It had not been an easy three days since her return to Alcamoth.
As she descended the ramp from the shuttle, Serenity had thrust a piece of paper into her hand with a headline: QUEEN USES TREASURY MONEY FRIVOLOUSLY TO THROW A PARTY. Beneath it was a description of the gathering Melia had hosted for the cabinet members and their teams after the town hall. A fiery blush blossomed in her cheeks as she took the paper and read it. It was filled with scathing remarks about her hedonism, and disgust with ignoring the proper use of the money.
"That is not true at all! I never touched the treasury money. Who has seen this?" Melia demanded.
"Nearly everyone in the city. We found them this morning. Everyone had one pushed under their door."
"Do we know who's responsible?"
Serenity shook her head. "There is only a pen name: Soothsayer Kaneva."
Melia froze. The soothsayer Kaneva was a well-known figure in the High Entia history. She was one of the most prominent seers to the Emperor Galbrainth while she was alive. Known to always tell the truth of her visions and opinions, she never backed away from a fight with Galbrainth, even if she disagreed with his decisions.
"And we have no idea who this person is?" Serenity shook her head and Melia sighed. She could already feel the oncoming migraine. "This needs to be controlled. Immediately."
"Um...Empress? I know everything they're saying in here is false, but...the High Entia constitution does grant the people free speech."
"Even if it's slander and libel?"
"I can check. But if I may make a comment..."
"Yes, go ahead, Serenity. You don't need to ask."
"Everyone has seen it. I believe that the best way to deal with this would be answer with your own leaflet, clarifying the situation. The people think that they are receiving the truth from this person. Even if they continue to write things against you, the best way is to discredit the voice. So then no one will care what is written because they already know it's false."
Melia listened, impressed. "That is very logical, Serenity. I will heed your advice. Tonight, I'll prepare a statement and have you look over it in the morning before mass publication."
Pleasantly surprised, Serenity blushed and jotted a few notes down in her notebook.
It would still be prudent to figure out who exactly this Soothsayer Kaneva was. Was this person the saboteur? It aligned with the purpose to sabotage her reign and pull public opinion against her. These leaflets were another way to discredit her character and distract from the good of her work. Or was it a completely separate agent? Someone eager to see the worst in her no matter what? Either way, knowing the identity of the person would go a long way.
"Serenity, could you please do me a favor?"
"Anything, your majesty."
"I trust you to keep this...discreet." Melia looked knowingly at the younger Homs Entia.
Serenity closed her notebook and put her pen away. "Absolutely."
"I need you to find someone for me. I don't anticipate it will be easy."
"I can be very resourceful!" Serenity cheered, then immediately redenned.
"I know. That's why I'm trusting this with you."
"Who would you like me to find?"
And Melia gave her a name.
It was exactly 7:00am when Nae'ell arrived at her suite the next morning. Melia had invited the Entia woman to join her for breakfast. Nae'ell was one of the only family members she had left. Her father had told her that they only people she could rely on were family. Unfortunately, Melia knew she had been neglecting Nae'ell. And after her conversation with Fiora, Melia wanted to strengthen those family ties.
"You are quite the morning person, aren't you?" Nae'ell yawned as she sat down at the small breakfast table on the balcony.
Melia gave her a small smile. "Certainly not. If possible, I would rather sleep in. But my duties require me to rise early before the business of the day begins."
"I don't envy you."
Melia poured them two cups of tea. "Not many would."
"How are you getting on?" Nae'ell asked, leaning back in her chair. "Those leaflets were quite horrible, no?"
"Yes." Melia wondered how much to say to her. Her relationship with Nae'ell had never been one of confidantes, but perhaps the only way to change that was to share a little of what was in her mind. "I'm...surprised, to be honest. My understanding was that the upcoming election and current infrastructural changes were gaining approval with the people."
"You can't please everyone, Melia, no matter how hard you try. Someone is always going to critique you."
"Kallian used to say that."
"Who do you think said it to him?" Nae'ell raised an eyebrow and gave her a mischievous smile.
Melia softly laughed and sipped her tea. "I should have known my brother could not be so wise alone."
"I'm just happy to be in the capacity to help the monarchy."
"You were the Duke Harkinian's daughter, correct?"
"Oh yes. I grew up at court, spent my life learning the niceties. My mother fashioned me to be the most accomplished lady and perfect bride. And then I met your brother..." She sighed, wiping her eyes with her handkerchief. "I still miss him, you know?"
"Yes. I do as well."
"He would've been a great Emperor."
Melia felt the sting in her heart.
"Oh, let us talk of other things, not so sad. I see Dunban did not return with you."
Melia had dreaded this question. She knew it was bound to come up sooner or later. The Empress had made up some excuse to the cabinet, she couldn't remember what, but they didn't ask any further. Nae'ell however, would want to know the whole story. And Melia was certainly not comfortable diving into it. The sting was still there.
"He had matters to attend to in Colony 9."
"That's disappointing. You two were getting along so well."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Oh come on. The constant exchange between the two of you? The nightly meetings?"
Melia blushed and said, "I would never–"
"My dear, no one thinks you would. We all know you to be conservative, if not a bit uptight at times," Melia stiffened and Nae'ell obliviously continued, "But you have to admit, the two of you did spend quite a bit of time together."
Melia sighed. "It is only because he has a great deal of knowledge and innovative ideas. He sees things from a different perspective."
"No one is denying that. But I saw the way you looked at him when I came into your room a week ago. Or was it a week and a half?" Nae'ell frowned, trying to remember.
Melia knew what she was referring to: the hand clasping moment after Camille's assassination. "I think you've allowed your romantic imagination to get the better of you.
Shrugging, Nae'ell said, "If you say so. I bet Camar is quite pleased that Dunban is now gone."
Confused, Melia asked, "What do you mean by that?"
"Oh you know what I'm talking about."
"I apologize, but I don't know what you're alluding to."
"Camar's little crush on you."
"How do you know about that?"
"I seem to have happened upon him shortly after the...rejection."
"Oh no...what did he say?"
"Just that he'd confessed his love for you and you'd spurned him."
"I did no such thing!"
"Darling, I know you wouldn't. Camar is so melodramatic. Remember his mother; she was such a complainer at court. The First Consort would go out of her way to avoid her."
"She would? I didn't know that!" Melia gasped.
"Yes. And Yumea wasn't the only one." Nae'ell smiled wickedly. "Anyway, Camar I think still holds a torch for you."
"The way he behaves indicates quite the opposite."
"He's a boy. You rejected him and the only way he can stay relevant to you is by being contrary."
"It would please me more if he wasn't so opposing."
"I'm sure he saw Dunban as a threat to procure your affections. Who wouldn't? The man is like a tall glass of water, don't you think?"
"There's something I wanted to discuss with you," Melia said, quickly changing the subject. She was not about to allow Nae'ell to continue this train of thought.
"Ah, what is that, my dear?"
She had internally struggled with whether or not she wanted to tell Nae'ell about the saboteur. Currently, the only ones who knew were her guards and Dunban. And Fiora. Without Dunban to keep an observant eye out, and her guards always at her side, she didn't have anyone else to turn to.
"Someone is trying to sabotage me."
"Someone is always trying to sabotage the monarch."
"It's not the occasional dissident, Nae'ell. This is someone who is systematically sabotaging my restoration efforts."
"I don't believe it. How do you know?"
And Melia detailed everything from the assassination attempts, to the burst pipe, and finally Camille's murder. Nae'ell sat and listened patiently as Melia trudged through the evidence. With each piece of information, the young Homs Entia felt a weight lifted from her shoulders. When she finished, she leaned back against her seat, feeling her shoulders fall.
"Wow. That is a lot to deal with. I'm surprised you haven't come to me sooner." Nae'ell said, sipping on her tea.
"I didn't want to burden you. Or scare you."
"Young girl, nothing can scare me." She hesitated and continued, "You believe it's someone on the cabinet?"
"I don't know...it seems so implausible to me. I think it could be anyone with access to the palace."
"But Dunban was right to ask who could benefit most from your removal from the throne. The next in line are the cabinet members. Who knows? Maybe the perpatrator hopes to stop the vote on another monarch and take up the post himself or herself."
Melia didn't say anything. That had never occurred to her.
"You know...I don't mean to speak out of place, but I did see Shalen and Jarrack whispering to each other after your cabinet meeting yesterday. They didn't look to be in the midst of a pleasant conversation." Nae'ell pursed her lips. "Maybe you should keep an eye on them."
Shalen and Jarrack? Could they be conspiring against her? No, Shalen always seemed so easy-going, and Jarrack...well she had to admit, didn't know him very well. But he seemed like a nice man.
"I hate to ask this of you, but I would very much like your help. If you could keep your eyes and ears open, it would be so very valuable to myself. It is of utmost priority to uncover this saboteur."
"Yes, of course."
They sat in silence for a moment and then Nae'ell leaned forward, putting down her cup on the table.
"I'm so glad you reached out to me, Melia. I know we never were very close before the Fall, but now since Kallian is gone...I believe our paths are intertwined now more than ever." Nae'ell put her hand out, beckoning for Melia's.
She took Nae'ell's hand and said, "I'm sorry it's taken us this long to get to know each other. I hope we can spend more time with each other from now on." Melia smiled, feeling her heart warm as Nae'ell smiled back. It was comforting to know that an intimacy was possible with one of her own people; she hadn't realized how much she'd missed her brother until that moment. Now, maybe, she wouldn't feel so alone in her own city.
Finally sitting down at her desk after two back-to-back meetings regarding election preparations, Melia saw three letters had been dropped off for her convenience. Spreading them out on her desk, she saw they were all from Colony 9. The senders were the Mayor Laden, Shulk, and Fiora. Disappointment colored her excitement. Dunban's name was not in the mix. Not that she expected a letter from him at all. He would be busy.
Probably with Senara.
No, she did not want to think about that kiss. Or the beautiful dark-skinned woman for that matter.
It still didn't mean the young woman didn't think about Dunban before she went to bed each night since her return.
Redirecting her attention to the correspondence, Melia opened the Mayor's letter. As her eyes scanned the page, she felt her emotions switch from calm, to outrage and distressed as she took in the unpleasant matters having to do with the Colony 3 survivors. Melia felt enraged at the cold-blooded murder of her kin. How could Laden allow such a thing to happen? Had he not carefully vetted the Colony 3 Homs as a security risk? Her people were being targeted abroad, and she had no idea how to approach such a matter. She'd have to visit the one survivor and see how she was, provide her with any support she needed. Or see if the young woman wished to return to Alcamoth. As Melia read onward, Mayor Laden apologized sincerely for what had happened and the violence done to the High Entia. He stated that the Colony 3 group had been banished and would not be welcome at Colony 6 either. But Melia knew better: the damage had been done. This was a disaster. The Mayor understood the potential political fall out and continued to express regret for the deaths of the Homs Entia that had chosen to live in Colony 9. Finally, he asked if there were any way that reparations could be made and that he anxiously awaited her reply. Too many emotions threatened to overwhelm her at the end of the letter. There was no way she could think rationally about the right course of action. No, she'd have to reread the letter later after a little distance to absorb its contents.
The one consolation of the incident was that Dunban, Shulk and Fiora had been the ones to intervene. She did have them to thank for protecting her people to the best of their ability, and she would. But she had no idea how to deal with this situation. No doubt relations between Homs and High Entia would become strained, once this incident became public knowledge. Frustrated, she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. She needed this like a hole in the head right now.
At least the perpetrators were banished from the Homs colonies. That was a good start.
Banished.
Her eyes flew open. Did that mean Senara was gone? Her heart flipped in her chest, and then she felt guilty. She shouldn't feel happy if Dunban had been happy to be with Senara. Melia did want what was best for Dunban. But if that were true, that Senara was gone, Melia hoped Dunban wasn't in pain. It made her sad to think of Dunban hurting.
Of course he would be. They were lovers. And Fiora expressed to you that it was a very serious relationship.
She sat up. He wouldn't have gone with Senara, would he? Fear seized her body, but logic loosened her muscles. No, she shook her head. Not after what had happened. If she knew anything about Dunban, he wouldn't compromise his values.
Pushing the opened letter to the side, Melia decided to answer it after she read the others. She opened Shulk's next, hoping it contained happier news. Her face fell as she read its contents. She couldn't have been more wrong. He detailed his ether experiments, and hypotheses about the possibility of ether pockets with higher concentrations. Of course, in Shulk fashion, he came to the point towards the end of the letter: there was a possibility that these pockets of ether could contain large enough concentrations that might effect the Entia and cause them to transform once more into Telethia.
Covering her face with her hands, Melia groaned. That was the last thing she wanted to hear. If that happened...she didn't even want to imagine.
Shulk ended his letter expressing his desire to visit Alcamoth and conduct a survey of the Eryth Sea to discern whether or not there were any of these pockets in the vicinity. Taking a deep breath in and out, Melia calmed herself and attempted to look at the problem optimistically. At the very least, he can determine if there is immediate danger. That way, we may proactively solve the problem.
Turning her attention to the last letter, Melia tried to be hopeful, but prepared herself for more unfortunate news. It seemed luck was on her side. Fiora wanted nothing more than to check up on her, see how she was doing back in Alcamoth, and reiterate her offer to come visit and help in any way possible.
Melia's fathers' words whispered in her ear: friends were nothing more than a distraction. A liability. But she mentally pushed back: where had that got her? Alone and overburdened. The support she had received in the past month from Dunban and her cabinet, upon opening herself even a sliver, had made all the difference. She'd felt a tiny bit lighter, more creative, which had led to the ideas and decisions of bringing back the People's Council, the face-to-face visits with her people, and the party. It made her guilt to think her father had been wrong. Maybe it wasn't that he was wrong per say, but that his situation had been quite different from hers. After all, he'd had Kallian to lean on, and to some extent Yumea as well. He'd had a strong family base. She...had no one. For her, perchance the correlation was that her friends were her family. Nae'ell wasn't strictly related to her by blood, but they shared a bond through her brother. And Melia had traveled with Shulk and Fiora for months at a time in order to save the world. There was no denying that their relationships had grown and strengthened beyond any measure because of those experiences, even if she had neglected them to an extent over the past nine months. And naturally, she couldn't forget Riki.
The thought of the jolly Nopon made her smile. He would be due for a visit soon if she calculated the time correctly. It could be nice having so many friends under one roof at the same time. Even if she weren't able to spend all that much time with them. At least they could have dinner nightly together, her schedule allowing.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a thud on the balcony and she stood immediately, grabbing the knife under her desk. Her skin prickled and she held her breath as she listened for more movement. Only an assassin would come this late at night, through the balcony. Mentally, the Empress made a note to tell her guards about their blind spot, if she survived. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she clutched the knife to her chest, readying to strike. Silently, Melia moved along the wall towards the balcony, and as she peeked around the corner, saw a figure standing near the railing, looking out at the city below. Recognizing the haughty posture, Melia lowered the knife and walked forward.
"You came."
"You called."
"You didn't have to."
"I owe you a debt." The High Entia turned around, her face devoid of expression.
"Thank you, Tyrea."
"As I said, I came here to fulfill an obligation to you. That is all."
"How did Serenity find you?"
"Truthfully? I don't know. That girl seems to have her ways."
Melia made a mental note to thank Serenity with some Nopon delicacies.
"What do you want?"
"I need help finding out who is trying to sabotage me. And I need this done discreetly."
Tyrea laughed. "There are so many, where do I start?"
Melia crossed her arms across her chest, but did not allow her annoyance to overtake her. Instead, she relayed all the evidence to her step sister, as she had done with Nae'ell the previous morning.
"So, someone with access to the castle."
"Yes, with emphasis on the cabinet members. But I doubt it's any one of them." Melia said, narrowing her eyes.
"Anything else you need while I'm here?"
Melia nodded and pulled the leaflet from her pants pocket. Handing it to Tyrea, the Homs Entia answered, "Look into this Soothsayer Kaneva. There may be a connection there as well."
"Right. I'll contact you when I have something." And without waiting for a response, the High Entia took flight and disappeared into the night.
Melia stuffed her hands into her pockets, wondering if she had made the right decision to confide in Tyrea. From what Melia knew, her step sister loathed the very sight of her, probably due to Yumea's influence. But something inside the Empress said that she could trust Tyrea. After all, Melia was the one who had granted her wish to give Yumea a peaceful death. That had to count for something.
She turned and walked back into the suite and looked up at the clock on the wall. It was almost time. The Homs Entia briskly went into her bedroom, changed her clothes, and came back into the main room, redoing the bun her hair was tied in. Relief coursed through her veins. At least she could have two hours to herself to think without being interrupted. Melia exited the suite and greeted James and Elrich.
"Shall we go?"
"Of course, your majesty. The shuttle is ready to go."
As they boarded the shuttle, Melia reflected on how her regard had changed over the months. It had been the last place she believed she would have found sanctuary from the outside world and its constant needs. And despite all of the unpleasant memories, Melia found herself looking forward to its solitude. Maybe it was because of all the terrible things that had happened there, she felt a strange bond to the place. As the shuttle docked, the young woman exhaled, feeling the tension drop from her shoulders. Stepping down from the ramp alone, she felt the mask of the Empress slide off. With her guards inside the shuttle, she was finally alone.
She felt free.
How ironic.
Freedom found on Prison Island. Who would believe such a thing?