This chapter was delayed because my furnace died. Good times! At least it's working now.

Investigations are up for Sigrun, Vahan, and Denzel! Next up is Dawa, Ferdinand, Kerime, and Musashi! Feel free to leave a comment on who you would like to see an Investigation for!

Chapter Six: Part Three

Triona

"Lady Sarka, this was just delivered."

Sarka accepted the packaged from her footman. She saw that it had been opened. "We examined it and found nothing suspicious, Milady," he said. "Just documentation and 15,000 Potch."

15,000 Potch? Sarka's brow rose. "I hope someone is not looking to bribe me," she muttered.

"It looks like it was signed by that Investigator," the footman said.

Sarka quickly nodded and waved a hand to him. "I'll take it from here. Thank you."

Once she was left alone in her office she took her seat behind her desk and withdrew the contents. It was a thick packet of papers and a coin bag. She emptied the contents on the desk and counted it. It was exactly 15,000 Potch.

This…This is the fee I charged Biehn!

Sarka was thoroughly confused. A feeling of dread settled in her stomach a she picked up the report. Instead of reading the whole report she skipped to the last page. When she read the words, she frowned deeply.

'Conclusion: Queen Astraea Reiser is innocent of all charges and I have given her my support.'

Old Capital

Astraea headed out to meet Biehn, but along the way she found a gentleman on the south bridge, a fishing line cast over the right side. It was a man in his late thirties, with short spiky black hair and golden eyes. He was wearing a white shirt, black vest, and black pants and he seemed deep in concentration. Astraea had to guess that he was a foreigner given his short hair, but she didn't want to assume. "Good morning," she said, approaching him slowly. "What brings you to the Old Capital?"

"My name is Ojeda," the man said, giving her a sideways glance. "And I've made it my mission to fish in every river in every country in the world."

Astraea blinked once. Then twice. She didn't know what to say at first. After a moment she gestured to the fishing pole. "Had any luck?"

"Unfortunately, no," Ojeda grumbled. "The fish here don't bite. At this rate I may have to find housing! I will not leave until I catch one fish!"

Astraea looked around, her brow furrowed. After a moment she said, "This city is the headquarters for the Reformation Army. Would you like to join my Army, Sir?"

"Can I fish here freely if I do?" Ojeda asked.

"Yes, you can."

"Then I will join your Army, Miss. Ah—Milady."

Astraea was taken aback. She had never had such a…bizarre reason for someone to join her Army. It took a moment for her to recover and she patted his arm. "Good luck with fishing, Ojeda."

"I'll get 'em yet, Milady," Ojeda said through gritted teeth, wiggling his pole. "Damn…! They're still not biting!"

Astraea left him to it and saw Biehn in his office. "I have the results of your Investigation requests, Your Majesty," Biehn said, handing the pages over. "And I wanted to let you know I sent Lady Sarka the report about you."

Astraea shifted slightly. "You…did?"

"Yes," Biehn said. "And I returned her fee. What I learned about you is worth more than money. Hopefully my report is fruitful to her."

Astraea shrugged stiffly. "Thank you, Biehn."

"You're welcome, Your Majesty." He suddenly slid a few more pieces of paper towards her. "And I have big news. I found three potential recruits all in the same city."

"Oh really?" Astraea quickly picked them up. She opened the first page and her eyes widened. "Oh! They're in Életfény!"

Blutkrieger was the capital city of Zelant. Honigmilch was the mercenary powerhouse of Zelant. Életfény however was Zelant's "artistic center". Located north of the Ruhiges Woodlands, dancers, artists, and actors all got their training there when they weren't doing their military service. Cisne had been a big star there before she retired. Astraea hadn't been to Életfény in years.

And now there were three recruits she could find there!

"I'll set out right away," Astraea said.

"Would you like me to run any more Investigations in the meantime, Your Majesty?" Biehn asked her.

Astraea pondered for a moment before reaching for her bag. "Yes, please."

"Életfény?" David said with a smile. "Sounds like a fun city."

"It is a fun city," Astraea said cheerfully. "And this time I want to take Viktor, Regulus, Dinah, Nakoa, and Wren."

The group was summoned and Astraea was relieved to see them happy to go. "I've heard of Életfény," Regulus said. "Doesn't the singer Josepha have permanent residence there? She did a show in our capital a few years ago. One of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard."

"The high notes she can reach is impressive, my Lord," Dinah agreed.

"A ballet theatre is there, isn't it?" Nakoa asked.

"Yes," Astraea said. "One of my trainers was part of their production before she retired."

Nakoa looked impressed. "I've heard that Zelantan ballet dancers have developed a unique dance-fighting style. I would like to see it in person."

"Their agility is phenomenal," Wren said.

"I don't mind tagging along," Viktor said. "But what if we get recognized?"

"I think it'll be okay," Astraea said. "We've been able to avoid the authorities so far."

"Good luck, Your Majesty," David said.

The closest down to Eletfény was Hundehöhle, so Astraea had Viki teleport them there. The Kobold village was thankfully undisturbed. If the Royal Army knew about her alliance with the Kobolds they hadn't acted yet. Then they traveled north to Életfény.

They had a few enemy encounters on the open road but the party proved to be resilient warriors. Wren utilized a pernach and was clearly skilled with it. Regulus wielded a falchion, and in combat held an easygoing plow stance with one hand. Dinah utilized duel weapons; two sicas that were kept in the same scabbard. And Nakoa utilized a bec de corbin.

Despite their mismatched weapons the trio fought alongside each other efficiently. Nakoa and Dinah had a United Attack called For My Lord, which focused on one enemy with Dinah leading the attack and then Nakoa applying the finishing blow. And the trio together had a Unite Attack called Alliance Pride, which was an attack on all enemies. Led by Dinah, then Nakoa, and then finally Regulus would land the finishing blow. It was impressive to watch.

When they reach Életfény there were several guards on station at the gates, but thankfully there were so many people flooding into the city they the group was able to slip in unnoticed. Életfény was just as lively as Astraea expected; the eccentrics of the city were having street performances of music, dancing, and even poetry readouts. Voices and music overlapped into white noise.

"I hope there aren't any Narcissists here," Viktor grumbled, rubbing his temple. "This is already too much!"

"I see a lot of artists here who wish to—what's the term—make it in their fields," Regulus said.

There was a kiosk in the center square that was covered in leaflets. Astraea scanned the pages and saw that they were casting calls for numerous productions throughout the city. Some were musicals, others were plays. A dark blue leaflet caught her eye and she took it from the bulletin board.

"LAST CALL!

AUDITIONS FOR LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD, PRODUCED BY THE MAGNIFICENT, WORLD-FAMOUS THEATRE PRODUCER NOUR! KNOWN FOR HIS WORK WITH WORLD-FAMOUS NADIR AND NĀȚAKA, NOWING GRACING THE STAGE OF THE WEST THEATRE! TICKETS ON SALE NOW! SHOWTIME AT 7PM TONIGHT!"

"Wait, what?!" Dinah sputtered, taking the leaflet from Astraea. "The show is tonight and he's STILL holding auditions?!"

"Now this I gotta see," Viktor said with a laugh.

"The West Theatre," Regulus said thoughtfully. "I'm going to assume that it's in the west part of the city?"

"Let's go," Astraea said.

For all the boasting the leaflet office, the West Theatre was a small one-story black building that looked too narrow to be a theatre. Astraea glanced at her comrades with an arched brow before entering the building.

"Welcome!" A man from the stage shouted. Astraea had to guess that he was the "world famous" Nour. Astraea was surprised that the front door immediately opened into the theatre; seats that dipped south towards a small stage. The man onstage wore an elaborate white theatre mask and had short, spiky blue hair. His blue clothes were immaculate. "Are you here to—NO!" Nour suddenly shouted. She couldn't see his face but he sounded distressed. "No, no, NO! That will not do at all!"

"W-What do you mean?" Astraea asked as they descended the steps.

"The play opens tonight and your group is wrong!" Nour exclaimed, shaking his head and gesturing frantically. "You have the notice, do you not?! It clearly says that this production needs 3 women, 2 men, and 1 child!"

"Wait, you have no cast?!" Nakoa asked incredulously. "And you expect to open TONIGHT?!"

"Your group is wrong," Nour said sharply. "Come back with 3 women, 2 men, and 1 child and then we can talk!"

"I can't imagine why he has no cast," Viktor muttered sarcastically.

Astraea sighed and nodded stiffly. "Okay, okay. I'll get the proper cast and come back."

"You're not entertaining this asshole, are you Your Majesty?!" Viktor demanded.

"Don't you DARE talk to me that way!" Nour snapped.

"You will not use that tone in the presence of our Lord!" Dinah snapped at him.

"We'll be right back," Astraea said.

"This will surely be a disaster," Wren muttered.

"But an entertaining one," Regulus said cheerfully.

Astraea returned to HQ and went us to see David to assemble the necessary party. "A play?" David asked, his brow rising. "That will certainly be…interesting for this Army, Your Majesty."

"I need 3 women, 2 men, and 1 child," Astraea said. "I obviously count as one woman, so the other two can be Sigrun, and—ah—" she floundered for a moment. "Wait, Dinah did "beauty pageants" didn't she? That's kind of like being onstage."

"Good idea," David said. "What about the men?"

"You're doing plays?!" Arin shouted as he ran up into the war room. Daunte and Nakula trailed behind him. "Can I do it?! We had plays in our war, too!"

"You did?!"

"It was entertaining and good for morale," Daunte said. "Most of the time."

"Okay I'll take you Arin," Astraea said. "And, ah…I think Denzel would enjoy it."

"Okay, and you said a child?" David said. "Gygax and Lauretta can fill such a role."

"I'll take Lauretta," Astraea said. "I feel like she would enjoy it more than Gygax would."

Word quickly spread about the play they would be participating in. The assembled party was okay with doing the play, but Astraea found that numerous people in the Army wanted to go with them just to watch. She didn't object, and when she went to present her group of "actors" to Nour, tickets for the show quickly sold out.

"Yes, yes, this is perfect!" Nour exclaimed when he saw the group. "Okay, I got the scripts! You have a few hours to learn your lines before the doors open!"

"Ah…Astraea?" Sigrun said, turning to her younger sister. "I am a warrior and a princess. Being an actress is not on my résumé."

"It's not on mine, either," Denzel said around a laugh. "But that doesn't mean we can't have fun, can it?"

"Which part is mine?" Arin asked, looking the script over.

"Acting isn't so hard," Dinah mused. "I have to do it all the time in front of elites."

Sigrun and Denzel looked at her for a long moment. "On second thought, I guess it is part of my résumé," Sigrun said.

Lauretta looked at the script and then looked up with wide eyes. "Am I the star?"

Little Red Hiding Hood

The Cast

Narrator: Astraea

Little Red Riding Hood: Lauretta

Mother: Sigrun

Big Bad Wolf: Denzel

Grandma: Dinah

Huntsman: Arin

—

The theatre was packed with people, 98% of which were members of the Reformation Army. Astraea walked out on the corner of stage left and several patrons cheered when a spotlight came upon her. She waited for a few moments before she began to speak. "Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Little Red Riding Hood. There was two things she loved most in the world; her red hood, and her grandma."

The spotlight turned off over her, and the stage lights came up. A tapestry of the backdrop of a house showed in the background, and Sigrun and Lauretta stood in the foreground. "I'm going to go see Grandma, Mother!" Lauretta announced, clutching a wicker basket to her chest.

"You be careful, Little Red Riding Hood," Sigrun said to her. "Don't talk to strangers you meet along the way. And don't take the shortcut through the woods."

The stage lights dim and the spotlight over Astraea came up once more. "But Little Red Riding Hood was eager to see her Grandma," she said. "So eager she was that she disobeyed her Mother and went into the woods. And in the woods she met a Big, Bad Wolf."

The stage lights came up once more, and the tapestry of a wood setting showed in the background. Lauretta and Denzel stood on the stage. "Well, well, little one," Denzel said, his tone shockingly menacing. "What is your name?"

"Little Red Riding Hood!" Lauretta squeaked.

"And why have you come into my woods, Little Red Riding Hood?"

"I-I'm going to see my Grandma!"

The audience groaned as the spotlight came up over Astraea once more. "The Big, Bad Wolf was hungry and wanted to eat Little Red Riding Hood. But when he learned that she was visiting her Grandma, he saw an opportunity to have a much bigger meal."

The stage lights came up, with a tapestry of a cabin bedroom. Dinah stood in the center of the stage, clasping her hands to her heart. "Oh, my dear granddaughter is on her way! Oh, I wish I were well enough to make cookies for her!"

A loud knock filled the theatre. "Grandma!" Denzel called from offstage. "It is I—Little Red Riding Hood—come to see you!"

"Come in, Little Red Riding Hood!" Grandma called offstage.

"…She doesn't know the difference between a wolf and a little girl?" Viktor asked incredulously.

"Shh," David hushed him.

"It was not Little Red Riding Hood," Astraea called out. "But instead the Big, Bad Wolf. He gobbled up Grandma, and then put on her clothes to prepare for when Little Red Riding Hood would arrive."

The stage lights came up again. Denzel stood at stage left wearing a ridiculous-looking sleeping cap. Lauretta entered from stage right. "I'm here, Grandma!"

"Come in, Little Red Riding Hood," Denzel said.

Lauretta gasped dramatically. "Why Grandma—what big eyes you have!"

"The better to see you with, my dear," Denzel said.

"Why Grandma—what big ears you have!"

"The better to hear you with, my dear."

"Why Grandma—what big teeth you have!"

"The better to EAT YOU WITH!" Denzel bellowed out.

Denzel's shout startled Astraea, and several people in the audience screamed. She was impressed with her brother's acting skills. "So the Big, Bad Wolf ate Grandma and Little Red Riding Hood," she said soberly. "Then he got into bed and fell asleep from his big meal. But all was not lost. For there was a Huntsman who was passing through!"

The stage lights came up again. Denzel was lying on his back onstage, overly large padding on his stomach area. Arin strolled onstage dramatically. "Madam!" he called out. "I was passing through, and—BY GOD!" he declared, slapping a hand to his forehead when he saw Denzel. "A wolf! And no one else in-sight! He must have eaten the poor old woman!"

"Arin is doing a great job as always," Nakula said.

"He was always a better actor than me," Daunte said.

Arin suddenly lifted a wooden axe and swung it back. "I will liberate your victim from your stomach!" He dramatically swung the axe down, and the stage lights went black.

"The Huntsman was just in time to save Little Red Riding Hood and her Grandma," Astraea said. "But all good children must learn from this to never talk to strangers."

The stage lights came up fully and the cast came out to bow as they got a roaring standing ovation.

"That was wonderful!" Nour cried out, sweeping Astraea into his arms. "My most successful play yet! How can I ever repay you?!"

"Will you join my Army?" Astraea asked him.

"Of course I will!"

"I didn't scare you, did I?" Denzel asked Lauretta, his tone full of worry.

"I've seen worse," the little girl responded.

"I guess that's one thing Denzel's better at than I am," Vahan muttered.

After helping Nour get situated in the theatre across from the bathhouse, Astraea set back out to Életfény the following morning with the same party. From listening to people in town, Josepha did not live at the theatre but in her own apartment in the center of town. In the same square as the job kiosk there was a green building that was three stories tall. They casually strolled in and found that most of the apartments were unlocked. Some were occupied, others weren't, but those that had people in them didn't give them a second glance when they walked in without knocking.

It must be common here.

An apartment on the first floor had an Old Book Volume I , while another had a worn painting that looked like needed an appraisal. On the second floor she found a Sound Set 05 , and on the third floor she found a Window Set 02 . Astraea made sure to grab all of them.

When she went back down to the second floor she saw a door decorated with flowers. For some reason she didn't want to simply walk into the apartment and knocked on the door. After a few moments the door opened to reveal a beautiful woman in her twenties. She had long lavender hair and yellow eyes, and an elaborate purple dress. When she smiled, her eyes sparked. "Well, hello," she said. Her voice was lyrical. "How can I help you?"

"Are you Josepha, the singer?" Astraea asked.

"Yes, I am," Josepha said. "Though I'm not currently active."

"'Not currently active'?"

"I was fired from my recent production," she said sadly, casting her eyes downward. "I was playing an evil queen, and some of my fellow actors were…saying some not-so nice things about someone."

"Who?" Regulus asked.

Josepha glanced up and down the hallway looking to see if anyone else was there. Then she leaned in close to whisper. "Princess Astraea."

Astraea's eyes widened. "I felt they were being…cruel about her," Josepha said. "Saying very ugly things about her. I-I know that she's been branded an enemy of the state, but—but not everything being said about her can be true, can it? I-I mean, every single battle she's fought people have defected to her side! They wouldn't do that without reason, would they?"

"S-So do you believe in my innocence?" Astraea asked.

"I don't believe that you're a monster," Josepha said. "I—" she stopped and her eyes widened. "What…Princess?!"

"Didn't expect to see Her Majesty on your doorstep, did you?" Viktor said cheekily.

Josepha immediately saluted. "I-I—please forgive me, Your Highness! I did not immediately recognize you!"

"So you tried to defend her to your colleagues and they fired you?" Regulus asked.

"But you're Josepha!" Dinah protested. "They're idiots for firing you!"

"But their loss can be our gain," Nakoa said.

"Would you like to join me, Miss Josepha?" Astraea asked. "I-If you don't mind sharing a theatre with Nour, I will give you a place to sing and perform."

Josepha looked taken aback. She averted her gaze. "I…I'm technically a trained soldier Your Highness, but I-I exploited deferments so I could focus on singing. My mandatory military career is…minimal, at best."

Astraea shrugged. "That's fine. I don't need you to fight if you can't fight. But your singing will help morale for the Reformation Army. Would you consider joining me?"

Josepha thought about it for a moment. Then she smiled and nodded. "I've believed in you, Princess. Now I will show you my full support. If you would give me some time, I'll need to pack my things. But then I'll head straight to your headquarters."

Astraea gave her the directions to the Old Capital and they left her to it. "How many more people are there to recruit here?" Viktor asked.

"One more," Astraea said as they left the building. She spotted two men talking animatedly nearby and she decided to move closer to see what they were talking about.

"Did you hear?!" one man asked Astraea.

"No, what?" she asked.

"Mikhail's principal broke her big toe!" the second exclaimed. "And her understudy—she has food poisoning! There's no lead female soloist for the Nightingale Gala's show tonight! They're going to have to refund a full house!"

Astraea's brow lifted. She knew the name Mikhail; he was the best ballet dancer in all of Zelant. Even her own teacher Cisne said so, as they used to be partners before she retired. She glanced at her comrades. "Let's go and see."

"I'm not dancing, Your Majesty," Viktor said, raising a hand.

"I'm skilled at ballroom dancing but not ballet," Regulus said.

"I dislike dancing," Nakoa said.

"I know three disciples of dance but ballet isn't one of them," Dinah said apologetically.

"Don't look at me," Wren said, raising his hands.

They went to the Nightingale Gala, which was a stunning cathedral-like building with huge banners displaying the show for the night. But people were frantically running in and out of the building, clearly in a panic. "He HAS to choose one!" someone exclaimed.

"He won't!" another retorted. "Mikhail said no one in the corps is good enough!"

"Sounds like a swell guy," Viktor muttered.

With the general chaos amongst the staff, it was easy for Astraea and her group to slip into the backstage area. Dancers were already in costume and whispering amongst themselves. Astraea saw a dressing room labeled "Mikhail" and she entered the room.

"I said I do not want to be bothered," a baritone voice greeted them. Astraea was slightly dumbstruck to lay eyes upon Mikhail for the first time after hearing so much about him. He was a handsome man in his early forties sitting on a stool in front of a vanity. He had a muscular build with long ash-blonde hair and dark eyes. He wore a fur-lined black tank top and pants. His brow rose when he saw her and he slowly rose to his feet. "You look familiar to me, Miss," he said. "Who are you?"

"Astraea Reiser," Astraea told him.

Mikhail's eyes widened slightly. After a moment he said, "The last time I got a letter from her, Cisne said you were her best student. She retired to become your teacher."

"R-Really?" Astraea was shocked. She didn't know that.

"That settles it," Mikhail said, waving a hand. "Cisne trained you, so your skills are elite. I want you to be my partner tonight."

"EH?!" the group exclaimed.

"Y-You want ME to dance in a ballet?!" Astraea cried out, pointing to herself.

"This is a simple show," Mikhail said. "Improvise if you must—no one will care. But I've poured my blood, sweat, and tears into this production. It's my magnum opus. It MUST be a success. Only the best can dance in the show, and you were trained by the best dancer I've ever met. I want you to be my partner."

"But I don't know the choreography!"

"We have hours; you can learn quickly." Mikhail looked her over. Suddenly he frowned. "Wait."

"What?"

"Your agility," he said. "It's too low. Raise it higher and you'll be perfect for the role."

The group gaped at him in shock. "A…Are you serious?!" Dinah asked.

"How is Her Majesty supposed to raise her agility high enough before a show?!" Regulus asked. "There wouldn't be time!"

"It will work," Mikhail said.

"Time doesn't just stand still, you know!"

"Actually…" Viktor's voice trailed off.

Astraea quickly turned to Wren. "Are you able to raise my agility?!"

"Ah, yes," Wren said. "It will be cutting close, but you may have enough skill points to raise your agility to a sufficient level."

"Come and see me when the level is appropriate," Mikhail said.

"And what if the show happens before then?" Nakoa asked.

"It won't be."

Somehow, despite Astraea spending a considerable amount of time building up skill points to raise her agility, when Mikhail was satisfied with her agility level there was still time for her to learn some of the dances for the show. Mikhail was the show's choreographer as well as the male principal dancer, so it was easy for him to teach her. Once again it was a sold-out show, but unfortunately there weren't enough tickets for the Army to attend. Only Sigrun, Denzel, Vahan, Dawa, Ferdinand, Musashi, Kerime, Primrose, and David could attend the show.

The production was about an exiled royal who was returning to reclaim their throne with the help of their bodyguard. Astraea was the exiled royal and Mikhail was the bodyguard. The promise hit a little too close to home for Astraea but she didn't let it get to her. She was nervous, and doing the leaps and the steps was difficult. She wore a glowing soft pink dress and a princess crown on her head, and she was careful with her motions so the crown would not fall off. But Mikhail had a lot of praise for her grace and footwork. "I am grateful for you saving my show," he said at one point as they prepared to go onstage. The corps were dancing together in fluid motions. "How can I repay you?"

"Will you join my Army?" she asked him.

"Yes," Mikhail quickly responded.

Astraea gaped at him in shock. Mikhail shrugged. "Cisne sent me a letter that she gave you shelter when you were declared a traitor. She wouldn't have done that if she believed in your innocence. So I will believe in you, too."

She was moved by his words and had to blink back tears. "Thank you, Mikhail."

"I will enjoy fighting Royal Army soldiers," he said. "They've always underestimated me."

The corps finished their routine and swept offstage, and Astraea and Mikhail were next for their duet dance.

"I see the dance lessons for Astraea were worth it," Vahan observed.

"I don't know how she learned the routine in just a couple of hours," Denzel said.

"Did you also get training with dance with Her Majesty?" Primrose asked Dawa. "You were always good with dance."

"Yes," Dawa said. "But Her Majesty has better flexibility than I do."

"She can touch her forehead with her toes," David quietly observed.

"What about it?" Sigrun asked.

David shrugged. "I've never seen that in person."

"Your Highness, His Highness Prince Brendan is here."

"What?" Philomena quickly jumped from her chair at the dining room table. Philibert, who had been speaking at length in a monotone voice, paused and looked up from his supper.

The page stepped aside and Brendan swept into the dining room with Yasmine trailing behind her. Her eldest brother looked annoyed. "Philomena, you've been called back to Blutkrieger. Have the servants pack your bags now."

Philomena glanced at Aravine, who looked surprised. She glanced back at Brendan. "Wait…we're going back now?!"

"Yes," Brendan said. "His Majesty the King wants you back in a timely manner."

"B-But it's night, Brendan! Shouldn't we wait until morning?!"

"The King gave me a deadline to bring you back to the capital," Brendan said, his tone curt. "We're keeping to that deadline. Come with me, now."

"Why don't you stay, Prince Brendan?" Philibert asked, slowly rising from his chair and pushing his glasses up his nose. "Supper has been served. Roasted goose, medium temperature. Collard greens, medium firmness. Mashed potatoes with a light helping of butter. And dark chocolate cake with thinly sliced strawberries and—"

"Philibert," Brendan interjected, giving him a harsh look. "Be silent and listen. The King has ordered me to retrieve my sister post-haste and return her to the capital post-haste. I cannot waste time here."

"You have traveled quite a distance to get here and have not eaten a hot meal or slept in a proper bed," Philibert pointed out. "Both are pertinent for physical and mental health. If you do not stop to sleep and eat, you will become ill Your Highness. Come, we have plenty of goose—"

"Philibert," Philomena said, unable to keep the impatience from her voice. "We need to go now and we will be leaving now." She paused for a moment and patted his arm. "Thank you for hosting me."

Philibert looked between them and then looked down at his arm. "…All right," he said after a moment.

Philomena hurried to the door and gave Brendan a quick hug. "Thank you!" she whispered, and hurried upstairs to her room with Aravine trailing behind her.

Brendan glanced at Philibert again. "We apologize for imposing on you, Philibert."

Philibert shrugged. "This is not my home. This is the place Lord Tomas has kept me because he doesn't like me." there was no bitterness in his tone; only the statement of facts.

Brendan turned to leave, but then paused and looked at him again. "His Majesty wanted you to know that he will be raising your allowance as thanks for hosting Princess Philomena."

"I had no choice so that is unnecessary," Philibert said bluntly.

Brendan was taken aback by his words, but he reminded himself that Philibert had unique…quirks that it difficult for him to communicate with people. "Nonetheless, it will happen."

"Take some food back with you, Prince Brendan," Philibert said. "There's too much for me to eat."

"Thank you, but—"

"Doesn't Miss Yasmine like chocolate and strawberries?"

Brendan relaxed very slightly. "We will take some cake, then."

"Good."

Brendan turned to leave and he saw that Yasmine had a small smile. It uplifted him slightly as he left the room.

Philibert slowly sat down. His book was open on the eyes. He flipped to the next page. "Why does His Majesty want the Princess back so urgently?" he wondered aloud, shaking his head.

We've got our theatre director, so that means it's time for my favorite Suikoden mini-game — theatre plays! I'll be posting the theatre template, and if there's a specific play you want to see with a specific cast, feel free to leave a comment. All play productions will be in their own chapter.

Recruit: Mikhail (73), Nour (100), Josepha (77), Ojeda (70)