Fire Emblem On Forums: Mortal Transgressions (IC)

[RedMageCole]

Before long, Albert makes his way throughout the castle, informing everyone individually of the news...

 

"...Queen Stella will be out shortly... dinner is ready. Please follow me to the dining room..."

 

...

 

Everyone is taken to a rather fanciful and extravagant dining room, the sort of dining room you would fantasize about that would be in a castle. It clearly did not see that much use, as dust littered the occasional corner, but it was set up quite nicely, with a large round table allowing plenty of seating for everyone in Virtuous, as well as Stella. Albert stood off to the side leaving an empty chair, having decided that he was not hungry. Indeed, Stella didn't look very hungry either as she picked at her dinner; a very large roast with vegetables, mashed potatoes, and various other side dishes... a meal fit for a queen. She did, however, look up at everyone to make sure everyone else was at least trying to enjoy themselves, trying to give a smile despite her clearly puffy eyes.

 

Simeon certainly looked like he was enjoying himself, while Arthur ate his food in silence. Kane didn't eat very much, though he did eat a fair bit. The thief did not get to make it to the dinner, still in bed. Before long, Stella gently pushed her meal forward and rested a hand on her cheek, elbow on the table.

 

"...Not hungry... I'm trying to think about... how to tell you all about why I brought you here..."

 

Kane looked over to Stella with a concerned look.

 

"Your Highness, if you are still in grieving, do not feel rushed to tell us-"

 

"No... this is important. I can't let myself be weak... I-I don't know why I'm so sad, anyway... T-Tobias wasn't... that splendid of a husband... we were arranged, w-we didn't kiss much, or... a-anything intimate... I-I had wished for a little more, but now... I-I don't know what to do... m-maybe I did love him, I..."

 

Stella couldn't stop herself from tearing up some more, and beginning to cry again. Arthur, having sat close to her, looked hurried as he was about to reach a hand over to try to comfort her, but she gently brushed his hand away. For once, Arthur didn't look annoyed as he sat down.

 

"...sorry, I... I'll be good... please, everyone finish your dinner, I'll be fine..." Stella said, gently wiping the sides of her eyes and cheeks with her napkin.

[Chevaleresse]

Justine was quiet once more for a few moments, considering what she could say. It evaded the rather more grounded question of how she could eat with her mask still on. They were still trying to maintain cover, after all, even if she felt guilty for continuing to conceal her face at a time like this.

"Queen Stella. . . " she began slowly, still not quite certain of how to address the woman. "There is no shame in grief, and no need to justify it besides. Even if the marriage was arranged, it is only natural to be sad at the breaking of a union meant to be eternal. There is opportunity to rebuild a new happiness in the void it leaves, but it is only human to weep for what stood there once, no matter how flawed." 

 

[Shauntaro]

"Like.. there should be more that I need to be working towards.. more than merely just trying to make sure I live to see the next day.


"Nothing much comes to mind even regarding short term goals either.."

Shin then stops and takes a deep breath.



"But you could be right on that front too.. maybe it'll come to me in time.."

"..I do hope it does."

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After mealtime started, Shin quietly sits as he eats. 

His tiredness starts to catch up to him.

Edited August 4, 2019 by Shauntaro

[RedMageCole]

Stella tried to wipe away her tears, giving tiny nods in response to Justine.

 

"...thank you... I'll... I'll hopefully feel better soon... I just..."

 

As Stella looked over to Justine, now properly getting a look at her, she realized the fatal flaw Justine herself noticed.

 

"...o-oh... some of you have masks over your mouths... I'm sorry, I should have noticed earlier... should I close my eyes for the time being? I wouldn't mind... Albert, you wouldn't mind closing your eyes until everyone was done eating, right?"

 

Albert looked particularly aghast at this absolutely silly solution. He looked towards Fey with a quick "see what I mean?" expression, before sighing slightly and looking back to Stella. If nothing else, the ridiculous request seemed to snap him out of his stupor for a brief moment.

 

"...er... yes, my queen, I will gladly close my eyes for the time being if it is wished for our... full-masked friends. Er... or perhaps we can just deliver their food to their rooms later?"

 

Stella didn't seem to hear Albert's last suggestion, making him look briefly exhausted once more.

[Swordstar]

Mim frowned, poking at her food, not eating, just moving it around the plate. She was towards the end of the table, away from Crimson, the queen, everything. Next to Fey, she was more able to easily hide, both herself as well as her reactions to everything going on. But this latest suggestion finally cracked her a bit.

 

"This is just silly at this point. If we're going to be working closely with you and your people, what even is the point of wearing these masks? The whole point is to hide our identity from those who might harm us. Sure, in public, or when we're around potential spies, that's one thing, but if it's just us and you two, why bother? It just inconveniences us all."

[RedMageCole]

Stella looked quite surprised by Mim's proposal, at somewhat of a loss for words. Kane mulled over Mim's words, then gave a slight nod.

 

 
“Snowbird has a point. If we are to work with you, we should establish a sense of trust with each other. Either way, you already know Arthur... however, before we can feel comfortable revealing ourselves, we should know exactly what we are doing here. Why you called upon us despite our reputation."

 

Stella closed her eyes for a short bit, then gave a nod. She looked over to Albert.

 

"...Very well... I'll explain before we eat. Albert... if you will, it's just-..."

 

Albert gave a salute, his posture becoming as stiff as a board.

 

"Behind the throne, yes. I will be right back."

 

Albert left the dining room, leaving Virtuous alone with the quite troubled Stella. She folded her hands over her mouth, elbows on the table... not exactly the most ideal position for someone who has a habit of falling asleep at random, but she seemed to be anxious enough to not want to fall asleep.

 

"...I assume that you are all aware of the Gods that govern each kingdom... and I'm certain many of you have been told that the God from where you have hailed from is the only God, with the rest either being minor Gods or false deities... I myself have always been told the Bear was the only God... but isn't it such a strange fallacy? That we all believe our own respective Gods are the only true Gods...?"

 

Arthur scoffed, crossing his arms.

 

"Ruslan always told me the Horse was the only God, but I firmly believe that because he says it, it's false."

 

If Stella noticed how irrational Arthur sounded, she didn't say anything. Regardless, she gave a slow nod.

 

"...Right now, Albert is bringing me two things. A jewel, and a book. The book is another book full of fallacies... it's supposedly a book passed down from each generation of rulers in each kingdom... it's supposedly a rite of passage, to cement yourself as the king or queen. It reads similar to a history book, but... it's twisted. Not only twisted, but... strange..."

 

Stella trails off slightly, as if she was about to fall asleep as a result of her being deep in thought. Kane noticed this and quickly got her back on track.

 

"...Twisted? Strange?"

 

Thanks to Kane, Stella managed to perk up and keep talking.

 

"It's hard to explain, which is why I'm having Albert bring it..."

 

Almost as if on cue, Albert entered the room. In one hand, he holds a tattered book with a brown cover, showing clear signs of age and wear, with no title on the front. In his other hand, a beautifully shimmering green octahedron. He places the book and octahedron in front of Stella, showing extra care to the octahedron. Stella nods to him, and he leaves the room. She daintily picks up the octahedron, showing it to everyone. As Stella picked it up, it seemed to shimmer even brighter; the lighting of the dining room reflected off of it.

 

"I'm very certain... that this is what Gul was after. This is a Relic... one of five in Purgus. The only kingdoms that don't have Relics are Vini and Gul... and they don't have Relics for a simple reason... that the two kingdoms were not meant to be."

 

Stella opens the book, flipping through the pages. For an odd reason, a chill runs down your spines as she flips past what looks to be a couple of pages torn out of the page. Stella finished, smoothing out the pages she wanted to see, and turned the book around to push it gently forward. Those sitting farthest away from Stella might have a harder time reading the text, but a picture of Purgus is clearly visible... For those in the back, Kane reads aloud as he leans in.

 

The noble continent of Purgus was not always split into seven kingdoms, but as fate would have it, the continent realized the true potential of what they held.

War broke out for the treasured Relics, war that many missionaries believed was done for the good of their one, true God.

Though many believed five kingdoms should exist, one for each Relic, they all refused to cooperate and share a God.

The war ended in the seven noble kingdoms of the current day, with Gul and Vini emerging as failures.

 

"...Purgus was a unified continent? No kingdom, no borders, no... anything?"

 

Stella gently nodded.

 

"I can't pretend to know why they would split the continent up all of those years ago... the Relics were special, but having one is useless. Look at this passage..."

 

Stella flips backwards a couple of pages, and lands on a set of pages with a picture of five of the Relics shaped together in a star-like pattern, all seemingly resting on a circle of stone. Kane once more reads aloud...

 

The Relics are the sacred treasures of Purgus.

Each one contains a small, yet vital piece of the seven Gods, when they all held power.

When taken to the Zenith Temple, in the center of Purgus, a Relic holds the power to communicate with the land of the Gods.

When all five are taken to the Zenith Temple, placed within the Fire Emblem by a crested member of royalty, they hold the power to bring anyone to the land of the Gods, though at their own risk.

The coveted ability to access the Gods would be the downfall of Purgus.

 

Kane was silent for a moment. Stella looked rather serious now.

 

"I have tried to use my Relic to communicate with the Gods. Any God, even... you notice how it mentions 'when they all held power'? The book claims that the seven Gods did all exist, but it simultaneously claims that only the Bear holds power in this world anymore... I just wanted to talk to one of them. To find out why there was so much turmoil. How they could leave a continent that was once in such harmony... why everyone believes their God is the correct God... but I didn't receive an answer. I tried... and tried... I didn't leave that temple for hours."

 

Stella takes a small breath of air in, and exhales slowly. It's evident on her face that she knows she is going to be asking a lot of everyone.

 

"The Gods chose not to answer me... but with the five Relics, then we could go straight to them and find out... why they're not responding. Why they let the world get into this state... why we royals have fallen so far. But... the Relic I held was behind the throne... and to my knowledge..."

 

Stella looked down at the shimmering prism.

 

"...The other four Relics... are within the same locations... at least in Ulux, Vaa and Ria. Arthur's confirmed that it is the case with Ria... and each kingdom guards their Relic jealously. There's no way a queen, who has to maintain a public face, can simply go to a castle and rob them of their Relic..."

 

 

 

"...Virtuous... I don't know why you do what you do, but regardless of why you fight... I'm asking for you to steal not only one, but four of Purgus' greatest, and most well-guarded treasures. I want you to find the Relics... I want us to see the Gods. And see... why we can't talk to them. Why they don't answer our prayers at night. Why they allowed corruption across the land... Please. I need your help."

 

 

 

Arthur already looks set, and it's evident on his face that he already knows his answer, while Simeon seems to be a bit laid back on the choice. Kane, however, is deep in thought. Even to Lysander who had just joined, this is clearly the best chance Virtuous has to reforming the world, and Kane knows that. But even so...

 

At their own risk...

 

[Flannelmagician]

After having been quiet for the past few hours, Tabitha after receiving this revelation from the queen felt as if whatever was preventing the cogs in her head from turning was finally removed. Firmly she set down the utensils she was using and looks directly at Stella. 

 

"I'm not going to pretend I know much about who you are, or what's going on with the politics of the kingdoms. Having lived in a monastery for most of my life I never really knew what life was like outside of those stone walls and the small hamlet I lived in. However there's one thing I know for certain about the outside world and that's that the cruel nature of those we worship as gods." 

 

Tabitha clenched her hands into a fist, becoming visibly agitated yet determined. 

 

"If the god's won't listen to out pleas, then I'll just have to take matters into my own hands!" 

 

She breathes deeply and regains her composure, takes off the rose hair-clip and holds it to her chest closing her eyes as if in prayer. She mumbles to herself, 

 

"I refuse to let the divine treat us as their cruel playthings... I won't be idle and let what happened to you happen again..." 

 

 

[Aurorix]

Baldur sat upright with his arms crossed as Stella unloaded all this secret information onto them. While he did attempt to eat the food on his plate earlier, he gave up trying as he valued keeping his mask clean more than getting his fill of food. He let out a deep sigh before giving his own two cents,  "While I love the thought of dropping everything to collect these relics of yours, I really do, I also think that it is quite a huge waste of everyone's time and effort." He unhooked his right arm and waved his hand dismissively, his right elbow resting on his left hand.  "Tell me, what exactly do you plan to do if we collect all of them anyways? Meekly ask the gods, 'Why? Why are you doing nothing to help the world?' You wanna know what they'll do? They'll give some excuse and continue to do nothing. Unless you plan to beg and grovel at their feet which I have no intention of doing. Instead risking not only our safety as well as potentially starting another great war, we should rather focus on fixing everything ourselves." He paused for a moment before adding,  "Oh, and also, my mask stays on."

[Powder Miner]

Lizaveta took her mask off (it wasn't like she really had another identity anyway)... and then Baldur and Tabitha both actually provided answers... that... she agreed with? She was agreeing with Baldur??? Lizaveta just stared boggledly at the man for several moments before she actually spoke.

"I... agree... with Orchid... I think that the time of the gods has long passed. They clearly want to have nothing to do with us, if they even are truly gods, so why should we come begging to their feet to ask them to rule over us once again? I believe in the dream of a united Purgus, but not through merely inviting another set of all-powerful rulers to do with us as they might please -- Purgus has had more than enough of tyrants who rule over the people from a station supposedly above it. I come from one of those "failure" nations, and I will tell you it is not the presence or lack of presence of a relic or the gods that makes it terrible. Countries like Vini are terrible because of those royalty who rule them. If Purgus will ever be united and happy, it will be because of the people in it, not anyone who would hold themselves above them."

[ElfCollaborator]

Lenore, remaining masked, mulls over these new pieces of information.

"Well....I've always wanted a hand at stealing stuff like that. I've heard about these things before; chatter on the streets, you know how it is, but I always thought they were rumours, or ceremonial artifacts that were just worth a ton of money, enough to leave us set for life if we nabbed even one of them. Even if they're real, what are the odds that chasing down these relics is just a wild goose chase, huh? In my line of work, I prefer to know what I'm getting into and what I'll be getting out of it and there's no way for us to know if getting those things will really bring us to some god-realm or if it'll just be another fable we chased down for nothing. As much as I'd relish the challenge of having a crack at stealing them, the risk ain't worth the reward."

[Swordstar]

Mim pulled her mask off gratefully and tossed it over her shoulder without a second thought. It only registered that perhaps that was not the best course of action when she heard the soft thunk it made as it landed. That didn't faze her for more than a few seconds though, and idly scratching the now exposed area of her face, she frowned, staring at the gem. Finally, she got up, almost against her wishes and drifted towards it, staring deep into the green center. As she did, she talked, only half thinking about what she was saying,

 

"I've never much been one for being around royalty. Honestly they scare me. I don't belong around them, a simple potion maker like me. But all of that is just me. The others are arguing we should do this by ourselves. As if a small rag tag group of thieves can bring multiple nations to their knees. A commendable plan, but a stupid one."

 

She arrived at the head of the table, near the gem, staring into it, hesitantly reaching out a hand. Something about this...

 

"We're here because I think Phoenix realized that we couldn't change everything on our own. That we needed more support than we could get just by doing things like freeing prisoners and stealing supplies. Though I'm relatively new to the group, so I don't know for sure. And maybe my words have less weight because of when I joined, but... Even if the gods are fake or dead or don't care... Perhaps these gems are the way to unite anyways. Whoever holds them holds the gods and the right to rule, right? Why else would Gul try to take this one?"

Her hand almost touched the relic when Stella grabbed her hand and pulled the gem away. Suddenly she shook her head, trying to clear it.

 

"Ah, s-sorry, your Majesty. I got... lost in thought. I was only going to touch it but... Sorry. Oh, err, right. Could you clarify something for me? What did the book mean by crested royal? I don't think I've ever heard that term before."

[Chevaleresse]

Justine slipped her mask off and set it down by the table, gently. She had to admit, she had her own misgivings. Her gut impulse at this point was to oppose Orchid, of course, but times like this demanded a rational consideration. She yearned to help Stella, to embrace the beautiful dream that they both seemed to ultimately share. The idea of near-openly allying with a royal family, even one of the fairest, seemed contrary to their purpose. And, there was no guarantee that this plan would actually work. 

 

Lizaveta spoke, and it sparked an idea in her.

"Scarlet, those same tyrants rule by fear. But. . . who would fear a king who cannot even guard a single jewel from a band of thieves? Even if the thoughts of bringing the gods back to Purgus are flights of romantic fancy, it would hurt their legitimacy. This could be the sort of quest we need to really start making a difference."

[RedMageCole]

Stella had quite the roller coaster of emotions of her face, despite her mild expression throughout; her anxiety seemed to clear up on Tabitha's speech, then sink back down, making her look a bit more nervous yet understanding as Baldur, Lizaveta and Lenore spoke... then she seemed to mellow out once Mim and Justine spoke. At the same time, she looked quite astonished to see so many of Virtuous taking off their masks. At the same time, Kane did not take his mask off, and remained in thought, though he seemed to slightly nod in response to Tabitha, Mim and Justine when they spoke. At the same time, he gave a short peer at Baldur, clearly watchful of him knowing his past behavior, but settled down quickly back into thought. Stella seemed to have a bit of a invigoration of energy after Mim and Justine spoke, and tried to speak up despite her quiet voice. First, however, she gave the Relic a slight nudge of movement to Mim.

 

"...If you wish to touch it, that's fine... forgive me, I may have been a bit overprotective myself of my belongings."

 

She gave a gentle smile to Mim, before looking over everyone at the table with a slightly more determined face.

 

"...You misunderstand me. I do not ask any of you to surrender our lands to the Gods. I myself... do not agree with the Bear's inaction. However, going back to what... Snowbird, right...? Back to what you said about crested royals..."

 

Stella rolled up her sleeve again, revealing the faintly glowing crest in the outline of a bear on her shoulder.

 

"All royals are branded with these symbols of the Gods... but why? Why are we forced to wear these? Why do we wear them as a mark of shame and not have honor within these crests? It's as if... the Gods believe we are destined to fail as humanity. And... I do not agree with that. The Relics still have power, it reacts to my crest, as you can see..." She touches the Relic once more; as it glows, her crest glows slightly brighter as well. "See...? There's still power within them... I believe there is truth to being able to see the Gods. The book, though warped as it is, has truth to it. There are old history books, ones that many neglect to read to embrace the current, that tell of these old policies. The Relics still should work. They must work... but I can't get them myself. I have seen the castles of each country besides Perus on my own, before tensions increased... though my stays would be brief, I know a little bit of intelligence that would help... I know King Darcy in particular seldom allows anyone but some guards into his castle at night for reasons unknown... if you invaded him at night, you might even be able to obtain the Relic without a confrontation..."

 

Stella pauses. As she pauses, Kane clears his throat slightly, and Stella looks towards him. Kane remains to be looking in thought, but he is at some attention.

 

"...You understand what you ask of us, Queen Stella. You are asking us to infiltrate the greatest strongholds in Purgus, one said stronghold we don't even know where to start with, for a shot at taming the Gods... Gods that may not take kindly to our infiltration of their territory, especially. Even if their presence is weakened, and by extension, they themselves might be weakened... we're ordinary people going up against royalty, trained armies, and deities."

 

Stella slowly nods, her expression grave yet still determined. Kane puts a hand down on the table.

 

"...Nobody said Virtuous was going to be an easy endeavor, but this is crazy... Crazy enough to work. If you believe that this is our best chance... then I will go forth with it. However... though I am leader of Virtuous... I am not going to command my team to do this if they are unwilling. There are plenty of small tasks I can think of in the meantime if any of you wish to say with Virtuous, and I'll make sure we keep the base in shape as much as we can... but I dedicated myself to doing what was right for the people. I do not fear the Gods. They have failed all of us as Gods, deities who are meant to protect us and keep us safe... instead, they allow our world to be divided like this, on the verge of war, unable to agree on a religion, even right now, as we speak, they have thrown us into a turmoil over what we are to do when we meet them. If it takes getting past a couple of kings, a couple of queens, a couple of armies... then I am willing to do what it takes. If what Gul threw at us was an intent to fight off the army of Ceda... then I have faith that we can take on a few more of those. But, as I said... this will be an extremely dangerous task that may even end in failure, even after we've accomplished all we needed to do. Therefore, I ask as your leader to make your own decisions... but know this. This may be the best chance we'll ever get, maybe even the only chance, to change the world. To weaken the resolve of the corrupt nobility. To open the minds of society to help them realize that what we have... is not a life that anyone deserves. Everyone deserves a brighter future... and that is what I believe."

[ElfCollaborator]

Lenore sighs. She figured Kane would say something like that. She liked his determination; it was one of the traits that made her think he'd be a decent boss, but all the same....

"I figured you'd say something like that.  Like I said....in my line of work, I prefer to know what I'm targeting and what I'll get out of it. There's conning some gullible archbishop into thinking he's just scored himself a pretty trophy wife, and there's robbing some of the biggest fortresses on the continent to summon gods that I'm pretty sure either don't actually exist or died a long time ago. I'm still not buying this story about the gods, don't get me wrong. I work with people and money, I don't work with fables. "

"All the same......a heist only goes well if you can trust your fellow cons to keep their eyes on the prize without snitching on you, ditching you or backstabbing you to get their paws on your share of the take.  Believe me, I know from experience; you don't want disloyal or greedy accomplices. So, if you're going to ask us to steal them, Phoenix, then I'll go along with you; I'm no rat, and I'm no snake. Whatever my opinion is on your goal here, I came here to work with you specifically, and I intend to do that as long as I can."

"Besides....like I said, I like a challenge."

[Shauntaro]

Everyone's determination and drive definitely earned Shin's admiration, while not a particularly high bar to reach it still meant something.


The Gods probably didn't even intend for Shin to exist in the first place if anything, the concern of any deities really wouldn't be relevant to him, he felt.
In turn he removes his own mask, which quickly falls apart upon removal.

"Ah.. I'm going to have to make a new one.."

[Pyon Pyon Kyuu!~]

"It won't be impossible, only challenging. I've gotten to see first hand the abilities of everyone involved and I believe in our combined might." Lysander who had been quiet up until now chimed in. His mask however stayed on, but he continued to speak. "And who is to say even if we summon the Gods back, we will have to listen to them. If we can steal relics, who is to say we can't steal their power and recreate a much more just world. I believe in the will of man, and it is through this will that we will achieve our goals." 

[RedMageCole]

Stella looked significantly more relieved to hear Kane and Lysander, alongside Lenore's change of opinion. She breathes a tiny sigh of relief, one that is barely noticeable... then gives a smile.

 

"...Well... it's not as if you have to decide now. I will ask that you please stay the night, at the least. There are secure lodgings for all of you, I'm sure you deserve at least that much..."

 

Kane pauses, mulling it over... before nodding.

 

 
“Very well. We will stay the night... but I do hope you realize the trust I put in you by accepting your offers. Do I have your word that we won't have jailers knocking on our doors?"

 

Stella begins to clearly nod, but Arthur cut the gentleness of the air Stella created by whipping his head toward Kane with a look of annoyance.

 

"Do you realize who you're with? I am the goddamn prince, and I have been the sole reason Ruslan hasn't been at Stella's door, if you don't trust Stella when I'm around, then you can kiss my-"

 

Kane met Arthur's sharp gaze with his own calm, yet stern one. He took his mask off to fully emphasize this.

 

"...I trust Queen Stella. But I also have a great deal of care toward my team. If anyone's safety is compromised... it is my burden alone to bear for not making absolute sure that we are safe. We have given reason for Queen Stella to trust us, and I have reason to trust her. That is why I asked; to affirm the trust that we have in each other."

 

Arthur scoffed, but Stella shook her head.

 

"Arthur... There's no reason to be angry. You have my word, Phoenix... and my promise that Virtuous will be protected tonight. You may sleep soundly and safely... as Arthur said, you are with him, and that gave me reason enough alone to trust you. You have done what I was unable to do..."

 

Kane raised an eyebrow.

 

 
“...What you were unable to do...?"

 

Stella looked to Arthur, who was now suddenly extremely interested in his dinner... not exactly eating it, though.

 

"...Arthur caught onto his father for who he was, and he had been planning to flee the country before his arrest. He told me as such in his last letter before his arrest... I wanted to aid him in some way... but before I could find a way to help him, he had been arrested... hm... Arthur, I'm curious... I know why you ran away when you did, but... why did you plan to run away before that...? Certainly you couldn't have known...?"

 

Arthur grits his teeth as he breathed through his nostrils.

 

“...That bow you have... Sloth, correct...? Ruslan had something similar... a flaming axe he called Wrath. It was always his prized weapon... but one day, months ago... he suddenly claimed a sword that he treasured as much as he did Wrath. I could tell that something was up... it clearly wasn’t bought in some run-down shop, it was an elegant and beautiful blade with the power to ward off enemy attacks, and Wrath was powerful on its own… And then I learned... where he got it. He told me… that miserable man told me that as king, it is your right to take what you want from the people. That those peasants should respect their king and give to him whatever they want, and strike them down if they refuse! I told him exactly what I thought! Why the fuck would you take a sword from a family when you already have your stupid fucking axe!? The motherfucker told me that I would learn someday! So I’m to just allow myself to be consumed by my own selfishness!? I hated the bastard, but this was beyond saving! I thought I could make a deal with him! But no; it was clear to me that he really didn’t give a fuck about anyone that wasn’t himself! I was already ready to leave at that point! We made it to the border, but then he... h-he found us, a-and he... he..."

 

It's clear that Arthur had gotten to a point that he really, really did not want to keep talking. As well, he looked up from his food to realize from everyone's faces that he had begun ranting, as if he was in some sort of trance. His misty-eyed anger subsided quite quickly, turning to shame... and then he stood up.

 

“....please excuse me."

 

Arthur left the dining room in quite a hurry. Stella looked rather worried as he left...

 

"...Please... don't be intimidated by Arthur. He... may have a tendency to vent like that... but he's been through quite a lot... and he's aware of his anger, he just doesn't know how to control it. He's really quite a sweet young man..."

 

Stella paused, before getting up herself.

 

"...I'm going to go to my room for a little while... I'll be there if any of you need me, Albert should be patrolling the downstairs hallway if you need any help looking around the castle... um... before I do, though... there was something... oh, yes."

 

Stella went to Lysander's chair, presenting a magical tome to him.

 

"Young man... I had the pleasure of witnessing your magic, and I believe this might be of use to you... I wished to reward you all directly somehow, and I think this might be something nice. Please, use this well."

 

Lysander obtained Blizzard!

 

With that, Stella excused herself with a nod. Kane continued to sit in his chair, mulling things over... Simeon groaned as he had finished his dinner before anyone else, deciding to relax in his chair for a little while himself.

[Blasbo]

For the majority of this conversation, Reiko's mostly been listening in silence. She's more or less fine with taking off her mask--but that's less out of trust for the royalty and more out of the fact that she never truly had much care for the 'secret identity business anyhow. The debate they're having is...well, to her it's as simple as anything. The gods allow these things to happen, allow the world to go to hell like this, because they don't care, if they're even real. If they are real, then it became clear to her long ago that they're not at all worthy of her, or anyone's worship. However, most of what she has to say on the matter is being expressed by others, including Baldur in the one moment he has a good point. But then the conversation turns to why the prince of Ria left, and...well, it's hard to listen. Throughout his explanation her expression continually darkens and her hands ball up into fists in her lap, her teeth gritting.

 

"...My thanks for the meal." She hasn't touched most of it. "But I have some urgent business to attend to."

Quickly, and a little rudely, she stands from her place and takes off after Arthur, leaving her food for anyone who happens to steal it and her chair pushed out.

 

She's been trained for speed, agility, and has her fair share of experience tracking game--so it's not a terribly long time before she catches up to Arthur.

"Arthur. Crimson. Whichever name you prefer--I don't care. We need to talk." 

[Pyon Pyon Kyuu!~]

Lysander smiled under his mask, and stood up to receive the tome. He gave a short bow, more like an actor's than a nobleman's. "I am honored that you found my magics impressive your majesty, I will use this tome to further my dream of a peaceful world." After the queen had left he sat back down on his chair, and flipped the tome open. Clearly he had a lot of studying to do. 

[rokubiraijuu]

Where has he ended up now...?

 

Daylight has begun to sink further and further in the sky, and the sun's last warm glow hovers just above the edge of the land by the time he becomes aware of it again, bathing the grassy surroundings in soft shadows. The sloping hill beneath his feet, the pungent, earthen smell of meadows and hay... he lifts his head and looks to the right, finding that the stocky outline of the royal stables are at once familiar and ghostly in the twilight.

 

Stables make him think of Bradwr, and he sluggishly searches his memory before recalling that he had left him with Lysander after the battle, in the throne room... it's been some time since then, hasn't it? He wonders where they'd put him. Perhaps...

 

It's the thought that maybe they had stabled him here that makes him move again, and the thoughts come to him in a steady stream: does he have a place here? Ceda would never accept him if he were to show his face. His name would bring shame to Virtuous and ruin their chances. No matter how he ran, he couldn't escape it... kingslayer. The words of the other guardsmen who had condemned him then... he had been so righteous then, sworn he would prove them wrong...

 

"Bradwr?" His voice is quiet and hollow as he approaches the familiar white steed. So they had moved him here after all. He runs a gauntleted hand through his mane and the gelding just blinks at him in recognition. Always so calm. "How do you do it, Bradwr?" He receives no response, of course. "... It may be time again, my friend." A trembling frown twists his face and he can't even meet the horse's eyes as he reaches for the bridle hung up on the nearby wall as though in surrender. "A coward's act, but at the least I would not see Kane's face at the end, like I saw hers."

[RedMageCole]

Reiko found Arthur not too far off; it was clear he just wanted to leave the room and not much else. He had been pacing the hallways at a slow pace, clearly trying to get his mind off of everything... stopping himself once Reiko had stopped him. He slowly turned, his face trying to look as neutral as possible, without showing anger or regret.

 

“...Do you need something?"

[Swordstar]

Mim wandered over to Simeon and grinned at him.

 

"Hey! So, I was wondering. You know your potions you sell? Well, I was thinking, maybe I could help you with those. I mean, they aren't exactly the strongest I've seen, and I feel like I could probably make them a bit easier than you. Do you mind if I help?"

[RedMageCole]

Simeon looked toward Mim with a sort of curious look, giving a hearty chuckle.

 

"Well, ain't ye a generous lass? To be honest, I haven't really been makin' em... I'd probably just bugger up the formula, to be honest. I just carry a supply that I manage to stock up on, but the prices for these things nowadays, I tell ye... but if ye're willin' to help make 'em, I most certainly would accept yer help, would certainly help cut costs quite a bit as well."

[Chevaleresse]

Justine picked at her food a bit. It was starting to get cold, and the events of the day had been so tumultuous that she had a hard time getting her stomach to settle at all, It would be rude to not eat after her host offered, though, and Cecily would be annoyed with her if she didn't eat her dinner. She forced herself to get a reasonable amount down - it was still good, even if she wasn't feeling very hungry - before politely excusing herself from the table. After that. . . she wandered. Part of her longed to go find Stella in her room, but the queen had just experienced a great loss; Justine feared she would say or do something crass, and hurt her. So, she ambled about the castle, thinking about the day's events, mulling over the choice they had to make. It was easier to think clearly about without Stella around. 

 

Her musings were interrupted as she wandered close to the stables, and caught a glimpse of a familiar figure. She moved closer, verifying who it was; she hadn't seen the man since the battle ended.

"Ferdiad?" The man looked. . . sad. Broken, almost. Almost a different person from the Knight she knew. "Are you okay?"

[rokubiraijuu]

The soft jingling of the bridle as he loops it over Bradwr's head and ears obscures the sound of approaching footsteps, and he almost jumps when he hears his name. Spinning around, he blinks in alarm before realizing it's just Justine's outline emerging from the shadows of the stable's overhang.

 

"Justine... —er..." Mink? No, that's Lenore. Mi... he gives up. He can't find it in himself to search through his memory, and he's suddenly very tired. Even so, his eyes dart left and right briefly, searching for anyone who might be nearby to overhear her having said his name, though it's unlikely at this hour.

 

When she asks if he's all right, he drops his gaze. Is it so obvious? 

 

"I'm... just taking Bradwr out for some air. He... He may need it after such a battle."

 

He tries to summon his usual smile, but it's a momentous effort, and his attempts at a light tone sound flat even to his own ears.