>>5724730It seems his gods have not opted to coddle him quite so much as you assumed those false divines would—at least, not in the wake of his submission to an Antipaladin of their dark opposites. You use the middling knowledge of Fleshweaving you have to staunch the bleeding, and to help set his wrist, but without deeper and more sustained healing magic, he may never wield a sword as well, nor even see out of his right eye again. Still, it is all you can do, and it is enough that he can guide you to where the Archer, the Thief, and your Human Queen Ekaterine have all been kept under watchful guard of three younger paladins.
“Sir Ewald?” asks one of the young males, voice high and alarmed at the bloodied and battered state of the man. “Are you--?”
Sir Ewald holds up a hand, signalling to his juniors to sheathe their swords and stand down. You, likewise, nod to your own men to signal that they should not yet start slitting throats.
“What happened?!” Eka asks, rushing to you when she sees the blood from your wound—likewise sealed by your hasty magic, but with the sartorial damage done.
“All isss well,” you assure her.
“We encountered the threat I warned you men of,” Sir Ewald says, choosing his words carefully. “It… Is ended, for now. You may stand down. Tell the others, as well.”
The younger paladins leave, watching you with some suspicion, and with a final and deeply ambivalent one-eyed stare into your soul, Ewald follows the others.
“Really,” Eka presses, “what happened?”
You can sense your subordinates’ interest as well and so, insofar as you ca and leaving out the specifics of the accusations which the Old Paladin levelled at you, you tell the tale of your duel and his defeat, and of the tentative compromise you are now building. The Thief and Archer respond with guarded congratulations, clearly mistrustful of the Paladins’ intentions. Ekaterine, who you expected the most disapproval from… Actually hugs you, and holds you tight.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” she whispers, and then looks up at you with those beautiful gemstone-green eyes. “And so, SO proud of you, Theral! You didn’t need to spare that man. A monster like he thought you were, like I used to… Well, you prove him wrong, and anyone else who thinks that you aren’t a good… A good PERSON!”
You are gratified to hear it, though as you reflect on the accusations which Sir Ewald levelled upon you—especially the true ones—you aren’t so sure how she’d feel if she were to hear the same litany of manipulations and murders. You bury that concern, and instead raise another: you take Ekaterine’s shoulders in your hand, and meet her questioning eyes.
“Eka,” you say softly, “There’sss ssomethign elsse you need to know… About your father.”