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The mage watched the streak of unnatural light travel overhead and into the forest farther behind him where it crashed. He turned and started heading in that direction. When opportunity appeared without your request, it was an opportunity one did not turn down.

"With the fae, it always ends in excitement. Court of the Silver Rose. Oh, how you play with magic so." The Blessed magics of all things. That had not been expected from the royals. "Don't you think so, Ares?" he said, looking over at the usually rambunctious dragon. "What do you say we go on a treasure hunt and return later to take a look when all of their squabbling is over with. We might find something new for you to play with when we come back."

And possibly something new for himself after this side trip. That was most certainly Blessed magic that had been used. What wonders could happen where that may have touched down upon the earth?

What more is what could possibly be left behind...

The King reversed his sword, ready to deliver the coup de grace. At his feet, Kocerou lay still, unable to rise, unable to defend himself. He could only stare at the ground in disbelief and stare at his own blood that pooled beneath him.

Then, at the last moment, the King staggered back, overshadowed by a massive body. Behind him, his fae stood ready, bows drawn but their arrows remained on the strings. The Queen sat there on her horse with her hand raised, two fingers indicating that the archers should ready, but she had not yet let it drop to indicate that they should fire. They waited for her signal and that signal never came. The dragon was allowed to land and the fae King had no choice but to step back, away from the fallen Prince.

"Stay where you are," the Queen called out to Astalder as he landed, "Do not touch the Prince. Husband, it is over. Sheath your sword."

The King regarded his Queen for a moment and the look on his face made it seem like he had never seen her before this moment. She regarded him with cool arrogance and in that moment it became apparent who the true power behind the throne was. The King had let his duty slip and the forest was dying as a result, but a Queen sat on the throne as well and she would not let it all fall into decay. Not yet.

"The Prince Kocerou has committed treason against the crown," she said evenly, her voice carrying across the battlefield. Every fae grew still as she spoke. Some fell to their knees in either exhaustion or reverence.

Sain crossed his arms as he watched from the distance, looking unimpressed.

"His crimes cannot go unanswered," she continued, "but neither should death be the judgement. Our heir has acted out of love for both land and people and someday the Rose will be in need of such devotion. However, it is not yet time. This division only illustrates that the Prince is not yet ready for the duty of the Crown, for he has acted rashly. What say you, husband? He cannot stay in our land for his presence will only cause dissent. Furthermore, he has much to learn before he can ascend the throne. What should be done with him?"

The King nodded, a brief gesture, and then turned to the fallen Prince. He stooped, gathering up Kocerou's long hair, and raised his head from the ground. The Prince was on the verge of losing conciousness, but he hung in there and managed to look the King in the eye. The Queen, for her part, kept her gaze on Astalder, ensuring that the dragon did not interfere.

"Prince Kocerou," the King said evenly, "For your actions, you are hereby banished from the forest until we grant you leave to return. Should you set foot within its borders your life will be forfeit. May you learn temperance in your exile."

And the Queen gracefully lowered her hand and the archers did the same with their bows, no longer pointing them at the dragon.

"That is all," the Queen affirmed, "The followers of Kocerou shall go in peace. I suspect most will follow him into exile, either to human lands or the lands of our brother courts. Take the Prince, dragon, and find our champion Leverne. Tell him he is to accompany Kocerou at our bidding and see that our heir learns from his time in exile and returns alive - and worthy of the Crown."

Then she turned her horse, following the King that was now remounting his own, issuing orders to his army. The fae were starting the slow process of recovering from the battle and many looked shaken. They seemed to shrink away from the King, even those among his own side, and they looked to the Queen instead for orders. None looked back at Kocerou.

Leverne swore softly, in his own language, and darted to Astalder's side. He accepted the wounded Prince from the dragon and lay him out on the ground. Kocerou had passed out at some point.

"Exile, good," Leverne said absently, "Better than death. Orders from the Queen, hm? Than she is controlling the Crown in earnest now. Also good. I see a healer heading our way..."

He watched as three fae came running across the field, one half-flying in her haste. He was no longer paying attention to the dragon.

Behind Astalder, Sain eyed the harness and smiled thinly.

"Hello again," he said.

Leverne considered, trying to find a good way to answer the dragon's question. He was privy to politics that most of the court were oblivious to, as his role as champion kept him in close proximity to the royals and he was bound by his word to keep their secrets. However, there were some things that were safe enough to divulge.

"It comes and goes," he replied, "The King is failing, Kocerou is most right in that. However, the Queen cannot directly oppose his orders so sometimes, if she is unable to maneuver events to what she wishes, things are out of her hands. This entire war is one such example - she did not foresee Kocerou demanding the crown like he did and so she could do nothing to stop events from spiraling to this moment. I hope that she's able to control her consort now that she's revealed her hand. It will be difficult... and I won't be there to help."

Sain smiled demurely at Blade and nodded at his words.

"You're absolutely right," he replied, "I'm not one to pick sides. My presence here is not to influence the fate of those involved, but rather to keep stability. There are things that you cannot see, mortal, and it is my duty to ensure it remains that way. The magic that Kocerou unleashed had to be contained lest it warp this reality we know. There are places where this has happened -remote places, thank the gods - and I would not see any more created so long as I draw breath. I do trust that harness is holding up well for you?"

Battlefield (Leverne)

And regarding oaths, Leverne began to feel those belonging to the borrowed knight sword begin to drip from the blade what promises were made upon it by the dragon and rider pair from Gen'yiel as well as that of the promise by Leverne to return the sword to them.


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Sidlines - Erimett, Ares

"No map to use. Just careful eyes. You have seen how sparkly magic can be, Ares, correct? You've also felt magic before. This will be alike but far better." Especially since not all of Erimett's studies of dragons and magic were pleasant ones. Studying secrets unknown to the world did not belong to the passive. "If you find it first, I will consider finding you a new playmate." With that he trailed on inquiring if the odd little, but growing, dragon would prefer from the battlefield when they returned.


---Days Later---

"With only the infusion of the Blessed magic could something like this exist."

Ashen boughs and branches curled like misshapen ram horns, some pointed outward and upward toward the sky while others unnaturally curled back inward on themselves. Drooping from those branches were willow-like leaves draping down, translucent as the water that flowed within the forest, with each twist in the wind a leaflet would glint for just a fraction of a moment with its own pale and unearthly light. And wrapped around the wood of the tree, embedded within - veins of gold, threading, twisting, and coiling about the plant from root to skytip.

And there were more than one. A small handful of grown trees that had withstood and merged with what fell upon them at the outcome of the Rose War. There most likely had been other trees in the clearing around these few, but all that remained past the stray comet were dead roots and disturbed soil.

"What do you think of them, Ares?" Erimett said as he continued to circle around them, his mind already busy with plans.