UPDATE: I've changed the ending of this chapter. It may be slightly shorter, but it will lead into chapter eight a bit better.


The next morning – New Home

"Welp," Asriel said to Frisk. "I think it's almost time to go and make the announcement."

Frisk stood right next to him, looking up at the tall Monster. Upon seeing how close she stood to the king, one might find it difficult to believe that she was scared of him mere days ago. Her fear had been completely removed in a matter of days, and now she regarded Asriel as the one who repelled her fears and kept her safe.

The goat man looked down at the child, who looked back with a hint of nervousness. This did not go unnoticed by her guardian, who knelt down to her eye level and gently put his hands on her shoulders.

"Frisk," he softly said. "Again, you don't have to do this if you don't want to. If you don't like crowds or cameras, you can just stay here for a bit. I'd gladly ask my parents or the skeletons to keep you company."

The child shook her head. "N-no, I-I-I w-want to come with you. I-I can do this. J-just…stay close, please?"

Asriel gave a reassuring smile. "Sure thing."


Whenever the king had a public announcement to make, he'd do so from his castle's balcony. This was no different – except that he wasn't alone this time, and the audience he was about to address was larger than ever. Of course, rumors of a Human having entered the Underground were not to be ignored. They were just rumors, but still…

Asriel could easily see and hear the large group outside without standing on the balcony. Next to him stood Frisk, who kept clinging to the tall Monster. He looked down at her.

"You ready?" he asked. Frisk nodded in response.

And so, the two went through the door that lead to the balcony.

When they appeared, the crowd of Monsters became even noisier, yelling questions and expressing concerns. Frisk cringed at the loud sounds, but calmed down a bit when Asriel put his hands over her ears, effectively blocking out most of the noise. She looked up at him in gratitude.

When the screaming, shouting and yelling had finally died down, Asriel began to speak.

"Howdy," he greeted. He knew the Underground wasn't waiting for any kind of formal language, so he kept it simple – as if he was talking to a group of friends. "As you all know, there've been some rumors about a Human accompanying me in Snowdin." He looked at the Human in question again, to which the audience made some more sounds before falling silent.

"Now as you can see, those rumors are true," Asriel continued as he turned his gaze back to the crowd and put his hands on Frisk's shoulders. "This is Frisk. She arrived a few days ago."

The king couldn't help but feel a bit of frustration when the large group of Monsters burst out in yells and shouts once more. He understood how the audience felt, of course…but the prospect of being interrupted again and again until the very end of the speech wasn't pleasant. He quickly put his hands over Frisk's ears.

"I," Asriel called, causing the crowd to shut up, "have adopted the child. She's decided that she wants to stay here in the Underground, and I have taken it upon myself to raise her."

He waited for the crowd to start screaming again, but was pleasantly surprised when they remained quiet. He let his gaze glide over their faces. Some of them appeared shocked, others conflicted. Some people even seemed to like the child that stood at his side.

"Welp," he said, "I think that's all I really wanted to say. Have a good day, people."

Ignoring the noise that rose, he turned to the door and walked inside with Frisk next to him. He looked down at her and smiled.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" he asked when they entered the living room.

The Human hesitated, but eventually shook her head. "Uh, n-no…"

Asriel stopped in his tracks. He knelt down to Frisk's eye level as he gently held her by the shoulders. He gave her a sympathetic look. "You don't like big audiences, do you?" he softly deduced.

Frisk looked down, shaking her head again in an almost ashamed way. Asriel was about to say that that was okay, that there was nothing to be embarrassed or afraid of.

He was interrupted by a third voice, one of a Royal Guardsman. "Your Majesty."

Asriel looked to his right, where the other Monster stood. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but the crowd outside refuses to disperse. Do you want me to send a group of guards, if only to be safe?"

"We should wait first," the king said. "They'll probably leave eventually."

The Royal Guardsman gave a nod. "Yes, Your Majesty." He then left.

Asriel looked at Frisk again, who gave him a slightly anxious look.

"Don't worry," Asriel reassured. "The audience is just…curious. They'll warm up to you. Just give it time. Oh, and while that's happening…" A grin appeared on his face. "There are some more people I'd like you to meet."