Chapter Text
The return of the soldiers was heralded with much frenzy and anticipation. Lord Sentinel and his men had been away from the hold for 8 months on military campaign. Preparations were being made about the estate to welcome them back; banisters dusted, linens washed and set on the lines to dry in the sun, the gardens tended and the finest minerals plucked for a feast that was being endlessly prepared in the kitchens since word had arrived. News of the victory had reached the keep just before the letter of their returning had, word of mouth traveling only slightly faster than the couriers.
The mecha that had been left behind; those unfit for war and those necessary for the functioning of the estate, had all been overjoyed to hear of the end of such a brutal and long conflict, and with minimal losses from the Zeta household, though not wholly. There were those that would be mourned; grieved and missed as they were not seen marching home with the rest. But a celebration was still in order and thus when the first shout came from the gate that the warparty could be seen cresting the hill, the residents all hurried around to finish what they were doing and rush to the road to watch the return.
Red Alert had been at the keep the entire time. He was not suited for battle and since his forging had shown to possess an outlier of such acute hearing that it made typical functioning difficult. No one bothered with trying to persuade him to get out of the house other than his immediate family and a few close household workers. No one blamed him for spending most of his time inside. That was not to say that he never left; he did get out to walk the grounds on a regular basis as was necessary for one’s physical and mental health, but he did not share the same proclivity for activities traditionally considered proper for young mechs, such as dueling and riding. No, in fact he was terrified of the equine mechanimals more than most others; they took second place only to the large species of fowl that populated the lake near the edge of the forest. This dislike did not extend to Coil, the feline companion the young lord had been given as a sparkling and the two were often found in each other’s company.
When the echoes of the call reached the upper rooms of the keep, the lord’s younger progeny moved to the open window in his room, sitting on the bench beneath it to lean on the edge and stare out, down at the troops stomping their way back inside in rank and file with Sentinel Zeta at the head on his massive equinoid. Between the fluttering banners of the household colors and emblem, strung between the residencies and shops lining the cobbled streets, Red could see a number of the warparty missing, the vacancies obvious in the shortness of the lines. His optics caught on a few soldiers he knew as he scanned the ranks. His brother Inferno, the eldest progeny of the Zeta household, was among them and relief quelled some of the anxiety that had risen in his chassis. And then his optics caught on someone new.
Inconspicuously placed near the rear but hard to miss, given the mech’s wide and tall stature. He was marching in order with the rest, helm turned forward in practiced discipline before it tilted ever so slightly up, red optics glancing around at new surroundings subtly. Red optics! They met with the mech watching from his window and Red suddenly felt pierced in place. As the troops passed under an archway the gaze was broken and Red fell back from his window, turning in place and fleeing down the stairs to the front of the house.
Sentinel was already being greeted, his equinoid taken to the stables for rest and his equipment shed from his armor, all carried away to be cleaned and set in the lord of the household’s chambers. Sentinel’s most trusted flooded the entry room around him, all fussed over by those who had most missed their presence and an array of servants working quickly to bear off swords, spears, and supplies from those that had been carrying them for so long. Red was lingering near the top of the stairs, peeking first around the wall to scan the gaggle of frames as he slowly made his way farther down. It wasn’t long before Inferno caught sight of him, a grin spreading across the mech’s face as his arms opened and he met his younger brother at the end of the stairs, sweeping him off the bottom step in a hug.
“Red! I missed you!” The elder spun them around once with Red Alert in his arms, despite the younger’s squirming to free himself.
“How’re you? How’s the house been? It’s been too long, I have so much to tell you.” Inferno set him down and put an arm around his shoulders, beginning to walk them farther into the fray.
“It’s been fine,” Red answered softly. “Quiet…” It had been quiet since a third of the keep had taken up arms and set off, only the occasional squabble among those mecha left providing any deliverance from achingly quiet anticipation of any news. Any intention to ask about the red-eyed knight was lost to the sweetness of reunion.
“I’m sure we’ll have a rest before supper’s ready. Sentinel plans on feasting all night but we’re all tired from travel. Don’t go too far, you’d better be there.” Inferno gave Red a pat on his shoulder plating and wandered off to say his hellos to others as old friends greeted one another. Red let out a vent and was beginning to scoot towards the wall before a large servo was set on his helm. Sentinel.
“How are you, Red Alert?” His voice was full and commanding, optics staring down at Red in what might appear to be an accusatory look. Red knew better. Sentinel was just like that; straightforward and proper.
“Well,” he answered.
“Good. I’m glad to see the grounds well taken care of, as yourself. Is there anything I should be made immediately aware of?”
“No sir,” Red replied.
“I see. Supper will be held in a few hours. Please see to it that you are present.” Here Sentinel paused a moment, turning a bit as if about to step away but staring at Red Alert a moment longer. “I am glad you are well. I will see you again this evening.” With that the lord of the house took his leave, seeing to the rest of the matters that needed his attention before retiring from the commotion.
Red had scooted his way to the back of the room, inching up the stairs as other frames made their way out of the place and off to their respective homes until the time should come to reconvene. Inferno found his brother on the stairs again, wrapping an arm around him once more. He led the both of them up, where their rooms would be, chatting to him on the way.
“Our progenitor promised me a wedding after we returned.”
“What? When?” The younger mech’s helm turned to watch Inferno in surprise.
“None of the details have been set but it has been a long time in coming. No one knows quite yet so don’t let it slip. I’m not worried though; you’ve always been good at keeping secrets. Probably wouldn’t have even known you had an outlier till you were grown and decided to tell us if it hadn’t been so obvious from the start,” Inferno teased. “Little rascal.”
Red Alert dipped his helm sheepishly. His outlier was another reason he was generally allowed to do as he saw necessary. His hearing was sensitive enough to cause overwhelming helmaches if overstimulated. He could hear mecha speaking from five rooms down. The younger red mech had learned to control it well and tune out what he might need to, but when there was too much excitement he often found himself overwhelmed.
Inferno pulled them both into his chambers and let go of his younger brother, moving to dump his equipment onto a chest at the foot of his berth. Despite his good mood, he was clearly tired and Red lingered around the doorway, ready to exit at the first sign it was necessary.
“It’s good to be home.” There was suddenly an air of heaviness around the older of the two and Red could swear he heard a difference in how Inferno was breathing now, staring at his back while he faced a window.
“Do you need anything?”
“No,” Inferno answered, turning with a small smile as the mood lifted again. “Just a nap. I’ll be out again in no time.”
Red gave a nod and took that as his sign to leave, backing out of the room and closing the door softly behind himself. He paused behind it for a moment to think before turning down the hall to find something to occupy his time until evening came.
The estate of Sentinel was vast and reflected the respect owed to him; his manor consisting of rooms enough for himself and his progeny, as well as more than plenty of guest rooms. Several of those rooms were located on the second floor, in addition to Inferno’s and Red Alert’s rooms. Passing down the hallway, Red was staring at the floor in thought before movement and sound caught his attention in one of the empty guest rooms along the way. It was an unfamiliar sound of functioning. Foreign to him in his index of those mecha he knew well enough to recognize. It was only recognizable in that it was a someone and not a something. He stopped, backing up a step or two to peek through the door that had been left ajar.
A tall, blue and grey mech stood inside. Near the edge of the berth he was unbuckling and removing pieces of extra outer armor. Red Alert was typically a quiet mech. He was more than aware of sound in general and had learned to move more silently than most could brag to. But as he stared inside he shifted slightly to one side for a better look and the mech he was observing turned his helm to see what was at the doorway. Red optics.
The young master of the house felt like a dieselle in the sights of a hunter; caught in invisible webbing and unable to free himself as the other stalked forward. He was at the door in two strides, closing it in front of Red Alert without a word. He suddenly felt the small horns of his helm burning in shame from staring into the room so plainly. The mech was clearly not from there. But Sentinel must know. No one would be so bold as to move themselves into the keep without his blessing. And they hadn’t thought to tell Red about the new resident. Red’s brow furrowed as he turned again rapidly to leave the area.
//
The afternoon passed quickly into evening, Red Alert having spent most of it in the library reading before heading to the kitchens to poke his helm in. They were as busy as expected, finishing up dishes and making last minute touch ups to pretty desserts. Red was able to slip in and snag a piece of corroded crystal before being shooed away back into the main halls.
Mecha were already gathering again, grouped in small circles outside the great hall while others milled around the gardens. The place had been strung in banners and wreaths, all the best of linens and produce put out on display. A warm breeze was fluttering in the fabrics as the summer day sighed into the cool night. Mecha filtered in and Red found his seat with the rest of the early arrivals, sitting at the head table, three seats down to the left. Knowing the fracas that was coming with the night's festivities, the mech had placed noise dampeners on his audials. They were custom made devices meant to lessen the noise around him in case of an overbearing amount of sound happening at once.
It wasn’t long before he was joined by Inferno next to him and Sentinel at the middle of the table. Red Alert’s blue optics scanned those present, catching on a frame that was beginning to grow more familiar. That same knight, sat at a table just down from his own. He looked away swiftly this time, not wanting to be caught staring a third time. Chatter filled the space as guests spoke quietly among themselves but it quieted as Zeta stood.
“Eight months we’ve been away. Eight months we’ve been at war, fighting hard in the polities of Nyon, Gylbax, and Plurex.”
Working mecha wove their way silently through the rows of tables, filling drinks where others sat, helms turned towards Sentinel in quiet attentiveness.
“Though hard won, victory is ours.” A cheer went up from the multitude. “A victory that will be celebrated in honor of those lost. A victory that sees a new Prime at the head of Iacon. Drink, eat, and remember.” Sentinel raised his cup and the mechs in his company stood, the rest of the mass quick to follow their example. They all raised their glasses in answer and drank.
The night was quickly in full swing, dishes swept in and placed on tables to be devoured by those populating the seats. The noise returned, this time louder than last as music had begun and laughter could be heard echoing around the hall. Red sat, silently eating for a while before Inferno caught him glancing up.
“I see you’ve noticed our new friend,” he began.
“Who is he?” Red whispered to his brother, leaning closer to keep his voice low.
“A knight-errant,” Inferno answered, leaning over to whisper back. “Fortress he’s called. Though not errant any longer. He showed up three months into the campaign, half dead and shrouded in mystery. Sentinel took him in and he served alongside us after he recovered. He’s a real brute in battle. We were glad to have him with us. Sentinel’s offered him a semi-permanent place here. Until he decides to move on.”
Red only offered a thoughtful hum in answer, looking over again as Fortress’s attention was currently on the mech beside him who was saying something to him. The designation certainly suited him; he was taller than even Sentinel. Red recalled seeing a large sword carried in with the knight; placed down in the room by the berth when he had passed by in the hall. Who knew how long he would be there. Errant knights tended to move around. That is, until they were hired or pledged their loyalty to a lord. If Fortress hadn’t sworn fealty to Sentinel already, he could easily be a new permanent member of the hold. And with so many lost in the battle that had just passed, Red was certain Sentinel would have no problem taking in a new face.
Dinner faded into dancing, mecha leaving their seats to instead engage in the festivities or wander the great hall to talk and drink, some eventually finding their way out the open doors to mill just outside in the cooler blue of the night. Red had left his seat to chat with one or two old friends he had missed in the return, having made his way towards the entrance. He was turning to find his seat again when he stopped in his tracks, a large frame in front of him. He hadn’t heard the other come up behind him, but then again there was a lot of noise at the moment. Blue optics traveled up to what they knew were waiting for him.
“I apologize,” Fortress began. His voice was deep and sonorous. It suited him, Red thought, the sound rumbling from that broad chassis. The blue knight was pausing for what seemed like too long and when Red only blinked at him with a puzzled look he finally continued.
“For closing the door on you earlier.”
Oh.
“No! It was.. I intruded. It was rude of me.”
“You’re the second progeny of the Zeta household?”
“Uh, yes. Red Alert.” It seemed Fortress had been told of him, or had at least picked up who he was through inference. The taller mech was quiet then and Red noticed him glancing at the small dampeners placed discreetly on his audials. There wasn’t much time to answer before an obviously well-fed and not completely sober mech had meandered his way up and stopped to clasp Fortress a little awkwardly around the midsection with an arm, given their height difference.
”Fort! Come and have a drink, there’s some who want to meet you.”
The tank glanced over his new captor with what appeared to be a look of slight annoyance at his state, the feeling lost on their friend completely, before giving Red Alert a curt nod and allowing himself to be led away.
The night’s festivities would be raging until close to morning, Red knew, and while getting to see everyone and enjoy the atmosphere of mirth was good for the spark, there came a time even celebrants needed rest, and Red soon found himself withdrawing from the great hall and back into the much quieter household where his room was. He sat at his window again, the sounds of mecha still merrymaking drifting in with the night air. It was comforting; to know they were home. He caught sight of Inferno and Firestar, his now soon to be conjunx, exiting the hall and slipping around the side, helms pressed together. Red was happy for Inferno. He deserved to finally get the chance to marry Firestar. It wasn’t much of a secret around the estate that the two had had optics for one another for quite some time now. And Firestar was a strong and honorable individual. They suited one another.
Red Alert sighed and his helm rested back against the window frame. Things would be livelier now. And with the political climate rapidly changing and settling, there was sure to be news flowing in for the next meta-cycles about the new Prime and what he decided to do with the current lords and state of the lands. Red eventually slipped from his seat at the window, leaving it open as he curled into his berth. He could hear the noise very well, but it didn’t bother him. It was far off enough that it provided a comforting lull as he drifted into recharge.