The Azural troops stood by, unable to join the vastly improvised meeting that was occurring in the middle of the jungle. Quinn stood, looking down at the kneeling young noblewoman before him. Cindra, said noblewoman, stared defiantly back. She still had Phillippe holding her hostage, who was also the reason for her compromising position. Wyen and Fang stood to either side of Quinn to protect and advise.

Rebecca was tending to the soldiers wounded during the small battle that had occurred, with Vivette and Adelade helping her while keeping her safe. Fortunately, she was working her skills far enough away that she had not heard Quinn’s questioning of Cindra.

Surprisingly, Cindra had been open about her intentions. The fact that the Azural’s had been stirring the unrest among the island territories was not exactly hidden knowledge among those in the know, but the ultimate reasons had been mysterious. Now knowing that they were intending to fully rebell, Quinn had no choice but to exert his authority.

“And who else is involved in this plot? Obviously the other island territories, but who else? Do you have all of the Households on your side?” he demanded.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” she practically spat back.

“It is also concerning how the Azural’s gained such staunch support from the noble houses. How did you convince them to go along with this?” Wyen added.

“Commoner trash,” she said with a dismissive tone, “Tell the trash what you really think of them, ‘Your Highness.’”

Quinn remained silent, staring coldly at her. For the briefest of moments, he felt more empowered than he ever had before seeing a traitor kneeling before him and completely at his mercy. The fact that she showed no remorse for her actions, or at least that she got caught, and that she so openly revealed some of the Azural’s plans was what stayed his hand however. He was well within his rights as a member of the royal family to execute her on the spot. That she was apparently so confident in her situation that she could do that was concerning.

If Cindra died right this moment, the remaining Azural troops would possibly still overwhelm them. Adelade could probably thin their numbers quite a bit now that the mages were gone, but even with Phillippe and Vivette the odds were against them. That taking Cindra hostage caused them all to stop hostilities was surprising given the numbers, but welcome.

Quinn pulled Wyen away from Cindra, with Fang following closely.

“She’s confident. But it sounds like she’s integral to the plan.”

“Agreed,” Wyen replied, “We may be able to use her as a bargaining chip.”

“The only bargain she’s getting is death when we get back to the capital. But I’m thinking we use her as a shield while we escape.”

Wyen thought for a moment.

“Any other ideas?” Quinn asked.

“None that I can think of that are better than that. It at least has a chance of success.”

“How are we going to escape? Even with her, we need a ship,” Fang asked.

“We have a ship. Sort of,” Quinn smiled awkwardly.

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Walking in a protective formation was nothing new to Quinn, but it was a slower way to go places. Both he and Rebecca were at the center of their little formation, with Phillippe and Cindra in front while Vivette and Wyen were in the back. Fang walked next to Quinn while Adelade was next to Rebecca, creating a four wide line. There were a number of the Azural guards as well, but they were keeping distance for now.

“We could just use my…” Rebecca tried to argue.

“No. Your secrets should be kept secret,” Quinn cut her off.

He suspected that she was asking about using her magic carriage and admittedly he wanted to use it as well. Now that they were using the road, it had enough space for it versus when they were fleeing through the jungle. However, because of their situation and location he felt that keeping any further information about her abilities out of Cindra’s, and subsequently the Azural’s, hands was important.

They continued on in awkward silence all the way back to Azure Gaze, arriving as the sun was getting quite low in the sky. Quinn was frustrated at not having enough information to further refine their plan.

“You need to compose yourself,” Wyen whispered from behind, sensing his friend’s irritation, “We have a chance but we can’t show our hand.”

“Our hand is little more than her,” Quinn quietly quipped back with a gesture to Cindra, “There’s nothing else we have.”

Entering the city, more guards gathered around them as they slowly continued the journey to the docks. Even civilians had started gathering around and moving alongside, sensing that something important was going on.

“Halt!” a voice called from over the crowd.

The crowd parted swiftly, revealing Count Azural striding towards Quinn’s group.

“You dare to tell a member of the royal family what to do, Count Azural?” Quinn spoke loudly enough for the crowd to hear. Despite his words though, he had stopped.

Murmurs spread rapidly through the civilians with Quinn’s revelation. Given the rumors that they had been hearing in town before they fled, there was a palpable anger alongside the murmurs. Quinn internally had hoped to avoid discussing this entire situation in a public setting like this, but with their position so precarious, he had few options.

“I am Crown Prince Quinn Sengar. I have come here to one of the kingdom’s territories to escort the new hero that has emerged in our midst! Yet when I arrived here, I find our local navy extorting merchants, a guard that attempts to kidnap the hero, and an assassination attempt on my life! The commoners speak of unrest, even rebellion. This is more than enough to warrant everyone in the territory to be accused of treason! A crime that can only be paid with death.”

He paused, allowing his words to reach the citizens. New mutterings flowed through the crowd at the mention of a hero and concerns about treason. The count seemed stunned by Quinn’s improvised speech.

“This woman, as you may know, is your own Lady Cindra Azural,” Quinn continued with a gesture, “She personally led the guard that sought to capture the hero and kill me. Fortunately, we were able to capture her before the might of Sengar turned its wrath upon you! She admitted to that which I have just told you, people of Azure Gaze! She admits to putting you all in a state of treason!”

Angry murmuring resumed through the crowd.

“As she is not the head of the Azural house, her failings also fall on the Count!” Quinn said as he pointed to Count Azural.

“Now wait a minute! What proof do you have of any of this? What proof do you provide that you are even the prince? Guards, arrest these impersonators!” Count Azural shouted.

A wall of magical flame sprung up between Quinn’s group and the guards who started shifting to follow the count’s order. Just as rapidly as it rose, it subsided to allow Quinn to be seen as he spoke. Adelade let out a subtle laugh at her theatrics.

“I am a generous member of the royal family. I have heard that your taxes have unreasonably risen as of late, but I can assure you that it is not the kingdom that has done this. It leaves only the Azural house, as the lords of this territory, responsible for these increases. I am returning to the capital to inform the king of the Azural’s treason, but I will tell the king that it is not you, the people, who have committed any wrongdoing!”

There were several gasps as he spoke about turning in the Azural’s, which were followed by a shift in the anger. For the briefest of moments, panic visibly crossed Count Azural’s face. However, he quickly recomposed himself and tried to attack again.

“You lie imposter. My people, hear me! This man who would dare to impersonate the prince has spun nothing but falsehoods to you!”

Everyone in the group, aside from Rebecca and Cindra, whipped out their royal badge, flashing them towards all.

“Imposters do not have these, which can only be given to those either of the royal family or those in service to the royal family. These can not be replicated by anyone!”

Now even Cindra was starting to look nervous. Quinn had somehow managed to undo the years of work she and her father had put into this plan for an independent kingdom in the span of minutes. She had not expected it to collapse when it was so close to fruition.

“By decree from the royal family, I proclaim a new order will be established here. Guards! Seize the former Count Azural and all the Azural’s at the estate. Imprison the others, but the former count shall be brought with us to the capital to answer for his crimes!”

The guards that had previously been hostile turned on the count and quickly captured him with little effort. A large number of others ran off promptly to the Azural estate to take in the other members of the family.

It was little effort then to make their way to the docks. Without a clear understanding of just how deep the Azural corruption went, Quinn approached the one ship, which just so happened to still be there, that was not compromised.

“So you’s the prince huh?” said the captain of the Milkmaid.

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Quinn knocked on the door to the small room Adelade and Rebecca were using on their return voyage.

“Come in.”

He did so, seeing Rebecca laying back within. He stood silently for a moment.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“For what part exactly?”

“All of it.”

She raised her head to stare at him.

“For what part exactly?”

He was unnerved by the anger in her question that was not present in her tone or on her face. He had been thinking about this conversation for a couple days as they were sailing, but he felt that this one was going to be harder than any of the others the pair had had before.

“For you being in danger. For revealing your identity without consulting you.”

“For deceiving me?”

“For deceiving you.”

She returned to staring at the room’s ceiling.

“Did you tell me the truth about what you want to do in Sengar?”

“Yes! I want to make this country better. The things I mentioned to you at our first true meeting are just a part of that.”

“And you want my help.”

“Yes.”

Silence stretched out for a few minutes.

“I can understand if you don’t want to be around me, but please consider the people of Sengar!” he begged.

“What do you think of the people? Truly. Was Cindra right about your opinion of commoners?”

The question was unexpected. Quinn had not considered that the topic mattered to her. Faced with her inquiry now, he wondered how wrong he might have been about that.

“There are some that grow to stand out.”

“But?”

“Most are not competent enough to know what is best for them. That is what we nobles must do for them. The same goes for royals to nobles.”

“Sic semper tyrannis,” Rebecca murmured.

“What?”

“Thus always to tyrants. Different people have different interpretations, but to me it means that when one abuses power, they will get what is coming to them.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nobility and royals don’t always know what is best for commoners. Actually, those in power frequently don’t know. Even those close to those in power don’t often know. I don’t know how to fix that since I don’t know politics. But if you constantly take drastic measures, you might end up remembered as a tyrant.”

Quinn was silent as he thought about her statements. There were of course good and bad kings and queens in history. Sengar had perhaps been lucky to have mostly good ones, or at least none considered to be tyrants.

“I guess I would be considered a commoner too, by the way.”

Quinn looked at Rebecca, who was again watching him for his reaction. It was actually a common thing in the tales of heroes of the past.

“I know.”

“You don’t have a problem with that?”

“No. Maybe you can keep me from tyranny that way,” he answered with a smile.

“We need to restart at the basis of any friendship before you can consider that.”

His heart once again did the weird lurching thing that confused him. It brought a sense of guilt with it, but also a desire to be worthy.

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Quinn sat at his desk in his office space, working through the details of something that he was not as focused on like he should have been. His distracted focus had already affected his work several times today. Wyen sighed as he noticed Quinn’s lack of progress again.

“She will be fine,” Wyen commented.

“Maybe. What if she decides to leave though?”

“Then we failed. We could use force, but I have a feeling you won’t go for that. I don’t think we should either.”

“Me neither,” piped in Fang from his usual relaxed position.

Quinn gave a small grunt of agreement, but did not say anything further. Instead he tried to resume his work. He was reviewing reports from two sources. The first were interrogation reports from the king’s Shadow operatives who were busy uncovering the extent of the former Count Azural and Cindra’s corruption influence. The second were reports from the task force led by Counts Ghele and Wavecrest that had been sent to the island territories to deal with the noble houses there and the seeds of rebellion that had been spreading. It was because her father was currently away that Adelade was currently filling his normal role at the palace for the time being and not assisting Quinn at the moment.

There was a knock on the door. Fang went to investigate, cracking the door to find a palace attendant there, who he let in. The attendant knelt after entering.

“Your Highness,” the attendant said, “The hero has arrived here at the castle. His Majesty requests your presence in the audience hall.”

The attendant rose after Quinn’s acknowledgement and departed immediately. The prince glanced at his two friends and steeled himself.

“Time to find out what she decided.”

The trio made their way to the audience hall with no incident. The audience hall was a massive chamber nearly a hundred meters in length and half that in width. Stained glass windows depicting scenes from Sengar history gave the room plenty of light during the day. Ornate columns rose to a ceiling painted with a mosaic of the first king receiving blessings from numerous deity figures. At one end of the hall, the king and queen’s thrones sat next to each other, with a slightly smaller throne on either side for the highest ranking prince and princess respectively. All were of the same style and made with a local dark colored mahogany and inlaid with spessartite gemstones. The thrones sat on a slightly elevated platform, since royalty were of higher status than all in the hall. Several benches at the floor level on the same end of the hall faced towards the center to serve as seating for high governing nobles.

Quinn took his seat in the prince’s throne, giving a nod to his sister Elyse as she arrived and took her own. Elyse was the first princess and looked very much like a feminine version of Quinn for the most part. She did have more of a strawberry blond coloration to her hair as opposed to his sandy coloration. She was only a year younger than him, but had yet to be engaged to any of the high nobility or any foreign rulers for political gain. It was likely that given their father planned to abdicate to Quinn in just a few months time now, he would be involved in any such arrangements for her future. It was not something he was looking forward to.

Fang took up his guard position behind Quinn’s throne. It was a special place for the family’s guard knights which allowed them to remain close to their charges while remaining mostly out of sight to those within the hall. Wyen meanwhile sat on one of the benches reserved for the high nobility. Others from said high nobility were steadily gathering here as well, a low murmurs of conversation echoed through the hall.

Eventually, Quinn’s uncle called for everyone to take their seats and signaled for the hero to be brought in. Owen remained the only person standing as everyone followed the instructions.

“Announcing Lady Rebecca. Hero,” called out an attendant on the far side of the hall.

The doors were opened and Rebecca entered the hall. Quinn smiled to himself as she apparently could not help but stare at the windows and ceiling as she walked the length of the hall. He was also taken slightly aback by the dress she was wearing, mostly because it was a dress that she was wearing. He had never seen her in a dress before. It had short sleeves that were more ruffled bits that came just off her shoulders. The body of the dress wrapped closely to her figure, but transformed into a wide skirt that was longer in the back than the front. Bits of the skirt section had see-through lacework in flowery patterns. The whole thing was a grayish-blue color that reminded Quinn of an incoming rainstorm. She was wearing some sort of shoes that left much of her feet exposed and made a distinct clicking noise against the stonework while seeming to make her taller by several centimeters. Eventually she arrived not too far from where Owen was standing.

“Ah, uh,” the prime minister uncharacteristically stumbled, “His Majesty, King Christoph Sengar and Queen Katria Sengar.”

Everyone seated stood as the king and queen entered the hall. After they took their respective seats, everyone took a knee except for Rebecca.

“Rise and be seated,” the king said.

Everyone complied. Quinn again faced Rebecca and gave her a small smile in support, which she seemed to catch.

“Thank you for coming, Lady Rebecca. I understand you have an answer to the query we sent you a month ago when you returned from the island territories,” the king continued.

“Indeed, Your Majesty,” Rebecca replied with a courteous bow added in.

“What is your answer?”

Rebecca took a deep breath and smiled.

“I would like to work with the Kingdom of Sengar to utilize my skills and provide for a better future for the people of the country.”

“Excellent!” the king cried out afterwards, “This shall be a momentous day for the kingdom! Owen, ensure that everyone hears of this news with utmost haste!”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

“If you don’t mind my saying so, Lady Rebecca, you appear quite young as well. How about we just make it a double announcement that you are engaged to Quinn as well? You would make an excellent primary queen for him.”

There were several gasps from among those in attendance at the king’s bold suggestion. Tales of the heroes of old warned against such actions, as heroes apparently did not always take to the idea of arranged marriages.

“I must decline at this time, Your Majesty,” Rebecca replied, though her face had become quite flushed and she was clearly unsure of how to handle the situation, “While I can not say that such a situation might develop in the future, we are not familiar enough to be engaged. Plus there’s one more thing.”

The king started laughing at Rebecca’s response. Several others in the room followed suit.

“What is the other thing?” pressed the king.

Rebecca seemed nervous, but took a deep breath before answering.

“If I were to marry the prince, I would be his only queen. No others. No mistresses or concubines.”

Silence followed her reply.

“What?” Quinn asked in disbelief.