Sylvia couldn't help but think her day was shaping up to be a weird one.

Yesterday her mother came for what she thought a surprise visit, but instead turned out to be delivering an invitation.

A private invitation from the Royal Family.

To make it even weirder, she was told to bring her husband, Badaq, and their newborn daughter, Meryl.

What would His Majesty need from them?

But scared as she might be, there was no way she could ignore the invitation. Not only it was rude; she didn't want to know what the King would do if she chose not to go.

Her heart raced a bit faster as they neared the castle's entrance, but suddenly her mother turned left toward the back entrance that was usually only used by servants.

"Mother?"

Weren't we invited?

So why we were they using the back entrance?

"Shush. Secrecy is important. And make sure you cover Meryl well."

Before she could say anything else, her mother spoke again.

"It's The Majesties' order."

She glanced at her tall husband behind her, and sure as she expected there was a frown etched on his face. Sylvia smiled encouragingly and shook her head when Badaq decided to stop walking.

"I'm sure she doesn't mean anything bad. Just humor her this time."

When he finally let out a sigh, Sylvia knew she already won this round.

Ever since four days ago, Badaq would never let her out of his sight. He became overprotective, almost to the point of overbearing. It was sweet of him, but at the same time it was also weird. When she tried to ask why, he would only shrug and said he had a bad hunch.

Snapped out of her thoughts, she realized her mother were leading the into a somewhat unfamiliar hall. Eight years of serving the Queen rarely brought her to this part of the Baticul Castle, and that was because there was nothing in here. Granted she quit seven months ago when she found herself to be pregnant, but still...

"Mother—"

"We are close."

That was not what she meant, but she kept her mouth shut and rolled her eyes. Her mother was in one of her annoying moods again.

True to her words though, soon enough they finally stopped in front of an unassuming door. Sylvia's mother gave it a light knock and waited until a soft "come in" that could only belong to the Queen, before entering.

The door opened to reveal a beautiful nursery filled with toys and stuffed animals and pastel colors and the Royal Pairing who was standing before a baby crib.

"Welcome and thank you for coming. I apologize for all the secrecy, but it was really important..."

Sylvia would have curtsied if only she didn't hold Meryl, so she settled with a light bow. But apparently her action drew the Queen's eyes to the bundle in her arms.

"... May I see her?"

"U-uh, sure!"

She held Meryl a bit higher and showed her to the Queen.

"She is cute."

A motherly pride bloomed in her chest as she grinned in response. Apparently not even the Queen managed to resist Meryl's charm. The atmosphere was light and not exactly what she expected when she heard they were invited. But then...

"Not to be rude or anything, but I hardly think chit-chat is the reason you called for us."

"Badaq! I-I apologize for my husband—"

"Do not fret, it's all fine. And he is right."

It was the King.

"Please sit. We have a lot to talk about."

"I would like to stand instead, Your Majesty."

Oh Badaq, you great oaf. Would you stop challenging the ruler of Kimlasca already?!

"This will take a while, you might want to sit."

With the men locked themselves in a heated battle of the eyes, Sylvia wondered if she ought to kick her husband in the shin. Thankfully he decided to use his common sense and did as the King told him to do.

Though as she took the seat beside her husband, Sylvia couldn't help but wonder what this was all about. It seemed she was transparent enough because then the Queen said, "I'm sure you are wondering why we called you here..."

"But first, I have to ask what do you know about your daughter's Score?" asked the King.

"... Mother only said she would lead a good life with bright future ahead... She wouldn't tell me the details though."

She looked at her mother only to find her looked so tired and guilty, "... Mother?"

"Indeed Meryl is suppose to lead a good life... as a substitute for the stillborn Princess of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear..."

Sylvia felt like someone just dumped a bucket of ice-cold water on her head.

The invitation.

The secrecy.

The nursery.

Meryl...

"You are going to take my baby away..." was the only thing Sylvia managed to say. And it was the King who answered, "No, I'm going to ask you to hand over the baby instead."

She didn't know when Badaq suddenly stood up and drew one of his hidden blades. Personally she didn't really care at this point.

They were going to take my baby.

They were going to take my baby.

I wouldn't let it happen!

I wouldn't let it happen!

"Badaq, what are you doing?!"

"No, Helena. I should be the one who is asking you. What are you doing? Leading your daughter to lose her own child?!"

"It's for the Score! But first you need to listen—"

"Screw the Score! I'm not letting anyone touch my wife AND daughter!"

"Please sir! Let us explain first!"

"I don't think I need to hear any explanation, Queen! You want to take our daughter from me and my wife to replace your de—"

"SHE IS ALIVE!"

The Queen's shout echoed inside the nursery, drowning all the other sounds, even the clanging sound of Badaq's dropped blade.

"... What?"

Sylvia wasn't sure whether it was her or Badaq who asked the question, but that hardly mattered. The Queen repeated her words, this time in a much gentler than the first time, "She is alive..."

It was the King who went to the crib and took a small bundle of clothes into his arms. Covered inside those clothes were a living, breathing baby with soft vermilion hair. The said baby gave a small yawn before resuming her sleep as if it was never disturbed in the first place.

"Do you understand what this means?" the King asked.

"... A life outside of the Score..." Badaq answered.

Impossible.

A miracle.

"And you can imagine if the public found out..."

"Assassinations."

"Exactly. In fact, two of five Scorers I called already attempted to."

Sylvia couldn't stop her gasp of surprise, nor did she missed the pained look on the Queen's face.

To kill an innocent infant just for the Score...

Exactly how much crueler could this world be?

"You said 'screw the Score'. Then I'm sure as a father, you can relate to what I feel now," was what the King said as he stared boldly to Badaq's taller form, "No stone is going to touch MY daughter's life."

And no one could reply to that statement.

"You have done enough, Helena. Leave us."

It seemed to be what mother had been waiting for, because as soon as she was dismissed she readily obeyed. With a bow and a "Yes, Your Majesty", mother rushed out of the room, leaving only the four of us (and the two infants) alone.

The Queen took the sleeping Princess from her husband's arms into her own, "In every few years, the Royal Family's Score will be shared publicly as a sign of good wills. If they find out that Natalia isn't suppose to be alive..."

Sylvia's heart went out to the Queen. She couldn't even imagine what she would do if she was faced with the same problem.

"That's why we ask you to give your daughter to us..."

Yet she could feel both her and her husband's tempers started to raise again. Sorry or not, pity or not, Royals or not, what they asked was out of line; but before either of them could say no...

"... And in exchange... we will give our daughter to you."

They both stared in disbelief at the two people before them, "Is this a joke to you?"

The King looked mightily insulted at the remark. His face red with rage and Sylvia was reminded that she was talking to the King of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear, no matter how absurd the topic was.

"I assure you it's not a joke, we are deadly serious."

"We just want our daughter to live. That's all. And if means that we won't be the ones who raise her... then so be it..."

Must be a bitter truth to swallow, the Queen looked so resigned it was painful, "Normal life would be safer for her, because you can hide her in crowds. You don't have to read your Score every year..."

"Still..." Sylvia wasn't ready to give up her daughter anytime soon.

"Your daughter, Meryl, exists in the score as Natalia. She would be safe with us. I promise you, I will raise her as my own. I will love her as my own. She will be a Princess and daughter you can proud of. Just... j-just please help me save my baby..."

The Queen of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear, reduced into a begging mess in her desperation to save her daughter's life.

Sylvia felt like she might fainted anytime soon. This was too surreal for her to deal.

Beside her was Badaq, who kept a stoic face through it all, but she knew he was just as affected as she was. He was a softie after all.

What should I do...

What could I do...

Meryl who was to be Princess Natalia...

The real Natalia who was supposed to be dead...

Meryl could have everything she wanted here, still...

Yet still—

... What would happen to the real Natalia if she refused her now? Did that mean she was just as bad as those Scorers who tried to kill her? Condemning an innocent soul to her death?

That little girl probably had the whole world waiting for her. A world full of freedom. She could have a future as bright as Meryl's. Could she really deny her a chance to live?

Sylvia's eyes trailed to the Queen who was still crying silently on her husband's shoulder. They both tried to cover the little Princess as if it would be enough to shelter her from the world.

If I were in their shoes...

"... Would you promise me, to love Meryl wholly and not just as a substitute?"

For the first time since they had been talking, a hopeful light flickered in the Queen's eyes as she nodded.

"Sylvia, are you sure—"

"Tell me Badaq, if we were in their positions... wouldn't you do the same for Meryl?"

"Sylvia..."

"... I... don't want to lose Meryl. But if I turn away from that little girl now..." she forced herself to swallow the lump in her throat, "She has her life waiting for her, Score or not. She deserves to live... don't you agree?"

She always wholeheartedly believed that no child deserve to die.

Meryl would be in good hands.

They were the only ones who could help that little girl...

Sylvia looked up to her husband who was watching her with a mixture of pride and sadness and acceptance. There she decided, this was it.

"We agree to help."

In that very moment, for the first time in history of Auldrant, a King of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear was willingly bowing his head down to someone else.


AN: Dear Lord. This chapter is getting too long (in my standard), I have to cut it into two parts.

If you wondered why neither Meryl nor Natalia wake up and start crying despite all the noises, let's just said they both are heavy sleepers, 'kay? Deal? Deal.

Also, I kind of having fun with Sylvia's personality.

Many thanks to IHaveNoIdea8 for beta-ing this chapter.