The odd one out

Gentle hills surrounded me, silvery in the light of the full moon rolling between the sparse, puffy clouds. I looked straight at Kainos - its rings, though already lined up in the proper order, were only silver, not yet the color I remembered from last time.

I found myself standing on the path that led down the grassy slope to the wooden cabin, winking at me through the lighted windows. I walked up to the house, feeling like I was coming home, to the family I'd never had.

The door swung open and Gemma, warm, infinitely dear, desirable, wrapped her hands around my neck.

"Arthur, Archie! I was so worried!"

Her eyes were so close, her hair tickling my face, the scent of her skin driving me crazy, her lips almost touching mine. I couldn't resist the temptation and kissed her.

The world split and ceased to be - disappeared, dissolved! Nothing existed but the magic taste of her lips, the tenderness of her hands, the softness of her body... I forgot everything: my principles, her vows, Alex, the Faceless One, the Full Moon and Destruction. I forgot all her names except one: Gemma, my Gemma. Like the breath of a spring wind, like a sip of sour wine, like the flame of a night fire... My love, my life, my tenderness. Mine.

I awoke early in the morning - the sky was getting lighter, but the sun wasn’t up yet. Gemma was sleeping with her cheek on my shoulder. The fiery strands of her hair spread across her back and my chest like threads of red gold.

I awoke with a feeling of vague anxiety, but I couldn't understand what it was. I lay there, listening to the soft rustles of the dawn, until it finally occurred to me that there was someone outside, and that "someone" wanted to get in, but couldn't.

I remembered that Gemma had made some kind of shield, but I wasn't sure if it was strong enough. So I woke my lady and told her the problem.

She wrapped the blanket around her body and went to the door to see who was there.

I waited, tense as a string, clutching my blade. The thoughts that came to my mind were exceptionally “funny”.

After a few minutes I heard Gemma's frightened voice, "It's Alex."

Like the old joke: the husband came home early. But now it was not funny at all.

"Alex?" I asked stupidly. "How did he find us?"

"It's a hunting lodge, Archie," Gemma explained, quickly getting dressed. "It's in the Valley of Eternal Spring. This house belongs to Alex, do you understand?"

"I do," I nodded. Although actually - what difference did it make whose house it was?

"Don't sit so relaxed," Gemma said angrily, throwing the pillow at me. "Get dressed, Archie. Please, hurry!"

There was so much fear in her eyes and trembling voice that I got angry. Damn it. It shouldn’t be like this.

I took Gemma's hands and looked into her eyes. "I will not give you to him. I won't, do you hear me? Never again!"

Her eyes filled with tears, her head shook negatively. "No, Archie. Not now."

"Why?"

"I love you, it's true," she answered quickly. "But it's not the right time. The Great Full Moon, all these problems. Later, when things are better, we'll talk about it.”

"Really?" I grinned wryly.

"Idiot! I'm such an idiot," I thought to myself, "She's almost a queen and I'm still a vagabond. What did I expect?"

"Sure," she nodded, taking my hands off her. "Now help me. We can't make him suspicious."

We tidied up the room and then Gemma hurried to the door.

The defenses fell - I felt it on a physical level. Alex's surprised and pleased exclamation, some movement...

I didn't know about Alex, but I was as jealous as one could imagine in those moments. I splashed water from the barrel in my face, smoothed my hair, and turned toward the door.

They came in, hugging and laughing.

"Archie," Alex smiled and took a step towards me, "you're still alive!"

"You hoped you’d never see me again?" I chuckled.

We hugged like old friends. I hid my bad feelings deep inside and no one noticed. In fact, if it hadn't been for that last night, it would have been completely genuine.

At breakfast, Alex first asked about our adventures and then began to tell of his own: "The power of the Great Full Moon sent me back to the time of the Great Shadow’s appearance. It was worth the effort to gain Yurhek's trust and a position at his court," he told his story. "They were just racking their brains about what to do about The Shadow and how to get on with their lives. 

“It's a good thing I didn't skip history class when I was younger... So it's as if it was my idea of the Master's second coming, brilliantly realized by Jurhek. I had spent about three years there until the next Great Full Moon of Kainos, and Jurhek himself gave me his Key, the Tiara of Concord, when I explained to him who I was, where I came from, and why I had come. And to hide the disappearance of the Key, he made two false hiding places: one with the dragon, the other in the Twilight Zone.”

"That's where we were looking," Victoria said.

Alex nodded and continued, "Well, when the Full Moon came, I wanted to get another Key, but I couldn't. This time I found myself on Oeldiv a few days ago. I got my coordinates and went straight to Irrat.” 

I caught a hint of falsehood in that last sentence. Something had happened in Oeldiv, but Prince preferred not to give us the details. Maybe he'd witnessed Korrad's death and was wondering how to tell his daughter the news. Or did he himself shorten his father-in-law's life? Well, no... one could think of many things!

"Well, tomorrow is the Great Full Moon of Kainos," Alex said. "Let's make a plan."

The sun had crossed the noon line when we left the hunting lodge and walked down to the bottom of the hill.

I was nervous and kept looking around, not understanding why. There was something wrong with Alex, some kind of exaggerated politeness or something. I reminded myself it was my guilty conscience talking, but the bad feeling didn't disappear.

So, as the space around us filled with familiar sparkles, I was ready for anything. And when I saw Kordgan coming out of the Lace, I did the only thing I could: I pushed Victoria behind my back and drew my sword. Actually, she reappeared immediately with a naked blade.

Alex, however, stepped towards the visitor, not at all disturbed by what his own wife had told him about this man.

A silent scene.

"Did you want any proof, Alexander?" Kordgan asked. "I think it's clear without words!"

Victoria and I looked at each other, and at that moment, Alex looked at us as well. His face resembled a mask.

"Repeat to these people what you told me in Oeldiv," Alex asked Kordgan.

"Sure," he nodded and took a step forward. "As I said, the woman you had the misfortune to marry is not who she claims to be. Her name is Vivien, the youngest daughter of my late brother. When Victoria died, Lady Vivianna began posing as her late sister, and persuaded the weak and cowardly Corrad to help her in this endeavor."

"You're a liar!" Victoria exclaimed.

I put my hand on her shoulder to keep her from doing something stupid. Killing Kordgan now would mean convincing Alex of our guilt. 

"By the way, I know for sure that they were lovers before you got married," Kordgan pointed at us. “I know nothing about the last few years, but now they are together again, as you can see. I don't think it's a coincidence. Before you met them, they'd killed the Hermit, wounded me, and made an attempt to kidnap the Chief of Intelligence of the Coordinating Service. Looks like you're next, Alexander," Kordgan paused meaningfully and played a final trump card, "I also know for a fact that for the past two years, the hunter Archie Corney has been working closely with a certain Norn who turns out to be none other than the Faceless Destroyer!"

Kordgan finished his speech, a look of triumph in his eyes. I thought I had been a bit hasty with my last report - there was no other way for him to find out about Norn.

"Tell me, Vic," Alex asked, "is there any truth to these words?"

She nodded.

"You see!" Kordgan exclaimed.

"Thank you, Counselor," Alex turned to him, "you have truly opened my eyes."

He stepped back, and the sword left its sheath with a rustle, flashed in the sun with a stroke of steel, and slammed into Kordgan's neck. The prince grabbed the hilt of the sword with both hands and jerked it toward him, releasing the steel. Scarlet blood spurted from the gruesome wound in a wide fountain, and Kordgan collapsed to his knees and then to the grass, face down. Alex returned the blade to its sheath and turned to us.

"He was sneaky, I never believed him," the prince explained.

"Oh, Alex, you’ve scared me!" Victoria exclaimed as she ran toward him.

The prince stepped back and raised his hands in warning. "That was just the beginning of the conversation," he declared. "You yourself admitted that there was some truth in what your uncle had said. Speak."

She looked him straight in the eye and said firmly, "I am not Victoria. My real name is Vivien."

She briefly told the story of her sister's suicide and the events that followed.

"I see," Alex nodded and waved his hand at me. "Now about him."

"I've known Arthur for over six years. It happened before I met you, so I don't have to tell you what we had in common," she raised her head proudly. "I have a past and I'm not giving it up."

"Anything else?" 

"That's all."

Alex shook his head. "I don't believe you. I saw you both near the Tower of Light. I'm the one who saved Kordgan's life. At least he didn't lie about it."

"But he did," I cried out. "He killed the Hermit himself. He did it before my very eyes."

"It's true," Vic confirmed. "I wounded him later. Too bad I didn't kill him."

"Now you," Alex turned to me. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"That next time I'll think ten times before saving the lives of idiots," I answered coldly. "Nothing else. I'm not guilty and I don't owe you anything, so I'm not going to apologize."

"Wow. How about accusations of working for the Faceless One?"

An ironic chuckle escaped my lips. "Kordgan is one hundred percent right about that! Indeed, I've done some work for Norn."

"You?" Alex shouted.

"Yes, me," I spread my hands. "But I did it for the Coordinators and Kordgan knew it. It was much later that I found out that Norn was the Faceless One. But you don't have to believe it. I don't care."

He stared at me, and I couldn't read anything in his narrowed eyes.

"I may have misjudged you," he finally said, "but Leah, Sahara and the Blade of Honor, I trust them more than I trust Kordgan's word. The charges against you in this matter are dismissed."

I wanted to respond with a barb, but somehow I couldn't think of anything. Alex suddenly approached me, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"I have one more question," he announced.

"Ask me."

"What is it between you and my wife?"

Oh, how I wanted to throw the truth in his face! To splash it out like scalding, bitter coffee, like old wine from a crystal glass. Even if I had to kill him afterwards. But then I caught Gemma's glance, protesting, pleading, and I held back my feelings.

"Nothing," I said firmly. Only for you, Gemma! Only for you.

"You're lying," Alex cut me off.

"Screw you!" I snapped. "I have loved her when she knew nothing about you. I mourned her death when that man told me she was dead," I nodded at Kordgan's body. "And I love her now, whether you like it or not. I really don't care what you think."

"Is that all you wanted to tell me?" he clarified.

"Yes."

Alex lowered his eyes and said, "That doesn't solve our problem."

"What problem?" I asked in surprise.

"The problem," he pulled his blade from its sheath, "of finding out once and for all who gets this woman."

"Oh, Master. You've chosen the wrong time. The universe is about to fall into the abyss, and you want to fight over your own wife?"

"I do!"

"You'd better ask her," I said.

"Not now!" he roared. "Come on! Au guarde!"

I reluctantly exposed Helyswort. So the second battle of the prophesied by Swillann could not be avoided. Why, for God’s sake?

"You don't seem to be interested in saving the Lace anymore," I remarked, taking up my position.

He didn't answer, but instead attacked me, without swinging, just thrusting his blade into my face. I parried and stepped back, still unwilling to fight. Alex tried to reach for me with a deep lunge, and I swatted his blade aside, breaking contact.... That is, I tried to break contact, but suddenly I realized I couldn't move. I looked up at Alex and met the same puzzled stare.

Victoria appeared in my field of vision. She slapped her husband and then, for the sake of symmetry, she slapped me as well. The spell she'd cast on us was completely immobilizing.

"Calm down, both of you," she snorted, examining the resulting sculpture critically. "I hope half an hour will be enough." 

With that, she waved her hand and walked back to the house.

"Vic!" Alex called after her. "Free us now!"

She didn't even turn her head.

"Not a chance," I said, immensely surprised that I could speak.

He snorted and gave me an unfriendly look. I didn't take my eyes off him, and for the next few minutes we exchanged glances in silence.

"What a stupid situation," Alex finally spoke up.

"Yeah."

"I can't understand why Kordgan did this."

I tried to shrug, but it was a damn strong spell.

"You can't ask him now," I said aloud and plunged into my thoughts.

Kordgan. Why Kordgan? What was his interest in this case? Why did he pursue me so persistently and even try to pit me and the prince against each other? There was no doubt that Alex's aggressiveness today was the work of the old schemer. So what was it about?

Considering what he had done before, there was only one conclusion, however wild it might seem. Kordgan had been serving the Faceless One! Why else would he try so hard to stop the only people who could stand up to the Destroyer?

But Alex… Why did he believe all those lies so easily? On the other hand, putting aside my personal grudge, spiced with a not-so-clear conscience, I had to admit that his actions were quite understandable and explainable. Jealousy was natural in such a situation. I still hadn't been able to do anything about my own! As for the accusations of collaboration with the Faceless One, I would also have checked such information first. The main thing was that Alex had gotten us rid of Kordgan once and for all, and for that alone I was willing to forgive him for his idiotic performance.

I wanted to tell the prince, but he did it first.

"I should apologize," he said, "I was wrong."

"I didn't mean to say that."

"I wasn't sure I'd get the truth this time."

"You were wrong. I'm not in the habit of lying to my f

riends."

He grinned wryly. "Sometimes lying is the only way to keep something alive."

I thought he was damn right.