Noblesse Oblige [Znt/SI]

[Black Noise]

Here's a thing:



Depicted: Henry telling Catt a totally age-appropriate bedtime story.

Spoiler: boring details

- Quality is meh because it's night and I took it via phone scan app, can't really take it tomorrow morning though so now it goes.
- This took way longer than expected (like 2h including research), but I had fun so whatever.
- This is version 1, I'll add some shading for contrast and fix some errors later. <<requests here if you have em.

Spoiler: in case it's not obvious

It's End of Evangelion.

Shade would totally tell it as a bedtime story, especially with all those alt-worlds to build off of later.

Spoiler

yes, that is a plush manticore in the background pillow fort.

 

[shadenight123]

Omake - Louise's Not So Extraordinary Late Night event.

She would have kicked herself in the shins. She would have slammed her head against the wall. Her big brother had taken time out of his really busy schedule to come visit her, and she had treated him coldly all throughout it! But brother had to learn she was no longer the little girl that would run towards him to be hoisted up or that suffered tickling -although she would rather not be tickled to find out if she still suffered from it or not.

Still, she was sulking because her big brother had left, and she was once more alone. She missed her family. She missed Cattleya, who had married Jean-Jacques and moved out. She missed Eleonore, who yelled only because she cared -and thus, cared a lot- believing her brother, she missed Josette, who had been her playmate and friend and had to leave without a word of explanation. She missed Tiffania, who was a friend of big brother -like her older sister, who worked for him from what she understood.

She missed her father, and she missed her mother too.

She missed her family, but she wouldn't see them until the end of the year.

That was if they still wanted her, because she was proving herself to be a true failure of a mage. It didn't matter what she tried, she only made explosions. She could light candles though, mostly because if she made a tiny explosion, it might light the fuse -and even then, not always. She knew her brother wouldn't care about that, and he had told her-he had told her he'd find her something to do in his army.

She could ride on a manticore like mother and go around blowing things up for her brother. She'd be Louise, the Explosion. Nobody would make fun of her, or laugh-

"Louise! Louise!" a voice cawed from the window, and as she turned her head towards it, her brother's familiar stood there beyond the window flapping his wings. He couldn't fit through the window, so he simply placed one of his claws on the windowsill to hold himself steady, and with practiced ease let a letter drop from the tip of his beak and onto the floor of her room. "See you later! Henry sends his hugs and love!" he flapped his wings, and was soon gone in the dark of the night.

Louise bent down to pick the letter, and after opening it up carefully, she began to read near the candlelight.

Lulu! My dear little sister who's such a cold-hearted young lady that she won't even hug me! I'm sad! No, I'm more than sad! I'm in tears-

Louise sighed. Her brother could be so melodramatic at times...but it didn't make her feel any better anyway. Perhaps she could have given him a parting hug? That would have been appropriate, wouldn't it?

I understand that you might face incredible pressure and trials ahead of you, so I have decided to give you a few very important pointers. First of all, the headmaster can be bribed with young ladies undergarments-

She shrieked as she read that part, throwing the letter away from her body as if made of pure undiluted poison -it could quite possibly be poison by just how filthy that suggestion was-

There is an inn called the Charming Fairy Inn in Tristain, the owner Scarron sells his workers' panties for a small sum-buy in bulk if the need arises. Use them to have the headmaster conveniently forget mentioning your bad points during the course of the year. If on his parting letter to the family. Be forewarned not to boast of your achievements, but also not to undersell them. Mother will know if you do either, and she will not be pleased.

Also, outside the school a short horse ride away there is a split on the road. Take the left rather than head straight for the capital and then trot until you see a tree with the bark all twisted and mangled. From there, follow the mangled trees until a small clearing in the forest. Beneath the white rock lies an entrance to my Man Cave Number Two. If you drink or eat something though remember to replace it! And keep it a secret from everyone, even your bestest friends! This is family only, you understand? Family only! Do not bring any young lords into my cavern or I will find out, I will come over there, and I will murder them! Understood!? No young lords in my cavern!

Louise sighed. Seriously-when would her brother ever learn?

There are a lot of books in there. Some of which you probably haven't read. Whatever you do though, do not open the black door. No, seriously, don't open it. I left stuff in there that you absolutely must not open!

She nodded most resolutely to herself. She would not open the black door. If her brother was so serious about it...then it had to be something really important. He was a bit stupid though, he could have recovered it before, no?

Also, the clearing is rarely visited. You could use it to practice your explosions -do not practice them indoor, Lulu! It's dangerous and the ceiling might fall on you! Now, I fully expect you to write back to me, thus I am leaving you with a mean to do so. This is my secret method of corresponding, known as the Raven Path. Look out of your window-

Louise turned her head towards the window, where a small raven stood in wait -or was it a crow? She never understood the differences anyway- and as she quickly opened the window, the crow flew in and landed quietly on her desk.

"Nevermore!" it said with a chirp. "Nevermore!"

Tie the letter to its leg and let him fly. He'll catch up to Raven no matter where he is and in turn my familiar will bring it to me. Don't hesitate to write to me! I demand a letter once a week! I want to know what happened, who happened, when it happened and how many names I must tally on my to-kill list!

Know that I love you, Lulu, no matter what you can or cannot do, and no matter whether or not you hug me or not. I'll always be proud of you.

True strength lies not in our ability to never fall. True strength lies in falling down time and time again...and yet standing back up each time to face new and ever-rising odds.

Hugsies and kisses-

Louise sighed, folded the letter quite neatly, and then proceeded to hide it in one of her desk's drawers. The crow looked at her expectantly, and Louise somehow had the impression that it was waiting for something.

"Nevermore!" it cawed. "Nevermore!"

She narrowed her eyes, clenched her fists...and then relented.

Her fingers delicately touched and rubbed the back of the raven's head, and she sighed. "I don't see what brother finds of interesting in this-it's just a feathered creature..."

"Nevermore," the raven said, dropping down and turning on its feathered belly, a pure ecstatic look on its face.

Still, Louise smiled.

If all else failed, she could get this raven as her familiar next year.

...

Beyond the black door, much to Louise's disbelief, stood a large library containing what could only be described as the lewdest, most horrifying ensemble of perverted books the history of Halkeginia had ever seen.

...

Nobody knew that but her, though, so...

Perhaps a tiny peek or two?

 

[shadenight123]

Omake - Karin's magical adventures in parenting number four

She would never admit it, but one of the reasons she had picked the magical Academy of Tristain was that it was just a few hours away from her home. If she wanted, she could hop on her manticore and head over there in a jiffy, just to check what was going on. She wasn't a square mage for nothing, thus with a quick chant, an invisibility spell could easily hide her from the sight of others.

On Void days, she used the excuse of an extra patrol, hopped on her manticore, and then spent the next few hours following silently from afar her far away children. She had done so with Eleonore, and had been suitably impressed about her poise and refined acts. She had expected the same of Henry, of course, and as was common with him, she had shattered all of her expectations.

However, going within the capital during Void days was a normal enough pastime, and she was not going to recriminate him for it -or for not asking her permission, or for going at it alone rather than in the company of Wardes. What if someone attempted at his life? What if someone tried to steal from her precious baby? What if a young, nasty, gold digger tried to put her filthy hands on her only son? She had to tell Marianne to somehow increase the security around the whole city, even the sewers needed guard posts! It just wasn't possible for her cute little Henry to go all alone into the big bad city without even a single attendant!

But then, as the next year came to be, she began to fret. With Wardes keeping an eye on him during his Void days, she knew he would be safe. The Viscount was a good kid, not as good as her little Henry, but good enough and with a strong moral fiber. However-however something was off. Differently from the first few weeks, her Henry was now happier during Void Days. Perhaps he had seen the wisdom of the actions undertaken and had decided against rebelling, but she knew him. She knew him because he was just like her. She knew that she wouldn't have taken anything like an arranged marriage with even a minimum of decency, and the sheer thought of how he had opposed her-well, it brought back memories.

It really was like looking into a mirror sometimes. On one side, it made her motherly heart skip a few beats in sheer pride. She wanted to grab her baby and show him off to everyone saying See? This is my Henry! He's so brave and courageous he'll fight even the Heavy Wind! He's my little hubbly wubbly cutely kid! On the other, she dreaded what would happen to him due to his bleeding heart. He was considerate and kind to anyone, be they Counts, Barons, or Earls-or anything in-between, really.

Also, he had a Gramont as a friend, and she knew what it meant. She had written a letter to that particular Gramont's father stating that if anything untoward happened, or if her Henry turned perverted, then she would come right some wrongs, and set all of the guilty parties straight.

She knew her son. She knew that sometimes, he'd gaze at her whenever she spoke and then smile slightly, as if knowing an inside joke of sorts at her expenses, and yet holding himself back from remarking on it. She knew that, deep down, her son understood and acknowledged her points...but did things all the same. Why did she have to pass on to him her headstrong determination? Did it come together with her Wind affinity?

So he was happy after a short few weeks, and as she glanced at him, she saw a blur of black feathers move back and forth -his familiar. Wardes had explained to her in a letter that they had gone to the capital to buy a pouch to store more things than it would normally hold, but at first, she hadn't made the connection.

It was once she did that she understood just what he was doing.

However, even then, she could tolerate it. As long as it was once in a while, using a familiar to buy reagents -or wine, really- was acceptable. Just in order to find out how much he consumed in a week's worth, she spend the next week waiting.

And she realized that her information had been woefully incomplete. Wardes hadn't probably been told of the free afternoons, or perhaps he had thought her Henry wouldn't use them. He was a fool. Her Henry would use a granted finger to drag down a whole army if the need arose. He was just like her, and giving even an inch would result in him earning a whole mile.

Now there she was, feigning being a random everyday adventurer with her hair dark blue, her hat firmly covering most of her features, and a mask to close the deal. To add to it, she was silently pursuing her eldest son through the roads of Tristain, deadly set on seeing just where he was keen on going. She would be remiss to say she couldn't understand an occasional indulgence, and while she sincerely would have preferred Henry to have shared Eleonore's dutiful nature too, she understood that it wasn't possible.

Still, it was no reason for entering an inn of ill repute!

And why did he stop by a blacksmith's shop? Was he looking for a new swordwand? Did he break the old one? He should have written home about it! She'd have bought him a hundred!

The Charming Fairy Inn was a place that made her stop for a brief instant by the doorstep. The young ladies that worked there were wearing scandalously so little that she had to wonder just what was wrong with them. Had they no shame? To wear so little-well, in her youth perhaps...no, no, it was all part of her fantastic decoy to appear as a male.

"Hello mister adventurer!" a young girl said with a charming smile. Perhaps it was this sort of smile that had caught her Henry's attention? He was always prone to foolishly believing in other people-curse his good heart, he got that from Pierre! "Would you like a table?" as she asked that, she gestured to a nearby empty table in a corner, but her eyes were set on the figure by the counter. His hair was a puzzling green color, but it was her son without a doubt.

Her son was drinking wine while talking to the inn keeper.

Her son was drinking what amounted to the third cup of pure, unadulterated wine while in the company of an inn keeper dressed like a lady with a black corset that still revealed his hairy chest.

"Counter," Karin said ruffly, stepping past the young lady without a second glance at her, much to her consternation. As she took a seat only a few stools away, she waited patiently to be served. She didn't want to give Henry the chance to recognize her, so she ordered a wine she normally wouldn't drink, and waited.

The joyous vicarious laughter she heard coming from just a few seats away from her couldn't be her little Henry. It just couldn't belong to him, such vivacious laughter-

"And that's when I told Anthoine, if that's how you plan on cheating on her, then you need a crash course on two-timing, but not from me. Because the only crash I'll ever give you is going to be that of a hammer against the head..." he giggled and shook his head. "Though he did offer to teach me the Gramont's Tunnel Digging magic to enter towers with beautiful maidens, so perhaps a fair exchange-"

Karin, take note: murder the Gramont.

"Oh my," the man said, "Why! I remember in my youth I had a lot of pretty ladies flirting with me," Karin couldn't believe her ears, "But in the end, there was only one I fell for," he sighed.

"Oh? I don't see the missus now that I think about it," Henry remarked. "Everything all right?"

"Mah, mah, the troubles of an inn keeper aren't-"

"Now, now, Scarron. Just tell me, for the man who gives me wine, I always find the time-" as he smiled, Karin began to have the lingering doubt that perhaps all that it would take to get her little Henry away from the righteous path was just a cup of wine. No, this couldn't-she'd have no choice but to cut him off wine.

It was only fair.

"She's gotten tired of working long hours, my wife no longer has the strength she had in herself when she was young, ah..." he sighed, "and my little baby! She wants to come work in her place even if she's so young-" his eyes were tearing up, "Such good daughter I have!"

Henry smiled, "I'm sure you'll be proud of her."

"As a parent, I'm always proud of my child!" Scarron said, "Oh my~ Albrecht you-" Albrecht? Did he just give the name of the Emperor of Germania as his name? This was- This was... "Always listening to my woes, now now! We are here to listen to yours! How are things going with your friends? Did anyone realize?"

"No, thankfully not," Henry sighed, taking a deep gulp of his wine. "If they had-I guess you'll know if I'm no longer here once a week."

"That's good," Scarron said. "As much as it would hurt me to see my favorite customer go, it would hurt me more to see my friend go."

"Oh Mi Mademoiselle! That was so, so cheesy!" Henry said with a giggle. "It's nice to have a friend like you."

Karin wasn't sure she was hearing properly. Certainly, Henry was smarter than this. He must have realized that the man was simply sweet-talking to him. It was his job to do that. He clearly was doing it out of self-interest, for the money in his purse! No, really, if this was how Henry was with other people-she had to teach him everything again, there was no-no way her Henry could be such a fool!

"I'd better go," Henry said after he downed the fourth goblet. "Need to be on the road and all that."

He paid the wine handsomely -what had he bought that it cost so much? Some rare vintage? And then he gave a nod of his head as goodbye and left sure of his legs.

"That kid-" Karin said ruffly, "Sure can hold his wine down."

"Ah, Lord Albrecht? That he can," Scarron said, "Oh my~ Mi Mademoiselle did not see you, mister adventurer! Can I serve you with some of the finest wines we have?"

"I'm fine with this," Karin replied curtly. "Also, why are you wearing that? It's scandalous."

"Ah...this? I just want to be free to express myself!" Scarron said with a hand on his hairy chest. "It's so liberating! I am a little fairy, dancing in the wind-" he made a pirouette behind the counter without damaging a single bottle. On one side, it was impressive. On the other, Karin couldn't care less about him.

"That kid's a regular?" she asked next.

"Why would you want to know about that, Mister adventurer?" Scarron asked, the pleasantness still there, but this time his face was quite guarded.

"Can't believe his parents would let him drink so much every day," Karin replied, keeping up her steel-like tone. She was annoyed. She was greatly annoyed. She was terrifyingly annoyed that if she didn't keep herself in check, she would destroy this inn with a hurricane the moment her fingers touched the handle of her swordwand. They had brought her little Henry astray, and the only price for that sin was death. It was death by skewering, slicing, cutting, smashing-it was death by Heavy Wind, no doubts about it.

"Ah, Lord Albrecht's personal problems are his own, Mister Adventurer," Scarron said. "But enough about him-would you like a taste of Albion's finest White?"

"No," Karin said, her left fist clenched, paying for her drink by curtly placing money on the counter. "Goodbye," she said in the end, standing up and turning to leave.

She saw with the corner of her eye the man give a quick signal to a few girls, and just like that, she was surrounded.

"Mister adventurer, please wait a moment! Wouldn't you like to try some of our best brews?"

Was the man trying to hold her there? Was he? He must have seen her wand, but to hold her off like that-she was going to lose track of Henry if this kept up.

"Out of the way," she said crisply, and deftly avoided the incoming girls, rushing out only to be met with a lack of Henry.

She had lost sight of him. Damn the inn keeper. Damn him! Her Henry was drunk, alone and in the middle of the city! She was sure he was up to no good, dragging the Valliere name in the mud-

Finding him proved easy. Wardes had mentioned the exotic shop, but he hadn't been there. No, her Henry was nearby, in a quaint bookshop mulling over some choice literature that...

The Maid That Was Promised?

The Secret Desires of Nobility?

The unsatiable Lord Diccus Biggus?

This...this drivel, this disgusting perverted...her Henry was being corrupted by the perverted powers of the Gramont! It was the only explanation! She would have him cut his ties-

"Buying books for the headmaster once again?" the shop keeper said with enough confidence to make Karin understand this wasn't a one time thing-wait, did he say headmaster?

The headmaster of the school was sending her Henry to buy perverted books for him!? Gods bless her heart, this was...this was obscene! It had to be a lie! It couldn't be-

Could it?

Her Henry! In a den of perversion and Gramonts! No, never! Mommy is going to save you, wubbly cutely grumpy Henry! These Brimir-may-take-them perverts will not corrupt you!

Thus, Karin made a solemn oath.

Thus, Henry cursed a spy he would never find out the identity of.

 

[DrMethilon]

Perhaps a tiny peek or two?

Click to shrink...

Omakes.

Click to shrink...

So you asked and so shall it be done!

Louise: What is this? So s-shameless, lewd and inappropiate!

Henry: Ah, so you have already found out my secret.

Louise: *watches as Henry's head pokes out of the ground like a magnificent Diglett" Brother, you... how..... what is the meaning of this?

Henry: *rises of the ground completely* Why, my dear Imouto, that is my lifework, my true call of duty, the writing of erotic material!

Louise: It can't be.... you are.....

Henry: Yes, my most beloved sibling *spreads arms wide* I AM THE SHADOW OF THE NIGHT!

Louise: Why? I thought you were honorable and honest, how could you do this?

Henry: Honorable? Honest? Of course I am, didn't I just reveal to you my most trusted secret?

Louise: Why me? I am just your little sister.

Henry: *puts hands behind back and majestically looks out of a window* Because my position is compromised, my dear Lulu. My persona's time is running low and you are the only person I can trust enough for this.

Louise: Trust me with what?

Henry: *Turns to Louise and gives her a sad smile* The dreams and desires of hundreds of nobles and commoners. A thankless and honorless job, but one that someone needs to do. You have to understand, Lulu, you are the only one I can trust to do this.

Louise: How can I do such a thing? I am a failure of a mage, a dishonor to the name of La Valliere. There must be someone better suited for this, brother.

Henry: But I know you can do this, Louise. After all *removes notebook from robes* you share my artistic talent.

Louise: *pales* You didn't.......

Henry: "There is only Death! AND DESTRUCTION! ULTIMATE EXPLOSION!" Lady Thunderstrike bellowed as she struck another flithy heretic with her noble magic

Louise: *flushes red* Oh Founder why.....

Henry: HATRED SHALL GUIDE ME!" she snarled her defiance to the heavens, as she brought down the Evil Elven King, the sheer power of the blast reducing his existence to nothingness.

Louise: *assumes fetal position and shakes back and forth* Please, stop, no more!

Henry: To see such angst, despair and hopelessness against the inevitable demise of the human race by the elven threat *sniff*. Onii-chan couldn't be more proud of you!

Louise: *shakily gets up with teary eyes* Big brother, you bully!

Henry: I am sorry, you are just so adorable when you get flustered *offers hand to Louise* Now, are you ready to be inducted in to the art of erotic literature?

Louise: *looks at hand and clasps it with a steely expression* Yes, Master Night!

Henry: Exceleeeeeeeent *puts hands forward like a certain Sith Emperor* my apprentice. From now on you shall be known as Lady Thunderstrike, heir of Shadow of the Night and bringer of all that is good and pornographic in the world!

And that's how Lady Thunderstrike, Writer and creator of the boy-love genre of Halkeginia. Onii-chan was not amused.

Would be lovely if Karin heard that while high as Albion.....
Fuel for another omake?

Click to shrink...

Karin: I see. I understand now.

Pierre: What do you mean, dear?

Karin: This.... book, it's contents. It was never meant to be read for pleasure, rather it's a SOS signal.

Pierre: Em, what?

Karin: DON'T YOU SEE? Our son is actually not a local of this plane, but the reincarnation of a Romalian citizen from a alternate universe, who's primary job is a manipulator of lightning-powered devices.

Pierre: Uhuh....

Karin: And that's not the only thing! He is also one of the ruling authorities in a universe filled with insane and odd humans of different nationalities and ideas, with coded nicknames to hide their identities. His resembles some sort of poisonous flower with a dragon as it's motif.

Pierre: Um, Dear, I think you had enough....

Karin: I am not done! He has a superpower that allows him to write many chapters in a single day by utilising the properties of this weird drink from Rub Al'Khali that the Gallian royalty enjoys so much. And those stories always have the characters suffer through many horrible and painful ordeals for the sake of a happy ending with whoever of their loved ones is still alive.

Pierre: Let's get you to rest, honey. I think the cook added too many 'special leaves' on tonight's cake.

Karin: THE END IS NIGH! THE WORLD SHALL END IN A MATTER OF YEARS! THE ELVES ARE OUR ONLY HOPE!

Pierre: Yes, Dear, whatever. Now sleep tightly

Karin: Piggyback~

...........Truly his wife could not be this cute!

 

[shadenight123]

Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen

The world is your oyster, says the saying, but only if you know how to pry open its valves, and only if you are lucky enough that the oyster suffered sand upon its body to claim it. Honestly, even such a simple saying can, when seen through the eyes of wisdom, acquire an wholly different meaning.

It is only through the suffering of others, that the skilled ones acquire richness.

Someone has to work the earth, someone has to grab shit with their hands and use it as compost. Does this in any way lower their worth? No. They are an integral part of the machinery that sustains a society. Until they can be replaced by other means, until they can be uplifted to become more than just the simpler lower cog of the machine, they shall continue grabbing shit to use as compost for the fields.

The good society shall uplift them. The bad society shall discard them.

The lands of Gallia were fertile. There were vast plains and rivers that were used in the creation of fields of grain and various other crops, and they were used...only not to their full potential. It had to do with how nobles liked hunting games, or enjoyed their countryside filled with the shadows of treetops. Since the lands that weren't under direct control of the nobles were administered by the lords themselves, one couldn't ask them to turn their grassy plains filled with nothing into fields of wheat and barley.

Course, the lands under direct control of the king were another story, but even so-

"Dear husband," Isabella said with a sigh, "Gallia more than aptly manages to withstand even the harshest of winters regularly, and thus I do not see the need to increase the food production on every single piece of land there is."

We sat on a plush sofa in our rooms within the holiday villa of the Royal Family on the shores of Ragdorian lake, the servants having already left since it was late at night. The fire in the chimney was crackling gently, the light it emanated enough to allow me to glance at the surroundings, and accept the fact that no Mind of God was peeping on us from a corner of the room.

"I'm thinking about the situation in Albion," I answered, which was mostly true, just not completely true. Isabella had plopped her head down on my lap, and my left hand was absentmindedly playing with a lock of her hair. "Though they've declared themselves open for commerce once more," I furrowed my brows and sighed, "I am sure we aren't sending any ships with food any time soon, and neither will Tristain or Romalia. This leaves Germania, but with how sky pirates are currently working the most trafficked air routes-the people there are going to starve."

"And?" Isabella asked. "Ah," she sighed. "Henry...I understand," she said in the end. "That's what father's plan is all about, isn't it? That's why you've been running right and left, giving orders to increase the army-you've never been one for subtlety my dear husband, but..." she bit her lower lip. "It's war, isn't it? We're going to war."

"We are," I acquiesced. My right hand coming down to cusp her cheek gently. "Whether we'll cast the first stone or not though depends solely on Albion's new government."

"We'll need more supplies then," Isabella said, "I understand your reasoning then-but convincing the nobles to do such a thing-concessions will have to be made. Already, many are clamoring against the idea of having men of the army in their lands, but they're tolerable. To go this far-it's directly infringing on the land of another noble, and it would be ground for scandal, or even worse...you can't just decide what's best for everyone."

"I know," I mumbled. "The direct control territories instead?"

"Those...perhaps some corners could be cut," Isabella amended, "But for what I think you're planning, it wouldn't be enough. And there are more profitable things that could be put there instead-"

I sighed. "Perhaps things could be bought in bulk from Germania? They have quite the famous cattle-and I reckon I can extend fishing permissions in the area of Brittany."

"My Henry, the one thing that makes my heart suffer is watching you worry-you should not feel this way. Commoners might go without supper a few days a week, but that is most certainly not grounds for your concern. Your concerns should be on us, and us alone," Isabella pouted, lifting her right hand to grab my cheek and pinch it lightly. "Oh, your elder sister was quite right-this is an adorable way of catching your attention."

"My dear, you know that I think solely of you for most of the day and the night," I replied, gently grabbing hold of the hand pinching my cheek and calmly removing it with a smile still on my face. "But my heart is so big, it worries about everyone that it can worry for-"

"Which is unfair," Isabella mumbled, the pout still on her face. "It is all mine, your heart. All of it, not a single speck of it can belong to anyone else."

"More than one person can trudge the land, though it belongs to only one person," I pointed out calmly. "My heart is yours, and that will never change. The people I care for, though-they'll have a space in there no matter what I do," I smiled gently. "Should I not perhaps love our future children? They would most certainly be as worthy of my love as you, wouldn't they?

"Oh Henry!" Isabella's face turned crimson red, "when you say that kind of thing-our heart cannot help but flutter so-"

There was a loud knocking by the door, and the light red of embarrassment on Isabella's face was soon replaced with an angry red of fury. Her eyes narrowed darkly as she stood up, ensuring her night clothes were properly pristine. "Who dares to interrupt Our time alone with Our husband? The reason better be worthy of your life, whoever you are-" as the door opened up, a nervous looking maid hastily bowed as much as possible.

"Y-Your royal highness-a guest-"

"A guest? Who is this guest that dares intrude upon our house and requests our presence at this hour of the night? Said guest better be my father, the King, or your head and those of whoever let them in shall swiftly be detached from your necks!" Isabella hissed, her royal scepter in her hand clenched tightly.

"It's-it is her grace, the Lady Charlotte Helene D'Orleans-" as the maid said that, Isabella's eyes went from angry to confused.

"My cousin? At this hour of the night?" she looked out of the window, where the sun had already set. "It cannot be-but...very well," she nodded to herself. "See to it that she is put in the royal guest room. We will come visit her as soon as we are presentable. Send for my attendants," she added.

"Ahem," I coughed.

"And my husband's too," Isabella continued nonplussed. The maid bowed and hastily obeyed, leaving behind a sighing Isabella who groaned as she plopped her head against my chest.

"Now, now," I mumbled, patting the back of her head. "I am sure there is a valid reason."

"I guess so," Isabella said. "Little Helene being here, at this hour-she must have been sent by her uncle. Oh...I fear I will break her heart," she bit her lower lips. "Perhaps it has to do with concessions, perhaps her father sent her as an olive branch, perhaps-only the gods know why she is here, but...I hate having to be a princess in front of her too."

"Then don't," I remarked. "I can... I don't know? Say something like how I'm not angry at all with her father sometimes soon in court or something to that effect?"

"No, no, it is fine," Isabella took a deep breath and centered herself, "Now let us not show this face to the servants," she mumbled as she did her hardest to remove her worried expression. In answer, I grabbed hold of her right cheek, and pinched it slightly.

"Kyah!" she grumbled, eyes wide in shock.

"Uh..." I said, "Now I see why my sister did it so often-it's the cutest thing ever!" I smiled brightly.

"S-Stop doing this!" Isabella said, red once more, but this time of shame as she began to tremble in impotent fury. "Henry! Stop!" she waved her scepter around, and a blast of cold water doused me and made me lose the grip as I gasped. "There!" she said with a huff.

"Here!" I retorted with a grin as I proceeded to engulf her in my arms, making her shriek shrilly from the cold water.

"Henry! Let me go! This-Henry, seriously!" she giggled amidst the spinning, and I easily let her go once the servants knocked at the door to get us changed. No one mentioned the fact that we were both doused in cold water, but it was better that way.

When we stepped into the guest room, we did indeed come face to face with a young blue-haired girl that was wearing expensive clothing, if with the lower parts of them smudged with dirt and grass.

"Little Helene?" Isabella asked, blinking in surprise.

"Brother!" and just like that, Josette proceeded to rush towards me and give me a firm hug.

I looked down, and then I looked to the side. Isabella remained frozen for a brief second, trying to connect the dots in her head. I could see her actually mulling the thoughts through. I could see her think at all the possibilities that were one after the other disappearing until they shone one undeniable truth.

That truth made her shock turn into mere surprise.

"Ah, little Josette," Isabella said, acknowledging her with a small smile. "Would you please let go of my husband?" before I shank you was left unsaid, but I was pretty sure in the back of my head that she had thought that, even with her voice sweet. No, perhaps especially because her voice was sweet.

"Uh...Yes, I'm sorry big sister," as she said that, Isabella's eyes softened up, and the moment she did let go, her expression returned to normal. "I'm sorry if I overstepped-"

"It's fine, it's fine," I said with a small smile, "It has been a while," I nodded, "But...why are you here?"

Josette clasped her hands together. "Sister Charlotte said you would be staying here, because father told her so. I-I asked father if I could come visit you, but he was against it. So...I sneaked out."

"You sneaked out," Isabella said flatly, her voice flat. "You? How?"

"I used one of the secret passageways out of the villa," Josette said, looking down at her hands, her hands tightly clasped together in nervousness, to the point where her knuckles were now pale white. "And then I walked," she added sheepishly. "I followed the shores of the lake-"

"You walked," Isabella mumbled in disbelief. "You. Walked?" she sighed, the back of her hand against her forehead. "Oh, very well, the gods apparently kept an eye on you tonight-they are merciful with children after all-"

"Uh-uh," Josette nodded, not understanding at all what Isabella's tone was like. "I prayed to them to show me the way so-so here I am," she fidgeted, "Can I stay?"

"Of course you'll stay!" Isabella shouted, making Josette nearly jump back in fright. "Sending a young girl like you out in the middle of the night? No! Absolutely not! Why-if a wolf or something had-I can't bear to think about it-"

"Ah, lovely pun," I said offhandedly as I gestured to one of the servants, "do have a bath prepared and fresh clothes ready for our guest. Also, send a messenger to alert the Duke D'Orleans, lest he thinks I kidnapped her again." I chuckled, but Isabella simply stared at me with a frown.

"Yes dear?"

"Where was the pun?" she asked, "I wouldn't be able to think about a joke in such a time-"

"If a wolf or something...and you couldn't bear to think about it," I pointed out. "Nothing bad happened though, deer, so cheer up."

Josette understood, and with that she began to giggle, a hand covering her mouth. Isabella nodded to herself when she finally understood the joke itself, and then lifted her royal scepter in my direction.

A brief chant later, and I found myself doused in freezing water once more.

Seriously, would it kill her to find her funny bone?

 

[EvilPorygon]

Duke Henry saying hello to Saito ^

 

[shadenight123]

Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen

After a quick Gramontian spell to dry oneself off had been chanted -absolutely necessary if one fell from a high tower into the lake of a charming young lady with an angry father- I took a seat on the nearby armchair, letting the two young women have the sofa.

"Are you thirsty? Do pick from this meager selection," Isabella said as a servant arrived with a tray of pitchers of various beverages where rather than the usual palace treatment of twenty or more, there were simply thirteen choices, quite a scandalously low amount of choice. I didn't even realize there could be thirteen choices of favorite drinks, let alone twenty. Josette probably shared my own thoughts, because she had a simple fruit juice and nothing else. "Are you hungry? I can have something prepared with ease-"

"N-No, thank you," Josette said. She looked from her to me, and then looked down. "I'm sorry."

"Uh? Don't worry," Isabella said with a huff, "You could have done things better, but if uncle didn't give you much of a choice, then-well, it's not how I would have done it, but I understand. Gods know how many times I thought about skipping my lessons to have carriages ready to surprise visit my husband-"

"The same amount of times you actually did surprise visit me?" I hazarded, only to receive a smirk from Isabella.

"Of course, when a princess puts her mind to it, then anything is possible," she nodded most wisely. "You'll be a...a Marquess one day, so-"

Josette furrowed her brows, "Isn't my...my father a Duke?"

"Well, yes," Isabella said, "But the title of Duchess will go to little Helene-I think. I mean, that's what I think would be wiser. She was the one they..." she faltered, "Well, she was the one they kept, so-" she grimaced, "There is no easy way to say this."

"Because it's not an easy topic to discuss," I said, accepting the mug of coffee that had been brought to me on a silver platter by a servant. "If it can console you, I am reasonably sure they flipped a coin."

"Henry!" Isabella exclaimed, her eyes wide and her expression scandalized. "What sort of things-"

"This is the kindest thing," I said gently, "The most unkind one would imply they actually could discern who was worthy of being kept and who not by staring at two perfectly identical babies and saying that they didn't like one...because of some reason? Better to let it be chance the culprit of the choice, then her own parents."

"That is still a cruel thing to say! I am sure auntie was grieving at the thought of having to be separated from you," Isabella said firmly, her hands on the back of Josette's own. "You have to believe me-there has never been a kinder woman than auntie Marie, and-" Josette now had tears forming in her eyes, "U-U-Uh? Little Josette, please don't cry! Why are you crying? Stop! Don't sniffle-true ladies don't cry-"

I winced and averted my gaze as I sipped coffee, "Isabella," I said gently, "Perhaps...perhaps you should consider letting me deal with this?" Isabella didn't acknowledge my good will, and simply kept pushing.

"It's late, perhaps you're tired-"

"I-I don't want to go back," Josette sniffled, "I don't."

"What are you saying? Uncle and Auntie were so worried without you-" Isabella began, but Josette shook her head firmly.

"They were just-just worried I wasn't where they could find me! L-Like a painting left in an attic to gather dust!" she clutched the hem of her dress with her fingers tightly, "They picked my sister over me, they cared for her over me, so-so they can leave me alone, can't they?"

"It doesn't work that way," I said carefully. "What you want, what you desire...as the noble you are right now, you'll never be able to achieve it. If you're lucky, you'll come to terms with it." I exhaled. "Listen...if you want, there is a way. You renounce your title," I said, only for Isabella's eyes to widen in sheer shock at the proposal. "You're set to receive a mantle when you turn old enough to be considered a proper lady of the court. You take that mantle, and most politely return it to the noble who gave it to you," I took a small breath. "After you do that though, you'll be considered a fallen noble, you won't be allowed any respect, or worth-but..." I bit my lower lip, "There is yet another way."

I looked at Josette, who was listening keenly to what I had to say, "If you renounce your nobility, that makes you...pretty much set up for adoption. I could ask my family if they'd be amenable to-"

"We both know that wouldn't be just a slap to the face of the Duke," Isabella said coldly, "Something like that-it would end with a duel to the death, and nothing less would suffice. Literally stealing a daughter that would have claims to his title-it's like parading that you're planning to have the other twin killed, even if it's not the truth...even then, the Duke will see it that way, and he'll demand his honor satisfied. Only one of you will walk out of that duel, and Henry-no matter how much you might have trained...you wouldn't be the one winning that match."

She shook her head. "It's foolish to even think about stuff like this. Really! It's too late for these words! What we all need is a good night of rest, and tomorrow we'll definitely feel refreshed and all these silly thoughts will have left us," Isabella stood up, trying to smile as she pulled Josette along, "Now, come on. I'll have the servants give you one of my nightgowns. I'm sure you'll look beautiful in it. Dear, wait for me in our bed, will you?"

With that said, Isabella dragged Josette out of the room without another word. I looked at the young girl's retreating back and sighed. It would be so easy if I just gave in, grabbed my swordwand, and flung down a hurricane on the Duke D'Orleans' house, but...but he hadn't done anything wrong, had he? He'd recovered his daughter, and was now showing her what it meant to be a noble lady. Josette wasn't used to it, and so she had run away from home.

I could and would help her if the need arose, but perhaps if a solution could be found, one that made everyone happy-

I stopped only once I realized that my eyes had been set on the shores of the Ragdorian lake from one of the windows of the hallways.

Controlling the mind of another person-how slippery of a slope could that be? Even then-it needed a corpse, didn't it? And only the Mind of God could do such a thing. How could I convince her? And if I unleashed her, then...what would I say? That it wouldn't be my fault? Or that it would?

Being filled with the power over life and death, and yet being powerless to stop a young girl from crying at the thought of being...treated like a forgotten object, wanted back out of a childish whim-wasn't this much of Josette's melodramatic character? Wasn't she someone who'd blow her head if she ended up not being reciprocated in her love for another?

Did I have, or did I not have the power to do something?

Kill the bad guy, save the girl, save the world.

Real life wasn't like that, but...

Black wings came to a halt outside of the hallway window, and as I opened them Raven stared at me, eyes firmly determined. The twin moons cast their light down on us, and even so, we didn't need to talk to share our thoughts.

The road to hell is paved with good intention, but, by that very same token, is perhaps the road to heaven paved with evil prospects?

"Henry," Raven said softly. "I'll stand by you."

I swallowed, and then nodded.

Tomorrow, either the Duke would kill us...

...or Isabella would.

 

[shadenight123]

Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen

The light of the day saw a breakfast routine that involved a mostly skittish Josette, a terrifyingly peeved Isabella and a wondering Anne who had spent the night before sleeping like a log and woke up this morning to the sights of a blue haired small girl.

"Is she your lover?" she mouthed in my direction only for me to shake my head. Isabella, bless her keen hearing, heard and glared with the strength of a rising thunderstorm in Anne's direction, her right hand gripping the knife with which to cut the ham clenched around the silver to the point where I was wondering if she had left her imprints on it.

"Holy familiar or not, if there is anything you want to say to my husband, you can say it aloud for us all to hear," Isabella said sharply, glaring daggers at Anne, who in turn huffed and shook her head.

"Being jealous was cute the first time you did that, but now it's just annoying, so can't you cut that down?" Anne replied airily. Differently from before, she now did have access to a teleportation device of sorts, so she was no longer scared of whatever Isabella could do to her. Any order the princess gave could, after all, be countermanded by the king. Anne understood she was in an iron barrel of safeties now, and there was nothing Isabella could do if not hope that through convincing arguments, she'd get through Anne.

Convincing a teenager through words alone, uh, good luck Isabella.

Meanwhile, Josette was fidgeting with her breakfast, not really hungry, but still taking small bites out of a toast with jam on it. She looked downcast, her expression sour. "Good things come to those who wait," I hazarded in her direction, making her lift her gaze to stare at me. I smiled awkwardly at her. "I'm sure everything will be fine, Josette."

"Brother...I don't know," Josette mumbled, "what if I made things worse?"

"I'll take care of it-" I said, only for a sharp rebuttal to outright fly in the air in the form of a snappish tone.

"Absolutely not!" Isabella huffed, her words like a slap. "The last time you took care of it, why, I lost years of my life in worry! No, I will take care of it and you will wait in the library, or by the lake's shores, or wherever it is you wish to wait that isn't in the same room as the Duke!" she glared at Anne next, "And while you're at it, you can keep an eye on this arrogant familiar of my father."

"Did she eat something that yapped this morning or what?" Anne replied dryly, "You didn't even worry about me yesterday, so why do you think today is going to be any different?"

"Whether it is or not, I will not have you risk ruining the chance of mending the relationship between the house d'Orleans and that of Gallia, so...either stay locked in your rooms or where Henry can supervise you. My husband's patience and understanding is legendary, but rest assured that mine is not-"

"He'd need that to stick around a self-entitled brat like you," Anne said offhandedly, flicking her hair behind her back in a sort of come and get me, bitch attitude. My shoulders slumped. One year. One year of a crash course in etiquette, one year of teaching someone how to be respectable to others, and it all went down the drain the moment she learned she was the Holy Mind of God and as a familiar of the King no matter what Isabella said, she couldn't punish or sentence her to death.

Isabella's frustration on the matter was the source of pretty much a near constant headache to anyone in her nearby proximity whenever such a thing popped up again, because as Isabella began to grit her teeth and grind them, I tried my best to ignore the rising bonfire in favor of the potentially easier to solve problem.

"Now, Josette," I said with a small smile. "Don't worry. I'm sure Isabella will do her best, and if all else fails, then you can count on-"

"No," Isabella said flatly, making me clench my own cutlery as I inwardly groaned. What? What is it? "Whatever happens, you are not to intervene. Have I been clear? No matter what, Henry, you will stay right where you'll be safe from reprisals of any kind." She narrowed her eyes. "The Duke might just decide to think this was all planned to further ridicule him, and if he sees you, he might just up and challenge you for the sake of restoring his honor and, knowing you, you'd accept. You will stay right here."

"Control freak much?" Anne said dryly, only for Isabella to outright slam both of her hands on the table and snarl back at the girl with enough anger to make Anne herself jump slightly back.

"I've had it with your annoying remarks you pathetic excuse of a commoner!" Isabella's eyes were ablaze, even as she tightened her fists. "I've had it." She shook her head with a bitter smile. "Look at this, a commoner getting under my skin-I should have her flayed alive and burned, perhaps doused in cold water to have her skin crack as she still lives-"

"Isabella," I began, only to be abruptly silenced.

"Stop defending her, Henry!" Isabella snarled, "Stop it! You are my husband, and the fact you have to bring her alongside you like some pathetic puppy does not change the fact that you swore to look only at me, to protect only me, to be only mine! That's what you swore in the name of the gods and you will do so!"

"S...Sister Isabella," Josette said awkwardly, "I'm really, really glad you are willing to help me, and I am sorry I caused you so much trouble," she mumbled, "Please...don't scream?"

Isabella sighed loudly, closing her eyes and breathing in and out deeply. "Very well," she said in the end with a voice that promised painful retributions to be had. "Because it's little Josette, then I'll mercifully forgive these two foolish persons. Oh, I know my hair will turn white before I turn twenty-" she sighed, massaging the right side of her temple.

"White or blue hair, you'd still be beautiful either way," I piped in from the side, making Isabella snap her eyes on me and then chuckle softly.

"Smooth talker," Isabella said as she sat back down. "Now...let us hopefully finish this breakfast without any further troubles, shall we?"

"Aye, aye, queen bitch," Anne mumbled, but at a low enough volume that thankfully, this time, Isabella did not hear it.

I did elbow Anne in a sort of shush it way. In reply, I received a stomping answer on my right foot for my act, but I merely ground my teeth and did nothing more. Put two self-entitled teenagers in the same room and watch the sparks fly. Thankfully, Josette was a good kid. I smiled at her warmly, and Josette returned my smile. Ah...the moe character was always the one that rekindled my hope for mankind in this sad world of ours.

Don't worry, I'll ensure your brains won't end up splattered anywhere anytime soon. Though I did wonder if there was anyone sane in the Gallian royal line, or if I was the one that brought sanity back into it.

I did head to the library as per instructions though, if nothing else because I didn't want to upset Isabella any further. Anne followed, perhaps because she wasn't honestly in the mood for a shouting match.

"Do you want to know what is the better part of valor, Anne?" I remarked as I glanced at her.

"What? Eating crumpets while others fight for you?" she replied. I snorted, and quietly opened the window of the library, the attendants nearby tensing slightly, even as the guards already understood what I was just about ready to do, and didn't know whether stopping me would be wise, or if it would lead to their untimely execution. Anne didn't understand why I had opened the window, but then again, she hadn't buried her nose in the magical chants available to mages.

"Knowing when to fold to come back and fight another day," I replied most dutifully, my arms crossed over the windowsill, the guards relaxing slightly since I didn't make a move for my wand. "Also, it's not like you have to follow me. You can...teleport, can you not?"

"Bah, even so-what would I be good for?" she grumbled back, her arms crossed and her back against the wall near the window. "You heard her royal headacheness," she made air quotes, "She'll deal with it. Poor kid, she couldn't even speak with you-whatever the hell is her business anyway? She doesn't look like your sister."

"In Gallia, there is a rule that should twins be born to the royal family, one of them must be killed to ensure no internal strife in the country," as I said that, I saw Anne's face morph into a scowl and a grimace of disgust.

"That's-that's horrible!" she exclaimed, "I can't believe they're allowed to get away with it!"

"They are royalty, they make the laws," I pointed out. "Though I do agree it's barbaric, it is in their culture, and it is what it is. Josette's mother, Duchess Marie D'Orleans, couldn't go through with it, and so decided to leave her in the care of a monastery. I, however, found her and decided to bring her somewhere she could be happier," I shrugged.

"Why?" Anne asked.

"Why not?" I replied hotly. "Just because I can't save everyone, does it mean I shouldn't at least save someone? If I can't save a hundred, let me at least save one person, even one is enough," I nodded most wisely.

Anne sighed, and pushed with both of her hands her hazel hair behind her back. "So...they left her, you rescued her, and then they decided they wanted her back?" her lips thinned from displeasure. "If they abandoned her-then they shouldn't keep their rights on her. Poor kid's gonna grow up all wrong being moved right and left like that-" she stretched lightly, pushing herself off the wall. "So, we gonna go kick ass and take names?"

I stared at her and smiled, a hand resting gently on my sword. "For sleep comes to those who are blessed," in a split second, the guards moved. It was too late. The thick vapors of sleeping water sprayed themselves in all directions, even as Raven flapped his wings once, appearing as an angel of vengeance from beyond the window to bring his talons down and grab hold of me. At the same time, Anne disappeared in the shadows to reappear outside in the gardens, where Raven brought me soon after.

"Isabella is going to kill me," I said with a lighthearted chuckle, staring up at the sky as Raven landed by my side, "But..." I extended a hand, "comrades?"

Anne looked at the stretched hand, and then extended her own in turn. As I moved to shake her, she lifted her up and let it pass by the side of her face, before making a mock-gun with her fingers and winking at me, "Got ya!"

I stared, puzzled. I wanted to honestly throttle her, but-but I didn't.

I simply smiled. "That you did," I said with a smile. "Now, seriously please..."

And this time, as she came in to actually shake my hand, I mimicked her flawlessly.

"Got ya," I said in answer, much to her widening eyes. "It was like...that, right?"

They would probably meet somewhere in the middle between the royal holiday villa and the Duke's mansion, and thus we had no time to lose.

My heart was beating like crazy, but-but I wasn't going to let this go unchallenged.

I had the perfect plan after all...

...absolutely nothing could go wrong!

 

[shadenight123]

Chapter One Hundred and Seventeen

"So, what's the plan?" Anne asked as we made our way to the meeting point with the Duke. Raven's eyes had already seen the area from the skies, and even though he was lazily circling around, waiting for the moment to swoop down.

"We go watch what my wife does, and if things don't go as planned, then we intervene. Otherwise, we return to the library and act as if nothing ever happened," I pointed out quite calmly. "Isabella said nothing about my familiar, so I'll let him stay nearby to eavesdrop, and you have your cloak to hide in shadows, don't you?"

"What?" Anne's eyebrows both raised in surprise as we came to a halt by a nearby clearing alongside the road, hidden by the nearby undergrowth of the sparse forest bordering the lake itself. "Aren't we meant to kick ass?"

"Only in the sense that if things go bad, we can try to intervene and patch them up," I dully noted. "I never said I wouldn't let my wife handle it if she believes she's capable of doing it. I said if she failed, which...means I am going to let her try. She's the one good with diplomacy, so I trust her on this sort of things. When diplomacy fails, then, well, I guess I'll pull out the big stick." And with that, I brought out the marshal's baton from within my pockets. "If the problem's the Duke, then I'll pry him out from his self-isolation and throw him at the southern regions. There are usually a lot of fire dragons that cause trouble on a near regular basis. Whether he likes it or not, he can either obey, pay a fine the likes of which would reduce him to poverty, or just go deal with them."

Anne scrunched her nose up, "So...that's it? That's your plan? Threaten him with...a big fine? Or have him leave? What's that going to change?"

"He'll be gone for months," I drawled, "I am sure Isabella can use that time to convince her aunt to let Josette enjoy herself a bit more, but as long as her husband doesn't leave his holdings...well, his voice is the one that has power."

"That's it?" Anne said in disbelief as I simply yawned, and plopped my back against the nearby tree bark.

"That's it," I said with a shrug. I closed my eyes, and allowed Raven to share his vision with mine. A short while later, I heard Anne sit down by my side.

"I don't get you," Anne said suddenly. "I guess everyone has their reasons, but-you're strange."

I opened my right eye to glance down at her, "And what would that mean?"

"Nothing," Anne said flatly, "forget it."

I nodded to myself, "Then I will endeavor to do so."

The crickets chirped around us as the temperature was mild, and pleasant to feel on the skin. The sound of a horse drawn carriage coming to a stop caught my attention, and soon I gazed through Raven's eyes at Isabella and Josette's form. Raven hopped nearby, cawing softly. Isabella's gaze said it all, but still she sighed.

"That is an acceptable compromise," she spoke plainly, staring right into Raven's eyes. "You better not do anything foolish though, dear."

Raven nodded for me, and with that flapped his wings a bit to give Josette a parting hug, much to the young girl's surprise. "Hugs solve all problems!" Raven said gently, before hopping and putting himself behind her, standing quite still with both of his wings around Josette's shoulders. I could feel her trembling from nervousness. She had walked all the way towards me, and-and well, I had to trust in Isabella to do her thing.

Isabella, please, don't betray my expectations.

Also, Anne, don't intervene unless absolutely necessary, even though I'm sure you're already hidden behind Raven's shadow.

The carriage of the Duke D'Orleans stopped at a short distance from them, and as a figure descended, I knew the storm was approaching with every single one of his thundering, precise steps. This could only end one way, of that I was sure.

"Uncle," Isabella spoke, making a small curtsy of sorts, "I hope you understand we had no part in it, and neither did our esteemed husband."

"He is not present?" the Duke asked, glancing at Raven who remained kind of immobile, like a stuffed crow rather than a live one.

"He was altogether absent," Isabella said, "Unfortunately matters of court brought him elsewhere, but in order not to make me feel too lonely, and keep an eye on me, he left his familiar by my side. That is why-he knows of what happened here, but he definitely could not have had anything to do with it." She tried to smile, even as Charles' eyes settled on Josette next.

"You've made your mother worry long enough, Josette," he spoke crisply. "Come, we'll talk once we're back home."

"Uncle-" Isabella began, "Please wait a moment," she stared straight at him, "We wish to discuss something with you. Do not be hasty in leaving yet, we have acknowledged your right to be angry, and allowed it as it was fair, however it has already been a year. Most certainly, anger can now leave the place to calm? The nobles of the court would like to at least see you once more, or perhaps your daughters-Little Helene was such a nice child, it wouldn't be remiss for her-"

"Your highness," Charles said bluntly, "We have nothing to discuss with the Crown of Gallia."

"But I am not the Crown of Gallia," Isabella said hotly, "We are not our father-even you, Uncle, have to admit we would not have participated in such a thing-so we beg of you, we, the crown princess, beg of you to consider our words and if not in your interests, at least in those of your daughters-your seclusion has gone on long enough-Little Helene should have been presented to court long ago, and little Josette clearly was treated with all regards, if she took it upon her to walk all the way to my home-please, reconsider."

Charles furrowed his brows, and then shook his head. "I am done with the court," he said. "My daughters are not me, however," he acquiesced. "It might sound terribly rude to say, but...don't become like your father, Isabella."

He extended a hand towards Josette, "Now, let us go back home. You'll properly apologize to your mother for the worry you gave her, young girl."

"Ah...why did you pick my sister over me?" Josette said suddenly, clenching the hem of her dress. "I-I won't go anywhere until you tell me that!"

The Duke furrowed his brows, "Why? Well," he looked calmly ahead, as if nothing was wrong with his words. "Because she had more magical potential than you. A Detect Magic spell clearly showed her skills, while with you...it didn't. So, between the two...she was chosen."

Josette smiled bitterly, "So-if that's what you're saying, then-why do you even want me back? If I was discarded as the failure then...then you shouldn't come clamoring your right to have me, should you?"

"The tradition wanted you dead, Josette. Just because we did not choose you, it does not mean we did not love you," Charles said firmly, "We had to make a choice-"

"Why?" Josette pressed on, "Why did you have to make a choice? Between myself and my sister-why did you have to choose one of us? Why couldn't you keep us both!?"

"Because it was tradition-"

"Because you wanted the throne," Josette said sharply, breathing and exhaling in rapid succession, "You wanted the throne, you wanted to be king, so-so you followed tradition thinking you might have a chance at it! You-You don't deserve to be my father, and I do not wish to be your daughter!"

"Josette-" Charles began, "That's-"

"Josette," Isabella said sharply from her side, "Perhaps your father wished to be king so that he could renounce that tradition, not just for himself, but for his daughters too," she suggested, "Perhaps he sought to recover you afterwards, that is why he was worried when he discovered your absence, and why he decided to seek you out. If he had not wanted to recover you, then...wouldn't he have not searched for you in the first place? It suited him just fine to have you disappear, after all. Yet, he was at your funeral just like your mother, and they were both visibly upset-" she gave the young kid a small smile, "Is that not proof enough?"

"That's..." Charles mumbled, putting a hand behind the back of his head. "You do have Joseph's insight, at least."

"But you...you still left me alone," Josette muttered. "You still left me alone," she began to sob. "I-"

"Which is why I won't leave you alone ever again, Josette," Charles whispered as he drew near, kneeling down to stand at her same height, a hand on her shoulder. "We have-we have a lot of time to recover, so...please forgive your foolish father just this once, and I promise you I will never do anything that will make you sad again."

"You...you promise on the gods?" Josette mumbled, looking with teary eyes at her father.

"I do," Charles replied with a small gentle smile, "I do."

"Father!" "Josette!" and as the two hugged each other tightly, Raven cawed a sort of d'awww sound before hopping back, carrying Anne hidden by his shadow together with him. Silently, Anne managed to walk her way back by my side as I opened both of my eyes, letting Raven free to fly back home.

"That was...quite nice," there were tears in Anne's eyes. "It was so...so..."

"Concentrate," I said with a sigh, "We need to be back in the library before the guards wake up."

And as shadows engulfed us both to transport us back where we had left, I couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Ah...family being reunited...

What was there not to love about it?

 

[shadenight123]

Chapter One Hundred and Eighteen

The guards stumbled slightly on their next steps, as did the servants nearby. They furrowed their brows when they realized nothing was out of place, and I was simply reading a book with one hand while Anne nodded wisely at my words. Why, perhaps it must have been the fruit of their imagination-nothing was out of place, nothing was wrong, and when Isabella returned, she found Anne and I still there, pleasantly chatting away the day.

"Ah! It is done," Isabella said with a huff and a prideful look on her face, a hand gingerly patting the center of her chest, "This wonderful wife of yours, my dear Henry, solved everything neatly. Expect to receive a lot of letters from Little Josette from now on, and please do answer them with haste. I am sure that tonight you'll receive one-" she grinned as she proceeded to plop down on my lap, dropping her head against my chest and then starting to move two fingers on my right arm as if they were tiny legs, crawling their way up to my shoulder. "Does this beautiful wife not deserve some praise, uh? You saw with Raven's vision, did you not? So-so..." she cheekily looked up at me, "I want my prize."

"Ugh, get a room you two," Anne mock-gagged, mimicking putting two fingers in her mouth.

"A lady does certain things only when the sun goes down," Isabella said with a huff, before planting a quick kiss on my lips, "So-well?" she looked hopefully up at me, expecting an answer.

"Isabella," I said with a genuine smile, "what is it that you wish that I have not yet given you?"

"Oh my Henry! What I want is-well, I'll tell you later," Isabella grinned, snuggling closer still. Anne took that as the cue to leave the room, and most of the guards and attendants followed swiftly. "Right now, I fully intend on taking all of my husband's lovely embraces for myself," she said quite primly, "And then we are going to walk by the shores of the lake, it is such a romantic thing-" she exhaled with a happy giggle, "Ah, my Henry..."

All in all, it was a pleasant week of peace and relaxation.

The return to the Duchy of Brittany saw me welcomed by a murder.

A murder of crows.

"Nevermore!" "Quoth!" "The!" "Raven!" four eager crows chirped and sang as they fluttered down from the Zelkova tree planted in the courtyard, "Henry!" "I!" "Love!" "You!" four more chirped. It was honestly endearing. I was surrounded by tiny adorable fluffy crows.

"T-They're beautiful," I sniffled in joy as I hugged as many as I could, their chirps of delight soothing my heart even as Isabella could not help but twitch her right eyebrow in disbelief at the scene. "They're so, so beautiful," I whimpered as their glittering eyes looked up at me with their cute little beaks. Raven cawed, and as one they flew away and back on the tree. I sniffled, "They grew up so much-"

"Is he...is he all right?" Anne asked, Isabella actually taking the time to be considerate enough to answer with an awkward smile on her face.

"My...Henry has a peculiar attraction to birds," Isabella said as neutrally as she could. She furrowed her brows next, "Dear, why is there a large wooden building on your tree?"

I smiled, "Why! Because I've built it."

"You...built it," Isabella said, before shaking her head, "It's-like...your man caves?"

"Man caves?" Anne asked, "What-what are you talking of?"

Isabella sighed loudly, putting a hand to her temples. "My Henry has a habit of digging holes, using his magic to create underground structures no noble would ever explore, and then hiding the entrance while progressively improving their interiors. I swear, if his love for his...bird was not so clear, I'd think he would be half earthworm." She then began to walk towards the villa, the servants unloading her stuff. "Come now dear, you can say hello to the new birds another time," and with that, she began to drag me away from the nest where cute little fluffy balls of feather and joy were chirping.

"My little cuties, wait for me," I said with a sad voice as I waved at them, even as Isabella dragged me a bit faster through the courtyard.

The reason we were both here was that I had to view the situation with the barracks built in my Duchy, as well as see if there were any grievances of sort due to the placement of the Gendarmeries. The not so fun but obvious fact was that since Gendarmeries were being put in place, then not only was there no longer a need for a militia, but those nobles who did have some form of standing guards would, sometimes, decide to just let them drop and leave the Gendarmes to take care of it.

So, where would the guards of the city go to find new employment? Right into my folds.

Whether they understood it or not, the nobles that thought of getting more money out of letting me field their responsibilities were perhaps indeed earning more, but they were also losing the military power that allowed them to control their own fiefs. They had still their magic, but the number of fifty years old nobles needed to pose a threat was-well, it was a high number indeed. To that, their sons or heirs weren't any better. Those I didn't have in my army were, of course, those who did not want to be in it or could not live in it.

When you get all the cream, what remains at the bottom of the barrel is nothing but sour milk.

"There have been some scuffles in St Marlon," I remarked as I finished reading the letter addressed to me, "Some bar brawls with sailors in which my gendarmes ended up getting involved-"

"Getting involved or starting the fight?" Isabella asked from her spot in my office, a comfortable armchair from which she was fanning herself.

"Finishing it," I answered. "The local guards said it was their duty, my gendarmes remarked how it was theirs. In the end, another scuffle broke out between them and the local guards, so now I have to head over there to pacify the-Pontcallec? What is he again, dear?"

"Pontcallec is a Count dear," Isabella said. "He oversees the lands of Saint Marlon-and is a much respected figure in Gallia." She smiled. "I have taken the liberty of arranging a meeting with him already, to which I'd like you to escort me."

I furrowed my brows. "I opened the letter only now however, why do you already have a meeting with him set up?"

"Most of the fleet of Saint Marlon is manned by men loyal to him, Henry. If the plan is to go to war with Albion, then we must ensure he is firmly on our side," Isabella sighed. "He knows that, of course, which is why it is probable he is doing this on purpose to wrestle tax independence from the Crown. You haven't increased taxation since you took office, but...perhaps he fear you will once the war starts. Thinking about it, I decided the best course of action was to directly intervene as the Crown Princess."

"Dear," I said softly, "Would you mind if I took care of this myself?"

Isabella blinked, and then bit her lower lip for a brief second. "I will be present," she said in the end, as if wrestling against her intelligence and sixth sense telling her how it was not a good idea to let me anywhere near something that started with Diplo and finished with macy.

"Of course, I never said you wouldn't have to be there, you were the one who set up the meeting to begin with," I smiled. "Perhaps we could bring Anne along? She could be useful if the Count turned out to be recalcitrant and-"

"How about no?" Isabella said gently. "That commoner can go around the city of Saint Marlon as much as she wants, perhaps under escort, and we can enjoy a nice dinner as guests of the Count. He supposedly has a fine collection of Albion white wine that he still manages to import." She grinned, "A bottle of the finest year would be opened for us without a doubt-"

"How you can love white wine," I shuddered, "Red wine is where true wine stands! Proud, rich, Romalian!"

Isabella bristled and then huffed. "Your taste in wines is barbaric, Henry, but we forgive you."

"Oh? Is that so?" I calmly began to draw near, my hands behind my back as I stopped near her. "Then, if I'm a barbarian what does that make you?"

"A cultured young lady trying to refine her unfortunately barbaric husband into something worthy of high society," Isabella said with a huff, lifting her head to look up at me with a big bright smile. "Is that not what the truth is?"

I tapped her forehead gently once, and then knelt in front of her, grinning broadly. "Truth can have more than one side, my dear Isabella," and with that, I gave her a quick kiss before standing back up. "But since I'm a barbarian, I'll go be with my animals-those tiny baby crows await me!"

"H-Henry!" Isabella yelled, her face crimson red even as I opened the window of my office and easily jumped down, using a quick chant to land on my feet. "Come back right this instant! You can't leave like that! Come back! Now! This is-unfair!" she grumbled, and then giggled even as I made my way to the base of the Zelkova tree.

Yet, amidst the branches, within the wood house I had crafted out from the tree itself with magic, Anne was already playing happily with my fluffy feathered birds.

Oh well.

Hugs are wonderful because they can be shared with others, after all.