A/N
I'm back! Sorry for the wait.
Disclaimer: I own a pink teddy bear, and nothing else!
Chapter 19
Bishops and Pawns
Ever so slowly, my eyes fluttered open. For a time the world around me was nothing but blurs as my eyes adjusted to the light, but as I surfaced more I could discern a few forms hovering over me, as well as a painfully bright light to one side.
Soooo... I'm not dead? I wondered. It would be nice to still be among the living, and the fact that I was conscious at all was encouraging. On the other hand, I was pretty sure there was no surviving my wounds.
I tried to focus, but the grogginess was not going away so easily. I was aware only of two things: I was unbelievably thirsty, and there were hushed noises nearby that, when I focused on them, became barely audible voices. I tried to speak to them, but my parched throat made no sound.
"He's coming around," one of the voices said. "Go tell the Duke."
I felt glass pressed to my mouth, and a trickle of cool liquid passed my dry lips. Those few drops worked wonders, instantly washing away the parched feeling in my throat, but they did not quite quench my thirst. I tried to drink more, but the bottle was pulled away.
"Not so fast, or ye'll make yerself sick," the same voice said sternly. Any thought of getting up flew from my mind as something soft was put under my head and a warm feeling began to spread through my chest, numbing the pain of my wounds. I drifted off to sleep.
I couldn't have slept long, but when I woke I felt incredibly refreshed. That liquid must have been something more than just water, because within moments of opening my eyes again I could feel strength returning to my limbs and my weariness fading away. I moved my arms, tentatively at first, and felt around me. I lay on a wooden surface, my head pillowed on a folded blanket, and one of the figures from before still stood over me. The air smelled strongly of the flowers and incense favored by Sienne's wealthier citizens, but underneath that was the slight metallic tang of blood.
The more I moved, the stronger I felt, and before long things began to come into focus: the brightness became a small window set high in the wall and above a shelf to my left, the blurs on the walls turned into clothes hanging on pegs, and the figure above me resolved itself into a young laguz woman. She gave me another drink of the elixir, and then returned the bottle to a shelf under the window.
The second drink strengthened me almost as much as the first, and despite a little stiffness in my joints I was able to pull myself up into a sitting position on the table. I felt a small twinge of pain in my side, and looked down to see that my midsection was wrapped in bandages, a dark red patch marking the spot where the quarrel had struck me. My arm and leg were also bandaged, but so far I felt little pain from those wounds. I figured I was strong enough to stand, so I swung my legs over the side of the table and rose to my feet.
"Dammit, ye fool!" the woman hissed, rushing back over when she heard my grunt of pain. I sat back down on the table, grimacing at the sharp sting in my thigh. Apparently I was not ready to stand just yet. "I didn't spend hours patching ye up just so ye could rip yerself back open the moment ye wake. Now lie down before I knock ye out!"
"But I-" I tried to protest, but she placed a hand on my head and forced me to lie back on the table.
"Good human," she said condescendingly. "Now stay put." She went to leave again, but I grabbed her arm.
"How long have I been out?" I asked.
"Eleven hours or so. Wounds as bad as yers don't heal fast."
"And the princess, is she alright?" I asked almost before the poor woman finished speaking.
"She had a few scratches, nothin' too bad," the woman replied curtly. I sighed in relief and lay back on the table.
There was a soft knock at the door, preventing any more questions. The woman motioned one last time for me to stay, then went to answer it.
A tall, fit laguz wearing the uniform of one of Hetzel's assassins stood on the other side of the door. His hood was pulled back, revealing close-cropped black hair and a familiar face that my still-scrambled mind could not quite place.
"The Duke wants to see him," he said simply. The voice was familiar too, but the pieces just weren't falling into place.
"He's not ready to walk, not yet," the woman protested.
"Then get him ready; they can't stay here much longer."
"Oh, well why didn't ye say so before? Yeah, I'll just 'get him ready' to walk with a bloody hole in his leg! Goddess, Kezhda, ye can be so dense." That's it! Kezhda was the guy who saved Nephenee from a Feral. I quietly congratulated myself for remembering. "We've done all we can with staves an' elixirs, but it'll be days, even weeks before those wounds fully heal, and that's only if he takes it easy!" She threw a pointed glare my way with that statement.
Kezhda reached for something out of my sight. "I thought that might be the case,' he replied evenly. He brought his arm back, and tossed a cane my way. I was caught off guard, and the cane smacked me on the nose before I got hold of it. "There, now he can walk."
My caretaker started to protest again, but I ignored her. My right leg was of little use to me, but my arm was fine and should have little difficulty holding me up.
A little more cautiously this time, I sat up and eased myself off the table, putting all my weight on my left leg, and then steadying myself with the cane. I took a few careful steps, just to get comfortable with the cane, and then turned back to Kezhda. "Let's not keep the Duke waiting, then," I declared as I retrieved my shirt from a peg on the wall. The woman frowned angrily, but Kezhda just flashed a triumphant smirk.
"Right this way," Kezhda said as he marched on ahead. I hobbled after him as fast as I could lest his longer stride leave me behind.
The building, or at least the parts I saw as I followed Kezhda to meet the Duke, was a stark contrast to the plain room I had been kept in. The stone walls bore all the finery typical of Begnion palaces and mansions, and the marble floors and pillars had a polished sheen so perfect I could see my reflection plain as day. Unlike other manors I had seen, though, this one had narrow doorways, sturdy oak doors that could be barred from the inside, and almost no windows; the place felt like a fortress, not a home.
The manor seemed largely empty, as well; I saw only a few servants, and noted with surprise that all of them seemed to be laguz, much like the woman who tended my wounds. Were it any other house my first thought would be that they were slaves, but from everything I had seen of Hetzel and his men I was certain that was not the case. Before I could think of even a remotely plausible explanation, we reached the upper level of an atrium that served as the entrance to the mansion. Slow footsteps and a pair of voices, one familiar, the other not, came from below, and as soon as he heard them Kezhda stopped and pushed me towards the wall.
"Stay out of sight," he whispered. From where I stood I could not see the main floor, but I could plainly hear what was being said. After a moment, I identified the familiar voice as Duke Hetzel's.
"Yes, yes, it is a most unfortunate business. To think, a captain of the cathedral guard betraying his charge? It's unheard of!" Hetzel was saying.
"A travesty, to be sure," a deep, resonant voice agreed. "But of more concern to me is her current whereabouts; who knows what terrible mischance might befall a young woman lost in the streets of Sienne?"
"Who indeed?" Hetzel echoed amicably. "I am afraid that I am too old to be out and about, but I have seen many of your men in the city today, Vice-Minister, no doubt aiding the Holy Guard in their search. Surely any such mischance will be prevented."
"One can only hope," the man that must have been Vice-Minister Lekain replied. It could have been just me, but I could swear his sincerity sounded a little forced.
"Now that guard captain, Varic or Tarus or whatever his name was, I seem to recall him captaining your guard not too long ago." The footsteps stopped abruptly, but no audible response came from Lekain. "How fortunate for you that he forsook his honour only after leaving your service."
"It is fortunate that I saw him for the faithless mongrel he was, and was rid of him," Lekain corrected stiffly, almost defensively.
"Of course, and it is good that you did; where would our nation be without you?" The footsteps resumed, moving further away as the two Senators approached the mansion's entrance. After a brief pause, Hetzel continued. "Faithless or not, though, it would take quite the sum to persuade a cathedral guard to throw away his career. His employer must be a man of no small means."
"There are many such men in Sienne. Finding the culprit would be nigh impossible."
"Not when most of those men have declared their support for the Princess. If she is found alive, no doubt she will have her detractors investigated closely. Anyone harboring anti-Crimean sentiment - or worse yet ties to Daein - could find the next few days very, shall we say, trying."
"She is bringing us to war, and with war comes territory. You will find no anti-war sentiment in the Senate, unless you yourself entertain such cowardly thoughts," Lekain retorted, expertly dodging Hetzel's unspoken question.
"Lekain, you wound me. Have you ever known me to shy away from a good war?"
"Never. Which brings us to the other matter I needed to discuss with you; it is a terrible notion - I weep at the thought - but we must have contingencies in place in case this search cannot save the Princess." Lekain paused, no doubt gauging his counterpart's reaction. "Should the worst come to pass, and our dear guest does not survive, I and many other Senators feel it would be most fitting if Begnion were to reclaim Crimea in her stead. After all, it would not do to let an assassin end her dream. I can count on your support for such an endeavor?" Lekain asked, his voice sweet as honey. A shudder coursed down my spine as the implications of that statement sank in.
"I will make that decision if and when the time comes, my friend, and not before. Until then, I shall pray for her safe return," Hetzel answered carefully.
"And so shall I. Now if you will excuse me, I must go check in with my guards," the Vice-Minister stated curtly. The great doors to Hetzel's mansion creaked loudly, then closed with a resounding boom that echoed through the atrium. Silence descended once again on the near-empty building.
"Alright, we can move again. It's not much further," Kezhda said, leading the way once again. A few minutes later, we reached set of double doors guarded by two hooded figures much like the ones who'd killed Varus' men. The guards stepped aside to let us past, and Kezhda knocked gently, then held the door open and waved me through.
I found myself standing in what appeared to be the Duke's solar, a spacious living area with a large (for this house, at least) set of windows overlooking the street and front gate of the manor three stories below. The Princess was seated comfortably on a sofa, gazing out the window as the sun's last rays sank slowly behind the maze of rooftops and towers.
"Your Grace," I greeted Elincia, bowing as low as the bandages allowed.
She turned my way, and though she was smiling I winced to see that she too had bandages on her arm, as well as a nasty bruise under one eye. If her injuries caused her any pain, though, she did not show it. "Adam! Thank the Goddess, I thought you were... well, it is good to see you up so soon." She indicated an empty armchair and I sank into the cushioned seat, glad to get the weight off my sore leg.
For a few seconds I couldn't speak as my mind raced to catch up with everything, but finally I blurted out. "M'lady, I failed you. If Lord Hetzel hadn't come when he did..."
"Nonsense. It was Varus who failed me, not you and Jeb." Her face hardened at the mention of the brave young recruit. "Varus will answer for his crimes."
"I'd like to be there when he does," I added, anger rising in my chest at the mention of that traitorous bastard. I focused my thoughts elsewhere before it made me lose my cool in front of the princess. "Have you had a chance to speak with Hetzel yet?"
"No, not yet. I have hardly seen him since we arrived," Elincia replied. She glanced around furtively for a second, and then murmured "All this mysterious behavior has me worried. Why not just return us to the Mainal Cathedral? And I do not know if you have noticed, but-"
"The laguz?" I asked. She nodded. "I don't know what to make of that, but for now at least it looks like they're on our side," I replied, shrugging helplessly.
Before we could discuss it any further, the doors creaked and Duke Hetzel entered, followed closely by Kezhda.
"My sincerest apologies, Your Highness. I did not mean to keep you waiting, but keeping your location a mystery has been no easy task," Hetzel declared as he strode over to us. Here, in his own house, he stood much straighter than when he was out in public, and while he was by no means a large man he looked far less old and frail. In fact, the way he carried himself - shoulders back, spine straight, chest out - almost reminded me of an experienced warrior like Zihark or Titania. Hetzel took a seat opposite Elincia.
"There is no need to apologize, my Lord. After all, my bodyguard and I owe you our lives," Elincia replied courteously.
"Your safety is very important to us. I wish we could have come to your rescue sooner, but we lost track of you in the alleys," the Duke explained.
"And who is 'we', exactly?" I asked. The hooded laguz were clearly good at killing people, but I beyond the silly rumors Jeb had been spouting I knew nothing about them. I felt a brief pang of sadness; Jeb would have loved meeting Hetzel's assassins. Poor kid.
Hetzel smiled and settled into a more comfortable pose on his seat, drumming his fingers thoughtfully. He considered his answer for a minute before speaking. "We are a secretive group dedicated to fighting slavery, much like your pirate friends," he finally replied. I gulped; this guy knew more about me than I thought, but why would he have information on me? "Our methods are much more subtle, though."
"So, you work for the Apostle too?" Elincia asked.
"We have a common enemy, but she does not - and cannot - know of us," Hetzel answered firmly. "Suffice it to say that the actions we are sometimes forced to take would not reflect well on the Apostle, nor would she ever approve of them."
"Actions such as...?" Elincia inquired. Before Hetzel could answer, I cut in.
"Actions such as breaking into the Mainal Cathedral to kill a noble and a merchant, then steal any documents you need," I said on a hunch, referring to the incident that got me assigned as Elincia's bodyguard in the first place. After all, who else was good enough to pull that off?
"Obviously we can't tell-" Kezhda started, but Hetzel cut him off.
"Yes. Do you understand now why we must keep the Apostle in the dark?"
Elincia, an idealist even now, looked shocked and a little repulsed by Hetzel's admission, but she nodded. "Why save me, then? What do I have to do with your fight?" she asked.
"Two reasons, my dear girl. First, I need this war to happen, and I need you to win it. Daein is in control of Crimea, Gaddos and his ilk want you dead so they can have Crimea to themselves, and if either the Senate or Daein control Crimea for long enough, your country will be used as a staging point for an invasion to Gallia."
"And if that happens the slave trade in Begnion grows out of control, whatever the laws might say, and your fight becomes unwinnable," Elincia reasoned. Hetzel nodded approvingly. "And the second reason?"
"Your father was an old friend of mine, from long before you were born." Elincia could not have looked more surprised if she tried, but the Duke did not elaborate. "I could do nothing to save King Ramon, but I can keep his only daughter safe, at least so long as you are in Begnion."
"My father never spoke of you," Elincia finally replied.
"With good reason, no doubt," Hetzel said cryptically. He took a quick glance at the windows, and nodded. I followed his gaze, and saw that dusk was fast descending on Sienne. "Now, I would love to sit here for the rest of the night and tell you all about the glory days of my youth, but I am afraid that you need to get back to the Mainal Cathedral before Duke Gaddos declares you dead," the Duke chuckled. He turned to Kezhda. "Kezhda, is your escort team ready?"
"Alda, Tewdrig and Meurig are ready to go. We can be gone in five minutes, but we're going to need some kind of distraction to get there without Gaddos knowing," the assassin answered.
Hetzel nodded thoughtfully. "I have sent Rhodri's team to the harbour; they will eliminate enough of Gaddos' men to draw his attention away. That should give you a brief window to reach the cathedral."
"It will have to do," Kezhda said grimly before striding over to the solar's door and holding it open. A pair of laguz assassins strode into the room bearing dark, hooded cloaks for Elincia and myself.
"You two had better get ready," Hetzel said. "You've a long night ahead of you."
A/N
One hundred and seven reviews. Breaking one hundred reviews is quite the milestone, and if you told me a year ago that it would happen so soon I would have laughed. I am truly honoured that so many of you take the time to give me feedback, and I thank you all for your continued support. As always, please don't hesitate to leave a review or drop me a PM; I love hearing from/talking to you.
Review response:
SineGloria: I will get to that in the next couple chapters. People from Earth are going to be showing up under slightly different circumstances now...
This (admittedly short) chapter is long overdue, and my only excuses are essays and procrastination. Hopefully I will have more time to devote to writing once I get a few more essays handed in, and hopefully I will be more inclined to get off LOTRO and actually write. Until next time, dearest readers, I bid you adieu.