"So you'll pay for everything?" Alice questioned further.
"Of course darling," Reaver only assured.
"How can I trust you Reaver?"
Reaver raised a brow. "You don't trust me?"
"I put my trust in you once Reaver. I have to know you won't break it again."
He gave her a look of surprise, "Well I can assure you my dear, you can put your absolute faith in me."
Alice sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Fine, but only because I want to help Albion."
"Excellent decision, perhaps," he said, towering over her, his warmth radiating around the pair. "Perhaps, this'll bring the two of us, closer."
Reaver slid his hand around to the small of her back, his darkening eyes fixing on hers. Her lips parted sightly at his touch, making Reaver smirk triumphantly. Alice's conscience yelled at her to put a stop to this as the man before her began leaning in.
"W-we, should go," she mumbled, looking away from his alluring eyes. "You have another dispute with Page."
Reaver raised his browns in surprise, she had to be the first to resist his charms, and by Avo was she going to be the last. Determination grew within him.
"Very well dearest."
"This hearing concerns the future of the Bowerstone Shelter and Orphanage," Walter announced. "Page will speak for the disenfranchised people of the city. Reaver will dispute her cause."
"You may speak," Jade said, eyeing Reaver lustfully.
"Your Majesty," Page bowed. "The shelter has long been the only refuge for the homeless, the poor, and the orphaned. And until we can change the whole world for the better, it will continue to be their only hope of survival. Isn't it time we held out a helping hand to those who need it most? The shelter is underfunded and the building has fallen into disrepair. Invest in the shelter and orphanage, and perhaps we can begin to create a better future for Albion's forgotten people."
"I couldn't agree more. The city and it's people are in dire need. But it is not charity they require, it is love," Reaver began. "I propose we use this dilapidated building to help both them and ourselves. For love and money have always gone hand in hand. Let us inaugurate Bowerstone's first brothel."
"A brothel?!" Page yelled angrily.
"A brothel, bordello, whorehouse. The name is unimportant. What matters is that people get the love they need, and we get their money."
"Yes, it is for your majesty to decide. Refurnish the shelter and orphanage, or convert it into a house of ill repute?" Walter questioned.
"It is time Bowerstone had it's first whorehouse," Jade grinned, not hesitating with an answer.
"The shelter, shall become a brothel."
"Excellent your majesty. I will see to it immediately. And I mean, immediately." Reaver smirked.
Alice sighed, this'll all be another mess she'll have to clean up. She looked ever at Page who was fuming. Alice walked over to her friend, pulling her out of the throne room.
"She is despicable!" Page exclaimed angrily, as the pair left the Castle. "First she made children work, just like Logan did. And now this!"
"She's simply getting the funds for the approaching darkness," Alice tried to explain.
"She has Logan's men, and all of us fighting alongside her, what more could she possibly need! I even over heard Walter say that she's been taking money from Albion's Treasury for herself! She isn't doing this for Albion! She's doing it for herself!"
Alice had to admit she was furious hearing this. She sighed, "What do you think will happen? After we've defeated the darkness."
"My best guess is, she'll run. I doubt she'll even stay during this attack," Page admitted. "I thought she was different to her brother."
With that, Page stormed off, leaving Alice to muse about Jade. Would she really leave?
She soon found that it would most likely happen. Alice attended every hearing, always ending up fuming, but trying to calm Page, or someone else down. Jade dumped all of Bowerstone's waste in Mourningwood, turned Millfields into a mining site, draining it of all the water of Bowerlake. She let the economy collapse and rejected Kalin's proposal to build a desert fort, instead going with Reaver's decision to mine Aurora, saying that the Auroran's had to work to get protection. And then she broke Sabine's promise, instead, cutting down it's trees to turn into barricades and what not. She made people pay to learn at Brightwall library, thus breaking yet another promise. Then, she let Balverines destroy the small town in Silverpines, killing everyone who lived there. One of the villagers managed to escape, speaking how he saw Jade laugh as the people were slaughtered. Alice couldn't get the nightmares out of head. The sickening thought that the child she helped raise had become a monster.
Page held a meeting in the Resistance. Everyone who'd helped Jade only to have their promises broken gathered. All arguing about the Tyrant Queen.
"She is no better than Logan!" Sabine angrily spoke, slamming his clenched fist on the map table.
"No better?" Ben scoffed. "She's worser than Logan."
"I says, we start another revolution, this time getting her off the throne!" Sabine suggested.
"Too much blood has already been spilt for the throne," Page spoke. "She is a Hero after all."
"And what then?" Alice asked. "If she's off the throne someone has to take over."
"We can always let the people vote for a leader," Kalin thought.
"And if they vote for Reaver?" Page asked, disgusted by the thought.
"They won't," Alice said. "He's done too much damage as it is. No one wants a leader who'll just put everyone to work."
"Reaver has his ways though," Walter said grimly. "People fear him. Love him. Swoon at the sight of him. A majority would indeed vote for him."
"So, I guess that leaves us with voting then?" Page asked the group who all nodded.
"Well, I vote for Alice," Ben said, placing a hand on a shocked looking Alice.
"What?" she asked, her eyes wide.
"I think you'll be great at it," he smiled.
"B-but, I've never really lead anyone before."
"That's not true. You lead the Swift Brigade several times before, and you've done a grand job."
"I second that vote," Walter said. "I've seen what you can do."
"That what you said about Jade though," Page spoke.
"I vote for Alice," Kalin spoke.
"As do I," Sabine said. The rest of the group looked at Page.
"Too many promises have been broken for me to get my hopes up. But I've spoken to you. Fought alongside you. I know you spoke truth when you said you wanted nothing more that to stop poverty. End child labour. So please, promise me. Promise us. Swear that you will fix all of Jade's choices. Honor those promises that were made."
Alice looked around the group, before back at Page. "I promise."
A/N: Woop woop! Exams are over! Sorry this isn't the most polished chapter...but brace yourselves for the next one :)
Thank you all for your amazing reviews! (Virtual hugs given to everyone) :)