Trauma! Trauma! Trauma! Trauma!

Let's kick off the Albion arc with a Bang!

And with this, all of my current stories have gotten an update this month.

"School? What do you need that for? This place isn't going to clean itself! If you're going to take up space in my house, make yourself useful!"

"Food? You can take care of yourself. Where's my beer? Bring me a can and get the hell out! Do your homework or smoke or whatever kids these days do."

"You forgot your money again, loser? You know what that means. Next time don't forget, or I'll give you a second black eye to match."

"Die, Andalite scum!"

Tobias shot up in bed. Sweat covered his back, sticking his shirt to his skin. His chest was tight to the point that he could feel his lungs threatening to burst. Every beat of his heart hammered against his ribs. The boy took several deep breaths, fighting to get his body back under control. After a few seconds, his body relaxed, his mind cleared, and his eyes adjusted to the dim moonlight, letting him notice that Louise was sitting up in the bed, looking at him in wide-eyed worry. Her hand was partly outstretched toward him, which she pulled back once she realized he had calmed down.

"What happened?" Her voice was shaky, but gentle, as if she was comforting a wild animal that she feared might bite her if she spoke too harshly.

Tobias shook his head. "Bad dream, I think," he replied slowly. He couldn't remember any images or words, but he had a feeling that he had dreamed about the past. Beyond that, however, he was drawing a large blank. All that was left of the dreams were the lingering feelings of hatred, pain, and fear.

Louise raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Do you… want to talk about it?"

"No."

"…I see." She let the issue go and slunk back under the covers. "Dry off that sweat before going back to sleep. You'll catch a cold."

"I don't catch colds that easily."

Louise frowned and glared at him. "You'll make my sheets stink."

"…fine."

The ride to the capital was silent. Louise would normally be fine with that. She had nothing to say, and she appreciated Tobias's ability to keep quiet instead of disturbing her silence. However, this time the silence was oppressive. Tobias's face was as expressionless as ever, but his body was as tense as a coiled spring. Louise could practically feel the gloomy vibes Tobias was emanating.

Yet, what was she to do? She knew that forcing the issue wouldn't fix anything, and would probably only make it worse. Tobias was also unlikely to open up without prompting. This left them in an awkward stalemate. Both stared out of their respective windows of the carriage, not making eye contact.

Eventually, she decided to talk about the purpose of their visit. That, at least, would give a neutral start to their conversation. "The princess called me on a confidential matter," she began. "While I don't know the specifics, it must be urgent if she was unwilling to disclose it in a letter that could be intercepted."

Tobias nodded.

It was a small response, but Louise was glad that her familiar was paying attention. "With that said, we will need to show proper discretion and decorum," she reminded him. "The princess is heir to the throne of Tristan, which means she deserves the utmost respect."

Tobias nodded again. The same impassive expression rested on his face as he watched the trees pass by.

Louise's eyes narrowed. "I know you can get away with being rude to my classmates and teachers, but you absolutely cannot be disrespectful to the princess. Do not say anything that could offend her. I will not tolerate it. Understand?"

Tobias turned his head towards her, recognizing the unusual seriousness in Louise's voice. Their eyes met. Hers with intensity, and his with neutrality. The familiar nodded slowly, conveying that he got the message, before returning his gaze to the passing scenery.

"Also…" Louise let her voice trail off as she turned away, facing the view outside the carriage window instead of her familiar. "If you don't feel up for this, you don't have to attend."

"I'm fine," was the stiff response.

Louise whipped her head back to glare at him. "You have bags under your eyes and can't speak without growling!" she retorted. "As your master, I reserve the right to grant you leniency if you are not up to the task."

"And as your pet, I say I'm fine."

"You're my familiar, not a common pet!"

Tobias lazily turned his head to face her. "I have yet to see a difference," he deadpanned.

"You—!" Louise clenched her teeth shut before she said something she'd regret. She reminded herself that her familiar wasn't himself, and clearly hadn't gotten any rest after his episode in the middle of the night. She would act with the dignity and grace befitting her station.

"Very well, you may remain by my side for the time being," Louise declared. "However, if you feel like you're going to fall asleep, tell me before you do something embarrassing like pass out in front of the princess."

"No passing out in front of royalty. Understood," Tobias replied drily.

Louise hmphed and turned her face away, hiding a content smile. Her familiar was now at least acting closer to his normal self.

The now comfortable silence persisted as the carriage traveled through the city before finally reaching the castle. Because they were riding a royal carriage, they were able to enter through a restricted road of the castle grounds, allowing them to avoid a lot of extra traffic and security. While the castle was the same as Louise remembered, the atmosphere was different. People were not as jubilant as she remembered. Citizens and guards alike were tense. It was as if a cloud of dread was hanging over the entire castle grounds.

The two teens were guided to a sitting room that Louise was quite familiar with. Inside, Princess Henrietta sat on a plush armchair. To her side stood a stern-looking woman in uniform.

Henrietta rose as they entered, greeting Louise with a warm smile. "My dear Louise," she said.

"Your highness," Louise replied politely with a curtsey.

Tobias wordlessly bowed.

Henrietta gave a nod to the guard escorts, who stepped out and closed the doors behind them. Tobias flinched as the doors slammed shut, but only the woman at Henrietta's side noticed.

"Please, have a seat," said Henrietta, motioning to a couch set up across from her.

Louise moved to sit across from the Princess. Tobias observed that Henrietta's guard was standing off to the side of the Princess and slightly behind her chair, so he mirrored that position with Louise.

"Allow me to introduce Agnes, the captain of the Musketeers," said Henrietta. "Since the attack on Count Mott, she's been by my side with hardly a break. I tried to convince her that this meeting wouldn't require her presence but…"

"With all due respect your highness, your safety is my utmost priority," said Agnes. "While I can take your word that Miss Valliere is a loyal subject who wishes you no harm." She paused, narrowing her eyes as she looked at Tobias. "I cannot extend that trust to her suspicious companion."

"Tobias is not—" Louise halted, quickly rethinking how to defend her familiar in a way that was truthful but less condemning. "I mean, Tobias is my familiar, and despite his… uniqueness, I trust him with my life."

"Yes, I heard about your encounter with Fouquet," said Henrietta with an expression of concern. "I am glad to see you safe and unharmed. When I first heard the news, I was terrified of what could have happened to you. I couldn't imagine never being able to see you again." She turned to Tobias. "You have my gratitude for protecting my dearest friend from harm."

Tobias nodded, still keeping silent.

"And how did you manage that feat?" Agnes asked suspiciously. "According to the report, you tailed Fouquet's golem and directed another student's dragon at the same time, without magic. And then you managed to subdue Fouquet in a fight." The captain searched Tobias's lithe frame up and down. "That doesn't seem physically possible for you."

No response came from Tobias, verbal or otherwise. He looked at Agnes impassively, which infuriated her further.

"I'm also curious, if the subject isn't too troubling, Louise?" Henrietta pried.

"Not at all your majesty," Louise assured her. "I wasn't conscious most of the time, but I'm sure my familiar would be honored to answer all your questions."

Tobias turned to look at Louise with a vaguely questioning expression breaking the usual glare on his face. {What am I supposed to do?}

"Talk," Louise hissed. "And be polite."

{…I have no clue how to talk to a princess 'politely'.}

"Use proper decorum."

{See, I don't even know what that word means.}

"Just say something! Don't keep the princess waiting."

The looks on Agnes and Henrietta's faces showed that they were confused by the odd, one-sided conversation.

"Is he nervous about talking?" Henrietta asked. She smiled at Tobias serenely. "No need to be shy, I just want to hear your story. I may be a princess, but I enjoy a good hero's tale."

At this, Tobias made his first sound since he entered the room. He snorted, catching the three ladies off guard. "I'm pretty far off from a storybook hero."

"I'll bet," Agnes muttered under her breath.

"You saved my friend, that makes you a hero in my opinion," said Henrietta. She was surprised by Tobias's voice. The pitch matched his youth, but his tone had a dry maturity to it.

"I didn't really save her, I just helped."

"Oh? I'd like to know the details."

Tobias paused a moment, trying to find the best way to summarize. "I woke up, saw Louise missing, chased after the golem, signaled Tabitha for reinforcement, snuck up to Fouquet's hideaway, jumped through a window, and punched her. That's pretty much it for my part."

The Princess expression became strained and slightly confused by the brief summary. Agnes looked even less impressed.

"Tobias, your storytelling needs work," said Louise. "Kirche made it sound much more dramatic."

"Kirche would make anything sound dramatic," Tobias pointed out.

"You managed to sneak up on an international thief, who is also a highly skilled triangle class mage, and you were able to get close enough to punch her in the face?" Agnes questioned. "I find that hard to believe."

"And?"

"And what?"

"The princess told me to say what happened, and I did. Whether or not you believe it is your business, not mine," Tobias replied bluntly.

"Tobias!" Louise admonished him.

{You said to be polite to the princess," he mentally replied. {She is not the princess.}

"Behave," she hissed. "She's still the captain of the Princess's personal guard."

{…Fine.} His tone was oddly, bemused?

"But for you to follow Fouquet for so long and get that close to her, you must be very good at sneaking around, right?" Henrietta asked.

"Yes."

"That makes you a very suspicious person," Agnes noted.

"Yes."

"You're not even denying it!" Agnes exclaimed in accusation.

"Should I?" Tobias asked.

"Most people wouldn't admit such a thing to a princess," Louise hinted. She was half-convinced that her familiar was doing this on purpose.

"Do you want me to lie to her face instead?" Tobias deadpanned.

"Well, no," Louise replied. "But you could show some tact."

Tobias stared at her.

His master sighed in defeat. "You're a lost cause. I apologize for my familiar's lack of proper decorum, your highness."

"There's no harm done. In fact, this is good," said Henrietta pleasantly. Her expression became serious. "Louise, I have task for you."

"Does this have to do with your letter?"

"Indeed," said Henrietta. "You are aware of my recent engagement to the Germanian Emperor, correct?"

"I am," Louise said stiffly.

"Well, recently I have remembered that there exists a certain document that could endanger the treaty. If it is found, at best, Germania would cancel the marriage and end our alliance. At worst, they could use it as a pretext for war."

Faced with an impeding national disaster over a topic that sounded highly confidential, Tobias found himself completely at ease with the situation he found himself in. It was probably Tuesday.

"What can I do to help?" Louise asked.

"The document is a letter that is in the hands of Prince Wales of Albion," said Henrietta. "The Reconquista has pushed the Albion royal family to the brink of collapse. I need you to go to Albion, find Prince Wales, and retrieve the letter before it falls into enemy hands."

"Your highness, I still insist that this matter be handled by the Musketeers," said Agnes.

"We can't afford to lower security when there's strange attacks going on so close to the capital," her liege reminded her.

Tobias managed to restrain a wince. He hadn't expected his carelessness to have such a high impact.

"Besides," the princess continued. "Sending the Musketeers would put the Reconquista on alert. Louise and Tobias would have much easier time traveling freely."

"They are not experienced in these matters."

"Tobias outdid an international thief," Henrietta countered. "With his skills and Louise's determination, I am confident that they will succeed.

"Actually, Louise would be a liability," Tobias cut in.

"What? No!" Louise objected. "If the princess believes in me, then I will gladly do it!"

"I have years of experience skulking around like a bandit," Tobias continued, ignoring the girl's protests. "Louise has the subtlety of an elephant… wait, do you have those around here?"

Henrietta shook her head.

"A bear then…" Tobias corrected. "She has the subtlety of a lumbering bear with a thorn in each paw."

"Tobias!"

"It's the truth."

"Imagery aside, I agree with the boy that Miss Valliere should not be present for the mission," said Agnes.

Tobias was visibly surprised that he had found common ground with musketeer captain.

Agnes followed her supportive words with a glare at him. "I also find that your background is incredibly suspicious—by your own casual admission—and you are too untrustworthy to undertake this mission."

And there it was. She really had it out for him. But given the circumstances, Tobias could see why. For all that Agnes was annoying and condescending, her loyalty and protectiveness were admirable. "Are you worried that I'll betray Louise because I have other loyalties, or do you think I'm a liability who will squeal if the mission goes wrong."

"Both."

A sound, something akin a laugh, but almost a mirthless growl, came from Tobias's throat. "The only other person who earned my loyalty is dead and gone. And as for me being a liability..." The face he made was a twisted parody of a smile, and the gleam in his eye was borderline demonic. "If anyone wants to torture me for information, they are welcome to try."

The room felt like it had gotten several degrees colder.

Like a true royal, Henrietta recovered swiftly. "Agnes," she said softly, but with authority. "I appreciate your opinion, but I have the final say in the matter." She turned to Louise. "Louise, if I gave this mission to you and your familiar, will you complete it with the utmost diligence and care?"

"It would be my honor, your highness," said Louise proudly.

Tobias winced as an unpleasant thought brushed across his mind.

"Tobias, will you put your skills to use in service of Louise and help save this country?"

"Yes…"

"Then its settled," the princess declared. "Agnes, please make arrangements for transportation—"

"Excuse me," Tobias interjected, holding up his hand.

"Tobias! You're not supposed to interrupt the princess when she's speaking!" Louise berated him.

"But I raised my hand?"

"You're supposed to wait for the Princess to finish. Stop acting like you were raised in a barn!"

"That is where I had a lot of my healthy human interaction, yes."

Louise stopped short, confused whether or not he was trying to rile her up with sarcasm or being serious. "Why can't you just listen…?" she complained, exasperated.

Tobias assumed that was a rhetorical question. He turned his attention back to the princess, who nodded to give him permission to speak. That social cue, at least, was one universal enough for him to understand. "I'm still opposed to Louise going on this mission. She has no training or experience."

"The princess's decision is final," Louise reminded him.

Tobias kept his gaze locked onto Henrietta. "Entering dangerous territory to retrieve a document would be tricky enough on my own since I don't know anything about the people or geography. Adding Louise to the mix would make my job infinitely harder."

Agnes looked angered by Tobias's lack of formality as he delivered his thoughts, but Henrietta replied calmly, "That's why I want the two of you together. Louise to handle the diplomatic side as my ambassador, and you to handle the rougher elements and protect her."

"I can't protect her."

"Eh?" In a moment, the princess's composed expression broke.

"You would forsake your duty?" Agnes growled. She moved her hand to the hilt of her sword.

"Tobias… I thought…"

Seeing Louise grow teary eyes and Agnes look like she wanted to gut him like a fish, Tobias shook his head, trying to ignore the compounding headache festering in his mind. "I can't protect her not because I won't, but I physically can't," he emphasized. "I'm too weak. The past week has showed me that much."

"But you beat Fouquet, did you not?" Henrietta questioned.

"I dove through a window to sucker punch her while she was lying down in bed after being exhausted carrying around Louise," Tobias elaborated in a cold assessment. "And all I did was create an opening for Tabitha, one of Louise's classmates, to freeze her in a block of ice. If I had fought her directly, I would have lost. Tailing and hiding are what I'm best at. Louise could defend herself better with her explosions than I could with my fists."

Tobias gritted his teeth. A spike of anger shot through him, digging into his insecurities. "I'm not a talented fighter. I can't freeze a person solid, burn them with fire, or spring golems out of the ground. If Louise goes, I won't be able to protect her. And I refuse to have her in danger. She needs to sit this one out."

"And how do you expect to get around without me?" Louise asked angrily. "I'm a noble. I can get access to the royal family. You can't even speak to people properly!"

"I can—"

"No!" Louise cut him off. She leapt up from her seat so she could look at him at eye level. "The princess has spoken, and I am your master. You are going to act like a familiar for once and listen to me."

Tobias growled but continued to speak to Henrietta, not addressing Louise's interruption. "If things go wrong and we get captured, she could die, or potentially be tortured to the point of death. She's too stubborn and loyal to betray you, so they'd try to trick her into revealing secrets, or she'd be held hostage as a political prisoner. Did you consider that?"

The three ladies looked disturbed by his analysis, but Agnes nodded slowly. "They wouldn't risk harming her," the knight said. "At least, not at this stage. They would want to get a stable hold on Albion before risking a direct assault from Tristan."

"Louise might be the daughter of a Duchess, but out of her family, she's considered the most disposable."

"Tobias!"

"If you were to weigh the life of Louise over the casualties of a potential war, there's no contest," Tobias continued, his eyes vacant. "Louise may be your friend and confidant, but she has no political power aside from her heritage. Tristan is a small, non-military country, so every soldier is extremely valuable. If she were to be captured, you'd have to abandon her for the good of the country. She would be a necessary sacrifice."

"I wouldn't do that!" Henrietta protested.

"You are far out of line," Agnes snapped, putting a hand on her sword.

"Stop it, Tobias!" Louise ordered.

Bitter words continued to flow from Tobias's lips as his mind began to draw parallels between similar situations he'd witnessed. "You would do it. There are very few people you can fully trust. You may treasure them like your own family, but when it comes down to it, they're all just pieces on the board. If you lose them, yes, you'll be devastated, but when you're forced to resume your leadership, you'll continue doing the exact same thing. It'll be a new person, a new situation, but the same result. Anyone who's trusted and disposable will die for the 'greater good'. No matter who, when, or where, nothing will change.

"That's what it means to be a leader, making the hard choices. Who lives? Who dies? Who's worth more? A queen, a couple of knights, all of the pawns? The king is all you need to win. As long as the leader lives and the war is won, all sacrifices are acceptable. Right?"

"TOBIAS!"

Tobias didn't realize when he had started laughing, but Louise's shout brought him to an abrupt halt. He blinked, his head clearing, remembering where he was and what he just said, and to the Princess of the country of all people! And yet, he still felt angry, hurt. It was happening again, and he was too weak to stop it. Louise should not be put in danger again. It was unacceptable.

No. Henrietta wasn't Jake. She wasn't making the hardened decision of a leader who was used to weighing lives in her hands. She was making a call based on her limited resources. She had few people who were capable, and even fewer who she could trust. Loise wasn't the best option, but she was a safe and reliable choice.

Why was he being so defensive of Louise? Sure, he didn't want her to be hurt, but he didn't think he'd snap over the thought of her entering a warzone. It wasn't even a combat mission. Where was this protective aggression coming from?

What was wrong with him?

What was he doing?

Why couldn't anything make sense?

"Tobias?" Louise asked cautiously. She reached out a hand towards him, but Tobias stumbled backwards out of her reach.

The boy shook his head, trying to sort out his thoughts. "I'm sorry," he said. "I don't, that's not for you. You're not him, you'd didn't deserve that."

"You think you can insult the princess to her face and have that as your apology?" Agnes thundered.

Blood pounded in Tobias's ears. He could feel the walls of the room and the looks of the three other occupants bearing down on him. "No, that's not—I didn't, I can't—"

{I need to get out of here.}

Tobias bolted out of the room, leaving the doors wide open in his escape.

{I need to get out of here.}

The thought, which Tobias had meant to only give to Louise, was accidentally broadcast to everyone in the room in his distress. Henrietta and Agnes were so surprised that they froze in place as Tobias made his escape.

"Stop!" Agnes called out. "Guards!"

"No!" Louise cried. "Please, excuse him. He—he didn't mean it!"

"He clearly meant plenty," Agnes almost hissed.

"I will discipline him for his behavior, but let him go." Louise turned to Henrietta and begged, "Please."

Before the princess could respond, a squad of guards showed up to the door. "Your highness?"

Henrietta's eyes flicked to Louise's desperate expression and Agnes's indignant rage. "Miss Valliere's human familiar went to take a moment to himself," Henrietta informed the guards. "Can you find him and direct him back here when he's ready? I'm afraid he is unfamiliar with the castle layout and will probably be lost."

The guards looked confused. The princess's request did not match the atmosphere of the other ladies in the room. However, they accepted the order and left without comment.

Louise was too well mannered to lose her composure completely, but there was a noticeable relaxation in her posture as the guards left. "Thank you, your highness," she said.

"It's no trouble, Louise," Henrietta replied honestly. "Agnes, could you give Louise and I moment to ourselves?"

The musketeer captain hesitated, but with the primary source of her misgiving gone, she could only nod and exit the room, closing the doors behind her.

Louise was the first to speak. "If it's about what my familiar said, I assure you, pay him no mind, your highness."

"Louise," said Henrietta. "We've been friends for years, haven't we?"

"I—um, yes, we have been playmates since we were both young girls."

"Shouldn't friends refer to each other by their first names?"

"B-but, that's would be disrespectful!"

Henrietta stepped towards Louise, dragged the bewildered shorter girl by the hands, and settled both of them on the couch. "Louise, do you think of me as nothing beside my title?" she asked.

"No!" Louise insisted. "You're more than just the crown princess! You're smart, powerful, kind, beautiful…" Louise's voice trailed off as she started to blush. "You're… amazing."

Henrietta leaned back on the couch. "Every word you just used to describe applies to yourself as well."

"N-n-no, I couldn't—are you teasing me?"

An impish smile teased from Henrietta's lips, but the princess shook her head. "Honestly, Louise, I've always admired you. Even though you always struggled with magic, you kept your head held high and acted like any problem was beneath you. Louise, you are amazing, and I treasure our friendship."

Louise felt a warmth in her chest at the declaration, but then she quickly became confused. "Wait, I thought you were going to talk about how rude my familiar was?"

"First things first," Henrietta interjected, holding up a finger. "Call me by my name."

"But Princess—"

"I'm more than just a princess, just like you, Louise, are more than a daughter of Valliere," Henrietta insisted. "At least when we're alone, don't distance yourself from me with titles. Please."

The protest died on Louise's lips as she saw Henrietta's pleading expression. She felt ashamed of herself. In her effort to act as a proper noble, she hadn't even considered how Henrietta felt about her formality. "As you wish, Henrietta," she conceded.

The princess managed a small smile at that. She shrugged off her shoes and curled against the back of the couch. She shifted uneasily. "Now, about what your familiar said—"

"I'm sure he didn't mean it!" Louise insisted. "Honestly, it was a bad idea to bring him here. He's normally only a little rude, but he's been acting worse than usual since yesterday. I should have kept him away until I was sure he was ready to behave."

"You don't need to explain his behavior," Henrietta said. "What he said was… troubling, but I've heard similar things from my advisors. I shouldn't get too attached to those that serve me, because my position doesn't allow me to fraternize freely."

The princess sighed. "I don't want to treat people like objects. I don't want others to die on my behalf. Especially not the people I care about, like you."

"Henrietta, if my death would help you, then I would die a hundred times over."

The sincerity in Louise's statement was meant to be assurance, but it only saddened Henrietta further.

"I know," Henrietta said with a despondent sigh. "Louise, do you know how I felt when I heard you had been kidnapped, before I heard you had been rescued?"

"Worried?"

"Terrified," Henrietta confessed. "Aside from you, there's no one else I can be myself around. Mother hasn't been herself since father died, the Cardinal is too impersonal, and everyone around me holds me on a pedestal. I can hardly get a conversation out the servants or soldiers. Even other nobles never try to get to know me as a person. At best they try to woo me or find someone in their family tree who would be a suitable marriage partner for me. I had been looking forward to our reunion for years, and I was almost robbed of the chance to ever see you again."

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing to me?" Henrietta asked. "You were doing your duty as a noble. I'm the selfish one for wanting you to stay away from dangerous people because I want to see you again. And yet, I'm sending you out on a mission that could kill you all the same."

"I'm not going to get captured that easily," Louise protested.

"I can't take that chance," said Henrietta. "I almost lost you once, I couldn't bear it if I lost you because of my own actions."

Louise looked horrified. "You're not going to take me off the mission, are you?" she asked in a small voice.

The princess quickly shook her head. "You're the only person I can trust with this mission," she said with a reassuring smile. She from a hidden pocket in her dress she pulled out a ring with a silver band, inlaid with a light blue oval jewel. "This is a family heirloom, the Ring of Water. It will confirm your identity to Prince Wales. And to make sure you come back safely, we'll be making one small addition to the plan."

"Blergh!"

A thin stream of bile splattered onto bushes below the window. Tobias was now glad that he hadn't had an appetite in the morning—much less to lose now. The acrid smell still burned into his nose, but at least the discomfort was keeping his brain alert. If he had stayed in his mode of panic, he probably would have tried jumping out the window. Thankfully, he had managed to find an empty hallway that ran along a currently empty courtyard, so there was little chance of him being disturbed.

He snorted to himself. Yeah, as if running through the halls like a man possessed had failed to draw any attention. He was certain that the only reason he hadn't been locked into a cell already was because the princess hadn't decided to hunt him down yet. Which was surprising, since he had all but spat in her face with the amount of vitriol in his words.

Tobias spat the last of the vomit out. The taste still lingered in his mouth, but at least his stomach had settled.

"I wish had some water to wash the taste out," he grumbled.

A hiss of drawn steel came from behind him. "Water Bubble."

Survival instincts triggered, Tobias whirled around and lowered his stance, ready to jump out of the way of the incoming attack and retaliate. Jumping out of the window might get him away from his attacker, but running from someone who could sling spells at distance was tantamount to suicide.

A sword was pointed off to the side of him, with a small sphere of water formed around its point. The knight who wielded it was a young man who looked to be in his early twenties. He had dark green hair and was wearing what Tobias recognized to be some type of military uniform.

Tobias wasn't quite sure what to make of the knight's appearance. The drawn sword was a bad sign, but it wasn't being pointed at Tobias, and its wielder's stance was too loose to be threatening.

The knight gave Tobias a lopsided grin. "Sorry about startling you, but I figured you'd want to rinse the taste out of your mouth sooner than later."

Tobias eyed the knight, trying to find anything suspicious about his demeaner. His attention shifted to the sword, then the bubble of water, then the knight again. Deciding that he probably wasn't going to get stabbed once his back was turned, he stuck his face into the conjured water, sucked as much as he could into his mouth, and spat it out over the side of the windowsill.

After two more repetitions Tobias wiped the water off his face and gave a small nod to the knight. "Thanks," he said.

"It's no problem," the knight replied. With a gentle flick of his sword, the water bubble dispersed into a fine mist before he sheathed his weapon. Then the man made a show of looking Tobias up and down. "You're not dressed like one of the staff, and I haven't seen you around here before. But I doubt an intruder would be running through the halls and puking out of windows."

Tobias stared at him.

The knight coughed into his hand and decided to take a more direct approach. "My name is Abel Verde, a member of the Griffon Knights. And you are?"

"Tobias."

Abel waited a moment, but seeing that Tobias was making no move to elaborate, he prompted, "And you're here because…?"

"I came with Louise."

"And Louise is…?"

Tobias blinked. "Ah. Right. Formal introductions," he finally realized. He blamed his slowness on a lack of sleep. While he played stupid half the time with Louise, he wasn't that stupid. "I am Tobias, familiar of Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere."

Abel's eyes widened. "That's… surprising," he voiced.

"Yes, human familiars are rare or something."

"Well, yes, but news about Louise de la Valliere summoning a human familiar has been making rounds, especially since Fouquet was taken into custody," Abel replied. "What surprises me is that you're so…"

"So…?"

"Well, you look more like a chihuahua than a labrador."

Tobias gave him a deadpan glare. "Well, excuse me for being short."

"It's not just your height," said Abel. He put a hand to his chin and circled around Tobias, who stood perfectly still, only letting his head rotate to match the knight's movements. "You've also got a baby-face, but your attitude doesn't match at all. Relax a little. You look like your about to snap at someone."

Tobias scowled further, but then he shook his head. The knight, astonishingly enough, was right, and the familiar's head was clear enough to recognize that. He needed to calm down and get back to Louise. It was surprising enough that Agnes hadn't already chased him down and tried to take his head off. His expression needed to be neutral, at least, so he could go back and apologize.

Tobias closed his eyes.

Deep breath in.

Deep breath out.

He was on Halkegenia. Not Earth.

He was going to speak to Henrietta. Not Jake.

Past.

Present.

Keep them separate.

It was probably only moments, but to Tobias it felt like forever. Tension in his muscles gradual relaxed. Heartbeats slowed from their nervous jumps. Breaths went from short and sharp to slow and steady. Furrows on his brow receded into a carefully neutral blank.

Tobias opened his eyes. Abel was giving him an odd look, which quickly transitioned into broad smile.

"Feeling better?" the knight asked.

Tobias nodded. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," Abel said. "Do you know where you're supposed to go?"

"…no," Tobias admitted. He didn't even know where he was, let alone how he'd gotten there.

Abel gave a good-natured laugh and started to stroll down the hall. "Follow me, little chihuahua," he called over his shoulder.

"I'm not a chihuahua."

Another laugh was the only response to Tobias's protest.

Turning around the corner they came across a group of knights speaking to someone in the same uniform as Abel. The other griffon knight turned his head in their direction. "These men are here to escort Miss Valliere's familiar back to his master," he stated.

Tobias nodded. He looked annoyed when the knights moved to flank him with two on each side, but since they didn't make any moves to grab him, he said nothing and followed them in silence. He turned his head only to give Abel a final nod of acknowledgement, which was returned with a friendly grin and wave.

When Tobias arrived, Agnes was standing outside the door. After dismissing the guards, she looked down at Tobias, who stared back at her impassively.

"The Princess and Miss Valliere are outside," she said. "We will be joining them. This way."

Tobias noticed that Agnes made sure to match her strides to his shorter legs, and only pulled ever-so-slightly ahead when they needed to make a turn. Not once was her back turned to him. She also kept glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. It was irritating, but understandable. He probably did sound like a madman when he stormed out of the room. Being cautious around him only proved that Agnes was good at her job, regardless of how much she clearly wanted him to drop dead.

They came to a stop in front of a door that Tobias could tell led outside. Turning to glare at him, Agnes said, "The princess has decided to leave the punishment of your egregious behavior in the hands of your master. However, I will deal with any further infractions." She narrowed her eyes. "Do not dare take one uninvited step towards her, or it will be the last thing you do."

Tobias doubted the authenticity of the knight's threat—and also didn't know what egregious meant—but his goal was to apologize, not to cause more trouble. So, without even a blink, he nodded and said, "I understand."

The compliant response gave the Musketeer Captain pause. She gave him a searching look, scowled briefly, and then returned to her usual stern expression. She flung open the doors and tilted her head to indicate that Tobias should go first. Which he did gladly. The castle, as large as it was, still felt stifling to him. Being outdoors where the sun and wind could brush over his skin was much better.

Louise and Henrietta were in the middle of the walled off courtyard Tobias had entered. Standing by them was a tall man with long silver hair. Despite his hair color, he looked fairly young. Somewhere in his thirties by Tobias's best estimate. His uniform was also very familiar to the knight Tobias had spoken with earlier. Were they a part of the same military branch? Tobias mentally cursed that he had only been half paying attention during the knight's self-introduction.

"Tobias?"

Louise voiced snapped Tobias out of musing. He quickly realized that he had come a stop in front of the three and was staring at the unfamiliar man far longer than what was considered polite.

"Sorry," he said softly.

Tobias then turned to face the princess and bowed at the waist as deep as he could without losing his balance. Which, with his limited human flexibility, wasn't very much, but he hoped the effort counted. He took a deep breath and delivered the short speech he had prepared in his head. "I'm sorry for my rude outburst earlier. What I said was completely out of line."

Tobias hoped that his words sounded formal enough for his present company. With his head down, he couldn't see the stunned expressions of everyone present.

"Raise your head," Henrietta gently commanded him.

As Tobias obeyed, he caught sight of Louise looking relieved, Henrietta looking pleased, strange man looking intrigued, and Agnes… biting the inside of her cheek. He wasn't sure what was wrong with her, but she wasn't the princess or Louise. If she wanted to glare at him until he melted into a puddle then that was her right as an overbearing guard.

"You've caused me a lot of trouble," Louise grumbled.

"Sorry," Tobias replied in a genuine apology.

"Hmph," Louise crossed her arms. "I don't want your apologies; I want you to accept that I am your master, and you should obey me."

"Okay."

"Like tha—what?" Louise cut herself off as she stared at Tobias's neutral expression. "Y-you're not joking, are you?" she asked dubiously.

"Assuming our previous orders are still standing, we don't have time for jokes," Tobias stated. He then took a second look at the newcomer before craning his neck to ask Henrietta, "Who's he?"

"Ahem," Louise hinted.

"…princess?" Tobias belatedly added.

"Wardes, if you would?" Henrietta prompted with a smile.

The man bowed. "Greetings. I am Viscount Wardes, Captain of the Griffon Knights. I must thank you for the care you've shown for my fiancé," he said graciously.

Tobias blinked. "Fiancé?" he echoed dumbly.

"Viscount Wardes is my betrothed," Louise informed him, a light flush dusting her cheeks.

"Ah… I see."

Not in the slightest. Who would want to be engaged to Louise? Temperament and magical disability aside, she had the appearance of a child, while this guy looked easily twice her age. Was it one of those medieval political marriages? How come Louise hadn't mentioned this guy before? And most pressing of all:

"What's he doing here?"

"Tobias!" Louise practically shrieked. Her face went from pink to red out of either rage, embarrassment, or some combination of the two.

"What?" he asked. "It's a valid question."

"You are very direct. I appreciate that," Wardes said genially. "As for your inquiry, I'm here on behalf of the princess."

Princess Henrietta nodded. "After hearing what you said, Tobias, I decided it would be best to amend the initial plan. Wardes will be accompanying you two on your mission. As the Captain of the Griffon Knights, he is more than capable of ensuring your protection. As you pointed out, Louise would be in danger if anything went wrong, and she's too important to me for me risk her life that way."

Tobias couldn't help but flinch as Henrietta smiled at him serenely. This was the girl he had accused of throwing away Louise's life? "I still should have said it differently," he said apologetically. "You didn't deserve that. I jumped to conclusions and… lost myself."

"It did hurt," Henrietta admitted. "But you were worried about Louise's safety. Not many people would argue with a royal to protect the ones they care about. It warms my heart that Louise has someone as compassionate as you at her side."

Tobias stared at the princess as if she had grown a second head.

"I agree completely," Wardes voiced. "While you might want to learn a bit of tact, your brutish honesty makes you a trustworthy ally. It's a pleasure to be working with you."

Tobias looked to Louise for guidance on how to respond, but she only glared at him. He sighed, uncertain of how he should feel about the situation. "Sure thing," he responded neutrally.

The Royal Intruder

A Non-Canon (Alternative Timeline) Omake

It was the day after Tobias's disastrous morphing trial run. The academy was still brimming with nervous tension, but also excitement, as the princess was expected to be arriving at the academy the next day in preparation for the upcoming holiday. Despite two unsolved incidents in the area right after another, not including Fouquet's heist and capture, the princess had not been discouraged from taking her scheduled trip to the academy, much to the delight of the residents.

As Louise and Tobias were getting ready for bed, there was a knock on the door to Louise's room.

"Who could it be at this hour?" Louise wondered.

"Do you have mail delivered?" Tobias suggested.

"Not this late."

Several more knocks sounded, these sounding very insistent.

"Open the door," Louise ordered. "Whoever it is better have good reason for coming at such a late hour."

Tobias sighed as he rose from his seat and walked towards the door. Out of habit, he steeled himself in case Kirche decided to make a night-time escape with him. Pulling open the door, he saw a figure clad in a black traveler's cloak and matching veil. The cloaked figure pushed past him, heading towards Louise.

Tobias slammed the door shut with an unnecessarily violent kick. The sound startled the intruder, giving Tobias ample time to tackle them and bring his hands around their neck.

"What in the Founder!" Louise screamed, standing up on the bed at Tobias's sudden action and the unknown person entering her room.

When the intruder fell on the ground, their veil rose up, revealing their face. While Tobias didn't recognize the panic-stricken teenaged girl underneath, but he was observant enough to notice that the person he was strangling was wearing a very fancy crown on her head.

"Release Princess Henrietta, you idiot!" Louise shouted, jumping down from the bed.

With a start, Tobias immediately removed his hands from the princess's neck. The girl coughed and took several heavy breaths as air was finally able to reenter her lungs. Tobias then looked down, realizing that he was presently straddling her from the front. Pushing himself off, he scuttled to the side wordlessly.

"Princess, are you hurt?" Louise asked, coming to Henrietta's side.

Henrietta gave a final cough before she slowly sat up. "I am fine, Louise," she said. She idly touched the side of her neck. Thankfully, either due to a lack of strength or time, Tobias's action hadn't left any visible mark behind. "And there's no need to call me by my title. We're oldest friends, are we not?"

"But you're still the princess," said Louise. "And my stupid familiar nearly killed you." She gave a quick glare to Tobias as she said this.

The boy looked away in shame. He did what he knew was best to keep Louise safe, but that had nearly backfired in the worst of ways. How was he supposed to know that a princess would barge into Louise's room in the middle of the night?

"Familiar?" Henrietta echoed. "But he looks like a human."

"Yes, yes I do," Tobias said flatly.

"Shut up," Louise hissed. "You've already assaulted her, and now you're addressing the princess like a peer instead of addressing her by her title!"

"And you still aren't calling me by name, Louise," said Henrietta. "After all the time we spent together as children, are you going to treat me as the vultures in court do? Have I caused you to hate me?"

"No!" Louise protested frantically. "I could never hate you, princess!"

Henrietta pouted. "Still, you won't call me by name?"

"It would be rude of me," Louise said hesitantly.

"You've always been my closest friend," said Henrietta. "You're like a sister to me, Louise. At least when we're in private, can we not interact with each other as we once did?"

Louise's lips trembled, but she nodded. "If you wish it, your Highness. I mean, Henrietta." She gave a sidelong glance to Tobias, who was doing his best to disappear into the wall. "About the actions of my familiar, I take full responsibility and apologize on his behalf."

To Louise and Tobias's surprise, Henrietta instead laughed. "Your apology is unnecessary," she assured Louise. "I suppose I did look like a suspicious character, and it does say something about your familiar if he's ready to protect you so readily."

"You're too kind," said Louise with a relieved sigh.

Henrietta giggled. "Come now, I want to hear all about your adventures. Summoning a human familiar, capturing an international thief, you have been doing a lot these past few months."

"Most of it was unintentional," Louise said humbly. "I'm still not sure how I summoned Tobias—my familiar. And Fouquet was caught mostly because of Tobias and Tabitha. If it wasn't for me, the staff of destruction wouldn't have been stolen in the first place."

"The staff would have been stolen with or without you being there," Tobias finally spoke up. "The golem was already almost through the vault walls, and there were no nearby teachers or guards to stop Fouquet. In fact, if you hadn't taken out the wall with a chunk of the golem, Fouquet would have caused a lot more damage and potentially create casualties."

Henrietta at first looked surprised by Tobias's sudden interjection. "And here I was assuming you were a man of few words," she said with a smile. "I must thank you, mister Tobias, for taking care of my dear friend."

"I'm just doing my job," Tobias replied. "And… I'm sorry for earlier. I should have identified you before, you know, trying to strangle you."

"I'd prefer if you didn't strangle anyone at all," Louise muttered.

"Like I told Louise, I require no apology," said Henrietta. "If only more of my knights had your zeal, then I would feel safe anywhere I went."

"Zeal only does so much in the face of stupidity," Tobias said flatly. "If you want to trust you knights, bring them along with you when you go sneaking around in the middle night."

The two noble girls stared at Tobias blankly for a second.

"Stupid idiot!" said Louise, slapping Tobias's face. He bore it with a barely a flinch, maintaining his stoic expression. "You can't insult the princess like that!"

"Please don't be too angry at him, Louise," said Henrietta. "He is correct. It would be irresponsible of me to wander around at night without an escort. However, a squad of soldiers wouldn't be able to get around unnoticed."

"So that's why you ignored your own safety?" Tobias asked.

"Stop being rude!" Louise hissed.

"I may not have taken my normal guards, but I did bring along someone I could trust," Henrietta informed him. "She's waiting down the hall, making sure that the way is clear when I need to head back."

"She's not down the hall," Tobias stated.

"I beg your pardon?" Henrietta asked with no small amount of confusion.

"How would you know?" Louise asked. "You haven't even looked outside."

"When I closed the door I saw a flicker of movement in the corner of my eye," Tobias said with utmost seriousness. "When I tackled you, I heard footsteps approaching. Once I knew you were a princess, I figured whoever was following you was rather a spy or one of your personal guards. If they were a spy, I would have baited them to approach and ambushed them. But since our mystery guest is your guard, she should probably come in instead of standing outside our door like a shady stalker." He said the last part in a slightly raised voice as he glared at the door.

Slowly, the doorknob turned, and the door swung open. A hooded figure, slightly taller than Henrietta, stepped inside and closed the door with only the softest click. "I should arrest you for attacking the princess," a woman's voice came from beneath the hood.

"No one's ever managed to keep me locked up for more than a few hours," Tobias replied candidly.

"You were arrested before?" Louise asked.

"Captured, not arrested," Tobias corrected. To the woman he asked, "Are you going to remove your hood anytime soon."

The woman's head turned towards the Princess.

Henrietta nodded. "Introduce yourself, Agnes," she said.

The hood was pulled back, revealing a stern face framed by short, straw-colored hair. "I am Agnes, captain of her highness's musketeers," Agnes said. "Her safety is my top priority." Her eyes narrowed at Tobias. "And she is to be respected as Princess of the country, is that clear?"

"Sure."

The glare was cold, but Tobias had seen worse.

"Overzealous bodyguard?" Louise asked, tilting her head towards Agnes.

"Overzealous bodyguard," Henrietta mirrored, tilting her head towards Tobias.

The two girls sighed in mutual understanding as their personal protectors attempted to glare each other into submission.

The Omake is a condensed version of the original meeting I had planned for Tobias and Henrietta. It didn't fit very well, but I decided to turn it into an Omake instead of completely scrapping it. Don't worry, Louise, this meeting could've gone so much worse.

Tobias's prior actions are continuing to affect the local area. Count Mott was scum, but the scary execution method may not have been the smartest decision. Now Tobias is even more stressed out and is going on a dangerous mission! This can only end well.

A lot of stuff happened to kick off the arc. What hidden details did you notice? What was your favorite line? What butterfly effects do you think will happen further down the line? Remember, reviews are food for a writer's soul!