Inquisitor's Promise (Act Two, Chapter Twenty-Nine)

Aeneas has to keep his promises. His father's mission will be completed. And while he's at it, he will become Galatea's lord and Inquisitor. But love and politics are an explosive combination.

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Chapter Twenty-Nine: Galatea’s Choice

Galatea huffed in exhaustion, having ran all morning. She was not used to it, yet she pushed on.

“Are you okay, Lady Galatea?” Aeneas asked. The two had been running together since dawn, this was part of their training.

“I’m fine,” the lady knight said as she huffed on.

But despite Galatea’s words, the exercise was too much for her. She stopped and was about to tumble over to the ground in exhaustion. Fortunately, Aeneas caught her in time.

“Don’t push yourself too hard,” the Inquisitor said in concern. “You won’t get fit overnight.”

“I understand,” Galatea answered.

“And besides, Aeneas added. “Sancho Panza’s going to carry you everywhere. You don’t need to be some super soldier. No one in the Lepanto is. We just lean on one another and trust to get the job done.”

Galatea nodded as she looked at her beloved with admiration. She was about to say something when Aeneas’ nav-comm beeped. Aeneas activated his gadget on speaker, allowing Galatea to listen in.

“What is it, Mario?” Aeneas asked the Lepanto’s ship captain.

“We have received a message from the Grand Knight Juan Carlos,” Mario replied.

“Uncle Carlos?” Galatea chimed in. “What happened?”

“Good news, my lady. The Grand Knight had emerged victorious in his battle against Sir Fernando. Furthermore, his son Sir Antonio had defeated the traitor knight in single combat,” Mario answered.

“Uncle Carlos won!” Galatea cried happily. She knew that now she could become Aeneas’ knight in earnest.

Even so, Lavinia’s words was still in her mind. She was glad that she could help the villagers of Pahlawan. But the truth remained that it wasn’t done on purpose. She may have taken out the spider nest, but she did not even know that the spiders were even a problem to begin with. Perhaps, Lavinia was correct after all.

Having learned of the Grand Knight’s victory in Bataan, Aeneas returned from Pahlawan to La Manila. It was a quick flight; Aeneas couldn’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu as he saw skies and landscape of San Felipe’s capital. But things were different this time, as Galatea was with him as his party stepped out of the ship.

“Antonio!” Galatea cried as she saw her cousin. The two briefly shared a warm embrace.

“How’s my little cousin?” Antonio asked jokingly.

“Just fine, Antonio.” Galatea smiled. “I can’t wait to tell you about my lord Aeneas!”

Antonio chuckled as he glanced at the others. “Slow down there, little cousin. We need to go see papa first. And then we’ll see you lovebirds off.”

“Of course,” Galatea said hesitantly.

And so, Antonio and his wyvern knights escorted the party to Castle La Mancha. All except for Aeneas, who rode alongside Galatea on Sancho Panza.

Once more, they made their way inside the castle. Once more, Aeneas met with Grand Knight Juan Carlos in the Hall of the Great Knight. But there was someone new next to him; it was the Knights Vizier Fernando de Andalusia, in chains.

Sir Fernando was a man that women would find either very handsome or very ugly thanks to his abundance of facial hair. He looked the part of a heroic knight, except that he was a traitor.

“It’s good to see everyone well. However, you do owe me an explanation,” Juan Carlos said calmly. Though Aeneas had informed the Grand Knight of his journey in retrieving Galatea, he had left out the part about who had knighted her.

“Of course,” Aeneas said. “I understand that my story had sounded odd so far.”

At this point, Galatea stepped forward. “Lord Aeneas, may I?”

Aeneas nodded. He had meant to tell the Grand Knight himself but saw no reason why Galatea couldn’t do it herself. “I understand, go on.”

Galatea then gave her uncle an intense look. “In truth, I had been knighted by Sir Fernando de Andalusia,” she said as she pointed at the man in chains.

There was a commotion amongst Juan Carlos’ retinue but the Grand Knight himself remained calm. “And that’s why you had disappeared?”

“Yes,” Galatea said. “That traitor used my naivete and my dreams to undermine our family and San Felipe.”

The commotion became even louder. The voices of the knights combined into cacophony as they seek to defend the honor of Lady Galatea.

“You villain!” Antonio cried out.

But Galatea ignored the commotion. “Which is why, I wish to withdraw myself from Lord Aeneas’ service.”

The place became silent upon hearing Galatea’s declaration. As for Aeneas, he felt like his world was crashing all around him.

“What do you mean?” Aeneas asked, panic clear in his voice.

“Exactly what I have said, my lord,” Galatea said sweetly. But to Aeneas, her voice now cut harder than any weapon.

“But why? Why would you do this?”

“Because I love you, Aeneas. And I love you enough to know that I’m not the one for you.”

“Enough!” Aeneas snapped. “I made a promise to you!”

“And you didn’t break it,” Galatea assured. “Everything’s on me. I’m the reprobate.”

“That’s not the point!”

Having seen enough of the lovers’ spat, Juan Carlos intervened. “Galatea, are you sure about this?”

“You know I don’t make decisions lightly, uncle,” Galatea answered.

“No, Galatea,” Aeneas whispered in despair.

But Galatea’s mother, Isabella stepped forward. “This is no way to treat your lord, Galatea.”

“Mama?” Galatea said, not expecting her mother’s chastisement. “But you’ve always been against my dreams of knighthood.”

“Never mind that! A man like the good Inquisitor doesn’t come very often. And now you’re about to cast him aside. I don’t know where you get this poison but…”

“That’s enough!” Aeneas interrupted.

“But Lord Aeneas,” Isabella protested. “I’m trying to help you!”

“I know. But if Galatea is to be my knight, I don’t want her to do it because her family pressured her to,” Aeneas said.

Galatea was stunned. “Lord Aeneas…”

In truth, Aeneas did not want to do what he was about to do. But he had to respect his beloved. The Inquisitor then gave Galatea an intense look.

“It’s your choice, Galatea. Always is. I just want you to return my mother’s bracelet, it means a lot to me. I’ll return your father’s ring to you.”

“And then?” Galatea asked.

“And then you’ll never see me again. I promise you that,” Aeneas answered.

Galatea then took off her bracelet. She looked at jewelry: red and yellow in color, the swooping black eagle of House Aquilanus in the middle. Galatea knew that she had an important decision to make.

“I refuse…”

Aeneas’ heart dropped, but he steeled himself. He was prepared for this.

“I refuse to abandon my Inquisitor!”

The lady knight returned the bracelet to her wrist. Aeneas barely had time to react as Galatea threw herself at him.

And the two embraced one another.

At just below six Imperial feet, Aeneas was not a particularly tall man. But Galatea was short even for a woman. The two fit each other perfectly.

Holding on to his beloved, Aeneas was in bliss.

A promise fulfilled.

If the Grand Knight Juan Carlos hadn’t commanded the two lovers to separate, they would have been content to maintain their embrace indefinitely.

With Galatea’s status now resolved, Aeneas knew that he had succeeded in uniting the Holy League. All Five Factions were now under the banner of the Church.

“This should go without saying,” Juan Carlos began. “But I formally pledge my support and that of the Knights to your cause, Lord Inquisitor.”

Aeneas smiled. “I’m glad to hear it.”

Juan Carlos acknowledged the Inquisitor and continued on. “Unfortunately, with the situation in San Felipe, I am unable to lend you my wyvern knights…”

“I understand,” Aeneas said.

“You didn’t let him finish, cousin-in-law,” Antonio interjected.

“Huh?”

“As I was saying,” Juan Carlos said calmly. “I am unable to lend you my wyvern knights, except for my son Antonio.”

“Your honor me, Sir Juan Carlos,” Aeneas said respectfully. He then turned his attention to Antonio. “I was told of how you defeated Sir Fernando in battle. I’m glad to have someone of your prowess in my army.”

“Speaking of Sir Fernando,” Galatea interjected as she pointed to the traitor knight. “Why is that villain here?”

“Ah, yes,” Juan Carlos said. “I had interrogated him while you were on your way here. I had known of the knighthood issue for quite some time, Galatea.”

“Oh, I see,” Galatea said in embarrassment.

“But he had other things to say too,” Juan Carlos continued.

Galatea looked at her uncle questioningly. “Such as?”

At this point, Juan Carlos then brought Fernando forward and forced him to kneel before Aeneas and Galatea.

“Tell us why you had rebelled!” Juan Carlos commanded. “Speak, man!”

“Urgh, fine. The rebellion was not my idea. I had received instructions and money from outside,” Fernando grunted.

“From whom?” Galatea asked.

“I don’t know, and I don’t care. The knights had suffered enough with the Grand Knight’s ridiculous fasting requirements,” Fernando ranted.

“Fasting requirements?” Aeneas asked in confusion.

It was Antonio who answered. “When we learned of the famine in the Nusantara isles, papa had agreed to send food to the south. But we couldn’t simply starve the people. So instead, he reduced the food consumption of the knights by imposing a fast.”

“What do I care about some starving foreigners?” Fernando said.

“No one’s telling you to speak, traitor!” Juan Carlos said harshly. “We’re done with you.”

And with that, Juan Carlos’ knights took away Fernando. Presumably to be taken to the dungeon.

“Quite the unpleasant man, he is,” Antonio commented.

“But who was actually corresponding with Sir Fernando?” Galatea asked.

“You break my heart with that question, Galatea,” Aeneas teased. “It was the Cabal, who else?”

Galatea’s eyes widened as she remembered her readings. “You mean Bashan Voronin?”

Aeneas nodded. “Him or someone in league with him.”

“To think that the Cabal even knew of my dreams and concocted such an elaborate ruse for my errantry,” Galatea mused.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Juan Carlos interjected. “I’ve read the black letters. Bashan made no instructions of them. That was all Sir Fernando’s doing.”

Aeneas nodded. “I see what you’re trying to say, Sir Juan Carlos. Our adversaries in the Cabal are not as powerful as we think.”

“Exactly. The black cats are only a threat to Christendom when we become selfish and start to fight one another,” Juan Carlos said.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

With the situation resolved, the Grand Knight of San Felipe soon sent Aeneas and his group on their way.

After he had returned back to the Lepanto, Aeneas considered those he had recruited to his cause. The peerless wyvern knight Antonio de la Mancha, the former bandit leader Jaya Satria, and the most important find of all: his beloved lady knight Galatea de la Mancha.

As the Lepanto made their flight away from San Felipe, Aeneas threw a feast. Everyone in the ship had enjoyed the merriment.

Everyone, except for Lavinia. She had had enough. She had hoped that Galatea would listen to reason, but she left her no choice.

For Lavinia to remove Galatea out of the picture, she would have to kill her.

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