Disclaimer: I do not own the Dresden Files or X-Men: Evolution.
Science and Faith
"Talking"
"Thinking"
Rogue heard Kitty before she saw her. Her roommate stomped into the room, threw herself onto the bed, and groaned loudly. Rogue tried to keep reading but the groaning didn't stop. "Alright, what happened?" she asked, closing the book. "Did Lance break up with you again?" Those two had been going through an on-and-off thing recently.
"No." It came out muffled, since her head was still stuck to the pillow.
"Kitty, I ain't gonna talk to ya while ya head's in the pillow."
That got her to lift her head up. "I just got a call from my parents. My cousin's coming to Bayville and they want me to show him around."
A brief stab of jealously hit Rogue in the heart before she smothered it. When it came to family and her, she had Kurt. That was good enough for her. "So, what? You don't like him because he's some annoying little kid?"
"What? No. He's older than me. Like, by two decades, at least."
"Then what's the problem?"
"It's just…he's…" Whatever her explanation was supposed to be, she gave up and slammed her head into the pillow again. "He's a dork."
Not exactly a word Rogue would've used for an adult, but this wasn't her cousin. "Whatta ya mean?"
"Just that, Rogue. My cousin is a dork. It wouldn't be so bad if, like, he liked geeky things and sci-fi stuff. He does. But he's also a polka fan." She shuddered at the mere word.
"…Polka?"
"Yeah, and he's got an actual polka suit. And he's, like, totally proud of it. Do you realize how embarrassing it is to see him in that getup?" she asked Rogue.
"Uh, no?" Truth be told, she had never thought about polka, much less a polka suit.
"He's going to bring that suit with him. I just know it." Her head thumped against her pillow, once, twice. "He's going to show up wearing the suit, where everyone can see him, and they're going to know he's my cousin. My life is going to be over!" she all but wailed.
And now, Rogue knew she was exaggerating. "Kitty, he's not gonna show up at the school in a polka suit. Whatever that is. He's just coming to visit you. How long has it been since he's seen you anyway?"
"Five, maybe six years ago. Around about when I turned ten."
"So maybe he's changed a bit."
She groaned into her pillow. "Not him. Not Waldo Butters."
Her roommate started to say something, only to stop. "…You're kidding. That's his name?"
Kitty nodded. "See? He's even got a dorky name!" To that, Rogue had no argument. It did sound rather dorky.
Since her cousin was arriving in Bayville tomorrow, Kitty was going to have to get to the train station as soon as school ended. Which meant doing something she hated. "I'm sorry, Lance," she told her boyfriend. "But I can't, like, hang out with you. I gotta go meet my cousin."
"Ha!" Pietro laughed from where he leaned on the school steps. "You got a cousin? Bet he's just as much of a dork as you."
She scowled. So did Scott. "Knock it off, Pietro," he ordered. Even though the X-Men and the Brotherhood had worked together against recent threats, they were still on opposite sides. And there were days when the Brotherhood seemed to be determined to pick a fight.
"Oh, did I hit a nerve?" His smirk was begging to be punched off his face. The problem was he knew it and could weaponize it.
"Knock it off, Pietro," Lance snapped at him. Then he turned his attention back to Kitty. "If you gotta go meet your cousin, I can take you there," he offered. "He's coming in at the train station, right?" His keys twirled suggestively around his fingers. Since he had his driver's license, he cashed in all the money he had to get a car. It might not have been a classic like Summer's, or a new model. But it was his and he was proud of it.
Kitty could already see Scott's scowl tightening. He had already volunteered to take Kitty to the station. Hence why they were leaving together while the rest of the X-Men headed back to the mansion. But she liked the idea of Lance taking her. He was trying to be a gentleman and they could spend some time together.
She glanced between the two boys, only to see something surprise outside the school grounds. She blinked, only to see the same thing. "Like, what?" Scott and Lance glanced at her, but she was still staring. Then she started walking, right up to her cousin. "Waldo?"
It wasn't that her cousin had changed, much. His hair still looked electricity ran through it and he still wore glasses. But now he stood taller and had this air of calm that she knew he didn't have before. "Hey, Kathy," he said, smiling. His arms spread wide, even as one held onto a cane. "What, no hug for your favorite cousin?"
"You're my only cousin." The retort slipped out without thought. But he still had a point. "What are you doing here?" she asked after a quick hug. "I thought, like, your train arrived at 3."
"I got lucky and caught an earlier train." He looked past her at the school. "You go here?"
Oh, if only she had the power to let the earth swallow her whole. Could this be any more embarrassing? "Yes."
Scott and Lance came over, along with Rogue. "This him, Kitty?" Rogue asked. Kitty could only nod.
Her cousin looked them over. "Are you Kathy's friends?" He smiled as he readjusted his backpack. "Hello, I'm Dr. Butters."
Rogue eyed Kitty. "Ya didn't mention he was a doctor." That seemed important.
Her friend didn't think so. "He's a mortician."
"Medical examiner, Kathy," her cousin corrected her.
"Like, what's the difference?"
"One dresses up a body for a funeral, the other checks to see how someone died." Everyone looked at Lance, some with surprise, others with a knowing nod. "What? I do watch some crime shows."
Kitty was proud of her boyfriend for showing off. But she had to stay focused. "So, Waldo, where are you headed?" she asked.
"The library. I heard they might have a book I've been looking for."
"Great, I'll take you there."
Her cousin's look was quite surprised. "You don't need to do that. I already know where it is." Her look said it all, how she knew he could but she would do it anyway. He knew that expression well. "Your parents told you to show me around, didn't they?" She didn't say anything. She didn't have to. "I'll be fine, Kathy. You go and enjoy your afternoon with your boyfriend." He eyed both Lance and Scott. "Or is that boyfriends?"
It was a good thing no one was drinking, otherwise they would've done a spit-take or swallowed it down the wrong pipe. "What? No!" Kitty said, probably a little louder than she should've. "Lance is my boyfriend. Scott isn't. Besides, like, who has more than one boyfriend?"
Dr. Butters shrugged. "It happens." He shifted his backpack again. "Kathy, I'll come by your place before I leave. That'll make your parents happy, alright."
It would make her happy. "Sure, fine. Tomorrow night good?" It was a Saturday, which meant she would have to give up any possible plans.
"Alright." His cane started forward and the rest of him followed. It didn't take him long to vanish down the road, away from the school.
Kitty sighed in relief. That was over and done with. An arm snaked around her back and landed on her waist, surprising her. "Lance!"
"Kitty, after that, I'm staying away from Summers," Lance declared, pulling her close. "And the best way to do that right now is taking you out somewhere." She didn't resist as she was guided to his car. She was too busy blushing like crazy and her heart doing it best to pound its way out of her chest.
The rest of the day happened like it normally did. So did the next day. In fact, it was so normal, Kitty almost forgotten that her cousin was in Bayville. Until the Professor reminded her that he would be coming for dinner.
He seemed to miss the fact he made the announcement at breakfast, where everyone heard it. So her friends and teammates had a lot of questions. She did the best she could to fend them off, using short answers and shrugs. Her cousin might've been different from what she remembered but she was still sure the dork was there, somewhere. And it would come out at the most embarrassing moment.
It made her dread his visit. "Please, don't let him do something embarrassing," she prayed as she crossed the front parlor. "And please don't let him do anything involving Polka!" If that happened, she would die. She just knew it.
Her thoughts got interrupted by furious pounding at the front door. It kept going even as she came over. "Yeah, I heard you!" she shouted over the noise. Her hand turned the knob. "You don't need to keep knock—"
The door slammed open, and Pietro raced through. She only knew it was him because of his color scheme. "Whoa, hey!" She raced after him.
It didn't take long to catch up. That was mostly because he had stopped in the middle of the corridor. Kitty wasn't the only one who found him either. Most of the X-Men had heard the disturbance and quickly cornered the speedster. But they didn't press the advantage, mostly because the scene was not something they were used to.
Pietro was carrying his sister on his shoulder, while looking terrified.
"Where's the best place to hide someone?" he demanded, looking at everyone. "C'mon, I know there's one here. Where is it!?"
Jean took the lead, stepping forward while Scott followed. "Pietro, take it easy," she started.
"Why are you wasting time yapping?" He dropped his sister on the ground. "Just put her there and make sure she can't be found," he ordered, pointing a finger at Wanda. "Don't just stand there. Move it!" He was already rushing out of the manor before anyone said anything.
A stunned silence followed. In his usual manner, Logan broke it. "So," he said to Wanda, "wanna tell us what that was all about?"
"I don't know," she grumbled as she got up. "I was talking to someone at the park. Pietro saw us and grabbed me." Next thing she knew, she was here, under Xavier's roof. Still, her brother's terrified look didn't leave her head. She had never seen that look before, not on him.
Logan was about to ask the next question when he suddenly sniffed the air. Laura did the same, looking quite like her father in that moment. "What's burning?" she asked. "And…is that brimstone?"
"Yeah, it is," Logan agreed.
"Everyone!" Professor Xavier's voice shouted inside their minds. "You must get outside. Now!"
"What's the matter, Chuck?" Silence greeted the Wolverine. That wasn't good. "'Ro, you head up and check on Chuck. Hank, make sure the rest of the students are safe." His finger jabbed at Wanda. "That includes her. Everyone else, move it!" There was no rushing to grab uniforms, not even Scott's visor. They all rushed out onto the front lawn, ready for whatever fight was coming.
Yet they weren't ready to see what was already there.
The Brotherhood, laid out across the yard, bloodied, battered and beaten. And standing tall over their bodies was a demon.
Kitty took a second look and knew there was no better description. It was a demon she was seeing. Her skin was red, she had horns emerging out of her forehead, wings on her back, a tail that trailed lightly in the air, and cloven hooves instead of feet.
If it was some other time, someone would've made a comment or a joke about stereotypes. But no one said a word. They were still trying to comprehend the scene before them. There was something about the newcomer, something dangerous. If they took one wrong move, it would not end well.
The demon noticed them and smiled, showing her sharp teeth. "Ah, more of you." It spoke with a woman's voice, which matched the body.
Kitty shivered. She couldn't help it. There was something about that voice. It trailed across her spine, whispering things she hadn't thought about. Things she shouldn't think about. Yet, they were spoken by someone who didn't mean any harm. Who just wanted to know her.
For a moment, she considered the idea.
Then she saw Lance, bleeding on the ground. Saw Pietro with his leg twisted in a way it shouldn't be. And she came back to reality.
"What do you want?" Logan growled. His hands had already curled into fists, but his claws weren't drawn yet. Laura already took that step.
The mutant (what else could it be?) simply regarded him with a look. "To finish my conversation," she answered. "I was interrupted earlier by these boys, so I chastised them." Todd groaned, his face a blackened mess of bruises.
"Chastise them?" Kurt repeated in his thick accent. "You've nearly killed them!" As much as he liked to embarrass and get back at the Brotherhood whenever they acted up, this was something he never would've done.
"Perhaps," the mutant said with an artful shrug. "But I would still to continue my conversation." She eyed them all. "It would be in your interest to not stop me. One of you already tried and I pushed him aside with barely a thought."
If she had meant to be cryptic, she failed. They all knew she was talking about the professor. "Elf, Half-Pint, get them inside," Logan ordered. "Everyone else, drive out the threat."
The mutant sighed. "I really had hoped you would be sensible."
Kitty didn't pay much attention to the fight, not until the Brotherhood was safely indoors. It couldn't have taken more than a minute, two at most. But by the time she and Kurt were back outside, the fight was already going bad.
Rogue was already on the ground, her hands doing what they could to stop her stomach from bleeding out. Scott had curled into himself, covering his eyes. And Jean was out, plain and simple. Logan and Laura were still fighting but it was clear the mutant was easily holding them off.
"Kitty, we have to distract," Kurt whispered to her.
She nodded. Distraction was something they could do. She started with a favored tactic. She ran through Laura and tried to shoulder-tackle the mutant while Kurt teleported right in front of her face. It should've given Logan and Laura the chance to step back and recover.
But the mutant was faster.
A knee caught Kitty in the stomach while a hand grabbed Kurt by his face. He was tossed away, she was dropped to the ground and kicked away. Logan was backhanded into the ground. The only one left standing was Laura.
And then the mutant stopped attacking. Instead, she looked down at her opponent. "You can't win," she told Laura. "You know this. Why keep fighting?"
"Shut up," Laura snapped, yet she didn't move. Kitty tried getting up but found she couldn't move.
The mutant reached out with a tender hand. Laura should've slapped it away or tried attacking. But she didn't. "You know where you stand," the mutant said with a gentle smile. It was out of place with the whole scene. "You're too weak. But there is a way to become strong. To show everyone here that you can stand with them. Do you want that?" Laura didn't say anything, but the answer was clear in her eyes. "All you have to do is say yes, child. Say yes, and I will show you strength."
"No!" Kitty screamed inside her head. "Don't say it!" She tried to move, to get back up and grab Laura. But she couldn't move. Her body wouldn't let her. There was nothing she could. Nothing anyone could do. Who was going to help them?
The sound of a sword being drawn and a hum filled the air. "Rosanna, get away from that girl."
Kitty looked across the lawn and saw her cousin approaching, with a lightsaber. "Why does he have a lightsaber?" It was the only thought she had at that moment.
The now-named Rosanna scowled, losing whatever gentleness she had. "This doesn't concern you, little Knight," she told him.
"You're here. That makes it my concern," he replied. He held the lightsaber in one hand, by his side. Not once did he move it from there.
She scoffed. "Do you think because of what you've done, you can stand against me? As impressive as it might've been, you're still too new at this, little Knight. I've been at this for far too long." There was a somber note on that last word, as if she was implying something else. For a second, she seemed sadder.
But Waldo didn't stop. "I'm not going to fight you, Roseanna," he told her. "I'm going to give you a choice: walk away."
"And if I don't?"
"Then you'll leave, either in pain or in death. That'll depend on you." There was something in his voice that made Kitty pay attention. He sounded like he would do it and he would not back down. It made him look…different.
Rosanna laughed. "And how will you make me leave? With your faith and your Sword?"
To that, he smiled. "It's not faith that'll stop you, but love."
And suddenly, Logan stood behind her. He buried his claws in her back, just underneath her wings. "You heard the man," he growled over her screeches. "Get away from my daughter!" He lifted her up, until she was dangling in the air, and slammed her into the ground, hard.
She pulled herself off the claws, almost tearing off her wings in the process. She fled, racing away, all the while screeching in pain. Soon, all that was left were the echoes of her pain. And even those faded quickly.
An hour after the fight, everyone involved gathered in the Professor's office. The professor saw how shaken his students were. They had never encountered such a mutant that could handle them so easily. Neither had he. But as nervous as that made him, he did his best to be the leader and father-figure they needed. "I'm glad to see you're all alive," he began.
"Alive, but battered," Kurt said. Even though he and Kitty had the lightest of injuries, he still winced every time he moved in his seat. He was so tired that he didn't used his image-inducer. "Who was that woman?"
"Yes, that does seem to be the question." He looked at Pietro. As did everyone else.
Aside from his sister, the Brotherhood mutant was the only one still conscious. His leg was wrapped in plaster, and it wasn't going to come off any time soon. Aside from that, he didn't quail under the looks. In fact, he was quite serious. "Look, this isn't someone I pissed off, alright?" he started. "That mutant, I heard about her from Dad."
That got everyone's attention. "Erik had met her before?" Professor Xavier asked.
"If you want to call it that." He took a steadying breath before he started. "When he was a kid, before Auschwitz, Dad was in another Nazi prison. One day, two women showed up at the gate. They walked in, and just started killing everyone. The only reason they didn't kill him was because they wanted him to get strong. Told him right to his face as they stood amongst the bodies. He never got their names, but he remembered what they looked like, and that demon-looking mutant was one of them. Dad always told me if I ever saw one of them, I was to leave immediately."
"Then why didn't you?" Wanda asked him. She wasn't quite glaring at her brother, but there was a frown in her eyes. "Why did you grab me?"
"You were talking to a mutant that scares Dad," he said again, making sure she understood. "You really think I was just going to leave you there?" Her mouth opened, then closed. Strange as it might've seemed, he had a point.
"She's not a mutant." The table fell silent and looked at Waldo Butters. He stood apart from them, leaning against the wall.
Kitty did her best not to roll her eyes. Now was not the time for eye-rolling. If anything, she should be a little happy. "Like, of course she was, Waldo," she told him. "And you're one too!" That was the happy part. She didn't know if her cousin knew about her being a mutant, but now she could say it loud and clear.
He shook his head. "Trust me, Kathy. I am not a mutant."
"You were using a lightsaber!" she protested. "An actual, totally, real lightsaber. The only way that could've happened was if you were a mutant." She glanced at the cane resting at his side. That had to be how he channeled it. "What do you think, Professor? Maybe some kind of light-based or plasma power?" she asked.
"An interesting proposal, Kitty," he replied. "But first, let's hear what your cousin has to say. From the sound of things, he knows who this woman is. Dr Butters?"
He stepped forward, bringing the cane with him. It was a little unnerving with all their eyes on him, but he still managed to speak. "Her name is Rosanna, and as I said, she's not a mutant. She's human. She belongs to a group called the Denarians. They are a group that's been causing trouble in the world for a long time. Each can be identified by a silver coin they carry."
"What's so special about these coins?" Scott asked.
His voice never wavered. "Each coin contains a Fallen Angel." It took them a moment to understand. Then the disbelief swept through the office. "I'm not kidding," he said before any of them could speak. "If you touch one of these coins with your bare flesh, the Fallen Angel inside would be bounded to you, lurking in your mind, whispering in your ear, tempting you into doing things you wouldn't normally do, all for the sake of power." His eyes found Scott. "I take it you need those glasses, young man?"
Scott reached up without thought. "Yeah, I do," he said. "Otherwise, my powers would punch through something every time I opened my eyes." He tried to make it light, as if it was a small joke.
But the adult before him stayed serious. "If you took a coin, the Fallen would've taken the need for them away." Scott paled at the thought. So did everyone. They all knew Scott needed the glasses. There was never a chance of him not needing them. But now, a so-called Fallen Angel would've been able to offer him that?
Rogue considered her gloved hands. "If they could take away his glasses, would they do the same for my touch?" It was a heady thought; one she was tempted to ask. Only the fact of the battle stopped her. They had been thrashed, utterly beaten, by one. "Just how many of these coins are out there?" she asked. The same thought was on Professor Xavier's mind, as was anyone else.
Waldo looked her right in the eyes. "If they were in full force, thirty." He paused, then gave her a reassuring smile. "But as far as I know, that's never happened."
As Kurt listened, the details started connecting in his mind. They didn't paint a pretty picture. In fact, they chilled him to the bone. "Um, Dr. Butters?" he asked. "You said there would be thirty of these Fallen Angels, ja? Each bound in a coin? A silver coin?" Waldo nodded. "You don't mean…"
"Yes, they are."
Kurt paled. Considering his blue fur, that was impressive. "Mein Gott." His friends looked at him, curious about his reaction. Pietro and Wanda were the same. "He means they are the same coins Judas Iscariot was paid with to betray Jesus Christ."
That revelation took everyone a moment to process. They had all heard the tale, mostly from church. But the thirty pieces of silver was something they didn't consider having an actual shape or form. It was just supposed to be a symbol, nothing more than imagery. Yet now they were being told those same coins were real, and very dangerous.
"What can we do against them?" Jean asked, looking to the professor for guidance like she always did.
He wasn't the one who answered. "You don't have to do anything," Waldo said. "The Denarians are not your concern. There's already a group in play against them. The Knights of the Cross."
Words played through Kitty's mind. Words that Rosanna had said when her cousin appeared. Two words stood out. "You're one of them, aren't you?" she asked. "That's what that Rosanna lady totally called you. Little Knight."
He nodded. "It's a recent job I took. Still figuring my way through it." He picked up the cane and held it in his hands. "This is a Sword of the Cross. It shows what I am."
"Like, how many of you are there?"
"Three."
Kitty was not the only one who stared at him in disbelief. "Three against thirty?" Wanda asked. "That's not an even fight. You guys would be slaughtered. You need more."
He shook his head. "These three are enough." No one believed him. That much was obvious from their expressions. "Each Sword has a nail worked into its design."
"That's it?" Pietro asked. "Nails?"
"Three nails. Each imbued with a special power." He looked to Kurt again. "Are you religious, young man?"
"Uh, not exactly," he answered. "I was raised Catholic, but I haven't really been to mass in a while." A fact he was glad his foster parents didn't know about. Otherwise, he would never hear the end of it.
"That's alright. I won't hold it against you. But perhaps this would help: 1st Corinthian 13, verse 13."
The verse flashed through his mind, and he spoke without thinking. "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." He eyed the cane again. "Which one is that?"
"Fidelacchius, the Sword of Faith."
And with that, Kurt understood. To the surprise of everyone, he walked over to Waldo, knelt down, and began to pray. The move surprised everyone, especially his sister. "Uh, Kurt, whatta ya doin'?" Rogue asked.
He paused in his prayers to look back at her. "Rogue, he is holding a sword that contains one of the nails that held Jesus Christ to the crucifix. What do you think I'm doing?"
It took a little time for that revelation to be understood (and to get Kurt to stop praying). By then, Waldo had brought the Sword back down to his side. Professor Xavier maintained a thoughtful expression throughout the whole conversation. "Are you certain that there's nothing we can do about these Denarians?" he finally asked.
Waldo shook his head. "No, there is. A person can fight against a Denarian, so long as they know what they're getting into."
"What about a mutant?"
"A person," he repeated, emphasizing the last word.
And that made all the difference to the professor. The man before him didn't think any less of them because they were mutants. That didn't matter. So he took the answer with good grace. "It is lucky for us that you were here to ward her off."
"It happens. Although," he remarked with a thoughtful look, "I have been led to believe that the Knights work well with coincidences." Again, he got the odd looks. "If I hadn't caught that early train, I wouldn't have come across Wanda in the library. And we wouldn't have had that little talk about her powers."
Wanda remembered that. He had thought she was supposed to a witch and asked her if she knew of the Laws. She had told him that she was a mutant and he didn't disagree. They talked about her power and how she should respect it. She thought she already did but his words made her think, more so than she usually did. That was what she was thinking about when Rosanna found her in the park. "If we hadn't talked, I might've listened to what she had offered?" she asked, wanting confirmation.
"Perhaps," he said. "It would've been your choice. Or perhaps your brother wouldn't have gotten there in time to whisk you away." While she pondered that, he continued. "And besides, you saw how far your brother is willing to go to protect you. And something else good happened because of it."
His eyes fell on Logan and Laura. Everyone else did and realized what he was seeing. Logan's arm was wrapped around Laura's shoulder, pulling her close to his side. And she wasn't trying to get free. Logan looked down at her, saw the love she had for him, and realized something else.
Fighting Rosanna, it was the first time he had ever called her his daughter.
The revelation was astounding but he treated it as he thought it deserved. "It was obvious. I just said it."
Waldo grinned. "Sometimes, that's all you need." Logan nodded and tightened his hug, which Laura loved. Waldo noticed his cousin was thinking, rather hard. He could see the slight confusion in her eyes and how she bit her lip. "Kathy, is everything alright?"
"Uh, what? Yeah." It was a lot to process, especially how her cousin wasn't the dork she remembered but a man of God. "I'm still, like, trying to understand one thing."
"What's that?"
She looked at his weapon, then at him. "A Jewish Knight of the Cross?"
That might've sounded rude, and the adults were ready to admonish her. But her cousin surprised everyone by laughing out loud. "I said the exact same thing when I got the job. I even talked with a priest in the know and he said, 'Why not? Jesus was Jewish.'"
Pietro broke a grin. "Yeah, consider what Robin Williams said about that. 'Thirty years old, single, living at home with his parents, come on!'"
"'Working in his father's business, his mother thought he was God's gift, he's Jewish, give it up!'" Wanda finished. The twins shared a look, then a smile, as they realized what they had just done. The rest of the room was busy laughing at the little joke.
All the while, Professor Xavier and Waldo Butters shared a look and a smile. The fear of what Rosanna could be was gone for the moment, replaced by love, a sense of family, and humor. The children would be fine.
End
Author's note: Thank you for all the reviews you've sent me.
For the life of me, I cannot figure out where this chapter came from. All I can think of is that both Butters and Kitty are Jewish, why not make them cousins?
As you've probably figured, this chapter is set after X-Men: Evolution ended. It's a good thing neither it nor The Dresden Files actively show dates. A writer can play around with the years a little bit. For all we know, Harry started getting his cases in the 80s or 90s or the X-Men could've gone to school during the 2010s.
I figured having a Denarian was a good way to show the X-Men that they weren't the only things out in the world. Sure, Apocalypse was a dangerous threat to them. But there are other threats that were working long before him, and they aren't mutants. Imagine what would happen if they ran across one of the courts or the Sidhe?
That book Waldo was interested in was a book on genealogy. He was testing Harry's theory about the Knights being descended from royalty. As for who he was descended from, I was thinking David or one of his sons.
I'll see you all next chapter!