A moment of peace... and a realization

"So this is what contentment feels like," Trina whispers as she lays back upon her your cape, her eyes closed as if she can accept what has happened only as a dream. "I know that not all is right with the world, far from it... but in this moment, it is what my heart tells me."

Of course, you also know that not all is right with the world, not the least of which is that you have perhaps permanently compromised the finest of your Kingsguard... but it would be cruel indeed to remind Trina of this fact at this time. Instead, you lean over to kiss her, indulging once more in those wonderfully soft, perfect lips. She responds with hands gently caressing the back of your neck, even raising her hips slightly as if to indicate her readiness to once again do so much more than kiss. You are reminded suddenly of the kiss she gave you right before her duel with Adbul... not truly the first kiss she offered, as that was at the Mill, but it was the first kiss with true passion and fervor driving her.

Why? you wonder to yourself.

"Why what?" Trina asks, the first hint of concern touching her face, and you realize you said it aloud.

"Forgive me, I did not wish to perhaps introduce an unpleasant memory upon this moment," you tell her. "I could not help, though, but to recall the kiss you gave me in your tent, before the duel. I confess I have been curious as to why you did such a thing. It was not unwelcome, not by any means! But, it was unexpected."

You half-expected Trina to blush, but she is clearly well beyond feeling self-conscious around you, and simply smiles. "It was not something I planned or gave thought to at the time," she says. "It was... impulsive. Perhaps the most impulsive thing I have done since I was a child. I knew in my mind that I could defeat Abdul, but in my heart I still felt uncertain. In that moment, I was driven by my heart. I feared that I might die without ever having known what it felt like to kiss you, as a lover. My mind was pushed aside, my heart took over, and before I knew it I was embracing you. I was, perhaps, as surprised as you -" She stops suddenly, her bright blue eyes going wide with shock.

"Did you only just now realize what you had done?" you ask.

"Abdul!" she whispers. "Xavier, Abdul was just like me!"

"Abdul was nothing like you," you reply, more confused than insistent.

"No, no, you don't understand," Trina says, sitting up and taking you by the shoulders. She looks more excited than you have ever seen her (well, perhaps you have seen her this excited ONCE before, and very recently, but these seem to be entirely different circumstances!). "Xavier, I have been conducting my own investigation on Abdul - I know that it was not my place, but I could not sit idle and do nothing. I have had trusted colleagues and friends ask their own questions of those who knew him. Even though Mshindi has been dutiful and told me nothing, I know almost as much as he does."

"I certainly cannot fault you -"

"But now I realize something that no one else has!" Trina continues over your words, not having even heard you. "Abdul was acting that night as if he were not right in the head - he was drinking ale and wine, taking women aside one after another, flaunting vows he had made to his God and Prophet. Xavier, he behaved this way because he knew that he would never see another sunrise! He knew that someone meant to kill him before the night was done - and he truly believed that there was nothing he could do to prevent it!"

"It makes sense, Trina," you say. "I believe you must be right, but in all honesty, I don't see how this helps us. It does not prove that you could not have done it, he had reason to fear retribution from you."

"No, he was afraid of something he could not fight!" Trina insists. "To be sure, he might have thought I would try to kill him, but would he have been so convinced I would succeed that he would essentially throw his life away that night? No, that is not possible. He was afraid of far more than me, Xavier; he was so terrified that he had abandoned all hope of surviving the night. Someone of great power meant to kill him, someone so powerful that he could not defend himself!"

"Are you saying that Subhi did this?" you ask, incredulous.

Trina blinks several times, puzzlement covering her face; clearly, this possibility had not occurred to her. "To be sure, Subhi's wrath might inspire such terror in Abdul - but no, that does not make sense," Trina says. Her eyes flicker to the side, and it seems as though you can see her thoughts forming just before she speaks them. "If the Sultan wanted to execute Abdul, he would simply do so; he would imprison Abdul for the remainder of the festival, and likely carry out the sentence after departing from Elyssia, out of respect for you. He certainly had no need to make it look like a **** - and besides, if Abdul feared such punishment, he would not have taken actions which clearly angered Subhi even further. But there must have been something or someone who Abdul feared more than his Sultan, even more than his God! If we can find out who or what that is, then - Xavier, look out!"

Trina gives you a hard shove with all of her strength, and you roll backwards over the edge of the shallow hill, tumbling several yards downwards before you are able to halt yourself. Your blood turns cold as you hear Trina's brief battle-cry suddenly silenced, and you quickly get to your feet. And a horrible sight strikes your eyes!

An enormous man, nearly as tall as Sir Magnus, holds Trina by the throat and dangles her so that her toes barely scrape the ground - she struggles against him, but her blows against his massive forearm do nothing, and though she tries to kick at him she cannot lift a foot from the ground without **** further. Her sword has been knocked far out of reach, and between you and your own weapon stands the giant.

"You come with me," the man grunts, pointing at you.

"Release her!" you shout.

"You come with me, or she dies," he says, and his fingers tighten on Trina's throat. The rose of her lips gives way to a frightening blue as her strength ebbs away...