((Longish post, mostly dialogue to wrap up everything for those who could not attend.))
Elza stared in sadness at the Mavanix Mansion ruins. She had never even really been inside beyond the foyer. She recalled being summoned to Ul’dah when Cartius revealed her as his heir to the house. The mansion had already been damaged then. Now, after the battle with Veronica and the other Mavanix leaders, it was completely destroyed. A manor with so much history was now nothing but history.
Footsteps coming from the other side of the courtyard startled Elza, though she quickly smiled upon realizing it must have been the mercenaries of Shimmersong, Everwatch, and Corvus Cinis returning from their mission safely. The matriarch turned to the approaching footsteps, her smile quickly fading as her expression turned to one of disbelief. "Father?!"
Cartius smiled at Elza warmly, his scarlet robe dancing ever so faintly in the gentle breeze. "Hello, Elza...my beautiful queen of the night."
"How...you were killed?" Elza couldn'€™t help but control the overwhelming emotion coming over her.
"€œMy death was staged,"€ Cartius said matter-of-factly. "€œI had to go under the radar in order to protect our family."
"€œOur family is dead!"€ Elza fought back tears as she tried to take in her father'€™s presence before her. "€œHow in the hell did you protect us?"
"Elza, our family is very much alive."€ Cartius took several steps forward, placing both hands gently on his daughter'€™s shoulders. "€œI am not a Mavanix, nor are you or Kylin. We belong to House Felstar, a family that has been tormented by the Mavanix clan for too long now."
"Felstar?"€ Elza gazed at her father in deep confusion. "€œHow does that...oh gods. You're Cardinal Felstar? Aren't you?!"€ The matriarch quickly shoved the man'€™s hands away from her and backed several feet up. "You'€™re behind all of this madness?!"
"€œI had to do whatever necessary to protect our family,"€ Cartius said with a deep frown. "Surely you understand. House Mavanix had to fall. You can'€™t begin to know the extent of the torture they bestowed upon our family. Ever since Anabelle and beyond, we have all suffered enough at their mercy. I was content to let slide the fact that they kidnapped me as an infant and passed me off as a Mavanix, but I could not forgive their killing of my beloved Sophia and nearly killing my son in the process. It was clear what I had to do when I uncovered these horrid truths."
"So you had them all killed?"€ Elza looked in horror at her father. "€œNina, Kalara, Balthazor, Ekidnah, Xaliel...And, oh my gosh. Those documents I found detailing Ivan'€™s atrocities beneath the academy?"
"I ensured that you '€˜stumbled'€™ across those documents, knowing that you'€™d threaten to shut Ivan down and he'€™d try to retaliate. And when he did retaliate, bringing in mercenaries helped bring the atrocities to the public eye and caused the Mavanix Academy to crumble. Just as I planned."
Elza continued to stare in utter shock at the man. "€œAnd Margarah?!"
Cartius smiled faintly as he recounted his manipulations. "€œAh, yes. One of my undercover men planted the idea of a fashion duel in Nina and Kalara'€™s minds. Had they won, they'€™d have broke Margarah away from House Mavanix and cause another blow before I killed them both and watched Margarah implode afterwards. But instead, they failed and were publicly humiliated before the same thing happened anyway. The end result of the competition meant little to me as it would all be the same, but the extra blow to Nina and Kalara'€™s egos was certainly entertaining before I finished them off. You choosing Everwatch as your representatives was quite a bold and risky move. I'€™m proud of you."
Elza held her hand up to her chest, trying to take in all of the horrors she was listening to. "€œThe Templars...Kiba...GIN."
"I sent Vertigo to kill Kiba, yes. And we ensured that the artifact was delivered to the goblins so that yet another of the house'€™s resources would crumble, further bringing the house closer to its demise. And yes, I was responsible for persuading the goblins to attack Balthazor's manor on that night of the family meeting. But worry not, my dear. I made it crystal clear to Juravis and GIN that you and Kylin were not to be harmed. Xaliel either, as I still had plans for him..."
"€œPlans...?"€ Elza could barely think any longer. The fact that someone could plot all of this so masterfully was shocking enough. The fact that someone would do it at all was shocking even more.
"Someone had to take the fall for it all,"€ Cartius stated with a faint smile. "€œI certainly wasn'€™t going to. Xaliel was set up to take the blame for all of this. Well, he and the mercenaries that you hired as well."
"What?!"€ Elza gasped as she realized that the mercenaries were set up all along.
"€œThat's right," Cartius continued. "€œShimmersong, Everwatch, and Corvus Cinis were too close to the truth. So I had to ensure that their credibility was destroyed and them taking the fall for everything was the best manner to do so. I'€™ve sent documents by courier to the Syndicate giving irrefutable evidence to their role in House Mavanix's destruction. Them being at the right place at the right time and being watched by a journalist certainly helps solidify the case against them. So they'€™ll be criminals by the morrow no doubt. But Elza, those documents also contain proof that you are not a Mavanix, and as such did not meet my will's requirements to take over in my stead."
"So the Syndicate will dissolve House Mavanix entirely,"€ Elza said with a glare at her father. "€œAnd I'€™ll be made to look like I was trying to use the house for its money and resources. All the while, the mercenaries will be on the run from Ul'€™dahn authorities for destroying the house."
"If Juravis hasn'€™t killed them by now, yes."€ Cartius walked toward Elza once more. "You must leave Ul'dah immediately. My plans are complete now and another of our family's enemies are no more. Come with me and your brother to Ishgard so that I can keep you safe. Ishgard is far more beautiful and rich in culture than this city anyway. Come with me, my dear daughter."
Elza glared at the man for a long moment before pounding her fists at him. The cardinal raised his arms to defend himself as the matriarch screamed at him with tears streaming down her cheeks. "€œYou bastard! You used me! You used Kylin! You manipulated everyone and murdered an entire family! Do you have any idea how much we cried?! Do you even care?!"
As she stopped her assault and took several steps back, Elza removed the black queen chess piece around her neck and threw it to the ground. Cartius frowned at the sight as he straightened himself back up. "€œYou and Kylin are what'€™s most important to me. I did this all to protect you from them. So that you would not have to deal with their lies, deceit, and backstabbing like every other generation of the Mavanix family has dealt with. I'm sorry that you were hurt so badly. But this will only make you stronger. As for the mercenaries, who cares what fate awaits them? They are nothing but insignificant worms next to people like us. Come with me to Ishgard, Elly. I need to protect you."€Â
"Go to hell," Elza stated with a cold stare before she turned her back on Cartius.
Cartius let out a deep sigh. "Very well. I will be waiting for you should you ever change your mind. In the meantime, you should leave the city before tomorrow. I do not want to see you receive the wrath of Ul'€™dahn authorities. I'€™ll be waiting for you in Ishgard. Until then, be well my queen of the night."€Â
Elza bit her lip quietly before finally turning around to scream some more at her father. He was gone though, just as quickly as he had arrived. The fallen matriarch turned back to the mansion rubble and gazed at it. House Mavanix was finished, all because of one man'€™s paranoia and tyranny. And anyone who had tried to help the once noble house was now in more danger than ever. Elza fell to her knees, a gentle breeze blowing into the manor courtyard the only sound aside from her quiet sobbing.
Elza stared in sadness at the Mavanix Mansion ruins. She had never even really been inside beyond the foyer. She recalled being summoned to Ul’dah when Cartius revealed her as his heir to the house. The mansion had already been damaged then. Now, after the battle with Veronica and the other Mavanix leaders, it was completely destroyed. A manor with so much history was now nothing but history.
Footsteps coming from the other side of the courtyard startled Elza, though she quickly smiled upon realizing it must have been the mercenaries of Shimmersong, Everwatch, and Corvus Cinis returning from their mission safely. The matriarch turned to the approaching footsteps, her smile quickly fading as her expression turned to one of disbelief. "Father?!"
Cartius smiled at Elza warmly, his scarlet robe dancing ever so faintly in the gentle breeze. "Hello, Elza...my beautiful queen of the night."
"How...you were killed?" Elza couldn'€™t help but control the overwhelming emotion coming over her.
"€œMy death was staged,"€ Cartius said matter-of-factly. "€œI had to go under the radar in order to protect our family."
"€œOur family is dead!"€ Elza fought back tears as she tried to take in her father'€™s presence before her. "€œHow in the hell did you protect us?"
"Elza, our family is very much alive."€ Cartius took several steps forward, placing both hands gently on his daughter'€™s shoulders. "€œI am not a Mavanix, nor are you or Kylin. We belong to House Felstar, a family that has been tormented by the Mavanix clan for too long now."
"Felstar?"€ Elza gazed at her father in deep confusion. "€œHow does that...oh gods. You're Cardinal Felstar? Aren't you?!"€ The matriarch quickly shoved the man'€™s hands away from her and backed several feet up. "You'€™re behind all of this madness?!"
"€œI had to do whatever necessary to protect our family,"€ Cartius said with a deep frown. "Surely you understand. House Mavanix had to fall. You can'€™t begin to know the extent of the torture they bestowed upon our family. Ever since Anabelle and beyond, we have all suffered enough at their mercy. I was content to let slide the fact that they kidnapped me as an infant and passed me off as a Mavanix, but I could not forgive their killing of my beloved Sophia and nearly killing my son in the process. It was clear what I had to do when I uncovered these horrid truths."
"So you had them all killed?"€ Elza looked in horror at her father. "€œNina, Kalara, Balthazor, Ekidnah, Xaliel...And, oh my gosh. Those documents I found detailing Ivan'€™s atrocities beneath the academy?"
"I ensured that you '€˜stumbled'€™ across those documents, knowing that you'€™d threaten to shut Ivan down and he'€™d try to retaliate. And when he did retaliate, bringing in mercenaries helped bring the atrocities to the public eye and caused the Mavanix Academy to crumble. Just as I planned."
Elza continued to stare in utter shock at the man. "€œAnd Margarah?!"
Cartius smiled faintly as he recounted his manipulations. "€œAh, yes. One of my undercover men planted the idea of a fashion duel in Nina and Kalara'€™s minds. Had they won, they'€™d have broke Margarah away from House Mavanix and cause another blow before I killed them both and watched Margarah implode afterwards. But instead, they failed and were publicly humiliated before the same thing happened anyway. The end result of the competition meant little to me as it would all be the same, but the extra blow to Nina and Kalara'€™s egos was certainly entertaining before I finished them off. You choosing Everwatch as your representatives was quite a bold and risky move. I'€™m proud of you."
Elza held her hand up to her chest, trying to take in all of the horrors she was listening to. "€œThe Templars...Kiba...GIN."
"I sent Vertigo to kill Kiba, yes. And we ensured that the artifact was delivered to the goblins so that yet another of the house'€™s resources would crumble, further bringing the house closer to its demise. And yes, I was responsible for persuading the goblins to attack Balthazor's manor on that night of the family meeting. But worry not, my dear. I made it crystal clear to Juravis and GIN that you and Kylin were not to be harmed. Xaliel either, as I still had plans for him..."
"€œPlans...?"€ Elza could barely think any longer. The fact that someone could plot all of this so masterfully was shocking enough. The fact that someone would do it at all was shocking even more.
"Someone had to take the fall for it all,"€ Cartius stated with a faint smile. "€œI certainly wasn'€™t going to. Xaliel was set up to take the blame for all of this. Well, he and the mercenaries that you hired as well."
"What?!"€ Elza gasped as she realized that the mercenaries were set up all along.
"€œThat's right," Cartius continued. "€œShimmersong, Everwatch, and Corvus Cinis were too close to the truth. So I had to ensure that their credibility was destroyed and them taking the fall for everything was the best manner to do so. I'€™ve sent documents by courier to the Syndicate giving irrefutable evidence to their role in House Mavanix's destruction. Them being at the right place at the right time and being watched by a journalist certainly helps solidify the case against them. So they'€™ll be criminals by the morrow no doubt. But Elza, those documents also contain proof that you are not a Mavanix, and as such did not meet my will's requirements to take over in my stead."
"So the Syndicate will dissolve House Mavanix entirely,"€ Elza said with a glare at her father. "€œAnd I'€™ll be made to look like I was trying to use the house for its money and resources. All the while, the mercenaries will be on the run from Ul'€™dahn authorities for destroying the house."
"If Juravis hasn'€™t killed them by now, yes."€ Cartius walked toward Elza once more. "You must leave Ul'dah immediately. My plans are complete now and another of our family's enemies are no more. Come with me and your brother to Ishgard so that I can keep you safe. Ishgard is far more beautiful and rich in culture than this city anyway. Come with me, my dear daughter."
Elza glared at the man for a long moment before pounding her fists at him. The cardinal raised his arms to defend himself as the matriarch screamed at him with tears streaming down her cheeks. "€œYou bastard! You used me! You used Kylin! You manipulated everyone and murdered an entire family! Do you have any idea how much we cried?! Do you even care?!"
As she stopped her assault and took several steps back, Elza removed the black queen chess piece around her neck and threw it to the ground. Cartius frowned at the sight as he straightened himself back up. "€œYou and Kylin are what'€™s most important to me. I did this all to protect you from them. So that you would not have to deal with their lies, deceit, and backstabbing like every other generation of the Mavanix family has dealt with. I'm sorry that you were hurt so badly. But this will only make you stronger. As for the mercenaries, who cares what fate awaits them? They are nothing but insignificant worms next to people like us. Come with me to Ishgard, Elly. I need to protect you."€Â
"Go to hell," Elza stated with a cold stare before she turned her back on Cartius.
Cartius let out a deep sigh. "Very well. I will be waiting for you should you ever change your mind. In the meantime, you should leave the city before tomorrow. I do not want to see you receive the wrath of Ul'€™dahn authorities. I'€™ll be waiting for you in Ishgard. Until then, be well my queen of the night."€Â
Elza bit her lip quietly before finally turning around to scream some more at her father. He was gone though, just as quickly as he had arrived. The fallen matriarch turned back to the mansion rubble and gazed at it. House Mavanix was finished, all because of one man'€™s paranoia and tyranny. And anyone who had tried to help the once noble house was now in more danger than ever. Elza fell to her knees, a gentle breeze blowing into the manor courtyard the only sound aside from her quiet sobbing.