King Alaster and his troops camped in northern Hasurei. They were headed towards the border where Lizardmen had invaded. Now, it was the dead of night, so most soldiers lay in their tents asleep, while some roamed about as guards. Sadrus Rochefeu, the young Lily Knight, was the guards' leader.
King Alaster wasn't asleep, nor was his stepdaughter Alvina Blackthorne or the Lotus Knight Yannou Raveene. They were all in King Alaster's tent. The king was pacing up and down, his steel boots thudding. His forehead was wrinkled in a frown as he clutched a piece of paper – a letter from Her Majesty. Yannou held the same type of letter, which he'd crumpled up in wrath. He barely held himself from throwing it into the bonfire.
The letters contained information about Tama's departure to Drahvelt, saying she impersonated Princess Amida and married the Dragon King. The news angered Yannou so much that he devised a plan to fake surrender to Lizardmen tomorrow and infiltrate Drahvelt. He didn't know what he'd do next, he didn't care. He'd think of something! King Alaster and Alvina barely managed to dissuade him from this crazy plan, so now he sat scowling at the bonfire. King Alaster was no less enraged. He gritted his teeth, unable to believe what he'd read.
"She's gone nuts, that woman!" He snarled, throwing the Queen's letter into the bonfire. "Not only did she do this behind my back but she writes that this plan is beneficial?!" He looked at Yannou. "My thousand apologies to you, your father, and your family wouldn't cover it, boy! I can't express how sorry I am to have let this happen!"
"Please, Your Majesty!" Yannou sprang up, his frown lifting. "It was Her Majesty who sent Tama to Drahvelt! You've done nothing."
"Exactly!" Alaster cried out. "I've done nothing to prevent it! So the fault lies with me too. I swear to you, boy, we'll get your sister back!"
"But how, and when?" Yannou asked. "Judging by these letters, Tama should already be in Drahvelt, and it's far past midnight! Just imagining what that brute of a king might've done with her makes my blood boil!"
He threw the crumpled letter into the bonfire as King Alaster did. But, unlike the king, he kept watching his letter burn with a murderous glare as though it were the Dragon King's head. Alvina's heart churned at his misery. She'd never seen the Lotus Knight, the renowned "Demonborn", so desperate! She could've sworn she glimpsed some tears in his eyes.
"Yannou…" she whispered, placing her hand on his shoulder.
Yannou flinched. The Princess' green eyes shimmered with compassion. He placed his sturdy hand on hers and squeezed it. He sighed, watching the bonfire.
"I can't believe the last thing I told her was that dragons are man-eating beasts!" he said, remembering his conversation with Tama. "I was surprised by all her dragon talk, but now I realise she was just trying to brace herself! She needed my encouragement, and yet I dismissed her troubles!" He placed his hand on his forehead. "How could I be so brazen?!"
"We'll get her back, Yannou!" Alvina clutched his hand. "I promise!"
"Thanks…" Yannou muttered, staring at the fire.
Alvina realised his grief was too deep, so she withdrew, casting her eyes down.
How could Mother do something so awful?! She thought. Sending Tama to Drahvelt in Amida's stead was a stupid idea! I was happy to hear Amida's engagement was cancelled, but I didn't think it entailed this!
Scurries and shouts came from outside, waking Alvina, Yannou, and King Alaster from their thoughts. They looked at the entrance curtains.
"What's going on there?" King Alaster grabbed his Tulip Sword and moved towards the exit.
A guard rushed into their tent, trembling from horror.
"Your Majesty, we're under attack!" he shouted. "The Fisher King has appeared out of the blue! Sir Rochefeu the Lily Knight is trying to hold him off, but the Demon King's powers are too much!"
"What?" King Alaster widened his eyes.
He clutched his chest, where he had an old scar from his first encounter with the Fisher King. He served as a young knight then, with his three friends Rufeus Rosier, Mithras Raveene, and Henry Yvreux. They met the Fisher King in the Lunarian waters but were no match for him. He pierced Alaster's chest with his Moon Rod and thrust their ship out of his territory. Alaster remembered waking up in the Lotus Temple, with his three friends kneeling at his bedside and praying for his life. He survived because Mithras Raveene was desperate enough to bring him to the Lotus Temple after every healer in Hasurei, including those of the Rose Church, proclaimed him beyond saving. Even the Lotus Priestess, Elaine Lotosse, couldn't heal him. It was her daughter, Anne, who did the trick. The most ironic thing was that Elaine Lotosse was the Fisher King's mother and Anne – his sister of similar powers.
"W-Why is the Fisher King here?" King Alaster asked the guard. "We haven't offended Lunaria!"
"But, Commander," Alvina addressed Alaster, turning pale, "isn't the Demon King Tama's uncle? Maybe he's here because_"
Before she'd finished her sentence, Yannou unsheathed his Lotus Sword and stormed out of the tent. King Alaster and Alvina hurried after him, followed by the guard who brought the news.
Outside, the soldiers stood frozen around the campfire, watching Sadrus Rochefeu fighting the Demon King. Sadrus swung his Lily Sword with all his might, but Valkas, the Fisher King, remained unfazed. He hopped around like a butterfly, dodging Sadrus' attacks with an amused smile. He held his hat with one hand and his bony cane with the other, although he didn't employ the latter at all.
"Is that all you've got, boy?" He grinned, bending away from Sadrus' sword. "You fight like a child!"
"You devil!" Sadrus snarled, swinging his Lily Sword.
Valkas tilted his head and avoided the blow yet again. He thrust his cane at Sadrus' feet, tripped him up, and brought him down. He pointed the sharp bottom of his cane at the boy's neck.
"Playtime's over," he said.
Sadrus panted, his limbs shaking and his heart throbbing. He stared at the bottom of the Moon Rod pointed at him. The hook of this deadly cane wasn't even unsheathed, and yet it already threatened to slit his throat! He looked at the Demon King's eyes, which were dark as shadows. He sensed chills through his bones
Yannou was right… He thought. I'm not strong enough!
"Stop!" came Yannou's fierce cry. "Get away from him!"
Yannou, whom Sadrus scorned during their training session, jumped in between him and the Fisher King and made the latter retreat. With the Moon Rod off his neck, Sadrus sighed in relief and stood up, leaning on his Lily Sword since his legs felt like jelly. Yannou covered Sadrus with his body and pointed his Lotus Sword at the Fisher King, no shred of fear on his countenance.
"If you've come as an enemy, I won't hesitate, Uncle!" he shouted.
Sadrus stared at them petrified. Only now he recalled the Fisher King was Yannou's maternal uncle! He snorted.
No wonder he doesn't cower! He glared at Yannou. Show-off…
King Alaster and Alvina had followed Yannou outside. They watched him and the Fisher King, their swords ready in case the Lotus Knight needed their aid. The other troops stood behind them, relieved that the three Flower Knights had joined the scene.
"Relax, I dropped by on business!" Valkas smiled at Yannou. "But your colleague there" – he pointed at Sadrus – "jumped at me, so I thought I'd give him a lesson."
"I jumped at you?!" Sadrus exclaimed from behind Yannou, reassured that the Demon King was no threat. "You appeared out of nowhere in our camp, spreading your ominous shadows! What sort of greeting did you expect?"
"A stronger one," Valkas replied smugly.
Yannou couldn't help smiling at his uncle's jest. Sadrus, on the other hand, grumbled under his breath. The others weren't in such a joking mood, though. The soldiers still appeared frightened, including Alvina. King Alaster furrowed his brow with concern.
"What business could the Fisher King have with us?" he asked.
"Alaster, just the man I needed!" Valkas grinned. "Can the three of you" – he pointed at him, Alvina, and Yannou – "find a more private place for us? My business with you is secretive."
"Oh… Alright," King Alaster said, somewhat perturbed but hoping Yannou's family ties with the Fisher King would be enough to avoid trouble. "You may come to my tent!" he said to Valkas. He turned to Sadrus and the soldiers: "Keep the guard up!"
"Yes, Sir!" they shouted.
King Alaster, Alvina, and Yannou returned to the royal tent, followed by the Fisher King. The latter sat down near the bonfire and put his foot on his other leg in a nonchalant pose. Yannou sat near him, while King Alaster and Alvina settled farther. Alvina seemed especially nervous, hardly believing this shady man was Yannou's uncle.
"I'll get straight to the point," Valkas addressed Alaster. "It's about your daughter, Princess Amida. You and your wife agreed to send her to Lunaria, so I've come to discuss some details regarding the countercurse ritual."
"Oh?" King Alaster clenched his fists with unease. "What details?"
"You know…" Valkas shrugged. "The Shadow God never bestows blessings without a price, and since your daughter suffers from a generational curse, her price must be a blood sacrifice from the pure part of her family… You." He pointed his finger at Alaster, his dark eyes blazing like a demon's. "Luckily, my hook already has your blood, taken from your heart." He smiled, looking at Alaster's chest, where was the scar inflicted by his Moon Rod. "All I need now is your consent to use your life in exchange for your daughter's… because blessings don't work without the victim's consent."
"What?!" Yannou sprang up. "I won't allow it, Uncle! I don't believe Mom agreed to that!"
"She didn't, but it's not up to her," Valkas replied. "Alaster's word is all that matters."
The tip of the Lotus Blade stopped before Valkas' neck. He looked at his nephew, whose blue eyes glinted with rage.
"If you want His Majesty's blood, you'll have to duel me!" Yannou snarled.
"And me!" Alvina stood up, unsheathing her Rose Sword. "I won't allow anyone to take another father from me!"
Her eyes brimmed with tears under her frown. She was terrified of facing the Demon King but was ready to risk it for Alaster, the only father she'd known. Her real father, Rufeus Rosier, died before she was born, so she only knew him from tales and portraits.
"Settle down, both of you!" King Alaster ordered.
The young knights looked at him, to be met by his scowl. They retook their seats at once.
"Sorry for the kids, Fisher King!" Alaster turned to his guest. "I always knew the Shadow God's kindness would require a price… I'm ready!"
"What?" Alvina widened her eyes. "Your Majesty, you can't_"
"I must!" Alaster countered. "It's for my daughter… Her time is growing short. There's no other way." He bitterly smiled, giving Alvina a tender look. "I'd do the same for you, Alvina!"
Tears overflowed from Alvina's eyes. She dashed at Alaster and hugged him.
"Please, Your Majesty," she whimpered, "I can't lose you too!"
Alaster embraced her. Yannou's eyebrows rose in the inner corners with pity. Valkas, on the other hand, was emotionless.
"Can't there be another way?" Yannou asked him. "Come on, Uncle!"
"I'm afraid not," Valkas replied.
He whipped a grey scroll out of his breast pocket and swung it open. It contained a contract written in Demontongue in black ink, but its letters were enchanted to morph into the reader's native language. Valkas handed it to Alaster.
"If you're ready, sign it," he instructed. "Use this plume!"
He took a black raven feather with a razor-sharp tip out of another pocket and gave it to Alaster. The latter let go of Alvina and began reading the contract.
"Can't I sign it?" Alvina looked at Valkas with begging eyes. "Please!"
"Your blood is more precious than mine, Alvina," Alaster said, his eyes on the scroll. "Let me do father's duty!"
"Your blood is useless," Valkas replied coldly. "The victim must belong to the pure part of Princess Amida's family. You, Princess Alvina, are of the Queen's blood, and therefore unfit."
Alaster finished reading the contract. It proclaimed that the undersigned was ready to give up their life in exchange for the cursed person, and mentioned Princess Amida's name. It reassured Alaster that there was no treachery involved unlike in demons' usual contracts. The raven feather contained no ink, but Alaster guessed what he should do. He pricked its sharp tip into his finger and let the feather draw his blood. Valkas smiled at his action.
"I see you know much about demon business," he said.
"After you fatally wounded me in our youth, I made sure to learn," Alaster replied.
He marked his name on the scroll in his blood. Alvina covered her face with her hands, heartbroken to lose another father. Yannou pressed his hands to his forehead, distressed.
How could Uncle do this?! He thought. I can't believe Grandpa allowed it… I hate my Shadow lineage! He snarled, feeling helpless. I betrayed my king and my comrades! I betrayed her… He looked at Alvina. How will I ever face her after this?!
Valkas took the signed contract and made it dissipate into black dust. He also took the raven plume and returned it to his pocket.
"Perfect!" He smiled and stood up. "I've sent the contract to Father, so he'll be ready to perform the countercurse. My son will come to the Vienrose palace in a few days to collect Princess Amida. Now, I'd like a word with my nephew!" He looked at Yannou.
"How dare you smile after what you've just done?!" Yannou gnashed his teeth, jumping up. "I can't believe I'm related to you!"
"Relax!" Valkas rolled his eyes, somewhat hurt. "The contract said nothing about taking Alaster's life."
"Huh?" Yannou raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" Alaster asked. "It said I should be ready to give up on my life!"
"Exactly," Valkas replied, "it said 'be ready'. Your sincere intention was all we needed. Father will use his life force to perform the spell. You won't be harmed. We just needed this contract to circumvent the Shadow laws… to exploit the loophole in our system, so to speak." He looked at Yannou. "Father and I would never break our kids' hearts!"
"Oh…" Yannou's brows lifted. Now, he felt guilty for lashing out. He cast his eyes down. "I… I'm sorry, Uncle," he said.
"You didn't trust me," Valkas scolded him. "You didn't trust your grandfather! Do you think your Shadow blood is evil? You've assimilated too much into the human circle, Yannou!"
"I said I'm sorry!" Yannou frowned. "Give me a break!"
Valkas laughed and rubbed Yannou's head to show his love. Alvina, meanwhile, dashed at King Alaster and hugged him, happy that he was safe. Alaster returned the embrace, squeezing her in his arms.
"Thank you, Fisher King!" he turned to Valkas. "I owe you and the Shadow God!"
"Don't mention it!" Valkas swung his hand. "Goodbye!"
He exited the tent and beckoned Yannou to follow him. Yannou went. They stopped at the campfire illuminating the night. The guards stood farther away.
"What is it?" Yannou asked in Demontongue.
"Have you heard about Tama?" Valkas returned a question, looking at the fire.
"Oh, you mean how she married the Dragon King?" Yannou's frown deepened. "Yes, I got Her Majesty's letter some hours ago."
"Well, you don't need to worry!" Valkas smiled. "I'm invited to their wedding ceremony after tomorrow, and I'll make sure Father comes. We'll take care of it!"
"Oh, thank you, Uncle!" Yannou brightened up. "If you two vouch for her, she'll be safe! But, what do we do until then? Just thinking how Tama is in that beast's clutches_"
"Don't worry, the laws of Drahvelt protect women until their twenty-first year," Valkas said. "King Gerart won't touch Tama unless she's willing."
"Oh… If you say so!" Yannou sighed in relief. Thank goodness she's okay!
"Focus on your campaign, leave Tama to us!" Valkas said. "Also, concerning your duty as the royal knight… The Shadows tell me a conflict is brewing. Be careful, Yannou!"
"What?" Yannou raised an eyebrow.
"A higher-up is plotting against the Queen," Valkas explained. "Keep your eyes open!"
"Oh… alright!" Yannou nodded, somewhat unsettled. "Thank you, Uncle!"
"No problem!" Valkas smiled. "See you!"
He opened a black portal and vanished. Yannou watched the space where he stood some moments ago.
A higher-up? His brows knitted. Who on earth could be plotting against Her Majesty?
"Yannou!" Alvina cried from the royal tent. "We need to discuss our strategy for tomorrow!"
"Coming!" Yannou went back inside, discarding the troublesome thoughts.