“What’s done is done. Is it really so bad, if I decide I do not want it to concern you?”
It was not too long after the battle seemed to die down outside the window that Calliope and Cyril made their entrance alongside Sephiriel, who promptly resumed her place at Emrys’s side. The Black Knight chose to keep his position at guard for the princess, though her did take a moment to bow before the Queen, rising when she bade him. He had not yet been dismissed from his task, and so he did not see it as complete. Even considering the fact that present company may well be the safest place in all Elysia for the princess to be, considering the combined might of the most talented mages and an archangel.
Lenore smiled at the entrance of her best friend and the enigmatic knight, but she did not speak until she was addressed. “I did,” she replied softly. She had tried the Deva first, and then the other extraplanar beings, of less power but more benevolence, save that none of them had heeded her call. Some of them had even seemed… wary of her. Afraid. She could not fathom why. But such was obviously not the case with the Asura who had answered the summons, and how she was bound by the terms of their agreement. Well, there was nothing to be done about that except abide by them. When Cally asked after them, however, Lenore only smiled.
“Oh, don’t worry about that, Cally. It won’t affect Elysia.” Lenore knew, of course, that her friend cared about her personally as well as the country. It was one of the reasons why she loved her so dearly, in the way that only those who have been bonded since childhood can. But even so, there were things that she did not want her friend to concern herself with. She had enough problems to worry about, being the princess and the heir.
Tilting her head to the side, Lenore seemed to look past her friend for just a moment when she spoke, apologizing for not being able to save the kingdom on her own. “Well that’s rather silly, isn’t it? There’s a kingdom full of people, Cally; we’re all in this together, and so it will take the strength of all of us to protect ourselves.”
Of course, it was at this point that the mark on her palm began to burn. It was her turn to be summoned, it would seem. The smile faded from her face, into an expression of serene calm. “He calls,” she said simply, and the Queen nodded, dismissing her from the room. Lenore bowed slightly, and took her leave, the mark itself seemingly guiding her to a location.
Cyril, meanwhile, had remained silent thus far, though perhaps it would be fair to say that he was as entitled as anyone else here to speak, save of course that the Queen and Princess outranked him. Neither would consider enforcing their status in this setting, though, and he knew that. “She is right, to a point, Your Highness. Just as it is your duty to protect the kingdom in the ways that are possible for you, so we have the same duty, to serve Elysia by the means we are most capable. It is not a failing on your part that we are called upon to do this.” His helmet turned slightly, and he inclined his head in recognition of Emrys’s point.
“I suspect that Dorthonion will think twice before attacking again. We have time. But in that time, it may well become evident that Elysia is not as united as it needs to be.” The Queen took the point well. She had been long aware that there were elements in the nobility that were none too fond of her, however well it was masked with courtesy and polite distance. It saddened her, to know that the issue of her daughter’s regency had caused so much internal strife, but in the end, she had needed to fight for Calliope’s sake. And that was something she would always do, no matter how much it cost her personally. That was what it meant to be a mother.
“You are both very perceptive,” she agreed softly. “I will take your caution under advisement. But it is as Cyril says. Though the kingdom may rest on my shoulders, I lean on all of you. For your support, I am most grateful.”
The burning sensation in her hand led Lenore to the roof of the west tower, where Apollyon was already present. “Hello, Apollyon," she greeted with a distant smile, looking out at the kingdom over his shoulder for just a moment. “Thank you for defending my home. I will uphold my obligation as well."
Lenore smiled at the entrance of her best friend and the enigmatic knight, but she did not speak until she was addressed. “I did,” she replied softly. She had tried the Deva first, and then the other extraplanar beings, of less power but more benevolence, save that none of them had heeded her call. Some of them had even seemed… wary of her. Afraid. She could not fathom why. But such was obviously not the case with the Asura who had answered the summons, and how she was bound by the terms of their agreement. Well, there was nothing to be done about that except abide by them. When Cally asked after them, however, Lenore only smiled.
“Oh, don’t worry about that, Cally. It won’t affect Elysia.” Lenore knew, of course, that her friend cared about her personally as well as the country. It was one of the reasons why she loved her so dearly, in the way that only those who have been bonded since childhood can. But even so, there were things that she did not want her friend to concern herself with. She had enough problems to worry about, being the princess and the heir.
Tilting her head to the side, Lenore seemed to look past her friend for just a moment when she spoke, apologizing for not being able to save the kingdom on her own. “Well that’s rather silly, isn’t it? There’s a kingdom full of people, Cally; we’re all in this together, and so it will take the strength of all of us to protect ourselves.”
Of course, it was at this point that the mark on her palm began to burn. It was her turn to be summoned, it would seem. The smile faded from her face, into an expression of serene calm. “He calls,” she said simply, and the Queen nodded, dismissing her from the room. Lenore bowed slightly, and took her leave, the mark itself seemingly guiding her to a location.
Cyril, meanwhile, had remained silent thus far, though perhaps it would be fair to say that he was as entitled as anyone else here to speak, save of course that the Queen and Princess outranked him. Neither would consider enforcing their status in this setting, though, and he knew that. “She is right, to a point, Your Highness. Just as it is your duty to protect the kingdom in the ways that are possible for you, so we have the same duty, to serve Elysia by the means we are most capable. It is not a failing on your part that we are called upon to do this.” His helmet turned slightly, and he inclined his head in recognition of Emrys’s point.
“I suspect that Dorthonion will think twice before attacking again. We have time. But in that time, it may well become evident that Elysia is not as united as it needs to be.” The Queen took the point well. She had been long aware that there were elements in the nobility that were none too fond of her, however well it was masked with courtesy and polite distance. It saddened her, to know that the issue of her daughter’s regency had caused so much internal strife, but in the end, she had needed to fight for Calliope’s sake. And that was something she would always do, no matter how much it cost her personally. That was what it meant to be a mother.
“You are both very perceptive,” she agreed softly. “I will take your caution under advisement. But it is as Cyril says. Though the kingdom may rest on my shoulders, I lean on all of you. For your support, I am most grateful.”
The burning sensation in her hand led Lenore to the roof of the west tower, where Apollyon was already present. “Hello, Apollyon," she greeted with a distant smile, looking out at the kingdom over his shoulder for just a moment. “Thank you for defending my home. I will uphold my obligation as well."