Chapter 3 - Past with Pacts

"Riley?!"

"Eiko." 

Riley looks Eiko in her eyes as the 2 of them stare each other down. Eiko has a feeling deep in her gut that this can't be good. Eiko begins to shake in fear and adrenaline starts to rush through her blood. She's not sure why he's here, but she feels so much Fear. "Why am I shaking…" She thinks to herself as they stand in silence. "This…. This is the same way I felt when I saw the golem. What's going on with me…"  "W- What are you doing in my room freak! Where's Winston?!" Riley quickly runs over and slaps his hand over her mouth. "Stop yelling." Eiko is taken aback by this she stumbles "I didn't even see him move.. How did he get to me so fast?!" Riley whispers in her ear "I'm here to talk. Shut your mouth and you won't have to worry about your butler."

Eiko shutters, she feels like this is some type of threat so she raises her hands as a sign of surrendering. Riley takes his hand off her mouth and sits down on her bed while she continues to stand up in shock. "You don't wanna get married to me, That is clear as day to me." Riley speaks which spans Eiko out of her shock as she looks at the gray haired boy. "So I'm here to understand you and you probably wanna understand why I'm agreeing to this." "Y- yeah.." Eiko responds knowing she didn't even think about why he would want to marry her a single time. "Why would you ever want to get married to a person you never really knew before today? I probably talked to you once before Fafnir became king and then I haven't seen you since." "Well it's simple. Your brother killed my father." RIley looks down onto the floor of Eikos bedroom. "My father, Reggie Cavendine was the king of Khourburg for years. My family grew into royalty after being so poor for so long, our bloodline finally made a comeback and kept the title for generations, but us gaining this power split our family in half." 

Eiko continues to listen as Riley speaks, trying to find it in herself to understand him. "I don't even know the other half of my family, Who chose to pay off some debt rather than accepting royalty. I don't understand it, I've had no siblings all my life. No real friends, all I had was my father. My mom spent more time spending the money of the Royal life then looking after her son and I didn't have my own Winston to spend time with me. But my father took every chance he could to make me feel loved, feel wanted. He would train me, hang out with me, watch shows with me. Sometimes he even avoided his royal duties sometimes to spend time with me…" Eiko begins to sympathize with Riley, knowing his life story and how similar it was to her own. She can't even imagine not having Winston in her life to help her through these dark times. Riley then pulls out an elixir in a small bottle, it's a very bright purple color. "Drink it" Eiko is taken aback by Rileys request "W- Why?" She says scared "It's a memory potion, it's not gonna do anything to harm you. But I want you to witness what I witnessed that day. The memory is so ingrained into my brain even when my mind is blank it crawls its way back into my brain." Eiko hesitates but decides to drink it just because he might harm Winston if she doesn't comply… 

9 years ago

August 23rd, 4061

11 year old Riley Cavendine entered the room where his father summoned him. He hasn't seen him in quite a while, the man seems to have drowned himself in his work and other endeavors he's been avoiding. As he walked into the room he spoke to his father "Dad are you ok?" Riley looked at his fathers face, genuine sadness and despair resting on it as he looked at his son. "I've never seen you like this… Is something wrong?" Reggie Cavendine stood on his feet and looked at his son. "If you want me to be completely honest with you, No." Riley isn't surprised but hearing those words from his fathers mouth made his heart ache, that mixed with his fathers less than excited expression gave Riley a very bad feeling about his dad. "W- What's the matter dad? Did something happen to the kingdom?" He grabbed his fathers shirt and tugged it as a way to call back his attention.

"Riley, You're young but you're a smart kid." His father said, looking down at him, "So I'll be fully honest with you, No." Riley felt his heart sink as his father spoke. The sudden weight of the world seemed to settle on his small shoulders, and he knew that something was deeply wrong. "But surely there must be something..." Riley started to say before his father interrupted him."Not anymore, Riley. The problem has already been taken care of." His father's words hung in the air, leaving Riley with more questions than answers. What had happened? How had it been taken care of? And what did it mean for him and his family? "We've been targeted, Riley. By someone who wants to destroy us and everything we've built."

Riley felt a chill run down his spine as he realized the gravity of the situation. For a moment, he was too stunned to speak. "What do we do?" he managed to ask, his voice shaking with fear. "Not anymore, Riley. The problem has already been taken care of." His father's words hung in the air, leaving Riley with more questions than answers. What had happened? How had it been taken care of? And what did it mean for him and his family? "We've been targeted, Riley. By someone who wants to destroy us and everything we've built." Riley felt a chill run down his spine as he realized the gravity of the situation. For a moment, he was too stunned to speak. "What do we do?" he managed to ask, his voice shaking with fear. His father's expression softened, and he placed a hand on Riley's shoulder. "We'll figure it out, Riley. You and me."

For a moment, Riley felt a glimmer of hope. But as he looked into his father's eyes, he saw the burden of responsibility weighing heavily on him. He knew that he would have to be strong, for both of them. "What can I do, dad?" Riley asked, determined to help in any way he could. His father smiled at him, a small ray of light in the midst of darkness. "Be there for me, Riley. That's all I need. We'll get through this together, I promise." And with that, Riley knew that he could handle whatever came next. He was ready to face it head-on, with his father by his side. "So what's the issue dad? What's this guy up to?" "Simple. I've been challenged to a King Conquest." Riley is confused but his father continues and explains "For years, The Cavendine family has been the royal family of khourburg and one of the 4 royal families in the high council of Eternia. But we used to be a bunch of peasants. But soon, your great great great grandfather slaughtered the previous king in what was labeled that day, a King Conquest."

"A King Conquest is a battle that anybody can challenge the Emperor to under specific circumstances, those circumstances consist of making a sort of deal or request that gives up power or money or something else of value to the Emperor if they win, but it's a fight to the death and its up the king to accept it. If I die in the battle, we will lose everything and I will lose my life." Riley looks at his father with a simple question "But why? Why would you accept it knowing we could lose everything?" "Well I'm not the one who accepted it, Your mother accepted it on MY behalf." Riley's mouth dropped in shock as he heard his father's words. He had always looked up to his father as a strong and capable leader, but now he was facing the stark reality of the danger their family was in."Why would mom accept something like that?" Riley asked, his voice shaking with anger and confusion. Reggie sighed heavily and took a seat, motioning for Riley to do the same. "The person in question is Fafnir Alphonia, he put his entire family wealth on the line and well, Your mother loves money in all honesty. So, she accepted this offer without asking me. The problem with the King Conquest is that once it's accepted, "By law and god oath you can't back out of it."

"So you're really gonna fight that guy to the death?" Riley asked his dad not really sure what else he COULD say in this situation. "Yeah. I'm in a corner here, I have no real idea what to do besides fight and if that's what I have to do so you can stay safe, so be it." Riley sat and thought about his fathers noble cause, He's putting his life on the line just for his family. One day, he wanted to be as noble as him. He wanted to be a person that everyone could look up to and would risk anything to keep his family safe, not even family, everybody safe. As Riley had that thought, a horn was rung outside the castle and this indicated the start of the King Conquest. "I don't have much time, but I want you to have this, Riley." Reggie handed his son an orb of sorts. The orb was black with a purple aura around it. After handing this to his son without explaining what it is, Reggie walks out of his office and heads outside the castle, Riley straggling behind. Outside, many people surrounded the kingdom, innocent bystanders, the kingdom's staff, Diana Cavendine herself, and a boy that looked no older than 16. The boy had slicked-back black hair, with scarlet red eyes and he seemed to have a sword in one hand, and brass knuckles on his other.

Riley felt a lump form in his throat as he watched his father walk out to face the boy who had challenged him. The boy stood in front of them, his expression grim but determined. "Fafnir Alphonia," Reggie said, his voice firm. "The stakes are clear. One will survive and the other will die." The boy, Fafnir, nodded. "I know the risks," he said. "I accept them." Before anyone can think, the main and open town area with the massive castle behind it, transforms into a completely clear and green battle field as soon as a man who stood beside Fafnir claps his hands. Suddenly, Riley realized what was about to happen. His father was going to fight this boy to the death. He felt a surge of fear and anger welling up inside him. He had to do something to help his father. But what? He didn't know anything about fighting, or magic, or anything that could give his father an edge. Fafnir moved first, rushing at Reggie with his sword raised. Reggie sidestepped calmly, avoiding the attack with ease. Riley watched in amazement as his father swiftly knocked Fafnir to the ground with a single punch. Reggie stood over the boy, his expression unreadable. "I have no desire to kill you," he said. "But if you insist on fighting me to the death, so be it." Riley watched as his father and Fafnir faced off, ready for the battle that could cost one of them their life. He felt a sense of determination rising inside him, even though he had no idea how to defend himself. He needed to find a way to help his father and his family, no matter the cost.

The 2 circled each other as Fafnir wielded his blade close to his chest, as they began to circle each other a bunch of robotic creatures came down from the sky and began to record. The main one shouts "Reporting live in the Khourburg Dynasty! The first King's Conquest in the past 100 Years! W- Will the Cavendines stay in power or will the Alphonias come out on top! L- Letz find out!" Riley recognizes those robots "Those are from Spirefordge… Is this being streamed across the world?" He thought to himself as the battle began. Fafnir charged towards Reggie with his blade pulled back ready to slash, Reggie quickly clapped his hands together in front of him then he pulled his left hand back towards his arm which created an Arrow of Light. Reggie released his hand and the light arrow is BLASTED at Fafnir, The swordsmen quickly ducks the arrow but barely made it out of the way which left a small scar near his hairline. 

As Reggie's arrow of light missed him by an inch, Fafnir became even more enraged. He charged at Reggie once more, this time with his blade raised high, ready to strike. But Reggie was ready for him. With a quick flick of his wrist, he summoned a shield of light that enveloped him. As Fafnir's slash made contact with the shield, Reggie used the opportunity to slam his fist into Fafnir's chest breaking through his own shield, sending him skidding backwards. Fafnir was launched back and slammed onto the ground from the force of that punch. Fafnir feels a strange impact never feeling so much pain from a simple punch before. He stood up but a small chain appeared around his chest. "What the-" Before Fafnir could react, Reggie slammed his fist into his face as he plummeted to the ground. As Reggie claps his hands to make another Light arrow, Fafnir slammed his sword onto the ground and launched a wall of fire which made Reggie jump backwards. Fafnir jumped to his feet and tried to pull the chain off his chest, but right as he stood up a chain appeared around his face in the same location where he got hit. 

"What the hell is this?" Reggie smirks at the confused Fafnir and chooses to not explain and rushes towards him. Before he can even perceive what's going on he gets 3 jabs to his side which launched him away from Reggie but 3 more chains appeared that wrapped around his stomach area near the side he got hit. Reggie clapped his hands in front of him and pulled back towards his arm once more, making another Light arrow, he fired. Fafnir finally began to understand what Reggies new chain ability actually was, right as the arrow spins towards to hit him, Fafnir snapped both his hands and a wall of Fire appeared in front of him. This wall looks different to the other wall of fire from before. It was a black flame. The wall makes the arrow completely vanish as Fafnir begins to talk. "These chains deplete soul energy, slowly killing the opponents will to fight, reserves of soul energy and the rate at which mana is generated." 

"I'm curious, How did you figure that one out?" Reggie said as he claps his hands together but this time pulls his right hand back, making a sword of Light energy that he drops into his hand and begins to wield. "Simple, I felt my Soul Energy slowly go down and came to that conclusion. I don't use it so I notice the slightest changes in it." Fafnir said as he pulled his sword in front of him and embarked it in a Scarlet red flame. Riley takes note that Fafnir can change the COLOR of his flames to most likely do more damage or have different effects. The 2 rushed towards each other and began to clash with their blades. Reggie and Fafnir clashed blades repeatedly, their swords striking one another with a loud clanging noise. Their movements were lightning fast, barely possible for Riley even to perceive, the heat from Fafnir's flames clashing and combating Reggies Light sword was intense. 

At one point, Fafnir's sword struck the ground, causing a burst of flames to erupt from the ground and launch Reggie into the air. Reggie rolled with the impact and landed on his feet, ready to fight once more. "Impressive," Reggie said, his voice rife with sarcasm. " "Your speed is commendable, Fafnir, but it's nothing compared to the skill I've honed over many years of training," Reggie said, his voice filled with confidence. Fafnir let out a low growl and charged again, coating his blade in a blood red fire. Reggie quickly countered, launching a burst of light energy from his sword that pushed Fafnir back. Reggie took advantage of the moment and slammed his foot into Fafnir's chest, sending him to the ground, which made another chain on his body. "This is pointless," Reggie said, his voice dripping with disdain. "You're no match for me. Surrender and live to fight another day." But Fafnir refused to back down. He pulled himself to his knees and summoned a giant ball of black flames above his head, which he slammed into the ground. The black flames spread across the battlefield, consuming everything in their path. Reggie was forced to retreat, his eyes scanning the area for a way to escape the spreading flames.

Reggie once again claps, and launches another Light arrow towards Fafnir. Fafnir attempts to duck but the chains begin to take effect on his speed now which barely allows him to duck out of the way of this attack. He gets slashed on his nose, a wound opens that goes from the side of his mouth, through the top of his nose, to his eyebrow. Before he could focus on the chains that held him down, getting a fist straight in his face. Fafnir's eyes widened as he tightened his grip on his sword. He had trained for many years, but never before had he faced an opponent with such speed and skill. But he was determined to win, no matter the cost. As Reggie and Fafnir continue to fight, the robotic creatures record every moment, broadcasting it live to Eternia. The battle is intense, with each warrior trading blows and using their abilities to try to gain the upper hand. Reggie's ability to create chains and arrows of light gives him a significant advantage, while Fafnir's ability to create walls of flame and manipulate the color of his fire makes him a formidable opponent.

Fafnir was getting pushed to his limit every second of the battle. As the battle rages on, the two fighters become increasingly exhausted, but they show no sign of giving up. Their clothes are torn and burnt, their bodies are covered in cuts and bruises, but they continue to fight. Suddenly, Reggie sees an opening and takes advantage of it. He claps his hands together and summons a massive chain, which appeared around Fafnir's chest and arms, which completely immobilized him. Reggie then raised his hand, and a wall of light energy appeared, trapping Fafnir where he stood. "May you rest in peace, Fafnir." Reggie claps and pulls his left hand back, he sits and charges up a bright yellow arrow. He lets it go and it propels towards Fafnir. Fafnir smiles and stomps his foot on the ground with a wall of fire appearing in front of him. "It's over."

  "NOTHING BREAK!"

Right as the arrow makes contact with the Black flame, it propels itself backwards which seems to be double the speed and power. Before Reggie can even process what was said or what happened, the arrow pierces his skull. He fell back to the ground with his brain spilling out right in front of his son. Riley looks down at his father's corpse, not really understanding what just happened there. "He won." He says to himself. "It's not fair…" He says to himself.. Our point of view then switches to a blond haired boy who seems to be watching from some type of house, looking at the tv as he was watching the entire battle. "It's not FAIR" he hears the boy scream from his TV. 

"It's just not fair, wouldn't ya say, Phantom."

Riley says, which snaps the Phantom out of his daydream. The Phantom jumps up and grabs his blade. He pulls his mask back down that was only really revealing his mouth after getting caught off guard by this voice. "You." Phantom says looking back at Riley. "Yeah, Me. It's been a while since I've seen you. But I didn't come here to chit chat." Phantom squeezes his sword as Riley steps closer to him. "As you know, Princess Eiko is getting married to someone tomorrow, that person is me." Phantom looks shocked at Riley "Never thought you were the type to be into arranged marriages, Pretty out of character for you." "You're not one to talk about something being in cHaRaCtEr, buddy." "But enough talking let's cut to the chase, no? I know you want to save Princess Eiko from her arranged marriage to me. I fully understand that feeling of wanting to escape your predetermined destiny. But your endeavor is foolish and honestly pretty stupid to even risk, especially with the entire Alphonia Family being at that wedding, Including the king." 

"What are you trying to say here?" Phantom says, trying to get Riley to cut to the chase. "Well it's pretty simple. You help me and I help you, Let's make a Soul Pact." "What are the conditions for this Soul Pact…?" "I'll help you get to Princess Eiko so you can crash the wedding, and in return you agree that you'll tell me the exact location of the Dundred Cavern." The mention of the Dudred Cavern makes the Phantom shutter to his core. What happened there that week hasn't left his mind since and the very mention of that location makes him physically react. "What the hell do you need the location of that place for?" "Simple. I've been looking for it for my research on the origins of Mana and Soul Energy, to perfectly master it for my inevitable fight with Emperor Fafnir. You,Rika and Flint are the last remaining people alive that know about that location from my knowledge. Rika and Flint are unable for me to contact, so you being here is a perfect checkmate." Riley smiles looking at the Phantom while knowing in his gut he's already somewhat won with his demands. "Aren't you getting married to Eiko to build a bridge between the 2 families anyway? That's what she told me." "You think I care about any of that building a bridge bullshit? I want revenge on the Emperor and I know you do too, Roy." The mention of his first name makes the Phantom crack a smile underneath his mask, seeming to him that Riley hasn't forgotten a thing.

"Revenge, such a powerful emotion that can drive people to take extreme actions to right a wrong that has been done to them. It can be a powerful motivator, pushing someone to pursue the person who wronged them with a single-minded focus that may lead them to take risks they wouldn't normally take. A definition me and you both understand very, very well." Riley says glaring in Phantom's eyes which would leave most normal people threatened or feel as if they were being pierced directly into their soul. "I have no bridges left to be built, I simply agreed to this wedding so I can destroy the Emperor from the inside, for my good for nothing mother. But saving Eiko actually works more in my favor than I first realized." "Why would I even agree to this deal? You clearly have some sort of ulterior motives for wanting the location to Dundred Cavern. So what if I say no?" "Oh simple. I warn Fafnir about a surprised guest appearing at the wedding, they change the location or add extra security and then Eiko gets married to me and I destroy the family from the inside. Either way, I win. So think of this as a little wedding gift from you to me." Phantom thinks about the words of Riley, thinks about Eikos words which reminded him so much of what happened that day in Dundred, What he would change, what he would go back and fix, this might be his only chance at getting some closure for that day. "Fine." Roy says, "let's make a pact." Riley smirks at how quick the Phantom folds but he's happy that he agrees "All according to my plan" Riley thinks to himself as the 2 walk towards each other to begin the Soul Pact.

The 2 walk up to each other and stand face to face, forcing their Soul Energy into their hands. The two clasped each other's hands as their Soul Energy coursed between them. The power in their grasp was overwhelming, and they could feel an invisible bond forming between their souls. Each of them knew that by agreeing to this pact, they were binding themselves together for a common cause. From that moment on, their fates were intertwined, and they would have to trust each other completely. It was a risky move, but with so much at stake, they both knew they had to take a chance. "I Vow" Riley starts, "To help Roy Spyrestorm get into and interrupt the wedding happening tomorrow, August 23rd, 4070." Phantom follows up the statement. "I Vow to give Riley Cavendine the location of Dundred Cavern." As the energy festers and shimmers into the moonlight the 2 hands separate. Phantom seems to have lost more energy than Riley has from this Soul Pact, He seems to have less Soul Energy then Riley or even your average joe. It seems to have had a big impact on him and Riley notices and chooses not to say anything.

It was a moment of tension as the two stood there, each one waiting for the other to speak. Finally, Riley broke the silence. "We both know why we're doing this," he said in a quiet, determined voice. "Now, we just need to figure out how to make it happen." Phantom nodded in agreement, but he couldn't help feeling a sense of unease. There were so many things that could go wrong, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to take on such a dangerous task. But he also knew that the reward was worth the risk—if they succeeded, they would be one step closer to getting the closure they've both been craving for so long. "From the moment this pact starts to the moment it ends, We're allies. So I'll do everything in my power to help you get Eiko out of that wedding to not break the Soul Pact. In return you'll send me the coordinates to the Cavern." "Yeah I'll transfer them to you once you hold up your end."

We return to Eiko who seems to be running through the basement of the Alphonia manor. Her mind flashing back to her conversation with Riley.

"Well that's the truth. How does that reality about your brother make you feel huh?" Eiko doesn't know how to react. It's not exactly clear, but it seems like she is very conflicted. On the one hand, she is feeling anger, fear, sadness, and disgust about her brother's actions, but on the other hand, she is also worrying about Winston's location in the present day, while also worrying about the wedding taking place tomorrow. All of this is just too much for her to understand. It's possible that these two feelings are both vying for her attention and causing her to feel overwhelmed and confused. "Look. I don't really know how to feel about this Riley, Do I feel guilty about my brother's actions, yes. I know he's not a good person but I have a feeling he had good intentions." "GOOD INTENTIONS?!" Eiko gets slammed into a wall by Riley grabbing her shirt looking down on her right in her eyes. "You'll understand that feeling I had one day, Eiko." He lets go of her as she drops to the floor. "Who did you go outside to meet? Give them your REAL answer, I hate when people lie to me." Fearing the safety of Winston, she complies and she says "The Phantom… H- He promised he'd help me escape…" "What kind of idiotic pledge? You don't even know the location of the wedding, a whole bunch of OTHER factors that could change the outcome. But I'll help you if you help me."

Eiko looks confused at this and Riley continues "If you tell me the location of Fafnir's secret Tomb in the capital of Khourburg, Kelbath. I know there's a bunch of tests going on there from the info my father gave me, But I don't know the exact location." Eiko remembers Fafnir telling her the location and how to enter the tomb a couple of times before. "Tell me the location of that and where you last saw the Phantom, and I'll tell you where I'm keeping Winston AND I'll help you escape the wedding with your little lover boy." The lover boy's comment makes Eiko blush but she responds "And if I… Don't?" "I'll tell your parents about your little escapade, get Winston fired, and get YOU locked up in your room till our wedding. Either way I win." Eiko is shocked at the predicament she's stuck in but it seems to her that Riley just played his cards right. "So what will it be? Lets make…"

"A Soul Pact."

Eiko begins to run down to the basement of the Alphonia Manor, Unlocking the basement door with the key given to her by Riley. She opens the door and finds Winston battered and beaten with bruises on his face. "Madam Eiko…." He speaks looking up at her "Winston!" She yelps, rushing down the stairs of the basement towards Winston who lays on the floor at the bottom of the stairs. "What happened to you? Did they catch you and the clone? What happened between you and Riley?" Eiko's emotions seem to be in flux throughout this scene. On the one hand, she is grappling with her conflicting feelings about her brother's actions, while simultaneously worrying about Winston's safety and the logistics of escaping the wedding ceremony tomorrow, even with Rileys help. Her mind is scattered and all over the place, unable to think straight.

"Madam… Eiko." Winston weakly mutters, His old body still very weak from his scuffle with Riley. "I was in your room with the clone when Riley quickly barged in. I drew my sword in order to defend you when he started getting aggressive with me when I said you weren't interested in talking to him. He beat me, quite fast and swift. But I'm not surprised. At my old age, my experience as a knight is outdated and my Magic couldn't be used to its full capacity against royalty like Riley so he disarmed me quickly...." Eikos heart sinks at this as news Winston makes a weak smile as he continues the story. "I refused to tell him your real location, So he dragged me down to the basement and paid off some maids to keep me here till you returned. Nobody checks down here and it seems like he's paid off every worker except me.."

"Oh, Winston," Eiko mutters, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry. I never should have put you in danger like that." She shakes her head, anger and frustration coursing through her. "I will make sure Riley pays for what he did to you, don't worry." Winston nods slowly, clearly relieved that Eiko is there with him. "Thank you, madam. I know it's not your fault. I just... I just want to get out of here. I can't stand the dark." Eiko carries Winston upstairs through the sleeping mansion. As she takes him back to her room and places him on her bed she recaps the full situation with her and the Phantom as Winston listens to her tales intrigued. 

"Are you sure that life is what you want Madam Eiko?" He is supportive but genuinely concerned for her. "A man you just met and you're ready to give that wanted criminal your life? Put your life on the line everyday? Is that really what you seek?" Eiko considers Winston's words for a moment. She knows he's right - she barely knows the Phantom and she's willing to trust him with her life. But she's also desperate for a way out of this situation, and the Phantom seems to be her only option. "I don't know, Winston," she admits. "But I can't give up now. I still have to figure out how to get out of here and stop the wedding tomorrow." She takes a deep breath, trying to gather her thoughts. "And I know the Phantom is dangerous, but I also know he's smart. He's already helped me so much. Maybe he can help me get out of this mess, too." Eiko looks back at Winston, who seems worried but understanding. "I'm not sure what else to do, Winston. Do you have any ideas?" "Go with your heart." He says and this catches her attention. "I may be old and wise in your eyes, But I can't make all your choices for you. Your heart wants what your heart desires. So how about you tell me, what do YOU genuinely want, Elanora?" Eikos emotions that she's built up over all these years begins to seep out, she begins to genuinely let loose and cry. Something Winston has never seen from Eiko to this extent. 

His mind flashes back to when Eiko and Aki played on the playground in the front yard. He was sitting next to Saul, he's always been the more reluctant and quiet type and nobody really knows what he feels about things and how he's thinking. Aki pushed Eiko over after she beat him in their friendly playfight. He pushed her out of anger, and a splinter gets stabbed into her leg "You're so good at EVERYTHING!" Aki yelled at his twin and ran away from her back into the home. Winston runs over to Eiko who has a big scar on her left leg where the splinter got implanted. "Eiko! You have such a big wound and you look so fine? Are you sure you're ok? Do you have some durability magic or something?" "Silly Winny." Eiko says to her butler as she pokes his nose with her finger. He could tell she's in pain but she's smiling "Big girls never cry!" These words stick in Winston's head and a moment of every time she's said this to him flashes in his head. 

Eiko begins to ball her eyes out. More and more tears fill her eyes as she begins to speak "I- I want to be happy…" Winston listens as she continues her sentence, muttering and saying it in a barely audible broken voice "All my life… I- I've never known what I really wanted. Every… De- Decision I've ever made has been forced onto me, to the point where I don't even know what I want.. I want to be appreciated, Loved, adventure, find a place where I belong… and I want to make my own choices, for once in my life." She looks up at Winston, tears still streaming down her face. "I don't want to be a puppet anymore for people to control however they want and then toss to the side… I want to be a person. I want to feel like Eiko. Elanora. Somebody. I want to feel something." Winston listens to Eiko's emotional breakdown with a mixture of sadness and empathy. He can see how much she's struggling, and how much weight she's been carrying for years. He looks at her with a mixture of admiration and compassion. "Eiko, you're not alone," he says, trying to offer her some comfort. "You're a strong and intelligent person, and you deserve to be happy. Don't let anyone or anything hold you back from achieving that happiness. You have a lot to offer this world, and there are people out there who will appreciate you for who you are. If you will find those people by going with the Phantom, then go." Winston looks at Eiko who sniffs and rubs her face and all the tears as they keep streaming down her face. "What am I doing…" She says to herself loud enough for Winston to hear still smiling "Big girls never cry" She says and stands up, holding back her tears.

Winston laughs and stands up through his pain to give Eiko a hug. "Life is hard. Not every decision may be the right one, but that's something for you to figure out on your own because you're human. You're not a puppet, there's always another option." He release Eiko from his embrace. "Now have a wonderful night, Elanora. I'll be back tomorrow to escort you to the wedding location and help you prepare. Hopefully, Riley and Phantom can keep up their bargain aye?" Winston says quietly as he walks out of the room. Eiko lays on her bed and wonders how the conversation between Riley and Phantom is going, Maybe he's discussing the mission and making a plan of sorts to help her escape. That makes the most sense but she won't know for sure. "My plan was to get Winston to talk to Phantom, But this works too." She thinks to herself as she closes her eyes. She's had a long day and is prepared for the day that will decide it all. 

August 23rd 4070 - 8:35 AM

The morning of the wedding dawns. Eiko wakes up and stretches her muscles, feeling more at peace than she has in a long time. She smiles to herself, knowing that her plan to escape is nearing fruition. She can't help but be a bit nervous, though. What if something goes wrong? She takes a deep breath and pushes those thoughts aside. She needs to focus on the task at hand. She gets up and gets ready for the wedding. She is the most beautiful she has ever been and is excited to show the world who she really is. Eiko stands up and heads downstairs without doing her daily routine, not seeing the purpose of doing it yet. She gets downstairs and she's met by the face of her 2 other brothers. Saul and Aki. Aki is a 5'10 boy that seems to look like Eiko with shorter hair. Saul has dyed brown hair with red eyes like the rest of his family. "What are you 2 doing down here so late?" "Just wanted to talk to you before everyone else woke up." Aki says and Saul silently nods. "Well spit it out, What is it?" Eiko replies, she's concerned about the opinions of her brothers but this might be her final conversation with them. Eiko can't help but feel a bit of sadness at the thought of leaving her brothers behind. She looks at them both, and then takes a deep breath before Aki starts speaking. "I won't miss you." He says with all genuine contempt in his voice. 

Eiko is surprised at her brother's words and it seems Saul is surprised but chooses not to speak up yet, holding his piece. "Y'know today's my birthday too? Yet just like every year, it's always about you. What kind of twin is that? You have everything I've ever wanted in life, the attention from dad, Fafnir, Winston, Everybody I honestly care about." Eiko cuts him off "Mom has ALWAYS been on your side, and because I also have people that enjoy talking to me and care for me I'm the bad guy?" "You're the FAVORITE. That's the problem." He yells at his sister in a louder tone. "I can't stand you and I'm so happy mom finally chose to get rid of you. Every time I got in trouble it was related to YOU in some way and honestly I got tired of it. So, I don't really consider you my sister anymore, honestly I hate you." As Aki finishes what he needs to say, he walks away from her. Eiko sighs, she feels guilty but as she speaks Saul realizes a clear difference in her energy, the same way she carried herself during the meeting yesterday. "Fine." Once the words leave her mouth Aki turns around "What…?" Eiko feels a lump form in her throat but she chooses to keep up this demeanor "Fine, Aki. You hate me and that's ok. There's nothing I can do to change the past and after today you'll probably never see me again anyway." 

Eiko and Aki look at each other for a couple of seconds until Aki just scoffs and walks away from her again. Eiko sighs in relief, proving to herself a bit more that she can be confident if she tries hard enough. "Never seen that from you ella." Saul says, looking at his sister with a look of shock "You gave me the same vibe just now that you did in the meeting! It seems like you're like 2 different people sometimes." Eiko smiles to her younger brother and chimes in "Yeah but to be fully honest my heart was in my ass yesterday. I've never spoken to Mo- Vega. I've never spoken to Vega like that before so it scared me what they would do, But I kind of realized that she can't do much to me anymore. I'm getting married off today so I wanted to go out with a bang." Eiko giggles and rubs the back of her head. "Speaking of the wedding, I just wanted to say that I don't really know how I feel. I feel like it could be something good for you, Y'know? You're finally out of this chamber and Riley seems nice, so maybe just make the best out of the bad situation rather than fighting so hard on it. That's all." Saul walks away from his sister after finishing his sentence leaving her in the dining room alone. She begins to ponder about the words spoken to her "Make the best out of a bad situation…" She thinks in her mind, She remembers Winston told her something like that before but she kind of brushed it off. "I'll keep that one in mind."

August 23rd 4070 - 7:40 PM

After a long day of royal duties and preparations. Eiko is in her bathroom giving her final preparations for her wedding outfit. "This is a day I've kind of been thinking about since I was a kid, Might as well look nice" She mutters as she puts a flower pin in her hair.  Eiko is wearing a traditional wedding dress with a light blue fade near the bottom with different star patterns. She's also wearing her mother's old jewelry, which she found while cleaning out her old bedroom. It was a gift given to her back during her childhood so she felt like wearing it as something special. As she looks at herself in the mirror, she can't help but feel a mix of emotions. On one hand, she's excited to start her new life on the run with the Phantom. On the other hand, she's extremely scared if the plan goes wrong and she has to get married to Riley, but that's not even her biggest concern. The Phantom is going to enter a wedding with the Emperor himself inside of it as a wanted criminal then kidnap the Emperor's little sister. It doesn't sound too good in her head the more she thinks about it. As she finishes her makeup and puts on her shoes, she feels a sense of determination wash over her. She knows it won't be easy, but she's ready to face whatever challenges come her way. She hears a knock on the door and runs over to open it quickly, struggling to do so in high heels.

"Winston!"

She yelps and runs into his arms, he gives her a warm hug. "Are you ready to head to the wedding ceremony? Your carriage is outside the Manor waiting for you." She smiles and grabs his hand "I'm ready to go." Winston snaps and a few other maids enter the room and grab her bags and carry them outside to the carriage. They believe she's going to move into the Cavendine palace after the wedding. Winston walks her down the stairs of the house for the final time, the house where she grew up and had so many memories. Despite the fear in her head, she can't help but smile to herself, forgetting what's to come. Eiko makes her way outside and is met by 3 members of the Knights Of Dynasty. A man with a mask and a suit that seems to be completely made of metal. 2 plates on her shoulders, 2 metal tubes poke out of his back, and he seems to have 2 katanas. His face isn't even visible, he has a metal visor over his face. The first man on the right has gray hair with blue eyes, some of his hair being held together by a hair clip, with a ponytail at the top of his head. The guy on the left doesn't have your average knight attire on, he has a green hoodie over his head and brown hair in front of his eyes with a necklace on his bare chest. 

Winston points to them and says "These are the Knights Of Dynasties second best squad, Squad 6. They're quite close with the Alphonia family so they'll be the ones to escort you out today." The mention of them being the second best squad makes Eiko more concerned but she keeps her stoic expression. "Hello gentlemen." She says in a peppy princess voice. Pretending to act like one of those snobby princesses is something she enjoys. "Hello, Madam Alphonia." The man in full metal replies to Eiko "I am commander Zed, The man on my right is my second in command Buck and the man on of my most skilled knights, Dohjo." Eiko smiles and shakes the hand of all 3 of these knights as she then walks into the carousell. Her mind wanders as the carousell, attached to horse and everything like it was straight out of a fairy tail, carries her to the destination of her marriage. As the carousel carries Eiko through the streets, she can't help but marvel at the beauty surrounding her. The moonlight glimmers, the air is warm, and the trees are all vibrant with colorful flowers. Eiko's heart skips a beat as she thinks about all the possibilities that her future could present her. She's ready for a new adventure, ready to leave her old life behind and start fresh.

She makes it to the venue of the wedding. It's a huge palace with guards surrounding all sides of it. It's a bright gold material. Paintings of royal weddings scatter the walls everywhere as she gets escorted through the entrance of the venue, her eyes gleam onto one photo. A man with black slick back hair and blue eyes, and a woman with long brown hair and red eyes. The label under the photo says "April 19th - 4050." She recognizes these 2 people as her mother and father's wedding photos, Vega Luminous and Devard Alphonia. Her mother looks so, Sad. It reminds her of how she was feeling when she was first told she was forced into an arranged marriage. Maybe that's why her mother was so avid on this, She thinks to herself. "Maybe she does want the best for me…" Eiko enters the main room of the wedding, with Winston and her both arm and arm. She enters the main room, all eyes on her. She begins to feel nervous with all the looks she's getting so she puts her head down as they walk, but Winston squeezes her arm a bit, to make sure she remembers that he's there. She lifts her head up and looks around the crowd. She recognizes a few people from business meetings she was dragged along to as a kid, She looks through some more people until she sees her father, and 2 of her brothers both Aki and Saul standing together. Her father has his normally messy Black hair slicked back, and he's wearing a very fancy black suit with a sharp red tie. Her brothers follow suit with Akis sleeves rolled up and Saul has a bowtie that's green instead of red. Eiko notices that Fafnir is nowhere to be seen, for some reason that makes her upset. This isn't even something she cares about but this is the biggest moment in her life and he didn't even show up. As she makes it to the altar, Winston lets her go and Eiko stands across from Riley. Who seems to look the same but in a suit, Seems like he didn't take much consideration or care into his wedding appearance, Eiko can't help but think he looks more attractive than before though.

Riley grabs Eikos hands once the Priest begins to make his statement. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony," the priest begins, his voice echoing throughout the room. Eiko can feel her heart beating faster as they continue with the ceremony, "This is a truly joyous occasion, as we gather to celebrate this sacred bond forming between these 2 families, Marriage is a commitment to love and care for each other, through all the challenges and joys of life. It is a bond that brings two hearts together, united in love." Eiko begins to reflect on the words of her mother "Building the bridge between the 2 families." "To love is to give of oneself without expectation of return. It is to put the needs and desires of another above our own. It is to be there for our partner, through all the ups and downs of life. It is to be a source of comfort and strength, to hold each other up and make each other better." The priest continues as the room listens "As we stand here today, let us all hold this couple in our hearts and prayers. May they always find joy in each other, in their commitment to love and care for one another. May they always remember the promises they have made to each other today, and may they always be a source of comfort and strength for each other." Eiko begins to feel guilty, knowing her plan to escape and her idea running rampant in her mind. Praying to the lord just doesn't feel… Right.

"Now, let us join hands and witness this couple making their vows to each other, to love, honor, and cherish, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, for as long as they both shall live. Let us ask the blessing of the Almighty to rest upon this couple and their marriage, and let us pray that they may live long and happy lives together, filled with love and joy." Eiko and Riley both close their eyes, as courtesy of marriage in Khourburg. "Now, let us all congratulate this wonderful couple on their union, and let us support them as they begin this next chapter of their lives together. May God bless them always." "Amen" The room says in unison. "Now. Do you, Eiko Alphonia, take Riley Cavendine to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love, to honor and cherish each other in sickness, for better or worse, and for as long as you live" Eiko feels a log in her throat, but the serious look in Rileys eyes that scream "Just do it" force her to release her statement. "I… Do." She hears her mother breath a sigh of relief behind her.  The priest turns to Riley. "And do you, Riley Cavendine, take Eiko Alphonia as your lawfully wedded wife, to love, honor and cherish, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, for as long as you live?" 

"I do." He mutters in a very stoic and cold, not seeming genuine in the slightest.

The room goes silent and the priest begins to speak "If anyone has anything to say, Speak now or forever hold your pea-" before the priest could finish his sentence, the sealing shatters and the room erupts with a massive shockwave. Eiko and Riley's hand separate as the dust begins to collect around the room, everyone gets on the ground in fear of it being a bombing or something. But a man in a raggedy brown costume, with a mask and a hood around his head appears in between Riley and Eiko who are both sitting on the ground in shock. 

"I object."