I did not expect this to be my first fic for this fandom, but I'm glad that I'm finally posting stuff for Elena of Avalor! This idea just came into my head yesterday when I was wondering about what happened to the chancellor before Esteban. And then this fic (and Northern Isles diplomat!Shuriki) just ... happened. I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Elena of Avalor.
The sous-chef calls the chancellor to the kitchen. Says it's urgent business, so he cannot refuse. So he cannot disappear. That, at least, is Matías' hope.
He hopes, at least, that Shuriki will wait until after the urgent business is resolved to conveniently off her chancellor. He hopes, because he doesn't know much about her at all. And he hopes, because he knows enough.
(King Raul and Queen Lucia dead. Haven't they all seen enough?)
As he waits for Alvarez's arrival, Matías double-checks the room for spies. The kitchen is empty, but one can never be too certain these days. Matías did not live to see his fourth monarchy by speaking freely in the presence of those who could be considered too loyal.
The second Chancellor Alvarez steps through the door, dressed in all black and visibly pale, Matías grabs him by the arm and pulls him over by the sink. He turns the water on, for good measure. Better to be safe.
"Do you have any place to go?" Matías whispers.
Alvarez fidgets with his lapel. "I cannot leave," he says. "I am needed here."
"You don't want to stick around to find out what happens to people who insult the new queen," Matías hisses. "You need to go." Not an opinion. A fact. They both know that.
(They both know what happens when a power-hungry new ruler comes to power. And they know both how monarchy works in the Northern Isles, where the weather is harsh, resources are scarce, and dissent is crushed with an iron fist.)
If he was to name one bad thing about King Raul's reign, Alvarez would say that Raul was too lenient. It was nice, not having to constantly watch his mouth, but that also meant that he'd lost all the healthy fear that came with being a subordinate.
Alvarez knows that he should not have called Shuriki a 'warmongering witch' at the first diplomatic meeting with the Northern Isles, but she did threaten to declare war on Avalor and Cordoba from the start — the fact was true. What he had not expected was for her to successfully stage a coup, murder the monarchs, and declare herself queen all in one day. He had believed, perhaps foolishly, that they could stay enemies on opposite sides of the channel most days, and enemies on opposite sides of the meeting table during the rest. So please, forgive him if insulting the slightly homicidal foreign ambassador had seemed like a not-so-terrible idea at the time.
A not-so-terrible idea that is now about to blow up in his face. So no, the situation is not looking good. And yes, he should really get going before someone finds him and imprisons him. Banishes him. Publicly executes him. Whatever.
But.
"Prince Esteban," Alvarez says. "He's the only one left. He needs — I must — the kingdom ..."
"Do you support that traitor?" Matías says, eyes narrowing.
"Traitor? Whatever do you mean?"
"How else do you think he's still alive? Him and Delgado both, I'm sure of it. The two of them were born thieves. Used to sneak into the kitchen and steal the pan dulce straight off the rack. Born thieves, I say, though I never expected they'd set their sights on stealing the throne."
"But I can't just run," says Alvarez. "Not when Avalor needs me to—"
"It's over," Matías says. "Avalor has fallen, and Queen Shuriki will not keep you around. We — I cannot lose anyone else. Now, do you have a place to go?"
Alvarez nods, and Matías doesn't ask where. Instead, he ushers him over to the side of the counter. He lifts the heavy trash can over to the side and pulls up a few loose floorboards, exposing a dark tunnel in the floor.
"This passageway leads out of the palace to Avalor City's docks." Matías says. He pulls open a cabinet, extracting a pile of simple clothing and handing it to Alvarez. "Take this."
"I told the servant girl to wait," Matías continues. "You know the one. No family. Implied that she wouldn't hesitate to poison Shuriki's food. Bring her with you."
"And what will you tell Shuriki when she notices my absence?"
"I'll tell them—" he says. "I'll tell them you had no time. An illness. Family emergency. Other side of the EverRealm. Highly contagious, hospitals jam-packed. Who knows if you'll make it back alive—"
Alvarez lowers himself into the tunnel, turning toward Matías. "Thank you," he says.
"Don't mention it," Matías says. "Goodbye, old friend. May we meet again. When Avalor is free."
Alvarez disappears into the tunnel, and Matías puts the floorboards back. He drags the trash can back into its usual position before heading off to finish Queen Shuriki's coronation feast.
(As the two of them set off in opposite directions, they both know that that may have been the last time they will ever see each other. They also both know that the question is not 'when' but 'if' Avalor will ever be free after today.)
Thank you so much for reading! Favorites/follows/reviews are always welcome!