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Elizabeth took several deep breaths, but even as she tried to steady her erratic flame, nothing seemed to change. She bit her lip, trying to stave off the ills in her stomach. Several times she forcefully kept her hands to her side, resisting the urge to pull on the tight collar of her new attire. Officer’s wear, Madam Chrys had called it when Kiara had taken her to the boutique. It was similar to Kopis’ uniform, but fitted to her measurements and modified so their hero’s cloak could be pinned to their shoulders as drapery. Under normal circumstances would she, as a knight, wear such fancy attire, however…
She swallowed a breath.
The mighty phoenix was always telling her to stop, to enjoy more of life, and tonight…
Tonight was her first step towards it.
Standing in front of Nerissa’s cottage, the red knight did her best not to fiddle with the golden sash nor hair done up. The usual weight of her locks was braided up, a few strands left untouched to complete the look. Elizabeth flicked her inventory open several times, wistfully looking at her Jade Sword helmet. Still, she resisted.
And her patience was then rewarded.
Door opening like a curtain being pulled back, it revealed the luminous visage of the woman she swore fealty to. There, backed by the lanterns of her home, appeared her joy, Nerissa. She donned a midnight blue gown, sleeves belled at the ends, skirts almost a reflection of the stars. As a knight, Elizabeth kept her eyes on her face. She would never— never— dare stare at the low cut that accentuated her princess’s figure that would be absurd—
“Oh, why don’t you look dashing, my sweet knight,” Nerissa purred, snapping Elizabeth from her thoughts.
“O-Of course! The mighty phoenix helped me pick it!” Elizabeth cleared her throat, wishing her face wasn’t a bright strawberry at the moment. “You look… You look radiant, Princess…”
“You really think so?” she asked, twirling on her porch to give her knight a full view. Her wings were given ample room to breath, much of her back exposed to see, dark locks left dangling, but not haphazardly so. Nerissa stole her breath away with her smile and bewitching gaze. “Bijou happened to spot it in the boutique whilst we were looking. She has a rather good eye, doesn’t she?”
“Indeed! You would not think of it from someone as… small…” Elizabeth shook her head, but found herself smiling when Nerissa laughed at her comment. The small gem was rather… tiny, in that regard, but a knight should not comment! She should know better!
“Well then, shall we away, my knight?” Nerissa punctuated her question by offering her hand, and on instinct, Elizabeth knew exactly what to do. Taking it gingerly in her own, Elizabeth kissed the back of her princess’s hand, closely admired the ring on her finger, and pulled away.
“As you wish, Princess.”
Small a kingdom as Libestal was, no carriage was needed. The two walked, arms linked, as Elizabeth escorted her lovely charge down the road towards the palace. From Nerissa’s home they crossed past the Jade Forge, idled briefly before the Tree of Seasons planted by Gonathan, and even stared at the remnants of the picnic for the final time.
During it all, Elizabeth split her attention between the road and her flame. Each giggle she was able to draw from Nerissa was a blessing, each smile food for her brightening flame, any quips shared between them a memory to be cherished. For the first time since they arrived in this past realm, Elizabeth felt lighter, excited… happy.
“Wow!”
At the palace gates, the two were swarmed by children, Nerissa’s laughter rising as she briefly separated from Elizabeth. “What are you mischiefs up to?”
“We ain’t up to nuthin!” One of them protested, only to get his hair ruffled by Nerissa. “Miss! My ma told me not to touch my hair tonight!”
“I’m sure she’ll let it slide if you told her a raven flew by,” Nerissa giggled, patting a few of the other kids on the head. She glanced toward Elizabeth. “Come now, don’t be shy. The children don’t bite.”
Elizabeth chuckled, “I know that. You simply looked so at ease, I did not want to interrupt.”
One of the girls glanced between the two of them and blurted, “Are you two married?”
In her mind, Elizabeth heard glass shatter. She sputtered, red exploding on her face. “I–I thats— Ch-Child where in the world— We are not—”
“But you have a ring!” One of the shorter boys exclaimed. “And so does Miss Raven! My pa says that people who are married always have rings!”
“Oh, children please, you’ll render my knight defenseless at this rate,” Nerissa came to her defense. “She’s declared it a promise ring, a form of our bond. Remember this, children, there are other bonds that can be formed from dual rings.”
“You’re a knight?” One of the older girls asked. She ran a full circle around Elizabeth, who, thankfully, had recovered enough. “But you look more like a prince!”
“And princes and princesses always get married!”
“Yes! You should get married, Miss Raven!”
Her head felt like it was spinning. Married? To her princess? Th-That was absurd, she was merely a knight—
“Oi, what’re ye buggers doing, holding up ‘em ‘eros!” A yell scattered the children, their laughter echoing down the halls. Another Libestan hobbled over, though Elizabeth didn’t recognize the man; he seemed like an ordinary citizen, not a knight. Clearly, however, Nerissa did.
“It’s quite alright, Lowell,” she addressed him by name. “Besides, your daughter and her friends were just so excited. I imagine this is the first celebration they’ve seen in ages.”
Lowell rolled his eyes, but Elizabeth sensed no malice. “Yes, it is true, but they ‘ought to mind their manners.” He shook his head before turning to Elizabeth. “Ah, lady knight. Nice to see ye’ve come for the festivities instead a’ holin’ up in yer forge.”
Elizabeth gave a courteous bow. “I would not miss it for the world.”
The older Libestan gave his nod of approval before once more addressing Nerissa. “Ye ‘oughta hold her tight.”
“Oh, don’t worry, she already holds me quite well.”
“Ah—” If it was possible to choke on air, Elizabeth now knew it to be true. “Nerissa—”
“Glad to ‘ear!” Lowell patted them both on the shoulder. “I be off now! Enjoy the banquet, ‘eroes!”
He hobbled away once more, finally giving the two a chance to recover. Elizabeth turned towards her princess. “How do you know so many of the Libestans?”
“I spent quite a lot of time in the palace,” Nerissa explained. “After a few days of running back and forth for ingredients, you learn a thing or two about the refugees here. Lowell has always worried about his daughter’s future, and now that we’ve struck at the Heart of the Ruination, she’ll finally get one.”
Pride swelled in her chest. They were doing good, all of them. They saved the world! Even after the banquet, there was much to do, much to see, much to prepare for. But for one night, this night was theirs.
Looping her arm back into Elizabeth’s, Nerissa smiled radiantly. “Shall we enter the banquet hall?”
“We shall.”
Delightful music filled every corner of the hall, tables lined with food ready to be eaten. The moment Elizabeth escorted Nerissa inside, they were met with an air of hope. Their job masters were there, preparing, smiling; it might have been the first time Elizabeth had seen Master Heth grin even a smidge!
“Lady Bloodflame! Lady Ravencroft!” Waving them down at a separate table was none other than Gonathan. His suit matched his usual orange, heroes’ cape pinned to one shoulder like her. Around him were several other heroes, but a few were missing. “You’ve arrived!”
“Of course! And Gonathan! You look splendid!” Elizabeth laughed.
“Thank you, Lady Bloodflame! I went with the rest of the Wolf Pack to decide on our attire!” Gonathan explained. “Shame you couldn’t come along, Lady Ravencroft, but I see you had no trouble finding yourself a gorgeous dress!”
“Yes, the little princess helped me pick it out.”
Speaking of the little princess, Elizabeth spotted her across the hall, dragging… Novella, into what seemed to be a ballroom. Gonathan followed her gaze. “Oh! Yes, the princess opened the ballroom early for those who wish to enjoy the music before her speech! According to Sir Immerkind, we should begin in 30 minutes! The mighty phoenix and Pandora have been dancing ever since she announced it!”
“What a lovely couple they make,” her princess mused. “Not even a day and they can’t take their eyes off each other. Do you think I’d ever find a love like that, my knight?”
Elizabeth perked up. Her flame suddenly warmed. “Without a doubt. I…” she averted her gaze for a moment. Surely, she… Shaking her head, she gave her best encouraging smile. “I am sure that whoever were to love you would make it known through their actions. Words are hardly enough, no?”
“Perhaps not, but words are nice definitive confirmation,” she said before she spotted someone past Gonathan’s head. “Oh, there’s Mordan Ramsey! Would you mind if I stepped away?”
Though she wanted to remain close, Elizabeth knew it would be futile to hold such a free spirit down. Even so! She leaned down, kissing Nerissa’s hand before releasing her. “I will find you again, Princess.”
A gentle smile brought forth a bloom in her flame, and like that, her raven flew off. Gonathan stared, blinked, rubbed his eyes, and exclaimed, “Do not tell me… You’ve confessed without telling me?!”
“C-Confessed?!” Elizabeth sputtered.
“Your feelings for Lady Ravencroft!”
“Wh-What feelings — I am her knight! I-It is the same as your devotion to your queen!”
Gonathan crossed his arms, his grin bordering on smug. “I know not of that, Lady Bloodflame… I do not think my queen and I match what you have with Lady Ravencroft. Not at all!”
She turned away. “I-I am going to find my sister, good day, Sir Gonathan!”
“Ask her to a dance! She might appreciate it!”
A crasser knight would have, as they say, given Gonathan the bird, but Elizabeth was better than that. Now by her lonesome, it was not hard to find her sister in the crowd. Mococo wore a pink dress, modified, no doubt, for her tail to sway excitedly side to side. She was showing some charms she made to Madam Chrys, the older woman offering headpats in return. Flame rising with pride, Elizabeth approached.
“I couldn’t possibly take these with me knowing you’ve put your heart and soul into these, dear,” Elizabeth heard Madam Chrys chuckle as she got closer.
“But I can just make more!” Mococo insisted, her sky eyes sparkling energetically. “I wanna give you a gift! Pleaseeeeeee?”
“It’s best to give in sooner rather than later, madam,” Elizabeth added, sliding up next to Mococo. “I doubt my sister will relent.”
Mococo beamed up at her. “Elizabeth!”
A wide smile stretched Madam Chrys’s cheeks as she scanned Elizabeth up and down. “I knew it was the right fit the moment your friend voiced your request to me. You look rather princely, my lady knight. I’m shocked there isn’t a line of suitors asking you to dance.”
She chuckled awkwardly. “Please, that would be more of a hassle than a help, madam. I am a knight, first and foremost. I tried to get this one,” Elizabeth ruffled Mococo’s hair, drawing a giggle from her, “into trying for a squire, but she has other pursuits.”
“Mm-hm! I’m gonna do my best!” Mococo insisted. “Fuwawa too! Did you know she made a lot of coin recently, Elizabeth?! Almost as much as me on the last day! Biboo and I had to stop her from trying to help the chefs in the kitchen!”
“Biboo?” Elizabeth echoed, brow raised. “I wasn’t aware the little princess had a new name.”
“Just a nickname!” Mococo replied. “Rissa too! We gave her a nickname!”
“Rissa?” No, that was too casual. Elizabeth decided she would stick to her titles…
And Juliet.
“Never mind that. You look lovely, Mococo!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “That dress suits you perfectly!”
“I’m so glad you’re in agreement, my lady!” Madam Chrys cooed. Beneath their praise, Mococo beamed, tail wagging happily. “Not many like to have skirts above the knee, but Mococo jumped at the chance to wear it. Truly, you all made my day, coming to my boutique for outfits.”
“Of course! You’re our master!” Mococo insisted. “Who else would we ask?”
It seemed both Elizabeth and Madam Chrys were in agreement. Railing against Mococo’s cuteness was to run towards defeat. The only defeat Elizabeth willingly accepted as her sister prattled on about her work with charms and how well Madam Chrys had treated them. Past Mococo’s head, Elizabeth saw Immerkind and the Outlander talking, for once, the air between them calmer. Did they clear out the air perhaps?
Her eyes again wandered towards the ballroom entrance. A sweep around the banquet hall saw no uneven horns, so her princess must have moved onto the ballroom. With an itch to find her, Elizabeth bid Mococo and Madam Chrys farewell and headed over.
Grand and decorated to fit the occasion, the walls of class were struck down as nobles and commoners shared the floor, music shared and joy abounded. She spotted Pandora right away, the pink panther leading young Bijou in a dance to the sounds of strings and winds. Peasant the Bae— Elizabeth was unsure why she kept using that title even after regaining her memories of godhood— played instruments with the band, her energy entertaining the young children and seniors that stood by to only watch.
“Elizabeth!”
She turned, a wide smile breaking through. “Mighty phoenix! There you are!”
Clad in a similar uniform to her own, the main accent a greenish tone, Kiara brought her into a hug. “Took you forever! I saw Nerissa walk into the ballroom on her lonesome and thought you had chickened out!”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “I do not “chicken out,” Mighty phoenix, I am powerful! We simply split to speak with different people! Do not think it odd! Besides, I could say the same for you and your new wife! Is she not dancing with the little princess?”
“Alright, alright! I see your point, my lady,” Kiara laughed heartily. “You’d think as a phoenix I’d have more than enough stamina to keep up with my wife on the dance floor, but apparently not!” She casted her gaze aside. “Then again, it might have been due to last night…”
“Huh? What, were you sparring?”
A disappointed sigh left Kiara’s lips. “Sure, let us go with that. But I’m off to get drinks for myself and Pandora. Go! Enjoy the dance floor! I would hate for you and Nerissa to miss your chance!”
“I was—” Elizabeth grumbled. The mighty phoenix had already left her. “I was already planning to, I swear…”
She would just need to find Nerissa and probe the question—
Her heart stopped. To the right, closer to the entrance of the ballroom, was a sight that sounded the alarms in Elizabeth’s mind.
Novella and her Juliet.
Their voices were drowned out by the white noise of banquet chatter and music, but Elizabeth could see that witch uttering blasphemy to her princess. Blasphemy that made her laugh until her shoulders shook mirthfully. For some reason, deep in her gut, Elizabeth felt an uncomfortable twist.
Her steps were brisk, pace true, and though it might have seemed as if Lady Bloodflame was merely going to greet her fellow heroes, one look in her steely eyes told a story of a warpath. Novella sensed her, it seemed, before she even came close, eerie, golden orbs finding Elizabeth’s flame like a moth prepared to burn itself.
“Oh, Lady Bloodflame,” Shiori greeted. Her voice was oddly bright, creepily so with how it matched her toothy smile. “How nice of you to join us this evening. You’re 10 seconds earlier than I expected.”
“Shiori was just telling me about a few of her spells!” Nerissa helpfully supplied, seemingly oblivious to the tension between the two women. Elizabeth could not blame her, her princess chose to believe in Shiori’s goodness, even when she could not trust the witch. “Did you know she has one to control multiple pens at once? It’s the secret to finishing multiple commissions at the same time. Twould be so useful as a scholar, wouldn’t you agree, my knight?”
“I suppose…” Elizabeth supplied, making sure to slot herself next to her princess, glare centered on Shiori.
“Now don’t be like that, Lady Bloodflame,” Shiori said. “We’re at a celebration! Loosen up a little, less you alarm the non-playables.”
“What—”
“Well, I must be going now! Tis the life of a witch so popular.” Taking an exaggerated bow, she winked at Nerissa before trotting off. “Good luck.”
“Such a free spirit, no?” Nerissa mused.
“You could say that,” Elizabeth muttered. She did not take her eyes off the monochrome witch until she was out of the ballroom. To sense magic was unfortunately not in her skill set. Maybe if she could, Elizabeth could discern her intentions better, but all she had were suspicions. “What were you discussing before I arrived?”
Her grin turned impish. “Jealous, my knight?”
“Wha— Pft, I would— what is there to be jealous of! I am simply on my guard!” Elizabeth insisted. Nothing more, nothing less! She was just monitoring!
Nerissa’s lovely laughter lugged Elizabeth from looking away. “I jest, I jest. We were just discussing the odds at the Lucky Lounge again. A few of the girls went to test their luck before the banquet, and I heard Mococo walked away with a hefty sum of coin.”
“Ah, that would explain her chipper energy,” she realized.
“Indeed, however, very curiously, red never won,” her princess continued, a pout soon puffing her cheeks. “I swear, someone must have rigged the color canon today. It only needed to win once, and it couldn’t even pull that off!”
“Don’t tell me you want to go gambling with the little coin we have left.”
“With only 5 coin on me?” Nerissa gasped as if she was scandalized. “Please, Lady Bloodflame, I need not make myself poorer!”
All it took was Elizabeth a small snort, and the both of them erupted into giggles. They could make coin just fine after slaying stains, so it was no big deal, but upon finding both their coin purses empty at the auction, and even now… The absurdity of two heroes being broke was not lost on them.
Around the ballroom, music once again picked up, and couples flocked to the center. Though she smiled with Nerissa, her heart leapt sporadically, flame wild. Nerissa definitely clocked it, observant as she was. Running her fingers over the ring her princess gifted her, Elizabeth took a chance.
“Nerissa.”
Her flame faced her. “Yes?”
Clearing her throat, Elizabeth remembered her vow. To be a better knight, and most of all, a better person, a braver person. She bowed her head and offered her hand. “May I ask you for a dance, my princess?”
Her wide eyes softened. Elizabeth felt as if the world had stopped, just for them. Nerissa took her hand. “I would love to, my knight.”
Part of Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief, and the other tensed. It was time to deliver.
Dancing was not a skill she recalled having, but for some reason, her body reacted instinctively, guiding Nerissa to the dance floor as the next song began. In her mind, this was a field unfamiliar, new territory, but her body disagreed, hands moving instinctively. She hardly looked at her own feet as her world closed in on Nerissa.
Nerissa, whom she protected.
Nerissa, whom she dueled with.
Nerissa, whom she once called “witch.”
Nerissa, whom she swore her fealty to.
If she could, if she could beg, Elizabeth would. She would fall to her knees and beg the gods to let her stay, to keep this moment forever turning, forever instilled in her mind. Engrain the softness of her hands into her skin, carve her crinkled gaze into her mind, imprint unto her the breath of joy brought from that radiant smile. If she could be selfish, if she could have but one thing, if she could hold onto such cherished memories…
Let her.
“I did not take you for a dancer, Lady Bloodflame,” Nerissa commented after recovering from a spin.
“Neither did I, but my body remembers a great deal of skills,” she chuckled fondly.
“Have you tested what else it remembers?”
“No, but,” pulling them into a sway, Elizabeth did not mind the burn that dusted her cheeks, “I would not mind discovering them with you.”
Nerissa gaped at her. “Lady Bloodflame…”
Unfortunately, a hero’s work is never finished, and fate’s machinations turned with the cogs of time. As Elizabeth’s world slowed and narrowed, the universe continued to spin on its axis. The banquet strings played in unison with the winds of the world, and one last time, Elizabeth lowered Nerissa into a dip, the exhilaration burned into her veins.
Words unsaid swelled in Elizabeth’s heart.
“I—”
A piercing scream split the air. Everyone froze. Quickly, Elizabeth righted Nerissa, the knight and princess tense. “What was—”
Nerissa’s eyes widened. “You don’t think—”
“Iphania!”
“Princess!”
They rushed towards the banquet hall just in time to see Immerkind and the Outlander rush towards the princess’s chambers. Confusion danced across those in the hall, the heroes looking over in alarm as well. In a single glance the two shared, their revelations materialized in flames, and they threw themselves towards the stairs.
Please, let it not be true…!
“Immerkind!” Elizabeth yelled. Readying Thorn in an azure blaze, she burst through the doors. “Surrender yourself, foul—”
They were too late.
“Immerkind! Outlander!”
Two broken souls sat around the princess, eyes dim, blood pooling from the gaping wound in her chest. Immerkind was collapsed to her left, silent tears falling from a broken gaze, and the Outlander, to her right, shouted her name like a desperate prayer. Nerissa left her side, shaking Immerkind’s broken form. Footsteps rushed from behind her, no doubt the other heroes, but their alarm faded in the distance for her. For some reason, three words echoed in her mind.
Nothing stays pure
As if the world heard her thoughts, space and time screeched. An unworldly boom ripped through, forming a scar in reality, exposing the innards of the universe. The Outlander’s desperation transformed into unadulterated fear. His hood fell off, exposing his face to the entity beyond the fabric of space.
“̷͈̠̌̆͑̆̈͋̚Ț̵̼͕̘̥̺̖̣͈̲̹̺̼̞̈́͒́̒͒͐̈́̓͛̐͗̕͝r̷̨̢̫̬͓̣̓̑̆͛͂͗̊̏̏̕̚͜͠A̶̝̖͔͕̝̰̜̗̞̣̓̃̓͘͝Ḯ̴̢̙̝͉͕͓̝̖̜ͅt̸̛̫͖͖̮͇͖̱̹́̿͐́̿̒͋͠ŏ̴̱̽̇͊͝R̷̢̲͇̯͉̩͍̞̲̣̼̹̔͌̈̈̿̿̃̍͑̊̕͘͝͠.̴̜̤͉̥̣̜̳̤̬̘̖͊̈̆̎̋̀ͅͅ”̴͇̊͌̑̍̕̕͝ ̷̥̳͎̺̠͆̏̅̀̆̂̿͠ͅ
Quickly, Elizabeth placed herself between Nerissa and the unresponsive Immerkind, Thorn at the ready.
“̶̢͚̣̩̲̯̜̫̗̱̏́̑͊́̐̓̔̈́̇̕͜Y̵̗͈̞̱̤͑͌̊̇̍͒̒̀͒̅̕̚O̸̼̞̰͖̺̜͓͖̼͚̽̇͋̀̐û̶̧̧̯̦̥̤͕̹̙̪̥̼̃͗̈́̓̀̔̐ ̷̨̢̲͚̘͎̣̫̳̲͛̀̎͐̂̀̆͌̍͑̂̀̽͘͠ͅt̶͓͔̬̬̥̿̊̀̒̀̐͆H̸̡̢̜̮̘̟̲̬̭̯̞͓̯̼̽̈́̊͊̎͝O̴̡͉̰͔̦̮̩̳̤̺̳̖̔͋̔͊́ͅų̶̡̡̛̛̘̰̻̥̯̭̹̪͎̥̞̍͋̍̀͒͒̏͆̅̎̕͜g̵̛̙̊̀̍̋́̾̑̎̒̑̑͆͝h̴̬̰̜̰̰̀͆͜ͅT̴͕̻͛̋̈̊́͒̓ ̶̺̞͔̗̠̭̻̗̖̗̘̤̅͆̎̽̒̑̊̾͐͑͒̕͜y̵̧͖͔̲͕͓̹̖̭̬͋Ǫ̶̹̖͎̖͓̟͕̈́̾͋͒͂̈͛̚u̶̢̧̬̙͉̒̉̕ ̶͕̳͍͆̂̀̚c̵̞͕̭̘̼̭͍͛̃̌̍̊̑͌̋͑̓̽͛̌͘̚ͅo̸̝̮̗̝͑̀̓̒̓͛̇̊͘͜͝ͅƯ̴̼͈̤͎͂͋̀̇͛̅̋̈͌̍̌̔͘͠ͅL̴̡̧̧̠̼̯͆̈́̐̉̀͊̆͌͘͘D̴̤͊̈́́͂̃͂͗̊̎̉̚͜͝ ̸̢̖̥̱̮̣̰͖̼̗̫̠̈́͒̄́̀̌̽͑́̚͝͝F̸̢̛̯̬̝̠̮̮͕̀͐̀̂̆̾́̈́̈́͘ͅḯ̸̺̙̖̝̳̙̞͓̫̉͊̌̑̾̊͆̊͌̐̉͒͝G̵̪̿̇̇̆̉̐̓̀̄͗͂͛͝h̶̠̾̕ͅt̷̼͒̊̈͘ ̷̡̟͈̗͉̦͎̩̻̼̉̊̌͐͌ͅF̵̛̦̈́̏̎͌̑̒̇̃̅͌͑̅͘Ą̶̣̭̣̗̙̹̲̈́̏̂͐ť̴̨̤͈̪͔̞̩͕͕̭̼̉͛ͅe̶̱͖͂͂̚?̵̡̣͙̣̹̤̬̪̰̿͐̔̏̀̓͊͠ ̵̭̱́̈́̑̍Y̵̮̅̎̚͝ǫ̴̝͖̠̤̠̝͎̯̰̫͊̓̚͘͠ͅͅȖ̸̢͔̩̯̞̩͚̩̪̬̟̩̹̂̔̋͋́̀ͅͅ ̷̗̩̹̺̩͎̭̝̪͇͙̆̊̀̉̓̆͐̇̀̚̕͝W̶̜̫̭̥͉͚͍̽í̵̧̛̛͇̯̙͉̜̩̬̗̙̪͙̀͂̏͐̾͂͐̅̊̀́͝ͅL̸̡̢̳̯̠̰̫̩̃̚L̷͚̭̰̓̉̑̉̉̀͌́ ̸̨̤͍̎̆̐̄͌́̀̀̇̈́̂̔̈́̚͜͜͝r̴̭̥̠̫̥̝͒̅̏͊̏̌̋͜͝Ę̷̭̟̪̐̎G̸̗͆́͐̒́͆͊͒͊̓́̕r̷̡̨̫̦̪͈̭̜͕̺͍͓̥̾̊͐̇̉̓̈́̆̊͝e̵̳̟̠͍̬̭̯̳̯̐̍͌͐́͊͘T̵̡̺͉̗̳̹͖̄̿͌ ̴̞̑͛̍̈̊̽̆̚̕͝͠y̴̺̱͔̳̥̤̝͚̹̤̣̻͔̠͓͊͑̎̇̍̌̇̊̈́̅̏̽̅O̸͒̆͐͂̆̀͐͂̽͜Ű̴̢̧̺͚̟̙̪̯͖̘̫͇̞̭͊͗̏̊̂͠R̵̡̲͔͇̺͐̐̽̓̐̃̓͑͛̒̋͝ ̸̛̲͓̟̔̾̊̄́̄í̸̡̛̹̱̌͂͑̎̒̇ͅṉ̶̢̣͉̦̮̠̞̝͉͑̋̀͑̉̽̇̉̈̌͗ͅS̴̝͖̼͇̈́̄̓̉̕O̵̬̬̖̯̺̲̘͊̾̔͐͜L̸̫̮̠̦͎͈̐̓̂̊͆͐͋̌̐͊͗̔͐ë̵̡̨͚͉́͑̈́͂̾̊͗͆̽̋͘͝ṇ̸̛̝̣̦̥̭͍́͐͑̚C̷̻͇̘͎͐̔̀̀͒͑̐͘͘̕͝͠͝E̶̢̛̞͖̥̲̣͊̔̃̔̈͗̀͘͠͝.̸̘̎͛̀͗̀̔̽̅͗̕͠”̶̘̒́̈͆̃̇̌̇͛
The other heroes came into her vision. Nino Ina yelled something she could not hear as the Outlander was struck with cosmic magic beyond understanding. She saw the queen, Tam Gandr pull Gonathan back, but all was futile. Though no one could see, though they could not perceive, a chill ran down Elizabeth’s spine. Something greater— far greater— turned its gaze upon them, her.
Her grip on Thorn trembled beneath its weight.
“̶̻͓̹͕̤̰̳̮̭̭͎͔̻̓̿͐̏̏̄̾͛͂́͘͝A̸̘̐̍̉̎̄̒͝S̵̞̻̈͐͒̑̏͝ ̴̤͈̺̣̠͙̥̻͔̗̣͉̏̉͌̏̌͝w̴̳̩̯̺͚̝̱̠̹͖̞̪̞͎̾̂̉̂͒̾̃̈͊̎̚ͅĩ̵̜̬͎͉͖̤̼̯̄̊͂̚ͅḼ̷̢̻̯͉͕͚͙̠̻̲̟̎͗͐̆͛̒̈́̈́̆̓̐̐̕ͅL̶̻̺̀̒̔ ̵̣̥͖̟̙̮̅ỳ̵̨̼̣̗̳̖͙͎͓̲͖͙̥̾̋͛̿͐̉͂́̀͠ǫ̵̜̩̼͚̻̠̪̺͉̟̥͇͙̭̌̄͠Ự̸̟̗͚͈̫̲̫̐̌͋̅̓͆̊̀̎̒͝.̸̘̹̖͔̟̙̠̻̱̟̣̗̻̜̭͛̈́̽̽̔̒͛͛̈́͛̽͝͠”̴̢͎̮̱̙̞̺̟͚̗͖̺͒̋̂̉̉̀͘̚͜ͅ
* * *
“Eli… El… beth…! Elizabeth!”
Gasping awake, Elizabeth shot forward, only to slam straight into Gonathan’s head. She groaned, holding her sore face in her hands. “Agh, Sir Gonathan, why?”
“I should be asking you that, Lady Bloodflame!” He exclaimed. “Had I known you’d wake up so violently, I wouldn’t have been so close!”
“I hardly—” She cut herself off. “Wait, where are—”
Elizabeth had her answer the moment her eyes adjusted; they were in the library. Everyone looked disoriented, some better off than others like Peasant the Bae, the Hot Pink One, and… Novella. She turned her gaze away towards the windows, but where she expected to find a distraction, Elizabeth was only met with shock. They were no longer in Libestal.
Forcing herself to her feet, Elizabeth stared at the vast expanse of stars. The blue void was otherworldly; it reminded her of the realm they first awoke in, before they came upon illusory Libestal.
Looking down at herself, however, her outfit for the banquet was replaced with her usual attire, heroes’ cloak reset once more. When Elizabeth checked over Gonathan, even had his usual armaments on. What was going on?
No, no, more importantly…
Where was Nerissa?
Tam Gandr was before Fia, talking to her about something unheard. Fuwawa and Mococo were together, oddly handsy, but they were fine! Sir Immerkind, thank goodness, was being consoled by Pandora and Kiara. She could trust them unconditionally. Mordan Ramsey leaned casually against one of the pillars, no longer relaxed as she was in the banquet, Princess Bijou sat oddly far from Nino Ina and the Hot Pink One. Then against one of the bookshelves—
“Juliet!”
Raising her head at the affectionate nickname, Nerissa gave Elizabeth a small smile. She was further from the rest, taking to one of the shelves behind the pillars. “Romeo…”
Pointedly ignoring how the name made her heart sputter, Elizabeth knelt before her. Also stripped of her banquet dress, her princess seemed fine; no wounds, no magical residue, a bit tired, it seemed, and her hat was back, but that didn’t matter!
“Did that… thing hurt you anywhere I cannot see?” Elizabeth fretted. “I don’t know what magic it used, but if it had done anything—”
“I’m alright,” Nerissa insisted. She took Elizabeth’s hand and squeezed it. “Shouldn’t you be more worried about yourself, my sweet knight? You were one of the hardest hit out of all of us.”
Elizabeth paused. “I was?”
She nodded. “You were the last to wake.”
As if to punctuate Nerissa’s revelation, Fia hopped onto Tam’s shoulders. “Is everyone a bit recovered now?” Elizabeth rose to her feet, assisting Nerissa as she rose. Seeing them nod, the small creature continued. “Thank goodness. I was worried I failed you, my shining stars.”
“You were the one to get us out of there, Fia,” the peasant reminded her before muttering under her breath. “Even if you were the one to put us there in the first place…”
“Do we even know what that entity was?” Mordan Ramsey asked. Their whole evening must have been soured; they were looking forward to living in Libestal for a while.
Fia shook her head. “No, even with all of my memories back now, I don’t know if that was the Origin, or if that was another member of the collective.”
“Wait, all of your memories?” Fuwawa and Mococo asked in unison.
Why is it that when they did that, they sounded eerily… similar?
“Yes, I remember old Libestal, and the Outlander, and…” the plush paused, taking a moment to stare at Sir Immerkind. If dolls were able to move their faces, no doubt, would Fia’s be that of pity. “And my own past as the Princess of Libestal.”
Sir Immerkind stood. “Does that mean…?”
“I am sorry, Sir Immerkind, I am not the same princess you’ve bonded with, but another from a different timeline,” Fia explained. “You see, in my time, there was no longer any swordsman to save me. Before the Curse could die, it hid a fragment of itself in my doll. How ironic, that when it killed my body, my consciousness survived in the same way. This is what you see before you now, a different soul in a tiny doll.”
Silence.
And yet, in that silence, Sir Immerkind approached. She bowed. “It matters not. You are my princess, and that will not change. Command me as you will.”
“Sir Immerkind…” Fia muttered. “Thank you, for your compassion. If I may be honest, I did not expect to grow close to all of you. When I saw you, saw how you were able to destroy his prison— the Outsider’s— and free him… I saw that you could change fate! Perhaps, I thought, you could help me rescue that hero, that Watcher, that Outsider, who was doomed by the foolishness of a rebellious princess.”
“You are no fool, Princess,” Sir Immerkind yet again insisted.
“I know what I am, Sir Immerkind. I wanted to defy fate, but I was wrong,” Fia sighed, but even still held her head high. “We can only hope to change the future! We could not stop the Outsider from being born, but maybe we can stop what he’s trying to do.” Hopping off Tam’s shoulders, Fia faced them all. “Will you join me, my shining stars, in making right a future that went wrong?”
Murmurs rose, fellow heroes exchanging glances and hushed conversations. Kiara stood next to her newly beloved, the two speaking in hushed tones. Tam, the peasant, and the Hot Pink One shared a glance, for once, no animosity between them. Nino Ina simply nodded, resolute.
Next to her, Nerissa asked, “What are your thoughts, Lady Bloodflame?”
Elizabeth looked up at her princess, a twinge of surprise pulling at her. “My thoughts? It is our duty as heroes, no?”
“Yes, that might as well be the answer…”
“What do you—”
Tam stepped forward, stopping Elizabeth from contemplating her words. “We’re with you. We’ll cross time or space if we have to,” she declared, looking over her shoulder towards the rest of them. “This is our fight now too.”
The peasant smirked. “And if we bring along some chaos with us… Well, that’s just in our nature!”
“Because even when it feels like civilization is ending,” the Hot Pink One spoke, “there’s always hope.”
Hope…
Yes, they would always be able to fall back onto hope. Hope for tomorrow, for the future, for righting wrongs. If there was hope for her, surely, there would be hope for all—
“Ah, is that what you think?”
A cold wind blew into the library. Five had separated, and Elizabeth found herself a knight without her princess. For some reason, in her gut, she knew what this was. For some reason, the ring on her finger weighed like stone. There was no denying what this was, and yet, it still rendered her defenseless.
“You think you can just set things right?” Novella, her friend, her enemy, wore a smirk that mocked the gods. Her eyes glowed to the bells of rebellion, her voice challenging. “Fix what’s broken?”
The mighty phoenix stared in confusion.“What?”
A giggle that had turned into her lifeblood and her leash broke the quiet. This was a nightmare, it had to be— Her open gaze was an alluring pink, tempting all with a voice Elizabeth knew she could not resist. “Life’s not that easy, darlings. Haven’t you learned anything from all we’ve been through?”
“The people you trust…” Her sister.
Not her, no no, please—
“The people you admire…” The fluffy one.
Together, they seemed more like twins than anything else, holding hands as if to tell Elizabeth they’d done it. They filled the hole she was only a replacement for. “... they all turn on you eventually.”
The little princess, the one she learned to undo her perceptions for, the one she learned growth and humility from, looked the most pleased of them all. “The darkness in the heart always takes over. Nothing stays pure.”
Nothing stays pure. They were cursed! Of course they were, Nerissa, her sister— they were good! They would not break the bonds of their group simply from a disagreement alone! Th-They had to be! A-And yet, why hadn’t Elizabeth noticed? How could she have missed the signs, the flags, the behaviors pointing towards this shift? Why hadn’t she saved them earlier?
She locked eyes with Nerissa, her flame, her joy, her Juliet, and watched her smile. Soft, impossibly so. That was not the smirk she saw when the Curse controlled them in that dungeon. It was not twisted with hate, not hazed over with the cackling fury of an entity far beyond the shackles of man. No, this smile was familiar. Reserved, only for her. The smile of a princess towards her knight.
“Romeo, oh Romeo…”
“I’m glad we can be together like that then…”
“Oh, my sweet knight.”
“My knight?”
“You are much more suited to the knightly role.”
“You’re falling quite far behind…”
“You say you serve royalty, and you’re calling me princess now. S o will you be loyal to me?”