Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Help
The morning seemed to take forever to arrive. Lucia lay staring up at the ceiling all night. She couldn't sleep. She knew she had to take action, but she didn't know what to do.
She thought about confessing everything to Keitel. He was the only one that had the power to stop Duke Morton. All the same, he probably wouldn't believe her now. Maybe Albaric would help her. However, they were all on their way back to the Empire by now. Lucia was forbidden from leaving her room.
Lucia considered talking to her father. Though, she doubted he would listen to her now. After laying restlessly on her bed for what seemed like an eternity, Lucia came to her feet. She opened her journal and wrote about what she knew.
The Demon Door is Empire. Ramelle knows this.
Duke Morton has a way of opening the door early and controlling the door.
Her marriage had something to do with the door. Duke Morton had made an offer to the Emperor that he wouldn't refuse.
She couldn't do anything about Ramelle knowing about the door now. It also seemed that the marriage was going ahead. That left Lucia with a choice. She needed to find out how Duke Morton was controlling the door. This meant going back to the Empire. If she left now, her father would never forgive her. Nevertheless, if she didn't stop Duke Morton, the world as she knew it might be destroyed.
Several days passed. Her father didn't call for Lucia once. Her stepmother made her satisfaction evident. Lucia heard her voice loudly chiding her in the halls. Lucia resolved to speak with her father. She just needed an opportunity to speak to him alone. She waited until her stepmother left the house and made her way to her father's office. Lucia knocked softly on the door.
"Enter." The Duke called. He peered up from his papers. His brows furrowed.
"What are you doing out of your room?" The Duke demanded.
"I must speak with you father," Lucia answered.
"Return to your room at once! I will call you when the time comes to make the engagement preparations."
"Father, I am not going to get married." Lucia met her father's eyes.
"You brought this situation upon yourself. It had already been agreed. I did not raise a child to bring dishonor on this family!"
Lucia knew that her father saw Lucia as a child. Her action had not helped in the matter.
"Father, I know that you want what is best for me. But this marriage is a mistake."
"It's not just about you anymore, Lucia." The Duke rose to his feet. "If we refuse a request from the King, this family will suffer the ramifications!"
"I know. That is why I cannot go through with it."
The Duke shook his head exasperated.
"Where has my sweet Lucia gone? Daughter, I hardly recognize this person in front of me. I don't know why you have undergone this change in character. Whatever the reason, I ask you to leave me now. I cannot bear to continue with this!" The Duke slammed his hand on his desk sending a flurry of papers across the room.
Lucia approached her father. She lay her hand on his.
"I am still your daughter. I am still your Lucia. I know what I ask of you. I don't ask it lightly," Lucia said softly.
"I never thought the day would come when I would have to send my daughter off like this. Don't you see that it's out of my control? I didn't want this for you. Even if I refuse, they will come and drag you out!"
"Then let them, father! Just give me a chance. That's all I'm asking!"
"Where can you go? Everyone will know your name now. They will have eyes everywhere."
"I will go back to the Empire and speak to the Prince myself! They won't recognize me because I will disguise myself. If the Prince says the words, not even the King of Ramelle can refuse him."
The Duke collapsed back into his chair. He exhaled. He looked into his daughter's intense green eyes. Lucia knelt down beside them.
"I'm not as weak as I seem. I can fight them, father. No matter how big the enemy may seem I can go against them," Lucia pleaded earnestly. "But I cannot fight against you as well."
The Duke's eyes began to waver. He clenched his fit.
"Then go, daughter. I wish you success." The Duke said gravely.
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Lucia prepared to leave that night. She cloaked herself in a dark hood and took some food for the trip. She had everything ready to go. The only issue was getting past her stepmother. As Lucia stepped out into the dark hallway, she heard the clack of heels peeling down the hall.
Roman appeared in the corridor and stepped in front of his Mother.
"Mother, I heard father calling for you," He told her.
"Oh really? Okay, thank you, son." The Duchess pivoted back the way she came and disappeared down the hall. Roman turned to Lucia. He looked at her without speaking and made his way back to his room. Lucia wondered why he had helped her.
She made her way down the stairs and dipped out into the night. A sharp wind hit her face as she proceeded to the stables. She took a horse and rode off towards a nearby town. She knew she could take a carriage from there into the Empire.
She arrived as dawn was flickering over the capital. She knew she couldn't go back to the inn or her school lodgings anymore. Instead, she went to the outpost on the border of the city hoping to stop someone she knew.
Sure enough, Lucia spotted DB's tall, lanky figure keeping guard. She approached from the shadows and called out to him. DB turned to Lucia startled.
"I thought you were sent back to Ramelle?" He said hesitantly.
"I was," Lucia said looking over her shoulder.
"I don't want you to get in trouble, Luca. You shouldn't be seen here." DB added.
"I know but it's important. Have you seen the Prince?" Lucia whispered.
"I heard he just returned to Ramelle. He's probably in the royal palace. Did something happen in Ramelle?"
"I can't explain it all right now. Can you and Michael meet me this evening after your shift? At the usual place?"
"I don't know, Luca. Michael was pretty mad about what happened on the last mission."
"I know, but this is important. I promise I will explain everything if you just meet with me tonight."
"I'll talk to him," DB replied.
Lucia thanked him and disappeared into the crowd.
Later that night, Lucia waited by the fountain of Lome. Light from the full moon painted the water a milky white. In the distance, the sound of the marketplace could still be heard. Lucia sat twiddling her fingers anxiously. Would they come?
Ten minutes passed. Lucia considered leaving. She couldn't stay in one place for too long. Least, she risks being discovered. She stared up at Lome's outstretched spear. She prayed silently.
The sound of footsteps startled Lucia. She turned to see the faces of Michael and DB advancing towards her.
"Thank you for coming." She said soberly.
Michael had his arms crossed in front of him with an impatient look on his face. DB fiddled anxiously beside him.
"What's this about?" Michael demanded.
"You were right before what you said about me," Lucia confessed. "I know I haven't been open about everything..."
"They're saying you were a spy for Ramelle. Is it true?,"Michael interrupted angrily. DB put his hand on Michael's shoulder.
"Just calm down Michael, let Luca say his piece." DB urged.
"I am not a spy. I swear to you."
"Then why did you go there?!" Michael snapped. "I was only trying to help you. Even after everything I'm the one who told the Prince what happened... And then you just up and left, without saying anything!"
Michael and DB both looked to Lucia seriously. There was a lull.
"You're right. I know you were trying to help me. I'm sorry." Lucia conceded.
"I know we haven't been friends long," Lucia continued. " I have no right to ask for your help now..."
"Why don't you start at the beginning and tell us what's really going on?"DB encouraged.
"The reason I came to the Empire was to find that door."
"Then you are a spy." Michael sneered.
"No. I didn't know what I was looking for initially. All I knew was that Ramelle was searching for something in the Rotan Empire. I knew whatever it was, that Ramelle couldn't get their hands on it," Lucia explained.
"Why wouldn't you want Ramelle to get their hands on it?" DB queried.
"I..."Lucia faltered. "The truth is I hate Ramelle. The King is a puppet for his brother. There's no limit to their depravity. I needed a weapon to have against them. I knew the only way I could get that was by infiltrating the Empire."
"What does the door have to do with that?" Michael responded.
"That door is the key to everything. Ramelle wants to use that door to destroy the Empire." Lucia emphasized. Michael and DB looked at each other bewildered.
"Destroy the Empire? Luca, you're not making sense. What would an old ruin like that do?"
"It's not an old ruin. In the old days, they were called the mouths of the beast. They are portals between our world and the demonic dimension. Once opened they unleash a horde of monsters."
"That's just legend and superstition," Michael retorted.
"Think about it! We saw the monsters in Fraxinus Great Wood ourselves." Lucia exclaimed.
"That's just a coincidence," Michael shook his head.
"That's not what Ramelle believes. I don't think it's what the higher-ups in the Empire believe either. That's why they're studying the site. That's why they were trying to keep it hidden!"
"Even if what you're saying is true, the legend says the doors are sealed,"
"But what if there was a way to open them. Suppose, Ramelle knew how to do it. Can you imagine what would happen?"
"How would they know something like that?"
"That, I don't know. But, I'm going to find out! That's why I need your help."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone