As usual when it came to making such vital decisions, Ruena called upon Soral and her trusted friends and advisors. Leopold was invited as well, if only for his extensive knowledge of nobility and Velcorna herself. The room was tense as they waited for Ruena to explain the situation. They likely thought something far more serious was going on. Then again, risking your life for a title was fairly serious.

  “Bastion said I am ready for the Weaponsmaster test,” Ruena announced, “Now all we need to do is set it up. The main issue is how, or who to ask.”

  “Lord Bastion didn’t tell you?” Taiga asked.

  “He gave me some options,” Ruena replied, “One is to use my connection with Crystal to ask the Queen. Another option is to ask Velcorna to arrange it herself.”

  “And the downsides?” Rosalie asked.

  “If I ask the Queen Densooth is bound to get involved and Velcorna will do whatever she can to get in his way,” she explained, “On the other hand, if Velcorna is already going to get involved no matter what it might be faster to just have her arrange things from the beginning. The main issue with this plan is that the authenticity of the test might be called into question once we drive Velcorna out.”

  “I might have an idea,” Soral suggested, “What if we go directly to Densooth from the start? If we play this right we can use this to aggravate Velcorna and solve our debts with Densooth at the same time.”

  “What do you mean?” Ruena questioned.

  Soral hesitated, as if not sure quite how to continue. “What Densooth wants is for us to prevent Velcorna from targeting the throne. If you become the Weaponsmaster, Alodan will be yours,” he began, “As for Velcorna, I have a plan but it is something I heard in her thoughts so I can’t tell you.”

  “Just her thoughts?” Ruena checked. Soral wasn’t one to keep his enemy’s secrets, especially not from her.

  “Well, it also involves some big secrets from some other people as well,” Soral admitted, “but it is because of her thoughts that I am so confident this will work. Trust me?”

  Ruena sighed. “I trust you,” she assured. After all, there was no reason not to. Soral was incredibly talented and even if his plans were bizarre they had never completely failed. Most of all, he would never push her in Densooth’s direction if he wasn’t completely certain it would succeed. He was the biggest advocate of keeping distance from the Black Wolf.

  “So we just kneel down before the all powerful advisor and beg?” Rosalie scoffed, clearly against the idea, “Won’t that only make it seem like we are under his feet?”

  Soral grinned. “Who said anything about begging?” he asked, “There is no need to even bother to waste time with the official channels. I will kidnap him and demand he makes things right since he started this whole mess.”

  That sounded like a completely different sort of mess, but Ruena didn’t intend to stop him. “I want in,” she told him, “You handle the kidnapping, and I will handle the demands. That way he will think I have you tamed just like I am supposed to according to his little prophecies.”

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  “Isn’t this a bit extreme?” Taiga asked hesitantly, “If he wanted to, he has enough power to destroy you.”

  “He won’t,” Soral and Ruena answered in unison, with complete confidence.

  “Is it truly necessary for you to take this test?” Leopold asked, finally butting in, “There is no reason for you to risk your life for a title to succeed House Alodan. There are many better methods you could use.”

  “I have always intended to take the test whether it involved the House of Alodan or not,” Ruena replied, “This is just the most convenient way to take care of everything at once.”

  “Convenient,” Leopold repeated with a grimace, “You resemble the late Duke in the strangest of ways.”

  It was hard to say if that was meant as a compliment, but Ruena decided to take it as one. With the plan of action set, they began to hash out the finer details such as when, where, and how. She also needed to prepare carefully for exactly what she would ask of Densooth. He would fulfill her request, but no more and no less. She needed to be ready with the finer points of what she needed before she faced him.

  As an extra, though likely unnecessary, measure of safety they prepared their anti-magic device to ensure Densooth couldn’t try anything once he was captured. The more they discussed the more it started to feel like a real premeditated kidnapping rather than trapping an enemy into fulfilling a favor.

  Before they knew it, it was time. Ruena waited in the chosen room, one secluded in the basement without any windows, and set up the anti-magic device. If it were anyone else, Ruena would have never even considered committing such a crime. Densooth was a special case in many ways. Soral arrived only minutes after he had left dragging Densooth, chair and all, into the room with teleportation.

  “This is an unexpected meeting,” Densooth commented, eerily calm for someone who had clearly been in the middle of doing something else before he was kidnapped through magical means, “I never expected that you would reach out to me first. What is it that you need?”

  “I need you to help me put the finishing touches on fulfilling my prophecy,” Ruena replied, “You claimed that I am destined to be the Weaponsmaster. I am ready to take on my test. However, there are some conditions.”

  “Oh? And what conditions might those be?” Densooth asked. He didn’t seem against the idea, at least.

  “I cannot be an ordinary weaponsmaster. I must be unquestionably proven to be the one and only true Weaponsmaster and heir of Alodan’s will,” Ruena told him, “It cannot look as if anyone helped me win, whether it be you, Velcorna, or even Soral.”

  “A test that everyone agrees is fair will be remarkably dangerous for you,” Densooth warned, “Then again, you have the founder on your side. He won’t have prepared you for an ordinary test.”

  “Exactly. Set it up for me,” Ruena demanded.

  “Normally it is impossible for nobility to order me around, but since our interests align I will assist you this one time,” Densooth promised, “Just know that once your prophecy is fully fulfilled you can expect no more help from me in the future.”

  “That is exactly what I was hoping for,” Ruena replied shortly. Soral had been right. The best way to get Densooth off their backs for good was to fulfill the prophecy and prevent Velcorna Alodan from getting in the way.

  “In that case, order your puppy to take me back so I can make arrangements,” Densooth told her, nodding to the anti-magic device. “I would do so myself, but it seems my hands are tied.”

  “Go ahead,” Ruena urged Soral, “He can’t do anything from here. If he breaks his word we can always kidnap him again.”

  Densooth shook his head in disappointment. “Ruena, you should know by now that I am always a man of my word.”

  “Your betrayal says otherwise,” Ruena scoffed, “I have no reason to trust you. I am only using you because I know our interests align. Goodbye, Black Wolf.”

  Soral made Densooth vanish right on cue to prevent him from having a chance to reply. This time the chair was left behind. Did this mean that they had not only kidnapped the Queen’s advisor, but stolen his chair?