After Momo crossed over, Yasuo spent the rest of the night performing some kind of ritual to make sure her soul was put to rest.
Veliona hadn't said much since, which was quite unlike her. Levi was also silent, but Aldrich gathered that he was speaking with the dragon in his head. The white in his hair had spread even more now. Aldrich wondered what would happen when it all turned white.
After Yasuo was done, the four of them set out. It was getting dark, but none of them wanted to stay in the town for longer. So they rode through the night. And just as dawn was about to break, the large walls of Yves came into view.
Veliona's somber mood lifted a bit at the sight of it. She rode faster, overtaking the other three. Soon they stood in front of the gates, where the guards saluted as soon as they recognized the princess.
"Your highness!" one exclaimed. "We weren't aware you had left the city. Welcome back."
"I've been gone for days," Veliona pointed out with disdain. "Was there no search party sent out for me?"
Their only response was an exchange of confused looks between themselves.
"I'm sorry, we haven't received any word of this." The guard answered, unsure.
Veliona looked back to see if her friends were hearing what she was. Aldrich gave her a shrug in response. She shook her head with an annoyed sigh. "Never mind this. I'll just ask my father directly."
The guards moved out of the way as Veliona rode into the city angrily. Heading straight to the castle.
"Sorry about that," Aldrich apologized as the three of them rode in after her. "She's just had a long trip."
Yasuo studied the guards as they rode past them. "They believe the princess has been here the entire time. Some form of genjutsu? Or maybe, some other force is at work..."
"What's a 'genjutsu'?" Levi asked.
Yasuo explained the term as the three of them followed after Veliona.
x
By the time they reached the castle themselves Veliona had already gone in. Yasuo stayed behind to help the stable boy with their horses. The boy had told him it was alright but he insisted. A force of habit from his station back home Aldrich assumed.
So Aldrich and Levi went in before him. Aldrich hoped they wouldn't run into his father here, he wasn't quite ready to explain himself to him as well just yet. In fact, he had not given much thought to how he was going to explain going missing all of a sudden for multiple days, and taking the fell dragon's host with him.
Levi stopped in his tracks suddenly, jolting Aldrich back to the present. "What is it?" Aldrich asked.
Levi was staring down one of the many corridors the castle had. "I think I saw someone dart by just now..."
Aldrich shrugged. "It's the royal castle, it was probably an attendant or something."
"It almost looked like Veliona..." Levi said under his breath. Then he shook his head and turned his attention back. "You're probably right. Let's keep going."
A few moments later they were in the king's throne room. Veliona was there already, standing beside him and talking.
"No this isn't just a ploy for attention!" She exclaimed, looking indignant. She saw Aldrich and Levi approaching out of the corner of her eye and looed relieved. "Great, you two are finally here. Would you please tell my father that everything I just said is true."
The king's piercing stare rested on Aldrich. He gulped, all of a sudden he'd have preferred facing his own father. "Y-yes, she was abducted a few days ago. Levi and I witnessed the act so we... went along to save her. There was little time to act so I couldn't inform any of the knights."
He had conveniently left out how he had both failed to stop the princess' abduction in the first place but managed to get both himself and Levi taken as well. Maybe this way he wouldn't get in trouble for taking such a high profile threat like the fell dragon out of the city without any notice.
It seemed the king's focus was on something else though. His eyes narrowed sharply, as if just realizing something. "If what you say is true, that means..."
Veliona leaned in, expectantly. "What? What does it mean."
"Someone has been impersonating you for the past few days." The king enclosed. He shut his eyes, concentrating on something.
"Someone took the princess' place... Why though?" Aldrich thought aloud. "Should I inform the knights to look out for them?"
The king opened his eyes once more. "Don't bother. Whoever they are, they're no longer within the kingdom's walls. And as for what they took... an old sword, gifted to me by an acquaintance from times long past."
The king sighed. "If that is all they were here for then it is of no big importance that we find them anyway. Its quite impressive that they were able to elude even my sights for so long though." He mused.
Veliona crossed her arms, not half as unworried as her father. "Someone was pretending to be me. And no one here noticed." She shook her head. "If not Alyssa I'd have thought at least you would."
The king smiled sheepishly at her, scratching the back of his head. "Oh come now, don't be like that Veli. In my defense, they were quite the actor... Although, maybe going so many days without you going on a tantrum was a bit off character."
She scoffed indignantly, turning away from the king in mock anger. While the king tried to cheer her up, Aldrich and Levi slipped back out of the throne room. They were going to check on Yasuo.
"That person I saw," Levi said as they walked. "That must have been the imposter."
"Yes, must have." Aldrich agreed. He shouldn't have brushed Levi off when he had told him about it. But it was too late now so there wasn't much point in worrying about it.
They found Yasuo wandering through the halls, looking a bit lost and confused. This was nothing like the imperial palace back in Yumekawa, he told them as they rescued him.
"A person able to steal someone's form," Yasuo said, after they finished telling him what they had just learnt. "And well enough to fool even the great king of Yves. Quite impressive."
They took him to meet the king himself. The king thanked him for accompanying the children all the way from Yumekawa. Yasuo accepted the thanks almost reluctantly, saying it was his sworn duty to serve.
"You seem a little bit familiar, have we by chance met before?" The king asked.
Yasuo nodded. "Yes actually. A long while back, before I became one of the emperor's personal retainers."
The conversation was paused when the doors to the throne room were pushed open, Sir Andrius and Sir Alastair walking through. Alastair's subtle glare landed almost immediately on Aldrich. He obviously wanted him to get over there.
So while Andrius joined Yasuo and the king's conversation, Aldrich left Levi and followed his father back down the hall. After a few moments of walking his father stopped right in his tracks, and turned towards him.
This was it, Aldrich thought. He had messed up before but this was by far one of his worst ones.
Except a lecture didn't come. In fact, Alastair didn't say anything. He just pulled Aldrich into a tight hug catching him completely off guard.
"Don't ever disappear like that again." Alastair whispered angrily.
Aldrich was too surprised to speak so he just nodded in response. After a few more seconds Alastair pulled away, clearing his throat and straightening himself up. "Aeris has been asking for you nonstop. She was beginning to drive me up the wall."
Aldrich chuckled lightly. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to take her with me next time."
The sides of his father's mouth curved up ever so slightly. Was that his version of a smile, Aldrich wondered. Maybe he should get kidnapped more often.
"We should return to the throne room." Alastair stated, ending the moment abruptly. He paused before adding; "But... good job getting the princess and dragon back here safely."
Alastair didn't wait to see Aldrich's reaction and started to walk. Aldrich had to jog for a little while after recovering from the compliment to catch up with him.