#anywhere

"My job was to protect her. So... so I did have to go places with her. But she didn't have Fealty from me, I could ignore orders."

"I don't think she woulda let me out if I'd had Fealty."

"I don't understand how that works."

"There's different oaths. Some are pretty standard, I guess? Like, oh, Fealty & Escheat or Truehearts. Others, like yours, are one off."

"Fealty is what the whole noble system is built on, though. You swear Fealty to a noble above you - that you serve and obey them, right? And they are sworn up above them, all the way up to the High King."

"Good Lieges swear Escheat back - so, like, you swear to serve them, but they swear to protect and provide for you. But not every noble swears Escheat back."

"And most nobles are Sidhe, you said."

"Most are, yeah."

"Pretty much ALL the Kings and Queens. There are some troll Dukes, but, like, you can count those on one hand."

"Most commoner nobles are knights."

"But most knights are still sidhe."

"Yeah but.... seemed like she was, you know... your friend."

"It's been easier with Nadeen since she agreed to release the Oath."

"She stopped expecting me to be... I dunno, someone else. Other me, past me. Someone I don't remember."

Adam brightens. "Wait, but that was a old oath, right? So an oath you take now, it could be different, right?"

"Well, if I chose to Oath again, then it'd be binding until I was released. Or broke it."

"And that's bad."

"Breaking it would be bad, yeah."

"It would mean my word wasn't worth anything, that I couldn't be trusted. That I had no honor."

"Yeah, but if you -wanted- to take an oath, then.... it would different than an oath you took where you don't remember.... you."

"Yeah, I agree."

Adam pauses, looking around. "This only happens once a year, right?"

"I've been thinking about oathing Chief."

"This? Yeah. But there are other holidays."

Adam follows her back, thoughtfully.

(And back to the PBEM..maybe)