Characters/Pairings: Falis, Jodo, mentioned onesided Kaito x Falis
A/N: I wondered about this.
Disclaimer: I don't own Murder Princess.

"I can read, if you were wondering."

When Jodo Entolasia learns that Falis has taken up haunting the library in her spare time, though he's surprised he can't say he's all that disapproving. Apparently her favorite quarry are the annals of Forland history; he counts that as a good thing. If she's going to be Queen, even if it's not a permanent arrangement (at least so Jodo hopes) it will be good for Falis to be learning the history of the kingdom she rules.

Jodo allows a mild smile—the worst of the brusque notes are out of Falis's voice for the moment; she's too absorbed in the dusty tome laid out on the table before her to really work up a temper. "I don't doubt that, your Highness."

The big question is where did Falis learn to read? As Jodo understands the girl was born a peasant in a remote village; most of the people there never lay eyes on a book, let alone ever learn how to read and write. Just another mystery out of a woman who is anything but chatty concerning her own past.

"So what's up, Jodo?" Falis asks absently, flipping through pages and occasionally coughing at the dust.

Jodo takes the liberty of sitting in the chair opposite her; his leg's been aching lately (Jodo suspects the oncoming winter as the source) and Jodo doesn't like to have to stand for too long at a time. At least Falis doesn't stand on ceremony as much as a proper queen would. "I've heard that you have recently taken up the hobby of sifting through the annals of our kingdom."

Falis waves a hand in the air languidly. "The wars," she responds tersely. "Chroniclers spared no gory detail; it's interesting."

"Was there anything else?"

With that, Falis fixes eyes as hard and red as rubies on him and Jodo feels distinctly as though he's young again and he's just been sent to his superior to be punished for breaking protocol. "The genealogies," Falis answers simple. "Family trees and the like. I was wanting to ask you, Jodo. While I was looking at them I noticed something odd." Her expression is entirely too calm. "No one in the royal family has ever married a foreign noble; I was wondering why that is."

Dear God, what a loaded question. And what it is; Jodo immediately feels a headache coming on the heels of Falis's last word. He suspects he isn't going to have any easier a time explaining this to Falis than he did to Alita.

"Your Highness," Jodo starts off slowly, searching for words. "As you know, the body you currently inhabit—" currently inhabit is spoken in a lowered voice with his hand clapped over his mouth; minimize the risk of spies learning anything valuable "—is the key to Te Oria, or was. This has been passed down among the eldest daughter of the royal family since the original generation.

"While a son for the royal family is considered an asset a daughter is an absolute necessity, since the key to Te Oria can only be received by a female body; why, we're not sure. As such, there must always be a daughter for the royal family, and the eldest daughter must always be Queen of Forland."

Falis frowns perplexedly. "But why was Kaito able to—"

Jodo cuts her off before she can finish that thought. "Your Highness, it was necessary that the bloodline be kept strong. As such, the eldest daughter was always married to a relative, usually a cousin. That cousin would become King, but sometimes a strong enough Queen would rule through her husband, using him as a puppet. It was always necessary to marry within the family."

A barking, humorless laugh echoes through the otherwise empty library. "Cousin marriage; what a novel concept." Falis refocuses her keen eyes on the butler. "So which first, second or third cousin are you planning on hitching me to, huh?"

This time, it can't be avoided. Jodo stares straight at her and tries to keep his voice steady. "There aren't any."

For a moment, Falis only stares uncomprehendingly at him. She's a callous girl but not quite so cynical that the answer comes to her immediately. Well, this is surprising.

When her nose wrinkles unattractively and spots of red appear at the top of her cheeks to match her now-disgusted eyes, Jodo knows she's got it.

"She was going to have to marry her brother?" Falis hisses, mouth agape. "Marry him, screw him and have kids with him?"

"Actually, you were," Jodo remarks coolly. "The wedding was set a month from his Highness's coronation, and let me assure you no one looked upon it as anything unusual. As I have said, your Highness, the eldest daughter must always marry within the family."

"That's sick," Falis declares, and the sight of a hardened bounty hunter shaking her head in revulsion is enough that Jodo feels the insane urge to laugh.

Jodo frowns suddenly, remembering Falis's reactions to Kaito before he revealed himself as evil. "You wouldn't have minded it terribly though, would you?" he asks sharply, narrowing his eyes.

Falis looks away, and Jodo can tell he's taken a step past safe boundaries.

"No," she says quietly, closing the book. "I probably wouldn't have." Falis stands up and walks away; this conversation, she seems to say, is over.