A Lord's Prelude

“...Why did you do it, Henri?”

Henri remained silent as his knight escorted him not to the castle’s dungeons, but to the city’s church. It was only in Aluvsha’s presence that the powers he gained from his pact with Amelia could be suppressed.

“...I’ve served you ever since we met at Revelo Academy. Do I not deserve to know?” Vera asked, her voice almost desperate. She couldn’t understand why her lord would even think of betraying the baron, much less actually follow through on it. Their position had been stable and secure, and they had become the baron’s trusted confidants. Not only that, but Vera was also a close friend of Miranda, the baron’s knight.

To her, Henri’s betrayal struck at the heart of not only Baron Dietrich and the fief, but her own as well. She had long believed that her liege served the baron loyally and did her utmost in realizing the fief’s prosperity, sometimes even traveling vast distances as a diplomat solely to make up for the fief’s shortage in personnel. Throughout her tenure, she had forced herself to acquire a slew of skills for the benefit of supporting a dream she thought her liege and the baron shared.

Yet in the span of a single day, that vision of hers had been shattered... and Henri wouldn’t even tell her why.

Vera grabbed Henri’s arm, stopping him in his stride and surprising the guards that were escorting them to the church. “I asked you why, Henri.” She glared at her liege, gripping his arm so tightly that it was almost certain there would be bruises.

Henri pursed his lips, meeting Vera’s eyes at last. The two of them had a storied past, so much so that Henri’s heart softened as he recalled the days they’d spent at the duchy’s academy. Though they’d both applied to Avalyne Academy, neither of them had been admitted. While it might not have changed much if he had, perhaps he would have fared better in the capital where talent was generally prized more than status.

Vera had been there to support him even while he was ostracized at the duchy’s academy due to his commoner heritage and later once he was forced to enter high society. Despite other nobles and even knights looking down upon her, she never once left Henri’s side. For Vera, her oath was stronger than the steel of her sword, and she had already resolved to serve Henri knowing full well what consequences that entailed.

Henri sighed as he considered this. Vera was the daughter of Baroness Olette, ruler of Milquit fief, who he doubted could truly understand the reasons for his treachery as she had been born into nobility. Even so, he knew he had to at least give her a chance even if only in acknowledgement of her loyalty.

“Let’s... get to the church first, alright? I’ll tell you all about it, Vera. After all, I think you’ll agree that there are a few too many eyes on us for comfort anyway.”

Vera clicked her tongue in annoyance. Even though she was aware that their brief dispute was drawing the attention of the many passersby who in turn directed curious and concerned gazes at the party. Though frustrated, she released her hold on Henri’s arm before roughly shoving the man forward.

“Then get going. I won’t let you miss a single damn detail.” Vera growled, crossing her arms angrily as if shutting off the world around herself. Even now, she didn’t want to believe that Henri was truly responsible for leaking information to Bastiche, but the dark magic he’d used against Viviane had been proof enough of his allegiance.

The soldiers began marching almost immediately as Henri stumbled forward, pointedly averting their gaze from Vera. Although they were all familiar with the green-haired knight, they also knew that her temperament was rather fiery at times, and none of them wanted to be on the receiving end of it.

The walk to the church didn’t take long, and once Henri was brought inside, Vera quickly dismissed the soldiers. There was a war to be waged on the following day, and the fief could hardly waste their precious few men on guard duty. Vera alone would suffice until it was time to sortie. After all, Henri wasn’t exactly known for his martial prowess as a scholar, meaning he would pose little danger while unarmed and without the magic Amelia had granted him.

“Father Raphael.” Vera greeted the church’s resident priest. “I trust you’ve heard the news?”

Father Raphael nodded, a gentle and serene smile on his face as he beckoned to Henri who winced at the priest’s mere presence. “Come now, child. We have prepared a room where you may seek forgiveness in the light of Aluvsha’s grace. It shall shield you from his harsh judgment but not the warmth that he gifts to all of us.”

“...Ironic, for I seldom knew warmth.” Henri spat. Despite that, he followed the priest and Vera obediently as they led him through a door and toward a small room with a single window that allowed a lone beam of light to fall on the nobleman as he entered. There was a bed and a desk, both additions that made the room far more welcoming than any normal cell. It was clear that this was normally a room that would’ve been given to priests in training, but since Dietrich was a small fief, the church often had spare rooms that they could offer to those in need of shelter.

“Peace, child.” Father Raphael spoke softly. If he had been offended by Henri’s blaspheming, he certainly didn’t let it show on his face as he allowed Vera to usher Henri into the room. “I never thought there would be a day where Aluvsha’s house would be used to hold a criminal, but I suppose He works in mysterious ways. I pray that you will find redemption here, Henri.”

Henri remained silent, responding by averting his gaze from the priest as Vera sat him down on the bed. Henri’s hands clutched the bed sheets tightly, clearly unwilling to speak so long as Father Raphael remained. Realizing this, Vera made a quick gesture which elicited a nod from the priest, his footsteps echoing through the hallway soon after as he made his departure.

Vera closed the door before turning back to Henri, her eyes set and determined. “Now. Your promise?”

Henri nodded, accepting his fate. “Yes. Don’t you worry, Vera. I haven’t forgotten. I just... need to adjust first.”

“Adjust?”

“It feels... strange. Like a part of me is missing. I suppose that’s exactly what’s happening though, seeing as I am within Aluvsha’s domain. The piece that I have given to the witch cannot exist in such a space.”

“...I see. Tell me when you’re ready, then. I want to know everything, not just a half-baked version of your story while you hold in the pain.”

Henri turned away from Vera, the knight reaching a hand toward his face as he did so. The fact that his knight was still being so compassionate despite the betrayal she must be feeling genuinely touched him. For a moment, Henri considered if he could have chosen a different path, but the thought died as soon as it was born. He clenched his fists once more. Ever since that day, there had only been one path for him.

“Is something wrong?” Vera asked, concerned as Henri turned away from her. She wasn’t sure what sort of effects being inside a church was having on her lord since he had forged a pact with a witch, but she hadn’t missed the moments where he’d winced and shied away from Raphael’s touch.

“...I’m fine. Just adjusting my glasses.” Henri replied, keeping his voice even as best he could. It certainly wouldn't do for his voice to crack now, and there was no way he could tell Vera that he had been wiping away the tears that he’d shed. After all, he had lost the right to cry the very moment he committed to betraying his home and his people. He no longer had the privilege of pretending like he cared or regretted his actions.

The only choice Henri could take now was to continue walking down his path to ruin. He knew the consequences of failure, yet he still chose to turn his back on those he once loved. That alone was enough for him to condemn the gentler feelings still within him to an early death. Yet when he stared back into Vera’s worried eyes, he couldn’t help but want to reach out and seek a second chance.

Henri took a deep breath. He had issued himself an ultimatum of his own devising. Should Vera still remain his knight after he finishes laying his past bare, then he would truly consider redemption if it wasn’t too late for that. But if not...

...Then I shall take my own life. Better to go out on my own terms than on the gallows. For the first time in his life ever since that fateful day which had set him down this dark path, Henri felt an unbelievable resolve burgeoning within him. It was a resolve that was born from Vera’s loyalty, and only through that loyalty could he realize he should have placed more faith in his own.

“Henri?” Vera cocked her head to the side, approaching her lord with an expression that was a strange amalgamation of concern and confusion. “Is everything alright?”

“...Yes. More than alright, Vera.” Henri replied with a smile. “I’ll start from the very beginning, from a time before we even met. Will you listen to my foolish story?”

“Of course.”