Six

Sigourney smiled back. She wanted to have a good alliance with Ardon. She knew Celestria was strong, maybe even as strong as herself. 

The queen looked ahead at the path through the garden. It was indeed a miracle that they still bloomed and flourished. She looked over at Celestria; the moonlight bouncing off her skin. Her heart started thumping so loud, she was almost sure the other could hear it. Her eyes found their way to her lips, her scar, down to her jaw. The commander had defined bone structure, something the queen didn't know whether she admired or envied. 

Celestria looked over to Sigourney, making her cheeks flush. She cleared her throat and looked back at the path. 

"You said we should talk, yes? What would you like to talk about?" she queried, trying to be discreet about her blush. She didn't know why she was now getting so flustered around her. She managed fine during the sparring event and the dinner, she would manage fine now. 

The other nodded, gesturing for them to walk. "Yes. You said you want to help us defeat Vykon. But, I want to know what would be of benefit to you?" It was obvious she was suspicious when she spoke. 

"You have many anglers and pirates in this kingdom. I've heard that King Stephen allowed the pirates to live here legally since they bring back many goods and food. My kingdom is nowhere near a sea, therefore, our food supply is very limited, especially during this winter." The queen occasionally touched the flowers as they walked. "So I'd like help from the pirates. But I can only have their help with permission from the King. So I thought this was an acceptable enough exchange."

Celestria didn't really think of that. Along with the kingdom's army, the pirates were some of the most important people in Ardon. They stole and broke laws like usual pirates did, but they also brought many riches and goods back to the people. King Stephen didn't like it at first until the pirates had even brought back precious jewels and gold. That's when he passed a law saying they were legal as long as they obeyed most of the laws, such as not killing or harming others. At least, not within the kingdom. 

The commander was about to speak when a bush not far ahead of them rustled. There was a hushed whispering, and it moved again. The queen looked at her and she just sighed. She moved the bush aside to see Karla and Samuel. She expected to see a couple there, as it wasn't uncommon for her to catch a couple there every once in a while, but she didn't expect them. Samuel, a tall thin boy with shaggy black hair and green eyes, was bright red. Karla was shorter than Samuel but average height for a girl. She had dark brown eyes and long, straight hair that was dyed a peach colour. She was also blushing, but not nearly as much as Samuel. 

Celestria just hummed. "You're lucky it was just me who caught you. If it was a higher up, you two wouldn't be working together anymore. Now, get to your rooms, it's awfully late."

Samuel timidly stepped out from behind the bush. He was always the shy type, at least around Celestria. He bowed his head as a thanks before grabbing Karla's hand to lead her away. The commander grabbed her arm to whisper to her. 

"Tell me everything tomorrow during lunch." The maid nodded happily, and the two left the garden. 

Celestria looked back at Sigourney, who was watching the two leave. "Weren't those the servants back at dinner?" she questioned. 

She nodded before responding. "And before you go running your mouth to King Stephen, just know I will cut your tongue out. So I wouldn't say anything if I were you."

Sigourney just chuckled and said, "Don't worry. I adore young love." She turned to walk again. "Now that you have asked a question, may I ask one?"

The commander kept walking alongside the queen and nodded, not sure whether to trust her with what happened earlier.

"Delightful. If you don't mind me asking, what's the story behind your scar?" 

"Which one?" the other asked. The queen paused for a second. She didn't realise she had other scars, but once she actually looked at her arms closely, she noticed the scars that almost blended into her skin. 

"The one across your lip," she answered, excited to hear an answer. In her kingdom, she trained her soldiers to be so fast that opponents couldn't even land a hit on them, resulting in them not having any scars.

Celestria pursed her lips, nibbling on the bottom one. Sigourney noticed she did that whenever she was thinking, which was most of the time. "It was a long time ago, back when I was a trainee. You remember how I told you I was close with Anderson's family. Well, when we both started learning sword fighting, we would often spar. And let me tell you, he was a clumsy little kid." She couldn't help but let a snicker out. "And so one day, we were sparring. His sword slipped and my reflexes weren't so fast. And he cut my lip." The commander turned towards Sigourney. "Not the fearless warrior story you were expecting, huh?"

The queen tilted her head, letting herself laugh a little as well. "Honestly, no, it wasn't. But hey, at least it looks badass and attractive, right?" She mentally face-palmed herself. The words just tumbled out. But Celestria didn't seem phased.

"You're right. Plus, I have all the other scars with cool stories to make up for it." Celestria smiled at her.

Sigourney returned the smile as she spoke. "You'd have to tell me all of them someday." Celestria was unsure what to make of the comment. She simply nodded and returned her gaze to the sky. They stood in silence, but it wasn't awkward. The silence was warm and cozy. Being there with the queen felt good. She turned to look at her and saw that she was also admiring the night sky. Sigourney's eyes were lit up from the starlight. It seemed as if Celestria was constantly catching the women at moments when she seemed the most innocent and vulnerable.

"Sigourney," The commander said with curiosity in her voice. "Does your kingdom have any places like this? Places where you can go to relax and admire the beauty." Sigourney took a moment to think before answering.

"I guess you could say that my kingdom is somewhere in between beautiful and tragic. There's an enormous stone wall that encloses it. Along the wall are tall thorny rose bushes on each side, laced with poison." She laughed at the look on Celestria's face. "It's a security matter. Meant to keep some intruders and unwanted animals out. We also have other flowers. We planted gardens all throughout the kingdom, but there are no bright flowers. They all take on dark shades. I think it's safe to say that our palace is the most beautiful thing in our kingdom."

Celestria let out a hum. "Yeah, usually the palace is the most beautiful in the kingdoms. But when it comes to my kingdom, I believe the gardens and festivals are the most beautiful. In fact, we'll be having a festival the day after the memorial." The two were coming to the end of the garden. Sigourney yawned, covering her mouth.

The commander turned toward the queen as they stopped walking. "It's late, and it's obvious you're tired. So go to your room and rest. Especially since the king will have you up early."

"You're right. Until morning then," Sigourney said, bowing her head slightly. Celestria returned her bow, and they each went to their own room.

●     ●     ●

Celestria fell onto her bed after changing into a nightgown. The day caught up with her and she realised how exhausted she really was. She went under her thick covers as her pet fox, Innanna, jumped onto the bed. The fox curled up into a ball beside Celestia, falling asleep. She watched her sleep, petting her, before eventually drifting off to sleep herself.