(This was originally going to be put before 5, but the fact that I was already so late, I decided to scrap this and post it later as an interlude. So, you know, I hope you enjoy it, because this is about all you'll be seeing of the other girls in this fic until they are ready to make their actual debut.)
Feoh, First Fortress.
On top of Feoh's castle, there laid two princesses. The first was a blonde-haired warrior that loved her people to a fault, a sword laid at her side, as she began to relax for one of the first times in a long time. Her armored arms made a few clinks and clanks as she folded her hands behind her head to gaze up at the vast cosmic cloud overhead.
Princess Alicia Arcturus was not one to normally stargaze, at least not since she had to take up responsibility for the Fortress and region. She laid in the garden on the castle, staring up at the night sky, and fondly recalling when she and her parents would do this exact same thing. The red celestial cloud that hung overhead was an omen of strength, or at least that was what her father had always said.
"Cousin? Do you...?" Said a soft and too gentle voice to Alicia's side. "Do you ever wonder if you're going to find love?"
She was a few inches shorter than herself, with pink hair, a white dress, and a face that was both too precious for this world and too dangerous. An adorable young lady in the making laid next to Alicia, looking up at the dark firmament, just like she was, with her bright blue eyes. Alicia found herself slightly caught off guard by the question, but answered nevertheless.
"I don't know…" She answered truthfully. She never had put too much thought into it before being asked. "If I ever do... I would hope it would be like what my parents had."
She always remembered them being joyful whenever they were together. If she ever found love, she would want it to be like that.
Prim turned to look at Alicia. "But your parents always fought whenever I saw them," she pointed out, and she did have a point there. Compared to Prim's parents, Alicia's always fought, but that was what most people saw.
They might have argued and butted heads, yet Alicia knew they loved each other dearly. In the privacy of their home, they weren't the storybook romance many always perceived their parents as, but that didn't matter since she knew.
"That is what most people perceived, but they only wanted what was best for the people of Feoh," Alicia said, remembering their many arguments on how best to help, something she strived to do ever since their passing. "Why do you ask?"
Prim's gaze returned to the stars. "Mother and Father are talking about seeking suitors for me," said the younger princess. Her voice was small, and it was clear she didn't want to have her match made by someone else. "I had hoped to find it myself, but I am afraid I might not get to."
The princess of Feoh gave her a pitying look. "Oh Prim…" Alicia said, reaching out to grab Prim's hand and giving it a light squeeze. "Would you like me to talk to them about it? See if I can get them to give you a chance?" Alicia offered. Her words were kind, and far gentler than before.
"I would like that." The Princess of Ur accepted, allowing the two to fall into a comfortable silence that would be broken by Alicia. The warrior princess hesitated a moment, unsure if her own curiosity would be crossing into her dear cousin's privacy.
"What sort of person would you be looking for?" she asked anyways, her own curiosity prevailing. Prim turned red, probably because she wasn't expecting to be put on the spot like this, and Alicia quickly amended. "You don't have to tell me if you aren't comfortable sharing."
The pinkette princess quickly shook her head. "No… It's just..." she stopped, struggling to find the words in her mouth. "I would like them to be like you," she said in a quiet voice.
Alicia gave her cousin a confused look. "Me?"
Prim nodded quickly. "You're strong, brave, compassionate. You care about everyone under you, to the point where I am sometimes frightened you are overworking yourself to make sure they take care of themselves," she said, almost reverently.
"I've seen you do everything you can to keep me and your people safe. You listen when I have things to say, you even protect me whenever I leave Ur…" Prim trailed off, losing herself in her thoughts, "If I ever find someone I love, I would like them to be like you."
Alicia was stuck between feeling flattered and embarrassed, but settled on the former, since Prim looked up to her enough to want her future lover to be like her. "I wish you luck finding that special someone," the blonde princess said, returning her gaze to the night sky.
The Princess of Ur sighed. "I wish you the same," she said, as she too returned to stargazing. However, there was something strange. In the corner of her eye, she noticed something moving.
"Is that a shooting star?" Prim asked as she turned her head to look at it.
Alicia did the same, looking in the direction Prim was, and sure enough, saw a star shooting straight up. "I've never seen one ascend like that before," she stated, as they watched it go higher and higher, before...
*BOOM*
Alicia had only a moment to cover both her and Prim's eyes from the massive explosion in the sky. There was no accompanying shockwave, but when Alicia finally mustered up the willpower to look at where that star exploded, she noticed something strange... Something that wasn't there before.
Sitting there comfortably in the night sky, was a singular star, one that shined brighter than all those around it.
"What was that?!" Prim asked with worried alarm, before her own eyes settled on the new object floating high above them in the heavens...
Already, they could hear the commotion it caused down on the streets below. The princess of Feoh clenched her fists.
What was that? She didn't know, but needed to.
"I need to send a message to Her Holiness. I want to know if she has any idea what that was," Alicia stated as she stood up, and marched back into the castle.
Prim, however, was captivated by the new celestial body in the sky, and how it shined brighter than the others. She had once heard stories about how if you make a wish on a star, it'll come true. The young princess had long stopped believing in such fairy tales… But a small, quiet, and still naive part of her compelled her to make a wish on this one star.
"Maybe... You'll make my wish come true?" she wondered, as she closed her eyes and quietly whispered a few words to herself, before following her dear cousin inside.
She was worried about her parents, but she knew they would be fine. Alicia needed all the help she could get right now.
Thorn, Third Fortress
In the Third Fortress of Thorn, all was quiet.
Within the private quarters of the shrine that stood for the Castle, the High Priestess Kaguya was on her knees in a deep meditative state, in communion with her God, while her fellow priestesses prayed behind her.
"Oh Lord..." She began "My Lord..."
Her voice was quiet, only barely a whisper, leaving her lips as she prayed. "What troubles you, Lord?" she asked with her eyes shut tight, concentrating on the feeling her god was sending her.
Many, many years of practice and attunement have let her learn how to interpret these varying feelings that her god sent her, but there was something that was wrong. Ever since yesterday morning, there had been a strange feeling that her god had been sending her.
One she had never known her god could feel: fear, trepidation, and danger. The message was clear: There was change coming, and her god feared it might not be for the better.
"I have felt it..." The High Priestess stated. "I have been trying to identify the source of this change, but thus far, I have come empty-handed..." she said in a voice that did not express any emotion, aside from her regret for failing her god in such a manner.
Another wave of feelings came to Kaguya. They did not express the disappointment she anticipated, but they were calming in the same way they were damning. Kaguya understood the meaning behind such feelings: They were telling her it was alright that she failed, but clear they were hoping that she had not.
"... I am sorry…" She muttered to them. "… I will continue to try, if that is what you wish…"
Kaguya did not like failing her Lord. She had dedicated her life to serving them, devoted her entire identity to loving them. To fail them in such a way was something she could not tolerate, not when she could aid them in whatever way she could.
She felt a wave of new emotions, this time of alarm and concern, most notably. Something was going on in this instant that caused her Lord to worry. But what? What could her Lord be sensing that causes them such trouble?
Before she could ask, she felt her Lord retreat from her mind so quickly, it surprised her. She concentrated and attempted to commune with them again, but her Lord was unresponsive to her. She pushed again, and again before her own concentration was broken by a younger priestess.
"Everyone outside! Quickly!" she called out.
The Shrine Maiden was caught between ignoring her and trying to commune with her Lord again, but perhaps this was linked to their withdrawal? She stood slowly, and with a few small strides, she found herself outside with the rest of the priestesses. They were all staring up at the sky, and Kaguya followed their gaze and spotted a peculiarity she had never seen before.
It reminded her of a shooting star. One that, instead of streaking across the sky at a speed faster than one could blink, was steadily ascending to the heavens above. Kaguya wondered if this was truly the cause of the commotion, before it did something Kaguya could not have expected it to.
*BOOM*
She had to avert her eyes briefly. The flash of light could have blinded her if she hadn't managed to shield her vision in time. The High Priestess looked up where the star had exploded, and noticed that it had not, in fact, been destroyed.
No, it took a place among the night sky, shining brightly, and unmissable if one looked up.
"What do you think it means?"
"Perhaps, the Lord would know?"
"Right, of course."
Her priestesses spoke among themselves, while Kaguya's gaze was locked onto the newborn star. This must be a sign: Whatever caused that must be what is having her God worry so much.
She turned back and went inside. She had a new duty to attend to: finding whoever or whatever caused that star to be born.
Ansur, Fourth Fortress
Maia was honestly having a rough time. As if this job couldn't get any worse, she was now forced to step outside because her ward was afraid of her seducing any and all potential suitors. It was a fact that irritated her as much as the fact that she was forced to attend this little party.
She took a sigh as she leaned on the stone railing and almost lazily gazed out at the city of Ansur.
The city was enormous, the economy thriving despite the ongoing war that has been draining its resources dry for countless years. Thanks to the merchant guilds, here money flowed, and goods that the kingdom desperately needed were in constant resupply. It was one of the most well-off forts, considering that Ansur had always been a hub for the wealthy and elite. She couldn't even begin to try and remember the names of even half the nobles living here.
Overall, life was pretty good here, for her especially.
Her job was simple, to protect a noble's little girl. Easy peasy, right? Well, you would be half right.
Her ward is a brat, doesn't listen half the time, and hates her for being 'More beautiful' and seducing any man she wants to try and court. It was honestly the stupidest thing Maia had ever heard, but the Mercenary Shield 'Princess' was more than content to rack in this small fortune, even if it meant letting herself get insulted a bit.
You didn't get into the Mercenary business without having a thick skin, both figuratively and literally.
But if she was being honest with herself? She was beginning to hate this job in particular. Not that she truly cared about the money anyways. Don't misunderstand, she loves the small treasure she has amassed, but she would much rather be out traveling.
The freedom of the wilds, saving villages from monster attacks, meeting new and interesting people… She honestly missed that.
She heard that Vault and the Black Dogs were getting ready to face the Black Citadel. A part of her wanted to drop this job and go join up with them, for old times' sake, and finally gain a bit of time around him. With a deep sigh, Maia hung her head low.
"Damn it…" she muttered to herself as she thought of that man. She honestly didn't know why thinking about him made her feel strange. A lingering feeling she couldn't place, or perhaps didn't want to place.
She looked down from the balcony she was standing on, down at the people of Ansur, watching a couple have their own little romantic outing on a rooftop with a candlelit dinner.
Her own mind betrayed her as she allowed herself a moment to indulge in a fantasy of herself and a certain other mercenary.
Fighting side by side, drinking together in a tavern, having romantic outings like the one she had observed from her place in the castle, maybe they could get a house together once this war with the Dark Queen was over…
And maybe, just maybe, he would ask her a specific question, and they could have a family together…
She couldn't help but laugh at herself. The great Maia, the lone wolf mercenary, had a feminine side. One that she would keep to herself even to the grave… except to maybe one other person.
She returned her gaze to the sky, and barely caught it in her peripheral. Something shot up from the ground, and began ascending, higher, and higher into the heavens to the point she had to look up to keep following it, and then…
*BOOM*
Maia barely had enough time to cover her eyes from the explosion, and when she removed her arms from her face, she spotted it. A singular star that wasn't there before, and was shining brighter than its brothers and sisters…
"What was that?!" She heard people start to yell from inside.
"Are we being attacked?!"
"My bodyguard! WHERE IS MY BODYGUARD!?"
Maia groaned. Back to work, she supposed. But before she went inside, she spared the new star one last glance. Maybe this was an omen of good things to come?
She hoped so.
Rad, Fifth Fortress.
The Halfling Fortress of Rad was a very odd place.
It was special because most of its inhabitants were... well, Halflings. An odd bunch that tended to stay the same size as a child, and yet were considered one of the strongest and most talented races in the kingdom.
The drawback however, was that they tended to have the same level of maturity as a child.
Case in point: The Halfling Chieftain of Rad, Luu Luu, was currently bawling her eyes out at a letter she received not even five minutes ago.
"WAAAAAH!" she cried out as tears flowed freely from her face, flailing her arms in the manner one would expect from a child throwing a tantrum.
"IT'S NOT FAIR!" She shook the letter in her hands. "SHE GOT A HUSBAND BEFORE ME! ME!" she wailed as she crushed the letter in her hands into a ball and threw it aside.
One of Luu Luu's close friends, a blacksmith with short black hair, and a bit more… developed… than her friend, was carefully patting and rubbing their friend's back.
"There, there…" she said as soothingly as she could muster. "You'll find a boyfriend one day Luu Luu, I know it," she said reassuringly, only to have her hand batted away, which was an impressive feat considering how strong she was. But then again, Luu Luu had always been the stronger one.
"YOU CAN'T TALK!" Luu Luu borderline shouted at her friend. "YOU'VE GOT A BOYFRIEND! YOU'VE GOT THOSE… THOSE…!" The child-like chieftain struggled to find the words. "THOSE FAT SACKS ON YOUR CHEST!" she yelled. "YOU DON'T KNOW MY STRUGGLES!" Luu Luu cried out before turning away and throwing herself on the bearskin rug before the fireplace.
"Ri Ri, you have no idea how hard it is to find someone who would like me…" The Halfing Princess said quietly into the carpet.
Ri Ri rolled her eyes. "There must be someone. Plenty of men pass through the fortress seeking to get weapons and armor, have you considered them?"
The smaller girl leveled a death glare to her friend. "I've tried… But no one seems to like me…" The glare morphed into an expression that almost looked like she was going to start bawling again. "I don't want to turn into an old, husbandless hag!" she cried into the fur of the rug.
"Maybe you need to lower your standards?" the blacksmith suggested. "What do you look for in a boyfriend?"
Luu Luu rolled onto her back. "Someone who is strong enough to take a hit from me, doesn't mind that I don't have the bags of fat like a lot of others do." She leveled a glare at her friend's tits. "Probably likes weapons as much as I do, and has a really nice-"
"Too much information!" Ri Ri quickly interrupted.
The childish Chief looked confused. "What? I was going to say a really nice set of muscles." Luu Luu tilted her head. "What did you think I was going to say?"
The blacksmith looked away. "It's nothing!" The smith was red-faced when she said that, but put a hand to her chin and began pondering. "That doesn't sound too hard to find. Have you asked the travelers that come to Rad? I am certain someone who meets all your standards would come through sooner or later."
Luu Luu shot up to shoot daggers at her friend. "I've tried, but they all think I am young! Young, I tell you! Like I haven't matured even by Halfling standards!" she yelled as she got up into her friend's face, before taking off her hat and throwing it on the floor.
"It isn't fair! I've been trying for longer than anyone else I know, and I don't even have one boyfriend!" Luu Luu shouted. "All because they love people like you! With your stupid fat titties!"
Ri Ri watched as her friend stormed off, waiting until she slammed the huge door shut as she stepped out to the balcony, before feeling her own breasts.
"They aren't even that big," she muttered as she pushed them together, as if she was checking herself. However, the crumpled up letter got her attention, and she chose to look at what it said.
It was a letter from Luu Luu's cousin, and they were excited to announce that she would be getting married soon. No date specified for it yet, but that wasn't the point. Ri Ri gave a single nod before putting it on the table, and leaving.
She knew Luu Luu, she would throw a tantrum about this for now, but by sunrise tomorrow she was going to be super excited for her cousin and her husband.
The Halfling princess strode onto the balcony with a huff, sitting down at one of the tables and simply wallowing in her outrage.
"It's not fair," she said to herself in a quiet voice. "Why am I the littlest Halfling there is?" she asked as she leaned onto the table, resting her chin on it and pouting.
As she pouted, she gazed at the night sky, idly wondering if there was someone out there for her. That was when she spotted it, a shooting star! Shooting stars grant wishes, right?! The small princess put her hands together and began quietly wishing.
"I wish, I wish, with all my heart, that I'll meet the perfect guy soon! It doesn't have to be today, or tomorrow, no rush... But soon? Please? Pretty please, with a cherry on top?"
As the Princess and Chieftain of Rad made this wish, the shooting star reached its apex, and...
*BOOM*
The star blew up, and Luu Luu was lucky she covered her eyes in time to avoid looking directly into the explosion. But when she looked back, she saw a new, bright star sitting in the sky with its siblings…
The childish Chieftain couldn't keep the smile from taking over her face, because she knew her wish had come true. Her smile quickly turned into a frown, though… She said the wish could take its time…
"Ah!" she exclaimed. "I take it back, can he be here like tonight?! Or tomorrow maybe?! Please!"
Geofu, Seventh Fortress
Within her room at the peak of the White Citadel, a Goddess paced anxiously.
It had been roughly three and a half hours since she had left the company of James. Celestine knew she couldn't expect him to return quickly, she had sent him alone, after all. The decision weighed on her, she would never forgive herself if James had died because she did not support him enough.
The kingdom would be doomed, and she would deserve whatever fate had in store for her failure in judgment.
"Lady Celestine?" she heard on the other side of her bedroom doors. The voice was one she recognized as one of the few friends she had in the world. Someone she had known since she started as a Knight of Ken. With a few short strides, Celestine opened the doors and allowed in one of her most trusted confidants: the Commander of the Dawn Templars, Shield Princess of Ken, and dear friend, Claudia Levantine.
"I heard about the siege and came as quickly as I could," she said as she entered.
The High Elf nodded. "Thank you for your quick response, I am sorry you had to cut your time off short," the Goddess reincarnated apologized. "How is Klaus doing?" Celestine asked as the doors shut.
Once the doors were closed, Claudia let out a breath and relaxed. "Fine, all things considered," she replied. "I would have liked to have stayed with him longer, but I can make it up to him when I return."
Celestine frowned. "I still do not like it. You both have precious little time to spend with each other because of this war." The High elf sat on her bed and tried to let out a slow, relaxing breath. "I understand your anniversary is coming up. Is there anything you have thought about doing for it?"
Claudia gave a sad smile. She knew her Queen better than most, and with that knowledge knew she was trying to take her mind off of whatever was bothering her.
"I was thinking about taking a small vacation, if it can be managed," the templar said in a more relaxed tone as she joined the Goddess on the bed. "Somewhere east, I suppose. Lady Kaguya has told me that her homeland is beautiful, and I would like to judge that for myself."
There was a glimmer of sadness that struck the High Queen's eyes, as Claudia mentioned this. "Yes..." she replied slowly. "I have heard the same." Celestine briefly began to wonder what James' home was like. It was clear he was not native to Eostia, or any of the surrounding lands.
His accent was slightly off, unlike anything she had heard before, and he clearly didn't understand just how important she was to the kingdom. A fact recognized by all known countries, with the only exception being Kaguya's people, and it was clear they did not share a homeland.
Not that she would ever mind being addressed so easily by James. It was so refreshing to be addressed so… simply. No being called 'Lady', no being called 'Majesty', 'Holiness', 'Goddess', or anything like that.
It was ironic, Celestine and Claudia had known countless nobles and peasants who would want nothing more than to be addressed with a title demanding respect from all who heard it. And yet, the most respected woman in all the land simply wanted to be known as nothing more than herself.
"What troubles you, my lady?" Claudia asked without looking at the High Elf.
Celestine sighed, slowly standing, and moving out to the balcony of her room. "I am concerned I may have made a terrible mistake, Lady Levantine," The High Elf said as she placed her hands on the railing and leaned forward, gazing at the evening sky.
"I have known you for a long time, Your Majesty," the templar said, placing a hand on the Goddess' shoulder. "In all that time, you have never made a mistake. Even though these are trying times, you have always done what is best for the kingdom and its people," Claudia assured. "Now, tell me what you believe this mistake is. Perhaps I can ease whatever worries you, my Lady."
Celestine smiled at Claudia, a small but genuine one, only for it to turn into a frown. "I fear I may have sent a young man to his death," the High Elf confessed with a heavy heart. "We had received word that some of the citizens had managed to track some people taken in the attack, and in my blind desire to save them, I sent a brave young man to face them alone." Her voice was filled with shame.
She was ashamed of herself, for her overzealous desire to save her people, for not providing more for the rescue, for putting the one man that might save their kingdom at risk so soon after meeting him.
Claudia's face remained still for a moment. "Tell me about this young man, then," she said. "You must have seen something in him if you were so quick to send him on a dangerous task like that."
The High Elf thought about her next words for a moment. "He…" she began. "He is strange," Celestine said slowly. "I learned about him the morning of the siege, he suddenly appeared inside the castle dungeons wearing nothing but rough-spun cloth. The guards believed him to have been some sort of criminal," the Goddess said with a small laugh. "It is strange, the last place he deserved to go was ironically the place he needed to be."
The Templar had a confused expression. "What do you mean, Your Highness?"
"It was because he was in prison that he eventually managed to save Isaac from a Kobold, only armed with a knife," Celestine said, looking down and seeing the little boy play with his siblings, both young and old. "When little Isaac brought him to me, I knew from the moment our eyes met he would be destined for greatness."
Claudia began leaning on the railing as well. "He sounds remarkably brave. What else can you tell me?"
Celestine sighed as she closed her eyes and remembered the past day. "Remarkably brave is underselling it," she said with a small smile. "I have never known anyone to charge Creatures of Darkness headfirst without a weapon to save someone he never even met. He will face down a dangerous creature with only a knife if it is the right thing to do." Her voice took an odd tone, one Claudia had never heard before. "But what is even more surprising is how compassionate he is. The instant he realized people needed his help, he was ready to do everything in his power to provide aid."
She smiled as the memory of him helping her across the bridge came to mind. It was such a simple, small gesture, but that simple act of reaching for her hand meant more to her than anyone would likely ever know.
Claudia chuckled, earning a quick glance from Celestine. "Forgive me for saying this, but it almost sounds like you may have taken a liking to him," the married woman said with a small smile hidden behind her hand. Perhaps it was the fact that she had once thought of Klaus in a similar way, but it almost sounded like the Goddess had developed something of a crush on this young man. Surely not, but still, the thought was humorous to the templar.
The Goddess however, didn't quite understand. "I have?" she confirmed hesitantly. "He is a valuable ally, and I am grateful towards him for saving Isaac. Why would I not like him?"
The question was genuine, but the Templar couldn't help but smile brighter.
"That is not in the way I meant," the Knight Commander clarified. It took a few moments before the Goddess felt her face warm up at the implication.
"You know I-"
Her voice slowed to a stop as something caught her eye in the distance. Slowly, something rose in the distance, higher and higher in the sky. Levantine noticed it too, and slowly pushed Celestine behind her, just in case it was something dangerous.
*BOOM*
The shooting star exploded into the sky, and once the light faded, Claudia and Celestine both stared up in amazement.
A star had been born.
Slowly, noise began to envelope the Fortress, people all calling out to the Goddess in confusion, and praying for an answer.
"Claudia," Celestine spoke, her tone serious. "Please, keep a lookout for James Hind, I must speak with the Archbishop about this," she said, turning around and walking back inside.
Claudia, however, was still having difficulty processing what she had just witnessed. "My Lady, do you know what that was?" she asked as she followed the High Elf.
"I believe it was a sign from the Goddess."
The Black Citadel
Deep in the Northern lands, at the center of the poisonous swamps and dead plains, was a massive dark tower. It sat there, isolated and alone with only two real inhabitants. One was a beautiful, pure blooded Dark Elf, her magical power was once considered the most powerful in all the land, and the other her subordinate, her Knight, a captivating Half-Elf whose story is known only to a precious few.
At the top of the tower, the Dark Queen Olga Discordia sat by one of the many windows on the tower and looked out to the sky as evening turned to night. Across from her, sat her subordinate, Chloe. A loud silence was settled between them as the beasts below loudly scrambled and ran amok on the lower levels.
Olga sat there, a stoic expression on her face as she stared out at the nighttime sky. She gazed to the dead lands around the tower, the poisoned swamps, and couldn't even be bothered to be surprised by the fact that a great number of her 'servants' were leaving en masse as if they were rats leaving a sinking ship.
"Cowards…" she heard Chloe say, breaking the silence. "Who do they think they are to just walk away like this?" the Half-Elf asked bitterly.
"They are mere beasts," the Dark Queen said as she returned her eyes to the skies, her uninterested expression giving way to no wrath or hatred. No, she did not hate them, they were not worth the effort to hate, not even worth acknowledging enough to hate. Nothing truly was in her eyes. That would mean believing them worthy of such scorn.
"They have no obligation to defend me, now that I am almost too weak to defend myself."
Olga observed the wavering enchantment she placed on the sky. She remembered when she first arrived on the surface, how the very first thing she did was block out the sun with a simple spell. It was now a reminder of how weak she was. Her defense against harmless sunlight was now so weak that she could see through it as night fell.
To many, it would look as it did when she first put it up, but she and Chloe both could see that the veil was getting too thin. The time it had left was limited, just as their time together would be as well.
Chloe's eyes turned sad as she looked at her master. "Lady Olga, please do not say such things." Chloe's voice was almost pleading.
The Dark Queen's decline in power hadn't been from overexertion or any such reason. She simply never noticed the Aberrants that had gathered under her, feeding and enhancing themselves off her magic. Such a foolish mistake, a part of her feels this is an apt punishment for her arrogance, to have let creatures like those serve her.
"It is a fact that cannot be changed anymore. I am barely as strong as a novice as I am now, and soon I suspect I shall not even be that anymore." The expression the Dark Queen wore was impassive, and her voice was stoic.
"Is there truly no way to restore your power?" Chloe asked. This wasn't the first time she had asked that question ever since she learned of the decline in Olga's power. But she would ask it again every so often, as if one day the answer would be different. Or at least, that is what Chloe had hoped. "If there is, I swear to you, I will do everything I can."
Queen Discordia's amber eyes drifted to Chloe's red ones. "There is none." Her voice wasn't bitter, saddened, or even laced with shame that it had reached this point. "It would take nothing short of a miracle to restore even a small amount," Olga said, before taking a sip of the tea beside her.
Her Knight frowned. "I wish there was something I could do for you Lady Olga…" said Chloe, her voice was grave and small.
Olga smiled, despite their slowly darkening situation. "You have already done more than I could have ever asked of you," she said gently.
"Your Majesty…" Chloe's voice was quiet, but a moment later, her face hardened with determination. "I swear to you, I will defend you with everything I have! Whatever comes, I'll make sure no human or beast lays a finger on you!" Chloe declared.
Olga's smile didn't fade even as her gaze returned to the star filled night. It felt good to know that even though every other being on the face of the country may be against her, knowing that Chloe's faith was unwavering made The Dark Queen feel grateful.
"Thank you," was Olgas' simple reply, and although it sounded as if it lacked any enthusiasm or emotion, her gratitude still managed to reach the Half-Elf.
Olga's gaze on the night sky and horizon did not waver. It was one of the few things about the surface she genuinely enjoyed. The unpolluted sky, filled to the brim with countless stars. She sighed, idly wondering if there was anything else worthwhile about the surface…
Her expression became sullen as she realized what she was doing to herself. Trying to distract herself from all her problems, when in reality, they were all going to be at her doorstep in a matter of days.
With her power weakening, it was only a matter of time before the Humans who raised arms against her came, or some brave Aberrant decided to try and take them as a prize. The dark Queen frowned as the thought settled in her mind while she gazed down at the human lands. Once they catch wind of her decline in power, they will lay siege to her Citadel, and take both her and Chloe. There was only one way to save herself and Chloe from this, and that was if the Dark Elves at Nidavellir rescued her from the coming invasion…
She only hoped they would arrive in time. Queen Discordia did not like the thought of losing to Humans, or what will surely follow.
Her expression had turned sour without her realizing it. She had gotten too lost in her own thoughts to keep her expression completely controlled, but it was only Chloe who witnessed it, and Olga took some consolation in that.
But her face changed once more when she noticed there was something odd about the kingdom tonight. Something that made her eyes narrow. She could feel something… a foreign magic off in the distance.
"What is that?" the Dark Queen asked as she stared intently on a specific part of the horizon.
"What is it, your Highness?" Chloe asked as she began looking out the window as well, trying to ascertain what had gotten her Mistress' attention like that. They noticed something launched into the sky, far off in the distance… That was definitely not an occurrence Olga ever recalled seeing in her generations up here.
"What's that?" Chloe couldn't help but ask, but the Dark Queen had no answer ready for her.
So they just watched as this thing climbed higher and higher into the sky, before finally detonating high above with a loud explosion.
*BOOM*
Olga averted her eyes from the light that came with the detonation, as did Chloe, but when the Dark Queen managed to refocus on the spot where it blew up, she beheld something she had not expected: a brand new star hanging in the sky, far higher and brighter than the others around it.
Queen Discordia narrowed her eyes as she inspected the star from here, and she could feel it was a magic unknown to her. She needed to investigate this. She turned around and began leaving.
"Lady Olga? What was that? Is everything alright?!" Chloe asked worriedly
"That is not a normal star," Olga said simply as she strode with purpose. "I cannot tell you its precise nature, or reason behind its existence, but perhaps there is something within the castle that I can use to investigate its purpose," the Dark Queen said as she began walking to the library, Chloe following close behind. Surely there must be something in her collection of books that can give her some semblance of an answer.
A small, rebellious part of her hoped it might be the key to her salvation if her people did not arrive in time.
Edited by LittleWhiteMouse
Hey, sorry this isn't a real chapter. But I wanted to put this onto the other one, but didn't really have the time. So I made it a bit of an interlude, showing you how the other girls reacted to seeing a star be born.
I know you all are probably tired of hearing this, but thank you for reading and reviewing.
Now I have to address two things.
First off, I want to clarify that James will not be Shouting until later. Only because he is Dragonborn does not mean he automatically knows and understands how to shout. He will eventually, but not until later on.
Second, I would like to know if I ought to change how monster corpses work.
Looking back, having them dissolve into black smoke is not a great idea on my part. I want to know if you guys think I should change it or if I should leave it.
