"I'm so sorry," gasped Rose, unable to tear her eyes away from Alisha's scars; but even as she spoke, the princess stood up unsteadily, almost startling her: Lailah supported her as she stepped out of the tub to stand shakily before her.
Rose wasn't accustomed to helping people get dressed, but she tried her damnedest, because Alisha deserved nothing less after an evening like this. After the blouse was over her head, she swallowed convulsively: "Wh-where's… Ellen?" she managed tremulously, unable to meet Rose's eyes.
"I'll look for her if you want," volunteered Rose softly, glancing over at Lailah; both she nodded in understanding, moving to help the princess with her leggings. Alisha searched Rose's eyes for a long time as if trying to discern an ulterior motive, but eventually bowed her head. More in defeat than agreement, thought Rose sadly, but permission was permission.
She slipped out of the bathroom and glanced around at the remains of Alisha's bedroom, each crumbling brick weighing down her heart so that its every pulse was painful. But there was no time to waste on reflection; gathering speed, Rose opened the door, charged down the hall, and was just about to tear down the stairs when Sorey—doing the same in reverse—crashed headlong into her.
They gripped one another's shoulders to steady one another on the landing, the accompanying seraphim pausing on the stairs. All of them were breathing hard, and Sorey's eyes in particular were wider even than usual. "What gives?" asked Rose urgently, when he said nothing, but he was too out of breath to speak.
"All the guards were slaughtered," answered Mikleo in his stead, running his hands restlessly along the railing. "Some with blades, but several were also badly burned. Lunarre's work, I'd imagine." Though his words seemed matter-of-fact, his voice cracked under the strain of bearing so much bad news, and his eyes were fixed on the ground.
"And… Ellen?" asked Rose apprehensively, fearing the worst; sure enough, Sorey only shook his head slowly, and her breath caught. None of these people had anything to do with this, and involving a civilian was the last straw. Next time, she didn't care what Lunarre had to say; she was going to kill him on sight. If she had any questions for him, she'd ask his corpse.
Zaveid heaved a sigh. "She was still conscious in the end," he explained somberly. "But we couldn't save her. Someone had run her through."
"She said Malty's name," chimed in Edna, opening her umbrella. "And I think we all know what that means." So they were working together, thought Rose, and the rings proved it; but then, why wasn't Lunarre wearing his? Or, she realized suddenly, maybe there was just one, and they'd met up and traded it off. But then, what such valuable purpose could it serve…?
Sorey let out a long breath. "I just don't get why they would work together like this," he confessed as if reading her thoughts, leaning against the railing and crossing his arms as he regarded the carpet in the hallway. But before Rose could respond, Dezel let out a short breath and readjusted his hat.
"They're hellions," he pointed out impatiently, as finally as though that was the definitive answer, and further conjecture would be utterly pointless: end of discussion. Rose glanced at him with some annoyance; he should know that wasn't going to cut it. At this point, if there was one thing they were all getting really good at, it was speculation.
"Yeah," returned Edna, narrowing her eyes and twirling her parasol (Mikleo scooted almost imperceptibly away from her to avoid getting thwacked), "except Loony said he's not part of a hierarchy. Even if he's following someone's orders, I don't think teamwork is in his vocabulary either."
"And that's exactly what's so weird about this," agreed Rose, nodding in her direction. "From what I can tell, they have completely different motivations, so what would they stand to gain by collaborating?"
A long silence greeted her words before Dezel finally sighed, shifting in place. "Lunarre is specifically targeting you," he told her. "Maybe he enlisted Maltran's help to break in here and screw with Alisha"—Rose winced at his choice of verb—"because he thought that would corrupt Sorey, and you're his Squire, so…" He trailed off uncertainly. "What?" he growled defensively, sensing dubious expressions all around. "None of you have any ideas."
"That seems like a shot in the dark on his part," responded Zaveid, crossing his arms and leaning against the banister. "Corrupting someone to corrupt someone else to corrupt someone else… lots of work to put into a plan that might not pay off."
Rose shook her head hesitantly, her mind elsewhere. "No," she responded, black thorns scraping through her mind. "Sorey wasn't a part of it. Just the way he did it was enough to—" She swallowed, closing her eyes briefly. "Roses," she said finally, and her own plural name had never been so difficult to pronounce. "He was carving… roses."
There was a collective gasp, and Rose bowed her head uncomfortably as she her friends' eyes lingered on her face; thankfully, Zaveid was sensitive enough to change the subject. "Don't forget that Lady Maltran was in on this, too," he added quietly. "So there's still a missing motivation involved. If I had to guess, I'd say she's trying to corrupt our pure and precious princess."
Mikleo frowned. "That doesn't seem likely," he protested. "Maltran said she didn't have a use for Alisha anymore. She was going to leave her alone."
"Plans change," countered Zaveid. "Come on, think about it," he added, somewhat exasperatedly. "If you were going to corrupt someone, this is about the best way you could do it. Get another hellion to traumatize them, become a pillar of support through sympathy, and use that connection to make 'em malevolent," he added, narrowing his eyes in disgust. "And, if it doesn't work the first time, maybe even rinse and repeat. It might be enough to break her if we don't intervene."
Sorey shook his head, his eyes troubled. Nonetheless his voice was firm as he responded, "I have faith in Alisha," and Mikleo nodded—albeit somewhat hesitantly. Zaveid made a frustrated noise in the back of his throat, but offered no verbal rebuttal.
"Well, either way, we have to tell her," remarked Edna in her usual down-to-earth fashion, and Dezel grunted his agreement. "It would be dangerous at this point to leave her in the dark."
"And how do you think she'll take the news after a day like this one?" returned Sorey, and Rose pursed her lips; he had a point. The princess had lost enough already. "If she's okay with it, we should just take her with us, as planned. With us, she'll be safe from Maltran's influence, and we'll also be able to protect her from Lunarre."
"That's a good first step," conceded Zaveid warily, "but even if she agrees to come with us, chances are good that we'll meet her instructor on the battlefield someday, so she'll need to be prepared for that." Dezel nodded; this must be serious business if the two wind seraphim were in agreement, thought Rose wryly.
"She might not believe until she sees," countered Sorey, crossing his arms, and Rose remembered abruptly that she was supposed to be finding Ellen. An unpleasant chill settled in the pit of her stomach as she wondered what she could tell Alisha, and she swallowed, glancing back down the hallway.
"I'll, um, I'll be right back," said Rose lamely, excusing herself before anyone could react. She could hear Dezel following behind her, but didn't turn to confirm her suspicion; she only moved through two doors and stood before the gaunt princess (supported by an especially anxious Lailah), noting that her markings were thankfully hidden under the outfit Edna had chosen.
Alisha glanced up briefly, her eyes red and undoubtedly sore, before bowing her head again. "She's… p-passed, hasn't she?" asked Alisha hoarsely, her voice barely above a whisper, and Rose nodded hesitantly. In response, the princess gave another heart-wrenching sob, raising her hands to her face and sniffling pitifully.
"I'm sorry," responded Rose softly, at a loss for what else to do. She couldn't tell Alisha about Maltran's involvement, after all; more likely, she'd assume her maid's death was Lunarre's doing. And by extension her own, she thought, remembering the roses burned into her skin and closing her eyes briefly in remorse.
"Th-thank you for—your c-concern," stammered Alisha, her hands curled into trembling fists; unless Rose was much mistaken, her voice was distinctly cold under all that congestion. "But if—if it's not too m-much to ask… I'd l-like to be alone f-for a little while."
Rose shook her head. "That might actually be too much to ask," she told her, crossing her arms; Alisha looked up, scowling fiercely, and opened her mouth as if to argue. "If you want me to go, I get it," she added, raising her voice slightly to deter the princess from retorting. "I'll go." She turned around and rested her hand on the doorknob, looking briefly over her shoulder. "But Sorey is here too, and you shouldn't be on your own right now."
As Rose spoke, she glanced over at Lailah; Alisha traced her line of sight, frowning as she gazed back at her in wary confusion. So she still couldn't see them, even after all that: Lailah nodded hesitantly as if confirming her thoughts, and followed Rose out the door to find and consult with the others. Upon shutting it behind her, she discovered with some surprise that they had all followed her to the ruins of Alisha's bedroom.
Sorey stood guard at the door, while Zaveid and Dezel both kept watch at the fallen wall. Edna, meanwhile, dozed on Mikleo's back with her arms draped around his neck in a loose chokehold; evidently, she had gotten tired of standing and had coerced him into carrying her, rather than disappearing into Sorey. "How's Alisha?" asked Sorey, immediately straightening up from his position leaning against the wall as Rose emerged.
"See for yourself," she replied, crossing her arms and standing aside along with Lailah and nodding towards the door. "She's decent," she assured him, raising her eyebrows, when Sorey wavered awkwardly in place. "And believe me, she needs you more than she needs me."
Sorey inclined his head and approached the door: Zaveid and Dezel exchanged a glance before the former vanished into his vessel. Mikleo followed suit (taking Edna with him), but Rose rested a hand on Lailah's shoulder before she could join them; something had been bothering her in the back of her mind ever since she'd considered such an unlikely alliance. A lady knight and a crazy fox? There was more to this than met the eye.
"What kind of hellion is Maltran?" asked Rose; if anyone would know, it was Lailah. "She looks totally human, and that malevolence… I think it was Lunarre's, not hers. The only reason we even know she's a hellion in the first place is because she let us know." She gave a sudden, shallow sigh. "How can she do that?"
"It doesn't make sense," agreed Lailah uncertainly, shifting in place. "She's concealing her true nature somehow. But deception on that level isn't an ability native to hellions," she added, frowning. "Even the most powerful among them shouldn't be able to hide their malevolence from those of us who can sense it."
Rose narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, on the verge of a realization. A hellion with no malevolence… "The ring," she muttered, rubbing her forehead as she recalled the Dumnonia incident in vivid detail. "Of course." Somehow or other, that ring had the ability to suppress malevolence. And if it was in the hands of hellions—
"Rose?" asked Lailah, apprehensive curiosity glimmering in her sea-green eyes. "Do you know something?" she added urgently.
After a brief hesitation, Rose only shook her head. "I'll tell you all later," she decided, braving a small smile. It was too complicated to disentangle everything now, and she'd rather not have to repeat herself anyway; if she could talk to everyone at once, that would be preferable.
"Go on, help Sorey," Rose prompted, rolling her eyes as Lailah frowned, and pushed her gently towards the door: she nodded once, somewhat reluctantly, and vanished. Letting out a long breath, Rose strode forward to take up Sorey's former position guarding the door. With Dezel's wind-reading on her side, it probably wasn't necessary, but she really needed something to do with herself if she wanted to keep her mind off the markings.
"I thought you hated keeping secrets," remarked Dezel dryly, standing amid the rubble that used to be the wall, and Rose rolled her eyes and pointedly held her tongue. After a wordless pause, he added, "I also thought you had started speaking to me again," and Rose smiled faintly despite herself. Dezel seemed satisfied with this response, echoing the gesture, and they lapsed into a more comfortable silence.
A very long silence. Rose was grateful to be in the company of a wind seraph, given that she was certain she'd freeze without him there to redirect the gusts of rain billowing towards the manor. It might have been fifteen minutes before Rose started wondering exactly how long Sorey would stay with Alisha, but as she opened her mouth to ask whether Dezel thought it was safe to interrupt them, he tensed.
"There are two guards headed this way," he told her urgently, turning towards the door. "You should hide, or they'll suspect you." But Rose shook her head; they'd suspect her all the more if they found her. And if there were only two guards, they were probably just supposed to be the next shift to defend the gate. She could take them if things turned nasty.
…But maybe she'd better check in with the princess first; Rose knocked on the bathroom door softly. "A couple guards are coming," she announced, somewhat uncertainly; though she heard Sorey murmur something to Alisha, and she heard her mumble a reply, she couldn't hear any hints about what she should do.
"Alisha says you can come in," said Sorey softly, though there was a hesitation in his voice; Rose opened the door cautiously to find him sitting on the counter, holding the princess on his lap in a loose and protective embrace. Raising her eyebrows at the unexpected tenderness of the scene, Rose hesitantly pushed herself up to sit next to them, a respectful distance away—keeping her eyes on Alisha's bedroom, as Dezel moved to stand by the door in preparation for the guards' entrance.
They didn't have to wait long. The two soldiers burst in with spears at the ready, and Rose automatically moved her hands to her knives before forcing herself to relax; it wouldn't help her case if she bared her blades. Alisha stirred next to her, and Sorey helped her slide off the counter, supporting her by the shoulders as she stood up shakily to face her agitated men.
"Stand down," she told them, and her voice was far steadier than the last time Rose had heard it: she smiled slightly out of sheer relief that Sorey had been able to soothe her. "These people protected me. Please bring reinforcements from the palace." The princess spoke haltingly, but clearly; such was the earnestness of her expression that though the guards hesitated, exchanging a wary glance, they offered no protests.
As they departed hastily, Alisha gave a long sigh, brushing Sorey's hand off her shoulder reluctantly. "I must explain the situation to the others when they arrive," she told him, "and they'll be more likely to listen if I speak with them alone. Would both of you please wait in… E-Ellen's room?" She swallowed painfully, and Rose winced.
Sorey nodded hesitantly, and Alisha half-smiled wearily in response. "I'm sorry I don't have a guest room," she told him, her eyes downcast. "I was never allowed to have visitors. But you can stay for as—for as long as you w-want."
Raising his hand again, Sorey massaged Alisha's shoulder; she took a deep, shuddering breath, leaning briefly against him in affectionate exhaustion. "Please make yourselves comfortable," she managed; Rose thought privately that the concept of comfort at a time like this was almost laughable. "It's the next door over, across the hall," she added, gesturing vaguely.
"Is there anything else I can do?" asked Sorey gently, his eyes wide and sweet.
Alisha shook her head hesitantly. "Not at the moment," she replied, sounding less than certain. "But I'm more grateful for your compassion than I can say." She addressed Sorey alone this time, focusing on his face with solemn sincerity, and Rose attempted with some difficulty to be understanding. It was reasonable that she wasn't disposed to like Rose, after everything Lunarre had put her through on her account… but she hadn't ever meant for that to happen, and she had tried to help.
Sorey distracted her by shaking his head as if to say it was nothing; Rose shifted in place uncomfortably, recognizing that she played no part in this conversation. "I'll scope out our room," she offered, turning back towards the door. "You stay with her until the guards arrive. And… make sure not to leave her unprotected, okay?" she added pointedly, glancing over her shoulder.
Her Shepherd nodded in covert understanding, and Rose took her leave without further ado. Despite their invisibility, Alisha could probably guess about the seraphim, but she probably still didn't want to hear such a definitive confirmation that there were so many more witnesses to her suffering. Not yet, anyway. (At least, that was how Rose would want to be treated in her situation.)
Dezel turned his head over his shoulder as she emerged, restless doubts taking shape in her mind. "I heard," he told her, before she could say anything. "The maid's room is safe, don't worry. I'll join you as soon as Zaveid gets his ass over here to help keep an eye on… this." He waved his hand exasperatedly towards the grounds. "Till then, I'd better stand guard."
Rose only gave a single nod and wan smile, and headed down the hall with heavy heart. She knew this situation was not directly her fault, she told herself, opening the door to the late maid's room—but as she fell back wearily on Ellen's bed, waiting for Sorey, she still couldn't help but think of how much blood had been spilled in her name.
Quicker update even than usual because this chapter and the last were supposed to be just one, but I decided there was too much going on. So here's another shorter chapter of resolution and regrouping.
Straya: You don't have to review every chapter! It's enough that you read them, and even that is your choice. Anyway, I'm not totally sure whether Dezel was being honest when he told Rose about his priorities; I think he's in denial even to himself. I know for a fact that he spoke first because it was easier for him to say she should hate him than to hear the words from Rose. It was a method of bracing himself, like if he breaks his own heart she can't do it for him.
lazycat66: You can ask as many questions as you want; I just think you're overcomplicating matters, that's all. Don't discount the pieces of the equation just because I said your conclusion was wrong.
PhoenixTheCat: Haha, my stepmother was actually the one who got me into fanfiction to begin with, so the only issue they really have with it is that I haven't been doing anything else with my time. (Which is a nice problem to have, really.) As for Lunarre's hematophagy, I don't think there are really any tangible benefits; I think he just likes the taste, and the symbolism of drinking a Squire's lifeblood. Especially Rose's. And speaking of symbolism, thanks for the compliments!