"It's as we feared, they hired Crimson Iron and her crew. It's a good thing you're with us, Lady Taka. Are you sure you can fight?"

"It's just a scratch. And anyway, I won't die before I smash that evil boy's face in."

"Big sister, are we going now?"

"Not yet. There are too many of them. Let's wait until the pirates are gone."

Ignes personally went ashore with a dozen of her men, one of whom had Elizabeth on a leash like a dog.

"I hope you weren't too rough with Her Majesty," protested the intermediary, a rather elderly man who hid rather fine clothes under his cloak. "She may be half-blood, but she's still part of the royal family."

"Relax, old man, she's safe and sound. Just a little soaked. Nothing a hot herbal tea and a nice fire can't fix."

"Not so fast, old man. Pay us first."

Xylla was still on the boat, but between the fatigue of rowing and the thought of being able to get their hands on a lot of money soon, none of the pirates paid her any attention.

In this way, almost breaking her wings, she managed to cut the ropes, and without thinking twice she took flight, violently throwing herself at the man who was holding Elizabeth.

"Leave her alone!"

Taken from behind, that colossus let go of the rope.

"Elizabeth, run!"

"I can't abandon you, Xylla!"

"I've had enough of you now, you damned bird!"

Xylla was strong, but after days of meager meals and troubled sleep she could do nothing against ten armed men, especially if one of them was a girl who could decapitate a bear with a single blow of her axe.

Her arrival didn't go unnoticed even by the three shadows on the promontory.

"What is she doing here?"

After a very brief duel Xylla was knocked out, and in trying to help her Elizabeth only got captured again.

"Big sister, what we do?" asked Sapi

Aria nervously gripped the reins, gritting her teeth: "We have no choice, let's go!" but in the meantime Taka had already rushed forward "Lady Taka, wait! Remember that we need the middlemen alive!"

The pirate holding Elizabeth's ropes found himself beheaded before he even realized what was happening, and shortly thereafter Aria and Sapi also threw themselves into the fray, causing chaos.

"Lady Aria!? What are you guys doing here?"

"You again!?" Ignes shouted angrily

"Big sister, it's so nice to see you again! Shall we pick up where we left off?"

Aria was in awe of Taka's skill and Sapi's terrifying strength. However, she managed to assert herself, first eliminating some pirates and then stopping the middleman before he could escape, running him over with her horse and leaving him unconscious on the ground.

The pirates on the ship came down to lend a hand, but even though Sapi was engaged in a personal duel with Ignes and Xylla was too injured and weakened to fight, they were simply no match for Taka and her blade.

The second in command of the gang, Bill the wolf, realized before the others that escape was the only hope of survival, so he pounced on Xylla and held her in front of him at sword point.

"Stop!" he ordered, breaking up the fight. "Let us go, or I'll cut her throat!"

"Don't listen to him, don't pay attention to me!"

Elizabeth begged Taka to do something, but the risk of hurting Xylla was too great.

"Okay, that's enough," Aria finally said. "We have what we came for. You are of no interest to us. Go away."

Ignes was furious at the thought of having to abandon Sapi halfway through another fight, but the way things were going, saving her own skin was something.

But there was no way they were going to leave empty-handed, so she approached the still-dazed middleman and slipped a bag of coins from inside his cloak. It wasn't the whole fee, but they could make do.

"There you go. Now let's go. As for you, little monster, we'll settle this another time."

"See you soon, big sister."

Bill went last, throwing Xylla away just before he was safe in the boat that immediately took off.

"Xylla!" Elizabeth said, running to help her. "Easy. You're hurt."

"It's nothing. Are you okay?"

The Princess then picked her up on her shoulders and carried her out of the water, and immediately afterward Taka, with shining eyes, did something to Elizabeth that she had never done in her life: she hugged her.

"Taka..."

"I'm sorry. Forgive me for not protecting you. Luckily, you're safe. If something had happened to you..."

"... I'm sorry, Taka. I... I never thanked you. Ever since I was little, you stayed close to me and protected me. But I never appreciated what you did for me. In fact, sometimes I even treated you badly, and who knows how many times I made you worry. But it won't happen again, I promise."

At that point, Taka's simple tears became joyous.

"You don't have to change, Elizabeth. Ever. It's who you are that makes you so special. And I will never stop being by your side."

After a few moments, and having regained the bearing of a true Princess Regnant, Elizabeth approached Aria: "Thank you for helping me, Grand Duchess Montgomery."

"My pleasure, Your Highness. And we're sorry we put you in danger like this."

"So I assume that your presence here is not due to mere chance."

"We will have a chance to explain everything to you. Now we must return to the city as quickly as possible."



Marton cursed with all his heart the moment he had decided to seek help from Daemon Haselworth, and wondered if the man he had idolized his entire previous life was truly alive in the deranged boy he now stood before.

It was true what he had heard: the heroes of your childhood often end up disappointing you.

But he couldn't believe that a person who had been capable of such feats could act so irrationally.

Perhaps, without realizing it, he had fallen into a trap: perhaps that man didn't want to help him, and had instead cleverly manipulated him for his own gain since the beginning.

In any case, he would not have allowed him to go on any further.

"That's enough!" he shrieked, grabbing a letter opener from the chancellor's desk. "I'm not going to be so naive anymore! I've spent my entire previous life fixing the problems your actions have caused! I don't know what you're up to, but I won't let you turn my homeland upside down again!"

Daemon gave him another of his insufferable mocking looks, shrugged, and sighed in amusement, "Okay, I think that's enough." then he snapped his fingers.

The Count gave a start, and then it was as if a light had come on in his eyes.

"Boja Fauss." he grumbled, dropping the knife and rubbing his head. "It's worse than waking up from a vermouth binge. We didn't talk about this heachache."

"It'll pass in a few minutes."

"Forgive me for threatening you, but from what little I remember, you were very convincing. Just give me a minute to gather my thoughts. So? Did it work?"

"We're about to find out."

Just then, the Count's Eye of Gaia activated again.

"We're here," Daemon said. "What's new?"

"We've recovered the princess. We're returning."

"The middleman?"

"He's in our hands. Although there was a small unforeseen event. I will explain everything to you once we return."

"Very well. We are waiting for you. Do it as quickly as possible."

Daemon and the Count remained alone and silent for a few more minutes, then someone knocked in an unusual way on the office door and was immediately let in.

"We are at your command, Mr. Prime Minister," said a Royal Guard sergeant, standing at attention with his ten soldiers.

"There is a package to be collected in the palace rose garden. Send someone to retrieve it, then meet us in the ballroom."



The ballroom had meanwhile transformed into a courtroom, where the defendant whose sentence was written already was none other than the Count of Marton himself.

The rumors chased each other relentlessly, especially when a second messenger arrived from the Palace reported that the assassin of the Duke of Derry had escaped, and that the Grand Duchess Montgomery and her yeti also seemed to have disappeared into thin air.

There were no more dissenters, non-aligned, or supporters; the chorus was unanimous.

"The Count has made Her Highness flee!"

"I agree! He wants to take her to the Free State and form an alliance against Connelly!"

These were not unfounded accusations, and indeed many feared that if pushed to the limit Marton would be more than capable of doing such a thing.

For someone like him who had gone from being insignificant to leading a nation there could be no greater terror than being cast aside.

Roda and Monroy were furious; they had given the Count the benefit of the doubt, trusting in his honor as a nobleman, and considered Marton's action an unforgivable stain on any member of the aristocracy.

Countess Arendelle and Watford had initially preached caution, but as evidence seemed to mount by the minute of Free State agents' involvement in the kidnapping, they too soon joined the ranks of the protesters.

Shortly after midnight neither the Count, nor Daemon Haselworth, nor any member of the Free State embassy had been found, nor was there any trace of the Princess.

Then worrying news began to arrive about strange movements of troops arriving from the countryside, and an order from the Count himself to move those new cannons to the hills around the city. At that point, Montesol and the other members of the government were effectively left alone.

"Someone will have to take responsibility for this!" Roda thundered. "Members of the Council of Nobles! I, Marquis Roda, formally propose the removal of the Count of Marton from all office! I also demand an impeachment for high treason and a warrant for his arrest, as well as an immediate declaration of war against the Free State of Eirinn!"

"Right!"

"War!"

"Death to the Count!"

Montesol, surrounded by the other ministers, raised his arm asking to speak.

"You all know the esteem and deep respect that I have for the Count of Marton. His merits and victories are unquestionable. This is why we have never abandoned him, even when in recent days his attitudes and actions have been extremely questionable. However, even before the Count, I and the other ministers are loyal first and foremost to Gaia and Connelly. And we can no longer pretend not to see. He has clearly decided to challenge the country he swore to serve for his own personal gain, and we cannot accept that. Therefore, as Deputy Prime Minister, I use the powers vested in me to officially dissolve this government, and I accept the proposal of the Marquis Roda! I will also order the immediate deployment of troops to defend the capital, the arrest of all traitorous commanders and officers, and the appointment of a new regency council to ensure a peaceful succession at the end of this crisis!"

The crowd's cheers of approval lasted just long enough for a strange magical vibration to spread throughout the room, producing an annoying screeching that was followed by voices of unknown origin.

-I am Daemon Haselworth, Prime Minister of the Free State of Eirinn. At my side is His Excellency the Count of Marton, Prime Minister of Connelly. We are recording this conversation within my Eye of Gaia as evidence. Please state your name and social standing.-

-Theobald Corwen, Third Duke of Derry.-

-Are you giving this testimony under threat or coercion?-

-No.-

-Are you aware of the implications of what you are about to say?-

-My conscience demands that I speak. I defer to Gaia's judgment.-

-Tell us everything from the beginning.-



After accompanying Elizabeth to the palace and leaving Danton in the amphitheater that the Princess had ordered to be cleared for him, Xylla had tried to reach the audience hall herself, but soon ended up getting lost in the vast royal gardens.

Her wanderings had finally led her to the lake, where she had come across an old nobleman sitting on a bench who, in addition to his cerulean appearance and his withered body, did not seem to be feeling very well, grumbling, gnashing his teeth and firmly clutching his abdomen.

In other times she wouldn't have cared at all, but meeting someone as spontaneous and kind as the Princess had sparked something inside her.

"Can I help you?"

He looked at her kindly, as few humans had before.

"Thank you for your kind heart, dear. I dropped the medicine box in the water, but my maid went to get more. You have nothing to worry about." Xylla hated getting wet like all harpies, but nevertheless she felt compelled to help the man, and without thinking twice she retrieved the box and returned it to its owner.

"Thank you," he said after emptying the contents. "I feel a little better now."

"Take care of yourself, please."

"Wait, don't go yet. Would you like to help this poor old man again?"

The young harpy hesitated, but then said yes.

"I have to go meet someone, but I can barely walk in this condition. Could you help me, please?"

"But what about your maid?"

"She won't be back for a few hours, and time is precious. I need to talk to this person as soon as possible. Don't worry, if she doesn't find me here, she'll know where I went and will join us."

It was a small favor, and the idea of pleasing the old man made Xylla strangely happy.

So she agreed, and helping him up, she accompanied him towards the palace.

"You are a good girl. May I know your name?"

"I'm Xylla."

"Xylla... you know, in the old imperial dialect it means Radiant. A fitting name for you, who have such a gentle and noble soul."

"If you knew me, you wouldn't think so. I'm not a good person at all."

"But I see a lot of Her Majesty in you. I'm sure you'd be great friends."

Xylla accompanied the old man, who by now seemed to have recovered a bit, to the office of the Count of Marton, Prime Minister of Connelly, in the most luxurious wing of the palace.

"Come in," the Count said after they knocked.

"Xylla," Daemon said. "What are you doing here?"

"I met this gentleman in the gardens, and I helped him come here."

"I suspected this gentlewoman was part of your retinue, Lord Haselworth. Even here in Connelly, it's not every day that one encounters a harpy."

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Theobald?"

"Straight to the point Marton, uh? Will you not offer me one of your fine liquors?"

The Count smiled, then filled a goblet and offered it to his guest.

"Nothing better for my poor stomach. Not like those disgusting medicines."

"Well? Now you want to tell me what brings you here? You've never even come close to my office door before."

Corwen took a few more moments to enjoy the sensation of the liquor going down his throat, before becoming very serious.

"Perhaps it's a good thing that Lord Haselworth is here too. After all, this is about you, too."