A/N: Chapter 15. Last time we left off we were just finishing up one of the more enjoyable court sessions in Fable 3. Now, we pick up with another address from the good king of Albion.
Dark Desires
Summary: When Reaver is bored in the throne room waiting for the king, he and the princess, Annabel, have a talk about her one day taking the throne. He didn't expect to help her in a bloody coup.
*Twin Swords*
Reaver didn't need to check the time to know that he was well overdue for his meeting with the king and one of the lead supporters of Bowerstone's protest movement. He had taken his time dealing with one of the snotty little indigents who dared to try and take a break longer than the allotted time. A very thorough lashing of the girl's back was enough to make her wail; however the punishment had served its purpose. She didn't dare try it again; the next time there would be a simple and very public example made of her, and no one crossed Reaver twice and lived to tell about it other than the late Queen Sparrow.
The Pirate King strode confidently into the throne room, bringing out gasps from the large audience that had gathered to hear the king's words. He tipped his hat to Logan, a faint smirk on his face. "Apologies for my tardiness, your majesty. I'm afraid I had urgent business to oversee at the factory. But, don't let me stop you. Please, enlighten the ladies and gentlemen of the court with your exquisite words."
He gave a subtle wink to Annabel; the princess was standing by her brother's throne and the king gave her a nod to signal the beginning of the court. "The matter at hand today is the future of Bower Lake. Reaver will offer his proposal. Alexander will dispute his cause. With the king's permission, Reaver may take the floor."
"You may speak," Logan said quietly.
Reaver gave the king a mocking bow. "Your majesty. A recent study of Bower Lake has shown that the lakebed is rich with valuable minerals. As amusing as it would be to make my workers hold their breath as they mine these resources, I fear it would be too impractical. We have no choice but to dam the lake and drain it of all water completely. It would be a pity to disfigure the landscape so close to my current home, but we are in rather dire need of resources."
With his proposal on the table, only common sense would win. The blond boy next to him wouldn't have a chance against him, especially with Annabel on his side.
"Alexander? Your rebuttal?" The king glanced over at him.
"My king." Alexander bowed his head. The boy was polite, Reaver would admit that much. "Bower Lake is more than just a pretty view in Millfields. It is the last piece of natural beauty remaining in all of Bowerstone. It should be protected as such. The lives of all of us not so lucky as to be born into unfathomable wealth are already very stressful. Are we really going to take away the one place we can kind peace? Not to mention, Bower Lake is a very valuable supply of drinking water that the residents of Bowerstone depend on. Pure and untainted by factory pollution. Taking it away would not be in the best interests of the citizens of the capital."
"Oh good heavens." Reaver snorted in annoyance. "Was that the best you could come up with?"
"Both of you stand down," Logan ordered, sitting up from his usual slouch to glare at them. Alexander sent Reaver one last scowl before turning away from his smirking face.
The king returned to his position, taking a deep breath. "I will take both options into consideration; however, until I announce my decree, nothing will happen to Bower Lake. Have I made that clear?" He sent a knowing look towards Reaver.
"Brother? May I?" the princess asked, taking a step forward. When Logan gave his approval she began to speak. "Millfields is also home to a mine that had been abandoned some four years ago, correct? Pepperpot Mine? To my knowledge, the mine is still rich in resources, including valuable metals and gemstones. There are also working railcars still in the mine, as well as tracks."
"That mine was deserted after it became a breeding ground for hobbes." Alexander shook his head. "It would be impossible to clear out with anything less than half a battalion."
"Under normal circumstances, yes. But, as many of you standing in the audience know, I am anything but normal." Annabel smiled and let her hand come to life with fire. The display drew gasps of shock from the crowd and she held her head high proudly. "I am a Hero. The equivalent of an army and willing to do what is necessary for the safety of our kingdom and people."
"Annabel, are you sure about this?" the king asked in concern. "You are still mourning from the death of your beloved." Reaver wanted to let out a bark of laughter at the thought of that weak minded boy being the one she really held affections for. The only reason he didn't was because he didn't want to spoil her scheme.
"While Elliot's death has indeed taken a toll, I'm more than ready to put aside my feelings for the greater good," the princess replied evenly. "It's my duty as a Hero and the princess."
The king was silent as he considered her choice, beginning to shake his head. "No. Annabel, I can't in good faith send you by yourself to clear out a dangerous and dark mine in the middle of Millfields. Absolutely not. Not without an armed and trained expert."
Annabel stared her brother down but he would not budge. Now that he had already said no publicly, he couldn't back down without making the people attending the court think he was beginning to weaken. Right now, that was something he could not afford at the present time. Not with the people already beginning to question his leadership in hushed whispers across Bowerstone and Brightwall.
"Your majesty." Alexander stepped forward and bowed. "With your permission, I can act as an escort for the princess, if you so wish. I may not be a soldier, but I am gifted in the ways of swordsmanship."
Ah, that explained the way he carried himself. So he was a fighter. Reaver was suspicious of it but hearing out loud confirmed it. This boy couldn't have been older than the princess, yet he carried himself like a man who had seen his fair share of combat. It was interesting as to why. As far as Reaver knew, the blond was nothing more than a representative for Bowerstone's protest movement. What need would they have for a mercenary? Money?
No, it couldn't be that. He was far too well dressed to be a mere brute mercenary, though Reaver did know that appearances could be very deceiving. Either way, it did fascinate him a little. He didn't often take an interest in people, but when he did it was because there was much more to them than meets the eye. He would be sure to keep an eye on this young man when he returned to Bowerstone. He couldn't quite place his finger on it, but something about him just wasn't right.
'I'm curious more than anything. But I won't find out what I want to just sitting around here. I'll take the time to investigate more thoroughly when the princess comes back.' He pursed his lips.
The king was silent, thinking about Alexander's request to be Annabel's escort. They knew that the princess was more than capable of handling herself against trained soldiers thanks to her magic and own skill with a blade. Surely the boy wasn't daft enough to try anything; if he did get the princess killed, then Logan's fury would be unmatched. He'd have every member of the protest movement publicly executed.
"Very well," Logan conceded. "Annabel, Alexander will be your escort to the mine. Once it is cleared out, report back to me immediately so I can send some men to secure it. Before you depart, however, I'm afraid we have one more issue at hand to deal with and it involves both the protest movement and Bowerstone. Many people have written to me expressing their relief that the crown had personally dealt with the notorious criminal Nigel Ferret. From the one who discovered the body, it appears as though he was executed. I gave no such order, so could someone perhaps enlighten me as to who did such a brave deed?"
Silence filled the court and the king tapped the arm of his throne idly. "Well? Please step forward. You did this kingdom a service and must be rewarded."
Still, no one budged. Instead the court's nobles were whispering amongst themselves in excitement. They didn't know that the one who has disposed of Ferret was standing in this very room, though she was careful to not reveal it. Annabel pretended to be looking for anyone in the court who was showing signs of possibly being the one responsible. For a moment their eyes locked and Reaver gave her the most subtle of winks. Her secret was safe with him.
When no one stepped forward, Logan sighed and leaned back in his throne. "Very well, keep your silence. But know that your actions have saved many. The court owes you a debt of gratitude and I shall not forget it." He cast a glance at the princess, but she offered no answer.
The king then had a letter handed to him by one of his advisors and he read it silently before nodding and putting in one of the pockets of his trousers. "The court is adjourned until further notice. However, rest assured that once we find this mysterious hero of the people, we will reward them appropriately. Dismissed. Annabel, Alexander, you may leave at any time you wish."
"Understood, your majesty." Alexander bowed and departed in haste. Annabel looked over at Reaver and gave him a sultry wink before she pursued the blond out of the throne room. Their little affair wasn't known by anyone and it wouldn't come out until she sat on that throne and the crown adorned her head. By then, no one would even think about questioning her about her relationship with him; their union would be seen as an intriguing one but overall very beneficial to the safety and wellbeing of the kingdom. No, if Annabel was to come forward publicly with any relationship, it would be with that one little servant who kept padding after her.
He had to admire her ambition; none of the other servants had been flirted with so brazenly before, let alone by the bloody princess of all people. He wondered what Annabel had said to her that made the girl fall for her. But, alas, he would find out eventually. He would get more enjoyment of seeing Annabel utterly dominate the girl and sip his brandy.
Now that was guaranteed to be one hell of a way to spend an evening. But alas, he had to wait. By Skorm all this bloody waiting was enough to make an immortal like him get bored extremely easily. Usually, he'd quell some boredom by merely shagging the first person who threw themselves at him. He wasn't bothered by things like gender. But he was currently too busy for sleeping with anyone. Mountains of paperwork littered his office and he did not want to leave the factory unsupervised for too long. Heavens knows what sort of diabolical things those damned indigents would get up to without him to oversee their work. 'Time to return to the factory. I personally cannot wait to see the look on that boy's face when he sees just what the princess is capable of in battle.'
He bowed before Logan. "I'll return to Bowerstone immediately. Sorry for such a brief appearance, but as you know I am a very busy man."
"You may go." Logan nodded wearily.
Reaver twirled his cane on his way out, enjoying the whistles he got from several women passing by. Of course they found him irresistible; one would have to be blind to not see that he was almost every woman's fantasy. He was charming, dangerous, and if he was being modest, very attractive. There wasn't much to not like about him. Sure, one might call his business approaches and policies harsh, but they were effective and he was always careful to make sure they were beneficial to the kingdom's overall wellbeing. One couldn't accuse him of being a slave driver if his practices worked.
He gave the women a slow wink as he passed them. He would indulge in a little harmless flirting, but he wouldn't actually bed any of them. Not after he got to experience Annabel in the sheets. By Skorm she was the best to enter his bed since Penelope and Ursula nearly three hundred years ago. The princess managed to bring out the raw ferocity he normally kept hidden with her begging to breed her. He himself had lost count how many times he filled her during their celebration of Elliot's death. All he did know and care about was that it was by far the most satisfying round of sex he had in a very long time.
Reaver smirked on his way out of the castle. This would be interesting to watch, to say the least.
Annabel met with Alexander outside of Pepperpot Mine as the king had ordered, approaching him swiftly. He was leaning against one of the old mine cars abandoned outside of the mine, a black katana secured to his belt. "You're here."
The blond stood up with a grunt, dusting off his jacket and looking at the princess's chosen combat attire with a curious eye. "You sure you're going to be mobile enough in that?" He gestured to her leggings and corset with one hand.
"I might be of royal blood, but unlike the posh twits that call this region home, I am not afraid of getting my hands dirty," she countered. It was interesting to see he too wielded a katana like her, though she would be curious as to what his chosen style of combat would be. "Are you ready?"
"I am. Don't worry about me, your majesty." The corners of his lips curved into an amused smirk. "I can assure you that I am more than capable of handling myself in battle."
"Then let's get this over with." Annabel took point and entered the abandoned mine, using her magic to light up the cavern.
Inside it was a complete mess. Cobwebs had grown over the rusted rails and some of the walls looked like they were starting to erode. It was salvageable if they cleared out the pack of hobbes that called it home, though. With a little luck there wouldn't be too many of them.
Annabel's boots sank into the soft ground and Alexander was right behind her, his grip on his katana tight. "Up ahead. Bloody hell, there must be a whole brood of them down here." The princess strained her ears and she could hear the soft menacing cackles of the hobbes further in the bowls of the mine.
"Any idea on how many?" she whispered.
The blond shook his head. "Not a definite number, no. There's at least two dozen of the nasty little bastards though." His lip curled in disgust as the stench of rotting flesh wafted towards them. "Little blighters are disgusting, for sure."
The mine curved to the left and when Annabel rounded the corner she came face to face with a hobbe for the first time. It was just as ugly and revolting as her late mother described them; fat, grotesque, and with broken teeth lining its large mouth. It couldn't have been taller than a child, yet it still yelped in surprise before swinging at her face with a rusty club.
Alexander moved before she could even blast the wretched little thing to bits. His sword flung into his hand and with one rapid strike he cut the beast in two. Two halves of a hobbe fell to the ground with a wet thud and he was already sheathing his weapon.
"Didn't think you could move so fast. Nor is that a style I recognise." Her eyes narrowed. "You're not from Albion originally, are you?"
Alexander looked back with a shrug. "No. I was originally born in the mountains of Eastern Samarkand. Family crossed the sea to Albion in an attempt to make better lives for ourselves."
"I guess that is where you learned to fight."
"Correct. I was taught by one of the master monks in the way of the blade from a very young age. I've spent years practicing my techniques to further my art. The style you just witnessed is a very rare style of swordsmanship, called iaido."
Iaido? That was not a form of combat she was familiar with. If anything, it made her more intrigued to find out more about it. Surely one of the books in the castle's library or combat room would yield more information on the subject. However for now, she had a task to see through.
Springing her own sword into her hand, she let the blade come to life with its burning flames as a dozen more hobbes turned their attention to the two. 'My turn.' "I'd get back if I were you." Alexander rolled out of the way to let the princess unleash her fiery barrage. A wave of fire spat from the cold steel of Scarlet Flame, setting the wretched little creatures ablaze.
One hobbe got a little too close for her liking and she kicked it as hard as she could in the crotch. It squealed in pain, flying into the air, and Alexander finished it with a quick cut across its torso.
"Not bad yourself, highness." He chuckled, looking at the golden blade. "Never knew of a sword capable of that, though. Is that a Heroic weapon?"
"Yes." The lie rolled off her tongue easily, her grip tightening on the embroidered handle. There was no need for him to know that one of the vilest weapons ever created was in her hands and she could feel the katana trembling in her grasp. 'It only does that when it hasn't fed on flesh. But why is it doing it here?'
It was a little alarming. Was there something else? Something she was missing?
She looked at the charred corpses of the hobbes and gave one a prod with her foot. It didn't twitch at all and smoke rose from the horrible burns. 'Well, these things aren't too difficult to kill. Even without my powers it would be effortless. To think my brother was going to waste sending in a full platoon of men to regain control of the mine.'
However, when she saw the next group of hobbes up ahead, she began to understand why her brother was going to send in his elite soldiers to do the job. These ones were not short fat little goblins like the ones the two of them easily dispatched. No, these beasts were easily twice the size, towering over the princess and her escort with muscle rippling under the grey flesh.
'Ah bloody hell. Pack guards. This just got a bit more difficult.'
She readied herself as the one nearest to her leapt at her with a roar, brandishing its makeshift axe in a vicious manner. The princess weaved between the clumsy strikes; if any part of the rusted metal hit her, she would be lucky for it to be not nearly fatal. Such weapons could cleave even a fully armoured soldier in half with little effort.
She spun around a swing aimed for her face and met the rusted axe with her sword, grunting at the surprising amount of strength in the creature's body. Her free hand became cloaked in flame and she blasted the ugly beast in the face with her magic. It fell on its back with a bellow of pain and Annabel sank the cold steel through its throat, yanking the katana out. Blood gushed from the wound and it did not make any feeble attempts at moving. It was a clean kill.
She glanced over to see how Alexander was faring. With all the grace of a dancer he bobbed and weaved in between clumsy strikes, briefly unsheathing his blade for a quick strike before continuing his evasive manoeuvres. Just from watching, she could tell that anyone who engaged him in combat would be in for a rough time. He was faster than any soldier, almost as fast as her. The man, whoever he really was, was not just a mere representative from Bowerstone's protest movement. He was trained in his art.
He sidestepped a crushing blow and stabbed the hobbe in the back, yanking it out and sheathing his katana in one fluid motion. It certainly was impressive to watch from her point of view. Just his movements were enough to show he had poise well above most combatants his age and even his senior. He couldn't be older than her by more than a year at most.
'His style revolves around fluid motions and agility. In close quarters he would be difficult to handle thanks to his speed.' Annabel spotted one hobbe with a staff charging a spell, however before she could attack it another one of soldier hobbes leapt at her. Her sword clashed against the axe and she hissed as dirt from the mine flew into her eyes. 'Blasted little wretch.'
"Alexander!" She tried to call out a warning to the blond man, who had turned just as the summoner hobbe attacked him with a fireball spell. To her surprise, he made no effort to dodge the magical attack. Instead he unsheathed his blade and held it in front of him, using it to block the spell. When the spell dissipated he slammed it back into the scabbard, chuckling.
"You'll have to do better than that." He grinned savagely and responded with an attack of his own. To her shock the same wave of fire that came out of Scarlet Flame leapt out from his blade, incinerating the hobbe until it was nothing more than ashes.
'What!? How!? What the hell was that!?' She had never heard of someone being able to block magic quite like that, let alone store it and use it as a counter. It was unlike anything she had seen before; she wasn't sure if even Scarlet Flame could do that thanks to its nature.
Annabel looked at her sword and saw that it was shaking even harder in her hand. Whatever Alexander had done, Scarlet Flame was reacting to it. 'Something about him is wrong. No normal person would be able to block a magic spell and absorb it. He's different. I just can't put my finger on it.'
With his remarkable abilities he would make a very powerful ally in her planned coup. Working well with him here would possibly sway his mind to joining her once he learned of her real intentions. She wasn't stupid; she knew very well that if they were on opposite sides then the coup could possibly fail. But if they were on the same side, then very little could stop them especially with Reaver's influence and support.
But before any of that could come, quite a few other things needed to happen first. She volunteered to clear out the mine to garner more support from Millfields' residents, not to merely provide the kingdom with a steady source of valuable minerals. The princess was seeking to further her experience and power to make sure she would be a much better ruler than her brother could ever dream to be.
And she could feel her magic growing as she carved her way through the infested mine. Each kill with it only made her reserves stronger, her flames burning hotter than they had previously. In a way, magic was like a muscle. The more she used it, the stronger it grew.
She took a step towards a cowering scout hobbe with a menacing smile, her blade coming to life with fire. 'This is the end for these revolting things.' She swung her sword in an arc and set them ablaze, her smirk growing as she watched the hobbes shriek in agony as their flesh was consumed.
The foul beast inside of Scarlet Flame let out a content groan as it devoured the souls of the ugly creatures, easing its nervous twitching. She was aware of Alexander looking at her as she sheathed the blade, giving one of the dead hobbes an extra whack with her scabbard for good measure.
"I think we're done here," she announced, rather pleased with the results. The charred bodies would undoubtedly have to be carried out by the platoon sent to secure it, but their mission was complete. They had cleared Pepperpot Mine, making it once more a valuable source of resources Albion was in dire need of.
"Indeed." Alexander nodded, though his gaze never left Scarlet Flame's scabbard. It was impossible for her to tell what the blond was thinking, but she could tell that he was not merely interested in the sword for it being beautiful. It was a weapon that channelled the rage of the Archons themselves, burning everything in its path and said to consume the soul of its user when their death came.
"You handle yourself rather well, for a pretty face," Annabel said with a smirk. "I thought I would have to do all the heavy lifting when you volunteered to be my escort."
"One should never judge a book by its cover, your majesty," he replied evenly, securing his katana on his belt. "I might not look the part, but I can guarantee I have seen more bloodshed than many of the soldiers currently serving in the army."
"I can see that. You certainly are skilled in battle. I'm glad to have you watching my back." She smiled and turned on her heel, Alexander following her. She felt his burning gaze linger on her sword for a moment more before shielding his eyes from the harsh sunlight pouring in through the entrance of the mine.
"With your permission, I will report back to Bowerstone," he said once they were outside. "No doubt the movement will want to know where I have been."
"You may go. I can deliver the report to my brother alone." She dismissed him with a wave of her hand. He ran off ahead and Annabel hummed, watching his retreating form. They had done what they set out to do, but many questions still lingered in her mind. Who was he? Why was he able to absorb spells? And why was Scarlet Flame reacting to being in the same place as his own blade?
Annabel shook her head, dismissing them for now. She'd have plenty of time to dwell on it later. For now, it was best for her to return to Bowerstone Castle and report back to her brother. She didn't want to keep the good news away from Logan.
A/N: So this was a lot more fun than I'd thought it would be. Iaido is a really cool style of Japanese swordsmanship that doesn't get explored often and figured this would be a good way to showcase it as well as set up another piece of the plot.
-Classiest#8332