Renaissance Town,carriage S-3663094033 by Xela-The-Conqueror [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/313aaab4-767f-4cea-91cb-69c8d8fbef2a/dgmb3nd-4ca46a4e-8e2a-4fdd-b340-819625377fa5.png/v1/fill/w_1081,h_739/renaissance_town_carriage_s_3663094033_by_xela_the_conqueror_dgmb3nd-pre.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9ODMyIiwicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvMzEzYWFhYjQtNzY3Zi00Y2VhLTkxY2ItNjljOGQ4ZmJlZjJhXC9kZ21iM25kLTRjYTQ2YTRlLThlMmEtNGZkZC1iMzQwLTgxOTYyNTM3N2ZhNS5wbmciLCJ3aWR0aCI6Ijw9MTIxNiJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.NysqgyA6SmdBmoJjU5JLekqECzb7oPV21v79nwxzxmk]

The Hapsburgs and Armand rode through cobbled streets on a carriage. Whitewashed houses of wood and brick stood tall around them. Vendors lined the side of the road, selling various wares. Sweet smells, those from baked goods, flowed over Armand and Eris. Then, another pleasant scent came upon them. They had arrived at the flower shop.

Lord Hapsburg exited the carriage first. He helped his wife down before making sure Armand and Eris got out alright. The four then walked into the flower shop.

"Can Eris stay outside? I want to surprise her," Armand said.

"Of course, Armand. I'll stay out with her," Lady Hapsburg stated.

Armand and Lord Hapsburg went inside the shop. Eris then noticed a boy running through the streets. He was struggling to carry a large stack of papers. The boy went into the shop right next to the flower store.

"Armand asked me to spy on commoners. I shouldn't have to lower myself to this, but Armand's relying on me. If that subhuman's carrying all those papers, they might have something Armand's interested in," she thought.

The girl leaned against the wooden wall of the shop, taking a brief glance at the printing press inside.

"Eris, what are you doing?" Lady Hapsburg asked.

"I'm resting," her daughter answered.

"Alright, then. Just don't ruin your dress."

"I won't."

Eris pressed her ear against the wall. She heard a man's voice.

"Looks like we've got a lot of orders today. What's in them?"

"Some fliers for plays, a few religious pamphlets, Robespierre's latest..." the boy started.

"Burn Robespierre's order, now!" the man commanded.

"Why?"

"The bastard insulted the king!"

"By the gods, he did?"

"Yes."

"He's got some points about the nobles, but insulting the king's going too far. I hope that criminal gets his tongue cut off."

A smile crossed Eris' face.

"I didn't know Robespierre was operating this early. Well, this is a perfect opportunity. He shouldn't be hiding yet, and I don't have to spend any time plotting against Armand. The moment I get old enough, I'll hunt that fool down. I'll have him hung, drawn, and quartered. If I can manipulate Armand into helping me, it'll be easy," she thought.

Armand and Lord Hapsburg exited the flower shop. Eris ran right over to them.

"What did you get me?" she asked.

"These flowers," Armand answered.

He handed her a bouquet of roses, daffodils, and lilacs. A massive smile crossed Eris' face. Eris took a deep breath. The girl did a curtsey and took the flowers.

"Thank you, Armand," she said. "This is so nice!"

"Making Armand my fiance was the best decision I ever made! I've never been this happy before!" Eris thought.

"I'm glad you like the flowers," Armand replied.

"I hope Eris really likes them. There's no telling what she'll do if I disappoint her," he thought.

Eris patted Armand on the head in an intentionally childish display of affection. The Lord and Lady Hapsburg had wide smiles on their faces. A sense of adorable affection came over them at the sight of their daughter's puppy love.

"Is Eris trying to annoy me?" Armand thought.

"I hope Armand doesn't mind this. I need to think of what my younger self would have done," Eris thought.

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Hours passed. Armand bought his chicken, the nobles returned to their castle, and they did the rest of their business for the day. When night came, Armand crept out of his room. He had a dagger in his right hand. A bag of salt was over his shoulder. His left hand clutched a bucket. The boy went into the courtyard.

"This is going to be painful, but it'll get rid of my sickliness once and for all," he muttered.

Then, Armand heard the sound of footsteps. He quickly tossed the salt, dagger, and bucket into a nearby bush. Armand turned to see Eris walking towards him.

"You're up awfully late," Eris said.

"I could say the same for you," Armand replied.

"She must have seen me leave. Eris probably suspects that I'm up to something," he thought.

"I was looking for you in your room, but you weren't there. You aren't the type to go on late-night strolls," Eris noted.

"Just what are you doing?" she thought.

"Sometimes, I need fresh night air to think," Armand said.

"Is that so?" Eris questioned.

She continuously walked in a circle around him.

"There are many things you can do at night, Armand. Few of them are pleasant. I should know, considering how many of those things I did."

"Do you think I'm doing something bad?" Armand asked.

"That depends on how you define the word bad. I doubt you're doing something that's bad for me, but it could be bad for someone else," Eris answered. "And my spies never saw you going out at night on your own."

"That's because you would have tried to assassinate me if I did."

"A fair point, but you know what they say about old habits dying hard."

"Why were you looking for me, Eris?" Armand wondered.

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"Don't change the subject. What are you doing out here this late at night?" Eris said.

"If I don't tell her something, she'll just get more suspicious. But it'll have to be something believable," he thought.

"If Armand's a Moroi, this would be a good chance to get blood. Then again, he could use the chicken in his room for that. Though, I don't know how much blood a Moroi needs. A chicken might not be enough," Eris thought.

"Is it that hard to believe that I just wanted to spend some time outside alone at night without worrying about getting killed?" Armand sighed.

"You're right, it's not," she said before contemplating. "I can't believe I'm thinking this, but finding out what Armand's doing isn't worth the effort. We have more important things to talk about."

"Now, tell me why you were looking for me," Armand ordered.

"To begin tonight's game of manipulation, of course. To begin with, I recently found out that Robespierre's sending out fliers preaching his foolish nonsense," Eris said.

"It looks like my suspicions were confirmed. This was before Robespierre started operating openly the last time around, but our engagement might have sped things up. Two feuding houses making peace isn't good for his plans. It makes the nobility more unified and look more reasonable," he stated.

Concern crossed Armand's face.

"It'll be a few years before we can assassinate him, but I intend to have Robespierre killed. And I want your help," Eris stated.

"I'll help you so long as we don't get any innocents involved," Armand replied.

"If there's one thing I'll believe at face value from Eris, it's that she wants Robespierre dead," he thought.

Shock flowed through Eris.

"What? Why? Don't you want to help the commons like Robespierre does? Wouldn't you like it better if he was on your side?"

"I want to help the commoners. Robespierre wants to use the commoners' resentment of the nobility to get power. Why do you think he spoke against the anti-serfdom faction?" Armand asked.

"That's ridiculous," Eris thought.

"Oh, please. A subhuman like him isn't smart enough to come up with a plan like that. He must want to help the other commoners," she said.

"The commoners aren't as stupid as you think they are," Armand replied.

"Some of them trusted me. Isn't that proof that they're stupid?" Eris asked.

"Don't belittle yourself. You're very good at getting people to trust you. There are plenty of nobles who fell for your tricks," he stated.

"Just because some nobles are stupid doesn't mean that there are smart commoners."

"Robespierre almost killed Duke Tilly and Count Majoram. The only reason why he didn't is because you got to them first," Armand said.

Shock covered Eris' face.

"I didn't kill Duke Tilly. I just killed Count Majoram, and I wasn't even trying to kill him."

"I have trouble believing that," Armand replied.

Eris said, "I was trying to kill you. Count Majoram just got in the way."

"I believe that," he thought.

"Then Robespierre might have really killed Duke Tilly," Armand stated.

"I will concede that Robespierre is unusually smart for a commoner, but he's still a subhuman," Eris said. "He probably isn't tricking the commons and just hates nobles, but he still might be smart enough to kill one."

"That's as good a concession I'll get from Eris," Armand thought.

"Robespierre might be smart, but he's also a fool. He could have ended serfdom faster if he hadn't let his emotions get the better of him and worked with the anti-serfdom faction. Instead, he caused them no end of trouble. He might as well have been their...worst..." Eris' eyes widened in shock.

Jealousy covered her face.

"What is it, Eris?" Armand asked.

"Armand, who caused more trouble for your anti-serfdom faction: Robespierre or me?"

"You, of course."

Relief crossed Eris' face.

"Thank the gods. Now, how can I turn this to my benefit? Perhaps I could use this chance to learn about the anti-serfdom faction? If Armand can get me the power I want, I'll end up working with them in the future, after all. Still, I doubt Armand will just give me information about his faction. Perhaps I should put his mind at ease with a joke?" Eris thought before speaking. "Armand, did you ever have spinal problems?"

"No. Why did you ask? Did you use some weird poison on me?" he questioned.

"I was just wondering if you hurt your back carrying the anti-serfdom faction."

"Saying I carried it is an exaggeration. Everyone in it did plenty of good work," Armand said.

"Eris is trying to pry some information about the anti-serfdom faction out of me. I won't tell her anything," he thought.

"You still did the most work out of everyone there, even giving up the dukedom you earned to end serfdom. I didn't see anyone else sacrifice that much for the cause," Eris stated.

"I always thought the anti-serfdom faction was made up of idealistic fools, but Armand's the only one who actually sacrificed anything for their cause. I know for a fact that he is neither a fool nor an idealist. The faction broke up after serfdom ended, so I didn't look into it back then. But I should now."

"Brutus did a lot too. Not as much as me, but a lot. The other members did their part," Armand said.

"If I try to sacrifice my dukedom again, Eris would turn on me in a heartbeat. She probably wants to learn some way to manipulate the other members of the anti-serfdom faction so I won't have to give it up. I don't want to sacrifice my future dukedom if I don't have to, but I can't trust her," he thought.

"Yet, you had a bigger part than them. Is it because you were the faction's leader? No, it can't be that. People sacrifice themselves for leaders, not the other way around. That's true even within the hierarchy of the nobility," Eris stated.

"You are willing to sacrifice a lot for those below you, Armand, but even you send men to their deaths in war. Human nature is inescapable," she thought.

"Do you expect me to sacrifice lesser nobles to end serfdom?" Armand asked.

"Yes," Eris answered. "You're a good person, Armand. For you, defeating evil is worth getting people killed over. Just remember all the people who died when you were fighting against my schemes, think about the mercenaries who died in your wars against other houses, and remember commoners and knights you sacrificed to stop the Fourth Disaster."

Armand collapsed to his knees. He put his head in his hands, tears leaking from his eyes.

"I hate you, Eris. I hate you with every fiber of my being. You've caused me so much pain, and even now, you just can't stop yourself!" he shouted.

Shock overcame Eris' face. Then, Armand took a deep breath. He shook his head.

"I'm sorry that I yelled. You're right, Eris. I'm a monster, no better than you. I just didn't want to accept it," Armand said.

"No! No! No! That's not what I'm saying!" Eris put her hand on his shoulder.

Armand pushed it off. Eris took a deep breath.

"Listen, Armand. I don't understand everything that you do, but what I do understand is that sacrifice is necessary to achieve good goals. And you're willing to do what you have to," she stated.

"You're right, you don't understand. How can someone like you know how horrible sending men to their deaths is? How can you understand how it feels to have to sacrifice people? How can you understand that compared to the sacrifices the commoners made for me, giving up my dukedom for them was nothing? You only care about yourself!" Armand shouted through his tears.

Eris gazed at Armand with pity in her eyes. A sinking feeling flowed into her gut.

"I made Armand cry. After everything he did to me, a part of me wants to feel happy. I was never able to do this before, and he's now suffering. But I don't feel happy. I feel horrible," she thought.

"I'm sorry, Armand," Eris looked him in the eyes.

Shock covered his face.

"You apologized?" he asked.

"Yes. I'm sorry that I hurt you. In the end, you're right, Armand. I don't understand how you feel. I bet that if you talked to the other nobles in the anti-serfdom faction, they would," Eris said.

"No, not most of them. Most of them didn't give a single shit about serfs!" Armand bashed his hands against the ground. "Most nobles don't even have serfs anymore. They just wanted to make sure that if they didn't have serfs, no one did! And then there are the egotists who want to hear praise from the commons wherever they go!"

"I thought most of the nobles in the anti-serfdom faction were idealistic fools, but this changes things. Getting rid of serfdom is a terrible idea, even for people with no serfs, because it might give commoners ideas. But I can understand why the anti-serfdom faction had so much support," Eris thought. "I suppose that's the information I needed. Now, I..."

She gazed upon Armand's crying face.

"What am I doing? The moment Armand let that slip, I was ready to abandon him. I want to be a good wife, I don't want Armand to hate me, and I...I...I made Armand cry."

Eris knelt down to Armand's level. She wrapped her arms around him, embracing her fiance in a hug. He tried to resist, but Eris tightened her embrace. Tears leaked from her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Armand. I had no idea how horrible sacrificing people makes you feel. But I can tell you this: you're not a monster like me. A monster wouldn't feel bad about killing people, a monster wouldn't sacrifice anything to end serfdom, a monster would have attacked me for daring to make you cry," Eris said.

Armand didn't respond.

"I really liked the flowers you gave me. I wanted to thank you more for them. It was the first time you've done something for me that wasn't mutually beneficial. It made me so happy. I couldn't even believe how happy it made me," she continued.

Then, Armand spoke.

"Eris, are you still my enemy?"

"Would you believe me if I said no?" she asked.

"Not in the slightest," he answered.

Armand's tears had dried. Eris gave him a soft smile as her tears dried too.

"I can't promise that I won't make you cry again, but I'll do my best to not," Eris said. "I don't want you to cry, and I want you to enjoy our manipulation games too."

"Eris, I shouldn't have been hasty. I don't believe you're not my enemy, but I do believe that you didn't want me to cry," Armand thought.

"I'll do my best to enjoy them," he said before thinking. "You're starting to know how I think, but you don't understand it. You've never had someone you truly cared about after you were consumed by your lust for power. Maybe if your parents lived longer, you'd have been less cruel, but they died when you were still young."

"Let's go back inside now. You look like you need rest," Eris said.

She stood up.

"I do," Armand nodded.

He made sure to not glance at where he hid his ritual supplies in the bush.

Eris turned and began walking back to the castle. Armand joined her.

"I know how I can change you for the better, Eris. You can be redeemed. You just need someone you truly care about. Then, you'll understand how I think. I promise you, Eris, that I will be that person for you."