Tabitha and Kirche watched as Louise and her fellowship flew away. Nymph was too busy staring at her own nails, and Sylphid, who remained remarkably quiet, was busy glaring daggers at Nymph.
"Let's go." Tabitha said as she mounted her familiar and pulled Kirche up as well.
They flew towards Galia with Tabitha knowing the way by heart, she only needed to redirect Sylphid a few times to make sure she was flying into the right direction as the.
They flew with Nymph having regenerated enough of her wings to follow them effortlessly, even if they looked stubby, something that Kirche pointed out all too eagerly. "Hey are you ok over there?" she asked in a mocking voice. "After all those wings still look so tiny, doesn't it hurt when you flap them?"
"For your information, you overproportioned female, my wings are working perfectly fine at their current size, something that can obviously not be said about your brain." She shot back with a glare that would melt Kirche if she would be allowed to do so.
"What was that you damn chicken winged little..." Kirche had a way harder time to keep her composure with Nymph compared to Louise.
After a few hours they needed to land as Sylphid started to get tired, they settled near a river and chose to set up camp there. The poor dragon, while very fast, was still young and as such not able to fly much distance with the weight of two people and a few bags of proviant as well.
The whole ordeal was relatively eventless besides the occasional jabs between Kirche hacking around at Nymph and Nymph returning the favor.
Tabitha later on went and started to collect some firewood, honestly it didn't really matter what kind of wood she picked up, Kirche had a talent for setting things alight regardless of what they were.
As she walked back to the camp she noticed something looking up.
Nymph was seated on one of the branches, and on her hand was a bird.
Immediately she started to dread what the monster would do to the poor creature.
Nymph at the same time noticed her master watching. "Sho, sho." she told the birds and tried to make them fly away. It took a few moments but as they left Nymph quickly went down to face her master.
"What was that all about, Nymph?" Tabitha asked with her curiosity awoken.
"I-I don't know what you mean master, please specify, is there something you need me to do?" Nymph said. She tried to hide it but a sliver of panic was clearly hearable in her voice as she spoke.
Tabitha chose to dig deeper. "I want to know why you suddenly panicked when you saw me observing you with the birds." after a moment she added. "And that is an order."
Nymph was visibly shocked at that order and was obviously fighting with it, thinking of what to do and say. It was strange for Tabitha to see that so plainly. She was a bit paranoid by this point, thinking that that hesitation and panicked might be acted as well.
"I don't want the birds to be close to me when my master is present. They are distracting me from serving efficiently." Nymph finally settled on as an answer.
Curiously Tabitha only remembered seeing one bird close to her.
"Why were the birds close to you?" she chose to ask next.
"Because they seem to have an attraction to me." Nymph asked with her nervousness increasing. "I don't know why that attraction exists."
"Make a theory." Tabitha shot back copying Louise all the while getting more and more suspicious.
"It could be because of the low magnetic field I am writing from my body, the birds maybe are able to feel it and are drawn to it." Nymph explained, by now she was desperately avoiding eye contact.
"And what do you do with the birds?" Tabitha drilled.
"I… watch them, I sometimes pet them or feed them." Tabitha studied Nymph closely as she said that and it looked as if the Angeloid was close to tears by now.
It was incredibly confusing to her, why would any of those things drive her close to tears, those were good things. Or not? Maybe there was some form of taboo in interacting with things from earth but Tabitha chose to let this topic rest for now.
The next day they reached their destination without complications.
It was the old castle of the Orléans family. They were received by a butler that greeted Tabitha with the name Charlotte much to Kirches surprise, Nymph was kept invisible for now and Sylphid was let to the stables to rest.
As when Kirche asked about the name she was just said that she would explain later.
As they ate and had their things brought to their rooms Tabitha grew visibly more nervous by the minute.
As the day started to close they went to a room, by now Tabitha was even paler the usual. "Behind this door is my mother." her eyes were mainly on Nymph.
"I will see what I can do." Nymph said with a sigh. "But again I suggest Oregano class Angeloids for those kinds of things."
With that Tabitha opened the door and they stepped in. Inside was a woman with blue hair, going back and forth in her chair.
The woman turned around at the voice in her hands a doll with blue hair. "What? What do you want?!" She screamed at them, throwing the brush she was holding towards them.
"Well, you are an insane one..." Nymph said appearing next to the woman and tapping a finger to her head.
She instantly collapsed with her eyes closed and was caught by Nymph, who hefted her on the bed without much of a thought.
While all of this was happening Tabitha was nearly torn apart in between attacking Nymph for her careless treatment and telling her to hurry up and see if she could do something.
"Let's see what exactly is wrong with you." Nymph said to herself as she started looking into the woman's mind.
Full of hope they watched for what felt like an eternity.
"What? That is all. I thought this would be serious." Nymph said and tapped her head twice. "There, done. Her memory block has been removed."
"Wha..." but before Tabitha could register what was happening she started to wake up.
"Huh, what I?" she started looking around in confusion. "Charlotte?" she looked at her daughter for a few moments before she jumped out of her bad and her her embraced. "Charlotte! Oh, you are ok, you're ok, I am so happy."
That was all Tabitha could take as she broke down in tears and started crying.
Mother and child were on the ground, both crying embracing each other dearly, both wanting this moment to last forever.
Eventually, they had to let go of each other and before one of them could say a word Kirche had a realization. "Ah, I get it now, you called yourself Tabitha to hide your identity."
"Did you seriously need that long to come to the conclusion?" Nymph asked her with fake surprise.
"You shut it over there, make yourself invisible or something," Kirche said with anger written on her face.
"Excuse me, but, who are you?" Tabitha's mother asked finally getting over her shock as she looked back and forth between them.
"Ah, sorry. I am Kirche the Ardent, I am a friend of your daughter." she said extending her hand. "And that small annoyance over there will soon be disposed of so don't worry." She said venomously towards Nymph.
Nymph flinched at that.
"Mother." Tabitha said. "There is much to talk about. How much do you remember?" she asked carefully.
"We were at the party and Joseph gave you that poisoned glass of wine, I drank it in your stead. After that, it's all just a big confusing mess." She rubbed her head in confusion. "What happened after that?"
"Mother, please stay calm but..." Tabitha started to explain. "It has been nearly 6 years since you have been poisoned."
There was silence for a few moments as her mother struggled to find words. "6..., 6 years?!" she asked with shock written on her face. "What happened during all of that?"
"You have been sick for a long time, my lady." The butler said as he entered the room. "And through means I don't know about, the young Lady has restored your mind, it seems." a tear formed in the eye of the old man. "It is good to have you back my lady."
"Henri… have you been taking care of me for this entire time?" she asked back.
"I have, my lady. However, the heaviest burden was no doubt carried by your daughter." The butler explained.
Tabitha shot him a glare as if to tell him to shut up, something the butler completely ignored.
"In order to ensure that you would be kept alive, she went on life threatening missions given by Joseph directly." He explained.
"What?" she looked back and forth between her daughter and her butler. "I..." She was at loss for words as Tabitha was glaring daggers.
"Hm, so that is what the missions from the crown were all about." Kirche commented. "I always wondered about those."
By now Tabitha had a death glare towards everybody but her mother in the room. It was clear that she didn't want to share too much and her mother noticed as well. "Charlotte." she said pleadingly towards her daughter. "Please tell me what is going on."
With pained eyes she started to explain. "After you have been poisoned, we have been robbed of most of our titles, lands. To make matters worse we ran out of money so I had to do something," she admitted heavily. "Joseph knew this and offered his 'help'."
The woman by now had tears streaming down her face again." Oh Charlotte, I am so sorry." and again she was crying and hold her daughter, she swore on that day she would never let her go again.
The next day they all were sitting at the table and making plans. "So, Galia is Joseph's plaything. My daughter is a child warrior, who befriended a Germanian and a Tristranian, also that Triatanian girl apparently has an actual angel of God as her familiar who is for some reason hunted by other hunting her and my daughter went face to face with one of the angels, enslaved said angel and then used the powers of her new slave to heal me from poison induced insanity." She listed. "Did, I miss anything?"
"Your daughter also lost her arm in the process and I replaced it with a robotic one." Nymph said from the side and the glare Tabitha gave Nymph should have melted her then and there, also Kirche spit out the water she was drinking. "What? She is your mother and technically your superior, as such she is also my superior." the Angeloid explained.
"I like her already, now what was that with my daughter's arm?" her mother asked the Angeloid.
"When your daughter fought me she lost her arm in the process, after she took control of me I replaced her missing arm with a mechanical one." Nymph explained upbeat and with a smile on her face. Tabitha's mother was glaring with the same intensity at Nymph as Tabitha. "Oh what now, I follow your orders to the letter. What are you upset with now?!" Nymph complained.
"You just told me you ripped off my daughter's arm!" she near shouted.
"I just want to remind that at the time I was following the orders of Minos." Nymph said with her arms crossed and a grumpy face. "Not like I knew she would become my master a few moments later."
Tabitha's mother just glared at her a little more before turning to her daughter."Charlotte, show me your arm."
Reluctantly the girl showed her stretched her arm out looking away while her mother inspected in carefully. Immediately she noticed the line where the skin tone was slightly different from the rest and traced it, she felt it in many places and her face became more and more confused. "I, this is so strange."
"Again, not a medical Angeloid, the best I could do was replace it with a robotic limb." Nymph commented with the grumpy expression still on her face.
"What does that mean?" the woman asked curiously.
"Her arm is not flesh and blood so to speak but more like mine, a construction out of various materials, mostly metals." Nymph had troubles thinking of ways how to properly explain it, after all Humanity regressed a great deal since she was built. "The best way to describe it is like a clockwork, only way finer and sturdier and different functions. Technically it's stronger and better than any of you could ever hope to be but I suggest not lifting any chariots with it as your other bones would snap under the weight." She explained. "However now that I think I about it I could probably build in some solid weaponry. Nothing angeloid grade, but enough to destroy any human." The last part she said mostly to herself.
"What in the name of the Founder has happened to the world while I was gone." Tabitha's mother said while rubbing her templates. "Is there anything else of significance that I should know about?"
"Well, there is Reconquia that is currently ripping Albion apart." Kirche added.
"And what pray tell is that supposed to be?"
"A rebel organization that is revolting against the nobility and is led by some preacher that says he wants to unite Halkegenia to attack the elves, and take back the holy land." Kirche explained quickly.
"Did he have any success so far?"
"Well, he pretty much took over Albion by now, rumors say that the last remnants of the royalty are cornered and soon will be gone." Kirche explained.
The woman sighed and rubbed her templates again. "Ok. First things first. Henri, do we still have allies?" she asked the butler. "And also get me a list of people who would welcome a change in leadership."
"Already done my lady." he replied presenting a piece of paper her. "Here is a list of all who would support you in this."
"Good, is there a secure way to contact them?" she asked inspecting the list.
"There is, Joseph feels save with his power most nobles sit back and he ignores them as long as they do." he explained.
"I don't believe that for even a moment." she answered. "He has spies on them without a doubt. Probably on me as well. I will need to see how many of my old contacts are still secure."
"I will need to finish the mission and report to the castle." Tabitha reminded herself.
Her mother didn't like that at all. "I don't want you to do any more of those horrid missions."
"We need to keep up the appearance that you are still sick." She argued back. "And I have done them half my life now, I am ok."
"It shouldn't be ok Charlotte." she argued back. "I refuse to let you go on any more of those insane missions. What are you even supposed to do."
"... The Ragnolian lake water spirit is flooding the area around it. I am being sent to stop it." she explained reluctantly.
"You are not going under any circumstances." her mother said without even missing a beat.
"Mother, I have to." Tabitha argued. "If I don't then I risk of losing you again."
"Well, I run the same risk if I let you go."
"I have a triangle class fire mage, a rhyme dragon as my familiar and an angel as my slave. There is no danger for me when going, however, if I don't you will be in grave danger and I can't risk it." the Queen knew that her daughter was right, but she hated it with all her life.
She looked at her daughter with pained eyes. "Ok… fine." she finally gave in, she hated it but it was clear that there was no other choice for now.
"Why don't you two just try to escape?" Kirche asked them. "I mean, you two could just go away, go to Tristram, or Germania, or heck go east."
"And let the country go to hell?" she shot back.
"You guys and your honor..."
AN:Short chapter but it took me less time to write. So yay?
