Each one had its own special brand of surprise and trickery that required quick thinking and a combination of recklessness and self confidence to achieve victory over them.
After a little more then twenty years, Lina Inverse was convinced that she had seen it all and nothing could really surprise her anymore.
Which made it all the more amazing that her jaw dropped when Amelia announced her blood tie to Gracia.
"Your what?!"
"My sister." Amelia repeated, jerking her arm out of Lina's grip. "Gracia Tesla. Who ran away from home and left me holding the bag when father died from Skylers!"
"Dead?" Gracia repeated, her face going paste white. "Father is - "
"Dead." Amelia said, cutting her off. "Six feet under. Passed on. Kicked the Bucket. In the crypt. Snuffed it. What part of dead don't you understand?" Gracia sank to her knees.
"Dead? I never-I never even got to-got to-Oh gods!" She cried, bursting into tears as she sank to her knees.
Face full of concern, Dankin rushed to her side as Thyrr knelt beside her, whispering softly.
"Your highness." Lina said to Amelia, her voice a mixture of ice and steel. "Can I have a word with you? In private?"
"Later Lina."
"Now Amelia." Lina said, grabbing the other woman's arm and half walking, half dragging her to a spot away from the tents.
"What is it Lina?" Amelia asked when they were away from the circle of firelight.
"What the hell is your problem? Can't you see she's on the edge of cracking up completely?" Amelia said nothing but her eyes momentarily filled with concern as she glanced back to the campsite.
"Damnit Lina, she abandoned us!" Amelia almost shouted. "It was bad enough Father had to go on without Mother after she died, but then Gracia takes off and I get to rule Sailoon alone!"
"You wanted the job!"
"That's not the point!" Amelia hissed. "There's extremely explicit rules about this! Gracia was crowned as the heir, I wasn't. Technically, under Sailoon law, I'm ruling illegally unless she signs the instrument of abdication or gives up her tie to the throne in some fashion, I could be forced off if another member of the royal family can prove that they have a better claim then me!"
"Then how come this has never come up before?"
"It was buried in the lawbooks about five hundred years ago." Amelia said, calmer now. "Its really more of a technicality."
"So you're pissed that Gracia broke some rule?"
"No! She abandoned me and Father! It was bad enough that Mother was gone, but then Gracia leaves too! She didn't even tell us her reasons to our faces! Just left in the middle of the night and left a note behind." Tears were beginning to appear in the Queen's eyes. "She just left us. Never wrote, never said anything. We thought she was dead." The tears were beginning to roll down her cheeks, increasing at a steady rate. "I...I thought she was dead." With that, the tears came full bore as she collapsed in Lina's arms, crying her heart out. As Lina tried to comfort her friend, she realized that she had never, in the three years they had been together, seen Gracia write home.
Now she knew why.
Speaking for herself, by the time she realized she should have written home, the name of Lina Inverse was rapidly spreading. Writing home seemed pretty pointless.
And her father had always told her that actions spoke louder then words.
Had that been why she had gotten so flamboyant? A way to scream out to mom and dad that she was a success? A way to mark her trail?
It was at that moment she realized that she felt no grief over the death of her own parents.
Had they really been that distant from one another?
"Let's go back." Amelia said, wiping her eyes with her cloak. "I think I have an apology to make." Lina nodded.
When they got back, Gracia was on a log by the fire, a cup of ale in her hand. Dankin sat next to her and Father Thyrr stood nearby.
Amelia marched straight to her sister and took her hand.
"Gracia. I shouldn't have yelled at you. I was surprised, shocked, upset. I'm sorry." Gracia looked up.
"I'm sorry too." She said in a half whisper and then she and Amelia hugged each other tightly. When they disengaged, Amelia turned to the others.
"This is my sister Gracia." She said simply by way of introduction. A loud cheer was the response. "Now let us prepare a fitting feast for the occasion!" Amelia said when the cheering died down. Another cheer and then the knights went to work.
At some point during the festivities, Gracia and Amelia went off into the woods together. When they came back, Amelia's face was coldly angry and remained that way for the rest of the evening.
Much later, when most of the revelers had sought their beds and the fire burnt to down to embers, Gracia, Amelia, Thyrr, Lina, Zelgadis, Conrad, Sir Edmund, and Dankin sat around the flames, coffee cups in their hands. Nobody spoke much, there was no real need for it.
"Father Thyrr." Amelia said, breaking the silence. "As much as I respect the need for separation of Church and State," She paused, trying to put her thoughts into words.
"You wish for me to release my predecessor into Sailoon Custody." Thyrr said.
"Yes-what?" Amelia's eyes went wide. "I never-" She looked at Gracia, who shook her head, her eyes also wide. Amelia looked at Thyrr. "How-" "Did I know?" Thyrr asked. "The crown on your head, your accent is of the western kingdoms, and the only Queen not currently in her capital is Amelia, who, as everyone knows, is close friends with Lina Inverse of Zefila who sits across from myself."
"You're remarkably well informed for a town priest." Edmund said, suspicion in his voice.
"I like to stay abreast of current events." Thyrr said modestly and poured himself another cup of coffee. "To answer your question Amelia, I'm afraid I can't do it. He has already been sent to the Citadel, the center of our faith and I promise you, he will meet a fate that's appropriate for his crimes." He sipped his coffee reflectivly.
"He committed crime against a crown princess." Amelia said. "If he assaulted any woman, that's one thing, but there's certain diplomatic concerns that need to be adressed here."
"In other words. War." Thyrr said smoothly. Amelia and Edmund's eyes narrowed.
"If you don't mind my saying so Father," Conrad spoke up. "You seem awfully sharp to be a simple town priest." Thyrr looked at Conrad. Really looked at him for the first time that day and his eyes widened. Quickly, he touched his head, chest, and each shoulder. Conrad smiled ironically and repeated the gesture, causing Thyrr to take a sharp intake of breath and then school his face back into a mask of calm.
"As I was saying," Thyrr said, addressing Amelia again. His eyes were still a bit wild but his voice was calm. "I cannot turn him over to you. As you said, there are certain diplomatic considerations that need to be adressed. I doubt either one of us would really like address them so instead, I offer you an invitation to his execution."
"Execution?" Amelia asked. Thyrr nodded.
"Burning at the stake at the very least."
"Burning you say?" Asked Edmund. Thyrr nodded.
"How appropriate." Amelia murmured, a smile on her face.
"Of course," Thyrr continued, "As Gracia is a member of Sailoon Royalty, we would be happy to discuss it if Sailoon thinks perhaps harsher measures are in order. Sort of a nod in the direction of future diplomatic relations you understand."
"Sailoon does have one or two ideas." Amelia said, smiling broadly. "Why don't we discuss them in the morning?"
"Why don't we?" Thyrr agreed, standing up. "Goodnight everyone." With that, he and Dankin left the campsite.
"Father?" Dankin asked as they approached the gates of Herdol.
"Yes Dankin?"
"What was all that talk of diplomatic considerations about? And what was it ab out that boy who spooked you so?"
"Her highness was threatening war." Thyrr said calmly.
"War?" Dankin asked, eyes very wide. Thyrr nodded.
"Its a tendency of the western kingdoms. Amelia more then most. Probably the influence of Lina."
"But Lina is from the Eastern kingdoms."
"A necessity for what's coming. If she had been born in the west, she probably would not have lived very long. The Mazoku who is behind the unrest in Sailoon would have had her killed. As for the boy," Thyrr shook his head. "Some things are best left unsaid."
"Yes Father. Sleep well."
"You too Dankin." Thyrr replied as they parted company.
Thyrr lived in small house just off the square and behind the church. It was small and comfortable.
Yawning, he removed his vestments and hung them up. Though his bed beckoned invitingly, he instead sat at his desk and passed his hand over the small communications globe.
"Report." came the voice.
"Its confirmed." Thyrr began. "Lina Inverse is the Chosen One and Amelia bears the ancestor of the Heir. All are in their proper places or will be fairly soon. The final battle is at hand."