Fire Emblem: Curse of the Goddess [IC/PG-16/Not Accepting]

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"That is why we seek the Great Dragon. With their help, we might be able to stop Her."

 

"I...see."

 

Ciela tried her best to look calm however she was unsurprisingly unsuccessful in doing so. What Catriona said had given her a lot of things to think about, and it just made her realize just how much was her involvement in this group had been doomed since the start. And truthfully...it all felt a bit too huge for her. Stopping the Goddess? Awakening the Great Dragon from the legends? It was hard to imagine, but she somehow ended up getting tied up into all of this. She was only concerned with her daily life, but somehow now it's as if she was involved with the buildup to something that might shake the continent to its core. No, this definitely wasn't the place for her. It's just way too much for Ciela.

 

The two didn't go straight to where Ciela bought the bathtub earlier that day, and instead went into the marketplace itself. Remy was still feeling uneasy with her condition and the potential of the earlier event to happen again, and tensely watched over the mule behind him at moments. Seeing him like that made Ciela felt some guilt, and she wished that she could talk to him for a bit now, at least just to ease him and convince him that everything would be alright. Although...Remy would know that she's lying if she told him that. Perhaps she should spend some time with him later, or take him over a night walk. But...wouldn't they leave the group anyway sooner or later? They would have all the time they need together later, and Remy wouldn't have to be this worried by then.

 

"Why did you follow me, Cat? I...I can do this on my own, even like this."

 

Pointless gesture. Cat would definitely disagree that Ciela was in a position to shop on her own, and no amount of convincing would stop her. What was the princess thought about her now, anyway? A burden? She was definitely not looking like she had welcomed her a bit, and as impersonal as always. A potential traitor? She spoke with almost the same tone she had when she not so subtly threatened Edrick earlier after his reveal, and from Cat's perspective, Ciela was still a Pontic, and thus, her enemy. At this rate, no use in trying to convince Cat that Ciela was nothing more than a liability, and the sooner she could get this over with, the better.

 

Even then though, she still had to finish buying these supplies first. Returning towards the merchant where she was going to buy dried meat and cheese, Ciela talked to him as if nothing happened to finish the purchase from earlier. He was visibly concerned of her after what happened, but with her not seeming to acknowledge that event, he didn't bring it up. The rest of the necessary supplies soon were bought without much incidents. With everything done, Ciela headed towards the place where she bought her bathtub, with Cat still on her side. She was done, this was the end. The sooner they could talk about it openly, the better.

Starting the conversation was harder than she thought. It was as if her chest was being pressed on until she could barely breathe. But, even then she couldn't back down anymore.

 

"Cat, I'm sorry. I can't even do a simple thing as shopping without creating an incident. I done nothing but bringing more burden for you in your mission. I just wanted to say that I acknowledge this, I know that I am of no use for you and this group. And...your mission wouldn't want too much Pontics running around near you. Before you kick me out of this as it was inevitable...once again, I need to say sorry for causing you burden due to my selfishness.

 

And...thank you for at least letting me stay for this long despite me not doing much."

 

---

 

"

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

 

Penelope couldn't believe she forgot she didn't ever tell Ciela what they were doing. It was funny, in a way, that they did all this and she had no idea why. Though also...Ciela had injured herself in a cause she didn't know anything about. Granted, it seemed to have been unrelated to their mission, but that didn't get rid of the guilty feeling Penelope had.

 

She was their tactician. All of them. Even Ciela. And she had let one of her troops be injured.

She had to do better. She would do better. Penelope had to focus, to make sure none of them got that badly injured again.

 

Immediately after she made her decision Ciela once again left. Though this time in the company of Catriona. This was worrisome. If they were attacked...but that was unlikely, but Ciela had already been hurt, but...what would she do?

She needed Gunther. He had been gone for so long. Had he been around Penelope would have been able to send him with Catriona and she'd be free from worry. But with him away...

 

Perhaps he had returned to the inn? Or maybe Link knew where he was? Frustrated by her lack of options, Penelope went into the building.

 

"Ho ho ho, and what a merry evening it is. Would you by any chance be related to Link?"

 

"Ah, yes, we are." She was about to give her name but then remembered it might be a bad idea to give it just like that. She was about to try and manipulate this man into showing her the guest list...when he showed it to her. Well, that was easy.

"Oh no. Link doesn't know how to write..."

It took some doing but she was able to decipher her name and she nodded. "Yep, that's me...I don't suppose you saw a man wearing armor come in earlier, did you?"

---

 

“What’s going on?”

 

Link looked...less than well. Gunther was immediately worried. Did someone poison him? Had he always looked this...feral? The Knight couldn't keep his gaze away from that blade, pointed towards him as it was, and he gulped. Before he could speak Dozla boomed out an answer of his own.

 

Gwah ha ha! Looks like you need some sleep, laddie. The name's Dozla, and Sir Gunther here was telling me you might know where Princess L'Arachel is." He paused to let him answer, before hitting his head in realization. "Ha ha ha, here I am asking you before even describing her, though you would know if you saw her. A lady on a white horse, very brave, with green hair. I'm her retainer, you see, and I lost track of her when we fell through this strange rip."

 

"As he said...wait a rip? Er. Well we're looking for...this Princess of his. I thought maybe, being a guard, there would've been some notice about...princess stuff." The more he spoke the dumber he felt he sounded and he glanced down in the floor in shame. "Sorry for waking you."

So ashamed he was that it had completely slipped his mind to tell Link about their own Princess troubles. Though, perhaps that was for the best, Link being in this state something like that probably wouldn't do him any good.

[Wind Rider]

"We'll be relying on you then, Sienna. And yes, I think it's time to leave, Link already booked us some rooms. All we need to do is find the right inn." Sienna nodded and followed along with the group, maybe now Sienna could prove herself to be a capable ally to these people and not some magnet for trouble. She knew the majority of the region like the back of her hand, it would be a simple task, plus her tribe might be able to lend a hand.

 

It wasn't long after until Catriona split off from the group to help Ciela, leaving the rest of the group to gather at the inn.

 

The Polar Express, it certainly was an interesting looking inn, the decorations were definitely appealing and the owner himself was a nice and jolly man. After a kind greeting the man showed the guest list, and it became clear from the... Interesting handwriting that Link put down, that Sienna would be sharing a room with Penelope. "Oh... It looks like we'll be sharing a room Penelope... At least this will give us time to talk now that all that... Craziness is out of the way..." she said giving a friendly but nervous smile.

[King K. Azo]

Apparently, Edrick being part Dragon was a huge deal, and not one that the others liked. What, were they afraid he'd breath fire or something? "If you cause any trouble for us, I won't hesitate to kill you," she said, her voice cold and flat. "You have proven yourself trustworthy so far. Don't give me reason to regret that trust," The princess stated.

"I don't mean to be an insubordinate jabroni, but could you be a bit more specific?" Asura called out. "Do we mean being a burden, causing us to fight against thieves, or making us be forced to stay in a courthouse and be questioned?" he then paused to think. "Or is it a 'betrayal' sort of thing?" .
 
"Hey, my tribe lives in that region. The forest is where we mostly settle at, but the rest of the area is beautiful..." Fox Girl commented. Well, what a nice coincidence. That should be helpful, no doubt.
 
"Really?" Cat asked, interested. "We'll be relying on you then, Sienna. And yes, I think it's time to leave," she replied to Alois' question. Finally!
 
Soon after, Vanessa appeared, guiding the group out of the city hall. She was silent, like Link. She seemed to give off a certain vibe.... Like Link. It took everything Asura had to resist the urge to shout "FIGHT ME!!".
 
When they got outside, it was easy to see the sky was darkening. That made Asura a bit mad. Wasted a whole day... "Link already booked us some rooms. All we need to do is find the right inn." Well, at the very least, it didn't take long to find that building. They soon found the right building. As they stood in front of it, however, Ciela pitched a fit atop of her horse, cursing a thief for a...missing bathtub? Catriona glanced at Asura. "What is she talking about?" Asura groaned to himself.

"You mean to tell me you had a bathtub and the thief was able to steal it without me noticing?!" He just wanted to scream right now. "My pride, my honor, and my self worth is wounded... I'm going to bed...,"

Looking over the list, he saw that he was bunking with Edrick again. Well, it could have been a lot worse. With a sigh, he walked off in an attempt to find the room he would be sleeping in.

[Asriel Dreemurr]

On the whole, the party's reaction to his revelation was much better than Edrick had expected it would be. Though at the same time it was in some cases exactly as he'd expected. Sienna acted as if she hadn't even heard it, which was understandable given that the news Catriona had delivered to them was far more pressing in her mind than it was with the others. She might not even have known who his father and uncle were anyways, much like Asura. Again that made sense, as they hadn't exactly been involved in any campaigns into or against Locris. Alois was almost humorous, and if he had less of a sense for how grave the situation was Edrick might well have laughed aloud at it. Of course, the other three had more notable reactions.
 
"...This is a bit too much for me to process. Just...who are you guys actually and what are you guys going to do now anyway? No...maybe don't answer now. I'd rather if we can get a place to rest now. And uh, congrats Sienna for not being a killer. I hope the real killer won't appear tonight in our sleep or something." Ciela was, fairly obviously overwhelmed by it in combination with the rest of what had happened that day. He couldn't get much of a read on what she thought of things. In fact she seemed confused more than anything, which made sense.
 
"Why...why...why don't you even know how to wear armor then!?" That was not what he had expected from the younger of the princesses when she turned on him, anger burning in her eyes. In fact the question left him stunned for a moment, which was just long enough for Penelope to turn her back on him. It could have been a dismissive gesture, but given the fact that he was quite obviously armed, and thus dangerous to dismiss, he took it for the sign of trust it was meant as. He was just about to offer an explanation on his part, when the only one of them who was reacting predictably rounded on him. However angry she was, and however much better a fighter than him she was, he couldn't help but find her attempts at being intimidating just a little funny when she was so much smaller than him.

"If you cause any trouble for us, I won't hesitate to kill you." He did find it somewhat funny how so small a detail as his name could change things. They weren't any more opposed now than they were before. He understood why, but it was still humorous to him. "You have proven yourself trustworthy so far. Don't give me a reason to regret that trust." And that was the explanation behind how, if his name and family relations made such a difference, he was not being killed here and now. Well not everyone could have the benefit of owing their life to someone whom they might otherwise be obliged to kill. In any case, while she turned away, he took a moment to gather his thoughts and once more decide upon a response to Penelope's question. Asura, however, voiced his offense at the reaction to his origins.

 

"I don't mean to be an insubordinate jabroni, but could you be a bit more specific? Do we mean being a burden, causing us to fight against thieves, or making us stay in a courthouse to be questioned?" Well...that certainly highlighted some of the contributions they'd all made to the group. His included. "Or is it more of a 'betrayal' sort of thing?" And that made it clear that Asura had, well and truly, no idea about what was said. Alright. Explanation time.

 

"Okay. Short version. My Father and Uncle are heroes from the war against Galtea, who gained their fame through, among other things, being some of the finest and fiercest warriors the homeland could bring to bear against those whom we fought. My Uncle Eragon in particular killed the old king Lysander Icemane, and was himself killed by the the current king Reginald. You could say there's some bad blood between our families." Understatement of the century that was. Of course before there was to be any response, they were escorted out of city hall. Really, it didn't seem to be the right time for any of them to talk more on the subject. Once they were outside, Catriona and Ciela made a quick departure from the rest of the group. Edrick thought little of it at first, and then a thought occurred to him. "I'm going with them, I'll see you at the inn." He told the group, before making a quick dash after the pair of women. He really was quite quick on his feet. Once he got within range that he was sure the two had noticed him, he called out. "I'm coming with you for two reasons. One," he held up the index finger on his right hand, "I want to look for my horse. Two," his middle finger joined it, "I want to see if we can find some salt-cured mutton and candied beets. I can make one hell of a stew with those." Really, he wasn't that shaken by the death threat in the first place. If it happened it happened, and he would just be an opportunity for them all to see Inera's glory made manifest.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

 

"Oh... It looks like we'll be sharing a room Penelope... At least this will give us time to talk now that all that... Craziness is out of the way..."

 

Soon after Penelope asked the strange, jolly, man about Gunther Sienna spoke up. Penelope hadn't really noticed it before but she had been put in a room with her. She wondered at Link's reasoning for it. Did that show how much he trusted the new people, to put them in a room with the Princesses? Or perhaps he overlooked it. She'd have to scold him later about his tactical failure...and his atrocious writing.

Penelope found she was looking forward to lecturing him.

 

But first she had to respond to Sienna. She smiled at the jolly man to make sure he knew she was still wanting an answer, and was still listening, after all she did need to know where Gunther was. Especially as Catriona was now along with Ciela, who used staffs, and Edrick, the Pontic. She should probably scold herself for allowing such a thing. At least in this case they were in public. And Catriona wouldn't lose to anyone just like that.

First, though, she would respond to the fox girl.

 

"Yes, that would be quite enjoyable." Her eyes flashed with scientific glee. She wanted to know everything she could find out about Proteans.

Everything.

"I hope you're not too shy. I intend to learn all that I can about your species. Every last bit!" Penelope said, without intending anything bad, but, once it was said, realized how it could be taken. She decided not to correct herself and just see how the girl would react, instead.

[Sethera]

Soon after Catriona spoke her warning to Edrick, Asura called out from the side. "I don't mean to be an insubordinate a******, but could you be a bit more specific? Do we mean being a burden, causing us to fight against thieves, or making us be forced to stay in a courthouse and be questioned?" he then paused to think. "Or is it a 'betrayal' sort of thing?"

 

Despite herself, the princess found herself smiling at his forthright honesty. She was about to explain herself when Edrick did so for her. "Okay. Short version. My Father and Uncle are heroes from the war against Galtea, who gained their fame through, among other things, being some of the finest and fiercest warriors the homeland could bring to bear against those whom we fought. My Uncle Eragon in particular killed the old king Lysander Icemane, and was himself killed by the the current king Reginald. You could say there's some bad blood between our families."

 

Catriona gave no outward reaction. She had never met her grandfather, so there was no emotion associated with his death. However, her father, on the other hand...well, he had been furious, among other things. There had been many things he had taught her, one of them being to "Never trust a Pontic, for they would sacrifice their own child for their accursed goddess." Edrick hadn't shown any interest in such matters, but he had shown himself to be quite...zealous, where it concerned Her.

 

Later on, after asking the swordsman what was going on, he groaned a reply. "You mean to tell me you had a bathtub and the thief was able to steal it without me noticing?!" He looked...very frustrated. "My pride, my honor, and my self worth is wounded... I'm going to bed..." he turned away, supposedly to find a room at the building they stood in front of.

 

After Catriona had explained the nature of their quest to Ciela, the girl seemed a bit overwhelmed. Perhaps it had been a bit much for her to take in, but she'd rather she know what she was walking into. They both walked toward the marketplace, and even the princess noticed how much the horse seemed on edge. However, there was somebody who seemed even more on edge.

 

"Why did you follow me, Cat? I...I can do this on my own, even like this."

 

Her words were lost amidst the pounding of footsteps, and the sudden arrival of Edrick, the other Pontic. Catriona felt a bit wary being alone with two Pontics, but her initial caution faded to tolerant calm after remembering just who they were. Edrick, who, while related to some fairly infamous characters, had shown a surprising level of reliability, and Ciela, who had crippled herself helping the party.

 

"I'm coming with you for two reasons. One," the farm boy held up the index finger on his right hand, "I want to look for my horse. Two," his middle finger joined it, "I want to see if we can find some salt-cured mutton and candied beets. I can make one hell of a stew with those."

 

"Oh...that's fine," Catriona said at last, expression bemused. She had forgotten about his horse amidst all of this, though the stew sounded delicious. She supposed she should be worried he'd poison them all somehow, but that wasn't really the Pontic way. No, that was what Isauria was known for. "Hopefully you find them, the horse and the foodstuffs," she elucidated, tone awkward.

 

They went to a merchant selling dried meat and cheese. There, Edrick found his salt-cured mutton, though the man had shaken his head, both to having seen the horse, and to the candied beets. They did manage to find the candied beets, and the rest of what Ciela was looking for, aside from the wooden bathtub. For herself, Catriona bought another sword-polishing kit, complete with special oils and cloths. One could never have too many, after all. She also bought a lance repair kit for Edrick, as she wasn't sure if he had one, and some bandages for Ciela.

 

Eventually, they started walking again, presumably toward the merchant selling the wooden bathtub. I wonder if wooden bathtubs are all they sell there, or if they sell woodwork in general. Not that that mattered much. Beside her, Ciela spoke.

 

"Cat, I'm sorry. I can't even do a simple thing as shopping without creating an incident. I done nothing but bringing more burden for you in your mission. I just wanted to say that I acknowledge this, I know that I am of no use for you and this group. And...your mission wouldn't want too much Pontics running around near you. Before you kick me out of this as it was inevitable...once again, I need to say sorry for causing you burden due to my selfishness.

 

And...thank you for at least letting me stay for this long despite me not doing much."

 

The white-haired woman turned toward her in surprise, then looked at Edrick as if to say, "help me." She wasn't the most adept in social situations, and this definitely seemed like one. "I..." she spoke. "I do not know where you received that notion, that you were a burden. Your healing skills have been invaluable so far, despite your origins. If you desire to stay in the group, then you are...more than welcome to." Not the best way to phrase things, perhaps, but they were her honest thoughts.

 

--

 

 

"Yep, that's me...I don't suppose you saw a man wearing armor come in earlier, did you?"

 

"Ahh, I thought so. Not too many travelers here at the moment. And yes, I did see an armored man come in. Blond hair, looked pretty stressed, next to a friendly man with a green beard. Said they were here to see Link. Know either of them then?" the red-cheeked man gave another jolly laugh.

 

--

 

This "Link" fellow hadn't replied yet. He seemed a bit out of it though. Dozla looked at him. "You sure he'll be able to help us, laddie?" he asked Gunther. "Doesn't look like he's been awake for most of the day, ha ha!"

[Alaina]

 

As the group had all come to their own kind of terms with Edrick's revelation, they were just about to move out. And so, leaving behind the waiting area they had been put into, the group followed the same green haired guard that had lead them into the room to begin with out of it. No longer having to do much for the rest of the day, the group simply had to find the inn that Link had been sent off to find, and thus they started to make their way away from there. For whatever reason, Bluehead had seemed to want to go shopping and had apparently lost a bathtub earlier, which how one both carried and lost that was beyond him, and the princess had gone to follow after her. With that, the group of four stood outside the inn they knew to be the correct building and walked in. 

 

Going into it, they were greeted both a very holly and jolly man who seemed to very much enjoy everyone who walked through this building. As they confirmed that this wa indeed the place they were staying, seeing their names written down on a list the fighter raised his eyebrow saying, "Aloys?" That was a new one. Regardless, he seemed to be sharing a room with the flower faced knight, as per last time. Before going to check out his own room, Asura seemed to be incredibly frustrated by the day's events, huffing off to bed, Eddy had gone off to go shopping or something, and so that just left Alois with the littler princess and the fox girl. As the festively spirited inn keeper told them that flower face was indeed here with someone else. 

 

While the princess seemed to be eager to examine and inspect the fox girl, Alois got a slightly creepy vibe from it as well. While he was about to make a joke about her making sure all the fur remained on her body, he figured the girl had probably been tormented enough for one day and instead said, "well, I'll go check on our knight friend then." With that, he walked away from the duo, going up the stairs. As he looked around the hall, he saw the room he was supposed to be staying in was already open, and there was someone partially sticking out of it. Walking over to it, he saw that everyone he had been looking for was indeed in that room saying almost entirely nonchalantly, "oh hey G-man, how was your day?" He then saw the green haired man, shorter than Alois though with arms roughly as wide, being somewhat astounded by the sight looking back to the knight. With a bit of a quizzical expression saying, "I see you've made a friend?" He then looked past both of them to see Link, who didn't appear the most cognizant wondering just what indeed was going on. 

[Hakima]

---

---

"Gwah ha ha! Looks like you need some sleep, laddie. The name's Dozla, and Sir Gunther here was telling me you might know where Princess L'Arachel is,” the green-haired dwarf shouted. Link involuntarily took a step backwards, but didn’t lower his sword. Instinctively, he sized up his potential opponent. The stocky warrior unquestionably held the advantage in strength (his arms were basically tree trunks of corded muscle), but his armor left openings such as his arms, armpits, and throat. That in combination with the wicked axe strapped across his back that, while definitely intimidating, was probably slow, and Link thought he stood a chance if he was light on his feet.

 

The dwarf suddenly smacked himself in the head, and Link jumped, ready to strike if he had moved for his axe. "Ha ha ha, here I am asking you before even describing her, though you would know if you saw her. A lady on a white horse, very brave, with green hair. I'm her retainer, you see, and I lost track of her when we fell through this strange rip.”

 

Link hesitated. What was he talking about? Retainer… the term sounded familiar. It was… something to do with high ranking nobilities personal guardians. He had heard the term passed between Anais and Catriona before, back at the border, but that felt like a lifetime age and he had always tried not to intrude on those conversations. They reminded him that when everything was said and done, and the last shot was fired, it wouldn’t matter how long he had known them. They would return to the nobility of Galtea, because they both had lives to resume and families to go home to and he didn’t. He was just Link, the blacksmith’s son, and everyone that had cared about him was gone. He shook his head almost imperceptibly, banishing the thoughts, and glanced to Gunther for an explanation.

 

"As he said...wait a rip? Er. Well we're looking for...this Princess of his. I thought maybe, being a guard, there would've been some notice about...princess stuff."

 

Link couldn’t help but feel exasperated. Gunther had woken him up for this? He frowned at the Knight, ignoring the urge to snap at him about ‘what, do you think we have some magical post-it board?’. Gunther hadn’t done anything wrong, aside from being unaware how the City Guard of Sector 3 operated. Pegasus Knights were the only plausible method of communicating with the other sectors, but most of the time, they had better things to do than deliver notes to Sector 1 about another petty thief who had ditched town when they were in trouble.

 

Besides, Link doubted that a princess being found was something that would have been disclosed to him, even if communication was easy.

 

He put his sword away as Dozla started to speak. "You sure he'll be able to help us, laddie?" the dwarf asked Gunther. "Doesn't look like he's been awake for most of the day, ha ha!"

 

Link narrowed his eyes slightly. What was that supposed to mean? He opened his mouth to speak, to say something in reply to Dozla, when Alois suddenly appeared and proceeded to interject himself into the scenario. "I see you've made a friend?" he asked.

 

Link ignored him. “Gunther,” he started softly. He wanted to say so many things, but none of them were acceptable to say to your superior, so he forced down his irritation and spoke slowly.“Where are our princesses?”

[King K. Azo]

Asura wasn't expecting an answer to why everyone was on edge around Edrick, but he got one, which was thoughtful of the farm boy. 

 

"Okay. Short version. My Father and Uncle are heroes from the war against Galtea, who gained their fame through, among other things, being some of the finest and fiercest warriors the homeland could bring to bear against those whom we fought. My Uncle Eragon in particular killed the old king Lysander Icemane, and was himself killed by the the current king Reginald. You could say there's some bad blood between our families." Asura nodded and listened to the story. A great warrior like that had a child that only worked on the farm? Weird. Still, Asura did have a response for this.

"Neat," He stated before he climbed the stairs. Asura never understood family grudges. Well, that wasn't entirely true. He understood why someone would want to kill this 'Eragon' for killing their grandfather... but Edrick wasn't Eragon. Why would you take out your anger on the person that did it? Killing someone that had nothing to do with it would solve nothing, and the person that committed the deed would still be alive. It was just stupid to him.

With a sigh, he got to the rooms and looked around. Which one was his...? It didn't matter, did it? He opened the door of an unlocked room and walked in, flopping face-first into the first empty bed he saw. He needed some rest...

[Asriel Dreemurr]

Edrick was not especially surprised that there was no sign, or really even any word, of his horse. He hadn't heard any word of her in the year since he'd left home, and while Ithome was certainly a large enough city for someone to know about Elba he would probably have been more surprised if he had gotten word. If he'd actually seen her, well, he would not have been able to avoid causing trouble so maybe it was just as well that he did not. On the other hand, he'd managed to acquire several pounds of both the cured mutton and candied beets. He had the rest of what he'd need, his mother hadn't let him leave home without some traditional Pontic spices, or else he could find it in the wild. The only real question was whether or not they had a pot large enough to cook enough for the entire party in it. 

 

"Cat, I'm sorry. I can't even do a simple thing as shopping without creating an incident. I done nothing but bringing more burden for you in your mission. I just wanted to say that I acknowledge this, I know that I am of no use for you and this group. And...your mission wouldn't want too much Pontics running around near you. Before you kick me out of this as it was inevitable...once again, I need to say sorry for causing you burden due to my selfishness. And...thank you for at least letting me stay for this long despite me not doing much." And there was Ciela dropping a bomb like that on them. A fairly confusing bomb, if Edrick were to say so. Catriona seemed just as confused as to how to take this when she looked at him. After her somewhat awkwardly phrased response, well, Edrick had a few words to say. 

"Soră, you aren't a burden. You are a necessary part of the group, especially with your healing skills. And...besides that you aren't even Pontic. Why are you worried about that?" Edrick really wasn't fond of lies being told, and since Ciela was busy claiming to be one he felt he might as well get the truth out. "I mean, you would never pass for one to anyone who's seen us without helmets on. Blue isn't exactly a hair color you see in the Motherland."

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"I..." After a silence that felt everlasting, Catriona finally replied to her. "I do not know where you received that notion, that you were a burden. Your healing skills have been invaluable so far, despite your origins. If you desire to stay in the group, then you are...more than welcome to."

 

Ciela's grip tightened on Remy, who noticed how much the girl had tensed up from Catriona's words. Edrick's presence there was not helping, and perhaps Ciela thought that he would expose her lie and only made the situation worse. It was hard to read what was going on inside of her mind as she stared blankly at her partner. A grunt left her throat, and it was then that she finally spoke again. Her voice was charged with emotion as she practically lashed out.

 

"Invaluable? I haven't even done any significant healing! All I do are prettying up scars and healing scratch wound. You guys are better off using vulneraries and ointments rather than forcing yourselves to tolerate my presence here. You're going to Pelinna soon anyway, you won't like having a cripple dragging you down.

 

I...I don't need your pity. I have Remy with me. We've been together for long, we'll survive the next few years without issues. I don't want you to force yourself to accept me here if you don't want to.

 

I won't hold it against you if you kick me and dismiss me from your group. As long as you're honest about it to me. I'm sick of people tolerating my presence out of politeness. If you don't like me, then just say it! I'm fine being hated! I'm fine being seen as useless! If that is what you really think of me, say it! Just say how terrible of a person I am! I can't do anything against you, so just be honest while I am still here!

 

Please, I just...can you guys just...tell me the truth-"

 

"Soră, you aren't a burden. You are a necessary part of the group, especially with your healing skills. And...besides that you aren't even Pontic. Why are you worried about that?" Ciela's eye went blank before she could finish her sentence. Her expression turned from anger, to defiance, and then complete nothingness as Edrick casually told the truth about her. About her lie. Not that it was one of her best deceptions, but...

 

"I mean, you would never pass for one to anyone who's seen us without helmets on. Blue isn't exactly a hair color you see in the Motherland."

 

...Right. Completely overtaken by shame and embarrassment, as if she had just been laid bare in front of these people, Ciela buried her face into her partner, unable to bring herself to continue her earlier spirited tirade. She had no idea about what would happen anymore after this. Would it be easier if she just say that she quit before Catriona could kick her out? At least it would make her feel better than now. It would be more logical too. Ah, once again she didn't think this thoroughly. Her emotions had taken over her actions. It just that...she couldn't really bring herself to say that she wanted to leave. She liked this group. She needed this group.

 

Yet, no matter how much it would hurt her, she would rather get kicked rather than having them tolerate her presence because they couldn't bring themselves to tell the truth to her.

 

She had cried too much lately. It was hard to cry again now. She wanted to scream. She wanted to let all the emotions she had inside of her out. She couldn't bring herself to. Her embrace on her partner tightened and tightened, as if he was her security blanket. She didn't want to face this shame. She couldn't handle this situation. What she should do? What should she reply to? She wanted to run away. Far, far away. She wanted to be alone with Remy. She wanted to let everything out in front of him. He was the best listener to her problems. She could order him to gallop away now. He should understand. Remy would understand that she really need to run away now. Without thinking about it more, she tapped him lightly like how she usually would, telling him to carry her away.

 

Remy refused to move. Even while he was not tied to the mule now, he didn't budge an inch. Ciela's eye widened in confusion, and the soft gestures turned into harsher and more overt tapping, but he still refused. She was desperate, but he wouldn't listen to her. Realizing that her manic movements would have been noticed by the other two, Ciela lie helplessly on top of her horse, looking defeated. There was no other choice other than facing whatever would happen next. With a dispirited and slightly bitter voice, Ciela finally spoke again, still without turning to face Cat or Edrick.

 

"I'm...I'm sorry."

 

---

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

 

Gunther was about to, quietly of course, tell Dozla off for saying something rude to Link. However before he could, a familiar voice called out.

"oh hey G-man, how was your day?"

Was...was he talking to him? Gunther looked back at Alois and smiled brightly, before blushing at his over-excitement. If Alois was here...they must be alright, right?

"I see you've made a friend?"

Oh, yeah, he supposed he had to explain...

“Where are our princesses?”

A lot.

 

"Right, this is Dozla. And..."

How was he going to explain all of that? His reasoning for doing this was feeling more and more flimsy now that he actually thought about it. Just a product of panic, and a need to do something to be of help for once. But he couldn't say that, right? Especially if it would make Link mad.

But would he be mad? Should he? After all Link left the entire country behind to guard a library...

 

Thankfully he was saved the hassle of answering as Penelope came up the steps. "There you are, Gunther, good. Alois is terrible at holding books. Oh, and, um, Catriona left with Ciela and Edrick to get some things and..."

 

Penelope didn't have to say any more. At the mention of Edrick being alone, with someone who couldn't fight like Ciela, with Catriona, Gunther immediately jerked to attention. "Um, um, I'll explain later. I think I should...go find them..." he looked awkwardly at Dozla. "I'm sorry I couldn't find your princess..."

 

"You're looking for a princess?" Penelope asked Dozla curiously. "Perhaps she's in another castle? Did you know that at least half of the world's princesses end up living in different places than their place of birth?"

[spoiler=OOC Note]This is after Sienna responds to Penelope. Upon seeing her response Penelope would hurry up the stairs where she was told Gunther is.

 

[Hakima]

---

---

Link came to attention as soon as Penelope turned the corner, heels snapping together and left hand rising up to his brow formally. "There you are, Gunther, good. Alois is terrible at holding books. Oh, and, um, Catriona left with Ciela and Edrick to get some things and..." Link’s mind was moving a hundred miles a minute before she could finish what she was saying. Princess Catriona was alone with two Pontics? She could fight, he knew firsthand, but numbers were a strong advantage. On top of that, if someone had managed to find out who she was, it would be an ideal chance to strike.

 

That was something the Garou had taught him, and City Guard had further pounded into his brain: approach a scene like an enemy would. Gunther seemed to realize how problematic the scenario was as well, jumping to attention and saying, "Um, um, I'll explain later. I think I should...go find them..." He hesitated to offer Dozla an apology, which was seemingly the first time Princess Penelope noticed the dwarf, because she addressed him after that. Link stepped up, obstructing Gunther’s path.

 

“I'll go,” he said curtly, addressing Gunther. Then, realizing how disrespectfully that could be taken, he added, “You've been running all day while I've been resting. It's the least I can do." His throat was starting to hurt again, and the more he spoke the more his rural roots began to bleed through into his voice. It was just another reminder how different he was from the rest of the group, how under-educated. It was just another reminder how out of place he was.

 

Without another word, Link scooped up his backpack and slipped out of the room, brushing past Alois. Dwelling on it wouldn’t solve anything. He had a job to do.

[Sethera]

Catriona hadn't realized her words would cause such a storm. Ciela was...highly emotional. In some ways, she didn't know how to handle that. In others, it brought about a nostalgic feeling. At that moment, she reminded the princess of another girl, tears leaking from similar red eyes. The white-haired woman's expression softened. I know she's a Pontic, but...she's also just a girl. Still, she couldn't make the mistake of letting her feelings override her common sense. Forcing down the urge to embrace the younger girl, the white-haired woman listened as she continued, hearing the desperation in every word.

 

Edrick started to reassure Ciela, but then he dropped a rather large fireball on the conversation. "Soră, you aren't a burden. You are a necessary part of the group, especially with your healing skills. And...besides that you aren't even Pontic. Why are you worried about that? I mean, you would never pass for one to anyone who's seen us without helmets on. Blue isn't exactly a hair color you see in the Motherland."

 

Ciela wasn't the only person who froze. So did Catriona. Connections were forged in her brain, and she stared at her with new eyes. "I...see," she said. She wasn't sure why the blue-haired woman had tried to pass herself off as Pontic. Perhaps it was an eccentricity of her? Which...the nobility were well-known for their idiosyncrasies, as well as their haughtiness. While not a spurred knight, Catriona could recognize good steeds when she saw them. Remy was worth a whole estate by himself. Only the greater nobility could ever hope to get a hand on a horse like him. And blue hair...

 

But no. They had all died out. What was she thinking? Shaking her head, the princess looked up when she heard Ciela's voice again. "I'm...I'm sorry."

 

"There is no reason to apologize," the princess replied stiffly. "Though I do not understand why you did not come forward with this information earlier. If you sought to play us like fools, then I must say I do not appreciate it." Though her words were stern, her tone held no reprimand. Instead, it sounded thoughtful, matching her expression. One hides behind a mask only if one has something to hide in the first place. What was this girl hiding? Could it...no. Of course not. That would be...impossible.

 

--

 

There seemed to be something going on here. Apparently there were more princesses than just L'Arachel. Princess Eirika and Tana, maybe? Though, for some strange reason, Dozla felt a princess-like aura from the girl in front of him. Maybe he was getting old...not as keen-eyed as he used to be.

 

This "Link" hadn't seemed too interested in helping him, more's the pity. However, the princess-like girl gave him a good idea. "You're right!" he cheered. "I must say goodbye, then," he nodded to Gunther and the rest. "Likely she's in an evil tower, clearing it of its foes, and I can't miss out on the fun, now can I?" with that, he charged down the stairs, inadvertently following Link before switching directions, charging out of the city itself.

 

A brown-haired man watched him go. "This isn't good," he groaned. "Ah well, I suppose I'll just wander off in the other direction." He admired the compass he had taken off of a tired-looking soldier in green. Compasses were rather rare, and fairly expensive, mainly used as showpieces by the nobility or subjects of study by scholars. Pocketing it, he melted into the background.

 

--

 

Asura would find his rest interrupted by a loud pounding on the door. A slurred male voice grumbled on the other side. "O-puh-en up, w-whyyyy isht thissss door not workkking!" a hiccup. "Gotta...get innn...the damn roommm. Wanna sleeeeeeeeep."

 

--

 

As Link wandered Ithome, he would notice how much darker it was getting. The sun had started to set, and the streets were emptying, though there were still a few late-night shoppers. He would spy three such people, though their expressions didn't look too happy, especially the blue-haired girl's.

 

Nearby, a shopkeeper selling a variety of woodwork, including a large bathtub, spoke up. "Uhh...are you guys going to buy anything? Because I have to close up shop soon."

[Hakima]

---

---

Link slipped into the shadows as easily as donning a well worn cloak. They were comforting, familiar, shrouding him from the prying eyes of curious onlookers and thieves looking for potential targets. He regretted not asking Princess Penelope for more information on what Princess Catriona and Co. were doing, but she had said enough the Galtean soldier could warrant a guess that they would be in the marketplace. With that in mind, Link pulled his cap down to obscure his face more, and set off.

 

Finding the marketplace wasn’t very difficult. In big places like Sector 1 (or really any of the sectors of Ithome), it was mostly just a matter of following the same road long enough, which proved to be the case this time as well. With the sun setting, there wasn’t very much business, which made Link’s job of finding Princess Catriona and Co. much more simple. He was only searching for a few minutes before he found them, mostly thanks to Ciela’s horse, and both the women’s hair colors.

 

Link could tell the atmosphere was tense, but for what reason, he didn’t know. He heard a merchant shout something to them, but he wasn’t close enough to hear what, but that didn’t matter too much. Their shopping habits weren’t his business. He remained mostly in the shadows of the buildings, close enough to them that he could interfere if anything was to go wrong, but far enough away to respect their privacy.

 

No one would notice him unless they were actively looking for him, and that was how he preferred it.

[Wind Rider]

"Yes, that would be quite enjoyable. I hope you're not too shy. I intend to learn all that I can about your species. Every last bit!" Penelope's excitement made Sienna blush a bit.

 

"Shy? Noooo... I'm not shy, heh.... Its not like I've had a cloak over me this whole time trying to hide myself..." she said, muttering the last part under her breath. Sienna looked back to see that Penelope was heading upstairs. "Well... What to do to pass the time?" Her ears twitched under her hood as she thought. "I guess I could head up to the room... This cloak is starting to bother me... Tail's starting to cramp too..." she thought to herself before heading upstairs.

 

While heading up, Sienna noticed others rushing down the stairs and quickly jumped to the side. One of these people was Link and the other was a bearded man with a large axe, Sienna really didn't recognize him but he seemed to be in a hurry, so did Link for that matter. She shrugged as it may not have been her concern and headed up. She gave a nod and friendly smile as she passed Gunther and Penelope and found the room she would be staying in.

 

Once inside she threw off the cloak and untangled her tail. "Finally... Felt like I was being restrained... Note to self... Get a more comfortable cloak..." she mumbled to herself before sitting down on the edge of the bed. "No more troubles today... I can finally relax..." she fell flat on the bed and let out a content sigh.

[Asriel Dreemurr]

Well, this was an absurd situation Edrick found himself in. Ciela was getting upset over events that she imagined and Catriona was being terrible at diffusing the situation. Inera, grant me the strength not to murder my own flock. His hand, the one not gripping his spear, came up to cover his face for a moment while he figured out what to do about this. An idea came to him, and he brought his hand from his face.

 

"Ciela," he turned to look at her atop her horse, "you are not going to be kicked out of this group. De Zeita, girl, if anyone is going to be thrown out it's me. You are a Galtean noble in the company of other Galteans. Beyond that, you have shown that you can heal others. Whether or not you have done it in battle, it's still useful when that rolls around. Who cares if your legs aren't working right now? We'd be a poor party if we let you go over something like that. Besides, I'm pretty sure Remy wants to stay. Don'tcha, boy?" He held out his hand to let the horse smell him after he said that, and then rounded on Catriona. "And you. Isn't it obvious that Ciela's been upset about this whole thing since before we were arrested? And all you can do is just indecisively tell her that you won't let her go? How can you expect her to believe you if you tell her that without even sounding certain yourself? I have an excuse for not knowing how to fight, my father wanted a more peaceful life for his son than he got, but you don't have one for not knowing how to talk to people!" Relising he was ranting, Edrick stopped and took a deep breath. As it happened, that was just about the time that a nearby shop keeper decided to speak up.

"Uhh...are you guys gonna buy anything? Because I have to close up shop soon." He turned to face the man, and discovered that his wares mostly consisted of worked wood. Including a...bathtub? It was useful, but mostly a comfort item. Which...now that he thought of it might be exactly what the group would need in the coming days. That, and it would be useful for keeping fish alive and fresh before they cooked them. So he stepped away from the girls, leaving them to either make up behind him or beat him over the head without his notice. 

"Yeah, how much for the tub? Also we're leaving the city tomorrow, so if you've got anything that'd make carrying it easier then that'd be great."

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"You are a Galtean noble in the company of other Galteans. Beyond that, you have shown that you can heal others. Whether or not you have done it in battle, it's still useful when that rolls around. Who cares if your legs aren't working right now? We'd be a poor party if we let you go over something like that. Besides, I'm pretty sure Remy wants to stay. Don'tcha, boy?"

 

Well, perhaps there's no salvaging this situation.

 

Ciela never put her thought on whether her attempt on crafting a new identity to suit convenience would ever succeed, but it's now kind of really silly how she barely even noticed that she was still acting like a spoiled noble no matter what, painfully obvious one at that. Coupled with her unnatural blue hair, no doubt Cat would have realized the truth now. That was why she asked about it earlier, right? By this point Ciela had little will to think about anything that could happen next. In her face was resignation to fate, and it's not like she could run away from this one this time. SHe tried to let out a weak protest when Edrick said that he would buy the bath tub by himself, but couldn't bear herself to.

 

It was frustrating, it was shameful, but she needed this to end. Ciela wished she could just sleep it out now, and next morning, everything would probably return to normal. Gathering bits of her will that remained, she pushed herself to be upright on top of her partner, and turned to Catriona. She was looking like a mess. She had no idea about the right thing she should do now, but at least, at this point hiding her real identity would be stupid. At the very least, telling her the truth would be her way of showing gratitude.

 

"Yeah...I lied to you all. Edrick's right, I'm not from Pontus, although I was going there since I feel life as a priestess for the goddess would leave me secure for a while.

 

I really am from Galtea. The only reason why I said I was from Pontus in the first place was overhearing Edrick's words that praised the Goddess during that battle a few days ago, and I really needed a traveling group back then due to lack of fund. Ah..."

 

Telling the truth made her feel a bit lighter. Her breathing became more normal, her gaze became somewhat more focused. She took a bit of time to grab something from her bag, and then showed it to Catriona for a split second before hiding it again. Her father's crest. As much as she hated the legacy of her family, she couldn't bring herself to toss that crest. Perhaps it was just due to her inability to escape the bindings of her past.

 

"I am sorry for earlier...I guess at this point, I don't care about anything that would happen next so let me reintroduce myself. I am Ciela Celestinia, third child of Lord Lucati of Mirrahel. I was born and lived most of my life in the confines of my castle, but finally decided to escape with Remy on the day those officers from the Capital came to arrest the Lord.

 

That should be it, yeah."

 

---

[King K. Azo]

 

Asura groaned as the pounding at his door woke him up. Who the hell was it? Well, he supposed it could be Edrick. After all, he had no idea how long he slept. It could simply be a few minutes or a few hours. With a sigh, he sat up slowly, only to hear someone mutter on the other side. 

 

 "O-puh-en up, w-whyyyy isht thissss door not workkking!" followed by a hiccup. "Gotta...get innn...the damn roommm. Wanna sleeeeeeeeep." Welp. He chose the wrong room after all. He was thankful he fell asleep fully clothed for once. He quickly grabbed his friend sword, grabbed his sheet, and climbed out the window. He would rather leave that guy hanging than admit he grabbed the wrong room. After all, his pride has already been pounded into the dirt today. He was not letting it get abused any further. 

With a sigh, he fell to the ground, landing properly as to not injure himself, and leaned against the wall of the inn like nothing happened. He would just wait for Edrick to come back. Asura was just finished with today.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

 

“I'll go. You've been running all day while I've been resting. It's the least I can do."

 

Gunther understood exactly what he meant. "Just leave it to me". Link was being kind in the way he said it, sure, but Gunther knew that's what this was. He wanted to disagree, to make Link let him go, but he had to think of what would be better for the princesses. And Link was far better than Gunther as a protector.

Maybe he should feel relieved, having less pressure put on him, but he couldn't help but feel somewhat empty. His entire reason for being with the group was to guard the princesses. Take that away and what was he?
Perhaps he should start focusing on his cooking more...

 

Penelope nodded to Link, glad that someone would be looking after her idiot sister. "Goodbye strange man, good luck!" She called to Dozla, excited someone seemed to accept her facts.

Her new fox friend was now heading to her, well their, room. Penelope couldn't lose this chance to learn and so she started to follow.

 

Turning back to Gunther she smiled. "I'm glad you're back..." She glanced at Alois. "Hey, while you're here, you should really teach Alois your technique." With that she continued to the room, slowly, as to arrive after Sienna already was in bed.

 

Gunther looked towards Alois, then to where Penelope left, and back to Alois. "Erm. Do you...have any idea what she meant?"

 

As Penelope quietly opened the door she saw Sienna laying on the bed. Perfect. Investigation starts...

Now.

 

She quietly crossed the floor, taking great care not to make a sound. She almost stepped on some creaky floorboards but, through sheer luck, managed to avoid each one that would make more noise. Going like this she was able to reach Sienna's bed without being noticed. She wanted to see how Proteans reacted to surprise and this was the best opportunity to do so.

Leaning closer, closer....Penelope suddenly poked Sienna in the face "Boo!" She shouted.

[Alaina]

 

As soon as Alois had asked Gunther his question, the man seemed incredibly eager as he turned around. Alois assumed he must've just had a good day then? However, his cheery demeanor seemed to turn into one that was probably closer to anxiety as he had to explain what had happened to the man in green that was behind him. As he introduced Dolza, it didn't seem like he was going to get much further than what he had opened up with, and soon enough the littler princess had made her way up the stairs as well. As she told him about what the others were doing, he seemed to immediately shift gears into wanting to go find them. Alois was a bit curious as to what the big issue was, made only more curious as Link seemed to blow past everyone in search of them in the knight's stead. 

 

They were big girls and boy, Alois figured that they could handle shopping of all things...then again last time horse boy had been perusing the city he had been ambushed by thieves. And the blue head had managed to get her leg all kinds of funked up by just shopping. And the last time Cat had gone to generally more recreational places, they were brought into questioning about a murder. Perhaps Link might've been on to something here with needing to watch them. Regardless, the boy simply stood there and watched as both he and the large dwarf man barreled past the group and left the inn. 

 

With the hall now cleaning out of people, the littler princess soon left the two males before going back to her room. "God speed fox face." After muttering that,he looked back to the big man, seeming confused as to what the princess meant by teaching him his "technique." It did not take Alois long to figure out the meaning as he just sighed saying, "it's nothing she wouldn't benefit more from learning herself." Without giving much any context in the matter, Alois simply walked into the room, throwing his stuff to the ground and setting himself down onto the bed. While today felt like it had dragged on for months, Alois knew that it still wasn't over just yet. Though, he still had time to kill, and so he just looked to the man he was rooming with and flatly stated, "so, we managed to get a good lead on where we're going next and thankfully no one was convicted for murder in the process." He then shifted topics back saying, "so what was that all about with the uh, short guy from earlier?"

[Sethera]

"Ciela," Edrick turned to look at the girl atop her horse, "you are not going to be kicked out of this group. De Zeita, girl, if anyone is going to be thrown out it's me. You are a Galtean noble in the company of other Galteans. Beyond that, you have shown that you can heal others. Whether or not you have done it in battle, it's still useful when that rolls around. Who cares if your legs aren't working right now? We'd be a poor party if we let you go over something like that. Besides, I'm pretty sure Remy wants to stay. Don'tcha, boy?" He held out his hand to let the horse smell him after he said that, and then rounded on Catriona. "And you. Isn't it obvious that Ciela's been upset about this whole thing since before we were arrested? And all you can do is just indecisively tell her that you won't let her go? How can you expect her to believe you if you tell her that without even sounding certain yourself? I have an excuse for not knowing how to fight, my father wanted a more peaceful life for his son than he got, but you don't have one for not knowing how to talk to people!" Edrick stopped and took a deep breath.

 

Catriona wasn't sure why the Pontic was yelling at her. She had, after all, attempted to convince Ciela to stay. Though that was before learning that she had hid her origins from the group. Though, to be honest, his words stung. They sounded far too much like her sister's, and for a moment, instead of the farm boy, she saw her gray-haired sibling in front of her. Had she had the chance to speak, she might have said something she would regret later. As it was, a nearby shopkeeper broke the silence in the wake of Edrick's tirade, causing the boy to buy a tub. Still, she couldn't let him think it was fine to berate her so.

 

The salesman gave a fairly cheap price for the tub, eager to be finished and done for the day. He also explained how it was a foldable tub, even performing a demonstration, so they would have no problems transporting it. Overall, a fascinating object.

 

"You overstep yourself," she spoke as they finished. "I did not tell her to leave, nor did I give any indication that she should." Yes, she had been suspicious, but no more than she had been of Edrick, or Sienna. Yet somehow it was her fault that Ciela had taken everything the wrong way. Perhaps she would not have been so offended if the words had not struck so close to home, to her own insecurities in her methods. Yet that was a matter to mull over later.

 

Ciela spoke soon after that. "Yeah...I lied to you all. Edrick's right, I'm not from Pontus, although I was going there since I feel life as a priestess for the goddess would leave me secure for a while.

 

I really am from Galtea. The only reason why I said I was from Pontus in the first place was overhearing Edrick's words that praised the Goddess during that battle a few days ago, and I really needed a traveling group back then due to lack of fund. Ah..."

 

So a half-truth then. And an understandable reason. That was more tasteful to the princess than the thought that she had lied for her own satisfaction. Catriona's eyes softened of their own accord. Then they widened at the sight of a very familiar, very infamous crest. Azure, a cross two wings argent, and over all a grail or, upon a helmet, mantled azure, doubled or. The crest of--

 

"I am sorry for earlier...I guess at this point, I don't care about anything that would happen next so let me reintroduce myself. I am Ciela Celestinia, third child of Lord Lucati of Mirrahel. I was born and lived most of my life in the confines of my castle, but finally decided to escape with Remy on the day those officers from the Capital came to arrest the Lord.

 

That should be it, yeah."

 

So it is true, then, Catriona thought. There was a survivor... It was hard to wrap her head around, that there was an actual living breathing Mirrahel in front of her. They had all been executed for general corruption, according to her father. Though it looked like he had missed one.

 

Now I know why she didn't want to tell anybody, Catriona thought. As the Crown Princess, I could have her imprisoned or executed for sins of the father, though we would have to return to Galtea to do so. Her direct relationship to the former head increases the chances of her being involved somehow, and the likelihood that she'd want revenge. And yet, rather than suspicion, all she could feel was exasperation. "You should not reveal your lineage so carelessly," she scolded. "You are fortunate that none of us hold a grudge against you or your family, that I know of." Both a reassurance and a reprimand, though she couldn't be wholly confident of that fact. Perhaps Alois secretly hid a burning hate for House Mirrahel. Remembering Edrick's words, she added. "My offer has not changed. You are welcome to travel with us, regardless of your origins."

 

After grabbing the bathtub, the trio headed back toward the inn, though Catriona had an unsettling feeling that they weren't alone. However, upon whirling around, she saw nothing. The white-haired princess settled for keeping a wary eye out on the walk back. When they reached the building itself, they would see a familiar myrmidon leaning against the wall outside.

 

Catriona tilted her head. "Asura? Is there something wrong?"

 

--

 

The sun was setting, casting dark shadows over the city square. Hilarion kicked the fountain he stood next to gloomily. "Don't tell me he's going to be square," he grumbled.

[Wind Rider]

'What a nice evening... Just the perfect time to rest... And... Get some sleep...' Sienna thought to herself as she drifted away in the comfort of her bed. In the background, she could hear the tiniest creak of the floor, but she simply dismissed it thinking that people were walking around outside the room. She was just a few moments away from sleeping when a sudden jab to her face and a loud "Boo!" woke her up.

 

"Wah!!" Sienna grabbed her beaststone and jumped into the air, transforming as she landed on the floor. "Who!? What!? Where!? Why!?" she looked around the room frantically, only to realize that the one responsible for the rude awakening was Penelope. "Penelope? You almost gave me a heart attack..." Sienna laid down on the floor with an expression on her fox face that seemed like a combination of embarrassment, shock, and tiredness.

[Maeriberii Haan]

---

 

"You should not reveal your lineage so carelessly, you are fortunate that none of us hold a grudge against you or your family, that I know of."

 

"I did say that I couldn't care less about what happened to me after I revealed this fact. I'm handing my fate to you."

 

Saying her identity openly allowed Ciela to clear her mind somewhat, at least enough to get some grip on herself. Now she had not much to hide from Cat, and that made her feel liberated. Out of all people out there in this world, Ciela felt that Cat was the most deserving to know of this fact. There really was no other time for her to reveal this fact. Though the princess didn't seem to take it fully well, and somewhat confused by it, at least she didn't take it badly.

 

"My offer has not changed. You are welcome to travel with us, regardless of your origins."

 

"...Alright then. I will try my best to contribute to this group. Thank you and...I'm sorry for earlier."

 

Ciela still had several reservations in her mind, but for the time being, Cat seemed to be genuinely serious about her offer. At least, there was no reason for her to lie about this now. Ciela accepted her offer to stay in the group, although during the group's way back to the inn, she still distanced herself somewhat from the others. She gave Edrick a quick thank you for buying her the bathtub and forcefully attempted to pay him for what had been spent for it, and whether it's successful or not, she got the bathtub stored in the stable where she had Remy stay for the night. The two spent a bit of a time together, with Ciela apologizing to her partner about causing him to worry a lot about her that day, and after she brushed him a bit and gave a small kiss to his cheeks, Ciela attempted to crawl out of the stable into the inn.

 

She didn't get so far before someone ended up helping her get in, and her face was positively sour when she asked about her room to the inn owner, quite the jolly person he was. Though, a careful look made her realize that this place was where she chased that damn thief through earlier that day, and the owner and some of the patron seemed to be aware that this was the same girl that did those crazy stunts, especially due to her crippled state. Her face reddened with shame, she insisted on getting to the room on her own. On her way to her room, she passed Catriona and Asura. She thought to herself for a bit, before deciding to speak as she continued her way.

 

"With you knowing the truth, my gratitude to your father still remains. I'll be resting first so see you later."

 

---

 

[spoiler=OOC]

Slight timeline clarification, Ciela went to split near the inn to get Remy into the stable, and she spent some time there with him so she comes to the inn separate from Edrick and Cat.

 

Also, despite what being said here, if anyone ends up picking Ciela up and lifting her to her room, it'll be fine. Tried my best to be ambiguous about that, but I think I kinda failed on that regard. Also Ciela didn't pay enough attention to realize that she shares her room with Cat.