Half the Fallen Angels
Episode 39: Intermission - Secret Meeting By Princess Olivia

Early this morning, in the city of Avalon...

Morgan and Julian have been left out of the room leaving Aslan alone. He sat down while leaning on a chair.

His eyes pierced behind the wide glass wall, which revealed the city of Avalon from a height, but he was not really looking at the city. He was dissolved in daydreams, many things had happened, and many were new to him, ever since.....

.....

Four nights ago in Avalon City, the night Devan had just escaped from Avalon City.

....."Mr. Catra, I think your skepticism is overdone. Aren't you the head of royal security anymore?. You should work on your part, an adviser to the king, whose position is even higher than your previous position."

Catra was troubled by Aslan's words. Soon, several fire engines began arriving, and stopped between them.

"In order to store the carcass, the smell will definitely be smelled, Mr. Aslan" Catra said. He took a few steps back and turned to walk to his car

("The former head of royal security is sharp as ever".", Aslan said in his heart.)

Suddenly Catra stopped right in front of the entrance of her car, and turned to face Aslan.

"Oh yes, Mr. Aslan, do you not wonder, how the soldiers know, if a wanted criminal, is in the mayor's office?."

"Hm?", Aslan was stunned for a moment and then bathe,

("True, how did the soldiers know Devan's arrival?. Whereas when he came, in an instant this city became a dead city.")

"Because Mr. Catra said so, I came to mind. If I could know, how?"

"Maybe you won't believe me, I heard a voice in my ear, it said this; 'Your disciple is meeting Aslan, in the building with the biggest glass'. Therefore, I ask Princess Olivia, to send the soldiers to the Mayor's Office."

"That voice....who??"

"Let's see, it doesn't matter who it is. In fact his words are evident, he is indeed there, and you, in my judgment, seem to be trying to protect him."

Aslan was a bit hooked, he clasped his fist tightly, and Catra noticed a slight reaction of Aslan.

"Just calm down, as you say, I am now the king's advisor, unable to do much, but, tonight's events will surely reach the ears of the Princess."

Catra got into her car and started driving. The car came forward, stopped for a moment right by Aslan's side, the windshield opened, and Catra spoke again,

"Oh yeah, the reason I told you, it was also a hint of the voice I heard, the voice also asked me to tell you this, 'Aslan must have understood', he said."

Aslan turned his body to face Catra, from the open glass of the car, he tried to look into the car, but there was no one he saw except Catra itself.

Catra also returned to driving, he did not turn, but entered the path of the logistics line.

After a while Catra was driving down the track, she became more and more convinced of her previous suspicions, saying,

"Already I guess, there's not a single logistic vehicle passing by tonight, Aslan actually made a blurry route for him. What exactly is the relationship between the two of them?"

Meanwhile, Devan was still standing in his place, among the people who were busy putting out the huge flames burning on the two jets.

("Did Catra have a guard that I can't see?"), and Aslan shook his head, not letting his mind continue.

Aslan then went to the city, until after there was no one around, he activated the magus and immediately returned to the Mayor's office.

...

A few moments later,

Aslan finally arrived at his room. He entered through the window flying with his wings. However, Suddenly the door of Aslan's room was opened by a man wearing the uniform of a palace clerk.

The uniform is black with five studs in the middle being white. There is also a white line surrounding the circle of both sleeves, as well as the bottom of the shirt.

On the right side of the shirt, there are three long vertical lines, and above that line, there are three vertical lines, precisely on the chest is a small symbol of the kingdom of Avalon emblem two pointed wings with white dominance but also there are black lines in the emblem.

Between the two wing emblems is a black round circle whose outer line is white, the letter 'A' is gray in the middle. Above the outside of the 'A' circle, there was another white flat circle, as if the 'A' circle was a head with a halo above it.

There was also a crescent moon emblem on the right arm of the palace officer's dress indicating his position in the Avalon kingdom.

Instantly the palace attendant was surprised to see Aslan inside.

"I apologize Mr. Aslan, I think there is no one inside, because I have knocked and called several times, but never got an answer" said the palace official, bowing his head.

Aslan then took something from the front pocket under the black suit he was wearing, and it was a full moon emblem which he then placed on the shoulder of his right arm.

"Not getting an answer doesn't mean you can just walk into this room."

"Once again I apologize Mr. Aslan, I have to do it, because I was ordered by Mr. Olivia to deliver a letter from him to the Mayor of Avalon City, and must arrive and be read tonight as well."

Aslan was surprised not to play, but he tried not to express it.

"Well then, where?"

The palace official gave Aslan his letter, extended his hands forward and said,

"The order from the princess as well, I must make sure Mr. Aslan opens his letter and reads it, after which I am allowed to leave from before the master."

"M.", Aslan said.

Aslan opened and read the letter in front of him. And after a while, Aslan again closed the paper.

"alright. Tell Princess Olivia, the letter has come and been read by me."

"All right, Mr. Mayor. Then I will return to the palace."

Aslan only nodded once, and the palace attendant, left the room. Shortly thereafter, Aslan walked over and knocked himself in his chair. He leaned back, closed his eyes for a moment while sighing heavily,

"Heuuuuh!.", he actually did not feel relieved at all.

...

A few hours later, at 00:00,

Aslan had arrived at the meeting point as shown in the letter. This time he did not come wearing a neat suit as usual, he wore thick clothes, black trousers and a gray jacket that extended to his knees.

And most unusual, was the black-colored eye mask he was wearing, which covered part of his face, hiding his identity.

"Welcome, Mr. A", said a woman who had a soft voice.

Aslan only looked and nodded at the woman who welcomed it.

"So he's the last person we're waiting for, O?" said one of the men.

"Yes, you can call her 'A'", replied the woman who was called 'O.

"Alright. welcome to join, 'A'.", a man responded just now.

"Thank you ....."

"RR.", respond to the man who just initialed the RR.

"Thank you, RR."

"Please sit down, Mr. A, we'll start our topic soon tonight."

In the sealed room illuminated by the bright yellow light, ten people sat around the side of a large round table. The ten people were all dressed in thick clothes and also wearing eye masks, leaving most of the members of the meeting, unaware of each other's identity.

Just then, Aslan saw the faint black shadows standing on everyone in the room. That is, everyone there, carrying the guardians of the subtle nation, except for a middle-aged woman who sat without any entity beside her.

Not only that, at the four corners of the room a faint look also at Aslan the shadows that were standing, as if they were facing the ten people who were in the middle of the room.

("The jinn?", Aslan thought to himself.

"If this is the case, then there's no way I'm sending my subordinates to be spies here", he continued.)

"All right, we start." 'O' said'.

"All of you must have known, Devan Aria who disappeared a few days ago, last night, he was in this city" he added.

"Well, no one here knows, until they mobilize royal soldiers all over the city" chirped one of the masked middle-aged men.

"Of course, Mr. B. But you better not chirp like that in front of Miss O.", gently reprimand the masked middle-aged woman sitting next to him.

"Hm, I'm like this. Please Miss O understand, so that Madame RA does not bother to reprimand me anymore. Honestly, it seems to disturb the comfort of my heart."

"Hmmm", RA shook his head while sighing.

O then immediately deny the words of RA.

"Not after that incident!. He doesn't deserve to be King of this Kingdom."

"Of course, the assassin of the heir to the throne of Avalon, let alone go, even life he does not deserve anymore!", said the RR.

Women with anisinial O slightly react to hear the words RR.

("Devan?, kill the heir to the throne?, King's first son? the older brother of Princess Olivia?", Aslan was so shocked when he found out.)

"That's so, it's not you who can decide!, this kingdom has a court" said another masked woman.

"V!", the RR calls the name V with a slightly pressing tone. He stared intently at V who was sitting opposite him.

"Devan is not as simple as it is talked about, but the fact that he has lost, not even included in the ranks of the top ten lunar soldiers.", responded another man.

"You're right K, that's why he doesn't have the qualifications to marry Royal Princess Avalon, who has the right to marry him is the person who bears the number one.", RR responded.

K reacted a little, he kind of disliked what RR said.

"No-no. Only the number one warrior of the month was not qualified enough to marry the Princess. Are you kidding yourself?", said another man.

"What do you mean?, P", asked RR in a cynical tone.

"Because of the death of the heir to the throne, then the husband of Mr. Putri will become King in the future, of course, it is impossible to marry a man who is only military background. The princess should have married someone equal to her. For instance.... Prince of another kingdom."

"Haaaa?!", RR also muttered high dislike P's statement.

("What is this meeting? I feel like everyone here carries their own interests", Aslan thought after observing the course of the conversation.)

"Hey you guys.!, stop talking outside the topic!", suddenly a middle-aged man made a noise with a heavy voice taking everyone's attention, the situation became silent.

"Haa.uuuuu", O took a deep breath.

"Thank you, Mr. G." he added.

"Hm", with his heavy voice, G muttered yes.

"Tonight Devan was allegedly in the mayor's building, then the Princess also deployed most of the soldiers to move there."

"Then?", responded V curiously.

"It turns out to be true, Devan was really there."

"How could it?!", the response RA did not suspect.

"But..... Mr. Mayor actually prevented the soldiers from conducting an ambush inside, and we can only wait for him outside" explained G.

"Hm? why??", asked RR.

"Government policy."

"So that." responded RA understood.

"What policy is that? Very ineffective!", cetus RR.

"I think we who now can not fully understand the purpose of the policy" said V intend to insinuate RR.

RR just looked at him without responding.

"What V says is true. So instead of complaining about free things, we prioritize what we can do now" explained G.

"What about Mr. Aslan, the mayor of Avalon", asked K.

"He was the one who came down to stop us in front of the building" replied G.

"So Mr. Aslan has come from his political visit", said B.

"What if Mr. Aslan had come, B.....?, asked RA cynically.

"It's okay", replied B looking at RA rather cynically.

"Isn't that suspicious?, it's possible that Mr. Aslan had something to do with Devan, maybe helping Devan hide, run away, even a murder plot" RR suspects.

"Hm... But what is the motive?", asked K while thinking.

"That's impossible", suddenly Aslan interrupted.

"Why?", asked K.

"Because Mr. Aslan went on a political visit, it is likely that Mr. Aslan only learned of the calamity when he arrived."

"But Mr. A, it could have been a political visit that was just a pretext to secure his name" said refutation V.

Aslan's feelings began to unsettle, however, one room did not know that what they were talking about was in the room, except for someone.

"That's also impossible" responded O.

"Why?", now it's RR's turn to respond.

"The journey of the Lord Mayor is a direct decree from the King, there is even a record of his journey", added O.

"So I mean Miss O, Mr Aslan is acting, purely on policy? not to help the perpetrator?", P tried to confirm.

"Hm", O murmured nodded.

Aslan also looked a little stiff.

("Why did the Princess ask me to join here?, wasn't this the same as letting me know their plan? Is it possible that the Princess misjudged me?, or is there something else?", thought Aslan.)

"Wait a minute", sidelines RA.

"How did the Princess know the whereabouts of the young man?", he continued.

"That's.I don't know either" answered O.

"Hm... Do I have to send a spy to keep an eye on Mr Aslan?", ask RA for advice.

"That's not necessary. We better focus our energy first on the pursuit of Devan", replied O.

"I agree with Miss O. Being suspicious of Mr. Mayor just because he obeys the policy, it feels unfair" replied P intending to take O's attention.

"True, moreover, Mr. Aslan's reputation is quite good, as well as his devotion to the people and the king. Is it possible for people to betray?" said V.

Aslan felt that his heart did not deserve such a defense. Unconsciously he spoke,

"But, humans can change, forgetful creatures like us can easily slide their hearts."

"Master A?, you mean?", asked O.

"No. I was actually just thinking to myself, please forget it."

"All right."

"Then, Z?. Whaddya think? Is there a response?", asked O to another masked man who was conscious of being silent.

The man with the initials Z just shook his head, as his hands stretched forward with open palms facing upwards as a gesture to continue the conversation.

("I don't understand. Why does Princess Olivia seem to be helping me move?. Actually, what is the original desire?", thought Aslan while looking at the woman with the initials O.)

From the beginning Aslan realized, that behind the initial mask O was the Princess Olivia, as well as other people. In addition, they do not know each other's identity.

The conversation went on, and they planned their next move. From that talk, Aslan also understood a lot, knowing a lot, especially related to Devan's recent human life.

....

Back in the early hours of the day....

....Then, what he knew at that time, he told Morgan and Julian who had asked.

Until finally, Aslan fell asleep, he escaped from his reflection, as well as he released himself, from the fatigue of anxiety and work.

***