At the castle gates, Art flashed his Cannock Royal Coin to prove his identity, and the entire group was let in without any other question. That's when Seth stepped up and started leading everyone to the throne room.
He busted through the door, pointed his hand at the king on the throne and said, "Whose idea was it to leave the homeless from Aliahan out there without any shelter, when I know there's at least one good and empty room in this castle?"
"What is the meaning of this?" the King of Romaly shouted. "Get those naysayers out of my face."
When guards started to grab at them, Seth pulled back the hair from his face. "Stop that right now," he said loudly. "I never thought I'd be anywhere near this place again, and this is how I find it. Typical. Keep your hands off my friends, you lousy puddles of pondscum."
Alicia had never heard him speak so forcefully before, and it really surprised her. He seemed like such a laid back guy all the time.
The King stood up. "Seth? Where have you been?"
Seth let his hair go back to it's shaggy, unstyled way. "Wouldn't you like to know," he grunted. "This here is Art, Prince of Cannock, and a Descendant of Loto."
"Well, now that you're back, Duke-"
"Call me that title again and I'll carve you into as many pieces as there are spells in a sage's spellbook," Seth shouted. "I'm not here to be back, I want this problem addressed. It's bad enough that you let the place get so full of gangs and crime." He crossed his fingers.
The King of Romaly walked up to the group, surprised at everyone who accompanied Seth and Art. "Your servant girls are especially beautiful. I wouldn't mind buying one off of the two of you."
All three girls reached for their weaponry. One staff, a pair of daggers and an axe were all pointed at the king without any hesitation.
Art held his hand up. "They are not servants, your highness," he said, trying to keep his peace. "All three of these ladies are highly trained and capable in battle."
"So they're bodyguards?" the king asked. "It is a nice idea to have protection for traveling royalty."
Alicia grunted. "I can see why you left, Seth."
"Spunky!" the king said with a laugh, slowly eyeing every curve of her delicate, well toned figure. "I like the blondie. How much for her, cousin?"
Seth reared back and punched the King of Romaly so hard it busted his lip and knocked a few teeth out. "Shove off," he said. "Say one more thing about Alicia or her sisters! I dare you! What, don't tell me you've started up the slave trade again after Uncle Roman decided to abolish it, Aaron."
The King of Romaly twitched when he heard that name said aloud, and he went back to his throne. "Do as King Aaron of Romaly commands you! The entire group is under arrest. We'll ship the Prince back to Cannock in good faith, sell the men to the traders and keep the women for my harem," he said. "Seth, your title of Duke is hereby revoked."
Palace guards surrounded them from all sides, when Seth shrugged. "The gloves are off! It's a free-for-all now!"
Assuming a title battle position with Taro, Angelo, Suzuri, and Seth in the center, Art, Tara, Alicia on the outside of their circle took care of the enemies while everyone else casted spells as need be.
"Call me a servant girl," Tara shouted, swinging her axe into the head of one of the guards. The helmet broke in half from the sheer force of the blow, blood spurted out a bit like a mini fountain before the guard fell to the floor. "I'm so pissed I can't even see straight!"
Angelo shrugged, "Well, y'know, you did wear a maid uniform for a while. A sexy maid uniform." He had cast a barrier on the party, then started to charge up one of his wind spells.
Taro grunted. "Oh please." Once having called the replenishing rain, he decided to cast a Kazammle.
"I didn't like the idea either," Alicia said, throwing poision darts at them a handful at a time. "Been there, done that."
Suzuri called up an Oomph on Tara, then on Art. "Yeah, I'm a servant of sorts... for my Prince!"
Art shrugged, slashing up another attacker. "You are not my servant, my dear, you are my future Queen."
Suzuri laughed. "I said 'of sorts'."
Alicia bust out laughing. "That's terrific."
Fireballs, lightning bolts, wind gusts, and ice spears flew off the handle toward anyone that the frontliners could get. Soon the entire room was filled with fallen palace guards, some dead, some wounded, and some half alive, but none of them were able to fight back.
"And now," Seth said, "Fix this problem right now! Help the refugees who have fled the Dragonlord's wrath, you insufferable ninny!"
Aaron shook his head. "Oh, no," he said, "I'm afraid that I cannot disobey the word of the Dragonlord, dear cousin."
Art gasped, "You... allied with... the Dragonlord?"
"Yes," Aaron said. "Romaly is to become a beacon of despair, if I am to prosper. I made a pact with him myself, you see." He threw his arms open wide, his skin starting to transform to a much darker color made of rough skales.
"That's what it's come to?" Seth asked. "Really? That's what this has come to? You'd give up what the Romaly Crest has stood for since the Battle with Zoma 200 years ago, just so you can be safe from the wrath of the Dragonlord? You coward!" He could feel his blood boiling. "I get sent away from here so you can turn this land into a steaming pile of platipunk gunk. That's just great, because bloodlines totally make everything correctly, right?"
Aaron shrugged. "I am so sorry I'll have to rob Cannock of its only heir, but I must obey the pact." His back sprouted wings that spanned across the entire room. He stood fully transformed as a demonic monster. "And if your family wishes to declare war on me for doing so, then so be it. All will fall before the Dragonlord!"
Art looked at Seth. "I've got an idea," he said.
"Shoot," Seth said.
"Cross-slash," Art said. "From both sides."
"A royal approach, my friend," Seth said with a smile. "On the count of three. Girls, you keep count."
Art and Seth went in opposite directions behind Angelo and Taro, waiting until Aaron's attention was focused completely on the others.
When Tara used Hatchet Man on Aaron, she shouted, "ONE!"
Alicia pulled out a unique attack called Dancing Daggers, and shouted, "TWO!"
And when Suzuri released the biggest fireball she'd ever conjured up before, she screamed out, "THREE!"
Art and Seth charged from their respective sides, striking with their swords both at the same time in an x-shaped formation. The attack was massive, and knocked Aaron off of his feet completely, but he wasn't dead yet.
Aaron lunged one of his newly formed talons at Taro, and instantly Tara jumped in to block the move. Yet again, the large logo of Erdrick appeared before her as it had back in the little port town, yet it sent back all of his magic at him. Aaron was engulfed in a holy fire, and died there.
"Holy Father of Loto," Tara breathed out. "It happened again."
"Nevermind that," Seth said, turning away. He walked out to the hallway and addressed the people in the castle. "I am Duke Seth of Romaly, cousin of King Aaron. I call upon you to clean up this mess in here, and then bring in the refugees from Aliahan, so that they may have a place to live until peace is restored." Without even letting the people cheer for him, he walked out of the castle, disgusted and disgruntled. He wanted out of Romaly yesterday, even though Art still had his test to complete.
It all happened so fast that when the group met up with Seth outside, they had forgotten that the magical Logo of Erdrick had risen again to save Tara from a strike that could mean certain death if it were not blocked. They split up to look through the town to find a door that needed the silver key to open.
There was still a lot more to be done here.