Philomenie 4

"How is she doing?"

"Holding on the best she can. Like a Queen, to be fair."

Philomenie smiled, and nodded sadly. Sir Raelius' jokes didn't affect her at all. In fact, she was far too concerned about her sister-in-law to even consider being offended. Her blue eyes gently shifted to the baby girl on her lap. The little princess was peacefully sleeping, one of her tiny hands holding on to a blonde curl of her mother's hair.

"If only there was something we could do," muttered Henry De Boreal.

The Duke had that dark expression on his face for quite a while. Having the Queen in his domain had added to his worries, but now, to think the Grand Princess was being held captive by the King was an even worse matter to think about. None of the three people present had even touched the teapot and cups on the table. They were all sitting in a triangle, each on a comfortable armchair and with different expressions on.

Raelius was visibly the one most relaxed. His ankle over his opposite knee and his fingers interlaced together, he was studying the Queen and the Duke's expressions. He wouldn't have trusted either of them based on his descendants' opinion alone. Even if Raphael had said he could trust them, he wanted to make his own opinion first. The Queen had been the fastest to convince him. Her deeply concerned expression whenever Milena was brought up had to belong to a great actress, or to a woman genuinely worried about her sister-in-law. In just a few days, all testimonies he had gathered about the Queen did seem to portray the young woman as a simple and sensible person. He didn't really like weak women, but this one seemed a bit different than the usual dolls that could be found in the high nobility circles. She had clearly broken her mold.

"Her Ladies-in-waiting are all here, but they are each more focused on whatever they can do in the Capital," nodded Philomenie. "I wish we could receive Lord Raphael and the rest of their party too, so we can protect them here..."

"Milena instructed them otherwise," said Raelius. "And she was wise to. It can't be good to have all of her allies in one spot at the moment. With the Duke De Nova arrested, she probably foresaw that the King would order more raids throughout the Capital to seek out her remaining allies. While his Majesty terrorizes the population for no good reason, all her allies are more free to move and act in the ways they can to support her."

"...His Majesty has truly lost it," muttered Henry, dejected.

He glanced towards the window.

It was chaos throughout the City. While word that the Grand Princess had tried to rebel with an army of vampires and failed, the citizens had been even more anxious to see daily raids from the Royal Guards, barging into noble houses and seeking specific individuals. While they did manage to arrest some people, it was clear the most prominent figures were still eluding them. The game of hide and seek had been dragging on for a few days, and while the King's side grew more impatient, people were getting angrier with them as well.

The news of Milena's arrest had set off a wave of problems throughout the Kingdom. People couldn't rebel openly, but many were finding new ways to voice their unhappiness. Some shops had stayed closed, and half of the newspapers weren't being printed anymore, or came out with blank pages, as a silent protest against the King-bound ones. In just two days, the effects of the Grand Princess' arrest could be felt. On the prices of some products on the market, and in the Capital's general atmosphere. Many people were unsure of the future, and the Royal Guards trying to search for the Grand Princess' allies were facing glares and criticism from the people. It was quite ironic that, when the Grand Princess should have been in her weakest position, her influence was actually felt the most. Some Noble Houses that hadn't partaken in the battle nor taken a clear side were openly ignoring the Royal Castle's summons. Henry was starting to see what Milena meant, when she had said he was too slow to act. The gears of their political world were spinning incredibly fast, yet silently. There might have been no fighting going on in the streets, but there sure was a war happening . A silent war. He could almost feel the flame, burning closer to a powder keg, ready to explode any second. Both sides were well aware that the battle at the De Crescent Manor had only been the opening act. The rumors of the vampire prince's return were growing, and the anger was rising in every corner of the Kingdom. People were less and less sure about the future, and that made them anxious, restless. The King himself was strangely silent outside of the Royal Proclamations issued daily like a church bell ringing, new names of people being wanted for arrest and interrogations being brought up every day. Although they had tried to silence it, the rumors of the Queen's defection were also going around. People were aware that the Queen herself wasn't supporting her husband's actions anymore, and in fact, it was even said that she had taken refuge under the Duke De Boreal's roof, one of the Grand Princess' allies of all people.

To top it all, this man had appeared.

"Let him run wild and waste his energy," chuckled Raelius, his eyes going to the Queen. "This King of yours is growing more and more powerless, and the more obvious it gets, the closer we will be to unveil the people responsible for this."

"I just want Lady Milena free soon", Philomenie muttered.

She was feeling the guilt of her sister-in-law's imprisonment as if it was her own. After hearing of the horrible conditions Milena was held in, Philomenie had felt twice as bad. She couldn't help but wonder if she could have done something by staying in the Royal Castle. She had tried to instruct the servants she knew to be reliable to make her sister-in-law's stay more bearable by any means. She couldn't even believe Ellias had gone to such lengths, imprisoning her in a cold tower instead of at least giving her a bedroom. She had shivered while listening to Milena's ancestor describing the conditions in which she was held.

"Is there really nothing we can do to help her escape?" She asked.

"Not that I can think of," Lord Raelius shook his head. "I can't transport an actual human with me, and there seems to be limits to what I can carry, too..."

Philomenie nodded.

She had seen for herself this man experiment quite a bit since he had appeared in the De Boreal Residence. He kept going back and forth between this place and the one Milena's brother and other allies were hiding at, but, from what Philomenie had seen, she could guess he spent slightly more time here, most likely because it was more comfortable. She could guess the others' accommodation probably wasn't as fitting to a Prince... and his personality. She had realized he was quite wilful when he had strongly gotten mad at the servants for what seemed to be a gap between the service he was used to, and the current practices. Not only that, but he had been quite unsatisfied with the fashion trends too, almost emptying the Duke's wardrobes before he found something he actually liked. Still, she could tell this man was restless in his will to help Milena. He kept using his power from one corner of the Manor to another, testing it endlessly. She had seen fruits being almost dropped from the sky, and several pieces of furniture had been wrecked in his experiments as well. Lord Raelius was obviously testing where he could land and how, how much he could carry and all the rules that applied to his new capacity. When he wasn't busy appearing randomly in rooms, he could be found in the library, surrounded by piles of books, trying to catch up on three centuries of intrigues. The appearance of this man had been surprising, to say the least, especially as he had remained mostly an enigma. The only reason Philomenie had believed his strange words was that he was able to give them details about Milena's current status, as well as her brother's. As insane as his story seemed, she had heard stranger things already...

"The Saint took a while to reveal the limits of his own power too..." she muttered.

"The Saint?" Raelis repeated, visibly intrigued. "My Milena mentioned something like that."

"Another White One," Philomenie explained. "He has the power of healing people, from any injury or sickness. He was introduced to my family by the Church, and he is now my best friend, but... at the moment, he is confined in the De Winter Manor by my older brother, the Duke. I have been f*******n to see him since the birth of my daughter... Well, I think he had to make a deal for our safety, but-"

"Darling, I don't care much about your history with him," Raelius interrupted her. "But I think Milena mentioned him. Why isn't that guy helping, if he's on your side?"

"It's as her Majesty said," sighed Henry. "He's confined in the De Winter Manor, our enemy's. The Church has always kept him close due to his capacity."

Philomenie nodded, as if to confirm his words. Meanwhile, Lord Raelius was frowning.

"So... Those are all the five known White Ones, at the moment?"

"The Oracle was murdered a while ago, and we know now that Blanche, Lady Milena's companion, is another White One. There's also the Saint, and Lord Raphael, plus you, and, according to the Grand Princess' Ladies-in-waiting, there's another one we don't know of."

"So there are three White Ones on Milena's side," smiled Lord Raelius.

"The Saint won't be an enemy," immediately said Philomenie. "As I said, he is my best friend."

Lord Raelius seemed to hesitate for a moment. He put his hands on his chair's arms, his long fingers tapping against the leather.

"...I apparently can't land in a place I have never seen before, unless there's someone I've seen there. I would have loved to confirm by myself his power, but I cannot go there so easily. My power is attached to people as much as it is to locations, so your boyfriend will have to stay there for now, Darling."

Philomenie nodded, despite being visibly disappointed. Raelius took a deep breath in, and looked outside.

"My Milena is working hard to make her plan a reality, but it is our turn to act also."

"Didn't you say Lady Sevira was almost done with the antidote?"

Raelius nodded.

In fact, one of the first things he had asked about upon arriving at the De Boreal residence was that antidote. Then, he had locked himself up with Lady Sevira to work on it for a full night, before he had come out, saying he had done what he could to help. He had also held a small meeting with Milena's closest aides, which Philomenie had taken part in. It had been one of her most heartwarming proofs that Milena finally considered her a full ally, having her ladies-in-waiting admit her amongst them.

"She found the formula thanks to the tidbits I could help with," Raelius nodded. "Now she's producing some so we can take it to Milena's husband. I hope that boy will fulfill my expectations. It sounds like my Princess relies on him a lot, and she could use all the help she can get..."

"The love between Prince Rayan and Lady Milena is well-known," Philomenie said. "I'm sure he'll run home first thing as soon as the formula is ready. I've heard parts of the Emerald Forest are already being burnt while he's trying to come back here, although it's supposedly filled with Wendigos..."

"Not supposedly," sighed Henry. "There has been word that the Royal Guards are now posted in front of the Forest because of the Wendigos fleeing out of and towards the Royal Castle. No wonder His Majesty is getting so restless. His twin is about to come back, we have finally found the formula, and Lady Milena has two more White Ones by her side. He's basically powerless with the Senate, and even the Royal Staff is still under your control, Your Majesty. Basically, the Church is his only ally left and Princess Milena's life the only asset he can use against us."

Philomenie's expression darkened. She had no idea how far Ellias would go in hurting Milena, and she didn't even want to think about it. All she wanted was to free her sister-in-law, and for the terror to stop within the Capital. She hated to think how worried their citizens ought to be right now. The snowstorm outside was almost a better alternative to the Royal Guards' relentless inquisitions, and the growing tension.

"...We need Prince Rayan back," she muttered.

The two men gave her a surprised look, which she could understand. The Queen herself was asking for her husband's biggest rival and threat to return. However, Philomenie was tired of the intrigues going on, and she couldn't endure seeing the citizens of the Kingdom suffering from those conflicts any longer. She wanted it all to end, and, if possible, for their family to survive this, somehow. Her eyes went to her daughter. Philomenie couldn't have cared less if her child ever inherited the throne, a crown or any power. All she wanted was for this innocent baby to make it to adulthood unharmed and, if possible, with a good family surrounding her. At the moment, Philomenie's brother hated her, and her husband was treating her as an enemy. If the only people she could rely on were Milena and her husband, so be it.

"If you ask Miss Blanche to fly to Prince Rayan's camp, shouldn't you be able to get there too?" She asked Raelius.

"...That's an idea." he smiled. "However, with this snowstorm, I'm not sure our furry friend will be able to go very far..."

"Then we shall wait until the snowstorm is over," said Henry. "And then, Lord Raelius, you can get the antidote to Prince Rayan."

He sighed, and stood up, slowly leaving the room with a tired expression. It was morning and, as expected of a vampire, he couldn't help but feel tired.

"If you'll excuse me, I will retire for the day. Lord Raelius, as I already said, my domain is entirely at the Grand Princess' allies' disposal. Feel free to request anything from the staff."

Raelius nodded with a bored expression, as if this was the bare minimum expected. 

He left, and a few seconds passed before a smile appeared on Raelius' lips.

"...Are you really alright with betraying your husband, young Queen?"

"I don't think I'm betraying him," she muttered. "I consider that the Church is the main culprit. My husband is only a victim..."

"From what I've witnessed myself, he's hardly innocent at all. ...That man spent hours watching your sister-in-law while she slept like some creep. Doesn't that bother you at all?"

Philomenie's heart sank a bit. It was hard to pinpoint her feelings towards her husband, at the moment. The mix of emotions she felt was like a heavy knot in her heart, a knot she was scared to untangle. All she wanted was to save those whom she still really believed in, like Milena.

"...I was never blind and dumb enough to ignore my husband's feelings for Milena," she whispered. "In a way, I could understand him. I admired her too, and he and I... We both grew up suffocated by parents who were more bothered about our value than our well-being. I was never allowed to think for myself, and Ellias was only taught one thing. His mother was a cruel woman, more than what people think... He was only raised to beat his brother but, as soon as he got that crown, I think he lost something important... And he turned to the forces that would help him keep that position."

"Politics are always the same," scoffed Prince Raelius. "Those books depicted us as a happy family... Nothing could have been further from the truth. Silvra and Silverius were the only ones really close. Those two were closer than a couple, working day and night to keep whatever Kingdom we had left afloat. Meanwhile Sleverin, Rolain and myself were just there for decor... We each found something to keep ourselves busy with. Science, Money, Women. To each our vice."

"...Did you really never feel close? To your siblings?" Philomenie asked.

"Says the woman with that kind of older brother."

"I never hated my brother. I guess... We just never spent enough time together to be as close as I am with Philip."

"Same here. My fiancé became my family... Although in the end, I had no choice but to leave her. ...What do you think will happen to your family, Queen, once this is over? Are you really ready for the consequences?"

Philomenie's eyes went to the window, with a dark expression.

"...I've decided I'm ready for it. My purpose has always been the same. If I can, I will save as many people as possible. If I can't, I will save those who deserve to be... No matter what. I may not be as strong as Milena, but I am not afraid anymore. I am willing to sacrifice anything, as long as my daughter survives."

A smile appeared on Raelius' lips.

"...Your kind is the scariest."

"Pardon?"

"Nothing," he said, standing up. "Well, Queen, you have convinced me. Perhaps your friend is worth saving after all."

"The Saint? But you said-"

"Darling, the De Winter Residence is old. Old enough that I have visited it in my previous life. And hopefully, I can remember it as well. But remember, if your friend isn't useful to us, I will happily throw him from the highest building I can find."

He suddenly vanished in front of Philomenie's eyes, leaving her and her baby alone in the room. She let out a chuckle of surprise, speechless.