Chapter Eight: Premonition

I hummed to myself as I tended to the flowers in my throne room. I had a little time before the meeting, and I wanted to be sure they'd be alright while I was busy. It had the potential to be a long day, especially with those three in the same room together.

Honestly, they'd all known each other since they were all baby bones! One would think they would know how get along a little better.

Satisfied, I made my way to the council chamber. I greeted staff with a smile as I passed them by, some of them even wishing me luck with my council members. Everyone knew why I didn't usually meet with them all at the same time, though they seemed more amused by it than concerned that a chunk of their government could devolve into a playground spat at any given moment.

I reached the door and took a breath. I reminded myself that these three represented the last remnants of my nobility. The so-called "ruling class" of Boss Monsters. Their families only just barely survived the war because their predecessors had all been noncombatants. I didn't save nearly as many as I would have liked, in the first place, but the fact that the three people in this chamber, and their families, existed was nothing short of a miracle.

No matter how much they made me feel like I was wrangling children, again.

I made myself smile and stepped into the room. My nobles were already in their seats, and the tension in the room was almost thick enough to slap me in the face. I somehow maintained my good cheer as I greeted them.

"Howdy, everyone! I didn't mean to make you all wait."

Dante Flat, the half-drake, half skeleton Earl of Sharpe balanced his chair on its back legs and his tail as he waved a taloned hand to me. "It's not like we were waiting long, Your Majesty."

T.N. Roman Corinthians, the Baron of Ampersand, let out a sound too elegant to be called a snort but said nothing. He only turned his head away and looked down his nasal ridge at his hand, as though looking under his non-existent fingernails for dirt.

The absent Duke of Asterisk's secretary and cousin, Lady Pristina Phantom, was here in his stead. She said nothing as well, but bowed her head to me in greeting.

Normally my royal alchemist would be here, too, but she was absent as well. She always seemed busy, these days, working on an invention or some experiment. I looked forward to seeing what other marvelous contraption she would give to the people.

I settled into my chair and thought to myself, *Well, so far, so good… Aloud I asked what the first matter to attend to would be. The meeting was fairly standard, for the most part.

Duke Asterisk had asked for a short vacation so I granted him one. The lesser judges were handling some of his tasks, but my lawmaster the earl and Lady Phantom still took any pressing matters to the duke, himself. He couldn't take a break from all his duties, after all. But Lord Sharpe kept me up-to-date on the state of the people, keeping his eyes on what little crime existed down here and letting me know if people were losing hope and turning to LOVE.

In addition to her secretarial duties to Duke Asterisk, Lady Phantom also kept me informed on the state of the Underground. Her family's responsibilities included inspecting the cavern walls, ensuring their structural soundness and making suggestions on how to support it when required. The last thing we needed was for Mount Ebott to come crashing down on our heads in the next earthquake! It very nearly happened during and immediately after the CORE Incident. It was why we couldn't tunnel into the mountain to expand our living places any more than we already had. Another responsibility was maintaining the CORE and its cooling systems, ensuring magical electricity flowed to all.

Lord Ampersand and his family produced goods for the entirety of the Underground, basically dominating our economy. Most important were the farms which grew the food we ate, magically modified by alchemists long ago so they didn't need sunlight to grow. The raw ingredients would then be sent to the baron's factories for alchemical conversion into pretty much anything one could ask for.

I sometimes found it absurd that these three young skeletons could hold so much power in their hands. They were all the grandchildren of people who were but children themselves when the war ended! But I kept having to remind myself that, although they were young compared to me, they were still fully grown adults. They were all long past the point where their bodies stopped aging. They weren't the little kids running around underfoot and playing "Monsters and Humans" in my throne room, anymore. They would only start aging again once they had their own children, much like my wife and I had. Up until we lost our son…

The meeting was nearly over, and without a single hiccup. But, as usual, Lord Ampersand had something to add.

"Since nobody's seen fit to bring it to His Majesty's attention, I suppose I'll have to do it."

Lord Sharpe, still balancing his chair but at least keeping his feet off the table, this time, raised a spiked brow ridge at him. "Oh? And what could it possibly be this time? Trying to get him to grant you permission to court Tina, again? Because it didn't work last time, and I doubt it ever will."

Roman… or rather Lord Ampersand blushed at the memory and Lady Phantom's face set like a stone. It wasn't exactly one of my fonder memories, either. Just because I was the king didn't mean I could MAKE people accept courtship from someone they didn't want to! But the baron had been rather young, and less wise, at the time. And in all fairness his options for marrying another skeleton were somewhat limited. There were very few skeleton women, period, and for reasons nobody could explain the women close to his age all seemed to have been gathered within the Phantom family. Competition for their hands in marriage was fierce, to say the least.

Ampersand coughed into a fist before continuing. "No. That's not it." He face me fully. "I'm speaking of a rather unsavory rumor I've recently heard." I kept my attention on the baron, but out of the corner of my eye I still saw the other two rolling their eyes skyward. This wouldn't be first time he'd gone off on a tangent because of a rumor…

I tried to maintain my solemnity. "What would that rumor be, my lord?"

He smiled in something like triumph. "The rumor that a human bested Undyne."

It felt like a jolt ran through us all. Even Lady Phantom seemed prepared to believe him, although just barely. "Where did you hear that, my lord? How reliable is your source?"

The baron raised his nasal ridge in the air again. "If you must know, I received my information from one of my factory foremen in Hotland." He met my eyes and said, "He told me he saw the captain of the Royal Guard chase after a human child… and let them go."

Sharpe scoffed. "UNDYNE let a human go? Are you sure this foreman of yours wasn't having a heat stroke? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"

Roman ground his teeth a little. He always had quite the temper… "Are you calling me a liar? Since when have I ever prevaricated in such a manner!? How dare y-!"

I intervened before Roman could really get going… "Now, now, gentlemen. My lord earl, I am sure the baron's man is a person of impeccable integrity. My lord baron, please excuse the earl's skepticism. We all know the reason Undyne joined the Royal Guard in the first place was so she could protect us from humans and help to free us all. She has gone as far as to give a standing order to rest of the guard to arrest humans. So please, tell us. What exactly were the circumstances your foreman described? How could this human possibly best Undyne?" Even as I listened to the baron recount the tale, one corner of my mind filled with dread.

*A child… Another child. Why were they always children!?

The meeting finally ended. It was nice to have a productive and informative meeting, for once, without somebody starting a shouting match or a snarking contest, even just barely. I would pretend I was above such things if I hadn't been guilty of starting at least one.

Roman gave me the cold shoulder once the meeting adjourned, but that was fine. He was still sore about me rebuffing all his attempts to become my suitor. If his personality had been even slightly less grating I might have considered it, but since Roman was Roman… it wasn't happening. Even Dante wasn't above trying to flirt with me, but he flirted with everybody so it was hard to tell if he was being serious or not. People didn't call him the "horny drake" for nothing, but I wouldn't put it past him to flirt with me just to get under Roman's skin. It was strangely easy to do, despite the fact none of us had skin.

I went back to my office and gathered up the files I needed to take to my cousin. I sent him a text message saying I was on my way to his house, then left the castle using the elevator. I walked through the CORE and made my way to the ferry. I was such a regular the riverperson didn't even need to ask me where I was headed. I tuned out their ramblings as I pondered something about the human.

If they had made it all the way to Hotland, how had they gotten past all the sentries AND the Royal Guards in the Snowdin area? Were both of my cousins alright? I was half-afraid I'd be walking up to an empty house… But my fears turned out to be unfounded. Sans answered the door, for once, and let me in to his and Papyrus' home.

"heya, cuz! that time of the week, already?" He took my coat in a gentile gesture, then promptly threw it on the pet rock. They really needed a coatrack…

"It is. Where's Papyrus?" He was normally the one to greet me at the door, so I was a little surprised by Sans' answer.

"he's probably at undyne's, by now, for training."

"Is that usually today?"

"not normally, no. but he said something about 'extenuating circumstances.'" He shrugged and went to go start a kettle of tea. I took a seat on their somewhat lumpy couch, surreptitiously bouncing to check for loose change. No luck, this time.

I made some small talk, trying to work my way to what I really wanted to ask. "So how are those lessons going?"

"pretty well, actually. paps might make something edible within the next year!" He laughed at his own joke, and I chuckled dutifully. I didn't think Papyrus' cooking "skill" was very funny, but I needed Sans in a good mood. Trying to talk to him could be like trying to solve a puzzle, sometimes.

"Speaking of 'edible', has he gone to check on that trap of his, lately? He seemed really proud when he posted it on Undernet."

"yup! still nothing. i don't think even that poor mouse has taken a nibble, yet." I heard the kettle whistle, then die down. I couldn't see what he was doing, given how their house was laid out, but he soon returned to the living room with two steaming mugs and a smile. "golden flower tea with two sugars, just the way my dear, sweet cousin likes it!"

I thanked him and said, "Somebody's in a good mood. What's the occasion?"

He feigned shock. "what reason could i possibly need to enjoy the company of my own family?" He flopped onto the couch with a huff, somehow not spilling a drop of his tea as he did. He set it on the table before us and I did the same. I handed him the files and he sighed. "always straight to business. you need to lighten up a little, tina." He didn't seem all that put out while he took them, so he must be in a very good mood, today.

"I thought I was already the light of your life, Your Grace." Normally, he didn't like me referring to him like that, but he didn't even seem to notice, now. He was laughing, really laughing, at the joke I had just made. It was almost like it had reminded him of something especially humorous.

Seeing him like that made me hesitate. He hadn't been quite the same since the CORE Incident. Outwardly he joked as he ever had, but those who really knew him could tell that something was… off. It was like his humor was just a mask that nobody could pull off of him. Not even his own brother, the person he loved more than anyone else, was up to the task. It worried us all.

Recently, however, he'd been looking better. I didn't know what he was doing, but whatever it was it helped. To see him laugh, so carefree, for the first time in so long was… comforting. Which made what I had to ask him so difficult. He finally calmed his laughter and started reading again. I said, "So he hasn't seen any humans yet? He must be so disappointed."

He skimmed through the reports as he spoke. "well, you know paps. not much can keep him down for long!" While anyone else would have taken that at face-value, I noticed he didn't deny that Papyrus had seen a human.

*Just like solving a puzzle… Should I be more blunt? Aloud, I said, "Roman heard a rumor today."

Sans rolled his eyes. "oh, boy. what is it, this time?"

"He said someone in Hotland saw Undyne chasing a human."

"ya don't say?" If I hadn't known him my whole life I wouldn't have noticed the change in his expression. He was still smiling but it was the mask. He was looking at the files in his hands but I don't think he was seeing them, anymore.

I hated doing this to him, but I had to know... "Did you and Papyrus really miss a human passing through Snowdin?"

He shrugged almost nonchalantly. "can't say we have."

I was getting frustrated. "Sans, please, this is the seventh soul! This could be our chance to finally leave. To see the surface, to see the sun and the moon! Just like Grandfather always told us about, just like you've always wanted to…"

He sighed. "i know, pristina, but i just. can't. say." He finally looked at me, his eyes begging me to drop the matter. I'd always known he had a soft spot for children, but I never thought that would extend itself to humans.

It was my turn to sigh. I felt like I was about to push him too far, but there was one more thing I needed to know. "Fine. But speaking hypothetically, do you think the next human will be a threat to monsterkind?"

He stopped smiling. He took a deep breath and said, "they'll probably just be some lonely kid a long way from home, running around scared in the dark and finding themselves being attacked by everyone and their grandma. even so, i don't think they'd ever intentionally dust somebody." He finally grinned again, though it was somewhat strained. "hypothetically speaking, of course."

And that was that. I knew I wasn't going to get any more out of him so I just drank my tea and let him finish reading those reports. But when I took my first sip the tea was being overpowered by something that tasted like pickling brine. My face drew in on itself.

"Sans? I think you mixed up the mugs…"

"whoops. my bad, cuz." He didn't seem very apologetic, but I was willing to let it slide. I really should have checked it, first. I've always known the act of walking into the Duke of Asterisk's abode was giving him permission to prank you to his heart's content.

While I switched mugs the door opened. It was Papyrus returning home, and he greeted me with his normal abundance of energy. I managed to cover my mug with a hand just before he swept me up in a hug.

"COUSIN! HOW GOOD IT IS TO SEE YOU! IS IT REPORT DAY, ALREADY?"

He released me and I checked my tea as I asked, "Shouldn't you be at training, Papyrus?" The tea was safe, and delicious.

Sans didn't look up from what he was reading, but still said, "yeah, didn't you just leave to go see undyne?"

"YES! BUT I LEFT SO SHE AND HUMAN FRISK COULD-!" He stopped himself mid-sentence and clapped a hand over his mouth. His gaze darted to me and he started waving his hands as though he could wipe his words from the air. "I-I-I DIDN'T MEAN TO SAY 'HUMAN'! WHAT I REALLY MEANT WAS… W-WAS…!"

"It's alright, Papyrus, I already know there's a human down here." He stopped waving his hands but he looked very worried. He must have taken a liking to the human, too... "Roman got a report today and he brought it to our attention at the meeting. While it goes against the usual pattern of capturing a human to bring them before the king we agreed that, as long as they make their way to the castle eventually, this human can enjoy their freedom while they have it." I paused, then amended myself. "Well, we mostly agreed. Roman wanted to hunt them down, but Undyne has already given the Royal Guard orders to arrest them if they're found."

"ARREST THEM? BUT COUSIN, HUMAN FRISK ISN'T A BAD PERSON! THEY'RE MY FRIEND…"

"I'm sorry, Papy. I am very sorry, but the king has spoken." Papyrus was crestfallen but Sans just seemed resigned. I felt the need to comfort them, but what could I possibly say? Sans beat me to it, however.

"well, bro, look at it this way. if the kid can make it past you and undyne, they can handle pretty much anything!"

This cheered up Papyrus considerably. "YEAH… YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT, BROTHER! HUMAN FRISK WILL GET PAST THE KING AND MAKE IT HOME SAFE AND SOUND! NYEH HEH HEH!"

We chatted about inconsequential things after that. Eventually I had to leave and Sans walked me back to the ferry. We talked while we waited for it to return.

"tell the king i'll be ready to judge the kid." With a rueful smile he added, "pretty sure my time off will be over by then, anyway. but i saw that the special case was ready for me and i'll take care of it before then."

Knowing he would still fulfill his duty didn't make me feel any better. "I'm sorry, Sans…"

He shook his head. "it's not your fault, tina. i don't think anybody figured we'd ever find ourselves saddled with a human quite like frisk. they're… something else."

I was a little shocked to hear him say that, and a little confused. "What do you mean by that?"

He shrugged. "dunno." His gaze became distant, seeing beyond me, somehow. "one way or another, that kid's gonna be real important to our future..." He shook himself a little, getting back to his normal self. "i mean, obviously! theirs is the seventh soul, like you said! anyways, don't worry about me and paps. we'll be fine."

I had heard that one before. It was when he made the decision to move himself and Papyrus out here, to Snowdin. He had said it was because the capital was too noisy and crowded, but I always suspected a different reason. That he'd wanted to get Papyrus away from people that would manipulate him, and wanted to take advantage of them both. Our family had been concerned about them, but he'd insisted. He didn't even want any servants! He was lucky Papyrus insisted upon helping the maids when we were young and had learned how to do housework. By then "instant foods" were being produced, so we knew they wouldn't starve so long as one of them could operate their stove and microwave oven, but still…

He placed a hand on my shoulder and shook me gently. "we'll be fine, tina." He grinned. "tibia honest, i'd be more worried about the kid winning asgore over when they fight. we'd be boned if he spares them." I must have made a face at his puns, because he was chuckling by the time the ferry pulled up.

I hugged him, asking him in a low voice, "How likely is that, really?"

He returned my embrace as he said, "if the kid has the wherewithal to make it that far… it's pretty damned likely." He released me, and we said our goodbyes. I stepped onto the ferry again, returning to Hotland and the capital.

I was torn. Should I warn the king? Even if I did, what did I warn him about? That this latest human had apparently made it to Hotland because they had charmed all the monsters along the way into being their friend? That his own judge, jury and executioner had apparently been won over? Sans could get in trouble just by making the insinuation! It was preposterous to think that a human could be succeeding without turning a single monster to dust, but… I trusted Sans' judgement. If he said they weren't a threat, they weren't. But that still didn't resolve the issue of what would happen when the final hour came.

Either the human died and their SOUL would be used to break the barrier, or Asgore died and the human would leave us all trapped here, without our beloved king. No matter what Sans thought, there could be no other outcomes.