Note from Author: As always, these characters do not belong to me, they belong to Namco Bandai. Of course as always if Namco Bandai is willing to give Asch to me, I would be happy to take him. But until then, all I can do is play around with them in my writings. This is a creation of my own overactive imagination and serious boredom, nothing more and nothing less.
darkangel - I am glad you liked the dream sequence, figured it out yet by the way?
Taisaya-Ryu - The baby will be cute and its father will love it, does anything else matter? But in other words, just will have to wait until its born, and each chapter I post is one less to wait.
Diluculo - thanks for your comment, and that is something that I intended with this work, for people to see just how decent of a person Asch could be at heart, since the game so seldom showed it.
Apakoha - poor Natalia, she's stuck being the typical woman for now, having to await the return of her love, who may very well never return to her. She eventually will get to join the group though.
"Guy Cecil, former servant of House Fabre, you stand accused of the murder of your former employer, Duke Fabre on the night of 17 Remday Gnome Decan, ND2018. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"
"Not a thing." he confessed. "I did it willingly and would do it again if given the choice."
"As the accused has confessed and shows no remorse for his crime, there is no other option but to sentence him to death. His sentence will take place in one week's time. It is advised that the accused take that time to contemplate his crimes and beg forgiveness from Lorelei. Return him to the dungeon."
A group of guards escorted the condemned back to his cell in the dungeon. Luke watched this from his seat near his Uncle. He had been asked to attend in case he was needed as a witness. He had been to such trials before, and was amazed at the fact that it was over so fast. Every other time, no matter how minor the crime, the one accused always spoke in their defense. This time, that was far from the case, his former servant seemed to have no care for the consequences of his actions.
"Uncle, may I be dismissed?" Luke asked. He had much to do before leaving the next day for Akzeriuth, but he also felt a burning need to ask questions, questions of the sort that only the prisoner could answer for him, and his time was indeed quite limited.
"Of course, Luke. You must want to spend time with Natalia before your departure."
"Yes. I will miss her greatly." He lied, even though it wasn't a complete lie, after his curiosity was satisfied, he would spend what time he could with Natalia.
"Then go to her. If I do not speak to you before your departure, have a safe trip."
"I will. I trust Tear and Jade to keep me safe." He assured his Uncle before leaving the Audience Chamber. Once he had left, he made his way to the lower levels where the dungeons were. At this time, the only prisoner was his former servant, Guy. There was a guard on duty.
"Master Luke, how might I be of service?" the guard on duty asked him.
"I'd like to speak with the prisoner."
"If you wish to, I have no reason to deny your request. You may have fifteen minutes. Call if you need me." the guard said as he led Luke to the cell that housed the condemned prisoner.
Luke had not actually been within one of the cells before, so he had no idea what to expect, other than a spare room with no comforts. He was somewhat surprised to see the blonde haired man chained to the wall, but he figured that had been done to prevent a possible escape.
"Welcome to my humble abode, Luke. Well, at least it is until my head is parted from my body next week." he joked.
"How can you be so complacent about your impending death?" Luke exclaimed. "If it were me, I would have argued in my defense even if I had done it."
"That is where we differ, Luke. You led a charmed life as royalty, pampered and protected by your family. I did not. I knew the consequences for my actions and accepted them before acting."
"Did my father mistreat you then? I thought you were treated fairly."
"Your father did much worse than that. Do you really want to hear about what sort of people those you call family are?"
"What could Father have done to cause you to hate him so much?"
"Fine, you asked, and you're old enough to know the truth now. How much did you learn about the Hod War?"
"It took place when I was young, but I know Father served in the military during that time."
"Did you hear from him what he did to serve his kingdom?"
"He fought to defend Kimlasca. There is no shame in defending your country."
"Is there? Was it necessary then to kill each and every last woman and child in the noble houses, including the servants?"
"No, such a thing should not be necessary, unless they attacked first, then there is a right to defend one's self."
"You're right, everyone has a right to defend themselves. But your father didn't attack my family and my servants in self-defense. The only thing they did was shield me from him. I was five years old! What threat could I be? But had they not shielded me, I would have died along with them. My sister wasn't as lucky as I was. She died protecting me, the heir to our house."
"That can't be! Father would never kill innocents!"
"Are you so sure? If you don't believe me, ask Jade the Necromancer about it. I doubt he would lie to you, and he would know well those of the most threat to the Malkuth Empire."
Luke thought that over a moment. Jade did seem pleased at the news of his father's death when it came up before. "I'll do that." Luke told him. "If I may ask another question? Did your plans for my family include my death?"
"At one time you deserved it, but do you really think I'd stoop to your father's level and kill an innocent child?"
"I don't know what to expect from you now, you've changed into an insane monster, twisted by your need for revenge. You're no different from him, even if what you say is true!"
"Liar!"
"You are! It was cold-blooded murder! He didn't even get a chance to defend himself! How is that different from what he did to your family?!"
Guy was shocked speechless by Luke's words. "Damn you!" Then he smiled.
"What's that for?" Luke asked him, confused by his sudden change in demeanor.
"It's not important. Don't lose that decency and wisdom you have when you become king, ok?"
"I won't. I apologize for what my father did to you and your family. If there was anything I could do..."
"There isn't. Have a good life, don't do anything you will regret later."
"I will. I promise. Can I ask you one more thing?"
"I guess."
"Did Master Van know anything of your plans or order you to do it?"
"My plans were my own. His plans are his own. I follow orders, but that wasn't one of them."
"Thanks for telling me. Again, Guy, I'm sorry."
"Stop apologizing. If anything, I should be sorry, but I won't waste your time begging your forgiveness. I don't deserve it."
"Master Luke! Your time is up!"
"One moment!" he called to the guard. "You have my forgiveness, for what it's worth. I can't deny that with how you accept your guilt and are willingly taking your punishment. Good bye."
"Good bye."
-----
Luke walked into the main hall of the castle and saw Tear and Jade engrossed in conversation with each other. They didn't even notice as he approached them, but he could hear their conversation clearly.
"…God-Generals have been spotted nearby? Are they after Ion again?"
"I have no idea. Isn't the Fon Master returning to Daath once the negotiations are finished?"
"He planned to return with Grand Maestro Mohs. Not a bad plan, as it gets the Grand Maestro away from where he can plan further seeds of doubt."
"You know about that?" Luke asked.
"Of course. He did the same thing with his Imperial Majesty."
A very out of breath Anise ran up to the group. "Colonel, have you seen Ion?"
"Wasn't he with you, Anise?"
"He said he needed to go back to our room, but when I just checked on him, he wasn't there."
"Anise, you, Tear and myself will search the city. Luke, can you handle the castle on your own?"
"Sure. The guards will help search for him. Don't worry Anise, if he's here, we will find him."
"Let's meet here in one hour, whether he is found or not, agreed?" Everyone nodded in response.
-----
An hour passed with no sign of the Fon Master. The group met at the castle as planned. Ion wasn't with Anise and the others, but an hour wasn't enough time to check the whole city, especially with only three people who were not familiar with the area looking.
"Luke, any sign of Ion?"
"The guards are still searching, but earlier one recalled seeing him speaking with Grand Maestro Mohs and leaving the castle with him. No guard has seen either of them return since that time. So I sent some outside the castle to relay the message to those guards stationed outside in the city itself."
"Good thinking, Luke."
"Shall we continue searching the town then?"
"Let's check the entry points first. That way we can ensure Ion is indeed still in the city before conducting a further search of the city."
"Luke, you and Anise take the main entrance. Tear and I will take the port. If you don't see Ion or the Grand Maestro, ask around for information, especially from the guards on duty."
"Got it, let's go Luke!"
Luke was amazed at how Anise was able to remain cheerful during all this. Not that it was a bad thing, it gave her endless energy to get the task at hand done. They headed quickly to the front entrance of the city and saw no sign of either Ion or Mohs.
Inquiries with the guards provided more insight into the matter. Ion and Mohs have indeed left the city. Neither of them has yet returned and over an hour had passed. Chances were very good that both were beyond their reach by now. Having obtained that information, they returned to the castle to await Jade and Tear, who returned just a short time after they did.
"Any news?"
"One of the guards saw Ion leave the city with Mohs. Neither has returned. Too much time has passed since then for us to catch up, at least by foot."
"And it is getting too late for us to track down their whereabouts. It would be too easy to miss signs that could lead to them, if we left now. Anise, I know you are concerned, but we have more chance of finding him if we wait until the morning" Jade suggested.
"I know, but that doesn't stop me from being worried about Ion."
"We'll leave at first light, Anise. Will that work for everyone?" They all agreed to the Colonel's plan. "Then get some rest before we leave, Luke. We can finish making the arrangements for an early departure."
-----
Luke returned to his chamber to find Natalia impatiently awaiting him, "What happened to you? I thought you were coming right up after the trial?"
"I had to speak with the others about our departure arrangements. Then we had to search for the Fon Master."
"What happened to him?"
"All we were able to find out was that he left the city with the Grand Maestro."
"Then that should be no cause for concern, right?"
"It's more complicated than that. I really don't want to talk politics now though, not with my having to leave. It's hard enough to say good bye as it is." He explained further as he got undressed to join her in bed.
"You're right." she agreed.
He slid into bed with her. While all he could go was gently hold her, that was enough. Both needed that small comfort now, and both took that small comfort gladly. What he didn't understand was why she seemed upset to him. "Are you feeling all right?" he asked her.
"I am fine." she assured him. However, he didn't believe her. She might be fine as far as her health went physically, but he doubted she was taking his leaving so soon after his return as well as she appeared. She was good to putting on a front of not objecting though.
"You are even fine with the idea of me leaving so soon?"
"Do I have a choice about it? I wasn't given one by father. You have to go, and I am in no condition to come with you, so like a typical woman, I must wait for your return."
"I see, that is what you object to. Your role as a typical woman when you would rather be by my side."
"Perhaps."
"If I could, I would bring you with me."
"I know you would. I will still miss you though, but I will await your return like a good wife would."
"I will miss you more than you know. I love you, Natalia."
"I love you too, Luke. Please do hurry back to me. We can only wait so long for you and your child wants to meet you."
"He had better wait. Not just for my return, but it is much too soon for his appearance."
"That's what I keep telling him. So don't keep us waiting too long."
"I won't. I promise."
"Don't make a promise you can't keep."
"Why? You don't think I can?" he seemed concerned at her choice of words there. "Do you know something I don't?"
"No, it's nothing. I am just worrying too much for you."
"If you say so." he told her, still not quite believing her.
-----
Late that night a ship arrived carrying two passengers, a woman sedately dressed all in black, her face covered with a veil. The other passenger was an unknown male who was escorting the female. His identity could not be established as he was concealing his face even more than the woman was. Both were met at the port by a gaudily dressed woman with pink hair. Their group made their way to the inn so they could talk in a more private setting.
"Any news?" the woman in black asked.
"They arrived yesterday with him. The talk around town was that his trial took place today and he was sentenced at that time." The other woman answered her.
"And?"
"We have a few days."
"I thought so. They always do love to make examples, especially if nobility is involved in any way. Is the boy still in the city?"
"He leaves tomorrow as word would have it."
"Can we be ready to implement the plan tomorrow?"
"Our end is covered. If you are ready, so are we."
"Then we will await your signal tomorrow. By this time tomorrow, we should be on our way again."
"So, tell me about your escort here, I don't recall meeting him before."
"His name is nothing you need to know about."
"Can he not speak for himself then?"
"My lady, my companion is correct." he told her.
"A shame, I thought perhaps he might be up for some entertainment."
"Another time, perhaps?" he offered.
"I will look forward to it. Will I be able to see your face then?"
"Absolutely."
"Until then. I bid you both good night." she said as she walked off.
-----
The next morning came far too soon for Luke's tastes. He would be leaving for Akzeriuth this morning, but he did not wish to leave, even though he knew his duty. He slowly got out of bed, trying not to wake Natalia, as he wanted to let her sleep until the last moment possible. A quick goodbye was better than a prolonged one that would upset her further.
He dressed himself in comfortable clothes meant for traveling. They were made of a dark and soft material, but rather study so they would take a lot of abuse, which he knew would be coming. It was going to be a long day searching for Ion's whereabouts. He also made sure to pack lighter clothing more meant for desert travel, as the only trail to Akzeriuth by foot involved traveling through the Zao Desert, which was not a fun trip even at the best of times.
He had just finished dressing and packing when Natalia woke up. "Luke, you weren't going to leave without saying goodbye, were you?" she asked him sleepily.
"I was just about to wake you, dear. I wanted to let you sleep as long as possible."
"You know I wanted to see you off."
"I know, and the last thing I wanted to do was leave without a word. I also don't want to argue with you, bad words upon leaving leads to bad news coming home. I don't want that."
"You're right. You wouldn't do something to upset me like that, forgive me for thinking so."
He didn't respond to her apology with words, instead he kissed her softly on the lips, a kiss that she gladly returned with the same eagerness . It took some time, but they eventually broke away from each other, her face a bit flushed from it. "I will miss you greatly. If Lorelei permits, I will return in time to see our child enter the world. I love you, Natalia."
"I love you too, Luke. Please return to me quickly and in good health."
"I will do what I can, I promise."
"As long as you return to me in good health, I will be pleased."
"I trust in Tear and Jade to look after me and keep me safe."
"Then I will trust in them also. Have a safe trip."
"I better go before they come looking for me." He gave her one last kiss before leaving the room to meet with the others.
Once he walked out of the room, she got out of bed and walked over to the window so she could watch as he left.
-----
Luke met up with the rest of the group in the main hall of the castle. The others were waiting for him already, even though he wasn't actually late.
"Sorry guys..."
"You aren't late. Anise was just so eager to leave she made sure we woke up early. She would have done the same to you, but the Colonel told her that she would likely be interrupting something." Tear explained, which caused Luke and Anise's faces to turn a shade of red similar to Luke's hair.
"I was not!" Anise denied.
"Don't deny it Anise. It was only the fact that I told you that Luke would want to give his wife a private goodbye that stopped you from going to wake him yourself."
Anise didn't respond to Jade's dig, instead Luke responded. "I hated saying goodbye, but we should be going now, shouldn't we?"
"Then shall we go? Then we can have less time of dealing with a worried Anise and a pining member of the Kimlascan royalty?"
The group then departed for the main gates so they could pick up on Ion's trail from where it began. As they left the castle, from Luke's chamber, Natalia watched them sadly. The moment they left her sight, tears started falling down her cheeks. She already missed him greatly.
Their departure wasn't noted by just Natalia though, another woman noticed their departure. This woman, however found it to be a good thing. Now she could move along with her plans.
And as always, reviews are greatly appreciated! And here's to my hoping that the next chapter will cooperate with me more than this one did!