AAS: SEASON 6: CH3: Room Arrest

Sitting in his room, Jack tapped his fingers impatiently as he sat at a table on his balcony overlooking the gilded city with silver feathers dancing around him.

Arcing off his body, sparks, the faint glow of mana as he practiced circulating Gehenna with energize.

“She’s almost here,” Sahaqiel said, alerting Jack to his aunt’s presence before she knocked on the bedroom door.

“Open!” Jack called out, his silver feathers disappearing into their sheathes on the corner of the balcony.

The door opened, Duchess Belia Bel, adorned in a blood-red dress, strolled into the room with the grace of a mature noblewoman. She smiled lightly, her green eyes settled on the man basking in the light of the sun beaming down on him on his balcony.

“Jack darling, how are we today?” Duchess Bell asked, taking a seat across from Jack.

“Same as yesterday,” Jack replied, his eyes scanning the city below. It would be so easy for him to just leave. One step off the balcony and he could fly to wherever he wanted. “Same as everyday it seems.”

Duchess Bell sighed, “I know you don’t enjoy your current situation, but-”

“Its for my protection,” Jack rolled his eyes, repeating what he’d heard a dozen times already. “I can protect myself auntie.”

“From physical threats yes,” Belia said, reaching over the table to still Jack’s anxious hand. “But not from the political ones. The emotional ones. You have an image to protect now Jack, a fantasy that you need to live up to in order to get what you want.”

“I know that. Trust me, I’m more than aware of the expectations people have of me,” Jack replied, his gaze fixed on the city below.

The duchess took on a sad look, her lips pursing as she retracted her well-manicured hand. “Yes, I suppose you're no longer that teenage boy gawking at my breasts.”

“H-h-hhuh?! What?!”

“I’m kidding,” Belia giggled. “It's good to see that you still get flustered.”

Jack sighed, lowering his head with a chuckle.

“So, how are you adjusting to parenthood?” Duchess Bell asked.

“It's… something. Different than when I used to take care of Jill ya know?” Jack said, recounting memories of his baby sister when he was bottle-feeding her in his run down apartment. “Celeste isn’t a baby but… when I have her in my arms…”

A sudden tightness began to swell up in Jack's chest as Duchess Bell pursed her lips.

“I… I don't know. The world feels less shitty ya know?” Jack said, “I just wish this world was a better place for her.”

“And you’ll have an opportunity to make it better,” Belia said only to be met with a scoff.

“Yeah, doing a lot of changing from this gilded cage.”

“I understand you're unhappy, but this is necessary darling, it may not seem like it but Selfia is always working,” Belia argued.

“Two weeks.”

“Hm?”

“Two weeks since Selfia last talked or saw me in person,” Jack said, rising from his bedroom to pace around his room. “She could at least see me in person to keep me in the loop but no, she's busy doing paperwork and micromanaging a war in her office below her throne.”

“Selfia is just bus-” Duchess Bell paused, blinking once. “Wait, how do you know about her secret planning room?”

“I have my ways,” Jack replied, his brow furrowed to glare at his aunt who was still unaware of Sahaqiel's presence, “But that's the thing, we're supposed to be working together. There shouldn't be a secret I'm not privy to if we're going to fight this war and win.”

“Look darling, consider this a vaca-”

“I don't need a vacation,” Jack spat, his hands tightening on his chair to the point the fine wood began to show cracks. “I'm losing my mind stuck in here all day being a passive player in an active game. People are dying while I sit here on my ass all day.”

“Tell me what you need darling.”

“Out. I need out.”

“You know we can't do that.”

Jack rubbed his eyes, leaned forward and sighed. “I know.”

Standing up, Jack brush past his aunt and took a seat on his bed, head held low, “I'm not good at all this waiting.”

“I know darling, I know it's hard, but trust that Selfia has a plan. That she's doing this for a reason. Beyond this castle, you have no allies within the empire,” Belia said, sitting beside Jack and coaxing him to rest his head on her shoulder. “Just be patient. There's a lot going on.”

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Jack sat there for a moment, allowing his head to be stroked by the woman.

“I can see about giving you access to the entire wing,” Duchess Bell offered. “Allow you to stretch your legs, maybe more play time with Celeste?”

“I… I would appreciate that,” Jack sighed, sitting up. “Thanks.”

Duchess Bell stood up, walking to the door as a knock sounded out, the time for Jack's dinner.

“Jack darling, before I go… Remember what I told you all those years ago,” Belia said, pausing at the door. “You must be careful with your love. In this game of politics, Celeste will be your greatest strength but also your greatest weakness. Same with Jillian. Hold your heart close.”

“Yeah…” Jack said, sitting back down at the table on his balcony as Kamila entered with food.

She was dressed in a servant's uniform, a regular maid outfit that accentuated her small form.

“H-he-hello.” Kamila said, pushing in the cart to serve Jack at his table.

“Hey Kami,” Jack said, grabbing silverware and plates to help to prep the table. “What's for dinner?”

“C-chicken Sauerbraten.” Kamila said, lifting up a silver platter covering for Jack to smell the sauteed meats.

“Oooh, oh that's real nice,” Jack said, Kamila blushing as he leaned down to get a better wiff and stick a finger into a pool of heated brown soup. “Currywurst? The consistency is pretty good, thick, which starch did you use?”

Kamila smiled, the usually shy girl standing straight with her shoulders relaxed.

“Tapioca, my parents typically used it for baking but it's interchangeable for regular cooking.”

“Mhm. We should eat this before it gets cold,” Jack said, pulling out a chair for Kamila.

“T-thank you.” Kamila said, taking a seat as Jack placed a plate in front of her and took a seat himself. “Uhm. We're all out of goldenrod so uhm. I used rooibos instead i-if that's ok?”

“Yeah, that's fine,” Jack replied, pouring himself a cup from a pot. “Thanks Kami.”

Kamila blushed, hunching down with a big smile on her face as Jack began to eat.

“H-how is it?” Kamila asked, her eyes eager for praise.

“Good. Great. Really good. Much better than Ada’s cooking.”

Kamila seemed to visibly glow, the woman sitting in silence and watching Jack eat.

“Wat?” Jack asked, noticing the woman staring at him. “Do I have something on my face?”

“N-n-no.” Kamila said, looking away. “I'm j-just happy you like my cooking.”

“Well, come on, dig in. I can't eat all this alone,” Jack said, the pair sharing dinner together and making small talk.

*****

From another room, a hidden chamber beneath the throne filled with monitors and paperwork, Selfia sat across from Sahaqiel, the two in deep conversation.

“Are you sure you don't want to?” Selfia asked, her brow furrowed and staring at the angel before her. “Final time I'll ask.”

Sahaqiel clenched her jaw. “Thank you, but no. If what you said is true, my body may be the ace in the hole. Jack can't take another soul.”

“SERIOUSLY?!” Lilith hissed, the raven-haired woman’s eyes flashing red. “ARE YOU SHITTING ME?! You have an opportunity and you deny it?!”

“Yes. It's my choice and Jack needs me, especially for what we're plotting to do. So until that day he doesn't, I will remain by his side,” Sahaqiel said, glaring at her angry counterpoint. “Heaven forbid I leave him with you whispering in his ear.”

Selfia sighed, “Ok. Fine. It's your decision Sarah, I won't force you. But if you change your mind it'll be there. I'm glad we see eye to eye on this.”

“Tsk,” Lilith let out, vanishing.

“Thank you,” Sahaqiel said, staring at the humanoid sized black canister with her name on it. Her physical form, bound in the confines of a coffin.

Sara? Jack called out.

“Sec Jack's calling me,” Sahaqiel said before vanishing. “Yes?”

Can you check up on Celeste for me again? I want to see if she's ok.

“Sure, no problem,” Sahaqiel replied before appearing back in Selfia's chambers.

“Celeste again?” Selfia said, reclining in her office chair with her black army boots on her desk.

“Yeah, he just worries.”

“She's safe in these halls, he should know that by now.”

“Maybe, but Jack still harbors some distrust, with good reason I might add. Being stuck in his room all the time doesn't help, and it especially doesn't help that his sister was lost under your care,” Sahaqiel replied absentmindedly, unaware of the statement she made until Selfia looked away. “Ah, sorry, it wasn't -”

“No, Jack is right to feel the way he does. I made a promise and I failed to keep my end of the bargain,” Selfia sighed, her mechanical hand tapping the table. “Only thing I can do now is to rectify that mistake. Which unfortunately means we'll have to hurt him. As for the room thing, that should be lifting shortly so long as he behaves himself.”

“You know he isn't going to like that his house-arrest was just a test.”

Selfia shrugged.

“Well, I have to see personally what kind of man he's become and become more acquainted with his nomad wife,” Selfia said, her eyes focused on a monitor displaying an image of Ada Nguyen, the nomad woman in the midst of painting on a large canvas.

“Ya know, there is a way to learn more about a person that doesn't involve a computer screen,” Sahaqiel said.

“And talk in person? Ick. No thanks. I do enough of that with the nobles and bankers.”

Sahaqiel shook her head.

Selfia switched the display, rotating the image out for one of Celeste and Leona, the pair lying in a pink bed with Leona reading the girl a bedtime story.

“And then they lived happily ever after,” Leona said softly with Celeste throwing her hands up and screaming “Yay! SEEGS!”

Leona immediately became flustered, the woman demanding where Celeste heard that word.

Selfia immediately changed the channel, recalling an awkward conversation she had with the child.

“Yup. No more talking in person for me. At least for a couple of days till that cools off,” Selfia said, turning her attention back to the angel.

“Smooth. Avoiding your problems.”

“I prefer tactical maneuver in the opposite direction of oncoming issues,” Selfia countered.

“Riiiiight.”

“Also… is there a reason Lilith looks like me?” Selfia asked, deflecting the angel’s attention.

“Ah-”

Selfia smiled, enjoying the talks she had with Sahaqiel and the intel Lilith possessed.

A small break between the monotony of paperwork and plots. Almost akin to a form of girl time that the ever stoic Violet just didn't get.

As Sahaqiel talked, Selfia’s eyes drifted, focusing on the screen of Jack, the man giving Kamila a foot massage as the TV played classical music.

Oh Jack, what am I going to do with you?