[IRP] As Firm as a Mountain

[Lavi]

Being unconscious, Cecily would not have been able to answer, let alone hear, Ray's question. Later, the apothecary returned and, after examination, declared that she only needed rest, but left some medicine to help her sleep.

It would be another day before Cecily opened her eyes again. She took a deep breath as the room came back into focus, savoring being alive in that moment, before the smell kicked in.

"A bath and fresh clothes would be nice," she loudly sighed.

She was still wearing the same clothes from the inn, before she was transported to the refugee camp, and then to this man's house. Although it was not the first time that Cecily went for days without a bath, since there are only so many places to wash up on the road to Bern, she did prefer to not smell like sweat whenever it is possible.

The noble looked around to see if anyone was waiting for her to awake. But the one who she looked the most towards seeing again is not here. Theodore still has not returned.

Her grip on the bed sheets tightened as Cecily calmed herself. She knew better than to disregard the possibilities, but she still could not accept Theodore being dead. Without proof, she would not abandon her retainer.

Whenever someone did come to check on her, Cecily lowered her head in thanks.

"I apologize for the trouble that I brought to the house. I am truly grateful for all of the protection and care I received," she said.

[WyvernSlayer]

“Don’t mention it,” said Satsume as he set a tray of porridge and tea on the bedside table. “To tell you the truth, this place needed a bit of redecorating, anyway.” He looked up at the holes in the ceiling. Sunlight poured through the openings, illuminating little flecks of dust in the air. Satsume sat down on the stool beside the bed and stared down at his healed hand. There was a scab over the top where the bolt had entered, but the apothecary’s medicine had gone a long way toward preventing it from looking any worse.

“I just wish I wasn’t the one that had to fix it.”

“You’re damn right you’re gonna fix it!” Satsume rolled his eyes as his father entered the room. “If I had known you were going to cause this much trouble, I’d have left you at the front step with that lass draped over your shoulders!” Satsume flashed a grin at Cecily, to reassure her that his father was speaking in jest.

“It’s not like anyone uses my room anyway, Dad,” Satsume replied. “Just set out a couple buckets to gather rain until you heal up.”

“Or…” His father laid his hand on Satsume’s shoulder. “…or I could just have your sister help you.”

“WHAT?!” came Limstella’s exasperated reply from the kitchen. Satsume’s father laughed and left the room. Satsume could overhear them arguing about the home repairs. He shook his head and turned to Cecily again.

“Now that you’re feeling better, what will you do? Do you mean to stay in Bern, or head back to Laus?”

[Lavi]

Cecily allowed herself to smile as she listened to the banter around the household. It reminded her of her servants back when she lived in Castle Laus. Her actual family rarely interacted with her outside of what was necessary, aside from her father. Being the third in line to the marquessate, there was no perceived need for her to be pampered and prepared to assume the title Marquess; in her case, Marquise.

The lady took a sip of the porridge (and holding back her distaste of the flavor) as Satsume questioned her.

"I recognized one of them: his name is Sheridan, a servant of Laus. He was likely ordered to kill me by Marquess Laus, in that instance. Returning to Laus is simply out of question, as it stands," Cecily replied.

"Even if I could, I will not. There are things I wish to accomplish in Bern. What happened before only highlights the importance of my presence here: I do not expect you to understand," she continued.

"Since my bodyguard still has not returned, I must presume the worst has happened. You said that you have no lord, correct? Will you swear fealty to me?" she asked Satsume.

[WyvernSlayer]

"Well... uh." Satsume fumbled over Cecily's proposal. His mind flashed back to the last time he accompanied a royal lady, prompting a physical shudder. He looked to his father, who just sort of raised his eyebrows as if to say "Well?"

“That is… I have a responsibility to my family, you see,” he said to Cecily.

“Wrong answer, boy!” burst his father. He motioned for Satsume to stand and accompany him outside the room. “Excuse us a second,” he said to Cecily as he left. Satsume followed him out.

“Dad, what are you talking about? You and Stella need the money! I’m going to keep helping until you set up the business again!”

“Take a look outside, Satsume.” His father pointed out the window towards the back, where the armory lay. It was not a large building, and the path leading out to it from the main road was beginning to grow over with grass. Satsume stared out the window, slightly mesmerized by the thin plume of smoke coming from the forge chimney.

“It doesn’t look like much, I know. Moving out of Lycia hasn’t done us any favors. But it’s enough to live on!” Satsume’s father clasped Satsume’s shoulder and turned him away from the window to face him. “You’ve done so much for your sister and I since your mother died, and for that I’m very proud of you. But this lass needs your help, and you’re the only one she can trust right now.”

Satsume said nothing.

His father continued, lowering his voice. “It’s time you started fighting for someone else. Maybe it’s for that young lady in that room.”

“But I don’t even know her!” Satsume whispered back. “She was just some girl sick in a tent, and I just happened to be around, and-“

“And you could have said no.” His father folded his arms. “You could have left her with her problems and come straight here. But you didn’t. I know a thing or two about you, boy. I know you’re like your mother was – something in you felt compelled to help.”

Satsume went silent again. He was right – he had even said to Cecily herself that it felt wrong not to help her. And even now, it felt wrong to refuse her proposal. He looked his father in the eye, sighed, and nodded.

“You’re sure about this?” he asked.

“Absolutely.”

“Stella, too?”

“Yes.” Satsume’s father looked over his shoulder at Limstella, who was still sashaying about the kitchen. “She’ll be fine.”

Satsume nodded slowly, then returned to his room. He met Cecily’s expectant gaze and stood over her.

“I had a talk with my family,” he said softly. “And I’m afraid that if you want to find your vassal…” He slowly sank to one knee and bowed his head.

“…then we had best be on our way… milady.”

[Breadophile]

Ray just watched from the sidelines while this all unfolded.

"Don't look so down, Satsu. If you're looking for money, working for a princess is certain to get you plenty of compensation, especially for something like this. God damn though; add pigtails, pink hair, and a staff and she's the spitting image of her."

Ray shot Cecily a dirty look, then took a look around the room.

"Sorry about the holes in the ceiling. At the time, they seemed kind of secondary to the conflict. I'm just glad sis wasn't here to lecture me about killing people. What the hell does she think weapons are for?"

Ray grabbed his stuff off the ground, then started walking out the door.

"Anyway, while this has certainly been an interesting diversion, I should be going now."