CHAPTER 12.5: BETRAYAL

**Madelaine**

“You’re a useless saint, Madelaine Ann Rubinforth!” The young duchess, Eris Braunhauer, stood before me with a flaming wand and fiery anger in her eyes. She walked menacingly towards me, as she chanted another spell…

“Eris? What’s happening to you?” the reality before me hadn’t sunk in just yet. I was trying to wake myself into this nightmare…

“Madelaine Ann Rubinforth…” she uttered my name in spite, “You! You caused everything that’s happening in this land! Your ideals would bring forth the downfall of humanity! You alone is at fault for this mess!”

“W-What are you saying?”

“Are you trying to feign ignorance?” Eris asked, “Isn’t it that your ‘peace’ destroying us? You force everyone to abide by your repressive conditions! You never listen to anyone, except to those people whom you favor! You! You killed more people in your peace than in war!”

“I don’t understand! What are you talking abo—”

An ice bullet suddenly went past my left cheek, and a wound appeared a moment later.

“Listen here, you useless Saint! Lord Gaius had instructed the saints to guide their races to greatness, and yet, you’re the primary reason for humanity’s stagnation! You keep on promoting your peace, and so we humans became too relaxed! You’re spoiling us with your ideals!”

The Eris that stood before me felt like a different person, so I tried to peek into her thoughts to confirm that Seirna had possessed her.

“Stop reading my mind, Madelaine Rubinforth!” the young duchess bellowed, “I am myself, Eris Braunhauer, daughter of Norman Dyke Braunhauer and Ulrika Marie Hanna Braunhauer! I’m not being possessed if that’s what you’re trying to imply. But unlike those fools around you, I worship the Saint of the Flame, Seirna…for she’s a better saint than you!”

“Th-This can’t be happening!” I was in a panic, “Eris, I know you’re a good child—”

“You still won’t believe me?” she laughed, “Have you tried asking yourself why you and that dog saint slept while the bandits sent to capture you attacked your convoy to Fen? Or what about Princess Lilyhaven’s decision to come to Calabria when she ran away? Or how about that time when you couldn’t read my father’s and mother’s minds? Or when you can’t use your magic?”

“You’re…”

“That’s right! I did all of it! I helped the great Saint of the Flame! I tricked your servants into working for her, and they didn’t even know about it!” Eris confessed, with a proud look on her face, “So, what are you going to do? Kill me with plagues? Come on! Do it! It’s the only thing you’re good at, anyway!”

I had no answer to her taunts. I kept myself silent.

“Because of you, we Amaranthines are suffering. Because of you, my family was broken. Because of your useless ideals, a lot of my countrymen are dying as we speak,” I could feel bitterness in her voice, “Because of you, Mister Kuro died!”

“Enough of that, Braunhauer!” I would tolerate all those faults she’s throwing at me, but I would never let her smear the sacrifice of the man I love.

“You should die!” Eris then shot a flame spell against me, “Incinerate!”

I quickly countered with my spell, and an enormous explosion ensued that rocked the entire cavern system, “You speak big, Braunhauer! But have you considered those people who believed in me? Have you considered their feelings as they lay dying on the battlefield?”

“Stop spouting your nonsense!” she uttered another spell; a wind gust attack, “No matter what you say, there’s no hope of me coming back to your side, Rubinforth! You’re a failure, not only as a saint but a human as well!”

The effects of her mental stress and physical exhaustion were coming out from her magic attacks; it was getting weaker the more she threw spells against me. I contented myself with parrying her magic.

“Eris Braunhauer…you’re an intelligent girl, and I could see in your heart that you truly loved the people around you!” I inched my way to her while deactivating her spells.

“Shut up! I only listen to Her Holiness Seirna of the Flame!”

“You love your parents, your big-sister, the maids and paladins you befriended at the palatial gardens…”

“Stop! Please! Don’t come any closer!”

“And especially, that man who understood you well, Kuro…”

“Please stooooppp!!!” Tears were now coming from Eris’ eyes. She was covering her ears; dropping her wand once she realized attacking me was a futile effort, “I only…I only wanted to help them…I only tried to help…that Saint told me I could help…but they are already dead…”

I was now standing before the young duchess. She looked up at me, trying to keep a brave face while I could hear her thoughts deep inside. Eris was blaming me for what happened. She was also blaming herself for what happened. And she felt bad for betraying her friends and family…

“Eris…”

“Y-Your Ho-Holiness…” she pleaded, “Though I am a child, pl-please grant me death…”

The young duchess closed her eyes in anticipation of a quick, painless demise. However, I was not done yet with her…

“Genu, hefener, seyeth…” With a heavy heart, I chanted a spell, “Spirits of the land, hear my cry. This person before me, let her soul fly!”

“!!!”

“Healing light!”

At once, a warm, white light appeared beneath Eris’ feet, and her eyes stared at me in bewilderment, “Y-Your Ho-Holiness…”

“Eris…I know that I’m a failure as a saint,” I told her with a bittersweet smile, “But like you, I also love Kuro, for he taught me lots of things I should know. And as the Human Saint, it’s only a fitting payment to his—and the others’—sacrifices that I dedicate my life to continue what I already started.”

Eris remained silent. But I could hear her heart wavering…

“Your Excellency, Duchess Eris Braunhauer…” I bowed before her, presenting a dagger at her feet, “I do not ask for your forgiveness, for I am not worthy of it. If you wanted to exact revenge on me, please do so. But if I may request something from you, let me finish what I started…and then you can kill me once you deemed my ideals are harmful to this land…”

There was another moment of silence between us. I never moved from my gesture, for I wanted to show to Eris my sincere devotion to the things I believed in. If she kills me, it’s up to her.

“!!!”

However, what I felt was the young duchess’ arms wrapping gently around me. She was also crying, and in her heart, I could hear her repeatedly asking me for forgiveness.

But it’s not a big deal for me. My sins were greater than hers, so who am I to judge her motivations? However, I’d make sure that Eris would never regret her decision to throw back her support to me once more…