AN: Again over a month... No excuses honestly, other than being sick for the last week. Just a couple days ago got well enough to sit in front of a computer again. Regardless, hope you enjoy.
Understanding
Otohime was really getting tired of her Driver and his friends' apprehension. She threatened someone who tried to harm one of their friends, so what was the problem with her bluff? If it was for an hour or two, she could understand, but Oscar not wanting to help with her research anymore? That was making things detrimental. Only Joana seemed to understand, though her reasoning was that their opponents were bloodthirsty heartless criminals now. If only it were that simple. Then again, if that was the case, Satsuki would have destroyed the Signet with no regard for Ryuko's safety.
Otohime resisted a sigh as she took a seat across a table from Ren and the rest of the gang. Minus Mòrag and her Blades who stood to the side. The Special Inquisitor felt that this isn't something she should meddle with.
"Ren... Why do you refuse to understand?" Otohime asked.
"Understand what? That you were willing to shut down another Blade's Core Crystal if you had that kind of power?" Ren replied with a harsh look.
Otohime looked annoyed at the response that she was tired of hearing, "For the last time, I have no such power. It was a bluff and that is all it can ever be."
"You sound so sure." Nora butted in, "But how do we know you won't learn how to one day?"
Otohime scoffed at this, "Nora, I have no means to learn how. If I wanted to, emphasis on if, I would need another Blade to experiment on. But if I did that... Then I would be no different from Amalthus."
"Don't change the subject." Ren said with clenched fists, "You still made that kind of threat so easily and feel nothing!"
Otohime looked stunned at the accusation. "Ah! So that is the real problem." The Imperial Mother gave a stern look to everyone at the table, "I will not apologize for using any and all means necessary to ensure that the very country born on the Titan that bore me will continue existing, however long that may be." Her look then softened, "But I do apologize if I scared any of you." Then Otohime faced Nora, "And Nora, I do apologize for being harsh on you, but I needed Satsuki to think that I had no reservations in destroying Ryuko. But she must have realized that I wanted to save Uraya, hence her threat to destroy the Signet." Otohime then admired her dainty hand that had the Signet on her ring finger. Otohime didn't actually have to wear it, but her yukata didn't have pockets and she felt compelled to keep the ring herself until they returned it to Uraya. Which was where the ship was moving towards right now. Besides, the sleeves are long enough to cover her hands if she keeps them at her sides, or has her arms crossed inside them. Whichever she feels more comfortable with.
Nora looked a little surprised to hear Otohime apologizing to her. "Will you also apologize for pulling my ear? What about whipping me?" the hammerer then asked with an eager look.
"Do not push your luck, girl." Otohime said while looking at Nora like she was a misbehaving child, "Someone has to discipline you, since your parents-" Immediately Otohime covered her mouth in alarm, but it was pointless. The damage was done.
Nora gave an actually hateful glare at Otohime which to everyone's shock seemed to make the water Blade shrink. Nora then got off her chair and stormed out.
"Nora," Ren called out, but Nora was already out. "You shouldn't have said that," Ren told Otohime before following her alongside Electra.
Otohime let out a weary sigh and shook her head.
"I think you upset Nora," Jaune said carefully.
"Oh, is that so? I did not realize that." Otohime said with a stormy glare.
Jaune realized that his life was in danger, so he wisely kept his mouth shut.
"...Lady Otohime, I would appreciate it if you did not use such a tone on milord," Joana said as politely as she could while reigning in her protective tendencies.
"Apologies," Otohime said before getting up from her seat, crossing her arms inside her sleeves as she did. "I suppose I must apologize to Nora. Once she has had a moment to calm down." Though what was left unsaid was that Otohime herself also needed to regain her composure.
Mòrag shook her head at this. It's not hard to imagine why Nora was upset, even with how little she knew about the girl. Though it seemed like Otohime also had an idea of what she did and regretted it. That was something at least. Still, on one hand, Otohime's threat, even as a bluff, was distasteful. Then again, if the fate of Mor Ardain was in her hands like that, Mòrag herself might become that desperate. That being said, it doesn't make her any less apprehensive about the idea of Otohime being able to shut down the Cores of other Blades. Then again, Brighid checked her diary and there is nothing about Otohime having that kind of power. And neither did any of the historical records on the Imperial Mother that Mòrag had managed to rifle through during these past few weeks in Mor Ardain. Seeing as Otohime was originally Uraya's national treasure, the Special Inquisitor felt that she should find out all there is to know about the subject just in case.
After some time, Otohime moved towards the cabin she knew Ren and Nora had occupied. The four cabins here were for three people at most. One of which was occupied by Nora Ren and Electra. Otohime wasn't thrilled about Ren and Nora sharing a cabin, but she trusted that they wouldn't be up to anything with Electra around. No doubt Joana had similar reasons for sharing a cabin with Jaune and Pyrrha. At least before their hypothetical honeymoon. Otohime herself had to share with Oscar and Herald. though that still left the question of how Mòrag had arranged things with her own Blades. Maybe Aegaeon was sleeping on the floor?
Shaking her head of that thought, Otohime had reached the cabin and knocked on the door.
"Yes?" Came Ren's voice from inside. Otohime took that as an invitation and entered. As Otohime feared, Nora was sitting on the bed being in Ren's comforting embrace. On Nora's other side, Electra was also hugging her Driver.
As soon as she entered, Ren held Nora a little tighter as he gave a stern look to his Blade. Electra also gave her own childish glare at Otohime. "...You were mean to Nora," Electra said.
Otohime was surprised at Electra looking that hateful. Or as hateful as someone as adorable as the little girl did. "...Yes. I was mean to Nora." Otohime admitted, "It seems no matter what I do, I just cannot help overstepping. Nora I... I should have simply said no and left it at that. Instead I pried open old wounds, and I am sorry for that."
Nora lifted her head from Ren's shoulder and judging by her slightly red eyes and red streaks, the girl had cried. "...I don't believe you," Nora said, spitefully.
Otohime was mildly surprised by this, but she kept her expression neutral, "No. I suppose you would not." The Imperial Mother paused as she looked at Ren and Electra, "Could I ask for a moment of privacy with her?"
"Why?" Electra asked, getting off the bed and in front of Nora as if trying to protect her.
"...I never understood Nora. I believe it is high time I did." Otohime replied, "But...I would rather not have an audience."
"Otohime you-" "It's okay, Ren." Nora interrupted as she got off of Ren.
"Nora?"
"I can handle her." Nora then said with a grin, cracking her knuckles. "If she's mean again, I'll break her legs."
"Yeah!" Electra agreed with a cheer. Otohime wasn't sure if she should commend Electra for standing up for her Driver or be worried about the little girl cheering about brutal violence.
"If you're sure," Ren said as he hesitantly got up and walked to the door. But then Electra grabbed his hand and started dragging him out faster.
As soon as the two left, Nora got up and put her hands on her hips, "So, what do you wanna know?"
Otohime was a little baffled that Nora was acting so cheerful when she had cried mere moments ago, judging by the red streaks on her face. "...You never had a chance to be a child, did you?"
"What?" Nora let out, now looking flabbergasted herself.
"I know you and Ren are orphans, but I do not know of the circumstances. Never felt they were important. Ren has told me about how he lost his parents in Kuroyuri when he was still small. That was also when he met you. Dirty, alone and afraid." Otohime said, causing Nora to look more glum by the second. "From that I can guess that you lost your parents long before that. So... when I said your parents never disciplined you, it was most likely because they never had the chance to do so. And now, you are making up for the lost time. Am I correct?"
Nora just stared at Otohime in silence. She had no idea what to say, except... "My mom abandoned me when Grimm attacked."
Now Otohime looked shocked to hear that, "Excuse me?"
"When the Grimm attacked the village we stayed at, my mom ran away and left me. I only survived because the Grimm went after her and ignored me. So, I hid." Nora said, sounding bitter.
Otohime took to one of the other beds and sat down, "Unbelievable."
"So, you don't believe me." Nora glared at Otohime.
"No. I meant that woman abandoned her own child. That is... Such a woman has no business being a parent." Otohime said with a scowl. Then she shook her head and returned to the issue at hand. "And when you met Ren, he was the first to show care for you afterward. And you have been together taking care of each other ever since."
"Yeah, pretty much," Nora said.
"...And to think I used to think of you as a leech that ate away at Ren without giving anything in return."
"What?!" Now Nora was highly offended.
"Indeed, my greatest misjudgment by far." Otohime didn't even flinch at Nora's outrage, "Only in Kuroyuri did I understand that you also granted Ren a semblance of stability. That being said, I do believe that you need to reign in some of your impulses. They may land us all in trouble one day. Trouble that may end up hurting Ren."
"Stop using Ren!" Nora yelled.
"Do you think you are the only one who cares about Ren?" Otohime replied with a steely look, "Every time you do something... foolish, I worry about Ren. The very thought of him being hurt terrifies me, but I cannot stop him from protecting his loved ones. And then you-" Otohime stopped herself and took a calming breath, "My point is, we both care about Ren. And I would hate to see him hurt. I assume you feel the same."
"You assume right." Nora said, still looking angry, "Are we done?"
"No. Understanding is a two-way street. The way I see it, we are not done until we agree on something." Otohime said.
"Oh? Then tell me this, if you had to choose between saving Ren or me, which would you choose?" Nora asked.
"Nora, you know that as Ren's Blade I am obligated to prioritize his life over yours. Even at the risk of him hating me for it." Otohime said with a steely look.
The reply seemed to infuriate Nora, "Don't you feel anything?!"
"What kind of question is that?" Otohime was getting frustrated. She really thought she was making progress.
"You get angry, you get annoyed, but you never feel sad or joy." Nora took a few steps forward. "It's like you don't have feelings!"
At this, Otohime stood up to her full height, slightly towering over Nora. "Mind your tongue, girl. Not all of us wear our hearts on our sleeves. Do not mistake my restraint for lack of emotion. Express your feelings how you wish, leave me to my own." Otohime then backed away ever so slightly.
Nora actually cowered a little at Otohime's threatening stance. But as she made eye contact, she could see it for an instant. The Imperial Mother can be hurt, she just doesn't show it. "I'm sorry... I never realized."
"No. Why would you? You and I rarely interact." Otohime affirmed.
"...Hey. I know you're probably tired of hearing about this, but... if you set your mind to it, could you learn how to shut down Core Crystals?" Nora then asked.
"Nora, I have said this-" "Look me in the eyes and answer me," Nora said, getting right into Otohime's face. Though she had to go on her tiptoes due to the height difference.
The water Blade let out a weary sigh before letting it all out. "Even if there was the slimmest of chances of me learning to do such a thing, the thought does not appeal to me. That is why I do not care to find out. It is hurtful enough that you, Electra, Jaune, Pyrrha, and even Ren believe otherwise, or worse yet actually entertain the notion that I would enjoy it." Otohime then felt something wet trailing down her cheek. Before she could register it further, Nora pulled the water Blade into a hug.
"Thank you. That's what I needed to hear." Nora said to the now very much shocked Otohime. Not knowing what else to do, Otohime returned the hug awkwardly.
A few ways away from the cabin, Ren was pacing in worry. He was expecting explosions from the inevitable fight that would come.
"Are you okay, Ren?" asked Electra who looked less worried while pacing herself. Though it seemed less like she was worried and more like she was just copying Ren.
"It's just... It's too quiet." Ren said, worrying about the lack of grenades exploding and blasts of water ether.
"Maybe they're getting along," Electra said, earning a look from Ren. As much as Ren wanted to argue, the absolutely certain look on the child's face made him hesitate.
At that moment, the door to the room opened and Nora practically skipped out.
"Must you?" Otohime asked as she walked out as composed as ever.
"As you said, I wear my heart on my sleeve," Nora said with a grin before skipping to Ren who looked like he was trying to process the situation. "We're cool now."
"...What?" Ren didn't seem to compute that answer.
"Exactly what she said." Otohime smiled faintly, "We have reached an understanding... I think?"
"You think?" Ren said skeptically.
"Don't worry about it." Nora said with a grin," She likes to pretend, but she does have a soul."
"...Okay..." Ren said while giving a strange look to his Blade who was now covering her eyes with one hand. Though whether it was in embarrassment or frustration he couldn't tell.
It was evening when the ship reached Uraya. Mòrag chose to stay in the ship while the rest had an audience with the Queen. However, only Ren and Otohime were allowed into Raqura's own chambers. With Voluq and his Blades acting as bodyguards. Meanwhile, the rest of the gang was waiting outside the palace itself.
"I take it your mission was a success." Raqura began curtly.
Otohime smiled as she uncrossed her arms from under her sleeves, now having taken the ring off her finger and presenting it to the Queen. "You be the judge, your highness."
"You have succeeded, I see," Raqura said as she accepted the Signet. "I heard that you arrived with the Flamebringer. Is that true?"
"It's true, your highness." Ren said with a small bow, "And she was a great help in retrieving the Signet."
"Glad to hear it." Voluq said with a smile, "What about the wretched thief? Was he punished?"
"Sadly, we were in a hurry to retrieve the Signet from the mastermind of this crime, so we had no time to punish the thief." Otohime revealed, earning a look of outrage from Voluq, "But before you yell out your outrage, the poor fool was deceived with empty promises of the restoration of House Envia."
"The House of Envia." Raqura sighed, "Who in their right mind would believe such an obvious lie."
"Perhaps he believed that the Empire has no intention of letting Gormott become an independent nation again." Voluq said, still looking annoyed, "Even so, I think he should have been executed."
"Perhaps." Raqura brought a finger to her chin in thought, "But that time has passed. And now we must look forward. I trust that the mastermind has been punished?"
Otohime and Ren shared a glance before Ren spoke up, "The very top of this conspiracy is still out there, but we do believe we have a lead. And we will not stop until they are brought to justice."
"Is that so? Tell me, your mission was to simply retrieve the Jeweled Signet. Which you have done. And the reward will be granted, but is there another reason you wish to continue?"
"The reasons are...personal." Otohime said in a meaningful tone, "One of which is that I wish that the Kingdom I originated from will continue to exist. That means eliminating the one behind this."
Raqura gave a sad smile at this declaration, "If only we could have you back. Alas, my word still stands."
Ren looked a little guilty at hearing this, but then he had a determined look, "Your Highness, I... I have a suggestion that might be of interest to you." Raqura quirked an eyebrow at this before motioning the boy to continue. "I... I have been thinking, despite my circumstances, Otohime is Uraya's Blade. So, I was thinking, once my life ends I would... I would see Otohime returned to you." This surprised Raqura, Otohime, and Voluq.
"You would hand over one of the more powerful Blades in Alrest back to us?" Voluq said in disbelief.
"If Otohime is okay with it," Ren said, turning to glance at the Blade in question.
Otohime gave a small smile, "Your suggestion is acceptable; however, I expect this to happen only after I revert to my Core, and not a moment sooner."
"You understand that there is a chance that you may not be able to keep that promise?" Raqura pointed out, "After all, what if you fall in battle? Or if you fall in an accident that would see you both destroyed?"
"I know that I promise much, but I will make sure to do everything in my power to have Otohime returned," Ren said with absolute certainty.
"...Very well." Raqura said with a smile, "I hope to live long enough to see our nation's treasure returned. If only so that the next generation can wield her."
"Until then, I look forward to many more years with my Driver. Hopefully, I will witness him start his own family." Otohime said with a motherly smile.
"Otohime!" Ren let out in embarrassment.
"Oh, hush now." Otohime playfully chided. Raqura seemed amused at this exchange and Voluq was clearly resisting a smile. If they didn't know better, they might actually believe Otohime to be Ren's actual mother.
Raqura then cleared her throat, which caused Otohime to gain her neutral expression as if she never teased her Driver. "Apologies. Is there anything else you wish to discuss?" Otohime asked while Ren looked like he was wishing the floor to consume him.
"No, just that your reward will be paid through Garfront. And if you don't mind, we would like to have your Driver Ren in the Hall of Fame.
Ren perked up at this, "Hall of Fame?"
Voluq also looked surprised at this, "Your Highness, are you certain? This is... highly unusual."
"That is true, but I believe that his act of heroism deserves to be commended. Given the magnitude." Raqura said with a conspiratory smile.
"Yes, I suppose that is true." Voluq relented before looking to Ren, "What say you?"
"I'm sorry, I don't understand," Ren said, feeling confused.
Instead of answering the question, Raqura walked to the exit of her chambers while motioning Voluq to follow her. "Walk with me," Raqura said and Ren and Otohime did.
The Queen took them across multiple halls until reaching a set of decorated double doors that were being guarded.
The guards saluted the Queen and opened the doors. Inside was a large hallway with many paintings of Urayans. All of them in some kind of armor or other kinds of combat gear. Mostly men, but there were a few women among them. Some were young, others older. But the key detail that both Ren and Otohime noticed about these portraits was that each and every one of the Urayans posing heroically was brandishing Otohime's Ether Cannon.
"This is the Hall of Fame where portraits of the best of Otohime's Drivers have been hung," Raqura said proudly.
"Each of the Drivers in these portraits were great heroes, as well as rulers of Uraya." Voluq added in, looking at one particular portrait. Otohime herself glanced at the portrait of an Urayan man in regal armor brandishing her cannon. Then her eyes trailed down to the placard beneath it. King Murak of House Selosia.
"Securing diplomatic peace with Mor Ardain." Otohime read aloud, "That does not sound like something that required my power."
"Your prowess in battle is not the only reason you were Uraya's treasure." Raqura said with a smile, "You helped my father to find a new angle on negotiations, one that was beneficial for both parties."
"But the two nations were at the brink of war, what happened?" Ren asked, getting curious.
"No one can truly pinpoint the exact cause, but I remember Mor Ardain being blamed for Otohime's disappearance. Of course, nothing could be proven." Raqura explained.
"Was that the only reason?" Otohime asked.
"There were various other incidents that increased the tensions over the years. Slowly but surely." Raqura added in, "But enough about the past, now if you were to accept the proposal, your portrait would be hung in this hall for all Urayan nobles to see."
Ren was truly taken back. These were Uraya's greatest heroes, but he wasn't even Urayan. More importantly, "Y-your highness, I... I'm honored, but I didn't do it alone. I'm not sure we could have done it without Mòrag's help."
"Perhaps, but regardless you still did a great service to Uraya and you are Otohime's current Driver." Raqura said with a small smile, "I believe that is worthy of a spot among Uraya's heroes."
"Your highness, I-" "Ren, leave it." Otohime said firmly, "The Queen herself thinks you are worthy, should that not be enough?"
"I just... I don't feel like I'm much of a hero." Ren said, now looking at the floor.
"Heroes are defined by their actions, not how they feel about themselves." Voluq said with a smile, "Just shut up and accept the offer."
"Voluq," Raqura said simply.
The veteran Driver caught himself, "Apologies my Queen. I didn't mean to impose."
"...If I said yes, would I need to pose for a painter?" Ren asked, still uncertain.
"Of course," Raqura said.
"...I'll do it." Ren agreed, though he still sounded a little apprehensive.
"Excellent, tomorrow we will have Uraya's finest painter to have you painted." Raqura smiled. "I will send for you tomorrow morning. For now, you may retire."
"Thank you, your highness." Ren bowed while Otohime dipped her head. Then the two were allowed to leave.
Naturally, when the rest of the gang heard about Ren getting a painting of himself in the Hall of Fame, everyone was congratulating him on such an achievement. Especially Nora who started singing his praises. Literally.
On the next day, JNP and Oscar went to Garfront to get their reward. Something that Nora complained about. Rightfully so in everyone else's opinion. Even Otohime agreed it was tedious. Speaking of Otohime, she and Ren of course stayed behind so that Ren could be immortalized in a painting.
Ren was now truly regretting this. He felt like the artist was treating him like a prop of some kind with some of the insane poses he had to try before the enthusiastic painter settled for Ren holding Otohime's active cannon while facing an imaginary enemy. Otohime herself stood to the side maintaining the affinity link.
"...It feels wrong that you aren't in this portrait with me," Ren commented without facing his Blade. The artist threw a fit when he sneezed not too long ago.
"How kind of you." Otohime said with a smile, "But the portrait of me at the back is more than sufficient for me." Indeed, at the very back of the hall where the portraits of Otohime's greatest Drivers began was a portrait of the Imperial Mother herself. Wielding her very cannon with a piercing look in her eyes and Uraya's bioluminescent trees in the background. There were also leaves falling behind her as the wind blew them horizontally, along with particles of crystal sleet as well as Otohime's hair. Not to mention the slight billow of her yukata's sleeves and the white-tipped tidal wave patterns on the lower parts of her clothes seemed to paint her as a force of nature. It truly felt like the artist who painted it at the time went all out in capturing Otohime's delicate features and her imperious stance. It would be safe to say that Otohime's painting is the most magnificent of all. According to Mathra who escorted them to be painted in the Hall of Fame, that was the original portrait of Imperial Mother. Otohime had seen the copies of course, but each and every one of them was...lacking in some way compared to the original. Otohime couldn't quite figure out what it was. Not to pat herself on the back too much, but in the water Blade's own opinion the original artwork somehow captured her the best. It was as if she was looking at a long-lost memory. Judging from the copies, it seemed like whoever made the copies couldn't quite capture what the original artist was going for.
"Okay, you can move your head now." the artist in charge of painting the portrait said without looking at Ren. The artist was an older thin Urayan woman whose face was scrunched up in concentration as she moved her paintbrush carefully across the canvas. Though sometimes she did make a few rapid strokes and occasionally dip the brush into the different colors in her palette which held multitude of colors. With the permission to move his head, Ren was able to face the artist who was fully concentrated on what she was trying to paint. Almost like the woman was obsessed. Then again, painting a portrait for the Hall of Fame was a great honor. Or at least, that was the impression Ren got when the artist thanked Queen Raqura profusely for "This dream come true". Honestly, with the way the woman was solely focused on the canvas, Ren might actually believe that he didn't actually need to pose here. If she wasn't occasionally glancing at him for an occasional reference, that is.
"I must say, I never imagined that the portrait I would paint for the Hall of Fame would be of someone not from Uraya." The painter commented, never taking her eyes off of her work.
"And I never imagined that I would have a portrait made of me at all," Ren said awkwardly.
"I doubt someone who didn't understand the significance could grasp the importance of this." The painter said matter of factly.
"No, no. I do understand. It's just... I'm not sure I'm worthy," Ren said.
"Well, her highness seems to believe you are, and that's good enough for me." The artist said before taking a step back and surveying her work, "Although I would have preferred someone more...impressive looking."
"Is the painting, ready?" Ren asked turning his body towards the painter, ignoring the slight jab.
"No moving!" The artist snapped, causing Ren to stiffen back into the pose like a child that was caught misbehaving. Otohime quirked an eyebrow ever so slightly as the painter scowled. "Something is missing... Ahha!" and then the Urayan started dipping her brush into the colors again and started making strokes all over the canvas, making both Ren and Otohime wonder what she was doing. "A little bit here... A little bit there... Maybe one or two...no, actually. Here is better." the artist commented as she made more quick strokes or jabs at the canvas. Then she stopped and began to survey her work.
"Is the painting finished now?" Otohime asked out of curiosity.
"Stay still." The artist said as she looked between the painting and Ren. Her gaze kept shifting between Ren and the painting until she dropped all her equipment. Which caused Ren and Otohime to both look worried at the artist who looked like she wanted to cry. "I... I did it... I painted a portrait for the Hall of Fame." The woman let tears of what the two can only guess were of happiness. "I can now die happy." the woman said as she marveled at her masterpiece. Ren and Otohime took that as their cue to go and check the final product.
"Oh." Otohime covered her mouth with both hands while Ren's cheeks started to develop a red hue. The painting was indeed of Ren, having his feet planted to the ground, Otohime's cannon ready to fire at whatever he was gazing at with a determined look. His hair and coat tails sweeping backwards in what they guessed was the wind. The sky was painted orange with the setting sun... or is it the rising sun? The two were not sure. There were also cherry blossom petals scattering in the wind, some having landed on Ren's hair. All in all, the portrait made Ren look far more heroic than the boy probably thought he deserved. Otohime then let out a small chuckle.
"What?" Ren asked, feeling embarrassed and flattered by the artist's interpretation of him.
"I simply thought that..." Otohime resisted a giggle, "Never mind, you need to take a picture."
"A picture?" The artist said, drying her tears.
"I would be asking for copies, but I doubt even you could recreate something like this." Otohime said with a smile as she moved to stroke Ren's head proudly, "Besides, it will be easier for us to have such a masterpiece in... what was the expression? Digital form."
"...I would rather not," Ren said, now wondering why he allowed himself to be talked into this.
"Come now, Ren. A wonderful piece of art such as this should not be confined." Otohime said with a kind smile. "More importantly, Tora is most likely working on our way back to Remnant. Who knows when the next chance to admire this will come?"
Ren looked to Otohime and tried to say firmly no, but the small frown and faint shimmer in Otohime's eyes broke his resolve. "...Alright then." Ren sighed before taking his Scroll out and taking a quick picture of the painting. "Is this good enough?" Ren asked as he showed the picture.
Otohime scowled as it was clear that Ren wasn't even trying. "Unacceptable." Otohime then snatched the Scroll before using the camera herself. Unlike Ren, she took her time to get a perfect picture of the portrait. Finally, Ren heard the familiar click of the Scroll's camera go off and Otohime's face was adorned with a satisfied smile, "Excellent."
"...I didn't know those cameras had become that good?" The artist said, looking over Otohime's shoulder at the picture of the portrait.
"This is a special one," Ren said simply. While them not being from Alrest is an open secret at this point, that doesn't mean they have to draw more attention than necessary.
"I see... I wonder if I could visit this 'Remnant'. I'm sure I could get some inspiration from there." The Urayan woman said with a dreamy look.
"Remnant has its beauty sure, but we can't enjoy those freely because of the monsters there." Ren rained on the woman's parade.
"Bah. We have our own monsters; how dangerous can they be?" The woman said dismissively.
"The monsters of Alrest aren't actively hunting humans. Ours are, and they won't stop until every single human is dead. The only reason we have survived is because our major kingdoms are founded in areas with natural defenses." Ren explained. Though he did leave out the fact that so far, monsters from Alrest have proven themselves stronger than the Grimm. Part of him hoped that the Alrestian monsters that have appeared on Remnant multiply enough that they can wipe out the Grimm. But then again, who's to say that they won't cause problems for Remnans too in the long run. After all, the giant Arachno that team RWBY killed might have eaten a village if left alone. Not to mention those Gogols put up a good fight against a Grimm horde. Then again, without team RWBY's help even those Alrestian monsters might have been overwhelmed. Ren briefly wondered what other monsters from Alrest might have appeared in other continents. The fact that they didn't see any on their trip across Anima doesn't mean there aren't any.
"Okay, that does sound a little scary," the Urayan artist admitted. "At least our monsters don't try to attack our cities constantly."
At that moment, Raqura entered the hall with Mathra in tow. "Pardon the interruption, but I was wondering about the progress on the painting."
Instantly, the artist shuffled to bow deeply for the Queen, "Yes, your majesty! The painting is finished, but I would recommend waiting a few hours before the framing."
Raqura gave a nod of acknowledgment before checking the painting herself. "...It is...beautiful." The Queen said almost sadly before looking to the wall that had the portrait of Murak. The Queen then returned her attention to the artist, "You have more than earned your payment for this."
"Having the honor of painting for the Hall of Fame is its own reward." The artist said happily.
"I see. Even so, I believe even a great artist needs to eat." Raqura said with a hint of humor, "Your payment will be arranged before you leave. In the meantime, I would like to have a word with our newest addition to the Hall of Fame."
"Of course, your highness." The artist said before exiting the hall with a spring in her steps.
"Mathra, that includes you," Raqura said, earning a surprised look from the female member of Urayan Three.
"Your highness, with all due respect-" "I would also like Otohime to allow us a moment of privacy." Raqura continued, ignoring Mathra.
"Oh? And why is that?" Otohime asked in turn.
"A simple exchange of words." Raqura replied back.
"I'm afraid, I must-" "Otohime." Ren interrupted, "There is... something I would also like to talk to the queen about in private. Can you let me have that?"
The water Blade looked surprised to hear that. Then she glanced between Ren and Raqura. "Very well. I shall leave you to it." With those words, Otohime looked to Mathra expectantly.
"Are you sure, your highness?" Mathra asked.
"Quite," Raqura said simply.
Mathra bowed, "Then I will wait outside, alongside the Imperial Mother." With those words said, Mathra and Otohime moved out of the hall.
Once the two had exited, Ren gave his full attention to Raqura, "So what did you wish to talk about?"
"Do you know why I asked you to have a portrait of you painted?" Raqura asked.
Ren looked surprised at the question, "You...wanted to reward me for my service to Uraya?"
"That is part of the reason, but there is more." Raqura said before glancing at all the other portraits, "Now that our Titan among others has joined with the new land, a new age is dawning. A portrait of someone not of Uraya marks the first of many changes that must occur eventually."
"I see." Ren lied a little, "But what does that have to do with me?"
"...In Uraya, you might have noticed that Blades are mostly seen as tools," Raqura said, "Otohime being the only exception. Perhaps it's time we changed this mindset. I believe you may have seen a very small change already."
Ren tried to think of anything that would indicate a small change. Then he remembered Voluq conversing with his Blade on the night they accepted this job. "What about Mathra or Rhota?"
"Mathra has gone out with her Blade to enjoy herself. And from what I have seen, the two have become somewhat closer. As for Rhota..." The Queen chuckled a little, "I think his Blade has been a good temper for his zeal."
"Really?" Ren asked, not having noticed the more zealous Urayans to be any different.
"It's the small things. Regardless, the seeds of change have been sown. And now we wait to see what will come of them." Raqura said with a small smile, "On that note, how are you planning to keep your word if you return to your home?"
"Well... once we're back in Remnant, we believe we have something that can allow us to return here," Ren said, not wanting to reveal too much.
"Believe? So, you are not certain?" Raqura said with a frown.
"...No, but a friend of ours who knows about this is very confident about it working. Besides, we have certainty of its working in a little over 20 years at the latest." Ren explained.
"20 years?" Raqura looked a little discouraged, "That's a long time."
"I know, but... you have spent 30 years without Otohime, I'm sure you can manage a while longer," Ren said though he did look a little guilty. "Your highness, can Otohime force Blades to revert to their Cores?"
Raqura looked bemused at the question, "Of course not. Why do you ask?"
"...Otohime threatened to shut down an enemy Blade's Core Crystal so we could retrieve the Jeweled Signet. She seemed so... ruthless." Ren explained.
"I am hardly surprised," Raqura said, causing Ren's heart to clench a little, "After all, she threatened to destroy herself if we didn't allow you to leave." Raqura studied the boy who began to look a little fearful, "But that's not the point is it?"
"I just... with the way she was able to torture someone. That alone was...terrifying." Ren then made eye contact again, " How can I be sure when she is actually bluffing and when is she serious?"
"The truth is that you cannot." Raqura stated matter of factly, "But of one thing you can be certain of, Otohime knows when to use extreme methods and when to when to withhold them."
"Is that all?" Ren asked, not sure if he felt better.
"Well, that and that she wishes no harm on her Driver," Raqura added. "Can you trust that?"
"...I don't know," Ren said still having doubts. Then to the boy's shock, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Even more shocking was that it belonged to the Queen.
"Think back. Has Otohime done anything that you felt went against what you truly wanted?" Raqura asked in a motherly tone.
"I... Well... There was a time when she...didn't approve of certain people around me." Ren admitted, still not fully understanding what was going on.
"Was? Does that mean she approves of them now?" Raqura asked again.
"Well... she hasn't tried to talk me out of never seeing them again," Ren admitted.
"There you have it," Raqura said, taking her hand off of Ren's shoulder. "She must have realized that these people are good for you one way or another."
"...Maybe," Ren said, now thinking about everything Otohime has done up until now. From trying to help Jaune to her little performance with Electra at the ball, to her attempts at getting him to open up about his past. And most importantly, how she gave up on trying to have him not associate himself with Nora. Though Ren would still be happier if Otohime stopped wasting her time trying to lecture the girl. Still given their recent talk that seemed to leave Nora happy and Otohime...not angry seemed to have indicated some progress. "No, I think you're right. Otohime would never hurt me." Ren said, sounding sure of himself this time. "Thank you, your highness." Ren then bowed deeply to the Queen.
"It is quite alright. Now, I believe we have let our guardians wait for us long enough." Raqura then said with a meaningful look.
"Yes, I believe we have." Ren agreed. With that exchange, the two moved towards the doors.
Outside the Hall, Mathra was pacing a little. If Mathra's male Blade didn't have the glowing blue eyes that were normal for common Blades, everyone could tell that he was tracking her movements. Meanwhile, Otohime stood against the wall opposite the doors arms crossed inside her sleeves and eyes closed. The male Blade had also noticed that every time Mathra paced past Otohime's right, the head tendril on the right would arch higher, and when Mathra would then pace past Otohime's left, the right tendril would lower back down while the left one would then arch higher. This process kept repeating itself for a while in an almost hypnotic pattern
"Mathra, do you have to pace like that?" the male Blade finally asked in an attempt to break the spell.
"Oh, shut it. I'm supposed to be the Queen's Guard today and I'm not doing my job right now." Mathra complained, "I mean, I trust the boy not to try anything, but... It's the principle. No offense." The last part was directed to Otohime who opened one eye with a small mischievous smile.
"None taken. After all, I do have the same principles of my charge." Otohime said as she opened her other eye too.
"Charge?" Mathra repeated the wording, "You mean, as in... a ward?"
"I suppose that is one word." Otohime said non-chalantly.
"...You know he's not a small child, right?" Mathra had to ask.
"Of course not, though part of me wishes he had awakened me when he was." Otohime said with a longing look, "Oh how cute he must have looked. But alas, I must settle for giving him wings."
"Wings?" Mathra questioned, thinking this Blade was spouting nonsense.
Otohime looked at Mathra like she claimed the floor to be made of rock candy, "Have you never heard of a parent's real purpose? To give their children roots and wings."
"What does that mean?" Mathra asked, causing Otohime to hide her face with one hand.
"Uhh... Mathra," the male Blade said carefully, "It's a metaphor. By giving their children wings, they are giving them confidence and strength to go out into the world. And by giving them roots, they are giving them a place to return to, even when they form families of their own."
"I-I knew that!" Mathra stammered through a dusting of red on her cheeks.
"Sorry about Mathra, she has zero interest in poetry." the male Blade then apologized to Otohime.
"Kirim, shut it!" Mathra commanded in embarrassment.
The male Blade, now named Kirim made a zipping motion across his mouth. At that moment the doors were opened by Ren who then motioned Raqura to exit.
"Thank you, young man," Raqura said in mild amusement as she walked out. Though she then quirked an eyebrow ever so slightly at the flustered-looking Mathra. "...Were we interrupting something?"
"No, your highness. Not at all." Mathra said hastily, stiffening into attention while Kirim did the same.
"I see," Raqura said while eyeing Otohime. The Imperial Mother allowed a small upturn of her lips, which was enough for Raqura to deduce that the water Blade somehow managed to have fun at the current bodyguard's expense. Raqura then turned towards Ren, "Would you like someone to show you out?"
"No thank you. Otohime and I know the way by now." Ren politely declined, "Come along Otohime." Ren then said, walking away without even waiting for an answer.
Otohime quirked an eyebrow at this before giving the Queen a respectful bow and following her Driver.
Now it was Mathra's turn to look confused, "Your highness, it may not be my place to ask, but did I miss something?"
"Nothing important, Mathra. Nothing important." Raqura said with a small smile. The Queen herself wasn't sure why she helped so much with the boy's insecurities about Otohime. But then she internally scoffed. She knew exactly why she did it. Ren reminded Raqura of herself when she was still a little princess, and her father had no time for her due to the negotiations with Mor Ardain at the time. Raqura didn't fully understand what was going on at the time, so she thought her father not seeing her at all was because she did something wrong. "Just between us, the only thing he talks about when no one else is hearing is how he misses you." These were the words that allowed Raqura to persevere until the negotiations were complete. Looking back, Otohime probably did it because she didn't want her Driver's precious daughter to hate her father. Still considering how much Murak doted on Raqura after the successful negotiations, the then princess had no reason not to believe that her father still loved her.
Once Ren and Otohime exited the palace, Otohime finally decided to break the silence. "You seem to be much more...cheerful than a few moments ago. Did you and Queen Raqura have a pleasant talk?"
"You could say that," Ren said as they walked towards the docks to the boat they came in. That's where they planned to meet the others once they returned with the reward.
"Was it the kind of conversation you could share?" Otohime asked with a meaningful tone.
"No." Ren said as they were walking down the stairs that lead to the docks. But suddenly, Ren stopped and turned around to face Otohime who had been walking a little behind until now. "Otohime."
"What is it?" Otohime asked, looking concerned now, and because she was on the upper steps, she was towering over Ren. Ren didn't speak, just lunged in, and hugged the woman. Otohime looked incredulous at being hugged by Ren who managed to hook his arms under the water Blade's own. "Ren?" Otohime said in confusion, but the boy didn't answer, just tightened the hug ever so slightly. In the end, Otohime sighed before wrapping her own arms gently around Ren, like a mother hugging her child. Ren didn't stay too long before breaking the hug, much to his Blade's minor chagrin. "What was that about?" Otohime asked, "You do not usually show affection like this. Least of all towards me."
"I don't know... Maybe I just... Never mind." Ren turned away from Otohime before speed walking down the rest of the steps, his cheeks having gained a faint pink hue. Honestly, the boy wasn't entirely sure what he was thinking when he hugged his Blade.
As for Otohime, she decided to just shake her head lightly and follow. Honestly, there was only one person Otohime could think of blaming for Ren acting strange, but it wasn't exactly fair to blame someone who hasn't even been in the same city since this morning. Not that she would have minded if the girl actually had something to do with this for once. Otohime allowed herself to chuckle while hiding her mouth with her sleeve at the thought as she followed her embarrassed Driver.
AN: There we go, Ren is finally convinced that Otohime isn't a monster. And yeah, Otohime can seal Blades, but she's not so OP as to force a Blade to revert to their Cores. Part of me wonders if I maybe stretched a little with Ren actually hugging Otohime, since that's not what he normally does to anyone. But I figured this time would be an exception that the water Blade would revel in.
Are you guys looking forward to Nora's reaction on Ren's portrait? Because I have a few ideas on how that will go :). And what did you think of Raqura's thoughts?