Interlude: Surveillance

It had finally been the day of the heroes' departure, the day I would be separated from my dear Mirasol, though not for long if everything went as planned. Yet, the mere thought of things going awry was enough for me to start tapping my foot with impatience. After all, I hadn’t gotten a chance to speak with her since the whole wedding fiasco had ended, almost as if there had been other parties involved trying to thwart our encounters. In the end, she had been surrounded by Lady Alice and the other misfit for the whole week, meaning I never got some proper alone time with her.

What was the name of that misfit again? 

Well, he didn’t matter, what mattered was that we were prepared for tomorrow’s operation. From the room I had been staying in inside the castle I watched as two wagons departed from the castle’s grounds. I waved at the wagon I knew Mirasol to be in, a sense of melancholy filling every fiber of my being.

I wanted to add her to my collection as soon as possible. My restlessness must have been obvious for I felt a pair of arms wrap around and over my shoulder from behind. I could feel her soft breath tickling my neck as Isabella, my first wife, whispered into my ear. She was giving me her report on the happenings inside the castle and was informing me that my other two wives were just about ready for our own departure and would arrive shortly.

As if waiting on Isabella’s cue, there was a knock at my door followed by my two other lovely wives, Zaria and Raina, entering with their new equipment. They wore the colors of the Empire, black shoes, trousers, and cloaks while wearing red buttoned up shirts with brown leather chestplates on top.

We had changed to a different color for the cloaks when we upgraded them with the crystals embedded on the back, an increase in firepower called for a much more menacing appearance.

We had also changed the swords they were using, choosing blades that could either manage larger outputs or could focus and condense the magic provided by the crystals to a greater degree.

“Are you all ready then?” All three of my wives bowed with their left arms over their chests.

“Yes, as soon as you give the order my lord,” Isabella said softly.

It was times like this, when my wives were so obedient, that I was glad we had spent as much time and resources as we did researching the effects magic crystals had on the mind. It was because of such research that my wives had grown to love me to the point that they would gladly sacrifice their lives for me.

Yes, what made them such perfect wives was the fact that they served me, and only me, as the ultimate bodyguards. I stood, lifting Isabella’s face by the chin, imagining that it was Marisol in her place. I don’t care for the heroes themselves or what they mean to the world, but that did not mean I wasn’t interested in the power they held. With the power of the gods held inside Mirasol I was sure that she would be my most perfect wife to date. Licking my lips at the thought of my desire coming to fruition, I began walking towards the door when a messenger appeared.

“Sir Kenneth, Duke Uriel asks you to attend an audience with him.” Just as I had been ready to begin the hunt, this oaf of a Duke was already hindering my plans. Father had asked me to behave myself with him, but the Duke didn’t make it easy for me. I casted a quick glance at my wives before nodding to the messenger and made my way towards the audience hall.

I suppose we’ll see if their crystals are truly worth it. Won’t we, father?

The Duke was in a panic, he was pacing back and forth throughout the hall as we stepped inside. The Duke, having finally noticed us once the doors for the hall closed shut, marched down the steps leading to his throne in order to greet me.

“Finally you are here. I have been waiting for you.”

“I can see that. We were about to head out. So, could you kindly make this quick, your grace?”

“It is precisely because you were about to leave that I called for you,” the Duke said as he took off his crown and ran his hand through his hair madly. “My Katherine has gone missing.”

I could feel that I was giving the Duke a blank expression, but I couldn’t help it and didn’t really care how he perceived my disinterest. Who cared if his child went missing? It was his problem not mine after all. But I still offered a “comforting” smile as I shared my thoughts..

“Such a shame, but I’m afraid that doesn’t have much to do with our business.”

“It is your business, she is to become your fifth wife.”

I suppose I did agree to something along those lines. Honestly, the Duke’s display had been so pathetic that I had nearly forgotten the conditions for the supply of crystals that I was to acquire for the Empire.

“Yes, I do believe those were the terms, but, if you recall, we also agreed that my acquisition of Marisol came first. The more pressing matter would be her capture, I also can’t afford to send any of my people to search for your daughter right now. Going after Mirasol and the other ‘heroes’ comes first.”

The Duke shook his head. “You won’t have to split your people or look very far. My Katherine left a letter in her room, she claimed in it that she planned on sneaking into the supply wagon.”

“Ah, so this will be killing two birds with one stone.”

“Yes, you are to capture my daughter and bring her back safe and sound.”

“Understood, your grace. Then we shall head off after them.”

I bowed at the stupid Duke before leaving the hall and heading out of the main castle.

“Are we really going to have to change our plans my love?” Isabella asked after I had caught all of my wives up with the audience I had with the Duke. I shook my head.

“No, we will continue as planned. I won’t let some brat get in the way of my plans. Besides, if she happens to get in the way, well… we’ll just have to chalk it up to a horrible accident and send our condolences to the Duke as we spread word of the terrible tragedy to the world.”

“Understood, my love.” Isabella closed the distance between, trying to plant a kiss on my lips. I shoved her away.

“As my wife, you are to serve only as my property, not my lover.” Isabella tried to stammer a response but I quickly squashed her words, I slapped her across the face with the back of my hand and sent her crashing to the ground. My other wives laughed as Isabella hung her head, rubbing her reddening cheek.

“I’m sorry my lord, I’ll make sure not to make the same mistake twice.”

“Good.” Tools are only useful when they do as they are told. I had no need for her affection, only her power. “Now get up, we just need to pick up my things before we go.” My other two wives helped Isabella get back on her feet as I led the way back to my room.

Once we were back in my room, I went about grabbing the bare necessities such as my pouch of gold, my bow and arrows, and my own crystal powered cloak. Satisfied with the amount I counted for all my things, we left the castle and headed towards the dirt road Mirasol and the others had taken.

We scanned our surroundings once we arrived at the edge of the city, we needed to make sure no one was nearby, ensuring we weren’t being watched. I gave my wives the order to activate their cloaks as I equipped my own. Two of the benefits these crystals provided were massive boosts to one’s speed as well as increased levels of stamina. With the speed boosts activated, not even the fastest breed horses would be able to outrun us; and with the higher stamina, it meant that we would manage to chase after our targets without taking a break.

It was very much past midnight when we found them. I decided it would be best for us to hide in the trees in order to get a grasp of their camp’s layout. I ordered Zaria and Raina to watch on from the lower branches while Isabella and I sat upon the higher ones.

From my vantage point I was able to spot a couple returning to the camp from a tree dense section further past the camp itself.

Hmm?

As the two approached underneath the bright moonlight, I recognized one of them as the misfit that had gotten in my way in terms of adding Mirasol to my collection. Next to the misfit was Alice who had her arm wrapped around the misfit’s. Though I had a much more precious trophy to acquire, seeing what was supposed to be mine smiling like an infatuated academy girl caused my anger to simmer.

“Forget about her dear, I always told you she wasn’t worth your love,” Isabella said, trying to console. No matter how much I tried beating into her that love wasn’t what I desired, she always tried to make it the main focus. Just went to show how strong the effects of my experiments on her mind was.

I ignored Isabella’s comments, choosing instead to focus on the misfit’s actions. After he finished walking Alice to the tent and the two waved their goodbyes, he stopped at one of the wagons, the one furthest from us, and then turned around after only poking his head in for a moment. He then went searching for something or someone, eventually finding what he was looking for as he sat himself next to an older man in robes. I ordered my wives to get some rest as I kept watch over the two. I had considered launching an attack under the cover of night but deemed it too risky.

I wouldn’t forgive myself if any harm befell on Mirasol under my orders.

Thus, the misfit and the man happily chatted away throughout the night.

Once the sun had risen was when I ordered my wives to get ready, entering the outskirts of the forest in order to get closer while staying undetected. I readied my bow, pulling an arrow from my quiver and dipping it into a bottle of poison I kept on me. Its original use… well that didn’t matter anymore, I was just using an old tool for a new problem. Once the coating on the arrowhead was thick enough, I raised my bow.

I initially aimed it at the misfit, who once again was speaking happily with Alice, but I thought better of it.

I haven’t heard reports of him awakening to his powers. Killing him first won't give us much of an advantage. Yet, perhaps it would be better to take him out before he does become a threat.

I also thought of aiming my arrow towards one of the knights as well as the other heroes, but none of them felt quite right as targets. There was always a chance the knights would sense the killing intent from my arrow, the battle instincts of the Saltus Kingdom’s knights were botheringly strong. The heroes were another hard pass, I doubt that an arrow could kill them even if I landed one in their heart or head. Though legends were just legends, there were stories of past heroes rising from battlefields after being left for dead. I didn’t have much faith in the stories when it came to accuracy but still, it was better to aim for someone who wasn’t tangled in mythology.

Suddenly, another target presented herself to me, a young girl who was fiddling around with a silver necklace and a pink pendant. Well, well, well. Looks like I found your precious daughter, Duke Uriel.

“I shall mourn you with all of my heart after I deliver a swift death to you.” I drew my bow, pulling the stringed arrow far past my head.

With a swish, the arrowhead tore through the air, piercing the wind as it flew. It stayed true to its intended path but the target did not. The robed man from earlier somehow managed to track my arrow as it entered the vicinity of the camp. He threw himself at the girl at an impossible speed as he dropped a bucket of water, grabbing the girl and turning her with him as the arrow embedded itself into the man’s back. He turned to the others and whispered something as his face paled.

Though it seemed the arrow struck him, I couldn’t tell if I hit a vital organ as he fell. No matter, if the wound doesn’t do him in the poison will. 

My arrow had served as the signal for Isabella, Zaria, and Raina. They summoned massive balls of fire, much bigger than any they had conjured before, and destroyed one of the wagons.

It seems the crystals were worth dealing with that incompetent Duke after all.

By the end of our ambush, my girls had defeated two of the knights but the heroes' group had managed to knock out Raina with her own attack. A blessing in disguise for it allowed Isabella to pull herself out of her own tricky situation. Isabella shouted for a retreat.

Well, I did hope for more, but two Holy Knights and one mage priest? I’d say that went very well, all that’s left was- Huh?

I watched in horror as Zaria summoned three more fireballs. Now, the size of the fireballs wasn’t an issue, neither was the fact that she was using it to cover their retreat. The issue is that one of the fireballs was aimed at the misfit, I wouldn’t have minded him out of the picture but Mirasol was with him.

Get away from him! 

I could only watch as my dear Mirasol was about to be consumed by the flames. Then, the flames were stopped in their tracks.

Divine intervention. I truly believed for a moment that divine intervention had stopped the fireball. It was only when it was tossed far into the sky that I saw what happened. Mirasol had been the one to repel the attack.

She… she did it. Marisol had tapped into the powers passed down to her by the so-called “gods.” A thousand thoughts stormed into my mind but they all boiled down to one thing, one purpose, one promise.

“I will make you mine.”