Chapter 3 – Revelations
A heavy silence fell upon the two ladies, no sooner had Ivy finished talking. Lumera glanced away and downward, the frown still on her face. For a moment neither spoke, but then…
"So," Lumera began, "it did come to pass after all."
Her voice was barely more than a whisper, but their proximity meant Ivy heard it all the same. It puzzled her, for she had not expected that reaction.
She knew it was going to happen?
Before she could do anything, however, Lumera glanced back. Her frown was gone, but her face remained serious looking.
"Please, follow me," she said before suddenly standing back up.
She then began to walk away. Ivy was quick to comply. The two would soon leave the inner garden, walking through the castle hallways once again. Eventually they would reach another outdoors-bound doorway. This would not lead to another garden, however. Instead, a bridge laid out on the other side. It was considerably wide, and its roof loomed fairly high, held by pillars flanking the sides instead of walls. A tower awaited at the far end, only reaching not much higher than the roof of the bridge. However, it wasn't short. It was simply located at a much lower elevation from the rest of the castle. Its doorway revealed a single room contained within. They'd cross the bridge before stepping into said chamber.
Ivy would once again be amazed by what she saw. The room was large, and the first thing that caught her eyes were the raised alcoves, spread around the wall. Twelve in total, they each housed a statue.
Those are-! Her eyes widened.
Ivy stopped, before glancing around. She then found it. The second alcove to the right of the entrance. Its statue was that of a ponytailed woman, a bow held in her hand, posed as if ready to fire an arrow from it. She stared for a moment, before turning back. She saw Lumera approach the steps to a central platform, where pedestals laid out in a circle.
So, this must be the Ring Vault, Ivy realized.
To be standing in such a place…
She was quick to resume her march, to catch up with the Divine Dragon Monarch. They would soon step up onto the platform, soon passing between two of the pedestals. As she did, Ivy stopped once again, this time to glance down at them. At first glance it could've been easily missed, but right in the middle of the surface of the pedestal there was a very small indentation, rectangular in shape.
Ivy then turned over to see the other pedestal. Unlike the previous one, the indentation wasn't empty. A ring was placed within, the indentation being just the right size to house it, holding it upright. It was golden in color, with an equally golden gem adorned atop. That wasn't all, for the sides of this pedestal housed a glowing blue sigil. The other pedestal did had sigils as well, but they weren't glowing. Likely due to lacking a ring of its own. Ivy stared at the ring for a moment, before turning to face Lumera.
"Why?" Ivy asked. "Why bring me here?"
She was puzzled by such a decision. For an outsider like her to be allowed to step into the Ring Vault of all places…
"Should I have not?" Lumera replied. "Is there a reason why you should be barred from this chamber?"
'Because I'm Elusian' would've been Ivy's reply to such a question, but she found herself unable to say it. The queen's treatment toward her so far had made sure of that. Instead, she simply remained silent.
"You have yet to give me reason to distrust you," Lumera explained. "Yes, you may be Elusian, but it's your actions that have spoken more about you than your origins. Such as warning me of the Fell Dragon's return."
"You did not sound surprised earlier, Your Majesty," Ivy pointed out.
Lumera's expression saddened.
"I had yet to know, actually, but I feared it would become a reality sooner or later," she said.
"What do you mean?" Ivy asked.
"The binding of the Fell Dragon… I had felt it become weaker. It has been for a long time now. The power of the Emblems may be vast, but it seems even sealing him away was but a temporal solution."
"But the thousand years since then have almost passed, haven't they?" Ivy said.
"My, you're quite well versed on the matter," Lumera gave a small smile. "Yes, once the time was proper, I had intended to gather the Emblems to renew the seal."
Her smile was then gone.
"Alas, it seems it was too late, for the Fell Dragon broke out of the seal first."
"No."
"Eh?" Lumera's eyes widened, astonished. "Pardon?"
"His liberation was not by his own hand," Ivy clarified. "It was… Elusia itself, who did the deed."
Lumera now stared with shock.
"Elusia did… how!?"
Ivy had to admit it was a weird sight to see the Divine Dragon Monarch lose her composure so. Regardless, she steeled herself.
"Before I begin, there is something I must confess," Ivy said. "The things I know; they wouldn't have been possible if not for the position I hold back in Elusia."
"Is that so?" Lumera went pensive. "I must admit, even if I hadn't read the captain's report, I would've thought you to be a blue blood either way."
"That's certainly accurate," Ivy said. "But I'm no mere noble. The truth is-"
She took a deep breath.
"I am Elusia's First Princess, Heir to its throne."
Silence fell upon the chamber. Lumera only stared at her, seemingly stunned.
"Elusia's Crown Princess? So that means…"
"Yes," Ivy nodded, "I am a descendant of the Queen Ivy you once knew."
She then brought her hands to her chest, her gaze shifting slightly downwards.
"I apologize if this was not the best circumstances to have met."
"It's fine, there's nothing to apologize for," Lumera was quick to say. "What matters is that we have met."
She would then frown, however.
"But then, for the Crown Princess of all people to have warned me of the Fell Dragon's return…"
"Yes, I know it may sound strange," Ivy glanced back up. "There is a reason for that, as you may have seen already from that report."
"I will admit I am curious how that came to be," Lumera said. "But perhaps that should be the subject of another time."
"Yes, that would be for the best," Ivy nodded. "Now, returning to the subject of the Fell Dragon, Your Majesty-"
"Please, I feel by now we can refer to each other with a bit more familiarity than that," Lumera suddenly interrupted, a smile back on her face.
Ivy looked a little surprised, but then nodded.
"Thank you, Queen Lumera. As I was saying, it all begun some weeks ago…"
King Hyacinth sat at his throne. Ivy stood nearby, flanked by her retainers who were a step behind. At the base of the steps leading up the king was a group composed of five people. At the forefront was a woman.
"Honorable Sage King Hyacinth, I thank you for granting us an audience," she said, making a small bow with a hand to her chest.
"What business do you have with Elusia?" Hyacinth asked.
"Allow me to introduce ourselves. I am Zephia, a Mage Dragon. A thousand years ago, I served Lord Sombron."
Small murmurs began to be whispered by those present. Even Hyacinth frowned.
"Lord Sombron? You served under him?"
"That's correct," the woman, Zephia, nodded. "I apologize if only now I have come here, but recent events deemed the time was right. Case in point-"
She then gestured towards one of the figures behind her, who stepped forward to be right behind her if to the side. She too was female, but compared to Zephia she was considerably shorter, as well as being mostly covered with a hooded cloak, concealing most of her face.
"I present to you, Lady Veyle," Zephia said.
At this the other woman removed her hood. The face of a young girl was then revealed. She had a smirk on her face, as she gazed over with deep red eyes.
"Lord Sombron's daughter."
Gasps were heard, as everyone present looked over with surprise and shock. Hyacinth quickly stood up.
"Lord Sombron's… daughter?" He repeated, as if not believing it.
Any skepticism that may have arisen quickly died down. It was clear the girl exuded some sort of aura. One that seemed to prove without a doubt the claim was, indeed, true. Ivy couldn't help but feel unease. There was something… off with her, beyond just her being a Fell Dragon, she could tell.
In any case, Hyacinth quickly knelt down, head bowing.
"Milady, it's an honor to be graced with your presence."
Just about everyone else in the room did the same, kneeling down in reverence. Ivy did not. She simply stared, still in shock from the announcement. Though at the same time, she couldn't help but have a foreboding feeling. That things were soon to change, and not for the better.
"King Hyacinth," Veyle suddenly said, with a deep voice that seemed to betray her young appearance. "We have come here because we are in need of your help."
Hyacinth quickly gazed back up.
"Our help?" His surprise suddenly gave way to eagerness. "Of course, Milady. For what can we be of service to Lord Sombron's daughter?"
"My my, so quickly to please," Zephia smirked, a hand to her chin. "It's good to see even now the loyalty to our Lord and his family remains alive and well."
Ivy could only stare at her father in disbelief.
Father, do you so quickly bend the knee to her?
For her part, Veyle looked quite pleased.
"What we seek," she answered, "is the liberation of my Father."
"Zephia…" Lumera gazed down with a small frown. "I never thought I'd hear about her again."
"You have met?" Ivy asked, slightly surprised.
"We crossed swords during the war," Lumera replied, glancing back up. "After Sombron got sealed away, she disappeared. I had hoped that would be the end of it… but it seems she had been seeking to bring him back after all this time."
Lumera's frown then deepened.
"And then this Veyle. To think there would be another-"
Suddenly Lumera cut herself off and shook her head. Ivy tilted her head slightly in confusion.
"Another?" She asked.
"Another Fell Dragon," Lumera was quick to say. "You may or may not know, but Sombron had many children back then. Despite so, he never saw them as much more than pawns to do his bidding."
Lumera now switched to a glare.
"Expendable. Beneath his care. To throw away at his pointless war regardless of what happened to them. To think a parent would be like that to their own children…"
Her gaze lowered as her fists clenched.
"It's unforgiveable!"
Though not aimed at her, nonetheless Ivy felt intimidated by the glare. To see the Divine Dragon Monarch like that… a sight that only her foes had seen. For her part, Lumera closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her features relaxing and her anger subsiding.
"Ah, forgive me," she said, eyes back open and staring at Ivy once more. "Even now it still pains me, to be reminded of the kind of individual Sombron was."
Ivy remained silent, not daring to speak. Instead, she began to think about her own parents. While her father had been a kind and caring individual to her and her sister, her mother… had been anything but.
Though then, even her actions had been for my benefit in the end, Ivy had to concede.
Not that her opinion towards her own mother was much positive regardless, but from what she just heard, she was still leagues above what the Fell Dragon had done.
"And now that he's once more among us, history will be repeating itself," Lumera said, snapping Ivy back to attention.
"There may still be time, however," the princess said. "Being sealed away for a thousand years still took their toll. He may be back, but he's weak."
"Weak, you say?" Lumera looked on with curiosity.
"Very much so," Ivy nodded. "To the point he's currently bedridden."
Lumera went pensive.
"So there is still time," she said. "The Emblem Rings must be gathered with haste. We must not let this opportunity go to waste."
"There is more, however" Ivy continued. "Even now a ritual is being prepared. One through which my father and that woman, Zephia, intend to restore Sombron's power."
"Restore his…" Lumera frowned, but then quickly her eyes widened in surprise. "You don't mean-!?"
"Yes, they intend to use Sovereign Blood," Ivy nodded. "That of King Morion's, to be more exact."
"I see…" Lumera brought a hand to her chin. "Yes, that would make most sense. He must be warned. The other monarchs too, for that matter."
"I'm afraid I left before knowing the full extent of the plan," Ivy admitted. "But yes, I wouldn't put it past them to try to make use of Queens Ève or Seforia instead. Still, they wouldn't be the only targets."
"Yes, the Emblems," Lumera spared a brief glance at the pedestals. "Sombron will try to gather them all, just like he tried last time."
She then nodded.
"Then it's decided. Messengers must be sent out, as well as reinforce the defenses here. We can't rule out for even Lythos to be attacked at this point in time."
"That's certainly wise," Ivy nodded in agreement.
"Yes, and as such we-"
However, Lumera suddenly stopped, as a shocked expression showed up on her face. She slowly turned her gaze upwards and to the side, staring off as if looking beyond the walls of the Ring Vault.
"Queen Lumera?" Ivy asked, a bit worried for the sudden shift in behavior.
"He has awakened."
"Huh? He?" The princess stared in confusion for a bit, before it hit her.
She gasped, as she too turned to face in the same direction as the Divine Dragon Monarch.
"Yes. Alear, my child," Lumera said, her gaze unmoving. "His slumber… is finally over."
Author's Note: When I first wrote Different Course of Fate, I had not realized then, but I actually got a few details wrong. Sure, the one-shot was already meant to be AU, but those were not things meant to be different. Suffice to say, I'll try to correct that for this version. At least those meant to happen before the diverging point.