I woke up in bed with my head resting on Alfonse's chest. I could hear his steady heartbeat, which was oddly calming for me to listen to. It meant that he was alive and I felt an odd sense of security from it. He was still ice cold to the touch but I was not fully aroused from the lull of slumber so I didn't move from that spot for several minutes. After a few more minutes had passed, I suddenly jolted up out of bed after realizing that we both fell asleep on the bed together last night. I blushed and covered my face from the embarrassment. I honestly would've died if I were missing articles of clothing, but I knew that we didn't do that together. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I had. It would've felt like I was taking advantage of Al while he was in the vulnerable state that he was in. It wouldn't have been a decision made rationally.
I sneaked a peek at the sleeping prince. He just seemed so peaceful when he slept. It was quite adorable, actually. I sat back down on my bed and gently propped his head on my lap. I carefully ran my fingers through his soft hair until his eyelids began to flicker open.
"Mmmhh… not now Mother… five more minutes…" Alfonse groaned as he tossed himself to sleep on his side.
I chuckled while still petting his hair "Alfonse you have to wake up, we've overslept. We've got a battle to win."
"But… I don't want to… Im scared…"
"Al, please wake up or I will make you. I need you to get up before something happens."
Al's eyes quickly opened up and he shot himself out of bed. He frantically looked around and slowly he realized what was happening. He looks at me with a mixture of terror and embarrassment.
"K-Kiran! What are you doing? Weren't you sleeping on the bed?"
"We both did. Besides… I thought I was Mom now?" I teased him
"K-K-Kiran! Please don't say it like that! I wasn't-" His face was turning into a deep shade of red
"Dont worry about it, Al. I won't say anything about it to anyone. It'll be our secret." I winked
"G-good… It's just so…"
"Embarrassing? Don't worry about it. Henriette is a wonderful woman and I'm flattered. Now get up. You need to fix that hair of yours. We can't have the crown prince going out to battle with it looking like a rat's nest." I mimicked the tone my own mother would use on me whenever I had bed hair.
"Can you fix that for me then? I don't have a mirror or a brush on me."
"Who do you think I am? A maid? Come over here while I grab a brush for you" I dug into one of my drawers in my dresser and grabbed a wooden comb
Alfonse moved himself to be closer to me like I had asked before. He chuckled at my fussing over his hair and such. I guess he thought it amusing that my first concern at that moment was his hair. I raised an eyebrow at him.
"Is something funny? I'll have you know that I'm helping you because I want to, not because I'm obligated to." I say while I combed his unruly hair back into his usual hair style.
"I-It's nothing… Mother would fuss over me like this when I was younger too."
"Again, I am flattered. Just remember that I am your friend, and not your mother. I don't think I would make for a good replacement for Queen Henriette." I said poking fun at him after I had finished fixing his hair.
"I wouldn't want you to… Mother is Mother and you are you."
I handed him a hand mirror that I had used for fixing my own hair. He checked it and he seemed to be satisfied with my handiwork. I then snatched the mirror from his hand and grabbed a bristle brush and violently raked my long brunette hair with it until it resembled something resembling halfway decent. I put my hair up in a ponytail and then I hid my hair underneath my usual hood. Alfonse just looked at me like he had just witnessed the cold blooded murder of some random guy on the street.
"There. You go on ahead for now. I need to get changed into some clean clothes."
Alfonse nodded and excused himself from my room. I was then forced to face the cold hard truth. Today, Gustav will die by Hel's hand. That was the best case scenario at least. In the event that the plan goes awry, the worst case scenario would be that both Alfonse and Gustav die. I don't know how I would handle such a loss when I could barely raise my metaphorical weapon against King Gustav. Honestly, a part of me still doesn't like him too much, but in the past week that I've come to know him, I knew that he cares deeply about his family and Askr. He has Alfonse's best interests at heart and by sacrificing himself, he is fulfilling his role as King. He trusts Al and so do I.
I take my off my clothes and changed into a white tank top with a black pleated skirt, black tights and black knee high combat boots. After I had put my regular Order clothes on my bed for the castle maids to wash, I put my coat back on and head towards the library. The library has become the unspoken meeting spot for the two us. We always had our noses inside of books when we weren't busy, so it's the first place we look if we are looking to find each other. In the meantime, I was left to stew in the awkward mixture of emotions that I was forced to deal with. I was happy because I got to share a bed with Al, even if it wasn't intentional. On the other hand, I'm panicking because I knew what was coming and I was mourning the future loss of either the King or Al. I was riding the non-stop round trip train of emotional turmoil. Choo-Choo mother fuckers!
I eventually found my way to the library doors and took the liberty of inviting myself in. I frequent the library so much that Alfonse gave me a copy of the key. I'm practically the second librarian in the castle after Al. I walked in to find both Gustav and Al speaking with each other. I really didn't want a repeat of last time, so I didn't even bother with hiding my presence.
"I am sure you will defeat her Father, or perhaps, Kiran." Alfonse said with hope in his eyes.
"The girl you've summoned from another world? We must rely on ourselves, not on power from beyond Askr. Hel came to us from another world… Contact with other realms merely opens up new avenues for misfortunes" Gustav said almost dismissively.
Yeah. Thanks for your vote of confidence your Highness. It wasn't like I was... you know… helping you plan out your own death or anything. It legitimately pissed me off. I wondered if he had already noticed my presence and was saying these things to keep Alfonse from suspecting my true plans. Either that or he was purposefully trying to tick me off as some sort of test? Fack, I really couldn't tell you to be honest. I wasn't in the mood for such things. I grabbed a book from the shelves on beginner's magical theory and begun to quickly thumb through the pages. I wasn't really reading any of it, but I wanted to pretend to be busy.
"I understand your words, Father. Yet, I've formed a strong bond with Kiran."
"I say again- There is nothing to be gained in meddling in other worlds."
"Father… heh…" Alfonse chuckled.
"Is something amusing?" Gustav's brows furrowed.
"Ah! Im sorry. Im just reflecting on something Mother told me. She said that, in your youth, you were much like me." Alfonse smiled at his father as he probably imagined an younger version of the current king running around and saving people.
I'll admit, it was hard to imagine a young Gustav let alone running around with the same recklessness that Al had. At the same time however, knew Al must've gotten that propensity to be heroic and stuff from somewhere. Gustav must've been an enormous role model to Al. I could tell that he really looked up to his father. I don't know how Sharena saw her own father seeing as she followed more in Henriette's footsteps than Gustav's but... just the thought of what I had to do to keep things in order nearly shattered my own heart. In a few short hours, this whole family will be broken apart and I was going to be the one who shattered it. I could feel the waterworks opening the goddamn floodgates in my eyes. I used my coat sleeve to quickly wipe them away. If they finally noticed me, the last thing I needed the king to see was me crying. I agreed to do this for him, so the floodgates will just have to wait until after everything was said and done.
"Did she now? I must admit it. Wet behind the ears, I was. I traveled the realms ready for battle. I was no different than you, it is true. Yet, look at me lecturing you" Gustav said with a twinge of…. Sadness? Regret? I honestly wasn't sure. It was always hard for me to tell what the King was thinking or feeling.
"You misunderstand me, Father. I was happy that I put Mother in mind of you. As for your concern and your guidance… they mean everything to me.Yet to be able to speak so frankly with you here and now… I'm overjoyed"
The king sighed, seemingly sad and at a loss for what to say to his own son. "Alphonse…"
I clenched my fists. I felt like I shouldn't have been sitting there, listening in on the two of them once again. I was basically brown nosing in on their last heartfelt conversation and it made me look bad. Though looking bad in front of people was the least of my concerns now. I quietly set up a board of the strategy game I had been playing and sighed.
"Ah! Kiran! Im sorry... I didn't realize you were here." Alfonse's mood seemed to lighten up and Gustav took notice.
"It's fine. Actually, your father came up at just the right time. I need to speak to him privately on some important matters. Just give me about ten minutes, please. In fact, why don't you grab Tonia and ask her to make coffee for us?" I said with a forced smile.
"Alright, I'll be back shortly. You like yours black right?" Alfonse asked. He was seemingly bewildered by my request but he didn't decline it. It was two wins for me in my eyes. It gave me my chance to get in a few words with His Highness and it gave Alfonse some busy work to do. I figured that if I kept him busy, he would not much time to dwell on his impending death and make him feel like he was being useful.
"Yes. Blend #107 extra hot and bitter, please. I have been craving it for a few days now and I haven't been able to to indulge. Oh and some dark chocolate too if it's in stock right now."
Alfonse nodded and left to fetch the coffee. My attention then turned to the King who looking at me dead in the eyes… no unfortunate pun intended of course. "My apologies for sending your son away like that, Your Highness. I wish to speak with you on matters concerning… Operation Checkmate. At least, that's what I am calling it for now."
Gustav raised an eyebrow at my rather dubious and uncreative name for his death plans. Though the meaning is not entirely lost on him either. In a way if this battle were a chessboard right now, we would be in check essentially. The fact that I'm literally throwing away my king piece to win is unheard of in chess… mostly because in chess, losing your king is game over. I know that's an obvious statement to make, but it's still rather insane for me to be doing.
"How… original."
"With all due respect Your Highness, I'm creatively drained right now. The originality of the name doesn't matter for all intents and purposes. Anyway, I am deploying out the dragon vanguard team for today. If anything else, the idea of sending two death gods after Hel seems to be oddly poetic to me. When I say the word 'cake' that is when you'll swoop in and save Alfonse from his fate."
The king seemed to grimace even more at my… creative direction with the code words or whatever. Honestly, I was beginning to doubt my abilities again. I mean most of it was pretty sound. The battle formations, which areas to strike, strategic points of capture and all that fun stuff were pretty solid. Though the execution is starting to become a bit shaky if the King was not happy with it. I didn't get along with the King all that well, but in a sense, he had been my greatest teacher in tactics yet. The trials and battles that he had put me through this week had been extremely sobering for me. Of course, the possibility of Alfonse dying was also sobering for me but in terms of planning out battles, my skills have grown considerably.
"Look, I'm sorry if I'm not very good at naming things. For what it's worth, I'm glad I got to work with you Your Highness. I might not be the greatest at tactics or much of anything really, but I have learned so much already."
"Meddling with other realms only leads to misfortune and yet… I must concede in the fact that you are effective at what you do. Very green around the gills, but the amount of information that you are able to soak up in such a short amount of time is quite remarkable. With the right training, you will quickly surpass your predecessor."
"The last Askran tactician? I've only read books on him. I don't much like the methods he used, but I can't deny the results of his work either. At any rate, I am happy to hear such praise from you. I cannot agree more with your assessment on me being inexperienced, however." I say in the most polite and sincere way I could. My studying sessions here proved to be very fruitful as I had learned a lot about the different tacticians that roamed the palace halls. I still have much to learn about the history of Askr, though much of the historical records were in a language I couldn't read. The history buff in me got really excited about learning how to read the old Askran language and then impress Alfonse with my impeccable knowledge of the history of Askr. I mean I would still be excited even if Alfonse wasn't around to flex on, but flexing on Alfonse is just the cherry on top of the nerd sundae for me.
"We will move forward this plan of yours, Summoner. If this plan succeeds, Alfonse will become king. I want you to keep him safe."
"I'm way ahead of you, Your Highness. While I may not know much about how to actually fight, I have at least one ninja following both Alfonse and Sharena just in case. I will do absolutely everything within my abilities to get them out of this war alive. I will say this once more… my loyalties are to Alfonse and Sharena. I will do anything to protect them. They're my friends…"
"Summoner… What is the true nature of your relationship with Alfonse?"
I was taken aback by the King's question. It was a question that seemingly came out of nowhere and I wasn't ready to answer it. "I am not sure if I fully understand what you are trying to ask me your Highness. We are friends and nothing more. "
"I will ask you this again- don't think you can worm your way out of this one Summoner."
"What makes you think that my relationship with Alfonse is any different from what I've told you? If you don't like him getting close to me because I am from another realm, then that's one thing, but I would like to believe that my origins should hold no bearing on our friendship." I say as I clench my teeth. His Highness had yet again successfully got under my skin and I didnt like it one bit.
"I have been observing you for the past week, Summoner. One observation I have made is that you are terrible at lying."
"May I ask what gives me away, your Highness?"
"You get easily agitated and your nostrils flare when you lie. I had noticed this the first time we had met and then I spoke with various members of the Order who confirmed it. Incidentally, those same members all have mentioned that they believe that there's more to you and my son than just simple friends. So I will ask you this once more..."
"We really are only friends right now, Your Highness. However, the is not the full picture. I don't know how Alfonse feels, but… I'm kind of… sort of... oh God… I really don't think you would approve of me…" I was blushing from extreme embarrassment. Was I really going to admit to him that I am in love with his son?
"I see… so then that confirms my other suspicions. It matches your actions and your previous statements. Now… does your loyalty for my son only come from this perceived notion of love?"
"Are you trying to tell me that my feelings are ill conceived? That my loyalty is only there because of those feelings? I am afraid that you are sorely mistaken, Your Highness. I have always supported Alfonse in his endeavours even before… well you know what I mean. I believe in what he stands for, my personal feelings for him haven't changed that." I was really becoming agitated now. This man somehow really knows how to push my damn buttons. I knew that he was trying to rile me up
"I am leaving the kingdom to Alfonse when I die. I need to know that he is the company of someone who is trustworthy. I won't stand by and watch as the fate of this kingdom falls into the hands of someone who is incapable and untrustworthy. My wife seems to have taken an interest in you and believes that you are more than capable of keeping Alfonse from recklessly charging into battle. Her assessment seems to be correct, but I needed more proof."
"Is that the reason why you've been giving me so much work? To keep an eye on me?"
"While I still have my reservations about letting someone from an outside realm pursue my son, it will be his choice in the end. I cannot prevent him from making his choice when I'm gone. The only thing I can do as a King and as a father, is to protect my children while I still draw breath."
"I don't think Alfonse and Sharena expect anything less. I'm sure my own father would do the same for me if he were here with me. I will play my part in this battle and I will make sure to honor your wishes. Even if it means that I must keep my distance." I sighed. I felt so defeated by King Gustav.
"It would be unreasonable for me to ask you to stay away from my son when you are already working with me on our plan." He grumbled, probably still not too pleased with the idea of me dating his son.
After a short moment of awkward silence, Al arrived alongside Tonia, who was holding a tray of coffee and the dark chocolate I had asked for. Alfonse looked at both Gustav and I. He seemed to have noticed the tense atmosphere that we were producing.
"Kiran, is everything alright?" Alfonse asked
"Everything is just great… fantastic really. We were just discussing last minute battle plans as well as the contingency plans for what should happen should you be slain by Hel. Eír tells me that the curse cannot be avoided and the battle plan is far from foolproof. I can hardly bare to do it, but I must be practical about this. Part of my job is to prepare for any foreseeable eventuality, so grave topics like this tend to crop up." I said mirthlessly
"My apologies, Kiran… none of this would've had happened if I were more careful." Alfonse frowned
"Well there's no point in dwelling on what would've happened if we hadn't fought Hel that day. All we can do now is plan for worst and hope for the best." I say while Tonia set down the tray on the table near where the couch is sitting on was at. I thanked Tonia for the coffee and quickly drank all of it. I could feel a small sudden burst of energy from the caffeine.
"Antonia, that was the best cup of coffee I have ever had! You really are the best."
"It pleases me to hear such high praise from you, Lady Kiran. That was my first time brewing that particular blend."
"Well then color me double impressed, Antonia. It's a shame that you'll be going back to the palace today."
"Thank you Lady Kiran"
"I'm still surprised that you like your coffee black, Kiran. With your sweet tooth, I would've expected you to put sugar and cream in your coffee." Alfonse chuckled
I gasped. Putting milk in my coffee? That would be an unforgivable sin! "Al! A single drop of milk is all it takes to destroy the pure black magic that is coffee!" I say as I dramatically drank the rest of my coffee in record time.
"Darker than a moonless night. Hotter and more bitter than Hel itself, that is coffee" I said quoting a certain white haired prosecutor from a game about solving murders in a courtroom.
"Right… anyway, on my way back here from the kitchens, I have received reports of an increase of enemy troops attempting to traverse the woods near the crypt. I fear that the hour of my death is almost here." Alfonse's lip began to tremble
"Then we must hurry. The longer we wait, the more likely it will be for Hel to succeed in her plans."
Everyone in the room nodded in agreement and left the library to prepare for the fight ahead. I headed to my room and grabbed Breidablik and the dozens of orbs that I had been hoarding. On my way out, I met with Eír and decided to have her tag along with me as her connections to Hel has been a great boon in the information department. As per usual, she gave me the usual "You cannot escape death's curse" speech. I replied with my usual response of "We all die eventually, but it doesn't mean we should roll over and give up." I then grabbed Anna and Sharena. I then went out to the barracks and enlisted the help of male and female Grima, Idunn, and legendary Tiki. I needed to bring out my dragon team for maximum damage. There would be no mercy.
We had finally arrived at fated battlefield where Alfonse was supposed to killed by Hel. However, if I get to have it my way, than Gustav gets to die in place of his son. I hadn't told anyone the true plan besides Gustav and Henriette. Everyone else got the incomplete version of the plans and they were following those. They didn't know that I had deceived them. It left me feeling so disgusted with myself, but it was necessary for executing the real plan.
Anna barked orders at the heroes as they fought the undead army. It was quite clear that she was desperate to keep Al safe. I merely watched Al and Sharena fight while dodging blows from any enemies that managed to get to me. Eventually, we managed to defeat all of Hel's soldiers but there was still no sign of Hel herself.
"Ah, yes… the appointed time has arrived. Death is nearly here" Eir said with a twinge sadness.
"Well can you make her not be here? Not even that chain letter I had Tharja send out to Hel worked!"
"Um… Kiran? Nobody thought that it would work." Anna sweat dropped.
"Nobody messes with my other half and gets away it! Goddammit! This is like Joseph Joestar trying to fight Ultimate Kars!"
"Ultimate… Kars? Kiran you need to focus on the proble-" Anna froze right in place
"She's right behind me, isn't she?" I asked not wanting to turn around and face Death.
Anna simply nodded, confirming my fear. I was ready to scream out the codeword right then and there but I couldn't. If I did it, it would've sounded unnatural and possibly tip Hel into realizing that I was trying to do something. So I stood there for a while, frozen in place. Part of me hoped that if I stayed there, not moving one muscle, that I would become invisible. Of, course it didn't work and I was pushed aside like a rag doll as Hel advanced her way over to Al.
"Mortal…Now is the time for your life to end." She said to Alfonse as I struggled to get back up.
"Hel!" Alfonse then gasped like he was extreme pain.
I tried to make a beeline for Al so that I could at least comfort him until I call in for my coup de gra. I stumbled and crawled my way up to him like my life had depended on it. "I… I can't…" He struggled to say.
"There is no escape… so many have tried so desperately"
"Alfonse!" I screamed as I finally managed to regain my strength, just in time to catch him as the curse began to paralyze him. I could feel the adrenaline rush coursing through me and I suddenly felt like I could lift a horse with just my own two arms. I decided against doing that in favor of sticking with just holding him up.
"Thanks… Kiran…"
"I won't let you take my brother!" Sharena's voice bellowed out as she moved to attack Hel. I knew attacking Hel was mostly pointless, but if by some miracle I could gain a glimpse of Hel's weakness, I would take that opportunity in a heartbeat. Sharena tried to stab Hel with her Fensalir but it was like she was stabbing air. It was as if Hel was a ghost. Which to be fair, she was the death goddess.
"Our attacks aren't having any effect. Is she an illusion? Or a specter?" Anna asked as she tried to cut down Hel with Noatun
"Well considering the fact fact she is literally death, I would say that is not out of the question"
"I've got to find a way-" Anna says before being interrupted by Hel.
"Your efforts and your breath- they are wasted. Death is the one absolute" Hel said as she raised her scythe at Al
"Really now? That's too bad… I was really hoping to bake Al a "Congratulations you survived!" cake. I was gonna have Gaius assist me and everything." I say loud and clear with heavy sarcasm as I dropped my signal off.
"Kiran! Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Anna shouted
"I've got this! I have to…" My voice trailed off as I held onto the prince tightly.
"Mortal… your defiance will cost you greatly"
"Your curse only targets Askr royalty. I am not royalty so as much as I would love to take Alfonse's spot in your realm to ensure his survival, it's just not in the cards. But you will have to pry him from me first." I growled.
"Very well, then. You will both die together. Your time has come my scythe is ready." Hel scoffed
"Kiran! You don't have to do this! Im sorry, Kiran! Arghh..." Alfonse cried out before reeling in pain due to the effects of the curse.
"Now…" Hel made a quick swing with her scythe as I hugged Alfonse tightly. I braced myself for the potential impact, but it never came. Gustav had arrived and taken the blow just like we planned. I heard the sickening sound of her blade piercing metal and flesh.
"Gah!"
"Father?" Alfonse looked upon the scene before us with surprise and horror.
"You... shielded him" Hel seemed mildly surprised by this new development
And there it was… I had passed the final test. It felt like such an empty victory. This victory was comparable to being lucky enough to win the lotto but then having all the money get stolen. I won in that I succeeded in keeping Al alive, but lost because the only person capable of saving him directly needed to take Alfonse's place. I all I could do was watch as the blood gushed out of Gustav's wounds.
"I understand your curse, Hel- it is a curse on the blood of Askr. That lesson, I learned from my father. I am Askran royalty, and it is my life that will be added to the numbers of the dead. The conditions of your curse are fulfilled. Depart this place, death god."
"Fool. Look at you, awash in sentimentality. What has it cost you? You have no right to call yourself a king" Hel said mockingly to the dying king.
"You comprehend nothing."
"What?"
"My life only exists only for the people of this land. I have never lost sight of that. Since the day I lost my father… I swore never to forget my duty. How much longer would I have lived? My son is young, and he is certainly worthy. As king, what choice did I have?" Gustav calmly explained.
"So you think this princeling has the makings of a king… Then die without regret. As ruler of the dead, I declare your life at an end"
"No!" Alfonse screamed as Hel raised her scythe once more.
"Alfonse… become King my son." Were the King's final words before Hel finally killed him.
Hel then disappeared along with Gustav's body. Anna ordered a quick retreat to any heros still on the field. I however, was helping Alfonse stand back up. He had spent the whole ordeal being paralyzed. I no longer found myself able to look neither Alfonse nor Sharena directly in the eyes. I didn't deserve it after what I had just done to them… and they didn't even know that Gustav's death was all planned last night, though I was sure Gustav had planned it several days before I had ever had a hand in it.
"Kiran.. why did you?" Alfonse struggled to ask.
"Because if the roles were reversed, and it was me under Hel's curse, you would've done the same for me no questions asked. I'm not much of a sword, but I can still be your shield. Usually I do that with my tactics but…"
"Kiran, under no circumstances do I want you to unnecessarily put yourself in harm's way. We could've both died. Instead, Father..."
My lips trembled. Part of me wanted to call him stupid and tell him that I had a plan the whole time but… I held my tongue. He had just lost his father, after all. "I just… didn't want to lose you. You're my best friend, Alfonse."
"I know… I just... don't want you to throw away your life just for me."
"I don't take my life lightly. I would die for you, Sharena, or even Anna if absolutely necessary. I must admit that I am terrified of dying in battle but… I want to do the right thing, even if it means my life. I won't throw away my life for no reason… not when I've worked so hard to get us this far." I say before whistling for my horse. I didn't want to stand around in the area for much longer, nor did I want to explain and justify my actions any further.
"Kiran! Wait please don't leave without us!" Sharena called
"I'm sorry! I have to go! I just want to be alone right now!" I then mounted Slow Dancer and galloped away from them. I just couldn't face them any longer without breaking down in front of everyone. No… I just needed to find a place where I could grieve quietly and so, I headed back to the Order in tears.
A/N: So quick announcement, I guess. I got a job working at a hotel so now Im a working adult again. What does that mean in the context of this fic? Most likely, it means that it will take me much longer to write more chapters. Im gonna do everything I can to keep to my schedual of uploading on mondays late at night/early mornings on tuesdays but no promises (i tend upload at midnight because im naturally a night owl i guess). Also, Kiran liking her coffee black reminds me of the Hiimdaisy Persona 4 comic. If you havent read at least once, youre missing out. If you havent even played any of the Persona games yet, I have no desire to speak with you further jk. (But seriously go play a persona game)Anna: "How do you like your coffee?"Alfonse: "With Cream and Sugar"Anna: "What are you? Kiran?"Kiran: "Boss, I want it black!"Ok I guess I'll shut up now... see you next time!