Stahlia, Twelve Years Old, Second Month of 948
Shivering ever so slightly, I addressed the prince, “You wanted to throw a wrench into Five’s plans, so you tried to have me killed? A shame that he outsmarted you, according to the demon herself she was forbidden from killing me. You got played, your highness.”
My tone was a lot harsher than it had been up to this point and I heard Edith let out a gasp to my left. I was done playing nice though; clearly, the prince was goading me for some reason. There’s no way I get out of this room unless I give him what he wants, and honestly, it seems like he’s trying to make me snap at him. The prince’s eyes widened a little at my barb.
I paid it no mind and urged him to continue, “So, I’m sure you had a change of heart, Prince Rupert. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be telling me all of this”
The prince nodded slowly, considering his words carefully, “I thought it was strange, some random girl from a deposed house and the son of a count. Sure, you may have your prodigy talent, but there would be better more efficient ways to secure that if he really wanted it. To tell the truth, I still do not know what to make of your engagement. But I can say for certain you are no random girl.”
Well, yea, now that he mentions it… if I take it at face value that my engagement is a ploy from the demons, then I would need to wonder why I wasn’t just kidnapped… the only explanation would be that Five knew about my blessing all along? But it wasn’t even activated until after Rosial was kidnapped…
The prince continued speaking, confirming my thoughts, “You are the Champion of Winter. Gustav told me about the spell you cast; about how the math for the mana did not work out. You needed another discount from somewhere. You should consider yourself lucky that there are so few mages with knowledge of the champions who could draw such a conclusion.”
Knowledge of the champions huh… well, the demons, the church, apparently the royal family now, all have it. I glanced at Edith. For all her political ability when compared to me, she looked small. Like she was trying her best to avoid drawing attention to herself. Though, at the mention of the Champion of Winter, she shot me a look of bewildered confusion. I can’t tell if she knows what that is, or if she’s checking to see if I know…
Turning back to the prince, I nodded once, decisively, “I am.”
There was no point in hiding it; he was certain of himself, and with what I had learned over the past half hour I was certain that it wouldn’t be so simple to just leave the room. I may as well be somewhat open towards him and see where this is leading. There were some secrets I just couldn’t share, like my reincarnation or my future plans for the kingdom.
“You admit it, and yet you did such a good job hiding it until… something must have changed in Ris. Or before that, with Sitri.” The prince’s eyes were calculating as he stared at me. In spite of my building fear, I forced myself to hold his gaze.
“Tell me Stahlia, how did Asten die? As I recall, the intelligence we have is essentially only your own account.”
Right, if he’s in league with the demons, there’s a chance that Sitri told him the truth. If that’s the case, I could lie here and see how he reacts… No, I wouldn’t be able to tell if he was acting or not in his response to me. In that case, should I go all in on the truth? “I did what I had to do.”
The prince nodded, “Right, you sold Asten to Sitri so that you and Dominic could get away. Even though you knew already that she wouldn’t hurt you. You still made that choice.”
Ah… yea, I did. Thanks for reminding me asshole. “By sacrificing Asten, I saved Jacqueline. Between a wet behind the ears noble and someone with her talents, I made the right choice.” As I spoke, I couldn’t stop a small wince as I remembered the months of guilt. I’ll live with those memories, but it doesn’t change what I did. That was my decision and I’ll carry it with me until the day I die.
The prince waved me off, “I would disagree but that isn’t the issue. Where to proceed from this point is. I obviously can’t let you marry Dominic. That would be doing exactly what the enemy wants.”
So here it is, what he’s really after. I folded my hands and sat quietly while maintaining eye contact. If he attacked me or ordered some hidden assailant to execute me I intended to resist to the best of my ability, though I had the feeling doing so would be futile.
The prince opened his mouth, “How would you like if I gave you your sister back?”
In spite of myself, I found that I was leaning forward over the table excitedly, “What do you know about Rosial!?”
The prince shrugged, “Not much, though I know what happened to her; I have been running errands for her current master after all.”
I felt like the wind had been cut from my sails, and I collapsed back into my chair. I didn’t think that anything he did or said would shake me, especially not after he revealed he knew I was the champion.
“Umm… should I, should I be here?” Edith’s voice was small and timid. To be fair, she had most likely been expecting a simple meeting with her fiancée; instead, it wound up being an extremely high-level discussion in which multiple state secrets were bandied about like idle gossip. Well, Edith can keep secrets, so that isn’t too much of a concern… except if Dominic were to ask her, she’s still charmed… I might have to do something about that if I want to guarantee that nothing leaves this room.
“Right, Edith, you may leave after we resolve the next issue.” The prince turned to face me, “Not for free of course. In exchange.” Gustav pulled out a bound scroll and unrolled it on the table between the four of us I recognized it as a magic contract scroll; the regular magic version of the pact I had made with Sitri.
The prince folded both his hands while resting his elbows on the table, “I will do everything I can to reunite you with your sister. In exchange, you will support my bid for the throne, assist in excising the demons from our country, and aid in the rule afterward as my queen.”
So, he’ll help me get Rosial back if I help him take the throne and excise the demons, then I just have to marry him and… WHAT!? Nonono, his fiancé is right there, I must have misheard, besides, I’m a baron’s daughter. I chanced a stealthy look at Edith; she was staring at the prince in utter shock. So he did say that, what about her father then? Breaking off the engagement would be a massive insult to his house.
I glanced at Duke Claurence, he was collected and was watching me calmly. Right, so he’s either hiding it, or he’s not surprised… the engagement wasn’t public, so there wouldn’t actually be any fallout if it was broken off at this stage… And the duke being present for this meeting, with so many sensitive topics, he’s already firmly in the third prince’s camp regardless of the engagement. An anti-demon coalition? It would make sense, if the third prince knew he was being watched, to move outside his faction… So, the prince was serious!?
“Y-your serious? Your highness, I am already engaged…”
The prince waved his hand dismissively, “At the behest of a king of hell. I would not let that marriage go through even if you reject my offer… and no, I no longer plan on having you killed, killing the champion of winter when I face a Hell King would be the height of folly. Regardless of your answer, you may leave this room unharmed.”
That’s not… I mean it’s nice to hear that but I can’t really take that at face value… besides that, “I am only a baron’s daughter, I couldn’t possibly…”
The prince again dismissed my objection with a quick wave, “You are the Champion of Winter, a Prodigy holder, a Special Student in your first year, A Blood Mage, and know an Anti-Army Magic that not even Gustav is aware of going off the description of its effects. What you lack in status, you more than make up for in achievement.”
I flicked my eyes around for a moment, trying to come up with an out. My gaze settled on Edith, catching my gaze, she squeezed her mouth shut and closed her eyes. I can’t read her… what is that reaction supposed to signal…? “What about Lady Edith? You yourself are also engaged are you not?”
The prince nodded, “I am. Thankfully that engagement has not yet been publicized, and can be broken off without causing either of us any loss of face.”
Is that all you think of? Loss of face? What about her feelings…? …Right… ‘I am jealous of you, Stahlia’ was it? So, she doesn’t actually care for the engagement herself; like me, she was pressed into it for politics… Then, do I really have a reason to decline this? It would fulfill all of my requirements, though it comes with a lot of burdens of its own…
On one hand, I would definitely walk away with political power. I would have the top of the country to help get Rosial back, it’s not like my father would object either; him and the prince are old friends… Ah, there is that. “Prince Rupert, forgive me but are you not childhood friends with my father?”
For the first time, the prince looked insulted at something I had said, “Yes, I am friends with your father, but he is ten years older than me; I am only nineteen.”
I mean, I’m twelve. And you think I’m eleven. That’s still a bit of a gap, but it’s not as bad as if he was the same age as my dad… I’ll be sixteen when it’s actually time for us to get married, and he’ll be twenty-three. That’s not too bad. Worse than Ferris or Dominic, but far from the largest gap.
If I say yes, I get the best ally I could reasonably hope to have. I get out of the engagement with Dominic. From the way, he’s been talking I get the feeling he’s looking at things as a net of benefits, not romantic attachment. That’s fine with me; we might eventually grow to like each other, or we won’t. That doesn’t mean we can’t work together.
He would also be the best one to interfere with whatever the church plans on trying behind the scenes… their offer looks great, and I’m sure I could make use of them, but that would be placing myself way to close to Antenora and the other gods and goddesses. There’s also the thing with this other power that messed with Sana’s head… something or someone able to go over Antenora’s head pushing me away from the church… So, I guess the answer is yes then, isn’t it? I opened my mouth to agree to the prince’s proposal.
“No, Stahlia! What about Dominic! You love him, don’t you? I’ll be fine, you don’t have to sacrifice your happiness for me!” Looking towards the source of the interruption, I saw Edith. She was tightly clutching the edge of the table, and there were tears streaking down her face. Ah… the charm is acting up. That’s a bit odd… it should only make her think I like him, but she’s acting to try and keep us together…? That doesn’t work like a charm usually would.
“Edith! Get ahold of yourself, you should know better than to interrupt like this!” Her father was glaring at her, with irritation plainly written on his face. For his part, the prince remained calm, simply watching me and her.
Edith refused to calm down and had begun to shake slightly. Grimacing, I spoke to Gustav, “Lord Gustav, could you put her to sleep? I doubt she will stop otherwise.”
Gustav nodded and reached out towards her. Edith jerked to get away, but Gustav was faster. Catching her shoulder, he briefly closed his eyes. When he opened them, Edith fell limp and Gustav caught her before gently setting her down in the chair. Duke Claurence was looking at me with an expression of curiosity, while the prince merely raised an eyebrow, “Stahlia, do you know something about that?”
Well, here it goes. I guess this is the so-called leap of faith. I hope the prince… no I guess I should call him Rupert now. I hope Rupert is there to catch me on the other side. “Yes, I believe I do. Before that though, the church has offered to annul my engagement if I join their ranks, I have no desire to do so, will you be able to head them off?”
Rupert nodded, apparently unsurprised by my claim. Then again, he knows a fair amount already, just by analyzing bits and pieces of information. It’s not completely unbelievable that he’s figured out, or at least suspects the church has their eye on me as well. Gritting my teeth, I nodded, “Then, I accept your offer.”
Rupert nodded, “I thought you would take longer to decide than that. Still, being decisive is not a bad thing, as long as you still thought things through; you understand this is a political arrangement? I will not and can not ever come to love you, or care for you outside of your usefulness to me and the kingdom.”
Well, that’s harsh… Still, it tracks with how he’s been talking up until now. “I understand, as long as I can get Rosial back, and get revenge on Sitri and Five, I don’t care.”
Rupert smiled for the first time; it was a cold, emotionless smile, “What a fitting pair. The cursed champion and the cursed prince. I wonder what history will call us when they look back? In any case, you said you knew what was going on with poor Edith there?”
Cursed Prince? What does he mean by that? He compared himself with me as well, does that mean that he has [Cold Hearted] as well? In that case, him saying he ‘would not and could not come to love or care about me’ wasn’t him being distant, he was being literal. Well, I can’t say that’s not a bit unsettling, but I can work with that. If anything it makes him a bit easier to predict, and at the end of the day I would be one of the few people who could understand what the world is like for him…
I bottled those thoughts and moved on to address his question. “Prince Rupert, regarding Edith. She is under the influence of Dominic’s skill; [Incubus Eye]. I do not know how he got it, but it allows him to charm any woman he lays his eyes on. Thankfully, I am immune thanks to my status as a champion.”
Rupert looked over at Edith, “An incubus… and Dominic, is still human?”
Hmm, I said I would take a leap of faith, but mentioning my divine eyes is a bit… “As far as I am aware, yes.”
Rupert adopted a thoughtful expression, “Gustav, can you dispel the charm?”
At Rupert’s question, Gustav placed his hand on Edith’s forehead. Focusing for a moment he shuddered and removed his hand. Looking slightly tired he shook his head, “No, I cannot. The mana is like a tumor or a growth, burrowed deep into her core. Removing it would be extremely dangerous… it is deep enough to evade our detection after all.”
I probably shouldn’t mention that I removed Jacqueline’s then, at least not just yet. Rupert spoke to Duke Claurence, “You will need to keep her confined then if the charm runs that deep; we cannot risk her saying anything to Dominic, not until we learn more about his role in the plan.”
Bowing his head, Duke Claurence gave his assent and even added that he would have Sarala confined as well since she and Edith shared almost everything and it was likely that she was charmed as well. Rupert then indicated the contract paper, and Gustav produced two quills for us to write with. Picking up the one offered to me, I felt a small amount of mana being drawn into it, and a small drop of ink materialized on the tip.
Definitely a magic contract, we’re even writing in our own mana so it will be especially binding. The contract I had with Felicity had only been signed in mana; from my lessons, I knew that the difference between the two was how easy it was to terminate the contract. With the contracts signed in mana, it could be annulled with another contract. When the contract was written in magic, it would require a much more involved ritual.
It makes sense for a royal engagement, to use such a strict method… if I sign this, there’s no going back. I took a deep breath. This is what I want. This is the best move I can make. Telling myself that, I exhaled, and wrote my name on the scroll.
I felt a tingling sensation as the magic activated. Across from me, Rupert signed his own name. Now that the contract had been opened, we could discuss the terms of it; until we signed our names again the contract would record the terms as we agreed to them. In essence, it was the same as my mental negotiation with Sitri, only done in real-time.
We discussed things for a little over two hours, and while there were several small things we wound up going back and forth on, we were actually in agreement on the main points. Firstly, we agreed to keep each other’s secrets, barring having permission to disclose something. This one was important, as we now both knew things about the other that would be extremely dangerous.
Secondly, we agreed not to keep secrets. There was a caveat to that, that we simply had to answer the other person honestly. This one in all honesty favored Rupert; the wording allowed for double-speak and half-truths to somewhat bypass the contract, but I was alright with that. My secrets were protected by the first major point, and I would need to learn to speak in riddles anyways. Lastly, we set the age at which I would marry him as well as the terms.
To my surprise, rather than marrying at fifteen like my former engagement to Dominic stipulated, Rupert put the age at sixteen. When I questioned him, he explained that it was customary for the spouse to be of a member of the royal family to live one year assuming the duties of their post after becoming an adult and before the wedding. On my end, it was stipulated that Rupert would assist me in recovering Rosial.
Of the several minor things we discussed, the most pertinent was what to do about my status as the Champion of Winter. Rupert had wanted to reveal it when the engagement was announced. I wanted to keep it a secret. To his credit, he was willing to come to a compromise with me on every issue. In this case, I was given until the announcement to increase my achievements such that announcing my status was no longer necessary to provide legitimacy to the engagement.
The degree to which he was willing to compromise served to demonstrate how important getting this engagement was for him. He can say he does not and cannot care for me all he wants, but as long as he cares about me, I think I can make this work. I was overall careful not to abuse his willingness to compromise, but I did make sure to stick a few extras into the agreement, such as my father being elevated to at least a countship, and a stipulation that he couldn’t just go and have Edith and or Sarala killed to keep them quiet.
Finally, we were finished. Rupert signed his name once more, and with a deep breath in an air of finality, I signed mine as well. The contract flashed bright white and then dissolved, leaving a vague outline of ash on the table. I felt a tugging at my core, a bit like vertigo, and a notification window popped up. It was the second time I had seen this particular notification.
“Notice: Following the signing of the Contract of Engagement, Name and Social Strata have been updated. Name: Stahlia von Ris > Stahlia von Ris und zu Drakas. Social Strata: Nobility (Baron Ris, Drakas Kingdom + Princess von Drakas, Drakas Kingdom )”
I wasn’t expecting to get a social stratum change right away… I guess that means that just being engaged to the prince elevates me to the status of a pseudo royal? The idea that I was an actual princess now, at least nominally, elicited a strange feeling. I feel kind of excited about it actually, I mean being a princess is supposedly every girl’s dream. Then again, it feels like, in a way, I finally let go of my past as a male… I did tell Claire that I had come to terms with it, and I’ve been contemplating willingly entering a marriage for the past few weeks. But now that I’ve actually gone through with it… it feels kinda strange.
Rupert cleared his throat, and in a start, I hurriedly closed the notification. He was holding out his hand to me, with his fingers wrapped around something small. Reaching out my hand, I received a small metal ring with the crest of Drakas engraved onto it, “Now that you’ve signed the engagement contract, you bear the title ‘Princess von Drakas’ and can speak in the name of the king, should you need to. Take care not to abuse that authority, and I would prefer if you kept our engagement a secret. At least until I’ve found a way to depose Count Francois.”
Holy shit! He just casually stated he’s going to crush one of his biggest allies! “Prince Rupert… What do you mean by ‘depose Count Francois’?”
Shrugging, Rupert answered my question nonchalantly, “Count Francois is very likely to be working with Five. I don’t have any hard evidence, but on multiple occasions, the two of them have acted in tandem with each other; your engagement was neither the first nor was it the last time that the two of them made a similar request so close together. Furthermore, Dominic is in possession of a demonic skill. There are only so many ways that could have come to pass.”
I should tell him about Dominic’s past life. “Stahlia, are you alright? You were zoned out a moment ago. I know magic contracts can be a bit uncomfortable if you aren’t used to them.”
“No, I’m fine. I was just a bit distracted when I saw my name change.” Ah, and that would be the part where we don’t keep secrets from each other kicking in. For now, I’ll need to be careful to dance around the topic of divine authority. Before Rupert could ask the obvious question, I jumped in to give further explanation, my intent being to guide the conversation.
“I am able to appraise my own status, and with Blood Magic, I can somewhat track the status of others.” Rupert nodded slowly to my answer.
“Right, I recall Gustav saying something about you being able to do that. Still, to keep track of it in real-time. An impressive feat. Gustav, see that she receives further instruction.” Gustav bowed his head briefly at Rupert’s order.
Just in case Rupert asked a question I didn’t want to answer just yet, I opted to use Dominic as a way to change the subject, “The thought occurs, Dominic has told me that he comes from another world, that he reincarnated into his present body and retains all of his memories.” It was a bit of a stretch to interpret Dominic’s tsundere comment as him “telling me” anything; but apparently, it was enough for the contract. So somewhat vague interpretations work, at least unless he questions me about it. I’ll need to keep that in mind, if it ever seems like he evaded a question or somehow tried to dodge out of answering. I’ll also need to keep in mind that he can do the same to me.
The relationship between us was going to take a bit of getting used to, but with the underlying honesty, it should be doable. Fortunately, it seemed that Rupert was a bit distracted by my revelation to consider questioning the specifics of how I knew, “A traveler… you are certain of this?”
Giving my affirmation, Rupert went deep into thought and began muttering to himself, “A traveler… … …gifts from the gods… … …prophecy… …marriage …” I guess the idea of people coming from other worlds is known at the high levels of society then. That I kind of had a feeling it was happening pretty frequently, what with me, Dominic, and Claire. Franklin’s out there somewhere as well. Still, what in the world is Rupert doing?
He was talking a mile a minute, and low enough that I struggled to keep track of what all he was saying. Thankfully, Gustav offered me an explanation, “He is thinking, running through all the possibilities. The fact that he does this in your presence is a sign that he trusts you; he is very self-conscious of how he appears when doing this. He might not be able to feel like a normal man, but he knows to make an effort where it counts.”
All I could do was watch the prince and wait for him to finish. Finally, after a few minutes of mumbling, he snapped out of it, “Stahlia, are you a traveler as well?” Well, shit.
I nodded, “Yes, I am.” I guess that’s a fair question… I could probably have done something with the definition of the word traveler to get around the answer, but if I start lying and trying to get around the contract now, what’s the point of having it in the first place?
Rupert took my answer in stride, “Then, things are starting to make sense. For the time being, you’ll need to continue as you have been; continue to act as Dominic’s fiancé… It should take me only a few months to arrange things properly. Once the stage is set, we can have that engagement publicly annulled.”
Ok, that’s fucked. It’s already kind of bad that I went around Dominic’s back and just entered another engagement like this. I mean, I don’t like him, especially not after how he’s been acting the past few days. But I feel bad for him, at least a little bit. Or that could be the charm talking. “Why, if you would pardon me, why go along with that charade? Frankly, I feel bad for him.”
Shrugging, Rupert answered coolly, “As it stands, you don’t have enough accomplishment to warrant the jump in status. By announcing yourself as the Champion of Winter you could sidestep this and simply annul the engagement with Dominic and enter one with me; I am willing to be the villain in that.”
So it comes down to that then. Whether or not to announce my standing. If I do that, things with Dominic should wrap up in a neat bow. There will be some retribution from Five I’m sure, but Rupert seems confident it would be manageable. I don’t think he would suggest this as an option if it wasn’t. I would gain the benefit of the church aiding me as well. They already know me as the friend of a goddess, and that was enough to scare a cardinal shitless.
But at the same time, I would rather get rid of this blessing. The side benefits are nice, but I don’t like having the gods constantly pulling at my strings. No, I’m not going to let myself feel bad. Dominic is older than he looks, he should know better than to act the way he has been, frankly, his use of that charm is disgusting. At the social earlier, he was abusing it just to spite me. He does not deserve my sympathy. Having justified my course to myself, I met eyes with Rupert, “Do what you need to. I do not want to reveal that card unless it becomes my only option.”
Rupert gave me a brief bow in affirmation of my wishes, an act which surprised me considerably after his aloof attitude so far. Responding to my expression, he merely lifted his shoulders in the single laziest shrug I had ever seen, “As my fiancé, you and I are now of somewhat similar standing.”
“…Right, my apologies, but I think that will take some time to sink in. This is going to be a long conversation with Jacqueline.”
Rupert grimaced, “I would prefer if you did not inform her. It is extremely likely that your shadow carries a direct line back to her former master. Don’t make that face; it is highly unlikely that she knows.”
Mollified, I let my tension relax slightly, I had been about to say some very choice words. After all, I had only just entered a new level of trust with Jacqueline. What Rupert was implying would be disastrous if it was true. At the very least, he believes it’s true since the contract is letting him say it. “Prince Rupert, please, elaborate…” Rather than anger like I expected, what slipped into my voice was almost… desperation.
Rupert looked apologetic, though if what I had been told thus far about his emotions was true it was a ruse. I still found it somewhat comforting though, “The Nine Kings have several obscene abilities that place them above mere mortals. In some ways, they rival the holy twelve.”
“Fifth Seat, King of Wrath Satan holds dominion over wrath and the demons of wrath. The old stories passed down through the royal family state that anyone who holds anger in their hearts cannot stand against him. Rather than deal a mortal blow, they would find their spears slipping between the ribs of their allies. Unlike a demon’s charm though, the dominion of wrath does not control the victim’s conscious mind. It digs at the subconscious.”
“Where things are troublesome for us now, though, is from the other half of that dominion; the control over demons of wrath. In our covert resistance and sabotages, we have killed a small number of Shadows. Within their bodies, we discovered a worm attached to their spines. Analysis of its body reveals that it is a demon, specifically, a demon of wrath. It is extremely likely that Five can use his dominion to tap into the senses of these worms and witness their surroundings. Of course, I lack any proof. But it would explain several coincidences I have noticed over the past several years.”
You might not have proof… but if that’s really a thing… it would explain how that bastard might know about Jacqueline’s betrayal. But… my divine sight should have picked it up? Unless the worms don’t have mana… I’ll need to check Jacqueline very carefully… but if we assume that all the shadows have these things, then that means… Rosial probably has one as well!
I felt a wave of deep burning anger boiling up inside of me, but recalling what Rupert had just said, I began taking deep breaths and forced it back down. I refuse to rely on [Cold Hearted] I’ll keep my emotions in check on my own. There has to be a way to get rid of that shit, this changes nothing about what I have to do.
I opened my eyes and saw Rupert was watching me.
“I won’t share these events with Jacqueline until I find a way to remove the parasite.” I just crossed a bridge of trust with her as well! My hatred towards five only continued to grow with everything I learned about him. I’m going to make that bastard pay.
Stahlia, Twelve Years Old, Second Month of 948
Shivering ever so slightly, I addressed the prince, “You wanted to throw a wrench into Five’s plans, so you tried to have me killed? A shame that he outsmarted you, according to the demon herself she was forbidden from killing me. You got played, your highness.”
My tone was a lot harsher than it had been up to this point and I heard Edith let out a gasp to my left. I was done playing nice though; clearly, the prince was goading me for some reason. There’s no way I get out of this room unless I give him what he wants, and honestly, it seems like he’s trying to make me snap at him. The prince’s eyes widened a little at my barb.
I paid it no mind and urged him to continue, “So, I’m sure you had a change of heart, Prince Rupert. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be telling me all of this”
The prince nodded slowly, considering his words carefully, “I thought it was strange, some random girl from a deposed house and the son of a count. Sure, you may have your prodigy talent, but there would be better more efficient ways to secure that if he really wanted it. To tell the truth, I still do not know what to make of your engagement. But I can say for certain you are no random girl.”
Well, yea, now that he mentions it… if I take it at face value that my engagement is a ploy from the demons, then I would need to wonder why I wasn’t just kidnapped… the only explanation would be that Five knew about my blessing all along? But it wasn’t even activated until after Rosial was kidnapped…
The prince continued speaking, confirming my thoughts, “You are the Champion of Winter. Gustav told me about the spell you cast; about how the math for the mana did not work out. You needed another discount from somewhere. You should consider yourself lucky that there are so few mages with knowledge of the champions who could draw such a conclusion.”
Knowledge of the champions huh… well, the demons, the church, apparently the royal family now, all have it. I glanced at Edith. For all her political ability when compared to me, she looked small. Like she was trying her best to avoid drawing attention to herself. Though, at the mention of the Champion of Winter, she shot me a look of bewildered confusion. I can’t tell if she knows what that is, or if she’s checking to see if I know…
Turning back to the prince, I nodded once, decisively, “I am.”
There was no point in hiding it; he was certain of himself, and with what I had learned over the past half hour I was certain that it wouldn’t be so simple to just leave the room. I may as well be somewhat open towards him and see where this is leading. There were some secrets I just couldn’t share, like my reincarnation or my future plans for the kingdom.
“You admit it, and yet you did such a good job hiding it until… something must have changed in Ris. Or before that, with Sitri.” The prince’s eyes were calculating as he stared at me. In spite of my building fear, I forced myself to hold his gaze.
“Tell me Stahlia, how did Asten die? As I recall, the intelligence we have is essentially only your own account.”
Right, if he’s in league with the demons, there’s a chance that Sitri told him the truth. If that’s the case, I could lie here and see how he reacts… No, I wouldn’t be able to tell if he was acting or not in his response to me. In that case, should I go all in on the truth? “I did what I had to do.”
The prince nodded, “Right, you sold Asten to Sitri so that you and Dominic could get away. Even though you knew already that she wouldn’t hurt you. You still made that choice.”
Ah… yea, I did. Thanks for reminding me asshole. “By sacrificing Asten, I saved Jacqueline. Between a wet behind the ears noble and someone with her talents, I made the right choice.” As I spoke, I couldn’t stop a small wince as I remembered the months of guilt. I’ll live with those memories, but it doesn’t change what I did. That was my decision and I’ll carry it with me until the day I die.
The prince waved me off, “I would disagree but that isn’t the issue. Where to proceed from this point is. I obviously can’t let you marry Dominic. That would be doing exactly what the enemy wants.”
So here it is, what he’s really after. I folded my hands and sat quietly while maintaining eye contact. If he attacked me or ordered some hidden assailant to execute me I intended to resist to the best of my ability, though I had the feeling doing so would be futile.
The prince opened his mouth, “How would you like if I gave you your sister back?”
In spite of myself, I found that I was leaning forward over the table excitedly, “What do you know about Rosial!?”
The prince shrugged, “Not much, though I know what happened to her; I have been running errands for her current master after all.”
I felt like the wind had been cut from my sails, and I collapsed back into my chair. I didn’t think that anything he did or said would shake me, especially not after he revealed he knew I was the champion.
“Umm… should I, should I be here?” Edith’s voice was small and timid. To be fair, she had most likely been expecting a simple meeting with her fiancée; instead, it wound up being an extremely high-level discussion in which multiple state secrets were bandied about like idle gossip. Well, Edith can keep secrets, so that isn’t too much of a concern… except if Dominic were to ask her, she’s still charmed… I might have to do something about that if I want to guarantee that nothing leaves this room.
“Right, Edith, you may leave after we resolve the next issue.” The prince turned to face me, “Not for free of course. In exchange.” Gustav pulled out a bound scroll and unrolled it on the table between the four of us I recognized it as a magic contract scroll; the regular magic version of the pact I had made with Sitri.
The prince folded both his hands while resting his elbows on the table, “I will do everything I can to reunite you with your sister. In exchange, you will support my bid for the throne, assist in excising the demons from our country, and aid in the rule afterward as my queen.”
So, he’ll help me get Rosial back if I help him take the throne and excise the demons, then I just have to marry him and… WHAT!? Nonono, his fiancé is right there, I must have misheard, besides, I’m a baron’s daughter. I chanced a stealthy look at Edith; she was staring at the prince in utter shock. So he did say that, what about her father then? Breaking off the engagement would be a massive insult to his house.
I glanced at Duke Claurence, he was collected and was watching me calmly. Right, so he’s either hiding it, or he’s not surprised… the engagement wasn’t public, so there wouldn’t actually be any fallout if it was broken off at this stage… And the duke being present for this meeting, with so many sensitive topics, he’s already firmly in the third prince’s camp regardless of the engagement. An anti-demon coalition? It would make sense, if the third prince knew he was being watched, to move outside his faction… So, the prince was serious!?
“Y-your serious? Your highness, I am already engaged…”
The prince waved his hand dismissively, “At the behest of a king of hell. I would not let that marriage go through even if you reject my offer… and no, I no longer plan on having you killed, killing the champion of winter when I face a Hell King would be the height of folly. Regardless of your answer, you may leave this room unharmed.”
That’s not… I mean it’s nice to hear that but I can’t really take that at face value… besides that, “I am only a baron’s daughter, I couldn’t possibly…”
The prince again dismissed my objection with a quick wave, “You are the Champion of Winter, a Prodigy holder, a Special Student in your first year, A Blood Mage, and know an Anti-Army Magic that not even Gustav is aware of going off the description of its effects. What you lack in status, you more than make up for in achievement.”
I flicked my eyes around for a moment, trying to come up with an out. My gaze settled on Edith, catching my gaze, she squeezed her mouth shut and closed her eyes. I can’t read her… what is that reaction supposed to signal…? “What about Lady Edith? You yourself are also engaged are you not?”
The prince nodded, “I am. Thankfully that engagement has not yet been publicized, and can be broken off without causing either of us any loss of face.”
Is that all you think of? Loss of face? What about her feelings…? …Right… ‘I am jealous of you, Stahlia’ was it? So, she doesn’t actually care for the engagement herself; like me, she was pressed into it for politics… Then, do I really have a reason to decline this? It would fulfill all of my requirements, though it comes with a lot of burdens of its own…
On one hand, I would definitely walk away with political power. I would have the top of the country to help get Rosial back, it’s not like my father would object either; him and the prince are old friends… Ah, there is that. “Prince Rupert, forgive me but are you not childhood friends with my father?”
For the first time, the prince looked insulted at something I had said, “Yes, I am friends with your father, but he is ten years older than me; I am only nineteen.”
I mean, I’m twelve. And you think I’m eleven. That’s still a bit of a gap, but it’s not as bad as if he was the same age as my dad… I’ll be sixteen when it’s actually time for us to get married, and he’ll be twenty-three. That’s not too bad. Worse than Ferris or Dominic, but far from the largest gap.
If I say yes, I get the best ally I could reasonably hope to have. I get out of the engagement with Dominic. From the way, he’s been talking I get the feeling he’s looking at things as a net of benefits, not romantic attachment. That’s fine with me; we might eventually grow to like each other, or we won’t. That doesn’t mean we can’t work together.
He would also be the best one to interfere with whatever the church plans on trying behind the scenes… their offer looks great, and I’m sure I could make use of them, but that would be placing myself way to close to Antenora and the other gods and goddesses. There’s also the thing with this other power that messed with Sana’s head… something or someone able to go over Antenora’s head pushing me away from the church… So, I guess the answer is yes then, isn’t it? I opened my mouth to agree to the prince’s proposal.
“No, Stahlia! What about Dominic! You love him, don’t you? I’ll be fine, you don’t have to sacrifice your happiness for me!” Looking towards the source of the interruption, I saw Edith. She was tightly clutching the edge of the table, and there were tears streaking down her face. Ah… the charm is acting up. That’s a bit odd… it should only make her think I like him, but she’s acting to try and keep us together…? That doesn’t work like a charm usually would.
“Edith! Get ahold of yourself, you should know better than to interrupt like this!” Her father was glaring at her, with irritation plainly written on his face. For his part, the prince remained calm, simply watching me and her.
Edith refused to calm down and had begun to shake slightly. Grimacing, I spoke to Gustav, “Lord Gustav, could you put her to sleep? I doubt she will stop otherwise.”
Gustav nodded and reached out towards her. Edith jerked to get away, but Gustav was faster. Catching her shoulder, he briefly closed his eyes. When he opened them, Edith fell limp and Gustav caught her before gently setting her down in the chair. Duke Claurence was looking at me with an expression of curiosity, while the prince merely raised an eyebrow, “Stahlia, do you know something about that?”
Well, here it goes. I guess this is the so-called leap of faith. I hope the prince… no I guess I should call him Rupert now. I hope Rupert is there to catch me on the other side. “Yes, I believe I do. Before that though, the church has offered to annul my engagement if I join their ranks, I have no desire to do so, will you be able to head them off?”
Rupert nodded, apparently unsurprised by my claim. Then again, he knows a fair amount already, just by analyzing bits and pieces of information. It’s not completely unbelievable that he’s figured out, or at least suspects the church has their eye on me as well. Gritting my teeth, I nodded, “Then, I accept your offer.”
Rupert nodded, “I thought you would take longer to decide than that. Still, being decisive is not a bad thing, as long as you still thought things through; you understand this is a political arrangement? I will not and can not ever come to love you, or care for you outside of your usefulness to me and the kingdom.”
Well, that’s harsh… Still, it tracks with how he’s been talking up until now. “I understand, as long as I can get Rosial back, and get revenge on Sitri and Five, I don’t care.”
Rupert smiled for the first time; it was a cold, emotionless smile, “What a fitting pair. The cursed champion and the cursed prince. I wonder what history will call us when they look back? In any case, you said you knew what was going on with poor Edith there?”
Cursed Prince? What does he mean by that? He compared himself with me as well, does that mean that he has [Cold Hearted] as well? In that case, him saying he ‘would not and could not come to love or care about me’ wasn’t him being distant, he was being literal. Well, I can’t say that’s not a bit unsettling, but I can work with that. If anything it makes him a bit easier to predict, and at the end of the day I would be one of the few people who could understand what the world is like for him…
I bottled those thoughts and moved on to address his question. “Prince Rupert, regarding Edith. She is under the influence of Dominic’s skill; [Incubus Eye]. I do not know how he got it, but it allows him to charm any woman he lays his eyes on. Thankfully, I am immune thanks to my status as a champion.”
Rupert looked over at Edith, “An incubus… and Dominic, is still human?”
Hmm, I said I would take a leap of faith, but mentioning my divine eyes is a bit… “As far as I am aware, yes.”
Rupert adopted a thoughtful expression, “Gustav, can you dispel the charm?”
At Rupert’s question, Gustav placed his hand on Edith’s forehead. Focusing for a moment he shuddered and removed his hand. Looking slightly tired he shook his head, “No, I cannot. The mana is like a tumor or a growth, burrowed deep into her core. Removing it would be extremely dangerous… it is deep enough to evade our detection after all.”
I probably shouldn’t mention that I removed Jacqueline’s then, at least not just yet. Rupert spoke to Duke Claurence, “You will need to keep her confined then if the charm runs that deep; we cannot risk her saying anything to Dominic, not until we learn more about his role in the plan.”
Bowing his head, Duke Claurence gave his assent and even added that he would have Sarala confined as well since she and Edith shared almost everything and it was likely that she was charmed as well. Rupert then indicated the contract paper, and Gustav produced two quills for us to write with. Picking up the one offered to me, I felt a small amount of mana being drawn into it, and a small drop of ink materialized on the tip.
Definitely a magic contract, we’re even writing in our own mana so it will be especially binding. The contract I had with Felicity had only been signed in mana; from my lessons, I knew that the difference between the two was how easy it was to terminate the contract. With the contracts signed in mana, it could be annulled with another contract. When the contract was written in magic, it would require a much more involved ritual.
It makes sense for a royal engagement, to use such a strict method… if I sign this, there’s no going back. I took a deep breath. This is what I want. This is the best move I can make. Telling myself that, I exhaled, and wrote my name on the scroll.
I felt a tingling sensation as the magic activated. Across from me, Rupert signed his own name. Now that the contract had been opened, we could discuss the terms of it; until we signed our names again the contract would record the terms as we agreed to them. In essence, it was the same as my mental negotiation with Sitri, only done in real-time.
We discussed things for a little over two hours, and while there were several small things we wound up going back and forth on, we were actually in agreement on the main points. Firstly, we agreed to keep each other’s secrets, barring having permission to disclose something. This one was important, as we now both knew things about the other that would be extremely dangerous.
Secondly, we agreed not to keep secrets. There was a caveat to that, that we simply had to answer the other person honestly. This one in all honesty favored Rupert; the wording allowed for double-speak and half-truths to somewhat bypass the contract, but I was alright with that. My secrets were protected by the first major point, and I would need to learn to speak in riddles anyways. Lastly, we set the age at which I would marry him as well as the terms.
To my surprise, rather than marrying at fifteen like my former engagement to Dominic stipulated, Rupert put the age at sixteen. When I questioned him, he explained that it was customary for the spouse to be of a member of the royal family to live one year assuming the duties of their post after becoming an adult and before the wedding. On my end, it was stipulated that Rupert would assist me in recovering Rosial.
Of the several minor things we discussed, the most pertinent was what to do about my status as the Champion of Winter. Rupert had wanted to reveal it when the engagement was announced. I wanted to keep it a secret. To his credit, he was willing to come to a compromise with me on every issue. In this case, I was given until the announcement to increase my achievements such that announcing my status was no longer necessary to provide legitimacy to the engagement.
The degree to which he was willing to compromise served to demonstrate how important getting this engagement was for him. He can say he does not and cannot care for me all he wants, but as long as he cares about me, I think I can make this work. I was overall careful not to abuse his willingness to compromise, but I did make sure to stick a few extras into the agreement, such as my father being elevated to at least a countship, and a stipulation that he couldn’t just go and have Edith and or Sarala killed to keep them quiet.
Finally, we were finished. Rupert signed his name once more, and with a deep breath in an air of finality, I signed mine as well. The contract flashed bright white and then dissolved, leaving a vague outline of ash on the table. I felt a tugging at my core, a bit like vertigo, and a notification window popped up. It was the second time I had seen this particular notification.
“Notice: Following the signing of the Contract of Engagement, Name and Social Strata have been updated. Name: Stahlia von Ris > Stahlia von Ris und zu Drakas. Social Strata: Nobility (Baron Ris, Drakas Kingdom + Princess von Drakas, Drakas Kingdom )”
I wasn’t expecting to get a social stratum change right away… I guess that means that just being engaged to the prince elevates me to the status of a pseudo royal? The idea that I was an actual princess now, at least nominally, elicited a strange feeling. I feel kind of excited about it actually, I mean being a princess is supposedly every girl’s dream. Then again, it feels like, in a way, I finally let go of my past as a male… I did tell Claire that I had come to terms with it, and I’ve been contemplating willingly entering a marriage for the past few weeks. But now that I’ve actually gone through with it… it feels kinda strange.
Rupert cleared his throat, and in a start, I hurriedly closed the notification. He was holding out his hand to me, with his fingers wrapped around something small. Reaching out my hand, I received a small metal ring with the crest of Drakas engraved onto it, “Now that you’ve signed the engagement contract, you bear the title ‘Princess von Drakas’ and can speak in the name of the king, should you need to. Take care not to abuse that authority, and I would prefer if you kept our engagement a secret. At least until I’ve found a way to depose Count Francois.”
Holy shit! He just casually stated he’s going to crush one of his biggest allies! “Prince Rupert… What do you mean by ‘depose Count Francois’?”
Shrugging, Rupert answered my question nonchalantly, “Count Francois is very likely to be working with Five. I don’t have any hard evidence, but on multiple occasions, the two of them have acted in tandem with each other; your engagement was neither the first nor was it the last time that the two of them made a similar request so close together. Furthermore, Dominic is in possession of a demonic skill. There are only so many ways that could have come to pass.”
I should tell him about Dominic’s past life. “Stahlia, are you alright? You were zoned out a moment ago. I know magic contracts can be a bit uncomfortable if you aren’t used to them.”
“No, I’m fine. I was just a bit distracted when I saw my name change.” Ah, and that would be the part where we don’t keep secrets from each other kicking in. For now, I’ll need to be careful to dance around the topic of divine authority. Before Rupert could ask the obvious question, I jumped in to give further explanation, my intent being to guide the conversation.
“I am able to appraise my own status, and with Blood Magic, I can somewhat track the status of others.” Rupert nodded slowly to my answer.
“Right, I recall Gustav saying something about you being able to do that. Still, to keep track of it in real-time. An impressive feat. Gustav, see that she receives further instruction.” Gustav bowed his head briefly at Rupert’s order.
Just in case Rupert asked a question I didn’t want to answer just yet, I opted to use Dominic as a way to change the subject, “The thought occurs, Dominic has told me that he comes from another world, that he reincarnated into his present body and retains all of his memories.” It was a bit of a stretch to interpret Dominic’s tsundere comment as him “telling me” anything; but apparently, it was enough for the contract. So somewhat vague interpretations work, at least unless he questions me about it. I’ll need to keep that in mind, if it ever seems like he evaded a question or somehow tried to dodge out of answering. I’ll also need to keep in mind that he can do the same to me.
The relationship between us was going to take a bit of getting used to, but with the underlying honesty, it should be doable. Fortunately, it seemed that Rupert was a bit distracted by my revelation to consider questioning the specifics of how I knew, “A traveler… you are certain of this?”
Giving my affirmation, Rupert went deep into thought and began muttering to himself, “A traveler… … …gifts from the gods… … …prophecy… …marriage …” I guess the idea of people coming from other worlds is known at the high levels of society then. That I kind of had a feeling it was happening pretty frequently, what with me, Dominic, and Claire. Franklin’s out there somewhere as well. Still, what in the world is Rupert doing?
He was talking a mile a minute, and low enough that I struggled to keep track of what all he was saying. Thankfully, Gustav offered me an explanation, “He is thinking, running through all the possibilities. The fact that he does this in your presence is a sign that he trusts you; he is very self-conscious of how he appears when doing this. He might not be able to feel like a normal man, but he knows to make an effort where it counts.”
All I could do was watch the prince and wait for him to finish. Finally, after a few minutes of mumbling, he snapped out of it, “Stahlia, are you a traveler as well?” Well, shit.
I nodded, “Yes, I am.” I guess that’s a fair question… I could probably have done something with the definition of the word traveler to get around the answer, but if I start lying and trying to get around the contract now, what’s the point of having it in the first place?
Rupert took my answer in stride, “Then, things are starting to make sense. For the time being, you’ll need to continue as you have been; continue to act as Dominic’s fiancé… It should take me only a few months to arrange things properly. Once the stage is set, we can have that engagement publicly annulled.”
Ok, that’s fucked. It’s already kind of bad that I went around Dominic’s back and just entered another engagement like this. I mean, I don’t like him, especially not after how he’s been acting the past few days. But I feel bad for him, at least a little bit. Or that could be the charm talking. “Why, if you would pardon me, why go along with that charade? Frankly, I feel bad for him.”
Shrugging, Rupert answered coolly, “As it stands, you don’t have enough accomplishment to warrant the jump in status. By announcing yourself as the Champion of Winter you could sidestep this and simply annul the engagement with Dominic and enter one with me; I am willing to be the villain in that.”
So it comes down to that then. Whether or not to announce my standing. If I do that, things with Dominic should wrap up in a neat bow. There will be some retribution from Five I’m sure, but Rupert seems confident it would be manageable. I don’t think he would suggest this as an option if it wasn’t. I would gain the benefit of the church aiding me as well. They already know me as the friend of a goddess, and that was enough to scare a cardinal shitless.
But at the same time, I would rather get rid of this blessing. The side benefits are nice, but I don’t like having the gods constantly pulling at my strings. No, I’m not going to let myself feel bad. Dominic is older than he looks, he should know better than to act the way he has been, frankly, his use of that charm is disgusting. At the social earlier, he was abusing it just to spite me. He does not deserve my sympathy. Having justified my course to myself, I met eyes with Rupert, “Do what you need to. I do not want to reveal that card unless it becomes my only option.”
Rupert gave me a brief bow in affirmation of my wishes, an act which surprised me considerably after his aloof attitude so far. Responding to my expression, he merely lifted his shoulders in the single laziest shrug I had ever seen, “As my fiancé, you and I are now of somewhat similar standing.”
“…Right, my apologies, but I think that will take some time to sink in. This is going to be a long conversation with Jacqueline.”
Rupert grimaced, “I would prefer if you did not inform her. It is extremely likely that your shadow carries a direct line back to her former master. Don’t make that face; it is highly unlikely that she knows.”
Mollified, I let my tension relax slightly, I had been about to say some very choice words. After all, I had only just entered a new level of trust with Jacqueline. What Rupert was implying would be disastrous if it was true. At the very least, he believes it’s true since the contract is letting him say it. “Prince Rupert, please, elaborate…” Rather than anger like I expected, what slipped into my voice was almost… desperation.
Rupert looked apologetic, though if what I had been told thus far about his emotions was true it was a ruse. I still found it somewhat comforting though, “The Nine Kings have several obscene abilities that place them above mere mortals. In some ways, they rival the holy twelve.”
“Fifth Seat, King of Wrath Satan holds dominion over wrath and the demons of wrath. The old stories passed down through the royal family state that anyone who holds anger in their hearts cannot stand against him. Rather than deal a mortal blow, they would find their spears slipping between the ribs of their allies. Unlike a demon’s charm though, the dominion of wrath does not control the victim’s conscious mind. It digs at the subconscious.”
“Where things are troublesome for us now, though, is from the other half of that dominion; the control over demons of wrath. In our covert resistance and sabotages, we have killed a small number of Shadows. Within their bodies, we discovered a worm attached to their spines. Analysis of its body reveals that it is a demon, specifically, a demon of wrath. It is extremely likely that Five can use his dominion to tap into the senses of these worms and witness their surroundings. Of course, I lack any proof. But it would explain several coincidences I have noticed over the past several years.”
You might not have proof… but if that’s really a thing… it would explain how that bastard might know about Jacqueline’s betrayal. But… my divine sight should have picked it up? Unless the worms don’t have mana… I’ll need to check Jacqueline very carefully… but if we assume that all the shadows have these things, then that means… Rosial probably has one as well!
I felt a wave of deep burning anger boiling up inside of me, but recalling what Rupert had just said, I began taking deep breaths and forced it back down. I refuse to rely on [Cold Hearted] I’ll keep my emotions in check on my own. There has to be a way to get rid of that shit, this changes nothing about what I have to do.
I opened my eyes and saw Rupert was watching me.
“I won’t share these events with Jacqueline until I find a way to remove the parasite.” I just crossed a bridge of trust with her as well! My hatred towards five only continued to grow with everything I learned about him. I’m going to make that bastard pay.
