Into the Castle

It always caught you off guard because you were use to hanging out down in the mountain with Sunrider warriors that when you finally made your way up to the castle and saw nothing but shorter, extremely top heavy male warriors, you couldn't help but double take briefly. You knew Sicilian was split up between female warriors - the Sunriders as well as just normal Sicilian warriors which were mainly bulky muscular males. You've seen plenty of male warriors before but still, it makes you double take from the sheer brute size of their arms and upper bodies. The axes they could wield, the giant shields, the huge polearms, just absolutely ridiculous weapons. For a brief moment you thought back to Sir Trillian, your opponent at the Tournament of Nillix but also a Sicilian warrior you would call a friend, back at Karisi's party, that night you enjoyed Trillian's company and got to finally lay with Lady Karisi...

"Lady Karisi..." you briefly think to yourself "I hope she's doing alright. She did help me get into the castle in Rathkin and then I did a prison break with the Sunriders they wanted... I hope none of the guards told the King of Rathkin that Karisi **** me inside the castle. I hope she's okay." you continue to have a conversation with yourself inside your head.

You actually zoned out, blindly following Ashe as you thought about all the things in your life, from your past, present and what your future holds. It isn't until you look up and notice that your in a rectangular room with many white marble pillars extending high into the ceiling. Grey marble floors with large pathways of flowing water all around the room. A few golden statues sitting on wooden tables with metal trim. You could see a handful of chalice's sitting around those wooden tables as well as two Sicilian warriors standing next to a large wooden door in the distance. Many different paintings and artifacts covered the wall. You noticed a few giant skulls of sabre tooth tigers just mounted up, some extremely large with fangs well over a foot or two long. "It's definitely royalty..." you think to yourself.

"Have a seat Sir Darien and High Commander Ashe" one of the warriors asks politely "Pour a drink if you wish, the King should be here soon."

You just look at Ashe as the warrior leaves you two at the table "Well, the Sun did just come up...I guess one drink wouldn't hurt." you wink at her as you pour wine from a large golden vase into your white glassed with green emerald gems coating the lip. You top yours off before pouring another one, pushing it off to Ashe.

"Cheers." you say quietly at her, clinking her chalice before each of you take a hefty swig.

As you set your chalice down, just gazing off into the distance "So...anything I should know?" you ask, not even looking at Ashe but instead still eyeballing all the cool paintings and artifacts.

"Regarding...?" raises her eyebrow at you.

"Uhh, the King?"

"Not really no, probably just learn about you a bit, talk battle, talk strategy, typical war leader conversations."

"I see..."

"Is there a problem?"

"Well...I've just never...uhh, never really been a leader at all."

Ashe just laughs at you "No worries." her hand reaches over and stops on your forearm, gripping it lightly "Not to bring this up but Luna was pretty pathetic at being a leader too originally but she grew into the best one we ever had." your hand rubs up and down your forehead "I have faith in you." she smiles "Plus...I know what the hell I"m doing so if you just listen to me...and honestly, you should listen to me...we should be all good." her smile gets even bigger.

"We'll see about that." you wink at Ashe.

"Trust me, Darien. Us women know what we're talking about. Remember, we're always right. You men, aren't." she just nods her head at you.

You can't help but just roll your eyes at the Sunrider before shaking your head, letting out a giant sigh.

A creek in the distance causes both of you to look up at the wooden door with the two warriors guarding it. As it slightly starts to open both Ashe and yourself stand up to your feet, ready to greet the King of the Sicilian Syndicate.