My Majesty

Part 1: Coronation

Your name is Feferi Peixes. Today is the day you will be crowned as empress of Alternia.

You have long prepared for this day. Ever since you were a grub, wriggling about in the caverns below the surface of your planet, you knew you were meant to do this. The other grubs looked at your shell, saw the royal purple, and treated you with a reverence you never saw anywhere else. Even to the other sea dwelling trolls, you were a step above their caste. And you never found anyone else like you. Not once. You were the one and only heir to the throne.

After reaching the surface to truly begin your life, you learned of your duties to the troll race. You still had time—the empress at the time still had several sweeps to go, although one look at her and you could tell her time was drawing near. Though you never jumped at the chance to snatch away the throne before your allotted time, never perked up your ears in anticipation when you received word that the empress was doing poorly. It would all happen in due course, and you had no one to worry about stealing your place.

Even abdicating at one point did not hide you from what you owed to society. Playing Sgrub with your other friends of all different bloods and winning back your universe was one thing—going back to being the princess of Alternia was another. It took some time for you to adjust again, to become used to trolls referring to you as "my lady" or "madame". You were Feferi Peixes, though you are not sure what you are now.

Soon the empress's time came, and all the trolls looked to you to step into her place. It was not out of greed or even love that you agreed to take your place at the throne. No, it was something more practical than that, a sort of deep need to keep to your place in society. This was what you are meant to do, and you will fulfill it to your best ability.

Now you are ten solar sweeps, still relatively young for an empress. Though the birth of a new highest-blooded troll always signals the end of a reign, it does not ease the gossip of suddenly having such a young troll fill the shoes of the empress who altered the fabric of society several times in her rule.

Your lusus has plans for you. She will never allow for you to be the subject of gossip, and she knows you will work to achieve great things even within the first few sweeps of your reign. Although you abdicated at one point, you still have the prophecy on your side. You will unite the two races, as it has been said. Two races, highblood and lowblood. Two sides of the spectrum that have been separated for so long.

But as that crown was lifted off of the cushion and onto your swept back black hair, you did not feel that sudden burst of inspiration many leaders often talk about when entrusted with something so important. Some have greatness thrust upon them, you suppose. Although you accept and will carry out what you were meant to do, so you would hardly call it a burden.

You stand and turn to face the others in the hall, which mostly consists of sea trolls and highblood landdwellers. Your hive is now the royal palace, with rooms built above the surface to accommodate special events such as these. A sting darts through your heart as you scan the audience. All nobility here, not one lowblood, not even a teal-blooded troll. Everything in this society has been carefully orchestrated, down to who may view the formal coronation. You hope that one day you may change this to include all trolls, as it was in the distant past.

You smile, the audience claps, and you proceed down the aisle toward the doors at the far end of the room. Your long cape and skirt are heavy on your frame; you miss your short skirt with the tailcoats, it was so much more mobile. Why must you be afflicted with such impractical things when you are the empress?

Two servant trolls quickly open the double doors as you arrive, allowing you out onto the stone balcony to greet your subjects. Cheers and applause float up to you from below, and banners wave and young trolls point. The ban on adult trolls retuning to Alternia has been lifted for this day. You wonder in the back of your mind how many of them were forced to show up and how many genuinely want to be here today.

You stand there, in your heavy crown and flowing cape, waving to the crowd spread out around the palace island. This is only depressing for you, despite your lusus's praises of how great an empress you will one day be. The grandeur seems to cheapen what you are really there for, standing there as proof that no one can be higher than you, that there is an ultimate in the caste system and it is completely unattainable.

But you will not be so passive, not after the previous empress's rule that inspired terror in all that remember it so fresh in their minds.

After greeting the public, you return inside to the rest of the festivities. A grand dinner has been set out in the banquet hall for all those who attended the coronation, with a throne at the end of the table set for you. You pretend it does not bother you to sit so much higher than everyone else.

The dinner commences, with loud toasts being made and heaping platters of food being brought out to the table. You sometimes forget how much trolls can really eat, as you are not accustomed to attending these elaborate parties. The festivals like this in troll society are very rare, as it is illegal to host them for fear of an uprising breaking out again. Today is a rare exception.

Once the first course has been consumed and everyone has had a few drinks, the entertainment arrives. A group of musicians enters and begins to play, a magician attempts his tricks but is jeered out of the hall by the aristocrats, and a few singers come and go. You watch this all with mild amusement, acknowledging the performances when you should.

Finally, a sole performer comes out of the side door to give her presentation. She is thin, ragged looking, but she is draped in silks that are obviously not her own but are more likely her master's, judging by the shackles on her ankles. The music begins to play, an old folk song, and she begins a traditional dance. The hall falls silent for the first time, just watching her move with such perfection and ease. But you only stare with horror in your eyes and a knot in your gut.

It is her.

Your memories of all those years ago come flooding back, the other ten of you, the game you all played, the dangers you survived, and now the universe won back again. Every eye is turned to you before you realized you are screeching for the performance to stop.

Regaining your composure, you stand up, send a haunting glare over those present at the banquet. You step down from your dais and walk up to the girl, who is standing stock still, just looking back at you. She is not afraid, and the nostalgia of those indifferent eyes washes over you, almost knocking you breathless. Four sweeps, and Eridan is the only one you have kept in contact with. Now finally she is here.

You flick your wrist and snap your fingers at the guard. "Remove her chains," you command.

The guard shifts uncomfortably and says, "She's a prisoner, your majesty. Being held for desecrating the late empress's hive. Her trial is tomorrow and—"

"I said remove her chains!" you spit the words out at him like poison. He scurries up to her and unlocks the cuffs on her ankles, running off with them out a side exit.

You turn to face the other attendees. "I am dropping all charges against this troll," you say, ignoring the gasps of surprise, "From now on, she will act as my maidservant, and will answer only to me. There will be no opposition." The chattering hall falls silent again as you hold them all in another glare. You relax. "I believe this banquet is done," you say, smiling, "Thank you all and be on your way!"

As the guests began to file out, bewildered as to what just happened, you turn to your new maidservant and smile softly. "Aradia Megido."

"Feferi Peixes." She does not even bother with formalities. Because out of all of the trolls in the galaxy, she is one of the eleven who should never address you as such.

You extend a hand to her, and she takes it, her expression still a blank. You cannot recall ever seeing true emotion on her face, now that you think about it. "Come on," you say, "Let's get you cleaned up."

This is a three part fic, so I'll be posting the rest as quickly as I can. I started this fic as a crack pairing idea I came up with, but by the time I was done writing it I realized I kind of actually ship them now. Granted, I ship pretty much everything in Homestuck so that's not saying much...

Hope you all enjoyed this first part!