Chapter 9
They soon arrived at the Castle and the guards stood at attention as they saw Ava and Sans, bowing to them as they passed them. "Welcome, our honorable Judge and Jury," one said.
"Thank you," Ava said, nodding her head. "Are the King and Queen available at the moment?"
"I shall ask right away," he said. "You may enter to the throne room."
As he scurried off, the group went inside. "Wow," Frisk said in awe.
"It's so big!" Chara said, also awed.
Grillby chuckled. "It is, isn't it?" He asked.
Just then, crying reached their ears and they stopped, Ava turning her head to find where the sound was coming from. "Who's crying?" Amelia asked in confusion.
"It sounds like young Asriel," River Person said.
Handing Amelia to her father, Ava immediately followed the sound, aware the others were following her. She knocked upon a door and the crying stopped as a gasp was heard. "Who's there?" Asked a teary voice.
"Asriel?" The half-human called out gently.
"Ava?" Asriel asked before it was quiet. "Come in, honorable Jury."
She entered and looked at him, seeing he was holding an icepack to his face and the fur around his eyes was damp. A couple bruises on the backs of his hands began to tell Ava the story. "Asriel, who did this to you?" She asked, kneeling down.
He sniffled and looked down. She gently brushed her hand over his head before looking towards the door. "Papyrus? My love? You're needed," she called out gently.
The two entered with the others and were shocked by what they saw. "Who did this?" Grillby asked, his flames turning red.
Papyrus started healing the young goat kid. "Asriel, who hurt you?" He asked gently.
The boy looked up at them. "Some bigger kids at school," he said. "They said that the only reason anyone would want to be my friend is because of Mom and Dad."
"Oh, Asriel, that's not true," River Person said, placing a comforting hand on the boy's back.
"But it is," he said, tears forming again. "No one in school wants to be friends with me."
Frisk and Chara looked at each other and then at Amelia, who was looking at them and then she looked at Asriel before looking back at the sisters, a silent question passing between them before they nodded, gently squirming to be put down. As soon as they were set on their feet, they went up to Asriel. "We want to," Frisk said softly.
"Yeah," said Chara. "You must have really cool parents to be such a cool kid."
"Those big kids are wrong," said Amelia.
Asriel looked at them, his face looking better after Papyrus and Grillby healed him. "'Really?" He asked. "But, you guys don't know me."
Frisk shrugged. "You're a kid like us," she said. "And we've had the same problem too with very few kids wanting to be friends with us."
"So we know we're you're coming from," Chara said.
He looked at them and his eyes widened. "Wait, you three are humans, right?" He asked.
They nodded. "Yes, they are, kiddo," Ava said. "And we're about to go ask your folks about adopting them."
The three girls looked surprised. "Wait...his mom and dad?" Amelia said. "Then that means...?"
"We're best friends with a prince?" Chara asked.
"That's right, kiddos," Sans said, chuckling.
Asriel looked a little embarrassed. "Yeah, I'm the prince," he said softly.
Frisk looked at him and she could read what he was thinking. "Hey, just cause we find out you're the prince doesn't mean we don't want to be your friends," she said. "Chara, Amelia, and I will still be your friends and we still would have been if you weren't a prince."
"Yeah!" Chara said with a smile. "Cause titles don't make a person. What's inside is what makes a person."
Sans felt pride swell inside of him at his daughters' words. Ava smiled as she saw that and saw Amelia go up to the prince. "Do...Do you still want to be friends with us?" She asked him softly. "I know we're not royalty like you, but we really do want to be your friends."
Asriel looked at her. "Of course I want to be friends with you guys," he said, smiling. "You guys are just like Miss Ava. You don't judge someone by outward appearance and you are loyal."
"That they are," Grillby said with pride.
The prince smiled. "Come on," he said. "Let's go see if Mom and Dad are busy."
He led them down the hall and they had just arrived at the throne room doors when the same guard from earlier came out and he looked relieved. "Oh, my prince, there you are," he said, bowing. "Your parents spoke to the school about the bullies and since it seems they are refusing to punish the bullies, I believe your mother has decided to have you learn at home with tutors instead."
Asriel sighed. "It's okay," he said softly.
Frisk hugged him, as did Chara and Amelia. He hugged them back in gratitude, to which the guard smiled. "It's good to see that there are still some good humans in the world," he said before looking at the half-human and monsters. "You may all go in. The King and Queen are expecting you."
Thanking him, they all went in to the massive throne room and two people dressed in rich clothing stood up, the crowns on their heads indicating they were the King and Queen. "Why, Ava and Sans!" The Queen said with a smile. "What a pleasant surprise!"
"It is not often we are graced with the presences of our honorable Judge and Jury," the King said, also smiling before he saw the three human children.
Seeing he was looking at them, the three girls grew nervous and Frisk quickly hid behind Sans while Chara hid behind Gaster and Amelia hid behind Grillby. A warm chuckle filled the room. "Don't be frightened, young ones," he said soothingly. "We don't bite."
"My husband speaks the truth," his wife said. "Please come out so that we can meet you."
Asriel smiled and went up to Frisk. "It's okay," he said. "I promise Mom and Dad are nice."
She looked nervous, but nodded and let him guide her to stand by Sans, who smiled and gently squeezed her shoulder to help her relax. Chara peeked out from behind Gaster and Amelia did the same from behind Grillby, who smiled. "Can you kiddos say hello?" He asked gently.
"H-Hi," Frisk ventured to say.
"Hi," Chara said shyly, clinging to Gaster's cloak.
"Hi," Amelia said softly before ducking behind her father-to-be again.
Asriel smiled. "Mom. Dad, these three humans are really nice," he said. "They want to be friends with me and not just because I'm a prince."
"See? We told you that you'd find a true friend, son," said Asgore with a smile. "And it looks like you found three of them."
Sans smiled and nodded. "Yup, he did," he said. "And while we're on that topic, we were hoping you would be willing to help us with something."
"Of course, anything," Toriel said with a smile.
Ava took a deep breath. "These three children with us escaped bad situations on the surface," she said. "They have no home there."
Asgore looked saddened. "Humans are even cruel to their own kind?" He asked sadly.
"Unfortunately, yes," said River Person softly.
Papyrus decided a happier note was needed. "But now they do have good homes," he said, smiling. "Frisk and Chara asked Sans to be their dad and Amelia asked if Grillby and Ava would be her parents."
Toriel smiled again. "And if I know you three, you told them yes," she said to the three hopeful parents.
"You know us too well, Tori," said Sans. "Can't get anything paaaast you."
The Queen clapped her hands to her mouth, giggling into them while Asgore cocked an eyebrow at Sans. "Do you have the guts to make my wife laugh?" He asked in amusement.
"As sure as Grillby's hot," the skeleton said with a grin.
"Sans!" Ava and Papyrus cried out in unison, the former giggling like crazy while the latter slapped a hand to his forehead.
Toriel burst into laughter and Asgore chuckled. "Well played, old friend," he said.
Frisk, Chara, and Amelia giggled, finding Ava's and Papyrus' reactions to be funny. Gaster chuckled as he noticed the children seemed a bit more relaxed. "Don't worry, little ones," he said gently. "We've been friends with the King and Queen for years, even before Ava and Sans became the Judge and Jury."
"That's right," Grillby said.
Toriel smiled. "Well, I think we can grant the adoptions of our son's friends," she said. "What do you think, Honey?"
"I agree, my love," Asgore said before a page boy brought him the papers for the adoptions. "Thank you," he said to him and the page boy bowed and hurried away.
The Queen suddenly realized something. "Oh, you three will need a good school too," she said. "But...I'm afraid the one our son was going to will not be good for you three."
River Person gave it some thought. "Your Majesties, if I may?" He asked.
"Speak, old friend," Asgore said.
The cloaked being nodded. "What school with Asriel be attending?" He asked.
"He will learn at home with tutors," Toriel said before her eyes lit up as she seemed to catch on what River Person was thinking. "You know, your new daughters could join Asriel in his tutoring," she said to Ava, Sans, and Grillby.
Sans nodded. "That's a great idea," he said before looking at his daughters. "What do you think? You kids want to be tutored here at the castle?"
"What's a tutor?" Frisk asked.
"Someone who is trained to help a student either in a subject they are struggling with or to teach them a certain subject," Gaster said.
"And they're very patient," Papyrus said.
Chara looked at Frisk before both looked at their new dad. "Can we?" The former asked.
Sans nodded with a smile. Ava and Grillby looked at Amelia, who looked interested, but also unsure. "Amelia, do you want to see how it goes?" Ava asked gently.
"If it doesn't work out, we can find another alternative," Grillby promised.
The child looked at her friends and then at her new parents. "Can we try the tutoring first?" She asked quietly.
They nodded and Toriel smiled. "It's settled then," she said. "Oh, it's been a bit since I was a teacher."
"But you haven't lost your teaching ability, my love," said Asgore fondly.
"Wait, you're a teacher too, Your Majesty?" Frisk asked in surprise.
"I am, my dear," the Queen said with a smile.
Asgore finished drawing up the paperwork. "Sans? Ava? Grillby?" He said, getting their attention. "If you would sign the dotted lines, then the girls are officially your daughters."
The girls looked excited and watched as Sans signed the papers in front of him and then Ava and Grillby signed the paper in front of them. Asgore smiled. "Frisk and Chara are now your daughters, Sans. Amelia is now your daughter, Ava and Grillby."
Amelia reached up to her father and he picked her up, feeling her hug him and he returned the hug. "You never have to worry about being taken away from us, my little candle," he said.
Frisk and Chara hugged Sans. "We're really going to stay?" The latter asked.
"That's right, baby bones," the short skeleton said, smiling.
Asgore smiled and gave Ava the paperwork. "It's all there," he said. "I trust your judge friend will be able to verify these too?"
"That's what our sheriff friend promised," she said, accepting the papers. "Thank you."
He smiled. "I should thank the girls for being kind to my son," he said, smiling at them and they smiled back.
Toriel smiled. "The tutors will be ready in about two weeks," she said. "The children can come back then for their schooling."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," said Grillby.
Ava smiled again and took a deep breath, deciding to go see their judge friend first thing in the morning.
Right now, she was going to enjoy the day with her new daughter and nieces.
And the girls have been adopted. :)
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GoldGuardian2418