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The soft sounds of Lilly and Lilith sleeping filled the small room. Elizabeth stared at the painting of her and her sister. Her finger traced the warn frame. Even after all 02 had put her and Lilly through as children and through adulthood it was more than clear her father, the one of this reality, wasn't 02. He also wasn't the man she had pictured her father being if 02 had never taken him. There was no telling the full differences between her home reality and this one. The only way was to get to know him.
Elizabeth looked at herself in the painting. An imagining her as a child, smiling and happy. Her heart tore. What would it have been like if she and Lilly had lived with a father who had never been taken by 02? What would it have meant for him and for them? For their mother? It was more than clear her mother disliked 02 for everything they had done to Lilly and Elizabeth as well as the pain they had put Lilith through. Still, perhaps this was a chance to really have family. For her mother, Lilly and perhaps even Elizabeth.
A snore came from Lilly.
Elizabeth glanced at her sister before her gaze moved to her mother. It was obvious Lilith was fast asleep. Her mother's shoulders rose and fell at steady pace rather than being ridge as if she were listening for one of them to sneak out.
This was Elizabeth's chance.
She stood.
Perhaps leaving wasn't wise, but Elizabeth wanted nothing more than speak with her father. To see if he was willing to have a family. To just get to know the three of them and try.
Elizabeth slipped from the room. She held her breath as she shut the door behind her. Not even the softest of taps could be heard as she closed the door. Her shoes made little sound against the metal flooring as she moved through the halls. There were few guards here.
Where would Abel even be?
Elizabeth paused and glanced around the halls. Perhaps closer to the bridge or the commons area. Though it was late by imperial time. Granted, this was assuming imperial time worked the same as it did in her reality where it was flipped compared to terran time.
The thought tickled at her as she moved through the halls towards the commons area of the ship.
"—must."
A voice drew her to a stop. It sounded like the man who didn't exist in her reality. The man who was close to her father of this reality. Solomon had been his name. Or something like that.
"No," the reply was smooth and calm.
Elizabeth's eyes widened. It was her father. She moved down the hall towards the open door where the voices were coming from. It wasn't the commons space on the ship, so it was most likely someone's room during the return trip to the empire.
"There is no 'must' about it, Solomon. My answer remains the same, no!"
Elizabeth stopped just out of sight from the door.
No, to what? She frowned. There was so much no one knew about this reality, including her father's role in this world. It had seemed he and Uncle Cain's positions had been swapped, but then why had the empire been showing far more interest in her father than her uncle? It didn't follow. If it was the same, then her aunt would want nothing to do with her father over the lose of her uncle instead of it being where her aunt had wanted nothing to do with Cain over the lose of Abel to 02.
Heartbeats passed in utter silence.
"You don't have a choice in the matter, Abel," Solomon continued. "I know Lilith would never have wanted you to wallow in her death or have had sold your freedom to the Vatican for peace."
Silence.
"Our Lilith," Solomon stressed the two words.
"You don't know that. No one can know what she wanted outside of a lasting peace between the empire and Vatican." A deep hollowness had settled into Abel's voice.
This reality's Lilith? Elizabeth's heart raced. All she knew about her mother of this reality was she was dead and had her dad throughout the pregnancy unlike her mother. There was also the fact her uncle had killed her at a peace meeting. But whatever they were discussing seemed far deeper than that.
"I do." The soft sound of stone against stone came to Elizabeth. "Lilith asked for me to watch over you and Seth."
Rustling of clothing followed the words. Abel gave a hollow laugh. "Just because she wanted you to watch over us doesn't mean she wanted me to return to the throne."
Elizabeth gasped. She clapped her hand over her mouth.
Throne? Did this mean her father was – could he be the – no! It was impossible. The only rulers of the empire were her aunt and her mother. Her uncle had never ruled and thus her father couldn't have, could he?
"Ah, I figured we had an eavesdropper."
Elizabeth jumped, heart pounding. Solomon had stepped out from the room.
"I," Elizabeth stammered, "just wanted to return to this to father." She held out the painting her mother had taken.
Solomon looked at the image. He gestured for her to follow him.
It was a bedroom but unlike the one she, her sister, and mother had all been given, it was extravagant. Fine sheets covered the lone bed in the room. At the foot of the bed was a space with a table where two chairs had been placed. A chessboard was out on the table. The game looked to be in the beginning with one white pawn and a black knight having been moved.
Her heart flickered.
In the seat facing towards the door sat her father. His pale gaze locked on her. There was no anger in his gaze at having caught her listening in. Her shoulders relaxed. There was nothing to fear from him. He wasn't 02 after all.
"Sorry for interrupting," Elizabeth started. She moved a little closer to her father. "But, I couldn't sleep and wanted to thank you for letting us see this." She lifted the painting, so he could take it.
A gloved hand took the frame, his finger brushed hers. The touch light, almost timid. That of a crusnik holding back so as not to injure a terran.
His eyes softened at the sight of the painted image. "Thank you." Abel nodded to her.
This was it. Her chance to see if he wanted to be a family. Her tongue felt as stone, mouth dry. She took a deep breath.
"Um." Elizabeth shifted, looking at the floor. She took deep breath and forced herself to look into his narrow, familiar features. "Would you like to try to be a family?" She blurted out the question.
Abel's eyes widened.
Elizabeth shifted and dropped her gaze. What had she excepted? Him to leap at the chance? Her heart fluttered. From what she had seen on the back of the picture, perhaps this was the reaction she had hoped for. Yet, she didn't know him. She closed her eyes. This much was very clear in the way he had reacted. She knew nothing about her father. Her real father.
"Your mother might not like the idea," Abel started.
This was true. Elizabeth had no idea what her mother thought of him. Lilith hated 02 for taking her love from her and destroying him. But this man wasn't 02. He was everything Abel should have been if he had never fallen to 02 in the first place.
"Mother might just need time to realize you're not the same person," Elizabeth muttered. Her hand balled into a fist. She forced herself to look away from the floor. "Both Lilly and I are adults. She is our mother, yes, but we can decide on if we want to get to know our real father." She couldn't look him in the eye. No matter how determined her words were she didn't want to see his disappointment or unwillingness to try to be a family.
The sound of chair moving, made her look back at him. Abel had stood. His hand touched her shoulder before he rested it there. The weight felt right.
"If this is what you want, then I would love getting to know you," Abel stated. A smile warmed his pale features. His eyes even sparked a little with the light of the smile instead of remaining dull and pained.
The words washed over Elizabeth until the room spun around her. "I would like that, father." She smiled at him. This was right. It was what was supposed to happen. Not the blood-filled mess she had left in her reality.
He stared at her.
"We'll be arriving in the empire come morning," Solomon's even voice broke the silence and the shocked stare her father was giving her.
"Right." Abel turned to her and smiled. "You should try to sleep a little." This time, the smile didn't reach his eyes. It was fake. The pain had returned to his eyes.
"Thank you." Elizabeth returned the smile.
It wasn't long before Elizabeth was closing the door back into the chamber. Tomorrow. Her smile grew.
x – Abel – x
This wasn't wise.
Abel glanced at Cain, Lilith, and the girls.
This really wasn't wise. From the way Baybars had reacted to Cain, there were bound to be many people who remembered his betrayal to the empire. Yet – Abel's gaze skimmed the crowd beyond the carriage – none of those they had passed on their way to the carriage had recognized Cain.
It was just as it was when Abel had come as a messenger of the Vatican. No one recognized him. Abel hadn't been removed from history, this much was clear by how the count and duchess spoke of his past. Perhaps the pictures of him and his first name had been. Still, not many could put Abel Nightlord, the first and only emperor, with Abel Nightroad, the wandering, idiot priest. As Asthe and Ion had shown when they had first discovered who he really was.
The trip to the empire had been far less eventful than the last time Abel had come here. At least, this time he wouldn't being grabbing Esther and Ion before leaping out of a window to avoid being blown up. Or trying to evade the yeniçeri.
Abel eyed Baybars.
After all, Baybars was already with him.
The eventfulness would be missed. With his return to the empire, Abel doubted he would ever have such action again. It wasn't seen as right for members of the imperial family to place themselves in danger unless was absolutely necessary as he had seen with what happened during the last time he was here.
A small breath escaped him as he turned his gaze back on the dark streets. This had once been his home. Perhaps it still was. It was where the last of his family lived. A family he had missed dearly over the past eight hundred years.
Solomon's gaze locked onto him.
Abel gave him a small smile. "Just hoping it's not as eventful as the last time I was here."
Asthe shook her head.
"I promise you won't be leaping through windows and off a cliff while carrying the duchess this time," Solomon stated.
Of course he had seen that.
Asthe coughed. "Sorry about the damage to your estate."
Solomon looked at her. "That was the least of my concern and it wasn't my estate at the time."
"Oooo," – Lilly leaned forward, eyes gleaming – "sounds like there's a good story here. Do tell." She clapped her hands together. "Please."
A scowl twitched at the edge of Asthe's lips. "Tch."
"A story for another time," Solomon stated as the carriage jarred to a stop. The doors opened and Solomon was the first to exit.
"Oh, come on!" Lilly exclaimed. "It sounded like an exciting story."
Asthe shot a look at Lilly before following Solomon.
Ion followed without a word.
"Exciting," Abel muttered. He let out a breath. Perhaps as a story it would have been.
There was no returning to the outer as Abel had been. No going back. Not unless he wanted the peace Lilith had died for to never come.
Abel followed the count out of the carriage.
The group moved into the palace, following behind Solomon. He stopped at one of the side rooms of the palace. "You will wait here for her Majesty." His gaze rested on the four from the other reality.
"Why can't we just come with you to see her?" Lilly asked.
Cain looked at her.
"What? It's a valid question."
"I need to explain the situation to her," Solomon stated.
"Besides we need to deliver our report on the mission," Asthe huffed a little. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Lilly.
"We understand." Lilith smiled at Asthe.
Abel's heart flickered. The warmth of the smile didn't reach Lilith's golden eyes. He turned from her. She wasn't the woman he had lost. She wasn't. What she was, was what 02 had made her.
"Thank you." Cain bowed his head to Solomon. He stirred Lilly into the room behind Lilith.
"But," Lilly complained.
"Enough," Cain told her in a soft voice. "You will see Seth soon enough."
"Fine."
The sound of the doors closing echoed through the near empty halls. A few of the yeniçeri lined the halls and servants could just be seen darting out of their way as Solomon led them through the all too familiar halls. Familiar and foreign in the same moment. Tapestries covered once barren walls. The differences hadn't been enough to make Abel feel lost the last time he had been within the palace walls.
The throne room came into sight.
It had only been a few months since he had last seen his sister. He had told her then he wouldn't live in the empire because all he had done. Yet, this had never been the full truth. It had been to keep his final promise to Lilith. A matter Seth had been well aware of.
Abel paused before the doors with the other three. He took a deep breath.
The doors opened, letting light flitter into the room. The soft sounds of running water greeted his ears. Trees loomed over them in an elegant line to the flower shaped throne at the far end of the room.
Solomon set off across the room towards where the unmistakable figure of Seth sat erect on the throne. Her hat lay beside her on the throne. Green gaze locked on all five of them as they approached.
As one, Asthe, Ion, Baybars, and Solomon bowed to Seth.
Abel hesitated.
He wasn't the emperor and thus not of equal rank to his sister. He wasn't sure what his standing was outside of being her brother.
Seth's eyes narrowed as his locked on hers. It was as if she was saying "if you bow to me, I'll kill you."
Light glittered in her eyes as a smile spread across her face. "Welcome home, dear brother." Her gaze shifted to Solomon. "How did the meeting go with Cardinal Sforza?" There was nothing of her normal playful tone. She was the empress and nothing more in this moment.
"It was cut short as she had to travel to Albion."
Seth tilted her head a little.
Abel only half listened as Solomon recounted what had happened after he and the other three had departed.
"I'm not surprised Esther turned out to be a princess." Seth's eyes flashed to Abel.
Abel returned her look.
Her gaze shifted back to the others. "Count of Memphis, Duchess of Keiv, thank you both for your hard work. I believe the Duke of Tigris is right and we should look into peace talks with Albion as well."
Ion straightened.
Asthe bowed lower.
"You're both dismissed." Seth lifted her arm.
The two bowed. Asthe cast a glance at Abel while Ion's gaze only flashed in his direction. The sound of the doors closing came to them.
A grin replaced Seth's reserved expression. She leapt off the throne, the motion more a kin to the thirteen year old she appeared to be rather than her true age.
"I'm glad you're home." She ran up to Abel and embraced him. "After our last conversation, I feared you wouldn't accept the terms of the peace treaty with the Vatican." Her grip tightened on the back of his shirt.
"There is another matter," Solomon started as he stood.
Seth released Abel and turned to him. "About the others? I was getting there, a moment to say 'hi' to him first would be nice though."
"No, forgive me, my love. It's a matter unrelated to them but related to what happened in Albion." Solomon gave the slightest of bows.
Seth placed her hands on her hips.
"Abel, if you would?" Solomon gestured for Abel to start the story.
Abel told Seth about what had happened, starting with how he had picked up the scent of someone he knew to be dead. He ended with them bringing the group here.
Seth frowned. "It was for the best," she agreed. "Are you certain they're from another reality? It could be one of his tricks."
"I am," Abel stated. "The alt Cain fought along side me against him."
"I checked the device which brought them here as well," Solomon informed her. "They aren't from our dimension."
A small breath escaped Seth. She bowed her head. "No matter how much I want to see them, there are others we need to see to first as we've kept them waiting long enough. They would be interested in those from the other dimension as well."
A frown tugged at Abel's lips. What could be more important then seeing those from another reality?
"This way." Seth smiled over her shoulder. "And I had better not catch you trying to sneak off, dear brother. They've been waiting for you, after all."
This just kept getting stranger. Abel let out a breath and fell in beside his sister.
"It is good to see you again, sister." Abel smiled down at her.
"I'm just happy you're home again." She returned his smile. "We'll have time to catch up tonight."
Servants opened a door into a dining room within the palace.
Abel froze just in the door. His heart stopped, eyes locked on those within.
It couldn't be.
(Author's Note: Finally a Trinity Blood update. It took far too long to finish this chapter.)
Replies to Reviews below:
Sayu-chan93: I am glad you enjoyed the chapter. I must admit to enjoying Bethy as well. Thank you so much for the review.
Guest from ch9 on Mar 13th: Sorry for not replying in the last chapter. One I forgot and two it took me awhile to translate the review. I am glad and very happy to hear you like all my stories. Thank you so much for the compliment and sorry for being so slow at updating them. No worries about not replying in English it's what google translate is for. Thank you for the review.
Guest from ch9 on Mar 21st: Sorry for not replying in the last chapter, as I told the other guest reviewer, I forgot. Yes, I am still writing Trinity Blood. It sometimes takes me awhile to get around to it, but I do enjoy writing fan-fiction to interact with the fanbase and because I still really love the Trinity Blood series. I am glad you keep coming back to see if there have been updates.
As for if there will be a book 4, not to the old Vehemens, but I am working on rewriting the series. It's why there is a version of Divergent Path which says old and another which says "rewrite" as well as the fact now Winter Rose and Vehemens both say "old" next to them. There are five books planned (it just might take me a while to write them): Divergent Path (which is done), Dawn of the Empire (in-progress), Winter Rose, Trinity (the rewrite of the original Vehemens) and Vehemens, So, yes, eventually there will be a book "4." I wasn't happy with a few things in the original VV and some of the back story has changed. There is also a prequel series which focuses on Isaak and the lead up into Divergent Path but that one is going even slower than Dawn of the Empire. I hope that answered all of your questions.
Thank you and thank you for the review.