Her Guardians
FREYA
"So, you're the lady's governess?"
"Yes, your majesty," I replied. I really did think that Winifred would be the only main character on our visit. I didn't think the Queen would come to visit me herself. If she was trying to find faults with our dear little lady, then she really had another thing coming.
"I hear the lady's governess is the eldest daughter of Grand Duke Grayson. His Grace is a dear friend of ours. I just wanted a chance to meet you, Freya Grayson."
"I hope not to offend your majesty with my presence."
"Offend me? Please don't think like that. I simply wished to meet with you. It mustn't have been easy taking care of the future Saintess. Although it is a noble duty, as a duke's daughter, it must've taken a lot out of you."
"It is truly my honor to serve the lady. I have never seen a child more outstanding and exceptional than she. She has the ability to take command of a room when she wills."
"She is a but a child. Does she truly warrant such high praise?"
"What she is capable of as a child leads us to believe that she would become a legend when she grows older. Frankly, her potential terrifies us. But she is truly a wonderful child."
"I see," she muses, putting her cup to her rosy lips. The Queen of the Reagis Kingdom was young, almost the same age as I was. She wore clothes that radiated opulence, even though her kingdom was steeped in a plague. Her fingers were flawless, and so were her manners. The gown she wore was a new season gown in the capital of our kingdom.
"You sing such high praises of the future Saintess. This makes me think you don't want to leave her side, even though you're the daughter of a grand duke. Even if you cannot use magic, you are still valuable. You should..."
"With all due respect, your majesty, my father does not consider me an object to be thrown away. Maybe your friendship isn't that deep. Our family matters are quite mysterious, after all."
"Ah...perhaps you're right. We are trying to deepen our relationship with the Grand Duke. Which is why I want to make you an offer, Lady Freya."
She's cunning. The fact that she didn't get offended immediately, despite being such a prideful lady, shows that. People like her are much harder to negotiate with.
"Your majesty, I am satisfied with being my lady's governess. As for the issue of my betrothal, I don't believe it is something that should bother your majesty. It doesn't worry either me or my father."
"Would you still refuse if you were engaged to the crown prince of the Reagis Kingdom?"
"...pardon me?"
"Do not worry. His highness the crown prince is much older than I am. I just got crowned Queen. As one would expect, I don't have that many allies. I can look the part and play the part all I want but if his highness ascends the throne, I would be discarded."
"Pardon me for asking but why didn't you just marry his highness?"
"I...would've but his majesty requested me as a bride. Neither I nor my parents had a choice in this matter."
Before Winifred left, I heard something. The plague was a result of some people planning to kill the king. Something in me really made me wonder if this young Queen wasn't connected.
"Marriage to the crown prince will not benefit you in any way. Your actions confuse me, your majesty."
"It will allow me a peaceful life as Empress Dowager. As for how, I can only tell you that after you agree."
I wasn't really interested in trapping myself in such a complicated situation. Life beside Winifred truly is more enjoyable than my life back home and I wasn't going to carelessly jeopardize that.
"Thank you for inviting me to lunch, your majesty. Your proposal is truly interesting. Unfortunately, I cannot..."
"Just consider it. You don't have to agree right away. You'll still be here for a while."
"I will, your majesty."
I would really not fall into such an obvious trap. But, I was truly curious as to how she was connected to the plague and the king's botched assassination.
NATHAN
Noticing Bishop Matthew returning, I left to look around the quarantine zone. The breath of the god of misfortune concentrated above the building because of how many infected people there were in proximity. Such a thing was bound to attract the god of misfortune.
The stench of the place was also horrible. The god of misfortune was generally unhygienic so it was easy to see his influence. The thought that he was involved started to rise the deeper I dug into the quarantine zone.
Not only did the house have more layers than it let on, there was a dark concentrated mana pulse coming from the deepest layers. Speaking of which, when was the last time anyone spoke of the god of misfortune? After his notable absence at the Colosseum, I was suspecting something fishy.
Everything tied back to Oriel, I was sure of it.
I followed the escaping mana to the source of the dark mana pulse and found an altar. The Reagis Kingdom worshiped the goddess of light, Oriel so it was strange to find an altar so saturated with dark mana. The mana was so ancient and strange, I couldn't trace its origin. But dark mana wasn't the only thing on the altar.
"Blood sacrifice? How strange."
Not even the god of misfortune required blood sacrifices. Nothing about the altar made sense even though it was clearly important in this situation that formed around the kingdom of Reagis.
"Dark mana? God of misfortune? Oriel? How does this tie... WINIFRED!"
I bolted out of the room, hoping to get her out of here as soon as possible. If she kept absorbing the dark mana from the infected, it would eventually alert the altar below. I didn't know what would happen after that but I didn't have a good feeling about it. I just hoped I wasn't too late.