Hey sorry for the late chapter but been busy with college, the last few days and it didn't help that I was sick the last few days. so first sorry this is a slow chapter and a set up for the next chapter which will be action filled.

And so this chapter hasn't been beta read, sorry about that, because my new beta reader is busy with real life and likely not to be free until summer so around may. sorry about that.

That said, as usual see any mistake or areas I need to improve on let me know via pm or review. Thanks for reading and may you enjoy it. :D

Zero War - The Long War Chapter 10 version 1.1

Zero War – The Long War Chapter 10

As the night pass by slowly, a daemon scowled at the sight it found itself staring at, it was the sight of battled fields of mud and dead man. It know that it should have been happier, as it could still taste the flavor of it host soul and the power it felt rushing through it body but it wasn't.

It knew that someone else had led claim on it host that was why it couldn't afford to be over confidence. If it was another daemon, it could be a problem, but considering everything so far, it didn't think it was another daemon because it didn't feel like one, at all.

It watched the remains of it its host soul regrouping and preparing for another battle. It had broken through and crushed the defenses, managing to break through two teaches lines before breaking off his attack. The reason was simple, it felt the other presents, providing aid to its host, giving him the strength to fight and suppressing the pain from his injuries.

It cold and alien, there was no hunger or lust for power behind it. It was just too…emotionless, it thought, and that could only mean one thing. Whatever it was, it meant that it was a thing and things didn't have soul because they weren't alive.

It would have laughed at that fact but it didn't because it couldn't afford to be careless and over confidence now when it was so close to having a body of its own in the real and access to the most powerful magic in this world. So it couldn't let that happen.

It will find out about this thing was and it will remain it, freeing to its own goals.

00

A few days later, the gang found themselves switching boats to another at the hands of pirates, only to find out once they boarded that the new ship wasn't really controlled by pirates. No, rather it belonged to the Albion loyalists and Prince Wales himself who was in command and of course, wearing a disguise with fake hair and a beard.

And as it was expected the standard protocol for meeting a member of the royal family was followed before finally Louise asked to meet the prince alone while the rest of them were directed to their rooms and told to rest until dinner later on. He thought, bored and staring at the night sky.

He'd been out here since the end of dinner, listing to the world around him and thinking about everything that had happen so far. The colonel was from the Imperium of Man, an empire that was mentioned in his family records. The record in question, talked of storms in the heavens so powerful that ships couldn't leave the system. It also mentions that it was a rare ship to survive the storms and emerge but they were always badly damage and functional to an extent.

It was one of these lucky, ships that survived, which brought news of the Imperium and the rest of the galaxy. Of course, man wasn't the only things that they brought, he thought, looking at the stars above him as they shined brightly in a sea of darkness.

The world was quiet and he liked it like this but only in small portions.

"So what did you think of the wine, captain?" a voice said over his shoulder interrupting his musing.

"Not the best, I've drunk but not the worst either" he answered taking a drink from the sack of wine.

"huh…well sorry about that, you know with the rebellion and everything. It's been hard to find some good wine." the voice said, approaching him.

"Well, it doesn't matter, never really cared for it." He said, his tone without a care.

"Really?" the voice said, finally standing next to him.

"Yes, prince" he said, recognizing the owner of the face staring at him. The prince took up position next to him without another word.

Wales stood silently for a moment and stared at the two moons in the open sky with a sad smile on his lips before finally breaking the silence again.

"You know that the princess and I make a promise as children that we would…" Wales stop, unable to continue however no tears left his eyes.

"huh…so that's the reason for the letter" he said, slightly allowing his own bitterness into his voice, before taking another drink. "Well, it doesn't matter, prince. We all have people we love and care for" pausing for a moment before continuing in a soft tone "And sometimes, fate gets in the way" He said finishing and took another drink from the wine sack.

"You mind sharing that drink" Wales asked, holding his hand out. He gave him the sack and watched as the princes took a good long drink from it.

"You read the letter" he asked taking the wine sack back from the prince and took another drink from it.

"Yes, I wasn't surprise at its content" Wales said, holding his hand for the sack. "We both knew this was going to happen. It was always going to happen" he said, taking hold of the sack and drinking from it before continuing on "She has Tristain future to consider and I too have to consider the future of Albion."

"With the rebellion and the loyalist losing?" he stated, matter of factually.

"If death is what awaits me in the future." Wales said, pausing for a moment to take another drink and in doing so finish the sack of wine.

A rather grin outlook, he thought, trying to hide the vicious smirk from appearing on his face. "Don't worry, Prince Wales, I have another here." He said, reaching down and pulling out another sack from the side of his feet and open it before handing it to Wales to drink.

"You seem ready for drinking tonight?" Wales said, taking hold of the new sack of wine.

"That because, Prince, like you I have my own problems." He said. "We all have our problems, you and the princess, and me and missing home." he said, holding his hand out for the sack, he didn't wait long as the prince gave him the wine sack. He took a drink from it.

"Home?" Wales said.

"Home" he repeated, without explaining. "Louise, her friends, and her familiar all remind me of home."

"Familiar?" Wales said, confused.

"The colonel is Louise familiar" he said, looking at the prince watching as his mind made the connections however he didn't voice it however the prince didn't say anything despite his realize nor did he voice anything about it. The prince only visual reaction was a pair of concerned and knowing eyes.

"She summoned him during the annual familiar ritual at the academy."

"And?" Wales asked, interested.

"He said that he was summoned from the other side of the holy land."

"huh" Wales answered.

"The colonel didn't look like he was enjoying himself" Wales said, holding his hand out for the sack and he wasn't disappointed as it was handed to him.

"He only recently learnt of the duties of a familiar and that the runes enforce the mage will on the familiar." He said, pausing. "It wasn't pretty but it was bound to happen."

"I can image." Wales said, taking another drink. "But like you said before, it was bound to happen. All noble learn of this little fact, inevitable, some of us deny the truth, others don't care, there is the few who do care, and of course, there is even the rarer case of these who don't want any." Taking another drink from the sack "But with a human familiar, it only makes it worse."

He didn't say anything in answer but only held his hand out with the sack for the prince.

"How is she taking it?" Wales asked, taking the wine sack and took a drink from it.

"Good, she'll be fine after all, Prince, she is a Valliere" he declared before taking the sack from the prince hands and took another drink. Wales stared at the stars above them, his mind wondering through past memories of his time together with the princess, before finally he push it out of his mind and look down at the passing dark landscape below.

"So prince, how is your father?" he inquired "I haven't seen him in a long time which was years ago."

"He's doing fine but with the state of the country today his heath has gotten worse." Wales said, gloomy.

"Well that's to be expected" he answered, finishing the last of the wine. "It would be nice to see him again, you know, we got along so well last time."

"You mean when the princess visited during the third year you were knighted" Wales said, looking at the knight hurt that the wine was finished.

"Sorry, prince" he said, throwing the empty sack of wine overboard.

"mmm…I'll see about it, captain." Wales said.

"Thank you, prince" he said, with a nod.

Quietness fell again between them the only sound was that of the ship moving slowly through the night sky as the moons shined down on them and the world below.

"Any plans for the future?" he asked, looking at the prince.

"Fight to the end and hope for the best" Wales said, without a second thought.

He smirks at the prince words. It was a far better reaction compared to the boy father.

"Do me a favor, captain, look after the princess and make sure no one ever harms her" Wales said, with steel in his voice.

He nodded in approval at Wales words. It was an improvement from the boy father.

"I think, it about bed time for me, prince. Louise is waiting for me" he said, leaving.

"Good night then" Wales said, watching the captain depart with a sad smile. He had known for the last few years that it was never possible but he'd been foolish enough to entrain the idea this long and yet he kept it alive until he received a letter from her, telling him that it was over. It was stupid.

Well, it didn't matter anymore he no longer had any regrets. The only thing left was return the favor and write her a final letter, he thought, staring at the pink ruby ring on his finger, the ruby of wind, his family heirloom.

He will always love her, even in death.

00

The world past, the flying boat, slowly through the night and within it held two figures staring at each other. One gazing up into the wooden roof whiles the other tensely sit and waited unsure of what to say to the man in front of her.

It had been like this ever since, her familiar, had woken from his slumber in the evening. A world of silence and without words, the atmosphere filled with the emotions of disgrace and anger but as the days passed until only cold facts were left behind. This time gave both nobles a chance to consider everything carefully for the first time since the summoning at the academy.

"I'm no fool I know that this thing isn't…." Lin said, raising his hand with the rune "…caused by wrap magic. I've been here on this world long enough to know that…" Lin pausing, to suppress his own urge to deny this fact, before continuing "…but it doesn't change anything, you have no right to bond another human as a slave, especially a soldier of the Imperium."

"I'm…" begin Louise but she was cut off.

"Don't, if you didn't care you wouldn't have sat there waiting all these days."

Louise didn't answer but neither did Lin say anything as he was waiting for her to say anything.

"I'm sorry" Louise said, finally "I didn't know…but I promise that no matter what happens. I will find a way to free you." She paused for moment to think "I've always wanted to be respected by my peers as a noble, to be able to do magic."

"It's not magic." Lin declared, firmly. Louise didn't contest his words.

"But I didn't, no I never thought that it would lead to this, me enslaving another human being" Louise said, her hands turning into iron balls. "So I'm sorry" she whispered softly.

"I'll have Wardes undo the language spell on you and I will promise you. I will treat you as an equal, a noble." She declared, with steel in her voice. "I should have never been that self-centered, to think that been able do magic was all that ever mattered."

"I know now that isn't what matters. What matters…"

"…is what you do with your life, the decisions you make." Lin finished for her "I still have a debt to repay and I will repay it."

"I'm sorry" Louise whispered ones more and just like that the two of them returned to complete silences, each of thinking about everything that was said and had happened to them both over the last few days, in addition the knowledge that they can both gained during this time.

While deep within the soul of the colonel, a daemon prepared to find out who else had laid claim to it future host and key to finally been able to interact with the rest of the world.

00

Meanwhile back at the Tristain Royal palace, at the highest point, a single tower stood above all else and there within, it walls a queen, with no king, waited to meet her daughter who was currently making her, hastily, way up the stairs to the top of the tower until she stood outside the entrances to the queen room.

Henrietta knocked on the door and then waited for her mother confirmation before opening the door and entered the room. On entering, she saw, that the room only had one window which offered nothing more than a view of darkness with the faint light of torches coming from the city below and the light from the stars above shining down on everyone.

Inside was a single bed, meant for two, a bed side table on the left, and a single table next to the window, covered with paper and everything else that you would expect to find on one.

"How are you doing, mother?" she asked.

"Fine, as could be expected of a lonely widow, daughter" said Marianne. "So how was your visit to the academy? Did you see your childhood friend again? And did you have a good time with her?" the queen finished, smiling at her daughter.

"Yes I did, it was nice seeing her again" she said, smiling and remembering the visit.

"Good" said Marianne looking at her daughter before turning to make her way to the window. "I've always did like her, Louise, she was such a nice little playmate of yours." The queen finished, sweetly as she stared out into the night sky.

"Yes and while there, I remembered something" she said, looking at her mother back.

"What did you remember?"

"It was an old memory, of a woman with pink hair arguing with father, I remember standing in the corner of the room crying" she said, watching the back of her mother, her muscles harden for a moment before they soften again. "Do you remember that day?" she asked.

"I do" said Marianne "It wasn't an important matter really, that woman was just upset that's all and allowed her emotions to get the better of her that day."

"Really" she said, pausing and making her way closer to her mother. "What about the fact that she, the woman in this memory, look almost like Louise"

"Really, that's interesting" said Marianne turning around to face her daughter for a moment before turning back to the empty sky before her, her tone was sweet and innocent.

"Mother don't lie, Louise has summon her familiar and it was a human" she said, her mother answer was only silence as she stared out into the open sky. "You wouldn't know anything about that little detail, now would you mother" she asked, her tone dead serious. She watched her mother muscles tighten again before she finally answered, as she turned around to face her again.

"If everything had workout" said Marianne, firmly "You would have been in possession of power far greater than any of the other five nations."

"The void" she said.

"Yes" Marianne confirm before continuing "the void, we are the last royal family still in possession of it and with that brats death it would pass to you and with it under your control you would have made this nation great."

"Now?" she repeated, with anger in her voice.

"Yes, now, do you think I keep myself here lock 24/7 blind?" said Marianne, angrily. "I still have people loyal to me outside and they provide me with news of the world that I left behind when your father died."

"I know of your marriage to the Germania king" the queen continued, her voice filled with boiling anger "I do not want you, no" the queen paused. "I never wanted you to be forced into marrying another man for the sake of this country. I wanted only the best for you. If you had the power of the void you wouldn't need to marry that Germania commoner to ensure our nation safety."

She didn't say anything, as she was too shocked.

"All you have to do kill her" Marianne said, glaring at her "Do what your father couldn't do and kill her."

"You killed her" she said, shocked.

"No" Marianne said, no longer any angry in her voice. "I simply saw a chance and took it."

"Took it?" she repeated shocked.

Marianne smiled at her foolish little daughter, remembering the past "Yes, a chance, Henrietta, see that woman in your memory is Louise mother. We, like you and her were childhood friends when we were younger." She paused for a moment to gather herself together before continuing on "She was the previous owner of the void before. She died of natural causes when the two of you were younger."

Marianne paused for a moment to look at her daughter and made her way to beside her bed before continuing with her story. "That memory you remember, that night the two of them were arguing about the future of the kingdom, I had already said my piece on the issue and they were the only ones who hadn't decided."

She turned to look at her daughter, frozen shocked face before turning away to stare at the cold stone floor.

"We saw it all coming, the future" she said, as her hands turned into balls of iron filled with anger. "Commoners aren't as powerless as they were when the five nations were first established, you don't have to look any further then the Germania military and their heavy use of musket troops and cannons to know this is true."

"Times were changing and we had to change with it or else everything we have would be lost" she paused for a breath. "And I'm proud of you, Princess Henrietta De Tristain, my beloved child, for seeing a part of that future adopting to it and making the necessary changes" she paused closing her eyes.

"But this is only the beginning, you can't stop not until you find the right balance between the needs of the nobles and commoners if you don't then this country will burn just like Albion is right now." She said, turning to look at her own daughter. "You know that by right, you shouldn't be the princess or I the queen and that your friend should be the ruler but what you haven't learnt yet is the truth about the void and our family."

"It can't be destroyed, its power can only be passed on to the nearest relative related by blood and as such, you can image the amount of trouble that has caused, over the years when it was once common knowledge that the keys to the throne was only a step away all you had to do was kill your sibling or parents." She said, as her hands turned white "So since then, our family has had a long standing agreement with the true royal family of this nation, we lead from the front while they lead from the shadows, unseen and unheard to ensure the future of this great nation."

"But everything change when that madman took over and killed the rightful king of Gallia all these years ago leaving only his daughter and wife alive." She said her tone filled with anger and rage "And started causing problems."

"What problems, King Gaul of Gallia hasn't caused any problems as far as I'm aware off" her daughter answered.

A sneer crossed her lips before it was replaced with a sad smile "So you're not aware that Gaul was responsible for many of our problems? Huh I'm surprised."

"Albion burning is his responsibly and in addition there is the fact that there're traitors in our ranks who are allied with him" she said, with fury. She closed her eyes for a moment to calm herself down.

"That was one of the other issues that they were talking about that night" she said, standing up and look at her daughter. "We all know that what was best for Tristain was a strong Queen but we all disagreed on the method." She paused, to study her daughters face before continuing. "However when she died, I saw a chance and took it."

"You betrayed your friend?" her daughter said.

"Louise was an experience mage and loyal to her nation. She would have done the same thing" she said, her tone uncaring and dry. "If your father had killed her when she was younger, it would have been all yours but he didn't." She said sighing "I would have ordered her death but I don't have any interest in the outside world anymore, not after your father died."

"You betrayed your friend" she heard her daughter repeated again, her voice filled with shock and disbelieve. When she spoke again, she had regain control of herself, little sign of the shock or surprise. "Mother, this is…I…I…I don't know what to say."

"What? Do you think that Louis wouldn't have done the same?" she said, staring at daughter "Wrong, she would have done the same things, if she was in my position because you can't let your emotions get in the way of ensuring the safety of this nation and its people."

She stopped for a moment, to study at her daughter still innocent face.

"I just wanted the best for you, Henrietta, but everything fell apart and then I lost your father which only made things worse. So leave me be, I do not weep for your father only, I've lost more than your father over the years on the throne. He was the last straw."

She paused, holding back tears "And I've had enough of it."

She closed her eyes, pushing back memories that threaten to engulf her, and the only thing that broke her out of her it was the sound of own daughter footsteps.

She watched as her daughter left her behind, closing the door behind, and leaving her alone with her sorrow and pain.

00

Oliver Cromwell, the leader of the Reconquista, stood back watching his army, which now had the Albion Royal Palace surrounded. Everything was going according to plan. Soon it will all over and the first step of the Reconquista plan would be completed.

All he had to was wait for the right moment, when Wardes finally signal his force that he'd killed the prince and his forces will finally attack, he thought, as his eyes come to rest on the palace. It will soon be his and with it control of Albion.

All of it possible, thanks to the help of the Reconquista.