Wow it's been a while since I updated this story. Surprisingly, most of this chapter was written over a month ago. I just couldn't figure out how to do the last scene, so I kept pushing back the date, and then I realized that this Sunday was the 1st of August instead of the 31st of July, so this chapter ended up late. Yes, I am that scatterbrained. It's a wonder how I've kept up with my summer classes.
To compensate, this chapter doesn't count towards my August uploads. Upcoming story updates in August will be for Iroh and REDACTED.
Wait, this story has over a thousand favorites and follows and over 200 reviews? When did that happen? Thanks everyone!
When Louise had said that they would be leaving early in the morning, Aang hadn't expected a fancy carriage would be coming to pick them up. It was a good thing they left before most of the students were around, otherwise there would have been a lot of commotion. As noon came around, the carriage was entering the city, which gave Aang his first glimpse to the new world outside of the academy.
"Woah!"
The architecture of the capital was very different from any of the four nations. The heavy amount of angular geometry in the buildings' design reminded him of the Earth Kingdom, but the colors and details were unique to Tristan. And the Royal Castle was huge! The towering, majestic structure gave him a similar feeling to the Fire Lord's palace.
"The crowd can see you gawking," Louise said. "Remember, we must look dignified at all times."
A heavy sigh escaped Aang's lips. What was the point of being a kid again if he had to act prim and proper? Despite his internal grumblings, he kept his butt firmly planted on the carriage seat. It didn't stop from gazing out the window in wide-eyed wonder. He scanned the paces of the people the carriage passed. Most would take a brief glance at the carriage before continuing about their day, but many kept their curious gazes trained on him.
The carriage rolled through the open gates of the castle before coming to a stop. A butler helped Louise out of the carriage, while Aang jumped out and landed softly on his feet. Two soldiers, both bearing the crest of Griffon Knights, stepped forward to greet Louise and Aang.
"Good afternoon, Miss Valliere and Mister Aang" said the first knight, a tall young man with bright red hair. "The princess has invited you to lunch. Would like to take moment to freshen up first?"
Aang's stomach gave a loud rumble in response. He sheepishly smiled and gave a soft, "Sorry."
While the first knight's face remained stoic, the second, a young man with forest green hair, let a small smile briefly show on his face.
Louise looked embarrassed on Aang's behalf, but she quickly schooled her face into a neutral expression. "It wouldn't do to keep the princess waiting," she said formally. "Lead the way."
The knights led them inside the castle. They traveled through large, open hallways and passed many people who looked at Aang with open curiosity. The airbender didn't mind the attention. After all, his age, outfit, and tattoos made him stand out quite a bit. In fact, them being curious instead of reverent towards him was a nice change of pace.
Out of curiosity, Aang tried using seismic sense to get a feel for the layout of the castle. He was able to detect multiple passageways that didn't appear to be connected to the main hallways, which he surmised to be secret escape routes. Also, the stone walls carried a surprising amount of resistance to his seismic sense, limiting his effective range. The feeling reminded him of the walls of the Academy, except even stronger.
They came to a stop at a set of doors. "Announcing Miss Louise Francoise de Blanc de la Valliere, and her ward, Mister Aang," the taller knight declared.
Aang raised an eyebrow. While it was true that Louise was his semi-official caretaker, he didn't remember becoming her formal ward. He decided not to think too hard about it. Louise didn't look surprised by the introduction, so Aang figured that she had officiated it at some point without his knowledge.
The two knights pushed open the door. The room beyond was a relatively small dining area. Inside, the princess stood at the head of a small table.
"Your highness," Louise greeted with a curtsey.
Aang quickly followed with a bow.
"It is good to see you again, Louise," said Henrietta with a smile. "And I see you brought Aang as well."
"I apologize for bringing him without asking for permission—"
"You did nothing wrong," Henrietta insisted. "Both of you are welcome here. Come, have a seat." She then nodded at the two knights. "Thank you for your service, Sir Rouge and Sir Verde."
The two knights bowed before closing the doors to the room, leaving the three alone.
Henrietta took a seat at the head of the table. Louise followed by taking the seat next to her, and Aang to the seat on Louise's other side. For a few moments, they sat in silence. Aang threw a questioning glance to Louise, but his only response was a hesitant expression on Louise's face.
Finally, the princess spoke. "Please, eat. I know you must be hungry after your journey."
"You can say that again," said Aang eagerly. There was more food on the table than the three of them could feasibly eat in one meal. Even as Aang avoid the meat dishes, he found more than enough food to fill his plate.
"Mind your manners," Louise warned Aang. "Remember, we're in front of the princess."
Henrietta's posture slackened just slightest bit. "Louise, remember I'm not just a princess," she said in a voice tinged with dejection.
"Of course," Louise declared. "You are the Crown Princess of Tristan, heir to the throne!"
This only made Henrietta look even more despondent. "Before even that, I am your friend, am I not?"
"Y-yes."
"And as friends, there's no need for us to be formal towards each other when we're out of the public eye, correct?" Henrietta's tone was soft, but there was a tangible weight behind her question.
"Well, I suppose," Louise said hesitantly. "But it would be rude of me to not address you with proper respect."
"Please?" Henrietta pleaded. "Just as a favor for me?"
"I…" Louise looked and sounded conflicted. Her gaze quickly flickered to Aang, who had paused in stuffing his face to watch their conversation.
"Don't worry, Louise. I won't say anything," Aang vowed, holding one hand up as if swearing an official oath.
Louise sighed in defeat. "Very well. As long as we're in private, I can do that, your hi—I mean, Henrietta."
Princess Henrietta smiled. "Thank you, Louise," she said sincerely. "And, um, while I know its poor manners to eat and talk, we didn't have much time to speak when I visited the Academy. What have you been doing these past couple of years?"
"It's been nothing interesting, I assure you," said Louise. Seeing Henrietta's disappointed face, she hurriedly amended, "But I guess it wouldn't hurt to share."
Aang refrained from snickering. It seemed that Louise's weakness to pouting was universal. He continued stuffing his face as the two friends caught up on years of lost time. It was as though they forgot about his existence, which was fine by him. They deserved a moment to themselves.
As they finished eating and Henrietta and Louise's conversation came to a close, the princess's expression grew serious. "I suppose I've delayed enough," she decided. "Louise, I didn't call you hear only to catch up on lost time."
Louise nodded. "I suspected as much from your letter," she replied.
Aang raised a hand. "Should I be hearing this?" he inquired.
"Can you keep a secret?" Henrietta asked.
"Yes."
The seriousness of Aang's answer surprised the two nobles. With that single word, Aang's entire disposition changed. Instead of the carefree child he usually was, his posture, tone, and facial expression all conveyed the gravity befitting of an adult. The sudden shift was jarring to watch, especially for Louise.
Henrietta slowly nodded her head. "Very well. Keep in mind, what I say here should not be shared outside this room." Seeing the two nod, the princess drew a wand from a fold in her dress and casted, "Soundproof."
Aang detected a shiver rush through the air of the room. Stretching out his senses, he could feel the air around the walls, ceiling, and floor vibrating oddly. It felt somewhat similar to the sensation he detected on the walls. "You're disturbing the air around the walls to muffle sound?" he asked Henrietta.
"That's the basic concept of the spell, yes," said Henrietta.
"You don't know the Soundproof spell?" Louise asked Aang in surpise. "It's a fairly common line class spell wind spell."
Aang shook his head. "First time I've heard of it."
"Well, it disrupts the sound to people outside of the effect to make them hear almost nothing," Henrietta explained. "I'm not good enough at wind magic to make the spell completely infallible, but the walls are also reinforced with multiple layers of square class earth magic. We shouldn't have to worry about anyone overhearing us now."
Henrietta cleared her throat and began, "As you already know, the threat of war is imminent. The Reconquista insurgents have almost seized entire control over Albion. And as the country with the smallest standing military, we are almost certainly their next target."
Aang raised his hand politely.
"Yes, Aang?" Henreitta asked.
"I know Albion's a flying country, but what is Reconquista?"
"The Reconquista are traitors to the crown of Albion," Louise said acidly. "They overthrew the royal family, sent the country into turmoil, and now are hunting down the last of the royalists to end the royal line." The young mage blinked and then looked to Aang in horror as she remembered what she knew about his own background. "A-anyway, they are very bad people, and once they are done, um, with their business in Albion, they'll be coming after us next. N-not us personally, I mean Tristan in general. You don't have to worry about them coming after you, Aang. They target all nobles. Well, they target royalty especially, but you're not exactly—oh no, the princess…"
Aang blinked. It wasn't like Louise to break down in the middle of an explanation. "Ah… so we need to protect Henrietta?"
"I appreciate the thought, but I'm sure the armies of Tristan and my personal guard will handle that job," Henrietta assured them. "As I was saying, in order to ensure that Tristan will be able to withstand the Reconquista invasion, I have been engaged to the Germanian emperor. Our marriage will create a stable alliance between our two countries."
"Wait," Aang interrupted. "But if you're the crown princess of Tristan, and you marry the Germanian emperor, does that mean Tristan will no longer be a separate country, but instead, a province of Germania?"
For the second time, Henrietta and Louise looked at Aang in surprise. "That is… correct," Henrietta admitted. "However, if losing our sovereignty will save the most lives, then that is the price we must pay."
"I didn't realize you knew anything about politics," said Louise.
"I… heard about something similar somewhere," Aang said.
Technically, what he said was true, except that had been decades ago while the Earth Kingdom was being sorted out. While the nation was called a "kingdom", it was effectively an empire, similar to the Fire Nation. Except instead of the Earth King having absolute control over the entire Earth Kingdom, his authority was mostly limited to Ba Sing Se. The governing of the multiple principalities was mostly left in the hands of their own local kings. Aang didn't know what kind of man the Germanian emperor was, but given how Louise and Henrietta did not looked pleased with situation, his expectations were not optimistic.
Thankfully, Louise was more concerned about Henrietta's situation that Aang's surprising knowledge. "If this is the case, what can I do to help?" Louise asked.
"There is one potential liability that exists," Henrietta admitted. "Understand, I was foolish, and the engagement had not been decided at the time. It was silly to do in the first place, but I didn't consider that I could be in a situation like this…"
"Um, what is it?" Aang asked. He was hoping that it wasn't something too crazy.
Henrietta paused, taking a moment to catch her breath and calm the flush in her cheeks. "I wrote a letter, the contents of which could dissolve my engagement and this alliance. Or worse, Germania could take it as a slight against them and go to war against Tristan."
Aang blinked. "There's a letter that can do all that?"
"That is concerning," said Louise. "Pri—Henrietta, if I may ask, what sort of letter did you write?"
Henrietta blushed. "It was a love letter, to Prince Wales of Albion."
"…an old love letter could cause all that?" Aang asked incredulously.
"Well, I wrote it about a year ago… and in it I pledged my heart and eternal love to Prince Wales in the name of the Founder," she said in a whisper.
"You did what?!" Louise exclaimed.
"If you wrote the letter before you were engaged, couldn't you just say that you changed your mind?" Even as Aang suggested it, he winced. "Though, that would be cruel to Prince Wales."
"There is no taking back those words," Louise said gravely. "A pledge of eternal love by the Founder is tantamount to a marriage oath."
"Oh. That's… not good."
"Indeed," Henrietta said abashedly. "If the contents of that letter were discovered by the Germanian Emperor, he would break off the arrangement, and probably accuse me of bigamy. At best, the engagement would probably be broken and we would be on poor terms with the largest country of Halkegenia. At worst, he'd use this as an excuse to take over our country before the Reconquista does."
The news threw Aang's head into a spin. What happened to his peaceful second chance of life? First there was the golem, and now the country was on the brink of collapse. How did he always end up in these situations? "We cannot let that happen," he avowed.
Louise nodded in agreement. "Where is the letter now?" she asked.
"It should be in Prince Wales's possession," said Henrietta. "If he doesn't have it on his person, he would have it in a secure location. I trust he would keep it safe, even after so long."
A year was not a very long time in Aang's opinion, but then again, he'd woken up from an iceberg after a century of slumber and saved the world in the span of a year, so who was he to judge the meaning of time? "So, you need us to sneak to Albion and destroy the letter?" Aang asked.
"If you could bring it back, I would appreciate it," Henrietta said softly.
That was a tall order. Burning the letter would ensure that it could never be stolen and used against them. Retrieving it intact added another layer of difficulties on the return trip. Aang opened his mouth to say so, but Louise answered first.
"You can count on me, Henrietta."
Mentally shrugging, Aang decided he might as well go along. Even with the looming threat of the takeover of the country, this wasn't even the hardest mission he'd ever taken. "You can count on us," he corrected.
"Aang, you don't have to come with me," said Louise delicately. "Albion is dangerous place right now."
"I've been to plenty of dangerous places," Aang argued.
"The Reconquista are dangerous, if they found out about you—"
"You're going, and your family name makes you an even bigger target," Aang pointed out her hypocrisy. "Give me a hood and long sleeves to hide my tattoos, and I'm just a random kid. Besides, this wouldn't be the first time I've had people after me. I know how to take care of myself."
Louise winced. She wanted to argue further, but as she met Aang's eyes, her protests died on the edge of her tongue. His eyes normally bright grey eyes burned with same determination she felt, and his logic was hard to contest as well. "If you insist," she said reluctantly. "Then the two of us shall go to Albion together."
"Three of you, actually," said Henrietta.
Aang and Louise exchanged a glance. "Who?" they asked.
"Someone Louise should know very well," said Henrietta mysteriously, a small grin on her face.
Louise's expression sank. "It's not one of my classmates, is it?"
"Nope."
"My sister Elenore?"
"Not her either."
Louise's face went pale. "It's not my mother, is it?"
Henrietta shook her head. "I'll give you a hint, it's someone who lives here."
For the life of her, Louise couldn't think of anyone else she knew who lived in the capital besides Henrietta—who obviously wouldn't be coming on a mission this dangerous. There were plenty of noble families that she knew lived in the city, but she didn't know any of the individuals well.
Seeing her friend struggling, Henrietta rose and said, "Follow me, and you'll see. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."
The castle grounds were enormous. Which, given it was the capital of a country, was understandable. From the elevated walkway that ran along the back of the castle, Aang could see that the castle's outer walls were situated far in the distance. The main courtyard itself was large enough to hold the entirety of the academy grounds. The area was filled flourishing vegetation. Birds sang from the branches of majestic trees. Carefully trimmed bushes lined the paved stone walkways that crisscrossed throughout the courtyard. Further beyond were several small ponds surrounded by open flower fields with occasional overhanging willow tree.
"This place is amazing," Aang said breathlessly.
"That it is," Henrietta agreed. "When I'm not in my studies, I spend a lot of time out here, rather reading or enjoying nature. It reminds me of early times…"
"Henrietta…" Louise inched closer to the princess in a show of solidarity.
The royal heir shook her head. "But enough of the past for now. Here we are," she announced.
The path had led them to a small groove of trees which had an open clearing in the center. Aang looked around, noticing that something was missing.
"But we're the only ones here," Louise pointed out. "Where's the person we're supposed to meet?"
Aang felt the wind on his head shiver. He looked up and saw a large, winged creature fling overhead. "What's that?" he asked, pointing.
As Louise craned up her head, the creature dove down. Aang could feel the air shift around the beast as it came to a stop inches of the ground. Now that he could look at it properly, he noticed that it had a rider. The man on the griffon's back had long grey hair that trailed down his back. From the color alone, Aang would suspect the man to be old like the headmaster, except his face was that of a man in his thirties, framed with that same grey hair around his jaw and upper lip. The man's attire was colorful, albeit muted in tone. He wore a blue-grey robe and a matching wide brimmed hat. Beneath his robe he wore a dark green tunic, white leggings, and tall, dark boots.
"Count Wardes?" Louise said in surprise.
"My dear Louise," Wardes said fondly. He graceful slid off his griffons back and gently took her hands. "It warms my heart to see you again."
"I-I-It's good to see you as well," Louise stammered, trying and failing to hide the blush that slowly crept over her face. "I did not expect that you would be our escort."
"Because of the secrecy of this mission, the Princess and I deemed it prudent that my involvement not be suspected," Wardes replied. "As such, I had to keep my distance. However, now we can be together once more." He smiled warmly as his cool grey eyes enraptured her rosy gaze. "It is good to see you again, my dear Louise."
Louise's face quickly began to rise through three shades of pink. She cleared her throat and tilted her head towards Aang and the princess. The latter was covering her mouth in barely contained amusement, while the former stared at the couple with a puzzled expression on his face.
Wardes then looked to the one person he had not properly met. "How rude of me to not introduce myself. I am Viscount Wardes, captain of the Griffon Knights."
Aang bowed. "I am Aang of the Air Nomads," he replied politely. "Ward of Louise le…" his voice trailed off as he chided his childish brain for forgetting the rest of Louise's name. "…Valliere."
"Aang." Louise sounded embarrassed, exasperated, and annoyed at the same time.
Wardes laughed. "An admirable effort, but sometimes it is better to keep things simple," he advised Aang. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Aang. I hope you've been enjoying the company of my fiancé."
Aang blinked. Well, that explained the viscount's sudden show of affection. He turned his head to the pinkette and questioned, "Louise, you're engaged?"
"Well, yes. I suppose I never mentioned it before."
"We've been engaged for several years now," Wardes elaborated. "Young as I am, I am the head of my house, and I have always held a fondness for her. As I expected, she has grown into a charming young lady."
Aang personally thought that sounded a little creepy, given that the viscount looked at least a decade older than Louise, but no one else seemed to find the Viscount's comment strange. Louise only looked embarrassed, and the princess had a rare mischievous smile on her face.
The airbender settled for an awkward smile. "Louise has been a big help to me," he acknowledged.
"So I've heard. I can imagine being in a distant country has been quite a shock to you," Wardes said sympathetically.
"It was," Aang had to admit. "But I've made new friends, and it's been fun. I'm lucky that Louise summoned me."
The viscount laughed. "Perhaps luck, or perhaps fate?" he suggested with a twinkle in his eyes. "My dear Louise has something about her that pulls in very special people, wouldn't you say?"
"Wardes!" Louise's protest sound more like the whine of a child than a noble lady.
Thinking back to the people who hovered around Louise at the academy—regardless of their attitudes towards the girl in question—Aang had to nod his head in agreement. The princess did as well, which made Louise turn red up to the tips of her ears.
"You're too much," the pinkette muttered.
"I apologize, my dear Louise, but I couldn't help myself," said Wardes. "After all, our mission will be a tense one, and I won't have a chance to see this side of you until we return."
Louise turned her head away, but her gaze flickered back to the viscount's welcoming face. "Apology accepted," she said formally, her voice mostly returned to normal.
"Stay safe, all of you," Henrietta urged the three.
"Have no fear, your highness," Wardes declared. "My fiancé and her ward will be safe under my protection."
"Wardes…" Louise blushed yet again.
Aang couldn't help but grin. While the mission was important and dangerous, having Wardes on board was a huge boon. The viscount was a little strange in Aang's book, but he was a trusted confidant of Louise and the princess, so the airbender decided to take him at face value. After all, they could use all the help they could get.
If only he knew…
I was debating on whether or not Aang would be able to detect Wardes was a secret bad for months. End result: Nope. Wardes has the full trust of Louise and Henrietta, and Aang doesn't have a basis for suspect him. The viscount has gotten a pass for now.
Also, I'm sure some people were wondering what happened to Fouquet. Next chapter I'll squeeze in a flashback so we can learn a little more from her perspective.
People have commented on Aang and Louise having a sibling relationship, and I've been really feeling it on this chapter (and the next one I'm working on). Aang shifts in and out of the older and younger brother mentality, while Louise firmly believes herself to be the older and responsible one... even when she's being played like a fiddle. These character dynamics are my main source of dopamine when writing these stories.
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