Hi, everyone! So exams are finally over, and while I am basically braindead, I had to keep my promise about the update. Here it is:
January 20, 171 A.E.
Entry#25
I am writing this in my own room in the Capital. We are finally home! Aiphuoxbone was wonderful, and I had fun with Wingdin, but I missed home. I missed my parents and the familiar smell of my own room and all the busyness in the Capital. I know Father would not be there anymore, but there was still Mother. It was so exciting to see Mother again.
We left a few hours before dinnertime today. Msr. Aster and Mr. Gaban let us say goodbye to everyone. Toriel and I will probably visit Aiphuoxbone again someday to learn about being good rulers, but I knew that that would not happen for another several years. This was probably the last time I will see Wingdin and Cortisia for years.
"You'll write, won't you?" Wingdin said. He and Cortisia were walking with us out of Aiphuoxbone so their parents can teleport us back. They won't be coming with us, since Cortisia cannot teleport that far and Wingdin had to watch Cortisia. They did not want to say goodbye so soon, though, so they were walking out of Aiphuoxbone with us.
"Of course we will," I said, "And you will write to us too, right?"
"Yes!" Wingdin said, "I mean, I'm sure life in the Capital is much more interesting and I'm sure you don't want to hear me talking about my homework all the time but of course I'll write!" His face fell. "I'm going to miss you guys."
"We are going to miss you too," said Toriel. Wingdin glanced at her in surprise. She had barely spoken a word to him since we found out about our parents. "Thank you for being our friend." Wingdin smiled, and I realised that that whatever conflict had been going on between Toriel and Wingdin had been forgiven on both sides.
"Why are you guys leaving?" Cortisia asked, wrapping and unwrapping her hand in her red scarf. I remembered that no one told her about our parents. Cortisia was only five. She would not understand death anyway. "Daddy said you would stay for a while."
"The queen wants us back at the Capital," I said, "She misses us."
"Why can't she visit here, then?" Cortisia asked.
"She is busy ruling," Toriel replied.
"Oh." Cortisia frowned at the ground. "Will you visit?"
"Of course," I said, "Maybe not very soon, but I promise we will visit again someday."
"Okay! And bring the queen's baby, too. I love babies!" Cortisia gently hit my nose with her scarf.
When we finally left the town, Mr. Gaban offered me his hand so he could teleport me back to the capital. Wingdin gave me a tight hug.
"Goodbye," he said.
"Goodbye," I replied. I pulled away from the hug and grabbed Mr. Gaban's hand. Moments later, we were standing in the outskirts of my city. The familiar shape of my castle poked out from above all the other smaller building around it.
Mother was waiting for us at the front of the city gates, holding a familiar looking trident-Father's. It was cold here at this time of year, so she was wearing a heavy coat. Even so, I could see a bump poking from her abdomen. My younger sibling, I realized, would never get to meet our father.
When she saw us, she dropped her trident and tackled me in a hug. I practically melted in her arms. It seemed like forever since I had seen Mother last.
"Azzy, I'm so sorry," she said, "I'm so sorry about your father. We shouldn't have sent you away. You should have been allowed to see him one last time. I promise I will never send you away again. No matter what happens, I will keep you safe here in the capital."
I did not care about all that then. All that mattered was that I was home and there was Mother. "I missed you, Mother," I said.
"I missed you too, Azzy," Mother said, "I love you so much, my child." At that, Mother released me from the hug and headed over to Toriel, who had been watching us with a longing expression on her face.
"Hadriel was my best friend," she said, "She was like a sister to me. And you have always been like a daughter to me, Toriel. I know I cannot replace your mother-I do not want to replace your mother, but I will welcome you into my family with open arms, and I swear on the Angels that I will protect you no matter what."
Mother opened her arms for a hug, and Toriel burst into tears and obliged. This was the first time Toriel has cried since we found out the news. She had never sounded so upset before. It was like all the sadness and frustration she had built up over the past week just flowed out. Mother was unfazed. She crouched down to Toriel's height and held her and stroked her head while she cried, like she used to do to me.
Msr. Aster came and stood beside me. "You and Toriel have both been very good guests. I hope we'll see you again someday."
"I hope so," I said, "And I promised Wingdin that I'll write. Thanks again for letting us stay."
"It was an honor," Msr. Aster said, "We need to go soon, but I look forward to your letters."
After Toriel had calmed down, the Gasters exchanged a few words with Mother and then teleported away. Mother cooked us a huge dinner of snail pie with butterscotch cinnamon tarts for dessert, then she ushered us to the guest room that Toriel always stayed in when she and her mother came to the castle for business.
"You may talk and play for another few hours," Mother said, lighting one of the magic torches in the room. For the first time that day, I noticed the dark circles under her eyes. In the torchlight, she seemed to have aged five years in the past five months. "But I want you both to be in bed by the time that torch burns out. Tomorrow we're going to Dalelry to meet with the Monarch's Council. Asgore, you did say you really wanted to see one of the meetings."
After Mother left, Toriel and I did as we were told. We lay on the soft carpet on the floor and talked. We talked about our favorite things in Aiphuoxbone, Wingdin and Cortisia, and how excited we were for my baby sibling.
"Are you feeling better now, Toriel?"
"Yes, I think so," Toriel replied, "I think I am just still trying to take in the fact that my mother is gone. How are you?"
"I think I could be doing worse," I said. Toriel chuckled softly, which made me feel proud. "I guess there is really nothing for us to do other than deal with it and go on with life. Writing in my journal helps. Are you sure you do not want to share the journal with me?"
Toriel shook her head. "No thank you," she said, "I do not think writing works for me."
I told Toriel that my offer still stands, and she could write in this journal whenever she wants. Then we talked a bit more about the Monarch's Council and what we thought it would be like. Toriel said she overheard Mother saying something about going to Dalelry on foot, but she must have misheard. One time I heard my tutor say that it took five days to get from the Capital to Dalelry if you walked for most of the day and rested after sundown. Mother would not make us walk that long. Not when we could just take a boat there.
It feels so strange to be back home. I will miss Aiphuoxbone, but I missed the Capital even more. Now that I am back, though, everything is so different. Normally at this time I would be hearing the low rumble of Father's voice conversing with the hushed whisper of Mother's voice downstairs. I never could make out what they were talking about, but the conversation seemed pleasant most of the time. It was a nice background noise for me to fall asleep to, but now it was gone. The only noise remaining is what seems to be Mother crying in her room down the hall.
Maybe I should not be so unused to a lack of noise. Even now, the castle is noisier than the Gaster household, what with the servants going about their business and all. I suppose I only find this strange because I have heard Mother and Father conversing every night that I have slept in my room since as long as I can remember. Being back in the Capital is so familiar, yet so different at the same time.
I am upsetting myself. I should not have stayed up this late. We are going to the Monarch's Council tomorrow after all. It is time for me to sleep.
~Asgore
I may or may not have cried at least once while writing the reunion scene. Next chapter is a long one-the first day of the Monarch's Council!
Remember that a constitutional monarchy is not necessarily better than an absolute one. It just means that when there's corruption in the system, it's harder to know for sure who is behind all of it.
Review!
~Pandora