A/N: And here we are with the Albion part. Hope you guys like it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Zero no Tsukaima or Cardfight! Vanguard.

Chapter 12

"A request?" Louised asked. Henrietta's face became downcast as she looked down at the floor.

"Have you heard news of what is happening right now in Albion?" Henrietta asked.

"Albion?" I questioned, having never heard of the country.

"It's a small nation that floats in the sky." Loiuse informed. "I hear they are currently in a state of civil war."

"Right." Henrietta confirmed. "The nobles have rebelled against the royal family and plan to overthrow them. A vast majority of the peasants have sided with them because they were promised a better rule than the current regime."

"How does this involve us?" I asked.

"I'd like you to go to Albion and meet the prince, Wales Tudor." Henrietta requested.

"You want us to meet with the prince of Albion? Why?" Louise asked.

Henrietta fidgeted in her seat nervously at this question.

"Tristain and Germania have agreed to join forces against the rebels to stop the civil war. However, Prince Wales has a… letter you see. If the rebels were to get their hands on it, it could very well leave Tristain open to an attack." she explained.

"From one letter? How?" I asked. What kind of letter could be so important that it could start a war?

"That's the problem. In order to ensure Tristain's safety… I have agreed to marry the Emperor of Germania."

"What!?" Louise shrieked. "That barbarian of all things!?"

"It can't be helped…" Henrietta said sadly. "We need the alliance but if the word of the letter gets out then the marriage will be dissolved, leaving Tristain without any support."

I was no stranger to political marriages, but even the ones I've seen had standards. Henrietta was still young and the Emperor of Germania was undoubtedly twice her age. But if the letter could stop such a marriage from happening, then that means…

"The letter is for Wales, right? A love letter. It's the only thing that could possibly stop the marriage as it would make you appear unfaithful to the Emperor and the agreement." I said, causing Henrietta to nod her head.

"Yes. I'm actually in a relationship with the Prince already. I've been in love with him for some time now." She revealed.

"I see." Love, huh. I wonder what it was like to be in love. There were many women back on Cray who were strong, beautiful, smart, and anything that a man could ask for. Yet, none of them sparked much interest in me aside from respect for their attributes.

"I assume you want us to retrieve the letter from Prince Wales."

"That's right." Henrietta confirmed. "The other thing I want to ask of you is to convince Prince Wales to escape from Albion. He's very loyal to his country and would rather die than abandon it. I don't want that to happen."

Tears began to well in her eyes.

"So please, I beg of you…"

"We'll do it, Princess!" Louise declared while bowing eagerly. "I swear it on my pride as a Valliere!"

Henrietta smiled in relief before hugging Louise.

"Oh thank you, Louise!" she cried.

"How will we find the Prince?" I asked. "Unless we have valid proof, he'll just suspect us of being spies."

"With this." Henrietta said before taking a silver ring with a small blue jewel off her finger.

Louise gasped upon seeing it.

"The Water Ruby!?"

"The Water Ruby?" I repeated, being unfamiliar with it.

"It's a treasure of the royal family, one of four which were created by the Founder for each of his descendants. These descendants would later come to rule what are now the four nations of Halkeginia: Tristain, Germania, Romalia, and Albion." Louise explained.

"Show this ring to Prince Wales. He has the Wind Ruby, so if these two rings come into contact with each other they will form a rainbow." Henrietta said. "It's symbol dear to both me and him, so he'll know you're not spies if he sees this."

"Understood." I said.

"I'm sorry to ask you two of this… I've already troubled you with finding corrupt nobles and here I am selfishly asking you to risk your lives. But I've no one else to turn to and if Prince Wales dies, then…" she trailed off.

"Don't feel guilty, your highness!" Louise insisted. "I'm always willing to anything you ask! As for the Prince, there's no need to worry. We'll make sure he's safe. Right, Amos?"

Both of the girls looked expectantly at me, a nod of my head being my response. If something this serious was going to happen then I couldn't ignore it. I will use everything in my power to ensure that Tristain would be safe. After all, it was the only I could do to get my mind off of my…

"Oh thank you, both of you…" Henrietta choked in between sobs.

"No more of that, Your Highness." I told her, causing both her and Louise to look at me. "Once this is over, you will have your freedom."

"What do you mean?" Henrietta asked.

"I'll release you from this proxy life so that you can be with the one you love. It's the only way I'll ever be free."

"Free? What are you talking about, Amos?" Louise asked.

"I swear it on this Blaster Blade." I declared while holding Derflinger forward. Both girls looked at me confusedly as they absorbed what I had just said.

"But the alliance with Germania… We still need-"

"You won't have to." I cut Henrietta off. "I'll be more than enough to protect Tristain."

"Are you crazy!?" Louise gasped. "Even you can't stand against an entire army, even if Albion is the smallest of the four nations!"

"I've got nothing to lose." I snapped back before facing back to Henrietta. "Do you trust me?"

"I…" Henrietta started as she stared into my eyes. "I'll trust your word, Sir Amos."

"Hold on a minute!" Louise yelled. "There's a limit to how much you're trying to make yourself look good!"

I faced Louise and she stepped back, my determined eyes seemingly piercing her soul.

"You're… serious?" she let out weakly.

Just then, a sound could be heard at the door which caused us to be alert.

"Who's there!?" Louise demanded. The door then opened to reveal…

"Guiche?" I asked as he walked into the room sheepishly. He then took a knee as he bowed to Henrietta.

"I have heard everything." He said. "Which is why, I, Guiche de Gramont, would like to ask that I assist in this mission."

"Gramont? Then that means you're Marshall Gramont's son?" Henrietta asked.

"Correct." Guiche confirmed.

"To have the Marshall's son assist us… I thank you."

"It is my pleasure, your highness."

"Guiche." I said seriously, catching his attention immediately.

"Yes, what is it Sir Amos!?" he stammered.

"You realize what you're getting into, right?" I asked him. We were about to be involved in a serious issue that could potentially lead to a war. I needed to know his resolve.

"Yes, I do." He replied. "I want to prove to myself that I'm worthy of the Gramont name."

"Why is that?" Louise asked. "All you've been doing is going around flirting with every girl in sight."

"Ahem!" he coughed. "You see, ever since Sir Amos has saved her Highness from Fouquet, my father has been talking non-stop about him. He keeps comparing me to him and how I should be as strong and courageous like a real knight should be. I too, am inspired by Sir Amos and I wish to change."

"You're serious?" I asked as I looked for any weakness in his words. He nodded confidently and I found truth to his claims.

"Very well." I said. "However, remember that you should find your own strength and not someone else's. I'm sure you'll live up to your family way better that way."

"You really mean it, Sir Amos?" Guiche said with watery eyes of joy.

"If the son of the Marshall is helping with this, then I feel much more relieved." Henrietta said.

"Thank you for your words, your Highness." Guiche smiled. "I swear we'll bring your beloved Prince back to you. I'm envious that he is the receiver of your love."

"Oh my, your words are too much, Guiche de Gramont." Henrietta said flattered before looking out the window with longing eyes.

"Being in love is a wonderful thing…"

"How very true are your words, your Highness." Guiche agreed. Henrietta then turned to Louise.

"What about you, Louise Francoise? Do you hold such a man in your heart?" she asked.

"Eh?" Louise blinked with her face pink. "Ah, well… I guess you could say that."

"It must be Sir Amos, huh?" Guiche snickered, earning him a punch in the face by Louise.

"D-Don't be ridiculous!" she denied while Guiche rubbed his cheek tearfully. Henrietta laughed at the display, her tenseness softening.

"And you, Sir Amos? Do you have anyone you love?" she asked, causing Louise and Guiche to look at me curiously.

I froze at the question, unsure how to answer.

"I don't." I said simply.

"Eh? Really?" Henrietta said surprised. "I thought that a man like you would have someone already."

Louise then looked like she realized something.

"Wait. Amos, how old are you?" she asked.

"…Twenty-seven." I answered.

"EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!?" all three teens gasped in shock.

"I was sure you weren't that much older than us, Sir Amos!" Guiche admitted. Did I really look younger for someone in their late twenties?

"I'm surprised as well." Henrietta said. What Louise said piqued my interest, however.

"He's the same age as Viscount Wardes…" she whispered, her words seemingly went unheard by the other two mages present.

"Wardes?" I asked her.

"Ah, no! It's nothing!" she waved off with her face pink.

"I think we should all get some rest." Henrietta interrupted. "You three should leave early tomorrow. I've prepared an escort to guide you to Albion."

"Agreed." I said.

Early that morning…

We got up before the sun rose all packed and ready to go. It was foggy and gloomy and the morning air sent chills down Louise and Guiche who were, oddly enough, lightly dressed.

"Amos?" Louised asked suddenly. "Is there really no one that you like?"

She looked at me with hopeful eyes as she held the reigns of her horse.

"If you mean in the sense that I love someone, then no." I replied. That was the truth, nothing less.

"I see." Louise sighed, almost as if she did it out of relief.

"With someone of your caliber, I would have expected women to flock around you as they do with me." Guiche remarked haughtily, causing an awkward silence for several seconds. Realizing what he did, Guiche sank down as he sat on the back of his horse.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake lightly until something popped out. A familiar large mole that was bigger than Louise stuck its nose out and looked at us with its blue eyes.

"Oh, Verdande!" Guiche cried out before getting off his horse to give the mole a big hug. "I'm sorry I left you behind! You must have been so scared."

"We can't bring her along. She's too large and there's not enough room on the horses." I pointed out.

"She can follow us underground!" Guiche countered.

"Then she'll leave trail. This mission is a secret, remember?" Louise said.

"Please, oh please Sir Amos! Let her come with us!" Guiche cried with fake tears in his eyes. His stubbornness was annoying and I was almost ready to leave him behind with his familiar when it began to trudge toward Louise. It then forced itself on top of her while sniffing her hand.

"Gah! What's wrong with this thing!?" Louise yelped.

"Ah, Verdande must have smelled the Water Ruby. She is very much attracted to rare jewels. Her kind eats rare jewels but I feed her well so there's no need for worry."

"That last bit of information is not exactly comforting to know considering the object in question." I remarked.

"Verdande, get off Louise this instant!" Guiche commanded. The mole wouldn't listen, however, as it continued to go after the Water Ruby.

"Verdande!"

"Get this stupid mole off me!" Louise shouted.

At that moment a powerful gust of wind blew across us, sweeping Verdande off its feet and tumbling several feet away from us. She was now in a daze as she lay on her back.

"Verdande!" Guiche gasped before running over to the mole.

My hand instinctively went to Derflinger as I looked around for our attacker. No one was supposed to know about our expedition. Were we seen?

I heard the unfamiliar cry of an animal overhead, causing us to look up at the source. Descending to the ground was a large griffon with someone on its back. It appeared to be a man wearing a dark blue cloak and a broad-brimmed feather hat. In his hand was a rapier-like wand with a blunt tip that still had swirls of air dancing around it. With all my experience, I knew a strong soldier when I saw one.

"Who are you?" I asked the stranger, still cautious of his strength.

"Forgive me, but I could not sit by and watch my fiancé get attacked by that creature." He replied before lifting up his hat, allowing a good look at his face. He had a youthful face with enough sharpness to show his age, probably around me age. His hair was a natural, healthy gray that was long and he had a neatly trimmed beard.

"I am Jean-Jacques Francis Wardes. A pleasure to meet you."

Wardes? So this is who Louise mentioned. Wait, did he just say he was Louise's fiancé?

"V-V-Viscount Wardes!" Louise stammered as her face turned a light pink. She then proceeded to dust her hair and clothes of any dirt that was there.

"Viscount Wardes!? As in the famous Mage Knight?" Guiche gawked. It appeared he was well known in Tristain considering his status. If he was a mage knight then it all made sense as to why people thought I was one as well when I was first summoned by Louise.

"Who is he exactly?" I asked Guiche.

"Sir Wardes is captain of the Griffon Knights of Tristain, one of Princess's elite forces!" Guiche explained. "But I had no idea he was Louise's fiancé!"

Wardes dismounted his griffon and made his way toward us. He passed by me and Guiche to approach Louise, who was still looking at him shyly. As he passed by me, I noticed we were the same height at 5'11 and of similar build.

"It's been a long time, my little Louise." Wardes greeted with a gentle smile.

"Y-Yes, it has been." Louise replied meekly. It looked like they have some history between them, fond memories since Louise appeared happy at his presence. While I was against a marriage with a large age gap, if they both loved each other then who am I to stop that?

"Pardon the interruption," I called out, making Wardes and Louise bring their attention to me. "but are you the escort her Highness mentioned?"

"That's right, Princess Henrietta herself ordered me to come and accompany you." Wardes then offered me a hand for a handshake. "I believe I already introduced myself, so may I ask your name?"

I took his hand and shook it.

"Amos."

"Ah, so you are Sir Amos." Wardes said. "I have heard many things about you and your deeds."

"Such as?" I asked.

"Well, the fact that you are a Mage Knight like me certainly caused quite a stir. That and saving the Princess's life from Fouquet is something that I must give my utmost thanks for."

"There's no need. We are knights and protecting our rulers is our duty." I replied albeit halfheartedly. I had said that on instinct only to remember that I could hardly be considered a knight anymore.

"I couldn't have said it any better myself." Wardes agreed in delight. "I look forward to working with you, Sir Amos."

"Likewise, Sir Wardes."

After Guiche's familiar recovered from Wardes' attack, we placed the thing on Louise's horse since Wardes insisted she rode with him. Wardes informed that our destination was a town in the mountains called La Nocher. There were ports with ships there that could take us to Albion. It made sense that these ports were in the mountains since they would be the closest to a flying continent like Albion.

As we rode along I could see Louise cast a few glances at me there and then since Wardes took the lead while Guiche and I followed. I wondered why she looked somewhat uncomfortable to be riding with her fiancé but I thought nothing of it. Must have been from not having seen him in a while, or so he and she have said. Besides, all the dots were now connected: She holds a great admiration for me since I am strong Mage Knight in her eyes and I am the same age as her fiancé. I reminded her greatly of him and now that he's actually here she is having trouble adjusting. No matter, this would be good for her to catch up with the one she really loves. It would be no good for her to love me, after all.

We rode in silence for most of the journey, except for a few instances where Wardes struck up a conversation with me. He wanted to know where I came from, what magic I used and such. Needless to say I was rather vague with what I told him since there was no need for him to know in detail. All I told him was that I was from a faraway nation and that I was one of the elite knights. He seemed to have bought it and didn't pry and further.

By the time the sun was setting, we had arrived at La Nocher. The town was interesting in that the infrastructure consisted of stone. Every building was carved out from the mountain which was impressive considering the time it would have took to make so much space. Then I realized it was the work of Earth mages using their talents to make such a town possible.

"Such a lovely town! I've never been more proud to be an Earth mage." Guiche said with pride.

As we made our way through town we had caught the attention of the townsfolk, mainly due to Wardes' griffon. I assumed that such creatures were not commonplace.

We ended up at inn that Wardes apparently made reservations at ahead of time. It was good to know that we had a capable individual accompanying us. I was rather tired myself from riding for more than six hours.

"We'll rest here for the night and continue our journey tomorrow evening." Wardes said.

That was music to all of our ears as we quickly went inside to get ourselves settled. As I was unloading our gear, Louise came up to me nervously.

"U-Um, Amos. Just so you know, my parents decided on this betrothal thing with Sir Wardes." She explained.

"I see. You have a very capable fiancé." I replied.

"E-Er…" she stuttered before speaking in a somewhat angry tone. "That's right! I've always looked up to him ever since I was a child! He had lost his parents when he was young and he worked hard to make his way to become leader of the Magic Guard!"

I froze when she said he had lost his parents at a young age, a few images of that dreadful night flashing again before me.

"Anyway," Louise said. "It's good you and Sir Wardes respect each other but remember your place as my familiar, got it?"

Trying to keep face in front of your fiancé? Understandable. Her sudden change in behavior still confused, however.

"Understood."

After unloading all of our belongings and storing them away, we made our way to the dining hall which looked very much like the Dancing Fairy Tavern. Our table was already laid out with luxurious looking food and drinks and we wasted no time digging in.

"Still, to think you summoned a human to be your familiar. And a Mage Knight no less, Louise." Wardes praised.

"Even you would say that?" Louise answered in disbelief.

Wardes then turned back to me.

"Is it true you don strange armor whenever you fight? All of the reports concerning you mention a never before seen swordsman of justice in shining white armor."

"Correct." I confirmed.

"I see. Well then in that case, I'd like to ask you for a little spar." Wardes said, causing Louise and Guiche to choke on their food.

"Sir Wardes? Are you serious?" Louise said.

"But of course. The ship doesn't leave until tomorrow night anyway. It's boring to just spend time idling around, right?" Wardes told her with a smile.

"A fight between Sir Amos and Sir Wardes would truly be a spectacle!" Guiche beamed.

"You want to test your sword skills against mine." I concluded as I remembered the rapier-like wand he had.

"That's right. It's not every day you get to fight against an accomplished swordsman such as yourself." Wardes complimented excitedly before looking at me confidently. "Of course, I should warn you that I'm no slouch myself."

"I can see that." I said as the thought of a good fight excited me. No one has been able to match me since my arrival so a good fight would be great to polish my skills. "Very well, I accept."

"Excellent. We shall have our fight tomorrow morning."

After dinner we all retired to our rooms with Wardes and Louise sharing a room leaving me a Guiche in another. Guiche insisted that he go out to talk with this girl he saw back in the dining hall and he left in a hurry. By this point, I had given up on correcting this behavior of his. He was a lost cause and I couldn't see why Montmorency still liked him.

I laid in bed to rest with Derflinger at my bedside, my thoughts lingering on Wardes. So far, he has been somewhat of a parallel to me and it was a bit unsettling to me. How could he stay so strong even after losing his parents at a young age? In fact, it seemed like things got better for him while I thought the same was happening to me, only to end up how I am now.

"Something on your mind, partner?" Derflinger asked as he popped out of his sheath.

"Nothing." I quickly brushed off. "Just… a little jealous I suppose."

"Of who? That Wardes guy being with Louise? I thought you didn't see her that way."

"That's not it."

"Then what is it?"

"I guess it's just that..."

Wardes and Louise's room

Louise and Wardes sat at the table in their room with filled wine glasses in their hands. Louise's face was turning red from the alcohol while Wardes looked fine.

"Louise, do you remember when we first met?" Wardes asked.

"How could I not?" Louise said as she swayed slightly. Wardes chuckled at her low liquor tolerance.

"Your father would always compare your magical powers to those of your older sisters. You would then always pout and cry in that small boat in the garden's pond." Wardes recalled while playing with the wine in his glass.

"Why did you have to bring that up…" Louise sighed embarrassingly.

"But even back then, I knew that you have a special power. One that no one else has."

"Geez, you're just saying things, Sir Wardes." Louise brushed off.

Wardes set his glass down before taking Louise's hand.

"Louise, once this mission is over… I want us to wed."

"Eh?" Louise blinked before turning even redder. "But Sir Wardes, haven't my parents already decided on our wedding date?!"

"I know this is rather sudden, but I feel that now would be the best time for it." Wardes assured.

"But why? What made you think we should marry now?"

"Don't worry, just leave everything to me."

That morning...

All of us got up early in the morning and ate our breakfast before heading out to large back alley an hour later. Louise and Guiche stood on the sidelines while Wardes and I took our positions across from each other. He drew his rapier-wand while I readied Derflinger.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

"That's my line." Wardes said almost playfully.

I took the first move and came at him with an overhead strike. He blocked it and our blades sparked from the impact, forcing me to follow up with an attack from below. My speed surprised Wardes and he was forced to pull his head back to avoid getting hit. Recovering, he began his assault with a flurry and thrusts and side slashes. Even though his sword was lighter and smaller than mine, I kept up with his speed and parried each strike. All this time I was holding Derflinger with one hand even though he was a two-handed sword. After another clash of steel, we backed off from each other to gain distance and catch our breath.

"I must say that I am impressed, Sir Amos." Wardes praised between breaths. "I've never faced a swordsman as skilled as you before. To be able to wield a two-handed blade at that speed with one hand is truly remarkable."

"You are skilled yourself, Sir Wardes. It's been quite a while since I've gotten to experience a swordfight like this." I complimented.

Wind then began to wrap itself around Wardes' sword.

"Why don't we take this up a notch?" he said before pointing the tip of his blade at me and firing a small tornado. I blocked it with Derflinger and the tornado was quickly absorbed. Wardes was clearly shocked at the sight of a magic-absorbing sword and he stood there with his mouth gaping.

I then gathered energy around Derflinger and fired a magic attack of my own by swinging him, forming a crescent-shaped energy wave at Wardes. He jumped out of the way and swung his blade again which sent a large gust of wind that brought me into the air. Using the air to propel himself, Wardes charged at me mid-air with his rapier cocked back. I parried his thrust and swung horizontally, only to hit the air after Wardes ducked underneath it. Both of us swung at each other once more which caused us to fly backwards from the impact. We landed on our feet with our breathing heavy.

The next several minutes consisted of me and Wardes using nothing but our swordsmanship. Metal against metal resounded through the air and sparks flew with each meeting of our blades. We parried, dodged, and attacked repeatedly as if it were a dance. Our assaults were nonstop since we refused to give the other an edge.

With one last sword clash, we backed off from each other and sheathed our swords.

"Ha… I think… that's enough…" Wardes gasped reluctantly.

"I… agree…" I nodded. We were beginning to get too into this and it was no longer becoming just a friendly spar. Our eyes locked with each other for a few seconds and it was as if we both knew what the other was thinking. In fact, we were thinking the same thing.

He is my rival.

Wardes then came up to me and offered me his hand.

"You're a great warrior." He said. I looked down at his hand and back to him, a small grin forming on my face.

"You too."

We turned and approached Guiche and Louise who were still speechless at our display. Guiche was beginning to tear up while Louise seemed to have stars in her eyes.

"What a display! Such beautiful sportsmanship between two of the greatest warriors I have had the honor of meeting!" Guiche cried.

Louise ran up to me with a beaming grin on her face.

"You were amazing, Amos! I've never seen anyone fight on equal grounds with Sir Wardes before!" she praised. I nodded in acknowledgment before turning back to Wardes.

"So, what do we do now?" I asked.

"Hmm… Well, since we still have the whole day I suppose we could shop around for more supplies we may need."

"Sounds good." I replied. Wardes then took Louise's hand.

"How about a ride around town, Louise?" Wardes suggested with a smile, causing Louise to blush.

"S-Sure…" she whispered as the two took off. With nothing else to do, Guiche and I followed after them. I informed them that we didn't have much extra food in the event that we camp for several days so we went and bought as much food and water as we could.

I stopped in front of a weapon shop that several blades and other weapons on sale outside. I rummaged around and found small blade that was very lightweight and durable. Perfect. I paid the shop owner and looked around for Louise who was eating lunch with Wardes at a restaurant.

"Louise." I said before handing her the sword. "Here."

Louise gasped in surprise while Wardes raised a brow.

"A new sword?" Louise asked.

"Right. We haven't trained since your old one broke and I saw this."

"Hold on," Wardes spoke up. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Amos trained me in swordsmanship a while back, Sir Wardes." Louise explained.

"I see. And why is it you wanted to learn how to fight with a sword?" Wardes asked.

"I suggested that she should." I answered. "I thought it was important for her to know how to rely on her skills rather than magic all the time."

"You're wrong." Wardes replied harshly, surprising me and Louise. "Louise has no need for such a thing. She has-"

He stopped himself mid-sentence which made my eyes narrow as I looked at him. What was he about to say? It was almost as if he knew that Louise was-

"Forget it, let us be on our way." Wardes said as he got up and left.

"Ah, wait, Sir Wardes!" Louise chased after him.

As I watched the two leave, my thoughts lingered on Wardes. That statement just now was very suspicious. If he truly did know that Louise was a Void mage, how did he find out? Only me, Colbert, and Osmond knew about this. Something strange was going on and I knew one thing for sure.

Wardes couldn't be trusted.