Tales of Regventus : Adalwen
Chapter 24

Ansel was tired of Griffa avoiding him. It was the third evening after they had come back from Clarton, and she still wouldn’t say more than two word to him. Every time he came into the room, she would leave it if she could. At meals she acted like he wasn’t there. She trained Max in the mornings while Ansel was seeing to the protector’s guards, leaving Ansel on his own to train Max other times. At night, she read in her room or was in the cellar working on potions with the door locked.

They had fought at Harvestide in Clarton. He had chided her over provoking the Viceroy of Aurumist and putting herself and Max needlessly in trouble. She had said Ansel treated her like a child, that he wasn’t her father or older brother. Then she got mad when he was worried about Max leaving the room with Issa. She had said he would be fine. Ansel cringed as he thought of the hurtful words he had said to her that night.

“I shouldn’t have let some pettiness with you distract me from my duties. Perhaps letting you help with Max was a mistake,” he had spat at her as they left the meeting hall.

“I am sorry I am such a petty, little burden to you, Ansel. You can quit worrying about me this instant. I won’t stand in your way. I can leave your life in a second, but you need to leave Max alone. I saw him walk out with Issa, and I’m sure you are going to be interrupting something.”

“Good, he needs no distractions right now. We never should have come here. He was so focused back in Abscon,” said Ansel coming out into the grounds of the third ring.

“Distractions? Max needs to remember that he has folk that he cares for and that care about him. If you want him to be a good king, he will need to remember what he is fighting for,” insisted Griffa on his heels.

“Go back inside, Griffa,” said Ansel. “In fact, if this is how you are going to be, go back to Abscon, your little hole in the forest, or even the Valley. All you do is add complications to my life.”

Griffa made a noise that sounded like the breath had been knocked out of her but said no more until they found Max. Later that night Ansel had felt bad about all he had said to Griffa. Her certainly didn’t want her to go away. He had been agitated. The room was unbearably hot, and he had been forced to make conversation with people he didn’t know. He had been worried seeing the Viceroy show interest in Griffa and Max. The thought of something happening to Griffa was unbearable.

Ansel got up from the chair he was sitting in by the fire in the parlor. It was late in the evening. Max looked up over his book at Ansel.

“Do you know where she is?” Ansel asked Max.

“I believe she said she had a potion to work on,” answered Max. “Are you really going to go try to talk to her?”

“It can’t go on like this. She can’t keep acting like a child. Not with everything going on.”

“You really hurt her, Ansel. I don’t know what you said to her and I know she has a temper, but whatever happened, it’s not just her being angry. She’s hurt,” said Max putting his book down.

“What do you suggest I do? Should I just leave her be until she’s ready to talk to me?” asked Ansel looking at Max. He felt a little silly asking a 16-year-old boy for advice.

“You should go see her but be gentle. Issa says whatever you did, you should beg for forgiveness, but I think she is a little biased,” said Max opening his book back up.

“You soke to Issa about this?” asked Ansel, irritated.

Max shrugged. “She brought it up first. I received a letter late yester. She said she wrote a letter as soon as we left. I think Griffa must have talked about it with her. Go see Griffa, Ansel, but don’t argue with her.”

Ansel shrugged and strode from the room. He went into the kitchen to get to the cellar by the small stairs that were found there. Maybell was at the kitchen table drinking tea.

“Are you finally going to go apologize to her?” asked Maybell, looking at Ansel.

“Something like that,” replied Ansel. He wondered how much Maybell knew about their disagreement.

“Good luck, if she asks me to throw you out of the house, I’ll have no choice,” said Maybell sipping her tea.

Ansel turned and walked down the stairs and came to the cellar door. He knocked.

“Who’s there?” came Griffa’s voice from behind the door.

“It’s me. Please open up the door.”

“Is something wrong? Do you need something?” asked Griffa

“I need to see and talk to you. Open the door, Griff. I come in peace,” said Ansel. He laid his forehead on the door. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean those things. You know that.”

He heard the door handle rattle, and he stood up straight as the door opened. Griffa stood in the doorway looking at him. She was a mess. Her hair was bushy and wild from standing over the kettle and fire. Her face was smudged with dirt. Her eyes looked sad and underneath them was blackish blue. Her fingertips were stained with the ingredients she had been using. Ansel’s heart broke a little at the sight of her.

“Have you slept since we came back,” Ansel asked with concern.

“A little. I’ve had a lot to do.” She moved out of the way so he could come into the room.

The room was very hot and dark. There were two tables against each wall, both filled with different ingredients and books. On one end of the room was a fireplace with a large kettle hung on it. A fire burned under the kettle making the liquid inside bubble. On the other end was a cot and a blanket.

“Have you been sleeping in here?” asked Ansel. “What are you working on?”

“I had a letter from when we were gone. My potion is working.” Griffa gave a half smile. “The children in the East Village are getting better, but they need more. I am trying to produce all that I can and send it quickly by messengers. I’ve sent two batches, but I want to get one more out by tomorrow to be sure they are stocked up.”

Ansel was amazed by Griffa. He thought she had been sulking, but she had been working non-stop since they had gotten home. She might have been consciously avoiding him, but she was not wasting her time. He looked at her tenderly. This is what held back his true feelings for Griffa. She was too good. She was wonderful and kind. She deserved better than any life he could give her. She didn’t deserve to come second to anyone or anything. His life of obligation to the king and the kingdom would not be fair to her.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this?” asked Ansel. “You could have taken a break from training Max.”

“I enjoy my mornings with Max; besides, you have other work to do as well. I wanted to help you where I can. I don’t want to cause you any more stress than I already have,” said Griffa as she stirred her potion.

“Griffa, I didn’t mean any of that. I was angry and worried. You had tried to provoke the Viceroy of Aurumist. I was also tired, and the room was unbearable warm. You know I’m not great at big gatherings. I said those things out of anger.”

“You may not have meant to say them, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some truth in them. I have been bothering you with asking about your feelings for me and sulking around like a child. I’m ashamed of myself. There are so many more important things to worry about. You were right. We both need to be focusing on Max and helping him. I don’t want to avoid you. It’s just hard to face you right now. I hate it when you are disappointed in me.”

Ansel sat down on the cot. “Griffa, come here,” he said, patting the cot next to him. He thought she would protest, but she walked over and sat next to him. He took her hands and looked at her. “You have nothing to be ashamed of. I’m the one who acted like a child, lashing out just because I was tired and angry. You don’t need to keep avoiding me. I’d rather you not.”

Griffa smiled a little. “There are still things I need to work on, Ansel. I do need to grow up a little, learn some restraint. I never should have tried to aggravate the viceroy. He just symbolizes everything wrong with the kingdom. I act out when I’m angry too. You were right I put Max in danger and everyone else at the party.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Ansel grinned at her. “Now, what do you have left to do for this potion?”

“It just needs to be stirred every three hours until morning, then bottled and sent out.”

“I can stir it for you. You need to get some sleep,” said Ansel standing up and offering his hand to Griffa. She looked like she would argue. “You can trust me. Come on, go get cleaned up and get into bed. Let Maybell fuss over you.” He added with a smile.

She took his hand, and he gently pulled her up. She stared up into his face with her tried eyes that were swimming with tears. She looked so sad and vulnerable. Ansel wanted to make her happy again and protect her. He wrapped her in his arms as she leaned into him.

“I’m so sorry, Griffa,” he murmured into her hair as she burst into tears. “Please say that you forgive me.”

“You don’t need my forgiveness,” she choked out into his shirt. “You’ve done nothing wrong. I never meant to complicate your life.”

“I do need your forgiveness. Just say it,” he whispered.

“She pulled back a little and looked up at him, tears running down her face. “I forgive you, Ansel.”

He brought both of her dirty hands up to his lips and kissed them.

“Thank you, Griffa,” Ansel said quietly. “You don’t complicate my life. You know that, right? I definitely don’t want you running off to the forest or the Valley.”

Griffa sighed and touched his cheek tenderly with her hand.

He took her hand and kissed it again before leading her to the door. “Now come on. You are going to bed.”

Ansel took Griffa up the stairs and gave her over to Maybell who clucked and made a fuss over the state of her. Maybell escorted Griffa upstairs as Ansel walked down to the cellar to see over the potion.

Training went much better in the afternoons with Griffa there to help. Max was always in a better mood with her around. She was also clever and thought of new ways to help Max understand what he needed to do. He was doing much better moving water and wind. He had even learned to summon things from short distances. Today they were working on a few spells that would be helpful in a fight.

“I hope you don’t have to use these anytime soon, but it will be good if you knew some ways of magically defending yourself,” said Ansel. He was standing next to Max about 10 feet away from Griffa who was facing them.

“The first one is a way to push your opponent out of the way. You should be able to control how hard you push them. Show him, Griffa.”.

Griffa smiled and raised her right hand pushing in front of herself. Ansel was pushed back a few feet and landed on his rear with his feet out in front of him. He stood up and dusted himself off.

“You can also push someone to the side like so,” he said. He waved his right hand to his right side, and Griffa was pushed to the ground on her side. She quickly hopped up.

“It’s just like before,” said Griffa coming over. “Imagine what you want to do and then feel the magic in you, ask it to do as you want. Come over here with me and try it on Ansel. Don’t worry he can take care of himself.”

Max walked away from Ansel with Griffa. She showed Max how to position his hands and had him close his eyes. Max tried for a while, and all Ansel felt was a small wind hit him from the front. Max was getting frustrated and turned away when Griffa whispered something into his ear. Max turned back towards Ansel, closed his eyes, and pushed his hand out again. Ansel felt himself fly backwards and hit the ground hard. He sat up as Max and Griffa walked towards him

“Are you alright, Ansel?” asked Griffa as Max offered him a hand.

“Yes, I’m fine,” said Ansel, taking Max’s hand and getting up off the ground. “I think we will call it a day though. Let’s go get cleaned up for dinner.”

As they walked back to the house, Ansel hung back with Griffa. “What did you say to him to get him to do that?” Ansel asked her.

“I reminded him of you interrupting his kiss with Issa,” said Griffa with a smile.

They were summoned to the Ring of Nine a week later. This summons included Griffa, and she dressed in her Keene finery for the meeting. This time all three were invited to sit. Griffa sat next to Madam Sidora, and Max and Ansel sat between Hector and Helmer.

“We have heard disturbing news from Aurumist,” announced Hector once they were all settled. “Our spies tell us something big is being planned.”

“Do we have any idea of what it could be?” asked Gorm.

“Only that it will affect the whole kingdom. Soldiers will be sent out to all lands eventually, but right now they are focusing on The Great Surrounding.”

The room got loud as many folk started talking.

“Do you think they are focusing on the Surrounding because of us?” asked Helmer. “Could they know how to infiltrate Abscon?”

“We have heard no indication of that, but we will need to remain vigilant,” declared Hector. “Ansel, you will need to make sure you have guards on duty at the entrance to the village at all times. We also need patrols at every hour.”

Ansel nodded, “It will be done.”

“Gryphon, we will also want to make sure some guards are posted around your house. We want our king protected. Max is not to go anywhere alone.”

“Very well,” said Griffa. “If the Ring thinks it is necessary, I will make sure the house is fortified with charms as well. No one will get in unless I want them to.”

Hector nodded at Griffa. “No one needs to be traveling in the forest unless it is absolutely necessary. Travel by magic will need to be used with caution by all in all areas of the kingdom but especially in The Great Surrounding,” continued Hector. “We must keep Abscon and our king safe until the time is right.”

“The fight will come to us, eventually,” said Madam Sidora in her quiet voice. She turned to Max. “Our king will have to make some very hard choices very soon.”

Everyone was quiet. Griffa finally spoke, “Is there anything else? I would like to go see to securing the manor.”

“How is the king’s training coming?” asked Helmer.

“Very well,” answered Ansel “He has moved beyond the basics and will be learning more advanced magic soon.”

“Not soon enough. In light of this new information, we really need to consider accelerating the king’s progress,” said Helmer loudly.

“No,” said Griffa emphatically. “You are talking about blood magic. It will not be done, not on Max.”

“Why don’t we ask the king, what he thinks?” asked Helmer. All eyes turned to Max.

“No, Helmer We’ve been through this. Gryphon is right, this is not an option,” said Hector standing up. “We need to take action to protect Abscon and the king. Let’s stop talking about things that aren’t possible and do what we can.”

Cries of agreement went up around the table. Helmer sulked down, angrily staring at Griffa. Ansel felt his magic reach the surface of his skin, it felt angry and unsettled.

The meeting was dismissed. Ansel sent Griffa and Max home while he went to speak with some of his guards to set up the schedule for guarding the gates, patrolling the village, and watching Keene manor.

On the way to see the guards Desmona joined him walking by his side.

“Dreadful, all of this,” said Desmona falling into step beside him. “Is the young king well protected?”

“Yes. I don’t have time to chat right now, Desma. You need to go home.”

“I have news for you, though. Some are tiring of waiting for your king.”

Ansel rolled his eyes. “Everyone knows that. Helmer can fuss all he wants, but it won’t change anything.”

“I’m not talking about Helmer. These folk seek power another way. Those who are in their way are not safe.”

“What do you know, Desma? If you don’t have more information than that, leave me be,” said Ansel impatiently.

“I just want to make sure you are taking precautions for the king and yourself, Ansel. I do care about you,” said Desmona tenderly.

“I appreciate it, but I know things will get more dangerous as we get further into this. Overthrowing a regime isn’t something you can do safely. If you hear anything concrete, let me know. Otherwise you can consider me permanently warned.”

“Just watch yourself with the Ring of Nine. There are those you would least expect in the Ring who are not for your king,” said Desma. “I’ll go home now. Good day, Ansel.”

Ansel’s heart was beating fast, and he had a feeling of dread. He walked faster to get to his guard and do what he needed to do. He wouldn’t feel better until he was home with Max and Griffa.