A Call Beyond
Chapter Ten: Woeful Messenger
After some internal deliberation, Louise answered the cloaked stranger in a composed manner.
"Good evening."
While her outward demeanor told of someone completely unperturbed, inwardly, Louise watched the stranger with a careful eye, wary of what they might be up to. She did not know how they had managed to enter her dream, but she did not like it.
The stranger apparently had either not heard her greeting, or had otherwise decided not to respond. Instead, they - or perhaps she, Louise thought seemed content to just stand on the surface of the sea and look around.
"So this is your dream?" they said eventually. "…Magnificent."
Well, perhaps they could be reasoned with after all, Louise thought. Come to think of it, hadn't she previously had good experiences with cloaked females showing up unannounced? She decided to be a little more forthcoming.
"My name is Louise de La Vallière. I welcome you to this dream."
"Most gracious of you, Lady Vallière," The stranger responded, turning to face her. Louise was now absolutely certain that they were female. "I am Sheffield. Apprentice to the Heir of the Moon."
An odd title, Louise thought. But Sheffield had stated it with a certain pride. Perhaps there was more to it? Though for now, Louise had more important questions.
"You made quite the dramatic entrance, Lady Sheffield," Louise remarked. She wasn't certain that this person was a noble, but if Sheffield was going to be formal about it, she would respond in kind.
"Did I startle you? Apologies." Contrary to her words, Sheffield's smirk increased. Perhaps she enjoyed barging into other people's dreams?
"Well, never mind that," Louise said while sighing internally. "I'm more interested in how you found me."
"My path is eternally lit by moonlight, it is impossible for me to stray," Sheffield responded.
"Is that so? I did not believe the Moon to be capable of such … subtlety."
Like she had thought, the Moon was involved in some way. But what a needlessly convoluted way of putting it. Louise thought she could sense the author of that mysterious note behind Sheffield's words.
"Ah, your words reveal your ignorance," Sheffield said, shaking her head in a sad manner. "The Moon governs not what is, but rather all that which could be. And what is a dream, but a possibility?"
Louise nodded thoughtfully. That made some sense. Though it still did not answer her original question.
"Then, in what must surely be an infinite landscape of possibilities, how did you find you way here to my dream?"
In response, Sheffield pointed upwards. "As I said before, my path is lit by moonlight. When it shines so brightly, how could I possibly lose my way?"
Louise frowned slightly. So the Moon had led Sheffield straight to her.
"Was that why you left me the note?" she asked. "Should I live up to your expectations, you would be able to seek me out."
"Precisely," answered Sheffield. "I hope you can understand the need for secrecy in these matters. But more importantly, tell me what you saw."
Whereas before, Sheffield had still been admiring the scenery, she had now turned her full attention towards Louise.
"In the sky, I saw Janera and Epimeris come together, showing their true form, a single Moon. It then spoke to me," Louise relayed.
Louise had been wrong before. She hadn't had Sheffield's full attention. Now she had her full attention.
"You say It spoke to you?"
She seemed incredulous, going so far as to pause momentarily. When she spoke next, her tone had grown a little more intense.
"Then you have been blessed. Tell me, of what did It speak?
Louise paused, considering her words carefully.
"It spoke to me of blood and ancestry," she replied simply.
While it was hard to judge the facial expression of someone who had everything but their mouth covered by the shadow of their hood, just now, Louise was certain that Sheffield just widened her eyes in surprise.
"Then, you truly have been blessed. Please forgive my earlier presumptuousness, milady."
Louise raised an eyebrow. That was quite the turnaround in attitude.
"Think nothing of it. You were right: I am ignorant. Yet I desire to learn."
"Yes! Of course. Such a desire befits you, fellow Seeker. Once seen, the truth cannot be unseen. But that only makes the pursuit of it more enticing. We are but moths to a flame in our search."
Sheffield's voice was becoming notably more frantic. But Louise could sympathize. She felt much the same, after all.
"It would seem we are indeed kindred spirits," she said with a smile. "Perhaps then we can share what we have learned? I wish to know more of the Moon."
Louise was now completely convinced that this Sheffield was a fellow Void mage. She grinned inwardly. They would no doubt have a lot they could learn from each other. And yet, Sheffield once more shook her head, although this time she seemed genuinely remorseful.
"Our art cannot truly be taught. And I am no teacher. The truth is something that must be seen for oneself."
Louise felt disappointed, but nodded in understanding anyway. She could understand where Sheffield was coming from. She had told Tabitha something similar, after all.
"Yet fret not, Child of the Moon," Sheffield went on. "You are fated to be our ally. Arm yourself with patience. A time of reckoning is upon us."
Sheffield's voice grew to be become more and more frantic until she was practically shouting.
"When blood runs like a river through the streets of Tristain, you shall witness a revelation! Follow the Moon: It shall lead you to us."
At the end of her little speech, Louise managed to catch a glimpse of Sheffield's eyes beneath her hood. They shone a blood red.
*And what was with that last part? It sounded quite sinister. She would have to find out more about that.
"I must now take my leave," Sheffield announced, seeming to have calmed down a bit. "Look to the Moon and you shall find in Its glow the truth you seek. I look forward to seeing you again, Louise de La Vallière."
As she said that, Louise noted that the Moon began glowing brighter. She was leaving then? Louise could not allow that just yet.
"No," she said, motioning with her hand to halt Sheffield. "I believe that some of the truth I seek can be found much closer."
Louise snapped her fingers, and the surface of the sea immediately stopped supporting their weight, plunging them both into the bottomless depths. This was her dream, her home. She was not about to allow someone to come and go as they pleased. Well, at least not go as they pleased. As they sank, Louise grew to be more relaxed. In contrast, Sheffield seemed to struggle more and more, although it was all in vain: The pale moonlight did not reach down to these depths. Around them was only water.
"You don't need to breathe," Louise informed the panicking Sheffield helpfully, her voice ringing out clearly through the water.
Seeing that the cloaked woman had stopped her struggling somewhat, she went on.
"I thank you for staying with me a little longer, Lady Sheffield," Louise said, attempting a comforting tone. "Myself, I find these surroundings to be more comforting than up above. Was the change perhaps a bit too sudden? Apologies if I startled you."
Louise almost managed to keep herself from smirking at that last line. Almost. Seeing as Sheffield continued to keep quiet, Louise went on.
"But you see, there are simply answers that I must know. Ones I believe you to be in possession of."
"W-what do you wish to know?" Sheffield spoke hesitantly, seemingly not entirely trusting that she could speak freely while underwater.
"Simple. You mentioned a 'time of reckoning' and that the streets of Tristin would red run with blood. I am most grateful to you for telling me of this, but I would like you to elaborate, please."
"There is no need to say more on the matter, you will no doubt see for yourself in time," Sheffield responded, having regained her former confidence.
"Oh, I'm sure I will," Louise agreed. "Yet I wish to know beforehand exactly what sort of calamity will befall Tristain so that such a situation might arise in the first place."
Sheffield frowned. "I cannot tell you."
"Oh, but you can," Louise disagreed. "You just won't. Why?"
"Because it is not for you to know!" Sheffield snarled. "Or do you wish to hold me captive here? You will regret such a decision." The last sentence was uttered in a threatening hiss.
To illustrate her point, Sheffield took what Louise recognized as a battle stance and looked to be readying something. Louise quickly held up both her hands in apology.
"No, no! I have no such intentions, apologies. Believe me, I did not mean to antagonize you, Lady Sheffield."
As a show of good faith, Louise willed for them to stop sinking and instead begin ascending from the depths. She continued.
"Why don't we just be…" she trailed off, as if looking for the right word.
"…Calm."
"…About this?"
Sheffield seemed to have been on the verge of saying something, but she suddenly went quiet. Louise grinned inwardly. It was easy. Had she been anywhere else, Louise wouldn't trust herself to pull off such a stunt. But she wasn't anywhere else, she was right here, in the heart of the sea. The sea would listen to her, she was certain. It, too, could recognize an intruder. And what an intruder it was. They were so filled with aggression, with suspicion. They would be better off without those feelings, surely. Louise smiled.
"I hope you can forgive this transgression, Lady Sheffield," she said to the woman who had been quiet for a while now.
"Ah…I…no, I mean yes," she said in a confused tone, before she managed to gather her faculties. "I apologize as well, Lady Vallière. I went too far."
"I am glad we can put this incident behind us," Louis said, smiling sincerely. "Now, as for my question…"
As they continued ascending, the pale light of the Moon managed to pierce through the water, providing a sliver of light. Upon seeing it, Sheffield seemed to finally manage to regain her bearings completely.
"Hmm. Yes, well I suppose I can tell you," she sighed. "So that you might better prepare yourself."
Louise noticed that she still didn't seem happy with the idea of letting her know.
"Most grateful," she hurriedly encouraged.
"Tristain's demise is near," Sheffield said ominously. "The Holy Ones approach. They cannot be stopped. They must not be stopped. There is more at stake than you realize."
Stop spouting cryptic nonsense and give me a straight answer!
"Thank you," Louise said, still smiling. She hummed thoughtfully before continuing. "Then, in return, let me tell you something."
"Oh?" Sheffield sounded intrigued.
"Earlier, you called me a Child of the Moon. That is wrong."
Louise looked straight at Sheffield, attempting to see through the hood covering the woman's eyes. She felt a smile creep unto her face.
"I am Louise of the Great Deep Sea, Child of Kos."
The mere utterance of the name reverberated powerfully throughout the waters. In an instant, they were plunged into complete darkness as if they had descended to the lowest depths. Even as they kept ascending, the pale light of the Moon was nowhere to be seen.
"You would do well to remember that," Louise went on, her face thoroughly contorted into a manic grin. "I do not wish for us to be enemies, dear colleague. You do not wish for that either."
For an unknown length of time, they continued to ascend through the pure blackness. Louise was enjoying it, truth be told. The waters seemed to whisper to her, telling her of the wonders they could show her. If only she let them drag her down to depths unheard of. She enjoyed these 'stories' but opted to continue the ascent. It was a shame she couldn't see Sheffield in the darkness. The woman hadn't said a word, but Louise was sure she had gotten the message.
Eventually, they resurfaced, seemingly being spat out from the sea. As Louise stood up, she noticed that her surroundings were unusually bright. Looking to the sky, she saw that the Moon was now much closer than she remembered it being. She almost laughed but managed to limit herself to a quiet snigger. Had Sheffield attempted to call it? It hadn't been enough for the light to pierce through even the surface of the sea.
While idly stretching a little, Louise noticed that the cloaked woman was in the midst of getting up, herself. Louise thought she looked a bit shaken. Good.
"I suppose this is goodbye for now," Louise said, not looking at Sheffield but instead gazing upwards at the Moon. Her earlier grin quickly wore off. She was starting to dislike how close it was.
"May we meet as allies next time."
The sentiment was somewhat halfheartedly meant, it was mostly the opposite case that she wanted to avoid unless necessary. Louise didn't know how many people Sheffield currently counted among her allies, but she certainly didn't want to make enemies out of possibly several Void mages. In any case, she would first need to ascertain their aims before making a decision. But the near glee with which Sheffield had foretold a calamity befalling Tristain had made Louise much less favorably disposed towards the woman.
Louise looked to Sheffield who had neglected to respond, in favor of casting some sort of spell, as she slowly began floating upwards. Louise was curious as to the whole process of entering another's dream. Was turning yourself to liquid really necessary? Not that Louise would mind that come to think of it, but it seemed superfluous, considering that Sheffield apparently did not need to do so in order to leave again. Then again, to Louise, Sheffield did seem like the type of person who would make her entrance as unsettling as possible just for the sake of it.
As Louise watched, Sheffield floated further and further away, eventually becoming only a shadow against the backdrop of the still brightly shining Moon. Louise waved to her absentmindedly.
"May the Moon guide your way," she said, mostly just trying to come up with a farewell that Sheffield would appreciate.
It unexpectedly seemed to have worked as she got a response, even if it was a bit half-hearted.
"…And yours too, Child of the Deep Sea."
Louise smiled. So she had gotten the message, then. Even if leaving out the 'Great' part was a bit blasphemous. As Sheffield's silhouette seemed to come closer and closer to the Moon, her shadow suddenly broke to pieces. The pieces scattered, but then expanded, quickly eclipsing the whole Moon. The Moon, now completely black, then begun rapidly shrinking, until it was nothing but a tiny hole, a Void. Eventually, it disappeared entirely, leaving behind the featureless grey sky Louise was used to.
Good riddance.
(***)
When Louise awoke, it was midday. Probably. Around that time, anyway. Of the perks of not having to attend classes, Louise counted not needing to get up at a specific time among the best. Ever since returning from the Lagdorian Lake, Louise had gone back to sleeping during the nights. And while the lengths of time she would spent sleeping would vary, leading to a rather erratic schedule, it was an activity she enjoyed immensely.
However, this day, Louise did not feel refreshed or well rested when she woke up. Instead, she woke up already feeling tired. The previous night's exertions had done a number on her mind, and while she had been recovering, Sheffield had barged into her dream, and dealing with the woman had necessitated that Louise used more of her power. As such, Louise awoke already suffering from a headache. Not the best way to start off the day.
Under normal circumstances, Louise would just go back to sleep. It wasn't like she would get much spell practice done anyway if she was exhausted from the get-go. But she couldn't afford that. It was likely that the entirety of Tristain was in danger. She would have to do something about that. And time was of the essence. She would figure out how exactly Sheffield was involved as well as her intentions later. Right now, she needed to warn the Princess. Though after a moment's thought, Louise decided to drop by Osmond's office first.
(***)
When she knocked on Osmond's door, she was fortunately immediately called upon to enter. Inside, she saw the Headmaster glancing up at her from what Louise thought was quite the large pile of paperwork. He really needed to hire another secretary she thought. As their eyes met, he smiled in greeting. Although his smile was full of vigor, Louise noticed dark circles under his eyes.
"Good afternoon, Miss Vallière. You wish to practice your healing spell again, I presume? Just as well, I am in need of a break."
His tone was pleasant as always and he made a move to get up from his chair. However, contrary to the man's expectations, Louise shook her head.
"No sir, not today. I'm here to request a leave of absence."
"A leave of absence you say?" He seemed to lose himself in thought for a while, as he sank back into his chair. Eventually, he continued. "Very well, I suppose I can't exactly hold you here. For how long do you plan to be gone?"
For as long as needed.
"I do not know, sir."
Osmond frowned a little at that answer, but then his eyes lit up for some reason.
"Aha! Planning an adventure with your friends, are you? Such is the spirit of youth! I approve. One can learn many useful skills just by travelling. Why, I used to do quite the adventuring myself during my youth…"
He then launched into an account of one of his own youthful adventures. Unfortunately, Louise would have to cut him off.
"Headmaster!" she said a little louder than necessary to get the man's attention. "I am not planning anything as frivolous as an adventure. My reason for requesting a leave of absence is grounded in much more serious matters."
She had decided beforehand that she would tell Osmond of the possible danger. Perhaps he would have some advice to give. Luckily, her serious tone had prompted Osmond to snap out of his reverie and to regard her with a serious look.
"Pray tell, Miss Vallière. What is troubling you?"
Louise took a deep breath. She hoped he would believe her.
"I have reason to believe that Tristain is in imminent danger."
Osmond now turned his full attention towards her, regarding her with a serious look in his eyes, one Louise had only seen him don once before. She returned it in full. This was not a joke.
"What makes you believe so?" Osmond asked.
Louise hesitated for a bit thinking of how she should phrase her answer.
"I … have come across information that speaks of a calamity soon to befall Tristain."
"I see. And how did you come to know this?"
Louise grimaced slightly. She couldn't exactly reveal how she had come across the information.
"I cannot tell you," she answered, well aware that this would weaken her credibility. "Yet I believe my source to have spoken the truth to the best of their ability."
Theoretically, it was still a possibility that Sheffield was just crazy and had been spouting nonsense, but Louise did not want to gamble on that. Although she was almost certain that Sheffield was crazy, she thought it likely that the woman was also telling the truth.
Osmond hummed thoughtfully.
"A trusted source you cannot reveal, you say," he said mostly to himself, summarizing her words. "Then allow me to ask: Have you come to know the specifics of this calamity or is it more of a vague, impending doom?"
Louise was happy that he seemed to believe her, or that he at the very least was willing to entertain the idea. Fortunately she had an answer to his question. An answer she had gone through great lengths to acquire, even going so far as to antagonize Sheffield. Yet it had been worth it. Knowing what danger Tristain was about to face was essential. How could she prevent it otherwise? Well, she didn't exactly know, but at least she* had a piece of the puzzle.
"I was told of a … prophecy, I suppose," Louise answered, keeping her voice even. "I was told that the streets of Tristain would run red with blood. That the 'Holy Ones' approach. That they cannot be stopped. I intend to try, regardless."
Osmond seemed to carefully think her words over for a while before he said something again.
"Tell me Miss Vallière, the reason you cannot say how you came across this prophecy, is it related to the Void?"
Louise mulled the question over for a moment.
"Yes," she answered eventually. Perhaps saying so would improve her credibility in Osmond's eyes.
"I see," Osmond said, nodding. "It saddens me that you choose to keep secrets from us, but I suppose that is your right."
Louise couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. Yet she said nothing. It was her right, and she certainly had secrets to keep.
"Very well," Osmond said. "I shall believe you. Now, what do you intend to do? Surely, you do not mean to set off and face this enemy alone."
Louise shook her head.
"Nothing quite as drastic."
Yet.
"I intend to go to the capital and warn Princess Henrietta of the danger. Hopefully then, we can decipher the meaning of the prophecy."
"A sensible course of action," Osmond nodded. "Hmm. I myself do not know what the 'Holy Ones' might refer to but I shall give it some thought." He thought a little while before he continued. "If you at some point require my aid or perhaps just need me to back up your claims, then you have but to write to me."
Louise was surprised by that. It meant Osmond was willing to stake his reputation on her, even when he knew she was keeping secrets from him.
"Thank you, Headmaster, sir," Louise said with genuine gratitude.
"Think nothing of it," Osmond answered. "If times are truly as dire as you say, then it is every mage's duty to help, however they may. We are all still nobles of Tristain, after all."
"Yes," Louise replied, smiling. She could only hope that the people of the royal court would see it the same way. "I shall take my leave now, then."
"Farewell for now, Miss Vallière. May Brimir watch over you."
"And you too, Headmaster," Louise said concealing a smile.
She would take the farewell as it was meant, but truthfully she did not need any such well-wishes. She already had something much Greater watching over her, after all.
(***)
As Louise left Osmond's office she was in a better mood. But she was also in a bit of a bind as for what to do next. She wanted to rush to the capital, but the question was whether she should pop by Tabitha's room first and have a talk with her new friend. She could think of good reasons for either option.
First off, she knew that Tabitha at the very least knew of Sheffield, although she did not know if Tabitha was aligned with her. This would mean Louise could go and question Tabitha for some more information regarding the woman. But she would probably also need to come clean regarding being a Void mage to get Tabitha to talk, which was still not something Louise was comfortable with. Even if she was sure that Tabitha already suspected so, if not downright knew it to be true.
But there was also the risk of any information shared leaking back to Sheffield. Louise was certain that the woman wouldn't take too kindly to her planned disaster being foiled, but surely Tabitha would not share that stance?
Yes, Louise would believe in that. The question was then whether or not she had the time to go have a talk with Tabitha. Of course, she didn't know how pressing the matter was, but it was better to be on the safe side. And time spent talking while at the academy was time not spent hurrying towards the capital to warn the Princess. If only she could do both things at once…
Well, actually, there was a way to do both things at once. Louise almost slapped herself on the forehead for not thinking of it immediately. She would just bring Tabitha with her to the capital. She was sure that the bluette wouldn't mind. Tabitha was studious, but Louise believed that her friend would be more interested in learning about Void magic and thus wouldn't mind skipping school for a few days. The question then was how to find her. She couldn't exactly be accused of having a large presence and she was easy to overlook in a crowd. But Louise didn't really think Tabitha to be the type of person to be in crowds in the first place. In fact, Louise could only think of two places where she could be: The library or her room. Louise decided to look for her in the library first.
(***)
Being as familiar with the place as she was, it didn't take Louise long to scour the library and indeed, she found Tabitha sitting alone in one of the more secluded spots.
"Hello, Tabitha," Louise said in greeting.
She got a nod back in response prompting her to go on.
"You know, I met the strangest person the other day..." Louise continued, choosing something vague enough that a potential eavesdropper wouldn't know what she was talking about, but still meaningful enough to get Tabitha's attention.
It seemed to have worked, as Tabitha paused her reading to actually look Louise in the eyes.
"Talk?" she asked.
Louise nodded, assuming that Tabitha meant to ask whether or not Louise would want to talk with her about it.
"My room," she declared.
"Sure." Louise agreed eagerly.
The academy library was notorious for its of privacy. And Louise didn't want to risk anything leaking out.
(***)
Tabitha opened the door to her room and as the two of the entered, Louise was a bit taken back by how big the room was compared to her own. Did transfer students receive better accommodations per default? Unsurprisingly to Louise, books littered most of the room. It reminded her of the mess she had witnessed in Professor Colbert's room, only Tabitha seemed to have organized her mess more, in a way. As she got a proper look at the mess, Louise noted with curiosity that a lot of equipment was lying around. Lots of different cloaks, a couple pieces of some kind of leather armor in various sizes, a variety of different tools as well as various other odds and ends. There were even a small collection of weapons. Louise was pretty sure that students weren't allowed to have swords or firearms in their rooms.
"For adventures," Tabitha explained, having apparently noticed Louise's curious look.
Ah. Well, it would seem that Tabitha really was dedicated to the whole 'adventuring' profession, as much or little of a profession as that actually was. Though Louise couldn't quite imagine the very short Tabitha (even shorter than herself!) charging into battle wielding an axe. Louise shook her head to clear her mind of stray thoughts. Enough of that. Time to cut to the chase.
"Last night, I met a woman calling herself Sheffield. I presume you know whom I speak of?"
Tabitha suddenly stopped, before taking a step closer to Louise, a small frown on her face.
"Yes." Her frown deepened. "Don't like her," she added.
Good. Louise liked the sound of that.
"All right, I'll make it short then. I'll explain later, but I'm currently in a hurry to head to the capital. I would like you to come with me and tell me what you know of Sheffield and her possible plans as well as how you know these things. In return, I will tell you everything you want to know to the best of my ability."
It was a bit early in their friendship to entirely confide in one another like this, but any information Tabitha would be willing to share could turn out to be crucial. Besides, Louise was pretty sure that Tabitha could be trusted.
The girl in question was quiet in contemplation for a while, but she eventually spoke out.
"Deal."
Louise nodded curtly.
"Good. We leave as soon as you are ready. Time is of the essence."
Tabitha responded with a similar nod.
"Ten minutes. Need to pack."
Given that the ride to the capital was nary a few hours long, Louise wasn't really sure what Tabitha would need to pack – she certainly hadn't packed anything. But she would just defer to the bluette's experience and let her prepare for everything.
(***)
After no longer than ten minutes, Tabitha emerged from her room, levitating quite a large pack with her.
"Let's go, then." Louise said.
She got a nod in response and they began their departure. As they made their way through the academy hallways, Tabitha suddenly surprised Louise by turning down a hallway not leading to the main exit.
"Tabitha, where are you going?" Louise asked. "We need to go to the stables to get horses."
But Tabitha shook her head.
"Sylphid. Faster".
Right, Tabitha had a dragon. Not only was it faster, their departure would also be a little more discreet since they would leave from one of the less traversed exits. Perfect. Why hadn't she thought of that herself?
Indeed, Louise would seem to have been the only one not to have thought of it, as when they stepped out of the exit and into the small courtyard, someone was waiting for them. Louise suppressed a sigh. Not again.
"Why hello there, you two! What a coincidence meeting you out here. Going somewhere?" Kirche asked, her signature self-satisfied smirk on her face.
Louise frowned slightly. She didn't have time for this.
"Not today, Kirche. We're in a hurry."
"I'm ready to leave right now," Kirche responded.
Louise rolled her eyes.
"It's important." She tried another avenue of attack. "Tell her, Tabitha."
"Important," agreed Tabitha.
Kirche looked between them for a short while, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"I can do 'important'," she proclaimed, her earlier attitude now replaced with a more serious demeanor. "You don't even need to tell me what you two are up too. I'm in. You said you were in a hurry? Then let's go."
Louise was beginning to get irritated now.
"It's a confidential matter," she tried.
She hadn't wanted to let that slip, lest to garner intrigue regarding the whole matter, but hopefully Kirche would be sensible enough to know when to step down.
But of course, Kirche had the sensibility of a rock.
"I can do 'confidential'," Kirche said.
Louise didn't answer verbally, instead choosing to just give Kirche an exasperated stare. Really, now?
"It's true! Tell her, Tabitha," Kirche said, trying to fend off Louise's glare.
"Can keep secrets," confirmed Tabitha.
Louise did still not see the need to respond verbally, instead switching her glare to Tabitha. Really, now?
"Trust her," Tabitha answered the unspoken question in her usual nonplussed manner.
Louise wasn't sure whether it was a statement meaning that Tabitha trusted Kirche or an imperative telling Louise to trust Kirche. But it didn't matter, did it? Tabitha had the dragon. If she wanted Kirche along, well, it was basically her call and Louise knew herself to give in eventually. She might as well save the three of them some time. Besides, if she was going to trust Tabitha due to their friendship, then by the same logic, shouldn't she also trust Kirche? Probably.
"Fine," she said out loud. "But only because we're friends. Don't make me regret it."
"Well, I don't know about any of that," Kirche said in a dismissive tone, the effect of which somewhat marred by the radiant smile on her face. "But let's get going!"
"Indeed, we are in a hurry," Louise nodded. "So no time for packing."
"No need." Surprisingly, the response came from Tabitha, causing Louise to turn and look at her.
She then watched, as Tabitha reached into her massive pack. Louise's surprise turned to irritation as Tabitha withdrew a smaller pack which she expertly tossed to the waiting redhead.
Louise sighed again, her feelings quickly turning into resignation. It would seem that Tabitha really had thought of everything.
(***)
As they flew through the air, Louise regretted her decision. It was not so much the fact that she was about to divulge her greatest secret to multiple people, she had made her peace with that. No, it had to do with the fact that she was travelling with multiple people to begin with. Specifically, that she was travelling with two other girls on the back of a dragon which was in no way meant to accommodate that number of passengers, especially so when including luggage.
Louise had been skeptical since the moment that Tabitha called her familiar to her. Surely, all three of them would not be able to fit on its back? She was proven wrong, but only barely. Rather than sitting in a row like she had expected, they had been forced to lie down beside each other with Tabitha in the middle and Louise and Kirche on either side of her, all squeezed together a little. It was unfortunately necessary so as to not be blown off the dragon's back due to wind pressure. Louise had read about how flying through the air would make one feel free as a bird. She had even fantasized about it herself when she was younger and still thought she would grow up to be a wind mage like her mother.
However currently, Louise did not feel free, she felt more like a captive. Well, perhaps not quite as bad, but she still thought there were squeezed closer together than what proper decorum would allow. Also, at the height and speed they were flying at, the wind was howling constantly making conversation near impossible. But at least it was fast.
Fortunately, Tabitha decided to once more demonstrate that she was well prepared, as she managed to cast some wind spell which formed a protective sphere around them, allowing them to no longer need to cling to each other for dear life, in addition to breathe and talk normally. However, they still refrained from sitting up.
"Thank you," Louise said to Tabitha, while mentally switching tracks.
It was time to get serious once more.
"Then let us begin: What do you know of Sheffield?"
Tabitha likewise took a little time to compose herself, but then unexpectedly answered with a question.
"How did you meet her? What did she say to you?"
"I met her last night, in a dream," Louise answered.
"Oh, my. What kind of dream?"
"Shut up, Kirche." Louise cleared her throat once before continuing. "She spoke a lot in regards to the Moon, but it was all very cryptic. I got the feeling that she just likes appearing mysterious," Louise went on, in summation of her nightly encounter.
"Truly, this woman must be your soulmate."
"Shut up, Kirche. Tabitha, does this sound like the same 'Sheffield' you know of?"
Tabitha managed a nod.
"Sheffield the Dreamwalker. Assassin. Can kill people from within their dreams."
Louise raised an eyebrow. That was certainly ominous.
"How do you know this?" she asked. "I would not think there to be a way to link her to any murders she might commit."
Tabitha turned her body to the side in order to look Louise straight in the eyes, an expression of clear distaste on her face.
"Visited me. Once. For 'testing'."
She neglected to elaborate further and Louise didn't ask. For a while, they just flew in silence.
"Wait, Louise how did you get such a dangerous assassin after you in the first place? Is that why we're running?" Kirche asked, a hint of worry in her tone.
"…Sorry," Tabitha chimed in, sounding genuinely regretful. "Did not know it would be her. You cannot run. She will find you."
"You're responsible, Tabby?" Kirche asked, incredulous. "Shit. What do we do now, then? Just have Louise never sleep?"
Louise thought that, amusingly enough, such a strategy might actually work and she was possibly the only one who could pull it off too, but ultimately no such measures were needed.
"Don't worry, you two. There is no need to be concerned about me. I'm not running from Sheffield. In fact, last night, I chased her out of my dream."
Unexpectedly, Tabitha widened her eyes in shock.
"Impossible!" she declared.
Louise was surprised. That might have been the first time she have ever heard Tabitha raise her voice.
"How?" the bluette inquired.
Louise thought carefully about what to say next, how she should phrase it.
"The short answer is that my dreams are more powerful than ordinary dreams. I'll explain later, I promise, but can we just stay on Sheffield for now?
She paused to gauge Tabitha's reaction. A small nod made her continue her own line of questioning.
"How long has she been around? If she is well known, then why has she not been arrested? Who does she answer to?"
Tabitha's expression soured a little more, but she still answered.
"Works for King of Gallia. Has done so for years."
Well, that certainly explained why nobody would have put a stop to her. It made Louise wonder how this King ever got hold of the loyalty of a Void mage to begin with.
"Do you know anything about the King? I don't believe I even know his name."
Truth be told, Louise had never really bothered to keep up with foreign relations, or politics in the first place.
"Joseph," Tabitha answered. "Savior. Once."
Her voice grew so quiet that Louise could barely make out the words.
"Uh, could I ask you to elaborate on that?" Louise asked. "Unless it's something you don't wish to talk about, of course," she hurriedly followed up.
"Don't want to," Tabitha answered succinctly. She then turned around and pointed to Kirche who had been unusually quiet for a while. "You talk."
"What, me?" Kirche asked in a surprised tone. "You sure you don't want to tell her yourself?"
Tabitha shook her head.
"Well, fine. But feel free to jump in if I misremember anything. It's been a while."
Another small nod from Tabitha encouraged Kirche to go on. Louise thought it a bit odd to have someone else talk of your own past, but with Tabitha it was perhaps understandable.
"Well, the first you should know is that our little Tabitha is of the Gallian royal bloodline. Her name is actually Charlotte Hélène d'Orléans."
Kirche had paused, presumably for dramatic effect, but it also served as a respite for Louise giving her a little time to digest the new information. Tabitha was a princess? Then what in the world was she doing at the Tristain Magical Academy?
"Not quite what you expected, eh? Well, listen up. The story is just starting."
Kirche then continued.
"As I said, Tabitha is royalty. Specifically she is the daughter of the King's brother. A man who was once first in line to the throne. But obviously that's not how it played out, right? At some point, before the coronation, Joseph killed her father and became king himself. Then he chased Tabitha and her mother out of Gallia and that's how she came here."
"Wait, he killed your father just so he could become king? That's horrible!" Louise exclaimed.
How could a person be so cold as to kill their own family? No wonder Tabitha had a somewhat stunted emotional growth with that kind of trauma weighing her down. Louise was about to give her a consoling pat on the shoulder when Tabitha unexpectedly brushed her off.
"Not horrible. Father deserved it. Joseph saved me."
"Wait, what? That's news to me!" Kirche interjected loudly.
Tabitha turned away from the both of them, but Louise cold still make out the movements of the bluette's face. Tabitha looked like she was chewing on something incredibly bitter as she began to tell of her past.
"Father was always kind. To mother and me. To his brother. To everyone. But one day he changed. Grew insane."
"How? That doesn't just happen," Louise asked, well aware that she was being insensitive.
"Don't know. Just happened one day. He came to mother, to me. Wanted to perform … experiments."
Tabitha looked absolutely pitiful but she nevertheless continued her tale.
"He said something then. About the Moon. About 'Blood needing to return'. He did something to mother. She went insane too. But before he could come for me, Joseph stepped in. Killed him. Saved me."
Silence reigned following Tabitha's recollection. Louise sat silently, trying to digest the whole story while, Kirche seemed to be in a state of shock.
"Why did you never tell me any of this?!" she demanded to know.
"No need," Tabitha answered.
"How does Sheffield factor into all of this?" Louise asked.
Fortunately, Tabitha continued to be in a verbose mood as she began to explain.
"Showed up one day. Don't now from where. But soon after, it began again. In Joseph. Same madness as in father back then. But only slowly growing. Wanted to flee. But also wanted to help. So came here to study magic."
To help? Was that why Tabitha had been studying water magic? It made Louise reconsider what she talked with the girl about just a day earlier.
"Wait, so when you asked if my spell could cure illnesses, you meant if it could cure madness?" Louise asked as Kirche raised her head slightly and began looking between the two of them, utterly confused.
"Yes!" Tabitha answered intensely. "Read every book, every scroll, but no water spell can do it. Only you, Louise. You must cure him. Before it's too late."
"…I'll certainly try," Louise answered, a little hesitantly.
She certainly intended to keep her promise to Tabitha. But even if she could cure madness, which she was uncertain of, she currently did not have the time.
"Is this about your super healing spell, Louise?" Kirche asked. "Can it just cure something like mental illness? Is that even possible?"
"Normally, no. If what Tabitha says is true, then no water spell could accomplish such a thing. But … I'm not a water mage."
"What do you mean you're not a water mage?" Kirche objected. "It's always 'water this, sea that' with you. And all your spells are water related!"
Louise sighed deeply. This was going to be a long explanation. But it was one she owed her friends by now.
"My spells might look like water spells but that is only a superficial likeness. They are actually fundamentally different from conventional magic."
Louise noticed Tabitha perk up a little from her otherwise somewhat slumped state, and beginning to listen with interest. She went on.
"You see…"
(***)
"…So, if I get this right, ever since you botched the Summoning Ritual, an incredibly powerful being related to the sea has taken up residence in your dreams and transformed them into an endless ocean?"
Louise simply nodded. Yep.
"And then, this being considers you to be its child and that's why you can do awesome water magic that no one else can?"
Louise nodded again. Basically correct.
"…And then there's another powerful being that has something to do with the moons, and this Sheffield woman can use its powers to traverse dreams, and she visited your dream to foretell of a catastrophe that we're now trying to prevent?"
"That's the gist of it."
"I see, I see," Kirche said, nodding to herself. "You're insane," she declared.
"Shut up, Kirche," Louise shot back. "I am not insane and everything I said is true."
"Oh yeah? Then prove it!" She began gesturing towards the sky. "Look, there's a moon right there! Doesn't seem very powerful to me."
Indeed, as Louise looked, one of the moons was visible in the sky, though only barely visible as it was still early in the afternoon. Louise couldn't even tell which moon it was. But that wasn't the issue.
"That's because you don't have any eyes to see it with," she said.
"What? I have two right here," Kirche said, giving Louise a look of confusion
Louise shook her head. "They aren't really eyes," she explained. "Not in the true sense of the word, anyway."
Kirche had nothing to say to that, favoring instead to continue giving Louise a look which had now transcended confusion and turned into complete befuddlement. Instead, Tabitha spoke up, for the first time in a while.
"Meaning?"
Louise briefly thought about how best to phrase it.
"When you think about it, we don't really see with our eyes, do we? I mean, they just pick up light from the surroundings. It is in our mind where these signals are interpreted into an image. Fundamentally, we see with our brain. Without it, we are blind."
"But what if you don't have eyes. Then you also can't see anything," Kirche said.
"You're wrong. Even if I close my eyes, I can still see you clearly before me," Louise said, closing her eyes for the purpose of demonstration. "How your hair gets tangled by the wind, the contortions of your face, that wart on your nose…"
"That's just in your imagination," Kirche objected. "That's not the same as seeing at all. And I don't have a wart on my nose!"
"You're right, of course," Louise agreed. "The two are not identical. Compared to the image in my mind, the Kirche I see before me is filtered through the lenses of these organs you so naively calls 'eyes'. And there in lays their limitation! To truly understand the world you must see directly with your mind. Insight. Eyes on the inside! It is the purest form of perception. Only then, will you see the world for what it really is."
Louise finished her impromptu lecture by taking out her blindfold and pointing to the 'Eye' engraved upon it, hoping that they would come to the same understanding that she once had come to. Alas, such was not the case.
"Bullshit."
"Shut up, Kirche."
Kirche then proceeded to snatch the blindfold out of her hands.
"So how do you use this?" she asked.
Louise sighed but went on to explain anyway.
"I use it to block out my vision so that I may truly see."
"Really? And here I thought you were just trying to make a fashion statement."
Louise made no response, and so Kirche just did her best to tie the blindfold around her eyes which was quite a task since the three girls were still rather closely intertwined. She managed somehow, but then almost managed to fall off the dragon's back due to disorientation. Louise failed to hold back an amused snort.
"Doesn't work" Kirche declared dismissively. "Here, Tabby, you try it."
She handed the blindfold to Tabitha who seemed distracted, as if deeply lost in thought. Nevertheless, Kirche managed to get the bluette's attention, and with a little hesitation, Tabitha proceeded to try on the blindfold.
A short moment of silence followed as both Louise and Kirche watched Tabitha with interest. Eventually, she took of the blindfold and handed it back to Louise.
"I see nothing," Tabitha said in a disappointed tone.
"See? It doesn't work," Kirche declared. "You've just gone crazy, Louise. In fact, now that I think about it, those random fits of laughter were a dead giveaway. Maybe you should try out that insanity-curing spell on yourself…"
"Shut up, Kirche. If it hadn't been for your stupid comments I would have finished explaining why neither of you can use the 'Eye'."
Louise went on, once more assuming a lecturing tone.
"The 'Eye' does not grant sight by itself. Instead, it is meant to help you focus what sight you already have. It's a bit similar to a wand: You can give one to a commoner but they will never be able to use it to cast spells because they lack the fundamental gift of magic."
"Well, isn't that convenient," Kirche said skeptically. "So how can one attain this 'sight' then?"
"I don't know," Louise answered. "It would seem to have happened to me by accident. I wouldn't know how to replicate the circumstances. Besides, my first encounter with the Arcane; nary but a glimpse of the sea, left me comatose for a week. "
"Oh."
"Yes. This is not a matter to be taken lightly."
That left Kirche quiet for a while, allowing Tabitha to get a word in.
"Sheffield. Same as you?"
Louise nodded. "Yes, she is definitely another Void mage. Only, where I gain power from my connection to the sea, she would seem to have a connection to the Moon. Apparently, it gives her some dominion over dreams."
"Can you do the same?" Tabitha asked.
"Use the power of the Moon?" Louise responded, to clarify the question. She hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "I don't know. It's possible, I suppose, but I certainly haven't tried."
"Then, Earlier. Said you chased her out of your dream. How?"
"I do not know in truth what power Sheffield possesses or what is possible with the aid of the Moon. But I do know that it does not possess a monopoly on powerful dreams. When Sheffield barged into my dream, she was out of her depth, so to say."
Louise couldn't hold herself back and began to chuckle slightly at her own joke. Then she recalled the moment when she had wiped the confident smirk from that woman's face and she began to giggle a little more audibly.
"What did I say? A dead giveaway."
"Shut up, Kirche."
Kirche sighed.
"What do you make of all this, Tabby?"
Tabitha seemed to be lost in thought for a while before answering.
"Believe her," she said eventually.
"What, really?" Kirche asked, sounding surprised.
She looked at Tabitha and got back a serious nod.
"Fine, then. I guess I'll believe in your crazy nonsense too, Louise," she said in a somewhat defeated tone. "But where does this leave us?"
"Currently? On the back of a dragon headed to the capitol of Tristain in order to prevent a calamity soon to befall the entire nation, possibly orchestrated by an insane assassin wielding powers unheard of in six millennia," Louise answered, aptly summarizing their current situation. Hopefully Kirche would understand the gravity of the situation. Of course, it had the exact opposite effect and Kirche began to grin.
"When you put it like that, it sounds like the adventure of a lifetime. I'm in! Tabby?"
"In," confirmed Tabitha.
"So what's the plan then, what should we do?" Kirche asked enthusiastically.
"The plan is simple and it does not contain a we," Louise said. "I'm going to the capitol to warn the Princess. You two can do what you want when we get to the capitol, but neither of you are going with me to the palace. This is a matter of national security. And you two aren't citizens of Tristain."
"No fair! Why does it matter that we aren't from Tristain. You don't think we are going to leak secrets back to our countries, do you?" Kirche asked.
"Well, no…" Louise admitted.
My family is not important enough to have any influence with the Germanian Emperor and Tabitha is on the run from the Gallian King!"
"I get it, I get it. Haven't I already said that I trust both of you? Otherwise I wouldn't have told you any of this in the first place."
"But in that case, why can't we help you save your country? Surely, you don't intend to do so all by yourself."
"I'm not! I'm going to go warn the Princess and then the government will deal with it while I help in any way possible," Louise explained.
"Believe you?" Tabitha asked.
"Exactly!" Kirche continued, apparently getting the meaning. "If you try to tell them what you told us, they'll run you out of city if not burn you at the stake!"
"The Princess will believe me," Louise answered confidently.
"Even so, are you going to tell her everything? And even if she heeds your warning, how many people will believe that a Gallian assassin who can kill people in their dreams is behind whatever is coming? Face it: The two of us are the only ones crazy enough to buy into your nonsense. You are going to need us for this."
Tabitha managed a determined nod.
"Need us. Want to help."
Louise considered their words while her expression continually soured. They were right and she didn't like it.
"Fine, fine. Whatever happens, we will face it together," she said in a tone much less enthusiastic than what would usually be appropriate for such a statement. "But don't complain to me if Sheffield kills you in your sleep!" she warned them.
Tabitha grimaced a little at that, but gave another determined nod. Kirche seemed nonplussed. "You chased her out once, right? Can't you just protect us from her?"
Louise shook her head. "I wouldn't know how."
"Then figure it out!" Kirche said nonchalantly. "Aren't you supposed to be a legendary Void mage?"
Louise had only one response to that.
"Shut up, Kirche."
(***)
As they approached Tristania, they noticed a detachment coming out to greet them. Specifically, a squadron of Griffin Knights flew out to meet them in the airspace above the capitol. Perhaps arriving on the back of a dragon wasn't quite as subtle as Louise had thought earlier.
"Halt!" the leader of the band shouted to them through the air, holding up a hand. "Who goes there?"
Louise shouted back: "My name is Louise de La Vallière! I'm here to meet with Princess Henrietta."
Fortunately, he must have recognized at least her family name as he seemed to relax somewhat. He flew his griffin a little closer to Sylphid so that they could speak to each other without shouting.
"Of course, Lady Vallière. Allow us to escort you and your friends the rest of the way."
"Much obliged, sir," Louise responded.
They flew the remaining way to the palace without incidents, landing at the stables. The captain (whose name Louise hadn't gotten) then wished them well before taking off again. Apparently something had gotten the knights riled up enough to continually patrol the skies. Louise was curious as to what, but refrained from asking. She could always ask the Princess later.
"What now?" Kirche asked as she regained her bearings while Tabitha looked for a place where Sylphid could be taken care off.
"Don't worry, I know the palace well. The Princess will most likely be in either the throne room or her office. Follow me."
Joining up with Tabitha who had managed to convince a stable hand to take care of her dragon, the three made their way through the palace, led by Louise. Fortunately, the academy uniforms they wore easily identified them as nobles and no servants impeded them. On their way, Louise had politely requested that a servant show them to an empty room where they could prepare themselves to meet royalty. Their clothes and hair were a little frazzled following their flight, after all.
After briefly making sure they looked presentable, the three girls made their way to the Princess' office where Louise had guessed they would find her. And indeed, she would seem to have been right, as she recognized the woman standing in front of the closed door to the office.
"Hello Agnès," Louise said pleasantly, waving her hand at the woman who was in the middle of attempting to intimidate even the surrounding air away from the door.
She was of course met with a scowl, but a moderately friendly one, Louise thought.
"Lady Vallière," Agnès responded. "What brings you here?"
"I am here to speak with the Princess. It is an urgent matter," Louise said, letting seriousness seep into her tone.
Agnès shifted her scowl to a more severe one. She responded in a formal tone.
"Her Highness is currently in the midst of an important meeting. I cannot allow you to enter."
"A meeting with whom? And how long do think it will take?" Louise asked.
"I cannot disclose the nature of the meeting nor any of its attendants to you, Lady Vallière," Agnès answered, still keeping her voice formal.
Louise sighed. Talking to Agnès was like talking to a wall. Very well.
"I see. No way around it, then." She held up both her hands in defeat.
Agnès nodded once. "Thank you for understanding, Lady Valli-".
She didn't get a chance to finish that sentence as Louise chose to suddenly dash past her and reach out for the door handle. Fortunately, the door wasn't locked.
"Princess!"
After opening the door, Louise immediately spotted Henrietta who seemed to do a double take upon noticing the intruder. There was a brief moment of silence as the surprise sat in.
"Louise? What on earth are you doing here?"
Louise noted with glee that the Princess didn't sound angry, only utterly surprised. She was about to formulate some sort of response when she was suddenly seized by strong hands from behind. Fortunately, Henrietta reacted immediately.
"Agnès! Unhand her!"
"But Your Highness," Agnès protested. "She knowingly intruded upon your meeting!"
"That doesn't matter! Louise is my friend and I have told her that she could come visit me at any time. Now, unhand her."
"Of course, Your Highness."
Louise felt the grip around her loosen and turned around to briefly shoot an apologetic smile at Agnès. Whatever goodwill that woman might have had for her was surely gone by now. Well, never mind that. Louise turned around again and did a short curtsy before addressing the Princess again.
"My gratitude for your leniency, Your Highness," she said, her tone formal.
"Think nothing of it, Louise," Henrietta answered, waving her hand in front of her to indicate that it was a minor matter. "But … why are you here?" she asked.
Louise did a quick survey of the room. She had decided that she would either tell Henrietta of the danger straight up or try to schedule a meeting with her as soon as possible, depending on who was attending this meeting. But she recognized the people here, as well as their importance. They would definitely also want to know. Louise took a deep breath and spoke in the most serious tone she could muster.
"I have come to warn you that Tristain is facing imminent danger."
(***)
A pause followed her declaration. No one said anything but she had certainly gotten everybody's attention based on the way they were staring at her. She met each of their looks in turn.
Princess Henrietta. Louise thought her friend looked downright exhausted, but the Princess nevertheless seemed to have devoted her full attention to Louise. Louise could still see confusion in the Princess' eyes, but now there was also a twinge of worry. Or was it fear? Louise tried to give a small, reassuring smile before shifting her eyes to the next person.
Cardinal Mazarin. She recognized the clerical robes signifying his office, but she didn't really know the man. He looked mostly to be annoyed with being interrupted but beneath his look was also a certain curiosity. It was as if he was trying to discern her intentions just by looking at her. Sadly, such efforts were fruitless. Louise turned to meet the eyes of the next person.
General Gramont. Louise had never met this man in person before, but he looked somewhat familiar to her. His looks reminded her of an older Guiche, she realized, but his face bore an expression of severity unlike his foppish son and he had a certain air of quiet confidence about him. He looked at her with a piercing stare, either an attempt at intimidation or perhaps just his usual way of looking at people. But she thought she saw something else in his stare. A hint of … recognition? How odd.
Finally, she met eyes with the last person in the room. In truth, her eyes had been drawn to this person* immediately but she had unconsciously avoided their gaze. No longer. What met Louise's look was a steely glare unrivalled in intensity even by the combined efforts of Agnès and General Gramont. There was only one person capable of a look of such magnitude. The Duchess de La Vallière. Her own mother.
Once the leader of the Manticore Knights, her style of parenting had been identical to the military doctrine she once imposed on her soldiers, The Rule of Steel: To always hide one's emotions behind a wall of steel and to complete one's duty without question. Looks that could kill was, to Louise's knowledge, not a direct commandment of this rule but more of a treasured tradition. One which her mother had long since mastered.
In truth, Louise had always been scared of her mother. Her mother had never raised a hand against her, nor had her mother ever really scolded her, but neither had even been necessary. Just a look had always been enough. Even now, Louise felt her body shake a little, uncontrollably. It was sort of funny Louise thought. Despite trying her very hardest, she had never been able to quell her emotions to the degree her mother had required of her. Indeed, repeated failures had actually made her worse at controlling her emotions until she eventually developed - what she could now look back on and rightly call - a very nasty temper. But that had all changed, now. All thanks to Kos. Louise needed not fight against her emotions, but accept them as they were. So too would the Great One, instead of decrying her for having unwanted feelings in the first place. And in doing so, Louise was granted exactly the consolation she needed to make those unwanted feelings go away. Therein lay the humor of the whole situation. She was now able to embody the Rule of Steel should she choose to*. All thanks to a diametrically opposed ideal.
For the first time in all her life, Louise held her mother's gaze. She did, however, not quite manage to match her mother's expression, or rather lack thereof, instead slowly letting her mouth slip into a grin.
What do you think of me now?
Eventually, the silence was broken by Henrietta's voice.
"W-what is this danger you speak of?"
Turning her head towards Henrietta, Louise noted with curiosity the slight crack in the Princess' voice. Ah. Louise noticed it only now, but the atmosphere in the room had gotten quite tense. Just how long had the staring contest with her mother lasted? Louise let her expression flare up into an amused smile once more, before she schooled it back into a neutral mask.
"It is exactly as I said. I have come across information foretelling of a catastrophe that soon will strike Tristain. I deemed it of utmost importance to bring this information to you, Your Highness."
Henrietta didn't immediately answer, allowing Mazarin to respond.
"And where, pray tell, did you come across such information?" the Cardinal inquired skeptically.
Louise felt herself breaking into a small smile again. She had thought of how she should answer this exact question and had ultimately decided that sometimes, the best explanation was none at all.
"Trust me," she said.
The Cardinal didn't seem to have expected that.
"Preposterous. You barge in here, interrupt our meeting with some doomsday prophecy, and you expect us to just take your word for it?"
"Exactly." Louise answered.
She then watched, with some amusement, as the Cardinal's expression changed from one of annoyance into something resembling outrage, though it seemed that he quickly caught himself and resumed a calm demeanor once more.
"Duchess de La Vallière," he then said, addressing her mother. "I would advise that you ask your daughter to leave immediately. I believe her presence interferes with our work." His words were formal and polite, but his tone unmistakably held a note of hardness.
Louise had expected something like this. She knew of Cardinal Mazarin but had never really interacted with the man before. Why then, should he believe anything she had to say? Indeed, among the assembled, Louise expected that there were none who would just trust her words so suddenly. Except for one person.
"No." Henrietta's voice rang out once more, this time clearly. "Louise will stay right here. I want to hear all she has to say."
"You believe her then?" asked Mazarin, sounding not surprised but rather somewhat resigned.
"I do," Henrietta answered
Louise was relieved to hear that and managed to trade a quick smile with the princess before her mother spoke up, surprising her.
"I, too, believe that my daughter is not one to lie or joke about such a matter. And I would advise you, Cardinal, not to insinuate such."
Louise saw her mother send a quick, icy glare towards the cardinal who quickly raised both his hands in surrender.
"Of course," he said.
"Well then, let's hear it girlie," said General Gramont, speaking up for the first time. "What's this doomsday prophecy about?"
Louise nodded and did a short curtsy to show them her gratitude for hearing her out.
"Since I made my way here in haste upon learning this information, I have yet to unravel its meaning, and so I shall repeat it to you as it was told to me."
She then cleared her throat once.
"Tristain's demise is near; The Holy Ones approach."
(***)
At her words, a collective sigh seemed to go through the room as they all shared a grimace simultaneously. Except of course for Louise's mother who kept her overall facial expression as impassive as usual but somehow managed to narrow her eyes even further.
"Go tell your oracle, girl," began general Gramont, being the first to speak up. "That doomsday prophecies belong in stories and should not be so grounded in reality."
What? Did that mean they understood its meaning?
"I take it then that you understand its meaning?" she asked.
Truthfully, she had expected that she would need to convince them to take the vague warning seriously before attempting to decipher it together. Apparently that wouldn't be needed.
"Albion," said Henrietta. "It's most likely about Albion."
"Or what will be left of it once Cromwell is done there," Gramont added sourly.
Albion? Last Louise had heard of it, it was getting to be quite ugly, but that was a while ago.
"What exactly has been happening there? I haven't really been keeping up," she admitted.
"It's no wonder, you haven't," continued Gramont. "Cromwell has closed off the damn port. The whole island is in the dark!"
"Watch your language in front of my daughter, General."
Gramont cut himself off and briefly glanced to the side. "Oh, for … Is now really the time to keep up formality, Karin?"
What a silly question, Louise thought. With her mother, it was always time to keep up formality. Indeed, this would seem to be so well understood that her mother did not grace the question with a response and neither did the General seem to require one, as he instead gave an exasperated sigh.
"Regardless," he said. "You know of the Reconquista, yes?"
Louise nodded.
"Bunch of crazies," he went on, with unmistakable distaste. "With Cromwell leading them, it's turned into a da-, a full on revolt!"
"You mean like a peasant uprising?" Louise asked. That was certainly bad news.
"Of the worst kind," confirmed Gramont. "They don't take prisoners. They just execute every noble they come across like a bunch of bloodthirsty beasts."
"But what of Cromwell himself, is he not nobility?"
Gramont scoffed. "Not anymore. The last things he did before closing the ports was to publicly renounce his title, distribute his wealth amongst his followers and declare that he was going to make a new theocracy of Albion; All men equal, below Brimir. Yet somehow, I get the feeling that in the end, Cromwell will end up on top of it all."
What an unpleasant man, Louise thought. To forcibly remove the nobility from their rightful positions of power and then have the gall to speak of following the Founder's way? Preposterous.
"And how far has he made it towards his aims?"
This time, it was the Princess who answered her, as the General remained silent.
"In truth, we don't know," she explained. "Ever since the ports were closed off, getting information of the situation there has proved … difficult."
Her next sentence was spoken with an unmistakable hint of sadness.
"The latest news we have, told us that the remaining vestiges of nobility as well as the royal family of Albion have retreated to the capitol, trying to hold out a siege by the Reconquista. Most likely it will be in vain."
"And that was a week ago," said Gramont. "For all we know, Cromwell could be declaring himself the new Pope as we speak."
"Unfortunately, that is most likely not far off," commented Mazarin. "That man's arrogance knows no bounds. What a travesty of faith."
"Hmph," scoffed Gramont. "Cromwell may be deluded but the man isn't stupid. Rather than focus on whatever bullshit he's peddling – apologies, Karin – we should be on the lookout for what his Reconquista will do once they've finished tearing up Albion."
Louise didn't like where this was going. Not one bit.
"And what do you think will happen?" she asked.
Gramont answered with another scoff. "There's only one thing that can happen. The Reconquista isn't an army; it's barely even a militia. They are just commoners out for the blood of the nobility. Even Cromwell won't be able to control them. Once they've strung up the royal family of Albion, he will have to direct their bloodlust towards a new target, lest they turn on him. And what better target than the smallest country in Halkeginia also inhabited by the most nobles?"
"So then …" Louise tried to finish the man's train of thought.
"Yes," confirmed Henrietta.
"Soon, Tristain will be going to war."
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(***)
Wew. It's been a while since the previous chapter. Apologies for the delay. Hopefully the next chapter will not take as long to come out as this one.