Manon's Ascension

Breaking From Within

All the while, the traditionalists continued to make a loud nuisance of themselves out in front of the palace gates every day.

At least things had calmed down enough for them to start offering water and bread again. Though they very clearly were not appreciative of the offering, they were no longer overwhelming the stand or the soldiers sent to man it.

Moreover, there was a growing counter movement from the loyalists that were tired of hearing them yelling foul things day in and day out.

Jacques and Manon had released a statement assuring the people that Manon had nothing to do with the academy fire, that they were already investigating the culprit and had strong leads, and that the students and staff were to study and work at the palace until a new building could be created – the plans for which were already being drawn up.

However, their words meant nothing.

Those that had already decided her guilt pointed out that a guilty person would say exactly that and, if anything, the lack of arrests just proved that she had done it. After all, if they had leads, why hadn't they already followed them?

Those that were convinced of her innocence made the same argument that she had – which was that she was not dumb enough to burn down the academy in such an obvious way if she intended to blame others for it. Also, the fact that she had built the academy herself and was now providing a free space for the girls to continue learning should be proof enough.

It was apparently not.

It was further damning because now she was clearly covering her tracks.

Those that hated her were determined to see the worst of her, no matter what, and would contort their mind in any direction to make her the villain.

"Ignore them, your majesty," Arnaud told her when a particularly loud chant – calling for the true queen – echoed up past the gates and into the sitting room where the two of them were approving the hastily prepared menu for Queen Eleonore's last night.

"Rather difficult when they go on for all hours of the day and night," she sighed before giving him a tired smile. "But you're right. I really should be thanking you, Arnaud, for your continued loyalty despite everything."

"I would do anything for my king," he assured her, bowing his head. "Now then, the menu? Are sure you want to remove all fish options?"

"Our waters haven't had enough time to replenish their stock. I'm not going to serve fish for some time. You might as well let the chef know so he can stop offering."

Arnaud bowed his head as she approved of everything else, making only a few minor adjustments here and there for Eleonore's preferences.

That day was also the one she finally got a reply from her brother regarding Petrus Landebert and her plans for its future.

Out of respect for Laudine, the paladin that had haunted the abandoned city for the better part of a decade, he had asked her first if she would be all right with restoring it. The former king's death place was also her mental prison.

Laudine had given her approval to restore the city. She had been offered the chance to do it herself so she could know that the place was being respected, but she declined. Laudine was retired as a paladin and wanted nothing more than to live with her husband, the Sacellum Master of Vasconia, and to tend to the hearts of the people there.

Petrus Landebert was her prison, but no longer. They were free to restore or destroy the city however they saw fit and it wouldn't bother her.

Erec informed Manon that he had already put together a team to track down refugees that had fled the city in case they wanted to return as well as search for volunteers who wanted to move there. He told her that Sybille was having to work hard to refute the phantom rumors and assure everyone that the city was not, in fact, haunted, but that otherwise it was going well on his end. He was sending a group ahead to clean up the palace and the streets to prepare for their arrival and he was asking her to send her own people for the same purpose.