The Regrator and The Rooster were both at their wits' end, while Tartaglia still had no grasp of how serious the situation was. Three Harbingers of the Fatui, three men who operated at the level of nations, all standing around fretting over one small girl.
Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the warming room, and a report rang out beyond the door.
"My Lords, three Harbingers! By order of Her Majesty the Empress, every Harbinger currently in Snezhnaya is to assemble!"
"Hm?" Pantalone's brow creased slightly. "Strange. Has something happened?"
"Whatever it is, we go and see Her Majesty the Empress first."
Pulcinella led the way out of the room, issuing orders as he went. "You lot — take good care of this little knight from Mondstadt!"
"Yes, sir!"
Pulcinella nodded and started off, then turned back halfway.
"On second thought, forget it. Send a few women to look after her instead. Don't go frightening the little thing!"
"Understood, my Lord!"
With that, Pulcinella set off ahead of the others for the Zapolyarny Palace.
Pantalone and Tartaglia followed after him.
"Klee, big brother has some business to take care of. Be good and don't wander off, all right?"
"Klee knows!"
Klee sat on her stool, leaning obediently toward the stove for warmth. Only then did Tartaglia let himself be helped out of the warming room by a few Fatui soldiers.
Elsewhere.
The great hall of the Zapolyarny Palace.
There weren't many Harbingers left in Snezhnaya at the moment. The Doctor, The Knave and The Puppet had all gone to Fontaine. The Balladeer had gone to Sumeru and been taken in by Nahida as a doll. The Fair Lady had passed away.
The Captain had been in Natlan for ages and hadn't returned, and The Damselette was away on a mission as well.
So apart from Tartaglia and his two companions, the only one to arrive in the hall was The Jester, Pierro. Pierro was the Empress's lapdog, so he stepped forward first to ask:
"Your Majesty, you have summoned us. Is there some urgent matter you would have us attend to?"
The Tsaritsa sat upon her throne, a trace of anxiety on her face. "That woman has come."
Pierro was thoroughly at a loss. "Wh-which woman?"
Pulcinella and Pantalone broke into a cold sweat on the spot.
They had been talking about Alice only moments ago — and now here she was?!
Pulcinella caught Pantalone's expression and shot him a look back, as if to say — who knows which woman Her Majesty means?
[Author's Note: ...Requesting flowers...]
And just as The Rooster was clinging to that last shred of hope, the Tsaritsa added, "That witch called Alice has already crossed the border!"
"I can feel her presence. What in the world is going on?"
The words landed like a stone, and everyone present drew a sharp breath.
"Alice? That adventurer?!"
Alarm flickered across Pierro's aged face.
As for Pantalone and the others, dread settled over them. The very thing they feared had come knocking.
"Hm? Ajax, why are you back?"
Noticing that Tartaglia was there too, the Tsaritsa was mildly surprised — and she saw how weak he looked, as though he had only just used the Foul Legacy Transformation.
Still breathing hard, Tartaglia was about to explain, but the Empress cut him off.
"Never mind that. What matters now is finding out why that woman has come."
"Deal with her and send her on her way, quickly!"
Pantalone and Pulcinella exchanged a glance.
Who would have thought that even the mighty Tsaritsa herself feared Alice this much!
One mere witch — could she truly stand shoulder to shoulder with a god? The question left them deeply puzzled.
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