The Capital

Druid wandered down the hall of the palace before running into Fedelm. He bowed politely, intrigued by how bright her inner light was though he hadn’t heard of her being able to use magic. She had the potential to use magic, he could see that. Maybe Arawn had begun to train her as well or wasn’t interested in training her when he had the option of training Sirona.
“Your Highness, an honor.”
She gasped looking up into his face. He reached for his head, certain that he had left the hood off when he left, but wanting to be sure.
“Is something wrong, Your Majesty?”
“You are Druid, the wise man, aren’t you?”
“I have been called that on many occasions.”
“Not once… did anyone say you were blind.”
He chuckled, “Well, I suppose because not once did I have a reason to tell them. They never bothered to say that they were speaking to a faceless, hooded figure most of the time either!”
Fedelm chuckled, relaxing, “You are very different than I imagined. Most wise men lack a sense of humor.”
Druid chuckled and bowed, “So glad I can exceed your expectations, Your Highness.”
“Have you any idea when Arawn will return?” Fedelm asked, “I was hoping to have him in the war council as an advisor.”
Druid paused as her inner light flickered somewhat, and he turned.
“You are troubled by his absence.” Fedelm flinched and looked at him. His smile was wry. “You need not be surprised. It is written all over your aura.”
He felt Sirona drawing nearer to the palace. Based on their speed, they were returning on foot. Something had changed, but he wasn’t sure what it was.
“My aura?” Fedelm asked.
“It is quite brilliant. I am sure you are excelling at your magical training.”
Fedelm’s heart jumped, “I… am not undergoing magical training.”
“You would be well-suited if that is something you wanted to pursue.” Druid smiled, “It would be just another jewel in your crown.”
Fedelm flinched at the words. Doubt filled her, but she couldn’t respond as she saw Arawn and Sirona walking up the palace steps. He was wearing different clothes than what he’d left in, but Sirona wasn’t. There was a brightness to her face that hadn’t been there before. Fedelm’s jealousy raged hot and quick as they approached. It was so obvious that they’d slept together. Sirona wasn’t even trying to hide it in the way she looked at Arawn.
Arawn wasn’t trying to hide it either, but why would a god hide his affairs from a mortal woman? Was Sirona so dumb that she didn’t realize that Fedelm was Arawn’s lover? She may not be the only lover, but she was queen and thus the most important lover.
She had felt blessed to have garnered his attention, but to see him turn his gaze to another so easily infuriated her.
What was so special about Sirona? Was it because she could use magic? It took more than magic to fight and win a war. It took planning, soldiers, and resources. The girl didn’t look like she had much more than her clothes to her name though she carried herself with a certain amount of grace.
“You’ve come back in one piece?” Druid greeted.
Arawn looked up and seemed a little startled, “I was so accustomed to seeing you without a face.”
Sirona nudged Arawn, “Arawn, that was mean.”
“I am accustomed to seeing you twirl about in the air like a dandelion,” Druid said with a long put-upon sigh. “My how times have changed.”
Sirona snorted, “Druid, please.”
Arawn huffed, “I believe I liked you better with your hood drawn, Druid. You were far less surly then.”
Druid gave him a beaming grin that made Sirona think he didn’t care. Though Sirona knew that there was a great difference in their power, they had a strange understanding. It was a bit like watching Arawn with Taran who had likely an equally low amount of reverence for Arawn.
Her gaze turned to Fedelm and for a moment their gazes met. Fedelm glared at her slightly before turning her attention to Arawn with a beautiful smile.
“I am glad you have returned,” Fedelm said, “Would you accompany me to the war council?”
Arawn hesitated and Sirona glared at Fedelm. They had only just returned. If she was so great of a queen, couldn’t she go to the war council by herself? What did she need Arawn there for?
“Of course, Your Highness.”
Sirona looked at Arawn in shock but watched the way he approached Fedelm and gestured ahead of him. He wasn’t eager or hurried about it. There was something casual in his approach. It eased a bit of her jealousy to see him almost dragging his feet to go with her.
Arawn had been eager to take her out of the capital city and everywhere else they had gone.
“Lead the way,” he turned back to Sirona with a playful wink. “I’ll find you later, Sirona.”
She felt the rush of power he sent her way and she nodded though Fedelm’s presence still irritated her. He didn’t seem happy about going, so she didn’t think they were going to sleep together, but Fedelm seemed pleased all the same.
Druid let out a low whistle, “Well. That was tense.”
Sirona looked at him, “I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“How about coming out into the city with me?” Druid asked, “I’m sure by the time they’re done, we’ll be back.”
She didn’t want to go, but she did want to spend some time with Druid. Within a few moments of leaving the palace, Sirona was disinterested. Watching Druid talk to the homeless and offer them food and healing was boring her. She helped because it was a good thing to do, but she wasn’t interested in it.
“You seem troubled,” Druid said lightly.
She scoffed, “What good is giving a homeless man a basket of bread? He’ll eat for the day, but he’ll be hungry tomorrow.”
Druid tilted his head as she cast her gaze down the street. There were several homeless people on the street ahead of them, just as many as there had been behind them.
“It would be better to destroy the reason they’re on the street. That would give them the chance to eat for months.”
“That is a rather narrow view of the situation.”
She looked at him, “How so?”
“The man we just passed is homeless because the lord over his territory raised taxes so high, he lost everything. His wife left him. Their children died of starvation.” Druid shook his head, “You think killing that lord is the answer to that man’s plight?”
“It won’t give him his children or his wife back, but he could have his property back.”
“You think that is how it works? That lord has a son. The son would just take over the lands and likely continue with his father’s way of doing business.”
“Kill him too.” Sirona shrugged.
Druid shook his head, “On that path, you’d end up murdering the entire noble class. Throwing the citizens into disorganization until a new noble class, or something like it replaces it.”
Sirona frowned, “He could just reclaim his property then.”
“That man owned a small building that was more of a shack, to use his words,” he tilted his head. “You think a shack is worth the murder of hundreds of people?”
Sirona huffed, “It was his.”
Druid shook his head, “I’m not disagreeing, but wouldn’t it have been better to instill better lords that weren’t happy to raise the taxes to line their pockets?”
He nodded back to the man, “He would still have his wife, his children, and his shack in that case.”
Sirona froze.
It is not nobility that is the problem, her father told her once as they rode through a city that was full of poverty and disease. It is the lack of nobility among the noble class that leads to strife like this.
She couldn’t remember exactly what city it was, but she knew that it wasn’t in Gunning but some other territory between Gunning and the capital. The noble over the land had doubled the taxes to be collected from the citizens, half paid the king. The other half lined the noble’s pockets. The people had all turned to the temple for salvation and a crust of bread within a year, spreading the hold of the temple a little further.
Her jaw trembled. Her eyes burned with tears and she felt her power swirling and bubbling with grief. Her father would have agreed with Druid. Killing a noble just so someone just as bad or worse to take their place helped no one.
“I have said something I shouldn’t have.”
She shook her head, “No. You just… reminded me of my father?”
“I hope that is a good thing.”
She chuckled a little, “He was the best of men.”
Druid nodded, “Would you like to talk about him?”