First up, I'm aware this story has become something of a massive slow burn. Hope you guys don't mind that. I view it as something to binge read.
Secondly, be sure to vote in the poll over on my profile page or leave a PM/review if you haven't already!
Which Familiar of Zero girl would you like to see visit Michael's world? Your vote will shape the story's future!
...
Viscount Wardes' agents carry out his plot to abduct Princess Henrietta from the safety of Tristania Palace.
With the palace guards few in the dead of night, it falls to Tabitha and Kirche to save Tristain's future queen!
Tristania - Part VI - Abduction
Stopping in front of the large double doors leading into Henrietta's chambers, Elisa's breath quickens, growing laboured. Stepping inside quickly, she closes the door behind her and quietly locks it with the master key she was entrusted by Miranda.
Although the young maiden tries her hardest to appear tranquil and cheerful, the same cannot be said of her heart. It races like that of a trapped deer, terrified and frantic. Sweat beads from her forehead whilst fear and uncertainty wrack her body. She struggles to conceal a sob, one that nearly gives her away with its loudness. Tears well in her eyes, threatening to spill with every passing heartbeat.
Miranda is only a room away, after all, and the smallest of noises will call her attention.
And so, Elisa dries her eyes, presses a hand to her chest to calm her faltering breath, and draws a heavy breath through her nose. She then brings her feelings into a twisted little ball in her stomach and forces a wide smile for all the world to see - a façade constructed of misery and deceit.
"Oh, Elisa, you are here," the princess whispers with some surprise when she steps from the shadows of her sleeping chambers to greet the maid. "Here I thought you would have returned to your quarters already."
The young maid bows her head respectfully and offers a little curtsey before returning with a faint grin.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I was asked to check on you before retiring to bed," Elisa replies in a calm, contented, and dutiful tone. Then, she reaches into the pocket of her robes retrieves the Necklace of Holler, and slips the thing around her neck. "What's more, I also wished to show you my new necklace. Pray tell, do you like it?"
A wide, almost too-bright smile from the princess answers the girl's question.
"It looks adorable on you, Elisa," she replies with a small nod. And then she casts a thoughtful glance to the side, her lips pursing into a small frown. "Though... Where, might I ask, did you come across such a magnificent ornament?"
Elisa knows she must stay strong. In fact, she is truly surprised to have thus far managed to keep it up, given the enormity of what she must do.
"...It is an... heirloom given to me by Father, his last gift to me before disappearing as he did," the girl decides with a heavy heart, the lie causing a deep and painful ache in her chest. "My family are poor folk, yes, but we do have this treasured keepsake."
Under the cover of midnight's veil and the dim candlelit room, the dark jewel begins to give off the faintest of pulses, the darkness around them seeming to deepen with each flicker.
"...I see... It is lovely."
Henrietta, her purple eyes focused on the gothic-style jewellery piece adorning her maid's neck, slowly raises a hand toward it, as though entranced.
"What is it, Your Highness?" Elisa asks, attempting to force her tense voice into a pleasant tone. "Has something caught your eye?"
The young royal's hand hovers just before the gem. Slowly, ever so gently, she reaches forth. She brushes its surface with her fingers...
"It's glowing," she observes as a dreamy, almost hypnotised expression fills the girl's eyes. "And feels so very warm to the touch..."
"You needn't worry, Your Highness, please," the girl responds kindly. But it does not ring with truthfulness as her words usually do. The girl draws closer. The candlelight of Henrietta's bedside table darkens to a cold blue as the jewel's pulse intensifies.
Henrietta, whose senses have since dulled under the strength of the necklace's strange, malevolent powers, remains entirely captivated. The young lady utters not a word, her gaze transfixed by the evil pulsating jewel.
"Just give into it, Princess: So this doesn't have to be any harder for me..." Elisa utters with a whisper, a single teardrop leaking down her cheek and staining the floor beneath her feet. "Just focus on the pretty gem and let it flood your mind."
Felix didn't tell the maid that Holler's Necklace held the ability to ensnare the senses, only to absorb the magic of those near it. It's ability to do the former, however, is as clear as as the morning sun in Summer. And Henrietta's enchantment is profound.
The royal's maid hesitates, however. Her eyes scan across her princess's gorgeous face, feelings of hopelessness and regret rushing through her body. She grits her teeth in silent frustration and closes her eyes. Then, clenching a shaking fist, Elisa pushes ahead with the rest of her master's plan.
"...Now, I want you to get up and walk with me to the palace gardens. There, you will venture into the hedge maze and wait at its centre until my... friend, collects you," the maid instructs her mistress with a heavy, trembling heart.
Henrietta's brows briefly knit in the middle at the command as if for a brief moment she would refuse the request.
Then, with a lazy blink, her will melts and her concern fades away.
"...Yes, I will do as you say, Elisa..." she finally utters in a dream-like tone.
"Good, then let us go," the white-haired girl commands, hints of authority and shame lacing her voice.
Offering Princess Henrietta her hand, she continues, "Please take my arm, and if anyone asks where you are going at this hour, tell them that you are feeling a little unwell - that you need to clear your thoughts out in the gardens."
With an obedient nod, the princess latches her dainty hand atop Elisa's, seemingly trusting completely and without question. Together, after Elisa gets up and unlocks the door, the future queen and her servant exit the bedchamber. Elisa then hurriedly glaces left and right to ensure the coast is clear.
"Empty," she utters with a gentle, fearful exhale.
Her grip on Henrietta's hand tightening just a fraction, the maid leads her charge down the hall.
"Follow me please, Your Highness."
"As you wish..." Henrietta agrees, the future queen doing exactly as requested with with a empty eyes.
Tabitha turns over in bed with an aroused whine and bites down hard on the corner of her lip. A thin sheen of sweat misting her face, she then curls into a ball and presses her knees to her chest. Wave after wave of sudden, intense pleasure swelling between her legs, she struggles to keep her composure.
Pleasure doubtless brought about by her shared connection with Michael: The sort of heated, sultry he and Louise do when in private together.
Throwing her sheets aside, the young lady raises her frilly blue nightgown and gazes at the aching, wettening blossom below her abdomen. Little glistening streaks stain its plush folds and the insides of her soft thighs, arousal bleeding from her moistened inner flesh.
It is hot, a maddening, torrid heat unlike any she had felt since her time at Halfway House, burning so ardently her loins feel tight, her composure melting away as though she were little more than a common harlot.
"Goddess have mercy," she pleads with a second whimper, lifting and biting down on the back of her hand in a desperate bid to remain quiet.
Beneath the bedsheets, Tabitha's taut, lewdly aroused crotch squirms and screams to be touched. Body Shivering and aching with pleasure, the urge to plunge two dainty digits inside of herself permeates her mind.
Slowly, she slips her unobstructed hand past her waist and then rolls two slender fingers against her aroused, stiffened mound, before parting its flushed outer lips with her index finger.
N-No! She cannot just please herself whenever Michael indulges his urges...!
She is Charlotte de Gallia, a mage who hails from an esteemed royal family, whose name reaches as far into the past as far as their histories go...!
And so, releasing her nightgown's hem whilst battling with every shred of restraint she can muster, the blue-haired mage bites down hard on her lip and grinds her crotch against her mattress, to stave off the urge to satisfy her baser urges.
It is here, alone, sex-starved and pitiful, that Tabitha crawls over to the edge of her bed. Here, she swings her legs over the side and lowers down onto the soberingly cold stone floor.
"I...I need some air."
Quickly adjusting her nightgown, she pushes herself onto quivering, jelly-like legs and sniffles, struggling to contain the tears of frustration threatening to dampen her face.
Slowly, and with heavy breaths, the girl makes for the door to her chamber here in the royal palace. Practically falling against the door, Tabitha clutches the knob with trembling fingers and brings it open. She takes a shaky breath, squeezing her legs together as a dull, needful throb continues to writhe inside her crotch.
And, to her surprise, she notices Princess Henrietta of all people, walking the hall with one of her dainty, white-haired maids. The petite servant holds the girl by the arm and wears an exceptionally anxious expression.
Then, just as the two pass her by, the light-haired maid makes eye contact with Tabitha and then quickens down the hall with Princess Henrietta at an increased pace.
Is the maid crying? Why would she be..?
Either way, the situation brings a suspicious twinge to the young mage's blue eyes: Her fatigue is soon overpowered by pure focus and a need for answers. So, with both a hand pressed to her bedroom wall for balance and one at her skirt to ward off more prurient instincts, the young maiden darts across to Kirche's room to seek help.
Tabitha has no time to waste, not when something about the situation she has stumbled across seems so very, very wrong.
"K-Kirche...!" Tabitha calls out as she stumbles against the door to her friend's room. She raises a pale, shaking hand to the oak surface and knocks three times in quick succession. "Wake up...!"
"What's wrong, Tabitha?" Kirche asks, opening the door and revealing herself. The voluptuous redhead is dressed in one of her usual nightgowns of dyed purple silk.
Tabitha shakes her head and steps to the side, allowing Kirche to see Henrietta and the maid she is with walking further down the hallway, toward the staircase at the end.
The two exchange glances.
"...That's strange," Kirche observes. "Why would the princess be up at this hour?"
Tabitha, however, doesn't immediately answer, instead offering her friend a short, sharp nod and raising a single finger to her lips, the signal for silence.
"...Something isn't right about this," Tabitha murmurs, her brow furrowing as her suspicions deepen.
With a knowing look, the redheaded mage steps into her room and gestures for Tabitha to follow.
"...I agree. Let me just get my wand, dear, then we shall follow them."
Tabitha simply nods whilst Kirche heads deeper inside her room. Turning back and glancing out of the doorway, the bluenette sees that Henrietta and her maid are at the far end of the hall.
Tabitha, though she knows she will surely regret it, does not wait for her companion.
Instead, she follows after the two, her eyes narrowing, her expression darkening.
Thankfully, however, Kirche soon steps out into the hall and hurries to catch up with the petite mage.
...
Tabitha and Kirche soon catch up with Henrietta and her attendant in the palace gardens. Choosing to remain in the shadows, the younger of the two has decided restraint is the best course of action.
"Stay quiet," Tabitha urges Kirche with a dainty finger pressed to her lips.
Kirche simply nods and folds her arms, a glint of concern alight in her eyes.
"It's all right, Your Majesty, you may take a seat here. I will stand guard," Henrietta's maid declares, her voice low and her eyes fixed on the entrance to the palace garden maze. "My friend should be here soon."
Henrietta takes a seat on the marble bench in the centre of the garden, looking a little lost. Her face is blank, her eyes vacant and unseeing, as if her mind were elsewhere.
"Her Majesty's expression appears... frightfully vacant," Kirche observes in a whisper, her lips lowering into a small, worried frown.
"Almost unnaturally so," Tabitha replies, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. She then points to the dark gemstone necklace that the maid wears, a deep frown crossing her delicate features. "The necklace, look at its gemstone."
Kirche follows Tabitha's gesture and peers closely at the black gem hanging around the girl's neck. A look of shock then crosses her face when she sees that the stone is pulsating. Nay, it gives off a dark, ominous glow that seems to feed into Princess Henrietta.
"Oh my...! That trinket around the maid's neck..."
"Is bewitching Her Highness," Tabitha concludes, her tone sombre.
"Yes, and we should intervene, before she comes to any harm," Kirche decrees with determination, taking a step forward and reaching for her wand.
Tabitha, however, stops her with a firm hand on her forearm.
"Not yet," she instructs the redhead sternly, her grip tightening. "We wait..."
Kirche nods in understanding, then takes a step back and returns her attention to the scene unfolding before the two. She then cracks a knowing smirk.
"...So we may uncover the mastermind behind this strange situation," she deduces in light of her best friend's reluctance, her expression hardening. "Or at the very least, wait for the palace guards to notice something is amiss."
And so, the two watch from the shadows of the garden, a cool breeze tickling their faces as they do. The minutes tick by, a sense of foreboding falling over the duo.
And at least another five more...
Kirche's face scrunches in worry.
"...They aren't coming, are they?" she then asks, her brow furrowing in frustration.
Tabitha frowns and adjusts her glasses, then sighs.
"...I suppose not," she concludes.
At that, Tabitha steps forward into the moonlight, revealing herself to the white-haired maid.
"M-Miss Tabitha...?! What are you doing here...?" the girl immediately questions with a soft, surprised gasp, her voice cracking.
"You seemed suspicious, so I followed you," Tabitha shoots back with a cold and serious frown.
The maid's eyes widen, her mouth falls open with a sharp inhale, and she stiffens. Her reaction is immediate and very telling.
"M-Miss Tabitha, please...!" she then utters in a distraught and fearful tone, her voice breaking and tears filling her eyes. "Y-You don't understand..."
Before the servant can say anything further, however, a strong gust of wind howls through the palace gardens. It whips up a cloud of leaves and dust, temporarily obscuring Tabitha's vision and sending her tumbling backwards.
A dark figure emerges from the dust, tall and powerful.
"I knew this task would be too much for you, Elisa," says a voice with an unfeeling sneer, the voice of a man. A stranger.
As the dust settles, the man, a dark hood obscuring his face, stands before the three. Henrietta, who sits on a marble bench in the middle of the gardens, has still yet to acknowledge him.
Elisa, who stands before the princess, visibly trembles.
"M-Master Felix...!" she begins in a quivering tone.
The man, Felix, silences the girl with a quick wave of his hand.
"Enough of your babbling, girl," he orders, his voice a low growl. "Focus on the task at hand..."
The white-haired maid immediately nods.
"...As you wish, sir."
Kirche, at that moment, saunters from the dark, her eyes narrowed and a wicked smirk curving her lips.
"My, my, it seems we have stumbled on quite the little conspiracy, Tabitha," she states, her tone playful yet laced with danger. "I'm beginning to think we should've brought Michael with us."
Tabitha does not answer her companion's jest. Instead, she focuses on the newcomer.
"Felix..." she repeats, her voice empty of emotion but her eyes glinting with realization. "Also known as Felix the Swift. A disgraced Albionian wind mage. An outcast."
The man, Felix, turns his attention to the two young women, a cold sneer tugging at his thin lips.
"...I expected nothing less from you, girl. Or, should I use your real name, Charlotte de Gallia...?"
Kirche, now standing protectively at Tabitha's side, gasps.
"Wait, you're a princess?!"
Tabitha doesn't respond. Instead, she stares into Felix's eyes.
"...Do you know me?" she asks him, her expression unreadable but her heart nonetheless shaken.
The hooded man merely produces a wand from within his cloak and aims it squarely at Henrietta. The white-haired servant, Elisa, lets out a shrill yelp and quickly steps in front of the princess.
"N-No Felix, you mustn't hurt-"
Felix, growling in irritation, shifts his wand from Henrietta and fires an orb of wind straight into the girl's stomach. The air swells with mana, the maid screams in agony, and a bright flash fills the gardens.
Tabitha and Kirche both shield their eyes with their arms.
When the light fades and the wind dies down, the two mages see the girl lying on the floor, writhing in pain and clutching her abdomen with a weak hand.
"...Useless commoner," Felix hisses from beneath his hood.
With another flick of his wand, the wind mage creates a strong gust, sending Elisa flying through the air and tumbling onto the lawn behind him. The girl groans in agony but doesn't rise.
Now, apparently satisfied, Felix retrains his wand upon Tabitha and takes a couple of short, measured steps forward.
"What I know about you matters not, Charlotte de Gallia," he says, his voice low and threatening. "Now, you will stand aside, or I will be forced to use deadly force."
Tabitha does not budge, staff to protect her or no.
"Why are you here?" she demands instead. "What business do you have with Henrietta?"
Felix offers a small, bitter laugh, the sound of which is like nails on a chalkboard.
Whipping out her wand from its place within her cleavage, Kirche aims at Felix.
"I suggest you answer her, lest my temper flares," she warns, her eyes sharpening and a frown tarnishing her features. "Us Zerbst women are known for our prowess, I'll have you know."
"Do it then, girl," Felix goads with a hiss. Adjusting his stance and turning his wrist. The wind whips up around him, its energies swirling around in the form of a pale cloak of sorts. "Show me."
Tabitha, recalling the spell Felix conjured moments prior as a high-level protective ward - one she has seen in one of her many tomes - implores Kirche to stand down with a concerned gaze.
"Don't, Kirche," she urges, her tone soft and her eyes pleading. "Your magic cannot penetrate his ward, and, should he deflect them, your fires might endanger Her Majesty."
The redhead lowers her wand with a reluctant sigh.
"So...what now?"
Tabitha turns to face Felix, a look of pure determination alight in her eyes.
"Felix," she calls out to him.
The wind mage's focus flickers from Kirche to her, his expression cold and his lips curved into a deep and seemingly calculating frown.
"Do you wish to die first, girl?" he asks, a cruel smirk curving his lips. "Is that what you seek?"
The bluenette remains steadfast and undeterred, however. Her eyes narrowed in resolve.
"...I wish to know-"
An explosion rings out in the distance, one so intense that it can be felt here in the palace gardens.
Tabitha turns in the direction of the noise, raising her eyes skyward.
They widen at what she finds.
One of Tristania Palace's many pillar-like towers, located atop the outer walls, has had a hole blown clean through it. Smoke and fire billow out of the ruined structure as guards scurry across the rooftops, desperately putting out the flames.
"...What in the Goddess' name...?" Kirche gasps, her face contorting in concern.
It is here that Felix aims his wand squarely at Tabitha's chest with a sinister chuckle.
"Never lower your guard, Miss de Galia," he mocks with an evil grin.
A pang of fear ripping through her, Tabitha freezes, and a flash of wind tears through the air between them. It strikes Tabitha in the chest with enough force to knock her off her feet and send her tumbling backwards. She lands hard on her back with a heavy thud, her glasses flying from her face.
Seconds pass. Tabitha's ears ring wildly and her head spins, her vision blurred and her body throbbing in pain.
"Tabitha!" Kirche cries out, kneeling beside her and pulling the smaller girl into her arms. A protective arm laced around her back, she places the bluenette's glasses on her nose.
"...T-Tabitha, are you all right?" the redhead implores her with a soft voice, her face creased with worry.
Tabitha's lips part and she groans weakly.
"I-I'm fine... Help me up please..." she whispers, her voice barely audible.
With a sharp nod, the redhead reaches for her friend's hand. She pulls her to her feet and helps her regain her balance, the bluenette's legs still shaky and uncertain beneath her.
Bells ring out across the palace, their intensity so great that they border on disorienting Tabitha, who fights with all of her strength to remain standing despite her immense pain.
Keeping an arm around Kirche for support, she lets out a wheezy cough as her eyesight falls back into focus, and locks on the hooded man standing before them.
"...The palace guards will be here soon," she manages, her voice weak but her eyes sharp.
The wind mage does not answer, instead, he adjusts his hood and takes a couple of steps toward Princess Henrietta, who still sits obliviously on the marble bench behind him.
"...No matter. One of our objectives has been accomplished this day, at least."
A pang of realization pierces Tabitha's chest like a lance of ice, and her eyes widen.
"Y-You're going to kill her...!" she gasps, taking a wobbly step forward.
Without another word, Felix lifts his free hand and snaps his fingers in the direction of Tabitha and Kirche. A hurricane of wind magic whips up in the gap between themselves and their hooded enemy. Swirling viciously, it glows with pale green light and quickly shifts into a humanoid form.
The form of a female, her being that of crystalized wind mana. Her body glimmers with otherworldly light, her long, silver hair flowing like water. And, most alarmingly, her face and physique are that of a young girl.
"W-What in the..?!" Kirche exclaims, her voice trailing off into an astonished gasp.
"...A wind elemental," Tabitha answers, her voice grim. "An infant rhyme dragon's soul."
Felix smiles wickedly.
"A spirit familiar, yes. And she has a job to do."
With a flick of his wrist, the girl rises to her feet. Lifting a dainty arm into the air, she whips up a cloak from the aether and drapes it over her petite, naked form.
"Yes, Master Felix?" she asks in a soft, ethereal voice, her tone dream-like and airy.
Felix grins, his teeth glistening in the moonlight.
"Distract them while I retrieve Henrietta," he orders her, his tone firm yet calm. "The princess is our top priority, the maid has outlived her usefulness."
The wind elemental bows her head, her ethereal body glittering at the order.
"As you command."
"The princess is over there, secure her!" yells a voice from behind, that of an unfamiliar man.
Tabitha, aided by Kirche, turns around.
A dozen palace guards rush forth from within one of the many towers, all armed with spears and dressed in plate armour. They then spread out and surround the gardens, their eyes wide and alert.
Kirche breathes a sigh of relief and Tabitha, freeing herself from her friend's protective hold, swings back around to face Felix and his familiar with a hand clutched to her aching chest.
The wind elemental casts a glance at the approaching men, then at Felix.
"Hurry, our time is up," Felix announces, raising his free hand into the air.
The girl nods, then produces a pair of curved daggers made of swirling wind magic from the aether.
"I'll deal with these nuisances, Master," she states, her voice low and her expression determined.
"Kirche, Tabitha...!" yells Louise, her voice shrill.
Tabitha and Kirche turn to see yet more guards approaching, led by a tall, dark-skinned man dressed in the fine white and gold regalia of Tristain's Royal Guard.
Louise and Michael are at the front of the pack. The former's hair is dishevelled, wears a flimsy, frilly pink nightgown and carries a look of alarm. Michael, trailing a few feet behind, adorns an unbuttoned white shirt and creased pair of his black uniform trousers without any socks and shoes. A thin sheen of sweat mists his skin and his golden hair is scruffy.
"...Tabitha, are you all right?!" Louise demands, her voice filled with concern as she and the guards come to a halt a dozen or so paces away from the others.
It's here that she notices Henrietta, still sitting on the marble bench in the centre of the gardens. Her eyes widen and a pang of fear pierces her heart.
"...Henrietta...!"
Michael, expression discoloured by pain and doubtless shaken by the hit Tabitha endured earlier, falls in beside the blue-haired mage and Kirche. Taking out his magical glove, he aims it at Felix, who remains unmoving before them.
"Get me up to speed please, girls, quickly," he says, his voice soft, yet his words quick and stern. Then, inhaling and exhaling deeply, he sparks up an ember in his palm with a crisp snap of his fingers. "Minus the part where you took a hit there, Tabby... Felt that for myself."
Kirche, picking up her dropped wand from the grass, turns to Michael with a scowl.
"This man an agent of some kind," she explains, her voice laced with venom. "He's planning to kidnap Her Majesty and take her somewhere..."
"Good enough for me," Michael states, his expression hardening as he aims his flame at the hooded man. "Let me take care of him then, as payback for the injury."
Michael, as brave and reckless to the dangers before him as ever, steps forward.
He is blocked from advancing by the leader of the palace guardsman, however, who steps out to the front and brandishes his spear at Felix's wind elemental.
"Stand down and return Princess Henrietta, you knave!" the man demands, his voice stern and authoritative. "You are vastly outnumbered, and we have you surrounded."
The hooded wind mage laughs at the demand, his eyes narrowing.
"I think not. Fei," he says, turning his attention to his wind elemental. "Deal with these bothersome peasants. I will take the princess and catch up with you later."
The girl, her energies swelling at what appears to be her namesake, bows her head at her master's command.
"Yes, Master."
Felix smiles and raises his wand into the air. A whirlwind of air whips up around him, the grass beneath him fluttering wildly.
And, as soon as the winds begin to howl, Felix takes off into the sky with a powerful gust, Henrietta slung over his shoulder as though she is weightless.
Louise, screaming at the top of her lungs, rushes forth with her wand held high, her face twisted in a furious, desperate scowl.
"Michael!" yells Kirche, taking off after Louise. Leaping on the girl and pinning her, she holds the pinkette, who struggles against her larger figure and stronger grasp, to the ground. "...I have Louise. Quickly, go after the hooded man!
"I'm on it!" he yells back, racing after the intruder.
"Let go of me, Kirche!" Louise shrieks, squirming about in the taller girl's hold. "I have to save Her Majesty!"
The redhead sighs, her eyes softening in exasperation.
"You cannot cast a single spell, Louise, let alone fly," she gently reminds her. "Do you want to die?"
The pink-haired mage, still struggling, lets out a frustrated growl.
"I don't care!"
"Enough, Louise!" Kirche snaps, her eyes narrowing in anger. "Michael will save Henrietta. Trust him!"
Louise, falling limp and surrendering, bursts into tears.
"...Henrietta..."
Amidst the chaos surrounding her, Tabitha falls onto her knees and forces out a thin, raspy breath.
"Don't let them escape!" the captain of the Royal Guard orders, raising his spear and charging at the wind familiar with a fearsome battle cry.
Tabitha watches as the guards charge in, the elementals' blades clashing with their spears.
It is here that Tabitha notices the girl is smiling, her eyes cold and her movements quick and agile.
"...She'll kill them..."
From the corner of her eye, the bluenette sees movement at the hedge maze's entranceway.
Elisa, the chest of her uniform torn open and her bustier exposed, climbs to her feet. Her face is bruised and her clothes are grubby. A look of pure determination lights up her features, and, the necklace she wears glowing with unnatural purple light, she gazes skyward to her hooded master.
A scowl creases her lips. She then lowers her eyes to Michael, who races forth with his hand blazing in flame.
Elisa's lips move as she utters something, though Tabitha cannot hear what over the din of clashing blades.
Then, after nodding to herself, the maid rushes headlong after Michael.
Tabitha's eyes widen and she tries to stand.
She has to protect him...!
But alas, her legs collapse beneath her.
I come skidding to a stop and narrow my eyes, focusing as best I can on the hooded guy up high.
Whatever happens, I can't afford to hit Princess Henrietta, but too much further and this robed idiot, whoever, the hell he is, is going to get out of range.
"Focus, Mikey, focus..." I mutter to myself, the fire in my hand burning brighter and hotter as I try and gather as much of my magic into a sizable projectile. "C'mon... C'mon!"
The hooded man looks over his shoulder and notices me and a cruel smile crosses his face. He laughs, turning to face me and Henrietta swinging in his arms.
"You'll have to be quicker than that, boy," he teases, his tone filled with scorn.
I ignore his taunt, and, gritting my teeth, I anchor my aim and hurl a bolt of flame at him.
The flame flies true, veering toward his face with red-hot intensity.
Before it can connect, however, the winds around the man swirl, creating a swirling shield of sorts that engulfs the man and Henrietta. My flames collide with the shield and sputter out in a cloud of smoke and ash.
"Shit..."
Felix's face lights up in a wicked grin, his eyes glistening with glee.
"Your fire is not enough," he sneers. "Now, I must go."
With that, a gust of wind whips up around him, lifting him higher into the air.
I can't let him get away. If he does, what in the Hell am I going to tell Louise...?!
And so, frantic and desperate, I gather all my remaining energy and thrust my hands forward, a torrent of flames spiralling out of my palms.
The flames, as hot as they are bright, rush forward and collide with the swirling winds. As they do, my chest twinges, a warning not to take things any further.
"C'mon...!"
I ignore the feeling, instead, I push my limits and double down, my fingers curling as I pour all of my strength into the spell. The flame in my hands burns with the heat of a furnace, and the winds howl around me as if in answer to my magic.
My hearbeat rises. And rises. And rises.
Until, Sharp and intense, my heart kicks against my ribs...
A searing pain then pierces my chest.
With a gasp, I drop to my knees and clutch my chest with my free hand. I try to draw breath, but I'm winded, my throat constricting, and my lungs refuse to cooperate.
"Dammit," I eventually push out in a thin, wheezy groan, my vision blurring and my head spinning. "I... I can't..."
The flames sputter out in a wisp of smoke, and the hooded man chuckles, his voice cold and filled with condescending amusement.
"...A typical Guardian, hot-headed but blind to your limits," he states, his tone smug and arrogant. "You're an amateur, boy, one that will die a dog's death..."
Felix's words trail off into the wind, however, as a loud, thunderous crack rings out above the howling winds. The air suddenly sparks with lightning, and a torrent of water crashes down from the heavens.
The hooded man cries out in shock, the water striking him with tremendous force, and, along with Princess Henrietta, he is sent crashing down toward the gardens below.
Eyes hazy from pain and exhaustion, I watch as a figure, a dainty girl wearing the clothes of a maid, steps out in front of me with her arms held wide.
I focus as best I can. And, eyes widening, a flash of recollection colours my thoughts.
The maid...! She's one of the two who greeted Tabitha and me when we went to dinner earlier...! She spun on her heels and winked at me after asking to see the Tristanian Seal.
"It's Elisa, my name. I-It's a real pleasure to meet you, Mister Michael."
And, sure enough, there she is, standing tall and proud despite the chaos erupting around her. She raises her hands to the sky, and the lightning intensifies as torrents of rain begin to fall from the clouds above.
"You said the Necklace of Holler can disrupt any of Halkeginia's elements," she calls out to Henrietta's would-be abductor, her voice shrill over the sound of the roaring wind. "...I have disrupted yours."
The man, now soaked through and clutching Henrietta by the arm, has lost his hood. And I can't help shuddering at the sight of him.
The guy's gaunt with pale complexion: It's like he hasn't seen the sun in weeks. Plus he's got wavy silver hair, a deep scar across his left cheek, and light blue eyes.
Deeply annoyed, Felix snarls at Elisa's interference.
"You damnable girl!"
Elisa, her expression filled with a combination of hatred and resolve despite the fury levelled her way, narrows her eyes.
"...I hate you for what you've done to me," she says, her voice low and firm. "But, you are right. I am weak. I have been since the day I was born..."
With that, she lifts a hand and points at the man's face.
"But now, I will protect Her Highness, no matter the cost!"
With a snap of her fingers, lightning flashes in the sky, and the cloaked mage is struck by a blinding bolt.
The man screams in agony, his body shuddering violently before falling limp. He then drops to the ground, Henrietta tumbling down beside him.
The winds surrounding the two fade into nothingness as the lightning and rain cease, and silence falls over the gardens.
"Your Majesty!" Elisa cries out, her eyes wide and filled with concern.
I rise to my feet, my body aching in protest but my heart still racing. I force myself forward, however, my eyes locked on the princess.
Elisa falls to her knees before Henrietta and takes her into her arms, her body trembling as tears fill her eyes.
"M-My apologies, Your Majesty..." she whispers, her voice weak and filled with regret. "I-I could not stop him sooner..."
Henrietta, her eyes barely open, lifts a hand and places it on Elisa's shoulder.
"...No... Do not say that... I-I don't... hold it against you."
I come to a stop a few feet behind the two, my breathing laboured and my body throbbing with pain.
"Are you all right, Princess?" I ask, my voice weak and my throat dry.
Henrietta does not answer me, her eyes slipping closed. Her chest rises and falls gently, a telltale sign she's still alive.
Elisa turns to face me, her eyes softening in recognition as she does.
"You're okay...! I-I'm so glad..."
I offer her a nod.
"Not bad, for a maid, I didn't think you commoners could use magic," I state, my voice weak and my tone joking. "Appreciate it all the same, mind you."
Elisa sighs and bows her head.
"I used his against him, I think," she explains, gesturing toward the dark gemstone necklace around her neck. Its light has faded since the battle's end. "I don't know from where he got this, but, well, its power speaks for itself."
With that, she rises to her feet and bows.
"It is my pleasure to be of service, Mister Michael."
A wry smile crosses my lips at the polite gesture, but I dismiss the girl with a wave of the hand.
"Hey, the way I see it, you saved my arse here, I owe you," I tell her, my eyes drifting to the unconscious hooded man lying a few feet away. "How about this? I'll fight your corner when it comes to your part in all of this. Least I can do, considering I'd probably be dead if you hadn't turned up."
Elisa's eyes widen and her lips part in surprise.
"...Y-You would do that? After everything..?"
I look back to Elisa, put a gentle hand on the maid's shoulder, and nod my head firmly, "I may not know what you were put through by this guy, but you did right in the end," I tell her with a smile. "That's what matters."
With a heavy sigh, I then look back to the unconscious man and frown, my mind still trying to process what in the Hell just happened here.
"Now, what do we do with him?" I ask, turning my attention back to Elisa.
The maid's eyes flicker to her unconscious master. She then bites her bottom lip and narrows her eyes in determination.
"...He must be tried for his crimes," she says, her tone stern and decisive. "H-He must pay for what he did to me, to my family, and to all those whom he has wronged. The people of Tristain must be made aware of his actions."
I nod, my expression hardening as I gaze down at the fallen man.
"Least you didn't ask me to barbeque the guy, don't think I have the heart to kill someone."
"I...I wouldn't want you to do that," she says, her voice quiet and her eyes averted.
A groan comes from nearby, and the both of us turn to see the man stir, his eyes fluttering open and his expression twisting in pain.
"...Fei come to me," he croaks, his voice weak and his gaze clouded with extreme pain.
The maid's eyes light up in alarm and she gasps.
"N-No!"
Stepping away from Elisa, I spark up a small fireball, the best I can muster, and lock eyes with the downed mage. Gravely injured, he begins clawing his way through the grass in a desperate, almost pitiful attempt at escape.
"Fei...?" I ask the pigtailed girl, raising a brow. "Who's Fei?"
The maid's face falls, her eyes lowering to the grass.
"His wind elemental, his familiar..." she answers, her voice quiet and filled with sorrow.
A chill runs through me.
"The glowy thing fighting the guards: Looks like a little girl...?" I question, my tone flat.
Elisa nods her head, her expression fearful.
"That is her, yes."
A sudden, sick feeling twists my stomach.
If it comes at me, the state I'm in right now...
...I don't have a choice.
The hooded man chuckles bitterly, then groans in agony.
The wind around the three of us grows cold and bitter, and a bleak, ominous feeling fills my chest.
...Fine.
I expand the fireball in my palm into a roaring, howling blue flame.
...If I must...
A young girl's silhouette forms through the flames, its ethereal figure twirling and spinning into being with a child-like smile.
"I'm here, Master Felix."
With a flick of my wrist, I lash out with my fire.
...I will.
The elemental's face twists in surprise as she tries to leap back. The flames strike her in the chest, however, and she lets out a cry of agony. They burn clean through her middle and burst out of her back, leaving a wide, gaping hole behind.
The childlike being, her eyes wide with astonishment, takes a single measured step backwards. Her gaze pans downward to the gaping hole in her chest, and a single tear leaks down her cheek.
"...M-Master, Felix...?"
Her form shudders and sputters, then fades into nothingness.
Elisa's eyes widen and she brings a hand to her mouth.
Felix, who is lying on his front a few feet away, freezes.
And, for my efforts, a bitter, metallic taste tinges on my tastebuds. Blood. Mine.
"...Gotcha."
I fall to my knees with a heavy thud. My heart throbs wildly in my chest, my head spins, and my vision blurs.
Elisa rushes to my side. She throws her arms around my neck and pulls me into her chest, her body trembling as she buries her face into my hair.
The clanking of plate armour sounds up from behind, and I push out a weary breath.
"There's the Princess men, hurry!" I hear the captain yell out, his voice filled with relief.
The pain in my chest dulls and I lean fully into Elisa's embrace with a sigh.
"Cavalry's here..."
Closing my eyes, I focus on the maid's frantically beating heart, and force a smile.
There's never a dull day here in Halkeginia. Never.
...
I'm bandaged up and have too many healing potions of those awful, bitter Tristanian healing potions sloshing around in my gut thanks to a worried Louise pulling rank as my master. I'm also perched by the wall of Henrietta's regal chamber with folded arms like a damn sentinel, to boot.
On the Princess' orders, I might add.
Following what just happened, an army of guards stands watch in the hallway beyond the heavy double doors to my left: This alone - barring the several dozen court mages patrolling the gardens outside - makes this room the very safest place to be in the palace.
No, scratch that, probably the whole of Tristain.
It's late. Very late. And, for the past hour or so, I've been watching over Henrietta as she lays in bed with a previously very shaken but now sleeping Louise.
Miranda, who I was told recently awoke from some sort of drugging, is with us, too. She stands at the end of her mistress' bed, her eyes heavy from sleep and her expression deeply apologetic.
And, as for Kirche and Tabitha, well, the two have been escorted to bed. A choice I honestly would have taken too had Henrietta not asked me to come to her room with Louse.
And dammit, do I wish that choice had been left open to me.
The air in Henrietta's chamber is somehow thick with tension and also strangely subdued. Sombre.
And, much to my utter astonishment, Henrietta has kept up a small, tense smile since awakening. Oh yeah, no matter the grim revelations heaped on her since coming around from that crazy amulet's control, she hasn't so much as dropped her brave face.
"Elisa has been detained in her chamber under heavy guard, Highness," Miranda informs the young royal with a respectful bow, her voice low and quiet. "She is being closely monitored and is not being allowed to leave."
Henrietta nods, a look of quiet sadness finally creeping in.
And as it does, I feel somewhat relieved. Smiling so damn much - especially when you're obviously feeling pretty shitty about everything - cannot be good for the mental wellbeing.
"...I see," the princess utters, her tone muted and displeased.
Miranda then clears her throat.
"Forgive me for being blunt, my mistress, but I cannot understand why you will not execute her," she states, her voice low and filled with concern. "She served a hostile agent, she has betrayed Your Majesty: Her actions also enabled Fouquet to break free of imprisonment and flee."
Yep, there's that as well. Another of this 'Felix' guy's lackeys, some underling we must have missed while the fighting went on, snuck into the prison tower containing Fouquet and helped the thief escape. The palace guards are still searching for her now.
Her features twisting with deeper sadness, Henrietta sighs and hangs her head.
"...I know this, Miranda," she admits, her voice quiet and her expression sorrowful. "I do not blame her for this, however. I hold her no ill will for what has happened."
The princess now looks over to me and smiles weakly for a second, her eyes spelling out her gratitude for saving her life. Then she shifts her gaze back to her attendant.
"...Furthermore, my dear Louise's familiar would have died had she not seen the light when she did."
Louise, still fast asleep and clinging to Henrietta, shudders and curls up tighter into the princess' side.
"The way I see it," Henrietta continues, her hands clenching into fists as she inhales, which she releases on letting out her pent-up breath, "it is not only Elisa who has paid for their crimes. I cannot blame her for Felix's actions any more than I can blame myself."
Her nostrils flaring at this last remark, Miranda shakes her head with a weary sigh.
"You are a benevolent ruler-in-waiting, my princess, but please," she halfway pleads, her voice concerned but pretty earnest. "Do not burden yourself with that which is not your fault."
The princess' eyes narrow and she frowns.
"...The fiend behind all of this, if what Elisa revealed when questioned is to be believed, threatened her with sexual servitude and the murder of her captive father," Henrietta says, her voice stern and unwavering. "...By not persisting when I sensed something was amiss, I failed her, Miranda."
Miranda's shoulders drop and her eyes flutter closed.
"Henrietta," she states with a deep, exhausted sigh, her tone exasperated but kind. "...You cannot hope to protect everyone, no matter how hard you try. It is simply impossible."
Her expression darkens, the young princess looking up to her attendant with glimmering tearful eyes.
"...You don't understand," she whispers, her voice weak.
I swallow. And, with that, a twinge of frustration swells in my chest.
Elisa told the truth to her interrogators after they caught up to me in the garden and took Felix away. And, true to my word, I vouched for her when Miranda woke up and started throwing ideas of execution and prison around.
...But for a girl like Henrietta, with her strong sense of duty and a gentle heart, this is clearly not enough. Her realm and those she serves mean the world to her, clear as crystal.
Her bottom lip quivering, the princess lowers her head and looks into her lap with a deep frown.
"I could not protect Elisa, the one girl under my employment who has needed me the most," she explains, her voice soft but filled with grief. "What kind of queen will I make if I cannot look after a single subject?"
I drop my eyes to the floor as her voice trails off, the question hanging in the air like a heavy, dreary weight.
It is then that Louise stirs, a low, throaty whimper coming from her lips.
"Don't say that... You already give so much."
Louise lifts her head from the sheets, her eyes sleepy but filled with determination.
Henrietta's expression softens in surprise as she looks up to her.
"...Louise...?"
I sigh and push myself up from the wall.
"It's the truth," I speak up, my tone quiet yet firm. "Elisa may have acted because she had to, but she did choose to protect you and me despite the dangers."
Miranda, obviously unhappy I chose to speak up as I did just now, narrows her eyes at me with a firm, scolding glare.
"Mister Michael, you would do well not to speak so freely," she advises, her voice low but dangerously short. "Remember where you are, who you stand before."
Henrietta raises a hand and gives her aide a gentle, imploring look.
"It is all right, Miranda, please..." she tells her in a soft, soothing tone, her voice tinged with weariness. "Commoner or no, all may speak their minds around me."
Looking at me and smiling really sweetly, Henrietta continues.
"And that besides, I would much prefer he stay here with Louise and me tonight, to keep us safe," she states, her voice quiet but sincere. "If you are willing of course, Michael?"
I drop my head and clutch a hand to my chest as thanks: The Tristanian bow.
"Haven't got much left in the tank I'm afraid, Princess," I confess to the royal with a tired exhale, lifting my head again and forcing a thin smile. "But I'll do what I can."
Henrietta's attendant's eyes narrow further, and her face colours a deep shade of pink.
"Your... Highness..!"
Ignoring her attendant's outrage, Henrietta pushes her duvet away and, with a tired groan, throws her legs over the bedside and begins rising from the bed.
The princess then walks across the floor to me, a little wobbly but with an unwavering gaze and an unbending determination.
And, as much as I try not to, my gaze lingers on her nightclothes: The thin, almost see-through purple number with a frilly bust does very little to conceal her chest - which is pretty much the same size as Siesta's at a glance - from prying eyes.
Heartbeat kicking upwards in my chest, I hurriedly lift my eyes to Henrietta's face instead of the peeks of hard nipples pressed against thin purple silk.
Arriving in front of me, the young royal places a firm but gentle hand on my arm, her lips curling up into a bright, radiant smile. Then, releasing me from her grasp, she brings her arms around my middle, rests her head against my chest, and squeezes me tightly. Affectionately, even.
My heart kicks even harder at the gravity of her gesture. Miranda and Louise both gasp, too.
"...I don't know where you came from, nor do I care," the princess whispers, her voice soft but filled with the kind of quiet gratitude that makes some serious pride swell up inside me. "But I know you to be a brave, good person, Michael DeSilva. That is twice now, twice you have aided me..."
Her face burning furious scarlet, Louise scowls and pushes herself up from the bed, "Princess! Y-You need not lavish my reckless familiar with such boundless praise...!" she damn near growls out.
A small giggle, barely audible and muffled against my chest, escapes the young girl.
"...But I shall, because he deserves it," she whispers, words only meant for me.
I sigh as my chest floods with warmth, my shoulders sagging from the sheer weight of the moment.
"...Just doing my job," I whisper back. "...But thanks."
Henrietta's arms tighten around me, and I can't help but relax into the embrace.
The young royal, who has been through so much in the last few hours, is warm and soft, and, right now, that's exactly what I need.
Louise, however, is not impressed.
"...H-Henrietta..."
And with this, Tristain's future ruler lets go of me and slowly, gingerly steps back. Then, twirling to Miranda, she gives her attendant a weary smile.
"It is late, Miranda, and the sun will rise in but a few short hours," she tells her, her tone calm and serene. "I wish to at least get some sleep before passing judgment on Felix in the morning."
Miranda, who has been silent throughout this, nods and bows, her expression one of quiet irritation.
"I understand, Your Majesty, but please allow me to be frank on something," she asks, her voice low but earnest. "So that you may bear it in mind for later."
Henrietta blinks, clearly taken aback by Miranda's boldness.
"...Of course," she answers, her eyes widening. "As I said, all may speak freely, Miranda."
Her brow creasing, Miranda looks between me and her mistress, then takes a deep breath.
"As a future queen, you would do well to act with restraint concerning your feelings at times," she states, her voice stern and her expression serious. "In situations both public and private."
Henrietta's cheeks redden in embarrassment and her lips sink into a small, defiant frown.
"...So that I do not allow my rule to be guided by my emotions, as you have taught me," she surmises, her tone flat. "I understand, Miranda."
The princess' attendant shakes her head and exhales deeply, her shoulders dropping.
"A lesson I fear you have yet to learn, my willful charge," she explains, her expression softening as a weak, apologetic smile crosses her lips. "And with this, I shall leave you for tonight."
With that, Miranda bows her head to Henrietta. Then, glancing over to me with a cold look, she turns on her heels and walks toward the chamber's door.
"I will see you in the morning, my princess."
The door clicks shut behind her. And, after a short silence, Henrietta sighs exhaustedly and runs her hands through her wavy purple locks.
"Goddess have mercy, I'll not feel anything if I close my heart as she likes," the royal remarks, her eyes shooting wide and a hand rising to cover her mouth as she realizes what she just said.
Her eyes immediately dart to Louise, who, probably quite pissed over how huggy Henrietta was a second ago, has turned over and gone back to sleep.
Pushing out a relieved sigh, the young princess smiles and turns back to me.
I just bow for the girl again, a faint chuckle slipping out.
"Didn't hear a word just now, I promise," I assure her, lifting my head and offering a thumbs up.
Henrietta smiles widely, her face flushing in gratitude.
"Of course not, thank you."
A yawn escapes me and I feel my eyelids grow heavy.
Henrietta's features soften and she nods.
"You must be exhausted," she remarks, her voice quiet and gentle. "Come, sit."
I shake my head very firmly and fold my arms, a stern refusal.
"And have Miranda skin me alive? No thanks, I'd like to live to see tomorrow," I tell her, unfolding my arms. I then extend my right arm and ignite a fireball in my palm. It crackles gently.
"Besides, I have to keep my wits about me: If some other hood-wearing dick gets past the warband outside your door," I continue, poking my free thumb toward the chambers double doors to my left with a smirk, "I suppose you'll want me to sling a fireball or two their way, yeah?"
Henrietta giggles softly at my quip and lowers her head for a second.
"...Yes, that would be appreciated."
I smile at the princess and blow out my flame, my eyes growing heavy once again.
"...Then I'll stay put, sleep at dawn."
Henrietta offers me an affirmative nod, and, twirling around pretty damn gracefully, almost whimsically, the princess makes her way back to her bed and curls up by Louise's side.
"Thank you, Michael, for your help with Felix: This is the second time you have aided me," she tells me, her tired voice sweet and sincere, the edges tinged with sleep. "I am most grateful."
"Pleasure's mine, Your Majesty, you just rest up now," I say, watching the young ruler-to-be snuggle into the royal-pink satin.
The princess' eyes slide closed and with a contented, worn-out sigh, she wraps an arm around Louise's waist. Then a precious smile spreads across her lips.
Leaving the girls to snooze, I amble back to my old spot beside the wall. Then, slowly and carefully so as not to wake them, I slide to the floor with a small thump and keep my eyes trained squarely on the noble pair.
"Sleep well, ladies."
To be continued...
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