A Familiar Void

Chapter 46

Louise stood there among the crowd of students with a stunned expression on her face, all around her she heard the panicked murmurings and conversations at the shocking news that had been revealed to them.

War?

With Albion?

A part of her felt sick, a wheezy feeling going up her throat that started from her…

The empty sensation of where her mid-section should have been would be something that she would never get used to. The way that she felt the need to vomit, but the missing piece that would have made it possible confused her brain.

A gasp escaped her lips as one hand covered her mouth when she realised that she was starting to breath too quickly, while her other arm wrapped itself around her stomach.

She almost threw up on the spot.

That sick sensation seemed to rise higher and higher and higher that it almost felt hard to breath. It almost felt like her heart stopped beating.

…

Despite that, she managed to stay calm. Her breathing slowed down, the feeling of vomiting slowly creeped back down. And when she seemed to feel her heart beating in her chest once more, Louise closed her eyes and swallowed the spit in her mouth.

She took a deep breath, and calmed down.

Her eyes opened, thankful that her moment of panic was just another student in a crowd. The Valliere looked up at the messenger, and she heard the next part of his message.

That the Princess of Tristain, her friend, was going to aid not only the village, Tarbes, that was being attacked. But also the Insects that had resided in that village.

It would be, probably, the first major contact between the kingdom of Tristain and Hallownest that she was aware of.

-ER.

Louise 'heard' Bug in her head once more, the Void Vessel speaking to her. It stared up at her, ever so slightly twitching.

WILL YOU ASSIST HALLOWNEST?

Once more she felt that feeling in her stomach, Bug's words struck her for some reason. She lowered the hand from her mouth and placed wrapped it around her stomach once more, distantly she was worried that people might think she was holding something in due to fear, and let out sigh.

"Not Hallownest, my loyalties to Tristain and the Princess first" She answered her Familiar. She saw how Bug's heard tilted at her words "But if the Princess wants to protect it, then I will protect it as well."

Then she smiled "And if, no when they do I'll make sure to help all I can." One hand patted Bug's head "I still need to give that Pale King a piece of my mind after all."

A frown found its way on her lips slightly at the twitch that went through Bug's body, before it righted its head and continued to look at her.