"Yes, it is true," said Rasliela as she stood up from her chair and pushing it in underneath the table. She took a step back, lowering her hat down the length of her body. Holding it like a shield-bearer stood at honor, the Princess of the Lineage curled the hair hanging down her forehead with a twirl of her sleeved finger through it, giving it a magical bend similar to how Cter did her hair in the mornings.
"I am the Princess of the Lineage," she added while displaying her sleeve to the round table she had taken a step away from. "Named as that by my late grandfather, King Kheydan, the last of the Royal Lineage that sat on the Xoff throne."
The long, silver-colored hair swayed from side to side as Rasliela checked around her, drumming gently on her hat's rim. She found an empty hat rack stood alone a ways away from the double doors, lowering her brow in thought as to the distance to it. With a gentle tilt back to the young mage sat next to her, she smiled. "You wouldn't mind?" Rasliela asked Manny while lifting up her hat slightly. "For me?"
Manny glanced up to his father for guidance, gaining nothing.
"For grandma?" Rasliela tried again. "Can you do it for your grandma if you don't want to do it for the Princess of the Lineage?"
That she could just pick whatever title suited her in the moment had Cter brushing off a thin layer of crystals forming on the surface of her sleeve with impunity, biting down on her tongue to stop it from saying anything else.
She was half-tempted to just bite right through it, but the scene from that would've just worsened things rather than solve anything. She watched as the rest of the table did as Manny walked over with the large hat that spanned the majority of his length with its diameter, giving the young mage too much attention.
Attention that the old mage took back with a small cough into the back of her naked hand. "While I would have liked to have continued this council as the Royal Mage of Noitaidarr, perhaps it is for the better that I confirm my real identity within this room than any other.
After all, this council's aim is to bring to a close the worries and downfalls that have befallen the three countries." Her sleeved one she opened up across her chest, letting the glow of her aura shine with an important radiance that painted an unmatched relief on the long valleys on her face.
She had let Cter feel it before, true, but it had to be the first time she made her aura known officially, in a sense. The reaction from the Xoff delegation was a mix of wide eyes from the few magically competent humans among a greater portion of intense whispers between the humans without any magical prowess to them. Kry and Kurant both recoiled from the aura, clutching at theirs.
It was similar to theirs in many ways, something they knew, but had not felt before. A similar, but more modest and reserved, reaction came from the turtle monster narrowing his eyes at the Princess of the Lineage. There was the faintest smile on his lips which he did all he could not to let grow further.
He was intrigued, in a strange way. Not as much intrigued for her, but more intrigued because of her. What the meaning of her reveal meant at a larger scale rather than what her personal choice to reveal herself meant. Had it been Lerjung or the Hero of Xoff that revealed themselves to be the Princess of the Lineage it wouldn't have mattered as much to Sir Gerson. What would have mattered is what piece on his game board he would have had to change, and not the person the piece represented.
"And you're showing him too, Princess. The exiled monster king," hummed the turtle monster to himself with an accompanying nod. "Now what are you going to do with him?" His chin drowned into his hand, rubbing his smile wider and wider despite his attempts to hold it back. "Is he the reason you've kept up your talk about the good of monsters?"
"No."
The smile deflated as the turtle monster looked up with a furrowed glance at Cter hanging her shoulders. "No?" he asked her, blinking over his glance to the Princess of the Lineage sitting herself down into her chair again softly and with a practiced grace to her movement.
Cter shook her head. "I talked to her yesterday, and she told me that her choice to be the one voice speaking in good terms for the monsters was not due to her grandfather."
It took only a second of thinking before Sir Gerson understood. "She did it in spite of her grandfather," he said to himself, deepening his chin into his hand. Crevices deeper than those on the Princess formed on the turtle's forehead, wrinkling thoughtfully. "Exiling must have taken a toll on the Boss Monster royalty, and even more so since it was self-imposed."
He nodded some more, each one narrowing his eyes into a squint akin to Kurant's. "Losing someone he loved dearly and being forced to abdicate lest the country he loved was plunged into a state he could not bear see it become." The nods became slow shakes. "Tragedy breeding tragedy because of sorrow overflowing, still rippling even to this day and forward from the calm lake perturbed by the death of royalty."
Yeah…
"Surely King Asgore and Queen Toriel wouldn't–"
Sir Gerson lifted his palm behind him to stop Kry from saying anything more. "Steel yourself, Kry." Same to the wearer of Queen Toriel's memories. "You too, Kurant." He gave each a hard look to help them breathe out. "I understand that feeling another Boss Monster's aura like this is troubling for you, but steel yourselves. King Kheydan was nothing like the Monster Royals, and they will never be anything like him."
There was familiarity in Sir Gerson's voice. "You've met him?" pried Cter. "You've met King Kheydan?"
"In my..." The turtle monster exhaled a huff out his nostrils. "In my youth I met him. Through me drilling the troops of Xoff to show that monsters were capable enough to match Xoff discipline, and from that royalty too, Kheydan, then Prince Kheydan, inquired advice from the previous Monster Royals, King Asgore's parents. It was what led King Asgore to meet with the family who would come to seize the throne after Kheydan's self-imposed exile, forming a friendship with the current king of Xoff."
"And how will we be keeping that friendship?" asked Cter after a quick peek over to Manny who had managed his way to the empty hat rack. "Do we remind the Xoff delegation in who's name they were here and given authority from?"
Sir Gerson's jaw shifted to the side slightly. "We'll have to at some point, I'm afraid," he muttered. "However, we can only throw the icy water into their faces once. We can only make that point once, so we bide until the Princess of the Lineage makes a slip."
A slip? "She has been planning this for practically two human lifespans, if not more," informed Cter through a quick whisper through her teeth. She wasn't gonna make a slip at all! She had been biding time for longer than it would be even remotely possible for them to do! "You haven't spoken to her alone. She's–"
"The young mage hasn't moved for almost a minute now," came an emotionless interruption from Sir Gerson looking sideways more than he should have been able to. "He'll not hang up that hat." His eyes returned to Cter. "He'll not hang up his grandma."
And sure enough, before Cter could even nod in agreement but then also retort about the Princess of the Lineage slipping up, a wash of confused emotions swept through the ballroom, turning all heads. "You said..." was carried with the confused aura. "You said you hated lying, grandma."
It was said loud enough to be heard even with the young mage speaking into the wide-brimmed hat. "You said that you hated yourself lying more than you did others." A brim that was scrunched like a Woshua wringing out water from fresh laundry. "You said that when you had to lie was when you did worse onto yourself for having put yourself into such a situation where you could not be truthful."
"Child," replied Rasliela without turning to face him as she knew that he wasn't turned to face her. "Dear grandchild, never have I lied to you. Never have I ever dreamed of lying to you." Her aura, readable for those that now wanted to read it, showed complete conviction of what she stated. She did not have to hide it no more, and thus made it open and grand. Her intentions were clear, concise, and for all to confirm on their own should they want or need it.
She was not lying.
"Then what is this?"
Not according to her.
"Then what is all this, grandma?!"
But to the young mage holding her hat which was inconvenient for her for the first time in her life?
"Why are you the Princess of the Lineage?!"
It had been nothing but lies.
"Why are you the Princess of the Lineage when you told me that she meant danger to the king?"
Rasliela gave an apologetic look to the rest of the round table before turning around in her chair to face her adopted grandson. She eyed him for a few silent seconds while taking in how her hat looked smaller with him wearing it. It delighted her to see her grandchild so grown up and so proudly tall, so raised well, and so firm in his beliefs.
To Cter it was very incongruous with how much she could read from Rasliela's aura once she let it loose to others. Cter only saw the silvery waves flowing down the back of the Princess' head from where she stood, but through the Princess' radiant aura it was as if she was reading every minute change in the Princess' wrinkles.
For Manny it felt worse. For him it was as Sarbor feared it would be for Idyll feeling his aura. The young mage leaned away into the purple curtains behind him, searching for the wall behind it to get away from the warm, loving aura that he did not recognize. To him it was not his grandmother's aura that tried to caress over his to calm and care for. "Who are you?" he asked while his grip tightened on the wide brim, coughing out his words. "I want you to tell me the truth."
"Of course," said Rasliela in return, slightly taken aback. There was hurt in her aura. A betrayed hurt, in a sense. "You deserve nothing but the truth, and I've given you nothing but the truth when asked for it, child."
"You haven't!" the child roared back, his sleeve igniting with violent flames that sprouted uncontrollably like a lit, wayward match onto a small puddle of wax. His shadow grew onto the wrinkled curtain behind him, painting a hunched figure wretched in pain.
On his flame-lit face the same pain blossomed as much as his arm did, staring at his cramping hand. "Is that why you told me to talk to Cter about yesterday?" His voice became vacant. "You said the two of you had discussed rumors about the Princess of the Lineage..." His stare was focused though. "Did you..." Focused onto Cter. "Did you know?"
Cter did not know what to answer.
Because how else could she have told the council about who Rasliela truly was if she did not know?
The uncontrollable fire settled like a trailing breath, reducing to a thick rope of flames that followed the magical lines on the young mage's sleeve. "How many knew?" Manny's head shook angrily, yet his sleeve did not flare again. "How many knew but me!"
A grandmotherly sigh whisked out from the Princess, slumping her head. "I understand that you are angry and confused, Manny, my grandchild." She stood up, refusing help from the Hero of Xoff with a casual shake to her head. A magical, hook-like handle materialized in her hand, growing down as a transparent cylinder until it reached the floor, tapping at the polished stone.
The transparency was filled up the conjured cane like reverb, creating a pattern similar to that of Rasliela's sleeve. With it as support she began walking towards her grandchild sobbing heavily into her large hat, leaving rings of fading, teal magic each time her cane touched the floor. "I will tell you the truth the way you want it."
It wasn't hard to notice that the Princess' conjuration magic was weak, indicated by the rings of magical residue she left behind on the floor with each step of it. Seemed like the magic her grandfather left her was very specific which would explain why she had such proficiency with covering hers and others' auras to hide them from outside view.
Still though, with her old body the cane should not have to carry so much weight…
"I have been the Princess of the Lineage for far, far longer than I have been your grandmother, Manny," Rasliela began with a look towards the large windows shining through the curtains on the far side of the ball room. "I have been the Princess of the Lineage for longer than Clinic Village has existed. It was only a stop for water when I was little. I have seen that hill become a beacon twice now in my long life. Once as hope, and the other as despair." She paused for breath, putting both of her hands and weight onto her cane, thickening the ring it left on the floor. "Both times I saw it change for the worse."
Cter glanced over to Sarbor who's contemplative expression she did not agree with in the slightest. She knew that it was due to Rasliela that he was contemplative. She knew that it was Rasliela who had made him doubt Dr. Sallus the way he did. She knew it!
Yet she could not stop herself from being angry at the human doctor. She could not stop herself from casting a denouncing look towards him, shaming him for thinking like he did. Why was he agreeing with her? Why was he on her side? Why!
"Both times it showed the faults of the Cooperative Connection, yet we did not know so until the latter event. An event that brought it all into another light. An event that my grandfather had asked me to wait for." Rasliela raised her sleeved arm to show her lines. "By monster was the Royal Lineage shattered, so by monster it should be brought back again."
"By monsters..." curled from Kurant's tongue with her squint even narrower. She shook her head bitterly at the Princess' turned head. "Disgusting."
"Was that from you or from Queen Toriel that you wear as your connection, Second Monster Mage?" the Princess replied with a small nod at the glowing arm crossed over Kurant's chest. "Who of you spoke that?"
"For the purpose of this, both of us answered," replied Kurant back without missing a beat. "She would think the exact same had she been here. To have an invited guest talk about her people like this she wouldn't accept when she was a bar maiden, even less so when queen. How absolutely dare you to throw monsters under the wagon wheel like this?!" Her forehead whipped a nod at the Princess' sleeve. "How dare you throw your own grandfather under the wagon! Self-exile not a worse-enough end for him?"
If only Cter had stopped Kurant in time.
If only she had realized that she should have stopped Kurant in time…
"She–"
"You would think so, wouldn't you, Monster Mage?"
But it was too late. Another trap had sprung that Rasliela had set out. God, if only Cter hadn't been so tired the day before she would have told in more detail about Rasliela's views of her own grandfather.
...Probably.
But that Rasliela had most likely planned for too, so really what would have been gained?
"You'd think that my grandfather would have the best intentions for the monsters due to him being one himself, but pray, aren't you arguing against yourself when asking me that?" A hefty pile of teal-colored residue was left behind as the Princess lifted her cane to face Kurant and the monster delegation properly. "Aren't you decrying your own title as a Monster Mage by saying that you can't believe that one race would want to do the best for another?"
The question was asked with an innocent voice, but its intentions were far, far from. It had Kurant pushing a step forwards, stumbling as she surprised her knee brace with the sudden motion. With a pained grunt her left knee bent, tumbling her forwards. She was caught in the last second by Kry and Cter, helping her up carefully into her chair so that she could tighten again the leather strap that jumped out of its socket.
"Royal Mage of Ice," Rasliela addressed instead, "The Royal Butler."
Hesitantly, Terri perked his ears with an acknowledging nod. "Yes?" He observed the situation for a moment, but came to no real good conclusion. "Huvett and Huvtvao?" He displayed his sleeve where he carried the Royal Butler's memories, covered in his icy fog that diffused the glow from his lines. "What about the Royal Butler?"
"How many times have the Royal Butler taken the humans' side in matters after his employment at Fenkeep Castle?" asked Rasliela with the same innocence to her voice. "Or, perhaps more easier on the mind, how many times have the Royal Butler taken the monsters' side in matters after his employment at Fenkeep Castle? I'd hazard quite the few instances." It did not sound hazardous for her in the slightest. "Perhaps even none, if I may be so bold?"
"Not a matter to be discussed in this forum," stated Lerjung with a single shake of her head. "The Royal Butler requested absence from this council."
Before Lerjung had finished speaking, Rasliela was quick on the retort. "Because of his bias?" she threw back along with a raised eyebrow. "Because he does not consider himself human?" A raised eyebrow she turned towards Cter helping Kurant with a bolt on her knee brace. "I was lead to believe that Cter helped Huvett and Huvtvao with that, strengthening his resolve to be as much a human as a Monster Mage is a monster?"
"Your point?" came an impatient comment from the Royal Mage of Ice who angled up his sleeve at his elbow from his crossed arms, spreading his fingers wide with fog seeping down from each fingertip. "For as much as I'm sure you're enjoying parading what you have kept secret for ages upon ages, please do not mistake my somber tone for patience." A cold, hollow gust danced away from him over the table, leaving a wide trail of fog on it. "Because, by Hjearta's beat, I will be more than happy to smooth out that confusion for you."
After the Princess' hair had settled from the gust she sighed disappointingly down towards the floor. "Young mages today hurrying things up while they have so many days left to live. Can't spare a few moments for the mage who's days are less numbered." She remembered the young mage she was supposed to walk towards with a widening of her eyes. "Oh, child," Rasliela breathed out like an apology with one hand over her heat, "forgive your grandmother for trying to juggle so many things at once here."
"Your. Point?" reckoned the Royal Mage of Ice again with a tone that could in no way be mistaken for patience. He did not summon another cold gust though, as it seemed that he felt that his own point had come across.
With Rasliela leaning more onto her magical cane, she told. "Black can argue for white and white can argue for black." She released one hand that she motioned towards the three Monster Mages. "Humans can argue for monsters." Then towards the windows facing towards where Hjearta was over the horizon. "And monsters can argue for humans." Her cane shook as she once more put both her hands and weight onto her conjure cane's handle.
"This is not a concept strange to us today, and was not strange at my grandfather's time either. Humans and monsters have always worked together. They have always seen the other side. What the Cooperative Connection did was to allot that to the monsters, giving them leverage to use against us humans rather than with us. With the Cooperative Connection, monsters made themselves the reason for cooperation, holding humans back. It led to my grandfather being put on a throne he should not have been on, shattering it and leaving only pieces for the current king to sit upon. Pieces that I can put back together, as I am the legitimate heir of the Royal Lineage of Xoff!"
Rasliela let a hard gaze wander over the humans and monsters in the room. All except one.
"And those are not my words."
All except the one hurrying towards her with her large hat falling gently down behind him.
"Those are my grandfather's that he–"
A glass-like crack shattered the magical cane into pieces, giving nothing for the Princess of the Lineage to lean on. She began to fell, but her aura did not change. It did not panic, nor was it filled with fear.
"Grandma!"
She knew who was behind her.
"Grandma..."
She knew who would catch her.
"...Here...let me make you a new one."
Her grandchild.
"There you go."
Her proof above proof.
