Chapter Eleven - Calm Before a Storm
That evening, after a day spent sorting prisoners and conscripting new volunteers for the Princess' new personal army, Calista sat next to a fire with Matilda and Agnes and shared the bottle of wine promised to them. Calista swirled the wine in her glass before taking a sip to sample.
"My compliments Matilda. This is quite exquisite." said the snowy haired woman while raising her glass to her friend.
"A little taste of home I was saving for a special occasion. Not sure if this qualifies, but I was thirsty and… I think we deserve it." she answered while raising her glass and gently knocking it into Calista's.
Agnes then knocked her glass into them both. "Damn straight we do. If the Princess keeps pulling off miracles with magic like she did today the rest of us are going to be unemployed."
"I still can't get over the sheer gall of what she did here. I mean... It was brilliant, but, where'd she get the idea for it?" asked Matilda.
Calista nodded her head slightly. "A similar tactic was used to break a siege on a planet called Thyrsus. The execution was very different though since they had access to advanced weapons, but the principal is the same. Lure the enemy in close, let them believe the defenders are fighting with everything at their disposal and detonate explosives under them at the exact moment they believe their victory is in sight. Kill enough with that first strike and you can break the attacking force's will to fight."
"That's exceptionally cunning." observed Matilda.
"One mistake and we'd have returned to find a blood bath here inside the academy instead of outside of it. It was audacious. And I love it." said Calista with a grin before taking a sip of the wine.
"So where's this Thyrsus place and what was that war about?" asked Agnes.
"I'm not much of a storyteller but well… A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…"
"Lord Zarkot?" came the voice of Henrietta from behind her.
"Yes your Highness?" asked Calista.
"I'm sorry for the interruption. But I have a favor to ask of you."
"No need to apologize your highness. Please. Join us." said Calista as she pat the ground beside her.
"We've just received word from a messenger that General Gramont's forces will arrive here by morning. He has six thousand infantry at his command." she started as she sat down. X2-C3 rolled up behind her between the Princess and Calista. The Sith reached out and pat the droid on the head as she listened to Henrietta.
"I don't have any advisors right now. I'm not sure what the next move should be." she finished.
"Hrmmm… are you sure of this General's loyalty? What of the soldiers he commands?" asked the Sith.
"The General's loyalty is above question. He's a proven patriot of this nation and a close friend of the royal family." said Agnes in the General's defense. Henrietta gave her a nod in agreement.
"Very well then. I still don't know all the players yet so I'll take your word for it for now. The first step is to consolidate your powerbase. Gather those still loyal to you under your banner. Also.. I propose that at some point you nationalize your military. Having your armed forces divided under the command of all these nobles may have worked in the past, but as you've just seen when their loyalty is to something other than the national interest, they can be turned against you."
"Until recently, it's worked because we've always had Albion's great navy to support our rule. But now we're on our own and there's merit to what you're saying. How would I go about it?"
"The first thing you should do is officially outlaw private militias. Then establish a professional army who will take an oath of loyalty to the nation itself. Then you'd pass a law declaring that only the head of state or those they appoint may issue orders to the military. So for example, in a time of crisis like this, you may take direct command of your armed forces, or, if you so choose, appoint someone to serve as Commander in Chief over your armed forces to lead them to whatever objective you decree."
"That makes sense to me. The national interest should always be placed above any private interest."
"Indeed. Even the Sith Empire, built on a doctrine of personal empowerment, recognizes the truth in this system. You can not have a nation unless the people understand that they have a civil responsibility to that nation which always has to come first."
"I think that was the problem. My father ruled with an iron fist. I tried to rule with a gentle touch. I suppose if I've learned anything from this it's that I have a lot to learn about finding the right balance."
"That's not necessarily true your highness. You can be a gentle ruler, but you still have to enforce the law. Without law and order there is no nation. Without enforcement of the law, you have anarchy like you do now." said Calista with a reassuring smile.
Henrietta looked at Agnes and then at Matilda who each gave her a nod that they agreed with Calista.
"But these are matters which have to wait until you're in power again. Right now, we're isolated here. We need to gather information on the extent of this rebellion. So far, we've identified six noble houses who've turned against you." Calista looked at Agnes, "Correct?"
Agnes nodded, "Yes. Brinvilliers seems to be the leader of the bunch. We need to know what Osmond knows."
"Leave that to me." said Calista.
"How do you plan to make him talk?" asked Henrietta.
"Do not concern yourself with that. His life was forfeit the moment he decided to lead an army against his rightful ruler." said Agnes to which Calista nodded.
"His guilt is beyond question your Highness. There's no point in a trial. His only usefulness is in what he knows about what we face." added Matilda.
Henrietta looked at Matilda for a long moment. "I have to ask you something Miss Longueville. There's a rumor going around that you're not just the Headmaster's secretary. I need to know who you really are. A secretary doesn't ride off into battle with a Musketeer and a Sith. She certainly doesn't conjure up an adamantium Rapier and cuts down half a platoon of soldiers."
Matilda glared at Agnes who simply shrugged, "I had to make an honest report."
Matilda looked at Calista who gave her a small nod. "Go ahead my friend. We've thrown in our lot with her. What's the point of the deception now?"
Matilda sighed. "My name is Matilda de Saxe-Gotha your Highness. From Albion."
"Matilda the Adamant. I've heard of you. Osmond made an accusation that you were also the famous thief Fouquet the Sculptor. Is it true?"
"I was being used by Reconquista. They hold my sister hostage."
"I can't believe that. I don't know who this Fouquet person really is, but I heard a report from Lord Colbert that she was killed by the two of you after stealing from this academy. Personally I'm more inclined to believe the word of someone who's proven himself loyal than the word of a man who'd take up arms against me. So the only question I have now is… may I count on your support?"
Matilda looked at Calista. "Where she goes I go. As far I'm concerned, she's family."
Matilda held out a hand towards Calista who in turn reached out and took it. The two held each other firmly.
"Well, I suppose that leaves the question to you Lord Zarkot. Are you with me?"
Calista looked at Agnes, then to Matilda, and finally back to the Princess. "Yes. Your Highness. You have my support."
"I still have to know why Calista. You're not from here. You follow some kind of pagan religion and use some kind of supernatural hocus pocus. You're not one of us. Why do you care what happens to us? Why would you fight with us?" asked Agnes before sipping her wine and waiting for an answer.
"If you haven't already figured it out Agnes... I'll explain it to you. And I'll use small words so that you'll be sure to understand!"
"Hey!"
"I don't have anywhere else to go. I can't get back to where I came from. This is my home now and I have to make a life for myself here. I've made friends and taken an apprentice here. I like to think I've earned some respect as well considering how people seem to keep seeking my council when they're in trouble."
"Lord Zarkot. When this is all over I guarantee that Tristain will recognize your contributions and will reward your service."
"Rewards are not necessary your highness. But I'll be honest... recognition… that's actually something I crave. My whole life I've fought and suffered for my Empire with no recognition of my accomplishments. Being half Echani had a lot to do with that. I'm always in the background while others are celebrated and honored for things that would not have been possible without my efforts. That, your Highness, is what I crave. And you've given it to me already, by simply sitting here and asking for my advice. That is why I will be proud to fight for you."
"You said yourself Lord Zarkot. The people should crave the rewards of loyalty and fear the consequences of disobedience. If I can't start with the person who told me that, how could I put it into practice with anyone else?"
"You learn quickly your highness. Very well. Do as you must. But we should keep our minds on the here and now where they belong. So what will your next move be?" asked Calista.
"First, I need to get my house in order. The three of you are now the first of my new inner circle. First we're going to clean up here..." started Henrietta.
"According to the plans Lord Zarkot overheard, Duke Brinvilliers intends to move on the Capital. I need to know more. Do what you have to do with Osmond, but make him talk. I want to know everything he knows. His motivations as well. I want to know why this is happening and why he would turn against me."
"It shall be done." said Calista with an icy tone.
"Agnes. I want you to sort through the new people. I trust you to figure out whom we can depend on to fight with us. Get rid of the rest. I don't want anyone you disapprove of anywhere in my sight."
"With pleasure your highness!" said Agnes with excitement.
"Lady Matilda. Lord Colbert will need help sorting the logistics around here. I'm sorry to have to delegate the mundane task to you, but you still know more about the inner workings of this place than anyone else and for the time being we need to make sure it can serve as a fall back point before we push out."
"That's not a mundane task at all. It's vitally important we have a secure place from which to operate. I'll get it done." said Matilda with a professional tone.
"Thank you all for this. Oh. I think you can take Extwo back now Calista. He was wonderful with me." said Henrietta with a smile as she pulled out the pad it gave her and offered it to Calista.
Calista reached out and pushed the pad back to her. "You keep it for now your Highness. I think Extwo can do the most good if it continues to serve as your bodyguard. Especially now that Agnes has these greater responsibilities coming to her. Besides, it has power which far exceeds anything anyone can throw at you."
"Well, I do have to admit, he's been a lot of fun to have around."
"It, your highness. Extwo is neither a he nor a she."
"I think it's a he honestly. He's such a gentleman, very protective, and very courteous. Like a little chivalrous Knight on wheels."
Extwo beeped and rolled around happily. Calista couldn't help but laugh. "So after all these years you finally decide you want to be a male? Very well Extwo. Continue to serve and protect the Princess as you have been. It seems the experience is good for both of you."
Lutèce (Capital City of Tristain)
"I just heard from one of the girls that tomorrow people will be allowed out again. But there's going be a curfew in effect. Everyone will have to be back indoors before sun set. Do you still intend to carry out the mission the Princess gave us?" asked Kirche in a discreet tone inside their shoddy room after she entered.
"No. Well... I don't know. If the opportunity presents itself… then we should. But I think the most important thing we can do is gather information for her Highness. We need to find out as much as we can about everything that's going on." stated Louise.
"Alright Zero... clue me in! What's with you all of a sudden?" asked Kirche in a slightly forceful tone.
"What's that suppose to mean?"
"We got a mission. We got here. That mission's a bust. We should just head back but you want to stay and gather information. If you want to impress your Princess I get that. But level with me!"
"This is my home Kirche! I'm not going let it fall apart! Not while I have the power to do something about it!"
"What could you possibly do about it?" asked Kirche with a narrowed eye and serious tone.
Louise looked over at Derflinger. "Whatever I have to…" was Louise's answer.
"Alright. I'm in. This… I want to see."
Derflinger popped out of his scabbard. "Then ya might wanna change your hairstyle! I hear depth perception can come in handy when ya really wanna see stuff. Ya know?"
"Mind your own damned business!" yelled Kirche while adjusting her hair to make sure it was still all properly in place.
"You know, he does have a point Kirche. Why do you keep your hair like that anyway? If you don't mind my asking?"
"I like it." said Kirche with a narrow eye, her tone implied that this conversation was treading dangerous ground.
Louise gave a small nod. "So… where do you think we should start?"
"Honestly. I think we should start right here. This is actually the best place to pick up gossip. We should visit the bank and draw some funds to tip the girls for any and all rumors they can get out of their customers."
"Hey about that! Of all the places ya could have brought us to take cover, ya just had to bring us into a cat house. Didn't ya? Were ya just home sick or something?" asked Derflinger with an amused tone.
"You're just a sword! Don't you dare start judging these people for what they have to do to survive!" yelled Kirche.
"Whoa! Whoa! Down girl! Nobody's judging anyone! Calm down!"
"Seriously Kirche. He didn't mean anything like that. Besides, it's not her fault Derf. She just took us to the first place she could find. How was she suppose to know what kind of place it was?"
"Whoa… alright. Sheesh. Both of ya's gangin' up on me?" said Derf with a defeated tone as he sheathed himself.
"Pfft, finally he learns his place." said Kirche with a smug expression.
"This did bring up one good point though Kirche. You've been having some pretty extreme mood swings. I need to know if you're alright…" asked Louise with concern.
"We've been over this Louise. It's my problem, and it's none of your damn business!"
"Well, you haven't been puking everywhere, so you're not pregnant at least. But I need to know Kirche. If this is going to make you a liability I nee-"
"Damn it Zero! Just shut up! You have no idea what you're talking about! Just shut up and mind your own damned business! I said I'd help you out and I will, that's all you need to know!" she snapped.
"Damn it Kirche! Whatever it is you don't have to shoulder it alone! Let me help you!"
"You can't! Just drop it! That's all I want from you! Just drop it!" said Kirche through clenched teeth.
A man dressed in white wearing the emblem of the Holy Romalian Empire rode upon an armored white Wind Dragon over the border of Tristain. He could sense he was near what he was searching for. Far off in the distance in a large city, the Capital. But the day had been long, mount and rider needed rest and sustenance.
That night Kirche lay in bed and struggled to find any comfortable sleeping position. As she tossed and turned she was becoming increasingly irritated. Thoughts crept into her mind of where she was, who she was with, what she was doing, what she was so freely agreeing to participate in… how utterly pointless it was!
Kirche threw off her covers and stood up from the bed and started pacing about the room, the darkness started to get on her nerves so she pulled out her wand and focused on it to produce a flame from the tip she looked over at a small table in the corner of the room that has a lamp on it, she could see it just well enough with the little bit of moonlight that crept in through the window combined with the light from her improvised torch. She aimed at the lamp and chanted a spell "Ignite!" she yelled and successfully lit the lamp without igniting the fuel in a minor demonstration of her skill.
After a moment of being pleased with herself she went and sat at the table where she gazed into the small flame she produced in the lamp.
Louise had woken up but didn't say anything but decided she was tired of this. She sat up in the bed and looked over at Kirche sitting at the table. Kirche didn't look over at her but knew she was awake.
"You asked me before why I hate you so much Louise. Do you still want to know why?"
"If you want to tell me… I'll listen." was Louise's carefully toned response. She could feel Kirche's agitation through the Force and it was not at all a pleasant feeling. It made her very afraid of how Kirche might snap at the smallest provocation.
"You take everything for granted. You get sent to the best school in the world full of people who will grow up into the most powerful men and woman in the world. It's a place where you could make friends and contacts who'll help you have the whole world in the palm of your hand. But you pissed all over every opportunity you ever had for it."
"What do you mean everyone only ever-"
"I'm not finished!"
Louise felt only an inch tall at Kirche's booming voice which she was sure woke the entire city.
"That's the next thing. Everyone makes fun of you, everyone has to feel sorry for you. Nobody likes you. You whine and cry about it. That's all you ever did. You never did anything about it! You never once asked yourself 'Why is this happening to me?' If you did you'd have the answer right now!"
"I'm still waiting for the answer Kirche…" said Louise in a small voice, Kirche didn't even want to look at her, she just kept her eye on the flame. She could hear it in her voice that she was about to break into tears.
"Do you remember the day we first met Louise?"
"The day after I blew up the classroom. Everyone was accusing me of trying to kill them. I remember… meeting you… but... no. I don't remember what happened."
"I'll remind you then! I was trying to offer you my help. I wanted to be your friend. But you spat in my face! You did that to everyone who ever tried to be nice to you! You saw everyone as out to get you."
"But you made fun of me… everyone made fun of me, and it really hurt my feelings… a lot. I didn't know why my magic kept failing… all my life I'd been powerless… and everyone hurt me so much… my parents put so much pressure on me to be successful and everytime my magic exploded I was letting them down even more… every day was so much heartache and pain..." said Louise as she broke into sobs.
Kirche was furious! She stood up and kicked the chair out from under her as she stormed over to Louise's bed and grabed two fistfulls of her shirt. Louise was petrified. After their fight there was no telling what Kirche could or would do to her. Derflinger was across the room, there was no way she could get to him if Kirche really wanted to do something. But then Louise realized Kirche had left her wand on the table… she knew she would have the upper hand with her Force powers now but that thought didn't give her any comfort.
The moonlight from the window was shining directly on Kirche's face and that one eye had fire in it like Louise had never seen before and it terrified her.
"Shut the fuck up Louise! Even Calista! Someone who has more power in her little finger than the entire Faculty and Student body of the Academy combined! The answer to all your hopes, dreams, prayers, and perceived misery... literally falls out of the sky for you! Offers to train you! And you sit in a grassy field on a beautiful day angsting over it! You have no idea how disgusting it was to see you take her for granted like that! Did you even once consider how that might make her feel? Have you ever listened to anything she says? You took her away from her life, her boyfriend, her friends, her home… brought her here, and instead of murdering you for it like I probably would have in her place, she offers to TEACH YOU! You spat on her Louise… fuck you!"
"You… you're scaring me…"
Kirche took one hand off Louise and ran a hand through her hair, lifting the large bangs off the left side of her face and pulled it back over her head before grabbing Louise again and shaking her.
"Look at me Louise! Life is shit! Life is pain! I wake up every day and I'm in pain! Every moment of every day I suffer! But I still live! I live every damn day the best I can! I do whatever I want, and I don't give a damn what anyone thinks of me! You call me a slut! You call me a bully! Who the hell are you to judge me?! You don't know what I've been through! I gave you every chance to be on my good side! But you chose to be on my bad side! You made that choice Louise! Not me!"
Louise widened her eyes. The whole left side of her face around her eye was… broken. She had no left eye. Everything around her eye socket had been collapsed, and there was more but Louise couldn't even guess how it happened.
"Your parents call you a disappointment and send you off to the best school to become a better mage… well my parents did THIS to me! Because I refused to marry some dirty old man for some stupid political alliance! My father beat me with a red hot fire iron! Then he pushed my face into the coals to stop me from bleeding all over his carpet! Now I have to fight tooth and nail to stay in that school Louise! Your family pays your way, I have to earn my way! While you were in your room wallowing in self pity I had to fight, study, and train to keep a scholarship I managed to get from Germania! You met a little adversity and you let it turn you into a pathetic little brat! I had to go out and make myself stronger or DIE!"
Louise was crying again, but for another reason. She felt gutted at Kirche's story. She felt like such a fool, everything was always there in front of her face to put it all together but she misread it all so badly...
"I don't have a home to go back to. My family will kill me if I ever returned. Nobody loves me enough to take care of me. I have to take care of myself. There's nobody there to hold me when I'm in pain. I don't have a shoulder to cry on. But you have all of that. You have a family who love you enough to give you every opportunity. You have that maid and the other commoners who're always there to hold you when you're sad or lonely… you have Calista, your super teacher from the sky who wants to help you becomes strong and powerful... The only friend I have is Tabitha. She's all I have in the world Louise. She can't give me what I need most for her own reasons but damn does she try hard to be a good friend. I never, ever, take that for granted. I love her so much for it. But you do take your friends for granted. You take everything for granted. You have no appreciation for anything you have. That… Louise… is why I hate you… so very much..."
"You're right…" said Louise with a small voice and a sniffle. "I have taken everyone and everything for granted… I have been a big child… and I do deserve your contempt…"
Louise threw her arms around Kirche and pulled her into a hug. "But I don't want it. I want us to be friends Kirche."
"Damn it Zero! Let me go!" demanded Kirche in a furious tone as she tried to push Louise off her.
"No! I won't! I see it now! This is what I should have done the first day I met you!"
"You're damned right it is! But it's too late!" spat Kirche as she still tried to push Louise off though she was slowly giving up and pushing less forcefully until she eventually gave up completely and just wrapped her arms around Louise as well.
"I won't run away from anything anymore. Whatever you're going through right now Kirche… please let me help you through it. You don't have to endure alone and in silence… not anymore."
"It's the elixir I've been taking to numb the pain… papaver. Montmorency's been making it for me. My supply ran out today… it's been low for days now. Because of Guiche and what happened to her she couldn't make me more. That's why I've been acting this way… now you know. How can you help me? Hmm?"
"I don't know Kirche. I guess you need more of this stuff?"
"I do…"
"Then tomorrow. We'll have to find you some."
"It's illegal Louise. It's not going to be easy to find."
"I don't care about that. We'll find what you need." said Louise in a soft soothing tone.
"I'm sorry Louise… for everything I did to you… I was so immature back then."
"You grew up and I didn't. I'm sorry it took me so long to see it. You should try and sleep now. I can feel you're getting a fever Kirche."
"Heh… someone tried calling me that once… Kirche the Fever."
"What did you do them?"
"Chased him out of my room. With my ax." she said while stifling a giggle.
"It is a scary looking ax…" said Louise who couldn't help but snicker at the mental image of the situation and the two just suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hrmmm…." was all Calista had to vocalize her reaction to what she was sensing from her Apprentice. Louise was afraid at first, so much fear came from her that Calista was worried she was in danger. But these new feelings were of genuine happiness. Something Calista rarely sensed from the constantly depressed teenager. It was a good sign. She considered using the Force to check in on her but decided it would probably be best to respect the girl's privacy.
Calista was kneeling beside the fire she was sharing with Matilda and Agnes who by now were on the floor from the effects of the sixth bottle of wine they shared. Matilda was completely passed out and Agnes wasn't far behind by the look of her.
"Cali… how are you sthtill shobre?" asked Agnes with a heavy slurr as she tried to look up at Calista but fell back down.
"Curato Salva. Through mental discipline I'm able to remove toxins from my system. I don't get drunk."
"That… ya gotta... teach... me." said Agnes very slowly, it was taking her a lot of intense concentration to speak.
"I don't have the patience nor the years required to teach you anything Agnes. Just sleep it off. I'll keep an eye on you both tonight."
"Ahh… shober shister… very good." she slurred again before passing out.
After the young Princess had left them Matilda and Agnes decided that it was adult only time. That apparently had meant it was time to destroy their brains with copious amounts of alcohol. Though, Calista had to admit to herself, it was a good bonding ritual. She understood now why the other pilots in her squadron always decided to drink in excess together when there was time for it. The two women exchanged amusing jokes for most of the night. Most of which were simply lost on Calista due the many cultural references that she didn't understand yet. Though some of the jokes had meanings which were universal, and some were almost verbatim the same things she'd heard in her own galaxy. If one simply exchanged the subjects of the jokes with things common to her own Galaxy, they were the same jokes. That was probably what amused her the most. Two cultures that never had any contact with each other told the same sorts of jokes.
Calista smiled and closed her eyes again. She took a deep breath and cleared her mind, but the smile persisted and she wanted to know why. She focused on her feelings and strangely, she felt, happy, content even. She accepted it, everything was as it should be. Eventually she managed to clear her mind and bring herself into a purely meditative state where she was as one with the Force and reached out with her awareness into the world to see what she could sense…
That was when she felt a presence staring back at her. But it wasn't her it was looking at...
She should have realized this. Louise had no training yet on masking her Force presence and she could sense this other person seeking her out. She could not allow that to happen. If this was what her gut told her it was, there was no way Louise was ready for this confrontation.
The deaths of all those soldiers sent out an echo in the Force that had disturbed Louise to her very core and Calista had already resolved to teach Louise better to protect herself from it in the future. It must have been what drew this person out as well. Calista only had one option now. She would have to step up and actively protect Louise.
Calista spoke to herself in an icy cold tone...
"I sense you… Jedi."
Calista relaxed her mind and allowed her Force presence to be felt… then... she did the unthinkable for a Sith Assassin… she intentionally amplified her presence to this person.
"Come face me."
The Romalian Knight was camped in the wilderness of Tristain for the night before his final flight to the Capital upon his white wind dragon. He meditated near his camp fire when he suddenly felt it. Like a cold chill that even made his mount restless. A Wind Dragon was an apex predator… nothing should have caused it to feel fear.
But this made them both feel fear.
"I feel you… Sith. I will find you."
Late the next morning General Gramont's army arrived at the Academy grounds. Six thousand infantry with over a hundred magi couldn't all fit inside the wall of the academy so many had to wait outside while the General sat in council with the Princess up in the Head Master's office. With them was Calista who had her hood up, eyes closed, and hands sagely in her sleeves. Then there were the very hung over Matilda and Agnes struggling to pay attention and focus.
"Between Brinvilliers and the others we've confirmed, we're looking at three quarters of the army that have turned against the Crown. I'm not sure how much of a difference I could possibly make but my troops and I are ready to fight for you Princess."
"We need more soldiers General. Where can we get them?" asked Calista.
"I can only guarantee the loyalty of House Valliere right now. Others could still be swayed one way or the other. If we want to raise support, we need to show them we're capable of winning. Most rational people tend to choose whomever they think is the winning side. So we need to win a few battles before we can start approaching the smaller houses." answered the General with a professional tone.
"Then we should begin by deploying scouts to seek out enemy forces to crush. We should also get word to the Valliere house with a plan." said Calista.
"I've already sent out my scouts to all the nearby towns and other possible camping sites for these rebel forces. We can expect them back by nightfall." said the General.
"I'm impressed General. My compliments." said Calista.
"With all due respect my Lady. I think I know how to wage war." said the General with a respectful tone.
"Of course General. This is your arena. What should our course of action be?" asked Calista.
"That Dragon my son came to me on. Would its master be inclined to take word to Avignon ask ask Duke Valliere to gather his forces and meet us?" asked the General.
Henrietta shook her head. "I can only ask her. But this isn't her war. She's a student from Gallia. I'd rather not involve her. Or any of the students for that matter."
"Those young people have as much right to risk their lives for their country as you do your Highness. I think if they make an informed decision to volunteer, we could use the help." said the General.
Agnes scoffed at the notion. "You can't ask children to volunteer for war General! That's disgusting."
"Captain, may I ask, how old you were when you took your first life?" asked the General.
"Don't compare my experience to theirs General, you'll never win an argument that way. My life was very different from theirs." stated Agnes with indignation.
"I was sixteen when I fought my first battle. What about you Lord Zarkot? May I ask you that question?"
"You may not." said an icy Calista.
"Before this discussion turns awkward. Some of the students have proven themselves in battle recently defending this academy. I believe allowing some to volunteer if they choose to is acceptable." said the Princess with finality.
"Very good your highness. Now, before we get too far into looking for volunteers, we need to prioritize. We need House Valliere's army, that should be the only goal we have for the moment. Our first move is to find a way to get word ahead to Duke Valliere. I understand his daughter is a student here. Could we ask her to go with this student from Gallia?" asked the General.
"No. She's in the Capital right now. I'll personally ask Lady Tabitha to deliver a message from me to Duke Valliere. If she agrees, all the better. If not, we'll find another way. In the meantime General prepare your troops to march to Avignon and select our route."
"Yes your Highness."
"If I may. Isn't there that town nearby where could potentially gather additional volunteers or conscripts?" asked Calista.
"That would be worth looking at if we could actually equip them. As it stands we don't have anywhere to draw supplies from until we get to Avignon. Nevermind what it would take to actually train them. I'd rather focus on gathering experienced soldiers." said the General.
"Fair point." answered Calista with a nod.
"My Duke!" yelled an Officer as he ran into the tent used by the Duke de Brinvilliers where he was holding a war council with his generals and allies.
"What is it Lieutenant?" asked the Duke.
"A Messenger just arrived from Lord Osmond." started the Lieutenant.
"Ahh, I presume he's captured the Academy and has the Princess?" asked one of the Generals.
"No. Lord Osmond was defeated. He lost eight hundred men attempting to storm the Academy walls. Somehow they were warned of the attack and prepared a formidable defense. Lord Osmond and his remaining troops surrendered. Scouts also report that General Gramont brought six thousand troops to the Academy and is there now."
"This is a catastrophe!" yelled the Duke while slamming his fist into the table. "I should have known better than to leave it in the hands of that senile old fart!"
"This is a problem your excellency. We must turn around and meet them in battle." advised one of the Generals.
"I agree. We should put them down before they can rally support." added one of the other noblemen.
"I agree…" said the Duke while looking at his map. "I believe their next move will be to gather allies. Their first goal will be House Valliere. We should position our forces to cut off their path… but the question is, which way will they go. If they want to get to Avignon…"
"They'll go by way of this lake. Princess Henrietta is a formidable Water Mage. They'll follow the river." added a newcomer as he touched the map with a white gloved hand.
"That would be a logical course to take. But, some of that terrain will be rough and difficult to traverse. It will slow them down. If they do go that way, then we should cut them off here… at Montmorency on the other side of the lake. We'll have access to the roads which means we'll not only cut off that path to them, but we'll get there long before them. We could also position some of our troops south of House Montmorency, there's a wide river there and only one bridge to cross it." explained one of the Generals.
"Ahhh. Montmorency… even from beyond the grave I can feel that man's meddling. But this couldn't be more perfect. That's where we will drive them." stated the Duke de Brinvilliers with finality before dismissing his council.
Once everyone had cleared out the Duke turned to his inner circle's newcomer while rubbing a ring on his right hand to polish the purple gem with his fingers. "Not that I do not welcome your assistance. But you must know that one of the goals of Reconquista is to eradicate the influence of the Church, yet here you are, a Knight of Romalia, the famous Knight of the Two Moons himself, offering to aid us in battle. I can't help but question why."
"Your goal is to stop the Church from dictating the policy of the world's governments. It's a goal I share. Where I come from, Freedom of Religion is an important right. Yet equally important is freedom from religion. The Pope is a reformist who believes that the Church's primary role going forward into a new age is to serve the people, rather than rule over them as it has been in the past. In this regard, your goal and our's are not incompatible."
"I am amiable to loosening our stance against the Church if they in turn are willing to give up their power. But how does the Pope intend to accomplish such a lofty goal when he's surrounded by hardliners? None of the Bishops anywhere will be very keen on giving up the power and wealth they've accumulated." asked the Duke.
"Reform is a long and difficult process which must be handled one step at a time. The first step was the reorganization of the Romalian Knights. In time it will be their mission to uphold the Pope's vision for the Church's future. If it should becomes necessary they will impose it upon those Bishops who refuse to fall in line. In the not too distant future my Master intends to call for a council of representatives from all nations to present his vision. I hope when that day comes you will join us at the table and hear what he has to say."
"I must admit. You present a very interesting case. You certainly do live up to these ideals of truth and justice that you claim to uphold. I'm honored to have you on our side." said the Duke with a sincere smile.
"I do my best your excellency. If it isn't too much trouble, could you take me through the reasons you've chosen to instigate civil war here?"
"Certainly. Our ideals are quite simple. We oppose corruption. Our government has become a puppet of the Church. Our previous King ruled with an iron fist, his enforces carried out many unlawful executions without trial. Others who questioned the Church's power were put to death by the Holy Inquisition…"
"The Inquisition has been disbanded by the Pope. There are investigations underway and those who are found guilty of crimes will be handed over to the Governments of the nations in which those crimes were committed."
"I'll believe that when I see it. But moving on. Our nation is threatened by Germania and Gallia. Either of the two could come in here and conquer us and in our present state of readiness we'd have no way to defend our sovereignty. Only by uniting with our allies in Albion can we hope to protect our nation. But our Princess refuses to recognize those who are about to become the legitimate Government of Albion. We won't stand idle while that happens."
"Nor should you. But I can not condone a course of action that leads to violence. To be honest your excellency, my senses tell me you're not giving me the whole picture. I can feel you holding something important back."
"I've been trying to avoid violence. The transition of power has been peaceful in every major city. But the Princess herself refuses to surrender. So we have no choice but to fight!"
"Then I will give you my aid and try to negotiate a settlement with this Princess. If I can get us to sit down together, will you be willing to negotiate with her?"
"I don't see the harm. But I don't see her surrendering without a fight."
"Leave that to me. I've negotiated peace between even more bitter rivals."
"That too I'll believe when I see. But for now, her army has to be subdued before any talking can take place."
"No your excellency, that would mean you're just trying to negotiate from a stronger position rather than in good faith. When your armies meet, we'll parlay with the Princess and ask her to join us at the negotiating table."
"Very well then… I'll try it your way. But if they choose to fight, I will fight and destroy them!"
"I'm pleased to hear it. I'm confident it won't come to violence. If everyone is willing to sit and talk it out, we can resolve this peacefully."
"If she won't negotiate?" asked the Duke.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. But in the civilized world, the diplomatic channels must always be open."
Calista walked into the room where Osmond was being held prisoner, she nodded to the guards once she was inside. "Her Highness has asked me to conduct his interrogation. Leave us." the Musketeers stood at attention for a moment before turning to walk out and shutting the door behind them.
"Now… we will discuss everything you know about this little rebellion." said said coldly as she walked up to the chair he was sitting at.
"I have nothing to say to you… Familiar of Zero."
Calista shook her head and then held out her hand to the old man and promptly electrocuted him. His screams echoed out into the hall for the guards to hear and cringe.
"I thought we'd been over this. Insulting me when you held all the cards almost cost you your life. What do you think will happen if you insult me while I'm the one with the deck?"
"You won't… kill… your… only source… of information!"
"You're right. I won't. But, I'll inflict so much pain upon you that you'll beg for death… and before you die, you will tell me everything I want to know. So make this easy on yourself and start talking because I'm perfectly content to simply torture you for fun."
"A lowly familiar spe-"
Before he could finish that sentence Calista held out both of her hands and channeled Lightning into him.
"Go on Osmond. Be a good boy and tell the Princess everything you told me. Then I'll give you your reward." said Calista with a smirk on her face.
The Princess pulled out a handkerchief to cover her mouth and nose. The room smelled of burnt flesh and human waste. Osmond was kneeling on the floor his pants stained with his own excrements.
"Your father… was a butcher. My wife, my son, spoke out against the atrocities he was committing on behalf of the church. He sent his enforcer to murder them while I was away. Reconquista stands against the Church. Against all the corrupt royals of the line of Brimir. Magic, not superstition, should be the deciding power in this world. You and your family have no right to rule over anyone. We won't stand by while this nation is taken over by outsiders simply because a spoiled little Princess chooses to side with her lover in a war that he is losing. We will not lose everything we've worked for."
The Princess widened her eyes at what she was hearing.
"Go on Osmond. Tell her the rest." said Calista with a pleasant tone.
"Our forces have taken over Lutèce, Marseille, and La Rochelle. The Duke is on his way to the Capital even now where they will execute the Queen and give him the throne."
Calista kicked him this time. "What else!"
"I've already written you down all the names of everyone involved! What else is there?!" demanded Osmond.
"Tell her about where you got the funds for this!" demanded Calista.
"Oh yes… We've been working with Count Mott selling slaves to other nations and importing illegal goods to sell on the black market to hire and arm more soldiers for this insurrection…"
"Highness. Have you any further questions or use for this scum?" asked Calista.
The Princess stood up and turned her back to Osmond. "This nation has had a difficult history. I've given everyone every opportunity to bring their problems to me. I wanted to right the wrongs that were done. I wanted to change the course of this country. But you, my advisers, my ministers, the nobles at Court. You all conspired to keep these truths from me. You're not the solution to our problems. You are the problems, and I, will be the solution."
"You're a blind, spoiled little girl. These matters are too far above you!" declared Osmond.
"You maybe right. But a very wise person told me that a ruler can't be expected to have the right answers to everything. All I can do is hear the problems and judge the merits of the solutions presented to me. Since none of you bothered to work with me I did the best I could with what I had. Lord Zarkot, if you'd be so kind, please send this man to hell where he belongs."
Calista walked up behind the Princess and smirked, she turned around to face Osmond and reached out with her hand to choke him. He was lifted off the ground by the Force and as she closed her fist the sound of his neck shattering echoed for everyone to hear before she released him to fall to the ground unceremoniously. Calista then followed the Princess out where they started walking down the stairs out of the tower..
"I can't believe I was ever so blind to not see what was happening. They used me. They blinded me and made me a scapegoat for their own ambitions…" said Henrietta with an angry tone.
"No offense, but you're young and inexperienced. Don't be hard on yourself. How does a sixteen or seventeen year old girl deal with a situation where she's expected to rule a country with all of those around her working against her?" said Calista with a serious and dry tone.
"I should have cleaned out the cabinet the first day I was told I'd be assuming power. My mother intended to abdicate for me. But even she didn't see this coming. She told me I could trust these people. That my father trusted these people..."
"It's too late in the game to be looking back with regrets. You need to keep your mind on the here and now where it belongs and focus on what you need to do."
"You're right. We need to gather our forces and get to the Capital. I will not allow them to execute my mother. That is simply not going to happen. I'll wash the streets with their blood long before that can happen!"
Calista had to work very hard to suppress the smile that threatened to break her icy visage. She was starting think she herself had grossly underestimated this young girl. When backed into a corner she was very dangerous indeed. The Sith had absolutely no doubt that she would keep her word, and that she meant it literally. She could certainly relate to her feelings. Even though her own mother was long dead if she could do then what she could do now it would have been a very different outcome.
"You were right about me before Lord Zarkot. I'm done trying to be nice. I'm taking my country back now." Henrietta turned her head to one of the Musketeers flanking her and Calista. "Have General Gramont assemble his troops. I wish to address them. The Musketeers, the students and loyal faculty as well."
Louise and Kirche were in the city center near the Palace making observations and discreet inquiries on where they could find the elixir Kirche needed. Their search turned up nothing but there was something happening in the square outside the palace walls. There was construction happening surrounded by armed guards who were ordering people who stopped to look to move on.
"What are those men building there? A stage?" asked Louise.
"That's one way of looking at it. Those are gallows they're building." answered an agitated Kirche.
"Come on. We need to find what we're looking for so we can get you back in form." said a resolved Louise.
"What's with you all of a sudden Louise? You're being all mature and out of character."
"I can feel it all Kirche. The people's fear. This isn't what they want. They don't trust these people to be their rulers. But they're resigned and powerless... They're too afraid to step up and do something about it."
"People need inspiration. They need hope." said Kirche while looking around, now she could see the grim expressions on people's faces as they went about their business.
"We'll find a way Kirche. That's why we're here. It has to be. I feel it. When the moment comes, we'll know it. We just have to step up."
"Whatever you say Louise…" said Kirche as she pulled out a handkerchief and wiped sweat from her forehead.
"Your fever is getting worse…" said concerned Louise as she glanced over at Kirche.
"I'll be fine. This isn't the first time it's happened to me." answered Kirche through her teeth.
The Princess stood on the wall of the Academy flanked two of her Musketeers with general Gramont, his aids, and Headmaster Colbert. On either side of the group were two bannermen holding the standard of House Tristain up for all to see. A wind mage from General Gramont's forces cast the spell that enabled her to be heard by all who filled the space below.
"Today, Tristain is about to be plunged into the fires of Civil War. As I speak to you now Duke de Brinvilliers and five other Noble Houses who have joined his cause are seeking to take the throne from my mother the Queen. According to what we've learned from Lord Osmond, they plan to execute her and put Duke Brinvilliers on the throne. I will not allow that to happen. I don't know if I can win, but I know I certainly can not win without your support. Soldiers, guards, Musketeers, mages, students, teachers. All of you who are willing to join me in my fight to retake this country from these traitors, I ask you to join me on my march to Avignon where I will gather the loyalist army of House Valliere to my cause and march upon the Capital."
The Princess took a moment to gather her thoughts before she continued.
"Understand that this will be war, and everything that goes with it. I ask everyone who is willing to join me to assemble outside the Academy with me. Those of you who are not willing will not be thought cowards. Professor Colbert is presently making arrangements for those students not of this nation to be returned to their homelands if they wish. He will give a separate address on that matter to all of you later today. Those of you who are of this nation, if you choose to support me, I welcome you. Those of you who may be related to these rebel houses or allied with them, I hold no grudge against you but I ask that you remain here in the Academy and if you wish, Lord Colbert can make arrangements to return you to your homes. From there, do as your conscience dictates."
Calista brought her armor from under Louise's bed down to the fountain outside the Girl's dormitory while the troops were gathering. It was time to assume her identity as a Lord of the Sith once more.
But Calista was not just a Lord of the Sith. She was also an Echani woman and there was a tradition she felt obligated to keep. Calista always wanted to participate in the Echani rites of passage but she was denied by being in the Sith Academy. When she returned to Eshan she was never given the opportunity because the Echani people felt she was too much of an outsider and whatever was left of her mother's family flatly refused her. She didn't let it stop her though, whatever she could do she would. This was her birthright and heritage and she would not be denied.
She took a cup from the kitchen and dipped it in the water of the fountain, she spoke a prayer to the Echani moon goddess 'Nailimisari' asking for her blessing before going to war. She then used the water to rinse her armor.
Echani fought with light armor, and Calista's was indeed light armor. Sith and Mandalorians favored heavy armor but Calista went against the norm when she commissioned her Sith battle armor.
Montmorency walked over to where she was sitting on her knees to perform the ritual. She eyed the petite woman curiously and couldn't understand a word she was saying. But from the look on her face and her body language the girl simply knew Calista was doing something important to her.
Once Calista was done she continued to give the prayers as she donned the pieces of armor. Then she stood and pulled on a short sleeved robe she took out of her fighter, it was all black except for a thick red line at the end of the sleeve with another thin red line slightly above it. There was one final piece she had yet to put on... a mask. She held it in her hands and looked at it carefully.
"Cali?" asked Montmorency.
"This is the armor of a Sith Warrior. The masks are something special. They're all the same, but every Sith personalizes their mask with their own etching. I agonized for weeks to figure out what kind of design could really speak about my personality. There's so much about me that's constantly in flux and conflict. In the end, I had no idea what it would be when I sat down to perform the ritual. A Sith has to meditate deeply and seek guidance from the Force to create the designs. It's what makes the armor a part of them. When I sat down to do mine I was in such a deep trance. When I came out of it I was shocked and amazed to see what I had done…"
Montmorency walked up to her friend and gazed at the mask. It had two dark slits for eyes which she couldn't see through. The etching work was certainly unique though, unlike anything she'd ever seen before. It was very regal for the most part but the eyes caught and held her attention. The design just seemed to flow like tears.
"It's beautiful Cali. Just like you are." she said with a smile.
"Thank you. So… I assume you're thinking about volunteering?" asked Calista.
"I've already decided that I'm going to. I'm a healer, and they'll need all the healers they can get." she answered with a firm nod.
"It's your decision to make." said Calista while she held out her mask to Montmorency. "Could you hold this while I tie up my hair? I seem to have forgotten to pack hairpins into my fighter." she said with a slight chuckle.
"Oh, here. Take this." said Montmorency as she untied her red ribbon from her hair and offered it to Calista.
Calista took the ribbon and glanced at it curiously while Montmorency took her mask. "Are you sure about this? I sense a lot of attachment to this ribbon. It's valuable to you..."
"My mother gave it to me. I know your hair means a lot to you because of your mother so I can't think of anything better for you to use. There's also this… silly tradition here. Before a Knight goes off to battle, they take a token of favor with them from a special someone. This doesn't mean I'm suggesting we're lovers or anything… It just feels right to give you this since you'll be fighting. Call it a sign of my faith and trust in you." she said with a bright smile.
Calista struggled to figure out how to tie up the ribbon and then looked at her friend for a long moment. "Would you please?" said Calista as she held the ribbon back out.
Montmorency was stunned and widened her eyes. "Consider it a sign of my faith and trust in you as well Monmon." she said while sitting down on her knees again.
Montmorency knew better than to make a big deal of it. She knew enough to appreciate that Calista was dropping a barrier between them with this simple act. She herself dropped one by offering her the ribbon. She carefully and neatly gathered her hair into a tight and flat bunch and tied the ribbon in a neat bow to hold it in place.
When it was done Montmorency put her hands on Calista's shoulder and actually allowed herself to realize what she was really getting into by volunteering. Calista put on her mask and pulled the hood of her robe up over her head. Then she placed both her hands on Montmorency's.
"Use your fear. Don't be used by it. I will protect you. Be assured of that. No matter how bad things seem know that I will be there to protect you no matter what." she said with her voice now heavily modulated by the mask.
Montmorency nodded and took a deep breath. "I don't know if I'll be any help to you in all this... but I suppose healing magic is useful for an armored warrior on the front line. I'll keep you fit to fight."
Meanwhile from around the corner Guiche watched the two with curiosity and indeed envy before turning the corner and walked off to his father with something else to think about. He was more or less compelled to join due to the position his family had in this army. But Montmorency joining gave him a new and more important reason to fight. He had to be the one to protect her. But there was something about seeing how close those two had become that disturbed him deeply. After what Calista had done to him, how could Montmorency feel that comfortable with her?
He then checked inside the bag he'd prepared to take with him on the march and made sure the Lightsaber hilt was safely stowed. He didn't know why but he was sure it would be useful.
There was a cold wind blowing from the west as the soldiers marched out along the road. First were the mages who wore heavy pauldrons with green capes bearing the sigil of House Gramont. Each was a minor noble or full Knight who served the House. Each carried their own preferred weapon be it a sword wand similar to a rapier, a staff, or regular wand. Almost any weapon one could think of could be used as a channeling focus provided it had the right properties in its construction. The princess was pleased to see that among the mages were many of the Tristain students with their black and purple cloaks. Overhead she saw Tabitha on Sylphid flying East towards Avignon with the message she gave her for Duke Valliere. Beside her was Agnes who eyed her Musketeers marching in step with the troops. The Musketeers had their rifles shouldered while the regular infantry carried swords, shields, and pikes.
"None of the soldiers refused to join. Even the survivors of Osmond's regiment enlisted with General Gramont. I didn't disallow any of them. They're all willing to fight for you. We also have about half the students from Tristain with us. Second and third years. Colbert and I banned the first years from enlisting. That Katie girl was disappointed but I refused to make an exception." explained Agnes as the drummers began to play the marching beat.
Henrietta wore armor loaned to her from the spares the Musketeers brought with them along with their grey cape. The sigil of her family was prominently embroidered where her shoulders were. Instead of a sword she wore her jeweled channeling scepter, the Princess never trained with a sword and it was too late to start now. Besides, the path they chose took them along the river banks so she would have plenty to work with if it came to a fight.
Matilda rode up to them dressed in a black cloak, she wore light leather armor on her chest, heavy cloth pants and thick leather boots. "Sorry I'm late. Took me a while to remember where I stashed this stuff."
"Pfft, you look just like that picture of the thief I was posting around the Capital." snorted Agnes.
"Pity she's dead and you'll never get to catch her now." stated Matilda with a playful tone.
Calista and Montmorency rode up shortly after.
"Shouldn't you be in rank with the other students?" asked Agnes to the blonde mage.
"She's riding with me." said Calista, her modulated voice implied no room for discussion.
Matilda and Agnes did a double take of Calista and started laughing. "Cali? What are you wearing? After all that talk about forging your own identity and being true to who you are… you wear a mask?" asked Matilda.
Agnes laughed even harder after hearing that.
"Laugh all you want ladies. But this is what a Sith wears to war. Now, I only have one concern. This academy is meant to be our fall back point. What security are we leaving behind to make sure it remains safe?"
"The academy guard for one. General Gramont also tasked twenty mages to remain here with a hundred of his men." explained Agnes once she got her mirth under control.
"Shall we get moving everyone?" asked the Princess.
"Yes your highness." was the collective answer as they all fell in with her to ride along side the marching soldiers.
Author's Commentary:
I'd like to take a moment to thank my readers, my reviewers, my editor, and my test readers. All of you have helped me to polish this up and make things better and I hope you'll continue to support me in this project as you have been. It really means a lot to me, more than I can express with words.
As most of you know by now I always respond to reviews by private messages and I've had a lot of great conversations and inspiration from the exchanges. Though I can't respond to guest reviews in this way I would like to take this opportunity to extend a big thank you to everyone of you. Be they positive or negative, the reviews really encourage me to do better. If you have left a guest review, please consider signing up to the site and getting in touch with me, I'd love the chance to talk with you about the story as well.
Now, onto some things I'd like to say about what's happened so far.
The conflict between Louise and Kirche has been building up for a long time now and many of you figured out exactly what it was before this chapter came out. Especially those of you who realized that the Prologue was made up of doppelgangers based on the canon Familiar of Zero characters.
I drafted this scene between Louise and Kirche many times before I wrote this final one. I really struggled to do justice to Kirche's character here. Louise needed this dose of reality to realize just how blind she's been to the world around her. It's not over between them, not by a long shot, but now they're both ready to start learning to respect one another and can move onto becoming friends.
Louise is going to get hit with the sledge hammer of reality even more before this story is done, I can assure you of that.
Now, you may have noticed that the character I hinted at much earlier in the story is finally making his debut. Yes, I have made Julio Chesaré into a Jedi. I won't give spoilers about him here you'll have to wait and see more about him in the story.
About the story in general. Though I draw inspiration from the source material when I set up plot devices I've set up a whole new story here. The usual formula for FoZ Fan Fiction when replacing the summoned familiar is to take them through the original story and just see how they would react to what was going on. But with Calista, let's be honest, she could steamroll everything that was ever thrown at Saito. I had to up stakes by orders of magnitude and things are only going to get harder for Cali and Louise from here on out.
Finally I'd like to address one other issue. Louise's magic. We know from the canon that Void Magic is the most powerful and most destructive of all power a mage could have. Some have raised concerns that Louise could develop into this godlike being with such power at her disposal. Rest assured that will not be the case at all. I agree that would totally ruin this story's potential. I won't give a spoiler, but poor little Louise will never ever be able to have her cake and eat it too. That's all I'll say about it for now.
Announcements:
This story arc is nearing its conclusion. There will be one more arc to cover before I end this story. But fret not, this is only the beginning! There's a reason why I titled it "Episode I"
I've already got the first couple of chapters of Episode II written and the story is plotted out. Though a lot can still change about it.
I have ideas for a couple of short side stories as well. One of which I'm already well into writing since I've been using it to clear my mind of this story when I develop writer's block.
After I conclude this story arc here I'll be releasing the first few chapters of "Nightwing" a short prequel about Calista and how she became a pilot. The characters you saw in the prologue chapter will all reprise their roles along with new antagonists and rivals for them. Nightwing is a story influenced by movies like Iron Eagle and Top Gun but it will be very Star Wars and set in the Old Republic era.
I'm also playing around with ideas about doing a story featuring Montmorency as the main character. I've had so much fun writing her in this story and I just feel so inspired to do one. I'm not sure what it will be at the moment of this writing but it will feature her as she's characterized in this novel. I've been playing around with doing a prequel about her like I'm doing with Calista or it could be a side story set between Episodes 1 and 2. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions for what you'd like to see in a story like that, do send me a message, I'm very open to ideas right now. The next chapter of this story touches on more of Montmorency's back story so check that out as well, it should be out very soon if it isn't already by the time you're reading this.