Marianne's breath caught in her throat as she laid eyes on her son for the first time since her death.
Everything else fell away around her. Kururugi, Cornelia, everything. None of it mattered, only Lelouch did.
He's grown so much, She thought fondly. Even from here, separated by distance and height, she could tell that much at least. For a moment she was happy, wrapped up in a euphoric feeling of bliss, her heart melting at the sight of him. For a moment, she allowed herself to forget the circumstances of how they got here.
But the joy dimmed, and her smile faded the longer she looked. Lelouch…
He wasn't in a good way. Fallen to his knees, holding himself up clutching onto the rail of the catwalk, clearly straining in effort, murmuring to himself. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.
Just a little longer, love. She would tear through his captors before long, and they would be reunited. All would be well.
Despite all of her instincts urging her to run to Lelouch, she held back at Kururugi's side. After all, she was still Anya Alstreim, Knight of Six. She had no reason to care about Julius Kingsley outside of the mission, and Anya Alstreim did not run ahead on a sudden whim.
Instead, she let Kururugi take the lead. "Excuse me," He began softly. "I'm afraid you have something of mine.
Marianne's eyes snapped to the back of Suzaku's head, glaring daggers at his words. His? Hm. The Eleven was overstepping his bounds. Her son was nobody's, and certainly not a number's.
Cornelia, at least, was equally incensed at Kururugi's declaration. "He is not yours," The Princess hissed, clutching her sword tightly.
"The Emperor has charged me with the safety of Julius Kingsley," Suzaku said, as if he didn't hear her. "I will be taking him back."
"Safety?" Cornelia scoffed, anger flashing across her face. "Do you have any notion of what you've done to him?"
Marianne frowned. She wasn't sure what she expected from Cornelia…she never would have thought she would turn traitor, and when she learned she had captured Lelouch, a bit of worry had wormed its way into her heart. He had killed Euphie, after all.
But if Cornelia's reaction was anything to go off of, she had little to fear. This…treason was nothing more than misplaced good intentions. She only wished to save her little brother, as she always had. It wasn't her fault she knew too little of Geass to understand he was better off with Britannia, where they could watch him, where he was safe.
Still though…Cornelia wasn't a fool, and the anger in her voice was real. And what exactly did she mean by what Kururugi did to him?
"Rather well," The Knight of Seven replied calmly. "I have been at his side every day for three months, listening to his ranting and raving. I know what kind of man he is."
"He is the man you turned him into!" Cornelia screamed.
Kururugi shook his head. "The real Kingsley isn't any better. Different, yes…but no less despicable."
"Anya?" Gino whispered. "What the hell are they talking about?"
Marianned ignored him. He was no concern of hers. She watched anxiously as Cornelia's rage soared. "I was wrong to Knight you. Wrong to let you pilot the Lancelot, wrong to ever let you breathe the same air as my sister!"
Suzaku's calm mask slipped. "You betray her memory even now by siding with him!" He snarled. "You have no right-"
"Do not lecture me about my own sister," Cornelia warned coldly. "It would break her heart to see you like this. What you've become. If she were still here…"
"If she were still here, none of this would have happened," Suzaku said. "But she isn't. And there's only one reason for that."
Cornelia opened her mouth to respond, but before she had the chance, she was interrupted.
"Enough!" Lelouch screamed, and every set of eyes that could snapped to the catwalk, where Lelouch had finally managed to stand himself up, leaning heavily on the rail. He clutched his head as if he were in pain. "Su…Suzaku," He forced out through gritted teeth. "Enough…of this…this…" He fell back to his knees, shivering as he hugged himself tightly.
Marianne felt her heart break at the sound of his tortured voice. Cornelia growled. "This is your doing, Kururugi. You and my father's. And if that bastard isn't here for me to put my sword through the back of his skull…then I suppose I'll have to settle for you instead."
No, Marianne thought furiously. This isn't Charles's handiwork. It couldn't be. Yes, certain…uncomfortable choices needed to be made in order to keep Lelouch and Nunnally safe from V.V., but with how Lelouch screamed…he sounded like a dying man.
Kururugi sighed. "You are forcing my hand, your highness…" He warned.
Cornelia cocked back the rifle embedded within her sword. "You forced mine when you threw him at my father's feet."
"So be it," Kururugi muttered, and went for his sword.
Before she could fire, the Knight behind Cornelia slammed into her back, throwing off her aim. The shot went wide, and Cornelia spun around with a curse, backhanding the young Knight and sending him to the floor.
The chamber erupted into chaos, and the brief reprieve in the fighting came to an end as battle recommenced.
Get out of my way, Cornelia thought furiously, slashing down hard. The blonde Knight raised his sword to meet hers, but was forced back by the force of her blow.
"Move," She hissed in frustration. "You're keeping me from Kururugi."
"And I'll keep you from him for a little longer, if you don't mind too much," The young man smiled apologetically. "Sorry, but I can't really have you go killing a fellow Knight of the Rounds. It wouldn't be very professional of me."
"Then I'll kill you as well!" Cornelia shouted, feinting a thrust. The Knight took the bait, backing away and giving her the chance to fire a quick shot from her rifle.
The Knight's eyes went wide, but her shot missed. He quickly closed the distance, delivering a flurry of blows to keep her from trying to fire again.
Cornelia fended him off viciously, meeting each swing of his sword, but a line of sweat began to form on her brow. I'm outmatched, She realized. A Knight not even out of High School, and he's going to win at this rate.
Of course, he wasn't just any Knight, was he? He was a Knight of the Rounds. She was good with a sword, but she never claimed to be a prodigy. She was a General, and while her skills as a duelist were certainly better than most, it had never been her specialty. It was taking everything she had just to keep up with the newcomer.
The Knight, by contrast, was quite comfortably setting the pace of their fight, calmly testing her capabilities, her reaction, her habits. It wouldn't be long before he had a handle on her abilities, and removed her from the fight.
The pommel of his sword slammed into the bridge of her nose, and she felt blood run down her chin. She blinked, clarity coming to her, brought on by the sudden shock of the blow.
She was trying to fight fair. Against a Knight of the Rounds.
Slowly, she stepped away from the young Knight, careful to keep her eyes on him. The Knight regarded her with a strange look. "Not having enough fun, your highness? I can end this quicker if you like."
Cornelia watched him closely, scrutinizing him. I won't be able to overpower him, She decided. Not outright. But he seemed comfortable with his sword, and what's more, he was expecting her to continue their duel. She didn't need to overpower him. Just surprise him.
She sheathed her sword, and the Knight favored her with another puzzled look. His shoulders relaxed, and his sword dipped slightly. "If you're surrendering-"
With a yell, Cornelia ran forward. The Knight had barely enough time to widen his eyes, and take a single step back before she barreled into him, tackling him into the ground. She quickly straddled him, bringing her fist back and slamming it into his face. She reared back her fist to hit him again, but he suddenly caught her wrist, flipping over and reversing their positions.
"I don't know what's going on between you, Sir Kururugi, and Kingsley," He panted heavily. "And I can't say anything that's happened since we came to Euro Britannia has made any sense. But I have a duty, and I don't want to kill one of the Emperor's children. Please, your highness, we don't need to-"
The Knight was silenced by a savage boot kicking him in the side of the head forcefully, throwing him off of her.
A hand reached down, and Cornelia glanced up in surprise. "Malcal?"
Leila looked nervously over to the fallen Knight, who was still coming to his senses. "Maybe hurry it up a bit, your highness," She urged quickly.
Cornelia took her hand without another word, allowing herself to be pulled to her feet. The Knight staggered to his own and frowned. "I was trying to keep this from getting out of hand," He said, and for the first time since arriving, the humor had left his voice, replaced with genuine frustration. "Suzaku wants Kingsley, and he's going to kill anyone who gets in his way. Anya's gotten into one of her moods, and I…I can only do so much," He said, his voice pained with regret.
Cornelia scowled. "Then leave," She said without pity. "You are the one who chooses to fight for the Empire."
The Knight smiled sadly. "We can't all leave so easily, your highness. Besides, the Empire's flawed, but what government isn't? I can do real good as a Knight of the Rounds. I can help people."
"Suzaku thought the same thing," Cornelia warned. "He thought he was noble. That he could change the system from within. Still thinks that, as far as I know. I thought the Empire was noble too, once, but that little dream died with my sister. The Empire is as cruel a beast as any. It will consume you, heart and soul. You will give it everything you have to give, and still it will keep taking, until you are as bitter and jaded as Kururugi. And when it is done with you, the next idealistic fool will come along with the same dream, the same desire to help, and be devoured in turn. That is the nature of Empires and fools, Sir, and I say this as a General and a Princess both."
"It seems to me you're the one who's jaded and bitter," The Knight observed.
Cornelia shook her head. "For the first time in eight months, I have hope again. Hope that even now is slipping through my fingers. Think what you want, do what you want, I could care less. Kingsley is what matters to me."
"Then you're going to make me fight you?" The Knight asked with a sigh, readying his sword.
Cornelia grinned. "Not at all." Before the Knight could question her, she raised her voice. "Akito!" She called out over the sounds of the fighting. "There's a Knight after Leila!" That ought to get him running.
Sure enough, the blue haired soldier pushed himself past her, positioning himself in front of Leila. "Who is this?" He asked, his eyes locked onto the Knight.
"A threat," Cornelia answered. "Can you buy us time?"
"Leila?" Akito asked, unwilling to answer Cornelia.
"Can you hold him off?" Leila repeated.
"Sure," Akito replied, keeping his eyes on the Knight.
Cornelia nodded. "I'll get Leila clear of the fighting, if you can give me the time."
Akito's eyes narrowed. "That will not be a problem," He said evenly.
Turning, Cornelia grabbed Leila's arm and pulled her away. She pointed out the door at the other end of the room. "See there? That's where Kingsley was heading. Follow it straight out, and it'll lead out of the sewers."
Leila looked at her in disbelief. "I am not leaving while my squad-"
"Can you fight outside of a Knightmare, then?" Cornelia asked bluntly. "Against three Knights of the Rounds?" Leila was silent, and Cornelia sighed. "You'll only put yourself and your friends in harm's way if you stay." She scanned the chamber once more, and quickly picked out Yukiya nervously staying at the edge of the fighting. "Yukiya isn't much better off. Neither of your strengths lie in straight up fighting. Get him, and get yourselves out. I'll follow soon after with Akito and the rest once we have Kingsley."
"Fine," Leila spat angrily. "But I swear, if you get yourself killed after everything we've done for you…"
Cornelia laughed. "I'm touched that you're so concerned, but you have nothing to fear from me. I have no intention of being the one who dies here tonight."
She turned once more, and returned her focus to the fighting. Akito and the blonde Knight were trapped in their own duel, neither giving ground, and neither gaining an advantage either. Ryo and Ayano were holding off the two Knights Kingsley had originally been traveling with, and were doing fairly well for themselves. It didn't look like they would last too long against the trained Knights, but for now they were holding their own. The pink-haired Knight of the Rounds had gone missing, seemingly slipped away from the fighting, but Cornelia dismissed her. Most likely ran back for reinforcements. Urabe was already hurrying over to help Akito, but her eyes searched hungrily for Kururugi…
…And found him outside of the fighting, making his way to the ladder that would lead up the catwalk to Kingsley.
Her eyes widened, fear and fury gripping her heart in equal measure. Without pause, she raised up her sword, taking careful aim and firing.
The very instant the noise of her rifle discharged, Suzaku moved, and the bullet grazed the side of his head. She saw him sway for a moment, but when he turned a line of red ran down the side of his head, and little else seemed to have been done to him.
Cornelia lowered her sword in frustration. "What do I have to do to kill you?" She snarled.
Suzaku drew his own sword with a laboured breath. "When I figure that out…you'll be the first to know," He said with a wince, his free hand dabbing at the side of his head.
With a roar, she charged across the chamber, throwing herself at Suzaku and bringing her blade down hard. Suzaku caught the edge with his own sword, and diverted her blow off to the side. She lashed out with a kick, pushing him back a few feet, and she stepped back to give herself some space.
Suzaku leveled a glare at her. "It isn't enough to betray Britannia…it isn't enough to throw your life away for him…now you're helping the Black Knights as well?" He shook his head. "I wonder if there's anything you won't do for that bastard."
Cornelia darted forward, testing his speed with a few quick slashes. Even injured and dazed from her shot, the Knight of Seven countered each easily, and she was forced to once more step back. "Bold words, coming from you," She spat. "You've lowered yourself to the Emperor's attack dog."
"Jealous I took your title, then?"
With a howl of rage, Cornelia thrusted, but Suzaku was ready. He sidestepped her, smacking the back of her head with the flat off his blade. She winced in pain, stumbling back as she clutched the back of her head. "You have no right to speak of what I have done, when you've betrayed every ideal you've ever claimed to hold," She said coldly.
"Maybe," Suzaku said dismissively. "But the difference between you and I, your highness, is that I have accepted it. Resigned myself to what I am going to have to do, before my time is over. But you? You aren't thinking. You're feeling, aren't you?"
Cornelia scowled. "What the hell are you-"
"I'm right, aren't I? This…" He gestured around them. "...whole operation. The visit to Caesar's Palace, the kidnapping, all of it…all on a whim. It reeks of impulse. You discovered Kingsley's existence somehow, somewhere, entirely by chance. And instead of seeing the truth, you only saw him. Not as he is, but as you remember him. And you, ever the overprotective one, couldn't help but try and save him. So you look desperately for anyone stupid enough to go along with you, even turning to your enemies, and in the span of a couple weeks come up with this little hairbrained scheme." He leveled his sword towards her. "Am I close?"
Cornelia growled, seething quietly, unable to refute him. "That's what I thought," He continued with a sigh. "You haven't put any thought into this. You say you're prepared to accept the consequences…but you have no idea what that means. You think giving up your titles, your inheritance means anything? What will you do to save him? Really? How far are you willing to go? Who are you willing to kill? To betray? How many of your precious ideals will you stick to, as you dig yourself deeper and deeper into a hole?"
"I am not you," Cornelia insisted. "That won't be a concern."
"No?" Suzaku asked curiously. "And what happens when someone inevitably grows angered you chose to rescue him? Someone important to you. Like Schneizel, or that Knight of yours. What if they decide it's in your best interest to kill Lel…kill Kingsley?"
"It wouldn't come to that," Cornelia scoffed.
"It did for me," Suzaku said, anger slipping into his voice. "I never thought it would go so far. Never thought he would kill her, no matter what. I thought there were some lines even he wouldn't cross." He grimaced. "I was wrong. And because of that, I could never make the same mistake again. I refuse to believe anyone, is incapable of anything. So when I ask you, your highness, if you have any idea of what you're going to have to do…I don't believe you when you say you do. You're living a delusion where you can escape with Kingsley, and run off somewhere and pretend you're children again. But both of you have changed far too much. You're fighting so hard for someone who doesn't exist anymore. I wonder how long it will be until you realize that? And how much you'll lose before you do?"
"Maybe you're right," Cornelia allowed, the words causing her agony just to speak. "Maybe I haven't been thinking enough about this. Maybe…maybe I am just feeling my way through this." She scowled. "But it's been working so far…and right now, I feel very strongly like I want to shove my sword through your heart."
Suzaku sighed. "Keep ignoring me, then. You'll see for yourself, sooner or later. Until then…" He gestured for her to come forward. "You're welcome to try."
Cornelia grunted and raised her sword, ready to oblige.
Then she blinked, and the world stopped making sense.
Where Suzaku had been standing only seconds ago, Akito had taken his place, looking equally confused. "I don't…" She shook her head, turning around. All around the chamber, it was the same. The fighting had stopped for a moment as everyone seemed to have swapped places, except for her.
Geass. It had to be Geass somehow. That was the only explanation. But how did it work? Why wasn't she affected? And who was the user?
Cornelia didn't have the time to think before someone she saw Suzaku charging at her out of the corner of her eye. She quickly darted out of the way, keeping her eyes glued to the Knight. Somehow after getting moved, he must have lost his sword.
And gotten more reckless as well. Charging at her like that was a stupid move, especially if he didn't have his sword. Still…she wasn't going to argue with it.
Narrowing her eyes, Cornelia readied herself for a fight.
Marianne kept away from the brunt of the fighting, sticking to the edge of the wall. Nobody would be paying attention to her swept up in all the chaos, and besides, she had other matters to deal with. The last thing she needed was getting caught up with irritating distractions.
Not while her son waited for her.
She watched Cornelia leave the eleven to deal with Gino, eager to get past him so she could take her vengeance out on Suzaku.
A smile tugged at the edge of her lips. It was good seeing her so devoted to her brother, so furious on his behalf…if only she could better direct her anger. Still, she was proud of Cornelia. She had come a long way from the young captain of her guard that Marianne remembered. So fanatically loyal to her. So eager to please her hero.
And now look at her…rejecting her titles for Lelouch's sake, breaking into and kidnapping a highly prized military advisor, drawing swords against not one, but three Knights of the Rounds. Four, counting her and Anya separately.
It'd be awe inspiring if it weren't so foolish.
It will all be over soon. Gino could handle himself against the number, and Suzaku ought to know better than to kill a Princess, even a traitor like Cornelia. If not, she could always step in herself before things went too far. Lelouch would be safe in their hands once more, and Cornelia would come around eventually, once she understood, and her little Europian friends were dealt with handily.
Marianne turned. Two ladders lay at opposite ends of the chamber, leading up to the catwalk where Lelouch sat curled up in the center. Cornelia had gone to stop Suzaku from climbing one end…so all she needed to do was climb the other.
It took no time at all to reach the ladder, hugging the wall to avoid being drawn into the fighting. With a huff, she quickly climbed to the top, and with a final look down to ensure no one had seen her and decided to stop her, Marianne finally turned towards her son.
A smile spread across her face as she slowly stepped toward the center of the catwalk. It's been so long…
It was nice to see him dressed in Britannian garb as well. The only pictures she had before now were all in a peasants school uniform. She was glad the Ashfords had sheltered him and Nunnally, of course, but they didn't live at all in a means that fit their station.
As she drew closer, she bent down, slowly reaching out a hand…
And then Lelouch looked up, meeting her eyes. And Marianne froze.
In that moment, understanding came to her. Until then, she could ignore it. The volatile nature of Kingsley, the tortured scream from earlier…but looking in his eyes, she saw someone looking back. Someone that was not her son.
Only then did it occur to her that Lelouch's state might have been quite a bit more dire than she had believed.
Marianne met her son's eyes and saw a fractured soul looking at her in turn. Unfamiliar, shattered, almost fearful. Agony and confusion warred against each other, each fighting to make itself known on his features. He wasn't anything at all like the others who had been placed under her husband's Geass. This wasn't just a simple matter of him breaking free every now and again. Lelouch…he was dying.
She thought…she thought Charles had it under control. She knew there were issues, of course, but nothing that couldn't be fixed. So Lelouch resisted his father's Geass more than they were expecting. So what? He was her son, after all, a bit of stubbornness was all but assured.
But she had thought that was all it was. Charles assured her he had it handled. That Lelouch was safest placed under his Geass.
We were wrong, Marianne thought with a dawning horror, a pit beginning to form in her stomach. She should have realized it sooner. After so many repeated applications of Charles's Geass, it was starting to take a serious toll on Lelouch. No, it already had taken its toll.
She didn't know how bad it was, or how far it had gone, but looking at him hunched over the floor, staring up at her with frantic eyes that belied a fractured mind…she knew something was deeply wrong with her son.
Charles needs to be told. There was no way he knew how bad it really was. He couldn't know. God, this was why she should have been allowed to see Lelouch sooner! Her son was dying, or going insane, or-or worse, and only now was she finding out!
What…what happened? How could this be allowed to happen?
She stood there, frozen in shock at the sight of him. Unable to move, unable to act, as trapped as she was whenever Anya was in control.
She had fought countless battles, conquered nations, faced death a thousand times, even died…but never before had she been so frozen by fear as she was now looking at her son. At what he had become.
It wasn't Charles' fault. He was right, this was the safest thing they could do for Lelouch. Otherwise, V.V. might catch on. No, he needed to be placed under Geass for his own protection. But they hadn't counted on him being so resilient. It was killing him, breaking his mind…
Damn it Lelouch, She thought, tears absently beginning to form under her eyes. Why…why did you have to be so stubborn?
Leila wasted no time once the Princess turned away, and took off running for Yukiya as quickly as she could, careful to stay away from the fighting.
Cornelia had a point, loathe as she was to admit it. The simple fact was that neither she nor Yukiya were equipped to fight in close quarters against five Knights, and without their Knightmares to boot. They would be more of a hindrance than a help if they stayed, and besides, they could still secure the exit for the others if nothing else.
Yukiya was still trapped in hesitation, unable to do much of anything outside of watch. She saw the anger in his eyes, his desire to do something, anything for his friends.
Seizing her chance, she grabbed his wrist. He jumped in surprise, and tried to pull away before he realized who it was. "Leila? What are you doing?"
"We need to go," Leila answered. "Now."
His face twisted in confusion. "What? I'm not leaving the others-"
"We aren't leaving them behind," Leila cut in. They didn't have the time to argue. "But while neither of us can do much here, we can at least make sure the exit is secured."
"But-" Leila cut him off again, dragging him along as she ran towards the door. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him look back towards the others, but he allowed her to lead him away.
She let go of his arm, and with a grunt of exertion threw open the heavy door, shutting it tight once again when Yukiya followed her in. "What now?" He asked bitingly, crossing his arms.
"Check your map," She ordered. "Make sure we're still on track."
Yukiya sighed, but obeyed, and after a few moments gave her an answer. "It isn't far now," He said. "A few minutes if we ran. The exit will take us to one of the main city roads, which will be good for throwing off Kururugi and anyone else who knows we're here. Better yet, it's right outside the train station as well."
"How long do we have until Anna's train gets here?"
Yukiya frowned as he checked the time. "It should be here by now, that isn't the issue. The problem is, it's scheduled to leave in about twenty minutes."
Leila grimaced. "Then we'll have to hope the others can get out fast enough."
"That's it?" Yukiya blurted. "We can't help them? Try to…to…" He trailed off, unable to think of something.
"Try to what?" Leila said with a sigh. "We can't help them, Yukiya." An idea came to her, and her eyes widened. "At least…not in there." She turned to Yukiya. "You…didn't happen to bring any explosives, did you?"
Yukiya scoffed. "Of course I did. Why?"
A grin slowly began to spread across her face. "Because, if we can't help them out there…we can try to from here."
"How?"
Already, her mind was racing. "When they break away from the fight," She began. "And they will manage to break away…Kururugi isn't just going to let them run off with Kingsley. They're going to pursue. But…not if there's nowhere for them to follow."
A look of understanding dawned on Yukiya. "You want to cut them off after the others are safe."
Leila nodded. "Can we do it?"
"We'd have to use some of the smaller yield stuff," Yukiya said. "But it shouldn't take long to set up."
"In that case," Leila grinned. "Let's not waste any time."
Shesthaal watched as chaos unfolded throughout the chamber. He watched as his Geass played hell on the senses of both sides fighting over Kingsley, turning friend against friend. He watched it all, and when all hell had truly broken loose, he moved.
His men followed, or what was left of them. Between those he left at the rendezvous, and those the Black Knight had slain, he had only three trailing behind him loyally.
It didn't matter. If he had three men or thirty, it wouldn't change a thing.
He had hoped to capture Kingsley, and bring him back to the Prince as a surprise, to impress him by surpassing expectations. He had held onto that vain hope as they entered the station, and even as they chased Kingsley into the sewers.
But the hope had vanished now, and he was forced to face facts. Three Knights of the Rounds were now a part of the equation, and Kururugi had brought every officer in the city to surround the building, and had put them on high alert. The only chance they had of getting Kingsley involved using his Geass to kill Kururugi and the other Knights, then try to fight their way out of Westminster back to the rendezvous. Difficult, almost suicidal, but not impossible.
Only, those weren't their orders. Their orders were to learn whatever they could about Kingsley, and ensure Kururugi didn't take him if possible without drawing attention to the Prince. Shesthaal had already sent Zeke back with the picture, completing the first of their objectives. But killing Kururugi and the others…the loss of three Knights of the Rounds would spark an OSI investigation, and would almost certainly lead back to Schneizel somehow. No, getting Kingsley was out of the question.
For them, at least.
Shesthaal paused in the middle of the chamber, watching quietly as he contemplated what he was about to do.
He could leave. Kururugi and Cornelia were as of yet unaware of his presence. He and his men could simply take another path out of the sewer before linking up with the others, and go back to Zilkhstan. Go back home.
And face his father as an oathbreaker.
Shesthaal grimaced. I refuse. He was a scion of the noble House of Forgnar! Never had he broken a contract before, and he would not do so now. Not even if it ended in his death.
He sighed, accepting his fate, before glancing at the Princess. I could remove my Geass from her and her companions, give them the chance to take Kingsley and escape. It would keep him away from Kururugi, as they were instructed…but someone would have to buy them the time to get away.
Well, Shesthaal thought grimly, walking over to the Princess. There are worse ways to die.
Wound up splitting this chapter in two as it got WAY too long, but trust me, that wound up being a good thing.
Because, I actually have good news! As of posting this, up to chapter 21 has been completely written! I made a HUGE amount of progress in between the last chapter and now. I still want to do a couple more chapters, and after that I need to finish planning, but if my pace continues it shouldn't be very long at all before I can go back to weekly posting, though to be clear, I'm not switching YET.
Trust me, I don't like waiting between chapters either, lol. I'm very happy with my progress, and I hope to get things back to normal soon.
Thank you for reading, and if you enjoyed it then please leave a comment! It's very gratifying, reading through them all!
Next Chapter: Sunday, March 9th