8. Unexpected Reunion
- Location
- Earth
The next two weeks found them in a repeating pattern with each village they visited.
First there was wariness as they came in, people watching them with caution and some even with resignation; it did not matter the size, even the one larger city they entered was the same. Then the people his group interacted with directly began to relax, which spread over the day or two of each stay.
They could trade for supplies well enough, though Flora complained that she had to buy for more money than she liked; haggling with people who did not trust you on principle was hard.
Felix tried his best to be polite, steering clear of the few odd laws or norms Dame Eques pointed out; apparently, fistfights and magic contests were common to settle arguments in these lands. They saw plenty of them, some almost feral in their ferocity and others close to sophisticated.
There was even one adventurous demoness who flirted with him, much to Flora's amusement; this quickly turned to mortification when the lady's son followed his mother's example and flirted with Flora.
That little bit of excitement aside however, it really was just like before; even Laurus slowly started thawing, though his demeanour was still somewhat frosty and quiet.
Felix stopped reminiscing when he saw the next village appear over a hill. He had to suppress a sigh at that.
"Alright, here we go again."
Yet contrary to everyone's expectations, the guards just waved them through without much more than a look. Stranger still, there was only a minimum of people pointing and whispering at their entry. Dame Eques seemed just as confused as the rest of them. Their befuddled silence held until Opus was put in the stables without any trouble, but then Felix had to voice his feelings.
"Maybe being away from the border makes people relax more? I thought there was less suspicion this week."
"Maybe they trust that Dame Eques keeps us in line?" Flora suggested, earning a nod from the lady knight.
"I imagine that is the case."
A middle-aged man passing by chimed in jovially: "Part of it's that, ma'am. But we've just got a human visitor yesterday, that probably takes the edge off."
Much like the rest of the group, she immediately turned to him with interest and suspicion of her own.
"Another human? This far into the kingdom?"
Her sharp question clearly confused the man, who tilted his head to the side. "Yeah? I mean, she musta come through somehow, right? We figured that the guards would've stopped anyone nasty long before they get here."
He had a point, although Felix's curiosity was roused at once; he never heard of any humans travelling to demon lands. This did not sound like a diplomat or something like that, either. Unfortunately, he could not do much of anything before Dame Eques kept on talking with renewed calm.
"That is true, but I have not heard of another visitor. Which way did this person go?"
"Still in town, actually," he answered with a motion to the local inn. "Said something of taking a break to enjoy the scenery."
Felix glanced back to the impressive mountain rising in the distance, as well as the beautiful meadows spreading out as far as the eye could see. The kingdom started to look much healthier as they left the border behind, so he could definitely understand the sentiment. But where was a human going in these lands?
"I see," Dame Eques said. "My thanks."
"Not for that, ma'am."
He waved and walked away, after which Dame Eques started taking quick steps toward the inn. Felix scrambled to catch up with her and the others followed.
"How would another human get here?" Laurus asked. "Nobody mentioned them in any of the other places."
"Must have snuck past the border somehow," Flora answered thoughtfully.
"I guess? It sounds like madness."
The two kept discussing the matter quietly behind Felix while Dame Eques walked ahead; she visibly had to restrain herself from tearing open the door. A moment passed before she opened it normally and stalked inside.
The buzz of overlapping conversations quickly faded, especially so when Felix's group entered after her. Looking around, they could see that, predictably, most patrons were demons. But there was one rather prominent figure who was not, perched alone at a table with softly steaming tea in a dainty cup. Felix knew it was her the moment he saw her face because he recognised it.
"Diana?"
"Wait, what?" Flora spluttered, taken off-guard.
"Who?" Laurus asked.
Dame Eques turned back to them with an almost demanding look, but the sudden silence was broken by Diana herself.
"It has been a while. Felix, was it? I see you are hero now," she noted without much surprise, her inscrutable gaze trailing away from him. "And your niece Flora as well."
She did not even acknowledge Dame Eques, though Laurus earned her attention. "And who else has joined you along your journey?"
The last conversations had fallen silent as she spoke. Reactions to her words were immediate as all attention turned to Felix, who felt more than a little sheepish while introducing his companion: "This is Laurus. He joined up with us early on and has been a great help."
He was tempted to explain a bit about his deal with supposedly being the hero, but felt that should not be brought up among demons. Laurus himself seemed a little mollified if nothing else. Next Felix motioned for the clearly agitated knight standing between him and Diana. "And this is Dame Eques, she guides us to the capital. And I think she has some questions for you?"
"An understatement," the woman herself drawled. Her eyes were narrowed, although she seemed more annoyed than angry.
For her part, Diana sized up the demon without any worry. "Greetings, then, to both of you. I am known as Diana. Please sit with me if you can spare the time."
She motioned for her otherwise empty table. A wave to the innkeeper had him come over with a pitcher of ice water. The group shuffled forward a little awkwardly, or at least Felix and Flora did; Laurus seemed more intrigued than anything while Dame Eques stalked more than she walked. After sitting and folding her crimson wings primly, the dragonkin crossed her arms in clear displeasure.
"Would you care to explain how you made it this far into the kingdom without being stopped? Or how you even entered without being spotted at the border?"
The taste of ash lingered on her breath and almost palpable danger emanated from her just then. The room held its breath, but Diana was not impressed. She took a sip of tea before answering idly: "There are many paths across a border, my dear. I was always fond of walking on my own trail, rather than what another left for me to follow."
A little grin emerged as she spoke, half hidden by her cup; Diana's amusement seemed to annoy Dame Eques more, but she pre-empted further questioning: "Though rest assured that I was questioned several times to ensure I am not a spy, brazen as it would be for one to walk in broad daylight. I am but a traveller, journeying to broaden my horizons."
"What of your granddaughter?" Felix could not help but ask. His question took the wind out of Dame Eques's sails somewhat, at least enough to allow the interruption.
Diana took another sip before answering him, as if in thought: "A healthy and beautiful babe. I will see her again once this journey of mine is over."
"So uh, how do you know each other?" Laurus wanted to know next. He nodded to Diana. "You talk like a noblewoman."
His observation earned him a smattering of curiosity while Felix answered the question: "Flora and I met her on our way to the, err, to our capital."
"And while I was trained as the daughter of a noble house," Diana added, "I am not beholden to that house anymore. Our paths split long ago."
"Yet you were trained and that intrigues me," Dame Eques said, leaning forward into Diana's personal space. They were almost nose to nose, blonde hair contrasting with crimson as neither gave an inch. "I hear that human nobles retain their status by money alone. So I wonder if you are a weakling like that makes it sound."
Some excited and intrigued whispers started around the room while Felix began to worry. He neither needed nor wanted to see those two fight.
Somehow, Diana was perfectly calm under the imposing demon woman's attention. She gently placed her cup down with a final sounding click.
"There are certainly cretins that know nothing beyond the allure of gold. I will admit that demonkind's focus on personal power is not even close to humankind's, which draws on bloodlines and ancestry most of all. Tell me, Dame Eques, do you believe this culture to be the best it could conceivably be?"
The demoness's eyes narrowed at that and she grabbed Diana by the collar of her dress. "We're not debating whose culture is better," she hissed. "I want-" crack
Diana's gloved hand had risen to Dame Eques's wrist as she spoke. Her bones broke audibly with but a single squeeze, though the lady knight did not even flinch. Diana stared at her without any change in expression, just curiosity.
"Do you believe that my being stronger than you makes me better?" she asked. "Am I lesser for the lack of such a quality?"
She let go and muttered an incantation that was followed by gentle, green light; it wound around the broken wrist and set it within seconds. Diana remained silent while Dame Eques rubbed her restored hand, the room thick with anticipation. People were clearly impressed with Diana, and so was Felix.
"Power is not everything, no," Dame Eques finally said. "But without power, there is no people."
She had made a good point there, Felix understood that too. Everyone needed at least some power to protect themselves and their loved ones, be it from nature or people. He nodded unconsciously while Dame Eques settled back down, her attention still on Diana.
"What is your opinion on this matter?"
The older woman inclined her head and answered without hesitation: "Power, to me, is only as great as the person wielding it. These lands may be ruled by scum if only that scum holds enough might, such as the Succubus Queen three hundred years ago. Or her spoiled son, the Incubus Prince."
The humans at the table had no idea what she meant, though Dame Eques made a face. "How do you even know our history?" she asked, only to receive a smile with little warmth in it.
"I am well-travelled and well-read, child. History is one of my particular passions, for we can always learn from the mistakes and successes of ages past."
Her words sounded wise, but Felix felt he missed too much context to really appreciate them. A glance to his companions told him they must feel the same, especially when Flora piped up curiously: "Who were these people?"
"The particulars do not matter to this conversation, child. What does is the fact demonkind would rather forget these particular rulers, which points toward the fallibility of their system of governance."
That did not answer anything, though Diana did not seem inclined to explain. Dame Eques for her part let out a demeaning huff.
"Of course a human would say that and pick out the one bad apple."
Diana turned back to her with that same amused grin Felix remembered her having the last time they met. She appeared like a cat ready to pounce.
"And when have I claimed that the human system is any better? Ultimately, the kingdoms are both ruled by those who can satisfy their peoples' demands in a ruler. Be it power or lineage, wealth or skill, there is always a measuring tool for the sovereign's aptitude."
She left a pause for everyone to digest her words; sacrilegious as they may be when put into terms like these, Felix could once again see the wisdom.
Then Diana's smirk widened further and she daintily took another sip of tea. "But I wonder about your own opinion, Dame Eques. If you could improve something, anything about the current system, what would you pick?"
The dragonkin opened her mouth as if to respond, then closed it without a word. Diana watched with some odd mixture between amusement and expectation. The entire standoff confused Felix, though. He glanced to Laurus and Flora, who had as little idea as him at first. Then Laurus's eyes lit up in understanding.
"This is a trap, isn't it?" he asked, earning a curious glance from Diana that brought him some confidence. "No matter what she says, it's a complaint against the king she has, right?"
Dame Eques nodded with grit teeth. Diana simply smirked while understanding followed around them. Neither spoke, which gave Flora a chance to interject thoughtfully: "It's easy to talk about making or wanting things better, but actually doing so is different."
Diana nodded once more, though her gaze remained on the demoness of their group. Felix half expected Dame Eques to take the out Flora just offered, but she did not.
"Training."
"Oh?"
Diana's prompting clearly made the younger woman fight with herself over whether she should keep talking. But in the end she did: "If I could change anything, I would make it so everyone can get the same training growing up. The same opportunities to get strong."
"How curious."
Diana said no more than that. Curious whispers went around as people started discussing among themselves. Dame Eques was not distracted by the noise, though; she almost growled back at her: "Was that what you wanted to hear?"
"I was not expecting any particular answer," Diana answered serenely. "The one I received tells me much about you as a person."
Her saying this made Felix wonder what she may get out of this, though he could guess some things; Dame Eques clearly cared for her people and wanted them to improve collectively. But he felt like there was more and could not even guess at what it was. At the same time, he realised that Diana often asked questions like these. Was she constantly taking their measure?
"How about yourself?" he found himself asking. "What would you change if you could?"
When her gaze settled on him, for just a moment, Felix could see something haunting in those eyes of hers. A shudder ran down his back, but the sensation was gone as fast as it appeared.
Diana's words came measured yet never hesitant: "I dream of a world where people are not so driven by circumstance and have more freedom to act as they wish."
"That... doesn't sound so bad either. But I guess it's hard to even start on that?"
Diana inclined her head, unaffected by Dame Eques staring at her.
"If one were uncharitable," the demoness said slowly, "they could also interpret this as a refusal of Fortuna's guidance."
Her words had everyone except Diana twitch in shock or surprise, though the woman herself merely shook her head.
"Far be it from me to criticise the chief goddess or the mosaic she weaves our lives into. Has the red thread of fate not guided our races for over a thousand years?"
Somehow Felix knew, just knew, that there was something important left unsaid. Yet he could for the life of him not tell what it was. Dame Eques clearly missed it, seeing how mollified she appeared as she leaned back in her chair and took a drink.
"You should be more careful saying things like that, even if you don't mean them that way," Flora cautioned in a quiet voice. "We shouldn't question providence."
The other patrons nodded along with his niece, but Diana did not. Her attention turned to Flora.
"And why is that?"
The question took not just Flora aback, it did the same with Felix and a number of others. Nobody could quite articulate it, but they all knew things like these were just not done.
In the end it was Laurus who responded: "Well, the gods obviously know better, don't they? They lived far longer and know a lot more than any human. Or demon," he added as an afterthought after recalling who sat all around them.
"Do you believe this greater knowledge makes them infallible, then?"
"Well, yeah?"
Her questions clearly made people uncomfortable at this point, but Felix had to think back to what he saw. The dead on the battlefield, the monsters and bandits, even Princess Arcadia's death. He had an idea where she was going with this, finally saw the trap that long since snapped shut. But Diana did not reveal it for some reason, she simply smirked and sipped her tea.
"Then this is all that needs to be said."
Felix did not dare dig further; they may well start a mob if this conversation went on much longer. Nobody seemed angry just yet, but those around them were clearly upset by Diana's pointed question.
Be it because the subject was closed to her or she understood the risk as well, Diana turned back to him next. "Tell me of your journey, Felix. How have you fared since we parted?"
He immediately took the out and talked a bit about their journey from the capital to here. The controversial parts like Laurus supposedly being meant to be the hero were left out. As he talked however, Felix slowly got an idea as he remembered the feat of magic Diana displayed earlier.
"How about you join us the rest of the way?" he asked her then, only for Diana's lips to quirk into a knowing smirk. The expression had him feel like a little boy getting chastised.
"That would be nice," Flora agreed, leaping onto his idea, "we can definitely use the help."
Others caught on with that much and threw them wary looks; Dame Eques growled but did not refute the point, although her reaction made Flora realise what she just implied. The younger woman ducked her head, at least until Diana shook hers.
"I think not. As amusing as it may be, I have other matters to attend."
Her immediate dismissal caused more surprise, especially among Felix's group. Laurus seemed particularly upset.
"W-What do you mean?" he demanded. "There's no greater honour than being in the hero's party!"
Yet just as before, his indignation did not faze her.
"While you are entitled to your opinion, I am neither required nor inclined to share it."
This was probably the most long-winded way Felix ever heard someone say they disagreed.
Laurus grumbled to himself and Diana turned back to Felix. "While you have my best wishes, this is all I can offer at this time."
"You believe his majesty weak, that those three are enough to best him?" Dame Eques asked quietly, glaring at Diana who met her gaze evenly. But there was no response, at least not from the older woman.
"Didn't you just take offence that we try to get more people to fight him?"
Flora's quip caused some snorts among their unwitting audience, though she wilted under Dame Eques's withering look. Felix worried about violence for a moment, but Diana took her attention back with ease.
"What I believe has no influence on the fact your king's fate has already been written. Whether I join the hero or not does not change the outcome. All the power in the world is meaningless if the red thread declares it to be."
There was something heavy to her words, an almost palpable sense of certainty. Dame Eques's anger drained away in favour of dread, but she did not get to answer before Diana stood. Her expression was curt now.
"But then the goal of all life is death. For some it arrives sooner, for others later, yet none can reject the clarion call forever. Being human or demon, I believe, means to make the best of what time we are granted by the forces beyond our control."
She paused there and turned back to the disgruntled group arranged around that table. A few coins were placed down in the silence, her gaze on Felix.
"Or perhaps there is another way?"
He knew what she meant to say, but he could not conceive of a way to challenge or change fate. The mere thought was blasphemy!
And yet at the same time he felt like she asked him a question.
That was when Felix realised that while fate was set, he did not know the outcome yet. Which meant he might as well try something else and see if it worked.
Diana was gone by the time he reached that conclusion, though nobody else spoke. Dame Eques was deeply conflicted and pale, Laurus frowned, and Flora seemed plain confused. Felix himself had much to think about, too.
He already expected that Diana left town before they could see her again, so they returned to their own preparations. Only now everyone was deep in thought about one thing or another. The final confrontation loomed above them now like a malevolent spectre.
That evening he took out his lute, realising it had been a while since he played. The last time was before the border, in fact.
It was no great song, but the patrons at the inn listened with interest anyway. Then some villagers brought their own instruments and sang hymns of their own gods, or just a few ditties about bygone warriors and legends.
If nothing else, the music helped take his mind off the upcoming confrontation for the evening.
First there was wariness as they came in, people watching them with caution and some even with resignation; it did not matter the size, even the one larger city they entered was the same. Then the people his group interacted with directly began to relax, which spread over the day or two of each stay.
They could trade for supplies well enough, though Flora complained that she had to buy for more money than she liked; haggling with people who did not trust you on principle was hard.
Felix tried his best to be polite, steering clear of the few odd laws or norms Dame Eques pointed out; apparently, fistfights and magic contests were common to settle arguments in these lands. They saw plenty of them, some almost feral in their ferocity and others close to sophisticated.
There was even one adventurous demoness who flirted with him, much to Flora's amusement; this quickly turned to mortification when the lady's son followed his mother's example and flirted with Flora.
That little bit of excitement aside however, it really was just like before; even Laurus slowly started thawing, though his demeanour was still somewhat frosty and quiet.
Felix stopped reminiscing when he saw the next village appear over a hill. He had to suppress a sigh at that.
"Alright, here we go again."
Yet contrary to everyone's expectations, the guards just waved them through without much more than a look. Stranger still, there was only a minimum of people pointing and whispering at their entry. Dame Eques seemed just as confused as the rest of them. Their befuddled silence held until Opus was put in the stables without any trouble, but then Felix had to voice his feelings.
"Maybe being away from the border makes people relax more? I thought there was less suspicion this week."
"Maybe they trust that Dame Eques keeps us in line?" Flora suggested, earning a nod from the lady knight.
"I imagine that is the case."
A middle-aged man passing by chimed in jovially: "Part of it's that, ma'am. But we've just got a human visitor yesterday, that probably takes the edge off."
Much like the rest of the group, she immediately turned to him with interest and suspicion of her own.
"Another human? This far into the kingdom?"
Her sharp question clearly confused the man, who tilted his head to the side. "Yeah? I mean, she musta come through somehow, right? We figured that the guards would've stopped anyone nasty long before they get here."
He had a point, although Felix's curiosity was roused at once; he never heard of any humans travelling to demon lands. This did not sound like a diplomat or something like that, either. Unfortunately, he could not do much of anything before Dame Eques kept on talking with renewed calm.
"That is true, but I have not heard of another visitor. Which way did this person go?"
"Still in town, actually," he answered with a motion to the local inn. "Said something of taking a break to enjoy the scenery."
Felix glanced back to the impressive mountain rising in the distance, as well as the beautiful meadows spreading out as far as the eye could see. The kingdom started to look much healthier as they left the border behind, so he could definitely understand the sentiment. But where was a human going in these lands?
"I see," Dame Eques said. "My thanks."
"Not for that, ma'am."
He waved and walked away, after which Dame Eques started taking quick steps toward the inn. Felix scrambled to catch up with her and the others followed.
"How would another human get here?" Laurus asked. "Nobody mentioned them in any of the other places."
"Must have snuck past the border somehow," Flora answered thoughtfully.
"I guess? It sounds like madness."
The two kept discussing the matter quietly behind Felix while Dame Eques walked ahead; she visibly had to restrain herself from tearing open the door. A moment passed before she opened it normally and stalked inside.
The buzz of overlapping conversations quickly faded, especially so when Felix's group entered after her. Looking around, they could see that, predictably, most patrons were demons. But there was one rather prominent figure who was not, perched alone at a table with softly steaming tea in a dainty cup. Felix knew it was her the moment he saw her face because he recognised it.
"Diana?"
"Wait, what?" Flora spluttered, taken off-guard.
"Who?" Laurus asked.
Dame Eques turned back to them with an almost demanding look, but the sudden silence was broken by Diana herself.
"It has been a while. Felix, was it? I see you are hero now," she noted without much surprise, her inscrutable gaze trailing away from him. "And your niece Flora as well."
She did not even acknowledge Dame Eques, though Laurus earned her attention. "And who else has joined you along your journey?"
The last conversations had fallen silent as she spoke. Reactions to her words were immediate as all attention turned to Felix, who felt more than a little sheepish while introducing his companion: "This is Laurus. He joined up with us early on and has been a great help."
He was tempted to explain a bit about his deal with supposedly being the hero, but felt that should not be brought up among demons. Laurus himself seemed a little mollified if nothing else. Next Felix motioned for the clearly agitated knight standing between him and Diana. "And this is Dame Eques, she guides us to the capital. And I think she has some questions for you?"
"An understatement," the woman herself drawled. Her eyes were narrowed, although she seemed more annoyed than angry.
For her part, Diana sized up the demon without any worry. "Greetings, then, to both of you. I am known as Diana. Please sit with me if you can spare the time."
She motioned for her otherwise empty table. A wave to the innkeeper had him come over with a pitcher of ice water. The group shuffled forward a little awkwardly, or at least Felix and Flora did; Laurus seemed more intrigued than anything while Dame Eques stalked more than she walked. After sitting and folding her crimson wings primly, the dragonkin crossed her arms in clear displeasure.
"Would you care to explain how you made it this far into the kingdom without being stopped? Or how you even entered without being spotted at the border?"
The taste of ash lingered on her breath and almost palpable danger emanated from her just then. The room held its breath, but Diana was not impressed. She took a sip of tea before answering idly: "There are many paths across a border, my dear. I was always fond of walking on my own trail, rather than what another left for me to follow."
A little grin emerged as she spoke, half hidden by her cup; Diana's amusement seemed to annoy Dame Eques more, but she pre-empted further questioning: "Though rest assured that I was questioned several times to ensure I am not a spy, brazen as it would be for one to walk in broad daylight. I am but a traveller, journeying to broaden my horizons."
"What of your granddaughter?" Felix could not help but ask. His question took the wind out of Dame Eques's sails somewhat, at least enough to allow the interruption.
Diana took another sip before answering him, as if in thought: "A healthy and beautiful babe. I will see her again once this journey of mine is over."
"So uh, how do you know each other?" Laurus wanted to know next. He nodded to Diana. "You talk like a noblewoman."
His observation earned him a smattering of curiosity while Felix answered the question: "Flora and I met her on our way to the, err, to our capital."
"And while I was trained as the daughter of a noble house," Diana added, "I am not beholden to that house anymore. Our paths split long ago."
"Yet you were trained and that intrigues me," Dame Eques said, leaning forward into Diana's personal space. They were almost nose to nose, blonde hair contrasting with crimson as neither gave an inch. "I hear that human nobles retain their status by money alone. So I wonder if you are a weakling like that makes it sound."
Some excited and intrigued whispers started around the room while Felix began to worry. He neither needed nor wanted to see those two fight.
Somehow, Diana was perfectly calm under the imposing demon woman's attention. She gently placed her cup down with a final sounding click.
"There are certainly cretins that know nothing beyond the allure of gold. I will admit that demonkind's focus on personal power is not even close to humankind's, which draws on bloodlines and ancestry most of all. Tell me, Dame Eques, do you believe this culture to be the best it could conceivably be?"
The demoness's eyes narrowed at that and she grabbed Diana by the collar of her dress. "We're not debating whose culture is better," she hissed. "I want-" crack
Diana's gloved hand had risen to Dame Eques's wrist as she spoke. Her bones broke audibly with but a single squeeze, though the lady knight did not even flinch. Diana stared at her without any change in expression, just curiosity.
"Do you believe that my being stronger than you makes me better?" she asked. "Am I lesser for the lack of such a quality?"
She let go and muttered an incantation that was followed by gentle, green light; it wound around the broken wrist and set it within seconds. Diana remained silent while Dame Eques rubbed her restored hand, the room thick with anticipation. People were clearly impressed with Diana, and so was Felix.
"Power is not everything, no," Dame Eques finally said. "But without power, there is no people."
She had made a good point there, Felix understood that too. Everyone needed at least some power to protect themselves and their loved ones, be it from nature or people. He nodded unconsciously while Dame Eques settled back down, her attention still on Diana.
"What is your opinion on this matter?"
The older woman inclined her head and answered without hesitation: "Power, to me, is only as great as the person wielding it. These lands may be ruled by scum if only that scum holds enough might, such as the Succubus Queen three hundred years ago. Or her spoiled son, the Incubus Prince."
The humans at the table had no idea what she meant, though Dame Eques made a face. "How do you even know our history?" she asked, only to receive a smile with little warmth in it.
"I am well-travelled and well-read, child. History is one of my particular passions, for we can always learn from the mistakes and successes of ages past."
Her words sounded wise, but Felix felt he missed too much context to really appreciate them. A glance to his companions told him they must feel the same, especially when Flora piped up curiously: "Who were these people?"
"The particulars do not matter to this conversation, child. What does is the fact demonkind would rather forget these particular rulers, which points toward the fallibility of their system of governance."
That did not answer anything, though Diana did not seem inclined to explain. Dame Eques for her part let out a demeaning huff.
"Of course a human would say that and pick out the one bad apple."
Diana turned back to her with that same amused grin Felix remembered her having the last time they met. She appeared like a cat ready to pounce.
"And when have I claimed that the human system is any better? Ultimately, the kingdoms are both ruled by those who can satisfy their peoples' demands in a ruler. Be it power or lineage, wealth or skill, there is always a measuring tool for the sovereign's aptitude."
She left a pause for everyone to digest her words; sacrilegious as they may be when put into terms like these, Felix could once again see the wisdom.
Then Diana's smirk widened further and she daintily took another sip of tea. "But I wonder about your own opinion, Dame Eques. If you could improve something, anything about the current system, what would you pick?"
The dragonkin opened her mouth as if to respond, then closed it without a word. Diana watched with some odd mixture between amusement and expectation. The entire standoff confused Felix, though. He glanced to Laurus and Flora, who had as little idea as him at first. Then Laurus's eyes lit up in understanding.
"This is a trap, isn't it?" he asked, earning a curious glance from Diana that brought him some confidence. "No matter what she says, it's a complaint against the king she has, right?"
Dame Eques nodded with grit teeth. Diana simply smirked while understanding followed around them. Neither spoke, which gave Flora a chance to interject thoughtfully: "It's easy to talk about making or wanting things better, but actually doing so is different."
Diana nodded once more, though her gaze remained on the demoness of their group. Felix half expected Dame Eques to take the out Flora just offered, but she did not.
"Training."
"Oh?"
Diana's prompting clearly made the younger woman fight with herself over whether she should keep talking. But in the end she did: "If I could change anything, I would make it so everyone can get the same training growing up. The same opportunities to get strong."
"How curious."
Diana said no more than that. Curious whispers went around as people started discussing among themselves. Dame Eques was not distracted by the noise, though; she almost growled back at her: "Was that what you wanted to hear?"
"I was not expecting any particular answer," Diana answered serenely. "The one I received tells me much about you as a person."
Her saying this made Felix wonder what she may get out of this, though he could guess some things; Dame Eques clearly cared for her people and wanted them to improve collectively. But he felt like there was more and could not even guess at what it was. At the same time, he realised that Diana often asked questions like these. Was she constantly taking their measure?
"How about yourself?" he found himself asking. "What would you change if you could?"
When her gaze settled on him, for just a moment, Felix could see something haunting in those eyes of hers. A shudder ran down his back, but the sensation was gone as fast as it appeared.
Diana's words came measured yet never hesitant: "I dream of a world where people are not so driven by circumstance and have more freedom to act as they wish."
"That... doesn't sound so bad either. But I guess it's hard to even start on that?"
Diana inclined her head, unaffected by Dame Eques staring at her.
"If one were uncharitable," the demoness said slowly, "they could also interpret this as a refusal of Fortuna's guidance."
Her words had everyone except Diana twitch in shock or surprise, though the woman herself merely shook her head.
"Far be it from me to criticise the chief goddess or the mosaic she weaves our lives into. Has the red thread of fate not guided our races for over a thousand years?"
Somehow Felix knew, just knew, that there was something important left unsaid. Yet he could for the life of him not tell what it was. Dame Eques clearly missed it, seeing how mollified she appeared as she leaned back in her chair and took a drink.
"You should be more careful saying things like that, even if you don't mean them that way," Flora cautioned in a quiet voice. "We shouldn't question providence."
The other patrons nodded along with his niece, but Diana did not. Her attention turned to Flora.
"And why is that?"
The question took not just Flora aback, it did the same with Felix and a number of others. Nobody could quite articulate it, but they all knew things like these were just not done.
In the end it was Laurus who responded: "Well, the gods obviously know better, don't they? They lived far longer and know a lot more than any human. Or demon," he added as an afterthought after recalling who sat all around them.
"Do you believe this greater knowledge makes them infallible, then?"
"Well, yeah?"
Her questions clearly made people uncomfortable at this point, but Felix had to think back to what he saw. The dead on the battlefield, the monsters and bandits, even Princess Arcadia's death. He had an idea where she was going with this, finally saw the trap that long since snapped shut. But Diana did not reveal it for some reason, she simply smirked and sipped her tea.
"Then this is all that needs to be said."
Felix did not dare dig further; they may well start a mob if this conversation went on much longer. Nobody seemed angry just yet, but those around them were clearly upset by Diana's pointed question.
Be it because the subject was closed to her or she understood the risk as well, Diana turned back to him next. "Tell me of your journey, Felix. How have you fared since we parted?"
He immediately took the out and talked a bit about their journey from the capital to here. The controversial parts like Laurus supposedly being meant to be the hero were left out. As he talked however, Felix slowly got an idea as he remembered the feat of magic Diana displayed earlier.
"How about you join us the rest of the way?" he asked her then, only for Diana's lips to quirk into a knowing smirk. The expression had him feel like a little boy getting chastised.
"That would be nice," Flora agreed, leaping onto his idea, "we can definitely use the help."
Others caught on with that much and threw them wary looks; Dame Eques growled but did not refute the point, although her reaction made Flora realise what she just implied. The younger woman ducked her head, at least until Diana shook hers.
"I think not. As amusing as it may be, I have other matters to attend."
Her immediate dismissal caused more surprise, especially among Felix's group. Laurus seemed particularly upset.
"W-What do you mean?" he demanded. "There's no greater honour than being in the hero's party!"
Yet just as before, his indignation did not faze her.
"While you are entitled to your opinion, I am neither required nor inclined to share it."
This was probably the most long-winded way Felix ever heard someone say they disagreed.
Laurus grumbled to himself and Diana turned back to Felix. "While you have my best wishes, this is all I can offer at this time."
"You believe his majesty weak, that those three are enough to best him?" Dame Eques asked quietly, glaring at Diana who met her gaze evenly. But there was no response, at least not from the older woman.
"Didn't you just take offence that we try to get more people to fight him?"
Flora's quip caused some snorts among their unwitting audience, though she wilted under Dame Eques's withering look. Felix worried about violence for a moment, but Diana took her attention back with ease.
"What I believe has no influence on the fact your king's fate has already been written. Whether I join the hero or not does not change the outcome. All the power in the world is meaningless if the red thread declares it to be."
There was something heavy to her words, an almost palpable sense of certainty. Dame Eques's anger drained away in favour of dread, but she did not get to answer before Diana stood. Her expression was curt now.
"But then the goal of all life is death. For some it arrives sooner, for others later, yet none can reject the clarion call forever. Being human or demon, I believe, means to make the best of what time we are granted by the forces beyond our control."
She paused there and turned back to the disgruntled group arranged around that table. A few coins were placed down in the silence, her gaze on Felix.
"Or perhaps there is another way?"
He knew what she meant to say, but he could not conceive of a way to challenge or change fate. The mere thought was blasphemy!
And yet at the same time he felt like she asked him a question.
That was when Felix realised that while fate was set, he did not know the outcome yet. Which meant he might as well try something else and see if it worked.
Diana was gone by the time he reached that conclusion, though nobody else spoke. Dame Eques was deeply conflicted and pale, Laurus frowned, and Flora seemed plain confused. Felix himself had much to think about, too.
He already expected that Diana left town before they could see her again, so they returned to their own preparations. Only now everyone was deep in thought about one thing or another. The final confrontation loomed above them now like a malevolent spectre.
That evening he took out his lute, realising it had been a while since he played. The last time was before the border, in fact.
It was no great song, but the patrons at the inn listened with interest anyway. Then some villagers brought their own instruments and sang hymns of their own gods, or just a few ditties about bygone warriors and legends.
If nothing else, the music helped take his mind off the upcoming confrontation for the evening.
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