A/N: Here it is chapter two~!
~Reviews~
KingMaverick: The rabbit is supposed to be the rabbit that you sometimes see Rein with in the anime. My personal headcanon is that it's a gift from Oswald. The rabbit character is a popular character in Oswald's kingdom.
As for Oswald's name I gave it to him since it means "Divine Ruler" and I wanted something like that for his name. Since his kingdom was said to be ruled by a god and demon overlord I felt it would be fitting.
Glad you enjoyed their interactions~! Oswald deserves better, but I'm here to cause suffering lololol
Rumor's great, but somewhat irresponsible. He does his best though.
I didn't show it here since this was more to be focused on Oswald who sort of blanked after seeing the happy family, but maybe I'll write a oneshot of a more detailed scene of when Fine and Rein were born because at some point Rumor definitely tries to wrestle Fine out of Truth's arms so he can have a turn holding her too.
And you'll have to read to find out the answers to those questions~!
Guest (from Ch 1): No idea what you're talking about? Can you tell me what anime you think this is from? Because I didn't base this off of any anime. If you're talking about Pandora Hearts because of the name and rabbit plush then one, I got the name Oswald because I wanted a name that had a fitting meaning since he's from a kingdom said to have been ruled by a god and overlord and in the process I found Oswald which means "Divine Ruler". Oswald doesn't even act anything like the one from Pandora Hearts.
As for the rabbit plush Rein has one in canon that you see every once in a while in the anime. My personal headcanon is that it's a gift from her uncle Oswald which is why he's gifting it to her. The coincidences were unintentional. Besides those two things nothing about the plot resembles Pandora Hearts.
If you meant another anime then I assure you it was also unintentional because I don't see any resemblance between this and anything I've seen at all. Whenever I take inspiration or base a story off of something I've seen or read I typically mention the titles or ask people to guess what I took inspiration from for fun.
I don't know if you meant anything malicious by saying this, but by the way it's worded it sounded like it so I'd like to please ask you to not make accusations like that. I worked hard on this story using my own ideas and my own headcanons and fan OCs for this series and it's disheartening that you think these ideas are stolen. And I'm sure you've seen that I am not the first person, nor do I think I will be the last, who based a story off of another anime/manga/etc. People do it all the time not just in this fandom, but in others. People are having fun and comments like that are discouraging and frankly uneeded.
If you didn't mean anything bad by it it would've been better if you coupled that comment with a real review. Not just leave a "hey this is stolen" then leave.
Chapter Two
A Love Turned to Ash
Oswald arrived to the Sunny Kingdom way before the twins' birthday, but in this case it was a blessing he did. He saw Elsa, Fine, and the twins' handmaiden, Camelot, running up to him the second he stepped foot into the palace.
"Brother dearest! Thank the gods you're here!" Elsa was out of breath.
"What's wrong?" Oswald asked, already fearing the worst.
"It's...it's Rein! She's...she's using magic like yours!" Elsa said.
"What!?" Oswald screamed. "Where is she?"
"Over here!" Elsa and Camelot led Oswald to the ballroom's entrance. Hey could get no closer than that as inside the ballroom was utter chaos. Wine glasses, food, tables, and various other things were flying around the room in a violent vortex. Some people where inside on the floor, including Truth who was fruitlessly trying to calm the person in the heart of the wind vortex, Rein.
Rein was screaming and crying, throwing a temper tantrum that was clearly summoning the large vortex.
"What happened!?" Oswald asked.
"Her father was going to go out hunting today and Rein said she wanted to go to. Truth and I said she couldn't and soon she began crying that she wanted to go. Of course...Truth and I scolded her and soon she began screaming and crying even more and then...I was barely able to get myself and Fine out of there, but Rein won't calm down and Truth and some of the servants are trapped...!"
Oswald sighed and ran into the ballroom. Using his own magic he was able to halt the vortex and place everything down gently. Using his own powers he suppressed Rein's, but it didn't stop her sobbing and screaming.
Oswald ran up to her and began to comfort her.
"Rein, my darling girl, I know how much you'd like to spend time with your father, but your parents are only worried about you. It's far too dangerous for you to go hunting with him." Oswald cooed. "Why don't you spend some time with your dear Uncle Oswald, hm? I'd very much appreciate the company."
Rein soon calmed down and nodded. Although to everyone else it looked like an amazing feat to calm down Princess Rein, in reality Oswald cheated a little...
The strongest form of magic he knew was mind manipulation and although he didn't want to use it on Rein he knew it would be better to calm her down quickly so he could get a proper reading on her magic prowess.
He simply subtly introduced to Rein's mind that she had a desire to spend all day with her dear uncle.
Oswald scooped Rein into his arms and gave Truth a look that said, 'I'll handle this.' before going back to where Elsa and Fine where.
"Does Fine know how to do that as well?" Oswald asked.
"Not...to that extent..." Elsa said. "She's thrown temper tantrums before, but nothing like that ever happened. She can make smoke puffs like I could when I was younger...but she never caused so much chaos! Rein never did either until today, normally she just makes big and colorful bubbles appear, but those were harmless!"
"Hmmm..." Oswald nodded. If Rein could cause such a stir with a temper tantrum then it was proof that she had more magic than her mother believes. Perhaps in front of Elsa all she made was bubbles, but in secret...
"Why don't you and Fine go see if Truth's not too shaken up. I'm gong to spend some quality time with Rein." Elsa nodded in understand and carried Fine over to where Truth was with Camelot in tow.
"Isn't Fine coming with us?" Rein asked.
"Umm...not right now, darling, maybe later, right now it's time for you and I to spend some quality time!"
Oswald had a servant show him to a private room. He then dismissed them and started talking to Rein.
"Rein my darling, your mother says you can make pretty bubbles. Would you show your uncle?" Oswald smiled.
"Yeah!" Rein nodded eagerly. Outstretching her hands she made bubbles appear out of thin air. Some were normal sized and clear, others were larger and were an assortment of colors.
Oswald held some in his hands, indeed they weren't dangerous as Elsa said. Not burning to touch nor did they seem to be made of acid. Just normal bubbles.
"Lovely!" Oswald clapped. "Can you do anything else?"
"That's a twin secret!" Rein replied.
"Does that mean Fine knows if you can or not?" Oswald asked.
Rein nodded.
"And are you sure you can't let your Uncle Oswald know?" Oswald asked.
Rein shook her head. "Twin secret!"
"Aww~! Pretty please Rein! I'll show you somethings I can do if you show me some things you can do."
"You can make bubbles too!?" Rein asked excitedly.
"I can make more than bubbles darling." Oswald summoned up some water and put on a little show for Rein.
Rein clapped as he finished. "Wow! What else can you do?"
"I'll show you if you show me what you can do."
"But..."
"Please! I'm sure Fine won't mind if you show me a little bit. I promise I won't tell anyone!"
"...Okay..." Rein relented. Rein began to conjure up fire, but unlike her mother's hers was blazing, Oswald could feel the heat from where he was sitting and soon that flame started growing larger and judging by Rein's face, larger than she intended.
Luckily Oswald used his own magic to suppress Rein's so it wouldn't go out of hand. He took Rein's hands in his.
"How wonderful!" He said. He continued to compliment her as he kept holding her hands, using a technique to get a good read on her magic prowess.
Her magic wasn't as strong as his, but it was definitely strong. Not only that, but it seemed like it was mixed with a power that couldn't be found in the NoirBlanc Kingdom.
A power that was surely unique to the Sunny Royal Blood.
Before he let go of Rein's hands he pressed down on Rein's palms using his thumbs, putting a suppressant on her magic. She could still use it, it just wouldn't be as dangerous anymore.
"As promised I'll show you a bit more of what I can do." Oswald proceeded to make the items in the room dance as he willed. And Rein very much enjoyed the show. She was unable to use magic as skillfully as her uncle so this was a real treat to see.
After the show was over he arranged everything neatly back into place.
"What do you say we go see your sister now?" He asked.
"Yeah!"
When they found Fine they were shocked to see not only Elsa, but Truth too.
"Didn't you have a hunting trip?" Oswald asked.
"Ah, well, something came up..." Truth said.
"Girls...why not go play together in your room? Your father and I have to speak with my brother."
"But uncle said he wanted me to keep him company!" Rein huffed. Her parents were already fearing another chaotic outburst.
"Rein, I'll be right there as soon as your parents are done talking to me alright?" Oswald said. Rein nodded and Fine took her hand ushering her to their room.
The three sat down in a parlor room. Elsa and Truth looked at Oswald, indicating that he should begin.
"Rein's magic...is powerful indeed. But even for such power it shouldn't go berserk like that." Oswald calmly informed.
"Then why did it?" Truth demanded.
"It's mixing with a magic from your family's blood I'm guessing. I sensed two different magics within her. One that clearly surfaced from our blood, and the other I'm guessing came from yours brother-in-law."
"But that power can only be bestowed by the blessing itself..."
"Brother-in-law, I can come up with two possibilities for you. One: she has been bestowed that power recently...or perhaps it's two: you've been lied to your whole life and this isn't a power bestowed, it's one you're born with and it's simply kept in check by making you believe you don't have it." Oswald looked at him with a smile, dangerously close to becoming a smirk.
Truth frowned. Neither possibility sounded good to him. If it was the first one that means the blessing is weakening as they feared.
If it was the second one then he would have to admit that their entire family history was a farce...
Yes...admit.
Because Oswald was right.
It was a secret Truth did not find out until he took the throne however.
But even so...the power of Prominence wasn't one that should be wielded by someone deemed unworthy which is why it had to be 'bestowed' in the first place.
And going by Oswald's smile, he got the feeling that Oswald knew the truth. But Truth wasn't about to reveal that secret now...
"So...what should we do?" Elsa asked.
Oswald stayed silent for a while. A thought entered his mind...
He needed a successor.
But he refused to remarry.
Then couldn't he just ask Elsa to hand over one of his nieces?
He does recall her saying that if she had been unsuccessful in having a child Truth would have asked Rumor or Falsity to send one of their children to the Sunny Kingdom.
Surely Elsa would be okay with the idea if she and Truth were willing to do such a thing themselves.
Besides...Elsa and Truth clearly aren't equipped to show Rein how to control her own magic, but he was.
And Elsa did say if he ever needed anything he could ask...
"I say you send Rein to my kingdom." Oswald smiled.
"What!?" Truth yelled.
"No one in this kingdom, much less this planet, knows how to use magic. If she stays here her magic cannot stabilize. It will continue to grow on its own and will become even more dangerous. Right now it was a vortex that stayed within the ballroom, but if her magic continues to grow without a teacher here to guide her...Eventually she could create hurricanes strong enough to destroy kingdoms, set fire to entire forests, no matter how you look at it, it's not safe for her or anyone else if she stays here.
"And I do need a successor after all. It would make sense for Rein to come to my kingdom and train both her magic and to succeed me. You don't need two heiresses and I'm sure that, as Fine is the oldest, she'll become crown princess to this kingdom right? They're so close...it'd be a shame if their bond broke simply because one was chosen to be future Sunny Queen while the other was given nothing simply because they just happened to be second born..."
Truth and Elsa said nothing and simply stared at Oswald who, in turn, calmly looked at them with a smile.
"I'll be here until their birthday is over so you have time to think it over, dearest sister, brother-in-law." Oswald got up and headed for the door. "I expect a favorable answer."
And with that he left the Sunny King and Queen-Consort alone in the parlor room.
For the twins' party it was an extravagant event held in the ballroom. The two were surrounded by family...well their aunts and uncles at least for Elsa and Truth where nowhere to be found!
"What are those two doing? It's their kids' birthday!" Rumor whispered to Oswald.
Ever since their meeting during Elsa and Truth's wedding (where Rumor tried to pick a fight with Oswald for beating him at congratulating the newlyweds) the two had become rather close.
"Shall we go look for them?" Oswald suggested.
"I guess so Fine's been asking for them since the beginning of this party, I think Falsity's running out of excuses to give." Rumor said. "But Fine will definitely say something if we try to sneak out now."
"I have an idea." Oswald said. He murmured something to Falsity who nodded.
"Fine! Rein! It's present time!" Falsity shouted happily.
With this, everyone started gathering around the twins and handing them presents. This gave Oswald and Rumor a chance to sneak away now that the twins were preoccupied with their presents.
Truth and Elsa had to hold an emergency meeting with the Sunny Council to decide if they should honor Oswald's request.
If they were being honest, Elsa and Truth didn't want to send Rein away. She was one of their babies! And with how close the twins are they weren't sure if Fine would take being separated from Rein very well...at worst she might start asking to leave for the NoirBlanc Kingdom as well.
Elsa didn't want to say no to her brother, he's done a lot for her, but she didn't want to say yes either...however if the council said she shouldn't send Rein away then Elsa had an easy way out...she could say the Sunny Council wouldn't allow it so she had to do what they said!
And it seems like Elsa would have her easy way out after all.
"Absolutely not!" The head of the council, Duchess Bridget of Ravinda, slammed her fists down on her desk. "Do you understand what this would mean!? A Sunny Princess becoming the Queen of a Kingdom like NoirBlanc!? Surely King Oswald is planning to topple this kingdom and take it for his own!"
"I'm sure that's not..." Elsa moved in to defend her brother, but soon the rest of the council began to speak in agreement to Bridget.
"The reason the Sunny Kingdom remains the most powerful in all the universe is because we have the Power of Prominence on our side...the most powerful form of magic. Since Princess Rein has both Prominence and the NoirBlanc's divine and demonic magic in her arsenal...it could spell the end of the Sunny Kingdom. We wouldn't be needed anymore if another kingdom could use Prominence and restore dimming suns' lights!" Marchioness Eloise of Samson said.
"Not to mention it'd be dangerous to allow a princess like Rein to ascend any throne. Should she become power hungry she may try to overtake other kingdoms and planets!" Earl Soren of Solfried frowned.
Soon the entire council was abuzz with negative opinions directed towards Oswald and Rein.
"Alright! Enough!" Truth put a stop to it. "I will tell my brother-in-law that our answer is no."
"Truth it may be wrong of me to think this...but I'm so relieved..." Elsa sighed as she placed her hands over her heart. She no longer had to think about giving away one of her babies!
"Nothing wrong with you thinking that Elsa." Truth reassured her. "Besides the council has a point...what if Oswald really was trying to topple this kingdom?"
"Perhaps you're right, love..."
"...Oswald I..." Rumor looked at Oswald. The two had heard the whole thing behind the closed doors of the council meeting.
Oswald's happy face faltered for a moment and Rumor swore he saw something be set ablaze within him at that very moment.
But soon his smile returned, "Let's wait a bit longer shall we? The meeting has reached its conclusion...they should be out soon."
"Al...alright." Rumor nodded.
The four returned to the ballroom after Elsa and Truth gave Oswald the news that they had to deliver "with a heavy heart". They said that they couldn't let Rein leave for NoirBlanc since the Sunny Council decided it.
Truth and Elsa said that they tried fighting for him, but that they were shut down each time.
A lie.
Oswald and Rumor both knew it, but Oswald insisted that he and Rumor act as if they didn't know anything.
So the birthday party continued with Elsa and Truth none the wiser of the fact that Oswald and Rumor knew the truth.
The twins seemed very pleased with the gifts Oswald had brought to them. Fine especially wanted to start playing tennis at that moment, but it was late so they had to go to sleep.
Oswald helped Elsa tuck them into bed and after leaving their room Elsa began to speak to him.
"I hope you aren't mad at the Sunny Council, brother dearest." Elsa said.
"Mad? Of course not Elsa! I would never!" Oswald smiled.
Of course he wasn't mad at the council, he couldn't be.
What bothered him most was that his beloved sister had the gall to lie right to his face.
That she seemed to have forgotten that she had claimed she would do "anything" for him after he lost his family.
That she couldn't just tell him the truth. That she didn't want to send Rein with him.
And perhaps what hurt him the most is that at the end of it all she agreed with Truth. She agreed that he was planning something as sinister as destroying the Sunny Kingdom.
And that fire that Rumor saw light within Oswald earlier finally died down...taking with it the love he had for his sister and leaving behind nothing but ash.
With that, Oswald turned his back on Elsa and walked back to his room, swearing to himself that Rein will become NoirBlanc's princess...
