(no subject)
This one's in Dietrich's journal too, but it's the novel equivalent to the manga arc I take Seth from, so ganking it. Novel summary for ROM III, originally from here, slightly edited in places.
ROM III summary:
The book begins where ROM II left off. Abel and Esther are making a journey to the Empire with Ion Fortuna. They're on a secret mission for Caterina Sforza, who wants a letter delivered personally to Empress Augusta Vradica. Ion is developing a serious crush on Esther, and thinks about asking the young nun to stay with him in the Empire.
When the trio reach the Empire, Ion brings them to his grandmother's house. But when they enter Mirka's bedroom, they find it covered with blood. A fire then starts in the house. Empire guards, including Baybars, then come and arrest Ion for murdering his grandmother. Ion protests his innocence and is about to fight the Empire guards when Abel stops him and tells him to run so he can prove that he did not murder his grandmother.
Abel secretly brings Ion and Esther to Astharoshe's house. Astharoshe is irritated to see Abel, but as she considers Abel a friend, she decides to help them. There will be a session in court the next day for Empress Augusta to announce the death of Mirka Fortuna so Astharoshe will disguise Abel as her aide and smuggle him in to see the Empress. We learn that Astharoshe has gained a reputation among her peers as a vampire who 'loves' humans as she has gone out into the human world before (this story is in RAM I, 'From the Empire.')
Astharoshe and Esther take a bath and Astharoshe notices Esther has an unusual birthmark in the shape of a star on the side of her body.
At court, Astharoshe meets another Empire noble, Sulayman, who is even taller than her. Astharoshe seems to respect Sulayman a lot. Also, there are rumors that Empress Augusta is a puppet ruler, as no one has seen her face in hundreds of years. She always speaks to her subjects behind a screen and when she is outside, her face is hidden by a veil.
Meanwhile, Ion and Esther are left alone, but they decide to visit the human sector of the Empire. At a market, they get lost and meet a young girl selling tea. The young girl offers to guide them. Ion doesn't like the girl's cheeky behaviour towards him.
Esther is badly hurt in an explosion, right after Ion spots someone who tells him that Radu is still alive. The young girl appears again and tells Ion if he wants to save Esther, he must follow her.
At the court, the Empress announces that Mirka Fortuna is dead. Suddenly, Radu Barvon appears and accuses Ion of murder. After, Abel manages to sneak into Augusta's private chambers and delivers the letter from Caterina to Augusta. Augusta is angry that a Vatican priest has intruded on her.
But Abel looks at Augusta Vradica and asks, 'Are you really the Empress?'
The young girl brings the two to a room and bandages Esther's wounds. She tells them her name is Seth and she is 13 years old. And she is actually a medical student moonlighting as a tea seller to get some extra cash. Seth sends Ion out to buy some food for her and Esther.
Ion meets Radu Barvon while outside and is shocked, as he thought Radu was dead. Radu still wants to kill Ion but tells him he will wait a little longer to do that as they have bigger plans now. Radu reveals that he and some other Empire nobles plan to assassinate the Empress herself. Radu also tells Ion that Esther actually hates vampires as they killed the nuns at her convent (ROM I). Ion is shaken and thinks Esther will betray him.
Back at the room, an explosion bursts open the door and sends Seth crashing to the floor. Unknown assailants enter the room. Esther tries to save Seth but faints from her injuries. When she wakes up, Abel is already there and Seth is missing. Abel is surprised to hear that a girl called Seth was with Esther but doesn't say anything.
Ion becomes cold towards Esther because of what Radu said.
Esther meets Seth again. Seth now tells Esther she's actually working for the Empress. Esther overhears some vampires talking about the assassination plot and they see and chases after her. Seth fights off the soldiers with astounding ability despite her size and age. Seth yells at Esther to go and find Augusta and tell her what she knows. But Esther gets captured by Baybars and his men and imprisoned in the palace.
Meanwhile Ion learns Augusta Vradica will be visiting a battleship call the Baal Hammon and decides to go there. Ion gets waylaid by Radu and Radu is poised to kill Ion but stops at the last minute. His face contorts and he tells Ion to run away. Turns out Radu did die and the shell of his body is now being controlled by none other than Rozenkreuz's Dietrich von Lohengrin. Radu loses what little will he has to fight against Dietrich's control. When he is about to kill Ion, Augusta and her men appears and takes Ion away as a prisoner.
Astharoshe and Abel walk into a trap. It is really Sulayman who is conspiring with the RKO to kill the Empress. Astharoshe is injured but she and Abel manage to escape.
Ion treats Esther coldly in the palace prison and reveals he knows she hates vampires. But Esther explains to him that she doesn't hate vampires, that just like humans, vampires have good and bad people. Dietrich then causes Ion's bloodlust to surge and his vampiric nature comes out and he wants to suck Esther's blood. He pleads with Esther to run away before he loses control and kills her. He starts crying tears of blood. Esther tells Ion to take her blood. Ion stabs himself in his leg in order to stop himself from killing Esther.
Abel arrives and saves both Esther and Ion.
The four go to court. Sulayman is there with other nobles, wanting to nominate a new Empress. He tells the court that Augusta has been murdered last night by assassins from the outside world. He is shocked when the Empress appears, safe and sound.
Sulayman lies and says he was not the one behind the planned assassination. Another figure dressed like Empress Augusta comes out and tells him he did try to kill her and she lifts her veil. It is Seth. The other 'Augusta' smiles and takes off her wig and long blonde hair spills out. Ion cries out, 'Grandmother?!'
Seth is really the Empress. She and Mirka already knew about Sulayman's plan to kill her and she has anticipated all their moves. Sulayman tries to kill Seth again but ends up being mortally injured. He tells Seth he both hates and loves her. He loves her as she is the symbolic mother to them all but fears her also because she is over 800 years old. He says she is a monster as no one can possibly live that long. Sulayman dies in Seth's arms.
Seth asks where Abel is and realises Abel has gone after Dietrich von Lohengrin. She hurriedly follows with Esther and Astharoshe behind her.
Abel catches up with Dietrich, who is still using Radu's body. Abel activates 80% of his Krusnik powers but is stopped by Dietrich somehow.
Abel collapses and Dietrich is about to kill him. Seth appears and fights him off. She activates 40% of her Krusnik mode and tells Dietrich she is not as soft-hearted as Abel. Dietrich is no match for Seth. Seth fries Radu's body and tells Dietrich she will let him off this time and to run, run, run as far as he can for she will hunt him down one day and punish him for manipulating Radu and Sulayman, her beloved subjects. Dietrich escapes.
Abel sees Seth and says it really is her. That he had long suspected it was her when he first heard that the Empress Vradica is over 800 years old.
Seth smiles and helps Abel to stand and tenderly say to him, 'It's been 900 years, Abel...brother.'
Epilogue
Abel and Esther are leaving the Empire.
Mirka and Ion are talking, and Ion is disgruntled that his own grandmother used him as bait to lure Sulayman and Dietrich. Mirka bullies Ion with a smiling face and Ion turns white when she tells him she will make it up to her dear grandson. Mirka starts laughing merrily (even Baybars, the Empress's guard, is afraid of Mirka!)
Ion finally asks Esther to stay by his side but Esther tells him she can't, as there are things for her to do and find out in the human world. Ion says they will meet again.
Abel and Seth are talking. Seth is dressed as a tea seller again. Seth asks Abel to stay and help her. Abel rejects her request. Seth exclaims with some asperity that it's been over 900 years already, that 'she' (referring to Lilith) would have forgiven Abel.
But Abel replies that he has not forgiven himself.
Seth sighs and says never mind. Abel in the Vatican can also be of help to her. Abel asks her why.
Seth hesitates and finally tells Abel that she has seen 'HIM'. That he has regenerated and is still alive. Abel is stunned to hear her news.
She asks Abel what he will do now. Abel says he will go back and kill 'him'.
ROM III summary:
The book begins where ROM II left off. Abel and Esther are making a journey to the Empire with Ion Fortuna. They're on a secret mission for Caterina Sforza, who wants a letter delivered personally to Empress Augusta Vradica. Ion is developing a serious crush on Esther, and thinks about asking the young nun to stay with him in the Empire.
When the trio reach the Empire, Ion brings them to his grandmother's house. But when they enter Mirka's bedroom, they find it covered with blood. A fire then starts in the house. Empire guards, including Baybars, then come and arrest Ion for murdering his grandmother. Ion protests his innocence and is about to fight the Empire guards when Abel stops him and tells him to run so he can prove that he did not murder his grandmother.
Abel secretly brings Ion and Esther to Astharoshe's house. Astharoshe is irritated to see Abel, but as she considers Abel a friend, she decides to help them. There will be a session in court the next day for Empress Augusta to announce the death of Mirka Fortuna so Astharoshe will disguise Abel as her aide and smuggle him in to see the Empress. We learn that Astharoshe has gained a reputation among her peers as a vampire who 'loves' humans as she has gone out into the human world before (this story is in RAM I, 'From the Empire.')
Astharoshe and Esther take a bath and Astharoshe notices Esther has an unusual birthmark in the shape of a star on the side of her body.
At court, Astharoshe meets another Empire noble, Sulayman, who is even taller than her. Astharoshe seems to respect Sulayman a lot. Also, there are rumors that Empress Augusta is a puppet ruler, as no one has seen her face in hundreds of years. She always speaks to her subjects behind a screen and when she is outside, her face is hidden by a veil.
Meanwhile, Ion and Esther are left alone, but they decide to visit the human sector of the Empire. At a market, they get lost and meet a young girl selling tea. The young girl offers to guide them. Ion doesn't like the girl's cheeky behaviour towards him.
Esther is badly hurt in an explosion, right after Ion spots someone who tells him that Radu is still alive. The young girl appears again and tells Ion if he wants to save Esther, he must follow her.
At the court, the Empress announces that Mirka Fortuna is dead. Suddenly, Radu Barvon appears and accuses Ion of murder. After, Abel manages to sneak into Augusta's private chambers and delivers the letter from Caterina to Augusta. Augusta is angry that a Vatican priest has intruded on her.
But Abel looks at Augusta Vradica and asks, 'Are you really the Empress?'
The young girl brings the two to a room and bandages Esther's wounds. She tells them her name is Seth and she is 13 years old. And she is actually a medical student moonlighting as a tea seller to get some extra cash. Seth sends Ion out to buy some food for her and Esther.
Ion meets Radu Barvon while outside and is shocked, as he thought Radu was dead. Radu still wants to kill Ion but tells him he will wait a little longer to do that as they have bigger plans now. Radu reveals that he and some other Empire nobles plan to assassinate the Empress herself. Radu also tells Ion that Esther actually hates vampires as they killed the nuns at her convent (ROM I). Ion is shaken and thinks Esther will betray him.
Back at the room, an explosion bursts open the door and sends Seth crashing to the floor. Unknown assailants enter the room. Esther tries to save Seth but faints from her injuries. When she wakes up, Abel is already there and Seth is missing. Abel is surprised to hear that a girl called Seth was with Esther but doesn't say anything.
Ion becomes cold towards Esther because of what Radu said.
Esther meets Seth again. Seth now tells Esther she's actually working for the Empress. Esther overhears some vampires talking about the assassination plot and they see and chases after her. Seth fights off the soldiers with astounding ability despite her size and age. Seth yells at Esther to go and find Augusta and tell her what she knows. But Esther gets captured by Baybars and his men and imprisoned in the palace.
Meanwhile Ion learns Augusta Vradica will be visiting a battleship call the Baal Hammon and decides to go there. Ion gets waylaid by Radu and Radu is poised to kill Ion but stops at the last minute. His face contorts and he tells Ion to run away. Turns out Radu did die and the shell of his body is now being controlled by none other than Rozenkreuz's Dietrich von Lohengrin. Radu loses what little will he has to fight against Dietrich's control. When he is about to kill Ion, Augusta and her men appears and takes Ion away as a prisoner.
Astharoshe and Abel walk into a trap. It is really Sulayman who is conspiring with the RKO to kill the Empress. Astharoshe is injured but she and Abel manage to escape.
Ion treats Esther coldly in the palace prison and reveals he knows she hates vampires. But Esther explains to him that she doesn't hate vampires, that just like humans, vampires have good and bad people. Dietrich then causes Ion's bloodlust to surge and his vampiric nature comes out and he wants to suck Esther's blood. He pleads with Esther to run away before he loses control and kills her. He starts crying tears of blood. Esther tells Ion to take her blood. Ion stabs himself in his leg in order to stop himself from killing Esther.
Abel arrives and saves both Esther and Ion.
The four go to court. Sulayman is there with other nobles, wanting to nominate a new Empress. He tells the court that Augusta has been murdered last night by assassins from the outside world. He is shocked when the Empress appears, safe and sound.
Sulayman lies and says he was not the one behind the planned assassination. Another figure dressed like Empress Augusta comes out and tells him he did try to kill her and she lifts her veil. It is Seth. The other 'Augusta' smiles and takes off her wig and long blonde hair spills out. Ion cries out, 'Grandmother?!'
Seth is really the Empress. She and Mirka already knew about Sulayman's plan to kill her and she has anticipated all their moves. Sulayman tries to kill Seth again but ends up being mortally injured. He tells Seth he both hates and loves her. He loves her as she is the symbolic mother to them all but fears her also because she is over 800 years old. He says she is a monster as no one can possibly live that long. Sulayman dies in Seth's arms.
Seth asks where Abel is and realises Abel has gone after Dietrich von Lohengrin. She hurriedly follows with Esther and Astharoshe behind her.
Abel catches up with Dietrich, who is still using Radu's body. Abel activates 80% of his Krusnik powers but is stopped by Dietrich somehow.
Abel collapses and Dietrich is about to kill him. Seth appears and fights him off. She activates 40% of her Krusnik mode and tells Dietrich she is not as soft-hearted as Abel. Dietrich is no match for Seth. Seth fries Radu's body and tells Dietrich she will let him off this time and to run, run, run as far as he can for she will hunt him down one day and punish him for manipulating Radu and Sulayman, her beloved subjects. Dietrich escapes.
Abel sees Seth and says it really is her. That he had long suspected it was her when he first heard that the Empress Vradica is over 800 years old.
Seth smiles and helps Abel to stand and tenderly say to him, 'It's been 900 years, Abel...brother.'
Epilogue
Abel and Esther are leaving the Empire.
Mirka and Ion are talking, and Ion is disgruntled that his own grandmother used him as bait to lure Sulayman and Dietrich. Mirka bullies Ion with a smiling face and Ion turns white when she tells him she will make it up to her dear grandson. Mirka starts laughing merrily (even Baybars, the Empress's guard, is afraid of Mirka!)
Ion finally asks Esther to stay by his side but Esther tells him she can't, as there are things for her to do and find out in the human world. Ion says they will meet again.
Abel and Seth are talking. Seth is dressed as a tea seller again. Seth asks Abel to stay and help her. Abel rejects her request. Seth exclaims with some asperity that it's been over 900 years already, that 'she' (referring to Lilith) would have forgiven Abel.
But Abel replies that he has not forgiven himself.
Seth sighs and says never mind. Abel in the Vatican can also be of help to her. Abel asks her why.
Seth hesitates and finally tells Abel that she has seen 'HIM'. That he has regenerated and is still alive. Abel is stunned to hear her news.
She asks Abel what he will do now. Abel says he will go back and kill 'him'.