The Time

Days passed since the incident. Sirona had remained bed-ridden for most of the next day, sleeping off the exchange and Druid had tended to her. For the most part, Arawn tried to check in on her, but the sight of Druid in the room with her sent him away faster than his assurance that she was fine.
Fedelm threw herself into dealing with matters of the kingdom and had been subtly avoiding him and his entire section of rooms.
He wasn’t surprised. She was probably embarrassed about her behavior and was trying to figure out a way to save face. It served him just as well to have a bit of time alone. He closed the door to his chambers and sat in front of his scrying mirror, not interested in playing around with Anu today.
He needed to know how much time he did and didn’t have.
The mirror cleared and soared over the war-ravaged continent and he shook his head. People were crying out in terror and trembling in silence as people were burned at the stake. Anu and her consort were pushing the people to the brink, but her territory had expanded considerably.
There was only a small number of kingdoms who were standing against Conna’s tyranny, sending refugees off by boat to faraway lands or at least to die by the sea rather than fire.
He moved through the visions the mirror showed until he arrived at the temple again. The duchess was there with the Herald again, stumbling into a private room and demanding privacy. It was incredible to him that Anu allowed this to go on when so many tenants of her religion were hinged on the absolute control of desires.
There was no way that the duchess and the Herald were interested in strictly procreating, let alone marriage. The Herald couldn’t marry.
Arawn rolled his eyes and moved on from the vision of them and kept searching before disconnecting.
Soon after he felt Anu’s eyes upon him.
He turned his head and called the liquid of the scrying pool to activate. As he expected, the vision he asked for distorted and shifted to show Anu in her office, lounging in her chair and looking smug.
“I see you’ve recovered. Are you prepared to surrender yet?”
Arawn pulled his shirt over his head, “Are you planning to watch me bathe?”
Her eyes narrowed, “You were not about to bathe.”
“Vicious and now a mind-reader, your powers have grown considerably,” he said and gestured through the air to conjure a large stone basin and set a fire beneath it to heat the rock.
With a wave of his hand, the basin began to fill with hot water. He pulled off his shoes.
“Don’t tell me you have something against a good bath now?” Arawn asked, “Though you were never one for comforts, even you have to bathe.”
She sneered and turned her head, “Hurry up. I have no wish to see you naked.”
“You established this connection,” Arawn said, taking his time unlacing his breeches and pretending not to watch her.
As always, she fooled no one. Not even herself. Anu watched him from the corner of her eye. If he wasn’t so unnerved by her need to control everything and murder him, he might have been flattered by the unhindered desire in her gaze.
As it stood, he was using his body to distract her as he considered what he would do. He slipped out of his pants and leaned over to check the temperature of the water with a sigh.
“Perfect.”
“You do not feel cold nor heat, what use is checking the temperature of the water?”
Arawn chuckled, “You don’t feel anything. You have no idea what I feel?”
He smirked turning to the image of her and reaching for his cock. Her eyes widened.
“I feel hot and cold just as many others do. I also feel pleasure as it pleases me.” He smirked as he stood beside the basin and leaned against it, letting her look her fill as he peered behind her.
She was alone for a change, but on her desk, there was a missive about the last kingdoms.
They had given in to her demands and there were marching orders for the temple. It seemed he was more out of time than he thought.
“It seems that you are losing power,” she said stiffly. “If you are bothered by a bit of hot water.”
He swung his leg over the edge of the basin, “Not bothered. I am indulging. Surely, you know what that means? Are you not indulging your need to control by interrupting a simple pleasure?”
The liquid of the scrying pool drifted through the air towards him as he leaned back against the basin, facing it. She eyed the water suspiciously as their gazes met.
“What brought you to peek in on me today?” He asked.
Her eyes narrowed, “I was going to offer you a peaceful surrender into oblivion.”
“Not interested,” Arawn said, “Though into rapture we might be able to speak.”
She hissed, “Do not test me.”
Arawn shrugged, “We have been at odds for centuries, are you not tired of it?”
She laughed, “That sounded like fear. You feel it, don’t you? My growing power? How easily I could destroy you? Attempting to strike a deal?”
He sighed, sinking into the tub, “I am merely trying to take a bath, Anu, and decide what beautiful woman I will have on my cock within a few hours.”
She sneered at him, “That baseness is why I will destroy you.”
“Best of luck. I’d like to take my bath in peace unless you are volunteering to be that woman… Your vessel leaves something to be desired but it is a small matter.”
She hissed and vanished, leaving him alone finally. Anu was a bigger problem than he thought if she’d already pressured the last of the resistance on the continent into giving in.
He’d have to set Sirona loose sooner rather than later even if he wasn’t sure that she was ready. He finished his bath and got out of the tub. He dressed quickly and went to find Sirona.

Druid and Sirona sat in the garden, enjoying the sunlight and a bit of peace over their little picnic when she felt Arawn drawing closer. He looked harried as he found her.
“Sirona,” he said, “Glad to see you’re up and about.”
She smiled at him, “Thanks. Why don’t you join us?”
Arawn shook his head, “No thanks. There’s a matter I need to discuss with you… About Conna.”
Her heart lurched and she stood going to him, “What is it? Have you found my mother? Is she still alive?”
“I’m not sure. They mentioned that Gunning had been cleansed. Most recently the king had a noblewoman burned at the stake. She had dark hair and blue eyes and an Anu rosary.
Druid couldn’t believe his ears as he turned and felt Sirona growing upset.
“They called her the duchess. Perhaps—”
“I have to go.” Sirona said stiffly, “I have to go now.”
Druid stood, “You haven’t recovered yet. You should at least—”
“My mother is dead,” Sirona cut in. “If I had just… gone earlier. If I had been stronger, then I could have saved her.”
Her jaw trembled, “I can at least avenge her… and everyone else from Gunning.”
“I’m sorry, Sirona,” Druid said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “About your mother. I wish… there were words to comfort you."
She turned to him, “Will you come with me?”
Arawn froze and he looked at Druid, shocked that she was asking him to go instead of Arawn.
“If that is what you wish.”
She nodded, “I’m going to get changed.”
“You plan to go with just Druid?” Arawn asked.
She looked at him, “You’re important to Berth’s campaigns. An advisor, right?”
Arawn nodded stiffly, “Of a sort, yes.”
“Then, you can’t be gone that long. I don’t know what I’ll be facing on the other side of the river.”
Arawn looked at Druid who seemed pensive as he stared at Sirona. A light flickered through his eyes and he sighed with a little nod.
“And I want to be in control of myself when I face them. I don’t want anyone to get hurt unnecessarily.”
Arawn grit his teeth. He hadn’t expected this, but he couldn’t say it was a bad idea. After all, if he crossed the river, he would be the oath breaker and that would put him at a disadvantage. It was irritating, but it was better this way.
“Very well,” Arawn said, “I’ll come with you to the edge of the continent, and we’ll part there.”
Sirona nodded, “I’m going to go pack.”
She hurried off and Arawn turned to Druid. He sneered at the man.
“You must be happy.”
“Do not pretend as though you intended to go with her,” Druid said.
He clenched his fist as Druid drifted around him after Sirona.