Author's Note: New storyline. I've had this one planned for a while, but now I've come to it, it's very hard to write, and to be honest, a bit crap. It's up late and shorter than usual due to me just getting Guild Wars and being addicted to it. Sorry about that! But it's also more than a little crap, I've found it very hard to write, and am now dreading the rest of this storyline. Which luckily shouldn't be very long before it leads into the climax. Anyway, sorry about the crappyness! I'll try and improve the next chapters, honest!

CHAPTER 51

MESSAGE

Arcadia held the letter and looked at it sadly. Her stomach was large and swollen. Eight months had passed since the events in Kazham, and she was now heavily pregnant. Olose stood behind her, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What is it?" He asked softly.

"It is a letter from Princess Astra." Arcadia replied. "King Richard is dead." Olose paused.

"Aw. I'm sorry to hear that." He managed to say.

"It means Astra is to be crowned the new Queen. Apparently she is very scared. She wants to see me." Arcadia explained.

"Oh no. Not like that." Olose began. "If anything happens, and knowing us, it most certainly will do, we could lose our child." Arcadia looked at him like an angry child.

"Olose. It is just a trip to San d'Oria." She stated.

"That's what it was the last time!" Olose pointed out. "And 'just a trip to Kazham'. Need I remind you what happened there?"

"But she is clearly feeling very alone at the moment, and I am her friend. She could not possibly leave San d'Oria at a time like this. I must see her." Arcadia told Olose.

"Why don't I go?" Olose suggested. "Sure, you know her better than me, but I can still be there for her. And you can communicate by linkshell. It's better than risking the child, right?" Arcadia paused, slightly frustrated.

"Yes. I suppose so." She sighed.

"Great." He smiled. "Look, I'm sorry Arcadia. But if anything happens to you, or the baby, I could never forgive myself."

"I understand. I just feel so helpless. I cannot do anything or go anywhere." Arcadia muttered.

"Yeah, but it'll be worth it." Olose said gently. "Anyway, keep in contact with me, and I'll keep in contact with you. Astra is bound to want to talk to you."

"Be careful, Olose." Sighed Arcadia.

"Aren't I always?" He grinned.

"No. That is the problem." Arcadia grumbled.

Olose ran out to the chocobo stables, and swung to his personal chocobo Arcadia had provided, quite a large bird that sat there obediently waiting for him. He could run just as fast in his werewolf form, but that was tiring and he didn't want too.

"Alright Pal." He said cheerfully. 'Pal' wasn't the Chocobo's real name, but Olose called it that all the time anyway.

"Wark!" The chocobo replied.

"Yeah, we're going for a ride." Olose told it, climbing on.

"Kweh?" The chocobo questioned.

"San d'Oria. Again." Olose sighed, knowing what the chocobo was asking. "Just for once, I'd like to go to Windurst instead."

"Kweh?" The chocobo cried.

"Oh come on, it's not that bad." Olose sighed. "Now get a move on, I ain't got all day." He slammed his heels down, and the chocobo let out a loud wark, speeding out of the stables.

The sun was setting and it was late afternoon by the time San d'Oria fell into view. Olose was almost asleep on the back of his loyal steed.

"This was more fun when it was just me and Arcadia, Pal." He told the chocobo sleepily.

"Wark?" The chocobo inquired.

"Nah, you're fun too." Olose replied. "Just not quite in the same way." He added thoughtfully.

"Kweh." The chocobo sounded disappointed.

"I'm not even gonna try and figure that one out." Olose muttered to himself.

"Halt!" Came a voice from one of the black clad Royal Guards. "Please identify your-" He paused. "Olose? Olose Sampson?"

"Dartian!" Olose exclaimed happily. "How've you been?"

"Not too good, old friend." Dartian admitted. "With the King dead, we're having a tough time keeping the city under control. That's why I'm trying to regulate who comes in and out."

"Keep it under control?" Olose said quickly. "What's the problem?"

"There's a revolutionary group. They're rebelling. They don't think Princess Astra is fit to take the throne." Dartian sighed. "They say she lacks the experience to lead a kingdom, which is true, in a sense. They also say she's too weak. The illness she suffered from has left her very physically deprived, and that means she's not going to be leading us into any wars like King Richard did."

"You almost sound as if you support them." Olose said curiously.

"Oh heavens no!" Dartian cried. "Just been listening to them spout their propaganda far too long. Astra's really upset about it."

"I can imagine. Is that why she asked to see Arcadia?" Olose asked.
"Yeah. I mean, she's one of her only real friends, who don't just befriend her because she's a princess." Dartian paused curiously. "Where is she anyway?"

"Pregnant, so at home resting. I agreed to take her place. Hope Astra doesn't mind." Olose explained.

"Pregnant? Congratulations." Dartian smiled. "I had no idea!"

"Yeah, sorry we haven't been in contact. Things have been a little hectic." Olose paused for a smirk. "Would you believe Trevia has a boyfriend now?"

"Trevia? You've got to be kidding me!" Dartian laughed.

"'fraid not." Olose grinned. "Long story behind that one. Let's just say you should never visit Kazham." Dartian chuckled, only able to imagine the kinds of trouble his old friend had found himself in.

"Well, I suppose you had better go and see the Princess." Dartian decided. "She's in the chateau. Or she was at last check."

"I'll get right on it. We'll have to catch up later." Olose decided.

"I'll buy us a round of drinks. Santia is around too. She'll want to see you." Dartian paused. "Did you know we're engaged now?"

"You and Santia?" Olose cried in disbelief. "I really should visit more often! Congratulations!"

"You're one to speak, Mr I'm Going To Be A Father." Dartian shot playfully. "Anyway, I'll see you later, I have guard duty to do, and Astra is doubtlessly anxious to meet you."

"I can imagine. Well, until later Dartian." Olose waved, walking into the city. Dartian turned back to his post, smiling at the memories of his friend.

Olose walked into the throne room briskly, and Astra turned to him immediately. He noticed how she was already stood up. He guessed she had been sat down for enough of her life, so was making up for lost time.

"Sir Sampson!" She exclaimed, slightly caught off guard.

"I forgot I was knighted." Olose said thoughtfully. "Princess Astra, it is an honour to see you again. You look more beautiful than ever."

"Please don't talk like that. It's seriously weird." Astra laughed.

"Oh good. I didn't know how long I could keep it up." Olose smirked. "You are looking well though. How're you coping?"

"Urm. It's difficult. Father did a lot for me in his final days, and now he's gone." Astra gulped. "And now they're causing trouble. Everybody. They say I'm unfit to rule. They say-" She broke down into tears as Olose hugged her.

"Don't worry. You'll be a fine ruler." He said gently.

"Where is Arcadia?" Astra asked, clearly distressed.

"Back in Tavnazia. I'm sorry Princess, but she's pregnant. I didn't want her risking the journey." Astra looked up at Olose sadly.

"It's happy news. But I'm sad." She stated. "I'm sorry. I really wanted to see her."
"I have this linkshell." Olose paused it to her. "You can talk to her at least. She wanted to come. It's my fault. I told her not too."

"Oh." Astra stated. "I understand." Astra decided to sit down, obviously still finding the act of sitting in an ordinary chair awkward as she fidgeted quite a bit. "What do you think we should do?"

"You tried to meet with this leader? The guy who's behind all this outcry against you?" Olose asked.

"Dartian tried to arrange it. But he couldn't find him. He seems to have no name. No identity. Nobody knows who he is."

"He had no name and needed no name. Know that only he assisted me in my triumph!"

Jacob's words suddenly flashed across Olose's mind. He looked up slowly.

"Worrying. I think I may have encountered this guy before." Olose explained. "Somebody without identity plotted to destroy the whole of Kazham, and very nearly succeeded." He added.

"Do you think it could be coincidence?" Astra asked, sounding hopeful.

"I doubt it." Olose paused thoughtfully. "It's odd. Last time, it seemed he was trying to target me specifically. Kill me. I have no idea why, but everything was geared towards killing me."

"My friend wanted to see you die. He wanted to kill you. A pathetic lack of vision. He helped me achieve everything here just so that you would die."

Astra rose an eyebrow.

"But why would somebody be that mean?" She asked naively. Olose chuckled.
"I'm not entirely sure." Olose told her. "But he's made a mistake. He's lured me into his game again. And this time I won't let him escape."

"Why are you so sure this is the same person?" Astra asked.

"Think about it." Olose told her. "It's obvious you'd want to talk to Arcadia, and obvious where she goes, I go. It separates me from my crew and my ship, and brings me here. I think this whole protest is an attempt to get to me. But I have no idea why. I can't understand who's doing it. Who has possible access to make moves this large to harm me. I mean, I've made plenty of enemies, but none like this."

"Somebody supporting the Cardinal maybe?" Came a familiar voice. Santia walked in, still in her long flowing red tunic.

"Santia. Long time no see." Smiled Olose. "Still a Temple Knight?"

"We've been reformed." Santia explained. "We now serve the royalty as the Royal Knights. Never again can a leader use us for his own ambitions as the Cardinal did."

"Glad to hear it." Smiled Olose. "You suggest the Cardinal. Or his supporters. I don't think anybody would risk it. Not to mention I never knew of anybody powerful enough."

"He had many powerful friends easily with enough influence to do this." Santia replied. "We've investigated the idea, but got nowhere."

"I don't traditionally leave my enemies alive." Olose explained. "That's why I can't understand who it is."

"That's exactly what makes a supporter of the Cardinal seem so logical." Santia pointed out.

"Perhaps." Olose sighed. "Look. If this is a threat against me, then we need to expose me. Draw this guy out before he causes real harm. I'm pretty hard to kill, so he won't have it easy. But we can't let him harm everybody else while on his quest to harm me for whatever reason."

"He could be targeting the elvaan capital too. A happy side effect." Santia suggested.

"It's possible." Olose admitted. "The problem we face is I can't force his hand, but he can force mine. Threats against the capital and safety will draw me out like he wants. If only we knew who he was!"

"I think his plan is more elaborate than just force a confrontation." Astra spoke up.

"I have a feeling you're right, Princess." Santia agreed.

A robed figure stood upon a table.

"Quiet!" He snapped at the roaring crowd. "Princess Astra is yet to respond to our protests against her taking the throne. She is too weak to even face us. And now she's called into aide that wondering hero. Olose Sampson. The one they claimed saved San d'Oria from the Cardinal. Saved the throne from being overthrown by a fair government, is more accurate."

"He saved us from poison!" Protested one of the crowd.

"The Cardinal would have triumphed were it not for him!" A second cried.

"Yes. Yes." The figure snapped. "Olose Sampson saved the throne. He is immensely skilled. But more than that, he is immortal. Save for one weakness. Silver."

"We're not going to kill the hero of San d'Oria!" Another member of the crowd shouted.

"Don't you understand?" The figure snapped. "Sampson will defend the crown again, and he will succeed unless we eliminate him. Astra is too weak to rule, we need to dispose of her, but we simply cannot if Olose Sampson stands in the way." The figure paused. "If we are to be victorious, Olose Sampson must die."