"...You have to eat something."

Tavian folded his arms at the depressed pooch lying on top of a throw pillow.

"...I don’t have time to sit here with you for two hours again. Mother will be back soon, you need to eat, little guy."

Bansha lifted her heads and stared at her latest caretaker.

"... My apologies. Little girl." He corrected.

Bansha put her heads back on top of her paws.

Tavian let out a deep sigh as he sat beside the beast, casually stroking her fur as they listened to the silence of the room.

The day had been one of the most trying of Tavian’s entire life. News and rumors were swirling around the palace so quickly that he could scarcely keep up with them all.

But the whispers that he had heard so far were very concerning. He had specifically forbade any of his men from uttering those unsubstantiated lies in his presence.

It was, at best, a moot effort on his part. Rumors would spread like wildfire whether he was putting a stop to them or not.

If he didn’t know any better, he could almost swear that someone was intentionally fanning the flames on purpose...

Bansha lifted her heads abruptly and turned toward the door, barking.

The wood was splintered apart, revealing Jiaoying as she kicked through the door. Tavian swallowed a gasp.

His mother was covered in blood, but none of it was hers. In one hand she held her famed ruby sword, while in the other...

"Oh, thank gods... Come here, mommy’s baby!"

Embarrassed but relieved, Tavian started to step forward when Bansha leapt from her spot on the bed and leapt into Jiaoying’s arms.

Her breathing ragged, Jiaoying held the small creature close to her body. "It’s alright, baby, I’ve got you. We’re getting out of here real soon..."

"I’m here too, you know?!" Tavian complained.

"What makes you think I wasn’t talking to you?"

Tavian marveled that his mother somehow still found the energy to crack jokes even when she was covered in blood and innards.

"We need to go. Now." Jiaoying grabbed her son by the shoulder and pulled him outside the room without waiting for his response.

As soon as he was outside, he ran into around twenty of the royal bloodline, most of whom looked angry or paranoid out of their minds.

Tavian turned to his mother. "A-Am I missing something or-"

"No time! Let’s go!"

Fleeing the palace was a near Herculean effort.

Every guard in the building seemed to have orders to apprehend the escaping party. And not only that, but they were killing other heirs as well.

Anyone who did not acknowledge Saarfi and her obvious path to inherit the throne was cut down. Which meant that Jiaoying had quite a lot of opposition to cut through.

Tavian may have started with numerous questions, but he was a soldier first and foremost. It was easy for him to cast aside his own curiosity and focus on the task at hand.

When they reached the grounds outside, the group found a small army waiting for them.

They prepared themselves for a lengthy, bitter struggle, when all of a sudden, a giant horse, larger than most buildings, ripped out of the ground and smashed the army to pieces.

Bansha let out an excited bark when she saw her brother again; meanwhile, Jiaoying and her group of escapees stood there stunned.

Mercy leaned down and nudged Jiaoying with a snout that was even larger than she was.

"Umm... Does your dad know that you’re able to do this?"

Mercy snorted.

"I’m going to take that as a no." Jiaoying sighed, realizing this conversation would have to wait until later.

She glanced at the panicked heirs behind her before turning back to the horse. "I need you to take them back to the family, okay? Tell your dad that Raidis has control of the crown, and I’m going to look for Princess Canari."

Mercy stamped his hoof. Even if Jiaoying couldn’t hear his voice, she could read his displeasure fairly well.

"I know, I know, he’s not going to like it, but he can be as mad as he wants to later, I guess..." The grim expression on her face confirmed she wasn’t thrilled with this direction either.

"What, what are you talking about, Commander??" Andros and Vergil pushed through their crowd of siblings to stand at the front.

"Obviously, we are going to help you find-"

Jiaoying chopped both boys on the neck before they could even blink.

As their bodies lost all strength, Jiaoying caught them by their collars and tossed them onto the back of the large horse.

"Anybody else feeling brave?"

The descendants mutually shook their heads.

"Good. Up."

Unsurprisingly, the very last person to climb aboard was none other than her own son.

"Tavian, this isn’t the time for your defiance. I need you to help me make sure the others stay safe!"

Tavian folded his arms and stared his mother down.

"...You know I don’t need to hit you to make you get up there, right?"

"..."

"I know you might still be mad at me, but please, just once, would you listen to your mother??"

"..."

Jiaoying let out a deep sigh.

"Mercy... just take them."

The horse rushed off without a second word, inspiring panic wherever it went.

Jiaoying sheathed her sword as she returned to her regular appearance.

"You stay close to me, you hear?"

"Mhm."

"And do everything I tell you to."

"Naturally."

Jiaoying sighed.

"I’ve no idea where you get this hardheadedness from..."

Tavian wondered if he should inform his mother that he was currently staring at the origin.

"Come on."

Jiaoying turned away from him and began sprinting. "We have to head to the house and make sure everyone is alright!"

What Jiaoying didn’t realize yet was that the very same person she was searching for was already awaiting her arrival at home.

Just the same, so was the one whom she wanted to see the least...