I do not own Odin Sphere or any of the characters depicted in this story (with few exceptions). That should be self-explanitory.

Chapter 2: Capital Punishment

Virgil sat at the dinner table, idly twirling a feather between his fingers. His food remained untouched for several minutes now, but to be truthful, he was not very hungry at the present time. A myriad of thoughts was rushing through his mind, and everything had come at him so quickly in the past few days. He glanced down at the table to see King Valentine chowing down; it was only the two of them at the table today. Velvet had been exiled the previous day, Ingway had not returned from his latest expedition and would likely be exiled upon his return anyway, and his mother Ariel had been thrown into a prison cell somewhere beneath the palace grounds.

"Aren't you going to eat, Virgil?" Valentine suddenly commented, bringing the prince out of his reverie. "Are you not feeling well? Is the food not to your liking?"

Virgil had always found it strange that his grandfather had treated him with so much more respect than he had treated Ariel, Velvet, or Ingway. He never did question it, but he had rarely questioned anything Valentine did for fear of receiving the same ghastly treatment he so often administered to nearly everyone else around him.

"It's not that, grandfather," Virgil replied cautiously, "I'm just not very hungry. I... I have a lot on my mind." He noticed that King Valentine was now staring at him skeptically, as if he thought he had something to hide from him. The glare was beginning to make him rather uncomfortable, so he decided to continue the conversation.

"Grandfather," he inquired, "may I ask... just what do you intend to do with Mother?" The sudden question wiped off the calculating gaze on King Valentine's face and replaced it with an expression of cold distaste.

"Ariel will be executed for her lecherous crimes," the king spat harshly, stabbing at the food on his plate as if he were tormenting a prisoner of war. He seemed to take a kind of frightful joy in his primitive methods. Virgil poked at his food in a less violent manner, more influenced by sadness rather than disgust. Did his mother really deserve death for such a crime?

"..."

"It is for the best, Virgil," King Valentine added sharply. "The throne of Valentine must be kept pure. It is a tradition that dates back to the reign of our ancestors. Valentine must not be tainted by impure blood! Certainly you remember this from your studies with Master Krois!"

Virgil did not look up from his plate, nor did he issue a response to his grandfather. His mind was still buzzing from the torrent of recent unpleasant events, and he suddenly had an urge to visit with his captive mother. King Valentine coughed rather loudly, forcing Virgil to make eye contact, giving the prince's grandfather a look into the sorrow and confusion that clouded his mind.

"You are the only descendant of mine with pure Valentinian blood," King Valentine stated firmly. "I must admit I had looked forward to passing the crown to your father, rest his soul, but now the responsibility shall be left with you." Virgil remained unconvinced.

"I... suppose I don't quite see how one's lineage determines their leadership qualities," he commented, again avoiding King Valentine's beady eyes which were now slowly filling with annoyance.

"Listen to yourself, prattling on about those filthy offspring of the Demon Lord!" he growled viciously. Virgil leaned back in his chair, strangely unafraid of his grandfather this time as he continued his speech. "You should not concern yourself with the lies of a foolish lizard. YOU are the heir of the Valentinian throne, not HER!"

"Lizards...!" Virgil gasped in shock, in disbelief that King Valentine would insult a dragon of Erion. He rose from his chair instantly. "Erion's dragons are the wisest creatures in existence, grandfather! I can't believe you would have the nerve to defile them with that name!"

Before the surprised king could stop him, Virgil stormed past the Valentinian servants, apologizing quickly each time he accidentally bumped into one. He threw open the dining hall's double doors and marched feverishly along the marble corridor. The servants turned their attention back to Valentine, whose expression appeared to be a mix of anger and fatigue. With uneasy caution, they crept toward the dinner table and began to clean up, their trembles calmed when the unstable king rose from his own chair and departed from the chamber without speaking a single word.

---

Virgil stood silently against the prison wall, his gaze directed at his mother who now slept uncomfortably on the stone floor. The prince closed his eyes and shook his head, his mind filling with a potpourri of different emotions. Misery for his mother, whom had been tossed in prison by King Valentine without so much as a second thought. Contempt for King Odin of Ragnanival, the one responsible for the torment his mother was going through. Pity for Princess Velvet, who was now lost in Erion without a home. Uncertainty toward himself, now the only royal family member left to properly ascend the throne once King Valentine passes.

"This is too much... far too much..." Virgil whispered to himself, wiping his brow and taking a calming breath. "Everything shall pass."

As the prince remained there against the cold stone wall, one of the royal attendants made his presence known.

"Prince Virgil, the head blacksmith would like to see you for a moment?" the bearded dwarf spoke gently. Virgil looked down at his subject and nodded, before immediately stealing one last glance at his broken mother within the dimly lit prison cell.

"Yes, I'll go see him," Virgil accepted, pushing open the large reinforced door that guarded the prison entrance. As he took his leave, he constantly whispered to himself for encouragement.

"It's for the best. Everything is for the best."