Sorry for the delay. I took on more hours at work and then I got sick. I'm still not 100% but I'm hoping to get back on track.

Don't forget to check out my AI-Suikoden images on deviantart.

Chapter Four: Part Six

Honigmilch

The Magic Guild

"Have you heard?"

Primrose looked up from the mountain of books in front of her. She was standing on the first floor of the Magic Guild's impressive five-story library. Though she had avoided arrest she was nonetheless being punished by Lady Norma. Though she was glad to be alive, it did hurt her ego that she had been left doing work that Guild trainees usually did. In this case, reorganizing their library.

But she didn't let her frustration show as Flissa approached. "Heard what?" she asked.

Flissa wore a grim expression. "Prince Vahan and Princess Philomena are officially going to battle against Princess Astraea."

Primrose felt a ping of discomfort inside of her, but she didn't let it show and continued to mask her emotions. "His Majesty seems determined to not allow her Royal Combat challenge to happen," she said neutrally.

"Lady Dawa hasn't returned to Potsfurt, either," Flissa continued. "His Majesty deployed Prince Brendan back to the city because of reports of Alliance ships just outside of Zelantan waters."

"Then Dawa has undoubtedly resumed her duty as Princess Astraea's assist." Primrose began shoving books onto the nearby bookshelf rather forcefully.

"Ah, excuse me?" one of the nondescript clerks hurried over to them. "As a reminder ladies, per royal degree we cannot refer to Astraea Reiser by her royal title anymore."

Primrose and Flissa looked at him in silence. He walked away without another word. Flissa glanced at Primrose again. "Lady Norma has decided not to act for now," she said. "But if His Majesty the King calls on the Magic Guild, then we're to mobilize."

Primrose paused as she was about shelve another book. After a moment she carefully slid it onto the shelf. "I'm not surprised. We serve the King, and if he calls on us to fight then we will fight."

"I don't have any personal claim in this conflict," Flissa said. "I came all the way here from Dunan because I respected the reputation of Zelant's Magic Guild and felt that my skills would be better served here than at the New Leaf Academy. But…" she shook her head. "Between this, and the conflict with the Bianca Alliance, my head is spinning."

"Are you thinking of fleeing back to Dunan?" Primrose asked her.

Flissa shook her head. "No. I want to see this all the way through. But I'm—struggling to make sense of this," she said. "But I'm a foreigner so maybe I don't get it. But you're a native Zelantan, Primrose. What do you think of all this?"

Primrose locked her jaw. Her mind flooded with overlapping words, sounding muffled in her ears. She had—many feelings about what was going on. Conflicting feelings. But it wasn't anything new to her.

I went to give Dawa support, and Prince Brendan arrested me on false charges to force Dawa into compliance. But then Lady Norma pulled rank and got me out of there, and Dawa escaped. Now she's supporting the Princess. She's put Astraea first…as she always has.

"What I think doesn't matter," Primrose said finally, looking at her. "We're soldiers, Flissa. It's not our jobs to have an opinion about the bureaucracy. We do not interfere in Royal Combat and we support the and head into battle by their will."

"Yes, I understand," Flissa pressed. "But if we're not supposed to interfere in Royal Combat, then why have the Prince and Princess been deployed against Pri—Astraea?"

"Like I said; the only thing I can think of is that the King doesn't want the Royal Combat to happen. And since Astraea has been accused of treason and labeled a traitor…" Primrose shrugged.

"Excuse me!" Ragna shouted as he burst into the library. "Grandma is calling a meeting in the mess hall! Everyone needs to stop what they're doing and report in!"

"Lady Norma, Ragna!" The same clerk as before admonished the boy. "You need to refer to our leader as Lady Norma!"

"Why?! She's my grandma!"

Flissa choked on a laugh and smiled for the first time. "He'll never change, will he?"

"He's a child. It's to be expected." Primrose discarded her cart and headed towards the door.

Flissa caught her arm and stopped her. "I don't know why Prince Brendan made claims against you," she said softly. "But I know that you're not a traitor, Primrose."

Primrose frowned deeply, but she nodded stiffly. "Thank you, Flissa." She didn't know what else to say, as she was deeply conflicted about…everything.

Astraea is a traitor but Dawa believes in her. Dawa has a good sense of judgment, so if Astraea really WAS a traitor then she wouldn't have abandoned her post to help her. As she did before.

"Why are you doing so much for someone who only shares half-blood with you?!"

"Because she is my sister!"

The memory of that dreadful argument flooded her mind, but Primrose managed to shake it off and head towards the library doors. Her stomach still churned though, as deep down she knew the truth.

Astraea and Dawa would not have acted against this country. So if they're not the problem…then the King truly is.

…But there is nothing I can do about it.

Old Capital

"So the peace conference fell through," David sighed, shaking his head.

"Vahan's assertiveness is both a good point and a character flaw," Sigrun said. "He is convinced that he is right and that he will stop us."

"Silver lining is that his immediate ally is Philomena," Denzel said. "No offense to my older sister, but…" he shrugged. "I've said enough about how she's not as keen with combat as the rest of us are."

"Philomena is skilled with the sword, but…yes," Sigrun conceded. "Her leadership capabilities are lacking. It's only because of the favoritism that she has gotten away with it."

"You guys keep mentioning favoritism," Brownie spoke up from his perch on the table. "What's this all about?"

"Philomena is the King's favorite," Astraea said. There was no bitterness to her tone because she did not feel bitter about it. There was no point refuting the facts. "She looks the most like Mother. I've seen Mother's portrait, and Philomena does look like how Mother would look if Mother had brown hair."

"Wait a minute," Viktor said, his brow furrowing. "The King favored your sister because of her resemblance to your mother?! Doesn't that bastard have—like, what—a hundred illegitimate kids?!"

"Forty-six," Dawa said dryly. "You've met some of them already, Vagabond Viktor." She raised her own hand.

"Oh, I know," Viktor responded with a smirk. "Conall's a hilarious drunk—"

"I think," David spoke up. "We should get back to the situation at hand."

"I agree," Astraea said softly. "We did not reach a peace settlement, so that means Vahan and Philomena will be bringing their forces to us."

"The Old Capital is not on the coast, thankfully," Richard said. "So they will not be able to do a naval invasion. To sail up the river would take them days."

"That will leave Prince Vahan and Princess Philomena's forces to cross Giant's Passage to get to this island," David said. "And with the bridge only partially repaired, they all cannot advance at once."

"But I feel like Vahan will know that we are expecting him to cross Giant's Passage to get here," Astraea said. "So he will find alternate means to advance."

"Yes, he will," Sigrun agreed. "What he will probably do is send a unit across as a diversionary tactic while the other forces strike."

"I didn't see any boats along the south coast, though," Denzel said.

"But we also used the Blinking Mirror to get back here quickly," Astraea said. She rubbed at her forehead. "Hmm…we're going to need to repel them. Show them our strength. But at the same time I don't want to completely overwhelm them, either. I know they seek to kill me, but…" she shook her head. "I don't want to kill Vahan or Philomena."

"But if Vahan and Philomena are fighting to take us out, then we need to meet their level of aggression, Astraea," Sigrun said softly. "I'm not exactly eager to face my little brother and sister on the battlefield, but if I must take up arms against them to protect you—and to protect the people here—then I will do that."

"I think I know what Her Majesty means," David spoke up suddenly. He looked at Astraea. "You seek to recruit them both, don't you?"

The room shifted with shock. Denzel choked on a humorless laugh. "Good luck with that, Little Sister. Philomena won't turn on the King, and Vahan is sure of his own righteousness. They will not be easily swayed."

"But I want to try," Astraea said, looking around the room. "Vahan and Philomena…after the Massacre of Innocents, their demeanors changed towards me. They weren't as—aloof," she said after a moment. "As they once were. I feel like they do care about me in some way, a-and so it would be easier to convince them to join me."

"Than Brendan or Kion?" Denzel asked. After a moment he nodded. "That's a good point."

"I agree with Her Majesty," David said. "We are settling up nicely here, but we are short of allies. If we can convince Prince Vahan and Princess Philomena that we are right and they should throw their support behind us, then we should try."

"So if we follow the plan of still seeking allegiance with the Prince and Princess, then we will need to mute our level of aggression," Richard said. "Conquer them but not crush them. Humble them but not cripple them."

"Exactly, Lord Richard," Astraea said with a smile. "I want to defeat them, but that's it. I will show them my might but also my mercy. My words didn't work, so maybe I need to show them force to get my point across."

"Losing two more heirs will cause a serious blow to Franz Reiser's reputation," David said. "Especially if one of those heirs is his golden child."

"So how will we do this?" Sigrun asked. "We only have three full military units. Three hundred soldiers to match the 500 soldiers coming our way."

"If Prince Vahan and Princess Philomena are planning to send a single unit as bait across Giant's Passage, then we will do the same," David said. "We'll send one unit to engage and bring the attention of the forces. This will create a situated of forced concentration on the one unit. With the other two units, we can teleport behind their forces to create an envelopment situation. That will allow us to attack their flanks, which while not large combat losses will create loss of morale."

"That's an excellent idea," Denzel said, sounding genuinely surprised.

"You certainly are a Silverberg," Ferdinand added.

David shrugged. "I have a hell of a legacy to live up to." Astraea choked on a laugh before quickly sobering.

"We don't have enough forces though to box in Vahan and Philomena's forces to prevent a retreat," Sigrun said "If we don't time this properly, then they can break out of the envelopment and gain advantage."

"Then we'll need to move quickly to prevent that from happening," Viktor said.

"Absolutely not," Dr. Tieling said tersely as she stormed into the war room. "I'm not clearing you for combat!"

"Oh come on!" Viktor protested. "I have decades of experience on the battlefield!"

"And you have zero experience on the battlefield with one arm," Dr. Tieling reminded him.

Viktor locked his jaw and looked away. "Damn," he hissed.

"So first we will have Viki teleport our two envelopment units just outside Alfsberg so they can advance on the Royal Army from behind," David said. "Then we will have the forced concentration unit cross the Forest of Sighs to meet the Royal Army at Giant's Passage." He looked at Astraea. "The three military units have served directly under the royals, so I believe they should be led by the royals."

"I agree," Astraea said. She looked at Sigrun and Denzel. "I will lead one unit, Sigrun the second, and Denzel the third. For the unit who will cross Giant's Passage—"

"I will lead that unit," Sigrun quickly up. "Astraea and Denzel, you both take the units who will ambush Vahan and Philomena from behind."

"Are you sure about that, Sigrun?" Denzel asked, his brow knitting. "Your unit we be at greatest risk."

"It's not the first time I've fought outnumbered," Sigrun reassured him. "Plus we need to take into consideration that Vahan and Philomena will have brought units to counteract Astraea's True Rune. That means archery units, and my unit is strong against archery units. We'll be a proper distraction for them while the of you close in."

Denzel made a face. "So for one True Rune they'd stack up archery units? That sounds kind of stupid."

"But we should still be careful," Astraea said. But she moved around the table to her older sister's side. "Sigrun…if you want to do this, then I'll have faith in you."

Sigrun smiled. "You two are my younger siblings. It's my job to look out for you."

"So Princess Sigrun will lead the Giant's Passage unit," David said. "I would recommend that you take two soldiers with you in your unit with you for added support."

"I will follow Her Highness wherever she goes," Ferdinand said.

"So that's one," David said. He looked to Astraea again. "Who shall be the second?"

Astraea thought about it for a second. Then she looked at Richard. "Would you mind backing Sigrun up?"

"Of course," Richard said with a smile. "I will fight with my full might."

"I will be with the Prince," Musashi immediately spoke up.

"And I will be with Her Majesty," Dawa added.

"As to be expected," David said. "Then who will be your second supports?"

Astraea returned to the front of the table, frowning to herself. She rubbed her chin as she gave it thought. After a moment she nodded and looked up. "I'll assign Pesmerga to Denzel's unit. And for me…I'll take Zerase with me."

Viktor barked out a laugh. "Do you think you can rely on that lady?!"

"What is wrong with me?" Zerase's cold voice cut through the room, causing most everyone to jump. Her cold glare however rested on Viktor.

"I will need your strength in this battle, Zerase," Astraea said, drawing the woman's attention to her. "Do you have war battle experience?"

"…I have sufficient experience," was Zerase's response.

"Then we have our units," David said. "We need to mobilize quickly."

"We'll have to be careful when we spring our ambush," Denzel said. "Be as sneaky as possible."

"I have a suggestion!" Brownie shouted, raising his hand.

The room looked at him in surprise. "What's your idea?" Astraea asked.

A short while later they were heading out. Astraea, Dawa, and David descended the stairs last. "This is unrelated Your Majesty," David said. "But you all spoke with certainty that Princess Philomena is King Franz's favorite."

"She's always been," Astraea said. "He's only ever smiled kindly for her, and he never raised his voice at her."

"Did you mother have a favorite?"

Astraea stopped abruptly on the step. Dawa stopped beside her and gave David a hard look. "That's an inappropriate question," she snapped.

"I apologize," David said, raising his hands.

"It's fine," Astraea said, though she was glad Sigrun and Denzel had gone ahead. "I have no memories of her, but…yes. From stories I heard, Mother had a favorite amongst us, too."

David was silent for a moment before he asked, "Who was it?"

Dawa's glare deepened. Astraea swallowed hard and gave him a rueful smile before responding. "Kion."

The beach was empty and there were no landmarks. It was a relief to see.

"We will rest here for now," James announced to the group. "Xi An and I will have the maintenance done on the engine shortly." The sea carriage was beached, with white smoke rising from it. Thankfully the smoke wasn't dark.

"I'm glad to stretch my legs," Regulus said, cracking his neck. "Dinah, Nakoa, feel free to take a break."

"I'm all right, Lord Regulus," Dinah said.

"We'll take naps on shift," Nakoa added. "But we will stay nearby."

"What are you doing?" Xi An asked as Edge fumbled around the sea carriage.

"I'm getting off here," Edge said, retrieving his bag. "I'll travel from here on foot."

"Aw, but you've been such a communicable passenger!" Regulus teased obnoxiously.

"You're not entitled to a partial refund for the shorter trip," James warned him.

"It's fine," Edge said bluntly. "You got me to where I needed to be regardless." Without another word he walked away, climbing up the sand embankment to the grass.

"Safe travels, Sir!" Regulus called, waving after him.

"What a strange guy," Xi An mused. "Paying all that Potch for a trip he could have taken by boat?"

"We've met our share of weirdos," James mused.

"Like us?" Xi An laughed. James choked in response.

Edge left the beach and reached the open plains. He stopped after a few minutes of walking and glanced over his right shoulder. "You sure?" he asked.

There was a long period of silence. Then…a low and raspy voice responded. "Yes. We will find…him here."

The next chapter should be posted later. Also, don't forget to vote in the plays polls! Those polls close at 5:00 GMT.