Suikoden VII

Chapter Seven: Part Five

Note: Sorry for the delay; unfortunately I've been very busy with work and writing is not my full-time job.

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Chapter Seven: Part Five

"Where's her body."

It was phrased as a demand and not a question. King Franz had little patience for the rage and contempt Kion was directing at him; his second-eldest son and final heir stood before him in King Franz's private office, his arms folded over his chest and his face full of anger. Behind him Gwenette stood with her hands clasped and her face pensive. King Franz had never seen a weaker or more pathetic assist in all his life.

But she's survived being Kion's assist for the last four years, so she has that going for her.

But King Franz kept his eyes on his son. "Excuse me?" he responded.

"Her body," Kion enunciated harshly. "Philomena's body. Where is it?"

A momentary flicker of panic nipped at the core of King Franz's being, but he kept the outward appearance of calm. "Why would you ask such a thing?" he said after a pregnant pause.

"You paraded the corpses of those kids before you buried them!" Kion snapped. "I want to see my sister, but yet NO ONE has been able to tell me where she is! Aravine—"

"Has been buried," King Franz interjected.

"Yeah, but I know for a fact that you haven't buried Philomena, because you haven't held her state funeral!" Kion shot back. "You love her more than you love any of us so I know that you will make a huge spectacle out of it! The fact that you haven't means she's not in the ground, so that means I can see her! So where is she?!" he shouted.

King Franz slowly rose from his chair, stretching to his full imposing height. "You will drop the attitude now," he said coldly. "And you will refrain from using that tone—"

"Don't talk to me like I'm a damn child!" Kion hollered. He moved closer until his thighs touched the front of the King's desk. "My sister is dead and I DEMAND to see her! I DEMAND to know what the hell happened!"

"We don't have her, Your Highness."

King Franz flinched at Albert's voice at the door. Kion quickly whipped around to face him as he approached. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Kion demanded.

"It means we do not have Princess Philomena's body," Albert answered calmly. He moved to stand in front of Kion. "Astraea Reiser took the Princess's body—after she killed her."

Gwenette gasped in shock and pressed a hand to her throat. King Franz however watched Kion for his reaction to this revelation. Albeit...a false one.

But I have lost all my children but Kion. I cannot have him turn against me, too.

After a painful moment of silence, Kion barked out a laugh. But it wasn't a humorous laugh. "Are—You are saying that Astraea killed Philomena and Aravine?" he demanded incredulously. "And she stole Philomena's body and only her body? Am I understanding that correctly?!"

"Yes, Prince Kion," Albert said.

Kion glanced at King Franz, his gaze narrowed. "This is the a statement you're going to be issuing regarding Philomena's death?!"

King Franz's brow rose and an uneasy feeling started to simmer inside of him. This was not the reaction he had been expecting from Kion. He knew that Kion didn't love Astraea—that he hated Astraea. Because of this, King Franz thought that Kion would readily accept any explanation that would paint Astraea as a villain.