Once again you are FAILING to notice how EVERY noble regardless of faction was investigated.
Not true at all, did you even read the story or do you skim it? Everyone and everywhere was searched. Henry simply made a point of gathering dirt on everybody and shared it with his wife.

Cold Henry destroy Charles support? Sure he can. Did he do it? Not yet. Will he do it? Only if Charles does something stupid like trying to take throne himself and people supported him. By then all becomes legal anyway.

So check your assumptions bro.
What do you think he was gathering the blackmail for? Those investigated who showed loyalty to King Joseph have done nothing wrong and receive minimal punishment. Those sympathetic to Charles, or disloyal in general can enjoy having their face rubbed in the dirt Henry gathered. Or being stabbed to death by commoners with bayonets.

Charles has no reason to hate Joseph or Henry anymore than he already did (and he did hate them both as rivals because his mother raised him with sweet words on how he would be a better King than Joseph or their own father, there is a reason Joseph HATED her).


A little background on the Galian royal family.

Joseph was the King's favorite, people questioned WHY, even his wife the queen, but it was obvious with of his children the King favored. The Queen resentment towards her failure was also public knowledge and her many attempts to make Charles the heir apparent above Joseph were also public knowledge.

The King still wanted Joseph to be king because he thought Joseph had something Charles lacked. We never learn what that was, it was possible the King knew Joseph was a void mage (the Galian royal family had more information about this than anyone else aside the church) and wanted to make sure Joseph would have unrestricted access to the tools he would need to not end up as a pawn of Romalia.


In the end Joseph was an honest child that grew up to be a honest asshole, Charles was a talented child that grew up with the sweet voice of fraticide of his mother, the Galian King was a sharp guy, the Galian queen was a bitch.
Charles has great reason to dislike Joseph now because Joseph is Joseph. ONE conversation with him and Charles was pissed enough to draw his swordwand.
"Enough!" Charles roared, slamming both hands on the side of the table and lifting his swordwand at the same time, pointed at Joseph. "Stop it this-"

My own swordwand came up the next second, deftly pushing Isabella behind me and swatting away that of Charles. His swordwand turned to point at me, just like mine pointed at him.

"Seeing you angry, Charles, warms my heart more than anything else," Joseph said with a soft voice, amidst the growing silence between myself and the Duke D'Orleans. "You have no idea how much emptiness I felt-how much my feelings were hurt by your perfect, flawless, unimpeachable mask-and now that it has cracked..." he exhaled loudly once more, "It is beautiful, brother. Truly-what I am feeling right now...bliss."
If this continued during the inquisition months its safe to assume Charles has lost a great deal of affection for his brother.
 
So in short Henry is opening pandora's box in search of the hope at the bottom.
I'm kinda wondering whether Louise will get "Saito" in this story at all. Afterall, the mage fits the familiar and vice versa, and the Louise here is a slightly (ok, more than slightly) different person than she was in 'canon', with different 'wants/needs' at a person as a consequence as well.

Saito could be easily pushed and prodded into doing what he was told, but this Louise would ask and request politely before she would start beating the shit out of someone right afterwards (Saito was a bit simple-minded, and easily pavlovian conditioned). So Saito therefore isn't the right sort of 'match' here for her as a character and person.

I halfway wonder if she might accidentally summon Julio before Pope McDongCopter does. Or another version of "Shade". Or more amusingly, a 'character' "Henry" knows of that should not be there at all.:grin::tongue:
 
j
The input was the mage pouring wind elemental willpower into it, ad the output was a small gust of wind and a levitation effect.
into it, and the
Dear brother,

first of all, how dare you make me worry like this! I
First of all, how
I grabbed the bottle, uncorked it, and the sat back down behind the desk.
then sat back down
Raven cawed, and the opened his wings to release Tiffania from the hug.
then opened his wings
Wonder if Tiffania shall be staying with Josette at the Valliare manor?
 
Louise: "...my familiar Batman!"
Batman: "I am the familiar she deserves, not what needs. Because I'm Batman."
Henry: :o
Karin: "...tell me more." :oops:
 
Chapter Seventy-Six
Chapter Seventy-Six

The loss of one of his daughters hit Charles and his wife hard. They retreated back to their holdings by the Ragdorian lake taking Charlotte with them, and that was all. Suddenly, Joseph found himself as the only palatable heir, if by simple virtue of being the only one that actually wished to rule.

Administering a Duchy by oneself was quite different from administering a single fief, and while Raven was practically my fastest messenger and spoke person, it was obvious he found it more productive to hop behind me wherever I went. It wasn't that I disliked it, but...

"Henry, this must absolutely stop," Isabella said with a huff, "I understand that your familiar is a magical bird, and I understand your fondness for him-"

"I love my master!" Raven cawed from behind me, looking angrily protective of my shoulders. We were in a room that could easily be dubbed The room where you can talk and everything is pea-green or a shade of cream because of Reasons. Isabella was sitting on a sofa, a cup of tea in her hands, and I was sitting on an armchair, a large cup of coffee in my hand.

"And his fondness for you," she continued, "but he cannot keep following you wherever you go! Even if he is an extension of yourself, at the very least leave him out of state dinners!"

"You didn't have a problem with him a few years ago," I pointed out dryly.

"A few years ago he wasn't tall and heavy enough to leave his talon marks when hopping! Look at the parquet! The marble tiles-they all have to be replaced!" Isabella said with a hand to her right temple, "Also, he scares the servants. I am sure he would enjoy the wilds more," she added. "Can't you send him to where your bird-people live? Last I heard, the King-regent," Joseph no longer enjoyed the moniker of father since that day, and I couldn't blame Isabella about it, "placed them in a rich Zelkova area with the order not to cut down their trees. I am sure he would enjoy-"

"Isabella," I said gently, "I trust only a few people with my back," I smiled. "And as much as I trust you, I would rather be able to gaze at your pretty face, rather than hear only your sweet voice."

Isabella blushed, and then sighed, but still clicked her tongue against her teeth. "You have a way with words, Henry...making a maiden's heart skip so many beats, have some shame."

I laughed, and then gingerly patted Raven's neck, my familiar crooning in answer. His size had indeed grown. He no longer was a small dog. No, he was the same size of a person, if with a body built like that of a bird. I could understand that he made servants afraid due to his bird-like eyes, which looked upon others as prey, but to me, he'd be my little Raven, my fluffy, wuffy, feathery-

"Henry," Isabella said curtly, "He still needs to stop hopping, or if he does...give him shoes."

I blinked, and imagined Raven wearing shoes. No, rather than shoes, those funny animal-shaped slippers that could be perhaps enchanted so that they'd squeak, and-

In unison, both myself and Raven began to laugh.

"What?" Isabella's face turned red, "Laughing at your cute wife like this! You both! Cease at once!" she exclaimed loudly, and to that I simply began to chuckle softer.

"Sorry, sorry," I said, "It was just-imagining Raven with squeaky shoes and hoping around-"

Isabella furrowed her brows, inclined her head to the side, and then emitted a giggle herself. "I see," she said in the end with a smile. "Still, Henry, you can't keep this up. There are the rumors to consider. Being constantly followed by a familiar is normal, but whenever he is in the same room as you, he distracts you from-" I absentmindedly had taken to scratching Raven's neck, much to my familiar's pleasure as he crooned softly. "See? Again!" Isabella sighed. "Henry," she pleaded. "Please."

I exhaled, and then took a deep sip of my coffee cup. "Fine," I mumbled, "But only when in the royal palace," I said. "Other places are fine."

Isabella smiled in relief, "Very well, I can allow that."

"I was thinking about moving to the palace of the Duke of Brittany to see how things were proceeding," I said smoothly, a smile on my face. "I hope-"

Receiving a pillow to the face wouldn't have hurt anything but my pride, but Raven had other intentions. Thus, even as the pillow from a pout-sporting Isabella sailed for me, Raven's beak came cruising down faster than I could blink, and with a singular gulp, it swallowed the pillow whole.

"T-t-that was one of my pillows!" Isabella yelled, while Raven simply cawed back, ruffling his wings.

"You throw it, you lose it!" he yelled back, coughing out a few feathers.

Isabella took a deep breath, and then, quite calmly, stood up. She lifted her princess scepter, and narrowed her eyes. "Sprinkling water!" to this sort of attack, Raven didn't even bother dodging. His wing simply shielded me from the incoming jet of water. "There!" Isabella harrumphed after Raven flapped his wing dry. Still, the look of loss on Isabella's face was quite endearing. So endearing, in fact, that I had to admit defeat even though I hadn't been defeated.

"I am sure Raven has learned his lesson now, dear," I said with a gentle smile.

"That's just because you never punish him when he does something wrong," Isabella muttered, nodding to herself. "That's why he grew up to be such a selfish familiar, infringing on my time alone with you-" and the servants ready to serve us at a split second of notice were what, invisible art nouveau? "He's unforgivable, and you are unforgivable too," she mumbled, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Still-" her cheeks reddened, "you keep saying I'm beautiful and cute-but you haven't even kissed me properly once-it has been two years since our marriage-"

Oh no, not this again.

Execute evasive maneuver number twenty-seven, go men of the brave brain neuronal pattern!

I stood up smoothly, a hand gingerly palming her right cheek as I smiled, "My dear," I said gently, "You know that I am holding myself back for your own well-being," I began rubbing her cheek with my thumb. "On my honor, I did swear to treat you not just as a queen, but even more-so understand, seeing you sad is not in my intention, but seeing you hurt? That would make me grieve beyond any doubt-"

"I know!" Isabella said with a sigh, "But just a kiss-that's not too much to ask, is it?"

In answer, I drew near. Just like that, Isabella closed her eyes and puckered her lips. Answering my silent plea, Raven intervened by blocking the path with his wing, retracting it only the second after I pulled back from the mock-kiss.

The servants saw, and remained dutifully quiet. I could swear one of them was trying his hardest not to snicker, but what did he know of the ancient art of being a Bro among Bros?

"That was..." Isabella blinked, "Strange," she mumbled in the end. Resist, servant number twelve! Resist! I can see you are holding back your smiles, so do so! I will pay you handsomely in gold if you do not laugh!

"Light like a feather!" Raven cawed, flapping his wings from behind me.

I coughed loudly as a snicker left the lips of the servant in question, but as he quickly brought it under control, and I coughed just at the right time, nobody realized it, least of all Isabella.

"We will be taking our leave by tomorrow," I said in the end to Isabella. "With how things will be, and how they currently are in the capital...would you rather come with me, my dear?"

"No," Isabella shook her head. "With uncle refusing to do anything-I'll have to take his place here in the palace. I hope he'll...get better soon."

"About Joseph..." I murmured, "Will you be all right?"

She smiled, and then waved her staff. "I got better at my sprinkling water attack," she said with quite the pride in her voice, "Once I achieve control over the conjure flame chant-I'll burn his tongue if he says something mean," her fingers danced on the tip of her scepter, her eyes alight with passion. "However!" she pointed her scepter at me, "I expect your familiar to have shoes if he comes back inside the palace!"

To that, I nodded and then knelt to bid her goodbye by kissing the back of her hand.

"I will write to you every week," I said softly.

"I will receive letters about your well-being every day, or your guards will be severely in need of new heads by the time they get back," Isabella replied sweetly.

"What did I say about exaggerating?" I remarked, only for her to shake her head gently.

She smiled with a bright and cheerful grin, and then inclined her head to the side. "My first idea was of one every six hours, Henry. Be thankful I am a merciful wife."

Thankful indeed.

Unfortunately, I had no plans of making life easy for the guards.

I had places to be, and people to meet in person.

...

And books of a certain kind to deliver.
 
I'm kinda wondering whether Louise will get "Saito" in this story at all. Afterall, the mage fits the familiar and vice versa, and the Louise here is a slightly (ok, more than slightly) different person than she was in 'canon', with different 'wants/needs' at a person as a consequence as well.

Saito could be easily pushed and prodded into doing what he was told, but this Louise would ask and request politely before she would start beating the shit out of someone right afterwards (Saito was a bit simple-minded, and easily pavlovian conditioned). So Saito therefore isn't the right sort of 'match' here for her as a character and person.

I halfway wonder if she might accidentally summon Julio before Pope McDongCopter does. Or another version of "Shade". Or more amusingly, a 'character' "Henry" knows of that should not be there at all.:grin::tongue:

I'd laugh if she just ends up summoning Henry.

-SK
 
you know, when Shade ends a chapter like that I find myself wondering if he's slowly evolving into the Jiraiya of ZnT. So far he's doing the spy thing and (dirty?) literature thing, how much closer does he need to get before he's the crow sage?
 
you know, when Shade ends a chapter like that I find myself wondering if he's slowly evolving into the Jiraiya of ZnT. So far he's doing the spy thing and (dirty?) literature thing, how much closer does he need to get before he's the crow sage?
Jiraiya also got laid. A lot.

Henry meanwhile hasn't even kissed his wife.
 
The loss of one of his daughters hit Charles and his wife hard. They retreated back to their holdings by the Ragdorian lake taking Charlotte with them, and that was all. Suddenly, Joseph found himself as the only palatable heir, if by simple virtue of being the only one that actually wished to rule.
Boo hiss. Its no fun to watch Henry flip the board over when no one else is even interested in playing!
 
A Friendly Orc's Daily Life. A funny comic about a peaceful Orc fending off the advances of an Elven Princess.
Ha, remember that. Really hard to find it translated, though.


Though, I think that isabelle probably would have noticed the wing.

Cmon guys, she's still only what, like 14?

Well, with the Halk year conversion rate, 15.4, still at least 2.6ish Earth years to go before that stops being creepy.
Are you sure thats the post you wanted to quote?
 
Isn't that creepy, here I have seen 15yrs old girls dating 20yrs.

But then, cultural differences and all still apply.
 
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Eh...? Is it safe to be posting that kind of stuff here? It's kinda borderline...
 
Cmon guys, she's still only what, like 14?

Well, with the Halk year conversion rate, 15.4, still at least 2.6ish Earth years to go before that stops being creepy.
I know. Teenagers kissing is downright pornographic! They should reign themselves in to fond glances and nothing more!

Of course, for poor Shade, even that much intimacy must be discomfiting. Since he recalls being much older.
 
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