Chapter 9: The Traitor

Munster District, Ulster, 769

Cowen rushed into Bloom's office, on a night when the wind was howling and the rain dashed the glass with a solid rhythm. "Bloom, my friend, how many years have we known each other?"

Bloom had been reading a book on genetics, and old book from before the crusaders. He put it down and looked up. "More than half a dozen years," he said. "I remember the day we met, when you came to tell me of my father's passing."

"In all that time, serving by your side, have I asked for anything?"

Bloom narrowed his eyes. "No, not yet, but I suspect that's about to change."

Cowen sighed. "I'm sorry. A friend of mine…she's in trouble. I need you to shelter her here, in Ulster. And no one can know. Her enemies…they have eyes everywhere."

Bloom snorted. "I'm King of Munster. My only enemies are these incorrigible rebels who refuse to accept defeat, and they are of no concern. There hasn't been a single incident since I started implementing these harsher measures."

"These enemies I speak of aren't rebels. They're much more dangerous."

"Who then? Not the Thracians surely?"

Cowen shook his head. "No." He hesitated. "It's the…remnants of the old Empire."

"You mean the Lopt Empire? There's no such thing. The Crusaders utterly destroyed them."

"You know how hard it is to completely eradicate an enemy," Cowen reminded him. "These last citizens of Lopt are smarter than Munster's rebels. They've bided their time, regained the power as the world forgot them. Now they've infiltrated the halls of every major power in the world. These people I want you to protect, they've come from the capital itself in fear of their lives."

"I see," Bloom said. "What of Alvis? Have you told him any of this?"

"I have," Cowen said. "But he is…sympathetic to their cause. He sees them as his own people, and feels the abuse they suffered during the fall of the Empire was unjust. He hasn't advertised it much, but he's over turned several antidiscrimination laws in his time. He thinks he can bring them into the light, but as good a ruler as the emperor is, he can still be very naïve. These people are fanatics. They'll stop at nothing to achieve their goals, and they're slowly gaining the power to do so."

Bloom stood up and walked to the window where the storm was raging outside. "So what you're saying, is that there is an invisible enemy out there, in the shadow of every capital, one that we cannot see but can strike at us at any time. If I accept that as completely true, then it sounds like I put myself at great risk by helping you. Tell me, who is this person, or people that you want me to protect? What did they do to earn the ire of this cult?"

Cowen hesitated again. "She is the Emperor's…mistress."

Bloom couldn't help but laugh. "Alvis? Has a mistress. I used to think Prince Kurt was the last person to have a secret lover, but Alvis was a close second. And after he scorned his father so much for his proclivities. Am I the only Duke in the world that hasn't had an affair?" Lord knows Hilda has given me enough reason to. "Poor Deirdre, she doesn't deserve that."

Cowen adjusted his collar. "Well, actually, it's a mistress from before the Emperor ever met his wife. To my knowledge they haven't…had relations since then."

"Then what relevance does she have that would draw the attention of this invisible enemy?"

"She had a child, with the Emperor. With Alvis. This child inherited Alvis' Holy Blood. They want to kill him as vengeance against the crusaders."

Bloom sat on the windowsill and gazed at Cowen with a contemplative look. It was all an act, he had decided to help Cowen from the moment the old man asked. He just didn't want to seem too eager. Always make every piece of kindness look reluctant he had learned. That way people actually appreciate generosity.

"Well an innocent child doesn't deserve to be hounded. And if they're after people with Holy Blood, then it seems my family and I are already the enemy of this empire in hiding."

Cowen's eyes brightened. "So you'll help me?"

Bloom smiled. "I will."

"Excellent. I'll bring them to you immediately."

"Wait, they're already here?"

Cowen didn't hear Bloom's response; he had already left to bring this mother and child to him. He returned not long later with the two, both of them wore long dark cloaks, wet and heavy from the rain. Cowen had been inaccurate by describing the boy as a child. He was already a young man, standing taller than his mother. His bright red hair was the thing that most linked him to Alvis, although there were shades of the Emperor's face in him too. His mother also had red hair, though of a slightly darker shade. She looked particularly young to have a child as old as the boy.

The son bowed before Bloom. "Hello, my name is Saias. Thank you for agreeing to help us."

"A friend of Cowen's is a friend of mine," Bloom replied.

The woman stood behind her son, with a calm and confident look on her face. Bloom turned to her, waiting for her to divulge her name. "Aida," she said.

Bloom nodded. "Welcome to Munster. I still don't know much about this situation, but I give my word that I'll do the best I can to protect you."

The woman gave him a smile, but then ignored him and made her way to the fire. The boy noticed the chess set on Bloom's desk and made his way to it. "Do you play?" he asked.

"Only against Cowen," Bloom said.

The boy glanced at Cowen, who was still standing by the door. "He's the one who taught me too." He sat down in the armchair by the table. "Come, let us have a game, if you're not too busy."

"I have things to do," Bloom admitted. "But they can wait till later. I haven't played in a while."

The boy was good at chess. Better than Cowen. It took him twenty minutes to beat Bloom. He was quick to demand a rematch. As they played, all Aida did was stare into the fire. Cowen sat by her side, but said nothing.

"How do the two of you know Cowen?" Bloom asked.

"He's my grandfather," Saias said.

"So your mother, is Cowen's daughter, correct?"

Sais nodded. "Correct."

"Does your mother have any other siblings?"

"No. My father had a half-brother, but I never met him."

"I see."

Bloom tried to keep his words clean and level, but inside, his mind was racing. He kept glancing at Aida. That woman is Cowen's daughter. Alvis' lover. The one he ordered to kill my father. Over the years he had come to forgive Alvis for the treachery, but an anger still burned with him. A desire to see justice. He immediately found himself regretting his vow of protection. He wanted that woman gone, dead, destroyed. Before she had seemed comfortable in her manner, but now, Bloom saw it as arrogant, condescending. Was she sitting there, smugly thinking of Reptor and how she mercilessly killed him? Or was that betrayal so completely innocuous to her that that she never once hesitated to seek aid in the son of a man she murdered?

His mind went back to another woman in a dark cloak, the one who had plunged a knife into his chest and tried to kill him, the one Hilda killed in an inferno. Try as he might, he couldn't remember what her face looked like. All he could see was Aida instead.

Munster District, Ulster, 769

A large man in brown robes was waiting for Bloom in his study a few days later. He had a face that looked particularly cold and cruel. An ugly, brutish face, yet with a hint of sly intelligence. His build looked like he would be better served as an axe wielding barbarian from Verdane. Yet a stave leaned against the chair he had taken it upon himself to occupy, indicating that the robes weren't just for show, he was a mage.

"I'm not expecting anyone," Bloom said. "How did you get in here?"

"I go where I please," the man said. His voice sounded harsh and aged, despite him looking no older than forty.

"Not in my castle. Guards!"

A group of soldiers rushed into the room and immediately pointed their weapons towards the stranger.

The man stood up. "Come now, there is no need for such ugliness."

"I don't take kindly to intruders," Bloom said, "not since I got a knife in the gut. So tell me who you are or get the hell out."

"My name is Veld," he said. "And for their sake, I suggest you call off your guards. I am not some sly assassin here to kill you. Mjolnir alone makes me no match for you."

"True," Bloom said. "But you can never be too sure."

The man's face had been stoic, but it now suddenly turned into an evil smile. "Very well." He suddenly had a tome in hand, the room grew dark for a few seconds, one of the soldiers gasped and screamed. He dropped his weapon and began clawing at his own flesh. It was hard to tell what was happening to him at first, but then, patches of grey started to appear all over his skin. Seconds later, what had once been a man, was now a statue. One of the other soldiers took it upon themselves to throw a javelin at Veld, the sorcerer evaded it, moving as if he'd teleport just a few feet to the right.

"Everybody out," Bloom ordered. Some of the soldiers hesitated, but most obeyed without question, a few of them glancing at their petrified comrade. Bloom held Mjolnir in one arm and pointed his hand at Veld. "Try doing that to me and Mjolnir will utterly destroy you."

"I have not come here to kill you," Veld assured him. "If that were my intention, you'd already be dead."

Bloom tilted his head at the stone soldier. "Can you fix him."

"I can," Veld said, "but I don't see why you care so much about one soldier."

"He served me loyally; he doesn't deserve to die like that."

"Dying is exactly what loyal servitude is."

"To you maybe, but not to me. Now out with it, what do you want?"

"Can you not guess? Obviously I am here for the boy. The Heir of Fala. We know you've taken him in, and we don't like that."

"So you're one of these Lopt fanatics. That makes me your natural enemy too. The blood of a crusader runs in my veins, just as much as his."

"That did not stop you crushing Leinster," Veld said.

"I didn't kill King Calf."

"No, but you would have, had it came to it. And you've made a fine job searching the kingdom for his grandson, prince Leif. Leinster, Chalphy, Edda and Jungby, all left without heirs. The kinship of the Crusaders have obviously not endured to this age. So you have no inherent reason to protect the boy."

"He is the son of my emperor."

"The bastard child of the people who killed your father."

Bloom lowered his hand. Veld took this as an indication that he could return to the chair. "Why do you want to kill him, and not me?"

Veld placed his hands together and smiled. "It is not apparent yet, but we are the true rulers of this empire. You work for us. You are a king who suits our philosophies, brutal and merciless."

"I only act that way to keep them from rebelling."

"Do not take it as an insult. We are proud of you, Bloom. You are one of us. But that boy, he is wild. Untamed, and thus, dangerous. And the world doesn't know he exists, that provides an easy opportunity to eliminate Fala's blood without causing undue political stress."

"I see no reason why I should believe a word out of your mouth," Bloom muttered.

"I see no reason why you should doubt me. I have demonstrated my power, have told you things no ordinary man should know. I have even confessed to worshipping the forbidden god Loptyr. What reason could I have to lie?"

"Even if what you say is true, I still have no reason to aid you."

"Ah, well then perhaps I should give you some more incentive. You have two children, yes? That is so wasteful. One of them could make a nice ornament for-"

There was a mighty crash as Mjolnir exploded with force. Veld was knocked out of the chair and send flying half way across the room. For a moment he didn't move, then he started breathing heavily and got back to his feet. He wiped a bloody lip on the cuff of his sleeve. "That was a mist-"

"Don't you dare threaten my children again!" Bloom said. "If you do, I don't care how many of you there are, I don't care how many holes you crawl into, I will eradicate every last one of you!"

"Your holy weapon gives you much power," Veld said. "But it does not make you invincible. One assassin proved that."

"I let my guard down, it won't happen again."

"I wonder, would Conor have tried to kill you a second time, had we not tipped you off that he was the traitor."

"So smug. I wouldn't be surprised if you organized that hit on me to begin with."

Veld walked back towards the chair and picked up the staff that had rolled onto the ground. "I will ask just one more time, tell me where you've stashed the bastard. If you help us, then you can gain vengeance on the ones who killed your father. If you refuse, even if you kill me, there will probably be consequences. That, is beyond my control."

Bloom returned Mjolnir to its pouch beneath his cloak. "I'll help you, but there's one thing you should know. The boy, he has Valflame with him."

Veld's eyes widened. "What? Are you sure?"

"Yes. I've seen it myself."

"But Alvis, he would never part-"

"He would if he believed his son was in danger."

Veld rubbed his chin. "This does change matters."

"Yes," said Bloom. "It means you need me. I will take you to the boy, and I'll personally kill him using Mjolnir."

"You would really do such a thing?"

Bloom was silent for a moment. "Alvis hated his father," he eventually said. "Only by killing his son can I make him feel the grief I felt when Duke Reptor left this world."

Forests of Melfiye, Ulster, 769

It was a long time since Bloom had donned his armour. Feeling its weight again came with a strange combination of nostalgia and revulsion. He hated the things he had done on the battlefield, particularly the slaughter at Melgen, but in a strange way he longed for those times, when his path was clear and simple.

Saias and Aida had been stashed away in a small church in the forest between Ulster and Leinster. Cowen had been sent off to Connacht, to get him out of the way. Bloom brought a platoon of his own troops. None of them knew the reason as to why they were there, but they all grew more concerned and weary as an increasing number of dark bishops joined the group. They drifted in slowly and confidently, as if it was the most natural thing in the world that they should be present in an army's march.

Only when they reached the church itself did Veld somehow appear within the ranks. He nodded at Bloom and smiled without saying a word. Bloom turned to the assortment of soldiers and cultists. "I'm going in alone. I shall call if I need any of you."

Inside the church was a small group of priests. None of them appeared to be armed. "Where is that woman?" he asked them. With a shuddering finger, one pointed towards a room towards the back.

As soon as Bloom opened the door, a fire ball was launched at him. He swiftly back stepped out of the room. "Aida! It's me!"

"What's going on, Bloom?" Aida did not shout, but there was an unmistakable fury in her voice. "Have you allied with our enemies?"

"No. But I had no choice but to bring them here. They've infiltrated the empire. These orders go above me."

"There's no one above you," Aida said.

"There is one man," Bloom said. Aida did not respond. "Is the boy, is Saias okay? I'm coming in, don't attack." Bloom made his way into the room. It appeared to be a pantry. Aida stood at the opposite wall with a sword in one hand, and a fire tome in the other. The sword was held at the ready, pointing directly at Bloom. Behind her stood Saias, looking calm and dignified, despite the circumstances.

"Alvis wouldn't betray me," she said.

"I don't know what to tell you," Bloom said. "But I intend to stay true to my word. Here, I brought a warp staff." Bloom removed a staff he'd been hiding beneath his cloak. "I can get you out of here. I'll tell these Loptyr fanatics that you've already fled."

Aida's features softened, she lowered the sword, but only slightly. "The local priests, they know we were here when you arrived."

"It'll be my word against theirs. Now come on, we don't have much time. Saias, you first."

Saias placed a reassuring hand on his mother's shoulder. "It's okay, we'll escape. We always escape." He walked passed her and stood before Bloom.

"As soon as you reappear, start running north," Bloom whispered in his ear. "Don't stop for anyone or anything until you reach Leinster. Once you get there, ask for a man named Gustav, he'll know what to do." Bloom raised the staff and a pentagram appeared beneath the boy. It flashed several times and he was gone. Bloom hoped he had succeeded in directing the spell. He hadn't used magic like this since becoming a duke.

"Quickly," said Aida. "Do me; I don't want to leave him alone for long."

"He'll have to make it alone," Bloom muttered. "I do hope he succeeds."

"What do you mean?"

Bloom looked at Aida and narrowed his eyes. "Tell me, who killed my father? Who actually landed the killing blow? Was it Sigurd? Was it my dear departed sister? Or did you do it personally?"

"Shit." Aida raised her tome and shot another blast of fire at Bloom, it bounced harmlessly off his armour. She then tried to rush him with her sword, but Bloom drew Mjolnir and shot a stream of lightning at her. The blast was so powerful, it knocked her right through the wall of the church. She landed in the grass beyond, injured, but somehow still alive. Soldiers and bishops were already rushing towards the scene. "You bastard," Aida said between coughing fits. "You goddamned two timing bastard. You're the worst human being."

"Maybe I am," Bloom said. "But you're no better." He shot a second blast of Mjolnir, snuffing the light out of her for good.

Veld appeared seconds later. "Where's the boy?"

Bloom pointed at the room inside the church. The warp staff he had used lay abandoned on the ground. "He was there, but she evacuated him before I could do anything. To where, I do not know."

"Damn her," Veld said. "You should have left her to me; she would have made a fine statue for my collection."

Munster District, Ulster, 769

When he returned to Ulster, Bloom summoned Ishtar to his study and gave her Mjolnir. From then on, he ensured that she would practise using it at least once a week. Veld had indirectly threatened his children. He told Ishtar to use the power of Mjolnir to protect her brother, and any other loved ones she might have. If anyone came after his family, they would find that even the youngest members of house Friege would not go down without a fight.

Bloom hid his involvement with Aida's demise from Cowen. He placed all the blame squarely on the Lopt Sect's shoulder. His old friend was understandably distraught, but he buried his feelings and took solace in the fact that at least Saias had lived. Bloom reflected on Aida's last words, and decided that if ever Cowen or Saias came seeking his life in vengeance, he would willingly give it to them.

Alvis never contacted Bloom about Saias, nor did he ever acknowledge Aida's passing. Bloom could only guess how the death of his former lover affected him. At first, Bloom took mild sadistic pleasure in presuming he'd hurt Alvis. This pleasure quickly turned to pity when a messenger arrived two months later to inform him that Queen Deirdre was dead and princess Julia was missing.