Punishment of Hastiness

Kristel had been spending all morning, until the afternoon, in the main hearing hall of the High Palace. She was stuck in a meeting with Uncle Kento and Judiciary Knight Verdim Solfey—father of the General Sky Knight twins. Frill and Xiv were standing behind her, fulfilling their duty as her retinue.

Lor was also present. He arrived last night to represent the Veli Manor in the discussion. Guard Knight Flimeth Estura, who they had missed during Liona’s Ritual of Peace, was also there. Apparently, she had had to respond to a distress call from a nearby northern village and had only been able to return this morning. She and Kristel had caught up a bit before their meeting had begun in earnest.

The First Princess found the reunion bittersweet. She couldn’t help but remember the Cross Irista. Can we even still call ourselves that? I wish Venry was here.

Upon Monarch Denis’ suggestions, Kristel and Kento were able to maneuver the troops of the High Palace in a subtle-not-so-subtle way.

With his discreet agreement, they used Xiv as an excuse. It took little convincing, but essentially, he was playing the role he initially set out on: to warn Irista Nation of danger. However, they bent the narrative a bit so that the danger supposedly originated from Vyndival instead of some unknown entity hiding behind Destiny.

This way, they could convince the others not in the know of the coming Nightmare Incursion to strategize with them without raising too much suspicion. They could always clear up the misunderstanding later.

Kristel, personally, thought the plan was convoluted. But she admitted that it was good enough to fool any of the enemy spies, even if the plan were to get leaked somehow. They would simply assume that Xiv was turning coat. Plus, avoiding mention of their true enemy in the first place essentially blanketed them from Destiny.

In a sense, it was perfect but fragile. It protected all of their important pieces without risking too much. Though she felt uncomfortable making moves without running the strategy over to Katherine and Frein, she still trusted her father. Kristel couldn’t help but smile at the thought.

They had just finished the primary patrol route for the Sky Knights when the entrance to the hearing hall burst open with a bang. Not because they were under attack, but because some arrogant Guard Knight thought it was alright for him to disrespect everyone with his lack of manners.

Other than having been structured to accommodate the giants of the past, these were the same as the doors that Kristel had held last night on her father’s study. Heavy to the point that one must have a honed Siffera to push or pull them properly. Doors that even some Royal Knights struggled with. And yet, here came Guard Knight Tryvinal Bree, shoving them open like they were made of plywood.

Not that it was because he was uniquely powerful, but because he wanted to gloat just how powerful he thought he was.

“A meeting for the defenses of the High Palace, and no one calls for me?” he said as he sauntered into the room with his head held high and his confidence through the roof. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. This is not a good show of respect for your future Monarch, ladies and gentlemen.”

Ignoring this fool would be difficult and childish, so Kristel called for the meeting to adjourn right away, sending Advisor Kento and Verdim to Monarch Denis’ study to report. Lor and Flimeth had urgent matters to prepare in order to maneuver the High Palace Guard Knights and Royal Knights.

That left Frill and Xiv with Kristel. Both of them stepped in front, getting in the way of the Guard Knight who stopped from a good distance away. He bowed mockingly, exaggerating the way his arms moved. His spiky, black hair pointed at them like daggers as always.

“You’re a Knight,” Frill pointed out. “Salute.”

“True as that may be, you see, dear Frill, tomorrow, I will be proclaimed the rightful heir of Evanclad’s Crown.” Tryvinal’s smile was rid of any forms of modesty. He straightened up his posture, taking extra care of emphasizing his refusal to salute. He looked excitedly at the other Guard Knights stationed within the heavy pillars that made the foundations of the hearing hall.

Then his eyes looked upon the throne perched on a level above the main floor, reachable by a pair of golden-etched, white marble stairs with red carpets. He longed for that chair. Kristel could feel it seeping out of his manic face.

“So you see, Frill, it should be you who’s bowing.”

A meiyal wave assaulted the Aria. She was forced to step back, pained, with her head struggling to stay up. Xiv was quick to step in front of her.

“I said,” Tryvinal stepped forward. “Bow.”

Xiv and Frill hit the floor on their knees. The Guard Knight’s Monarch’s Law reached Kristel. She could feel his suggestions, but she shrugged them off for what they actually were. Just words. It was her turn to step forward.

“What do you want?” she asked.

“The same thing as I’ve asked before, Princess.” Tryvinal’s eyes were wide; his grin could compete with George’s perpetual smile. Only, his was sinister compared to the Cloudbark Worm’s. “Your hand in marriage.”

“No,” Kristel said simply. She began to turn, but when her instincts told her to stay put, she followed it immediately. Her mind raced, trying to find what could be suddenly triggering her fight or flight tendencies.

Why would he bother coming here? He already knows I’m going to reject him again. Did he really just come here to gloat?

Kristel turned to Frill and Xiv. Those two would never succumb to Tryvinal’s commands, especially since they’d been constantly warned of what the Guard Knight was capable of.

How? The thought that it could be the Law of the First Monarch crept at the back of her mind. She dismissed it immediately.

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Yet the display before her told otherwise. The moment was too quick, and she spent too much time mulling over what-ifs.

“Royal Knights, arrest Frill Veli and this Vyndivalian for standing in the way of their future Monarch.” Tryvinal smiled as his Blessing spread across all the knights standing in attendance.

There wasn’t even any consideration or hesitation in their faces. They simply turned and made their way towards her two kneeling retainers.

“Stop this, Tryvinal!” Kristel commanded. She flared her Siffera, but no matter how hard she tried, it couldn’t replicate Frein’s intimidating aura. She Drew her sword Meiyal Art instead. “Even for you, this is beyond low. None of their actions violated any of our laws!”

The Guard Knight simply laughed. “Don’t worry, Princess. There will be new laws tomorrow. I’m simply taking action a day early.”

“That’s abuse of power!”

“And what of it?” Tryvinal growled, then he smiled again. “Long have you ignored me, Kristel. You act high and mighty and yet you fail to protect anything! What’s this secret meeting then, huh? A coup? You’re strategically moving your most trusted people so you can get the jump on me? I don’t think so!”

What’s with this weird timing? Kristel’s jaws slackened. She could not begin to formulate coherent words to explain how wrong this Guard Knight was without revealing too much of the coming danger ahead. There was absolutely no way she could trust him to keep it secret, much less even see him believing her in the first place. Again, she hesitated too long.

“Aha! I knew it!” Tryvinal pointed at Kristel. “Royal Knights! Arrest the Princess and the rest of the Cross Irista! They’re confiding in malicious plans to create chaos in the arrival of a new monarchy!”

Before Kristel could even speak, the doors of the hearing chambers opened. No, they collapsed.

The large doors, built for the giants of old, made to test even the powerful Royal Knights, were shoved off their mighty hinges, flying a good distance from where they were attached before breaking apart on the ground. They almost fell on top of Tryvinal. A pebble broke and bounced off his boot.

The boom created by the collapse echoed throughout the entire hearing hall, causing everyone and everything to pause. They all turned their heads outside. Behind the exposed arc were three people, one of which had his leg stretched out as if to imply that he had kicked the door.

“Who the hell makes stupid doors like these? Some kind of test?” Frein said as he walked all over the debris. He continued speaking with a mocking voice. “Only those powerful enough to open these doors have the right to gain an audience with the monarch, blah, blah, blah…”

“What in Brymeia’s name have you done?” Scuti’s complaining voice echoed from behind. “Wait… how did you do that? You’re Art fatigued!”

“No, I’m not.” Even though Frein said it with as much convincing confidence as he could, Kristel could still see faint signs of smoke coming from his back.

Katherine entered last, shaking her head, and saying the word sorry towards Kristel without giving it voice.

Tryvinal was just there, awestruck. The First Princess took the time to get her friends up and dispel the Guard Knight’s Blessing. She couldn’t. Frill and Xiv were doing the best they could to simply keep their heads down.

The rest of the knights surrounding them were still under its suggestion, so Kristel abandoned her task while threatening them with her sword. But they weren’t paying attention to her or her retainers at the moment. Rather, they were concerned for Tryvinal.

“You must be that ambitious Guard Knight everyone’s talking about,” Frein said, walking up face to face with the ambitious man. “Sorry about the door. Someone can fix that, right?”

“Frein Nivan, the Visitor,” Tryvinal said, almost mesmerized by him. Kristel could feel his jealousy seeping into his words. Of that, she could relate, but not with the malice that came along with it.

“Yep. That’s me.”

“You’re aware of what you’ve done, correct?” the Guard Knight asked. “Destruction of the High Palace is a severe criminal offense! We should lock you—”

“Oh, I got permission. Don’t worry.”

“From whom?” Tryvinal’s expression twisted as he was cut off. “Colluding with nefarious entities and masterminds—”

“Georgery Brianfen Plauntifur,” Frein said, cutting him off again. Kristel enjoyed just how much the Guard Knight was taken aback. The Visitor continued, “Sorry, I’m a little bored with your theatrics. In any case, the King Cloudbark Worm asked me to interfere in his stead since you’re threatening the First Princess and her friends.”

With a sarcastically, jolly enthusiasm, Frein nonchalantly planted a hand on Tryvinal’s shoulder. Kristel observed as the Guard Knight’s confidence slowly crumbled.

“See, I can understand how excited you are from taking the throne, but celestial entities like George can’t really relate to that. So, would you mind dispelling your Monarch’s Law over these poor guys and just come back again tomorrow? He promises he won’t eat you, if you do.”

Tryvinal tried to shrug Frein off, but the Visitor simply clamped on his shoulder, smiling. Despite not liking the guy, Kristel felt genuine concern as the Guard Knight started squirming in pain.

“Unhand me!” he said, his words laced with Monarch’s Law. It didn’t affect the Visitor. So he turned to the Royal Knights instead. “Everyone! Arrest him!”

“Look here, future Monarch,” Frein began in a sarcastic tone. He didn’t care when the knights surrounded them. Katherine was subtle enough to move herself and Scuti out of the way. “I’m here giving you a chance to make the right decision.”

Tryvinal started screaming and gasping. Frein’s grip had completely deformed the Guard Knight’s pauldron and shoulder. And yet, despite this, the people that should’ve come under his command, his Monarch’s Law, simply stood. Kristel could see their hands shaking.

The First Princess began to approach, intending to put a stop to the whole thing, but Katherine took her attention by simply staring. One of the Lady’s arms was wrapped around a mesmerized Scuti’s shoulders, while her other arm lifted a finger across her lips.

Curious, Kristel used her observation Meiyal Art, once again failing to Draw Mesiffera. She foolishly made a step anyway.

Kristel felt it. Fear.

She would die if she stayed.

It forced her to back away. Frein’s intimidating presence surrounded a fixed area, making every Royal Knight around him and Tryvinal hesitate and tremble in place. In that simple instance, she saw the Visitor’s unvoiced promise to beat the living life out of anyone who would dare interfere with his actions.

Indiscriminate. Unbridled. Kristel understood why Katherine stepped aside instead.

And she knew he would make true of that promise.

Tryvinal was now on his knees, clutching his shoulder and desperately Drawing Samesia while Frein kept crushing it.

“If it were me,” the Visitor said, crouching down to the Guard Knight’s level. He released his grip and Drew his own Samesia, instantly healing Tryvinal’s deformed shoulder.

“What?” the Guard Knight asked, his face completely void of any pride or arrogance now.

“I said, if it were me, I’d just kill you now.” Frein’s eyes turned to Kristel, and she felt a shiver run up her spine. “But we’re here upon the grace of the most generous First Princess Kristel. It would be rude of me to stain her presence with your worthless blood. So I’ll ask again, Guard Knight Tryvinal Bree, remove your Blessing from these poor fellows, and I’ll let you stand. And I mean everyone.”

Tryvinal nodded silently. One by one, the Guard Knights blinked as the realization hit them, their eyes turning in contempt, disgusted by the fact that they worked for the same nation with this misled, ambitious man. They quickly nodded their thanks to Frein before awkwardly returning to their posts. Some of them eyed the massive doors, paralyzed in indecision of what to do with the person that caused it.

Frill and Xiv stood up together, disgust towards Tryvinal plastered on their faces. Their meiyal flared, as if a single command would instantly make them go rabid against him.

With a smile, Frein pulled Tryvinal up to his feet. He had completely detached the pauldron from the Guard Knight’s armor. He crushed it into meiyal residue rather than giving it back.

The Guard Knight nodded awkwardly, attempting to leave. “Thank you. Please enjoy your stay. I’ll be back—”

Frein planted a hand on his other shoulder. It was lighter this time, just laying it on top of the pauldron. “Who said you can leave?”

Horror froze Tryvinal where he stood. “You said I can leave…”

“George said you can come back tomorrow,” Frein shrugged. “I only said that I’ll let you stand up.”