I'm back. Well, summer is finally here, a chance to rest. Though I'm looking for a job, so I might be busier this summer too. Anyway, last chapter, Danny and Louise has suffered a devastating lost, with the Prince of Albion dead and the letters taken. How will they recover from such a devastating blow? Read and find out.
Chapter 10: Book of the Void
In a dark cavern underneath the castle of Albion, the lifeless body of Prince Wales was resting on a stone table, the light above him.
Fouquet walked towards the table, followed by Wardes, who's face was heavily bandaged, still recovering from the beating he received from Danny. He was still sensitive about that.
"Well, we got the body to move, what are going to do with it?" Fouquet asked, putting her hands on her waist.
"What else? To use it, of course," a voice said, causing the two to looked in front of them, looking at one of the founders of the Reconquista. "We already tested the ring, and it was successful. Now, we use it to go to war. Luckily, Cromwell is taking advantage of King James…absence. We can begin phase one of our plans."
"I don't care about the war," Fouquet said as she held a lump of clay, which started changing, turning into the shape of Danny's head. "All I care about is finally ending this peasant familiar."
"Trust me my dear, you will get what you want," the voice said before he looked at Prince Wales. "But we must complete phase one. Now, Prince Wales, awaken from your slumber."
Prince Wales suddenly opened his eyes, which glowed green before returning to normal. He stood up from the stone table, looking blankly at the wall.
"Now, I order you to capture your beloved cousin, and take her to us," the man said, watching in satisfaction as the body nodded and walked away. "With the princess in our grasp, Tristain would be in turmoil, then we can use that to take the Void Mage, then we can finally achieve our goal of ruling this world, and the other world."
The figure then walked away, leaving Fouquet and Wardes, who also walked away to do their own thing. The figure kept walking, grinning as his eyes started glowing red.
"It seems no matter where we end up, we are destined to face again, Little Badger," the figure said before he disappeared into the shadows.
Academy of Magic…
Louise was sitting on a stone bench, an air of depression around her. It's been four days since her failed mission of securing the letters of Prince Wales, which were stolen after his death. When they returned to Princess Henrietta, she was devastated, though she didn't blame Louise or Danny, since they didn't know that Wardes was a traitor.
Still, Louise blamed herself. She was engaged to Wardes and should have known he was a traitor. But she didn't notice because she was enamored with him. All those years of him being kind to her, it was all fake, and she believe all of it, making her feel pathetic.
Just standing a few feet away from her, Danny was looking at her with a worried expression. This wasn't the first time he failed a mission, but this was the first time he let someone die in front of him. He was right there, but he let his guard down, and it caused someone's life.
And it was a mission entrusted to Louise by her best friend, and he let her down.
He didn't know what to do to make her feel better. He never had to deal with someone dying, his half-dying not counting.
He heard movement beside him. He looked and saw that it was Wardes' griffin. The creature was left behind by Wardes, so it was decided to be kept here until they can figure out what to do with him.
"What is bothering you, Ice Spirit?" he asked as he preen his wings. Like every creature he encountered, the griffin has taken a liking to Danny.
"…It's about what your sorry excuse of a master did to her," Danny said, gesturing at Louise. "And I don't know what to do."
"Hm…I remember when my mate needed comforting, I would take her flying and hunting for lambs to feast upon," the griffin said as he ruffled his wings.
"Well, excitement might be the last thing she needs," Danny said, since he still wasn't sure on how to reveal his other half to her, and riding on the griffin that belonged to the man who broke her heart might not help. "And she's not my mate."
"Well, what do you do when you don't want excitement?" the griffin asked, looking at Danny.
"Hm…" Danny mused as he thought about what would make him forget his troubles. After a while, he snapped his fingers, an idea forming in his head. He then walked to where his hot tub was located.
Later…
Louise was lying on her bed, looking at the ceiling, an air of depression around her. She hasn't eaten or bathe ever since returning from the mission.
Suddenly, she heard the door opened and she heard someone walked towards her. Danny suddenly appeared on her line of sight, grinning at him.
"Hey, Louise," he said in a gentle tone. "Are you busy today?"
Louise just groaned and moved to look at the side.
"Look Louise, this isn't healthy," Danny finally said. "Look, you couldn't have known about Wardes, or prevent Prince Wales'…Anyway, just do something, please."
"…Why?" Louise asked, slightly turning to look at Danny.
"Because you owe it to Wales," Danny said, causing Louise to look at him in a confusing manner. "A great guy like him wouldn't want you depressed over his death. It would dishonor his memory. So instead of being depressed, live to honor his memory, and do better next time."
Danny then just stood there as Louise pondered his words. After a long minute, she suddenly stood up from her bed, the depression on her face having lessened after Danny's encouraging words.
"Well, it's been a tough few days for you, so let's start by helping you relax," Danny said with a small smile. "I have a surprise for you outside."
Curious, Louise followed Danny out of her room and into the courtyard, where she noticed steam rising. Blinking, she saw that it was his hot tub, but this time there were sheets around it.
"What's this?" she asked, looking at Danny.
"Well, when I'm stressed, I do two things," Danny explained. "Star gazing or hot, bubble bath. For you, I decided to do both."
He opened the curtains, revealing the hot tub, now filled with bubbles, some floating off the tub before popping.
"Yeah, making that bubble potion was hard, but worth it," Danny said. "Now go ahead, take off your clothes."
"What!?" Louise exclaimed, grabbing her clothes tightly, blushing and glaring at Danny.
"Don't worry, that's what the covers are for," Danny said, waving off her accusing look. "I won't peek, I promise."
Louise looked at him with narrowed eyes before she reluctantly walked towards the tub. Danny then closed the sheets, giving her privacy as she removed her clothes, hanging them on a wooden rack. She felt a little embarrassed, being naked outside with only a sheet giving her privacy.
She then got into the water, and she marveled on how the bubbles felt on her skin. She sank deeper into the water, enjoying the warmth. She gave a small sigh as she looked at the sky and saw a breathtaking view; the night blue sky with thousands of stars, as well as the two moons lighting up the sky.
"Wow…" she whispered as she gazed at the night sky.
Suddenly, she could hear the familiar music from Danny's instrument filling the air, making her relax even more. Soon, she started relaxing for the first time in day. She looked up at the sky and had a small smile on her face.
Sitting on the grass next to the curtains was Danny, playing his ocarina, filling the silence with peaceful music.
Later…
After the nice, relaxing bath, Danny then led a relaxed Louise to the dining hall, where she finally ate something to fill her stomach. Danny smiled, happy that she looks healthy again. She looked fuller and there was a hint of color back on her face.
"Feeling better?" Danny asked as they walked back to the dorms.
"Yes," Louise said with a nod, looking at her Familiar. "Thank you, Danny."
"Hey, don't mention it," Danny said with a grin. "I mean, it's kinda my job to do this."
That made Louise pause for a little. Danny was here because of her, because she summoned him, away from his home and family, but even after that, he continued helping her in ways she couldn't imagine; he stood up for her against those who mocked her, taught her how to control her magic, helped her get rewarded by the castle, helped her with her confidence. She started feeling guilty since she hasn't done anything to repay his kindness towards her these past few months.
"But what can I give him?" Louise thought as she kept walking. "He doesn't seem like the kind to accept gold or riches, even if I can give them…What does he even like?"
After thinking, she remembered the first-year girl, giving him sweets and the expression on his face, so maybe she could make him some sweets. How hard could it be?
As they walked back to their room, a maid came running towards them. Surprised, the two looked at her as she regained her breath.
"Hey, you alright?" Danny asked to the maid.
"Y-yes, Lord Danny," she said, catching her breath. Danny sighed, tired of hearing that. "I'm here for Lady Valliere. Headmaster Osmond requires your presence, alone."
Danny and Louise looked at each other, wondering what the headmaster want.
"Want me to go with you?" Danny asked, looking at Louise, who shook her head.
"No, Headmaster called only for me," Louise said, shaking her head. "I'll be alright. I'll see you back in the room, Danny."
Danny nodded and walked back to their room, yawning. Louise then followed the maid to the Headmaster's office. Once there, the maid opened the door and bowed, greeting the Headmaster, who was smoking his pipe, his mouse resting on his shoulder.
"Ah, Miss Valliere, thank you for coming on such short notice," Osmond said before he politely dismissed the maid, who bowed before leaving the two mages alone.
"Is there something you need of me, Headmaster?" Louise asked in a polite and curious tone.
"Actually, yes," Osmond said as he opened a magically locked drawer. "As you are now aware, you are a very special mage, Miss Valliere. So special that you have caught the attentions of a lot of powerful people, though not all that attentions are from good people."
Louise cringed at that, remembering her ex-fiancé, now wanted refugee, who wanted her for being a Void Mage.
"And after a lot of thinking, I thought it was wise for you to have this," he said as he took something from the drawer, something wrapped in worn, brown paper, tied securely by a thin rope. "This was trusted to me by my predecessor, and I now handed it to you."
Surprise, Louise took the brown parcel and gently opened it. Inside was an old, leathery book with a leather strap, a five-point symbol on the metal.
"What is it?" she asked, feeling some sort of relevance to it.
"A very powerful artifact passed down from the beginning of magic," Osmond replied. "A book that holds the Founder Brimir's spells, spells he created himself. It is the Founder's Prayer Book."
Louise's eyes widened as she stared at the book, which now felt heavy in her hands.
"I-I cannot accept this!" she stammered, looking at Osmond with wide eyes, who merely chuckled.
"Whether you want to or not, it is not up to you," he said as he looked at Louise. "For a long time in our world, have I encountered a Void Mage. This book is yours by right. And you may need it for the coming challenges ahead. I urge you to take it, for you cannot rely on Danny to keep protecting you."
Louise looked down when he said that. It's true, Danny has been protecting her a lot lately, even when he taught her his version of magic. She should use this opportunity to make herself stronger.
Suddenly, a thought came to her mind.
"Headmaster…in this spell book, can…" she asked, looking both hopeful and worried. "…Can I find a way to send Danny home?"
"Hm…Perhaps," Osmond mused, stroking his beard. "I don't know, for I cannot open the book."
"Really?" Louise said, surprised. She looked at the book and grab the lock, which easily opened with a click.
"Another reason why you should hold it," Osmond said with a smile.
Louise hesitantly opened the book, but when she looked at it, it was blank. She flipped page after page, but nothing.
"…Why is nothing written on it?" she asked, looking at Headmaster Osmond.
"Perhaps because you are not ready yet," Osmond said cryptically, causing Louise to look at him with a confused expression. "Well, I will let you ponder about this on your own. It has been a long day, and you must be tired. Go on and rest, Miss Valliere."
"…Good night, sir," Louise said before she exited the room, holding the book like it was the most fragile jewel in the world.
Osmond watched her go before looking out the window, staring at the two moons.
"You will become a great mage, Miss Valliere, for our sake," he said in a grave tone as his mouse squeaked, causing him to gently pet it, still looking at the moons.
Meanwhile, Louise was still walking to her room, looking at the Founder's Prayer Book. Never in her life, even her wildest dreams, has she ever imagined herself being given such an important artifact. She, like every children of nobility, know of the Founder Brimir, after all, she, along with the other royal families of Tristain, is a descendant of Brimir, and heard of his deeds, like saving the human race from the hated elves who tried to kill them years ago, as well as his epic duel of banishing the Evil King.
And now, she learned she had the same element as the Founder, making her feel both giddy and nervous. Giddy because she wasn't a no element, but nervous that she had such power, being used to believing that she was nothing special.
But then she felt fear, because she knows that Wardes knows, and if he knows, then the group he was with, the one that killed Prince Wales, knows about her, and Osmond warned her about them. If only she could use the Prayer Book, but it was blank, and she didn't know what Osmond meant about not being ready.
She finally reached her room and entered it. She saw Danny sleeping on his hay bed, confusing her. She told him it was alright for him to sleep on her bed with her. And she blushed when she realized what she just thought about.
After calming herself, she changed out of her clothes and put on her sleeping wear. Exhausted, she lied on her bed, getting comfortable on her soft mattress. She put the Prayer Book on her bedside desk, in a small chest that her big sister gave to her.
She sighed before turning on her bed. She slightly raised her head to look at Danny, who was sleeping peacefully. As she stared at his sleeping face, she felt a weird feeling in her chest and her face suddenly felt hot.
She quickly turned to look outside the window, calming herself, taking deep breathes to stop her heart from pounding in her chest. After what felt like a long time, Louise finally closed her eyes, letting sleep takeover her.
As she slept, she didn't notice the inside of the chest glowing before it disappeared.
Kingdom of Tristain…
In the middle of the night, Princess Henrietta was on her bed, crying. It was the only time she was allowed to expose herself, to be vulnerable. During the day, she would act like the future queen, always standing tall, always calm, always be there for her people.
But in her room, she can finally shed the shell of the perfect princess and be the fragile girl she was inside, letting all the hurt and pain out.
When Louise came back with the news of their failed mission, she didn't care that the letters were taken and are probably in the hands of the Emperor of Germania, and the chance of having an alliance is gone, but none of that matters to her. She had just lost someone dear to her heart, and it was because she sent a traitor with Louise on the mission.
If she had only known that Wardes was a traitor, her best friend wouldn't have been in danger and Prince Wales wouldn't have been killed. And now, her home is in danger due to the threat of war and then she lost the man her heart belongs too.
As she laid there, sobbing, she didn't see a figure entering her bedroom through the window. He walked as quiet as a shadow until he was standing in front of the bed.
"Henrietta," he said, causing the princess to raise her head from her tear-soaked pillow. Startled, she looked at the source and her eyes widen.
"…Wales?" she said in disbelief as she shakily stood up, walking to her lover, feeling like she was in a dream. "Is…Is that really you?"
"Yes," Wales said in an emotionless voice. "I have come to take you away."
Henrietta finally noticed the tone of his voice as well as his eyes. Instead of the love, warmth and kindness she used to see, they were dead and lifeless. Fear crept in her heart as she moved away from Wales.
"W-what happened to you?" she asked as her eyes filled with fear.
"Come with me, Henrietta," Wales said, ignoring the question as he walked towards the frightened princess. "My master needs you to start his plan."
"Master?" Henrietta repeated before she noticed something glinting on Wales' finger, a ring with a tear-shaped gem.
"Do not make this difficult," Wales said in his emotionless voice, holding out his hand. "Now, come with me, Henrietta."
"No!" she cried as she started running towards the door. Before she could reach it, she felt her arm being grabbed and pulling her roughly, causing her to lose to balance. Wales then pinned her arm behind her back, causing her to wince from the pain.
"He-!" she began to yell, only for Wales to cover her mouth with a cloth.
Henrietta struggled, but as she breathed through the cloth, she felt herself getting drowsy until she fell unconscious, turning limp in Wales' arms. The dead prince looked at her with emotionless eyes before he carried her out the window.
Suddenly, he stopped and seemed to struggle, a little light appearing in his eyes. He suddenly took something from his pocket and dropping it to the floor. The light then disappeared, returning to the emotionless eyes. He then walked out of the room, disappearing in the silent night.
The Next Day…
Louise felt energized, since she wasn't able to get a good night's sleep in days, finally getting over her depression. She was still sad about failing her mission, but she no longer let it drag her down. She looked at the side and saw that Danny was still sleeping, which was odd, since he usually woke up earlier than her.
She gave him a small smile before she stood up from her bed and changed her clothes. Once she was fully clothed, Danny woke up, yawning and stretching.
"Oh, morning Louise," Danny said as he noticed Louise, fully dressed. "Sorry about not preparing your clothes."
"It's okay, I can change my own clothes," Louise said with a smile as she watched Danny stand up. "Why were you sleeping on the floor?"
"What do you mean? Isn't this my bed?" Danny asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, yes," Louise said, feeling guilty for making him sleep on the bed of hay in the first place. "But I already gave you permission to sleep on my bed, with me."
"I thought that was only a one-time thing," Danny said.
"Well, from now on, you can sleep with me on the same bed," Louise ordered.
"…That sounded dirty," Danny said with a deadpanned expression as Louise blushed.
"You know what I mean!" Louise exclaimed, her face red.
"I know, just teasing you," Danny said with a grin. "I'm glad that you're fine now."
Louise grumbled as she turned her back to him, but she was actually hiding a smile. She felt happy that he was worried for her, but didn't know why she was happy because of that.
The two left the room, to get breakfast, before they heard a commotion nearby. Curious, the two walked to the commotion and saw that was the royal guards of the kingdom talking to Headmaster Osmond.
Leading the guards was a woman with short, yellow hair, with a white cape and a gun holster. Danny was surprised to see a gun on her, since he thought they don't have those.
"You must help us!" she demanded to Osmond, who was trying to calm them down. "Use your magic to track her!"
"I cannot, it requires things I currently do not have," Osmond said.
"Mages," the leader said with a huff. "We must hurry to locate her Majesty!"
"What?" Louise said, her eyes widening. She quickly walked towards the guards, with Danny right behind her. "What has happened to her Majesty?"
"This does not concern you, girl," the leader said rudely.
"Well, the princess is her best friend, so I guess it kinda involves her," Danny said, standing beside Louise, his arms crossed. "So how about you tell us what's wrong before we heard it from someone else?"
"Mind your business, peasant boy," the leader said rudely.
"How about you mind your tone," Danny said, getting annoyed at her attitude.
She narrowed her eyes as her hand wen to the gun as Danny's hand went to Ryu no Kiba.
"Stop!" Louise exclaimed, getting between them. She then turned to the leader of the group if guards. "Please, I just want to help her Majesty."
"I doubt a little girl like you can help," the leader said in a dismissive tone.
"You don't know, maybe that little girl can see something your baggy old eyes can't," Danny said, causing the leader to glare at him.
"Fine, the princess disappeared, and we can't find her," she said. "Now, how can you two help, aside from wasting my time."
Later…
Danny and Louise were in Henrietta's room, looking for clues. Danny had done detective work before, since it was a required factor in his former job. Louie watched as Danny looked around the room.
"What are you doing again?' she asked as Danny looked around the room with glowing eyes. She should be surprised, but somehow wasn't.
"Looking for clues, doing some detective work," Danny explained.
"Detective work?" Louise asked, not knowing what detective means.
"I'm looking for clues, hints, signs of anything that could help us located Princess Henrietta," Danny explained as he heard the confusion in her tone. "It's something I used to do, before retiring. Hm…what have we here?"
He picked up a piece of paper from the ground and looked at it. Louise blinked as she walked towards Danny, looking at the paper.
"It's blank," she commented with a sad look.
"Hm…it has a citrus scent to it," Danny said, sniffing the paper. "Make a small orb, as hot as you can. And try not to pop it."
Confused at why he asked that, Louise complied anyway, lifting her want and making a small, hot orb. Nodding, Danny placed the paper near the orb, making sure not to burn it. Suddenly, words started appearing.
"Hey, I know this," Louise said in surprise as she made the orb disappear. "Me and the princess used to write invisible messages with orange juice. How did you know this?"
"Well, let's say I needed some secrets to share with people I trust," Danny said as he read the letter. "Please help me. Kingdom of Albion. Reconquista."
"Who wrote that?" Louise asked, looking worried.
"Don't know," Danny replied as he reread the letter with a frown. "No signature."
"We should inform the guards," Louise said, rushing out the room.
"No," Danny suddenly said, stopping Louise.
"What do you mean?" Louise asked, looking at Danny.
"…This group killed a prince, if we tell the Royal Guards that Princess Henrietta was taken to Albion, both Tristain and Albion might end up going to war," Danny explained, causing Louise to stop and think about it, and saw that he was right. "And besides, we can't trust them."
"Why?" she asked, confused.
"Think about it, someone managed to get inside the castle and take the princess without anyone noticing," Danny explained. "We don't know how many people there are in this Reconquista. For all we know, one of those guards might be a spy for Reconquista."
"Then what are we going to do?" Louise asked in a panic tone.
"We go to the one person we can trust," Danny said as he and Louise exited the room.
Later…
"…And that's the gist of it," Danny explained to Osmond and Colbert. The two looked worried and stern as they exchanged looks. Danny and Louise were in Osmond's office, which was magically sealed to prevent prying eyes and ears.
"I see…" Osmond said in a serious tone, interlocking his fingers. "You did the right choice coming to us, Danny. But this is a serious problem."
"I agree," Colbert said as he rubbed his chin. "This is a serious dilemma."
"What do you suggest we do, Headmaster Osmond? Professor Colbert?" Louise asked, looking at the two wise men.
"…I do have an idea, but it is risky," Osmond said, looking at the teens in front of him gravely. "You must go to Albion and rescue her Majesty yourself, without anyone knowing."
"What? But that might cause an uproar between Albion and Tristain, giving what happened to Prince Wales," Colbert said.
"I know, but it is the only chance we have of rescuing her Majesty," Osmond said, looking at Louise and Danny. "I know this is too much to ask of you, but-."
"I'll do it!" Louise declared in a determined expression. "If her Majesty is in danger, then I would do everything within my power to rescue her!"
"I guess that includes me as well," Danny said with a shrug. "I mean, I'm the brawns, and the brains, of this team."
"What does that mean!?" Louise exclaimed, glaring at Danny.
"…Very well," Osmond said with a sigh. "Then Miss Valliere, your mission is to go to Albion and rescue Princess Henrietta."
"Yes, Headmaster," Louise said with a bow as Danny just stood there, hiding his worried expression. He remembered how Fouquet knew who he was and threw Blood Blossoms at him. If that happened, and in enemy territory, then it could be serious trouble for them.
"And luckily, you won't be going alone," Osmond said before he lifted his want, unlocking the door. Then it opened and walking in was the leader of the Royal Guards. "The Captain of the Tristain Musketeers, Agnes Chevalier de Milan."
Agnes glared at Danny and Louise, but mostly at the former, before walking to Osmond, still frowning.
"You did know the reason we came to you is so she won't know, right?" Danny said to Osmond in a deadpanned expression.
"You can trust Miss Milan," Osmond said. "She is Princess Henrietta's most trusted soldier."
"Just don't get in my way, understand?" Agnes said as she frowned at the two.
"…I'm having doubts now," Danny said with a deadpanned expression.
He really hoped they would survive this mission, since the enemy knows about him, but he knows nothing about what they were going to face in the heart Albion.
Not that it stopped him before.
And ending the chapter here. Man, summer flies too fast. Well, I don't know if I told you guys this yet, but I got a job, so I'm so tired that I couldn't write as much as before.
Now then, Louise got a special book from Osmond, Henrietta got kidnapped by her dead lover, and Agnes makes her appearance. Oh, and I guess we now know who told Fouquet about Danny's secret. You can never have peace and quiet with that guy around, am I right people?
So, next chapter, rescue mission in the heart of the enemy's territory, how fun. See you later.