This chapter might be one of the most difficult chapters I've ever written. Trigger warning for dark content.
After I finish Dawa, Musashi, Ferdinand, and Kerime's Investigations I will be doing Brendan and Yasmine. If you have any requests, feel free to leave a comment.
Chapter Six: Part Eight
The news of Brendan's defection, along with the defection of 700 soldiers, spread like wildfire across Zelant. It even reached the mainland of the Western Continent. It left many baffled at how Prince Brendan Reiser—the person most everyone had believed would eventually be the next monarch of the Kingdom of Zelant—had bent the knee to his teenaged sister and was backing her claim to the throne.
Kion didn't understand. He felt that he would never understand, and he could not stop the rage inside him.
He stood panting in the center of his cabin suite on the ship. The room was in disarray; papers strewn on the floor, a table turned upside down, and one of the chairs broken into pieces. "Damn," he snarled through clenched teeth. He clenched his hands into fists and threw his head back. "DAAAAAAAAAAAMN!" he shouted towards the ceiling.
What in the actual HELL was going on in the world?! Not only did Brendan not defeat her but he joined her?! Granted I'm shocked that he continued to stand with Father this whole time but HER?! He forsook his rightful claim FOR HER?!
Kion wasn't an idiot, nor was he blind. He had known that Brendan challenged King Franz to Royal Combat four years prior because he was about to be a father. His challenge had felt WAY too abrupt and rushed to have been properly planned. And because Brendan hadn't properly planned, he had lost in Royal Combat.
And because he hadn't properly planned, his child…
Kion quickly shook his head. He had admired his older brother. Kion himself never had designs for the throne but Brendan had always felt like the best fit for the role. Kion would have been glad to serve under Brendan's rule. The incident with Brendan's Royal Combat had been just a minor thing Kion respected him less for, but he had still wanted Brendan to be the next King,
Now he won't. You've taught me a lot, Brother. You especially continue to teach me to NEVER make the mistakes you have made.
There was a gentle knock on the door. "Your Highness?" Gwenette called out. "I'm coming in."
Kion had not exactly been quiet when he took his anger out on his room. Gwenette would have been the only one brave enough to approach him in the aftermath. The Prince stood still in the destroyed room as his assist entered. Gwenette quickly looked around the room and began cleaning up. She flipped the table back over and knelt down to gather the loose papers. Kion watched her for a moment, setting each page in its own individual pile on the table's surface (no doubt organizing them). After a moment he reached out and grabbed her arm. "Stop cleaning," he told her. "That's not your job."
Gwenette winced at his tone, and Kion felt his stomach drop at her reaction. She set the unsorted pages on the table. "I'm so—"
"I told you not to apologize to me," Kion said. "And don't duck your head in my presence, Gwenette. You're my assist, look at me when you talk to me."
Gwenette slowly rose to her feet and met his gaze. Her eyes were sad, and he forced his anger under control. "I need to apologize," he said. "I'm in a bad mood and taking it out on you."
Gwenette shook her head. "The news we received…it was so shocking, Prince Kion. None of us thought that Prince Brendan…" her voice trailed off.
Kion shook his head. "Philomena and me," he said. "Those are the only heirs left of my father. You know what that means, don't you Gwenette? Philomena has never had a head for leadership. Father loves her too much to force too much upon her. And we both know that she's never relish fighting our siblings. So that means…It has fallen entirely upon me to defend the Kingdom. When Father wins, I'm going to lose…all of them. Brendan, Sigrun, Vahan, and Denzel."
"And Astraea," Gwenette said quietly.
"I will be glad when she is gone!" Kion snapped. "She should have NEVER been born!"
Tears filled Gwenette's eyes. Unable to help himself, Kion quickly hugged her and buried his face into her shoulder. "I need you to stand with me, Gwenette. It will be hard enough for me to fight him, but I'm going to have to do it. Father is going to be depending on me strongly to win the conflict with Astraea, and win the conflict with the Alliance. And…" he squeezed her tighter. "You understand, don't you? He has only two true heirs left. That means…that means I'm going to have to become King when this is all done."
He didn't want it. He never wanted the throne. But with Brendan now siding with Astraea, there was no one else suitable to be the next monarch. It wasn't a role he wanted, but a role he needed to take. "I need you to stand with me," he reiterated. "Are you going to do that, Gwenette?"
Gwenette's breathing was unsteady, but she reached up and hugged him back. "I already told you, Your Highness," she said quietly. "I said I would stand by your side no matter what. That won't change. Ever."
Kion was reassured but only a little. The anger over—everything simmered inside him once more. He pressed his lips together in an effort to restrain it, but he could not stop the angry thoughts.
They will pay. All of them will pay for this. If I have to take them down myself, then I will do it. Astraea… he gritted his teeth. You'll face the worst of my wrath.
The Royal Army soldiers who marched into battle with Brendan were shocked that he had thrown his support behind Astraea, but when they saw the conviction of the eldest Reiser heir to stand behind the youngest Reiser heir, they could not help but be inspired. Seeing Sigrun, Vahan, and Denzel stand with Astraea was also inspiring as well and made them question so many things. The most important one being; if King Franz was so great and so righteous, then why were so many of his children turning against him?
Astraea welcomed the new allies, and she was glad that the Old Capital was large enough to accommodate all of them.
The new recruits were still settling into the city two days later when Regulus approached Astraea in the castle, Nakoa and Dinah nearby as they always were. His expression was serious as he met her on the stairwell of the main hall. "I need to ask you a favor, Queen Astraea."
"Of course," Astraea said. "What is it, Lord Regulus?"
"The young man, Daunte," Regulus said. "His rune can show memories, right?"
"Yes, it can."
"I must ask you," Regulus said, moving closer. "I ask that I see your memory of the Massacre of Innocents."
Astraea gasped softly in shock. Dawa stepped forward, glowering at him. "Why do you need to now?" she demanded harshly.
"Because I want to see the reason why 527 of my soldiers were killed," Regulus said, his tone coldly serious. His eyes never left Astraea's. "I want to see the massacre that was blamed on my country. I want to see the cause of this pointless war between the Alliance and the Kingdom."
Dawa looked to Astraea. Astraea felt a tight knot in her throat. The memory was unpleasant and she didn't relish reliving it again, but deep down she knew it was important that Regulus see it. She felt horrible guilt for the deaths of the Alliance soldiers, and she knew she owed it to Regulus to show him what happened to her.
At that moment she saw David entering the castle and she waved to him. "David! Could you arrange for Lord Daunte to come here?"
"Of course, Your Majesty," David said as he approached. His gaze shifted to Regulus and his entourage. "There's a memory you want to see, yes?"
"You're a smart man," Regulus said. "I'm sure I don't need to tell you which memory."
"I want to see the memory, too," a voice came from behind Astraea. Astraea and Dawa turned to see Brendan approaching with Yasmine. Since his arrival he had taken the tower to the north of Astraea's larger tower. Though now he appeared to have come from the direction of Sigrun's room. "You showed F—the King's admission," Brendan said, noticeably stopping himself from saying "father". "But I want to see what he did to you, Astraea."
Astraea nodded stiffly. "I understand, Brendan."
"I want to see, too," a new voice called out. David jumped and swiftly turned as Sasarai entered the hall, Dios and Pilika following behind him. "This memory is also when you received the True Wind Rune, isn't it?" Sasarai asked, his expression light. "I want to see it as well. If you do not mind, Your Majesty."
Astraea looked at David, who wore an expression of alarm. Sasarai however was looking at her and not David. Astraea nodded stiffly. "All right. I will show you the memory as well."
"I-I'll go get Lord Daunte!" David exclaimed, racing towards the doors.
Less than a half-hour later they were sitting in the same sitting room they had sat when Astraea previously showed the Massacre of Innocents. Astraea and Daunte each sat on the same couches, with Dawa sitting to Astraea's right and David to Astraea's left. Arin sat to Daunte's right. Brendan and Yasmine stood to the left of the couches, Regulus and his entourage to the right, and Sasarai and his entourage directly behind Daunte. Daunte held his right hand out to Astraea. "You know how this goes, Your Majesty," he said. "I can show this memory up to seven people; you and six other. Who would you like to show the memory to?"
"Brendan, Regulus, and Sasarai," Astraea said, pointing to them.
"I must ask that Nakoa and Dinah see the memory too," Regulus said. "They have also been impacted by this war."
"I would like Yasmine to see the memory as well, Astraea," Brendan said. His assist nodded.
"I'm okay with that," Astraea said.
"So that's six people," Daunte said. He looked over his shoulder at Sasarai. "None your people will be able to see the memory."
"I do not need to see it," Dios said. "It has nothing to do with me."
"Nor I," Pilika said, though her tone was more gentle.
"Is that fine, Your Majesty?" Daunte asked.
Astraea nodded. "I'm ready."
"Right," Daunte said. Astraea took his right hand. "Everyone who wants to see this memory; I need you to touch a part of my body."
Brendan touched his left forearm and Yasmine touched his left shoulder and Sasarai, Regulus, Nakoa, and Dinah rested their hands on his upper back. Daunte closed his eyes, and Astraea did the same. "Everyone clear your minds," he announced.
Astraea did a few breathing exercises and waited. After a few moments Daunte finally said, "Rune of Restoration. Please again show us the memory of the Massacre of Innocents."
Reliving the memory again was no less difficult for Astraea. Watching the ambush…seeing Milo, Barrett, and Ritta die…watching her own futile efforts to make a stand and save herself…she felt like she couldn't breathe.
The memory became red and muddled once more when she hit the rocks and broke her back, and remained so as she dragged her bloody and broken body into that narrow passage. They watched as she crawled on her belly, struggling to survive. This time there was no interruption. The memory did not end prematurely. It progressed as she crawled and crawled and crawled.
I will not die. I will not die. I cannot die.
Those same words kept repeating in the air, resonating in their ears. She was dying; all of them could see that. But her desire to live was literally giving her the strength to try and escape.
"I…will not die!" Astraea in the memory gritted. "I will not die!"
Then they watched her fall into the dark cavern room. They watched her fall into a crevice and struggle to sit up. Seeing this far into the memory was surreal; like she was reliving a nightmare. Seeing how broken her body was…she was amazed that she had survived.
"I—will not die!" she wheezed, her voice gurgling and almost pleading. "I will not die! Not now!"
Then it happened; her savior appeared. The physical body of the True Wind Rune as a celestial bird hovering in the air above her. Seeing it now as a spectator felt even more surreal than watching herself survive the assassination attempt.
"I offer you this power, Princess Astraea Reiser," the True Wind Rune in the memory said.. "With this power, your body will heal. With this power, your body will freeze in time at this moment. With this power, your life will be eternal. Immortality with a power that shaped the world. I have chosen you to wield this power, Princess Astraea Reiser. It is yours…if you choose to take it."
When looking at the memory, Astraea felt like she had been experiencing a…seduction of sorts from the True Rune. It offered her its power, but it came at a price. A price that she could not afford but to take because she had been dying. But hearing the words felt…
"Would you have rather I left you to die?"
The voice caressed over her senses and Astraea stiffened. The True Wind Rune had sensed her thoughts and her feelings. Was it…offended by her interpretation of its intentions? But it did not speak to her again.
In the memory she accepted the offer the True Wind Rune had given her, and it lifted her up into the air. When the power entered her body, they all saw her body heal. The visage of the memory cleared, and a bright, blinding light filled the chamber. Almost blinding them.
But then the light faded…and Luc was floating in the air in front of Astraea. Astraea gasped in shock. H-His ghost is visible in this memory?!
"So," Luc said in the memory. "You're the new one."
At that moment the memory abruptly ended, and Astraea found herself back in the sitting room. Her breathing was heavy as she looked at the others. Brendan's expression was grim, Yasmine's head was ducked, and both Nakoa and Dinah's faces were ashen. Regulus was frowning, but Sasarai's face was blank. Without saying a word, the Harmonian Bishop quickly headed to the door and left the room. Dios and Pilika exchanged a glance and hurried after him.
"Thank you, Lord Daunte," Astraea said quietly.
Daunte said nothing, his expression unreadable. "Astraea," Brendan said, his tone quiet.
Astraea motioned to Dawa, and her assist stood up so she could stand. Brendan's moved to stand in front of her, his expression clouding over. He reached out and around Astraea, pressing a hand to the small of her back. "Do you…still have difficulty?" he asked quietly.
Astraea shook her head. "I'm fully healed, Brother."
Brendan suddenly pulled her forward and enveloped her in a hug. Astraea's eyes widened in shock and her hands hovered slightly. She honestly couldn't remember the last time Brendan hugged her. "Ah…Brendan?"
"I'm sorry." Brendan's voice was low, and…broken. "I'm so sorry, Astraea. I've been so focused on everything bad that has happened to me…that I've not once thought about everything bad that has happened to you. I have let you down and failed you so many times, and I—I did it on purpose, Astraea. I'm a disgrace of a brother and a disgrace of a man. I sided with the man who hurt our mother. Who tried to kill you. Who took—so much from me! I'm an absolute failure, and I will never be able to make it up to you! Please…I beg your forgiveness, Astraea! Please forgive me for failing you so many times!"
Astraea closed her eyes, but she couldn't stop the tears. She hugged him back as tight as she could. "You're here now," she whispered. "You're here and you're supporting me. That means so much to me, Brendan. I love you. You know that, right?"
Brendan nodded. "I know. And I…I love you too, Astraea."
Hearing that broke something inside Astraea and she fully burst into tears.
The siblings remained hugging for a long while before Brendan finally excused himself with Yasmine. Regulus remained silent the whole time, but the moment Brendan left he stepped forward towards Astraea. "I didn't want to do this in front of the Prince," he said. "He's already seen me emasculated enough." Then he abruptly swept down and knelt before Astraea. Nakoa and Dinah followed suit as well. Astraea gasped loudly in shock.
"Queen Astraea Reiser," Regulus said, his tone authoritative and crisp. "On behalf of the Council of Five of the Bianca Alliance, I hereby absolve you of 50% of the responsibility for the 527 lives that fell at your hand. While I do still hold you responsible for what happened as it was your attack that ended their lives, I recognize the circumstances of what led you to that moment. Having viewed the events of the Massacre that triggered this war, I will say that though the armor does not bear strong similarities to Alliance armor, I can understand that you mistook the assassins for Alliance soldiers. Therefore, I am absolving you of 50% of your reparations due to the Alliance."
"H-Half?!" Astraea burst out, her eyes widening. "Your cutting my debt in half?!"
"Correct, Your Majesty. Instead of 100 million Potch that you owe in reparations, I will only demand 50 million Potch in reparations from you."
Astraea shook her head and raised her hands. "I-I—but the families of those soldiers! If 100 million Potch is what is needed to care for—"
"50 million will suffice," Regulus said, looking up at her. "After what I have just witnessed, I cannot in good conscience demand you pay the original amount."
"But—"
"You are the most incredible woman I've ever met, Your Majesty," Nakoa spoke up. Astraea looked at her. "I thought Iwas tough, but…you're on a whole other level."
"I broke my tailbone once," Dinah said, shaking her head. "Even with rune spells the pain was unbearable. In that memory I-I could see that you broke your back, but you still did not give up. I just…wow. You are truly going to be a great Queen, Your Majesty."
Astraea's breath hitched. She looked between the three of them and swallowed hard. "…Please stand," she said.
The trio rose. "Thank you," she said. "For your faith in me. I appreciate it."
"But that bastard must be stopped," Regulus said, his tone turning dangerous. "He's responsible for so many deaths, including his own kin. Someone that despicable deserves everything that's coming to him. I will gladly help you take him down."
Astraea shook his hand. "Thank you, Lord Regulus. I will be victorious and we will end this conflict between our two countries once and for all."
"Is the Bishop all right?" Pilika asked. They lingered in the corridor near Sasarai's room.
Dios shook his head. "Whatever that memory showed him has shaken him to the core. It has…been awhile since I've seen him like this."
Pilika nodded, frowning as she looked towards his door. "What can we do?"
"Exactly what we're supposed to do," Dios said. "We need to support him to the best of our abilities."
"I'll start with tea," Pilika said. "The Bishop likes tea."
"That would be good."
Pilika hurried downstairs. Dios looked towards Sasarai's door. He did not approach; he knew that if the Bishop needed anything, he would approach him first and tell him so.
He will come to me if he needs anything. And I will be there for him like I always am.
Dios sighed quietly before following Pilika downstairs.
"So," Denzel said, folding his arms over his chest. "Now you know."
The five siblings stood in the war room around the table. Astraea stood at the head, Sigrun and Denzel stood to the left, Vahan stood to the right, and Brendan stood at the end. Their assists stood around the room watching their charges.
"Yes," Brendan said, his hands braced against the table. "I know. Everything. That the King did this…and what Astraea went through during the Massacre of Innocents."
"Are you really with us, though?" Vahan asked him. "Even after you saw the memory where that dirtbag confessed to orchestrating everything you still wanted to fight Astraea. You said she didn't have what it took. Now you've thrown yourself behind her claim. What was the big change so quickly?"
Brendan was silent for a long moment. His head ducked forward and his face was hidden by his long dark hair. Then he finally spoke again. "…Becoming King has been my lifelong goal. I have been working towards this goal my entire life. I truly did believe myself to be capable of being a good king. But…But I have so many failings. Failings that I have chosen to ignore. Failings that I cannot ignore now. I have failed all of you and I have failed myself.
"I cannot be a good king when I'm such a terrible person," he continued. "Not when I did nothing when my own sister was nearly killed. Not when I—when I caused the death of my own child."
Silence followed his speech. Sigrun moved first, walking to stand at his side. "Brendan," she said softly. "Why did you continue to stand with the King? Even after everything he has done?"
"It's my fault," Yasmine said, stepping forward. Everything looked at her, and the usually stoic woman looked stressed. "The King, he…after His Highness lost to Royal Combat and was…penalized, the King allowed him to—retain me as his assist."
"That's it?" Vahan asked disbelievingly. Sigrun glowered at him and he immediately silenced.
Astraea moved down the table to stand at his other side. "Brendan," she said. "You're not a bad person. You've made bad choices but you're not a bad person."
Brendan scoffed. "What makes you so sure, Astraea?"
"Because bad people don't worry about the fact that they're bad," Astraea responded.
There was another stretch of silence. Denzel broke the silence by ducking his head and rubbing at his nape. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.
Everyone turned to him. "When I—accused you of being jealous of Astraea," Denzel said, looking at Brendan. "I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry."
Brendan shook his head. "You were defending Astraea. I don't fault you at all." He turned to look at Dawa. "I don't owe you an apology though, Dawa."
Dawa stiffened. "For my behavior in Potsfurt," Brendan said. "I exploited your relationship to force you into compliance. I behaved…no differently than that man did. It was cruel of me and I regret doing that."
Dawa shook her head. "I'm not the one you owe an apology to, Prince."
Brendan nodded in understanding. "Understood."
Astraea cleared her throat and looked around the room. "I'm glad you all are with me," she said. "But…I want us all to be together."
They all understood what she meant. "Philomena and Kion," Vahan said, his tone sober. "They will be difficult to get, Astraea."
Astraea nodded. "Philomena is the King's favorite so she won't turn on him easily. And Kion, he—" she sucked in a sharp breath but composed herself. "Kion…hates me."
The siblings exchanged glances but no one said anything. "But I think," Astraea continued. "That if I can show them the memories of what happened, then it will help to bring them by our side."
"Let's start with Philomena," Brendan said. "The King will probably send her to Philibert again to get her away from the battle and prepare Kion to attack us. But we'll have a higher chance of bringing Philomena to our side."
"Right," Vahan said. "It'll be easier to take Kion on with our greater numbers. And Philomena is…soft. I worked with her and I know that if she saw the memory of the Massacre of Innocents and the memory of the King's confession, then she will join us in a heartbeat."
"I'd rather have Philomena than Kion with us," Denzel muttered.
"I want them all with us," Astraea emphasized. "But I agree—getting Philomena will be easier than getting Kion, so let's focus on her first."
"Then we'll develop a strategy to get Philomena," Sigrun said. "Then we'll plan a huge campaign to get Kion. Kion will take the most to convince to join us, but I think the six of us against him should be enough."
"We'll just hold him down and show him the memories like we did with Brendan," Denzel said.
"It will…take more than that," Brendan said. "Remember; I know all of you. And I spied on all of you during your private training."
"What can you tell us about Philomena and Kion?" Astraea asked.
"Philomena will be easy to take down," Brendan said. But then he met her gaze. "But…you were not wrong about Kion."
Deep in the evening Astraea sat in the stairwell of the tower leading up to her bedroom. Dawa had left with Brendan and Yasmine to meet with Primrose, and her assist had not been back yet. She hugged her legs and rested her chin on her knees, sighing quietly.
I'm getting closer. The Reformation Army keeps winning, and now almost all my siblings are by my side. But…why do I feel nothing but dread?
"Your Majesty?"
Astraea opened her eyes. David stood below her on the lower steps, wearing an expression of concern. "Are you all right, Your Majesty?" he asked. "Won't you feel more comfortable in your room?"
Astraea debated if she should tell him that she was fine or if she should be truthful about her feelings. After considering it she patted the spot beside her on the step. "Sit down."
David sat down beside her on the step. "You have a lot to be proud of, Your Majesty. You have won every battle you've fought, and your Army and influence are growing. Your victory is assured with each passing day."
Astraea shook her head. "If victory is assured, then why don't I feel good? Why don't I feel confident? Why do I feel like…" she gestured with her hand as she tried to articulate her feelings. "Why do I feel like something bad is going to happen?"
David gave her a sideways glance before he answered. "Because you're human, Your Majesty. And you're scared about the balances."
Astraea looked at him in confusion. "Everything has been working out for us so far," David said. "We've had nothing but windfalls. So, naturally, because of how the universe is balanced you're concerned that this good luck is going to lead to bad events. Because good has to be balanced with bad. You're scared that because you've experienced great good things, that the bad that will inevitably happen is going to be…very bad."
Astraea slowly nodded, hugging her legs again. "Kion," she said quietly. "Kion, he…hates me, David."
"Oh, I don't think—"
"He hates me," Astraea enunciated. "He has hated me my entire life. He has never hidden the fact that he hates me. Everyone else, Brendan, Vahan, Philomena—their attitudes have always been indifference. But Kion? I know that there is hate in his heart for me. I have tried to earn his love, but he—" her voice broke, and fresh tears stung her eyes. She shook her head and looked at David. "What if I…What if I can't convince Kion to join me? W-What if I'm forced to kill him, David?"
David was silent for a long time. He looked away and rubbed at his chin. Then he looked at Astraea. "What you ask of me is not an uncommon question. It is a question that many leaders have been forced to ask themselves. Facing friends, facing family—that is inevitable in certain combat situations. And when you're a leader, you cannot hesitate when you lead your soldiers. You cannot show weakness. If you lead your soldiers into battle to kill someone you love dearly, you have to follow through. That is something that you have to face…and so will Prince Kion.
"But." He smiled and leaned a little closer. "You have an advantage."
"Advantage?"
"You are the Tenkai Star," he reminded her. "And you have an incredible capability of resilience, forgiveness, and love. Even people who had no faith in you have been drawn. The siblings who were indifferent to you? They are not so indifferent to you now. And I know that you will be able to win Prince Kion over."
Astraea choked on a laugh. "Because I'm the Tenkai Star?"
"No," David said. "Because he's your brother, Your Majesty. He shares your blood. That means he's also capable of having resilience, forgiveness, and love. You just have to awaken those inclinations towards you…and worry about doing that instead of worrying about killing him."
Astraea looked away. She wiped at her eye with the heel of her hand. "Thank you, David."
"I'll craft the best strategy to get the Prince on our side," he said. "But first…we'll get Princess Philomena on our side."
"Do you have an idea for that?"
David barked out a laugh. "A good old-fashioned royal kidnapping! How else?"
"Brother, Ranai and Valora are here!" Arin announced as he breezed into Daunte's room. "You ready to go get supper?"
Daunte was sitting on the edge of his bed, his hands clasped tight in his lap. Arin quickly closed the door and hurried to Daunte's side. "Brother, what's wrong?"
Daunte didn't immediately answer him. Arin sat down beside him. "Brother?"
Daunte looked up then. He met his brother's gaze. "Arin," he said.
"Yes?"
"The memory. Of the massacre. Remember how I said something about it felt…familiar?"
Arin nodded. Daunte looked away. "Now I know why. It wasn't something. It was…"
His voice trailed off. Arin waited for him to continue and didn't prod him to hurry. But when Daunte spoke again, he was only more puzzled.
"It wasn't something. It was someone."
Blutkrieger
Just beyond the Call to Action Bell in Eisenblütig were the Gray Cells. Those who were to face judgment in the Onyx Chamber and then later execution by Bhayankar were held here. The cells were cold, damp, and incredibly dark. Each cell had a tiny window that would filter light through, but it only served to add to the torture.
Elly Drake had been held in there since her arrest. With everything happening she had yet to face judgment, or to even find out what her charges were. She was strong-willed, but no less affected by the conditions of her Gray Cell.
The castle guard found this out that night when he passed her cell and looked in—and saw her strung up against her small cell window.
"The wench hung herself!" he screamed down the corridor, quickly unlocking the cell door. He was carrying a torch and he rushed inside. The former Agent of the Intelligence Bureau did appear to have hung herself from the bars of the windows using her pillowcase. He tossed the torch to the floor and rushed forward. He grabbed Elly's legs, trying to hoist her up—
—and at that moment Elly's eyes snapped open and she slammed her knee underneath his chin.
The guard sprawled on his back against the floor. Elly reached up and calmly untied the pillowcase from around her neck and hopped off the barrel she'd been sitting on. "Idiot," she spat. "You mocked me with a water barrel full of dirty water—and I used it to fake my death!"
She heard a commotion down the hall. Elly cursed to herself and dropped down, ripping the keys off the guard's belt. For good measure she stole his short sword. Then she left the guard and the still burning torch and took off running in the opposite direction of the voices.
"Damn!" she rasped, rubbing her throat. "I could use water—or a stiff drink!" but she would worry about it later. She needed to escape Eisenblütig first and foremost.
The level of activity in the palace at that time of night was shocking to her. Everywhere she turned she saw soldiers. She had heard the rumors that Prince Brendan had defected to Astraea Reiser's side, and the sheer number of solders about was her confirmation.
How in the hell am I supposed to get out of here?
She found herself in the corridor leading to the Crypt when the Call to Action Bell suddenly started ringing. Her head snapped around and she looked in the direction of the Bell incredulously. "Are you kidding me?!" she exclaimed aloud. "They rung that bell for my escape?!"
She looked around frantically, her eyes falling on the door to the Crypt. To her shock there were no guards on duty at the door. Not knowing what else to do, Elly raced towards the door and burst inside. She slammed the door shut behind her and held it fast. Seconds later, she heard footsteps race past the door and towards the direction of the bell. When the footsteps faded, she allowed herself to relax. Somewhat.
"Great," she grumbled. "What am I supposed to do now?!"
Raised voices deep in the Crypt made Elly jump. She looked down into the darkness, her breathing unsteady. The voices…one of them sounded like the King!
Why is His Majesty down there this late? And when the Call to Action Bell is ringing?
Elly knew she needed to escape. But her feet took her down into the Crypt instead.
When the Call to Action Bell rung, Philomena was startled awake. She came awake with a gasp, her breathing heavy. But instead of the ceiling of her bedroom, she saw a black void overhead.
"NO!"
The shout startled Philomena and she sat up. Or—she tried to sit up. She barely got a few centimeters up when she felt a burning sensation in her arms. She looked down and she saw that her arms were crossed over her chest and her body was bound with rope. Her mouth open and closed silently in shock.
"She's awake! You said she wouldn't wake up!"
"The drug must not have been strong enough."
Philomena recognized her father and Albert's voices. "Fa—" she tried to call for King Franz, but as she came awake fully her surroundings came into focus for her. There was darkness all around, and a bad…wet smell. It looked like she was in the Crypt. Not on the platform, but a dry area where Bhayankar was nowhere near. She realized that she was lying on the stone ground, but not just that. She was lying in a…black circle. A circle that looked like was drawn with charcoal, with lines that crossed the circle in an 'X' shape.
And she was lying in the middle of the 'X'.
"Damn!" King Franz came from the darkness, his expression strained. Sorrow in his reddening eyes. He shook his head stiffly. "It wasn't supposed to be like this…!"
"The Bell is serving as a proper diversion," Albert said, stepping forward from the darkness. He held a piece of paper in his left hand, and his expression was blank. "But unfortunately it woke Her Highness up."
Philomena saw movement in the shadows beyond them. Soldiers from the castle. She tried to sit up again but couldn't. She tried to roll on her side, but the ropes ate into her side through her dress. "W—What is this?!" she demanded, her voice hoarse. "What's going on?!"
Albert looked upon her. "You have heard, have you not Princess? Prince Brendan has joined the rebel Astraea Reiser."
Philomena's throat tightened painfully. She knew too well and she could only nod in response. "The traitor's influence is growing dangerously," Albert continued. "The fate of this country hangs in the balance. If we do not defeat her, we will all be destroyed."
Philomena looked at her father, and then down at her binds. She looked up at her father again. "Why did you tie me up, Father?" she asked him. "It's hurting me."
King Franz looked away and let out a shaky breath. Philomena's heart began slamming against the wall of her chest. After a moment he looked at her. "Do you love me, Philomena?"
"Of course I do," Philomena quickly responded. "There's no one I love more than you, Father!"
"Would you do anything for this country, Philomena?"
"Of course I would, Father!"
"If Astraea succeeds, we will all be destroyed," King Franz told her. "She will kill me and let herself be a puppet for the Alliance while they rip this country apart. You need to prevent this from happening, Philomena."
Philomena looked at her bindings. "I…don't understand," she said quietly.
"We need an ally," Albert spoke up. "A monster who will destroy the rebels before they destroy us. I know this demon, and he is very capable of achieving this. But the demon…requires a great sacrifice from us. He will not come if we do not make that sacrifice, Princess."
Philomena blinked once. Then twice. Her brow furrowed. "I-I don't understand," she repeated herself.
"Philomena," King Franz said harshly. Philomena quickly looked at him. His expression faltered briefly, but only briefly. "The demon will only accept a great sacrifice to be summoned," he continued. "And that sacrifice…is you."
Philomena gasped throatily, and panic, terror, and horror quickly filled her body. "W…What?" she wheezed. "What?!"
"Yuber will not come without a human sacrifice," Albert said, his tone eerily calm. "We have tried and he will not come with a simple sacrifice. He is requiring a personal sacrifice from us to come to us. I am deeply sorry Princess Philomena, but for the sake of His Majesty the King and for the sake of this country, you are going to be that sacrifice."
"No!" Philomena screamed, her voice echoing throughout the Crypt. "NOOOOOOO! Y-You can't do this!"
"We have no choice," Albert said, as if that was answer enough.
Philomena looked at King Franz. "Th-This is a joke, right?! A trick?! You're not going to—to sacrifice me!"
King Franz held her gaze. His face was hard but his eyes—his eyes held such profound sorrow that she knew. She knew that it wasn't a joke. They were going to sacrifice her. She shook her head furiously. "N…No—"
"Everything is ready, Your Majesty," Albert said, approaching King Franz. "Let's do this quick as to not torture her."
"YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" Philomena screamed. She struggled and tried to move, but the binds were too tight. All she could do was wiggle and struggled. "A—Aravine! ARAVINE!" she shrieked. "WHERE IS ARAVINE?! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"
"Should I read the spell or you?" Albert asked King Franz.
King Franz quickly shook his head. "You do it."
"Daddy!" Philomena wailed, twisting her body to face. "Daddy, I-I thought you loved me! Don't you love me?!"
"I do, Philomena," King Franz said, his tone quiet. "There's no one alive that I love more than you."
"That is why you were chosen, Princess," Albert said. "You are the greatest sacrifice His Majesty can make to Yuber for him to come to us."
Philomena's breath hitch, and tears spilled down her cheeks. Rage suddenly filled her body, mixing with the panic and terror as she looked at her father once more. "Astraea was right, wasn't she?! This war is all your fault! I-If you can do this to me…then you definitely tried to do it to Astraea!"
"Do it now!" King Franz shouted.
Astraea was right, Astraea was right, OH MY GOD ASTRAEA WAS RIGHT—
Soldiers in the darkness suddenly shrieked, and blood splattered upon the ground. Philomena cried out in shock when she saw Aravine. Her assist body-checked Albert and then rushed at King Franz. The King was in the middle of unsheathing his sword when Aravine stabbed him deep in his left side. King Franz wheezed and pitched forward, but Aravine slammed her foot into his stomach and knocked him to the ground.
"Aravine!" Philomena wailed as her half-sister rushed to her side.
"I-I'm so sorry!" Aravine stammered, trying to help Philomena sit. "I was ambushed and locked in a closet—"
"Ow, OW!" Philomena wailed as the ropes tightened around her.
"Hang on." Aravine began slicing at the ropes at her wrists. "I'll get you out of here, Princess."
"Astraea was right, Aravine," Philomena panted, tears slipping down her cheeks. "Father—"
"Don't talk," Aravine interjected gently. "Conserve your strength. We need to—URRGH!"
Aravine suddenly threw her head back and arched her body. Right before Philomena's eyes she saw the blade of a sword burst from her stomach. She had been stabbed from behind. She lifted her eyes, and to her horror she saw King Franz standing over them, wielding the sword that had stabbed Aravine. He held the sword in his left hand, while his right cupped his injured side.
"Stupid…BITCH!" he roared. He slammed his foot into Aravine's back, and Aravaine slammed facedown into the ground beside Philomena. Philomena gaped in horror at her assist. Her beloved half-sister. "A…Aravine?" she whispered. "Aravine?"
Aravine did not answer. Did not move. Philomena knew that she would do neither ever again.
Albert knelt down beside Aravine's other side and checked for a pulse. "Will—that suffice for a sacrifice?" King Franz panted. He spat out a mouthful of blood.
"I'm afraid not, Your Majesty," Albert said grimly. "The sacrifice must be alive for the ceremony."
Philomena burst into tears, wailing erupting from her throat. "Aravine! ARAVINE!"
Aravine was dead. Her assist—her sister—had died trying to save her. Philomena wailed louder and harder, trying to roll onto her side despite the discomfort to curl beside Aravine.
"Do it now!" King Franz snapped. "I cannot stand this any longer!"
"Right." Albert stepped out of the circle. Aravine's body was left beside Philomena. "I call out to the World of Emptiness," Albert began, raising his right hand. "Open to me your arms of anarchy and death!"
Philomena's head snapped back to her father. Unfathomable pain filled her body; pain that made her feel like she was dying. But with the pain was absolute. I don't want to die! I don't want to die!
"I call for the black demon who thirsts for blood!" Albert commanded.
"D—Daddy!" Philomena cried out. "Daddy, don't do this!"
"Eye of silver! Eye of crimson!"
"Daddy, don't kill me!"
"Power unrivaled within the body of Man!"
"Daddy, DON'T KILL ME!" Philomena screamed.
"I call and command the wielder of the Eightfold Rune!"
"DADDY, NO!"
"Heed my voice and present yourself to me!"
Light and heat suddenly enveloped Philomena's body, followed by a eruption of pain that turned the world black and red.
That didn't happen, that didn't happen, that didn't happen—
Elly's breathing was quick and hagged. She was hyperventilating. She covered her mouth, her eyes wide and her body trembling. She took one step back. Then another. Then another
That didn't happen, that didn't happen, that didn't happen—
She turned gripping her arms and hunching forward. She had never felt a horror so profound in her life. She was used to death; she had seen many people die, and she knew that she was responsible for her share of deaths. But this was…something she had never experienced in her life. A murder so horrendous that her body was becoming paralyzed with shock.
That didn't happen—it happened, it happened, it happened, they killed her, they killed her, THEY KILLED HER—
A hand roughly snagged her arm. "I got you."
Elly looked up to see a nondescript castle soldier grinning sardonically at her. "You've caused enough trouble, bitch," he snarled. "Now you—"
"Oh thank God I found you!"
They both turned at this voice. From the shadows Taiwo Winn suddenly appeared. The royal bastard had a look of helpless shock on his face as he quickly approached. "Oh, you wouldn't believe it!" he exclaimed as he spoke, his steps fast. "It's so awful you wouldn't believe but I know you'd believe it because you have to believe it and if you don't believe it—"
He continued firing off words without stopping for breath. Elly gaped in shock and the guard glared in confusion. He continued to speak until he was right in front of them—and he promptly slit the guard's throat.
The guard gagged and dropped to the ground. Elly gaped at him for a brief second before Taiwo grabbed her elbow and tugged on it. "What are you waiting for?!" he said sharply. "We need to go now!"
Elly couldn't speak. She looked back in the direction where the King had been—where Princess Philomena had been—and she took off running with Taiwo.
Philomena and Aravine were gone. The blood was gone. The circle was gone. All that remained was the Black Knight who stood in the exact spot where Philomena had lain. His posture was stiff and his head bent forward, but Albert knew him.
A chilly silence swept over the area. Even King Franz was holding his breath. Albert stepped forward and stood before their new guest. He lifted his head then and met Albert's gaze. A regular silver eye, and a red eye with a slit pupil.
Albert smiled faintly. "It's been a long time, Yuber. I have need of your services once more."
Yuber stared back at him, saying nothing.
End of Chapter Six