The Butterfly Effect

He had an incredibly specific talent of alerting the soldiers, no matter what he was doing. He could be sneaking a few of his fiancée’s freshly-baked cookies to the neighbors’ kids, casually strolling through town, handing out or putting up fliers, showing off his handiwork (which happened to be weapons), talking and disagreeing with the latest policy or royal decree, openly calling out what was going on… It was like they saw his face and they knew they should be suspicious. Then again, he couldn’t quite blame them.

“Halt! State your business wandering the streets with a sword!” The soldiers walked up to him, the taller of the two looking familiar and definitely recognizing him.

“You know, I just walked halfway across town with this and you’re only just now realizing it?” Lucas remarked with a smirk.

“State your business,” the taller one reiterated.

“I went out to show a friend the kind of stuff I make. I’m heading back home now,” Lucas responded.

The two soldiers exchanged a wary glance before the taller one decided, “I’m escorting you back to your house.”

“Come on, Svend, don’t you trust me?”

“Not since you nearly set the barracks and half our supplies on fire.”

“I told them not to bring their torches and pitchforks. What can I do if they think the only saving grace is those flames Fleyw Bresh finds so redemptive?”

“Quit being cute, I’m still reporting you to the commander.” Svend took Lucas’s sword and pushed him forward. “One more warning and you’re spending the night in jail. Don’t you realize that?”

“Well I didn’t realize going about my business was illegal,” Lucas said breezily. “Are you sure I can’t get off this one time? I’m only doing what I need to do to eat.”

“I don’t see why the clients can’t come to you. Or the fact you’re forging swords without being requested to by the king.”

“I operate out of my backyard, there’s hardly enough room for bringing guests in.”

“Doesn’t your girlfriend run the most successful bakery in the area? I doubt you’re bringing in anything if the only thing you seem to be doing is running around and getting in trouble.”

Lucas grinned. “Ah, you misspoke. She’s not my girlfriend. She’s my fiancée.”

Svend sighed. “Gods help her, then. Must be desperate if she’s staying with someone like you.”

Lucas may or may not have only continued attempts at small talk in order to get Svend to let him off the hook. It had happened a few times before; he was usually able to talk his way out of these kinds of things. But it was nearly impossible to trick the same person twice… or ten times, for that matter.

Clari swung open the door when she saw them coming. “Luke, what do you think you’re doing? Do I want to know why Svend is with you?”

“I swear I didn’t do anything bad. This time.” He turned to accept his sword back, waved Svend goodbye, and gave Clari a kiss on the cheek as he walked inside. “I know it’s late, but is there anything I can do to help with dinner?”

She shook her head. “The only thing you can do is eat. It might be a little cold…” She closed the door and wandered back into the kitchen.

He realized that even the table was set up. “You’re mad at me, aren’t you?”

“I wish you would think about what you’re doing. I know you were always like this, and you try to keep everyone else out of it… but you’re still hurting all of us. I thought that you’d change something when you proposed. You know it doesn’t change how much I love you, but it certainly makes it harder.” She came out of the kitchen with two plates, setting one on each of their places. “It’s time to start thinking about the future.”

“I am,” he assured her. “I’m thinking of a future where we’re not told what to do. I want everyone to be able to live in a world without the king controlling everything. Even if it costs us something, wouldn’t it be worth it to give the next generation something to look forward to?”

“Any cost is too much. We’re safe as long as we stay out of trouble. Isn’t that enough?”

“If I don’t do something, then somebody else will. I know the time of change is coming soon whether we’re ready for it or not. At that point, it’s either choose your side or get caught in the crossfire.”

“I don’t want to lose you.”

“And I’m not going to leave you, either. I know it must look like I’m on a suicide mission, but I have no intention of dying on anyone. Especially not you.”

They ate in silence, neither having anything more to say to each other that wouldn’t just loop back to their previous conversation. When they finished, Lucas offered to clean everything before she even had the chance to say anything. He needed to do something to make up for not being there, even if she didn’t mind not having that extra help.

Clari went to bed early, but he stayed up a little while after he finished cleaning. He was glad that he did when he saw the soldiers through the window, rushing to get to them before they banged on the door.

“The lady’s sleeping, what do you want?” Lucas asked when he opened the door. Svend was standing there along with his commander, making him realize that this was definitely not a friendly visit. “Would, uh… cupcakes distract you from how much trouble I’m apparently in..?”

“Bribing of royal soldiers,” the commander remarked. “I’ll add that to your long list of transgressions.”

“I’m going to take that as a no, then. Look, I didn’t realize when he said one more warning meant right now. Clari doesn’t know that you’re here and I don’t want to leave without her knowing. Can’t we strike a deal here or something?”

Svend shook his head. “Everyone here has stepped in for your sake way too much. You’re long overdue for this, you know. It’s finally time that the king hears of how you’re causing trouble and let him decide what happens to you.”

Lucas let out a sheepish chuckle. “Come on, we don’t have to get the king involved in this, do we? I haven’t done anything that bad.”

“Quite frankly the only thing even slightly treasonous that you haven’t done is open armed rebellion against the soldiers—and we have good reason to believe that it isn’t going to take too long before that happens,” the commander pointed out. “You’ve certainly enticed armed rebellion before and you are more than qualified to provide the means.”

“Remember what I said about pitchforks and torches? I never told anyone to attack a soldier,” Lucas defended. They weren’t going to believe him anyway, so he didn’t bother helping his case and added, “They decided to do that on their own.”

“Why haven’t we arrested you yet..?” Svend sighed. “At this point you’re not even trying to prove your innocence. You’re hoping that we’ll let you go again when you’ve done absolutely nothing to show that you don’t deserve the punishment.”

“You’re only just now figuring that out? I thought it was pretty obvious,” Lucas said. He couldn’t suppress a more nervous grin when he asked, “Is it working?”

“No.” The commander made a step forward. “Lucas von Mikkel, for your list of offenses against the king and his soldiers, I hereby—“

“Wait before you arrest me! Is there any chance this can wait until morning?”

“What part of this has been long coming that you don’t understand?” Svend mumbled. “Of course we’re not going to wait! I would think you would understand that instead of trying to get yourself in even more trouble.”

Lucas glanced back inside for a moment. “I swear I actually have reasoning behind this one. I’m sure you’re both respectable men with wives of your own, right? Clari definitely isn’t going to like waking up and having no idea where I am. None of us are going to be happy if I have to wake her up in the middle of the night.”

“A note?” Svend suggested, obviously having no interest in it either way.

“The only paper I can easily remember the location of is in our room. I don’t want to disturb her by rummaging through there.”

The commander sighed. “I have a feeling there’s no way to get you to actually come with us.”

“Nope.”

“Fine. You will be allowed to stay here for the night as long as you are prepared to leave by noon tomorrow.”

“That’s perfect! Now that that’s settled, I’ll see you at noon.” Lucas stepped back and shut the door as quickly as he could without making too much noise.

That was a close one. Luckily that gave him enough time to think of another way out of the situation…