It was a gray dreary day in Ylisse. To most people, it would be a bad thing, but to a certain nervous red haired young woman, it was extremely soothing, even as droplets of rain splattered against the window of the carriage. It wasn't necessarily that she disliked sunlight. It just hurt her eyes and made her feel uncomfortable. Growing up, she came from a more colder region of the continent, so she wasn't quite used to natural warmth.
The woman's skin was a light pale, a result of the rare sunshine that she got back in Regna Ferox. Her hair was short and choppy, with black streaks mixed in with her dark red hair, and her eyes were a crimson red, both an inheritance from her mother. On her body was a thin crimson red deep-v dress that went all the way down to her belly button, revealing a lot of her skin and belly, especially her large breasts, which revealed a lot of cleavage. A simple dark red skirt adorned her lower body, a sash was wrapped around her lower body and skirt, and a red hooded shawl was wrapped around her shoulder, with the hood kept down. She also didn't wear any shoes of any kind, her bare feet below her on the metal floor of the carriage. But the most "unusual" thing about her was a strange birthmark that she had on top of her right breast, concealed with the right strap of her dress. When she had asked her mother about it before, her mother had seemed to get extremely defensive and had ordered her to cover it up with her clothing in public. Ruby had done so ever since, but she always wondered what it meant and why her mother seemed to hate it. It reminded her of the Ylissean Royal Brand, which she was confused about because she was a Feroxian Commoner, a simple dancer girl at that, but she had never asked again after witnessing her mother's strange behavior.
The woman watched the scenery go by with muted interest, occasionally flicking her eyes towards the opposite end of the carriage she was in. She couldn't see him, but she knew the rotund man driving the carriage was just outside the carriage in the driver's seat. She couldn't remember his name. She could usually remember people's names, but right now, all she could think about was how far away from home she was and how unfamiliar her surroundings were. She flicked her eyes towards the wall again. The driver had been nice enough thus far, but she had just talked to him a short time before she had disappeared into the carriage. Normally, she'd be singing right now, but she didn't want to distract herself too much. Besides, between the gentle beating of the rain against the window and the rapid tapping of her finger on the door, she could kind of make out a rhythm. She forced herself to look out the window again.
This was a big step for her, the biggest she'd ever taken. Hiring a carriage driver for such a long drive had been expensive, but it was worth it. Granted, it wasn't technically her money, but she had to get away. She had to leave. She knew that SHE was looking for her, but she wouldn't find her. Maybe someday she would, but not now. Not that there wasn't a part of her that wanted to, but she couldn't. Otherwise, there would be no point to any of this.
As she watched the passing scenery, she found her eyelids growing heavy. She tried to force herself to stay awake, but it was no use. Before long, she found herself drifting off into a dreamless slumber.
"M-Miss? Miss? We've arrived." a voice asked.
The woman scrunched up her face in annoyance, trying to wave off the voice after she'd finally been able to get some sleep.
"Miss?" the voice asked.
She felt someone touch her shoulder. Her eyes shot open instantly and she shrieked, recoiling in panic and frightening the driver, who let out a small yelp as he fell back onto his rear. The young woman's chest heaved rapidly, staring at him with wide frantic eyes. As the shock began to wear off, she realized that they had stopped and the carriage door was open. The carriage driver had just been trying to wake her.
"O-Oh... oh gods! I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." the girl sputtered.
The man just chuckled softly, holding up a hand to reassure her.
"It's alright, it was my fault. I didn't mean to frighten you, Miss." the man said in a polite tone.
He got to his feet, dusting himself off. He offered a hand to help the young woman out, but she just stared at it in uncomfortable silence. The man withdrew his hand, using it to stifle a cough.
"R-Right. Well, we've arrived. Welcome to Ylisstol." the man announced.
"O-Oh... yes. A-Alright." the woman said.
She grabbed her bag and got out, noticeably walking past the driver as quickly as possible. Her face was bright red with embarrassment.
"U-Um... thank you. For the drive, I mean." the woman said.
"No need to thank me, Miss. It's my job, after all. I do hope the trip was pleasant for you." the man said.
The girl bit her lip and nodded silently. She supposed it had been a comfortable drive, despite her nervousness.
"Well then, thank you for your patronage, Miss Ruby. Do feel free to request my services again, should the need arise." the man said.
"O-Oh... I will, um..." Ruby started to say.
"Kirb, Miss." the man said.
"Right... Kirb. Thank you. A-And I'm sorry for the trouble." Ruby muttered, scratching her cheek nervously.
"No trouble at all, I assure you. You have yourself a wonderful day." Kirb said.
He started to get back on top of the carriage, only to stop and turn towards her again.
"By the way... do I... know you from somewhere?" Kirb asked.
Ruby frowned and thought for a moment, before shaking her head.
"No, I don't think so." Ruby replied.
"Huh... I see." Kirb muttered.
The man shrugged.
"My mistake. Well, Goodbye, Miss Ruby." Kirb said.
With a tip of his hat, the carriage driver got back onto the carriage and drove off. The girl gave an awkward wave as he left and turned a corner, disappearing from sight. With a small sigh, she turned around and looked out on the plain that she had been dropped off at. Her jaw practically fell off her face when she saw Ylisstol in the distance. The rain had stopped, but the dark clouds remained. But even that didn't take away from Ylisstol's splendor. It was a truly gorgeous city of brick and stone, with a sturdy turreted castle perched atop a low-slung bluff. It made the redhead catch her breath, but then she remembered to breathe and exhaled sharply.
"O-Okay... I can... do this. I can do this!" Ruby muttered to herself.
She took out a scroll from a pouch she had on her. Growing up, Ruby had never known her father. When she had asked her mother, she seemed to get just as defensive towards her daughter as she did when she had asked about her brand, so Ruby never asked again in order to avoid getting yelled at. So it was just the two of them in their village. However, she had one night snuck into her mother's room when she was out for the night and found an old scroll hidden in a desk drawer. Upon looking at it, Ruby noticed that it was a transcript of her mother's past jobs, no doubt needed for when she got her new job in the village as a maid to the local lord and his wife. However, she had been surprised to read that her mother had once been a maid at Castle Ylisstol, before suddenly quitting and just uprooting herself from her home nation to live many miles away. In fact, according to the paper, her mother had quit being a maid about a month before she knew she was pregnant with her. Figuring that maybe someone at the palace might have been her father or at least knew who he could be, no matter how unlikely, Ruby made a plan to leave the village and travel to Ylisstol. Breaking into her mother's safe, she grabbed enough gold to secure a passage to the city, and then grabbed the transcript and enough food and water to last the trip, before disappearing into the night.
It had been five days since then.
Closing the transcript, Ruby took another deep breath and entered Ylisstol. Upon entering it, she was highly surprised to see the state of the city. She thought her village was bustling, but the crowds of nobles and commoners alike in the streets of the capital city going every possible way made her dizzy. Figuring roughly how to get to the castle, she passed the Western Gatehouse. The simple two to three story plebeian buildings and businesses near the gates soon gave way to bustling street markets and five story tall nobles' mansions lining both sides of the ceremonial main street that led to a gentle slope that curved around the bluff up to the castle gate. Just seeing the palace made Ruby's stomach knot up. If things went well, she knew that she'd be in the presence of Exalt Iniabi, Queen Cynthia, and Queen Idoun. If not and there was some sort of problem, well... Ruby felt sick thinking of what could happen. As she walked, Ruby noticed that many of the people around her gave her looks as she passed, their gazes directed at her body. The redheaded dancer realized that she was pretty exposed in her outfit, which left little for the eyes to imagine, and she shivered and crossed her arms around her belly, her cheeks bright red as she noticed some of the men smirking hungrily at her.
Picking up her pace, Ruby practically ran to the castle gates, where she felt safe to slow her pace. Coming to a stop, Ruby gawked at the castle. Up close, it was even more impressive than when she had been in the city. It loomed over her and everything else like a giant. It was all somewhat foreign to the girl. In her twenty three years of life, she'd left her village maybe five times total, if not less. And even then, she had never went more than ten miles in the snow and cold. She shook the thought of awe away, knowing she could wait until a later time to just stand there studying the castle, and started to approach the front gate, before pausing again. A chilly breeze made the girl shudder slightly, but not much, even with how much skin she had exposed. Growing up in Ferox, she had become accustomed to colder weather, so a simple breeze didn't do much to bother her. The young woman clutched at her right strap nervously as she stood before her destination. Now that she was actually here, her anxiety was returning in full force. She felt her chest tightening, her breaths growing short and ragged.
"What am I doing here? What am I thinking?" Ruby wondered.
Maybe there was still time to find Kirb and get him to bring her back to her village. Ruby shook her head, grit her teeth, and strode forward. She'd prove herself wrong. She could do this. She was an adult, for crying out loud. However, as she was just outside the castle gate, she found herself hesitating once again. What if she got turned away and was unable to get inside? Why wouldn't they? She was little more than a stranger, a common dancer, to those inside. And they were strangers to her, too. A lump began to form in the girl's throat. She didn't know anyone here.
So what had brought her here, of all places?
She wasn't sure why, but something about the stories she heard of Iniabi had always caused her to feel weird. Sure, she knew that was a caring ruler to the people, and loving to his wives, Cynthia and Idoun, and children, Marth, Sayvra, Iona, and Adrian, but something about Iniabi always just caused her to feel a weird feeling in her gut. It was like she just HAD to meet him, to grow close to him. Or perhaps because she knew this was the one place her mother would never look for her. Still, she couldn't bring herself to talk to the guards stationed in front of the gate. She just stood there trembling, beads of sweat forming on her forehead, despite the chill in the air. She was far away from home, in the capitol of Ylisse, which she'd never been to before, about to request permission to enter Castle Ylisstol itself. About to just... barge into the lives of those inside. Ruby started to feel herself get a panic attack, but managed to calm herself just enough to approach the guards outside the gate.
"E-Excuse me?" Ruby asked.
The guards turned to her.
"Is something the matter, Miss?" one of the guards asked.
Ruby became flustered.
"O-Oh, nothing, r-really. I just... m-might I have permission to come inside? I have t-to speak to y-your leader. It's really important." Ruby asked.
"Do you have appointed business with Exalt Iniabi?" the second guard asked.
Ruby shook her head.
"N-No." Ruby replied.
"Then I'm sorry, but we cannot allow you access inside." the first guard said.
Ruby started to feel another panic attack coming up, but managed to suppress it. The girl started to reach a fumbling hand towards the scroll.
"B-But if you could just let me talk to him, I can..." Ruby started to say.
"Again, little miss, unless if you have appointed business in the castle, we cannot let you inside." the first guard said.
"P-Please, don't..." Ruby started to plead.
"What's going on over here?" a voice asked.
Ruby could have sworn that her heart stopped for a brief moment, time seemingly moving in slow motion as someone walked up to them. And then, there he was. Standing before her in a famously recognized well-worn tactician's outfit that had been adopted as a royal outfit, his dark blue hair unmistakable.
The Exalt, Iniabi Willows.
He hadn't changed much from his younger years. He had a few more wrinkles under his eyes and a faint scruff on his chin, but even at 34, he still looked fairly young. He laid eyes on the girl standing before him and smiled friendly towards her.
"Hello there, Miss." Iniabi greeted.
Ruby gave a small wave, a tiny nervous smile creeping across her face.
"H-Hi, M-Milord." Ruby mumbled.
She could only bear to look him in the eye for a brief moment, before staring at the ground, fidgeting awkwardly.
"I-I, um..." Ruby started to say nervously.
She shrank back a bit. The redhead opened her mouth to speak, but then quickly shut it tightly. She hadn't actually thought about what she was going to say when she got here, most especially to the Exalt himself. Conversation did not come easy to Ruby. She swallowed.
"I... I..." Ruby started to say.
"Milord, this young woman requests access to the castle, but she never made an appointment of any kind. If you want, we will..." the second guard started to say.
Iniabi shook his head.
"No need for that, men. I've said this many times before. The castle is for everyone to enjoy, not just the nobility. Whatever this woman wants, I'm sure it's important." Iniabi said.
The second guard bowed his head.
"My apologies, Milord." the second guard said.
Iniabi nodded and turned to Ruby.
"Come follow me." Iniabi ordered.
The guards opened the gate for them, and Iniabi and Ruby walked inside. As they walked through the halls of the castle, servants and soldiers passing them and giving a quick greeting to Iniabi as they did, Iniabi glanced at Ruby.
"Sooo... what brings you here?" Iniabi asked.
He glanced behind her, noticing no one accompanying her.
"I-I, uh... I don't know." Ruby replied.
Iniabi raised an eyebrow at Ruby, perplexed at the dancer girl. He scanned her body briefly and noticed her appearance. Her revealing form and clothing, her withdrawn posture, and the bag with her.
"What's your name?" Inaibi asked.
Ruby briefly glanced up at the blue haired man, before looking back down.
"R-Ruby, sir." Ruby replied.
"Okay. Ruby, did you... come here alone?" Iniabi asked gently.
Ruby let out a quiet whimper. She couldn't look at the man before her. He didn't want her here, she knew it. This was his home, his life. She didn't belong here. Ruby stopped walking and could feel her chest tightening up again. She began noticeably trembling in apprehension and Iniabi stopped, his brow furrowed with concern.
"Ruby, are you..." Iniabi asked.
"I-I'm sorry! I'll go." Ruby blurted out suddenly, squeezing her eyes shut.
"W-Wait!" Iniabi ordered, reaching out and gently grasping her wrist as she turned away.
"Ah!" Ruby yelped.
She quickly yanked her arm free, as though his touch had burned her. Iniabi looked at the frightened girl with a mixture of confusion and sympathy on his face. Ruby simply stood trembling, her red pupils contracted into tiny pinpricks. She swallowed and took a deep breath to calm herself. Eventually, she straightened herself as best as she could, staring at the ground as she clutched her wrist.
"I'm sorry." Ruby said softly.
"N-No, don't apologize." Iniabi said.
He sighed softly, scratching the back of his head. He mentally cursed himself for being so forceful with the girl. She was clearly on edge.
"Listen, um... would you like to sit down?" Iniabi asked.
Ruby opened her mouth to speak, but once again, nothing came out. She bit her lip and looked off to the side in consideration.
"I-I, ah.." Ruby started to replied.
The woman forced herself to look up at the Exalt. Her refusal died on her lips as her gaze met his green eyes. So kind and accepting. He wasn't telling her to sit down, but was inviting her. Ruby took a deep breath and forced down her doubts.
"Y-Yes. Thank you." Ruby replied.
A small smile appeared on Iniabi's face and he stepped aside to let her into a certain room. Ruby hesitated a brief moment, taking one last look over her shoulder, before taking a step inside. The first thing that struck Ruby was just how spacious the room was. As she glanced around the room, wringing her hands, she couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed by it all. The high ceiling dwarfed her, but the room was well-lit, the walls a pleasant beige color, the furnishings simple yet inviting. It was a far cry from a more lavishly-decorated theme she had been expecting to see in a castle. For furniture, the room held a dark brown L-shaped sofa that looked quite soft. Sitting before that was a glass-topped coffee table that held a valuable-looking vase on it, and on the opposite wall was a series of cabinets.
"So, uh... welcome." Iniabi greeted, snapping the girl out of her daze.
Ruby jumped slightly, as though she had forgotten he was there.
"This room isn't much, but if common guests come over, I wanted to have a more simpler room that they'd feel comfortable with." Iniabi explained.
Ruby smiled.
"N-No... it's really nice. I, um... I'm sorry about just showing up like this." Ruby said.
"No worries. The castle's always open to guests." Iniabi said, waving his hand dismissively.
"Iniabi?" a voice asked from the hallway.
A moment later, Cynthia and Idoun entered the room. While Idoun hadn't looked like she'd aged in the slightest since marrying Iniabi, Cynthia had grown older, but still looked lively for being in her mid-thirties. She was still strikingly pretty, her skin near-flawless, her body having taken much after her mother. Ruby immediately bowed.
"M-Milady Cynthia. M-Milady I-Idoun." Ruby greeted nervously.
Cynthia giggled and pulled Ruby to her feet.
"No need for that, honey. Just call me Queen Cynthia. No need for "Milady", alright?" Cynthia asked gently.
Ruby nodded shakily. Meanwhile, Idoun's eyes were narrowed at the girl. She turned to Iniabi.
"Iniabi? Might I see you and Cynthia in the hallway please?" Idoun asked.
Iniabi nodded and excused himself to Ruby. He, Cynthia, and Idoun left the room. Ruby just watched in silent confusion, her heart pounding slightly.
Once out in the hallway, Idoun narrowed her eyes at Iniabi.
"So... what's going on, Iniabi? Who's that?" Idoun asked calmly.
"Her name is Ruby. She showed up here about a few minutes ago, needing to speak with me on something. About what, I... I don't know. I'm going to find out. Just... if either of you two talk to her, please, be nice to her. She's... a bit on edge." Iniabi replied.
Idoun raised an eyebrow before taking a glance at the girl. Thankfully, she was looking down at the ground, so she didn't seem to notice the dragon queen. She noticed the tense posture, the awkward shuffling, and the occasional twitch of her eye. Quite frankly, 'on edge' was a huge understatement. Cynthia noticed it too, and the two rival wives turned back to Iniabi.
"Iniabi, is there... something wrong with her?" Cynthia asked.
Iniabi opened his mouth to respond, but in truth, he had no idea. Really, he didn't know much about the girl at all.
"Look, just let me worry about it, okay?" Iniabi asked.
He gave a reassuring smile.
"Now, come on. I'll introduce you." Iniabi rodered.
Idoun sucked her teeth in consideration, but then let out a small sigh.
"Fine. But I swear, if you just brought a thief into the palace..." Idoun started to say.
"Idoun, she's not a thief." Iniabi said.
Taking her and Cynthia by the hand, he led his two wives back into the room.
"Ruby?" Iniabi asked.
"I DIDN'T TOUCH ANYTHING!" Ruby yelped.
She jumped back from the picture she'd been examining, only to back into the vase on the table, making it wobble. She discretely grabbed it to steady it, before tucking her hands behind her back and giving a sheepish grin. Iniabi shared an aside glance with Cynthia and Idoun, before clearing his throat.
"R-Right... well, I wanted to introduce you to my wives." Iniabi introduced.
"Idoun." Idoun greeted, forcing a smile as she extended her hand in greeting.
Ruby looked at the outstretched hand as though it were some sort of space alien. Her eyes flicked from Idoun's hand to her face, then back to her hand, then to her face once more before finally settling on her hand. Slowly and awkwardly, Ruby raised a trembling hand and lightly grasped the ends of the Manakete's fingers, giving her hand what could only charitably be referred to as a shake.
"R-Ruby. Call me... Ruby." Ruby mumbled.
Idoun cocked an eyebrow and Ruby quickly withdrew her hand.
"O-Or not! Call me whatever you want!" Ruby said with a nervous forced laugh.
"Oooookay." Idoun murmured under her breath.
Iniabi elbowed her slightly. Idoun coughed, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"W-Well, it's nice to meet you, Ruby." Idoun greeted.
Cynthia smiled at Ruby.
"And I'm Cynthia. You already know me." Ruby greeted.
"Y-Yeah. Yeah, I do." Ruby said, scratching her cheek.
Cynthia took a moment to examine the young woman standing before her. It really was uncanny... were she to clean herself up a bit, she would nearly be a dead ringer for... no, that couldn't be. She hadn't been around in Ylisstol or Ylisse for many years, and she was already an adult two decades earlier. Surely, this couldn't be her child or relative, right?
"Anyway... I was just about to have some tea put on. Would you like some?" Idoun asked.
Ruby seemed to perk up a bit at that. She did like tea, since it helped her calm her nerves.
"Do you... have chamomile?" Ruby asked.
"Of course. Do you take honey or sugar?" Idoun asked.
"Oh, um... honey, please. Sugar makes me jittery." Ruby replied.
Idoun nodded.
"Alright, I'll go get a servant to prepare the tea and be back in a bit. Make yourself at home, Ruby." Idoun said with a smirk.
She left the room. Iniabi chuckled slightly.
"Sorry about that. Idoun can be a bit rough around the edges. She had a hard life before she became a Queen of Ylisse, but she means well." Iniabi said.
"N-No no... she's nice." Ruby said, with a small genuine smile on her face.
"So... would you like to sit down?" Cynthia asked, gesturing towards the couch.
Ruby looked over at the couch for several seconds, and then back to the Exalt and Queen with a somewhat uncertain expression on her face.
"Is... is that alright?" Ruby asked as she fiddled with the left strap of her dress.
"Well, yeah. Like Idoun said, make yourself at home." Iniabi replied.
For some reason, the Exalt's kind smile calmed Ruby somewhat. She gave a small nod and shuffled around to the front of the couch. To her delight, she found that the couch was exactly as soft and comfortable as it looked. The moment her rear end touched the cushion, she couldn't help but give a blissful sigh and settle back against it, sprawling out her revealing body, and bare legs and feet slightly. She knew it was rude to get so comfortable in a castle, but she was tired. Iniabi and Cynthia made sure to sit on the opposite end of the couch, with Cynthia cuddling against Iniabi by reclining on his chest, so as not to disturb her. It was clear that she didn't like to be too close to others, let alone be touched. For some time, none of the three said anything, and Iniabi took a moment to study the girl. He was absolutely perplexed as to what have possibly brought her here, of all places. Ruby seemed like a nice girl, and a dancer from what her attire suggested due to his memories of Olivia before her retirement as a dancer, but there were definitely some problems with her. She seemed afraid of her own shadow and had probably never left her village, which could be Naga knew where.
And yet... for some reason, Ruby had come here.
Cynthia had the same thoughts as her husband. The two shared a brief look, before facing Ruby.
"So, Ruby... how's your family?" Cynthia asked.
"Oh, it's... just been me and my Mom. But she... she's good." Ruby replied.
Iniabi and Cynthia could see the girl's relaxed expression fade slightly as soon as Cynthia had mentioned family. The two could see her hand tense up slightly before releasing, her bare legs beginning to bounce anxiously. Those were little things that most wouldn't take note of, but Iniabi's sharp-honed senses from his heritage, combined with his and Cynthia's line of work, had made them both incredibly perceptive of small details. Iniabi let out a small sigh, leaning forward and folding his hands together between his knees.
"Ruby... your mother... doesn't know you're here, does she?" Iniabi asked.
Ruby didn't even need to speak for his suspicions to be confirmed. Her expression said enough. She looked downcast, biting her lip so hard that Iniabi could both swear that she would draw blood. Her hands were balled tightly into fists in her lap, and it looked like her shoulders were trembling.
"Ruby, look. You don't need to tell me anything you don't want to. But I'd like to help you if I can." Iniabi said in a quiet gentle tone.
Ruby hesitated for a few moments, running her tongue across her dry lips.
"I, um..." Ruby choked out, barely louder than a whisper.
She forced herself to look up, her red eyes meeting Iniabi's green and Cynthia's gray.
"I had to get away. At... at least for a little bit." Ruby said.
The young woman shut her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I'm... I'm sorry I just turned up like this." Ruby said.
Cynthia pursed her lips, giving a small nod of understanding.
"You don't need to apologize. But, if you don't mind me asking... why here?" Cynthia asked.
Ruby tensed up again and looked away, her face scrunching up slightly in regret.
"I-I can go..." Ruby started to reply.
Cynthia sighed.
"No, I didn't mean it like that. We don't mind you being here, but... why here of all places? Don't you have any family? Older siblings? Relatives? Friends? Anyone?" Cynthia asked.
Ruby frowned, nervously rubbing at her arm.
"I... don't have anyone. And... I needed to go somewhere Mom wouldn't look for me." Ruby replied simply.
Before Iniabi and Cynthia could press them further, Ruby glanced up at the entrance to the room, raising her eyebrows slightly in surprise. The two followed her gaze to see a young girl peeking out from behind the corner. Iniabi smiled warmly.
"Iona! Come here for a second, will you?" Iniabi asked.
Iona gave a small sheepish nod and slowly made her way over, before running to her father's side. She seemed to be hiding behind the armrest slightly as she stared at the unfamiliar woman.
"Ruby, this is my and Idoun's daughter, Iona. Iona, this is Ruby." Iniabi introduced.
Ruby face seemed to light up slightly. She looked at the younger girl, smiling sweetly.
"Hello, Iona. It's nice to meet you." Ruby greeted.
"H-Hello." Iona greeted quietly, tucking herself a little further behind her father.
The resemblance to Idoun was easy to see. She looked like a child version of her mother, with some obvious distinctions. She had her mother's lilac purple hair color in a similar hairstyle, and had both her and her father's light skin. Like her mother, Idoun was also heterochromic, but her eye colors were inverted and slightly different from her mother. Her left eye was light red, while her right eye was green like her mother's left eye, except her shade of green was darker, like her father's. Ruby couldn't see her ears because they were covered by two small sheets of cloth that hung down her hair, but she didn't press the child on the matter. On her body was a small light purple dress, with a small light purple cloak and hood over it. Two golden bracelets adorned her wrists, while some sort of glowing blue stone she had never seen before was attached to a necklace hung from her neck. And like Ruby noticed with Idoun and herself, Iona didn't have any footwear on, her small bare feet sinking into the carpeted floor.
"You're very cute." Ruby said.
Iniabi and Cynthia were surprised at the complete shift in demeanor. Her nervousness seemed to all but disappear, and the smile on her face was steady and unwavering. Iona, however, withdrew further, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks.
"T-T-Thank you." Iona whispered.
She turned to her father and tugged his sleeve.
"Where's Mama?" Iona asked.
"Most likely in the kitchen. She said she was going to..." Iniabi started to reply.
Before he could finish, the half-dragon girl had already dashed off. Iniabi could only give a small laugh.
"Well, that's Iona. She's a bit shy, unlike her little brother and older siblings." Iniabi said.
Ruby giggled.
"That's okay. She's adorable. How, um... how old is she?" Ruby asked.
"Seven." Iniabi replied.
Cynthia smiled at Ruby.
"You like kids, huh?" Cynthia asked.
"I do. I always used to want a little brother or sister, but..." Ruby started to reply.
She trailed off, her expression growing somewhat wistful. Iniabi looked at the dancer with a sympathetic expression.
"I'm sorry. Your home life... must have been lonely." Iniabi said.
Ruby nodded slowly, fiddling with her right strap a bit. Iniabi thought he caught a glimpse of the Exalted Brand on her right breast, but pushed the thought away due to there being no possible way she could be part of the Exalted bloodline.
"Mom... works a lot. B-But... she tries. She really does." Ruby said.
She bit her lip and swallowed.
"It's just... I-I don't make it easy for her, you know." Ruby said.
"What do you..." Cynthia started to ask.
Just then, Idoun returned to the room, with a servant accompanying her and carrying a tray. Two steaming cups of tea sat upon it, as well as a small plate of biscotti. Granted, chamomile tea wasn't really the best accompaniment for biscotti, but Idoun had figured the girl could use something to eat, so when having the servant prepare the tea, she requested for the biscotti to be included as well. The servant set the tray down on the coffee table and left.
"Here you go. Careful... it's still hot." Idoun said.
"T-Thank you, Queen Idoun." Ruby said.
Idoun smiled and nodded at her.
"Anyway, I need to get the castle staff started on dinner. Is it safe to say you'll be joining us, Ruby?" Idoun asked.
"Um..." Ruby murmured.
She glanced at her Cynthia in uncertainty. The white haired woman gave her a warm smile in return.
"She will." Cynthia replied.
"I-If it's not too much trouble, that is." Ruby added, wringing her hands slightly.
Idoun simply nodded.
"It's not. I'll see you then, okay?" Idoun asked.
She exchanged a brief glance with Cynthia before leaving the room again, her expression hard to read even for her or Iniabi. Ruby took one of the cups, blowing on it a few times before taking a small sip. It was good, with just the right amount of honey to not overpower the chamomile. She shut her eyes and let out a small sigh as the warmth spread through her body, comforting her somewhat. For some time, there was silence between the three, though not as tense as it had been before. In fact, Ruby felt strangely peaceful, even in such unfamiliar surroundings. Perhaps more peaceful than her own home.
"Um... Exalt Iniabi? Queen Cynthia?" Ruby asked.
"Yeah?" Iniabi asked.
"I, uh... thank you. For... for putting up with me, I mean." Ruby replied.
Cynthia smiled softly.
"You don't need to thank me or my husband for anything." Cynthia said.
Ruby shook her head.
"I do. I know I'm kind of... you know... a mess." Ruby said.
She bit her lip slightly and averted her eyes.
"Sorry. I just needed to be in my right mind today." Ruby said.
Iniabi drummed his fingers against his knees in thought. He'd been trying not to press the girl too hard, but now she seemed to be more receptive. He glanced at Cynthia, who motioned to Ruby with her head and nodded at him. She felt the same as he did.
"Why did you need to leave?" Iniabi asked.
Ruby hesitated a moment, her eyes focused on nothing in particular.
"I... love my mother. But sometimes she's just... she..." Ruby started to reply.
The dancer trailed off.
"Does she, um... does she hit you?" Iniabi asked.
Ruby's eyes shot wide open.
"NO! I-I mean... no... no, not any..." Ruby started to reply, louder than she had intended.
The redhead caught herself before finishing that thought. She hunkered down slightly, suddenly looking very small.
"She hasn't. She doesn't. She... she's good to me." Ruby replied.
Iniabi and Cynthia were both far from convinced. Iniabi looked at the girl with a furrowed brow and narrowed eyes, trying to read her expression, but she wouldn't look at him or Cynthia. He remembered when he'd grasped her wrist earlier, the way she'd panicked at even the slightest touch, and the look of utter fear in her eyes. Of course, he couldn't be sure, but it was definitely troubling. He might not have known the girl, but she was someone in need of help. Cynthia leaned in and whispered something inaudible to Ruby in Iniabi's ear. The dark blue haired man nodded, and he and Cynthia stood up.
"Sit tight, Ruby. We... have to take care of something real quick." Iniabi ordered.
"O-Oh... um, alright." Ruby muttered.