Pumpkin Scissors Part III-Blood of Nations

Prelude:

It was not the near-freezing temperature, that awakened Alice, nor the horizontal rain that had long ago soaked her to the bone, nor the ugly wound in her side. It was the deafening thunder overhead. Somehow in the squall of the storm, she had fallen asleep, probably due to exhaustion. The world tilted this way and that in a familiar, soothing rhythm, though she didn't know quite why. She did know that she was unafraid and felt no pain. Even in her weakened state, she had held on to her sword in an iron grip. She managed to turn her head and saw she left a trail of blood. It was a small amount, but so red upon the frozen tundra. She wanted to cry out, to warn him that they would be followed, but couldn't.

'Him?' she suddenly thought. Him who?

Alice realized that the soothing rhythm was from someone walking, and that someone was taking huge steps that were leading higher up and deeper in to the Wintershadow Mountains. She slowly became aware that this same someone was carrying her, that he had wrapped his jacket around her, a jacket that smelled very familiar.

"Almost there, Lieu-Contessa," Randel said, panting from exertion. "Hang on just a little longer."

Of course. Of course he'd risked his hide for her yet again…risked both life and freedom to save her. Alice shrugged off the familiar guilt, huddling tighter against him instead. She felt him squeeze her in response.

"Still with me?" he asked, a hopeful note in his voice. "Good, stay awake! There's a barn with a cave about another mile up." He tried to quicken his pace without jostling her. "Once the sun sets, we'll be safe til morning."

He was lying about being safe, but Alice didn't mind. She knew that her wound was bad, though how bad remained to be seen.

And to think that my wedding day started all of this, she thought, and tried to recall how it had all started…

Ch. 1-Bleeding a Cure

Two years had passed since the events that led to Oland's kidnapping. Just when the Empire had begun to have a sense of normalcy, communication broke down once again between the Imperial State and the Republic of Frost. Both sides accused each other of infractions of the peace treaty. The resulting outcry only caused further deterioration of the public trust.

On top of that was the terrible Red Cap Massacre, which occurred when the infamous, ruthless Section I wiped out a small band of protesters that had taken hostages at a local bank. They had demanded to have their needs met by the new Imperial financial advisor, Marquis Hoost. Instead, they had gotten the brute and brutal force of Claymore I. Indeed, Claymore I's only role was to be the "sword of the Empire," which meant to show no mercy, regardless if it was an enemy soldier or civilian.

It seemed that all the Empire knew how to do was to combat violence with violence, that is, until a new voice was raised in the fractured but still functioning Imperial council.

Second Lieutenant Alice Lee Malvin, now Contessa Malvin, who, shortly after losing her father to a stroke, assumed his place at the council meetings. It was an unprecedented act. Not only was she the youngest member ever to join, she was also the very first woman councilor in the history of the Empire. A woman's voice had never been heard on the council floor before, save for a past Empress here and there. The reason the council had decided to relent was so that Alice would carry the mantle of her family name until her young brother Allen came of age.

As ambassador of the Empire, she and a growing number of followers strove for peace and democracy where before a strike force seemed the only solution. Her no nonsense attitude carved through long held grudges and selfish ambitions. Her closest companion was Lord Schultz, who was promoted after Lord Taylor's horrific attack in Rodelia.

For various reasons Contessa Malvin was immediately seen as a radical. One of her biggest scandals was the cancellation of her marriage to Lord Lionel Taylor. Although she bemoaned what had befallen her intended, and though she made sure he received the best care in the Empire and visited him as often as she could, she deemed him "unfit husband material." It was rumored that she actually did marry him, but only in a civil ceremony, and only to gain his wealth and holdings to use them to provide for his care. As for Lord Taylor, there was no end to the rumors about him. Some said he was in a coma, while others claimed that the Contessa had him assassinated. Still others claimed that he was alive, awake and functioning, but had the mind of a boy of three. Although it was somewhat of a faux pas, her companionship with Lord Schultz was tolerated. Privilege must be allowed its eccentricities, after all.

Every time a new crisis arose, it was Alice who made sure the right people were found for the job. Hher first choice to delegate was, of course, her old unit, Section III. The Pumpkin Scissors were now spearheaded by Second Lieutenants Oreldo and Martis, who now had subordinates of their own. Section III had grown by leaps and bounds, especially after the funds from Marquis Paolo were used. A surplus was created and Captain Hunks wisely requested extra help, which his superior, Major Connery, was all too happy to provide. Now that they were finally working together, operations were twice as efficient, and thanks to Hunk's cool head, the bloodshed was kept to a minimum.

While they cleaned up and repaired what they could, Alice always looked for a way to visit the Republic, though no one in the Imperial council knew why. So far her petitions to both the council and the Court of Frost were denied. Still, she made alliances where she could, remaining as transparent as possible to avoid suspicions of being a double agent. Slowly, she gained the attention of the people of Frost as well, and started gaining a loyal following there. Talks ensued of a possible marriage alliance through her, the youngest and most eligible of the council members. Many began to believe it would be through her that peace would reign at last between the two kingdoms. Even the King of Rodelia encouraged the idea.

The title of Contessa was a heavy mantle, but Alice wore it with dignity, grace, and sheer willfulness that she had become renowned for. Her companions missed her dearly, but understood that she was still doing what Alice did best: slicing through corruption to create a better future for all. Only they knew her true reasons for trying to gain entry into Frost. Two years ago, according to all eyewitness reports, it was a small band of Republicant veteran spies that had infiltrated the Imperial Capital Hospital and kidnapped Corporal Oland, imprisoning him for murder and war crimes. All of her inquiries to his whereabouts were in vain, as well as any talk of bail or deals for prisoner swaps. She was becoming increasingly desperate, and knew there was probably only one way to find him and possibly guarantee his release.

She had to find the Lady Kavindra Teague, aka the Mad Minstrel, and trade her life for his…but how do you find a mistress of disguise and espionage?

NOTE: Hey peeps! Sorry I've been so quiet lately. The last half of last year was a very busy time for me. For a few months I was working 60-80 hrs a week. After my hours were severely chopped, I was fried due to stress and became very depressed on top of that. It took a while to recover, but here I am! I'm going to rewrite Part III as well, so please bear with me for a little longer. I will try to update and add to this story as best I can on a regular basis.