Several minutes later he weaved through the trees his horse following as he picked at the fancy lunch on the plate he stole from the tent.
"Where's the prisoner?" his guard asked. "And did you just steal a plate?"
"Technically the food was meant for me anyway, and I'll return the plate later," he said with a smirk feeling a little bit more like the trouble-making kid he'd been just a few short years ago. "And we're not arresting the imposter."
"What? Why?" his guard asked shocked and confused.
"If I arrested and tortured the lady, then my mother would truly see me as a monster. Besides, it was her brother's dying wish that I make sure she was okay. Since I obviously failed him, I can hardly take it out on her."
"Lady? What are you talking about your grace? And where is your mask?"
"The imposter was Lady Kassidy Calloway, the late Earl of Callor's daughter, her older brother was an officer under my command. You knew him as Vice Commander Calloway of the ninth regiment." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the damp mask and tossed it to his guard. "I gave mine to her, apparently this one still smells of blood."
"Sir… what the hell happened?"
So he filled Gilbert in and enjoyed watching the shock on his friend's face as he explained what had happened.
"And it didn't bother you? All the blood?" Gerald asked. Ravi'en looked away his grin fading.
"It did, but you know as well as I, I can handle carnage. In some ways, it's easier. I know how to handle violence and danger, and at times peace is more unsettling because you're always expecting something that never comes, and no matter where you go you're never far from the battlefield. It can't be escaped.
"It's as if I've forgotten how to be human and all I am is a weapon and a walking memorial of our lost. It's not seeing blood that bothers me most, it's the waiting for the bloodshed my mind has come to expect that never comes while being surrounded by those who know nothing of the place I can't escape. A place that has become so much a part of me that I can't ever be what they want and expect me to be, what I was before, that I can't stand. And they, likewise, don't enjoy my company."
"A young lady knows nothing of war, It also seems she has no qualms about killing unnecessarily which you despise… so I don't quite understand why you seem… almost happy?" he asked staring at him questioningly.
"My war skills were useful, and she didn't make me feel wrong or that I didn't belong. She wasn't disgusted by my face or the gore. Nor was she bloodthirsty, instead she displayed mercy I've rarely seen, and she donated all the kills to the local orphanage and poor house. It was actually kind of funny the way she did it." He felt a slight tug on his scar, an involuntary grin at the memory.
"I'm not sure they picked up on her disdain when she declared it too much for one woman to eat. I don't think she wanted their lives to be taken in vain either."
He sighed "I might not know how to deal with regular people anymore but she's anything but regular. And she had just as much trouble talking to me, except with her it was funny because it was endless talking rather than silence and unlike most people, it had nothing to do with fear of me." he grinned again at the memory of her words, "She gets embarrassed surprisingly easy for someone so tough." he noted.
"So… you're just not going to do anything because you like her?" he asked.
Was that how this looked? And did he like her? He actually hadn't thought about that. She was pretty and kind of cute when her ears turned red but that had nothing to do with it. Besides that would be weird, she was his late subordinate's little sister and she was far too young.
No, he'd already decided the near-death experience and injury were enough long before he'd had any even remotely positive thoughts about her, let alone romantic, right?
"She almost died already and will likely have a lifelong reminder of her stupidity permanently engraved on her arm, I don't think she'll be pretending to be me again and there were no nefarious scheming family counsel members behind it so no need to torcher her for information either. Why, what do think we should do?"
"I don't know, but I feel like there should be some sort of serious consequence and so far it seems like all you've done is help her get away with it."
"True, but I'm at a loss for what an appropriate punishment would be" Gerald nodded his agreement.
"And outing her wouldn't just humiliate her and her family but me and mine. And all the idiots who fell for it would be pissed. And the council would be enraged they couldn't tell the difference between a 15-16 year-old girl and the head of the Duchy."
"True, that would be a political disaster."
"But then what do we do? And how are you going to guarantee she won't do something this potentially catastrophic again?"
He thought about it for a moment "You know she pledged a life debt, down on her knee and everything," he chuckled. "She offered to be my sword-wielding maid to protect me from assassins. She very well could do something else foolish if we simply let this go, she's a bit unpredictable."
"A maid wairing a sword would be funny. It's also odd for a noble lady to offer to be a maid or to wield a sword for that matter. And since when do maidens ever offer a life debt for being saved anyway, I thought they just expected it.
"Does she realize assains tend to go after their victims when there alone? She'd have to be around you all the time even when you're asleep and doesn't she know maids spend relatively little time with their masters and most of their time cleaning? And it's not like you have to deal with assassins often, or that you would ever let a girl defend you, she'd just be a liability. You're right she is utterly ridiculous, she sounds more like my nephew than an educated lady." he said with a laugh.
"I think she just speaks before she thinks when she's nervous, but you're right, someone that foolish could be of more hindrance than help. Though… hold on," he said thinking then shook his head. "Maybe her crazy is contagious, but we might be able to make use of her and punish her at the same time…"
"Okay?…"