Chapter 160: New Beginnings and Fast Farewells

- Castle Anguis, Royal Audience Room, A Few Weeks Later – Queensguard Miriam's POV –

In a lavish audience chamber off to the side of the throne room a loud voice echoed through the empty palace, the few maids and butlers hurrying past to avoid being pulled in. They all knew how emotional the Queen was since the delegation from the Church had arrived and no one wanted to get involved voluntarily. Unfortunately, not everyone had such a choice available.

[Are they kidding?!? What’s with these “terms”?!? They don’t seriously expect me to just roll over and give them my Empire?!? They never treated mother like this, not even giving my family the respect demanded as a fellow ruling family!] - Queen Laura

[Please, Your Highness, you’ll wake the whole castle. I agree that it is egregious but to- E-Eep!] - Advisor Balund

[Did you have anything to add, Advisor Balund?] - Queen Laura

[N-No Your Highness, carry on.] - Advisor Balund

[In that case I-] - Queen Laura

[Your Highness, I hate to interrupt, but you do have an etiquette class scheduled with your niece, the ladyship Rose, tomorrow in the evening. Might you require rest to recuperate from the shock of these demands?] - Queensguard Miriam

A hard stare, followed by a sigh, as the Queen realized that I was right. I’d noticed over the years how attached to the young Amchier heir the Queen had become, almost like a 2nd child or a daughter. It was something that wasn’t too surprising considering her only child being a male in such a female-centric society. I myself wouldn’t wish such a fate on anyone, not having a cute daughter to dote on sounded like a fate worse than death. N-Not that I had any children of any kind yet!

[You’re-You’re right, I serve no one worrying myself to death. Haaaaah... Damn those Church bastards.] - Queen Laura

Following the Queen as she finally made her way towards her bedchamber, I ignored the look of relief on the advisors face. While he was young it would have still warranted a reprimand if I’d not pretended to not see it. He deserved at least a little grace on my part for helping the Queen in recent months.

- Amchier Noble House, Tea Room – Duchess Lily's POV –

Playing with my sweet baby girl, Tulip, I flinched involuntarily at the angry voices coming from the hallway. Since the birth of Rose, and then the birth of Tulip, I’d left most of my ducal duties to my beloved husband, Robert, to the dismay and grumblings of many of my extended family. Sexist bitches the lot of them. Sure, I felt a twinge of guilt at forcing a male to assume a traditionally female role, but I was enjoying my time with my child too much to give it up and Darling had told me that he was fine with it multiple times. Still, some part of me still thought it was too much for a man to handle, a part that I pushed down with the ruthless efficiency of a mother on her second child.

[Mama...? Is Papa sad?] - Tulip

[No sweet girl, he’s just... he’s just dealing with difficult stuff right now.] - Momma Lily

[Oh... Tulip will cheer Papa up.] - Tulip

Slithering her way to her father, I warmly watched her go, he could use a break anyway after the news he’d gotten. Me too, I realized as I forced my trembling hands to stop.

While I was proud of my newest daughter, Tulip, I’d quickly realized how different she was from her older sister. Without personal experience with children, I’d just assumed that Rose, while smart, with the knowledge of her previous life, was fairly normal otherwise. Watching my baby Tulip now I knew that she was anything but normal. Not that Tulip was behind in any way, in fact I’d been informed by her tutors that she was actually remarkably intelligent for her age and her emotional intelligence was far beyond what it should be at her age. In some ways she was also much farther in her tutoring than Rose had been at the same time, especially her etiquette training which was leaps and bounds ahead of even the current Rose as she’d always seemed to take to socializing like a fish to water.

Realizing that I needed to help the struggling 4 year old with the heavy door I rose from the comfort of the large chair I’d been lounging in, my baby Tulip finally looking back at me for help.

[I’ll help you sweetie, maybe if we work together, we can cheer Papa up. What do you think of that?] - Momma Lily

[Yes, mama!] - Tulip

And more than that I needed to be involved in how we responded to the Church. I couldn’t hide myself away out of fear, not when my husband was willing to step up and do something. Resolve in my heart I endeavored to keep a warm smile on my face, it wouldn’t do to worry those I love. Especially with my two adorable daughters on the line.

- Abelis Academy City, Random Hallway, A Few Days Later - Rose's POV –

The next few weeks after talking with Grampa were somewhat boring, spending most of my time going to and from different lessons while struggling to ignore the pointed looks some of the students were giving me. While the non-noble children had likely only heard rumors of the coming war, most of the noble families had already had long conversations with their children. And it was those children that seemed to look at me as if to judge my worth, something that I’d thought long ago settled.

The most recent antagonist seemed to beg to differ though...

[Tch! Fucking assholes! Just ignore those fools Rose, they’re so caught up in their own bullshit that they can’t see the forest for the trees. God! They make me so angry!] - Karen

[Seems like you’re the one that needs to take a deep breath Kare Kare.] - Rose

[You’re right, of course you are... I just- I just get so angry when you’re the one in danger. You know I lo-] - Karen

[I’m sorry to interrupt you again, but you have a call from the Patriarch once again. He requested your presence urgently.] - Annabelle

[I- Karen hold that thought, I think I know what you were about to say, and I want to hear it later. I’ll be back.] - Rose

I was scared. I knew I was, and I needed something to look forward to. I’d made up my mind about Karen and my relationship a while back but had been too scared to bring it up for fear of changing anything. But for now, I needed something to keep me grounded for the conversation I knew was likely coming.

- Abelis Academy City, Private Viewing Room - Rose's POV –

I was right. In fact, it was far worse than I’d thought it would be originally. It seemed that this time the Church had decided against any amount of subtlety of any kind and had gone straight for a Holy War. Yes, you heard me right, a Holy War.

[The Church hereby declares the so-called Anguis Empire a den of heretics and demands our immediate and unconditional surrender? Did they really just come out and say we were an illegitimate state and would treat us as such? What happened to negotiation? Or demands for my capture?] - Rose

[Oh, they still do that of course, but they also demand the execution of the entire Amchier family along with it and the dissolution of the Alliance in its entirety. This new Pope must be overly zealous compared to the one from my time, these demands don’t even hint of any respect for us as a fellow nation.] - Grampa Richard

[So... they’re serious then?] - Rose

[Yes. I believe they are. Unlike the skirmishes between our two ideologies in the past, this one seems to be much more serious. This will be a war of extermination.] - Grampa Richard

On the one hand, I was grateful. With such ridiculous demands there would be no chance of any sort of pretense of any kind. It was like they had finally decided that either we would be exterminated, or they would.

- Abelis Academy City, Private Viewing Room, A Few Hours Later - Rose's POV –

The grim faces of my friends reflected in my eyes. After talking with Grampa about the upcoming war and getting some updates on personal matters, I’d asked for permission to let my friends know of the Church’s demands and he’d given me the go ahead. Now, I would’ve told them even if he’d refused but I felt like he deserved the choice. Also, I’d been fairly certain that he’d tell me okay, especially after how he’d helped with Karen’s situation before.

[…] - Veronica

[So, it’s really happening then?] - Karen

[It is.] - Rose

[U-Umm, t-this Church is the one that hates people like us, right? Some of those people from a few years ago?] - Urz

[…] - Veronica

[Yeah, they won’t stop until we’re fully exterminated this time.] - Rose

[The Young Miss is correct; it seems that this coming conflict will be much more serious than it has been traditionally. As noble children, many of you will be expected to take part in the coming conflict but those of you that are not can go back to your own countries. No one will think less of you.] - Annabelle

[Well, I got nowhere else to go, so...] - Karen

[I as well. As a sworn knight of the Lady Rose, I’ll be right by her side when the fighting starts!] - Argent

[M-Me too! U-Umm n-not the knight stuff... I m-mean u-umm...] - Urz

Cute. Fortunately, while the adorable Kappa girl had grown in some ways (mostly the size of a certain part of her body) she’d mostly kept her adorably shy and cute actions. Oh, and her height. She’d not grown a single inch since I’d met her, making her the most adorable shortstack you ever did see.

As for Argent and Karen? Well... I never expected anything different from those two.

[It’s fine, we understand. Malaise? Veronica? You two are being unnaturally quiet? Is everything okay?] - Rose

[We... Ma-Mal?] - Veronica

[Haaaaah... You always were a scaredy cat at times like this. The both of us have been called back to our hometowns. We won’t be taking part in the coming war.] - Malaise

[W-We tried to fight it! I-I didn’t want to listen to her, but she told me I had to! Momma refused to listen!] - Veronica

[What she means to say is that Her Highness the Queen wouldn’t allow her heir to fight in a war that did not affect the Succubus Empire. I, as her maid, was also ordered to return until the hostilities were over.] - Malaise

Shock filled me at the revelation. I’d known that Veronica was a member of the Royal family, even suspected that she might be fairly high up, but to hear that she was the heir of the Succubus Empire?!? Even under these circumstances- No, especially under these circumstances, I’d have never thought to consider what this might look like to an outside party. A foreign national, here for schooling, being involved in a conflict that they were not directly involved with? I could see the problem immediately.

But first, I needed to respond. Veronica and Malaise were still my friends and the longer I put off talking, the more I would hurt them in the long run.

[I-I see. U-Umm... Well... I’m glad.] - Rose

[You’re... glad? You’re glad?!? Why are you glad?!? We’re abandoning you in your time of need and you’re saying that you’re glad?!? You should be insulting us! Calling us cowards! Saying that we were never your real friends! You should <sniff> you should...!] - Malaise

[M-Mal...] - Veronica

[No! No... I understand why your family might not want you to be involved in a war that has nothing to do with you. Believe me, I understand. But, more than that, I’m glad that no matter what, the two of you will be safe.] - Rose

[R-Rose! <sniff> I don’t want to go <sniff> Waaaaah!] - Malaise

Breaking down into tears I brought the trembling fox girl into my arms while the rest of the group looked on only to join our hug immediately after, tearful goodbyes throughout.

I wasn’t lying though. I really was glad that the two of them would be somewhere safer. I held no illusions as to how dangerous the coming war was going to be and the comfort from being reassured that at least some of my friends would be out of danger really did bring me relief. I knew, from the hugs from everyone else, that they thought so too.