Chapter Seventy-Five – Out Of The Frying-Pan

Nassandra folded her hands together so tightly they began to lose their colour. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been summoned to a meeting with another world leader.

She thanked the stars that Baroness Fanchon and Kuval were familiar with each other, so she allowed him to explain the situation to her. The Baroness was an elder Snakor. Her wrinkly, hard skin gleamed under the light of the fire torches hanging above her throne. A metal tip was stitched onto the end of her long, serpent body. She would push up a small monocle, as they slid down her face quite often. As Kuval detailed their story, Fanchon's only noticeable reaction was her brow rising and falling.

Thanks to her frayed nerves, Nassandra couldn't stay focused on one spot for long, so her eyes wandered around the throne room.

Meticulous carvings of fabled historical figures lined the walls of the oval-shaped room. Since they had entered the borders of Fylian, Nassandra noted the lack of any stairs. Slopes and slanted walkways connected to every room within every building. The only door in the room rested between two forked banners, displaying a celestial figure waving their arms and directing ocean currents like an artist stroking paint over their panorama.

Nassandra felt a pang of guilt course through her veins as she thought of her friends. Though she was happy they had been immediately taken to the healers and medics of the city, she longed for their company. However, even those deemed fit to walk could not come with her or Kuval, not even Fethawi. So, the two of them met with Fanchon alone, surrounded by the National Guard.

Her attention shifted back to the throne as it creaked with the Baroness leaning forward. ''My, my,'' she said in a light tone. ''I had feared the worst when the Kingdom went dark. But, the worst pales in comparison to the reality.''

''That is why we have come to you,'' Kuval continued. ''We don't want to imagine what chaos Kardas has wrought upon Arsalan.''

Fanchon pursed her lips. ''I'm afraid our imagination is all we have. We've heard nothing from Kiros. And the airships that have flown overhead and reported nothing back. I've heard whispers that someone on his council has reached out to other countries. A man by the name of Bricen.''

Kuval's brow arched. ''What has he said?''

''Not much, from what I've heard,'' she said. ''He claims they have been merely following up with a disturbance that happened in the tournament that was held. It's apparently under Kiros's orders. The last I heard from Kiros was when since he sent a message to me to put my National Guard on standby. I was beginning to think he was giving me the cold shoulder when I heard nothing back.''

Nassandra stared at the ground. ''Why would Bricen lie about what is happening?''

Kuval's gaze hardened. ''I fear loyalty to Kardas ran deeper than just to a selected group of Knights.''

Nassandra's stomach ached as she thought back to the moments when Bricen stood so close she could feel him breathing down her neck. The vivid image of him running a knife across her throat came to her mind. A man that her father trusted, a man she'd known her whole life, had plotted to kill them. Her body quaked and cold sweats ran down the back of her neck.

Rising from her throne, Fanchon slowly slid down the slope towards Kuval. ''Kiros has been a good friend to me, and I still owe you a life debt,'' she wiggled her metallic tip for emphasis. ''Our country is recovering from a terrible storm. The National Guard is splintered to deal with the aftermath. That being said, I want to assure you that I will offer you whatever you need.''

Kuval bowed. ''Thank you, Lady Fanchon.''

''I send a call for the other world leaders. As time is limited, we will speak with the first responders. I'm sure that if we rally more allies to your cause, we will prevail.''

Nassandra's heart leapt with joy. She gave a low bow and held back her tears. ''I will forever be in your debt, Lady Fanchon.''

''You're still young, so I'll give you a warning, never say that to another world leader. You'll live to regret it.'' Fanchon grinned.

Kuval placed a comforting hand on the Princess's shoulder. ''Nassandra, I must tell you now, when you speak with the world leaders, I will not be with you.''

''What?'' she gasped.

''Lady Fanchon may permit me to be here, but I will not be granted the same privileges elsewhere.''

''B-but...you're a respected hero throughout...''

''I have respect, not authority.'' He frowned. ''The only person that can convince the other world leaders to mount a strike against Kardas is you. I know that you can do it. We all believe in you.''

Nassandra folded her arms behind her back and nodded. Though the latter action was hesitant, it was enough to convince Fanchon. However, when Kuval's eyes fell to the side, he noticed the Princess's arm trembling.

~X~

Nassandra didn't say a word to Kuval, though she could feel his eyes on her, as they hurried down the empty road, taking the quickest route possible to the medical centre. Each new street they bypassed revealed another level of devastation perpetrated by the storm Fanchon mentioned.

Wrecked buildings became an occurring sight, along with the city's inhabitants toiling amongst the rubble to save whatever they could find. Great ships were docked along the harbour for as far as the eye could see, supplying the city with goods and medical aid. Four National Guards moved swiftly to push the water back into the shore with their magic, salvaging the flooded streets. If not for their protectors, the destruction left behind by the dreadful force of nature would have been far worse. Nassandra's heart wept for the people and the charming country.

Coming to the medical centre, Nassandra and Kuval stopped when they saw the crowd standing outside the building. The Princess tugged on her scarf for comfort and glanced down at her new attire. She'd become so used to the ragged, sullied clothes so wore on her trek through the forest, wearing a modest red and white dress felt like stepping into another layer of skin.

Guards huddled people into small groups, rallying them in an orderly fashion. Dozens of medics tended to the overwhelming demand, but it was best they deal with the minor injuries while the healers laboured worked on the more serious cases inside.

''Your Highness! Master Kuval!'' Levana's cheerful voice lifted their spirits. Nassandra turned to see the shieldswoman, her arm cradled in a cast, rushing towards them alongside Turrock, Fethawi and Bonamy. ''Did you meet the Duchess? What did she say? What's our next plan?''

Turrock glanced at her. ''Five seconds away from the medic and you're ready to charge into battle again?''

''I may not look it, but I'll be combat ready when the time comes. My heart won't stop beating, my blood is pulsing...'' she paused. ''I think my adrenaline is still erratic. I don't know what I'm saying. I jumped in front of a monster not knowing if I would survive. I almost died. Where's the healer? I think I'm going to faint...''

Fethawi looked to Nassandra. ''May I offer my assistance to Lady Levana? She appears to be suffering from stress.''

''You think?'' Levana replied sarcastically.

''Yes, I do.'' Fethawi's eye returned to the Princess. He observed her for a moment. ''Your Highness...''

''I'm fine,'' Nassandra stated quickly. ''Where are Ailith and Emlyn?''

Bonamy pointed towards the medical centre. ''Their injuries are severe. Herbs and medicine weren't enough, so they were rushed inside to the healers. We haven't seen them come out yet. Thwack has been pounding on the door demanding to know if Ailith is alright.''

Kuval stroked his beard and sighed. ''I suspect they won't recover fully until tomorrow. These healers are some of the best I know, and I imagine many others have been called from other countries to help with the aftermath of the storm.''

Levana arched her brow. ''You've been to this medical centre before?''

''A long time ago,'' he said. ''I had hoped to keep it that way.''

Suddenly, Nassandra flinched. ''Wait, have you not been seen to yet?''

''There are many who need assistance before I...''

''No,'' she cut him off mid-sentence. ''You need to be seen. I'm sure you can find a medic who will help you. Please, Kuval.''

Surprised by her reaction, Kuval hesitated. For a second, Nassandra lowered her shoulders, fearful that she had crossed a line and disrespected the man who risked everything to protect her.

The silence was broken by a chuckle from Turrock. ''Are you going to disobey your Princess?''

Kuval smiled with amusement before he bowed his head to Nassandra. ''I will help with the relief effort. I can have a medic inspect me for injuries. Thank you for your concern.''

The flustered Princess nodded. ''I...I should be the one thanking you. All of you.'' She turned to the others.

Just before Kuval marched to the ground, he lingered. ''Would any of you happen to know where Cadere is being kept?''

Their faces darkened. Bonamy stumbled forward and bowed dramatically before Kuval. ''Forgive me, we shouldn't have been careless.''

''What happened?'' Kuval inquired as he and Nassandra listened with bated breath.

''After you went back to help Emlyn, we continued to Fylian as you would have wanted. All of a sudden, entire trees started raining down on us. Thankfully, no one was killed, but...in the chaos, we lost sight of the prisoner.''

Nassandra swallowed a lump in her throat. ''Cadere escaped?''

Turrock shrugged. ''Or, he was crushed under a tree? Or eaten?'' he noticed Levana staring at him sceptically. ''I'm thinking of the positive outcomes.''

The gangster's flippancy wasn't getting through to Nassandra. Her vision blurred and her throat clenched tightly. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Fethawi drifting closer to her. She held out her hand to stop him. He halted without a second thought, watching as she panted. Fighting back the tears, Nassandra bottled up her emotions and kept them locked in the back of her mind, hoping to never see them again.

''Nassandra,'' Kuval said softly. ''We're here for you. We will protect you. I promise.''

She didn't hear him. Their show of support didn't reach her. She was hanging by a thread. Her father's life was on the line. Thousands of people in her kingdom were counting on her. She had to stand before the world leaders to make a difference. She would convince them to help.

Even if it broke her completely. 

A/N: Hello guys, girls and everyone else. I hope that you're continuing to keep well and safe. This is a stressful time right now. Please do remember to take care of yourselves and try to look out for each other too. In the meantime, I will do my best to write the best stories that I can. Just to let you know that the next chapters of Beyond Legend will be a bit late as I'm working more hours at work next week. Things could change depending on the situation with the virus, but we'll see how it goes. I'm really sorry about this. Until then, thank you all for reading and take care.