Chapter 28 - Lilas

"The army report should be here soon. Based on our estimates they have another few weeks hard march to reach the border, we should have more frequent reports then. There are already several dragons there who are willing to fly back and forth as messengers." Kavarthon informs us.

That'll be a relief, knowing what's going on there will help us plan better. We've been getting reports from the border detailing the defences they've set up and the scouts that they've sent into Nerkise which so far haven't spotted any of Rhistel's soldiers marching toward us.

"Anything else to discuss today?" I ask wanting to head home. By now Emmy should be back from the orphanage and I want to make sure that she's okay. It's slightly irrational as I'm sure Khidell and Volethe have kept her safe but I still want to see her for myself.

The Council shake their heads and we end the meeting for today. We'll meet again as we have done every day since the army departed Hadlau, we've been planning not just the border defence but made plans for all cities between here and the border. Not to mention determining what supplies we can afford to send north to resupply the army, not just food but clothes and weapons as well.

To my surprise when I get back home Tehlmar informs me that Emmy isn't back from the orphanage yet and there is no word of when she'll be back. Needing something to do until she returns I go down to my lab and start working on carving some runes, I'd have started another batch of healing potion but that needs more watching than runes. At least I'll be able to put the runes down easily once Emmy is back.

With a new book on ancient runes that Uncle Magor sent me I've been trying to develop a more powerful series of protective runes that will be suitable for defending field hospitals. I think that I have the right runes now for the series to work properly but I still need to test it before I can start making more and sending them to the border. The series should cover a large enough area that they can be set up to protect the hospitals they have there for immediate treatment, the runes should keep the area safe from any harm that Rhistel may plan against the injured vulnerable men.

I don't stop carving until I've finished the entire set of runes, it's a good few hours work and I still need to test them but first I need some lunch. Going back upstairs I grab my runes book and sit down to re-read the chapter on protective runes to review how big an area they should cover in the dining room until lunch is served, which according to Nuela shouldn't be long. It's too quiet here without any of my mates about even with the sound of servants moving around it's not the same as knowing that the people I love most are close.

I'm steadily picking at lunch once it's been served but all my focus is on my book. At least until Emmy walks into the room taking a seat next to me. It's a relief having her back home where I know it's safe, she seems happy though and she's smiling the entire time she tells me about her visit.

As she starts talking about visiting the babies at the orphanage I notice the longing in her eyes as her thoughts drift to our child. My own eyes drift down to her stomach imagining what she might look like in a few months' time as our baby grows, I just can't believe Kor and Bel will miss this. Gods I hope they get our letter soon and they can send one back to us.

The idea of a reply brings a beautiful smile to Emmy's face as she finishes off her lunch. Luckily she's eating more now than she had this morning because of the nausea she tends to feel in the morning at the moment, Gods I can't wait until that part is over. I know that it could last for a while but I still pray that's over with soon so that Emmy doesn't have to feel ill in the mornings. The potion the Healer provided her with helps but there's only so much it can do.

"Want to go for a walk in the gardens?" I ask once she's finished eating. Before the Healer visited we'd have gone down to my lab but ever since we learned of the pregnancy it's best that Emmy doesn't help while I make potions and as she can't help with runes it'd be boring down there for her.

"Sure, we won't have much longer with flowers around." She replies linking her arm around mine as we head outside. It's just warm enough that the slightly thicker clothes we have are warmer enough for us to go outside in without needing to put on cloaks although soon we might need them. Even though it's not quite winter yet Madame Joanna come and visit to prepare winter clothes for myself and Emmy, I hadn't thought we'd be here long enough to need more clothes but it seems we won't be leaving anytime soon.

"Why don't we go to the glass house gardens tomorrow then? We can spend all afternoon there if you'd like." I offer getting a happy smile in return followed by a brief kiss on the cheek.

"I'd like that. I haven't got anything planned tomorrow so I could sort out a picnic for us if you think you'll be back for lunch."

"The meeting shouldn't take long unless something major happens. If that happens I'll send someone to tell you." Going quiet we walk through the garden admiring the flowers that are still alive. Emmy is right that it won't be long before their gone for the year. I can't wait to show her the garden coming back to life in spring although by then she'll be further into the pregnancy and by summer we'll have a baby with us.

"Have you managed to make anymore progress on that set of protective runes you mentioned finding in your book?" Emmy asks as we take a seat in the garden for a brief rest. We're not really tired the garden isn't that big but this might be the one of the last days of good weather we have for a while.

"Yes, I've got a set carved and ready to test. I'll ride out of the city and test them out there in the open just in case I've got something wrong. If all goes to plan though I'll start carving more sets and teach it to others so they can do the same, then when dragon messengers start coming here they'll be sent back with them."

"I'm sure that they'll work. It's amazing that you've managed to develop the runes so quickly, I know I don't know much about runes but I've never heard of them being able to do what this new set will." She smiles up at me completely confident that my experiment will work.

"Thank you for being so confident in me. It's been a few hundred years since I last experimented with new runes so I don't know how it will turn out. If it goes badly though I'll just try again until I get it right, what these runes can do will save so many lives."

"We should go back inside then so you can go and test them." Just as excited about the possibility of these runes working as I am Emmy practically drags me back inside. Laughing slightly I head down to my lab gathering up the runes into a bag before returning upstairs where Emmy is waiting by the door for me.

"I shouldn't be too long." I tell her leaning down and pulling her into a kiss. She happily returns it wrapping her arms around my neck as my own wrap around her waist holding her close. Pulling back I say goodbye and leave the palace for the stables so that I can get out to one of the empty fields that'll be perfect for the testing.

Dismounting from my horse I secure him to a nearby tree before walking further away into the open field. It's an unused one not suitable for farming that's currently not being used for anything else so it's the perfect space for me to try out the new runes. If anything goes wrong then at least there's no one around to get hurt except me, not that I'd mentioned that possibility to Emmy because I didn't want her to worry. We both are already worried enough about Kor and Bel without adding anymore.

Setting out the runes as the book had described I walk outside of the protective circle, so far everything is going well. At least the runes have connected without anything going wrong. But it's time for the true test, will the runes work to protect the area from an outside attack.

Grabbing my bow and some arrows from my horse I take aim towards the area. Taking a deep breath I fire off the first arrow straight at the area. It works. My runes work. The arrow I'd fired has fallen to the ground broken in half, outside the rune circle. Needing to make sure that it wasn't just a one-time thing I fire off a few more arrows and the same thing happens to every arrow.

I let out a shocked laugh wishing Emmy was here to see this. More tests need to be done and I'll need to get some help for that but this is already seeming to be a much better set of protective runes than the ones that have been used until now. This set is able to cover a much larger area but it's overall resistance still needs to be tested more.

Excited I deactivate the runes gathering them back into the bag. Swinging back onto my horse I race back to the city wanting to tell Emmy that it's worked. It had been her idea for me to work on the theories in the ancient rune book so these runes working is just as much her victory as mine. The success of these runes should soften the blow of her not being able to help with potions anymore, even though I've been reassuring her that it's fine she's been determined to find some way to help with the war.

"It worked! Emmy it worked!" I shout running back into the palace. I'm tired and slightly out of breath after running all the way here from the stables but I couldn't contain my excitement or my need to share it with her.

"Lilas? What?" She questions stepping out of the drawing room. Seeing my grin her confusion quickly washed away. "It worked, really?"

"Yes." I cheer wrapping her into a hug and walking us back into the drawing room where we can sit down, "There'll need to be more tests of course. Really test the limits of the area and its defensive capabilities but I think that we're really onto something."

"That's great. I knew you could do it." She replies giving me a kiss not seeming to notice that I'd said 'we' because I couldn't have done this without her. I'd become complacent with researching runes and wouldn't have thought to try any of the ideas from the book without Emmy talking me into it.

"I couldn't have done it without you." I tell her seriously but she just shakes her head looking down at her hands. Gently placing my hands on either side of her face I guide her head back up until I'm able to look her in the eyes. "You helped me so much. Without you suggesting that I try what's in the book I'd have just left it alone but these runes could save so many lives. And it's thanks to you that they'll be saved."

Tears gather in her eyes as she sees that I'm serious. Only a few tears fall which I brush away with my thumbs before the crying stops replaced instead by a smile followed quickly by laughter. Leaning forward I place a kiss on her forehead before pulling the runes out of the bag and showing her exactly what I'd done. Happily she listens to my explanation although no doubt she doesn't understand a lot of what I'm talking about as it gets quite technical.

I've been talking about the runes for at least an hour before I notice that Emmy has fallen asleep on my shoulder. Chuckling softly I move her gently until I'm able to pick her up and carry her upstairs to bed where she'll be more comfortable. A short nap will probably be good for her as lately the morning sickness has been hitting her early in the morning disturbing her sleep.

Still full of excitement about my discovery I make my way to my Uncle Magor's manor. He'd been the one to first introduce me to runes when I was younger and as he sent me the book he deserves to be the next person to know. I don't know where he found the book but I'm grateful for it all the same as these runes, if they hold up under more testing, will save countless lives.

"Your Majesty." The butler bows in greeting as I enter the manor, "Lord Magor didn't inform us that you'd be visiting today."

"No matter. It's an impromptu visit so where is my uncle?" I ask wandering further into the manor not at all concerned about the butler trailing after me. Uncle has never been bothered about my random visits before and won't be this time but this butler seems new so probably doesn't know that this is normal for us. The only reason Uncle doesn't do it to our palace is that the last time he did he saw far more of Kor than he ever wanted to.

"Lilas, what are you doing here?" Uncle says sticking his head out of the library door. Turning around to face him I walk over ushering him back into the library. Over my shoulder he waves off the butler and follows me back inside.

"That book that you gave me. I've been working on a series of runes from it." I tell him laying the runes out onto the table in front of us, "They should work to protect a large area, enough to protect field hospitals. More tests are needed to test the series limitations but so far they work."

"Extraordinary." Uncle breathes out looking the runes over, "Lilas these are amazing. We'll have to arrange for more tests as soon as possible. Gods depending on their limits they could even be capable of defending cities from attack."

Together we begin outlining plans for further testing of the runes. Making notes on what sort of tests will need to be done and the scale of them, debating how many others we'll have to bring in to help. By the end of it though we have everything worked out and provided nothing goes wrong we'll be able to start in a few days. Then we'll test every possible limit of these runes, they should be useable for the war before we finish all the tests but they'll still need to be done.

"I should get back. I didn't tell anyone where I was going and if Emmy's awake now she might be worried." I tell Uncle as I put the runes back in my bag now that we've got everything worked out.

"Of course. Please tell her I say hello, it's been a while since I've seen her." Promising to invite him over for dinner I make my way back home. We'd been planning to invite both Uncle and Sliske to tell them about the baby over dinner once we know that Kor and Bel have received our letter. They'll no doubt be thrilled when we tell them but it has to wait for now.

Just as I'd suspected Emmy is awake when I get back to the palace although she hasn't been up for long. It was long enough for her to worry about where I was though as she wraps me in a big hug when I get back muttering about leaving a note next time. Reassuring her that I will we walk into the drawing room where I read aloud while Emmy works on some embroidery.

Together we spend a quiet afternoon and evening after such an eventful morning. We've spent many hours like this but each time I can't help but think of how much has changed since we first met Emmy. I've taught her how to read and she's worked so hard at it and her embroidery. It's strange to think that only a few months ago we'd never met her and it was still just the three of us while poor Emmy was all alone.

Once night falls we go upstairs and get changed for bed. The bed still feels slightly empty with Kor and Bel's absence there's almost too much space in the massive bed for just me and Emmy to fill. I hold Emmy close as we drift off to sleep in the centre of the bed as though we've left room on either side of us for Kor and Bel to join us.

Usually I don't dream, or at least don't remember if I do when I wake up, so I'm surprised when I find myself in a place I haven't seen in over two thousand years. It's the Gods old palace where they created the Stones before leaving this world, while this palace has been maintained I haven't personally been here since the Stones creation.

"Lilas. What are you doing here?"