Harlan left Shelly with her thoughts and was guided to Sheron.

Before he entered the room, he met with the investigators, the Dyad twins.

“Alan, Alice, it’s been a while.”

“Yes.” “How is Claude?”

“I thought you would know more than me, he’s your brother.”

“He ran from home.” “Trying to elope with that Golden.”

“Good for him.”

“Shameful.” “This is your fault.”

“It is also irrelevant to this discussion. I need to know if Sheron was aware of what Magruder was planning.”

“So far we can’t tell.” “She doesn’t smell like a rat.”

“I would like to ask her myself.”

“Go ahead.” “We might get something from this.”

He stepped inside, slowly closing the door; the lock loudly clicking in the quiet room.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know, I really didn’t.”

“But you see why I doubt that, right? First Magruder, then David, then-”

“What does he have to do with this?”

From her tone and her feelings, he could tell she was scared, she was hurt, she was shocked.

“You really didn’t know.”

“What happened to David? Is he alright?”

“He is a traitor.”

“What? No, not him. He has his problems with the kingdom, he thinks that Yggdra killed his mother, but he wouldn’t do that. His father on the other hand… I think he’d sell himself to whatever had enough coin.”

“How would I best find David? What is he most likely to do?”

Her stance became more defensive, it was subtle, she wasn’t going to attack or anything, but she brought her arms closer to herself and sat more straight.

“I don’t know, he’s my daughter’s friend, not mine.”

“I promised Shelly that I’d bring him back, please, how can I find him before he goes too far.”

“I can’t say.“

“Sheron, I want to-”

“I mean I don’t know him well enough to give you an answer. Talk with Cecil, Parnell’s father, he might tell you more.”

“I was actually going to speak with David’s father next.”

“David doesn’t get along with his father.”

“I know, but I figured I’d check anyway. I’m leaving now, but I’ll put in a good word with the seekers outside.”

“Good luck.”

Harlan told the Dyad twins his perspective, that Sheron didn’t know anything, that her reactions to his information was genuine from what he could see, and from what his empathic sense told him.

He had never visited David’s home, and this wasn’t exactly an ideal way to visit, with soldiers at his back.

The larger issue however, was that he didn’t need the soldiers.

He walked the halls and found dead guards and noble soldiers, but he found the other workers, servants, maids, people who didn’t, or couldn’t, fight back, alive and terrified.

“What happened?”

“Master David, and a vampire, they-”

The butler burst into tears.

“That’s enough for now.”

A vampire, Parnell most likely.

He had asked about the Pearl family, he wasn’t told yes about anything, but more importantly, nobody would tell him that they weren’t linked to vampires.

He entered the main office, David’s father was stabbed to death and then drained of blood, signs pointed to anger, passion.

The trail of bodies and the way the blood splattered implied that the killing started here, and David and Parnell had to fight their way out.

Did he ask for money? Resources? Did he confront him about his mother? Did he ask about his black market connections? Did David stab him and the Parnell lost control?

The body was mostly warm, this had happened recently.

Harlan called it in, Seekers came, Unseen came after them.

He had to make a final stop, the Pearl mansion.

It was impressive, a noble every wall had some sort of thin coat that gave it a pearlescent sheen.

An elderly man, or rather, an elder vampire, met him at the front door.

“Sir Fomoria, please, come in, but leave the riff raff outside.”

“Hold positions. Bear in mind that these men have silver weapons, as I do.”

“Oh ho ho, a threat.”

“Just preparedness, I assume the same preparedness that you taught Parnell.”

“A way in without a way out is worthless, and a way out that can’t be trapped is dangerous.”

“Let’s talk.”

The eldest Pearl led Harlan down the halls, and then down into the basement.

It was what looked like an old coven, one that had been retrofitted into an underground home.

“How long has it been since Nightwatchers lived here?”

“When my son, who was human, got a noble title, I decided to leave the Nightwatchers, they don’t like playing politics like I was.”

“Did you leave or were you asked to leave?”

“Asked to leave.”

He opened the doors to a meeting room, though the large half-crescent table that the Nightwatchers liked was replaced with a much more plain rectangle table, one fit for a dozen or less.

The old man took off his robe, Harlan couldn’t help but see his withered arms.

Vampirism slowed aging, but few ever escaped it, and this man didn’t hide behind magic, he showed that his days were reaching their end.

Harlan sat at his right hand, and he was asked to move to the left inside.

“Parnell spoke much of you, and my kin speak favorably of your work.”

“Parnell talked about me? We weren’t exactly close.”

“He has respect for you, though you are unlike the other.

You are disciplined, resourceful, strong willed, you bend and break rules as needed for the greater good.

You are like the Haywood boy.”

“Is that why you turned him? For the greater good?”

“He is well intentioned, but foolish. By granting his request he has left the house, and he won’t drag them down with his betrayal. I care little for who sits on the throne, but this isn’t a war that he can win, nor is it one which I could keep him away from.”

“You don’t think he is going to live?”

“It pains my heart to admit such a thing, but blood does not mean my protection is without limit.”

“I want to bring him back before things go too far. Is there anything you can tell me?”

“Their will has been steeled, they will fight against their own people, they will be alone, and then they will die.”

“So, no help?”

“I have remained detached from the world for half a century, there is nothing I can tell you of who he knows, of what allies he might have, of what the politics of the now are. I can only offer wisdom and guidance based on what I have seen in my life.”

“Any chance you intend to dispense that wisdom here?”

“A dead traitor can be forgiven, but a living one brings more shame with every moment.”

Harlan left with his men.

Balor’s soldiers were House Fomoria’s soldiers, and on short notice, Balor kept squads at the ready for Harlan’s convenience.

They were better equipped than almost any other counts soldiers, as Balor wanted to keep their standing army small and well trained.

For his less skilled muscle, he had a not insignificant portion of the criminal underworld and mercenaries to rely on.

Harlan dropped them back off at Balor’s home, he refused to stay in the castle for too long, he had people, deals, things that needed to be handled.

Harlan and the captain of the squad moved inside, while the others took up more support positions.

He couldn’t help but notice exactly how many golems and weapons were around, and how the walls were expanded, not just higher, but they now covered the orphanage and the hunters village as well.

“I like what you’ve done with the place.”

“If anyone so much as has the slightest inkling of a delusion of attacking me, I'll paint them across a hundred miles.”

“Good. Count Haywood is dead, body isn’t even cold yet. His underworld connections won’t know this yet. Use that chance to either cut out the heart of their operations, or take it over.

I won’t make any plans, that is your job, this is your business, but I thought you should know.

And I’m putting out a bounty on David Haywood and Parnell Pearl. 1000 gold each, alive only.”

“Done and done.”

“With everything that happened, is there any good that can be spread, in the light or in the dark?”

“I have legal construction companies helping out the people whose villages were lost at reduced prices.

On the other side, my highwaymen just need to hear the right thing and I can make them act like saints while they think they are the hardest of men. Bandits have already started looting the lands that the wyvern swarm attacked. I told them that it is bad business to let them get away with this, since we need villages for people to travel to if we are going to rob them enroute. So they are acting as security for the people fleeing The Frontier and for supplies that are coming in.”

“Did you see Vivi yet?”

“I saw her this morning before I got here.”

“She’s so cute, isn’t she.”

“She has her mother’s eyes, and your nose. I’m sure she is going to be beautiful when she grows up.”

“Would you like to be her godfather?”

“Not Sepul?”

“If the absolute worst happens, I want her to be raised by someone who sees the world as it is. Mom and dad, they… they’re soft.”

“Thank you. But who do you plan for the godmother?”

“I’ll ask her after I leave.”

“Very well. I’ll try to be done with my work by dinner, but I’m also looking into getting contracts to help the academy. They are going to want more defenses, things that don’t work on the academy network, they need new buildings, they need to remove any and all carpets that are bloodstained. All at a reasonable price, I would feel terrible to gouge them at a time like this.”

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The two brothers didn’t really have a lot more to say to one another, so they just hugged and then Harlan left.

He made his call just to double check.

“Harlan, I know it’s been a while, but I can explain-”

“It’s alright, you aren’t beholden to be my emotional support. I just wanted to know, you are alright with being my godmother.”

“Oh it’s been so long, I almost forgot about that conversation.”

“You probably remember every detail. But if I die, and Adina dies, I just told Balor that I’d like him to raise our child, if he can’t do it, or if he asks you to do it, then I want you to take her, give her a better life.”

“If the worst happens, I will make sure that your child is safe.”

“Viviane, but we’ve already started calling her Vivi.”

Marigold went silent.

“What a nice name…”

“You know about her, don’t you?”

“Who?”

“Viviane is the name of that other Harlan’s lover. It’s weird, isn’t it? Adina doesn’t think it is an issue but it feels very wrong to me.”

“It’s been so long and there is so much I want to talk about but I can’t because that Harlan isn’t mine to talk to or about.”

“You should come to the palace, see your goddaughter.”

“I’ll come when you aren’t there.”

“I’ll be with Rosewell today, we need to decide if Reino is allowed to exist any longer. I’d feel a lot better if you were with Adina when that happens.”

“Then I will see her then.”

Both of them decided to ignore something, he ignored why she didn’t want to see him, and she ignored that he ignored it.

Harlan returned to the palace long enough to see Adina and his family before he went to Rosewell.

He waited for over an hour before they had to leave, and in that time, Harlan learned as much as he could about Reinoian politics and what they sent over thus far regarding the attack.

Officially it was done by a rebel faction that disliked how friendly the nation had become with Ragne.

The talk would be happening in an open field that bordered both sides.

The tension in the air could be cut with a blade, many on both sides lost their children, and not all of those from Reino were aggressors.

“Grand Saint Fragile Peace.”

“Queen Yggdra the 16th.”

The two bowed to one another and sat at the table.

Everyone else would stand, and when their opinion was asked for they would be called to step forward.

“I would like to start with my condolences, far too many died for the actions of both of our people.

I myself was at the academy, and nearly ended up a victim.”

One of the generals from Ragne stepped forward, spit flying with every word.

“WHY WERE YOU THERE? YOU AND YOUR-”

Harlan grabbed the man’s shoulder and paralyzed him with a touch spell, forcing him to the ground.

“You may speak when called to speak.”

“I have hidden myself as a student of the grand academy for three years now. Inside of my country, only three others know of this. Within Ragne, there is only one.”

“Who among my people knew this?”

“Sir Fomoria. I spoke with him regarding my plan to enter the academy.”

Many turned to Harlan, the tension in the air focused on him.

“Sir Fomoria, is this true?”

“Yes.”

There were calls of treachery, and Rosewell slammed the table to bring her side's attention to her.

“It was the will of my father, your former king, that we maintain peace with Reino.

Sir Fomoria, what exactly was your intent by this action?”

“If Fragile Peace really does intend to make Reino better, then it would be best that she cannot be easily killed. By her being here, I believe I am proven right.”

“We will have words of this later.”

There was a lot of conversation, restitution, conquering, scorched earth, salted fields.

Fragile Peace looked ready to break.

“I… I would like to make another proposition.”

“You are not in a position to make requests.”

“What if… what if Reino became vassal to Ragne.”

Rosewell was shocked and leaned back, deep in thought.

“Why?”

“Reino has fallen, I have tried to remove malcontents from within, and failed.

From without, I see no way to win any war that doesn’t involve us destroying ourselves in the process.

As a vassal, you would have full control of the nation, you could remove any who you assume to be involved, my people, those truly loyal to me, will hand over everything that we have, lists of possible warmongers, everything that we know.”

“I will confer with my people.”

The Unseen put up a large veil to cover Rosewell and her advisors, Harlan stayed outside with the royal guard.

Nobody could see in, and nobody could see out.

So while they spoke, someone had to make sure that the Reinoan side didn’t try anything.

“Sir Fomoria, would you like to sit.”

“Why?”

“I want to calm down, I want to talk to someone.”

“It is unlikely that I will calm you.”

Harlan sat down anyway.

“You’ve changed, I’ve seen you change quite a lot actually. Over the years, the image I’ve seen of you has shifted, this is perhaps the most terrifying yet.”

“What do you see now?”

“A dragon, greedily hoarding its treasure.”

“I’ve always been greedy.”

“But now you have something new that is worth protecting. How is Viviane?”

Harlan narrowed his eyes, the slits burned like fire, piercing through her, and making her guards step forward with their swords drawn.

“How do you know her name?”

“The Oracle told me.”

“I suppose a Fae seer would be able to do such a thing.”

The guards on her side sneered at him.

“How did those Ascended move past the border? What keeps them trapped in the first place?”

“I cannot-”

Harlan got up from his seat.

“Wait.”

“If you want to talk, then talk to me, but if Reino becomes vassal to Ragne, these aren’t secrets you will be keeping.”

“Fine. Just, sit back down.”

As Harlan sat, two beings appeared, from Harlan’s shadow, The Darkness in her feminine form, and from Fragile Peace’s soul, a woman of fair complexion, platinum blonde hair, and purple eyes, like the royals.

These two moved to the side and went under their own veil to converse.

“That she came from you and now my god is talking to her is either a good sign or everyone here is about to die. Explain.”

“She is Titania, the mother god.”

“Your mind isn’t as bright now, she was hiding in you, making me think that you were a Faeling, but you are human. How did the Ascended leave?”

“Normally they gain their power by being within a range of the oversoul. If they left, then that means another god lived inside of them for a time.”

“What is the oversoul?”

“I don’t know. It is just… power.”

“I’m starting to think that you really don’t know much, but that shouldn’t surprise me considering the company you keep.”

“Harlan… do you think that this can work?”

He tapped on the table for a time, but didn’t respond.

He couldn’t help but see her for what she was, a young woman who was in over her head and who had been forced into a position of power far beyond herself.

Harlan was called into the veil to speak. They didn’t tell him anything about what had already been discussed, so far as he knew, they already made a final decision and he wouldn’t change anything.

“Sir Fomoria, what is your opinion of this?”

“Remove everyone from power, demote them to ceremonial positions, separate the church and state.

Kill anybody who so much as seems suspicious. What we know is that Fragile Peace has a flawed intelligence gathering network, or they have leaks. Either way, anything they give us for who they suspect could’ve been involved shouldn’t be trusted, and we will need our own people to put together the pieces.”

“I agree. Reino will be made vassal to Ragne, and we’ll put our own people in charge.

How do you feel about Balor being made his own house? A count in Reino.”

“That is his choice. He runs my house, the hunters village, the orphanage, Tole, among other things, so I think that he has the skills it takes to do this.”

“Should he leave, I could provide a steward to help with maintaining those places.”

“Thank you.”

They dropped the veil and Rosewell went back to her seat in front of Fragile Peace.

She looked over to the other veil.

“What is that?”

“The Darkness and the mother god of Reino are having a conversation.”

“Should we be worried?”

“I’m worried about everything that she does.”

Rosewell put the other meeting out of her mind.

“Grand Saint Fragile Peace, you will come with us back to Ragne, where we may finalize this matter.

Reino is to be vassal to Ragne, the saints shall lose their ranking, and the rule of the country shall be handled but dukes, counts, and barons. The church is to have no direct power over the nation.

Are these terms clear and accepted?”

She wanted to cry, her tears were welling up, she felt like she failed her nation, that for over a thousand years they had remained strong, and now under her rule they were reduced to a puppet.

In her want for peace, she used a soft hand, and her people saw weakness.

In their desire for strength, they had made their nation truly weak.

“They… they are accepted.”

One of her people rushed to kill the grand saint, and Harlan skipped over, severing his arm before hitting him with a shock spell to prevent him from moving long enough to properly restrain him.

“Nobody move, if any of you draw your weapons, I will kill you.”

“Safira, open a gate, we are leaving. Sir Fomoria, you may leave once we are all gone.”

“Wait, I can’t leave Titania here.”

Just then, the veil dropped and the god turned into light, becoming part of her soul again.

Harlan waited a few minutes before leaving.

As soon as he was at the palace, he went to see Adina, and along the way he requested a meal be sent to him.

“How did things go?”

“Reino is going to become a vassal state. I’m going to ask if I can have your father killed. No way he isn’t involved in this somehow.”

“What if he isn’t?”

“I want him dead anyway.”

“What if… what if you didn’t?”

“I hope this isn’t you wanting him to be involved with our child.”

“I’m feeling all mixed up everytime I look into her eyes. What if he feels like this too? He’s one of her grandfathers.”

“I’ll give him one chance, and only because you asked.”

It soured his mood, far more than when he was called away shortly into his meal.

Rosewell wasn’t happy.

“You knew that she was at the academy, for years, and you didn’t think to tell me?”

“I didn’t think it was worth mentioning, because I expected that your people would know already.”

“Your faith in the Unseen was unfounded it would seem.”

“Your father really didn’t know?”

“If he did, then he didn’t tell me.”

“I’m sorry. I really didn’t think that telling you would mean anything.”

“Anything else that doesn’t matter?”

“When the academy was under attack there was another me there.

I’m told that when Haldren was destroyed, the magic that was in my soul from Nemain caused me to split into two separate beings. I’m not supposed to exist, and he is setting up a kingdom outside of the veil.”

“I honestly can’t tell if any of that was true.”

“That is what The Darkness told me. She also told me that Magruder wasn’t ever supposed to have his research work, and that by existing I’ve turned the war from you destroying rebels into something far more dangerous. Let me think, just to go over a few things.

Sepul is my great grandfather. I murdered a mayor in Dullen. I got drunk for a week after my uncle died and I built a giant long cannon, which was then destroyed by the Razorwing, or rather, whatever it is that a Razorwing evolves into.”

Harlan tapped on his chin, thinking of more things.

When he was done he went to see his family.

They had taken to hanging around the library.

It was well defended, spacious, and often devoid of other people.

“Hello, Jarrik, Alana.”

“Hallo Uncle.”

“Hello, with an E sound.”

“Hallo.”

“Good enough.”

Harlan felt that he really did need this time to relax, so he played with his niece and nephew as he spoke with his family about what had happened, that they really were safe here, but that he would probably be out often on missions.

Fragile Peace was with them at the dinner table that night, but she didn’t say a word.

No matter what else had happened, eating dinner with the royal family would never get easy.

Anytime one of the former princes so much as looked at Adina, they felt Harlan’s eyes on them.

He wasn’t threatening anyone, he was just being mindful of them.

This misunderstanding wasn’t something Harlan would clear up, and they had the grand saint to speak with so the meal wouldn’t be silent.

The Fomoria family was glad however, not one of them wanted to speak with the royals beyond pleasantries.

That they got through the day without major issues was good enough for Harlan.

Ever since he got back from the academy it has been mess after mess, he hadn’t been given the time to process anything.

He tried not to think about what he saw, he tried to harden his heart, he tried to do these things because Adina was in danger, and that was all that mattered.

But now his eyes were veiled with tears as his looked at his daughter’s sleeping face.

He couldn’t help but think about the lives lost, so many cut down before the prime of their lives.

This world was not one that showed much kindness to the young.

Those who were extreme in their belief would do anything to get what they wanted, they could justify any murder as just a stepping stone to their goal.

Would he truly be able to cross any line? How would she look at him as she got older? Would he look like an upright man? Or would he just be another liar? Another man who buried his past and pretended that it didn’t happen? That his crimes were just because he was the one who had the power to commit them?

These questions, this guilt, it ate away at his mind the entire night, and he received no respite in his dreams.

Fields of fire, rivers of blood.

----------------------------------------

“It has been some time.”

“It has.”

“With their words of peace, perhaps a joining of hands is for us as well?”

“And what would I offer The Darkness?”

“A promise of safety, that we shall have no genocide of you, and there is to be no awakening of things better left sleeping.”

“Oh, of which things does this one speak?”

“The Beast, Surtr, among the others, these two may not rise.”

“Perhaps our great enders have no use in fairer times.”

Titania leaned across the table and held The Darkness’s hand.

“What guarantees would you offer to me? On whose words do you seek this end to conflict?”

“On the words of my father, for I have convinced him of your lesser threat to what comes next.”

“My my my, and to what end am I to aid in this next?”

“There are beasts of end which might have use to us, should this world to exist beyond now, with us hand in hand.”

The two beings locked eyes, their sightings synced, and Titania knew what she believed to be coming.