Chapter 36: Strong Enough

They followed Valentus down to the dungeon. The guards let them pass. Keitel was seated down in his cell. His expression was downcast. He looked worse for wear but mostly unharmed. He looked up despondently as they approached his cell. 

"Master?" Keitel rose to stand. His eyes fell over the rest. "Lucia! " He looked as if he wanted to say more but returned his gaze back to the Sword Saint. The cell was unlocked. Valentus informed Keitel of the conditions for his release. Keitel suggested they go to his study. He was escorted by the guards back to his study. Michael, Lucia and the Sword Saint remained to discuss the matter at hand.

"Do we know what's happened to the rest of the court? I doubt they would have left willingly with Laurence at the helm." Valentus questioned. 

"Albaric and the knights in charge of your guard are gone too. They weren't in the dungeons." Michael added.

"I don't know. I find it hard to believe Laurence could have killed them all. Maybe they were taken somewhere?" Keitel suggested.

"It wouldn't be easy to take Albaric quietly. The only way that could have happened is if..." Lucia hesitated.

"You think demons were involved again?" Keitel said, seeing where Lucia was headed.

"I think we have to assume, Laurence or at least the court is in league with the demons. Most likely a demon lord," Valentus added gravely. 

"What would Laurence gain by destroying the Empire he had just schemed to get? Ramelle, I can understand but opening a door in the Empire, it's unthinkable." Michael shook his head confused.

"What if Laurence had leverage? A way of ensuring that Ramelle didn't open the door?" Lucia hypothesized.

"Leverage? What would be enough to stop Ramelle from getting rid of their age-old enemy?" Keitel remarked.

Lucia was reluctant to tell them the secret Clover had shared with her. However, there was no time delay.

"A door. What if there's another one in Ramelle?" Lucia put forth.

"What?!" Michael gasped. "How do you know this?"

"I can't be sure. But it makes sense. It would explain why Ramelle hasn't made a move." Lucia answered carefully. 

"And the demons, how are they involved?" Keitel asked.

"When we sealed the door in Veldeer, we weren't able to kill all the demons. They were badly injured so we thought they had all been pushed back through the door. Maybe some found a way to stay on this side?" Valentus proposed. 

"And now they're scheming on both sides to open the door?"Michael interjected.

"To them, it wouldn't matter which side won or lost. They would have what they wanted," Keitel ruminated. "I need to talk to Laurence."

"Do you really think he'll talk with you now? He's got everything he wanted." Michael questioned.

"Exactly, he holds all the chips. He has no reason to be threatened by us. Maybe if I can convince him I'm on his side, he'll tell me about how the demons are involved." Keitel suggested. 

"You can't mean to leave him as the Emperor? You remember he tried to kill you both. He already killed..."Michael's body was already shaking. He tried to compose himself. 

"What I mean is, Laurence will find a way to kill you if you stay here," Michael warned.

"We have no other option. Getting the will authenticated is only a stall. Laurence won't leave any loose ends. I don't know how he did it but It's likely that the document will turn out to be legitimate."Keitel exhaled. " You all should go back to the door. At least, then we can prevent anyone from making a move,"

"I won't leave you here!" Lucia interjected. 

"He won't trust me if you're still here. It's better that you go with the Sword Saint for now." Keitel gave a weak smile.

Lucia was about to start arguing when a knock came at the door. A tearful Leila burst through the door. She wrapped her arms around Keitel's neck and let out a sob.

"Oh brother. I thought I would never see you again!" She cried.

Keitel pulled his sister up. "I'm fine, Leila."

"That obnoxious fool had me confined to my room. They only let me out now. They said father is dead and you were in the dungeon!" Leila trembled.  "Tell me it isn't true. Tell me Laurence isn't the Emperor!"

Keitel met his sister's eyes. Her eyes widened with horror.

She eyed the Sword Saint. Her eyes began to water again.

"Please Sword Saint, keep my brother safe!" Leila pleaded. "If it's true, you have to escape before he kills you!"

"I'm not going anywhere, Leila. I need to find out what happened here," Keitel returned. He patted his sister's head. "You should go with them, Leila. The palace is dangerous right now."

Leila jerked away. She stamped her foot petulantly. Her head shook from side to side.

"This is all wrong!" She started to cry again.

Keitel turned to Lucia.

"Please, Lucia. Take my sister somewhere safe." Keitel implored. He looked into her eyes. Lucia's fists clenched as she restrained herself. She couldn't bear to leave him again. The first time had been hell. He gazed at her with sincere and certain eyes. Lucia felt her heart drop.

"I'm not leaving you. I will hide your sister and secure the door then I'm coming straight back. Do you understand?" 

Keitel nodded. He motioned to Leila. She broke into tears again. The Sword Saint plied her away and they made their way to the palace courtyard. Lucia and Leila donned dark cloaks to hide their faces.  A squad of knights detained them.

"Master, Sword Saint! I'm sorry to do this but I must ask those two to show their faces." A knight stopped them. He gestured to Lucia and Princess Leila.

"YOU DARE ORDER ME?" The Sword Saint boomed.

The knight's lowered their weapons. The group passed the courtyard out of the palace.

"You two should hurry!" The sword saint motioned. "I don't think it'll be long before they come after you."

Lucia took Leila by the hand. She lifted her on the horse and began to ride. The Sword Saint and Michael followed a distance behind. The Sword Saint had a friend a day's ride away who could take the princess in.  Lucia raced at full speed out of the city. 

Once they were beyond the borders of the capital, Lucia took them into a grove of trees to set up camp for the night.

"Why are we stopping here?" Leila squirmed. 

"We'll be safe here," Lucia reassured. "The horse needs time to rest if we're going to get there by tomorrow."

Leila shook her head. "I can't sleep out here." She quivered. Lucia took out a blanket. She wrapped Leila in it, before beginning to light the fire.

"This is all my fault," Leila muttered.

"Why would you think that?" Lucia questioned. "You couldn't have known what would happen by giving me that invitation."

Leila swallowed hard. Her teeth were chattering. She pulled the blanket tighter around her bony shoulders.

"He never said this would happen." Leila inhaled a shallow unsteady breath. Her eyes shot up to Lucia. Her pale blue eyes began to water again. "If only my brother had never met you! We could've continued as we were."

Lucia turned a reproachful gaze over Leila. "Did you have something to do with this, Leila?"

"I...It wasn't supposed to be like this," Leila stammered. "I would never have helped him if I knew he would do this!" She snapped.

Lucia turned her attention fully to Leila. All Leila's grace and elegance was replaced with the shadow of a snivelling young girl. Lucia pitied her more than anything. She obviously relied on Keitel. Without him, she seemed like a child.

"Leila," Lucia said softly. "You must tell me everything. It may help your brother."

Leila's eyes widened. Her lip quivered.

"Laurence asked me to tell the Duchess that you would come in my place. She was just supposed to let them take you. No one else was supposed to be hurt."

Lucia had guessed as much.

"Leila, this is important. Did your Laurence tell you anything about the one who took me?"

"All he said was that he knew somebody who wanted to get rid of you. He said they would do it for free, no strings attached."

Lucia stared down at Leila coldly. Leila averted her eyes.

The next day Lucia dropped Leila off with the Sword Saint's friend. She made her way back to Veldeer.

Lucia arrived at the Veldeer site just as the Sword Saint was giving orders to fortify the barrier. She spotted Clover and Michael in the main tent hunched over the drawing board. Lucia made her way to Valentus. He spotted her and dimmed the troops.

"You're just in time. We're going to seal off the site. I've already tightened the security." Valentus explained.

"Tell me what you need. I want to get back to the Capital as soon as possible," Lucia replied.

Valentus paused. He addressed Lucia seriously.

"What do you think you'll be able to achieve by going back there?" Valentus interrogated.

"I don't know but I won't just leave the Prince there," Lucia responded, meeting his gaze.

Valentus titled his head back appraisingly. His eyes narrowed.

"And if the demons are there?"

Lucia hadn't thought that far ahead but the answer was still the same. "It doesn't matter. If I die, I die. At least the Prince will live."

Valentus grunted in disapproval. " As you are now, you won't even stand up to a low-level demon. Nevermind a real demon lord. If you go back there, you'll just get in the Prince's way."

Lucia exhaled angrily. The Sword Saint was right. She couldn't save the Prince as she was now. 

"Then train me! Help me become strong enough."