10

Cleaning House

Place: The palace

Time: The next day

That morning, Susan presented herself at the palace as ordered. She was treated with a little more respect, but was asked to wait until her majesty finished her current business. Susan replied that would be fine, and was shown a place to wait and had tea brought.

"Wonder what kind of stir you've caused by fingering that tax collector," mused Sparkle, her ears swiveling. "Seems this place is in kind of an uproar."

"Really?" Susan hadn't seen much more activity on the way in.

"You probably can't hear it, but it's buzzing around here. Quite the difference from the last time I was here."

"I'll take your word for it."

Susan noticed a mirror over in the corner and went over to see how she looked. She was wearing a different dress, newly created just that morning, after having Sparkle teach her Regeneration.

"Why did you learn Healing in the first place?" she had asked.

"I have no idea."

Wish my hair could be done up fancier, she thought wistfully to herself, turning this way and that in front of it. Seems kind of a waste to wear a dress this pretty and... have I ever had my hair cut? I've never even thought about that before. How weird is that?

The door banged open and Anrietta burst in, looking for Susan and smiling widely when she saw her. Guards rushed past her, obviously unhappy they had been left behind, but seeing no threat to the princess they bowed their way out. Anrietta sagged into Susan's arms, hugging her.

"You really came through for me," she said, smiling. "I can't thank you enough."

"I hope the nobility starts to understand they just can't walk all over the peasants without fear of reprisal now."

Anrietta shook her head, stepping back. "Not after I'm through with that tax collector. He's been stripped of his title, and his assets are being seized to pay back the money he extorted from the people. Plus those books you got? They were a treasure in disguise, because they noted down other noble's behavior he had observed and was using for blackmail material. You've shaken up everything around here. And in a single day!"

Whoops.

"I wish I could stay and talk, hear how you went about it. But the place is on high alert now. You know that thief you caught?"

"Don't tell me..." Susan's eyes narrowed.

She nodded. "She escaped sometime last night."

And here's me without access to my Descry Creature spell.

"She blasted out a wall or something?"

"I wish it were that simple. Apparently someone opened her cell door and let her walk right out. So somewhere in my kingdom is a traitor."

"Would you like to know who that traitor is?" asked Susan, a dangerous glint in her eye.

"Oh, but I couldn't ask you for another favor, so soon after-"

Susan put a finger over her lips. Oh my gosh, I'm touching a princess' lips. "It's a single spell. Bring me to where she was being held and I'll have an image of the person responsible in under an hour."

"Done," she exclaimed, taking Susan's hand and pulling her along. "I'll have a coach readied immediately."

Anrietta seemed to be having an argument with someone before she got on the coach with Susan, and they weren't being subtle about it.

"I insist on accompanying you," he was saying. "This girl, Susan, where did she even come from? You've been alone with her now on several occasions despite my recommendations. Now you're just going to hop into a carriage and visit a prison with her?"

"I have it from a very trusted source that she's of impeccable character," Anrietta countered. "She is an unmatched mage and swiftly becoming a personal friend. Plus she is responsible for first catching 'The Sandy' thief and putting Turenne behind bars. If you will not take my word for it, as the crown princess, at least put your faith in her actions."

"She could be lulling you into a false sense of security-"

"Please! If she wanted to, I'm sure she could steal me away or kill me right this instant. When we went to go take Turenne into custody, two people were found, out cold. One triangle mage and one burly man holding a garrote. She somehow overpowered both of them, but left them still alive, despite evidence they were attacking her with everything they had. The room there was a mess! Personally I feel safer with her around than with you. That is all I am saying on the matter. Now step aside."

"Very well, your highness."

"You may follow on horseback if you wish."

The man's reply was lost, and Susan made her way over to the carriage as Anrietta beckoned.

"I'm sorry about him," she apologized. "I do understand his concern, but he won't even listen to me."

"He's right," admitted Susan. "I could have been a threat to you. Why did you see me by yourself that first time?"

Anrietta grinned. "Didn't she tell you? Louise and I have been friends since childhood. I came to visit her when I was at the school, and she told me about you. Catching Fouquet was all well and good, and I watched your magic take down that golem. But I needed someone I could trust, and she said if it wasn't her, it had to be you."

"Wow. I'll have to thank her when I get back."

The carriage started moving. "So that's why you get to hang out with a princess." She grinned and winked. "It's a great honor, you know."

"Oh, I know," said Susan, bringing up an imaginary fan and fanning herself with it. "All my friends at the academy would just simply die if they knew."

Both fell into laughter.

But they weren't laughing as they stepped into the prison.

"I wasn't told conditions here were quite as harsh as this," said Anrietta, looking around.

Susan thought back to what that man who had told her about the tax collector had said. "That's something you may have to get used to," she admitted. "Always try to see the situation for yourself, if you can. Less chance of misunderstandings that way. Not to worry though, even in my so called 'enlightened' society, prisons are not much better than this. Despite numerous studies that say the threat of punishment does nothing to deter crime."

"I would love to sit down for a week and hear all about where you come from."

"Maybe when things calm down a little. I'd be happy to."

She shook her head. "I wonder if they ever will. Show me the cell, please."

"Right this way," said the warden, leading them inside.

Susan cast Time Area into the cell, and rewound back from the current moment until she caught movement. The princess and warden stared as a figure with a neatly trimmed beard and wearing a mask over the top of his face came into view. She paused it again.

"This is how events played out last night?" the princess demanded, back in princess mode.

"Yes, your highness," said Susan, back in "loyal subject" mode. "I could show you us walking into this place if you would like more proof. I am magically replaying time in this vicinity, and the image is true. Do you know this man?"

A look of determination and rage started taking over Anrietta's face. "I would recognize that beard anywhere. This man is Jean-Jacques Francis, Viscount of Wardes, captain of my Griffin Knights. At least he was, until this moment. Come on, we have an arrest to make." She turned on her heel and stalked out, Susan ended the spell and mutely followed.

"Ride ahead to the palace," Anrietta was saying to the man that had followed her here. "Gather up some reliable men and mages. Do not tip Jean-Jacques off. I will be placing him under arrest personally."

"Are you certain that's wise-" he started to ask, but saw the look on her face. "I'll go at once, highness." He jumped on his horse and took off, leaving Anrietta and Susan to climb into the carriage.

"Actually, I could get us back immediately if you wanted," offered Susan.

She shook her head. "I want to see if Marquis is loyal to me. If he is, my orders will be followed and we will take Jean-Jacques by surprise. If he is not, we shall see how far this corruption goes."

"All right. I'll be there by your side as long as you need me."

She is a sucker for a pretty face, it seems, thought Sparkle.

Her face softened a little. "Thank you, Susan. What would I have done without you? But dragging you into all this, I feel bad."

"My magic is pointless unless it gets used. Don't worry, I follow in the proud tradition of my father. Making life miserable for those that would abuse their power or threaten the innocent."

"He must be very proud."

"I like to think so. I'll ask him once I've rescued him from whatever world he's stuck on."

Anrietta looked at her curiously, but lapsed back into silence.

She probably has a lot on her mind right now. If I had Spell Symbol I would be making her some. Actually, that reminds me. Susan checked her character sheet, and she new cards as she suspected. Yup, it's going to be a fight. Having no use for Glad I Brought this Shotgun she turned it in for 2 XP. The only real weapon skill I have goes with the gun I already have and can't reload here. Getting another just like it isn't going to do me any good.

But an Extra Action could always come in handy, so she held onto that and watched the countryside fly by on the way back to the palace.

"It may come to a fight," Anrietta said once they returned. "Some of his griffin knights may side with him, and he's an accomplished mage himself. Take him into custody but do not fatally wound him. I need to know if he's working for someone and what their goal is."

"Yes, your majesty!" everyone there shouted.

Looks like this Marquis guy is on the level. Until we run into the ambush, anyway.

Susan started to put Barrier Against Spells on herself, but then thought better of it.

These people seem to use just elemental attack magic, in other words, magically creating elements. They aren't hitting me with spells like I do, Shrink and the like. They just blast fire or air around. The magic is in the making, it's not magical fire. I think Invulnerability will serve. Sparkle put Acceleration on them both, of course. Then they marched through the halls of the palace to where she had been told Jean-Jacques was currently.

They found the man commanding some kind of drill in the field outside the castle.

"Good morning, princess," he said, sweeping off his floppy hat and bowing. "How can I be-"

"Jean-Jacques Francis, you are under arrest for treason against the kingdom. Surrender your weapon and come quietly." Anrietta's voice rang out strongly in the courtyard, and Jean-Jacques dropped his hat.

Treason? That's a death sentence, isn't it?

There was a shocked silence as the recruits stopped what they were doing and froze, unsure what they were hearing.

"A poor joke," said the man, snatching his hat up again.

"Not an hour ago, this girl's magic revealed to me an image of you, visiting the prison where The Sandy Fouquet was being held. I then watched as you called her Matilda of South Water and opened her cell. You then handed back her wand and watched as she WALKED AWAY! I will have the truth of this matter and you will stand down. Throw down your weapon!"

"I'm unfamiliar with this magic, are you sure you aren't being tricked in some way, your majesty?"

Several of the griffin riders landed. "Sir, what should we do?"

"The princess is obviously under some kind of compulsion. Quickly, grab her so we can bring her to a specialist and break her out of it. And that blond haired girl too! She's behind all this, I wager!"

"Enough. Seize him!" Anrietta shouted, pointing her scepter. The guards with us charged forward, and the others looked to Jean-Jacques, who calmly drew his sword. They took their cue from that, and engaged the others.

Susan stepped in front of Anrietta, as the scene before them dissolved into more of a brawl than an orderly arrest. One man from the opposing side broke free, and Susan and Sparkle swatted him back with Thrust. He went flying back, crashing into another man. She also had a bit of fun with Transposition, switching soldiers fighting on the side of the princess with soldiers fighting against if they were going to be hit. With Acceleration going it looked like everyone else was moving in slow motion, so she was able to pick her targets.

Finally the opposition was down, and Jean-Jacques stood alone, ringed with steel.

"I say again, drop your weapon."

"Odd magic that girl is using. I wonder how she'll deal with this." He pointed his sword and cast, and Susan heard an explosion behind her. Horrified, she watched as the castle wall exploded outward, sending huge chunks of stone towards the princess.

Even Accelerated, she didn't have time to waste thinking if this counted as one attack, so Deflection would catch all of it or not. She simply grabbed the princess and spun her around, putting herself between the rocks. They impacted her, knocking both the ground, and from Jean-Jacques' point of view, squishing them like bugs.

Susan heard voices shouting as the weight of a castle wall crushed her. It was difficult to breathe, but she was on top of something soft and warm.

"Anrietta," she managed. "Are you-"

"Alive," she gasped, then tried to cough. "Hard to get a breath."

"Sorry, little tight here. Usually I date someone at least a few times before letting them this close. And it's a princess to boot! At least it's my lucky day if it isn't yours."

She tried to laugh, but groaned instead. "Stop that. Get us out of here. I think I'm hurt pretty bad."

"As you command."

But how, that's the tricky part. If I had some kind of spell to be aware of things that were around me, that would be cool. I could Transposition us out of here.

Uh, how about instead of thinking about what you don't have, chided Darkness, think about what spells you do have that could get us out of this.

Okay, fine. The trouble is, I have to see my target in order to cast something at it. Let me think. Mercury is out anyway, same goes for Mars, Uranus, and Moon. Great, so the one time I really need physical magic, I can't move. This is just typical. Susan tried to shift around so Anrietta would be more comfortable. Okay, wait a second. I'm still Accelerated so I bet I could get Teleportal off pretty darn quick. What if I Shrank us both, then used the Extra Action? The Shrink would therefore have taken no time, so the rocks wouldn't shift yet. Spend the card, position a very tiny Teleportal right next to us. Scoop up the princess and sprint through it to safety.

"Okay, have a plan. Need you to hold on tight, okay?"

"You want to be even closer? I thought that was part of the problem?"

Both tried not to laugh, and Susan gathered her thoughts. Okay, card first, 0 delay, then Teleportal when my hands are free again. "Here we go."

She made a Venus check and cast Shrink, taking the full time. After all, it was the delay after shrinking that was the problem. She put in 6 energy, making her rating in Venus a 10, meaning they could become -5 sized, or about the size of a spider. The extra +2 compensating for the fact she was casting on two people, not one. She got a 19, easily enough, and both shrank down to almost nothing. The princess became -5 sized, while Susan, carrying her, became -4, just in case her legs were injured and she couldn't walk.

With one hand now free, the other cradling the princess, Susan cast Teleportal, putting in max energy and trying to cast it instantly. She got an 11 plus the bonus from Acceleration, meaning she could put the other end at least 100km away. As she wasn't trying for anything nearly that far away, she got it, and sprinted through.

"Where are we?" asked Anrietta, looking around in wonder.

"Under the throne," Susan replied. "I thought I would give you the chance to play dead awhile if you wanted."

"Why would I want that?"

Susan shrugged. "I have no idea. Just thought I would give you the option. If there was some advantage to you being dead that you could think of, now is your only chance."

She giggled. "I would love to sneak away and see the world with you, but that might leave my kingdom in a bit of a quandary. I better make an appearance soon."

"Okay, you got it. By the way, you said you were injured?"

"Yes, actually. Please don't set me down, I don't think I can walk."

Susan lifted her dress, and one of her dainty feet was twisted at a weird angle. "That must be extremely painful!" she exclaimed. "How can you stand it?"

She grinned. "I'm not standing, you're carrying me."

"You know what I mean!"

By not thinking about it too much."

Of course, I have Low Pain Tolerance, so my ideas of pain may be skewed. Maybe she has High Pain Tolerance, for all I know.

"I'll have you fixed up in a second, hang on."

Susan cast Regeneration, and soon Anrietta was back on her feet again, flexing them and showing off those great legs of hers. "That was amazing. You're amazing. In fact, you're the reason I'm alive right now. How can I ever repay you?" Susan found herself being hugged again.

Bet you could take her right here, right now, if you asked for it, thought Darkness. Or at least get a kiss out of it.

Shut up.

"Probably by sending me on even more dangerous missions. I mean that's how these things go, right?"

"Sadly, you're probably right," she said, taking a step back. Her hands were still on Susan's shoulders. "But you deserve a title or something. I mean you could have died trying to save me when those rocks hit you."

"Full disclosure, I was utterly immune to any physical force when I grabbed you. Oh, I could have suffocated, true, but not be crushed. That's why the rocks settled how they did."

"Still..."

Susan waved her off. "Titles won't mean anything once I leave this world. Though I suppose when I finally get home, being able to call myself a knight or something, legitimately, would be kind of fun." She shook her head. "Come on, time to figure that out later. As you're still alive, let's make sure your subjects know before everyone starts having heart attacks trying to get you out from underneath the stone."

Wait, if Arthur became king by pulling a sword out of a stone, what do I become by pulling a princess out of the stone?

She nodded, then looked up. "Gives me a different perspective, looking up at the throne from here. How do I fill such a huge chair?"

"Way too many slices of cake?"

Anrietta threw back her head and laughed, pounding Susan's chest with her fists. "You... you... jerk! I was trying to be serious. Just for that I should appoint you my jester. Why don't I have a jester?"

"Seriously? I don't know. I've never been a queen. You have to do what you think is right, and hopefully it's what is right for your people, as well."

She stopped laughing and looked Susan in the eye. "I will. I see now that just ruling over people isn't good enough. I have to give them reasons to believe in me. Like you've given me for believing in you. I have a lot to think about. Thank you."

"Sure. All part of the service. Shall we?" She held out a hand, and Anrietta smiled, taking it.

"Let's."