Hey! Just to let you know, I wrote the last part of this fic listening to Solas by Jamie Duffy, just in case you'd like to listen to it!
Just like that first night they'd spent in Lisieux weeks ago, Buggy and his two knights slept in the same room. It had not been explicitly stated, but Rasiphe was no sucker. Without consulting him, the Count had arranged two bunks in the room, in addition with the bed. None of the knights joined the Duke in the comfortable sheets, though.
This night should have been like the other nights, and sleep should have come easy to him, and yet. Buggy had tried to justify it by the fact that he was stressed due to the trip they partook in, but even he didn't have the indecency to believe it.
There was awkwardness in the air as the three men laid in bed. Crocodile was laying on his back, arms behind his head, looking at the ceiling. Buggy, on the contrary, was lying on his stomach, looking at his nails absent-mindedly. Mihawk was sitting in his bunk, reading something. None of the men seemed ready to sleep, despite the late hour.
Crocodile was the one to take Buggy out of his pondering, his gruff voice coming out as a relief to the tormented Jester. 'We can hear you thinking, Jester. What's going on in this head of yours?'
Buggy groaned, rolling on his back. 'Are we really going to play pretend? Act as if nothing happened in my room the other night, until we've made the trip to England and come back, even though this might never happen?'
Mihawk set his parchments down, but did not look in the two others' direction. 'You did not seem against it when we decided that the other night.'
'Well, I didn't think it would entail acting as such in private as well.' Buggy said.
'It can only happen in private, Jester. I don't really see how you could have thought it would be different.' Crocodile countered, sounding moderately annoyed.
Buggy shut his eyes closed, his fingers coming to rub at the bridge of his nose. 'Well, I didn't think about it at the time, okay? I was confused and dazed, and it's even more of a blur now. I-' He sighed, letting his arm fall back on the bed. 'I'm not asking for cuddles and shit, I don't want that. But. Can you at least not pretend like nothing happened when it's just the three of us? Maybe act differently than when we're in public? Don't treat me like the Duke. –Though it's not like you're usually doing it anyway–.'
From his bunk, Crocodile snorted. Mihawk did not seem to react, but Buggy could see that his gaze had shifted, and the man was now looking at him discreetly.
It wasn't much, but Buggy felt better, the awkwardness cleared, his mind at ease. Not completely, but the part of his brain regarding relationships, at least. He'd spoken up, stated his desire, as small and foolish as it could seem, he had not backed out. And though they had not seemed to react, Buggy knew his two knights had listened.
To his left, Crocodile blew out his candle, slipping inside the covers. They were too short for him, and he always ended up bunching it up, his feet and legs sticking out, arms opened, like a cross.
It contrasted with Mihawk on the other side, the blanket covering the entirety of his body up to his neck, neatly tucked in the bunk.
Buggy didn't have the chance to keep ogling, Mihawk blowing out his candles as well, plunging the room into darkness. Crocodile reached for Buggy's candle on the bedside table, his fingers crushing the wick to put it out.
'Go to sleep, Jester. You'll need your full wit to charm the ditherers.' He said, one of his hands brushing Buggy's arm slightly, and the blue-haired man complied without protesting.
Their first stop led them to the County of Évreux, to the East of Falaise and Lisieux. It was the furthest place from Brittany they would have to visit, thus less likely to be dangerous for them. The three men stayed on their guard nonetheless.
They were to meet Alvida, the Countess of Évreux, and the only woman on their list. Buggy remembered meeting her a few years ago, right before his father had died. His memory of that time wasn't clear, but he remembered that she had long and dark hair. Rasiphe had warned him the night before that she had physically changed, though, and that he shouldn't go by appearances with her. Buggy didn't care much about that, especially since he did remember that he'd gotten along well with her that time they'd met. Rasiphe had not been able to give him information on the reasons that could push Alvida to ask to meet him before confirming her support to the Duchy.
Just like the previous day, they reached their destination around noon, the Countess expecting them. The servants bowed in the courtyard before they could even announce themselves, valets quickly coming to fetch their horses.
As they were led to the front door, Crocodile stepped away. 'I'm going to scout out the surroundings, I'll catch you up later.'
Buggy frowned but didn't say anything, as they were not alone. Mihawk did not seem surprised, which made him believe that the two men had discussed it beforehand. He clenched his jaw, shooting a frowning look at his knight. Though Mihawk did not react, Buggy knew he'd seen him.
They were both led to the entrance by a butler, and were greeted, once inside, by the sight of a young lady dressed in pink. She had long dark hair.
She stood elegantly on the first step of a large staircase. Buggy tilted his head in greetings. 'Countess Alvida.'
She smiled, satisfied, answering back, curtseying. 'My Duke.'
'I believe you wanted to see me, Countess. Here I am.' Buggy said, starting the conversation. He felt Alvida was not the type to look for endless praises and small talk.
She tilted her head slightly, as Buggy had passed some sort of test and she was satisfied with it, and nodded. 'Indeed, my Duke, and I am honoured to welcome you in my humble castle. If you would.' And she pointed towards the stairs.
The butler bypassed them all and walked to a door on the first floor. He opened it, inviting everyone to step inside. Buggy thanked him with a nod.
'Please, sit down.' Alvida said as she walked to a bench.
Buggy complied, Mihawk standing still two steps behind.
'Did you have a good trip?' Alvida asked as the butler poured them some cider in golden coupes.
'Yes, thank you.' Buggy answered, grabbing his coupe once it was served.
He felt one of Mihawk's hands on his left shoulder, a sign for him to not drink, and his movement faltered. He didn't think Alvida would go to the extent of poisoning his coupe, but you could never be too careful, especially in his position.
He didn't bring the coupe to his lips like Alvida did, and he did not miss the way the Countess noticed it, a small smirk forming on her lips.
Still, she did not mention it. She asked something else, instead. 'Forgive my indiscretion, Duke, but was it not said that you had two knights accompanying you?'
Buggy snorted, putting the coupe down. 'Indeed, you are well informed. I do have two knights, but they have their own will. It seems that Crocodile has decided that he would explore the premises before joining us.'
Alvida nodded, putting her glass down after having taken a sip. 'Alright. I believe you are in a hurry, and I have no wish to hold you back. I do not know if you remember us meeting when we were younger. For my part, I must say that you don't seem to have changed much.'
She paused to take a sip, and Buggy took advantage of it to answer. 'I do, I remember that we got along well that time in Falaise. Which is why I was surprised when I saw your name on the list of people I needed to meet to gain support for the war.'
Alvida set her cup down. 'Yes, I can understand that. To be quite honest, I don't really need convincing, as I am already committed to you. On the contrary, actually.' She walked back to her initial place, sitting on a bench opposite Buggy. 'If I wanted to meet you directly, it is because I believe that I would not have been listened to and taken seriously by anyone else.
Buggy frowned slightly, his elbows coming to rest on his knees, his body leaning towards Alvida as he listened intently.
'I want to join the war. To provide financial support, of course, as well as offer you men, horses, and boats. However, I also want to personally take part in the war. To join the battle.' Alvida said.
'You want to fight?' Buggy asked, taken aback.
'I do.' She said, and it was hard to ignore the determination in her eyes. 'You know what it is to be underestimated, constantly belittled because of your age, of your lack of experience, and sometimes lack of legitimacy to your position. I'm growing tired of it. I want a change of scenery, and you're leaving for England. This is what I am asking you today. I offer you support, if you take me with you to England.'
That was unexpected. Unheard of, as well. A woman wanting to join the battle to win her spurs? Her motives were understandable, but to bring her to war… Then again, Buggy wouldn't really lose anything to it, if she was to fight admirably, she'd get what she wanted, and if she was to die… Buggy would still have the support she had granted him. All in all, the Duke would get by fine.
Buggy could see she was genuine, and he desperately lacked sincere support by his side. Alvida's presence would not go amiss. Buggy couldn't allow himself to neglect a woman like Alvida.
'I see no objection to you coming with us, but do you know how to fight?'
'I do, my duke. And I can prove it, if necessary.'
Buggy shook his head, a hand before him in a placating gesture. 'No need to, Countess Alvida. I believe you.'
Her eyes widened as she realised what this implied. 'Is it settled, then? I will come with you?'
'You will come with us. Though you will be subjected to tests later in the coming days. You will have to come to Falaise, and collect the men and horses you mentioned earlier.'
'Of course.' She said, obviously pleased.
Satisfied with the way he had handled the situation, Buggy grabbed the cup from the bench, despite Mihawk's disagreement, and clinked glasses with Alvida. They needed to celebrate this fortified partnership.
Crocodile joined them a little while later, visibly satisfied with his walk around the place. He tilted his head slightly as a form of acknowledgment towards Alvida, and came to stand behind Buggy, at Mihawk's side. It was a well-practised dance at this point, both men following the Duke around like a shadow.
Buggy took advantage of the rest of the day to take a look around the domain, and notice for himself the significant number of men in the fields surrounding the castle. Alvida did not lie when she said that she had many men at her disposal.
She and Buggy dined together, talking about the arrangements to make and the battle to come. When the night fell, and the wine had been spilled enough to loosen the tongues, they talked about more personal topics, connecting on the similarities they shared. They'd both obtained their title unexpectedly, and had faced disapproval and rejection from advisors and supposedly trusted people.
It was decided that Alvida would join Falaise at the end of Buggy's trip, after having gathered men and resources, and that the Duke and his knights would leave the following morning.
Once inside their designated room for the night, Mihawk sat on the main bed, crossing his arms as he leant back against the wall. He shot a dark look at Crocodile. 'Next time, you'll be the one staying for the meeting, you're the one who likes business, not me.'
Crocodile, surprised and setting his helmet down, turned away from the main table in the room to look at Mihawk. 'Is that so? But, while I do like conducting business, for all that, you don't like running around aimlessly in foreign castles. So what would you do, Hawk Eyes?'
Mihawk clicked his tongue, turning his head towards the door, where Buggy was hanging his cape on the coat rack.
Smirking, Crocodile stepped closer to the bed. 'Could it be that you would have wanted me there with you two instead, huh?' His hook came to graze at Mihawk's cheek, but the man batted it away with his left hand.
'I don't need anyone to assist me during 'business' meetings, as you call them, Mihawk. But I don't think it was necessary for you to look around in the castle of our ally, Crocodile. You will both stay with me tomorrow at Sées.' Buggy said from where he stood.
Turning his attention away from the swordsman, Crocodile sat on the bed as well, looking at the Duke. Mihawk did not push him away. He answered Buggy, instead. 'I understand that you had had a nice impression with Alvida in the past, but her presence in the list could very well have been a sign of her readiness to betray you. So, if Crocodile's little walk had been motivated by weariness, I would have understood and supported it.' He threw a side look at the smug man sitting beside him.
Buggy did not answer, simply watching the two men sitting on his bed. He hid a forming smile under a fake yawn as he came to sit next to them.
Exmes was not a big city, but it was decent in size and population, which was why Buggy bothered to come and talk to the Viscount of Hiémois, Don Krieg.
Contrary to Alvida, the Duke had never met Don Krieg, though he had heard about him here and there, mostly in bad light, though. Buggy had felt the difference with his knights, the two men being obviously more tense during the trip.
As they got off the horses, they were welcomed by a servant who rushed down the stairs to meet them. Unexpectedly, his eyes seemed to widen at their sight, his body stiffening as his footsteps faltered.
From the corner of his eyes, Mihawk noticed the way Crocodile's head perked up, tilting slightly. Intrigued, the swordsman decided to keep this aside for later.
Recovering from the shock he'd had, the servant finally reached them. His posture had straightened, but his eyes were still alarmed. He had a weirdly rectangular face, his hair black and with a parting, though he had a weird haircut on the top of his head. He had a strange look.
Crocodile remained silent as the servant bowed and gestured towards the stairs. The three men climbed the stairs and let themselves be led inside the castle and into a reception room.
Mihawk did not miss the way the servant scrambled away the minute he was done showing them the room. The swordsman wanted to ask Crocodile about it, but he reconsidered. He didn't know if Buggy had caught up on this, and he didn't want to force Crocodile to share something that visibly had something to do with his past, with them. Mihawk felt that if the man had really wanted to keep it a secret, he wouldn't have reacted at all, but still, he wouldn't be the one to spill it.
The Viscount kept them waiting for long minutes, Crocodile's mood turning sour with each passing one, the man hating having to wait. At his side, Mihawk was more patient, comfortable with being in silence. Buggy was walking around the room, looking at the tapestries on the large wall, and eyeing the furniture. None of them felt like talking.
After what felt like ages, the Viscount deigned to appear, barely apologising for making the Duke wait. 'My Duke, what an honour to have you here! This castle has never seen a higher man!'
His eyes skimmed on the two knights, briefly turning into a glare when they landed on Mihawk, though the look disappeared as soon as it had appeared.
Buggy ignored the praise, knowing it was all fake. 'Nice to meet you, Viscount. I believe it is our first time meeting.'
Don Krieg nodded, coming to sit in a large chair at the end of the room. The Duke and his knights, displeased, realised that it looked quite like a throne. To sit in such a seat in the presence of a Duke was a clear display of bad etiquette, as well as a lack of respect, and it was clear from the start that the meeting with Don Krieg would be brief and strictly professional.
'Well, I will not beat around the bush,' Buggy started. 'I have reasons to believe you are unsure about whether you would support the Duchy if it was to lead an expedition to England, hence my visit.'
Don Krieg adjusted his tunic, acting as if he had not been addressed. He looked up after a few more seconds. 'Yes, sir, that would be true. It is troubling me to say so' –it looked nothing like it– 'but I have doubts regarding the viability of such a venture. With such a large amount of money at stake, I am not sure I want to take such a risk.'
Buggy thought about his answer, pondering on what to disclose, and what to keep secret. Somehow, he didn't feel like he could rally Don Krieg behind his cause. He was taken out of his thoughts by a knock to the door.
The servant was quick to answer, slipping out briefly only to come back a few seconds later. He bowed in the direction of the Viscount, speaking up. 'Sir, it seems that someone is asking for you.'
Not looking surprised, Don Krieg groaned before he got up, stepping down the throne. He apologised to his guests as he left the room. 'Apologies, I won't be long.'
He left the room, and they were left alone, with the exception of the servant. Certain that Don Krieg wouldn't come back straight away, Crocodile got off the bench, quickly crowding the servant against a table. The man cowered in fear. Buggy and Mihawk, curious, remained silent, watching.
'S-S-Sir Crocodile..' The man stammered.
'What a surprise, Mr. Three, still alive, from what I can see.'
The man, Mr. Three, it seemed, leant down even more. 'Huh, yes, Sir.'
Crocodile grunted. 'Tell me, since you're working here, do you know if Krieg's planning anything? Is he hostile to the Jester over there?' He asked with a nod towards Buggy.
Mr. Three looked at the Duke, gulping. Was Crocodile working for him, now? That had to be a ploy, for sure.
'Huh, I-I don't know, really. I'm new here, actually.' He said, startling as Crocodile's hook got closer to his face.
He tried to jerk away, in vain, so he opted for speaking again. 'I know he's not thinking highly of the Duke, though. He thinks the trip to England would be a failure.'
Crocodile raised an eyebrow, the tip of his hook against Mr Three's throat. 'And how would you know that?'
Mr. Three made a face. He obviously didn't want to betray his current employer. But it seemed that Crocodile was still scarier than Don Krieg. 'I heard him talk with his advisors the other day. That's it, just the usual eavesdropping, nothing else.'
Crocodile hummed. 'Nothing else?'
Mr. Three shook his head.
'I'll know if you lie, you know that?' Crocodile asked.
The servant nodded, visibly terrified. 'Yes, yes, I know. I swear I haven't heard anything else.'
Crocodile loosened his grip, though he still said, before letting the man go 'If you hear anything interesting, report it to me. Got it?'
Mr. Three nodded, scrambling away the minute Crocodile stepped back. Readjusting his clothes, Crocodile sat back down on the bench as if nothing had happened. He turned his head towards Buggy. 'See? I saved us some time, we'll talk faster if we already know there won't be any compromise.'
Buggy did not answer, though he was both impressed and intrigued by the situation. His knights really were resourceful men.
Don Krieg reappeared a few minutes later, Mr. Three still standing in the farthest corner of the room, barely stepping closer when his employer came back.
Don Krieg apologised again for his absence. He was about to talk when he was cut off by Buggy. 'We cannot afford prevarications, so I would like an honest answer, Don Krieg. Will you financially support the military campaign, or not?'
The Viscount seemed caught off guard by the sudden acceleration of the discussion. He frowned, looking at his servant, suspicious. He opened his mouth, to close it immediately. Finally, he talked. 'I don't think I will, Sir.'
He looked down. 'The county is currently facing the repercussions of a crop failure, from last year, which is leading to a famine. I can't afford to spend my money in a conflict my men wouldn't be able to fight or survive into.'
Buggy nodded as Don Krieg looked up. Somehow, he didn't look as saddened by the situation as he could have. It didn't sound that believable, even, but Buggy did not look for justifications. He'd wanted an answer, and had obtained one.
'I understand.' Buggy started, 'I cannot offer any compensation for what the County of Hiémois might be going through right now, but rest assured that, when this war is done, the Duchy will be here for you.'
Don Krieg only answered with a nod. Buggy threw a look at his knights, who rose from their seats.
'Well, then. I apologise for the brevity of this meeting, but I am being expected.' The Duke said.
The Viscount looked up, rising from his throne. 'Of course, I understand.' He gestured towards the door, leading them. 'Are you sure you do not need to stay the night in the castle?'
Buggy shook his head. 'Thank you, but we will spend the night in Domfront, halfway through our next destination.'
Don Krieg nodded as they exited the room and walked to the main entrance.
From the corner of his eyes, Crocodile could see the way Mr. Three kept stealing glances at him. He turned his head towards him, but only saw the man cowering away. Crocodile didn't say anything and followed Buggy and Mihawk.
Back on their horses, the three men left the castle in silence. However, the moment they left town, Buggy turned towards Crocodile. 'What the fuck was that, with the servant?'
Crocodile shrugged, which only pissed Buggy off even more. 'Do not ignore me, Crocodile.' Buggy started, and interrupted the other man when he was about to answer back. 'Mihawk and I have been honest with you. We have bared ourselves in front of you, despite the unpleasantness of it all, do not belittle this. Do not play it down.'
This seemed to shut the taller man up effectively. He seemed to ponder for a while, his face sporting a frown and a curl of his lips. The thought of being honest with them really seemed upsetting for Crocodile.
Still, after having travelled a significant amount of kilometres, and when both Buggy and Mihawk relinquished in ever getting to the bottom of it, Crocodile spoke up.
With a click of the tongue, he started speaking. 'He was a former employee of mine. Of when I set up a mercenary business years ago.' He cleared his throat. 'That was a long time ago, and it didn't end well, poor management. I was not good with people, and ended up losing contact with all of the members of the… business. This man, Galdino, was the third most important member. That's it.'
The men at his side took in the information, remaining silent. The horses' hooves on the ground made a sound getting on Crocodile's nerves, and he caved in, asking 'Are you not going to say anything?'
He saw Buggy shrug. 'Well, I can't really say I'm surprised by what you just told us, it sounds quite like something you would do.'
Mihawk nodded approvingly.
Crocodile huffed. It was not the reaction he had expected. After having made the effort of talking about his past with the two men, he would have wanted at least a worthy reaction out of them. This was disappointing.
He sulked for the rest of the journey, Buggy and Mihawk watching his face from time to time, amused.
They reached Domfront a little before night fell. They'd taken a long break on their way, knowing that they would need to pass the night in Domfront anyway, and that arriving as the night set, and thus incognito, wouldn't be too bad.
They'd done some scouting before leaving Falaise, and already knew where to go. They ended up settling in an inn, in a room with three beds.
Hanging his coat against the door, Buggy groaned as he stretched, his back popping as he held his hands joined over his head.
He jumped, yelling, as he felt a hand slip against his hips and rest against his stomach. He tried to wiggle away from the tightening grip, but Crocodile did not seem set on letting him go. The Duke could feel his breath against his nape.
'Shhh, you should be more quiet, Jester, don't want people imagining things, huh?' Crocodile said, obviously smug.
Buggy searched for Mihawk, hoping to get help from his second knight. He found him sitting on one of the beds, eyeing them. 'Are you not going to do something, come to my aid?' Buggy asked.
Mihawk leaned back against the pillows in the bed, crossing his arms. His gaze passed from Buggy's face to Crocodile's, and to Buggy's form to Crocodile's hand on his waist. 'It would be lying but to say I don't find the view tantalising. Why would I interrupt this?'
Buggy huffed. It wasn't that he didn't want Crocodile's hands on him, quite the contrary actually. If anything, the scarred man had not shown much affection to the Duke ever since their departure, and the lack of signs made Buggy's anxiety and mind run up, making him doubt the man's affection. And then he ended up thinking about the possibility of all of this being a ploy, a way for Crocodile and Mihawk to get their hands on the throne of England once he would have done the job and would have been disposed of.
He knew it wasn't like that, but he couldn't help it. So, yes, to have reassurance, despite having agreed to limit any affection towards each other until the end of the war, was welcome.
It was just.. Distracting. Especially when their last meeting to come was also the most important and difficult one. He sighed. He let his head drop against Crocodile's shoulder, surrendering.
Mihawk rose from the bed, going to join them.
And then there was a knock on the door.
The three men froze. They weren't expecting anyone.
There were a few knocks again, hurried.
Crocodile let go of Buggy, pushing him softly towards the bed, putting himself in front of him.
Wordlessly, Mihawk walked to the door. The knocking started again, but non-stop this time, and he opened the door, sword in hand.
From where they stood, Buggy and Crocodile could not see the person in the entryway, and they held their breath as they looked at Mihawk, expecting.
Tension left Mihawk's shoulders as he seemed to recognise the person at the door. With a sigh, he walked back towards the two men, adding 'Crocodile, it's for you.'
With a frown, Crocodile made the few steps separating him from the door. He was surprised to find Galdino standing there.
'What are you doing here?' he asked roughly, not liking the other man's presence. He took a good look at him, and noted the red on his cheeks and his heavy breathing. Had he run?
'You have to leave.' Galdino started, visibly struggling to catch his breath. 'You have to leave, right now.'
Crocodile stepped closer, looming over him. 'What are you talking about? What's going on?'
'Krieg, he has sent men your way, they're coming to kill you. He was never planning on letting you go.'
Buggy felt his stomach sink at the words. It wasn't that much of a surprise. But it was a kick-off. Teach had seemingly already placed his pawns, and they were one step behind.
Without looking behind him, Crocodile said 'Grab our things, we're leaving.'
It was quickly followed by rustling, and Buggy turned in time to see Mihawk already collecting their belongings.
They hurried out of the room, Galdino ahead of the group, Crocodile bringing up the rear. Just before him, Buggy asked, 'What makes you believe him, when you told us that things had come to a bad end with your organisation?'
Looking down to meet his gaze, Crocodile answered without skipping a beat. 'Because terror is the strongest form of loyalty, and there is no one Galdino fears more than me.'
They rushed down the inn's staircase, heading straight for the stable, and they were caught out at the sight of torches in the night and the sound of a significant amount of incoming horses. Unfortunately, Galdino had told the truth.
Mihawk turned towards him, 'Is this your horse?' He asked, pointing towards a brown mount tied to the inn's stairs' rail.
The man nodded.
'Go and get it, wait for us at the front of the stable.'
Galdino did not answer, complying without batting an eye.
For his part, Crocodile was almost dragging Buggy behind him, almost carrying him himself to the horse. For once the Duke did not even pick it up. He climbed on his horse, and watched as his two knights did the same.
They headed straight to the door, and found Galdino waiting for them.
The latter spoke up. 'You're going to Vire, right? I know a way to avoid Gin's men, but we have to be quick.'
'Gin?' Mihawk asked, and all eyes turned on him.
'Yes, Krieg's right hand man. He's fierce but loyal, he kills whoever Krieg requests him to, and has a reputation of never letting his target survive.' Galdino supplied.
Despite the hastiness of the situation, Mihawk did not order his horse to move. 'I know this man, we've crossed swords in the past.' Whatever he was about to say next was lost in the sound of something heavy falling very close to the group.
Everyone turned to look at the stone on the ground, it had hit a barrel and destroyed a part of it while falling. The four men looked in the opposite direction to take in the approaching sight of men on horses, obviously armed.
'We need to go, NOW.' Crocodile screamed, making everyone react. The four horses set off towards the path Galdino had designed earlier. Behind them, the sound of wheezing arrows was growing.
'We have to shake them off!' Crocodile said over the surrounding noise.
'How?!' Buggy replied, screaming. He couldn't realistically see a way out of their situation.
'Galdino, do you know if they are dispatched in the surrounding area, or if they're only in a group forming the raid?' Mihawk asked over the sound of the horses.
'There should only be the raid, small groups were not an issue, you were never supposed to be aware of it and leave the inn.' Galdino replied
They reached a small river, which needed to be crossed by a wooden bridge. Galdino and Buggy, ahead of the group, crossed it. Mihawk stopped right before, Crocodile doing the same. They exchanged a few words, inaudible to the Duke and the former servant, before they turned towards them.
'You need to go ahead, we can't run away endlessly, they're going to catch up one way or another. We're going to hold them back. Galdino, you have to bring Buggy to Vire, you hear that?' Crocodile screamed over the bridge.
Buggy's eyes widened. 'NO. You're MY knights, we are not splitting up, it's suicide!'
Mihawk looked him straight in the eyes. 'This is just small fry, Buggy, we'll make quick work of it. You proved you could defend yourself during training, have confidence in your abilities!'
Buggy wanted to protest, but they didn't have time for that. Despite the absurdity of the situation, his knights had experience, and he trusted them. He trusted their judgement in dire situations. He didn't trust his.
'Galdino, I entrust you with the escort of the Duke to Vire, lead him to safety, and your efforts will be compensated.' Crocodile added.
Flaming arrows were starting to fall close to the knights, and wordlessly, Mihawk and Crocodile proceeded to grab them and dispose of them on the bridge. Slowly, the guardrails started to catch fire.
Buggy watched, helpless, as the only way to reach his knights started to go up in flames. He willed his breathing to slow, refusing to let panic seize him.
'Crocodile, Mihawk! You are not allowed to die, come back to me in safety to lead this war, you fucking hear me? Let's meet in Falaise, I grant you all the time you need, as long as you come back to me, understood?!' Buggy screamed at the top of his lungs
Through the growing flames, he saw the last look his two knights threw him before they rushed towards the raid. Buggy thought he could feel his heart in his throat as Galdino grabbed him by the arm and urged him to get going. Buggy did not want to leave, did not want to be alone again, to leave his knights in the night, in the middle of nowhere.
As he was leaving the burning bridge, he had the sensation of leaving a piece of himself in the blaze. He could only hope the flames would give it back intact to him. He was sick of only ever finding ashes in the remnants of those he loved. He hoped he would find his lovers in the embers and not in the ashes.
Alright so this is suuuch a long chapter compared to the others, I'm sorry! But I felt that if I cut the chapter right after the encounter with Alvida, it would have been dissatisfying, and if I left it up to Krieg's meeting, I might as well leave the rest, so the choice was made!
The last scene is totally the type of scenes I prefer to write so it was a really entertaining chapter to write for me!
Poor Buggy, though.. wonder how this'll turn out for him...
Don't hesitate to leave kudos and comments, it actually motivates me to write more and always make me happy! See you on Sunday!