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Two Worlds at War
“I’m glad you’re back.” Came Kesne’s sweet voice.
“I am glad to be back. Especially with you.” Persin’s reply.
Ramsy sat some feet away on the same stone wall. He too had been out at sea with Persin. However, he did not get such a warm welcome from anyone. He looked sadly over at the happy couple, his two best friends. Sure Persin had kept him in good spirits on the boat, and Kesne hugged him upon his return, but now they were off in their own world. He was left alone, no family to go home to, no other friends to greet.
His smile was bittersweet when Kesne looked over breifly and waved at him. He longed to hold her like Persin did. Longed to treat her like a princess. Persin, when home, acted suave and gentlemanly towards her, but he was not faithful once he’d parted. It made Ramsy’s blood boil to think of how Persin pretended to be so loving, when he only wanted to marry Kesne for her title. One good thing at least, Kesne was uncertain of Persin’s love as well. She would not allow him to kiss her at all, her idea of a deep sign of affection, until she was sure she could return the feelings in full. There was still a chance that he could show her Persin’s deciet.
That night he went to Kesne and forced himself to tell her. She had wanted proof, and so he provided. He took her to her own father’s tavern where Persin sat, all seventeen years of him, smooching the bar maid while holding Lila Fern,Kesne’s least favorite classmate and Alorra’s best friend,in his free arm. Kesne had been upset to say the least. She barged into the tavern, dagger drawn. Lila and the bar maid had jumped up and ran to a corner. She advanced on Persin and pointed the dagger at him.
“You cheat! You low down son of a slug! You should have had stayed and sunk with Atlantis! Your big head setting foot there must have caused it to cave in!” She was of course refering to the fact that Atlantis had sunk just days after Ramsy and Persin’s fleet had left. “I can not believe you would try to hurt me! It’s a good thing all you did was anger me.”
Persin had stood and held his hands up before him. “Kesne, it’s not as it looks. I… well… you won’t let me kiss you and guy just has to kiss… it’s in his nature. When we’re denied it we go crazy! I felt you’d prefer a sane husband.” Suddenly he pulled out a box. In it was a beautiful silver and gold ring that looked like vines entangled together.
Ramsy felt outraged at seeing it. He had bought that. He intended one day to give it to Kesne when HE proposed… or to whoever he ended up marrying, though he truly hoped it was her. He took a large step forward into the light.
“Where did you get that, Persin?” He snatched it up.
“I found it in your things… you said you’d bought several rings and that I could use one to propose with. I chose that one. Now give it back.”
“I told you this was the one I was going to use!”
“When you proposed to whom, might I ask? The bar maid here?” Persin laughed rather violently. “No woman, even that ugly wench, would ever marry you. You are washed up, poor, defeated… might as well be dead. We almost left you in Atlantis… perhaps I shouldn’t have asked them to slow down so you could jump on board!”
Ramsy stepped back a bit, hurt by Persin’s words. He was right though. Who would ever marry him? Certainly not her Lady Kesne. She’d want a rich bloke, like Persin, who could treat her to everything in the world and beyond. His eyes looked over to her and then down to the ground. He held out the ring to Persin dismally.
Kesne however snatched it up first and stuffed it in her pocket. She glared in a deadly manner at Persin.
“How dare you speak to Ramsy like that! He’s your best friend, and mine! He is a good man and any girl would be lucky to marry him. He is sweet and caring, funny, and smart, not to mention rather dashing in appearance. That’s more than I can say for you! You only pretend to be those things. He is sincere about it all.”
“So why don’t YOU marry him then, princess!” He spat the last word. Refering to a lady as a princess was every bit the insult. It was supposed to be a reminder of what they were so close to, but could never obtain. What they could only ever dream to be.
“You foul mouthed bloody monkey! Go drown yourself!” She slapped him, grabbed Ramsy’s arm, and left the building.
When they had reached her home once again, Kesne let go of Ramsy’s arm, finally realizing she had it still. She collapsed to the ground by her stone wall and began to cry. Ramsy sat beside her, shaking her.
No, Ramsy was not shaking her. It was a mix of Falcon and the boat. She sat up and looked over at him. His facial expression seemed urgent.
“Pirates.” Was all he said as he rushed off with his sword drawn.
Kesne moved after him, daggers ready for blood. She rushed up the stairs and onto the main deck of the boat. There were only seven thankfully. That they could handle. Derion was fighting one, Falcon two, Ramsy another, and Arelic one more. The last two were the one on board her own ship, and the one manning the pirate’s vessel. The last on board her own came at her.
When he was within striking range he stopped. Both stared at eachother for a while, willing the other to move first. They began a dance of sorts, around and around, jabbing at eachother, but never trying to deliberately draw blood. Then finally when Kesne was distracted by Falcon’s fighting partners and himself passing, he own opponent stuck her with the dagger in her lower left side. She would heal fast enough, but it certainly smarted. She turned her attention back to the pirate at hand and glared at him. Her two daggers glistened in the soft glow off the ebbing water. She swung her leg up and when he caught it brought her daggers down. He evaded her however by pushing her leg away which spun her around. He grabbed her up from behind. She crossed her arms at her chest to deter any thoughts of slitting her throat and stomped on his foot. He withdrew only a bit, but it gave her enough time to turn around and plant her dagger up under his right ribs. Blood gushed out of the wound and he staggered backwards. She took no time to waste and dumped his body over the side.
Falcon had disposed of both his problems with controlled fire to burn them until they suffocated and bled to death. It was a clean job too as the fire closed the wounds as quickly as it caused them. He came over and pointed to the captain of the pirate ship.
“Do you want him? Or shall I take him?” He asked politely.
“You may have him. I hate fighting pirates, they don’t give enough fight.” She smiled wryly at him, masking the fact that she was hurt.
He nodded and proceeded to take care of the captain. Derion and Arelic had also killed their opponents and dumped the evidence. When the captain was dead they joined Falcon in their own piracy by looting the boat. Only when they had finished and seen Kesne’s look of confusion did they too realize that Ramsy was missing.
Muted scuffling and swearing came from down below however and Kesne was the first to investigate. She found the last living pirate with a tied up Ramsy, sitting at the table looking smug. Ramsy was hurt, several stab wounds in his abdomen and bleeding profusely.
“Let him go!” She yelled, a dark tint to her normally clear voice.
“And then what? Let you kill me? I think not. I’ll get back on our ship with our loot… then toos him back.” He sniggered and pushed past the group.
Kesne bit her lip, but let him go. She wanted Ramsy alive. She followed to the ship and helped to load some gold back onto it. Then she returned to her own boat with the others and waited.
“Give him up now.” Falcon said, resting a reassuring hand on Kesne’s wrist.
“Gladly!” With that the pirate stabbed Ramsy again and tossed him into the water.
Ramsy’s head was soon out of sight, but so was Falcon’s. He had dove in to rescue him. Kesne sighed in a wistful way, despite her friend’s possible death, at Falcon’s bravery. Meanwhile Arelic and Derion had jumped aboard the pirate ship and were dueling with the attempted murderer. When he was dead they brought the ship back and were unloading it. Falcon had resurfaced by then with Ramsy and was already performing CPR. He didn’t need to however. Ramsy sat up and spit the water out himself, along with quite a bit of blood.
Kesne kneeled over him and held him down. When he stopped squirming she placed a hand on his forhead and one over his abdomen. Then she gathered her magic into both hands and they glowed with an unearthly green light. As it faded, so too did the wounds. Kesne yawned when she was finished and pat Ramsy on the shoulder. He sat up and hugged her. Then, after an odd look from Falcon, he backed off and went below to change and sleep again.
Kesne turned to Falcon and smiled. She then hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you! You saved his life.”
“Actually, you healed him, I just jumped in for him, which you would have done too had I not gotten there first.” He smiled and held her a foot or so away.
She smiled and looked into his eyes. A fluttering sensation filled her stomach. Then suddenly she’d pulled him to her and her lips met his in a soft kiss. They fell over and it deepened. That is, until Derion came over and broke them apart with a laugh.
“Enough for tonight kiddies. Time for bed… in separate rooms.” He grinned teasingly and stood them up, then shoved them gently down into the cabin once more.
Falcon kissed Kesne again before she entered her room and the continued into his. He shared it with Ramsy, who did not look pleased.
“You didn’t have to save me. I was fine.”
“You were drowning.”
“I was not… I was washing the blood away under there!”
“If you say so mate.”
“Don’t call me mate. I am not your friend, and never will be.” Ramsy turned and pulled on a plain black shirt before climbing into bed.
Falcon shrugged and sighed. Then he too changed and pulled himself into his own bunk for more sleep.
Kesne had used so much of her magic to heal Ramsy, that she did not yet have enough to heal herself. She could feel her wound becoming infected as blood seeped into her shirt. Derion walked by her room and saw her sitting on her bed. He then noticed in the light of the lamp that she was injured.
“When did that happen, sis?” He entered and crossed to her.
“When do you think, stupid?” She sighed and covered it. “It’s fine however.”
“It is not, look at allt hat blood. Come here and I’ll heal it for you.”
“I’m not a little kid anymore, Derion. I can heal myself.”
“Not after you saved Ramsy.” He wrestled with her, but won out. Then placed a hand on her wound. It glowed blue and her wound healed up quickly. “See all better, just like when you’d scrape your knees falling on the rocks or fighting with the boys in town.”
She stared at him until he left with a laugh and a hearty smile. She really did appreciate him though. Not to mention his gesture. She replaced her bloodied shirt with a fresh tunic before wrapping herself back up in her sheets and dreams after turning the light off.
“Don’t you dare deny me this! I’ll haunt you forever until you marry me or I die! I won’t be robbed of my deserved title and my deserved riches by you and that thick headed, foggy-eyed, fool Ramsy!”
Kesne got up and opened her door. Persin rushed in and tried to kiss her and hug her, but she merely grabbed him by the ear and dragged him out of her house. Then she caught sight of her new next door neighbor. Her name was Elza and she was the Duchess of Liam. She let go of Persin and waved. Elza saw her and walked over happily.
“Lady Kesne! What a delight.” She was speaking to Kesne, but staring at Persin.
He was a slightly handsome man she supposed, blonde haired and brown eyed. However her had high cheekbones and a fair complexion. Strong arms and a pronounced chin also seemed like alright traits to most girls now that she thought of it. She grinned deviously and introduced Elza to Persin.
“Duchess Elza! This is my good friend Persin Mcsteerse. He’s a lord’s son from Senath.” She prodded Persin, however he didn’t need it.
“Hello, Duchess Elza. I have heard so much about you from my cousin Kesne!”
For the rest of the afternoon Persin and Elza gladly flirted and by the end of the night, were bethrothed. Persin thanked Kesne and declared their spat over with. Kesne had slept well that night.
For a year things seemed to be going well. However, Kesne seemed to slip in one conversation with Elza, all about the fiasco with Persin. Elza had run home in a terrible rage, only to never arrive. She had not been looking where she was going and fell down a slippery slope. It was tragic when Kesne found out that she had died of blood lose and major head trauma in the dark forest, cold and alone. She had always pictured that to be the way she’d end up dead. An accident in the woods, furious and lonely. At least Elza had been betrothed. At the rate she was going, Kesne would die an old maid without even a single man who thought to wish upon marrying was only sixteen that year. However, she often looked too far ahead for her own good.
After Elza’s death, for which Persin blamed Kesne,he stalked Kesne, taking as many people from her as he could. He’d killed many of her friends in the one short year since he began. Now he was taking her king because she enjoyed fighting for him. She wondered why he never took Ramsy or her family. However, it was starting to dawn for her, that he might soon. Perhaps he was waiting until she was so close to them she'd kill herself if they too died. Maybe he wanted that absolute destruction to shine in her eyes as she became nothing without them.
Kesne cried out softly in her sleep. The last thing she wanted was for her family, Falcon, or Ramsy to be taken away. She needed them. She had a strong bond with them. Hell, she would kill herself without them. It must be exactly what Persin wanted, for her to slowly be destroyed by losing everyone until she had no one else to lose but those most important to her. Perhaps this trip to fight him was not the best idea. She might be walking, with her three favorite people, into a death trap.