Vincha, Kingdom of Divinium, Eastern region of Rohana Federation, 2051 S.C., 170th day
"What in the abyss is this?" Richard’s voice was a low growl that vibrated through the back room. He stood before the merchant table where Heron, Alessia, and Almir sat in silence.
"Situation was above my paygrade, so I had May call for you," Almir said.
May stood behind Richard, silent with eyes fixed on the floorboards, hoping to avoid the lecture that was about to be given.
"I don't even know where to begin." Richard pinched the bridge of his nose and took a sharp breath, trying to steady the tremor of rage in his hands. "Heron."
He took another breath, but it did nothing to quell the rage rising in his voice. "In Jamtara, weren't you told not to seek problems with citizens? And what do you do the moment you're out of my sight?"
"I'm sorry… I heard yelling… they were harassing..." Heron fought to get the words out, his eyes threatening to water. Richard could walk away from their arrangement. He could walk away from the only chance Heron had to reach Tiwaz.
"I promise… No, I will do better."
Richard said nothing and shifted his attention to Almir, his gaze hardening. "I can count on you. Wasn't that what you said to me? You heard Icarus's report and didn't consider that the boy would play white knight the moment there's trouble?"
Almir bowed his head. "I have failed you, my leader. I'll take any punishment you see fit."
"Oh, you bet there will be punishment for all three of you," Richard yelled, turning his head to May, projecting a deadly look. She swallowed hard and said nothing.
"Richard…" Heron started.
"Sir leader. You are not to address me by my name until further notice."
"Sir leader, please don't punish Almir and May. I failed to follow protocol. I didn't consult them before acting."
Richard took another breath, trying to calm himself, but the rage wouldn't settle. Then fear crept into his voice. "I don't think I'll have a chance to enact punishment, considering the situation."
He turned to Alessia. "What are you doing here, Alessia, and what is with those clothes? Where are Antonio and Sienna? Explain yourself."
"Geez, nice to see you as well, Richard. You should calm down."
"Calm down? I am standing here with a princess of Divinium dressed as a commoner. What am I supposed to say when the military gets ahold of us?"
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"WHAT?" There was an unison scream from Almir, Heron, and May.
"Keep it down. You want people to hear us and come in?"
"Says the person yelling the entire time," Alessia said, rolling her eyes. "I bet the whole station heard you already."
"Silence, Alessia! I am of the mind to beat you myself, since I'm going to be executed anyway. Might as well get some anger out of my system."
"You're not going to get executed. No one is." Alessia sighed. "I will explain everything if you just calm down."
"Very well," Richard said, the tension easing from his voice. "Please, make sense of this situation."
Alessia stood up and gestured for Richard and May to take the vacant seats.
"I have fled my home."
"You did what?" Richard’s voice spiked before he caught himself and lowered it. "Why would you run away? You are royalty."
"Divinium is no longer safe, Richard. Frictions are forming within the noble society, and my house is struggling to deal with them. My father thought arranging a marriage would at least quell some of the unrest. But I don't want to participate in political scheming."
"Your brother was elected king by the majority. My grandfather was displeased, but even he pledged his oath."
"You believe those pledges are genuine?" Alessia's laugh was bitter. "They were a compromise to buy time. Disagreements brew behind every closed door in the capital. And now, you have these Navians appearing out of the void, managing to defeat our military in skirmishes. The writing is on the wall. We're being seen as weak now, and there's talk of usurpation."
"And your brother is doing nothing?" Richard scowled. "I’d have their heads for treason."
"He is trying, but even the Church is wavering in its support. Furthermore, the Nekya unit has been restricting information regarding the events in Gaya. I fear the situation is much worse up there than the public knows. Considering that the Federation Elite order is being summoned, the Church itself may move to take over the rule entirely."
"I see... I had a run-in with Brenner," Richard muttered, rubbing his temple. "He provided some intelligence regarding the Navians. It seems it will take a consolidated effort to destroy them."
He looked up at her with a weary expression. "I am not ready for a war, Alessia. I'm fine with killing monsters, but people?"
He shook his head. "I walked away from nobility for those reasons. Even if these Navians are close enough to monsters, I'd like to spare my party. They need not spill human blood."
"I understand you. So can you understand me?" Her expression softened. "I took great care to arrange my escape. And it was going perfectly until..."
She looked down at the leather satchel resting on the floor. She gently tapped the side of it. The flap rustled, and a small, wet nose sniffed the air before a wombat’s head peeked out.
"Mr. Wussums got hungry and grabbed some food from a passenger’s luggage. Once they saw him, they assumed I had stolen the animal, and well... that is where your comrade jumped in to play the hero."
She turned to Almir and Heron. "I thank you two for saving me. I feared you would hand me over to the military patrol, so I attempted to threaten Heron to maintain my cover. For that, I apologize. Let’s use this meeting to start over."
She placed a hand over her chest. "My name is Alessia Veles. I am the eldest daughter of Jan Veles and sister of the current King, Alexander Veles. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
She bowed slightly with a gesture so elegant and precise that the room seemed to have been transformed into a royal court for a brief second.
Here is the character art for Alessia Veles.
