Last time on SOWEAE
Letting out a sigh, they turned towards Meg and Her Highness. "The child of Zely returns the day before her 18th birthday."

"Meg?"

"Your Majesty?"

"When is your birthday?"

"Tomorrow…."
And now:
"Well isn't that a thing." said the tall man whom Meg assumed to be Lok. His attempt to break the awkward silence didn't work in the least bit. If anything, it made it worse. Meg could practically taste the tension in the air.

"Ahem, I don't mean to intrude but uhhh who's Zely?" Meg asked.

That did the trick seeing how Arondalea let out a harsh and struggling breath. "Pill, are you sure?" She asked completely ignoring Meg's question. "Have I ever been wrong before, your Majesty?" He whispered back.

Letting out a hefty grunt, Her Majesty finally turned to Meg to answer her question. "Zely is-was my best friend and top warrior. We grew up together, played together, did everything together. You could say we were inseparable...two halves of the same soul." She paused to take a breath and compose herself. Not even halfway through her story and already her eyes glitter and rimmed with tears.

"18 years ago from tomorrow in the middle of the night there was an attack on the castle. They called themselves Titnia's children, a brainwashed cult dedicated to summoning Titnia: the God of War, Death, and Darkness, whom they believe should rule all of the Realm. The only way to summon him would be with the blood of a royal and the Holy weapon, the sword of Fernin carved from the horns of the elder unicorn and forged by the elder dragon. Both of which I guarded at the castle. Due to the late hour and the occasion, Zely's daughter, Merdinia's 3rd birthday, many knights were given the night off. There was never an attack that the two of us couldn't handle and Zely's husband Tug was with the baby. But that night was different...oh so different. The Children came but they weren't alone this time. With them was Highland, an evil warlord exiled from all counties for his transgressions against the high court or in other words me. How he escaped his prison in the nether region escapes me but there he was. And oh the carnage. Zely was the first to my aid seeing how they took residence in the castle. Then came the others from their homes rushing running all to be slaughtered at the hands of Highland and his maniacal group. They were after me and the only way to get to me was through her and the only want to get to her… Was to get to her daughter the most precious thing in her life. Tug managed to escape the gore if only barely but it was too late and he didn't make it very far, he wasn't much of a fighter anyway. more of a diplomat but he had some skills. he fought as long and as best as he could and he too fell like the rest. we managed to catch up before they could take away Merdinia but they would not give up chase. We knew she would not be safe here. The only way to keep her safe was to send her essence through the void where not even Highland's magic is strong enough break through. I perform the ritual to send her to a human realm into a stillborn baby's body where she or you I guess would grow and be safe to return on the eve of her-your 18 birthday. Considering that it took a tremendous amount of magic and power to send you across we had barely managed when Highland struck her down at her weakest moment and even then she protected me. I managed to escape with my life when word reached the other kingdoms and held arrived."

Meg was stunned, shooketh even. Ok, elves being real she could believe, I mean come on she had a talking dog that walked on two legs for shits sake. But her being the daughter of a high ranking elven warrior that was more than a little far fetched. "Ok this could literally be just a coincidence! How do you know that some other girl won't come tumbling through at any moment? Alright, let's say I am this Merdinia... I'm practically useless now! I can't fight! I don't even know how to use magic much less if I have it?"

Arondalea and Pil gave each other a look as if silently communicating. After a minute or so they nodded and Her Majesty motioned for Meg to come closer. "When we sent Merdinia away I also hid the Holy sword of Fernin inside her essence allowing it to leave into the human world with her. Now Meg...how high is your pain tolerance?"

Before Meg could answer or even question why she asked that, Her Highness' hand glowed blood red and she thrust said hand into the dead center of her chest. Meg let out a sharp gasp followed by a piercing screaming. It felt like someone just kicked her in the chest leaving her breathless and desperately gasping for air. Arondalea immediately retracted her hand and in her palm laid a ord surrounded by a dark suffocating light. Suddenly as if breaking the surface of water after almost drowning air rushed back into Meg's lungs all at once . Her throat burned from lack of air and she collapsed about to hit the floor had it not been for Loks speed and agility.

"You're okay, Meg... You're okay… Take deep breaths honey that's it." Arondalea lulled Meg back into awareness. Amongst all the pain she didn't realize that she started crying and hyperventilating.

"What…..what the hell did you do to me?! Okay…? OKAY?! I am many things right now but okay is not one of them."

"You wanted proof and here it is right in front of your face." She then held up the glowing orb to meg's face. "This is the swords essence form." She then crushed it with what looked to Meg like zero effort. The once solid light turn into a phydo-gooey kinda consistency. It didn't fall out of her hand but it couldn't be neatly contained and it flowed brighter than before. Opening her hand the goop began to take a more solid shape. In place of the orb was a beautiful long sword. Its blade a shining silver and its hilt a cool black with a strange emblem attached. A face half right side up and the other upside down. It's gender was unguessable from just that but one horn was touching the blade and the other was placed to the hilt.

"As for your magic and your fighting skills you come from a long line of blood warriors. there wasn't an elf-borne in the family that couldn't hold their own in any type by the time they could walk. It's called heritage sweetheart and it doesn't skip a generation. Nor does muscle reflex go away." explained Arondalea.

"Ok so since Pil has confirmed your legitimacy I guess it's time to retrain you, if you wanna use those terms.' She paused to give Meg yet another once over. 'And some proper clothes would hurt either."

Exiting the temple with Pill and Lok in tow. Arondalea led the group to a small building with a sign written in Elvish. Before Meg could even ask what it meant, the characters morphed and reshaped themselves into the words "tailor". Meg's brow furrowed in confusion but she shrugged it off in favor of following the gang inside. But seriously, this was super weird and yet after all that has happened up to now, why the fuck not. Throw in a few morphing signs and and an ancient language that she somehow seemed to know. Inside the store was way bigger than the outside. 'Must be elven magic' reasoned Meg. Meg stopped to take in the scenery, which she seemed to be doing a lot of today. It was full of beautiful fabrics and prints as far as her eyes could see.

Her Majesty stopped by a wooden desk that wasn't too far back in the room. She took a deep breath and belted out a name "HACKVARDDDD!" that made Meg give a small start as she was not expecting that seeing how she was still watching at the fabrics. With her hand clutching her chest from surprise, she turned to Arondalea and gave her the look™. Suddenly she was cloaked in a tall shadow. Turning around, she came face to mid-belly with a stranger who, for someone so tall and heavyset, moved both very fast and quiet.

"Ah, your majesty' the tower said, bowing deeply, 'I had not sensed your presence; otherwise I would have come to your aid immediately." This had to be Hackvard because at this point in time anyone who pops up after having their name called has to be said person.

"No need for apologies. Meg-or would you like to called Merdinia now… Oh whatever, this is Hackvard the best tailor both this and that side of the void. Hacky this is Megan or Merdinia." Hackvard turned sharply towards Her Highness.

"Wait your Majesty. Would you mean that this is-"

"Yes, this is her."

Hackvard slowly turned towards Meg who was still frozen in place. With that same speed that astonished her earlier he swept her up in a large hug. "Oh my child! Look how pretty you've grown! Ahhhh its been so long my little wild cub!" Meg was super confused but she felt so at peace, so calm and so warm. As if she's received this hug so many times before. She even began to doze off a bit.

"Ahem, uhh Queen Arondalea" Lok finally spoke up. "Hmm?" it was hard for her to tear her eyes away from such a warming scene. "I think it's time that you let her know what's going on and who Hackvard really is." Sighing, she silently agreed. She hated to half their happy moment but it had to be done.

"AHEM Megan, I must ask, would you like to be called Megan from now on or would you like to take on your given name?" After being put down by Hackvard, Meg thought long and hard. She had made her decision.

"Queen Arondalea, I wish to sever my ties to the world on the other side of the void and to be called Merdinia. Arondalea looked very pleased with her choice.

"Very well, Megan uhhh..."

"Griffin."

"Yes as I was saying, Megan Griffin is no more! From now on you shall be known as Merdinia Of Garndarious!" A small round of applause was given and Meg-Merdinia felt something build up inside her. It felt like many things. Happiness, acceptance, love, belonging and finally HOPE.

Her eyes brimmed with tears. "Thank you, Your Majesty." Arondalea flashed her a smile.

"Before we continue with anything else, I do believe that Her Highness has another announcement." urged Pill.

"Ah yes Merdinia, you know Hackvard as the town tailor but i think it's time you get to know him as Hackvard, your uncle."