My eyes opened taking in the ceiling while I heard the sounds of animals running around. There is nothing worse then waking up thirsty. It makes me feel less than human, so much so that I was worried about even moving for a moment because I wasn't sure I was going to be in control of how I moved.
I mentally cursed as I realized I had moved as I found myself having bitten a goat. As soon as I realized what I had done I healed the goat and grabbed one of the halla. The goat seemed surprised and unsure the halla just stood there. I moved on after a few moments.
The shield was monitoring my response. It was interesting to see myself from a third person point of view. Since I was talking to the shield already, I asked for a replay of what happened.
I could feel Theon watching me as I got better control over what I was doing and my mind grew more steady. I healed a third halla, then turned and looked at him, Can you hear me?
Only a feeling of your thoughts, it seems to have given me the ability to hear the shield as well.
"Good to know. Sorry if I caused you a problem."
The prince laughed and the tension visibly left his shoulders. "You have an odd view of the world sometimes, someone tries to kill you in the palace and would have killed many other people in the process, and your first response is to apologize for any trouble it may have caused me. It would have been much more inconvenient to me not to lose 10% of the elves that eat from the palace kitchen."
"You sent one of the staff to find out about the mushrooms, you should have asked the shield of it's analysis, it already has the answer and proof."
I sat down next to Theon on the table with my feet on the bench just like him and the wizards. The wizards still seemed unsure if they should move but relaxed a bit when the halla and goat disappeared again. Theon paused trying to connect with the shield. I could feel him asking for the information.
The older of the two wizards raised an eyebrow. "Who does the shield think is responsible?"
"I don't think I have met her before some red wizard."
"I haven't seen her before either. Granted I always avoided red wizards even before I knew what I am. Ask the shield to show you what will happen if she returns to the palace, just be careful you don't confuse 'show' with 'demonstrate'."
Theon gave me a puzzled look then looked down at his hands. I let him focus a moment while I took in the mess that had been the main dining room. "Wow, that is," Theon paused as he came up with the right word.
"Extreme." I tried to provide helpfully, I knew what the shield would do. It was more than I would do to the woman. I didn't much care that she wanted me dead though, lots of people wanted me dead. I was a bit annoyed she would have gone through my bond's people to get to me though. Maybe I hadn't made the right choice completing the bond. Being near me put him in danger from more than just me, after all.
Theon's growl at my answer got my attention. "Less than I want to do to her right now." I tried to think if I had seen Theon look that annoyed before.
I shrugged at his response though, "I have no reason to believe she wasn't doing what she believed was right."
Theon's hard green eyes focused on me, but I wasn't scared of him. The hardness wasn't directed at me after all. That red should be shaking in fear wherever she was hiding. "Sorry princess but the right way tries to limit casualties not increase them. The ends cannot justify the means of achieving what is right."
I almost rolled my eyes at Theon's narrow view of the world. "Sure that is why the army only fights the shadow and no shadow spawn."
"That's not the same thing."
"How do you know? They are called spawn, they could be the genetic descendants of the shadow. I just managed to make the children face that the islee and the elves at least are descendants from demons, creatures that should be as evil as the shadow. How is killing a few of them different from killing shadow spawn? Most reds believe demons are the worst type of shadow spawn, and to make it worse still, only browns take the army oath. So even if the red was lying to herself, which I cannot prove, or she didn't really believe the people caught in the cross-hairs where also shadow spawn, again I cannot prove, it wouldn't have stopped her."
"I might have to face that the brothers where half breeds but we are not shadow spawn. If we were, the oath wouldn't stop the army from killing each other."
"That is correct it doesn't, that is why the oath is voluntary."
"If you killed someone your key would break."
"If I knowingly caused the death of something I considered might be sentient on our level, yes my key would break. Most of the army can fight shadow spawn because they are made up of animals and even those don't seem right to us. If I convinced myself or was under some other influences and I killed without my own knowledge or intent to harm another soul, my key would not break. On the other hand if I convinced myself that a wraith might be self determining and alive if I then killed it my key would break. Granted the only thing I can go off for that are the people who cannot kill animals."
The wizards that had treated me didn't like where this line of thought was going, "Try not to look so horrified, wizard. All she is really saying is that the oath is two sided and for the most part the side of what is right or wrong is left with us. It is funny to think about how we were given a line but not told were to draw it. It is almost reassuring that something so powerful is so trusting of us as to believe that we already know right and wrong we just sometimes need a physical reminder to listen to that information which we already possess." The wizard frowned at Theon then shrugged and didn't say anything else. "Guards! You can open the doors again! Help me get this place cleaned up. I would like some lunch."
The guard that opened the door looked and round snorted at the prince then looked back at the other side. The other doors started to open. "Now I am going to have to find out something to do if we aren't taking provisions through the tower." Theon was really talking to himself but I leaned over and grabbed his shoulder before he could stand up.
"Speak with Ravon, or I guess her father, the land below the smithy is going to be fertilized better and will have a bigger yield, the tools her bond can make will make planting and harvesting next year even easier. It might not be enough, but you might be able to buy from them."
Theon grabbed my chin before I could lean back. I heard a pleased and amused wind travel around the room as he kissed me. Most of the palace staff had to have been in the dining room with the kitchen having been closed for so long. I wandered if I was blushing as brightly as it felt. When Theon pulled away for air, "You are quite right, my dear, I will have to look into that tip. Now though, if you are done trying to make excuses for the people trying to kill you, I am hungry and I only have a small window of time before you go back to work. I think I might try to exhaust you a more traditional way, if you don't mind."
I tried to hide my blush by looking around the room, nope that didn't work there were a lot of elves in the room now. The wizards had moved out among them and there were little groups around the wizards talking but almost everyone was watching the prince and me though only out of the corners of their eyes as they found work or started trying to get things from the kitchen. The chef was still up working behind the center window both trying to get safe food turned out and reworking inventory. I looked back at Theon, "As long as cleaning is part of that tradition I might be able to "get on top of that" or maybe below if you're nice but that isn't quite as fun."
Theon smiled and hopped down from the table, "Sounds like a challenge, the one that straightens the most tables and inventories the most food, wins the right to pick the next game?"
"No we would just be in the staff's way I am sure they know the food the best. How about servs and cleans the most lunch dishes?"
Theon laughed, "Oh, that does sound better, you are on!" Theon took off before he finished talking.
"Hey!" laughter seemed to fill the room as the elven heir and his bonded mate started acting like kitchen staff, if only for the lunch hour.
I smiled as I watched Theon I fully expected him to win, they are his people after all. The elves seemed a bit surprised but they didn't try to stop our idea of a sparring match. Yet I had been expecting them to find amusement getting the prince to serve them but if anything the palace staff seemed more curious about me and they let me work. It was strange for me, I had been told demons are evil they are the root of evil in the world, and if anyone found out what I was they would either kill me or drive me from the world. That was wrong though, at least in the palace, so far. If you forget about the red wizard that tried to kill me, but she wasn't from the palace.
Theon paused to look at me from across the room. He smiled when I looked up. Oh, he wasn't going to win that easy.