"Claire, I need you to open a portal to the Church Sanctum in Goldianus. We don't have much time."

"Alright." She answers, grasping her fingers together and tearing a portal without effort. When the void is complete she glances at me with a puzzled look. "Why though?"

"I don't have much time to explain." I say sticking my hand through the portal. "Put simply we've been betrayed. I won't have more blood on my hands. I won't be someone's pawn."

"What are you doing?!" She asks looking at my arn inside the void. She's worried I'll enter on my own. I know better of course. Without Claire's touch I will get lost in the voidspace. However that doesn't mean I can't pass my aura through the voidspace into the church.

"Taking care of a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands. Claire, I'm sorry. I have to leave, it's the only way to keep you and Sophie safe. The king will be forced to negotiate a peace amongst the districts once I make my move. He'll have no choice, it has to work. The altermative is…" I gulp at the thought of Aeri growing up without a father. "It's not something I can do."

I also have no desire to be a king.

She stares at me as I work my aura through the portal, I can't entirely grasp the mix of emotions on her face but it feels like trust might be one of them.

I can't imagine why.

"How long?" She finally asks after twist her face for awhile.

"Honestly, I dont know. It's possible I'm just calling the King's Bluff. This could all be nothing if the king retracts his words, or passes them off as a joke. The summit hasn't even begun and the entire world is already in peril."

"So the spy girl was really correct in her description of the summit." Claire says with a hint of disdain in her voice.

It's an uncommon tone for claire, I sense she's still jelous that Syph was able to attend school with me before coming under our employ.

The look on Claire's face when she saw how close Syph and I were at the tournament was an especcially rare one.

I, of course, assured her nothing was going on between us. Syph was the one with the rare expression then, but blink and you'd have missed it.

Without time magic I probably would have.

She truly was skilled in concealing her emotions. A spy's child I suppose. I was glad now that she had given me such a long run down of the summit.

"Seems like it, I'm just glad I was able to ask for this recess until the Church's envoy arrives."

"That's right, all this you could have just told me with intent. So why call for the recess?"

"If he doesnt retract the words and I'm forced to act as the Church intends I don't know how long I'll be gone. I couldn't do that without seeing you and Sophie first, I'm sure they won't allow visitors."

I had intended to use my time to play with the four month old but as she was sound asleep I left her at her mother's chest.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm going to be arrested by the church for herasy. I just hope they don't try to give me the death penelty." I explain with a grin at the latter words.

She begins to mutter some words of protest with a slack jaw but I intereupt her. "If I do, all I need you to do is stay in the Duchy, I've taken the crystal and established a barrier of my own. It will be safe there from anyone who means us harm. I'll be back once I've figured a way to correctly lead humanity down the right path, and fix the mistake the king just made within the kingdom. I just pray tensions with the Empire won't rise over this stunt."

The barrier would be overkill. I know.

But the clause protecting a child rearing Lordess was something so obscure I'm not even positive it will be respected.

"Why do you need to shoulder all this?"

"Because it's being repeatedly placed on my shoulders. I don't have a choice."

"No, you do. And you've made it. I will do as you say, but we will have words when you return." She turns towards the void to leave the royal capital.

So it will end like this?

She stops her final step and turns to me. After a few quick swordsmen lunges she wraps me in a deep hug. "I love you, but you are an idiot sometimes."

And here I had feared for my life.

She wipes her eyes carefully and takes a glance at Sophie who's strapped to her chest. She makes sure they share skin contact and then she steps away into the Church in the heart of the Goldianus construction site.

They will be here anytime now. I'm glad my family is away from thier grasp.

A loud bell rang from the room where the Summit was being held. I had sensed the presence a few miles out while working on the crystal, it hastened my pace.

I was watching the masses carefully with a searcher aura this whole time.

I reluctantly begin towards the hall. My strut now looks visibly drunkish. I suppose this is what they call mana intoxication. I haven't had enough time to process the mana I just stole from the gem. Until I can control the mana my motor skills will be reduced. To any of the lords it will just seem like a drank a bit to much at the gala or during recess. But it will also make me incapable of using stronger magics or wielding a sword.

The nearer I stumble the more I grow uncomfortable. The Church typically sends a single priest from the local chapter. This time the mass of mana I sense is strong, and there are many with it.

I slam the heavy door to the chamber open and am greeted by a single shining gold priest and a batallion of holy knights standing beside the large round table.

I also notice the King has brought in more knights than he had earlier before the recess. He wore a sly grin when he looked at me slouching into the hall. Surely he doesn't know I'm holding onto an unheard of amount of mana. No, he must assume I'm resigned to my fate and drinking.

It wasn't entirely wrong.

I take my seat and glance around the table. They also seem a little more on edge than earlier. This heavy church presecence is overwhelming. Everyone is wondering who is going to move first. They seem to be aware there are two factions at play here. I wonder if any of them know there are actually three?

And I have more troops at the moment.

Well, maybe not troops but firepower. Not that I can use it.

Is this how the US military feels?

But seriously, who is going to act first? Now its just a staring match between the king, the golden priest, and me.

"Would you like to begin to prayer?" The king finally says after a longer moment.

"I can't in good conscious lead a prayer infront of a sinner of such magnititude. No I shall begin with the more time sensetive mission. Duke of Blood Drew Goldianus is herby under arrest for crimes against the church, including but not limited to Heresy, Profit off of ungodly technology, Black magic, and Sedition."

"You raise heft claims against one of my Dukes."

"They are not claimes they are fact, each proven by eye witness."

"I do not doubt that. However, Drew will not be going anywhere."

"You will resist the churches wish?"

"Mhm"

"Do you wish for the Empires wrath?" The priest asks with a cocked brow.

"We d…"

"No, we do not." I say interrupting the Kings order to attack. I hadn't expected him to be so rash. Luckily his men are already incapacitated so even had the king made the order they wouldn't have caused any trouble. "Therefore, I surrender myself."

I link my arms behind my back and glance around the shocked room. It seems my move was indeed unexpected, even the king looks utterly flabergasted. Surely he was aware this plan of his was something I wouldn't allow right? Had he really thought i would just be his pawn?

I'm going to sacrafice my Queen, my Rook, and allow my final piece, the Pawn to be surrounded. Its my only play. But its better than playing into my enemies hand.

I'm not exactly sure how the rules work on three front chess though.

I guess out of the frying pan into the fire.

Except the fire will be a 4' x 6' jail cell in this case.

Honestly maybe I'd perfer fire.