Chapter 25
"Keep him away!" Montmorency hissed, having co-opted a large section of the kitchens to prepare a bubbling brew. "Don't [i]hurt[/i] him, but... don't let him get past you either."
"Tall order." Kirche remarked, peering through a window to where Guiche was seated in an inactive golem chariot. "Didn't you say he wouldn't be able to go anywhere?"
"Well, I thought he wouldn't, obviously!"
"Shouldn't." Tabitha comments, frowning as Guiche called out for 'his beautiful love' to come to his arms. But did not, in fact, rise from his seat.
It clicked, in Louise's head, just what sort of a rare, valuable, and forbidden potion a budding alchemist might have, even just for study purposes.
"You dosed him with a [i]love potion[/i]?" She hissed softly.
"Accidentally! It was supposed to be a powerful [i]laxative[/i]! I'm [i]petty[/i] and [i]vindictive[/i], but I'm not [i]stupid[/i]!" Montmorency hissed back, even as she measured out the barest, tiniest pinch of something from a small pot.
Louise groaned, not sure what she should do about it. Accidents were accidents, but using a love potion on nobility was... it was definitely the height of illegality.
... it niggled at her, a little bit, how she couldn't recall anything mentioned of using such things on commoners. Was it at the discretion of the magistrate available, rather than a widespread and well understood...? No, never mind.
Guiche's calls had grown more intense and desperate. Louise sighed and stepped out, prepared to stop the lovestruck fool from doing himself an injury.
"Louise..." Guiche said, breathing deeply in his seat, slight sheen of sweat on his face from the effort of travel.
"Guiche. Stand down and wait patiently." Louise ordered. "We have collected the ingredients, and are even now preparing the antidote to your... ills."
Guiche did not seem to comprehend what she was saying, blinking slowly before he spoke again.
"Louise. You stand in the way. Of my quest for Love?" He croaked.
"If I have to tie you up and have someone sit on you, yes." Louise admitted. "The brewing can't be interrupted right now."
"... I see. So be it. A rose blooms for the sake of all, but a rose bears thorns that will prick the unwary." Guiche replied, mournfully.
"Your golems aren't going to be enough, Guiche. Even if I couldn't blast them apart like paper, I'm not the only one waiting here."
"I know. But thank you." He said, shaking his head. "You have given me the gift, Louise, of imagination. [i]Valkyrie. Armor.[/i]"
His final words were an incantation, and Louise was caught slightly by surprise as metal formed, not into a free-standing golem, but about his own limbs and body.
He stood from the chair, sword and shield forming in his hands.
It was impressive, she supposed, how even with his body in the state it was, he could stand at all...
No, no that wasn't it.
"You aren't moving your body. You are manipulating the armor, all of the mass of bronze, and your body is moving just as a side effect." She realized aloud.
Guiche's answer was to bring down the sword in the place she had been standing.
Louise's wand rose, and then wavered. With a technique like that, and in these conditions...
That bastard. He was holding [i]himself[/i] hostage? Could she even afford to attack? Or... could Kirche and Tabitha, now leaving the inn themselves, even? Burning and overheating the metal encasing him. Piercing it with lances of ice, and sundering it with wind. Blasting it apart with her own explosions.
If this was someone they could just kill, it wouldn't even be a problem. But containing Guiche, without harming him...
It was going to be hard, to say the least.