Chapter LXIII

That night, Nova found herself in the library yet again, glaring as Darkrai was reading to Bailey. After minutes of being ignored, she went back to moving through the shelves, shoving at books, yelling at Tric to dart beneath the tables and look for something. Anything.

Tric only tilted his head to one side. Made a small noise.

"I'm sure it's here, Tric," Nova told the Infernape. "There has to be a reason why Lucian did not want us in here. It's just a library."

"…perhaps he has some novels that would make any maiden blush…"

"There are novels like that?"

"…aye…"

Nova hummed, her fingers running against the walls. "I thought all books were about big hunky lads who conquered kingdoms or whatever."

"…aye, well, the big hunky lads are still present…"

"But they conquer more than kingdoms?"

"…that was quite horrific, november…"

"Well, you're the—"

She froze suddenly, her ear against the wall. There was thunder crashing outside, but even then, she could have sworn that just there, there was a muffled voice of—

Aaron.

And before she could say anything, the wall smashed into her as some slab was pushed from the other side.

She rolled onto her back, her ears ringing, vision blurred as she glanced up. Darkrai coalesced beneath her feet, Staraptor and Infernape darting to her side, Tric's mouth bared in a snarl.

For, in Aaron's hand, was a sack. A moving one. With little, desperate mumbles coming from inside—

The Clefable.

Aaron's eyes were fixed on Nova, on the shadow, as he crawled out the door that had been hidden so damned well and swung it shut behind him. "November?"

She didn't have to answer. The second he saw her gaze on the sack, Aaron was darting towards the window, hurling a dagger and shattering the glass, climbing through it, where a Beautifly was spinning white silk around him and helping him clamber up the wall.

Nova staggered to her feet, head still ringing, swaying to the windowsill. With Bailey one step ahead of her, already waiting by the window, she took hold of the Staraptor's feathers and swung onto his back, soaring up in the sky just in time to see Aaron leap across one tower to the other.

Her mind was still reeling.

What was Aaron going to do with that Clefable? Kill it?

She shoved the questions from her mind, peering over Bailey's wing to see Aaron dropping to the cobbles below. Without a second thought, Bailey was swooping down, lower and lower, plunging until Nova could leap onto the cobbles herself and into the castle after him.

Though it was dark and silent from night, the maids were out, cleaning and dusting, crying out as Aaron wove in and out of the crowd like smoke. Nova sprinted in pursuit, losing sight of him at least twice, but Darkrai always whispering in her ear like the breath of wind.

"…left…"

"…next to the bed chambers…"

"…no, the other left, november…"

Nova broke out of a window after him, just near the Rapidash stables, sliding beneath a cart, cutting her palms bloody as she crawled over the broken glass. But Aaron was too fast – already, just as she stood up and shoved her way through the Rapidash, she saw him rush to the window, his foot launching himself up, his Beautifly already there and pulling him up with another string of silk.

She swore.

She needed Bailey to fly her up. She couldn't climb the bricks – not with her hands so bloody. But if she didn't hurry—

"Fer!"

Nova nearly screamed in relief as an Infernape threw himself through the window after her.

"Tric! Go after him!"

The Infernape only hesitated for one second, rain battering on him, weakening his flames. Still, he climbed – slipping over a cracked brick, but somehow, hauling himself up. Then, with his strong, deft arms, he reached down and pulled her after, swinging them both onto the roof.

Then, they ran, Aaron just in front of them and swinging from one tower to the next with his Beautifly's silk. Nova ran harder, hoping to leap the distance, but even with Darkrai chewing her fear, she knew the gap was too big.

She skidded to a halt at the edge, gasping for breath, heart hammering in her chest while she watched Aaron turn his head over his shoulder.

Tric drew a breath of fire with his mouth, but with the rain slapping down on it, with the distance between him and the Beautifly, the embers died before they could even land.

"Shit," Nova breathed out.

She watched as Tric looked down at his feet. At the gap.

"You can't jump that far, Tric."

Tric only shook his head. Defiant.

"Tric, you're not that strong, it's raining—"

They all stopped as Aaron snorted, loud enough for them all to hear despite the crashing rain, his pretty eyes shining. And, with a small smile, he blew them a kiss.

The rage came then. Watching Aaron scuttle away with the sack, reaching the apex of the tower's roof, remembering the way he had nearly killed them with his stupid trial and the poison.

"Oh, bloody—

And Tric was running. Darkrai no longer in her shadow but his, his teeth gritted and his body trembling still as he moved back, stretched his hands out, and plunged into the gap.

Nova reeled, vertigo swelling in her own belly, vomit in her own throat.

"Tric!"

His hand just missed the wrought-iron edge of the roof. He missed the shingles on the roof, slick with rain.

And he toppled down, down, down.

"Tric!"

Shaking more than she had before. Her voice more raw than ever. Tears in her eyes as—

A caw. A gust of wind.

She tottered back, wiping the tears from her eyes, crying out as Bailey shot up from the gap, a smug Infernape on his back. They moved towards Aaron, who was grasping for his belt, a Dustox popping out and shooting darts of purple at the Staraptor.

Bailey barely dodged it, twisting aside as the purple dart sliced the air. Then, Tric struck, leaping out and latching onto the Dustox, forcing it down, shoving it against the basilica roof. He raised his fist, gasping and blinking, the Dustox hissing—

"Beautifly, Flash!"

And just as Tric sent a blazing punch into the Dustox, he could no longer see. Nor could Bailey. Nor November.

It was like they'd been scalded by light, and Tric howled, the Dustox slipping from beneath him. For a moment, all they could see was gold – white gold, rose gold, yellow gold – blinding them. Nova held her hands up to shield her eyes, she heard Bailey swoop down, heard Tric hiss.

"You're good, November," Aaron called out. "But not good enough."

"Fuck you."

But when Nova opened her eyes, Aaron was gone, the Beautifly no longer flapping in the air. All that was left was Tric, coughing but alive, and Bailey, raising himself back in the air.

Nova glanced over at Tric, at the blood that was on his fists – no doubt from the Dustox.

And she sighed.

Shit.


She had been expecting the worst the next morning when the royals called Barry and her into the throne room. The second she felt all their gazes run over her bloodied hands, the bruises along her arm, she was sure they were going to order her execution.

But they didn't. They didn't even ask what had happened last night.

Instead, Bertha sighed.

"We're leaving the castle."

"What?" Nova blurted out. "Why?"

The old woman frowned. "I've decided to hold my trial elsewhere."

"But—"

"But?"

"Queen Cynthia needs time to recover," Aaron cut in. He gave Nova a wry smile, adding, "She can't have too much noise around her."

Nova stared at him, heart frozen.

Had he not told them? About what had happened? About her chasing him? Did they know, but simply not care? And where was the Clefable?

"Aaron reported a near-theft last night," Lucian said. "A stolen Pokémon, but Aaron saved it just in time and it is in his care. He did not catch the thief's face, but we will be following that up."

Nova glanced down at her hands. The dry blood that she had barely washed off.

But he was the thief, and he knew that she had tried to-

"Don't worry, November," Aaron said. "I cleared you. I told them I saw you training earlier this morning. Thank you for letting me spar you for a bit."

Nova didn't know what to say. Whether to spit at him, or reach out and hold his hand.

Instead, she just nodded.

He had cleared her.

"Besides," Bertha continued. "A castle isn't fit for my trial."

Barry finally piped up, his voice small. "Then what is?"

The old woman smiled.

"You'll see."


They boarded their ship at noon – a ship that was far grander than she had ever seen. The masts were lined with gold, the railings so polished that they made the sunset's glare bathe the whole ship in orange light. It rolled and swayed so smoothly with the sea, not a single creaking board on the deck, the oak hatches smooth and shining.

Nova climbed softly down one of the ladders, into the ship's belly, the sunlight filtering through the timber lattices above her head.

She had to find Aaron. Talk to him. Work out what the hell he was doing, not throwing her into flames like that.

She passed by crates and barrels, coils of salt-crusted rope, iron-bound chests, pushing aside each cabin door ever so slightly to spy within.

The legionaries were still eating their evening tea. She just needed to find Aaron's room, and wait. Wait until—

She shoved open the next door, pausing as the low smell of herbs flitted across her nose.

It wasn't Aaron's room; there was kohl and blush on the table, a dress sprawled across the bed. And as Nova's eyes trailed across the floor, she saw the grey hairs along the wood, a flowery handkerchief, a little painting of a little girl and boy with golden hair and—

Nova paused as she recognised those blazing blue eyes that the boy had.

Volkner.

Which meant that the girl beside him in the painting, with the long locks of golden, the black britches and hands in her pockets, looking bored as ever…

Queen Cynthia.

Nova moved over to it, hands instinctively moving over the canvas, feeling the brushstrokes against her nails. There was a letter there, too, with curled writing along the browned paper, crumpled along the edges.

"Darkrai?" she whispered. "What does it say?"

"…not even a please?..."

"We don't have—"

"What are you doing?"

The sharp hiss made her whirl around, shoving the letter behind her back, slowly inching it into her belt beneath her coat.

She looked to see if Bertha had seen, but the old woman only glared up at her, snarling.

"Well?"

Nova smiled sheepishly. "Would you believe me if I said I stumbled into the wrong room?"

"No."

"Then… I wanted to… talk to you."

"Oh?"

"Aye. I wanted to—"

Bertha held up her hand. "You disrespect my granddaughter, you use vulgar language, you break into my cabin to possibly steal something, and you expect me to want to speak to you?"

"…Aye?"

The old woman's eyes were sharp as daggers as she lifted a finger and directed it at the door.

"Get out."

"Wait—"

"And go and learn a thing or two from your blind friend. At least he shows respect to—"

"Someone is pretending to be you."

That made Bertha's lips slap shut.

"I thought I knew you," Nova rattled out, "because someone is walking around calling herself Lady Bertha. She became a good friend of mine. She gave me my armour. She even let me in her house in Celestic."

Bertha opened her mouth again. Closed it. Then, with a brow arched, she said, "You've gone mad. You must be imagining things."

"I'm serious! Could it be someone you know?"

"Why would any acquaintance of mine help you?" Bertha snapped. "After you tried stealing my own granddaughter's fiancée away?"

"I—"

Bertha's stare hardened as she wiggled her finger again. "Leave. I have no intention of speaking to you. Whether you're Duke Rowan's granddaughter or not."

With a sigh, Nova nodded. Slowly moved over to the door. Paused.

"Wait, you know my grandfather?"

She expected Bertha to snap at her again, but instead, the old woman rolled her eyes. "Aye. Good man. Good king. We used to bicker always. Now get out—"

"Bicker? Over what?"

"He was mad," Bertha said, exasperated. "Always wanting to break laws and build new things. Did you know he was the one who allowed the pirates to take over Canalave? In agreement that they would give him any interesting thing they found on their adventures?"

"Really?"

"Aye. He let pirates – filthy pirates – take over the south of Sinnoh. We all thought he was mad. Now, will you just—"

"Then why would you say he was a good king?"

That caught the old woman by surprise. She looked over at November, a small sparkle in her eyes. "Well, he was rogue, aye, but… sometimes his mad schemes worked out. Somehow. Because it came from a good heart. Now, leave."

But Nova caught her smile. And she was smiling too.

"I know you don't like me, Baroness Bertha," she said softly. "But I promise that I'm not rogue to give you hell. I have a good heart."

Then, with a short nod of her head, she darted out of the room.

It didn't even take a minute for her to rush onto the deck, the wind battering her face as she pulled out the note from her belt and held it out.

"Alright, now can you read it?"

"…perhaps…"

"Maybe it'll tell you how to get a bloody island."

"…that doesn't seem very likely…"

Nonetheless, once Nova glanced over her shoulder to see that no one was around them, the Darkrai slipped out of her shadow and began to read.

And as the words tumbled out of his mouth, she closed her eyes. Listened.

Because she had just unravelled Sinnoh's biggest secret.


Dear grandmother,

Please do not tell Mother and Father of this letter. They would kill me.

I'm leaving the castle. I must. I promise I will be back by the end of the Gladiator Games – and I will not be leaving Sinnoh. You need not fret, I will still be watching over our kingdom, and no one will even notice that I've gone.

I know you were hoping to ask me about why I stupidly decided to propose to Sir Riley out of nowhere. Cresselia has been warning me of troubling times ahead, and if something is to go wrong, I do not want Lucian taking control. He may be a bloody brilliant chief advisor, but I don't trust him with Sinnoh.

I know Sir Riley is young. But I do trust him to look after Sinnoh if I were to go for longer. And the moment I return, I will call off the engagement. I promise. He deserves to find so much more in his life.

But I must go for now. You know I did not become a gladiator to become a queen. I did it to explore Sinnoh. I did it to find my little sister. Or brother. I still don't know – Mother and Father will not tell me. They think the baby is dead.

I don't think so. Do you remember that scarf you gave Mother when she was born? Volkner said he saw a woman with it – and I just know. They're out there. Someone who is part of our family.

I don't care if they were a child of an affair. I don't care if they are horribly deformed. Mother and Father won't tell me why they dumped the baby away, but I can only guess that Mother had an affair or the baby was born without a head.

But I will do what I can to find them.

And I will not return until I do.

With love,

Cynthia

(And yes, I did tell Lucian to fuck himself when he suggested marrying a lord from another kingdom. What of it?)


More things being revealed as we slowly reach the end! But there's your first taste of Cynthia; thoughts?

Next up, we officially have Bertha's trial! I'm really excited for it actually. I had planned for them all to be in the castle, but then I remembered that whole post-league section of the map and didn't really want to waste it...

Oops, have I said too much?