothes feel too tight..." Alicia let out a scream, and started thrashing about, arms and legs flailing.

"Alicia!" Both men shouted, moving towards the bed. Rufus and Arngrim exchanged glances, the beserker nodding, stepping aside for the half elf to climb onto the bed. He crawled on top of Alicia, grabbing her hands, holding down the screaming girl. She fought him tooth and nail, head lunging to bite at his shoulder, making Rufus scream in pain. Arngrim grabbed her legs, trying to hold them still, even as she squrimed underneath Rufus' body.

Rufus watched, seeing her suddenly gasp and go still, her eyes wide and staring up at the ceiling. Her skin was pale, too pale, and for one brief horrible instant Rufus feared she was dead. But then her eyes were changing, the gold fading away, being replaced by her baby blue orbs instead. Rufus sighed in relief, falling forward to kiss Alicia squarely on the mouth.

"It's okay baby..." He murmured. "It worked...It worked..."

"How can we be sure...?" asked Arngrim.

"Her eyes are back to normal." pointed out Rufus, slowly sitting up off of Alicia.

"No, Arngrim is right. There's only one way to be sure...and that's to remove the ring..." Alicia said, and before Rufus could protest, she jerked the ring off her finger. Everyone held their breath, waiting for Alicia to start screaming, to do something, anything. Something did happen, but not what they expected. The inn was rocked by a tremendous earthquake, tremors shaking it to it's very foundation. Arngrim nearly slipped and fell, at the last second catching his grip on the dresser.

Rufus and Alicia stayed crouched on the bed, looking wide eyed as the bed started to slide across the floor. One last groan from the earth, and the tremors stopped, the Dragon orb rolling out of it's pack. It gleamed, seeming to glow with added power, though the trio were unaware of any difference in the orb.

"What was that?!" Alicia exclaimed.

"An earthquake..." Rufus answered.

"I know that! But here...in this region of Midgard?!" She shook her head. "Solde and Dipan are not known for land tremors."

"A fluke occurrence, nothing more." said Arngrim, and he smiled. "Alicia, I say you're cured."

"Hmm..."

He gestured at her hand. "You've been sitting all this time without the ring on. Nothing happened."

"Oh...OH!!" She turned to Rufus, eyes ecstatic. "I'm cured!" She threw herself into the half elf's arms, and it was all Rufus could do to keep the towel from falling off his waist.

"That's wonderful news Alicia." He said stroking her hair. She pulled away from him, a dazzling smile on her face. Before he could react, she was flying across the room, reaching with her short arms around Arngrim's waist, hugging the surprised warrior.

"Thank you..." Alicia whispered against his chest. "Thank you both of you!" She pulled away from Arngrim, and Rufus could see tears trailing down her face. But they were tears of joy, the princess crying out her happiness for once.

"Don't mention it Alicia..." Arngrim said gruffly, and Rufus nodded in agreement.