V2 C10 - A Royal Wedding

The royal wedding between Princess Raeanne Windsor and Duke Louis Cavan was one of the largest, and most expensive, events in Aangapea’s history, and it showed.

It had cost ten million gold, almost a quarter of the Kingdom and Federation’s combined yearly budgets.

However, despite that expense, all those in attendance knew it was worth it.

After all, with their union, the Kingdom and the Federation would start a slow, but peaceful, transition into a single nation, making it one of the largest and strongest on the continent.

Tens of thousands had gathered to witness the event and the streets were filled with people from around the world, all hoping to catch even just a glimpse of the bride and groom.

The town was alive with energy, the security was in the thousands and the halls of the castle were filled with joy, laughter and well-wishing guests.

The grand hall where the throne of the king was would serve as their wedding hall.

It was in this very hall that Mímir and his Ravens were lying in wait, hidden by their illusion magic disguised as soldiers from the Kingdom.

Seven in total including Mímir and all in key places around the room.

Though they had only had a short time to infiltrate the wedding venue and thoroughly investigate it, Mímir had already been forming a basic plan since the idea first came to him back at Stonefall.

Even with just seven of them taking part, Mímir was very confident that it would succeed.

As the orchestra played a beautiful hymn to welcome in the bride, escorted by her father and guards, the attendants rose to their feet as she started her slow, elegant walk down towards her groom.

The crowd’s attention was firmly focused on them as were the guards. No one knew what Mímir and the Ravens were up to.

Two were by the groom’s parents , two were by the main doors and two had escorted the bride in personally, and Mímir himself was in the rafters.

Mímir’s plan was simple: they would wait for the moment the vows were to be exchanged and then strike, killing important members of the Federation, the groom included. In the confusion, the guards from the Federation side would start to fight them and turn on the Kingdom’s soldiers, ensuring that war would break out.

We are believers in the true Kingdom of the North-east - our soldiers will soak so much blood and spread so many lies that both sides will have no choice but to get involved.

This crime will be as horrific as possible in order to stir up the people’s emotions.

All Mímir had to do now was wait for the most perfect, dramatic, moment to strike and begin the horrible tale he was going to weave.

Duke Cavan had just finished his vows and the bishop turned to Raeanne for her to make hers.

This was the moment Mímir would use.

“Princess Raeanne, in the eyes of the Gods and with the blessings of your house and kin, do you take this man, Duke Louis Cavan, to be your husband? To be his equal and his partner, to shoulder his burdens and be his strength when he is weak, and to love him for the rest of your life?”

As Raeanne opened her mouth, Mímir’s Ravens struck.

The two beside the groom’s parents drew their swords first.

“For the true Kingdom of the North-east!”

And drove their blades into his parent’s chests.

The two by the doors started cutting down the soldiers on the Federation side, screaming the same thing.

The two by the bride cut down the groomsmen and cut the bishop’s head clean off.

In that unimaginable scene of bloody violence, Mímir descended, throwing eight daggers into the throats of nobles on the groom’s side of the venue.

“For the true Kingdom.”

He cut Duke Louis’s stomach open.

Swords were drawn on both sides as chaos consumed the hall.

People were running and screaming everywhere, swords clashed between the disguised Ravens, the true soldiers of the Kingdom and the Federation - no one knew who to trust or who was evil, and no one was willing to wait to find out the truth.

Princess Raeanne was pulled away by one of her knights as the battle continued, spilling out into the hall.

“The Kingdom has betrayed us!”

“The Federation is after the Princess!”

“They’re killing everyone! Help us!”

The Ravens were the ones shouting, but they changed their voices to sound like different people, adding even more confusion to the situation.

Mímir wasn’t done yet.

Duke Louis wasn’t dead.

The duke tried to push himself up onto his knees, but Mímir pressed his boot hard onto his back, driving him into the ground. Then, Mímir roughly pulled Duke Louis upwards by his hair.

Mímir placed his bloodied blade against the duke’s neck as Princess Raeanne looked their way, her eyes wide and her mouth agape.

“Know this, Duke Cavan,” Mímir whispered. “Your beloved won’t be harmed. One day, she’ll be the property of my master.”

Mímir slit Duke Cavan’s throat before Princess Raeanne’s eyes, then chucked him towards her.

Duke Louis’s body slid across the ground, painting it red, and came to a stop just before the Princess’s knees.

Her scream was so loud that it overshadowed the sounds of the battle.

“For the true Kingdom of the North-east,” Mímir said.

In the chaotic battle, Mímir and the Ravens retreated, slipping out of the room and onto the rooftops, and departing the Kingdom by foot.

***

“I’m impressed, Mímir.”

“Thank you, your majesty.”

“So? With the duke dead, I assume that war is inevitable, just as you said it would be?”

“It is, your majesty. The Ravens I sent to keep an eye on the situation have reported that the Federation have severed all diplomatic ties with the Kingdom, and that both sides are amassing their armies for war.”

After finishing his report, Mímir began to laugh.

“I wonder what it is you find so hilarious, Mímir.”

Mímir pulled down his scarf, revealing a joyful smile that David didn’t know his general could make.

“Even though everyone knows how much Princess Raeanne loved Duke Louis and so many people must know that it wasn’t the Kingdom that ordered the attack, they’re all still going to go to war over it. Your majesty, if that isn’t hilarious, then I’m afraid I don’t know what is.”

David forced a light chuckle from his lips. “…Yes, they are a foolish bunch, aren’t they?”

“Is something bothering you about this, your majesty?”

“It’s nothing important. I was just thinking that there will be a few capable people who will be able to trace this to us, I imagine,” David said with a resigned smile.

“Even if there are, your majesty, it’ll be almost impossible for them to stop us now.”

***

“Is everyone here?” Herakles asked.

“No, sir. We’re missing a few teams.”

“Which ones?”

“Stuart’s, Karl’s, Penny’s and Oliver’s.”

“Because of the slaughter at the wedding?” The mercenary nodded, making Herakles click his tongue. “So, they did tighten the border security.”

“Should we go ahead without them?”

“Without some of our heaviest hitters? No, we’ll wait. Whoever we’re dealing with is strong and we need all the power we can get to make sure we finish them off for good.”

“It’ll take a few weeks, boss.”

“That’s fine. Once everyone’s here, then we’ll destroy the bastards who dragged our name through the dirt.”