It wasn't often that a detour turned into a shortcut. Usually vice versa was the case.
"No need to thank me, Idyll Fech. If anything I wasn't going to let you say no to it. That might sound a bit...dark, but you really are that important to us. I had a chance to get you back here quicker, and that I did. I am not going to think about what I would have done had you not accepted the ride, because there really was no reason for you not to."
Idyll halted her hand halfway through her hair sprinkled with straws of hay with a few befuddled blinks. The explanation from the monster who had offered her and her entourage a ride through Jarasevo wasn't the most...elegant, as to not have him try and explain himself further. "Then thank you on the behalf of your family and the other displaced monsters," Idyll tried again to thank with an articulate bow to the bird monster in the driver seat of the hay-carrying wagon.
"I'll be able to start with lunch a bit earlier than planned then. Might try something that will require some more preparation then." A few straws flew out her bright hair as she turned to her two travel companions busy with sweeping themselves clean after the generously offered journey from Time's Square to the refugee camp at the edge of Jarasevo. "Will I be able to rely on you?"
Cter shared a look with Queen Toriel through her helmet visor. It was up to her to choose as for Cter it was only a question of who she would be spending the next couple of hours with. A clear nod from the Monster Queen had Cter turning back to Idyll. "We'll be there. Just let us know when, Idyll."
In response, the Monster Chef pointed over to where they had come from deep in Jarasevo. "You can hear the clock from Time's Square all the way out here, so find me the next time it tolls. I'll be at the center of the camp, so just head close there and follow the smell until you find me, sounds good?"
"That it does, Monster Chef," informed Queen Toriel with a bow with the full weight of her torso. "We shall see you then."
After exchanging waves, the Monster Chef departed from her small entourage and headed into the small lake of tents and quickly built facilities where happy quips and shouts followed her like the wake of a boat paddling through water. She looked at home which Cter felt was strange at first.
The surrounding housing were meek at best, only there for people to survive, and not really to live. That Idyll looked to be at home felt insulting at first, but with how Cter could hear exactly where her friend was walking through the camp by the happy hollering and the occasional display of magic, she came to feel more comfortable with the thought.
Each voice that called after Idyll was a monster that she had helped forget about the war with her cooking. Each voice was from a monster that still had hope after being driven away from their home by the humans. Each voice was a monster that had been saved by Idyll.
More than Cter had heard for her.
"You've done so much more than me," the Monster Mage whispered to her friend. Even at the distance Idyll had managed through the sporadically placed accommodations made out of patchwork fabric and irregularly shaped she would still have shouted back with her full voice that it was Cter that had done more than her. So Cter had to whisper it so that Idyll wouldn't hear.
"You've done so much for monsterkind too, Monster Mage."
Queen Toriel heard it though, apparently.
"I know," said Cter with an absent nod. "I know." That there was a weight in her soul not even she could hide, even less so with her unconvincing cough to try and detract from her sunken aura.
Queen Toriel gestured for Cter to walk with her, and the two went along the outskirts of the refugee camp, keeping some distance to be able to talk in peace. They waved goodbye to the bird monster who had driven them there. "I miss him too, Cter," Queen Toriel began as the hay-weighed wagon carefully navigated between the shoddy tents distributing out bundles with the help of magical gusts of air. "That it has been years since his passing yet his little garden at Time's Square is still tended to by Kry only goes to show how much Sund's passing still resonates with us."
Cter once offered to make the flowers into crystal during one Crystal Day, but Kry did reject that politely, yet firmly. It was something he did to help him remember and to steel himself. To stay strong throughout everything that was happening. And if it wasn't him then it would be Kurant, and having her walk down and up Castle Hill with her knee brace that no one could help her with no more would only come to remind Kry even stronger about his guilt over what he had done with it.
"I didn't think it would resonate as much as it did with me, is all." Cter shrugged loosely. "Seeing and hearing you pray for him had me...out of it, for a few moments." She could still feel that her sinuses were somewhat stuffy still, although that could have very well have been from sitting in the back of a wagon full of hay.
Using barrier magic to protect her from breathing it in would have been too far a step into aristocracy for her. "Thank you for doing that. One day I might be able to too." The Monster Mage clenched her left hand, but managed to breathe out before the tension could reach her shoulder and beyond.
The Monster Queen exchanged nods with a few Royal Guards helping to build up a storage room. It looked to be the structure in the camp that was the most solidly built which meant that it was to be used for supplying the army as well. Not immediately, but sooner than was comfortable for anyone that knew about it.
"Do it when there is peace, Cter," came a calm, wise suggestion from the not-at-all Monster Queen.
"Do it when there is peace and it will be a good tent pole in your life to look back on. It will help you look past all the bad that has happened as well if you end it by allowing Sund to give you inner peace at the end. His duty as a Monster Mage was to seek out new ways of magic owing to him discovering his own magic to use. You have carried that in his steed ever since he became a part of the First Fusion which marked the beginning of the friction between us and the humans. Once there is peace again, give his duty back to him so that you can walk your own path. Once there is peace, his legacy will no longer be that of the First Fusion, so you can safely hand it back to him without worry, Cter."
Cter looked over her shoulder, the shoddy tents, and through the many houses past the refugee camp towards Time's Square where she had made a poor attempt to hide her tears and sobbing that was deep enough to tug at her soul less than a bell toll earlier. It had been such an overwhelming wash of heartache the moment she saw Queen Toriel slowly ease herself down on her knees with her hands softly planted on her armored lap.
Her prayer was for the deceased whose dust had not been settled properly. For those whose dust still sought peace while carried by the zephyr, and to one day land on the cheeks of those they loved in their life. Each gust they rode. Each breeze they followed. One day they will feel the warmth of their friends and family once more. One day the wind will finally carry them home.
And when Idyll touched her cheek so gingerly as a calm wind swept by was just…
It was too much for Cter.
Hell, it was almost too much for her just thinking back on it. She didn't want to pray to Sund like that. She did not want to give him any more worry. He did not deserve what he had, even less any more. Cter would only pray to him once she was ready.
And Queen Toriel's suggestions sounded exactly like what Cter needed to hear.
"That sounds like a pleasant idea, my Queen," the Monster Mage thanked from deep within her soul. It was something she needed to hear. Something she needed to have to look forward to. Like with her helping monsterkind, the end of the war was very nebulous and conceptual. With Queen Toriel's suggestions, Cter could put a face on it. There was something personal and direct. It was like how Idyll was helping monsterkind. It was there. It was close. It was what Cter wasn't. It was what Cter needed, "I think that I wi–"
"My Queen?"
My…
...
Oh, singe her soul!
A hard and disappointed slap briefly stole attention from the two monster children whose eyes were widened at the large, armor-clad monster. Cter squeezed at her forehead she had slapped her hand against as if trying to squeeze out the stupid from her head. It was too ingrained in her though, and not a single drop she managed to exhume from her forehead.
"Are you..." began one of the monster kids with her green-gradient tentacles wringing together embarrassingly. Her suction cups wrapped together, and she had to pull them apart hard enough to accidentally slap against her friend. It was a wetter sound than Cter hitting herself on the forehead. "Are you the...M-Monster Q-Queen?"
The question was too earnest to be wrong. Had it been an adult that had overheard Cter's slip of the tongue then Cter would have been able to explain away. With the earnest look and even more earnest tremble in the childrens' auras there wasn't an answer in the world that would convince them otherwise. They had already decided what they wanted to hear and believe, and neither a crowbar or a generous application of deep-blue magic would be able to budge them from their spot.
Before Cter could begrudgingly take a first bite out of the sour apple she had harvested, there was a calm rattle of metal above her tiredly sighing head. She looked up to see Queen Toriel's face behind her helmet's visor. She was smiling. It was an apologetic smile. "Do forgive, Monster Mage." At the same time it was a thankful smile. "But it was the only way you would accept to escorting me here." The queen reached for her helmet with the flats of her gloves at either side. "It'll be fine, I promise."
A defeated, yet amused, scoff followed out Cter's next sigh. "You were just waiting for either me or Idyll to slip up, weren't you?" Cter should really have seen it coming. She should have assumed that it was the case with how much Queen Toriel was arguing at the castle gates.
"I did not mean for it to be when you were so emotionally exposed though, so I ask for your forgiveness for that as well." Queen Toriel waited with removing her helmet until Cter gave her nod and forgiveness.
And while she should have been keeping in mind that there was a chance that Queen Toriel could have been swarmed by monsters who were looking to the Monster Royals to blame for the war, seeing how Idyll was greeted with smiles and joy from those that needed hope the most, perhaps it would be for the better if they too saw that none other than Queen Toriel had come to visit as well.
Not only come to visit, but come to help cook them food as well. If anything it was the monsters in Jarasevo that were the most likely to cling to Queen Toriel for answers. Their life hadn't changed personally, so the surge of hope from seeing one of the Monster Royals come to visit wouldn't be enough to overcome the chance to ask about the inconveniences that the war had brought upon them.
It wouldn't be eyes shining like crystals like the monster children's were. More had arrived too with curious looks and loud whispers and gasps between them. A few of them looked as if they weren't used to smiling in anticipation, and that just…
It hurt something fierce with Cter.
"You can take the helmet off," she said with an approving nod. "I forgive you."
With a sound akin to a cannonball tumbling down a blacksmith's entire arsenal, the armor pieces fell off the Monster Royal as the visored helmet was removed. The long, heavy ears flopped majestically from side to side as Queen Toriel shook herself loose from the armor she had hid herself within.
The falling pieces revealed a deeply purple dress adorned with golden accents that flowed like rivers up and down the length of the Boss Monster. On her torso was embroidered the Delta Rune with magical thread that pulsated softly in the same blazing-white color as her Boss Monster soul.
It brought tears to Cter's eyes, and she kneeled down with her head looking down.
Swearing under her breath at the pain on her leg from one of the armor pieces landing on her toes and shin.
"It's the Monster Queen!" shouted one of the monster children with a pointing hoof at the softly smiling Boss Monster placing her tiara between her horns. "It's Queen Toriel!" The surrounding children followed suit, pointing and hollering excitingly, giving Cter a chance to huff out her pain before healing it away. "I knew it was her!"
"Yes," concurred Cter with some pain still stuck in her throat. She swallowed it away while quickly drying her eyes. "Queen Toriel has come to visit you, dear children, and..." And anything more Cter didn't really have a good idea about how to continue, so instead she only exited herself stage right with a bow.
Far enough to give the other monsters who had heard what the children's hollering enough room to come close to the Monster Queen, but close enough that the monsters wouldn't get too close to her. The rest was up to the queen to continue.
And by golly, she did.
"What would you like for lunch, little ones?"
But not in a way that Cter fully expected.
"I will be helping out Idyll Fech today with both lunch and dinner, so is there anything special that you would like to have?" She bent over at her waist, her ears hanging like banners on either side of her softly smiling muzzle. "It would be my utmost honour and pleasure to cook for you today if you'd let me, little ones?"
Understandably, the children were a bit taken aback by the Monster Queen asking them for permission. A few of them began to look around for their parents, and those that found eye contact looked at their peers with worry and confusion. Said parents then relayed those anxious looks at Cter, who nodded reassuringly back. She did not know exactly what Queen Toriel was doing, but since it was brining forth shining smiles on all of the gathered children then who was Cter to stop it?
"I would...I would like..."
One of the children, a ghost monster with a pair of broken glasses floating out of rhythm with his eyes, hovered forth slightly towards the hunkered-down Monster Queen.
"C-Could I h-have s-some blueberry p-pie?"
Many of the blueberries eaten during that time of the year were imported from Hjearta's many, many forests, so to Cter's knowledge that wasn't possible.
Unless…
"I will have some delivered here from the castle, you have my word as a Monster Royal." Queen Toriel nodded over to another child with a slightly tilted hat that was a few too sizes larger than his fox-like head. One of his friends, a snowdrake, urged him to answer with a slight push on his back.
"Snow is your chance, Ikilu."
A pair of visibly anxious paws wrung together. "I..." The fox child blinked away with his long ears folding over his eyes and his tail coming up to hide his face. "I want..."
"Don't be shy," the Monster Queen assured with a friendly, supportive titter. She sure enjoyed seeing the many shapes and colors of the monster children gathered around her. "Take your time though if you're not ready, little one." Her soft hand ruffled at the fox child's head without a single care for the dirt that crusted the slightly red fur. "There is plenty of time."
"Potato soup!"
Confused whispers of varying volumes emerged around the fox kid after his blurted answer. His slightly red fur looked to become fully red from how much he began to blush. "But we had potato soup two days ago." "Can't he ask for anything else?" "He's asking Queen Toriel about potato soup?! Really?" "Do you think they grow purple potatoes in the Royal Garden?" And those were the ones that Cter could make out as all of the children began to whisper at the exact same time, seemingly.
The whispers didn't last for long as the snowdrake friend spun around with a steeled expression on his face. His wings fluttered in protest towards the many whispers. "Cool it with the whispers! He's my friend, and you're all mean to him! He likes potato soup! It is hice favorite dish!"
Cter would have saved the ice pun for 'dice' instead, but 'hice' was acceptable. The snowdrake was a good friend for standing up for the fox child who began to try and slink away back into the crowd. Before he managed to though, Queen Toriel gave him a nod. "I'll make sure it is the most potato-tasting soup you've ever had, child."
"Not mashed potatoes though," said the fox child quietly into the ground. He kicked a pebble with his hands finding refuge in the pockets of his too-large suspenders. Must have been hand-me-downs. None of the adults that stood around watching the scene progress looked to be the ones to have handed them down to him though. "I don't like mashed potatoes." Why that was the case Cter did not want to dwell on.
"Whole-cooked potato soup then," said the Monster Queen with another nod that bounced her head further to the next child. By that one they had begun to try and sneak in front of each other to try and be the next one to be asked by the Monster Queen. The one that won out was a slime monster who managed to squeeze through a jester holding onto a large, wide ear from another monster. "Gelatin pudding!"
That request unfortunately passed a line for Cter, and with her hand over her mouth in a very suspicious manner she leaned down to the top of the queen's ear. Queen Toriel lifted it up for her Monster Mage, signaling that she had the queen's attention. "I'll head off to find a Royal Guard to arrange for the deliveries," said Cter with a slight struggle to keep up her air of importance. Her eyes slid down to the ground. "And to fetch the armor you're not using anymore."
With a slightly shocked gasp, Queen Toriel quickly gathered all the pieces she had just let litter all around her. "Yes, please. If you would I would be ever so grateful."
The crowd were awed as Cter collected the armor pieces and arranged them together next to her with her stasis magic. She had it bow with her, and walked off with it clanking next to her to find some Royal Guards to relay the Monster Queen's wishes to. It didn't take long for her to find two transporting a wagon with building material on the way to the storage barn. Less time did it take for the Royal Guards to find her, as when she spotted them they were already saluting her. "At ease," she told them with a friendly wave. "If I may, after you've delivered this wagon, would you please seek out Queen Toriel and–"
"Queen Toriel?"
Cter expected the question.
"What is she doing here?"
But not the voice that asked it.
"I refurbish her entire castle and she decides to spend time here instead?"
A green jacket emerged from among the pile of building material on the wagon. Spiraling, conch-like horns and a stitched smile turned towards Cter, forming as if inverting out of the shadow of the jacket's high collars.
"Although I should probably ask why Idyll didn't invite you down to our new house that we've built together instead, shouldn't I?"
...True.
A very good question indeed.
