Thrice the Charm... More Times the Harm

Weddings were time consuming projects, particularly the closer it got to the date of the ceremony. They were still a couple months away, but the date was closing in fast, particularly when both she and Mythal had a number of other responsibilities and engagements they needed to make room for between wedding planning. Free time was an illusion, or at the very least something that the two of them needed to actively and intentionally schedule some time for. This was easier said than done. If it wasn’t the wedding it was work, if it wasn’t work it was politics (which one could still argue was work for them at this point). After that was all the research they were doing on their own personal time, both on Faera and the Magic Council.

The goddess of Kingdom Darkness had been rather silent ever since Serilda had stormed her realm and made a mockery of one of her strongest generals. This wasn’t necessarily unexpected, of course. The noblewoman knew very well that Faera was a patient deity, one that surely wouldn’t underestimate Serilda or her abilities a second time. Or at least, she would try not to. A lot of changes had happened in Serilda’s life since that battle, things that she’d kept close to the chest to protect both herself and Mythal, as well as those they cared for. However, she was certain that Faera was doing as much of her research as possible, and not just as a logical hunch. Ozorith had already revealed to both Serilda and her fiancee that Faera had even gone so far as to try and get information out of him personally. The demon lord hadn’t given her any information, of course, but even he had admitted that didn’t mean a whole lot. Faera wouldn’t need much to get the ball rolling, and he was certain that the goddess would find a way to strike at Serilda directly with her next move, rather than at Mythal.

What time they had that wasn’t filled with trying to anticipate Faera’s next move was spent investigating the Council in secret. The Field Marshal had suspected the Council of nefarious intent for quite some time now. In fact, ever since Serilda had taken up the post of rebuilding and running the Rune Knights, she had come across quite a number of shady coincidences that made her think that quite a number of them might be dark mages hiding in plain sight, holding positions of extreme power and influence. It hadn’t helped that Wayland had made it very clear before his disappearance that he’d found something dangerous enough to force him into hiding for a while. Serilda was pretty positive at this point that the Council had actually orchestrated the attack on Era over a year ago that had killed the former Field Marshal, with the intent on replacing him with someone they felt they could more easily corrupt and manipulate: herself. Being a noble meant that she was automatically assumed to be corrupt, and Serilda was sure they intended on trying to use her and Mythal at some point.

And for now, she had no intentions of letting them think otherwise.

But at the moment, she had no solid proof to go on, and thus the two of them had been spending a lot of their time trying to get their hands on what they could and waiting in hope for Wayland’s return. The files that Mythal’s father had managed to save from his days in the Rune Knights had been a tremendous help in piecing together a bit more of the puzzle, helping them narrow down those on the Council who they believed were genuine and those who were suspect. However, Gren had given them quite a lot of files to go through, and the most that could be drawn from them was still speculation at best, even if it was more than likely very accurate speculation.

It was nice to have the man back, though. Gren’s return to life had been a shock all around, and a source of both relief and frustration for Mythal. Relief to know that his father was alive, but frustration at knowing that he had been alive for several years and had not revealed himself to his son, who’d spent over a decade feeling responsible for his death. The reunion had been tense, to say the least, and not just for Mythal. But they were taking active steps to forgive and spend time with the man, and the result had been noticeable. Both Mythal and Serilda found it a little easier to be free and unguarded around Gren with each private moment they spent with him. Serilda, at least, was learning to work past her differences with the man, many of which had already been addressed at the end of that first dinner, and the two of them were doing their best to reconcile their differences with one another.

At the moment, Serilda and Mythal were just finishing up their lunch at the Rune Knight headquarters. They didn’t always get the chance to eat together, given that Mythal was still more prone to doing field work than she was and was thus often out of the office more than her. Today was an exception, and she was more than happy to take a break from her busy schedule to get some food with him from the mess hall. They had taken the time to go over a few more wedding details that were due to make decisions on, and to catch one another up on the work they’d been doing that day.

It was on the way back from lunch when the two of them happened to be passing by the main reception area on their way back to their offices, where Serilda overheard her name being spoken. Or rather, she heard the title of the column she wrote for the Sorcerer's Weekly magazine, “Dear Seri”. It was certainly out of place, as the column wasn’t exactly a hot topic around the headquarters most days, so she slowed her gait and turned in the direction of the source. She saw a young woman talking with Valorie at the main desk, with long strawberry blonde hair and fair skin, and it was clear she was trying to see if Serilda was available for a meeting. What was odd about it was that no one had ever come looking for her in person before in relation to the advice column, which barely took up more than a few hours of her life every month or so. Curious, she steered their walk closer to the reception.

“I’m sorry,” Valorie was telling the woman kindly as Serilda and Mythal got closer. “The Field Marshal is here today, but she only takes meetings by appointment, and usually only for Rune Knight business. Normally she doesn’t take visits regarding the magazine at work. If it’s an emergency, I can see if there is an officer available to give you a hand. Or, if you need to speak with Marshal Sinclair personally, I can check to see when her next available appointment…” The clerk’s voice trailed off, her eyes flicking over and catching sight of Serilda and Mythal as they approached. “Good morning, my lady. Director Ragnos. Did you need anything?”

“Good morning, Sergeant. We were just passing by on our way back from lunch and I overheard my name. Just thought I would check in and see if I was needed.”

Valorie nodded. With a courteous smile, she gestured to Levinia. “This young woman was just requesting to meet with you. Did you want her to schedule an appointment..?”

Serilda waved a dismissive hand. “It’s fine, thank you Valorie.” The Sergeant nodded a second time and then went back to work. Turning her full attention to the young woman, Serilda gave her a kind smile and offered a handshake. “I’m Serilda Sinclair, Field Marshal for the Rune Knights. This is the Director, Mythal Ragnos.” She indicated Mythal beside her. Both of them were dressed in the basic black uniform of the Rune Knights, with nothing to mark them as any different from the other Knights gathered in the area aside from the pins on their chests and collars that exposed their ranks as the two in charge of the entire army. “What can we do for you, today?”

It would be a lie to say that Serilda wasn’t use to strangers having widely different types of reactions when meeting her. Not everyone recognized her right away, despite being a princess, the head of the Rune Knights, and one of the four Gods of Ishgar, but that was never an issue for her. She’d never really been much for titles outside of acknowledging their usefulness in helping her reach other more humble goals that generally involved protecting the country and its citizens, so as such she never really expected everyone to know who she was the moment she walked into a room. On the flip side, there were a vast array of individuals who knew who she was and greeted her with various demeanors ranging from excited, nervous, indifference, and even hatred. Nobles weren’t exactly popular among a lot of common folk, so there were plenty of people unafraid to confront her merely for being born to a different social caste.

This was… a little different.

Her small smile faltered as the young woman began to hyperventilate for a moment. Was this woman scared of her? Serilda’s instinct was to try to calm her down in some fashion, but at the same time acknowledging it was liable to send the woman into a deeper fit. So, rather than speak up, the marshal simply waited patiently for their guest to get herself under control. It only took a couple seconds at most. While there was still visual evidence that the woman was a nervous wreck in their presence, she was making a conscious effort to try and push past that, turning to greet them with a smile that seemed as starstruck as it was anxious. It seemed she had been unaware that she was the author behind the small advice column in the magazine, as she referred to Serilda as “Dear Seri” before correcting herself, greeting them both and introducing herself as Levinia Arx Creuset.

They shook hands and Serilda did her best to maintain and cool and collected demeanor to reassure the other woman. “The pleasure is mine, Miss Levinia,” she replied professionally.

Once Levinia had settled herself enough to start her tale, she wasted no time in getting right down to the brass tacks. She’d come to Serilda to try and get advice on a job she needed to handle, one that involved fighting an entire army. Serilda’s brows settled into a deeply concerned frown as the wizard explained about a village that was being tyrannized by an ill man of wealth and influence, who supposedly intended on slaughtering them. Levinia’s heart was moved to compassion for the innocent people being subjected to his wrath, and she wanted to do something, but didn’t have the power or the support to handle it alone.

She could tell by the sense of urgency in the woman’s voice and body language that this was an immanent and time sensitive issue. Casting a quick glance to Mythal for an unspoken confirmation, Serilda turned back to the front desk, her own demeanor more disciplined and commanding than it was prior. “Valorie, please cancel any appointments we have for the rest of the day. Are any of the reporting rooms free?”

Valorie quickly pulled up a schedule on her laptop, scrolling until she found the information she needed. “Room four is vacant, my lady.”

“We’ll be occupying it until further notice. Please do not let anyone interrupt us unless it is an urgent matter of state.”

“You got it.”

Finally, something interesting to get involved with. The wisened old voice of Victoria sounded pleased in Serilda’s mind as the field marshal let Mythal lead the way to the private interview room Valorie had blocked out for them. The apocalyptic Seal of Victory that shared Serilda’s body and soul was unsurprisingly roused from her ethereal lounging at the prospect of a war. While the Nephilim took more of an interest in the Rune Knights’ day to day work than Serilda had ever expected her to, the eons old woman was still more bored than anything else with the daily grind Serilda typically had to pull, often times electing to make use of a temporary separate body so she could pass the time in other ways more worth her attention.

This was, clearly, different. I don’t know that ‘interesting’ is the word I would go for, Serilda remarked back dryly, unimpressed with Victoria’s enthusiasm over such a macabre situation.

She could practically feel Victoria rolling her eyes inside their head. Spare me the lecture. I am well aware of your vice grip on morality. However, you would do well to remember who and what I am when it comes to moments like this.

Serilda gave an internal sigh of resignation. It was frustrating, but not incorrect. Victoria could no more help her nature than a wolf or a bird of prey, and it did little good to chastise her over something she was genetically predisposed to find fulfillment in. You’re right. I’m sorry. A humbling moment to be sure. Had Serilda ever apologized to Victoria for anything since the Seal came into her life? She couldn’t recall, and there was no time to linger on it. Well, we’ll see what she has to say. If her information is good, and the needs are immediate, then maybe your army will finally get the chance to stretch its legs.

An activity for which they are quite eager, I assure you.

Without any further conversation, she followed Mythal to hear what more details Levinia had to provide...

Mythal led the way to the exam room and Serilda shut the door behind them to ensure their privacy. She accepted the chair that Mythal pulled over for her with thanks, and sat down in front of Levinia with Mythal at her side. Where the Director sat with a casual demeanor, leaning back and crossing his arms loosely over his chest, Serilda sat upright with her feet crossed at her ankles and her hands resting comfortably in her lap, much like one would expect of a born and bred noblewoman. Her posture was forward with silent attentiveness as Mythal asked for the young woman to go over the situation in more detail.

Levinia took a breath and jumped into it, explaining how such a difficult task had fallen into her lap as a mage with no guild affiliation. She wasn’t intimidated by difficult jobs, but this one had proven too much for her to readily handle on her own. At the mention of Ledleaf Village, the field marshal’s pale blue eyes narrowed gently in recognition. The village was fairly close to Clover Town, where her family’s duchy resided. True to how Levinia described it, Ledleaf was a rather small town with little going for it, but since it held no real worth it was generally left to its own devices.

Apparently, that had changed with the recent death of Baron Malley. Serilda was aware of the baron’s passing, of course. Even if the barony was lower in the noble hierarchy than where Serilda and her family stood, they were still distant neighbors. Custom and respect dictated a response, and of course Serilda’s parents, Duke Byron and Duchess Miriam, had sent their condolences to Malley’s family on behalf of the Sinclairs. That had really been the last that Serilda had heard of the situation, but it seemed that there was more going on than even her father had been able to catch wind of.

The Baron’s son, Malley Junior, had been the one to inherit the barony and his father’s titles, and according to Levinia the younger Malley had wasted no time in letting the power go to his head. He had enforced unlawful taxes upon the neighboring village, and from there had sought to take more from them. The villagers had rightfully defended themselves, fighting off the goons Malley had hired and sent them back to him with their tails between their legs. And it was for that offense that Malley had decided Ledleaf was going to pay in blood. According to the woman before them, he intended on making the village an example to any others that might attempt to oppose him later.

Truthfully, Serilda’s blood was already boiling -- although one wouldn’t be able to tell just by looking at her. She had long since mastered the art of concealing her emotions behind a stoic and neutral facade. However, the anger was still present. Serilda loathed few things more than men and women that abused their influence and power. It reflected poorly on other nobles, such as herself, that earnestly did their best to do right by the people in their care. And considering that Serilda had much more than just the people of Clover in her care, it struck her on a much deeper and personal level. It was her duty to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all Fioren citizens from international and domestic threats alike.

Levinia gave a bit of a sheepish smile as she explained that she simply hadn’t been able to let the matter go, despite it being well outside of her wheelhouse. It was impossible for her to look at a situation where innocent people were being taken advantage of without trying to do anything she could to help them. Then, before either of the Rune Knights could say anything, the young woman’s face took on a more stubborn expression as she insisted that she refused to be talked out of doing the mission, as she simply wouldn’t be able to live with herself should the worst befall the townsfolk and she did nothing to help.

For a brief moment, Serilda studied Levinia curiously, her expression still somewhat stoic and unreadable. Then, a small but genuine smile tugged up one side of her mouth. “Miss Creuset, there are a great deal of things that we dissuade people from doing. Trying to protect the innocent is not one of them, not even if it is something that would put your own life in danger. That is the oath that the Rune Knights took, and it is a risk we take every day. I cannot, and would never, tell someone not to feel or act with the same conviction. It would go against everything I stand for, both as a field marshal and a goddess of Ishgar.”

Her smile deepened into a friendly smirk. Serilda was the Goddess of Conviction for a reason, and if this woman wanted to do what was right no matter the cost to herself, that simply wasn’t something that Serilda was ever going to try and take from her. If anything, it just made Levinia look like a good potential candidate for the Rune Knights -- a topic that could perhaps be broached later at a more appropriate time, once everything was said and done. “In either case, it sounds to me that advice perhaps isn’t as prudent a necessity for you so much as an army would be. And luckily for you… we have two of those.”

It was Serilda’s turn to sit back a bit in her chair, looking to Mythal with a thoughtful and almost mischievous expression. “How long has it been since we bullied a corrupt noble? Desierto?” Her fiance would already be more than well aware of how personally Serilda took royals like Malley Junior, and that she was more than interested in being a part of directly serving the man justice. “It’s certainly a Rune Knight matter, but if his forces are as large as she has suggested and time is running short, I don’t think we will have enough time to collect and mobilize the Knights for an immediate response. Perhaps we can help Miss Crueset address the imminent danger ourselves, and the Knights can come in after to help stabilize and investigate?”