Chapter 9

Warwick took a long sip from his flask, grimacing at the news. Around him, the rest of Castle Weiswolf's command structure stared speechless at the screen.

"As of this moment, I have taken command as President of the EU," General Smilas announced from the television. He was in Paris, it seemed, addressing a crowd. "Julius Kingsley represents the greatest threat to our home than we have faced in a long time, and the treachery of Leila Malcal has only made him that much more dangerous. It is with great regret I shoulder this burden, but in times of crisis decisive leadership is necessary. Know that I will do everything in my power to restore the people's trust in their government. The days of the Council of Forty have ended, and a new nation, one for the people has risen in its place. But we must first turn to our own, and root out the corruption within. For conspiring with the enemy, Leila Malcal is hereby considered a traitor to the EU, and is to be captured or killed on-"

Warwick threw his empty flask into the screen, shattering it. The others jumped, and he heard Anna squeak in surprise beside him. "Oops," He apologized. "My mistake. Hand must have slipped. Terrible timing, what with the General about to make his speech and all. It's a shame none of us heard what he had to say."

Anna frowned, before realizing what he was trying to say. Slowly, she nodded along. "Y-Yeah," She said nervously. "A real shame. You should lighten up on the drinking, Warwick. Everyone knows you're clumsy when you're drunk."

He grinned. "I'll be sure to do that. Still, I'm afraid we'll just have to go without hearing the General's speech, and whatever bullshit he may or may not have said."

Joe Wise adjusted his glasses with a shaking hand. "What…what are we going to do?" He asked. "We can't just pretend we didn't hear the General forever. What about Leila-"

"We'll figure it out," Warwick said dismissively. "Or Leila will. Girl's got a good head on her shoulders, she'll come up with something." Hopefully.

He glared at the broken screen of the television. Bastard. Leila trusted you. Idolized you, saw you as a second father. And now the son of a bitch was branding her as a traitor? Why, so he could start his own little coup? Two-faced rat.

Not that he was much better, of course. But he had standards, low as they were. Leila was a good kid. Everything she did was to help others, everything. And now she was being punished for it.

Besides, he knew the General was spewing bullshit. His contacts in Britannia had told him Leila worked with Cornelia, yes, but also that the princess threw a Knight of the Rounds off a balcony. They took Kingsley with them, but they obviously weren't working in Britannia's interests, no matter what crap Smilas decided to come up with about this being a play for the throne on Cornelia's part.

His contacts had also informed him that he was to notify them immediately the moment he heard any scrap of information regarding Leila. They had offered a small fortune in return, and a title of nobility to go with it. It was all he would ever need to make sure his daughter never had to worry in life. All he would have to do is sell out Leila.

Hmph. Unfortunately, he seemed to have misplaced the device he used to contact Britannia. Awfully clumsy of him. He was sure it'd turn up sooner or later.

Until then, it only made sense that he needed to maintain his cover. Which meant he was still Leila's aide-de-camp for the moment, and he was still a colonel in the Europian military.

"Anna," He said suddenly. "I must have finished that off a little too fast. I feel dizzy. Mind walking me back to my room?"

She frowned in confusion, but nodded. "Uhm, alright then." She rose from her seat, and he grabbed her arm, dragging her out quickly into the hallway.

He let go once they were out of sight. "What do you think, then?"

Anna's eyes widened. "About Leila? It's insane. There's no way she would ever betray the EU, and the General knows that. I don't know why he would-"

"So he can seize power," Warwick said, cutting her off. "If Kingsley is free, he presents a threat to the EU. Which provides an excuse for Smilas to take control, since the Council of Forty has proven itself completely incapable of handling Kingsley."

"But…but why would the General do that? He's a good man."

Warwick laughed. "There are no good men in politics. Just greater and lesser evils." He paused. "And I know Leila wouldn't betray the EU. She's too good of a kid for that."

Anna scowled. "Didn't you just say no one in politics is a good person?"

"That's why she's a decent commander, and a terrible politician," Warwick said. "Now, have you heard anything from them?"

She sighed. "No, not yet. Their Knightmares aren't equipped to communicate with us over long distances, not without giving away their position to Britannia."

"Keep an ear out," He told her. "Leila's resourceful. She'll find a way to get in contact with you, and when he does she's going to need your help. She has no one on her side but us now."

"Everyone in Castle Weiswolf trusts Leila, and they know she isn't a traitor," Anna said defiantly.

He rolled his eyes. "That's nice and all, but against the entirety of the EU and Euro Britannia, this castle ain't worth crap. So when she does make contact, keep it under wraps and tell no one. Send help discreetly. You never know who might be listening."

Anna frowned. "No one here would ever betray Leila."

Warwick almost laughed again. "Still, it never hurts to be careful, right? Just use a bit of caution."

She nodded. "I will."

He sighed, sticking his hands in his pockets. "I think I can make it back the rest of the way myself. I suddenly feel much more clear-headed. Funny how that works." He glanced back at Anna. "Just…remember what I said. Be careful. You can never be sure who your friends really are."

He turned away with a bitter laugh. "Just look at the General." And look at me.

"So what's their deal then?" Ryo asked. "I mean, seriously. He's a military advisor who's been terrorizing the EU for months, and the princess throws her life away to break him out of the palace? Why? And how the hell does he speak Japanese?"

"I was wondering that myself," Akito answered, and his eyes flickered over to her.

Leila sighed. "I couldn't tell you. It isn't like I have any better idea than you do."

"You were the one she approached," Ryo pointed out. "She had to tell you something."

She frowned. "Nothing substantial, unfortunately. She…she mentioned they were coercing him in some way, back at the motel. That he might have been under some kind of brainwashing." That would at least explain the drastic change in his personality. "Outside of that, I have no idea. Yukiya, you tried looking into Kingsley's past before we began the operation, didn't you? Did you find anything?"

He shook his head. "Every spy in the EU tried looking into Kingsley. They went through registers of Military Academies, noble families across the world, recent Knighthoods, everything they could. Nothing ever turned up. For all intents and purposes, Julius Kingsley did not exist until Suzaku Kururugi brought him to Euro Britannia." He paused. "Which I suppose lends credence to the idea he has some sort of mental disorder, or brainwashing. If Kingsley didn't exist in the first place, there would be nothing to find."

"So he just gets off the hook for all the destruction he's caused?" Ayano scoffed. "That's bullshit!"

"We don't know what he has or hasn't done," Leila reminded her. "And it isn't our job to know. Remember, you all agreed to this mission, and the mission was to let Kingsley leave alive even before we knew there was…something wrong with him. None of us have to like him, but we have a job to do."

They fell into an uneasy silence, and Leila found herself wishing she had more answers. And not just about Kingsley, either. What had happened, just before they were going to leave? How did she know Cornelia was in danger? Why did she and Kingsley react so harshly when they got near each other?

And…was the green-haired woman just a dream, or something else?

She heard footsteps, and every pair of eyes turned further into the cave as Cornelia emerged, supporting Kingsley's weight with one of his arms over her shoulder. They paused only for a moment at their stares, before Cornelia shuffled closer, setting Kingsley down gently and taking her own seat beside him.

Clearly sensing the hostility, Kingsley sighed. "I suppose I should thank you all," He said, and Leila's eyes widened in surprise. He sounded so different. "For getting me out of there. I doubt I've garnered much good will out of any of you, but even so, I'm glad to be free again."

"You can start with telling us who you are," Ayano scowled. "The princess says you were brainwashed. If that's the case, then who the hell are you? And how can you defeat the EU so easily when you're only our age?"

"I'll thank you, but I'm not going to tell you who I am," Kingsley said more carefully. "There isn't any reason for you to know."

"Really?" Ryo asked rhetorically. "Cause it seems to me like we just saved your life, asshole. Twice."

"You did," Kingsley agreed. "And I thanked you for it."

Yukiya thankfully cut in before Ryo could start an argument. "Alright then," He said quickly. "Don't tell us who you are. We didn't need to know beforehand, I can accept keeping it that way. But what do we call you? I'm going to assume Julius Kingsley isn't your real name."

He shrugged. "It works as well as any. Keep calling me Kingsley, if you like. If nothing else it keeps things simple."

Leila frowned. Cornelia called him Lelouch, when she first entered the motel. But as far as she was aware, none of the others had heard her, only Leila. Still, she wasn't going to bring it up. She was patient. She could wait for answers.

"In that case," Leila said, hoping to clear the air a little. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Leila Malcal, commander of the Wyvern Zero squad. We're the ones who helped free you."

He nodded in acknowledgment, and she pointed towards the others, picking them out one by one. "This is Sayama Ryo," She introduced, hoping she was remembering correctly by using the family name first. "Narusa Yukiya, Kousaka Ayano…" She gestured towards the last of them. "...And Hyuga Akito," She finished.

His eye lit up in recognition. "Hyuga?"

Right. Of course Kingsley would know Shaing. She had nearly forgotten about the man herself. She nodded. "Yes. I…I don't know if there's any relation." She glanced over to Akito. "And it isn't my place to say."

She saw Akito grimace. "Shin…he's my brother, yes."

"Your brother is a Britannian Knight?" Ryo asked in disbelief. "How?"

"We haven't seen each other since we were children," Akito said. "I don't know what path his life has taken him. I didn't even know he was a Knight until now."

"Introductions are over," Cornelia said quickly, and Leila was grateful to the princess for steering the conversation away from Akito. He clearly wasn't comfortable talking about his brother. "We should start thinking of our next steps. We can't stay here long, obviously. Kururugi will be looking for us, and there's only so much forest to search."

Leila nodded along. "Moving anywhere will be hard. We can't very well travel discreetly in our Knightmares. Even ignoring the size of them, think of the tracks they'll leave behind. The snow might cover some of it, but not enough to wipe our trail clear. Not unless we get struck by a sudden magical blizzard." She frowned. "What's more…we don't actually know what the goal is. The train you were on was going to Moscow, but It's probably safe to say that isn't an option anymore."

Cornelia sighed. "It's unlikely, I admit. But Moscow was never really an end goal. Just somewhere we could get to where we could hide, catch our breath, plan our course."

"So you didn't have anything in mind before freeing Kingsley?"

"I have a few ideas," Cornelia said vaguely. "But they aren't ideal. I'd prefer to explore other options first."

"We're kind of running out of those, in case you haven't noticed," Ryo pointed out. "So really, anything would be good right about now."

"We still have some time to think on it," Cornelia said, frustration creeping into her voice. "We need to figure out a way to slip past Kururugi's search parties anyways, before we do anything else. We won't get far otherwise."

"I agree," Leila said, glad that Kingsley at least was keeping his mouth shut. "How about we all have something to eat before we decide on anything? I instructed you all to pack extra rations, and I imagine we'll make a bit more progress planning our escape if we aren't at each other's throats."

At least, I hope so. If not…she had a feeling they weren't going to make it very far after all.

"Has he responded to my requests? Any of them?"

Kanon shook his head. "No, your highness. It seems his majesty is ignoring you."

Schneizel sighed, shaking his head. "It seems my father is ignoring everything," He muttered bitterly. "How can he expect to be called an Emperor if he refuses to rule?"

It was an old complaint of his, and one that had only increased in frequency these last few years. More and more, the Emperor sequestered himself away from the court, conspiring with the Knight of One. And try as he might, he had never been able to puzzle out why.

The Emperor has some strange interest in old ruins, but for all of the research Schneizel had put into learning the purpose of his obsession, he had come up with nothing. A few locations, scattered seemingly at random across the world. And a word, Geass.

It was Irish, as near as he could tell. An old word for a curse, or a vow that might bind someone by supernatural means.

Childish fairytale nonsense. And seemingly important enough to drag the Emperor away from his own empire.

It infuriated him to no end. How he simply refused to take part in the wider world, leaving Schneizel to govern in his stead. Only, he lacked any of the authority the Emperor possessed, rendering him ultimately unable to enact any meaningful change.

Britannia was trapped in a perpetual state of war and conflict, a messy and chaotic existence, unable to adapt. And all because his father refused to rule. Because…because of some old rocks, and a fairytale.

And now the world had gone mad because of it.

"Your highness?" Schneizel lifted his head, and Kanon cleared his throat. "Pendragon has sent word. The Emperor will speak with you now."

He breathed a sigh of relief. At least I get to complain directly, now. "Connect us, if you would be so kind. And please leave the room."

Kanon obeyed silently, and soon he was faced with the stern image of his father. "What is so important you drag me away from my duties, Schneizel? I am busy."

He almost laughed in the Emperor's face. What duties? Schneizel kept a calm exterior, letting no trace of his annoyance creep into his features. He bowed his head in apology. "I apologize, your majesty. But as the Prime Minister, it is my obligation to inform you of a recently developing situation in Euro Britannia."

"I already know of it," The Emperor said. "Sir Kururugi has kept me apprised of the matter."

Schneizel resisted the urge to scowl. "Then what would you have me do, your majesty? I wish only to serve."

The Emperor raised an eyebrow. "What would I have you do? I would have you do that which I assigned to you, boy. I named you Prime Minister of Britannia because you showed a modicum of more capability and initiative than the rest of your siblings who waste their days gossiping in court. The situation in Euro Britannia is handled. It is none of your concern."

"None of my concern?" Schneizel blurted, unable to catch himself this time. "Your majesty, Euro Britannia is in chaos. Cornelia is a war hero, the Chief General of the Empire, a princess...and now she's turned traitor to work with the EU. A military advisor has been kidnapped, the Imperial Scepter has been stolen, all the while General Smilas has launched a coup in the EU and is no doubt planning an offensive as we speak…and you mean to tell me it is none of my concern? I am the Prime Minister of Britannia, a duty you appointed me as you were so kind to remind me. Do you think a princess turning traitor, and the potential loss of the entirety of Euro Britannia won't have an effect on the empire?"

The Emperor shrugged. "Then do what you think you must to negate the issue. I would think I shouldn't need to tell you to do your job. Now is there any actual news you have to report, or have you merely seen fit to waste our time?"

Schneizel bowed his head, seething. "There is not, your majesty."

"Then there is nothing more to say." The call ended with a click, and Schneizel loosened his shoulders.

I am angry, He realized. I am genuinely angry. He rarely found himself worked up like this. It was almost a novelty for him to experience.

But it was no less frustrating, of course. Once again, the Emperor refused to act. He even refused to let Schneizel act in his stead. The empire was threatening to crumble around them, and he thought it was more important to go play the archaeologist alongside Bismarck.

Schneizel shut his eyes. Cornelia…what have you done? It wasn't enough that he had one mystery on his hands already, working to uncover whatever secrets the Emperor was keeping from him that needed his constant attention. No, now his sister needed to confound him as well.

But why? To what end? Had Euphie's death simply pushed her over the edge? Cornelia had disappeared after the Black Rebellion, cutting off contact with everyone, even her knight. And all of a sudden she appeared out of nowhere, just to kidnap a military advisor? Why? Cornelia was as loyal a Britannian as any, and no matter what Smilas claimed, he knew his sister had no desire for the throne.

Another problem for him to fix.

Schneizel sighed, rising to his feet. Something needs to be done about the EU. The situation was untenable. A princess had turned traitor, and with Julius Kingsley captured, their advantage had screeched to a halt. Smilas's leadership had given the EU the one advantage they had been lacking in for so long. Proper leadership.

Someone had to go to the EU and ensure Smilas didn't simply take back all of the land they had fought for in the last three months. And if the Emperor refused to act…

Then Schneizel would.

"This is boring!" Ashley groaned, and it took a supreme effort on Jean's part not to show her irritation. That'd only make him worse if he saw he was getting to me. "Why the hell would Lord Shaing send me to back you up?"

"A question I haven't stopped wondering since he told me," Jean said, just barely managing to stop from growling. "I'm not exactly thrilled either, but I don't care if you're bored. This isn't a game, we are on a mission."

"We're on a mission, wandering aimlessly through the woods in stock Knightmares," He shuddered, apparently horrified at the thought of being forced away from his custom Knightmare Frame. "And worse, I'm stuck with you."

"We can't be searching for Kingsley in identifiable Knightmares," Jean said. "We aren't supposed to be out here. If Kururugi catches word of our presence he'd have us sent back to St. Petersburg." Worse, he might have Lord Shaing censured.

Even from within the cockpits of their Knightmares, Jean could almost hear Ashley grin. "Really? So you're saying that if we just so happened to run into Kururugi…"

"Don't," She warned. "We would be punished as well, which means you won't get to pilot your Knightmare for a while. At least looking for Kingsley there's a chance we'll run into a fight."

Ashley sighed. "I'll take what I can get, I suppose."

"You should be grateful Lord Shaing is giving you the opportunity to serve him personally," Jean told him.

He snorted. "I don't care about any of that."

Her eye twitched in frustration at his flippant response. "You are a part of the Order of Michael," She reminded him. "He is your Grand Master."

"Which is why I'm here," He said. "I'm following his orders, aren't I? Doesn't mean I have to like them." He paused. "Although…the Knightmares who were sent to go after the princess were all destroyed. Rumor says it's the Ghost of Hannibal who helped take Kingsley. Now that would be a good fight."

Rumor? What rumor? Kingsley's barely been gone a day! Jean took a deep breath. It didn't matter. Hell, if it gave Ashley an excuse to look forward to finding Kingsey, it might even be a good thing.

She still had no idea what possessed Lord Shaing to send Ashley with her, but she was determined to make the best of what she had.

"So why do you think the princess kidnapped Kingsley?"

Jean rolled her eyes. Great. Now it's worse than complaining. He's actually talking to her now. "It isn't our job to speculate."

"It is, actually," Ashley said. "Aren't we supposed to be finding Kingsley? Knowing why he was taken in the first place would probably be a good first step, don't you think?" Jean was silent, and Ashley took that as an opportunity to press the issue. "Come on!" He implored, almost begging. "I know it's gotta be killing you, trying to figure it out. What's the harm in discussing our mission? Professionally, of course."

Irritating as he was, Ashley was right. She was curious, maddeningly so. A princess, one of the most lauded generals in the history of the empire suddenly turns traitor, working with the EU to kidnap a mysterious military advisor escorted by a Knight of the Rounds? Why? What did she have to gain? And why was Lord Shaing willing to go behind the Knight of Sevens back to satisfy his own curiosity?

Thankfully, unlike Ashley, she had enough tact to know when she should simply keep her mouth shut and do her duty.

"I heard someone say Kingsley was actually the Emperor's son," Ashley chimed in. "That's why no one knows anything about him. This whole campaign was supposed to be his trial run before going to court."

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to hide a royal birth?" She scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. Besides, why would Cornelia sell out her brother to the EU?." God, he was going to be insufferable, wasn't he? Coming up with nonsense theories the whole way.

"I don't see you coming up with any ideas," He grumbled, before perking up. "Hey, maybe the princess is brainwashed! That'd explain why she'd help kidnap Kingsley. Or maybe they're both brainwashed, and Kingsley was secretly an EU operative they're trying to get back?"

Jean hung her head with a heavy sigh. I'm going to kill him.

"Andrea," Duke Highland breathed in a sigh of relief. "It is good to see a friendly face."

"I imagine few of those are in supply these days," He noted sourly.

The Duke grimaced. "It has been…trying, that's for certain. But I do not think it is so dire as all that. Sir Kururugi has not seen fit to strip me of my titles just yet, and neither has he implied that he intends to do so."

"You are being naive," Andrea said sadly. It was a hard truth, but it was a truth his old friend needed to hear. "Kururugi has not bothered because he is occupied with the search, and you still prove useful in managing St. Petersburg. Lord Shaing has already been confirmed as Kingsley's successor and placed in charge of all military affairs. He's even begun making overtures of friendship in the court. They may not like him, but they won't go against him. And as Shaing grows in power, you diminish. Or do you actually believe Kururugi cares what happens here after he's gotten Kingsley and left?'

Highland sighed. "No. No, I do not. And I don't doubt you about Shaing, either. It won't be long before he begins to be considered for my position, I think."

He neglected to mention there were already whispers that Shaing aimed to be the next Duke. "You can at least be glad you won't be executed," He said instead. It was a grim sort of reassurance, but it was something at least. "If Kingsley had been in command instead of being kidnapped, I imagine all of our heads would have rolled."

Highland scowled, shaking his head. "What did I do wrong, my friend? I tried. I tried to be the true, chivalrous Knight. To be the worthy Duke. To place the concerns of the people, even if they weren't my own, above myself. And for my trouble, I get Kingsley." He spat the name. "He appeared and threw it all away. Count yourself lucky you never saw half of the proposals the man came up with. If he had his way, Paris would be ours, yes. And it would be a smoldering ruin, with St. Petersburg not much better. Nobody deserved to suffer a war like that, Europian or not."

The Duke ran a hand frantically through his hair. "I did all I could to stymie the worst of Kingsley's tendencies, but there was little enough I could do. He bore the authority of the Imperial Scepter, and was personally escorted by a Knight of the Rounds. All I wound up achieving is annoying the man. Should I have not even bothered? Should I have let him butcher innocents, Britannia and Europian alike? Or should I have tried harder to rid us of him?"

"I couldn't tell you," Andrea said honestly. "I don't envy you, Augusta. You were in a terrible position. Kingsley is a mad man, and were it under different circumstances, I would thank the EU and the princess both for taking him off of our hands." He frowned. "As it is, his absence puts Shaing in a better position. And I am not altogether convinced that is a better alternative."

The Duke furrowed his brow. "You have something to say. What is it?"

Andrea's lips pursed. "Lord Manfredi," He began. "I counted him as one of my closest friends."

The Duke nodded. "As did I. His suicide was a tragedy, one that came as a shock to us all. He will be sorely missed."

"I am not convinced it was a suicide," Andrea confessed. "I knew Michele. He would never take his own life. That was not the kind of man he was."

Highland raised an eyebrow. "Are you making an accusation?"

He shook his head. "Merely sharing a theory." One he was certain of. "Shaing gained a lot with Manfredi's death. Because of it, he ascended to Grand Master of the Order of Michael."

"Shaing was already appointed as Manfredi's successor," The Duke pointed out. "Manfredi came to me personally to confirm the appointment. Why wouldn't he simply wait to inherit?"

"Perhaps he was impatient," He suggested. "Killing someone to be granted your inheritance sooner is hardly a new concept."

"No, but Manfredi saw Lord Shaing as a younger brother," The Duke said, shaking his head. "They were close. I don't understand why he would kill him."

"Do you mean to tell me he is incapable of it, then?" Andrea asked. "You've met the man. He is charming, yes, and affable, but there is a cruel streak hidden beneath that smile of his. He is ruthless. Do not forget this is the man Kingsley appointed as his replacement. Kingsley."

"You have a point," The Duke conceded. "You're confident in this, then? Keep in mind who it is you're accusing."

He nodded. "As confident as I can be. Lord Shaing had Manfredi killed, or killed the man himself. I am certain of it."

Highland sighed once more. "This…this complicates matters. You understand I cannot act against him, yes? With my current standing, any attempt to accuse him will simply be seen as me scrambling to preserve my status by shifting the attention away from me. You will require proof."

"I have been searching ever since Manfredi's death," Andrea said. "I will find something, I am sure of it, even if it isn't in regards to his murder. There must be a few skeletons in that man's closet."

"Be careful," The Duke warned. "Shaing is a powerful man these days, and we don't know what allies he has made as of late. Besides, no matter what he's done, we still need him unfortunately. You've heard the news about General Smilas, I assume?"

"I have," Andrea confirmed. "He's overthrown the Council of Forty, and is preparing to launch an offensive."

"Worse than that," The Duke said. "Sir Kururugi believes it is a full scale invasion, and I am prepared to believe him. And with Kingsley missing, Shaing is the only man with a chance of resisting, I fear."

He scowled. "I do not like having our lives placed in his hands. That man means ill for Euro Britannia, mark my words."

"I do not doubt it," The Duke agreed. "But desperate times call for desperate measures, and all that." He smiled. "Of course, there is one bit of good news."

"And what would that be?" He asked, tilting his head out of curiosity.

"Prince Schneizel called not two hours ago," The Duke announced. "With the situation as it is, he's seen fit to come himself and put things back in order." He paused. "He emphasized he wouldn't be taking authority away from Kururugi. He can't, not if the Emperor allowed it. But if we were to go to him with our suspicions…"

"...then perhaps the prince can expend his own resources to discern the truth," Andrea finished, nodding along. "Not a terrible idea. The prince will surely understand the threat Shaing poses."

"In the meantime, all we can do is prepare for the prince's arrival, and try to make sure we can counter whatever moves Shaing tries to make," The Duke said. "If he tries to act against us, or Euro Britannia, we need to be ready."

"Indeed," Andrea said. "Let's just hope the prince's arrival won't be anywhere near as eventful as his sister's."

He wasn't sure Euro Britannia would survive another royal visit.

Having internet issues, but I can still upload consistently. I uploaded a new one shot not long ago, focusing on Sherry from Roze of the Recapture, but there's a lot of characters involved. I think it's some of my best writing, genuinely. Give it a look if it interests you!

Please leave a comment! I read them all, even if I don't reply to every one. I try to do most of them.