Alcingeria Volume Two Chapter Three: Where We Stand

Most of The Scorpions and The Vipers desire to leave Queen Estaire's castle in search of adventure, but not all of them. Who will stay? Who will leave?

Chapter Three Where We Stand:

Saturday July 17^th 1690

I woke up in my room. Lawrence wasn’t here. I figured that he was catching up on his sleep, which was totally fine by me. I wondered what to do today. I couldn’t come up with anything in particular, so I decided to find the others. I walked to my door and opened it. I stepped out into the hallway to find Robert leaning against the wall just outside my door.

            “Oh, hi Robert.” I greeted.

            “Hey Redmond.” He replied.

            “Is there something you need?” I asked.

Robert nodded casually.

            “I was just wondering if you… You know, wanted to leave the castle.” He asked.

I nodded slowly.

            “I do actually. I was just thinking about it on the way to dinner last night. I want to go out and do things. Not just sit around a castle having my every need taken care of.” I explained.

Robert grinned and laughed out loud.

            “I feel the same way. Most of the others do, too.” Robert told me.

            “’Most’ of the others?” I asked.

Robert looked around slowly, he looked back to me.

            “See, the lot of us want to go adventuring, but some of the others would rather stay here because they don’t have the necessary skills. Like Raymond and Francella.” Robert explained.

            “Who else wants to stay?” I asked.

            “Martha, William and Antoinette.” He answered.

            “I take it that Edwin and his men aren’t coming with us either?” I asked.

Robert shook his head sadly.

            “No, they aren’t.” He replied.

            “I didn’t think so.” I answered sadly.

Robert sighed in sadness.

            “I really want to get out of here myself, I want to go on adventures, see the world, maybe even meet someone, you know?” Robert asked.

I nodded. I hadn’t seriously considered the concept of love in quite some time. However I did want adventure.

            “I understand. I want to leave here too, I just don’t want to leave the others behind.” I fretted.

I didn’t want to leave some of the people I’d been with for so long, we’d been through so much together.

            “It’s for the best that they stay here. They wouldn’t make it out there. You saw Erin back in the ruins, how that vampire grabbed her?” Robert asked.

            “I remember, why?” I asked.

            “What if that were to happen again with someone else? This time, Ceberus wouldn’t be there to take the shot.” Robert told me seriously.

I nodded in understanding.

            “It really is for the best.” I responded.

Robert nodded and neither of us spoke for a minute.

            “I’ll let the others know where you stand.” Robert told me.

            “Thanks.” I replied.

With that, he walked off.

            “You want to leave too huh?” Don asked from behind me.

I nodded, turning around to face him. Tabatha was standing next to him.

            “I want to get out of here as soon as we can. I want to go adventuring, I want to have fun!” She said enthusiastically.

            “I couldn’t agree more, but I don’t want to leave the others behind.” I told her.

            “It’s for the best, you know? Robert must’ve told you that.” Don laughed.

            “He did.” I stated.

            “It’s their choice to stay, it’s not like anyone’s making them.” Tabatha told me.

            “I know that, and I know it’s for the best. I guess I shouldn’t be sad.” I said, cheering myself up.

            “That’s the spirit.” Tabatha told me with a grin.

No one said anything for a few seconds.

            “Well, Tabatha and I are going to go.” Don told me.

I laughed at him, holding my stomach.

            “Oh? Are you going to go make out again?” I asked, still laughing.

Tabatha’s mouth dropped open and she playfully punched me in the arm. Playful or not, it hurt.

            “Come on! That was one time!” She cried.

            “Ow!” I groaned, rubbing my sore arm.

Don laughed at me, he and Tabatha walked out of sight. Stella and Erin walked up to the hallway, coming from the main entryway.

            “So you’re leaving too?” Stella asked.

I cast a glance towards the staircase and the grand entryway, I furrowed my brow.

            “How’d you hear me from over there?” I asked.

            “I’m very good at eavesdropping, remember?” Stella asked with a grin.

            “You two are leaving too right?” I asked.

They both nodded, grinning.

            “Of course! I want to see more of those underground ruins, the culture buried down there is incredible!” Erin exclaimed in awe.

Stella just rolled her eyes with a grin.

            “I really need to make a girl out of you.” Stella told her friend.

            “I am a girl!” Erin objected jokingly.

            “You know what I mean. I mean I need to take you out shopping, maybe buy you a dress! We need to have a girls night sometime, just me you and Tabatha.” Stella told Erin.

            “Uh… Sure…” Erin trailed off, sounding completely uninterested.

            “Anyway, I’m glad you’re coming with us. Do you know when we’re leaving?” Stella asked me.

            “No idea.” I responded with a shrug.

            “Oh, okay. Thanks anyway, we’re going to go.” Stella told me.

            “Okay, see you later.” I said with a wave.

Stella and Erin walked off, leaving me alone. I decided to take a walk in the garden. I needed some peace and quiet after the last few days. I made my way to the main entryway and out into the garden. I saw Raymond and Francella standing with their hands in their pockets.

            “Hey!” Francella greeted.

            “Hey guys, how’re you doing?” I asked.

            “Ah, pretty well. You heard about the big decision, right?” Raymond asked.

            “I heard about it, it’s too bad you guys aren’t coming with us.” I told them.

Francella scratched the back of his head and Raymond shuffled his feet.

            “Yeah… Well, we like adventuring and all, but…” Francella trailed off.

            “Too be honest, it’s dangerous. We wouldn’t last long out there with you all.” Raymond finished.

I nodded slowly.

            “I understand.” I said.

            “Hey, don’t be sad. It’s not like we’re dying or anything! You can always come and visit in between adventures.” Raymond said with a smile.

I grinned in return, I began to laugh.

            “Alright, we’ll make sure to do that.” I told him.

            “Do you know when you’re leaving?” Francella asked.

            “No, not yet.” I replied.

            “Okay, well we’re going to miss you all while you’re gone. It’s been fun.” Raymond told me.

            “It has been fun, and we’ll definitely come back to see you in the future. We can play cards, just like old times.” I said with a grin.

            “Yeah, and we’ll all get beaten by Stella.” Francella laughed.

We all laughed heartily for a few seconds.

            “We’ll I’m going to carry on, I’ll see you around.” I told my friends.

            “Yeah, see you later.” Francella said.

I walked past them and continued on through the garden. I walked for a few minutes and saw Estaire crouched on the ground, smelling some roses.

            “Hi Estaire.” I said.

She stood up and turned around.

            “Oh, hello.” She said with a smile.

            “You really do like roses.” I laughed, taking in the heavy scent of them on the air.

            “Yes, I do. Anyway, I heard about you and your friends leaving. It won’t be the same without you here.” She said forlornly.

            “Thanks, we’ll miss you too. You’ve been very kind to us all.” I said with a thankful smile.

            “You are all a very nice group of people.” She replied.

There was a moment of silence. Estaire’s face took on an expression of worry.

            “Redmond, can I talk to you about something?” She asked.

            “Of course.” I replied.

She looked to the ground, then back up to me. Her expression was serious.

            “I know about your group. I know what you all are.” She told me.

            “What? What are you talking about?” I asked nervously.

            “I know that you’re all criminals. I know all that you’ve done.” She told me.

Uh oh. Estaire knew about us!

            “H-how long have you known?” I stammered.

            “I put two and two together a few days after you came. I thought I recognized a few of you, but I couldn’t remember where from. I then remembered that I once saw your faces on wanted posters in Valgate.” She told me.

I looked to the ground. No one had figured it out until now. Truth be told, I was surprised.

            “Why didn’t you tell anyone?” I asked.

            “I just… I don’t know. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I also had a feeling about you all. That feeling told me not to tell anyone.” Estaire responded.

            “Kind of like the feeling you had at the ball the night the mafia attacked?” I asked.

            “Yes, exactly like that.” She replied.

            “You seem to be very intuitive.” I mused.

            “Indeed. Well, I’m glad I didn’t tell anyone. You all did help stop the war, you did Vulrock as well as Alcingeria a great service. That’s why… Before you go… I want to offer you all an official pardon.” Estaire told me.

            “A pardon? You mean, we won’t be wanted anymore?” I asked.

            “Precisely.” She replied.

Happiness exploded within me, overwhelming joy followed.

            “Thank you so much! That would be amazing!” I exclaimed.

Estaire smiled at me.

            “You all earned it, it’s the least I can do. Of course I can’t arrange you to be pardoned in a court of law, but I can give you all the royal seal, signed by me. I’ll make it so if a law enforcement officer stops you, you just show him the seal and he’ll leave you alone. The seal will show that you have officially been pardoned for your crimes.” Estaire explained.

            “Estaire, thanks so much! I can’t even tell you how happy I am!” I exclaimed in joy.

            “It’s no trouble, you and your friends have more than earned it.” She replied with a smile.

            “I’ll tell them all right now.” I said, starting off to the others.

            “No need, I’ll have servants send for them.” Estaire cut in, holding up her hand.

I grinned. Estaire was on top of things.

            “I should probably go and begin on those pardons. Meet me in the throne room shortly.” Estaire instructed as she walked out of the garden and into the castle.

I walked around the garden for a few minutes, not passing anyone. After about twenty minutes I decided that I had waited long enough. I walked into the castle and made my way to the throne room.

Author's Note

Please tell me what you think!