Tempest landed on a clearing near where we were. I quickly ran towards their direction. Once I arrive I see Dimitri and William who I were suspecting to meet, but I saw another one that I was surprised to see. It was none other than Clara's brother, Jeremy.

As I remember, we were able to capture these siblings in the battle of Duess Canal. Clara was the only one that was able to escape captivity, and her brother Jeremy was left.

"We greet your majesty, the king of Grandcrest." The three knelt down at my presence.

"Rise." I replied. My eyes did not leave Jeremy, looking at him curiously. He also kept kneeling, while William and Dimitri stood up after my words. "What is this person doing here?" My question was aimed at Dimitri.

"Your majesty, please give me the chance to explain." Jeremy was the one that replied.

My blood was still burning with fury after what his sister did to Alex, but I kept my composure.

"Before you speak, I would like to inform you that your sister was here not long ago." I said with coldness. I can see Jeremy's body shudder with my words. "She killed one of my good men, I intend to kill her with my own hands. If you are here to plea to spare your sister's life, then I am afraid that I will decline."

"I-I understand your anger your majesty." Jeremy said, clenching his fist. "It is my fault, to have been so blind and follow Queen Patricia blindly. Captain Dimitri have opened my eyes when I was in captivity, and the other Atlantians under your command had showed me kindness even though I was your enemy. I know now that Queen Patricia was only using us to achieve her own selfish desires. I am here today to promise my allegiance to you, King Regaleon of Grandcrest." I looked at him with scrutinizing gaze.

"How can I trust your words?" I asked with doubt. "Your sister had just killed one of my men, a young fellow Atlantian who could have had a bright future ahead. Can you fight against your own sibling?"

Jeremy was still kneeling before me, with his head bowed low. His words just a while ago was firm and I can see he has resolve. But having promised his allegiance to me will come to him being against his sister that was still by Queen Patricia's side.

"Yes your majesty. I am willing to fight my own sister." Jeremy replied firmly. "But if you please give me a chance to talk to her and let her surrender, I only ask you of this and spare her life if she do so. I know we have gravely sinned when we were under Queen Patricia. I am also willing to be punished along side my sister if that is what you wish." He bowed his head and bumped the ground very hard that I was sure that his forehead could have been bruised.

I was caught of guard with the sudden declaration of Jeremy's allegiance to me that I was still conflicted. I was still hot in ager for what his sister had did to Alex. I looked at Dimitri, asking for help with making a decision.

"You majesty, if I may speak?" Dimitri knelt on one knee before me.

"Speak." I gave him permission.

"What Jeremy said is all true, no lies have been mixed in his words. I assure you." Dimitri said.

Having Dimitri give his approval about Jeremy's words made me more assured. Dimitri had the instinct to detect any lies a person is saying, and that is because of the black magic he possess. As opposed with my white magic, black magic can detect dark emotions and desires of people which can help in detecting spies or people with dark hidden thoughts.

"In addition as to why we brought Jeremy here, he has something that can help us." Dimitri added.

"Something that can help us?" I asked and looked at Jeremy.

"Yes, your majesty. I have something that can help lessen the resolve of the queen and prince Gladiolus." Jeremy said.

"And what would that be?" I asked not really that interested because I have already decided to kill Patricia before this war ends.

"It is the hidden last will of the late crown prince of Atlantia, their elder brother and the prince Gladiolus' father." Jeremy said. "It is a recording of him stored in a magic artifact that my father gave to us. You see, my father was the late crown prince's right hand man and aide that also died in the war. He gave this to us for safe keeping, without us knowing what it truly was, until later."

"Then, why did you not give it to Patricia?" I asked curiously.

"I was already in your hands when I found out what this truly held." Jeremy took off a pair of blue earrings from his ear and gave it to me. "Me and my sister both wore one of the earrings separately as a memento from our dead father. But when she escaped and I was not able to, she left her earring to me. When the two were side by side one night, the recording emerged. This also helped me decide to take your side, your majesty."

I took the earrings and looked at it in the palm of my hands. They looked like normal sapphire earrings, but thinking that it was a magic artifact, it might have the same magic as the pendants that projected the map.

"I will look into this." I replied. "But for now I will take Dimitri's words of favor you and accept your allegiance. But I can only promise to spare your sister's life if you can really make her surrender and repent. But if I see her before you do, I am afraid you cannot see your sister alive again." I said with a cold tone. I can see Jeremy's body flinch by my words.

"I accept your words, your majesty." Jeremy said. He took out his sword from his waist and rested its tip on the ground. He held the blade with his right palm until blood oozed out of the blade and towards the ground. The blade was glowing slowly while the blood trickled down it. "I, Jeremy Bayron, swear allegiance to King Regaleon of Grandcrest. I swear upon my name to be your sworn knight as long as I shall live, and you be my only master."

What Jeremy did was an oath of a knight of Atlantia to a chosen master that was embedded with magic. It was a sign of loyalty to a knight's chosen master until the day of his last breath. Doing this just means that he has not given his oath to Patricia, because an Atlantian knight can only choose one master in his entire life. Breaking such an oath can also lose a knight's life.

"I, Regaleon Yosef Astley, king of Grandcrest accept your oath. From this day forth, you will be a knight under my command." Because I do not have my sword to knight him, I used my hand to touch his shoulder. "Arise, Sir Jeremy."

Jeremy stood up and looked up at me with eyes that do not falter. I was certain that I have gained good comrade. I patted his shoulder to let him know that he was now accepted as my own.

"Dimitri, we have no time to waste." I said with urgency. "Gladiolus stole the half of the key fragments and is headed to where Alicia is right now."

"I understand your majesty." Dimitri replied. "We were also attacked on our way here, albeit it was Queen Patricia's men."

"Thanks to Tempest, we were able to escape the trap they set out for us." William added. "It was a good thing that Tempest could fly much higher than the clouds. They used freezing weather to hinder our way."

Thinking of freezing weather, I am sure that Patricia herself was behind this.

"I am thankful that you arrived unharmed." I said.

"It was also thanks to Jeremy's water magic, the ice particles that hurled our way turned to water." William said patting Jeremy's shoulder.

"I-It was the least I could do." Jeremy replied with a shy face. "His majesty's familiar also helped because he had fire attribute that melted the ice fast." It looked like he was not used to compliments.

"I know how strong you are. We also have clashed our swords in the past." I said. Jeremy was surprised with the memory I remembered.

"I-I am sorry to have attacked you back then your majesty." Jeremy bowed his head. "I am deeply ashamed of myself for my ignorance."

"It is fine. All of it is in the past." I replied. "You were also young back then and was blinded with Patricia's words. By the way, do you have any idea of what she would be planning. You have been serving by her side for a long time. You could have some idea." I asked.

"Yes, since she became the queen of Jennovia, she recruited every Atlantian she could find and let them serve under her." Jeremy replied. "She might be powerful, magic wise, but she is rather hot headed. The brains of her plans comes from only one man. Head Priest Hector."

I had heard of the Head Priest Hector, and I think I have also encountered him when I saved Alicia in the Jennovian palace.

"The head priest may look like a normal frail human being, but his brains are something not to be taken lightly." Jeremy said. "He had conjured many plans and wicked schemes that you would shudder with the thought."

"So we are up against a wicked strategist." William said. "But why is he working with the queen? He is not Atlantian too, correct?"

"He is not." Jeremy replied. "I do not know the specifics, but as I know Queen Patricia had promised him something that can only be achieved with the forbidden magic. What it is, I do not know." Jeremy shook his head.

"Then we might go up against the remaining men that are still loyal to Patricia, and they are not normal humans but Atlantians. Having to call upon the black dragon army in the capital of Gandcrest would only take time that we do not have. We can make do with our numbers here but it will not be enough." I said. "Dimitri, send word to Alvannia. Tell Richard to send his royal decree for us to use the soldiers that we can find near the coast. We need to be more than prepared against Patricia's forces. We cannot underestimate them in the least."

"As you command." Dimitri bowed.

The upcoming confrontation with Patricia's forces could be the final battle to end this war. I would never let them get to Alicia and my child.

Edited by: nalyn