Dawn of Vengeance — Chapter 40

EXCUSE ME, YOUR MAJESTY.

WALTER?

WHIS, COVER ME.

BACK AWAY.

IF YOU LAY A HAND ON HER MAJESTY, I WILL CUT YOU DOWN.

EVEN KNOWING WHO I AM,

YOU DARE TO BEHAVE THIS WAY?

YES, I KNOW WHO YOU ARE,

CROWN PRINCE ALEJANDRO VIANTE DE MON TERRA.

PLEASE FORGIVE THIS DISCOURTESY TOWARD SUCH AN HONORED GUEST.

HER MAJESTY HAS LONG BEEN UNDER THREAT,

SO REGARDLESS OF STATUS,

WE STOP ANYONE WHO APPROACHES RECKLESSLY.

WHAT SHOULD I DO?

I REALLY WANT TO SLIT HIS THROAT RIGHT HERE,

BUT I CAN'T.

WHAT A SHAME.

COMMANDER, STAND DOWN.

AS THIS IS MY FIRST OFFICIAL EVENT AS SOVEREIGN,

I ASK FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING REGARDING SECURITY MATTERS.

AND...

PRINCE ALEJANDRO,

THE COMMANDER MAY HAVE GONE TOO FAR,

BUT YOU MUST ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU ACTED IMPROPERLY.

MY EMOTIONS GOT THE BETTER OF ME, AND I OVERSTEPPED.

PLEASE FORGIVE ME.

YOU ARE FORGIVEN. I ALSO APOLOGIZE ON THE COMMANDER'S BEHALF.

THEN--

TAKE YOUR GIFTS AND LEAVE.

YOUR MAJESTY, EMBARRASSING AS IT MAY BE, I WASN'T JOKING EARLIER.

IF YOU WEREN'T JOKING, THEN WE HAVE A PROBLEM.

HOW COULD THE EMPIRE'S CROWN PRINCE PROPOSE TO THE RULER OF ANOTHER NATION?

ARE YOU SAYING YOU'D ABANDON YOUR CLAIM TO THE IMPERIAL THRONE AND BECOME MY CONSORT INSTEAD?

I SUPPOSE THAT IS ONE POSSIBILITY...

THOUGH I'VE NEVER CONSIDERED IT BEFORE.

I'M NOT IN THE MOOD FOR JOKES, PRINCE ALEJANDRO.

I HAVE NO INTENTION WHATSOEVER OF OFFERING PHARNAS AS A MARRIAGE DOWRY.

YOU'D DO WELL TO LEAVE QUIETLY WHILE I'M STILL BEING COURTEOUS.

THEN PERHAPS...

...WE SHOULD SPEAK NOT OF ROMANCE, BUT POLITICS INSTEAD.

WOULD YOU PERMIT US TO MOVE SOMEWHERE MORE PRIVATE, YOUR MAJESTY?

VERY WELL. LET'S STEP OUTSIDE.

IF YOU WAIT JUST A MOMENT, WE'LL HAVE THE LAMPS LIT.

THAT WON'T BE NECESSARY. LEAVE US.

YES, YOUR MAJESTY.

I'D RATHER...

...NOT SEE HIS FACE AT ALL.

THIS IS ENOUGH.

I WISH HE'D JUST SAY WHAT HE CAME TO SAY AND LEAVE ALREADY.

WELL, WHAT WAS SO IMPORTANT THAT YOU NEEDED TO CHANGE LOCATIONS?

PLEASE, HAVE A SEAT FIRST.

SO, WHAT IS IT YOU WANT TO SAY?

YOUR MAJESTY, THE TEA HASN'T EVEN ARRIVED YET.

YOU HAVEN'T SAT DOWN EITHER.

WE DIDN'T COME HERE TO DRINK TEA, DID WE?

IF YOU WANTED IDLE CONVERSATION, YOU SHOULD'VE CHOSEN ANOTHER SETTING.

JUST SAY WHAT YOU CAME TO SAY ALREADY.

THEN I SUPPOSE IT'S BEST TO BEGIN WITH THE WAR.

THE WAR BETWEEN DAUPHINE AND ANTEVASILLA HAS NOW BEEN DUBBED THE "30-DAY WAR,"

AND THE VICTOR WAS DAUPHINE.

30-DAY WAR

YOU WERE BACKING DAUPHINE FROM THE SHADOWS, WEREN'T YOU?

WE TRIED TO CONCEAL THAT AS BEST WE COULD, SO HOW DID YOU KNOW?

I NEVER EXPECTED PHARNAS TO COME TO THAT REALIZATION BEFORE ANTEVASILLA DID.

ANYWAY, THAT DOESN'T MATTER.

TO THINK THE PROUD ARCHDUKE OF DAUPHINE WOULD JOIN HANDS WITH THE EMPIRE...

HIS DESIRE FOR ANTEVASILLA MUST HAVE BEEN THAT STRONG.

IT WAS A FOOLISH DECISION.

WHAT WOULD HE HAVE DONE IF THE EMPIRE STABBED HIM IN THE BACK?

IF IT WERE ME, I'D NEVER TAKE YOUR HAND.

WELL, VICTORY IS WHEN WAR BECOMES TRULY FRIGHTENING.

THAT'S WHEN PEOPLE LOSE THEIR OBJECTIVITY AND BECOME INTOXICATED BY TRIUMPH.

IN YOUR OPINION, WHERE DO YOU THINK DAUPHINE'S NEXT TARGET WILL BE?

DO YOU INTEND TO INCITE THE ARCHDUKE TO INVADE PHARNAS?

WHO KNOWS?

HAVEN'T THE THREE KINGDOMS ALWAYS KEPT ONE ANOTHER IN CHECK?

IT'S ONLY SPECULATION, SO PLEASE DON'T MISUNDERSTAND.

THE EMPIRE...

...WILL NO LONGER ALLY ITSELF WITH DAUPHINE AFTER THE 30-DAY WAR.

SO YOU'RE SAYING THE EMPIRE INTENDS TO CUT TIES WITH THEM NOW?

I SEE.

NOW I UNDERSTAND HOW HE INTENDS TO SWALLOW THE THREE KINGDOMS.

SO THIS TIME, YOU WANT TO JOIN HANDS WITH ME...

...AND STRIKE DAUPHINE?

ONCE THE THREE KINGDOMS ARE UNIFIED, HE INTENDS TO DEVOUR THEM WHOLE THROUGH MARRIAGE...

WHEN YOU SUMMARIZE IT LIKE THAT, IT SOUNDS RATHER AGGRESSIVE...

BUT YOUR CONCLUSION IS ESSENTIALLY CORRECT.

WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME LIKE I'M SOME COMPLETE IDIOT?

I'M GLAD MY INTENTIONS WERE APPARENT IN MY GAZE ALONE.

ISN'T IT BETTER WHEN THINGS ARE SIMPLE?

I HAVE NO DESIRE TO TURN THE CONTINENT INTO A SEA OF BLOOD,

AND I'M SURE YOUR MAJESTY WOULD AGREE...

RATHER THAN LOSING YOUR NATION AND BEING CHASED OUT AS A FALLEN QUEEN,

WOULDN'T IT BE BETTER TO BECOME THE EMPIRE'S EMPRESS?