Chapter 10: The Friend

Grannvale, Barhara, 770

Bloom attended the funeral for Deidre, but he was unable to exchange more than a few words of condolence with Alvis. He felt guilty for adding to Alvis' sorrows and, while he wasn't mad enough to confess to his crime, he was determined to console his mourning friend. Official duties and procrastination delayed him several months in doing so, however.

When he eventually found the time to make anoter trip to Barhara, Bloom was surprised to see Alvis had aged considerably since they last met. His once youthful and fresh face now sagged with visible lines of stress and sorrow. They sat together in the sunlit garden, just like they had all those years ago. He could almost see Deirdre sitting with them, that gentle and pure creature. In a way it almost seemed fitting that she should be dead.

"How is Julius doing?" Bloom asked.

"Not well," Alvis said. "He gets sick frequently. Fevers. Sometimes it feels like I might lose him too. If that happens, I don't know what I'd do."

"Ishtar came with me, she's visiting him now."

Alvis made a sad smile. "That should make him happy. It has been some time since he saw her. They're good friends our children."

"And you have no word on where Julia might have been taken."

Alvis shook his head. "If I had the slightest hint to her whereabouts I'd send out every last soldier on this continent to return her."

"I was approached by a group of people. People calling themselves members of the Lopt-"

"It wasn't them," Alvis muttered.

"How can you know?"

"They wouldn't kill her. They'd have no reason to. If anything they should…"

"They tried to kill your son."

"You mean…Saias. I never thanked you for taking him in. How is he doing?"

"He's alive." Bloom silently cursed himself for allowing the conversation to stray to this subject.

"It's such a shame about his mother." There was a faraway look in Alvis' eyes. "We only slept together once, when I was young and emotional. I was eager not to become my father, yet I ended up just like him. I never loved Aida. I certainly liked her, she was loyal, intelligent and attractive, but she never made me feel the way Deirdre felt. Aida was good to me though, far too good to me." He shook his head. "I should have married her. If I did, Deirdre would still be alive."

It was at that moment Bloom realised what had changed about Alvis. It wasn't that his friend had grown old, it was that he had grown weak. That force that had once been indomitable, that had eliminated all opposition and united the continent, it now lay reduced to an empty shell that possessed nothing and wanted for nothing. "Alvis…if there's anything I can do to help you, just ask," Bloom said.

My friend, I still love you, but I can no longer respect you.

Grannvale, Barhara, 770

As Bloom was preparing to leave, he was told by a page that the archbishop wished to see him. He went to the office, expecting it to be Rodan, but instead an old man in a robe was waiting for him. At least the man seemed to be old. He was immensely skinny, with long spindly bones that seemed like they should break from basic movement. His face, however, lacked any signs of advanced age. It certainly wasn't the face of a young man, but it was free from wrinkles and facial hair. His long nose and heavy brow gave him a very sinister appearance.

"Another member of the Lopt Sect, I presume," Bloom said.

"Come in," the old man ordered. "Take a seat." He motioned to the chair in front of the desk.

"Why do they let someone like you call himself archbishop?"

The man smiled. "Now, now. You're not allowed to belittle another's religion, Alvis passed laws to that effect. I have as much right to be here as you do. In fact, if you make another negative comment against the Lopt Church, I could have you arrested for heresy."

Bloom snarled. "Why did you call me here?"

The man folded his hands. "My name is Manfroy. For starters, I wished to meet the man who screwed me over in Munster."

"What are you talk-"

Manfroy raised his hand. "Let's not sully our intelligence. We both know where we stand. You used my bishops to enact your revenge against the mother, while simultaneously keeping the boy safe. I'm not even angry, in fact, I admire your guile. Not that I'm pleased the boy still lives, but I'll get him eventually. I am accustomed to waiting to get the things I want."

"How can you openly admit you want to murder the emperor's child in the heart of the empire itself!?"

Manfroy laughed. "You saw what state Alvis was in." His his smile darkened. "This is my empire."

"Did you kill the queen?"

The smile was replaced by a look of dissatisfaction. "No. I wanted her to produce more heirs. You can't have a kingdom without proper succession after all. Our entire future now lies on the shoulders of young Julius. That reminds me, the other reason I summoned you here." He lifted up a small bell and rang it. A bishop wearing the signature robes of the Lopt Sect entered. Standing only as tall as his waist was a little girl. "This is Sara, I wish you to keep her safe."

This was the last thing Bloom had expected. "Why should I do anything for you?"

Manfroy shrugged. "Then abandon her if you wish. Regardless, I entrust her to you."

Bloom looked back to the girl. She had long lavender hair. Her eyes stared forward, registering nothing. "This isn't…princess Julia, is it?"

Manfroy laughed. "Of course not. You think if I had princess Julia, I'd entrust her to you?"

"Well then, who is she?"

"The future of my house."

"Your…daughter?"

"Granddaughter. Now that'll be all. Your own daughter is waiting for you downstairs."

Bloom hesitated before taking the young girls hand. She looked at him ever so briefly before turning her gaze forward once more. "Do you…want to say goodbye?" Bloom asked Manfroy.

"No," Manfroy said. "Why would I?"

What is this bastard playing at? Does he think children are a weakness of mine? Or is this some kind of demonstration of superiority? Well he'll get no satisfaction from me; I'll dump her in that monastery, just like Saias and Miranda.

Grannvale Empire, Northern Road, 770

After the visit to Alvis, Bloom proceeded on to Friege. Ishtar was to be dropped off there to spend the rest of the month with Hilda. Initially Ishtore was to go too, but he had stayed behind to study tactics with Liza, his bodyguard. Tinny, Tailtyu's daughter had also accompanied them. He would never dare leave her alone with Hilda, but he did think she should be at least passingly familiar with Friege as a place. With nowhere else to put her, Manfroy's granddaughter Sara also joined them in the carriage. Ishtar tried to talk to her, but Sara merely stared forward without saying a word. Eventually Ishtar got bored and joined her cousin to look at the passing landscape outside.

Bloom was suddenly struck by how different Tinny and Sara were. They were both very quiet girls, but it was an entirely different type of silence. Sara didn't seem shy; it was more like she didn't register the world at all, while Tinny seemed actively afraid of expressing herself. As if all she wanted to do with her life was exist without being a burden to the rest of the world. It made her very hard for Bloom to deal with. He wanted to treat her like his own daughter, but he wasn't sure how. The level of accomplishment and pride he felt when interacting with Ishtar and Ishtore simply wasn't there with Tinny. She wasn't as accomplished a mage as the twins, but she was still far above the average child. He praised her often, but she still barely spoke to him. He would have given her anything she asked for, but she never expressed a desire for anything. He wanted to tell her she didn't bother him, that he was happy to take her in, but he feared even the suggestion of such a thing would cause her to worry even more.

"Father," said Ishtar, having resolved the landscape would continue unchanged for some time. "How was the emperor?"

"I wish he were happier," Bloom admitted. "But it is to be expected. He's been through a lot. How was Prince Julius?"

"I don't know?" Ishtar said

"Don't know? What do you mean?"

"He was acting strange. He was…nicer to me than normal."

"Hasn't he always been nice to you?"

"Yes…but this was different. He kept telling me how much he cared for me and wanted to make me happy."

"He probably misses his mother."

Ishtar shook her head slowly. "I don't think so. I mentioned the queen at one point, and he got very angry, very quickly. And not just upset, really, actually angry. He told me to never mention Queen Deidre again."

"It's a hard time for him," Bloom said. "There's no right way to act when you lose someone you love."

"He asked me to come visit him again, on the way back from Friege."

"And do you want to?"

Ishtar brushed her left arm with her right. "I'm not sure. He really scared me when he got angry. But I liked how he was being so nice, even if it was a little strange."

"Wait until it's time to come home before making up your mind. I'm sure Hilda would be more than happy to take you."

"She wants me to marry him, doesn't she?"

Bloom was surprised by how perceptive her words sounded. "Yes, yes she does. Would that be the worst thing in the world?"