"I've had this...nightmare for weeks now, and it's not stopping," Malty said in a teary voice. It sounded pathetic, as if she was wailing, but she hardly cared. She continued to tell her about the destroyed village, the dead people accusing her, and that Raphtalia was there with her. She left out the part where the girl ran away.
All the while, Malty let herself be held, talking into Raphtalia's nightgown. Breathing in the comforting scent. It felt good to confide in her, and she was almost tempted to say more. To tell her about how she'd died and come back. About the things she could never tell anyone. But she was lucid enough to not do that.
Malty carefully lifted her head up to look at Raphtalia, anxiously waiting for her judgment. Whereas the tension had now mostly left Malty, it seemed to have transitioned to her. Malty's eyes had adjusted well enough to the dark to see that Raphtalia's were wide-open, and that she was staring off into space. Malty placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her gently. "Raphtalia? Hey, say something." She swallowed, heart rate speeding up.
Raphtalia started and gasped, looking around wide-eyed.
She'll hate me now, Malty thought, feeling like crying again. Her head was still pounding like crazy, eyes aching.
"I dream of the Waves too. T-the Wave." The words were spoken so faintly that Malty nearly missed them. "When my… m-my parents..." Tears were flowing down her cheeks.
Malty hugged her. Oh, she thought. I'm an idiot. She returned the favor and held and caressed Raphtalia as she told her about her own nightmares and how her parents had sacrificed themselves to save her from the Wave monsters, mumbling the words into Malty's chest with a shaky voice.
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, she thought, clutching her little raccoon sister tightly, pressing kisses in-between her ears. If I'd come back earlier. I would have saved your parents. I would have saved all of them. I would have. I promise. She knew it was a lie, but it made her feel a little better, and if there was one thing Malty was good at it was lying—and convincing herself that it was the truth.
For what felt like an eternity, they comforted each other, held each other, told each other that it'd all be okay. The crying subsided and came back in cycles until they eventually fell asleep.
- TheVillainess -
The next morning, Malty felt heavenly. Her eyes were aching faintly and there was still an uncomfortable throbbing in her head, but in comparison to before, it was pure heaven.
When Raphtalia awoke, they shot each other smiles, tinged with a hint of sadness but mostly hope and optimism, and continued to cuddle for a long while. After last night, there seemed to be some sort of bond between them.
Mala came to check on them, but Malty sent her off, telling her that she was fine and not to be bothered. Apparently, a guard had been alerted by her outburst last night and had even entered the bedroom. In her despair, she hadn't even noticed.
With Mala gone, Malty continued what she'd done before: gazing into Raphtalia's eyes, as they lay facing each other, their heads resting on her pillow.
Malty had never studied them in such detail. Among the lovely sea of rosy-red, she could make out specks of brown, and even a little bit of crimson. There seemed to be a little world of its own hidden there.
Malty placed a hand on Raphtalia's cheek, and the girl closed her eyes, the smile on her lips widening. A happy tear slipped down her skin as she exhaled shakily.
Good, Malty thought, her heart warming with joy. This bond is very good. Now it'll be even harder for her to leave. She grimaced, feeling ashamed for her selfish thoughts, and averted her eyes, her hand falling off Raphtalia's cheek.
"Hmm? Malty?"
"I…" Malty tried to make sense of her feelings. "I haven't told you everything last night."
Raphtalia only nodded, no judgment, waiting patiently for her to speak.
"In my dream… The village, I know where that is. And… I'm very sure that the next Wave will hit there."
Raphtalia blinked. "Okay."
She believes you, Malty thought. The apprehension she'd felt bled away. Just like that. How…naive. Awwwwww… She shook those silly thoughts off and resisted the urge to pat Raphtalia's head. "I know not to ignore my dreams...because it was a dream that has let me to sent Blue-Eyes to rescue you."
Raphtalia grinned.
"So… do you think we should help that village from my dream?"
"I… I don't know…"
"I don't say we go there to fight the Wave," Malty said hurriedly, and Raphtalia relaxed. "But we could warn them, I guess." Whether it was fear of simple self-preservation, Malty was pleased with her reaction.
"Yes. That makes sense."
"Okay."
"Okay."
"But before that…" Malty grinned. "We should cuddle some more." She promptly hit Raphtalia with a lunging cuddle attack. And tickles. Many, many tickles.
"And have breakfast!" Raphtalia gasped out in-between giggles and happy tears.
- TheVillainess -
Her servants had looked at her oddly when she'd told them that they'd go on a little excursion today, but had promptly scurried off and readied things to her wishes.
Bellies full and with enough proviant packed to last them a few days—in her good mood, she'd even decided to not pack any wine—Malty and Raphtalia enjoyed the voyage across the countryside. They had been blessed with a cloudless sky, so Malty had decided for an open carriage to fully relish the wonderful weather, their hair fluttering in the wind. Of course, a roofed carriage was riding behind hers, just in case. Her supplies had been stored there. A third carriage, this one also without a roof and of a more plain design, was filled with knights.
Malty was cuddling Raphtalia in her lap, occasionally bouncing her a little whenever they hit a bump in the dirt road that would lead them all the way to Riyute. Beside them, idyllic scenery passed by. The smell was, at times, not all that great, but it was a small price to pay. She got used to it quickly.
Raphtalia didn't show any signs of apprehension. She was giggling and laughing and pointing left and right, talking with excitement in her voice. She even told Malty a little about how things had been back in her village. A farming village, too. In return, Malty regaled her with whatever tidbit or story she knew about the lands they passed and the monsters inhabiting them. After all, she'd traversed some of it in her past life.
No monsters neared them. And even if they had, she had full confidence in Bald and Blue-Eyes, both flanking the small caravan atop Filolials, to deal with it without a problem. With her sudden choice to travel, it wasn't like anyone could have planned an ambush.
Malty had more fun than she would have expected, and she was almost saddened when they arrived at Riyute.
She let the carriages stop at the town's center and couldn't help but think about how she'd once arrived here, and how that ridiculous race had taken place. Whoever came up with that idea again? Probably Motoyasu.
Malty instructed the knights to gather the villagers, then she led Raphtalia onto the elevated platform. The girl seemed very nervous, so Malty gave her hand a squeeze and caressed her ears until a grin formed on her face. Cute cute cute... A tap on her shoulder, courtesy to Blue-Eyes, alerted her of the fact that a large crowd had formed, waiting impatiently.
"Thank you." Showtime, she thought and put a confident smile on her face, even if the sorry lot of stinky peasants wasn't any reason for delight.
"Citizens of Riyute!" Malty announced. "I am Malty S Melromarc, the first Princess of Melromarc." When was the last time I introduced myself like that? It feels so odd. "I have come here to warn you. The next Wave of Catastrophe will assail us very soon. And Riyute will be in its epicenter. You'll all be in direct danger. In grave danger." She let that statement hang in the air for the moment. "But do not despair. Thanks to the Heroes and the Dragon Hourglass, we know of the exact time, to the second, when the monsters of the Wave will arrive. So, when that dark hour strikes, take your loved ones and your livestock and make for the nearby city of Loskred. You'll be sheltered and safe there for the duration of the Wave. And once the Heroes and knights have defeated the nightmares of the Wave, you can return to your homes. It shouldn't cost you more than a workday. A small price to pay for your lives, I'd wager. Heed my warning and help Melromarc not suffer a single casualty this time. Thank you." Malty finished with a smile and a nod, quite pleased with her performance. It was a wonder what half a good night of sleep and some excessive cuddling had done for her state of mind.
The villagers were, naturally, shocked. A steady stream of murmurs and despairing moans could be heard from the crowd.
Now that wasn't so hard, was it? She felt like a weight equal to the Shield Hero's fat Filolial had been lifted off her shoulders.
"And what about our homes? Will the knights defend our village?"
Malty frowned. Were they really concerned about a bunch of decrepit wooden buildings when their lives were at stake? She hadn't known peasants were that stupid. Raphtalia was equally confused as she was, anxiously biting her lower lip. Malty watched, helpless and not just a little repulsed, as the peasants argued, one more uncivilized than the next.
"Right! We can't just abandon our livelihood."
"My mother isn't fit to travel!"
"Maybe we should stay and assist the knights in the fight against the Wave!"
"Yeah!"
"Are you mad?" some woman yelled. "Let's just do as the Princess says and leave!"
"Silence, you old—"
"That's enough!" a firm voice brought an end to the argument, more like bickering. It was a tall middle-aged man who stood with more confidence and not-quite-so-shabby clothes. People made room for him, apparently their leader.
"Your Highness." He bowed. "I thank you for the warning. My name is Archard. I speak for this town. If I may ask a question?"
Malty gestured for him to continue.
"You claim that our village will be at the ep— the center of the Wave. How do you know this, Your Highness?"
"The magicians at court have determined this after studying the last Wave." She'd not expected to be questioned, but the lie slipped easily from her tongue. "I will send one of them to inform you of the exact time so that you may plan accordingly." Shouldn't be too hard to bribe one of them.
Archard nodded. "Please do. In the meantime, I trust that you brought a crystal ball documenting the magicians' findings?"
Really? Malty thought, carefully hiding her irritation. It's not so unreasonable to assume, I suppose. "I don't. Since this only affects one village, I didn't feel it necessary. As I said, I'll send a court magician to answer all your questions. For now, my word will need to suffice."
"Will it, though?"
Malty could hardly believe it. This… this blatant disrespect. Maybe I should have dressed in my armor. I bet he wouldn't be so bold had I my sword strapped to my hip. "Are you calling me a liar, speaker?"
"I would not dare, Your Highness." The man bowed, as if apologizing. "Riyute may not be the most significant town, but we do receive the odd news via crystal ball on occasion. We have all witnessed the trial. Heard the...laughter."
Fuck, Malty thought. She scowled. "Yes, and have you heard of the second trial, where I explained everything? Under the Slave Crest, no less!"
This earned her a few laughs from the crowd. Mocking laughs.
"A useless drunk is still a useless drunk, confessed under the Curse or not!"
Who said that?! Malty let her piercing gaze swipe across the crowd.
"Yeah! Why should we believe you care even a smidge for us peasants when you laughed at that girl's demise!"
Had they talked to Naofumi about his version of the events? She knew he'd been here, perhaps even was right now. They definitely hadn't received the correct versions of her trial.
"You just want us to abandon our home for some petty game! Steal our things!"
"Ha! We're not so stupid as you think us to be!"
Curse you! Malty thought, gritting her teeth. You damn, ungrateful, insignificant, filthy peasants! Maybe you deserve to die, after all!
"Yeah! Take your pet and go home, Princess!"
A sort of enraged growl escaped past her clenched teeth. Her head was throbbing with intense anger like it hadn't in ages. If I didn't know your village would meet its end soon, I'd burn it down myself!
The damage was done now, and more accusations and insults got thrown her way. Even a ball of something brown—shit or dirt—got hauled toward her and landed at her feet. One of her knights drew his sword. The others followed suit. Blood would flow if things continued like this, and Malty didn't feel like stopping them.
"Stop! Stop it! Stop!" It was Raphtalia's shrill scream that pierced and halted the escalating situation. "You need to stop and listen!"
Surprisingly, many people halted to look at her, though it was probably more due to astonishment than anything.
"You need to listen to Malty! She only wants to help!"
"And who are you, little girl?"
"I'm…" Raphtalia faltered as more and more people stared and frowned at her.
There she is, Malty thought. There's the strong will I knew was inside of you. Smiling gently, she placed a hand on Raphtalia's shoulder and gave her a comforting squeeze.
The girl collected herself. "I'm Raphtalia. From Luralona!" She swallowed as a wave of nervous murmurs emanated from the crowd. Malty gave her another squeeze. "I was there. During the first Wave. I lost everything! M-my family and..." She took a few seconds to regain her breath. "We weren't so lucky to receive warning. So you need to listen to Malty...and leave! You can always rebuild your houses, but you cannot rebuild people..."
A shiver ran down Malty's spine. It was such a simple yet indisputable truth. The villagers knew it as well, having fallen completely silent now. Shifting from foot to foot, apprehensive.
Malty felt her lips twitch with the urge to grin. Who knew that it would be her wonderful little masseuse who'd sway those peasants in the end? She'd need to think of some special reward for her when they—
"So listen to Malty," Raphtalia said, not having to yell anymore to make her voice carry across the gathering. "She knows. She saved me because of her dreams. And now she'll save you. Trust her and do as she says."
Malty's smile fell off her face.
"A dream?!"
"She's just a charlatan!"
"I knew it!"
"Crazy!"
Malty picked up Raphtalia. "We're leaving!" she ordered her knights as she hurried toward the carriage.
Thankfully, the agitated villagers weren't stupid enough to try halt her exit.
Well, I tried my best, Malty thought, eyes on a distant forest, Raphtalia's ears tickling her chin. They'd left behind the village long ago. It's not my fault if they don't listen. I did more than they deserved anyway. Stupid peasants...
"I'm sorry, Malty," Raphtalia said softly. "I know that was a stupid thing to say. I don't know why I did that. Sorry..."
"Shh. It's okay." Malty held her closer and brushed her fingers across the back of Raphtalia's head in a gentle caress. "They wouldn't have believed us anyway. You tried your best. I'm not mad at you."
"Okay." Raphtalia nodded faintly, relaxing against her, but not completely.
Malty really couldn't care less what those peasants did. She wasn't even sure why she'd gotten so enraged at their refusal to listen. But well, for how they'd upset Raphtalia, she hated them.
"Is there something else we can do?" Raphtalia asked.
"No. We did what we could. Now it's up to them whether they listen or not. We did our part."
"Okay."
The guilt or whatever it was she'd felt was gone now. And yet, the journey back to the castle was spent in silence, mostly. A far cry from the fun they'd had before.
- TheVillainess -
At least her nightmares stopped. Irritatingly, her thoughts kept drifting back to what had happened in the village. Often times, Malty would find herself staring at her armor at the wall, wondering how things would have gone had she worn it. Should she have done something different? Could she have succeeded if she'd approached the situation with more finesse? Perhaps she should have planned a scheme, rather than take the direct approach? She knew that she hadn't given her all—she'd just wanted to be done with it and never be bothered by those pesky thoughts again—and that knowledge ate away at her. She was a perfectionist, after all. Defeat stung, cause by stupid peasants or not.
She could tell that Raphtalia was having thoughts of a similar notion. The girl didn't say anything, but sometimes, there was this aura of sadness, of disappointment, of guilt, around her. It gnawed at Malty, and she repeatedly found herself telling the girl that she'd not done anything wrong. It didn't appear to have any positive effects.
When Mother Ralapha came by for violin practice, Malty made sure that she knew that her sudden exit from the marriage had been due to an upset stomach. Mother Ralapha didn't appear all that convinced, but when Malty mentioned drinking that odd-tasting alcoholic beverage, the suspicion vanished. Violin practice wasn't nearly as fun as it had been before, so Malty decided to pause that for now. Maybe she just couldn't bear to look at Mother Ralapha and be reminded of her stupidly-happy daughter, though...
"Malty," her father said one day during dinner. "I've heard you visited that village. Riyute. May I ask what your business was there?"
"You may." Malty cut, shoved a piece of meat into her mouth, and chewed, almost viciously.
Aultcray gave her a flat look. Beside her, Raphtalia was eating quietly, head down.
"I'm sorry, father. I… I just went there to warn them about the Wave. They didn't listen, of course."
Aultcray hummed. "So this wasn't about the Shield Hero?"
She had the urge to roll her eyes and didn't resist. "No. He wasn't there, as far as I could tell." Another missed opportunity, her mind chastised her, completely unhelpfully.
"Then why? What's so special about that village?"
Malty could only shrug helplessly. "I don't know." She sighed. "Call it an inkling…"
"I see."
She wondered if she could ask her father for a royal decree, to just make those damn peasants obey her, but after their past interactions, she was doubtful he would grant it. Her sulking wasn't exactly a thing that inspired confidence…
The already awkward dinner turned even more awkward after that. She suffered through the silence, then excused herself before he could ask her for a game of chess.
- TheVillainess -
The next day, as Malty found herself, once again, staring at her armor with a dejected Raphtalia by her side, she became overwhelmed by this need...to just do something. As if the walls of her room were trapping her, and she needed to get out.
So she did the only sensible thing. She relaxed in the gardens. Rellaya had been all too happy to tag along, though Lirrelain was absent. Apparently, their parents had returned and taken that burden off Rellaya. Raphtalia wasn't too happy about it, judging by how she pouted and her ears almost flattened against her head.
Malty pushed past this bad feeling in her stomach and instead focused on the lovely weather, the sun warming her skin, the pleasant smell of the flowery air.
Securing a private corner in the gardens had been no trouble at all, and soon enough, Malty was able to feel the heavenly warmth of the sun on her whole body.
Hmmm… This was long overdue, she thought, completely relaxedon her lounger. Raphtalia was massaging her calves. I really was getting too pale. She blinked her eyes open to look down past her perfect breasts and toward her stomach. Her wonderful flat stomach. It was a miracle she hadn't gotten fat with how much she'd been indulging in the past weeks. Well, of course, I haven't.
Raphtalia, on the other hand, had put some healthy weight onto her body, a far cry from how emaciated she'd been in the beginning.
Malty wiggled her toes, and her masseuse picked up on her command well enough, shifting her small and talented fingers onto Malty's feet. She gave a pleased hum when those tiny thumbs brushed over her soles, tickling faintly, but very good indeed, and offered Raphtalia a smile and a lazy, playful wave with her fingers.
Raphtalia's lips formed into a grin, but the happiness didn't really reach her face.
Malty reached to the side to grab her wine goblet and took a refreshing gulp. "Ahh…"
A giggle sounded to her right.
"What?" Malty asked, facing Rellaya, who'd situated herself in the shadow of a thick hedge.
"Just…" Rellaya frowned, her fingers frozen, then shook her head, and resumed her crocheting—something black that Malty thought could be underwear. "It's nothing."
"Hmm-hm. Why did you say Lirrelain isn't here again?"
"Mother collected her earlier."
"Yes, yes. I know. But why? Doesn't she live here?"
"No," Rellaya said. "My parents are merchants. Lirrelain usually travels with them to learn the trade. Just...not on the more dangerous travels."
"Ah…" Malty took a sip, then placed her half-empty goblet back on her snack-and-wine table. She leaned back against her lounger's backrest, drew her straw hat deeper to fully shade her face, and relaxed, enjoying the foot massage. Birds were chirping nearby.
"When will she be back?" Raphtalia asked.
"Not for a while," Rellaya answered. "But I couldn't tell. A few weeks."
"Oh…"
Malty found herself frowning. "Didn't you just say that they don't take her on the more dangerous travels?"
"Yes. Why?"
"You know that the Wave is in two days, right?" Malty ignored the uneasy feeling in her stomach.
Rellaya snorted softly. "Oh, they didn't leave Castle Town yet. My parents just returned, so they'll be selling and buying now. And Lirrelain now has the pleasure of partaking."
"I see…"
"She's staying with them in their townhouse," Rellaya told Raphtalia. "Frankly, we were both glad to get out of each other's hair. There's only so long we can spend time together before it becomes...an irritation."
Malty chuckled. "I get what you mean." Her threshold when it came to Melty was a lot lower, though. As in, it didn't get much lower than that.
Rellaya sighed. "I'm just glad to be out of that business. Way too strenuous with little reward."
And that's why we're friends, Malty thought. We can both appreciate efficient laziness.
A comfortable silence settled over them. Malty nearly dozed off.
"You know," Rellaya said, then bit back a giggle. "I heard the most ridiculous rumor yesterday."
"Oh. Do tell."
"It was from Harriel, one of the thread traders I buy from, so I'm not sure how authentic she is, but well…"
"Yes?" Malty asked.
She claimed that you've been to some farming village, I forgot the name, and told them that they should abandon their homes because you'd had a dream about them being killed in the Wave." She giggled, but her amusement died quickly when neither Malty nor Raphtalia joined in. "That...that's not true. Right, Malty?"
Malty lifted her straw hat to peek at Raphtalia and pursed her lips. As expected, the girl's posture was dejected with guilt. She sighed. "It's true… Sadly. I wish I'd never gone there."
"Oh."
Malty chose not to elaborate, and Rellaya didn't ask further.
"I hope I...haven't upset you by bringing that up."
"Of course not," Malty lied. "But let's talk about something else." She had trouble following the conversation as Rellaya told her more about her family and how she'd become a seamstress.
She was thankful for the straw hat hiding the worry that must have been evident on her face. How she chewed her lips. This sucks so bad, was all she could think. Now that she'd gone to that village and her warnings had been ignored, she was even more fucked. No matter how she thought about it, she was fucked.
If the village got assaulted during the Wave—as she knew it would—and people died, would they blame her for it? Would they say that she should have done more? Would the survivors hold a grudge and perhaps try to harm her? Would Raphtalia's guilt consume the girl completely, when she realized that people had indeed died?
Especially that last one made Malty a little nauseous and her heart rate quicken. My poor Raphtalia… Hasn't she suffered enough? Would the girl revert to the state she'd arrived in? That just wasn't acceptable. But what could Malty do now that wouldn't make the situation worse yet again? She was rather good at that...
"Malty? Malty?" Rellaya's voice reached her, seeming distant.
"Yes?"
"Nothing. You didn't react to anything I said."
"Oh, my apologies. Just lost in thought." Malty sat up. "Let's get back inside before I develop a sunburn." It was a bad excuse—a bit of magic and her skin would be flawless again—but no one questioned her, of course, dutifully helping her dress and carrying her things back to her rooms. Rellaya stayed in the garden.
Malty's mood was now well and truly ruined, and the loss of warmth, now that she was back in her rooms, only amplified that feeling of helplessness. Raphtalia wasn't doing much better. Even when Malty reminded her that, after the Wave, she'd have the opportunity to meet up with Rifana during the feast, it barely cheered her up.
Somehow, Malty managed to make it through the afternoon and evening without going completely mad or making a drunken fool out of herself. She and Raphtalia talked very little and didn't join her father for dinner. It was almost a relief when they got to retire for the day. After many many doubts and cuddling her little adopted sister, she miraculously managed to fall asleep.
She didn't have any nightmares, but the sleep wasn't all that good either.
The next day, her heart was practically hammering the moment she blinked her eyes open. The Wave was tomorrow afternoon. Time was ticking down. Every second passing by sent another pang of dread and unease through her.
I'm going insane, Malty thought repeatedly, staring at her armor on the wall. Completely insane.
As she and Raphtalia were having a solemn breakfast with Bald and Blue-Eyes, a knock sounded on her door.
Malty flinched, as if Death itself was there to get her. Maybe it was Death, indeed. For as Mala answered the door, none other than the vice-captain and his two companions walked into her rooms.
"Your High—"
Malty shot up in her chair, grasped her wine goblet, and hurled it. It crashed against the wall and the glass shattered with deafening volume, wine splashing across the stone. Everyone cringed, then stood frozen. The vice-captain was frowning, one of his companions had raised his hands above his head as if to shield himself, and the other had drawn his sword out a few inches but halted. Raphtalia was cowering in her chair.
Clutching her cross pendant, Malty was standing there, panting, and definitely crazy. "Fuck! Fuuuck!" She had this overwhelming urge to grasp at her hair, perhaps rip them out. Instead, she clawed at her dress and pulled. With strength she didn't feel she possessed and a loud ripping sound, she yanked the frilly red thing off her body, leaving her with only her underwear. It was oddly freeing. Satisfying. "Someone get my fucking armor off the wall and help me get dressed!"
- TheVillainess -
Aha. Another cliffhanger. And I'm afraid it won't be the last one.
As always, next chapter is up on my Pātreon, free to read. See my profile for more details.