--Lunivette--
The bakery still smelled faintly like wet ash and soiled dough. Not enough to overpower the salt from the sea air drifting through town, but just enough to remind Lunivette of the shattered windows, overturned tables, and destroyed displays. Perhaps the most disturbing one is Orion standing there as she walked away with his sword still drawn against Brixton's neck.
That memory alone lingered unpleasantly.
Especially now that Alderon insisted on appointing one of the naval trainees as a personal guard until she left, on top of the knights assigned to her by Orion. It was starting to feel like it was too much, like they expected her to break apart if she was left alone for more than five minutes.
"Put that down."
Lunievtte continued lifting the crate anyway. No physician was going to keep her from rebuilding the last thing she had of her mother and Asena's future. It had been two days, and she felt good enough to contribute.
Her body, however, had a different opinion. The movements pulled faintly along her side when she twisted too quickly or reached too far above her head. It was nothing serious, just soreness. Unfortunately, everyone else disagreed whenever she winced or gave a small huff.
"You ignore me more every year," Alderon complained from near the supply wagon.
"That's because every year you become more dramatic."
"I raised you. I earned that right."
"You raised Kaelar," Lunivette corrected while carrying the crate towards the entrance. "I merely helped."
"That boy would have drowned himself by twelve if I had not intervened."
"He only fell in the harbor twice."
"Three times."
Nearby naval trainees laughed openly at the losing battle the commander was having. The rebuilding effort had become significantly more chaotic since Alderon arrived earlier that morning with a dozen trainees in tow. Not that the quieter help before them had gone unnoticed.
One fisherman's wife is currently repairing damaged curtains near the entrance while her sons are building new tables and chairs. A neighboring baker from the northside had already delivered some flour before sunrise, despite Asena and Lunivette insisting they could not repay him yet. People helped when and where they could.
That was how coastal trading towns like this survived.
Near the doorway, Lyra sat cross-legged beside a pile of salvaged kitchen tools while aggressively 'helping' by handing wooden spoons one at a time to a deeply patient trainee reorganizing supplies. Most of the spoons had already been handed to him at least twice. He accepted them anyway. Inside the bakery, Asena sat surrounded by ledgers and festival fabric while directing everyone where things would go, despite the fact that she should have been resting at home.
'Lunivette," Asena called from the stool, "if you keep twisting like that, you're gonna complain all night."
"I am perfectly fine."
"You said that this morning over tea while wincing."
"That was for something unrelated."
"Mm."
The sound of approaching footsteps pulled several gazes towards the inn. They weren't fearful anymore, at least not entirely. The town had spent the last week slowly adjusting to the Northern delegates and knights stationed throughout the harbor. Conversations still pause from time to time when Orion passes through the streets, but children no longer flee outright at the sight of him.
Mostly.
Lyra immediately looked up excitedly instead.
"Big knight!"
A little boy hid behind a barrel while one of the northern knights visibly froze. Alderon nearly lost his composure but covered it by taking a few extra puffs on his pipe. Orion entered the yard beside three personal knights carrying timber and extra supplies. His gaze moved automatically to Lunivette, then narrowed at the cate in her hands.
"... You're lifting things again."
Alderon nearly smiled around his pipe. "I like him."
Lunivette looked at him, horrified. So much for winning the conversation; Orion's presence basically shot down any comebacks she would have. Orion crossed the yard before effortlessly removing the crate from her hands, his fingers brushing against hers briefly.
They were warm.
Lunivette twisted automatically back to the cart, pain pulled faintly through her side. It didn't take much thought to know that Orion noticed. She could feel his gaze lingering on her more than necessary. Then Lyra marched directly up to Orion, holding up a wooden spoon like a ceremonial offering.
"I helped!"
Silence filled the area around them. The knight from before looked spiritually defeated by the unfolding scene. Orion looked at the spoon, then back at Lyra.
".. I can see that."
Lyra beamed like she had been personally knighted by the Crown Prince. Off to the side, Lunivette could hear Alderon laughing loud enough that several trainees turned to stare at the commander in disbelief. Lunivette had to cough to cover her laugh; that child held no fear for the man in front of her and only saw him as this giant protector.
By midday, the rebuilding effort had gradually dissolved into something louder as conversations had resumed around the yard. It was disorganized by Lunivette's standards; this was actually common, more alive. Voices overlapped across the entrance with some of the naval trainees hauling the broken pieces of wood onto wagons headed to the training academy and the others reinstalling supportive beams on damaged walls. Neighboring townspeople and merchants drifted by carrying tools, cloth, or fresh supplies whenever their schedules allowed. Someone nearby argued over measurements while another man laughed too loudly at something inside the bakery. For the first time since the attack two days ago... the bakery sounded like itself again.
Lunivette balanced a small stack of folded cloth against her hip while stepping carefully around scattered tools near the entrance. A familiar tug pulled along her side, and she had to take a breath to regain holding on the pile. It was manageable, but it didn't go unnoticed. One of Orion's personal knights who came with him took the pile from her and shook his head slightly.
Near the doorway, Lyra had abandoned her pile of 'organized kitchen utensiles' before immediately attempting to climb onto a stack of replacement beams twice her height.
Absolutely not!
Lunivette went to grab her, but was stopped when Alderon caught the back of her dress before disaster could occur.
"Gods," he muttered while setting her firmly back on the ground with a cookie he grabbed from a nearby merchant. "This is exactly how Kaelar ended up in the harbor."
Lunivette immediately coughed at the thought.
"That wasn't my fault."
Several nearby trainees looked interested instantly. Alderon stared at her.
"You handed him the fishing net."
"I was trying to help."
"He was four."
"He just wanted to fish."
"He couldn't swim."
"That sounds like an oversight on your part."
One trainee choked trying not to laugh. Alderon pointed his pipe accusingly towards her now.
"You encouraged him."
"I encouraged confidence."
"You encouraged stupidity."
"That too," Lunivette admitted defeat at that.
Nearby laughter spread throughout the yard. Even Asena looked suspiciously entertained from her chair near the entrance. Orion remained near the damaged shelving beside two of the northern knights, though Lunivete could have sworn his attention had shifted subtly toward their conversation.
He was listening.
Alderon exhaled dramatically through his nose.
"We turned around for maybe thirty seconds," he informed the increasingly entertained trainees nearby. "And suddenly, Kaelar was halfway down the docks holding a fishing net larger than he was."
"He said he was going to catch dinner for the chefs." Lunivette tried defending.
"He caught the ocean."
One of the naval trainees barked out a laugh loud enough to startle Lyra, who had gone back to sorting the spoons again. Lunivette failed at hiding her own smile due to Alderon's dramatic performance.
"In my defense," she raised her hands in front of her, "he did technically catch something."
Alderon looked personally offended at the nonchalant gesture.
"He fell directly into the harbor."
"And afterward there was a crab in the net."
"That crab arrived later."
"I beg to differ."
A nearby fisherman openly wiped a tear from his eyes, trying not to laugh. The two knights near Orion looked deeply confused by the entire conversation. Orion himself, though, looked perfectly composed. Mostly. Lunivette, however, caught the faintest shift near the corner of his mouth before it disappeared immediately. Alderon shook his head slowly like a man reliving old suffering.
"I still remember hauling him out of the water while he screamed bloody murder because he thought the fish were attacking him."
"Only one touched him," Lunivette corrected him.
"He couldn't tell the difference."
Several workers laughed outright now. Even the third northern knight, who was helping install a new support beam, looked like he was losing the battle not to react. Alderon once again pointed the pipe at Lunivette.
"And instead of apologizing, she stood there trying to convince him the harbor 'built character'."
"It sounded wise at the time, actually," Lunivette said thoughtfully.
"It sounded insane coming from a child who was actively wiping seaweed off him."
That broke the remaining composure of nearly everyone nearby. Lyra laughed despite clearly not understanding why we were laughing at 'Uncle Kay". Orion's gaze settled briefly on Lunivette as she wiped a tear that formed. It wasn't polite amusement, but it was like he was trying to picture her after they walked away from each other that day. Like he was trying to picture her younger, laughing openly, and standing barefoot on the harbor beside a crying child covered in seaweed and seawater. And somehow the expression weighed against her more than if he had just laughed out like the rest of the group.