Chapter 35: Tell me just one thing
It took Alexia awhile to track Claire down. She wasn't at the dorms or anywhere on campus. Eventually, Alexia found the girl at the Knight Order Headquarters where she was meeting with a number of dark knights. The rude trollop deliberately kept her waiting as she finished up. When the spellswords left the two girls were alone in a private office. Alexia immediately brought up her concerns with tact and her usual grace and diplomacy.
"What the fuck are you thinking wanting to bring Poochie to the Lawless City? Are you out of your goddess damned mind?"
Claire eyed her with an amused grin. "You've got quite a mouth on you, princess."
"Oh, shut up! There's no one else here and I don't feel like wasting good manners on someone who sucker punched me in the face."
"Sucker punched?" Claire growled. "As if I'd need to with someone as weak as you."
"What did you say you annoying brocon?" Alexia put a hand on her sword hilt.
"I called you weak, you two-faced prima donna." Claire did the same.
The two girls stood there glaring at each other.
"Did you want something, princess?" Claire snapped. "I'm actually busy right now organizing the expedition."
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Why is there an armed force going to the Lawless City and why is an academy student leading it?"
"There's been a big uptick recently in vampire and ghoul attacks. Not just here in Midgar but in neighboring countries too. I actually took a ghoul down just the other night. So, all the effected nations raised some volunteers and sent them here to form an expedition to take out the blood queen and end the vampire problem once and for all."
"And why would they put a seventeen-year-old academy student in charge of something like that?"
"Well, since everyone is a volunteer, they had trouble finding someone they would all follow." Claire gave her a smug look. "His Majesty personally asked me. Since I am the God of War Tournament Champion, he believes everyone will accept me regardless of my age."
Alexia frowned, being the tournament champion really did open a lot of doors.
"So, you, someone who can't even join a military order yet, plans to lead an unorganized gaggle of knights, adventurers, and mercenaries to the most dangerous place in the world to hunt down the queen of all vampires inside her own tower. Can't see how that could possibly go wrong."
"It's a job that has to be done and I'm sure I'm the one who can do it."
The words echoed her sister's and gave Alexia a very bad feeling.
"Listen, if you're determined to waltz into the dragon's mouth that's fine. But don't drag Poochie into this."
"Stop calling my brother Poochie, Kitten."
Alexia glared at the insufferable strumpet. "If you really love Cid as much as you claim, why would you put him in such a dangerous situation?"
"Well, unlike a certain someone," Claire deliberately paused to glower at her. "I'm not going to put him in any actual peril. He'll be part of the unit guarding our base while I lead the assault on the crimson tower. I just need him to be a member of the expedition. With something like that on his record he'll have no problem at all joining the Knight Order or getting a commission in the field army or any other minor position he wants after he graduates. By doing this I'm guaranteeing him a good future."
"You don't need to worry about that. My sister has already promised to recruit him into the Crimson Order when the time comes. And I'll be there to watch out for him."
"As if you'll still be interested by then."
"What does that mean?!" Alexia demanded.
"What it means," Claire said with exaggerated patience. "Is that by the time my brother graduates you'll have gotten bored with him and moved on. Don't pretend he's anything more to you than a casual fling."
Alexia frowned. Everyone, even Iris and daddy, just assumed that she and Cid were in a short-term relationship. Honestly, if that hadn't been the case, she wouldn't have been allowed to date him in the first place.
"If I told you I genuinely love your brother and want to marry him someday, would you believe me?"
"No."
"Then I hope that you'll at least believe me when I say I do care about him and appreciate everything he's done for me. Even if the day comes where we are no longer boyfriend and girlfriend, he'll remain an important person to me, and I'll do everything I can for him."
"Like make him fight a bunch of slashers?"
"Says the girl who's about to take him into a vampire blood bath."
The two girls once again glared at each other with hands on swords.
"Everyone in this expedition is a volunteer, right?" Alexia asked.
"That's right."
"So, I guess it's open to anyone who can use a sword and wants to go kill some blood suckers?"
Claire narrowed her eyes, guessing where this was going. "I suppose, but we don't-"
"Good! Then I'll be coming too then. After all, you'll need someone to keep an eye on Poochie while you're storming the tower, right?"
Claire's lips twisted. "If you're serious I don't suppose I can really stop you. But I'm the one in charge. Even if you're a princess I'll expect you to obey my orders while we're in the field. Can you deal with that, Kitten?"
Alexia snapped to attention and gave the trollop an over exaggerated salute. "Sir, yes sir!"
Claire sighed. "Fine. We'll be leaving at dawn tomorrow. Be in the courtyard before sunrise and have everything you need for a long journey."
Alexia nodded and turned to go. Claire deliberately waited until she had her hand on the doorknob before speaking.
"Tell me just one thing though."
Alexia stopped and turned an exasperated face back to her. "What?"
"My brother is a very kind and naïve soul. Growing up he never showed even a flicker of interest in girls. I'm sure it was easy for you to make him fall in love with you. All it probably took was one smile. So, just tell me this… why him? You've got more than a dozen marriage candidates and I'm sure every boy at the academy would chew off his own arm for one date with you. So why Cid?"
Alexia looked the other girl dead in the eye. "I lost a bet."
"I knew it!"
Alexia gave her a honey smile, flipped her the bird, and left.