The next day
Shadow's POV
"... And that concludes the report of the events that transpired last night." Bunsen finishes the report given to the Throne's Aide, not unlike the Harmekian Council, but with less overall power. Given the dire nature of last night's event, a full meeting has been convened.
Prime Minister Kalim, as well as Chief Auron Eaglecrown and Matron Kantarra Argenfeather arrived just this morning, and are also present. Their expressions are grim, and occasionally one of them glances over to Dervix with a look of contempt. Foreign Minister Seul is also present.
I'm unable to tell who is more pale, Dervix or Seul. The experience yesterday certainly took a toll on poor Seul.
"Third Crown Prince Argon Amberroux will be put to trial, his name struck from the royal records. His co-conspirators, Antellion Gladeswell and Stagnian Harrowfang, are unfit to stand trial. Wasperin Keelswell was killed at some point during the event, we don't know by who." Bunsen summarizes.
He then gives a glance towards Dervix, who nods before getting up. He takes a shaky breath before beginning to speak. "I'm sure you all have realized, that what happened last night is my fault. It was I who created the Control Diadem." An angry murmur sweeps through the room, but is quickly hushed.
"My intention with its creation was always that it'd be a last resort, if the Great Monarch ever became hostile towards the Kingdom for any reason. I realize now that my own selfish desires clouded my view of the Monarch, who always acted in good faith with me and any other humanoids she ever met. The Control Diadem was an overblown reaction to a problem that would most likely never happen." He pauses, gathering his thoughts once again.
"It is clear to me, and to the other nations, that I am not fit to be your ruler any longer. However, my chosen successor is not yet of age, and our Kingdom is in the middle of a delicate political situation, hence the presence of the leaders of our neighboring nations." A quiet mumbling, once again quickly hushed.
"I will remain as Acting King until the time that my successor is of age, and ready to take the throne. Once they are ready, I will abdicate willingly. Does any of the Throne's Aide have any objections to this?" He sweeps his gaze over the twelve or so people that constitute the Throne's Aide, his face pale and damp with cold sweat.
There's a long quiet, a sign that there are no objections. If anything, Dervix should be grateful that other than this massive mistake, he's ruled fairly and to the benefit of the Kingdom. If not, I suspect he'd be ousted immediately.
"I thank you for your trust in me." In an outstandingly rare move, he bows to the people present. Many are nodding in satisfaction, if he hadn't been humble, people might raise complaints afterwards, or become difficult to work with for him.
"What of the Control Diadem?" One person asks.
"The Monarch took it apart, then ate the components to ensure there wouldn't be any possibility of reassembling it. Do not worry, it is completely eliminated." Bunsen responds as Dervix sits back down.
Bunsen looks over the people gathered in the room before announcing the end of meeting. I catch a few snippets of conversation as people file out of the room.
"I'm sure they know who killed Wasperin. I mean, the throne room was barricaded-"
"Not here. Meet me later."
"Unfit to stand trial? And Argon is? Something's up with that."
"I think the Monarch had to do with it. After all, why else would Argon willingly remove the Diadem?"
"I hope Actvi recovers soon. It just feels wrong when he isn't by the King's side, with that little monster on his head."
"I hear Argon did a number on him... Curse that prat."
I watch as the last person leaves, and it's just me, the King, the others leaders and Bunsen left. There's an awkward silence as the four others glare at Dervix.
Just as I'm considering speaking, Prime Minister Kalim speaks. "I want the truth about your relation to the Great Monarch. It's clear to us that if your claims were true before, you'd have no reason to create the Control Diadem." His voice is calm but stern.
Dervix is squirming internally, much to my delight. Good, little worm, feel the consequences of your actions. He takes a deep breath before explaining.
"The Great Monarch was never tamed by me. She isn't even Named by me. By virtue of being the ruler of the Kingdom she was born closest to, I was able to leverage her good nature and desire to cooperate with humanoids to the benefit of the Kingdom." He pauses a moment before continuing.
"I'm sure she'd be in a similar position with your nations if she was born close to or within them, sans the Control Diadem of course." He glances over to me, and I nod in agreement. No matter which nation I would find myself in, I'd strive to be on good terms with it.
"Because of my flawed understanding of Millibelle as a... person... I believed there was a chance she might become aggressive towards my Kingdom, unprovoked. The Control Diadem, the culmination of several generations of my family gathering and hiding away All-War-era literature, was my own decision to make." He almost flinches as the contempt issuing from the four other leaders reach a fever pitch.
"Y-you misunderstand me! The parts of the collection that comprises taboo knowledge like that is but a minuscule fraction. The vast majority of it is contemporary literature like encyclopedias and historical records." He throws up his hands as if to shield himself from the others.
"Of the three hundred or so records, only a hundred of them are complete, and of them, there are only two complete schematics for items used in the war itself. One is the Control Diadem, the other the Magic Extractor." I hesitate for a moment, Magic Extractor? Like the one Millibelle was put in, way back then?
Things click into place. That's how he got his hands on the main component, a Magic Gem made from the magic of the monster intended to be controlled. My mind flashes back to that rainbow brilliant-cut gem in the place of honor next to the Tear of Ashala.
Dervix gives a shrewd look to Prime Minister Kalim. "How is your daughter, by the way? I hope the device I gave to you was of help."
I scan Dervix's memories. Kalim's daughter was born with malformed Arcanovascular Vents, meaning her body couldn't expel excess Magic on its own. The fate for those in that situation is usually a mercy killing, considering they eventually just explode from the buildup of Magic in their bodies.
Dervix gifted a Magic Extractor to Kalim in order to treat his daughter, much like one would give dialysis to someone with bad kidneys.
Kalim's face flashes between several different emotions before arriving at anger. "Don't you dare." He hisses.
"Now, now, gentlemen. Let's not sour the diplomatic relations between your nations, hmm?" I cut in, perhaps rudely, but I can't allow Dervix's pettiness to put our plans in danger.
"If I may ask, who are you? And why are you here? This is meant to be a closed meeting between the leaders and the Monarch." Matron Kantarra Argenfeather asks, her voice chiding. Seul glances from her to me, who's in my humanoid form.
I take a step back, as to leave room for my true form, before returning to it. The three leaders not in the know stifle gasps as they realize just who I am. "I am the Great Monarch, Millibelle. It is a pleasure to meet you all. I prefer the form of a humanoid when mingling with them, I find it makes people more eager to speak their true mind about me."
I take great delight in the expressions on their faces. "I'm sure you can understand why I was in that form during the announcement." They nod, a slight tinge of fear in their eyes. They're looking at the beast that just last night killed seven people like it was nothing, and so severely traumatized the Royal Defender that he's still bedridden.
The mood is broken as a knock at the door is heard. A short figure peeks into the room. "Ah- Um. You never showed up in the throne room, so I came looking for you..." Their voice is garbled, their features hidden by an oversized hood and cape. A Garbling Mask?
"I apologize. We were just a bit... caught up in discussing the last night's events. Please, everyone, let's not keep them waiting." Dervix gestures for us to follow. I return to my humanoid form before following the others.
Once we get to the throne room, the door is securely locked, and a soundproofing enchantment is activated, causing the entirety of the walls to light up in a lattice of interconnected runes. Dervix stands next to the mysterious person, taking stock of the people present before beginning to speak.
"This is my chosen successor, Maybel." He gives Maybel a sign, and she removes the Garbling Mask. Because of the effect of the Mask, it's impossible to identify any characteristics of the wearer, but now that it's removed, I see that she's rather short. I'd estimate her height at somewhere between hundred-and-fifty and hundred-and-sixty centimetres (~4'11 - 5'2~).
Her hair looks to be solid black, but when she moves, the sunlight hits it, and reveals it is instead a deep, nearly black, purple. Oddly, her face looks Asian.
*Accessing records... Maybel's father descends directly from the Hero who accidentally brought Eastern Spirits to this World through his Dream. As a Summoned Hero, he would have kept his genetic makeup and been able to pass it along to any children he might have fathered in his time in this World. This is the main theory as to why humans from Feyloche carry features not seen elsewhere on the continent, as well as the prevalence of Eastern Spirits in that nation.*
Oho, mister Otherworlder got around, huh?
"She will come of age in one year, at which time I will abdicate and she will ascend the throne. I'm telling you this as an insurance." Dervix glances towards Chief Auron and Matron Kantarra. They both nod, seeming to be experienced in the art of securing the rightful heir's legitimacy.
"What do you mean?" Kalim asks, getting looks from the other leaders. Even Seul, although his nation is now a democracy, is familiar with the intrigues and backstabbing that might take place over who is to inherit the throne.
Dervix sighs. "I want you to know who the rightful heir is, even though there is a need to keep it secret from everyone else. Being named Successor puts Maybel in direct danger of all sorts of schemes, up to and including assassination attempts by disgruntled relatives."
"Among my nieces and nephews, three fit the criteria of coming of age in a year, so as long as it isn't known which of the three are the true heir, her safety should be assured." He sighs, clearly tired.
"I see. You wish us to know so that if you're unable to confirm the true heir, we can." Kalim seems to understand, although I can tell he's baffled by the odd intricacies of succession. Dervix nods in response.
"She'll be attending the talks tomorrow, in disguise. Please do not let her identity slip." The Parshuran King then bows to the others. It is a great act of trust towards the others, but I can tell that Dervix is counting on me to enforce the truth, should the others get any ideas.
Auron looks around, seeming to be eyeing the cupboard by the table and recliners especially. "I'm awfully thirsty after all that seriousness, what say you we relax a bit before all the stiffness of tomorrow?"
Later that day
I'm standing in front of the door to Actvi's room. Taking a deep breath, I knock.
No response. I try the handle, it's open. No-one in sight... good. I slip into his room.
Actvi is laying on the bed, his eyes closed, though I can tell with Telepathy that he's awake and aware of my presence. I quietly close the door behind me before approaching the bedside.
As I come closer, I can sense his breath becoming more rapid, his muscles tensing. His feigned sleep gives way to a deep fear. A fear of me and Millibelle. Of death? Maybe.
"H-Here to finish the job?" He whispers, a tremble in his voice as I stand over his lying figure.
"I'm here to check on you. Dervix claims you're still in pain even though I healed you. He's worried about you." I speak softly, activating Serene Presence in order to calm him down. Actvi's eyes dilate, becoming big and wet with tears as anxiety leaves his body. I scan his body for any abnormalities.
*Scan complete. Due to Miracure, physical condition is perfect, even improved due to complete healing of old injuries and removal of scar-tissue. No signs of Life Poisoning detected. There is a high probability that pain is psychosomatic due to the trauma of last night's events.*
"Where does it hurt?" I ask, ignoring the snuggle-sick Argos Eye that's dangerously close to entangling themself in my hair. Actvi hesitates a moment, his pupils contracting as he focuses.
"It's... hard to tell. It's just this... indistinct pain, discomfort. And sometimes, when I think back to then... My chest tightens and this nauseating... energy rushes through my body. I don't even remember that much." His words are fumbling, unfocused. I'm unsure if it's due to him being unfamiliar with this sensation, or it's Serene Presence sending him for a ride.
"What do you remember? I know it's difficult, but if there's anything I can do to help..." I trail off, realizing that this is more me wanting to alleviate Our own guilt of what Argon made us do to Actvi. I regret coming here.
"I remember the King running away, and then lots of shouting, and then I got hit by an attack from you and I don't remember anything else before I'm awake surrounded by the King, you and a lot of other people... I just have this intense feeling that I should be dead."
"But you're not. Argon made me heal you before you died from blood-loss. I cast Miracure on you. You're in perfect health." My voice quivers. The hate and shame I feel for having inflicted this upon him is too much. Tears start falling.
"Then why do I feel this way?! Why did my body seize with fear the moment I saw you?!" Actvi nearly shouts at me.
"Because you were hurt badly, and even though your mind might not remember, your body does. It remembers what I did to you and fears me. It remembers how badly it was hurt, and still fears that same pain might be inflicted again. I... I can't help you heal from that. Only with time might you learn to forget." My knees are weak. I turn to leave.
"I'm sorry this happened. I'll leave you alone now." I pause for a moment before the door, releasing the Argos Eye from my now tangled hair. "Please be with him, he needs you." I whisper to the little monster before leaving.