You know, I never thought the sound of a lock could be intimidating, but when Alicia closed the door of her office, I felt a bit nervous.

"Alright, mister Hind. I think you owe us an explanation," she said seriously. Prim was sitting on a chair, shifting her gaze between me and her cousin while petting Rex.

"I agree with the human," Olga Discordia said, looking at me in a way she never had before, as if she was studying me under a new light. I-I don't know if it was a good thing or not. Chloe stood next to her with an uncertain expression.

After my battle with the dragon and the way I had, uh, "disposed" of the enemy forces, Alicia had brought us back to the inner fortress. So, here we are now.

"Alright, that is fair I suppose." I took a small breath, trying to calm my nerves. Damn it, why could I fight dozens upon dozens of Black Dogs without even really breaking a sweat, but now I can't help but feel some weird anxiety about this interrogation. "What do you want to go over first?"

"First, the dragon," she said. "Where did it come from?" She took a blank sheet of parchment and a quill from an inkwell, ready to make notes, it seemed.

A moment passed before I shook my head. "While I would love to answer you right now, I think it's better to save the full explanation for that until the Shields are all gathered in the same place," I suggested, mainly because I needed some time to get the facts of my lie straight.

The Princess Knight sighed. "Under different circumstances, I might have been able to wait for the full story," she looked at me and then out the window. "However, there's a dragon skeleton resting in my city. I need to know everything I can about these… myths if I'm to prepare for something like this ever happening again."

I nodded slowly; I understood her reasoning, and despite my wish to keep my lie as close to my chest as possible, the desire to protect the innocent was greater.

"Alright… So, bear with me here, as I am no storyteller, but in a time long ago…"

I told them everything I could. How dragons used to rule the world, worshiped by ancient humans, how they subjugated mankind, how their slaves rebelled and beat them, and how it was said that one day their master would return.

Pausing in the middle of my retelling for a moment, I suddenly found myself somewhat concerned at the idea that Sheogorath might make my tall tale… a bit more real than I was telling them.

Alicia and Prim listened with rapt attention, paying attention to every word and absorbing the small story I told. "So… in your homeland, these tales were passed down through the ages," stated the blonde as she dipped her quill back into the inkwell, withdrawing it to keep writing. "While normally I would put such a tale under scrutiny and possibly write it off as nothing but an ancient myth, I believe a dragon attacking is reason enough to believe your story."

"There is something that you haven't addressed, however," Olga stated. "Yourself."

Fuck, that's right… I kinda put myself at the center of this whole lie, haven't I?

"Right…" I said slowly, trying to think of something they would believe. "The legend of the Dragonborn is… a lot less detailed as the other story."

Prim gave me a curious look. "Legend of the Dragonborn?"

… God, she sounds so damn adorable, like puppy dog eyes for my ears.

The others took more interest in this, their focus direct and intense. "It's an old myth, one that we don't know a lot about. But I will tell you what I know," I said, thinking for a moment on how to start. "Their return was prophesied. But mankind, regrettably, has a short memory. After centuries had passed, fact became legend, legend became myth, and myth was eventually forgotten. And so, when they finally re-emerged, everyone was caught unawares, and fire and desolation rained down."

Olga's expression was unreadable, but she couldn't hide the look of interest in her eyes. "But, the day they were defeated, their return foretold, another prophecy was made," I continued. "That when that day would arrive, someone would emerge to confront them. Someone that could not only kill them, but devour their immortal souls as well. In their tongue, they're referred to as 'Dovahkiin', or Dragonborn."

The implications weren't lost on them, I could see it in their faces. Olga and Chloe already knew, but the fact was finally, truly setting in that I was… Dragonborn.

As for the other duo, though, what was going on in their heads was a bit harder to say. Prim had a look like she wanted to say something, but couldn't find the words, while Alicia… she shook her head, and looked down at her notes.

"The Dragon… it called out 'Dovahkiin' when it arrived…"

"And when it died." Chloe added. "What's a Dragonborn?"

I leveled a knowing look at her. She already knew, but I suppose she wanted confirmation. "The Dragonborn is a mortal with the soul of a dragon," I explained. "They are capable of understanding the dragons' own language as if it were first nature, capable of using their own Thu'um, or Shout, against them."

Alicia's brow furrowed in concern. She looked at me for a few moments, her expression unreadable. "Hmm… if you are this 'Dragonborn'…" she began, before pinching her brow and shaking her head. "It's best to save this discussion for when the Shields meet.""

Olga's eyes flashed with interest. "These… Shouts. What can they do?" she asked, the curiosity in her voice plain to hear.

I couldn't help but laugh a little. "What can't they do? This is only a bit of a bare-bones explanation, but legends say two dragons talking to each other would level mountains and make canyons. They could do so much more than breathe fire and ice, like creating storms out of thin air or shouting them away. Some stories even say they could call forth the spirits of the dead and ensure someone's demise with just a few words," I explained. "But they could do more than just kill. Making their allies faster and deadlier, have all types of animals fight for them, and some even say they could command time itself to stop moving…"

Prim gave me a curious look. "How do you know this?"

"Because after learning all three words of a Shout… I think I understand that the old tales of Dragons aren't nearly the exaggeration I originally thought they were," I explained, and in a way I was telling the truth, given that my only experience with it before was a game.

While Olga didn't seem to change her expression, I could swear I saw something in her eyes that wasn't there before. "I take it this includes the magic you displayed too?" Alicia asked, and I could only nod, since there was no other explanation for it. "I saw you use that ice spell against the ghouls. While I must ask you to avoid shooting magic so close to my people again, I must commend you for driving them away long enough for me to get some knights together to go and secure them."

"It's not a problem. But to answer your question, I think so? I don't really know how to explain this besides the whole being Dragonborn stuff. I absorb knowledge from spell-books, but doing that multiple times in succession makes me feel like I allowed an ogre to use my head like a drum."

"My offer remains," Olga reminded, glancing at me. "If my study of you can help restore my own power, I would be willing to part with some of my knowledge."

Alicia had a look of shock… or maybe amazement. "Oh my, how kind of you," Prim said with a soft but cheerful voice. "You must be a good person to be willing to teach him for such a small price."

Olga and Chloe were both a bit… how to say, taken aback by the genuine praise from the Cutie Princess. "Thank you," said the former after a moment, almost as if unsure of how to respond.

"You are very welcome," Prim smiled at the Dark Elves, which somehow seemed to cause them even more confusion.

The Feoh Princess coughed into her fist. "Anyway, I will need to inform the other Shields of this situation. Perhaps Lady Celestine can offer some guidance for the future," she said, turning her attention to us. "Thank you all for your service to Feoh." She smiled for the first time since she walked in. "Please, make yourselves at home here for the time being. I have already arranged rooms for each of you to stay in if you so wish."

I can't even begin to tell you the relief I felt on hearing those words. I was NOT looking forward to going inn hunting right now.

"I appreciate the offer." Olga said, "Today has been… tiring. I would like to retire as soon as possible."

"As would I," Chloe added.

"I understand," she nodded. "Mary! Could you come in please!?" the Princess called out, and in a few seconds, a brown-haired maid came in.

"Yes, Lady Arcturus?"

"Would you please show these two to their rooms?" she politely requested, earning a small bow from the woman.

"Of course, my Lady. Would you both please follow me? We have put your rooms right next to each other."

With a nod, Olga followed the maid, Chloe following close behind.

"Now, one more question, mister Hind," Alicia began, turning her attention back towards me. "I believe I heard some of those savages address you by name." I felt myself tense as she said it, only for her to raise her hands in a calming gesture. "Do not worry, I believe the events of today are enough proof that you are on our side of this conflict. However, your connection to them does raise a few questions."

I took a breath, and tried to let myself relax. "Alright, ask away."

"First, how do they know you?"

"I was hired by Celestine to help them attack the Black Citadel," I answered. "When you meet with her or send her a message, you can go ahead and ask, she can confirm it."

Alicia raised an eyebrow. "Truly? In that case I believe I shall." Grabbing a quill and a blank paper, she made another small note. "Now…how exactly did the attack on her citadel fare? To make so many men ally with Aberrants… surely that witch must have cast a powerful spell."

I awkwardly scratched the back of my head. "Ah… No. The attack went well… too well, in fact," I told her. "The Dark Queen had only a small force protecting her tower, and surrendered once we had defeated her retainer. Unfortunately, it seems their leader, Vault, had been planning an uprising for a while."

With downcast eyes, Alicia took in that information. "I see…" she said slowly. "From what I know of Vault, he's rather infamous for his ruthlessness and cruelty… " she stated, before mumbling in a barely audible mutter, "although I am certain Maia would disagree."

"Yeah… he was kind of a cunt." I agreed, thinking back to when we fought one another, and what he planned on doing if he won. "He was planning on this for a while, from what I understand, and would have kick-started his Service Nation with the Dark Queen and her retainer if I hadn't gotten them out."

Alicia's face turned outraged as she heard that. "You what?!" she shouted, standing up and slamming her hands on her table, making Prim wince at the volume. "Why would you do such a thing?! That woman is responsible for the last century of conflict and suffering, and you helped her escape from-"

"A lifetime of rape, humiliation, and being a baby factory for Vault?" I interrupted. "Yes, and I'm not even ashamed to admit it."

Prim looked at Alicia with a scared expression, as if worried she would argue against me. "Alicia…" She said, her voice small and quiet.

Her expression looked almost as if she was slapped in the face. "I…" She seemed at a loss. "I… I suppose in that case it's understandable why you helped them escape," she admitted.

Well, at least she wasn't berating me for leaving them to a life of slavery. "Do you at least know where they've gone? We should still apprehend them, just to ensure they cannot do any more damage or raise a new army."

I blinked a few times, before a realization struck me; had she really not realized who Olga and Chloe were? A part of me thought that perhaps, that was for the best.

At the same time, though, I didn't want to lie anymore.

"Well, they just left with the servant," I said, moving to block the door just in case she did something stupid. The two looked confused for a moment as they realized what I had just said.

"That was the Dark Queen? Sworn enemy of Humanity and the one that led to the last century of conflict?" asked Alicia, a bit incredulous.

A single nod was my answer, and her face became thoughtful, a hand raising to her face and rubbing her forehead.

"She's so much prettier than her posters," Prim said, as if adding something significant.

She's lucky she was cute because-

"She is."

… Alicia agreed?

With a small sigh, the blonde removed her hand from her face and sat back down. "She saved my people… She saved me," she said quietly.

Olga had saved her?

"Why would she help us? The Church has always said she would rather see all humans die or become breeding stock," she asked out loud.

"With all due respect, they only have one half of the story. While she is accountable for some of the pain and death, it wasn't done because she intended to cause harm or suffering."

Alicia was about to ask more, only to be distracted as Prim, who had the look of someone who had just connected a puzzle in their head, suddenly gasped.

With a smile, she clapped her hands. "Of course! I understand now!" she said happily, earning confused looks from both me and Alicia. "Mister Hind, you said Lady Celestine had sent you with the Black Dogs, correct?" I merely nodded. "She must have known what they were planning, seen it in a vision, and had sent you to save them from that terrible fate!"

"Prim, I don't think-"

"By saving them, you led them here, where they were able to help save the people of Feoh!"

"I'm not sure-"

"She must have also foreseen that you would be able to stop the dragon. Why else would she have had Lady Levantine send in reinforcements from Geofu if she didn't think we would need all the help we could get?"

"Prim… Her Holiness's visions don't work like that," Alicia countered with a gentle tone. "They aren't straightforward warnings. Sometimes she sees a glimpse of the future in her dreams, other times they are simply a message of warning. If she saw this happening, wouldn't she have sent an army sooner? Or at least send a message warning us of it?"

Prim however remained undeterred and looked as if she was about to continue to argue. Now seemed like a good time to inform them of a recent security issue.

"Ahem," I fake coughed to get their attention, reaching into my satchel and pulling out the letter I took from the Black Dogs. "The Black Dogs have been targeting any and all royal couriers. I took this from their camp before the attack on the Black Citadel. I assume there are copies for you and the other Shields that you just never got," I said, handing over the letter.

Her eyes widened as she saw the seal.

"That's the seal of the Goddess!" She exclaimed in surprise, reaching out and taking the letter. It was a small message, but she read through it slowly.

"Hmm…" she hummed in thought. "While this doesn't say anything about the dragon attack, it mentions that she saw you as key to repelling a great darkness." She looked up at me, setting the letter down. "It says this was sent a few days ago… but if it ended up with Vault and the Black Dogs…"

"Alicia?"

"There are only a few people who know the routes of the Royal Couriers…" she growled out, fists clenching tightly. "Someone in my fortress has betrayed us…"

"Yeah, and I think I know who. But first, can you tell me if any of these symbols mean anything to you?" I asked, pulling out another paper, one with my own crude copies of the symbols over the fortresses and handing it over.

She looked at the paper and then back at me. "None of these mean anything," she stated. "What are they?"

I could only shrug. "I don't know, but they were on the Black Dogs' map, and had each symbol over a fortress. I thought maybe they might mean something to you."

"They might have… if they didn't look like a child's scribbling," she said… and I tried my best not to feel hurt by the insult to my drawing skills. "But you said you may know who is responsible for betraying us?"

"Yeah, I overheard them talking about a deal with the Prime Minister of Feoh." I confirmed with a nod. Although it was kinda a lie, I did hear about their deal… through the animation. So in a way, I was telling the truth.

"Beardsley…?" Alicia's voice was quiet with shock. "But… He's been a close friend for years, he was an advisor to my parents, he was an advisor to me!" The look of betrayal on her face was painful to see. I saw that she wanted to argue, try to defend him, but instead…

"That's a heavy accusation, I'll need more than just your word if I'm to believe you."

Figures. "Well, if I were a betting man, I would say he either has something incriminating in his office or his house," I guessed… Not that I had any other clue as to where he would hide anything connecting him to them, if he had anything at all.

"We will search his office, but first I must speak with my guards," Alicia stated while nodding. She moved to leave, but I blocked her from leaving again.

"For what exactly?"

Alicia looked at me with an expression of challenge, but nonetheless told me. "I need to inform them of the true identity of our Dark Elf guests, and send some knights to search Beardsley's house here in the city."

"What are you going to do with them?"

A conflicted look crossed her face. "I should arrest them… throw them in the dungeon and arrange for transport to Geofu," she admitted. "But… They saved my people, fought alongside my knights, helped me rescue Prim, and even saved me," she continued. "I know it's almost heretical to even consider… but given all that she has done today, I'm willing to ignore her true identity, for now."

"She's not bad, I don't think. She's a bit rude… and kinda racist… and proud to a fault. But not bad."

Alicia gave a small nod, "I still must tell my guards about her identity, just in case she tries something… but so long as they keep their real identity to themselves, they will be allowed to live here," she decided.

With a sigh of relief, quickly followed by a feeling of confusion, I allowed her to pass. "Thanks… but mind if I ask why you're allowing them to live here instead of somewhere else?" I couldn't help but ask.

She glanced back for a moment. "Because if she decides to try something, they'll be surrounded by guards at all times, aside from the privacy of their own room. But even then, I don't plan on allowing them total privacy. Her room will be searched by the Knights of Iris every time she leaves it, as will her retainer's," she explained matter-of-factly. "Dark Elves are known for powerful destruction magic. I've seen her power firsthand, as I'm sure you have too. I won't take any unnecessary risks, but I do not wish to antagonize them either. Her magic would be useful when fighting your next dragon, would it not?"

I couldn't help but smile. "Alright. Well, let's go then." Before we got moving, I thought for a moment, and asked, "Wait, wouldn't it be better if we checked Beardsley's office before updating your guards about the situation?"

"It shouldn't take long, I just need to find Captain Lily, and inform Stewardess Samantha of the situation with the Dark Elves," she explained. "I also need her set of keys, so I can get into his office."

"Oh… alright, then."

"Come along Prim." Alicia motioned for her. "I don't want to leave you without an escort."

The pinkette Princess nodded and followed us out, with Rex just behind our little group.

You know, I never really noticed on the way in here, but the interior of the fortress is a bit more modern than you would think for a castle. Like, the doors don't look like super heavy things, or are plain wood. Well, they might be, but they are painted white and look no different from the ones back home. The halls and rooms were also lit up pretty well, considering they had to deal with just candles.

… Wait a minute, the candles on the wall aren't even lit. I looked up and saw lights on the ceiling…

"So, stupid question, but what are those up there?"

Prim was the one who answered me. "Oh, those are special ceiling lights donated to us from Kimia," she stated. "They emulate a light that's close to normal sunlight, but it also has a strange effect of casting shadows on everything under them, even in darkness."

… What?

"How does that work?"

Prim remained silent for a few moments, "I'm sorry, but I don't know. I'm not a mage."

"Huh…" I glanced back up. Perks of being a fantasy, I suppose. "How do you turn them on and off?"

The Princess of Feoh looked like she was about to answer, only to grab her chin in thought. "I'm… not entirely sure," she admitted, looking up at the lights above her.

I was tempted to laugh if I wasn't so curious. Magic ceiling lights, how do you work?

While I was pondering this, we arrived in a throne room. There were a few nobles standing around, and a few of those Knights of Iris. "I'll go speak with Captain Lily, and my Steward. Will you two be alright for a moment?" Alicia asked.

I shrugged, and with no small degree of sarcasm said, "No, I'm pretty sure the next few minutes without your company shall be the death of me. Oh no, I can see a light at the end of a long tunnel…"

Prim giggled at my little act, while the Feoh Princess merely rolled her eyes before leaving.

"You're a strange man, Mister Hind."

"Is that such a bad thing?"

"Not at all," she told me. "While we have a moment… I wished to ask you something without Alicia around to talk me out of it."

Talk her out of what? "… Okay? Well, what's on your mind then?"

I was a bit curious, what could she want to talk about with me?

"I… I was… Could you…" She tried to speak a few times, but whatever she was trying to ask seemed a bit hard for her to get out. "I wanted to know…" She tried again, and I couldn't help but find her nervousness adorable.

I placed my hand on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Relax, take a breath, and ask your question," I advised in a calm voice. "We still got a minute or two without her hovering over your shoulder."

She nodded, and took a deep breath. "Could you… Could you make me strong like you and Alicia?" she asked, her young eyes shining with a determination that would look serious… on anyone but her.

Looks aside, I can honestly say I was somewhat surprised by the request. Looking down on the shorter princess, I asked, "Not saying I can't help, but you don't really seem like the type to fight… no offense intended… Lady Prim?"

Prim's eyes went down, and a hand was raised to her heart. "I… I don't like fighting, but seeing you and Alicia both fight so hard for me… because I couldn't protect myself. Alicia was nearly defeated trying to come and save me because I was captured," she said, tears trickling the sides of her eyes as she almost cried out. "I never want to put her in danger like that again!"

Oh…

"I understand." I'm sure anyone could imagine why she wanted to make sure she never again puts her loved ones in mortal danger.

"Alright, I'll try… but I'm not sure how much help I can be. I'm not exactly a teacher myself, and quite frankly, I'm not sure if you could even lift a sword."

The look on her face was a disheartened one, and damn it if it didn't tug at my heart.

"However," I said a bit louder to get her attention, "fighting isn't the only way you can be strong." My mind went to the countless builds I made in Skyrim, some ideas coming to mind on how to advise her. "Come on, let's get to the office, and on the way I want you to tell me what you believe some of your strengths are." I told her, gesturing for her to lead the way.

Her face lit up a bit, nodding and continuing to walk towards the office of the Prime Minister. "Alright…" she said quietly. "So, um… what do you think I can do?"

I could only shrug. "That's entirely dependent on what you think you can do. What do you like to do? What are you good at?"

The pinkette tapped a finger on her chin in thought, looking up and thinking for a moment. "Well, my parents have been training me to be a good wife…" she said, "I believe I'm very good at most domestic tasks; I can cook some meals, and-"

"I'mma stop you right there. I was more asking if you have an interest in something like gardening? Maybe hiding or sneaking? What hobbies outside of being a Princess?" I clarified.

She nodded a bit. "Oh, well I do have a good interest in botany. I spend a good amount of my spare time in the castle library, reading about herbs, weeds, and other kinds of plants," she told me. "I even have a wonderful garden in Ur that I managed to grow all on my own!"

The pride in her voice was telling; she loved plants… Hmm…

"Okay, plants… Have you ever considered Alchemy?" I suggested. "Using your herbs and plants to brew potions for Alicia to use?"

"Alchemy?" she asked, curious.

Nodding my head, I continued, "Yeah, I've heard of brilliant alchemists and potion sellers that can make frail men into champions. To make flesh completely immune to damage by flame, ice, or lightning, give you the strength of ten men, or the power to block a giant's fist."

After all, if they have potions that can replenish stamina and heal wounds, would fortification potions be so out of the realm of possibility?

For a couple of moments, she looked pensive about it. "But… What if that's not enough? What if she needs more?"

"Well, then there comes the other side of alchemy, poisons… or venoms are a better term for it, perhaps. Have you ever seen someone get bit by a snake? Or perhaps a spider?"

Prim gave a small nod. "I never saw it happen, but one of my father's knights got bit by an Eldonian Wandering Cobra, one a visiting noble had brought as a pet," she recalled. "From what I heard, his arm was dead in only a minute, and he perished four minutes after it did."

"Well, imagine that, but rather than being inflicted by a snake bite, Alicia's sword was coated in it. She makes a single cut across a monster's chest, and they are dead before they even have a chance to realize it." I could see her picturing it in her head. "And if you ever get caught, then the last thing they would be expecting from you is a powerful and deadly poison, after all even a beautiful and unassuming flower is-"

"-Deadly enough to make a man beg for death." Prim… Finished? The gears in her head were turning, and the smile she wore for a brief moment was somewhat concerning, but at least she gets it I suppose. "I'll give it some thought… Thank you, mister Hind, you've given me something to consider." The creepy grin she had was replaced with a kind smile. "Ah, it seems Alicia has finished speaking with the Captain and Steward," she said, as the blonde and her Captain approached.

"Alright, Lady Narissa will get the spare key to the Prime Minister's office. We're going to meet her there," she informed us as she began leading us again to the office.

Captain Lily gave me a quick once over as we walked. "So, this is the man who killed the dragon? Not to sound rude, but is your real gear in for repairs or something?" she questioned, gesturing to my equipment. "I've seen guardsmen more properly equipped than you."

Another shrug of my shoulders. "I've got to make do with what I can buy or find. I don't exactly have permission to take armor or weapons from the royal armory." I replied. I wasn't sure if there even was a royal armory, but it sounded right.

"Hmm," Alicia hummed, "We may have to fix that soon."

What's that supposed to mean?

Before I could ask, Alicia stopped at a double door. "Here we are."

While I could guess the doors were probably locked, I couldn't help but try anyway. I reached for the door handle and tried to open it, only to be met with the sound of a lock. "Well damn it," I said quietly, trying again.

"I believe the door is locked, mister Hind. Lady Narissa will be here shortly with the key," Prim reminded gently.

I let go of the door handle and stepped away. "Yeah, it seems that way. And just James is fine, by the way, you don't gotta call me mister or anything like that," I told her. I inspected the door for a few more moments, before raising my foot and kicking the door right by the keyhole.

"Open Sesame!"

Prim, Alicia and Captain Lily all jumped as the door swung open and made a loud slam as it smashed right into the wall.

"There, door's open."

Alicia glanced at me, then at the opened door. "I…supposed it is," she said slowly, failing to find an argument for my creative problem-solving.

"Now, I'm positive this old freak is behind the attack, so you might be upset about the door. I think you will be a bit more focused on the fact that someone so close was willing to betray the fortress just for the chance to rape you to really care about the door."

The look on Alicia, Lily, and Prim's faces was that of shock, but Alicia seemed to almost be frozen at hearing what I said.

I only took three steps into the office before I heard Prim's small, shocked, and horrified voice.

"… What?" she whispered, and I could only close my eyes and sigh heavily. "How do you know this?"

Welp, no point in sugarcoating it.

"I overheard their deal," I said calmly. "He gives them a way to breach the walls, and in return for basically handing over the city to them on a silver platter, he would be allowed to take Alicia's virginity."

Kinda true, kinda not, but it doesn't matter. If I find what I hoped to, maybe a letter or something incriminating him, it wouldn't matter what I said. I glanced around the room for a moment, and saw that it was pretty basic: a portrait of himself hung behind his desk and chair, the walls decorated with standard things for a medieval office. Swords and shields were on the wall, landscape paintings, a few bookshelves, a painting of Alicia above the fireplace, nothing too out of the ordinary to my eyes, at least.

"What?!"

"Sorry you had to hear it this way, your prime minister wants your body," I said plainly as I examined the office.

Now, if I were a perverted old man with a sickening obsession with the Princess, where would I hide anything incriminating?

The desk? No, that's too obvious a place to put something.

Maybe the bookshelves? Possibly, what are the odds someone finds the book you keep something in?

"No, you're wrong! He… He was a trusted advisor and friend for so long! He can't have thrown everything away for… for…!" Alicia struggled to find the words to say.

… Hmm. I glanced at the spot above the fireplace, and the portrait of the Princess sitting there.

… Nah, it couldn't be that obvious… could it?

I grabbed the sides of the portrait and with a little lift removed it from the wall, tossing it over. Sure enough, there was a small compartment with a journal sitting there, and I couldn't suppress my grin as I saw the symbol on the cover. It may be unrecognizable to Alicia… but I knew I saw this on that map. If there was any evidence to Beardsley being the traitor, this must be it.

I took it out and opened it up to start looking for proof, only to see something fall out.

"What's this?"

I picked it off the floor. It was a soft white cloth of some kind. It had a few stains on it, but it only took me a few moments to realize what exactly I was holding.

There were no words to describe how glad I was to be still wearing gloves, otherwise I would need to set my hand on fire.

"What is that?" Alicia asked.

"You lost some panties recently?" I questioned, tossing the underwear to her, who caught it with ease.

Alicia examined it herself, and I could see her anger building. Her fists clenched, and her breathing got deeper, as if she was trying to control the slowly mounting rage. But while she looked at that, I opened the journal to the latest entry.

The plan is set, everything is ready and prepared.

I've already cleared my "vacation" with the rest of Feoh's officials. I will be far and safe when the attack takes place.

Finally. After so long watching her from a distance, I will finally have my reward for my ceaseless service to this sham of a kingdom. Princess Alicia has grown into a fine young woman, beautiful, strong, and more importantly, ripe for the taking. All these years, I have spent watching her naive mind blunder its way into success ends now. All these brutes need to do is follow my plan to the letter, and she will fold like a house of cards. Once the hostages are threatened, her morals won't let her see the bigger picture. A pity such a weakness is on such a perfect woman, but it won't matter soon.

She'll be my woman by the end of the week. All I need to do is convince Vault to let me own her as a reward for my service. I'm certain he will see reason once he understands how well my plan has gone for him.

Soon, Alicia…

Soon, you'll be mine…

This… This was damning. Curiosity filled me as I flipped to an earlier entry,

Today was a wonderful day, one that shall exist in my memory for the rest of my life and beyond!

I had offered to take her and Princess Fiorire back to Feoh myself, and my kindness was rewarded! Lady Prim needed to relieve herself, and had been called to stop. I advised them that I knew of a good spring they could wash and freshen themselves in before we arrived at Feoh, and they agreed to it!

Naturally, I excused myself, but I was able to sneak up and spy on them both bathing!

While she is only younger by a year, Princess Fiorire is developing wonderfully. Her body is more shapely than Alicia's. I couldn't help but masturbate to them both right then and there. They were so absorbed in their bathing that they never even noticed I was there.

Perhaps if she's good enough to me in the future, I could reunite them both. While Alicia will be mine, Prim is fated to be a normal prostitute if what Vault is saying is any indication. That brute doesn't even know what he is giving up, but that matters not to me, so long as I get to have Alicia.

Perhaps I may begin saving up money to buy Prim as well… the idea of them both servicing me is one that I must make real, at least once!

Shutting the book, and taking a slow and calming breath, I handed it over to Alicia.

"I think you'll find all the proof you need is in there."

I couldn't help but grin to myself, this was exactly what I needed. Things were looking up for a change, how 'bout that?!

"I know this handwriting…" Alicia muttered as she read the journal, the look on her face becoming increasingly furious with every page she turned and read. She looked at far more than the two pages I did, reading the contents quickly, flipping the page, and repeating. With every page turned, her rage increased and increased, until she threw the book across the room with a scream. Prim jumped back in shock as Alicia began to do something unexpected.

"THAT WORTHLESS PERVERTED BASTARD!" she cried out as she cleared his desk with a sweep of the arm, smashing her hand so hard into the wood that it cracked.

"Alicia?" Prim asked in a soft voice. "Is everything alright?"

Alicia raised a fist to bang on the desk again, but it lost its power upon hearing her voice. "I… I'm sorry Prim," she muttered, turning around and collecting the book. "It seems James was correct, Beardsley has betrayed us. Go find your father, tell him the Prime Minister has betrayed Feoh… He will need to check Ur's defenses." I raised an eyebrow at her. "While his troops are here protecting us while rebuilding, the enemy may try to attack Ur while it is weakened."

Prim nodded. "I'll let him know." She turned to leave, but stopped and looked back at Alicia worriedly. "Will you be okay?"

Alicia smiled. "Yes, I just…" She paused. "I need a minute to think clearly. I'll see you at dinner. It's fine, don't worry. Captain, go with her please, I require a moment," she said, trying to reassure her…cousin?

To be honest, I wasn't sure exactly what their relationship was. Are they cousins? Sisters? I wasn't quite sure. I looked down at Rex.

"Go with her boy, keep her safe."

A part of me was almost positive she would be fine with the captain, but a good attack dog couldn't hurt. The pinkette gave a small smile, petting the pup as he approached, before walking away to find her father. Once they left, I glanced over at the other remaining person in the room, who had her hands on the desk, curled into fists.

"I…" she tried to speak. "We trusted him. I had invited him into my home, confided in him as a trusted friend after my parents died…" Her voice carried the heavy tone of betrayal.

Walking over, I picked up the journal off the ground and set it on the desk. To be honest, this is not exactly how I imagined it would go. I expected her to see proof, get mad and storm off to declare him an enemy of the nation and be done with it. I wasn't exactly prepared to deal with her resulting feeling of betrayal.

"How are you really?"

Alicia struggled to speak. "He… hated me, thought I didn't deserve everything I had." She looked down at herself. "He hated my parents, he hated that people loved me…" she continued. "I… I…"

God, the heartbreak in her voice. I wasn't particularly a fan of Alicia in the animation, thinking of her as a dumb and naive leader who made the single biggest fuck up in the history of fuck-ups.

But hearing her like this, it's hard to not feel pity for her. "He was there when my parents were lowered into their tomb… He comforted me when Prim, King and Queen Fiorire returned to Ur…" She gave a pained chuckle. "I considered him an uncle I never had… almost as close as family…"

I saw tears fall from her face. "He was only nice to me because he wanted me for my body… and when the opportunity arrived, he could get it in exchange for everything…" She was almost sobbing. "He didn't even negotiate. He was made a single offer… and he jumped at the chance."

Frowning, I reached out my hand to try and comfort her. After all, it's hard not to feel even a little sorry for someone going through an experience like this… but I didn't want to overstep my bounds, so I let it fall.

"His loss then," I said instead. "He just cost his new partner a helluva lot more than he could ever repay now."

"What?"

"Well, it seems to me like he's fucked now."

Honestly, his plan, while it would have worked, didn't account for me, and as such Beardsley cost Vault a few things; men, money, resources, equipment…

"They just threw an army to take over the city, and had every advantage he could give, but it wasn't enough. Seems to me, he took the world's riskiest gamble and lost. I'd be surprised if Vault even lets him get out of the Black Citadel alive."

She glanced at me. "I suppose, but even if he does… I'll have a noose ready for him," she growled, her sorrow morphing into cold fury. "I'll see him executed for betraying Feoh."

I was about to agree, but then I had an idea. "While I like where you're headed with this, I don't think introducing him to the noose right away is such a good idea when we still have some use for him."

Alicia gave me a strange look. "What do you mean?"

"There are other traitors, and if he's willing to sell out his entire city for the chance to sleep with you, what are the odds he'll cave on them to save his own skin?" I suggested, and luckily she seemed to understand where I was going with it.

Putting a hand on her chin, she thought about it. "How certain of this are you?"

"From what I understand, he had the captain of the guard as a co-conspirator. But the question is, who else did he have in on this? If he was working with more people, then we can't just throw away our only lead on whom they may be."

And hopefully I can knock out not only Beardsley, but also Grave, and kill two birds with one stone.

"What do you suggest we do then?"

I pondered about it. "Well, since he used his knowledge of you to try and sell out this fortress, let's use yours to make him sell out his friends."

She appeared pensive for a moment. "He never did well under pressure. If he's caught in a dead end with no way out, I believe he will break down swiftly," she stated. "If he has time to prepare, then he can keep his composure, otherwise he tends to grow nervous and panic."

"And he'll tell the truth?" I questioned while nodding along, and her face changed.

"It's difficult to say; while I would like to believe he would speak truthfully to save his own skin…" She glanced over at the journal and then back to me. "He's not the man I believed him to be. How can I say I know him or what he would do at all?"

Ah… I was unsure what to say to provide any kind of comfort. I glanced down at the journal and got an idea.

"Well, if all else fails, at least you have something he wants." I suggested, earning a look that told me she was confused.

"What exactly do I have?" she questioned skeptically.

Part of me wanted to laugh, but at the same time she might genuinely not get it. I made sure to take in every curve I could see: she has a nice ass, some good boobs, her skin is soft and blemish free, a toned stomach, and- I need to focus.

I gave her a raised eyebrow while tilting my head towards her. "Do I need to spell it out? You're beautiful, Princess."

Now, some might think I was rather bold to say it so openly like that. Thing is, I've had a very productive day and was getting tired. I've killed a dragon, fought off a siege, managed to bullshit my way through another explanation, and thankfully managed to procure evidence because Beardsley was a dumbass and wrote a journal confessing every crime he committed. I'm in a good mood, and my confidence was at an all-time high.

Alicia looked at me with wide eyes, and a now red expression. "I-I-I-" she stuttered, looking away.

Huh, who would have thought she would have a cute side like that. "More importantly, Beardsley was willing to sell out his entire life's work, his position, his city, his reputation; all for the chance to sleep with you," I pointed out. "Now, think about what he would do if you mentioned something along the lines of 'rewarding' whoever can present to her every single traitor to the fortress."

Alicia put her hand on her chin in consideration. "Hmm…" She hummed in thought. "While the idea has merit, I don't feel comfortable with that. This man wanted me as nothing more than a sex slave… And to tempt him like that…" Her voice trailed off, "I've never done anything like that before. What if he sees through the deception?"

"Believe me, he won't. He struck a deal with the most untrustworthy man in the nation and made the stupidest deal in the history of deals; possibly ever, just to have you. And with how obsessed he is, I don't think it would be a problem. Besides, if you feel too uncomfortable with it, then you could just go back to the original plan of confronting him with all the evidence we have," I pointed out.

She nodded in agreement. "Very well… I shall try…"

With that, I was feeling pretty good. We repealed the siege, we found evidence against Beardsley, and now there is a plan to-

"ALICIA!" A loud and booming voice echoed outside the office. A large bearded pink-haired man entered the room with Prim in tow. "Prim told me everything! Beardsley has betrayed us?!" he shouted.

I'm going to make the educated guess that this is Prim's father.

… I would have sworn the pink hair would have been on the mother's side… odd.

Alicia nodded at the man. "Yes, Lord Fiorire," she answered. "We discovered it just today, thanks to mister Hind here." She gestured a hand at me. "He sold out our entire city, many of his crimes are detailed in this." Grabbing the journal, she handed it over to the massive man. Each page he read, I could see his face growing more and more livid.

"If he sets foot in Ur, I shall see to it that he never sees the light of day again," he calmly uttered, probably not to distress his daughter.

"I appreciate that, Your Majesty," Alicia said with a bow. "We're preparing for his return here as well. Ideally, we'll root out any other traitors that conspired with him. Speaking of, I need to inform the guards that if he arrives, no one is to let him know we know. We are one step ahead now, and I won't give up that advantage until all those back-stabbing curs are dealt with."

Alicia excused herself, leaving to inform the guards of the betrayal and the plan to pull out the other two-timing bastard out of hiding, along with Beardsley. I was about to follow when I felt a hand rest on my shoulder.

"Hm?" I turned and saw Lord Fiorire standing right in front of me, a scrutinizing look in his eyes.

"Prim told me you protected her from the dragon," he said, staring me down with a hard gaze.

"Yeah? What about it?" I couldn't help but ask, slightly curious.

He continued to stare intensely for a few more moments, before his face did a complete 180° degree flip.

"I just want to say how completely and utterly in your debt I am!" he said in a tone that almost sounded fake. "My precious princess has finally found her knight in shining-!"

"FATHER!" Prim yelled out, and in an uncharacteristic move, she leapt on his back and put her hands over his mouth to keep him from saying any more.

The man began laughing despite his muffled mouth, gently grabbing Prim's hands and moving them away. "But precious, you were just telling me that-"

"NO!" she cried out, her face red with embarrassment.

Ah, I see what's going on here, I think. Just a father doing his God-given duty to embarrass his daughter. I smiled… but then felt it fade quickly as I was reminded of my own dad, and how I may never see him again.

Seeing the look on my face seemed to have gotten their attention. "Are you alright, mister Hind?" Prim asked, looking concerned.

I just waved my hand. "Yeah, I'm fine… just remembering my own dad is all." I paused to yawn. "Sorry, I've had a tiring day, so I'm gonna turn in for the night."

"Oh… I see," she held a small smile, "Good night, mister Hind."

"Yes, good night," her father added.

With a final wave, I left Beardsley's office…or should I say former office, and found Rex sitting outside of it. "Where have you been?" I asked, but the dog gave me a whine in response. "Alright, well let's go. I'm beat." I said, motioning for him to follow me.

Finding a servant to escort me to my room was easy enough. She escorted me to a nice guest room, and I was oh-so-tempted to just unload all my weapons and armor, flop down on the mattress and fall asleep right there. However, I managed to summon up whatever willpower I had to get comfortable, taking off practically everything, since most of what I was wearing was dirty, bloody, sweaty, and everything in between.

Putting out the lights, I laid down in the bed and relished in its softness…

I really did it today, didn't I?

I killed a Dragon, fought off the Black Dogs, and Feoh was still standing.

James: 1

Vault: 0

If I weren't so tired, I am fairly certain I would be doing… something, to celebrate. But I think a good night's sleep is enough of a reward for me tonight.

Special thanks to LittleWhiteMouse for his help these past 2 years.

AN: MERRY LATE CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY LATE NEW YEAR!

Well, this chapter was meant to be out sooner, but to be honest, my attention was elsewhere.

God, it's almost two years now, and I'm just barely past the battle of Feoh… I wish I had more time to work on this fic, but finding the free time to do it is damn hard. Sorry about that, I had hoped to be further along with it by now. To be honest, I don't want to have to wait a decade to reach the halfway point, but ideally I can figure out a way to make this fic more consistently updated.

Also, some of you have messaged me about the new ladies from the new game Kuroinu Gaiden. And I figured I would just say here and now that yes, they will be featured at a later date when we have more information on them. So don't worry, the former queen Milf Sofia, the sexy wolf girl Leona, the noble Emilia will all be featured later on.

Here's to another year of growth.

Here's to another year of progress.

Here's to you all who made this possible.

Thank you, all of you, for your continued support.

I'll see you next chapter.

Also a small side note, Fanficiton is telling me that there are 1k + extra words in the document, but for some damn reason I dont know why. so if there is maybe something I missed in the proofread and edit, then send me a PM so I can fix it.