They were already at Lakehaven Heights when Claudia suddenly brought Sir Trots-a-Lot to a halt. She examined her options for a moment as she looked on; there's the road that would lead her to Ladylake and end her 6 month journey, while the other would lead her to Elysia, the home of the Seraphim. Claudia was no stranger to Elysia; Mikleo used to take her there when she was a child to improve her resonance and so that she can be exposed to other Seraphim that wasn't him, Edna, Lailah or Zaveid (though, Claudia knew that, deep inside, Mikleo was just jockeying to get an impressionable child such as her away from Zaveid, who would no doubt teach her things no child her age at the time should know). She knew that going to Elysia would eventually lead her to Camlann and then Artorius' Throne. And that might be the one last thing she needs to do.
"We're going to Camlann for a moment. Let's go." She declared, much to the surprise of her normin companions and led Trots-a-Lot away. Just a few more minutes of riding around the Aroundight Forest directly led Claudia to Elysia.
"What's in here, Claudia?" Bienfu asked her in curiosity.
"This place is Elysia, the Home of the Seraphim. The Great Shepherd of Order grew up here. But there's another village beyond here. One that was once locked off due to the overflowing malevolence. That village was called Camlann, the Origin Village. But that was 30 years ago so some people can come and go as they please now. Not a lot do though since it's pretty isolated. There's just something I need to check out in that village." She explained to her companions.
"Interesting. I think I'll stay here while you go on that excursion of yours." Grim responded while looking as if she's in deep thought.
"That's fine. There are some normins staying here too so you should talk to them."
Looking forward once more, she saw a familiar figure whose back was face her. He was wearing a light blue and white ensemble and his long silver and blue hair was tied into a ponytail.
"Hey! Mikleo!" She called out with a smile. The water seraph turned to face her and though that stern, disapproving look that she can see from afar was enough to send chills down her spine, it was the short blonde girl he was talking to that sent fear into her heart.
"Oh, sh-"
Before she could even finish that sentence, she felt pain around her face and she fell off her horse and into the ground. The object that landed beside her tipped her off that an umbrella was thrown directly at her face.
"Bieeeeen…are you alright, Claudia?" Bienfu exclaimed in worry. He honestly looked like he was gonna straight up start bawling any moment now.
"Ugh…Bienfu, go to Ladylake and tell my parents I love them."
"Don't be so melodramatic. You deserve a whole lot more than that." A sardonic voice said. Craning her neck a little, Claudia saw that it was Edna looking down on her.
"I don't know man…I could've broken my neck. Hyland could've been left without its only heiress." Claudia said from where she lay on the ground.
"Well, at least you finally came back to your senses." Edna said as she crouched to poke the young princess' face. Finally, Mikleo approached them.
"It's good to see you, Claudia. How have you been?" He asked her as he helped her up.
"Been better. No one's thrown an umbrella at me before." She responded as she tried to get her bearings.
"Why do you have normins with you?" Edna asked as she looked to the horse and saw Grim and Bienfu. Bienfu merely greeted with a smile and wave.
"Oh, I picked them up when I went to Meirchio." She replied as she grabbed Sir Trots-a-Lot's reigns and led him away, the two seraphim following after her.
"I'm Bienfu. This one here is Grimoirh. Nice to meet you." The top hat wearing normin greeted jovially.
"Charmed." Grim added.
"You went to Meirchio? Way up north? Why?" Edna asked her in surprise.
"Not important." Claudia replied with the straightest face she could muster.
"I'm Mikleo. This is Edna. It's nice to meet you." The water seraph introduced himself to the normins. "So…what brings you here, Claudia? You never come over unless I drag you here." He added as they continued their walk.
"Well…that's the thing…I need to get into Camlann. My parents can't know of this side trip but I'll be on my way home after this." She explained.
"Camlann? What could you possibly want to do there?" He asked her, his voice suddenly dropping to a sad tone.
"Now, you've gone and made Meebo sad, Claudia." Edna said as she poked her with her umbrella.
"I just wanna see it." Claudia answered, ignoring Edna's quip. Mikleo hesitated but gave in after a few seconds.
"2 hours. I'm giving you 2 hours in Camlann. After that, you have to get home. There's a succession crisis in Ladylake because of your departure." He reported to her. Claudia's eyes widened at the news.
"A succession crisis? I ran away! I didn't die!" She said in a panic.
"Well…the nobles think otherwise. They haven't seen you in Roundtabel for nearly 6 months now. They think your parents are covering up your death or that you've been disowned or…something. They're scrambling for power now, attempting to force Alisha to choose a new heir." Edna told her. Claudia nodded as she puffed her cheeks out in contemplation.
"I'll make it quick. Please watch over Trots-a-Lot. Bienfu and Grim will be staying here to explore. See you later." She said before bolting off in the direction of the Mt. Mabinogio Ruins.
After about an hour, Claudia finally arrived in Camlann. It was free of Hellions now, with the clear sky in full view. But it's still as empty as before ever since her country ran it to the ground. Walking past the rows upon rows of empty houses, she stopped at one of them and entered. She recognized this as Shepherd Michael's home from the Celestial Record. Of course, she knew Shepherd Michael was Mikleo's uncle too so maybe she can ransack something of his mother and uncle's for Mikleo to have. And just as if a higher power answered, she saw it. A sketch of a family; Shepherd Michael, Mikleo as a baby and his mother, Muse. She picked it up and put it inside her coat's pocket, intending to give it to Mikleo when she gets back, before leaving the house and continuing her climb to Artorius' Throne. Once she was at the foot of the temple, she pulled out her copy of the Celestial Record.
"'When the sky runs red, the world will be shrouded in evil.' Those words have been said since ancient times in reference to the Scarlet Night; a phenomenon that was once said to turn men into hellions. Of course, in our time, a Scarlet Night no longer occurs due to unexplained circumstances. However, when the Great Shepherd and his companions approached Artorius' Throne for the final battle against the Lord of Calamity, the skies around the temple did run red. And hellions ran amok the temple that once housed the Fifth Empyrean. A place that was once so pure…now so tainted with Malevolence."
Closing the book and returning it to where she puts it, Claudia ascended the temple and once she was at the very top, she sat down and looked at the clear sky. Somehow…somewhere up there…or maybe even in the depths of this temple, Velvet Crowe remains sealed off with Innominat. When Claudia herself is gone and her bones turn into dust, Velvet Crowe will remain that way. It kinda mirrors Sorey's situation, to be honest. Both sealed off for the betterment of such a selfish race like humans. It was sad to think of and she hopes that she just stays where she is. Not out of spite or malice…but because, unlike Sorey who will still have the Seraphim to see should he wake up hundreds of years from now, there's nothing left for Velvet Crowe here. At least…in her dreams, she would have her friends and family with her.
"They lived a good life, you know." Claudia said out loud as she rubbed her hands together for comfort, wondering if Velvet could somehow hear her. "Eleanor Hume became a Shepherd in service of the people, spreading the word that the world is under Maotelus' protection. She died a natural death surrounded by her loved ones. And I'm sure she thought of you in her final moments. Your son, meanwhile…he lived a good life…followed Eleanor's footsteps…and he was a good man. Arthur Hume lived a full and wonderful life…and I am proof of that." Another pause. She puffed her cheeks out before continuing.
"So, you don't need to worry. Rest. Be at peace…Velvet."
With those words said, Claudia walked back down the stairs and before she completely went on her way, she turned around for a moment.
"Thank you…for allowing me to be here and experience life...and all its ups and downs."
And she walked away without looking back.
'Just in time.' Claudia thought to herself as she approached Mikleo and Edna.
"Oh, you're back. Edna and I were just about to go get you." The water seraph said in relief.
"Glad I made it then. I'd hate for Edna to throw an umbrella at me again." She said with a lighthearted smile. Then, she remembered. "Oh, I picked this up for you. Thought you'd like it." She said as she handed him the sketch of his family. His eyes widened as he gently took it as if it were a relic from a bygone era. But then again, for a man who never got the chance to know his biological family, it probably was.
"I…thank you, Claudia." Mikleo said with a smile as he put it in his pocket.
"Well…I should get going. I have a succession crisis to end." Claudia lightheartedly quipped.
"No running away now. Though I doubt you will. It is the Sacred Blade Festival. Tomorrow's the last day." Edna told her as she handed the reigns to Claudia. The Sacred Blade Festival was always Claudia's favorite festival in Hyland solely for the fun and energy everyone had during the entire celebration.
"We'll follow tomorrow. Maybe even Zaveid would pop by." Mikleo said with a smile.
"Alright. Take care." She said before she went on her way.
"Bye!" Bienfu said as he waved at them. Claudia spurred her horse onwards and they left Elysia behind.
It took her about an hour to get to Ladylake. The moment she returned, bypassing all the merchants who needed to show off their permits to get in, a guard ran back to Roundtabel Palace yelling out "The Princess has returned!" as he went. She stared after him in a dumbfounded manner as another guard took Trots-a-Lot to the stables. Shaking herself out of her shock, Claudia toured Bienfu and Grim around the city and told them about the Sacred Blade Festival.
"Years ago, the Sacred Blade Festival wasn't just for merriment. It was a search for the next Shepherd. There used to be a blade in the Sanctuary that housed the Lady of the Lake; the Lady Lailah. Whoever could pull it out becomes the Shepherd and earns Lailah as their Prime Lord. Some 30 odd years ago, a boy from Elysia pulled it out and became the Shepherd. That man was Sorey, the Shepherd my parents Squired for. Nowadays, the Sacred Blade Festival celebrates the day of his arrival as well as a day of extreme reverence to the Seraphim." Claudia explained to her companions as she handed them some grilled sweetfish on a stick. They were intently listening to her explanation as they took a bite from their snacks.
"Delicious!" Bienfu said with a wide smile on his face.
"I see. And this Shepherd Sorey is now sealed off with Maotelus?" Grim asked her as she reclined on the stone steps they were sitting in. The young princess nodded in response to her query. Before either of them could say anymore, two familiar soldiers approached. Both were wearing a Hyland Soldier's uniform. The first girl had long auburn hair tied in a ponytail, green eyes and bow slung across her chest while her officer accompanying her had long loose black hair, gray eyes, a sword strapped to her waist and a stern look on her face.
"Princess Claudia, your mothers and the council requests your presence at Roundtabel Palace." The dark haired girl said, her face looking like she was ready to give her the beat down of her life.
"Oh…it's nice to see you too, Ian and Shiller." She sarcastically greeted them as she moved away from the guard rail she was leaning on. Being loyal soldiers of her mother since she was a 17-year-old knight, it's no surprise Ian and Shiller are a bit cross with her for all the trouble she caused.
"Good to see you too, Princess." Ian cordially greeted her. "Pardon my boldness but I hope you know how much trouble you've caused your parents these past few months." The brunette continued, surprising Claudia. Ian was never one to say things plainly to her face.
"Well...look who learned to be so direct. I'm well aware though. No need to remind me. So, shall we go?" She asked them as she mockingly gestured for them to go ahead of her but neither of them budged. It was then that it was made clear to her that they intended to escort her to the palace, properly. Like full on bodyguard mode. With a roll of her eyes, she went ahead with Bienfu and Grimoirh trailing behind her. They all walked back to the Palace and entered in silence. They were all met by Priventi and a maid. At the sight of his fellow normins, Priventi hopped in excitement and approached them.
"Good morning, Princess Claudia. Your things are already in your room. Would you like me to take your cloak?" The maid requested as Priventi conversed with Grim and Bienfu.
"Yes, please. Thank you." Claudia said as she shed her cloak and handed it to her. With a nod, the maid walked away and she turned to Priventi.
"Priventi, you know your way around. Can you please give Bienfu and Grimoirh a tour of the palace?" She gently requested of the little normin as she gave him a grilled sweetfish. The normin happily took the snack and nodded before walking away, with Grimoirh and Bienfu trailing behind him. Claudia walked the opposite direction escorted by Ian and Shiller until they stopped in front of the conference room.
"Queen Alisha, I'm afraid you must pick a new heir! It's been 6 months and there's no sign of that wayward daughter of yours ever returning! She could be dead in a ditch for all we know!" A familiar voice boomed from the other side of the door, startling all three of them and forcing them to share knowing glances. The Chancellor. More ambitious than his predecessor as ever and Bartlow was as rotten as they come. Unfortunately, the man was groomed for his position by Bartlow himself so his election to the job was completely out of her Mother Alisha's hands and into the council's entirely. Before another word could be spoken, Claudia burst into the room, slamming the door open as hard as she could as she coolly sauntered in. Ian and Shiller remained outside and gently closed the door. The entire council was extremely surprised by her sudden appearance. Clearly they didn't hear that one guard yelling around.
"Chancellor…I find your lack of faith disturbing. You almost sound as if you want me dead." Claudia said with a mocking smile, always eager to oppose those she didn't like in authority. She sat by Alisha's left hand side, noticing the proud smirk Rose sent her way.
"I-Pri-Princess Claudia! I didn't mean it that way. It's just-you were gone for so long that we-"
"Oh I'm sure you are so worried about me. Well then dear Chancellor, I would like to inform you and the council that I merely went out on a…lengthy scholarly expedition." The princess said as she held her hand out to prevent anyone else from interrupting her. Murmurs erupted amongst the members of the council, clearly not pleased with the interruption in their quest for power.
"What's going on now?" She asked as she leaned toward Alisha's direction.
"They're debating if they're going to continue with this. Now that you're back…they're most likely going to jockey for us to vote on a spare in case something happens to you before you have a child." Alisha explained to her as she gently patted her head.
"Right…time to put an end to this."
With a devilish wink, Claudia banged her hand on the table. Her parents most likely kept this debacle up in order to placate their nobles. Well, Claudia wasn't a queen yet now, is she? If she needed to use threats to put them in their place, she would do it. It was bad to be this blasé about the situation, knowing she wouldn't put it past them to have her and her family assassinated in their sleep, but if it'll get this entire issue over and done with…
"Clearly just moments ago, all of you expected me to be dead. Well, I'm here now. And I say this succession crisis is over." She stated plainly, earning gasps from the council.
"Princess Claudia, we're merely-"
"I know you're taking measures if I'm to kick the bucket before I have a child. But that is not gonna happen anytime soon. All of you can cross that bridge when we get to it because frankly, it's insulting for you guys to talk about this like you're already planning my funeral." She said before she stood up and looked onto all of them. But her gaze is mostly fixed on the Chancellor. The man who is no doubt responsible for this aside from her. "You will end this succession crisis, Chancellor. Do not wait for me to use fear just to gain your respect. I am more than capable of doing that."
"I think the Princess has made herself clear enough. She remains the sole heir to Queen Alisha's throne." Rose spoke up, as Alisha was too stunned by Claudia's actions to say anything.
"Of course, Queen Rose." A nobleman said. Clearly, he was someone who knows when to bow out.
"I think we're done here." Alisha declared as she stood. The members of the council stood, bowed to show their respects and walked out of the room. Soon enough the three of them were the only ones left. And once the doors were closed again, Claudia expected to get that "worst thrashing of her life" that Alisha wrote to her a month ago.
"My brave little sunbeam."
Instead, what she got was a tight embrace from both her parents.
"We missed you so much." Rose whispered in her ear. Claudia, though she was shocked at first, eventually settled into the warm embrace and wrapped her arms around her parents and spoke.
"I missed you guys too."
Later that night, Claudia sat in her bed, freshly bathed and wearing her usual nightwear of loose pants, socks and a loose night shirt. Alisha and Rose sat beside her in one side of her spacious bed, also in their nightwear. Currently, they were reading the journal Claudia kept of her adventure. It only held the important bits in but it's a great way to bring them up to speed on what she's been up to these past months. To be honest, she wrote that so that her parents would know what she was up to in case she dies on the road or something. They were even complete with sketches of key features in the entry.
"So you passed out on the snow in the northern lands?" Rose asked as she read along.
"Yeah. It's where Bienfu and Grim picked me up." She said like it was no big deal as she shifted her gaze to the three normins sleeping on one of the couches in her room. Grim, Bienfu and Priventi were all huddled up on one couch, with the former of the two exhausted from their travels. But seriously? After all the things that were said and done in that journal, that's what you zeroed in?" She asked her. Not speaking a word, Alisha closed the journal and put it on the nightstand next to Rose, an awkward moment of silence emerged between the small family. Finally, Alisha thought it best to address the elephant in the room.
"You know…when Zaveid first told Rose of her ancestry, she was pretty much like you." Alisha informed her with a small yet sad smile. Claudia's eyes widened in surprise; Mother Rose was never really one to care for what others thought of her. She didn't care when they were met with a lot of opposition before marrying, she didn't care when the nobles called her selfish for giving up the mantle of the Shepherd to marry Alisha and she certainly didn't care when the nobles were giving her thinly veiled insults to her face while they were raising Claudia so…what did she have to worry about now?
"YOU were?" She asked. Rose merely nodded before she spoke up. The way she did…it was all clear to Claudia that she wished not to be interrupted.
"It was around…oh, maybe 4 years into being the Shepherd. I was also starting to date your mother at the time as well. Never really knew how Zaveid did it but…when I learned of it…I doubted. Something I never did before. Something your Grandpa Brad taught me to never do. I doubted if I was worthy of someone as pure as Alisha and I doubted if I was even worthy of being the Shepherd, being descended from the Lord of Calamity and all. I thought 'What if malevolence could be inherited like resonance?' I didn't want to hurt anyone innocent…especially Alisha. I didn't want to undo Sorey's hard work too so there's that. Not even the seraphim could snap me out of it…" She trailed off for a moment before continuing. "But your mother made me realize…I'm me. That assassin with a pure heart who only killed to keep the common folk safe. And I was chosen to continue Sorey's job for a reason. And I stopped caring about it eventually."
Claudia smiled as she saw how Rose said all that with a fond look directed towards Alisha. A fond look returned by her spouse. It was clear that through the years…through the ups and downs…they still love one another dearly. As if they were still in their 20s when their love was just starting to blossom. She found it hard to believe that they ever had the marital problems that was caused by her sudden conception.
"Claudia…sunbeam…you're you. You are not our ancestors. No matter what, you'll always be our little girl. And so long as you retain that pure heart of yours, no amount of malevolence will ever consume you." The redheaded woman said as she ruffled her daughter's blonde hair with a small smile.
"Okay…sure…thanks." The princess replied with a small smile.
"There's also the issue of when we sent you to Pendrago…" Alisha said with a sad tone. Before she can speak another word, Claudia cut her off.
"Look, if you're going to tell me it was for my own good…you can forget it. I get it. It was wrong for me to get angry and say those things when I learned so much during my time there."
"That's not it. We know it was for your own good; we're not taking that logic back. But…we know we made so many, many mistakes in that regard. We should've communicated with you more. We should've made the effort to see you more. We should've-"
"Mother, come on-"
"I'm not finished. There were so many things we should've done. And we can't take that back but…you best believe that from now on…we'll be here for you more."
Alisha finished her tirade with tears in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around her precious daughter. Rose joined in, embracing her wife from behind and extending her arms long enough to wrap her child in a warm hug too. Eventually, they all separated and Rose leaned down to kiss her forehead.
"Now, get some sleep. The last day of the festival is tomorrow and I'm sure you want to go see it." She lightheartedly said. Barring the years she spent in Pendrago, they never failed to take her to the Sacred Blade Festival. While there were boundaries, the good people of Ladylake knew not to treat them like royalty during the festival but rather as a normal family grateful for the arrival of the Great Shepherd of Order and the blessings of the Empyreans in general.
"Sleep. Everything will be better in the morn. We'll be here when you awaken." The blonde queen said with a smile as she got under the covers with Claudia, with Rose following suit not long after on her other side, effectively sandwiching the former knight between her consort and her daughter. The young princess tried to fight them on the sleeping arrangements earlier but she couldn't find it in her to resist after seeing that they really wanted to spend time with her. Even if it something as idle as sleeping. Claudia faced the window of her room and was pleasantly surprised when she felt Alisha wrap her arms around her waist and pressed her lips to her temple. It reminded her of those halcyon days of her childhood when she would cuddle up to Alisha or Rose after a long day of playing and lessons. This warmth reminded her of that and with a small smile, she fell asleep.
