Lies

Arawn didn’t watch Fedelm leave the parlor. He watched her walk towards the corridor that would lead to her room. Fedelm had hoped that he would at least walk her to her chambers. Her eyes burned as she entered her bedroom, closing the door behind her as tears started to fall. She slid down to the floor with a soft whine.
What had she done? How had she lost all sense of herself and attacked a young girl? What was happening to her? This wasn’t like her.
Yet, the tears wouldn’t stop and the burning jealousy in her hadn’t subsided. The anger hadn’t eased and she didn’t think it ever would.
If it did, she wasn’t sure what she would be left with.

Arawn rubbed the spot between his eyes, irritated as he headed back to where he felt Sirona. The guards were still standing there. Between them and the garden was a thick wall of magic. They stared into the garden in shock. Arawn frowned and froze at the sight.
He could see the rush of magic between Sirona and Druid. Druid’s eyes were filled with divine light as he held Sirona close to him. The area had been made barren to the entrance. The stone slowly reformed. Walking stones resurfaced and gleamed as the grass started to grow around them. The barren land gave way to the familiar lush greenery of the garden.
Arawn huffed at the display. The plants would have grown back eventually, he was sure of that. Fedelm loved the garden. She would have just gotten the gardeners to plant more flowers and replace the stones that had been damaged. It was a waste of power to regrow it all and undo the damage.
“He’s just like Captain Duran said.”
“I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Arawn rolled his eyes and walked to the barrier, planning to walk through it. Druid’s eyes lifted to him as his hand found the barrier firm. He passed his hand through it and drew it back at the sharp bite of energy. He frowned, unsure if that was from Druid or Sirona’s power, but he waited until the garden returned to its former glory and took on a slightly unnatural glow.
Druid stood with Sirona cradled in his arms and walked towards Arawn. The barrier flickered and faded. The faintest trace of warm, thrumming energy drifted over Arawn as Druid stepped into the palace’s walkway in front of Arawn.
Druid’s eyes narrowed at him, “Arawn.”
His voice sound different, but Arawn brushed it off and offered his arms.
“I will take her.”
“I think you’ve done enough,” Druid said. Arawn bristled as he turned and walked down the corridor.
Arawn appeared in front of him, glaring at Druid, “What does that mean?”
Druid’s eyes narrowed and he floated up just a few inches and around Arawn without a word.
“Druid—”
A wall appeared between them and Arawn followed him towards Sirona’s chambers. The energy floating around him wasn’t of the usual sort. There was more power there and it felt darker than he ever imagined was possible for Druid. More than that, the sight of her cuddled into his arms irritated something in him. He cut Druid off again.
“I said I—”
“And I said you have done enough,” Druid said, his voice hard and stern. “If it were not for your lackluster training, she would not be in the state. You don’t have the first clue about what to do to calm her and help her regain her mind.”
That wasn’t far from the truth. When Sirona had fallen into trances before, he just let her sleep it off, but she always regained her senses by the time she woke up.
“And you do?” Arawn challenged, glaring at him.
Druid lifted an eyebrow at him and looked down at Sirona’s sleeping form purposefully.
Arawn bared his teeth, “And what sort of magic is this? Healing?”
Druid looked at him with an almost patient expression that only irritated him more. How dare he be condescending toward him? Druid was a mortal. If Arawn wanted to he could destroy him with less than a thought! He was older than Druid by centuries.
If anyone should be condescending, it should be Arawn, yet he couldn’t muster the words to tell Druid what he thought.
“If you plan to train Sirona to fight, you should take care to teach her to manage the changes in her power appropriately. We both know you won’t have the power or the wherewithal to stop her if she loses control.”
Arawn flinched at the accusation unable to counter the statement. Druid floated around him and entered Sirona’s room, laying her in bed. Arawn remained outside. He turned wanting to storm inside but decided he was better off leaving Druid to do whatever he was doing.
It was a mortal’s place to serve anyway. He would return later. By then she should be awake again. He hesitated for a moment. Not wanting to be gone for long, but he forced himself to walk away.
He found himself floating high above the capital, looking down at the softly lit city and growling at the thought of Druid at Sirona’s bedside taking care of her. It wasn’t in his nature to care about anyone or nurse anyone, but he didn’t want Druid doing it.
He pushed that thought away and considered what to do about Fedelm. If he wasn’t careful, she’d do something reckless like this again, and getting rid of her wasn’t an option.

Druid was grateful that Arawn had decided not to throw the tantrum Druid was anticipating. Maybe he was growing up.
He lit the fire in the hearth and summoned a bucket of water to clean Sirona’s hands. He pushed the cloth over her shoulder aside and wiped away the blood. Fedelm’s blade hadn’t been tipped with poison. Instead, it had been viciously sharp and twisted in Sirona’s shoulders.
The wound had been strategic. Had Sirona not had so much divine power, Fedelm would have killed her easily as the wound had been enough to render her unable to wield her sword. He shook his head at the thought. He didn’t know for sure that Fedelm would give up her quest to kill Sirona, but it was best to keep the women separated for now.
Luckily, the wound was healing quickly and he coaxed it along as he tried to manage the energies inside him. It was easier to convert such destructive energies into something more conducive to the task in a meditative state, but he made due as he focused on Sirona’s well-being. Waking up still injured and in any manner of pain would only make it more difficult to keep Sirona calm.
He was irritated with Arawn’s callous treatment of Sirona and Fedelm. For a god who had lived for so long, he was an idiot not to think that something like this would happen. He had Fedelm looking at him like a god and a lover, completely devoted to him. She was a brilliant woman, but she was still just human. Surely, he’d seen what scorned lovers were capable of? He’d likely left enough of them behind.
Druid huffed. That was the thing. Arawn had left them behind. He hadn’t bothered to stick around and experience the havoc he’d created. If Arawn had simply done more than seek the easiest and most pleasurable path to his goals, this would have never happened and neither of them would be hurt this badly.
He wasn’t entirely sure that there was a peaceful way forward between them, but he had to find it if possible. Sirona stirred with a little moan as he finished healing the sword wound in her shoulder.
“Druid?”
“Yes, I’m here.”
She blinked up at him blearily then looked around him. A little pang of irritation went through him, but he let it wash through him. Sirona was young and vulnerable. Fedelm had been young and vulnerable when Arawn had found her. He couldn’t blame her for this and he had no ground to interfere much more than this.
“Where… is Arawn?”
There were so many answers to that statement but he smiled and went with the nicest, smallest lie.
“He just stepped out. He should be back soon, I think. He had to speak with the soldiers about what happened.”
She grunted and nodded, “My head hurts.”
“Sleep some more.”
Sirona nodded and frowned, “What happened?”
“Later,” he soothed, pressing a hand to her forehead, “You need rest.”
She nodded again, smiling lightly, “Will you stay until he comes back?”
“If that is what you want.”
Sirona nodded and slipped off into sleep. He let out a little sigh of relief as her breathing evened out and the power inside her started to shift back into balance. She’d likely still be exhausted when she woke up, but she would be calm and in control of her faculties.