(Chapter 46 I'm Sorry)
It had been three days since Tempest's trial, and the transformation in the people's attitudes was nothing short of astonishing. What began as hatred and contempt towards him had now shifted to admiration and reverence, painting him as a hero in their eyes. Ra's unexpected appearance at the trial had undoubtedly been a game changer, altering the course of events in ways no one had anticipated.
What was truly remarkable, however, was the Oratrice's decision. Despite seemingly siding with Pierre throughout the proceedings, it had already determined Tempest's innocence even before Ra's intervention.
"Mm... An unfamiliar ceiling..."
Tempest muttered to himself, his voice barely audible. He found himself lying in an unfamiliar bed.
"How long was I out?"
He questioned himself as he sat up in bed, then reached into his pocket, searching for something.
Finally, he pulled the object from his pocket, holding it between his fingers as he raised it to the light. His Pyro Delusion, once marked with the sigil of the Fatui, now bore the emblem of Fontaine.
"Praise the sun..."
Tempest muttered to himself, his face then formed a small smile.
"Where am I anyway?"
Tempest asks himself, and suddenly a knock on the door comes.
"Young Master?"
"Teacher?"
Constantine's voice echoed from outside the door, and after a short while, he entered the room.
"Good, to see you awake, Young Master."
Constantine said with a smile.
"Teacher? How are you out anyway?"
Tempest replied, surprised to see Constantine here when he should be still in the fortress.
"You should ask her that."
Constantine said as he grabbed an envelope in his coat.
"Hm?"
Tempest muttered as he grabbed the envelope in Constantine's hands, he then took out the paper and read it.
"If you have some time, I would like to invite you to my office in the Palais Mermonia. I have a few matters I would like to discuss with you."
Signed Furina.
"What time is it, Teacher?"
"It's midnight, Young Master. Your whole family is here, this is Hotel Debord. Gardon has rented out the entire hotel."
Constantine replied.
"I see, and why are you still awake?"
Tempest asked him with a raised eyebrow.
"I was drinking, outside with Gardon's knights outside, you know what? I already missed the Fortress of Meropide, I felt like a king over there."
Constantine said with an obvious fake sad face.
"I could send you back there if you'd like... Can I borrow that?"
Tempest said with a sigh, he then pointed to the dark cloak, Constantine was wearing.
"Why? It's midnight, where are you going?"
"I'm going to meet her, of course."
Tempest replied as he gestured for Constantine to give him the cloak.
"Can't you do this tomorrow? I don't want to pick you again..."
Constantine said with a sigh as he gave Tempest his cloak.
"I'm not injured, Teacher, I'm fine. I'll be back in an hour or two, everyone is asleep, right?"
Tempest asked him as he put on his cloak, Constantine nodded in response.
"Right, I forgot to ask, how long was I out?"
Tempest asked Constantine.
"I heard from one of the knights that you were asleep for three days and that your fever has subsided. I've also read the newspaper about your trial and regret not seeing Pierre engulfed in flames. Ha!"
Constantine laughed.
"Speaking of Pierre, what happened to him?"
"He was sentenced to life in prison at the Fortress of Meropide. Good riddance. I should have just killed him back in Stormwind."
Constantine replied, and Tempest nodded in satisfaction.
"Guess you're a Paladin now, do you feel anything different? Young Master?"
"No. I feel the same as always... But I feel invigorated, I feel like I can do anything."
Tempest replied he raised his hand to conjure a golden flame in his palm.
"Woah."
Constantine watched in awe as the golden flame danced in Tempest's palm, his reflection visible in its flickering light. Moments later, Tempest extinguished the flame with a swift motion.
"I have to get going before it gets even late."
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"I'm scared of him... He holds so much power... His newly born influence and authority are intimidating, and it makes me feel vulnerable and uneasy."
Furina muttered with a hint of fear and trepidation in her voice, her words revealing her concern for Tempest's newfound power.
Over three days, Furina felt an overwhelming sense of anxiety gripping her soul. The unexpected and terrifying appearance of Ra at Tempest's trial sent shivers down her spine and left her questioning the potential impact of their encounter.
Her mind was torn in two, caught between the possibilities of Tempest becoming her greatest ally or one day, becoming an insurmountable obstacle threatening to expose her false identity.
"First off, I think it's important that I at least apologize to him for not speaking to him personally. I have already dismissed his actions in Stormwind and had his friend freed from the Fortress of Meropide, but is there more I should do?"
Furina expressed her thoughts aloud, her finger tapping on the table, as she thought of something.
*Knock knock knock*
"Huh?"
Furina turned around to see a messenger hawk knocking at her window, a piece of paper clutched in its beak.
"A bird?"
Furina muttered to herself as she approached the window. With a careful hand, she opened it and gently took the piece of paper from the hawk's beak.
"Good evening, My Lady. My deepest apologies if I wake you up, if you'd like to meet, I am currently behind the Palais Mermonia."
Signed Tempest.
"He has awaken?"
Furina muttered to herself as she swiftly grabbed a pen from her table. Turning the paper over, she wrote, 'I'll be there,' on the back before handing it back to the hawk.
"Please, deliver this to him."
Furina said to the hawk, and the hawk gently took the paper on its beak, before flying off.
*Caw!*
Furina took a deep breath to steady herself. She retrieved a small box from her office table and then made her way out of the office. Heading to the elevator, she prepared herself for the meeting with Tempest outside.
'Calm down, he's still Tempest, I'm not talking to Ra. He doesn't know my true identity... It's still the same Tempest I helped back then. There's no need to panic or worry... I need to remain composed and focused.'
Furina gently reminded herself, taking a deep breath to steady her racing thoughts and emotions.
Furina then opened the door leading to the back of the Palais Mermonia. There, she found Tempest standing alone near the closed aquabus lane, his gaze focused on the distant ocean.
"Tempest..."
"My Lady."
Tempest turned around to see Furina, he bowed his head shortly, his face still unreadable and emotionless as ever.
"It's great to see you well. I'm glad you're doing alright after everything that has happened."
Furina spoke with a sincere and caring tone.
"I'm really so-"
"Lady Furina, I'm sorry for everything, I have done, that day you've saved me, I should've at least told you what I was planning."
Tempest apologized first before Furina could.
"H-Huh? N-No! Tempest, I should be the one apologizing... I should have at least tried to talk to you before your trial. Instead, when I heard the news, I immediately thought you were just like any other Proudmoore, greedy and hungry for power. I didn't give you a chance to defend yourself, and I immediately thought you were guilty without even speaking to you first. I'm so sorry..."
Furina's voice quivered with guilt and self-realization as she spoke to Tempest, admitting her own fault and rash judgment.
"My Lady..."
"I thought you had broken your word to me, Tempest, but I was just being rash and quick to make decisions. Even the Oratrice, the nation's justice mechanism, pronounced you not guilty, and Ra himself, informed everyone that you weren't guilty. Yet, I was the last person to know you weren't guilty. I realize now that my judgment was clouded by my prejudice."
Furina admitted her guilt and remorse with a hint of frustration in her voice, her words tinged with a pang of regret for her hasty judgment.
"I'm sorry for everything, Tempest."
Furina concluded, lowering her head in regret.
"My Lady, please don't speak to me this way... I'm the one who is truly at fault. Hundreds of people didn't have to lose their lives because of me. I originally had a different plan for my uprising, one that might have spared them. But I abandoned it because it would have put your life in danger."
Tempest approached Furina.
"Huh? What do you mean? Tempest?"
Furina looked up to Tempest.
"I was faced with two choices, to either confront my Father's army head-on or to initiate my uprising during his name day celebration."
Tempest took a deep breath before continuing.
"The first option involved sacrificing hundreds of soldiers to hold off my Father's army until my Uncle could arrive with reinforcements. I knew this plan would likely land me in court afterward. The second option was to start my uprising during my Father's coup against you, risking your life in the process. If I had successfully stopped him then, I would have been hailed as a hero. But I chose the first plan because I couldn't bear the thought of putting you in danger. I sacrificed hundreds of lives because I refused to use you as a pawn, My Lady."
Tempest concluded his explanation, his voice heavy with regret. Furina's eyes widened in response, shock, and disbelief washing over her as she grasped the full weight of the plan he had discarded. The realization of what could have been left her momentarily speechless.
'I had originally planned on bringing a few escorts with me during his name day. However, I have no doubt my identity would have most likely been known if Tempest had gone through with his original plan'
Furina thought to herself, her inner voice filled with relief and foresight at the potential consequences of Tempest's original plan.
"Did you... Regret it?"
Furina asked him.
"No, I knew what had to be done, I can't risk the life of the person who saved me, My Lady."
Tempest said, in response a small smile crept on Furina's face.
"Thank you, for choosing me, Tempest."
"It is my duty, My Lady... And I would gladly do it again."
Tempest replied to her, Furina retrieved the small box from her pocket, opened it, and showing to Tempest.
"Few citizens of Fontaine have been granted this honor, but you, Tempest, deserve it. Your actions have been nothing short of honorable, and just like Ra himself has said, you truly are the embodiment of loyalty."
Furina spoke with a sincere and confident tone, her voice filled with a sense of respect and recognition for Tempest's actions.
The badge, shaped like a star with five distinct arms, gleamed as it caught the light. In the center of the star, the proud sigil of Fontaine was prominently displayed.
Tempest knelt down on one knee, bowing his head in humility. Furina stepped closer, carefully taking the badge from the small box she had brought. With a steady hand, she gently affixed it to the collar of Tempest's shirt.
"Tempest Proudmoore, do you wish to serve me, as the Hydro Archon, following in the footsteps of House Proudmoore, who served the previous Hydro Archon, Egeria, 500 years ago?"
Furina looked upon Tempest with a regal aura, her voice filled with a mixture of authority and reassurance as she inquired.
"I do, My Lady."
'I was wrong... Why did I ever think he would be different? He's still the Tempest I know... He never broke his word, in the end.'
Furina thought to herself.
"My Lady."
Tempest stood up.
"Mm?"
"Would you like to take stroll together?"