Chapter Text
It was the dawn of a new day. A beautiful clear and orange sky blissing the Quantrio lands, the true name of the Murklands territory. If only it was a day of peace.
Whatever beauty the territory could have possessed upon the peeking of the sun was now over shadowed by the booming force of thunderous combat. Suletta and Sophie clashing their magic with each explosive parring as Sophie sent waves of pallets for Suletta to catch.
The young prince exerting her encapsulating bubbles to contain Sophie’s attack and avoid unnecessary damage. Even going as far as to take her attacks head-on, her body being pushed to an exhausting limit with every blunt burst upon her limbs. Suletta couldn’t go on like this. She needed to end this battle soon for the safety of her people and herself.
Throughout Suletta’s combat style, Sophie could tell there was a level of preservation. A thing unshared by the assailant as she depleted her magical core with every full-scale spell made to subdue Suletta. Sophie had the bloody resolve to end her and yet Suletta felt she could negotiate with her long-time guard.
Afterall, they had been together for a majority of her youth. Their relationship had to hold meaning at least Suletta believed it did. A foolish faith born from her mother’s moral teachings. Even the acolytes of Ariel, who’d raised her during her banishment, reinforced this silly trust in people. No one ever taking the time to teach the prince of the cruel realities of human nature when twisted along the veins of power and control.
There was never a need, since Suletta was a prince by name only. Her existence never meant to hold any position of authority. Never meant to survive for so long.
“Please Sophie, we can sort this out-!”
But Sophie was not like the others. She was no scholar, no politician, and no woman with any real ambitions beyond her role. Sophie was the perfect soldier of the royal family. She didn’t need an identity, her only wish was to stay dedicated to Ericht and be apart of the new age of glory her Emperor would bring.
“Shut up!” Sophie screamed after fumbling an explosive spell that went off in her hands because Suletta had triggered its early detonation.
Tumbling backwards, shaking her right hand from the buzzing sting, her errantly vision hindering her fighting style. Her eyes worsening as they blazed red with blood veins pulsing through the puffed skin surrounding the socket. It was clear she was fighting through the pain and illusions casted upon her.
Suletta was determined to catch her. Genuine concern for her killer as she unleashed another wave of roots to try and ground the warrior still in order to administer a cure. Grasping Sophie’s legs and arms, Suletta forced her into a kneeling bow to get a closer look at her illness. Never once committed to harming Sophie. Instead, Suletta had been studying her symptoms, taking educated guesses on her condition with every reaction Sophie gave her. Sadly, Sophie was too strong for cheap bounding spells.
Baiting Suletta close, Sophie bowed her head low. Waiting until she felt Suletta’s hand on her head before snapping upwards and shooting the second prince directly on her chest. The orbital explosion sending Suletta flying, the prince coughing up blood as Sophie licked her front teeth. Preparing herself to rain down bombshells of spit upon the prince, which all hit.
Suletta could only cover her face and try to recover from Sophie’s cheap trick. Sophie, undoing the bounds on her legs, wasted no time preparing her stronger spells. Taking Suletta’s stunted reaction, Sophie began to summon hundredths of pellets behind her, all seeking Suletta once Sophie unleashed them.
Suletta quickly countered Sophie’s explosives by encapsulating them again in bubbles. Her spell converting the potential threat into simple pops. It was becoming clear Suletta wasn’t just some useless royal sibling, Sophie growled.
If magic wouldn’t work, then Sophie would use brutal strength. Creating a saber with the remaining magic, she lunged at the second prince.
Sophie’s saber being sharp enough to cut through any metals as Suletta’s clothes began to receive cuts by the mere breeze. Before she made any contact with her flesh, Suletta conjured her own shield to take the brutal beating. The shield, surrounding her like a sphere, creaked at every slash and bash Sophie pounded upon her.
“Fight back damn it!!” Sophie seemed almost upset by her lack of malice.
As an experienced soldier, Sophie should have been glad that Suletta was making her execution easier for her. And yet, Sophie wished she could grab Suletta by her collar and shake her until she was a warrior.
“How dare you?!” Sophie screamed at her, “You!! Baring the prince’s mark! Taking Ericht’s kindness for granted!! You, you, you… YOU!!” And Suletta’s shield began to chip at her added aggression.
Sophie’s anger brewing from the mere fact that Suletta resembled Ericht. That Suletta could share blood with her Emperor and proceed to betray everything they held dear. To choose her morbid obsession of a woman belonging to their enemy over her sister that assured her safety. Safety that was undeserved when Suletta murdered her mother. And now this killer wanted to pretend to be a saint? No! Sophie wouldn’t let her.
“Sophie,” Suletta held her shield up with renewed determination, “You’re unwell. Let me examine you… we can work things out without resorting to violence.”
“HA! Don’t you get it!!” Sophie’s magic was reaching its end. Suletta had successfully endured her attacks, but she wasn’t done. She still had room for one final show, “It’s that shitty attitude of yours… you can’t even stand up for yourself… much less for others. It’s why Ericht had to bear it all alone!!”
With her final statement, Sophie had shattered Suletta’s crimson shield. Surprised by her boldness, Suletta reacted a second too slow as Sophie brought her blade down. Taking advantage of the opening to dig her saber deep into Suletta’s chest.
Suletta couldn’t even register the wound. She flicked her hand up, repelling Sophie back with an invisible force field that dragged Sophie a few feet away and dispelled her saber. Sophie gave a short mocking laugh as Suletta touched her injury with shaky hands. Her robes dying quickly with red at the very real wound.
“All this and what do you have to show for it? Your death. … A wife, who’s been having an affair right under your nose,” Sophie laid upon the crumbling ground, “You’re such an idiot… thinking she actually loves you.”
“Don’t speak about Miorine that way!” Suletta choosing Miorine’s honor to defend rather than her own life.
“Haa, really? You… you can ignore your possible death… but your wife’s image, …you can’t ignore that?” She gave a tired pause as her vision blurred. Regretting having ever agreed to babysit the second prince, “… we should have killed that Asticassian sooner… none of this would have happened… if the Mother Empress… hadn’t … forbid it.”
Suletta couldn’t believe her ears, “W-Wait, what?” her hands applying pressure to her wound as she staggered to her.
Sophie vomited black goo, eyes void of light as she waited for Suletta to stand beside her. This was her finale.
Using the remainder of her strength, her life, her magic, she shot up and stabbed Suletta through her stomach with an enhanced hand blade. Suletta saying nothing as she fell forward. Sophie catching her limp body with haggard breath.
“This was… too easy…,” Sophie mocked, “You… really are weak,” And Suletta remained motionless, “I guess… Ericht was the only one to inherit Ariel’s blessing,” Sophie pushed Suletta off. Allowing her body to roll on its side, “I’ll come back… for you all later.” She needed to find a healer and fast before anyone else caught her off guard.
But before she could retreat, Sophie felt a grip around her ankles. Looking down, she saw an earthy hand stationing her still. Surprised, she tried to shake herself free when suddenly another hand snatched her other ankle, another grabbed her calf, and it continued to climb upwards until Sophie was adorn with dozens of hands draining what little strength she had.
“I can’t believe it,” The sudden voice spoke and Sophie searched for her attacker, but found no one in sight, “To think Ericht… the Empress mother… I don’t know anymore.”
Sophie willed another one of her bombs to escape, but she had nothing left to use. She was depleted and all Sophie could do was scream for them to reveal themselves.
“Is it really all true?”
“Who are you?? Show yourself?!”
“Why would she have gained with Miorine’s death? And why did the Empress Mother protect her?”
Sophie growled, “What does it matter?!”
“Speak.”
“SHUT UP!!!”
And Sophie felt the binding of earth hands combine into a large shackle around her torso. Looking towards the owner of these chains, she saw Suletta. The second prince’s eyes brimming with an icy glare, as she stood unhurt and tall.
Her eyes reflecting deep anger, a foreign emotion that didn’t belong upon her features, “To think I welcomed you into my home… that I considered you a friend… yet you and Ericht. I want answers.”
“You’re a fucken idiot if you think I’ll answer to you!” Sophie wiggled. She thought Suletta had died, but those cold icy orbs told her otherwise.
“You will answer or else.”
She couldn’t be defeated by Suletta, “Ericht gave the order to have Miorine killed!! Once the Empress Mother withdraws her support it will only be a matter of time before your precious Asticassian is murdered,” she provoked in another attempt to de-centralize Suletta’s focus, yet Suletta remained unyielding.
Suletta seemed like a whole new person, “You’ve spoken out of line,” and a chill ran down Sophie’s spine.
“Out of line?? That should be my line!!” Sophie gasped, “You’d betray everything for a woman who is plotting behind your back!!” She exposed Miorine in an attempt to buy herself time to figure out how to escape.
Suletta merely stared, towering over her with silence. Sophie had often times stood by Ericht side. Her emperor tall like a grand oak tree and radiating warmth like a protective mother, but Suletta. Suletta felt like a barren mountain, holding no life and oozing death.
She was a monster.
“No,” And Suletta corrected, “My wife wouldn’t betray me. I also promised to protect her,” and she gave Sophie a simple hug. Tightening her hold as Sophie felt her heat expelled from the contact. The first stages of frost bite turning her blue. This was a cold death, “Sophie, I’m sorry,” Suletta whispered her name, “I can’t die here,” and before Sophie could react, Suletta silenced her.
Falling limp in her arms, Suletta carried her with more tenderness. Fighting back the tears as she laid Sophie down, “Thank you… for all your hard work. I’ll deal with things properly from now on.”
There was no time to mourn her loss, the towns people who had been watching from a safe distance came rushing to Suletta with uproars of praises.
“You did it!!” They cheered, overwhelming Suletta as they shook her hand. Touched her torn clothes and sang their approval, “She did it!!” Suletta felt herself being pulled left, right, back, forward as the crowd surrounded her with hopeful eyes.
“Take that, you filthy capital scum!!” The people spatted at Sophie.
“The prince has saved us!”
“Wait isn’t she the second prince… isn’t she, from the capital?”
“No!! She’s one of us now!!”
“She’s bringing back glory to Quantrio!”
“She’s going against the capital?!”
“She’s fighting for Quantrio!!”
“She’s fighting for our justice!”
All of them excited by the ray of hope that Suletta brought, but all Suletta could do was stare at Sophie’s motionless body. Staring at her as if she were still breathing, as if Sophie were still warning her: You can’t protect anybody.
Haunted at the thought that Miorine and Ericht were on opposite sides, Suletta couldn’t remember when the towns people had given her a carriage of supplies to take home.
…
Miorine couldn’t sleep at all as she awaited news about Suletta. Stuck in her safe room, all she could do was watch the cameras and hope that her wife would return to her safe and sound.
Sitting at the center of the display, Miorine sat upon her personal wheelie chair, the screens full of scattered imagery as she observed the soldiers. Taking time to listen in on Chuchu, Guel, and anyone worth spying on for signs of news on her beloved.
Nika also didn’t sleep either. Mostly, because she had to make sure Miorine didn’t attempt another escape. Though it seemed by morning the other had mellowed out. Probably because of her own wariness as the palace remained on high alert. She was sitting in her own chair besides Miorine at the surveillance desk, elbow propped up as she slowly began to close her eyes.
Miorine had remained determined in her spy work allowing Nika the confidence to sneak a small little nap.
The speakers played the selective audio on low. Miorine choosing, one at a time, to listen in as she moved its input around based on which activity seemed promising. This time deciding to spy a bit on Guel, who was watching the front of the palace gates.
It didn’t take long for the promising news to finally reach the two hidden away. The smaller enforcers excitedly announced as they ran to Guel: “The prince is coming!”
Nika snapped her head up, looking to see how her lady would react to the news. Her lady already out the door as Nika scrambled to follow behind her. The doors to the shelter closing automatically as they practically ran to the front gates.
“I’m going to give that woman a piece of my mind!” Miorine spoke as she pulled up the layers of her robe in order to run at full speed. Uncaring if she seemed unkempt, her large relieved smile betraying the pretend sternness she tried to play off.
They had arrived just in time to have Guel intercepting them, “Hold on!” he pulled Miorine back, “Stand back.”
“I heard my wife has return,” Miorine wouldn’t let him control her, “I’m going to her.”
“It’s dangerous,” he warned, “She’s not alone.”
Those were not the right words as Miorine pushed him off her, “Nika, take care of him,” she commanded as she ran pass them.
“M-Miorine!” Nika was shocked by the command. Looking at Guel with an unsure smile as she tried to stop him, but moved out of his way when he narrowed his eyes, “S-Sorry.”
Miorine opened the servant’s door at the front gates with no obstructions, running into the open road and turning her head around for her beloved’s figure. Spotting her a long way away, Miorine sprinted to the edge of the property line. Joyous tears at the ends of her eyes as she waved for Suletta to spot her.
Her lips slowly flattening when she noticed that Suletta was carrying Sophie in her arms. Unable to read her expression, Miorine then caught Aliya riding a wooden carriage filled with supplies appearing out from the horizontal blind spot. The ox pulling this wagon was being guided by a random man and as they approached the palace. Miorine was taken back by the sudden small army of regular folks following Suletta home.
“Miorine!” Guel yanked her back into the palace walls, “I told you it’s dangerous.”
“Why is Suletta with those people??” She questioned him.
“I don’t know.”
Miorine rolled her eyes as she commanded them to open the gates. The soldiers looking at Guel for his final command, to which he gave with a nod. The front gates were pulled wide open as Miorine waited for Suletta to arrive. When they had reached the gate, Miorine could tell something was completely off with Suletta.
Suletta choosing to ignore the concern in her wife’s eyes as she gave a forced smile upon introducing the palace occupants to their new allies, “Everyone, meet our new volunteers.”
Everyone watched with mouths a gap at the lifeless body in her arms, no one taking any interest at the town’s folks brandishing determined loyalty.
Nika pushing forward, clapping her hands over her mouth to hide her gasp, “W-What happened?”
It was the only wrong question. Suletta tightened her hold on Sophie as the crowd behind her answered for her.
Sharing the events through their bias point-of-view as they explained how the capital had tried to wipe out their village when the second prince arrived and challenged their leader to a dual, “She’s rebelling against the capital!” They exaggerated the numbers stating it had been a whole army that Suletta wiped out before effortlessly slaughtering their leader.
All eyes widened at Suletta, who merely ignored their further questioning, “Chuchu, Felsi,” she turned to her captains, “Can I count on you to settle our new friends in?”
Felsi merely gapped at the redhead, unsure what to say or do give the sudden wave of misinformation. It was Chuchu, who nodded. All of the palace original staff suddenly afraid to follow Suletta’s orders since she was apparently rebelling.
“I’ll explain everything soon,” Suletta tried to ease their worries, “For now, please resume your duties as if nothing happened,” they nodded, but they weren’t so sure. Suletta had no time to dwell on it as she moved on, “I’m tired. I’m going to rest. Don’t disturb me.”
Suletta marched on with Sophie in her arms. Miorine followed behind her, whispering questions as the couple left them to deal with the aftermath. Everyone else stunted in place, waiting for Suletta to be out of ear shot before daring to take any sort of action.