Chapter 10: A Bitter Draught
There had been a moment's hesitation between the time when the wax was poured on the parchment and when Eries pressed the ring that bore the royal seal into it. Not much of a pause just enough to harden the surface of the wax.
Her delay had not come from the fear of being caught in the deed - she wasn't actually doing anything wrong at the moment since all the kingdoms allied to Asturia were to receive a proclamation of the wedding. And Zaibach had been an ally up until the moment the two guymelefs had dropped from their hangers in the floating fortress.
Nor was it from the guilt of ruining her sister's wedding or subjecting her people to the assault. Millerna did not truly want to marry, and the attack would be a quick one.
No, for the first time it was Folken himself that gave her pause and the memory of him walking away and crying out her declaration of love. Had she cried to Folken the Strategos or to the man she'd met six years ago? Folken: nineteen-year-old sorcerer who'd treated her with unfamiliar kindness.
Somehow, even as the city was crumbling, she'd hoped that Folken's voice would demand her also. That one of the pilots would should out the liquid metal and wrap her up. That Folken would finally rescue her.
But he hadn't. And now he was dead and never would.
As sun began to rise the flames that had eaten at the city were finally extinguished. And as it reached it's pinnacle in the sky Zaibach's floating fortress had been swallowed by the sea.
No one was found alive.
Silent tears slid down her face and dripped into the glass she held in her trembling hands. Slowly she sipped the bitter mixture and wondered what her poison would take like mixed in as well.
~"You will become queen, Eries. And that, I believe, is all you really want."~ Folken's lasts words replayed themselves in her mind an endless echo.
No, that wasn't what she wanted at all. He had understood nothing. Not her duty or her desire. She wanted him even more than sovereignty. She would turn her back on Asturia forever and join Zaibach if only he had loved her back. She had already betrayed her country for him. Little did it matter; Folken was dead taking with him Eries' dream of the future. What did it matter if she became queen? It would only further the destruction of Asturia and Gaea.
They had shared a singe desire to make Gaea better. Instead it was worse.
Folken had always said everything that was happening was for the good of the world. That through this war there would be peace. She'd never doubted before.
War would come soon, and more of her people would fall and die for the names of Aston and Asturia.
It wasn't right that they should die for her. Not even a member of the royal family. Not even human. With her tail and ears gone she was hardly even beast anymore. Beneath her fancy clothes and title she was nothing.
The door swung open behind her and without looking she knew it was Meiden.
"How is the king doing?" he asked.
Eries looked to the man who lay before her. Though she had done nothing to taint his drink since Millerna had returned Aston looked worse than before.
"He's dying," Eries said. "But he only sleeps now."
At this Aston opened his eyes. "Not even that." Turning his head he looked out to window at his ruined kingdom. "Zaibach, why? We were allies."
Eries thought but she said nothing.
"Give me wine."
Eries poured him a glass but Meiden's hand came down upon her own. "Stop, Hime."
Aston glared sourly at him. "What's the matter, Meiden?"
"My Lord Aston, I'm afraid I have learned some rather distressing facts about your daughter."
Eries looked up at Meiden wondering if he'd be foolish enough to speak now that there was nothing in the wine.
"Your daughter," he continued. "Eries Hime has been poisoning your wine."
"That's ridiculous," Eries scoffed. "Where did you hear such rubbish?"
"If I'm wrong, Hime, then I'm sure you would have no problem with drinking a glass yourself.
She didn't. Meiden stared in horror as Eries downed the draught in one gulp.
"Go away, Lord Meiden," Aston sighed. "And let me drink in peace."
Meiden bowed stiffly still staring at Eries as if she should die any moment now.
, she silently chided him.
"Can't he find something better to do," Eries muttered.
"We're all looking for someone to blame," Aston said. "It helps ease the pain."
Eries gazed out the window. Asturia was in rubble. Why was she sitting here?
Folken?
Eries glanced down at King Aston. She didn't need Folken to make her dreams come true. She didn't need him to rescue her. She'd already saved herself.
Folken's passing hurt because she had loved him. Yet, he did not return the love and had not for six years. In essence nothing in her life had changed when he perished. She'd lived six years in love with a dream; she could keep on living loving a phantom. So what was sitting here crying for?
"King Aston," Eries said quietly. "Our kingdom is in need of reparations. Give me your permission to go to our allies and bring back relief."
Aston nodded. "Economic sanctions have been imposed on Zaibach, but I foresee war. We must be prepared this time."
"A war with Zaibach." What must be done, she would do. That was the way it had always been.
There had been a moment's hesitation between the time when the wax was poured on the parchment and when Eries pressed the ring that bore the royal seal into it. Not much of a pause just enough to harden the surface of the wax.
Her delay had not come from the fear of being caught in the deed - she wasn't actually doing anything wrong at the moment since all the kingdoms allied to Asturia were to receive a proclamation of the wedding. And Zaibach had been an ally up until the moment the two guymelefs had dropped from their hangers in the floating fortress.
Nor was it from the guilt of ruining her sister's wedding or subjecting her people to the assault. Millerna did not truly want to marry, and the attack would be a quick one.
No, for the first time it was Folken himself that gave her pause and the memory of him walking away and crying out her declaration of love. Had she cried to Folken the Strategos or to the man she'd met six years ago? Folken: nineteen-year-old sorcerer who'd treated her with unfamiliar kindness.
Somehow, even as the city was crumbling, she'd hoped that Folken's voice would demand her also. That one of the pilots would should out the liquid metal and wrap her up. That Folken would finally rescue her.
But he hadn't. And now he was dead and never would.
As sun began to rise the flames that had eaten at the city were finally extinguished. And as it reached it's pinnacle in the sky Zaibach's floating fortress had been swallowed by the sea.
No one was found alive.
Silent tears slid down her face and dripped into the glass she held in her trembling hands. Slowly she sipped the bitter mixture and wondered what her poison would take like mixed in as well.
~"You will become queen, Eries. And that, I believe, is all you really want."~ Folken's lasts words replayed themselves in her mind an endless echo.
No, that wasn't what she wanted at all. He had understood nothing. Not her duty or her desire. She wanted him even more than sovereignty. She would turn her back on Asturia forever and join Zaibach if only he had loved her back. She had already betrayed her country for him. Little did it matter; Folken was dead taking with him Eries' dream of the future. What did it matter if she became queen? It would only further the destruction of Asturia and Gaea.
They had shared a singe desire to make Gaea better. Instead it was worse.
Folken had always said everything that was happening was for the good of the world. That through this war there would be peace. She'd never doubted before.
War would come soon, and more of her people would fall and die for the names of Aston and Asturia.
It wasn't right that they should die for her. Not even a member of the royal family. Not even human. With her tail and ears gone she was hardly even beast anymore. Beneath her fancy clothes and title she was nothing.
The door swung open behind her and without looking she knew it was Meiden.
"How is the king doing?" he asked.
Eries looked to the man who lay before her. Though she had done nothing to taint his drink since Millerna had returned Aston looked worse than before.
"He's dying," Eries said. "But he only sleeps now."
At this Aston opened his eyes. "Not even that." Turning his head he looked out to window at his ruined kingdom. "Zaibach, why? We were allies."
Eries thought but she said nothing.
"Give me wine."
Eries poured him a glass but Meiden's hand came down upon her own. "Stop, Hime."
Aston glared sourly at him. "What's the matter, Meiden?"
"My Lord Aston, I'm afraid I have learned some rather distressing facts about your daughter."
Eries looked up at Meiden wondering if he'd be foolish enough to speak now that there was nothing in the wine.
"Your daughter," he continued. "Eries Hime has been poisoning your wine."
"That's ridiculous," Eries scoffed. "Where did you hear such rubbish?"
"If I'm wrong, Hime, then I'm sure you would have no problem with drinking a glass yourself.
She didn't. Meiden stared in horror as Eries downed the draught in one gulp.
"Go away, Lord Meiden," Aston sighed. "And let me drink in peace."
Meiden bowed stiffly still staring at Eries as if she should die any moment now.
, she silently chided him.
"Can't he find something better to do," Eries muttered.
"We're all looking for someone to blame," Aston said. "It helps ease the pain."
Eries gazed out the window. Asturia was in rubble. Why was she sitting here?
Folken?
Eries glanced down at King Aston. She didn't need Folken to make her dreams come true. She didn't need him to rescue her. She'd already saved herself.
Folken's passing hurt because she had loved him. Yet, he did not return the love and had not for six years. In essence nothing in her life had changed when he perished. She'd lived six years in love with a dream; she could keep on living loving a phantom. So what was sitting here crying for?
"King Aston," Eries said quietly. "Our kingdom is in need of reparations. Give me your permission to go to our allies and bring back relief."
Aston nodded. "Economic sanctions have been imposed on Zaibach, but I foresee war. We must be prepared this time."
"A war with Zaibach." What must be done, she would do. That was the way it had always been.
