The siege of Hyrule had come to a bit of a standstill. While most of the city was firmly under Prince Percival's control, they were not yet prepared to take the castle. As a result, most of the city was under lockdown. During this time, Mila had been given command of the barracks on the west side of the city that usually housed members of the City Watch. Having spent far too much of her time sleeping in tents recently, Mila was relieved to have a well-furnished officer's quarters with a very comfortable bed.
However, her pleasant dreams that night were unfortunately cut short. Luckily, when she awoke, she realized there was an intruder in her room before she moved and gave herself away. Keeping her eyes closed, she listened carefully. She could hear breathing. Someone was standing close to her bed.
What is going on here? My door was locked and I was supposed to have a guard posted out front at all times…
She heard another sound, like someone fiddling with something metal. Mila guessed someone was trying to get into the chest in which she had stored her armor.
At least two intruders. Common thieves, perhaps?
Mila couldn't be sure, but going straight for the locked chest in an officer's room could easily mean the intruders were just after money. If they'd been enemy assassins, she might have been dead already.
She listened closely for another few seconds. She did not hear the intruders speak to each other, and she did not hear anything that would suggest there were more than two of them.
I can handle two. Might as well make my move while I can.
Still pretending to be asleep, Mila inhaled deeply. Then, as suddenly as she could, she sat up in her bed, waved her arms, and unleashed a gust of wind, making a wide arc in an attempt to hit both intruders wherever they stood in the room. It was difficult to see in the dark, but from the hints of movement and the grunting sounds she heard, she was pretty sure she'd managed to knock them both over.
"Guards!" Mila shouted, hoping the troops she had posted nearby were awake and alive enough to hear her. Moving quickly, she hopped out of her bed and grabbed some matches off of her nightstand. However, before she got a chance to light one of the braziers, someone slammed her into the wall.
The hand that gripped her neck was not human. It was too big, and she could feel the claws digging into her. The monster's eyes glowed red in the dark as it glared at her. "Where is the sword, fairyling?" the intruder growled.
Mila choked for a second until the intruder eased his grip on her throat enough to let her speak. "You want my sword? Take it." With another rapid hand gesture, Mila summoned another gust of wind. This time, her intention was to fling her sword out from under her bed and impale her intruder with it. However, she only managed to fling the sword high enough to slash the intruder's leg.
"Aghh!" the monster growled in pain, releasing his grip entirely.
Mila fell to the ground, hastily gripped the hilt of her gilded sword, then thrust it through the monster's chest.
The monster grunted in pain and smacked Mila away with the back of his claw.
During the struggle, Mila heard her door slamming open, but since no one said anything, it must have been the second intruder fleeing rather than her reinforcements arriving. It was not the best development she could have hoped for, but it meant she only had to deal with the one intruder.
Aiming high, Mila cut through the darkness, slicing the monster's chest. By this point, she had spilled so much of its blood that she must have nearly killed it. Taking the opportunity, she finally managed to light a match and drop it into the brazier, lighting up the room enough so she could see.
The monster she had been fighting looked like some sort of humanoid bat, wearing a darkened cloak. He was slumped onto his knees, clutching the wounds on his chest as blood continued to spill forth. Upon seeing the light from the brazier, the monster turned his head away from it, growling weakly.
Still training her sword on the monster, Mila pulled on her night robes. "Who are you and what do you want with my sword?" Mila asked.
"Go to hell, fairyling," the monster said, slightly slurring his words. He coughed, clutching his wounds more tightly as he grimaced in pain.
"I can have those wounds of yours healed," Mila offered. She had sent Luft to keep an eye on Prince Percival, but she could try to summon her back, or get a healer to tend to him. "Or," she went on, stepping closer to the beast. She placed the tip of her gilded sword to the monster's neck. "I can open them further. Your choice."
The monster panted silently for a minute. "There is nothing you can do to me… that will be worse… than what my master would do to me… if I returned… after giving that information to you."
"You're rather articulate for a monster," Mila commented, right before lifting her sword and dragging it across the intruder's cheek.
"Aghhh!" The monster screamed in pain, struggling to slide across the floor away from her.
"You came into my quarters," Mila said sternly, stepping towards the monster again. "You woke me from my pleasant dreams. You tried to steal from me. The least you can do is tell me why." She lifted her sword in front of him, running her hand along the flat of its bloodied blade. "Do you know what this is? Do you know about Termina?"
"I don't even know what that means," the monster replied. "But it doesn't matter. Because I'm not telling you anything."
Mila was taken aback by how suddenly the monster attempted to lunge at her, baring his fangs and his claws. However, with how wounded he was, Mila was quicker. She thrust her sword straight through the miserable creature's neck. He choked and sputtered for another few seconds before the light from his eyes finally gave out.
"Disgusting," Mila said, kicking the monster's corpse down onto the floor. "It got its blood all over my nice new night clothes." She sighed. "Oh well. Now, where the hell are my guards?"
Panting from overexertion and from a few claw wounds of her own, Mila used her sword like a walking stick and slinked through the open door out into the hall. Immediately, she saw one guard slumped against the wall with a trail of blood leading down it, making it clear how he'd died. "Oh, for the love of…"
Mila was beginning to regret staying in a room so isolated from the rest of the barracks. Limping slowly, she climbed the spiraling staircase down to the next floor, only to find two more bodies left on the ground in much the same state. "I need more competent guards…"
For a moment, Mila wondered if her entire barracks had been slaughtered in the night. However, given the attempt at stealth that had been made by her two intruders, she figured that must not have been the case. Inhaling deeply, she cried out again, "Guards!"
This time, there was actually a response. Mila heard several doors slamming open and the sound of boots clambering down the halls.
"Lady Mila?"
"What is it?"
"Did something happen?"
When soldiers began to fill the room, Mila gestured to the two corpses. "Take a look," she said, falling to one knee. She put her hand to her neck, realizing she was bleeding more than she'd thought. "Shit…"
"Lady Mila!" Vanova pushed her way to the front of the crowd while the others went to check on the two dead guards. The round-eared girl knelt in front of Mila and put her hands on the Kokiri's shoulders. "Oh dear, you poor thing. Let me see…" Gently, she moved Mila's hand out of the way, examining the wounds she'd received from the monster strangling her.
Mila slapped her hand away and stood up. "There's no time for that." She appreciated having a subordinate who cared for her health, but allowing Vanova to treat her like a little sister with a scraped knee would not send a good image to her troops. "We were attacked. Two monsters. Either Achemen or Vires, I don't really know what the difference is. One of them escaped. Secure the area. There may be more."
"Yes, my lady."
Mila allowed her soldiers to scatter without informing them of the monsters' objective. She still did not know why they had been after her sword, and whatever the reason, her troops did not need to know about it.
The monster did not seem to know about Termina, but perhaps they know about Saria's brother. Surely it can't be just because the sword is gilded.
"We must get you to a healer," Vanova insisted, still looking at her with concern.
Mila nodded. "Fine. But keep me informed. I want to know if any monsters of any kind are found on the premises."
"Hyrule Castle's defenses are nearly impenetrable," Prince Percival explained, gesturing towards the fortress as he paced back and forth. Sir Onnick, as always, stood by him, looking menacing.
The prince had gathered his lieutenants on the roof of the tallest building currently under the control of his forces. Certain key points in and around the city still eluded their capture, including the Light Temple, the quarry, and the prison. However, the prince no longer wished to focus on capturing the entire city. It was time to move on the castle itself.
"The last time it was taken by force was during the Twilight War, and many improvements have been made since then. There are no angles of approach that will allow us to conceal a large force. Crossing the bridge will funnel our forces into one place, and trying to cross the moat will be a costly delay," the prince went on. "If we are to retake my sister's throne from the usurper, we must explore less conventional solutions."
Mila felt Luft poking her in the neck. "Quit it," the Kokiri whispered in the Fairy tongue. "I must appear interested." She stood as straight as she could, attempting to appear the model lady, although her short stature still made her stick out amongst the prince's other lieutenants.
"Kind of important," Luft replied, jangling urgently.
"What?" Mila turned her head. Luft flew into the sky, and Mila's gaze followed her. After a moment of wondering what Luft was on about, something in the distance caught Mila's eye. Squinting, the Kokiri took a few steps towards it, trying to make out what it was.
"Lady Mila," Prince Percival said. "Has something more important than the reclamation of our kingdom's ancestral seat of power caught your attention?"
"...Is that the City in the Sky?" Mila asked aloud.
"What?"
"Skyloft?"
"Where?"
The others present upon the roof craned their necks to see around each other and get a closer look. Sure enough, off in the distance, a very large and decidedly unnatural structure was moving through the sky, coming towards them.
"Impossible," Prince Percival stated. "By my brother's own projections, the City in the Sky should be nowhere near here at this time."
"But it's right there, your highness."
Percival stared in the floating city's direction for a moment. "Someone fetch me a spyglass."
"Yes, my prince."
"It's getting closer," someone pointed out. "Quickly."
"It's not moving that fast."
"It's moving a hell of a lot faster than it normally does."
"What does this mean, your highness?"
A guard handed Percival the spyglass he'd requested, and the prince lifted it to his eye, peering through it. After getting a better look at the city, he sighed, lowering the spyglass. "What in Hylia's name are you up to, brother?" he muttered.
"Your highness," Mila said, stepping closer to the prince. "The last messages we received from your brother and sister in Hebra informed us that a group of Rito separatists had taken control of the City in the Sky," she pointed out. "If they are piloting the floating city and coming towards us, we may be facing yet another invasion."
"Perhaps," Percival agreed. "But my brother had every intention of retaking Skyloft. If I were a betting man like he is, my rupees would be on him over the birdfolk."
"But what does this mean, your highness?" another of his lieutenants asked. "If your brother is the one controlling Skyloft, has he come to help us?"
"That I would doubt even further," Percival replied. "Nevertheless, once he arrives, he may find it in his best interest to help anyway."
"So what shall we do? Prepare for invasion or prepare for reinforcements?"
"Both. Fill every rooftop you can with every archer you can muster," he ordered. "If a flock of Rito descends upon my city, we shall litter the streets with their dead."
"And if it is indeed your brother?" Mila asked.
Percival sighed dejectedly. "Let us pray he does not have anything too crazy planned. Now, everyone, take your troops and get in position. We will put the siege of Hyrule Castle on hold until we know what we're dealing with here."
"Yes, your highness!"
Mila filed down the stairs back into the building with everyone else. Some of her troops were waiting for her on one of the lower floors. "All of you, come with me. We're returning to the barracks," she ordered.
"What's going on, my lady?" Vanova asked as Mila led them to the bottom floor. "Are the plans in place for the siege of the castle?"
"No. Our priorities have changed," Mila replied. "You'll see when we get outside."
Once they were out in the street, Mila could see swarms of townspeople on rooftops and leaning out of windows, staring up at the sky. However, the floating city could not yet be seen from the ground level.
"What is everyone looking at, my lady?"
"The City in the Sky is coming towards us," Mila explained, not wanting to wait until they were in a better position to see it.
"Skyloft is coming here?"
"Truly?"
"How?"
"Why?"
"Who controls it?"
"Silence!" Mila barked. Hearing so many of them chattering at once was beginning to annoy her. "We don't know yet. We've only just spotted its approach. We are to prepare as many bows as we can in case it's the Rito, but it could be the other prince."
"Would the Rito have allied themselves with Lord Remoth?" Vanova asked.
"Doubtful. He is a brutal man, and he shares a border with Hebra. They likely fear him more than they fear the Royal Family," Mila replied.
By the time they arrived back at the barracks, alarm bells were going off within the city, both on the side the prince controlled and on the side Lord Remoth still controlled. "Everyone who can, grab a bow and get on the walls. Now! Move it!" Mila announced, raising her voice to make it clear things were serious. Every available soldier dropped what they were doing and ran to comply.
The atmosphere was tense as the entire city watched the skies. The great, floating city of Skyloft inched towards them, with nobody knowing what would happen when it arrived.
Mila had heard stories of the City in the Sky. The Oocca who had controlled it were nearly wiped out during the Twilight War, and then they had abandoned the city entirely, leaving it unattended. Mila had no idea whether or not the city was weaponized, but even if it wasn't that didn't mean it wasn't dangerous. It could be carrying an army of Rito, ready to descend upon the City of Hyrule. Or, whoever was up there could simply drop ruined buildings or parts of the floating islands down onto the city, crushing everything they landed on.
However, before Skyloft reached the city, the floating landmass slowed down, eventually coming to a full stop. Mila heard a few relieved sighs around her after it went a few minutes without moving, but she knew it wasn't over yet. Whoever was flying that thing had taken it there for a reason. They were not simply going to hover there and do nothing.
After a few more minutes of stillness, Mila noticed one of the floating islands that made up Skyloft had broken off from the others. However, it was not falling. It was flying on its own, continuing to move towards the capital.
"Shit."
"It's still coming."
"What's going on?"
"Quiet!" Mila shouted. "Hold your positions." Even as she said that, she was considering possible escape routes. If those who controlled Skyloft at the moment were planning to drop that entire chunk of the city on their heads, she was not going to stick around to see whether or not it landed on her.
The piece of Skyloft was not very large, although it was large enough to carry a few buildings. As it got closer, it also got lower, but it remained what must have been several hundred meters in the air. Soon, it passed over the island to the west of the castle that housed the prison, then proceeded to hover over the castle's moat, where it came to a stop.
The atmosphere became thick with tension once again. Mila tried to guess what would happen next. Would another piece of the floating island break off and fly lower? Would it fly right into the castle? Would a swarm of Rito descend from it?
However, Mila nor anyone else could have been prepared for what happened next. Some mechanism on the underside of the floating island began to glow a light blue color. Even from as far back as Mila's position in the city, the sound it made could be heard. It sounded like a mix of something mechanical and something magical charging up. The sound stopped for a brief moment, but then it got much louder.
A column of blue light shot downward from the floating island. The water of the moat splashed outward as if a giant boulder had been dropped into it, enveloping the nearby shores in a tidal wave. The ground shook, radiating outwards from the point of impact until even Mila and her troops could feel it.
All over the city, more alarm bells rang, and people began screaming in panic. Even though the giant, magical beam was nowhere near them, some of Mila's troops abandoned their posts.
"Stay where you are!" Mila ordered, but some still did not listen, even more frightened of the floating weapon than they were of her.
However, the beam never changed its trajectory towards the castle or towards the city, nor did the island move from its position. After firing downward into the water for a short period of time, the beam shrank, and the weapon ceased firing.
What the hell is going on? Was that some sort of warning shot?
Whoever was operating the floating weapon must not have had any intention to use it on people - at least not right away. They just wanted everyone to know that they could.
Then, there was another, smaller piece of the island that broke off from the main landmass. This one appeared to be a piece of a building rather than a floating rock of some sort. There was another brief panic as it moved towards the city square, as many people likely assumed it would fire a weapon like the one that had fired into the moat. However, once it reached the city square, the floating building descended, landing peacefully on the ground.
"What is going on?" Mila asked out loud, as she was too far away to see anything. "Has anyone heard anything? Do we know who or what was on that thing?"
"No, my lady," a soldier replied.
"Then send some scouts. I want to know what we're dealing with. Now. Go!" the Kokiri ordered.
"Yes, Lady Shadowgale."
Mila kept her eyes on the island floating above the castle's moat for almost the entire time she waited. She had spent so long planning everything, but with this completely unpredictable development, she would likely have to throw every remaining part of her plan out the window.
Who is doing this? What are they doing? Why are they doing it? Are they friend, or foe? Can I befriend them? Can I kill them?
She had thought Lord Remoth would be her last big obstacle. After taking him down, she could have easily convinced Prince Percival to take the throne for himself. Being the right hand of the king would have set her up for life. Hell, the option of taking the throne from him afterwards wasn't even off the table.
I could have been the queen…
But with the arrival of this new enemy, the gods only knew how far she had been set back.
"Lady Shadowgale."
The Kokiri turned around. One of the scouts she'd sent out several minutes ago had returned. He was out of breath and carried no paper, so he must have merely had a verbal report to give.
"What is it?" Mila asked.
"Prince Lancel is in the city square."
Many of the soldiers surrounding them sighed with relief, but Mila knew this was not necessarily good news.
"So it is the other prince who controls the City in the Sky," she said aloud. "Has he said why he's come here?"
"No, my lady," the soldier replied. "But he requested both Prince Percival and Lord Remoth to meet him in the square."
"Hmm. Sounds like he wishes to discuss a treaty to end the hostilities." Mila put a hand to her chin. This was far from the worst case scenario, but there were still so many gaps in her knowledge.
What does he plan to do after the fighting ends? Does he intend to execute Lord Remoth for treason? Will he return the throne to his elder sister? Or will he take it for himself? And what of his brother?
"Has Prince Percival responded to his brother's summons?" Mila asked.
"I don't believe the message had reached him by the time I arrived there, my lady."
"Then I may still have time to get there in order to witness the proceedings," Mila said. "You, you, you, and you - come with me. The rest of you, hold your positions and await further orders."
A chorus of "Yes, my lady," followed.
"Good. Let us go."
When Mila and her guards arrived at the boundary of the city square, they found it blocked off by a number of Hyrulean guards. Most of them wore light blue cloaks and a variation of the Hyrulean Wingcrest that Mila recognized as being Prince Lancel's personal sigil.
Time to see if they're friend or foe.
Trying to act as though she was supposed to be there, Mila strolled confidently forward, hoping the guards would part to let her through, or at least let her pass after briefly questioning her.
"Halt." A man in a blue cloak and golden armor with a plumed helmet held up his hand. "This area is off limits at the moment," he informed Mila.
"I'm with the prince," she explained.
"No, you are not."
"The other prince."
"I do not see Prince Percival with you, Dame Shadowgale."
"It's Lady Shadowgale now, sir," Mila informed him.
"My apologies, my lady, but that changes nothing. Now, please, step away from the perimeter."
Mila screamed internally, but maintained an icy glare. "Very well," she declared. Turning away, she gestured to her own guards. "Come along, now."
"What are we going to do, my lady?" Vanova asked.
"We'll wait for the prince," Mila replied. She chose to remain within eyeshot of the entrance to the city square, waiting patiently.
She did not have to wait long, but when Prince Percival arrived, he did not appear to be in a good mood. Two columns of royal guards walked on either side of him, marching their way through the streets. The prince had a look of irritation and grim determination on his face. Between his expression and his guards, Mila did not think it was safe to approach him.
"Will you join him, Lady Shadowgale?" Vanova asked.
"He's brought no other advisors with him," Mila pointed out. "He likely wishes to speak with his brother alone." Mila glanced around her, looking for some way up to a vantage point where she might be able to watch. "There," she said, pointing to a stairway through an alley. "We shall watch from atop this building instead."
The rooftop hardly provided the best view, but at least they would be close enough to hear everything, or at least Mila hoped they would be. Prince Lancel stood in the center of the square, near the giant statue of one of his ancestors. He was dressed rather elegantly in royal mage robes. He even wore his crown. Most of his guards were either blocking the perimeter or standing by the strange machine they had landed in. Only Sir Anselm stood close by, holding his axe.
After a brief discussion with the perimeter guards, Prince Percival was permitted entry, with only Sir Onnick and two other guards joining him. However, after walking a few paces, Percival halted for a moment. When he began walking again, his guards remained where they were, allowing the prince to proceed alone.
"Brother!" Prince Lancel said happily, holding his arms out. "It is wonderful to see you again. How long has it been?" Lancel embraced his brother in a hug, which Prince Percival did not return, opting to stand stiffly until Lancel was finished.
"Lancel," Prince Percival growled, speaking so softly it was difficult to hear him from Mila's rooftop vantage point. "What the hell are you doing here?"
The elder prince laughed. "Now, now, little brother. Surely even you can manage a more hospitable welcome than that."
"I'm serious, Lancel. We are at war, here," Percival insisted, gesturing towards the castle behind his brother. "Lord Remoth betrayed us in the wake of the Blood Moon. Father is dead. Seraphina is missing. And now Remoth sits upon Victorique's throne as if it were his own."
"Yes, yes, I have kept myself well-informed of all that," Lancel said dismissively. "But that is why I am here! To end this silly conflict you have found yourself in." Glancing behind him, Lancel noticed something and gestured towards the north entrance to the square. "Ah! Here comes your dastardly foe now."
Mila directed her attention to the north entrance. Sure enough, Lord Remoth approached the square, flanked by a number of black-cloaked knights. He wore a black cloak as well, but his height made him immediately noticeable amongst his similarly-dressed guards. The Lord of Spikes strolled confidently forward, as if he expected the line of Lancel's guards to part for him. At first, all but one guard did so, but the last one quickly followed suit, allowing Remoth and a handful of his guards to enter the square.
"Ah! Toren Remoth, Lord of Midoro and Lord Paramount of Hyrule Ridge," Percival said, greeting him as if he were announcing his presence to everybody. "I'm delighted you could join my brother and I on this fine day."
"Prince Lancel Leif Hyrule," Lord Remoth responded, as if to subtly mock the prince by using his full name as well. "I was honored to accept your invitation. How could I not, given your structure that rains fire from the sky?"
"Indeed," Lancel replied proudly, giving the Lord of Spikes a deep bow. "But it would be unbecoming of men of our station to focus so deeply on the negatives. Let us look at the positives of this grand meeting of great minds."
Percival sighed. "And what would that be, brother?"
"You two can cease your petty squabbling now," Lancel declared, raising his hands in celebration. "Whatever nonsense you were fighting about, that's all in the past now."
"I was merely attempting to hold the throne for your sister," Lord Remoth informed him. "I have a letter from Queen Victorique, marked by her personal seal, instructing me to do so. Your brother, here, was the one attempting to usurp her."
"That is a lie," Percival said forcefully, taking a step forward. "This traitor desired the throne for himself!"
"Gentlemen, gentlemen." Lancel stepped between the two of them, holding out his arms to keep them separated. "As I've said, it doesn't matter whether you were to be king, or you were to be king, or our sweet sister was to be queen. Your true king is here now." The elder prince grinned at the confusion that appeared on his brother's face, and at the unamused look that appeared on Lord Remoth's.
Mila was surprised by this development as well.
Interesting. Although, I suppose it is not that surprising.
"You must be joking," Percival said.
"Come now, brother. I'm a very serious man. You know that," Lancel insisted cheekily. "Remember what Father told us before he sent you, me, and our precious little sister off to do his bidding? The throne was not promised to Victorique. It was promised to his most capable progeny. From what I hear, Victorique has made quite a mess of things down south, whereas I achieved my objective and secured the City in the Sky."
"I achieved my objective as well, brother," Percival informed him. "The false sage is dead, and her cult has been dismantled. Akkala is at peace once again because of me."
Mila rolled her eyes.
You mean because of me.
"True. You control a citadel of your own. But, only one of us has our fortress floating above the city, ready to obliterate our enemies at a moment's notice." Prince Lancel directed everyone's attention back to the piece of Skyloft that floated above the castle's moat.
Percival looked up, then back down at his brother. "You wouldn't."
"Maybe I would, maybe I wouldn't," Lancel replied with a playful grin. "I'm a gambling man myself, brother. Are you?" Percival had no reply, so Lancel turned to Lord Remoth. "And what of you, Lord Paramount? Do you intend to continue, ahem, 'holding the throne for my sister'? Or will you accept me as your king?"
Lord Remoth gazed at the floating weapon. "For a long time, people have said my methods of keeping the peace are brutal and unnecessary," he said, turning his icy gaze back to the elder prince. "Even your father cautioned me on several occasions." He paused, allowing everyone to wait for his answer for a moment. "I am glad to see at least one of King Tychon's children is more enlightened." Lord Remoth got down on one knee and bowed his head. All of the knights standing behind him followed suit. "I recognize and accept your authority, my king."
Lancel clapped his hands together. "Splendid!" He then turned to Percival. "And what say you, dear brother?"
"I will not stand for this. You should not be king any more than he should," the younger prince declared, gesturing to Lord Remoth.
"Ah. So you would give the throne to Victorique, then?" Lancel replied smoothly.
Mila could not help but chuckle when she heard that. It was obvious to her what the elder prince was doing, but based on the younger prince's face, it seemed Percival was not smart enough to realize it. Prince Lancel had all but said nobody would accept Percival as king, not even Percival himself.
The younger prince's glare darkened. He straightened his posture, taking on a prideful stance. "No. I should be king. I'm the only one who succeeded in the missions Father appointed us. I'm the one who rushed to save the city when this tyrant tried to claim it for his own. You and Victorique failed. And now you've come here with your flying fortress to subjugate the people, not free them.
Mila smirked. All it took was a little taunting from his brother for Prince Percival to flip on his morals.
What happened to reclaiming the throne for your sister's sake, your highness?
Lancel chuckled, seemingly unmoved by his brother's speech. "Alright, alright. I can see I will not convince you here and now," he conceded. "I am confident I can persuade you and our dear sisters to see things my way in time, but for now, why don't the three of us retire to the castle for a celebratory feast?" he suggested.
Lord Remoth said nothing, apparently waiting impatiently for the princes to finish their brotherly posturing.
"In celebration of what, precisely?" Percival asked.
"Why, the end of this useless conflict, of course," Lancel replied. "The throne may not belong to me yet, but at least you and the Lord of Spikes shall no longer be wreaking havoc in our fine city streets anymore. Isn't that right?"
Mila was amazed to hear the prince refer to Lord Remoth by his nickname right to his face like that. While many still called her the Devil of Shadow Pass, few were brave enough to do so while knowing she was within earshot.
Percival hung his head and sighed deeply. "Very well. Remoth, order your troops to stand down and allow us into the castle. I shall tell mine the fight is over."
"It will be done, my prince," Lord Remoth replied. He did not seem to be taking his loss poorly, but Mila was not ready to write him off just yet. He had wisely positioned himself so that he would likely receive no real punishment for his attempted coup. He would surely have another trick or two up his sleeve.
The celebratory feast Prince Lancel had insisted upon having that night went about as poorly as Mila had expected. She had been invited to join, as had many of the lords and ladies currently residing in the capital. However, she had received a seat so far from the princes and Lord Remoth that she could not hear a single word they said.
"Luft," Mila whispered. "Get out here." She spoke in the Fairy tongue, just in case anyone nearby might have overheard her.
"Eh?" Mila's fairy appeared beside her, jangling lightly. "Ooh! Can I have some?" she asked, eying Mila's plate of food.
"What? No, not now. I need you to go to the other end of the table. Listen in on what the princes are discussing with the lord paramount," Mila ordered.
"Ugh, why do I always gotta do all the spy work?" the fairy complained.
"I'll start doing it the day you start to handle the fighting," Mila countered.
Luft jangled in annoyance. "Alright, fine. But you better save some food for me!" The floating ball of fairy light disappeared beneath the table.
Mila sighed and continued her meal, half-heartedly pretending to pay attention to whatever story the lord across from him was telling. With the new developments that had transpired that day, her mind was still in overdrive trying to reshape her strategy.
The fighting is over for now, but those three still can't stand each other, and they all clearly wish to be on the throne.
Mila's plan had always been to attach herself to the one most likely to be crowned, and then use that position to leverage a better life for herself. She had thought she was in a good position to put Prince Percival on the throne, but of these three, the younger prince seemed like the least likely candidate now.
Prince Lancel controls that floating fortress. He is at his strongest. However, he is clearly not the idiot his brother is. If I were to get close to him, would he see right through me?
There was also Lord Remoth. He may not be as clever as Prince Lancel, but if his reputation was even half true, then he was far more fiendish than either prince.
What does he have planned for the princes? With them both in one place, he can easily take them both out, unless they get to him first. But would he take the risk? He could not claim to be doing it in Victorique's name if he got caught, and all would clearly know he was responsible.
Something else was bothering Mila, too. No matter how much she looked at the situation, she felt like she was still missing huge pieces of the puzzle.
Lord Remoth was able to seize the throne much too easily. He must be working with someone. The same must be true with Prince Lancel, actually. How did he even know such weapons existed in Skyloft?
On top of all of that, there was still the mystery of the monsters who had attacked her and attempted to steal her sword.
How does that fit into all of this? Coincidence? Who else even knows about my sword, and what do they want with it?
Mila lifted her wine glass to her lips and drank deeply. She had a lot of work to do, and given how frequently the situation had been changing recently, she was going to have to work fast.