A/N: I'm sorry for the (super) long break from this story. Even this update came later than I intended. Originally, it was supposed to come out last month. However, it's finally here.
Also, the next chapter is half way done. Though don't expect rapid update like my other story, since this one needs to go through my beta as well.
Enjoy!
Beta by Euphonia.
"Are you sure you have everything covered, Your Highness?" Asked Shirou as he watched Henrietta pull her hair into a ponytail. Today they would go into town together for some much needed relaxation. Right now, the two of them were in Henrietta's private study, making the last of their preparations.
"Yes, Shirou," Henrietta answered, her back still facing him as she looked at herself in the body length mirror. "I've instructed my secretary to deal with most of the paperwork, told my mother that I would spending the afternoon in here to prepare for our next move, and told Agnes that I am not to be disturbed, under any circumstance."
"And all of that went over smoothly?" Asked Shirou, raising an eyebrow.
"Not really. I'll have to double check the paperwork later. And I think Agnes gave me a suspicious look. But I know she won't go against a direct order," she sighed before turning back to look at him. A smile was now showing on her face. "So, how do I look?"
"Once you've changed as well, no one will be able to recognize you," Shirou grinned. "Still, we should add a hood just to be careful."
"I suppose we should," Henrietta nodded.
Around fifteen minutes later, they'd both switched into clothes that were more fitting to blend in with the people in town. Shirou changed in the study, while the Princess retreated into the bathroom. The two then stepped out to the balcony after making sure that no one could see them.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Your Highness?" Looking at his Master, Shirou asked.
"Really, Shirou, you are the one who asked me," said Henrietta. "And yes, I'm sure. We should get moving. Though... How are we going to get down from here?"
"About that…" Shirou hesitated, scratching his head. "...We jump down."
To his surprise, instead of thinking that it was a joke, or getting confused, the Princess just frowned as she started thinking out loud.
"I figured that's what we would have to do," she mumbled. "I guess you will be fine with your Reinforcement?"
Shirou nodded.
"I can take care of myself, probably," Henrietta continued, though Shirou could sense the uncertainty creeping into her voice.
"What do you mean by 'probably'?" He asked.
"If I were to jump," Henrietta said, taking a glance toward the ground two floors below them before quickly averting her gaze. "I can cast a wind spell to cushion my fall, but it has been a long time since I last cast it. Besides, it is a rather showy spell, which could give us away…"
"We wouldn't want that," Shirou grimaced, imagining what would happen if Agnes happened to catch them sneaking out.
"Yes," the Princess sighed. "Still, since there is no alternative…"
"Actually, there is," Shirou interjected. "I can just, you know… support you when we jump down."
"Support me?" Henrietta asked, her face puzzled.
"As in… I can hold on to you…" Shirou replied hesitantly while glancing at his Master's face. He could see traces of faint pink appear on her cheeks as she finally understood what he was trying to say.
"Ah, you are correct. I suppose that is also an option…" She mumbled bashfully.
"If you don't want to, we can take our time and think of another way. We don't have to go today," Shirou said quickly.
"No, it's okay," Henrietta shook her head. "Let's do it."
Shirou was about to ask if she was sure about it. However, the look that she was giving him gave him the answer he needed, so instead, he smiled and said.
"Of course, Your Highness."
The two of them then stood side by side before Shirou wrapped his arm around her waist, being careful not to apply too much force. He felt her body stiffen the moment their bodies made contact, but she gradually relaxed. Finally, Henrietta looked at Shirou and nodded, indicating that she was ready.
"Alright. Here we go," returning her nod, he then tightened his hold on her before the two of them leapt over the rails surrounding the balcony.
They landed a moment later. After making sure that Henrietta was able to stand steadily by herself, Shirou removed his arm around her waist. The two of them then started heading toward the western wall. There was a hidden door there that could lead them straight into town.
Henrietta was in a buoyant mood. The last couple of hours had been a new and enjoyable experience for her. The two of them had walked down the street side by side, browsing the shops inside the market district and tried a bite at Tristan's most famous bakery. Shirou had surprised Henrietta by insisting on paying for both of them with the pocket money that he'd been given. Afterwards, they took a stroll through the central park and had some lighthearted conversations on the way.
At first glance, these were just mundane things that everybody could do if they wanted. However, for Henrietta, being able to do so outside of the carriage without an entourage of guards behind her back was incredibly liberating.
She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this free. Was it when the King was still alive? Or even further than that, back during the days she and Louise played around in the courtyard when they both were children? In all honesty, ever since she became the ruler of Tristain in place of her father, free time was a luxury apart from meals and tea time with her mother and a few secret dates with Wales. She had found herself mired in the constant meetings, paperwork, and a whole new lot of responsibilities. Even now, they were still lurking somewhere in the back of her mind, but at least she was enjoying herself at the moment.
These last few hours of freedom wouldn't have been possible without the boy next to her. He was an enigma yes, but also one of the better things that happened in her recent life. Up until now Henrietta still believed that she was crazy to accept his offer for a day out of the castle like this, so many things could go wrong. On the other hand, she supposed Shirou was right. She needed to let loose once in awhile and… get crazy.
"Something on your mind, Louise?"
Shirou's voice snapped Henrietta out of her thoughts. It took a few seconds for her mind to register that he was talking to her, even though she was the one who told him to call her Louise. Obviously she couldn't have him say 'Your Highness' or 'Henrietta' out loud when they were outside, and 'Louise' was one of the first names that popped up in her head so she just went with it. Shirou was a little puzzled when he heard it, but didn't question it.
"Just thinking about today," she smiled. "I still can't believe that we really did this."
"Oh… Is it not to your liking?" Shirou asked hesitantly.
"It's not like that. I'm having fun. Thank you," Henrietta said, and was happy to note that his expression seemed to be much more relaxed afterwards.
"I guess it's all good then," he laughed, scratching his cheek with his finger. "But should we find somewhere for you to take that hood off for awhile? It must be uncomfortable wearing it for hours."
Shirou was right. Despite the day's cool weather, Henrietta was still sweating from having her hood on almost the entire time they were outside. She didn't say anything because Shirou was also enduring the same.
"That's a good idea," she said. "Come, I know a tea shop down this road that has private rooms, or something like that…"
"Something like that?…"
"Because I've never been there myself," she blushed slightly as they started walking. It didn't take long to reach the shop. Although it was much smaller than what Henrietta had imagined, it was still a decent place with colourful decoration.
Just a few minutes later, the two of them were in a private room with a moderate sized window overlooking the town square. It was still early in the afternoon, and townspeople could be seen going back and forth, busying themselves with their own businesses. Everything mixed together, creating a lively atmosphere that Henrietta hadn't been able to witness since she was still a child playing inside the Valliere's territory.
Taking a look at the boy sitting across the table, she could see him looking out of the window with a smile on his face.
"Are you enjoying the scene, Shirou?" She asked. Hearing the question, Shirou turned to look at her and nodded.
"I am. Everything is so peaceful."
"Isn't it? Just looking at them makes it hard to believe that a war is approaching..." Henrietta smiled back at him sadly as they both turned their gaze down to the streets below.
"You shouldn't think too hard about it, Your…"
"Call me Louise, at least until we get back," she cut him off, then sighed. "Maybe you're right. Though it's hard not to think about it. If I want to preserve this scene and keep those people safe, then I can't pretend…"
Henrietta paused abruptly, then shook her head and looked at Shirou again.
"I'm sorry. You brought me out here to relax, not to talk about serious matters. Say, Shirou. Can you tell me something about your home world? You never said anything about it. Is it similar to this one?"
"Really? Must have slipped from my mind," Shirou chuckled. "My home world is more or less the same. The people there are similar to this world's, appearance wise. Although the scenery is different for the most part. Also, I assume that our populations are much larger. During the busy hours, there were a lot more people out on the streets than this."
"That must be quite a sight to see," Henrietta replied, trying to imagine putting more people into the already bursting roads.
"You get used to it. Afterwards it kind of becomes an annoyance sometimes. I lived in a rather small city during my childhood though, so I didn't have to face that problem as often. Really, you could barely move inside such crowds, and it makes it easier for thieves and such as well."
"I can see how that could be a problem. Still, I would like to see it some day."
"Maybe you will, who knows," Shirou smiled. Afterwards, the two of them drank their tea while talking about inconsequential topics. It was something Henrietta did everyday with her mother, but doing so with Shirou, at a place other than the Queen's room, somehow cheered her up more than she realized. Before they knew it, it was almost time for them to return to the castle.
"Am I feeling a little disappointed?" Wondered Henrietta as she stood outside of the tea shop.
Once again, Shirou had insisted on paying for both of them and was now talking with the clerk. The Princess's eyebrows rose slightly as she saw him purchase a couple of additional biscuit bags before following her out.
"What are those for?" She asked, looking at the bags in his hand.
"I just really like them," Shirou shrugged. Henrietta then looked at him questioningly for a few seconds, but decided not to push the issue. She said instead
"Thank you again, Shirou. This is the most fun that I've had for a while."
"I'm glad that you enjoyed it," Shirou said. He then hesitated before continuing. "Umm… Seeing as we still have a little time left. Can we go this way for a moment? There's a place that I wanted to visit but I didn't want to interrupt your trip."
"Of course," Henrietta said, looking at him curiously as she followed him down the street.
"A weapon shop?" Shirou heard the Princess's question as they looked at the wooden sign of a small shop inside an alley.
"Yes, Louise," he answered.
"Are you planning to buy yourself a sword or some other weapon?" Henrietta asked again. Shirou couldn't see her face, but he could guess what kind of expression she was wearing.
"Nothing of that sort," he laughed. "When we passed this alley earlier, I sensed an unusual prana source from this place. Some kind of magical sword, if I'm not wrong…"
"I'm not surprised," Henrietta said. "There are many magical and enchanted weapons around here. They aren't cheap, but aren't exactly a rare thing either."
"I know. I have been sensing those since the first day I arrived," Shirou shook his head. "This one is different. It's a sword, yet I can't grasp it. During my whole life, there have only been a few weapons that I haven't been able to comprehend… Let's just check it out."
With Henrietta's approval, the two of them entered the shop and were immediately greeted by a clerk with a polished business smile.
"Welcome, welcome. How may I be of service today?" He said with an overly sweet voice. No doubt noticing the high quality clothes that Shirou and Henrietta were wearing.
"Well, I'm looking for a sword…" Said Shirou distractedly as he started to look around, trying to find the exact source of the unusual prana.
"What kind of sword are you looking for, sir?" The clerk went around the counter and started to introduce his collection hanging on a wall. "These are enchanted blades from the most talented Germanian craftsmen. And if these aren't enough, we have even more valuable weapons in the back. Please wait a moment."
He then hurriedly retreat through a door behind the counter. Henrietta was busy giving the man an odd look, but Shirou didn't really pay attention. He'd found what he needed. It was buried somewhere between a bunch of rusty weapons inside a barrel in a dark corner of the shop.
"Are you sure it's in there, Shirou?" Asked Henrietta as she saw him digging through the content of the barrel.
"Yes," he answered, not looking up. "It's in here somewhere… I think… Ah… Here it is."
Finally, Shirou stood up and smiled, turning to the Princess with a rusty sword in his hand. Henrietta gave it a long look before saying. Her voice uncertain.
"Well… There is indeed some kind of magic coming out of it. But look at its state…"
"What are you saying about my 'state', little girl?" All of a sudden, a voice came from the sword, startling Henrietta and Shirou so much that he almost dropped it. After calming down, he looked at it again.
"You can talk," said Shirou.
"No," the sword replied immediately.
"But you're talking," he exclaimed.
"If you can see that, then why did you ask that pointless question?"
"I...uhm… I'm sorry?" Said Shirou. Immediately after that, he felt rather stupid to be apologizing to a sword of all things.
"Hmm...Never mind," said the sword after a moment of silence. There was no mistaking it, the sword was assessing him closely. "You aren't him."
"Pardon? I'm not who?"
"Gandalfr. My wielder," said the sword.
"Never heard of him," Shirou shook his head. However, from behind him came a shocked gasp. He then turned around to see a wide eyed Henrietta, who was covering her mouth with her hands.
"I...I know that word. In fact, everyone from around here knows that. Gandalfr isn't a name. That's a type of legendary familiar, the Left Hand of God. You… You're his sword? But the legend of Gandalfr has been dated back to the time of Founder Brimir…"
"That's the truth, believe it or not. But that doesn't matter anyway. Neither you or this boy is the one I'm waiting for."
"So… you're waiting for this… Gandalfr person, right?" Asked Shirou. "But it's been such a long time. There's no way…"
"Are you daft, kid?" The sword snorted. "You heard the girl. Gandalfr isn't a person. It's a type of familiar. There will be another one coming around eventually."
"But...That's a Void mage's familiar," Henrietta said, frowning. "There hasn't been a Void mage around for centuries. How long do you intend to wait…"
"It doesn't matter. I have all the time in this world."
"Well, if that's what he wants," Shirou said, scratching his head. "But do you want to come with us at least? I'm sure it's better than staying at the bottom of this barrel."
"That's a generous offer, kid. But no thanks. I prefer it here."
"But…" Henrietta was about to say something, but stopped as Shirou shook his head.
"It's okay, Louise. I can tell that's what he really wants. There must be a reason for that."
"Who knows," the sword laughed. "Name's Derfflinger, by the way. You're a special one, kid. You aren't Gandalfr, but still consciously sought me out in a place like this. You didn't even know anything about me. Tell me, what's your name?"
"I'm Shirou Emiya."
"Shirou Emiya… I'll remember that. I have a feeling that we will see each other again soon. Now, if you're so kind…"
"Of course, Derfflinger," Shirou nodded before carefully placing the sword back into its place in the barrel. He then turned back to look at Henrietta, who was still a little surprised at the whole thing.
"Well...That was strange…" Finally, she said.
"Indeed…" Shirou agreed. "A sentient sword...No wonder I couldn't comprehend it."
"Are you sure it's okay to leave him like that?" Henrietta asked, eyeing the barrel once again.
"I'm sure," said Shirou. "If he wanted to come with us, he would have agreed."
"Yes, I suppose," Henrietta sighed. "It's just… You don't get to see an artifact of that calibre everyday. Never mind, let's return for now."
"Should we tell the clerk first?" Shirou asked hesitantly, glancing at the door behind the counter. "I think he's still trying to find some more swords down there…"
"It's okay. It's not like we are going to buy anything…" Henrietta paused and looked at him before winking mischievously. "Besides, I really don't like his voice."
Shirou's eyes widened for a second at the sight, before a grin started to show on his face as he followed the Princess out of the shop as quietly as possible.
"You're right, Louise," he said. "Just hearing his voice once gave me goosebumps all over."
It was the day after their trip out of the castle, and Shirou was now sitting on a bench inside the Musketeer Corps' training field. He'd just finished his routine morning spar with several of their members. While he'd won all the matches ever since the day they started, Shirou was still burned out by the end every time. Everyone wanted to have a chance to go against the man who defeated Viscount Wardes after all. Fortunately, only twenty of them were chosen each day to get into the ring with Shirou.
After doing his share of sparring, he finally allowed himself a moment to rest and observed the others. Apparently, the current match was an exciting one between two of Agnes's Vice Captains. Even Shirou had to admit that considering they didn't have the aid of magic, those two were pretty skilled, and both of them were formidable in their own right.
Unfortunately, his vision of the duel was soon blocked by two identical figures that appeared out of nowhere. They stood in front of Shirou and stuck out their hands.
"So…" The one of the left said.
"...Fork it over, Shirou," continued the one on the right.
Looking up at the twins in front of him, Shirou couldn't help but sigh in resignation before reaching inside his pocket and retrieving the biscuit bags that he bought the previous day. The twins took them with large grins on their faces and sat down on both sides of him.
"Thanks," said the one on the right as she opened the bag and threw a piece inside her mouth, a look of pure bliss showed on her face as she chewed on it.
"Looks good. But I'm gonna save it for later," said the other one before looking at Shirou. "So, I take it the trip went well?"
"Extremely well. Thanks you two for keeping that entrance clear," Shirou said gratefully. "We almost didn't make it back when you told us to though. Luckily no one noticed."
"Right, I know that going on a date with Her Highness of all people is nice and all, but don't get carried away next time. We can't cover for you two all the time."
"I know. And it wasn't a date," Shirou nodded.
"It sooooo was a date," one of the twins mumbled while the other nodded knowingly. Before anything else was said, however, the three of them noticed someone approaching and looked up, just in time to see Agnes looking at them with her usual stern look. Shirou could feel the air around them stiffen as the Captain got closer, and from the corner of his eyes, he saw the smiles gradually slip from the twins' faces.
"Good morning, Captain," said Shirou as he rose from the bench, the other two followed suit while giving each other nervous glances. Agnes, on the other hand, regarded them with a slight nod.
"Are you three finished with your practice?" She asked.
"We've just finished," Shirou answered.
"Good. Follow me, Her Highness wants to speak with you."
"All of us?" Asked one of the twins.
"That's what I just said," Agnes glared at her before turning away. "Come quickly, don't keep her waiting."
"Thank you all for coming," Henrietta said from behind her desk. Standing in front of her were Shirou, Agnes and the twins. "I'm sure you already know why I called you here."
"It's about our next mission," said Shirou. It wasn't a guess, but a statement. There wasn't any other reason for the Princess to summon all of them at the same time.
"Indeed," Henrietta nodded as she pulled out some documents from under her desk before distributing them to everyone. "This is our next target's dossier. Please read it before we move on to the next part."
Taking one of the files, Shirou started flipping through it. The dossier was quite detailed, but it wasn't such a surprise for the Princess to have this kind of information about her own Council members. Their next target was count Achmed, age fifty. He was one of the most wealthy and influential Nobles within Tristain. It wasn't difficult to see how a man of his calibre, when corrupted, could deal a heavy blow to the kingdom's already shaky power.
"I know this man," said the twin on the right, who, under the presences of Henrietta and Agnes, had revealed herself to be Cecile. "Do you remember him, sis?"
"Well, I'm sure that everyone in Tristain has heard of him, seeing who he is," Caterine nodded. "But yes, I remember him."
"You two have met him before?" Asked Shirou, not looking up from the papers in his hand.
"Only once," Cecile answered. "Before becoming Musketeers, we were looking for a job and applied to become his guards."
"So you two have been there before?" Shirou finally peeked up. If that was true then they should remember, at least a little, the area.
"No they haven't," however, it was Henrietta who answered. "By chance, when Achmed held the test for the applicants, Agnes and I were also there. We saw these two's potential and decided to recruit them into the Musketeer Corp."
"But he didn't strike me as the corrupted sort, did he, sis?" Caterine frowned as he looked at her own file.
"No," Cecile shook her head. "He was easygoing, that's for sure. But that could just be a mask."
"It's better if you're careful with this mission," for the first time since they entered the room, Agnes said. "We have suspicions about this man, what we need now is evidence. However, mask or not, Achmed is an easygoing man, very approachable for a high ranking Noble. His people and employees actually like him, so take extra caution. Maybe no one cared when Gauvain was raided, but imagine what would happen if word got out that Her Highness of all people, ordered an infiltration on this man's mansion…"
"There would be an uproar…" Shirou grimaced. They had to avoid that situation at all costs.
"Which is also why I decided to call you here," Henrietta said. "Due to the nature of this mission, we can't afford to bring in too many people. Everyone who knows about it is standing in this room, and I'd like to keep it that way."
"As you wish, Your Highness," they answered in unison.
"Very good," the Princess smiled. "Now, Agnes has done an impressive job of scouting out the field for us, all on her own. Here, we have a rough map of the mansion itself. There may be some missing details here and there but it should give you an idea to work with. This is the patrol schedule…" She pulled out another paper and set it on top of the desk. "Quite detailed. But as you can see, security here is much tighter than Gauvain's mansion. There's also the employee's schedule, and the layout of the wards."
Shirou glanced at each of the documents as they were presented. While he and Agnes weren't on a good terms, he would readily admit that the Captain was very competent in her job. For one person to get this much information wasn't an easy thing to do. However, a frown showed on his face as Shirou's eyes landed on the paper that explained the ward scheme. Taking a step forward, he took it to give it a closer look.
"Your Highness, I think we have a problem here," he murmured.
"So it's true," Henrietta sighed as all eyes focused on Shirou. "I've anticipated this since the first time I looked at that scheme, but I wanted you to confirm it."
"What's wrong?" Asked the twins in unison as they got closer and looked at the scheme over Shirou's shoulder.
"You see…" Shirou said. "This warding scheme is completely different from the one used at Gauvain's. Instead of using several ward stones placed around the perimeter, Achmed only uses one grand stone, which is also the central pillar of his mansion."
"Oh…" Caterine's eyes widened as she realized the problem.
"Yes," Shirou sighed. "With this setup, there's no way for me to get close enough to the ward stone to overload it, not without passing the ward's boundary first."
"This is a very good scheme to prevent the wards from being taken down from the outside," Henrietta said. "Of course, to combine so many types of wards into a single pillar stone is an extremely difficult thing to do, not to mention the power needed to maintain it. But it is not a problem for someone such as Achmed."
"Well, but it's obviously a problem for us," Cecile said.
"Unfortunately yes," the Princess closed her eyes for a moment. "I want all of us to focus on this problem first, because we won't be able to do anything else with it in the way. We have two weeks to find a solution, since Achmed will leave the mansion to go on a holiday with his family at that time, making it the perfect opportunity for us to strike. He is a powerful Noble in his own right, thus I would prefer not to deal with him. Any questions?"
"Captain," said Shirou. "How did you obtain this information without getting into the mansion yourself?"
Instead of answering, Agnes just glanced at Henrietta. After receiving a nod from the Princess, she finally said.
"I have an inside source, a maid who was hired just recently."
"Wait, can't we have her steal the evidence for us when she's cleaning or something?" Cecile perked up as she heard the answer.
"Don't be daft" Agnes glared at her. "First of all, she is just a regular person, not a spy. I actually had to trick the information out of her. Also, even if she agreed to help us, which is unlikely, there's no way she would be able to get through all the protections around what we need."
"So that's a no go. A good thing too. I don't like involving bystanders," Shirou sighed. For a brief moment, he could see Henrietta give him a gentle smile.
"How about sending in a bomb, disguised as a gift?" Asked Caterine thoughtfully. "We can find a way to get it close to the pillar then detonate it."
"I disagree," Shirou shook his head and looked at her solemnly. "Too risky. You can't tell if the explosion will harm somebody nearby. Also, destroying an important structure like that could make parts of the house fall down. We certainly don't want that."
"It would most likely be impossible even if we tried," Henrietta added. "It is likely that such an important structure would be reinforced with many powerful spells. To smuggle in the necessary amount of explosives to break it would be extremely difficult."
"How about attacking the ward with force?" Shirou asked. "Not exactly subtle, but I want to know if it can be done."
"I am not sure… Warding is not exactly my strong suite," Henrietta bit her lower lip as she inspected the scheme. "If I am not wrong, due to its enormous power supply, even if you managed to punch a hole in it, the ward would heal itself almost immediately. Definitely not enough time for anyone to come through."
"And it will attract attention too," Agnes growled.
"I know," Shirou held up his hand. "I'm just curious. What if the wards are shattered with a single attack then?"
Once again, all eyes in the room focused on Shirou. Finally, Henrietta answered.
"I have never heard of anyone with enough power to do that," she said, still keeping her eyes on him. "Though if that ever happened, the magical backlash from the attack would probably kill everyone standing nearby. Again, I am not sure, but I do not want to test my luck either."
"I see…" Murmured Shirou. It looked like they were running into a dead end before they even started. It wasn't possible to attack the ward stone from both inside and outside. Ramming the ward down with brute force was also out of the question. As of now, Achmed's mansion looked like an impenetrable fortress.
Still, there must be a hole somewhere, a weak point. He just needed to find it…
Taking another careful look at the map of the mansion, Shirou tried to see if he could use his bow to send some copies of Gae Dearg in. They should be able to pass through the ward without trouble, and if he managed to get five or six of them in…
"Tsk," he clicked his tongue. All around the mansion, there wasn't a single window that could give him a direct view of the pillar. It looked like getting in there himself and disabling the ward from inside was the only way to go. Unfortunately, how to pull it off was still a question that none of them had the answer for.
"It is getting late," came Henrietta's voice, pulling Shirou out of his thoughts. "We should call it a day here. I will give each of you a copy of the document. If any of you come up with anything, report to me or Agnes. We will get together again and see if we can make it work."
After they received their own document, they bowed to the Princess and left the room, each with their own thoughts. There was one thing that they were all certain about, that the upcoming mission definitely wasn't going to be easy.
End of Chapter 6.