The three soldiers shoved the captives forward, their hands bound tightly behind their backs, forcing them to kneel before Lucia and Mariana. The trio dropped to their knees with heads bowed low. But when they finally looked up, Mariana gasped in shock. She recognized the silver-haired man, the silver-haired elf girl, and the brown-haired man wearing goggles.
Before Mariana could even react, Lucia stepped forward and crouched in front of the man in goggles. She reached out and slid the goggles up, uncovering his eyes.
"Hoo... you're actually quite handsome. What's your name?" Lucia asked playfully.
"He... hey... Lucia," Mariana stammered.
"Ca... Calvin... Your Majesty," Calvin replied.
"You know who I am?" Lucia asked. She was surprised, though she didn't let it show on her face.
"Yes... y-you appeared in my dreams," Calvin answered, his voice trembling.
"Hmm... were these people in your visions, Mariana?" Lucia asked, glancing back at her friend.
"That's exactly what I was about to say. (Turning to the soldiers) Could you please release them?" Mariana requested.
"But Lady Saint..."
Before the soldier could finish his sentence, Lucia turned and gave him a look so piercing he was silenced instantly. He signaled to his comrades, and they pulled the three prisoners to their feet and untied them. The elf girl, staring at the faces of Lucia and Mariana, suddenly turned deathly pale. The silver-haired man turned to her.
"What is it, Gwen?" Theo asked.
Without warning, Gwen—who had just stood up—dropped back down to one knee. Calvin followed her lead immediately. Both bowed their heads deeply before Lucia.
"Our humblest respects, O Queen," Gwen and Calvin said in unison.
Seeing the two of them kneeling, Theo felt he had no choice but to join them. He knew that resisting now would only lead to trouble.
"Rise," Lucia said firmly.
As the three stood up, Mariana focused her attention on Theo. "Pardon me," she said, reaching out to remove the earring Theo was wearing. Instantly, Theo's ears lengthened, leaving both Gwen and Calvin in a state of shock.
"Just as I thought. The three of you were in my visions," Mariana said with a smile.
"Good. That means we're getting stronger. I didn't think the elf race still existed in this world. As I recall, the last time I saw an elf was a thousand years ago," Lucia remarked.
Stunned, Theo slowly raised his hand to touch his own ears. His face was a mask of confusion and fear.
"W-what does this mean? I... I'm an elf just like Gwen?" Theo asked, bewildered.
"Hey... introduce yourselves first. My name is Lucia Reinald, and this is Mariana Yorna," Lucia interrupted, sounding slightly annoyed.
"Forgive us, Your Majesty, he is still in shock. My name is Gwendoline, and this is Theobald Rochele. Please forgive our intrusion, Your Majesty. We saw the lightning this afternoon and wanted to see what was happening here," Gwen said politely.
"Hmm... so you're the same as Valentina Rochele from House Rochele," Lucia muttered.
"W-what? My sister is here?" Theo asked, looking directly at Lucia.
"Hey... mind your manners, Theo," Gwen scolded.
"F-forgive me, Your Majesty. Is my sister Valen really here?" Theo asked again, bowing his head.
"Yes, but she just left with Hugo and my sister Livia. They're heading west to pick up some troops. We're planning to take over the Toreno region as soon as possible," Lucia said.
Theo raised his head. His eyes began to well up with tears, and a look of pure relief washed over his face. He reached out and gripped Gwen's hand tightly. Lucia turned her gaze back to Calvin, who stood frozen, not daring to move. She scanned him from head to toe, then back up again, before looking at Mariana.
"These three were definitely in your vision, right?" Lucia asked one more time, making sure.
"Yes, they were," Mariana confirmed.
"Alright, I'm going to get some rest," Lucia said. She walked over to Calvin and hooked her arm through his. "You're coming with me. Keep me company in my room; we'll talk there," Lucia added with a wide, mischievous grin.
"Wait... w-what do you mean?" Calvin asked, completely lost.
"Lucia?" Mariana asked, equally confused.
But Lucia didn't pay them any mind. She pulled Calvin—who looked terrified and utterly baffled—out of the tent with her, leaving Mariana, Theo, and Gwen staring after them. Theo touched his ears, which were now long, and then turned to Mariana.
"Um... sorry, but could I have my earring back?" Theo asked.
"Oh, of course. Here you go," Mariana replied, handing it over.
"Why are you putting it back on, Theo?" Gwen asked.
"I don't want my sister to see this and realize I'm not actually my father's biological son... even though I love my dad so much," Theo answered, looking down as he fastened the earring.
"So you really are from House Rochele, just like Valen," Mariana said, watching him closely.
"Yes, that's right... um... Lady Saint," Theo said politely.
"Just call me Mariana," she replied with a smile.
"Alright... Lady Mariana," Theo said.
"Where is she taking Calvin, Mariana?" Gwen asked.
"I have no idea. Lucia said her room... as for what for, I'm not sure. Who is that young man, really? I feel like I've seen his face before, and not in a vision," Mariana pondered.
Theo and Gwen traded a look, then turned back to the Saint.
"He... is the illegitimate son of Emperor Barrington," Theo revealed.
Mariana's face transformed instantly from calm to total shock. She immediately pulled Theo and Gwen down to sit with her, demanding they tell her everything. Gwen described her own visions, and then the two of them recounted their entire journey: going to Castletown because of a vision of the rebellion, seeing the heads of Gerald and Meredith displayed on the gates, and getting lost in the Valley of Death only to be saved by Calvin—who turned out to be the Emperor's bastard. They explained seeing the lightning when they emerged from a cave that connected the valley to the other side of the cliffs, and how curiosity led them to Hargar.
Hearing the explanation from Theo, who also mentioned his sister Casey's visions, Mariana fell silent for a moment. Then, she reached out and took both Theo's and Gwen's hands in hers.
"You were both in my dreams. We were fighting together alongside Leon, Lucia, and Livia to unite Libelia and face the enemy from the north. You don't mind that, do you?" Mariana asked with a smile.
"No. That's exactly why we came here, Lady Mariana," Gwen answered.
"I've also come to fully believe in Casey's and Gwen's visions. If it weren't for them, my head might be hanging over the gates of Castletown too. So, I will use all my strength to help my King and Queen," Theo added.
"Alright, thank you Theo, Gwen. Now let me explain our plan," Mariana said.
Mariana wasted no time laying out the full scope of their plan. They were going to seize the Toreno region, located just west of Nortrom—both of which sat within the Seriyan territory in southern Vanadias. This would serve as their primary foothold to eventually conquer the entire continent of Libelia. Mariana then requested that Theo and Gwen join the defense of the city, working alongside Lulu, Lucia, herself, Isabel, and Calvin.
"Wait, Lady Mariana. Calvin can't fight. He's an archaeologist. He didn't even want a part in the rebellion. In my vision, there was a massive uprising inside Castletown, and he was caught and beheaded," Gwen warned.
"Yeah, that's true, Lady Mariana. We shouldn't count on Calvin... but I still don't get why Queen Lucia took him away," Theo added.
"I don't understand it myself," Mariana admitted.
"They're having a little fun."
Mariana, Theo, and Gwen turned to see Lulu walking toward them. She sat down next to Mariana.
"What do you mean by fun, Lulu?" Mariana asked.
Lulu froze for a second, staring at Theo and Gwen because they, too, were in her visions. After introductions and a quick explanation:
"Oh, welcome to the team, Theo and Gwen," Lulu said, giving them a traditional barbarian greeting.
"Thank you... Lady Lulu," Theo replied.
"Hey... just Lulu. I'm no lady," Lulu said firmly.
"Alright then, Lulu," Gwen replied.
"So, what did you mean by they're having fun?" Mariana asked.
"When I was walking here from the harbor, I saw the light on in Lucia's room at the inn. I thought I'd stop by, but when I peeked in... they were... sorry... I'm too embarrassed to talk about it. I ended up just running here," Lulu said, her face turning bright red.
"Huh? I don't get it at all," Mariana replied.
Mariana then turned to see Theo and Gwen, whose jaws had practically hit the floor. It was clear they understood exactly what Lulu meant by having fun.
"Is it possible Queen Lucia knows Calvin is the Emperor's bastard son... so she immediately take him away to have some fun," Theo said, trailing off.
"It seems... that's the case. Better to tie him down now... before he becomes an enemy," Gwen replied.
"What are you two talking about?" Mariana asked, still lost.
"Nothing," Theo and Gwen answered, their faces turning beet red.
"Oh, that makes sense. Our Queen really is something else," Lulu remarked, looking like she'd just had a sudden moment of clarity.
"What? What is it? Someone please explain it to me," Mariana pleaded.
Theo, Gwen, and Lulu looked at Mariana in her nun's habit and realized there was absolutely no way they were going to explain what they knew. Meanwhile, Mariana stared at the three of them expectantly, waiting for someone to finally give her an answer.