Time flew by in Nördliche Burg after the return of her armies, with the added and unwanted addition of her former husband-to-be. Nikos had acquitted himself well enough during his stay so far, but all that did was unnerve her. The man was a grasper and a snake, with scheming coming to him like second nature. If he was being polite it was only a mask, a guise to get her to lower her guard. If anything it had made her fortify it and cement her suspicions, though neither she nor Lord Zeki had been able to sniff out any of his plots.
'It isn't paranoia if its true.' Weiss thought as Lord Zeki entered the room. He'd fully recovered from the loss of his eye, and the sight of his eyepatch made her feel a swelling of guilt. He'd lost an eye defending her, and she had no idea how she'd be able to return that favour.
"Any news from your inquiries?" Weiss asked as Lord Zeki settled down next to her. With only Captain Nightingale in the room with them as well she felt a rare moment of security. She could trust those two with her life, the circle of those she trusted having shrunk after she'd sent Jaune away and...and after what had happened to Klein.
"I'm afraid not." Zeki admitted, setting a thick book on the table. She blanched when she realised it was the Book of Coin, the detailed ledger of the Crown's incomes, expenditures and the overall state of the treasury. "Rumour has brought word of a lord that abandoned our army at Vulcan after an argument with Prince Nikos. Word has it he had a ward who had witnessed the Mistrali committing war crimes beyond the usual sort, partaking in mass rape and torture of children and the elderly at an almost organised scale. It fits what I have heard of Duke Acteon, but the name of the lord in question alludes me, so this could be mere happenstance."
"Would Chieftain Stone know?" Weiss asked and Zeki shook his head.
"He joined the Atlesians under Klein's command after the battle had been won. The lord supposedly scurried away immediately after the battle. If he had told Klein, and Klein had perished..."
"He may have feared for the life of his ward." Weiss wondered. "Nikos would've been the most senior figure present and would likely protect his own, even if it was just to ensure we'd agree to a deal with him. How certain are you of this rumour?"
"More certain than the state of our treasury." Zeki replied, patting the thick book he'd brought with him. "Your Majesty, I can't rely on my spy networks if I cannot pay them, and my own family is far poorer than yours. I cannot fund them by myself, and have always relied on a generous stipend from yourself and your father to ensure their smooth running. The state of our finances are dire however."
"You needn't tell me that." Weiss sighed. "I already know. I can't afford to levy any new taxes on Atlas, and if I am too heavy handed with tariffs from Vale they could very well try and revolt against me. It's not like Atlas would be in a position to retake Vale if they did so, and the Valeans have always murmured to themselves when they think we are weak."
"That is true." Zeki conceded. "But an undeniable fact is that I fear the efficiency of our spy networks is in the decline, as its reliability. A number of informants have gone quite, though a dozen or so are presumed dead thanks to the storms that have left us in such a precarious position. Is there anything you can think of that can boost our coffers?"
"I've been trying my lord." Weiss retorted, a hint of defensiveness in her tone. "But our options are few and far in between. I have much on my plate already, and whereas before I could turn to my council for advice I find myself lacking in sound advisors these days."
"I'm well aware of how dire the state of everything is at the moment Your Majesty." Zeki sighed. "I will do what I can, but I may need to cut back in some areas. I'd suggest Vacuo and Menagerie, though I leave the decision up to you."
"Do so." Weiss nodded. "And do cut back where you need to in Vale and Atlas. So long as we are at war with Mistral we will be united, memories of the Great War are deep in both the minds of many a Valean and Atlesian. After the storms I doubt many of my vassals have an appetite for conspiring and ambition as they may have done, as they'll be too busy recovering from the devastation they wrought. Focus on the Mistrali and on Nikos. If we know their moves we will survive this mess."
"As you command Your Majesty." Zeki said, bowing lowly before standing up. "I will get to work on it right away. Your Majesty, may I speak plainly?"
"You may." Weiss allowed, looking at him carefully. Zeki always was a man who played his hands close to his chest, and she was curious as to whether he'd speak honestly for once.
"You are a Queen." Zeki said. "So long as we are at war with Mistral you have absolute, limitless power. Do not be afraid to use it. Attaint traitors, drag them screaming from their homes and hang their corpses for all to see, whether they be highborn or lowborn. You are loved by many, but fear is far more effective for a ruler. Love can run dry. Fear does not."
"Thank you for your words Lord Zeki." Weiss replied, thinking carefully. "I will think on what you have said, though I have no desire to be a tyrant."
"Your Majesty." Zeki bowed lowly once more time before leaving the room, bringing the Book of Coin with him. Weiss would have to have words with her Steward about giving away sensitive information without her permission.
"What is that state of our guard?" Weiss asked Nightingale, who thought silently for a moment.
"Your personal guard remain one hundred strong, and the castle has a garrison of four hundred men-at-arms and as many archers." Nightingale answered.
"Nine hundred against Nikos' six thousand." She sighed, and Nightingale stepped forward, his armour jangling, making her look up at him.
"Chieftain Stone has an army of twelve thousand that are loyal to you." Nightingale pointed out firmly. "Even if we needed more than that, the common folk and the refugees outside the castle walls are in your debt and their loyalty to you is sound. You saved them, helped them in their time of need. They would follow you into the Otherworld if need be."
"I don't want them to die for me." Weiss whispered, looking away from the barefaced loyalty and admiration in Nightingale's eyes. She didn't deserve that. She didn't deserve any of it. It was her fault they had suffered.
"They won't." Nightingale promised. "Nikos knows this if a simpleton like me does, he won't try anything risky."
"No." Weiss laughed. "He only acts when he is certain of something going his way, though thankfully I feel fate conspires against him as much as we do. Have...Has there been any news of Jaune?"
"The young Arc boy?" Nightingale asked, and she nodded. "I'm afraid not Your Majesty. Last we heard he'd arrived at Snowmire with the silver-eyed warrior you sent with him and some stranger too, a Faunus I believe. That was before the storms though."
"I'd...Never mind." Weiss shook her head. "It was a foolish thought. I'd like to rest for a few hours whilst I have some time available. See to it I'm not disturbed."
"As you wish Your Majesty." Nightingale said, and he said nothing else until he had escorted her to the doors of her bedchambers. "Sleep well Your Majesty."
She thanked him and gave him a weak smile before slumping against the door inside her room. She was absolutely exhausted, but there was much work to be done. Her grip over her powers was strong now, and she spent her spare time seeing what she could do. So far she'd managed to summon sharp icicles she could possibly throw at any attackers, or use as a dagger of some sort. She knew there was more she could do, the fact she had nearly destroyed her own kingdom proved that much. She just needed to figure out how.
She went over to her desk, mixing a paste and adding it to a goblet of wine she poured for herself. The paste would enhance her ability to connect with her magic, making her more powerful and capable of focusing it. The problem that had come with the awakening of her power was that she had not taken the paste Bragrim had, the same she took now. She had been overwhelmed by it, unable to control it and in her fear and confusion she had ultimately unleashed it. Now she could reign in the damage she'd done, and everyday she grew stronger as she summoned back the magic she had expelled.
With the magic she brought back, the consequences of them being wrought in the first place was undone. The snows lessened, the ice melted and most guessed it would only be a few more months before the seas were fully open once more. Weiss was determined to ensure the seas were open again by the end of the week.
She settled down on her bed, crossing her legs and her hand resting on her knees. She breathed in, and she breathed out, trying to sink into that dark Abyss her power was hidden.
She couldn't. She was too unsettled. Too tired. Too distracted.
She thought of Jaune again. He had been in her mind since she had saw him in the Abyss, since she had realised she could've hurt or even killed him. She didn't know where he had been when she had lost control over the power of the Winter Maiden, but she did know he'd been on the road somewhere in Atlas, being hunted like a fox by Nikos' hounds in the Inquisition. For all she knew he could be dead underneath her snows.
'I saw him.' She thought. 'I'm sure of it.'
She wanted him back. She regretted sending him away. She regretted pushing him away. She had thought she was helping him, saving him from the snakes and treachery of her father's caught. Hindsight told her she'd done little to help, but much to hurt.
Weiss sighed and felt herself slump on her bed. She'd get nothing done if she went down the seemingly endless rabbit hole of regret she constantly found herself dwelling on. Some days she feared she'd get lost down there.
She straightened her spine, closed her eyes and breathed calmly, in and out. She started to drift, started to sink into that familiar, inky darkness, and she smiled as the bright, roaring light of her power swarmed around her immediately.
She would undo her mistakes. She would make things right. She had to, because she could. And she would.
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Laia Well was an idiot and a fool. Her sister had paid the price for it, and she herself couldn't claim any form of justice for what had happened.
Her sweet, foolish sister had stood by her lover and refused to give Zeki any information. The only small mercy was that her sister hadn't been tortured before the end, just hung and dangled like a bauble as a warning to all who harboured treasonous thoughts.
She should've known better. Should've know sweet, foolish Tammy wouldn't turn her back on the stranger who'd swept her off her feet. Should've known she was pawn in a greater game between even greater players.
She was one of Zeki's creatures now, even if she hated the man as much as she hated herself for what had happened to her sister. The other staff knew it and gave her a wide berth. Those that were creatures for the other big political players gave her wary or scornful looks.
Nikos' return to the castle had cemented the divisions that had started to fester since his arrival. Those that were in the spymaster's pocket stuck together and those that stuck to Nikos' stuck together. Laia's hatred of Lord Zeki was well known amongst the staff, though that had only ended up benefitting the man further. 'Her' clique treated her like an outsider, whereas Nikos' people were more willing to hear her out and loosen their tongues around her, seeing her as a double agent in the making.
Laia didn't know or care. The only good thing that had come out of her being dragged into the world of spies and shadows was that Timmy finally received the medicine he'd needed, and his illness was fading away.
"I bring food to for Her Majesty." Laia told the guard at the end of the corridor leading to Queen Weiss' bedchambers. The Queen was a good one, and she'd always spent time getting to know her servants. She'd grown quieter after the storms ravaged Atlas, and she'd only gotten quieter still since Nikos returned.
"She's resting." The guard replied, and she recognised him as none other than Captain Nightingale, commander of the Queen's guards. She curtsied as best as she could, stopping as the man gestured for her to do so. "I'm no lord milady."
"I'm no lady either." Laia retorted, smiling a little at the man. It was always odd seeing someone of a similar standing as herself rise to some position of authority. Thankfully Nightingale wasn't the sort to abuse that authority, unlike many of their brothers and sisters who rose up the ranks from the gutters to enjoy even a slither of power. "The Queen needs to eat."
"She also needs to sleep." Nightingale replied, sighing quietly. "Leave it on her desk, she'll eat it when she awakes. Be quiet if you will."
"I'll be as quiet as a mouse." Laia promised, stepping past the man as he let her through. She hurried down the corridor and contemplated knocking, before shrugging to herself and entering silently. If the Queen was sleeping she saw no need to disturb her, though her food would by-by the Gods!
Laia gasped before she slammed her hand to her mouth and stared wide-eyed at the sight of the Queen. She wasn't sleeping in her bed, she was floating, as if she was possessed by some spirit. Her eyes were closed but moving wildly beneath her eyelids, and blue flames the colour of the sky writhed around her like a stranger sort of mist. Her hands shook and she hastily set down the tray before she could drop it, her eyes fixated on the Queen with horror and fright and shock.
"My apologies for what happened to your sister." Prince Nikos said softly. "I fear my former wife-to-be was overzealous when she heard the news of war and has acted too harshly, though my apologies will do little to help soothe your hurt."
"Begging my pardon Your Majesty but why are you speaking to me of all people?" Laia asked, tone on borderline demanding. Despite his fall from the Queen's grace she wouldn't go so far as to insult him however.
"You are one of the few people who can get close to the good Queen, and even I know of your dislike for your master." Nikos smiled, and she bristled at the implication. Zeki had her by the balls, it was true, but she wasn't ever going to lower herself to the extent of slavery. "All I ask is you tell me if anything...untoward or suspicious occurs with Weiss. I care for her."
Laia wondered if that was true, even if his face was solemn and sincere. Highborn types had as many masks as they did titles.
"I will." Laia promised, part of her ashamed at betraying a good, kind liege but the other half twisting with a sense of elation as an idea sparked in her mind. "But I want Zeki's head on a spike if you ever get the chance for such a thing to happen."
"That is something I will gladly make so if ever possible." Nikos smiled, and it occurred to her the savage, viscous smile as he spoke of the death of his potential enemy and rival was more sincere than the faux love he had for Queen Weiss. "But until that can come about I have little to offer you but this."
"Is that...?"
"Medicine for your young boy. With enough of it he'll make a full recovery in time. I hope he does. Children are our future after all."
Laia shook her head and stared at the Queen, a heavy weight settling over her and smothering her. She had a choice to make, and she trembled with heady excitement when she realised what she did in the next few hours could decide the fate of the kingdom.
Nightingale may be a good sort who never abused his power, but Laia was starting to realise she may not be able to say the same about herself.
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"Are the men in settled?"
"For the most part. Your Queen Weiss is well loved by everyone it seems. I can barely find anyone who thinks she might be anything other than a Gods-sent angel."
"It's almost admirable how beloved she is. However I believe I might have found something that could possibly change that. Tell me Duke Acteon, what do you know of magic?"
"I know the Inquisition loathes it. I also know they have a fondness for keeping magical relics and torturing-pardon-indoctrinating the children of wizards and witches who they killed into believing their nonsense. So I know magic is powerful, and I know it is dangerous enough to something as powerful the Inquisition that they seek to hoard it."
"They do. Magic has many layers. Some use blood sacrifice to conjure monsters or power their spells. Others are in tune with nature, capable of communing with wild animals and nurturing crops. Others are master's of metal, capable of bending iron and steel to their will and hindered only by their power as well as the size of their imagination. A rare few are capable of turning barren wombs fertile or giving eunuchs a second chance at being men again."
"As much as I am grateful to Your Imperial Holiness or whatever it is I'm supposed to call you, is there a point to this? We have other things to discuss otherwise relating to our host."
"Maidens."
"Maidens?"
"Maidens." Nikos nodded, leaning forward with a feverish gleam in his emerald eyes. "They are powerful witches who manipulate the elements of the four seasons, Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The only beings more powerful than the Maidens are things we would consider to be gods, but the Maidens have been missing from the annals of history since long before the Great Collapse."
"The Great Collapse is a legend and myth peddled by liars and disgraced scholars." Acteon retorted, snorting in a disbelieving manner. "Do you really think we'd go from flying in steel horses to barely knowing how to build ships capable of traversing the seas?"
"I believe that a lot of things happen and get forgotten." Nikos replied coolly. "You'd know all about that, or would you like to mention what happened to the Dimoulis family? Or mayhaps the Atlesian villages you sacked? History is written by the victor, but who writes that history when all the victors are dead?"
"No-one." Acteon conceded reluctantly. "Meanwhile the rest of the world would be busy fighting. With fighting comes conquest and with conquest-"
"Pillaging. Looting. Burning." Nikos pointed out. "It's easy for our histories to wiped out by just a few war-hungry conquerors. Hence why I believe the Great Collapse to be real."
"What does this have to do with the Maidens?" Acteon asked with a hint of curiosity, earning a sly smile from Nikos.
"Four Maidens with the power of the seasons at their fingertips." Nikos said slowly. "What do you think could've caused us from riding steel horses to riding regular ones?"
"You think they destroyed Remnant." Acteon realised.
"I think there are few things in this world capable of sending us from flying steel steeds to regular horses." Nikos replied. "The Maidens are amongst those, alongside the wrath of the Goddess of course. It's telling the Maidens disappeared entirely after the Great Collapse, as if they knew they needed to go into hiding."
"You think they're back." Acteon murmured, eyes widening with genuine shock as he realised what Nikos was getting at. "The storms, they weren't natural."
"They weren't, that was clear from the start." Nikos nodded, leaning back smugly. "Old Bragrim took the blame, but he was a mere fire wizard who was better at staying one step ahead of the Inquisition than he was hiding from it. He didn't have the power to do this."
"Then who?"
"Think Acteon, who was he with at the time?"
"...The Queen, supposedly."
"Exactly. Bragrim took the blame and fled before too many questions could be asked. The Queen went along with it because she'd be eaten alive if her own people found out she'd nearly wiped them all out."
"What are we to do then? No-one would believe us after what your sister's done."
"Not us, no." Nikos smiled, reaching forward and taking a sip from a goblet of wine in front of him. "But I had the most interesting conversation earlier today. We have a witness."
"We do?"
"We do." Nikos nodded, waving a hand vaguely. "I won't say who because the walls have ears. I won't risk it. What I will say is that we need to adjust our plans accordingly."
"I see." Acteon said, taking the piece of paper that had been slipped to him under the table and reading it before raising a brow. "What do you propose?"
"We should try to entreat the Queen first." Nikos smiled. "If she announces her guilt and offers just compensation perhaps she'd be able to keep her throne?"
"You do remember the piles of bodies we saw marching here correct?" Acteon snorted. "The Goddess will have more mercy than the Atlesians if they know."
"If it is true as well." Nikos argued, playing devil's advocate. "We only have suspicions for now."
"Right." Acteon nodded. "I'll leave the Queen to you. In the meantime I'll start scouting the Solitas Road to ensure it's clear for us when we march south. I've heard tell of a town, Snowmire. We bypassed it on the way here but it's should be a good place to rest and gather any last minute supplies. Should I ask Chieftain Stone about our route south? He knows the land better than we do."
"A good idea Duke Acteon." Nikos said. "Go ask permission to leave the castle from Queen Weiss before you go. We wouldn't want her to think we're plotting anything don't we?"
"No Your Imperial Majesty." Acteon smirked. "No we would not."
Acteon left, and Nikos sipped at his wine and listened carefully. Moments later he heard the pitter patter of feet.
He shook his head and smiled.
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"Are you certain?"
"I am Your Majesty." Nightingale nodded, the consternation in his eyes showing his true feelings on the matter at hand. "We've lost a dozen men overnight, and as there is no reports of fighting I can only assume they deserted."
"That brings the figure of missing men to one hundred Your Majesty." Lord Zeki added darkly. "We need to act now before our strength melts away entirely, especially with Nikos at our door."
"We still outnumber the men he has inside the keep by six hundred." Weiss pointed out, before sighing heavily. "Though we will need to request that Nikos fill the gaps in the garrison since Chieftain Stone continues his silence. Has there been anything, even a whisper or far fetched rumour, as to why he's ignoring my summons?"
"He only did so after the surviving clansmen of Clan Iceholt arrived." Lord Zeki shrugged. "There's tell of him wanting to call a Great Council, but with the roads still in dire shape and the dead being counted we have no idea who will come, let alone why he wishes to do such a thing."
"They're only held to discuss matters of succession." Weiss blinked. "Does he want to force me to marry?"
"Or have you name an heir." Zeki offered. "This is all conjecture, but I can't blame him for fearing for the stability of the Kingdom. We live in harsh times, and you remain heirless. Your sister was disinherited and as she's been married off to Governor Ironwood she is no longer a Schnee. Ironwood is well liked enough amongst veterans of the Faunus Rights Revolution, but less so amongst others, not to mention he has no royal blood."
"King Koln Schnee had no direct blood claim to Vale's throne when he claimed it after the death of King Oswald." Nightingale pointed out. "He claimed it through his wife. Ironwood may do the same."
"He has no such ambitions." Weiss shook her head. "And I will sire an heir in the future when I find a suitable husband. Why would Chieftain Stone do this? He seemed on side when he returned from his campaign?"
"He said it himself Your Majesty." Lord Zeki replied. "War has a habit of turning good men bad, mad, cruel or worse. I fear he has been under a lot of stress, and if a certain someone whispers rumour of more tumultuousness if succession isn't settled..."
"He may call for a Great Council out of fear of civil war and further conflict." Weiss frowned. "But why is he refusing to send men to reinforce the garrison?"
"His own forces are depleting from desertion too." Zeki answered. "I fear there has also been reports of infighting between the soldiers camp and that of the refugees. They're far from their homes and have no idea whether their families live. On a good day soldiers need to relax and seek relief after hard fighting, and some are attempting to do so with the daughters and wives of the people they fought to protect, regardless of whether they are consenting. The fear over what has happened to their own families and homes have made them act in a way I'm sure Duke Acteon approves of."
"By the Gods..." Weiss sighed, feeling horror and anger rise up inside her. "We need to disband the army so that the levies can go home and at least help out rebuild their villages and homes. The Mistrali are dead or back in their damned home by now, so we'd be able to risk it."
"Nikos." Nightingale pointed out, and she gave him a deadpan look.
"I know, hence why I haven't, not yet." Weiss exhaled lightly. "We need the army to stay whilst Nikos is here but we need it to be disbanded so we can focus on rebuilding. We need him gone. Until then we'll have to make do with what we have. Nightingale, I want you to take two dozen men each night and patrol the refugee camp. Make sure to prevent any...excessiveness on the side of the soldiers."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Nightingale bowed, and she felt a small swelling of guilt. He already looked so tired from the other burdens she'd placed on him, but she couldn't rely on anyone else bar Zeki, who was needed for other tasks.
"Nikos." Weiss said determinedly as Nightingale left the room to organise his patrol. "This has to do with him somehow. The desertions, Chieftain Stone, the Great Council. I wouldn't put it past him to send his own troops out dressed in Atlesian colours to accost our people."
"I'm of the same mind Your Majesty." Lord Zeki sighed, a rare moment where the mask he wore fell and she could see he was as tired as herself and the rest of them. "But I cannot seem to find any links. My informants are either dead silent or unable to find even a whisper. Something's brewing, and we're going to be blindsided when whatever it is erupts."
"A Great Council is typically called by a regent in the event of a monarch's death and no clear heirs." Weiss said. "He'll have to approach me at some point to request it."
"Unless he won't need to." Zeki replied with a hint of warning in his tone. "It was Chieftain Stone who brought Nikos here and helped cement the deal with the Prince. They could've been plotting together this entire time."
"Stone despises Nikos." Weiss frowned, disbelief clear. "He despises the Inquisition and the he despises the influence the Mistrali have over us."
"That they had over us." Zeki retorted. "The Vytal Treaty is null and void, you saw to that yourself. You also have absolute power, and if power is something Chieftain Stone seeks then you are an obstacle in his path."
"If they are plotting together then it is all the more reason to get rid of one of them at least." Weiss replied. "The supplies have been prepared as per our agreement with Nikos. I see no reason why we shouldn't send him on his way."
"That still leaves Stone."
"We'll deal with him in time. If it's future turmoil he fears then perhaps we can assuage his worries face-to-face? Regardless this cannot continue, and Nikos' army is a strain on our supplies I do not think we can manage for much longer."
"You have a plan Your Majesty?"
"I'll send for Nikos for the upcoming session of court. There I'll tell him he can have his bloody gold and supplies and sod off."
"In more courtly language I hope?"
"Naturally. After that I'll summon Stone again. If he ignores then I'll ride down to his blasted camp and drag him out from whatever tent he's wallowing in. I'll issue a decree disbanding the levies once Nikos is in Snowmire at least. If he changes course that should give us enough time to recall a few of the levies in time for his army returning. If he does that of course."
"A sound plan Your Majesty. I will leave you too it."
"You have somewhere else to be?"
"I'm meeting a contact who may know the identity of the lord who had the ward Nikos' wanted silencing. With any luck we can find out who and use whatever bad behaviour the Mistrali conducted in Atlas to terminate our agreement before we have to supply them with anymore money or equipment if Nikos tries extorting any more than he already has from us."
"Very well, I'd wish you luck Lord Zeki but I know you won't need it."
"Likewise Your Majesty."
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"The Queen intends to send you away at the upcoming court session." Panted the red-faced serving girl, having run from her eavesdropping of the Weiss' inner circles meeting. It was almost a shame how trusting his former betrothed was when it came to her staff, who she believed she had the utter loyalty of. That had been true once, the girl before him haing once been a spy for Zeki, but after learning of what her Queen had done to Atlas she'd been quick to turn to Alexander out of anger. "Nightingale has been sent to the barracks to arrange for more patrols around the refugee camp, so the plan to weaken the garrison by luring away more troops is going well. Zeki is heading for his meeting the the lost 'lord' you told me to tell him about."
"Very good." Alexander smiled, giving the girl a piece of gold, something he was had plenty of now he had turned Weiss' treasurer with promises of a hefty pension in the future regime change. It was surprising how quickly he was able to turn the Atlesians against their liege after learning said liege had unleashed the worst storms ever known of in Atlas' history. "Get some rest, the next few hours are going to be hectic to say the least."
"Your Imperial Majesty!" The girl curtisised, hurrying from the room and brushing against Duke Acteon as he entered. "My lord."
"That one irritates me." Acteon said after closing the door, the fake, charming smile slipping from his face as quickly as it had sprung up.
"Then do what you usually do and torture some puppies to blow off some steam." Alexander retorted. "We can't do anything to turn the Atlesians from us, not yet at least."
"Fine." Acteon grunted, and Alexander fought against the need to make the man address him properly. "Nightingale?"
"At the barracks to arrange for more patrols of the refugee camp outside Nördliche Burg. Our double agents and the lies they tell are paying dividends it seems."
"We should kill him now. He'll protect the Queen otherwise."
"Leave him for now. We'll see how loyal he is once the truth of his Queen is revealed. Zeki's falling for the trap too, so it's not like we'll need to worry about too many staunch, capable loyalists of the Queen to be attending the court session. How has your work been?"
"Stone's barely been held back. Most of his clan died in those storms and he's wanting to put the Queen's head on a spike for it. My men have been slipping into Nördliche Burg more easily with the aid from the staff, and the whores I hired to distract Nightingale's troops in the south barracks are doing too good a job. My men have trapped them inside and are applying the oil now. It's ready to burn when the plan is launched."
"And the lords and courtiers?"
"Some are dead but most are turned and the dead ones won't be found until everything settles down. The rest know what to do."
"Good. Check up on our spy and make sure Zeki is taken off the board then ready the men. I have a court session to prepare for."
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"You had information for me?" Zeki asked as he entered the room, blinking when he saw who was within. He'd done his best to remember the names and faces of those who worked for him, with special emphasis for those whose loyalty was in doubt. The person who he saw and who promised useful information surprised him. "Laia Well?"
"Lord Zeki." The woman smiled, though it was not a welcoming one. "I've been waiting for this, waiting for you."
"Well you did request my presence." Zeki replied calmly, though he felt a rising tide of unease as he surveyed the empty room. "You had information? About Prince Nikos?"
"I do." The serving girl turned informant smiled. "But first we need to talk. You remember my sister?"
"Pardon?"
"My sister." Laia repeated, smile still on her face. It was unsettlingly angry. "The one you hung for treason."
"An unfortunate affair." Zeki replied. "It was you who sold her out was it not?"
"You said you'd let her live!"
"I said I'd give her the same deal I offered you. It was up to her whether she accepted or not, and she chose not to. Remember yourself Well. I know of your son and you are speaking to your superior, so show some respect."
"You're a dead man Zeki."
"Threaten me again and-"
"You'll hurt me? Hurt my boy? My husband? You won't."
"And why won't I?" Zeki retorted coldly, and her eyes darted behind him. He made to turn around, but instead he was sent flying to the ground with a scream of pain as something slammed into his back.
"Have your fun with him Mrs Well." Someone said. the voice familiar, and Zeki managed to roll over so that he could see his attacker despite the pain.
"Acteon!" He growled, teeth gritted from the pain. There was an unloaded crossbow in his hands, and it didn't take a genius to know where the missing bolt had gone. "You've damned yourself and your King by doing this!"
"I think you mean our King." Acteon smirked, tossing the crossbow to Laia Well, who caught it clumsily. "Have your fun, I've left men outside to make sure you aren't disturbed and they'll make sure to bring you to court in time for your testimony. The rest of the crossbow bolts are hidden behind the curtain, and after things have settled down be a dear and tell me all about Lord Zeki's suffering would you? I always enjoy hearing how these uptight lords scream before the end."
"I will." Laia nodded, tossing back the curtain and putting a bag of crossbow bolts on an empty table. Zeki tried standing up, but his shoulder burned with pain and when he managed to struggled onto his hands and knees Acteon kicked him back down. "My son, my husband, you'll protect them right? Just like we agreed?"
"Of course." Acteon smiled, a smile so blatantly false that Zeki chuckled madly. "It was so helpful of you to show me your home too. I'll stay there for a while, make sure they're perfectly safe myself, I promise."
"You fool." Zeki chuckled as Laia struggled to load the crossbow. "He's going to kill them. He'll do it slow too, and if they're really unlucky he'll rape them before that. He's a monster. You've made a deal with the devil."
"I made a deal with the devil when you entered my home." Laia snarled, finally managing to work out how to work the crossbow back and sliding a bolt into place soon after. She aimed carefully, and he screamed as the bolt sank into his hand, cutting inwards and severing his middle finger. "I'm making things right now. For me. For my sister. Don't worry Lord Zeki, you can have penance. I have more than enough time to work an apology out of you after all."
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"Queen Weiss the First of Atlas-Vale." Nightingale announced as she entered the Great Hall she and her ancestors used for court, which fell silent immediately. There was a tension to the air she couldn't place, and as soon as she settled down on her throne she noticed how the room was divided between Chieftain Stone and Nikos on one side and those she knew to be leal to her on the other.
"My lords." Weiss said, glancing at Stone, who gave her a look of poorly muted hate. "I understand there have been rumblings for a Great Council, yet I have not authorised such a thing. Chieftain Stone, I understand you have been an advocate for this. If you would please explain yourself to the court."
"Explain myself?" Stone rumbled, stepping forward hotly. Nightingale and the guards around her drew their swords, and Stone came to a halt at the bottom of the dais her throne sat upon. "I'm not the one in need of interrogation witch."
"I beg your pardon?" Weiss gasped, shocked and fearful at the same time. Surely he didn't know? How could he?
"You heard what I said." Stone bellowed, turning to the courtiers and lords around them who were shouting and yelling. "You all heard! She's the one who caused the storms that devastated our kingdom! She's the one who's driven us to destruction and destitution! Who murdered our families and people! That bitch sitting on that throne is a monster!"
"Order! Order in the court!"
"Liar!"
"Traitor!"
"Witch!"
"Monster!"
"Enough!" Weiss demanded, but her voice was drowned out by the roars of hundreds of others. "Nightingale get this rabble back into line."
"Your Majesty." Nightingale bowed, before nodding at his men at the other end of the courtroom. The silent guards stepped out from the shadows, pushing their way through the throng of angry men and women until the last shouts were echoed and fell silent.
"Chieftain Stone." Weiss said coldly. "What you are suggesting and what you have said is tantamount to high treason. Explain yourself. Now."
"You're the Winter Maiden." Stone sneered. "I read the histories of your family. The Siege of the Snows. Her ancestors used the power of the Winter Maiden to save themselves and conquer Atlas! Now she is using her power to destroy it! What's your game witch? Do you seek to sacrifice us? Destroy us? Corrupt us? Turn us into monsters or mindless drones?"
"I seek none of those things." Weiss snapped. "Your claims are as absurd as they are treasonous. Guards, take Chieftain Stone to the dungeons so he may learn to think before he speaks."
"Now, now." Nikos said, stepping forward as he men rallied around Stone. They were unarmed, but Nightingale seemed unwilling to escalate so quickly and shed blood. A wise thing, considering Stone and his army was hostile to her and Nikos was too. "Let's not be hasty. Your Majesty, I understand you a fearful but you must be honest. Your people deserve as much after what you have done."
"I should've known better Nikos." Weiss snarled. "If you don't silence yourself right now you can join Chieftain Stone in my cells."
"I'm afraid you won't have the authority to do that." Nikos said, smiling sadly before handing a piece of paper to Nightingale. "Take this to your Queen good sir."
Nightingale did so, though she could see a frown on his face from underneath his helmet as he neared. He handed it to her, and she felt a frown grow on her own face as she saw the sigil on the letter. It was the sigil of Lord Zeki's house, and she felt a thrill of fear at the thought he had betrayed her.
The Lords of Atlas declare Weiss Schnee a witch and a traitor unfit to sit the throne of Atlas-Vale. A Great Council will be held to decide her fate and choose her successor.
The words were frightening. The number of signatures underneath the proclamation was even more frightening.
"What is the meaning of this?" Weiss demanded. "What is this madness?"
"This is only madness if you are confusing the word with the truth." Nikos retorted. "Laia Well, if you would please step forward."
Weiss blinked as she saw the serving girl who brought her food stepped forward. The woman had a sad look on her face for a moment, before it settled into a neutral, if not slightly nervous, expression.
"Introduce yourself to the court."
"I-I'm Laia Well milords, milady's." Laia curtsied clumsily. "I serve the Queen her food, often in the evenings when she is supposed to be resting in her chambers."
"Have you seen anything extraordinary whilst doing so?"
"Yes."
"What have you seen?"
"Three days I ago I entered the Queen's bedchambers to serve her some dinner. She was said to be sleeping, but when I entered I found her floating above her bed like she'd been possessed, and she was surrounded by blue fire."
"Her eyes? What of her eyes?"
"T-They were on fire too milord." Laia said, looking downwards.
'She's lying.' Weiss noticed. 'If she saw me meditating my eyes would be close. They're changing the tale to embellish it and prove their suspicions.'
"This is a farce." Weiss said calmly, the tide of unease and fear welling inside her rising as she saw the uneasy looks on those who were ostensibly on her side. "A serving girl can be bribed. Chieftain Stone has clearly been under undue stress due to the war and is suffering for it and you are a schemer who has ambitions above your worth. Is this truly the best you can do Nikos?"
"Why of course not." Nikos smiled, and it surprised her with how openly smug and cruel it seemed. "Acteon!"
She heard a thunking sound and blinked as she felt something shooting towards her. Panic made her move, and she instinctively called upon the Maiden powers, calling them forth and causing a wall of ice to rise up in front of her. Something slammed into the ice, a crossbow bolt, and Weiss' heart sank as she realised what had happened.
Her eyes blazed blue, the wall of ice...she'd revealed herself.
The court erupted into shouts of anger and shock. The doors to the courtroom burst open, and tribesmen loyal to Chieftain Stone and Mistrali men-at-arms stormed into the room.
How? How had a crossbow been smuggled into the room? How had Nikos and Stone's men managed to enter the keep? How had everything fallen apart so quickly?
"Protect the Queen!" Nightingale barked, drawing his sword and raising his shield. The men around him followed his instructions, and she felt a familiar wave of regret, guilt and self-hatred as her most loyalist guards surrounded her, shielding her with their bodies and steel. They were outnumbered greatly, and she felt a wave of hurt and understanding as some of her men turned against her in the confusion as the truth came to light.
"Your Queen has betrayed you and your loyalty Captain Nightingale." Nikos said, stepping forward with a sword in hand, one having been given to him by one of his men. The court had devolved into chaos, with her courtiers trying to flee whilst more armed men flooded inside, outnumbering the dozen or so guards who protected her. "Stand aside and serve a monarch who would not betray you the same way."
"You've ever been a grasper and a schemer Prince Nikos." Nightingale retorted calmly. "We know no King or Queen whose name isn't Schnee."
"I admire your loyalty Captain." Nikos said sadly. "May it comfort you in your death. Seize the witch! If her guards resist then slay them."
Emboldened by their numbers, the tribesmen and Mistrali rushed forth, eager to be the one to clap her in irons. But the dais around her throne was small and contained. Her men locked shield over shield and stood their ground, slowly giving ground and making their enemies pay in blood as they tried to break through the wall of steel. If she had more men, if there were more who had stayed true to her, they would've held longer. But after a few minutes of brutal bloodshed she found herself standing behind just six men, the rest dead and scattered across the dais her throne sat on.
Their enemies had lost double the amount they had, but they could afford such losses. Nightingale turned her as the Mistrali rallied themselves behind Acteon and Chieftain Stone reformed the broken ranks of his men.
"Go." Nightingale ordered. "Take the tunnel in the alcove, you know which. We'll buy you what time we can, just try and get out of Nördliche Burg."
Weiss blinked away the shock that had made her still. Then she shook her head vehemently and made to protest, trying to grasp for her Maiden powers to help them. But her knees were weak and her hand trembling in fear. She was scared. Terrified. And the Maiden power didn't obey her as she shook in terror.
"Now!" Nightingale barked, and the Mistrali led the charge over the bodies of their dead. "Please!"
She fled. It was fear that dominated her and fuelled her retreat. Fear that made her lose her already shaken grip over the Maiden Powers. Ice spread across the ground in her wake and snow fluttered around her. The sound of wind drowned out the sounds of dying and fighting behind her, and she caught a short glimpse as she opened the tunnel door and made to close it behind her, seeing Nightingale alone and surrounded but standing bravely before being felled by a dozen blows.
Her hands curled into fists and tears stung her blazing eyes as she fled through the tunnel. It lead to the very edge of the parapet surrounding Snowflake Keep, and she heard screaming and fighting. Bodies were littered around the courtyard of her home, and the small settlement outside the walls of Snowflake Keep but inside the sturdy defences of Nördliche Burg was on fire. The gates to the keep and the burg were open, and she saw smoke rising from the refugee camp outside the walls of the burg.
'How?' Weiss wondered. 'How have I failed so spectacularly?'
"There!" Someone barked, and Weiss turned to see tribesmen spilling out from the tunnel she'd just left. A shadow loomed over them, and Weiss half-turned in time to see something in the sky as snow was kicked up from the ground and parapets in a minitature whirlwind. It wasn't her though, not her powers. Those were out of reach of her now, driven away into the Abyss she'd spent so long trying to coax them from in fright of her terror and fear. "Stay where you-oh gods!"
An eye shattering roar made her cover her ears and flame blazed past her. The tribesmen screamed in pain and she saw a burning body topple off the edge of the parapet and splat against the cold cobblestone of the courtyard below.
Weiss turned slowly as her bones shook from a low rumble, fear gripping her as a draconic, golden eyes glared down at her. A dragon. Of all the things to happen now a dragon was glaring at her. It's scales were black as night and seemed oddly twisted on side, as if part of it had been burned. It huffed, the breath sending her hair flapping around her, and she realised it hadn't devoured her.
"What do you want?" She asked weakly. "Can't you see everything's bad enough as it is?"
The dragon's golden eyes narrowed, and for a moment she thought it would burn her. Then it huffed at her again and tilted its head.
"You...You..." She mumbled, and the dragon huffed again before repeating the moment. She followed it, eyes widening with realisation. "You want me to-?"
"Cinder!" Nikos cheered happily as he exited the tunnel alone. "It's been far too long, I take it Arc's been dealt with?"
Before Weiss could so much as gasp the dragon roared angrily and flames rushed over Nikos. Weiss stepped back, and her jaw dropped as the flames died down only to reveal an unharmed and infuriated Nikos.
"Really?" He snapped. "You tried that before remember? You can't harm me so long as this works." He pulled out an amulet from inside his tunic. "I suppose you'll find out how well it works when your family dies."
The dragon looked at her then, and for some reason Weiss thought it look afraid. Purple smoke wisped from the amulet, and Weiss forced the Maiden power back under her control, reaching out with her hand even as the power of the Winter Maiden trembled and tried to retreat back into the safety of the Abyss. Blue fire shot forth and encased the amulet in ice, causing the purple mist to dissipate into nothingness.
Nikos quickly dived back into the tunnel with a look of surprise and fear, and dragon fire followed him inside. The dragon turned to her, before gesturing towards it's back once more.
For a moment she considered running, but then a small army flooded into the courtyard below, armed with crossbow bolts and firing them towards her. Weiss raised a wall of ice and the dragon unleashed a wave of flame, bellowing in anger as the bolts glanced harmlessly off of it's scales. But then blood started dropping in large droplets that splattered against the parapet, and Weiss realised some of it's scales, the ones that looked burnt, were weaker than the others. The dragon could die.
Her own wall of ice had been weakened by the sheer amount of crossbow bolts that had slammed into it, causing it to crack and crumble. It wouldn't last another volley, and Weiss had no idea how long she could keep summoning walls of ice for.
Decision made, she clambered onto the dragons back clumsily and her crown slid off of her head just as she grabbed onto one of the spikes jutting from it's spine. She made to reach for it, but the dragon took to the skies with a roar as the crossbows began firing once more, and Weiss grabbed onto the dragon for dear life as it soared higher and higher, giving her a perfect view of the carnage and destruction being inflicted on her home.
The people who had admired her so, who had sworn loyalty to her and loved her and respected her. She'd failed them. She'd failed them so miserably.
She let go of the Maiden's powers, letting them slip into the back of her mind, back into the Abyss. She ignored the distant screaming as the wind filled her eyes, and she buried her face into the dragon's scales as tears fell freely from her eyes.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She wept miserably. "Forgive me please. By the Gods forgive me please."