Chapter Text
Between swings Samuel cheered, “Yeah! That’s the way, little guy!”
Although his muscles were still a little sore, Jubelo pushed himself to continue sword practice. It was what Yuliya would want of him… to his credit, Ogma and his new tutor understood. Samuel was roughly the same height, but his lankier build was less intimidating and his strikes were suitably light. His happy-go-lucky attitude was also encouraging – actual combat would not be this lighthearted, but in the spirit of practice it was highly motivating. While the clattering of metal against metal would take getting used to, he felt like he was making twice the progress of last time! Instead of merely miming at a distance, he was learning how his maneuvers truly matched up against another.
Ogma watched them spar while leaning against the wall, eventually clapping twice to get their attention. “All right, take a breather. Prince Jubelo looks like he needs one.”
Jubelo gladly lowered his sword and wiped his brow. “Whew! Thanks Ogma, I was getting a little winded. Hah, how am I doing?”
“Doing well. A few missteps but nothing serious for a beginner. Next time I want you going on the offense so you can get used to those moves.” He then turned to Samuel and added, “You too Sam. Your special brand of fighting is just what he needed.”
“Yeah. It feels like I’m… fighting, but at the same time I feel safe. Like, it’s not too serious.”
Samuel chuckled. “Hehe, I’m a good actor aren’t I? I wasn’t the most impressive gladiator in Knorda – far from it, actually. You’d probably laugh if you heard.”
“None of us would laugh at that abuse,” Ogma gruffly affirmed.
Jubelo felt chills. “Uuuuh-buse?”
His cheerful grin slipped to a more neutral expression. “Uh, yeah. That’s an apt way of putting it. Basically, I was the runt of the pit. A weakling they kept around to whet the crowd’s appetites. They’d beat the tar outta me for the opening act before calling in the real heavy-hitters.”
The young prince was agape. “That… that’s horrible! Who would find THAT entertaining!?”
Ogma replied, “Unfortunately Prince, there’s a lot more Langs in the world than I want to admit.”
“Mhm. It wasn’t fond memories but the more heat you take, the number you get. I learned to roll with the punches and make them holler reliably and it kept me alive. Og tried showing me how to better defend myself, buuuut…”
“It’s how I got some of these scars. We’re done talking about this.”
Jubelo nodded meekly and lowered his gaze while it sank in. Wow, you two really suffered… It was not the type of discourse he desired out of such elating practice.
Samuel forced a smile and commented, “But, hey. That time is long behind us. We’re all in a better place than we were before. I think…”
He received a pitiful look from Jubelo and a threatening leer from Ogma. Change the subject, Samuel.
“…scratch that, we’re MUCH better off now! And y’know, I’m starting ta get my act together too! Navarre’s… uh, taken me under his wing, and it’s doing wonders for my swordplay!”
With the gloom lifting, Jubelo held his head higher and assessed the swordsman. His long brown hair and slim profile greatly resembled what scant sightings he had of the Scarlet Swordsman… “You know Samuel, you really look a lot like him.”
“It’s why he took him on as a student: to make his most convincing copy even more convincing.”
“Yeah, that’s the gist of it! I floated my first free decade from one odd job to another. Met a few nice girls but nothing stuck… but one day, some people froze up after mistaking me for Navarre. At first I tried to set things straight, but when it kept happening and I started getting better job offers I said, ‘Hey, might as well embrace the role.’ While working in Grust Archanea caught wind of me, dragged me to General Lang and well, the rest is history,” he elaborated with a smirk and a shrug. “Turns out they weren’t far off the mark. The real Navarre was skulking around Raman, and when we met I thought he was gonna kill me! But then he said he was impressed with my act! He dragged me into training with him so that my bark matches my bite. I guess he doesn’t like all the attention.”
Jubelo remarked, “You must have a really good act if Navarre was impressed.”
“Sure do! I practiced his mood for weeks after committing to it! Ogma has me wear it whenever we spar, and I can do the same with you if you like. Observe…”
All the warmth in Samuel’s eyes faded as he switched to a vicious scowl, pointing his sword at the prince in a battle stance. His new presence felt very threatening… Jubelo backpedaled in fear, raising his hands and pleading. “Uu-uu-uuuh, no! No thanks! Stop! Please!”
The menace disappeared just as fast when his face drooped apologetically. “Yeeeeah, I don’t feel good scaring a kid. Sorry Prince, I won’t do it again.”
Ogma said, “We’ll settle with what Prince Jubelo feels comfortable for now. But I want you rolling back the friendliness when he has more experience. Swordfighting isn’t a game, and real opponents won’t treat it as such. He needs to get used to higher stakes eventually.”
Jubelo breathed heavily to calm himself, and after a minute he turned back to Ogma, who awaited his response. “I heard you Ogma, and I understand. I’ll get used to it in time.”
“Good. You two ready to keep going?”
“Almost. I think, I could use a drink first.”
It was partially true, but he also needed another moment to unwind. He’s not Navarre. Samuel won’t hurt you, he reminded himself. His heart declined to a calmer rate as he took his time strolling to the canteen against the wall. Samuel also took the opportunity to fetch a drink, giving the prince a smile and thumbs-up in passing – a gesture that further helped quell his fears. When they returned to the training floor his heart sped up again, but now out of excitement rather than worry.
Ogma instructed, “All right Prince, you make the first move.”
“Yes!” he eagerly replied, raising his sword to an offensive stance.
Samuel raised his own blade with a competitive grin. “Alrighty! Come n’ get me, Prince!”
Eeuugh, this stinks. No practice, no studying, no nothing!
While she regained the energy to move around, being unable to do anything with it made Yuliya miserable. She wandered the labyrinth aimlessly half the morning, floating from one dead-end post or gathering to another. Everyone seemed busy but she was denied the chance to participate. Only a chance crossing with Sir Sirius had recently given her direction: “Perhaps Princess Caeda will show you company. She may not want you exerting yourself, but she clearly cares about you.” It was better than pacing about all day, even if she just sat there… and her legs needed a break after all this walking.
Navigating was considerably harder without her staff, and Caeda seemed to be very active. Barst said she was in one place, Phina another, Rickard a third… the last might have been lying given his reputation. She asked for directions to Caeda’s room instead, and it became familiar from tracking Ogma two days ago. It was the chamber directly right of his – she slipped back the curtain and inquired, “Caeda… oh…”
Unfortunately, Talys’s princess was not present, but her roommate was. Linde smiled up from her book and greeted, “Good morning Princess Yuliya! Are you feeling better?”
“Yes. I was… looking for Princess Caeda,” she replied, awkwardly avoiding eye contact.
“Sorry Princess, she’s been out and about all morning. But you’re welcome to stay if you feel lonely.”
“Um, no thanks. I-I’ll keep looking.”
“Okay, suit yourself… I wish you luck finding her then.”
Yuliya sense the subtle deflation, but it didn’t stop her. She set the curtain back while Linde lifted her tome and began walking away… however, Sirius’s last words then rang in her head:
“Or maybe you’ll find new insight from her roommate. Lady Linde knows our adversary better than most, from its vices to its virtues.”
Initially she wrote that part off, especially the idea of Archanea having virtues. But upon realizing she might pass up a real opportunity, the mage’s reaction suddenly sparked a sense of guilt. Not to mention her feet were aching… with a sigh, she resigned herself, turned around and peeked back in. “A-actually, Linde, I wouldn’t mind having a short place to sit.”
She perked back up. “Great! You’re welcome to take Caeda’s bed, I don’t think she’ll mind.” While the princess parked herself over the opposite bedside she bookmarked her book and slipped it under her pillow. “I found some literature in these ruins that might answer a question you had. I’d offer to show you but, Princess Caeda forbade me from, a-anything too dense.”
“Of course she did,” Yuliya sarcastically huffed.
“With all due respect Princess, she only means to protect you…”
“Hmph. I’ve heard that one before. It’s still a drag.”
Linde frowned as she scowled at the floor kicking her feet in boredom. I’m sorry Yuliya. I’d love to do something about that. She glanced around the room to avoid prolonged staring, and after a minute of silence asked, “While you’re here, is there anything you’re curious to know about me?”
Yuliya stopped kicking and looked up. “I suppose…” She paused briefly to think, then requested, “Will you tell me about Princeh… uh, Empress. Lady. Whatever you call Nyna.”
She clapped cheerfully and exclaimed, “Of course! Lady Nyna has been my idol since childhood! She’s a shining example of what it means to be a noblewoman, and since my father died she’s become the closest I have to family! Even before then she was second only to him.”
Second only to your father? This sparked an intriguing question. “What about your mother?”
Her smile dropped to a neutral expression. “She wasn’t really a part of my life. Father said she passed away before I could remember. It never really bothered me, though…” Yuliya’s dipping chin worried her. “…why do you look so sad?”
“What you said reminds me of my own mother. She, didn’t survive me and Jubelo’s birth…”
“Oh…” Now Linde was dour too. “…I’m so sorry, Princess Yuliya. It didn’t affect me the same, but I learned the pain of losing family regardless. It must have felt just as awful hearing your father had-”
“Don’t talk about him.”
She blinked. “…I-I was just saying. When King Ludwik-”
“Do not. Talk. About him.”
Yuliya’s simmering response made Linde shiver. Is mention of your father that offensive? Although she wanted to get to the root of it, that furious, teeth-clenching glare warned her to back off. “…I-I-I’m sorry, Princess Yuliya. W-we won’t, talk about family anymore.”
“Good. Now go on.”
It was hard to move on when Yuliya looked so stressed. Despite her insistence she was not ready to continue… not with her hissing breaths, shut eyes and hands tightly clamped in a “meditative” gesture that fidgeted to something new every second. She looked like she needed a pat on the back – if she allowed Linde that close. “Take all the time you need. I’ll be here when you’re ready.”
There was a soothing quality to Linde’s tone. When her hands stopped twitching and the pressure in her head relaxed, Yuliya opened her eyes and raised her head again. Linde was rolling a lock of her ponytail between her fingers, and upon restoring eye contact seconds later she flashed a warm smile. It was sweet… enough to make her stomach turn. Yuliya crossed her arms and turned her head away while her cheeks heated up. “Why do you care so much?!”
Linde was shocked by her tumult. “Why? Well, you and Prince Jubelo experienced a lot of hardship at an early age. I thought we might be able to connect over-”
A gruff snort from the princess gave her pause.
Nervously rolling her eyes away, she twiddled her fingers and continued, “…a-and, in your case, I figured I could use more female friends… besides, Lady Nyna.”
“Oh Linde, I’m heartbroken. You don’t count me as a friend?”
She jumped and turned red upon seeing Caeda peering through the entrance. “O-o-oh! No! I-I-I didn’t mean it that way Caeda, of, course you’re my-”
“Relax. I was only pulling your leg.” She glanced to Yuliya while slipping past the curtain and smiled over the younger princess’s mischievous giggles. “Pardon my intrusion ladies, do you mind if I join? I just finished making my morning rounds.”
“Not at all. Princess Caeda is always welcome with me!”
“I-I’m fine with it… it’s your room too.”
“Thank you,” she replied, sitting text to Yuliya while Linde recovered from embarrassment. “Now then, what brought you to our abode? Phina and Barst said you were looking for me earlier.”
“I was hoping you could help me pass time, since… you know,” Yuliya sighed, briefly voicing her frustrations. After Caeda apologetically patted her lap she added, “When you weren’t here, Linde offered me a place to sit, and I figured I’d wait until you returned. I was asking her about Lady Nyna, or, trying to… w-we got sidetracked.”
“Ah, how thoughtful! I’m proud of you for giving her perspective a chance! And I have a suggestion, if you ladies don’t mind a change in seating arrangement.”
When no one voiced objections, she got up and grabbed a stack of floor mats near the foot of her bed. She tossed three in a triangle in the center of the room; Yuliya hurried down ahead of Linde to make an adjustment. Moving the mats into a semi-circle, she occupied the one closest to her bed and directed the mage to the mat opposite hers. Linde obeyed without complaint, and Caeda took the one between them after setting the fourth aside. “Close enough. Now Linde, care to fill me in on what I missed?”
“It wasn’t much. All I got across was how Lady Nyna has been my role model since I was a child. After that, it swerved into family talk, and…” She received a warning pout across the semi-circle. “…that turned out too sensitive…”
Caeda noticed too. “I understand. Then let’s put that behind us, and how about you tell Yuliya what Lady Nyna is like? I’ll chime in where relevant.”
“Okay! Lady Nyna is what you’d expect of an Archanean noblewoman. Elegant, polite, demure…” Linde’s excitement receded over that last descriptor. “…sometimes a little too demure.”
Yuliya’s expression remained judgmental. “Are you saying Archanea’s empress can’t speak for herself?”
“Yes, and it’s so frustrating! She cares deeply about our kingdom, and if she spoke her mind I’m sure it would benefit us. But she kept deferring to Bishop Boah and the old misers who make up our council! It isn’t proper for you to speak out of turn this, Archanea needs a strong king that… they treat her more as an accessory than Adrah’s last scion! Jeorge and Midia have been vocal about it too, and I’ve been dying to see it! She always objects, saying she must set a good example for her kingdom… like, what!? That all their princess, empress is good for is being the court’s doll!?”
Linde’s animated rant took Yuliya aback. Once she stopped to breathe Caeda softly inquired, “Did you see that letter from Jeorge? With all the scribbles?” and she nodded. “Then you know how aggravating this has been for everyone who believes in her as a ruler. As an only child raised to lead Talys alone if need be, her complacency frustrated me too. And I’m sure Hardin would have heard her out if she spoke up. Isn’t that right, Linde… hey. Wake up.”
The mage had her eyes shut and her fingers in her ears, until Caeda’s prodding prompted her to peep with one eye. “What? You’re done talking about it?”
“We’re done, no one’s saying it out loud. So chill out, unplug your ears and rejoin the conversation.”
She lowered her hands and exhaled deeply. “All right, what do you want to hear next?”
“About Emperor Hardin. Caeda claims that if Nyna tried swinging her weight as Empress, he’d support her. Is that true? And was he ever a better man than what we saw at Chiasmir?”
“He was leagues better. Haven’t you heard about the Coyote’s exploits during the last war?”
She stared blankly. “Um, no? Jubelo and I spent most of it as hostages.”
Linde glanced awkwardly to Caeda, who sent her a disapproving glare. Really Linde? You forgot THAT? She felt like torching herself in shame. “A-aha, sorry Your Highness… …to give you the full story. Sir Hardin Orleans was originally the second prince of Aurelis. A man of great moral fiber, a brilliant tactician, and a natural leader. He earned his nickname when he abolished the Aurelian slave trade and liberated the native plains folk. Several rallied around him to serve as his loyal knights.”
Yuliya raised an eyebrow, then glanced left. Caeda nodded and confirmed, “It spoke volumes about who he used to be. There was a pragmatic motivation behind it, since he saw the storm gathering above Dolhr and their kingdom needed manpower. But he genuinely abhorred the natives’ treatment and sought to give them a fair life in their own motherland.”
“Absolutely! Hardin’s men boast the respect they hold for him, and he reciprocates it! He studied their culture and adopted a few of their customs to show camaraderie! It became a part of his identity… it took the court a month to separate him from his turban! Bishop Boah claimed a servant ‘lost it in the laundry…’ I kinda miss it. That headscarf gave him character.”
“Agreed – however, I must add that his justice was not soft. After Marth rescued Linde from Knorda, Hardin personally led his knights to restore order. Ogma participated too, and he tells me it was an appalling ordeal he wasn’t proud of,” Caeda stressed.
That didn’t surprise Yuliya after learning his history. “But they deserved every bit of it, right?”
“Certainly, and he admitted he’d do it again.”
Linde ranted, “If you saw the horrors they inflicted you wouldn’t shed a single tear. Knorda’s cretins were the scum of the earth! I still get shivers over anything like what girls faced there… and it wasn’t just man on woman! One of the market’s keepers was this creepy old crone; she usually brought our food, but if you stood too close to the bars she’d grab at boys’-”
Caeda promptly covered her mouth. “Do you have any filter?! …We don’t need to hear that, Yuliya.”
“Um, n-no… w-we, probably don’t,” she stuttered on the verge of laughter. Seriously?
After an exasperated snarl, she removed her palm. “There. You may continue.”
“O-okay… …and, yeah. I’ve heard mentions of Coyote dealing justice to aristocrats who resisted his reforms, with the same implication. But not all his men delight in his brutality… there’s one outlier, Sir Roshea. After Prince Marth rescued me from Knorda, he carried me to Princess Nyna rather than join their rout. He’s the nicest Aurelian knight by far, and was always friendly when he visited the palace! I think he also visited Altea after the war, too… Caeda?”
“I wasn’t paying attention with everything going on at the time, but I vaguely remember Gordin talked about him visiting a few months after the war. They were friends, and he was also acquainted with Wrys. He frequently helped them, Julian and Lena with war orphans. I think he was soul-searching, and looking to get away from Aurelis… he swung by Abel and Est’s place too. They retired from their respective armies to start a life together.”
Linde nodded. “That was probably why. He confided in me how uneasy he felt around his peers… apparently, Vyland even yelled at him for having second thoughts! Roshea greatly prefers helping children to fighting – he’s been volunteering at an Aurelian orphanage and even visits the one erected in Knorda. He tells me how popular I am there and urged me to visit sometime, and he keeps mentioning this girl who works there… heehee! It sounds like they have a crush on each other!”
“I can see it. However, that brings up another point about their temperament – Hardin’s knights cooperated on the battlefield, but ours tell me how unpleasant they were off it. Cain and Abel’s attempts at fraternizing barely worked; Draug once overheard Vyland speaking jealously of them; and when we tried getting Wolf and Sedgar to help Gordin with his archery, it fell right apart. Only Roshea was kind beyond the cordialities of our alliance. The rest seemed downright hostile… true to Linde’s word, they even gave Roshea a hard time for being the white sheep,” Caeda explained.
Yuliya surmised, “So there were signs ahead of Sir Hardin’s change?”
“In a sense. While the old Hardin was virtuous overall, there were hints of a darker man beneath his reputation. I suspect he used warfare as a cover for these crueler impulses – he was always careful to moderate himself around Marth and Nyna. But I want to draw attention to what Sir Vyland said, because that explains the root of his change best.” She gestured to her left and stated, “I’ll turn it over to you since this is more your expertise.”
Linde gulped. “R-right.” She hesitated a few seconds longer before reluctantly saying, “I-it’s, something I’m loath to talk about, but… …despite his accomplishments, Hardin held a lot of jealousy towards Prince Marth. He believed he was taking all the credit for their heroics, and his knights were just as insistent that their Coyote was the true hero. The harshest blow, however, came from Lady Nyna… although he loved her dearly, she never returned the sentiment. She confided more closely in Marth during the war, and their marriage was more about politics than love.”
“And he didn’t realize that?”
“Sadly, no. He claimed to be an exceptional judge of character but was painfully naïve to Nyna’s true feelings. The court fed this lie to get him onto the throne, and at their behest Nyna tried faking it… at first.” Lowering her head bitterly, she added, “Until her pining for a certain man got out.”
“You mean Prince Marth?”
Linde appeared disengaged, so Caeda elaborated, “Not quite. When the war ended, Princess Nyna was pushed to marry and given the choice of Marth or Hardin. She chose the latter because she couldn’t bear to separate Marth and I. She didn’t want him cursed with the loss of love she felt… but the man she held a candle to, and vice versa, was your Crown General, Camus.”
Yuliya’s pupils shrank and her jaw hung open, stupefied by what she just heard. General Camus and… HER!? She thought back to when Gharnef’s disciples opened that door, informing her and Jubelo of Camus’s insubordination and the punishment Dolhr ordered them. He set her free, let us get beaten and tormented with spells over some FLEETING FEELING!? Trembling heavily, her eyes scrolled across to Linde and she exclaimed, “Ex-CUSE ME?!”
“Believe me Princess Yuliya, I don’t like it either.”
“It’s absurd! The Grustian army’s pride, with some complacent doll who can’t even speak for herself?”
Linde’s eyes shot angrily to her. “Doll!? Yuliya, I told you-”
“You told me what a disappointment of an heir she is! Caeda even confirmed it.”
Caeda hastily scooted between the feuding parties and urged, “Ladies, please! You both disapprove what they think of each other. No need to go at each other’s throats over it.”
Her pleading did little to quell them. Linde and Yuliya leaned as far forward as they could with her holding them back, glaring daggers at one another. I gotta find something more productive. This has been promising so far, but… think Shiida, THINK! After a few seconds brainstorming she remembered an activity she had planned before they departed Thabes. It’s good enough… striking a friendlier tone and smiling, she proposed, “You know what? I’ve been thinking about cooking up a special treat before we set off. How about you two give me a hand?”
Both leered doubtfully, half at each other.
“It’ll be educational for both of you, and more productive than sitting around here. Laidback enough that Jubelo and Wendell won’t give you a hard time. What do you say?”