Garen III

The Great City of Demacia. The capital of the Kingdom bearing the same name, home to the Great Noble Houses of Demacia. A city of gleaming white stone that symbolizes the kingdom's tenets of honor and duty. Now, it was a city in chaos. The Noble Houses tearing at each other's throats, like a pack of wild dogs. The gleaming marble of its streets and walls reduced to rubble and stained with the blood of those they were meant to protect. The Grand Plaza, an open courtyard meant to welcome the applauding crowds filled with the moans and groans of the dying.

This was not the Demacia I wanted to fight for.

"Sir Crownguard." The accented voice distracted me from my poignant thoughts. I grimaced at the approaching woman.

"Lady Laurent. It's good to see you are alright." I greeted her woodenly. She turns her gaze to the Plaza, where our casualties lay, tended to by the overworked medics we had at our disposal. Some of them were even mages, helping those that once persecuted them with minimal hesitation. Like Luxanna did when she revealed her status to save an entire city. I swallowed my shame and turned my attention back towards my companion.

"I wanted an opportunity to restore my family's honor, Sir Crownguard," she began, her gaze still fixated on the mass of injured bodies. "But not like this."

After the scandal caused by House Laurent's former head, the current Lady's father, their family was tainted with the brush of dishonor. People whispered behind Lady Laurent's back, of how she usurped her brother's rightful place as heir, of how her hesitance to marry was going to be her House's downfall, of how she would bring nothing but more strife and bloodshed to Demacia. Her solution was as straightforward as a Demacian could get.

"House Laurent has been reduced to my brother and I," she had announced, "So I, as Lady of House Laurent decree, those branches of our family, my cousins and distant relatives, swordmasters one and all, are to be formally adopted into the main branch of House Laurent and given ennobled status."

Before the clamor could even die down, she had followed up with her now infamous challenge.

"And to those who would and did injure the good name of House Laurent in an unjust and dishonorable manner by the spreading of malicious falsehoods in regards to the legitimacy of my lineage, it is my right to challenge you to a duel and restore the honor of my House in your blood."

Those words silenced her most vocal critics. And now, in this time of strife, when the Noble Houses are tearing each other apart, the sheer number of main branch members of House Laurent - the cousins and relatives formally adopted by Lady Laurent - meant that they are currently Prince Jarvan's strongest supporters. None would dare question their honor now, after fighting alongside the peerless swordsmen of their family against the insanity wrought by the Mageseekers' Rebellion.

But at what cost?

"Nephew. The prince seeks your counsel." The harsh voice was a familiar one. "Lady Laurent." It greeted, now decidedly colder than when it greeted me.

"High Marshal Crownguard." My companion nodded curtly at the newcomer.

"I understand, Aunt Tianna. I assume he is at the Citadel?" Aunt Tianna turned away from where she was glaring at Lady Laurent and her sharp eyes landed on me. I resisted the urge to shudder, feeling like a brash teenager caught doing mischief again.

"As I understand it, the prince is seeking to lead a direct assault towards the city's western quarter. The seneschal and I advised strongly against this course of action. He expects you to support him in this endeavor. I expect you to talk sense into him."

I frowned. The western quarter of the city was where both the Mageseeker's complex and the main military district of the city was located. As a critical objective for both sides, that would be where the majority of the conflict was taking place.

"Can I ask why you are advising against it, Aunt? Wouldn't gaining control of that part of the city decide the victor?"

She scoffed.

"A direct assault against the Mageseeker's headquarters is suicide. They have centuries worth of magical weapons and artifacts stashed in those walls."

"But Petricite-"

She flicked my forehead, as though I was still a misbehaving child.

"Think, nephew, think. There are none in this kingdom, or arguably the world, who knows the secrets of petricite more than the mageseekers. No, we have to consolidate our grasp on the kingdom outside the capital's walls before we can even start to consider assaulting their stronghold. Talk sense into the prince, nephew, before he goes on another mad charge for glory again."

With that, she marched off. I could feel my fingers biting into the palm of my clenched hands.

The fight was here. Why are they prioritizing the places outside the capital?

"She's right, Sir Crownguard."

"What?"

"The garrisons are bogged down in the western quarter. The City Harbor had too much mageseeker presence when this entire thing started for us to realistically hold. The Dauntless Vanguard is scattered outside the capital, helping where they can but with no clear chain of command after the king's death. The Illuminators are tending to the injured and rescuing people from the combat zones."

I already knew these things, from the strategic meetings we have been holding, but to hear them laid out so plainly like this, to hear how dire our situation truly is, is grating. Lady Laurent continued.

"The Noble Houses are in disarray. House Buvelle's head is in critical condition his two daughters have yet to be found. Houses Spiritmight and Lightshield are firmly behind the prince, as I'm sure House Crownguard is. The other Houses have either stayed neutral, have sided with the Mageseekers or are using the chaos to address their own feuds."

Politics. Even in the middle of a rebellion, it still boiled down to politics.

"Sir Crownguard. We need the Skyknights of High Silvermere. We need the full force of the Dauntless Vanguard. We need the mages who have managed to escape the capital. We need your sister, the Colossus and the Shuriman they are said to travel with."

I stared at her, standing straight, a dueling sword sheathed at her right side, the skintight dueling outfit she wore covered in blood and grime.

"I am Lady Laurent. I cannot simply leave my people here as they tend to their duties. Even if I did, House Laurent's standing in the kingdom is still at its lowest point. They need someone known to be of honor and valor to rally behind. They need you, you who have grown up in the heights of High Silvermere, who is the brother of the Saviour of Wrenwall, the trusted friend of the Prince and nephew of the High Marshal."

My throat was dry as she stared at me with an intensity I've only seen on older, more experienced warriors, despite us being of similar age.

"Demacia is not just the Great City. It is the people and the lands outside it as well, and the Demacian blood in their veins will make them eager to help if they had someone to answer to. Talk to the prince, Sir Crownguard. Convince him that we need help. Then go and rally the loyal Demacians in his name."

I did not know how long I stood there like a simpleton, but I eventually managed to steel my resolve.

She was right.

This is still the Demacia I wanted to fight for, and the time to fight for it is now.

"They call you arrogant. A selfish child. I now know that they are wrong. Thank you for opening my eyes, Lady Laurent."

I nodded at her and started the trek towards the Citadel of Dawn. I must talk to Prince Jarvan. Then, perhaps, after this is all over, I could get to know the true Fiora Laurent.