Hey guys, here is the next update of this fanfiction. Hope you have been enjoying the read so far.
Anyway, enjoy this one.
Chapter 10
Atlas
The capital of Atlas was in full recovery now that the war with Mistral is over. Quickly after the defeat of Nox Schneider and his armies, Queen Morgana had sent an envoy to the Houses of Mistral so that they would come to the Capital to bend the knee to her and give her their loyalty to the crown and with the Schneider, the cousin line to the Schnee wiped out from the face of the earth, the House that had governed Mistral for centuries was gone crushed in their resistance.
Morgana was now seating upon the Throne of Jewels with her golden crown seating upon her head, a red dress upon her body as she was looking at the envoy that had answered the call. There was a member from House Soleil, a young woman that looked like she was in her teens with a young man beside her both of her skin of a similar tone to her lover, Emerald.
House Dayne had sent a young man. Dressed in his family color of gray and gold. He was an imposing figure standing there with his sword upon his hip. He was quite a handsome one with his long blond hair and bright green eyes. He was accompanied by two of his guards.
House Marshall surprisingly was there as well. A portly looking man was standing to represent his home. He was older than the other two however, there was something behind those beetle black eyes that seems to set warning within Morgana's mind. Something about this man was more than he seems despite his unfortunate form.
Watts had managed to inform her of who they were before their arrivals.
The young woman was Ciel Soleil, the oldest heir of her home with her father having perished in battle against them. The young man was Allen Dayne and the portly looking man was Charles.
"You have answered my summons," Morgana spoke out her voice carrying across the great all of Kings, "Your family has rebelled against the Crown and lost. However, I am not without mercy. Swear featly to me now, and you may serve me just as you had served the Schnee for centuries or you can resist, and watch as your entire line is extinguished just as it had been for House Schneider."
The man, Charles pulled out his blade causing the guards that were in the room to tense up at him but he simply placed the sword down upon the ground as he was kneeling down as well.
"I, Charles Marshall, hereby pledge fealty to the Crown and will serve from this day to the end of my days," he said simply with a bowed head.
The young man Allen Dayne did the same.
"I have no wish to continue the war my father had fought in," he said, "I have to look out for the people that placed their trust in me. If protecting them means kneeling as my father had done to the Schnee then so be it."
Ciel Soleil was the last one to remains standing. Morgana looked at the young woman who stared right back toward her before she lowered her head and kneeling down as well but she didn't say anything at all causing people of the court to whisper lightly.
"You will not give your allegiance?" she asked.
"I only need to kneel to do so you Grace," Ciel answered, "Words are not needed."
In other words, you are kneeling because you have no other choice.
Morgana couldn't help but let out a small smile at this. There was something about Ciel Soleil that was interesting. This young woman didn't come here to shower her in praises with pretty words. She was asked to submit and that was what she did, nothing more nothing less. Unlike the two men, she is not here because she wanted to, she is only here for her home and her House.
I shall keep a close eye on you Ciel of House Soleil.
Morgana then stood up from where she was seating addressing the entire Court now that had joined her in this moment. She glanced around at them all.
"Then, as of this moment," she spoke out, "I announce the Winter Wars over. Now it is a time to recuperate and help the realm recover from these past weeks of brutal fighting that had taken much of our fighting men. Now it is time for the soldiers to return to their homes and to the families, mourn those that are lost and rest from this war. May this era of peace last for many years upon the people of Remnant."
There were cheers going around us as they were all raising their hands toward her as she herself was smiling where she stood. The Queen then dismissed the court until all of them lords have left the room. She let out a small sigh as she frowned lightly to herself before taking a seat back down upon the Throne.
The war was finally over and now she can finally focus upon what she truly desires, however, the situation will be tricky since she doubted that the Lords will want to go to war this soon. She will need more information about Vacuo and speaking of Vacuo…
"Has there been any ravens from Tyrian Silver Fox?" she spoke addressing her loyal knight.
"No, my Queen," the man answered, "There has been no ravens."
"It's unusual for him to go this long without sending words," Morgana murmured, "Something must have happened…send for Watts, I will meet with him in my Council Chambers."
The knight nodded lightly to her and walked out of the room leaving the Queen of Remnant seating upon the Throne. She was leaning back upon the chair as she had two guards still standing there to protect her. She had accomplished one of her goals and that was wiping out the Schnee as well as the Schneider lines from the world…
Now all that remains is the bastard in the North, she thought, I need to send a raven to Mercury as well so that he could take care of the problem quickly. However, the ravens he sent about the Grimm reappearing is also troubling. If the Grimm had indeed reappeared as the Hunt believe, then it's no brainer to assume that they will march South soon…but how soon? I'll need eyes and ears there as well and Mercury is no spy…I need eyes in the North.
She pushed herself off the chair and made her way toward the direction of the hallway behind the Throne which lead straight into the Council room. It was empty of course but Morgana didn't have to wait long before Watts was there again, dressed as impeccably as ever.
"You've summoned me?" he asked.
"Vacuo," she said, " I want to know what you know about it. What news comes from the independent nation? Tyrian has gone long without sending a raven. He should have reached Patch by now and accomplished his objective."
"I have received no news from him," Watts said, "I found this odd as well so I've sent a few of my spies to the nation. I should have a letter in the coming days…however, the situation in Vacuo is going as well as we expected. They are still bolstering their forces…a surprise attack might bring them to heel quickly and could reveal the location of the Maiden you're looking for."
"I doubt the Lords will want to go to war this quickly," Morgana said, "The Winter Wars has only recently ended for them…however, I will make plans with the Amastrial forces to start preparing for this battle. I want to build my kingdom first before going to war after all, war is a costly thing."
"So it is," Watts told her, "However, there is something you must come aware of. The Great Keep of Gryphonhall have been set ablaze from the words I have gotten. It would seem the White Fang have managed to take advantage of the destabilization of the western lands and took control of a good part of it."
"The Gryphons have all been killed?" she asked, curious.
"Unsure at the moment," Watts told her, "The White Fang might get bold and decide to launch their attack to Atlas."
Morgana smirked.
"The White Fang won't attack here," she said, "My informant in their group will made sure of that. It would seem they made use of the information I sent them about the Lord Paramount of the Vale feud with Lord Glenn and they decided to use that to their advantage."
Watts looked confused.
"I'm not following…?"
"I'm simply using their hatred of human against them," Morgana smiled taking a seat upon the chair, looking at Watts, "I knew they would jump at the chance of gaining a little bit of power. My informants will keep the Khan's attention on the Vale…for now at least."
She looked up at Watts face.
"And the North?"
The man gave her a light nod, "Since you know of the Grimm, Haven is aware of it as well. Many of them have started to build their armies to prepare for the coming war against those creatures. I've also gained words that the Lord Commander had pleaded for the Faunus of the Frozen North but it went unheeded. If the Gate remained closed, they will be fighting at the Gate…not sure the Hunt will have the power to hold them back."
"And the bastard will die in the fighting hopefully," Morgana said, "I want to know what's happening in the North and sent a message to Lord Nikos. Tell him that no Faunus should cross that Gate and if they are, they are to be put to death and all that aided them through."
"I shall see it done," Watts said, "However doing something like this would ignite a war in the North…the last one left scars still felt till today my Queen."
"Let the Northerners fight their own battle," Morgana said, "I'm sure they are a few noble Houses there that share my feelings with the animals of the Frozen North. They will not be allowed here and if we're lucky, the bastard shall die in the fighting if a war is to come."
Watts nodded.
"Of course," he said, "Mistral is still without a Lord Paramount now that Nox Schneider has perished."
"Lord Caspian has shown loyalty to us and to the Crown," the Queen said, "House Whitewood will be the new ruling figure of Mistral and Caspian Whitewood will be named Lord Paramount. Make sure that he gets words of it and be sent back home to put order to Mistral."
"I'll see it done," Watts told her with a light nod, "Am I dismissed then?"
Morgana gave him a light nod of consent and the man left the room. Morgana let out a small hum as she looked at the late afternoon sun that was outside, the light of the sun shining through the ornate window of the room. She had power now, and she was in control of the entire Kingdom that had just finished a war.
The conflict in the Mountainous Vale will soon be dealt with, however, Morgana was confident her informants would tell her if the Khan would change her course to Atlas. That was the things with animals called Faunus. Give them a bone and they'll try to bite your hand off to take off with it. Thought, the Faunus will learn that to cross her will be a very dangerous action.
Nox Schneider learned that the hard way when he was burned alive in his own armor. The young woman then decided to leave the room and head to her chambers where she could relax and enjoy some wine. It was a shame that Emerald wasn't here or, so she would really enjoy having the young woman shudder and moaning beneath her as she has always done almost every night since they had started their bedding again.
However, strangely enough, she found her mind returning to Whitley Schnee.
The boy had been so hopelessly easy to manipulate that it wasn't even funny. That's because that's all he was, a boy forced into the responsibility of a man. He was arrogant, of course but there was one thing that she recognized form her time back then was that Whitley loved his family. She remembers how distracted he was when Winter was in a coma of some sort and could tell how relieved he was when the girl had woken up the sheer relief was visible to anyone even if it was just a passerby. Whitley would have made a great pawn considering how hopelessly in love with her that he was…however, he was also a stupid idiot driven by his emotions and his hatred of the Faunus.
Morgana shook her head free of those thoughts.
Well he is long dead now, she thought, and for a second, she felt a strange sympathy for him despite him being dead.
She remembers the look in his eyes as he died…even though as she stared down at him with his cock still inside her cunt, she was looking down at him seeing the questions that were swirling within his sky blue eyes, the why have you done this the betrayal that was upon his features as well as some surprise at what she had done.
Through the thralls of Winter songs,
We will never break the crown,
The greatest age shall once dance,
When dragons sing in the sky,
When horns call in the night,
Men shall battle and die,
Of gold and silver not all treasure made,
The old Kings shall walk again,
Their tombs alight with light and horn,
As the Thralls of Winter sings,
The river weep for the fallen sons,
The ice will sing in the wind,
Oh Gil-Adad, Gil-Adad,
May the sun warm my flesh of sin,
May the fires clean me of desire,
As the Thralls of Winter sings,
It was an old song, Morgana whispered to herself. The song she had learned when she was still a young girl back when she was learning to use her Aura back in the House of Healing. The old masters there had many strange texts about the pass ages, ages that men forgot but Morgana knew that those tales were true for she carries a power within herself…
A power she had stolen from another.
Oh, how many times as she heard Amber scream in her torture chambers about the location of the others? And yet, the young woman didn't break at all. She didn't tell her anything about what she knew of the other Maidens and it had frustrated Morgana to no end.
But even after taking the power from her, Amber still didn't break however, she withered away in the darkness of the Black Keep cells. She didn't scream anymore and all that she was now was nothing more than a shell of a human being, her mind broken beyond repair…
Morgana pulled herself from her memories looking up toward the window of the room she was in noticing that it was pitch black outside. How long as she sat there in contemplating thoughts? For many hours it seems for the day seems to have gone away from her. With both Mercury and Emerald out of the castle, she was strangely bored…
Maybe she could take a lover to bed and fuck them till she couldn't anymore…but she preferred to hear Emerald whimpers and moans whenever she fucked someone so she couldn't do that. Even when she had fucked Whitley that night at their wedding…
Have I grown attached to her?
She remembers when she first crossed path with Emerald. It must have been years ago now if she thought about it. At that time, she had Watts in her employ and he had brought with him the strangest tale of a ghost thief in the area around a small town in Amastrial. They were many tall tales going around about that thief who disappeared into nothingness whenever they had stolen something.
At first, Morgana remembered scoffing at the thought of someone to be able to do something like that…
At least until she had witnessed it herself and seeing that slip of a girl disappear before her very eyes…and she had Watts hunt her down with his spy network it wasn't a big ask. She had found herself fascinated with what Emerald could do and more ever…she had found someone else that used their Aura.
Emerald never really revealed as to what happened to her to cause her Aura to awaken but unlike her, she had been born without it like a lot of people in Remnant these days. She was foreigner that much was obvious to Morgana however, how she ended up in Remnant was puzzling to say the least…
Emerald had been weary of her back then and Morgana could help but feel a thrill at the girl weariness of her. Emerald carried a pair of wicked looking weapons upon her person that strangely enough looked like small Scythes which chains and she had been right to be weary after all, that is until Morgana had revealed that she could use Aura as well, lighting her hand with fire.
A tentative friendship had formed between the two young women back then. Watts had her working for them and Emerald picked up her skills quickly and it wasn't long before she had taken her to bed with her and gotten to know every inch of the darker girl… and it wasn't long before she had her wrapped around her fingers.
However, for her to become attached…
Useless, she thought, She may worship me but I can't get attached to her…I can't allow myself to become attached…not until I have the power of the Four in my grasp…
That had been Morgana's goal for so many years now and getting attached to someone will detract her of that focus which had managed to bring her to where she was now. She can't allow her focus to weaver…not when she was at a crucial part of her plan.
She had removed all obstacle to her front now…and now that the Winter Wars are over, she will bolster her army and then, she will invade Vacuo.
I will come for you, Spring Maiden…and your power will be mine just as Fall is now part of me…
Morgana officially ends the war against Mistral and a new goal is in the horizon.
Hope you have enjoyed the read.
Jacques0 out.
R&R