My work schedule has changed so I'm adjusting my posting schedule. So for now my weekly updates will be on Mondays, with a second update at the end of the week.
Chapter One: Part Eleven
Astraea, her siblings, and their forces arrived back to the capital to a hero's welcome. They found themselves in an impromptu parade, with citizens cheering and throwing confetti at them. They were given bouquets of flowers, plush toys, Potch, they were even gifted daggers and shields. It was an overwhelming showing of support from their people.
But Astraea couldn't find any joy in it. Not just from the spoils they had already gotten from the battle (as the Unicorn Blades had ended up taking almost nothing) but she couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling inside of her that something wasn't right. But overall her siblings were also mostly stoic about everything. The only ones who seemed happy with the parade were Philomena and Denzel.
The procession from the gates of Blutkrieger to Eisenblütig took almost two hours, and Astraea was disheartened to not see their father greet them in the fortress's front courtyard. Albert however was there to greet them with his usual peculiar smile. "Welcome back, Your Highnesses," he greeted them pleasantly. "His Majesty King Franz awaits you all in the Onyx Chamber for your debriefing."
"Does His Majesty know that we were victorious, Sir Albert?" Brendan asked as he dismounted.
"Yes, Prince Brendan," Albert told him. "We wishes to have an audience with you all this instant."
"Can we not rest first?" Philomena asked. "We fought an Alliance warship, handled the aftermath, and traveled here without rest."
"I would like to see the King," Astraea said, stepping forward. "There's something important I need to discuss with him."
Albert glanced at her and his brow rose slightly. "Of course, Princess. Please, all of you follow me."
The Royals started to head into the castle. Astraea followed behind her siblings but something caught her arm. She turned to her left and saw Kion standing there, piercing her with his usual hard gaze. "Don't," he said curtly.
"Don't what?" Astraea asked.
"It's inappropriate for you to float around conspiracy theories," Kion told her. "Especially after we slew 500 Alliance soldiers in battle."
"I have to tell him, Kion," Astraea said harshly. She tried to pull her arm free but her held her fast. "It's not a conspiracy—"
"You suffered a traumatic event," Kion interjected. "But your trauma is clouding your judgment. Your trauma will lead to more problems. You need to harden yourself against tragedy, as we all must."
"Kion—!"
"Do you think you're the only person who's witnessed something awful?!" Kion snarled. "Because you haven't! Trauma affects the mind in precarious ways, and if you don't handle your trauma properly then it will create problems for other people! Stop with this nonsense before you really cause problems!"
"Let me go!" Astraea snapped, grinding her teeth and glaring at him. "Take your hand off me right now, Brother!"
"Prince," Gwenette said quietly. Her hands were clasped in front of her, but she otherwise did not move.
"Let her go now, Kion."
Both siblings jumped at Brendan's harsh tone. Astraea gaped in shock to see their eldest brother standing there, glaring at Kion. "This is disgraceful behavior of both a soldier and a prince," he said, his tone uncompromising. "Get yourself under control and stop manhandling our youngest sibling. Our soldiers and servants are watching you!"
Kion abruptly let Astraea go. Without another word he stormed past them and towards Eisenblütig. Gwenette hurried after him. "You need to do better," Brendan admonished her when she walked past him. She flinched at his words and stopped in her tracks. "You're his assist, but you should also be guiding him."
"You don't get to tell my assist what to do, Brother," Kion snapped, moving back towards him. "Anything you want to say to me about how I conduct myself, you can say to my face."
"I already did," Brendan told him coldly. "I'm telling Gwenette because it is her role. And what I have been saying to you has made no difference."
Kion's eyes narrowed into slits and his nostrils flared. "We're not going to be lectured by you of all people of what the proper role of an assist should be."
Astraea saw Brendan visibly tense, and a dark shadow crawled down his face. A cold chill shivered down her spine. What? What? What does that mean? What is Kion talking about?
Kion turned to walk away again, but he stopped when he found Yasmine in his path. Her expression was stormy, and she looked poised to strike.
"Let him pass, Yasmine," Brendan told her.
Yasmine moved aside without hesitation. Kion and Gwenette quickly headed into Eisenblütig. In the Great Hall however, he saw Sigrun waiting there with Ferdinand. "What do you want?" he demanded.
"I heard that you put your hands on Astraea," Sigrun said in a dangerous tone, her eyes narrow. "Care to explain yourself, Kion?"
"I-It wasn't like that, Princess," Gwenette defended him, moving to stand between the two royals. "Kion did not get violent with Princess Astraea!"
Sigrun's eyes did not leave Kion. "And if I ask Astraea later she will confirm this?"
"I don't give a damn what she tells you," Kion said sharply.
"Oh, you should," Sigrun said in a dark tone, her frown deepening. "Because, Little Brother, if I find out you got physical with Astraea…I'll break every bone in your hands."
Sigrun then abruptly turned and walked away, Ferdinand following behind her. Kion clenched his jaw and his fists. I don't get it. I don't get it! She was there! She saw it! She saw it, and she will defend Astraea even now?!
Brendan turned to Astraea as Yasmine approached. "Are you all right, Astraea?"
Astraea nodded stiffly. "Thank you, Brother."
"Kion's method was impudent," Brendan said. "But he was right. You will not tell His Majesty your theory."
"W-What?!" Astraea exclaimed. "Why not?!"
"Because your sense of touch is not evidence," Brendan said bluntly. "You need more than something you experienced during a traumatic event to present to the King. Do you have anything other than your brief contact?"
Astraea didn't. All she had was her memory and a sinking feeling. A hard lump formed in her throat and she ducked her head, but she said nothing.
"We're officially at war with the Bianca Alliance," Brendan reminded her. "We just sank one of their large warships. And your assassination attempt was a catalyst for this war. If word gets out that about your apprehensions, what exactly do you think will happen?"
Astraea knew that it would not be good, so she continued to remain silent.
"So you understand," Brendan observed. "Then you know to keep silent, Astraea. Now, let's go. We're keeping His Majesty waiting."
Astraea walked ahead of them. "Kion will pay for what he said," Brendan said. "Not with his life, but I will make sure that he will not get away with it."
"There's no need, Your Highness," Yasmine said calmly. "We are at war, and we must set aside all differences."
Brendan nodded, but he allowed one last word. "For Kion's bravado…this is exactly what Gwenette fails to do for him."
The royal siblings reached the Onyx Chamber and reported to King Franz. Their father was standing on his dais and looked thrilled to see them. "I have heard, my children," he said. "You successfully sank a warship of the Bianca Alliance, and you did it without losing a single soldier! I am proud of all of you!"
"Astraea did it," Denzel quickly spoke up, pointing to her. "She used her True Rune to sink it!"
Something flickered in King Franz's expression that faintly looked like displeasure, but it came and went so quickly that Astraea wasn't certain if it had been there. But then King Franz fixed his eyes on Astraea and smiled. "Well done, Astraea. You are like a phoenix; rebirth from tragedy and triumphing in battle."
The rare praise stunned Astraea. She swallowed thickly and saluted again. "T…Thank you, Your Majesty," she said. "I appreciate hearing that."
"Do you have anything else to report?" Albert spoke up from his usual position.
Astraea felt her siblings' eyes on her. For a moment she debated if she should speak up or stay silent. But she knew what was the right thing to do. "There was—"
"The Unicorn Blades," Brendan interjected, raising his voice to talk over Astraea. "Those scavengers tried to raid our camp during the cleanup."
"Pigs," King Franz spat out. "Did you get that bastard Rowd once and for all?"
"Not this time unfortunately, Your Majesty," Vahan said. "But he abandoned his men as he usually does."
"Thieves are bad enough," King Franz rasped. "But to have a disgraced foreign soldier come into MY country and commit crimes is unforgivable!"
"I would suggest that we raised his reward and distribute it in Honigmilch, Your Majesty," Albert offered. "The mercenaries will go after him rather quickly after that."
Honigmilch was the second largest city in Zelant and it was the primary headquarters of the Mercenary Brigades and the Magic Guild. The city ran almost like its own separate country; the lordship was always decided through combat and not through lineage. The current lordship of Honigmilch was Richard, a former mercenary who like Norma and Ernst had fought for the Loyalist Army during the Falenan Civil War.
"Done," King Franz agreed, looking at Albert briefly before looking at the royal siblings once more. "The Council of Five sent one of their own to try and land at Potsfurt yesterday. Dawa denied him entry, but he threatened her. We will be planning on deploying more troops to the northwest to meet this threat."
"Which member of the Council of Five tried to come here, Your Highness?" Kion asked.
"Lord Regulus Cairo."
"Lord Regulus?" Sigrun asked, making a face. "If the Council was serious about having a discussion with us, why would they send him?"
"To prove that they WEREN'T serious about having a discussion with us," Brendan said.
Astraea had heard of Regulus Cairo, and that he was the youngest member of the Alliance's Council of Five. It surprised her though how her siblings looked down on him, when he was close to Kion in age and yet held the highest office in the Bianca Alliance. But she knew there were bigger things they needed to worry about. "Your Highness—" she tried again.
"Kion, I'm going to be sending your forces to the northwest to assist Dawa with the defense of the city," King Franz said. "You'll deploy tomorrow."
"If I may, Your Majesty," Kion spoke up. "Our forces just returned here after battle. I would like to request to give my soldiers an extra day of reprieve to rest them."
"Kion," King Franz said sharply, his eyes narrowing. "Your soldiers do not need rest from a battle that Astraea did most of the work for." He jabbed his finger at her. "The defense of this country is important. When this hearing ends, go and get your troops organized."
Kion visibly locked his jaw, but he saluted his father without hesitation. "Yes, Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty!" Astraea spoke up, stepping forward. "Your Majesty, why not send my forces to Potsfurt? Dawa is my assist, we can work together to—"
"You are going to stay here, Astraea," King Franz interjected. "And as we have explained to you, Dawa is not your assist any longer. You bear a True Rune, and thus do not need an assist."
"I—"
"You whined about not wanting to go to battle before, and now you're pushing to go to battle?!" King Franz demanded. "Make up your mind, foolish child!"
Astraea flushed with embarrassment. She did not recall "whining" to King Franz about not wanting to face the warship. She debated if she should talk back to her father, apologize, or stay silent. Ultimately she decided to keep silent.
"Is there anything else you all need to report?" King Franz asked.
"Astraea needs to tell you something!" Denzel blurted out. Brendan and Kion quickly glared at him.
"Oh?" King Franz looked at Astraea. "What is it, Astraea?"
Astraea looked up then, but as she opened her mouth King Franz continued. "What is so important that you need to say to me that your brother has to prod you to tell me?"
The coldness of his tone made her feel small once more. But she straightened her posture and swallowed. "I think…something is wrong," she said.
"'Wrong'? Wrong with what?"
"The u-uniforms," Astraea said. "Between the—the butchers and the soldiers we fought. There was a…difference."
"A difference?" Albert's tone rose slightly in shock, as did his brow. "How so, Your Highness?"
"Texture, Sir Albert," Brendan interjected. "Astraea thinks the uniforms don't feel the same."
"Oh?" Albert relaxed very slightly and forced a smile. "Is that all, Princess? You should know that uniforms are going to feel different on people."
"The cloth was different," Astraea said. "The texture wasn't—"
"Astraea," King Franz said, shaking his head. He had a look of disappointment on his face. "This is the big thing you had to tell me? I would have thought that you needed to tell me something important."
Astraea's mouth dropped open in shock. Before she could say anything King Franz turned away. "If there is nothing else then you are all dismissed. Kion, go and ready your troops."
Kion stormed out of the Onyx Chamber before King Franz departed. Aravine gave Gwenette's arm a reassuring squeeze and the latter forced a smile at her before hurrying after her charge.
"I told you not to bring it up!" Brendan rasped at Astraea before storming off. Yasmine spared her a glance that looked like pity but left without another word.
Philomena hurried over to Astraea and touched her arm. "It's fine, let it go," she said quietly before hurrying off with Aravine. Vahan only gave her a nod before leaving with Kerime.
"Should I have brought up the finish on the gauntlets?" Ferdinand asked Sigrun quietly.
"It's fine," Sigrun said before approaching Astraea. She forced a smile at her youngest sister. "I heard Kion manhandled you earlier. Are you all right?"
Astraea was stunned by the question and shook her head. "H-He didn't manhandle me. He just held my arm."
"Good," Sigrun said. "I'd hate to break every bone in our brother's hands."
"What?" Astraea asked, but Sigrun suddenly threw an arm around her shoulders. "Come, we're going to the market. Mr. Mooney is moving on to a new city so today is his last day open."
"O-Okay…"
Denzel watched them go. Musashi glanced at him. "Prince?" he said discreetly.
Denzel nodded to him. "Do it."
Mooney was a whittler who made wooden figurines of heroes from past wars. He was world famous for his realistic-looking figurines, and his name gained greater notoriety after he participated in the Nagarean Civil War. He was known for not staying in the same place for long, no matter how successful his shop was in a given city, because he wanted his figurines to reach a wider audience.
"Damn," Sigrun muttered as they entered the shop. "He was cleaned out!"
Astraea looked around the small shop. Six glass cases lined the east and west walls, three on each side, and all six were empty. At the front counter was a glass case in front of the register with one solitary figurine in the center of the case. Astraea smiled as she peered into the case, because she knew the figurine was of the whittler himself.
"Oh, what a treat!" a man's voice floated from the back. Astraea straightened to see a man in his early fifties approach from the back room door. He was a man in his early fifties, who wore a round pale blue hat on his red head and had gleaming blue eyes. He wore a white shirt with a blue vest and his hands were covered in callouses to the tips of his fingers. He smiled at them brightly. "Princess Sigrun, Princess Astraea, and Lord Ferdinand have come to my shop!"
"Just Ferdinand is fine, Mr. Mooney," Ferdinand said.
"We heard that you're leaving tomorrow," Sigrun said. "But it looks like you sold all but one figurine."
"Yes, I'm having a difficult time selling my own visage," Mooney sighed, gesturing to his own figurine in the case. "It's a work of art, but perhaps the prices has scared people off."
"How much is your figurine, Mr. Mooney?" Astraea asked him.
"20,000 Potch," Mooney said. Astraea choked in shock but Mooney shrugged. "I need to charge more for the amount of time and dedication I put into it. Alas, I've sold all but this one."
"I apologize Mr. Mooney, but Their Highnesses don't carry that much Potch on them at a time," Ferdinand said.
"Understood. I wish I had more to offer you both. Particularly you, Princess Astraea."
Astraea smiled at him. "Which city are you moving on to now, Mr. Mooney?"
"I haven't decided yet. I'll probably wander Zelant a little more before moving on to the Western Continent. I'm certain I'll see you again."
Astraea nodded. "I hope so."
They left the shop and Sigrun nodded towards the blacksmith. "I'll pay to have your knout raised in level. What's its current level?"
"Two," Astraea said. "Thank you, Sister."
"You've had a terrible time, Astraea. Our father may not have much sympathy for what you've been through, but that doesn't mean that your trauma should be brushed aside. Let me spoil you for a little while."
"I appreciate it." Astraea hesitated for a moment before she spoke. "Should I have stayed quiet about the uniforms?"
Sigrun shook her head. "If you have a concern, then you should be able to express your concern. Remember; that man isn't just the king. He's our father. You shouldn't be afraid to talk to our father, Astraea."
"Your Highness," Ferdinand said quietly.
"Right," Sigrun said, nodding. She looked at Astraea. "Ferdinand wanted to share something with you, Astraea."
"Really?" Astraea looked at him. The kobold warrior looked uncertain for a moment before meeting her gaze. "Princess," he said. "It's not my place, and the other royals have not shown concern, but I wanted to share with you my own observation."
"Okay," Astraea said. "What did you see, Ferdinand?"
He motioned to her to move closer. Astraea did so and Ferdinand leaned in close. He whispered so softly thought she almost didn't hear him. But she did hear him.
"The finish. The polish that was used on the gauntlet we found from the assassins. It was a different scent from the polish finish that was used by the soldiers we fought."
Denzel looked over his shoulder towards the closed door. He didn't hear anyone approach. He turned back to Musashi, his arms folded over his chest. The ninja was seated at a small round table, holding two identical white gauntlets in each hand. They looked so similar that Denzel didn't know which one they had found on the island, and which one they had brought back from the recent battle. "Well?" Denzel asked.
Musashi looked up and set both gauntlets on the surface of the table. "Would you like the good news or bad news first, Prince?"
It was late in the night. Astraea heard activity in the distance, no doubt from Kion's forces getting ready to depart. She sat very still on her bed, still dressed in her red dress. She was looking down at her knout in her hands. Her stomach was churning, as it had been for the last few days. She was still uneasy but now she felt…discontented.
Something isn't right. I just know it. But—But I'm the only one who's saying anything!
After a few moment she nodded with resolution and stood. "I'm going to talk to him," she announced to her empty bedroom. "I'm going to go see my father."
She knew that King Franz always worked deep into the night and usually did not retire to bed until two or three in the morning. So she knew that he would be in his office at this point. She slipped out of her bedchambers and nodded to the soldiers watching her door. "As you were," she said with a smile. "I'm going for a walk."
"Shall we accompany you, Your Highness?" one asked.
"I'm not going outside so an escort is unnecessary."
The two soldiers nodded and remained as they were as she departed. Her footsteps echoed down the corridors and she didn't see her siblings anywhere. She hadn't even spoken to Denzel since she had returned to Eisenblütig. But she knew that her brother would agree with her concerns. She needed to convince her father to agree to her concerns.
If I talk to him…if I can convince him that something isn't right. Then maybe…?
She didn't know. She was questioning everything. Most importantly whether or not the Bianca Alliance had anything to do with the deaths of Milo, Barrett, Ritta, and all the other kids. It was something so small, but her gut was telling her something was wrong. She sighed quietly and tears stung her eyes as she thought of her half-siblings. They hadn't known each other for long, but she really did care about them. She would go as far as to say that she loved them. Honestly, she loved all of her siblings. It didn't matter to her that they had different mothers, or that some of her half-siblings were nobles and others were commoners. They shared the same father. They shared the same blood.
And three of them were murdered. I need to get justice for them. For ALL of them. But…
She stopped in her head and exhaled sharply. "But," she said aloud. "We need to get justice the right way."
With this resolution she continued on to her father's office. She was stunned to see no guards on duty in front of his office. She looked around the empty corridor and then back at the double doors. She heard voices inside the office and relief flooded her body. He's in there!
Astraea moved to stand in front of the door. She raised her hand to knock, but King Franz's shout caught her off-guard. "You said you had everything covered!"
Astraea froze, and lowered her hand. "You said that this would be clean! But there are outliers, Albert! How could you be so careless?!"
Instead of knocking, Astraea pressed her ear to the door and decided to continue to listen. She was glad to have done so…but also not glad.
"Your Majesty, I must ask you to lower your voice," Albert responded to King Franz. His tone was more subdued. "Discretion is vital—"
"Discretion? DISCRETION?!" King Franz hollered. "She survived, Albert! She wasn't supposed to survive! None of them were! She was the most disposable, that's why we chose her!"
W…What? Astraea's eyes widened and her lips soundlessly formed the word.
"Your Majesty, we had no way of knowing that a True Rune was hibernating on that island!" Albert protested. "Do you not think that had I known that it was there that I would have brought you there?"
"But she found it, Albert! She found it and it chose HER! Not me! She survived, she's a witness, and because she's a witness she is stirring up trouble!"
They were talking about her. Astraea's throat paralyzed in shock, but King Franz continued. "You said the Bianca Alliance had a True Rune! That's the whole reason we started this damn war, Albert!"
"Our intelligence said that they do, Your Majesty. We have every reason to believe that—"
"I killed THREE OF MY CHILDREN over the belief that they have a True Rune!" King Franz roared. "I was willing to sacrifice Genevieve's last child because of this! Because YOU told me that they had a True Rune! Do you think my children or my people would go to war for me to get me a True Rune, Albert?!"
Astraea's breaths came out in quick, shallow bursts. But it was Albert's next words that shattered her mind.
"No, Your Majesty. No…they would not. That is why we did this in the first place to convince them to go to war. That is why we arranged the assassination plot."
The next chapter will be up by tomorrow night.
