I highly recommend listening to the track 'Re_birthday' by Len-san, while reading this chapter. I don't know why, but I feel that it is one of mothy-san's biggest masterpieces ever. Enjoy!
' "Allen! Allen!" Rillianne screamed. Her lungs felt hoarse, dry and broken. Her voice cracked. "Come out! Stop hiding! I know you're there! You can't win this time!" She screamed again at the falling, burning palace, her hands clenched into tight, unyielding fists, shaking it furiously at the fire. "You stupid, you idiot pra—bra- praaaa- AAAAAARG!"
Queen Anne stood next to her, begging and weeping, "Rillianne, we have to go! We'll find Allen later! We have to go!" She clutched Rillianne's arm.
Surrounding them were the Queen's Guard, huge, burly men generously encased into thick, heavy metal armour, and wielding scary swords. They were to escort the Royal family of Lucifenia to a safe refuge in the countryside. They shifted on the toes nervously as they watched the pleading Queen and her stubborn-as-a-goose daughter arguing viciously. Around them, the maze seemed to be closing in on them. They were in the garden's huge maze, designed to confuse the enemies and trick their senses, allowing the Royal family to slip away safely.
When the fire started, Anne, Rillianne and Allen had been brought out of the palace immediately, but Allen insisted that he needed to retrieve something and rushed back in, despite protests from his mother, whom he had never disobeyed before.
And now, where was Leonhart? Oh, forget it! Let him be! He was probably out fighting the Asmodeans. Anne sensed an impending headache. Her temples were throbbing. Rillianne had always been the most stubborn out of the two, but now, she was downright disobedient!
"Rillianne," Anne pleaded. "We really have to go! The Asmodean army is approaching the palace! They'll take you away if you stay here! PLEASE!"
"NO! I'M STAYING UNTIL I FIND ALLEN!"
Anne snapped, right there and then. Her nostrils flared, and hit Rillianne across the face, hard and roughly, with a resounding PIAK.
Rillianne's cheek smarted horribly. In all her six years of life, Mother had never hit her at all. Until now.
She stared up at all her expressionless mother with huge, wounded, yet disbelieving eyes. The light of the fire cast flickering, shifting, ever-changing shadows across Anne's face. Anne's eyes glinted coldly, looking as regal as a queen, and she stared down at her daughter, as if daring her to refuse again. You couldn't tell even tell that she was an emotional wreck a few seconds before.
Rillianne's voice quavered. "You—you- hit-"
Anne didn't wait to hear the rest of it. She turned, her long skirts rustling, to cast a withering glance at the closest guard to her. If looks could kill, this poor guard would have been six-feet under and pushing up daisies.
"What are you waiting for?" She snapped at him in a voice cold enough to burn. "Go! Carry her if you have to!"
The guards shared apprehensive looks. Finally, a tall man came forward, and heaved Rillianne into his arms, grasping her firmly. Rillianne winced and squirmed uncomfortably, but she never opened her mouth to complain.
Then, the whole group disappeared into the shadows of the night.
Meanwhile, Leonhart was somewhere that no good commander worth his salt would go to, in a time of battle. ("Aww, he didn't die!" "Mekaito! Don't say that!")
Why, that would be his home.
He had ridden all the way home on his trusty stallion, Lolia, to drop Allen off for his servants and adopted daughter, Jermeille, to nurse.
"Father! Father!" A busty twelve-year old donning in a simple red cotton dress burst through the huge front doors of the mansion. She clattered down the steps in bare feet, her dress billowing after her. "Oh Father-" She stopped dead, before her father, clutching his arm, "You're not hurt, are you? And did you see? The city! It's burning! They won't come here, will they? The Asmodeans? We do live in the countryside after all- And who is this?" She peered curiously at Allen, her brown, choppy locks brushing over his nose. He sneezed, and groaned softly.
"Take him, Jermeille, I have to go fight," he rasped. He dropped Allen onto the floor, and clambered back onto Lolia. He jerked her reins, and she whinnied magnificently, and took off to the battlegrounds. He was gone as fast as he had come.
Jermeille watched after his disappearing figure. "Good luck," She called, but of course, he couldn't hear her. She glanced down at Allen quizzically. She heaved him up onto her shoulders, with a lot of effort and difficulty.
"Ack!" She wheezed. "You're heavy for a six-year old, you know that?"
Cursing under her breath, she waddled slowly up the staircases and into the mansion.
It was the break of dawn.
The sun rose slowly, colouring the sky, its rays falling onto the land gently. The colour-dotted skies greeted Leonhart's eyes as he looked out the window of his carriage, driving a gravelly road to the Anne's summer chateau that served as a refuge from war.
"We're reaching soon, Your Highness," He told the smiling Allen warmly, chuckling all the while. "You look mighty pleased!"
"Of course, Sir Leonhart!" Allen chirruped. He was clutching a half-woven weed and wild-flower circlet, and a portrait of his father, the late King Als, which was rolled into a tight scroll, in his grubby little hands. "I'm going to see Mother and Rillianne again!"
He grinned at Leonhart shyly this time. "Thank you for saving me from the fire yesterday, Sir Leonhart! You're really brave, ending the war and all that! You even captured the commander of Asmodean! I'm pretty sure Mother will want to reward you! I would too! What would you want?"
Leonhart laughed good-naturedly, and embarrassedly. He was not used to these kinds of praises, especially from a chubby little kid. "No… No…" He waved his hand dismissively. "All that I ask for would to be serving under the rule of my beloved Lucifenia."
"Cool! When I grow up, I wanna' be just like you too!"
The carriage shuddered as it drove over a particularly rocky part of the road.
Leonhart smiled. "Thank you, Your Highness. That is really kind of you to give me such praises."
"Its true! And I'll be a wonderful ruler and be kind to my people, just like Mother! And I'll protect Rillianne!"
Leonhart smiled fondly at him. What a bright, compassionate mind, he thought. The future of Lucifenia will be safe in his hands.
The carriage slowly drove up the winding driveway of the chateau, before it slowly came to a stop.
"Ah, we're here! Please follow me, Your Highness." Leonhart helped Allen down, and took him by the hand.
They walked into the enormous chateau, where the guards flanking the front doors recognised Allen and Leonhart. "Your Highness! My Lord! Good morning!" They bowed low. Leonhart acknowledged them with a grunt and a nod of his head, whereas Allen said primly, "You may rise. Thank you." The thick carpet made shuffling noises as they pattered across the floor.
They walked up the flight of grand staircases and as they neared the Hall of Functions where a meeting between Queen Anne and her advisors were ongoing, Leonhart dropped Allen's hand. "All right, your Highness. I'm going to tell your mother that you're alive, safe and sound, okay? Don't come here unless I tell you to. It's a surprise!"
"Mm!" Allen nodded eagerly. He ambled off to one of the couches nearby, and sat down, and started to weave the circlet from where he left off, engrossed in twisting the strands of tough weeds and flowers.
Leonhart smiled fondly at him, and started towards the Hall, when suddenly, a full-fledged shriek, ceased his legs to function. "NO!"
Leonhart frowned. Wasn't that the Queen's voice? He edged toward the door, and peered through a tiny crack in the door.
There was, seated comfortably in their plush leather chairs, were the full court of the Queen's advisors. From young to old, juniors to seniors were all of the advisors. Except Leonhart. Why wasn't he invited? His face flushed red, and he continued to watch.
"No! No! I simply do not allow it!" Queen Anne's face was red, and she clenched her hands into fists. She was at her usual seat at the table. For a person who had gotten the Plague, she seemed very active and energetic enough to yell and scream.
"But Your Majesty! Lucifenia can only have one heir to the throne! Only one! You have two children!" cried a newly appointed advisor. Leonhart recognised him. Mr Duncaes What's-his-name, Leonhart remembered.
The other advisors all murmured in agreement, nodding their heads solemnly.
"Rillianne will do! Please!" cried another old geezer. It was Mr Mathieu Chariss, was it? Leonhart wondered. He always sat next to that man during meetings, and he smelt like rotten, raw herring dipped in vinegar. He frowned. It sounded suspicious.
And the next sentence stopped Leonhart's heart for a second.
"That's why we mustn't search for Allen, nor allow him to return to the Royal family and palace as crown prince," concluded Duncaes What's-his-name. "We must eradicate him! A girl will do as the next successor in line! A girl is easier to manipulate, and will be more tame!"
"You're asking me to abandon my own son, my blood and flesh, who may be lying underneath all the debris and rubble, still alive and breathing? Are you bastards mad?" Anne spat out at them. Her hand slammed down on the painstakingly carved mahogany rosewood table. It creaked and groaned, and Leonhart guessed that Anne might have been hitting the table a lot of times from when the meeting first started.
"It's the only choice! It's cruel! But we have to do it! Do you want to ruin the country in the future when Allen and Rillianne are trapped in a struggle for power? Your Majesty," called another of the advisors. There were more murmurs of agreement from his comrades.
"Leonhart would never allow this!" cried Anne. She slammed the table again, more forcefully.
"And that is why we didn't invite him," exclaimed Duncaes. "Your Majesty, with power, comes great responsibility. You have to make great sacrifices. For your own country's sake. You have to sacrifice your son. You have to kill him." Leonhart glowered in rage, fuming quietly. Of course he would not! It was cold-blooded murder!
NO! That's rubbish! Allen would never become a power-hungry tyrant! Leonhart wanted to cry out, but his political instincts stopped him.
Anne started to cry. She buried her face in her pale hands. She shook and wailed in agony. All her advisors watched her, waiting for her answer.
"You selfish fools! Allen was never your son, never your own blood and flesh. How can you condemn an innocent boy to this fate?" Leonhart whispered, voice thick with rage.
Please, my Queen. Say no!
Anne looked up at her advisors with contempt and hatred, slowly raising her head. Her eyes burned. "All of you are heartless wolves!"
Some of the advisors recoiled at the murderous light in the Queen's eyes. Some flinched, and looked down at their laps in shame.
She started to cry again, her tears like fat, sparkling freshwater pearls dropping off her cheeks and onto the table, with quiet 'plip, plops'.
Leonhart felt hope. Surely, Her Majesty would disagree?
"Fine."
And Leonhart felt his heart drop, into a cold, dark pit. All, all of Allen's hopes for the future was dashed at once. He would never see his Mother's face again. Nor his sister's face.
Poor Allen.
He drew in a sharp breath, and shifted his body weight to another foot. The door creaked, and Anne turned, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. He held his breath, and slid away. She scrutinised the door, then relaxed.
"I," She spat out the words in a tone of acid, and extreme melancholy, her face twisting in agony. "Queen Anne Lucifen d' Autriche, will…will…" Her voice broke, and she shuddered, fresh tears flowing down her face. "Will not save…save…my son…s-son-" She paused apprehensively and let out a sob. "T-the crown pr-prince of Lucifeni-ni-nia," She stammered and sat back in her chair, clenching her fists. "Allen…Allen…Oh, Allen…" She wailed heart-brokenly. An advisor next to her patted her shoulder, and she snatched it away, her lips pulled back in a guttural snarl, "Don't touch me!"
He drew back his hand in fear, and she continued, "Lu-Lu-cifeni-ni-nia d' Autriche, no matter how badly it tears me apart. May Lord have mercy on my soul!" She spat her sentence out, and collapsed onto the tabletop, all life drained from her. She sobbed loudly, and let out a wail that could melt the hardest of hearts.
"Forgive m-me, Allen," She screamed. "I'm- I'm a terrible mother!"
All the advisors murmured in debate, while Anne continued to cry.
Leonhart froze. And he did not move. It was like last night's fire. It had stolen all his senses.
Thoughts gushed through his mind, like water over a cliff.
I have to save him.
But you'll be breaking the law.
He's an innocent boy! Its cold-blooded murder!
Queen Anne trusts you! You can't do this! Turn in the boy!
What are you, Lion or Man?
He blinked.
I'm a Lion.
And he grabbed Allen, tucking him under his arm, despite a yelp of shock from the chubby little prince. And he ran out of the chateau, blowing past shocked door guards, and into the carriage.
He slammed the door, and yelled to his driver. "Listen, Ainsel, do you want to get a two-hundred dollar bonus for today?"
An excited squeak from the gangly servant meant yes.
"Then you'll have to break a few traffic rules. Speed on!"
The carriage jerked forward before Leonhart could even finish his sentence.
Allen looked at Leonhart questioningly. "Why… aren't I… with Mother?"
Leonhart looked at him. His big, blue eyes, radiating pure innocence. Pure naivety.
And he hugged him, tightly.
"Allen… you're not longer His Royal Highness Allen Lucifen d' Autriche… You can't return to the palace anymore… You're Allen Abaddonia now. My son."
"Why?"
The look in Allen's eyes was just plain quizzical. No anger, sadness. He must've known that there was a proper explanation for all this.
Leonhart sighed sombrely. Poor kid.
"I'll tell you later at home… Son." '
Kaito closed the book gently, and looked at his brother and sister. "So..?"
A chorus of gentle snoring came. Kaiko and Mekaito were sleeping peacefully in bed, tucked into their blankets like a sausage roll. Kaito smirked at Kaiko's pajamas, given to her as a birthday present from Len. It was bright blue and had the famous 'Bananas in Pajamas' dancing a happy waltz. She seemed more like three, rather than twelve.
Kaito chuckled. "Oh."
"Well," he dusted off his knees, yawning and stretching. "Goodnight, guys."
He bent over and planted a kiss on their foreheads with a quiet 'chuu'.
They were rather cheeky sometimes, but they were so adorable and angelic when sleeping. He forgot that fact sometimes.
He smiled, and flicked the nights off as he slipped out of the room. Pitch darkness fell.
Well..? Like it? I hope you do...
Good night guys, I'm tired too.