Part 1: The War
Chapter 1
Unexpected Proposition
" We should always remember that everything in life happens for a reason; it is fate, but we should also remember that fate gets twisted sometimes, but if we look deep inside ourselves we can find the strength to move on always; after every disappointment, every heartbreak, every trial of life. We can make it if we try." ~Dinah Hanson
Lina stared at the piece of paper she held in her hands. King Philionel, the king of Seyruun, and representative of the entire Inner World wanted her to come to Seyruun and have a meeting! What was that all about? Had she done something bad? Lina frowned, and considered that thought. She'd some some things that weren't exactly good, but she wouldn't really call them bad either. Certainly nothing bad enough to warrant a meeting with King Phil.
Wait! That was it! She did something really good and Philionel wanted to reward her! But what had she done...? Lina smacked her forehead. Of course! Killing Mei-ou and Maryu-ou! That happened a few months ago, so she'd almost forgotten about it, but it was about time she got rewarded for her efforts.
Oh... Maybe that was a bad thing. After Mei-ou and Maryu-ou died, the barrier went away. That's why they were at war right now with the Outer World. So she had done something very bad after all.
Lina sighed, and looked out the window of the coach she was riding in. King Phil had even sent an escort with a coach to take her to Seyruun as quickly as possible. The drizzling rain and gray skies matched Lina's mood perfectly at that moment.
I'm only fourteen, she thought to herself. I'm too young to spend the rest of my life in prison. If she was lucky, prison would be all she'd get. For bringing the nation into war, she might even be hanged. That wasn't a very pleasant thought. She let out a heavy sigh. Fourteen years was too short a time to live. She still had things she wanted to do! Places she wanted to go! Food she wanted to eat!
The coach slowed to a stop in front of the Seyruun palace. Lina gulped, and stepped out, staring up the wide flight of stone steps leading the the white marble building towering over her. The rain picked up, and Lina found herself getting soaked. She hurried up the stairs, almost slipping on the wet stone, but stopped when she reached the doors. They were huge! Just those doors made Lina feel very insignificant and small right then.
The escort who drove Lina to the palace on the coach pushed the heavy doors open, and waited for Lina to walk through, which she did hesitantly. She jumped when the doors fell shut loudly behind her. As the finely-dressed escort led Lina through the palace, she felt very out of place. She was dripping wet, wearing casual traveling clothes, and was a skinny little fourteen-year-old. Everything in the palace towered over her, and she felt like she'd be swallowed up by the huge corridors. Knowing that either a life in prison or certain death awaited her at the end didn't make her feel any more at home, either.
Lina's escort stopped so suddenly that Lina almost bumped into him. She rocked back on her heels, nearly toppling over, but she managed to maintain her balance. Curious, she peeked around the man, and saw that they were at another set of double doors, though not nearly as imposing as the ones outside. Two armed men stood guard at either side of the door, wielding halberds and swords.
"Lina Inverse, to speak with King Philionel," her escort announced to the guards. They nodded, and one of them opened one of the doors, and repeated the message to Phil inside. Then the guard backed away, and gestured for Lina to go into the room.
After taking a deep, steadying breath, Lina straightened her shoulders, and walked steadily through the doors. Inside was what looked like a study. There was a long blue carpet which led to a white desk. Off to one side of the room, a fire was roaring in the hearth, and in front of it were two cozy-looking blue chairs. Portraits of previous kings and queens adorned the walls, along with a few candle brackets.
The door behind her closed loudly, and Lina jumped again. She stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, soaking wet. She looked up at King Phil, who was sitting at the desk directly in front of her. His hands were folded, with his chin resting on top them, and he was looking at her from under his big hairy eyebrows.
King Philionel el de Seyruun was nothing like what Lina had imagined. He was very big, with bushy black hair, long sideburns, and a wide mustache. He had a very gruff face, but one look at his eyes would tell you that he was a good person at heart, despite all appearances.
Suddenly, Lina remembered her manners, and bowed respectfully. Her heart was pounding, and she was shaking from the cold rain that soaked through her clothes.
"You're Lina Inverse?" Phil asked.
Lina nodded. "That's me," she answered with more strength in her voice than she really felt inside.
Phil frowned. She wasn't what he'd been expecting. She looked to be no more than a child. Was she really the one who defeated Mei-ou and Maryu-ou? Philionel took a closer look at Lina. She had confident eyes, even if they did look a little scared at the moment. She held her head high, and had her shoulders squared. Her orange hair hung down her back, and she had bright red eyes, an unusual sight to be sure. Upon realizing that she was sopping wet and shivering, Phil smiled, and stood up. "Come, Lina," he said. "Sit by the fire and warm up."
Lina blinked a few times in confusion. Wasn't he mad at her? When she just stood there, Phil laughed a little, and propelled her gently towards the blue comfy chairs by the fire. He knocked on a door, and a maid came into the room with a towel, draping it around Lina's shoulders. Moments later, she returned with two mugs of hot coffee, along with milk and sugar, which she set on the table.
Phil sat down, and leaned back with his mug in his hand, his legs crossed, and looking very comfortable. Lina held the towel tight around her shoulders. What was going on?
"Please, sit down, Lina," Philionel said, motioning for her to do so.
"Okay," Lina said slowly, and sat down awkwardly on the edge of her seat. "Can I ask why you're doing all this? Why you brought me here?"
"Relax," Philionel told her, smiling. "You aren't in trouble or anything. Just sit back and drink your coffee and warm up."
Lina sighed. So he wasn't going to tell her why she was there just yet. But he said she wasn't in trouble, which was a good thing. Even if she didn't get life in prison or the death sentence, getting in trouble with the king would still ruin any sort of good reputation she might be able to build up.
But for the moment, all she could do was listen to King Phil. So she cradled the warm mug of coffee in her hands, and settled back into the extremely comfortable chair. When Philionel just sat there, drinking his coffee and watching the fire, Lina frowned. She was getting a little impatient. She didn't like waiting.
Suddenly, Phil spoke out of nowhere. "Lina, are you truly the sorceress who defeated Mei-ou and Maryu-ou recently?" he asked.
Lina, who had gained some of her attitude from her irritation at being made to wait. "Of course I am," she told him boldly. "I'm Lina Inverse!"
Phil's mouth twitched as if he was holding back a smile. "I'll take your word on it," he said. He turned to look at her, and asked seriously, "You're aware of the situation the continent is going through right now, are you not?"
Lina nodded, taking a sip of the hot coffee. It warmed her right down to her toes, and she felt herself getting a little more comfortable with her surroundings. "We're at war with the Outer Worlders because they want to ban magic," she said, proving her knowledge.
"And what is your opinion on the magic ban?" Phil asked.
"It's stupid," she said bluntly. "I make my living by my magic. Without it, I wouldn't--" She cut herself off abruptly. "Why are you asking me?"
Philionel ignored her question, and told her something else. "King Feron of the Outer World has been sending assassins to take out powerful people working for our side," he informed her.
"What's that got to do with me?" Lina demanded.
"I need to keep up with Feron, if not one step ahead of him," Phil said, once again evading Lina's queries. "If he has an army, I need an army. If he has bodyguards, I need bodyguards. It's the only way to win this war. Meaning, if he has assassins, I need assassins."
Lina glared at Phil. He wasn't making any sense. "Again, what's it got to do with me?" she repeated.
"I realize you're still very young," Phil began. Lina hunched her shoulders in defense. "But I've heard tell of your prowess, and I fear I can't risk not having someone as powerful as you working in the war."
With a jolt, Lina realized what Phil was about to ask her. But... He couldn't possibly... No way would he ask her to...
"Lina Inverse, as much as I regret to have you get involved in this at such a young age," Phil said. "I must ask you to work as an assassin for the Defendent Army."
As much as she'd been expecting it, Lina still choked on her coffee. When she caught her breath, she just stared at Phil. He couldn't be serious. Could he? Assassins had to be pretty powerful to get in and out without being detected. And they usually had to kill their target with the first strike, or soldiers and guards would come running in.
"I understand this is a shock to you," Phil told her. "Under normal circumstances, this never would have happened. But times have changed. People younger than you have joined the ranks of the army, and are preparing to go into battle as we speak. It may be too much of me to ask you to do this. You will have to kill people, which I'm sure you have not done in your life yet. But I beg you to consider this."
Consider? What was there to consider? Here was the Seyruun king asking a fourteen-year-old girl whom he'd never met before to work as a professional killer. There was nothing to think about! Of course she'd do it! Not only would it give her loads more battle experience, but think of the treasure she could get by looting the rich targets. Not to mention the reputation she'd get as a powerful assassin!!
"If you want to turn the offer down, I'll--"
"Count me in," Lina told him with a determined smile.
Now it was Phil's turn to stare. "Seriously?"
"Seriously!" Lina confirmed. "No way I'd miss out on an opportunity like this!"
Phil smiled sincerely. "Thank you for accepting, Lina," he told her. "If there's anything I can get you, just name it."
"Actually," Lina began. "I really should tell my Master about this. He's an old man by the name of Diol. [1] Do you know him or know where I could find him?"
"I'll find out his location immediately." Phil stood up, and Lina was quick to do likewise. "I thank you for this, Lina Inverse," he said, shaking her hand. "This new development could lead us to victory."
Authoress Note:
[1] - Diol isn't really Lina's master. He's just some random old insane guy that shows up in the OVAs, in the episode, "The Scary Chimera Plan."
This is going fast. Two chapters in one day. Go me! I'm planning on having an inspirational thought or quote at the beginning of every chapter from here on out. Preferably something that pertains to the chapter that you're about to read. If you have any suggestions for quotes that you might want me to use, go ahead and suggest them. If I use them, you'll get full credit.
Thanks to Tamra Chandler, Pogo, wandering rogue, and Enid Freyr for reviewing right off the bat. Positive reviews definitely make people feel more confident about their work. But remember, contrustive criticism is welcome as well. Thanks, you guys! Everyone else, please review too!