133 I will not fail you anymore

Edward walked back down to the dungeon this time alone. He had Joan's sword with him.

He commanded all the guards to leave them to be in private.

"So, what did you come here this time," Joan said and looked at her brother.

She saw the weapon Edward was carrying.

"You came here to end it all. Make yourself the last Plangent and make all of this disappear."

Edward swung with the sword at the chain and broke it. He dropped the sword right in front of Joan who looked confused.

"What do you think you're doing?" Joan asked.

"I can not help you with my words. Maybe this will help you get comfort," Edward said.

"What are you talking about?"

"I failed as your brother. Mother failed as your mother. We all failed you and I can't ever take that back. I have gotten my revenge and my life goal is done. I had another wish, but I am willing to throw it away for you."

"What are you saying. You are allowing me to escape?"

"No….I am allowing you to strike me down."

Joan was speechless.

"You hate me and you hate my family. If you get closure from separating my head from my body I am willing to do that. I do not wish to see you rot in this jail for the rest of your life."

"So after I kill you. What am I to do then? Get married and have a family? Hahahahaha."

"That is for you to decide, but I do remember one thing. Mother did teach you something about loyalty did she not?"

~~

"Unlike your father, I believe we should get to choose who we follow. Loyalty is blind but deciding who to follow blindly should not be done with our eyes closed," Evelyn said to Joan a long time ago when she was young.

Joan remembered something her mother had taught her. Something she remembered and something she cherished.

~~

"I chose to follow Rufus. He is someone I know will do great things and I have chosen to follow him where ever it may lead me. You can join us and do something good with your life and not just be a tool, but be you. To be Joan, my sister."

The words hit Joan hard.

"But if you wish to strike me down for your closure I will show you my neck and allow you to kill me. You mean more to me now than that dream, and also….mother asked me to protect you," Edward said and went on his knees and showed Joan his neck.

Joan grabbed her sword. She looked at it and raised it. She then swung the sword right at Edward with full force.

Edward look and saw the sword had just stopped before his neck. Joan was crying and dropped her sword.

"Why the hell you decide to be my big brother now? I NEEDED A BIG BROTHER YEARS AGO! I NEEDED A MOTHER YEARS AGO!" Joan screamed.

"I know. I can not turn back the time, but I will promise you I will be your brother from now on if you choose me," Edward said and reached out his hand.

Joan hugged her brother with all her might.

"You have to promise me something," Joan said.

"Anything."

"If Rufus ever goes astray. If Rufus ever becomes unworthy of our loyalty. If he ever becomes a threat to us. You must strike him down."

Edward smiled.

"Do not worry, he won't go astray. I know him well," Edward said and just brushed it off.

"PROMISE ME."

Edward was silent at first.

"Fine. I promise to kill Rufus if the situation ever comes."

~ ~

"Sooo uhmmm…..Joan is with us now, is that fine?" Edward said to Rufus and the rest of his friends. in the throne room.

All of them looked doubtful. They knew Joan as an enemy that had killed many of their warriors during the war and had previously fought with both Pema and Doreen.

"Are you being serious Edward? She is our enemy. How can you trust her now?" Amala yelled out.

"She has nothing left. I promised her that I would look after her as her brother as I should," Edward debated.

"Wow….I don't know what is scarier? Letting her join us or Edward being a responsible older brother," Doreen said.

"Shut up lady,"

"Okay enough with the slandering. I think we all know what it is like to feel lost. To feel like we don't know where the road is or what direction to take," Haley said and looked at everyone present.

What Haley said sounded familiar to everyone.

"Can I say something," Joan said.

Everyone listened.

"I would like to say it to just Rufus, if I may."

Rufus looked at the other indicating it was okay to leave the room.

The rest of them including Edward left the room leaving Joan and Rufus alone in the throne room.

"Why did you want to be king?" Joan asked once they were alone.

Rufus looked confused.

"I never wanted to be king….."

"Then why are you the king? Why do all this? Why start a war and overthrow the country?"

Rufus still didn't understand completely the questions.

"I don't understand? Why any of this is relevant on the case that should we trust you?"

"There is also the matter should I trust you."

"What do you mean?" Rufus asked her.

"Edward decided to follow you but I haven't. I also want to be convinced like him. Otherwise, I rather go back to jail. I don't want to be anymore part of something I never chose to be part of. I have served already one mad man and one cold-hearted bastard. I am not going to serve another," Joan explained and looked intensely at Rufus.

Rufus smiled and snickered a bit.

"Well….I kinda was made king by accident."

"What….."

"Things happened in my life and before I realized it I was sitting on this uncomfortable chair. If I had to say what are my motives it is to protect everyone I love. My sister, my friends, the people who fought with me and the people I fought for. I kinda ended in this situation since I was unable to say no. You can say I am kinda a pushover," Rufus said and laughed.

"You've got to be kidding me...."

"HE IS NOT," Edward yelled from the other side of the door.

"SHUT UP YOU IDIOT!"

"OUCH, DON'T HIT ME, LADY."

Rufus laughed at Doreen and Edward who were eavesdropping.

"You also are important to me Joan if you are important to Edward. It is as simple as that. If a person is a good person I will help them almost unwillingly," Rufus said and smiled.

"You realize you are an incredibly naive person."

"Oh if I had a penny for every time a person called me that," Rufus said and just laughed it off.

Joan looked down and smiled.

"Fine. You will have my sword to be used, but I warn you. If you go astray and become something else than what you are now. I will not hesitate in cutting you down," Joan said and released her divine aura.

Rufus just smiled and released his own divine aura. It completely overshadowed and engulfed the divine pressure of Joan. It looked almost like it ate and digested her aura making Joan feel uneasy and intimidating.

"The same thing to you too. I also will not hesitate to strike down those who are a threat to whom I swore to protect," Rufus said and smiled.

Edward, Doreen, Pema, Amala, and Haley barged through the door along with the Ghersengs. They felt the immense divine aura and thought something had happened.

"What is going on?!" Doreen yelled.

"Rufus please, don't do anything? She is a bit stupid but I will educate her as a big brother should," Edward yelled.

Rufus and Joan just stood looking confused at them. They acted as nothing had happened.

All of them looked awkward and embarrassed.

"No worries. We are all good here," Rufus said and just waved off the whole incident.