[Final Fantasy IV] Every Light Casts a Shadow, Chapter Two: Homecoming

[lassarina]

Pairings/Characters: Kain Highwind, plus cast
Rating: R (overall), PG (this chapter)
Warnings: Spoilers. Violence and language. Occasional sexual content.
Notes: This fic belongs to the Lucis Ante Terminum arc. Chapter list is here.
Summary: Though it is possible to return home, it is rarely possible to return affairs to their previous state. Sometimes the only course of action is to move forward.
Wordcount: 7300 this chapter.
Beta: celeloriel, first_seventhe, and evillotto

Kain stood in the prow of the Moon's Blessing, gazing at Eastern Harbour as it rose up in the east, a towering mass of grey stone clearly defined against the horizon. The chill wind ruffled his hair, thick and sticky with salt spray. He focused on the tiny dark figures on the docks, milling about like a colony of ants. They gradually grew larger as the ship approached, becoming recognizably men and women who went about their daily business.

Behind him, the sailors shouted to each other, their words torn away by the swift wind that snapped the canvas sails in their rope bonds. Kain tilted his head back, staring up into the endless blue expanse of sky. Are you up there somewhere, Barbariccia, drifting on the whims of some wind? Or have you gone to Hell as a fiend rightly should? He thought he saw a hint of her in a rippling cirrus cloud, a suggestion of flowing hair and a voluptuous shape. Her lips had always been cool against his skin, the sense of air flowing all around them even in a closed room as she moved on top of him, her hair whipping in a vortex of wind. The direction of his thoughts led him to a predictable physical response, and he damned her influence over him for the thousandth time.

They drew closer to the harbour, and Kain marveled at this sign of friendship between Mysidia and Baron, that ships crossed often enough not to need a native pilot. The sailors scrambled about to adjust sails at the helmsman's direction as he guided the ship. Kain simply stood watching as his homeland drew closer. All told, he'd been gone from Baron nearly three years, not counting their very brief sojourn for Rydia to learn to summon King Odin's spirit. Much could change in even a few months.

The ship eased into its slip in the harbour, and Kain went belowdecks to retrieve his pack from the stateroom the captain had given him. A few of the sailors nodded to him as he passed, and he forced himself to smile and nod back. It was hardly their fault that he was so unaccustomed to any human company that the ship felt like more of a prison than ever Golbez's dungeons had.

Over the course of the three-week sea voyage, he had read over the packet of letters his friends had sent during his self-imposed exile on Mt. Ordeals. It had taken him days to summon the courage to approach them, for fear that he would find within their pages an endless font of recriminations and accusations, but it seemed he had misjudged them. Rydia had sent two very sharp-toned missives, berating him for shutting himself away when what he needed was to be around people in order to heal. If you want forgiveness, then have the spine to step forth and ask for it, she had written in her angular, slanted script.

Cid's single letter had covered three times as much paper as both of Rydia's combined, rambling about the new airships he was building, and a short postscript threatening dire harm if he continued to upset Cecil and Rosa this way. Cecil had written three letters, his plain clear handwriting a relief to Kain's eyes after Cid's untidy scrawl. He wrote of various developments within Baron, of rebuilding the country and undoing the harm Cagnazzo had caused. The Dragoons prospered, he wrote, wanting only a strong captain to lead them again.

Kain snorted and set that aside; he had no intention of resuming command of the Dragoons. Baron did not need a traitor to lead its elite forces. A man who had so easily fallen to the influence of evil was not to be trusted in a position of command; what if he were to slay the King and take the Queen for his own, or influence Cecil to continue the wars Golbez had begun? His own weakness was clear when he had twice fallen to Golbez's magic and twice betrayed Cecil, who at least had had the sense to recognize something was amiss when Cagnazzo impersonated King Odin.

He had read Rosa's five letters slowly, then re-read them again several times. He fancied that the parchment smelled faintly of her perfume, lilies and roses. She wrote in a flowing, elegant hand, legacy of her tutoring as a nobleman's daughter. Where Cecil wrote of his hopes that Kain would return and resume command of the Dragon Knights, Rosa wrote of simpler things: how the fields were lush and green again, the simple peace of spending a spring evening atop the towers of the castle, with the land of Baron spread all around. I hope to see you soon, but do not rush to return on our account. You must do what is best for you. Cecil prays daily for your swift return. I pray you will find the peace you seek. Stay safe. We miss you. He had had to set the letter aside then, swallowing hard against an unaccustomed lump in his throat. Why did she have to be so damned forgiving and understanding? It only made his own failings the more obvious.

He shook off those thoughts and donned his Dragoon helmet, welcoming the anonymity of being one more man in the familiar armour, once again unremarkable. He checked that the letters were safely in his pack, unseen by any but himself.

Captain Nikos was awaiting him at the gangplank. Kain shook the captain's offered hand, passing over a purse with much of his remaining gil as he did so. "My thanks for a smooth voyage, sir," he said.

"Pleasure to have you aboard, Captain. Welcome home."

"Thank you."

He made his way down onto the wharf, dodging the handlers unloading cargo from this and other ships recently arrived at the port. He could rent a chocobo from the stable here in town, or perhaps take a chocobo coach to Baron City. He turned toward the western side of town and walked swiftly, ignoring the catcalls of the prostitutes that plagued the dock district and dodging the efforts of a footpad who sought the contents of his purse.

"Kain!" The booming voice preceded the powerful slap to his shoulder by mere seconds, and was followed by a grunt of pain at the contact between flesh and steel. Kain staggered under the force of the greeting, barely keeping himself from lashing out with his weapon as he turned.

He saw a large, stockily built man with bushy red hair, a voluminous red beard, and enormous thick glasses beaming at him. "Cid," he managed to say. He had been hoping to get through Eastern Harbour and up to Baron City without meeting any of his old friends; it would have given him time to get used to the land again. Then again, he was sure that the Elder had sent word ahead along the Devil's Road. He should be grateful it was Cid that Cecil had sent to fetch him, and not anyone else.

"You're just in time to get a ride back to Baron City with me. I was here pickin' up some materials for my new class of airship. Dragon class, they'll be! And you've gotta see the improvements I've made to the Falcon, and the rest of the Red Wings!"

Cid grabbed Kain by the arm and hauled him off through the controlled chaos of the wharves, chattering the whole way. Kain remained silent. He was reminded of the times when he was a small child, tagging after Cid in the airship yards as the engineer fiddled with this piece or that, always trying to improve his "babies." King Odin had once said, laughing, that he only need worry when Kain wasn't tagging after Cid or watching the Dragon Knights train, for it meant he was somewhere with Cecil, doubtless engaged in some mischief.

Cid led him to a beauty of an airship, gleaming pale oak and bright mythril trim, with the name Lady Fortune emblazoned on the side in elegant black script. It was a slim, sleek model, clearly designed for speed rather than cargo capacity. Kain took a moment to admire the design before climbing the ladder up to the deck. Cid had already gone ahead and was preparing to depart.

As ever, Cid wasted little time in getting the ship off the ground. It sliced through the air, heading toward Baron. Kain marveled at the speed of it, nearly half again swifter than his previous trips. The wind streamed past him, far cooler here than in Mysidia, even in the height of Baron's summer. The air rushing over his skin brought to mind more memories of Barbariccia, who had delighted in taking him soaring above the clouds whenever the whim struck her. Once she had dropped him, purely for her own amusement, and though he'd broken both legs in the landing, he had survived. She had bidden Mindy to heal him, and then lavished praise on him when she had him serve her in her quarters later that day.

"She's a beauty, ain't she?" Cid asked from just behind his shoulder, and Kain started in surprise, having nearly forgotten the presence of the crew.

"An improvement over the older models," Kain replied.

"We'll be home to Baron City in about four hours." Cid grinned at the expression on Kain's face.

"Four hours to cover a two days' journey on a chocobo? You really have improved them."

Cid slapped him on the shoulder again and moved off to harangue one of his crew about the way he was handling the rudder. Kain leaned on the rail and watched Baron fly past underneath them. When he had ridden airships under Golbez's command, the smallfolk of Baron had run to hide themselves from the airship, lest they should attract the attention of Golbez to their settlement. It had not sat well with Kain, for King Odin had taught him and Cecil that terrorizing the smallfolk was a good way to find oneself quickly dethroned.

He should have known something was wrong when the King's orders to the Dark Knights had shifted to focus on the extraction of taxes rather than defense. Cecil should have known. They could have prevented all this.

He wondered if, far below, children were jumping and pointing up at the airship, calling to each other to see it whip past. They had done so, once, when the Red Wings were new. Surely Cecil would have restored trust?

He sensed movement to his left and glanced aside to see one of the crew approaching. "Cid says you're Captain Highwind," the girl said. She had a spray of freckles across her nose and wildly curling blonde hair that wanted to escape her cap. "Is it true that you helped King Cecil and Queen Rosa save us all from Zemus?"

Kain opened his mouth, then closed it again. It took a moment to sort through the mass of writhing shame and thin, desperate hope her words invoked to find words. "I traveled with them, yes."

Her eyes lit up with enthusiasm. "That's wonderful! The Lady Fortune has the honor of most often carrying the King and Queen to their repair work—more than any other airship in the fleet!"

"Repair work?" The question spilled out before he could stop himself.

She gave him an odd look, but her enthusiasm was undimmed. "Yes, the King and Queen spent two weeks of every month helping repair farms ravaged by the usurper king," she said. "Didn't you know?"

When Cecil had written of rebuilding Baron, he hadn't thought his foster-brother had meant with his own damned hands. "I have been gone a long time," he said, instead.

She nodded, and withdrew, and he strained his eyes to see the land below, to see if the scars of Golbez's occupation and Cagnazzo's rapacious greed had grown over, but he didn't remember it well enough to know for sure.

The journey passed uneventfully, though clouds were beginning to hang low in the western sky, and they landed just to the south of Baron City in mid-afternoon. Cid strode up to where Kain was standing, looking at the city with a mixture of longing and reluctance. "Come on, we'll rent a pair of chocobos to take ourselves through the city. Cecil and Rosa will want to see you."

Kain mumbled something noncommittal and followed Cid down off the airship, where the crew was unloading boxes of supplies. Cid left his first mate in charge of the unloading and headed straight for the livery stable at the edge of the city. A few moments later, he had the reins of two large, docile chocobos in hand.

"Well, let's go!" Cid heaved himself into one chocobo's saddle. Kain mounted the other and turned it toward the long, broad boulevard that bisected Baron City north to south, running the full length of the city.

The accents of his homeland fell strangely on his ears, after two years of solitude and the company of Mysidian sailors on the ship. Here in the city, he could smell neither forest nor sea nor the rotting hulks of undead. He didn't miss the stench of the latter, but it was strange to smell so many people all around. The smells of cooking, of discarded night soil and animals assaulted his nose. Mysidia, for all its heat, had been a far cleaner city. Perhaps they used magic to keep it so. Kain could barely identify the streets they rode past. It felt as though he'd been gone far longer than two years.

They made their way through the main market of Baron, crowded now with vendors crying their wares and buyers strolling from stall to stall, pretending disinterest in the goods they bargained for. The raucous sounds of so many people shouting and talking assaulted his ears, and Kain had to fight the urge to clap his hands over his ears to block it out. His chocobo sidestepped and he took a deep breath to make his body relax, even as he wondered if it might not be a better idea to turn tail and flee back to the mountains. Cid seemed unaffected by the din, bellowing greetings at people as they passed. Kain recognized a few of them as those who worked with Cid in the airship yards, whose footsteps he had dogged as a child until finally the time had come for him to begin training with the Dragoons.

Slowly they made their way up the long, gentle slope that led to the castle, built on the highest point of land in Baron City. As they drew closer to the castle, the streets grew quieter. The houses were taller and more elegantly designed, spaced farther apart on the streets. Here noble houses vied for space facing the main boulevard. Some of the oldest families in Baron's nobility had built their dwellings here, and they were well-maintained, though old-fashioned compared to the ones that could be found a few streets more distant. Kain saw one household which was hosting a party of some sort, the garden filled with young women in bright dresses flitting about like a flock of confused butterflies. Once, he and Cecil had attended such parties. He wondered at his younger self, who had cared about nothing more than attaining his captaincy and drawing Rosa's attention.

They came to the end of the city and the slope of the road grew steeper as the chocobos plodded up the last half-mile toward the massive stone walls of the castle. In addition to the steep road for defense, the castle boasted wooden gates, built of the trunks of many trees lashed together with steel bands and pegs and reinforced with magic. They were partially open. He saw four corporals in the red and gold uniforms of Baron posted outside the open side of the gates, keeping an alert watch on the road. They waved at Cid as he approached. Above, Dragoons patrolled the battlements.

"Afternoon, Cid!" one called.

"Afternoon," Cid replied.

"Looks to be a bright night coming," the first corporal's partner observed.

"The Moon's bounty is a blessing," Cid answered. Kain cut him a sideways glance, but he wasn't precisely surprised at Cecil's choice of call-and-response.

The guards levied no further challenge, and Cid led the way to the courtyard, where he dismounted, handing the reins off to one of the stable boys. "See that that gets returned to the livery stable at the south gate," he told the lad, handing over a few Gil. "His too." He jerked his head in Kain's general direction.

Kain swung his leg over the chocobo's back and dropped to the ground, his armour clanking faintly as he did so. A second stable boy ran up to take his chocobo's reins. He tipped the boy, then adjusted his bag of possessions over his shoulder and followed Cid toward the inner gate of the castle. The bailey bustled with life, from soldiers drilling to servants moving about on errands. There were far fewer soldiers than when last Kain had been here, just after their return from the Moon, as befitted a peacetime king. In peace, most nobles would stay in their homes in the city or at their own lands, so the bailey was strangely empty compared to the last year under the impostor.

Two guards stopped them at the closed inner gate; Kain recognized both as men who had served under Baigan, even before Cagnazzo.

"State your name and business," the elder said.

"I'm Cid Pollendina, you blind bat!" Cid sputtered.

"Kain Highwind, son of Alaric Highwind," Kain said quietly. "If it pleases the King, I would seek audience."

Behind the gate, he heard the sound of rapid footsteps as a messenger darted off.

The guard nodded to Kain's armor. "You may not bear weapons in the presence of the King. A stand will be provided."

"Of course." He had expected no better, and indeed, had dreaded worse—being dragged before the court in chains had crossed his mind, even if it was unlikely Cecil would order it so. He unslung his weapon and handed it to the guard, along with his shield.

A muffled voice came from behind the gate, and the guards opened it just wide enough to allow a man through. Kain recognized Matthew Darmin, who had been his lieutenant when he had departed Baron in Golbez's company.

"I come with orders from the King," Matthew said, acknowledging the salutes of the guards. "The King bids his brother come before him armed as befits his station, and welcomes him to the court." He turned to Kain, and gave him a Dragon Knight salute. "Captain, welcome home."

Kain raised his eyebrows, unseen behind his visor, and saluted back. Matthew stood quietly, waiting for the guard to hand over Kain’s armaments. Kain felt the tension seep back into his shoulders as he slung the Holy Spear on his back once more. While it was true that those of noble birth—among whom Kain would have been accounted even had Odin not adopted him—were permitted to bear steel in the presence of the King, his was not precisely a normal case.

He removed his helmet and tucked it under his arm. Matthew led him through the bailey gate and through the castle, which was abuzz with servants and courtiers who just so happened to have important business in the hall where they might catch a glimpse of his return. Word spread like wildfire in a castle.

He reminded himself to say nothing aloud that could be used against him, and wished for the simple challenge of a dragon to fight.

Matthew escorted him to the throne room, and they were admitted immediately by the guards who stood outside. At the other end of the room, two chairs sat upon a dais, and Cecil and Rosa sat in them, garbed in pale robes. The high windows lavished brilliant sunlight upon them, giving them the appearance of glowing.

Kain repressed a groan upon realizing that the throne room was filled with noblemen. He had chosen an ill day to return, indeed.

He followed Matthew up the aisle between the noblemen, trying not to think of them as his enemies, but the pathway was too reminiscent of the narrow bridges over yawning chasms in Bahamut's cave. As soon as he emerged from the crowd, Cecil sprang to his feet, obviously ready to rush down off the dais. Kain went to one knee. "Your Majesty," he said, bowing his head. "I apologize profusely for disrupting your audience." He could hear the muttering of the nobles behind him, and it was a poor apology, but it was all he had.

Cecil checked his rush, but he did continue down the stairs. "Rise, Captain Highwind," he said formally.

Kain stood, and Cecil clasped his right hand and squeezed his shoulder by way of greeting.

Kain struggled to keep his gaze from the woman descending the steps from the dais with a slightly waddling gait that was completely unlike the light, graceful steps he remembered. Rosa smiled up at him, her hands resting lightly on the mound of her stomach protruding beneath her white gown.

She was still the most beautiful woman he had ever met.

"Welcome home, Captain Highwind," she said, holding out her hands in formal greeting.

He clasped her hands briefly, then forced himself to let go and went to his knees once more, head bowed. "Your Majesty."

Rosa folded her hands and smiled her same sweet smile. "I'm so glad you've come back. Are you feeling better now?" Ever the healer.

"Let's discuss this where we can all sit down. You especially," Cecil said, resting one hand lightly on Rosa's shoulder. She held out her hand to Kain once more.

Kain shook off the shock of seeing her again, and seeing her so obviously pregnant, and took her hand to kiss it. "My apologies for my deplorable lack of courtesy, King Cecil, Queen Rosa," he said formally, aware of the glares of the nobility behind him.

"The apology is mine." Cecil smiled, more for the nobility than for him. "I beg your indulgence, my lords and ladies. I was so glad to see my dear friend returned that I forgot where I was." As always, his smile worked some strange alchemy; some of the tension in the room vanished simply from those words. Even Kain felt better, bathed in that smile. Kain had never had Cecil's skill at making people at ease. For Cecil's sake, he was glad to see that skill remained intact.

"Bring the Heir's seat for Captain Highwind," Cecil instructed the nearest of his guards. Kain barely kept himself from wincing. Cecil was being anything but subtle about immediately placing Kain back where he had once stood—next in line.

The chair—which Cecil had occupied, when last they had been on this dais together, while Kain stood guard over the King—was brought swiftly, and Kain took the seat offered to him, though he would have been more comfortable in the position of guard. Cecil returned to his throne and called up the next petitioner, and Kain sat straight as his spear, doing his best to look politely interested as he watched the proceedings. Had he been questioned on them, he would have been hard-pressed to name the complaints brought forth, but unless things had changed, Cecil would be glad to reiterate them later, in private.

He knew Cecil and Rosa had wed. He had made his peace with it, or so he thought. Yet when he envisioned his homecoming, he had not thought that he would be faced so immediately with the results of that marriage. He wondered what had driven him to leave the peace of Mt. Ordeals behind. Each place he had been since his departure had been progressively harder to bear. Perhaps he was best suited to a life of contemplation after all.

He shook himself out of his reverie in time to hear Cecil dismiss the audience. He rose with the nobles to bow to the King, who proceeded to the edge of the dais with his Queen beside him.

"Captain Highwind," Cecil said, pausing to look back at him. "It would please us if you would accompany us, and tell us of your travels."

"I would be glad to, Your Majesty." Kain bowed, holding the bow as Cecil and Rosa descended the dais, then followed them down the aisle, his head held high and his expression as neutral as he could make it. He had weathered Zemus; he could endure the stares of men who had not given half what he had in service of this land.

Cecil and Rosa slowly led the way to the eastern tower, flanked by a half-dozen of the Palace Guard and the same number of ladies-in-waiting. Kain followed them silently, observing as the guards they passed saluted Cecil respectfully. He also noticed that many of the guards with senior rank insignia gave him looks ranging from wary to outright distrustful. He didn't blame them. He'd have looked at a traitor the same way.

The procession paused just outside an oak door elaborately carved with the crossed swords of Baron's crest.

"Your Majesty, might I beg your indulgence?" Kain asked, as Cecil opened the door and seemed prepared to lead him into the chamber.

"How so?" Cecil glanced at him, then grimaced and shook his head. "Of course, your armour. Please, go and make yourself at ease; we will be waiting for you."

Kain bowed and started to turn toward the side exit, intending to go to the Dragoons’ barracks.

"Not there," Cecil said, a thread of laughter running under his voice. Kain turned back, curious.

"All of your old things have been moved to the top floor of the western tower," Rosa said with a smile. "We've been saving it for you."

Cecil's old quarters. Kain forced a smile. "Thank you, Rosa." He waited for them to enter their chambers, Rosa leaning heavily on Cecil's arm, before he turned and headed for the west tower.

All in all, the castle had not changed much in his absence, save for the faces he saw as he crossed the courtyard. He ascended the stairs in the west tower to the top floor. When he entered Cecil's old room, there was a maid smoothing down the bed linens. She offered him a hasty curtsy. "Welcome back to Baron, Captain Highwind."

"Thank you." Kain worked up an expression he hoped was more smile than grimace. The maid curtsied again and hurried out of the room.

Kain stripped out of his armour and hung it on the stand that had been provided, where once Cecil's black steel armour had rested, and looked around him at his new quarters. The little touches that had made this room Cecil's had vanished, replaced by his own belongings. He had little difficulty imagining Cecil and Rosa moving the small keepsakes themselves, rearranging them just so. The miniature of his father sat on the dresser, painstakingly dusted. Next to it was a small glass box containing his mother's locket. There was a tall, narrow wooden case in the corner that contained his father's ceremonial spear, hung with seven of the crimson tassels that signified honours bestowed by the king. No other Dragon Knight in Baron's history had earned so many.

His own spear was remarkably bare of the same.

He removed the wrinkled, worn clothing from his bag and dumped it into the basket kept in the corner. It was strange to think that he no longer need launder his own clothing. So many things he had used to fill the days on Mt. Ordeals would simply be taken care of, now that he was back in Baron. Once, those hours had been filled with training and learning the business of the kingdom; what would he do with them now?

The windows drew his attention next, and he walked over and opened the shutters. He could see half of Baron City from here, the buildings tinted red in the glow of sunset. To some part of him, it was a relief to be home, to smell the familiar scents of Baron and hear the accents he'd known all his life once more.

To know he would be able to sleep without guarding against undead.

However, he couldn't shake the feeling that this homecoming was going far too smoothly. He had expected rather more resentment, perhaps even an active protest at Cecil giving him a place of honour. After all, the false king had ruled with an iron hand for that last year, and Kain had served him loyally and well. Cecil's kingship he could understand; Cecil had been Odin's unofficial heir for many years before Cagnazzo slew the King, and had led the battle against the usurper once his identity was known. He could also understand why Cecil, Rosa, and Cid would welcome him home. It was the rest of Baron that concerned him. The nobility had not been best pleased with his actions during Golbez's interregnum, in large part because he had not been required to care about their opinions. Golbez had ruled absolutely, and while that had been a military success—after all, forces under his command had devastated Damcyan, nearly wiped out Fabul, and crushed Eblan—it had not endeared Golbez, or him, to anyone otherwise.

He shook off such thoughts and turned to the dresser, rummaging for fresh clothing. He did not recognize the attire neatly folded away, but it was of a style with what Cecil and the nobility had worn to the audience. He guessed that Rosa must have had these made up for him, in anticipation of his return. He headed downstairs into the bathing rooms in the basement. Decades ago some engineer had discovered hot springs in the caverns beneath the castle and had tapped into them to provide the castle with a perennial supply of hot water for bathing. Kain stripped and slid into the bath, sighing deeply as he sank into hot water up to his chin. Mt. Ordeals had a great deal to recommend it in the way of solitude, but not as much in the way of amenities such as regular baths. He had had quite enough of bathing in icy mountain streams for now. He was grateful that no one tried to attend his bath; though that was common for one of his rank, he did not want it. The scars on his back twinged at the thought.

Bathed and shorn of three weeks' growth of beard, Kain hurried out of the baths and dressed in fresh clothing. The clothes fit well across his shoulders, but were a bit too wide in the waist, as he had lost some weight on Mt. Ordeals, but it was naught he couldn't remedy with a tighter belt.

He returned to his room to set his much-worn garments aside for the laundry. As he passed the silvered glass on the wall, he caught a glimpse of himself and stopped, surprised. It had been quite a while since he'd seen his own reflection in aught save a rippling mountain pool, or else encased in armour. He looked far older than he remembered looking before the journey to Mist, and gaunt. Much had happened, true, but he was still surprised.

He combed his hair and tied it back in a queue, then steeled himself and went to present himself to the new King of Baron once more.

The guards appeared to have been given orders to admit him on arrival, for they opened the door to announce him as soon as he was close enough. Kain was surprised to see that they remained outside the King's chambers even after he entered, and wondered how forcefully Cecil must have given that order, that they obeyed.

The King's suite appeared little changed from King Odin's day. The room was furnished in an informal style, with heavy but comfortable couches, upon which Cecil and Rosa had seated themselves. On the far side of the room, Rosa's ladies in waiting sat in a circle, speaking quietly as they worked on sewing. Kain knew little of the intricacies of embroidery, but the simple, plain cloth in their hands bore little resemblance to what Rosa had worked on during their teenage years. He wondered if fashions had changed that much, or if she had given her ladies something more useful to do than decorate the castle.

He came around to their direct line of vision and knelt. Cecil gestured him to rise, and pointed at the nearby couch. "Join us," he said, and somehow it didn't sound like the order that Kain knew it was.

He took his seat as a maid set a tray of tea and dainty sandwiches on the table before them. The maid bobbed a quick curtsy to the King and Queen, but Kain noticed that she was staring at him as she hurried out, pulling the door shut behind her.

Rosa poured herself a cup of tea, and then poured a second. He watched as she added two spoonfuls of sugar and a twist of lemon. She offered the second cup of tea to him. He took it with a smile and thanks, vaguely bemused that she remembered how he took his tea. Cecil poured himself tea and took one of the sandwiches, sitting back on the sofa.

An awkward silence descended, broken only by the faint sounds of tea being drunk and the clink of cups against saucers. Kain waited them out, forcing himself not to watch Rosa, though he was aware of her every motion.

"Did you find what you sought on Mt. Ordeals, Kain?" she asked him at last, setting her teacup down. Beside her, Cecil shifted restlessly. She rested one hand on his knee, her blue eyes intent on Kain's face.

"I don't know." Kain drank the last of his tea and set the cup aside. "It is very peaceful up there."

"If one discounts the undead roaming about," Cecil muttered.

"They left me alone, for the most part. They do not go near your father's sanctuary."

"Did you go in?" Cecil asked, frowning slightly.

"No. That is your place, and your father's. I stayed outside."

"All winter?" Cecil's voice held a note of protest. "Twice?"

"I had a cabin." Kain shrugged.

"You should have come down and stayed in Mysidia," Cecil said reproachfully. "The Elder would have given you a place to stay." As though they had not trained for just such living conditions, should they find themselves on the field of war during that season.

"Cecil," Rosa murmured. "That wasn't the point."

Kain looked at her, surprised. She smiled at him. He couldn't help noticing that once again, she had her hands folded over her stomach, as though to reassure herself that her child was still there.

"There is nothing particularly interesting to speak of regarding my time at Mt. Ordeals," he said. "What has been happening here?"

Cecil launched into a discourse about the process of reviving Baron and rebuilding its armies, air fleets, and everything else that had gone awry both under Cagnazzo's unfortunate stewardship, and the months when they had all been gone and no one had remained to run the country. Kain listened intently, making appropriate comments. Cecil had always been one for ideals, even as a Dark Knight, trusting in the loyalty of the people of Baron and the system of laws and taxes to support itself. His idealism shone clearly in each of the improvements he proposed. Kain could not but wonder how the nobility was handling these proposed changes. His memory of Baron was of a staid, formal atmosphere, ill inclined to change. He kept those thoughts to himself, not wanting to darken his homecoming with unpleasant thoughts.

When Cecil at last ran out of improvements or planned projects to discuss, the sun was sinking and the room had grown darker. Rosa looked outside. "It will be dinnertime soon. Cecil, will you help me up?"

Cecil immediately jumped to his feet and offered his hand to help her up. Once on her feet, she turned to Kain. "Please join us this evening. We have missed you. Will you be staying here now?"

"I don't know," he said, and saw her smile dim. Cecil frowned. "I don't know if this is where I belong."

"Of course it's where you belong. This is your home!" Cecil's frown deepened into a full-blown scowl.

"You always have a place here," Rosa said, "whether you stay or go."

"Thank you." Kain bowed to both of them.

Cecil and Rosa led the way to the smallest of the formal dining rooms. Within, he could hear the low murmur of conversation from their guests. He wondered who was present this evening.

Of course, the King and Queen were announced first, while Kain waited outside. Once they had, presumably, been seated, the guard gestured Kain in. As Kain stepped through the portal, the guard inside drew a deep breath and spoke in a loud voice designed to cut through the chatter in the room. "Captain Kain Highwind, of the Dragon Knights of Baron!" he announced.

The room fell instantly silent.

Kain saw four nobles sitting frozen in their seats, some in the midst of raising wineglasses to their lips. Across from them were some of Rosa's ladies-in-waiting; he dimly recognized one as being Lord Vyran's eldest daughter, but could not recall her name. Also seated among them was Rosa's aunt, Violet Farrell, who bore a striking resemblance to her niece. The others were strangers to him. Rosa was seated at the foot of the table, and Cecil at the head. Kain bowed first to the King, and then to the Queen.

"Please, sit," Cecil said, gesturing at a seat to his right. The nobles glared at him as he made his way around the table to the indicated seat. Kain bit back a sigh.

Once he was seated, Cecil rose and held up his glass. "A toast to welcome back my very dear friend, Kain Highwind!"

The nobles rose dutifully, lifting their glasses to the toast before drinking. Kain took the barest sip of wine. It was going to be a very long dinner.

Even for a formal dinner, conversation was horribly stilted. It seemed some had been making noise recently about how someone should be appointed permanently to lead the Dragon Knights, and each man at the table had his own candidate to present. Kain kept his mouth shut and concentrated on not looking at any of them, praying that Cecil would have the good sense to keep silent. The last thing this dinner needed was an incident based on Cecil spontaneously restoring him to the position.

"But really, King Cecil, something needs to be done." Lord Vyran gestured amiably. Kain liked him no better now than he had as a youth, when Lord Vyran had tutored him and Cecil for a year. "The Dragon Knights are the pride of Baron. They need a strong leader. You have been putting us off for two years with vague mentions of something to be done, and have yet to do so!"

"I appreciate your concern, Lord Vyran. In fact, I have been reviewing candidates--" Cecil's conciliatory speech was interrupted by a sharp, wordless sound from Rosa's end of the table. She looked up at Cecil with wide blue eyes.

"I think…I need to go lie down," she said, her gaze fixed intently on Cecil's face. He paled slightly. Kain felt his stomach clutch in a moment of sheer panic. Only when he felt the pain in his hand did he realize how hard he had gripped the arm of his chair.

"My lords, please feel free to stay and finish your dinner," Cecil said graciously as he rose and hurried to Rosa's end of the table. The nobles scrambled to their feet, and the ladies-in-waiting hurried toward Rosa. "Kain, if you would?"

Kain rose and set his napkin aside, forcing himself to walk slowly and calmly toward the King and Queen. He and Cecil helped Rosa up and Cecil escorted her from the room with an arm held gently around her waist. The ladies-in-waiting trailed behind them like a flock of confused birds. Once they were out in the hallway, Rosa leaned more heavily on Cecil. "Please send for the midwife," she said quietly. "It's time."

"Lilian, see to it," Violet ordered, and Kain watched Lord Vyran's daughter hurry off. "Now then, Your Majesty, let's see about getting you upstairs."

Violet stepped forward to help Rosa, but Cecil scooped her up in his arms and started walking quickly. Kain followed, ignoring the curious looks of the servants. Rosa's golden head was resting on Cecil's shoulder, her arm wound about his neck.

They gained the King's chambers without further incident, startled guards leaping to hold doors open for the King. Kain halted just inside the doorway and averted his gaze while Cecil laid Rosa gently on the bed and hovered uncertainly. Kain backed away, but as his hand touched the door latch, Cecil turned and saw him. "Please don't. Stay," he said, controlled panic evident in his voice.

Reluctantly, Kain stayed where he was, until the rushed footsteps on the stairs prompted him to move out of the way. One of Rosa's ladies-in-waiting was leading a rather frazzled-looking woman in her late forties, trailed by an eager girl with a halo of red curls and an infectious smile. Lilian Vyran was hurrying after them.

"Thank you for coming so quickly, Lissa," Rosa said, sitting half up.

"No need to thank me, Your Majesty," the woman said, setting down the satchel she carried. She turned to Cecil and Kain. "Out, both of you," she ordered, making a shooing gesture with her hands. "This is woman's work."

Cecil started to protest. Kain grabbed his arm and steered him toward the stairs. "She's right, you know," he said as he nudged the paladin to force him to move far enough down that he could pull the door shut. "It is woman's work they're doing."

Cecil rubbed his forehead. "I should be there with her."

Kain nudged him again so that he moved down the stairs, and followed him into the sitting room on the next floor. Moving like an automaton, Cecil staggered toward the nearest couch. Kain headed for the cabinet on the opposite side of the room and poured two hefty glasses of brandy, handing one to Cecil as he perched on the edge of an overstuffed wing chair. Cecil swirled the liquor in his glass. "This doesn't seem like a good idea," he murmured.

"Takes the edge off waiting, or I have heard it said that it does." Kain took a sip and savoured the smooth burn as it slid down his throat and into his stomach. He blinked and studied the glass. "King Odin's personal store?"

"Yes." Cecil took a small sip, sighed, and leaned back against the sofa. "How are you so calm?" he asked a moment later. "You..."

"I'm not." Kain took another sip.

Cecil looked at him. "I remember what you said in the Tower of Zot," he said.

"Yes." Kain reminded himself it would be a bad idea to gulp down the rest of the brandy. He set the glass aside to avert temptation.

"Do you still feel that way?"

"It will not be an issue."

Cecil sighed. "Kain--"

"Leave it," Kain said curtly. "Drink your brandy, Cecil. I will worry about my own problems."

Cecil took a reluctant sip from his glass. They sat in brooding silence for several hours, ears straining for any sound from above. Eventually Kain fell asleep, his head falling back against the chair.

He woke suddenly when he heard footsteps on the stairs, leaping to his feet and reaching for a spear that wasn't beside him as he was accustomed to it being. Cecil also stood up, though he did not appear to reach for his weapon. The rising sun behind him limned the Paladin in pure, glowing light, and Kain blinked to clear the glare from his eyes.

The younger of the two midwives rushed into the room, stopped short, and dropped into a deep curtsy. "Your Majesty," she said tremulously. "You have a son."

Cecil rushed past her, his boots thudding on the stairs as he raced up to his room. Kain rubbed his eyes, rolling his head to loosen muscles knotted from sleeping in the chair. The midwife hovered near the door.

"Do you wish an escort home, miss?" he asked her, and she started.

"Oh. I just live in midtown," she said quickly.

Kain frowned. "Midtown is a long walk. I will escort you home to see that no harm comes to you."

"I will leave whenever Mistress Lissa is ready to leave, sir. I will be fine."

Kain nodded. "Very well. A good morning to you, then." He moved past her to the stairs and turned left to head downward.

"Won't you go see the new prince?" she asked.

Kain struggled not to give in to his temptation for bitter laughter. "No. I imagine I will meet him soon enough, and the King and Queen will want some time alone.”

He returned to his quarters in the western tower. The maid was already there, letting in fresh air and light. Kain greeted her and began to tug off his boots.

"Is there anything I can get for you?" she asked him.

"Nothing." Kain started to unlace his tunic, then paused. "Actually, if you would send someone to wake me in three hours' time, please."

"Yes, sir." She curtsied and left the room. Kain undressed and lay down upon the bed, ignoring the morning sunlight that peeked through the shutters to illumine his room. He closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep, steadfastly pushing away images of Rosa smiling up at him with his son, their son, in her arms.