The Tears of Kas̆dael

As much as a boon from an emperor sounded useful, Jasper had no idea what to ask for. He didn't particularly want any land, as he had no desire to be tied down to one spot. The glaive his aunt had made for him was still more than adequate, and while he wasn't exactly Scrooge McDuck levels of wealthy, money wasn't really a concern any longer. What do I even ask for? I wouldn't mind getting out of this bloody war, but I doubt that request would go over well…But his thoughts stuttered to an abrupt stop as he caught the tail end of the emperor's sentence.

"...and I will grant you and your lady an estate in the capital, once it's conquered, of course."

My lady? "I'm sorry, my lord, but I'm afraid the generosity of your offer distracted me for a moment. What did you say?"

Eligon frowned, but repeated himself. "It was my impression from Lord Ardûl that you are currently unbetrothed and, due to certain…expectations among the Djinn, unlikely to be betrothed any time soon. But you will face no such challenges amongst us. I will have Naklāti arrange a suitable match and grant you an estate in the capital once we've reclaimed it.

"Um…" He replied eloquently, flummoxed by the emperor's abrupt proposal. This was less a boon and more a goddamned disaster, but Jasper wasn't sure how to tell an emperor you didn't want his gifts. "Thank you, my lord, for your offer, but I'm truly not looking to settle down right now…"

"Is it the elf?" Eligon interrupted him. "Have no fear; Naklāti will have no trouble finding a match that does not object to your mistress."

"Oh, we're not together," Jasper hastened to correct him.

"Then what is the problem?" the Emperor asked with a trace of irritation.

How do you explain to someone that your entire frame of reference is just…different? But knowing the Emperor had been made aware of his true origins, Jasper decided to try. "I mean no disrespect, my lord - it's a very generous offer - but back home, we generally chose our partners ourselves, for love, not any political concerns. Surely you understand - I see the way you look at Lady Naklāti," he added, taking a bold swing.

Eligon's expression softened, with something like pity entering his expression. "Aye, I was most fortunate that love and duty collided in Lady Naklāti's case, but I have married for duty before. I was first betrothed at the age of six to a girl seven years my senior, not of any love, but because my father needed to tie her father's realm to our cause. That betrothal was annulled three years later when the stoneflesh conquered their province, and the second was arranged a week after, this time to the daughter of the Lord of Amur-Corsyth, a marriage I was forced to go through with despite the fact that she cared not for the company of men. Perhaps in your world, Lord Yas̆peh, power and politics are something you can afford to ignore, but that is not the world in which you live now. You can never have too many allies - and the bonds of blood and wine are the strongest you can forge."

Depressing as the emperor's anecdotes may have been, Jasper didn't see how they applied to him. He had no lands to protect, no dynasty to safeguard, nothing that demanded the need for protection, but as he started to object, the emperor cut him off.

"Do not fear - I will not force you to marry, but neither shall I rescind my offer. Lord Ardûl spoke highly of your intelligence, Lord Yas̆peh, so I have faith you will see the wisdom of this course in time. And until then," the man rose to his feet and offered a stiff nod of his head toward Jasper, "You have my thanks. To lose Naklāti would have been…" The Emperor left the thought unfinished as he departed into the night, leaving Jasper alone with his thoughts.

"Well, that was certainly something I didn't have on my bingo card," he muttered to himself once he was certain the Emperor was out of earshot. "It's too bad we won't get an actual reward, but at least he didn't force the matter." With a sigh, he glanced up at the moon, murmuring a final prayer of thanks as heavy rain clouds obscured the lady's bright visage. Then, he hurried down the hill, eager to get back to the cover of his tent before the rain resumed, a task he promptly failed as the heavens began to weep.

The next few days passed quickly. Every morning, Ardûl had another task for him, usually one that involved sending him and the rest of his group chasing rumors of escaped stoneflesh that took them from one side of the valley to the other.

It was a pointless task, as the constant rains washed any tracks the stoneflesh might have left nearly as quickly as they'd been made, but Jasper doubted Ardul had any real expectations they'd find anyone. If anyone had survived the catastrophic destruction the blood mage had caused, they were well in the wind by now, but Jasper guessed the missions were an excuse to keep them out of the way of the Emperor's party. He was relieved, therefore, when on the fifth day they returned to camp and found his banners missing.

"Commander Ardûl wants to see you and the elf," the guards greeted him as his group rode through the shoddy barricades that had been thrown up around the tent city.

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"Both of us? Do you know what for?" His confusion was echoed by Ihra, who spoke at the same time. "He wants to see me?"

The guard shrugged. "Didn't say; just asked we send you to him whenever you came back."

"Alright," Jasper sighed, bidding farewell to his dream of a warm bath and a cozy cot, as he nudged Dapplegrim away from his tent. Ihra caught up beside him as the two rode toward the blue banner fluttering above Ardûl's tent.

"Any idea what he wants?" she asked.

"Not a damned clue. I was kind of hoping we'd have a little more freedom once the emperor left, but maybe I was wrong," Jasper grumbled. They reached Ardûl's tent a moment later, and tying up their mounts to the hitching post aside, ventured in.

The sickly sweet stench of maqta hit his nostrils as he pushed through the flap, and Jasper accepted the cup thrust into his hands reluctantly.

"Any luck?" Ardûl greeted him as he handed a second cup to Ihra and ushered the two of them over to the table.

"I don't think any of them survived, but if they did, they're long gone," Jasper replied.

"Aye, to be expected, but Lord Eligon was most concerned about the idea that the Bloodspiller might have taken an apprentice. He wanted to be sure none had escaped."

Though the idea hadn't occurred to Jasper, he supposed it wasn't that far-fetched; after successfully faking his death, the man had spent quite a few years outside the Empire's view. "Do you think he had one?"

The Moon-kissed hummed thoughtfully as he refreshed his cup with more of the hot, pink liquid. "We have no real evidence, but my gut tells me there's something there," he finally replied. "I don't think the Emperor is being paranoid in this respect, but, gods willing, it won't be our problem to deal with."

"I don't know; the gods seem to like shoveling their problems on my plate," Jasper chuckled ruefully, as he choked down a sip of the hot beverage.

"And not just the gods," Ardûl laughed back. "It seems you caught the Emperor's eye; it was all I could do to prevent him from taking you with them when they left."

"Huh? He didn't even seem to like me," Jasper blinked in surprise.

"I'm not sure he does," Ardûl agreed, "but your actions in the portal and afterward impressed him. But even if they hadn't," the man's lips twisted wryly, "I suspect Lord Eligon would have been interested in you. You are a relative of our king, however distant, and yet there is little to bind you to the province. I believe he hopes to tie you to his realm, and through you, to strengthen the connections between our people and the Empire at large."

"That's crazy," Jasper blurted out, though as he said it, he suddenly realized why the Emperor was so invested in finding him a marriage alliance. What a bloody crock - it's a reward for him, not for me.

"Misguided? Perhaps, and certainly bold, but not crazy," the commander disagreed with him. "While our people have little desire to leave the safety of our mountains, we were not always as isolated as we are now. The Djinn participated in both the Desolyton and the Fey wars, and now that the threat of the durgu has spurred us into action once again, Eligon doubtless hopes to bind us closer to him. You should consider his offer," the Moon-kissed continued, as he drained the dregs of his cup.

Jasper couldn't help but feel a bit betrayed as the general's advice sank in. "You think I should marry some random person, just to further the Emperor's goals?"

"It would not be some random person," Ardûl rolled his eyes. "I am certain the Lady Naklāti will spare no effort to find you an excellent match. But you should do it for your goals, not the Emperor's."

"And what are my goals?" The words slipped out before he'd thought them over, and the commander smirked.

"Indeed, what are your goals? Right now, you've been dragged into a war you have little stake in, and your choices are not entirely your own - but the war will end, Yas̆peh, and what then? Shall you return to your home?" The man paused and, seeming to read something in Jasper's eyes, shook his head.

"No, I don't think you will, at least not for good. This land and its magic are in your blood now, and there is little to draw you back there. And yet, I also do not believe that you will choose to live amongst the Djinn; you do not see yourself as one of us, not truly, and beyond your uncle and cousin, there is little to bind you to our insular province. The Emperor is not wrong to think you will likely decide to settle in the Empire."

"I mean, I suppose I'll keep adventuring…" Jasper replied uncertainly, suddenly realizing he hadn't spent much time thinking about the future. "As long as I don't, you know, die."

"Aye, for a time you may," the general allowed. "But every adventure has its end, and every story, a new page. There will come a time when you grow tired of sleeping in rain-soaked tents and narrowly escaping cursed ruins, a time when the simple pleasures of a comfortable home will exceed the vaunted promise of another level or a new skill. Believe me," he smiled wearily, "it's a feeling I'm well acquainted with."

"I'm not saying I'll never want to settle down," he admitted, "but I don't want to do it for politics, of all reasons."

"Take my advice as you will," the general replied, pausing to refill his cup of maqta before he continued. "But if the Emperor approaches you with a match, I'd encourage you to at least meet with them before turning them down - just because a match has political benefits does not mean that love cannot blossom, you know."

"I'm not-" Jasper cut off his nearly reflexive rejection of the commander's advice with a sigh. "Maybe I'm being narrow-minded," he admitted. "I'm not keen on the idea, but…I'll think about it."

"Good," Ardûl nodded, "And with that out of the way, perhaps we can discuss the reason I sent for you."

"That wasn't it?"

The Moon-kissed raised his brow. "Do you really think I have nothing better to do than discuss your love life with you?"

"No, but I hoped," he fired back quickly.

"Unfortunately for you, I have another mission - although, perhaps, you'll find it more palatable than getting married," Ardûl said with a touch of humor.