Book 1: The Stagnation of Gold

Sins of the Father

Marika

The queen was rather annoyed when they set back out from the grace to find themselves so far up now. She could see the forward path was lined with barrels and hiding blade footed birds. Traps for anyone who has gotten so far. Down to her right were patrolling guards and a knight, leading to a larger courtyard that she suspected was on their way to their goal.

They had come to hopefully get through to Liurnia, and... put down a second demi-god. She had heard the stories of Godrick's crimes, but she knew they had to be exaggerated. She had not yet seen any of these so-called grafted people. Perhaps it had simply been fear mongering.

She glanced at her knight, sighing as she saw the soft flex to her fingers. This far up was quite enough to make her shockingly height aversed knight rather shakey. The sooner they were back on mostly solid ground, the better.

"Hm.." she grumbled as she examined the terrain.
"Not many options to us, is there?"
"Actually.." the queen muttered. She saw a damaged portion of the rock wall with a few small planks laid down. She walked to it, looking over and seeing that one could make a jump across to the nearby roof. After that, a small hop down would let them avoid the entire possible path of trapped barrels and guards. At least a good chunk of the resistance they'd surely face.

"Over there," knelt forward with a hand on her knee and pointing, "We can jump to that roof easily. With a good running start to clear the jump, and we are quite a bit ahead."

Her knight gulped a little, peering over the gap and looking down a little faster than the queen suspected she meant to. "Ya... jump across that..."

"Well, if I must jump and carry you across."
"'Scuse me?" The knight turned only to audibly yelp as Marika lifted her into her arms like a blushing bride. It was likely that moment that the knight remembered that she was not the only one benefitting from Melina's new aid of compounding runes into strength and that the goddess was no slouch. With a few steps back and a quick run, the queen lept across the gap in a flutter of robes and a discreetly screaming knight before landing with a crunch of her boots onto the tile.

The knight shook for a moment or two before she slowly set her down back onto her feet. "See? Easy."

The knight took two steps forward before falling over with a heavy gasp on her hands and knees. She giggled softly, covering her mouth at the sight. This noble warrior who had taken on her most powerful son alongside a group of real heroes was currently shaking in her boots over a small leap over a high gap. She was beyond strange, and yet the queen felt endeared.

"N-next time... Warn somebody..." standing back up with a sigh, fixing her golden hood softly.

"Duly noted." She smiled and responded.

Both worked off the small roof to the landing beneath with far less difficulty before sneakily slipping through the open cavern as the nearby patrol went the other way.

Inside, they saw they were standing on a small scaffold of wood that oversaw a large open hall that likely was for celebrations. Weapons and standards of Stormveils colors, a grey and blue mix, covered the walls. A beautifully made painting of her first husband, Godfrey, sat on the far wall. She smiled a little at the memory of the man.

"Fond memories?"
"Yes. He was a good husband for what he was."
"What was he?"
"An animal. A savage brutish beast whose home was as much the battlefield as the bottom of a mug."
"And yet you are smiling."

She blushed softly, tucking her scarf over her mouth more. "He was not without his talents.."

"Ohhhhh, that kind of Beast."
"I have n-no idea whatever you might be implying!"
"Oh certainly, my queen. Forgive me for assuming you enjoyed anything at all."
"Ohhhh!" The queen growled, swatting at her knight in a playful manner as the knight laughed and held up her own arms. "Okay, okay, haha! You win already!"