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āI am not the wonder of anyone's world, I am simply me.ā
ćÉĪ¹Ī±ĘĻgĻ Ń cĻĘĻŃ:#0C94CC ā ŃŠ½ĻĻ gŠ½Ń cĻĘĻŃ #CC0C2Eć
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
ćÉĪ¹Ī±ĘĻgĻ Ń cĻĘĻŃ:#0C94CC ā ŃŠ½ĻĻ gŠ½Ń cĻĘĻŃ #CC0C2Eć
|| Azalea|| Nano.ripe ||
Quite a lot of things were being hidden from Winter's eyes as she awoke. There was an incident that took place during the raid on Merlin's home, but no one wants to tell Winter yet. They did not want to add additional stress to the girl. Mechanical drones swarmed the noble compound, whirring, their lasers ready to strike the sick, the invalids, the patients in the medical wards who could not fight back. Commander Swanson tried as he might, but his soldiers were only guarding the front entrance. As the reports from inside the compound became more severe, a drone appeared right in front of his face, requesting an audience with the leader. With Winter gone to battle, Jeralt had to step in and see the demands of this new enemy. Swanson did not expect to see an old face on the camera, looking back at him.
"General Edmund? So you're still with the Chrysanthemum?" General Edmund, the Chrysanthemum's most decorated and highly valued military official, nodded, his blonde hair gleaming in the light of the holocam. "Still? More like, I stayed loyal to my city. I'm still ashamed that you and Gray betrayed your own homelands." Swanson growled, grinding his teeth. Like an old boar, he knew when he was outnumbered, but he wasn't happy about it. "Times are changing, old friend. You need to put the drones away and realize who you're working for." General Edmund did not take kindly to that, of course. "I'm working for our citizens, and the people of the Chrysanthemum. You simply ran to the biggest paycheck. When have those nobles done anything to help anyone?"
Jeralt frowned, understanding where General Edmund was coming from, but that did not mean he liked it. "So the President ordered you to attack us?" Edmund nodded, a dark look on his face. "You're all rebels, so naturally, we had to act. Even if Winter Matsuri is supposedly in charge, we know she's in league with you Hresvelgs." A girl appeared on the camera then, a face that surprised Jeralt even. A face he once considered a friend of Winter and Claude. "The President requests that you all formally surrender." Mercedes Edmund said with a righteous smile. "All you have to do is return the Vassals to us, and allow the citizens to return to the Government that will protect them, rather than exploit and abuse them."
"Why are you working for the President, Mercedes?" Jeralt asked, genuinely confused. "You're a Vassal, aren't the vassals all on the same side?" Mercedes sighed, looking almost regretful. "I wish that could be the case, but your family is brainwashing Winter. The Edmund family has long been the spear of the Chrysanthemum. It's my ancestor's duty and my duty to fight for our President, to believe in the Chrysanthemum, and to defeat anyone that would hurt our beautiful city." Mercedes sighed, taking a deep breath. "Please surrender. We will wait three days for you to make youre decision. In order to avoid further bloodshed, all you need to do is surrender." The transmission ended, the drones returned from whence they came, but the message was clear.
The Chrysanthemum was done waiting around.
.........
Ruby eyes - one real, one fake - blinked blurrily up at the ceiling above her. Her vision swam, it was dizzy. How was she able to see? Elise remembered it, the hell of having someone own her body, use it for his own selfish and perverted desires. She shivered, trying to huddle under her blanket. "How do I..." How did she move her body? Her voice came out slightly slurred, her mouth felt like an alien trying to move. Her limbs did not feel as if they belonged to her. "Oh, you're awake!" Claude smiled, taking her hand. "Welcome back, sister. You're finally back." Was she really? She did not feel like herself. She felt as if she were an alien inhabiting a human body. "Dirty." She mumbled, remembering how even when sedated, Garrel was violating every part of her. His words echoed in her mind.
"Your shining hair, your beautiful eyes, your wonderful lips, shaped just for me..."
"Claude... am I still..." She forgot how to cry, the tears refusing to form. OR maybe she was beyond the point of crying? She looked away, her body still shaking. "It'll be okay. I'm here." He raised an eyebrow then. "Oh, you seem a little different. What happened to acting arrogant all the time?" Elise made a pathetic little whine, staring at her hands that refused to move. "It was... just... a mask." She mumbled, a weak blush on her face. "I am still... afraid of everyone." She just got better at hiding it. "I am still..." Her eyes settled on her reflection, horror filling her chest, choking her throat. The scars, she could still... "You're perfectly pretty, El-" More fear built up in her chest and she shut her eyes, as if trying to block out the world.
Claude fell silent, and then held her hand more tightly. "Sorry, I should have known, comments like that aren't helping right now." His voice was gentle, caring. What kind of face was he making? "I'll go tell the others you're awake. Try and get some rest, okay??" She nodded, keeping her eyes shut. What sort of face would she wear? What sort of mask would she put on? The black eagle with her wings clipped and torn, would she still be able to bear that arrogant smile like she did before?