Sometimes a break is all you need to keep yourself from bashing your head in a wall. Unfortunately, one break wasn't enough to stop that feeling. Currently, Star and Marco have their heads stuck in books.
She kept glancing at Marco who diligently read. Every time she looked at him she hoped, nay wished he would look just a bit exhausted so she could get an excuse to stop her torment. An empty plate showed that she had already used snacktime as an excuse.
She put in effort, but reading for an hour, let alone multiple, was a struggle. With Marco not useful at the moment she got a good look at the room they were in. It was her room for her work as a princess, but it had gotten an upgrade when she had been at the spider-bite kingdom.
He had gotten a board installed and supplies like paper, pencils, and other useful stuff. Honestly, she had a hard time telling who was putting in more work. Perhaps looking a bit too long Marco looked up at her.
"Something the matter?" He asked dryly.
"No, I just thought I should reward you in some way." She spilled her thoughts.
"Reward?" He asked confused, but quickly smiled," In that case, how about some off time?"
Instantly hooked she agreed, "I've been meaning to plan an outing with me and Tom. The three of us could have so much fun!"
Skeptically he responded," I don't know Star. It sounds more like a punishment than a reward."
"What? Don't be like that. It will be awesome."
Putting his book down she could properly see his teasing face, "Please, I don't wish to impede your makeout sessions, but the one thing I ask is to be spared to sit on the sideline watching like a creep."
"What?! It's not a makeout session. We are just spending time together."
Smiling he said, "No shame, you are at that age, no?"
Confused at his words she took some time and realized, "You are messing with me again." Tired she complained," Marco... I told you I don't like to be teased."
He shrugged " And I don't like to be 3rd wheeling you and Tom yet here you ask me too."
As if offended she snapped, "Marco you aren't 3rd wheeling us. We will all have fun."
"You can just go with Tom," he frustratedly said. " Why do I need to be there?"
Star rocked her head from side to side thinking of what to say. "Mom may or may not let me go if it's just me and Tom..." She rolled her wand in between her hands. A sure tell sign she knew how bad the situation stood.
"So, you want me to tag along because you can't go otherwise." She became smaller and smaller, "I don't know about you but that sounds like a textbook definition of 3rd wheeling someone."
She would rather he taunted and teased her than sound so disappointed. Closing one eye she sheepishly smiled and asked in an unconscious small voice, "Please, I need a break too."
She heard an annoyed sigh and even before he could say yes she hugged him and said, "Thank you. Thank you so much."
He couldn't help but smile, "Yeah yeah, just make sure to bring enough snacks and refreshments for me and then some."
"I will! And don't worry I'll make sure you have an awesome time."
"I'll hold you to that."
A heavy knock sounded in her cell. It may have been at the top of a tower, but it was a prison nonetheless. Quickly she adjusted her hair and pajamas to be just a tiny bit more presentable.
"You may come in."
In walked Queen Moon. She didn't look too happy, but the fact she was here was great for Eclipsa.
"So? I can take it you agree?"
Annoyed she retorted, "I haven't agreed to anything, but I can see that there was some truth to your claims."
Moon closed her eyes as Eclipsa was currently as smug as... She lacks the imagination even to think what could compare. A few deep breaths were needed.
"Eclipsa while there is suspicion you will need proof."
"The scribbles in the bureaucracy of magic. They record all sorts of things about royal families."
Moon narrowed her eyes at her, "What scribbles? There's no such thing in the bureaucracy of magic."
She rolled her eyes, "Come now, Moon. The records cannot be hidden in such a place. The scribbles are underground."
"Tell me where."
"That won't work I'm afraid."
"Why not?"
"Let me put it like this," Eclipsa points to her bone guitar, "I could tell you in great detail how to play, but that won't allow you to play, now would it?"
Moon had to remind herself, she promised Star a fair trial. Letting the MHC do their rash impulse would be so easy.
"I'm not gullible like my daughter. Do anything funny and I'll get you crystalized for good."
"Whatever you say, warden." She said way too snarky if Moon had to judge.
Getting into the closet was smooth. Moon could intimidate a warnicorn if she wanted to. Poor Shawn had no choice but to cower.
"So? Do your thing," Moon gestured to the cobblestone wall.
"One moment," Eclipsa experimentally pressed the wall and a bib sound was made. She pressed a few more times when she eventually played the wall. She created a fast-paced melody that brazenly ended with a body slam creating an almost unhearable high pitch.
Moon watched confused as to what she witnessed, "Stop dilly-dallying we got an archive to raid."
Moon followed the stout walking Queen of darkness. "I don't dilly-dally AND we aren't raiding anything. I own this whole kingdom which includes what's down here."
"Debatable really," Eclipsa commented and Moon stopped eyeing her sharply.
"What are you implying?"
Eclipsa put a hand in front of her face hiding a smile, " Such a shame my descendants have forgotten so much. How far has the Butterfly kingdom regressed?"
"You don't even try to hide it," Moon accused.
Eclipsa had hidden her smug smile, but she hadn't bothered to school the rest of her. "Just a bit of innocent Schadenfreude."
Moon didn't know what she meant but if it came from Eclipsa it couldn't be a good term.
"But fret not, all I mean is that the archives belong to the high queen."
"High-queen?"
"It's rather straightforward. It's the title of the one above the other queens of mewni."
Moon was deeply pondering a high queen. She had difficulty imagining any kingdom bending to another queen. The people who followed the queen also passed as a problem. Would they accept their queen serving another?
If the spiderbite kingdom were under her they would rebel. Sure she could oppress them with magical might and soldiers, but the value she could gain from that would be minimal with the cost of maintaining such a subject not to mention the mountain of paperwork that would generate.
"Let's go and find our proof instead of talking about outdated titles."
"What? You aren't even a little curious about how one becomes the high queen?"
"No, I don't have the luxury of wasting time on useless things of the past. A high queen could never emerge in this day and age."
Eclipsa shrugged, it was a shame Moon wasn't more arrogant and desired the high queen title. Eclipsa walked leisurely, but Moon kept a watchful eye on her surroundings.
"What are you looking for?" Eclipsa asked genuinely intrigued.
"Booby traps, obviously," Moon explained like it was common sense.
"Traps? Come now. No such thing was ever needed."
There was no need for traps since originally the place belonged to the high queen and no one would dare to be so insolent as to intrude on the high queen's only rightful claim. The entrance was to stop the average idiot from accidentally wandering in.
Moon didn't trust her and continued to watch out for any dangers, "you do you."
They reached a gate. "What are you waiting for? Open it."
"I can't. Only the high queen can open it."
Moon wasn't about to bite on to the bait. "I'm sure you have a plan. So, get on with it."
"Just blow a hole next to the doors."
"A hole? Isn't it magic-resistant? Surely it cannot be that easy."
Eclipsa shook her head dramatically disappointed, "Tsk, tsk, I see assumptions still run strongly in the butterfly family."
"Oh, spare me your quips," Moon ordered.
Eclipsa ignored her spoken words and explained, "Only the doors are. It would be way too expensive to magic-proof the entire room."
"Of course it is..." It's all about money. Seems that there's never enough to go around even 300 years ago. "Well? Go ahead. I'm sure you are itching to let a little loose."
"I... I can't."
Moon eyed her skeptically. The queen of darkness not able to use wandless magic? The notion alone was amusing if not for the fact she was trying to manipulate. There is no way the MHA would be so worried about her if that were the case, Surely.
"Enough of your jokes, just do it."
"I need a wand to use magic," Eclipsa said with a little annoyance at having to spell it out.
"So, the great Eclipsa the queen of darkness hasn't even learned wandless magic? Not even Star could tell me such a cheeky lie."
"It's the truth. Nothing more or less." Eclipsa confessed.
"Don't know why you are being stubborn about this but fine I'll do it. I just thought it would be pleasant to let out a bit. God knows how stifling it can be letting your magic stagnate."
It was comparable to being idle for too long. You just get the need to move. Eclipsa hasn't used magic since her imprisonment if she did the magic alarm would sound throughout the castle. But if she wanted to put up the act of being powerless then Moon wasn't gonna tell her to stop.
Moon weaved her hand and a giant icicle crumpled the wall and left a gaping hole.
"Well that was rather cold to the architect, wouldn't you say?"
"... I'm adding that to the list of reasons why you should be crystalized for eternity."
"Fair."
They soon reached the archive and boy was it massive. Moon had a hard time seeing the end of it all. She would know of a building this big. The sheer scale of it was ridiculous. Not to mention the sound of the ever-scribbling mechanical arms.
If you looked up you could see an almost endless horizon of shelves with books. Moon couldn't help but ask, "How will we ever find what we need from here?"
Eclipsa smiled smugly at Moon. She clapped two times and quickly a set of hands descended from the top, "Could you find the royal Butterfly family tree chronicles?"
Just as quickly as they came they vanished.
"What sort of knowledge is stored in here?"
"Nothing too useful. They keep tabs on royal families throughout the dimensions. Unless you want to genocide a royal bloodline it's pretty much useless."
"That's comforting." Moon dismissed. However, she would definitely remember it. Depending on how detailed they scribble it could be a big advantage if she ever found her kingdom at war.
The mechanical hands returned with a fat book. The title was "The Royal Butterflies"
An extra arm came down. The arm holding the book was still high in the air while the other two came together to form a cup.
"Now you just tell the whispering spell into the hands and voila you gain access to the book."
"Why tell me?"
Eclipsa could very easily have just done it herself, but, "The same reason you are asking. If I just told you and did it myself you would doubt me. It's getting rather tedious you see.
"I'm afraid I won't ever stop questioning you," She said before she whispered the spell into the mechanical hands.
Moon was gently handed the book. But Eclipsa not so gently ripped it out of her hands. She desperately skimmed through the book. She found her mother but passed her as she only had one objective with the book.
Reaching the part that should be about Meteoras birth the pages were missing. In the book, one could see the aftermath of someone ripping the pages out. The next whole page involved details about a girl named Festivia. It claimed that she was the next queen, but she wasn't her child. The book never mentions clovers for marks or a tail.
"She's not here," Eclipsa whispered. Moon placed a placating hand on her shoulder. Eclipsa shook the hand off her, "I will get my answers," she swore.
"How? While it's suspicious it's not proof that the magic high commission is working behind the kingdom's back. We cannot corner them without definite proof."
"Trial by box. That will corner them."
"By box? Are you sure? You will be executed."
"Only if I'm guilty."
A little concerned Moon told her, "You are. You are on trial for betraying the Kingdom which you did when you ran and married a monster. That's a fact."
Eclipsa smiled, "Let's see if the box thinks so."
Honestly, I found it a bit weird how Eclipsa never learned wandless magic, but then I rewatched a bit svtfoe on flamingsharks channel (s1 and s2 ep 1-4) and Moon first learned it when she was 19. Eclipsa took over after her mother who's known as Monster Carver, so she either ascended during war or in the aftermath of one so she didn't have time to learn. (This story canon)
Anyway, we are getting closer to the trial which is gonna be the turning point for when shit hits the fan. Unfortunately/fortunately there's still quite a bit before we get there.