8. beneath the veil

 
 

Aletheia and Susanna recover and pick themselves up from the fall. Dust swirls about and there is debris and splintered wood strewn all around them. Susanna holds her arm and Aletheia sees that it is bleeding, but she has to stop herself from touching her skin. Susanna looks up to see what happened.
Donofrey had been firing the metal arrows from one of the ballista on the field. He seems impressed as he gets off of the Ballista and begins praising the machine aloud. He claims Owen has outdone himself and addresses the Trionfi, who have begun to gather on the deck in front of him. He tells them that this ballista is Mithose's design, the Polybolos. The three other Trionfi that were in the collapsed hallway, had picked themselves up and address Lord Donofrey. One soldier is shaken and asks if Donofrey meant to fire on them.

Donofrey says that of course he didn't. He feigns concern and asks them if they are alright as he walks up the steps to the deck. Before any of them can answer he immediately tells them to bring him the meddling little mice that have been sneaking around manor. Susanna helps Aletheia up and they move away from the debris as the dust settles. Aletheia's hood is caught in the rubble and rips off as she stands. Donofrey sees this and shouts at everyone to stop. He seems agitated and tells them that this is the Princess of Selene. He then asks if Aletheia is alright, truly concerned with her wellbeing. He asks his men why they didn't tell him the Princess of Veiland had come. He begins to move toward Aletheia.

Susanna holds her spear up and commands him to stay away. Donofrey apologizes and claims that he does not want to harm the Princess. He addresses her directly, citing how happy he is that to see her. Donofrey says that he wanted to thank her first hand when he takes over Selene but he is glad to do it now. Aletheia is confused and asks what he has to thank her for. The Jester claims that she has seen the face under his mask. She touched him and it meant something. She has opened his eyes and set him free.  Aletheia looks disturbed and tells him that he is mad. Donefrey stops walking and stands in front of her. He then tells her that he is only madly in love with her.

Susanna has had enough and lunges forward with her spear. Aletheia yells for her to stop but the spear hits, stabbing Donofrey in the chest. He doesn't move and the spear tip didn't pierce him. Susanna is shocked that the strike did nothing. Donofrey flings his fist and hits Susanna once in the stomach and once across the face. She falls back, badly hurt and Aletheia runs to her. She pleads for him to let Susanna go.
Donofrey pulls off his glove and looks at his diamond hand. He says that he loves her and states that she made him feel something that he has never felt before. He hasn't been the same since. He says it pierced his heart like an arrow.

COURTYARD
At this, a Trionfi calls out and Donofrey turns as a metal bolt hits Donofrey in the chest. The force sends him flying into the Manor through a window. The other Trionfi dive out of the way as more arrows begin to fly past, smashing through the windows and walls of the manor. Owen was the one who had moved to the Polybolos and begun firing at the Manor. Morgana rides up with two horses. Aletheia helps Susanna get on the horse before mounting the other. Another volley of metal flys above them, sending the Trionfi to the ground and taking shelter back in the Manor.

The girls ride off toward the steps to the deck to see Owen has tied a rope around the crank of the Polybolos. The other end of the rope is tied to the horn of the saddle of a horse. Owen slaps the butt of the horse, sending it away, and pulling the crank. Owen mounts another horse as rope pulls the crank, continuing to fire on the Trionfi. The group then jumps the wreckage of the bridge and continues to the front of the Manor. As they ride away from Silvayne Manor, Aletheia looks back to see Donofrey coming out from the front door, breathing heavily. He sees the horses running off into the distance as the sun is rises.

Enter the Stars

The three women plus Owen, meet up with Basildes at the Gate entrance and they ride off toward Ophelia. By the late morning, the caravan stops at a juncture in the road and Aletheia believes that they are not being followed. Susanna is badly injured and must be taken home to Ophelia. Aletheia and Basildes will ride back to Selene. The Monos Cathedral is on the way by taking the Spring Road. There they can send word to Selene to warn them of the attack.

Basildes says a prayer for the group and takes one of the horses after waving goodbye. Owen Mithose takes the reins of the Horse cart while the other Ophelians thank Aletheia as she prepares to leave. Morgana begins to cry but Aletheia hugs her reminding her that they are sisters and they will see each other again. Susanna thanks her and addresses her as the Princess of Selene. As the group heads toward Ophelia, Aletheia looks back as she and Basildes ride off toward Selene.

They ride for a full day and reach the Cathedral by nightfall. Basildes sends out a hawk and reassures Aletheia that it will get there faster than she could ride. He attempts to persuade her to stay at the Cathedral, reminding her that the King can handle the situation. Aletheia thanks him for his help but there is more than just Mithose's weapons. The Jester cannot be killed. He has survived things he shouldn't have. Aletheia admits that she doesn't know if she can stop him. However, she has been the only one to ever hurt him so she has to try. Basildes asks if she won't at least wait until the morning but she again refuses as there is little time to lose.

They walk outside of the Cathedral where a statue sits in the courtyard. Basildes walks with her and Aletheia finally asks what he meant in the gallery of Sylvane. He told her that she was the reason why Champions exist. Basildes explains that her father, the King, came to him 15 years ago, when Aletheia was 3. The Clerics kept being put to sleep by her and the King was at a loss. King Marcus was desperate for a way to heal her from whatever affliction she had. To cure her from her illness. He believed that others wouldn't understand her because people with powers were still rumor and he was afraid that she would be feared. He came to Basildes to try and shield her from that.

Basildes continues that he could see the King's love for Aletheia. King Marcus stated he would move the heavens and the earth to keep people from fearing his daughter. Basildes asked the King that if he could change not the world but people's view of it, would he. He agreed and that is when Basildes was able to convince him that Aletheia didn't need to be healed. She needed to be understood. They had locked themselves in the Cathedral and spoke for days about everything. In that time they came up with the High Champion. The solution to change people's views on these gifted individuals.

Aletheia is silent as tears swell in her eyes. She looks up at the moon and finally cries after she could not after Michael’s death. Basildes concludes that the King's love for her is what changed people's view on Champions. It is the reason Champions are not called Sorcerers or Witches. Basildes then tells her to speak with the King about it when she can. He touches her gloved hand and she touches his. He tells her that regardless of her heritage, she is the true Princess of Selene.

Aletheia looks on him and smiles. Suddenly, they hear birds crying in the distance. The pair look confused as they feel a rumbling. A soft ringing starts as light is emitted from the Statue behind Basildes. He turns and they see the light travel up into the sky and disappears as quick as it came. Aletheia opens her eyes to see John Noble coughing and his clothes smoking. He is on the ground in front of the statue, bleeding and exhausted.

END OF THE WANING CRESCENT ARC