Chapter Text
The king did a number on Balthus without the grappler even realizing it. Claude decided it would be best to call for a maid that could not only take care of his bodyguard but also show him where he'll be staying in this grand place. The King of Grappling expected a hottie to be taking care of him. He wasn't disappointed.
The maid's biggest feature was her huge breasts. Unfortunately, she looked too young for Balthus' taste. She looked to be around Claude's age and Balthus always made a mental note to avoid those younger than him. But objectively speaking, she was very easy on the eyes. The maid's outfit was customized to fit the theme of the palace. In which case, it took some traditions from Fodlan (to his confusion) and dabbed it in a bronze tint. Instead of white ribbons, she had black ribbons. This extended to her long brown hair that was tied with a big black ribbon.
There were a few characteristics that Balthus found odd about the maid. It didn't take a genius to see that the average Almyra had dark skin and brown eyes. The maid's skin was the same color as someone from Fodlan. She also had droopy blue eyes (the droopy part seemed to come with her appearing like a nervous wreck though).
"U-Umm…" the maid squeaks. "I-Inaya was just informed of your arrival and is already arranging your room for you."
"Thanks for the heads up," Claude responds. "Balthus, this is one of our maids, Tina. She's not all that great at her job. In fact, she's terrible. Fortunately, she's a good healer and is able to maintain information told to her."
The maid Tina looked ready to cry at being called out on her incompetence. So far, Balthus hasn't seen anything that would imply that she was bad at her job.
"Tina, that's your cue to patch him up," Claude hums.
"R-Right!"
Tina scurried over to the newly appointed bodyguard. Her hands already started glowing before reaching her target. Within a few minutes, the bruises that Balthus received from the king were non-existent. The grappler stared at Tina in disbelief. She was a very fast and efficient healer. Even if the maid came off as a nervous wreck, she got the job done efficiently.
"Hey, not bad!" Balthus exclaimed. "Thanks pal."
"U-Uh...your...welcome?"
Tina wasn't used to being thanked. It showed in her expression. Claude didn't seem to acknowledge her in comparison and just went straight to asking her another question.
"So Tina, if I go back to my room, Inaya will be there?" Claude asks.
"Y-Yes."
"Okay, then I hope you will do your job and show Balthus to where he'll be staying. He's my bodyguard, so he needs a place to sleep."
"Y-Yes…" Tina looks down dejected.
"Balthus, please don't give Tina a hard time," Claude warns him. "I know how you are."
"Hey! Who do you take me for?! The only woman I'm interested in is Tiana!" Balthus shouted.
Claude rolled his eyes. "You're asking for Baba to come down and beat you up again." The Almyran prince sighs. "I'll be off. Give me a few hours and I'll pick you up in the guestroom. Please don't go anywhere if you know you're going to get lost."
Balthus felt like a kid being scolded on what not to do. He was the oldest person in the room for crying out loud! Claude gave a small wave to him before leaving but pretended that Tina didn't exist. The archer sounded happier to be able to see the head maid. It made Balthus wonder how old the head maid was. Would she be around the same age as Tiana or younger? He wouldn't know unless he asked. Instead, he's stuck with the wallflower in front of him.
"I-I will be leading you to your room…" Tina mumbles. She keeps her head down as she waits for Balthus to follow her.
"You know, I didn't expect a maid to know the Fodlan language," Balthus says casually. "I would think that the royal family would be the only ones."
Tina shook her head. "His majesty made it a requirement for anyone inside the royal palace to speak the language of Fodlan." She explained. "But I'm the same as Prince Khalid, so it comes naturally for me."
"Ah, so you're…"
"...My mother was from Fodlan and my father was from Almyra. I never had the chance to meet my father, and my mother died many years ago. The queen's retainer took me in at my lowest and I am doing everything in my power to make it up to her. But...I'm horrible at everything…" Tina's frown deepened at the thought.
"...You and Claude don't seem to get along."
Tina had nothing to say to Balthus' observation nor was she going to keep talking about herself. Balthus had gotten better at reading people thanks to a certain trickster. He wasn't as good as his friend but it was enough to know that if he pushed, he would be stepping into uncharted territory.
"Let me show you to the guest room," Tina says, deciding to change the subject.
With nothing he could say to keep her talking about her relationship with the youngest prince of Almyra, Tina led him out of the room.
Balthus was still baffled on how large the palace was. Nothing in Fodlan felt this grand. Hell, he could argue that Enbarr's palace couldn't compare to what Almyra had. It worried him how much wealth this country had.
"The palace was always built in a circular manner in order to allow the many concubines a large amount of space," Tina begins to speak. Balthus needed to listen to this knowing that this was important information he needed to keep in mind. "Despite our history of how Almyra was formed, it has become a tradition for the ruler of Almyra to have many lovers to foster many children.
The palace is constantly remade to fit with the current ruler's vision. For his majesty, he has requested from our 'wonderful' God to allow the palace to have five major wings for each wife, their retainers and servants."
"The king has five wives?!" Balthus asked out loud. He was lucky if he could get one woman to be his life partner. The king was able to get five women to be with him including his childhood crush!
"His majesty used to have five wives. Now he has four," Tina corrected.
"Huh?"
"The west wing was given to his first wife. However, she was banished from Almyra."
"Woah, wait! What happened?"
Balthus stopped in his tracks confused why they were heading to that wing. Tina stopped when Balthus stopped following her.
"...Am I allowed to know?" Balthus asked.
"It is common knowledge in Almyra. His majesty made sure to make an example out of her."
Balthus didn't know what that implied. To his surprise, Tina continued talking.
"His majesty's first wife had a son who was set to be the future ruler. As the harem grew, more competitors for the throne soon appeared. After the death of the previous king, his majesty decided that his fifth wife would be the queen and that the son he had with her would be the future ruler."
"That means Tiana was…"
"Her majesty contributed to many decisions that lead to the downfall of the previous king," Tina said. She smiled at the thought. "He had what was coming to him."
Ouch. I don't think she liked that old man much. Balthus thinks to himself. "But what about the other wives before him?"
"The previous king was the father to his majesty. Once he was taken out, his majesty was able to null the power they had in the palace. However, for the royal family to divorce members of a harem is one of the biggest insults to an Almyran's pride, so his majesty was forced to keep his wives around while reminding everyone that he only loves her majesty.
Naturally, the other wives weren't too thrilled being pushed to the side especially when her majesty had Prince Khalid. His majesty's first wife conspired with her son and the other wives to make the prince ineligible for the throne. Prince Khalid has lost many things that would make anyone lose their spot on the throne. His majesty is adamant about his favorite son taking the throne...even if that has caused problems with the people of Almyra and those who live in the palace."
Balthus clenched his fist. The king did love Claude with all of his heart, but by allowing Claude the throne, it set the half-blooded prince up for isolation and discrimination by his peers. That would spell trouble unless Claude had campaigned to get the people of Almyra on his side.
"Prince Khalid has allies in Almyra, but he forgets that with how everywhere he looks, people look down on him," Tina laments.
"I know the feeling," Balthus says. Even if Tina didn't believe him, he understood how it felt to have people who cared for you but failed to turn to them because of how the world looked at you.
"Prince Khalid has his cousin who adores him," the maid continues. "But, the incident that occurred more than ten years ago prevented him from sticking around the palace."
"The same incident that banished the king's first wife?"
"Yes. The first wife's first son attempted to murder the prince when his majesty insisted that the prince would be able to rule even if he could no longer do the Rite of Ritual."
Balthus wanted to know what that was about but that wasn't something he was going to get an explanation for.
"Her son was furious with the favoritism. He lured the prince into a room alone and tried to kill him. Prince Khalid's cousin figured out what that scumbag was trying to do and killed him."
"Yikes…" Balthus muttered.
"His majesty was livid at what had transpired. He banished his first wife for conspiring to kill the prince. This action alone was enough for the other wives to back off any assassination attempts afterwards if they valued their livelihood. His brother's son unfortunately had to be punished as well. Instead of saying he was banished, his majesty publicly announced that he had permission to travel outside of Almyra to learn as much as he can about the world. When he returned, he would be granted great things...and of course the idiot took the bait."
Balthus needed to replay the information in his head. Claude's cousin protected him from the violent eldest child of the king. That kid died, his mother was banished and the cousin was made to leave Almyra for a set amount of time as punishment.
"It doesn't seem like much of a punishment."
"It's not. He gets to avoid all responsibility," Tina explains. "He hasn't returned to Almyra for years. I expect he'll return once he hears that his precious cousin has returned from Fodlan. Don't be surprised if he ends up in one of the guest rooms here."
"Can I at least get his name so I won't accidentally offend him if he does show up?" Balthus asked. This guy sounded like trouble. It's great to know Claude had family members who cared for him, but that wasn't good for an outsider like him.
"His name is Aladdin. He's the son of General Sinbad."
Another name I have to keep in mind. Balthus told himself.
"Please, do not take offense to the guest room belonging to a traitor of the royal family. The west wing is closest to the royal chambers where his majesty, her majesty and the prince stay."
"And where do you sleep?"
"I also stay in the north wing with the royal family. I do not deserve such special treatment..." Tina wanted to say more about her situation but Balthus started walking again. "Ah…"
"I think I got all the history I needed done. I'll be sure to watch my back."
Balthus says this but doesn't think for a second that he should watch out for the shy maid giving him out information of the royal family for free. The maid would eventually have to walk faster than the grappler if she wanted to reach the destination first. He let her rush ahead.
The room Balthus was taken to was amazing beyond relief. It may have been a guest room but the interior design was extraordinary. Like most of the palace, the wallpaper and rugs were tinted with gold. The dragonic designs stretched out throughout the room and given the gold color made it majestic in appearance.
There were two beds in the guest room Balthus was given but both of them were large enough to fit two people. The first thought was how fun it was going to be to take a woman to bed with him. The golden symbols on the blanket stood out to Balthus. He wondered what they meant.
The rest of the room was expected of a guest room. There was a medium size table meant to have at least three people sit there with three brown chairs made of marble. The cushions also had a dragon on it.
There was a drawer meant to keep small items next to the bed. A dresser to put clothes in and a small rack to the side of the wardrobe to hang up weapons. Since Balthus used gauntlets, it wasn't necessary for him to hang anything on the wall.
There was also a small bookcase with Almyran literature. Hopefully, there was one that would help him teach him the language.
Finally, there was a large painting in what would be considered the "family room". It depicted the Gods of Almyra battling against a powerful enemy. Balthus only assumed it was the Gods due to the radiant aura surrounding them and the wicked monster that their weapons were pointed to.
"Nice place you got here," Balthus said simply. "I feel like a king myself with how fancy this place is."
"O-Oh…" Tina muttered. "His majesty believes that noble visitors deserve to be bathed in the richness of the culture to understand us more…"
The explanation made sense but Tina made a face like it was over the top. Balthus wasn't exactly surprised that Claude's father was an extravagant man.
"I can see that Claude's old man is a man of culture," Balthus says casually. "But this alone isn't enough information for me. Tina, I'm going to need you to answer some questions about the king."
Tina was puzzled with Balthus' request.
"Why are you asking about his majesty?"
"I have never been bested so quickly in a battle," Balthus states. He frowns thinking about how the king made a fool out of him in front of Claude and Tiana. "I felt like he was inhuman."
Tina kept a fixed gaze on the grappler. She closed her eyes as she closed the door behind Balthus. "Normally, I would not speak to outsiders about Almyra. Prince Khalid trusts you, so I do not mind talking about Almyra."
Balthus wasn't exactly interested in the history of Almyra. He just wanted the secrets, but Tina would lecture him like Constance would. He grumbled but chose to take a seat in one of the chairs in the room. Tina continued to stand up due to her status as a maid.
"How many Gods do you have in Fodlan?" Tina asked.
Balthus didn't understand why she would ask but responded. "We have one Goddess. Her name's Sothis. Why do you ask?"
"Almyra has seven Gods," Tina answers.
Balthus was taken aback. "Really? Seven?"
Tina nodded her head. "Almyra is watched over by seven Gods who worked together to protect this land. The palace was made in the spot where the Gods can descend from above and grant their blessings to the people. The royal family and the many nobles in Almyra are blessed by the Gods. Depending on the God determines their strength. His majesty is blessed by the King of the Gods. Our War God, Qaun."
"So it's supernatural strength and not actual strength," Balthus concluded.
Tina shakes her head. "Not quite. While the War God does grant his majesty strength, it can only apply within the palace. The farther he is from the palace, the weaker the influence the War God has. His majesty is still the strongest warrior in Almyra without Qaun to assist him. You were in the main chamber where the influence of the War God is the strongest."
"So, I won't lose in a few seconds if I was outside of that particular room?"
"Challenging his majesty will get you killed. Be grateful Prince Khalid was there to stop him."
"The king wouldn't kill someone at random, would he?"
Tina didn't answer the question. Balthus suddenly considered himself lucky.
"While her majesty loves her husband, she has learned to not step in when it concerns his majesty. Prince Khalid has the reigns on the king when he acts childish."
"Uh...is it okay to insult the king like that?"
"We all know he is," Tina says simply. "We won't be killed if we talk behind his back."
Balthus was an outsider so he would not get the privilege like the rest of the people in the palace.
"About our Gods though," the maid continued. "They have descended from the heavens and visited us in human forms. While they have a human form we all recognize, they are capable of shapeshifting. You must be cautious on insulting certain Gods in certain areas of Almyra. Even if his majesty will excuse commoners like me who speak poorly about him from time to time, the same cannot be said about the Gods."
Balthus wasn't convinced that if the king didn't kill people he didn't like, then the Gods wouldn't either.
"Sometimes, those with noble blood are extensions of God's will," Tina continued. "His majesty and the God of War have many things in common. Prince Khalid's connection is more with the Goddess of Love."
"Huh?" Balthus was lost now. "Claude is the least religious person I know."
"It does not matter if the prince believes in Gods or not. One of the seven Gods will attach themselves to a noble's blood at birth and watch from afar. For Prince Khalid, he has a kind soul that wishes for peace. The Goddess of Love desires love and tolerance above all else. Perhaps being born with the blood of two countries helps…"
Tina seemed to be praising the heir of Almyra, but Balthus noticed the distant look in the maid's eye.
I'm starting to think that maybe these two don't get along. Balthus thinks to himself. "So uh...about the other wives…"
"You are better off asking Prince Khalid about that," Tina said quickly. "This is all I was told to do. S-So, I will make my leave if that is okay with you."
Either Tina was dodging the conversation or she really was at her limit. Balthus rolled his eyes thinking how someone as young as Tina probably couldn't stand someone like him. But if she disliked him because of his association with Claude, it would be in his best interest to find a way to fix that.
Tina finally takes her leave allowing Balthus time to himself. The good-natured expression he wore vanished once he was able to sit down on the bed and think about what he was going to do. He got what he wanted. Tiana was alive and well. He got to confess to her and earned the beating he expected. Almost every question he had about Claude was answered once he had entered the royal palace. Now, he just needed to figure out how to escape Almyra unscathed. If he was able to do that, he would have a tale to tell Holst.
What he learned from the anxious maid wasn't going to be enough information to get by. He had to prepare a list of things that he needed to do in order to get by. The grappler was allowed to leave in a year after Claude was crowned king, but Balthus only intended to stay for a few weeks mooching off of Claude's family. The reveal he was the next in line made that impossible. The king was going to make sure he was miserable after confessing to his wife.
This is just another series of bad choices. Balthus told himself grimly.
His options were very limited. If he continued with his bad decision, he might very well be killed in a few days if he's not careful. Granted, he didn't think that he would be killed if he escaped right now. At worst, he wasn't going to be allowed to step foot in Almyra ever again no matter what the occasion was.
That left Claude's solution of being his bodyguard until the coronation. This was the easiest job that Claude could possibly give him. Even if he didn't understand the tension in the palace, if he did his role perfectly, the king wasn't going to kill him.
Still, Balthus wished he took Holst' advice. Being stuck in a foreign nation just to see his childhood crush really wasn't worth it if it meant dealing with the family problems of another person that were going to be thrusted on him.
Balthus had decided to nap the moment he closed his eyes for a few minutes. It had been years since he laid in a soft mattress made with the finest materials. When he woke up, it was already nighttime. The grappler grumbled as he forced himself to get out of the bed. It may have been a few hours, but he could have been doing other things like exploring the vast palace. Still, it took time for him and Claude to reach the Almyran palace and it tired him out.
Balthus needed to find the former Alliance Leader. He had nothing to do at the moment and the maid didn't exactly show him where important areas in the palace were. If he wandered around, he would find the dining hall eventually, but the last thing he wanted was to be stopped by Almyran guards who had never seen him before.
The grappler walks outside of the guest room. He was pleased with the sight before him. The palace had no walls making it easy to see the sky and the people below. Balthus was still amazed that the palace decided to go up with three floors on top of being a circular palace. When only one side of the palace had a wall but no map, Balthus wondered how any Almyran was able to navigate this place.
To Balthus' surprise, he passed by Almyran guards and servants without any issues. Yes, they did give him an odd look but they didn't stop him. Instead they spoke to each other in Almyran.
I guess it's time to brush up on my Almyran! Balthus thinks to himself. Claude must have a book on the basics. Maybe I can grab one from his room.
Lucky for him, finding Claude in the palace is rather easy. He stands out like a sore thumb. He hasn't changed into something that would be resembling Almyran attire. But it was odd how Claude was able to talk out in the open without any worry of a sudden ambush. As Balthus approached the prince, he noticed that Claude was busy speaking with someone.
The Almyran was an elderly man with a hunchback requiring him to balance on a cane. He had a pleasant smile on his face. It was difficult to determine if he was truly happy though as his eyes were shut tight. Perhaps, the old man was already blind at this point but there wasn't enough information to judge. The old man wore a flaxen colored robe made for mages. Mage robes didn't seem all that different from Fodlan besides the color, the design on the robe and the material used to make it.
Again, Balthus couldn't understand what was being said. They were speaking in Almyran. The old man said something that caused the young prince to laugh. Balthus blinked. He hadn't seen Claude laugh light-heartedly before. His guard was completely down which was so unlike him.
That meant it would be easy for Balthus to casually waltz in on the conversation.
"Hey Claude! I've been looking all over for you!"
The moment Claude heard Balthus' voice, his expression hardened and a fake smile returned to his face.
["Ah, this is the bodyguard you brought along with you,"] the old man says playfully. Again, Balthus can't understand what he said. ["You are very much like your father in that regard."]
Claude was far from thrilled. ["Please. The circumstances aren't the same. I would drop him back off in Fodlan if I could."]
Balthus had this nagging feeling that Claude was mocking him. The older male folded his arms in annoyance. "Hey, are you going to introduce me to this old geezer? You gave the impression in Fodlan that you didn't have someone to talk to."
The Almyran Prince sighed. "You made that assumption. Just because a lot of people tried to kill me doesn't mean I don't have people I can talk to. And for your information, I would appreciate it if you didn't actually insult the 'old geezer'."
The old priest laughed. "Ho-ho-ho. There's no need to worry about formalities Khalid. I am very much an old man and going to be picked up by Mara very soon."
Balthus was taken aback. The old man could speak perfect Fodlanese?!
"That's not a pleasant sight…" Claude grumbled.
"Hey, Claude! Why does the old geezer know how to speak the Fodlan language? I thought it was just you, your mom, your pops and that maid!"
Again, the old geezer cackled. "Oh, young one. Aahil made it a requirement to learn at least the Fodlan language. It's hard to semi-negotiate with the people of Fodlan if we cannot even speak their language."
"Aahil?"
Claude's frown deepened. "Now you got Balthus all confused. Balthus, this old man is my father's friend. His name is Piran and he's the head priest for the Church of Ravi."
"Church? There's a church in Almyra?"
Piran chuckled. "It seems like your bodyguard has a lot of learning to do."
"You're implying that he will spend his time here wisely," Claude snarked.
"Excuse me for not exactly knowing everything about Almyra. You kept everyone in the dark back in Fodlan."
Piran enjoyed laughing at the banter between the prince and his newly appointed bodyguard. He hummed. "Oh? Little Khalid wasn't being honest again?"
"Piran please!" Claude hissed. "I'm not a kid anymore."
"Oh, I know. It has been six years since I last saw you, but you have grown into a fine young man ready to take the throne," the elderly priest praises. "Hopefully I'll still be alive and kicking."
"Yeah...you're going to be living for as long as Baba demands you to," Claude snarks. "What would Almyra do without a rational head by Baba's side?"
"Oh, he can simply ask the Manaketes to come down from the mountains and assist him. Either that or get Aslan to take his position seriously."
"Yeah...that's not happening."
Balthus was finding it quite aggravating that he couldn't keep up with the conversation. Every little detail that was given to him would be important if he wanted to survive in Almyra.
"Balthus was it?" Piran asks. "I apologize for the king's brashness. He's a wonderful king but is a meddlesome father."
The grappler smirked. "No worries. It is going to take more than an overprotective father to get me down! Look! The maid you sent me patched me up just fine."
Claude sighed in relief. "I'm glad she was able to do her job correctly."
"Oh-ho-ho. Little Tina has grown up in the six years you were gone Khalid. You can rely on her healing skills."
"Oh…" Claude doesn't sound all that enthusiastic about relying on Tina. Piran failed to notice Claude's change of tone and continued.
"In fact, many of the nobles of Almyra have trained their hardest in order to protect their future king. Your coronation is one year from now."
"I see…" Claude muttered.
"Hey old man, Claude isn't all that interested in asking for the people who hated him to help him," Balthus says as a matter of fact statement.
Claude's eyes widened before he fixed a glare on his bodyguard. "Balthus!"
Piran was surprised to hear this. His attention was toward the grappler now. "Unfortunately, there are still many people that resent the king for his choice of who will take the throne when he retires. Khalid, I know it might be hard to believe, but the noble families will work with you if you speak with them."
"I doubt it," Claude said quickly. "They weren't all that friendly when we were kids. I doubt anything has changed."
Piran sighed. "Balthus, I know we just met but I must request that you take care of the young prince. He's my friend's pride and joy. News will soon spread that the king's favorite son has returned from Fodlan. Enemies of the king will take this as an opportunity to attack."
"I can handle myself," the former Alliance Leader says, "You worry too much Piran. Living in Fodlan has been an experience and I'm going to use that experience to remind people that I am just as capable as Baba."
The old priest wasn't exactly convinced. Perhaps it had to do with Claude's change in attitude, but it wasn't something that Piran would address. "You have a kind-heart. I believe that your heart will win the people over in due time. For now, I do want you to take care of yourself. There are rumors that there have been Mongos that have already infiltrated the capital waiting for the chance to strike."
Whatever confidence Claude had disappeared in an instant. Balthus noticed immediately the way the young prince's face paled at the mention of "Mongos". What was that exactly? Were they an organization or something else entirely?
Piran in contrast didn't seem to notice Claude's change in behavior and started laughing again. "Oh-ho-ho, but you won't have to worry about the Mongos. You have a big strong bodyguard right here to protect you."
"...Yeah...I guess…" Claude said quietly to himself. Balthus barely heard him but the lack of confidence did annoy him. The King of Grappling was capable of anything!
"Regardless, I hope to see you at one of my lectures in the future Khalid. You will need to be updated on all the events that have happened in the six years you were gone."
"I know," Claude answered. "I'm ready to see what Baba has done while I was in Fodlan."
"Don't worry Khalid. Tiana made sure that Aahil didn't kill your potential suitors. Oh-ho-ho."
Claude decided it was best for Piran to retire for the night. He approached the older man and turned him around.
"Right, I hope you remember where you're supposed to go to retire for the night."
"Oh-ho-ho! Getting me to leave so soon? I see. I see. No problem. I will get out of your hair."
The priest sluggishly dismisses himself leaving Balthus alone with the prince. The bodyguard noticed how quiet Claude got at the mention of "Mongos". Again, it would be another thing he would have to look into because the jolly mood Claude was in had all but vanished.
"So Claude, where's the dining hall?" Balthus asked, intending to lighten the tension between the two.
At first, Claude didn't say anything. The words didn't register until Balthus asked a second time.
"Claude, where's the dining hall?"
"Oh...the dining hall is on the first floor of the north wing."
"Oh? So it's just one floor below?"
Claude nods his head slowly. "I'll take you there. I don't need you getting lost."
Balthus grinned. "That's what I wanted to hear."