Rebecca's Resolve

From her bedroom window, Rebecca could see the renovations Castle Kelsey was undergoing.

The stone was being painted black, the towers and ramparts were being lined with spikes, ballistae, catapults with skeleton soldiers manning the walls, and there were foundations being laid to expand the castle’s size greatly.

“Are you tired, my lady?”

Rebecca didn’t turn to face Eva; she just shook her head.

“Very well. Would you care for some-?”

“How have you been, Eva?”

Eva paused her work. “My lady?”

“Since the castle was taken over. How have you been?”

Eva put on a small smile and continued making the bed. “May I speak freely, my lady?” Rebecca nodded. “It’s hard and I’m terrified that I might do something that could upset our new masters. But they haven’t done anything to me or forced me to do anything more than just my old work. Why-?”

“What about the other servants? Have they been abused or mistreated? What about the ones that were sent to Stonefall?”

“They haven’t abused or harmed the others either, my-?”

“How’s Hilda?”

“She’s well. Lady Mania says that she’s excelling at her training and that it might be possible to be the knight for the Demon Emperor.”

“…Is that a good thing?” Rebecca mumbled.

Eva looked worryingly at her. “Lady Rebecca, what’s wrong?”

Slowly, Rebecca turned to face Eva and showed her a weak, frail smile as tears gathered in her eyes.

“Eva, tell me the truth: am I a good person?”

Eva’s eyes widened and she quickly ran towards Rebecca.

“Of course, my lady.” Eva held her gently. “What in Themis’s name made you-?”

“How can I be a good person when all I’ve done is stand by when horrible people have done horrible things?” Rebecca wept. “How can I be a good person when I knew what my parents did and that I didn’t try everything I could to stop them? How can I be a good person when I know what’s going to happen to Black Port and I’m not able to do anything to stop it?

“How can I be a good person when I can’t do anything to stop people suffering when I know about it?”

As Rebecca’s cries grew, she threw herself into Eva’s chest, her whole body shaking.

Eva didn’t know what to say.

She had never seen Rebecca like this and had no idea how long she must’ve had those feelings pent up inside of her, or how much courage it took to finally get them off her chest.

Eva tried her best to smile and stroked Rebecca’s head.

“Lady Rebecca, do you really think you’re a bad person?”

“Of course I do! If I had stood up to my parents or told someone outside of the castle about what was happening in the castle, then I could’ve saved so many lives. If I had the strength to stand against the Demon Emperor, then I could save tens of thousands of lives. But!” Rebecca looked up at Eva. “I’m scared.”

“Scared?”

“I’m scared that I’ll get everyone here killed. I’m scared that my life will be nothing but this castle and horrible memories. I’m scared that I’ll spend my life as a bystander to terrible things again and again. Eva, has anything changed now that my parents are gone, or am I still chained down by them even now? What do I do?”

Eva shut her eyes and held Rebecca tightly.

“Lady Rebecca, I don’t know what your heart or mind is telling you to do, but I can say this confidently. You are our saviour, no matter what the rest of the world says. There isn’t a single servant in this castle who doesn’t love you and wants you to be happy from the bottom of their hearts.

“Lady Rebecca, no matter what you do and no matter what happens, we will be behind you all the way. That’s just how much you mean to us.”

Rebecca cried even louder than before and hugged Eva as tightly as she could. Eva held her back and stroked Rebecca’s back.

“Thank you, Eva. Thank you.”

***

The next morning, right before the Demon Emperor left, Rebecca approached him.

“Lord Allaric, might I have a moment of your time?”

Her voice was surprisingly confident and clear.

The nearby Machai tightened their grips on their weapons for it was the first time Rebecca had addressed his majesty by name.

“Is it urgent?”

“It is, Lord Allaric.”

He nodded and ordered the Machai to back away a little.

“I overheard your generals yesterday talk about dividing up various responsibilities to accommodate your trip to the Ash Woods and Lord Abaddon’s mission to deal with the giants. As I understand it, you intend to teleport home every night to handle matters as you travel, Lord Allaric.”

“Indeed.”

“Your majesty, might I offer you an alternative solution?”

An alternative? David thought.

“You may.”

Rebecca swallowed hard, looked deep into David’s eyes and asked. “Would you please consider leaving the matters of running the castle to me?”

David, the Machai and even the Raven on the carriage were all startled by Rebecca’s rather bold suggestion.

“…You wish to run the castle on my behalf?”

“I do, Lord Allaric.”

“Lady Rebecca, you are not officially a member of my inner council. You are, with all due respect, our ‘guest’ and I appreciate the help that you have given us so far, but why should I trust you with such important tasks? What guarantee do I have that you will perform your duties to the best of your abilities?”

“Because I want to be of use to you and because I want to show you that you made the right choice by sparing my servants and I.”

“Go on.”

“If you leave me specific instructions or guidelines that you wished me to follow during your absence, then I believe that I could manage the day-to-day business here at the castle, including the renovations and allocating work among the servants. That way, Lord Allaric, you and the other members of your council can focus on their own tasks and you will have less work to do each day.” Rebecca smiled slightly. “I believe that you mentioned how much of a shame it was that you had to head off back to work so soon after returning to the castle.”

“Oh? And where did you hear that from?”

Rebecca’s smile almost faltered, but she forced it to remain on her lips. “One of the butlers overheard and reported back to me last night.”

David narrowed his eyes.

“Lord Allaric, if you deem my work or my attitude towards the work you assign me lacking or undesirable in any way, then you may punish me as you see fit.”

Rebecca lowered her head a little to David and tried her best to remain calm; she could hear the angry growls of the Machai and the Raven tapping its fingers along its knife.

David, however, was thrilled.

This is a brilliant idea! If Rebecca’s able to excel with her tasks, then I don’t have to worry about doing a load of boring, stressful work, and it gives me an opportunity to develop a friendly relationship with Rebecca too.

It might mean that I could relax a little bit more around her once we get to know one another better.

“Very well, I’ll allow it,” David bellowed, surprising all of those around him. “Until I return to the keep, you will be in charge of all matters relating to the running of this castle. However, the Machai, the skeletons and my other servants will only assist you in tasks that will benefit me and not any other matters. You will not be permitted to leave the castle without my authorisation and I will be expecting high quality work from you.

“One of the Machai will escort you later to my office where you will find the work that I was meant to handle upon my return tonight to the castle, so I shall leave that in your hands. I hope you don’t disappoint me, Lady Rebecca.”

“I won’t, Lord Allaric,” Rebecca replied with renewed confidence.

David summoned his armour and turned to climb into the carriage, but stopped when he saw Rebecca still standing there, fidgeting a little, like she still had more to say.

“Is there something else you wanted to discuss, Lady Rebecca?”. She nodded. “Then, speak quickly I cannot afford to waste-”

“When you attack Black Port, do you intend to kill the people of Cliff’s Edge as well?”

“Of course. I cannot afford to have them warn Black Port before the attack begins.”

Rebecca’s fear threatened to overcome her and dragged her next words down her throat, but she took a sharp inhale and steeled her resolve once more.

I’m not running away anymore.

“…Your majesty, might I be given permission to speak freely?” David nodded. “I think that it would be much better for you to let them live and spread word throughout the empire about what they saw.”

David narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

Rebecca gulped. “…I understand that you want to test the might of the Empire with this attack, but as I understood it, Lord Mímir and Lady Mania’s plan was to spread pandemonium throughout the Empire, was it not? Therefore, would it not be more beneficial to your majesty to let the people of Cliff’s Edge live and spread more stories about what they saw, about how terrified they were, and how they couldn’t warn Black Port in time to prevent its destruction?”

David opened his mouth to speak, but Rebecca interrupted him.

“Not only them!”

Rebecca’s shout had been so startling that both David and Rebecca had been taken aback by it, so much so that they didn’t say anything again for a few seconds.

Rebecca brought a fist to her chest and stared up into David’s eyes.

“If you were to minimise the civilian casualties at Black Port, they would also spread such stories throughout the Empire,” she continued. “It would accelerate your plan to sow fear throughout Themis and could cause a refugee crisis as well. And!”

Rebecca’s resolve collapsed a little when she realised that David had been staring directly at her for quite a while. She lowered her gaze a little and bit her lip; then, she whispered, “You would still be able to achieve your original objective of testing the Empire’s might.”

I don’t want to do this either, Rebecca, but I have to.

There’s no reason for the Demon Emperor to spare them.

If more people died, then the undead horde would grow in number.

The bigger the threat, the greater results from our test.

You gave me some good reasons, Rebecca, and you convinced me, but. David ground his teeth together. Would they convince Eris?

If they don’t, then she could use that as justification to kill me.

It’d mean everything I’ve done would be for nothing.

David felt his anger gathering in his heart. I could try and save some of the people of Black Port and Cliff’s Edge. Maybe, but…is it worth the risk?

As David struggled, he looked back down at Rebecca and the courage she had mustered to make such a request of the man she thought a monster.

If someone as frightened and shy as Rebecca can stand up against a monster, then why can’t I?

David took a long, deep breath and closed his eyes.

“…Very well, I shall permit it this time.” Rebecca’s face light up a little. “However, Black Port’s fate has already been decided upon. I won’t order the horde to pursue anyone who manages to escape, but that is it. I trust that you have no problems with this arrangement?”

Rebecca straightened up and her smile vanished. “None, Lord Allaric.”

“Good. Perform your duties well and I will invite your council again. Do not disappoint me, Lady Rebecca.”

Rebecca curtsied. “I will do my utmost for you, Lord Allaric.”

David nodded and climbed into the carriage.

As they were departing, David couldn’t help but smile a little just before they teleported away.

She used my name.