“Urgent Report 223 Signed by Colonel Joseph Falken - Acting Commander of Berhang-Rothmul Fortress:

Traxian 3rd Legion Redeployed from South Adornar to Western Border near Tynsford - End.

Traxian 81st Corps of Engineers Breached Tynsford Territorial Integrity for ‘Civil Maintenance’ and Suspected Creation of Waterway Crossing - End.

Traxian 9th Legion Reorganized near Western Border near Tynsford - End.

Elements of 1st ‘Eagle’s Fist’ Legion Redeployed to Western Border near Tynsford - End.

Abenstadt Felmarch Border Region Increased Military Fortification - End.

Conclusion: Potential Traxian Invasion - Timeframe Critical - Requesting Immediate Response.”

- Bloodied Note Found on a Carradorian Rider near Carad’s March Highway

Evaline Rosengart snarled as she faced the men in the chairs, their pathetic form matching the ramshackle hut they were currently in. Standing to the side Sir Baylein, a senior knight of House Rosengart watched apathetically behind his helm visor, the silent arbiter of the proceedings.

“Who are you working for and where did the caravan go?” She growled.

The two stayed silent, their bruised faces emotionless as they remained resolute in their silence.

“Fuck.” Eva sighed and nodded at the knight.

In but a moment his blade came down and decapitated the first of the traitors, justice served to those who would defy the ducal will. As his head landed on the floor the other man flinched, and looked up at Eva with hatred.

“You-you can’t just do this! Your father would be ashamed of such abuse of power!” He spat at her.

Eva spit back onto his lap and looked him in the eye. “Father, might be, but he oft finds himself ensnared by drama at the capital and mother is the one left behind. Unfortunately for you Duchess Rosengart finds this flagrant betrayal of her trust unacceptable and dismissed the two of you.” She pulled out a crumpled letter and threw it at the man’s feet. “And even more unfortunate was your incompetence to shred all the evidence. So I ask once more who and where?”

“Damn you and your obsession with a half breed knife, you’re a ducal daughter so act like it and protect your people, not theirs…ack.” The man spluttered as Eva wrapped her hands around his throat.

“Tell me!”

“Damn…you…”

“Who?!”

“You’ll…never…”

“Where?!”

“Stupid knife eared…guh.” The man choked, his eyes growing smaller.

“My lady.”

“Who and where?!” Eva screamed as she throttled the man.

“Lady Rosengart.” Baylein’s gentle voice interrupted her and she released the man.

“Huh?” She reeled backwards, the sweat dripping from her brow as her hands trembled with a mixture of rage and fear.

Without warning Sir Baylein lifted his blade and decapitated the second man, sending his head to join his comrades.

“Baylein?” Eva exclaimed in shock.

“We have what we need.” The knight replied calmly.

“We-huh-what?” Eva failed to hold back her surprise.

“It took me a while but look at his hands, at the signet ring.”

Eva examined it and stared blankly at the strange sigil, knowing it meant something important but not quite what it was. “Umm.”

“Sorry my lady, I forget you’ve avoided them for the most part, it’s a symbol of the Astral Church.”

“The Church?” Eva raised her voice in alarm.

“Indeed, they have a few different branches, but this acts as an indicator for a collaborator.” He pointed to the ring, “Inquisition business.”

Eva gasped and stared on in shock before pulling the knife strapped to her boot out. Her brow scrunched together and she dashed towards the knight before he could react and held it to his throat. “And how do I know you didn’t just silence him to earn my trust. That you aren't also in league with these little shits.”

Perhaps a little too calmly Baylein held up his hands in surrender, “Hold my lady, I assure you I did not.”

“Then talk.”

“I’ve been around long enough to deal with all manners of organizations, including the Inquisition. So has the Duke and most of the nobility.”

“So?”

“It means I should be able to recognize these symbols in keeping your family safe so I know what threat should assail us.”

“And how do I know you aren’t more connected than you’re letting on?”

“You can’t, but because I’m dedicated to House and Hearth that you can rely on. And if that’s not enough then because I never reported you to the church.”

“What?!” Eva pressed the knife closer and used her free hand to lift Baylein’s visor, staring down the older man as the knight looked only slightly more concerned than before.

“You have to admit it’s quite telling when…when did you find your maid again? When you were seven? Eight years old?”

“Get to the point.” Eva’s blade drew a small amount of blade as it pierced the outermost layer of skin.

“I’ve always suspected you were not quite normal when you outran the entire guard detachment, myself and Count Erik included. No reasonable explanation for how a small girl could outpace trained knights and guardsmen.” He wrinkled his face at the memory and Eva pulled back slightly, her expression dropping.

“So you always…knew?”

“Suspected that you had some traces of divinity, more like.”

“Then why…”

“I figured you have your own reasons my lady, and as I said, I serve House and Hearth first before the Church and Star. I mean ultimately I believe in Astralis of course, but the Church is a corrupt bureaucracy like any other.”

“So you just never…said anything?”

“It’s embarrassing to admit an eight year old outran you.” Baylein joked and Eva pulled away, sighing at the revelation.

“So this whole time…”

“My lady, might I suggest we focus on the matter at hand? You can ask me more questions later on.”

“Right, right.” Eva agreed, “So uh, sorry for that.” She looked sheepishly at her knife.

“It’s alright my lady.”

“Right then, so what umm did we learn?” She recoiled slightly at the severed heads, the weight of her actions slowly growing heavier on her shoulders.

“Church related kidnapping is what I suspect, and if my suspicions are correct then they were likely after you instead of your maid.”

Eva looked up in distraught as his words entered her ears, a feeling of regret and sadness coiled around her heart.

“In this respect I would suspect that they transferred her to one of two places.”

“Oh…oh?!”

“In Carrador at least, as far as I can recall, when speaking with the Duke we guessed at two potential Inquisitorial outposts. One is in the capital obviously.” He mentioned casually, much to Eva’s surprise, “The other should be up north in Duke Walden’s domain, at the city of Eichafen I believe. It’s a strategically located town between our neighbors.” Baylein explained at the slightly confused face Eva put on.

“Huh…”

“I confess either could be likely locations given that you were likely the intended target..

“So we should head out at once, gather a few retainers and…”

“I must respectfully disagree my lady.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s just killing these two would send some alerts to their spies, but if we were to deviate from our predicted future too much they would likely know something is up.”

“So you mean they should already know I’m going to Arteria?”

“Indeed, as they were former household guards we should expect them to know much more than we would expect.”

“How?!”

“We patrol and stand around all day, most of them are likely to go unnoticed when serving as guards. So I cannot understate how likely it is they already relayed some information back to their handlers.”

“Tch.”

“It is what it is.”

“And what about this?” Eva held up the letter, “Surely we can do something knowing that they have a contact in Wasburg?” Her eyes pleaded with the knight for something, anything that they could do.

It was rotten luck that everything Baylein said made sense, they had already overplayed their hand by chasing down the two traitors, they would only reveal themselves if they continued hunting down leads. But Eva wasn’t satisfied, they had to do something, she had to do something, the bastards abducted her best friend and ward under her nose and she would make them pay for such a transgression. How was the main question but she vowed to bring Sophie home, the girl was shy to a fault and Eva feared that she would get herself tangled up with more unscrupulous elements of society if she was let loose. She was, after all, quite naïve and almost kept herself squarely to her books. Eva shuddered to even imagine what would happen to her if they realized she wasn’t the outworlder they weren’t looking for.

“You might be right but we have to do something or they might hurt her!” Eva growled once more.

“And we will, but we must be certain not to tip off our hand too early and provoke a response from them. If they truly made a mistake as I suspect they might have, then they would think she was the potential saint instead and so would at least keep her around for a while. So we must be careful.

Eva chewed her nails in frustration. Again, Baylein was correct, but time not spent in pursuit was another second they were likely to find the trail cold.

“So what would you suggest Sir Baylein, aside from pursuing them I do not see another option that could save Sophie before they figure out they have the wrong girl.”

The knight nodded thoughtfully, certainly Eva’s concerns made sense.

“What if we split up?” Eva suggested, mulling over the different options.

“Pardon?”

“I have to prepare for my trip to the Academy next week, I can use that as an excuse to get supplies at the capital.” Eva suggested, "With the right instructions I could investigate on my own as well, and don't try to dissuade me, this doesn't end until Sophie is safe."

“Understandable. So while you do that I could investigate Wasburg and Eichafen after I make my way up there. A reasonable if not exactly creative solution.” Baylein nodded approvingly.

“Do you think it is possible?”

“Hmm, certainly possible. But I don’t know if the Duke or the Duchess would allow me to head so far from the domain up North for no particular reason at all.”

Eva grumbled, it was a rational counterpoint, neither mother or father would likely approve such a wasteful expenditure, unless…

“What if I had something I needed up north?”

“Oh? Like what?” Questioned Baylein, perhaps a little too sarcastically.

Eva grit her teeth, again another roadblock and understandable question. She beckoned for Baylein to follow her out the room, the sight of the corpses more distracting than she anticipated. Shutting the door behind them both of them took a deep breath in of the clear air around them as the stale iron smell of the shack was cleared from their nostrils.

“My lady, what if you needed a memento or something from the North, either for academic reasons or personal coping.” Baylein suggested as he gently nursed the cut on his neck.

“Sorry.”

‘It’s fine.”

“But what did you mean?”

“Say you needed a ring, pendant, or something specific to Volksgrad or the northern counties since you did find your maid from around there.”

“To show my parents that I’m concerned but I already see it as a lost cause?”

“Something of the sort, yes. Like a symbol to serve as a memory.”

“Huh, and what would I get?”

“Hmm I know Volksgrad is quite famed for the iconography of their winged knights. I would expect Eichafen to have at least some evidence of that just from trade in general. Or perhaps an elven statue of Stellesia, normally she's depicted as human but I recall you telling me your maid believed strongly in the Goddess of Travelers, it would be a good excuse. That's something likely restricted to Volksgrad or Eichafen in particular given that they do have elven enclaves. But..."

"But?"

"I fail to see how your parents wouldn’t just send for a commission to be delivered instead of direct pick up.”

“I don’t trust anyone anymore.”

“Pardon milady?”

“I tell my parents I don’t trust anyone to do anything for me anymore. My best friend got taken right under our noses and almost no one suffered any repercussions. Not that I trusted much of anyone anyways.” Eva glowered, clenching her fist as she listened to the rustling of trees and grass.

“And so you need an at least trustable confidant to acquire it.”

“Who better than the man who has to atone for losing me once?”

“If you can convince your parents then I will assist.”

“And why are you helping anyways.” Eva turned a suspicious eye towards the knight, “I don’t recall you ever owing me any favours.”

“Duty and honour milady. Perhaps a sprinkling of sympathy as well.” Baylein replied somberly, a certain morose look overtaking his face.

“How so?”

“The ducal household is my charge and I unwittingly allowed infiltrators to spirit away a person from the ducal daughter’s room, that alone is unacceptable. Honour demands I atone for my failure.” Baylein gripped his sword hilt harder.

“As for sympathy?” Eva asked, curious at what the reply would be.

“Men and elves have been in conflict for a long time, one gets used to death after a while and slaying the other becomes as natural as breathing. It warms the heart to see a chance at reconciliation that is unmarred by the scars of the past, perhaps an old soul just wishes for it to blossom is all.”

“How thoughtful.”

“It’s the truth.”

“I believe you, Sir Baylein.”

“Thank you, milady. And thank you for taking care of the girl, old wounds might never heal between our people and theirs but it’s a start.” Baylein finished, and Eva could see the reflections of his past in his eyes. A gaze that carried the weight of a thousand sins. "I’ll take care of them.” He tilted his head to the shack, “Head back first and I’ll try to have Corporal Torstig accompany you to the capital.”

“Torstig?”

“I trust the man, he’s Knight Sergeant Vermolke’s protégé and the masked knight you often spar with when myself or Vermolke is not around.”

“Ah! So that was his name!”

“He’ll be devastated that you don’t remember him. He talks about dueling the Duke's daughter all the time.” Baylein joked and the two shared a sad chuckle at the thought.

“So I suppose everything is decided.” Eva sighed.

“It appears so my lady.”

“This is your last chance to back out.” Eva said as she turned towards the estate, “I think you understand that I won’t just stop with finding her. If she’s hurt at all they’ll pay in blood.” She clenched her fists and narrowed her gaze at the tree line as if daring the very world itself to stop her.

“Even the church?”

“Even them.”

A moment of silence rested between the two and Eva dared not turn around when she heard Sir Baylein walk forward to join her. It would likely bring hell upon whoever defied the church and likely mire her life in chaos. Her only hope being that Frederick would be willing to help maintain the peace after she found Sophie.

“So?”

“We’ve already gotten this far.” His armour plates clinked together as he gestured again to the shack, “It’s hard to turn back now.”

“But the church?”

“I'll help and that’s that.”

“Fair enough.” Eva said and turned back towards the knight, a determined gaze in her eyes as the man nodded his affirmation, “Then let the world know of the thorns of House Rosengart, and the reckoning that comes from harming my companions.”

“For House Rosengart.” Baylein echoed.

“And let them know I feel my fury.” Eva declared to the world.

“And may thine fury be felt.” Baylein agreed.

Eva turned back away and closed her eyes, taking in the last moments of tranquility before her campaign began. Hold on Sophie, I'll find you.