In a grand hallway decorated with lavish carpets, magnificent murals and sparkling chandeliers, King Julius sat on his throne, stroking his beard in displeasure. "Say that again, I must have misheard," he demanded of the neatly-dressed servant kneeling in front of him.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Captain Swallow has returned to the Castle and requests an immediate audience."
King Julius frowned. What was going on? Captain Swallow wasn't supposed to return for at least another week. Had something gone wrong with her mission? "Alright, show her in then. Finn, have the Nightwatchers on standby. Everyone else, leave," he commanded with a wave of his hand.
Several minutes later, the throne room's lavish doors swung open, and a woman clad all in white strode in confidently. A nearly featureless white mask covered her face, which was further hidden in the depths of a cowled, bleached snakeskin cloak. White scale armor protected vital areas and a dirty, yellowed cloth was wrapped and tied around a sword that hung at her left hip. The King cocked an eyebrow upon spotting the sword. Was that Bana Laoch? Why was it so tightly covered? Was his hunch about something going wrong with the mission accurate after all?
--
Captain Swallow knelt before the King, following all the proper etiquette by sheer force of will. Waves of cold hatred flooded her mind. Of course, the emotion wasn't her own. However, was Bana Laoch really the Alesha she'd known before? Or just someone who claimed to be? Not only was the hatred flowing from it overwhelming, so much so that she could barely restrain herself from lunging at the King to kill him right this instant, but it didn't feel like it had before. It had felt somehow anguished and rooted in pain before; yet now, it was ruthless in a much more chilling way. It was as if the pain that made it human had been removed, leaving only the intention to kill.
This kind of heartless bloodlust was something the Captain might expect from a hardened villain, not an innocent victim who wanted revenge. In short, it didn't seem like Alesha at all.
That was why, despite her genuine intent to punish the King as the Goddess Toltura had demanded, Captain Edelle hesitated. She wanted to know the truth. "Your Majesty, if I may speak freely?"
"As you wish," the King consented. "Stand and report."
She stood from her kneeling position and gripped Bana Laoch's hilt through the cloth. "Your Majesty, after a certain amount of time hunting, I found myself in the midst of a Colony of Mind Flayers. One of the skills plundered from a certain Flayer there appears to have awakened the consciousness that had previously been sealed inside the sword."
There, she thought, noticing the King's eyebrows furrow as she purposefully ignored the hatred that continued to flow into her from the sword. You know something. You definitely know something.
Continuing her report, she said, "Your Majesty, I mean no disrespect, but is it really true that the Hero Alesha was sent off to a safe place so she could avoid the war? Bana Laoch seems to be under the impression that it was the Hero Alesha, and that she was, in fact, never sent away to safety, but rather turned into a sword under your command. She seems to bear quite the grudge against you, Your Highness."
The King sat up a little straighter in his throne, putting on a more dignified air than usual. "Captain Swallow, tell me, what is the duty of a Swallow Knight?"
"To obey and protect the King, Your Majesty."
"Does the duty of a Swallow Knight include questioning the commands or decisions of the King?"
"No, Your Majesty."
"Then why, Captain Swallow, have you returned from your mission early? Have you betrayed your duty?"
Edelle swallowed. He was right. She had betrayed her duty in returning sooner than she was assigned to do so. Even though it was under the command of an unknown Goddess, an entity far superior to a King, the thought still made her guts squirm. Years of loyalty and faithful adherence to social norms were not so easily overturned; betraying the King felt wrong. Her heart pounded in her chest, knowing what she was about to do.
Speaking loudly and clearly, instead of answering the King, she demanded, "Your Majesty, did you or did you not turn the Hero Alesha into a sword? I must know the answer."
The King huffed in annoyance, clearly not liking that his questions were ignored. Still, he restrained himself, relaxing as if by force. "So what if I did? You overstep your bounds, Captain. I trust you have an excellent reason for this. Do tell."
Her heart sank. It was as she feared. Somewhere in her heart, she'd still been hoping it was someone else who had commanded Alesha to be turned into a sword, perhaps a traitor, or that it wasn't true and Bana Laoch was simply an imposter playing off Edelle's compassionate side. She'd been wishing that, despite her resolve, she wouldn't need to punish the King at the Goddess's command.
At his words, however, something in her bones thrummed, as if to confirm he had spoken the truth. Her forehead burned.
Had this been inevitable from the start?
Captain Swallow flicked the hood off her head and removed her mask -- something she was forbidden to do in front of anyone besides the King. She tossed it aside without a second glance.
Her bright blue eyes glinted with resolve.
"Your Majesty, I am afraid that your actions have offended a Goddess from another world. I am not here as your Captain, but as Edelle LuRoss, a woman tasked with that Goddess's vengeance."