Suikoden VII

Chapter Six: Part Eight

Note: This chapter might be one of the most difficult chapters I've ever written. Trigger warning for dark content.

After I finish Dawa, Musashi, Ferdinand, and Kerime's Investigations I will be doing Brendan and Yasmine. If you have any requests, feel free to leave a comment.

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Chapter Six: Part Eight

The news of Brendan's defection, along with the defection of 700 soldiers, spread like wildfire across Zelant. It even reached the mainland of the Western Continent. It left many baffled at how Prince Brendan Reiser—the person most everyone had believed would eventually be the next monarch of the Kingdom of Zelant—had bent the knee to his teenaged sister and was backing her claim to the throne.

Kion didn't understand. He felt that he would never understand, and he could not stop the rage inside him.

He stood panting in the center of his cabin suite on the ship. The room was in disarray; papers strewn on the floor, a table turned upside down, and one of the chairs broken into pieces. "Damn," he snarled through clenched teeth. He clenched his hands into fists and threw his head back. "DAAAAAAAAAAAMN!" he shouted towards the ceiling.

What in the actual HELL was going on in the world?! Not only did Brendan not defeat her but he joined her?! Granted I'm shocked that he continued to stand with Father this whole time but HER?! He forsook his rightful claim FOR HER?!

Kion wasn't an idiot, nor was he blind. He had known that Brendan challenged King Franz to Royal Combat four years prior because he was about to be a father. His challenge had felt WAY too abrupt and rushed to have been properly planned. And because Brendan hadn't properly planned, he had lost in Royal Combat.

And because he hadn't properly planned, his child...

Kion quickly shook his head. He had admired his older brother. Kion himself never had designs for the throne but Brendan had always felt like the best fit for the role. Kion would have been glad to serve under Brendan's rule. The incident with Brendan's Royal Combat had been just a minor thing Kion respected him less for, but he had still wanted Brendan to be the next King,

Now he won't. You've taught me a lot, Brother. You especially continue to teach me to NEVER make the mistakes you have made.

There was a gentle knock on the door. "Your Highness?" Gwenette called out. "I'm coming in."

Kion had not exactly been quiet when he took his anger out on his room. Gwenette would have been the only one brave enough to approach him in the aftermath. The Prince stood still in the destroyed room as his assist entered. Gwenette quickly looked around the room and began cleaning up. She flipped the table back over and knelt down to gather the loose papers. Kion watched her for a moment, setting each page in its own individual pile on the table's surface (no doubt organizing them). After a moment he reached out and grabbed her arm. "Stop cleaning," he told her. "That's not your job."

Gwenette winced at his tone, and Kion felt his stomach drop at her reaction. She set the unsorted pages on the table. "I'm so—"

"I told you not to apologize to me," Kion said. "And don't duck your head in my presence, Gwenette. You're my assist, look at me when you talk to me."

Gwenette slowly rose to her feet and met his gaze. Her eyes were sad, and he forced his anger under control. "I need to apologize," he said. "I'm in a bad mood and taking it out on you."

Gwenette shook her head. "The news we received...it was so shocking, Prince Kion. None of us thought that Prince Brendan..." her voice trailed off.

Kion shook his head. "Philomena and me," he said. "Those are the only heirs left of my father. You know what that means, don't you Gwenette? Philomena has never had a head for leadership. Father loves her too much to force too much upon her. And we both know that she's never relish fighting our siblings. So that means...It has fallen entirely upon me to defend the Kingdom. When Father wins, I'm going to lose...all of them. Brendan, Sigrun, Vahan, and Denzel."