AN: Thanks to Fictiondevourer for beta-ing. Albion is covered here first because chronologically this happens around the same time as the Treaty signing. Next chapter will cover the reactions to the Treaty in more detail.

Chapter 37

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Four days before Tristain and Alfheim signed the Treaty:

Viscount Wardes reached La Rochelle on the back of his griffon. His clandestine departure from the Capital was caught by at least three agents he knew of, from various countries, and more that he was sure he missed. The only ones that didn't know for sure he had left Tristainia was the Germanians, and even then Wardes was doubtful that they would not find out.

The Viscount left the details of getting to Albion to Julio Cesare, Pope Vittorio's agent. The Romalian would have a better idea how to reach Albion without practically announcing to all of the spies of their plans…

-][-

One day before Tristain and Alfheim signed the Treaty:

Prince Wales Tudor of Albion sat in his office, surprised by the guests Perry, his chamberlain, brought him. Viscount Wardes had entered into Newcastle as if appearing out of nowhere, and Wales hoped it was only a Square class mage that could have bypassed their defences with such ease. Julio, the Romalian agent who Wardes chanced upon on his way to Newcastle, was asked to wait outside while Wardes finished his business with the Albion royal heir.

Handing over the Letter was simple enough. As for Princess Henrietta's suggestion, however…

"I'm afraid I have to decline," Prince Wales said finally.

"Even when Tristain is capable of taking back Albion, Your Highness?" Wardes inquired. "Fighting a last stand may be a glorious end, but it's surely not as glorious as retaking Londinium and the rest of your country."

"But at what cost?" Wales said simply. "I've heard the news from the merchants, Viscount. Faeries have overrun Tristain, taking what they want from Tristain's Crown and nobility. That they want seemingly little compared to what could have happened does not change that fact. Let us say they do not betray us, and with their help Tristain reclaims fair Albion from Reconquista – what happens then? Tristain and Albion's close ties go back centuries, Princess Henrietta can be trusted – but I am less certain for the Fae. Even in the best case scenario they would gain a foothold here, and I believe it will be far worse if they possess an airborne nation instead of one that is land-bound."

"I have met the Faerie Lords, Your Highness," Wardes replied. "Whatever else might be said about them, the majority of them are peaceful to a fault. Treat them in good faith and they would reciprocate – which is more than what some of Albion's subjects have shown themselves to be capable of. Even the Salamanders, the most warmongering among them, can be negotiated with.

"But that is not what you are worried about, is it Your Highness?" Wardes asked cannily. "The faeries would attack Albion eventually, if nothing else to strike back at Reconquista when the traitors inevitably attack the closest Firstborn polity to them. Then the faeries would occupy Albion regardless if you have sought shelter with Tristain or not. It is something else that is on your mind, if I may be so bold."

"…" Prince Wales scrutinized Wardes for several moments, before sighing.

"Albion is a country rich with history, not unlike the other nations that could trace their line back to the Founder," Wales admitted. "Romalia may reign supreme in the area of intelligence gathering, but even our Albion has agents – as lacklustre as they may be in comparison. They report to my father about the events of the mainland, and even before out withdrawal to Newcastle I have heard Tristain is planning to ally with Germania through marriage. In order to protect themselves from Reconquista's invasion."

"Said marriage is no longer in place, Your Highness," Wardes said respectfully. "I have been told this by the Princess herself and from the Regent. Germania hesitates in clashing against the full might of Romalia and Gallia combined, if the worst happens and the other nations attack Tristain using Alfheim as an excuse. To be blunt, Your Highness, even if this Letter should fall into the hands of Germania, Princess Henrietta will not be committing bigamy."

For an instant, Prince Wales looked cautiously elated, before he schooled his expression.

"Nevertheless, I wish Henrietta will be able to find another man that she loves," Wales shook his head. "How can I call myself to be a Royal of Albion, of the Country of Air, if I run with my tail between my legs and leave my subjects to die? My honour, my courage – my duty – cannot accept anything less than to fight alongside my men."

"Is that your honour, or your pride, Your Highness?" Wardes asked softly.

"I won't deny that there is some pride in all this," Wales said self-mockingly. "I cannot accept Tristain's charity, while being a burden to my beloved. Surely you can imagine the kind of talk that will arise if I am Tristain's 'guest'. Henrietta deserves better than one such as myself."

"Would that there be another man worthy for my liege," Wardes said sadly. "The loss of Albion's royal line would be a grave one against all of Halkeginia. Will you not reconsider, Your Highness?"

"No, I will not," Wales shook his head, his younger face determined. "The royal heritage of Albion lives on within Tristain, our two countries have intermarried long enough for it to be the case. Never mind the blood tie existing within other countries, from when Halkeginia was a different era. Bloodlines come and go over the last six thousand years, Viscount, I am not so deluded to believe mine is any more special.

"Send my regards to Princess Henrietta, Viscount Wardes. And tell her… tell her that I am sorry."

Recognizing the words as a dismissal, Wardes respectfully left. He also pointedly ignored any droplets of water that may be forming within the room, he was a mage of Wind and not Water; he couldn't sense water with ease.

-][-

Juilo's business with Prince Wales was surprisingly similar to Wardes'. Romalia requested Wales to leave Albion so when they reclaim the White Isle they would have just case. Pope Vittorio did not even wish for Wales to come to Romalia, merely that he leaves – even if it was to Tristain, where the faeries reside. Again, Wales repeated his reasoning to stay, albeit with far less personal reasons included.

"No, I will not leave Albion," Wales said irritably at Julio's insistent queries. "You test my patience, Romalian. You may stay for our final feast before the battle tomorrow, but after that I must ask you to leave with the rest of the evacuees."

Julio sighed.

"His Holiness did not wish for things to turn out this way," Julio said morosely. "Things would continue far more smoothly with your cooperation that without, Your Highness."

Before Wales could ask just what did Julio mean, he felt his seat lurch back and he was pulled. After Prince Wales stopped moving he could see the edges of a portal could be seen surrounding a visage to his office, before it closed with Julio smiling from the other side.

"What…?" Wales asked, bewildered, as he took in his surroundings. He was within a large church, and apart from a maid there was a figure in papal robes with him.

"I am sorry to have forced the matter, Prince Wales," Pope Vittorio said apologetically. "But Halkeginia need you alive."

"This is…" Wales struggled to comprehend what happened. "Am I in Romalia? Or did Your Holiness come to Albion?"

"The former."

"Why?" The 'how' was more easily answered, even if it was just as mind-boggling. A portal spell that was not the Familiar summoning ritual? The only other mage in recorded history that was capable of such was Founder Brimir himself. There was a Void mage in modern times.

"Please wait a moment," Vittorio asked, as he began casting. Wales reached for his own wand guardedly, but the only thing that happened at the end of the Pope's incantation was another portal opening and Julio stepping through.

"Give Prince Wales the letter from his father," Vittorio said to his agent. "It should explain everything."

"We took the liberty of explaining things to your father first, Your Highness," Julio apologized. "While you were speaking with Viscount Wardes. We are doing this with his permission, if not with yours."

"King James I of Albion commands you to live," Vittorio says, even as Wales delicately took the letter from Julio. "He wished for us to save more of your people in Newcastle, but your loyalists wouldn't have accepted such a command-"

"I wouldn't have accepted such a command," Wales said through gritted teeth, reading the letter. Either it was a very convincing fake, or his father did agree to Pope Vittorio's actions.

"And that it would be suspicious to the extreme if there was no final battle," Vittorio continued as if Wales did not interrupt. "Having said that, King Joseph also decided the farce in Albion has gone on long enough, and he agreed to end that particular game. The women and children will be allowed to leave safely from Newcastle on your ship the Eagle, in exchange for the lives of all the loyalists staying to fight-"

"What?" Wales' head jerked up from reading. He had suspected someone was funding Reconquista, but didn't expect to be told who it was. If Pope Vittorio's words could be trusted as well, given what got him into Romalia.

"The next generation of loyal Albion nobility will be ensured," Vittorio assured Wales. "We will keep an eye on them, so when you take back Albion's throne you will not be alone to rule the country."

"Why are you doing all this?" Wales asked suspiciously. If Romalia expected Albion would accept to being a puppet state for them, they would be sadly mistaken.

"It is the will of the Founder," Vittorio said simply. "Literally so. By now, Prince Wales, can you agree that I possess magic not seen since the Founder's time?"

"Either that, or someone have drugged me with hallucinating potions without me noticing," Wales said shortly.

"Then perhaps this will help you believe," Vittorio gestured to a circular mirror placed on a table. "You still possess the Wind Ruby, correct? One of Albion's ancestral treasures. Touch the mirror with your ring, and you will see the truth.

"No tricks," Vittorio said, pre-empting Wales' words. "I swear upon the name of the Founder."

Still suspicious, Wales nevertheless did as Vittorio asked. With a soft metallic clink, the world fell away.

In the dark void, there was only himself and a person who Wales instinctively knew was the Founder, all the way to the core of his being. Brimir's blood passed down running through his veins confirmed it to be so. The figure spoke, but Wales could not hear the words.

"Do you believe me now?" Vittorio asked as Wales' senses came rushing back to him, and he breathed heavily. "Due to recent events, Founder Brimir could speak with Void mages through certain treasures passed down the four royal lines founded by his Heirs. Without one of the four main parts of the inheritance the Founder left behind, you couldn't use the Round Mirror to its full potential – but you have enough royal blood to know just what it was you have seen."

"I believe you," Wales said hoarsely. The maid offered him a glass of water, and Wales accepted it graciously. "So, may I ask why you have not announced your position to the world? You could have stopped Reconquista."

"Would they believe my announcement?" Vittorio asked rhetorically. "No, they would not. Even if they did however, Reconquista is working under a Void mage as well. They have no reason to obey one Void mage over another."

"Who-? No, don't tell me," Wales scowled. "King Joseph is a Void mage?"

"Very perceptive," Vittorio approved.

"He's the only one I can think of that, if both sides were Void mages, can still match your influence," Wales muttered. "But why? Why are you two using Albion for what you called a 'game'?"

"The Mad King called it a game," Vittorio shrugged. "I do not personally treat it as such, there being things too important involved to treat it as such. With the Founder's will returning to Halkeginia, King Joseph is forced to stop treating it as a game as well, and is winding down Reconquista's activities. As far as I know, he is even willing to give Albion back to you, once he has found what he was after."

"W-what?" Wales stuttered with disbelief. "What could be more important there than the entire country of Albion?"

"The Founder's inheritance left to Albion, for one," Vittorio explained. "Of the Four pieces of Void left to each country, I possess through you three of them. King Joseph is looking for the remaining piece, the Void artefact of Albion – the Founder's Music Box. I believe it to be a power play by King Joseph for the Founder's favour between his current Heirs that he work through to influence Halkeginia."

"And the three remaining pieces are…?" Wales asked, not expecting an answer. Nonetheless Vittorio replied:

"Those are the Ruby ring you now hold, Albion's Void mage, and the Void familiar bounded to said Void mage.

"You asked me earlier why I worked to get you out of Albion – to put it simply, the current Albion royal line must be kept alive. Your offspring will be Albion's next Void mage. Founder Brimir has guaranteed it."

Wales stared back at Vittorio, gobsmacked.

"I'm not going to ask you to produce an heir immediately with some random noblewoman, Prince Wales," Vittorio said patiently. "In fact, it's preferable if you marry Princess Henrietta – the Founder's bloodline flows strongly through her as well – and organizing your union will take time. Getting what you want – Albion, and your beloved's hand in marriage – is in the best interest of Halkeginia.

"There is a catastrophe on the horizon – within perhaps a decade's time, things in Halkeginia would be in great turmoil. The four Void mages and their familiars need to be gathered for Halkeginia to survive."

"Worse than what the faeries could do?" Wales asked.

"Much worse. The faeries can at least be talked to, have something they want and willing to bargain for. What is coming does not. Please, let me help you. For the sake of Halkeginia."

Hesitantly, Wales grasped Vittorio's offered hand. He still had misgivings, but alone in a foreign land with no support, Wales had little choice but to go along. Maybe time would tell if Vittorio was trustworthy or not.

-][-

Not long after Wales had left, Sheffield passed along orders from 'Cromwell' ordering Reconquista to attack. The loyalists barely managed to evacuate their women and children before Newcastle fell.

At the end of the battles, Sheffield conveniently found the corpse of Viscount Wardes. The Tristainian fought like a cornered rat, buying time for the evacuees when it was apparent he could not fight his way out against the entirety of the forces arrayed against Newcastle. Some would have called his actions a valiant effort – but not Sheffield. With a single touch on the 'corpse', the Mind of God understood the trickery.

Skirni. A magic that creates a puppet that was practically a perfect body double, as long as they have the target's blood beforehand. It was a favourite for the mages that worked deep in the shadows, unknown to the mages whose priorities were honour and glory. Wardes' puppet was so well made that if Sheffield was not Myoznitnirn, the Void familiar that controlled magic artefacts, she would have been convinced the Viscount was struck down. Romalia's mastery in such magicks was apparent as usual.

Nonetheless, her Master ordered her to let the Viscount sneak away – even when it was revealed Wardes was never loyal to Reconquista as the Viscount claimed. Pope Vittorio also served King Joseph's Founder, and the rulers of Gallia and Romalia were supposed to cooperate instead of going into conflict. Striking down one of Romalia's dogs would be too obvious, never mind against the spirit of things – not that Sheffield or King Joseph cared about the spirit. Sheffield was not born of Halkeginia, she had no reason to obey Founder Brimir, and King Joseph was never a particularly pious man.

Besides, it was not like Romalia wanted Wardes to be released for free. In exchange, left in the puppet's clothes was a certain Letter that Wardes had obtained from Prince Wales. Though if King Joseph had not given up on Reconquista, the love letter would have been poor recompense. The blow dealt by Wardes' betrayal would have crippled Reconquista's movements within Tristain, given what the Viscount knew. Nevertheless, they have the letter, and King Joseph planned to make full use of it to instigate turmoil. If they could not hurt Wardes directly, then they would hurt everything that Wardes could have loved in Tristain.

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One day after Tristain and Alfheim signed the Treaty:

The Germanian Ambassador to Tristain delivered to Princess Henrietta a letter from Emperor Albrecht III illustrating Germania's displeasure. Reconquista had urgently delivered to them proof that Tristain's had planned to negotiate in bad faith. The love letter between Prince Wales and Princess Henrietta could have been forged, true, but the decapitated head of Viscount Wardes was less likely to be so. That Henrietta was not able to school her expression enough at the word of Viscount Wardes' death was the final nail in the coffin – the Germanian Ambassador caught it and Tristain could hardly kill him to silence the connection. It was likely Albrecht III would know of it when dawn rises the next day, as the Ambassador sent word via couriers upon Wind Dragons.

Reconquista openly declared their victory over Albion, and that King James I and the rest of Albion's royal family was dead. However, they were not able to produce Prince Wales' corpse as they did with the others', which brought some doubt as to what exactly happened to the Prince – it was suspicious that they could find Viscount Wardes' body but not that of Wales. That was one of the few silver linings Henrietta found in the entire mess – not that she could show herself mourning even if Prince Wales was truly dead. It would have painted her in an even worse light, being an unrepentant liar instead of just a liar.

Thankfully, Alfheim cared little for the latest debacle, so there would be no oil poured upon the fire. Titania was indifferent, merely commenting as long as Henrietta kept her nobles in check she had no reason to care about Henrietta's love life. For all their posturing Germania was unlikely to cut ties with Tristain, or more specifically Alfheim which was attached to Tristain – their greed vastly outweighed their Emperor's displeasure. With Alfheim's alliance, Tristain's position would not be so weak that Germania could force any serious recompense.

As for the Faerie Lords, their reactions were mixed – as they were when it comes to almost any matter. Lords Mortimer and Rufus' opinion of Tristain for example couldn't be any lower than it was already, the exposed letter changed nothing. If Henrietta was honest with herself, it was likely the Lords of the Salamanders and Leprechauns didn't have a high opinion of her personal ability to begin with.

The female half of the Faerie Lords were more sympathetic – even if Henrietta have been proven to make decisions in bad faith, it was understandable. Not condoned, strictly speaking, but understandable. Nevertheless, the Treaty was supposed to be a new beginning for both sides, so for example as long as Tristain did not obsess over the Royal Protector attending the preliminary Treaty discussions undercover, Alfheim would not be fixated on Henrietta's past misdeeds.

Both sides wished if only things would be so simple as well, among the citizens below them.

AN: Bakatsuki had the chamberlain spelled as 'Paris', but according to the Japanese 'パリー' (parii) I think it probably should be spelled as in English as 'Perry' instead.

I'm taking many liberties as to what Void magic work with heirs, as non-Void mages like Wales being able to use the Round Mirror even to that extent isn't canon. I'm justifying it using the broken seal on Shaitan's Gate.

Lastly, a update to FiF will at least come around Christmas time every year if I can help it. No guarantee for the rest of the year though. Chapter 38 will be up shortly after Ch37 here.