Chapter Text
Cantha. Of course. Kasmeer thought Marjory had left a bottle of questionable origin out again when she heard. Cantha. After all this time...
The air ship to get to Cantha was peaceful, although Kasmeer's heart thudded in her chest like a heavy weight. Marjory wrapped her arms around her waist and leaned on her shoulder, the two of them watching the passing clouds outside the window.
"So between an Elder Dragon, a God of War, and seeing Cantha, which did you think was the least likely?" Marjory teased. Kasmeer rolled her eyes.
"I think I would have picked God of War a few years ago. Cantha... is it really happening? Did you hear that they locked the Commander and Gorrik up?" Kasmeer turned to face Marjory, who had pulled away and stretched. Her partner shrugged.
"Can't say I blame 'em. Gorrik's a good guy, but... a little freaky, don't you think?" Kasmeer could not hold back the bubbles of laughter that came over her. "What? What's so funny?" Marjory crossed her arms and Kasmeer wiped her eyes.
"You are not allowed to call anyone freaky, we once lived inside a hideous toxic tower!" Marjory scoffed.
"It was for a job!" Marjory's annoyance turned to amusem*nt as Kasmeer kissed her nose.
"You are ridiculous, and I love you," Kasmeer nuzzled into her neck. Marjory threaded her fingers through the end of Kasmeer's hair.
"Not nearly as ridiculous as-"
"Jory!"
"Fine, fine... I love you too," she said, kissing the top of Kasmeer's head.
It was nice to get these little moments of peace before - how does the saying go - sh*t hit the fan.
"Ambassador Meade, all the way from Kryta, welcome," a man with very long hair greeted them as they landed in Cantha. She nodded and reached a hand out.
"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mister..."
"Minister Li, we are happy to greet one of Kryta's finest, straight from the court of Queen Jennah, did I hear that correctly?" He took her hand and guided her off the ship as she nodded in response. Kasmeer vaguely heard Marjory and the rest of the Tyrians grumbling behind her. Those grumbles were all cut short when they saw the surrounding beauty. How could anything be this green?! She wished Minister Li would let her go and let her look around properly. But she was an Ambassador, a representative, and she needed to act like it. She felt her spine stiffen with the teachings her mother and tutors practically beat into her as a young girl. Scars made the posture all the more stiff and painful, though none of that could be seen, of course - Kasmeer's beauty illusions on both her and Marjory were working like a treat and nobody could question the beauty of the two women.
Finally, Minister Li stopped in an office and gestured for her to sit. She took the seat, and he poured them both mugs of tea. It smelled almost like the blend Marjory's mother made for them, but not quite.
"So, this... person and - what do your people call them?" Minister Li took a sip of his tea, and she set hers down before speaking.
"Asura, they are a race of underground people, engineers really, geniuses, but I recommend you don't let any of them hear you say that, they'll get too pleased with themselves!" She laughed a bit and Minister Li smiled, not unkindly. She took a sip of her tea and could hear her mother's voice in her ear. Don't be rude and don't waste anyone's time! "Minister Li, I understand that this was... an unexpected circ*mstance. I believe it could be an unexpected opportunity. The Commander is a good person who has lead us through many difficult battles against seemingly unbeatable foes. Whatever trouble has come along with them, they will help you." She set the tea down and met his gaze. She could tell he was having a hard time meeting her eye - was she coming off too strongly? She bit the inside of her lip to keep from hiccupping or chewing on the outside of her lip.
"Well, certainly, we do not want any further incidents. It seems this... Commander... did not have complete control over their being here. So, under those circ*mstances, it would be unlawful to hold them and this... asura. We would release them over to you with the understanding that no further lawbreaking occurs. Is that clear?" Minister Li raised his eyebrows at her and she tried not to smile. Success! She nodded and he pulled out a couple of documents. She read them all closely and carefully before signing. They were just standard release forms, not entirely understandable since they weren't written in New Krytan, but not completely incomprehensible either. Minister Li stood, and she followed him out of the room. He walked away to speak with some other guards, and she tried not to skip back to Marjory, giddy about her success already.
Marjory tapped a finger to her lips and gestured over her shoulder to a pair of Canthans. They were peeking through the fencing to look at the Tyrian assembly. One of them looked like a child.
"Is that a cat! No way! It's walking on its hind legs!"
"Whoa, they brought cool plants with them... oh Gods! It moved!"
"Ohhh she's scary looking and she looks Canthan. How did they get her?!"
It was the last comment that made Kasmeer start to giggle, holding the laughter tight to her chest. Marjory's eyes twinkled with amusem*nt and Kasmeer turned around to stand next to her, wishing she could reach a hand out to hold. Instead, the pair stood waiting, watching, as Gorrik and the Commander walked out of jail.
Kasmeer knew she would hit Canthan ground and be busy. She had no idea the true extent of it. Immediately, she was bombarded with meetings and offers and diplomatic gestures that she saw through with a keen eye. Canthans were extremely willing to work with her, if and only if, she was willing to offer herself and Kryta in return. The Queen had given Kasmeer strict orders to only give so much of themselves and Kasmeer was not willing to break that trust. She had worked hard to be in the Queen's Court, let alone the Krytan Ambassador. Though, a secret part of her worried she would not have been chosen had she not worked so closely with the Commander. This worry was squashed repeatedly by the times that Canthan ministers and departments would lie to her face and she would smile, twinkles in her eyes, and graciously offer them a chance to repeat themselves. This always flustered them and they changed their answers.
After a day of too much diplomacy, she had a meeting with the Empress, and the Commander attended with her. She seldom prayed to the Gods anymore, but this required one devout prayer - please do not screw this up for me, Commander.
The Empress was gracious, far more than the Tyrians deserved if Kasmeer was honest with herself. Lady Joon seemed to be someone who would be a worthy ally and Kamseer was secretly grateful for the opportunity to intervene in an argument. Though, she was immensely displeased by Minister Li. She wasn't expecting to be welcomed openly - if that was the case, then Cantha would have opened their borders long ago. It was dis-quietening to be so openly disliked politically though. Personally, she could handle it, even if it did wound her ego some, but politically, she thought herself untouchable. Oh, how the world loved to prove her wrong on that.
Kasmeer ignored the twisty feeling in her gut that something more than diplomatic was going wrong. She had faced several Elder Dragons' magic by now, and she would like to think that she knew what they felt like. It was hard to focus on anything when every Canthan official needed their five minutes with her. Trade agreements to pass onto the Queen's Court, missives to read over and usually, dismiss, but sometimes, someone gave away more than they were intended. Frankly, it was all busy work for Kasmeer, who was much more used to the action.
"Lady Joon, please wait for me," Kasmeer rushed after the scientist who had run out of her office when the Commander called. They were heading out to Zen Daijun.
"No time, Ambassador Meade, though I appreciate your company on this. Mai has proved to be a great asset to me when she behaves. When she doesn't..." Joon pushed open a gate and walked out into the lush green of Seitung. Kasmeer huffed a laugh.
"Believe me, we know a thing or two about Mai's misbehavior. This won't be the first time Jo- Marjory tries to claim Mai's life with a sword." Joon looked over at Kasmeer strangely. Kasmeer felt her cheeks burn, just slightly, though she could pretend it was only a sunburn.
"Are you and Miss Delaqua that close?" Joon asked quietly. Kasmeer bit her lip to keep from laughing. The thick green had only gotten thicker, and they could see the cave's entrance now.
"You could say that," she said politely. With the appearance of the cave and the Aetherblade hideout just beyond it, Joon had become lazer focused. They climbed through the hideout in silence.
They turned into a cave and were face-to-face with Captain Mai Trin. Mai... well, she looked like a hot mess. And wasted might have been putting it mildly. Kasmeer could smell the booze coming off her the second they crossed the threshold. Marjory looked fine, thank the Gods. Angry and confused, she could tell from the tiny wrinkle between her eyebrows, but unharmed.
And then Scarlet appeared as a revenant echo and Kasmeer felt her own heart thud thickly in her ears. She couldn't imagine how Marjory felt. Well, that wasn't entirely true. The beauty illusions were helpful in multiple ways - one of them being a general sense of the wearer. That was why emotional connection helped make the illusion stronger. Kasmeer's magic was tingling up her spine in fear and fury. Marjory wasn't just anxious and afraid - she was protective.
Bringing Mai Trin down didn't even feel good to Kasmeer, though she knew from Marjory's sweat trickling down her back that the effort to do so was not wasted. The twitching of Marjory's hands on her sword also belied a certain... withholding that Marjory was doing. In that, she was not skewering the Aetherblade Captain.
Kasmeer was not happy to send the Commander off to Canthan bureaucracy instead of straight to New Kaineng to handle this case, but that was the way of this trip. Mission? It was all forms and papers and talking to someone to get a little further along. Kasmeer knew better than anyone. With a sigh, she finished another day of talking to ministers, ready to make the trek to her private quarters, alone, not thinking about how much that ached, when Navan popped her head into the office Kasmeer had commandeered.
"Ambassador Meade! Follow me, would you?" Navan asked, bowing her head politely. Kas smiled softly, appreciative of Navan in a way she couldn't quite place, and nodded, tucking away some paperwork.
"You've already been so much help, and we've barely had a chance to speak," Kasmeer said as she followed Navan out into Seitung. "In fact, I don't think I know your formal title..."
"Oh, I hardly bother with that, truthfully," Navan smiled at her. "If you must, it's 'esteemed Navan' but I would prefer just Navan, thank you. How are you finding Cantha?"
"Cantha has been much more than I expected. Everyone has been very kind," Kasmeer's mouth twisted slightly at the last phrase and Navan glanced sideways at her as they walked.
"You don't need the ambassador training with me, Ambassador Meade. Let me guess. Minister Li is giving you an incredibly hard time on permission for your friends? Minister Yu certainly has the idea of getting trade agreements, but he is not so bold so quickly. Perhaps watch for him though," Navan turned to see Kasmeer stopped still in her tracks. Navan laughed. "Oh please, Ambassador Meade. I am an imperial advisor, not a politician. I watch everyone and I know how they operate. No need to worry."
Kasmeer let out a long breath and a shaky laugh. "Oh! I know how that goes too. Thanks... and I'm sorry for not appreciating your knowledge sooner." Navan waved her hand as they entered Daigo Ward.
"You're fine, Ambassador. Do you prefer I call you Ambassador Meade, or something else?" Navan found them a cozy table to wait for the Commander and they both sat. Kasmeer thought for a moment before responding.
"My name is Kasmeer, please call me whichever you feel fits most," she smiled and Navan beamed in response.
"Pleasure to make your acquaintance then, Kasmeer," the advisor said with a twinkle in her eye. Kasmeer nodded in response, cheeks burning with the expanse of her smile, starting to feel more than just okay with being the Krytan Ambassador.
After meeting with the Commander briefly in Daigo Ward, it was time to meet more ministers, more paperwork, and enough tea and coffee that even Marjory Delaqua herself would have let out a wild "okay, that's enough" at the caffeine. After two days of this and hearing the Commander had gotten Mai Trin and Marjory and Gorrik safely to New Kaineng, as well as getting Navan to New Kaineng with little fuss, Kasmeer tripped into her palace quarters and fell asleep completely dressed, shoes still on.
She awoke to a beeping noise she had not heard in all her life. She blinked, bleary-eyed and feeling drunk. The exhaustion seeped into her bones. It was a clock, but not one like they had in Tyria. This was powered by the jade that powered everything, blinking furiously in a green light. She reached out a hand and smacked at it until the beeping stopped. She sighed and laid back down. Her body was just beginning to fall into rest again when a knock interrupted her sleep.
"Ambassador Meade," a woman's voice said, soft and polite. "I am sorry to interrupt you at this late hour, but there have been some new developments with the Tyrians..." Kasmeer felt her blood spike with adrenaline as she shot out of bed and opened the door to the young assistant, Kasmeer's blonde hair spiraling out of its tail and falling haphazardly over her shoulders as the rush of the door opening hit her.
"What happened?" Kasmeer asked as she closed the door to her quarters, following the assistant. The assistant grimaced and Kasmeer re-did her tail as all the worst scenarios crossed her mind. There was another Elder Dragon, wasn't there? Had Marjory gotten hurt? Had she gotten arrested? How could Kasmeer look impartial to the Canthans if she was defending her girlfriend? Oh Gods, the Commander had gotten a minister killed, didn't they? That would be just like them-
"The Aetherblades, well, they -" the assistant swallowed. "They left Seitung and went into Echovald. Theoretically, this would not require any further action from you, Ambassador, but... there are extenuating circ*mstances..." The assistant looked embarrassed as they both stood outside the Seitung Ministry of Security offices. Kasmeer felt the wind blow out of her sails at the mention of the Aetherblades. So Marjory is safe...
"What do I need to know, miss?" Kasmeer crossed her arms, not in aggression. She was a little more than fed up at being woken up so early by an alarm clock she had not set, but it was too late to worry about that.
“It wasn't just Echovald, Ambassador, it was also New Kaineng and - the Xunlai labs were attacked,” the assistant started to look distinctly pained. “Your Commander was seen fleeing the Yong Reactor along with a couple of your companions. Minister Li is requesting your opinions on this matter. Xunlai Security has already responded, however the Yong Reactor was missing everyone in your party... except for Captain Mai Trin, who was found dead.”
Mai Trin, after years and years of anger and late night mutterings of “lost leads”, finally gone. Not just missing, the assistant telling her the details of Mai Trin's autopsy, they knew with finality that Mai Trin was dead. If Marjory wasn't at the scene, then Kasmeer wasn't sure how to phrase this to tamper down her excitement. Kasmeer, still numbly listening to the assistant's update, touched her side, where Marjory's wound would be on her side. Scarlet would also be gone then. Not that they knew she had ever returned, but now, even the idea of her revenant was gone.
“Thank you, miss, I'll- I'll attend to this now, with...?“ Kasmeer opened the door to Ministry of Security personelle. She sighed and tried to put on her most winning smile. ”Ministry of Security, it is my pleasure. I heard already the troubles in New Kaineng. I hope we can-“
”This was a mistake,“ a man said, leaning against his hands on the table. ”We should have sent your people back where they came from the second you landed on our shores. None of this 'see how it goes' and letting bygones be bygones. Clearly, your people have learned nothing in the years we have been gone and our society has far surpassed Kryta and the rest of your society. This is the consequence Cantha suffers for allowing outsiders in our borders. I'll allow my peers to speak and give their opinions, but mine has stayed the same. I regret this entire experience. Please sit, Ambassador Meade.“
Kasmeer swallowed, as little as she could to not so visibly gulp, as she sat amongst the men of Ministry of Security. She took a deep breath and glanced around the room.
”I understand your position, even though I do not agree with it,“ she began, staring the man on the other end of the table down. ”The group you saw leaving the Yong Reactor were not responsible for destroying it.“ She had not convinced anyone by their faces, but she pressed on stubbornly anyway.
”I recognize this is a difficult point to argue, but the group leaving the Yong Reactor was most likely trying to prevent the offensive group from destroying the Yong Reactor. The Commander would not destroy the Yong Reactor, even if given a good reason. The offensive group, the Aetherblades, have repeatedly shown the disrespect and disregard they have for Cantha. The Commander? The Commander has shown nothing but concern for the people of Cantha. I sympathize with the people of Cantha's concerns as well as the Ministry of Security's desire to keep its people safe. However, I assure that the Commander is the one trying to aid you on your mission, not trying to prevent you from your goal,“ Kasmeer spoke with the self-assured confidence that all her mentors had tried to instill in her.
She tried to hide her own tremors in beauty illusions, hoping she had enough in her to do that at least. None of the ministers were mesmers, so they could not tell where she had spackled over her self-esteem with magic. The room was tense with held breath.
"We understand that you have a personal relationship with this... Commander," one of the MinSec's officers said carefully. "We'd all prefer to have you and your comrades removed immediately. However, while we are concerned, we cannot move forward until Xunlai Jade allows us. Unless -" a communicator crackled at the other end of the table. It was Captain Fa's voice.
"Hello, Ministry of Security, I apologize for my interruption," Captain Fa said smoothly. Kasmeer resisted rolling her eyes at the Xunlai Jade's Captain of Security's slimy voice. "I have met with the Commander in light of the events of Yong Reactor. I wish to speak with you privately, and I imagine you have... company currently." All eyes turned to Kasmeer and she nodded and stood to leave. She tried not to run out of the room, but she definitely did not walk. The assistant who had led her into the room stood just outside.
"Ah, Ambassador Meade, your communicator was buzzing while you were inside," she handed Kas her communicator and Kasmeer thanked her before walking off alone to call the Commander and give them a piece of her mind!
"Hey, Commander? You there? We need to talk."
Kasmeer had another long day of meetings ahead of her after handling the issues of the Yong Reactor. She paused her meetings to enjoy a full Canthan breakfast, missing Marjory terribly when she chewed the congee given to her. She knew now about their plans in Echovald and she held onto her communicator tightly outside of meetings, praying to someone (did she have anyone to pray to anymore?) that everything would be fine with the Commander and Marjory.
Luckily, their timing lined up perfectly as Kasmeer exited a meeting with Ministry of Commerce (who was trying to extort Kryta to keep them inside Cantha, no surprises there) and the communicator crackled with Marjory's surprised gasp. It wasn't a gasp of pain, at least, but clearly Marjory wanted her to hear what was going on.
And what an event she was hearing. Navan - Kuunavang? - was Soo-won's champion, like the Commander was Aurene's. The stability that Soo-won had before was all due to the other Dragons and then, Joon's containment chamber. Kasmeer tried to ignore the twisting guilt in her stomach at the idea that what was happening was partially her fault. Could she consider it her fault when the Elder Dragons had needed to put down or else they risked further destruction? What was the balance there? It wasn't her place to consider when she was participating in Dragon's Watch, in the murder of Soo-won's children. It was the Commander's and she was just following orders. That thought made her nauseous after days of meetings with people who wouldn't know right from wrong, but did know what "following orders" were.
All she could contribute currently was urging Gorrik to consider his place with Ankka, where they should go next. After that, her assistant nudged her to head to her next meeting with Ambassador Sianna. It was a larger meeting with Ministry of Agriculture, but Sianna was the best person to discuss that with MinAg. Kasmeer recognized that she didn't know all the moving pieces here. Sianna worked with the Elonian farmers to put new systems in place that provided Elona with dependable and resilient food systems. Surely the same consideration could be discussed with Cantha.
Kasmeer was feeling more relaxed and happy after that meeting. Sianna had been more stubborn than she thought, but it was a success all around. The best part had nothing to do with meetings and everything to do with the person on the other end of the hologram.
"Jory! It's been too long," Kas tried not to reach through the picture to grasp her girlfriend's hand. Marjory looked even more exhausted than she had last they saw each other. That had only been a few days, maybe a week, Kasmeer couldn't keep track through all the meetings. But Kasmeer could have traced her fingers down the shadows and crinkles underneath Marjory's eyes, kissing down her face. It wasn't time for that now.
"Kas! Gods, it's a relief to see your lovely face. Tell me something normal," Jory half-smiled, and Kas felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest. She told her girlfriend all about her successes with Sianna and then her tongue felt dry and her eyes felt wetter than normal. She swallowed.
"I miss you..." she pressed her hand against the edges of the hologram's reach. Her heart crumpled when Jory pressed her hand into it.
"I miss you too. Bedroll's been pretty lonely..." Jory said it playfully, but the ache was behind the twitch in her mouth, the quick swallow, the movement down her throat. Kas felt a tear threatening to fall, but she refused, leaning into the humor.
"I've got a great big empty bed here at the palace..." Kas smiled at her girlfriend who rolled her eyes and looked at Kas with an eyebrow arched.
"Oh yeah? You just rubbing that in or...?" Jory had that damn smirk on and Kas felt hot and so damn tired. How had it only been a week? Two weeks at maximum since they landed on Canthan soil. And yet she yearned for Marjory like she had in the desert all that time ago. Her own chest burned where Marjory's was scarred.
"Well, not just..." Kas blew Jory a kiss and her girlfriend hummed happily as she mimed receiving it.
"Well, hopefully the Commander can get us out of this one and have us reunited without risking our lives. Would be a nice change of pace, don't you think?" Jory shrugged, but the look in her eyes was searching Kas' expression for any sign of doubt. Kas nodded in response.
"It would be, I agree. Depending on Soo-won and the Commander's ability to get the extractor from Ankka, we might be able to get out of this without any- any problems," Kas choked on the word "death" after hearing about the experiences in Echovald and her own ruminations on the Elder Dragons. Luckily, Jory either decided to ignore or didn't notice Kas' discomfort. Likely, the former, given the detective's tense expression before moving on.
"We'll see, after this call, I have to meet with some of the Kestrels to organize the ships. We're still trying to figure out a plan, but the Commander has more looking to do through Echovald. Not sure how they'll find anything, it's worse than Maguuma," Jory laughed a little, but then winced. "Okay, maybe not as bad as Maguuma, but it's pretty damn thick forest over here."
"I believe it," Kas hummed and then saw her assistant open the door a crack to check on her. "I'm sorry, I have another meeting." Jory closed up and nodded.
"I get it, I can't tie up the very important Ambassador Meade," she winked. "Go be the best damn Ambassador, love. Love you."
"I love you too. Be safe. Eyes forward, hearts open."
"Eyes forward, hearts open," Marjory nodded and gave Kasmeer one more strong smile before she disconnected the call. Kasmeer felt all her strength leave her, but the assistant was still standing there. Ignoring one more emotional wound to the heart, Kasmeer walked over.
"Who's next?" She asked, far too casually.
Kasmeer awoke the next day with a headache. She wiped her swollen eyes with a hand and sighed. She didn't wake to knocking today, which meant she hadn't overslept again. But the headache was a problem and her illusions wouldn't get rid of the pain. Only cover the damages. She tucked Marjory's old scarf into her bag, still slightly damp from her nighttime tears, and proceeded to get ready for another day.
She couldn't predict anything that happened anymore. She was only grateful that she didn't have to risk bodily harm every time she walked outside again. Not like Marjory... still not as brave as Marjory... even after all this time? And all you put her through? You can't be brave like her.... Kasmeer chewed her lip absentmindedly between her breakfast and her first meeting of the day. It was going to be a long one if her anxiety was already acting up before she even talked to anyone. A door burst open and the assistant that had been taking her to meeting to meeting flew through.
"A-Ambassador Meade, th-there's been... a new development..." she licked her lips and looked at the ground, taking a deep breath before looking back into Kasmeer's eyes. Kasmeer nodded for her to continue. "Minister Li has been arrested for crimes against Cantha. H-he..." The assistant paused and Kasmeer noted faint tear tracks down the woman's face.
"He was working with the Purists," she finally spat all at once and Kasmeer felt incredibly vindicated for her impressions of the Minister.
"What happens next? Does that change any of our prior conversations? Our status in Cantha?" Kasmeer knew she wasn't being kind here, soothing the woman's anxiety or fear, whatever emotion was happening. But there was no time for that now. None at all.
"The duties are being split between departments currently while Li undergoes questioning. Nothing changes yet except-"
Kasmeer asked the assistant to make arrangements for her day's meetings to be rescheduled. She pulled the communicator from her pile - she really needed a bag - and called the Commander.
"Commander? I hope you are ready to speak with Joon."
"Kasmeer! What a funny coincidence. I was just about to ask you the same thing."
Kasmeer's conversation with Taimi to organize this meeting was much lengthier and including a side-conversation on how Cantha's jade energy was destabilizing. Kasmeer's blood pressure couldn't handle the worry anymore. She stood at the top of the stairs, just outside the Xunlai Jade Founder's home, and wondered briefly if she would ever have a home like this with Marjory.
Never as fancy, obviously, Marjory wouldn't stand for it. But, something a little better than their current home in DR would be nice.... If the Ambassador work keeps up, then they could afford it... Might even need it if the Queen wants me to host anyone.... I wonder if Jory would let us get a pet... does Joon have any pets...?
Kas startled out of her thoughts by the appearance of the Commander down the stairs. She was going to be good support here. She didn't need to ask about Marjory. If the Commander was here, then Marjory was okay too. Even if the Commander currently looked haunted by more ghosts than had ever existed.
"You made it! Commander, what happened?" Kasmeer asked, worried by the many possible answers.
"Soo-Won. She's...lost," they replied, rubbing at their temples. Kasmeer's eyebrows bunched.
"Lost?"
"Overwhelmed by Void. Completely. The way the world will be. Soon." The anxiety swirl in Kasmeer's gut spun at hurricane speeds.
"It won't. We will stop this." The words felt true enough, didn't they? They didn't burn like so many other lies Kasmeer had told herself.
"We have to." Ah, the Commander was reliable in their convictions, thank the Gods.
Approaching Joon's Estate officially, it felt... strange. Kasmeer couldn't tell if it was still her headache from earlier in the morning, or the sensation that she needed to find Marjory and not let go again. She knew, she knew she needed to help the Commander. And the Commander needed her here for now.
The mansion did not welcome them either. The jade security tech was frustrating and the puzzle to even begin to enter was incredibly irritating. She wanted to portal them through, but Taimi had said it was a one-way ticket to jail. Not on her Canthan bucket list, she would have to admit that. The threat of Void felt so much larger than this petty drama and she needed to see Marjory, to keep her safe. But like so much of their life, she needed someone's help who was unwilling to help.
Then, right when it seemed that she could assist, use her diplomacy skills for something more than bridging gaps between nations, save the world with them, her communicator buzzed with Detective Rama's voice.
She had to leave. She was on the edge of one seriously important conversation with one of the only people who could do anything, and she had to leave.
Kasmeer swallowed angry tears as she left the Estate, taking the stairs two at a time. She figured if she tripped, she could cover the wound with an illusion. Maybe a hurt knee would keep her sane during whatever the courts needed from her. She did not feel up for presence in court, she wanted to run and find her girlfriend, she wanted to charge back into the Estate and tell MinSec to f*ck off.
It didn't matter what she wanted. She had a job to do and she was going to do it correctly. For Marjory's sake, if not her own....
To Kasmeer's surprise, Marjory waited for her outside the court room when she got there.
"What are you doing-?"
"No time, love, you have a case to present," Marjory handed over the stack of documents and Kasmeer flipped through them just as Detective Rama opened the door.
"Good! Good, you're here. Ready?" He asked, scratching his head slightly. Kasmeer scanned the documents once more and they walked into the court room.
"Ah, Ambassador Meade, I'm sorry to pull you from your emergency personal meeting, but I'm sure you understand the need for your presence here," the judge nodded at her as they entered the room. Marjory stood along the wall at the back, while Detective Rama followed close behind Kasmeer. The room was filled with curious onlookers. Kasmeer cleared her throat.
"I understand completely, Judge...?"
"Judge Shin, please, thank you, Ambassador. Now, do you have evidence to support that the Commander was not behind this sudden change of heart in the Minister's behavior?"
"Yes, we have no communications showing the Commander speaking with Minister Li directly, only through Detective Rama or another surrogate," Kasmeer recalled from the papers she was given minutes before. "There was no evidence to suggest the sudden change, in fact, Detective Rama is prepared to testify that the Minister's behavior has been off for months." The judge nodded for Rama's addition.
"Judge Shin, Minister Li has not treated anyone fairly in a very long time, but most recently, the Commander's behavior towards Cantha has been nothing but kind and respectful. There was no reason for the Minister to judge the Commander poorly and we would like the case against them to be dismissed on reasons of-"
"Excuse me, Judge Shin?" A court worker popped their head through the door. The judge rolled her eyes and gestured for them. "The call will be sent through!"
And there was Joon testifying that the Commander had nothing to do with Minister Li or the Yong Reactor. Kasmeer's eyes watered. Judge Shin nodded through the entire ordeal and when Joon finally finished, she turned back to Kasmeer.
"Ambassador Meade, given the testimonies provided today, and the lack of evidence on Minister Li's testimony that the Commander had more to do with this, you are free to go and let the Commander know-" she paused for a moment. "That Cantha will always welcome those willing to listen to Cantha roar." Kasmeer didn't quite understand that, but Detective Rama hummed a little laugh. "Dismissed." The court room became a flurry of activity, but before even Rama could discuss their victory, Kas rushed to Jory's side.
"What are you doing here?" She asked, half-laughing as she wrapped her girlfriend in her arms. Jory laughed slightly, stumbling backwards as Kas hugged her tightly.
"Oh, you know, heard about Minister Li, figured you'd be involved. I wrapped up my part of everything in Arborstone, so...." Jory shrugged a little, still held in Kas' arms.
"I'm so glad to see you here," Kas almost squealed, contained only by her desire to not be entirely embarrassed to see these people later. Jory ran a hand down Kas' back and she felt those tears come back to her again. "I missed you. I was worried, the Void-"
That snapped something between them and Marjory pulled away a little and Kasmeer wiped her eyes. Detective Rama caught up with them again and he nodded at them both.
"We should head to Arborstone," he said, glancing between them.
"Yes, let's go. We can update everyone on what happened here on the way," Marjory held Kasmeer's hand as they walked out of the room. Rama looked between the two women and their hands, mouthing "what? when?" as they left.
After arriving at Arborstone, it had already been late. The meeting to begin the march into the Jade Sea would start bright and early, so long as Taimi and Joon had no further hiccups. That left Kasmeer some time alone with Marjory. Not that they did anything particularly interesting, but it was nice for both of them to be relieved of their beauty illusions for the night. Kasmeer had been keeping Marjory's up from afar and she could tell when Jory looked down at her scars that it was needed drop back into reality. Marjory kissed all of Kasmeer's freckles, a torment usually for Kasmeer, but tonight, a much needed reprieve.
The night went so fast and then they were there and everyone was there and it was time.
Eyes forward, hearts open. It was all they could do. Kasmeer's palms sweat every time she touched Marjory, but she couldn't keep away. Both magnetically attracted to her girlfriend and repulsed on the fear that what if it all goes wrong and it's my fault she's even there? Marjory wouldn't let her go either. This was it for them, for better or for worse.
Kasmeer's chest burned with the thoughts of for worse. The storm of Void that dominated the scene of the Jade Sea. The green punctuated with a dark column of black. It was disheartening. They had faced down five Elder Dragons before, Kasmeer personally facing only one really (Kralkatorrik's rumbles still haunted her nightmares), but it was doable. Surely, it had to be doable. Xunlai Jade workers were scattered across the scene, all setting up extractors on Joon's orders. Kasmeer swallowed and held Marjory's hand tighter as they walked through.
The unfortunate part was, the jade was beautiful, and unlike anything she had seen before. The breeze was warm coming off the Void column of winds, but the atmosphere here was generally cooler than most of Cantha. It made the Void winds all the more striking, as if the Void itself was burning. They heard the screech of Soo-won and Kasmeer's heart stopped. They could do this, we've all done this so many times, we have so much help, we can do this...
"Kas, it's good to see you again," Caithe surprised Kasmeer by reaching out for a hug once they had made it to the meeting point outside the Harvest Temple. Kasmeer hugged the sylvari back, not expecting it at all, but at this point, she was too frazzled to question it.
"How is Aurene?" Kasmeer asked as they pulled apart. Caithe smiled, but it didn't make it passed her lips.
"She's stablizing what she can, and we're here to handle the rest," Caithe nodded diplomantically and Kasmeer could recognize the answer for what it was. We've done all we can and now we have to trust her.
The Commander arrived and everything moved incredibly fast after that. Soo-won approached them and it felt... strange to converse with someone you intended to drain magically. Even if Soo-won agreed to it, it felt more like the diplomancy meetings back in Seitung and Kasmeer's skin itched with the urge to do something more. Marjory chewed on her bottom lip, a habit she picked up from Kasmeer, studying the scene. Kasmeer's eyes went from Marjory to Soo-won and back again, wondering what the wonderful detective was thinking now.
The Extractor turned on and the ground shook beneath them. Kasmeer grabbed Marjory's hand and she could make out the path of a tear falling, falling, falling-
We are time, we are space.
The Dragonvoid had not been killed so easily. Kasmeer felt her role surge through her blood, adrenaline mixing with her anxieties and her doubts, she needed to take a lead. She glanced across the battlefield breaking out.
"Portals! Follow me!" Kasmeer's blood was hot with magic. Mesmer magic did not usually drain its users, but most did not expend what Kasmeer did then. Her beauty illusions crumpled as the portals spread out across the field, more people than she ever transported going through them. It was duos at first, heading to fight the Dragonvoid versions of the Dragons themselves, but then it was groups, heading to Soo-won herself. When Marjory pulled her through her own portal, the world spun and went black.
"-on't you dare-!"
"-as, honey, please!"
"I can't do thi-!"
Kasmeer blinked her eyes open but she could not stand even if she wanted to. The world was still spinning, though she wasn't sure how much of that was true or not. Her legs felt heavier than they ever had, the sparks of magic in her blood weighted with exhaustion and use. She smelled the air. It was Maguuma she was smelling and the scent hit her like a punch to the gut. Marjory, where is Marjory, is she safe?!
Marjory Delaqua, the hero she was, was raw with fury and bloodied down one arm. The greatsword swung and hit, but it could not quell these beasts. How could they? They were just human and this Dragonvoid was so much larger than them, than any of them. Kasmeer's head spun again and she collapsed.
"Kas! Kas, no, no, no, please-!"
"If you die, then I'm going too! Don't leave me again!"
Kasmeer's mind was fuzzy and she couldn't open her eyes again. The pain in Marjory's voice made her ache and desperate for control over herself again, but she was done. She was just the diplomat after all. Kasmeer Meade would barely hit the history books for this, if there was a history to be had after all this. Aurene roared in the distance and Kasmeer reached a hand out, hoping for one last touch before the whole world went black.
But the world didn't go black. In fact, very, very distantly, Kasmeer could hear the tinkling sound of Aurene's crystal magic. She rolled, intending to look for the Commander, but her body rioted at the movement, every inch of her screaming in pain. Even if this wasn't the end for her friends, it was the end for her, she was sure of that. At least she had helped. That was worth it. But what about Marjory? What are you running from?
"Commander's on the way! Hold on!" Taimi? Was that Taimi? Was that even real? Kasmeer tried to roll again towards the sound of the communicator, but again her body shuddered and refused her.
"Kas! Kas, honey, please, hold on, stay with me!" Kas tried to nod hearing Jory's voice, but it was fruitless. The smell of Maguuma, ozone and sandy mud, mixed heavily with the scent of blood. Kas could barely make out the sounds of snapping branches and snapping bone.
And then it was that tinkling sound again and Marjory... she sounded so... far away... was it? Was that-? Sweetie, it's been so long, he held his hand out and Kasmeer reached for her father so long gone-
"Commander!" Marjory again, so much louder than it had been moments ago, and Kasmeer felt stronger, stronger than she had since before coming to the Jade Sea. She blinked, her blood flushed with adrenaline and life. Marjory looked so much worse than she had imagined, but she had no time to process the dislocated shoulder and the awkward angle she held her sword. Mordrem had surrounded them and they needed to reduce their numbers to re-activate the Extractor point.
The scars Kasmeer had earned in Maguuma ached as she took down Mordrem after Mordrem and finally, the Dragonvoid Mordremoth himself. She had not seen the face of the Dragon before and she hated putting a face to the torment that haunted her for almost a decade. She could not ignore the pained gasp from Marjory and reached a hand out as the Commander gathered the Dragonvoid Mordremoth with the Extractor. Marjory squeezed weakly.
"Kas? You're okay? You're...?" Marjory put her hands on Kasmeer's shoulders as the Commander floated away to help the next half-dead group. Kasmeer nodded, feeling exhausted now as the Commander's magic left their platform.
"I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm- alive," she could barely believe it herself. Marjory's hands squeezed, one stronger than the other.
"Damn right you are. After this? Quiet, boring, nothing trying to kill us. Deal?" Marjory pressed a single kiss to Kasmeer's forehead. Kasmeer nodded.
"That sounds perfect," Kas whispered as she hid her head in the crook of Jory's neck. She knew her job wasn't finished, wasn't nearly finished, but she was alive and in the arms of her girlfriend. If we make it out of this, she's going to be my wife before the end of this year.
Moments later, the air filled with the same crystal magic and they were pulled to Soo-won, corrupted with Dragonvoid. Kasmeer and Marjory fought back-to-back, never more than a step away from each other as Marjory swung her greatsword and Kasmeer summoned illusion after illusion, occasionally using her staff as a melee weapon. Risen, Mordrem, Branded, Icebrood, Destroyers - all now mixed with Void, black, sticky magic that stung as it hit, barely able to comprehend it as pain in this battle. The air was hot with magic, the type of hot that everyone could see as a haze, if they bothered to look. Kasmeer was covered in tiny burns, cuts, and something was very wrong with her leg, but if she didn't think about it, she could keep going.
Soo-won was falling, the Dragonvoid was dying, but it wasn't happening fast enough to keep people safe. The Dragonvoid's taunts were even more damning than those in Drizzlewood, it felt like being snubbed by a God. She had been snubbed by a God, this was worse. This was the all-consuming knowledge that you will die.
And it was dying. The Commander and Aurene were so close. It was so close to being over. Kasmeer could do it. She had to, there wasn't any other choice. The Mother Elder Dragon roared and the world cracked in half.
The era of the Dragons was over.
Aurene's magic filled the air, but it was tinged with something even more - grief. Kasmeer, Marjory, Dragon's Watch, every ally they had cobbled together through sheer force of will, everyone floated through the air for a moment before coming to the ground, far away from the carnage above. Kasmeer and Marjory fell to the ground as soon as the magic released them. While Aurene, her Champion, her caretaker, Soo-won, and her Champion mourned, Kasmeer and Marjory mourned together. Everything they had lost through this long battle, and everything they had gained at a cost. A cost they could never comprehend, never truly know for their own sanity. Kasmeer worried over Marjory's shoulder and apparently broken arm as well. Marjory worried over Kasmeer's dislocated knee. They both worried over the many cuts and burns and scrapes that covered them. Nobody could separate them or drag them apart from each other, not even to tend to their wounds. Eventually, the sun began to set on the Jade Sea and the two women were escorted back to Arborstone with the rest of their allies. Only then did they allow anyone to touch them to heal their injuries.
It had been a long couple of weeks. Upon leaving Arborstone, Marjory spent half of her days planning with Gorrik and Rama. Kasmeer went back to work with Cantha/Kryta negotiations, though nothing seem so difficult anymore. Her knee still felt a little funny whenever she stepped on it strangely, and Marjory couldn't lift her arm as high as she used to. Taimi told them both they could work to get back to their original strength. Marjory wasn't so sure, but Kasmeer convinced her to work on it anyway. Not that Kasmeer mentioned it, but Marjory had already improved after one week of consistent efforts. Not that Kasmeer said anything about that.
After a week of planning and meetings, Kasmeer insisted on heading back to Kryta. She needed a break from the Canthan bureaucracy. She needed to... really prove her commitment to the most important woman in her life. But first, she had something she needed to do.
Belinda's sword graced the edge of the Jade Sea, the ribbon blowing in the breeze. Kasmeer swallowed a lump of tears in her throat.
"Hi Belinda," she started, sitting down. "Your sister has become one of the most important people in my life, and I haven't always done everything right. She's always fought for us, fought for me, and I couldn't imagine walking into the rest of my life with anyone else. I know that you and I didn't see eye-to-eye when we knew each other b-but," Kasmeer paused to wipe her eyes, sniffling. "I would like to think that I've grown since then into a woman you would approve of, someone your sister deserves. And she deserves everything...." The winds blew through her hair and she closed her eyes, allowing the tears to stream down her face. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes again.
"With all that in mind, would you approve if I asked her to marry me?" Kasmeer whispered it into the wind, expecting to hear nothing but the breeze and the whistling notes of wind between slates. She didn't expect to hear the gasp and choked sigh of two women behind her. She turned and saw the Delaqua sisters.
"KASMEER! YES!" Elyse squealed. Mireille nodded, her hand covering her mouth, tears in her eyes. Elyse rushed Kasmeer and they embraced, both of them crying, Mireille coming up behind them and rubbing their backs.
"Kasmeer, we would be honored to have you be a part of the family. Belinda would love you too. You've done so much for Bunny, she couldn't ignore that," Mireille said it so softly, so tenderly. Kasmeer cried even harder into Elyse's shoulder, Elyse holding her tighter.
"Kas, we'd be so lucky to have you, please, please, PLEASE ask Marjory soon!!" Kasmeer laughed at Elyse's excitement, and they pulled apart, Kasmeer wiping her eyes with the edge of her hand.
"I plan on asking her once we make it back to Kryta," Kasmeer bit her lip, looking down. "Do you think- do you think she'll say...?" Elyse and Mireille softened. They both rubbed her arms tenderly.
"Honey, of course she will," Mireille said with a soft smile. Elyse looked close to vibrating out of her skin, smiling.
"Do you want to know a secret?" Kasmeer blinked, shocked a bit by the abruptness. She nodded and Elyse grinned. "Bunny came here a couple of days ago too."
Gathering their friends together when it wasn't the end of the world was somewhat like herding cats. Or, as they had unfortunate experience with, keeping bunnies inside their pens. It was a near-fruitless task until Kasmeer added the detail. "It's regarding me and Marjory." That got them into DR much quicker.
Kasmeer had wrote and re-wrote and re-wrote and burned and wrote more attempts at this proposal than was strictly necessary. She chewed on her lip at the bar of the Dead End, alone for the moment, as she studied her last attempt. The door opened and she crumbled the paper in her hand, leaving it on the bar. Unsurprisingly, it was Marjory who walked in. They both smiled when they saw each other.
"Hey there, sugar," Marjory said, sweet and low.
"Hi," Kasmeer replied, heart thundering in her ears.
"Nervous? To see everyone?" Marjory swallowed as she sat next to Kasmeer, running her fingers over the edge of Kasmeer's hand. Kasmeer shook her head.
"Not really. It's not like we're saving the world this time!" Kasmeer said with a laugh and Marjory laughed heartily along with her.
"True, true, but.... it's not like we've known each other in peaceful times. Does that- does that worry you at all?" Marjory's fingers searched for Kasmeer's hand and she held onto them tightly. Kasmeer thought for a moment, dissecting the meaning. Kasmeer was covered, head to toe, in marks denoting her devotion to this woman. If she never earned another scar in her life, then she would have already done enough. If she never earned another scar in her life, then she would be enough for Marjory by being herself. She smiled a little, just the edge of one side, like a secret. Marjory was scared of being in peace together - but Kasmeer couldn't think of anything they deserved more.
"No, I'm not worried. Not at all. I have the most wonderful person by my side after all," Kasmeer said it squeezing Marjory's hand. Marjory squeezed back and returned her smile. She reached forward to give Kasmeer a kiss, not knowing it would be the last kiss she would give her as a girlfriend. The next kiss they shared would be as fiancees. It was time for a different kind of life - a quieter, softer life for someone who never thought she would be more than a Noble's daughter.
