The Dossier of the Premier

VII

Right Palace, Marlon Castle, Bariti, Marlon
June 12, EC 147

She woke, seeing the faces of Queen Yufina and Carol Shields.

The first thing she remembered was Carol's frantic voice crying out: 'War!' Gumina squinted her blue eyes at the queen's dark silver ones, and closed them again to properly let the word sink in. War. War had been declared, but by whom? War had started, but where? War had started on her boy's tenth birthday?

"...Who had declared war...?" Gumina's raspy voice croaked. Queen Yufina took her hand and bit her lip, then decided to answer instead of inquiring about her well-being.

"Prince Martius Beelzenia," came the reply.

So he had done it, he had finally declared war. "And where is it...?"

"Lioness, mi'lady," Carol quipped. "They don't care where they have the war now. Their troops are assembled, but ours are not. Commander Erhart is still here, having persuaded the king for more troops. We cannot do with ten thousand."

"Let me go, I must see them," Gumina said at once, arising from the bed, in which Queen Yufina held the Prime Minister's arms rather firmly. Gumina's surprise was written all over her face, but what Yufina said next kept her rooted to the mattress.

"Lady Gumina, my husband...he is giving the young marquis his birthday gift."


"Sire," Reinard bowed, and Karchess bade him to rise.

Questions, questions, life is full of questions. The curiosity of a young boy and the growing concern for his mother is a dangerous combination, a lethal mixture that, if left unstable, will result in something catastrophic. But Reinard Glassred was a young man in an adult's world; he must not throw tantrums or ask for his mother when she is not there. He must carry the family name no matter how heavy, and he must carry the privileges and the shames.

The King is majestic in Reinard's eyes, yet he too knows that this is the man who had murdered his father, all for the greater good. He does not view his father as a criminal, he does not blame His Majesty for ending his life, and he respects his memory nobly with his child-like heart. His eyes are clear of blame, and Karchess notices it- Gumina had raised him well.

But this boy wasn't of Gumina's making alone.

The boy is bright, the boy sees and hears. The boy chooses what to believe, and he chooses to believe what is good. Karchess believes that this is the right decision; he had discussed this over with Gumina on a few occasions, and Reinard had proved his worth at the tender age of ten.

"Kneel, Marquis Glassred, for I will bestow you an inheritance," Karchess said formally, and Reinard did so.

What followed next was a very, very cruel twist of irony. The blade, the knife of wrath that stabbed the heart of the immoral man, was in the hands of the king, and he bade Reinard to raise his arms to receive it. He is small, much too small to even compare to the height and majesty of Karchess Marlon, ordained king of the island nation, yet as he felt the cool blade come into contact with his little palms, he realized that this was a transfer of responsibility.

"This is the blade that ended your father's life. This is my will. I command you to see for yourself; is this a blade that calls for peace, or war?"

Reinard kept his eyes downcast.

"I will see to it that you will receive an answer when I am grown, Your Grace."

Thus Grim The End found its way to a new owner.


Beranger Erhart could bargain no more after the king let Reinard return to his mother's side, and Reinard found that his mother found her own way to him. Ten thousand men to Lioness, no more, maybe less. The throne room was the place of farewell for the famed commander of Elphegort's army, and Gumina Glassred knew that they could waste no more time. They must plan while the war goes on; they cannot plan beforehand anymore.

Karchess and Yufina, both king and queen, gave the commander their well wishes, but the blessings of Lord Held must come from the god's most fervent worshiper, the Prime Minister. The premier looked at the commander, head bowed, knee knelt, and she removes her gloves and pass them to her lady, Carol. The young marquis watches his mother, austere and somber, walk over to the kneeling commander, and remembered the bloody feud in where many lives were almost compromised due to his mother's display of cunning to remove this man from the courts.

Gumina placed her hand on Erhart's head, feeling his hair through her slender fingers.

"The blessings of Held shall be upon you, and you will return victorious," she said, imparting her blessings to the gallant knight. "We do not doubt His divine power, and we do not question His will."

"I accept His will as my own," came the knight's answer.

She removed her hand, and he stood up and bowed before the King, the Queen, and the greatest lady that he had ever known. The lady who had the gall to challenge him and trap him, the lady who had the ability to amaze him and make him laugh, smile, cry and experience the world's anger; he received her blessings, and he bowed before the little marquis as well.

"We part now," Gumina said quietly. "Write to us. Tell us. Do not withhold anything from us."

"I will be sure to write back to you," Erhart smiled, and he left the throne room.

Reinard noticed that he addressed his mother, and not the rest, with his final words.


To Lord Reinard Glassred,

I entrust you with Hermes. This is as much as I can write. If God wills it, and if luck comes to our side, we will meet again as proper brother and sister, and I pray that this war will spare us from all grief and unnecessary despair.

Happy birthday.

Lady Milenille Conchita


The hawk remains perched on his little arm, and Reinard grits his teeth.


A/N: Labour day is over. Why can't every day be labour day?

-Nairo