Chapter 289: The Mechanic’s Treasures
Hekate flops onto Daniel’s lap while he’s sitting up in his bed, sighing in exhaustion. She’s still wearing her ‘Sovereign’ outfit, which is a little painful for Daniel, since her boots, belt, and other adornments include various hard jewels. But, the mechanic simply grunts softly, petting her head as she decompresses. Gwenesphia is still cuddled against his side, while Baeka and Reignleif are seated on the floor nearby, feeding Clover and Gyualen respectively, while Jeavana holds Willow close to Daniel to encourage her not to try to breathe imaginary fire at him. It’s not working yet, but the golden dragon also simply enjoys the atmosphere of what’s going on around them.
Daniel states, “Good job, Sweetpea. An Empress we can all be proud of…”
“Shut up, you lazy butt…” grumbles the feldrok girl as her tail wags back and forth gently under her oversized mantle, and she rubs her face against Daniel’s abdomen. She grumbles, “Pet my tail or feel my Imperial wrath, Daniel…”
The mechanic chuckles and obliges his sovereign Empress. Hekate tried only once to trick Daniel into crossing a certain line too early. Petting her tail is no different than a platonic hug for her, at least right now. Daniel brushes her tail with his fingers, and she relaxes across his legs.
“Mukori has decided on a gift to give to Ahmpur,” states Reignleif gently.
Hekate’s ears perk up and she looks over her shoulder at the blue dragon. “Really!? I was bluffing! I’m so glad!”
Daniel chuckles, pinching the actual solid part of Hekate’s oversized fluffy tail, causing her to yelp softly and flop back down across his legs. He teases softly, “You could at least pretend you have total control over everything and make your own decisions, Sweetpea.”
“Hey! I didn’t break down or ask for your help even once today! Even Zuzia said she was proud of me!”
The mechanic teases deviously, “Zuzia wants to turn you against me.”
The feldrok empress stares at Daniel, her eyes as wide as saucers. “N-No! That’s not true! Zuzia is my big sister! She’d never betray me!”
Daniel can’t help but laugh a bit, since it’s a bit early for her to feel this way. But, she essentially decided the same thing about Daniel a few days after they met, so he’s not really one to talk.
The human does his best to maintain the joke. “She’s hoping to break the spell I have over you. But…”
“It’s not a spell!” snaps Hekate. “And, I told her, I don’t care if I’m dependent on you! But…” Hekate fidgets with her hands while she is still sprawled across Daniel’s legs. “I… I thought I did pretty good… without you. Th-That doesn’t mean I want to get rid of you! I just… I want you to be able to rely on me. Like a real adult. But, I never want to be apart from you. S-So, don’t even think of anything otherwise. I’ll kill anyone who tries to tear us apart.”
Daniel pets Hekate’s head. “I already rely on you plenty, Hekate. But, I’m proud of you for trying to handle your own responsibilities on your own. Or, at least, without me. It is a sign that you’re growing up. And, the best way to learn is a trial by fire.”
Hekate relaxes on Daniel’s lap, and Gwenesphia reaches over to pet her head as well. “I’m proud of you, too, Hekate. I think you were very fair, if not a little overly generous. But, generous is a good way to make connections, so as long as we can handle it, we might as well.”
Reignleif adds, “The statue Mukori wants to build for the Kingdom of Ahmpur should satisfy many. And, it will only use a mere bunch of copper.”
“It sounds like a colossal waste, if you ask me,” replies Baeka. “But, copper isn’t the best material for weapons or anything, so who am I to judge?”
Daniel chuckles softly, “You have no idea of the true power of a statue…” While he never had the opportunity to see her himself, Lady Liberty was a legend the world over. Part of this was the ‘lore’ that surrounds her, specifically the nature of her role as a welcoming beacon for all who wish to enter the most free land in the world, and where a very specific, intangible treasure is said to exist.
The American dream.
Daniel imagines seeing the Statue of Liberty from everything he has ever read, every movie he has ever seen, and every video game that he has played that included her in any memorable capacity. From using her presence buried in the sand to emphasize the horror of a reveal, to a ghost-fighting machine of heroic proportions, the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of the fighting spirit of the United States of America, as well as the belief in individual freedom and the ability to lift oneself up from nothing to something.
He smiles and finishes his thought, “Think of Lady Liberty like a sort of goddess. A goddess who represents the very ideas of freedom and independence, such that even other countries recognize her grace.” He closes his hand gently, continuing, “I don’t want to build a goddess, but at the very least, I want to make a symbol of something extremely important that people from all over the world can recognize. I… I hope you’ll all understand when you see it. I… never had the privilege to lay eyes on Lady Liberty, and yet… I’ve always admired the idea.”
The ladies are all quiet. Daniel rarely indicates that he misses Earth or his home country, but he often mentions ideals that come from them, which he can only try to implement for the Fievegal.
For once, Daniel seems to have a distant expression of longing, and the others aren’t sure what to say. Even Hekate cocks her head to look up at him from her position sprawled out across his legs.
“I believe you,” replies Jeavana. “I can’t say I’ve seen many statues that actually inspired feelings of awe in me, but there was one.” She smiles gently. “It wasn’t the usual titanic carving of a conqueror or some god or other.” She smiles as she envisions it. “It wasn’t very big, and it was long faded from neglect… But it was a simple mother with her child… When I needed it most, it… gave me hope.” She smirks, looking up from under her messy bangs towards Daniel. “That is, at least it got me through until my ass was conquered by Mukori of Calamity.”
Hekate’s ears perk up, and she looks directly at the devious dragon, as does everyone else.
Sensing something off, Jeavana glances at each of them, surprised, and asks, “Wh-... Huh!? N-N-No! That’s… That’s not what I… Daniel! This is your fault! You were supposed to just have sex with me!”
“How am I to blame?” asks Daniel.
Hekate growls, and the mechanic winces as he feels her hands squeezing his legs. With her feldrok strength, coupled with her mana, Hekate could likely snap his femur like a dry twig. She could probably even crush his teeth between two of her fingers.
But, she avoids causing any real harm as she grumbles at him, “You dumb… stupid… sex-havers…”
The human can only laugh at the absurdity of his plight, and Gwenesphia and Reignleif giggle as well. Baeka pets Hekate’s back in solidarity. “I agree, your Greatness. They throw it in our faces every day.”
The feisty ravenette scowls lightly at Baeka, now, since she made her own desires very well known recently.
Before she can say anything else, though, the door opens to allow excited squeals of “Daddy!” and “Papa!” to enter the room.
Geirahoel opens the door as she carries Enya in her arms, and Daniel’s first and second born daughters, Jieka and Tekten, rush through the door working in tandem to carry a tray. They exclaim together, “Daddy!”
“Walk slowly, girls!” urges Geirahoel, while Shek and Skloe enter the room with Daugli, Pomiel, Skaya, and Urba, his next four children between the two goblins, holding the younger children’s hands to visit him.
The two miniature toddlers wobble and sway back and forth as they try to work together to bring the cookies, and Daniel does his best to sit up even more. “My babies, look at you. Did you make me cookies?”
“Yeah!” cheers Jieka giddily, while Tekten tries to nod. But their uneven excitement causes Jieka to trip over her own feet, and she pitches forward. Everyone watches as if the scene plays out in slow motion.
The tray, plate, and cookies all fling through the air with Jieka’s reaction, and no one is close enough to prevent it.
The plate naturally shatters on the floor, while the silver tray clangs and clatters chaotically. Many of the cookies tumble and roll all over the floor, and the two goblin girls, stunned by their hard work vanishing so quickly, both look at the scene in horror as the dragon children and the four youngest goblin children all yelp and gasp from the loud noise.
The room fills with chaotic crying, and Hekate, Gwenesphia, and Baeka all instinctively covered their own ears from the sharpness of the sound.
Reignelief and Jeavana urgently try to calm their daughters, and Geirahoel has to angle Enya away when the startled little firebrand coughs up a small fireball that could ignite her mother’s clothes.
Hekate scrambles off of Daniel, and the mechanic instantly tries to sit up. Not knowing what to do for the children, Hekate tries to push him back down. “Wait! I’ll handle it.”
“No. Please let me up,” whispers Daniel sternly.
“Daniel…!” whispers Hekate and Gwenesphia in reply, while Baeka tries to block him as well. But, he simply says, “Please.”
The three glance at each other before reluctantly backing off, but they all stay close to him as he painstakingly climbs to his feet. Hekate says, “Daniel… Why?”
“Simple,” replies Daniel as he slowly makes his way to the eldest girls. “Mommies are Heroes for Children’s Booboos. Daddies are Heroes for children’s Fears.”
They don’t quite understand, but Daniel doesn’t need them to instantly. They’re all smart. They’ll figure it out.
The weary human drops to a knee and scoops his two daughters up into a hug, and they immediately bawl into his collar as they cling to him, apologizing through messy sobs. “Sowwy!” and “Daddy!” are barely intelligible each time sounds come out of them, but he knows what they’re worried about.
It’s not the cookies that matter to them as much as the disappointment they fear, since they finally tried to do something for Daniel, only for it to go terribly wrong.
Daniel coos, “Shh, it’s alright, girls. Daddy’s here. Daddy isn’t mad. Plates can be replaced. Just be good girls and try to learn so you don’t do it again, right?”
The girls nod in agreement, whether they understand or not, and Daniel asks quietly over their sobs into his chest, “Any cuts or scrapes on them?”
Baeka and Hekate smile in defeat as Geirahoel rushes over as well, carrying Enya herself while her usual string of Keepers follows her. Shek and Skloe try to calm the other goblin children as best as they can, and Daniel waves them over. “Bring them over here, too. All of the children.”
“Daniel?” asks Jeavana.
“I can handle a few more,” replies Daniel, managing a smile over his exhaustion and any lingering pain he might have from agitating his facial muscles.
Jieka and Tekten are alright, and the women with the other children bring them close. Daniel cuddles the goblins and dragons in close together, doing his best to bring them all in under his ‘wings’ and calm them down. Jieka and Tekten are regretful about the broken plate and cookies, of course, but the others were startled and afraid from the loud noises, as well as the sympathetic crying. Geirahoel ensures to remind him, “Enya can breathe fire, Mukori…”
“It’ll be fine,” whispers Daniel in reply, managing to catch her while he’s close and kiss her nose.
The orange dragon blushes and recoils, though she would likely pounce him in a couple of seconds if they were alone. She clears her throat and quickly moves to clean up the shards and cookies, but the Keepers and Bellphine hurriedly rush in and shoo her and the other Empresses back.
Daniel can hear certain things within the chaos of babbles and sobs, and he notices that Jieka and Tekent are stammering about him not being able to eat the cookies. At least, he’s pretty sure that’s what they’re trying to convey now.
The mechanic fearlessly reaches over and picks up one of the bigger pieces that looks like an animal’s head, and he asks, “Ooo. Is this a benki?”
Surprised, the gobling children look up at him. Jieka and Tekten are mostly conversational already, in spite of their young age thanks to goblins being precocious. Daugli and Pomiel can understand some words, and Skaya and Urba seem to be mostly just pleased to hear his voice.
Tekten manages a “Mm-hmm…” in answer to Daniel’s question, and he smiles, doing his best to pet her head.
“It’s a really good-looking benki,” replies the Mechanic. He puts a smile on as the children start to ‘absorb’ his calmness and protective energy. It helps that the ladies have all taken seats around him as the Keepers clear the debris away safely.
“T-Tekten make that one!” insists the quieter of the two girls, pointing at the rest of the cookie in Daniel’s hand. She continues sniffling as snot and tears flow rather freely from her even now.
“D-Daddy! Daddy!” Jieka speaks up next, and she sniffles and hiccups a little before adding insistently, “Jieka make that one!” Jieka points, and Daniel grunts, straining to support his own body weight and theirs, since they are a little bigger now, and he’s piled high with children at the moment. He manages to pick up Jieka’s, and he asks, “Mmm! This looks like a mantarouck, right?”
“No! It’s a windwake!”
“A wingdrake!? My goodness, I must need more education. I’m nowhere near as smart as you girls.” The mechanic grins at her, earning happy smiles at him in return. Skaya, Urba, and the dragon hatchlings stare up at him, but mostly calm down, cuddled in his lap and arms as they are.
Daniel then carefully brushes both cookies off on his shirt, and Gwenesphia asks skeptically, “Daniel… What do you think you’re…?”
The human takes a bit of Jieka’s first. It is incredibly bland and virtually flavorless, but he manages to smile.
“The girls worked so hard on these. I have to at least try them. And, I’m protected by Daddy-magic. I’ll be alright. But, only me, alright?” Daniel looks at the girls, and their eyes are as wide as saucers as they eagerly await his verdict. They give him a slight nod, and Jieka explodes.
“Daddy! How is it!? Jieka’s cookies tasty, right!?”
“Mm-hmm! These would make great treats to keep in my adventuring gear.”
It takes a moment, but Baeka snorts as she suppresses a laugh. He’s saying they’re good ‘survival rations’ because they’re bland, so they won’t exacerbate dehydration or intestinal issues if needed.
“Grr… Give me that!” Hekate snatches the cookie from Daniel, saying confidently, “I’m protected because I’m the Empress of Ruin. I’m invincible.” She takes a bite and immediately, her ears and tail twitch. She is probably reminded of her days just scrounging for whatever she could eat, and how something so neutral would have been a blessing in those days. She hums and nods, handing the cookie to Bellphine for disposal.
“Daddy, twy Tekten’s too!” urges the little Princess. Daniel grins and nods. “Of course! Let’s see here.”
Daniel playfully gives it a sniff, acting like he has to be more cautious with hers, and Jieka immediately becomes protective of her half-sister. “Daddy no be mean! Eat it! Eat it!” She pushes on his cheek, and the mechanic laughs.
“Alright, alright! I was just teasing! I’m sure it’s wonderful!” He takes a bite, and just as he’s chewing the piece, he narrowly blocks his mouth when he coughs. Tekten starts to whimper, and Daniel rasps out, “It’s… uh… bracing. Just like… Just like my favorite rum…”
Two flavors slammed Daniel simultaneously; the sharp saltiness, as if salt was used in place of sugar, and the intense powdery spice of too much cinnamon.
He offers it to Hekate, saying, “You’ll love it, Sweetpea…”
Hekate hesitantly reaches her hand, but Reignleif takes the cookie first, taking a nibble. She hums, saying, “Hmm. Not bad. A bit salty… But, Daniel’s right. It is kinda like his rum. I wonder if they’d go well together.”
Daniel pets the disappointed princess on the head, and he says, “Tekten, do you know why Auntie Geira-Mukori makes all of Daddy’s cookies normally?”
The goblin looks up at him, and he adds, “Because Daddy is good at other things, and Geira-Mukori is really good at making cookies. It’s important to let experts do their jobs.” He then kisses both of them, continuing. “If you both want to become expert bakers like Geira, you’ll just have to practice more. And, Daddy will try all of your cookies, good and bad. Alright?”
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The girls beam, and they hug him. He says sincerely, “Thank you for making me cookies, girls. I love you so much, and this made me feel like I’m healthy already.”
“You still need rest,” scolds Baeka.
“Yeah, and then you have to be punished,” adds Hekate.
“Yes, yes,” replies Daniel. Daniel then gives all of the children a hug, kissing each and every one of them. Willow tries to bite him, but he skillfully manages to kiss her belly with a laugh. Afterwards, the unorthodox Emperor nods at the ladies, since the children have calmed down, and the dragons claim their respective hatchlings, including Jeavana, all wearing tender and heartfelt grins. Hekate and Baeka help the four younger goblin children back to their mothers, Shek and Skloe, while Daniel slowly climbs back to his feet with the first two princesses. He walks with them back to bed, and he carefully slides himself in with support from Baeka, Hekate, and Gwenesphia. He then asks while Geirahoel watches, still hugging Enya, “Mukori, you were helping the girls the whole time, weren’t you?”
“Of course!” replies the orange dragon proudly. Her expression darkens to a more evil satisfaction with herself. “Consider it your ‘reward’ for your behavior recently, Mukori.”
She growls the ‘Mukori’ with a sinister tone, making sure Daniel knows that his road to forgiveness is going to be a long one.
And, none of that addresses the nuke itself.
But, the ladies all help the children pile onto Daniel’s bed with him to cuddle with him, and Jieka asks, “Daddy?”
“Yes, my Princess?”
“Why you have the bandies on your eye?” She reaches towards his right cheek, and Hekate and Gwenesphia both move to try to stop her.
But, Daniel handles it gently, catching her hand. He says softly, “Daddy fought a terrible monster with the help of all of your aunties and Mommies, and a bunch of our friends. The monster managed to leave a little booboo on Daddy, but as you can see, I’m still a very strong sorcerer.”
Hekate, Baeka, and Gwenesphia scoff. Every adult in the room knows about Daniel’s farce at Fort Peony, which started the main part of his journey to becoming Emperor of the Fievegal,
“Daddy have booboos?” asks Tekten with wide eyes.
Daniel smiles gently. “Yes. Fighting monsters means lots of booboos. Daddy needs to try better to protect himself.”
“Yes,” states Geirahoel bluntly as she pets Clover’s belly when the baby dragon rolls over near her.
The mechanic gently squeezes Jieka’s hand. “There isn’t a monster in the world Daddy plans to lose to, so even if I have booboos, as long as my precious babies cheer for me, there is nothing that can defeat me.”
“Yeah!” cheers Jieka, and she pounces onto Daniel’s neck to hug him. Tekten lays against his chest, pressing her ear to his chest where his heart is as she hums lovingly. Their siblings emulate the two eldest sisters, hugging whatever part of Daniel is closest.
Shek remarks gently, “Daniel, you don’t have to be the one at the very front… If anything, goblins like us…”
Daniel shakes his head. “Please don’t say that. The guy who can win the fight should be at the front of the fight so that it ends as quickly as possible. If I knew… Well, we won in the end. So, I did something right, I suppose… In spite of everything…”
Pretty much every woman present scowls at him and hums or growls softly at him, only to soften when he adds the last part. He does regret that he worried everyone, and the lives lost. But, the fact that these children are safe once more is one of the many bricks of foundation that gives Daniel purpose. Even if he has to be crushed under the weight of his decisions, as long as he ensures the foundation remains, they will have a future.
Jieka perks up and says, “Daddy! Jieka pwotect Daddy!” She looks directly into his eyes with beaming hope.
Daniel chuckles and pets her head. “You have a long way to go before Daddy can ask you to protect me, my sweet little princess.” He kisses her forehead, earning a happy giggle. He then adds, “But, when you are ready, I’ll be counting on you, alright?”
“Me too!” squeaks Tekten as she reaches up for his face. Daniel smiles and lifts her up next to kiss her, and the other children immediately clamor for affection as well, which he happily gives them.
But, during all of that, as the ladies are smiling at him, his eyes spot very distinct movement. Willow is crawling on the bed with her mouth open, moving towards Tekten’s backside. He doesn’t know why she’s so aggressive compared to the others, but that’s not what kicks in for him.
Daniel carefully shoves whoever he can into his right arm, towards the center of the bed as he lunges his torso forward, swooping his hand down as everyone gasps at his sudden movement.
Just in time, Daniel’s hand manages to catch the baby dragon under her own right armpit as she topples over the side of the bed. He quickly lifts her up as Jeavana rushes in. “Willow!?”
Willow and a few of the goblins start crying again because of the suddenness of everything, and Jeavana takes Willow carefully. “Sorry,” apologizes Daniel. “I saw it at the…”
Jeavana leans over him and kisses him, her cheeks trembling as everyone else gasps slightly. She whimpers, “Daniel… I… I’m terrible at this… Maybe I should…”
“No,” whispers Daniel, surprised, but also not that surprised at this point. “I should have been more careful, too. The dragons and the goblins are all extremely mobile for their ages.” Baeka, Gwenesphia, and Hekate help calm down the goblin children as Shek and Skloe take care of Pomiel and Daugli. Tekten, who was pushed by Daniel, still managed to see everything from the way she was pushed backwards across him. She is the only one not crying right now, and she looks up at Daniel. He says softly, “Daddy is sorry for scaring you, my babies. Please forgive me.”
Tekten then looks at Willow as Daniel tries to help calm the chaos with his gentle tone.
The tiny second princess starts to crawl across Daniel’s lap towards the edge of the bed, but before she can even look over, Daniel’s hand scoops her up.
“Whoa there, Tekten. Not so fast. I don’t need a repeat already…”
Tekten hugs Daniel’s arm affectionately, though she seems to pout a little. Daniel pulls the little princess close, since she’s the only one with him at the moment. Hekate is hugging Jieka, dancing back and forth to try to help her calm down and regain some of the positive feelings that were happening.
“Daddy pwotec Tekten…” murmurs the second Princess as she clings to the chest of his shirt.
Daniel sighs. “Yes, Tekten, but you shouldn’t just test me… It’s scary for me if any of you are in danger…”
“Scawy?” asks the goblin, looking up at him.
Daniel does his best to smile, though the quickening of his pulse makes his wound throb, even if the sharpness of the pain itself is dulled. It’s like the feeling of a tooth being numb, but the pressure still being felt as the dentist works. “Daddy is happy when you’re all safe. So, the best thing you can do for me, my precious little Tekten, is to be safe.”
The goblins have large ears that protrude from the sides of their heads, similar in position to a human’s but more distinctly triangular, and with a great deal of noticeable variety in exact shape, each goblin is easy to identify from their ears alone more often than not.
Not that Daniel would have any trouble identifying his first and most affectionate children. He has regrettably not spent the same amount of time with the latter two, and Jieka and Tekten were just clever enough to sneak aboard a shuttle to reach Daniel, only to nearly die in the process, which scared him quite a bit.
If Tekten gets it in her head that she needs to test Daniel’s love for her, he is failing massively as a parent in more ways than one.
“Be safe?” repeats the goblin princess curiously, and Daniel hugs her close. She is still tiny, hardly larger than a human infant that is proportioned more like a toddler, but she easily and happily clings to his neck.
“Yes, Tekten. I love you, my precious child. And, it is my sincere hope that you become wise in ways that even I am not. Even if I am strong, it also takes wisdom to make use of that strength to defeat even stronger monsters.”
“Tekten love Daddy…” hums the goblin girl. This prompts Jieka to want a hug from him as well.
“Jieka love Daddy more! Daddy, Jieka loves you!”
“I love you too, Jieka!” exclaims Daniel quickly. “But it’s not a competition. Because, if it was…” Daniel holds them both out so he can make eye contact with them. “You’d both lose to me. Because I love you both the most.”
The two girls squeal and grin, managing to pounce themselves at his chest to hug his neck once more. In the process, Jieka’s ear merely brushes his cheek, and a pulse of pain flourishes through his entire face and deep into what feels like the depths of his brain itself. He manages to hide it mostly, wincing as his breath hitches, and he notices Hekate watch it happen, nervously unable to help. The mechanic’s left eye starts to water, but he manages to smile at Hekate, giving her a gentle nod.
And, before he knows it, he’s giving out a small army’s worth of hugs and kisses once more, including Willow, who has calmed down. The children have mostly exhausted themselves, and Daniel has the ladies present help him move to the middle of the bed with them, inviting everyone who wants to to lay down with him while the children rest with Daniel, much to the content of everyone present.
Daniel most of all.
***
Erimaya arrives on the balcony of her own room at Mornistae castle, and she finds Heralesse sitting on her bed just inside. The Princess’s placeholder golem walked out to the balcony for the switch, of course, and then went invisible to resume guarding her from the shadows.
As for her elder sister, it seems like she is simply waiting for Erimaya, leaning back on the bed while looking up at the ceiling. Her head tilts when the younger sister enters, and the elder sister smiles.
“Did you enjoy your minute or so of outside air, my precious little sister?”
Erimaya blushes. Heralesse knew that the young blonde was staying in the Citadel a little longer to be with her friends of the Fievegal, as well as to see Hekate’s first formal audience as the legally-recognized Sovereign of a new nation.
“Were you waiting for me, Heralesse?” asks Erimaya, doing her best to hide her neck and chest with a nice shawl that she was given by the Fievegal.
The elder teen doesn’t miss a thing, and she approaches Erimaya, immediately reaching for her neck.
There, she has a beautiful gemstone necklace that was not likely manufactured in the last few days.
But, neither is it a necklace that has seen any ballroom for possibly centuries. It has a very antique look to the metals that gently clasp the gems, and the gemstones themselves have a sort of look to them that is difficult to describe. In fact, Heralesse isn’t even certain she recognizes all of them. There are two small rubies flanking a modest sapphire, but also some orange gems that are in between the sizes slightly higher up her collar. Countless small stones arranged in a gentle color gradient of blues and whites fill in the rest of the necklace, which creates a captivating cover of her neck, upper shoulders, and her collar bones.
Heralesse simply tilts her eyes slightly upwards to match Erimaya’s sheepish gaze.
The Princess immediately explains, “Ryuogriar gave it to me! She said it came from her personal treasure trove before the Fievegal, and that she looks forward to my formal betrothal and subsequent wedding. S-So it’s a sort of engagement gift, but a little early. Th-That’s what she…”
Heralesse sighs, pulling the shawl back down to hide it again. “Are you out of your mind, Eri?”
Erimaya pouts, “No…”
“You must be. That thing is no better than the dresses we received. In fact, its obvious antique status will likely make it a national treasure other countries will envy.”
“I-Isn’t that a good thing?” asks Erimaya.
Heralesse is a young queen, and one who may not have been fully ready for the responsibilities yet. Her parents wanted to short-cut the advantage Rikuto provides as an otherworlder, before Daniel’s worth was revealed to be similarly high for different reasons. Of course, the Daniel of two years go was very much NOT suitable to become King, because he gives off the air of and proudly behaves like little more than a tradesman. Even before the situation with Erimaya, he would not have likely survived high society, at least not with his reputation intact. Rikuto can at least pass for a refined individual, and because he has such a high degree of education compared to any noble on the continent, he can talk circles around them when it comes to policy, economics, and agricultural topics.
More than anything else, though, a Queen needs to be careful of the give and take of being sovereign. Even if Heralesse is ‘only’ the Queen, simply because it was easiest to give Rikuto a king’s authority, she still needs to be mindful not to overtly give away state secrets or other important balances of power with other nations.
The Fievegal is undeniably powerful, and though they don’t have the manpower of their own to actually conquer the whole continent, a few generations may be all it takes for their way of life to become so desirable to another nation’s people, that they clamor for it.
Mornistae is not in such a powerful position.
They can hold their own, but the perception of wealth greater than what they have, and more importantly, greater than the cost of conquering them, puts them in a precarious position with their neighbors. Mattarglos is one thing, and the Stalvaltan territory is likely not a threat because of the peace treaty.
But, the nations to their immediate- and northerly-eastward directions are not such good friends to Mornistae.
Heralesse lets out a small sigh. “Eri,... If we accumulate too much wealth that we don’t have the strength to defend…” She pauses and flinches. The young Queen instantly pictures Ryuogriar’s face. She is a powerful woman in all of the same ways that Aramellianna is, but with the added benefit of being a dragon of an unknown, much higher age. Heralesse has heard mention of centuries, though she doesn’t know how old dragons can get, and the Second Empress of the Fievegal can often carry herself with a sort of youth expected of her visible human-form age; not energetic, but still effectively inexhaustible. And, that image of Ryuogriar curls her lips slightly in a pleased smile when her message is sent.
Heralesse has seen with her own eyes when Ryuogriar exerts the most potent ‘soft power’ over everyone else in the Fievegal, save for Doephluev, who actively resists. It’s not magic. It’s simply a way the dragon carries herself; a mother of the nation and a conqueror of hearts and minds.
Ryuogriar did it on purpose…
She explains, “Eri… Don’t take this the wrong way. But… I think Ryuogriar gave that to you in order to…” She takes a breath and exhales to try to brace herself to say it, let alone to hear it out loud. “... make it too dangerous for us to resist the Fievegal hand of friendship.”
Erimaya naturally becomes indignant at this suggestion, retorting, “You think this is nothing but blackmail material?”
“No. I believe it is a gift from the heart… But one that also carries the knowledge that it will make us an appetising target for our rivals. With the Empire, Mattarglos, and the Stalvaltans allying with or becoming vassals to the Fievegal… Any aid we might need…”
The young Princess shakes her head. “They wouldn’t do that to us.”
“No, they wouldn’t do that to you. They’re telling me, and when he sees it, Rikuto, and even Father and Mother; if we don’t give you and Hekate what you want,... We’re on our own.”
Erimaya looks at the necklace. She has plenty of her own royal training as the second princess of Mornistae. Two kinds of marriages are typically offered to Princesses if they aren’t already the Heir Apparent or official Crown Heiress; the first is to strengthen the loyalty of local nobility. The second is to unite a foreign nation through marriage; the exact thing the Fievegal is offering, but with the somewhat uncommon, and even unique, caveat that Erimaya is pushing for it more than anyone.
The younger sister doesn’t want to believe a gift like this would have the actual sinister implications, but it absolutely would if it came from another nation explicitly trying to grow their influence. For the Fievegal, the dresses that they gave Erimaya and Heralesse were to demonstrate their significant wealth to help explain their impenetrable military, which has formally started to expand to their borders and reinforce the Stalvaltan borders of their own exclave. Yanidere has been quiet since returning to the Stalvaltan territory, but it’s possible she’s doing a great deal to catch up on the Grand Duchess work now that she has returned, especially because she’ll need to prepare an investiture ceremony on behalf of Aramellianna to formally pass the title down.
And, the Stalvaltan territory being the Fievegal’s exclave in a strategic position on the eastern side of the mountains means it would be an effective staging area to protect Mornistae, a fact that King Father Greydald and Queen Mother Orphelexia will not miss for one second, even if Ryuogriar was genuinely simply being generous. It would be harder to convince anyone other than Erimaya that it is a sincere gift, and significantly easier to claim that it is a veiled threat, or even bait to lure in rivals to put the pressure on Mornistae and force their hand.
Erimaya smiles gently. Her tone is a little serious, but she is fearless about the situation. “Then, I believe it might be time to start those talks for real, hmm? After all, would Father intend to send the necklace back? That’s quite a risk to put something like this on the road.”
Heralesse closes her eyes and deflates a little.
It’s almost better to tell them that the whole thing is Erimaya trying to blackmail us into giving her what she wants…
As if sensing this thought, Erimaya steps closer and takes her elder sister’s hands. “My beloved big sister, you know Daniel will never harm me. If he did, he would face the wrath of many, including Hekate.”
“But…”
Erimaya hushes her gently, “Shhh. Please let me finish. Even if Hekate won’t kill him, she won’t allow me to be harmed either. And, from what the others have described, even if I wait patiently for my turn, I will need to be the aggressor. At least the first time.”
“Ugh… What are those women telling you…?” groans the elder sister as she palms her own face.
The younger blonde giggles, continuing her point. “Regardless, what do you think happens if it is learned exactly how important I am to Hekate? Do you think our enemies will simply rest on the notion of capturing Hekate’s least-defended weak point? Half the world knows about the dresses by now, but as a gesture to Mornistae itself. They also know about the attempted assassination that the Fievegal swiftly swallowed up. They will be looking for the least reckless angle of attack, and the Sovereign Empress’s best friend and someone favored by the Second Empress with personal gifts will be a vulnerability I don’t think we want them to exploit.”
“Y-... You hid your presence at large, didn’t you?”
Erimaya smiles cryptically, and now she’s wondering if the gift really was Erimaya’s idea.
The young Princess walks over to her tea table, saying over her shoulder. “Come, dear sister. Let’s negotiate.”
“Eri…”
“Shhh. We must figure out exactly what to tell Mother and Father, as well as Rikuto. If we don’t move swiftly, either I or our kingdom could be in severe danger.”
Heralesse whines a little softly, wishing everything could go back to the way it was before she was made Queen. She doesn’t mind that Erimaya will formally be more powerful than her very soon. As her younger sister, the Princess has always had sway over her big sister anyways. But, now, Heralesse feels like she’s being played like an instrument, and her only choice is to cling to the boat that Erimaya is piloting at turbulent speeds past all troubles and into the arms of new ones.
“You know, Eri… I did come up here to welcome you back and invite you to have lunch with me…”
Erimaya grins a little deviously. “What a coincidence…” She sets a void bag down on the table, and Heralesse turns pale.
The means for making void bags doesn’t exist in the east. Or at least, the methods don’t. They are a coveted and rare item, especially for merchants and smugglers, but excessively difficult to get a hold of, and more often than not, locked away in secure vaults of any kingdom that manages to get one in their hands. Mornistae has exactly one within its borders right now.
And it is sitting on Erimaya’s tea table.
From this bag that Kings would execute all who try to withhold one, Erimaya withdraws fresh and fully-prepared meals that don’t exist anywhere but the Fievegal; hamburgers on soft white-bread buns with various toppings available on the plates with them, and a still-steaming basket of rectangular-cut, deep-fried potatoes; known in the Fievegal as ‘French fries’.
Heralesse has had this meal before, and it’s prepared from the moment the animal is born to end up on the plate with the most succulent and tender meat grilled over an intentionally-smoky fire.
And, both Daniel and Rikuto have described it as an extremely common food in their world, varying in quality, but favored by young and old, rich and poor.
Erimaya, having already taken her seat, grins at Heralesse with a bit of deviousness in her eyes. “Face the truth, Dear Sister. I am already an Empress of the Fievegal in all but name. And, I will fight tooth and nail for that privilege.”
“I’m growing painfully aware of that…” grumbles the elder sister, taking her seat across from Erimaya. She ate lightly at the formal lunch with the Royal family in order to leave room so she could eat with Erimaya, but now she’s not sure if she has an appetite.
She doesn’t want to believe Erimaya would scheme this far against her own family to get what she wants.
But, she would instantly pivot to ensure she does get what she wants. It’s a crucial skill for aristocrat and royal alike to be able to play off any situation with as much tact and control as possible. Heralesse momentarily held hope that she could convince Erimaya to send the necklace back via golem.
Now, with the necklace, the void bag, and whatever else Erimaya has up her sleeves, Heralesse simply hopes she can survive the next few days.
***