Months flew by. Yuuki, or “Elizabeth” continued training her classmates for the first year. After that, the one hundred students were reorganized into 4 classes: a single class of 10 and three classes of 30. The smallest class, class S, was reserved for only the most advanced, the most gifted, the most determined. It had Yuuki, Arthur,Cassandra and seven others from their age group. The rest, who still received training from Yuuki all attended the second best: class A. During the one year Yuuki had taught them, they developed immensely. After the ceremony that officially ended the first year, they were told to continue building on the foundations she had helped them build.
Yuuki, of course, didn’t train thirty children for the sake of charity. She had found a trend that people would respect, or even revere past teachers who were influential in their younger years. All she had to do now was wait and let the seeds she had sown grow. Arthur clearly had no intention of taking the crown for himself, there was seemingly nothing to worry about.
Months turned into years and six years had passed. Of course, everyone once under Yuuki’s tutelage had graduated with ease. Some decided to leave and make a name for themselves, become adventurers, or go back home and help out their families. Cassandra left to continue her education with the Church of Light.
-- United calendar 827
Yuuki’s sixteenth birthday was coming up. She didn’t have to worry about going home, she did have a body at home as well. Or, more accurately, the body she had was both in Estervale and at home. Her education was going smoothly. She did not bother speeding it up, starting her business with the church might take away some opportunities she wasn’t aware of yet. She couldn’t get a hold of the exact rules that she would have to abide by, and as such didn’t want to join yet, at the very least until Arthur was old enough to renounce his claim to the throne.
She was lazily reading a book on her bed when her door was opened.
“Hey. Found a mission you might want to check out. It sounds interesting.”
Yuuki closed the book in her hand and slowly turned her gaze to the boy standing in the door. “Just because it’s open doesn’t mean you shouldn’t knock first.”
“Yeah, right. The day I catch you off-guard, I will dance through the town naked.”
“How very vulgar. So unbecoming of a would-be ruler.”
“I already told you to drop it. Now, are you coming or not?”
“Of course your highness. I will need to change first, though. Care to give me the room?”
“Since when do you have a sense of shame?”
“Would you rather watch?”
Arthur, without saying anything else noped out of the room. He, in fact, would very much have liked to watch, but that was out of the question. To him, Elizabeth was more of a mentor than anything else. And while she had developed to be quite the beauty, he couldn’t view her as a potential lover. She was simply too… elizabeth. Her name had become an adjective to those that knew enough about her to be confused. She clearly had some secrets she wouldn’t want to tell anyone, and yet she was carefree and happy normally. She clearly had more than a few things weighing on her conscience, and yet she joked around and laughed with others during dinner. But when she fought, they could see what they could only believe to be truly her: efficient and relentless.
He was brought out of his thoughts when his shoulder was poked. Right next to him stood the fox-kin in all her glory. Her wavy white hair reached down to her hips, her flawless white tail could touch the ground. Her skin was flawless and light, but not overly pale. She was also a bit taller than Arthur, who was quite tall for his age. Her assets were by no means small, but not disproportionate either. She couldn’t be called muscular, but she wasn’t slim either. Her muscles were visible on her arms and legs even when she was relaxed. Even if it was winter break, she wouldn’t wear anything warmer than a T-shirt and pants that reached her knees. But all Arthur could look at were her eyes. Those violet eyes cementing her as someone blessed by Mystra. They seemed so playful, and yet there was something in those eyes he couldn’t quite place.
“Are you going to keep staring at me, or will you lead the way?” Her voice was so calm and gentle, he could fall asleep to her talk. Not that he would dare.
“Maybe another time.” Arthur turned around and began walking. He made no effort to hide his attraction to her, she could see through him easily.
To the teleportation circle used by the institute and commanded the powerful magics inside the carved stone to obey him. There was a white flash as they arrived in a snow covered city. He led them outside the city walls and to the stables.
“Well, if it ain’t the young lord Pendragon. And lady Ashwood, so good to see you again.” The old man taking care of their horses greeted them with a smile when he saw them. He didn’t care for traditions and etiquette, but he was not rude either. “I put on some warmer saddles, but please do watch out for the cold.”
Neither Arthur, nor Yuuki had any illusions that the old man worried for them and not the horses.
“We will, mister Greenmane.” Arthur said and quickly got on his brown horse. Yuuki followed suit, saddling a grey horse. “If we hurry, we’ll be there by sundown.”
“Lead the way.”
--
“I’m just saying it’s strange you did not even drop by to say hi to your family.”
“Oh, come on! My father is disappointed I don’t want to use my powers to conquer the surrounding nations, my brother is envious of me and my mother hates me.”
“Yeah, and they’re all alive and able to talk.”
An awkward silence followed before Arthur said something again. “I’ll talk to them when I get back.”
Silence followed once more as all that could be heard were the trotting of the horses. The forest was eerily quiet as the night slowly approached. They were almost there when Yuuki felt the scent of blood in the air. Without saying anything, she signaled her horse to go into a gallop and Arthur followed suit.
When they came over a small hill, they could overlook a small town, now lying in ruin. The buildings were damaged and looked as if they could collapse any moment, the fires were still burning, the blood on the ground was still fresh. There was a large monster still in the village, laying in the open, currently eating some cows. It had four legs, a large mane on its head, sharp teeth, and golden fur. By all accounts, it was just an oversized lion.
Yuuki waved her hands and the lion suddenly plopped to the ground unceremoniously. She waved it again, a bit more slowly this time and the fires were put out and the buildings repaired themselves. They did not stop their gallop until they were inside the town.
“Bring all the dead to me right now.” She said with a booming voice that left room for negotiation. She jumped off her horse and began inscribing a massive ritual circle in the middle of the road. By the time she was done, the remaining villagers and Arthur had placed all the recently departed in the very middle of the circle.
“What are you trying to pull? Necromancy is illegal.” One of the villagers spoke out.
“I represent magic on this mortal plane, don’t tell me what I’m allowed to do with it and what I’m not.” Her voice caused many to flinch and take a step back, while what she said caused them to take another dozen.
Just as they all cleared the circle, it began shining brightly. It lasted only a moment before the circle disappeared as if it were never there.
“The souls of the recently dead don’t leave their bodies immediately. As such I did not raise the dead. I resurrected them.” She continued, a bit softer than before, but the impression has already been made. “They might have some temporary memory losses that will fade in a week.”
The people on the floor slowly got up, their clothes torn and bloody, but their bodies were in perfect condition. Yuuki walked over to the lion while the townsfolk were too busy being confused and happy. Arthur followed suit.
“This shouldn’t have happened.” He said.
“And yet it did.” She seemed preoccupied with examining the lion.
“My brother was put in charge of managing this region. Why aren’t there any guards here?”
“Because he collected the guards from his territories and is using them to wage skirmishes against a neighboring country.”
“How do you know that?”
Yuuki turned to look at the prince. “The question is, why don’t you know it? You know the two countries are practically at war. You know your brother wants to cement his position. You know this town has no strategic value.”
“PEOPLE HAVE VALUE!” He shouted at the girl, who seemed more confused than angry from being yelled at.
“There’s a war. People die. That never was and never will be different.”
“But these deaths could have been prevented!”
“How?” The simple question left Arthur to think for a while before he had an idea.
“Monster hunters. Mercenaries who roam the country, killing monsters. They would be too well trained to be too many of them, so they won’t be used in war as it’s not worth it.”
Yuuki pondered for a bit. “Perhaps, but that isn’t likely to happen. They would need to be trained very well and for quite a while, hope that they have the potential and the drive to see it through. Where exactly would you find such people?”
Arthur had a sly smile. “I thought you would be more observant, teach. We already know another thirty people like that.”
“Oh? And how would you convince them to leave their homes or the Institute and come here to the frozen countryside to kill beasts?”
“I could give them enough incentives once I was king.”
There was a silence that followed. “You’re acting on impulse.”
“Maybe. But I can see now what I refused to acknowledge before. My brother’s rule would be disastrous for the people of this country. If I can prevent that, I have a duty.” He stopped his speech to collect himself. “There is a problem. I… I’m not sure, but I do have a suspicion that I’m not a legitimate heir.”
“Correct. What do you intend to do about it?” She was unfazed, full well knowing about the fact.
“You are the head of a church. You can legitimize me, correct?”
Despite all her training, Yuuki had to try hard to conceal the ear to ear grin she was about to have. It was satisfying when everything went according to plan.
“One condition.” That got the prince’s attention. “You kill this one.” She nodded her head toward the currently sleeping lion. “Although I must warn you: its hide is highly resistant to magic and downright immune to physical harm. Not to mention that it could rip you apart in a moment if you aren’t careful.”
There was a burning fire in Arthur’s eyes. “Bring it on.”
To her, Elizabeth was more of a mentor than anything else.
To him,
Thanks!