Chương 106: The Cocagne Affair (6)

The afternoon training session with Verdis went well, in that Simon spent two hours mopping the floor with him, but the boy had learned a valuable lesson: not rushing in. He had grown a little more cautious when striking Simon and wasted less energy on doomed attempts to get past his guard. Still, he remained painfully easy to read.

"Ouch…" Verdis complained after Simon threw him down for what must have been the tenth time within the last hour.

"I just can't get a hit on you."

"And you'll never succeed at this rate," Simon replied upon offering him a hand.

"You fight like a tourney knight, trying to prove yourself to a crowd rather than to win. Worse, you think your sword is your only weapon, when your weapon is anything that helps you win: your mind, the terrain, the enemy's overconfidence…"

"I think I see what you mean, but…" Verdis scratched the back of his head.

"I don't know where to start…"

"By finding the enemy's weak point," Simon said.

"When I used to train with my siblings, one of them loved to taunt me about my mother. It infuriated me and threw me off balance, which then made me slip up." Thalas' jabs still stung after all of these years, but he now saw the advantage of calculated cruelty in a fight. That was how he had beaten Alphonse the first time, after all.

"Try to taunt me next time. Think of something that hurts."

"But that's…" Verdis shifted uncomfortably.

"That's vicious…"

"So what? Victory is all that matters, Verdis. If you win, you have nothing to explain, and if you lose… Well, you probably won't be around to explain yourself." Simon crossed his arms.

"Do you love your mother?"

"Yes, of course I do!"

"If someone were to threaten her, if you had the choice between saving her life and fighting fairly or being kind… What would you choose?" Simon asked pointedly.

"Wouldn't you give everything you have to save her?"

"I…" Verdis bit his tongue.

"I see your point, sir."" Sir?" Simon chuckled.

"I'm not that much older than you."

"That's even worse, because it shows how hard I have to work to catch up to you." Verdis sheathed his training sword.

"Do you think I can get there?" Probably not without a time-traveling Class, no, Simon thought, though he didn't have it in him to hurt the boy's feelings.

"Only if you're ready to do whatever it takes to get there, Verdis. It's a long, hard road."

"I understand." Verdis nodded gravely, clenching his fist.

"I'll keep working hard until I'm worthy of joining the Wildguard."

"Is that your goal?" Simon raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry to say this, but… is it not beneath you? The Wildguard seems to be an important institution, but they are royal bodyguards. Surely you should be leading armies or a ministry."

"I'm… I'm a boy." Verdis smiled faintly.

"Princes aren't well-regarded in Cocagne, so joining the Wildguard and serving as a back-up Ranger should anything happen to my father is pretty much the best I can hope for in life."

"I… see." Simon frowned.

"I'm a bit surprised, though. You're your parents' only child, and they both seem to love you."

"They do, but I can't inherit the throne, so I was born to be married off to some noblewoman and be forgotten. I'm lucky they set me up with Norbelle rather than some old crone." No, that wasn't luck.

"I hope to show my nation that I can make a name for myself through my own skills."

"That's a laudable goal." Simon couldn't help but see a little of himself in Verdis.

"You know, I'm a bastard. The runt of the family. Nobody expects much of me back home."

"What, really?" Verdis struggled to believe his ears.

"But you're so strong!"

"And yet, I still have a long way before I can rival my siblings," Simon replied. Even Thalas was still higher-leveled than he was.

"That's…" Verdis scratched the back of his head again, which Simon noticed he always did when he was nervous.

"That's rather scary. I can't imagine what your brothers must be like."

"Pray you never meet them." Or they'll eat you alive quicker than Norbelle.

"All of this to say, I understand that desire to prove yourself, and that drive will give you strength."

"That's very kind of you, sir."

"Just call me Simon. We're going to be brothers-in-law soon enough." Simon stretched his back.

"Anyway, let us call it quits for the day."

"Wait," Verdis said.

"Do you have board games in Endymion?"

"We have a few, yes." Simon often played them with Belzemine in past reigns.

"I like Board & Conquest the most."

"I was about to suggest we have a match." Verdis cleared his throat.

"If you've nothing else planned for the evening, of course." Simon was about to reply that he had some reading to do, but a part of him welcomed a break.

"Sure." Simon couldn't recall having a male friend in a very long time. He liked Leonard as a person and trusted Duchar in spite of his eccentricities, but they were retainers and servants first and foremost. Hector Honorius and, ironically enough, Casval —prior to his betrayal—had probably been the closest thing he had to friends whose company he enjoyed for its own sake. All in all, he liked Verdis. He was a nice kid, kind, and with some charm.

He would melt many a maiden's heart once he gained a few years and confidence… but Norbelle would always remain a prize too high to seize, even for a prince. His father was right. Verdis would have fit right in with Satine and the White Unicorn. And the House of Magnos would eat him alive. Days passed without much progress besides magical training sessions. The night of the ball soon arrived, and Simon met his surprise date.

All he learned from Norbelle was that she had to send her personal airship to pick her up, but it was only when she entered Simon's quarters with an entourage of succubi handmaidens that he met her face-to-face for the first time… this reign.

"Simon, let me introduce you to your date for the evening," Norbelle said with a smile, the irony of the situation completely unknown to her.

"Duchess Justine Eligos of Magvolia and her devil handmaidens."

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Prince Simon," Justine said.

"I hope you will find me an agreeable companion."

"I'm sure I will," Simon replied warily. It had been some time since Simon last saw her, but Justine Eligos still managed to dazzle him. She had arrived wearing a crimson gown as expensive as it was scandalous, with a neckline reaching nearly all the way to her navel, a ruby necklace glittering in the dark, and a diadem carefully crafted to resemble a horned, infernal crown. She would surely be a highlight of the evening.

"But aren't you married, Lady Eligos?"

"Yes, I am." She covered her mouth with her fan.

"Will that stop you, Your Highness?" Simon chuckled at her sheer moxie.

"You are a black-hearted fiend, Lady Eligos," he said upon taking her hand and kissing it.

"I will tread carefully around you." A married duchess appearing as the date of a bastard prince with a set of succubi in tow? This was perfectly calculated to cause a massive scandal. Moreover, Justine Eligos was an elegant, mature woman with a reputation for spellcasting, not unlike Remedia. She was a living message and suggestion for the queen. Norbelle was such a naughty girl.

However, Simon could only think of one reason why the two of them would be in close contact, and why Justine Eligos would agree to show up here.

"You told her," Simon accused Norbelle.

"Yes, I did," Norbelle replied, smiling.

"Lady Eligos has been pestering me through letters to study my gifts, so when I told her I had a brother with the same ones who's looking into ways to power them up, and that she could study him closely if she would only be his date for a single night of pleasure… she couldn't resist."

"Princess Norbelle drove a hard bargain," Justine said, a small smile on her lips, "But I suspect we will all walk away from this with what we want." Simon considered the situation. It annoyed him that Norbelle had shared that information with another, especially a secret elf agent, but he should have expected as much. She likely sent a letter to Euphemia as well.

On the other hand, it also explained how the Church Party and the White Unicorn first established contact during the civil war; Justine Eligos likely served as their intermediary. Simon now strongly suspected that he would see more White Unicorn agents at the ball, especially considering how Filip tried to organize an alliance with them. Moreover, Shabram's purge operation was still a week and a half away from completion, and Justine had fled last time…

This was a surprise, but one that could serve his plans quite well.

"Shabram, Agnes," he mentally called out to his allies in Frightwall.

"There's going to be a slight change of plans in our timing when it comes to dealing with the Malphas family…" If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Thankfully, most of the groundwork had already been done. He only needed to secure some… insurance.

"Yes, I think we shall," Simon said as he offered Justine his arm right after he finished mentally issuing Shabram and Belzemine their new orders.

"Shall we take this ball by storm?" Justine laughed.

"Right after you, Your Highness." The Cocagne Palace's ballroom was quite large, though nothing like the splendid halls that could be found in Endymion. Phoenix statues adorned walls while manalith chandeliers cast light on fine rugs representing the Ranger and Mage Crestone heraldry.

Simon walked in wearing a doublet provided by Norbelle and bearing the manticore insignia of House Magnos, which made him look like a true prince rather than an upjumped bastard, while Norbelle came in a splendid red gown that left her shoulders and back completely exposed, distracting poor Verdis.

The ballroom was already packed with nobles when they arrived, all of them turning at them and gasping in shock once they noticed the succubi handmaidens following Justine; something which deeply amused both Simon's date and Norbelle. Those two shared the same appetite for the scandalous and the shocking. He noticed others muttering and exchanging whispers. Simon had the feeling that rumors about him and Justine had already begun to spread. Simon checked all the people present.

As he suspected, he spotted Princess Satine and Alphonse among the guests, though they did their best not to draw too much attention to themselves. Do they always show up here, or did my actions cause them to change their plans? Simon wondered. He was pretty sure those two should have been in Valne at this point in time, though he couldn't exactly recall the date when he crossed their path at Rosanne's adventurer guild. At least I don't see Silk or Bert around for once.

"Are you already eyeing another woman, Your Highness?" Justine teased him upon noticing his interest in Satine and her companion.

"Not at all," Simon whispered back in her ear, going on the offensive.

"It is the Paladin with her that bothers me." A true actress, Justine hid her surprise behind a small blink.

"The Paladin?"

"See the young man with her?" he asked.

"I saw them in a dream of mine. He was the Paladin, and she a princess."

"Intriguing. I recognize that woman as Princess Satine Renais, Magvolia's fallen ruler, but I thought the Paladin was an old Lorean knight." It was a lie, but one spoken so naturally it almost sounded true.

"What happened to them in that dream of yours?"

"They died in dark woods at the hands of demons, failing to achieve anything." Simon feigned curiosity.

"You believe me?"

"I do," Justine replied. Naming the Paladin had given credence to Simon's claims, as he suspected.

"I have studied Visionaries and Darkblooded individuals for many years, and I have theorized a combination of the two would have dreams tainted with death and violence."

"To what purpose did you study such a union?" She chuckled, her fan covering her mouth.

"If you are a good prophet, then you should find a way to dream about it."

"Your sharp tongue is only matched by your charm," Simon complimented her, before spotting the king and queen of Cocagne walking in. Remedia was splendid, as always, and her husband looked every inch the king in his dark green doublet and golden-half cape… yet the dark scowl on his face was plain for all to see, as was the way the queen looked away, her hold on Filip's arm so light it was clear she wanted nothing more than to let go. Those two had fought and argued before coming here.

Simon could tell, as could Norbelle, who quickly beckoned her half-brother and his date to come with her and Verdis to greet the royals.

"Father, Mother, you look so lovely tonight," Norbelle complimented them.

"I should invest in a Crestone necklace as well; yours goes well with everything."

"Thank you, Norbelle, you are dashing yourself," Remedia replied, while her husband remained deathly quiet. The queen blinked when she noticed Simon's date and the slight age difference.

"As is your brother… who is this woman with you, Prince Simon?"

"Let me introduce you to Duchess Justine Eligos, Your Majesty," Simon replied.

"It is an honor to meet the Mage in person, Your Majesty," Justine said respectfully, before adding, as if catching herself, "And the Ranger too, of course." Filip frowned, perhaps because he recognized the name.

"Where is Duke Eligos? Dead?"

"He stayed at home," Justine replied with a smirk, enjoying the shocked flush on Remedia's face. Filip glared at Simon with venomous disgust.

"You dare make a mockery of this event by showing yourself with a married woman?"

"You need not fear anything, Your Majesty," Simon replied, smiling at the king consort and then twisting the knife.

"I'm sure the women of Cocagne are quite safe with a warrior of your strength..." Filip's jaw clenched so hard at the thinly-veiled insult, while Remedia looked torn between being amused in spite of herself at the jab, and the urge to admonish Simon for his insolence. Verdis blushed in embarrassment, and Norbelle grinned ear to ear.

"Either way, the dances shall begin soon," Remedia said, trying to change the subject before it devolved any further.

"Norbelle, Verdis, since this gathering is in your honor, it will fall to you to open the ball."

"We should join in too," Simon told Justine.

"Will you grant me the pleasure of your company on the dancefloor, milady?"

"With pleasure," Justine replied. Afterwards, Remedia publicly raised a toast to her son's official engagement to Norbelle, calling it the beginning of a 'brand new era of friendship between their nations,' with Simon's sister showcasing the Phoenix's favor for the arrangement by summoning a tiny, eagle-sized manifestation of the eidolon in the room for the briefest of instants. Her display of power and divine favor was met with thunderous applause, though Filip and a good fourth of the assembly clapped timidly.

Simon guessed that a large amount of the nobility would simply never support the marriage, no matter the circumstances. Afterwards, Simon and Justine joined Norbelle, Verdis, and five other couples for the opening dance to the tune of soothing harp and piano music. Simon could feel Remedia and Filip's eyes on his back.

"Your sister planned this," Justine noted.

"I can see it clear as day. Right now, our poor Mage must be thinking that she could be in my place, that things could be different, if she dared cross that line…"

"My sister is a devious soul," Simon confirmed. Part of him wondered how that particular plot would go. Remedia had so far proved wise enough not to fall for the honey trap laid before her, but she did have an affair with Balzam of all people in a previous reign…

"But for this evening, I am entirely yours."

"A mere evening?" she leaned forward, whispering in his ear.

"I might have a use for you until morning." Simon chuckled. Elaine was right, her aunt did have a fondness for younger men…

"I thought you came here to investigate my dreams, but you would deprive me of them?"

"You can rest during the day," Justine teased him.

"I'm curious, though. I could have sworn you recognized me when we met. Did you dream about me?"

"You are quite sharp, Lady Eligos," Simon replied, sensing his moment.

"I do have a prophecy for you."

"Oh?" She smiled, a flash of curiosity passing over her fair face.

"Do tell."

"There will come a time, very soon, when someone sees through those…" He leaned toward her, breathing poison in her ear and mind, " Sharp ears of yours." Justine Eligos missed a step and nearly tripped, but Simon caught her by the back and looked into her eyes in a way that could be interpreted as romantic. So many whistled in the audience, yet all Simon could see in his partner's eyes were fear and surprise.

"Your family will soon lose everything except their lives," Simon said upon pulling her back up.

"Your master's plan will crumble to dust, and your hopes of victory will be dashed in cruel betrayal. Your prestige and pleasures will slip out of your grasp." He held her by the waist and twirled her, and she was too spooked to resist.

"But there will be a way out, a path to keep your glory…" He faced her near the end of the dance, his forehead touching her own.

"Come back to me when your world turns to ashes. Only through me will you regain your power and prestige." The music stopped, their performance applauded by the crowd.

"Another dance, Justine?" She remained silent as a tomb, with skin pale like chalk.

"I thought so." Simon pointed at Satine and Alphonse with his chin.

"Please introduce me to your White Unicorn friends, elf. There is something I need to ask of them." Justine bit her lip, then nodded and led them to Alphonse and Satine. The two were about to take to the dancefloor when they saw the other couple approach them.

"Princess Satine, charming as always," Simon introduced himself as if they were old friends.

"Could I borrow you for a dance?" Although Alphonse simply frowned, his Darksense failing to pierce through Simon's Anathemic Secrecy, Satine frowned at him.

"And who might you be?"

"Simon Magnos of Endymion," he replied, Alphonse's eyes burning with hatred the moment his name came up.

"Since this is an evening meant to mend old wounds, I hoped we could share a dance as friends." Satine could barely contain her disgust.

"No, I do not think I will dance with you, Prince Magnos," she replied icily, uttering Simon's family name as if it were a curse.

"It would not be correct for me to dance with my country's conquerors."

"Do it, Erzelander," Justine said, stressing the name as if it meant something… which it did, based on the shocked expressions on their faces.

"He knows about Alphonse." Alphonse's scowl turned murderous. He made a move that suggested he would transform into the Paladin then and there, only for his date to put her hand on his arm and stop him.

"Very well," said the princess, "I am not afraid of you, Magnos."

"Satine…" Alphonse gritted his teeth.

"He is a murderer."

"Your master's death was my father's doing, not mine," Simon replied, though he was clearly wasting his words. The Paladin would not listen immediately to reason after stewing on his hatred for years.

"A dance is all I ask. I shall not harm you under this roof."

"You will not harm her, or anyone else, period," Alphonse threatened.

"Once this ball is over–""I'll fight you if you want, Alphonse, but not tonight," Simon cut in as he offered his hand to Satine.

"The dance will begin soon." The princess boldly—albeit reluctantly—grabbed his hand and the two of them walked onto the dancefloor, with Alphonse glaring balefully at Simon's back. The Paladin barely contained himself.

"You are bold, princess," Simon complimented Satine when the music began. He had already seen that aspect of her back in Magvolia, when he had to sacrifice her.

"And very wise."

"Spare me your flattery and spit your venom," Satine replied icily, going through the motions of the dance.

"Very well. I have two questions for you." The two of them waltzed past Norbelle and Verdis.

"Did you come here hoping to salvage a failed betrothal to the prince of Cocagne, or to make contact with the Church Party in the hope of allying against the War Party and negotiating Magvolia's independence?"

"Both," she replied curtly, confirming his suspicions.

"Next question." Here we go.

"Why aren't you and Alphonse going after the Zodiac Fiends?" That question took her aback, her expression shifting from hatred to confusion.

"What are you talking about?" Simon frowned at her.

"There is a powerful demon sealed in Magvolia's Darkwood. As a princess of its fallen nation, you must surely know of it… and its impending escape."

"I do," Satine replied.

"We have an elven archmage who can restore the seal before it breaks."

"She's either mistaken or lying to you," Simon replied.

"The current seal won't hold even if it is reinforced. One of our best archmages already confirmed it. She will be free when the comet glows in the Minotaur constellation's light, as will her other siblings." Now she looked concerned.

"Her… her siblings?" She… didn't know?

"Don't you know that the world is going to end? That the Zodiac Fiends will rise from their demonbarrows once the comet arrives, triggering a new Doom?" The princess' puzzled expression was an answer in itself. She didn't know. But the Oracle had to be aware of it. They knew about the Stone Muse's location and that her seal was fraying, and elves named the damn comet that kept causing them headaches every four centuries. She had to be aware of the incoming disaster. Yet she didn't tell the Paladin's entourage…

the same way she didn't tell them about what happened to souls caught in the Darkwood's clutches. The White Unicorn is a coalition, Simon realized. His mistake was to consider them a united whole when they were different groups with their own motives and endgames that simply cooperated against the Overlord. The elves and the Paladin may not pursue the same goal. But why? Why keep the information from the Paladin and his allies?

So he would focus entirely on the Overlord because the Oracle deemed Balzam the greater threat or thought they could take on the Zodiac Fiends afterwards? Whatever the case, there was a weakness to exploit there. A wedge to widen. Maybe even the slight possibility of peace.

"Let me tell you, princess," he said as the music echoed in the hall, "About the tale of the Heroes and the Zodiac Fiends…"