Keiran

What makes a man a man?


He kept to the walls and stayed within the shadows, unseen. From behind the wall, he heard the murmuring of a small crowd of dragons. They spoke quietly, but his hearing was acute and he could make out some of what they said. He heard the name of his precious king several times… coupled with plots of betrayal and treason. The dragons within masked their thirst for power with flimsy complaints. Keiran curled his upper lip. The king was nothing but gracious to scum like this, and yet they continued to speak against him. He turned from the wall and their whispers and hurried down the hallway. Unseen and stealthy, he slipped through a crowd of dragons outside and towards the king’s quarters, taking a path through an old alley to get there. Traitors, he fumed inwardly. All of them were disgusting traitors. Perhaps it was because of these emotions that he was distracted enough to be caught. Someone stepped in front of him, blocking his path through the empty alleyway. Keiran’s heart jumped into his throat for a split second. Who was it? One of the conspirators? Was he really finished?

Morgen huffed at him and stepped closer. “Where have you been?” she asked, obviously trying to keep her voice level and her anger masked.

“Oh, Morgen,” Keiran said with a sigh of relief. “You already know where I’ve been. Business—”

“Yeah, business. I know.” She walked a bit nearer to him and her angry frown melted into something softer. Concerned, even. “I haven’t seen you in two days, Keiran. I’ve been worried.”

“I’ve been fine. Just working,” he replied evenly. She did this quite often; tried to lure him away from his work and closer to her, even when he was so busy with such important things.

“Just working, hm?” Her voice was silky and deceptive. Keiran could hear it beneath her sweet tone; she was planning something.

“Morgen, I must report back to the king. I have important information to relay.”

“Important information?” she said innocently. “On what, the treason plan?” Keiran froze.

“How did you know about that?”

“I’m not exactly known as loyal to the king, Keiran,” she said with a bitter smile.

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, darling. You must have heard the whispers.” Her smile turned bitter. “I’m from the Wasteland, and plague dragons are not to be trusted. On top of that, sometimes I commit the absolutely horrible crime of missing my old home,” she spat. “Apparently emotions like that are foreign to the robotic lightning flight. Apparently I’m some sort of criminal for wanting to see those I used to be so close to. Apparently I—”

“Morgen,” Keiran interrupted. Morgen stopped her rant, breathing unevenly and looking anywhere but at him. “Morgen,” he repeated, “it’s alright. I know you wouldn’t betray him. I know you wouldn’t betray our kingdom.” He drew her in, close enough to whisper in her ear. “I’d never think that of you.” He felt her sigh against him.

“I still miss it sometimes,” she admitted.

“I know you do.”

“It wasn’t as pretty as it is here, I can say that honestly, but it was home. And I was so free back then,” she said wistfully. “I could take jobs when I wanted, roam the wastes when I didn’t. It was really nice. And then—”

“—you met me,” he finished.

“Right,” she said, “and then I was caught and tortured. That was that bad bit. And THEN I met you again.” She smiled. “That was the good bit.” Keiran frowned.

“Do you regret it?”

“What?” she said, drawing back and standing straight.

“Do you regret coming here and serving under the king?” he asked. Morgen thought for a moment.

“Well,” she said at last, “the torture wasn’t too fun. But I’ve found this place has some good things in it.” Morgen leaned in and whispered, “It’s you. You’re the good thing.” Keiran grinned.

“I’m glad you think so,” he said. They there stood for a moment, barely touching. It was rare for them to have quiet moments. Morgen sighed again and leaned back to look at him.

“You could have told me what you were doing,” she said softly. “I knew some things about their plan. I still do—stuff I bet you haven’t heard yet.”

“I suppose there’s time for you to tell me before I meet with the king, then.”

“Well,” Morgen said, smiling mischievously at him, “I think that’s a discussion for a place more private than the middle of the square. Meet me in our room, and I’ll consider telling you.”

Keiran laughed. “Fine then,” he said. “I’ll meet you there.”

Short story by resplendentChaos