Friends Who Became Villainesses

By Henry Cobb

Chapter Fourteen: All Shall Love Her and Despair

All of the students from the academy were gathered at the city square on Monday morning to witness Amy's would be assassin brought forward to cry out his love for her, scream that what he had done was unforgivable, and then eagerly thrust his head through the noose.

How could she claim that her Black Magic curse was less cruel than the torture I had volunteered to do? I wanted to cover her ears, cover her eyes, or hold her tight to myself, but she stood and watched the whole thing, turning away only when the students were ordered back to the academy.

The other students shunned her that day while she said nothing. She didn't even object when I stayed by her side through lunch.

At a quiet meeting in her tearoom that evening Amy finally spoke up. "I need to play the game better. They got me this time, because I wasn't using my head. The proper way to play Amesombra is as the princess in the shadows, not the limelight."

Her three friends nodded at this then Lady Yeuxpera launched into a spirited discussion with Amy in Japanese with Lady Depecia offering occasional interjections and Lady Malheurfla seeking points of clarification before writing down the results in her notebook.

When the discussion ended Malheurfla read out her notes and the others offered a few final corrections. Amy looked at all of us then said. "Thank you all. This has been very helpful. I promise to not let you down so badly in the same way again."

Yeuxpera hugged Amy, then left with the other two friends to return to their dorms.

While we were preparing to change into our nightgowns Amy said to me. "Angie, I'm really sorry about letting you down like this. But at least you're making progress with Vuber."

I glanced over at her, blushed, and turned away. Her fable from another world of this Medusa who killed with ugliness suddenly reminding me of the tale of the human boy who was stuck dead by the unworldly beauty of a bathing elf maiden. "Lord Vuber said that it should be Lady Cyprinia rather than yourself who inherits the duchy after Duke Barta."

"Yeah, that makes more sense for political stability, given my effective infertility. If you want that duchy then just ask my father or brother (depending on who's king at the time) and after the service, you will have done for the nation it'll be yours. In which case Vuber is as good a choice as any to be your duke husband."

"Wouldn't that cause problems with Lady Yeuxpera?"

"Yuki won't inherit her duchy and isn't interested in it. If she can someday get my brother to stop treating her like a child, she could be our next queen. If you want him, you'd best act quickly, because she plays for keeps."

"Amy, why does she act against you like this? I thought you two were close friends."

"None closer, but we both know how to play the ball as it lies. If the four of us seem rather irritated at you it's only because when we've been you, we'd quickly lock down the devotion of your knight then turn away from the boy we have in hand to line up the other pieces to win the game. We know that this is an unrealistic expectation of a girl who's just growing up, but we wish you'd take the fate of your world a little more seriously. At least you have the cheat code that's made us four your devoted allies, and we are min-maxing these minibosses like the gamer gals we are."

On Tuesday morning I followed Amy not out of the gate, but instead to a carriage which was flanked by four palace guards. Amy directed me inside to sit next to the prince, and across from herself, Synthia, and Benci.

We started off in silence until Amy asked with feigned innocence, "Dear Brother, why all this fuss just to cross the square to the Academy?"

"I have told you, Princess, that our mother The Queen has impressed on me the absolute need for your security, and I have been informed that your ability to sense hostility is much shorter ranged than a bow." He nodded just a tiny bit towards Synthia.

"This humble princess deeply appreciates Your Highness' concern for her safety but has one tiny question."

"Yes, got ahead, Amesombra, what is it?"

"Brother, do you see that there is value in my humble ability to sense hostility?"

"Well obviously, given the events of this past weekend."

"And you are aware that this hostility extends to our entire family?"

"Or so your agent reported." He pointed his thumb at me.

"So might this foolish girl worry about the safety of her big brother?"

"What are you getting at, Amesombra?"

"You are aware that Miss Angelica Pureheart also has the ability to sense hostility, at about the same range as myself?"

"I am told that she is less practiced in this art, and that this ability does nothing to protect herself, due to the misguided love this Cult has for her."

"But she can keep you safe, if she sleeps next to you."

"This again? Surely there is no quicker route to my assassination than to take to my bed this girl you have conspired to have named The Saint. But you'll just go to Mother with this daft scheme, won't you? Fine, if that's what you want then this 'Saint' can sleep on a mattress placed at the foot of my bed, along with her understudy."

"Oh, why do you need both?"

"Because apparently their combined ability to detect assassins is less effective than your own."

"And what is your protection at the Academy?"

"In for a penny, in for a crown. I hereby take these two servants you have offered me."

I followed Prince Tenecoeur for the rest of the day, with Benci at my side, with two of the palace guards leading the way for the prince.

I had been struggling to keep up with the sophomore classes, but the senior classes were well above those. I reached out to hold Benci's hand during Tenecoeur's foreign language class. Then at the start of his history class he said, "Miss Angelica Pureheart, I have heard that you have read both the Diary and Companions of The Saint?"

"Yes, Your Highness. I have read both volumes many times."

"Professor Dascalu, if you will indulge me for this one session?"

"But of course, Your Highness."

"Miss Pureheart, please stand at the front of the class. Good. Now, how would you compare how The Saint depicted herself in her diary against how she was seen in the volume about the companions?"

"The Saint seemed much less certain and brave than her companions depicted her."

"And what of the passages in the diary where The Saint writes of her divine mission?"

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"Your Highness?"

"Miss Pureheart, please give us your full honest assessment."

"Your Highness, I am no scholar, but it appears to my ignorant eyes that those passages about divine guidance were added later, by another author." I noticed that I suddenly had the full attention of the class, and the professor.

"And what makes you suppose this to be the case?"

"These passages appear abruptly with no reference from or to the material before and after them. The entire text reads much more smoothly if these are just skipped over. In addition, the themes and style differ from the rest of the text and the language is a bit more modern. Nowhere else in her diary does The Saint use the third person to refer to herself."

"Is there any other author you have read whose style closely matches these allegedly inserted passages?"

"Yes, Your Highness. All six passages closely match the style of the anonymous author of Companions, which is said to have been written two centuries later, and two of the passages seem to have been directly copied from that other work."

"And what makes you think that these were copied from Companions into the diary and not the other way around?"

"The copied passages fit smoothly into Companions, but not nearly so well in the diary."

"Thank you, Miss Pureheart. I suspect that the other students have some questions for you."

They did and the prince remained silent until one of the students asked, "Miss Pureheart, how does it feel to be The Saint?"

"Lady Juliana, just to clarify. You are asking Miss Pureheart her opinion about how The Saint relates in her diary how being called that felt to her at that time. Is this correct?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

After that class Dame Hasiag passed me a folded piece of paper as she passed by us in the hall.

Prince Tenecoeur turned the corner then shouted down the corridor, "Lady Malheurfla, please bring the princess, and ladies Depecia and Yeuxpera to the student council office."

She nodded and turned around.

When we entered the office, the prince ordered the other student council members to take lunch elsewhere that day. When Amy arrived with her three friends and Synthia, Tenecoeur ordered Benci to wait outside. Then he turned and said, "Lady Depecia, ensure that we are not overheard."

"Yes, Your Highness." She made no obvious gesture, but I noticed that the background noises stopped.

He then turned back to me, "Miss Pureheart, please show me the note that Dame Hasiag passed to you."

"Yes, but how did Your Highness spot that?"

"Miss Pureheart, please never gamble anything at cards. And the princess should also avoid this." He read the note aloud, "'Please meet me after classes and I will show you the man you are looking for.' Miss Pureheart, do you have any idea who this man might be?"

"No, Your Highness."

Amy held out her hand and her brother handed her the note. She read this then said, "Miss Pureheart, perhaps this is in response to your perfect man speech I wrote for you? And if so, this might be the leader of the cult."

"Dear Sister, if you know who is behind all of this, then why do you not subject him to the treatment you administered to that poor wretch they sent to assassinate you?"

"Dear Brother, as I have explained our visions give us only a general outline of the operations of the Cult, and not the exact membership. I wrote with a broad brush to cover as many potential leaders as I could. I lack the strength to make everybody love me all the time and if I start doing mass brainwashing then the nation will rise in a revolution that includes nobility, church, and commoners. Our best option at the moment is to agree to this meeting and see if we can get Miss Pureheart inducted into the Cult."

"What kind of sister do I have that would dump a member of the Cult into my bed?"

Amy's three friends turned to look at her as she continued, "Dear Brother, I am only doing this for your own safety. Should the Cult believe that your mistress is their supporter then they will attempt to get her to turn you to their cause. They can then push aside all their plans for violent revolution and simply have their new puppet king enact their agenda."

"Amesombra, I am not bothered as tenth as much at having a twisted sister as I am in finding myself in agreement with you. What are our next steps?"

The four friends then went over a series of affectionate moments that the prince and I should say we had shared. As before, these were not made up on the spot, but instead recited from well-practiced memory, with each bringing up points that the others had forgotten since their last lives, and objections when these schemes would have conflicted with publicly known events.

This left only one loose end. During the all-years Fire Magic class I waited for Lord Vuber to finish his practice bout then sat down next to him.

"You are with the prince today?" He asked.

"I'm sorry, Lord Vuber, but I can't see you anymore."

"Why not?"

"The schemes of the princess to keep me out of his grasp have failed. I am to be moved into his room tonight and to never speak with another man without his permission."

"He can't treat The Saint like this!"

"Please don't make a fuss. The Church has proclaimed no saint, and he is the prince."

At this point, as arranged, Prince Tenecoeur called off his bout and walked over to us. "What are you talking to him about, Angelica?"

"Nothing, Your Highness."

"Come!" Tenecoeur's exaggerated grip on my forearm was much lighter than it appeared, but I made a show of wincing as he guided me to my feet. He then pointed at Benci and said. "Go sit over there with my other maid until the end of the class."

"Yes, Your Highness."

At the end of classes Prince Tenecoeur stood in the hallway and shouted. "Fine! Go and prepare for tonight."

I turned away with head bowed and walked over to Dame Hasiag, who I followed to the courtyard.

She grabbed my hand and guided me to sit beside her on the bench. "What was that with the prince?"

I looked at the ground to hide my face from her. "Her highness has failed to protect me from his attentions. I am to be moved into his room tonight."

"This is the corruption of the royal family that the prince can think that he can get away with treating The Saint like this!"

"There is nothing to be done. Whenever I try to run away, he forces his sister to use her dark powers to locate me, then he has me heal her, and then he bathes us both to wash away every scorch mark."

"Very well, Angelica. Bear with this tonight and tomorrow I will bring a man to the palace who will free you."

"And who might that be?"

"Why, he is your father, Simon Curata."

When I walked out of the academy two of the palace guards stepped up to flank me and we were soon approached by the woman from the past weekend who put her infant into my arms and again asked me to bless the child. I handed the child back and said that I had no such authority from the church. She seemed pleased enough, thanked me, turned away, and shouted out "The Saint has escaped the dark one!"

The crowd gathered, asking for my blessing, bowing before me, with some reaching out to grab each of my hands and kissing my wrists. The two guardsmen backed towards me with their hands on the hilts of their swords.

Then Sir Morey rode up followed by a half dozen of the palace guard on foot. "Make way!" He shouted but was drowned out by the crowd. Several minutes later he forced his way through to me, almost trampling some of the supplicants under the hooves of his horse. Then he reached down and scooped me up to sit sidesaddle in front of him. The crowd gasped at this, and he shouted out "The Saint is fatigued! Make way so that she may rest!"

The crowd reluctantly parted a bit at this, and the eight guardsmen were able to force a path open for us to return to the palace.

He lowered me to the ground inside the gatehouse and I turned to him. "Thank you, Sir Morey. I feared that if I summoned Yinshou the result would have been more injuries than I could hope to heal."

He then turned to Amy, who had just rushed down the stairs, and said, "I'm sorry to have failed Your Highness again."

"The fault was not yours, Sir Morey" She glared at me for a moment, then grabbed my hand and led me inside towards the keep. "I thought you would be taken to a meeting by Dame Hasiag?"

"Something about my story made her change her plans. She will bring my father, Simon Curata, to the palace tomorrow."

"Simon Curata?" She stopped. "He's not supposed to be triggered yet."

"Is he really my father?"

"No, he's the first of the two fakes, but he's about a year early. Let me show you to your new room."

This turned out not to be Prince Tenecoeur's room, but the adjoining servant's room. Amy then left Benci to choose which of the two beds she wanted and led the way through the connecting door to Prince Tenecoeur's room where we had a meeting with him and Synthia. "Dear Brother, I'd still feel better if you kept Angelica in your own bed."

"Gods forbid that I lay hands on a girl who in her heart belongs to another."

"Wait, you know who Angelica's true love is?"

"Amesombra, search for all the secrets you have kept hidden from everybody and the answer will be clear. Now what happened in the town square?"

I told him what had happened in the hour since I left his side, then asked him. "Your Highness, might I attend the services in the cathedral to hear what the church says about me?"

"Yes, that might be best. Angelica, you will accompany me there on Sunday. And call me just Tenecoeur in private settings so I don't need to figure out if you are talking to Amesombra or myself."

"Yes, Tenecoeur."

"Amesombra, you said that this Mr. Curata is the first of two fake fathers for Angelica?"

"Yes, and she may get a fake mother also, before her two actual parents show up."

"Might this humble prince ask his dear sister what the names of these fakes shall be?"

"I will only reveal that the fake mother shall call herself Sharon Pureheart. The rest is left as a test for isekai and the Cult."

"Does this Cult know the name of her real father?"

"If he is innocent they do not and if he is leading the cult then he has kept this name secret from them."

"And the real Sharon Pureheart?"

"She has always been innocent in my visions, but some things have changed since I saw these."

"And what are we to do about this Mr. Curata?"

"Let him make his case to Father, for we have a trump card in this matter. They will either concede the point or lose their entire game."