Chapter 7-Clemency

The entire throne room was now filled with scores of terrified people who were all deathly silent for agonizing moments. After the unbearable silence had dragged on for many moments, Maribelle finally flashed me a sympathetic smirk, crouched down in front of me. She gently plucked the now inert red translucent orb out of my madly trembling hands and briskly walked over to the iron crate and returned the deadly shard bomb back to its bed of straw and cage of wood. She closed the lid with a satisfying clunk and the enchanted lock automatically latched shut again.

Siffra and Xolette exchanged relieved smiles and hoisted me back upright by taking my arms. My Cavalier exhaled and gently joked, "Hey Mimi, that's one way to make a splash! They will be talking about this for years to come!"

At the same moment, Prince Chrom and Princess Lissa burst in through the rear balcony double doors and rushed to my side both looking deeply concerned for my welfare. Even propped up by my allies I wobbled unsteadily and stared at Chrom with a surge of unbearable guilt, "Y-y-your highness, I-I'm a traitor like the Duke s-said. I nearly blew up the entire c-c-court…" My eyes filled with moisture and the figures in front of me blurred out as all my composure collapsed, "Duke Rachelon was r-right about me! I'm a d-demon."

A high pitched voice cut off my pathetic blubbering, "Hey! Nice save there Mimi! You did it!" Suddenly the short Princess had her arms around me and started to softly stroke my black hair, "Shhh. You're okay now."

"But I…I…waaaaaaaaahhhh!" The dam ruptured and I clung to the sweet girl as I cried as if I was attempting to purge every tear from my body. I sniffled into her dress and saturated her shoulder as I howled for several eternal minutes like a toddler who had just fallen on her face. Let's just admit that I wasn't the picture of dainty elegance at that moment.

"You poor thing. You've had all those years of self loathing banged into your head. Well I don't give a darn who knows, but you're my friend now, Mimi."

"Such dreadfully common language," I heard Lady Maribelle lament. "Lissa my darling, can't you ever act like the royal you actually are?"

"Poppycock, Mari! I just want to be there for my friends." She reached up and wiped my cheeks with her sleeve as if it was nothing special.

I suddenly realized what had just happened. I had made a total ass of myself in front of the entire court. Why had I just used the Princess like a handkerchief? My body still shivered as I stammered out in utter mortification, "P-princess L-lissa…I'm so sorry"

Chrom chuckled in his pleasant voice, "It's alright Mimika. You're hardly the first to literally cry on my sister's shoulder. Trust me, my little sis loves being everyone's one-woman support system."

"Hey! Don't call me little, big bro! I'm still growing, ya' know!"

A loud, broken voice dispelled the heartwarming mood, "How dare you dare touch the Princess you ignominious harpy!" I heard labored breathing behind me, and I finally noticed that the butler Jareth had wheeled the Duke over to our side of the balcony. The Duke looked at me with an equal mixture of pure loathing, and stark dread in his malevolent grey eyes. He spat out, "You nearly killed us all you she-devil!"

Chrom looked annoyed and stood in front of me protectively, "Enough of the insults, your Grace. All the evidence is presented. The decision is in the hands of our Exalt now." He gave a majestic sweep of his arm in the direction of the ruler of Ylisse who had just entered onto the balcony with Pegasus Chief Philia and her retinue.

I shrank back into the balcony railing as Exalt Emmeryn locked her intimidating grey blue eyes with mine, and I felt my heart race uncontrollably. My mouth moved but not even a single syllable came out, as my rampant anxiety raced like an out of control cart barreling down a hillside.

"Thank you." Her features softened and she gave me a compassionate smile, "Lady Mimika, don't cry. Chrom was right about you. You are most welcome in my court."

The duke turned a few shades of unhealthy red as he weakly protested, "With all due respect…your Majesty, why coddle a scheming traitor who nearly set off a bomb in your court?"

The Exalt turned her advisor and gently shook her head, "I appreciate your diligent efforts to protect me from another attack that caused so much destruction and splinted our hearts with grief fifteen years ago." Her gaze took on a glint of iron, "I owe you a great debt Duke Rachelon, as you revealed Lady Mimika's true nature. She was ready to end her life rather than take mine, when given the perfect opportunity to kill me."

"B-but with all due respect Your Majesty, it was all just a ploy! You can't ever turn your back on a Paraglaive! Surely the moment you let your guard down-"

She lightly tapped her scepter's haft to the marble-tiled floor but that soft clinking sound was more than sufficient to silence the choleric Duke mid-sentence. "Then pray tell me this, your Grace. Exactly when would she have a better chance to take my life than just a few moments ago?"

Tears of fury pricked up in the corner of his eyes as he broke down into an irrational rant with an accusatory finger pointed at me, "But…But, she's a traitor! She has to be! She's a Paraglaive! She took my legs! She killed my friends! She brought down three Noble houses into utter ruin! That harridan should rot in prison!"

"Her father acted as you just outlined. However, can you tell me how you expect a babe of one year of age to be accountable for her father's treachery?" She seemed downright sorrowful witness the Duke's unraveling, "Lord Paraglaive and his co-conspirators merely wrecked three Noble houses. My own father nearly brought down the entire Halidom before I was nine. Should I be condemned for Exalt Luca's actions, your Grace?"

He blurted out reflexively, "No, of course not!" His face crumpled as realization sank in, "But she's evil! She should pay…she…it's not fair, Your Highness." He slumped back in defeat with a shattered expression of shock.

"I agree, it is not fair. Life seldom is." Exalt Emmeryn gently placed her hand on his shoulder, "Peace Emil. I still value your loyalty and sage counsel, come what may."

His fists clenched as he looked up to his liege with an utterly lost expression, "Yes, Your Highness."

She turned back to her siblings and me, and projected her voice so that everyone assembled could hear her, "Your exile is hereby rescinded, Lady Mimika, effective immediately."

I nearly toppled over, but Siff propped me up effortlessly.

"There are three conditions. One; as you requested, only your holdings at the Plegian border are to be retained."

I nodded like a mindless puppet, as my mind was completely blank.

"Two; you are to lead an adjunct force to the Chrom's Shepard brigade. Your Arrowhead Scouts will be vital at foiling King Gangrel's machinations." She gave me with a firm smile, "Three; I am charging you to find the remnants of the Sieghart and Drachenfel families and assess if they can be brought back into the fold. Who better to bring the disgraced families back into the light than you, a redeemed Paraglaive?"

"Y-yes…Your Majesty," I spoke in a soft monotone, as I was still in numb denial over what I was hearing.

"Good fortune, Lady Mimika." She gave me a polite nod and gracefully exited the room followed by her faithful guardians. A slumped, expressionless Duke Rachelon was wheeled out looking about a decade older than just an hour earlier.

My knees gave out only after they had departed and the crowds below started to disperse as they excitedly whispered among themselves.

…

With Siffra's and Vanny's help, I was practically carried over to the Shepard's barracks where I collapsed onto a hard bunk and slept for hours. The sun was already low in the sky when I finally came to as I felt a warm hand on my forehead. A most unexpected face greeted me. I blinked in shock at the sight of a member of the only Noble family to ever visit the Sunstone Keep during my lonely years of imprisonment. I spat out in shock, "Sir Aabis!"

The young man laughed brightly, "Still coloring within the lines, Mimi! I told you a million times that I'm just Aaby to you." Sir Aabis was the scion of Lord Antock Cerulia-Agate of the inhospitable Domain just to the northeast of the Paraglaive holdings. He was a delightful boy about a year my junior, whose scars were physical instead of emotional. The mining community built into the steep cliffs and narrow valleys of the bordering the Skalial mountain range hard against the Plegian wastelands had been sacked and looted by vengeful Plegians right as the war ended. The vassals had been driven off or slain and the Cerulia-Agate clan had been massacred. Only the lord, his pregnant spouse and their unborn son had escaped the carnage, albeit badly wounded. The family had spent the last decade and a half painstakingly rebuilding their domain, and it was now thriving. Aabis' father still wore a brass mask over his upper face to conceal his horrific scarring. Even the son had a slim scar arcing through his right eyebrow, slightly marring his pleasant features. He was a of a slender build, with trusting violet eyes, medium length chestnut brown hair that he favored slicked back, a light grey tunic, black pants and boots, and a dark violet cloak. His crest embroidered into his tunic featured a purple mountain with a keep atop the peak jutting into an azure sky dotted with fluffy clouds and adorned with a golden sun illuminating the landscape. In favor of the traditional sword that most Nobles favored, he had oddly opted to train in polearm combat; his engraved sliver-decorated spear was propped up against the wall.

I sat up and gave him a shaky smile, "Whatever are you doing here? How are Lord and Lady Cerulia-Agate?"

"My folks are fine and say hello. I can't wait to tell them the news that your family name has been restored."

I swung my legs over and as I sat up I saw my comrades in arms scattered across the rather cramped quarters that Chrom had lent to us. Bhavin and Siffra were leaning against each other on a nearby bench, fast asleep. I chuckled at the sight, and thought they looked adorable like that. They too must have been worn out by the gnawing tension and then absolute terror from the day's events. "Anyway. What brings you to Ylisstol, Aaby?"

He gave a ready smile, "I'm acting as an Emissary for my father. I also intended to join the Shepards to help with the brigand raids; but after seeing your derring-do in action, frankly I'd rather join your team."

I gave a quick nod to my old friend as I blushed a bit and spoke seriously, "It's going to be a dangerous mission. This isn't a lark."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I'm happy to help if you'll have me."

"Sure. I could use the help. Welcome aboard."

He stood up with me, "Wonderful! Prince Chrom wanted to meet us by the Southwest corridor. He said we need to pick up a few items before we depart tomorrow."

"Hey, don't forget your trusty knight, Mimi!" Siffra yawned as she stretched out. Vanny stirred as well.

"Sure." I looked over to the rest of my team, "We are starting our first real mission at daybreak. Be ready to depart at first light."

Xolette gave a friendly wave. Revellia and Raquelle both gave respectful bows. Iniabi gave a salute with a slight smile on his lips. Ronna beamed at me as she played with her son. The peasant Finchson and his family grinned in my direction. I smiled back sincerely at my faithful warriors and then left the barracks with Aabis, Vanny and Siff in tow.

Soon enough the guards had escorted us to the treasury door where an unusual servant waited with the blue-haired Prince. He was obviously a foreigner from the Far East. He was a personable looking fellow with inquisitive green eyes, messy black hair that covered the left side of his face, and light tan skin. He was attired in a black robe and shoes, white pants, and a toolbelt filled with strange tools and innumerable pouches.

All four of us bowed respectfully. The Prince clasped his gloved hand on my shoulder, "Hey, enough with the formality. I'm glad Emm saw what I saw in you, as you are a true heroine."

I flushed in deep embarrassment at his compliment, but I couldn't honestly agree with him. "T-thanks, Chrom. But I'm not anything special. Anyone in that room would have thrown themselves on that bomb to save our Exalt."

He gave my shoulder a friendly squeeze and then released me, "Spoken like a true hero. I know for a fact that a good chunk of the Nobles in the throne room would have cravenly run for their lives." He turned to the treasury door and frowned as there was no handle or keyhole on the smooth iron portal, "Okay. Um, Daisuke, how does this blasted thing work?"

The Chon'sin retainer smiled and bowed deeply, "Your highness. It is a new system of my own design. It is foolproof as instead of a fallible lock the gemstone mounted on the door will scan the Royal Brand of Naga as well as detect its power. Only those of Royal blood will have access. When activated, the mechanism sucks in ambient water from the air, heats it to steam and powers the worm gears encased in the sill to winch the door open automatically. "

Chrom sighed at the arcane explanation and turned his left shoulder to face the softly pulsing crystal. The initially red gem lit up amber as it scanned his mark, and changed color to green. He looked over the hatch with a skeptical frown, "I don't see anything hap-"

Suddenly with an unearthly shriek the agonized hiss of steam venting out of small grates lining the ceiling bellowed out a tremendous cloud of vapor down on our heads. The door shuddered and then ratcheted slowly upwards with a metallic wail so loud we couldn't even shout over the racket. Daisuke beamed with pride at his hellish contraption's performance. Honestly why couldn't we stick with a conventional door? Suddenly the door ground to a halt, and the gouts of steam died out, as the door was now open…about two feet up.

Daisuke frowned and sighed, as my ears protested the din with a ringing sound in my head. "Hmmm. It must have sucked the air completely dry. It will need a bit of fine tuning, Your Highness."

Chrom laughed as he shook his head. He then quickly shimmied under the partly open door, and returned with three tightly wrapped banners. "Here you go, Mimi. You have redeemed one Noble house. Time to save the other two."

Siffra and Vanny proudly unfurled the flag containing a black background with a white polearm, entwined by a red snake with its head facing left. I smiled sadly as I ran my fingers over the Paraglaive coat of arms. I knew my father would have blown up Exalt Emmeryn happily, and would never forgive my betrayal to his dream of an all-powerful Ylisse with a conquered Plegia at its feet. "I'm sorry," I whispered to myself. "But I will save our family name. I have duty to do nothing less."