Years ago, on the shores of the Lagdorian Lake that bordered Tristain and Gallia, two monarchs shared a forbidden rendezvous. One of many of their forbidden tryst that, if revealed, could shatter the alliances of both their kingdoms. Yet, still, love persisted between them, and though they knew they could never be together in the ways they both wished… they took joy in what little time they did have together. This night, which was always remembered by them for both good and ill, marked their last meeting before their lives took tragically different trajectories. Of the two, a man, slightly taller than his lover and with short, princely, bright blonde hair, stared with both love and longing into the eyes of this woman before him. Their eyes, of similar shades, his being a deep blue and hers a bright ocean-blue, gazed into each other while they held hands, their similarly-colored rings glowing magically and forming a rainbow between them.
"Henrietta," the blonde prince said affectionately, as he leaned in closer to his paramour.
"Wales," Henrietta replied with equal affection. Wales and Henrietta turned their gaze down to their glowing rings, admiring their glow that they felt symbolized their connection.
"My Ruby of Wind, passed down through my kingdom of Albion, and your ruby of Water, passed down through your kingdom of Tristain," Wales began as they each returned their gaze to one another. "When water and wind combine, they create a rainbow," Wales said as he gave Henrietta a look of pure adoration, which she returned.
"A rainbow between our families," Henrietta replied as she drew closer to him, hands still lovingly entwined.
"Let there always be a rainbow between us, through and beyond this forbidden love," Wales softly declared as he also drew closer and the two shared their last kiss. It was this kiss and this last time together that Henrietta dwelt on, on this very night in the present, as she looked upon her Ring of Water that she avoided wearing out of grief for her lost love. She once again thought back to years ago, by the lake, as the two walked, hand-in-hand in blissful ignorance of their status and responsibilities.
"The spirit of the lake is not only the Spirit of Water, but is known as the Spirit of Oath, and that an oath made here cannot be torn apart," Henrietta said, hopefully, to Wales. The prince merely gave a wry chuckle before turning to face her.
"That is a fairy tale, Henrietta," he gently admonished, with a noticeable tone of disappointment in his voice that was not directed at her, but at their fates.
"I believe it," Henrietta replied, longingly, without turning to make eye contact. Wales gave yet another wry chuckle, which Henrietta could tell was one of longing for that to be the truth, and not one of mockery. Despite this, the two stopped, as Henrietta turned to give Wales a knowing look before stepping out into the lake. Wales, understanding, watched her with a smile on his face. "I, Princess Henrietta, heir to the throne of Tristain, do hereby make an oath to the Spirit of Water," she began, looking out over the lake. "I will love Prince Wales," she declared as she turned to give Wales a look of overwhelming affection, "for all eternity." The Prince's smile fell as he began to feel the weight of reality crashing down on him.
"Henrietta…" he began solemnly.
"Well," Henrietta continued, undeterred, reaching her hand out to him, "will you swear your love as well? Please?" The Prince wordlessly, and maintaining his solemn expression, took Henrietta's hand and stepped into the lake, heaving a sigh of yearning for what he knew was only a fantasy for them. Doing his best to put it from his mind, however, he drew a deep breath and steeled his resolve.
"I, Prince Wales, heir to the throne of Albion, hereby make an oath to the Spirit of Water," he began in earnest, "to walk alongside this Lagdorian lake, hand intertwined with Princess Henrietta's, in the daylight without shame or worry. To love her in front of the whole world." He ended his declaration with a smile as he turned back to Henrietta and the two sealed their oaths with a kiss.
It feels like yesterday, but so long ago, Henrietta thought to herself, in the present, as she caressed her ring and allowed the memories and emotions to flood her spirit. She had not slept well for months, even before the battle of Tarbes. Each night she tried, and each night her mind was consumed with her lost lover, Wales. She spent countless nights only finding sleep at the end of an exhausting bout of crying. He was gone, and there was no one left in this world she felt would match the level of intimacy those two shared. Some nights she blamed Louise, for it was her fiance who had cut him down, and some nights she blamed Fils D'Aleks, for it was their organization that plotted, and carried out, his murder. Most nights, however, she blamed herself. Had she not sent that letter that she needed to send Louise to retrieve… had she not sent Wardes… had she given up on their love much longer ago… none of this would have happened, and Wales would still be here. Tonight was an especially bad night for her, as she looked down at her ring and sobbed once more. These were the rare times she could let herself feel, and with no one she could trust to talk to, she resolved to feel it alone.
You're not here anymore, Henrietta thought to herself as the tears fell onto the ring below. Sometimes, I still can't believe it. How can I keep going on like this? The emotions began to overpower her as she took the box where she kept the ring and threw it to the floor with all her might.
"HOW CAN I LIVE IN A WORLD WITHOUT YOU?!" Henrietta screamed as she collapsed in a sobbing mess against her window. A knocking could be heard at her door, following that.
"My lady? Are you alright?" Agnes' voice came through the door.
"Yes," Henrietta lied as she attempted to hide her crying, "I am fine. Please leave."
"But your maje-"
"Leave at once!" Henrietta ordered.
"Of course, your majesty," Agnes acknowledged as Henrietta could hear her footsteps grow quiet. Henrietta sat, alone and consumed by grief, in silence for a time after, until the emotions began to flood her once more.
"A rainbow can only exist with water and wind…" she whispered to herself, wiping some of the tears from her face as she looked to the ring once more. At that moment, something happened which she did not expect. Her ring had begun to glow as it did when Wales was near. Her crying ceased as she now looked upon this new development with confusion and hope. What is happening? She thought to herself as the glowing intensified.
"Henrietta…" an almost-familiar voice spoke out to her from what sounded like the window she leaned against.
"What?" W-who is it? Who's there?" Henrietta frantically asked as she scrambled to her feet and backed away from the window, keeping an eye on it as she moved to where she knew her scepter was. "You insolent man… coming to the Queen's room after dark! How dare you!" She managed to reach it, and gripped it tightly in her hand.
"It's me, Henrietta," the voice, now sounding more familiar, spoke to her, louder this time. "It's Wales."
"What? No… Wales? How?" Henrietta asked in a panic as her eyes grew wide with terror and disbelief.
"Open your window for me, my love," Wales' voice implored, and as it did, on the balcony beyond the window, an unmistakable figure that she was not sure was there before began to form from out of the darkness, facing her.
"It cannot be!" Henrietta whispered to herself in disbelief.
"And yet, it is," the figure before her answered in Wales' voice.
"No… it cannot be…" Henrietta repeated, trying her best to convince herself not to raise her hopes.
"Look, Henrietta," the figure implored as it raised a hand to her, revealing none other than the matching Ruby of Wind to her Ruby of water, which glowed brilliantly. Henrietta was beginning to feel her disbelief replaced with hope and joy as she cautiously stepped forward. "On that night," the figure claiming to be Wales began, "our oath on the lake. Do you remember?" Henrietta could contain herself no more as she rushed forward, threw open her window, and stepped out onto the balcony, running into her beloved Prince Wales' arms.
"It's really you…" Henrietta sobbed into his chest. "You were alive… you ARE alive."
"Yes, and I have come for you, Henrietta," Wales whispered into her ear, causing her to pull herself back and give him a shocked look. "Come with me. Come with me to Aleksandria," Wales proposed. Henrietta immediately shook her head at that.
"You cannot go back! They'll kill you for sure!" Henrietta anguished.
"I must," Wales declared, his face full of resolve. "It is my charge as prince."
"Please," Henrietta begged, taking Wales' face in her hands, "please do not go. I can't lose you again." Wales, in an attempt at reassurance, leaned in to kiss her, which Henrietta gladly reciprocated.
"I love you, Henrietta," Wales proclaimed as he stared with the same devoted affection from all those years ago into her eyes. "So, please, come with me." He once again leaned in to kiss Henrietta, who he had not noticed had begun letting tears of joy paint her cheeks. The words echoed in her head over and over:
I love you
I love you
I love you
And as they did, she could no longer fight her feelings.
Back at the academy, the next day, Agnes, still catching her breath, had just informed Louise and Siesta that the Queen had gone missing. Louise, her face rife with disbelief, left her bed and approached Agnes.
"What? How?" Louise asked, anxiety and fear almost choking her. Agnes, in response, dropped her gaze.
"It is my fault…" Agnes began, shamefully. "Just before she was taken, I heard her, in emotional turmoil, in her room. I asked to enter, and even tried, but found the door locked and was sent away."
"You're right, it does seem like your fault," Siesta commented, flippantly, causing Agnes to shoot her a glare while Louise looked to her in shock at her audacity.
"Regardless," Agnes continued, "my team is already in pursuit. The suspect appears to be headed towards Lagdorian Lake." Siesta and Louise both reacted with surprise upon hearing this, knowing their unfinished business there with the Spirit of Water and her missing ring, last known to be possessed by the murdered Cromwell. "We must prevent mass panic as much as possible. The only ones that know of this are my Musketeers and you two."
"But why come to us?" Siesta interrogated, Derflinger still at the ready in case of violence. "I know you don't trust us." Agnes gave a defeated sigh as she turned to Siesta.
"Indeed, which brings me to the matter of why you two are especially suited for this task," Agnes paused for a moment, considering the absurdity of the statement she was about to utter. "I have trusted sources that report the assailant matches the description of the late Prince Wales." This news caused both Siesta and Louise to be opaquely shocked.
"That can't be! He-," Louise interrupted herself as she looked, wide-eyed, down to her hands, "he died in my arms. I know he did." Agnes shook her head in response.
"In any case, this may mean that she went with her captor willingly. If that is so, then, as you two are the only Tristanians with experience dealing with this figure, or at least one who so closely resembles him, then you would be best suited to hunting him down. Aside from that," Agnes walked up to Louise until they were almost face-to-face, and looked down on the short, pink-haired noble, "she may need someone close to her to lure her away from this kidnapper. You will cooperate, won't you?"
"Of course," Louise answered without hesitation. The silence following her statement caused her to turn to Siesta, who seemed to be contemplating her answer. "Siesta?" Louise asked, concerned. Finally, Siesta sheathed Derflinger and turned to give Agnes a determined look.
"Where she goes, I go," Siesta declared. Agnes nodded in response and, after Louise and Siesta prepared themselves by getting dressed, the group moved down to the stables. Louise and Siesta trailed behind Agnes, who was running down the stairs.
"Hey, what's with the hostility to Agnes?" Louise asked in a low voice.
"Remember the last person Henrietta assigned us to work with?" Siesta replied. Louise took a moment to think, and, once the realization dawned on her, appeared to be full of shame. Siesta noticed this and immediately felt a pang of guilt, "I'm sorry, it's just after that, I have… doubts about the Queen's choice of 'trusted company'. It seems the only good decision in allies that she made was you, but you two have been apart for so long, it appears that your good influence is wearing thin."
"I see…" Louise replied, dejected. Siesta began to feel more guilt, realizing she had not improved the situation, and chose to remain silent. After a momentary silence, and the two reaching the academy grounds, Louise perked up with an idea, upon seeing the pylon that was now a mainstay among the grass. "Why not take this time to practice your psionics? Get a feel for her?" Louise suggested. Siesta immediately perked up herself as she remembered her abilities stretched to feeling the thoughts of others, and reached out to Agnes' mind upon her drawing close to them on horseback. She could feel her genuine distress at the situation, as well as irritance and pain. The pain she felt began to seep into Siesta's mind as well, as she grabbed her right arm. "Are you okay?" Louise asked.
"Yeah, it's just," Siesta began as she released her focus from Agnes, "she's in pain." Louise looked to Agnes with concern, but the two could not continue their private conversation as she had approached them.
"Thank you for your assistance, I will join the rest of the search party. I assume you two shall be taking the Sky Fury to easier locate her?" Agnes asked.
"Of course, we should find her quickly with that," Louise responded with a nod. Agnes nodded back as she rode down the trail away from the academy. Siesta and Louise made their way to the still-under-repair Sky Fury that Siesta and Professor Colbert had been working on since the battle at Tarbes. Now mostly in the same working order it had been found, Siesta leapt inside, helping Louise up as well.
"Oh! Is it safe to take out again? I thought it was still under repair?" Colbert, who had seen them approach the Sky Fury and decided to greet them said.
"It is, Colbert," Siesta replied as she powered up the Terran starfighter. "Because of the modularity of its design and many, many redundancies, it can still operate in peak efficiency even when it is critically damaged." The words coming from Siesta's mouth were somewhat foreign to her, but the confidence in which she spoke them came from the power of the Gandalfr that granted her mastery over any object designed to be a weapon.
"We don't have much time, Siesta," Louise urgently advised. With that, Siesta nodded to Colbert, who nodded back, and the two took off with the Sky Fury screeching through the sky. As they flew, with Siesta monitoring the sensors, Louise sat on her lap, looking forlorn and concerned.
"It's hard to believe this is happening…" Louise remarked, her voice heavy with worry. "Taken from her own room in her own castle. If they can get to her, they could get to anyone."
"Speaking of the castle, Henrietta did mention she had concern about spies within it," Siesta mentioned, off-handedly.
"You didn't think to mention that last night?" Louise asked, incredulously.
"It's not even been a day, I didn't think whoever she was concerned about would act so quickly," Siesta responded, defensively. Louise huffed in response before changing the subject.
"All I heard was about Cromwell and the Ring of Andvari being stolen," Louise mentioned.
"That was supposed to be returned to the Spirit of Water," Siesta responded, slightly irritated at the circumstance.
"I know, it's good that Tabitha chose to give it to the proper authorities but unfortunate that the castle decided to hold onto it in the meantime. It gave the Queen's enemies so much time to plot," Louise said.
"Didn't Lady Montmorency say something about the ring having the ability to bring the dead to life?" Siesta asked, remembering back to their time at the lake. This question caused Louise's eyes to grow as the realization dawned on her.
"Then that would mean Fils D'Aleks is behind this!" Louise cried out, causing Siesta to clasp the ear Louise's mouth was closest to. "Sorry," Louise apologized.
"It's alright," SIesta replied with a small chuckle. "But I agree, that must be what's going on. It's hard to believe that their power reaches so far and so deep…" Siesta's voice trailed off.
"I know…" Louise replied, turning her head to look out the cockpit. My Queen… I hope you're safe... Louise thought to herself. Siesta, still keeping in touch with her psionics, felt her unease acutely.
Henrietta, meanwhile, while in the arms of her resurrected lover, reminisced about one of her and Wales' earliest meetings. The first one where their familiarity had turned to passion. She had been bathing in the Lagdorian Lake by moonlight, and in a complete surprise to her, she had turned back to the shore to see the familiar form of Prince Wales had approached, silently. After dressing herself, she met him in the tree line, where he lavished her with adoration.
"I thought the moonlight had drawn out the Spirit of Water herself," Wales had told her, flirtatiously.
"You flatter me…" Henrietta had replied, unable to bring herself to look into the eyes of her beloved Prince. In response, Wales gently reached forward, and lifted her head to make her eyes meet with his, and gave her a look of pure, loving worship.
"You have become beautiful, Henrietta," Wales praised, causing her to blush. "You are more beautiful than the Spirit of Water herself." In all her life, she had never heard anything that made her heart race like it did that night, and, still, she had heard nothing else that surpassed that statement in that moment. Henrietta was pulled back to the present by Wales turning her attention to her.
"We're almost there, my love," Wales said with that same tone of absolute devotion that made Henrietta tremble with love to her very core. She smiled up at him, and he smiled back before turning his attention forward once more. "I have a ship hidden there. We'll fly to Albion using that." For a moment, the name Albion shook her from her love-induced stupor. Wales, who had turned to see if they were being followed, noticed this and returned his gaze to her. "I love you, Henrietta," he told her, with a reassuring smile. "I won't let anyone tear us apart again." At that statement, he cracked the reins of their horse, which sent it into a mad dash. Henrietta, once more consoled by the Prince's words, simply rested her head in his chest, enjoying the peaceful bliss of their reunification. The reason for the revived Prince's quickened pace followed not far behind them, as Agnes and her squad of musketeers were in hot pursuit.
"Captain! I see them!" one of the riders called out. Around the bend, through a shroud of thick woods, Agnes spotted them as well. She knew she could not risk their horses attempting to ride through that brush and instead simply hoped their horses were faster than the kidnapper's. Upon the announcement by the rider, however, Agnes spotted something else coming.
"Spread out!" Agnes ordered as she yanked her reins to swerve her horse to avoid an incoming bolt of wind and light summoned by a spell. The spell missed all the riders and collided harmlessly with the ground behind them with a booming sound, causing a massive cloud of dust that obscured the vision of Agnes and her team. The path had now straightened, which was the perfect opportunity for the musketeers to employ their skills. "Draw arms and aim at their horse! Be careful of the Queen!" Agnes ordered. Immediately as this order was given, the riders drew their muskets and attempted to aim where they were ordered to.
"Captain! Look out!" one of the riders called out as an incoming spell headed directly for Agnes, who expertly maneuvered her horse to avoid yet another impact.
On the horse Wales and Henrietta were on, Henrietta observed this with horror. "Wales! That was my musketeer force!" she protested.
"I am sorry," Wales responded, flatly, with a determined look upon his face. "I didn't want anyone to interfere with us."
"I don't understand," Henrietta said as he looked up to him with worry and confusion.
"I promise, I will explain everything to you later," Wales replied, dismissively, not taking his eyes off the road. "Don't worry, just be with me," he said in a tone that Henrietta felt he thought was pacifying.
"But…" Henrietta began, unable to think of how to respond. Wales took this opportunity to look at her, with the same steeled, determined face he was facing forward with.
"Remember the oath you made at the lake. Just follow through on that, and we'll be okay," Wales ordered in a manner that could be as gentle an order could be given. She remembered back to the oath that he had mentioned. The night of their last meeting. Seeing her expression soften, Wales softened his as well, giving her the same reassuring and adoring look he had given her before. "I love you, Henrietta." Those words, again, soothed Henrietta to her soul, causing her to feel nothing but love and devotion for the man who held her in his arms. "Let us speak our oath by the lakeside again," Wales advised as he looked down the path they rode once more. "I, Prince Wales of Albion, will love Henrietta for all eternity." At that, Henrietta leaned into his chest once more, letting all the cares of the world slip away.
In the sky, close to the conflict between Wales and the musketeers, the instruments within the Sky Fury's readings picked up what she believed to be Henrietta and her captor, the reanimated Prince Wales. She brought the Sky Fury to a much slower speed so as not to surpass them, and locked on to her target.
"Target: locked, time to intercept at current velocity: ten seconds," the ship's AI confirmed.
"What are you doing? You're not gonna shoot them are you?" Louise asked with concern.
"No, I'm only keeping them locked on so we don't lose their position," Siesta reassured as they drew closer.
"Proximity alert: unknown signature on intercept course," the AI warned. Louise frantically looked around while Siesta looked to where the readings indicated they would be. She spotted, outside the cockpit, the familiar, blue form of their friend's dragon familiar: Sylphid, that had now been able to catch up with them as they had slowed down. And atop her, as always, they could see their blue-haired, petite mage prodigy friend Tabitha and her almost-permanent companion: the flame-haired, dark-skinned, sultry Germanian: Kirche. Kirche, ever the friendly one, waved to the two. Louise's irritance at the appearance of Kirche was quite obvious, but their distance from the two prevented any from seeing each other's faces.
"What are they doing here?" Louise asked, cynically. "Isn't this supposed to be a secret mission?" Siesta, in response, shook her head and shrugged, not knowing how to answer. The couple could see Tabitha gesturing below them, and Siesta, after turning the Sky Fury slightly, was able to see, for herself, their target. Siesta looked to Kirch and Tabitha, bringing the Sky Fury close enough to them so they could see her clearly, and gestured that she was moving ahead. The dragon-riding friends nodded in understanding as Siesta sped up and made for the edge of the lake at the end of the path the Queen and her captor were on. Once there, she repositioned Louise in her lap.
"Stay still," Siesta advised as she activated the ship's transformation sequence, causing the Sky Fury to drop into its walker mode in front of the Queen and Prince, who jerked the reins with such force that their horse bucked them.
"Just as we thought," Louise said as she saw the Prince beginning to sit up to meet the gaze of his attackers, holding Henrietta in his arms. Wales stared at the two with a fierce determination that seemed almost inhuman, as Siesta opened the cockpit and Louise jumped out before them.
"Princess!" Louise called out, instinctively. Henrietta looked at her in shocked wordlessness as Wales stood, bringing Henrietta to her feet as well, and began marching the two away from her. They were stopped, however, at the arrival of Sylphid, who planted herself in front of them with a mighty wingbeat that almost knocked them off their feet once more. Tabitha and Kirche dismounted, pointing their respective magical focuses at the couple.
"Inescapable," Tabitha declared in her usual monotone manner.
"Excuse us," Kirche declared mockingly, as she smirked at the two. Once she had taken stock of the situation, her face snapped into an expression of surprise. "Hold on…. Is that Queen Henrietta?!" Kirche shouted, bewildered. Louise and Siesta, ignoring Kirche's outburst, instead stared down the revived Prince.
"Return the Princess to us!" Louise, again on instinct, demanded.
"Oh? What a foolish thing to say," Wales replied with derision as he pulled Henrietta close. "She came with me of her own free will." He gave the two a smug look, as Henrietta leaned into him.
"Princess, don't listen to him! He's been given false life by the Ring of Andvari!" Louise shouted, which caused Henrietta's eyes to widen in shock. A shock which was visibly copied by Tabitha and Kirche as well.
"Ring of Andvari, you say?" Wales responded, with a malevolent chuckle. "I've heard of it. If what they say about it is true, it would be a truly frightening thing, wouldn't it?"
"He is not Wales, Princess! Please listen!" Louise begged.
"Silence!" Henrietta commanded as she broke away from Wales. "Do not speak such nonsense to me. The one you saw die was merely a double meant to safeguard the real Prince before us!" Henrietta spoke with the confidence of someone who spoke truly. Louise turned to Siesta, hoping that Siesta was reading the situation psionically.
"She truly believes it," Siesta said to Louise, shaking her head.
"And what about him?" Louise asked.
"I feel… something, but it's like trying to listen to a conversation through a thick wall, it's muffled and indiscernible," Siesta replied as she tried her hardest to reach Wales' mind. At that, Siesta felt as though something pushed back, causing her to flinch. Wales, looking directly at Siesta, gave her a knowing, wicked grin. Louise felt something tap her head. A cold, wet sensation. She held out her hand to confirm, and, indeed, it had begun to rain, with the droplets picking up in intensity shortly after she felt the first drop.
"Now," Wales began, menacingly. "You will let us go."
"I don't really understand..." Kirche responded in confusion.
"Conversation is futile," Tabitha declared as she readied her gnarled staff that was more than a head taller than her. "Lavis fortal is hetha wind," Tabitha's chanting was immediately followed by a flurry of icicles that stabbed themselves into the smug Prince. He shouted in anger as the icicles pierced straight through him and lodged themselves into a tree behind. Henrietta looked at this in horror, as the Prince remained standing, a malignant smile on his face.
"It is useless," Wales said with a mocking laugh. "Your attacks cannot wound me." Henrietta, in response, carefully stepped back from the hole-ridden lover of hers.
"How about this, then?!" Kirche shouted as a jet of flames erupted from her wand, followed swiftly by Tabitha creating a whirlwind that amplified the fire's trajectory and size. Wales, without missing a beat simply raised his hands, causing the fire to lick at a barrier that had now appeared before him.
That almost looks like… Siesta pondered, as it reminded her of how Protoss shields reacted when struck.
"I already told you it's useless!" Wales shouted as he raised his wand, blowing Tabitha and Kirche off their feet with his spell.
"Princess! You saw that, didn't you? He's not Prince Wales!" Louise yelled to Henrietta, desperately. Henrietta, for her part, was completely, and transparently overwhelmed. She looked back and forth between Louise and Wales, feeling overwhelming doubt and fear in her heart. On the one hand, the man she longed for more than anything in this whole world. On the other, her best, possibly only, friend. She looked, however, to see Siesta, mounted in the Sky Fury that was transformed into a towering walker form, and thought of the incident that had occurred yesterday.
"No!" Henrietta shouted in denial. "It's not true! He said he would love me for all eternity!"
"Don't be fooled! Princess! Henrietta! You're better than this! Please!" Louise pleaded.
"Louise…" Henrietta responded, with a pained tone that caused Louise to soften her expression and body language. "Do you really know what it's like to love someone from the bottom of your heart? From the depths of your soul? Truly, deeply loved someone, I mean," Henrietta pleaded as she looked to her friend, tears beginning to stream down her face. Louise's eyes began to sting with oncoming tears as well as she looked over her shoulder at Siesta.
"I do," Louise replied to the Queen.
"Then you should know. You should know you would follow that person, even at the cost of everything. So please… let me go," Henrietta pleaded through her tear and rain-covered face. Louise, for a moment, hesitated, and considered her request, before quickly realizing the truth of the situation.
"No, Princess," Louise declared, shaking her head. "Please open your eyes, someone who truly loves you would never ask you to throw away everything just for their sake." Upon the completion of Louise's statement, Henrietta furrowed her brow as her face twisted in anger.
"This is an order from your Queen," Henrietta's tone had become threatening as she brandished her scepter. "Let us pass." Siesta, realizing that using the Sky Fury to simply blast at Wales would not be possible as Henrietta refused to leave his side, released herself from the walker and leapt between Wales/Henrietta and Louise, igniting her black and red warp blade in the process.
"Siesta! What are you-?" Louise began, as she was cut off by Siesta motioning with her arm for Louise to stay back.
"Well this is amusing," Wales taunted, as he pulled Henrietta close to him.
"The Queen's mind is made up, Louise," Siesta informed, sensing her intent psionically.
"That's right," Henrietta confirmed as she took Wales' hand. Siesta, in response, brandished her warp blade, at which Wales' laughed,
"And what do you intend to do, maid? Cut me down like you did Wardes?" Wales loudly announced, causing everyone to fall silent at that revelation. Siesta, especially, widened her eyes in horror that this was now revealed, and faltered in her stance, which caused Wales to laugh mockingly at her.
"Is it true?" Louise's voice asked behind Siesta, cracking under the weight of emotion that had fallen upon her. Siesta gritted her teeth, now blinded with rage.
"SHUT UP!" Siesta shouted at the laughing Prince, who casually waved his wand at her, blowing her off her feet. Siesta wasted no time righting herself, and made another attempt at Wales, who once again effortlessly stopped her. Siesta tried over and over to strike him, and with each failure, his laughter grew while her rage intensified.
"How someone like you ever managed to kill a man like Wardes is beyond me," Wales' snidely remarked. "You're nothing but a child!" As he shouted that, his next spell made painful contact with Siesta, hitting her in her warp-blade wielding arm with enough force that it made her feel a pain she had never thought possible. She could not help but cry out as she collapsed to the ground, clutching her now useless arm. Wales sucked his teeth at her, smugly. "A pathetic display," Wales chided, as he raised his wand once more for a killing blow, "fitting, for a pathetic plebeian." This comment pushed Siesta to a point that she did not know she could be, as she focused all her psionic strength, and pushed out with her hand, blasting the prince off his feet. Once he was down, she rose, and drew Derflinger with her remaining good arm and charged forward.
"Stay back!" Henrietta cried out as she waved her scepter, causing a wall of jagged ice to form between Siesta and her, which caused Siesta to need to jump back to avoid being impaled. "I will not let you lay a finger on Wales!" Henrietta shouted, clutching her scepter and visibly trembling with ferocity. "Do not get in our way!" Everyone stood in silence at this display. "Louise," Henrietta continued, her voice breaking, "I beg you, please, move aside."
"Yes," Wales agreed as he drew close behind Henrietta and put his hands with hers, holding the scepter together. "Now, let us show these lessers what sets a royal descendent of the founder himself apart from a mere noble!" Upon his declaration, a massive, twisting cyclone of water erupted from Henrietta's scepter. "Let our triangle-class magics combine!" Wales shouted as a tornado of razor-sharp wind erupted from his wand and combined with the water. The effect was far more intense than when Tabitha and Kirche combined magics, and it was all Siesta could do to use all her Gandalfr and Psionic power to hold the massive pillar of water and razor-wind from overpowering all of them. She held Derflinger with all the force she could with one arm, shouting with effort to hold the pillar back. "This is the privilege of those directly descended from Brimir! Hexagon Magic! The ability to combine our magics to be exponentially more powerful than any one mage!" Wales shouted, with a raucous, gloating laughter.
"Why don't you just use the book of invocation?!" Derflinger shouted over the din. Louise, confused, produced the book and flipped through it.
"There's nothing written he-," before she could finish her rebuttal, glowing Khalani symbols manifested on the pages. The power of the Void began to fill her, and the words made sense.
"Feedback?" Louise read, unsure.
"That's the one! Cast it!" Derflinger shouted as Siesta's strength began to falter. Louise began reading in earnest.
"Ful'bisar an'sul kin," she began to chant. For what seemed like an eternity, the chanting continued.
"Isn't it done yet? I can't hold much longer!" Siesta hissed.
"It's your job to protect the Void mage until the spell is done, Gandalfr! The spells take a long time to cast! That's why you're here!" Derflinger shouted.
"Gy'f nyr no'sar," Louise continued as the water and wind, both from the natural rain and the actions of the two royals, whipped around her.
Is this the best I can do? Siesta thought, doubtfully, as her strength waned.
"Ei'eo, Ys!" Louse shouted, in a tone than indicated completion of the spell. The words within the Book of Invocation glowed ever brighter as a flash of light appeared around the attacking royals, engulfing them. From within the light, Henrietta's scream could be heard. "Princess!" Louise shouted as the cyclone that Siesta was holding back, as well as the ice wall that Henrietta had summoned, dissipated, which allowed her to stow the book and run into the fading light. When the light had faded, it could be seen that Henrietta and the Prince were splayed on the ground, immobile. Louise panicked upon seeing this, and immediately rushed to Henrietta's side. "Princess! I'm sorry! Are you alright?" Louise cried out to her friend, frantically. Henrietta's skin was exposed as her clothes had been torn in many places by the spell. Of the exposed skin, much of it was burned and blistering. Siesta approached the two, dragging Derflinger behind her, and reached out to Henrietta's stunned form.
"She's alive," Siesta announced, which made Louise sigh in relief. A moment later, Henrietta opened her eyes, looking directly into the concerned eyes of her childhood friend.
"Louise…" she said, weakly. Henrietta then turned to where Prince Wales was, and, beholding a charred form, snapped into consciousness, scrambling to his side. "Wales! No… please… don't go… not again…" Henrietta pleaded as her teardrops fell upon him like the rain from above. Despite his horrible injuries, Wales raised a hand and placed it gently on Henrietta's face.
"My love…" Wales said, weakly, with as much a smile as he could give, "Please… do not cry."
"Wales, no, save your strength!" Henrietta begged as she clasped the hand that he had put upon her face. Wales shook his head and gave a weak chuckle.
"Now that," Wales began, struggling greatly to speak, "I'm free… I beg your forgiveness… And… promise me, Henrietta…" the Prince's strength could be heard waning as he spoke.
"I will promise you anything," Henrietta declared, face awash with rain and tears.
"Forget me," the fading Prince croaked out, "Love again. Swear it… to the… Spirit of Water," Wales now needed to grunt with effort to finish his sentences, and his labored breathing became ever more disturbed with each passing word from his burned mouth.
"No! I can't…" Henrietta refused.
"Please…," Wales pleaded.
"I cannot make a false promise… not to you…" Henrietta declared, her voice breaking.
"Please… swear."
"Then swear to me, Wales, that you will love me forever. The real Wales would swear, and the oath would be made!"
"I would like to," Wales chuckled, which turned into a violent coughing fit. "If I could…" he continued, once the coughing passed. "But I am gone, Henrietta. I cannot… promise you an eternity…. I cannot… promise you the next moment…." Henrietta's eyes widened with horror at the realization of what was about to occur. "Forgive me… Henrietta. I was… a coward. Because I felt… our love… was never meant to be…" At that, Wales grunted in pain as a fresh bleeding began in the place where the wound had ended him in Albion. Despite his charred flesh and clothes, the blood was clearly visible as it was plentiful.
"No! Wales!" Henrietta cried out.
"I'm glad I could see you… one last time... I love you, Henrietta," Wales said, almost barely audible, as the last gasp of air left his body, causing him to go limp.
"Wales!" Henrietta shouted, fruitlessly, at the corpse in her arms that was beginning to crumble. "No no no no no!" Henrietta frantically shouted as she attempted to gather his pieces together. "Don't go, I don't want you to go, I don't want to be alone, please, I love you, too, now please… DON'T GO!" The Prince's body had now become nothing but ashes. Dissolving in the rain. Henrietta let out a mighty, despairing, ear-splitting scream. Siesta looked to Louise, whose eyes were also full of tears and her face marked with trauma from seeing Wales perish once more. She drew in close, and, with her good arm, dropped Derflinger and held Louise. Louise gently cried into her girlfriend's chest as Henrietta's keening continued.
The sun had begun to break through the clouds, now, as the rain began to end. And above them all, though no one cared to see, the slight remnants of rain, the correct level of wind, and the newly arrived sunlight had coalesced into the perfect conditions to bring about one of nature's most beautiful sights: a rainbow.
With Henrietta's cries still ringing in their minds, Louise, Siesta, Tabitha, Kirche, Agnes, and all the pursuers parted ways. Louise and Siesta remained in silence for almost the entirety of the trip, until Louise finally found the courage to address the information that Wales had revealed.
"At the chapel. In Albion. Did you kill Wardes?" Louise asked, directly, as she looked to Siesta, her gaze piercing but her face straight. Siesta strongly considered denial, but this burden that had been eating away at her soul could no longer be contained.
"Yes," Siesta answered, plainly, her voice heavy with guilt and shame at having been exposed like this, of all ways.
"I kind of figured," Louise said, turning her head away from Siesta leaning it against the cockpit's window. "I guess I just… really hoped you didn't."