Chapter 3: The Experiment

By SodiumChloride12, derived from Fire Emblem, owned by Nintendo.

N: One week has passed since Samuel's mission in Moros. Now, there's another task at hand. It's a pet project for the young Chancellor, the first opportunity to sow the seeds of democracy in Lycia...

For now, our story takes us back to the court of Caelin.


Reismann clears his throat before addressing the court. Present are the usual eleven, with the exception of Baron Thomas, who had to deal with a pressing issue in his lands. In his place is the Minister of Agriculture, Swinn, one of the five new court positions created by Lyn's administration.

Reismann says, "We move onto the next matter. As we are all aware, the Chancellor had requested that we change the manner we handle mayoral appointments. We have all agreed to this, but I feel it is necessary to mention that the election procedure starts this afternoon."

There's a noticeable shift in the court, mostly coming from Euphant and Angelica. Although they had given Samuel an OK with this experiment of his, privately, they expressed disapproval with the matter. Baron Thomas had gone as far to voice his concerns in court, but despite the trio's veto power, Lyn's influence was just too much to overcome, especially when concerning a position so trivial like town mayor. So they let this slide. Better to conserve their energy for a more controversial matter.

Reismann continues, "Today, the Chancellor and the Minister of Agriculture will head out to Morgantown, our largest settlement in Caelin. While there, they will spend the first day setting up polling locations in preparation for tomorrow, which will be Election Day. The count will occur the following morning, and the victor declared by that afternoon. These two are to ensure the proceedings flow smoothly, and that no fraud, intimidation, suppression, or similar tomfoolery take place. Given that this is the first time such a thing has happened in Lycia, it's important everything goes along perfectly. It's highly plausible that many foreigners, including dignitaries, agents, or even spies will be in town for their own interests. All I have to say is to be careful, my colleagues, and be safe."

Samuel and Swinn exchange glances, a silent reaffirmation to the volatility of their task. Although Caelin had friendly relations with states such as Pherae and Ostia, she also had many competitors nearby. There's no telling who they might encounter in their mission, though both contained the means to put them down. It's a matter of finding them, and eliminating any threats if they pose any.

Reismann says, "Since today is a Friday, as usual, we will not be meeting over these next two days. I implore you all to sleep well, but not neglect your responsibilities. With that, this meeting is as—"

Dimitri raises his hand. Reismann nods his head to allow him to speak. "Pardon me, Reismann. There is one thing I'd like to speak about. Recently, some of my knights found some men heckling some of our villagers. They fell in a bit of a skirmish, but thankfully, we ran them off. Initially, we thought they were bandits, but further investigation revealed something...disturbing."

Dimitri goes into his pockets and retrieves a small insignia engraved into what appears to be a piece of armor. It has the depiction of a shield with a mountain lion wrapped around it; the animal possessing a dagger in its jaws. All recognize it as the emblem of Tania, their neighbor to the east.

A wave of hushed gasps echo through court. This reminds Samuel of a similar predicament that occurred to him and his entourage yesterday. He'd been meaning to raise the issue today, but in between all this election talk, he'd forgotten about it. He retrieves the note Fiora had found on the body of their wanna-be assailants.

"Not to add more fire on the flame," Samuel says, "But I was attacked by some men in our mission to Moros. They had this in their possession."

Further murmurs fill the crowd, ballooning into a full on open discussion. The landed lords bicker among themselves, and the rest worry about their well-being.

"This is preposterous!" exclaims Euphant. "Tania's posturing is clearly threatening our sovereignty! We must ask to protect it!"

Lewis says, "Perhaps they feel emboldened by our position. We have treaties of friendship with Pherae and Ostia, but no concrete alliances. They think they can get away with transgressions like these due to that. What we need to do is establish an alliance."

An alliance. Samuel thinks as a wave of dread sinks into his veins. In Elibe, there was only one way to establish a concrete, definite alliance with another nation. That was by marriage between one house to another.

Lyn notices the look of discomfort on her husband's face, and to be honest with herself, this whole talk's making her feel the same way either. Neither of them had wanted to see Carvel or Carmel involved in a betrothal, as doing so would be hypocritical to their story of finding one another. Both believed their children should be free to find the love of their lives on their own, away from the influence of them or a panicking court.

Lyn says, "I respect your words, High Judge, but I doubt an alliance will do us any good. Both Marquess Pherae and Ostia married commoners. If they can do so without seeing threats from foreign armies, then we can too."

Kent replies, "Pardon me, your Highness. But, Pherae and Ostia possess much larger armies than our realm. Our army is small, especially when compared to Tania's own forces. Besides...we don't know how deep this whole affair goes. The mercenaries that attacked the Chancellor may be aligned with Tania...or another canton entirely."

Samuel bites his lip. The army used to be formidable in size, but the war with Laus, alongside his own actions, had diminished it much. When Lyn took power, they possessed the option to rebuild it again, but Samuel instead recommended they use the money to fund his reforms instead. The reforms did a lot to improve the standard of living in Caelin, so much so that the life expectancy shot up ten years, but this came at the cost of producing one, if not several jealous neighbors.

Lyn closes her eyes, contemplating what to do. The others follow suit in her silence. The air turns still, and the light coming in from the windows dim as a cloud covers the sun. Just as the throne room shrouds itself in darkness, Lyn breaks out of her bubble.

She says, "There is much we do not know, and we have time. I will send a letter to Marquess Tania asking to explain his aggression. Reismann, take the Chancellor's insignia and identify it for the court. As for myself..." Lyn hesitates, her confidence shaking momentarily. "I will...discuss with my husband of potential rulers who might...find it equitable to ally with us. That is all. This meeting is adjourned."

Everyone bows respectfully, and after they all depart, Samuel stays behind with Lyn. Confident that they are alone, Samuel can only muster the strength to say one word. "...Why?"

Lyn looks up at him, her soul torn from the situation. A single tear falls from the side of her cheek. It tells Samuel all he needs to know.


Later...

"Lyn...I..."

Samuel rushes to follow his spouse, their steps echoing through the stone walls of the hallway. Lyn stormed off at the conclusion of the court meeting, too overcome with emotion from its subject matter. Usually calm and composed, this represents a side she hardly showed to anyone anymore, with the exception of Samuel.

She says, "I'm sorry...but I want to be alone right now. I..."

"Too bad, I'm already here."

Lyn stops in her tracks and looks back to see Samuel grabbing onto her hand. It's comforting to the touch and not too forceful. "What? How did you—"

"I'm not the cripple I used to be, anymore. My knees have healed considerably, and these braces make up the difference. I'm rather fast...and you're wearing heels."

Lyn sighs and looks at Samuel's pant leg. The fabric bulges from where his knee is, the result of the large metal bracing on it. Lyn had seen it many times before. Its complicated machinery was backed by the latest advancements science and magic had to offer, being the brainchild of both Samuel and his friend Erk.

She says, "Bummer. To think I wanted to sulk on my own."

"Why sulk on your own when we can do it together? Come on, let's talk this out. They're my kids too."

Lyn looks at Samuel...and then lowers her head. She gets closer to him and lays her head over his shoulder. "I...suppose you're right. I...really didn't want to do this to our kids. Either of them. The idea of sealing their match at this time of their lives...is just too much for me."

She shifts her gaze over towards a pair of nearby potted plants. One of them is an Etrurian sunflower, while the other is a Bernese daffodil. Neither seem elated to be near the other. "You...remember the story Lord Pent and Lady Louise told us? The King of Bern, Desmond, was married off to an Etrurian princess when his heart was set on someone else. He didn't love her. She closes her eyes. "The child they bore...oh...the abuse he must have felt. Prince Zephiel...his own father didn't want him to be his heir."

Samuel replies, "I understand...I really do. But...if we were still commoners...our children would be free to find love as they please. By returning to Caelin, we sacrificed some of our will, alongside that of our children, for the greater good. Ultimately, that's the situation we find ourselves in now. Either we act against our morals and improve our ability to protect our people, or everyone suffers for it."

Lyn nods her head and wipes some moisture from her eyes. She's somber, but more able to see the larger picture. "I...see. In that case...who could we choose? We could inquire Hector about Liliana, or Eliwood about Roy. But...I doubt they'll entertain the idea. Both are very protective of their only heirs to the throne, and they hold the same vision for them as we do for ours."

Lyn frowns as she looks away. "Besides, with our heritage...their courts would be in uproar. As much as I don't want to think about it, racism is a very real thing we need to consider. The twins only possess a quarter of their bloodline from Lycia."

"...Well said. In order to find someone who won't care about that, we might have to form the contract with some...more than distasteful characters."

"It appears no path we can take is desirable. If only...there was a way we could...get everything we want."

The pair pause in contemplation. The watch inside Samuel's pocket ticks with anticipation, the silence allowing for it to be heard. Samuel says, "I'll get back to you on that. There has to be a solution. I only...just need to think about it."

"...Okay."

Samuel reaches down and wraps his hand over Lyn's. Then he grips it tight. "Lyn, let's go pay our kids a visit. I'm sure they've been waiting to see us."

Lyn smiles, her cheeks turning rosy red with appreciation. "Sounds like a good idea. They should see their father before he heads off."


"Carmey! Carvey! Aunt and Uncle are here!"

Laniakea jumps up ecstatically as she sees Lyn and Samuel open the door to their learning room. The learning room is a classroom where all the children in the castle get their education. Carmel and Carvel match their cousin's enthusiasm and rush to their side as well.

Lyn says, "Woah! So...energetic. I suppose they get that from the both of us."

Samuel replies, "It would appear so. It's good to see them in such high spirits."

There are two other souls in the room, as the others had left with their parents before they'd arrived. One of them is Kent and Fiora's child, Leo, a boy with the same auburn brown hair as his father. The other is the tutor herself, Mary, who bows respectfully to her superiors.

She says, "Greetings, Lady Lyn and Lord Samuel. I hope you've had an excellent day."

"...Yeah, it's been great." Samuel lies. "You're doing an excellent job. How is their behavior?"

Carmel tugs on the side of her father's leg, her emerald eyes pleading for him to give her attention, "I'm good, Daddy! Me and Carvey are good! Lani, too!"

Carvel does the same on the other side. "Very good! You can ask Leo! He's good too!"

Leo smiles awkwardly from his seat some distance away. He's a good friend of all three children and is especially close to Carmel. A silent, polite soul, his personality molds well with her extroverted, outgoing heart. As Kent's first-born son, there's talk of him growing up to become a knight, and filling in as royal retainer much like his father. Only time will tell if such a thing would come to fruition, since Lyn's kept the process of finding one to herself.

Mary says, "I am pleased to say they've been very well behaved. They've requested for me to ask you if the two of you could spend some time with them this morning. It's been some time since they've played in the garden with their parents."

Lyn looks toward Samuel, who despite the lurking matter of his departure, smiles. He looks down towards the three separate pairs of brown, red, and emerald eyes looking at him lovingly. He retrieves his pocket watch and looks at the time. "I suppose I can spare an hour. I don't need to leave with Swinn until noon..."


"No! Don't let me fall!"

Carvel squirms as Samuel holds him high on his shoulders. His curly, green hair feels brisk in the wind, and his smile shines white with contentment. Below, Carmel and Lani scramble in a game of tag while Lyn watches.

Lani pokes her head out from the concealment of a tree. "You'll never get me! I'm too fast!"

Lani's ears perk when she hears a ruffle of leaves above her. She shifts her gaze towards that direction, and to her shock, she sees Carmel lurking on a branch above. She'd snuck up on her, despite her high awareness.

"Wha—"

Carmel falls from her branch, landing firmly onto Lani's arms. Due to her weight, the force from gravity isn't too much to bear. Carmel smiles mischievously, a gesture inherited from her mother.

She exclaims, "I am a sneaky girl! Just like the archer lady, Hanon!"

Laniakea smiles, amused. "Heh...Carmey...Hanon wasn't all that sneaky. It's hard to be sneaky when you have a horse with you."

Carmel stares at her cousin with confusion. Although he is very vocal about her thoughts, she isn't very smart. Not dumb...she's clearly of average intelligence. But not a genius, and not very observant either.

Meanwhile, Carvel emerges from an unseen corner, having disembarked from his father's shoulders. He's eager to see what his friends are up to. "What are you guys doing? I wanna play, too!"

Lani puts Carmel down on the ground and then waltzes over to Carvel before enveloping him in a tight hug. Lani does this often towards both siblings, though especially towards him. He'd grown used to this long ago, and he reciprocates.

Lani says, "You looked like you needed a hug. Sorry, Carvey."

He tightens his arms around Lani's shoulders. To him, Lani is nothing less than his older sister. She had the appearance and mind of an eight-year-old child, about six years his senior. "It's okay. I love you, Lani. I like this."

Carmel raises her hands in protest. "Hey! That's not fair! I want a hug, too!"

Laniakea opens her left arm, a silent invitation for her to join. The three laugh as they uncomfortably shuffle within their grasps.

Some distance away, Lyn and Samuel observe in silence. They both wear worried, pained expressions on their faces. Their hearts are heavy, and they attempt to offset this by grabbing onto one another. Their hands interlope in an open display of comfort.

Samuel says, "...We made that...you know?"

Lyn nods her head, wiping a single tear from her eye. "Yes, it's very beautiful. This won't make our decision any easier, though."

"Nobody ever said it was going to be easy. I'm sure the court understands that, too."

They share a moment together. Lyn squeezes Samuel's hand tighter. The force reminds him of when Lyn first gave birth to the twins, when she exerted some pain onto him. "I love them so much, Sam. So...very much. I don't think I could give any of them away."

Samuel feels himself tear up a bit at that thought. "...I know Lyn, I know..."


Later...

"Samuel, I've decided that I will be coming with you to Morgantown. Today's events have made me realize this to be necessary."

Samuel pauses as he lifts his hands away from his suitcase, the bag to be used on his trip up north. He looks at her initially with skepticism, and then outright befuddlement. "What? Why?"

Lyn sits down on a chair near the wall of their bedroom. Her expression is as stoic as it is serious. "I realize...that there will be many foreign observers during this election. This...could be my opportunity to portray strength that could heighten our position in the global stage. If I come off with enough power...perhaps Tania will adjust their posturing."

Samuel gives off a hesitant sigh. Lyn...has a point. If he were to provide an open and clean election, with Lyn there to personally verify the results, it could do well to impress nearby monarchs. Prestige is something their family desperately needs. As a monarch with half Lycian ancestry, a lowborn father, and a husband who is a lowborn homunculus, any little bit could aid in how other rulers perceive them.

"...I suppose you're right. But, we'd need to change our plans. You'd need a security detail, an entourage, somebody to look after our kids, a speechwriter for when you address the public..."

!

"You needn't worry about that."

Samuel turns towards the door and finds Reissmann standing there with a clipboard. He has a proud look on his face, though Samuel's a bit perturbed by his presence in the bedroom. For him, this place was sacred, with only he and his wife allowed to be within its walls.

Samuel says unenthusiastically, "What...are you doing in our room, Reissmann...?"

Reissmann bows his head respectfully, but points at the floor below him. There's a line on the ground separating the soft, carpeted interior of their bedroom, and the hard, cobblestone floor of the outside. His feet are firmly on the cobblestone. "Forgive me for intruding, my lord. But, I believe I'm not actually in your room. I am only at the door, as I wish to respect your privacy."

Samuel glares at his steward. Catching the anger in him, Reismann opts to leave. "Erm...very well. I'll take my leave."

Samuel shakes his head. "No, come in. You're already here."

Reismann obliges, sparing a moment to gander at the room seldom visited by guests. It's finely furnished, though not so much as to be extravagant. Clothes litter the ground, and he averts his eyes to avoid...less than appropriate garments. Instead, he focuses on the array of decorations sourced from foreign lands. An Ilian lance hangs on the wall, with the Mani Katti mounted above it. A Bernese, silver trumpet sits on a nearby dresser, at the opposite side presents a raw gemstone taken from a mine in the Western Isles. It's all very daunting to see, and he pauses in awe.

Samuel says, "Hey...HEY! What's your business?!"

Reismann brings himself out of his moment of repose. "Oh! My apologies. Anyway, I've already settled everything for Lady Lyndis' departure. I've started preparing since the meeting this morning."

Samuel shoots a look at Lyn, who only shrugs her shoulders. Evidently, she'd been planning on traveling with him all along. He's surprised she managed to sneak this up on him without him knowing.

Samuel says, "You sly fox. That whole monologue you had earlier...was it just a ruse."

Lyn shakes her head. "Of course not! I've been thinking about this for a while. It's just...today's events just cemented my decision that much more."

Reismann takes a bow before stepping out. "Good travels to the two of you. Sain and Fiora will be in charge of your detail. I trust they will suffice."

Then he leaves. Lyn drops one of Samuel's tunic onto his suitcase, afterwards planting a kiss on his cheek. "I'll help you pack, and then you can help me! Let's make this fun!"

"...Not sure how you can have fun doing that, but okay."


Later...

"Well...we're here."

Samuel jumps off his carriage as the last of their caravan wheels into town. It is a train of about four wagons, not counting their own vehicle. The sight causes Samuel to give off one of his characteristic frowns. His original plan called for a discrete entrance to not detract attention from the election and the local officials. This would allow for the populace to focus on debating amongst themselves for their preferred candidate. But...with this pomp and circumstance...that might be a tall order now.

One of the crown heralds approaches the developing crowd that had appeared before the village's square and unrolls a scroll. A drop of sweat forms on the side of Samuel's face as he begins his proclamation. "Hear ye! Hear ye! People of Morgantown! Your Lord, your Marchioness, the eloquent royal mother of—"

Lyn pokes her head out from the side of the carriage and glares at the herald. The man hesitates, embarrassed, and shakes his head. His eyes dart from his liege back towards the curious, steadily bemused crowd. Someone had not given him the memo. "Erm...our lady, Marchioness Caelin!"

Lyn holds back the urge to facepalm. She walks down the steps of her ladder, using the grace instilled by her governess many years ago. She straightens her back, raises her chest, and tilts her nose slightly upward. Her arrival is so confident and majestic that it almost gives Samuel a nosebleed, not from the sight, but from the applause of the crowd.

"Magnificent! An amazing appearance by our Marchioness!"

"Is she here to preside over the election? I just thought it was a fad. Is it really that serious?"

"I suppose it is. They say if you want something done right, you should preside over it yourself. That's the saying, right?"

"Long live the Marchioness. Rightful ruler of Caelin!"

Samuel smiles and claps his hands, mindful of keeping up a courtly appearance. He notices two men nearby accompanied by an entourage. He knows them, since he'd spoken to them several weeks before. They're the major candidates for the upcoming election.

The first is the mayor's son, a middle-aged man named Cornelius. A dapper, aristocratic politician, his family's been involved with public service in Morgantown for centuries. As the traditional, presumptive heir to the mayor's seat, he's the favorite to win. His policies by and large favor the status quo. He also hadn't put much effort into his race, opting to give eloquent speeches from the balcony of his home.

The second is a young peddler named Tino. He's the only son of a pair of quiet, honorable parents. Although never involved in public office, his approachable personality has smitten him to many supporters in Morgantown. His policies favor more cooperation with their neighbors and increased public spending on infrastructure. His campaign had been vibrant and personal, though he hadn't caught much support outside of his own base.

Should be interesting. I'm pretty sure I know who's going to win...but people can change their minds quickly. It matters not who wins as long as the process is sound.

Then, his vision's notified of an...odd presence in the crowd. Among the rabble and brown common among village folk, he spots some colors usually associated with richer individuals. He sees a brunette woman wearing red, a shorter man wearing blue, and a fellow wearing a pocket watch inside his suit pocket. The brunette has Etrurian features, a slightly skinnier face, and light colored hair. Samuel notes their appearance as they disappear into separate alleyways, respectively.

Hmm...I'll make sure to remember them.

Samuel hears the flapping of wings, and the pitter patter of hoofs hitting the pavement. Turning his gaze first towards the sky, he sees Fiora land onto some idle ground nearby, her steed sending up dust as she went down for a smooth descent. Likewise, Sain rides in with a small squad of soldiers from the castle, the foot soldiers marching to a familiar regional tune known as "Her Majesty's Troops" (His Majesty's Troops for male monarchs). Samuel has to admit, although he was a hard person to impress, he found himself gawking at the scene like a child watching a parade, several of whom are singing the lyrics accompanied to the soldiers' drums and bugle.

A/N: If you're curious, this song is sung in 6/8 time.

"Come forth! Come forth! Come forth all!"

"Bring forth...her majesty's troops!"

"We live by the sword and we will march until noon."

"Won't you...come to see her majesty's troops?"

The drummer boy stops marching and rips off a cadence that's catchy to the ear. By its second rendition, the second in command, a young first lieutenant named Oswald, orders his unit to follow his lead. "Troops! A ten hut!"

The soldiers freeze in place. Samuel takes in a deep breath as the crowd falls silent. They're waiting for the second lieutenant to finish the impromptu parade. Samuel can only look at Lyn with a look that says "I kinda don't want to be here anymore" as he rips off into his own impressive call out. Bullets virtually fly out of his mouth. "Troops! Drill positions of a ten hut!"

Samuel groans internally. This is definitely going to be a major distraction for the day. His only hope is that the buzz would heighten turnout.


"Saint Elimine needs to kill me right now."

Samuel takes a shot of whiskey as he tries to wipe the memory of the parade from his mind. He and Sain are present at Morgantown's local tavern, present in waiting for the election judge to arrive. They are to meet up here and then rendezvous to an undisclosed location to procure the ballot boxes for the proceedings. It's to be a long day for him, full of boring meetings, inquiries, and supervision.

Sain gives him a look that suggests he should not be drinking right now, of which Samuel only shrugs. He says, "Bah. I work better when I got a bit of booze in me. No one will see me, anyway. Nobody knows who I am...thankfully my wife's got all the attention."

In the opposite end of town, Lyn is speaking with a bunch of foreign diplomats, entertaining them to the best of her ability at a ballroom near the city center. For a moment, he wonders who's in a worse situation. He, the energetic Chancellor, stuck dealing with a bunch of bureaucrats, or Lyn, the nomadic woman schmoozing with a bunch of arrogant nobles.

Samuel shakes his head. "I suppose we both asked for this. Here I was thinking I'd already done all my work by planning this whole thing out. Actually making sure it runs smoothly is a whole different matter, unfortunately."

Samuel sighs, Sain acting to give his whiskey glass back to the bartender before he thought to drink again. In this whole experiment, he had done so with the assumption that every step, every last action to be taken would already be known by the poll workers. But, this is their first time dealing with such a process. Back in his home country, he had the benefit of having a couple of centuries of tradition to rely on her. Here, he has nothing but himself, some assistants, and a supportive, albeit busy wife.

Samuel mutters, "...Meh. I guess it's not all bad."

Sain nods empathically. He looks over his shoulder at the crowd. Unsurprisingly, there's hardly anyone here. No one but the town drunkard, a man going through relationship issues, and a weird, foreign looking woman with blonde hair.

The woman winks at him. At first, his cheeks turn bulbous with mischief. But this emotion fades when he realizes the gesture wasn't directed at him. Rather, it's Samuel who is the desired recipient, of whom raised his brow at the random person. This fades into a look of surprise.

"...huh? Wait...I recognize you! You're that woman I saw in the crowd earlier!"

The woman raises her glass in recognition of Samuel's reasoning. "Indeed, I am. It was quite the show your people put up there. Though, I couldn't tell what was more entertaining. The parade...or the Chancellor whose face was beaming red like a cherry."

Samuel's face turns red, matching the expression in her description. His thoughts race as he recollects his actions prior. Wait, was I flustered in public?! I could have sworn I kept it all together! Have I been—

The woman breaks into a chuckle. "Hehe. I'm just messing with you. You were rather composed and stately. I have to say, I'm impressed. You're the youngest Chancellor in all of Lycia, I would have expected some sort of mistake from your part."

At the age of 30, Samuel is by far the youngest Chancellor in Lycia. The position was usually given to the most senior member of court, a nobleman of elder age. Going with tradition, it should have gone to Reismann, who is both the oldest and previous Chancellor. But Lyn cared not for tradition, and she appointed her ambitious, innovative husband instead.

Samuel says, "Well thank you...hey!" His earlier suspicion comes to him. "You're not from here, are you? Tell me, who sent you?"

Playing dumb, the woman shrugs her shoulders. "I know not what you mean. I am a simple, humble girl from this town. The only outsider here, is y—"

!

"Yeah, she ain't from around her."

The bartender's voice is as cold as it is damning. Much like Samuel, he had suspicions for the stranger as well. Although Morgantown is a large town, the bartender had seen every local woman of age come through here at least once. The woman had only appeared today.

The woman bites her lip. "Blast. I should have paid you off when I had the chance."

The bartender replies, "It wouldn't have worked. I am a citizen of Caelin, and my loyalty is to her Marchioness. Her administration gave me a loan that kept my tavern afloat during a brutal winter. I owe her much, and I am grateful. Everyone in this canton is."

The woman fidgets with her leg anxiously. "I see. I guess it's going to be hard to pry information from anybody, right?"

The bartender silently nods and then turns his shoulder to attend to his own affairs. Meanwhile, Samuel gives himself a mental pat on the back. He was the one who'd proposed the loan idea last year, and he could see that besides its effect of rescuing several important industries from the brink, it also paid other dividends, as well.

The woman raises her hands into the air; her cover blown. "Fine. My name is Darcey. I'm a spy sent from the honorable Lord Pent of House Reglay. I'm sure you know who he is. The two of you spent some time together in the army to defeat the dark sorcerer."

Samuel raises his brow, slightly disturbed by the thought that another lord, from all the way in Etruria no less, had wanted to interfere in the election here. His face contorts into a distasteful scowl. "I'll be damned. I thought he was a friend of ours. Is he really so scared of what we're doing here? It's just an election for mayor!"

Darcey shakes her head. "No, you got it all wrong. He is your friend. I came here with the direction of performing anti-espionage activities to your benefit. He only wants to see you succeed, nothing more."

Samuel's face stays still. He's not buying it. "Then why not send a letter of his intentions? That would have been much better than sending someone to impede on our sovereignty without our consent!"

Samuel is getting rather angry, so Sain places his hand over his shoulder to calm him down. The gesture cools him off, but only a little.

Darcey says, "We...do apologize for that. To be honest with you, this was a rather impulsive, last-minute decision by him. If it means anything, I have this from him." She reaches into her pocket and retrieves a small envelope. Handing it over, she says, "Here."

Samuel rips open the parchment. He doesn't even stop to check the seal of Reglay binding the paper together...

Dear Marchioness Caelin or Chancellor Castillo, whoever finds this message first.

Please excuse my rudeness, but I've decided to deploy one of my best agents to help you in your endeavors. I find your efforts to be most intriguing!

Please don't kill my agent. She's a pleasant soul, I swear.

From, Lord Pent of House Reglay.

Samuel sighs. The letter has sufficiently tempered his aggression. Facing Darcey, he says, "Very well. Have you uncovered anything?"

Darcey nods, "I have. My sources tell me two agents from two of your neighbors are here to undermine your elections. But, before I talk about that, I believe you haven't read all that is contained within my liege's message."

Confused, Samuel opens up the parchment again...

P.S: I've heard rumors that you and Lady Lyndis are feeling pressure to marry off one of your children. Truth is, so have we. When you have the chance, send us a message. We might be able to get something done that will benefit the both of us.


Later...

After their interaction with Darcey, and their meeting with the election judge, they headed off towards the undisclosed location. To Samuel's dismay, this turned out to be the judge's home...a less than secure place in his eyes.

"You've got to be kidding me."

When they arrive there, they find the older man's home to be one of the ordinary. It's a quaint, three-room house with a dedicated kitchen, a living room, and a bedroom. Sitting down on one of his sofas, he catches the eye of a toddler. He's one of the judge's thirteen sons and daughters, a detail that made Samuel wonder how so many could fit in such a small home.

The child stares at Samuel. Samuel stares at him back. After some time, Sain stares at him too. The pair are entranced by the boy's freckles, of which form the shape of a cloud at both sides of his cheeks. The boy, on the other hand, is off-put by Samuel's foreign looks. He's never seen anyone like him in his life.

His mother rounds the corner of a hallway. She sees what he's doing, and scurries over. Grabbing him by the hand, she says, "Oh! Terrence! My apologies, Chancellor. He's an aloof child."

Samuel replies, "It's...no problem. (Seriously, though. What are those freckles?) Tell me, where is your husband? We've been waiting here for a while now."

Sain nods, concurring with his companion's words. The information told to them by Darcey still resounds prominently in their minds. She warned them that two spies, one from Tania, and another from Santaruz, plotted to steal the ballot boxes before the election could take place. As large, black boxes that obscured one's core from the public, it is instrumental to the process itself. Without it, the election could not take place.

The wife hesitates, "He's...well...you see..."

"...Madam...where is your husband?"

She meekly points towards the bedroom, the door wide open for all to see. Samuel stands up, with Sain following suit. They slowly approach the door, their breathing hushed with dread.

They enter, and they find the husband hunched over in a panicked state over a pile of ballots. There are notable indentions on the ground, presumably because the boxes were there recently. Samuel takes in a deep breath before asking the inevitable.

"...Judge, are the ballot boxes gone?"

Without meeting his eyes with the Chancellor, he replies, "Yes, Milord. It would appear they've been stolen. My wife and kids were here all day...I don't know how—"

Samuel springs into action. He points at the judge. "I will deal with your incompetence later. For now, I want you to find Minister Swinn. Tell him what has occurred."

Then he addresses Sain. "Sain, find me Darcey. We have two suspects. We need as much information on them as possible."

Samuel takes a step towards the exit. The judge asks, "And what of you...Chancellor?"

Samuel shakes his head. "To speak with the constable. In case you haven't noticed, this is catastrophic. We've got ourselves a major crime on our hands..."


A/N: I was a drum major in Highschool. Low-key embarrassing looking back on it...but it was enjoyable.