More of a look into my iteration of Ladislava. She'll be around for a good while.
Chapter 19 – The Crimson Warrior (Guardian Moon)
Having allowed the rest of her squadron to get back to their R&R, Ladislava stood before Hubert in the royal palace as he spoke quietly with one of his subordinates. The majordomo was doing everything he could to hide the subject of his discussion from the Crimson Warrior, whispering in phrases that made no sense to her. This wasn't unusual, she thought. Hubert's job involved utmost secrecy, despite that it irked her to no end.
At last, the servant made a nod and slinked away. Hubert turned his attention back to Ladislava as she stood at attention.
"Again, I must thank you and your Black Eagles for your role in today's little mishap," said Hubert. "It seems I will need to step up security on future deliveries to ensure this does not repeat itself. Let your squadron know I am extending their leave by two more days as a reward."
"I'm sure they will appreciate that," said Ladislava.
"Good. You are dismissed."
Hubert turned back to his desk, but then stopped when he did not hear Ladislava move from her place.
"Is there something else, Commander?" asked Hubert.
"There is. I wish to know exactly what it was we fought. That monster was unlike any other Demonic Beast I have seen."
"Ah. I suppose you have earned the right to some answers. That monster was… an experiment."
"An experiment?"
"Our enemies are becoming more accustomed to combating the Demonic Beasts we have been using against them. As such, we have been looking into acquiring new strains of beasts. That boar you faced was one of them."
"Acquiring? What do you mean by that? Aren't the Demonic Beasts the result of your mages' experiments?"
"That… is beyond what you need to know."
Ladislava frowned at this. It wasn't the first time Hubert had said such a thing to her.
"You don't trust me, Lord Vestra?" asked Ladislava.
"You are trustworthy, Ladislava. But there are certain things I handle that must be done on a need-to-know basis. The details surrounding these new Demonic Beasts are not something you are required to know."
"I'm not so sure about that. It would've been helpful to know that caravan was transporting Crest Stones."
"You handled the situation regardless. Understand, Ladislava, that in these times, it is better that you only know what you need to. Now, is there anything else you wish to discuss?"
"Not at the moment," Ladislava said crossly. She did want to ask more, but she knew Hubert would not answer her questions now.
"Good. Dismissed, Commander."
Giving a brief salute, Ladislava spun on her heel and left Hubert's office. Once outside the office, the Wyvern Knight sighed in frustration.
"I take it Hubert is keeping secrets again," said a regal voice.
Briefly surprised, Ladislava turned and saluted as she said, "Your Majesty!"
Edelgard smiled and replied, "At ease, Commander."
"Are you here to speak with Lord Vestra?"
"I was, but that can wait. Walk with me, Ladislava."
Ladislava took her place at Edelgard's side as the two walked through the halls of the Imperial Palace. Edelgard had done away with many of the fancier decorations, having sold a great number of artworks, vases, statues, and other decorative items in order to secure additional funding for the war. Yet there was still enough décor to keep the palace regal.
"I'm sure Hubert has already expressed his gratitude to you," said Edelgard, "but I would like to express my own for your heroism in the slums."
"I thank you for your kind words, Your Majesty," said Ladislava. "However, I feel my squadron could have done better if we had known about that Crest Stone shipment. The leader of the thieves may not have transformed into that… thing if we had been aware. Seven members of the city guard are dead because of that monster."
"Perhaps, but hindsight won't bring those soldiers back. All we can do now is move on from the incident."
Ladislava paused for a moment, stopping in her tracks as she did. Edelgard noticed and turned to face her.
"Is there something on your mind, Ladislava?" asked the emperor.
"Permission to speak freely, Your Majesty?" Ladislava replied.
Smiling, Edelgard said, "You don't require my permission to do so, Aerin. Tell me what troubles you."
"Very well." Ladislava took a breath and asked, "Your Majesty, why do we continue to rely on the use of criminals and Demonic Beasts in our army? Surely, we possess the might to defeat our enemies without them."
"If only that were so. Not everyone in the Empire is as brave and skilled as you, my Crimson Warrior. We continue to rely on them because of our enemies' strength. Whether it is the valor of the Loyalists, or the cunning of the Master Tactician, we cannot simply rely on courage and numbers. That is why I created the Black Eagle Strike Force to begin with, and why I named you it's Commander. You are one of the Empire's greatest champions. The Strike Force is the arm of the Empire, and you are its blade."
"You give me too much credit, Your Majesty. I would be nothing without my partner."
"Ah, of course. How silly of me not to mention Fenix. You two have been almost inseparable ever since I laid eyes upon you in the arena."
"I remember that day well, Lady Edelgard."
…
1176, 19th of the Blue Sea Moon
A fourteen-year-old Edelgard watched from her seat in the royal enclosure of the Imperial Arena as the crowd jeered and booed at the winner of the latest fight. It was a woman, about 23-years-old, and her ruby-scaled Wyvern, the pair having just won their seventh consecutive victory.
The crowd considered it not just an upset, but an outrage. The woman and her mount were supposed to die as a warm-up for the actual competitors. Many of their bets had been lost due to her victories. They were now crying out for her and her mount to be executed.
The red Wyvern snarled loudly as its rider glared at the crowd, panting with exhaustion. The two were not willing participants, having been caught hunting on grounds reserved for House Vestra and sentenced to die in the arena. The pair had been starved while in captivity, intended to make them easier for the prize fighters to kill. But despite this, the pair had bested all those sent against them, fighting in a desperate hope for freedom.
And now, despite their valor and ferocity, they were being condemned to die anyway. They could not fight their way out, not against so many. Running away was out of the question, as a series of steel bars over the otherwise open roof of the arena prevented anyone from simply flying out of it and escaping.
Edelgard had been particularly impressed when the rider, whose red armor was bathed in blood, had leapt from her Wyvern's saddle during a high-flight maneuver and landed on her opponent's mount, driving her lance through him in the process. It wasn't just how the move had been unexpected, but in that short moment, the Imperial princess had seen the woman's face. She had no fear when she left her mount's saddle. She had none when she ran her enemy through. And she had none when she leapt away from her kill, landing perfectly in her Wyvern's saddle, without ever looking at her mount.
No, they were more than just a rider and her mount. They were truly partners. This woman had put her absolute trust in her Wyvern. It was as though they were two halves of a single whole.
And all around them, the outraged nobles and gamblers wanted them dead. Archers were now entering the arena and readying their bows. The crowd was unanimously shouting "KILL! KILL! KILL!" as a chant to her father, Emperor Ionius IX, who sat next to her.
Edelgard looked to her aging father. Ionius clearly did not agree with the crowd's desire to kill the rider and her mount. But she knew he was about to order it anyway.
"Father…" Edelgard said in protest.
Ionius did not reply. He raised his right hand, balled in a fist with his thumb extended to the side. He was about to give the customary thumbs-down, the signal for the soldiers below to execute the woman and her Wyvern.
"STOP!" Edelgard shouted as loud as she could, her single voice more commanding than everyone in the arena combined.
The chanting stopped. Ionius stopped as he turned to Edelgard and watched in astonishment as his only remaining child climbed over the ledge of the royal enclosure and leapt to the arena grounds below, landing after a ten-foot drop without injury.
Hubert, who had been sitting nearby, shouted, "Lady Edelgard!"
"Edelgard…!" Ionius said in surprise.
Standing up, Edelgard walked toward the woman as she shouted to the crowd, "You all see an upstart who has denied you the rewards of avarice, while I see a true warrior and a partner she trusts with her life. Yet you all would rather see such potential cut down because they have inconvenienced you! I, as heir to the throne, will not accept that."
As the crowd murmured and rumbled angrily, Ionius raised his voice and said, "Edelgard, my child, return to my side at once. The people demand their deaths, and I must grant their wish."
"You will not, Father! Did you not tell me recently that I am in need of a protector?"
Ionius's eyes widened, as did the woman's own red eyes.
Edelgard turned back to the woman and said, "I believe I have found an ideal candidate in this Crimson Warrior." The princess strode toward the woman and her mount as she said, "Swear yourself to my service, gladiator, and your life and that of your partner will be spared."
As the princess approached her mount, the woman became alarmed as she looked down at her ruby Wyvern. Edelgard was reaching out to touch the Wyvern's snout, and the woman feared her partner would bite off the white-haired girl's hand, dooming them both.
To her surprise, while Fenix softly growled at Edelgard, he did not lash out at her. Instead, the Wyvern allowed the Adrestian princess to caress his head.
The woman was astonished. He had never done that before for anyone but her.
"What say you, Crimson Warrior?" said Edelgard. "Remove your helmet and tell me your name."
The woman hesitated for a moment in trepidation, and then slowly she removed her helmet, revealing her messy locks of brown hair.
"Well? What is your name?" asked Edelgard.
The woman paused for a second, and then said, "Ladislava, Your Highness."
"Do you swear yourself to my service, Ladislava?"
"I… I swear it, Your Highness."
Edelgard raised her hand to Ladislava. After waiting a second to make sure Fenix wouldn't try and bite the princess, Ladislava dismounted and then tentatively reached her hand out to her. She took the princess's hand and bowed.
Edelgard smiled, and then turned to her father and said, "What say you, Father?"
The crowd resumed their jeering and chanting. "KILL! KILL! KILL!" they cried in unison. But now there were many in the crowd who opposed their chants, shouting "LIVE! LIVE! LIVE!" instead.
As they continued to chant, Ionius raised his hand again, his thumb pointed to the side. For a moment, Ladislava's heart was in her throat.
After several seconds of consideration, Ionius slowly turned his hand, and his thumb pointed up.
The crowd was in an uproar, both with outrage and with elation.
Ladislava could barely believe it. The emperor had spared her.
Edelgard turned back to Ladislava with a smile. Ladislava lowered her head as she took a knee, ignoring the voices of the crowd.
"I pledge myself to you, Lady Edelgard, to my dying breath," said Ladislava.
…
Ladislava smiled as she said to her emperor, "I pledged my loyalty to you that day, Lady Edelgard, when you saved our lives. I will never break that vow. I swore myself to your service until my dying breath."
"Yes, you did," said Edelgard. "But I do not ask for your absolute obedience, Ladislava. There may come a time when I desire for you to carve out your own path, separate from mine."
"Your Majesty…"
"Do not think me ungrateful. I value your loyalty, Aerin Ladislava, both as my protector and as a champion of the Empire. But there are some things that would require one to blacken their very heart and soul, things I know you would be opposed to. For instance, say you were ordered to burn down a village of civilians who provided valuable aid to the enemy. Would you follow those orders?"
Ladislava hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Not without question, Your Majesty. I would know why I must carry out such a heinous deed."
Edelgard smiled and said, "As I expected. That is why Hubert does not entrust you with these matters. He wants obedience from his subordinates, with no questions asked. His work necessitates it. He knows that trust carries risks."
"I see…"
The two were silent for a moment, giving Ladislava time to ponder what she had been told. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but Ladislava saw the reason in it.
"And, to answer your first question," said Edelgard, "we continue to require Demonic Beasts because of the threats we face. The Loyalists, the Alliance, the Church of Seiros, and more. We do so because we must, even if we wish it weren't necessary. It's also why I continue to allow the use of penal troopers like Zola. Good or bad, Sergeant Axberg is a powerful warrior, and I doubt you'd be as successful in your missions without her strength."
Ladislava said nothing to this, choosing instead to nod in acceptance.
"But enough about that, Aerin. I understand Hubert has extended your leave by another two days, correct?"
"He has, Your Majesty."
"When you and your squadron are finished, I have another mission for you. I think you'll enjoy this one." Edelgard paused for a moment and then said, "Wystan von Varley has emerged from whatever hole he fell into."
"I thought the former count had perished," said Ladislava.
"So did I. But it seems he is far more stubborn than we thought. He has recently returned to his former territory and is rallying House Varley's troops to him, likely in a bid for power. I do not know exactly what he hopes to accomplish, but he is drawing away troops from our army with his promises of wealth and power. Ladislava, you and your Black Eagles are to track down Wystan von Varley and put an end to him once and for all."
"It would be my pleasure," Ladislava said with a smile.
"Good. I knew you would appreciate such a chance."
"Yes. He and I have a score to settle."
"Then I wish you good luck in settling it, Ladislava. The former Minister of Religious Affairs has vexed me for the last time. Make sure he does not live to do so again."
"Of course, Your Majesty."
"I will send you the details of the mission later. You may go now. I need to have my chat with Hubert." Ladislava turned to leave, but stopped when Edelgard added, "Oh, and please give Ersha my regards."
"I will, Lady Edelgard."
With that, Ladislava left the emperor's presence.
Are you not entertained?!
Getting some parts of the discussion right was a little tricky. I'm personally quite familiar with need-to-know policy with my job. I don't get access to any private info that isn't part of my job, and it's completely understandable why. It's sort of the same for Hubert's line of work; the less people know, the better, and you shouldn't know what you don't need to when it comes to your job. Of course, this is entirely debatable.
As for Ladislava's grudge with Count Varley? You'll have to wait until a later chapter to learn why.
By the way, the date of the arena flashback has some significance to it. Hint: it relates to a game made by Square in 1991.
EDIT: Turns out I've been misnaming her as "Crimson Warrior", when she's called the "Scarlet Warrior" in-game. I think I'll stick with Crimson, though, as a reference to the Crimson Flower route.