"What did you just say!?" Reynaud watched as Sir Robert's eyes ballooned to the size of saucers. The two of them stood at the foot of Pascal's fortified residence, illuminated by a nearby lamp beneath the cloudy, snow-filled skies.

"We've had a coup at the palace... in Alis Avern." Reynaud repeated in between rough breathes. "The Emperor is dead... and Duke Gabriel now commands the capital!"

It was past midnight when Reynaud arrived in Nordkreuz with Cecylia. She had since left to meet her superiors. However before she departed, she had asked a few soldiers to escort Reynaud to the Moltewitz estate, where the young redhead requested a meeting with Sir Robert first.

Reynaud had heard from Dame Elspeth that Robert de Dunois was the second most trusted among the Princess' armigers, ranked behind only Lady Mari, the Princess' maid and bodyguard. He wanted to consult the latter on how to best deliver the terrible news. After all, he had only met the Princess in-person once, and by all accounts the rulers of the Gaetane family had a fiery temper.

"Where is Dame Elspeth?" Sir Robert asked next.

"At the tavern." Reynaud answered as he straightened his back and slowly brought his breathing under control. "Poor girl almost collapsed... by the time we arrived."

"You look like you're about to collapse yourself," the pretty-boy armiger said with raised eyebrows.

"I had to make ten of the jumps myself," Reynaud exhaled out. "And when I saw how eerily empty the city was... I ran the rest of the way here."

"Ten!?" Robert was amazed. As a Wayfarer himself, he knew exactly how taxing it was to make consecutive jumps with multiple riders.

"Yeah," Reynaud slapped a slightly-forced smile onto his lips. "Pretty good... ain't it?" He added boastfully.

Robert snorted a little as he immediately recognized the tone. "Yes yes, the bards will be singing your praises when this is all over." He noted almost casually before a serious frown returned. "A shelter-in-place order has been issued for Nordkreuz. We anticipate a Skagen air raid to arrive within the next hour or two. In fact, the Princess is getting ready to depart..."

His countenance then turned grim: "we can't tell Her Highness now!"

"Why not?"

Robert glared at the redheaded Reynaud. "We're about to head out and into battle. Do you want Her Highness to get herself killed!? We cannot let her know of her beloved father's death until after!"

"You're still going to fight for the Weichsens now!?" Reynaud hissed.

"We'll need Weichsel's aid more than ever," Robert declared sternly. "This battle will go down in Hyperion history, and every knight of Weichsel will know that it was Her Highness who led the charge against a fleet of colossal skywhales! Nobody will allow King Leopold to forget his treachery if he abandons the Princess afterwards. It is the best way for Her Highness to gain leverage!"

For a moment Reynaud forgot to close his mouth. Then: "they have a fleet!?"

The winds blowing in from Cross Lake strengthened at that moment. The winter storm was now blowing snow straight into Reynaud's face, and for a moment he almost lost his footing as the gales grew to an audible intensity.

"Four, to be precise," Robert answered, before he tilted his head as though he suddenly realized something. "Isn't your father a skywhale merchant?"

"Yeah," Reynaud leaned against the walls of the residential stone keep. "King Alistair has been using Father's skywhale like his personal airship."

"That's right..." Robert said thoughtfully. "How well do you know their weak spots?"

"I know a skywhale's anatomy inside and out," Reynaud asserted. "I even gave my baby skywhale familiar a bath last week!"

"And you're trained as an armiger?" Robert asked next.

"Yes Sir." Reynaud smirked. "Best fighter in my class!"

"We could use your help in battle then," Robert stated. "Think you're up for it after your teleports here?"

"Are you kidding!?" Reynaud responded, his eyes almost glittering with excitement. "Being an Oriflamme Armiger is my dream! My body can run on excitement alone!"

The redhead then paused with a frown. "But how are we going to explain my presence to Her Highness?"

Robert pressed a finger thoughtfully against his cheeks in a surprisingly feminine gesture. Then, with a scowl, he said:

"Tell her that the Emperor sent you after hearing unconfirmed rumors about skywhale sightings off the northern coast." The royal armiger then sighed. "I hope you're a good liar though, or she'll see right through you."

"As long as I have something to boast about." Reynaud grinned.