Summer was approaching the Alps. The small alpine country of Eylstadt was warming up, the snow melting off the high mountains and creating swelling rivers. Even after such a destructive war, life in Eylstadt went on.
A man opened up the car door for Ortfiné Fredericka von Eylstadt, and she thanked him, stepping inside. Bianca got in the other side, and once the women were buckled up, the driver started up the car and drove out of Landsbruck.
The driver looked through the rear view mirror at Finé, a warm smile on his wrinkled face.
"Your wedding is coming up soon, isn't it, my lady?" He asked gently. Finé directed her attention from the rolling mountains outside the window to the man.
"Yes, it is." Finé responded. The man grinned and returned his eyes to the road.
"I'm very happy for you!" The man replied. Finé dipped her head in thanks.
The car stopped before a narrow road, and the man parked the car and opened the doors for the women. They stepped out, Bianca grabbed their bags, and he gazed at them.
"This is the end of the road! Enjoy your time with Lady Izetta." The man said.
"Thank you, sir." Finé thanked him, and he climbed back in the car, turned around, and drove off.
Finé and Bianca stared ahead down the forest road. The wind rustled the branches of the pine trees, and the thick canopy provided shade from the hot sun. Down this road was a small cottage next to a lake, and this was where Izetta lived with her caretaker, Lotte.
Finé breathed in the fresh alpine air. It had been a while since she had visited her fiancée, Izetta. The palace was close to being rebuilt after the war, and Finé had to stay and see to its reconstruction. Along with that, Finé was the Duchess of Eylstadt, and she had matters she needed to attend to.
Bianca was the head of the Royal Guard, and she was friends with Izetta and Lotte. She came along for Finé's protection, and to visit her friends. After all, she hadn't left the palace in a long while, and she needed some time away.
The two girls walked down the pathway toward the cottage. Finé wished Izetta stayed in the palace with her, but Izetta preferred the peace and quiet of the mountains; along with the fact that this lake was where she and Finé had first met.
Finé smiled to herself. That was so long ago! The pair had definitely grown since then, not just in height, but in their relationship with each other. They had been through thick and thin together, including a world war. If it weren't for the both of them, who knows where the world would be right now?
"What are you smiling about, my Duchess?"
Bianca brought Finé back to reality, and she dipped her head, chuckling. She pulled her sun hat down to shield her eyes from the sun.
"Oh, nothing." Finé responded. The wind blew through the thick branches of the pine trees, and Finé inhaled deeply, her eyes catching sight of the bags Bianca held in her hands. "Bianca, do you need any help carrying anything?"
Bianca shook her head. "No, Duchess. I'm fine. Thank you for your offer though— you definitely are the most caring person." Bianca responded. Finé smiled at the compliment.
"Don't sell yourself short, Bianca." Finé replied. Bianca gave a soft laugh, and the two continued to walk.
The cottage wasn't easy to get to. It was an area only Finé and her close friends knew. This ensured that Izetta was safe. Eventually, they reached the small cottage. The waves of the lake gently lapped at the shore, and nostalgia filled Finé.
She remembered coming back to this spot so many years before just to visit her best friend, Izetta. Finé was always amazed by Izetta's magic. Now, Izetta didn't have it anymore, but that didn't matter to Finé. The two were now engaged, and their wedding was in just a few days. Finé couldn't help but feel her heart pound with excitement.
Bianca knocked on the door.
Finé expected to hear barking and whining, but a sad reminder came to her— her old dog, Dorotheé, had passed away not too long ago. Dorotheé had lived with Izetta and Lotte after the war, but before then, she was Finé's corgi, and she had been there when Finé and Izetta first met. Finé sighed heavily.
The door opened. Lotte stood in the doorway, a bright smile on her face. It always surprised Finé how much Lotte had grown over the past few years.
Leaving the door open, Lotte quickly dipped back inside, coming back with Izetta. The former witch was now in a wheelchair, having lost use of her legs during the war, but that never dampened her high spirits. Her eyes lit up upon seeing Finé.
"Hello!" Lotte grinned. She brought Izetta outside on the porch, closing the door. Lotte and Bianca embraced each other, and Finé planted a tender kiss on Izetta's forehead.
"I'm so glad you two could make it!" Izetta said. She grabbed Finé's hand, and Finé gave it a squeeze. Bianca dipped her head.
"Of course." Bianca replied.
Lotte locked Izetta's wheelchair in place, then dipped inside for a moment to grab some chairs for the women to sit in. The weather was perfect to sit on the patio; warm with a nice, cool breeze. The lake was a deep blue, the trees reflected in it, slightly disturbed by the breeze. Finé drew in a deep breath, the fresh air not tainted by city pollution.
Lotte brought out the chairs and set them on the patio, and Finé and Bianca thanked her as they took their seats. Finé, of course, sat beside Izetta, their fingers intertwined. Finé gently rubbed Izetta's hand with her thumb, and Izetta smiled softly, gazing at the love of her life.
It was no time to rest for Lotte. Being Izetta's caretaker, and having been Finé's maid before, it was in Lotte's nature to want to help them. "Coffee, anyone?" Lotte asked.
Bianca checked her watch. It was still quite early; if they drank coffee now, there were still plenty of hours in the day for it to wear off. Nodding, Bianca raised a hand.
"I'll have some." Bianca said.
"Oh! Me too!" Izetta grinned.
Lotte gazed at Finé, who shook her head. The young caretaker dipped her head and headed inside, brewing some coffee, and the other three girls relaxed outside.
The water in the lake glistened in the sun, and Finé exhaled deeply. Things had slowly been returning to normal since the war. The people of Eylstadt were finally able to relax again; there were no threats of bombings from other countries, and the citizens could go about their daily lives in peace.
Peace was exactly what Finé was working for. War and violence was always her very last resort. If it was possible, peaceful negotiation was the best approach, because she knew with war, innocent lives were always lost. This thought pained her— this last war was the bloodiest the world had ever seen. Her mind couldn't help but wander to all those who were killed, whether soldiers or civilians, and her heart began to hurt.
Lotte returned with the coffee, handing cups to those who wanted it. Izetta sipped hers tentatively, knowing it was steaming hot. Bianca let hers cool, and Lotte sat in her chair, smiling.
The four were silent for a few moments; they simply sat and listened to the birds in the trees. It was nice for them to relax in each other's company.
"How's the palace?" Izetta's voice broke the silence. Bianca shifted in her seat.
"The repairs are coming along great, they're almost complete." Bianca answered. Izetta nodded and took another sip of her coffee.
"You'll have to come stay a few nights when it's done, Izetta." Finé gazed at her fiancée. "I don't see you often enough."
Izetta dipped her head, looking a bit shameful.
"I'm sorry! You know I love it here in the mountains." Izetta replied. Finé gave a small chuckle and rubbed Izetta's shoulder with her hand. She understood where Izetta was coming from. The mountains were beautiful, and they were a nice escape from the bustling city life.
The four sat on the patio, enjoying the nice, cool alpine breeze. It was a nice break for Finé and Bianca; life in the palace was hectic for the both of them. Finé, being the Duchess of Eylstadt, had to oversee her country and its relations with other countries. Bianca, being the head of the Royal Guard, had to make sure there were no threats that could harm Finé. Neither woman hardly took breaks, so this visit was a great way to relax.
As they sat and talked, the sun slowly made its way behind the tall mountains, turning the sky orange. The breeze gently picked up, and the girls decided it was time to head inside. Finé's stomach slightly rumbled, and Lotte gave a small laugh.
"Don't worry, Duchess! I'll make some dinner for us." Lotte informed. Finé dipped her head in gratitude.
"Thank you, Lotte. I can always count on your hospitality." Finé responded. Lotte grinned and got the door, wheeling Izetta inside and switching on the lights. The setting sun cast long shadows on the cottage, and Lotte began to prepare Tafelspitz.
Lotte boiled the beef in the broth, and Finé approached her. "Do you need any help, Lotte?" Finé asked. Lotte looked at her, shaking her head and smiling.
"No, but thank you, Duchess!" She replied.
Izetta and Bianca sat at the table. Smiling, Finé joined them, and eventually, the Tafelspitz was done. Lotte served everyone the food, and she took her seat. Everyone dug in.
The food was delicious. Finé missed Lotte's fantastic cooking- her food was always flavorful. They quickly finished their food, and Lotte began to do the dishes.
The rest of the night was spent talking and catching up. Finé and Bianca genuinely enjoyed their time with Lotte and Izetta. All was well after the war. The war was still fresh in their minds. All the lives that were lost…
Now wasn't the time to think about that.
The moon was in the sky, and there was a slight breeze that rustled the pines. Izetta yawned, covering her mouth, and Finé gave a soft smile.
"Tired, Izetta?" Finé asked. Izetta nodded, and Lotte giggled.
"Well, it has been long enough since we ate. Why don't we all get some shut eye?" Lotte suggested.
Bianca got to her feet and peered out the window. The trees were slightly illuminated in a silver glow from the moon, and the lake was gentle. No one was in sight.
"Bianca," Finé started, "you've been working so hard lately. No one knows about this area but us. You need to sleep." She told her bodyguard. Finé had come here more times than she could count; some of the times by herself. They would be fine, and she didn't want Bianca to stay up all night and not be able to enjoy the day tomorrow.
Bianca kept her eyes on the outside for a moment, then drew back, shutting the blinds. She let out a heavy sigh, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Archduchess-" Bianca started, but Finé quickly interrupted her.
"That is an order, Bianca." Finé cut her off, smiling. "You need rest."
Bianca let out a small, amused huff. "Alright, if you say so." Bianca responded.
"Remember, you're here to enjoy yourself!" Izetta piped in. Bianca shot the former witch a friendly smile, and Finé grabbed the handles of Izetta's wheelchair and started to push her to her room.
Lotte finished cleaning up the room. "Good night, girls!" She waved her hand, and the other girls wished her and each other a good night. Lotte switched off the lights, and they went to their rooms.
Finé closed the door and flipped on the lights in Izetta's bedroom, grabbing her bag and getting her nightgown out. Izetta watched her lovingly, and Finé grabbed Izetta's nightgown as well. The Archduchess helped her fiancée into the nightgown, then put hers on too.
Finé got Izetta into the bed, then turned off the lights, crawling in bed too. Their hands found each other, and their fingers intertwined. They gazed into each other's eyes. Finé felt herself relax next to her lover, scooting in closer and closer…
Their lips met, and they shared a tender kiss for a few moments. Finé felt her stoic heart flutter, and she wrapped her arms around Izetta and pulled her in close. They drew back from the kiss, smiling lovingly.
"I missed you," Finé breathed, Izetta giving Finé's hand a squeeze.
"I missed you too!" Izetta replied softly. "I'm so glad you're here." Her smile grew wider. "Can you believe our wedding is in a few days?"
"It's coming up fast," Finé responded. "Are you going to stay here after we're married? Or will you move into the palace with me?"
Izetta thought for a moment, and Finé chuckled. It was a big decision for Izetta to make. The Alps were beautiful, it was quiet and peaceful. The palace of Landsbrück had long, cold hallways, and it was massive compared to the little cottage Izetta lived in now. Izetta felt at home in the cottage, it was safer, as almost no one knew where it was. However, Izetta always felt something was missing, and she knew it was Finé.
"I haven't decided," Izetta answered. "I really miss you, and I wish I could be with you… but it is much safer here… especially now that I don't have my magic."
Finé gave a small nod. She understood where Izetta was coming from, but no matter how much Finé wanted Izetta in the palace with her, she couldn't make Izetta's mind up for her. It was a decision Izetta had to make for herself.
"Well, think some more about it." Finé told Izetta. "For now, let's get some sleep. It's pretty late." Finé kissed Izetta's forehead, wishing her a good night. Izetta blushed deeply, wishing her fiancée a good night back before closing her eyes.
Finé's eyes slowly opened. It was still dark. She didn't know what time it was, except she knew it must be in the early hours of the morning. She gently moved under the covers, careful not to wake the sleeping Izetta beside her. Finé needed to use the restroom, and would be back quickly.
She got to her feet, slowly sneaking out of the room, shifting her weight on her feet just right so she didn't make any noise. Her eyes adjusted to the lack of light, and she tiptoed down the hallway until she reached the restroom.
As she dried her hands off, Finé heard a noise down in the kitchen. She paused. It sounded like a footstep, but… heavier than any of the other women in this cottage. While it could very well be Bianca getting something to drink, she stood still, listening more.
Slow footsteps made their way down the hall, heavy, but deliberately gentle, as if they wanted no one to hear. They headed past the bathroom, slowing down even more.
Finé waited for the footsteps to pass, then shut off the lights in the bathroom and slowly opened the door. The door was thankfully silent, and Finé peered around the corner, her eyes adjusting to the dark. The only light was the moon filtering in through the half closed blinds.
A large figure made its way down toward the last room. Finé narrowed her eyes, but her stomach dropped when a flicker of light flashed from an item in the figure's hand.
It was a gun.
The figure was reaching Izetta's room, and it slowly opened the door. An audible creak came from the door, and Izetta opened her eyes. Still in a sleepy daze, she outreached her arm, her breathing slowed.
"Finé…" Izetta murmured.
A mixture of fear and rage surged through Finé, and she threw open the door and raced down the hallway as fast as her legs would carry her. The dim light illuminated the figure— a tall man— and he turned just as Finé crashed into him, toppling him and knocking him to the ground.
Izetta shot straight up, pulling herself over to the edge of the bed and fumbling around in the dark for her wheelchair. It was dark, and unable to find it, Izetta felt herself slip off the bed and onto the floor, landing on her elbow.
Bianca and Lotte, hearing all the commotion, rushed out of their rooms. "What the hell is going on?!" Bianca shouted.
Finé and the intruder wrestled on the ground. The man was strong, but Finé's love for her fiancée and friends was stronger. She kicked, punched, and bit the man, not sure where she was hitting, but hoping it hurt like hell. She caught small glimpses of the gun, still in his hand; however, he was too busy trying to fight off Finé to fire it. Fury coursed through Finé's veins, and she was able to wrestle the gun out of his hand.
Izetta groaned in pain, her elbow bruised, but in the doorway she could make out a man and Finé on the floor. Finé was wailing on the intruder, her hands colliding with his stomach and face, dark red blood staining her nightgown. Izetta tried to drag herself toward the two, desperately wanting to fight off the assailant and protect her fiancée like she had done so many times before.
Bianca and Lotte's attention was directed to a noise in the kitchen. Two more dark figures appeared around the corner, much smaller than the man. Lotte raced toward the two new intruders, throwing her clenched fists on the taller one, hitting with all the strength she could muster. Bianca followed suit, attacking the shorter one, punching them in the nose. She felt a crack, and warm liquid spurt onto her hands, and a feminine wail came from the woman she had attacked.
Finé continued to hit the man, shouting at him, and the man fought back, landing a few punches. His fists collided with her chest and stomach, but she pushed through the pain to keep him from getting to Izetta. The gun laid across the room, and the man tried to reach for it, but Finé kept him from doing so by driving her knee into his stomach.
The man gasped for air, her knee knocking the wind out of him, and she brought her fists down on his cheek and nose. As they fought, and Finé pummeled him, the intruder regained some control and tightened his fist, slamming it down against Finé's head.
Everything went black, and a loud ringing knelled in Finé's ears. She slumped over onto the man, unconscious, and the intruder pushed her off, getting to his feet to grab the gun. When he turned, however, Izetta was pointing the gun at him, her finger shaking over the trigger. Something kept her from pulling it.
The man let out a huff and took off out of the room, almost tripping over Finé's body. He raced down the hallway, past the other four and out the front door into the dark night.
Finé came to, her head throbbing, confused on what was happening. Izetta dropped the gun, crying, and crawled over to Finé. Her heart hurt; she was so scared the intruder had permanently damaged her fiancée.
The two women Bianca and Lotte were fighting broke from the chaos and followed the man out the front door. Adrenaline pumped through Lotte's veins and she leapt forward, diving onto the ground and wrapping her hand around the smaller woman's ankle. The woman let out a scream, tripping, and Lotte crawled on top of the woman, pinning her to the ground. Bianca raced after the other woman, following her outside. However, the clouds were now covering the moon, leaving almost no light for Bianca to see. She reached the woods, her chest heaving, and she cursed under her breath.
Bianca headed back inside, turning on the lights. Blood covered the ground, and Lotte was on top of one of the intruders, holding her down. Sobs came from the unknown woman, and Lotte looked up at Bianca, fear in her eyes.
"A-are Lady Ortfiné and Lady Izetta okay?" Lotte asked, her voice shaking. Bianca sighed and looked down the hallway. She could see a puddle of blood, and she began to walk down the hallway, afraid of what she might find.
Bianca turned the corner to Izetta's room. On the floor, she saw Izetta cradling Finé, who was holding her head, a dazed look in her eyes. Beside them was a gun.
Bianca raced inside and knelt down, noticing the blood seeping from a wound on Finé's head. Izetta was weeping, and Bianca grabbed a handkerchief from off the bedside table, applying pressure to Finé's wound.
"I could've shot him… Why didn't I shoot him?" Izetta cried.
"It's alright, Izetta…" Finé groaned, her body shaking. Bianca continued to apply pressure, the handkerchief now red. Finé's eyes were glazed over, and Bianca tried her hardest to stop the bleeding.
"Who the hell were they?!" Bianca snarled. Izetta shook her head, unsure, and Finé's shaky hand found its way to Izetta's cheek, where she gently caressed it.
"It's okay, sweetheart…" Finé murmured. Izetta choked back sobs, her heart aching as she watched her fiancée bleed out.
"Izetta," Bianca started, gazing at the distraught girl. Izetta directed her attention to the Head of the Royal Guard, tears streaming from her eyes. Bianca's expression was solemn. "Izetta, I need you to hold pressure on her wound. I need to make a call to the palace right away." Bianca ordered.
Izetta nodded, biting her lip to try to curb her weeping. Bianca drew back and Izetta immediately shot her hand up to apply pressure to Finé's wound, and Bianca stood up, letting out a heavy sigh. Her hand was bloodied, warm and sticky, and anger surged through her as she thought of what could've happened.
Who were these people? What could they have possibly wanted? Bianca didn't know the whole story, she didn't know who the intruders attacked first, but she was angry with herself for not having noticed them enter the house. After all, she was the head of the Royal Guard.
Bianca hurried out of the room and toward the kitchen where the phone was. Lotte still had the intruder pinned, and to both of their surprise, the woman didn't seem to be struggling to break free. Lotte stared at Bianca with anxious eyes, and Bianca shot her a nod, letting her know Izetta and Finé would be okay.
Bianca grabbed the phone and dialed the number to the palace. She waited for what seemed like forever, and eventually, one of the Royal Advisors answered. Bianca calmly explained the situation, and the Royal Advisor listened carefully.
"Alright, we'll send the Royal Guard and medics over to the cottage right away. Call with any updates you have." He explained. Bianca thanked them, hanging up and taking a deep breath.
Izetta continued to hold pressure to Finé's head wound, crying softly. Finé was still awake, albeit befuddled, her eyes glazed over.
"I'm sorry, Archduchess," Izetta apologized. "I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you." She was angry at the attackers, but she was more angry at herself for not having shot the intruder. She didn't know what held her back; it wasn't like she hadn't killed enemies before. Izetta's emotions were a mix of regret, confusion, and sadness.
"It's okay, Izetta…" Finé slowly responded, her words slurred. "I'll be fine… I promise."
Izetta held her closer, biting her lip as tears streamed from her eyes. She didn't know who the intruders were, but she knew their crime against Izetta's fiancée wouldn't go unpunished.
As long as they were still out there, and as long as Izetta was breathing, she would make these attackers pay.