57 LVII. | 'Thy royal passing...'

Nathaniel received an extravagant funeral service. There were so many flowers that the casket was almost hidden from view. David wasn't sure where they'd all come from.

The ceremony was televised, and there were more people crammed into the basilica than were probably needed, really. An orchestra on standby around both the east and west entrances, a choir in the back, cameras all over the first and second floors, and hundreds of distant relatives from all over the country. The Belgrants, the Carthraces, the Masdens, the Volliers, and many others whom David didn't care to think about.

In a way, all of these people made it sadder in David's mind, because he knew that almost no one in the room held any genuine affection for Nathaniel. Even the man's own wife and son had despised him. Apart from perhaps Charles, Meriwether, and, yes, a small part of himself, this huge confluence of people was merely to keep up appearances, to follow through with familial obligations.

"Here under the Goddess' divine light do we pray," said the Master Cleric, a balding man of severely limited stature but with an incongruently large voice that reverberated through the hall. He was a favored speaker at many royal ceremonies, probably due to the sense of gravitas that he could lend a room. "Dear friends and loved ones. Standing before you now, it seems an affront to all my sensibilities that a man so fine as our Prince Nathaniel should be taken from us so long before his time. I would not chide you if your faith in Her will was wavering, if you were beginning to wonder why She would allow such a tragedy to happen."

David recalled these same words at his father's funeral, as well. They'd felt just as shallow then, too.

"But let me be the first to remind you, dear brethren, that our beloved prince is now at peace in Her eternal embrace. Mourn, grieve, and shed tears where you must, but remember that he is with Her now, and nothing has truly been lost, for we will all be able to see him again in time."

David squinted. Nothing quite lightened the mood like a gentle reminder that they were all going to die, as well. He stopped listening and looked over at his brothers.

Seven were now six, and they all sat in the front pews, interspersed between their wives and children, David being the odd man out in that regard. Of all his siblings, he'd been the only one to escape the pressure to ensure their bloodline live on. Ironically enough, he'd always felt that he might have been inclined to have children if that sense of "duty to his lineage" had never been forced upon him in the first place. Though, if he did ever meet a woman he loved truly, he would probably just run away with her, rather than risk subjecting her to his family.

The Abolishers were in attendance as well, though only five of them, and they concealed themselves beneath blue-and-gold clerical robes. He tried to keep a sense of where they all were, but they kept moving, creeping around and leaving him unsettled as usual. The absent two, he believed, were still resting. Before apparently hibernating, Desmond had met with David one last time, and the man expressed very little disappointment at having lost the King and considerably more relief at no longer having to "babysit the dull bastard."

The other Abolishers were all in a tizzy, now. Belgrant Castle was completely empty of subjects to maim and torture for their amusement, and word had therefore spread around Sescoria about the monstrous people who'd been holding the building hostage. Word hadn't made it into the news, of course, as that was still being monitored and suppressed, but it was progress.

As for this business about Hector Goffe being the one who killed Nathaniel, David didn't believe it, partly because Luther was the one who claimed it so, and partly because David had already asked Hector himself. Granted, murder wasn't a thing that many people would admit to, but David could see no motive for anyone other than Luther.

Though, if David was honest, part of him still wanted Luther to be innocent. Part of him wanted to think the man wasn't that far gone yet. Foolishness, he knew. Luther had already betrayed Helen, nearly to the cost of her life.

Strangely, Luther's recent deception had served to pacify the Abolishers for the time being. The only reason they were present today was because they believed that Hector had killed Nathaniel, leading them to suspect that Hector wanted the other princes dead as well. So rather than occupying themselves elsewhere with more important matters, they were stuck here, playing guards in case of an attack that wasn't going to happen.

This meant that information about Abolish's presence in the capital had greater opportunity to spread--a chance which David and Duchess Jezebel were taking full advantage of. Even now, while they both sat through this ceremony, their agents were busy helping refugees flee the city and get the word out. For the first time in a long while, David could see genuine hope brewing, hope that Atreya might make it out of this mess without going to war with Rendon or Kahm.

The primary hitch, however, was trying to find out what the Abolishers planned to do next. As volatile as they were, it was difficult to predict how they would respond to being outed. Somehow, he doubted that they'd simply up and leave. Even despite being on relatively good terms with them personally, David had thus far been unable to break any new ground with them.

Desmond and Andres were obviously unavailable. David had no rapport with Conall and Tessa, as they were the busiest of the seven and were usually preoccupied with one thing or another. And since Karkash might as well have been a brick wall for as often as he spoke, that only left Hanjir and Nola.

Hanjir was perhaps the most terrifying of all seven, but not because he was more imposing or intimidating--Karkash had all of them beat there, surely. Rather, it was simply that Hanjir had, by far, the worst mood swings. He was easily the most unpredictable, even starting fights with the others at whim. Moreover, David discovered that Hanjir tended to lie for no apparent reason, which rather devalued him as a potential source of information.

So that left Nola.

The service drew to a close, and the casket was removed from the building. Only the princes and their immediate families were allowed to follow. David couldn't see the Abolishers from his black limousine, but he was sure they were in pursuit as well.

Nathaniel's final resting place would be beneath the Atreyan Royal Palace, entombed next to their father.

David had been down here a few times before, curious to see what the catacombs were normally like. He'd found them much colder and darker when not in the throes of ritual entombment, which he supposed was only to be expected. At the moment, however, flower petals lined the stone halls, and a hundred lamps bathed the path to Nathaniel's chamber in warm, golden light.

At length, they finally arrived, and David and his brothers proceeded on together, now accompanied only by Nathaniel's flat-faced wife and vacant-eyed son. They watched the casket handlers set it down on the stone slab and slide Nathaniel into the hole in the wall. The chamber itself was only for ornaments and mementos, now laid down by everyone present.

"He will be missed," said Gabriel.

"And avenged," added Meriwether. He'd been the only one of the brothers to cry during the service, and even now, he hadn't fully regained his composure.

They all said their farewells to Nathaniel, and then it was done. Gradually, they all returned to the surface.

David rubbed his face and sighed as he saw sunlight again. It was barely past midday, but all this gloom had taken its toll on him. He would have rather liked to go home and sleep, but there was yet work to be done.

"I still do not understand it," came Meriwether's voice, and David realized the man was addressing him. "This Hector Goffe. By all accounts, he was just a common boy before all of this. How could he harbor such a grudge against us?"

David looked around. The others were dispersing, but Luther was still within earshot, as were a few of the wives, who could be just as problematic if they heard the wrong thing. David decided to remain neutral as he walked with Meriwether. "It is a mystery, isn't it?"

"I suppose the boy would not require much motivation," said Meriwether, almost sighing. "What kind of world do we live in, where mere children can cause so much misery?"

"You say that like we've caused none of our own," said David.

"There is a difference. What we do, we do for the good of the nation."

"Of course."

Meriwether shook his head. "There is that tone of yours. Saying one thing while implying another. I wish you would just be straightforward for once."

David merely returned a placid smile.

Meriwether had always been a rather blunt instrument. Sometimes that was helpful. Most times it wasn't. But he was an honest man, on the whole, which David appreciated. It made things simpler, if not necessarily easier.

"Bah," said Meriwether. "You and your games. I have no patience for them."

"I've noticed." David rested a hand on the shorter man's shoulder. "But these are hardly games anymore, I fear. I hope you will take that under advisement and err on the side of caution."

Meriwether eyed the hand. "As usual, I have no idea what you are trying to say."

David's smile tightened. If only matters were as simple as just being able to warn the man about Luther. Certainly, it would have been nice to come right out and say it, but what, then, would happen if Meriwether went on to have a conversation with Luther about David? Quite possibly, Meriwether would be his tactless, confrontational self and alert Luther to the fact that David might not truly be on his side. That, or maybe Meriwether was playing some game of his own that David had yet to see through. Doubtful, sure, but David had misjudged his brothers before.

But despite all this, perhaps there was yet a way that David could help his brother here, a way which posed no risk to himself. He removed his hand from Meriwether's shoulder. "I wonder what Luther was thinking as he watched Nathaniel being killed."

Meriwether's expression turned to disgust. "What a repulsive thought. Why would you wonder such a thing?"

"I was merely curious as to why Luther even chose to watch in the first place," said David. "He must be a bolder man than I, because I know that if I encountered the Darksteel Soldier, fleeing would be the only thing on my mind."

"What are you talking about?" said Meriwether. "Luther probably did not have the opportunity to flee. He was probably trapped in some way."

"Oh, yes, I'm sure you're right."

Meriwether threw him a sideways look but said nothing.

And that was it, the look he'd been hoping for.

David couldn't offer him any information directly, so instead, he'd tried to plant an idea in Meriwether's head--a tiny seed of doubt. It would be up to Meriwether to make that seed grow, of course, but that was the whole point. It had to feel like the man had thought of it himself, otherwise David's name would undoubtedly crop up.

If Meriwether chose to investigate the matter further, he might even find evidence that contradicted Luther's version of events. Of course, it was also possible that Luther had covered his tracks too thoroughly. It was a rather weak gambit, admittedly, but David didn't see much reason not to have it in play.

After that, eight days passed with very little progress on any front.

He spent the majority of his time working on Nola. She wasn't difficult to find. Rather, she came to him. The Abolishers split their manpower, allocating Nola and Karkash to keep tabs on all the princes around the clock, and she visited David the most, often bringing him presents of the bloody sort.

She was surprisingly tight-lipped about their plans, however.

"Always so curious," she said in that gleeful tone of hers. "The clever prince. What angle are you working, eh?"

This time was different, though. He'd thought of a new strategy. "I'd tell you what angle I'm working, but... honestly, you see, it's a bit embarrassing."

"Oh?" Her eyes narrowed, and she stuck her head closer. "Embarrassing how?"

"No, you'll surely think me foolish."

"I won't, I won't! So tell me!"

"Well, okay. I was wondering how someone might go about becoming a member of Abolish."

Nola's eyes lit up. "No shit?!"

"I understand that one must die first," said David.

She smirked. "Oh, and how do you know that?"

"I have informants of my own," was all he told her.

David's alliance with Hector proved very enlightening. He knew of reapers now as well. He'd already suspected that there was some kind of hidden force behind the Abolisher's ability to "hear through walls," as some people had called it. That was one of the first things Hector had told him, in fact, as the young man wanted David to be careful with what he said when he thought no one was listening. It also meant that their correspondence had to be performed largely via text message, though Hector also insisted that David use coded voice mails to confirm that he was the true sender.

Nola laughed. "Are you asking me to kill you?"

David forced himself to grin. "I would kindly request that you wait until I am certain of my conviction."

"Heh." She threw a candid look around David's empty dining chamber. Looking for her reaper, perhaps? After a moment, she said, "It wouldn't work if I killed you right here and now, anyway. You need a willing reaper for that sort of thing, otherwise your soul would decay too quickly, and then you'd just be dead."

"I see. Reapers, yes. I have heard tell of that as well, I think. But truthfully, I was more curious about how one joins Abolish in particular. As in, what sort of oaths one might have to take, and especially how one might be able to prove oneself."

"Oh, that's all boring stuff."

"Is it? I feel that it is paramount for me to earn the trust of your comrades and superiors. Would you know of a way I might accomplish that?"

The mirth in her face lessened somewhat. She was thinking now.

One more push. "I was hoping there might be an opportunity for me in whatever you and your friends have planned next."

"So that's why you've been asking me about it so much."

"Indeed."

She hesitated still. But he could see that she wanted to tell him.

"I apologize for not being more forthcoming earlier," he added. "As I said, I was afraid you would think me foolish."

"Different sects of Abolish have different requirements," said Nola, "but our sect is pretty simple. All you have to do is kill someone you don't know, while three of us bear witness."

"Hmm. I was hoping for something that would allow me to make a more favorable first impression."

"Heh. Eager prince." She scratched her flat nose for a moment. "Alright, well. You can't tell anyone what I'm about to say."

"Of course."

"Okay, so... the old plan was to gain the public's favor so that the war with Rendon would last longer and just generally be more 'impassioned.' That was how Ezmortig put it, anyway."

"Ezmortig?"

"Desmond's reaper. But anyway, the old plan's been shot to hell now, and honestly, I'm glad it was. I mean, yeah, it was more ambitious, but it was just so slow. I like the new plan a lot better."

David already didn't like where this was going.

"Basically," said Nola, "we've just decided to attack Rendon ourselves. We'll steal a platoon of Atreyan soldiers and force them to accompany us across the border, where we annihilate the first town we see. Or maybe the first two towns. Or three. I'm sure we'll stop eventually. When we get bored or something."

"...I see. That is much more straightforward."

"I know, right? It's great!"

"When do you intend to do this?"

She grinned. "Tomorrow."

David's eyes widened. Worse news, he could not currently imagine. "So soon?"

"Yeah. We figured we're already operating under time constraints here, what with that sister of yours trying to return with reinforcements. And on top of that, if the metal brat gets much more famous, then his reputation alone will probably draw the Vanguard to Atreya--which would just be a big ol' pain in the cooch. So at this point, all we want to do is set things in motion and get the fuck outta this country."

"What about Desmond and Andres?"

"They've already had over a week to rest. They should be in fighting shape again. Or close enough, anyway."

"Ah, I see..."

"So if you're looking to help," said Nola, "then maybe you could get us that platoon of soldiers so that we don't have to steal them."

David put on a frown. "I'm afraid I wouldn't be much help with that. I don't have any sway with the military."

"Shame."

David gave a small gasp, partly for the impression it would leave on her and partly because he genuinely did realize something. "No," he said. "Wait a moment. Perhaps there is a way I can help. Do you know where you will be taking these troops?"

"Oh, um. Where was it? Through that big nature reserve, I think."

"The one belonging to the Carthraces?"

"Yeah, that sounds right. Why do you need to know?"

"Mm, I'm not sure yet. It might still prove fruitless. Allow me to make a few calls."

"Sure."

He stood from the table. "If you'll excuse me, then."

"By the way," said Nola, making David hesitate, "I have a friend who I bet would really like you. She's a bit of a chubby chaser, and she would be over the moon to date a prince."

"Oh." He didn't dare risk spoiling her good mood now. "That sounds. Delightful. I look forward to meeting her."

Nola merely returned that manic smile of hers.

He had to force himself to keep only a brisk walk as he fled the room.