Castle Penfenics: Royal Seer's Tower
"Check..." Raechel, The Royal Seer Of Gorz, declared after taking a red knight with her blue rook.
"Wha?" Her opponent was Prince Medraut Of House Penfenics. "Ugh?" Who was holding his hand over the chessboard while looking over it. "...I concede." He admitted, letting his head hang in defeat.
"That would make it five times in a row..." Raechel declared, marking her win down on a small blackboard that was resting on the table they were playing on. "Quite the achievement for the 5th Prince of House Penfenics." She teased as Medraut was looking over the board again.
"Don't rub it in, Rae..." Medraut groaned as he tried to figure out how he lost. "...Huh? What is it?" He looked up to find Raechel staring at him intently. "Wait? Are you looking into the future to see what I do?"
"Ah! Why would I do such a thing?" Raechel held a hand to her chest at the prince's question. "The Great Cycle Of Fire is the means by which I serve your father and by extension all of Laudonian. It is not something I would dare use for my more gain far less on a simple game of chess..." She lectured the young princes as her face grew a sad expression. "...do you not trust me, my prince?"
"I do trust you...more than most of my family..." Medraut assured the royal seer while getting a look of concern out of her. "...Ignore that...I...I just don't like losing is all..." He muttered, twisting his king between his fingers. "...any tips from my favorite person in the kingdom?" Medraut sweetly asked in hopes of dodging any question Raechel might ask about his first comment.
"I shall respect your order, my prince..." Seeing his quick change of topic and knowing the reason for it, Raechel did not pry into it. "...as for advice? I believe you are too kind to your pieces, my prince. You try your hardest to keep them safe, but that only ends in your own defeat. You see, this is a game of giving and taking. Where you are trying to make the most out of your losses, like so..." She put one of Medraut's red pawns forward which was then taken by her blue queen which in turn was taken by a red knight. "...in order to move forward and take your opponent down, you must be willing to give up that which is least useful."
"Hmm? I don't like that kind of thing...isn't there a way to win without losing anything?" Medraut asked while setting the board for another game.
"There is...but that would require your opponent allowing it to happen something most will not allow, my prince," Raechel answered, helping Medraut along with the board. "Ah!" And for a moment their fingers touched when going for the same piece and she pulled back. "Life is also like that...I will not give you what you wish unless you are willing to give something up."
"There's the usual lesson..." Medraut rolled his eyes at the royal seer's words then finally got the board set and ready. "You go first."
"Oh? Giving the advantage to the victor are we now?" Raechel mused after recovering and made her first move. "Your move, my prince..."
"Doesn't matter either way..." Medraut dryly retorted as he looked at his pieces and made a random move. "...Just playing with you is enough for me...maybe you could come along with me? When I'm go-" He paused when Raechel held a hand up.
"Speak not of such things, my prince..." Raechel stated, having a stern yet wanting look in her eyes as she spoke. "...forgive my words against you, but I am merely a tool that is in service to your father...what you ask of me is not something I wish to refuse but it is something I can not accept..." She explained while making a random move of a knight.
"You're not a tool, Rae. You're a person with a life..." Medraut began as he put his king forward for some reason. "...but you've been stuck up here for as long as I can remember...you don't leave and everything you want gets brought to you...but don't you want to...go out there and be free?" His blue eyes looked out between the bars of Raechel's cage and at the city of Gorz down below Mt. Nyth.
"I do wish for such a thing, but I can not do so until I am either given to a new master or..." Raechel trailed off as she followed Medraut's gaze out of her cage. "...a young prince could save me from my captor?"
"Heh, kind of hard to do when the person who's keeping you to himself happens to be one of the most powerful persons in this kingdom..." Medraut lightly chuckled, casually playing with Raechel now. "...but if that's what it takes to make you mine...I'll just have to do it, right?" He put on a cocky smirk as he asked.
"Oh? Quite the statement from someone who can't even beat the one he desires at a simple game...check." Raechel stated after moving a piece.
Huh?" The cocky look on the prince's face had been washed away and replaced with one of bewilderment. "How?" No matter where he looked, the game was set in his defeat with the royal seer looking all to please with herself. "Ugh, are you up for one more?" He weakly asked with a shaking finger. "...And maybe go a little easy on me?"
Raechel giggled at his request. "Sadly, I shall not do such a thing for you, my prince. You must be able to win your battles on your own, as your father would say; 'It builds character' when you are beaten down and find a way to stand tall, yes?"
"Ha. Ha. I don't need you to lecture me. My father does that already, thank you very much." Medraut muttered and began setting the board up once again. "I mean at least it's not as bad as Derrick, that guy acts all high and mighty just cause he's my father's personal knight and only gives me the time of day when father orders him, tch! He's always like; 'you're only worth my time when the king says.'" He pulled off his best impression of the Phoenix Guard captain.
"Hehe," Earning a soft giggle out of Raechel, covering her mouth to stop anything more as if the walls would hear her. "You best be careful he does not find out about that talent of yours, my prince."
"Hah! I'd be put in a dungeon cell faster than most thieves!" Medraut, on the other hand, let his laughter out almost hoping that someone other than the two could hear. "Ugh!" That is until he heard some heavy armored footsteps coming from the stairs. "Shit it! Don't tell him anything!"
"Hmm? I shall try." Raechel lightly teased and enjoyed the look of fear and regret in her prince's eyes. "If only it were you..." She mused inside her head as a hand drifted towards one of Medraut's as he was trying to act like he was simply playing a game of chess with the royal seer. "...no...not now the eyes are too many here." She stopped herself short as her gaze left the prince's panicked face to stare off at a random bookshelf in the corner of her home.
But most of the two's worries were put aside as the one coming up the stairs was a member of the Phoenix Guard. Clad in a set of red Phoenix-styled armor and kept a silver spear at their side. "Good day to you, 5th Prince, and to you as well Royal Seer, Raechel." The guard bowed to them then made their way to the table they were playing at and looked at Medraut. "Forgive my words, my prince, I have been tasked by King Loth to guide you to the throne room where a meeting between the Elven King is taking place."
"And he needs me there to see how things are handled, right?" Medraut stood up after getting a slow nod from the guard who looked a bit put off by the prince's words, but couldn't tell him anything about it and went back to the staircase to wait. "Well, I guess I'll lose some other time, see ya around, Rae!" With a wave and a smirk, the prince said his goodbye.
"It would be my pleasure, my prince." Raechel lightly teased, making Medraut's face twist and turn. "Heh, you admitted it first, my prince." She giggled at the face he was making.
"Well, if you're gonna be that bold about it then could you at least drop the 'my prince' thing. That's the only thing you ever call me, Medraut's okay, you know?" The prince offered, trying to stretch out his leaving as long as possible, and glanced back at the guard, still waiting.
"Ah? You ask too much of me, my prince. Now please go, no need to waste your time with me any longer." Raechel brushed the prince's request aside and watched him make his descent down then followed by the guard who gave Raechel a bow and her eyes went to the bookshelf she was looking at earlier.
And out of thin air came Valac and his Imp maid Hilda slowly walking up the Raechel. "Calling a mortal boy by his first name is too much for you? How laughable to hear from you, my dear Phenex." Valac mused as he sat down where Medraut once was. "Issue?" And brought a look of disgust on Raechel's face. "I will not move, nor will I stop calling you by your name." He stated then clapped his hand twice.
"Right away, my lord..." Hilda used some of her pink flames to produce a tea set on a tray, and after clearing out the table, she sat it down. "...today it is wolf's bane roots..." She poured a cup for Valac while sliding him some cream and sugar cubes. "...and for you as well." She offered another cup to Raechel as well with a dull look in her eyes.
"What reason do you have for coming here today, Valac?" Raechel pushed the tea aside and glared at the Demon boy drinking his tea after dropping some cubes into it. "...Got bored of watching people with lives."
Valac did not answer her question and merely drank his tea. "Ah! Superb as always, Hilda, my dear!" He praised Hilda for her creation. "Wouldn't you mind having some, Phen-Oh? Wait, you do not seem to like that name all too much...would Raechel be more to your liking? I noticed how your mana hummed slightly every time that boy said it." A childish smirk made its way to Valac's face as he watched Raechel's face twist and turn. "Now what was his name again? I would so very much enjoy talking with him at some point about you, he-"
"Enough!" Before Valac could get his light giggling going Raechel doused him with the contents of her teacup and covered the Demon boy in a veil of steaming hot purple liquid.
"Master!" Hilda gasped when she failed to stop this. "YOOOOOU!" Then snapped at Raechel with her hands aflame and shot a blast of pink flame at the royal seer for this disgrace.
"Hmph." Raechel waved a hand at the stream of fire and caught it as a ball about the size of her head. "Imps should know..." She slowly hissed while replacing the pink flames with her own red fire. "...their place." With a flick of a finger, she sent it back at Hilda.
"Ugh!" Hilda braced herself for it. "Huh?" But before the hellfire could hit her, Valac had put a Mana Barrier around them. "Thank you, mas-AH!" She earned a hard tug of her spaded tail from Valac, that put her to the floor. "...As you wish." From there, she got down on all fours.
"She is right, Hilda, you should know your place..." Valac hissed just as Raechel did to the Imp then stepped onto her back and stood there. "...and you as well, Phenex. Although I am to blame for my servant's idiocy in attacking you, at the same time you treated me with such disdain is rather unbecoming of you."
"I act as I see fit, Valac, and I have no reason to give you or anyone from the Underworld, even the smallest grain of my respect." Raechel spat out with more fire in her hands while Valac was waving a hand around his person to dry himself off with magic. "Now speak or leave my sight!"
"As you wish, Phenex, I recently came into a partnership with someone wishing to take down this entire kingdom, and I thought you would like to know of such things," Valac explained his little visit today and barely held his laughter in as Raechel's eyes widened while her fire died down.
"What?! Who!? And why would you even go along with such a thing!?" Raechel questioned the Underworld elite and feared for the worst. "I know that my reading was coming, but it's too soon! Medraut is not safe yet!"
"Why? To create the perfect chance to get Lady Risabeel back, of course!" Valac declared with an arm shooting to the sky. "However, I can not say who they are precisely, but they are a group of mortals not from this city or kingdom for that matter.
"Then it must be them..." Raechel thought even more worried about this now than ever. "...wait? The Great Cycle Of Fire showed me that the ones wishing to take over Laudonia are to be tricked by one searching for a great evi-!" Everything clicked from there as she stared at Valac currently working towards finding Risabeel; in other words, one of the greatest evil of the Underworld.
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"Hmm? By the look of your reaction, you seem to know what I speak of? How interesting." Seeing her reaction, Valac began to think to himself until he snapped his fingers after realizing something. "Ah! Yes! How could I forget you are able to see that which has yet to be seen! So tell me, my dear Phenex? Is the come out to your liking?"
Raechel made no attempt at answering the Demon less any of her words tip him off, but even with her silence, it was for not.
"Hmm? But I must say one of their goals is a rather odd one if you were to ask me..." Valac continued since Raechel chose not to answer. "...It deals with that prince you desire so much..." He paused to smirk at some twitching on the sides of Raechel's lips. "...For some reason or another, they want him dead no matter even if it means they fail their grand endeavor that boy must not live through it. Any idea why?" He finished, looking to Raechel for answers again.
And yet again silence was all Raechel gave the Demon. "Valac..." That is until she spoke up, catching the boy's attention. "...you once asked me if I would be willing to do anything if it meant my prince would be safe..." She stepped forward, shortening the gap between them to an arm's length. "...my answer is yes...as long as Prince Medraut Penfenics remains unharmed through this ordeal, I would even break the pact I made with his father."
"Oh my, oh my! To break a deal set by yourself? Hehe! You truly are a Demon among Demons, my dear Phenex!" Valac was beyond delighted to hear those words. To their kind, the act of breaking a deal was one left only to the vilest of Demons. "But worry not my dear, if you make good on your part then I shall do so with great joy, hehe!" He lightly giggled with an outstretched hand.
"Then on this day I, Phenex, shall adhere to any request that befalls me from you...Valac...as long as no harm comes onto Medraut Penfenics by your hands and the hands of your allies." Raechel declared as she took Valac's hand in hers. "Ugh!" And after a small spark of dark mana, she pulled back now bearing Valac's sigil on her palm.
"Well now, it has been some time since I have laid eyes on this lovely mark." Valac showed a sigil left by Raechel's hand on his palm that soon faded along with the one he left on her. "When those mortals are ready to put their plan into action I shall warn and tell you of your duties...until then enjoy your false fantasy and hopefully find a way to keep it so, once everything is said and done, hehehe!" He skipped off Hilda's back and began walking off into nothingness.
"You best not betray my master or else I will not be the one to strike you down but others will..." Hilda warned with piercing eyes before she followed Valac fading away along with him.
Raechel now left to herself and stared at her palm where Valac's sigil once was. "Please..." She clapped her hands together and looked up at the ceiling. "...I know that I wronged you and lost my way and that I have made another mistake on this day. But, even if I am forsaken of the rest of my days...please allow that child to escape this...please Ely-!" At the name of the Heavenly Goddess, Raechel's voice was taken away from her. "...Ah? Forgive me, I shall ask for no more but for forgiveness." She bowed her head in prayer soon after that.
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Halls Of Castle Penfenics
"I hope this doesn't take too long..." Medraut groaned in his mind as he and the guard following him were briskly walking down a long hallway toward the throne room.
On either side of them were lavish paintings on the walls. They showed great battlefields with thousands of soldiers, rare monsters like Rocs, Dragons, or Giants, and vast open lands, seas or skies, and many other such wondrous senses.
"Oh?" One of these many paintings made the young prince stop in his tracks to stare at it.
However, this one wasn't a bloody battlefield or a powerful monster. Instead, it was a group of five men, each with a head of blonde hair, and blue eyes, and were all wearing the same thing; a white button-up dress shirt, red pants, and black boots. They were all lined up and faced slightly to the right with the rightmost one holding a flag pole of a Phoenix banner flowing in the air.
Medraut's eyes went to men's heads where each had a name and number placement above it.
The one holding the flagpole with short buzz-cut hair and the tallest of the five men was named Agravain with 2nd next to his name after him was the second tallest man with flowing locks of gold named Gawayn having 1st near his name. The 3rd one was named Gaheris whose hair was tied in a bun, Gareth the 4th came next with his hair similar to Gawayn and finally at the end holding on to 5th was Medraut himself.
"Ugh, Prince Medraut? We can not keep your father waiting for too long." The guard pointed out after a bit.
"Right..." Medraut muttered, stepping away from the painting but not before looking at its title at the bottom which read; A King Is Among These Five Brothers. "Too bad I'm in last place..."
After a bit more walking the prince and guard came to the sight of two rows of Phenoix Gaurd knights all lined up facing eachother as they formed a path to a large set of red doors.
"Prince Medraut approaches! Raise your weapons!" One of them ordered, and they all held their weapons high as the prince made his way down the path to the doors which opened without him holding a hand up as a pair of maids hiding behind the knights did it for him.
"Welcome, 5th Prince Medraut." They greeted him as he went into a grand throne room with two rows of white pillars decorated with Phoenix banners per the norm of the castle's style. A knight stood at the ready between at each of the pillars while behind them were stained glass windows shining a light down on them, and onto a long red carpet that led to a pair of thrones.
"Good, you're here..." In one of them was King Loth seemingly bored out of his mind as he was resting his head in one of his hands. "...took you long enough."
"Please, Loth, try to act a bit more regal for our guest...and for me." A soft woman's voice came from the king's left which belonged to a beautiful woman, looking not a day over 20 on the throne next to him.
Her strawberry blonde hair was tied into a long braid resting over her right shoulder and her pair of light pink eyes had a dull yet elegant look to them. Her attire was an off-the-shoulder red dress, the top of which was tightly fitted to her by a white corset. The sleeves of her dress started out small, but as they reached her hands, they opened up with white ruffles around her wrist. A pair of red lacey heels was hidden under her dress' skirt, and she wore a gold necklace with an ornate Dragon's head as a pendant.
Queen Morgause Penfenics of Laudonia; The warm breeze to Loth's hellish inferno. Where King Loth is a man of action and power, the queen is a woman of speech and kindness, many have come to see her as the Mother Of Laudonia, taking the utmost care when it comes to handling her kingdom's people. She also belongs to a line of royalty from a great kingdom to the west of Laudonia forging strong ties between the two nations.
"I will! I will!" Loth nodded a few times as he got his act together and set his eyes on Dewran and Dreroot standing before him as Medruat joined them. "Now, where were we again?"
"We were discussing your current increased militaristic movements as of late..." Dewran answered and kept going after getting a nod from both Loth and Morgause. "...a gathering of weapons from all around the kingdom, more adventuring guilds rising up by the day, and not to mention I heard that Le Fay is planning to add a new member to the Sigil Sect...which means that witch will be forced to come back to the city..." He explained a few of the things that have been going on around the kingdom. "...what are you playing at King Loth?"
"King Dewran of Naworth, I can tell you this much; whatever sense of threat you may think is coming to you, and your people is one not caused by me...I am merely preparing..." Loth answered, trailing off so as not to give out too much information.
"For what?" Dewran questioned as he crossed his arms. "You have dealt with all in Laudonia who would wish to take your head; You took down Fire Giants, amassed wealth rivaled only by House Ovis, allied with one of the most powerful spellcasters in all the lands, and even have the grace of a divine seer at your fingertips...yet you prepare? The northern region land of the Tenno Empire, ruled by an ancient Dragon called Emperor Khan-o Of The Three Storms. He commands all manner of strange magic and monsters but keeps to himself. The massive unnamed lands to the east are filled with warring tribes that wish nothing more than to keep fighting until the end of time, but even they know not to make an enemy of you. To the South, there is Zuania, a land that even we Elves do not know much about despite our age, but we know that nothing has threatened us from there. Which unless you are waiting for an attack from the Underworld or the Heavenly Plane leaves only one other kingdom that you could be preparing for..."
"The western kingdom of Lloegyr ruled by Artorigus Pendraig, The King Of Knights, the strongest man in the world, wielder of a sword with no rival Caliburn, keeper of a holy spear Rhongomyniad given to him by the Goddess herself..." Medraut chimed in out of nowhere and by the way he spoke, it was almost as if he knew every detail about this famed king. "...ah sorry? My brothers work under him as part of his Knights Of The Round. When they come back, they tell me stuff about him."
"I see..." Dewran nodded along with Medruat, and after listening to the boy, he turned back to Loth. "If that's the case, I believe my theory is off." He admitted, what person far less a king for the matter would be ready to go to war against a kingdom that you would send your own family to? "Unless...a trick?"
"Oi! Horny-king! Don't think so much about it, will you? At the end of the day, we're under Loth's roof." Dreroot pulled the Elf King out of his thoughts with a quick slap to the back. "But, I can't really blame you for getting worried about a war! So, your highness are you planning on letting us in on what's what's?"
"A rather casual tongue you have there Dark Elf? You best learn to use it, right," Morgause advised Dreroot who bowed his head in apologies. "As for whether or not the Elves Of Naworth are a part of our preparations is up to you alone, King Dewran."
"If that is the case, then I must say this; As the Dark Elf said Naworth falls under your roof of protection despite it and its people's best efforts to stand on their own. I am sorry to say this, but if a kingdom greater than my own is readying itself, I can only think of ill thought for its allies. As such the Elves of Naworth shall not be a part of whatever it is you have coming your way, King Loth," Dewran stated, denying the king any assistance in the possible threat ahead.
"That so, eh?" Loth calmly said as he cast a sharp gaze down on the Elf King, trying to make him rethink his choice but Dewran held strong under it. "Boy, what do you think of this?" His eyes went to Medruat, who was staring at Dreroot's missing arm.
"Ah! I believe the Elf King has every right to decide what is best for his people, and..." Medruat paused when everyone stared at him, and after a small encouraging wave from his mother, he continued. "...we should honor this choice by vowing to protect both our kingdom and his as they both share the same land..."
"Well said Prince Medruat, you are showing the fine makings of a leader." The queen praised her son with a warm smile. "Would you not say so, Loth?" She turned to her king, who was eyeing the boy.
"Yes...but not the kind of leader I am..." Loth pulled his gaze away from Medruat and onto the Dark Elf next to Dewran. "And what of you Dark Elf?"
"Dreroot Of The Death wood, Your Highness, I am the leader of the Dark Elves within Naworth." Dreroot did a playful bow with his branches. "Sadly, I have to follow what King Dewran says...for the most part, that is..." He smirked, glancing at Dewran. "...you see one of my dear younger siblings happens to be part of a guild working here at your fine city. If said guild were pulled into whatever you're planning for I would gladly send as much help as I'm allowed to, would you not agree, my king?"
"Dammed Dark Elf!" Dewran wanted nothing more than to shoot Dreroot's claim down, but that would likely lead to others finding out that the current Spriggan was once a Dark Elf something he could not allow to happen. "That would be fair after some talks with me."
"Oh, then he and his guild may have a chance in the coming weeks. We are hosting a rather interesting event soon for all of the adventuring guilds in Gorz. If your sibling and their guildmates show good promise, then you may have to uphold that offer, Dreroot." Morgause stated, taking the information to heart or note as she whispered to a servant next to the thrones, who was writing things down.
"But course, Queen Morgause, anything of the greater good and all that." Dreroot bowed in thanks and was already thinking up more ways to get in good with the king and queen. "Kuku! You're not the only one I can use to get what I want, Horny-king!"
"Well then, in that case, I see so no reason to keep these talks going." King Loth stood up and raised a hand to Medraut, Dewran, and Dreroot. "I bid you a good day and may the flames of Laudonia keep you warm."
"As it does for you," Medruat said as he bowed to his father.
"And many seasons of fortune onto you," While Dewran and Dreroot went with their own Elven farewell/greeting and made their leave.
"So? We lost the aid of the Elves, but there is a chance at the support of the Dark Elves. An odd outcome, wouldn't you say, my king?" Morgause thought out loud once Loth returned to his seat after the others had left.
"It matters not as long as that boy plays his role; everything will work out..." Loth answered while thinking of Medruat, the image of him speaking as a leader still in his mind. "A spitting image of that old fool..."
Chapter End