70 LXX. | 'O, abiding blade...'

Following Her Highness around all day long was more exhausting than she thought it would be. It also didn't help that she still wasn't feeling her best, what with her ribcage throbbing whenever she took too large a breath. She tried not to let it show, though, and as far as she could tell, she succeeded.

The promotion to being the Queen's personal bodyguard had taken Lynnette by surprise. Moreover, Her Highness wanted her to continue wearing the white cloak as a symbol of the position, as the media had already latched onto it when she and Hector kidnapped King William--an act now known to the public as one of liberation. They'd taken to calling her the White Sword. Lynnette wasn't really sure what to make of it, but seeing as the Queen had already spun it to their advantage, there wasn't much left to do but just accept it. She wondered if it had felt this weird for Hector when people started calling him the Darksteel Soldier. She'd have to ask him whenever he woke up again.

Over the course of the week, the Queen held a large press conference every single day, inviting a different batch of reporters each time. Lynnette attended all of them, as Her Highness wanted her to be a constant presence in the background. A few times, the media directed questions at Lynnette, but she decided to remain quiet and let Her Highness do all the talking.

The topic of Hector Goffe proved to be one of the most difficult. The Queen explained, repeatedly, that he was no longer a fugitive, that she considered him a national hero. Instead of trying to explain how the people Hector was accused of killing had been dead already, the Queen chose a simplified version of the truth: that their deaths were not his doing. Furthermore, she went on to flat out lie, saying that the people who falsely accused Hector were trying to prevent him from aiding her. And as the conferences continued and more detailed questions were asked, the Queen's tale grew rather elaborate. By the end, Lynnette wasn't sure she understood it all anymore, but apparently, Hector had been working under the Queen the whole time. The public never knew, of course, because it was a state secret, a matter of internal security.

"I gave him a mission," Helen was saying, "to discover who the architect of the plot against me was. He was unfortunately a bit too successful. They attempted to frame, imprison, and subsequently silence him. But obviously, they underestimated young Mr. Goffe. In spite of his age, he is not only strong--as you all well know--but also, intelligent and courageous, which is of course why I hired him in the first place. And after all that he has done for his countrymen, all that he has sacrificed, I want his true nature to now be made clear to all. I hope every single one of you--"

This would go on for a while. If nothing else, Lynnette had to appreciate the woman's ability to weave a tale.

Some journalists ate the story up. A horrid villain secretly being a noble hero certainly made for an exciting headline. Others were rather understandably more skeptical.

Lynnette noticed that the Queen never mentioned anything about Hector's whereabouts or the fact that she was giving him the Gray Warren. Whenever someone asked where he was now, she would plainly refuse to answer, saying instead that he was well and would no doubt return to keeping people safe very soon. Hector would probably appreciate that, Lynnette thought.

The omissions didn't stop there, however. There were several things that the Queen never told the press. She said nothing of her own powers as a servant, attributing all her success in the past conflict to her subordinates. She never even brought up the existence of reapers in the first place--nor that of aberrations, Abolish, or the Vanguard. No doubt, the Queen felt these things would not only complicate the public narrative but also prove dangerous.

As for the origins of the Darksteel Soldier's superhuman abilities, that was actually not much of an issue for the press. Everyone already knew that powerful individuals existed in the world, so the Queen could get away with saying that Hector was simply born with his gifts. Even before Hector and Abolish had started making waves in Atreya, everyone had heard the ominous stories from abroad about terrible wars among the international superpowers, about their soldiers of insurmountable strength. It was always a kind of muted, distant tale, one that people told each other with an awful sense of hopeful doubt and weary helplessness. It was an unassailable constant, one that people simply learned to live with. Because there was no other choice. The world was big and frightening. There was no changing that.

Lynnette knew that she couldn't claim to be much different, herself. And after everything that had happened over these past few months, it seemed obvious to her that Atreya was still in immense danger. The immediate threat might have been gone, but the country was still in a state of flux, and the bigger perils out there now seemed even more imposing.

And behind closed doors, Lynnette could tell that Her Highness thought so, too.

Since returning, Helen had not met with her council even once. Prince David had convinced her very quickly to dismantle it and rebuild from the ground up. Instead of doing it herself, however, she delegated the responsibility to him. David didn't seem particularly thrilled with the job but accepted it gracefully, and after he was gone, Lynnette saw the Queen putting the reapers to the very same task. They, of course, would be able to spy on everyone and report back to Her Highness with any candidates they deemed suitable for the positions.

It struck Lynnette as a bit odd--and a little devious--that the Queen did not inform Prince David of what the reapers were doing, but she supposed it never hurt to be cautious. Or maybe the Queen just wanted two independent lists to compare against each other. Whatever the case, it wasn't Lynnette's job to worry about such things. It was, however, her job to observe everyone closely, and Prince David had become someone who met with the Queen more frequently than anyone else.

And to Lynnette's eye, this was a good thing. Despite recent circumstances, terrible as they'd been, the good prince seemed to have a clear head about it all, and oftentimes, he brought a smile to Helen's face.

"And how is my beautiful sister on this fine evening?" said Prince David.

"I am well," she said from her desk. "And what about my intrepid brother? How are you?"

"I have certainly been worse, thank you for asking. Ah, and I see your bodyguard is still looking as stalwart and intimidating as ever."

Lynnette wasn't sure what made him say that. Maybe it was the eye patch. Maybe she should find a new one. A white one, like her cloak. Or maybe that'd only make it worse. She wondered where in the world she might find fashion tips regarding eye patches. Curiously, that didn't seem to be a big thing in magazines or on television.

"What brings you here?" said the Queen. "Have you finished your list, already?"

"Ha, not quite yet. I'm not a wizard, you know. These things take time."

"So you have a more pressing concern?" the Queen asked.

"Yes," said David, "or at least, similarly pressing. I am worried about the AFA. I have been observing its movements for a while, and I believe I can say with some confidence now that it should be destroyed. It's filled with people who were loyal to Gabriel. Even with him gone it's still too dangerous to let those people retain their positions."

"Mm." Helen sipped from a fine blue tea cup. "You are worried they will now prove more loyal to Luther than to me, is that it?"

"There is that, yes, but more broadly speaking, I think the AFA is frankly too much of a wild card at this point. Even if those people don't choose to follow Luther, they could quite easily splinter off and form new rogue factions of their own."

"I see your point, but at the same time, we cannot simply dissolve the Agency of Foreign Affairs. It does serve a rather important role, when not plotting against me. We will certainly have need of it moving forward."

"True. Perhaps we should refurbish it, then."

"That is what I am thinking. But that would also require strong new management."

"Indeed. Not just someone who can bring potential traitors to heel, but also someone who can make use of them. Not an easy command, dearest sister."

"I might ask you to take the job, but..."

David gave a weary laugh. "Don't you think I have enough to do?"

"Do you have someone else in mind?"

"Your aunt. I believe she would serve admirably, and if not, then she could probably point you toward someone just as capable. Perhaps more than one person, even."

Helen frowned. "That woman. Yes, I suppose she would do very well there."

"Try to sound more enthusiastic when you offer it to her. Whatever you think of her, she did save Meri's life, and possibly my own."

"Yes, yes. And she is fiercely loyal to William. I will offer her the position soon."

"Thank you."

Their conversation went on for a while longer, and then David ventured off again.

Not long after that, the Queen looked up from her reading. "Lynnette."

"Yes, ma'am?" she said, sitting up in her chair by the door.

"What do you think of my brother?"

Lynnette hesitated. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"Come closer," said the Queen, motioning to the chair on the other side of her desk. "Sit here."

Lynnette did so.

"Now tell me. You have been observing everyone around me over these past few days, yes?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"So what is your opinion of David?"

"...He seems like a good man. And intelligent."

"Is that all?"

She eyed the Queen, a bit reluctant to say any more, but after a moment, she decided to ask, "Do you not trust him?"

The Queen smirked. "I trust him very much. Why do you ask?"

"The assignment you gave him. You didn't tell him that you're having reapers do the same thing."

"Aha. Yes. And why do you think I did that?"

"Because you are secretly testing his loyalty."

"Correct."

"I don't understand why, though. If you trust him so much, then...?"

"Trust is not a switch that you flip on or off," said the Queen. "Trust is a currency, and everyone must earn it, myself included. The good thing about trust is that it gets easier to earn as you acquire more of it. The bad thing about trust is that once you lose it, it is very difficult to get back."

"Are you saying Prince David did something to lose your trust?"

"No. I believe David has a kind heart, but he hides it well. And that is precisely the problem. He is a very secretive man."

"Really?" said Lynnette. "I was under the impression that the two of you were quite close."

"When I was a child, that was the case, but the age gap between us was an obstacle. When I was eight years old, David was already seventeen and leaving for school abroad. And then, even after he finished school, he stayed away. In retrospect, I think I can understand his decision to do so. By the time I saw him again--really saw him again--it was eleven years later, and he was a stranger to me."

"Did he change that much?" Lynnette asked.

"We both did," the Queen said. "I was about to marry William. My life was already upside down. And when I saw David, he was nothing like I remembered. He had grown... well, he had grown fat. There is no dancing around it. He ballooned up like an inflated pool toy."

Lynnette tried not to laugh. "Your Highness!"

"It was surprising," she went on. "But to my mind, that was not the real concern. He was so much less cheerful than I remembered, less happy. Thankfully, he is a bit better about that presently, but I do not think he ever quite found that old mirth again. I still wonder what might have happened to effect such a change in him. He has never told me. Or anyone, as far as I am aware."

"So you can't bring yourself to trust him completely as long as he is keeping things from you."

"Partly, yes, but I also find that it is best never to trust someone completely unless it is the only practical option remaining."

"I see."

A lull in the conversation arrived, and Lynnette thought it would die there, but the Queen posed another question before Lynnette could leave the chair.

"Why do you think I decided to give you this job?"

Lynnette found herself hesitating another time. The Queen had not deigned to speak to her this much in quite a while. "To be honest, Your Highness, I'm not sure."

"Do you dislike it?"

"No. But you could have returned me to the Queen's Guard instead of inventing an entirely new position for me."

"That might have been easier, yes. But frankly, you are too frightening for your old job."

Lynnette blinked. "Frightening?"

"Have you truly not noticed? Your mere presence unsettles most people, including your former comrades. Truthfully, you even unsettle me a little."

"Oh... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to--"

"I know. Do not worry. Rather, I should be the one to apologize. I have been taking advantage of that part of you. Having the White Sword on my arm helps me to appear strong in the public eye, you see."

"My sword isn't even white," said Lynnette.

The Queen chortled. "Would you like me to force them to change the name via royal decree?"

"That would be amusing, but I suppose not."

The Queen took a moment before asking her next question. "What is your opinion of Hector?"

"My opinion? Your Highness, what do you mean?"

"I am merely curious what you think of him. You have spent more time in his company than I have."

"Well, I think we are lucky to have him on our side."

"A banal answer."

"I'm not sure what sort of answer you're looking for..."

"Tell me something I do not already know about him."

"Um... I doubt I know any more than you do."

"As I recall, you spent an entire week alone with him in an underground bunker. Are you saying you learned nothing else about him in that time?"

"When we weren't training together, he mostly kept to himself. He's not exactly the most talkative person."

Helen exhaled a breath. "And neither are you, it would seem."

Lynnette just returned a flat expression.

A beat of silence passed as the Queen observed her. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

Lynnette pursed her lips together on one side. She was no longer uncertain where Her Highness was going with this conversation. Momentarily, she wondered if stabbing the Queen would still be considered treason as long as she knew the woman couldn't die from it.

"Lynnette, please stop looking at me like that. It is a harmless question."

"You are usually more subtle than this, Your Highness."

"I would rather not have to play word games with you as well."

She sighed. "...I do not have a boyfriend."

"Ah. Girlfriend?"

"No, ma'am."

"I see."

She could practically see the gears turning in the Queen's head. "Hector is a bit young for me, don't you think?"

"Oh, are we talking about Hector again?"

"Your Highness, please."

The Queen laughed. "He is sixteen, yes? And as I recall, you are nineteen? Hmm, I suppose you have a point. Three years makes a big difference at your age."

"I'm glad you agree, ma'am. And I'll thank you to never bring it up again."

The woman smiled wryly a moment, then looked to her side and laughed.

"Did Mehlsanz say something?" said Lynnette.

"Yes, she said--"

"Tell her I said to shut up."

The Queen laughed again. "She heard you."

"Why the sudden interest in my love life, anyway?"

"Mostly to tease you, I suppose."

"Gee."

"Also, I am trying to have a bit of forethought. I told the media that Hector works for me, but of course, he does not. Nothing binds him and Garovel to Atreya other than good intentions. They have no investments here."

Lynnette's brow depressed. "So that's why you gave him a castle? It wasn't to reward him?"

"It was both. There are two things required in order to form a truly enduring alliance with someone. The first is an amiable relationship, and the second is a shared investment. Without either one, any alliance can be easily compromised when difficult times inevitably come calling, and unfortunately, those are the times when you will need that alliance the most."

"Your Highness... honestly, that is a bit disgusting. With respect, you do know that there is such a thing as too much scheming, don't you?"

"Lynnette, if I were truly 'scheming' to pair the two of you up, you would not be aware of it."

"...I'm not sure that makes me feel any better, Your Highness."

"No? My apologies, then."

"And you say I'm the frightening one..."

There wasn't much time left for conversation, and soon, the Queen was off again to another meeting, this time at the Ministry of the Interior on the other side of Sescoria. The majority of the talks concerned reparations for the extensive physical damage that the country had seen of late, especially that of Belgrant Castle. Admittedly, Lynnette couldn't follow a lot of what was being said and eventually just stopped listening--that is, until the Queen started to raise her voice and then went on to fire several people in front of the entire assembly.

During the ride back to the palace, when they were alone again, Lynnette asked, "Are you sure that was wise, Your Highness? Didn't you just make a lot of new enemies?"

"They were already my enemies," said Helen. "They were embezzling disaster relief funds. I would have preferred to imprison them, but I currently have no physical proof of their misconduct--only Garovel's word."

"Why not wait until you could gather proof, then?"

"They threatened to go after me in the media, unless I granted them more funding today."

"Wow. You'd think they'd know better than to mess with you by now."

"These are times of political upheaval. Corruption and betrayals are to be expected. They probably believe that if they do not gain an advantage now, I will eventually destroy them."

"They are probably right."

"I have a special place in my heart for those who steal from disaster relief. I think I will sic David and Meriwether on them. With any luck, they will be in prison before they can find jobs elsewhere. If not, perhaps I will ask Hector for a favor."

"Heh."

"Speaking of Hector, I believe he is leaving for the Gray Warren tonight. Shall we go bid him farewell?"

"I thought he was still sleeping," said Lynnette.

"He is, but Garovel will awaken him for us."

Lynnette was still hesitant from earlier. "Please, tell me you're not... trying to... mgh..."

"Ha. I can go by myself, if you would prefer. We may not see him for quite a while, however."

Lynnette just grumbled under her breath.

"I hope I have not accidentally jaded you to the idea. You should not let me influence your feelings in either direction. I was only teasing you before. Truly."

"I'll try to keep that in mind, ma'am."

When they arrived at the palace again, it was still a while yet until Hector was slated to leave, and the Queen of course had more business to attend to. Lynnette couldn't help being slightly distracted through it all, and by the time they went to visit Hector, she was annoyed by the anxiety she'd let build up in her chest.

They found Hector in his guest room, already awake for them.

"Ah--hello, Your Majesty. And Lynn."

"We wanted to say farewell before you left," said the Queen.

"Oh, I see."

And a long silence followed, wherein Lynnette could only assume that one of the reapers was speaking. Then the Queen went over to talk to Hector's mother.

Lynnette shook hands with Hector. She wore gloves now, just like he did, only hers were a bit bulkier as they were meant to conceal the bone gauntlet on her left hand. "Looks like this is goodbye for now," she said.

"Yeah... I'm, uh. I'm kinda sad to be going. I'll miss everyone."

"Heh. My family will probably want to come visit you sooner or later."

"Ah--y-you think so? That'd be awesome! Oh, but, uh--you should hold off on that. This... Warrenhold place sounds, uh... kinda sketchy, so..."

"Right."

"I need to make sure it's safe to have guests and... yeah..."

"Well, you have my cell number."

"Y-yeah. Same to you. Call me if there's, like... uh... if you guys want my help, I mean."

"Of course."

Lynnette looked toward the Queen, but the woman was apparently busy talking to one of the reapers now. She turned back to Hector, who could not meet her gaze, as usual. She felt an awkward tension welling up and decided to rebel against it with the first thing she could think of. "So they're calling me the White Sword now, apparently."

"O-oh, that's... huh. But your sword isn't even white..."

"That's what I said."

"Ah--it sounds cool, though. Makes more sense than mine, at least. I mean, uh... I don't think 'darksteel' is even a real thing."

"Mm. You think they just chose that because you're black?"

"I hadn't really thought about it, but... now that you mention it... Hmm. Kinda sounds a little racist now..."

She laughed at that. "Sorry."

"I guess 'darksteel' is better than 'blackmetal.' That just sounds like a... genre of music or something."

"Yeah."

"Coulda been a lot worse, really," said Hector. "Coulda called me, like, the Negro Vigilante."

"Oh, geez, no."

"Or the Darkey Knight."

Her eye widened, and she snorted a sudden laugh. "Wha--?! That's terrible!"

"Ah--too much? S-sorry..."

She just kept laughing.

Hector smiled and looked at Lynnette as her voice died down. "You... y-you, uh... you have a... ah..."

She tilted her head at him, waiting.

"Ah--your... uh... um..." Unfortunately, this time, he reached critical mass and turned away from her again, unable to pull any more words out.

"What were you trying to say?" she asked.

"I-I don't know. Just, uh. N-nevermind."

Her expression tightened. "C'mon, tell me. What were you going to say?"

"Nothing. Really. Just. N-nothing."

She was now convinced that it definitely wasn't nothing. He'd been talking just fine a second ago, so what the hell changed? "Seriously, just tell me."

He fell completely silent.

At this point, she was becoming annoyed. She raised her hand and let a bit of purple creep out the back of her glove. "Hector, don't make me wring it out of you."

Hector's eyes widened. He met Lynnette's gaze evenly. And then he ran out of the room.

She blinked after him, open-mouthed and dumbstruck. He'd actually fled? For a moment, she genuinely considered giving chase.

Hector's mother and the Queen both took notice and came over. "What happened?" the Queen asked.

"I don't know!" said Lynnette. "Or--wait, was that a reaper emergency or something?"

"No. I was talking to Garovel when Hector suddenly left."

"Then what the--?! Ugh! I can't believe he really just did that!"

Mrs. Goffe had a question as well. "What in the world did you say to him?"

"More like, what did he say?" Lynnette shook her head and eyed Mrs. Goffe. "Please tell your son that the next time I see him, I really am going to wring the answer out of him."