Chapter 8: Betrayal and Lies
"It's Allen," Eries said. "He's trying to instigate a war between Asturia and Fried so he can overthrow King Aston. When he couldn't take the crown by marriage he decided to do it by force."
Folken gazed coolly at Eries as she struggled to convince him of something they both knew was blatant lie. She fingered the wine glass apprehensively, but didn't drink from it. Wine now made her nervous.
"Are those the lies your father told you to say?" Folken asked.
Eries shook her head. "The words are my own, and they are the truth. If all you want is Fanelia's king you could get it without destroying Fried. Fanelia attacked you, not Fried. He destroyed your energist mine and brought about the attack of his own kingdom. Together with Allen they're plotting to take over Asturia."
"It will not be easy to make Fried believe such words," Folken said. "They have Plactu."
"If I send a messenger to Duke Fried explaining what is taking place..."
"It might not be enough," Folken interrupted. "But do so anyway. I have a ... friend who can take care of the rest."
Eries nodded. "If it works Zaibach may not have to attack Fried. A peaceful world is Zaibach's goal, right?"
He nodded. "However, sometimes peace is made through wars. A small amount of suffering can lead to greater happiness."
"I understand," Eries said. "If you must attack I would ask that you spare my sister and my nephew Chid."
"I'll do everything in my power to see that no harm comes to them. We'll try to get Millerna back to Asturia before any siege may take place."
"Thank you, Folken-sama." Her business was done, but she wasn't ready to leave just yet. She walked over to Folken keeping his gaze in her own. "You would make an excellent king for Asturia," she whispered as she gently pushed by a stray strand of steel blue hair away from his face. "She needs a wise and strong man to lead her." Sinking into Folken's lap she continued. "I need a wise and strong man."
Her lips brushed his, but he made no move to return her affection.
"Strategos." A taunting voice reached her ears. Eries turned to see a young man leaning in the doorway. Water dripped from his uniform and from the ends of silver hair. "I didn't know you had a bitch." He grinned wickedly at them.
"She was just leaving." Folken pushed Eries to her feet. "Did you find Miguel yet?"
"No, damn Fried took him captive." He sat down where Eries had been sitting propping his feet up on the table. He looked back at her. "Leave us, woman."
Eries passed him by feeling the two pairs of cold eyes bearing into her skin. Two very different cold gazes in her back. In the youth's eyes the coldness seemed to stem from a hate deep inside that reflected clearly in his blood red irises. Folken's coldness, she believed, was only a shell; a shell she longed to break with the warmth of her lips and body.
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+
"What are you doing?" Eries demanded of the passing maid. The girl jumped clutching one hand to her chest and almost dropping the silver platter she carried with the other. Eries grabbed it from her quivering hand before it fell.
"Just taking the king his dinner, my lady," she stammered, backing up with several nervous curtsies.
"In case you had not heard; I am bringing the king his meals now. He's very sick and doesn't need clumsy maids constantly bothering him."
The girl shrank away trying her best to retreat down the hall and away from Eries. "I'm sorry, Hime. It won't happen again." She bobbed up and down in an endless series of curtsies.
"Just go," Eries ordered. The girl curtsied several more times and took off in a hurry down the halls a small sob escaping from her lips.
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+
A dark demeanor had overtaken Eries's mood ever since returning from the Vione. Folken's continued refusal of her advances was disheartening and the news that Fried had been conquered had only furthered to sour her mood.
Some relief could be found in the fact that Folken had kept his word; this being confirmed by the note received from Dryden Fassa a week ago. Millerna was alive, but it was very unclear where she was going or when she would be back. Even less clear was how she had ended up with Dryden in the first place. At least she was safely in the hands of her betrothed.
Eries poured a few drops from her vial into the wine. Half empty, and the old fool was still clinging to his life. If she could have gotten away with dumping the whole bottle in she certainly would have. But a little at a time was safer.
"What are you doing?" a voice beside her asked. It was Eries's turn to jump.
Meiden stood at her shoulder his eyes resting on the bottle in her hand.
"Just giving the king his medicine," she explained. "The doctor said it's best when mixed with wine."
"Strange, I didn't know you'd talked to any doctors." He pried the bottle from Eries's tightly clutched fingers. "I always thought you didn't like doctors. Didn't trust them."
"I must do what's best for my father."
"But you refuse to be in the same room when the doctors are there. I've always wondered why." He pushed a lock of hair back from Eries's neck. "You know what I think? I think that's poison."
Eries pushed his hand away from her neck and snatched the bottle back. "It's medicine, Meiden. It is his worry over my sister that makes him ill."
Meiden moved closer and Eries backed against the wall. He held the wine glass up to her lips. "Then drink some."
He laughed at Eries's hesitation.
"I'm willing to keep this our little secret, Hime."
"It's medicine," Eries insisted weakly.
"You know, my son, Dryden, will make a fine king someday. In fact, I can only think of one person who would be better at the job." His withered hands purposefully fingered the broach at the base of Eries's neck. "But I couldn't be made king unless I, myself, married into the royal family."
She pulled away in disgust, but Meiden grabbed her arm.
"Or you can have a rope put round that lovely neck of yours. It's your choice."
She slapped his hand away. Red lines streaked the back of his hand. He looked startled. Meiden didn't know the truth about everything; he didn't know this princess had literal claws.
"If you dare speak one word of this to anyone I'll tell Allen-san that you were the one who kidnapped his sister," Eries hissed.
"That's a lie!" He cradled his bleeding hand.
"Who do you think he'll believe? You'll be dead before you can speak on word in your own defense. They'll debate for ages before they hang me."
"Allen's not here, Hime."
"He'll be back. Dryden said he's still alive. He'll come back to Asturia."
Meiden glared at Eries, trying to tell if she was bluffing or not. He finally sighed and handed the platter back to Eries. "You'd better take the king his dinner."
"It's Allen," Eries said. "He's trying to instigate a war between Asturia and Fried so he can overthrow King Aston. When he couldn't take the crown by marriage he decided to do it by force."
Folken gazed coolly at Eries as she struggled to convince him of something they both knew was blatant lie. She fingered the wine glass apprehensively, but didn't drink from it. Wine now made her nervous.
"Are those the lies your father told you to say?" Folken asked.
Eries shook her head. "The words are my own, and they are the truth. If all you want is Fanelia's king you could get it without destroying Fried. Fanelia attacked you, not Fried. He destroyed your energist mine and brought about the attack of his own kingdom. Together with Allen they're plotting to take over Asturia."
"It will not be easy to make Fried believe such words," Folken said. "They have Plactu."
"If I send a messenger to Duke Fried explaining what is taking place..."
"It might not be enough," Folken interrupted. "But do so anyway. I have a ... friend who can take care of the rest."
Eries nodded. "If it works Zaibach may not have to attack Fried. A peaceful world is Zaibach's goal, right?"
He nodded. "However, sometimes peace is made through wars. A small amount of suffering can lead to greater happiness."
"I understand," Eries said. "If you must attack I would ask that you spare my sister and my nephew Chid."
"I'll do everything in my power to see that no harm comes to them. We'll try to get Millerna back to Asturia before any siege may take place."
"Thank you, Folken-sama." Her business was done, but she wasn't ready to leave just yet. She walked over to Folken keeping his gaze in her own. "You would make an excellent king for Asturia," she whispered as she gently pushed by a stray strand of steel blue hair away from his face. "She needs a wise and strong man to lead her." Sinking into Folken's lap she continued. "I need a wise and strong man."
Her lips brushed his, but he made no move to return her affection.
"Strategos." A taunting voice reached her ears. Eries turned to see a young man leaning in the doorway. Water dripped from his uniform and from the ends of silver hair. "I didn't know you had a bitch." He grinned wickedly at them.
"She was just leaving." Folken pushed Eries to her feet. "Did you find Miguel yet?"
"No, damn Fried took him captive." He sat down where Eries had been sitting propping his feet up on the table. He looked back at her. "Leave us, woman."
Eries passed him by feeling the two pairs of cold eyes bearing into her skin. Two very different cold gazes in her back. In the youth's eyes the coldness seemed to stem from a hate deep inside that reflected clearly in his blood red irises. Folken's coldness, she believed, was only a shell; a shell she longed to break with the warmth of her lips and body.
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+
"What are you doing?" Eries demanded of the passing maid. The girl jumped clutching one hand to her chest and almost dropping the silver platter she carried with the other. Eries grabbed it from her quivering hand before it fell.
"Just taking the king his dinner, my lady," she stammered, backing up with several nervous curtsies.
"In case you had not heard; I am bringing the king his meals now. He's very sick and doesn't need clumsy maids constantly bothering him."
The girl shrank away trying her best to retreat down the hall and away from Eries. "I'm sorry, Hime. It won't happen again." She bobbed up and down in an endless series of curtsies.
"Just go," Eries ordered. The girl curtsied several more times and took off in a hurry down the halls a small sob escaping from her lips.
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+
A dark demeanor had overtaken Eries's mood ever since returning from the Vione. Folken's continued refusal of her advances was disheartening and the news that Fried had been conquered had only furthered to sour her mood.
Some relief could be found in the fact that Folken had kept his word; this being confirmed by the note received from Dryden Fassa a week ago. Millerna was alive, but it was very unclear where she was going or when she would be back. Even less clear was how she had ended up with Dryden in the first place. At least she was safely in the hands of her betrothed.
Eries poured a few drops from her vial into the wine. Half empty, and the old fool was still clinging to his life. If she could have gotten away with dumping the whole bottle in she certainly would have. But a little at a time was safer.
"What are you doing?" a voice beside her asked. It was Eries's turn to jump.
Meiden stood at her shoulder his eyes resting on the bottle in her hand.
"Just giving the king his medicine," she explained. "The doctor said it's best when mixed with wine."
"Strange, I didn't know you'd talked to any doctors." He pried the bottle from Eries's tightly clutched fingers. "I always thought you didn't like doctors. Didn't trust them."
"I must do what's best for my father."
"But you refuse to be in the same room when the doctors are there. I've always wondered why." He pushed a lock of hair back from Eries's neck. "You know what I think? I think that's poison."
Eries pushed his hand away from her neck and snatched the bottle back. "It's medicine, Meiden. It is his worry over my sister that makes him ill."
Meiden moved closer and Eries backed against the wall. He held the wine glass up to her lips. "Then drink some."
He laughed at Eries's hesitation.
"I'm willing to keep this our little secret, Hime."
"It's medicine," Eries insisted weakly.
"You know, my son, Dryden, will make a fine king someday. In fact, I can only think of one person who would be better at the job." His withered hands purposefully fingered the broach at the base of Eries's neck. "But I couldn't be made king unless I, myself, married into the royal family."
She pulled away in disgust, but Meiden grabbed her arm.
"Or you can have a rope put round that lovely neck of yours. It's your choice."
She slapped his hand away. Red lines streaked the back of his hand. He looked startled. Meiden didn't know the truth about everything; he didn't know this princess had literal claws.
"If you dare speak one word of this to anyone I'll tell Allen-san that you were the one who kidnapped his sister," Eries hissed.
"That's a lie!" He cradled his bleeding hand.
"Who do you think he'll believe? You'll be dead before you can speak on word in your own defense. They'll debate for ages before they hang me."
"Allen's not here, Hime."
"He'll be back. Dryden said he's still alive. He'll come back to Asturia."
Meiden glared at Eries, trying to tell if she was bluffing or not. He finally sighed and handed the platter back to Eries. "You'd better take the king his dinner."
