Chapter Four

- Decision -

Jasne sat in his room. He didn't have to think the things he had to do over and over again. He always assumed that Ridley was innocent and that she had nothing to do with it. It was always the other people involved that held a crime. He chuckled, taking another sip from the glass on his table. The sweet, delectable grape juice traveled down his throat, calming him a bit. He knew exactly what to do. He didn't even need the time to think because, frankly, he could care less about the Jack boy. All that mattered was that Ridley was back. His mind was thinking up different ways of pleasing her - making her captain of three brigades, buying all the finest axes in Radiata for her, giving her only the best armor and clothes and the best treatment from the knights, maidens and other people in the castle and generally the whole of Radiata. He smiled, stood up and paced the room slowly, watching the fireplace flicker with flames. Any time now, and Larks will come to see his decision. And Larks will have no choice but to do so, or face the wrath of King Jiorus himself. Jasne felt grateful that Jiorus had trusted him more than Larks, after the king had known about Larks' botched attempt at giving the Rose Cochon members a second chance.

He almost smelled the new chance he was giving Ridley. She had been portrayed to the whole of Radiata as a traitor, a felon, but Jasne won't let it stop there. He had been planning, ever since Ridley had gone and left, how to clean her name. Paying her name to be cleansed was a good thing, but what he really needed was for King Jiorus to influence the population. If Jiorus can do this, Ridley's name would be cleansed. No human in the city would dare to try and kidnap her anymore. He chuckled again, as if he had already reaped the fruits of this imagined labor.

Knocks on the door took him out of his temporary dreaming. Larks has arrived.

"Come in." the red-faced, round, stout man said, setting his wineglass on the table and putting on a questioning look, a look of dissatisfaction. Larks entered the room, adjusting his glasses, sitting down on a nearby chair and folding his hands on the table. Jasne did the same, albeit with difficulty.

"Lord Jasne, I take it that you have decided your course of action?"

"Yes, I did, Larks."

"Did you think it over carefully?"

"Very much. I have come up with the best decision I could find." Jasne lied. He felt his plan working smoothly.

"It doesn't involve killing or torture, does it?" The look on Larks's eyes were suspicious, his tone of voice slightly being the same. Jasne vigorously shook his head and laughed.

"I don't tolerate killing or torture, Larks. I'm sure you very well know that."

"Very well. I assume I have the right to know your decision, Lord Jasne?"

Jasne nodded. "Yes. Well, I know Ridley's safe and sound, as you reported. That's all that matters right now. I don't trust this Jack person, however. Who knows what he did to Ridley during their time of absence. I know you know that they were absent during the war, aiding the nonhumans, am I right?" Jasne paused for a while to let Larks nod in response. "That's why I've decided that, in order to keep Ridley safe from everything that could harm her..."

Larks adjusted his glasses yet again, lips twitching. "Are you saying that Jack should roam the streets of Radiata again?"

"No, no, Larks!" he waved his hands as a gesture. "I've come up with a much better plan. Jack will not be allowed to enter Radiata for as long as I live." He grinned, teeth pearly white and nose growing redder. Astounded as he was, Larks gave no sign of surprise. He shouldn't be, anyway. This was Lord Jasne. Overprotective father of Ridley Silverlake. Larks set his hands gently on the smooth, wooden table and breathed in deeply.

"Do you.. wish to reconsider, Jasne?"

"Let's not give this a long, winding discussion. You asked me for my final decision, I told you my final decision. Reconsideration is not in the agreement."

"Lord Jasne, Jack is a very well-trained knight. Doesn't he at least deserve a spot in the Radiata Knights? He has proven so much. I believe that, on the short period of time, he grew exceptionally strong. On par with Cairn, in fact."

"And how can you prove this?"

"I have talked to the Vancoor veterans, the strongest warriors, as well as Leonard and Natalie. They have all been defeated single-handedly by Jack. Gerald, Deputy Chief of Theater Vancoor, had also mentioned to me about Jack's desire to protect Ridley."

"If he desires to protect my daughter, then why is she with scratches? Bruises?"

"Very light scratches and bruises, Lord Jasne."

Jasne firmly set his fists on the table. A bead of sweat trickled down his face. "Listen, Larks. I am Ridley's father. I know what's best for her. Let me decide for her."

"But have you let her decide on her own, Lord Jasne? Have you given her freedom?"

"Yes! And everything else I could give to her!"

"If you are so sure about that, then why would she not want to be a captain of her own brigade? Had she not wished that the Rose Cochon be brought back together again? And I have a feeling that she didn't want to be engaged to Cross."

"Larks, I have made my final decision! No more smart-mouthing from you!"

Larks sighed. "Very well. If that's the case, then I will take Jack away from here first thing in the morning. Lord Jasne, make sure, though, that Ridley is happy with your decision."

Jasne furrowed his eyebrows. Larks had just gave him a lecture about how to be a father to his own daughter. "What do you mean, Larks?"

"A bond has been strongly developed between Ridley and Jack. That bond drove Jack into protecting Ridley. Make sure, Lord Jasne, that this will satisfy your daughter and not you."

Without another word, Larks left the room, leaving a fuming, tomato-faced Jasne behind. He angrily drank from his wineglass and settled down on a soft sofa, sinking under his hideous weight. "That blonde-haired imbecile. Of course I know what I'm doing! Of course I do! I'm Ridley's father!"

A/N: Well, that's it! Chapter Four. I'm already writing Chapter Ten. I'm trying my best to make it interesting, trying to make the characters resemble their videogame counterparts without straying off the road. Hope you like this chapter.