Alma 74 Tea Time and Storms of Change

It was taken as a wake-up call for many, but there were some who still could not take what the prince had said to heart. They were beholden to their dead kin, unable to let go of their burden, their duty despite what they had heard that night.

They understood. But even so, they could not forsake everything that had been lost to the flow of time. These hard-boiled elders knew that the young prince had spoken truth, but it was not the truth they had sworn themselves to. To let go would mean letting go of everything that had defined their generation and that scared them.

In the end, they belonged to the past and had chosen to remain there.

Their truth was written with the blood of their loved ones and for many, that made it irrefutable. It was too late for them to change, but that didn't not make them depressed as one would have imagined.

But their children would not. They would venture forth to the future…

No, they celebrated in their hearts. The older generation of Avunians smiled. Their children had taken the prince's words to heart, just as they had done when their king had spoken to them in their time. It was the beginning of something new and different… the coming of a new era.

It was then and there that the older generation finally understood why their king had chosen to adopt that young boy into his family — no, their family.

To wipe the slate clean. To release the East from the chains of its past and guide it to a better, greener place.

As result, the people of the East would henceforth call its youngest prince, the Stainless Prince.

For he — a child of their enemy, born without the sins of his ancestors — would lead the younger generation to a better tomorrow...

And what was this pure-hearted prince doing at the moment? Well…

"Can you not act like that, please? You're a prince now; you can't just behave so..."

"Like what? Like myself? Is that what we're doing now; forcing me to become something fake?"

Unfortunately, Reed's argument did not really hold any sway because of he looked at the moment. Not that he cared. He was enjoying himself and that was all that mattered to him.

Here was the Stainless Prince, the heart of younger generation, in all his glory...…

In a princess dress, enjoying moonberry pie and tea without a care in the world.

"Can't you see I'm in the middle of something important? Tea time is not something to be trifled with, sweetcheeks," said Reed.

"Yeah! Tea time is special thing! Do you want to join us, big sis Maya?" said Vestel.

Lu'um sighed. She sat down and nonchalantly took Reed's slice of the pie, much to his displeasure.

"There's an entire pie left, so why did you take mine?! What's your deal, lady!" said Reed in frustration. He wondered why she always ate his food even when there was more than enough for her to get her own.

"Because it was your slice, that's why. Also, if you keeping eating like this, you're going to get fat. Don't think I haven't noticed…"

Reed nervously said, "I-It was just a couple of slices, there's no need to get ahead of ourselves. I'll be fine..."

"Why don't you go step on a scale and put your money where your mouth is? Come on, prove me wrong and I'll take back what I said."

"........." He knew that he couldn't take on that wager, so Reed simply played the mute and drank his tea in silence.

"Don't worry though, I'll get you back into shape in due time… but that's not why I came here. I came to tell you that we'll be leaving soon, so you're going have to finish up tea time soon."

Reed tilted his head in confusion and said, "Where? Back to the North? I thought we already hashed things out with Violett and Haydn, though…"

After the Violett and Haydn had explained Reed's new circumstances and the implications it could have on world, they had made him swear to never venture out into the South and the East without their permission. They couldn't afford him entangling himself another empire. That, and his word that he would never interfere or involve himself in anything that might implicate the North.

He was now, whether he liked or not, an important figure that could determine the course of history for tens of millions of people, mortal and chosen alike. If Reed played his cards right, under the wise counsel, he could bring both empires an era of prosperity never before seen.

"Not the North. We— or rather you, have been invited to visit the Holy Church. His Holiness, the Grand Pope — Fernando Alsace, has called for your presence at the Sacred Cathedral…" said Lu'um in an interested and amused tone.

Reed nearly choked on his tea when he heard that terrible piece of news.

The old freaks want me to visit?! But why?! Is this some kind of scheme that those annoying siblings have devised or is it...

"They send their warmest regards and apparently want to congratulate you for your noble deed, the speech you gave during your coronation. It seems that you've caught their eye, so to speak, but given what we know..."

"Mmn….They likely want to meet me for more than just that. Of that, we should have no doubt. They're up to something…"

Lu'um nodded and said, "We can't just reject their invitation, though. It would be… unwise to antagonize them just yet, before the empires have prepared themselves for what they potentially have planned…"

Time was running out. Reed knew this and understood that he might have even accelerated the course of events he wanted to avoid. His actions might have even inspired the Twilight Siblings and the Holy Church to act on the movement he had unintentionally started in the East…

They'd use me as the leading figure for their cause… It makes sense, in theory…

The power behind the new movement in the East and the meaning behind my title as the "Stainless Prince" would greatly assist them in their final goal of uniting the continent as one…

"That makes a lot of sense, given what was happened as of recently… It seems you aren't completely hopeless when it comes to using your head," said Lacrima in a amazed voice. "And here I had pegged you as the meat-headed type who preferred to act before thinking like..."

Reed coldly snorted and said, "Time's running out. If Astrid and Sebastian are to be saved, then we must act with haste henceforth before things get out hand." He put down his tea, stood up and said, "I need to go talk to gramps and tell him everything. We're going to need his help."

He started walking, but stopped when Lu'um said, "Are you sure you want to go out like that? I don't care what you wear, dear, but if anyone else saw you like that..."

"Hm?" Reed looked down and immediately realized what she meant. He'd been so focused on the matter at hand that he had almost walked out looking like…

He bashfully scratched his head and said, "…Thanks for the save. I really don't know what I'd do without you sometimes…"

Lu'um's face bloomed a little bit when she heard that and knowing smiled. She bit into her slice of moonberry pie and said, "I feel the same way…"

About you.

A quick change of clothing later, Reed set out to find gramps and strolled over to his private chamber which was located near the heart of the tree-spire. As far as Reed knew, it was where he usually located most of the time when he wasn't out somewhere for work.

When Reed reached the room, he knocked on the door and said, "Hey, gramps, I gotta talk to you about something important. It's sorta urgent."

A response did not come so he knocked again, to no avail. He shrugged his shoulders in disappointment and started to walk away but stopped when he heard the door creak open behind him.

Reed turned around and said, "Gramps? I can come back a bit later if you're doing something important," but did not a receive a response when he called out.

Nevertheless, the door had been opened so Reed took it as a sign for him to enter. He peeked his head into the room and said, "Gramps?" But no one was inside the room.

It was empty.

He looked around but still couldn't find anyone who could have opened the door, so he assumed that it must have been a coincidence.

"...Guess it was nothing," mumbled Reed and shook his head but when he was about to leave, he heard a faint voice whisper in his ear.

"…I'm right here…" said the voice and Reed jumped in fright.

Reed quickly looked around but could not find the voice, but he knew he had heard it…

He couldn't detect any Anima abnormalities, fluctuations, or lifesigns in the room either.

It was an empty room... that was what he told himself. But the truth was...

"...Can you hear me?..."

Much more strange that he had imagined…

Chapter end