Ellake
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Chapter 189 - Bag of Cats
🕑 Added 2025-01-19 19:00:05 +0000 UTCDuchess Desmarais looked upon the tree and frowned at the two burned ribbons. The Twins, her daughters, had passed from this world. She had wondered, if when they eventually failed and died, if she would feel anything at their loss. Remorse perhaps? Or regret? They had been tools she intended to use to secure her son's ascension when he came of age and had the power to defend the Duchy; the point at which her foolish husband would cease to be of use. But now the girls were dead, her son was still not ready, and she had been forced to make a deal with a devil. So, what she felt was neither remorse nor regret. The emotion bubbling up in her was irritation. If the twins were dead, they had likely failed to assassinate Princess Morgane.
Their failure left her in an awkward position. She hadn’t inserted any spies into Prince Thane’s forces and she dared not try and spy on Prince Bordain. Without those spies she had little information to work with immediately and wouldn’t get word from the Capital for another few days. But if Bordain had succeeded, he would demand their presence. Seizing onto that thought she did the only thing she could do.
A moment later one of her servants presented themselves before her, answering her Soul Call.
“Yes, my Lady?”
“Prepare for us to make our way to the Capital. We may be staying for some time so pack appropriately. And inform the Duke.”
Long after the servant vanished Duchess Charlotte Desmarais still stood, staring at the great tree painted upon the wall, eyes roving over the remaining ribbons and the many burn marks of those that had failed her — those that had fallen. Her mind drifted repeatedly over a single question: where had it all gone wrong?
Every repetition, no matter the path, always came back to two names — Nathaniel Weber and Kiri Beaufoy. The cause of all her problems. Thoughts of revenge, already kindled, slowly grew into a bonfire. Those who had caused her problems would suffer for their transgressions against her, one way or another.
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Nate stepped out of the way as Helena-Celeste lunged at her sister, wrapping arms around the sleeping woman. With a flex of his mana, he removed the rune that Frick had been maintaining to keep Gabrielle, or whatever name she was going by now, asleep. He stepped away from the tearful reunion as Flash took his place, hovering over the freed Unseen.
Kiri joined him alongside Frick who had finally released his Skill, once more becoming a short blue goblin that came up to Nate’s knee. Together the trio walked over to join Aisling as the Platinum gave reassurances to the remaining Guild members. The men and women of the Adventurer’s Guild looked bloodied and beaten, and judging by the badges present, the Silvers had taken far more casualties in the fighting than the Golds. The price of fighting against the Gold-ranked retainers of the Noble Houses, Nate guessed.
“...regardless of what Princess Morgane decides, we will be returning to the Capital. Your contracts were paid up front so everyone will get their due as I consider the contracts fulfilled. Beyond that…” Aisling sighed. “I am not sure what the Guild will be able to manage. You were attacked by House Landin, which we would normally use to pursue additional payments for an unprovoked attack by a Noble House…but it is clear this was a coordinated attack against the Princess’s army…the political climate of Etrua may have changed tonight and I can’t guarantee restitution.”
Nate watched as the Guild members responded with a mix of outrage, anger and tears though he noticed that none of their legitimate anger seemed to be directed at the Nobility that remained. Whether that was because of the Platinums still present or because they truly didn’t blame them for the betrayal, he wasn’t sure.
“Gather to me, if you would,” Morgane called out.
The three separate groups all shuffled over to surround the Princess in a semicircle, though they remained distinct, leaving gaps between them.
“A decision needs to be made, about whether we try to salvage this mess, or retreat,” stated Morgane calmly.
Voices were immediately raised by the remaining Nobles and Nate noted that Aisling threw her own into the mix, while the Guild stood behind their Platinum-tiered leader sullenly. Nate’s own attention was focused on Hildi, who had pulled a small table from somewhere and had laid three tomes out upon it.
“Three Houses!” stated an older man, the cut of his clothes marking him as a Noble. “That’s all that remains of our forces here. The rest are dead, joining House Landin in the dirt, or have fled. There is no hope of us managing to defend against the Asmuisillan army, let alone defeat them, with those kinds of numbers. Not to mention rounding up the conscripts? We don’t even have enough of our forces left to guard the camp, let alone spare people to find the thousands of fleeing conscripts we would need to mount an effective battle.”
“What do you suggest then, Hawthorn?” demanded Baroness Olithia, a sneer on her lips as she looked at the man.
“Return to our lands, gather fresh forces, and form a new army. This battle is lost.”
“This was clearly a calculated attempt on the Princess’s life. Are you so foolish you think it is limited to just this?” countered Olithia.
“We knew her brothers might move against her,” responded Hawthorn haughtily. “We need to pause and take stock. Repair the hull of our ship before it sinks.”
Voices began to be raised again before Hildi, using some Spell or Skill, silenced them and spoke out loud.
“Prince Thane is dead and I have a report of fighting within the Palace in the Capital.”
The silence was deafening, lasting seconds before finally being broken by a whisper from Hawthorn, “Bordain isn’t just removing his competition…he’s attempting to seize the throne.”
Olithia turned to Morgane, her eyes solemn, “What will you do, your Highness?”
Before Morgane could answer Hawthorn interjected, “I will return to my lands, your Highness. Whatever you decide here and now, it will be suicide. If your brother has succeeded, then we’re all dead. If he has failed, you are the heir-apparent, and you do not need me. I will not sacrifice my family or my people in any mad gambits…I…I am sorry.”
Hawthorn immediately gathered his personal forces which numbered in the low-thirties, and marched away.
“Coward,” spat Olithia, watching the old man’s departing back.
“He is,” agreed Morgane quietly. “But he is not wrong.”
The Princess looked at the remaining Noble, a young man, holding an enchanted hammer at his side taller than he was.
“What of you, Marquess Claude?” she asked.
Nate sensed as his Divine Translation spell trying to figure out an appropriate term in English to reflect the title given to the young Noble. It felt like something akin to a Ducal title, but meant to indicate a smaller holding and on the borders of the nation.
“House Leclair will never waver in our support for you, dear cousin,” stated the Marquess firmly.
“I suppose I do not need to ask you Olithia?”
“No, your Highness, you don’t,” replied the Baroness.
“And what of the Adventurer’s Guild?” asked Morgane, turning to Aisling.
“I agree with Lord Hawthorn. The forces you have remaining are insufficient to contest the Asmuisillan army. The terms of our contracts have been fulfilled and we will be returning to the Capital,” responded Aisling, though Nate could see the anger in her eyes.
Aisling was clearly displeased with Morgane and her deception as well as abuse of the Guild and its resources.
“Shall we return together then?” Morgane pressed quietly.
Before Aisling could respond, Hildi gasped, all eyes flickering to her as she read from the tome.
“Your Highness, your Father is dead and Bordain has assumed the throne. He’s calling all Houses in the Capital to come swear fealty to him,” Hildi said, pausing for a moment before glancing at Aisling. “And…the Guild is under attack.”
Aisling looked thunderous as she ground out, “From the Prince or the Etruan Nobility?”
Hildi shook her head slightly, “The message says that Prefect Allais was seen leading the attack.”
Nate moved next to Kiri, putting an arm around his sister as he sensed her clenching her hands so hard that her nails cut into her palms. Coralie’s betrayal, clearly coordinated by her mother, was enough to drive his sister to do something foolish. They had barely survived one Platinum that night, he wasn’t about to let Kiri go try and kill the woman. At least, not on her own.
“Betrayals run deep this night,” commented Olithia.
“Does this change anything for you?” asked Morgane, eyes on Aisling.
To Nate’s eyes, the Princess looked defeated. No surprises there, he thought. This night her eldest brother had been assassinated, her Father killed in an act of patricide or regicide…he wasn’t sure which it was, maybe both? As for her army, it was decimated and in the wind, her few remaining allies were hardly enough to mount a resistance. Her world was crumbling around her and Nate wasn’t sure what he would do in her shoes. Probably run, he decided. Collect what he could, and flee. Maybe Asmuisil would give her amnesty. They could use another Platinum and if they had the forces, they could eventually defeat Etrua. But if that happened, he doubted they would declare her Queen. She would be giving up her power and privilege to depose her brother. His mind tried to sort through the implications but he realised quickly that he didn’t understand enough of the politics or the implications of her decisions.
“It does,” sighed Aisling, answering Morgane’s question.
“Mind sharing with everyone?” pressed the Princess, her own eyes sorrowful.
“The Eternal Grove and Hidden Blade are not in the Capital,” replied Aisling, using Evindal and Avery’s Platinum titles rather than names. “Thousand Needles may or may not be. If Prefect Allais has the Jamison siblings with her, which she certainly does, she has the forces necessary to take control of the Guild. If it hasn’t fallen already, it will soon, and she can paint whatever picture she wants about how it happened. She’ll likely blame you, your Highness, especially if she is aware of certain…secrets…”
“Should we surrender to the Asmuisillan army then?” asked Nate, finally joining the conversation.
Baroness Olithia and Marquess Claude made to speak but Princess Morgane spoke over the both of them.
“That’s not an option.”
“Why?” he pressed. Morgane herself had spoken of how she preferred the Asmuisillan method of government so he wanted to understand her reasoning.
“Because, young man,” answered Olithia in a politer tone than he expected, “If the Princess joins Asmuisil, the remaining Houses will all back Prince Bordain. I suppose he’s King Bordain now. However, if the Princess remains free and clear, the Nobility who would oppose Bordain’s rule will rally behind her.”
Morgane nodded her agreement before returning her gaze to Aisling, “Will you set aside our differences and let me make amends? If Evelynn Allais has thrown her support behind Bordain, does that not make us allies?”
Aisling closed her eyes and Nate felt the static in the air as his guardian's frustration was made manifest. The Stormspear was being forced to choose between two women, that in her view, had betrayed her. One by infiltrating the Guild and manipulating it for her own ends, and the other attempting to seize control of it for a ruler, violating the Guild tenets of being politically neutral. Nate knew that in the end, attacking the Guild was the greater crime in Aisling’s view, and as the static slowly subsided, his guardian opened her eyes.
“I am left with little choice it seems. I will support you, Princess. Whether the rest of the Guild members wish to do so is up to them.”
Morgane’s eyes flicked to Nate and the action didn’t go unnoticed by both of the Nobles, who watched him curiously. He knew what he wanted to do. Run. Run to Asmuisil and put all of this in his rear-view mirror. The thought made him close his own eyes as he felt himself caught between what he wanted to do, and what he should do. Kiri’s family was in Etrua. His girlfriend was in Etrua. Luc, Jacque and the kids, they were all in Etrua. Aisling and the Guild. All of those were factors in his decision, but the one thought that he kept coming back to was his conversations with Morgane. About her brother, Bordain, and what he would do given enough power, contrasted with what Morgane wanted and how she hoped to change Etrua. His farsight sphere of awareness drifted over the conscripts’ camp as his mind processed his thoughts faster than likely anyone present could match. Those conscripts, who had remained, despite being able to flee, to stay beside their friends and family too injured to escape. Willing to stay, even if it meant death. The ties that bound humanity together. For so long, he had been weak with unrealised potential. Now, he was finally touching on true power. So, what did he want to do with that power? He wanted to help. He wanted to discover and learn, to grow. But he wanted to take what he learned and use it to make life better for people. Opening his eyes, he looked at the Princess, his green eyes matching against her golden ones. In those yellow orbs he could see her fear and her hope. Was he worth so much to her? It didn’t matter. He had decided.
“I will support you.”
Kiri leaned into him and whispered her own thanks before giving a small nod to Morgane that the Princess accepted with her own nod.
“Forgive me, cousin, but why do you care if a couple of Golds will support you?” asked the Marquess, clearly confused.
Morgane glanced from the Marquess back to Nate, the question in her eyes, and Nate recognised what she wanted to do. She wanted to admit to the crowd that Nate and Kiri possessed Legendary Classes. The politics, he realised, were that if it was known that Princess Morgane had the support of two Legendary Class holders who had yet to reach their second evolution, that it would help draw more followers and Houses to her side. If some of the Nobility didn’t already have some suspicions, he would’ve said no to her subtle request. But, given the situation, he found it was time to let the deceptive cat out of the bag. It would help the faction he had aligned himself with, while still concealing the truth about them. With a small nod, he gave his own permission and felt Kiri give her own a moment later, glad that the Princess had waited for his sister's approval.
“I care, because those two Golds are each a match for a Royal,” answered Morgane loudly.
The silence that followed was deafening, before being broken by the cackling of Baroness Olithia.
“I take it back, young man. Maybe it’s you who can teach me a thing or two?” stated the Baroness salaciously, before winking at him.
The comment by the Baroness opened the floodgates as the Guild members began to crowd around Nate and Kiri while Marquess Claude and Second Sword Valis started peppering the Royal with questions.
Nate cut through it all with a single question, directed at the Princess.
“What would you say if I told you I could get us back to the Capital tonight?”
Comments
Brianna Stormcloud
Thanks, wow certainly a lot of fallout happening!
Mark Corwin
Stay. Just never become a noble. If he does that it will be a betrayal to all of us readers.
Phoenix Trinity
I get why people are saying he should leave, but reasonably speaking he's one of, if not the. Greatest ace in the princess's sleeve. If he leaves, he needs to contend with the results either way, rebuilding any political clout if he even can in a foreign nation as a refugee. I'd personally likely do as he's doing. He can and would run if things get TOO hairy, but for now he can add his support to this.
Neppy
Ah shit I'm caught up :/. TFTC!
Ellake
Have a little faith. :)
BloodStorm
I would if I was him. Go back close the shop grab the kids and kiri’s parents and leave the country. Doing that wouldn’t make the story as interesting
TerrestrialOverlord
Common. Let's run why resist boring, brutish betrayers...just move to the reasonable country and help them erase these fools. It's totally not worth it.
BaguaBrady
Null and Britt too, but I think that's it for now
Moonfrost
Third
Michael
Double Legendary, since that is all Morgane knows. No one except Kiri's parents, the inner circle of Aisling, Evindal, Luc, Desmond, Kiri, and Nate knows about them being higher than that, since that is next to impossible even for nobles to achieve and no one would even dream of that. Even Bordain, as stated last chapter, only reached Mythical at his second evolution.
Avdrdr
I’m expecting some kind of detonation via mana gathering array that destroys it and the palace
Megan Hencke
But it’s not just him. Raid the guild and some of the royal holdings and you can probably do it. I expect the drained mana gems probably don’t have the tightest security
nicolas
I don't think he has enough gems for that
nicolas
No need to put an even bigger target on their back. Legendary class should be able to explain their curent achievements without raising too many suspitions
nicolas
Just legendary, the princess doesn't even know they are mytics
Megan Hencke
Oh I can’t wait to see Nate drain all the mana from the capitol!
James Squibb
Yes!!!!!!!
Alex
So did they reveal everything or just that they are double Legendary?
Samuel Lévesque
I almost thought he was gonna go all the way and reveal they have Mythical classes just to shock the Princess :p Thanks for the chapter!
Govir Drauka
I was wondering when he was going to mention the portals again. I thought he planned on using them a lot more often.
Brandon Lydick
Tftc
