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New Arrivals
Story: New Arrivals
Year: 989 FY
Characters: Commander Ledir, Desshiri, Andrell
Warnings: Ableism, references to torture and enslavement, oblique reference to ongoing genocide.
Notes: This takes place in the Desshiri AU
Commander Ledir was not a superstitious man. The Grand Duke had sent him here as commander of the troops Asendar was committing to the siege of Feredar, and, for some reason, he had ended up as the commander-in-chief. The Glass commander, the Islander captains...everyone looked to him as the final authority on all decisions. Even the healers Heartwood had sent went where he told them. As far as he knew, no one had planned this ahead of time, it had just...happened.
I should be grateful, he thought. If there's anything in the universe that can guarantee a brilliant career ahead of me, it's commanding--and winning--a siege like this. And, to tell the truth, most of the time he was. After a few dominance displays at the beginning, thing had settled nicely into the appropriate order. And it made sense--he had more siege experience than the other commanders.
Unfortunately, that also meant he dealt with headaches like the young man who'd just been dragged into his tent by one of the captains. He wasn't a superstitious man, no, but if he was, he might have thought that the gods were playing a massive prank on him.
"You want to defect," he said, to confirm.
The young man nodded. Pale and obviously frightened, but he held Ledir's eyes. "It's...bad, in there. Rioting. People are...people are dying."
If he's telling the truth...
But the chances of that?
"Sir?" One of the Glass commander's favorite messengers was outside.
"What now?"
"Princess Desshiri is here."
"Not n--"
She'd followed the messenger in. Of course.
Commander Ledir stood. "Highness." What the hell are you doing in an active war zone? A crippled nineteen-year-old who'd spent months as a slave--being tortured--in the city he was besieging... What the hell was your King thinking, sending you here? At best, she'd be a minor morale boost he'd still have to spend resources and manpower babysitting. At worst...
"Commander," she replied. She started to say something else, then spotted the prince and paused.
...and of course you came in now. Dammit. I need this like I need a hole in the head. She was either going to kill him or melt down. Well, at least it might be some hint of how honest he's being.
The prince flinched a little and dropped his eyes, staring at his hands. None of them said anything for a long time.
"Are you defecting?" Princess Desshiri finally said, very quiet, very strained.
Prince Andrell jerked a little, and nodded once.
Princess Desshiri turned back to Ledir. "He's a network sympathizer."
Ledir blinked. "You're certain?"
She nodded once. "Please excuse me." Without waiting for an answer, she limped back out of the tent. Prince Andrell looked up, watching her go, with an expression of a confused mixture of gratitude and guilt that Ledir was almost positive couldn't be faked.
Almost.
He turned back to him. "I can't let you wander free. I'll have you debriefed, and if your information checks out..."
"Yes?" he said.
"Then we'll see." He signaled for the prince to be taken somewhere discreet, away from any other prisoners. If he was telling the truth, putting him with them would be as good as killing him. If he wasn't, Ledir didn't want to give them a rallying point.
I need a drink or five. A crippled princess of dubious sanity and a possible defector descending on him within minutes. I think the gods hate me. Personally. With a deep and abiding passion.
Ledir was not a superstitious man, but he wished, from the bottom of his heart, that the girl would just go home and that Prince Andrell would prove sincere.
He took a deep breath and tried to focus on prepping for the next command meeting. I need those two to do what I want. Please, if there's anything in the heavens that loves me...Please let it play out like that.
Ledir was not a superstitious man, but on this particular issue, all he could do was wait and hope.
Year: 989 FY
Characters: Commander Ledir, Desshiri, Andrell
Warnings: Ableism, references to torture and enslavement, oblique reference to ongoing genocide.
Notes: This takes place in the Desshiri AU
Commander Ledir was not a superstitious man. The Grand Duke had sent him here as commander of the troops Asendar was committing to the siege of Feredar, and, for some reason, he had ended up as the commander-in-chief. The Glass commander, the Islander captains...everyone looked to him as the final authority on all decisions. Even the healers Heartwood had sent went where he told them. As far as he knew, no one had planned this ahead of time, it had just...happened.
I should be grateful, he thought. If there's anything in the universe that can guarantee a brilliant career ahead of me, it's commanding--and winning--a siege like this. And, to tell the truth, most of the time he was. After a few dominance displays at the beginning, thing had settled nicely into the appropriate order. And it made sense--he had more siege experience than the other commanders.
Unfortunately, that also meant he dealt with headaches like the young man who'd just been dragged into his tent by one of the captains. He wasn't a superstitious man, no, but if he was, he might have thought that the gods were playing a massive prank on him.
"You want to defect," he said, to confirm.
The young man nodded. Pale and obviously frightened, but he held Ledir's eyes. "It's...bad, in there. Rioting. People are...people are dying."
If he's telling the truth...
But the chances of that?
"Sir?" One of the Glass commander's favorite messengers was outside.
"What now?"
"Princess Desshiri is here."
"Not n--"
She'd followed the messenger in. Of course.
Commander Ledir stood. "Highness." What the hell are you doing in an active war zone? A crippled nineteen-year-old who'd spent months as a slave--being tortured--in the city he was besieging... What the hell was your King thinking, sending you here? At best, she'd be a minor morale boost he'd still have to spend resources and manpower babysitting. At worst...
"Commander," she replied. She started to say something else, then spotted the prince and paused.
...and of course you came in now. Dammit. I need this like I need a hole in the head. She was either going to kill him or melt down. Well, at least it might be some hint of how honest he's being.
The prince flinched a little and dropped his eyes, staring at his hands. None of them said anything for a long time.
"Are you defecting?" Princess Desshiri finally said, very quiet, very strained.
Prince Andrell jerked a little, and nodded once.
Princess Desshiri turned back to Ledir. "He's a network sympathizer."
Ledir blinked. "You're certain?"
She nodded once. "Please excuse me." Without waiting for an answer, she limped back out of the tent. Prince Andrell looked up, watching her go, with an expression of a confused mixture of gratitude and guilt that Ledir was almost positive couldn't be faked.
Almost.
He turned back to him. "I can't let you wander free. I'll have you debriefed, and if your information checks out..."
"Yes?" he said.
"Then we'll see." He signaled for the prince to be taken somewhere discreet, away from any other prisoners. If he was telling the truth, putting him with them would be as good as killing him. If he wasn't, Ledir didn't want to give them a rallying point.
I need a drink or five. A crippled princess of dubious sanity and a possible defector descending on him within minutes. I think the gods hate me. Personally. With a deep and abiding passion.
Ledir was not a superstitious man, but he wished, from the bottom of his heart, that the girl would just go home and that Prince Andrell would prove sincere.
He took a deep breath and tried to focus on prepping for the next command meeting. I need those two to do what I want. Please, if there's anything in the heavens that loves me...Please let it play out like that.
Ledir was not a superstitious man, but on this particular issue, all he could do was wait and hope.