Kirche was uncharacteristically worried. Upon her normal, cheery, carefree countenance was one of contemplative concern. She found it hard to keep still in her room, looking out her window in regular intervals, feeling disappointed each time when she could spot no sign of her best friend and her dragon. Or, at least, Louise and Siesta. She sighed as she resolved to get up and leave her room to find someone to bother, finding it impossible to let herself be alone. Or in silence.
She wondered what could have happened. She knew Louise and Siesta were off on a trip with that elf. But, somehow, Tabitha had slipped away without her knowledge. She hoped whatever it was was important. And that she was okay.
As she had left the room and made her way into the academy grounds, she saw something in the bright, clear, afternoon sky. The familiar, blue, draconic form of Sylphid. Her heart raced as she rushed forward, her eyes trained on the incoming dragon. A smattering of the remaining students, including Guiche and Montmorency, were gathering around, as well, as Tabitha's returns upon Sylphid were always a spectacle to them.
Once Sylphid had drawn close enough to begin landing, she kicked up a storm of dust with the mighty beat of its wings that caused Kirche and the other onlookers to cover their eyes and begin coughing and sneezing. Once the dust had settled, Kirche looked at Sylphid, whose neck was obscuring the rider she was sure was Tabitha.
"Well where'd you run off to, miss? I'll have you know I've been quite worried!" Kirche announced with an only slightly fabricated tone of admonishment, dramatically played up in her usual ostentatious manner.
A moment of silence passed before the boot of the mysterious rider touched the earth, and a fully-cloaked figure revealed themselves. Kirche furrowed her brow as she scrutinized the figure. Something about them felt… oddly familiar.
"Hey… who are you? Where's Tabs?"
The murmuring among the smattering of students gathered around grew as the figure lowered their hood, revealing a face that caused Kirche, and Guiche, to go wide-eyed with shock and fear. The face, adorned with thin glasses behind which were brilliantly bright hazel eyes, was framed by two long locks of faded blonde hair, with the rest pinned and tied back to stay out of said face. Unlike their other encounters, however, there was no trace of smugness upon her face anymore. Instead, her countenance looked blank and composed.
Without another word, Kirche immediately drew her wand, with Guiche rushing to her side and drawing his own, notable for having what looked like a live rose head at the end of it, The figure responded by raising her hands and furrowing her brow at the two.
"I don't have time for this, I'm not here to fight," the woman informed curtly.
"Why should we believe you, Miss Longueville, or Fouquet, or whoever you are?!" Kirche demanded, sharpening her gaze at the young woman.
"Why not just call me Matilda? Matilda de Saxe-Gotha?" Fouquet asked after heaving a sigh. Guiche's eyes widened in recognition of that name. Their standoff was interrupted, however, by the arrival of a certain perverted headmaster.
"What's going on here?" the headmaster, an incalculably old man whose head and face bore long, straight, silver hair with a matching beard that came to his belly, respectively, that carried a long staff that surpassed his own height and looked similarly gnarled as Tabitha's, minus the hook end, and was covered completely from the neck down in a shapeless brown robe that reached the ground he walked upon, asked in a demanding tone.
Once he had seen Matilda, his countenance immediately changed to one of wary aggression that was manifested as a scowl. "It's you…" the headmaster practically growled at her.
"I'm not exactly happy to see you either, old creep," Matilda spat back as she matched his scowling gaze.
"You'd best explain yourself, young lady. I'll not have your treachery upon these grounds," the headmaster raised his staff, aiming it threateningly at Matilda as he did.
"As I already said, I'm not here to fight," Matilda repeated herself, exasperated and unfazed by the threat of three magical focuses ready to launch any number of spells at her. Despite her declarations, she felt a tingle of warning borne of experience that let her know they were about ready to fire off spells at her. Matilda pursed her lips and prepared to reach for her own wand.
This proved unnecessary, however, as Sylphid lowered her head between Matilda and her three would-be attackers, causing everyone to look taken aback. Sylphid looked up to Kirche and gave a low, rumbling coo. Kirche may not have had the same level of connection as Tabitha did with the dragon before her, but she knew what Sylphid was trying to communicate and lowered her wand with a sigh, with the headmaster and Guiche, after a moment of confusion, following suit, causing Matilda huff in relief.
"Alright, we'll hear you out," Kirche said as Sylphid raised her head and Kirche started closing distance with Matilda. "But no funny business, understand?" Kirche threatened. Matilda nodded in understanding as she finally lowered her arms.
"We should discuss this somewhere more private," Matilda suggested. Kirche nodded as she looked for the former Professor Colbert's abandoned laboratory and, spotting it, began leading the three others there. Once they arrived, with Sylphid waiting outside, the headmaster shut the door behind them all as he continued to scowl at Matilda.
"You've got some nerve, Miss Longueville," the headmaster said.
"I could say the same to you, creepy old Osmond," Matilda spat back.
"I don't know what you're-"
"Violating me. Constantly. With your eyes and your hands. Then playing it off as 'harmless fun'? I never forgot," Matilda, without knowing, had tears forming in her eyes from her remembrance of the humiliation.
Osmond dropped his scowl as he looked away in shame. Kirche, witnessing this, started to feel the slightest sympathy for the former world-class thief before them along with a growing resentment for the now sheepish looking headmaster beside her.
"But that's not why I'm here," Matilda continued as she sniffed and quickly wiped her eyes. "I came because I hoped to find you… or any of your little brat brigade," Matilda said, condescendingly.
"It's about Tabitha, isn't it?" Kirche asked, hoping to spur her forward as quickly as possible.
"Obviously," Matilda said with an exasperated sigh, "clearly you're not the brains of the two." The sympathy Matilda had built up with Kirche was now swiftly being replaced by annoyance as she frowned at her.
"I must ask," Matilda began again, "has an elf been here recently?" The knowing looks on all the three before her told her all she needed to know as she continued, "That makes sense. Tabitha was taken by one."
"What?!" Kirche and Guiche both exclaimed.
"She was facing off against one. I think he said his name was Vish'dnir," Matilda did not sense any knowing reaction from the three at this.
"Why should we believe you?" Osmond asked, regaining his scowl. "You've made it quite the habit of being two-faced here." Matilda shot him a withering glare, causing Osmond to wince.
"I have a witness," Matilda informed everyone, causing them all to let out small gasps.
Matilda stood and went to the door, opening it and walking outside. Everyone else joined her as they gathered near Sylphid, who Matilda gestured to. "Do you really think, after everything that's happened between us, that she'd willingly ferry me here if Tabitha were not in real danger?" Kirche, Osmond, and Guiche took a moment to contemplate.
"How do we know that you weren't involved? And that Sylphid is being forced to do this?" Kirche accused.
"Yeah! You're Fils D'Aleks! Even if all of it's true… why should we trust you?" Guiche chimed in.
"Look," Matilda began after giving an exasperated sigh, "I know, given our history, you have no reason to trust me." Matilda stopped, and the three others there waited to see if she would continue. Feeling that she would not, they all frowned at her.
"That's it? That's your defense?" Kirche asked, incredulously.
"What more do you want me to say? Either trust me or don't. Either way, Fils D'Aleks is no more," Matilda revealed, causing the three to look at her with surprise.
"What exactly do you mean, Miss Longueville?" Osmond asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I mean," Matilda began as she began scowling in frustration at having to provide all these details she felt were unnecessary, "it's been dissolved. And whoever survived was folded back into its original owners. Gallia," Matilda explained.
"The Queen will need to know this…" Osmond said with a contemplative look.
"And I will have much to say to her when I can," Matilda said.
"What makes you think you can get an audience with her? After all you've done?" Osmond asked.
"I have more information I'm saving for her," Matilda answered with a small smirk. "Anyways, we're wasting time. The longer we stand around talking the more danger your friend is in." Matilda directed her statement and gaze at Kirche as she said this. Kirche anxiously began chewing on her thumbnail as she considered her position. Feeling she had no other options, she gave Matilda a determined look.
"Then, let's go," Kirche declared.
"Finally," Matilda said with a relieved sigh as she turned to Sylphid.
"But first," Kirche said, raising a finger and causing Matilda to turn around, "We should get backup." Matilda, at first, gave her a confused look. This turned into one of resignation as she realized what she meant.
Before Matilda's arrival at the academy, Louise, Siesta, Tiffa, Zeratul, Khaydarin, and Agnes were arriving back at Tarbes after having taken the slightest detour to unceremoniously kick Beatrice out at a town along the way (despite her loud and alternating desperate and threatening pleas which the group ignored).
While in the carriage traveling back to Tarbes on their way back to the academy, Louise could not help but to keep examining herself and thinking back to that dreadful night. As she, for yet another time, ran her hand over her stomach (now exposed through her blouse due to the damage done by Tabitha's attack) she remembered what she felt. The sheer horror of suffering the worst wound she had ever received.
A mortal one.
And from someone she thought was a friend, no less.
It replayed over and over in her head.
Tabitha's fiercely determined face as the icicles she summoned flew at her.
She shuddered as she remembered the cold terror of realization she felt when she looked down to see herself nearly run through by one of them that Siesta could not stop. Louise's spiraling was interrupted by a hand taking the one hand she was not examining herself with, causing her to look up at her wife.
"Are you feeling okay?" Siesta asked as she put her other hand to Louise's forehead.
"O-of course!" Louise blustered as she pushed the hand away from her and gave an awkward laugh.
Siesta did not give any sort of smile at this. Louise tried not to notice as her own face fell from her awkward smile to a blank look as her gaze remained trained on the carriage floor.
"Hey," Louise finally said after what felt like an eternity of silence to Siesta, "Do I… feel the same?" Siesta took her into a warm embrace, rubbing her arms and hands on Louise as she did.
"You feel as wonderful as you've always felt in my arms," Siesta reassured her.
"That's not what I mean," Louise mumbled into Siesta's shoulder, blushing.
"What do you mean?" Siesta asked, confused as she pulled away from Louise and met her wife's concerned expression.
"Do I feel the same… in here?" Louise asked as she pointed to her head.
Siesta was confused for only a moment before she nodded at Louise and, placing her hand on the back of Louise's neck as she did, pressed her forehead against her wife's.
Louise could feel, gently feeling at the edges of her mind, Siesta's presence within her. Despite her asking for it, and it being her own wife, she still felt the smallest hint of trepidation as she remembered the violating feeling of someone intruding upon her mind and seizing control of it. This presence, however, gave her comfort and warmth that soothed that anxiety. After a few moments of it, Siesta pulled back and Louise received that same warmth and reassurance in her smile that had set her heart aflutter so many times.
"You feel exactly the same as the woman I fell in love with," Siesta assured her as she kissed her wife's forehead, then planted another kiss upon her lips, causing them both to giggle and blush.
"Thank you," Louise said as she held Siesta in a warm embrace, "I love you."
"I love you, too," Siesta replied as she returned her embrace.
As Louise reveled in this warm feeling on her body and within her heart, she remembered that, almost a year ago, she believed, was the day she met this former maid and happened to strike a conversation with her beneath that tree at the academy. Her life had changed so much since that day. Some ways for the worse, with the terrible burden of responsibility she bore, but most ways for the better, with this woman in her arms being the main way.
As the warm, fuzzy feelings gripped her, she unconsciously nuzzled into Siesta, not being aware of where her head was. "O-oh! I don't think we can do that right now!" Siesta exclaimed sheepishly as Louise pulled back and began to blush.
"N-no! It wasn't like that! I was just…" Louise's voice trailed off as she became lost in Siesta's raven eyes, "I was just thinking. About us. About everything. And how I feel so lucky." Siesta smiled at her once more as she giggled.
"I feel the same way, Missus Valliere," Siesta and Louise kissed once more before they both leaned back and relaxed.
Meanwhile, just outside the carriage, Tiffa was walking basically next to the cart-driving Agnes, as her height made her almost level with Agnes' even sitting that high. Her crimson eyes followed a small brown and gray bird as it fluttered its way near her, and she held out one of her bare hands, causing the bird to land and sit in it as it chirped at her. Tiffa giggled in amusement as she one finger of her other hand to pet it while its eyes drooped.
"Here," Tiffa offered as she placed the bird on the shoulder of her hard leather armor, "you must be very tired. Have a little rest." The bird gave one more chirp before seeming to fall asleep, with Tiffa smiling brightly at it before turning her face forward.
"You have a strange affinity for animals," Agnes commented with a chuckle.
Tiffa's smile became a bit sheepish at the recognition of her presence, "O-Oh, yeah, they… do seem to like me."
"I think it speaks to the purity of your soul," Agnes stated with a small smile while she still faced forward.
Tiffa looked at her and blinked in disbelief, "N-No, I don't think it's that."
Agnes turned her smile to Tiffa, "I do."
The smile was warm, and Tiffa was feeling similarly warm within as she looked at Agnes. She couldn't bear it for more than a few moments before she turned her head forward along the path they were following, with her eyes trained on the road whilst she blushed.
Agnes merely continued to smile at her for a moment before she felt a blush on her own cheeks and faced forward, herself.
The ride back to Tarbes was not much longer for them, and as they were arriving, they heard Agnes exclaim in surprise.
"Your majesty?!" Agnes' voice could be heard from outside the carriage as they stopped. Louise then heard an impact of boots upon the dirt road and more, increasingly quiet, boot impacts following it. Siesta opened the carriage door, turning to take Louise's hand as she followed her. Louise, once her feet had touched the ground, made sure to wrap her cloak around herself to hide her shredded clothes as they walked towards Agnes, who was currently kneeling before Henrietta, who was, in turn, flanked by an Adept.
"Your majesty!" Louise cried out with excitement as she picked up her pace and gave a quick bow to Henrietta.
"Louise!" Henrietta cried out with relief as she stepped forward and pulled her childhood friend into a tight embrace, "thank goodness… I heard what happened." Henrietta looked down at her head-shorter friend, tears of relief beginning to well up in her eyes.
"It's okay," Louise reassured her with a smile, "Tiffa saved me," Louise whipped her head around for the aforementioned elf, seeing her partially obscuring herself behind the carriage, looking away from them all anxiously.
Louise gave a sheepish half-smile at this before she turned back to the Queen, whose gaze was fixed on the elf. Without warning, Henrietta stepped past the three as she walked over to Tiffa, placing herself directly in front of her. Louise could see her say something, and offer her hand to Tiffa, which, after a moment, the elf took. Henrietta then led the elf, slouching from self-consciousness over her height, back to the group, without Louise noticing the Adept eyeing Tiffa the entire time.
"Thank you for joining us, Tiffa," Henrietta said with a small bow of her head to the elf, which she shakily returned. "You have saved my best friends, I am forever in your debt."
"I-it's no problem, really," Tiffa replied, anxiously, as she continued to avoid looking at Henrietta.
"Please," Henrietta implored as she stepped closer to Tiffa and took her hand once more, causing Tiffa to look down at her. "I wish for you to understand the magnitude of what you have done for me. And you should be rewarded in kind." Henrietta looked to the others, "You all should. But, alas, I come bearing only one such honor."
Agnes, still kneeling, bowed her head further in response while everyone else looked to the Queen in confusion. Henrietta then turned around and reached into her own carriage, whose door was already open, and, when she had retrieved what she was going to present to them, turned around to reveal what looked like a cloak, with a higher collar than what Louise was adorned with. Louise's eyes lit up with recognition as she saw this, but was unsure of what Henrietta was doing.
"Siesta," Henrietta walked forward with the cloak, "may I?" Siesta at first looked confused and unsure, as she turned to Louise. Louise gave her a small smile and nod, which caused Siesta to take a calming breath before she nodded to Henrietta.
With that signal, Louise watched with a growing warmth in her heart as Henrietta wrapped the cloak around Siesta, finishing her task by tying it up at the front. "Now, I wouldn't normally ask this of you, my friend, but I must request you kneel before me."
Siesta once again looked to Louise for confirmation. Louise gave her an imploring look and nod, causing Siesta to comply with Henrietta once more and take a knee before the Queen, bowing her head as she did. Henrietta then produced her scepter and tapped one of Siesta's shoulders.
"Miss-sorry-Missus Siesta Sasaki, do you swear to lend your power to me, at all times requested, for as long as you shall live?" Henrietta formally asked.
What do I do? What's going on? Siesta asked Louise, psionically.
Just agree. You're being given a great honor, I promise, Louise reassured her.
"I-I do," Siesta replied with a shaky voice.
"Then by the power divinely granted to me by the Founder himself, I do hereby make you my knight, and grant you the rank of chevalier," Henrietta announced as she moved her scepter to Siesta's other shoulder. "You may rise, Lady Sasaki," the Queen implored, causing Siesta to rise to her feet.
"Oh! And before I forget," Henrietta said as she produced a badge adorned with the royal seal of Tristain upon it and pinned it to Siesta's cloak. "There," Henrietta said with a satisfied tone as she let her fingers linger upon the badge for a few moments, staring deeply into Siesta's eyes as she did, "can't forget that." Louise was unsure, but she could swear she heard an almost… amorous tone. From Henrietta. She shook her head to clear it from her mind as Henrietta stepped back.
"Hey! It's Siesta! And Louise! She's okay!" the group heard Geoffery shout from the broken doorway of the Sasaki household that Louise now realized they were near. One by one Sasakis began to swarm the two, with Henrietta, Agnes, and Tiffa needing to take a step back to accommodate them all.
As this joyous reunion commenced, Siesta felt a pinch upon her body, causing her to give a small yelp and look in the direction of the attack. She locked eyes with Jean, who had a cheeky smile on his face.
"We gotta give you seventeen more!" Jean winked as he stuck his tongue out at Siesta and pinched her once more.
"Yeah! Eighteen pinches for your eighteenth birthday!" Alice giggled as she joined in the relentless pinch assault Siesta was now under.
"Wait! Hold on a second!" Louise exclaimed as she attempted to push the little Sasaki siblings away from her wife, turning to her once she was mostly successful, "It's your birthday?!" Louise asked with a heavy tone of surprise and a face to match.
"I-I'm just as surprised as you are!" Siesta answered, unsure, as she blocked one of her siblings from pinching her. Siesta took a moment as she rolled her eyes up and a contemplative look fell upon her face. She then looked to her hands and seemed to be counting on her fingers. "I guess? I was gone for about two months so the timing fits…" Siesta's voice trailed off, still unsure.
Louise, for her part, felt tingly and hot with embarrassment. How could she have forgotten her wife's birthday? They celebrated her own birthday right after the battle of Tarbes in August. The events surrounding Albion happened in winter. She didn't even think about when Siesta's birthday would be. What kind of wife doesn't know her own wife's birthday? Her head was buzzing with shame and self-consciousness that was only interrupted by Siesta's hand taking hers.
"It's alright! Given everything, it's only natural we'd both forget that," Siesta gave her a sheepish yet comforting smile. Louise was finding it hard to look at her, still gripped by shame as she was.
"Well," Henrietta announced in a cheery tone as she clapped her hands, "what a happy coincidence! Happy Birthday!" Henrietta exclaimed as she gave Siesta a warm smile.
Louise could still see Siesta was quite embarrassed at all this sudden attention, as her posture had shifted to one that reminded her of when she was a maid and doing her best to hide her presence from nobles looking to boss her around. Louise felt a pang of jealousy at the Queen stealing her moment to say it before her and loudly cleared her throat as she puffed out her chest.
"Indeed, Siesta, a very happy birthday to you! As your wife, I shall be sure to bestow upon you a gift most befitting of the wife of a powerful noble such as myself!" Louise could feel shame creeping at the edges of her posturing as she said this.
"No, really, it's alright! Just being with you is-"
"Nonsense!" Louise declared, feeling she had to wrap this up before the embarrassment overwhelmed her, "It'd sully my pride as a noble if I didn't spoil my wife!" Louise proudly declared as she did her best to pose as authoritative and regal as she could. Louise's face was already hot with shame as she did this. Luckily, her ever-attentive wife took her hands and gave her smile that immediately calmed her heart.
"Thank you, Louise, I'm sure whatever it is, I'll love it. Because I love you," Siesta, not waiting for any response from Louise, kissed her.
"EW!" the younger Sasaki children all responded in harmonized unison causing both Louise and Siesta to laugh. Still, Louise could not help but carry with her that smallest parcel of shame at not knowing Siesta's birthday.
"Alright! That's enough bothering your sisters!" the warm voice of Lucy Sasaki called out to Siesta's siblings as she approached the two, wrapping her arms around Louise once she was close enough to, "Welcome home, Louise. You have no idea how happy we are that you're okay," Lucy's voice sounded, in Louise's ear, to be at the point of breaking as she heard a sniffle before Lucy pulled away. Looking up at her, she felt a true, motherly warmth from this woman that she had never felt from her own mother. This warmth penetrated deep into her heart as she smiled up at her.
"I'm happy to be-," Louise stopped herself for a second, not knowing how to proceed. A comforting squeeze of her hand from her wife, though, was enough for her to finish her reply, "Home. Yes, I'm happy to be home."
"Come on inside! Kitchen's not wrecked and we're fixin' to make your favorite, babygirl!" Takeo announced as he had finally joined the rest of the family. A moment later, he turned to Tiffa, Agnes, and Henrietta, giving them all an inviting look as well. "That goes for you three as well."
The family Sasaki, the Queen, and Agnes spent the rest of the afternoon in revelry and consuming a copious amount of funnel cakes.
Tiffa spent her time outside, enjoying her portion, which was much too small for her but she felt too self-conscious to get more, with humming delight. In all her many years of existence, she'd never tasted anything so sweet. She assumed spending so much of her life among a fascist warrior culture and the rest of it sequestered away from civilization was the reason for that.
Agnes poked her head out of the doorway with a face that was tinged with concern. When she saw Tiffa, she perked up and sat beside her, taking a bite of her own portion, causing her eyes to go wide with shock.
"Wow," Agnes commented as her mouth made smacking noises to get every last bit of it down her throat. "That was very sweet." She wrinkled her nose at it before she turned to see Tiffa had already finished hers and was in the process of carelessly licking her fingers. Upon their eyes meeting, Tiffa turned red and began looking for something to wipe her hands with.
"I guess you liked it, then," Agnes chuckled as she searched her person for her old, worn handkerchief that she was mostly sure was clean.
"Y-Yeah. I hardly ever had sweets growing up. Or even as an adult," Tiffa chuckled sheepishly as she looked at her robe and grimaced with resolve. Luckily, she didn't have to do that as Agnes found and produced her stained handkerchief and held it out for her. Tiffa regarded it with confusion, which caused Agnes to also turn red.
"I-I know it looks dirty but I swear it's clean. I think. I hope. Actually, maybe-"
Before Agnes could rescind the offer, Tiffa gladly took it and wiped her hands, giving Agnes a smiling look of gratitude. "Thank you, I appreciate it."
Agnes' redness faded as she gave her a slight smile, "It's me who should be thanking you, honestly."
Tiffa raised an eyebrow as she handed back the now-dirtied handkerchief.
"You have no idea what you did for me," Agnes stuffed the handkerchief away before reaching up to her scarred right shoulder, gingerly rubbing it as she remembered the pain that she was now cured of. "I… thought I was going to be in pain forever. And then you come into my life like an angel. Like a saint. And… you just fix it with a touch." Agnes' eyes were feeling warm from gathering tears as she looked up at Tiffa, smiling wide as she did. "So thank you."
Tiffa blushed and hunched herself sheepishly, snapping her body into a hugged-knee position.
"I-It's no problem, really. W-Why wouldn't I help someone in need?" Tiffa mumbled into her legs.
Agnes' solemn look became sincere and warm as she placed a hand on Tiffa's shoulder, causing the elf to look at her, "You didn't have to. And I saw how it affected you to do that. So… again, and I can't say this enough, thank you."
Tiffa's redness intensified as she went back to tucking her face in her thighs, "N-No problem. Really. I-I'm just glad I could help."
Agnes' smile grew before she let go of Tiffa and offered her her serving of funnel cakes, which confused the elf enough to drop her sheepishness as she became confused.
"Here," Agnes offered, "They're too sweet for me. And I know you'll appreciate them more."
Tiffa was blushing again. "A-Are you sure?"
Agnes gave her a reassuring nod, causing Tiffa to take the plate with grinning gratitude. Though, she did end up slightly regretting it a little later as she realized it made her fingers sticky again.
The mirth of the Sasaki household was not to last, however, as they were interrupted.
Akhundelar, Executor, a familiar, hostile presence is approaching alongside the Ardent Kirche and Ignoble Guiche, Zeratul's voice cut through to Louise and Siesta, causing them both to look the slightest bit crestfallen.
They both wondered if they'd ever catch a break.
They slipped away from the festivities and went outside, where Tiffa, Agnes, Khaydarin, and the Adept were. Louise surmised Zeratul was cloaked at a vantage point nearby to give them the advantage. In the waning light of day, Louise could see the familiar draconic form of Sylphid approaching. Remembering her last encounter with Tabitha, she unconsciously stroked her stomach, covered, now, by a hand-me-down from Donna, the third-eldest Sasaki sister (and, in wearing it, she found herself bearing a small sense of shame at her diminutive, petite form once more). She barely noticed as Siesta drew Derflinger and stepped in front of her.
As Sylphid landed, kicking up a sharp gust as she did, Louise looked up to the dragon and carefully drew her wand. The first to reveal themselves from Sylphid's back was Kirche, who stepped before the group.
"Everyone," Kirche began with an urgent tone, "Tabitha is in danger, and we need your help."
"Why?" Siesta snapped as she stepped forward and leveled Derflinger at Kirche, "do you know what she did? She almost killed Louise! She tried to kill us!"
"What? But… that's…" Kirche stammered in denial as she cast her gaze downward.
It is true, Ardent Kirche, Zeratul's voice rang through Louise's head as Zeratul leapt from the Sasaki house's roof and landed beside Siesta. And it appears you travel with yet another of our enemies. Zeratul raised and ignited his warp scythe.
"Wait!" the familiar voice of Guiche cried out as he scrambled to this standoff before Sylphid. "If you mean Fouquet then I promise she's only here to help!" At the sound of that name, Louise and Siesta's hearts became gripped with fear and anger.
"It's true!" an old, familiar voice called out as the third passenger upon Sylphid appeared, hands raised.
Louise instantly recognized this visage. Of the woman who worked with her former fiancee to entrap her almost a year ago. She had no idea how to process all this. First Tabitha, now Kirche, now Guiche, and all of them tied to Fouquet?
"Sylphid and I witnessed what happened to Tabitha. If we don't hurry, who knows what will happen to her?" Fouquet urgently pleaded. Soon after, the Queen emerged from the house. Henrietta stood right beside Louise with her face adorned with a scowl at the former thief and terrorist before her.
"Agnes," Henrietta said to her musketeer that already had her pistol trained on Fouquet.
"Yes?" Agnes acknowledged.
"Arrest Fouquet," Henrietta ordered. As Agnes walked forward, keeping her pistol leveled at her prey, everyone could see the former thief's face become contorted with rage.
"We don't have time for this!" Fouquet shouted, though making no hostile moves. "Every moment we waste is a moment anything could be happening to that girl!"
"And why do you care?" Siesta interrogated, keeping her glare locked onto Fouquet.
"Because-," Foquet cut herself off as Agnes began to handcuff her and she cast her gaze downward. "I'm done being used…"
"What was that?" Louise asked as she stepped forward to better hear.
"Louise, stay back!" Siesta frantically warned as she held her arm out. Louise reached out and lowered her arm as she looked at Fouquet, who had a look on her face that Louise had never seen before. Shame.
"What did you say?" Louise asked, causing Fouquet to meet her gaze.
"I said I'm done being used," Fouquet repeated with a look of conviction. "I was used by the royal family of Albion," Fouquet shot Henrietta a withering glare, "and I was used by Fils D'Aleks who sought to turn my pain into their power and casually toss me away just the same. Well… no more. I'm going to stop him. I'm going to kill Admiral Joseph D'Orleans!"
No one knew how to respond to what she had said other than to give her looks of confusion.
"Saving Tabitha will certainly be a thorn in his side, and lead us directly to him. Regardless of what you think of me, or Tabitha, this is an opportunity we can't afford to-"
"Silence!" Henrietta ordered as she stepped forward, glaring at Fouquet. "Agnes, take her back to the capital for questioning."
"Right away!" Agnes acknowledged as she went to shove Fouquet into the plain carriage that Louise and Siesta had traveled in.
"Wait! What about Tabitha?!" Kirche pleaded with Henrietta.
"We have insufficient information to act on that. Regardless, it appears she attacked one of my knights, Siesta Sasaki, and my court lady, Louise Francois Le Blanc de la Valliere. As such this makes her an enemy of the state," Henrietta coldly declared.
Kirche looked to Henrietta in wide-eyed, desperate disbelief, "No… how could you-?"
"This isn't up for discussion. As you are not a citizen of Tristain you may do what you wish, but as for you three?" Henrietta looked to Louise, Siesta, and Guiche, "You are ordered not to pursue." Henrietta's tone carried a sharp finality to it that also bore the full weight of her authority as regent of Tristain. Louise, Siesta, and Guiche all looked taken aback by this heavy-handed order from the usually kind and gentle Henrietta. Louise was unsure of what was causing her childhood friend to act this way, but, lacking any psionics, she could not feel the fear that was driving Henrietta's actions. Nor was she aware of the plans that were forming.