Well...I lied, I couldn't update 'The Princess and Her Knight'. Its been so long and making Rom-Com is somewhat difficult for me. I got halfway done but now I'm stuck since I can't help but add drama and whatnot when the story really isn't supposed to have these things. So update this first I guess.

Oh, and I'm honestly surprised with the amount of people who want to keep the current pace. I was really expecting people to want to streamline the chapters but hey what the readers want is what I do (within reason) so here, enjoy the 19k chapter full of a boatload of nothing really significant happening.

Big shout out to Hostis once more. Proofread a bunch of errors and he's the only reason the language isn't absolutely riddled with repeating words. Thanks man.

And before anyone says anything: I'm very well aware of DS III, and no I'm not sure if I'm going to ever incorporate anything since I already adapted to DS II and the cycles lore. I'll look over the lore though.

Agnes trudged slowly through the castle's halls, rubbing the bags under her eyes and yawning under her breath. Another late night, the same as it had been for the past week, "How many damn spies are there in this castle..." She muttered to herself. Three fucking guards, all admitting to being bribed to various degrees after the first one that opened the gate.

Of course she doubted that it was only guards. Someone had to have been giving them the payments, meaning someone higher up was authorizing the payouts or letting the courier in. The other explanation was that the guards were so blind they allowed an enemy spy enter at least three times right under their nose, and she didn't want to imagine how doomed Tristain would be if that were the case.

"Tch, damn protestant..." She rolled her eyes. Oh, here it came: The insults based on her religion, her gender, her not being a noble, how bad her haircut was or anything else they could pull out of their asses. Honestly she had to wonder if the nobles or other guards around the castle had anything better to do than insult others to make themselves feel better.

"I'm here to see the Queen," The guard standing in front of the Queen's chamber stood rigidly, not reacting to her presence. After the kidnapping incident they just had to get the most professional guard on the scene; and by professional of course they meant 'breathing statue', "Listen, Bertrand, I'm really not in the mood for this crap right now. I haven't had a good night's sleep in 8 days so don't bother with the statue routine."

"What is your business with the Queen?" He asked back.

"The same business I've been coming back here for eight days in a row: None of your business," She pulled out a marked piece of paper and shoved it towards him, "You recognize this? I've shown this to you eight times now. I'd have thought you would eventually catch on that I'm not here to kidnap the Queen like the last eight times I've been here."

The facade cracked and a sheepish smile made its way to his face, "Sorry, Agnes, but you know the rules."

"Yeah, yeah," She put the decree back in her pocket and walked past him. He was one of the few who didn't hold her position against her, but she really wasn't in the mood for jokes. Eight days she'd spent passed out on her desk feeling like crap and they didn't even know how many spies they had left. Take down three corrupt guards and another six would sprout up to take their place.

They had to cut off the head of the snake if they hoped to get anywhere.

Inside the room, Henrietta bit her lip and resisted the urge to scream in frustration as she crumpled the paper in her hand and threw it against the ever growing pile, "Why is this so difficult...?" She placed both hands on her head and sighed. It shouldn't have been this difficult; she'd been taught to lie her entire life so just a few words of apology should have been easy. She knew exactly the right words to make those who did nothing wrong begging for forgiveness.

The problem came with being honest.

"What am I supposed to say?" She wondered aloud. Would she admit it was her fault for being fooled by a spirit masquerading as her beloved? That she did nothing and nearly killed her only friend and those who had aided her? Yes, that would go over well: 'My beloved was reanimated by a spirit and because I was a fool I went with him, which led to your loved ones dying when they tried to save me'.

They would think she was insane.

"Brimir damn it all," She frowned and grabbed for her tea. It kept her awake, more than alcohol did at least, and she could scarcely afford to rest given recent events. There was someone pulling all their strings, she knew it. They were getting closer to the dagger at their backs. She couldn't march the armies toward Albion without making sure their agent here was dealt with.

"Come on. It shouldn't be this difficult..." She wrote down another quick segment before reading it aloud, "Dear Sir and Lady Delacroix. It is with my humblest desires that I ask for your forgiveness for the death of your youngest son. He was part of the knights who came to rescue and they were killed when he was dragged-" She didn't even finish before the parchment quickly joined the pile.

This was supposed to be easy. Just say 'Your son died bravely in the line of duty' and it would be over. They would read over the letter, use it to pry concessions from her, and then they could move on with their lives.

But that wasn't good enough for her. No, she wanted to convey her apology. She wanted these families to know she'd made a mistake and that she was kept up at night by the nightmares of knights being torn limb from limb as they choked on their own blood. She knew it was her fault; she could have justified it, claimed they died in the line of duty, but that wasn't good enough.

...She needed more tea.

"Your Majesty," She frowned from behind her cup as Agnes entered with a short bow. More news.

"Greeting, Agnes. How are the recruits for the Musketeers corps faring?" Casual talk before getting down to business, that was ingrained in her. Getting down to business right away meant people would be guarded.

"Not very well, as you know, your Highness. Making an all-female troop, especially after the death of the Griffon knights, leads to little support. Getting women who willingly sign up to join a unit such as this would be difficult under normal circumstances, so you can imagine how difficult it is to gather members," Her stoic expression shifted slightly, "Of course you already know this. This is the third time you've asked in this past week."

"Oh...truly? My apologies," She shook her head to wipe away the fatigue. Of course she was taught on how to casually talk to other nobles rather than knights and soldiers. She didn't know the first thing about breaking the ice with Agnes, "Well then, I suppose we should get down to business. Have you found anything new in your investigation?" She steepled her hands together. A sign of confidence, the Cardinal always told her, and she needed to at least appear as if she was in control.

"Possibly," She pulled out another parchment and placed it at the desk, "I managed to get this from one of the bribed sentries before he burned it," She tapped one of the words, "An individual named 'Sparrow' is mentioned as being the designated courier. I'm not sure if this little bird is the one who gave the previous two bribes but it's something to go on."

"We have the name of a bird," Henrietta answered flatly, "What can we do with this?"

"It's more than we had before," Agnes replied, "We also know they don't use dead drops. Three guards were bribed within one week. Considering how long a trip from Albion is then we can rule out the courier being somewhere far. They're here, either in town or possibly even this castle."

"This castle? Wouldn't they have been caught then?"

"How so?" Agnes frowned, "Dress up like a guard or a servant and no one looks twice. Do you recall the faces of every servant you pass by?" The Queen didn't bother to reply, "It's still a trail and we know they had to have been privy to information. We made sure to keep the detainment of the coerced guards as hidden as possible but as always this 'Sparrow' knows when his spy has been outed and is already bribing another guard."

"They could just be bribing multiple guards at once."

"Then why did the one I just catch not burn his letter just yet?" She shook her head, "Ultimately we don't know but bribing too many guards at once could lead to problems. One at a time poses the least possible risk: It's much harder to catch one spy compared to a whole group of them a once. The one Amethyst caught two weeks ago also made it clear that his payment was spur of the moment. I doubt they can get away with massive bribery all at once."

Ah yes, the Vampires. Henrietta still didn't know she felt about Vampires working for the crown. She should have been more shocked, but given recent events it was becoming much harder to find things that still surprised her. Her best friend was a Void Mage, after all, and Daphne assured them that Louise was aware of who and what they were and that they would remain loyal to the crown for professional and personal reasons.

"Someone is paying them then. It has to be someone close by," Agnes continued, "The money they were given...even nobles would kill for that amount of coin and I doubt Reconquista's the only one footing this bill," She pinched the bridge of her nose, "Your Majesty, you might not want to believe it, but we have to take into consideration that a noble from this very castle is funding them. Such a large amount of coin in such a short time, someone had to have been giving it to 'Sparrow' whenever the bribes fail."

"I'll believe anything at this point," Henrietta leaned back in her seat and looked up at the ceiling blankly, "Everything is going wrong. We face a war on the horizon while our own countrymen stab us in the back for profit. Were things always like this?"

"I wouldn't know. I'm not a noble," Technically she was, but the title was Hollow. It was simply a loophole to allow her to be a knight and no one, herself included, actually put any stock in it.

A soft clicking from behind caused her to nearly jump out of her seat. Taking a deep, calming breath she turned around and blinked as Amethyst gave her a curt nod before closing the terrace door behind her. How did...?

"Do you ever use the door?" Agnes asked, slightly annoyed.

"Faster this way," Amethyst shrugged, "Besides, I would rather not explain myself. Everyone's paranoid right now and a woman running around with a hooded cloak is an easy target," As soon as she left the sunlight she shrugged off the thick cover and placed it on the floor. Agnes' eyes narrowed as she saw the crimson stains dotting the woman's blouse, "I have news. We may have another lead."

"You found someone?" Henrietta sat up straighter in her seat.

"And maybe you should have changed clothes first," Agnes suggested.

"I'm sorry, I was under the impression you wanted this done as quickly as possible," Amethyst rolled her eyes, "Our Taskmaster, Renault, we believe he's been in contact with Reconquista."

That got their attention. Agnes stiffened and her lips curled into a frown. She didn't know the man, but he was relatively new and considered a perfect fit for promotion, "Any proof? I know you don't like the guy-"

"My personal feelings have nothing to do with this," Amethyst interrupted, "Believe me I would love nothing more than for him to fall off this building's highest tower but I can keep my emotions in check," She crossed her arms, "We found a letter he was writing, addressed to someone named 'Sparrow'. Status reports on what was happening and information of the guard movements for the next week."

"Where is this letter then?" Henrietta asked, a hint of hesitation tinging her voice. This was the first solid information they'd had in days.

"I left it with Daphne. There was a bit of a...struggle," Agnes eyed the bloodstains again, "And we put him in the interrogation room. Daphne's keeping an eye on him now, so I thought Agnes might want to have a chat with him. I'm afraid neither of us can do it; willing acts of torture is something that's difficult for Daphne and I."

Henrietta winced at the word. Torture. She went down to the basements as a child once, and she swore to herself that she would never do so again. Instruments meant to break the human body...it was abhorrent, but even now she knew there was nothing else to be done. What were they supposed to do? Give him tea and biscuits so he would tell them everything? She wasn't that naive.

"Ah, the whole 'aberrant' thing," Agnes clicked her tongue, "You never did give us any details on that. I mean I get that you can't kill, but that blood on your clothes isn't just for show I'm guessing."

"Imagine a voice in your head screaming at you whenever you kill someone," She answered, "Even when we don't kill a person, even if we're just defending ourselves, the voice screams like a child throwing a tantrum. So yes, while I have no personal displeasure to torture I would prefer it if you be the one to do so. We've already tried to use our 'Charm' magic, but as you can expect you can't charm someone after knocking out most of his teeth."

Agnes whistled, "That bad, huh?" She sighed, "Alright, I'll have a chat with him. Just...place him at the chair at the west end. Once he gets a couple screws through his feet he should start being chatty. And if not, well...there's always the bull-"

"Please, I don't need any details," Henrietta interrupted hurriedly, "Just...get the information from him as best as you can. Afterwards you can place him in the dungeon to receive proper judgement."

"There might not be much left of him by the time it's finished," Amethyst commented blankly.

In the short time she'd known them Henrietta could safely say that Daphne was the 'nice' sister in comparison to Amethyst. 'Nice' and 'Vampire' really didn't belong in the same sentence, but she was definitely more...warm in comparison to her sister. Amethyst was cold...and it wasn't simply because she was a Vampire. She was polite enough, but she always had a feeling of dread whenever she interacted with her.

Daphne also didn't make off-color jokes.

"We'll be going then, Your Majesty," Agnes bowed, which Amethyst quickly copied. As Agnes made her way back to the entrance Amethyst stayed behind, though she made sure to fasten her cloak over her.

"Your majesty, a question if I may?" Amethyst said.

"Yes, of course, Lady Amethyst," Henrietta nodded. Without the presence of her personal guard she was suddenly acutely aware that she was alone in a room with a Vampire. She gulped in slight trepidation.

"Your heart's beating faster..." Amethyst commented blankly, "Regardless, I need to ask: Louise Valliere, your best friend...do you plan for her to go to war?"

"What gave you that idea? She did her best to keep her tone neutral, though given the Vampire's comment she doubted she could lie to her.

"She told me, it was how she convinced me to tell her information regarding your kidnapping," She could hear the Queen's heart beating faster. Fear or anticipation? "I need to know if any of this is true."

"It...It is true," The Queen's heartbeat remained constant. She wasn't lying, "I know that I'm not doing the right thing, but...I need her."

"Why?" Her gaze was hard. She suddenly recalled the cautionary tales she'd heard as a child. The songs about Vampires on children to feed their craving, "Why do you need her?" She pressed again.

"I can't tell you," Henrietta took a deep breath and looked away from her, "Louise is my treasured friend, but without her...we have no chance to win this war. I can't tell you the reason, so you will simply have to trust me.

"Trust..." She scoffed, "Fine then. I know my place," She opened the door to the terrace, "Regardless, Pierre and Karin must know..."

As the two other women left the room suddenly became eerily quiet. She hadn't been making much appearances in court, and it was to be expected given her attempted kidnapping. They thought she was staying inside out of fear, crying herself to sleep every night. Better they didn't know what exactly she was discussing with her personal guard and a Vampire.

"God, no wonder Mother didn't want to be Queen," Henrietta rubbed her eyes. While a part of her resented her mother's decision to abdicate the throne she understood fully why she had no desire to. To be in charge for the lives of hundreds, thousands, all expecting the impossible of you. Making decisions that inevitably hurt someone and taking responsibility for the eventual consequence.

She knew she was putting Louise at risk, she didn't need a Vampire's reminder for that. If Louise got hurt or killed...she would never be able to live with herself. Louise was her best friend...but she was also her greatest weapon against Albion. Louise de la Valliere: Her best friend, a Void Mage, her country's best hope, the tool that would allow her to take revenge on the power hungry priest...

"I need more wine..." She muttered. They would deliver some more in the evening, but now she needed to keep focus.

Well, back to what she was doing. Letting out a very unladylike yawn she grabbed for another piece of blank parchment and started writing.

"Dear Sir and Lady Benoit..."

Blindness was agonizing.

Raziel slowly walked across the room, his hands grasping blindly in front of him. He was in his and Louise's shared room, Louise having left earlier to do some business. He vaguely recalled her waking him up and telling him she was going to the mail-room: More letters from the Queen, or at least that's what he assumed they would be. She didn't really talk to anyone else.

He never understood her loyalty to that woman. She betrayed her, tried go and kill herself with that impostor along with trying to kill them all...and after a few coarse words she was right back to doing her bidding. It was Patches all over again, but at the very least he didn't become Patches' lapdog.

She also held it against him that he had tried to kill her. She tried not to say anything, but he could feel the animosity from her whenever she was nearby. She didn't hate him for it, not truly, but it was still an issue. He tried to roll his eyes before hissing in pain; right, still blind and not fully healed, he had to remember that. At the very least she hadn't whipped or yelled at him, but leaving him alone despite how much of a bad idea it might have been given his condition was-

He bumped against the table and fell on his face, "Ahhh!" He hissed and clawed at the bandages covering his face as his eyes made contact with the floor. He hated this! He felt helpless, like a blind infant pawing at the darkness. He could feel something going down his cheeks; he was bleeding again, he could feel the bandages becoming wet with the life fluid. He wiped away the blood and bit his tongue as he stood up. That Queen would pay for this.

"Blood and Damnation!" He kicked the table he had bumped into, eliciting the sounds of cracking glasses and plates. Louise would yell at him for that later but he didn't care anymore. She wasn't the one who had to deal with not being able to see for two weeks now. Whatever spell she'd cast had lowered his healing capabilities and even now he could see no light regardless of how wide he opened his eyes.

Seeing was impossible. He would have liked to think it would fix itself soon but the more days passed the less likely it was going to be. Two weeks. Two weeks of relying on nothing but his hearing, becoming paranoid at every little sound that reached his ears. Even the Tomb of the Giants had a lantern! Now everything was dark, like the world had been consumed by the Dark Soul after all.

He could see, but only when Louise wanted it. Using the Familiar's link he could see through her eyes and they had trained the past 16 days in order to make sure he could defend her if danger ever came for them. It was odd, seeing himself run. Running forward but seeing yourself run to the left or running backward and going to the right. It was difficult to get used to seeing through another's eyes.

They had gotten half-decent at it, but it was nothing compared to using his own eyes.

The door to the room opened with a loud creak and Louise entered, clutching a letter to her chest, "Hey, Raziel, we need to-" Her voice was caught in her throat as she saw the broken dinnerware littering the floor. As her Familiar turned around she cringed as she saw the blood going down his eyes and hitting against the floor.

"Wh-What the hel happened!?" She grabbed a cloth from the chair and hurriedly wiped away the blood, "I just went to pick up a letter and I come back to you trying to destroy our room!" She rubbed away the last of the blood and started to untangle the bandages, "God, this is bad...we need to-"

"Let go of me..." He shoved past her and walked to where he had heard her come from. He didn't want her giving him another lecture, to tell him to forgive the monarch who had attempted to kill her and blinded him out of stupidity. He needed to be alone.

"Raziel, wait-" The slamming of the door made it clear he wasn't in the mood to talk. She looked down at the letter in her hand; an urgent message from the Queen, the first piece of information she'd received from her best friend in weeks. Taking a deep breath she went to her desk and sat down. Raziel would be fine - She needed to see what the Princess wanted after all this time.

Outside, Raziel quickly regretting his choice of leaving. He wanted to be alone, but going down stairs when he couldn't avoid hitting the same table three times in one day was problematic. The rare few times he'd left their room Louise was always there guiding him slowly down the stairs. Siesta had also been helpful: explaining the love potion had been difficult but given his injuries she had decided to let it go for now.

As he was nearing the bottom he miscalculated and ended up missing a step. Mouth opening slightly he tried to grab in vain for anything before he felt his head and shoulder bump into steps as he rolled down the circular stairwell.

Rolling down the stairs was painful, but it was nothing compared to the feeling of humiliation and helplessness as he finally stopped and lay at the bottom. His head and upper body ached and a few scrapes stung at his knees but the worst came from his eyes. More blood, he could feel it pooling around his head and coating his hair. He could taste the dirt on his tongue and he quickly closed his mouth to avoid the feeling of wanted to vomit.

"Eeeek!" High screams and footsteps. Right, Louise lived in the girl's dormitory and seeing the 'Zero's' Familiar bleeding out on the floor was surely a grotesque sight. Holding back a hiss of pain he grabbed at the wall and forced himself up. No doubt a servant would be annoyed at having to clean up after him but he would apologize when he regained his sight...if he regained his sight.

He could hear footsteps drawing closer to him. Soft, and with large pauses in between them. Hesitation? He couldn't blame them. What did they want? Did they need someone to poke fun of and deride? He wasn't really in any position to fight back so now would have been the perfect time.

The words he heard were unexpected.

"D-Do...you need help?" He didn't recognize the voice. Not Siesta, and Louise was still in her room. Not Guiche (he couldn't enter the girl's dorm anyway) and certainly not Kirche or Tabitha.

"Who...Who are you?" A step back. Was she going to leave?

"Katie. Katie Chastain," She held a hand out before sheepishly drawing back. He couldn't see her, of course she couldn't expect him to return the gesture, "Um...you probably don't remember me..." He gave no reply. He had no idea who she was, "Um, it was just after the summoning ceremony. Me and Ms. Montmorency caught onto Guiche cheating..."

"Sorry...I do not remember you," He answered.

"It-It's alright," She released a held breath. He couldn't tell whether she was relieved or not at his reply, "Um, well...you looked like you needed help, and..."

"I just...need to see my friend..." He wiped away the blood with his sleeve, "She is...She should be at the servant's quarters. Just...tell me the general direction and I will find my there," Most likely after bumping into a few trees along the way, but he would make it eventually.

"In your condition?" She sounded doubtful, "I...think I should help you," She held out a hand again, "Here, give me your hand."

"You really do not have to-" He was silenced when she took the hand not covered in blood and started leading him forward, "Really, I can-"

"I saw you fall down the stairs, you know," She suddenly turned left, causing him to nearly trip as he caught up to her, "The servant's quarters aren't that far so it's no trouble," Another right turn and he felt someone bump into his shoulder. She must have been wading through some students.

"...Why are you doing this?"

"I felt sorry for you...I guess?" Was she asking him or telling him? "That looked like a nasty fall and Ms. Louise wasn't with you so I thought you needed help."

"You have my gratitude then..."

The rest of the short walk was silent. He'd stopped bleeding, but he didn't count on that lasting very long. He never seemed to run out of the life fluid regardless of how much he was drained. It was irritating.

Another scream, though much shorter. An expression of surprise, "Raziel, are you alright!?" He felt Katie letting go of his hand before another pair of hands cupped his face and started twisting him around, "Oh God, your injuries opened up again. We need to change that bandage quick."

Siesta turned to the brown haired first year and quickly bowed, "Thank you for bringing him here, Miss."

"O-Oh, it's no problem," Katie smiled, "Please take care of him then."

He barely had time to wave goodbye at the noble's general direction before Siesta was pushing him to her room, no doubt to look over his injuries. He could hear a few other maids calling out to them but she ignored them. Raziel heard her open her door before locking it with a click. Her hold on him disappeared and she quickly grabbed a basin of water, a cloth and some bandages.

"Come on, sit down!" She pushed him to her bed and made him face forward, "How bad is the pain?" She wet the cloth and wiped it against his cheeks to remove the blood marks.

"It does not hurt," He lied. He didn't want her treating him like a child.

"Raziel..." She sighed. There was no point in lecturing him, she knew that by now, "Alright then. We're going to have to change your bandages, so it's going to sting a bit. Whatever you do don't open your eyes, it'll only make it worse. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, Mother."

She pursed her lips at the poor joke and carefully unwrapped the soiled bandages from his face. As expected he took a hissing breath as the slightly sticky cloth was finally removed from his eyes.

"Oh God, Raziel..." She looked down. His eyes were covered in a thick blanket of blood and he could see a few new scratches marring his eyelids, no doubt self-inflicted, "How are you going to heal if you keep injuring yourself?" She dabbed the wet cloth at his eyes and he backed away, "Raziel, we need to clean up your eyes or they might get infected. Do you want that?"

"Undead cannot get infections- Ah!" He bit his tongue as she swabbed his right eye. She was doing it as gently as she could, but it was still painful.

"Undead also don't get blind from what you've told me, but here we are," She bit her lip as he whimpered. It was depressing; she'd never imagined he could even sound like that, "Raziel, I want you to please promise me that you won't do this again. This is your third time these past two weeks and blood entering your eyes can't be good for your recovery."

"I would recover much quicker if Louise let me go hunt some orcs for Humanity- Mmph!" He bit into his hand as she dabbed at his left eye.

"I think there's a very good reason Ms. Valliere won't let you go hunting in the forest at your condition. I mean Orcs are never alone and in your state they would overpower you if you attacked them.

"I am blind, not helpless," He bit back.

"She's just worried," She assuaged, "As am I. I nearly fainted when you and Ms. Valliere came back early in the morning with both of you looking like you were caught in the middle of a tornado."

"Close to the truth..." He muttered. Louise forbade him from revealing what happened, much to his annoyance.

"So just...calm down for now, at least until you recover," She finally finished cleaning up the blood, "Now for the bandages," She unwrapped the medicinal cloth and he winced. She wrapped it tightly around his head. She'd told him it was to stop the air from hitting against his eyes but that didn't make it any less uncomfortable.

"Done," She finished with a slight smile.

"Hm..." Raziel reached up a hand to touch his eyes before she slapped it away.

"Hey, I just told you not to!" She sighed and sat down next to him, "Raziel, I don't wanna have to do this a fourth time, alright?" He didn't reply, "Look, I know you're angry about whatever happened and I'm sure you have good reasons but agitating your wounds isn't going to help. Just wait for your eyesight to come back then you can get into fistfights with Manticores again or something."

"I hate this..." He hissed, "Sitting here, unable to even walk properly without tripping over things I should know are already there. I hate jumping at every sound because I can't see for myself if it's a danger or not. I hate only being able to see when Louise decides I should be able to. I passed through any trial I've been given but now without my sight I'm...I have to rely on others to be able to walk properly."

"You hate a lot of things, I get it," She sighed, "But complaining about it isn't going to help. I hate that my home was destroyed because of this war and I hate that my younger brothers might even be drafted because of it but if I spend all time getting mad at what I can't change then I'll never get anywhere."

"We are both full of hatred, I suppose," He laughed wryly, "...Is Tarbes recovering?"

"Little by little. The Queen sent some Earth Mages there to fix the land but it's going to be difficult to farm or cultivate anything with all the damage that's been done," She looked down at her lap and clenched her fists, "And that's if there are even people who want to go back. There are...bad memories there now and the other villagers are talking about packing up and starting over new somewhere else."

"I cannot blame them."

"Neither do I, but it still hurts...home's going to be a lot more empty without the others there. My dad wants to go back, says we can make it great again even if it takes another few generations, but even I have my doubts now."

"It is not easy to leave your home, I understand," He took hold of her hand and pressed it gently in reassurance. She blushed slightly and smiled, "And...just because your friends leave does not mean others will not stay there. Perhaps I might deign to live there once all is said and done."

"Careful, I might actually think you're being serious," She teased.

"As serious as I can be. If I do not die in the coming months then it would be my first choice for a new home. I doubt I can live with Louise forever; she will grow tired of my presence eventually and it sounds like I can be alone in Tarbes."

It was nothing but wishful rambling. Even if he did survive this he would die from Hollowing and on the off-chance that he didn't then the chances of him building a new life were almost nonexistent. Undead didn't get happy endings or start over anew.

"W-Well, if that's the case then you can always live with me," She blushed, "I mean it might take you a while to get your own house and I do owe you a lot for everything, so..."

"Maybe we'll be family once this is all said and done."

He winced slightly at the memory. No, he had to ignore the masked bastard's taunts. Siesta was his friend, it didn't matter who her grandfather or great-grandfather had been. It didn't change who she was. She was Siesta, no one else.

"I do not wish to be a burden, but thank you," He smiled. The first time he had in sixteen days, "I promise not to stay too long."

His cheeks reddened as he felt her lips press against his forehead. She was certainly...affectionate to her friends, "Stay as much as you want, I mean it's no trouble. After all, I..." He looked at her in confusion as she suddenly stopped, "Th-That is to say that I..." She gulped. This was her chance, "I lo-"

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" Without even bothering to knock Louise slammed the door open and started dragging him out of the room. She should have known he would end up in the maid's room. He didn't exactly understand their relationship and he always refused to elaborate when she asked, "We need to prepare for another task. So hurry up-"

"A task? From her?" He didn't even wait for her reply before he wrenched his hand from her grip, "Louise, if you have forgotten I have very little reason to want to do anything for that tyrant-"

"Don't call her that!" She slammed the door to the room shut. It wouldn't do for them to be overheard, "Raziel, I know you have good reason but please listen to me-"

"I am already preoccupied," He interrupted, "Siesta and I have made plans to go back to Tarbes and see how well it has been rebuilt. You do not need to go back to your home and ask for permission for a few more weeks and you allowed me to decide how I spend my time till then."

"We did?" The maid briefly looked confused before she caught Raziel's hand signal, "U-Um yes, Ms. Valliere, we talked about possibly going back to Tarbes tomorrow."

"Change of plans then," Louise crossed her arms, "Because we were just told to undergo a task from you-know-who. We need to go to town and gather information."

"Why do you need my help then?" He countered, "You can do that on your own and given my condition I doubt I can be of any help."

"W-Well, that's..." He had a point. Even with his sight he had all the subtlety of a thrown brick. She would be better of going on her own, but... "Well...you're Familiar so you have to go with me!" His expression made it clear he wasn't pleased with her reply, "So quit whining and start packing clothes. We have to stay at an inn and-"

"Siesta comes with us then."

""What?"" Both the maid and the noble looked at him as if he had grown a second head.

"Louise, I cannot help you like this," He pointed to his bandaged eyes, "If you want me to agree to this idiotic task then at least let her come along. If it is just the two of us then we will be out on the street before we even get to the inn."

"That's..." Damn it, he had a point. She didn't want to do this alone but a blind Undead wasn't exactly reassuring company, "Does she even want to go? I mean-"

"I'll go!" She stood up, causing Louise to jump in surprise, "I-I mean, I owe Raziel for his aid at Tarbes so it'd be wrong for me to back out now," She bowed respectfully to the younger noble, "If it is no bother to you, Ms. Valliere, then please allow me to assist in your task."

"But it's supposed to be...rrrgh," She growled and threw up her hands, "Fine, fine! Pack your things and meet us in front of the gate early tomorrow morning! Leave your sword too, we need to be inconspicuous and you can't hide him!" She grabbed her Familiar's wrist and pulled, "Come on, your lover just said yes so no more complaining!"

Again Raziel could only manage a wave at Siesta's general direction before he was forcefully dragged along back to their shared room. Siesta could do nothing but pack her clothes and supplies, enough for a few days of travel, before she laid down on her bed with a yawn.

"Brimir above, what have I gotten myself into?"

The trip to town wasn't exactly pleasant. Siesta didn't know how to ride a horse and Raziel, barely novice himself, couldn't be expected to follow properly without his eyesight. This left them in the precarious position of trying to share one horse while Louise tried to ride them all to town without getting bucked off.

If they had a draft horse it would have been easy, or at least that's what Louise claimed, but academy students were only ever expected to ride one at a time - two if circumstances called for it - so the best they could hope for was getting the biggest horse available and trying to ignore how uncomfortable it was to squeeze together without a saddle to dampen the horse's movement.

He had to admit he felt sorry for the poor animal they were riding. It was clear as day by its neighing that it didn't expect three riders and it was only because he and Louise were underweight that it didn't collapse from their combined weight.

He could also tell by how much Louise was muttering curses under her breath that she wasn't a large fan of riding a horse without a saddle. Neither was Siesta given how tightly she was gripping his back. He had to bite his tongue to keep from telling her that her nails were digging into his back and if she put any more force she would be ripping off the skin on his back.

When they finally made it to town, the first thing he heard was Louise's praising of her God, "Thank Brimir we're here!" She discreetly rubbed between her legs and relished being on solid ground once more. Next to her Siesta was too busy hugging the ground to care about how idiotic she might have appeared. Riding a horse bareback was not an experience she wished to repeat.

"Where are we?" Raziel showed no signs of discomfort from their ride. Had Louise been crass she would have reasoned out that it was because he lacked the proper parts to feel pain from.

"The capital," Louise grabbed the horse's reins and started walking towards the stables. Siesta quickly held hands with the Undead and followed after her, "We need to look for information."

"Information to what exactly?" He asked back, not even attempting to hide how annoyed he was.

"Unbiased information," She ignored his tongue clicking, "The Princess wants to know how people are reacting to the war. She's...been forced into a lot of difficult decisions and she needs information on how the people truly feel about it."

"I have something to tell you then-"

"Raziel, not now!" She really didn't need to hear about how much her Familiar hated her best friend.

She made quick conversation with the stablehand in charge and pointed at her uniform. It was made clear: Charge the rent of the horse to the academy, "Now we need to change clothes...well, at least I do," She looked at the attire of the pair. Raziel never dressed fancily and the maid had changed into a more casual ensemble that wouldn't look out of place in a rustic village.

"What for?" Raziel had to wonder why Siesta was being so quiet. Usually she was much more chatty.

"People won't be honest about how they feel about Princess Henrietta if they see a noble around," She thought that would be rather obvious, "In either case I need to change into some more fitting clothes and then we can check it at an inn," She shook the bag she was holding, "We don't really have much since the Princess couldn't afford to give too much but it should be enough to stay at a decent inn."

She suddenly wished she hadn't sent back her saved up money back home. Given recent events she didn't think that keeping her saved up money in a pouch in her room was the safest idea. Big sis Catt was watching over it for her and she was the only one she trusted not to show it to the rest of her family. In case things became dire she needed those ecu to fall back on.

Even if her parents allowed her to go to war - and that was a very big if - it was doubtful they would fund her expedition. It was the way of her parents - They were almost never actually forbidden from doing anything, but almost always they were deprived of the means to actually do that even when given permission . It meshed well with her mother's Rule of Steel that they always take responsibility for their own actions.

A loophole then. Saying yes even if they meant no, but she wouldn't fall for it.

Changing clothes was quick, but also uncomfortable. Louise pulled at the straps of her brown dress and adjusted the sandals on her feet. She carried the uniform on a bag and sorely wished she could change back. She wasn't used to her shoulders being exposed.

"So, how is it?" She twirled around before stopping midway. Right, she almost forgot: Blind. She'd done it for every outfit she'd tried on during their shopping trip that it was difficult to suddenly stop doing so.

Thankfully he didn't seem to notice her blunder, but given the way the maid was trying to rein in her laughter it was evident she hadn't gotten off completely.

The smaller girl adopted a scowl and glared at the maid, "What is it? Is something funny?"

"N-Nothing..." She didn't want to risk agitating the pinkette.

"That's what I thought."

The walk to the inn Louise designated as their temporary abode was short, and Raziel was only bumped into about half a dozen times. Better than he expected all things considered.

"U-Um..." Siesta spoke up before she shrunk back as Louise looked at her. Looking up at the inn Siesta couldn't help but feel this was certainly much more...expensive compared to how most commoners would live. How long could they even stay here? Just a few hundred ecu would barely last them a week or two. She didn't know why they were doing this but surely this went against the purpose of the disguise.

"Got something to say, Maid?"

"I...nothing," She looked away.

"No, go ahead," Louise pressed, "I'm sure you have some insight that-"

"Stop bullying her," Raziel interrupted, "Louise, I know you do not want her here but stop arguing. Siesta is not a spy like that tyrant's kidnapper was and you gain nothing from acting as if she does not belong here."

"She's not a tyrant!" She pinched the bridge of her nose, "She made a mistake, I know that and she knows that. I'm not trying to wash away everything she's done but she's not the demon you're acting like she is!"

"Blind your eyes for two weeks then we will see if you are still forgiving-"

"Um, please stop arguing!" Siesta cut in, "We're causing a scene," She gestured to the crowd of people beginning to stare at them, "Please, let's stop fighting and just do what Ms. Valliere wants. I'm here to help the both of you so please get along."

"Fine then," Louise still looked displeased, but she swallowed her dissatisfaction as she opened the door to the inn.

Checking into the inn was somewhat difficult. The fancy innkeeper - or at least Raziel assumed he was fancy given the perfume he could smell on the man - had at first mistaken Louise for a thief and it was only after constant argument that they were given a room with two beds that they all had to share.

Siesta had expected to sleep on the sofa but Raziel had insisted she take the other bed while he slept on the floor. Louise looked torn, debating on whether to invite him to sleep together before ultimately deciding against it. He needed to keep his distance for now if he was going to act like a brat about this. She understood his rage at his condition but it was still her best friend he was badmouthing.

"Well...goodnight," Siesta called out hesitantly.

Neither of them replied.

A week passed, and as Raziel guessed they turned up exactly what he expected they would.

Absolutely nothing.

If Raziel had the subtlety of a thrown brick then Louise had all the silence of a parrot. The second someone made a negative remark about her precious Queen she would either repeat it out loud, evidently scaring off her possibly targets, or become enraged and start an argument with them that Siesta more often than not had to save her from.

Siesta was slightly better at it, but ultimately she wasn't cut out for spying either. Raziel didn't even try: A blindfolded, multi-color haired teen more often than not attracted stares even more than the pink haired noble who didn't bother dying her pink hair. They did manage to get a sparse few more details from Siesta's findings but Louise was unsatisfied.

By the start of the next week they were out on the streets. Raziel sighed. He knew this would end up happening and it did, the only difference was now that it took place a week later.

He was also still blind, which didn't help his mood any.

Louise looked back at the inn and scowled, "Your surface wasn't that good anyway!" She yelled back. The proprietor ignored her and Louise stomped forward, firing off complaints at the sky and ignoring the attention she was getting.

One week and all she ever found out was that they disagreed with the Queen's policies of tax or that she was 'too young' to be properly set on the throne. She mashed her teeth together: That was far too vague. Even without spying on anyone she could write that in the paper. She needed specifics, and more than that she needed proof. The princess wouldn't send her out to spy like this for no reason. She was looking for more than a few displeased citizens.

"Now what?" Raziel broke the silence, "We have no money and no information to show for it," He nearly tripped but the dark haired maid quickly caught him. He gave her a brief smile before continuing, "Do you want to live on the streets, pretend to be a beggar? I am sure you will get a lot of information that way-"

"Shut up for a minute and let me think!" Louise bit back.

Could she ask the Princess for more money? ...No, she already risked a lot just giving them that much. The inn had sponged all her money off her and she didn't have two ecus to rub together. She could still go back to the academy - her horse was still waiting after all - but that would mean admitting defeat and disappointing the Princess.

Damn it. She didn't know what to do!

"I-If we need a place to stay, then I have a suggestion," Louise turned her gaze to Siesta, for once without a glare, "I have family here and they run an inn," She wrung her skirt nervously, "They might be able to loan us a room, provided that we earn our keep."

"I have to work?" Raziel could tell by her voice alone that she wasn't fond of the idea.

"A lot of people stay there," Siesta continued, "It's both an inn and a bar and when people get drunk they're much more likely to talk about things they'd rather keep hidden. If we need information then it could also be a good place to look."

Louise chewed on her lip as she mulled the idea over. The idea of working as a common servant at an inn wasn't something she relished, but in the end she had little choice. She didn't have any money to her name right now and she needed to show results. If she had to play the servant then...then she would take it.

Besides, she thought she'd looked good in an apron.

Of course that was before Louise had actually seen the inn where she would be working at. From the outside it looked completely normal and the name of the establishment was immediately eye-catching: 'The Charming Fairies Inn'. Slightly pretentious, she thought, given how small the building looked but if it had clean sheets and chatty customers then she could stomach anything it threw at her.

She was wrong.

Louise covered her eyes and turned away, her cheeks blushing red, as she laid her first eye on the workers...if that was even what they were called. Girls the same age as her or older, all wearing attire that she couldn't describe for fear of her soul being overtaken by the blasphemy, "R-Raziel, don't look-" She stated automatically before again her mind caught up with her and reminded her that he was in no condition to ogle.

Raziel turned to her, mouth curled downwards in an expression of distaste before he raised his middle finger at her briefly. Her eyes widened and she made to yell at him for the vulgar gesture before she once again turned away.

"Hello, table for two?" A yellow haired girl asked sweetly with a wink, leaning forward to show off how little the cloth was covering her assets. Raziel said nothing, Louise looked as if she was trying to avoid running out of the building altogether while Siesta had left earlier to try and contact her cousin. That left them standing awkwardly close to the entrance like a pair of Channelers.

"N-N-N-No thanks!" Louise shook her hands frantically, making sure to keep her gaze focused on the girl's face and only her face.

"Hehe," The giggle was practiced, just loud enough so that they could hear it despite the chatting of the bar's denizens, "First time here?" In lieu of verbally replying Louise made do with nodding, "Hmm, I can see that," She looked at the pair, only pausing briefly at the Undead's bandaged eyes, "Well, how about that table then? It won't do for your date to end with you just standing here."

"We're not lovers," Louise stuck out her tongue in distaste, "He's my...little brother," She pointedly ignored Raziel's look of disbelief, "And we didn't come here alone. We came with a...friend of ours. Her name is Siesta and-"

"Oh, Sie-Sie?" The girl interrupted, "Yeah, I saw her talking to Jessica earlier, so I guess you two are what it was about," She smiled and shook Louise's hand, "Name's Marlene. Any friend of Sie-Sie's a friend of ours! Come on, I'll take you to a table. Knowing Jessica it's gonna be a while before Sie-Sie can actually tell her about you two. I'll get you two something to eat, on the house!"

The girl, who introduced herself as Marlene, quickly shuffled them to free table before giving them some meat stew. Louise was reluctant to eat it given the type of establishment this appeared to be.

"...Younger brother?" He looked to where he assumed Louise would be sitting.

"Wrong way, idiot," He reddened slightly and turned to the source of her voice, "And yes, younger brother. What else did you expect me to say?" She pushed the stew away. She would eat once she was sure they weren't sent to a brothel.

"I am older than you, Louise. Much older," He frowned at the smell of alcohol in the air, "It would have been much more believable if I was the older sibling."

"You as my older brother? Not gonna happen," She snorted, "Considering how much I have to look out for you to make sure you don't embarrass yourself I certainly feel like the older sibling in this relationship."

"Yes, what would I do if not my beloved older sister?" He rolled his eyes. At the very least he could do that now, "Maybe I would not be dragged on tasks that border on the impossible. Nor would I have to deal with people determined to kill us at every opportunity."

"No, if not for your big sister you'd still be stuck burning in that bonfire."

"...Fine, I will give you that," He sighed. The remark might have hit below the belt, but when she said it he found that he didn't really mind, "I suppose I should thank you then, big sis," He clasped his hands together and raised his voice to that of a child, "I'm very thankful for you saving me, Big sis."

She blushed slightly and turned away. Being called a big sister felt kind of nice, "Q-Quit it," She smacked him in the shoulder. His face was off-limits right now; she didn't want him to start crying blood again.

"Aww, how sweet~!" Louise jumped and turned to the source of the voice. A girl with long, dark hair was giving them a wide grin while Siesta was off to the side, trying to hold in her laughter. Louise opened her mouth to explain before the girl continued, "Alright, you two siblings need a place to stay, right?"

"Y-Yes, that's right," Louise breathed to calm her nerves. They still believed the sibling lie, "I understand from what Siesta's told us that you have such a room."

"Oh yeah, but it's gonna cost ya," The girl held her hand forward, "Name's Jessica, by the way. I'm Sie-Sie's cousin. Nice to meet you."

Louise shook her hand, "Desiree. And this is my brother-"

"Artorias," Louise gave him a look which he didn't return.

"Right, well I'll get your room then. Come on, Sie-Sie!" She grabbed her cousin and left the two 'siblings' to their lonesome. Louise sat back down and gave Raziel another look.

"Artorias? Really?" She knew who it was; the knight of the story and the man he had apparently mercy killed. Thankfully either Jessica hadn't read the book or she thought it was simple coincidence.

"Speak for yourself, 'Desiree'," He answered, "Where did you even get such a name?" He didn't get why they had to lie about who they were, but at this point he didn't care enough to question.

"It's my mother's middle name. She never uses it anymore," Louise shrugged, "It's as good an alias as 'Artorias' is."

"Regardless of our names you know you will have to work here. I cannot see what it is that is making you so hesitant but are you sure you can handle this? We need a place to stay if you want to continue with this charade."

Louise winced. Well, perhaps it wouldn't be too bad-

"I am not going to work as a prostitute!"

It was bad, he could gather that much from how badly Louise was yelling.

"You look great!" Despite her insulting proclamation Jessica's smile never left her face, "You look cute. Not sexy, but definitely charming," She placed two hands on her chin and looked the raging girl up and down, "Not much in the way of assets but your face is adorable and a lot of guys go for that 'innocent' appeal," She brought a hand through the pinkette's hair, "Nice hair color too. Is this a natural? I've seen my fair share of dye jobs and this looks legit."

She slapped the offending girl's hand away, "I look like a whore!" She stamped her foot in indignation. She looked down at her attire bitterly: The best she could describe it was a maid outfit that had most of its fabric ripped out. Her upper body was covered with nothing but a white corset which was matched with a pair of gloves and stockings with frills at the end. And finally, as if to add insult to injury, she wore a frilly headdress that seemed to mark her as a servant.

It was something a Zerbst would wear, not a proud Valliere!

"Nonsense, you look amazing, darling~!" A male(?) voice reassured her.

They'd also been introduced to the owner of the inn, Scarron. Raziel couldn't really gauge anything about the man(?). All he could judge him on was his voice, which had an odd inflection and sounded excited, though he couldn't miss the hint of warmth.

Louise, on the other hand, sorely wished that she shared her Familiar's blindness right about now.

Scarron wasn't a bad looking man. At a glance she could immediately see the muscle that no doubt took a fair amount of effort to get and maintain and his features, despite his age, was lacking in many wrinkles. He could pass off as a handsome man.

If only he didn't make an effort to completely remove his positive points.

His chest was covered in a tight purple top that was obviously two sizes too small; his legs were dressed in nothing more than a pair of shorts that ended just barely below his bottom and the boots looked like something Zerbst would wear when she would look for men to warm her bed. Even his mustache, which would have been appealing for a man of his age, had been ruined by the red lipstick smeared across his mouth and the eye-shadow dotting his eyes.

It made it all the more unbelievable when Jessica had called him her father. If Louise had to venture a guess she would surmise that it was adoption.

"B-But why do I have to wear this!?" She gripped her skirt tightly and looked down, trying to keep in her urge to flee.

"Oh come on, it's not that bad, Desiree," Jessica clapped both of Louise's shoulders with a grin, "Just imagine it like any other job; the uniform's just different. Besides, none of the customers can touch you. It's a rule everyone knows coming in and if they break that rule they have to deal with pop and believe me those muscles aren't just for show."

"Mi mademoiselle doesn't like violence, but she'll do it if it means protecting us," Marlene cut in.

"Oh, you flatter me, darlings," Louise saw the man wiggle his hips and blush at the compliment. She felt like going to the bathroom.

"Well you need to earn your keep somehow," Jessica continued, "And before you ask: Sie-Sie's family so she doesn't count, and I'm guessing you're desperate if you're staying here rather than at an inn elsewhere," She shrugged, "Besides its either you do it or your little brother puts on the dress...actually, that's a pretty good idea. You can split the work like that."

"Anybody touches me and they die," Raziel answered back flatly. He couldn't see her, but he could feel Jessica's gaze wash over his body. It felt uncomfortable.

"Aww, you sure?" Jessica pouted, "Your legs and arms are pretty thin and even with your eyes covered you have that exotic, Romalian look," It scared him that he couldn't tell whether she was joking, "Hm, yeah, actually we have the perfect outfit for you! You can have a corset like Desiree, and we'll decide later if we need to pad it out. Oh, but we need a longer skirt to cover up the bulge-"

"I am not wearing female clothing," He bit back. He'd worn them before, but in his defense desperation it was because Dusk's dress had enough enchantments to put heavy armor to shame. Learning to 'socialize' was a small process, but at least now he understood that men kissing each other freely and wearing the other gender's clothes was seen as inappropriate. He didn't fully understand why but he doubted Siesta wanted to see him with a dress.

"Really?" He just gave her a flat look, "Aww, that's a shame. I could tell Sie-Sie was looking forward to it-"

"N-No I wasn't!" Siesta yelled. Huh, so she was there. He was losing track of who was where.

The rest of the events didn't bear worth mentioning. Suffice to say Louise hadn't done a very good job of being a waitress. He distinctly remember the sounds of smashing dinnerware along with a few 'How dare you's' followed by the sounds of men screaming. It was to be expected, of course, but after the fifth time in a row he was beginning to think that perhaps it would have been less troublesome if he had put on the uniform. Even with his impairment he doubted he would cause as much trouble.

That wasn't even getting to their room.

"Are they joking!?" Louise stamped her foot again. She was doing that a lot, "They make me work like a common servant, being harassed by drunkards and lechers all night, and they place us in the attic!?" She kicked the cabinet, which proved a bad idea as the dust coating it attacked her face in seeming retaliation, "Ach, ach ach," She coughed heavily and turned away as the dust went down her throat.

"You seem angry..." He managed to find the bed and sit down on it. Not as comfortable as Louise's larger mattress but he liked the harder surface better.

"Of course I'm angry," Her eyes were red from the dirt and she rubbed them as the itching worsened, "One week we've been staying here and we have nothing to show for it. Hel, that maid has done more to gather information than I have," She frowned, "And even all that she's told me is negative. Don't they understand that the Princess is doing her best? I mean she-"

"Tried to kill you."

"In a moment of weakness, which she's trying to make up for," Louise answered back hotly, "Raziel, can we please just not argue about her? My mood is bad enough and I don't want another repeat of our arguments. I thought we'd moved past it," She rubbed her eyes again. She hoped they weren't red, "Same agreement was before. We can argue when we're not on a task."

"Fine. I care about you more than I hate her, Big sis," He debated on whether he should remove his bandages before ultimately deciding against it. This place didn't seem very clean and he didn't want to expose his injures.

"I can't tell whether I like it that you're calling me that," She coughed once more as her throat cleared, "Either way I have no clue what to do with this 'job'. I know people are much more willing to admit truths when they're intoxicated but I need to broach the topic without being suspicious. A common servant girl doesn't suddenly ask about the Queen and her policies."

"Then common servants attack their patrons?" He asked back.

"Th-That's different!" She blushed, "They touched my butt! Jessica told me that they're not allowed to do that but they physically and verbally harassed me!" She grabbed the bag Jessica gave her and pulled out the commoner sleepwear. She wrinkled her nose in distaste. It look too baggy and uncomfortable, "Besides, you're supposed to be defending me from people who do that. What kind of Familiar just stands by and watches their master being harassed?"

"The same Familiar who lost his eyes defending his master."

"Fine," She frowned, "Still, you really need to see this attire then you'll understand why I'm so angry...actually, let me show you," She stood in front of the mirror, "I see, I hear. Master and Familiar, see as one," She pulled out her wand from her pack and waved it brief moment.

Raziel felt light flood into his left eye. He could see through Louise's eyes. She was caked in dust, but the details of her uniform were still clear enough that he understood why she disliked it: It left too much of her skin bare. In a fight that could prove fatal quickly.

"The room's not very good either," She looked around, his vision swimming to join hers. He could see himself sitting on the bed and Louise slowly craned her head around to let him see the room where they were staying, "I don't think they've cleaned this place in years," She traced her finger through a cloth-covered cabinet and held it up to her eye.

"This still feels odd," Raziel stood up and practiced walking around. He had gotten used to reconciling Louise's vision with his own movement, but he certainly felt odd. Like someone else was controlling him as he moved.

As Louise circled her vision around the room again he noticed dark shapes that she seemed to have missed, "Wait, Louise, what is that?" She looked at him briefly before glancing at where he was pointing. Narrowing her eyes in focus, she finally made out the shapes in the darkness-

"Eeeeek!" His vision went dark once more. He didn't get the chance to get his bearings before Louise crashed into him, sending him onto the bed with her on top of him. Almost immediately after her screams he heard the flapping of wings and even more screeches.

"Louise, what-"

"B-Bats! Bats in the attic!" She wrapped her arms around him as if he was a shield. He felt her press her face against his chest as the screeching slowly but surely grew softer. The animals were leaving.

They stayed that way for five more minutes before Louise looked up warily, her breath quick and panicked. She caught sight of the open window. Had they left in search of a new home? She wanted to slam the window shut but her hands refused to let go of him, afraid that if she had the predators would come back for their prey.

The hatch leading to their room suddenly opened, "Hey, how are you two doing?" Jessica climbed up the ladder and surveyed the room, "We heard some screaming and- Woah!" Her smile failed slightly as she caught sight of the two 'siblings'. Louise wondered briefly why she was staring at them fish-eyed till she realized how exactly their position appeared.

"W-Wait, this isn't-"

"So, uh, is this a forbidden fruit kinda thing?" Her smile came back and she fully entered the room, "I mean is that why you two ran away from home? The policy here is 'don't ask, don't tell' when it comes to our worker's backgrounds so you don't have to worry," She shrugged good-naturedly, "I mean, just make sure you don't scream and clean up after yourselves. This isn't that kind of inn despite appearances so keep your voice to a minimum when doing the deed-"

"Nothing happened!" She stood up forcefully, her face red and her expression annoyed, "He's my Fam- Brother! Family don't do things like this!"

"Jessica, what's going on?" Siesta popped her head up from the hatch. Louise growled; just great, that's what she needed: The damn maid to add to complications.

"Hey, Sie-Sie, these two-"

"Nothing happened," This time it was Raziel who answered, "There were bats in this attic. You could have warned my sister in advance that something else already called this place home."

"Ehehehe, sorry," Jessica rubbed the back of her head like it was all a joke. Louise was sorely tempted to kick her down the ladder, "Well we didn't really have any other place for you to stay. Rooms here are pretty much first come, first serve. We're full just about every night but with the war about to take place people are drinking and staying here even more.

"That makes me feel so much better," Louise replied sarcastically, "Listen if you're just going to make fun of us then get out. I at least earned some privacy if not a decent room."

"Hey now, we come in peace," Jessica held up a bottle of wine. Where'd she get that? Louise didn't see her carry it on the way in, "Get a little alcohol in your system and we can chat. It's just like a sleepover."

"Sorry, Jessica insisted," Siesta chimed in.

Louise sorely wanted to refuse her, but she really need a drink after tonight, "Fine. Just close the door behind you, I have to change," She stripped out of her work attire and soon they were sitting around in a small circle on the floor, a glass of wine in each hand.

"What vintage is this?" Louise asked. It tasted nice, much better than she expected an inn like this

"10 year vintage, chilled with ice magic," Jessica swirled it around her mouth, relishing the taste, "Our workers aren't the only reason people keep coming back. Dad allowed me to get it as a sort of 'welcome' present, so enjoy," She grinned, "Don't worry, it won't cost you unlike those plates and glasses you smashed."

"Uncle Scarron is nice despite his...eccentricities," Siesta only took a sip. She wasn't very good at holding her wine.

Jessica had told them about his reasons for acting that way, but Louise still didn't see the logic of dressing up as the opposite gender in order to give Jessica both a mom and a dad. And if he was so insistent on being a lady, why couldn't he act like a proper one like Big sis Catt or her mother? He had no need to act like a love-struck maiden from some cheap novel.

"Hey, it's not my fault! Those men touched my butt!" She pointed an accusing finger at Jessica, "You told me they weren't allowed to do that, by the way."

"They usually don't. I guess I was right; you're a new kind of appeal in this place and the temptation was too much. If you want to blame anyone blame yourself for how cute you look."

"Don't try to shift the blame. I'm not working to be a prostitute," She wanted to be angrier, but the undiluted wine was already doing its work of making her not give a damn. She snorted as Jessica made a vulgar gesture at her, "You're a pervert, you know that?"

"And you're high-strung, noble-girl."

Raziel winced as Louise spit her wine out, hitting him in the face. He probably shouldn't have been sitting so close, "Could you not have turned away?" He wiped the mix of spit and alcohol. Great, now he had to change bandages.

"Was it something I said?" Jessica asked.

"Y-Y-You just called me a noble!" Louise wiped her mouth in a panic, "I mean-"

"Yeah, what about it?" She took another sip, "I mean let's be honest, your lie is complete shit," She pointed a finger at the pinkette, "You claim to be siblings but you look nothing alike; for a commoner you use language only nobles would use; you act all high and mighty and have too much pride for being nothing more than a servant girl and, here's a free tip, might wanna dye your hair next time. Pink hair isn't exactly common for people without magic."

"Wh-What-"

"She has a point, Louise," Raziel pushed his cup away. He wasn't in the mood to drink, "And it matters little. Unless you believe she is also a spy her knowing does not change anything about our task."

"She might spread it around," She replied.

"I wouldn't do that," Jessica waved her off, "Sie-Sie trusts you and I trust her, so you have nothing to worry about. Besides, I just told you when it comes to this place its 'Don't ask, don't tell': You do what you gotta do as long as it doesn't cause any trouble or breaks any rules. We run a business here and if it gets shut down then we've got nowhere else to go."

"I can promise that," Louise nodded. She was working within accordance to the Queen, so she wasn't breaking any laws. Besides, she still had her court lady papers, "I can't tell you what I'm doing, but I need your help," She set down her glass, "Who's the most chatty about politics around here? Rumors?"

"Hmm, that'd be Dominic. Washed up noble, spent all his money on a bad investment of Gallian cheeses and now he just comes here drinking and complaining about how bad things are with the current laws and stuff," She shrugged, "We don't really pay attention but his coin is good so we let it go. I mean he still attends the meetings with other nobles - trying to feel important, I guess - so he's your best bet. Wears fancy clothes, so you'll know him when you see him."

"..Thanks," It was something. No doubt he would be biased due to his experiences but the ramblings of regular commoners, while a part of what the Queen asked for, paled in comparison to how the upper echelon viewed her.

"So...who is he then, really?" Jessica nudged a thumb at Raziel, "Not your brother, but he doesn't look like a servant. Too frail to be a guard and, well, no offense to you but what kind of noble hires someone who can't see?"

"We...have our circumstances. Raziel isn't my brother, but...well, I suppose you can call him a friend. I wasn't lying when I said I looked out for him like he's my little brother. He'd never survive without me."

"Yes, and I gained a sister who spits her wine at me," Raziel snarked.

"Well you certainly seem close," Jessica commented, "Anyway, are you really blind or is this a trick?" She reached a hand out and removed the soggy bandages. He didn't mind; it wasn't very comfortable wearing wet cloth.

"Hey, Jessica-" Siesta made to chastise her cousin before she saw his eyes. Rather than milky white it had regained parts of its usual color, though not completely.

"Raziel, are you alright?" Louise looked at him worriedly.

"I am fine," He rubbed his eyelids softly, "I still cannot see but it does not hurt anymore," He smiled slightly, "The bandages needed replacing regardless."

"Oops, hehe, sorry about that," She tossed away the wine-stained cloth, "Well, sorry. Really thought you were faking the whole 'Blind, helpless' look to appear more harmless."

"I am stronger than I appear," He hated being referred to as frail. Appearances were no indicator: Sieglinde was a normal human of average build but she had survived Lordran and all its horrors without succumbing to death. He felt no shame in admitting she was stronger than he was despite her lack of enhanced strength.

"Look pretty bony to me. Bright side, you at least have pretty eyes," He ignored the compliment. She would just use it to nudge him into a dress, "I was right on the ecu when I thought you'd look great in uniform, though. In fact, I have the perfect outfit; compliments your eyes perfectly and-"

"I need to change bandages," Waving away Louise's offer to guide him he left the room, hoping against fate that he wouldn't trip and break his neck. Hopefully he'd memorized the path to the kitchens.

Louise waited a minute after he left for the sounds of a crash before she spoke up once more, "Real nice, Jessica," Louise took another gulp, "If that's how you talk to men then it's no surprise you're in the back washing dishes."

"Hey, I'll have you know I do perfectly well at earning tips," She responded in mock indignation, "In fact, the next day is the start of the tip race," She grinned, "How about it, Louise? I bet you I can make more tips than you can~!"

"I've no doubt you will," Louise scoffed, "But I'm not interested. I need to focus on my task and competitions on who can be the biggest not-prostitute doesn't interest."

"Chicken~"

"Focused, you mean," She replied, "You can't goad me into this inane wager. I have my pride, but getting the largest prize for earning the leers of drunkards is nothing to be proud of."

"You're no fun," Jessica groaned, "Fine, let's talk about something else then," She turned to smirk at Siesta, "Siesta's in love with that 'little brother of yours. You caught that, right?"

"Jessica!"

"What? It's true!" She snickered, "Caught you making goo-goo eyes at the guy earlier. You looked like one of the customers staring at Marlene last week," She pinched Siesta's cheek, "Still, I didn't think you went for younger guys. I mean, how old is he? Fifteen? Sixteen? Not a lot of muscle on the guy, that's for sure, but he does have that effeminate charm that some older customers like."

"Hey-"

"I...did notice that, yes," Louise cut in before Siesta could answer, "I don't see how it's any of my business, though. He's free to do whatever he wants so long as it doesn't affect me," She stared at the maid, "I am curious, though: You know about his 'condition', right?" Siesta nodded hesitantly, "And...that doesn't bother you? I mean it sounds like it would be a rather appalling thing to live with."

"What, that he's blind?" Jessica asked.

Siesta ignored her, "Doesn't it bother you, Ms. Valliere?" She asked back.

"It does, but I can deal with it because I don't plan on fornicating with him," Siesta winced at the blunt admission. The alcohol must have been doing its work. She wouldn't talk about this otherwise, "If that's your preference then I'm not going to judge you. I just can't imagine it," Another sip, "I mean, are you just going to close your eyes and make sure there aren't any lights when-"

"Ms. Valliere, can we please stop talking about this?" She took a gulp of her wine to calm herself.

"Fine, fine. It's none of my business anyway," She waved a hand breezily, "Besides, it might make him stop talking about how he's dying and stuff. Always annoys me when he talks like that-" Her eyes suddenly widened and she bit her tongue to keep from saying more, but the expression on the maid's face made it clear the damage was done.

"He talks about dying? Why does he-"

"Ugh, shut up," Louise lowered her glass and rubbed her forehead exaggeratedly, "I don't wanna talk about it and now I have a headache," She yawned, raising her hand in a stretching motion, "Just see yourselves out, would you? I need to get some rest. Hopefully I don't choke to death on dust," She looked back at Siesta, "Oh, and help Raziel up, would you? Don't want him crying blood again. Its messy enough as it is here."

With nothing else to do the pair reluctantly left the room, leaving the sleeping(?) girl to her own devices.

The days passed quickly. Louise and Raziel had quickly settled into a routine. The noble would try - and completely fail - to glean information from the customers while Raziel did menial labor such as wiping the floor or washing the dishes.

It was difficult without being able to see properly but Siesta had helped him with his tasks. He appreciated the gesture, but given how many plates and glasses he and Louise were breaking every day they would end the week having to pay in order to keep working here.

"You doing okay, dearie?" Scarron called from behind him. He gave the heavyset man a smile and nodded, "Well, if you're sure," He gave him a quick hug and squealed as if he'd done something exciting. Jessica told him not to take it too seriously; her father acted like that to most customers, or at least those who weren't immediately protesting at the contact. He had to say that he liked the man, though Louise told him to reserve judgement till he could actually see the man.

"Business seems to be well," Raziel started, making conversation. Boredom was eating away at him.

"Yes, definitely," He clapped his hands together, "Mi Mademoiselle is so proud of her girls! Especially dear Jessica. She always was a little spitfire, that one. Takes after her mother," A hint of nostalgia tinged his voice but it quickly disappeared, "Still, little Desiree's not doing very well. Customers are getting annoyed with her and some are refusing to be served by her."

"...How much do we owe you?"

"Trust me, sweetie, you don't wanna know," He winced. He could pay it back with a few more mercenary jobs but he wanted all his funds to go to Tarbes, "Lets just say that unless she performs a miracle you two are going to be working here for the next month."

"Hmm." He heard Louise break another bottle of wine. They would be working here for the next year if she kept this up, "Maybe if she won that dress she would succeed," He muttered to himself. Supposedly some kind of enchanted dress used as a prize for the tip race was blessed with a spell similar to the Vampire's perverted magic. Still, at this point he doubted she would be wearing it any time soon.

Things went as usual until the last night of the tip race. He supposed he should have expected it given their penchant for misfortune, but he thought that they would at least be safe while they continued to work here.

"Well, well! Business looks to be good!" He raised his head up from the sink as the entire bar went from noisy to eerily quiet. He counted footsteps...at least half a dozen. Heavy as well, and he could hear the clattering of plate and metal. Armor...solders?

"Well, is no one gonna serve me?" At his declaration there was a sudden scraping of chairs and a stampede of steps for the entrance. The customers were leaving.

"Tch, damn it, him again..." He heard Jessica mutter next to him.

"Who is it?" He asked.

"Lord Turenne," She didn't bother hiding her distaste, "Calls himself the 'Queen's Revenue Agent', which is just a fancy way of saying tax collector," She clicked her tongue, "He's as big a bastard as they come. Charges more than required for the shops around here and if you refuse he makes life a living hel for you. He's only gotten worse once the Queen upped the taxes to prepare for the war."

"He also never pays for anything," She continued, "Demands free food for him and his men and then molests any girl who serves him," She bit her lip. Being touched was expected, but he went too far, "Dad would've attacked him long ago but we told him not to. We'll lose this place if he gets too mad."

"What is it that you wish to do then?"

"Well-"

"Hey, how about some service?" He slammed his hands on his table repeatedly. None of them came forward, "Come on, what kind of place is this?" He sneered as he looked around, "No service for a loyal subject of the Queen? Preposterous."

Again no one came forward.

"This place is pathetic," He sighed dramatically, "You show all that skin but you're too scared to do anything," He steepled his hands together, "Why don't you all stand outside then? You're too lazy to serve me and my men so just stand outside in the cold. Let everyone see you like you really are."

Reluctantly one of the girls came forward despite her friend's protests. Turenne looked her over as she approached; her breasts weren't the largest but she had a pretty good face and body, "And what's your name, girl?"

"J-Jeanne," She did her best to keep her voice stable.

"Well, at least one of you knows your manners," He grabbed the girl's wrist and pulled her to his waist. Jessica growled as she saw his hands go up the girl's waist, "Hmm, you've got good taste, Scarron," He licked his lips as he neared her chest. Just a bit more and-

"Let go of her," He barely had time to look up before he felt cold wine raining on top of his head, "I said let go of her!" Louise yelled, shoving him in his corpulent belly with a spoon. Jeanne jumped and ran back to her friends as Louise continued to pour the bottle's contents atop the noble's head.

"Wh-What the-"

"What kind of noble are you?" Louise questioned, her face knotting in disgust, "You come in here, claiming to be a loyal follower of the Princess and yet you act like a pig," She shook her head, "What kind of noble forces himself on girls like this? You should be someone commoners look up to, not someone they look at in distaste! How could you call yourself a loyal follower of the Princess when you're nothing more than a charlatan!?"

"I-Insolence!" Turenne stood up, his expression murderous. He grabbed Louise's wrists and pulled her close, "And what would a servant girl know about-"

"Let go of me!" With a swift kick to his nether regions the bulbous noble found himself falling to the floor, "Don't you dare touch me with your soiled hands! It's disgusting that someone like you claims to be a follower of the Princess!"

"Wh-Why you-" He turned back to his men, his hands still holding his crotch, "What are you waiting for!? Get her!"

A soldier slowly walked towards her, one hand on his weapon lest she resist. Louise scowled and made to take out her wand before the man was suddenly tackled to the ground.

Raziel let out a grunt as he felt his shoulder hitting against leather. Well, at least that meant it wasn't Louise he had tackled to the ground. The guardsman scrambled to stand, groping for his gun in the struggle. Raziel felt around briefly for the sentry's face before bringing his fist down twice. He could feel blood coating his fingers, so that meant he must have been grievously injured.

"What the-"

"Louise, open your eyes," Raziel stood up. He couldn't fight without seeing.

"U-Uh, right!" She cast the incantation and he found himself once again seeing through her eyes. Louise was behind him, so moving forward was the same direction as it normally would be. The ground he had attacked was unconscious, and the five other soldiers were looking at them, mouths agape. He needed to move before they recovered their senses.

"Y-You idiots! Shoot him!" Turenne barked.

As the order was finally heard the soldiers began to fumble for their flintlocks. Raziel charged forward and grabbed the closest guard, slamming his head against the wall. He could hear the man scream and he punched him at his side, eliciting a crack that made the others guards step back in fear before he threw him at the adjacent table.

He was too close now. He grabbed another and kneed him in the stomach, "Agh, God damn it!" He could feel released spit hitting his shoulder. He twisted the man around and shoved him towards his compatriots, hitting another two in the process causing them to fall. The pair who managed to avoid the falling body trained their guns on him.

"Raziel, duck!" Louise focused her gaze on the gunmen.

Raziel dropped into a crouch, but it proved unneeded as the pair found themselves being hit at the back of their head with a wooden tray, causing them to fire in the ceiling and eliciting a few surprised screams. The two looked to the source of the projectile and were once again hit in the face as Siesta and Jessica grabbed as much dinnerware as they could to throw.

"Thanks," He nodded at the two. Not giving the guards a chance to reload he grabbed a chair and threw it at them. The one on the right fell as it made contact with his back and his friend joined him as soon as he kicked him in the knee, "Let go of that," He grabbed the man's wrist and punched, getting another crack and scream. Great, now he just needed to-

"Look out-"

Louise's scream was drowned out by the boom of a gunshot. The previous pair that had fallen had fired blindly. The first one missed, hitting the counter next to him, but the second managed to hit him in his right shoulder.

"Mmph!" He held in a grunt of pain and charged towards the pair. They were in the middle of reloading when he kicked their guns away. He grabbed the first one by the neck and tossed him out the window before climbing on top of the remaining guard and punching him repeatedly.

With his last burst of consciousness the sentry brought his hand up and pressed the bullet deeper into the wound. Raziel brought his fist against the bloodied face once more before collapsing back, one hand covering the wound and growling in pain. Bullets hurt, and it didn't help that bullets had an annoying tendency to remain in the wound.

"Raziel!" She rushed forward to help him up before she felt someone grabbing at her neck, "L-Let go!" She stepped on whoever it was, but their grip only tightened," Louise took a straining gasp as the arm pressed against her throat painfully and she just barely felt the wand poking at the side of her head.

"S-Stay back!" Turenne kept his gaze focused on Raziel. The Familiar slowly stood up, ignoring the wound on his shoulder, "I don't know what kind of monster you are but stay back before this girl dies!" He pressed the wand harder against Louise's forehead. Raziel saw Louise's vision blur. She was passing out and he couldn't fight like this. It put her at risk.

"Let go of Louise," He grabbed for the gun, but it was a bluff. He couldn't shoot him like this; even a mistaken inch meant the difference between the bullet going to the tax collector's head or Louise's.

"Stay away from me!" He repeated, "Do you think I'm bluffing!?" Louise felt the wand jabbing at her head. It was getting hard to keep conscious, "Take even a single step and this girl's head will be covered in fire-" He stopped. Someone had tapped his shoulder.

"Excuse me, I think you're forgetting about us," A deep, masculine voice interrupted. Turenne turned around and didn't even get a chance to say a word as a fist collided with his face, "Ah, I've been waiting a while to do that!" Scarron punched him once more, causing him to let go of Louise.

"Ms. Valliere!" Siesta rushed ahead and held Louise against her. The smaller girl coughed as took in deep gulps of air as her throat was freed. Through blurry eyes she saw Scarron relentlessly attacking the poor excuse of a noble, his voice unrecognizable as he screamed profanities and insults that the noble likely couldn't even hear through his pain.

"Well, that was satisfying," Scarron shook his blood stained knuckles, a lot of relief across his face as he let his target fall to the ground in a heap. Turenne held his bludgeoned face with both hands, letting out squeals that Louise couldn't help but smile about. It wasn't proper for a noble to relish in the suffering of others but she was sure Brimir would forgive her for this one slight.

"D-D-D-D-Do you have any idea what you've done!?" Turenne screamed, his voice hoarse, "You are all dead! Dead, you hear me!? You assaulted a noble and his retinue! When the Queen hears about this you will all hang and this place will be burned to the ground! She will-"

"Do nothing," Louise stood up and rummaged through her corset briefly before pulling out a slightly wrinkled paper, "Do you see this, you poor excuse of a noble?" She raised it up, "I'm a court lady under the direct employ of Queen Henrietta herself. What do you think she will do once I tell her you've been using your position to take advantage of the shops businesses here and abused poor girls."

"Wh-What?" His eyes widened as much as they could despite the swelling, "Th-That's impossible! You can't be-" His voice died in his throat as he saw the seal. The symbol...it couldn't be copied. Either she truly was the Queen's court lady or she had friends who had access to the crowns royal signature."

Either way she was no ordinary serving girl.

"P-Please forgive me! Have mercy!" His tone changed. He did his best to bow, one hand fumbling for the sack attached to his waist, "I-I was foolish! Nothing more than drunken stupidity! Take this and please forgive me!" Without waiting for her reply he stood and ran as fast as he could, leaving both the sack and his men behind as he ran for dear life.

Louise released a held breath and numbly walked forward. The open pouch was filled to the brim with golden coins, but she felt no desire to keep it; how much of that money came at the expense of working people? She ignored it and helped her Familiar up, "Raziel, are you alright?"

It was odd, seeing himself from another's eyes. Like looking close at a mirror. Her eyes focused on his shoulder and he winced; it didn't look pretty.

"Are you? That was not-"

His voice was drowned out by a cacophony of high pitched screams. Louise looked around and he saw the employees surrounding them, their faces excited despite what had just happened.

"Desiree, that was amazing!"

"You're a court lady!? Are you investigating something!?"

"How did you do that, Artorias!? You took on six guards unarmed!"

"So cool~! You're just like the Artorias from the stories!"

Louise looked uncomfortable as the girls peppered the two of them with questions and compliments in equal measure. She held Raziel's hand and gulped nervously. She wasn't used to getting this much attention. Genuine attention out of admiration rather than social pressure or her family name.

"I-"

"Alright, girls, that's enough," Scarron clapped his hands together, his voice back to its more effeminate tone, "Remember our rule here at the Charming Fairies inn: We don't ask about the pasts of our workers," He smiled, "When we're here we're all fairies so we don't pry, right?"

"Yes, Mi Mademoiselle~!" The girl's seemed slightly put-out, but still smiled.

"Besides, now's not a good time for questions," Jessica cut in, "'Artorias' over here just got shot, and we're gonna need to patch that up," She smirked, "Still, that really was impressive. Turenne's not going to be coming back any time soon if at all."

"I'll make sure he won't," Louise affirmed, "He's not going to take advantage of anyone ever again. The Queen will know of his crimes."

"Th-Thank you for saving me!" Jeanne grabbed Louise's face and kissed both her cheeks before she could protest. As the noble's cheeks reddened at the contact the 'fairy' did the same to Raziel, who quickly matched his master's color.

"I guess you really are stronger than you look," Jessica turned to Raziel, laughing at their cherry-colored faces, "Still, we really should patch up that wound," She nudged the Undead to the kitchen before turning back to Louise, "Oh by the way, Louise, you win."

"Win what?"

"The tip race," She pointed at the coin, "That's at least twice the amount I got."

"I don't want it. It feels...dirty."

"Well what else are we going to do? Give it to charity?" She scoffed, "Besides we need to pay for repairs. This fight wasn't exactly harmless," She gestured to the broken tables and windows.

"Do what you want with it then," She was too tired to argue. At least it meant she could wear the prized bustier; maybe she could finally make some leeway on her job.

"Right, now come on, hero, we need to patch you up."

Raziel gingerly rubbed his shoulder as he climbed up the ladder. Pulling the bullet out had been unpleasant, but he didn't fancy leaving the metal ball inside his body for any time longer than necessary. Already he could hear the customers returning; he supposed one's vices couldn't be kept in check for long.

"Ah, hey, close the door- Oh, it's you," Raziel rolled his eyes at the greeting. His master, from what little he could see, was sitting in front of a mirror trying in vain to tie up the back of dark corset she wore. He couldn't help but smile slightly as she saw her hands fumbling just out of reach of the strings.

"I see you have kept busy," She still appeared blurry, but it was much better than the darkness, "I thought this 'bustier' was supposed to change size in accordance to its wearer. It does not seem to have worked well for you."

"Haha, now get over here and help- Wait, you can see!?" She swiveled around and gasped. His eyes were healed, "How-"

"The man I threw out the window. Scarron asked that we gather up the guards and put them in the extra beds, though I know not why he cares," He shrugs, "I fed on him a little, just enough to restore my sight to a degree," He slumped slightly, "My vision is still not as well but any more and I risked further injury to the man. Things are still blurry, but I can see well enough that I no longer rely on you for sight."

"I guess I should say I'm proud of you for showing restraint so...I'm proud of you, I guess?"

"That means a lot to me, sister," He snarked.

"Shut up and help me lace this up," She turned back around and pointed to the untangled strings. Raziel laughed and began the slow process of helping Louise into the enchanted clothing.

"You think this will give you information?"

"Positive it will," She nodded, "Scarron wore it at the start of the week - and you were lucky you didn't see that - and when I looked at him I actually thought it flattered him," She shivered slightly, "If the enchantment was strong enough to make me think that I'll have these drunkards at the back of my hand," She sighed, "I'm sure they're still going to say unflattering things about the Princess but she wanted the truth."

"I have an opinion-"

"I don't want to hear it," She cut him off.

"Bully," She couldn't help but laugh at the childish insult.

"There, all done," He smiled. He had gone a long way from being unable to fold clothes properly, "Well, there are already customers down there. You might be able to finally get something for this task."

"Thanks," She turned around and stood up straight, looking right at him, "So...do you feel any different? Any desires or love for me like when you drank that potion."

"...None," He answered honestly, "I am surprised. I expected the enchantment to take hold of my mind, but I feel nothing," He shrugged, "Perhaps it is because I already love you? Ah, that must be it, dear sister," He opened his mouth in mock realization, "The love and admiration I feel for my dear older sister is stronger than whatever enchantment that attire contains."

"Shut up, jerk," She puffed up her cheeks and punched him in the gut lightly, "Well, I'm gonna go. See you in a few hours."

He watched her go before he collapsed in the bed, looking up at the ceiling blankly. It was quite the night, and he certainly didn't want to repeat it, but Louise seemed happy enough and that was fine by him.

The hatch opened once more, "Did you forget something, Louise-"

"Uh, sorry, it's me," Siesta smiled hesitantly, a gesture he returned.

"Oh...well, come in," He sat up on the bed, "Are you alright? I...have to thank you again for hitting that guard."

"It was Jessica's idea," She giggled, "And I doubt you needed the help. But...that's not why I came here..." She sat down next to him and looked down at her lap. Raziel's brows knotted in worry.

"Is something wrong? I can help-"

"Raziel, a-are you..." She took a deep breath and continued, "Are you...dying?"

Silence covered the room. Raziel opened his mouth to say something, anything, but his words died in his throat. He looked away from her and pursed his lips.

"I am Undead-"

"I already know that. Just...please answer me," She pleaded.

"Truly? ...I am not sure," He looked at the closed window. He didn't want to look at her, "After we came back from Tarbes I told you about others of my kind. Undead are supposed to be immortal, but we do not last long before Hollowing."

"So...you think you're Hollowing?"

"There are times where it appears I am," He sighed, "Losing control of myself...giving into base instincts...it has happened a lot in recent days. I do not know if I am Hollowing, but I am not one to expect the best of this situation."

"So..how..." She gulped, "How long before you..."

"I do not know," He clenched his hand against his knee, "It worsens the more I am hurt, and that has been happening a lot in recent days," He forced a laugh, but she didn't join him, "At the rate this is going...I give myself a few months more at best."

"Why is it that fate elected to spare you, the youngest and frailest of the five?"

"...I assume you know Louise and I will go to war soon," He continued. Her expression remained blank, "We are to go and get her family's permission in a few weeks time," He sighed, "I have no delusions that one or both of us will make it out unharmed. We barely survived Tarbes, and now we are to attack the dragon at its nest. Even if I do not die the conflict there will shorten what time I have left."

"Like a child you rage and threaten when dealt with the harsh reality. You are a lurker in the dark, a piece that holds the barest traces of sanity and with every passing day that hold weakens. Soon you will be nothing more than a monster a slave to its own instincts. You've done well to last this long, but the game will soon end."

Hmm...Chester was right about one thing. One way or another this would end soon, for both him and Louise.

"...Why are you so calm about this?" Her voice was weak.

"Screaming against the inevitable is ultimately pointless. I have tried and failed," He replied, " Siesta...I should have told you, I know this, but I was never good at saying goodbye. I suppose now is as good a time as any," He cupped her chin and gently made her face him. Her eyes were looking elsewhere but he still forced a smile. "Thank you for being my friend in my short time here. I could not imagine what it would have been like without you."

He never got to say goodbye to his friends. Solaire, Siegmeyer, Laurentius, Rhea...he had foolishly believed that he had saved them, that they would always be there as long as he was. He wouldn't make the same mistake again.

She said nothing. He rose to stand before she grabbed his shoulders and pushed him down, "S-Siesta...?" He blinked and looked up at her. Her face was red and tears were hitting against him as she cried.

"Then don't go to war!" She nearly yelled, "I know Miss. Valliere will go, so just...stay here! When she goes, don't go with her!" Her voice was pleading, desperate. Raziel could only look away.

"I cannot do that," He shook his head, "Louise needs my help. I cannot abandon her...she means too much to me."

"I...I see," She released her grip on him and stood up. He reached a hand to her but she backed away from his touch, "Haha...I knew you'd say that," She forced a smile, though her tears didn't stop, "I...I'm sorry for making a scene and...making you do something you didn't want," She bowed.

"Siesta-"

"I have to go," Another bow before she opened the hatch and left. He debated on whether to chase after her before deciding against it. She needed time alone, and there was nothing he could say that would comfort her.

"It is not as if I want to die," He muttered. The part of him that craved death grew smaller with each passing day, and now he was going to join a conflict that he had no place in barring his connection to Louise.

Hah...how ironic. Sent to certain death when he finally wanted to live. He really hated fate.

Yes, more shitty fight scenes, though it's a pretty short one so I guess it's alright. Now, before anyone gives me shit for the two weeks=16 days thing; Halk has different months and years. Louise is 16 in Halk years but 17 in earth years, for example. Apparently they have more days in a week.

Now, we need to establish something - Should I show the climax of the holiday arc? The fight with Richmond vs Agnes and Henrietta outing him as a spy. The chapter kind of leads up to it but as it stands it'll be nearly the same as canon due to having canon characters only. I'm sure I can change things around, add a few branches like the fight with Turenne, but do I do that or should I just skip it so we can get to the Valliere house visit faster?

Also, regular disclaimer - Siesta still isn't the romance. Since I'm downplaying/removing the harem aspect of the relationships she just gets more screen-time due to not having to share it with four other girls. It doesn't mean he's going to choose her or anything.

The 'problem' with Siesta is that there's very little you can do with her character. Compare her to Henrietta's Queenly troubles and depression or Tabitha and Fouquet's segments which show they do both good and bad things, Siesta really has nothing. I can make segments with these characters that don't involve Raziel or Louise at all and it's still legit, not so for Siesta. These characters, even Louise, have issues you can make a story about. Siesta is happy, well-adjusted and has no dire problems...which means solo segments for her are freaking impossible to write. If Henrietta was a happy Queen with no problems I couldn't write any segments for her. Conflict makes a story, and Siesta has none.

Making her the love interest runs the risk of cheapening her character. All her segments would have to do with her relationship with Raziel, as you can see in this chapter, and it therefore cheapens her character: She becomes 'Raziel's love interest' rather than 'Siesta'. A character whose sole purpose is to be the love interest is off-putting to write but there's little I can do - Siesta just has plain very little plot potential compared to the others. She's not out of any possible romance, especially since she's the only one who actually likes the guy romantically, but its just...difficult to write her character well.

Oh, and random triva - Originally Raziel would get his name during this chapter: When he called himself Artorias the name sticks and he's called that for the rest of the story. Plans change, and it's better it did considering how long the story ended up getting before we got to this point.

Answer time:

HiddenMaster - You can only absorb souls when you actually kill the monster, which Raziel didn't do since even cleaving them in half doesn't make them count as 'dead'. Undead like Zombie!Wales need either void magic or complete obliteration of the body till there's nothing left before the soul is released.

As for Zombie!Wales' comment: Just look at Chester's comments in 'Fragments/Chapter 33' and you should get an idea. Lets just say its not his body that's Frankensteined together like a poorly stitched doll.

Parks98 - Hey, thanks for the consistent reviews :) Nice to have a new reader.

YuukiAsuna-Chan - Because he refers to events and knowledge that he wouldn't have if not for completing the game like the Serpent's deception, The God's dirty laundry, his friend's fates etc etc. Power isn't the only point of endgame and he's still pretty strong despite his lack of levels. Possibly even stronger considering how much abuse he takes without dying.

Quichwe - Yes on the other boxes, though the 'when' will be a pretty far off time. Still, the chapters do show him adapting to Halk weapons like like guns and whatnot and his body's too small to properly wield his armor now. As for friends, as of current plan yes. Lastly, for the picture: Nope, that's Zombie!Wales. I'll post a pic I found that's closest to what I can get. His face is basically using Julio's as a template so he adapts to the anime artstyle, though he comments to Siesta in 'Chapter 28/Hope' that he finds their big anime eyes weird.

Kishinokurobi - I'm very well aware, but I have to balance character actions and the audience's expectations. In 'Sherlock' John Watson was saluted even though he was bare-headed and out of uniform, which from what I've been told soldiers don't do, but if the soldier hadn't saluted the audience would think it was odd. For a lot of people a virgin breaks blood at first go and I used that as shorthand to show that he hadn't inserted. It might have made the scene even creepier if Louise insisted on checking Montmorency's sexual organ for semen fluid.

And plot deviations...trying my best, but estimates still say it diverges radically starting Saxe-Gotha, which we're nearing already. After that revelations on the characters change the plot/add more sub-plots. Before Saxe-Gotha events of the story are still due to outside influence which neither Louise or Raziel can truly affect.

Tlau - Yes I have an ending. I might change my mind, yes, but as of current writing have already planned an ending. Also, as for Raziel's appearance? Yes, pretty accurate, actually. As Chapter 20 shows he has the same face as Julio, but their differing hairstyles, demeanor, posture etc etc serve to differentiate them. I'll post a picture I cheaped out online. Closest that he looks to now with some basic photoshop.

Draco Oblivion - Another new reader :) Hope you enjoy the story so far.

OshiroNai - I stopped posting stats and gear since he levels up at the story's pace, and his gear changes depending on what he can grab and he tends to lose even that. And yes, he ended the game as a Chaos Servant, though he still hates Quelaag.

Raethor - Hey, thanks for asking questions. Try my best to answer - First, yes, Louise is cruel. She had the riding crop before she knew what she would summon, and when Saito complains that she essentially kidnapped him she tells him to suck it up since she's now his slave. She doesn't feed and whips the guy for even minor infractions, and you can see where I'm going to with this. Now going back I would change it, but she is definitely cruel.

As for the bandit: Slicing someone's throat doesn't guarantee death, despite what movies tell you. Jamming a knife at the side of the neck is the true 'stealth kill' and the slit throat leaves the person alive to bleed out. Raziel sliced his throat but didn't look too deeply due to the smoke, so he bled out before dying.

Wardes: Typical plea for sympathy. Louise was in love with him, but it was love from when she was a child. Wardes was going to defect eventually and he wanted Louise to go with him; making her feel sorry for him is a manipulation tactic people often use and he's no different. Again looking back I would change that for a more natural flow but documents were stolen with my laptop and no longer allows copy-paste.

Just sayin - Actually no. She beat him into unconsciousness after he molested her, which I agree with at this point since many would do the same thing (though it still felt like Saito was being OOC in order to justify Louise punishing him) but the shock collar came later. She caught sight of him taking a bath with Siesta and decided 'Gee, a shock collar is perfect to vent my rage!'. Nevermind that they weren't going out yet, and that she denies feelings for him whenever its brought up so she REALLY had no leeway here.

I can agree with the payback from being molested, but everything else is unjustified and I had to tone down Louise HARD by recent chapters to avoid her being too unsympathetic.