As Tifa sat in her throne the next morning, watching Elena who was wearing her prison rags again, prostrate herself before Aerith and sobbingly beg for forgiveness, her smile was full of malicious triumph. Aerith's nightmare would be just that, a nightmare. Sephiroth was wrong, Tifa would never betray her, or let anyone hurt her, not without the most horrific retribution.
"Of course I forgive you." Aerith told Elena, gently stroking her hair. "We all make mistakes, but love rules here, and you've accepted that now, haven't you?"
"Tha…thank you, Lad…Lady Aer…ith." Elena brokenly said as she tried to get her sobbing under control, and was unused to having a voice again.
"And we still don't know what your name is, will you tell us now?" Aerith asked Elena.
"It's…it's….I don't know…" Elena replied, puzzled.
"Since she is to be your servant, you should pick out her name." Tifa stated to Aerith.
"I still like Cora for a name for you, is that alright?" Aerith asked Elena.
"Yes, it's perfect, Lady Aerith." Elena felt a twinge of rejection of anger upon hearing that name, but she dismissed it as part of her former wickedness.
"So it shall be. You shall henceforth be known as handmaiden Cora." Tifa announced. "Your first order is to help Lady Aerith care for the children. They're probably already turned the nursery into a war zone." A genuine smile now spread over the Empress' face as she thought of how inventive the twins were proving themselves to be about getting into trouble, just like their fath…Tifa's smile was replaced by a frown as she clamped down on the thoughts of the trouble Cloud had gotten them both into, and the price they had both paid. It was over and done with, and Tifa would never again let evil reign. Aerith was inviolate!
"Yes, Your Majesty." Cora responded automatically, interrupting Tifa's thoughts.
"One more thing..." Tifa exclaimed, getting off the throne and approaching the two women. "You will need your eyesight back to properly serve Lady Aerith." Tifa touched the choker and the materia glowed, then dimmed. Cora gasped at having her sight restored, and she quickly closed her eyes as the sudden light hurt them. "I always keep my word, your restoration is complete. And you'll need your eyesight to use this as well." A silver dagger appeared in Tifa's hands. "This is an ice dagger." she explained, showing Cora where the embedded ice materia was. "I expect you to become proficient in its use. Sir Zack can train you…this is not anywhere as complex as his Buster sword is, but it will work for you." she handed the dagger to the astonished Cora.
"I…I shall do my best." Cora said when she could speak, amazed at how generous they were being to her. When Tifa started to remove the choker, she spoke up. "May…may I keep it, Your Majesty?" Cora heard herself saying.
"You want it?" Tifa paused. "Why?"
Cora wasn't sure why she wanted to keep it, but she didn't want to let it go. "I'm…I…I want to keep it as a reminder to prove myself worthy of your mercy." she finally said. "It's harmless now, isn't it?"
"Yes, the materia is not active right now." Tifa smiled and kissed Cora on the forehead as she refastened the choker on her. The brainwashing was more successful than she thought.
Reno wasn't too happy that Shalua was coming back to the Bacchanalia with them, but he really didn't want to leave her alone in Wutai either, so he accepted the necessity with ill grace. "You both got everything you'll need? We'll be gone for a week and we're not going back early!" he reminded them.
"I'm a light packer." Shalua negligently replied over the intercom.
"If I have failed you…" Yuffie started, and Reno regretted his attitude.
"Why don't you read the books?" he suggested as he started the takeoff procedures. Reno soon regretted opening his mouth at all, because Yuffie started reading the unfamiliar sexual instructions out loud, and he had to keep the intercom open with Shalua as an extra passenger.
"How do you keep your balance?" was one of the frequent questions Yuffie asked him about the positions mentioned in the books during the flight.
"You practice." Reno muttered darkly. All he could think of was all the good times those books had given him over the years and now his willing wife was unknowingly getting him all worked up and he couldn't even show her why it was called a cockpit because they weren't alone.
"Her Majesty sent these for your handmaiden to put on." An assistant to the royal tailor handed Aerith a package and bowed to her before leaving the nursery.
"As soon as you're done changing Storm, I guess you should put them on then." Aerith told Cora. "What are you wearing now?"
"Rags." Cora reluctantly admitted. "Prisoners don't deserve anything better." she mumbled.
"Hey, you're not a prisoner anymore." Aerith protested, gently patting Cora's cheek. "You're free just like I promised, aren't you? Hmmm…maybe that's it!" she suddenly exclaimed.
"What's it?" Cora asked as she put the newly changed Storm back in her crib.
"My outfit for the Bacchanalia! Are there such things as sex slaves?" Aerith wondered. "When you put this new outfit on, I can have the tailor design me something out of your rags…I'd try it out on Sir Zack first, we're trying to start a family you know." Aerith paused and blushed.
Cora didn't know how to respond at first. Wasn't she supposed to protect the Lady Aerith's innocence too? "I don't know if Her Majesty would like that…" Cora pointed out.
"Oh, it's a surprise for her! You're right, I can't let anyone know until it's time, please don't tell anyone!" Aerith pleaded and Cora automatically agreed. "I'm glad Reno is coming back, I think I remember being told once that one of his many skills include embroidery."
The name Reno was familiar to Cora, but she couldn't place it. And she was glad it was a surprise for the Empress, that meant it was to please her, and that was at the heart of all her orders, pleasing the Empress.