Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I didn't remember being so cold here before our departure, Grace, how long has it been? Three, no, four years already.

I sighed, it wasn't even that long, and it felt so... Different, everyone says that night time is always beautiful at the Altus Plateau, and from here I could attest to that, sitting a few meters away from our camp, which is set on top of one of the hills, northwest of the Capital, a nice place, the golden grass was a nice contrast to the night sky.

I looked at the sky for a while, admiring how beautiful that particular shade of blue was, and how it always managed to soothe me, no matter how bored, anxious, or straight up sad I was.

Thinking about that made me shed a single tear, surprising myself a little.

"And they think Miquella is the sentimental one..." I murmured to myself while wiping that single drop of liquid from my face, the thing I once thought my body would never be able to produce again, and still, there it was, at the tip of my finger, that made me chuckle a little in disbelief.

"Getting all nostalgic already?"

'Speaking of the devil' I thought as Miquella approached me, and sat by my side, while I was switching between gazing upon our old home, the Capital, daydreaming about the weather, and contemplating my little miracle, the one he was responsible for.

"Truth be told, I was expecting your stoic warrior facade to break when father pulled you into a sparring match after we get home, or, if you were really committed to the act, when Ranni inevitably gets on your nerves for whatever reason you come up with this time" He commented.

I sighed "Good evening to you too, Miquella" I replied, half amused about his comment on Father's trademark 'welcome home' tradition, and slightly annoyed about the mention of that little bookworm he was always so fond of.

I turned to face him "And it's a nice view, I'm grateful that I can see it, that's all..." I was being honest, it was, indeed, a nice view, from our campsite we could see the whole Capital, well, the huge walls surrounding it, at least, just as imposing as the first time I saw it so many years ago.

He took a few seconds to appreciate the view by my side, probably wondering what was so 'nice' about it, before finally speaking.

"Well, it's bright, that's for sure. Must be a great inspiration for your paintings, but I was never too inclined to see the world in the 'artistic' way, so I can't really say I enjoy it as much as you do. I would personally prefer to spend my sight on a good tome, or anything other than staring at literal grass, but to each their own, I guess" He said and I wondered how can someone so enlightened be so willingly ignorant?

He kept going "... To me, it honestly just looks like a lot of hills, and then a big city surrounding a big castle, with a big old tree on the middle" he said, dismissively.

I chuckled at his annoyingly accurate little comment "Ladies and gentlemen, behold! The Unalloyed! Pure as gold, and DENSE as the scales of the ancient dragons!" I said, mockingly reverencing him while he laughed a bit.

We stood there in silence for a while before I opened my mouth again.

"Thank yo-" I began, but he stopped me.

"Please don't, we've been through this, you don't have to thank me anymore, the first thousand times were enough, believe me" He said, smiling warmly at the end.

"I know, it's just..." I braced my knees, partially to block the cold air, but mostly to have something to do with my hands.

"You saved me. Well, what was left of me at least" I said, and my voice started to shake "... I-I could never thank you enough, Miquella, this" I pointed to my eyes "Was everything I thought I had left, an then I lost it... I never thought I would see this place again, or Mother's face, o-or the sky... or y-you, or..."

"Malenia, please..." He put one hand on my shoulder, Grace, I always forget how tiny his hands are, and surprisingly warm, considering the weather.

"You're my sister" He said in a stern tone "I would've burned this whole world if you asked me to, and you know it"

I chuckled, while wiping another tear from the corner of my eye "Does Mother know you're saying things like that?"

"What, you're gonna tell her? Humph, can't believe that's what I get for curing you. But honestly I should've seen that coming, you barbarians are all the same" He said, faking disappointment.

"Haha, very funny! Who do you think I am? Rykard? I'm not a snitch, and you know it" I shot back.

"Well, true, but that's a really low barr you've got there" He said, and we laughed for a bit.

After a while he broke the silence again "Grace, and here I was thinking curing you would be the most unbelievable event on the family, but no, good old Rykard had to surprise everyone announcing a marriage with that... What's her name again?" He asked me.

I took a moment to think "Tanin? Or Taniff... Something like that, I couldn't care less. All I know is that she is the lady of Mount Gelmir now, since her father left the Lands Between to become a Tarnished a few years ago"

"I see, so he was one of them... Well, she seems nice, at least, helping us on our journey back and all. Even considering her questionable choice of consort, she went out of her way to help, so I guess that's more than we could've hoped for"

He paused for a moment to look at... Whatever got his attention this time, and then looked back at me.

"Oh, and remind me to thank her for the that, the path connecting the Haligtree to the Plateau really came in handy. I would've really hated to force our entourage through another journey across those god forsaken lands covered in snow"

"Tell me about it. Wait, 'remind me'?" I said, raising an eyebrow at him "20 years and you're still asking me to remind you to do things? Goldy Locks, if you can't remember, what are the odds that I, of all people, would?"

"Don't call me 'Goldy Locks'!" He protested.

I shrugged "Not gonna happen. Godwyn is the 'Golden boy' and you are our little 'Goldy locks', is as simple as that" I said, matter of factually.

"Oh, so you wanna go there again, huh?" He asked, using that childish tone, the one his curse made sure he would probably never lose, and I knew where this was going already.

"Don't you dare" I threatened.

"What? I was jus-"

"Don't!"

"Grace, okay, I won't say it... Mally!" He spit the horrible 'nickname' that witch calls me since we were kids. Grace, I hated every single time I had to hear it.

"Come back here!" I shouted, as he ran away right after insulting me in the only way he knew it would get on my nerves.

I honestly don't know how that short ass bookworm could be so damn irritating, but it's been like this for years now, she would find a new way to piss me off, and then Miquella would follow suit just for the sake of it. Our parents would just let things be that way because we're supposed to 'get along'.

Now that I stopped to think about it, I kinda missed that a little, our incessant banter, I wouldn't admit to him, but yes, this was really nostalgic after all.

~~~

"Hey! Slow down, we'd appreciate it if you'd get us there in one piece, if that's not a problem for you!" I shouted at the coachman from inside our carriage.

I knew the Lands Between were not the most levelled expenses of land on the globe, but every single time we had to travel to Leyndell, and there were a lot of times, this bloody terrain would make sure to remind us of our latest meals by shoving them back all the way back up with this incessant trembling.

On top of that, these stupid Cuckoo Knights couldn't try harder to test the limits of my patience, rushing through these lands like we were running away from the outer god of Rot itself.

"Rosebud, what have I told you about mistreating our subordinates?" Mother asked me without looking away from the book she was reading.

Stars, I could never understand how she was always so peaceful during our imprisonments in this rattlesnake tail we call a carriage.

I sighed "I know, sorry Mother, it's just-"

"What is the first virtue of every sorcerer, Ranni?" She asked before I could finish my sentence, and here we go again...

She shifted her gaze from the book to look me right in the eyes, she really treated me like an infant sometimes.

"Respect" I finally answered.

She smiled "Correct, so you'll pay your respects apologizing to our coachman after we arrive" She stated, using that teacher like tone she is so used to.

"But M-"

"No 'buts' Ranni. You have to learn how to express yourself without disrespecting the others, there's no merit in being better than your equals, th-"

"The merit resides in being better than yourself. I know" I finished the saying I was so tired of hearing from Mother, and from every teacher at school as well.

Mother seemed a little taken aback by my interruption, but she ignored it and moved along, giving me a soft smile instead

"See? You've got a hold of the theory already, now it'll just take a little bit of practice" She stated with a grin.

I looked to the side after a letting out heavy sigh.

Graduated for four whole years and I still get pep talks from Mother on a regular basis.

I looked back at her as she gave me a little chuckle before asking "Tired already? Relax, I think there's only 3 hours or so left"

"Great!" I exclaimed sarcastically.

Mother opened her mouth to speak, but I was ahead of her "I know, the second virtue of every sorcerer is patience, and you know I can be patient, but it's not easy to keep my balance while these troglodytes are trying to brake every single bone in my body!" I explained.

"Still not fond of warriors, I see" Mother said with a smirk "I guess somethings never change"

I reclined slightly on my seat "Nothing personal, I just can't really grasp the concept of seeing a hurricane and trying to face it head on as my first reaction, that's all" I said, nonchalantly.

"And how would you, my little princess, handle said hurricane?" She asked, half amused.

"Seek shelter, like a sane person would" I said, dismissively, as I looked at the road through my window.

"Oh, I see, but what if you were suddenly caught in such a hypothetical situation? And there was no shelter nearby?" Mother questioned.

"Hardly a possibility, Mother, I would probably have a shelter set already. Hurricanes are dangerous, sure, but the weather, such as the stars, is pretty predictable itself" I said, looking briefly at her, and then back at the window, still bored and annoyed by this whole trip.

Mother sighed "You can't predict everything, Ranni. I know you better than anyone, and I've seen just how bright you truly are..." She said, pausing to give me time to look back at her before she could finish "But more often than not, you'll have to adapt, learn to deal with the unpredictable, and sometimes, you won't even have the time to do that" Stars, feels like I never left school.

"I know I can't predict everything, Mother, I'm not that dull. but that's the point, these variables, the chaos of this world, that's why I have to hold everything that I can control on a short leash" A lesson I learned a few years ago with Master Lusat, but I wouldn't say that to her, Mother never liked him, though she'd never admit it.

"A wise way to view the world, that's for sure..." A classical condescending note to her words, but I didn't mind, she knows I'm right "But even the wisest individual still has its weaknesses, such as you have yours" She said, teasingly.

"Well- wait, what weaknesses?" I genuinely couldn't think of a single thing about me that could be considered a 'weakness' in the way she implied.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe the only 'troglodyte' as you would call her, that used to constantly drag you out of this cold, methodical shell of yours? Said troglodyte would be the very reason for this whole trip" She finished, still keeping that teasing note on her voice.

"Mally is not a- she didn't- what do you mean 'drag me'?" I couldn't have contradicted myself more if I had tried.

Okay, maybe there was a hint of truth to my Mother's words, though I would never say it out loud. Mally was always taunting me one way or the other, sure, it was fun to provoke her as well, and I should know, I was the one who started most of our... 'Discussions' for the lack of a better word, but Stars, she always had a way to even the odds.

Mother just stood there, looking at my face while I tried to think of a better response than my deafening silence to give her.

After I couldn't formulate a single word, she spoke again "Easy, Rosebud, I can see the red on your cheeks, that's not healthy for you" she said, chuckling right after.

A few seconds later, which felt like way more than that, I was able to finally say something, although in a hushed tone.

"She's a brute, and she's impulsive... And sometimes she's just like a wild animal. Stars, I can't believe she's Miquella's sister sometimes" I said, while looking away from Mother.

"She's one of your 'variables', isn't she? One of the forces of chaos you're so concerned about" Mother said, this time in a different tone, less teacher and more... Mother.

"She's always been" I took a deep breath, while looking back at the golden grass passing by "It's been so long... I wonder how she is"

I couldn't remember when it happened, but somehow I fell asleep, lost on my thoughts about seeing her after so long.

~~~

'They should be here anytime soon, is there anything I forgot?' I thought while playing with a puzzle cube Radagon gave me on our first anniversary. 

Even if I have solved it about a million times already, it was a nice fidget device I've always liked to keep around.

I finished it quicker than I expected, and after a quick sigh I just put the puzzle back at the table beside my chair, still no more relived than I was before completing that puzzle.

I kept repeating to myself that I shouldn't be this tense, but no matter how hard I tried to look at the bright side of things, and it was a very bright side. After all, my only daughter was finally cured from that monstrosity I cursed her with.

I know that she would never blame me for what happened to her, but still I just couldn't get rid of this feeling, this... Dread.

"Mind if I join you at your... whatever it is you're doing, my Love?" Radagon asked jokingly, as he put his hand on my shoulder.

That caught me by surprise. I turned my head to meet his gaze, that ever present fire burning behind his concerned look.

"I guess I don't... Even though I'm not really sure of what 'this' actually is as well" I said, closing my eyes to take a breath before continuing "Are they here already?" A mixture of hope and fear in my voice.

He nodded "So that's what this is about. Yes they're at the main gates, shouldn't take longer than half an hour to get to the palace... What is it that disturbs you so much, my Love? We should be celebrating their return" He asked, as he got closer to gently cup my cheeks, taking a good look at my face.

"This is not about them, is it?" He promptly said, after analyzing my expression. Grace, this man can read me like a book.

"... I'm happy, more than words could ever express... But you know that's all my fault, Radagon, this is all my fault, after Morgott and Mohg... I just, I couldn't take any other risks. They were my children, my miracles, and this world would never see them like that... I promised myself that I would never curse another living soul with a similar fate..." I took a long, deep breath, knowing Radagon wouldn't interrupt my train of thought.

"And then you came into my life, after Godfrey's departure to die beyond the fog... I was lonely, I was weak, and in my weakness I believed that I deserved a life by your side, a family even, a father for my children. You accepted them so easily, you accepted me so easily, with all my flaws and complaints, and never asked anything in return..." I took another moment to breathe.Grace, it was getting harder to hold back my tears.

"And you gave me the greatest gift I could ever ask for, you gave me a new life. At the moment I saw our kids I knew, so perfect, both of them, I couldn't believe it" My tone got somber "But life couldn't be so perfect..."

"Marika..."

"They were tainted, Radagon! Tainted by my influence. Cursed by my enemies" I exclaimed, then shifted to a hiss "Cowards, all of them! Incapable of facing me themselves, attacking my children instead"

I swallowed a sob, and after a few seconds I got back to my melancholic tone "The happiest moment of my life... ruined forever"

He never took his eyes out of me while I was speaking, holding my hands before finally opening his mouth.

"Never, ever again, insinuate that you don't deserve happiness, okay? You're my Sun, my shield, and most important, you're the greatest mother of all ages, and you can ask our kids, all of them will tell you the same" He stated, wiping a single tear running down my cheek.

I would live a thousand years without understanding just how could this one individual make me smile just by simply existing in front of me, perhaps somethings were never meant to be understood, anyway, he continued.

"I never regretted marrying you, not even for a second. It took all my strength to leave Rennala, and even knowing it was the right thing to do, I still never felt so low in my whole life. And then you came back into my life, my old friend, the one who faced the gods themselves by my side, a soul just as broken as mine was, and from the moment I swore to never leave your side, I knew that whatever it was to come from this, good or bad, I wanted, and still want it all" He finally stated.

I couldn't hold my tears anymore, as I pulled him in a tight hug that I never wanted to be over.

"I'm so afraid, my Love. All of this, this peace, this beautiful things in our lives, they're so, so fragile... If something happens-" I whispered.

"Then we'll handle it, together. I promise you" He whispered back, and we stood there for Grace knows how long, and no matter how long it was, it went by in the blink of an eye.

I knew something was coming, something dangerous, and I could only pray to the Greater Will that our family would be ready for it, and as I did, we heard a knock on our door, the sound we've spent four years expecting.

The messenger entered the room with the announcement.

"Princess Malenia the severed and Prince Miquella the Unalloyed!"

Chapter Text

"Thanks, Finlay, I can take it from here" I said after one of our servants helped me step out of our carriage.

I've never carried much on trips, but whatever it was that I had with me, I kept at arm's reach at all times, a practice that had advantages, as for a few disadvantages, like my recent close call, which was almost falling and hitting the ground with my head as I took my first step out of the carriage, unbalanced by my huge bag of belongings on my right shoulder.

Ranni always said I could break a stone wall with my head before even feeling anything.

'That insufferable witch' I thought. But as much as I was proud of my physical resistance, a scene like that would be a terrible way of arriving back at home, also, Miquella would NEVER let me forget that.

"Easy there, Sis! Grace, I knew my treatment could've left some side effects, but I never thought it would take away your infamous prowess at stepping out of carriages!" Mister Goldy Locks said, while exiting the carriage behind me, laughing at my face after I gave him a glare over my shoulder.

"You know you don't have to act so immaturely just because you look like a kid, right?" Our curses awakened at the same time, on our 12th birthday. The Rot took away my right arm, and Miquella stopped aging from that day onwards.

"Yeah, but where's the fun in that?" He said, smirking as we began our journey towards the palace.

I took a quick glance at him, so relaxed, yet so confident. Grace, he's starting to act more and more like Godwyn, which is really weird, considering that Mother's personality doesn't really match these two at all, given she's the only biological link between the pair, one could assume she would be the only possible source of... All of this, but what do I know about biology anyway?

After all, the side of our family who actually had a shot at being minimally eloquent in such areas were our half siblings, from our Father's first marriage.

Rykard, the oldest, pretty good listener if you manage to keep him interested in you. Then came Radahn, my Big Boy, trained me to fight ever since I could hold up a sword, he never really cared about sorceries, but went to Sellia just so he could learn a way to ease the weight that his body puts on his favorite horse, given his size and the amount of armor and equipment he carries, he ended up putting a lot of pressure on the animal.

And then came Ranni, just a couple of years older than us. Her mother, Rennala, Queen of the Carian Royal family, says that she was born blessed by the Moon, but honestly I just think she's absurdly lucky. I mean, she did killed an adult runebear when we were kids, but still, 'blessed' was a little exaggerated in my opinion... Anyways, they're all intelligent, growing up inside a literal school probably helped, even the Big Boy is impressively intelligent, speaking of him, I wonder if he's already here.

We kept walking the busy streets of the Capital.

"If you can't find the 'fun' in being mature, I'm certainly not the one to show it to you" I said, with a small smile on my face "So, who do you think is already here?" I asked, as we passed by a crowded marketplace, waving and smiling at some 'welcome home's' here and there.

We could actually move here pretty easily, despite being the middle of the Golden Week. People never really got on our way, those who didn't approach us out of respect, certainly did it out of fear. Even Miquella suffered with that kind of... Indifference, despite carrying a relatively harmless condition, such as our other half siblings, which were also harmless, but rarely left the Palace because of their appearance.

Mother's first born, Godwyn, was the only of her children to escape the forces opposite to her and the Golden Order, so he was born without any curses. Then came her first set of twins, Morgott and Mohg, who were born afflicted by the Omen scourge, physically deformed with horns all over their bodies.

Mother made sure to raise them as equals to Godwyn, and demanded that they were treated as such. As I said, those who didn't accept that demand out of respect, did it out of fear.

Miquella took a few seconds to think, distracted by the people around us. It was always like this with him, his attention is always divided, but in his defence, there was always something interesting happening in the streets during Golden Week. New places opening, musicians playing new pieces, marriage proposals and so on.

"Rykard, most certainly is here already" Miquella said "Mister 'never been late to a party' is definitely showing off his bride somewhere around here. Godwyn probably arrived sooner as well, Being a monarch and all that, punctuality must be pre-requisite to have your own castle and the other stuff that comes with it"

"Classic Golden Boy, gotta make Mother all proud of the first born" I said.

Miquella thought about what I said for a second "Yeah, must be an older brother thing, now that I think about it, the exception would be-"

I suddenly chuckled, and Miquella raised an eyebrow, so I quickly answered.

"It's not about your comment, I just realized the irony, those two being the first ones here, y'know, polar opposites and all that. Mister perfect on one side, and the only student who managed to be expelled from the school his mother literally owns on the other" I said, laughing a bit.

"Yeah, guess you're right" He said after a quick giggle.

"What was it you were saying before?" I asked.

He stopped to think for a bit, moving his index to his chin, and after a couple of seconds he said "I'm hungry, let's hurry up"

"I don't think that was-" He grabbed my wrist.  

"No, it wasn't, but I can't remember with an empty stomach, so c'mon!" I chuckled as he dragged me on our way home.

~~~

"Welcome back to the Capital, Lady Rennala" A servant from the castle said to Mother as we stood by the Palace's main entrance "May we take care of those?" She pointed to our luggage, my Mother gave her a small nod, and she began her journey towards our rooms.

I was about to follow her when Mother put a hand on my shoulder.

"Aren't you forgetting anything, Young Lady?" I sighed internally, hoping she had forgotten about that. I guess she didn't.

Well, let's get this over with.

I turned around, closing the distance between me and our coachman, who stood still behind Mother, waiting to be dismissed. I took a short breath, bowed my head and began

"My apologies for my behavior earlier today"

"M-my Lady, that's not necessary, I-" He stuttered, and I would gladly agree with him, this whole thing was a waste of everyone's time, but I had to get this done.

"Please, I insist, my behavior was unacceptable, and it won't be repeated" I finished, and before I could raise my head to see if this little scene had pleased my Mother, I heard a voice.

"Won't you look at that, little Miss Heart of Ice being so cordial to someone. I guess maturity can actually hit anyone, eventually" I smiled involuntarily, that little bastard, his voice hasn't changed a bit in four years.

I raised my head, as I turned to look at the young looking blonde man approaching me "Look who's talking" I said with a smirk.

He was the same height, same body, same bright blonde hair, my half brother and best friend, Miquella.

"Come here you little pest!" I grabbed him on a tight hug as he launched himself into my arms "How're you doing Godly Locks?"

"See? Even she knows that's you" A second familiar voice said, before the boy in my arms could protest at my little comment. 

"You and Godwyn corrupted her, it's not her fault!" He said, as his sister approached, and there it was, the twins' trademark bickering.

Being completely honest, I didn't really use that nickname to address him, but this kinds of reunions can make you nostalgic for pretty much anything.

"Y'know, he's kinda right, you were always a bad influence. Mindless barbarians like you, always bringing up the worst in people. Oh and welcome home to you too, Mally!" I said, with a large grin, and, as certain as the rise of the sun in the morning, she took the bait.

"Stop. Calling. Me. That!" I didn't know a person whose face could get this red, this quickly.

It wasn't hard to see her blood pumping on her cheeks, she was just as pale as I me, courtesy of our Father's genetics.

That hasty temper of her never failed made me giggle, but taking a good look at her now I had to admit, she looks... Nice, way better than the last time I saw her. She still uses the same hairstyle, which was 'let the wind take care of it', waves of scarlett hair falling behind her, stopping a little over the middle of her back. Her skin looks good too, the vestiges of the Scarlett Rot on her face were now subtle pink-ish stains, mere ghosts of the horrible wounds around her eyes, which are golden, just like mine.

As for the stains, she could easily cover them up with some makeup, if that troglodyte ever got close to any makeup products in her life, but I'm getting off topic here. She looks healthier as well, obviously, but her posture looks different as well, less... Heavy if that makes any sense, she used to put a lot of weight on her right leg. Since her curse manifested its effects she had lost her right arm, left leg, and ultimately her eyes, the latter were thankfully restored by Miquella.

"Yeah, as if you didn't miss the sweet sound of my voice saying it, Mally!" I teased her.

"In your dreams-" She stopped her scoff to look at my mother "My apologies, Aunt Rennala, but this one here can't seem to call me by my name!"

She looked at me, meanwhile, Mother had dismissed our coachman, and I suddenly remembered she was still here, guess my apologies were enough then.

"No need to apologize, Malenia" She smiled warmly at Mally "Is so good to see you in such good health, how do you feel? Miquella seems to have done wonders to you" She said, approaching Mally and giving her a short, but warm hug.

She was always been an elegant woman, slender, and a little taller than most, dark brown hair, which she always kept cut short, mostly out of convenience, she hated wasting time with little things like choosing her looks, something I inherited from her, though I liked to keep my hair a little longer than hers.

"I'm really good, never felt better, thank you for asking" Mally replied, as my Mother released her, giving a soft squeeze on her left shoulder as she did so.

"I'm glad to hear that, and so is my little Rosebud, I'm certain. Even if she doesn't admit it" Mother said, looking back at me, and I didn't comment on it, and yeah, as much as I really don't like to admit it, it was nice to know the presence of Rot left Mally's body.

We might not be the best example of civility when we're together, but we're still family, or almost that. Also, the last image of her face I have seen, right before they left to the Haligtree, when she lost her eyes on their 16th birthday, was definitely the most horrifying thing I have seen, and would probably ever see in my whole life. I don't even want to think about that again.

Mother approached the second twin with a subtle gesture of reverence "You have my admiration, young Prince, such a feat is wordy of a true lord"

Miquella was probably the only reason she got so far without being consumed by the Rot. The prosthesis he made as a replacement for her lost limbs helped ease her pain and keep the Rot away because of composition, both made of Unalloyed Gold, created by Miquella.

Miquella giggled awkwardly, moving a hand behind his head "Please, Aunt Rennala, there's no need to overpraise me like that, this one have been doing that for me already" He pointed a thumb towards Mally.

"And I'm sure that she will continue to" Mother said, with a soft smile on her face "That aside, are you still humble enough to give this old witch a hug?" I smiled a little as Mother hugged him.

She is not as tall as Radahn, but still, the size difference between her and Miquella was quite comical.

After a while, the four of us were heading up to our rooms, as they did the traditional 'oh, so much happened since the last time we saw' conversation, I kept myself quiet, wondering just why this place had to be SO DAMN BIG!

Aunt Marika's ego was definitely something else. Who needs so much space?! No wonder Mohg never leaves his 'cave', he probably never found the exit of this place and then just gave up on trying! But I digress.

We depart as I chose to have a bath to release some of the tension accumulated by that horrible trip, and to avoid a certain situation I foresaw as we passed by the tower with the view to the stables, spotting the source of most of my headaches leaving his precious horse there.

Stars, family reunions were definitely something I could appreciate with a little less frequency.

~~~

"... And that's what he did, he just walked through my door, said 'Mother, I'm getting married', refused to elaborate on that, and then left, like he just gave me some random update about our dinner!" Aunt Rennala said in disbelief, as she walked beside Miquella and me, explaining how she found out about Rykard's sudden engagement with Tanith (I knew I was close), the Lady of Volcano Manor.

"So, it was just like that? He just showed up and dropped the big news like nothing even happened?!" I asked, while laughing at her story.

"Well, I can't say I was that surprised. He's the oldest after all, I mean, Ranni still too young to even consider having a relationship, that is if she ever dares to go outside to do anything that isn't visiting a library or following the two of you on another adventure" She smiled at us "And Radahn..." She sighed "Honestly, sometimes I think that boy would rather marry that horse than-"

"TINY DANCER!!" He shouted from the back of the corridor we were in, just as his mother was talking about him.

I looked at the figure charging towards our group. Wild crimson hair, just a little over his shoulders, mutton chop beard around a large smile, he looked even stronger than the last time I was here. Grace, did he got even taller?

He should be at least 220 cm tall now, a literal wall who could, and would, attack you back. He was so strong that sometimes it seemed like he could make a path shorter by pulling the ground with his hands, and it wouldn't surprise me if he actually tried that.

He was quickening his pace, arms open and I just couldn't stop the smile on my face to grow, as I followed his movements by charging back at him "BIG BOY!!" I called him back.

We clashed with a strong hug, he lifted me like I weighed nothing, spinning me around.

"HAHAHAHAH, look at your eyes! Even brighter than before! And you're stronger too, haven't gotten soft on your vacation, I see! Great job Golden Nugget!" He looked at Miquella as he stopped spinning me around.

My Brother was visibly annoyed by the nickname that only Radahn used, but decided to shrug that off, and I wouldn't really call our time at the Haligtree as 'vacations', but that's Radahn for you.

"It was nothing, really, she did most of the hard work" Miquella said.

"I see, my Tiny Dancer giving a hard time to the outer gods themselves, I couldn't expect less!" Radahn said, laughing proudly right after. Yeah, he was definitely taller, maybe he was 225, or perhaps 230cm tall now, and had grown a mustache as well, it looked good on him.

"So, why took you so long to come and see the both of us? Got lost at the Castle again?" I asked him, and yes, he usually gets lost here a lot, though he never really cared or got annoyed by that fact.

"Not this time, Tiny Dancer, just took my time to make Leonard comfortable at the stables, making sure they treated him right" And there it was, Aunt Rennala's concern.

I too would expect to see the Big Boy marry that horse before any of his siblings getting anything close to a relationship, guess the Stars had other plans for them.

"I remembered!" Miquella shouted behind me.

"Uh, what? About Leonard?" I inquired, without a clue as to what he was so excited to remember.

"No, the thing I was talking about earlier. It was about Radahn" He explained.

"How so, Little Man? You got me curious now" The Big Boy questioned him, and I was pretty curious now as well.

"We were comparing Rykard to Godwyn, and how those two are always the first ones to arrive at our family events, and then I commented that it must be an older brother thing" Well, that part I remember.

"Yeah, that part I can remember".

"And before you cut my train of thought, I was gonna say that the exception to that logic would be Radahn. Even if he's not the oldest, he is still older than most of us, and still the one who never arrives early to anything, besides horsemanship lessons anyways" He finally concluded his though.

Radahn laughed out loud for a bit.

"Well, can't say you're wrong Golden Nugget, timing was never my strong suit! Besides, with a place as big as this, I'm surprised I even stumbled upon y'all" He said.

So was I, and as much as I love him, I have to agree with him and Miquella. More often than not I'd have to wait for a loooong while before he'd show up to our training sessions. I learned soon that if I needed punctuality from someone here who wasn't the Golden Boy, I'd just go to Morgott instead.

"That, I can confirm" Aunt Rennala said, sounding a little like a tired teacher, getting her son's attention "Took him two decades to learn how to move around Caria Manor" She approached him, smiling warmly "And how are the things east of Limgrave, my Son?" She asked him. 

"Oh, hi Mother! My apologies for not noticing you before" He took a step to hug her briefly before speaking "Things are good! Better than ever. The castle was finished right before my departure, so I can't wait to show it to you all!" He said, and I chuckled.

'Talk about a kid who just got a new toy' I thought to myself.

"Getting ahead of yourself again, aren't you? We've got at least two celebrations on our hands already, and you're already thinking about a third?" Aunt Rennala said.

"Of course! And we'll have many more, Mother, I can assure you!" I wonder what in the world could put this man in a bad mood, not even my curse got that smile out of his face when it manifested itself for the first time.

'It's gonna take a lot more than that to knock my Tiny Dancer down!!' I remembered him saying to my Mother after the Rot took away my right arm. Oh, he calls me 'Tiny Dancer' because the way I swing my sword since I was little, saying that it looked like a dance.

We were about to start a conversation when Miquella remembered why we were here in the first place.

"Yeah, yeah, I like a good party as much as anyone else" Miquella said "Well, maybe not Rykard, but that's beside the point, we still have to see our parents, right Malenia?" He gave me the 'You're not making me stand here watching you two talk about swords for an entire hour again' look.

"So, if you two don't mind waiting a little more to go full barbarian and start destroying the palace like in the good old days, I would like to take Malenia to greet Mother and Father real quick" He concluded, Trying his best not to seem very annoyed at the Big Boy's... Unique behavior that I was always so fond of.

"Haha! Haven't changed a bit, Little Man, don't worry about me, I can wait a little longer, no problem! Still gotta congratulate Rykard for the wedding, that is if I ever manage to find him, would you care to assist me, Mother? I still got some talking to do with you anyway" And as my Aunt agreed, we went our separate ways.

***

"Princess Malenia the Severed and Prince Miquella the Unalloyed!" The messenger announced, as we entered our parents bedroom.

Mother was uncharacteristically affectionate towards Father, holding him on a tight hug. Not that this was a rare occurrence, she was pretty affectionate to all of us, she just preferred to do it away from our servants.

Guess today is an exception, because as soon as she laid her eyes on us we were caught on a equally tight double hug, wich was really nice, even if the size difference between Miquella and me made the whole thing quite silly looking.

"We missed you too, Mother!" Miquella said, and I nodded in agreement, as she held us a little longer "But I could really breathe now if you don't mind..." He added.

Mother finally seemed to notice just how much pressure she was putting on that hug. She is surprisingly strong, given her relatively thin figure, she's in really good shape, her bright blonde hair was braided over her shoulder and falling down in front of her chest. As usual she was wearing black, looking at us with her silver eyes.

"My apologies, Miquella, I got carried away" She said, as she released us, and before I could come back to my senses, I was grabbed on another surprise attack from Father. Miquella was quick to dodge that one, but I was lifted on a second bear hug today.

"It's so good to see you again, Tiny Dancer! Look at your arm! You got stronger! And your skin looks so good as well!" Father commented, squeezing my left arm, while holding me in his arms.

I was, indeed, stronger after my recovery, as for my skin, well, the both of us were always pale as milk since birth, so I couldn't really tell if I looked that better, but I chose not to comment on that.

"Thanks, Father, is good to see you too! Ready for a rematch already? I'm dying to show you my new moves!" I've been training really hard during the months of my recovery.

I was really surprised to find out just how much the Rot hindered me. Besides deforming me (which was already a pain by itself) by taking away two of my limbs, and then making me temporarily blind, it also made my muscles more rigid, which I only noticed after being freed of my curse.

"And I'm dying to see them. What do you think, Sparring Hall? About an hour from now?" He asked, and simply nodded in return.

"Three minutes at home and they're already fighting again" Mother said to Miquella, letting a happy sigh escape her mouth.

"You should've seen her with Radahn. Seriously, I don't know what's with you warriors and constantly picking fights!" Miquella stated to Mother as they looked at us.

I was gesturing to Father a new posture for blocking I had developed, and he was paying full attention to me, probably just making sure that I was actually there in front of him.

"Oh, so he's here too?" Mother asked.

"Yes, Aunt Rennala and Ranni too. We've arrived together, but Ranni went to her room to get some rest, meanwhile Radahn went after Rykard with their mother. Seems like they had some matters to address as well, and speaking of Rykard, do you have any ideia of where he is, Mother?" Miquella inquired.

"This is my city Miquella, I should know everything about every guest we have here" Mother said, the authority of her voice slowly coming back now that she was more relaxed. 

"So... That's a 'no'?" Miquella asked.

Mother sighed "Yes, that's a 'no'".

"Can't say I'm surprised. He's probably at a bar with his bride, a young couple on a Friday? At Golden Week? Yeah, they're not showing up anytime soon" Miquella took a seat at Mother's reading chair, stretching a bit, before continuing "How about Godwyn and the twins? Where are they?"

"Godwyn went to our hunting grounds. He said something about 'Providing a feast worthy of the gods' to the both of you, wouldn't surprise me to see him drag an adult runebear on his shoulder before dinner" She playfully said.

"Talk about a show off" Miquella said, faking disinterest, as Mother smirked softly at his reaction, he smiled back.

"I'm sure he missed you too. As for the twins, Morgott was helping the Housemaids with the Dining Hall's decoration, so you can probably find him there, and Mohg..."

"The Lab?" Miquella asked, rhetorically.

"Where else?" Mother answered, a little annoyed by that fact, I couldn't blame her.

16 years living inside this castle and I rarely got to see Mohg outside of family events. Even if Morgott was not a 'people person' he always seemed to get along with pretty much all of us, and with the servants as well.

I remember him reading stories of ancient wars between dragons and cosmic beings to Ranni, Miquella and me when we were young, but I guess the 'polar opposite personalities' syndrome between twins is more powerful than I gave it credit initially, probably because Ranni was the one to come up with the theory in the first place, but enough thinking about her.

Going back to Mother's first pair of twins. Both were cursed as well, born Omens, which means that they're a little taller than us, with gray skin and hair, and both have horns all around their bodies, which doesn't seem to bother Mohg that much, but Morgott usually trims some of his to look less 'repulsive' as he says, which is complete nonsense to me, but it's his choice so what can we do.

I gotta get to my room before reuniting with Father at the Sparring Hall. Since I carried all of my stuff with me it meant that I always had to do the unpacking after our trips, so I better get that done with as soon as I can.

"Excuse me, Mother, but I have to get ready for-" I began, but she quickly got my point. 

"Yes, Malenia, you can go. We'll catch up later today, go have your fun, you deserve it" Punctuating the sentence with a warm smile.

And there it was, the stern and surprisingly soft tone she used normally to address our servants, and, on occasion, when she wanted to keep a better grip at herself. She must be having to deal with a lot right now, I have to remember asking her if there's anything wrong.

I gave her one final hug before leaving the room, Grace, it was good to be back.

~~~

As Malenia left to go prepare herself for a magnificent display of the most primitive traditions our family kept alive, I was left with our parents in their room.

Father was about to follow suit with Malenia, but made a quick stop to give me the hug I somehow managed to dodge before. I like hugs as much as anyone, but when you're trapped inside the body of a 12 year old, you end up learning that bear hugs are especially dangerous coming from a man who literally killed giants with his bare hands, and that's our Father.

Radagon, Champion of the Golden Order. Scarlett hair just like Malenia, rough pale skin, and golden eyes. Honestly I don't think Mother would've been able to win the war against the outer gods without him.

The hug he gave me now was way less intense then the one Malenia received, thank Grace he remembered I was not built like them.

"It's good to see you too, Father. Your spell helped a lot in her recovery, couldn't have saved her eyes without it" I said, referring to an impressively powerful healing Incantation he tough me before we left to the Haligtree.

"I'm glad to hear that, but how are you doing? Wasn't the treatment to harsh on you? Combining Sorceries and Incantations must have been extremely demanding, more so on a body like yours" He was visibly concerned, rightfully so.

Treating Malenia took a lot of time and uninterrupted effort from the both of us, if it wasn't for the spell he'd tough me, we'd both be dead by now. Even if death isn't permanent in the Lands Between, it would take decades for the two of us to return by the power of Grace.

"We're both okay, Father, thanks to you" I smiled at him.

Satisfied with my answer he took his leave, leaving me alone with Mother now.

She was quiet, so I took my time to analyze her. Shoulders slightly tense, avoiding eye contact, fidgeting with her hands, and given how hard she was holding me and Malenia earlier it's safe to assume that something isn't quite right.

"Does Father know?" I asked, no need to beat around the bush.

She sighed "Yes, we were talking about it before the two of you arrived" So there is something bothering her, the million Rune question is...

"What is it?" I got closer to her. Grace, it's so annoying having to look up to talk to everyone.

"Just a few ghosts from my past, nothing I haven't dealt with before" She said dismissively "No need to worry, my Son" Gotta be real bad if she's calling me 'my Son'.

I used to hear Mother calling me that term only after a long pep talk about responsibility, usually after getting Malenia and Ranni into trouble.

"Are you sure you're okay? If you need anything..." I asked.

Do I really believe that I can get something out of her? Not really, but I can't just give up. If I did, it would make her suspicious, I have to make her believe she talked me out of it.

"I'm fine, Miquella. Thanks for caring so much, but there really isn't anything you could help me with, but I really appreciate your concern" She finished, giving me a warm smile, almost convincing me she was actually fine, almost.

"Well, I'm here if you need anything, Mother" I said.

There's no use in trying to get something out of her. Men more patient than me had tried and failed at such endeavor. I would need a more subtle approach, but that can wait.

I had yet to see the rest of my family, and this stupid body doesn't have nearly enough endurance as I'd like, so I'm getting tired already.

I finished our conversation with a short embrace, before heading out.

"Guess I'm gonna see how Morgott's doing with the Dining Hall, see you later, Mother!" I said, then left the room.

~~~

"Like this?" I asked Lucia, who's standing at the other side of the Dining Hall, she's one of our housemaids, a good company I grew accustomed to over the years.

She's helping me adjust the curtains at the main window of the Hall to be symmetrical. I'm taller than the servants, so I offered myself to help them with the decoration. Truth be told, they could do it without my help with no problem, but these kinds of events always make me a little nervous, so I like to occupy my hands with something to help remedy with my anxiety.

"Almost, a little more to the right..." Lucia said.

She was looking at me from the center of the room, close to the entrance, right behind the large dining table that centered the Hall.

"There! Perfect, thank you for your help, Prince Morgott" she exclaimed "You really didn't have to bother with such trivialities, but I'm thankful all the same".

"I'm glad to be useful" I said, backing away to look at my work beside her "And there's no need for formalities, please. I told you that there's no need to use my title every time we speak" She blushed a little at my comment, looking down slightly embarrassed.

"I know, still, it feels... Strange, disrespectful even, but i'll try, Prin- Morgott" She said, looking back at me.

She doesn't really have any unique features to her face. She's a young woman, light skin, with brown eyes and dark brown hair, tied in a low ponytail. She takes care of most of the Palace's matters, and has been a good company to me since a few years back.

We had a shared interest in ancient History, so we talked a lot about a plethora of books, theories, and all kinds of things. She helped me get more comfortable around people, and even offered to accompany me to visit the Capital, an offer I was still unsure I could accept, but she said that I didn't have to reply immediately. She's really considerate, and it's really nice having a friend like her.

"See, it's not that hard" I said, with a little smirk "I guess we're all done here, right? Anything else I can help with?" She was about to answer when the door behind us was opened.

"There you are!" Said my younger brother.

He looked the exact same way I last saw him four years ago. Bright blonde hair, golden eyes, and that unique aura he had, so innocent yet so intense. Miquella is finally back.

"Wow! You guys did a great job with this place, looks so good I almost forgot the vivid image of Radahn vomiting all over the place during the Memorial Day" He joked.

"Don't make me remember that, please" I said, then took a moment to look at him. Wearing white robes, as always, compared to me he looks like a toddler "Is good to see you, Brother"

"You too, but I can't hug you properly from down here. C'mon, don't make me jump!" He said, opening his arms and waiting for my response, which I immediately gave, moving down to hold him "That's better. Good to see you, Brother! You too, Lucia!" He said, over my shoulder.

"I'm honored, young Prince. Your presence here surely brings more life into the castle!" Lucia responded "If the two Princes may excuse me, I have to check on the kitchen" She made a small reverence, then after Miquella nodded at her, she left to the kitchen. 

After she was gone, Miquella released himself from my embrace, put a hand on his hip, gave me a smug look, and said.

"I heard you two behind the door, Mr. No formalities" I froze in place "Good taste though. She's a good woman, and the two of you look cute together" He said, using that child like tone he tormented all of us with "Does Mother knows you're fancying a Housemaid?"

I was completely taken aback "She- we- I-!" I stumbled upon my words.

Grace, now I was the one blushing, or at least i would be if my skin allowed that to show.

He chuckled, looking at me with an apologetic expression "Relax, Morgott, you're not committing a crime. It's nice to see that you have someone, that's all. After all I gotta put my hopes of seeing one of my siblings ever getting married somewhere. Think about it, Godwyn would probably marry his own reflection before finding someone he deemed 'worthy' of his time, and Mohg is... Well, Mohg. You're the best option here, Mister Charming" He finished giggling at me.

"I don't have someone, Miquella, and most important, I don't have her. She's a friend, nothing more. Besides... You know I'm not someone... Suitable, for any relationship of that kind" I said.

Before he could give me a retort, I noticed something about his previous statement.

"What about Malenia? You didn't mentioned her..." He let a small smile escape his lips, and I knew exactly what he was thinking "Grace, she's with someone?!" I asked, a little surprised, after all, she was Malenia.

The little girl would spend literal weeks out in the wild all by herself. Not quite the 'needy' type if you ask me. And yet, that thought made me genuinely happy for her. She is my little Sister, and considering all the things she's been through, she really deserves someone to help her in ways that we couldn't. Arguably her curse was the worst between the four of us, a lot of weight to bear alone, if you ask me.

"No, Morgott, she's not with anyone... Yet" He admitted, quickly backing off "But calm down, will ya? That's all you're gonna get from me" He said, assuming a defensive posture at the end.

So Malenia does have her eyes on someone. Makes sense now that I think about it. After so many years being unable to get close to the regular folk for extended periods of time, saying that she didn't care about it. Perhaps she was just keeping her loneliness to herself, even our maids had to take precautions to even touch her belongings. But now I wonder who would Malenia have her eyes on, certainly a warrior, or a hunter, darn it. Miquella got me really curious now.

"You can't say something like that and just shrug it off, Miquella" I protested.

I'll admit, curiosity got the better of me, maybe it is genetic, because the only one of us who never really cared about that kind of stuff is Mohg, other than him, we were always a pretty nosy family.

"Yes, I can, and I just did" If his appearance made it difficult to see him as an adult, his behaviour certainly made it impossible.

"It's bad luck to go out saying things about relationships that aren't official yet. So I will also let your 'friendship' with Lucia aside as well, think of that as an offering of peace. Now, wanna eat something? I'm starving!" He said, and as much as I was annoyed at him, I can't deny that I was really nice to have him back.

I sighed "Fine, let's go get you something" Guess I'll have to wait and see who would be the soul chosen to handle our Tiny Dancer.

~~~

As I walked towards my room, I couldn't stop thinking about Miquella's strange behavior just a few minutes ago.

While the four of us were walking together I got the felling that he was constantly staring at me. Nothing really concerning so far, if I hadn't known him for literally his whole life to know that those eyes almost  never focused on anything or anyone for more than a few seconds, that is if he isn't really focused on something, question is...

'Why was he so focused on my face?' Whatever it was, I just do not have the patience to think about now, I just want to get to my room and-

"Stars! what is this smell?!" I exclaimed, as I suddenly felt a strong metallic odor invading my nostrils.

I looked to the side, and there's my answer, Mohg's Lab.

I was so absorbed into my thoughts that I didn't notice where I was. I could wait until I was fully rested to come and say 'hi', but this place is insufferably large for me to walk all the way back here, so I knocked.

... No answer.

Once more.

"Yes?" he said from the inside.

"It's me. Just passed by to see if you were still alive, you do know that sunlight won't kill you, right?" I answered.

Shortly after, I heard the sound of the lock, the door was swung open, and that smell got even stronger. I'm glad I'm used to pungent fragrances because this, whatever it is, could really make someone throw up just by sniffing it.

Mohg greeted me with a nod, no surprise, he's not a hugger. He is a little taller than Radahn, horns all over his face, unlike Morgott, who trimmed some of his, Mohg let his horns grow naturally, I always respected him for that, who cares what people think about your looks anyway.

"Humph, look who's talking" He jabbed back "So, you're looking for a rematch? I'm quite busy right now, as you might have noticed" He said, going back into the lab.

I took a look around while I followed him. The place always made me a little uncomfortable. Despite being quite large, the dim lighting and the lack of windows made it feel really claustrophobic at times.

He stopped by one of the many working stations he had here, each covered with a myriad of flasks, books, alchemical ingredients, and a bunch of other trinkets, all of which were precisely placed and tagged.

"I can see you're busy, or smell it to be more accurate. Don't worry, I'm just passing by, and I'm not here for a rematch. Unless, of course, you're so desperate to lose again" I smirked, and he scoffed.

I might not be as good at playing Chess as him and Miquella, but I managed to win quite a few of our games, and made sure to mock the living hell out of him each time. Call me a bad winner, I don't care, I've earned those victories.

Anyway, I liked playing Chess with him, as we usually have good conversations during our games. We've developed this weird relationship based on our mutual interest for alternative sources of magic, among other things, like the fact that we're both not really close to our respective biological siblings.

He kept working on something I couldn't see for a while "Are they here already?" He asked.

Straight to the point, aren't you? What about 'Hey, it's been a while, how are you?' Not that I really care.

Guess I'm just tired from the trip "Yup, we've stumbled across each other at the entrance, they went to see your parents" I answered.

"Mhhm, and how were they?" He could try all he wanted to seem like a cold detached hermit, which he pretty much is anyway, but deep down he had a soft spot, if you have the patience to dig. Only took me ten years, but hey, it worked.

"They're fine. Miquella was a little tired from the trip, well, who wouldn't be? I got some complaints about mine as well, that stupid Cuckoo Knight almost broke my-"

"And Malenia?" He asked, not taking his eyes from whatever it was in front of him.

"What about her?" I replied.

Okay, maybe I was messing with him a little too much, but I just can't help it.

He sighed "Drop the act, will you? We're beyond your childish bickering with her. I know you care, so how's she?" Sheesh. Someone is not in the mood for jokes today.

I sighed "She's fine. Got her eyes back. Thankfully the treatment worked, and doesn't seem to have affected her personality as well, she still as delicate as a horse kick, good to know you care so much. Never took you for a sentimental type" I said, trying to keep a dismissive tone.

"You'd be surprised" He said, holding a flask filled with some red liquid in front of his eyes "And how about you? Are you okay?" He inquired, still focused on his flask.

Well, that caught me off guard.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I asked back, covering my mouth with one hand. The smell had gotten even stronger, and I was starting to feel a little dizzy.

He took a moment to put the flask down "Nevermind. Go have your rest, this substance is not good for you, and I don't want the Carian Queen lecturing me to death for getting you sick" He gave a small chuckle at the end, finally some humor, or as close to that as he could get "Besides, I have to pay full attention to this solution. Can't have any distractions, till we meet again, Little Witch" He said, while leading me to the door.

I exited his Lab. Stars, what's with these siblings and being obsessed with me today?

Anyway, I'll keep going now. I can come back to these thoughts after a long bath and a good nap. Sad thing is, even if I could sleep until tomorrow, we still had the family dinner tonight, so I can't even have that.

I sighed. This is gonna be a long weekend. 

Chapter Text

"And how are things back at home?" I asked Mother, as we walked through the crowded streets of the Capital, still looking for Rykard.

I had suggested we go look for him at the 'Tears of Gold', an alehouse where we used to have the best of times together. Sure, nothing beats the thrill of a battle to me, but I have to say that there are few things quite like a cold pint of Liurnian Beer, some good music, and the company of a few young beauties to warm the body up!

I recall we had quite a few nights like that, good memories, that's for sure, and the young lad was getting hitched already! Argh, at least he's happy. Well, he must be, the guy was the last man I ever expected to see tie a knot, but Mother always said that 'Destiny likes to trick the fools who think to understand it' Guess she was right.

"Mostly the same" Mother answered "Ranni is still living at the Manor, so I don't get too lonely. Not that I'm afraid of living alone, but it's only a matter of time until that girl gets tired of the Castle and leaves to find her place in the world, much like you did" She said, a bit melancholic, but she was still smiling.

I was about to interject, but she was quick to react "It runs in her blood, Radahn, she can't help it. The world is just too small for the three of you, she'll realize that pretty soon, I'm sure" Mother's trademark lecture like tone making me feel like a stubborn student she was trying to reprehend, just like old times. Still, I'm not giving up that easily.

"The young girl is growing up, it's only natural that she needs her own space, but even if she does, I wouldn't worry that much. The girl literally worships you! Surely she's not gonna just leave ya like that" I tried comforting her.

Good old Mother was emotional ever since Father and her separated, she always said it was for the better, that there was no happiness for them in a future together, but I knew she was hurting a lot at the time.

Having young Ranni by her side helped a lot, especially after I moved away, and Rykard was never at home anyway. Despite technically living there, he was always away on diplomatic missions, and now he's basically gonna be gone for good.

"People change, Radahn" She said, still smiling softly "I know it's sad, but I can see it in her eyes. She's not fulfilled, and she needs a purpose, something that I can't, and wouldn't give her even if I could. No parent has the right to force its will upon their children. She must discover what motivates her by herself, and go find it wherever it is"

Ha! Queen Rennala can't afford to lose an argument, can she? Well, I guess she's right to an extent. Some things aren't worth fighting against.

'No matter how strong you are, remember, we're all dust, waiting for our return to the stars. True strength lies not in the matter, for it's only temporary' My master used to say, while I was training at Sellia. He says that we can fight all we want, but time will inevitably take us all sooner or later.

"I agree. She's gotta find her way, knowing her she'll do it in no time, unquiet like she's always been. But enough about the Little Blizzard. Let's talk about someone who actually found his way, are you excited for the first born finally settling down?" I asked, changing the topic, trying to cheer her up a little.

Maybe talking about Rykard would do just that. We're quite alike, me and Rykard, sure he is smaller, and has darker hair, which he always kept at shoulder length at most. He's quite the charming man as well, with a defined jawline, that looked really nice with his Anchor style beard.

She left out a small chuckle "Yes, Radahn, I am happy for him, as I would, and hopefully will be, for you and Ranni too. Sure, his announcement took me by surprise. Only one month staying at Mount Gelmir and he found the supposed 'love of his life', and proposed to her already. A bit odd, but it's not totally absurd, and I of all people should know better. After all I met your Father while we're on opposite sides of a battlefield" She playfully said.

"Sounds pretty romantic to me. Finding a nice young lady in the middle of a battle!? Always liked the kind of girl who's got the guts for that kind of action!" Mother rolled her eyes, and I laughed at that.

"Sure, Romantic Boy" She said with an amused roll of her eyes.

It got silent for a bit, and after a few steps she changed the topic "And how are things at Caelid? Anything new?" She got more serious.

I changed my tone to match hers, and after a quick sigh I began "The Stars stand undisturbed, but that will surely change pretty soon. It's always like this, this... Stillness, it bothers me to the core, is the 'Calm before the storm'. Mark my words, Mother"

She got a bit nervous after I said that, so I tried to soothe her worries "But we'll be ready. I got my best men ready to act on anything out of the ordinary if I don't get back there in time" I quickly added.

"You'll be leaving right after the wedding, aren't you?" She asked, with a hint of guilt to her voice.

I sighed "Unfortunately. I really wished to stay for a little longer, but even without the mission you gave me, Redmane still needs me. It's alright, Mother, seriously. I'm glad just to be here for my family" I put my hand on her shoulder and smiled at her, trying to comfort her once again.

She looked at me with apologetic eyes "We'll make up for it after this is all dealt with, I promise" She said, and I grabbed her in brief one arm hug.

"I'm sure we will" I said.

We separated, and she wiped a single tear from her eye, then smiled back at me.

"But enough thinking about the future when the present is still on our door. So, tell me about your Castle, I want to know everything" She said, and we went back to our walk towards the Pub.

~~~

"What kind of place is this?" She asked, as we stood by the entrance to 'Tears of gold', my favorite alehouse in the Capital.

"This, my dear, is where life stops passing you by, and where you start to live" I answered, as I opened the double swinging doors to allow her to enter "After you" She gave me a unsure look, but followed my lead all the same.

We got into the establishment and...

"Good Grace! Look who's back! The talk of the town himself. What miracle brought you back here, Rykard?" Saul, the bartender and owner of the place, greeted me from behind the bar.

"Aye, Saul! Bet you though you'd got rid of me, didn't you? I'm here with My Lady, showing her the Capital" I gestured to the young blonde by my side, she nodded her head, still a bit nervous.

The place was quite empty, save for a few lone customers here and there, as expected from the middle of an afternoon. Even on Golden Week Friday, most people didn't really frequented bars until the evening.

I'm glad, My Lady isn't too fond of crowded spaces, and I wouldn't bring her to somewhere she would be uncomfortable in. She's still quite a bit anxious though, but she'll get used to the place in no time.

Saul looked at her, and after a short reverence said "I see. Well, I don't know why my friend chose to bring you here of all places, but I'm glad to be at your service. Might not be much, but it's honest work, so please, make yourself at home! It's an honor to meet you, Lady..."

"Tanith" She answered "And the honor is all mine, good Sir" Finishing with a reverence of her own.

Saul got a little embarrassed by her formalities, blushing a little and waving his hands "Please, my Lady, I'm not worthy of such praise" He tried to explain.

"Please, good Sir, I insist. From where I come we believe that every man should be treated respectfully by anyone who is granted the honor of being invited to his home. You're the owner of this place and a close friend to Rykard, so I'm honored to be your guest" She finished, and my friend was taken aback by her demeanor.

"By the Queen! I knew she would be too good for you, Rykard, but wasn't expecting her to be too good for this world! I'm flattered, my Lady, but you give me too much credit. I'm nothing but a humble waiter, but if it is your desire, consider yourself more than welcome here!" He bowed his head a little, then picked up two glasses and moved to the back of the bar to grab a bottle "Now c'mon in, the two of you. Today's on me, my gift for one of my best customers and his Ravishing future Wife!"

As we took our seats, he served us two drinks, an 'Old Fashioned' for me, and a 'Rimed Rowa Wine' to Tanith. Quite the pick, I have to say, the drink is famous to be extremely easy on inexperienced drinkers, and would be quite popular if it wasn't for the fact that it's quite expensive, as it's made from a fruit extremely difficult to cultivate. My Lady left quite the first impression on him.

We began to sip on our drinks, and Tanith was pleasantly surprised by her Wine. Her face softened after a taste of the liquid.

She looks better when she isn't tense, not to brag about it, but she's quite the catch. Pale blonde hair, defined facial features, yet she had a softness to her figure, silk smooth fair skin, with some freckles here and there, expressive green eyes, yet she was still difficult to read most of the time.

Our relationship is mostly for convenience, sure, but I wouldn't mind waking up to a sight like this every morning, if only Fate was kind enough to allow me that.

"So, tell me Lovebirds, how'd you two met?" Saul asked the both of us.

I smiled a little. Funny how every conversation started the same way recently. I wonder if every couple has to put up with this, but I like our story, so I don't mind repeating it once again.

I looked at Tanith for a moment, just to be sure I was the one who's gonna tell it this time. After she confirmed with her eyes, I began.

"I was sent to Mount Gelmir three months ago on a diplomatic mission. It was during the Winter Solstice, so there were lots of dancing, singing and other local traditions. So, I was enjoying the local festivities, while waiting for my audience with the famous 'Lady of Volcano Manor' the next day. Suddenly I see this masked young woman in the middle of the crowd, dancing like Autumn leaves carried by a gentle breeze" That got a playful roll of eyes from Tanith.

"I was mesmerized, so enchanted by her sight that before I could realize, she was gone, 'puff', lost in the middle of the ever moving mass. I made my way through the sea of motions, noises and scents, but I couldn't find her. And after hours searching for this mysterious dancer, I stopped by a nearby food stand, contemplating my loss. I was staring at the bottom of my glass when I heard a voice behind me saying..."

"Could you move a little to the side, please?" Tanith finished for me. This whole thing was already engraved on our brains.

I smiled at her, before continuing "... So I moved, looked at the lady who just took the spot beside me and..."

"There I was" She said, smiling a little while looking at me.

I took a moment to look at her eyes. She might be clear as mud sometimes, but I know she likes hearing this story, it was subtle, but there was a little spark in her eyes everytime we told this story.

"There you were..." I said, then turned back to Saul "Of course I didn't know who she was at the time. Obviously a masked woman wouldn't want to be recognized, blending in to enjoy the event, which is way easier when no one can see your face"

"Indeed. A common practice amongst the Nobles. Well, among those who care enough to be seen mingling with the masses at least. Nothing you ever had a problem with, my friend" He commented with a smirk, looking at me while polishing an empty glass "So, what happened then?"

"I was in pure disbelief. I felt like my eyes and ears were tricking me, but I got back to my senses and acted quickly, couldn't afford another chance of losing this girl. I introduced myself, and she said her name was Rya. I offered to buy her something, anything from the stand we were in, she declined. At first I just thought she was trying to rebuff my advances politely, but then I realized she was just being careful not to put herself in a situation where she had to take the mask off, so I decided to work with the tools I was given, being pretty sure 'Rya' wasn't her real name either. So I tried to get the one thing I hoped she was willing to give me, a dance. So I asked her, 'cause if I couldn't get her face, or even her name, I was hell bent on not losing this one chance to have a dance with this lady"

Saul smiled, shaking his head in a way that said 'Of course you were', clearly amused to see me so enchanted by this one mysterious girl.

He would never use the word 'romantic' to describe me, but 'obsessed' would probably be at the top of his list.

"She thankfully acquiesced to my plead, so we danced, more than a few songs, and I was transfixed by those green eyes, savouring every moment of our short lived embrace. Then came our inevitable departure, and I asked if I would ever see her again, and she said..." I turned to look at Tanith again.

"I wish I could say 'yes', but sometimes destiny is not so kind, as to grant one the power of a choice" She said, mimicking the sorrowful tone she used at the time.

"Quite the first encounter, I have to admit" Saul said.

"You have no idea. I spent the next twelve hours thinking about those moments, and how I would cherish each and every one of them. The next day I woke up to my meeting with the Noble I had almost forgotten was the sole reason for me being there. I went to the Manor, walked through the doors, and..."

"There I was" She said, chuckling softly at me.

"There you were" 

Saul was grinning from ear to ear by now, I couldn't blame him.

"And the rest, as they say, is History" I finished.

"Indeed, but I'm still curious about how a Fair Lady like you fell for a Tippler like Rykard" He gestured to me and quickly added "No offense".

"None taken" I shrugged.

Tanith stopped to think about his question, looking at me for a bit "Honestly? I haven't figured it out as well" Saul chuckled a bit "Can't say I love everything about this man. Actually there's quite a lot to despise in him, but he have his moments, not many, but he makes up for the quantity. No one surprised me like he did" She finished reaching for my hand, while smiling at me, I smiled back and-

"There you are!!" Tanith jumped out of her seat, as did everyone else at the Pub.

The reason for that disturbance was grabbing me by the shoulders on a hug before I could even think of anything to say.

"Stars, Radahn, he's not Malenia, you can't just go out grabbing your Brother like that" A second familiar voice said "My apologies, Mister. My son has a lot of affection within him" Mother said, looking at Saul with a hint of embarrassment.

"Compared to what these boys used to do here, I'm glad they're only hugging!" Saul laughed behind me, I was still entrapped on a suffocating bear hug.

"G-good to know y- haven't gotten soft, Radahn" I managed to say, and he finally released me. I took a second to breath.

"Neither did you, huh? And this young beauty must be..." He looked at Tanith, who seemed a little less stunned by the whole situation now.

"I'm... Tanith. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, General Radahn, Rykard told me a lot about you" She managed to say.

"Please, we're all family here, there's no need to call me 'General', and the pleasure is all mine" He made a quick reverence "I believe you already know our Mother" Radahn gestured to Mother, who approached the bar to greet us.

"Yes, I do. It's nice to meet you again, Queen Rennala" She moved from her seat to greet Mother.

"You too!" They hugged softly, and I finally managed to catch my breath.

"Stars, I never thought I would miss your hugs, Brother, but... No, still don't miss them" I stretched my back, feeling a few 'cracks' here and there, while Radahn laughed at my comment "So, how was the trip? I suppose you two have just arrived" I asked them, sipping my drink after recomposing myself.

"Observant as always. Yes, we've just arrived and went out looking for you" Radahn said "As for the trip, I've got no complains, Leonard did the whole course in no time!" My Brother said, proud about his horse.

'What a surprise' I scoffed internally.

"Same for me, though Ranni wasn't as pleased with the whole experience as I was" Mother said, finishing with a small sigh.

"Let me guess, she yelled at the coachman?" I raised an eyebrow at her.

Mother sighed again, nodding her head as she did so.

"Excuse me, I'm just a bit curious. How'd you know they just arrived, Rykard?" Tanith asked me.

"Oh, that? Radahn told me" I said.

"When?" She and Radahn asked together.

"While I was trapped in those weapons of mass destruction he calls his 'arms', giving me a good taste of Leonard's noxious scent"

"HAHA! You got me there, Brother, really need to get ready for the night! Gotta look good for the twins' welcome home reception" He said, holding the lapels of his shirt at the 'look good' part.

"And how are they? Have you seen them already?" I inquired.

"Better than ever! Our Tiny Dancer is blooming with life, not a single trace of the Scarlett Rot left on her body! All thanks to the Little Man, quite the pair, those two!" He answered.

So Miquella had indeed cured Malenia. This is really interesting.

"I'm glad to hear that" I said, then Mother interjected, putting a hand on Radahn's shoulder.

"We came to see how you two were, and Radahn wanted to congratulate you for your engagement, but perhaps it is not the best occasion?" Mother said, referring to the attention we were drawing to our little family reunion.

Some of the lone drinkers were quite shocked by Radahn's entrance, and as much as Saul wouldn't mind our... 'Behavior', I wanted to make Tanith feel comfortable here, and my Brother just isn't going to help with that.

"Well, as much as I would love to relive the glory days with my Brother, we can't really stay for much longer. I still gotta take Tanith to a few more places, we just stopped by to get a quick break from all the walking, and after our little tour we shall head to the Castle and prepare for the family dinner" I said, trying not to seem too cold.

Radahn looked visibly frustrated, and after a sigh he said "Well, guess I can't really say that I'm surprised, but I just wanted to give you my good wishes and that's already taken care of!" He smiled, putting a hand on my shoulder.

Sometimes even I forget that he's younger, due to how larger than me he is.

"Besides, I still gotta take care of my own 'preparations' for the night as well. Gotta get rid of Leonard's stink!" He said, laughing out loud, and as he did, Mother took notice of something behind his head, buried under his messy locks.

"Radahn, is this a twig?" Mother questioned him, picking a impressively large twig from his hair.

"What? Oh, won't you look at that! So that is what was tickling so much back there!" My Brother said, laughing hysterically before Mother grabbed his ear.

"Ow! Mother, why?!" He said.

"I told you ONE THOUSAND times, Radahn. Clean yourself properly. How long has it been since the last time you bathed?!" Mother inquired, using a tone me and my siblings learned to fear pretty soon while growing up.

"Y-yesterday..." He answered, Mother's hand still on his ear.

"Don't lie to your Mother! I need to take care of this, if you excuse me" She said to me and Tanith, and then turned back to Radahn "We shall take our leave, Radahn. There's still too much to be done at the Palace, starting with that smell" Mother said, analyzing him as if she was correcting a poorly done test.

"Stars, and look at your skin! I understand sleeping in the dirt, but you don't need to bury your head in it!" She continued, using a tone of disapproval, then sighed "I'll see the two of you tonight, first I have to find my son under all of... This" She joked, and proceeded to lead/drag Radahn out of the Pub.

Tanith was smiling at the whole scene, I looked at her.

"Told you, my family is quite... Unusual" I said, a little embarrassed.

"I loved it. I can see why you like them so much" She stated, happily returning to her drink, while Saul was serving another customer.

"Well, they're far from perfect, that's for sure, but they got their moments, not a lot of them, but they never fail to surprise me" I smiled at her, and she leaned a bit into me.

"I guess I'll enjoy being a part of this" She said, her eyes closed, and I have to admit, I was quite excited by the idea as well.

~~~

"Ready to regret teaching me how to use a sword?" I said to Father, as he was getting ready for our sparring match, picking up a Warhammer and giving it a few warm up swings.

Meanwhile I was ready to start, my katana on my right hand already.

"Ha! Like I had a choice, you could barely walk the first time I saw you waving a dagger, looking at it like it was the most precious thing in your life. Your Mother almost killed me for leaving you alone in here without supervision" He said, smirking at me.

I chuckled "I barely remember that, a dagger? Hate to say it, but Mother was in her right to kill you back then"

He shrugged, and started to strafe around me "Well, wouldn't have been the first, nor last time she'll get that upset with me. But back then I knew, a warrior's blood boiled inside of you, an ember, waiting to grow strong and powerful"

"And you made sure to keep feeding that ember, didn't you? Started my training not too long after that" I chuckled.

"Sure did, so, what do you say, Tiny Dancer..." He stopped, looking right into my eyes "Ready to let it burn?" He took his stance, and I followed suit.

The room was completely silent for a few seconds, we analyzed each other, waiting for the first move.

Suddenly he shifted, less than a second later his hammer was inches away from my left side, as he had charged impressively fast to deliver a powerful overhead attack.

Impressive, so he's not holding back, good, because I wasn't going to hold myself back either.

CRASH

His hammer hit the floor, and had he been using his own Warhammer the whole floor would've collapsed collapsed at impact.

This simple stone hammer on the other hand ends up hindering Father's capabilities, considering he has to restrain himself to keep the weapon from breaking at impact as well.

Noticing the absence of his target (me), he was quick to turn his head, predicting my next move, just to find my arm in the middle of a wind-upa.

I was about to hit an overhead attack myself. He is stronger, that is a fact, but he's still not as fast as my eyes. I can react to each of his moves in record time, but as I was about to hit his left shoulder, he managed to duck at the last second, probably realized that there was not enough time to block my strike with his hammer.

Still, as he dodged away, I saw the subtle, but very real cut on his trapezoid.

'Too slow, old man' I thought.

I smirked at him, as he noticed the small wound, and then left out a impressed whistle.

"First blood, Kiddo, not bad" We locked eyes "Wanna try again?" He asked, and before I could even think, he was back in front of me, even faster this time.

His hammer in- Wait, where is it?! I looked at his previous location... He dropped it! When?! Damn it, I was poised to block longer ranged moves, my reaction time won't match, shit!

He got me now, throwing a gut punch that knocked me into the other side of the Sparring Hall, the air instantly leaving my lungs.

I rolled a few times, and luckily managed to land on my feet, gasping for air.

"C- che... Cheap shot..." I said, after catching my breath.

"Now we're even" He grinned at me, waiting for me to take my stance back "Ready whenever you are" He clenched his fists, no draw backs from now on...

Nice.

I stood up, took my stance and hissed "Bring it on, Red Wolf!" Time to show him my new tricks.

Once again, complete silence, and in a split second we were charging simultaneously.

Grace, this brings me memories, the impact of his knee against my right arm almost made me shiver. He knows I have the upper hand in a battle of attrition, so he gotta hit, and hit hard.

We traded a few blows. Father hits like a battering ram, but I was getting his rhythm down pretty quickly, managed to deliver a few more superficial cuts here and there.

Meanwhile he was getting more aggressive to compensate for my adaptability, successive blows, each harder than the last, I was backing off, and he was getting confident, good.

I needed to wait for the right opportunity. Too soon and he'll be able to read my movements, too late and I won't be able to capitalize on his opening, it's a tight window.

I kept dodging and blocking, soon enough he would hit from below, just have to wait for it... Wait...

And as he finally tried a low attack, which he expected to naturally force me up, I jumped, making it seem like I was backing away, then quickly locked the hilt of my katana into my forearm, he noticed that just a second too late, it was over for him now.

• • •

Sparring Hall, Leyndell Castle, 06/02/1992 A.E.

"Argh!!" I screamed, after landing a hit on a training dummy.

It burned so much. My right arm is gone, it was only a few days ago, and the pain had barely dimmed. It feels like a thousand needles at the end of my stump, and the bleeding also started again.

I was training, getting used to the idea of fighting with my left arm instead, but I was barely able to keep my balance. It was pitiful, I am pitiful.

How can I ever become a warrior like this?! Cursed, and rotting away.

'I can't even fight a FUCKING PUPPET!' I screamed internally, throwing my sword at the wall.

Grace, why, why, why me?! Why this? I looked at my stump, crimson stains growing in the bandages.

"So this is it?" I murmured to myself, tears starting to emerge from my eyes.

I stood there, crying on the floor for who knows how long, when a sudden noise caught my attention.

The door was opened, I didn't look at who was there, I didn't care, I just want to be alone.

"Yup, you're definitely not left handed" Miquella's voice, he was standing in front of the dummy I barely managed to scratch.

"Go. Away!" I shouted, still looking down, holding my knees with my arms- arm.

"Malenia..." He began.

"What?! Gonna tell me 'everything will be okay' like everyone else?!" I turned to look at him, tears burning in my face "Look at me, Miquella! I'm a monster! People can't even get close to me!" I cried at him.

He got closer, putting a hand on my shoulder "I can, and will never leave. We're gonna handle this, I got something I wanna try" He said, trying to comfort me with a smile.

He wouldn't give up on me, that's who Miquella is. 'Hope'... Humph, what a joke.

I wish I could be hopeful like him, but look what hope gave me, made me believe I had a future just to take it away. But still, I can't just scream at him for trying to help.

I noticed he had something in his hand, a box, I sighed.

"Healing spells don't work, Miquella, Dad's already-"

"This isn't a spell" He said, opening the box in front of me.

I looked inside, as he was picking up a- "Miquella, that's..." I couldn't believe my eyes.

"Yours" He said, showing me the golden prosthetic arm he made for me "Here, lemme help you with it"

He held the prosthesis carefully, and I barely had the chance to process what he did before the golden arm was placed over my stump.

"Miquella, I- how di- when did you build this?!" I looked at him in disbelief.

"Yesterday, designed the project the night you lost you arm" He explained "Go on, try it"

I looked at my new 'arm', it felt... Warm, not only where it touched my stump, I could actually feel it, so I tried moving it.

First my fingers, no response.

"Focus, c'mon, you can do it!" Miquella said.

Took a few tries, but they finally moved, a little  stiff at first, but soon enough the motion became more fluid.

"See, I knew y-" Miquella started, but I cut him of with a tight hug.

It didn't took me long to start crying again. I just can't believe he did this so quickly, Grace, I would never thank him enough.

"I'm glad you liked it" He said jokingly "Seems like I've done a good job, pretty strong grip you got there!"

I noticed just how strong I was holding him "Sorry" I said, a bit embarrassed as I released him.

"No problem, gotta give it a test" He chuckled "So, how does it feel?"

"Strangely familiar, and... Warm"

"Anything else?" I stopped to tink about, it felt normal, it didn't hurt or any-

"It stopped... The pain... Miquella, how?" I looked at him in disbelief.

"It's Unalloyed, no impurities. If my estimations were correct, it should hinder the influence of the outer gods, if only temporarily"

I was speechless, this was a miracle, like a real one. There's no recording of anyone who got even close to repel the influence of the outer gods

"I- I can't begin to thank you enough, Miquella"

"Wait until I show you everything" He said, a smirk on his face while he moved my new forearm in a strange way, and then came the 'click'.

"What's this?!" I said, surprised and confused, looking at the strange mechanism that appeared from the prosthesis.

"It's a handler, for your sword, to make you faster now that there's a larger gap of reaction between your eyes and your hand" He explained.

I looked at my Brother, tears flooding my face once again, a small "Thanks" Was all I could say before hugging him again. Maybe it was all he needed to hear.

At that moment I was sure, whatever it is the future might hold for me, good or bad, I know I can overcome, as long as Miquella is by my side.

• • •

"By the Greater Will, Tiny Dancer! Who taught you how to move like that?!" Father said, laughing out loud while he used a healing spell on himself.

Even I was surprised by how strong my attack was, (it was the first time I tried it on something alive after all). Father's body was soaked with blood, and he couldn't look happier.

"Thought I was gonna stop after the first streak of slashes, didn't you?" I asked, allowing myself a bit of a smugness due to my victory.

"Ha! Sure did. Never seen you keep the pressure like that! It was MAGNIFICENT!" He beamed, just as his wounds were finally healed. He was still covered with dry blood though.

I giggled "Thanks, Father. I've been practicing that one for months, just don't have a name for it yet" I said, taking a seat beside him.

"You haven't gotten soft, and it definitely shows, floating like a feather, relentless, gracious, dancing in the air like a goddess!" He said, hugging me with one arm, and I leaned back in his embrace.

"I'm flattered, such compliments from the Elden Lord himself, can't let that go to my head" I said, chuckling "So, Red Wolf, ready for a rematch, or have I hit you too hard?" I teased.

"Ha! You wish, Kiddo. It's gonna take more than that to bring me down!" He stated, proudly looking at me, then sighed before continuing "But unfortunately we both have other matters to attend, my Tiny Dancer. We still gotta get cleaned up for dinner, especially me" He gestured to his body while I put up a fake disappointed face, and before I could joke about throwing a tantrum he suddenly shouted "I got it!!"

"What?!" Grace, he is just like Miquella.

"Your move, I got a name for it!" He explained, sounding really excited.

"Oh, that" Coming from the man who named his pet wolf 'Pumpkin' I wonder what's it gonna be.

"Let's call it... 'Slashing dance of the Waterfowls' What do you think? Suits your style, has a little bit of finesse to it, don't you think?" I looked at him in silence for a couple of seconds.

'Grace, that's the worst name I've ever heard!' I thought.

Where does he get these ideas from?! Wait, I'm being too harsh, maybe the idea isn't that bad, just needs... some polishing.

"Sounds good... And a bit excessive. Sorry Father, but I was never into long names, maybe a shorter version of it, like... 'Waterfowl Dance' would suit me better" I tried to change it without completely throwing his original idea out of the window.

He took a moment to think about it "Yeah, sounds good like that, it's your move after all. Now, if you may excuse me, it needs more than a Waterfowl Dance to bring me down, but one was certainly enough to get me pretty exhausted to be honest. I really need some rest, and so do you"

I chuckled "Yeah, it's gonna get dark pretty soon. You can go ahead, I'll go clean and sharpen my sword here before leaving" I said as we both stood up.

"Sounds good, see you later, Kiddo" And as he left the room, I started to take care of my katana.

'A true warrior will forget his own name before forgetting to take care of his sword' was engraved along the blade of my katana. I never found out who wrote it, but I took it to heart regardless.

~~~

"Gwace, I mished this sho much!" I said, still chewing the smoked Guillemot sandwich Morgott prepared for me.

Since the kitchen was pretty busy cooking dinner, we chose not to bother any of the cooks with something we could do ourselves.

We're currently having a chat in one of the corners of the kitchen, trying to stay out of the way from the servants working in here.

I've hang out with Ranni enough to know that 'If you're not gonna help, don't get in the way of a chef, MOVE!' her words, not mine.

"I'm glad you liked it. Lucia tried to teach me the basics, but I never got particularly 'good' at anything besides sandwiches" Morgott said, and luckily for him I had a lot in my mouth to comment on his 'cooking lessons' with Lucia.

But as tempting as teasing him about that would be, I promised to drop the topic, so I kept focused on my sandwich.

"Seriously, food at the Haligtree was awful. Malenia couldn't care less, that one could eat gravel for a solid minute before realizing what it is, but I was definitely suffering. Not a lot of wild life, and the alternatives, like vegetables and such, would definitely benefit from some spices, that place was the definition of 'the middle of nowhere'!" I said, between bites.

He laughed a little "The little witch spoiled you too much, Brother, I'm sure it wasn't that bad"

"It was worse, believe me. And she didn't 'spoil' me, but I missed her food so bad. Ranni could make a boiled egg look like a fine recipe compared to the tasteless cuisine of the Haligtree" I replied, taking the last bites of my sandwich.

"If you say so, but what else about the tree? Must be an interesting place, given how many cultures found refuge there" He asked.

"Oh yeah, lots of different people there. Most of them were really kind to us, and some just wanted to be left alone, like the Misbegotten, poor creatures, all by themselves since Farum Azula disappeared, just like the Albinaurics, forgotten by the world" That, amongst other things, is what bothered me about the Golden Order, the amount of races that sill suffered today, ignored by the Greater Will, quite ironic that the supposed 'Age of Grace' was surely picky with its blessings.

He sighed "Some people really don't have a choice huh? History goes on, and if you're not going with it, no one is going to stop to help you catch up" Morgott said, in a bit of a melancholic tone.

These kinds of topics always leave him like this, thinking himself to be just like them, one of the many souls forgotten by the Greater Will. Funny how our family is supposed to be at the center of all that 'order' when four out of the five heirs of the Golden Lineage were cursed from birth.

"I guess so..." I said, then turned to look at my Brother.

He barely touched his sandwich, probably just wasn't hungry, but something was definitely bothering him.

"So, how's your life? Anything interesting happened here while we were gone?" I asked.

He chuckled briefly "Interesting? Me? Forgot who you're talking too? Haven't done anything besides studying, training, and helping Mother with the Castle. Mohg on the other hand almost blew his Lab up at the beginning of this year. Experiments with Crystal Tears or something, I can't remember, all I know is that Mother was furious, said that whatever it was, he was forbidden to mess with it again. The man almost threw a tantrum at that" He finished while chuckling.

I couldn't help myself from laughing as well "Man, I would've paid good money to see his face!"

Mohg was always confident, and he should, he's brilliant. The best Chess player I know, never won against me, but he got pretty close, and his annoyed face at the end of our matches were always a sigh to behold. The sheer disbelief in his eyes never failed to make me smile.

"Yeah, he got pretty pissed, but gave up eventually. It's like they say 'Don't use the sharpness of your tongue on the woman who taught you to spe-"

"ANYONE ASKED FOR A FEAST?!" Godwyn shouted as he kicked the kitchen door open, carrying a huge Boar on his shoulders. It wasn't a runebear, but Mother's guess was pretty accurate, the beast was impressively huge.

The Housemaids in the kitchen were stunned by his entrance, some of them almost dropped whatever it was they were carrying.

Godwyn didn't seem to care, or simply didn't notice all of that, moving towards the kitchen island to drop his catch over an empty counter.

"What do you ladies think? Not as big as I expected, but most of the runebears are still hibernating, so I had to settle for a small boar" He said.

I can't believe he was actually hunting runebears, where would our chefs even prepare an entire fucking BEAR?!

"What is even happening here?!" Lucia shouted, coming through another door, she was busy looking for some ingredients in the pantry.

"Aye, Lucia! Brought dinner, just in time, right?" Godwyn beamed at her, and she looked at him like he had just called her mother a 'Land Squirt'.

"Don't 'Aye Lucia' me! Look at the floor, there's blood everywhere! Not to mention the mud, this is a kitchen" She sighed "Seriously, Prince Goodwin, when you came here earlier today saying you were gone bring something for dinner I agreed because I thought it was gonna be something normal, like a deer, or something, not a giant sized boar!" Lucia exclaimed.

It's always funny seeing her interact with Godwyn. She was his babysitter when Mother chose her to work here, before doing all she does now in the Castle, so their relationship was way less... Polite, for the lack of a better word.

"B-but..." He tried to argue.

"No 'but's', Young Boy. Is this how you want to greet your siblings after so many years? Covered in blood and filth?" And with that, Mister Golden Boy was abashed like a little kid who just spilled milk over a new table sheet.

"Sorry, Lucia" He managed to say, barely louder than a whisper, while looking at his feet.

"C'mon, Lucia, don't be so harsh. Golden Boy there just wanted to make a good impression" I said, and Godwyn finally noticed me and Morgott at the other side of the kitchen.

His face immediately changed as he laid his eyes on me, a big smile growing on it "Long time no see, Golden Boy! So, gonna stare at me all day, or will you give me the honor of a hug?" I greeted him with my smug-ish tone.

"MIQUELLA!!" He shouted as he charged to grab me in a hug.

From all the hugs I got today, Goodwin's certainly stood above the others, not in a necessarily good way though. Crushing me like a bag of chestnuts, and holding me within the mixture of as Lucia called 'blood and filth' that embedded his clothes, and now mine as well, definitely different from the others.

Still, I couldn't care less about any of that. He was, and still is, my favorite person in the world. Sure, Ranni is my best friend, and Malenia and I were literally born together, but Godwyn was different. I can't quite explain, but he taught me everything I know about being... Me.

After I stopped aging he was the first one to rush through every book in our library looking for a cure, much like I did for Malenia. We were always like this, he takes care of me, and I take care of her.

"Missed you too, Godwyn!" I said, my voice coming out a little weak because of the tight hug.

"When did you guys arrived?" He asked, while releasing me to breathe again.

I took a look at him, he hasn't changed a bit. Sure it wasn't that long since the last time I saw him, but I don't know, when you get back home you kinda expect things to be a little different, but apparently not Godwyn.

He's still tall, muscular, with bright blonde hair like mine, basically an older version of me, save for his cerulean eyes, just like his father's.

"About an hour ago, alongside Aunt Rennala, then stumbled upon Radahn while going to see Mother and Father. Almost got stuck there though" I said, slightly irritated "If it wasn't me there to remind Malenia that we had to greet our parents first, we would probably still be there now, luckily Radahn was looking for Rykard so he was about to head off to the city anyway"

Godwyn giggled at my annoyance towards Malenia and Radahn's relationship. He always said I was jealous of them (pfft, as if), but somehow their 'dynamic' always gets in the way of me trying to do something with her, so don't blame me if I don't have the patience to deal with that as soon as I arrived from a long trip back home.

"Big Boy's got you all miffed already, Miquella?" He asked, still amused at my annoyance, but I shrugged that off.

"Wouldn't be a family reunion if he didn't, right? So, what have you been up to? Besides hunting boars and pissing off Housemaids I mean" I asked him, giving Lucia a quick look at the end.

She was still bothered, but decided to start working on the boar, apparently she got an idea for it, or was just going to figure it out in the process, one of the two, probably the latter... Definitely the latter.

"Nothing fun, unfortunately. Stormveil needs constant supervision, which is not a problem until I remember that I have to supervise it, y'know, because it's apparently my job to take care of every single thing that happens there" He said making air quotes to punctuate 'my job'.

"Oh, poor Godwyn. Must be so hard to keep up with the hardships of cleaning everything, cooking all the food and fixing everything that breaks there" I said, doing my best pitty voice.

He stared at me with a blank face for a couple of seconds before saying "You know I don't do any of that, right?" He asked, genuinely confused.

"Then what in the world are you even complaining about?! What, paperwork? You know that I know you don't do any of that!" I blurted at him.

Truth be told, I don't even know why Mother allowed him to rule Limgrave. The boy never wanted that kind of responsibility, but someone had to take it, so the Golden Boy jumped in without thinking twice.

Noble? Yes.

Stupid? Definitely.

"Listen here, Goldy Locks. I work... A lot, with..." I raised an eyebrow.

Bet a thousand Runes he is gonna say 'stuff'.

"Things..." Damn it! Close enough "... Anyway, how are you and Malenia? Is she alright?" He asked, trying his best to change the topic.

"Sure, I bet you work really hard on those things. As for us, we're okay, she's better than ever, probably upstairs, cutting our Father in half by now" This time I punctuated 'things' with air quotes.

I knew he probably had actual things to take care of back at his Castle, but don't ask me to be mature when messing with my siblings is so much funnier.

"Glad to hear that, oh, have you seen Miriel yet? The old turtle got here yesterday. Couldn't wait to see you again" Godwyn said, referring to my Master.

Miriel the Pastor of Vows, taught me everything I know about spells, and Godwyn hasn't used a nickname, he is an actual giant turtle.

"Master Miriel is here?! Why?! Where?!" I inquired, quite excited about getting to see him so soon after returning.

"Forgot your return isn't the only big event of the weekend? Who do you think is gonna lead Rykard's wedding ceremony, Goldy Locks?" He answered, with a smirk in his face.

I faceplamed "Of course. Grace, that trip really affected my braincells, so he's probably at the Capital Church, right?"

"Bingo! Think you got time to see him before dinner?" He asked, and I thought about it for a moment.

"Mmm, probably, but I think I shouldn't... I had a lot of reunions today already, better save some for the rest of the weekend" I said, a little sad at first, but I wasn't planning on seeing Master Miriel this weekend to begin with, so having the chance now was already an upgrade "So, care to join me and Morgott on our improvised 'afternoon tea'?" I said, and Godwyn finally noticed Morgott behind me, who watched our whole exchange with a soft smile on his face.

"Aye, Brother! Haven't seen you there, done a great job with the decorations by the way!" He beamed at Morgott, who just nodded kindly in response "I'd love to spend the time with the two of you, but I am disgusting right now, so I have to go and clean myself before you know who kicks me out of here" He finished with a quick laugh.

"Nah, she wouldn't do it, she would ask Morgott to do it for her and he would do it in the blink of an eye" I giggled "Hey, did you know that they're-"

"Okay! Time to go. See you later, Brother!" Morgott said, while leading/pushing Goodwin, who was clueless as to why he was acting so strange, towards the exit.

I looked at the whole scene while cackling at my Brother's attempt to look normal while acting like a crazy man.

As he returned to take his seat by my side, I managed to stop laughing and just raised an eyebrow at him.

"Afraid of him finding out about your friendship with his Babysitter?" I teased.

He sighed "I got you to get on my nerves already, don't need Godwyn to do it as well" He said. 

To his credit, Godwyn would mock the hell out of him, so he's got a point. Man, I just want to see everyone's faces when Morgott finally gets the courage to go through with this.

Hopefully it won't take too long, after all, we have a wedding at Sunday, people tend to get encouraged by those kinds of events. Maybe it'll work on him, as for someone else as well...

~~~

"Good as new" I said to myself, looking at my (now spotless) katana. I've just finished taking care of my sword, as I noticed the sunlight fasting away outside the windows. Better hurry up and go clean myself.

I was about to open the door to exit the Sparring Hall when the handle turned by itself, I took a step back to avoid getting hit by whomever was opening the door from the outside.

"Malenia, are you still here?" Mother asked me after taking a brief look inside the room.

I had moved a little to the side while she opened the door, so she couldn't see me at first.

"Hi, Mother, yes. Well, I was about to leave, got busy cleaning my sword after Father left" I answered, entering her field of vision "I'm not late, or am I?" I knew it was almost dinner time, but I'm pretty sure I still got time to get ready.

"No, you're not late, Sweetheart. I came to talk to you about something... And I wanted to have this conversation in private, if you have a moment" She said, sounding just a little nervous.

"What is it? Did something happen?" I inquired, and she shook her head lightly.

"No, Dear, nothing happened, I just... I want to give you something" She said, and then I noticed the small box on her hand.

"Oh, is this like a 'welcome home' kind of gift?" I was curious, Mother rarely gifted us outside of special occasions. She always said that gifting loses its value when you overdo it.

"Not quite. Your aunt came up with the idea of getting you and Miquella birthday presents for the years you two spent away, and we would give them all to you two when you came back..." I smiled softly.

Aunt Rennala was always two steps ahead when it came to cheering people up. No wonder she became a monarch just by getting the support from the common folk, of course she had to kill the previous Carian Aristocracy who refused to accept her peaceful claim to the throne, but those assholes won't be missed, that I can assure you.

"So this is..." I started.

"From your 18th birthday. I wished you were here so I could give it to you then, but honestly... I wasn't sure if I would have given it to you back then" She said, a little ashamed at herself.

I only looked at her, slightly confused, waiting for her to continue.

"The place where I came from, the land of the Numen, has a tradition amongst the women, passed from mother to daughter. It's believed that when a girl reaches the age of 18, she's ready to find the love of her life, and if she does, she must gift that person with this" She handed me the box, and I opened it.

"Is this... A Crystal?" I looked at the almost transparent little stone, attached to a silver braided chain.

I picked it up to inspect it better, it was beautiful.

"It's Glintstone, pure Glintstone. It doesn't emit energy like the regular shards you'd see at Liurnia, it does quite the opposite. This gem repeals some amount of that energy, so it's used as a protective talisman. Extremely rare to find here in the Lands Between, my Mother gave me two shards when I left home, one is engraved on your Father's Warhammer, and the other is yours" She explained.

I was speechless, but something she said caught my attention.

"Why were you unsure about giving it to me?" I asked, my face a mixture of crying of joy and visible confusion.

She looked down, now she definitely looked ashamed, and then I finally connected the dots.

"Oh... The Rot..." I whispered "You were not even sure if I was going to live that long..." Now the crying was starting to shift away from 'joy', and I had to hold back a sob before continuing.

"And even if I did... How would I ever find love anyway?" A smile appeared in my face alongside the tears "Couldn't even touch other people without making them sick. Who in their right mind would even come close?" Saying that out loud hurts, a lot more than I thought it would.

I've always tried not to have unreal expectations for my life, especially after the Rot, always tried to move on, look forward, and for some time that helped, but optimism can only get you so far.

Imagining my Mother coming up to me and giving me this necklace when I was 18, probably right after I lost another leg or worse, having to look me in the eyes (Which I wouldn't have then) and try to convince me and herself that I could have a family someday?

Yeah, I would probably just chose to let that tradition die as well.

She looked at me, her silver eyes glistening with unshed tears, a look that carried three words I've heard from her mouth countless times since I turned twelve.

"I am sorry" Her lips moved to utter those words, barely louder than small sigh.

I quickly grabbed her on a hug, crying on her shoulder "It's okay, it's over... It's not your fault, it was never your fault" I said, between sobs, and she quietly nodded on my shoulder.

We stood there for a couple of minutes, taking our time to recompose ourselves, eventually we were done crying over the past, and as we detached ourselves from the hug.

I could finally start smiling at her, as I took another look at my gift, it was gorgeous, but it made me think a little about something.

"I don't know where to start" I said, looking at her with a confused face.

"What do you mean, Sweetheart?".

"This, love. I mean, I never thought about it. How do I talk to someone I'm interested in? Or how do I know if she likes me back? And where do I even go to fin-"

"Malenia, calm down. It's okay, you don't have to think about those things right now. There will be plenty of time to figure them out, I promise" Mother said, trying to calm me down.

As I came back to reality, she gave me a warm smile before saying "So, 'she'? My little girl is looking for a Maiden to call her own?" She sounded like Miquella saying that, though I didn't get the same mocking attitude he usually has, she just sounded... Curious.

"Oh, yeah, that. I guess I do..." I said, a little embarrassed.

I've never talked about that kind of thing with anyone before, except for Miquella, I guess, but even that was only one time, right after I lost my eyes, and he never brought the topic back anyway.

"I'm glad you already know that about yourself, but unfortunately for me it means that I won't be of much help for you then. I guess you'll have to ask certain questions to your Father... Whenever you feel ready for it" She said.

"Yeah, I guess I will" I said with a chuckle.

"Well, as much as I would love to stay here spending time with you. We still have to get ready for dinner, so, mind if this Old woman walks you to your room?" She asked.

I smiled "Of course I don't mind, and you're not that old!" I protested.

People like to say that Mother's conscious about her age, but she never really cared about that. Aging in the Lands Between is different from other places, it gets progressively slower with time, so Mother looks barely older than me, even if I am almost 20 years old now and she just turned 99.

"I'm flattered, My Dear, but almost ten whole decades would hardly be considered 'not that old' by most, but I appreciate it all the same" She gave a small chuckle and we headed upstairs to my room.

Time to get ready for the big night.

~~~

I'm outside of her room, why am I here again? I was talking to Miquella a moment ago, about... Something? Damn it, what was it?!

A sound came from inside the room. She was there, and she was crying.

Oh, that's what we were talking about. He asked me to cheer her up... But why me? It doesn't matter.

I grabbed the handle, I need to help her... Somehow.

I opened the door.

"Mally?" I called, she was curled up on her bed.

I noticed a few crimson stains on the mattress, their source was obvious, se had just lost her left leg. The stump was covered in bandages, but they wouldn't stop the bleeding.

She was waiting for Miquella to get her new prosthesis done, and- When did I took a seat by her side?!

"Ranni?" She whispered, while opening her eyes to look at me.

Stars, she looks so... Fragile.

"I-I'm here, Mall- Malenia..." I'm lost! What do you even say to someone in the state she is?!

She's bleeding, she's in pain, she- She's HUGGING ME?!

"Don't go, please" She said, her voice so weak it barely sounded like her.

"I won't... You're gonna be okay, I promise" As if I could hold up to that promise, but she needs to hear thi-

"Can you make it go away?" She asked, almost sounding like a weeping dog.

"I- what?"

"It hurts... So much... Can you make the pain go away?" She looked at me with the biggest puppy eyes I've ever seen.

I wanted to make her feel better, make the pain disappear! But what could I even- She was getting closer, real close, dangerously close, her nose touching mine.

"Ma- Mally, what are-"

"Make it go away... Please..." She whispered, her lips less than an inch away from mine...

Stars, my heart was racing, it could blow up my ribcage if it got any faster, she was... We were... I was...

I gasped desperately, finally awake!

My eyes snapped open as my heart was still racing after my alarm ringed. It was a dream, a... Really strange dream, I was... No! Not this, not her, this is wrong, and gross... Even if we weren't kinda 'family', she's still...

Argh, this can't be. My head is spinning, my heart is still pumping like it wants to get out of my chest. I'm sweating so much.

Stars, shouldn't napping give you some rest?! I need a bath.

When I got to my room I was so tired that I just threw myself on the bed and set my alarm to 18:00. Dinner is in an hour and I am horrible, my hair is all messy, my mouth is dry as hell, my head feels really dizzy from suddenly waking up, argh...

Okay! Stop with the panicking! Let's just go on and act like this never happened. It's normal, right? Weird dreams, I mean, everyone has them. Yeah, I'm gonna be fine, it didn't mean anything, it doesn't mean anything.

I stepped out of bed, entered the bathroom, and took a look at myself in the mirror, just as expected, my face was all red, my hair could make a pigeon nest blush, and my clothes were all rumpled.

I moved to undress myself, which was pretty easy, I never liked multi layer clothing, so I just had to remove my set of leather boots, which I've already done before going to bed, than I unbuttoned my navy waistcoat, followed by my white button shirt.

I never wore undergarments for my chest, so no work to be done there, and as I moved to take my navy trousers off I felt... Something...

'Oh no, not this' I thought as I realized the unusual... Moisture between my legs, making itself more evident as I moved my pants to take them off.

"Fuck!" I uttered.

I knew what that was, I'm not that naive, I knew what it meant, but my body's natural reaction to being... Aroused was nothing new to me, the problem was the source of that reaction.

"Shit" I took my panties off, they were ruined. How did I got like this from a single dream?! A dream that didn't even got to the good par- Wait! 'good'?

Am I actually annoyed by the fact that I woke up before... 'Oh Stars' I put my hands on the corners of the sink, closed my eyes, took a deep breath, then looked at my reflection. Naked, sweaty, almost resembling a wild animal, I was never 'curvy' though I got more feminine looking recently, my breasts were nothing to brag about, not that small, but nothing eye-catching as well.

'I wonder what would she think of me- WHY AM I EVEN THINKING THS?!'

No, no, no, no NO! I don't have time for this! I need to get ready for dinner, and... Somehow manage to act normal there.

Yeah, I can do it, what's so difficult about it anyway? It'll go by in an instant, I just have to stay away from her and distract myself with something else.

Good... Sounds like a plan, or the beginning of one at least.

I sighed, headed to the bathtub and waited for the water to fill it. There's no use in thinking about this right now, later I'll have time to think if this is all a sick prank my brain is doing to me or... Or something else...

"Stars, I'm screwed" I said, looking at the water falling down the faucet.

Chapter Text

I heard a knock on my door.

"Yes?" I asked, as I was just finishing getting my hair done.

I usually just leave it loose regardless of the occasion, but recently it started to get in front of my eyes a lot, so I got used to keeping my hair half up half down. No braids though, I ain't got time for that.

"Just checking in to see if you're still alive" Miquella answered from outside my room.

The lucky little bastard got Mother's genes, so his hair looked gorgeous naturally, because of that he usually gets ready first, and would always come in here to repeat that same phrase every single time.

Strangely enough, I kinda liked it, I don't know, the whole thing became a habit of sorts. Grace, I would be upset if he stopped doing it by this point, it's one of those annoying things you just learn to enjoy, y'know?

"Yup, still here, Goldy Locks" I replied.

"May I come in or you're still..."

"I'm dressed, Miquella, no need to worry" I laughingly answered.

He didn't used to ask before bursting into my room, or any room inside the Castle to be honest, distracted as he is. That was until that backfired when he entered our parents' room one night and... Well, you can imagine. I don't wanna say what he saw, and I couldn't because he never actually told me, but his face was more information than I needed.

"Okay, coming in. So why are you taking so... Woah!" He said as he entered my room.

"What?" I turned to look at him, I was facing my mirror so I didn't saw what made him 'Woah'.

"Y-your dress..." Oh, that. I was so focused on my hair that I forgot what I was wearing.

It's an Indigo strapless column dress, with a subtle flower like pattern around the lower half, something that neither Miquella nor anyone else has ever seen me wearing.

I was very conscious about my body since the Rot appeared, so all I'd wear were long sleeves, and trousers during our events, all made of thick fabrics as well, that is until tonight.

"Oh, this... Mother was walking me to my room earlier, and when we got here there was this box over my bed, and she told me it was my 19th birthday gift" He looked at me with his jaw dropped "She said I didn't have to wear it tonight, and honestly I wasn't sure I was going to... But I want to try new things, and it seemed like a good opportunity, y'know? It's just the family here tonight, so I figured there would be no place... Safer to try this out"

Miquella managed to close his mouth, just to open it again "You look... beautiful, like- I know you probably don't care about it anyways, but it's just... I've never seen you like this"

A genuine compliment?! From Miquella? Now that's gotta be worth something, the only person I've seen he regularly compliment is our Mother, and even then it seemed like that was just part of their dynamic, random compliments and such.

"Thanks, it means a lot coming from you" I smiled, a little embarrassed by his reaction, but it made me feel more confident none the less.

"Yeah, you caught me off guard, seeing my little Sister all 'princessly' like this made me all soft and sentimental. Don't worry, won't happen again" He said jokingly.

"Sure, keep telling yourself that, bet you 500 Runes you're gonna cry at Rykard's wedding" I teased.

He scoffed "Make that 5000 if you're so confident"

"Deal. So, let's go? I'm finished with my hair, and we shouldn't be late for our welcome home dinner, It'd be pretty awkward if we are not there" I said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, in a second, let's just go back to the part you said 'My 19th birthday gift', care to explain?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, that, yeah, Mother hasn't told you yet..." I laughed, a little embarrassed by the fact that I might have spoiled a surprise she was saving to tell Miquella herself.

"Told me...?"

"Aunt Rennala came up with an idea, they all got us gifts for the birthdays we weren't here... Mother gave me some of mine already" I explained, feeling a bit guilty for whatever reason.

I don't really have a reason to feel this way, Mother never told me not to tell him, and she was the one to give me my gifts to begin with, but still, it felt kinda wrong to let that slip to Miquella now.

"Ooooh, so that's the reason..." His eyes lit up "C'mon let's go!" He grabbed my arm to drag me away.

If I got a Rune for every time I was dragged away by Miquella today, I would have two Runes, which is not a lot, but it's weird that happened twice.

"What's with the hurry, Goldy Locks?!" I exclaimed, while we rushed through the corridors.

"I want my gifts too!" Well, can't say I'm surprised, he technically never grew out his childish behavior anyway, Grace, this is gonna be fun.

We got to the Dining Hall in no time, Miquella rushed to open the doors while I was panting with my hands on my knees.

I'm used to running long distances without losing my breath, but my dress made it really difficult to keep up with my Brother's pace without tearing the dress apart, so I got extra tired afer our little cardio session.

"Evening everyone!" Miquella said, entering the Hall.

I was just a few steps behind him, even if we managed to get here relatively soon (about five minutes early or so) almost everyone was here already, save for Uncle Maliketh and Ranni.

"There they are!" Big Boy said, gesturing a huge mug towards us "What took you so long?" He asked, and right after that began to sip his drink.

Miquella left out a small huff "This one here was all dazzled by Mommy's new gift for her" He said, pointing at me with his thumb over his shoulder "And they say I'm the favorite child" He finished with an awfully exaggerated annoyed tone.

The Big Boy was about to laugh his ass off at Miquella's bickering, when something else caught his attention, something called 'Malenia wearing a dress for the first time in her life'. Not that much of a big deal... At least that's what I thought...

Radahn choked in the middle of his sip "Aghh!" He coughed a little "M-my Stars... Is that really you, Tiny Dancer?" He said, after taking a look at me.

I couldn't tell if he thought I was pretty, or if the image of me in a dress had fried his brain with the randomness of it. All I know now is that if we were not the center of attention before, we definitely are now, all eyes were on us.

"Y-yeah, this is me... Mother gave me this dress earlier... I thought about it and decided to try it out tonight, I loved the color so... Here I am" I said, laughing with a hint of embarrassment, and by 'a hint' I mean I am freaking out with embarrassment! But what's done is done.

"You look beautiful, Dear. I'm glad to see you liked it" Mother said, giving me a warm smile, and then everyone else followed suit.

"Won't you look at that, our Tiny Dancer finally Blossomed. Told you she was gonna love the color, My Queen" Rykard said, so he was the one who picked the color.

I chuckled internally, you tell someone you like a color a decade ago and the bastard brings that up like it was just yesterday, how did he even remembered that?!

"Looks wonderful on you!" Morgott, nice and simple.

"Indeed" Mohg said. Look, I got an entire word from him. Grace, how does Ranni have actual conversations with this man?

"You look so grown up. Stars, one day they're climbing up a chair to reach the table, and the next they're all adults" Aunt Rennala, who probably said those same words to her children a couple hundreds of times already.

"Look at you, Troublemaker!" Godwyn stood up from his seat and came to hug me "Talk about a change, all elegant and classy, looking at you now I almost can't believe what Radagon was telling me about your sparring match with him earlier!" He said, taking a look at my eyes, something everyone did today, no surprise there, last time they've seen them they were two holes drenched in Rot, but let's not go back there.

"Oh, he told you how I almost chopped the living hell out of him?" I raised an eyebrow at my Father, surely he told everyone that I caught him off guard or something like that.

"Hey! I'm not a bad loser! I told him the truth..." Father protested from his seat "And you look wonderful, Tiny Dancer!" He finished with a smile.

"The Elden Lord himself complimenting me twice today, I should wear more dresses, or chop him off more often, can't tell which is easier"

Godwyn giggled at my comment, as we separated from our hug, and I went to take my seat, about to sit beside Miquella when...

"Not today, Sis" He said, while blocking the chair with his arm.

I gave him a puzzled look.

"Saving for Ranni, haven't got the chance to talk to her properly yet, so she's by my side today" He said, matter of factually, and I didn't like this one bit.

Don't get me wrong, I could sit away from him no problem, but that would force me to take the seat next to that one, which meant Ranni would be by my side tonight as well. Yeah, Uncle Maliketh wasn't here as well so technically I could switch seats with him, but there were three spots on our table that NEVER changed. Father at the head, Mother to his right, and Uncle Maliketh to hers, so that left me few possibilities to argue without sounding like a crazy lunatic.

"Why can't you sit in the middle?" I tried to convince him.

"Nope, wanna talk to Morgott as well" He said.

"You do?" Morgott asked beside him.

"Yeah, so I'm not moving" Argh! This little pest, wanna know what's funnier? He's older than me, 12 minutes, but still.

"Fine..." I took my seat, leaving Ranni's waiting for her, and this shouldn't be that much of a problem though.

Honestly? I'm not in the mood to get pissed at her tonight, as weird as it might sound, I'm kinda... Tired of all that. She calls me something stupid, I snap back at her, and so on. I kinda liked it back when we were young, but now? The whole thing seems pretty silly to be honest.

I don't really know what we are to be exact, we argued a lot growing up, but I never really hated her, but I wouldn't blame her if she thinks I did. Dealing with puberty and the Scarlett Rot at the same time really didn't help my mood. I feel more... Calm now that those two are gone, wonder if that's gonna change anything between us.

We kept the idle chatting during a few more minutes. Miquella was complaining about not getting any gifts so far, Radahn teased our Father for, as he puts it 'Going soft with the age', Morgott almost choked with his wine after Miquella said something that only he heard (wonder what was my Brother bothering him with already), Rykard switched between drinking and making bad jokes, which his fiance seemed to enjoy somehow.

Speaking of her, she's really weird, quite shy, but not really antisocial like Mohg, who was playing with a knife to pass the time.

Dinner was about to start, and I was almost thinking Ranni was gonna be late, but at the last second the doors were swung open.

~~~

Shit! My stupid thoughts made me lose track of time, I'm so damn late, guess there's a first time for everything.

'It's all her fault' I thought while rushing towards the Dining Hall. 

There's no way I would ever think about her like that, right? We grew up together, she's a brute, and irritating, and... The only reason we were together growing up was Miquella, he is my friend, my best friend... And I had a dream about his sister doing... Wait, technically she's my sister as well. Stars, why am I even thinking about this, I should focus on getting to-

I almost hit the door with my head before realizing that I had reached the Dining Hall without even noticing.

"Everything alright, Your Highness?" A knight guarding the door asked politely.

I took a breath "Far from it... But I don't really have anything I can do about it... Thanks for the concern" I tried smiling at him, but the need for air made it difficult. Okay, time to recompose myself.

I fixed my posture, checked my dress for anything out of place, and put up a neutral face. Well, let's get this over with. After catching my breath for a moment I grabbed the handle.

I quietly entered the room, everyone was talking, that was until I walked in. Guess I wasn't so quiet.

"Won't you look at that, what happened to you, Cherry pie? Got carried away with the 'beauty sleep'?" Rykard broke the silence.

I scoffed "Look who's talking" That got few giggles from around the table, "I lost track of time, that's all" I explained, and it's true, in a way...

"Got here just in time, my Little Blizzard, come on, take your seat" Father said, gesturing the chair between Miquella and- Fuck, this has to be a joke.

I moved towards my seat, when Mohg gently reached for my forearm "Are you feeling better?" He asked, probably worried about the effects of whatever it was brewing in his Lab earlier today had on me.

I smiled at him "I'm fine, thanks for asking. Woke up a little dizzy, but that was... Just a weird dream" Probably shouldn't told him that, but part of me wanted to tell someone, and it was either him or Miquella.

I continued towards my seat, saying a brief 'hi' to Morgott before sitting down beside Miquella. He still got that look from earlier today, eyeing me like I was some kind of exotic animal.

"Everything alright?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I'm... Yeah, of course, why wouldn't be?" I said, a little to fast for my liking.

"Mohg seemed to be worried, and you seem kinda nervous" He explained, he didn't sound concerned though, actually he looks strangely neutral, like we're playing cards or something like that.

"Oh, that's nothing. I went to see him earlier, and there was this thing he was brewing, the smell was quite strong, he was worried about having some weird effect on me, that's all" I explained, trying to sound more natural this time.

"Oh, poor little Ranni can't handle a little bit of steam, want some warm milk to relax?" She said from my other side, I turned to look at her.

"Listen here, you Troglodyte! Not everyone is used to sleeping amongst skunks like y-" And as I was about to finish my answer I finally looked at her.

I avoided doing that from the moment I got here, so I haven't noticed what she was wearing. I assumed it would be her usual choice of attire, long sleeves and such, I wasn't ready to see her neck, a-and her shoulders, and her- when did she grew up like that?! Her skin looks so soft, and she smells like... Lime? Definitely something citric, but with a hint of sweetness at the end, she looks so...

"Hey! My eyes are up here" She said, two fingers gestured to her eyes. Stars, was I STARING? How long have I zoned out?!

"S-sorry, you're wearing a..." I began, my brain was having a hard time getting back on track.

"Dress? Yeah, Mother gave it to me... Seems like you liked it, can't sop staring at it" She said, a smirk on her soft pink lips... Why did I described them LIKE THAT?!

"It's nice... The color, the color is nice, looks good on you" I managed to say, using every bit of strength on my body to stop looking at her... Thank Stars she thought I was just staring at the dress.

"Rykard's choice, and I liked it as well, wonder what else he chose for me..." She said, and just as I was starting to think this was a normal conversation she added "And since when did you start complimenting me? What, Mohg's frog soup boiled your brains just from giving it a sniff?"

That's right, I don't talk to her like this! Well, at least I didn't used to. I should be saying something stupid like 'Nice dress, love the way it draws attention out from your face' but even thinking about that now, it sounds wrong...

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I just love the way your dress draws attention out of your face" Yup, didn't sound better hearing it out loud.

"Look who's talking, the only thing that would draw more attention to your dress, would be if you set it on fire. Not a bad idea if you ask me" Humph, my dress isn't even that flashy, a V neck halter dress, sure, it's bright red with a golden dust texture over it, but still, not that flashy.

"Yeah, sure" I rolled my eyes, turning myself back to talk to Miquella "So, what have you been up to during the afternoon?" I asked him.

"Had a few sandwiches with big bro here" He gestured to Morgott with his thumb "We talked for most of the afternoon before it was time to get ready for dinner, then Godwyn showed up with a huge boar on his shoulders. Lucia almost kicked him out of the kitchen" He chuckled at that "Oh and I found out Master Miriel is here, gonna see him tomorrow, wanna join me?"

"Spend most of my Saturday on a church talking about books with you and an old turtle? Sorry Goldy Locks, gonna have to pass on that offer" Don't get me wrong, Miriel is a genius, but he's probably older than Leyndell itself, so he has the tendency to be... How do I put this lightly... Boring as hell, so sorry Miquella.

He shrugged "Your loss. So, what have you been up to after graduation?" He asked, now the whole table was thankfully back to the idle chatting.

"Developing new spells, testing new recipes, procrastinating on those two things, teaching Blaidd new tricks, nothing new. Don't really go outside since you two left" I answered.

Miquella was always the one who couldn't stand to be in the same place for too long, so he was always going out to explore the woods, crafting new things with whatever he found. I followed him around, at first to make sure he was safe, being older than him and all that, but soon I began to enjoy these little adventures, of course Mally was there by default, these two never went too far away from each other.

Dinner was finally being served, the 'huge boar' as Miquella stated taking the center of the table, roasted until golden brown on the outside, Lucia's work. Pretty talented woman, I said a little 'hi' to her when she finished with the plates, and as everyone started to eat, I was still focused on my conversation with Miquella when...

"... And that's what I think is unfair, everyone said 'Be patient, you're gonna get yours too' but apparently that's only for me, 'cause the favorite child there can get not one, but two of Mother's gifts to her before I'm even aware of any of that!" Miquella complained to me.

It would be funny, if I wasn't also kinda curious about why the Queen gifted Malenia so early, we had agreed that we would do that together after dinner, but I guess she had her reasons.

 "First of all, everyone knows Godwyn is the favorite" Mally interjected, pointing a finger towards Miquella. She is really close to me now. Stars, who's idea was to put me in the middle of these two?! "Second, is none of your business what Mother does or doesn't do. She wanted to give me my presents, so she did" Mally said matter of factually.

"Well, it would be weird if Mother waited until after the dinner to give her the dress if she wanted her to wear it for dinner, right?" Morgott interjected, a really valid point, actually, the whole thing sounded kind of obvious now.

"He's got a point, Goldy Locks, and since when did you get so petty about this kind of stuff?" I asked him.

"What? You're on her side now?" He's gotta be doing this on purpose, 'cause there's no way he cared that much about some stupid gifts.

"I'm not 'on her side', but if you keep being so insufferably childish I'll heavily consider that" I stopped for a second to think about what I said, then I quickly added "Plus, she was rolling her eyes so much that I got afraid she would end up seeing the basalt block that stays where her brain should be" Why can't I just let a nice comment towards her be just that?!

"See, even she thinks- Wait a second! What do you mean 'basalt block'?!" Mally said, narrowing her eyes at me.

I faked a 'realization face', slapping my forehead and all "Oh yeah, I forgot you barbarians don't really get words, grab me a pencil, I'll draw it to you" Miquella giggled a little.

Mally rolled her eyes "Yeah, whatever" She said, turning back to her plate.

Well... that's new, no comeback? No outburst? Nothing? She just shrugged that off and returned her attention to her food?

I looked at Mally for a moment, she was focused on her plate, it must have been more than just 'a moment' because she looked back at me from the corner of her eye.

"Lost something on my face?" She raised an eyebrow.

"I- no, I just, you just... It's nothing" I went back to my food as well.

Maybe she's just not in the mood for this kind of thing today, wouldn't blame her, I'm not in the mood as well. It's just, our 'dynamic' was always this one, it feels weird to just... Sit beside her and talk normally, it happened before but still, not 'natural' to me.

I was just getting lost in my thoughts again when the main door opened, and everyone froze for a moment.

Even if most of us were already used to this feeling, it was just too strong to ignore it, the cold, every time he entered the room.

Have you ever been cornered by a predator, a beast that was far more powerful than you? You know the beast doesn't hate you, it doesn't have any feelings towards you, to them you're food and that's it.

The feeling you have in moments like that, that fear, raw, and natural, makes you realize your place in this world, no matter how strong you are, to someone else, you're nothing but a prey.

And there's one living being to which that rule doesn't apply, he's the source of that fear, the natural predator to anything alive in the Lands Between, he is...

"Maliketh!!" I beamed, as I stood up to go hug him, which consisted of me basically jumping on him.

He is really tall, as if anyone here besides Miquella was shorter than me to begin with.

"Missed you too, Little Princess!" Maliketh said while holding me in his arms.

There's probably not a single living soul in the whole Lands Between who doesn't fear him, but I never liked to 'go with the flow' anyway. To me he would always be one of my favorite things in the world, a big dog!

"So, everything nice out there?" I asked him, after separating from our hug.

He was checking on the security, always taking an extra step to make sure everything was fine with the Castle, so he was always the last one to arrive at any family event.

"Everything quiet, but you can never be too cautious about anything" He answered, Maliketh was 'gifted' to Aunt Marika by the Greater Will to protect her, he is a 200 cm tall humanoid gray wolf, dressed in black robes from head to toe.

I went back to my seat as he made his way to his, and the mood was starting to go back to what it was, except for one person.

"I'm sorry, does anyone else feels a... cold down their spine?" Tanith asked.

Rykard put his hands over her shoulder, moving them to 'warm her up'. He was about to say something when Maliketh interjected.

"I am sorry, my Lady. I wish my presence would be less disturbing on everyone else, unfortunately I can't really control the effect of the Rune of Death, but it won't cause you any harm, I assure you" He explained.

"I apologize as well, My Love. Forgot to warm you about this" Rykard said, while holding Tanith's hand. It's so weird to see him being so... Affectionate.

"It's okay, I've heard rumors about the power of the Rune of Death, just didn't expect it to be this intense while still sheathed" Tanith said, she sounds so innocent and naive. How in the hell was Rykard able to get a girl like this?!

"Tell me about it, Uncle's presence still makes me shiver to this day" Godwyn joked.

Rykard turned to him, a little more relaxed after Tanith recomposed herself "Nothing new under the Sun. The man who was afraid of the dark until he was 14 gets a little chilly when the big bad wolf shows up" Rykard shot back, getting a laugh from the two sets of twins on the table.

"I wasn't afraid of the dark!" Golden Boy protested, followed by a quick "I didn't love it, but who does?"

"Well..." I began.

"Besides Mohg" Godwyn interjected.

"Woah woah woah, wait a second there, Golden Boy, you said 'who', he's a 'who, he counts" Miquella argued.

Godwyn huffed "Fine... But the exception confirms the rule. He's the only person I or anyone here knows that likes the dark"

A few moments of silence followed, mostly to think of a response to his argument, and then to everyone's surprise, Tanith was the one who spoke.

"Actually... I kinda like the dark... It's calm, and peaceful in my opinion, like a blanket of sorts" She said, and now everything makes sense.

She's crazy, that's why she's with Rykard. I knew there was an explanation, but hey, I'm not judging, especially after I... Damn it, I started to think about Mally again!

"I agree with My Lady here, there's a lot of fun to be had in the dark in my opinion" Rykard said, smirking at his fiance.

Stars, I wanna vomit. Definitely didn't need the image of those two having 'fun' in the dark.

Mother seemed equally disgusted by my Brother, because she conjured a small Glintstone shard to hit the back of his head.

"Ouch! What's that for?" Rykard said, whilst rubbing his head.

"To teach you a lesson about manners, Young Boy, and because I can't reach from here with my hand" Mother said, matter of factually, Tanith was sat between her and Rykard so she's got a valid point.

Father chuckled "That's what you get for messing with your mother. Can't believe you inherited my reflexes and still got hit by that!" He exclaimed.

"At least I was caught off guard, and not hit in the face by Malenia's ducky dance during a one-on-one" Rykard teased, though I'm not entirely sure what he's referring to.

"A what dance?" Maliketh asked.

"Oh, that. Apparently Malenia maimed Father during their sparring match earlier today. What's the name you gave to the move again?" Miquella explained, and turned to Mally.

"W- waterfowl dance..." Mally said, half embarrassed, and I couldn't help myself from laughing out loud at that.

"Lemme guess, Father's choice?" I raised an eyebrow at her.

"More or less..." she said, still a bit embarrassed by the silly name.

"You barbarians and your names. I swear I can't get enough of them, what was the next option? Kangaroo Boogaloo?" I said, still laughing a bit while speaking.

And surprisingly enough, Mally laughed as well "Yeah, probably something like that" She said, and I couldn't believe, she looks happy. Sure I've seen her happy before but this is different, she's... Light, whatever that might mean.

"So, about the move itself, it must be one hell of an attack to bring Radagon down, even if it was a friendly match. Care to explain it to me, Young Princess?" Maliketh asked.

"Oh, I was hoping to tell you, Uncle. It's based on your style, basically is a sequence of high speed slashes from multiple directions. The trick is to start it when the target is getting greedy with it's attacks and starts to get comfortable with close combat" She giggled a little after looking at our Father's embarrassed face "Father was drenched in blood after I hit him with it. Of course, it's not a killer move by itself but can get you pretty close to victory if done in the right time"

"Oh, I see, you've got really strong after your recovery, Young Princess, I'm honored to be an inspiration for your style" Maliketh said, and Mally blushed a little at his comment.

"That's it? You just hit him a lot? 'Bored of swinging a sword? Try swinging it more!'. Is that really how you troglodytes think?" I questioned her.

As much as it feels weird to say something mean to her now, I just can't stand their 'unga bunga' mentality.

"Oh, 'cause you bookworms are so different, lemme see, 'Want a more powerful spell? Shoot a bigger crystal!' sounds familiar to you?" She retorted, putting up a fake noble accent, Miquella laughed by my side.

"What, you're on her side now? Forgot you're with the 'bookworms' as well?" I asked him.

"Please, you were on her side from the beginning of dinner, feels pretty nice being the  'betrayed one' doesn't it?" Miquella teased me.

"One, she was right back then, Two-"

"So she ain't 'right' now?" Stars, he can be so annoying when he wants.

"That's not the point!"

"Admit it, Cherry pie, you got a soft spot for the Tiny Dancer, don't you?" Rykard said, and the reaction I was trying to avoid the whole night just exploded from my face.

"I- I don't lik- she eve- wha- stop with the nonsense, okay?!" If my exaggerated and stutter filled response didn't make it obvious that I was panicking with the insinuation that I might like Mally in any way, the burning red on my face made that pretty clear by itself.

"Sheesh, no need to panic Sis" Rykard put his hands up in a defensive gesture "Seems like I've touched a nerve. You don't like her, I get it, my bad" He said nonchalantly, and no one else seemed interested in the topic.

I was back at staring at my food when something interesting happened.

"Relax, he's just messing with you" Mally whispered from beside me. She was casually eating her food while speaking "It's okay, I don't care if you hate me or anything, we were never 'friendly' to each other anyway" She said with a shrug.

Hearing that hurts, way more than I think it should. We've messed with each other a lot growing up, and sure, we said 'I hate you' to each other a few times during that, but it was always a spur of the moment thing, and we were kids back then. Now? Those words really felt heavy on me.

I don't know why, but I hate that she thinks our relationship is just that, two people with a mutual friend, even if I kinda thought the same thing until recently, I don't know... Now that I've been having this weird... 'Feelings' for her, it just feels wrong to just let things be this way.

"I don't hate you..." I whispered back to her, she turned slightly to look at me, a puzzled look on her face "I know it might seem that way, but... I really, I just..." I sighed, trying to come up with the right words, but they never came.

She seemed to notice that it was difficult for me to just try to be nice now, years of our never ending 'feud' making this whole thing really unnatural for the both of us. Suddenly I felt her reaching for my hand under the table.

"It's okay, really. You don't have to explain, it's been four years now, I've changed, and seems like you did too" She said, giving me a soft smile, when did she get so pretty?! "Let's just eat, okay?"

Argh, Mally you don't know the half of what 'changed' about me, how can you be so nice to me now?!

I gave her a small nod, this is... Still weird, but I guess it's a step forward, at the very least, wherever 'forward' may be.

Dinner went on and so did the idle conversation, nothing that remarkable until Radahn opened his damn mouth.

~~~

"So, what do you have in mind for tomorrow, Rykard?" Rykard's brother, Radahn, asked him.

He's quite funny, never imagined a General, and now Monarch, to be so... Laid-back. He's been telling us stories about his short battles against the mercenary groups who constantly try to take over Caelid, a problem we never really had at Mount Gelmir, the place isn't the most accessible, so keeping the peace there is quite simple.

"Glad you asked, Brother, I was thinking: You, Father, Me, and the Golden Boy, starting at the 'Tears of Gold', then to the Parade of the Sixth day, and for the end the night..." Rykard was explaining that like he was talking about army positioning, and just before he finished his train of thought, Miquella (I guess, all their names start with 'M', it's really confusing) interjected.

"Hold on a second, Party Boy. What are you even discussing there? And why am I not included?" The young looking blonde inquired.

"Feeling left out, Goldy Locks?" Rykard gave him that pretentious smirk, the same smirk I received the first time he saw me without the mask. Why does it look so good on him? "It's about my Bachelor Party, and I didn't count you in because you've already said that your Statuary will be filled with old turtle book talk, of course, you can change your plans and get a life, same for the twins there. Door's open to any man who wants to join us" He gestured to the two omen princes.

"Oh, yeah, count me out. Guess Morgott..." Miquella looked at his older brother beside him.

"Same here, I have other matters to attend" Morgott said, and the blonde boy said something in a hushed tone that made the omen prince shiver with... Embarrassment? I'm not sure, it is hard to read his reactions, even harder to read anything from the other omen twin beside him. The man is like stone, nothing disturbs him, the only reaction I saw him display was when the little witch entered the room and he talked to her, and speaking if her.

"How nice, spend the day before your wedding drenched in beers and courtesans. Are you okay with this, Tanith?" Ranni asked me.

"Rykard and I talked about this already, I trust him to behave himself, and he trusts me to skin him alive in case he doesn't" I said, in joyful voice, only Rykard seemed amused by my (not so subtle) sense of humor.

Queen Rennala gave a small chuckle "If they're okay, then so should we, Rosebud, but that reminds me. Tanith needs a celebration of her own with us, don't you think, Marika?" Celebration? With two Queens? Well, no pressure there, would be hard enough already if I wasn't a blasphemer.

"Indeed, what do you girls think?" Queen Marika said.

She was really quiet throughout the whole dinner, barely commenting on any topics, I wonder if she's always like this, the Greater Will's lapdog seems oddly distracted. Anyway, she was looking at the two redhead girls now, an interesting pair, a lot of unreleased tension there.

At times it felt like the two were about to start a fist fight, or, but this is really unlikely considering their shared blood ties, start to make out out of nowhere. Knowing what I know now about their family's ways to show affection based on my experience with Rykard, even that wouldn't surprise me that much.

The pair seemed a little flustered by the sudden offer. From what I've heard, none of them were exactly 'party people', they thought about the invitation for a while, then Ranni was the first to speak.

"We talking about regular 'Wine and Dine'? 'Cause if so I'm not that inclined to accept the offer, won't spend my Saturday doing something that I can do alone anyway" Wonder what must've been like to grow up with a sister like this, Rykard surely made it sound fun, but the girl was definitely wayward.

"And I am the one with a basalt block on my head? Witch, do you even hear the things you say to your mother?!" Malenia said, looking a little upset at Ranni.

"Oh, 'cause you're such a role model of etiquette and good manners!"

"I can be polite!"

"Oh  really? Didn't know the skunks and the land squirts had taught you formal politeness as well" And I was starting to think their 'truce' was going to last until dinner was over.

I think it was a truce at least, because after Rykard's joke comment they had a somewhat subtle talk about something, which I assume was an apology of sorts. Things were quieter between the two after that, guess nothing lasts forever.

"Say that again and I'll show you 'formal politeness'!"

"Enough you two! Grace, seems like you're still teenagers" Queen Marika said, pinching the bridge of her nose while scolding the two.

"She started!" Both girls said in unison.

"I don't care who started! You two are drifting away from the topic" Queen Rennala said. She reminds me of my Mother, stern but still soft in her way of speaking "Whatever it is we're going to do is up to Tanith to decide" She looked at me, and I was taken aback by the amount of esteem she would often use to address me. I haven't even considered having a say on this kinds of topics when two Queens were involved.

"I... I don't know, wasn't expecting to do anything special for the occasion to be honest. Rykard said that he wouldn't have his party if I didn't get one as well, so I can do anything you girls like" I finally answered.

"Sure you have something you like to do, Tanith, anything, you can tell us, we don't want to push you into anything you'd feel uncomfortable with" Malenia said, using a tone so much softer that caught me off guard.

She is way more considerate than Rykard told me. Granted he haven't told me that much about her, but Ranni's reaction gave me the impression that this was indeed something new, the witch looked at Malenia like she was describing a rainbow to a blind person.

The table was silent for a couple of seconds, then I spoke "I like... Swimming? Is there a problem with that?"

I'm not sure why I chose that of all things, guess it reminds me of my Father, that is before he... I can think about that some other time.

"Wonderful, we can have our party by the lake, if it's okay with the girls" Queen Marika said.

"I guess it's fine... I'm not going to swim though" Ranni said. Wonder if she knows how to swim, Rykard said she rarely exited her room these days.

"What? Scared of messing your pretty hair?" Malenia said mockingly.

"In your dreams, and look who's talking, you can't even swim!" Ranni shot back.

"Well I have an excuse" Malenia said raising her prosthetic arm as evidence "What's yours? The snow witch can't put her feet on cold water?"

"You two, stop!" Radagon said, not in an aggressive way, he just sounded... Imposing, like naturally imposing "Show some respect for your future sister-in-law" He eyed both girls, his face stone cold, almost menacing.

"Yes, Father" Again, the girls said simultaneously, bowing their heads a little.

"Alright, so it's settled then, tomorrow the boys are going to town, and the girls are going to the lake, now anyone else ready for dessert?" And just like that his tone shifted back to the one he was using with his children earlier at dinner, full of warmth and joy.

Radagon, the Red Wolf, a man who can balance those two extremes so effortlessly... He's dangerous, might be a huge obstacle in case Rykard succeeds with his part of our plan, but only time will tell.

~~~

Dinner was way smoother than I initially expected, most of my concerns were about my dress, but in the end I was just overreacting.

Sure, being sat beside Ranni the whole night didn't help, but she was... Different, maybe because we haven't seen each other in so long, but she wasn't as mean towards me as I remember, plus, there was our little 'talk' after Rykard's comment, maybe she does want to make things better between us now, and hey, I'm pretty tired of not having a single normal conversation with her myself.

She's Miquella's best friend, there's no way I can just avoid her forever, and honestly I don't even want that, I've had enough of pushing people away because of the Rot, and I don't wanna keep doing that now.

"I loved it!" Miquella beamed, bringing me out of my thoughts.

We are at one of the Palace's Lounges, everyone having drinks and desserts while Miquella opens his gifts. I chose to let him unwrap all of his before I get to mine so he could enjoy the moment he's been waiting for... 40 minutes or so? Grace, and he was that desperate? Talk about hyperactivity.

He had just opened one of Aunt Rennala's gifts, a golden crown like accessory simulating leaves, quite pretty if you ask me, but I wasn't paying to much attention to him anyway. My mind kept coming back to a certain witch that seemed equally uninterested in any of this.

"I'm glad, Miquella, your mother told me that if I was going to give you clotting I should bring something else to match" Aunt Rennala said.

"What can I say, she knows me too well" Miquella said, while exchanging a look with our Mother "Okay, who's next... Oh, this one's from Rykard" He said, holding a small box, and after giving it a little shake he added "Kinda small, Party Boy, never took you for a Rune-pincher" He said, giving Rykard a teasing smirk.

Rykard just scoffed "And I never took you for a greedy manchild, Goldy Locks" He took a sip at his wine, which as far as I can remember was extremely bitter. Don't know why he likes that stuff so much, and the bastard even gave me a sip on my 15th birthday, never tried alcohol after that. Rykard continued "Besides, it's not about the gifts, it's about the friends you made along the party" Yup, he's definitely drunk now.

"Yeah, sure" Miquella rolled his eyes, and after unwrapping his gift he said "Perfume? Really? You know I don't really use this kind of stuff, right?"

"Never too late for developing a good taste, go on, try it" Rykard said, and Miquella opened the little flask, giving it a quick sniff before immediately moving the flask away from his face with a spasm like movement "What the hell is even that?!" Miquella shouted while pinching his nostrils.

"Miranda sprout essence, a delicacy amongst the nobles in Caelid" Rykard said as if Miranda sprouts and lavender were the same thing, and now I really wished they were, because the flask had slipped from Miquella's fingers and had spilled all over the floor.

Now the whole room had a taste of 'Caelid's newest delicacy'. Grace, that place is half swamp, half wasteland! No wonder they'd enjoy this kind of shit!

"Oh great! Now you wasted it!" Rykard exclaimed.

"And doomed our noses in the process! Good Grace Rykard, where did you even bought that?!" Godwyn asked, as everyone moved away from the biohazard on the center of the room.

"Quite the story in fact!" Rykard was still talking like this was just water spilled on the floor "A nomadic merchant rewarded me with the flask after I saved his life from a pack of wolves"

Pfff, sure you did, must've won that flask on a card game.

"A great story, Prince Rykard, but if you don't mind stepping aside for a moment, I must clean the floor before the smell gets any stronger" Lucia said, she was idle chatting with Morgott before all of this mess.

The things this poor girl has to put up with. Miquella told me about her little outburst with Goodwin earlier today, she's definitely not getting paid enough for her job.

"Oh, sorry dear" Rykard stepped aside, and while Lucia began her work on the floor, everyone exited the room to do something else.

The parents went to the hall to talk about politics or something, Miquella enjoyed the break to go the bathroom (child sized bladder, he can't help it), Big Boy was commenting about Rykard's gift with Godwyn and Morgott, Uncle was meditating or whatever it is he does when he stand still like that, and Mohg...

Where the fuck is he?! When did he vanished like that?! It doesn't matter, Ranni went outside to the balcony to get some fresh air, a good idea, and seems like a good opportunity as well... Greater Will help me.

"Always thought you had higher tolerance when it came to smells, didn't think a little bit of Miranda would faze you like that" I said to Ranni as I exited the lounge.

She was standing with her arms crossed over the balustrade, staring at the sky.

She scoffed "I might not be so tolerant as to wallow on the mud like you do, but my sense of smell is still pretty strong, Mally" That nickname flowing out of her mouth like she was talking to her wolf. Does she really see me as a 'pet' or something?! Argh... Calm down, you're here to talk, so let's talk.

I took a short breath, here goes nothing "Got a minute?" I said, getting closer and stopping beside her.

"Not really busy right now, so sure, what's cooking underneath that red nest of snakes?" She said, while casually fidgeting with her hands, and I could feel my blood pressure rising just from this 14 seconds of conversation alone, but I'm not gonna lose my patience... Again.

I sighed "Can you just... Listen to me? Please? I'm tired of... This, whatever the hell 'this' is, can we just talk about what happened today at dinner?" There, I said it, can't go back now.

"I... We- what do you mean?" She was nervous, so I was right about something.

"There's something weird about you, don't act like there isn't. I noticed throughout the whole dinner, you sound... Different..." She was starting to blush, we're getting somewhere... I hope.

"It's... I'm... It's nothing, just tired, okay?" She tried to shrug the topic away, but apparently someone also wanted to have this talk "And why do you even care? We're not friends or anything..." That last part coming out a little to weak.

"That's the point, what are we? Sisters? Cousins? Sure don't feel like any of those, so what is this? Some weird kind of friendship where we're always bickering about silly stuff? Or we just..."

"Tolerate each other because of Miquella?" She finished my last thought, and strangely enough she seemed... Sad while saying that.

A moment of silence followed as we let those words sink in, we were both staring at the sky now, that made it easier, having somewhere to look instead of her, after a while I broke the silence.

"Is that what you want?"

She looked like a child who didn't know what kind of ice cream flavor she wanted "Mmm don't know... I feel..." She hesitated, then sighed "I'm tired as well. Thought you and Miquella were coming back and everything was going to be as it was, but... I'm not the same from four years ago. I don't know, all the things we used to do, they seem... Off, like I'm sleepwalking through our conversations. I'm there, but I'm not there, y'know?" Good Grace, was this actual progress?

"Yeah, I know. Can I tell you a secret? And promise me you won't tell anyone, even Miquella... Especially Miquella"

"Won't make any promises, but if you're willing to share, go on" She said, jokingly.

"I'm serious" I said, this time looking at her, and she turned to meet my eyes with hers.

She sighed "Okay, I won't"

Can't believe I'm telling her this, but it's too late to back off now "Do you remember the night I lost my eyes? The night before my birthday, we were talking in my room while Miquella went to grab some snacks, and none of us noticed that it was almost midnight..." She nodded, her face was more serious now.

Even if we never really 'friends' she would never hurt me in a meaningful way, therefore she never liked to address my curse in front of me, so every time I started to talk about it she would just stay there and listen.

"I remember everything we said that night, you were telling me a stupid story about the time Rykard blew up one of the bathrooms of the academy and tried to blame it on the outer god of Frenzy" I laughed a little while saying that part, Ranni was still emotionless, knowing where this was going already "It was nice, we joked about him, even if we still added a little bit of our classic... Not so friendly back and forth to it. Then I got up from my bed to grab my glass of water that I forgot to put on my bedside table, you were sat at the table where the glass was and reached for it to give it to me..." I took a breath "You reached for the glass to pass it to me and the moment I picked it up from your hand..."

"Please, can we skip that part? I don't really like to remember that" She interrupted me. Can't blame her, but...

"That's the point, I can't forget... Even a second of that. The last things I saw before going blind for what I thought was going to be forever... The last thing those eyes saw before I lost them... It was your face, smiling and enjoying some time with me, something so rare I wouldn't even need the trauma attached to it to remember" I tried to add some humor to that part, but it didn't really work on her, so I kept facing the sky.

"Throughout the months before my recovery one thing never left my mind... You, and for a time I hated that the last thing I saw in my life was your stupid little witch face" I took a short breath "But then I stopped, stopped to think about that moment, about us... We were having fun, and you looked so happy, and for some time I got myself caught up thinking if... If any of this hadn't happened, if we grew up like regular kids, maybe... Maybe we could be actual friends... Eventually" Damn it, talking like this got my eyes to tear up a little, she didn't notice that, did she?

I looked at her, she was crying already, not sobbing or anything, just, staring at me with tears flowing down her face, don't think she even noticed them.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to..." I began to apologize.

"No, it's okay, you didn't, it's fine..." She said, wiping the tears from her cheek dismissively.

We shared another moment of silence, the wind howling on our ears.

"I don't wanna 'Tolerate you because of Miquella', I know how different we are, and probably will always be... But I could try to change that... I changed a lot during recovery... And it seems like you did as well, we don't have to be 'happy go lucky larger than life friends with sprinkles on top' or anything like that... But..." I said, getting progressively more anxious as I went along.

"I know..." She said "I don't think I've noticed until earlier today, but I feel like... Something is different now, maybe it's just not as fun as it was, or the 'whatever it was' potion that got into my nostrils earlier made me really delusional, but I think I can try to be..." She sounded so unsure, it's kinda cute to be honest "Nicer, if you're okay with it..." She rubbed more tears off her face, and then tried to recompose herself "I'm not making promises though, I still hate how absurdly dense and ignorant you can be sometimes" She quickly said, that made me chuckle a little.

I just rolled my eyes "Sure, Miss 'I'm so easy to be around'. You do know that most of our... Disagreements start because of your comments, right?"

She opened her mouth to speak and I just gave her a knowing look "Fine... Some of the blame..."

"Ranni"

"Okay, most of the blame is mine. There, happy now, Mally?!"

I shrugged "Not really, but it's a start, also, can you stop calling me that?"

She scoffed "In your dreams, I might be willing to be more friendly, but I won't stop being me" Well, I had to try "Besides, you can pretend you hate the way I call you all you want, I know you like it" Yeah, like a tree likes the axe.

I don't care that much about the nickname, she calls me that ever since I can remember, it's just the way she says it, like she knows something about me that even I'm not aware, but I guess I don't really have much of choice now, if we're going to be... 'Friends' and all, chances are that it's only getting worse from here... Honestly, why am I making so much effort to be around someone so annoying again?

"Hold on a second, I got something for you" She said, interrupting my daydreaming about my recent choices in life, and going back inside the lounge to grab something, coming back just as quickly.

"How's the smell back there?" I asked.

"Lucia is doing her best, but it's still awfully stinky. She needs a few more minutes" She paused to take a breath, either to enjoy the fresh air, or because she was nervous, I couldn't tell.

"What's that?" I gestured to the small blue rectangular box on her hands, not big, but not really small.

"Happy birthday, well, happy 19th birthday at least, the other two are still back there, and they aren't really important, this one is what I got for you at the beginning of the year, after Miquella sent the latter you had finally awakened" She said handing me the box.

"Oh, thanks... Couldn't wait until we got over Miquella's whole unwrapping ceremony? He was almost done before the stinky bomb blew up" I said, getting curious about the sudden gesture.

"I could, but I don't really want to... We were having this awkward 'making amends' talk now, and I just... I think it's better if I give it to you alone..." Well, now I'm really curious.

I started to unwrap the gift and...

"Oh, a book... It's... nice" Well, this was anticlimactic.

She rolled her eyes "Open it, you dense ruffian"

I opened the book and...

"These are...? Ranni, how did you...?" I couldn't believe my eyes.

The book was full of sketches, my sketches, some so old I didn't even remember drawing them, most were images of me, Miquella, Radahn, my parents, and even some of Ranni. Great, my eyes were tearing up again.

"I've always liked your drawings... You never really cared to organize or even keep any of them, so I gathered them up through the years, had so many by this point that I thought about making something useful with all that paper before it was all dust on my drawer, so here it is" She said, a little shy and embarrassed, fidgeting with her fingers while trying to avoid looking directly at me.

I left ou a disbelief laugh while the tears were flowing from my eyes "I can't believe you kept all of these for so long... This is the best gift I've ever got, well, second best, but still, thank you!"

"It's nothing, really, don't have to make it any weirder than it already is" She chuckled a bit, and after a few seconds of me turning the pages to look at my gift she broke the silence "Who's the first?"

"Hmm?" I was so distracted that I barely registered what she said.

"The best gift you ever got, you said mine was the second, who's the first?"

"Oh, that, it was Mother's 18th birthday gift for me, but I can't tell what it was, sorry, bad luck"

Mother explained to me while we were going back to my room after she gave the necklace, the only people who should know about the necklace would be the person I chose to give it to, and the possible daughter to which I would pass the tradition to.

"Fair enough" She shrugged "Guess I'll go fetch something to drink, the room must be almost habitable again by now, you want something?"

"Nah, I'm good" And as she went towards the door I couldn't help but say "I'm glad!" She stopped with a hand on the door handle, raising an eyebrow at my comment "Of us, I mean, this... It's nice, you're not so bad, Witch" I said, smirking at her.

"You too, Blockhead" She said with a smirk of her own. I was about to go back to my book when "And... You look good... In that dress, it's really pretty... On you"

And before I could even process the compliment, she was gone, back inside the room, guess that's what Ranni's 'friendship' is like. It's nice, better than I thought actually, she could be really gentle when she wants to, also she is pretty smart, and likes animals an-

Why is my heart beating so fast?! Is it because I was thinking of Ranni?! Oh no, not this, we're barely friends now, I can't have a... This is wrong, we're...

FUCK!

~~~

The room is finally habitable again, everyone returned to their previous positions, except for Mohg. The boy managed to slip away during the incident with the perfume.

Grace, I don't know how I can make that boy minimally interested in our family events. He barely shows up nowadays, Morgott was always shy, but he cares about this, about having these moments, and he's even more opened to other people recently. I pray so much for these boys to be accepted by this world. Quite silly I know, a Goddess praying, well, what can I do?

Miquella had just finished unpacking all of his gifts and was now distracted with a puzzle I'd gifted him.

Malenia took his place at the center of the room, unwrapping some clothes Rykard gave her, better taste with her gifts than Miquella's, she got three different daggers from Morgott, Radagon, and Rennala, and was now unwrapping a large box Radahn gave her.

"A HELMET!! I loved it!" She beamed, jumping over Radahn to hug him "Always wanted one of my own, Big Boy!"

It was a Indeed, a beautiful piece of armor, golden, with wings on the sides. The girl always refused to wear any armor to fight, just like her father, saying it would make her slow, so the most she'd wear were some helmets, but she never felt comfortable with any of them for too long.

Ranni scoffed from the side of the room "Seriously Radahn? What? Afraid she's gonna hurt some poor brick wall with her head?" I laughed a bit internally.

I know I shouldn't, but Ranni's attitude always made me a little amused, also, Malenia didn't seem to mind her as much at first, actually the two were way less hostile towards each other since dinner.

Ranni moved towards the open box to inspect the helmet (probably having another comment about it in mind already) when Malenia shouted.

"I'll show you a brick wall, Witch!" And I guess our peace is gone.

Malenia left Radahn's embrace to look at Ranni, which she didn't notice was standing just behind her, and suddenly the two almost hit each other with their heads as Malenia abrupt turn caught Ranni by surprise.

Both girls stopped on their tracks, locking eyes for a few moments before quickly backing away from each other. Was it my impression or were they blushing?

It's hard to tell, two redheads moving so fast. Anyway, everyone laughed at their antics and Radahn was the first one to speak after that.

"Well, there you have it, Little Blizzard, almost got a taste of Tiny Dancer's headbutt first hand!! AHAHAHA!"

"Headbutt? From where I'm standing it almost looked like they were about to ~kiss~" Rykard said, completely drunk by now.

Tanith was sleepy with her head resting on his shoulder, never seen a couple so dissonant yet so in synch, seemed like their movements were choreographed or something, hard to believe they'd only met three months ago.

"SHUT UP!" Both girls screamed in unison, and everyone laughed, it was nice having everyo- THEY'REALLGOING

What?!

 THEYREDEAD

 What's this voice?!

 THEYREALLGOINGTODIE

I blinked, suddenly the whole room was empty and covered in darkness. Everyone is gone, where ar- Oh Grace, the floor... It's...

Their bodies... All of them... Covered in blood, mutilated, a cold shiver running through my spine. The air smells like blood and cinder, it feels like my bones are made of glass. One more second in this place and I'm going to throw up, even if my body feels totally frozen.

I can't take this anymore!

And the next second I was back to reality, the laughs and warm light returning to my senses, must have been only a second here, but it felt like an eternity, and it was real, that was real, that was their destiny...

My children... They're are all going to die... And I can't let that happen.

Chapter Text

Quick question, what's weirder, my Saturday morning beginning with a sharp pain on my back and the taste of blood on my mouth, or the fact that none of those feelings are what's bugging me the most today?

"HAHA! You should've seen the look on your face, Tiny Dancer!!" Radahn said from the other side of the Sparring Hall, right after hitting me with the pommel of this great sword, throwing me into the wall, hence, the pain and the blood "Where's all that sharpness to your moves? I shouldn't be able to fool you like that" He's right, but the reason for my lack of attention is completely out of the table for discussion, I HAVE A CRUSH ON HIS SISTER!

I spat some of my blood on the floor "I'm still warming up, that's all..." I said, he didn't buy it.

"Yeah, sure, don't wanna tell me, don't tell me" He shrugged, one of his qualities, he never really insisted on anything if he wasn't sure it was his right to do so. He stretched his arms a little "Sometimes all we need is some time to ourselves, oh look, good morning!" He was looking at the first few rays of sunlight coming through the windows.

I woke up really early today, didn't really sleep last night if you wanna know, so I came down here, surprisingly enough the Big Boy showed up shortly after, he asked if I wanted to do some sparring before it was time for him to go meet the other boys for Rykard's party, obviously I said yes. I thought it would help me get Ranni out of my head... It didn't work.

"Good morning to you too" I said, getting up and taking my stance "Let's go, I'm ready" I said, and he left out a tired sigh.

"It's been almost an hour of me knocking you down repeatedly, Tiny Dancer, you've barely managed to scratch me, at first I thought you were just tired, but there's something bothering you" He looked more stern, not really serious, just less... Playful with his words.

"I'm fine, please, I want to-" I tried to protest, but the pain in my stomach got the better of me, I should have talked a little slower.

He shook his head a little "Listen, I don't really mind helping you release the tension, really, I really don't" He walked towards me, supporting his hands on his sword, using it as a walking stick, great, I managed to make the most combative person on the Lands Between to put his sword down "But whatever it is that's bothering you, I don't think you can vent out here, rage and frustration? Sure, but it isn't one of those, is it?" He looked concerned, to me he was just as much of a brother as Godwyn, Miquella or the twins.

I sighed, then smirked "Since when did you get all wise and philosophical?" He stopped in front of me.

"Ha! Me? Nah, I just started to pay more attention to people around me" He said, going back to his joyful tone "Ya know, since Rykard came up with a goddamn marriage out of nowhere, I began to think that I might not know some people as well as I thought, you never really know what's on someone else's head"

'Yeah, you'd be surprised' I thought to myself, then sighed "Yeah, I guess you're right" I said, sitting on the ground to catch my breath properly, the sparring session was already over anyway"

Radahn took a seat beside me "Do you know what's wrong?" He asked.

I nodded.

He left a sigh of relief "Well, that's a good start, so, can I help with anything?" It's so weird to see him talk like this, all calm and... Mature, sure he's over 30, but still...

I gave him a apologetic smile "Not this time, Big Boy, sorry"

He put a hand on my shoulder, grinning warmly at me "Don't be, whatever it is, I'm sure you'll figure it out" One thing he got from his mother, the power to make your problems seem way smaller than they actually were just by smiling at you.

We enjoyed a few seconds of the early morning silence before I spoke again "Have you ever... Wanted something, but you're not sure you really want it, and you know that you shouldn't want that thing?" Grace, that sounds confusing.

He looked pensive for a moment, then said "Sorry, can you repeat it?" His face painted with confusion.

What am I even thinking?! "It's silly, forget it" I said, better just dismiss the topic before he gets any wrong ideas.

"Wait, I think I get it! Like a slice of pie, you ate three already, and you're kinda craving a fourth, but you're not really hungry, you know you shouldn't eat a fourth, and you don't really want it, am I right?"

I took a moment to absorb his analogy, then slowly said "Kinda... Yeah, that works. So what would you do?"

"I'll eat the fourth, I don't care!" He immediately said, and after a moment to laugh at his own response he began to explain "You want a slice of pie? Have one, your life is happening now, and it's only this one, enjoy your pies!"

I chuckled, what else could I expect from him "Yeah, guess you're right" If that was only about pies.

"And when I'm not? Don't answer, HA! That talk got me hungry, gonna see if there's some pie on the kitchen, don't know about you, but I could really go for a Cherry Pie right now!" Okay, there's no way he said that to imply anything, but Aunt Rennala always said that 'Coincidence is a word that fools use to describe the movements of Destiny'. Someone in the Stars wanted me to think about the Witch.

As Radahn left to go eat whatever he finds in the kitchen I stood here, alone with my thoughts.

Okay, so what happened yesterday? I opened up, she opened up, we shared a nice awkward moment, she gave me a really nice gift, and just before she left she said I looked pretty, and that was enough to make my heart go all wonky like I was some kind of puppy when the owner comes back home from work?!

Grace, after that we had that stupid 'close call' headbutt/kiss, damn Rykard for making things worse! But that moment made it clear that I was getting nervous because of her, like, the wrong kind of nervous. She's my half sister for Grace's sake! Argh, and now all I can think is her stupid face (well, nothing new there), I don't know why Im thinking of her like this now, we were never really close, not enough for me to see her like... An actual girl, with... Girl features or anything.

She hated me, and I hated her when we were teenagers, like I don't know what chang- Oh... That's right... After I got rid of the Scarlett Rot, I noticed that not only it had affected my body, but my mind as well, it was subtle, but the Rot made my emotions really confused. After it was gone I noticed how it was easier now to think straight while I was dealing with anger, sadness, and all of my other feelings, feelings that I didn't even think I had... Like the will to make amends with Ranni.

Shit, what am I even going to do? Get closer and closer to her, walk up to her some random day and say 'Hey, I know we've only been friends for a while now, but I really want to kiss you now, is that okay?'.

That is ignoring the runebear in the room... Why do I have these feelings for my half sister? We grew up together, even if she never felt like 'family' in the way my other siblings do, we still share a biological tie, what would people think? 'The cursed child is definitely a sick freak, drooling all over her sister'.

I sighed, it doesn't matter, it's not like I can control any of this, and most importantly, I can't control Ranni, and she would never like me like that, it's a miracle that we're (more or less) friends now, I can't get closer to her if I'm going to keep thinking about... Things that I shouldn't, so I gotta keep it cool, I know what I feel, and it should go away eventually, right? I'll meet other girls, and Ranni will be just a friend, yeah, a friend, that sounds nice, I can do that.

"Careful there, Sis, if you keep mumbling that hard you'll turn this place into a smokehouse" Godwyn said from behind me, when did he entered the room?! Grace, was I actually mumbling? did he heard something?!

"How long have you been there?!" I said, trying to keep my voice from cracking, Godwyn just shrugged.

"About 8 seconds, came to see Radahn, have you seen him?" Well, that's a relief, he didn't hear anything.

"Oh, yeah, he was here, have you gotten here a few minutes earlier and you'd probably stumbled upon him in the hallway, just went out to get breakfast a couple of minutes ago"

"Oh bollocks, I came here to ask if he wanted to join me for breakfast!" He said, waving his arms in frustration, but I can tell he's not that bothered.

I giggled at his overreaction "Wanna rush up to the kitchen and see if you can catch up to him before he devours his weight in pies?"

Godwyn raised an eyebrow "Pies?"

"It's nothing" I tried to dismiss the topic but he was still looking curious at me  "Long story short, I got him to do some food metaphors and now he's craving some pies" Godwyn left ou an amused huff.

"Sounds like him, but thinking about it now, when did you woke up, Tiny Dancer? It's still pretty early for you as far as I remember" Grace, what's this?! Everyone became 'Mr. eyes on the details' while I was gone?!

"Oh, that... Yeah, I didn't get much sleep last night... Guess I was too excited to be back, and then I started to think about the weekend and one thing lead to another... So I came here to get my head busy before the day really started" I said, it's half the truth at least, and he seemed satisfied with the answer.

"Makes sense, I was quite excited to get the day going soon myself, been a while since I had a chance to lay back and enjoy a good time with the boys"

I rolled my eyes "You're lucky Miquella isn't here to hear you complaining about not having time to 'lay back', Golden Boy"

He huffed "Oh please, not you too, do you guys even know how hard it is to run an entire chunk of the Lands Between? Wanna know what's the average income of every farmer on Limgrave? Because I know"

I chuckled "Okay, Mr. Politics, I take it back, but it's hard to imagine the prodigy of our generation, Godwyn Loux himself doing a bunch of paperwork" I said, and he left ou a tired sigh.

"Not as glamorous as people think, isn't it? And don't use my full name like that, you know I don't like it" He said, laying back on the wall and crossing his arms.

I moved to stand beside him by the wall, bumping my shoulder on his "Sorry Big Bro, sometimes it just slips away, sounds good to be honest, and Mother said she doesn't mind"

"I know... I just don't like it, that's all" He always had a thing with his name ever since his father left the Lands Between to die in battle beyond the fog, the fate of the Tarnished, those who gave up on the grace of the Erdtree to seek their own glory overseas. Which wouldn't be that much of a problem if they were forced to leave their families to die overseas instead of willingly bailing away from any ties they had here, Godwyn was only 6 when that happened, Mother was devastated according to him.

So you can Imagine that he wouldn't be so fond of the man who left his family to pursue his own ambitions who knows where.

"Wouldn't be anything new to our family, right? Not liking things about us that we can't control?" I said, trying to lighten up the mood with some dark humor, and he just left out a smiley 'humph', guess I couldn't hope for more than that. His first name derived from his father's name after he married our mother, Godfrey, The First Elden Lord, but before that he was a champion who fought beside her during the latest war of the outer gods, his name was Hoarah Loux, a warrior from beyond the fog, I wonder if Mother forgave his choice to live as a warrior instead of the father and husband, I know Godwyn never did.

"Well, the talk has been pretty nice, but I gotta go see if Radahn has left anything for me to eat, till we meet again, Tiny Dancer" He said, moving towards the door, and I couldn't help myself but wonder about the irony, the amount of resentment Godwyn has towards his father, the Big Boy has in admiration for the man.

After becoming Elden Lord, Godfrey was granted a 'shadow', similar to Uncle Maliketh, but differently from him, his shadow was not supposed to protect, but to restrain the bloodthirsty instincts boiling inside of Godfrey, too volatile to make him a suitable candidate to be a Lord, the name of his shadow was Serosh, a Lion, standing always on his shoulder, which was the inspiration, not only for Radahn's armor, but also his title as the 'Redmane General'. So I still wonder how he and Goodwin get along so well, guess they never talk about that kinda stuff.

And speaking of awkward talks, time to get ready for the big day with the rest of 'the girls', which should go fine, our mothers will be there, plus it's just a small party by the lake, a little bit of drinking, a little bit of cheeses and- Hold on a second! "We're gonna be in swimsuits!" I said as the realization finally hit me, thank Grace Godwyn left already, because the panic had just returned to my face. I sighed 'This is going to be a loooong day'

~~~

"Isn't this nice? The weather is perfect for a day outside" Mother said, looking through the window of our carriage, the five of us were heading to the lake in one single carriage, again, Aunt Marika loves space, so here we are, not five minutes into the trip to the lake and Mally and I are already locked inside this deathtrap, yes, it's just as shaky as the one yesterday, but I've learned my lesson about complaining already.

"Perks of living on the foot of the Erdtree, I guess" Mally said jokingly, Stars, she looks so pretty! She's wearing a sleeveless kimono-ish black robe, similar to the style of clothes Father and her Mother usually wear, I wonder what kind of swimsuit she'd wear.

The last time I saw her in one was before the Rot manifested itself, so we were still kids back then, I never really liked swimming, well, maybe when we were little, but that's not important, I wasn't planning on doing anything beyond stepping on the shallow today, but Mother insisted that I wear a swimsuit under my clothes, saying that it's pretty hypocritical of me lecture her about being 'prepared for anything' yesterday and not considering the possibility of Mally randomly throwing me in the water for the fun of it, which lead to a weird talk earlier today...

• • •

Rennala's Room, One hour ago

"She wouldn't just throw me in the water like that" I protested, and mother looked amused at my little outburst.

"Is that so? As far as I can remember that girl already threw at you: kitchen knives, vases of flowers, wooden logs, a bunch of random small things, and last but not least, a crab that was bigger that your head" Mother listed those things and I couldn't help myself to laugh at some of the memories.

"Okay, you got a point, but she wouldn't do any of that now... I think" I said, not really sure of what our 'friendship' meant yet.

"Does that have anything to do with your conversation yesterday?"

"Conversation...?" I said, as the meaning of her words slowly got into my head.

"At the balcony, I saw her going there after Rykard's gift poisoned the whole room, looked like she was going to talk to you, and you two seemed less... Belligerent last night" So she's talking about that talk, guess it's just a matter of time until everyone notices that things changed between us as well.

I seated on her bed, dropping the clothes I was chosing for the day beside me, left out a brief sigh, then began "Yeah, she came to talk to me, we're... Okay, I guess, she said she was tired of how things used to be between us, and I agreed with her" I said, a bit embarrassed, and Mother just smiled at me.

"Don't look at me like that!" I said, crossing my arms defensively.

"Like what?"

"You know, the 'I told you so' look you love to give me"

She chuckled "Well, there's not much I can do about that, Rosebud, after all I did told you so" I glared back at her comment, she didn't care "It's only natural, you two were always around each other, people don't just get that close without growing attached to some extent"

No point in arguing about her logic so early in the morning, I just sighed tiredly "Guess you're right..."

"Wouldn't be the first time" She said, with a playful giggle at the end.

I scoffed "And you were scolding me yesterday, look who's got all cocky now, where's all that talk about not acting better than the others?" I teased her, ready for my argument to backfire in 3, 2, 1...

"And where do you think your attitude came from, Young Lady?" She shot back, smirking at me, thankfully she got the joke "Also, a mother has the right to brag about her wisdom every now and then, I would tell you that you'd understand that when you have your own kids, but I'll wait until you actually find someone first, then we can think about my possible grandkids" She said, playfully.

"You know I don't want kids, and even if I did..." I protested.

"I'm aware of the 'mechanical limitations', Ranni, but women have families too, I wouldn't love Rykard, Radahn, and you any less if you were all adopted"

"I know, I know..." I signed "Anyway, it's too soon to think about any of that, so let's get back to our clothes" I stood up and began to separate a comfortable set, which ended up being a loose button up shirt, a deck length pair of trousers and... "Okay, toss me a bikini" I said, and Mother passed me one she had already picked up for me, again, that look on her face, argh, is that how I look to people? Better not think about that.

• • •

So here we are, idle chatting while this annoying piece of clothing suffocates me, okay it's not that bad, but when you're so used to not wearing anything this restrictive your body naturally rejects the strange feeling, which is one of the reasons I didn't really like swimming anymore, wearing something so restrictive yet so reveling always bothered me.

The carriage arrived at the cabin we would spend the day, and don't get the wrong idea from the word 'cabin', the place is three times the size of a regular house, most of my childhood memories surrounded this place, Miquella and Mally loved spending time in here.

The place stood half on the shore, half suspended over the lake, with a huge balcony where you could jump right into the water, and there's where we're staying for most of the party, well, those of us who aren't planning to get in the water, in other words, me.

"Pretty nostalgic, isn't it?" I said to Mally as we entered the cabin, bumping my elbow on her arm.

She chuckled "Yeah, remember Morgott pretending to be a giant and chasing us around the place?"

"I remember you waving a wooden spoon at him and screaming 'Die monster! succumb in the presence of the Red Wolf!'" I said, making my best impression of a 7 year old girl, wasn't hard, my voice never got too mature anyway.

"At least I used a spoon, Father told me he caught me waving a dagger when I was 4" I laughed at that, this is good, we're talking... And nothing more than that, good.

Mother sighed from behind us "That man, it was the same thing with Radahn, you better watch out, Tanith, Rykard got a lot of his father in him" She said, as we put our stuff on an empty table.

"Believe me, I know" Tanith said, with a quick giggle "Now I'm curious about something, Rykard told me some stories about you two and Miquella, Ranni, did you actually..."

"Killed a runebear when I was 7?" I finished her train of thought, rolling my eyes playfully "Yeah, it's true, he loves that story"

"I can attest to that" Mally said from the other side of the room "Got unconscious in the middle so I'm still a bit doubtful, but either she did it or it was Miquella, and he was never the brawler type, especially at 5" Stars, her voice is so... No, cut it! Not now!

"So it is true, the power of the demigods is definitely more impressive than the stories make it to be" Tanith said, not sounding as much impressed as she did... Curious? Well, I already know she ain't normal from what I could see of her last night, so there's nothing odd about her behavior... Yet.

"Oh, don't let silly stories fool you, this one might be a prodigy, but she's still cries over a barb on her finger"

"I didn't cry!!" I protested at my Mother's comment.

"Sure you didn't, the high pitched yelling really helped your argument" Mally said while chuckling at me.

"Don't push your luck!" I shot back at her.

"Alright, girls, as much as I would enjoy seeing you two try to slash and freeze each other off, we still have to get things ready here" Aunt Marika said from the kitchen "Ranni, as you stated that you won't be swimming today, mind taking care of the grill?" She knew my answer before even asking, I was dying to try new recipes with the cuts of meat they have here at the Capital, the grass here makes all the wildlife that consumes it naturally develop a thicker layer of fat, perfect for roasting, my mouth is watering just from thinking about it.

"Don't need to ask twice" I happily said.

"Wonderful, as for you, Sweetheart, we need wood for the fire, we didn't really come here since you and your brother left, so no one replenished the stock yet..." She said to Mally, who listened like she was receiving orders to infiltrate a whole fortress by herself, not even blinking, it's kinda cute to be honest.

"I'll grab my axe" Mally promptly said, and ran out of the room in the blink of an eye- Wait, did I called her 'cute' a moment ago?!

"What about me, what can I do to help, Queen Marika?" Tanith asked, as I was unpacking the meat to season it on the kitchen.

"Oh, please dear, there's no need for that, this is your day, you're more than welcome to lay back for a while before we get everything done" Aunt Marika said with a warm smile.

"Please, I insist, it wouldn't feel right, give me anything, I just want to help" Funny, this woman looks like the embodiment of courtesy and stability, meanwhile Rykard once said, and I quote 'Sleep is so good that I would consider dying if it wasn't such a commitment' Seriously, how did these two end up together?!

"I see, can't stand to sit by and do nothing as well, can you?" Aunt Marika said, and Tanith nodded briefly.

"I guess I can't, to be honest I think it runs in my blood, my Father always talked about the importance of leading through example, so I helped everyone in the Manor ever since I can remember"

"Is that so?" My Aunt said with an amused look of surprise, then pondered about something for a moment "Pardon me if I overstep my boundaries, but where did your father came from?" She inquired.

"You're not overstepping, Queen Marika, he is- was a descent of the Numen, my Grandmother arrived in the Lands Between pregnant, so he was born and raised here at Mount Gelmir" Tanith explained, a bit melancholic about her father's departure, and, now almost certain, death.

"I am sorry, dear, I know how hard it is to... Lose someone like that" Aunt Marika said.

"It's fine, I've had my share of mourning already, I'm okay now, really"

"I see, well, there's not much left for you to do here, mind helping Ranni with the food?"

"I'd love to, if it's okay with her" Tanith and Aunt Marika eyed me, waiting for a response.

"What, an extra pair of hands? More than welcome! Here, you can start washing the vegetables" I said to Tanith, while Mother and Aunt Marika went to the balcony to do arrange things there.

~~~

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" I asked Marika as we moved a table to the balcony.

She hesitated for a moment "And by 'wrong' you mean...?"

"Your little 'daydream' yesterday during dessert, I'm probably the only one who noticed you spacing out, but that doesn't change the fact that something happened to you back then" I said, my voice filled with concern.

She sighed "It was a vision... A warning" And so my worries were confirmed, the Greater Will is disturbed as well.

I took a moment to process the information "Was it similar to mine?" I asked.

She shook her head lightly "Not that specific, but it was clear enough... Danger is upon us" She looked into my eyes "And we're not strong enough" Coming from the individual who stole Death itself from our existence, those words were really concerning.

I took a seat to think about the current situation, if the incoming threat to Caelid wasn't bad enough, now we have this, whatever it might be.

I sighed "And what are we going to do?" Marika took the seat in front of me.

"You will keep your focus on Liurnia, if anything is big enough to deserve a warning like this from the Greater Will, it's definitely going to affect the whole continent, we need our forces ready to fight back at any moment"

I nodded "And what about you?"

"I have a plan, if it works our chances of surviving, and even surpassing the incoming threat will be greatly increased" Well, that's a relief, except for the fact that...

"You're not going to tell me what it is, are you?" I asked with a knowing smirk.

"Sorry, my friend, but only I can execute it, and telling you would only make you worried about me" She said, a hint of guilt to her words.

"You know I'll worry about it regardless, but I understand your choice" There's no use in arguing with her about her own safety, believe me, I know, but it wouldn't hurt to try "Just... Be careful with whatever it is that you're going to do, and... Good luck" I said, trying to comfort her with a smile.

She smirked "Women like us can't really afford the luxury of 'luck', but I'm grateful for your concerns regardless" And so we went back to work on the balcony. I can only hope her 'plan' is something really impressive, because the gods don't really fret without a good reason.

~~~

'DON'T STARE, DON'T STARE, DON'T STARE' Is the ony thing in my mind right now, we had just finished with the food, Mally brought the firewood for the grill, I was taking care of the meat when she stretched her arms a little, got rid of her robes and was standing right beside me on her swimsuit, and Stars, did she grew up when she was away.

Mally jumped out of the balcony into the water, thankfully so, because I was having a hard time trying to look away from her body, she was pretty similar to me when we were young, but now? Her thighs, her back, her chest, her shoulders, everything about her shape is, for the lack of a better word, curvier.

And yes, I know she technically only has one thigh, but her prosthetics are shaped to mirror the other limb, so to me it just looks like a really thin layer of metal over her leg. But enough talk about her legs, the focal point of my distraction was wrapped with a dark blue bikini top. I knew she had good genetics in that department, her mother was always astonishing, but those breasts, it almost felt unfair, they're not absurdly big or anything, they're just... Really well rounded, like if someone asked you to imagine something like 'a beautiful smile' for example, you'll probably think of an abstract smile that only exists on your head, like it's so perfect that no one that's real has it. She has those kinds of boo-

"I thought she couldn't swim" Tanith said, bringing me back from my, not so short, trip to the realm of indecency.

"What?" I blurted, still a bit distracted.

"Yesterday, you two were arguing and you said she can't swim"

"Oh, that, yeah, technically she can't swim, her prosthesis don't really work well on water, but around the balcony it's still pretty shallow, so she can have some fun nearby" I explained.

"Oh, so that's it, well, guess I'll make her company" She said, undressing from her robes, and I couldn't stop a hint of... Jealousy? From emerging within me, not because of Tanith herself, but just the fact that... It's another woman around Mally while the two are almost naked. Even if the situation is not as nearly as weird as I made it sound, still, the whole thing makes me... Annoyed.

Tanith jumped on the lake, and I decided to return to my duties as the Cook, better to keep my head busy with that for a while.

The following hour flew by faster than I expected, it was almost mid-day and I was serving the meats and some roasted vegetables along with a few different types of cheese. Mother and Aunt Marika were chatting and having some wine, they swam for a while but decided to take a break and let Mally and Tanith playing by themselves on the water... Which is fine! Totally fine, I don't care, they're just having fun, it's not a crime... Stars, I need help.

"Anyone hungry?" I said out loud, displaying a, quite impressive if you ask me, board of sliced goodies.

"Starving!" Mally shouted from the lake, rushing up to the balcony, Tanith giggling at her sudden shift at the mention of food.

The two joined the rest of us at the table shortly after.

"Oh my, this looks delicious, Ranni, you must be really proud" Tanith said, she's so nice that I'm starting to feel really bad for my previous jealousy towards her, Stars, I'm an awful Sister-in-law!

"It's not a big deal, really" I said, trying my best to not blush out of existence.

"Big deal or not, I'm not wasting my time now" Mally quickly poked a couple of slices of meat and led them to her mouth, stopping at the last second "This ain't spicy, is it, Witch?" She asked me, narrowing her eyes.

I chuckled "No, Miss Sensitive lips, I left the hot sauce on the sides, so no dipping on that cup there for you" Mally hated spicy food, which didn't really help our dynamic growing up, 'cause more often then not I would forget to warn her about something I cooked before she burned her tongue on it, hence the 'kitchen knives' Mother said she had thrown at me before.

She resumed her movement, having a taste of the meat, chewing it so fast that I had barely got mine to my mouth before she grabbed her seconds.

"Do you even taste what you eat?" I asked, impressed by her voracious assault on the food.

"~Mhhm~?" She raised her eyebrows at my comment, her mouth still full.

"I mean, I get that you're hungry and all, and I know my food is a blessing to your taste buds, but it doesn't even look like you're giving the food the chance to get there" I said, joking, but not really.

Mally swallowed her food "What's the problem? To me if you like something you just get as much as you can. I like food, so I enjoy it like this" Her pragmatic tone would be funny if it wasn't so annoying, but I guess she's got a point... Or the premise to one at least. Anyway, I just rolled my eyes with a small grin.

"You girls seem pretty close, must've been nice growing up together in here" Tanith said, and immediately after that Mally and I exchanged an awkward look.

"Well, I wouldn't say it was peaceful, actually it was quite the opposite as you probably noticed by now" Mother said "But you know how teenagers are, and these two were no different, always arguing, but never too far away from each other, looks like opposites do have some kind of attraction effect after all" She finished with a giggle.

"I see, they're practically sisters after all" Tanith said, and that word echoed in my head as loud as it could, 'sisters', no matter how much I tried to avoid thinking about me and Mally as being blood related to some extent, it was always there, the heavy truth, these recent feelings for her are wrong, and there's nothing I can do about it.

***

The rest of the day was pretty fun all things considered, the food was good, the awkward nostalgic talk was bearable, Mally played a few songs, she got pretty good with her lute during her time at the Haligtree, overall it was nice.

I'm sitting on the balcony now, my calves hanging from the edge of the structure, looking  at the sunset... Thinking about how silly I have been recently.

"Pondering about diving in before the party is over?" Mally said, sitting beside me, a playful smile on her face, I didn't even hear her footsteps behind me, which says a lot about how distracted I was, considering one of her feet is literally made of metal.

I looked at her for a second, then turned back to the lake "Something like that..." The lake wasn't the only thing I wanted to 'dive in' at the moment, but let's not go back there.

I shifted my position to hug my knees, being around her still makes me kind of nervous "How about you, got tired of the girly talk?" The rest of our little group is having a small talk session inside the house before our carriage arrives.

"Yeah, something like that..." She said, bumping me lightly with her shoulder "But mostly... I wanted to talk to you" Her voice shifted to a more reserved tone

"About what?"

"I... I don't know..."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I know, weird. It's just... We've spent the whole day together and we didn't stopped to... Chat, you know, about things that we wanna talk about, and not just comments on our mothers' stories about us. Does this make any sense to you? 'Cause it's sounding more and more stupid as I keep saying" She finished with an awkward giggle, and I couldn't stop the subtle grin on my face.

"It's not that weird, well, not for your standards anyway" I said, bumping my shoulder on her this time "I kinda get it... part of me wanna do... Other things with you, but at the same time..."

"You don't really know where to start" She took the words out of my mouth, saying them with an understanding look on her face, goddamn she's cute!

"Yeah... I was never popular, besides Miquella and maybe Mohg, I can't really call anyone I know a 'friend', so this whole thing feels really new to me" Also, it's kinda hard to have a normal conversation where you can't really look someone in the eyes because you wanna bury your face on her chest!

I wanted to talk to her more today, but every time I looked at her my head simply turned off, the only reason I can talk to her now is because she's thankfully dressed again.

"If you're new to this, then I don't know what I am" She joked, a hint of melancholy to her voice.

"Oh, c'mon, you didn't have a choice, I'm sure that if... All that didn't happen when you were younger you'd be really popular today" I tried cheering her up

"Oh, 'cause I'm so popular with you" She shot back sarcastically.

"You're not that bad... Also, there's other troglodytes everywhere, I'm sure you'd get along just fine with them" I said matter of factually, mostly to mask how sad her curse makes me feel for her.

She rolled her eyes "If you say so..."

A moment of silence while we both started at the sunset.

"How was it? At the Academy I mean, we've never really talked about what you thought of it before" She asked, breaking the silence with a shy tone.

I sighed "Mostly boring to be honest, most fun I ever had there was skipping classes to go chat with Master Lusat, he knew absolutely everything you can imagine, about sorceries, History, biology, politics, I never got tired of his stories..." I said nostalgically "But Mother never liked him, actually no one really liked his methods there, so he left the school before I graduated, everything from that point on was painfully monotonous"

"What happened to him, why did he left?"

"Well, there's two answers, ask anyone at the Academy and they'll tell you the same thing, that he was too old and couldn't really teach the new generation properly, so he just gave up" I said with a bitter tone.

"And the other..."

"Well, if you ask his friends, they'll tell you he got tired of all that bureaucratic bullshit about 'safety of magic' and decided to vanish from the map to do his research in peace" This time my voice came out a little too emotional for my taste.

"I see, and I presume that if you know the two versions of the story..."

I smiled at her correct assumption "Yeah, he's my friend, guess that makes 3 then, but I wouldn't really count him, we don't really talk anymore, the part about 'vanishing from the map' makes communication kinda difficult"

She chuckled "Yeah, guess that makes sense"

Another moment of silence.

"I really miss him..." I mumbled while still holding my knees, thinking about him always makes me like this, and Mally seemed to notice that, because shortly after she reached for my shoulder with her hand.

I trembled a little at the sudden contact of her metallic digits through the thin fabric of my shirt, but let her keep going "Must be really hard, you two seemed pretty close, do you even know where he is?"

I just shook my head a little.

"I see, I'm sorry" She said, rubbing her thumb on circling motions around my shoulder, shit, this feels good.

I managed to look at her with my best 'I'm okay' face "Don't be, I'll be okay"

"Not about him, I gotta cheer you up, so sorry about this"

"Cheer me- WOAH! What are y-" Was all I could say before she moved her arm from my shoulder to my back and jumped on the lake, dragging me with her in the process.

Splash

And just like that, Mother's prophecy fulfilled itself, save for the fact that Mally didn't throw me, but both of us, on the water, and now I was soaked, the water level was around my chest, I barely stood up to face the reason for my current situation, just to be met with a equally soaked redhead laughing her ass off.

"What were you thinking?!" I said, the disbelief look on my face was enough to make her smirk only grow larger.

"You were pondering about diving in, I helped you out, besides, you were getting sad, and swimming always cheered you up" She said with a shrug.

"Well, thanks! Now my clothes are all soaked!" I said, trying to be pissed at her, but the fact that this happened at all was enough to make a small chuckle escape from my mouth.

"See, I knew you'd like it" She said with her smuggest tone.

"Shut up!" I replied, splashing some water in her direction as well "Now move, I gotta get these things off to dry them out before the carriage arrives" We got to the shore, and I began to undress my wet garments, still thinking about how someone could be so chaotic that a random prediction about her doing the stupidest thing to me turned out to be correct, Mally was still having fun at my expense.

"And don't get so cocky, you know I'll get back at you for this eventual-" And as I was halfway done with my trousers I noticed exactly the situation I was in, wearing just my bikini... In front of Mally...

My eyes focused immediately on her, my face burning with embarrassment now. And as I caught her gaze she instantly averted her eyes from me, and- Wait a second, was she... Staring?! At me? No, no, no, NO way! This is just my stupid intrusive thoughts about her, I gotta focus on the reality!

The awkward moment was finally over, after she used a quick incantation to dry our clothes faster, none of us dared to look at the other's direction during the whole thing. I redressed myself, and shortly after our carriage arrived. We didn't really talk after that, guess she noticed how embarrassed I was, and was probably just as embarrassed herself.

On the trip back to the Palace my head kept returning to a single moment just to make sure I had indeed imagined it, but the more I thought about it, the less I believed in my theory... She was actually staring at my body.

~~~

I heard a knock on my door, who the hell is even bothering me this early?

"Brother, are you up already?" Morgott's voice.

"Well, I am now, what's so important that you woke me up so soon?"

He said something I couldn't really understand.

"Can't hear you from out there, open the door" I shouted, my voice still raspy, the door was swung open, and I was met by the imposing sight of my Brother.

"Sorry to bother you, Miquella, but aren't you going to see Pastor Miriel today?" He asked.

I yawned "Yeah... I will, but that's only in an... What time is it now, again?"

"11:46" He said.

There was a second of silence before "WHAT?!" I screamed, immediately jumping out of bed "How the hell did I slept for so long?!" I rushed to my window, opening the curtains just to instantly regret the act, the sunlight burning my eyes at the sudden exposure.

"Calm down, it's not that late" Morgott said,  following me around my room as I started to gather my things to shower as soon as possible.

"Not that late? I lost the whole morning!!" I shouted, and Morgott moved his arms in a defensive gesture, I ignored him, rushing to my bathroom.

"Stupid wine, I keep forgetting my body can't handle that shit" I mumbled to myself, closing the door behind me, Grace, I hope I'm not too late.

***

I managed to arrive at the Capital Church in less than an hour, eating a few sandwiches Morgott and Lucia prepared for me on my way here, I gotta remember to thank those two later.

I entered the Church, a few lone prayers on their knees here and there, but besides that the whole place was pretty empty, well, what else could one expect from a Golden Week Saturday anyway.

I made my way towards the room behind the altar.

"Hello, anyone here?" I said, opening the door after no one answered my knocks.

I got inside the room, taking a look around, some bookshelves, a smell of incense, a chair here and there, and oh, a giant turtle sleeping with his head over a really old looking book.

"Master Miriel?" I called, no answer.

"Hey, Master Miriel!" I repeated a bit louder, still no answer.

"Master!" I tried once again, and he just snored, I rolled my eyes, time for a different approach.

I cleared my throat "FIRE! FIRE! SOMEONE HEEEELP!" I shouted and now his eyes snapped open.

"Hmnh... What, Where?!" He said, still confused about where exactly he even is, I chuckled, and he noticed me in front of him.

"Well, ~good morning to you~" I said with a grin.

"Oh, it is you, Young Miquella!" He beamed "So good to see you again... But what are you doing here so soon?... And where's the fire?" He said still a bit scared.

I giggled "There's no fire, you silly old turtle, I was just messing with you"

He laughed for a moment "Haven't lost your sense of humor, I see..."

"Seems like you didn't lose yours as well, come here you fossil" I said, holding his neck on a hug "So, how have you been?"

"Well, quite busy as of recently... Lots of tormented souls seeking the church about the incoming year... Poor things, poor, poor things... Many are desperate for guidance these days... So I have been doing extra sermons, giving advice to a few worried followers, and trying to keep a relative peace... But other than that, things are mostly the same... I live my life one day after the other..." He said in his classic slow style of speaking.

"I see, people tend to get really restless during times like these, sometimes I wonder if there's any justifiable reason for the horrors some people have to experience every day of their existences, and if there is, maybe we should just ignore it regardless" I said tiredly "... But let's talk about good stuff first! So, are you excited about Rykard's marriage?" I shifted to my playful tone again.

He giggled at my abrupt change of topic, can't help it, it's just the way my head works, and he is pretty used to it by now "Very much, Young Miquella... Very much... Seems like it was yesterday that his parents came to me to organize their own ceremony... Time is a funny thing... A funny thing indeed..." I love the way his eyes slowly close at the end of his sentences.

"Tell me about it, almost lost the entire day today because I lost track of how late it was before Morgott woke me up, barely had time to shower before coming in here"

"Overindulging on the liquor again, Young Miquella?" Master Miriel teased, he would be smirking if he had lips. Also, damn it, since when I became so easy to read?!

"Well, it's not my fault this prepubescent, small bladdery, underdeveloped, paradoxically lethargic and hyperactive wimpy body can't handle a single bottle of wine!" I blurted with an overdramatic wave of my arms.

I held my upset facade for as long as I could, but it didn't last for long, a couple of seconds was all it took for me to burst out laughing, and so did Master Miriel.

We laughed together for a while, then his expression got more serious as he looked at me with worry in his eyes.

"Young Miquella, are really you okay?... The procedure... It was quite dangerous as far as I can remember... The last time we spoke you seemed really unsure about the viability of the treatment... And about the side effects..."

I sighed "I'm fine... Thankfully, I mean, it was hard, really hard actually, but we managed to survive it, the whole thing was quite unstable when I talked to you about it, but that was before I changed some things about the process..."

"Oh... What exactly it is that you changed?..."

I took a seat in front of him before continuing "The current of sorceries, basic Glintstone wasn't stable enough, or to be precise, it wasn't strong enough" I explained "I initially thought the problem was to find a source of energy stable enough to power the incantations, but the answer wasn't to find a source more refined, it was quite the opposite, we needed raw and unrefined energy, so the two different natures could blend more easily when paired together"

"It makes sense, the Unalloyed Gold is the purest form of the element after all... It is only natural to seek the equivalent property on the other variables..." He paused for a moment, seeming pretty happy with the new discovery "The combination of two different types of magic... You must be really proud of your feat... Such an achievement it's unprecedented... And most of all, you cured your sister... There's no bigger reward..." He said, and something I was pondering about telling him came back to my mind, I'm not really sure if I should, but he of all people would keep the secret, especially a secret of mine.

"I'm flattered, Master, I really am, but..." I took a breath "As much as I would've, and have actually done anything I could for Malenia, my best wasn't really enough... The execution? Yeah, I did the whole thing, and would do it a hundred more times... But the theory, or to be exact the 'discovery'... It wasn't mine, I hate to say it, but I'm not the one who saved Malenia"

~~~

Mother always told me that I've got my Father's eyes, I knew she wasn't talking about the color, Miquella's are literally identical to mine after all. What she meant was that I could see the world the way he does, attentive to details, looking for things most people don't really notice, which helped a lot with the fighting and all that stuff, but it also made me really good with...

"Nice technique, Kiddo" Father said, approaching me from behind. I was sitting on the couch inside my bedroom and jumped on my seat at his sudden comment.

First Godwyn, now him, what's so funny about sneaking upon me anyway?!

"When did you get into my room?!" I asked, and he giggled, like he didn't just sneak upon his daughter when she's drawing... Well, I needed to get the image of Ranni in a swimsuit out of my head, and the best way I found to do that was to put that image somewhere else, so the page he got a peek from was filled with sketches of Ranni's body, without a face of course, I'm not that crazy.

"You left the door open, I came to see if you're okay" I did?

"I did?" I looked behind him, the door was wide open, well duh, of course it was, he opened, but I believe him. Also I got here so fast and it wouldn't surprise me if I just didn't notice that.

"So, how was your day with the girls?" He said, jumping over the couch to seat beside me.

"It was fun... Lots of nostalgia talk back at the old cabin" I said with a giggle "How about you and the boys? Also, aren't you a little too early at home? Knowing Rykard he'd be keeping you guys busy until tomorrow" I said, subtly putting my sketchbook to the side, hopefully he didn't get that much of a glance at it.

"Haha! You got me there, Tiny Dancer, yes, I called it a day a bit too soon, I'm the Elden Lord after all"

"Fair enough, but was it fun?"

"For the most part, I love spending time with my boys, but between you and me" He leaned a bit closer "My party days are mostly in the past by now, it's fun, don't get me wrong, but a man learns to settle down after his ninth decade in this world"

I rolled my eyes playfully "You and Mother have to stop with this middle age crisis of yours"

"Hahaha! We just a couple of geriatrics by now, aren't we?" We laughed for a bit, and then "Who's that?" he spoke with an interested look on his face.

"Who's who?" I said with clueless face, why am I trying to dodge his question in the dumbest way possible? Great question, too bad I didn't get that far into this whole thing to figure that out as well.

"In your sketchbook, you were drawing someone, it looked pretty good"

"Oh, that, it was no one, just some random..."

"May I see it?" Well, let's hope either I'm not too good with my drawings or he is not too good with physiognomy to recognize Ranni's body there.

"S-sure, but it's nothing to brag about or anything, the composition is not the best, the lighting and the shadows are kinda off as well, and..." He eyed me in the midst of my rant about how this drawing sucks, and I just murmured "Sorry, impostor syndrome, artist thing haha" Okay, have I literally forgotten how to keep my cool?! (sigh) I hate to admit it, but I tried to play it cool with Ranni today, I acted like I would normally, even if I was kind of ashamed of my body, but I managed to shrug that off, and for a while back there it felt like everything was fine again, like the panic I experienced was just some weird nostalgic mixed feelings that got confused in my head.

So I tried to talk to her, you know, be playful and chat about her life, get this friendship thing going, but then everything fell apart. I don't really know why I pushed her in the water with me, but the moment she took her robes off my reason literally left my brain, I couldn't do anything but stare at her body, so small, so delicate, different from me, her curves are not as pronounced, but they're there, and it was at that moment that I realized, I wanted her, I want her... 'Grace, why do I always have to be some sort of a FUCKING freak?! First I was cursed, now I'm turned on by my half sister!' I thought as I handed the sketchbook to my Father, trying not to explode while doing it.

"Wow, if this is 'nothing to brag about' I don't know what is, it's perfect! You've got really good over the years, Tiny Dancer" One of the reasons I liked drawing so much, ironically enough, was the Scarlett Rot. After losing my arm and getting the prosthetic, Mother came up with some ideas to make me practice more refined types of movements with it, hence my liking for painting, drawing and some other visual kinds of arts, she also taught me to play the lute, never really got good with it, but I enjoy playing it every now and then.

"Thanks" I said, a bit embarrassed. Compliments, never dealt well with them.

"So, is this someone in particular or..."

"No one in particular! just practicing some shapes and line work" I said, trying to sound less desperate than I was with his assumption.

"I see... Look, your mother told me she gave you the necklace, and that maybe you'd want to talk to me about it" He said, now he seemed embarrassed.

"Oh, yeah, she did... I told her that... That I'm not really interested in men, and she said you could help me find a maiden when I'm ready for it..."

"And... Are you ready to talk about that now?" He said, a bit apprehensive, I can only imagine how awkward this must be for him, if it wasn't for the fact that I am actually drooling all over his only other daughter he would probably be more nervous than I currently am.

"I... I don't know... But I can try" Let's see if I can work around this, counseling is counseling after all, and I really need some of that now "How... how do you know if you like someone?"

He stopped to think, put a hand on his chin, and then said "Let's start with this, there's a few ways to know if actually like someone, first, you have to think about the person, visualize her..."

I nodded 'Hmph, don't have to ask, difficult is not thinking about her' I thought and before I could realize he was smirking at me.

"What?" I said.

"So there is someone, isn't there, Tiny Dancer?" How can he know?! Oh... Wait a fucking second.

"How do you-" I began, but he cut me off.

"If there wasn't anyone you wouldn't have stopped to think about her, Kiddo, that's how I know" Damn it, fucking mind games!

I sighed in defeat "Yeah, there kinda is someone... But I'm not sure if I want to... You know... Act"

He looked at me in confusion "Why not? Are you afraid of anything?" he asked seeming really concerned.

"Afraid? Probably of a lot of things" I chuckled nervously "But the big thing is... It feels wrong... To actually like..." 'Your sister' "... Someone"

"What do you mean 'someone'?" His concern only growing.

Great, gotta dance around the topic now "I mean... What if I'm not good enough? You know, sometimes I feel like all that I am is my curse, even now, to some people that's all I'll ever be, 'The Severed'... And if I end up with someone and she will have to receive the same looks, the same judgement..." I said in a melancholic tone, it was easy, those are actually concerns that I have, lesser ones, but still.

He sighed "I can't tell you everything is gonna be fine, as much as I want to, we know the world is not a fair place... But what I can tell you is this, there's nothing in this world that's worth fighting for more than love, it might seem hard, and unfair, and even wrong at times, but if it's real, if your heart guides you towards it, then you go, as simple as that. To hell what people say or think, this is your life, you live it your way"

I smiled, it felt good to hear him say those things, but... "What if... You or Mother don't approve my... 'Love'?"

He just chuckled "What, you think you're the first girl to find someone your parents aren't fond of? Malenia, I don't know if the person you thought about a moment ago will be the love of your life, but know that if she is, no matter who or what she is, it won't change a thing about how I or your mother feel about you, as I said, this is your life, not even I can tell you how to live it"

And with that we hugged, a few tears flowing from my eyes to help settle the conversation on a (semi) positive note.

His words were really kind, and if they were meant to any other person in the world I would be glowing with encouragement to go after what I wanted, but I still want Ranni, and I can't explain why.

But one thing he said got my attention, and might help me figure this whole thing out. I have to find out if these feelings are 'real' or not, 'cause if they are, then I'll have some serious problems, but I will only think about what to do with them if I know for a fact that this is... 'Love', damn that word is heavy, anyway... I have to get closer to her.

Might be a bad idea, might actually ruin all the little progress we achieved recently, but I have to see it with my eyes, just how far deep I actually am into this.

Chapter Text

The sunlight hit my eyes through the curtains, I know how sometimes the night can seem neverending when you stay up for too long, but for me, it couldn't have felt any shorter.

I didn't get any sleep last night, kept repeating an equation on my head, to which there seems to be only one solution.

"They'll have to be ready..." I murmured to myself, laying on my bed, Radagon sleeping peacefully by my side. No matter how hard I tried to find a different answer, the outcome was always the same.

"Mnhm... I love your face when you're stressing out in the mornin'..." Radagon said, his face half buried into his pillow.

I signed "I'm not stressing out, and you're not a light sleeper, how long have you been awake?" I said, running my hand through his hair softly.

"'Bout an hour or so... My head just kept coming back to last night" Yeah, last night...

• • •

Royal Chambers, the night before

Radagon entered the room, whistling in relief after closing the door behind him.

"Gotta tell ya, My Love, that went waaaay smoother than I expected" He said, sitting in his chair "Might be just my impression, but it feels... Easier to talk to Malenia since she returned. Guess your theory about her explosive personality being tied to the curse in some way deserved more credit than I gave it initially" He said with a small chuckle.

"Told you it wasn't just puberty" I said in a playful tone, putting aside a book I was reading to go meet him.

"Yeah, but can you blame me? Our personalities aren't the best representatives of  'serenity' so to say"

I laughed as I sat on his lap "Speak for yourself, Red Wolf, I am as delicate as a rose"

He smirked "Even the most delicate of roses has thorns, My Love"

"I said 'delicate', not harmless" I retorted, matter of factually, rubbing a hand on his chest, drawing random patterns with my fingers.

He rolled his eyes playfully, then cupped my face with one hand "So, how's your day?" He said, rubbing his thumb softly om my cheek.

I closed my eyes and leaned to rest my forehead on his "Mostly uneventful, the party went really well..."

"But..." He began.

I sighed "I had a vision... Yesterday during dessert, Rennala noticed. We talked about it today..." He listened to me patiently, keeping his soft motions on my face.

"The feeling I had before, Radagon... It's real, something is going to happen, and our family... We're all going to die if I don't do something" I said, moving my face to look at him with a tired expression.

"Are you-" I just nodded, cutting off his doubt about me being sure of all that.

"It's inevitable... Rennala told us about her vision of the return of the fallen star a few years back, it's no coincidence, there are other forces making movements in the shadows, and now we don't have time to prepare for them..."

"The conflict? Yes, that's inevitable, but losing it? They are no match for us, especially now, a triple alliance between Liurnia, Leyndell and Mount Gelmir? We're stronger than never" I always loved his optimism, unfortunately I know he's just trying to see the bright side when deep down he knowns that...

"The Greater Will wouldn't warn me if it wasn't something really dangerous, My Love. And we might be stronger, but this won't be our fight..." He looked at me in confusion.

"The vision was a warning, not about the threat, but about how we aren't enough to handle it as we stand now, how our kids aren't strong enough to survive it, this will be their fight. None of them knew the world we grew up in, a world at constant war... We can't teach them the strength we had back then..." I said sorrowfully, and as he began to shift his position to comfort me, I shifted as well, looking at him with fire in my eyes "But we can make them stronger"

He was taken aback by my statement, a worried look growing on his face "Why do I feel like I'm not gonna like your explanation?"

I smiled softly "Because you know me, My Love, better than anyone else" I signed, taking some time to think of a way to explain my plan to him.

"We'll use the Elden Ring" I finally said.

He pondered about what I have just implied, his eyes locked on me the whole time "You wanna harvest the power of the Elden Ring?" He eventually asked.

I shook my head "No, My Love, it would take too long and wouldn't be enough. No, I want to shatter it"

He was not surprised, scared, or even mildly disturbed by my plan, he just closed his eyes for a moment and said "I see... You'll split the power of the Elden Ring between them... That would tilt the balance significantly in our favor... But you wouldn't be so hesitant about it if it was that simple" He said with a comforting smile.

"We are part of the Elden Ring, Radagon, shattering it could destroy us, for who knows how long, and... If this whole thing turns out to be a failure... If the Erdtree falls while we are not here to protect it... If even the power of the Elden Ring itself isn't enough... Then we'll be gone for good, and so will our family" I said, my voice shaking with fear.

He held my arms firmly, waited for me to catch my breath, then said "Do you believe that's the solution?" Looking gently at me.

I nodded "It's our best bet..." I said in a hushed tone. Part of me believed 100% that this is the best option we have, the fact that the Greater Will didn't warned me about the plan at all was my biggest hint to keep going with this, but at the same time "... But it's too much, Radagon, and it's not about me... This will affect you as well, if it fails then we'll never see our children again, I can't do this to you" I said, my eyes watering while I did.

He pulled me into a hug, burying my face on his chest as he ran his fingers through my hair. I was ready to sacrifice myself for my family, and I knew he would probably do the same in a heartbeat, but to actually ask him to do it, to give away months or even years of his life with our kids just feels too cruel, and that is the best case scenario.

"We'll be okay" He whispered to me, and I couldn't hold the scoff of disbelief that came out of my mouth "I know it's a lot... But I have faith in you, and most of all, I have faith in our children, they'll handle things well, I know they will" He said reassuringly, not a single hint of doubt in his words, and I couldn't help but think...

"How can you be so sure?" I asked, my voice weak.

"Because you're their Mother. Godwyn, Morgott, Mohg, Malenia, Miquella, all of them have your strength, even if they might not realize it, but they can be stronger than you and I ever were" He was starting to get a shy smile out of me, and then something came to my mind.

"They're so young... Radagon, Malenia and Miquella aren't even 20 years old yet, and Malenia just got the chance to have a life, a normal life, she's so happy... How can we take all of that away from her?" I said between small sobs.

He kept his comforting tone "We can't, but this isn't a choice we made. Some people don't deserve to live in times like these, it's not fair, but it's not up to us to change the world, sometimes we can only do our best with the tools that are given to us..." He took a deep breath "I would love to see Malenia find her place in this world, start a family, leave her past behind... But it seems like there's still a few more battles ahed of her" He said with a sad tone.

The room was silent for a while.

"So that's it? We'll abandon our kids in a world at war?" I asked rhetorically.

"Seems like it... But it's not all bad, you and I are proof that love can flourish during a war, happened twice for both of us even" He said, trying lo lighten up the mood.

I huffed amusingly at his comment "Happened once for both of us, the second time we weren't at war anymore" I playfully protested.

"My point still stands, who knows if this won't end up being for the best at the end, we might wake up to a better world after it's all done" He said optimistically.

"Who knows..." I thought about arguing, but there's no use to that now, one of us have to be optimistic after all.

• • •

"At least you got some sleep" I said as he shifted to sit beside me, hugging me with one arm.

"And you look like you didn't do so much as blink" He said, kissing my cheek, making me aware of just how cold my body was. We got used to sleeping in the nude after a few years together, so I didn't even noticed the cold air of the night lowering my body temperature while I was a little too focused on my own thoughts.

"I'm fine, just needed time to digest what we're going to do... I'll talk to Maliketh later today, if we're lucky enough there's still time to explain everything to the kids"

"Do you want to explain the plan today?"

"No, this is a big day, we shouldn't worry them with that now, better to wait until tomorrow"

"You're the boss" He said "Now, enough talk about that, no need to worry if we can't do anything about it right now. There's still some time until the day officially starts, so you better get some rest" He kissed me, and stood up to head out to our bathroom.

"I'm not tired" I protested.

"Well, if you aren't sleeping then you better spend your time doing something that isn't brooding under the cold morning breeze" He had his hand on the bathroom door knob.

"And what do you suggest?" I said, stretching my arms.

"I'll get the bath ready in a minute, then you can warm up your body and I can help you release the tension you accumulated on your muscles over the night"

I got up from bed, still stretching some of my, as he so accurately put it, tense muscles "Warm bath with a massage bonus? Can't turn that offer down, Red Wolf" I said with a grin.

"I wasn't thinking about a 'massage' to be exact, but we'll see what I can do" He said, smirking at me from the bathroom door, and I immediately caught up to him as his true intentions hit my head. Better get some kind of relief before the day starts, seems like it's gonna be a long one.

~~~

They say most people can't pull off an all black look, and honestly, that's totally true, the thing is, I'm not like most people.

I was just finishing buttoning up my doublet when someone knocked on my door.

"It's unlocked" I answered without looking away from the mirror.

She entered the room, you know how one can get so used to other people's presence that you can recognize them by the sound of their footsteps? Not that I needed to use that skill to know who entered the door, I was expecting her already.

"Admiring yourself at the mirror again?" Mother said, aproaching me.

"What can I say, you've done a good job with this one, Queen Rennala" I said playfully, then turned to face her "So, what do you think? Am I up to the task?" I said, showing her my outfit with a twirl. All black doublet and trousers, with a black overcoat adorned with a few golden lines, a bit unusual for me, but this is an unusual occasion.

"Outstanding as usual, My Son" She said tenderly.

I made a small reverence "Right back at you, my Queen" She looked amazing as well, wearing a long sleeve dress in the classic navy blue Carian color. My sense of fashion had to come from somewhere after all, and it definitely wasn't from my Father.

"Oh, please, don't start with the 'my queen' thing again" She said, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"My apologies, your Majesty" I replied, and she rolled her eyes.

"Your childish behavior aside..." She said, taking a seat "How do you feel?"

I faced the mirror again, making a few minor adjustments to my look "I'm great, can't say I'm not a bit nervous, but you know how these kinds of events are" I said playfully.

"Rykard, please, I'm trying to act like this isn't as big as it actually is, but you're getting married, to a woman you met three months ago, and I'm not judging, you know how much I like Tanith, but..."

"I know" I said, turning to look at her face "I know that this whole thing is far from usual, and that I probably should be more than 'a bit nervous' today, but this is what I want, she's what I want" One of the advantages of being the 'I don't give a fuck' type of man, is that when you talk seriously people usually tent to believe in you.

Mother took a moment to look at me, and after a sigh she nodded "I just wanted you to be sure" She said, smiling warmly.

I cupped her face, wiping a single tear from her cheek, then kissing her forehead softly "And I wouldn't expect any less of you" I said with a grin "Now c'mon, there's only one person allowed to be late for a wedding and she's not one of us" I said, extending my arm to her.

She stood up and grabbed my arm "Well, let's not make her wait then" And so we headed off to the church.

I know I said I wasn't nervous, but this... This is something else, even if it was my choice I still feel a bit of regret... But I can't go back now, this will be it. Aurum 28th 1999, the day I betrayed everything my Father represented.

~~~

One thing no one really says about people who arrive early at events, how awful it is to wait until someone you actually know arrives as well.

Here I am, a 240 cm tall Omen sitting in the front row of a church filled with nobles, none of which I knew, and none of my siblings arrived yet, not even Godwyn. Sure Mother and Radagon are here, but their seats are at the altar, so I'm stranded at the corner of the front row for now.

I always seat at the corner at events like these, you know, blocking the view of most people behind me isn't really nice, Mohg never cared about that, that is if he ever showed up to-

"Hello, Morgott, is this seat taken?" Lucia said, making me jump a little at my seat, she was gesturing to the spot beside me. Funny how she asked if there was anyone there, the whole row was empty.

"Oh- oh, no, there's no one here" I said, though 'mumbled' would be a better way to put it, luckily she didn't seem to notice.

"Quite the event, isn't it?" She commented, sitting beside me.

"Well, I wouldn't expect anything less from Rykard, wouldn't be surprised if he entered the church mounted on a lion" I said with a small chuckle at the end. Now having a better look at her I noticed that her hair is down, I liked it, especially because I always see her in uniform, now she's wearing a simple light pink dress.

She left a small laugh "Yeah, that would certainly leave an impression"

We stood there for a while, my mind coming back to the constant teasing Miquella bothered me with since he arrived. I didn't want to admit, but he was right, I might keep telling myself that we're just friends but I can see the way she talks to me, how she wants me to open up more, and that maybe she expects... More.

"Did you thought about what we talked about?" And there it was, that simple question, the question I've been waiting since our conversation 6 days ago.

• • •

Leyndell Castle Garden, Aurum 22nd 1999

"So, what do you think, Tulips?" Mother asked me, we were deciding what flowers to use to decorate the Welcome Home Dinner for the twins.

"Might work just fine, are you thinking yellows and oranges or something more subtle?"

"You know me, Morgott, subtlety was never my strong front" She said with a grin "So Tulips it is. We're not forgetting anything, are we?" She asked, pressing her index on her chin.

"I don't think so" I answered.

"Very well then, I shall take my leave now" She sighed "As much as I'd love to stay here all day, the beginning of Golden Week always demands a lot of me. I'm heading off to the library, would you like to accompany me?"

"Surely would, Mother, but first I'll inform the caretakers to prepare the tulips on Friday morning, I'll catch up to you later"

"Okay, see you soon" Mother said, leaving the garden.

I headed towards the caretakers on the other side of the garden, which would be a relatively short walk if this was a regular garden, but Mother is known for loving two things, flowers and open space, so our 'little' garden took me ten whole minutes to cross.

The talk with the caretakers was pretty short, I know it looks like a waste of my time, but either I did this, or Mother would have to, and she's pretty busy already.

I got to the door leading back to the Palace when...

"Oh, Prince Morgott!" Lucia exclaimed, opening the door from the other side "W-what a nice surprise, g-good morning!" She said, a little taken aback.

"Good morning, Lucia, have you found the book I recommended you?" I asked her.

"Oh, oh yes, it took me a while to find it at the library, but I eventually found a copy. It's a really interesting book, the first few chapters at least, I haven't finished it yet"

"I'm glad you're liking it so far. So, what brings you to this part of the castle? Never knew you liked gardening"

"Me? No, I mean, I like the flowers and all, but I really don't go well with the dirt" She said with a giggle, then shifted to a more reserved tone "Actually... I was looking for you..." She said, looking down.

"Me? Well, here I am, did something happened?" I asked, she looked tense, so I was getting a bit worried.

"No, nothing happened, it's just... It's the beginning of Golden Week, and I don't really have many friends... And I was wondering if... If you wouldn't mind to do something, maybe go to a park, or... Or go to a festival... I know you don't really go outside, but it's been so nice to talk to you recently, and... I don't know, I wanted to do something nice and..."

"Okay, okay, easy Lucia" I said, breaking her overcomplicated train of thought. Honestly her request was nothing absurd, actually it's quite mundane, wasn't for the fact that... "I'm not sure it's a good idea, Lucia, I'm flattered, and would love to go out, but..."

"I know, Prince Morgott, and I won't be disappointed if your answer is no, maybe Golden Week is a little too much anyway... But it makes me really sad to see you always locked up in here" She said, and her voice was so weak that I couldn't stop myself from saying...

"I'll consider" I said after a sigh "I'm not making any promises, but if means so much to you, then I'll think about it... I'll give you my answer after Golden Week is over, is that okay" I said, and she nodded.

"That's perfect, thank you, Prince Morgott!"

"It's the least I can do, Lucia" I said with a smile "But if we're doing this, please, just call me Morgott"

She seemed to blush a little "I-I'll try, Prin- Morgott" She said with a smile, And so we went our separate ways.

I knew I shouldn't say things like that to her, but... A part of me wanted to believe, believe that what she sees when she looks at me is real, that there's a life for me outside these walls. It's selfish, plain and simple, and if I have any common sense I will ditch her respectfully, that's the right thing to do.

• • •

She was looking at me, waiting for my response with hope in her eyes, I feel bad to refuse her simple plea like this, but it has to be done.

"I did, I thought about it for a while and..." I'm sorry, Lucia "... I'll go out with you" There, better to drop the the- Wait a second, what did I just said?!

"Oh, that's great, I was nervous it would be too much for you, but I'm glad to hear that, I already have something in mind, so we can do it as soon as possible" I couldn't move my lips to protest, actually I couldn't move a single muscle, the realization of what I've just done still lingering in my brain "Oh, and don't worry, it won't be anything drastic, just something nice and simple" She said, smiling at me the whole time.

"Listen, Lucia..." I tried to say something.

"Oh, there you two are!" Miquella interrupted me, seemingly coming out of thin air, or maybe I just couldn't see him because of my current state of panic "May I take this seat?" He gestures to Lucia's left side.

"Of course, Prince Miquella, would you like to switch with me? I know how you like to talk to M- Prince Morgott as well" Lucia said kindly.

"There's no need for that, Lucia, you can stay where you are, seemed like you two were talking already, I wouldn't want to interrupt that" He said, looking at me and squinting his eyes briefly.

He seated, and just as Lucia was about to ask me to continue with whatever it was I was saying, Miquella was quicker "So what were you two talking about?"

"Oh, we were planning a visit to the city" Lucia said, as casually as if he had asked her about the weather.

"Oh really? Finally found a way to get this one out of the cage, hmm? Congrats, Lucia, you should be proud" Why can't I say anything?! This is getting progressively dangerous by the second!!

"It was nothing, really, and it won't be anything big, I know how he is, I don't want to make him uncomfortable or anything"

"Yeah, we all know 'how he is'" He said, looking at me with a wicked grin, making sure Lucia couldn't see it.

"Well, hope you guys have fun" He said, looking elsewhere, dropping the topic completely, Thank Grace he knows when to stop, at least.

"What are you looking for?" Lucia asked him.

"Malenia, she said I could go ahead today, something about taking her time to try new things with her look or something, guess she's not here yet" He said with a pout.

"It's still pretty soon, I'm sure she'll be here in time" Lucia tried to comfort him.

"I hope so, wonder what she's doing right now..." He said, and I have to agree, Malenia seemed pretty different from what I've seen of her so far. I know she's (hypothetically) looking for someone to court, which would explain her apparent efforts to improve her looks. Grace, I've never seen her care so much about that kind of stuff, I hope she succeeds with this mysterious person, and that they treat her well.

~~~

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" I said, as I entered the kitchen. It's almost 6:00 a.m., and as expected Ranni was up before everyone to cook her own breakfast. She always preferred her own food over the Castle's, she said that it wasn't as much about taste, but mostly something with the experience of it all. So it was a common occurrence to see her preparing her own meals here.

She got a little scared and almost dropped a spoon she was holding. Even after I tried my best not to sound like a ghost when talking to her. I guess there's something about being alone at home that makes you over sensitive to any noise.

"Stars, Mally, are you trying to give me a heart attack?!" she said, recomposing herself.

"Sorry..." I said in a weak voice.

She sighed "It's fine. So, fell out of bed and got hungry?"

"Not quite... Listen, I'm sorry, about yesterday, I shouldn't have pushed you into the water"

"Pfff, there's no need for that, we've got this weird passive aggressive friendly thing going on now, I'm cool about yesterday, really" Well, that's a relief "Also, I told you I'll get my revenge, so there's that" She said with a grin.

"Glad to hear that... But there's one more thing I wanted to discuss with you..." I said, trying my best to mask the embarrassment in my words.

"Sure, what is it?" She said, focused entirely on a pancake batter she was mixing.

"About tonight..." She looked at me, her hand still moving "Do you..."

"Do I...?"

I signed "Doyoumindhelpingmegetreadyforthewedding?" I blurted, so fast that I'm not even sure she understood.

She paused her motions, a puzzled face staring at me without saying a word for some long and painful seconds.

"Lemme see if I heard you right... You want me to help you get ready for Rykard's wedding?" I nodded shyly "Like, teenage girls help each other, doing makeup and and helping with the dresses and shoes?" Again, another nod.

I couldn't read her expression, I expected her to laugh, and say something mischievous at the very least, but she's just looking at me, that same puzzled look on her face. Maybe she just can't handle the randomness of this whole thing, Grace, what have I done?!

"You know what, it's a silly ideia, I'll just-"

"Okay, I'll do it!" She said, cutting me off.

I stared at her for a moment with my jaw slightly dropped 'Was it really that easy?' I thought to myself. Okay, so here is my plan, after a lot of thinking about my possible 'feelings' for her, I came to the conclusion that I needed to see to what extent this whole thing goes, hence my need to get closer to her, and by 'getting close' I mean physically closer.

My theory is that if getting more intimate with her makes me feel uncomfortable and strange im a bad way, then this whole thing is just some confused nostalgic feelings that I'm overthinking, but if it feels undoubtedly good, like 'Shit, I really like her like that' then... Well, I didn't get that far, hopefully I'll know what to do if that's the case.

"G-great, let's have a makeover session then" I said with a hint of relief on my voice "We can get ready in my room if you don't mind, I think yours still a bit..."

"That place is a garbage dump. Yeah, we can do it on yours" She said with a chuckle, and then returned to cooking her breakfast.

I couldn't help but look at her butt as she turned around, 'It's just curiosity...' I justified in my head 'Grace, Witch, when did you get curvy like that?!' I mumbled internally "Oh, do you want some of this?" She asked, wait! I SAID THAT OUT LOUD?! No, no, it was just a thought, a stupid dirty thought!

I looked at her eyes immediately, with the dumbest look I had on my face "Mhm?" Was all I managed to say.

"The pancakes, you brute, do you want some?" Oooooh, some of that, phew~.

"Oh, that, yeah, I-I would like some if you don't mind"

"Not at all, grab a seat" And so I seated, my eyes not even daring to move at her direction, maybe my ideia wasn't as good as I initially thought... Why do I do this to myself?

***

She knocked on my door, yes, I recognize Ranni's way of knocking on doors, think of that what you will.

"It's unlocked" I said, jumping out of my bed, but not before hiding my sketchbook under a pillow. Now that I know she likes my drawings I'm not taking any chances with her sneaking a peek to find a bunch of drawings of... Well, her.

"Hello~! Ready to let a mad scientist mess around with your face?" She said, entering my room with a huge bag, full of (what I assume to be) a bunch of clothes and beauty items. Nothing one would catch me using, but I needed to get closer to her, so here we are.

"You're not a scientist, you're a witch" I jokingly protested.

"It's close enough, plus I hang out with a mad scientist often enough to get a grip on the basics" She said matter of factually "So, where can I put this? And have you showered yet?" She asked, gesturing the heavy looking bag on her hands.

"You can leave it anywhere, and not yet, I was about to go before you arrived" Actually I forgot about showering completely, one of the things I have in common with Miquella, forgetting about daily tasks to hyperfocus on something random, in this case, rehearsing my plan while sketching some random stuff.

"Mind if go first? I got kinda busy sorting these things out and lost track of time"

"No problem, I'll be waiting for you here, mind if I take a look at what you brought?"

"Go on, it's mostly Mother's stuff, I figured you two have a similar physique, even if she's not as... Fleshy as you are" She said with a hint of embarrassment, and headed off to my bathroom.

A few minutes passed by as I looked through Aunt Rennala's wardrobe, she always preferred subtlety over anything too flashy, so not many cleavages or vibrant colors.  Thankfully so, I'm still pretty shy about wearing a dress in public.

I heard the sound of the water from the shower stop, and shortly after...

"Don't you have any towels in here?!" Shit, I forgot about that.

"Sorry, I don't keep them inside the bathroom, forgot to tell you, I'll grab one here" I said quickly, and went to my closet to grab a towel, rushed to the bathroom door and before I could think about what was happening...

"You got it?" She asked impatiently.

"Yeah, it's here" And so she slightly opened the door to grab the towel through that small gap.

I averted my eyes from looking directly at her wet arm peeping out of the door. And even if my intentions were the noblest of all, looking away from her arm lead my eyes to the small portion of the mirror on the wall beside her, and Grace, I wouldn't have got a peek like that if I had tried.

The whole thing took less than 5 seconds, but it was definitely more than enough time to catch a glance at her naked frame, subtle curves, fair skin, wet red hair, that looked darker because of the water. I could only see her rear, but that was enough to turn my face into a burning red ball of embarrassment.

Luckily she took enough time drying herself off in there, so my face was no longer red when she came out of there, wrapped on her towel.

"Seriously, Mally, who doesn't leave the towels in the bathroom?" She said.

"Sorry, okay? I don't like to keep 'em there, moisture isn't good for the fabric" I explained.

"You realize that you're not in the literal jungle here, right? It's not like the Royal Castle is running low on towels of all things!" She exclaimed, walking towards the pile of clothes over my bed "Found anything you liked?" She asked.

"I think so... That turquoise dress is really pretty, and I think it will fit me well" I said, gesturing to a dress I picked among the 20 or so she brought inside that bag.

"So far so good then. Have you seen mine?" Have I? Well, thinking about that now makes sense that her dress would be here as well, but I didn't notice any of those in particular that seemed 'hers'.

"Might have... I don't know, how could I know it was yours?" I inquired.

"Well, duh, it's the only one that isn't your size" She said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, and to her credit it makes sense, but I'm not really good with dresses, so I got no clue in sizes just from looking at them as briefly as I did.

"Look, is that one, you Troglodyte. Seriously, a brand new set of eyes who can't even catch the size difference between Mother and me? I would complain to Miquella if I were you" She joked, pointing towards the only dress I thought was here out of 'If nothing else fits', because...

"Witch, that one is white, you can't wear white at your sister-in-law's wedding!" I protested.

"It's not 'white', Brickhead, it's light blue, and I asked Tanith, she said it's fine because she's not wearing white today anyways" She explained, talking to me like I was one of her pets.

I huffed in annoyance "Fine, but it's still weird..." I took a look at her dress "It's kinda cute though, Would be my second pick it it wasn't... 'Light blue', as you said"

"Good tastes huh?" She said, smirking at me "But this one is mine, so lemme get ready here while you brush off whatever it is that got your face looking like that"

"There's nothing on my face!" I protested.

She faceplamed "Oh yeah, you look like that naturally"

I grunted, which only seemed to amuse her even further.

"Now go, unless you want me to change in front of you~" She playfully said, and I managed to put up a pissed off facade, rolled my eyes and rushed to my bathroom.

I sighed in relief after closing the door behind me, that little joke was enough to make my head lose any sense of decency, I'm not liking where this plan is go-

Knock Knock

"Hey, Numskull, you forgot to pick a towel!" Oh, shit. I opened the door, she was handing me a towel.

"Don't you dare say a word, Witch! This is only because you kept distracting me" I protested before she even got a chance to open her mouth.

She lifted her arms in surrender "I didn't say anything" She shrugged and turned back "Humph, 'Moisture'..." She said, with a grin that I didn't need to see to know it was on her face.

I really hope this thing with her is just a hallucination of my head, 'cause I don't know how to put up with that attitude on a regular basis.

The shower didn't take me too long, I exited the bathroom and Ranni was already in her dress, and goddamn she looks gorgeous! The contrast of her hair, which she hasn't even done yet, with the almost white blue of the dress made her look like a porcelain doll.

She looked at me and sighed loudly "Took you long enough, I packed all the other dresses while you were in there, you can try on the one you picked while I do my hair in the bathroom. As for shoes... Sorry but-"

"Yeah, I imagined, metal foot and all" I said, laughing a bit "Also your Mother's preference of shoes doesn't really align with mine, so that's fine. I'll get something neutral to match the dress" I said as she went to the bathroom.

"Okay then, tell me when you're done, this place is still pretty steamy and I don't want to be trapped in here for longer than necessary" She said and I just rolled my eyes.

A few minutes later we were both dressed and she was standing in front of me, I was sitting on my bed waiting for her to begin with the makeup.

"So, what are we thinking today? Something vibrant? Subtle? Wanna match the dress? I'm all ears, pick your poison"

"I..." Honestly I didn't think about what I wanted, truth be told, I don't want any makeup at all, but I invited her to do this, so...

"Haven't thought about that, have you?" She asked rhetorically.

I shook my head slightly.

"Well, I thought that maybe we could just hide your scars, you know, just mask a bit of the marks around you eyes..." She suggested, I nodded in agreement.

"Sounds good, thanks for not coming up with some random idea, like drawing something over my eyelids or something" I said with a nervous smile.

"Pfff, I'm not that cheap, besides, you're the artist here. Speaking of which, have you drew anything on that sketchbook already? The one Morgott gave you" She asked, whilst working on my face, a simple question, innocent even, but my burning cheeks certainly thought otherwise, hopefully the makeup on my face will not allow that to show.

"No, nothing yet... Why do you ask...?" I answered with my best nonchalant voice.

She just shrugged "Making small talk, I guess..."

"I see, sorry if I'm not the best with that too" I said, a bit embarrassed.

"It's fine, there's no secret to it, really, you just blurt out random stuff" She was really focused on her work now, the touch of the brush was really soft, she's being really careful with my scars.

As much as she wasn't really close to me right now, I somewhat felt her subtle breath touching my skin, it felt nice... Fuck, looking at her is nice, I never noticed how pretty she is, and this doesn't feel weird like I thought it would... It's just like that time, almost four years ago, it feels nice to have her around.

"So I just say something random?" I asked and she nodded, eyes focused on her workings.

"Why do you like spicy food so much?" Here goes nothing.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know... You got that 'Snow Witch' vibe and all that... It just feels... Paradoxical"

"Who taught you big words like that?" She said playfully with a giggle "Sorry. Now seriously... I don't know, it's not about the taste, when you eat something spicy it's more about the feeling, that tinge of pain... I kinda like pain... More or less. Does that make sense to you?"

"Well... Not much, my track record with pain made it quite difficult to 'like' it in any way..."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No, 's okay, you didn't, I know" I reassured her, seems like that topic will be quite difficult to approach with her.

We stood in silence for a moment.

"Do you think they love each other?" I asked out of nowhere.

"Who?"

"Rykard and Tanith, they met each other so recently, and now they're getting married, do you think that's love?" I'm really curious about what she thinks about love.

She stopped to think, then sighed "I don't know much about love. I mean I know how it feels, I love my parents, I love my brothers and even my wolf... But I don't think I know how that kind of love feels... Maybe you can't get someone out of your head, and you start to feel funny around them... But that isn't 'love', right?" She asked me.

"I- Yeah, that's just... Ya know, interest, right? Someone is interesting... And so you start to think about them a lot, right?"

"Exactly! It's just a random hyper focus, it's not love or anything. Love's gotta be deeper than that..."

"Exactly! People who love each other would die for each other, that's deep"

"Yeah, I don't think I fee- would feel that for anyone who isn't family or something, right?" She stated, and I nodded im agreement.

"Yeah, dying for someone is pretty intense, can't imagine doing that for anyone other than our family..." I said, wondering just how much I would be willing to sacrifice for her, the answer wasn't far from 'everything', I'd die for her, almost certainly, but she's 'family', right? Anyway, I don't think this is that kind of 'love' anyway, doesn't seem like it is based on this conversation.

Feels good to hear something like that from her, she's always had her head in place, so her arguments sounded more trustworthy than mine.

I don't 'love' her, it's just something that'll pass after a while. We're close, whether I like it or not she was always there, so we got used to each other, and I missed that, the familiarity, but it was just that, right?

And who cares if she's pretty, she's a young woman, it's only natural that I'll find her attractive.

"Now, all done with your face, want me to do your hair as well?" Ranni asked, bringing me back to reality.

I processed her words, then frowned "About that... I'm not sure, I like to let it lose most of the time, so I don't have any ideas about it to be honest. So... Do you have any suggestions?"

She thought for a moment "What about braids on both sides of you head, then I clip them together on the back? Not too complicated, but not too simple, and that keeps your half up style, I noticed you liked that one recently" She suggested.

I nodded happily "Sounds great!" I turned to let her begin. Midway through the first braid something came to my head "Wait, aren't we taking too long? What if we arrive too late?"

She just shrugged "If we're late, we're late, I'm not jumping on my seat to listen to one whole hour of the turtle pope blabbering about honor and love, and all that cheesy stuff" She said, faking a vomit gestured while she did.

I laughed "Yeah, guess you're right, I told Miquella to go ahead anyways, so there's no problem on my side. But it's a surprise that you of all people are so eager to arrive late to anything. What, still got water in your brain from yesterday?" I joked.

She chuckled a little "At least I would have something in my brain, Brickwall. But that's not much of a reason really, I don't know... After graduation my life became just... Waiting for the next event. I told you how bored I got after Master Lusat's departure, so I just don't feel the same rush I used to get when I was younger anymore. Guess when you grow up you just care less or something..." She explained, guess that's another change I'll have to get used to, though this one seems pretty nice to be honest.

"Oooh, Little Witch's got a dark side now" I jokingly teased her.

She scoffed "Please, you call that a 'dark side'? And who're you calling 'little'? I'm two years older than you, Sassy pants!"

"Still pretty little as far as I'm concern- OUCH!" She cut my laughing comment with a tug of my hair.

"Rule number one, Pup: Never get on the nerves of the person with full control of your head" She said playfully "Now stay still, I don't wanna mess this up" Grace, there's the stupid voice again, and to top it off she even called me 'pup'. I sighed internally, no point in pushing my luck with her now that she (and I hate to admit this) has the advantage, so I just dropped the topic.

And so our little makeover session continued, and all things considered, I could get used to this, Ranni's really talented with this kind of stuff. I wonder if I would be more like her if I had a 'normal' life, you know, spending my birthdays with superficial friends instead of bandaged up on my room. But again, not much normalcy on the non cursed side of our family anyway, so who knows. Speaking of the non cursed side of the family, I wonder how the ceremony is going.

~~~

'This is so boring' I thought, as Master Miriel lectured the whole church about planting seeds and nurturing miracles or something like that. Seriously, why the hell are weddings so long?! And Master Miriel's speech pace doesn't help at all.

"I'm gonna kill Malenia for leaving me here without anyone to pass the time" I whispered in annoyance.

"I thought you liked to chat more with Ranni than Malenia, Prince Miquella" Lucia whispered in confusion at me.

"I do, why do you think she's not here yet, only Malenia could make her late for something like this" I replied, whispering shouting that last part.

"You two, shush!" Morgott whispered shouted from beside Lucia.

I rolled my eyes and rested my head on my hands, resting my elbows over my knees. Worst thing about being stuck in here with nothing to do is that I wanted to give Mother an ultimatum about her recent behavior. She thinks she's fooling anyone, and might even be, but I saw her face while Malenia was unwrapping her presents, she had a vision.

Nothing too alarming, gods having visions from the outer gods is pretty standard, I even had one myself about Malenia and Ranni. But what worried me was her face, she looked devastated, even if just for a second. That combined with her defensive attitude the first time we spoke told me everything I needed to know.

Unfortunately I couldn't find a chance to talk to her about it, yesterday we didn't cross paths. I woke up so late and she was already gone, then I got home at night and she was already sleeping. As for today, she's been busy with the ceremony all day long, so patience, I guess.

Stressing about that won't get me anywhere, let's focus on something else, lets see... Random entitled nobles, flowers, a bird sat on top of the organ at the corner of the church... Nothing really nice to distract me around here to be honest.

Let's go clothes then, anything eye grabbing...? Other than Rykard and Tanith? No, not at all.

I liked his choice, all black, not everyone can pull that off. As for Tanith, no white for her today, she's covered in gold, granted is not shiny and flashy, but still, a golden wedding dress seems like trying a little too hard to impress the in-laws, don't you think, Tanith?

And speaking of her, that girl is really weird. Yes, I call her a 'girl'. Don't really know her age, and in the Lands Between is really hard to tell. She might be 70 for all I know, but her looks give it away.

She's young, and seems to have A LOT of influence over Rykard, and if I know that man as well as I claim to, I just feel something isn't right about this whole thing. What? I don't know yet, but that's another ultimatum for my list, just need the right opportunity to-

"Sorry, we lost track of time" Ranni said, sitting beside me "How much we lost?" Malenia sat right beside her, so they're already sitting together so casually, huh, that was faster than I expected.

"Well, I don't know how much you lost, but I'm losing my sanity here!" I whispered shouted "What were the two of you even doing?!" I asked, exaggerating my displeasure. I can Imagine what they were doing just by looking at Malenia, but I want to see these two fumble over some explanation.

"Girl stuff, none of your business" Ranni stated authoritatively. Damn, they're that close already? She didn't even try to dismiss the topic or anything. What happened on that lake while I was sleeping yesterday?

"Sheesh, okay, don't need to skin me alive for asking" I said, a bit too loud, and...

"Miquella! Quiet!" Morgott whisper shouted. I rolled my eyes in frustration.

Great, now I have company and this still SUCKS. I cried internally, but couldn't stop a shy smile from growing on my face, if I hadn't literally seen these two on that vision before, I wouldn't believe my eyes now, they are happy, and I am happy for them.

A painful half hour later the love birds at the altar finally kissed and ended my suffering, I even managed to have some small talk with Ranni, so it wasn't as bad.

And after a while we were all back at the Castle, having the party in one of the halls we commonly used for official events, so it's way bigger than what we're used to when it's just the family.

Everyone was congratulating the just married, lots of fake hugs and handshakes, a whole line of parasites waiting to kiss their boots. It would be funny if it wasn't so pathetic.

Unfortunately for me, I have to follow suit with the bourgeois and the nobles in that tradition, and as soon as I got to Rykard and Tanith to congratulate them, my half brother pulled me into a hug.

"There he is!" That part he said out loud "You feel it as well, don't you?... We need to talk, do you trust me?" That part he whispered in my ear, a coldness in his voice that could make ice shiver. I knew it, something is bothering him as well.

"I do" I didn't even have to think about his question, of course I trust him, especially because if something bothered him of all people that much, then it means it's really serious "Where?" I whispered back.

"South hallway, wait for my signal" He whispered back, and so we separated. The whole exchange was not longer than 10 seconds, and so I was back at the superficial world of sycophants and freeloaders.

I don't know what Rykard's been cooking inside that deathtrap he calls his head, but one thing I'm sure is that I won't listen to it with an empty stomach, so I moved towards an appetiser's table. Guess I have to wait and see.

~~~

"Why don't you scold him as well?!" Mally asked me, gesturing towards Miquella who was devouring an absurd amount of appetisers. We were all sat at a bar, enjoying a few drinks, well, Miquella and me at least.

"Simple, I know he's actually tasting his food" I said, and Miquella nodded with his mouth full.

"I wouldn't be so sure..." Mally said, eying her brother with an impressed expression on her face. One of the reasons Miquella and I get along so much is this simple dynamic of ours where he loves to eat, and I love to cook, so it was only natural.

"And How woulsh you kñow?" Miquella protested between chews, swallowing what was on his mouth before continuing "You could eat a jarr of dirt if someone told you it's sugar!"

I laughed at his comment, and Mally just glared at him, her pissed off face is so cute, maybe that's what made me so amused about messing with her so much in the past, getting to see her like this is really fun.

Things have been nicer since that short talk about love earlier today. Even if just voicing my thoughts on how this whole thing with her is nonsense isn't enough to convince me that this is all a sick daydream of mine, it helped none the less. She agreed with me, so that helped as well.

"Listen here, Goldy Locks-"

"Sorry, gotta go, see you guys in a minute" Miquella blurted, cutting off Mally's retort and storming off towards one of the entrances.

"Wait a- Miquel- Where are you going?!" Mally shouted as he took off.

"Bathroom!" He shouted back, funny, I could swear he saw something that got his attention right before he left. Mally just rolled her eyes in annoyance.

I patted her heat a couple of times "C'mon, don't be so grumpy all the time, he'll come back and you'll be able to to put him in his place with whatever it is you have to say" I said jokingly.

"I don't have anything to say, haven't thought of a response, just want to scream at him" She said, resting her cheek on her hand with a pout on her face.

I smiled at her childish behavior "Well, do that instead, I'll hold him next time so he can't escape" She chuckled, but still had her face resting on her hand "Let's cheer you up, c'mon, why don't you go dance a little?" She raised an eyebrow at me "I know, you don't really like to dance, but this is the first time you're out in public since you were 12, go enjoy the party. Also I've catch some suggestive looks here and there, seems like you're more popular than you think"

Her eyes snapped wide "What? Me? Who? When?" She said, moving her head to look around.

I giggled "Easy there, Pup, the brunette on that table" I said, gesturing the direction with my head "She's been looking at you since we sat down here" Mally looked at her for a moment.

"You don't think she... Really? Me? Just like that? Also, how do you know I like girls?" Shit, I let that slip.

"Lucky guess, you don't look like the guy type" I faked an explanation, she seemed to buy it "And yes, she's really looking at you that way" I know because that bitch is making me increasingly more furious with her lingering stares at Mally, like she's a chunk of juicy medium rare beef with that crispy crust of semi burnt meat at the outside... What was I thinking again? Oh yeah, I don't like what that bitch makes me feel, but I need to think of what Mally wants, even if it hurts me.

"So, you think I have chance to... But how do I even do it? I just go there and ask her to dance?"

"Pretty much"

"But what if I mess things up, if I step on her toes or something?" Mally, you're making it really difficult to push you into that bimbo.

'Why do even do this to myself?' I thought after sighing internally.

"You won't, I trust you. Now go, live your life" I said with a pat on her arm, and after a while she stood up and walked towards that table, I tried to follow her with my eyes, but the ever increasing discomfort in my stomach made me avert my gaze when she got there. I stared at my empty glass for what seemed like an eternity, eventually I looked back that way, the girl was smiling, Mally extended a hand to her... She took it.

They were almost at the dance floor when something happened. Mally said something and released her hold on that girl. I couldn't really tell from where I was, but she seemed to be apologizing for something, she looked nervous, and so she stormed off to a balcony at the other side of the Hall, I stood up and followed her immediately.

Took me a while to dodge the crowd and get to the balcony, but soon enough I managed to get there, she was standing with her arms crossed over the balustrade, and... Oh no, she's crying.

"Mally... What happened?" I said, barely louder than a whisper as I got closer to her.

"I can't... I can't do it..." She said between small sobs.

I stopped beside her, her eyes were closed.

"What do you mean?"

She took a few seconds to suppress her crying, and after opening her eyes to look at me she began.

"I thought it was gone... I thought that the Rot was just a painful memory to me, and that now I could move past all of that... But then I stopped to talk to that girl, and I saw her smile... She liked me, I could see it in her eyes... And as I took her to dance the realization hit me. Thoughts that I tried to bury deep inside my head came to surface... The fear..." Her voice was really shaky, it almost seem like she was about to break apart.

"You fear that it might come back?" I said, not noticing that my voice was pretty weak as well.

She shook her head "I fear that it never left" Tears following from her eyes as she said that "What if I'm the curse? And the Rot was just a part of it? Part of me. I feel it inside me... Rage, burning like a thousand Suns, and I keep telling myself that I can control it... But what if I'm wrong? What if I find someone nice enough to put up with me, and then I just hurt her without even noticing?!" She said, closing her eyes again as her sobs returned.

I cupped her face and turned her to face me "You're not a curse! Do you hear me? You're a woman, a strong and beautiful woman. You have scars, because you survived, you fought your whole life and survived! The rage inside of you is because you have to protect the ones you care about, not because you're gonna hurt them" I said firmly "You're afraid, I understand, perhaps it's too soon to go out into the world by yourself, but you deserve to live a happy life! Whatever it may be that you fear, I'll be there with you, okay?"

She just looked at me with tears in her eyes, finally nodding timidly at the end.

"Good" I said, with a relieved sigh "Now lemme wipe those out, don't wanna ruin all the work we had earlier, right?" I said, trying to lighten up the mood, grabbing a handkerchief and pressing softly on her face, she gave me a ghost of a smile.

"Thanks" She whispered, her smile growing a little.

"It's nothing, you'd do the same for me" I said simply. Stopping to think about it now, yeah, we'd die for each other. Guess I can't help that.

"You don't break this easily" She joked.

"You'd be surprised..." I said shyly.

A moment passed while she recomposed herself, and then I broke the silence "Are you good to go back there?" I asked.

"I guess..." She responded quietly.

"Do you want to go back there?"

She stopped to think and just shook her head lightly.

"Very well, wanna talk about something to pass the time?" I said.

"Ranni, no, I'm okay, you can go back, I'll be fine here, really" She protested weakly.

"Awn, she thinks I'll leave her alone after wiping a sea of tears from her face" I said in a puppy voice, same I use to compliment Blaidd after he does a trick.

"I'm serious, you should enjoy the party, just because I can't have a dance doesn't mean you shouldn't get one either" She protested, looking away from me.

I just shrugged "I'm not really dying to go back there, a bunch of random nobles aren't the best of companies to me. Besides, if I want a dance I can work something out" She looked at me again, just to be met with my right hand extended to her.

"Ranni, what are you..."

"Do you wanna dance? I know I'm not that girl, but I think you deserve a dance at least..." I said, almost too embarrassed to look at her, but I'm not wasting a chance to get a dance with her and- Wait a minute, wasn't this how Rykard met Tanith?

I couldn't finish my train of thought about the parallels between me and my Brother, Mally had grabbed my hand and was staring at me, looking just as shy as I was.

"So... who'll..."

"I'll lead" I answered her question before she even finished it. I wanted to lead this dance, honestly I want to lead her, she's been messing with my head so much these days that I just want to... Control her for once, you know, be the one in charge.

"Okay" She said, and we positioned ourselves, my hand around her waist and her's on my shoulder. We weren't exactly close, there were a few inches between our bodies, which helped a lot, because as soon as we started to move my heart started to beat so fast that I was afraid she'd be able to hear it.

We kept a slow pace, not moving much from around the balcony. The music from the Hall barely audible because of the thick glass and even thicker walls separating us from the main event inside.

We danced for a while in silence, just looking at each other. It's impressive how much we look alike and yet she feels totally different from me, not just her body, which speaking of which feels really warm, even through the dress, but we're very different in many ways, and I think that's what made it so easy to look at her not as a sister. And maybe I've been looking at her like that for way longer than I thought...

• • •

Leyndell Castle, the night of Malenia and Miquella's 16th birthday

I stood outside of her room for almost 10 minutes now, the image of her face exploding in a crimson cloud of pain still engraved in my brain. Miquella's been treating her all day long, none of us managed to sleep for even a second. Father is devastated, his spells couldn't restore her eyeballs and now he's coping with the fact that his daughter is permanently blind.

Mohg provided his strongest painkillers, and after a few doses she fell asleep. Miquella is still in there with her, probably using the Unalloyed Gold to hinder those wounds more effectively. I came to see how he is, but honestly I don't know what to say, after what I saw in front of me today... How can she handle something like that, to top it all off her voice is still ringing inside my head, screaming in pain, and something inside of me tells me it won't stop anytime soon.

I was about to give up and leave when...

"Ranni?" Miquella said as he opened the door, his eyes looked dead, not tired, not sad, but straight up dead. Seeing his sister like that... I can only imagine what that's been doing to his head.

"Hi... How... How's she?" I asked weakly.

"Alive... Sedated, but that won't last, she's always been resistent to any drugs, the Rot consumes them too fast" He said tiredly.

"I see... And you, do you need anything?" I said, fidgeting with my hands, not so sure how I could do anything to help.

"Just need some rest, but I need to grab some things at my room, can you watch over her while I'm gone? It won't take long"

"Sure, you can go, I'll stay here... What do I do if she..."

"If she wakes up you just make her inhale from that flask right there, it should knock her out"

I nodded, and he slowly headed towards his room, 'tired' is not enough to describe him right now.

I sat on a chair beside Mally's bed, a bunch of blood soaked bandages discarded on a bin right in front of it. I pushed that away, got sick jus from looking at it.

I stopped to look at her face, covered in bandages, obviously, but they weren't regular bandages, these have golden strings sewn between the cotton, guess that's what stopped the bleeding, but I can tell from her face that it still hurts. She's unconscious but her face is clearly tense.

I reached for her prosthetic hand, don't really know why, I doubt she can even feel anything there right now, but I just wanted to make her feel less... Alone.

"How can you live like this?" I whispered, so low that barely I even heard it, but somehow, her ears seemed to catch that, cause her fingers shifted and pressed my hand back.

Her mouth slowly opening "M-miquella?"

I didn't answer, just squeezed her hand a little tighter, she needs Miquella, maybe I can be him right now.

"It's so dark..." Her voice was so weak "Why does it have to be me? I don't understand" I doubt she can shed tears right now, but her voice clearly sounded like a cry. Stars, my heart feels like a block of lead.

I just circled my thumb over the back of her hand, don't know what else I can't do without giving away that I'm not Miquella.

"How can I have a life like this?... I'm a monster... A disease... I hurt everyone I get close to... How can I even have a wife someday? Or kids? Or anything?" She said, and that got me by surprise, I never thought she wanted those things. In my head she was like Radahn, a dumb warrior who never thinks about having a family or anything... She seems so... Vulnerable now.

I can't stand this, it's absurd! How broken someone has to be to end up like this?! She's not weak, never was! She's a stone wall, I've seen her like that ever since we were kids, this is not Malenia, and if I don't do something she'll never be her again.

I grabbed the flask Miquella told me about, opened it in front of her, and before she even noticed what was happening she was sleeping again.

Miquella arrived a few minutes later, I stood up to leave the room, and as we crossed paths I stopped him.

"I have an idea, but your chances are not good, at least not here. Your theory, I think I know what might make it work" I said, bringing the life out of his eyes once again.

"You mean..." He began, still taken aback by my statement.

"Curing her, for good"

• • •

Guess it happened then, at that moment I wanted to protect her from everything in this world, even if she doesn't really need my protection.

We were dancing for a few minutes now, she looked so gorgeous, our rhythm got better as we relaxed a little at each other's arms. Eventually we stopped naturally.

"There you go, a dance at the wedding, not so bad was it?" I said with a giggle.

She looked strangely focused on my face, like she's thinking abou-

Whatever it was that I was about to think as a reason for her staring at me was cut short by the truth. And the truth hit me in the face, or more precisely, in my lips as she leaned and planted a soft kiss on them, cupping my face tenderly, the whole world around us seemed to dissolve.

For how long we stood like that? I have no idea, all I know is that it felt too short after she moved away. My body craved that touch back instantly, that soft and warm feel of her lips.

She was still focused on my face, and now I was just as fixated on her's as well.

"M-Mally..." I whispered.

"S-sorry, I don't know what happened, I- I lost control of myself for a moment... It's just, you were so nice to me, and-"

Whatever it was she was gonna say died on her lips as all the lights went out at the Castle.

"What's this?!" She exclaimed.

I felt a cold shiver down my spine "Magic... Really powerful" I said, and just as fast my worries were confirmed.

Screams from inside the Hall. We rushed back inside to find a mass of stumbling buffoons blocking our way in.

"Can you see anything?" I asked, pushing some random people away.

"Not much! Can't tell what's happening!" She shouted, the noise and the crowd separated us almost instantly as we entered. And so the lights returned, thankfully calming down the masses.

"Mally, where are you?" I asked, looking for her.

"Here" She said from a spot closer to the center of the room.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, you?"

"Yes, where are our parents?" I asked, fearing the worst already.

"Hey, Tiny Dancer, here!" Radahn shouted from the other side of the Hall, waving a hand at us. We rushed towards him, luckily he was not alone, the twins and Rykard were with him, as well as Tanith, and shortly after Mother reached us as well"

"Thank Stars, you're all okay" Mother said to us with a sigh of relief.

"Did you saw what caused that?" I asked her, she just shook her head.

"Where are the others? Where's Miquella?" Mally asked.

A sudden blast from a hallway nearby caught everyone's attention, there's our answer.

We all moved to the hallway, all of us who could conjure weapons had them in hand. And as we got there we found Aunt Marika and Fater standing behind Maliketh, he was in his armor, the Black Blade pressed against a dark hooded figure pinned on the floor.

"Where's he?!" Father shouted furiously.

The hooded figure didn't answer, Maliketh pressed the blade against it's flesh "Answer the Elden Lord! Where's the Prince?" He growled.

Godwyn turned the corner of the hallway, coming in our direction "The others are gone, vanished into the air, clearly had some sort of teleporting device" He was sweating, how far did he went in so little time?

"She's not gonna answer" Aunt Marika said "She's an assassin, from the Eternal Cities, you won't get anything out of her, finish her off, Maliketh" She said, her tone ice cold.

"Wait, the Eternal Cities? You mean she's a Black Knife?" Morgott asked, just as surprised as all of us.

Aunt Marika just started at the supposed Black Knife Assassin as Maliketh delivered a slow sadistic final blow. I've never seen he so enraged before.

Father turned to face us "Party is over. All of you, wait at the Main Room, we'll meet you there soon" He said, his voice was just as cold, but way more passionate than Aunt Marika's "From now on, trust no one outside of this room. Get yourselves prepared. We're at war" He stated heavily.

"Wait, 'war'? Against who? What do they even want?" I asked, a little too nervous to think straight right now.

"Against everyone who tries to attack us" Aunt Marika said, not taking her eyes away from the corpse on the floor "And they already have what they wanted... They took away My Son"

Chapter Text

"Okay, let's go back through this again. You saw him at the hallway while you were going to the bathroom, you said he was coming back from it, is that right?" I asked Godwyn, trying to piece together everything that happened before Miquella was kidnapped.

"Precisely" He nodded, looking just as concerned as I am. We are all at the Main Room, our family meetings were usually held here, a huge round table at the center of the room, bookshelves on the walls, and a huge fireplace lighting up the rather dark atmosphere around us.

Most of us stood in silence, probably thinking about what happened to Miquella while Aunt Marika, Father and Maliketh were away. The only ones actually talking being me, Godwyn, and Morgott.

"So, you two greeted each other, you walked pass him and right before you turned the corner, you heard him yell?" I asked, walking back and forth around the table.

"More or less, wasn't much of a yell, when I turned to look at him his mouth was covered by one of the assassins, but yes, I heard him and turned to see the assassins tackling him. I counted three of them, two snatched him away, while the third one rushed towards me" Godwyn explained.

"And that's when the lights went out?" I asked, stopping at my tracks.

He nodded "That's when I casted a spell to repell her away, she was pushed into a wall, I moved to immobilize her. She was quick, very well trained, managing to avoid my attacks for a while before Maliketh appeared to help me. Shortly after, the lights were back, and I rushed towards the direction the other two took Miquella" This is bad, someone who can keep up with Godwyn in a fight, even if just 'for a while', is definitely enough reason to be alarmed.

"Did anyone else see Miquella between he leaving me and Mally at the bar and what Godwyn discribed?" I asked the room.

Silence for a moment, then "I did. We crossed paths at the bathroom, but we didn't really talk" Rykard said.

"Did you notice anything strange about him?" I asked.

"Not really, as I said, we just crossed paths" He answered, and I can't figure out what it is about the way he said that, maybe it's just he's usual calm manner of speaking, but I don't quite buy his answer... Perhaps I'm just too nervous with all of this, he's my Brother after all, it just doesn't make sense to suspect anyone here, but he's still too calm for my taste.

"I'm more worried about the fact that they were Black Knives to begin with" Morgott interjected "The Eternal Cities were destroyed centuries ago, and even if there were survivors alive today, and that would be a huge stretch by itself, who would have enough influence to-"

"That is irrelevant" Mother interrupted him, then sighed "Whether they're survivors or are just a group inspired by the original Black Knives, we have to focus on the more important details of this story" She stated on her lecture like tone.

"And that would be...?" Mohg questioned.

"Why Miquella" Rykard said dismissively, looking at his pocket watch, which he was holding by the chain and was swinging in front of his eyes. Stars, his attitude is starting to piss me off.

Morgott held his chin in thought for a moment "They planned this, meticulously, so Miquella definitely wasn't a random target, they were after him..."

Godwyn nodded "Makes sense, think about it, he's the weakest anong us, even with his prowess in magic, he's still caged in the body of a child. Looks like an easy target if you ask m-"

"That's not it" Mally interrupted, she was totally silent up until now "He was the biggest threat among us. Think about it, the first living being to ever develop a method of overcoming the influence of an outer god. How long would it take him to turn that into a weapon?"

"Woah, I'm not doubting your logic, Tiny Dancer, but do you really think Young Miquella would turn the Unalloyed Gold into a weapon?" Radahn said in disbelief.

She sighed "You don't know him like I do, Big Boy. Just like you said, you never know what's going on in someone's head" She said sternly. Never thought I'd see her talking to Radahn like that.

"She's right, Miquella was too unpredictable to be ignored before any attacks, makes sense to take him out of the picture if you want to start a war against us" Mother said "But that only gives us the 'why', the most important question now is the 'how'..."

The room fell silent as no one wanted to say what everyone thought out loud, that is until I broke the silence.

"We have a spy" I stated matter of factually "Either among the servants, or hidden in plain sight, and considering that they might be actual Black Knives, the second option doesn't sound that absurd... Even Maliketh couldn't detect them"

"It might not be absurd, Cherry Pie, but I wouldn't feel safe in here before putting the whole staff against the wall to see who stutters first" Rykard said. 'How can he be so fucking relaxed?!' I said to myself, but he's got a fair point.

I sighed briefly, then turned to Morgott "Morgott, you do most of the staff management here, can you..."

"I'll have the whole staff interrogated as soon as possible" Morgott promptly said.

"Thanks" I said with a smile "As for the rest of us, is there anything we're missing about the Black Knives?" I asked everyone.

Rykard stood up and started walking around the table "Well, considering they're a group of extremely low profile killers, that lived in a place that was wiped out from the map over 300 years ago, and even before all of that happened there was close to no record of their mere existence, I assume we're doing great, given the fact that we even know it was them in the first place" I swear, if Rykard gets any more insufferable I'll have to apologize to Tanith for turning her husband into a popsicle before their honeymoon.

I opted to pinch the bridge of nose instead "Anyone else has anything to say?" And the room was silent again, not much use in discussing all of this now just to repeat everything once Aunt Marika returns I guess.

I was about to sit down, when...

"Hmmm, Ranni... Can we talk for a moment?" Mally practically whispered from behind me. I was so focused on Miquella's kidnapping up until now that Malenia LITERALLY KISSING me moments before that was completely shoved into the back of my head.

I looked in her eyes for a second, she was looking down, but other than that she was still stern and stiff. I wonder how much more of her discomfort she'd show if we're not in front of everyone.

"Okay" I said, guess this night can't get any worse by now.

~~~

She's looking at me, waiting for me to start the conversation. Grace, what do I even say? How can I start a conversation like this? I mean I did called her to talk, and she obviously knows what the topic is, but still, her silence makes it really hard to say anything.

After I called her to talk we moved to one of the adjacent rooms, one of those filled with books about History and war, you know, one of those that smell like an old lady's pile of dirty laundry, but I digress.

Ranni's looking nervous, not as much as I am, but still, I can't imagine what she's thinking of me right now 'Weirdo, pervert, freak, lunatic? Probably all of them' I thought.

"So..." She said, looking at me in hopes of getting me to start. I sighed internally, took a deep breath and looked into her golden eyes.

"I'm... So-"

"Can we skip your 'I'm sorry' speech?" She quickly said, sounding a bit tired "Please?... Tonight it's pretty crazy already for us to beat around the bush like that, just tell me... Why did you do that?" Straight to the point, huh.

"I... I don't know... It's just- Argh, it happened, the dance, and I mean... You looked so beautiful... A-and you were so nice to me all day... And I was so..." I timidly said, stumbling on my words.

She took a few seconds to take in everything I dumped on her just now, then slowly and carefully she opened her mouth "So... What was that? Heat of the moment?" She questioned, though she seemed less irritated and more... Curious, I guess.

Grace, what do I even say?! "N-no! It wasn't like that... Well, kinda..." She raised an eyebrow at that, crossing her arms as she did.

I sighed "I've been feeling... Different about you recently. Like, ever since that night you gifted me that book... I kept thinking about you and.... I tried to argue with myself that it wasn't anything big, that I was just happy about our friendship, but then I looked at you and it felt... I don't know, we were dancing like that tonight and my mind just..." I tried to formulate a coherent explanation without giving her the full scope of my recent 'thoughts' about her, no need to tell her about the times I sneaked a peek to check out on her body.

She gave me a puzzled look "So what, you're saying that you... Like me?" There it was, the moment I was sure to be my end, she's gonna burst into laughs or insults at any second, 'Grace, how I wish for a hole to bury my face in right now' I thought.

I took a short breath "... Maybe?" I said in a hushed tone, closing my eyes and waiting for her response.

Surprisingly enough, there were no snarky comments, no laughs or disgusted words came out of her mouth, what came instead was a single "... Are you sure?"

I opened my eyes to look at her again. She looked worried, like she's afraid of what I am going to say now. Well, I don't want to make her feel worse, maybe she wants me to deny everything and let this whole thing be just some silly misunderstanding, that I was just confused... But I can't just lie to her and myself like that.

"I... Can't explain it any other way... I'm sorry" I said.

She was silent for a moment, and that moment felt like a hundred lifetimes.

Finally she opened her mouth again "Mally... You understand what that means, right? You know that it is-"

"Wrong! I know, and every cell in my body wants it to stop, but I just..." I said, getting a little enraged by my lack of self control.

She sighed "I know... It's that simple, believe me, I know how it feels..." Ranni said, trying to calm me down.

"No, you don't, this is taboo, what would people think of me? What would our family think? What would our Father think, Ranni?!" I whispered shouted at her, remembering that we are just a few meters away from everyone.

She closed her eyes, looking really tired now "Believe me... I know exactly how it feels" She stated in an ice cold tone. I looked at her face, she wasn't just irritated, that look... She's in denial... Why would she be- 'Oh...' I thought, and then it suddenly hit me...

My eyes went wide "You..."

"I liked it, by the way, the kiss... Your lips are really soft, given how dense the rest of your skull is I wasn't expecting that kind of... Feel" She said with the hint of a grin in her lips, even if her eyes were focused on the floor.

"I don't understand, you're telling me... Wait"

She huffed impatiently "I like you too, you Brute" She blurted out.

"So you... But how? I thought you hated me. Well, not as much as I thought a few days ago, but still, I never thought you would... You know"

She scoffed "You're asking me how? can you explain how you got so obsessed with your sister's ass in the first place? 'Cause I'd love an explanation myself!" She whispered shouted.

That got a small chuckle out of me "Fair point, Witch... Maybe this sort of thing just... Happens, you know? And if it happened to both of us, then it must mean something, right?" I sheepishly asked.

Again, the silence lingered for just too long.

"Maybe..." She sighed "So, here we are... We both know this shouldn't be happening, and seems like it's not something we can just set aside and forget abou..." She looked at me with concern in her eyes "What are we gonna do about it now?" She asked.

I sighed "I don't know... I was hoping this whole thing was just a delusion, some crazy daydream of mine..." I said laughing awkwardly "... But as it seems it's even worse than I thought. What do you want to do about it?"

She gave a small chuckle "Yeah, I was hoping for that as well, but this time my brain decided to betray me... But about what I wanna do?" She sighed "Well, first of all, I wanna find Miquella. I think that's a little more important than... This, whatever the hell this is" She said, gesturing her index to the both of us.

"Fair point... So, what do you say, we solve the whole situation with the imminent war and all that, and after all of that is done we can... Have an awkward, embarrassing, and shameful talk?" I suggested.

She looked at me with a smile "Yeah, that kind of talk can wait a bit. Deal!" She extended her hand for me to shake.

And as we shook our hands in agreement, the ground started to shake, and suddenly... Another explosion, this one way stronger than before. Seriously, can this day get any worse?!

~~~

"How long has it been, my friend?" The Queen asked me. She's standing at the entrance to the Erdtree, I'm guarding the corridor leading there, we're both waiting for Master Radagon to return.

"My Queen?" I turned to face her briefly, not moving away from the entrance, keeping my eyes open to any movement outside of the Erdtree.

"Since the last time we've been here together... It's almost 40 years I guess..." She said, with a nostalgic smile.

I sighed "44, to be exact... To be honest it feels like a lot less than that" I answered solemnly "And just like last time, I can feel that you're conflicted about going through with this" I said, looking back at the throne room beneath us.

"I can't lie to you, can I?" She said, using a playful tone to mask her worries.

"Goes both ways... But I just don't like to see you suffering like that" I looked back at her "You know we don't have to do this, right? We can figure something else out" I couldn't hide the apprehension in my words.

She sighed tiredly "I wish we could, old friend, I really do..." I turned to fully face her as she closed the space between us. She reached out a hand to hold the back of my head, stroking my fur gently behind my ear "But this is the only way... The path that the Greater Will traced from the moment me and Radagon were born... Maybe even before that" She said with an apologetic look in her eyes.

I looked down, taking in the bittersweetness of her gesture "So this is all part of the bigger plan? Sacrificing you and Master Radagon to bet everything we've built on your children?" I asked with a hint of rebellion in my voice. It hurts me to question the very source of my existence, but I can't just stand here while Marika gives up on her life like this.

She lifted my face to look me in the eyes "They're not children anymore, Maliketh... You know I don't like this just as much as you do, but..." She said in a melancholic tone.

I held her hand gently, moving it away from my face "I know... We all say we're in this war together, that we'll fight and die together, and that a better future is worth the sacrifices along the way... But it's different when you're not the one that's giving your life to the cause, when you have to watch others do it in your place" I said.

She rubbed her thumb on my hand before releasing it "I don't wanna leave them alone, I've seen the worst of this world, and I don't want them to live through what we did... But it's not up to me anymore"

"Why not tell them before you do it? Give them a chance to hear it from your mouth. They're adults Marika, and deserve an explanation" I argued, not so sure about the need of so much secrecy to her plan.

"They do, and they would understand it... Eventually" She sighed "But first they would try to convince me otherwise, saying that there has to be other way... Like you did" She said with a smile "And we don't have time for arguing anymore. Miquella is gone, the enemy is already on our door, Hell, by this point they're already sleeping under our beds" She said, moving back towards the end of the corridor.

"I see... If that's what you wish, then I'll tell them everything once it's all done" I took my stance back at the entrance to the corridor "Anything else you want me to tell them after you're gone?" I asked, each word heavier than the last.

"Only that I'm sorry, it all happened too fast for me to give them a proper goodbye... And that I... I will always be with them, no matter what happens" The last time I saw Marika cry was on the day Lord Godfrey left the Lands Between, and before that I only saw her crying once, when we were still kids. Even if I can't see her face right now, I just know how bad this is hurting her.

This hurts, and I can't let it go on like this without doing one last thing "Can you make me a promise as well?" I said, taking her by surprise.

She stood in silence, waiting for my request.

"After this is all done, and after you get to rule over the Lands Between once more... Don't let the Greater Will use you like that again" I said, turning to fully face her. As expected there were trails of tears on her cheeks, her eyes were wide with surprise.

"Maliketh..."

"You're strong" I said firmly "Stronger than most, I... I lack that kind of strength. I can't fight my own nature, the nature given to me by the Greater Will, deep down I know that I couldn't even try... But you are free, born to live, not to serve. So after you wake up in a new world a few months from now, remember that I wanted, and will always want you to live in this world, and not die for it"

After that I turned my back to her, standing still at the top of the staircase leading to the corridor we are in. She didn't say anything else after that, and shortly after, Master Radagon approached the entrance with his Warhammer in hand.

"Thanks for taking care of her, my friend. They'll come shortly after the explosion, you can wait for them at the entrance" Master Radagon said, I made a small reverence and moved downstairs.

'Goodbye, my Sister' Was all I could think before they entered the Erdtree. From now on, a new age begins in the Lands Between.

~~~

The atmosphere in here isn't something one could easily forget, I know because I certainly wouldn't. You'd expect the inside of the Erdtree to be warm and welcoming, and you'd be right, the thing is... It's too 'warm and welcoming', like a blanket that's so heavy you can't really move under it. It's an unique feeling, the Greater Will often feels like this, something so good that it feels oppressing.

"Are you ready, My Love?" Marika asked, taking out of my daydreams and reminding me of the reason we are here.

We are both standing inside of the Erdtree. The room, if you could call it that, is a stone platform in the shape of a circle, no visible walls anywhere, no light source, and yet the place isn't dark like you'd expect. The only feature present is in the center, floating slightly above the ground, a golden rune, the Elden Ring.

"I was born ready, My Love" I said confidently "Just wondering if it will be easier this time" I said, raising my hammer to rest on my shoulder.

"I believe so, breaking things more often than not is easier than carefully severing them, not that you'd know anything about being careful in the first place" She said with a small laugh, trying to ease the tension resting upon our shoulders.

I chuckled a bit as well "You sound just like Ranni"

"What can I say, your daughter has an unique talent when it comes to sarcasm, and she didn't get that from Rennala, so I guess it's your fault, Mister" She playfully stated.

I giggled "Fair enough..." A moment of silence lingered in the air "She's really strong, isn't she?" I said in a hushed tone, while tilting my head down.

"They all are..." She said sternly "And they'll be even stronger once we return"

I just laughed at her comment, she looked a little puzzled by my reaction.

"My Love?"

"You don't remember, do you?" I asked with a smile on my face "The last time we were here..."

• • •

Leyndell Castle Throne Room, 05/06/1955

"I don't wanna hear it again, Radagon, we're doing this whether you like it or not!" Queen Marika said bluntly, rushing through the entrance to the Throne Room.

"But, my Queen- Argh! Maliketh, tell her, please" I said, as Maliketh and I followed her heated stride.

"Marika, please, listen to Radagon, what you're about to do is..." Maliketh said, in an extremely uncharacteristic submissive tone.

"I know what it is!" She shouted, turning to face us abruptly "Don't think that I don't understand the weight of what I'm about to do, but we can't fight the Giants as we stand now, not if we want to have any chance to unify the rest of the continent after that!" She was visibly disturbed ever since our scouting troops came back with the info about the Giants' weaponry and numbers, but I wasn't expecting her to get so desperate as she is right now.

"I know you understand what this means, my Queen, I'm not saying that you don't. I'm just saying that this goes beyond blasphemy, and going that far, diving that deep into de source of Order and Chaos... It demands a price, a price that might be too high... Even for you" I tried reasoning with her.

"I'm not afraid, Radagon" She stated firmly "The Greater Will chose me to do this, as it chose you to be my champion. There's always a price. One who's not ready to sacrifice anything, don't deserve to achieve anything"

I knew there's no use in arguing with her right now, a week ago? Might have been worth it, but now she's hell bent on doing this.

I sighed in defeat "Maliketh, you know her the most, wanna help me here? I'm out of ideas" I helplessly turned my head to face him.

"I'm afraid not, General Radagon... I believe in the strength of our troops, I don't think we need the Rune of Death... But my Sister seems decided to pursue that path" He said, looking at Marika with a conflicted expression, I know he wants her to be safe, but seems like even he can't reason her out of this.

She closed the distance between them, hugging him tenderly. That's a rare sight, even for those who're close to her, which aren't that many to begin with.

"I believe in our strength as well, Brother, I really do. But even if we're strong as we stand now, we'll be even stronger once we've returned from the Erdtree" She said, and that seemed to ease the tension on his eyes a bit.

He sighed "I guess you're righ- Wait, what do you mean 'we'?"

She released her hold on him, looking at both of us with a demanding face "You both are coming with me"

• • •

"Oh, right" She gave a small chuckle as I recalled our last time in here "Looks like I'm just an old parrot by now"

I scoffed playfully "Drop that 'I'm too old, blah blah blah' talk, will you. Malenia already complained about it with me, and frankly I have to agree with her"

"That girl... I hope she finds her way" Marika said, the smile on her lips fading as her tone got increasingly melancholic.

"She'll be fine, Ranni will take care of her, just like she always did. Especially now, those two looked really close tonight, have you noticed that?"

"I did... How much longer are we going to delay this, Radagon?" She said hopelessly.

I sighed "Guess not much... Together?" I said, moving towards the Elden Ring with my hammer in hand.

She smiled warmly, moving to stand beside me, reaching the lower half of the hammer's handle.

"Together, until the end..." She began.

"... And beyond" I finished.

And so, one moment later we raised my hammer, the shimmering crystal at the top of it flashing in a split second before my eyes, and quicker than that, our final move sealed the fates of millions of souls living in this continent.

The Elden Ring was shattered.

Chapter Text

I was back at the Main Room as soon as I heard the explosion, sword in hand, eyes scanning the room to check if everyone was still okay.

"Does anyone know where that came from?" I asked.

"Judging by the intensity, I'd say somewhere close" Ranni promptly stated.

"It seemed to come from the East..." Goodwin said.

"Giants?" Aunt Rennala tensed up.

Morgott shook his head "It's impossible, and any force from the Mountaintops would not have gotten so close without our guard noticing them..." He stopped, his face freezing in shock "Shit!" He mumbled, rushing towards the exit of the room.

"Wait! Brother, where are you going?!" Goodwin asked, following him.

"Think. The only thing between here and the entrance to the Mountaintops" He said, looking back to the room, and as the realization hit the rest of us, we all stormed off towards the Throne Room.

As we rushed through the corridors leading up to the Throne Room, I felt the all too familiar feeling of my guts being flipped and twisted inside my chest. I tried to ignore the feeling ever since Miquella was taken away, tried to keep my head cool, trust my parents to go after him as soon as we get the chance, but now... My heart just can't stop pumping more and more anxiety into my veins, I need to know they're okay, I need to see them again.

I knew no one could kill my parents, and even if someone could actually do it, even that wouldn't be final. That's why they, whoever the fuck they are, haven't killed Miquella yet. If they kill any of us without using the Rune of Death, it would result in nothing but a temporary loss for our side. I know my parents are still alive, but I need to see that they are still here.

The eight of us got to the end of the staircase leading up to the Throne Room, Rykard told Tanith to stay in their room for now. I was at the front of our group, having surpassed Morgott somewhere along the way here, honestly I haven't even noticed that up until now.

The Throne Room was empty, save for one dark figure kneeled at the foot of the stairs leading up to the Erdtree.

"Maliketh!" Ranni exclaimed, rushing towards my Uncle.

Aunt Rennala grabbed her wrist before she could go any further "Wait, Ranni, we don't know-"

"It's okay, Your Majesty... You're all safe in here..." Uncle Maliketh said, his voice extremely quiet, which is unusual for him, but even if that's a bit odd, I felt somewhat relieved to hear it.

Even if the rest of us were still a bit skeptical about our 'safety', Aunt Rennala decided to let go of Ranni's wrist, and so she approached Maliketh, suddenly stopping a few steps behind him.

I noticed something had happened to her "Witch?!" I said, rushing to see if she was okay, and as I got to her I looked at her face, her skin was even paler, eyes wide, looking down with what I can only describe as pure and unadulterated horror written all over her face.

"What is it?!" I asked, giving her shoulders a little shake.

"F..." I heard her whisper.

"What?"

"Father..." Her voice barely audible.

And so my eyes followed her gaze, looking to the spot in front of where Uncle Maliketh was standing now, and laying on the ground I saw them...

Two corpses... A red haired male and a bright blonde female... Both had one side of their torsos completely removed, as if... As if... I'm getting sick just from thinking about it. They were completely scorched, like something exploded from within th- Oh... 'So that's what happened'.

I stood beside Ranni for a few moments, trying and failing to look away from the gruesome image of my parents' bodies laying mutilated on the floor, the anxiety I've been feeling up until now being replaced by a wave of pure nausea and dizziness. Our family joined us shortly after.

I couldn't process what they said, and I barely noticed what their reactions were. Some things stood out though, like the vague image of Aunt Rennala bent over Father's body, or the feeling of the Big Boy's arms around me trying to calm me down, or maybe he just tried to get me to say something, I don't know. But other than that, the whole situation went by in a blur, and when I finally got back to my senses, I realized that Uncle Maliketh was talking to us about something.

"I'm sorry, can you please say that again, Uncle?" I said, getting the attention of everyone.

"Are you okay, my dear?" Aunt Rennala said, gently resting a hand over my shoulder. I looked at her face, her eyes were still a bit red, she was probably crying over Father's body moments ago.

"I am fine, I just spaced out for a moment... What were you saying, Uncle?" I returned my gaze to the gray wolf in front of the group.

"It's okay, Young Princess, I wasn't expecting this to be easy for any of you..." He sighed "The Queen and the Elden Lord entrusted me to give you all a message..." He paused, and I know my Uncle well enough to notice when he's uncomfortable with something, I guess he wasn't too eager to be here right now as well.

"The Greater Will warned Queen Marika about the incoming conflict, and the inevitable result of facing this new threat as we stand right now..." Uncle continued in a somber tone.

"Let me guess, gruesome, horrifying death?" Rykard asked impatiently.

Uncle Maliketh seemed unfazed by his comment "Precisely" He said, as he moved in the direction of my parents' bodies, while black flames emerged from his right hand. The temperature of the air around us dropping at the mere presence of the infamous Black Blade, which he was holding over his shoulder now.

"44 Years ago, the Queen sealed Destined Death inside my body, granting me the power to vanish any living creature in the Lands Between from existence beyond the resurrection granted by the Grace of the Erdtree. Now seems like even that power won't be enough..."

"Wait a goddamn second, Gray Wolf. You're telling me Mother knew what was gonna happen here tonight? She was planning to just die and not say a word to us?!" Godwyn asked.

Uncle Maliketh looked somewhat ashamed "She knew about the threat, Young Prince, nothing more. Her plan was to explain everything to you all today, but unfortunately..."

"Miquella..." Godwyn mumbled, Uncle just nodded briefly at that.

"What was it?" Ranni abruptly asked, getting Uncle's attention "The Queen's plan to fight this threat" Her tone was colder than normal, especially considering that she was talking to Uncle Maliketh of all people. I never thought I'd miss her heated way of speaking so much.

"You were, Little One. All of you" Uncle said, standing in front of the staircase ahead of us "The Elden Ring was shattered by the Queen and the Elden Lord to fulfill a single purpose. To give that power to their heirs"

'Wait, 'give'? Did I hear that correctly?' I thought to myself in shock of what he had just implied "As their very essence was bound to the Elden Ring by the Greater Will, their bodies couldn't use such power, as they were also shattered in the process" He took a breath, probably to give us time to process what he just said than to actually breath "However, The Queen knew that once the Elden Ring was shattered, the only individuals capable of claiming it's shards would be those who stand in here right now"

"Demigods" I mumbled.

He nodded "Their flesh and blood were a part of the Elden Ring itself, the same blood that runs on your veins. Inside the Erdtree lies the power to change this world forever, and that power belongs to you"

We all stared at him, digesting everything he just dumped over us.

"So, we just need to get the power to win the war, huh? Sounds simple enough" Ranni said, moving towards the staircase.

She made a quick stop at Uncle's side, I watched as she carefully rubbed her hand on his arm "Thanks for telling us, I know that it's not easy seeing her like that" She said to him in a soft tone.

She started to walk up the stairs, turning back after a few steps "If you all ain't coming with me I'll keep the Elden Ring all to myself!" She shouted impatiently.

"HAHA! In your dreams, Little Blizzard!!" Her Brother shouted back, rushing to catch up to her.

I began to follow them when "Wait. Give me a second" I said abruptly "Uncle, is there something else Mother said before...?" I asked, approaching him before following everyone.

My Uncle dispersed the Black Blade, bringing back the warmth of the Erdtree around us. He looked into my eyes as he rested a hand on my shoulder lightly "She wanted you to know that there's nothing in this world that she wouldn't have done or given to keep you and your siblings safe. And that..." He paused for a moment "She was sorry to leave you without saying goodbye"

And as the tears emerged on the corners of my eyes, I grabbed him in a tight hug, not even caring that all I was holding was his thick armor.

"She couldn't take a single minute to say that in person, couldn't she?" I said in a sobbing chuckle with my face buried on his chest.

He scoffed amusingly "Would you have let her go on with the plan had she talked about it with you beforehand?"

I lifted my head "Of course I..." He raised an eyebrow at me "Okay, maybe not..." I mumbled with a pout, he just left ou a giggle.

"And I wouldn't expect anything less" He said with a smile "Now go, Tiny Dancer, before Little Ranni runs out of patience and drags you in"

I looked up to see Ranni waiting for me in the middle of the staircase, arms crossed and a foot tapping repeatedly on the floor, everyone else was up there already.

I released my hold on Uncle and caught up to her, sill a bit surprised by the fact that she was waiting for me at all.

"Why didn't you kept going?" I asked her.

She just shrugged "You said 'wait', I waited"

I was taken aback by the casual way she said that "I did, yeah, but... You know, I wasn't expecting anyone to actually... Wait for me" I blurted, laughing awkwardly at the end.

"First rule in our family, remember? 'Expect the unexpected'" She said as we walked up the stairs. Strangely enough, out of everything that everyone did tonight to calm me down about my parents' deaths, she was the only one who actually managed to make me feel safe, and she wasn't even trying.

~~~

"Anyone wanna be the first?" I asked my siblings as we all stood cowardly still before the entrance to the Erdtree.

"I'll go..." Radahn was the first to speak, approaching the door, stopping just before opening it "Have any of you ever been there before?" He asked Godwyn and the twins.

All he got as an answer were head shakes "And Mother never really talked about what's actually in there as well..." The Golden Boy added.

Radahn looked at him in thought "So there might be some sort of challenge for all we know..." He said with a hint of excitement.

I rolled my eyes "Wonderful. Okay, let's do it like this: Radahn, you go in and check to see if there's not a giant cosmic watchdog guarding the Elden Ring or something, if everything's clear you can call us over" I said, seasoning each word with my finest flavors of sarcasm.

My Brother just nodded "Sounds good to me" Perhaps I gave him too much credit. 'Really? You took that seriously, Radahn? How did you get to rule over an entire province?' I thought to myself in disbelief.

He turned to open the door, but hesitated again "And what if there is an actual cosmic watchdog? What do I do with it?" He asked seriously. I had to hold my breath to keep myself from slapping him on the back of his head.

I glared at him in disbelief "Throw it a bone, and rub it's belly! For Stars sake, Brother, I-"

"Hey! Are you girls done wasting everyone's time?!" Ranni shouted from behind us, Malenia waking beside her "Seriously, do I need to push you all inside there? Bunch of nimrods" She said, pinching the bridge of her nose "C'mon, Mally, let's get this over with before the Erdtree isn't the only thing growing roots in here" She dragged Malenia by the wrist towards the door.

Her stride came to a halt in front of Radahn "Do you mind?" She asked impatiently. Radahn just stepped aside, and so Ranni opened the ancient wooden door, revealing a bright golden fog coming out of it.

She took Malenia inside with her, crossing the fog and disappearing on the other side of the door.

"Well, ladies first, I guess" Godwyn mumbled.

"Golden Boy, those two are as close to 'ladies' as Mohg is to a babysitter" I commented, following Radahn who had already crossed the fog behind the girls 'I wonder what is Tanith thinking about all of this'.

This shouldn't be a problem to our plan, if anything this would make it easier, free power? I mean, no way to go wrong with that, right?... Still, having that much of the Greater Will's essence attached to my soul, not so sure about how it will affect the merging with the Serpent... But there's no way of knowing without trying it first I guess...

The blinding light surrounding me finally ceased, what replaced it was the complete darkness, and shortly after...

"So this is the heart of the Erdtree?" I heard Mohg's voice.

"Not gonna lie, I was expecting something more... Gold?" Ranni said, and so the place became clearer for me to see.

The stone floor was... Well, everything here to be honest, not much else besides fog and that.

"There it is" The Golden Boy said, gesturing to the center of the... 'Room', can I even call this a 'room'? It doesn't matter.

The seven of us looked at the dim source of light resting on the floor of the room. A light that felt so intense despite it's low intensity, there's no doubt, that is- was the Elden Ring.

We all walked towards it, standing in a circle around the pulsating runes laying a few inches above the ground.

Some long seconds of silence passed by as we gazed upon the universe of power laying in front of our very eyes. Seven shards, each from a fraction of the Elden Ring, each a fraction of the power of the Greater Will itself. No living creature could hold, let alone host, more than one of this shards, even us, Demigods wouldn't be able to withstand that much energy without perishing.

"Looks like it's 'one each', nice of Mother to split evenly" Godwyn joked, Malenia being the only to do as much as chuckle.

"She probably didn't" Morgott said "My theory is that the Elden Ring would rearrange itself in the form that is closest to perfection, hence, seven, the so called number of perfection"

"Makes sense, either that or..." Ranni said.

"It knew we would be the only ones here" Malenia finished for her. Those two are in quite some synergy recently.

"Whatever it is, here we are... So what, we just... Touch it?" I said.

"Only one way to find out!!" Radahn beamed, moving as fast as lightning to touch one of the runes.

"Brother, wai-" I tried to intervene, but my mouth went silent at the intense glow running through his arm. The visible energy from the rune ran through his body in waves of pure electricity, and what disturbed me the most was his expression, or to be exact, lack there of. He stood frozen during the whole thing, a blank stare at nothingness. He could as well be dead by how stiff he was, but thankfully once it was all done he blinked.

He dropped to his knees, steam flowing out of his body, Malenia rushed to support him.

"You okay, Big Boy?!" She practically vomited the words on him.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Thankfully he still the same, we all felt the tension on the air fade at the thunderous sound of his laugh "THAT WAS AMAZING!!" He shouted.

I chuckled "I can see that, Brother, how do you feel?" I asked, and he stopped to think, looking at his arms as he stood up.

"Mostly the same... Maybe a little taller?" He said casually.

I rolled my eyes "Well, let's give it some time, anyone wants to be next?"

"I'll do it" Godwyn said, reaching his right hand just like Radahn did, and just like my Brother, he was also struck by that glowing stream of energy, and after he came back to his senses, we all followed suit.

I was the last to go through the process, and the only way I can describe it is like when you just woke up and your body feels rusty and heavy, so you do that loooong stretch of every muscle at the same time while still in bed and suddenly your body feels like, well, your body again. That's the feeling, like waking up and recovering control of yourself.

If I wasn't feeling ready to face the God devouring Serpent before, now I definitely feel like I could devour it myself if I wanted to.

I had my fair share of pleasures of the flesh throughout my life, but this? This power... This is something else.

~~~

"Are you okay?" I asked Malenia as she seemed to lose her balance for a moment as we exited the Erdtree.

"I'm fine, Morgott" She answered with a smile "Just a little dizzy from the whole crossing the golden fog thing"

"Careful there, Brickhead, we don't know the consequences of hitting the ground with your head after we all got charged up with the power of a literal star" Young Ranni jokingly said.

"Well, at least I would use that power to do something other than keeping drinks cold" Malenia shot back.

"Oooh, like this?" She said, blowing a gust of cold air in Malenia's general direction, leaving me to get caught in the collateral damage, as the two of us were suddenly covered in a not so thin layer of ice.

"Grace, Witch, no need to be that harsh!" Malenia exclaimed, as we waved our arms to break the ice.

"I have to agree with her, Lady Ranni, looks like this was a bit too much for a quick retort" I added.

"Sorry, I wasn't- I mean I was trying to do just that, but... I barely put any effort in it, shouldn't have been that strong" Ranni embarrassedly said.

"You said it yourself, Cherry Pie" Rykard said, approaching Malenia and me, raising his pocket watch lightly "The power of a literal star" He said, giving a small tap of the watch on my shoulder, vanishing the ice completely in a wave of heat "See? Wasn't even a spell" He said, doing the same to Malenia right after that.

"The power is still too volatile within our bodies, it will take time to settle down" Mohg said, analyzing one of his hands with curiosity.

"Makes sense, so no sudden movements of any kind, everyone, okay?" Goodwin said, turning his head to gaze at the same person everyone else in the corridor was looking at.

"What?!" Radahn exclaimed.

"Do you need we to draw it to you?" Ranni deadpanned.

"I can control myself!!" The red headed general protested.

"No, you can't" Rykard tiredly retorted "I love you, Brother, but we all know that the only 'careful' thing you've ever done intentionally in your life was lifting the weight you put over Leonard's back, in the most impractical way possible I might add. So right now, think of everything around you as Leonard, no harsh movements, no sudden turns, nothing, you hear me?!" He authoritatively stated.

The general looked at Malenia for support, unfortunately his gaze was only met by a look of concern. Even his usual 'partner in crime' wasn't backing down on the seriousness of the situation.

Radahn just sighed dramatically "Fine... I'll keep my hands on my pockets I guess, but I think this whole thing is completely unnecessary"

"That's for us to decide, Brickwall" Ranni said, walking towards Malenia "You okay? Sorry about earlier..." She timidly said. Since when are those two so close?

"It's okay, no problem, not like you haven't done worse before" Malenia said with a giggle.

Ranni seemed to relax at her response "Guess you're right, but still..."

"Hey, I told you I'm fine. Now let's go, Uncle's waiting for us" Malenia said dismissively, heading towards the exit of the corridor.

And as I walked behind the girls I couldn't help but feel bad for the amount of responsibility that they have to take from now on. After all, I still see them as my little siblings.

"So, Big Bad Wolf, anything else we need to know about the Queen's plan?" Rykard asked Maliketh, who was standing with Radagon's Warhammer in his hands.

"Only a few matters, Lord Rykard" He answered patiently "Now that all of you are here, there are a few words from the Queen and the Elden Lord for all of you. First of all, now that the Capital lost both of it's rulers temporarily, a Steward shall be nominated to keep the Capital protected. Fortunately, the Queen had selected a successor already, Prince Morgott, would you please step forward?" Maliketh said, looking at me, and so did everyone else.

"I..." My mouth was suddenly dry, my feet frozen in place, every bone in my body felt heavier. Each uncomfortable sensation amplified by the bliss I experienced before with my Great Rune, the sheer contrast of then and now made my head stop working entirely for a moment "... What?" Was the only thing I managed to say.

"You got the Throne, Pointy Boy" Ranni said with a bit of impatience "OW! What was that for?!" She exclaimed after Malenia stomped on her foot.

"Really?! You can't just expect him to be all cool and dandy about something like that, Witch!" My Sister said.

"What's the big deal? He already runs most of the Castle, it's not like this will be that much of a change" Ranni argued back.

"It's not that simple-"

"No, Malenia. She's right..." I cut my Sister off before she could defend me any further "It's just, I wasn't expecting to be the first option, or to be an option at all... Actually I haven't thought about that up until now. Uncle, are you sure Mother said me specifically?" I asked in genuine confusion.

Maliketh just nodded "She was very specific about that, you were her first choice as well as the Elden Lord's. And if I may speak, My Lord, you would be the most viable option regardless of the Queen's choice. Our forces are mostly spread across the Lands Between, Lord Godwyn must hold his position at Limgrave, Young Prince Miquella is no longer among us, Master Mohg wouldn't take the Throne if there was any viable alternative, and Lady Malenia will have more pressing matters to attend in this conflict"

I sighed "I see, seems like I can't argue with that logic-"

"Hold on a second, what 'pressing matters', Uncle?" Malenia inquired.

"Isn't it obvious, Mally?" Ranni said with a smirk, Malenia just looked at her with a puzzled expression. Ranni rolled her eyes dramatically "Miquella, Brickhead! We're rescuing him!" She stated impatiently.

"Precisely" Maliketh said "The Queen expected your decision about Miquella's situation to be already made by now, Young Princess"

"In other words, she knew that you were gonna hop on a horse and storm off looking for him as soon as you could" Ranni stated matter of factually "So it's better to cut the 'You can't go unprepared and blah blah blah' talk, and just jump to the part where we hit the road before his trail goes cold"

"We?" Malenia asked with a smirk of her own.

"As I said, cut the pointless talk, Miquella is my best friend. So it's you and me now, Sassy Pants, get used to it" Ranni replied, and I might just be crazy enough to guess that she was... Flirting? With Malenia? Not that I've ever seen much flirting to begin with, so maybe I'm just seeing things.

The girls shared a moment of contentment before Maliketh talked again "My Lord, the Elden Lord insisted on leaving you this" He said, lifting Radagon's Hammer, and handing it to me.

My eyes went wide at the implication of that gesture "Uncle... I can't accept that... It's too much, even for me" The reputation of that Warhammer is only matched by the man who wield it. Radagon, the Red Wolf, a numen slave born at the Mountaintops of the Giants, forged by ice and fire, blessed by the Greater Will and chosen to be it's champion. That Hammer was forged from the shard of a fallen star, infused by Grace, and it had killed more Giants than any other weapon ever created. That weapon embodies all of the Greater Will's triumphs ever since the war against the Giants, I wouldn't dare to taint that History with my curse, I just couldn't-

"Brother" I felt Godwyn's hand on my shoulder as he said my name.

I looked at his cerulean eyes, deep seas of resolve and determination piercing through me like cold daggers to my face.

"We're not kids anymore, Morgott. This is a war to which our parents have already given their lives for, we can't afford the luxury of doubting ourselves right now. So as your older brother, I am asking you to stand up and take your place where our Mother wanted you to stand, protecting our home" He stated, sounding equally imposing and understanding.

I closed my eyes, angst burning inside my chest "I can't take his place... Not like that, that Hammer... One thing is being seen as the Steward for the Elden Lord, but to stand on equal footing to him like that... Me? The people wouldn't accept that, they wouldn't accept... What I am" I shamefully mumbled.

"Brother. Look. At. Me" He grabbed my shoulders "You don't owe anything to anyone down there. They don't have to accept you because we do. I do, and nothing will ever change that. You're not a monster, Morgott, neither is Mohg, and it's time for you to step outside and show the world who you truly are. I know this is hard, Hell, might be the hardest thing you'll ever do, but I want you to stand strong, and to do your best. Can you do that? For me?"

I felt the weight on my shoulders decreasing, but still "... What if my best isn't enough?" I asked, looking at the floor, incapable of meeting his gaze.

"It's enough for me" He said, cupping my face, lifting my gaze to show me a warm smile.

"Okay... I'll do it" I finally said.

"I'm glad to hear that, Brother" Goodwin said, stepping aside to present me with the sight of my Uncle handing me the Warhammer again.

"My Lord" The gray wolf said, bowing in reverence as he handed me the colossal weapon.

I grabbed the hilt, and the subtle hum of energy following from the weapon to my body seemed to resonate with the Great Rune inside of me, I backed off immediately.

"My Lord?" Maliketh looked at me in confusion.

"I'll take it, believe me, I will, but I'm afraid that right now might not be the best time to do so. The energy of the Elden Ring is still settling down within us, and the Hammer is too unstable for me to hold right now" I explained, part of that was true, but honestly I'm still insecure about taking that place.

"And y'all thought I'd be the first one to slip" Radahn said.

"And I still do" Ranni shot back "Well, you can play with the new toy later then, Pointy Boy. Do you have any other Messages from the Queen, Maliketh?"

"Only one more, Young Witch" Maliketh said, putting the Hammer down "Only a few of you have experienced true combat, and none of you had ever seen a war, so be ready for the worst, if the outer gods learned anything from their last endeavor was that time is critically important. So stay alert, from now on, there's no such thing as a safe space"

"Talk about encouraging speeches- Ouch! Again, Mother, seriously?!" Rykard mumbled, as Queen Rennala hit him once again with a Glintstone shard.

"As many times as you need to learn. Now go see you wife, the poor girl must be panicking by now without a clue as to what is happening" The Queen said.

"Okay. Wolf, if that's all you had to say, I shall take my leave, and in case I don't see some of you for a while..." He turned his gaze to Malenia and Ranni "Try not to kill each other in the meantime, 'kay?" He said with a smirk. Both girls will probably be gone by the break of dawn, so this is probably the last time most of us will see them for a while.

"That boy, can't he just say 'goodbye' like a normal person?" Queen Rennala said as her son exited the room.

"Don't be too harsh, Mother. I know he cares, even of he chooses not to show it too much" Radahn said with a smile "Now, for the rest of us, what's the plan?"

"Go back to our respective provinces, reinforce our defenses and warn the population" The Queen promptly answered.

"As for me and Sassy pants here, we'll get our shit together and find a place to start looking for Miquella" Ranni added.

"Ranni! Language!" Queen Rennala scolded her daughter.

"Sorry, Mother" The girl sheepishly said, bowing her head in embarrassment.

"Maliketh, you'll keep the guard of Mother's and Radagon's bodies. They're out of the picture for now, but that doesn't mean they're no longer targets, so I'll need you to guard them 24/7, and during any breaks you'll have your best men as replacement. You understand?" I said methodically.

"Yes, My Lord" He stated.

"Good. Mohg, I'll need you to expand our repertoire of non conventional weaponry, potions, poison, enchantments, anything in your research that might seem useful. Can you do that for me, Brother?"

Mohg just nodded. I don't like to talk to him like this, but the circumstances won't allow me to be anything less than decisive right now.

"Godwyn, you'll be our eyes on the South. I'm sure you can keep Stormveil safe, but Castle Morne is the weakest link in our chain of alliances, if anything mildly suspicious happens there I'll need you to inform us as soon as possible. You could assume that your forces would be enough to take care of it, but I won't risk spreading your troops any thinner than absolutely necessary, the capital can handle a temporary loss of troops better than Limgrave, so let our forces handle anything that might seem too risky. You understand?" My voice sounds so imposing, is this what power does to a man?

"As you wish" He said with a proud smile on his face.

I turned to the Queen "Radahn, My Queen, can I trust you to reinforce the surveillance within your provinces to track any sights of cults or religious groups? I believe that any possible source of worship to the outer gods has the potential to be a threat from inside our walls. Your domains have the densest population of astrologers and sorcerers, it's not a long stretch to assume someone would in there would try to contact the Cosmos from within. So please report any abnormal activity on Liurnia or Caelid"

Queen Rennala smiled tenderly "Of course, My Lord"

"Haha! Look at him! Feels like just yesterday this one asked me to tie his shoes for him! You'll make a good fit to the Throne, Morgott, mark my words!" Radahn exclaimed.

"I'll begin the inspection of our staff, see if there's a possible traitor within the Castle, even if I consider that highly unlikely" I said tiredly.

"Do you need any help with that, My Lord" Maliketh asked.

"Probably yes, but I'll need you to take care of my parents for now. I'll get someone else to assist me, the sooner I find someone I can trust inside these walls, the better"

"Very well. You all heard the Elden Lord, no time to waste" Maliketh said, gently holding the two bodies that were laying on the floor over his shoulders.

The wolf left the room, my siblings and the Queen following him. I moved to where he was standing, the Hammer standing on the floor with the handle upwards 'Okay, let's try this one more time' I thought as I grabbed the hilt, taking a deep breath as the usual hum of energy flowed through me again. I tried to relax my muscles, letting the energy flow back and forth, and eventually I felt it settle down.

I lifted the weapon to stand over my shoulder. Physically? It was light as a feather, despite it's colossal size. Emotionally? It felt like the weight of the whole world was resting over me.

The fear of failing this power was consuming me with each step as I walked towards the door, the fear of tainting my family's name. I can't let that fear go, I need it. 'The only thing that keeps you standing is the fear of falling down. You wanna succeed? Be afraid to fail. You wanna live? Be afraid to die. You wanna protect your own? Be afraid to lose them. Let your fear make you stronger' Radagon once told me, and those words never felt more real than right now.

~~~

"Why was your mother so pissed when you said 'shit' before? It's not like she hasn't heard you say anything worse than that before" Mally asked me as we walked towards her room.

"You'd be right, usually she wouldn't care that much, like a few weeks ago when I got too confident and casually said that 'I don't really fuck with cheese' to her face as we talked about food" Mally burst out laughing at my somewhat embarrassed explanation.

"Grace, Witch, how'd you let that one slip?" She managed to say after recomposing herself.

"It just happened!" I stated, a bit louder than I would've liked "I got used to swearing very early, you know how it was"

"~Know~? All of the swear words I know, I've learned from you, Ice Cube" Mally playfully said.

"And you're welcome for that. Also, don't try to nickname me, Sassy Pants, that's not your strong front" I replied with a hint of pride to my voice "But back to how I got on Mother's black list of behavior. After that little episode with the cheese, she's been keeping track of how much I swear every time we're together. I managed to keep it to a minimum as of recently, but sometimes I just can't handle myself" I said with mix of anger and frustration.

"Well, good luck with that. But seeing how it's gonna be just you and me for a while I think you don't have to worry about hurting my ~delicate ears with your dirty words~" She said making a high pitch voice, and holding her ears in a over exaggerated gesture to mimic a fairy tale princess.

I giggled at her impression "Delicate? The only thing that could be considered 'delicate' about you is your lips as far as I'm concerned" I let that out, and a second after our chuckles began they were instantly gone. 'Shit, I brought that up!'.

We kept walking, taking in the painfully awkward moments of silence before I managed to speak again.

"Sorry to bring that up..." I sheepishly began "Like I told you, sometimes things just... Come out of my mouth" I said with an embarrassed tone.

"No, no, it's not your fault!" She blurted out "If anything it's all my fault to begin with... I know we agreed to let that aside until we find Miquella, but... I can't help but blame myself for anything weird that might happen between us now..."

"And by 'weird' you mean me joking about how soft your lips were?" I said, getting a little more confident, but not really, my voice still sounded pretty shy.

She just nodded.

"I see... If it's worth anything... I guess I would've done the same thing eventually..." I tried to sound dismissive, and failed miserably at that endeavor.

"Y-you would?" She asked, turning to face me with a surprised look.

I looked away "I mean... Maybe not tomorrow or anything, but I told you that I was... Feeling things recently. Who knows, one day I could just wake up and jump on your face, ya know, just to know how it would feel..." I said with an awkward chuckle.

"Just to know how it feels, huh?" She slowly repeated.

"It's called scientific curiosity, you pervert!" I protested, turning to face her, but she just smiled in reply.

"I didn't say anything" She said waving her arms defensively "But... I mean, you know how it feels like now, so... How would you describe it?" She timidly asked.

"I......" I dragged my pause for way too long, trying to think of anything to say beyond 'It made my legs melt and my heart explode' finally coming up with "It was nice... But I wouldn't be so quick to judge after only one time..." Silence fell upon us as she took in what I had just implied.

"You mean...?" She said, but before her question was fully formed.

"Here we are!" I said, gesturing to her bedroom door.

She looked at the door for a moment, then turned back to meet my face "About what you said..."

"Don't make me repeat it! Please, we need to get our things ready for the trip, okay?" I argued. She seemed frustrated, but agreed with a nod.

"Good. Get your stuff, I'll get mine ready and I'll come back here to check on you to talk about the plan, okay?"

"Okay"

"See you later" I said with a smile, walking away to my room, and trying to avoid an intrusive thought that kept crawling back into my head, that little voice that keeps repeating 'You won't make a day on the road without eating her alive'.

I knew we had the deal and all, but knowing that she likes me that way? Yeah, that does things to my brain... I don't know for how long I'll be able to keep my hands to myself, especially while traveling all alone with her.

Damn it, just thinking about it made my heart skip a beat, and why the fuck do I like it when it happens?! 'FUCK!'.

~~~

'Am I forgetting anything?' I thought after packing a few changes of clothes and my camping tools "Oh, the helmet!" I exclaimed, remembering Big Boy's birthday gift to me.

I grabbed the golden headgear, taking a moment to analyze it. It's extremely light weighted, probably alloyed with meteorite steel, just like his swords. It's also extremely detailed, the wings on the sides give it an ancient mythology aesthetic that I really enjoy, and to top it all off, the open lower half of it would make it easier to keep my breathing steady while wearing it.

"If I remember correctly, I just need to..." I mumbled, holding the gear on my left hand, giving it a little pulse of energy, and just as quick, the helmet dissolved into a small cloud of gold, quickly shifting into a bracelet around my left wrist "Now that'll come in handy. Thanks Big Boy"

A knock on my door brought me out of my thoughts "May I come in, Sweetie?" Aunt Rennala's voice said from the other side.

"Oh, sure"

She opened the door, now wearing a different dress from the one she was wearing at the wedding, making me realize that I haven't changed my clothes yet.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"Everything is fine, Dear, that's not why I am here" She answered with her usual reassuring smile "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about Ranni"

"Oh, sure, what about her?" I said, taking a seat on my bed.

She seemed a little uncomfortable while approaching my bed "May I?" She said, gesturing to the spot beside me.

I nodded, getting progressively nervous as she sat beside me, resting her hands over her lap, looking down like a kid who just broke her mother's favorite vase.

"Aunt Rennala, is everything actually okay?" I asked, analyzing her with a concerned look.

She took a deep breath "A while after Ranni was born, after Radagon and I... After he was gone, I asked the stars for guidance about what to do with my life from that point on. From the moment I met Radagon I knew he would be the only man I would truly love, but the Stars warned me that our love wouldn't be everlasting, that he would never be truly mine.
At the time I tried to convince myself that there had to be another way, that what I felt was stronger than a silly prophecy from the Stars"

She let out a little scoff "As if I knew any better than the Cosmos itself. After Ranni was born, I noticed that the flame had faded from Radagon's eyes, he no longer loved me the same way, and to be honest... I couldn't feel it in myself as well, somehow, all that love was simply... Gone. I knew he wouldn't admit it, but I had to set him free, no matter how much it would hurt, and believe me, it hurt, but our time together was over"

I could spot a single tear glistening on the corner of her eye "Why are you telling me all of this?" I asked, my eyes not much dryer than hers.

"The answer the Stars gave me about my life" She turned to face me "They told me that I had to keep going, to keep living, for Ranni... And for you"

"Me? But wait, I wasn't even born yet" I said in confusion.

Aunt Rennala just giggled "That's what prophecies are for, Sweetie. The Stars told me that Ranni's soul would be linked to yours, and that she could only fulfill her destiny if you were there with her... That's why I kept close contact to Marika and Radagon after our separation"

I don't know what she would think if I told her how much that 'close contact' backfired as of recently, and I definitely don't wanna find out now, so I only asked "That's why you practically raised her with Miquella and me? To keep us close?"

"It started like that, in all honesty it hurt a lot at the beginning, seeing Radagon's new life with Marika and their kids, but I couldn't have made a better decision in my life, realizing that my life wasn't over just because my marriage was. Radagon was still a part of my life, Marika was still my best friend, and the joy of seeing our kids growing up together made all that bitter taste fade away. I needed to learn that our love wasn't just gone as I initially thought, it lived in Ranni, as well as in Rykard and Radahn. Living for Ranni's future gave me a new reason to live my present"

"Im glad to hear that" I said with a soft smile, feeling a single tear ringing down my face.

"I know now that Ranni's destiny is closer than ever, and I don't know how this journey you two are about to make will change her, or you, but I am here to tell you that the ties that bound you two together are stronger than you can imagine. So please, promise me that you'll take care of her for me, can you do that?" Her words were filled with unspoken emotions, she knew I'd give my life for Ranni, but this is her daughter we're talking about, so of course she would ask me to protect her, it's not easy to just leave her to the world.

"You have my word" I said decisively.

She sighed in relief, and we hugged for a while before she left the room, leaving me back to my preparations, which by now were just changing into a new set of clothes.

I took off the dress, and went through my drawers to find something appropriate for trips.

I was midway through process of putting on a set of comfortable trousers when...

"So here's the plan-" Ranni suddenly swung the door open. Our eyes met instantly, she was wearing her usual navy and white attire, hair up in a ponytail, as for me? I had my lower underwater and half of a leg of my trousers on.

She stared at my face for a couple of seconds, her mouth stupidly open as any words she were probably thinking to say died before she could vocalize them.

"Stop staring and close the fucking door!" I blurted, crossing my arms over my bare chest, which she got way more than a peek of, guess now we're even about that mirror thing yesterday. Oh yeah, it's already 2000, happy new year, I guess?

She closed the door shut behind her "Why did you not locked it?!" She asked abruptly, face still looking at the door.

"What, is this my fault now?!" I shot back, grabbing a random shirt to cover my chest.

"Don't try to defend yourself here, I gave you plenty of time to pack your stuff and to change clothes, I mean, I did the fucking same and had to walk those mile long corridors back here!"

"Still, you don't just barge into someone else's room without knocking first!! Besides, I had a-" Do I tell her about the talk with her mother? Better not, if she wanted her to know she wouldn't have come in here while she knew we wouldn't be together "I had to use the bathroom, so that took some time" I managed to blurt out an excuse.

"Fine, fine, you can have this one. Can I turn around now?" She asked impatiently.

"In a second" I said, buttoning up my trousers over my shirt "Okay, you can look now"

She turned to face me with a crimson face "So, as I was saying, here's the plan: First, you tell me whatever idea you had about tracking Miquella, and after I politely decline it, I will explain what we are actually going to do. So, go on" She said, recomposing that authoritative tone she likes so much.

"Mocking me to get your confidence back won't get you very far, Witch" I said with a smug grin.

"Shut up! So, you have any ideas or what?" She said impatiently 'She's so cute when she's angry'.

"Well, my original idea was to track any traces of evidence from the scene, but Maliketh haven't found anything there so that's probably a dead end" I said, putting on my boot.

"Won't you look at that, she can think" She said in a condescending tone.

"Told ya, not gonna get you far" I said, and she hummed in annoyance "So, what are your ideas to find him? Besides lingering on your half sister's parts, of course" I teased with a smirk, and I could see the shades of red on her face deepening.

"I didn't lingered!" She protested, her voice cracking a bit "Argh! I have a good idea of how to track the Black Knives, okay?"

I raised an eyebrow at that statement "You do?"

"Yeah, but first we'll have to make a stop at my home to get some things" She said, getting more serious now.

"Are you sure that won't be too much of a risk, I mean, the longer we take..."

"They're not gonna kill him, the only way to do that is under Maliketh's furry grasp. Time won't be that much of a problem, besides, the way to track them is back in my room at Caria Manor" She explained.

"Wait, what exactly is it, and how do you of all people have it?"

"I don't have it, but I know who does..."

I waited for her to continue.

"It's Master Lusat, he was studying the Eternal Cities before he exiled himself, he believed to have found a way to access them using traces of ancient magic left by the Nox"

"He- what?! 'access them'? But they were-"

"Destroyed? Perhaps, but he didn't believe in that. His theory was that the Eternal Cities were secluded somewhere in the Lands Between, just like the Dragons did with Farum Azula"

"So you think he knows how to find the cities just based on a theory?" I questioned.

"A theory is more than twice of the nothing at all that we currently have! And yes, I think he knows, if anyone has any chance of knowing that it would be him" She stated firmly.

I sighed "Fair point. So, Caria Manor then?"

I nodded "Home sweet home"

Chapter Text

What's this feeling? Where am I? My eyes won't open... I... I don't feel my eyes, their movement, I don't feel it...

"Easy there, Sis, I'm almost done here, just hold on for a little longer, okay?" Miquella's voice. He sounds so happy.

"Miquella... Where am I?" I asked, the feeling of something warm over my chest making me really uncomfortable.

"We're home, I am helping you, stay still, please" There's something wrong with him, his voice is... Weird.

"What are you doing? Why can't I move?" I asked, getting more and more anxious.

"I am helping, I tried to do it while you were still untied, but you wouldn't let me, so I had to cuff your limbs to the bed" He said with a playful giggle at the end, and I knew from that moment that this person isn't my Brother.

"What are you?! And what's this feeling on my chest?!" I shouted.

"Shhhh, you'll see it any minute now" The joy on his words was driving me insane, who the fuck is this person?!

I kept trying to move my arms and legs, but it was useless. A moment later I noticed something, at first I thought that it was just a feeling, but then the light gradually emerged inside my head.

"My eyes..." I said in a hushed tone, as the blurry image of my Brother's young features slowly formed in front of me.

"See? I told you it would only take a minute!" He said, finally becoming completely visible, physically he looked just like Miquella, but the way he talks... My Brother would never talk to me like that, it was so cold that I couldn't even picture Miquella speaking like that.

I opened my mouth to demand an explanation, but the words died before I could utter them. I felt sick at the moment I realized what exactly he was doing to me.

"I told you I would fix you, Sis" He said as I looked at his arm standing over my chest, pouring what felt like gallons of blood over me.

"What..." My voice came out barely louder than a whisper "What have you done...?" I managed to ask, holding a deep urge to throw up right now. He was pale, and really skinny, I could mistake him for a corpse if he wasn't moving in front of me.

"This is my gift to you, Silly..." He said, cupping my face with his blood soaked hand "I told you that I would give you everything I had to fix your body..." The creepy grin on his face making me even more sick, his golden eyes so widely open that I felt like my very soul was being stared at by him.

"I can't... I can't handle this... You're not Miquella! You can't be- he would never-"

"Oh, but he did, didn't he? Risked his own life to save a piece of garbage like you. Well, to save that filthy body of yours at least. I don't think he would've been able to do anything about that putrid and completely deprived shit fest that you call a mind ~hEhehEheheheHeheheHEheheheHeheHehehehehe~"

I gasped for air as that maniacal cackle echoed through my head 'It was just a nightmare'.

"~Rise and shine~" Ranni playfully said, sitting in front of me inside our carriage, she looked at me for a moment and then shifted her tone "Are you okay?" She asked, putting down a book that she was probably reading before I woke up.

I rubbed my eyes while sighing tiredly "I'm fine... Just had a bad dream, that's all. What time is it?" I said with a raspy voice.

"About 12:40, still a few hours left until our first stop" She answered with a bored tone.

We left the Castle shortly after sunrise, just the two of us in a carriage heading to Caria Manor. Initially I thought that Aunt Rennala would come with us, but despite the Manor being the official residence of the Carian monarchy, the actual center of power in Liurnia is the Academy, due to its better defenses and Aunt Rennala's close relationship with the school. Given that today would be the beginning of the school year, things would be pretty chaotic there already, so it makes sense that she would deal with the conflict from there.

I groaned in frustration "12:40?! I barely got four hours of sleep..."

"At least you got some hours of sleep. With how much this deathtrap is shaking it amazes me that you actually managed to close your eyes"

"It's not that bad... But I get where you're coming from, my neck feels stiff as an oak log" I commented rubbing the back of my neck.

"Finally someone who gets it" She stated dramatically, I just cracked my neck a few times before she spoke again "So, what was it?"

"Hmh?"

"Your dream, Brickhead, do you wanna talk about it?" She was impatient as usual, but I noticed a hint of concern within her words.

"Oh, that... I... It was about Miquella" I said, still a bit unsure if I wanted to tell her everything that happened in my dream.

"I see, I mean, what else would it be, right? Especially for you..." She mumbled.

"What do you mean?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"You didn't really have nightmares or even bad dreams when we were little, not until..." She tried to say that casually, but I noticed her getting a bit embarrassed by it.

"The Scarlett Rot" I sighed.

She nodded "Miquella talked to me about it last Friday, that even your nightmares were gone after the treatment" She said with a hint of shame in her voice, I guess she didn't want me to know that Miquella told her that, which is kinda nonsense because I don't mind that at all, but she doesn't have to know that.

"Since when you're so curious about me, Witch?" I said with a smirk.

"I pay attention to what people say! That's all" She stated firmly, though I caught a hint of exasperation in her voice "And I didn't question him about it, we were talking about you and-"

I smirked at her "So, you two were gossiping about me that night, huh? What is it? Trying to use him to get inside my head?" I teased. Technically our deal of not mentioning our 'situation' was still on, but neither of us seemed capable to avoid the topic for too long, so fuck it, why not.

She scoffed "As if I ever needed help to get inside your head, Sassy Pants. No matter how thick that skull of yours may seem, I already have a whole fucking house built in there. I'm so deep in your system that it only took me a slow dance to make you jump at the first opportunity to grab me on a liplock" She smugly said 'So, you wanna go there again, huh?'.

I decided to double down and see if I could make her blush. Gotta find something to do until we don't get to our first stop, and I forgot to bring any of my books. Maybe I can play my lute later, but now I want to mess with her a bit.

"Oh, but you definitely let me take my time back then, didn't you? I don't remember you backing off" Let's see if she can keep this up.

She hesitated for a moment "Well, try to think straight when a troglodyte is holding you like you were holding me back there!" She's getting uncomfortable, just a little more...

"Oh, I see, you were so defenseless, weren't you?" I said in a high pitch voice, and then looked her deep in the eyes "What if I give you the chance again, huh? Let's say... What if I kissed you right now?" I said, gradually lowering my voice "No interruptions, no witnesses... Well, there's the coachman, but he wouldn't hear anything... What do you say? You wanted to try again, didn't you?" I said in my best sultry voice, not even blinking to keep the eye contact.

She was speechless, probably because she never heard me talking in any way similar to this before, which is fair enough, I only learned to talk like this by reading novels during my recovery at the Haligtree. Damn Miquella for giving me those stupid romance books, and damn me for not bringing any of those along for the ride, even if they were the definition of 'cheap read' I couldn't stop reading them.

"What happened to you, Witch, cat's got your tongue?" I teased, as her silence lingered for even longer, she seemed to come back to her senses eventually.

"S-SHUT UP!" She blurted, her face blushing as she looked away. Seems like I won this round.

I giggled at her over reaction "Seems like you're not immune to getting some of ~me~ in your system as well"

"Don't push your luck, Mally! I'm literally this close to making a popsicle out of you and leaving you like that for the rest of the ride!" She said, gesturing her index and thumb towards me.

I just shrugged "Go on, make me into a popsicle. You'd love that, wouldn't you? Any excuse to ~lick my face again~" She was actually turning red with each retort I gave.

"I'LL COUNT TO 10! 1, 8..." She shouted, waving a hand to threaten me. Okay, I guess that's enough for now, there's an actual chance that she isn't bluffing.

"Woah, woah, woah. Easy there, Witch, I was just messing with you, 'friendship' remember" I said, waving my arms in surrender.

She kept her pissed off face for a moment, then sighed, putting her hand down "You're lucky I'm too tired for this..."

"Maybe you'll get some sleep when we stop. And maybe if you ask nicely enough, I can play a song or two for you" Not that I wasn't going to play them regardless, but I wouldn't hurt to tease her just a little bit more.

She didn't seem to mind my suggestion at first, but after a moment of silence looking through the carriage window "You swear?" She simply asked.

I decided to drop the teasing for now, she's just too cute when she talks to me like that "I swear" I replied with a smile "But tell me something first"

She turned her eyes to me, still facing the window "About?" She raised an eyebrow.

"What are we actually going to pick up at Caria Manor?" Everything happened so fast back at home that I never asked her that.

"My staff" She stated bluntly.

"Yours... Wait, when did you even get a staff?"

"About 6 years ago"

"And why have I never seen you with it before?"

She rolled her eyes, turning her head to face me "It's not mine. Master Lusat gave it to me before he left, saying that it might help me if I ever needed it, and that it could point the way to him if I really needed to find him" She explained.

"I see, but now that I mentioned, why don't use a staff, again? Like, every other sorcerer I know uses them, even your mother"

She squint her eyes with a grin on her mouth "Aren't you forgetting two 'sorcerers' to that equation of yours, Mally?" She asked bluntly, and I just stared at her face in confusion.

She sighed "Guess you never considered them as 'sorcerers' to begin with. Go on, think, I know it's hard for you to do it without an actual brain, but I believe in you"

And as I was about to give her an appropriate response to that same old joke about my brain, the answer actually hit me "Your... Brothers?" I said, slowly remembering that technically they are also sorcerers.

She gave me a condescending smile "Good girl, I'll give you a treat when we get home! Yes, those two morons don't use staffs as well. Radahn carved Gravity Runes on his swords to use them as catalysts, and Rykard somehow managed to build a pocket watch and do the same thing. As for me, I just never got used to them, nor ever needed them to cast spells, magic always felt more natural coming directly from me. There, was that a good enough answer?" She asked impatiently.

"I guess so..." Kind of weird that out of every sorcerer alive today, only these three siblings would be able to cast spells without conventional staffs, but it wouldn't be the strangest thing to ever happen in our family, hell, wouldn't make it even to the top 10.

"So, you gonna play something on that lute or not?" Guess she's really tired if she wants me to play something so much.

I grabbed the instrument resting beside me "Got any special requests?" I said with a small grin.

She moved to lay down on the carriage seat "Anything, as long as it's not too tacky" She said, closing her eyes as she waited for me to start.

I took a couple of seconds to think of something nice to play, eventually coming up with an old song Mother taught me years ago¹.

Ranni seemed to like it, falling asleep not too long after I started playing.

My mind kept going back to what Father told me about love, that it might be worth taking a shot if you feel that it actually is something real.

Looking at Ranni sleeping so peacefully right now after everything we went through yesterday, and knowing that I helped her get even the tiniest bit of proper rest makes me wonder if this is 'real' enough.

It makes me happy, plain and simple. Being able to do this, to make her feel safe. This can't be wrong, right? Even if we're partially related... It feels right, like I'm the only one who can do this, like she needs me... Or maybe it's the other way around.

The more I think about how she was always there to bug me about all sorts of stupid things, the more it becomes clear that... She was always a part of my life... It's almost impossible to imagine my life without her now. Maybe that's the reason why I wanted to make things right with her after I returned home, maybe a part of me always wanted her.

• • •

Caria Manor Sparring Hall 09/04/1993

"C'mon, Tiny Dancer, I'm not even sweating yet" Rykard said, doing his best to fake disappointment at my streaks of slashes. He blocked all of them, but still, I'm doing a pretty good job here if I do say so myself "Is that all your new arm can do? I thought you've trained with it for more than a year now, haven't you?"

I glared at his stupid face, panting my lungs off as I did so "Shut up!... I'm just getting started"

He sneered at me "Is that so? Okay, let's do it again, but let's spice things up. As I'm doing the charitable work of sparring with you while Radahn isn't here, let's make a bet to give this whole thing a semblance of purpose" He said, waving his sword playfully in circles around his body.

"A bet?" I asked, recovering my air.

He nodded "Here's the deal, I'll drop my sword, you can keep yours. You'll have one minute to try and land a slash on me, any kind, even a scratch. And if you manage to do it in less than a minute, I'll go camping with you as well, deal?"

I was genuinely surprised, Rykard hates camping "For real?" I asked cautiously.

"Each word. You can raise the stakes if you want to, 's not like you have an actual chance of winning anyway" He answered playfully, and that was enough to make my blood boil again.

I smirked "You underestimate me that much? I'm in, give me the signal! I'm ready when you are!" I took my stance, glaring at him with a wicked grin on my face.

"Very well" He dropped his sword and grabbed his pocket watch "See the thin 'hand' counting the seconds? You're free to go as soon as it reaches the XII"

I watched that little stick move with each second, not even glancing at Rykard's stupid face. And as that 'hand' finally reached the number XII, I charged impatiently to land a cut on that smug smirk on his face.

I landed an overhead attack, only to be met with no resistance at all from his face, or anything at all.

'WHAT?!' I thought, as the momentum from my attack made me roll down forward.

"Interesting technique, Tiny Dancer. Good job with the charging bit, but you still gotta work a little bit more on the 'hitting' part" His voice came from behind me.

"You didn't say anything about using spells!!" I protested, standing up to face him.

He shrugged "I didn't say anything about not using them either"

"That's cheating! And what have you even done?! What's this damn smell?!" I said impatiently, as a stinky smell lingered in the air.

"That's one of my own, a simple sorcery called Sulfur Mist, pretty useful to evade and distract, or if I'm bored, just mess with people.

I scoffed "Ha Ha, very funny, turning into a cloud of farts to run away like a coward" I replied sarcastically.

"There's no shame in surviving, Tiny Dancer, you'll learn that eventually. So, the clock is still running, wanna keep going?" He asked with a grin.

"And get another sniff of that? No, thanks. I'm good for today, maybe I'll go and check to see if Miquella is done with the Witch" I said, sheathing my katana as I moved to a nearby table to get some water.

He threw himself over a nearby armchair "It's not easy being the third wheel, isn't it?" He said, looking at his pocket watch and giving me a long sigh "No place for you in their little book club?"

I scoffed "As if I would ever want to spend the whole afternoon reading dusty books about spells"

"You're still not fond of spells, I see"

"I mean, some are nice, I guess. Healing spells are mostly useful and all, but you have to study so much and memorize all of those tomes, it's just not worth it to me. I mean, what do you even do after you run out of mana? If you're a sorcerer you can hit your enemies with your stick. Know what else is really good at hitting your enemies? A FUCKING WEAPON!" I covered my mouth as soon as I realized what had just come out of there. That damn Witch, her bad habits are rubbing off on me more and more.

Rykard just looked at me with a wicked grin on his face "Looks like the Cherry Pie is showing the full extension of our vocabulary, huh~"

"Shut up, I don't usually talk like- Wait, how'd you know Ranni taught me that?" I asked.

He raised an eyebrow with a smug grin on his face "And who do you think taught her?"

"Of course, why do I even ask..." I mumbled.

"But coming back to the spells thing. Don't be so quick to label all of them as useless, the right spell might save your life one day" He spoke more evenly, but then started to smirk again "Plus, it's really good to impress a potential lover~"

I rolled my eyes while scoffing loudly "Why do I even talk to you? Don't know if you've noticed but I kinda can't interact with the common folk, dumbass" I stated, mildly irritated at his implication, after all he knew about my condition.

"The world is not just 'common folk', Malenia, you might find someone like us, who can actually stand less than two meters from you without fazing. And when you find that person, you better have your best hand of cards to play, so try and add some entertainment assets to your repertoire. I'm pretty sure that it won't kill you, okay?" He said, and I was split between punching his face and thanking him for being so optimistic, I ended up doing neither.

"And what about you, huh? How's that working out? I don't see nobody waiting for you, we're the two 'leftovers' in this big ass house"

He sighed over dramatically "Unfortunate souls, aren't we?" He said with a pout.

"I'm serious, you're not stupid, or at least you just pretend to be during most of the time, but I know you're not, and you're not ugly as well. Why don't you find someone?" I asked, now getting genuinely curious about why I never see him with anyone despite him being the oldest of us.

He sighed again, now for real "It doesn't happen like that to us, Tiny Dancer"

"What do you mean?"

"Us, freaks, we don't get to have normal relationships. We wander around until we find another freak like us and then everything changes. Unfortunately that might take some really long time and luck to happen"

"You're not a freak, I mean, you're not normal, but who is?" I argued back.

He chuckled "Most people actually, that's why it's called 'normal', it's the norm. But look at our parents, first on my side, Mother and Father met at a battlefield, on opposite sides that is, and their love was enough to end the Liurnian war right then and there. Then Daddy leaves Mommy to play with their old friend up the mountain, and lo and behold, two people who never had any romantic interest for each other fall deeply in love. It runs on our blood, mark my words, we all have a type, and that is 'the weirder the better', you'll see, before you notice it'll take you as well" He said with a smile.

I scoffed again "Sure it will, I'll write you a personalized invite to my wedding when it happens"

"Nah nah nah. If I'm right about it, and you end up with a freak, I want to be your best man, nothing less, and I want to see you telling Miquella that to his face"

"Another bet? Seriously, do you even bet on anything that isn't completely ridiculous?"

He shrugged "Mostly not, but I don't think this is the case, so deal?" He extended his hand.

I rolled my eyes "Sure, I'll see you in 199Never when that happens" I mocked, shaking his hand.

And as I was about to exit the room, something came to my mind "Quick question here, what even is 'a freak'? How would I know that it's a 'weird relationship' as you called it?" I asked, turning to face him.

He smiled "Believe me, you'll know"

• • •

"Damn Rykard" I mumbled in a hushed tone, as I played my lute and remembered that stupid bet.

'It's not like I have to uphold it or anything, right? I mean- Wait, did I just consider actually marrying Ranni?!'

I need to stop thinking, like, at all 'Just keep playing, just keep playing, just keep playing...' I repeated to myself.

Grace help me, because this will be a looong trip.

~~~

"I swear to the Stars, I'm NEVER traveling on one of these things again!" I said, stretching my back as Mally and I exited the carriage. Our trip back to Caria Manor was mostly uneventful, save for a few 'minor disagreements' along the way, and by that I mean Mally getting on my nerves because I actually took my time to prepare something edible instead of letting her devour everything raw.

Mally giggled from behind me "So what, gonna look for Miquella on foot?"

"If I can, yes, I'll walk all the fucking way" I bluntly replied "But there's no need for that. Even if I wanted to, the carriage is out of the picture already, it draws too much attention, and we have to assume that we're targets from now on, so discretion is the name of the game now" I explained, walking towards the northern entrance to the Manor.

"Great, another technicality getting in our way" She huffed, following me inside.

"Relax, like I told you, there's no use in getting impatient about something that we can't control, Sassy Pants. If you don't plan ahead, you'll be just like a dog chasing a carriage, what will you even do after you catch it?"

She took a moment to think about what I said "I guess you're right... And stop comparing to dogs!" She protested.

"Stop acting like one and we can talk about that" I replied with a grin.

"I don't act like a-"

"FLUFFY!" I cut her off, as Blaidd rushed through the corridor after hearing my voice.

The huge gray wolf jumped over me, as I hugged and scratched his fur, especially behind his ears. He licked my face while wiggling his tail "I missed you too, Fluffy Ball! Is Iji treating you well? You look thinner..." I mumbled as I took a good look at him.

"It hasn't even been a week since you left, Witch. I don't think he could have changed that much in so little time" Mally bluntly said.

"A mother knows, you buffoon!" I shot back.

"You're not his mother" She protested with a scoff.

"But I might as well be. I know he loves me as if I was" I said matter of factually.

"Yeah, the same way he loves belly rubs. He's a wolf, it's his natural instinct to protect you" She argued back.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'll go grab the staff, you can go ahead and get some rest before we leave tomorrow in the morning. There's still some things we need to do here before we leave"

"Like what?"

"Iji can take a look at your blades, I'm sure he'll find something to do with them. As for me, I'll prepare a few potions that take some time to get ready, that and I NEED to sleep on a regular bed one last time, who knows when I'll get that chance to do that again" I said with a sigh, as Blaidd seemed to calm down as he let go of my face to stand on all fours again.

She sighed "Okay, I'll go talk to him, I was gonna do that anyways, gotta give that Troll a hug after so long" She said with a smile "I'll catch up to you after that, 'kay?"

I nodded, and she walked away towards Iji's forge.

"Wanna go grab a magic old staff, Fluffy Ball?" I said in a high pitched voice, and Blaidd barked happily. And so we went to my room.

I opened the door to my bedroom "On the bed, I'll find you something to chew!" I said to Blaidd, and he jumped on my bed, waving his tail in anticipation.

"Lemme see..." I mumbled, browsing around my meat cabinet. Yes, I have a cabinet filled with smoked meat in my bedroom, I love giving Blaidd little treats while I'm studying here with him on my lap "This is perfect! Heads up, boy!" I said, throwing a chunk of boar belly for him to catch in mid air.

I giggled as he played with his food over my bed "Now let's dig up some old sticks" I said, browsing over the many chests that I keep in my room, I'm not a hoarder, okay?! Though I could use a little bit of extra space here... Nah, no time for that now, I'll tidy everything up after this whole war thing is over.

After a few minutes digging through the mess in my room, I finally found the right chest, covered in dust and cobwebs. I opened it to find my Master's staff, arguably the most powerful catalyst ever made in the Lands Between.

I stared at it for a few seconds, thinking about why I never cared to take it out of the chest after I put it there. Maybe I just didn't want to remember him like that, as the man who ran away...

'He didn't ran away, he was forced to exit the school, he wasn't a coward, e was- is a genius, he is my friend...'

"Why couldn't you stay and fight, Old Man? We could've changed that place, I know we could!" I mumbled, my eyes starting to burn with unshed tears.

"You better have an answer this time, 'cause we really need your help right now..." I whispered, taking that staff out of the chest "I need your help"

• • •

Caria Manor 07/01/1986

"Hello, my Princess, mind if I sit here?" The old man Mom brought here asked, pointing to the chair in front of me.

I nodded, trying not to wake Blaidd up. He's sleeping on my lap, he's so cute, and so small. Mom says he'll be as big as Pumpkin when he gets older, but I want him this size forever.

"Do you like animals?" The man asked.

Again, I just nodded. He isn't really scary, but I don't trust him. He's old, and I know why he's here.

"I like them as well, I even had a Northern Lynx when I was younger, but she died a long time ago"

"A 'lynx'?" I asked, and he smiled.

"It's a creature that inhabits the lands beyond the fog, and they're quite magnificent in my opinion, that is if my opinion is worth anything to you, which I think it really doesn't, am I correct?" He said with a chuckle.

I looked at him in silence for a second "What do they look like?"

"Well, in broad terms, they are big cats that are really furry, great hunters and really independent as well. I think you'd like them!"

"I don't like cats"

He looked disappointed "Is that so? What kind of animals do you like then?"

"I know why you're here" I said.

He looked surprised "And by that you mean..."

"I'm a freak" I mumbled.

"Who told you that?" He asked, way more calm than I thought he would be.

"I know I am... I can use magic with my hands... I killed a bear, and Mom told me that I'm different... I don't wanna be different"  I explained, slightly irritated.

"And because of that you think that there's something wrong with you?"

I didn't answer, just kept brushing Blaidd with my hand.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with you" He said with a smile.

"You're lying"

"Why would I be?"

"Everybody lies to me. People pretend to like me when they don't. All because I'm a princess"

"Well I won't lie to you, and to me you're not just 'a princess'. You're the daughter of a friend, and most of all, you're someone who needs help"

"So you gonna fix me?"

"You're not broken, Ranni. Don't let anyone ever tell you that. You're not like the others, but that's what makes you so special, you have gifts that they don't, and if you want to, I can't teach you how to use them"

"So you gonna train me? Like a dog?"

He laughed "No, no, not like that. I'll teach you what that power inside of you really is, and after you've learned that, then you'll be free to be whatever you want to be"

I looked at his skinny face, he's wearing academy robes, so he must be a teacher.

"And what if... I want to destroy things?" I asked cautiously.

He eyes got a little wider "Do you like destroying things?"

I looked down "Sometimes... I think that I want to make others suffer... When I killed that bear, I wanted to make him suffer... Because he hurt my friends"

"There's nothing wrong with protecting your friends"

"But Mom said revenge is never good, even against animals..."

"Have it felt good? Getting your revenge after that Runebear hurt your friends?"

I nodded shyly.

"Can you explain why?"

"I don't know..."

"Try it, think about what you felt" He's weird, he's not scared of me like the other teachers.

"I... You promise you won't tell Mom?"

He smiled "You have my word"

"Pinky swear?" I extended my hand with the pinky up.

He reached my finger with his "Pinky swear!"

I sighed "I... I liked the blood... When it covered me... It was warm... Is that wrong?"

He paused to think, then sighed "I can't really tell you, little one"

"But you're an adult, how can you not know what's right and wrong?"

"'Right' and 'wrong' are just words, my dear. All I can tell you is that you shouldn't desire violence just because it makes you feel good, it needs a purpose. Just like your power, it's a part of you that you'll have to understand, and then decide what to do with it"

"A part of me..." I mumbled.

"Yes, and I won't judge you for that, everybody's got something like that in their lives, something that others will not understand, and most people never learn how to deal with it, and that's why we fear those sides of ourselves so much. We always fear what we don't understand"

"Do you have a side like that?"

"Oh yes, everyone does it, I'm no different"

"And... What is it.. For you?"

"I don't really value the human body, to me we're just machines, and the only thing worth saving is the information inside" He said playfully.

"And people don't like that?"

He giggled "People like their bodies too much, little one, they're not ready to listen to a lunatic telling them to give up on the matter to focus on the ethereal. But you see, my ideology is not worth anything without a purpose. I needed time to think of a way to act on it and live a fulfilling life through it"

"Fulfilling?" I asked.

He smiled "Complete, without waste"

"And you found it?"

"Oh yes. After I understood my own perception of the world and accepted it, I was finally able to give it a purpose. My goal is to find a way to transcend the barrier of the flesh, to commune with the Stars, to find the very essence of what makes us sentient"

"You know a lot of big words" I said with a giggle.

He laughed "Seems like I do, doesn't it?"

After a moment to think I decided to speak again "Will... Will you teach me how to understand why I am the way I am?" I looked back at him, he just smiled again.

"Of course!" I don't really know why, but I like him.

"What's your name, again?" 'Did he even say his name?'

"Lusat. It's a pleasure to meet you, little one"

***

Raya Lucaria Academy 09/05/1992

"What about clothing, a cloak perhaps?" Master Lusat suggested.

I shook my head "Too basic, I'm his Sister. My gift should be something more memorable than that" I replied stirring up my coffee anxiously.

"Funny to hear that from someone who waited until the literal last second to find a birthday gift for him" He commented, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Go on, make me feel even worse! I forget stuff too, no need to rub it on my face every time it happens!" I shot back, frustrated at myself for forgetting about Rykard's birthday.

He sighed "My apologies, Little One. I know these last few months have been difficult for you" He said, resting his cup on the table.

"It's just- Argh, I got too much on my head, with all the classes and exams and-"

"Your sister?" He inquired, resting his face over his hand. I stopped at my tracks at the mention of Mally "You haven't talked about her recently, not since..."

"I'm fine!" I practically shouted, then shifted back to a lower tone "She's cursed... Nothing I can do about that... Why even worry? It's not like we're close or anything..." I mumbled.

He sighed again, now seeming more tired "Ranni, it's been six years since we've started to develop your sorcery skills, as well as working on your... Other tendencies. And even if your understanding of your own powers is impressively refined now, you're still incapable of giving me a solid explanation as to why you still like to get into fights around school, or why you have a taste for watching the slaughtering of the animals you cook, or even why you keep hurting yourself intentionally"

My eyes got wide as panic crawled its way up my spine "W-what do you mean...?"

"The cuts, Ranni, you hide them pretty well. I'm sure I'm the only one who notices them, don't worry. But as much as I don't mind at all what you decide to do with your own body, it hurts me to see you running in circles for so long without finding a reason to justify everything you do, because I know that if I ask you right now why you're doing this to yourself, you won't be able to give me a reason, am I correct?"

I was taken aback, in shock by just how well he knew me. I nodded in response.

"I tried to give you time to figure it out on your own, after all this is something that should be exclusive to you, and you alone. But seeing how conflicted you are about yourself and seeing how much Malenia's condition has been affecting you recently, I feel obligated to make things clearer to you, Little One"

"What do you mean by that?" I managed to ask, still a bit nervous about this sudden turn of events during our coffee break.

"Your taste for violence and blood, I know why you have it. And what made me realize it was your relationship with Malenia"

I frowned "How would she have anything to do with that? I never wanted to hurt her, I mean, we fight from time to time, but I never wanted to hurt hurt her" I argued back.

"That's the point, Ranni. You don't want to hurt her, the same way I think you don't want to really hurt anyone. In my opinion, you want to control her" He stated, looking at me in the eyes.

I was about to call him crazy, but decided to see where this goes "Go on..."

"You two are quite different, right? According to what you've told me, both of you are pretty much opposites. And that's what bothers you, she doesn't obey. You say 'left', she goes 'right', you wanna stay inside, she goes out and 'sleeps on the mud' as you like to put it, you like to plan ahead, she jumps head first in any situation. You see where I'm going with this?"

"I guess I do... But that doesn't mean I want to 'control' her or anything. I mean, I'd like it if she was a little less annoying, but I don't think-"

"I don't think you would" He cut me off.

"What?"

"I don't think you'd like her more if she was any different" He casually said.

I scoffed "Okay, now you're starting to lose me here, Old Man. Do you even hear the things I tell you about her?!"

"I do, and that's where I wanted to get in my argument. You like that. The stubborn, the bickering, you like it because she's a challenge. She's the embodiment of the aspects of your life that you can't keep under your grasp. That's why you like to hurt others, or even yourself, because that gives you the feeling of being in charge, whether it is over your own body, or the world around you, you like having control, and you can't deal with losing it" He explained, giving me time to digest all of that after he was done.

I finally opened my mouth again after a minute or so "So that's why Malenia's curse is bothering me so much?"

"In a way. You see, you want to control her, to make her bend to your will, but then what happens? Someone else does it before you do. Her life is at the hands of the Scarlett Rot now, and that's what's been bothering you"

I stared at him, a weird mixture of emotions boiling up within my body "That can't be- I can't be... I'm not that sick! I can't be jealous of her like that! That's insane!" I jumped off the chair, my breathing getting more and more frantic as I wandered aimlessly through his office.

My mind was running at a thousand miles an hour. Now everything was making sense, the way I felt about everything in my life, the violence, the fights, the cuts, everything. Everything about me fits in that simple reasoning, I need control. Honestly it feels so obvious now that I'm feeling stupid for not noticing it before.

"I know that this is difficult to hear, bu-" He tried to calm me down.

"DIFFICULT?! I just found out that I am a fucking psychopath! What if I can't control myself now?! A-a-and what if this... This obsession for control turns me into some kind of reclusive hag without even noticing?! I told you that I was broken!!"

He stood up to approach me, gently reaching his hands over my shoulders "It's okay, Little One, I'm here, I'm here" He said softly, as my strength seemed to leave my body "You're not 'broken', remember, you'll never be broken just because you're different"

Tears were flowing from my eyes as I leaned my head over his chest "How can you even say that? How do you know I won't mess everything up because of that?..."

"Because I know you, and you're stronger than you realize. This is just the first step, and it is the hardest one to take, but once you take it, it'll become easier. I promise you that you won't be any less you after you accept what you've discovered about yourself"

"Will you help me?" I mumbled with my face buried in his robes.

"For as long as I am here" He said with a smile.

• • •

For months he taught me everything he thought would be helpful in dealing with my emotions. And as I finally got better and accepted my own nature by the end of that year, he exited the school and vanished from the map... Guess I was his last loose end here.

"Stupid Old Man..." I whispered, tears flowing down my cheeks.

~~~

"Witch?" I asked, knocking on her bedroom door, hearing Blaidd jumping in front of the door to growl at me.

"I'm here, just gimme a second" She answered, and oddly enough she sounded... Sick? Like, her voice was weaker.

I heard a bunch of weird noises coming from the floor, and as they got closer I realized that she must have a sea of trinkets and random stuff all scattered around her room.

"It's okay, Boy, it's just Mally" Now her voice sounded more like her, but there's still something strange, and that 'something' became clear as she swung the door open "C'mon, go out and get some fresh air" She said, and Blaidd stopped growling, exiting the room to go wherever.

"Your eyes..." I slowly said, taking a good look at her red and wet orbits.

She chuckled "Oh this? Nothing to worry about, just some of the good old dust mixed with a pinch of bad memories on the top to give it some flavour" She jokingly said, but I didn't react, only analyzing her face instead "I got the staff, wanna take a look?" She quickly added, handing me the wooden and crystal staff.

"I see... That's nice. What happened to you?" I insisted, not taking the staff away from her hand.

"Argh. I told you I'm fine! Okay? It's just these stupid memories that I can't seem to shake off!"

"What kind of 'memories'?" I asked as she moved to sit on a desk chair that was in front of a bookshelf.

"The kind I don't wanna talk about, okay?" She stated bluntly, leaving the staff over her desk "How were things with Iji?"

"Uh, pretty good actually. He said that he missed me and I talked about some new moves I got going on with the sword. I left my blades with him, he said they'll be done before dawn" I tried to say that in a casual way, but I can't just ignore how she looks right now. She's visibly disturbed, almost reminding me of myself during the Rykard's wedding party.

"Good. So, wanna get some dinner? It's not dark yet but we could-"

"You don't have to tell me!" I cut her off, she looked at me with a puzzled face "Don't wanna talk about your memories, or whatever? I won't push you, but please, give me something, anything so I'm not completely lost about how you're feeling" I argued.

"I'm fine" She said with a glare.

"No, you're not! Look at you, you look like trash" I got closer, towering over her.

She didn't seem fazed, standing up to stare me right in the eyes "And who are you to decide when I am or not okay, huh?" She said, her tone was so cold that I almost thought she was a different person.

I didn't back down "I'm your friend!"

She scoffed "My 'friend'? You're just a Brute who's recently got a hard on for me! Sorry to break it to you, 'friend' but you don't know me well enough for me to owe you any explanation!"

I'm getting pissed with her attitude "Oh, so I got a hard on for you?! Sorry to break it to you, but you need two to play that game" I spat back, getting even closer to her face.

"So what? I owe you an explanation because I liked kissing you once?! Grow up, Sassy Pants!"

"You grow up! Thinking you're better than everyone else just because you're so much smarter than everyone, right? Here's some news, that's why you don't have any real friends, Witch!"

"I don't need any friends!"

"Then stay alone! Dig a hole and bury that stupid face of yours there! Maybe the worms would make you company"

She cackled briefly "Oh yeah, 'cause Moon knows they'd be a better company than YOU!" She shouted, and as my body moved even closer to hers, I failed to notice just where my left leg was resting now.

"Oh yeah? So allow me to help you!" I said, grabbing her throat with my left hand. And out of every possible reaction that expected to get out of her, the sadistic grin on her face was not one of them.

"Go on, hit me, beat me to the ground! That's all you know how to do, isn't it?" She spat, her breathing getting deeper and deeper, as did mine.

"Don't tempt me with a good time, Witch!" and as I moved to press her against the huge bookshelf behind her, she left out a single sound that completely broke my spur of anger. She moaned.

At that time I noticed that my hand wasn't the only thing pinning her against the bookshelf. My left leg was pressed firmly between her legs.

My mind literally stopped as I noticed what I had just done, or was still doing because my body froze in place as well.

She giggled "I told you, you're just a pervert" She whispered with a maniacal grin "What? Where's all of that determination now? Can't handle me enjoying this as much as you do?" She said, tilting her head as much as my grip on her neck allowed.

And so all of the rage came back, and with it, something else. I pressed my leg even further, getting her to moan again, but before she could vocalize whatever it was that I made her feel, I shut her up with a deep, aggressive kiss, to which she responded with a matching intensity and aggressiveness.

There was no technique, nothing resembling the softness of our first kiss, just an aggressive encounter of our lips, and soon enough, our tongues, dancing around each other like snakes in heat.

Soon I let go of her neck, shifting my focus to grab her waist instead, pressing myself even more against her chest.

She started to rock her hips against my thigh, and I could feel the warmth coming from her center through the fabric of our clothes.

I noticed that I had a free hand, so I moved my prosthetic to hold the back of her head. She also seemed to notice how empty her own hands were, as she moved both of them to grab my waist, just to quickly move them down to get a firm hold of my ass, squeezing it so hard I finally gasped.

We took a small break from to breath, as my gasp reminded me that I needed air to stay alive. She looked at me as we both panted our lungs out.

"We should stop..." I whispered, analyzing every detail of her face as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

"You want me to stop?" She said, her eyes piercing through me with a hunger I've never seen before.

I shook my head lightly "But we should..." I insisted, my will faltering with each word.

"Then make me" She said, giving my ass another firm squeeze, pressing her cunt even harder against my thigh.

"~Raaaanni~" I moaned her name.

"Say it again!" She demanded "Say it"

But I couldn't bring myself to do anything but whimper and gasp as our noses rubbed while she used my leg as her humping toy.

"You don't wanna say it? Fine, I'll make you scream it!" She hissed.

And before I could understand what she meant by that, she took her right hand off my ass, shifting her position to make some space between our legs.

I missed her warmth as soon as she backed away, even if just by a few inches, but I couldn't mourn the loss of her touch for too long, as she slid her fingers between my legs.

The shivers that ran through my spine alone were enough to make my legs melt completely. The feeling of her digits pressed against my cunt making me thirsty for her in a way that I've never been for anything in my life.

I leaned over her, burying my face on the crook of her neck, letting out a moan that was muffled by her shirt.

"Please..." I gasped, feeling her steady grasp slowly massaging my center.

"Shhhhh, Good girl" She whispered in my ear "Scream for me" She moved her fingers in circles, pressing them against my lips.

I moaned louder and louder as she kept moving her fingers over my trousers. I couldn't think anymore, all I could do was move my hand down to grab her ass too.

She wimped softly "Go on, girl, touch me" She whispered, keeping her motions on my center, her pace getting faster and faster.

I managed to lift my head again, doing my best to formulate a sentence "K... Kiss m.... Kiss me again" I pleaded her, trying to reach her lips once again, but she backed away.

"Say my name, BEG ME to kiss you again" She demanded.

I panted more as her words echoed in my brain, feeling my body getting hotter and hotter with each movement of her digits.

"SAY. MY. NAME" She said as I felt her middle finger pressing way deeper than before against my pussy. Even through the thick fabric of my trousers I felt that she would go deep inside of me.

"RANNI!! PLEASE... KISS ME!!" I blurted out loud.

She let go of my ass to cup my face "Good girl, here's your reward" She moved my face to drown me into a deep kiss, moving her other hand even faster against my pussy.

And as all the air left on my lungs vanished with the muffled gasps on her mouth, I felt waves of pleasure pulsating from my center getting stronger.

"I-I'm... I'm close..." I mumbled against her mouth.

She moved her lips slightly away from mine "Cum for me" She whispered briefly, quickly resuming our violent make out session with small bites on my lower lip.

The tinges of pain in my mouth combined with the over stimulation at my cunt making me shiver at her touch.

As I got close to my climax I felt myself getting lost in her taste, sweet and sour, like the strongest lemonade I've ever tasted. The warmth of her skin pressed against mine was completely overwhelming, so soft and smooth.

All of that combined with the roughness of her movements, making me disappear inside this very moment. I never knew anything like this, and now I feel like I couldn't live another day without it.

'How did this happen...?'

'Why didn't I stop her...?'

'This is wrong....'

'So wrong...'

'~So... S-sooo... Aaawnn~'

And so I melted completely at the tip of her fingers, shaking and trembling as consciousness left my body, only to be replaced by a pure state of bliss.

"That's my girl..." Ranni whispered in my ear as she ran her fingers through my hair.

At that moment I couldn't think about how dirty this whole thing felt, or how she took control of me with so little effort. None of that came to my mind, the only thing I could think was...

"Next time you'll be the one screaming, Witch..." I breathlessly said, closing my eyes and resting my head on her shoulder.

Chapter Text

"We shouldn't have done this..." Mally's voice came out muffled from the crook of my neck, as I kept running my fingers through her hair in a steady pace. Seems like reality finally came back to her. Argh! Just when I was feeling a little more relaxed.

"I told you before, if you wanted me to stop, you should've done a better job at pushing me away" I stated, keeping my motions on her head. It feels so strange to have her like this, curled up on my arms like she wasn't a literal tower when compared to me. She feels so... Fragile now, holding me like she's incapable of standing by herself. 'I did a good job on her' I thought, giving myself a mental pat on the back.

But seriously now. She's not like this only because of what I did, I can feel that she wants me to hold her this way, and I'm here for it.

"Still, this is all your fault anyways..." She mumbled, not moving away from her improvised, and probably really uncomfortable, pillow between my neck and shoulder.

I scoffed "Where's all that 'You need two to play this game' talk from before?" I shot back, and she just pressed her face on me a little more, sighing in annoyance "And besides, you were the one who got all kinky and pressed my neck against the bookshelf, along with some other things you seemed eager to press" I said with a smirk, feeling her tensioning in my arms.

"I- it wasn't- I didn't mean to... You know I can't really feel my prosthetics the way I feel things with my other limbs!" She protested, finally raising her head to look me in the eyes.

"Sure, keep telling yourself that, Sassy Pants, but that little excuse won't change the fact that you were the one to assault my mouth with your tongue, for the second time in less than three days I might add" I said dismissively, and she just looked away with a pout.

"I wouldn't have... Kissed you if you didn't... You know..." She shyly stumbled upon her words.

I stared at her with a malicious grin on my face "Oh, so all you need to get your horses running is a little bit of moaning on your ears? I gotta keep that in mind for later"

"Don't talk about me like I'm a wild animal in heat!" She said with a glare, then looked to the side "That was... Different"

"Oh, how so?"

"Argh! You were getting on my nerves while I was just trying to help you with whatever the heck was getting you so sad! Then I just... I don't know... I wasn't thinking straight, okay?!" She vented, her words filled with frustration.

She was slowly backing away as the topic of our discussion came back to the surface. I can't let her go back to that stupid questioning about why I was crying. I'm not in the mood for letting go of her just yet, this feels too nice to just let her go away, I gotta keep her with me.

I sighed "Sorry, okay?" That seemed to take her by surprise. Good, that way she'll stay close, well, as long as I can keep her attention away from the fact that we're still embraced.

"You are?" She asked.

I signed again "Yes. I shouldn't have said all of those things to you... I'm sorry. I just need some time to think about this by myself, okay?" I spoke more softly this time, while cautiously pulling her closer within my embrace.

"Then why didn't you just told me that before? I mean, I would've understood if you've explained it to me..." She retorted, looking me in the eyes, now back to her usual higher line of sight.

I raised a rhetorical eyebrow "Would you?"

She paused before opening her mouth to answer, thinking about it for a second "Okay, maybe not... But still, it would've been better than fighting like we did"

I moved my arms over her shoulders, locking her by the neck "Weeeell, I'm not so sure about that. I really liked how that 'fight' ended" I said with a giggle, looking at her deep in those golden pools of light.

She seemed to be caught up to what exactly I was doing, moving her hands away from my waist and placing them on my biceps "Uuuh... Ranni, we shouldn't be standing so close after what happened just a minute ago..." She said with a nervous tone, trying to move away from my arm lock.

"Oh, yeah? Why not?" I said, giving her my best naive look "There's nothing wrong with holding each other like this"

"It's not about what we're doing, it's about what we did..." She said with a look of embarrassment.

"And what have we done?" I asked, keeping my naive facade.

"Don't start again, Witch!" She shot back impatiently "You know, we... You..." She mumbled without a hint of how to get the words out of her mouth '~She's so cute when she's shy~' I thought.

"I what? Wanked you off after humping on your leg like a dog?" I stated bluntly, and her face got crimson as she looked to the side.

She nodded subtly "We shouldn't have... Done that, Ranni. That's wrong in so many ways..."  She weakly said. I almost felt bad for making her feel this way, but I'm not gonna give up on this so easily.

"So what? This is wrong, what about it? Know who cares? NO ONE, that's who!" I argued back "Why can't we just enjoy a good thing and let that be it? A good thing!"

She looked really bothered by this, her mind probably running a hundred miles per hour, I know mine is.

"What about our family, Ranni? Our parents! What would they even think?" That damn argument.

A moment of silence fell upon us before I could finally answer "They don't have to know" I said, tightening my grip on the back of her neck "Please, I just want to have this, whatever the hell this is" I almost begged her.

She still looked conflicted, but I can feel her grip loosening up on my arms "What if someone finds out?"

"They won't" I answered so quickly that it almost felt like a spasm "And if they do... We're both adults. We don't owe no one an explanation, nor need their blessing for doing whatever we wanna do" I argued.

She switched between looking at me and at random directions while thinking about what I said. The anticipation for her answer killing me with every second she took to finally open her mouth again.

"Why do you even wanna be with me anyway? I mean, you should have a reason, or at least you made up some in your head to justify all of this. So why, why me?"

That caught me off guard. Honestly I haven't thought about finding a reason for this, probably because it seemed so absurd that it wasn't even worth it by now. But she won't take that as an answer, I need to think about something.

"I..." I sighed nervously "I want to have you" That seemed to get her attention, she gave me a puzzled look before I continued "You're... Different, different from everyone else. I know that I won't find anyone like you out there..." I was a little embarrassed to say that, but I got more confident as I went on "And I want to keep you to myself before someone else does that, okay? I want to have everything that's yours to myself, your words, your feelings, your body. I just want it all, and I can't take 'no' for an answer!" I finished with determination.

She was speechless, just staring at me with a look I couldn't really decipher, that is if I conjured up the strength to look in her eyes now.

She closed her eyes "Are you sure... That this is what you want?" She let go of my left arm to raise her prosthetic hand for me to look "I'm... Broken... And I'll always be... How can I be someone else's woman when I'm not even a full woman myself?" Her voice was so weak that it was enough to make my heart melt.

I released my hold on her neck, moving my hands to cup her face, as she opened her watered eyes to meet my gaze "You're not broken. Don't you dare repeat that, you hear me? You're beautiful. Hell, you're the most attractive woman I've seen. And that's all of you, your mind, your soul, your arms, your legs, and your scars. Every single part of you is perfect. I'm lucky that I even got to look at you" I said without averting my gaze from her eyes, as tears started to flow away from them with each word that came from my mouth.

She bowed her head as the crying got too strong for her to stay still. I gave her time to let that all out, and as she recomposed herself, I moved my thumbs to wipe out the tears.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm still here, I won't go anywhere" I whispered as she raised her head to give me a faint smile.

And as I looked at her red and wet face, with crimson strands of messed hair all over her forehead, I couldn't help but think that even now, she's still the only thing in the whole world I want to look at. She is beautiful.

Before I could even notice, I closed the small gap between our faces to meet her lips with mine once again.

This time it felt completely different from our other kisses. It wasn't soft and brief as the first, nor heated and aggressive as the ones from earlier. This was much warmer, like a slow dance at the end of the night, right before the ball is over, there's only you two in there, the whole world simply disappears.

Our tongues moved in complete synergy, like this was as natural as breathing, but it definitely felt way better than just breathing. I would trade the capability to breathe for this feeling in a heartbeat.

As our kiss continued for Moon knows how long, I felt her embrace back at my waist, the roughness of her prosthetic arm making me feel like I was chained to her body, as the heat from her chest invaded my body along with the softness of her breasts pressed against mine.

This was paradise, but it could only last for so long. We separated, gasping for air as our eyes kept locked onto each other's.

"... I want you too" Mally said, still a bit breathless, and caressing my cheek with her golden hand. It felt so warm, if I closed my eyes I could even convince myself that it wasn't made out of metal.

"Then take me. I'm here, and I won't go anywhere" I whispered back.

"What if someone walks in?" She questioned, looking at my door.

I shook my head "It's sealed, anyone who wants to get in needs permission. Besides, there's only the servants and Iji in the Manor, no one's gonna bother us" I said, as my attention was slowly drawn to those soft pink lips.

She was about to get back on the action, but hesitated a few inches from my face "What do I even do...?" She asked, a bit embarrassed. No shame in that, I'm pretty lost myself.

I took a deep breath "Whatever you want, I'm yours now" I said in a hushed tone.

Seems like that's all she needed to hear, because at the next second I was immerged on those lips once again, and as she pressed further into our make out session, I felt her movement guiding me towards my bed, and she won't need to ask twice, or even once, as I immediately followed her motions to turn my back to the bed, as she pushed me over it along with her.

She was standing above me, her hands supporting her weight as we moved towards the center of the bed. She sat over my hips, being careful not to put all of her weight over me, kissing me passionately during the whole process.

She backed off to take a look at me from her new position. I never felt so defenseless in my whole life, still I smiled at her while still panting.

"Like what you see?" I asked, moving my hands to get a hold of those firm buttocks once again, massaging them as she eyed me like a predator ready to strike.

She moved her hands through my torso, starting from my waist and going up until they stopped at the upper button of my waistcoat.

She gave me 'Are you sure?' look.

I was a bit nervous, but there's no going back now "Go on... Just..." I looked to the side "Don't expect much..." I said with a bit of embarrassment.

She slowly unbuttoned my waistcoat, as she moved her face close to give me small kisses while she did so.

And as she moved her way through the buttons of my shirt as well, I couldn't help but get more and more anxious with this whole situation, but that train of thought was cut off as she stopped midway through my shirt, my breasts still covered.

"Ranni, are you sure you're okay with this?" She whispered, distancing her face a little to give me some space to look at her properly "You feel... Tense" She carefully said.

I could feel the blood boiling on my cheeks "I- I'm okay. Really... It's just... This is the first time someone who's not one of my parents will see me naked, and... I'm just- not like you, okay?" I mumbled.

"Like me?"

"Y'know... Big..." I said, looking away in embarrassment.

She paused for a moment, looking at her own chest as she caught up to what I meant "I don't care about that. I like you the way you are, I really do!" She said, caressing my cheek.

"I believe you, I do. It's just... I care about that kind of stuff... I mean, look at you! You're practically a goddess" I frustratingly retorted.

"You like me that much?" She asked with a surprised smile. I just nodded without looking at her.

And before I could realize what she was doing, she quickly took off her shirt, and after a second of hesitation took her top undergarment as well, exposing those beautiful mounds to my sight.

"See? They're not anything special" She said dismissively, but I couldn't disagree more. They were perfect, round and firm, with just a little bit of wiggling as she moved to show how soft they were, with pink buds that were perfectly circular at the tips. I could stare at them for an eternity and wouldn't even get tired.

I was speechless, admiring her breasts as if they were gonna disappear if I looked away even for a second.

"Ranni?" A muffled voice called.

"Ranni?!" Her voice came out louder now, and I was taken out of my trance.

"Oh! Sorry... I was... They're amazing" I said, still fascinated by that sight.

She smiled with a hint of embarrassment "Well, does this help? I mean, you saw me first, so..."

"Oh, it helps... Definitely... Definitely helps..." I mumbled.

She smirked at my reaction "Do you wanna touch them?"

My eyes widened "Really?"

She just rolled her eyes "Here" She took one of my hands and brought it to hold her right breast, letting out a faint gasp as I held the slightly bigger than my hand, breast.

I wasn't ready to feel her... Body so abruptly, and she's just like I imagined, firm and yet soft and flexible. And as I started to squeeze that small (in the figurative sense) piece of heaven, I heard her small gasps and moans get more audible.

"Mmmh, Ranni~, more, do it... More" She pleaded, her head turning up as she moved her hips to rub her cunt against me.

"You're so perfect" I whispered, pinching her nipple lightly, making her shiver, letting out a deaf moan.

She eyed me back for a moment "You still got a free hand, Witch..." She said with a smirk, then closed her eyes again.

And as I moved my right hand from the place it was staying at her thigh, I began to work my way on massaging both of her boobs with an equal amount of tenderness, taking my time to see what makes her tick.

I realized pretty soon that she had very sensitive breasts, especially her nipples, no wonder she got so immersed in this that she forgot that I should be the one being touched right now. I'm not complaining though, having those soft pillows all to myself was enough to get me pretty worked up as well, which reminds me that I better take those trousers off before I ruin them completely.

I kept teasing her nipples in between squeezes, soon enough the pace of her rocking hips got more and more intense.

She curled up to kiss me again, moaning audibly against my lips.

"How can you be so good at this..." She whispered, burying her head beside mine.

I smirked "I know you like the palm of my haaaAand~" I trailed off as she planted kisses and licks all over my neck 'Fuck, I didn't know this would feel so gooood...' Even my thoughts were getting hazy.

She giggled at me "Is that so? Lemme even things out , Witch..." She whispered, leaving a small bite at my earlobe that made my heart skip a few beats.

I lost my hold on her breasts as she moved down to kiss my collarbones, slowly making her way through my sternum, until she stopped at the still buttoned lower half of my shirt.

She looked at me from there, a smug grin on her lips 'Fuck! She's hot as Hell!' I thought.

As she quickly unbuttoned the rest of my shirt, exposing my bare chest, I felt the ever growing heat in the middle of my legs get insufferably demanding, I need her to touch me.

She moved to cup my breasts with her hands before I stopped her.

"What?" She asked, with an unsure look in her eyes.

A cupped her cheek tenderly "Keep going... Take the rest off… Please..." I whispered, and she gave me a small smile.

She moved to continue her work at the lower half of my clothing, as I quickly got rid of my shirt, throwing it somewhere else.

She didn't need to be gentle or chivalrous with undressing me, but I really appreciated the fact that she was. Kissing my lower belly as her hands slowly moved to unzip my trousers, giving me a sigh to behold as the feeling of her kisses and licks got more and more engraved into my continuousness.

As she started to pull my pants off individually, without taking my panties with it in a single motion, I felt the ever present embarrassment about my own body coming to the surface again. The more she takes to see me completely, the more my anxiety will go on, so  I need to get this over with before I get even more nervous.

I slid my thumbs on the sides of my panties, getting her attention as she was halfway through my thighs with the trousers.

"It's okay... Do it all at once... I can't wait anymore" I embarrassedly said.

She hesitated for a moment, then nodded, placing her fingers where mine were, grabbing the thin fabric of my underwear and gently pulling it off, finishing to undress me completely shortly after.

She dropped my clothes on the floor, taking a look at my naked form lying in front of her. I could feel her gaze moving through my whole body, my legs, my small breasts, my blushed face, and finally my damped shaved center.

I don't know if she prefers it to be shaved or not, I just like to keep it that way because it feels less itchy overall, let's hope she likes it.

I resisted the urge to cover myself with my arms, no use in being shy right now. Also, being looked at by her like this was making me more and more turned on.

"Wow... You're gorgeous" She mumbled with a stupid look on her face.

I looked to the side "I-I'm glad you liked it..." I mumbled with a small giggle.

She probably noticed how red my face was with embarrassment, because just like with my breasts, she tried to ease the tension with a display of her own features. She took a moment to untie and remove the boot on her right foot, but after that, her trousers and panties were down in a single motion.

And so I was the one staring now. Her thighs were a perfect middle ground between too thick and too shredded, with only subtle hints of her defined muscles peeking through the light skin.

But obviously that wasn't the place my eyes went to first, because what instantly draw my attention was the Scarlett bush of hair under her lower belly. She wasn't fully covered in hair down there, actually, she almost doesn't have any body hair at all, and her pubes certainly show it, gradually getting thinner as they get further from her center.

She crawled up her way to me on the bed, the both of us still a bit speechless, the only sound coming out of us being the heavy breathing caused by the sheer anticipation for who's gonna make the first move, and after a moment, she answered that question.

She kissed me passionately, moving her body to rest her right leg between mine, pressing her knee ever so slightly on my pussy, while caressing my left breast with her prosthetic hand.

She was being extremely gentle with her touches, probably because she didn't want to hurt me with how harsh her touch might be if she isn't careful.

I cupped her face with my hands, savouring our kisses along with her soft ministrations at my breasts and pussy.

"... Mally, 's okay... You can... You can be rough, I don't mind..." I said in between kisses.

She pulled her face slightly away, panting "I don't wanna hurt you..." She said, cupping my cheek with her prosthetic.

"You won't..." I whispered back.

"How do you know?..."

"I don't... But I want you right now, all of you" I said, kissing the palm of her golden hand, holding it to guide her to the place I needed her the most right now.

I rested her hand over my pussy lips, feeling the warmth of the Unalloyed Gold as it sent shivers through my spine.

"Go on... I want you in me... Please" I whispered, biting my lower lip in anticipation.

And so she started moving her metallic fingers over my soft skin, and soon enough her fingers got more confident to explore the wet slit presenting itself to them. She teased my pussy with slight presses into the entrance, never going further than the tip of her middle finger.

While she tested the waters down there, my focus returned to her breasts, now giving them soft kisses and pecks here and there, she squealed with each nibble at her sensitive nipples, and I loved to hear the sound of her voice cracking like that.

But she was quick to give me a proper response.

I gasped abruptly as I felt her middle finger sliding inside of me. The unfamiliar feeling making my lower half tense up at her touch.

She didn't stop there though, using her thumb to massage my clit in circular motions as she kept thrusting her middle finger slowly in and out of me.

The hard sensation of her metallic digits playing with my pussy was driving me insane. I could feel my insides pressing her with each stroke, going deeper and deeper as I kept doing my best to ravish those delicious breasts of hers.

She kept a steady pace to her motions, adjusting it ever so slightly according to my reactions. It was a game of who's gonna break down first, and I gotta admit that I'm not sure it's gonna be her.

I know she's enjoying my work on her boobs, the feeling of her wet cunt rubbing on my thigh is enough to confirm that, but as much as she's quivering at my lips right now, I am already at the edge of blacking out with how hard she is fingering me.

"Are you close?" She whispered between gasps.

I nodded "Mmhm... Keep going, I'm close... I'm so close..."

That seemed to give her all the encouragement she needed to slide a second finger inside my pussy, making my eyes shot wide as I left out a high pitched squeal.

She didn't seem to mind my reaction to her abrupt change in pace, thrusting both of her fingers rapidly inside of me.

I could barely breathe, let alone talk at the moment, but somehow I managed to open my mouth to do something besides moaning.

"FFFUUuUuCK~! MaAaallllyyy! AaAAwwHhhhh!"

"Come for me, baby, go on! Come!" She whispered in my ear, and then licked my earlobe passionately.

I couldn't take that anymore, and as she rapidly massaged my clit with her thumb, I was completely done in her arms, coming harder on her fingers than I ever did by myself. The waves of electricity rushing through my body making my legs go limp and my head feel light as a feather.

All I could feel before blacking out was her heavy pants over my face, as she lowered herself to kiss me softly.

I could definitely get used to this, and maybe after some training, she'll learn to behave a little better too.

~~~

'Is this actually real?!' I thought, looking at Ranni's peaceful sleeping figure curled up beside me on her bed.

It's been a little more than half an hour since we... Since I 'finished' her, and now I'm just looking at her and wondering how this even happened. I mean, I remember the events leading up to it, but it feels so surreal.

A week ago she was barely a minor inconvenience in my mind, I just wanted to get things right with her and move forward. Now? I'm staring at her sleeping in her birthday suit, and by the way, she's absolutely gorgeous! Each curve of her, no matter how subtle and delicate, makes her look like a porcelain doll.

I cautiously moved a loose strand of hair from her face, but she noticed all the same, humming and slightly frowning her eyebrows.

"... Mmmm~ you breathe so loud..." She mumbled, and I giggled lightly.

"I what?" I asked in a soft tone.

"Y'heard me" She retorted, her eyes still closed.

"Well, get used to it, if you gonna hit the road with me, you better learn how to deal with my breathing of all things, Witch" I smugly said.

She groaned "Fine, you can breathe" She said with a faint smile.

"See? Wasn't that hard" I said, running my hand through her red and messed locks.

"Don't push your luck, Sassy Pants, not now that I'm in a good mood" She mumbled, pressing her face on my chest.

"Oh really? Never imagined it would be so easy to put you in a 'good mood', especially by doing what I did to you" I said with a smirk.

"Don't get so full of yourself" She protested, her head still buried in my chest "You got lucky, that's all"

"Call it whatever you want, it won't change the fact that I played you like I play the lute" I casually said, and she didn't answer back.

We stood there for a couple of minutes enjoying each other's touch. I kept running my fingers through her hair, funny how I've always thought that her shade of red was the prettiest amongst all of us, it's so dark and intense, mine is way more faded compared to hers.

"We should get something to eat" I said to her.

She groaned at that "Mmmm~ don't wanna get up..."

I chuckled "Don't you keep anything in here?"

She stopped to think about it "... The cabinet on the left... There's meat there..." She mumbled with a raspy voice.

I rolled my eyes, then shifted to get out of bed, just to feel her wrapping her arms around me.

"I can't get us anything if you don't let me out of the bed, Witch" I playfully said.

She huffed "Fine, but be quick"

I got out of bed and moved towards the cabinet she meant. It was quite easy to pick it apart from the others, this one was made out of a specific kind of dark wood, perfect for thermal insulation.

I opened the cabinet, and as expected the temperature inside was several degrees lower than in the room, another practical use of magic, more useful than most spells if you ask me.

"Want something specific?" I asked, analyzing the impressive amount of smoked cuts of various animals inside the cabinet.

"Anything that isn't too fatty" She answered with her face half buried in a pillow.

I browsed through the chunks of meat looking for something she'd like, and something caught my attention "These are really clean cuts..." I commented, picking up a piece of pork sirloin for her.

"And I'm very proud of them, now come back here already" She said, shifting her position to sit on the bed, rubbing her eyes and stretching her arms a little.

I rolled my eyes, joining her on the bed shortly after with two chunks of sirloin.

"So, eating meat naked at your bed, huh? Talk about setting up a high bar for this relationship" I commented, sitting beside her and handing her one of the chunks.

"What can I say, I like to leave a good first impression" She said with a smirk.

I chuckled "You surely do. So, you can handle yourself with a knife, huh?" I playfully said, taking a bite at my little snack.

"Surprised that you're not the only one capable of using a blade, Mally? I know this is gonna blow up your mind, but you can actually use a knife to do more than just stab other people" She answered sarcastically.

"Shut up!" I bumped on her with my shoulder "Now seriously, you really do all the work on the meat by yourself? Down to the bleeding and the evisceration?"

"Down to the slaughtering, Sassy pants. Everything you saw back there was personally killed by me" She proudly stated.

That was genuinely impressive, I never took her for the kind that likes to get her hands dirty.

"So that's why you always took so long to cook anything when we were young- Ouch!" I said, as she poked me in the side of my belly.

"We've been through this already. I take the time the food needs to get good, so zip it!" She argued back.

"Fine, I won't go there again, sheesh. No need to poke me to death while I'm eating" I said.

We ate in silence for a moment before she asked "So, how's it? I know you can't really taste much of anything, but even you gotta have an opinion on that" Looks like someone really needs reassurance on her own cooking. Seriously what's even the deal with this girl and food? Is just food!

But I won't get into another argument with her now, surprisingly enough I actually taste something different in this, so it won't hurt to do some small talk about.

"I like it, it tastes a bit more... Salty? I don't know, I just liked what you did with this. Sirloin doesn't usually taste like this" I commented, and she frowned.

"Salty? Mine doesn't feel- Oh wait! You're holding it with your prosthetic?!" She asked abruptly.

Now I was the one who frowned "Yes... Why...?"

"Have you washed it?"

"And when would I have washed it? The first time you let me out of bed was to pick up the food. Seriously, Witch, you got really clingy with me after we-... Oh..." I realized what she meant.

We looked at each other, then my hand, then the half eaten chunk of meat, then repeated that cycle about five or six times before I burst out laughing.

"That's not funny!" She wasn't as amused as me with the current situation, looking visibly embarrassed and equally pissed.

I dimmed my outburst into small cackles "Why not? I mean, I wasn't dying to taste you or anything, but I was certainly planning to, just wasn't expecting it to be through pork chops" I said with a few chuckles.

She was taken aback by how casual I seemed about this whole thing "Th-that's not the point! Y-you... You ruined the meat, okay!" She argued back.

I shrugged "I don't mind the taste, and I didn't touch yours with this hand so I can't see a problem here"

Her face was crimson red now, but she seemed to back down on that topic "Still... It's kinda weird... I didn't want it to be like that..." She mumbled.

"Aawwn~, you wanted it to be special? That's so cute" I teased her a bit.

"Shut up!" She hit me with a pillow, then huffed "You wanna eat that thing? Fine! I won't stop you"

I chuckled as she turned her head to look away from me, eating her piece of meat aggressively, like a kid who just got grounded.

We ate the rest of our snacks in silence as I gave her time to cool down. Eventually I brought up an important topic of discussion.

"So... How is this gonna work?" I sheepishly said.

"Hmh?"

"I mean us. Is this gonna be... If this is gonna be a thing... How are we gonna... Y'know, do it?"

She looked up while sighing "Honestly I have no idea... I mean, we can keep this a secret really easily if we watch our mouths and keep our hands to ourselves..." 'Well, that's reassuring coming from the girl who can't stop swearing to save her life' I thought "But then what?" She added, her voice coming out shy.

I sighed "I don't know... Maybe things won't be that bad if people find out..." I hopefully stated.

She scoffed "Yeah, our parents would love to find out about us" She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, but then she shifted to a more thoughtful tone "But maybe... It's better if we don't postpone this for too long. I mean they're gonna find out eventually anyway, so it's better to get this over with before we spend too long keeping a secret like this from them"

I thought about that for a moment. She's right, even if we can keep this to ourselves, what are we even gonna do in the future? Go up to our parents and say 'Hey, we've been dating in secret for the past five years or so, but it's been really inconvenient to keep that up as of recently, so do you guys mind giving us a quick blessing on this pseudo-incestuous relationship?' Doesn't sound like a good plan, funny? Sure, but awful.

Grace, how are we even gonna look at them after what just happened today. Luckily we are on our own for a while to get used to the idea before facing anyone we know.

"So we're just gonna keep this a secret for a while before finding a way to explain it to them?" I asked.

She shrugged "Pretty much. There's not much we can do about it anyway. We still gotta get used to-"

A knock on her door cut her train of thought off.

I covered myself quickly with the sheets, and she just waved a hand to tell me to calm down.

"Yes?" She said to the person on the other side of the door, standing up to get closer to it.

"Forgive me for my intrusion, Lady Ranni, but a message from The Queen just arrived from Raya Lucaria" A female voice answered, probably a servant.

"Oh, okay, what is it?" She kindly said.

"It's about the Headmaster, Master Azur wants to have a meeting with you before your departure to seek Master Miquella. He says that it is of utmost importance" Azur? Isn't he the guy who kicked Rykard out of the Academy?

"Is that so..." Ranni mumbled "Anything else, Jolyne?" She asked the servant.

"Yes, Lady Ranni, about our guest, Princess Malenia. I've searched for her through the whole Castle, but I haven't found her so far. Is she there with you?" 'What does she even want with me?' I thought.

"She's in my bathroom, we were discussing our plan to find Miquella. What do you want her for, Jolyne?" Ranni asked, narrowing her eyes a little.

"Oh, I'm glad to hear that. I only wanted to ask her what is her prsference for dinner. And pardon my witless assumptions, but I wasn't expecting her to be in here of all places, Lady Ranni" 'Who's this girl, and why didn't she expect me to be here in the first place?!' I thought, as Ranni was quick to speak before I did.

"Yeah, I usually just bring Miquella here, but I needed company and he's kinda unavailable now" She said dismissively with a chuckle 'That's right, I've never been to her room before now that I think about it. And why would I, anyway? It's not like I was eager to see all of the random magical junk she keeps in here'.

"Very well then, would you mind if I waited for her to ask about dinner?" Jolyne said.

"That won't be necessary, I'll cook something up for the both of us. You can warn the kitchen about it" Ranni promptly said.

"Very well, Lady Ranni. I shall take my leave" And after that, the sound of steps moving away brought back a sense of security for me and Ranni.

She sighed "You're not hungry, I presume" She said, coming back to the bed and sitting beside me.

I just shook my head lightly.

"Great, 'cause now we need to go back to..." She finished that sentence gesturing her index to me and her a few times.

I sighed "You were saying that we gotta get used to something" I recalled what she was saying before Jolyne interrupted us.

"Oh... Yeah..." She took a deep breath, then gently cupped my cheek, closing the distance between our lips to give me a gentle, and not so long lived kiss.

After she pulled away, she looked in my eyes for a moment "We gotta get used to this, whatever it is that we are now, we gotta get used to being it..." She said softly

"I see..." I whispered back.

"Small steps, okay? One thing at the time"

I nodded.

"Good, now get dressed. As much as I'd love to look at your boobs all day, we still gotta get the things ready for the trip, and as we gotta make a quick stop at the school now, every second counts" She said, getting up and fetching her scattered clothes on the floor.

I sighed "Great! Another detour..." I blurted in frustration "Who's this Azur anyway, is he your friend too?" I asked, getting my, now unusable underwear and tossing it away.

"Not really, he was a close friend of Master Lusat, but we never really talked too much outside of classes" She answered, covering that silk smooth skin of her legs with her navy pants.

"What did he teach?"

"History of the primeval sorceries" She answered.

I've heard that term before, though I can't recall where... Maybe it'll come to me later.

We continued to dress up as one thought came straight to my head.

"WAIT!!" I shouted.

"Stars! what?!" She said, after jumping in place because of my outburst.

"Your mother will be there! Ranni, what if she notices something about us?!" I panicked, expecting her to calm me down with some good argument on hiding our relationship. But instead, all that came out of her mouth after a moment of pondering was a dry:

"Fuck"

Chapter Text

"Are you comfortable back there?" I asked Ranni, right after she hopped on the horse we'll be riding to Raya Lucaria, now that anything vaguely resembling a carriage was out of question.

She sighed "As comfortable as I could get sitting on something like this" She complained, shifting her position to get comfortable behind me, and so I conducted the horse to exit the stables.

I shook my head in amusement "C'mon, is not that bad" I turned to give her a side eye "Think of it like this, you'll get to hold my waist as much as you want during the trip" I said, smirking at her.

After a subtle blush on her face, she bumped my back with her elbow "We're still inside the Manor, Brickhead!" She whisper-shouted "So no getting sassy with me while there might still be servants around!"

"Ow, that hurt!" I said, rubbing the spot where she hit me "Okay, I get it, sorry about that" I sighed "So, we're good to go? you got everything you need?" I asked as we approached the main gates of the Manor.

She nodded "How 'bout you? Got your blades with Iji?"

"Yeah, first thing in the morning. Or before it now that I think about it" I answered, noticing that as much as the sky was getting lighter above us, there are still a few minutes left before the sun rises.

"Good... Now the only thing left to do is..." She mumbled, looking around to check on any possible eavesdroppers, and so I got the hint of what she meant.

"Yeah... You thought about a solution for that?" I quietly asked, now more aware of our surroundings until we leave the Manor.

She sighed "Maybe... Honestly I don't think there's a better solution to that than what we've discussed already. We behave as usual, and if she somehow catches something weird about us, we just shrug it off. Hopefully she won't think twice about it" She quietly said.

This is the first time since yesterday that we actually stopped to talk about how we were going to keep our new relationship a secret. After I brought up the situation of seeing her mother so soon after what we've done yesterday, she just panicked for a moment, and asked me for some time to think, saying that she would come up with something until we left the Manor.

And now that I think about it, I still gotta ask her what made her cry yesterday. She could've just said something random, like Miquella being gone or that she stepped over Blaidd's paw, I would've bought any of those, but she got angry, so perhaps it was something actually serious.

Anyway, no use in thinking about that now, I still gotta deal with our current topic of discussion.

"You know this is your mother we're taking about, right?" I shot back, still unsure about this whole 'let's just play it cool' talk.

"Got any better ideas, Sassy Pants?" She protested "Oh yeah, I forgot you're the brains of the operation here, my bad. Go ahead, cast your words of wisdom upon me" There it is, Ranni's trademark sarcastic comebacks to mark the start of a new day. Seriously, why can't she take criticism like a normal human being?!

I took a deep breath before giving her an answer "I just pointed out something relevant, no need to patronize even more than you already do" I replied.

"Well, thanks for your input, but like I said, if you don't have anything better to propose, then we'll have to do this my way. Remember, if you're not cooking, get out of the kitchen" 'I swear, a little more of that attitude and I won't need to pretend hating her when we get there' I thought, doing my best to resist the urge to throw her out of the horse in retaliation.

I managed to limit my reactions to a brief sigh "Fine, we'll go with your plan, Witch. I don't really mind it anyway. And if it fails it's gonna be all your fault, so there's no real down side for me" I said, as we got further from the Manor, beginning a roughly one day long trip to the Academy.

She scoffed "If anything fails, we both know whose fault is gonna be" She said, pulling my hair a little to punctuate her statement.

"Stop with the physical harassment, will ya!" I said, letting out a sight of annoyance "As if it wasn't enough dealing with your attitude before the sun is even up, I gotta handle your childishness as well"

"This isn't 'childishness', Sassy Pants! And if anyone has anything to complain about in here, that would be me! Frankly, what's so difficult to understand about my logic?"

"It would be easier to understand your 'logic' if you started to use arguments to sustain it instead of pulling my hair!" I shot back.

She gave me a small 'huff' "I'll stop correcting you when you stop being so petty about how I handle things!" She said matter of factually.

"Correcting?! What the hell do you even think I am?!" I protested, doing my best to keep the horse on track while she insisted on getting on my nerves before the birds even wake up to sing.

She sighed "Like I told you before, Mally. If you behave like a dog, then I'll treat you like a dog" She explained, sounding like a tired mother lecturing a stubborn kid for the thousandth time.

I felt the blood on my forehead pumping "I'm not a fuckin-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. The thing is..." She pressed herself on my back, embracing me with her hands intertwined over my belly "Everything has its upsides, y'know? After all, every good girl deserves a little treat every now and then" She said with a smile, resting her chin over my shoulder.

I was taken aback by the sudden shift in her behavior. 'Seriously? You wanna stop our discussion like this?!' I thought.

I hate how she thinks I'll just forget everything she says if she does something nice right after.

I took a deep breath, partially to recompose myself after her warm touch got me a little too stunned, but mostly to think of what exactly I wanted to say in reply.

"Stop. Comparing. Me. To. A. Dog" I stated, making each word sound as clear as I could, maybe that will make her understand.

She kept her body pressed on my back "Y'know how much I like dogs. If anything, this should be an honor to you" She argued, her tone still a bit playful, but I noticed a hint of regret in her words.

Does she really believe that I would actually like being treated like a pet or something? And even if she does, why would that mean that I'd just accept her poor excuse of a truce? Why can't she just apologize?

Who am I kidding, I know she won't just apologize to me, she can't afford to lose to me like that, so she tries to win by giving me something she knows I want. But why can't she see how hard that can backfire? Does she get any kind of thrill doing this?

I sighed "Well it isn't, okay? It's not a compliment, so drop it or I'll make you" I bluntly answered.

She snuggled her face on my neck "Aaawn, you gonna 'make me' huh? I'd like to see that happen. Also, as far as I can remember you didn't seem to mind that yesterday" She said with a teasing tone.

I won't bite, I know what she wants is for me to play along, get me pissed so she can disarm me after that, but now I'm not in the mood.

After I kept quiet for a while she got impatient "What is it? Cat's got your tongue?" She playfully pressed on, but I kept my silence.

I hate how part of me wants to play along with her mind games, and if I wasn't so confused about why she acts like this, I would probably do it so, but now I wanted to let her know that I'm not a fur ball for her to play fetch with whenever she wants.

She didn't like my silence, rubbing her head even more on my neck to get my attention.

I sighed "What?"

"Don't like when you get quiet..." She said with a pout.

"Well, I don't wanna talk" I shot back.

"Ow. That was cold, even for me" She mumbled, but I didn't answer.

I could feel her frowning on my shoulder "You're no fun..." She frustratingly stated.

"And you don't make any sense!" I finally lost my patience "What's so entertaining about pissing me off and then getting all touchy right after?!" That caught her off guard.

She took a moment to think about what to say, as the cold breeze of the morning slowly faded away with the break of dawn. She eventually moved her head out of its resting spot on the crook of my neck.

"I dunno... I guess I just like the way you react to it..." She sheepishly said, taking some time to think about her next sentence "It's kinda cute... I mean, seeing your face get all red, it looks nice on you" She said with a small giggle at the end.

I nodded "Okay, fine, I get that, don't really see the appeal, but fine..." I kinda do see the appeal, but she doesn't really need to know that right now "That still doesn't give me an explanation as to why you do that and then expect me to hug you back at the next second! Do you really think that I like it when you do that?" I exclaimed.

That seemed to silence her down for a while, maybe even she doesn't really know why she does those things, but I want an answer, as ridiculous as it might be.

"So..." I began, after 20 seconds or so of her silence.

"I'm thinking, okay!" She shot back, then sighed tiredly "I don't know... I don't really think I expect you to like it or anything, I just..." She trailed off, her voice fading as she did so.

"You just..."

I felt her tightening her grip around my waist "Maybe I... Want you to make me stop... To realize how awful I make you feel and just throw me away... Or maybe I just like testing you to see how far you'll let me go before you grow tired of... This" She bitterly said.

"Wait, you want me to be mad at you?" I said, barely able to digest her twisted logic.

"No, no! I don't, I really don't" She quickly added, and then sighed briefly "But maybe you should be... I mean, part of me is still waiting for the other shoe to drop. So I keep trying to see where the limit is with you..." She embarrassedly stated.

I guess I'm beginning to understand her now... But I'm not so sure.

"You're saying that you wanna see how far I'll let you go with me, so you'll know for how long I'll be able to stand you...?" I carefully asked.

I felt her nodding against my back "I told you that want to have you all to myself..." She mumbled weakly "And I know that I can't really have that, so I just wanna see how much of you I can get before..." She took a short breath "Before something changes"

"You mean before I 'grow tired' of this? Is that really what you think will happen?" I quietly inquired.

She pressed herself harder on me "Wouldn't you think the same if you were in my place?" She asked me "I'm not a nice friend. Hell, I don't even know if I'm a nice person to begin with. I know that eventually this will get too hard, I will get too hard... Even for you. So I wanna know how far that will be right now, so I don't get surprised when it happens" She worryingly said.

'What a nice way to begin our day. Why does it always end up like this with the two of us?' I thought.

I know how insecure she can be, but I wasn't expecting this so early into our relationship.

I sighed "I won't get bored of you, Witch, that you can be sure of. Believe me, if there ever was a 'limit' to how much of you I can handle, it would've been reached and surpassed a looong time ago" I said with a somewhat upbeat tone.

She scoffed "Yeah, you say that now..."

I rolled my eyes "Ranni, you've literally frozen my ass off more times than I can count, and those were on the good days. I've seen you insult me in more ways than I thought were possible, and you still find new ways to do it. You are the most annoying human being I've ever met, and after all that you're still the first and only girl I had sex with, which was less than 24 hours ago by the way. There's no way you can push the limit even further if I gave myself to you like that already" I playfully stated, masking how deep those words actually were.

That got a giggle out of her "Fine, you got a point there, or half of one at least..." She mumbled.

"See, even I got my moments. Now cheer up, will ya. It's a long trip, and I won't stand you killing the mood before we even get to breakfast" I joked.

"I didn't kill anything. You were the one who got all cranky about how I show you my affection" She protested.

'She's gotta be kidding me' I thought, then huffed.

"We talked about that literally two minutes ago. The problem isn't the way you show me 'affection', Witch. The problem is your stupid need to do that after you pissed me off just to see if that's gonna make me change my mind about you. In other words, the problem is that you don't trust me with your feelings. You don't trust me with them now, and you didn't yesterday"

Is this the best time to bring back that topic? Hell no, but it just came back to my mind, so let's see where this goes.

"I told you that I'd talk about..." She began, getting angry, but then sighed, releasing her hold on me to wave her arms dramatically.

"You know what? Fine! I was crying about Master Lusat, okay? I was sad about how he just left me here without thinking twice, 'cause that's what people do, isn't it? They leave! Father did it, he did it, and now Miquella too!" She blurted, her voice shaking with a hint of hopelessness.

I stopped the horse, I can't deal with these two tasks at the same time now. So I turned my upper body to face her as much as I could without breaking my back. She was breathing heavily, her arms crossed as she looked to the side.

After a moment of silence in which she recovered her breath and I carefully studied her face, I finally spoke.

"I'm sorry" I said, barely louder than a whisper.

She laughed sarcastically "For what? You tried to help, and I just did what I always do... I should've talked about this back then..." She mumbled in a somber tone.

I cupped her face to turn her gaze towards me "But I didn't help, did I? And you needed space, I should've given it to you. I couldn't help you back then, and instead I just forced myself into you. In more than just one way..." I said that last part with an embarrassed smile on my face.

She smirked "You're insane if you think that didn't help" She said, putting her hand over mine. As she closed her eyes to lean into my touch, I could feel her tension fading away.

"Why are we like this? One second I'm screaming at your face, and in the next you feel like the only person I ever want to touch me again" She mumbled.

"I don't know... Maybe this is just how we work" I quietly replied.

"If this is 'working' don't even let me see it when it's broken" She said, and we both chuckled a little.

I turned myself back to look forward, not to get the horse moving again, I just needed to give my spine a break from that twisted position I was standing in order to face her. She disliked the loss of physical touch just as much as I did, but I was prepared for that already.

I leaned my back on her again, bringing back our initial position with her face resting between my neck and shoulder, as she promptly brought her arms back around me.

We stood like that for a minute or two, enjoying that moment before I spoke again.

"How did you met your master? He seems pretty important for you" I asked.

She sighed "Right after I killed that bear when we were little. Mother wanted me to begin school sooner after what I did, saying that I needed to put my talents to good use as soon as possible. But honestly she was just afraid that I was gonna end up becoming a super weapon or some shit, y'know how overprotective she is" She answered, tracing random patterns on my left hand with her thumb.

"I see, so she got you into school when you were seven?"

"Not really, I was too young, but she needed someone to teach me the basics before I was old enough to get in, and it couldn't be her, so that's where the Old Man came in"

"He was your tutor?"

She nodded "Private lessons, twice every week until I got into the Academy" She sighed briefly "He was really nice, never cared about how weird and crazy I was..."

"What do you mean?"

"That we can talk about later. Chit chat time isn't a luxury we can afford right now"

I was slightly annoyed by that, but she's right, so I began to shift my position back to lead the horse again. She moved with me, not letting go of my waist as we started to move again.

"Sorry for comparing you to a dog..." She quietly said over my shoulder after some time.

I smiled out of reflex, she's really cute when she apologizes to me like that "It's fine. I don't really like it, but what can I do?" I shrugged it off.

I don't like how she seems to think I'm just another wild animal for her to teach tricks to, but after hearing how much people 'abandoning' her affected her mind, (which I won't even dare to bring back now) I can't really blame her for being a little possessive. She's insecure, even if she doesn't show it most of the time.

Also, it's not like this is ground breaking news or anything, I already knew how much of a control freak she is, guess I can only work around that if I really want this to work out between us.

She snuggled her face against my neck again "Glad to hear that, 'cause I won't stop. You're mine now, whether you like it or not, this is how I'll treat you" She happily said, and I just rolled my eyes. Just like I said, nothing that I wasn't expecting already.

I chuckled a little "So, I'm yours now? And what exactly does that mean?" I casually asked.

"Nothing much, I'll still get on your nerves like I always do, but also..." She kissed my cheek tenderly "I'll make sure you get a compensation for all of that. Sounds good to you?"

I smirked "Yeah, I think I'll get used to it eventually" I replied.

I will never admit it to her, but listening to her claiming me as hers tickled a funny part of my brain. Maybe I like to know that someone wants me that much, or maybe she's been treating me like a pet for so long that I'm beginning to like it as well, Grace help me if that's the case.

"Good, now's my turn asking you stuff"

"Is that so?" I raised an amused eyebrow.

"Yup, too much talk about me so early in the morning, so we gotta even things out" She explained.

I giggled "Okay, Witch, whaddya wanna know?"

She got closer to my ear, taking a short breath before carefully whispering "How did you got so good with your fingers?"

The whispering alone would be enough to freeze me in place, but the sudden question about... What I assumed was what we did yesterday took me completely off guard.

I felt my face getting hotter as I looked aimlessly at the woods, maybe trying to find an answer to her question in there, 'cause why not, right?

"I... I don't- I think- What do you mean?" I stumbled upon my words.

She giggled on my shoulder "You know exactly what I mean, don't make me scream it at your face" She said, and I could feel the maniacal grin on her face just by how she uttered each word "I just got curious, y'know? All that skill... Was all that just muscle memory from painting and playing lute, or did you get really bored during your time at the Haligtree?"

I could barely hide the embarrassment written all over my face, and by 'barely' read 'not at all'.

"I don't... B-bored...? huh?" 'WORDS Malenia, use WORDS!' I scolded myself mentally.

She rejoiced in my awkward reactions, pressing herself even more on me "Aaaawn, you're so cute when you get nervous"

"I'm not- Why are you even asking me that kinda stuff?" I blurted out.

"Told ya, it's your turn to talk about shit you don't wanna" It's quite impressive how sometimes she sounds just like Miquella, that's a whole different kind of insufferable.

She got close to my ear again "So spit it out, Sassy Pants. How'd you get so good with your fingers?" She said in a sultry tone.

I swear, I just want a hole to bury my face in it right now. But instead of looking for one, I just took a deep breath and thought about what kind of answer I could even give her about that.

"I don't know... maybe beginner's luck?" I finally came up with an answer. Honestly back then I couldn't be more lost at what I was even doing to her, I didn't really practiced that kinda of... Thing on myself until recently.

"Is that so? It didn't really look that from where I was standing" She replied, her tone somehow sounding naive and malicious at the same time.

"It's the truth!" I protested, a little too passionately to my taste, which only amused her even further.

"I don't buy it. You knew too well what you were doing back then. What's your secret, Miss beginner's luck?" She pressed on, poking my belly lightly with her fingers.

'Grace, what do I even say? I can't just let her have her fun at my expense... Again' I helplessly thought, and then something came to my mind...

I sighed "You really wanna know, Witch?" I asked, trying to sound more confident now.

That caught her by surprise, as she stopped the poking on my belly and raised her head in curiosity.

I gave her a side eye "I asked your mother for advise" I casually said.

She froze for a second 'Here it comes...'

"YOU WHAT?!"

I just laughed at her over reaction.

"When di- How di- WHY have you talked to her about that kinda stuff?!" Yup, she took the bait, now I can shift the conversation in my favor.

I shrugged "Y'know, girl talk. I asked Mother and Father for advice about dating and stuff, and they suggested talking to your mother as well"

"Wait, both of them told you that?!" She exclaimed.

I just nodded, doing my best to keep the act up "Yup. And so I did. You remember when we were at the lake and you got all contemplative at the balcony?" She nodded, the blushing on her face growing more and more as I added arguments to my story.

"Well, before I went outside to talk to you, I decided to have a chat with your mother about relationships and stuff. Y'know, the kind of talk that would be too awkward to have with my parents"

"Too... Awkward...? You mean..." The sheer panic in her voice was priceless by itself.

"I mean that your mother talked to me about what I should expect from having a relationship with another woman. And as she herself never had one, she mostly talked about how she discovered what got her horses running, if you know what I mean" I smugly replied.

"You can't be serious. She wouldn't-"

"Oh, but she did. She told me that every woman is different, so what worked for her might not work for the girl I would eventually do it to. Of course she wasn't expecting me to end up nailing her own daughter, so her advices ended up being really useful in my case"

She stood behind me without uttering a word for a few seconds. I couldn't help but feel sorry for her, but I still wanted to have one last jab before dropping the act.

I tilted my head to give her a glimpse of my smirk "You wanna know how much alike you two are?"

"DON'T YOU DARE!" She shouted, and I just bursted out laughing.

"That's not funny!! I can't believe you talked about... That with my Mother! How could you do that?! That's so gross! What would you think if I told you that I've done something like that to your-"

"I'm kidding, Witch!" I stopped her rambling before she used all the air around us in a single breath "Grace, slow down a little, okay? I never talked to her about that. Can't believe you fell for that one" I said in between giggles.

She calmed down after that, shifting her mood from 'panicking outraged anger' to 'regular anger'.

She started to bump my back with her fists, not enough to hurt, but enough for me to feel it "Don't! Joke! About! That! Ever! Again!"

I kept laughing as she continued her little assault on my back "That's what you get for asking me weird stuff about sex" I stated.

"Oh, pardon me for being curious about that stuff. Don't know if you've noticed but that was my first time too, Sassy Pants. Also, I wouldn't bring our parents to that kind of talk" She shot back.

"Well, it's your fault for not believing me when I told you that whatever it was that I did to you back then just happened, okay? It just happened. I barely got any practice with myself before doing that, so I just followed your reactions, okay?" I can't believe I told her that.

She sighed "Okay, fine, I'll give you that. Stars, can't even tease you a little bit without you going all ballistic and trying to traumatize me"

"Traumatizing? What? The fact that your mother had sex before? I hate to break it to you, Witch, but the stork isn't really a thing in the real world" I playfully said.

She rolled her eyes "Ha Ha. Very funny"

"Besides, I don't really get why you were so curious about how I used my hands on you, seeing how you did a pretty good job on me first, and while I was still dressed by the way" Credit where credit is due. I only 'came' about twice on my own, after beginning my late journey of exploring my body last year.

Why only last year? Do I really need to explain? Scarlett Rot, social anxiety caused by fear of hurting others, menstrual cramps, all of the above at the same time. Honestly I'm surprised I even developed a sex drive at all after my recovery.

Ranni scoffed "Please, I've known all of your weaknesses since we were kids"

I raised an eyebrow "Which are..."

"My sweet voice whispering in your ear of course. I don't need technique when I know how you like to be treated"

I'm gonna regret asking her this but "And how would I like to be 'treated' according to you?"

She wrapped me into her embrace again, after letting me go during her little outburst a few minutes ago. The difference now was that her hold on me was way steadier.

"You're so tense..." She whispered in my ear, slowly but firmly moving her hands through my torso, finally reaching my breasts.

"Wha-" I gasped, trying to keep my balance on the horse.

"I know how to make you relax... I know you want to let go... To let someone else take control" She said, slowly massaging my boobs.

I was doing my best to keep the moans from escaping my mouth, recomposing myself a little before speaking.

"I don't..."

"Oh, really?" She said with a giggle "So make me stop then. Just like you did yesterday..." She whispered, squeezing my breasts firmly as she did.

"Stop... We're in-"

"The middle of nowhere? What are you so afraid of? The trees looking at me playing with you to help pass the time?" She teased.

"This isn't how people 'pass the time' during trips, Witch. I need to focus on the road" I argued back.

"Fine, I'll stop, but only after you admit that I'm right about you" She deadpanned, idly playing with my boobs like they were some kind of stress relief toy.

"But I don't..." I began to protest, but those sneaky little Witch hands of hers were making any arguments I could think about die without seeing the light of day.

"C'mon, be a good girl and just say it" She said, I could feel the grin on her face by how much she was pressing it against mine.

"Fine! You got a point! There, happy?" I finally surrendered to her mind games. How can she get me to say all of this weird things so easily?

"There you go! That's my good girl" She beamed, letting go of my bosom and moving her hands back to my belly.

I released a breath I didn't even realize I was holding, taking a few seconds to get back to my senses "What do I even saw on you? How can I just let you have your way with me like that?" I frustratingly exclaimed.

"Aaawn, don't be so harsh on yourself. I'd have a hard time trying to stop myself as well"

I signed in disbelief "Witch, can you get even more full of yourself?"

"I dunno, can you get even denser?"

"Fuck off"

"Nah, I'm good here, but thanks for asking so politely"

"It wasn't a request"

"Can't help you with that"

It is moments like these that make me wonder how exactly our little 'dynamic' started. We didn't use to be like this.

• • •

Leyndell Castle 02/02/1984

"Is this...?" Malenia asked Radagon, her eyes shining while she looked at whatever it was that was wrapped on that box.

"This, My Dear, is a hunting knife!" My husband proudly stated, kneeling beside her to- Wait WHAT?!

"That's a what?!" Rennala exclaimed, scaring Ranni, who was sitting over her lap, playing with a puzzle toy I gave her earlier.

"HAHAHAH! HER FIRST BLADE! IT WAS ABOUT DAMN TIME, FATHER!" Radahn shouted from the other side of the room.

"Louder, Brother, please. I don't think the other side of the continent heard you clear" Rykard commented from his spot beside Radahn.

Rennala sighed "Seriously, Radagon? In her fourth birthday? Please, don't tell me you got Miquella one as well"

"What was I supposed to do? The girl was literally sneaking around behind me during training to play with the weapons" Radagon defended himself "And no, Miquella won't get one as well. It's the worst thing in every twins' life to get the same gift as the other just because they were born at the same time"

I saw Miquella beaming at that comment. One of the upsides of raising twins before is knowing what works and what doesn't.

"And what was she even doing there to begin with? Have you considered not letting your four year old daughter roam around in a room full of weapons and dangerous things?" Rennala questioned.

"You never complained about that with the boys. Besides, Marika doesn't mind, right, My Love?... My Lov-"

"YOU GAVE HER A KNIFE?!" I shouted at my husband.

He froze in place, realizing how much of a mistake he has made.

"I-I'm sorry, My Love... I thought... I mean, w-we talked about that, right?" He mumbled.

"Oh, no no no no no, Red Wolf. What we talked about after you let my infant daughter almost stab herself was that 1: You should be more responsible with our kids; and 2: That Malenia was too young to understand what she even wanted to do with a knife" I stated, trying to sound as composed as possible.

"Exactly, I stopped bringing her to the Sparring Hall until we made the place safe for children, and waited a reasonable amount of time for her to develop her coordination well enough to let her hold a blade again" I can't believe I'm listening to this.

"Reasonable- What 'coordination' a four year old could possibly have?!" I questioned him.

"Really?! Didn't you see the way she runs and jumps? And how about that tree she climbed all by herself last month? The girl is a prodigy" He argued, though I couldn't find much of an 'argument' within his words.

"You can't be serious. She fell from that tree, Radagon!" I shot back, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"On her feet! She fell on her feet, Marika! The girl is a warrior, I feel it! Look how happy she is" He gestured to our daughter.

I sighed "Why do I even try to argue with you. It's like talking to a wall" I mumbled, as Malenia happily played with her new toy.

And just then I noticed that Ranni had joined her, both girls analyzing the shining blade.

"Careful there, Rosebud..." Rennala said, a bit nervous about the situation.

The young redhead just rolled her eyes "I know, Mom. I just wanna see it" The girl said, curiously reaching out for the knife in Malenia's hand "Can I?" She asked.

"It's her gift, Ranni, let her have her time with it first" Her mother said.

"I just wanna see it for a second, Mally doesn't mind, right, Mally?" Ranni argued back, turning to Malenia for permission.

My daughter seemed to be reluctant for a second, but quickly gave Ranni a smile.

"Here! It's so pretty, isn't?" She beamed to her half-sister, handing her the knife.

Ranni grabbed the blade with an impressive amount of care for the item. I don't care what Radagon says, that girl definitely got most of her personality from him than from Rennala.

"Woah! Dad, can I get one too?" Ranni asked with a spark in her golden eyes.

"Of course, Dear! I'll get you one just like that!" My manchild of a husband said, receiving a wide grin from his daughter and a scolding glare from Rennala.

The Carian Queen though, managed to keep her composure, gently turning to her daughter instead.

"Rosebud, why would you even need a knife?" She tenderly asked her daughter.

"What do you mean?" Ranni asked.

"Do you wanna be a warrior, or a hunter?" Her mother asked.

Ranni frowned in disgust "No way!" She stated, so confidently that I got surprised by her disdain for warriors at such a young age.

"Then what would you even need a knife for?"

The young girl sighed, seeming so tired of her mother's argument, like she was the one talking to a child instead.

"I don't have to be a warrior to need a knife, Mom. What if I need to kill something?" Yeah, definitely sounds like Radagon.

Her mother looked taken aback by the casual way Ranni said that, much like the rest of the room.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, Rennala spoke first.

"We're not at war, Ranni, you won't have to kill anything" She gently said.

Ranni opened her mouth to say something, but seemed to give up before uttering a single word. Instead, she just gave Malenia her knife back, sighing in defeat.

"I don't get it" Miquella said from over the couch "Why does she need a war to kill things?"

I moved towards him "Because we can't just go out there killing people, Miquella. The only justifiable reason for killing someone is to protect yourself or the people you love" I said.

"I know that, Mom. But she said 'something' not 'someone'. There's a difference, right?" He... Actually got a point. Grace, that boy is even more astute than Mohg at this age.

"The boy's gotta point there, My Queen. Our Cherry Pie said that she might need to kill 'something', and that might go from a cockroach, to a rabid wolf in the middle of the woods, you never know" Rykard said.

"My daughter won't be caught alone in the middle of the woods with any rabid wolf if I can prevent it. You take that back, Young Boy" Rennala shot back, glaring daggers at her oldest son.

"Stars, Mother, I'm speaking hypothetically, no need to jump at my throat, okay?" The young boy defended himself.

"Well, hypothetical or not, I have the final word here. Ranni won't get a knife, or any weapons for that matter until she's old enough" She stated authoritatively.

Radagon sighed "Well, I guess I'll have to wait then. Sorry Rosebud" He said, turning to look at Ranni, but the girl was already back at playing with Malenia.

Thankfully they were not playing with the knife, which was carefully sheathed and put to the side. Now they were just trying to solve the puzzle I gave Ranni before.

They look so cute. Someone who didn't know better could swear that they were the actual twins, weren't for the height difference, they would be pretty difficult to tell apart from each other.

I wonder how much longer that friendship will last. Godwyn and Rykard were just as close, but soon they grew more distant. Hopefully girls form stronger bonds during childhood.

I sure hope that Malenia and Miquella can make friends outside of our family circle, but it would be really nice if they cared about their other siblings. Guess I can only hope.

• • •

"Seriously, if you don't stop dancing back there the two of us are going to fall, and I'll make sure to land on top of your weak, sorcerer body!" I spat at Ranni, her incessant movement behind me making it impossible to keep the horse steady.

"I'm not used to riding a horse for so long, you Troglodyte! My legs are going limp!" She protested "How much longer this will take until we can make a stop?"

"About half an hour or so" I answered, truthfully it would be more like one and a half hour, but I guess she would've cried all the way until we got there if that was the case.

"THAT LONG?" See, told ya.

"I'm sorry, Witch, but we need to get there fast, so be patient, will ya?"

"I am patient, but I'm kinda dying back here. Can't we take that break a little earlier? Please?" She pleaded, giving me her best puppy eyes from the side angle I was looking at her.

I looked at her for a moment, pondering how much of this I can take until we find Miquella, which we are yet to start.

I just sighed "Fine. In fifteen minutes. I don't want to make a camp so out in the open. So give me a moment to get to somewhere less exposed, okay?"

She happily nodded behind me, wrapping me in her arms again and giving me a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you so much! I swear, it won't take long, I just need to rest my legs for an hour or two!" She beamed.

'TWO?! Since when isn't that too long for a quick break? This fucking Witch...'

I sighed internally 'How far is this fucking school?'

Chapter Text

"Stars, how I missed this!" I exclaimed in relief, collapsing on the grass where Mally decided to set our temporary camp.

"What? Laying over the grass?" She questioned me in a mocking tone.

"Being able to spread my legs would be a better description" I replied, then looked at her gathering our lunch inside her bag "How can you be so well after six hours on top of a horse? You haven't even stopped to stretch your legs yet" I said, moving my body to face her, supporting myself on my elbows.

She shrugged without looking at me "It wasn't that bad. I mean, you made it really worse by trying to bring us down with your non stop wiggling during that last bit, but other than that it was pretty nice"

"Oh, sorry if my body isn't used to being stuck in one position for six hours straight, especially while I'm sitting on top of a living motion sickness generator" I argued back.

"She doesn't really mean that, girl" She said in an apologetic tone to our horse "And you're being too dramatic. It weren't even six hours to begin with. We rode for five hours tops"

"It felt like fifty. But enough about that. I'm hungry, can you pass me the Eastern spices sandwich, please?" I said, extending a hand for her.

She aimlessly browsed the bag she insisted on bringing with us, saying that as much as she wouldn't mind the time I take for preparing something for us to eat (which, sure, let's pretend that it's true) it would be better to have some quicker options for the first part of the trip at least.

And so I prepared a few sandwiches yesterday, and speaking of those, she was taking a lot longer than necessary to find a single sandwich inside that bag.

"No need to rush, I'll just wither and die in here while you look for my food" I said.

"I can't find it..." She irritably said, and I just rolled my eyes.

"Were you paying attention when I explained to you which ones are which?"

"I was! You want the one with the green stuff in it, right?"

'She's gotta be kidding me' I thought, then audibly sighed.

"No, you dense ruffian! That's from our dinner yesterday, when I told you that western continents have a special sauce called 'pesto', which I didn't put on any of our sandwiches by the way" I said, and could see a deaf 'Oh' forming on her lips "The Eastern spices one is the one with the darker bread"

"Oh, right, my bad" She embarrassedly said returning to the bag "Here! I found it" She exclaimed. What a surprise, she actually found
it after knowing what to look for.

I sighed "I'm glad we're going to the school first, Sassy Pants, 'cause Moon knows you need to work on that basalt block inside your head. Maybe you'll absorb something through osmosis in there"

"Shut up! It was an honest mistake" She shot back defensively, tossing me the sandwich.

I took a bite of the spicy snack "Sure, I forgive you, no biggy" I shrugged it off.

"But I'm serious about this" I said, shifting to a somewhat somber tone "You gotta stay sharp, Mally. Mistaking a sandwich? Fine, whatever, who gives a shit. But I need you to focus on the details, no matter how irrelevant they might seem" I said.

She moved closer, sitting beside me and letting out a tired sigh "I know. Sorry about that, I guess I was more tired than I thought yesterday" She apologized herself.

"It's okay, we were all tired yesterday... And that reminds me, anything weird about the taste it's probably because I fucked up somewhere in the seasoning yesterday. You asked for it really late, so take that in consideration, I was not operating on my full capacity back then" I said with a giggle.

"It'sh gweat" She said with her mouth full.

I rolled my eyes "Oh, yeah, I forgot you can't really taste anything. Do you even have a favorite food?" I asked.

She thought for a moment, swallowing the food in her mouth as she did so.

"Ice cream, I guess" She eventually said.

Ice, sugar, fat, and something to add flavor. Why am I not surprised that's her pick?

"Well, that's something at least. Which flavor?"

"Is there a difference?" Unbelievable...

"You can't be serious" I said, in a mixture of frustration and disbelief "How can you not see the difference between ice cream flavors?!"

"What's the big deal? They taste like fruits, and fruits usually taste the same"

Do I need to argue with her about her own taste in ice cream of all things? Fuck no. Will I do it? Hell yes.

"So, lemme get this straight. Pineapples, grapes, dragon fruits, rowas, bananas... You put all of those in a single bundle labeled 'fruits'?" I asked.

"I'm not that dense, Witch! Of course I notice the difference between them. It's just that they're all sweet, and so I don't really see that much of a difference. But fine, if you really want an answer, I guess it would be... Blueberries" She said, a bit unsure at first.

"Blueberries?"

"Anything wrong with that?" She impatiently questioned.

I was quick to back off "No, no no no, not at all... But that got me curious, why blueberries?" I carefully asked.

"Mostly because they're blue" She shrugged.

I frowned slightly "They're purple... You know that, right?" I asked.

"Of course I know that. It's not about the color itself, it's just the name. But they're Mother's favorites, so that helped as well. I ate a lot of blueberries at home, so I guess I'm just used to the taste" She explained, and I just stared at her for a couple of seconds before speaking.

"So... Your favorite food is ice cream, which is basically frozen sugar and milk, which you prefer it to be flavored by a fruit that you only like because of its color, which isn't even the actual color of the fruit, is that correct?"

"It sounds really weird when you put it like that, but yes" She casually commented.

I swear, conversations like this are the sole reason why I keep thinking that I've gone completely insane for wanting to be in a relationship with her.

I mean, there's no way a sane person would hear something like 'I don't have a favorite food, but I really like the taste of the color blue' and keep talking to the person who uttered those words. I know she didn't said it like that, but you got my point.

I just gave her a faint smile instead "You're unbelievable, y'know that, right?"

She chuckled "And what part about any of this would be 'believable' for you a week ago?"

"Besides the nonsense chit chat? I guess nothing really fits in the 'believable' category to me" I said with a small laugh.

"See, stop trying to find a reasonable answer for everything, sometimes people just like food for different reasons than taste"

"That's literally the most nonsensical argumet I've ever heard about anything"

"And there's nothing you can do to change my mind about it" She smugly said "Now, get your rest, I'll scout the area for anything that might be potentially useful, or dangerous"

"You're heading off already? You barely finished your food. Not to mention that you haven't rested yet as well"

"Nah, I'm fine. And I won't take too long, so finish your lunch and get some rest. I won't stand you whining about not getting enough rest through the rest of the trip" She authoritatively stated.

"Okay, no need to treat me like a kid" I shot back.

She rolled her eyes "Look who's talking"

"It takes one to identify the other, so I'm allowed to complain about that, okay?" I playfully said.

She chuckled "Of course you do. See ya later, don't go missing me too much, okay?"

Now I rolled my eyes "I think I'll survive, plus I got some reading to do here, so thinking about you won't be that much of an issue"

"Sure, sure, keep telling yourself that..." She dismissively said, walking away into the woods.

After a while I finished my lunch, then grabbed my journal. Miquella and I worked on it together since we were kids, taking notes of random stuff and sharing with the other. Most entries are just notes on our experiments with magic.

The idea was to make a book out of it, but that idea ended up being just a big inside joke between us. The last time I wrote something in it was right before he and Mally left to the Haligtree, when I told him to give it back to me after he finished writing down the last few pages (He didn't).

The last entries were mostly about Mally's recovery, but I won't read those just yet. It feels a little too personal, even considering the current status of our relationship, so it's better to ask her for permission first.

Now, all I wanted to do was find something useful in his notes. Not that I'd be able to use any of his spells anyway, but maybe he left some kind of clue behind.

I knew he was worried about a second holy war against the Erdtree, so maybe he had a good guess as to who or what would attack us.

But unfortunately, anything he's written about the enemies of the Erdtree was either too brief to be relevant, or too incoherent to be useful.

Though something caught my attention in the middle of his latest entries. I don't like to find patterns where there probably aren't any, but Miquella seemed strangely obsessed with 'Shadows'.

It's nothing concrete, but he repeats that word at random spots during his transcriptions. He refers to the Dragons, the Death Rite, the Nox, and even the Frenzied Flame as 'shadows' from Marika's past.

It might be too much of a stretch, but these are desperate times, so what can I do? I will put more thought into that later, now I just hope Master Azur has something useful for us.

I sighed "You saved me once, Old man. Hope you can do it again..." I mumbled, looking at Raya Lucaria's silhouette in the distance.

I never thought I'd be back so soon.

~~~

"... And then he came back to my room, two glasses of lemonade in his hands. He hands me one and I just stare at him, waiting for an explanation"

"That boy..." I commented with a giggle.

Ranni was telling me a random story about Miquella, while I conducted our horse through the long western bridge to the Academy Town.

"Yeah. So I stared at his vacuous expression for about 30 seconds or so, he looks at me and says 'What?'. And so I loose my patience and shout 'My book, Goldy Locks! Y'know, the one you said you're gonna get for me more than 10 minutes ago, before you came back with lemonade instead! Does that ring a bell?!' And then he stops for a second and suddenly goes all 'Shit, I totally forgot about that, sorry...' blah blah blah" She finished, and we laughed for a while.

"Honestly, I thought you would be the exception to his lack of attention thing" I said as we got to the entrance to the Academy Town, going down the huge ramp that followed the curvature of the magical 'dam' protecting the city from collapsing.

If you're wondering how practical building a city in the middle of a lake by making an artificial crater sustained by magic alone actually is, be sure that you're not alone in that train of thought.

Seriously, these sorceress outdid themselves with this school. I get the advantages of having it like this, it's hard to invade and all, but c'mon, I wouldn't feel safe sleeping in a place that is one spell away from being flooded away.

Ranni sighed, bringing me back from my daydreams about this place "Unfortunately, some people are what they are, nothing much you can do, or even be to change that" She hopelessly stated.

"Yeah, tell me about it" I playfully retorted.

She scoffed "Please, you wouldn't change anything about me even if you could"

I rolled my eyes "I was still referring to Miquella, you self-centered ball of anger"

"Oh... I guess that makes sense" She mumbled embarrassedly.

"Yeah, yeah, that's what you get for jumping to conclusions without thinking twice, Witch. And that's rich coming from me, being the one who's usually doing that"

"Shut up, or I'll make you"

"Sure, whatever you say, but we're pretty much inside the Town now. Do you really wanna start flirting with me with so many witnessess around?"

I could feel her blushing without even having to look at her.

"Who taught you how to be so insufferable?" She said, crossing her arms behind me.

I just shrugged "This girl I know, pretty annoying if I'm being honest. Short, nerdy, jaded, you'd like her"

"Ha Ha. Very funny. And I'm not SHORT!" She said, bumping her fist on my back.

I just giggled "Yeah, and I'm not an amputee. There's nothing wrong with being short, Witch. A friend of mine is dating a girl that's shorter than her, and she told me that she really likes to bend down to kiss her, and her girlfriend doesn't seem to mind that as well. I think she likes to be towered by my friend" I said, as suggestively as I could.

And now I was sure Ranni's face was burning red.

"Seriously? You choose now to develop a sense of humor?" She protested.

I rejoiced in her little outburst "1: I always had a sense of humor; 2: I'm not using names, so the only way someone could pick up on anything weird about this conversation would be if you keep reacting to it like that"

I heard an annoyed 'hum' from her, but other than that she refused to give me any kind of response.

Shortly after we were moving through the crowded streets of the Academy Town. I don't know how well spread the news about the incoming war are, but the moral seems pretty high in here.

Unlike the Capital, there is more diversity amongst the folks that live in here. Most are still humans, sure, but there are a lot of Albinaurics living in here as well, most from the second generation, which is no surprise.

There are also a few Trolls as well, the Academy sheltered a lot of them, and eventually trained them on the ways of sorcery as well. Father told me how much of a pain it was to strategize around them during the war.

The architecture is quite different here as well, a lot more intricate and layered, mirroring the style of the school in the center. Overall, the place isn't that bad at all, except for the occasional looks of discrimination.

Call me crazy all you want, but 90% of sorcerers are assholes in my opinion. They love, and I mean LOVE to think of themselves as better than everyone else. Seriously, I'm lucky Ranni even shows me some semblance of decency every now and then, gotta thank Aunt Rennala for that.

Three sorcerer kids, and not a single complete failure of a human being? That's gotta be a miracle of some sort. But I digress, Ranni's been really quiet ever since we entered the Town, and as much as I enjoy the silence, this might be a good chance to have a nice conversation about her time here.

"So... Back in town, huh? How long has it been since the last time you were here?" I casually asked.

"Graduation, I guess" She answered without paying much attention to me.

"That long?"

"Surprised?"

"Well... A little, I guess... Your mother spends most of her time in the Academy, right? So I assumed you'd stay kinda close to the Town, even after graduation"

"Well, I didn't. That place was boring while I was in there, and it looks just as boring right now" Not exactly what I expected to hear, but it's not too far from it.

Let's test my luck a little bit "Is that so...? Was it just boring, or do you have another reason for not wanting to go back there?" I carefully asked.

She just sighed "Yes, there's a bit of that as well. Those rooms felt way more empty after Master Lusat left. Besides, most of my classmates were assholes anyway" Told ya.

"I see, no nostalgic feelings then?"

"Nah... Well, maybe a few, the coffee was really good"

I chuckled lightly "That's something, I guess. So, it's about half an hour until we reach the Academy, what do you want me to do while you talk to your teacher?"

She shrugged "Whatever you want. To be honest, I don't think you'll have much of a choice on the matter once we get there" She said, and I knew she was referring to Aunt Rennala, who will probably insist on being with me for as long as I'm in there.

I sighed "Yeah, right. Do you think she'll have time to focus on me? Y'know, with everything else she's probably dealing with right now"

"Considering our luck?" She mumbled.

I bowed my head in defeat "I know... But a little bit of hope wouldn't hurt..."

"So let's be hopeful then, but you know my Mother. She'll probably ditch everything else she has to do today to go check on you. I mean, considering everything you went through in the last four days, she'll feel kinda obligated to ask you how you're doing, offer you support, tell some random story about her youth, yada yada..." She said with a dismissive chuckle.

"Good Grace, I don't know if I can handle one of her lectures about how the war taught her the value of friendship or whatever it was"

She giggled "Welcome to my life, Sassy Pants. And don't forget, we're still just two 'friends' who somehow haven't managed to kill each other yet. You understand?" She asked authoritatively.

I sighed tiredly "Yes, I understand"

"Good. You keep her busy while I talk to Master Azur, I don't think that it'll take too long"

Now that she mentioned it, I realized that I have no idea what she's even going to do with him.

"So... He didn't say what he wanted with you, right? What do you think it is?"

"It's hard to say. That man is Master Lusat's only other 'friend' that I know of. I don't know much about him, except for the fact that he was probably the most powerful sorcerer in the world until Mother took that spot"

I laughed a bit "It took a literal god to take his spot as the best?"

"Makes you think, doesn't? But it gets more impressive. She only surpassed him because he wanted her to"

"What do you mean?"

"She was his only pupil. He took her in after my Aunt died. He said that she wasn't strong enough to rule Liurnia alone, so he taught her the ways of sorcery that only he knew"

"I see... But I forgot your mother ever had a sister. Father only mentioned it a couple of times, and never elaborated on it. He only said that she died when they were young"

Ranni nodded "Makes sense, Mother never talks about my Aunt. They were twins, she died when they were a bit older than us"

Another set of twins in our family tree, why am I not surprised...

"That must've been awful for Aunt Rennala..." I managed to say.

"It was, no wonder she likes you so much, she really sees herself and Aunt Rellana in you and Miquella. But don't let her know that I told you this, okay?" She said. And again, no surprises in finding out what her sister's name was.

I thought about that for a second, then everything made more sense.

"Damn... What happened to Miquella must've been really hard for her. It kinda makes me feel bad for how I treated her back when Mother and Father shattered the Elden Ring... I was so distant and..." I mumbled.

"Hey, don't even start. You couldn't possibly know this back then, you were shaken, and so was everyone else. So now focus on the present, okay? You'll talk to her today, so if you want a second chance to be supportive to her, there it is"

That got a small grin from me "Yeah, I guess you're right"

"That happens pretty often, and somehow you're always surprised" She playfully said.

I rolled my eyes "Yeah, I wonder why that is. Now let's hurry up. The sooner we get there, the better!" I said, getting our horse to trot.

"Woah! Calm down! You're not Radahn, y'know?" She exclaimed, almost losing all of her balance with the sudden speed up from the horse.

And so we continued towards the huge castle in the middle of the Town. My first time in a school, I wonder what it is like.

***

"This is the creepiest place I've ever seen" I stated, as Ranni and I walked through the literal graveyard leading to the main entrance to the Raya Lucaria.

She bumped my arm with her elbow "Show some respect, will you? Don't forget that this place was a fortress as well. Many of the corpses buried in here were killed by our Father" She scolded in a hushed tone, as our guide lead us towards the Headmaster's Room.

"Ouch! Fine, sorry... But you can't deny that for a school, this whole atmosphere is kinda unsettling, to say the least" I said, rubbing my left arm. I honestly get the impression that she walks on my left just to poke me where I can feel it.

She just shrugged "If you say so, but I'm not really unnerved by death and such. I mean, the only fear I could have is that they would rise from the grave, and everyone here died before that was a thing"

I chuckled "Well, when you put it like that, it kinda feels pretty silly to be bothered by a few tombstones"

"See? It ain't that bad. Don't be a crybaby like your brother, you're better than that"

"My- You mean Godwyn?"

"Who else. Rykard told me how little Godwyn was scared of his own shadow when they were little. I honestly don't know what kind of miracle turned that into an actual lord"

"A miracle called 'growing up' perhaps?" I suggested.

She shrugged again "Maybe. Hey, this is where we part ways" She said, pointing to a corridor beside us.

"Oh, okay. You'll go to your mother's room after you're done with Azur, right?"

"Missing me already?" She said with a smirk.

I scoffed "In your dreams, Witch. I was just wondering how long it will be until I'm stuck with you again" I shot back.

Our (or to be precise, mine) guide was a little taken aback by our behavior, but she didn't seem to care enough to say something.

"Yeah yeah, can't wait for that as well, you mouth breathing Troglodyte. See ya later" She said, waving her hand as she walked away without looking at me again.

"May we continue, Lady Malenia?" My guide, one of the interns here, politely asked.

"Oh, yeah, of course. Please, lead the way" I answered.

And so she walked me through the large castle, as I observed the many rooms and communal areas filled with students, reading, talking, casting (or trying to cast) some stupid blue rocks and such.

It looked so silly, and yet, a part ofme felt a bit... Jealous? Not that I ever wanted to be a sorceress or anything, and Ranni already told me how awful this place was for her, but I would be lying if I told you that I never wanted to go to a place like this.

I don't care what Ranni said, being around annoying people of my age sounds like a big improvement to me. Especially if you compare that to my actual late teens, y'know, when I couldn't be around anyone besides my family.

"Here we are, Lady Malenia" The guide said, as we reached the huge doors leading to what I assume is Aunt Rennala's Room.

"Oh, alright. Do you know if she's busy with something right now? I don't want to intrude"

"It wouldn't be any intrusion, Queen Rennala is waiting for you. May I announce your arrival?" She asked, moving her hand close to the handle.

I took a quick breath, then nodded "Sure, go ahead"

"My Queen, Lady Malenia The Severed is here to see you" She announced, after opening the door for me. I gotta do something soon to change that title, not that I care about titles, but I really need a better one.

Big Boy is 'The Redmane General', Mother is 'The Eternal', even Miquella is 'The Unalloyed', they all sound better than mine. I gotta kill a dragon or something if I want something as cool as that.

"Dear! Is so good to see you!" Aunt Rennala exclaimed, leaving her table to greet me with a hug.

"It's good to see you too!" I said, hugging her back "But it hasn't been even four days yet" I playfully said.

She chuckled a bit "I know, but you're my niece, and even if we're not blood related, I care about you just as much as I care about Ranni and the others" She said, backing off slightly to look at me "You don't look so well, are you and Ranni eating well?"

I rolled my eyes mentally, mothers be mothers I guess "Yes, we've been eating well, this is just the result of a day and a half on the road, no need to worry about that"

She sighed in relief "Sorry Dear, but I can't help it. I know that I sound like an old, over protective woman, so be patient with me, okay?" She said, almost sounding like she was begging me to kill someone for her.

I smiled back at her "It's okay, really. Everyone gets worried about that kind of stuff. Believe me, Ranni gave me plenty of reason to get nervous so far, so your worries are pretty justified" I commented with a small laugh.

She shook her head in amusement "That one. Seems like I handed you a more complicated task than I initially thought, sorry" She said, sitting on the edge of her desk.

"Don't be, it's always been like this with her" I retorted, taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of her desk.

"I don't know if I'm happy that you don't mind her... Temper, or sad that you're already so used to it by now"

I chuckled "I wouldn't go there if I were you, she's already pretty complicated when I don't try to understand our relationship"

She laughed back "I guess you're right. But you two seemed to have made some progress recently, haven't you?"

I stared at her with a stupid expression on my face for a moment before answering "Uuuh... 'Progress'? What do you mean?" I asked, trying to be dismissive.

"Oh, please. I've seen the way you two were acting at the wedding. She's opening up to you, I know that it might seem strange to hear that, but I know my daughter, she'll get easier to deal with if you give her the chance"

She's doing a little more than 'opening up' to me...

I did my best 'surprised but doubtful' reaction "You think so? I'm not really sure about that..." I said.

"Oh, believe me, Sweetheart, that girl wouldn't think about changing her color of shoes without me noticing it first, I know her like the palm of my hand" She stated confidently.

'Don't laugh, Don't laugh, DON'T LAUGH!' I screamed to myself mentally. It's really hard to keep my face straight while she's talking about Ranni like that.

"Is that so?" I asked naively.

She just nodded confidently "Trust me, you two will be as close as her and Miquella in no time"

'I'm gonna break, I'm gonna break, I'm gonna break... Think about something else, QUICKLY!'

I looked around for something to say, and eventually...

"I never knew you were a warrior" I said, referring to the portrait of her in a silver armor hanging on the wall behind her. Besides the huge bookshelves in her Room, there weren't many decorating items in here. That is if you consider books as 'decoration'.

She looked towards de painting.

"Oh... That is... That isn't me, Dear..." She melancholicaly answered.

'Shit!'

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just thought-" I began, immediately realizing who that person probably was.

"No, it's okay Dear, it's okay" She said reassuringly "That is my sister, Rellana. She died in battle when we were young. I believe your father might have mentioned her"

I nodded "He did... I-I'm sorry for your loss" I said "He told me that you had a sister, but he never said anything more than that"

"Well, he couldn't even if he wanted to. I don't talk about her often, even to him" She said, looking at the painting with an expression I couldn't quite discern in her eyes.

"We were inseparable, much like you and Miquella. She posed for that portrait two days before she left for a battle... She never returned" She said, her voice getting weaker with each word, as her eyes began to glisten with unshed tears.

"I'm really sorry for you... I can't even imagine how that feels..." Thinking about losing Miquella like that? Yeah, it never even occurred to me, and look where I am standing now.

She shook her head lightly "It's okay. I loved her while she was still here, and she knew that. Brood about losing her now would only taint those feelings, so it's better to accept what happened and keep moving on" She said, looking down for a moment.

"I understand... Some things are just better off left in the past" I said, trying to sound comforting.

I could see a faint smile on her lips, paired with, what now I realized was a nostalgic look in her eyes as she said "Yeah... Sometimes they are..." She wiped a single tear from her eye, then recomposed herself quickly "Now, let's talk about something else. You want some coffee, Dear?" She asked with a grin.

I smiled back "Sure! I heard that it's really good"

She grabbed the coffee pot resting over a silver platter on her table.

"Oh, it's the best. Here, I'll pour you some"

And so our conversation went on. I did my best to avoid talking about Ranni and I, but I won't be able to keep that up for too long, that Witch better hurry up with her teacher.

~~~

"It's open" Master Azur said, after I knocked on the door to his office "Good afternoon, Miss Ranni" He said, standing behind his desk, and looking outside his window. Seriously, Old man? No way in hell you were standing like that before I got here. Old sorcerers are such posers.

I got closer to his desk "How ya doin' Old man? Got something useful for me?" I casually replied.

"Perhaps I do, Young Ranni, perhaps I do..." He mumbled.

'Yup, as senile as ever' I thought, whilst rolling my eyes.

"Please, take a seat" He said, turning to face me "Tea?" He asked, gesturing to a pair of pots standing over his desk.

"I'm fine standing, and no, thanks. Coffee would be nice though, black"

He nodded "As you wish" He said, grabbing one of the pots to serve me some coffee "Don't you really want to sit down, little one?"

"I'm good, really. Don't know if you're aware, but we're kinda in the beginning of a war right now, my best friend just got kidnapped by Moon knows who, and I don't have much spare time to sit and enjoy your riveting old stories" I sarcastically replied, he just laughed.

He chuckled, his voice sounding just slightly raspy as usual.

"Oh, the wits of a young heart, it never fails to put a smile on my face. That is a curse, you know? Youth! The only curse most would happily bestow upon themselves if they had the chance. Isn't that funny?"

"I guess so... But why?" I said, faking curiosity. I don't really care about what he's gonna say, but he'll say it anyway, so why delay the inevitable? I only hope that he isn't gonna drag this for too long.

He smiled, while pouring the coffee into my cup "When you're young you feel so pressed to do everything while your bones are still steady, and your skin is still soft, so eager to 'make the most' out of your time. All of that just to live for as long as I did and realize that it isn't the body the most important thing you'll lose with time" And there he goes...

I sighed internally "And what is it?" I asked, taking a sip of my coffee.

"It depends on the person, but most people won't grow old without any regrets. The trip you never made, the love you never confessed, the battle you never fought, and so on... What we truly lose is the possibility of choice, my child. Old people don't have options, we only have consequences"

He doesn't look that old, but in these parts that doesn't really tell you much. His hair is still dark, no white in sight, his eyes are light green, and as far as I'm concerned he looks like a regular adult man. What gives away are his wrinkles, even if subtle, they make him look really tired.

He's probably 600 or 700 years old by now, definitely younger than Master Lusat, but it definitely feels like it's the other way around. Please don't tell me that I'll be this crazy at that age. Sometimes the shit he says doesn't even make sense.

Master Lusat talks like a middle aged man, experienced, sure, but still young in his heart. As for Master Azur, he talks like he was there to water the Erdtree after they planted it.

"That was... Insightful. But I'm not losing my time here today, but Miquella's, so can you please jump to the part where you give me the answer to all of my problems? Please?" I asked impatiently.

He chuckled "Is that what you expected?"

I sighed "It doesn't hurt to be a bit hopeful" I mumbled.

He paced around his desk, looking at the bookshelves as he drank his tea "Well, I'm afraid this time I'll be giving you way less than in the last time we spoke, my child"

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot, thanks for that, Old Man. It worked really well. She is really well"

"I'm glad to hear that, she came with you, didn't she?" He said with a smile "I'd love to see her now, she must've been really thankful to you"

I choked on the coffee.

"Miss Ranni?"

"I'm okay... Sorry..." I said between coffs.

"I see... Is there something wrong with your sister?" He worryingly asked.

"She's not my sister!" I quickly stated, then shifted to a quieter tone immediately "Sorry. I just... I don't really see her as my sister" I anticipated this conversation with him before, but that was before Mally and I...

"I see, my apologies, dear. But is there a problem? She is traveling with you from what I've heard, I know that you two weren't really close as you and Prince Miquella, but after what you did for her-"

"She doesn't know it was me" I blurted out.

He stopped in his tracks, staring at me in confusion. I didn't wait for him to ask about it.

"It had to be Miquella... He was the one trying to cure her for four years straight. It's not fair for me to just go there and take the credit for a work that was 90% his" I explained.

He sat on his chair, not averting his eyes from me. He stood there for a moment, absorbing what I just said before finally speaking.

"Well, that is certainly noble of you, my dear, but allow, if you will, an old man to add some inputs to your arguments. Firstly, it felt more like a 60/40 work effort ratio from my point of view. Secondly, even if it was only 10% of your contribution, don't you think she deserves to know what you did? That girl owes her life to what you and young Miquella did. From what you told me your relationship with her would've really benefited from an act of kindness as deep as that" He argued.

I sighed "I know, if I wanted her to like me, what better way than to help cure her from the worst disease known to man, right? But somehow that felt... Wrong. I never really cared if she liked me or not" Not until recently at least "But if she did, I would rather it be because of who I am as a person, not for something that I did. Which to be honest isn't really that much of a big deal, she needed help, I helped. She shouldn't like me for having empathy, I wouldn't like her if she did!"

"Do you really think that it was only empathy what drove you to seek my help? To spend hours and hours of restless research looking for something that could work in synergy with the Unalloyed Gold? That would seem like a pretty 'big deal' if you ask me"

"Well it wasn't, okay? I did something nice for her, she doesn't need to know, and you aren't telling her, okay?" I demanded.

He waved his hands in defeat "If you say so... But I really think you should consider what she would do if she finds out what happened from a source that isn't you, my Princess" He said in a careful tone.

I looked at him for a moment in hesitation.

"She won't" I finally said.

He sighed "Well, let's hope not. Now, the reason why I called you here" He said, grabbing a scroll from a drawer.

He handed me the old roll of parchment "A spell?" I asked.

He nodded "The most powerful spell I've ever created. Really hard to master, and even harder to use it effectively"

"How so?" I asked, opening the scroll to get my answer right after. The inscriptions were almost nonsensical, written in random patterns, as if the person who wrote it was having a stroke every three sentences or so.

Master Azur laughed at my instant frown "Quite the challenge isn't it? But don't be discouraged by the aspect of my humble work. It will make sense to you eventually, and if my assumptions are correct about the power of the Elden Ring inside you, this spell should work at its full potency once you have mastered it"

I stared at the inscriptions in confusion for a while "Sure... If you say so... What is it called?"

He just shrugged "I never named it. You may do the honors once you're able to cast it"

"I'm not good with names, but okay. What does it do?"

"It is the culmination of my studies about the Primeval Current and the deep void. The spell summons a torrent of pure negative Primeval matter" He proudly stated.

"The void...?" I parroted, slightly displeased "I don't really fuck with other currents of sorcery, y'know"

He raised an eyebrow, giving me a coy smirk.

'Shit! I did it again! Stupid habits...' I scolded myself mentally.

"Sorry, Master" I finally said in an embarrassed tone.

He left out a small chuckle, then shrugged "This isn't a class, and you're no longer my student. Don't be ashamed of speaking what is in your heart"

Well, that's a relief...

"As for your aversion towards anything that isn't Ice sorcery, I don't think that this one will be that different from the Ice, you'll see"

I closed the scroll "Well, I hope you're right. Thank you, Master" I said, moving towards the door.

"There's nothing to thank me for, dear. Think of this as... An act of empathy" He said with a giggle.

I groaned quietly "Fucking sorcerers" I said through clenched teeth.

He laughed as I exited the room. So this is all I got to find Miquella, a staff, which I don't use, a spell from a current that I also don't use, and the support of the most complicated relationship I've ever had in my life.

It could be worse, let's just hope Mally hasn't spilled the beans to my mother already. Stars, I never thought I could feel even more desperate to leave this place soon.

Chapter Text

"Anything interesting happened after Ranni and I left the Palace?" I asked Aunt Rennala, taking a sip of my coffee.

Surprisingly enough, I've managed to keep our conversation from going back to my relationship with Ranni so far, and as far as I can tell, Aunt Rennala still sees us as just two reluctant but functional friends.

"Not really" She answered, as she worked on some papers whilst we talked "We all left shortly after you two. Morgott was really worried about the possible traitor amongst the staff, so we all thought better to just leave him to it" She explained.

"I see, pretty busy first week as Elden Lord for him, huh? Gotta give the man some room to breathe" I said with a giggle.

She smiled briefly "He reminded me of myself when I took over the Carian Royalty, so young and inexperienced..." She sighed "Sure, I was less than half of his age when that happened, but the times were different back then. There wasn't too much politics, all you really needed to rule was an insurmountable amount of strength" She playfully said.

I rolled my eyes mentally 'I'm not sure if that's relatable enough for you to say it like it's some sort of common sense thing' I thought.

"Yeah, simple times" I playfully replied.

She noticed the hint of sarcasm in my voice "Don't get me wrong, it was actually pretty hard" She quickly added "But I was already a goddess by that point, and I had Rellana with me, so I wasn't completely alone at the top..."

I could feel the weight in her voice after mentioning her sister again, but she shrugged that off pretty quickly, so I thought that this might be a good time to ask her about Rellana.

"I don't... I don't wanna push you into talking about something you're not comfortable with or anything, but- I mean..." I began, not really sure of what I was even going to say.

"You wanna know about Rellana?" She said with a somewhat tender smile, trademark of her usual motherly behavior.

I just nodded embarrassingly.

I wanted to let go of that topic, I really did, but that goddamn portrait of her sister has been staring at me ever since I sat down here.

It was an honest mistake thinking that person was Aunt Rennala, I mean, besides the unusual attire and the long hair, the two are literally identical. The thing is, I got an eye for details in any piece of art that catches my interest, and boy, that portrait is immaculate in the amount of personality that it transpires through its pencil strokes.

People aren't really hard to draw, once you get the basics down it actually gets pretty intuitive, the tricky part is the goddamn details, those who add personally to a depiction of someone. A faint squint of the eyes, a hint of a grin, the light tilt of the head, all kinds of micro imperfections that make you, well, you.

Those kinds of details don't really come naturally to a seasoned artist, the reason for that being that your brain gets so used to the 'correct' way a face should look, without imperfections or anything too outstanding, that we subconsciously remove those minor imperfections if we aren't paying too much attention.

Not to mention that there's also our own style naturally adding small details here and there, so more often than not a portrait ends up being kind of intentionally lifeless in order to better capture 'reality', the less you add, the lower is the probability of messing it up. There is, however, a method used to get a more concrete image of someone's features in your head before putting them into the canvas, so you can achieve some sort of 'middle ground' between reality and interpretation.

A process that experienced artists frequently use before painting a portrait, talking.

It might surprise you how much of a difference getting to know the person you're going to illustrate beforehand makes. When you talk to someone and really pay attention to their mannerisms, interests, and the image that person wants to be perceived by everyone else, that's when their actual personality finds a way into your subcontinent, and eventually, into the portrait.

The difference between a portrait made with that in mind to one that didn't is shocking, and Rellana's portrait had a lot of subtle details that pointed towards that. Mostly subtle things, like the way her eyes pointed to the side, instead of staring directly forward, or into the distance in a more heroic way, or the few loose strands of hair here and there, another unusual detail in portraits of royalty, a not so subtle smirk, unusual to warriors, and so on.

Everything about the image of that woman represented on that wall told me one specific thing about her, she lived for the fight, in a way I could never imagine Aunt Rennala doing. So you can imagine my curiosity getting the better of me after analyzing that painting for so long.

"So, what about her got your curiosity, my Dear?" She asked gently.

'Okay, don't mess this up! Something simple...' I thought, whilst thinking about a good way phrase my question.

"Was she... Like you? I mean, was she a prodigy like you?" I carefully said.

Aunt Rennala gave me a brief grin, turning to take a glimpse of her sister's image behind her.

"She was... Actually she was like you" She finally said, turning back to face me.

I just looked at her in a mixture of surprise and confusion.

"Me?"

"Oh, yes. She had fire in her eyes, a thirst for battle like none other" A 'fellow troglodyte' as Ranni would put "But that alone isn't what resembles her in you. She was... An angel..." She said with a nostalgic hint of sadness in her eyes as they looked down.

"An angel?" I quietly echoed.

She nodded, lifting her gaze back towards my eyes.

"She floated like a feather in the battlefield, untouched, graceful, yet deadly and ruthless... She was magnificent..." She quietly said, and as it seemed like a single tear was about to fall from her eyes, she promptly shook that nostalgic melancholy off and gave me a smile instead "She was way prettier than me as well, obviously she had a better looking body than I did, being all athletic and everything, and the longer hair helped her get more attention as well, not that I cared back then" She commented with a giggle.

And so the mood was back to a more warm and welcoming one, I smiled back at her. I was still curious about my... Can I even consider her my Aunt as well? Aunt Rennala isn't blood related to me, so... Yeah, I guess that's fine. Anyway, I think I pushed my luck far enough for today, it was nice knowing that much about Aunt Rellana already, so I'll just keep up with her comments.

"Sounds like she was pretty popular, did she had any..." I began.

Aunt Rennala caught what I meant and just shook her head playfully.

"That one would give Ranni a run for her money. I mean, some brave souls even tried to court her, but my sister was too much of a wild animal to be tamed so easily" She said with a giggle.

I was about to laugh at that when the door was  swung open by, you guessed right, my own untamed wild animal.

"Am I interrupting anything?" Ranni asked, probably expecting a way worst scenario than a casual talk between me and her mother, and you know what? Fair enough.

"Absolutely not, Rosebud. Come in, I was just talking about your Aunt to Malenia" Her mother said with a smile "Have you talked to Azur? Got everything you need? Do you want some coffee?"

Ranni approach us, and this could be just an impression, but is she panting? Not that she's out of breath or anything, but she could as well have been not too long before she entered the room. Perhaps someone was in a hurry to get here.

"Yes; yes; and no, thanks, I just had some" She replied "So, anything else we need to do here before we can hit the road?" She asked me.

I looked at her in slight confusion "I... Do we?" I turned to Aunt Rennala, and she sighed.

"I'm afraid not, Dear. As much I'd love to prolong your stay here, there's no point in dragging this any further. You two are on a mission, so you should head out to find Miquella as soon as possible, which reminds me" She said, standing up and approaching us "Rosebud, do you already know where you two are going first?"

Ranni nodded, but didn't say anything. That caught me by surprise, 'cause as far as I was aware, we didn't have a clear destination yet.

"And you're not gonna tell me, are you?" Her mother added with a tired but somewhat amused expression.

Ranni just shook her head playfully, her mother sighed.

"Well, the best of luck for you two there. Wherever there might be" She finally said with a smile, giving her daughter a short, but warm hug.

"Well, it isn't crossing the street, that I can assure you, so we better head off whilst the sun is still in the sky" Ranni said.

I don't know if she could sound even more desperate to get as far as humanly possible from her mother right now, but she's certainly making it seem like she couldn't.

"Calm down, Witch, we can't just leave like this" I tried to reprimand her, but her mother raised a hand to stop me before I continued.

"It's okay, Malenia. Ranni is right, we already had a time for bidding farewell at the Castle, there's no need to repeat that here. You two are on a mission, and so am I. Hopefully I'll be receiving news from Godwyn tomorrow about how things are going in Stormveil, and hopefully the situation in there is still fine"

I raised an eyebrow "Oh, the Golden Boy's gotta do a report to the adults? Tell him that I said 'hi', and that he better not lose that castle to some random cult in the first week of the war. Be a shame if he loses the little fortress his father handed to our Mother on a silver platter" I playfully commented, standing up from my chair to stand beside Ranni.

Aunt Rennala smiled briefly, but quickly got defensive about him.

"Don't be so harsh on your brother, he's doing his best"

I waved a dismissive hand "Yeah, I know. But someone's gotta keep the the prodigal son from letting power get to his head, so Miquella and I like to give him a reality check from time to time"

She giggled "A 'reality check'? You kids are unbelievable"

"Don't blame us, he's the one who sucked every drop of grace from Mother's tits and left none for the rest of us" I replied matter of factually.

That got a shy chuckle from Ranni, but her mother just rolled her eyes in amusement.

"I'm pretty sure that's not how curses work, my Dear. But sure, I'll pass your message to your brother as soon as possible" I'm glad she gets it.

Don't get me wrong, I don't say these things to be mean or anything, it's just the way we are with Godwyn, well, Miquella and I at least. Convincing Good Boy Morgott, or Mood Killer Mohg to follow along with the joke about Mr. Perfect was completely out of reach for us.

"Thanks, really nice talking about your sister, maybe we can catch up on that talk next time" I said with a smile "If that isn't a problem, of course" I quickly added.

She just smiled tenderly "Not a problem at all, Dear" She said, giving me a warm farewell hug.

Shortly after, Ranni and I were leaving the room, and I couldn't help but wonder what was the Golden Boy up to at the South. Who knows, maybe we can make a quick stop there if our path aligns with his.

Now that I think about it, I never really stopped to think about how long this journey might actually be.

I sighed mentally 'Stay safe Golden Boy, I don't want to apologize to Miquella if anything happens to you'

~~~

South Liurnia, Earlier that day

"Permission to speak, My Lord?" Kristoff, my second in command, requested as we got closer to Stormveil.

"Granted, General" I replied, still feeling a bit tired from the trip back here.

"It is not my intention to overstep my boundaries, My Lord, but I can't help but wonder what should our forces expect from the incoming conflict. Pardon my witless assumptions, but if the enemy was capable of infiltrating the Royal Capital, and furthermore, the Palace itself without anyone noticing..."

"What are you insinuating, General?" I inquired.

I consider myself proud of cultivating a line of command in which my soldiers feel safe to express their concerns, which is easier said than done, as most of them are still intimidated by my position as their Lord.

Kristoff though, is an exception to that rule, that's why I like to keep him around, even if he still finds it difficult to voice out his concerns, I just feel glad that he tries to anyway.

He took a breath, probably to think of what exactly he wanted to say.

"All of the evidence points towards a traitor, My Lord. I hope to be wrong, but if that was actually the case..."

"How can we be sure that it was limited to Leyndell?" I finished for him "A wise assumption, General, no need to apologize for that" I sighed "Yes, there might be one, or possibly even more bad apples contaminating our orchard, so I'll need you to keep your eyes open once we get to the Castle. Checking our staff should be the top priority, and I need you to help me"

He looked taken aback "Of course, My Lord, but don't you think you're giving me too much credit? I'm not too familiar with the staff within the Castle, and you can't discard the possibility of me being the traitor in the first place"

I looked at him with a smirk "Oh, believe me, you're the number one suspect, my friend. Don't worry about the details. Fact is, once I can be totally sure that you're not the traitor, your help will be unprecedented to make the rest of the investigation really come along. Your role won't be limited to your knowledge of the staff, that part I can take care of by myself. Your part will be a lot more focused on other aspects of the interrogation" I explained.

"Other aspects?"

"I'll explain it to you once I'm certain that you're not a- Rat?"

He chuckled "That would be a good way to put it, Sir"

I shook my head "I wasn't referring to that, look" I gestured my head to the trail of rats that seemed to come from the Castle. My suspicions were confirmed once we got close to the entrance.

"Well, perhaps the staff finally found a way to get rid of those pesky critters" Kristoff commented, getting off his horse.

I ignored his comment, as my eyes kept studying the ever growing number of rodents coming out of the Castle grounds.

"I don't think that's the case, General..." I said, getting off my horse and crouching to take a better look at what those animals were doing "They don't look sick, neither seem to be chasing something from outside the Castle"

I stood up, moving towards the gate keeper, who had just opened the main gate as she saw us approaching.

"My Lord!" She saluted me.

"At ease, Soldier. How long has it been since the rats started behaving this way?" I inquired.

"This morning, My Lord" She promptly answered.

"I see..." I said, dusting off my hands, then turned to Kristoff, who looked worried about my newfound attention to the current situation.

"Sir?" He asked, with a hint of worry in his voice.

"Have you ever left the Lands Between, General?" I asked, moving to enter the Castle.

He hesitated for a second before answering "I'm afraid not, Sir"

"Never sailed anywhere?"

"No, Sir"

"Ever laid feet near the shore?"

"No, Sir"

"Well, there's an old saying amongst the sea folk, which originates from the sailors, and that got stuck in my head after my time learning how to fish in the West coast of Limgrave. 'You can track the health of a ship by its rats. Healthy ships have a few; Sick ships have many; Dying ships have none'" I said, and he looked at me in confusion "The rats are the first ones to abandon a ship right before it sinks" I explained.

"I see... That is quite... Unnerving, Sir"

"We're at war, General, better get used to it" He seemed a little embarrassed by that, but just bowed his head in response.

We walked towards the Throne Room, but before we got too far into the Castle, a servant approached me, looking slightly surprised, probably because she wasn't expecting to see me here so soon. She made a reverence.

"Yes?"

"My Lord, there is a... A woman who's been standing at the South Gate since yesterday. She's requesting an audition with you, My Lord. She insisted that it is a matter of utmost importance, and that we should warn your Majesty about her as soon as you arrive" Well, that's interesting.

"Waiting? For that long?" Kristoff asked.

"Yes, we suggested her to come back another day, but she insisted on staying on our door"

"And why isn't the Steward here to report that himself?" I asked.

"He's at the lower levels of the Castle, My Lord. Some soldiers informed him about a breach near the dungeons, it appeared last night during the storm, and seems to lead towards a cave system under the Castle, he's checking that out right now. He ordered me to inform you that in case he hadn't returned before your Majesty arrives"

"I see, a woman you said, all by herself?" I asked.

"Yes, we questioned what her motives were when she got here. She stated that she meant no harm, that she came from Summonwater Village, and is only looking for an audition as soon as possible"

"Have our troops inspected her for weapons or catalysts of any kind?" Kristoff said.

The servant nodded "She had nothing"

"Well, let's take care of her then. Kristoff, you can head out to the Steward, find him and get him ready for the interrogation, he's the second one on our long list of suspects. I'll catch up to you after I'm done with... Did she tell you what her name was?" I asked the servant.

"Fia, My Lord"

"Right, I'll see what she wants, meanwhile you may lead Kristoff towards this breach in the dungeons. Whatever it is, it'll have to wait"

And as I was about to leave towards the Main Gate, Kristoff intervened "Sir, are you really considering giving this woman an audition?" He asked in concern, understandably so, now isn't the best time for random auditions with the common folk, but something about this whole situation got my curiosity up.

"I won't let her in, General, but if she is indeed one of our subjects, I owe her the benefit of the doubt" I explained.

"I see, my apologies, My Lord" He bowed his head.

"I told you before, didn't I? There's nothing wrong with voicing your concerns, General" I said with a smile "Now go. We still gotta check on the situation with the Steward before sending a report to our allies, which hopefully will be done by tomorrow" I said, with a hint of exhaustion in my voice.

"As you wish, My Lord" He said, making a small reverence.

And so I headed towards the Main Gate to meet this mysterious 'Fia from Summonwater', if I'm not mistaken, that's the village on the way to Caelid, right? It's not a short ride, and she's been waiting by the gate since yesterday? Whatever it is that this Fia wants, it must be really important.

As I walked through the corridors of the Castle, I couldn't help but notice a certain amount of tension amongst the servants. Perhaps the news about what happened to Miquella and our parents have traveled faster than I did, which wouldn't be anything new if I'm being honest. But the sheer anxiety lingering in the air told me that it couldn't be just that, something else is disturbing my Castle.

I opted for an unconventional route in favor of closing that distance as fast as possible, so I couldn't get an extended look at my staff's current situation, but what I saw was enough to make really worried about what happened in here while I was gone. Everyone seems... Antsy.

Soon enough I reached the Main Gate.

"My Lord!" The Commander in charge of protecting the southern portion of the Castle saluted me.

"At ease. It came to my knowledge that we have an unexpected visitor in our door. Mind giving me the details, Commander?" I said, approaching the balustrade to have a look at the path leading towards th Castle.

As expected, the narrow pathway connecting Stormveil to Limgrave was deserted as usual, save for a cloaked figure sitting in front of the tunnel leading towards the Castle's outer entrance.

"She arrived yesterday, My Lord. No weapons, tools, talismans, or anything else besides her clothes. She stated her intentions as soon as she arrived, to have an audition with your Majesty. She sounded quite impatient, but remained very cordial and respectful regardless. We told her about your absence, and she simply said that she'd wait outside. I thought it was better to let her in, at least inside the tunnel, so she wouldn't get caught by the storm last night" He explained.

I listened to his report whilst analyzing that woman, dressed in black from head to toe, she looked strangely calm.

"You did right, Commander. We might not know who or what she is, but we can't deny shelter to someone who approached us with nothing but respect and humility, especially if she's actually one of our own" I commented.

"Should we let her in, Sir?" The Commander asked.

"Not yet. I'll go have a talk with her first, see if she's actually just a subject who's got a request. Open the Gate, Commander"

He nodded "As you wish, Sir"

Shortly after I was exiting the gate, being met with the sight of the, now standing, woman in black robes.

I approached her carefully, not getting too close, but still close enough to have a better look at her. The first thing I noticed were her feet, bare and dirty 'Did she walked all the way here like that?!' I thought.

The second thing that caught my attention was her body language, standing upright, confidently, but still looking harmless, with her hands clasped in front of her like a housemaid, which already gives me war flashbacks from Lucia back at home.

"My Lord" She said, bowing slightly in reverence, the black hood on her head covering most of her face, so it was hard to read her.

"Fia, right?" I asked, and she nodded briefly.

"It's an honor to finally meet you, Lord Godwyn"

"The honor is mine, believe me. Seems like you had a pretty rough trip just to have an audition with me. The least I can do is admire your determination. Is everything okay? Summonwater isn't exactly turning around the corner" I asked.

"I am fine, Lord Godwyn, thank you for your concern. But if you may excuse my bluntness, the matter I came here to discuss today is not of a fortuitous nature" She said, moving her hands to take her hood off.

"Is that so? Is it related to your village?" I asked as she removed the dark piece of cloth to reveal the ashen blonde strands of hair that framed her pale face. Her eyes were just as pale, clear blue spheres that transpired a weird sense of indifference, she almost reminds me of the Little Witch.

She shook her head lightly "There's nothing to do with my village. What I came here to discuss is a threat unlike anything you've seen before" Great, as if I didn't have enough on my plate already.

I frowned slightly "And by that you mean..."

"The outer gods are making their moves, My Lord. I'm not aware of what happened in Leyndell at the end of Golden Week, but your premature return to this part of the continent implies that some of them have already revealed their hands" Who is this woman?!

"How do you know something happened at Golden Week?" Morgott should've been announced as a temporary Elden Lord only yesterday if everything went according to plan, which means the information about what exactly happened at Rykard's wedding should not be public yet, at least not to someone who's been sitting outside of a castle since yesterday.

"I felt it, My Lord, the Rune of Death was unsheathed once more. I assumed that only a real threat would make Queen Marika reap another life after so long"

'She felt the- What?! Who is this woman?!' I exclaimed internally.

"I'm trying to make some sense out of what you're telling me, Lady Fia, but so far your words keep raising more questions than answers" I said, backing off slightly, suddenly this woman feels way more dangerous than I initially thought.

The fact that she's telling me all of those things without any apparent means of defending herself is really unnerving. Regardless, she remained polite and continued.

"I see how this might be a lot to take in at first, My Lord, but believe my words when I tell you that there's an evil presence growing inside this fortress' walls"

"And why should I trust someone who shows up out of nowhere on my door? Specially someone who claims to have knowledge about the intentions of the outer gods, and warns me about a rising threat within my walls?" I questioned her.

"Those are fair claims, My Lord, I wouldn't trust myself based on what I've given you so far as well" She said in a soft tone, then looked me right in the eyes "I am a Deathbed Companion, a servant to the god of Death. My purpose is to guide troubled souls to the next plain of existence and guarantee them a peaceful rest. That is, if your mother hadn't sealed away Destined Death. I have a connection to the Rune of Death, that's how I knew something happened during the last day of Golden Week"

"I see. I've heard about Deathbed Companions before, there's not many of you left in the Lands Between as far as I'm aware"

She looked to the side with a sad squint of her eyes "A world without Death has no place for us, so most of them accepted the offer to become Tarnished before I was even born" So she's younger than me.

"May I ask why you didn't follow them?"

"I was tempted to... So I prayed to my God for guidance, and the answer I got brought me here, the eye of the storm. I was guided by an affliction, the putrid scent of the Deathblight, rising from within these walls"

"Deathblight?"

"A curse, bestowed upon this land by the spirits of those who refuse, both the grace of gold and the embrace of the eternal sleep"

"Spirits? You mean..."

"Those who live in death. Living corpses, hidden in the dark, waiting for an opportunity to rise and spread their scourge upon the land"

"And you're saying that these spirits are here in Stormveil?"

"Precisely. I can feel their essence within these walls like I can feel the Rune of Death every time it is released. Some unspeakable evil is squirming at the foundation of this castle, My Lord, and I am the only person capable of stopping it"

I took a moment to ponder about everything she said. There aren't many solid evidences supporting her claims, but the one thing that's making me think twice about sending her back the way she came is the goddamn rats.

Also, there's that mysterious breach in the dungeons, too many coincidences in one place if you ask me.

"You told me that you serve the god of Death, is that correct?" I asked, and she nodded "How can I be sure that this whole thing isn't just some elaborate scheme to bring your outer god to power after you stab me in the back?"

"The God of Death is not interested in power, My Lord. Its very nature transcends such mundane ambitious. Death, even if no longer a reality in the Lands Between, is still tied to the circle of life itself. My God wishes only to keep the balance of this world, and those who live in death are disturbing that balance" She explained.

I thought about that for a few seconds, this is really not what I was expecting for my first half an hour back at the Castle. On one hand there's nothing too suspicious about her story, but admitting it to be the truth, or even a mere possibility implies that Stormveil is no one safe for me, nor to my men. And if I can't guarantee their safety from within, our situation becomes a little more complicated than I predicted.

I sighed "Okay, look, this-"

"My Lord!" The Commander shouted from inside the gates.

I turned abruptly "What is it?"

"Deathblight" Fia whispered.

"It's General Kristoff, Sir. He returned with Lord Haight, they were attacked in the dungeons" He paused "He's wounded, and... Lord Haight is dead, Sir"

'Fuck me, this day can't get any worse' I thought, immediately cursing myself for even thinking those words.

"I told you, Lord Godwyn" Fia said, with an added urgency to her quiet tone "Please, let me help you. If the situation is as bad as I think it is, every second is precious. Believe me, you need to take me to the source of the scourge"

I stared at those silver blue eyes, previously filled with indifference, now presented themselves with a pleading anguish. I don't know if this woman actually wants to help me, but she definitely looks like someone who's suffering with each second that we spend out here.

I sighed "You'll stay close. Anything too suggestive from you, Lady Fia, and I'll make sure that you spend the rest of your life locked inside an airless concrete box. Are we understood?" I stated firmly, and she nodded without even flinching.

"Open the gates, Commander!" I demanded, as I took Fia with me inside Stormveil, hopefully this won't backfire as soon as I enter those gates.

The servant who arrived with the news about Kristoff and Lord Haight led us to the infirmary. The sight our eyes were met with once we got there wasn't easy to digest.

William Haight, a loyal servant of the Golden Lineage in Limgrave and a good friend of mine was a tall and charming fellow, a trustworthy pick for taking care of my Castle while I was away. He was a decent man, one of the few nobles who I'd dare to address as such.

What lies over the infirmary cot right now can't even be described as anything that resembles a human, even less as what was once a noble Lord. His body seems to have been impaled from the inside out by some kind of dark thorns, which were also erupting from all over him. Not only that, his whole figure was rotten like a corpse that's been dead for several weeks. If it weren't for his garments, I wouldn't even be able to identify him.

"This is even worst than I thought..." Fia whispered from beside me.

"Do we know what caused this?" I asked the soldiers who I assumed were the ones who brought them here.

"We're not completely sure, Sir. About twelve minutes after General Kristoff entered the breach we heard noises that resembled his lighting attacks. We entered the breach as well, only to find General Kristoff carrying Lord Haight's body towards the exit a few meters inside the cave. He was severely wounded, and..." The soldier said, as I finally noticed the bloody figure out Kristoff lying on the cot next to William's body.

"Soldier?" I asked, as the soldier seemed unable to finish what he was gonna say.

"They were being... Pursued, Sir... By..."

"Eyes!" The other soldier cut him off, sounding like someone who just saw a ghost.

"Eyes?" I inquired.

The second soldier looked a bit unsure, but continued "Y-yes, Sir. It was dark, but I caught a glimpse of the creatures... They were staring at me, gigantic sets of eyes lurking in the dark" He said in a shaky voice.

"Don't be ridiculous, Edwin!" His fellow soldier exclaimed "I looked at those things, they had limbs, dark and slimy limbs, they weren't some mystical sets of floating eyes" He argued.

"I know what I saw! They were-"

"Basilisks" Fia stated, approaching the mass of thorns that once was my friend.

The room went silent as she approached the body. She reached out her hands to cup it's face, lowering her head over it and saying a few words that I couldn't distinguish.

I noticed one of the soldiers about to gesture for her to stop, but lifted my hand to stop him first.

Soon after, a subtle wave of light seemed to emerge from the spot where their heads were touching. A moment later, the thorns emerging from William's body slowly began to deteriorate.

After they were all gone, Fia backed away from the body, and I could notice her wiping a single tear from her eye.

"You can bury him now. His corpse was infected with the Deathblight, it would slowly deteriorate any vessel in which you store it if it was left that way, that added to the fact that it would keep his body from ever restoring itself completely"

As the room all looked at her in a mixture of surprise and confusion, I was the first to ask.

"So he wouldn't be able to be reborn in grace?"

She shook her head.

"He would be reborn, Lord Godwyn, that I can assure you, but it wouldn't be by the grace of the Erdtree"

The stone cold way she uttered those words would be enough to make a grown man have nightmares for the next few days.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

She looked me in the eyes.

"What I mean, Prince, is- DUCK!"

Half a second later, my brain connected the dots, as the cold breeze on my nape made my instincts kick in out of reflex. I barely escaped the precise swing that got a few of my strands of hair.

As I ducked to avoid the sneak attack from behind me, trying to think about what could've been the source of that strike.

My head ran a thousand miles per second as I considered the options, I didn't have my back turned to any entrances so it had to be someone in here, all of my soldiers and Fia were standing in front of me, so it wasn't a traitor, that only left...

"General?!" I soldier shouted.

As I turned to face my aggressor, the sight that met my eyes made my stomach instantly drop.

Kristoff was suddenly standing up and had drew his sword, which he waved a couple more times before my guards immobilized him.

After I backed away to avoid his further strikes, I couldn't help but stare at him in disbelief. That man was not even conscious a moment ago, how did he manage to get that close to landing a hit on me?!

"By the Greater Will, General, what's got into you?!" One of the soldiers subduing him shouted.

All Kristoff did was groan like a wild beast, and then I noticed. His skin was dark, his features were noticeably more angular, it was almost like his body was decomposing before our very eyes. Something about that sent something cold through my spine, something I haven't felt in quite a while, fear.

"Kristoff, look at me! What happened to you? Who did this?" I desperately said, as I tried to find some semblance of conscience within his eyes, but what I found there instead almost caused me to puke.

His eyeballs melted into a black putrescent secretion, being replaced by two deep voids that were filled by silver flames. He began to scream, his movements getting more frantic as he kept struggling to release himself from the soldiers' grasp.

He kept squirming like a madman, growling and shrieking until his voice faded into nothingness. His face degraded into a ghoulish distorted expression devoid of flesh. At that moment I saw as every inch of life seemingly left his body, leaving it as empty husk of what once was a man.

I was completely still, staring at that nightmare come to life.

"Sir... What should we do?" One of the soldiers asked, struggling to keep Kristoff from breaking free.

I couldn't bring myself to react, standing completely frozen in my place. Suddenly I felt like the whole world was crumbling and being reconstructed around me, even the air around me felt hard to breath. It's like I've forgotten how to respond to anything.

"My Lord...?" The soldier insisted, as any words died before I could utter them.

Noticing my inner turmoil, Fia stepped forward, grabbing a scalpel from one of the tables in the room and promptly stabbing Kristoff in the head, to the surprise of everyone in the room.

Kristoff stopped moving, but the silver flames kept coming out of his eyes and recent injury. That sight brought me out of my trance.

I turned to Fia "What did yo-"

"He's gone, Prince" The woman cut me off with an authoritative tone "I warned you, they want to spread the Deathblight, just like a tumor that consumes the other cells" She turned to the soldiers "He cannot be buried, his body accepted the scourge of the Deathblight and will regenerate soon, cuff him and take him away. He's one of those who live in death now, can't be buried, so burn him into ashes"

"Bur- Are you insane?! Who gave you the authority to give orders to my soldiers? Besides, if you burn him he won't be able to be reborn!" I protested.

She turned to me "You give the orders, but he's already incapable of being reborn" Fia shot back, looking at me with a stone cold glare "His friend will live again, he was only touched by the scourge, but he..." She looked down with a hint of regret on her face "He is completely consumed by it. There's only two paths for his soul now: Stay at the Erdtree, or be embraced by Destined Death. That's what lurks beneath the dungeons, My Lord"

Everyone took a moment to process what Fia said. A fate worst than death itself awaited those inflicted by whatever it was that attacked Kristoff. That fate resides in the depts of my Castle, and so I realized...

"What happened to the breach?!" I exclaimed to the soldiers "What happened after you took Kristoff and William out of there?!" I impatiently asked.

They both faltered slightly "It's blocked, Sir. We  used some rocks to block it temporarily, and asked the soldiers who remained there to reinforce it" That's a relief.

"Okay..." I began, giving myself some time to breath "Now, what we need is-"

Kristoff reemerged in a spasm of chaotic rage, moving to grab Fia, and before I could even think about what I was seeing, my body moved out of pure instinct.

It all happened too fast, suddenly I felt the cold wet sensation that coated my closed fist. Next to my elbow was Fia's face, breathing unevenly, as she stood in shock. Behind her was Kristoff's exploded head, my fist buried in the middle of it, the cold silver flames still coming out of it.

I pulled my hand out of his head, he fell on the floor, the disgusting black goo that filled that monstrosity began to spread across the floor, intoxicating the room with the putrid essence of a rotting corpse.

I took that horrid atmosphere in, then turned to the soldiers.

"You heard her, cuff him and burn it down" I ordered, still breathing heavily from the sudden adrenaline rush.

"Y-yes, Sir" One of the soldiers said.

"The rest of you, take care of William. Send a message to Fort Haight about his death" I said, then turned to Fia "Are you okay?"

She hesitated, but nodded.

"Good, now come with me, I'll find you a room"

I could sense the confusion in the eyes of my soldiers as I said that, so I turned to them.

"Spread the word, until we figure out what's happening beneath the dungeons, the Castle will remain sealed, no one gets in, no one leaves. Be ready for the worst, our war has already begun"

Chapter Text

"So, that went way smoother than I expected, don't you agree?" Mally asked me, as we exited the main gate of Raya Lucaria.

"I wouldn't be so quick to celebrate, we're still technically inside the school. I'll feel safer once we've crossed the bridge" I replied, as the stablehand stopped with our horse in front of us.

"Fair point... Oh, that reminds me, where are we even heading? You seemed pretty confident about our destination when your mother asked about it earlier"

"Yeah, I was just being dismissive. I don't really know where it is yet" I said, and she stared at me in disbelief "Relax, I got a general sense of where we have to go, I just didn't wanna tell Mother where Master Lusat is" I explained.

"What's the big deal with her and your master?" She asked, while checking to see if everything was okay with our baggage and supplies.

"Old disagreements, I guess. They never really liked each other, so what can you do? I avoid even mentioning him in front of her nowadays" I explained.

She turned to face me in surprise "Woah, is it that bad? But wait, that doesn't really add up. Wasn't she the one to bring him to teach you about magic when you were young? How can she go from trusting him that much to not even wanting to hear his name now?" She asked.

I shrugged "Who knows. My guess is that she respected him as a teacher, he was unconventional, but undeniably brilliant, so he got a pass. The thing is, my Mother's patience would only get him so far, eventually he would be more of a liability than a resource, and when that happened, well..." I trailed off. The memory of him leaving still lingering in my mind.

Mally promptly noticed that, putting a hand on my shoulder to comfort me "I know, sorry for bringing that up" She said. 

"It's fine" I smiled at her, now we were the only ones standing in front of the entrance, so I could allow myself to be a little nicer to her.

"So, how does the magic staff works? Do we give it a spin and go in the direction in which stops, or..." She playfully suggests.

I rolled my eyes in amusement "Nothing that complex, Sassy Pants. When he gave me the staff he said that it had a natural attraction to him, a sort of push, subtle enough so it would go unnoticed by most, but noticeable enough so I would know how to use it to track him down" I explained.

"Why didn't you explained that to me before?" She asked, hopping on the horse.

I shrugged "You never asked. Plus, no much use in telling you that whilst we still had to stop here first" I explained.

She looked mildly annoyed, but accepted my argument "Okay, fair enough. So, where is it pointing towards now?" She asked, and so I reached to grab the staff attached to the saddle.

"Gimme a second to be sure, I don't wanna have to backtrack midway through our path" I said, holding the staff in both hands and closing my eyes to focus on the subtle wave of energy calling it towards its master.

I did the same thing shortly after leaving Caria Manor, and once again when we got closer to the Lake Town. Luckily for us, the staff seemed to point towards the south, which I was already expecting.

If my Master wanted to be left alone, the best places to achieve that would be either the Weeping Peninsula, or, if he was completely insane, the Dragonbarrow.

Unfortunately for me, the latter seemed to be his pick.

"South... East..." I said, trying to visualize the map of the Lands Between in my head "He's still pretty far, but I'm pretty sure he's at Caelid somewhere" I finally said.

"Caelid?" She asked.

"Either that, or he's in the middle of the ocean between here and there" I shot back, putting the staff back at its place in the saddle.

"Sheesh, I just wanted to be sure" She said apologetically.

"Sorry. It'll get more precise as we get closer to it, but so far, yeah, we're heading to Caelid" I explained.

I hopped on the horse behind her, and I could feel she was frustrated with our new destination.

"What?" I asked, as we began to ride the horse across the long eastern bridge connecting the Academy to East Liurnia.

She sighed "I was thinking about saying 'hi' to Godwyn on the way there, but Stormveil is too much of a detour, so better luck next time, I guess" She explained.

"Aaawnn, someone's missing the big bro already" I said, poking her lightly on the sides of her belly.

"Shut up! I just wanted to say hi" She shot back, and I just giggled.

"Relax, there's no shame in missing him, y'know, I kinda miss Rykard and Radahn sometimes as well"

She scoffed "No, you don't"

I shrugged in agreement "No, I don't. Buuuut my point still stands. If I missed them, there wouldn't be anything wrong with that" I argued back.

She laughed back "Yeah, sure. So, what do you think? We find your master in the middle of the swamp, get him to sober up from all the opium he's probably been smoking in there all these years, ask him about the Eternal Cities, and hopefully he can give us some useful advice on how we can find Miquella? Sounds like a good plan" She said, as we made our way through the bridge.

I couldn't tell if she actually meant that, or if she was just being sarcastic, so I opted for giving her the benefit of the doubt.

"Glad to know that we're on the same page" I commented.

She shrugged "It would be kinda hard to make this whole partnership thing work if I wasn't, don't ya think?" So she actually trusts my plan, that's a relief, I guess...

"Yeah, I guess it would..." I mumbled

"Didn't think I would admit that your plan was good, didn't you?" She playfully said, turning her head to show me the subtle smirk on her face.

I could feel my face getting warm, but I didn't lose my composure.

"I'm actually impressed. Just a few days traveling with me and your I.Q. is almost at a middle schooler level" I replied.

"What can I say, maybe your theory about getting smarter just from being inside a school actually had some weight to it" She joked.

I chuckled "I wouldn't go that far, but sure, perhaps I was onto something back then"

"Yeah, what about your teacher, what did he give you?" She asked.

"A random spell, he said it was his strongest sorcery, so it's probably good" I said.

"Sounds useful. Gotta be a hell of a spell if he insisted that you have it"

"Yeah, it probably is. I wouldn't get my hopes high though, I still need to decipher what the hell is even written in that scroll"

She chuckled "Bad handwriting?"

"I wish it was only that" I exclaimed in frustration "His inscriptions look like the abstract representation of what you see right before having a stroke" I said, and she laughed.

"C'mon, it can't be that bad"

"It's worse, but enough about that. What did you and Mother talked about while I was with Azur?" I asked.

She took a moment to answer.

"Regular stuff, random stories about your brothers, she mentioned the time she broke her wrist during a hike, I asked about your Aunt" She simply said.

"Just that?" I inquired.

She thought for a second "Oh, and I also described in extreme detail the feeling of shoving my tongue down your throat, y'know, just to break the ice" She shot back, giving me a maniacal grin.

"HaHa, very funny. Good to know you're still not giving a fuck about making those jokes in public" I scolded her.

She scoffed "Don't get so cranky, Witch. We're in the middle of a bridge, the closest living soul is at that wagon there" She said, gesturing her head to a wagon ahead of us, which to her credit, was actually pretty damn far away.

"Still... I don't want you to be so careless about us while we're out in the open" I mumbled.

"Oh, c'mon, no one really knows who we are out here. I never made any public appearances, and you're aren't exactly the most outgoing person in Liurnia from what you've told me, so as long as we keep a low profile I think we're fine" She argued.

I thought about that for a second.

"That... Actually makes some sense..." I sighed "Fine, I can give you that. Joke about us if that's what your heart wants, but keep your hands to yourself until we're all alone"

She scoffed "Look who's talking, you're the one who's obsessed with my boobs" That caught me off guard.

"I'm not- I only do it because you seem to like it so much..." I argued back, not too confidently though.

Truth be told, I am kind of over fixated on her breasts, sue me, I don't care. It's not like it's my fault, right? I mean, they're right there in front of me, what am I supposed to do? Just leave them be?

Actually I'm annoyed that I only got to play with them once since we left Caria Manor, and it wasn't even anything more than that, I just teased her a little, nothing more. Yesterday we were a little too focused on getting to the school as soon as possible, so none of us were really in the mood to try anything later that night. I hate to admit this, but I'm getting a little touch starved since what happened between us in Caria Manor.

All that said, I won't let her have her fun at how easily her body affects me, so I'll die in this hill, but I won't let these urges get the best of me and make me jump on her the first chance I get, I'm better than that... Right?

"Yeah, sure, I'm the one who keeps luring you into temptation with my lascivious body, 'cause you're so gullible" She sarcastically shot back.

"Still not hearing any valid arguments against that" I simply stated.

She rolled her eyes "As if you could actually listen to anyone who disagrees with you"

"If I stop being right, I'll stop disagreeing" I simply answered.

She couldn't stop a snicker of disbelief from emerging on her face.

"You're unbelievable. What did I even see in you?" She commented.

I shrugged "The brains you never had?" I suggested, and after a short moment while she tried to remain serious, we both bursted out laughing.

***

It was almost twilight when we stopped to get some rest, nothing fancy, just another temporary campsite hidden in the woods.

We're at the eastern side of Liurnia now, it'll probably be another day or two of traveling until we reach the bridge to Limgrave. I'm a little more used to the constant horse riding by now, but it's still pretty tiring, so I'm just boiling some simple stew for us while Mally is scouting our surroundings as usual.

This has been a pretty smooth ride so far, sure I'm expecting things to get way more complicated after the outer gods finally show their hands and everywhere turns into a battlefield, but while things are still relatively calm, I can bring myself to enjoy them.

"So, everything okay?" I asked Mally, as she returned to our campfire.

She shrugged, taking a seat beside me "We're good for now. So, what's in the menu for tonight?" She asked, reaching out to take off the lid from the pot resting over the campfire.

"Careful there, it's already hot" I warned her out of reflex.

She smirked, waving her prosthetic hand.

"Oh, right, forgot about that" I commented with a soft giggle.

"Smells pretty good, you did all that using just the supplies we brought?" She asked, going back to her little peek under the lid.

I nodded proudly "You don't need anything fancy to cook something good"

She whistled in admiration "Consider me impressed, I never cooked anything so elaborate when I was camping by myself"

"I'm afraid to even ask, but what did you usually prepared for yourself then?"

She put the lid back on, looking up in thought.

"Berries, nuts, but mostly small game, rabbits, squirrels and so on" She answered.

"High protein, huh? Why am I not surprised" I playfully commented.

"What can I say, a warrior needs meat" She said, flexing her left bicep, and I just rolled my eyes playfully.

We stood there for a few minutes, I checked on the stew, she cleaned her sword, and then something caught my attention.

"We gotta cover your arm" I said, and she perked her head, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Hm?" She said, probably too focused on her current task to understand what I said.

"Your arm, as much as you haven't made any major public appearances, people know that you don't have one of your arms. Sure, you're probably not the only redhead who's got a prosthetic, but still, better not count on our luck that much" I argued.

"Makes sense... Okay, got any pair of gloves I can borrow?" She asked.

I frowned "I guess... But wait, didn't you bring any?"

"Not any pairs, I got a few left hands, but y'know..." She said, waving her prosthetic to me for the second time.

"Oh, right. Um, yeah, I have a spare pair in my bag, you can grab that later" I said.

"Thanks. So, how long until the stew is ready?"

Here we go again...

"I'll let you know when it is, Sassy Pants, no need to worry" I said.

She huffed "Fine, I won't ask again"

"Thank you, now go back to your sword"

She grabbed her katana, analyzed it for a second, then sheathed it right after.

"It's already clean" She said dismissively.

"Yeah, not like you've used it or anything" I commented, while stirring the stew.

"Yeah, tell me about it, we better find some action soon, I need to make my blood pump before I get too rusty" She complained.

"I wouldn't get so bored by our precious moments of peace if I were you. Not every adventure needs to put your life at risk"

She sighed tiredly "I know, but this is sooo boring. Let's talk about something, anything, just distract me, please"

Anything? Now that's tempting. There are a few things that I've been thinking about asking her for a while now, but if I had to pick one...

"'Anything'? I don't want to make you uncomfortable, so set your boundaries now" I said, better safe than sorry.

"Nothing sexual" She promptly said.

I rolled my eyes "Fine" It wasn't sexual anyway.

"So..." I shifted to a more reserved tone "I never really talked to you about this, but... How was it like? Having the Scarlett Rot within your body for so long?"

She shifted to sit up straight "Woah, not what I was expecting" She said in surprise.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to- I've been reading Miquella's notes about your treatment, and he- I mean, it's really vague, and I got curious, and-" I stumbled upon my words.

"Easy, Witch. It's fine, I don't mind you asking me" She said reassuringly.

"Oh, okay" I replied, slightly embarrassed.

She took a breath to think about something "Well, let's start with the pain. You got a front row seat during the last time the Rot manifested itself, so you can attest to that, but basically it hurts like your whole body is on fire. The Unalloyed Gold helped a lot though, reducing the pain during the second and third manifestations, and practically nullifying it the rest of the time" She said.

"So, the first time was the worst in therms of pain? I can't even imagine how it must've been, you were only twelve...." I commented, then hesitated before continuing "When I saw you losing your eyes it almost felt like... Like you were gone" I quietly finished.

"Yeah... For some time I wished I was. The first time was probably the worst, but I wouldn't be able to remember. It happened so fast, and it was so intense that the only thing I remember about it is a sharp pain in my arm, then suddenly I woke up at the Castle's infirmary... Miquella was there" She said.

"I remember the first time he talked to me about that, he hadn't slept in days" I commented.

She sighed "That lasted for a while until Godwyn forced him to get some proper rest. Actually the Golden boy was the first one to theorize that Miquella was probably cursed as well, but it took some time until any of us could notice that he wasn't aging anymore" She explained.

"Guess you really got the short and of the stick then"

She shrugged "I don't mind, I would've chosen the Rot willingly if it meant that he would be fine. Now, going back to my experience with it, there were some interesting details. First, it affected my muscles, it made me slower, but you probably assumed that already" I definitely didn't.

As she said that, I couldn't help but remember her sparring matches against Radahn, if that was her 'slower', I can't even imagine how fast she is now.

"Second" She continued "It affected my emotions as well, you probably noticed that too..." She said, shifting to a more melancholic tone "My temper was kinda all over the place, I would get either over excited, or over frustrated in the blink of an eye, and you were usually in the other end of those outbursts... Sorry"

I never thought of our (mostly) minor disagreements and small fights to be influenced by the Rot. Probably because we already had a few heated arguments before that, but looking back now, it definitely got worse after her twelfth birthday.

"You don't have to be, it wasn't your fault" I said, moving a hand to rest over hers.

"Thanks" She said in a hushed tone, giving me a tender smile.

I smiled back "Do you have anything else to say about the Scarlett Rot? We can stop here, I don't need to learn more" I suggested.

She shook her head lightly "I can keep going. There's only one thing left..." She took a deep breath before continuing "After I lost my eyes, especially during the days before Miquella began the treatment, I felt... Good? I don't know exactly if 'good' is the right word to describe it, but I definitely felt something different within me, like a voice singing in my ear... Telling me to let it go"

"What do you mean, you actually heard someone?" I asked.

She shook her head "Not exactly, there weren't any words, but I could feel it, like a coded message of some sort... I think it was the outer god of Rot, it was... Calling me, it wanted me to accept the Scarlett Rot, and somehow... I felt like part of me wanted to accept it as well" She finally said.

"Fuck... That's, that's a lot to take in" I mumbled quietly.

She nodded "I know, not even Miquella knows about that. Sure, now I understand that it was all just a last ditch effort to keep me infected by the Rot, but then... It sure seemed tempting"

Shit, the more I learn about how the Scarlett Rot affected her, the worse I feel about every stupid discussion I started when we were young.

"It should've been" I said, tightening my grip on her hand "No one should expect to fight an outer god without it fighting back somehow. You didn't let it trick you, that's what matters, you fought back, and you're here now, alive and well" 'With me' I added in my head, as I looked her in the eyes.

"Thanks" She said with a smile.

"Anytime" I replied "Now, cheer up, 'cause y'know what? The stew is ready!" I beamed, taking the lid out of the pot.

She left out a relieved sigh "Thank Grace! I was starving here already!" She exclaimed.

I playfully rolled my eyes, and so we proceeded to have a nice dinner together, I savored the meal, she swallowed everything like she's been starving for weeks, nothing new there.

We had some small talk in the meantime, but the topic about the Scarlett Rot never came back, and honestly, I'm glad that it didn't, that first bit was enough for now.

After we were done eating, it was time to get everything ready before I went to sleep. We are sleeping in five-hour shifts, I usually go first, so I had everything sat already whilst Mally grabbed her lute to help pass her time.

"Got any special tunes for tonight?" I asked, getting comfortable in my sleeping bag.

"You tell me, you're the one going to sleep, got any special requests?" She asked, showing me a playful smirk.

"You're playing it for me?" I asked.

She nodded "You took some time to fall asleep yesterday, so I thought that this might help a little, like that time back at the carriage"

"That's, wow, thanks!" I exclaimed, a little taken aback "Requests hmm... I don't know, honestly I like it more when it's your pick, surprise me" I finally said.

"Okay then, let's see what I can do" She said, sitting in front of me across the campfire.

After a few seconds, she began¹.

Just like the first song she played back at the carriage, this one was completely new to me. I wonder how many songs she knows. I'm not complaining though, 'cause this one was just as good.

I never really cared much about music theory or anything like that, but I sure know how to recognize a talented musician, and Mally's definitely one of the best lute players that I've ever heard. Add to that, the fact that her right hand is basically an extra thing for her to take in consideration while playing, so extra points for that.

Not too long after she started playing that melody, my body fell into the embrace of a well deserved rest. As the sound of her lute faded away, all I could think about was that I needed to do something nice for her in return.

I'll figure something out when I wake up...

~~~

"~Rise and shine, morning star~" Ranni said, as the cold breeze of the morning pulled me into consciousness.

I stretched my body a little "Morning..." I mumbled, my voice coming out really hoarse.

"Slept well?" She asked, and I noticed that she was drinking something, probably coffee.

"Pretty much, how was yor shift?" I asked, shifting to sit over my bag.

She shrugged "Not that bad, mostly quiet, I had time to read some things, and..." She reached for something behind her "I took some of that time to make you this" She said, handing me a small pot.

"What is it?" I took it, analyzing it with a mixture of curiosity and confusion.

She smiled "Take a guess, hold it with your left hand, it might help" She said, and so I passed the closed pot to my other hand.

"It's cold..." I commented, a bit surprised, but coming from Ranni that isn't exactly out of nowhere.

She nodded, looking a bit expectant "So... Any guesses?" She asked.

"I... Wait, this isn't gonna blast snow on my face, is it, Witch?" I inquired, moving the pot away from my face.

She rolled her eyes "Please, I'm not that cheap. Go on, open it" She said, a bit impatiently.

I hesitated for a moment, but finally took the lid off to reveal...

"Witch... Is this..." I quietly said, analyzing the light purple paste inside the pot.

"You said that you liked it, so I decided to improvise some while you were sleeping, and it's not like our milk would last very long before it expires anyway, so I thought 'why not?', but I'm not really an expert with sweets or anything, so forgive me if it's not-"

"Witch" I cut off her rambling "Is this..."

"Blueberry ice cream" She said, and I noticed a subtle blush on her cheeks.

"You... When? How?" I asked.

She brushed her hand behind her neck "It's nothing, really. I took an hour or so before you woke up to gather some fruits nearby, luckily I found some blueberries. The rest was pretty simple, mash 'hem, add milk, sugar, mix it all inside the pot, top it all with some good old snow witch magic to keep it cool until you wake up, y'know, simple stuff"

I looked at the ice cream in disbelief, she made all of that for me?

"Don't just stare at it, go on, try it out" She said, handing me a spoon and bringing me back to reality.

"Oh, yeah..." I said, smiling awkwardly.

I grabbed the spoon, then pressed it gently against the ice cream. I don't really know why I'm being so careful with it, it's not like I'm afraid of breaking it or something (as weird as that whole train of thought sounds). I'm just... Stunned by what she did, so my body isn't really processing the whole 'eating' thing very well.

Soon enough I managed to take a spoonful of the ice cream, leading it into my mouth so I could finally taste it, and...

"So, how is it? Too much sugar? Is it, isn't it? Dammit! I knew I added too much..." She rambled as I savored the ice cream, her words melting away as I was suddenly transported back in time.

• • •

Leyndell Castle, 02/02/1990

"Stay still, Tiny Dancer. I can't do this if you keep moving..." Dad said, trying to clean the cuts on my back.

We're at my room at the Lake House, right after I ruined mine and Miquella's birthday party.

"But it hurts!" I protested, tapping my feet on the floor impatiently. I wanted to return to our party soon, some silly scratches can't be the thing that will keep me from opening my gifts.

"You should've thought about that before jumping down from that tree" He said, pressing the cotton sheet on my back again, sending a burning pain through my spine.

I clenched my teeth, suppressing a high pitched squeal.

"Steady, Malenia. The healing spells won't work if your wounds aren't clean. I need to get those splinters out" He said, and I tightened my grip around the chair I was sat in, breathing heavily.

"How long will this still take?" I whined at him.

"Not too much, I promise, we're almost done" I scoffed internally. He said that same thing ten minutes ago.

Suddenly, the door was swung open "How is she doing?" Mom said, coming from behind us.

Dad sighed "Stubborn as usual, but we're getting there. You got what I asked you to grab?"

"Mhmm, you're sure she isn't gonna spill it on the floor, she's shaking quite a bit" Mom asked.

"Good point, can you do it for her" He said back.

"Of course" She answered, moving to stand in front of me "Sweetheart, I need you to stay still, okay? I got something for you" She gently said, grabbing a chair to sit in front of me.

"What is it?" I asked, noticing that she had something on her hands.

"This" She said, after sitting down and showing me a bowl full of ice cream "I was planning to give you and Miquella some of it later today, but it seems like you really need it right now"

"Really?" My eyes instantly grew wide.

Mom smiled at me "Only if you behave" She said firmly "Now stay still, and let your father clean your wounds"

I nodded excitedly "I will!"

"Good, now open your mouth" She kindly said, and so I complied.

The cold sweet taste of the ice cream really helped to distract me from the pain. We also chatted as I kept eating, she told me about how Miquella was crying on Morgott's lap after I got hurt looking for that weird bug he asked me to catch.

I rolled my eyes "Why is he always like this? Every time something happens to me he gets all cranky and starts to cry. It's not his fault, I fell on my own" I said.

Mom shrugged, having a spoonful of ice cream for herself "It's just the way he is, he doesn't like to see you like this, Sweetheart. You can't blame him for feeling guilty" She said, then gave me another spoonful of ice cream as well.

I huffed with my mouth still full "He's so dramatic, I've been hurt before" I argued, after swallowing the ice cream.

"And we all know how tough you are" She playfully said back "But that's the thing about caring for someone, you do it even if they don't want you to"

"I know, but still... I don't like when he worries about me. I should be the one protecting him" I argued back.

"And you will, Sweetheart, I'm certain of that" She said, giving me a soft smile.

After a few extra spoonfuls, I noticed the pain on my back decreasing, so I began to enjoy the taste of the ice cream a little more.

"What flavor is this?" I asked.

She smiled "That's my personal favorite, Sweetheart, blueberry ice cream, do you like it?" She asked.

I nodded, taking in another spoonful she was offering me.

She chuckled a little "I'm glad you liked it, Dear"

Dad laughed from behind me, I had almost forgotten he was still there.

"This one's got a sweet tooth, My Love, better not spoil her too much or she'll go all soft and sweet as well" He said.

"I won't go soft!" I protested, turning to face him. Only to notice that...

"My back..." I mumbled in confusion "When did you healed it?" I asked him, noticing that the pain was completely gone.

"About seven spoonfuls of ice cream ago, but you looked so focused on it that I chose not to disturb your peace" He said with a smile.

"So I..." I began.

"You're good to go, Tiny dancer" He said, while standing up, but he stopped, looking at me again before he could walk away "Unless you want to finish your ice cream before we return to the party" He said, looking at Mom.

I looked at her as well "I... I can stay for a while" I said, and she smiled "Also, I don't want to have to share my ice cream with Miquella" I added, and they both laughed.

• • •

"... And the berries didn't look very ripe, I should've-"

"Witch!" I called Ranni out of her endless train of thought about how she messed up the ice cream.

"Sorry, how is it?" She asked, a bit embarrassed.

"It's perfect" I softly replied.

"Really?"

I simply nodded, giving her a smile.

She looked really happy with that, immediately shifting to a more relieved expression.

"Wait, you really mean that, don't you? You aren't just being nice because it's me, right?" She asked with a hint of hesitation to her voice.

I rolled my eyes "C'mere" I said, setting the pot aside as she moved closer.

"Wha-" She began, but I quickly cut her off with a tender kiss, cupping her face with my hands.

She was taken aback at first, but soon responded to my advances with an equal amount of  passion, shifting to sit over my lap.

She rested her hands on my shoulders, deepening our kiss, maybe the lingering taste of blueberries on my lips gave her some extra motivation, who knows. All I know is that she didn't want to let go of me so soon, and I would die before complaining about that.

We eventually backed away for air, though none of us seemed inclined to move more than two inches away from the other.

"So, is this like a reward?" She said in a hushed tone, our lips were still merely a hair's breadht away from each other.

I left out a small chuckle, moving my hands to rest around her waist.

"I just wanted to shut you up, but sure, you can think of it as a reward" I said, and she just rolled her eyes.

"Gonna keep that in mind anyway, feeding you and talking you into exhaustion, two new itens on my list of things that turn you on" She said, giving me a small peck on the lips.

I giggled "So, you have list? Mind sharing some of it so I can tell if you know me as well as you think you do?"

She moved her index to her chin, pretending to think about it for a second before speaking.

"Besides a little bit of dirty talk on your ear, I guess it's only these two topics so far, the list is still pretty short" She said with a grin.

I blushed slightly at that.

"Dirty talk, huh? I'm not sure if I agree with that" I said, running my prosthetic hand loosely on her thigh.

She shrugged "You don't have to, I know I'm right" She stated matter of factually "Now, grab the pot, you still gotta finish your breakfast before it melts"

I chuckled "You sound like your mother. And you're completely delusional if you think a single pot of ice cream would be enough for my breakfast" I retorted.

"I never said it was, I left some stew for you as well, but the ice cream will melt, so start with it" She said, handing me the pot that I left on my side.

"Okay, but why the hurry, though? You can keep it cold with your magic, right?" I asked, going back to my little treat.

"I could, but ice cream isn't the same after you freeze it twice, so dig in" She said, still sitting over my lap.

I rolled my eyes, enjoying the slightly melted, but still delicious ice cream "You know I don't really care about that, right?" I said.

"Well, I do. And as long as I'm the person responsible for feeding you, you'll have either the best I can offer, or nothing at all" She said, running her fingers through some loose strands of hair on my head.

"Woah, so attentive" I playfully said, letting out an amused giggle.

She shrugged "I take good care of what's mine, ask Blaidd"

I groaned lightly "Again, I'm not a dog" I commented.

"I know, but the comparison still rings true. Think about it, if I usually treat Blaidd better than I treat a human being, you should get an even better treatment according to that logic" She explained.

"Well, yeah. But that's assuming you like me more than you like him" I said.

She ran her fingers over my shoulder "You can do a few things that he can't..." She said, giving me a somewhat shy look.

"I- Oh... Fair point" I sheepishly said.

She looked down to the small gap between our bodies "Yeah... I missed you- I mean, I missed being with you... Like that" She quietly said, looking me in the eyes.

I was completely flustered, she teased me more than once during our trip, sure, but I never expected her to admit how much she missed me like she just did.

"Sorry" I said, setting the pot aside to cup her face softly "I... I missed that too"

She leaned into my hand, shaking her head lightly "It's not your fault. This whole trip has been one crazy thing after the other, we ended up not having time for... Us" She finally said.

"Yeah, kinda hard to have some time to..." I mumbled, looking down to avoid her gaze.

She chuckled "Enjoy the comfort a helping hand?" She suggested with a smirk.

"Yeah, that describes it pretty well" I replied with a giggle.

"So, you're done with the ice cream?" She asked, noticing that the discarded pot was practically empty by now.

"Why? Are you in that much of a hurry to leave this place?" I asked.

"Not really, but I could enjoy some quality time before we leave" She said, giving me a suggestive look.

That made my face burn at the second I noticed what she meant.

"You... Right now? Here?" I practically whispered, growing simultaneously more embarrassed and aroused at that implication.

"Why not? there's no one around, and we can be quick..." She whispered, moving her face even closer to mine.

As I stared into those golden orbs looking for a hint that she wasn't serious, I couldn't help but notice how hot her body felt pressed against me, and how serious she actually was, looking at me with nothing but desire.

"Ranni..." I whispered, but she caught my lips with hers before I could utter another word.

Her kiss was way more intense this time, her tongue found its way into my mouth as she proceeded to run her hands through my torso, both moving with fierce determination from my lower back all the way down until she got a firm hold on my ass cheeks.

I left out a deaf moan against her mouth "Witch... Wait, we can't..." I managed to say, as she tightened her grip on my rear.

"Why? I know you want it" She whispered in my ear, giving it a little nibble that sent shivers down my spine, along with a wave of heat that settled bellow my stomach.

"I do~..." I said, trying to keep my focus while she planted kisses along my neck.

"So, just relax..." She said, her face pressed against the crook of my neck, then she went back to my ear "Let me take care of you..." She whispered, each word echoing inside my head like it's the first time I get to hear her voice "Let me make you come" She said in her authoritative tone, almost like she was demanding it to me.

It took every single ounce of willpower within my body to listen to the part of my brain that said...

"Stop... Please" I pleaded, grabbing her by the shoulders and pushing her slightly away.

She was surprised by my sudden action, but begrudgingly complied, backing away and voicing out an frustrated huff.

"You're no fun, y'know that? What's wrong?" She said, loosening her grip on my ass, which I immediately missed.

"I can't do it right now..." I began, trying to recompose myself.

She frowned "Did I do something wrong?" She asked, slightly hesitant.

"No! No, you were perfect, really" I promptly answered "I want to do it again, I really do" I stressed.

"But..." She paused, letting out a tired sigh "The mission" She said, looking to the side.

I nodded, not hiding the butt load of frustration that this whole situation caused on me as well.

"Sorry" I said, gently brushing my left hand on her face "I'll make it up to you, but we can't lose any time and... I'm not really... Comfortable doing it here as well..." I admitted and that caused her to give me a confused look.

"You mean, 'here' like in..." She began, but I cut her off with a nod.

"I know, I know. I've been camping in the wild ever since I can remember, I should be fine with that, but that's kind part of the problem. I'm always checking on my surroundings, paying attention to the tiniest noises and movements. I don't really know if I can allow myself to... Be relaxed that way in here" I explained, a bit ashamed of looking so goddamn pathetic in front of her.

She didn't react the way I expected her to though. Strangely enough, she just stared at my face in silence for a couple of seconds.

"So, the problem is the place?" She asked, not sounding exactly annoyed, just curious.

I felt the blush on my face growing larger, as I just nodded timidly.

She paused for a moment, making a face that I knew too well by this point, she was planning something, and before I could take a guess at what was it, she straightened up on my lap.

"If I get us a room, will you be willing to... 'Make it up for me' then?" She asked, sounding enthusiastic, but still a bit cautious.

"I... Yes, I mean, if you can... But how would you...?" I mumbled, but she brushed that off with a wave of her hand.

"Leave the details to me, Sassy Pants. But this is a deal, right? I get us somewhere private and safe and we can..." She said, raising her eyebrows to indicate exactly what she meant.

Now that's some respectful amount of determination just to get inside my pants... Again.

I thought about that for a moment.

"If you can do that, can you promise me that it won't get in the way of getting to your Master? It's more than five days from here to Caelid, we can't afford to waste too long with... You know" I argued.

"We won't, I'll find something that works without slowing our pace, and if I don't, then I won't press you to it anymore, okay?" She argued back, and I really, really want to trust her. I mean, I have no reason not to, and part of me really wants this as well.

I took a deep breath, then looked at those golden eyes filled with expectation.

"Okay, deal" I said.

She smiled tenderly, planting a soft and quick kiss on my lips.

"Thanks" She said.

I can imagine just how important this is for her. Us being on the same page I mean, otherwise she wouldn't have listened to my pleas for her to stop.

My theory is that she wants me to feel comfortable with her, as much as she wants to 'own me', I don't really believe that she wants to force me into doing anything. Sure she likes to tease me, and our first time together was far from soft and smooth, but circumstances were different back then, as much as I wouldn't admit it back then, I really could've stopped her if I wanted to.

As she got up from my lap to let me finish my breakfast before it was time to leave, something caught her attention.

"Where did you get that?" She asked in slight surprise, pointing to my necklace, which probably popped out of my shirt while I was sleeping.

"Oh, this?" I asked, reaching for the gem "It's Mother's 18th birthday gift to me" I casually answered.

She stopped to take a better look at the necklace for a moment, before widening her eyes.

"Mally, do you know what that is?" She asked, getting closer to reach for it, but she didn't touched it, her hand merely orbiting around my own hand whilst I held the Glintstone gem.

"I do... Mother told me it's pure Glintstone" I carefully said, I don't really know if Ranni is aware of what it means, Father is a Numen descendant after all, so maybe he told her about it.

"She told you what it does?" She said, in a mixture of happiness and disbelief.

"Deflects magic...?" I guessed, still a bit surprised by her dazzled attitude towards a single pebble, it's quite funny, to be honest. The good thing is, she doesn't seem to be aware of what else this gem means, so that's good.

"Yes!" She exclaimed, looking like a kid who just found a stick that's shaped exactly like a sword.

I chuckled "Good Grace, Witch, it's just a rock" I commented.

She gave me an outraged look "It's not just a fucking 'rock'! Do you know how many sorcerers would kill to have one of these?" She protested, still keeping her hand from even brushing against the rock.

I rolled my eyes in amusement "Yeah, forgot that you bookworms can't see a rock splinter from outer space without creaming your pants"

"Oh, 'cause you brutes are so much superior, tell me again who got all excited yesterday after we saw two possums fighting over a rabbit's carcass" She argued back.

I scoffed "You're only upset because I bet on the winner back then, which reminds me, you still owes me 50 Runes"

"You're literally a princess! Why do you even need those 50 Runes for?" She complained.

I shrugged "It's about the principle, not the money. Now, you gonna touch it, or you're just gonna keep staring at my necklace the whole day? I gotta return to my breakfast" I said, a bit impatient.

As much as enjoy having her close to me like this, it's kinda pointless if she's not really doing anything besides looking at me.

"Really?!" She exclaimed, her golden eyes sparking with anticipation.

I chuckled slightly, she's so fucking cute.

"Really, Witch, here" I said, taking the necklace off and handing it to her "But I want it back, okay? I might not be into rocks like you weirdos, but that's still my birthday gift, so you better not lose it until I'm done having my breakfast" I playfully said, moving towards the pot of stew sitting beside our campfire. She probably left it there to keep it warm until I was awake, that and the surprise ice cream? Maybe traveling with her won't be as bad as I initially expected.

"I won't lose it!" She protested, holding that pebble as if it was the head of a newborn baby, it's kinda funny seeing her being all careful and contained. I guess she can be really soft when it matters, she also cooks really well, and is really smart... Wait, am I actually evaluating her skills as a wife?! No, no, nononono NO! Drop that train of thought RIGHT NOW!

I'll just sit down, have my breakfast in peace, and NEVER think about that for the next five or six years of my life. Yeah, that sounds good...

'... It runs on our blood, mark my words, we all have a type, and that is 'the weirder the better', you'll see, before you notice it'll take you as well'

Fucking Rykard and his stupid logic.

Chapter Text

Yesterday feels like a blur inside my head. It's no surprise since my 'to do' list was pretty cluttered for a first day back at home.

• Making sure the dungeons were properly sealed. Checked
• Making a proper announcement about what happened back at the Capital. Checked
• Taking care of Kristoff's body. Checked
• Sending messages to our allies. Checked

And last, but definitely not least. Taking care of our honoured guest, which still needs some attention.

We had a good start yesterday. Fia explained the Castle's current situation to my soldiers and staff, warning them about how to handle any undead creature that they might come across. Also, Fia and I settled with the term 'undead' to describe those creatures, after I suggested that 'those who live in death' was a little too long of a description.

The shorter name did little to ease the apprehension that their presence caused amongst the staff. Fia described them as 'ruthless parasitic creatures' so fighting back is off limits for most of the servants, and even a few soldiers according to her.

The priority is to run away, and to not let them kill you, which would be pretty self explanatory already, but according to her not getting killed by them is crucial, as the Deathblight can be spread in two ways:

The first is what happened to William, an infection that consumes your body completely, which happens while you're still alive. The infection corrupts the body, and is usually spread by living beings that originated naturally from the scourge, like those she called Basilisks.

That infection is what spreads Deathblight into the environment, contaminating the plants and the soil that gets into contact with the corpse for extended periods of time. That situation, however, is reversible through a blessing, which she said it can be taught to our maidens, as it apparently can only be done by women.

The second kind of infection is what they did to Kristoff. After receiving a fatal blow embedded with the essence of Deathblight, your soul's natural reaction will be to return to the Erdtree, however, the Deathblight will keep your body functioning whilst simultaneously decomposing it, and so your soul will remain trapped inside your rotting flesh until the scourge is completely spread. After the Deathblight has taken your flesh entirely, it will release your soul, having replaced it with the ghost flame of death, at that point, there's no return.

As far as Fia is aware, nothing can release a possessed body from the influence of the Deathblight if the person has been dead for long enough. She theorizes that a purging ritual could be effective at the beginning stages of infection to preserve the body. That is, of course, if we ever find something that can fight back against the Ghost Flame.

Until we find a way of separating the Ghost Flame from the corpse before the transformation is complete, the undead should be considered unkillable. Fatal wounds will only hinder them temporarily, you have to destroy their bodies to a point where regeneration is no longer possible.

Fia is also unaware of the reason why there are so many undead under Stormveil. According to her, they were born from the lingering traces of life that got trapped inside their bodies at the moment the Rune of Death was sealed. Chances are that an outer god is also responsible for the scourge as well. 

Her theory is that something big was mortality wounded at the base of the Castle, and that whatever it was, it infected the hundreds of corpses buried bellow us. And until very recently, those corpses remained inactive, until something brought them back from the dead.

This was planned, meticulously so, but by who? That still needs some research, but for now all we can do is find a way to deal with whatever it is that lurks under the dungeons.

So here we are, a bad situation that managed to get even worse.

It's early in the morning and I want to have a word with Fia, so I've been pacing back and forth in front of her door for the last ten minutes, pondering if it's not too early to interrogate her about who exactly she is.

No matter how useful she might've been so far, I can't shake the fact that I still don't know who this woman is...

"Prince Godwyn?" I stopped on my tracks. Her voice came from the other side of the door.

She's probably been awake for a while now. I should've just knocked.

"Uh, yes. My apologies for disturbing your peace this early, Lady Fia, but may I have word with you for a moment?" I said, as I heard subtle noises coming from the room.

Suddenly the door was swung open. I was met with the sight of Fia's usual stone cold gaze.

Her voice is usually calm, but it rarely sounds indifferent. It actually sounds pretty warm and welcoming, so it's kinda hard to get a grasp on what her intentions usually are when her eyes look at me with so much intensity. Maybe it's just the shade of blue that they have, I'm not sure...

"You're not disturbing anything, My Prince" She gently said "I woke up shortly before I heard the sound of steps on my door. I assumed it was just a servant passing by to check on the other accommodations. But then I noticed that they weren't moving away. I assumed it was you, but I wasn't sure" She explained.

"You assumed it was me?"

She nodded "We still haven't talked at length about my presence here. I'm still a stranger after all" So she was thinking about that as well.

"My apologies for coming this early. I wasn't sure if you were awake or not, there was no light or noises, so I assumed..." I started to explain.

I noticed the hint of a smile appearing on her face.

"I'm flattered by your chivalry, My Prince, but there's no reason to apologize. I usually take the first moments of the day to pray in silence before turning on the lights, so it's not your fault for assuming that I was still asleep" She said, stepping aside for me to enter the room "Come on in, please. I'll light up a torch" She gently said.

I entered the room, closing the door behind me as she lit up a torch. As she sat on her bed and waited for me to speak, I could finally get a better look at her. We provided her new sets of clothes, given how long she might end up staying here.

After we asked her if she had any preferences in regards to her wardrobe, she said that anything would do just fine, but that she really prefers darker colors. I can empathize with that, as I really like black myself, but it doesn't fit the image I want to transpire to my subjects, so I usually avoid it.

That said, she looks surprisingly good in black. Just like her soft way of speaking contrasts with her stern expression, her delicate features and pale skin paired with her black garments have given her a hypnotizing combination of innocence and mystery, but I digress.

I shouldn't be thinking about her looks right now, what I came here to discuss was...

"As you pointed, your presence here is due to unusual circumferences. I have little reason to doubt your loyalty to me or Limgrave based on what you did here so far. Still, I gotta as you, who exactly are you, Lady Fia?" I finally asked, after grabbing a chair to sit in front of her.

She sighed briefly "A good question, Prince Godwyn. Until very recently, I didn't know how to answer that question myself. Lost and without purpose, considering giving up on my life here. I never had any major attachments to my village or the people in there, so I was pretty tempted to leave them after my mother was gone" She explained.

"Was she really important to you?" I asked, crossing my legs to get more comfortable at the chair.

She smiled briefly "She taught me everything I know. We lived in Summonwater until her departure from the Lands Between when I became an adult. She was the one to guide me in the path to become a Deathbed Companion, probably in hopes that I would live to see a world in which someone like me would be useful again" She said, her subtle smile fading away as she did.

"I see. So she also became a Tarnished, like the other Deathbed Companions you mentioned yesterday" I commented, and Fia nodded.

"Don't take her for a bad mother, My Prince" She quickly interjected "She raised me in the best way she could until I was fully grown, but her time in here had long since passed, so she striped herself from the grace of the Erdtree and sailed away to find her destiny beyond the fog" She explained.

"I understand... Pardon my curiosity, but don't you feel a little... Betrayed by her? She was your mother after all. Most people don't really take it very well when a close relative decides to become a Tarnished" I said, trying not to sound too judgemental.

Fia just shook her head lightly "I'm not like most people, Prince Godwyn. She was my world, and I won't lie and tell you that it didn't hurt seeing her departure, but clinging to the past won't do me no good. I'm grateful for the time I got to spend with her, nothing more, nothing less" She finally stated.

I took a moment to digest her words. I guess that kind of mentality is to be expected from someone who lived most of their life devoted towards the concept of death.

"And what did you do back at Summonwater?" I asked.

"I used to work as a nurse. Life is already pretty hard as it is, there's no reason to let people go through it in pain as well" She answered.

"That's pretty noble of you" I gently said.

She gave me a light shrug "I don't consider myself a noble person. I just wanted to help them, this is a world without death, sometimes life might become unbearable for some people, especially those who can't be saved by the touch of grace" She explained, and she's not exactly wrong.

The grace of the Erdtree restores your flesh as it was when you died. Which means that any deformities, or afflictions that you had at the moment of death will still be present after your soul returns to your body, hence why not even death could save Malenia from the Scarlett Rot for example.

I noticed what Fia was implying with her statement. There was a subtle hint of disdain for what the Greater Will and my Mother did to this world. I actually noticed that yesterday, but honestly it doesn't seem that alarming.

I can't pretend that people like Fia don't exist. The Golden Order changed this world to its core, and honestly I don't believe that it was totally for the better, but that's another story.

The point here is that she clearly doesn't like what my Mother and Radagon did, and after seeing the repercussions of their actions yesterday I can't blame her. So why trust her in the first place? Well, she's not trying to hide that disdain, or if she is, she's doing a horrible job.

So why would someone that has so much distaste for the Golden Order be so willing to help me of all people? She's gotta be either too altruistic, which is fine, people like that exist, or she has another reason for staying here.

"So, you were always helping others. Was that your only motivation for coming in here?" I asked.

"Yes, I wanted to help" She simply answered.

"But before that you wanted to leave. So, you asked for guidance, and the response you got led you here, to fight a battle that only you were aware of, to save others from something we don't understand. Is that correct?" I said, and she nodded reluctantly.

"Sounds pretty convincing. Trust me, I believe that's true" I said, then shifted to sit with my body curved forward "The thing that keeps scratching me in the wrong place is... That's not all, is it?" I said, looking at her eyes.

She looked taken aback "I... Don't understand..." She mumbled in confusion.

"I'll explain it to you. The Deathblight is not your responsibility. Sure, you might be aware of what it is, and how to fight it, but there's nothing that dictates that you specifically should be here. Sure, your mother could've told you to help others before she left, and you might just want to help them out of principle, but those reasons still don't sit right with me. Could be the case, but I don't think you're just a noble dogooder that showed up at my door one day. So tell me, do you have another reason for being here? Anything that motivates you besides the 'I do it because is right' talk?" I finished, piercing her with a questioning look.

She took a few moments to think before answering. Let's see if she'll take the easy way out of this.

The standard answer would be to deny any ulterior motives, to insist that she's on a noble quest to honor her mother's wishes, or to simply double down on the ethics of it. After all she's already stated that she was a nurse, it wouldn't be that difficult to keep up with that narrative.

However, there's the second option, the risky route. Telling the truth.

"The truth is... This world is broken, and I want to fix it" She firmly stated.

"Is that so? Why?" I inquired.

She hesitated for a moment, looking slightly ashamed, but quickly recomposed herself.

"Because I want to" She admitted "Because the Deathblight is the only thing I have left. Maybe others could stop it as well, but I want to be the one to do it, because if I don't... Then I don't even know what to live for" She finished, meeting my gaze with an intense mixture of sorrow and rage.

Now that's interesting. She's not here to gain my trust, if she did she would've done a better job at masking her distaste for the Golden Order, and she wouldn've dropped the goody two shoes excuse for her actions. No, she's here for herself, good.

Call me crazy, but the one good advice I ever got from Rykard growing up was to 'Never trust a person without a dark side'.

I curled up my lips into a smirk "So, this is not just about fighting the good fight, huh. You want to get rid of the Deathblight yourself. Not because you can, but because you want to?" I said, and she gestured her head in agreement.

"Well, that's a good start" I said, standing up from my chair "You can return to your routine, Lady Fia. I got what I wanted from you" I said with a smile, moving towards the door.

"Was that all?" She questioned, a bit stunned by my behavior.

"Oh, no. I'll need your help with a few pressing matters that I have to take care of. After we're done with them, you'll be my partner in a project that I came up with last night" I stated.

She was still confused "I... A 'project'?"

"Oh, don't worry. I'll explain everything to you later. But what I can tell you is that I have a theory about the scourge of the Deathblight, and hopefully you can help me put it to the test effectively" I explained, opening the door for me to exit.

"A theory?"

"Yeah, and if it pays off, we might have a way of stopping the Ghost Flame. Now if you excuse me, I shall take my leave. See you later, Lady Fia" I said, and she was barely able to respond after I exited the room.

That conversation was a relief. I was expecting her to mask her motives, to keep the facade of being just a random person who's somehow really valuable for us in this time of need.

It would be pretty easy to convince me of her innocence if she went with that story, but fortunately she didn't. Again, call me superstitious, but I don't trust someone who's just good for the sake of it.

I don't trust her just yet, but that's why I'll put her to the test during the interrogations. I still have to check on my staff, so I might as well check if she is trustworthy or not in the process.

~~~

"Are you really sure this is the fastest way towards the bridge?" Mally asked, as we crossed the main road to South Liurnia.

"I think I know how to read a map, Sassy Pants. But if you wanna have a look at it yourself, feel free to do it" I said, handing her the map.

"I'm just fine conducting the horse, thank you. Besides, I want to shove it in yor face when you get us lost" She shot back matter of factually.

"If we get lost, I'm gonna blame you for not correcting me when I gave you the chance" I argued back.

"That's not how guilt works, Witch. You can't blame me for a mistake you made" She playfully said.

"Is that a challenge? Don't tempt me, it doesn't usually end well for you" I teased back.

She chuckled "Point taken. But seriously, this place looks so different from the map. Maybe my eyes are just tired. So, you wanna set a camp already? It's already getting dark and you must be pretty tired as well" She said.

I hesitated for a moment before answering.

"Can we go for a little longer? There's a small town down this road, we can spend the night there if you're not too tired..." I timidly said.

"I'm okay to... Wait, a town? There shouldn't be a town around here. Are you sure you read that map correctly?" She commented, sounding a bit apprehensive.

"The map is right... I just changed our path a little bit earlier today..." I admitted in a murmur.

"You- Wait! Is this your way of finding a place where we can... Ranni!" She abruptly said.

"I can explain-"

"I told you that we can't divert from our path. I knew this isn't the short way to the bridge!" She exclaimed.

"Mally, calm down, please-"

"You promised me not even twelve hours ago that you wouldn't put our relationship ahead of Miquella, and now-"

"Can you stop for a second and let me talk?!" I cut her off with an impatient shout.

"Don't ask me to be calm! If you wanted to change our plans you should've told me before we-"

"I DIDN'T! OKAY?" I protested, and that finally seemed to work.

"Will you let me explain it before going all mongrel on me?! Please?" I said, recomposing myself from the initial outburst.

She took a deep breath "Fine, explain"

"First off, I get that your upset for me not telling you that I changed our route, that's on me. I wanted to make a surprise, but it didn't work as intended" I explained, and she just let out a short 'hmph'.

"Now, yes, I changed our path to pass through that village, but trust me, it won't cost us any extra time" I began, and she groaned quietly as she listened.

"I checked the map, the village isn't too far from our initial path. I knew that it'd take us some extra time to get there..." I noticed her patience feeding away.

"Buuuut, once we're there we'll be able to get some proper rest, and as we won't have to sleep in shifts, that'll give us some extra hours as well" I finally explained.

She kept her grumpy attitude, but I noticed the tension on her shoulders slowly fading away as she thought about what I said.

"So this will save us some time?" She dryly asked.

"I promised you, remember? You can stop me if I do something that will get in the way of finding Miquella. But we need this, staying on the road for too long without a break will slow us down eventually" I explained, as she gave me a side eye.

She took a moment to think, then sighed.

"Okay, we can stop there" She finally said "And... Sorry, for screaming at you" She murmured.

I smiled a little "You don't have to be sorry for something that's my fault" I said, and she chuckled a little.

"Wouldn't be the first time" She commented.

"Yeah... Sorry for not telling you before" I said.

She shrugged "It's okay. I went all out on you just now, so I guess we're kinda even"

"I guess we are... But still, I messed up" I mumbled.

"You did, and just to clarify, I'm still mad about that. But I have to admit that I'm pretty tired of being in the road for so long without a proper rest as well" She explained.

"You are?"

As far as I can remember she used to spend literal days camping with our father and by herself, so it's kind of a surprise to hear her saying that she is tired after only a few days.

She sighed "Yes. It ain't about the trip itself, but I've been wearing my prosthetics non stop ever since Rykard's marriage, so it's getting kinda sore around my stumps, specially my leg"

My eyes snapped wide "And you only tell me that now?!" I exclaimed in disbelief.

"Relax, Witch. If it was anything important I would've told you before. It's not as bad as you think. I just need a night of sleep with them off" She explained.

"Don't 'It's not anything important' me. If anything is bothering you, it's your responsibility to let me know. How long have you been like that?" I inquired.

"Ranni, I'm fine, you don't have to-"

"How long?"

She hesitated before saying "Two days..."

"Two- Mally, why the fuck didn't you say anything?! We could've arranged something, I could've-"

"See? That's what I was avoiding. You can't handle knowing those kinds of things. And you couldn't do anything, I can't take my prosthetics off while we're out in the open. I gotta be ready to react quick if anything happens to us" She argued, but I didn't listen.

"I can't believe you. And you let me complain about the trip while you were suffering like that" I said, feeling betrayed and ashamed.

"I'm not 'suffering', Witch-"

"I don't wanna hear it. That's settled, we'll get to that village, I'll get you a hot bath, you'll soak your stumps in the hot water for AT LEAST an hour, and then you'll sleep until you're fully rested and not even a second less" I firmly stated.

"Ranni, pleas-"

"NOT A SECOND LESS" I stressed.

She sighed in defeat "Fine... But this is our first proper stop, I don't want this to get in the way of... You know..."

"To Hell with that! I've waited 22 years to have my first time, I can't wait a little longer for the second" I argued back.

She chuckled, but quickly stopped "Ranni, I'm serious. You told me how much you want this, and we don't know how long it will take until the next time we get to have a place to..."

I scoffed "I won't die for lack of sex. I might get stressed thought, but you're already used to that. Besides, given the new information that your stumps need some proper rest, we'll definitely have to fit other stops like this one in our path towards my Master" I explained.

"We- What?"

"You heard me. Your body needs to rest, so we're adding more stops, end of discussion" I stated.

"But we can't-"

"NaNaNaNaNa, no 'buts', Sassy Pants. This is non negotiable. Getting to Miquella fast won't be worth anything if you're not able to swing a sword when we get there" I argued.

She hesitated again, but ultimately gave in.

"Fine. But we can't divert from our path. We only stop at places that are in the way" She said, trying to keep her composure.

"I wouldn't do it any other way. Now hurry up, the village is not too far" I said, using an exaggerated authoritative tone.

I could practically feel her rolling her eyes as we continued in our way down south.

I wonder what would she do if I haven't planned that stop. Seriously, Mally, how can you be so stubborn?

And why the fuck do I like it so much when you are?!

Argh...

~~~

I really hate how my weaknesses will delay our trip to Caelid, but fuck me this bath feels good.

After almost a whole week without taking my prosthetics off, the feeling of the tension being drained away from my stumps by the hot bath water is almost like a blessing.

We arrived at the not so small village Ranni talked about a while after sunrise. It didn't took us long to find a tavern that also had a few vacant rooms.

• • •

"A room for two, please" Ranni asked the innkeeper.

The place itself is quite impressive, way larger and more decorated than I would expect from a small village in the middle of Liurnia.

"Let me see..." The blonde middle aged woman browsed through, what I assumed based on the sound, were room keys under the bar.

"Anything wrong?" I asked, as she took a little too long in there.

She frowned in frustration "I'm sorry, but I only have one-bed rooms left. I can arrange separate rooms if you girls don't mind..." She suggested.

"We don't mind, just get us two rooms" Ranni said, slightly impatient.

"Okay, that'll be 1.500 Runes each"

"Okay- Oh, you have baths here, right? The sign outside said that you do" She quickly added.

The innkeeper nodded "We have... One room left with a bath" She said, looking at a small notebook over the bar.

"Oh, the baths are annexed to the bedrooms?" I asked.

"Yes, and..." The woman begun.

"And..." Ranni parroted impatiently.

"It's a bit more expensive than the regular rooms. Is that a problem?" She asked.

"How much more expensive?" Ranni asked.

Sure we got plenty of money, but it's not wise to just throw it away like we can just get more at home if we need to. This trip might be really long, so we gotta be ready for any inconveniences.

"Three times the price" The woman answered.

"Three- Why so much?" Ranni exclaimed, sounding slightly offended.

The woman backed away a little "My apologies, but it's the only room left with a bath, and it happens that it's a larger room, so it's double the price of the regular rooms already" She explained in an apologetic tone.

Ranni huffed "You gotta be kidding me..." She mumbled "Wait, a 'larger room'? What's that mean?"

"Oh... That would be a room for a couple, Miss. I assumed you two were sisters because you asked for two beds, but perhaps I..." The innkeeper explained, getting slightly embarrassed at the end.

"We're sisters!" Ranni quickly said.

We agreed on the story that we're biological sisters shortly after leaving Caria Manor. After all we look too much alike for anyone to think differently.

"Oh, my apologies. So, it'll be a single room and the large room with the bath?" She asked.

"We..." Ranni tried to continue, and I noticed that she was about to stumble upon her next words.

"We don't really mind sharing the bed, really" I finished for her.

The innkeeper looked slightly disappointed, surely she wants to squeeze every Rune she can out of us.

"Besides, we're not paying the equivalent to four rooms at the price you're charging" Ranni added, slightly outraged.

"Oh, well. That'll be 4.500 for the night then" The woman said, giving us a polite smile.

As we walked upstairs towards our room, Ranni released a breath of relief.

"Why does pretending to be sisters is so much harder than I thought?" She asked in a hushed tone.

I left out a small chuckle "We technically don't have to pretend, Witch" I commented, keeping my voice as low as hers.

"You know what I mean. Trust me, that woman was onto something, thankfully we got a valid excuse for sharing the bed. Fucking 4.500 Runes for a single room..." She said, looking visibly pissed.

"Tell me about it. But wait, what do you mean 'valid excuse'? What's suspicious about us sharing a room?"

"It's not just the room. We just told her that we're sleeping at the same bed tonight. It's not hard to imagine weird shit" She whisper-shouted.

I frowned for a second "Witch, have you never slept in the same bed as your brothers?"

She looked taken aback "I... Well, no, not really..." She mumbled.

I left out a small chuckle "Well, I guess it makes sense. Oh, here it is" I said, as we reached the door to our room.

"Well, sorry if my level of intimacy with my siblings isn't as high as yours. And what do you mean 'makes sense'?" She asked, taking a seat at the large bed.

"Age gap" I shrugged, throwing my bag on top of the chest in front of the bed "Miquella and I shared beds a lot when we were little, but I never did that with my older brothers. Given that you only have older brothers..."

She gave me a small chuckle "Well thought..." She mumbled whilst stretched over the large bed "Now, enough of the bedtime talk, we can go back to that later. To the bathtub, now" She ordered.

"You don't have to ask twice" I said, moving towards the bathroom door.

"I wasn't asking" She smugly replied.

I rolled my eyes, entering the bathroom and finally getting rid of my clothes and prosthetics.

• • •

I heard a knock on the door that brought me back to reality.

"You good in there? How's the water?" Ranni asked.

Honestly I'm surprised. It took her way longer to ask me about the bath than I expected. It's been almost half an hour without a word from her.

"Yeah, feels pretty good. I'll be out in just a moment, you must be pretty desperate to have a bath as well" I commented.

Shit, I haven't even thought about that up until now.

"Oh, me? I'm fine, don't worry. You can stay there for as long as you want" She promptly replied.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, no need to rush things out. I just knocked because I got something for you..."

"Oh, okay, what is it?"

"It's a cane, so you won't have to put your leg back on just to take it off again in bed. Do you... Do you mind if I open the door a bit to leave it in there?" She timidly asked.

My lips curled into a grin "Oh, so chivalrous"

"Shut up! I'm just being considerate of your privacy, dumbass!" She protested from behind the door.

Grace, her face gotta be priceless right now. I don't really mind my privacy that much, considering that I got a sneak peek of her body that time before Rykard's wedding.

"I'm flattered, but I don't think there's anything new for you to see here, Witch. You can come in. I'll make sure not to tempt you with my body again" I replied with a sarcastic giggle.

After a moment of silence, in which she was definitely blushing at the other side of the door, she finally opened the wooden door.

I watched as she awkwardly moved her body inside the room without knowing where to set her gaze in.

She peeked once or twice, but her eyes went everywhere in the room during the short time between leaving the cane next to the bathtub and leaving the room, so there weren't many opportunities to tease her even further.

Just as quick as she got in, she was gone. I sulked deeper into the water, which was more lukewarm than hot by now, thinking about how weird this whole thing is.

How can a relationship with someone be this convoluted? Sometimes she looks at me with so much intensity that I think that she wants to take me right then and there. And there's times like these, where she feels like a cornered animal, afraid of making a single movement.

Well, I guess that's also part of our 'weird situation'. We can't really be consistent as... Girlfriends? Lovers? Partners? Whatever the fuck we currently are. We can't be consistent as that because we were never consistent as half siblings as well.

We never really had any shared interests after childhood. Our teenage years were split between her reading and creating spells, and me training, camping and fighting my own rotting body.

We got somewhat closer right before I lost my eyes though, but then the big red bomb blew up inside my head and probably gave her nightmares for a few weeks.

After that we never spoke until I came back last week. I wonder if things would've been different if I had stayed here, if we would've learned how to tolerate each other without doing... Everything else we do now.

I guess there's no point in thinking about that now. It is what it is.

Better get off the bathtub to let Ranni have her moment of rest as well.

~~~

I was laying on the bed when I heard the creak of the bathroom door being open beside me.

"Feeling better?" I asked Mally, turning to face her while I closed the book I was reading.

"Much better, thanks" She said, moving to sit on the edge of the bed, still only wearing a towel.

"What about the cane? Did it helped or..." I asked, shifting to sit with my legs crossed.

"It was fine,Witch. Grace, I'm not a toddler, I can still keep my balance just fine" She replied playfully.

I blushed slightly "I know... But someone's gotta take care of your body if you won't do it yourself" I argued, trying to regain my composure "And by the way, I got our dinner down at the tavern while you were in the bathroom, it's over there"

"Aaawn, and they say romance is dead" She commented in a high pitched voice, leaning back to show me a wide grin.

"Shut up!" I shot back with a giggle, giving her a light push back forward.

"As you wish, my fair lady" She mockingly made a reverence "You had yours already?" She asked, as I got out of bed.

I nodded "It's passable, nothing special or anything, but considering your standards it's probably a feast"

"Wow, that was almost not an insult" She playfully said, whilst drying her hair with a towel.

I chuckled lightly "What can I say. Anything for my girl on her special day" I jokingly said.

"Well, 'your girl' appreciates the effort" She replied.

"For me almost not insulting you?" I said with a giggle, while opening the bathroom door.

"For everything else" She said, and I stopped on my tracks to face her.

"Whaddya mean?"

"This" She said, looking a bit shy "You were right, I needed some proper rest. Thank you"

I smiled, a little taken aback by the way she said that.

"Anytime" I said, right before closing the door behind me.

The bath was pretty short. Sure, I took my time to enjoy the water after three days without a proper bath, but overall I got done with it pretty quickly.

I got out of the bathroom, still wrapped in my towel. Mally was sitting on the bed with her legs crossed, her prosthetic arm was already back on.

"How's dinner?" I asked, moving to sit beside her. She's on her underwear now, wearing a simple set of panties and a light short sleeve shirt.

"Pretty good to be honest. How's the bath?" She asked, and I noticed that she was massaging her stump.

"Pretty good as well. What are you doing? Does it still hurt?" I asked, half worried about her, half hypnotized by her bare legs in front of me.

"Just a bit. After the hot water effect has passed the pain kinda came back. It's nothing big, it'll probably be gone by tomorrow, but I wanted to give it a massage to help the blood flow" She explained, between a few grunts.

"I see... And how is it going so far?" I asked, noticing a little bit of tension on her eyebrows.

"Good, good..." She promptly said, pressing her lips in a tight smile, whilst circling her thumbs over her stump.

"Are you sure...?" I asked, noticing just how much pressure she was putting on her movements.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm just... Just... I'm awful at this" She admitted, after letting a frustrated sigh out.

I smiled a little "Do you want some help?"

She hesitated for a moment "If it's not a problem... But you're not even fully dressed yet, I can wait if you-"

"Nah, I can help you now, no problem. Also, seems like you're in need of a lady's touch, and my hands are definitely softer than yours" I playfully replied.

She just rolled her "Go on, Miss 'lady's touch'. Gimme your best" She said, moving her hands away from her legs.

I shifted my position to rest over my knees, getting closer to her.

I began moving my hands over her stump. The touch of my fingers against her skin made her shiver for a second.

"You okay?" I said, backing away slightly.

"Yeah, your hands were just kinda cold from the water, that's all" She explained, giving me an awkward smile "You can keep going" She said reassuringly.

I rested my hands over her stump once again, pressing her skin lightly at first, making semi-circling motions on both sides of her thigh.

"This okay?" I asked, as I increased the pressure of my motions.

"Yeah, it's good..." She murmured, giving me a warm smile.

"I'm glad. This is the first time I do this, so I'm kinda lost here" I commented, letting out an awkward giggle.

She chuckled "Really?"

"Yeah. Well, on humans. I've done this to Blaidd after he broke his paw, but every time I mention him you go all barbarian on me" I argued in faux annoyance.

She rolled her eyes playfully "I'm not mad about you mentioning him. I'm mad- wait, a little higher" She said, closing her eyes and letting out a small grunt.

"Here?" I asked.

She nodded, opening her eyes as I seemed to hit a particularly sore spot.

"Did it hurt?" I said, stopping my motions as I noticed her flinching.

She shook her head "It's fine. That was just a sensitive spot, you can keep going"

"Okay... But you tell me if anything's wrong" I said, going back to the massage.

"I will" She replied with a smile "Now, where was I...? Oh, right. I don't mind you mentioning your dog, Witch. I do mind you comparing me to him" She explained, seeming to relax as I kept moving my hands upwards.

"First, he's not a dog, and neither is you. Second, like I told you before, I care about you two in different ways, but that doesn't change the fact that you're both important to me" I explained, looking in her eyes.

"Witch..."

"I'm not finished. And because I care about you two in equivalent amounts of two distinct ways-"

"Witch"

"Hush! I'm speaking now. As I was saying-"

"Witch!"

"What?!" I exclaimed impatiently.

"Your hand..." She said, and I noticed that her face was a lot more red than usual.

As I looked down to my hands, I noticed the reason for her sudden blush. My left hand was a little too high on her inner thigh, to the point where my knuckles were almost brushing against...

"Oh, fuck! I'm sorry- I didn't notice" I blurted.

I was about to take my hands off of her when I felt her prosthetic holding my left wrist.

My eyes moved to meet hers, only to be met with her face looking down as her breathing got more intense.

"Mally..."

"I promised you..." She mumbled, looking up to meet my gaze with a coy look.

I felt her left hand resting over my leg, her skin feeling way hotter against mine than I was expecting.

"You... Wait, your leg. You're still..." I mumbled, feeling her left hand moving further up my thigh.

She shook her head briefly "It's fine already. Now I wanna help you" She said, letting go of my wrist to cup my face with her prosthetic.

"Help?" I mumbled, feeling my face getting hotter and hotter.

She nodded "I want to thank you for everything... That is if you still want to..."

"I do!" I said without thinking twice "But... Are you sure about this? I don't wanna push you into anything that you're not..."

"Ranni" She said, looking me in the eyes while she moved her face closer to mine "I'm here, and I want to do it"

Before I could formulate an answer, or actually do anything, she closed the few inches between us, pressing her lips gently against mine.

I felt all of the tension on my shoulders instantly fade away. It doesn't matter that we kissed earlier this morning, kissing her always feels different, unique, and yet familiar. Even our first kiss felt that way, like something that I missed for a long time before it happened for the first time.

I felt her arms embracing my waist and neck, her grip growing stronger as our kisses got more intense.

I was eager to explore her body as well, reaching my hands to hold both sides of her torso, moving them upwards to be met with the pleasant realization that she was not wearing a bra under her shirt.

I felt her left hand on my back, as she reached for the hem of my towel, grabbing it but not removing the towel until I responded with a subtle nod, giving her a final permission to strip me naked.

It didn't take me long to follow suit and take her shirt and panties off as well. Now we were both naked, she was sitting with her back against the headboard, as I was straddling her lap whilst our kisses got fiercer.

I felt her hands grabbing my ass, squeezing it to press me further against her. I rocked my hips out of reflex, as the waves of heat coming from my center kept growing with each faint grasp against her stomach.

I let go of her lips, which immediately caused her to groan weakly in protest, but that was quickly gone once I began to plant hungry kisses down her neck and collarbone, finding my final destination on her breasts.

She left out a hushed moan as I began to lick her left boob, giving it some light pecks here and there as I moved towards the pink bud at the center of it.

I felt her digging her nails on my back as I trapped her left nipple in my mouth. The light pain on my back did nothing to stop me from sucking and licking her nipple passionately.

I heard the sweet melody of moans and squeals that emanated from her mouth as I worked my way on the soft mounds that I've been drooling over for more than three days now.

Eventually she got tired of being 'played' by me and moved her right hand between us, going down to meet my soaked cunt pressed against her.

I backed away just enough to give her room to work down there, and that was all the incentive she needed, as she quickly began massaging the skin around my lips.

My hips responded again, pressing myself on her hand as I lost track of what I was even doing on her boobs.

She seemed pleased with that reaction, because as soon as I stopped sucking her nipples, she moved a finger inside my pussy, getting a high pitched moan out of me.

I heard her snickering at my sudden reaction, as hearing was all I could do, given how hard it was to keep my eyes open right now.

She moved her finger deeper inside of me. I could feel my insides twitching against her as her palm kept pressing on my clit, sending electric shivers through my body.

"What happened? I thought you wanted to make me come" She teased me in a sultry tone.

I managed to open my eyes a little, panting as my brain tried to come up with something to say.

"I... I-" Whatever it was that was about to come out of my mouth died as she shoved the second finger inside my pussy.

"You what...?" She said, giving me an exaggerated curious look, her motions inside me not even faltering as she did so.

This is going really bad, I gotta regain my control over her quickly, I can't let her dominate me like this again...

Forcing myself to get a grip of my own body again, I finally managed to grab her shoulders, which seemed to peak her interest.

"Oooh, gonna make me stop, Witch?" She asked, her fingers still idly moving inside of me.

I resisted the urge to let her have her way with me as she pleased. I sure want to, but this is my turn to make her come, and I'll make sure to let her know that.

"Down!" I ordered, pressing my hands on her shoulders to move her to lay on the bed.

That surprised her, but she complied regardless, letting go of my pussy so she could lay on her back.

"What are you-"

"Shhhh, I wanna try something with you" I whispered, pressing my lips against hers to give her a passionate, but sorry lived kiss.

I backed away slightly, and she looked confused for a moment before I finally moved further down her legs, grabbing her hips to turn her so she was laying on her right side now.

She seemed to caught up to what my intentions were, and now I'm about to find out if my little gamble will pay off or not.

I straddled her right thigh, resting her stump over my lap as I finally pushed my center to meet hers. Our eyes met for a moment of hesitation whilst I waited for her response to my actions.

I've only ever read about this position in books before, and none of that could guarantee me that it would actually feel good for two inexperienced girls like us, and even if it does, she's gotta agree to it first.

After a moment of uncertainty, she gave me a quick nod, and so I pressed my center against hers, beginning to rock my hips as our pussies rubbed against each other.

It felt weird, not necessarily bad, far from it in fact, but it was... Different, the warmth, the feeling of her legs locked against mine, the sight of her moving as well. Yeah, this might work.

After a while of exploring with different levels of intensity and speed, we finally settled on a steady rhythm that seemed to work for the both of us, and after that happened she was completely gone.

Her pupils disappeared as she rolled her eyes, which she barely managed to keep open by now. She grabbed my arm as I kept giving light squeezes to her boobs in between our motions.

"Are you close?" I said between gasps.

She didn't answer, biting her lips as she rocked her hips harder on me.

"Malenia!" I demanded.

Her eyes snapped open as she looked at me in surprise.

"Are. You. Close?" I asked authoritatively.

She only nodded weakly, pressing her eye lids shut as she tried to suppress a squeal.

"Look at me" I demanded, she didn't listen.

"Malenia. Look. At. Me!" I stated, rocking my hips even harder and giving her nipple a light pinch.

That got her out of her trance, as she eyed me with the largest puppy eyes I've ever seen.

"Good girl" I whispered "You wanna come?" I asked.

She nodded "~I do~..." She practically moaned those words.

"Beg me" I demanded.

"Wha..."

"Beg me to let you come" I said with a fierce passion to my voice.

She hesitated for a moment, and I slowed my pace slightly.

"PLEASE!" She cried.

"Beg me!" I exclaimed, pushing myself harder against her to make my point clear.

"P-please! I want you to make me come! Please, just let me come with you!" She pleaded, almost running out of what little air she had left on her lungs.

I smiled at her "~That's my girl~"

And so I promptly picked up the fast pace of her motions and quickly got her back to the edge of her orgasm.

It wasn't long until she was quivering against my legs, grabbing the mattress so tightly that I thought she would tear it apart.

I rejoiced on that hypnotizing view of her body collapsing into pure bliss. Her trembling legs and soft spasms painted an image that I would save on my memory for as long as I live.

Mere seconds after that I was also transported to a higher state of mind, as I collapsed on my back, panting and sweating as the intensity of my orgasm caused me to black out completely after a few moments of indescribable pleasure.

I think we both needed some well deserved rest after the week we just had.

Chapter Text

"How was the food?" I asked Fia, as we walked towards the Throne Room.

"It was good, actually better than I expected..." She timidly said.

"Is that so?" I sighed in faux frustration "Never thought my subjects thought so little of my hospitality"

"Oh, please, no! That's not what I meant. I didn't-" She stumbled upon her explanation while I showed her an amused grin.

"Easy, Lady Fia. I was just teasing you a bit. I got what you meant, the fact that you're just a circumstantial visitor here and probably wasn't expecting the treatment we're giving you, is that correct?" I asked.

She hesitated for a moment, but eventually nodded.

"Well, if you're concerned about that, rest assured that even if your presence here isn't under the most fortuitous light, you're still one of my subjects, and even if you weren't, we wouldn't give you a poor treatment regardless, specially after what you told us about the Deathblight" I explained.

"Well, I'm glad to be useful, but I'm still unsure about the amount of credit you seem to give me. I'm pretty sure that your servants don't appreciate my presence here as much as you do" She admitted.

"Well, if that's the case they're free to let me know about anything that might be bothering them, but unfortunately I can't really take their claims at face value like I'd used to. That's why we're here to begin with. I still need to give my crew a once over before I can think about anything else" I finished.

"You really think there's a traitor here?" She asked.

I simply shrugged "Hardly, but I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't check, right?"

"I guess not... But one thing is still puzzling me, why am I here with you?" She asked, which took a little longer than I expected honestly.

I asked her to accompany me during the interrogations after she had her breakfast. After a moment of confusion, she agreed to follow me to the Throne Room.

"I like to have company while doing the daily work, and as I can't have none of the staff  there with me while I interrogate them, I opted for your company instead" I explained.

"I understand, but don't you think that having a foreigner there is a bit dangerous? Letting me watch you ask personal questions about your servants is a bit... Unnerving, if I might say" She said, sounding a bit too nervous.

"Nah, it's gonna be okay. I got to know you a little better this morning already, and unless my gut is failing me now, you should be pretty harmless to keep around" I said, and actually meant it.

Sure, there's also the fact that I want to see her reactions to my methods of interrogation as well, and keeping her close is a way to let her get confident, but she really seems like a good company.

But just to be sure that it's safe to work alongside her, I need to give her space to get more comfortable here. The more confident she gets, the higher the chances of her stumbling upon a lie, in case she's actually lying about something.

Alternatively, if she's actually here just to help, the quicker I can get her up to speed with my methods of operation here, the better, so there's no real down side for this.

"Well, if you say so... Do you need me to do anything while we're there?" She asked.

"Besides small talk in between the 'interviews' I don't really need you for anything else. I know it's kinda boring, but after we're done with the staff today I can show you my ideas for the Deathblight" I commented.

That seemed to catch her interest, as she instantly seemed less nervous in favor of feeding her curiosity instead.

"About that... You mentioned before that you have a theory about how we could prevent the scourge after it had afflicted the body already, is that right?" She inquired.

I confidently nodded.

"How?"

"I'll explain everything to you later, can't have my mind focused on anything besides the interrogations now. Oh, here we are!" I said, as we reached the Throne Room doors "Ready to get to know my servants, Lady Fia?" I said, grabbing the door handle.

She hesitantly nodded as we entered the room. Time to get some detective work going.

Now let me run you through my process of interrogation real quick. I selected a few servants at random, each from a distinct area of operation in the castle.

After I'm sure that they're clear today, I'll make them report any suspicious activities from within their respective areas to me. Leaving them on that task for a couple of days concludes phase one.

Phase two will be repeating that process with all of the commanders and supervisors of those areas. The reason for not interrogating them first is to let them be aware of the low level servants that are now spying on everyone for me.

To put it simply, by the time I get to interrogate the superiors, which are more likely to have any rats than the low level servants, the impostor will be pretty tense about being spotted already, so it'll be easier to catch any slips during the interrogation.

A pretty effective strategy if you ask me, all credits reserved to Radagon. I'm lucky to be in charge of a relatively small contingent here at Stormveil. Morgott has to do the same thing with three to four times the amount of people I have here.

Morgott... I wonder how is he doing back at home...

"Everything okay, My Lord?" The handmaid in front of the throne asked.

"Oh, yes, sorry. I was just daydreaming about my little Brother" I playfully explained "So, shall we begin?" I asked.

The young woman nodded, and so I began with the questions.

"What's your name, and what do you do here at the Castle?"

"Ophelia, My Lord. I work in the kitchen, organizing the supplies and keeping track of the inventory" She promptly explained.

I kept asking her mundane questions for a while. 'Where were you born', 'Do you have any hobbies', 'How was your relationship with your parents' and so on.

I could notice Fia's attention drifting away from the moment just before I started with the actual questions, which to her and the servant's surprise, began with...

"Between a horse and a codfish, which would you rather kiss?" I asked, keeping my serious expression as both women looked visibly off put.

"Pardon, My Lord? I don't think I get the question..." Ophelia hesitantly stated.

"Just pick one, there's no wrong option" I replied, giving her a reassuring smile.

She thought for a while, looked at Fia for a moment, but eventually proceeded to answer.

"Uuuh... A horse... I think"

"Good, good. Now, have you ever conspired against my authority here or the authority of the Golden Order?" I deadpanned.

Now that took her by surprise.

"I-I... No, never, My Lord" She quickly stated, after a short moment of confusion.

"I see... And how would you feel if someone filled your shoes with orange juice?"

"I- What?"

"Or any kind of juice, it doesn't have to be orange if you don't like it"

"I... Bad? A bit disgusted I guess... I'm not sure..."

"Don't worry. Now talking about your friends, do you have any friends amongst the staff?"

"Oh, yes, I have a few close friends here" She replied, though still a bit nervous.

"That's really nice, it's always good to surround yourself with people you trust. Hey, speaking of trust, have you noticed any of your friends acting strange lately?"

"Strange?"

"Yeah, small changes in behavior, like, I don't know, someone who's suddenly picking you into a corner and whispering ideas about getting me or my family killed in the name of an outer god" I casually suggested, and she reacted as expected.

"Getting yo- Uuuh, no... I don't think I've heard any conversations about that, My Lord..." She stated, managing to utter those words without stuttering.

"You sure?"

She nodded, seeming a bit unsure, but that's good enough.

"I see... Well, that's all I wanted to ask, Miss Ophelia. My apologies for the off putting questions. I'm conducting a quick once over here at the Castle, so it's better to be safe than sorry. You may go now, I'll call you later if I need anything else" I happily said, gesturing towards the door.

Ophelia quickly exited the room, leaving me alone with Fia while the next servant waited for my command to step inside.

"So, what do you think?" I asked the young blonde standing beside the throne.

"I? Ummm, she... Seems like a nice person, if you don't mind me saying that" Fia cautiously said.

"Not at all, and yes, she's pretty sweet, and cooks really well too. But I was referring to the questions, can you tell me what you think of them?" I inquired.

"Oh, okay. They were... Interesting. I'm not familiar with interrogatories, but I assume you wanted to make her uncomfortable with the odd questions mixed in between the actual questions about a possible traitor, is that correct?" She asked.

"Spot on, Lady Fia. Well, almost. The odd questions were indeed meant to get her out of her comfort zone right before I asked her about the rat, but that's not all" I explained.

"I see, that would make it more difficult for the rat to keep up the facade, but what have I missed then?" She asked.

"The first questions. See, a good spy would be able to circumvent that strategy with some effort, the real trick lies in the questions that look easy to get right, things that you wouldn't have to lie about"

"Oh, so she will definitely tell the truth at first, and if she changes her way of speaking later, you'll be able to notice, correct?" She suggested.

I have to admit, she's pretty sharp for someone who isn't familiarized with interrogations, interesting... But I'll go back to that later.

I nodded "After I got to know the way she tells the truth it was only a matter of spotting any changes in her pattern of speech. Then enter the 'odd questions', which were meant to catch her way of speaking about things she's not sure about, and things that she could be mistaken for lies if I didn't have a way of knowing how she talks when she's nervous" I explained.

"Oh, I haven't thought about that... So, when we talked earlier today-"

"Wondering if I was doing the same thing to you? Don't worry, I'm analyzing you from the very moment I laid my eyes on you yesterday, though not through the same methods I'm using here" I stated, giving her a kind, but slightly provocative smile.

"I... That makes sense..." She mumbled with a faint smile.

"Curious about what my impressions of you have been so far?" I casually asked.

"I- your- what?" She blurted awkwardly.

I laughed at her reaction for a bit. I'm not gonna lie, it's fun to tease her to see just how far her timid personality goes, even if I'm technically just double checking on her real intentions here, is still fun all the same.

"My opinions on you, are you curious about them?" I reiterated, still having a small grin on my face.

"I... I think so, if you're willing to share them" She hesitantly replied.

"Oh, I sure do. Up until now you've been quite the puzzle, but overall I got a good feeling about you, more so because I'm pretty sure that you're not telling me everything about yourself" I casually stated.

"I'm not...?" She tensed up slightly.

"Oh yes, but that's a good thing. Don't worry about it now, we'll have plenty of time to talk later" I said, trying to sound reassuring.

She didn't seem completely pleased with my answer to say the least, but didn't question me any further.

"Now, shall we continue with this?" I asked, adjusting myself on the throne to get more comfortable.

She easily agreed, and so I returned to the task at hand.

"Next!" I ordered, and so the next servant entered the room.

~~~

"Well, that took way longer than I expected" Godwyn exclaimed, after letting out a sigh of relief "Sorry to make you go through a whole day of this" He added, right before standing up from his throne and stretching his arms.

"I'm fine, it's not like I had much more to do here to begin with, I barely know how to move around this castle" I said, attempting to sound casual, but quickly backed down on that "I'm glad to be of use with something at least" I politely added.

"Well, I feel sorry all the same. But you did helped a lot. I can't imagine how stressful this whole thing would've been by myself" He said, as we moved towards the doors.

Today was really unusual if I'm being honest. Out of everything I was expecting to do whilst staying here in the castle, having a day of casual conversations with Godwyn himself was definitely not at the top of the list.

"I'm glad that you enjoyed my company, Prince Godwyn, though I'm not really sure if my presence here was all that much of an improvement. I don't consider myself an interesting person, and I assume you noticed that by now" I replied,  trying to sound a little less embarrassed than I actually am.

I'm not good at finding good topics for casual chit chat, so I spent most of our time here as a listener more than I talker. I can't confirm this, but I'm pretty sure he was bored out of his mind during most of that time.

"Nonsense, 39 years in these lands and I've never met someone who wasn't interesting, and you're no exception, believe me" He playfully said "So, mind joining me for dinner? I'd like to share my ideas about how to take care of whatever it's brewing under my Castle" He said with a smile.

"Oh, sure, I don't mind it at all" I replied.

As I followed him towards the dining hall, something kept coming back to my mind, a realization that was hinted from the first time we spoke yesterday...

This man is nothing like I was expecting!

All I knew about the Golden Lineage was what folks talked about, which is not a lot, considering that most of the information that got to us was deliberately picked by the Golden Order to paint a very specific portrait of what we're supposed to think about them.

All we got were epic tales and fantasized propaganda. Stories about the great 'Godwyn, Son of Godfrey, Heir of the Golden Order' which did little to describe who this man actually was as a person. Up until yesterday I was expecting to be met with some random stoic, self centered, narrow minded ruler. What I got instead was the complete opposite of that.

His behavior is so... Casual, so carefree, speaking so kindly to all of the servants I've seen him interact with, and surprisingly enough he believed (or at least seems to believe) my story without any major reservations, this feels... Unreal.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that he believed me so quickly, after all he saw that I was telling the truth with his own eyes yesterday, but now I'm kind of lost when it comes to interacting with him about anything that isn't my mission here.

As I stated before, our time together in between interrogations today consisted of random chit chat about regular stuff, and as he did most of the talking, I got to hear a lot about his life. Things like his many travels during his youth, or stories about his siblings, showed me a 'Prince Godwyn' that is far from my initial view of him.

It's so weird to have a literal monarch talk to me like we're just two coworkers having a break for lunch. He doesn't sound like a ruler most of the time, yesterday he felt like a totally different person, he was still kind with his words, but definitely sounded authoritative whilst giving everyone orders. To be fair, things were pretty tense back then, so I can't tell how much of that Godwyn is actually real.

But even if he's nothing like that when out of extreme situations, it doesn't change the fact that today he feels oddly optimistic, we just had an extensive session of interviews trying to find a traitor amongst his staff, and now he's pacing around the hallways like we're about to have a nice boat ride and not a conversation about dealing with the undead that are literally beneath his nose.

His lack of urgency is quite unnerving to say the least. I know that he's definitely taking the situation seriously, but I expected him to be more... Stern. Maybe that's just another expectation about him that would be inevitably subverted, I don't know...

Perhaps the fact that his father is known as the most ruthless warrior to ever lay foot on this lands pushed my biases towards a certain direction. Most would expect Godwyn Loux to resemble his father to some extent, a mighty warrior, thirsty for blood, but you'd be surprised to find out just how much that's not the case.

The Lord of Stormveil Castle is nothing like the epic legends that surround this place, he's... Human.

Oh, and speaking of his father, I was expecting portraits and/or statues of him to fill the whole Castle. I mean, the man literally conquered this place for Queen Marika, but strangely enough there is nothing. Not to mention that during the short conversations we had about his family, he not once mentioned his father.

I would be lying if I say that I'm not curious about that, but it's not my place to question him on something so private, so it's better to just leave that thought behind.

Now returning to the present. We reached the Dining Hall, and shortly after we were having a nice dinner together, as he began to explain what his plan was.

"A ritual?" I asked.

He nodded "Well, not just any ritual. You mentioned that you can purge the Deathblight through a purifying blessing, right?"

I confirmed with a quick nod, noticing the excitement on his voice growing.

"So, based on that I came up with a theory that if you already know a way to separate the scourge from the body before they are fully merged, there might be a variation of that blessing that can do the same thing to a fully formed undead, we just need to find it" He explained, not paying much attention to his food ever since we sat down to eat.

"Well, there might... But I never heard of anything that powerful. The undead are possessed by the Ghost Flame, that's the power of the gods we're talking about. My blessing only remedies the infection, it can't purge the possessed body. How would a man made ritual stand against something that is an extension of the will of an outer god?" I asked.

"You remember Miquella, right? I mentioned him a couple of times today" He said.

"Your younger brother, right...? The one who's really kind?" I didn't get all of their names yet, mostly because they're not as talked about as Godwyn is.

Due to the fact that all of his siblings were cursed from birth, there's not much information about them available to the public. For that reason it is difficult to know who's who in his family, but I'm 90% sure that Miquella is one of the youngest.

"Precisely! Now, if I'm not mistaken, the common folks don't really know what my siblings' curses are, right?" He asked.

I hesitated for a while, thinking about all of the horrendous theories that people come up with about the so called 'bastards of the Golden Order'. Rumor has it that two of them are monsters who eat children, but like any information that travels too far, you can't really take it at face value, so I ignored most of those theories.

I might not like the Golden Order, but even I wouldn't go as far as hating on someone for being born cursed. Marika? Sure, she deserves a punishment for what she did to this world, but her kids? That's a bit too much for my taste.

"No, we don't really have a concession. Some people think that your siblings are all... Deformed. A few folks that visited the Capital say that one of your brothers was turned into a girl, and that your sister has poisoned blood- but those are just mean rumors..." I embarrassedly said.

He just sighed, letting out a "Well, that's better than I expected. It's not actually far from the truth either. My Sister, Malenia, was infected with the Scarlett Rot ever since she was twelve years old, that condition took away two of her limbs and ultimately her eyes" He said, sounding way more serious now.

"I'm sorry for her, she seemed really nice in your stories. It must've been horrifying for a child to bare such weight" I commented.

It's quite impressive that he talked so much about his siblings without mentioning their curses even once today. You'd think that it would be impossible to describe some of them without mentioning that even once, but perhaps that was just me expecting them to be defined by their curses.

"It sure was... But our Tiny Dancer is tough, and she had Miquella, which takes us to my point" He said, going back to his upbeat tone "Miquella is probably one the smartest people I know when it comes to spells. After Malenia got infected with the Rot, he found a way to purify gold to a point where it's able to hinder the influence of the outer gods, hence how he was recently capable of curing Malenia, and hopefully that'll be how we can cure others who were afflicted like Kristoff was"

"He, woah... Your brother actually found a way to fight the outer gods?" And wasn't he the youngest? How old was he when he did that?!

"Yes, he did. So, my theory is that there's an inherent cleansing property to the holy energy derived from our incantations. That property could, in theory, be used alongside your blessing to amplify its effect and purge the undead from the Ghost Flame" He finished.

I took a moment to absorb all of the information he just gave me. I wasn't expecting his plan to be this... Promising. If what he's saying is actually true, then this might actually turn the tides in our favor.

"Wait, so you're actually saying that-"

"That there might be a way to bring them back? Yes. That is, if you're willing to help me, Lady Fia. Your blessing can only be done by women, and until there's anyone else here capable of doing it, you'll be my only option to put this to the test" He kindly said.

"I... Sure, of course" I said, still a bit shocked by everything he just dumped over me.

If he's actually right, this might change everything, and not just here. The power to fight and possibly kill an outer god, that could put an end to anyone who opposes the Greater Will, that is without mentioning the Rune of Death which they already possess. That's alarming, really alarming, but I can't overthink that now, my mission here isn't to fight the Greater Will, at least not yet.

The thing that's bothering me now is how come we practically never heard anything about his brother when he achieved something like this? Knowing that they have someone like him at their disposal, and that according to Godwyn they were still attacked during the most secured event of the year makes me think just how much the outer gods have been planning for this.

I hope to be wrong, but honestly the more I know about what happened during that new year's eve, the less I feel like the Deathblight is our main preoccupation here.

"I'm glad that you're willing to cooperate, Lady Fia. Now, unfortunately for us, the kind of magic that my brother performed on Malenia is not something that I could easily replicate, and even if he taught me the basics of it, I never fully grasped how to properly execute it" He admitted, in a mixture of shame and frustration.

"Wait, so you can't actually do it?" I asked.

"Oh, no. I can cast it, no problem" He promptly said "The problem comes with the effects of it. My purifying rituals never worked to the same degree that Miquella's, which is the reason why he got the title of 'Unalloyed' in the first place, he mastered purification rituals. Hopefully my level of expertise will be enough for this, but if it isn't... Well, let's just hope they find Miquella soon then"

"Find him?"

"Oh, right, I didn't mention that yesterday, but Miquella was kidnapped during the attack. We sent two of us to find him, but if they can't find him soon, any chances of using his powers against the outer gods will remain out of our reach as well" He deadpanned.

So the outer gods are already aware of a threat such as this, that explains their success back at the Capital, and increases my anxiety even further. If this man was already dangerous whilst fighting for the Golden Order, I can only imagine how much of a menace he could potentially be if others gods put their hands on him.

"I see, he must be- wait, you said that you've sent only two people after him?!" I abruptly asked.

"Not just any two people" He promptly shot back "Believe me, if those two can't find him, then no one else can" He confidently stated.

"Oh, and who are they?"

~~~

I could feel the warmth of her body pressed against mine as I started to wake up. For someone whose entire style revolves around ice and snow, her body feels extremely warm.

After a moment or two enjoying her presence on the bed with me, something else caught my attention, her smell.

I've never paid much attention to the way people smell, to me it was always something more practical than anything else. It's useful to recognize someone by the smell, but nothing more than that if I'm being honest.

Now that my nose is pressed against the back of her head, I finally got a proper taste of what she truly smells like, and I don't know I've never noticed just how intoxicating it actually is.

I pressed myself further against her, which is quite the feat considering how close we already were. I got a few long sniffs of her hair, savouring the intensity of her scent as invaded my nostrils.

Unfortunately for me, that seemed to be enough to wake her up. Her head moved slowly as she took a deeper breath.

"Mmmm... How's your leg?" She murmured, and that caught me off guard.

It wasn't a groan, or even a doozy 'morning...', the first thing she did was ask me about my leg, thinking about that almost made my heart skip a beat.

"It's... It's fine, thanks for asking" I timidly murmured back.

She just left out a pleased hum.

"How 'bout you, slept well?" I asked, looking at the curtains to catch the first glimpses of the morning sun.

"~Mhmm hmm~" She mumbled, nodding her head lightly.

I left out a giggle "You're really cute when you're sleepy, y'know that?" I commented, burying my head on the crook of her neck.

"I'm just cute all the time, Sassy Pants..." She smugly mumbled back "What time is it?"

I rolled my eyes, then moved to grab her watch on the bedside table, but before I could move any further, she grabbed my wrist.

"I didn't tell you to leave" She mumbled in protest, pulling me back to cuddle her.

"And how am I supposed to tell you the time then?" I laughingly asked.

"You're the expert at telling the time without a watch, Miss Outdoor living, you tell me" She shot back, her voice still sounding rough.

I rested my head back beside hers, as she pulled me even harder against her rear.

"I can't see the sky, Witch, how can I possibly tell the time without looking at it?" I asked, as she traced random patterns around my forearm with her fingers.

"Don't know, not my problem" She simply stated.

"Argh, fine... I'd say it's about... 5:30 ish or so" I guessed.

I know it's not 6:00 because our alarm hasn't gone off yet, and it's not much earlier than that because of the tiny rays of light I spotted behind the curtains before.

"5:30... So we still got some time left, why did you wake me up so early?" She whined, curling up on the bed and pulling me along.

"I didn't- Okay, fair point, sorry" I mumbled.

Suddenly she let go of my arm, as she turned to face with a mischievous grin on her face.

"Oh, are you really? Not sure if believe that you woke me up a few minutes earlier 'accidentally', Sassy Pants. What, tryna get some action before it's time to get up?" She teased with over exaggerated sultry voice.

I snorted "Getting full of yourself this early in the morning, Witch? If I'm not mistaken it's you who's usually so eager to take a nibble every chance you get" I shot back, staring at her golden eyes glistening in the room's dim lighting.

She shrugged "Perhaps, but that doesn't change the fact that all you need to get some blood pumping between your legs is a little bit of a taste, or perhaps a 'sniff'?" She said, and I froze into place "I noticed you getting all fixated on my neck a while ago, care to explain that?"

"I was... Huh? Fixated? What?" I blurted, feeling the sudden rush of heat settling on my cheeks.

Fuck, this bitch got me again! How does she manage to keep getting inside my head so easily?! It wasn't even anything weird, I was just sniffing her hair! Why does she knowing about it makes me so embarrassed?

"~Oooh, someone's got a new kink~ heheheh. I love when I get your face this red, it goes well with your hair" She said between giggles, caressing my cheek with her hand "Oh, was that it? Were you focused on my hair?"

'How the fuck did she find that out?!' I screamed internally.

"You- What...?"

"I knew it!" She exclaimed, right before succumbing into a fit of laughs.

'Great job, Malenia, now she knows that you like sniffing her hair, just like a... Fuck! Am I actually just a fucking dog?!' I thought, as a frown grew more and more on my face.

"If this will be just you getting a laugh at my expense, then I better get my day going alrea-"

"Hey, calm down" She quickly cut me off, resting both of her palms to cup my face as I was about to back away "It was funny to know how much you like me, that's all. I don't mind you sniffing my hair" She kindly said.

I looked in her eyes, feeling the tension on my muscles starting to fade away, but not completely.

"But it's... Weird... I shouldn't be doing things like that... Like I'm some kind of..."

"No. You're not a wild animal, and we've been through that a few times by now" She playfully stated "But you're still mine, and as long as you are mine, you're free to do whatever you like with me" She confidently stated.

Grace, she can be so intense sometimes.

"Witch, I- wait, 'whatever I like'?" I parroted, giving her a surprised look.

She nodded "I want to make you happy, so you can have anything from me, my hair, my hands, my lips, anything you want, okay?" She said, there was a hint of embarrassment to her words, but she kept her composure pretty well.

"Ranni, I can't just-"

"You can, because I want you to. I told you before, I take care of what's mine, and that includes you..." She practically whispered that last part "Besides, you get really annoying when you're not satisfied" She quickly added with a more dismissive tone.

Her hasty attitude coming back to the surface after so many powerful words really caught me off guard. I couldn't help but let a brief chuckle escape my lips.

"Okay, if it's so important to you, then fine, I won't make a storm on a teacup about this" I eventually said, giving her a kind smile.

I could barely see the smile of contentment on her face as she quickly closed the distance between us to meet my lips with hers.

"Good girl" She happily whispered against my mouth after the end of our kiss.

And just like a cold bucket of water over our little moment, the alarm rang from behind me, reminding us that our little break was officially over.

Ranni left out an audible groan of frustration, as I moved away to turn the alarm off.

"Why can't we have nice things just once?" She exclaimed, moving to sit on the bed to do some stretches.

"We had a pretty long 'once' yesterday, Witch" I commented, turning to have a good look at her naked upper body as she flexed her delicate muscles.

There's no other word to describe her right now, she's gorgeous, plain and simple. Messy hair, bed marks on her skin, slightly puffy face, I don't give a fuck, I could stare at her the whole day and not get tired of that.

"Yeah, I know, but still... Can't wait for the next stop" She playfully admitted.

"And you call me 'Sassy Pants'?" I replied, locking my prosthetic leg in place.

"Of course I do, you're the one who turned me into this" She shot back.

"Oh yeah, and what exactly is 'this'?" I asked, making air quotes with one hand as I grabbed my underwear from the floor with the other.

"Right now? Hungry, so hurry up, let's get some breakfast before you begin to look tempting to eat in more ways than one" She playfully said, starting to grab her clothes as well.

I did my best to hide the very much obvious flush of crimson that returned to my face after that little comment, doing what I could to avoid looking back at her before she could see-

"~Oooh, you liked that idea, didn't ya? So there's two new kinks that came to the surface on that dirty mind of yours today.~ For how long have you been wanting me to eat you out, Sassy Pants?"

"SHUT UP!" I exclaimed, throwing a pillow at her general direction as she disappeared into the bathroom.

I sat down on the bed and pondered about just where exactly I decided to 'tether my horse' as the Big Boy would call it.

Grace, how am I supposed to focus on the mission while this girl is always beside me?! I'll definitely go insane before we get to the bridge to Limgrave, that's for sure.

Chapter Text

I heard a knock on my door.

"Lady Fia, are you ready?" Prince Godwyn asked from the other side.

I rubbed my eyelids a little "Yes, I'll be out in just a moment" I replied, still a bit doozy from a poor night of sleep.

It's a common occurrence actually. Some days I'll get a good rest, other days I'll be completely miserable. Today ended up falling into the latter category, so my head is still a bit dizzy. Hopefully that won't interfere with our research today.

Godwyn and I agreed yesterday on where to start our work on combining his brother's incantations with my blessings. Due to the fact that we use different currents of magic, combining the two would be complicated to say the least, but he assured me that it is possible, and that Miquella had done it before, so that got my hopes a bit higher.

He talks really fondly about all of his siblings, but I noticed a special care about Miquella to his words. According to him, the boy, which I learned yesterday isn't even 20 years old, was a prodigy since birth, but that he never let that get to his head. I have to admit, the way he described Miquella made me really interested in meeting him someday, but I digress.

After a quick moment of deep breathing to recompose my balance, I opened the door. Hopefully he won't notice how tired I am. The last thing we need right now is to lose time due to my-

"Grace! Are you okay?" He exclaimed, just a second after looking at my face.

I sighed "I'm fine, just had a rough night, nothing to worry about" I explained, trying to sound dismissive, but my raspy voice gave me away.

"It doesn't seem like 'nothing to worry about' to me. Are you really okay?" He pressed further, giving me a look of concern.

"I'm fine, really. I'm already used to this, sometimes I just don't sleep well, that's all..." I said, trying to keep my head sill as the sharp pain between my eyes got more distracting.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, 's okay, really. We better get going" I said with a smile.

He looked hesitant for a moment, but dropped the topic for now.

It didn't took us too long to reach his library, where we decided to have our breakfast together to optimize our time.

As we sat down to eat, Godwyn began to pour me something.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Coffee, it's gonna help with your head" He kindly answered.

"Oh, thanks, but I don't really-" I interjected, but he didn't stop.

"Trust me, it'll help" He quickly added, and I decided not to protest any further.

My head is already pretty messed up while I'm not thinking of anything, so I'll just leave this be.

I'm far from being the biggest coffee enjoyer in the Lands Between, actually I quite dislike the taste of it, but even I have to admit that as soon as I got a sip of the liquid on that cup, my headache got way less intense.

"Feeling better?" Godwyn asked with a smile, probably noticing the visible tension that left my facial features after the coffee.

I nodded "Much better..." I murmured, surprised by just how fast that helped "Thanks" I kindly added.

"Anytime" He said, finally shifting to pay attention to his own food "Like my Father always said: 'There's no bad mood that a good cup of coffee can't fix'" He laughingly stated.

I also began to- Wait, he finally mentioned his father! Maybe I could...

"Seems like he was a wise man" I commented, being as casual as I could.

"Oh yeah, couldn't take care of this place without everything he taught me, that's for sure" He said, and now I'm confused.

If his father is the man who literally conquered this place and taught him how to rule it, how come he still has no presence here at- Oh, he's not talking about Godfrey, or is he...?

"Oh, like what, for example?" I asked. Let's see if he gives me a better hint.

"How to organize a chain of command is a good start" He said, whilst chewing a piece of bacon "One thing that he learned during the war was that some things have to be optimized, so you can't have more than seven subordinates directly under you on the chain of command. Things tend to get really convoluted down the road if you don't" He explained.

"I see, pretty insightful, I have to admit. I shouldn't be surprised though, after all he's practically a legend nowadays" I said, not really sure about who I was referring to, but hopefully that would become pretty clear after his response.

He waved a hand dismissively, his mouth half full as he chewed his food "Legends are extremely exaggerated, but yeah, he wouldn't have done such a good job as Elden Lord until now if he wasn't at least half of the legend people say" He replied, then sighed "I only hope Morgott can live up to the legacy he left behind..."

Okay, now I'm 99% sure, he's not talking about Godfrey, which makes sense if you think about it.

Godfrey was not only the first Elden Lord of the Age of Grace, but he was also the first Tarnished. If my estimates are correct, Godwyn had less than five years with the presence of his biological father in his life, which is definitely not a lot of time to learn about lordship if you ask me.

Actually that would make a lot of sense if you think about it. Radagon would probably be a lot more of a father figure to him than his actual father, which seems to be the case. But that alone still doesn't justify the absence of Godfrey's imagery in here... But I can think about that later. Where were we...? Oh, right, Morgott.

"You're really worried about him, aren't you?" I asked, noticing the recurring topic of his other brother currently ruling the Capital.

He chuckled a bit "Well, I wouldn't say that I'm 'worried' so to speak, but I can't really help it, y'know? Maybe it's just an older brother thing or something. Oh, and speaking of worrying about stuff, you mentioned that you're already used to having bad nights of sleep, care to explain a bit more about that?"

"Oh, that... I don't really know why that happens, but it's been sort of a common thing in my life ever since I was a teenager" I explained.

"That long?" He retorted, a bit too surprised.

I showed him a teasing smirk "What do you mean 'that long'? I'm not that old, Young Prince" I said, and he instantly froze in place.

"I-I didn't mean- S-sorry..." He mumbled.

For the first time ever since we met each other he was the one taken aback by a comment I made, it felt surprisingly amusing, I have to admit.

I couldn't hold back a small fit of giggles after seeing such a spontaneous reaction from him.

"Easy, Young Prince. I got what you meant, but still, I'm not that old" I playfully said.

"Oh, right... My apologies..." He embarrassedly replied.

"It's fine, and to answer your initial question, yes. As much as it didn't feel like that long for me, I've been having these sleepless nights for quite a while now... Actually it's been over a decade already" I sighed "Fine, maybe that is a lot of time of insomnia now that I think about it, but I'm fine, really" I promptly explained.

He just stared at me, chewing a mouthful of sausages and humming in thought.

"Do you have dreams?" He asked, after swallowing his food.

"Dreams? Well, yes... Sometimes at least"

"Only sometimes?"

"I think so... What, is something wrong?" I asked.

"Not really, but in my family dreams aren't just stories that your mind tells you at night. It might be just a guess, but... Your dreams, are they usually bad ones?" He carefully asked.

"Well... Yes" I admitted.

"I see... Mind if I ask our healers to do a quick exam on you later?" He casually asked.

"I... It's not needed, really. I've been living like this for a while now, it's nothing worth spending your resources, Young Prince" I replied.

"Humility is definitely a virtue appreciated by me, Lady Fia, but you don't have to think so little of yourself. Until you're out of this castle you're my responsibility, and I can't stand to watch you suffer in silence without doing anything about it" He gently said "Besides, you're still a bit of a wild card in this game, so it would be best to know that everything is actually okay with you" He added, now sounding more authoritative.

"I... Okay, I understand" I finally replied.

"Well, wasn't that hard, was it?" He said with a smile "Now dig in before it gets cold" He finished, turning his attention back to his half eaten plate of meat.

Our conversation went on pretty smoothly after that. I finally found a way to actually keep up with the small talk, though I'm not good at it by any means.

He did most of the chit chat again, talking about his training to be a good ruler and such. I mentioned a bit of my experience with nursing at Summonwater, and overall we ended up having a pretty nice time before it was time to work on the research.

Speaking of the research...

"Wow..." I muttered, staring at the huge pile of books over one of the library tables.

Even if his theory about merging our techniques is pretty promising, it's still hampered by the fact that none of us have actually done anything like that before, so there's a lot of research to be had on that topic.

"Yeah, I don't believe in anything such as 'too much knowledge' so my archive ended up getting quite extensive over the years" He explained.

"I see... So where do you want to start?"

"Well, as we'll be working with purification and merging of different sources of magic, I think it's best to split the research into those two topics, what do you think?"

I nodded "Makes sense. So, you get the merging techniques and I get the purification?" I suggested.

"Sounds good to me. So, shall we?" He asked, moving to one side of the table, but stopping midway "Almost forgot something, give me a second" He said, moving back to the room we had breakfast moments before.

"Something wrong?" I asked, a bit confused about what could he might have forgotten there.

"Just a moment..." He said, right before returning with a coffee pot and two mugs "Here. It won't take long before your head starts to hurt again, specially with all the reading we're about to do" He said, handing me one of the mugs.

I took it out of pure reflex, not capable of saying anything before he had already poured the coffee for me.

"Now we're good to go" He kindly said, giving me a tender smile and moving back around the table to take his seat.

I stood still for a moment, taking in that small gesture, but quickly got back to my senses and followed suit. I took a seat, beginning to look for a good place to start.

After a little over five minutes of browsing through the first few pages of some random books, I realized that there was no way of doing this without getting completely lost. Gods, I can already feel the migraine coming back...

"I'd go for the tomes about Numen rituals if I were you, they're a good start" Godwyn suggested, already holding a withered and heavy book in front of his face.

"Oh... Thanks" I replied, then noticed a small pile of Numen books sitting at the side of the table "Are these all you have on Numen literature about purification?" I asked, opening the first of five surprisingly thin books.

"Not just purification, Lady Fia. Those five books are copies of the only remaining sources of all of the Numen knowledge available in the Lands Between. Well, at least the only sources that my Mother could find" He explained.

"These... Woah..." I gasped.

These books are probably the most valuable items I've ever held on my hands. Not that I care about Numen literature, but this is still something you don't get to do everyday.

The Numen are a literal legend amongst the inhabitants of Lands Between, 'The Chosen Race' as people would say. Songs told the stories of how they were the race destined to rule these lands, guided by the Greater Will to achieve greatness and prosperity, that was, of course, until they were all massacred over 2000 years ago. Those who survived were exiled from these Lands.

The rest you've probably already heard somewhere else. There would come the day when a Numen saviour would come from across the fog to fulfill the dreams of those who were massacred yadda yadda... Guess what? She actually came, her son is sitting in front of me right now.

"I know, you're probably familiar with the prayer book already, so you can skip that, but the other books are pretty light reads, so it'll probably be a good start for you" Godwyn said.

"I see... I'll get to it then" I replied, beginning my research on the first book.

I have to admit, I'm not the biggest admirer of the Golden Order, the Greater Will, Marika, or anything related to them to be honest. Maybe the war crimes and the perversion of this world's very nature caused by them made me a little salty overall, or maybe it's just the fact that I don't like gold that much, who knows?

All I know is that as much as I hate to admit this, their books are annoyingly well written. My time here had already softened me up a little due to Godwyn's hospitality, but even then there was a part of my brain that kept repeating 'They're not like you, don't forget that'.

Maybe I'm just being petty for the sake of it, but I just can't shake the feeling that this is how they get you, kind words and warm gestures, it feels too... Nice.

Perhaps I'm just overthinking it, after all they're not my enemies, at least not directly. Sure, this whole situation is completely his mother's fault, but she didn't knew what the consequences of her actions could be (even though she could and should have predicted that there would definitely be consequences, argh! Stupid monarchs and their egos- Okay, calm down, Fia. Breathe... Just breathe...).

Marika might possibly be the worst thing to happen to these lands after the Frenzied Flame, but she's still not the one I'm here to fight. Besides, I might be letting my thoughts get overshadowed by my emotions here, but I really trust Godwyn, or at least I really want to.

I paused my research briefly to look at the warm mug of coffee placed in front of me, steam still flowing out of it. Eventually my gaze were drawn to the man sitting in front of me, so focused and calm reading that book, that ever present spark in his eyes still glistening over those cerulean orbs, that look of unbreakable determination that seems to reach the hearts of those around him.

Okay, I might be severely mistaken here, but I can't imagine this man doing me any harm.

I sighed internally.

Maybe I really need some proper sleep after all...

~~~

"You think we'll get to the bridge today?" I asked Mally, as I got too bored of trying to understand Master Azur's handwriting.

"Not really sure. Probably yes, but if we do it'll definitely be best to set our camp before we cross it. It'll take us a few hours to get to the other side, so it's better to do that at the start of the day" She explained, as we crossed the mostly empty roads of southern Liurnia.

"Makes sense, so it'll probably be three or so more nights before we find another village. Remember, you tell me if you feel anything strange on either of your limbs, okay?" I authoritatively shot back.

She giggled "Yes, Ma'am"

"Good. Now, I wanna ask you something. Who do you think would be a better Elden Lord among us?"

"Huh?"

"Between the Demigods. I know we all agreed that Morgott would be the best option, but he kinda was the only option back then. That got me thinking, if everything was fine, and they were to chose a new Lord, who would it be?" I explained.

"Oh, I get it. So, you wanna know who I think would be the best Lord?"

I nodded.

"Why?" She frowned.

I rolled my eyes "Because I wanna take down the current regime and create a new one. I'm BORED, Mally, and I want to think about something other than my Master's weird drawings on this scroll!" I shouted in frustration.

"Okay, calm down, Witch" She replied defensively "If I had to think about one of us to sit on the throne... Probably Miquella... Maybe the Big Boy too... I don't know, I like them both as options, can I pick them together?" She asked.

"Sure, but one's gotta be the consort" I simply replied.

She tensed up, making a disgusted face "Hell, that's gross. Why did you made me imagine those two like that...?"

"What? It's nothing worse than what we're doing, besides, you're the one who can't decide between them" I deadpanned.

"Yeah, but... Miquella and him? How would that even work? I mean, Miquella is still a literal child..." She mumbled.

"Just physically, but yeah... That's pretty gross now that I think about it. But all that aside, I don't really get why you chose them. I mean, Miquella? Okay, I get it, but Radahn? Really?" I shot back.

"And who would you chose?" She impatiently asked.

"Tall, dark and antisocial. Rings a bell?" I playfully said.

"Well yeah... Actually two bells. Which one of them are you talking about?" She asked.

"Really? I mean, I respect Morgott and all, and I'm glad that he is the one taking care of things now, but Mohg is literally miles ahead of him when it comes to strategic thinking" I promptly answered.

"Yeah, don't know if you've noticed, Witch, but my relationship with my Brother basically consists of- Oh, wait, that's it. I don't know what he thinks, so I can't judge him based on that. The man barely talks to me, or anyone besides you and Miquella, which by the way reminds me. What do you weirdos talk about so much?" She exclaimed.

I gave her a giggling shrug "Regular stuff, spells, potions, gossip, the usual. Even if that mongrel has an even worse taste for good food than you do" I commented.

"Yeah, sure- Wait, 'gossip'?!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah, but you're not getting any additional information on that, Sassy Pants, so drop it" I firmly stated.

"Argh, fine... But really, him? That's your main pick? I get that your siblings might not be the greatest pics to command a whole continent considering how your personalities don't really match, but the Big Boy got Caelid handed on a silver platter to him just by gaining their trust, and he's a strategist by default. How can Mohg be a better option?" She argued in disbelief.

"Yeah, yeah, he's famous and knows how to position a few units on a map, that's not all that counts, Brickhead" I argued back.

"Oh really? So explain it to me, how is Mohg better?"

"Well, for starters, he's got an actual brain inside his head. Second, he's not afraid of being disliked by the masses, but still isn't a narrow minded psychopath who would let people suffer. And to top it all off, he doesn't have any major weaknesses"

"Major weaknesses?"

"Y'know, obvious weak points that can be exploited by your enemies. Some are pretty obvious, like yours, others are hard to spot at first glance, but it doesn't matter. If you have one, people will inevitably exploit it. In Radahn's case it's how insufferably easily he gets attached to stuff, like let's see... That fuckin horse for example" I explained.

"Well, that's... Wait, what's my weakness?" She shot back.

"Y-your curse..." I timidly said. It's still weird to mention her curse so bluntly, but what else can I do? "Even if it's no longer within you, it already took off 25% of you, and even if you can still fight like that..."

"Yeah, I get it. Fair point, Witch" She quietly said "But your argument still doesn't neglect the fact that a ruler still needs physical strength, and your brother is still the stronger among us"

"No, he ain't"

She sighed heavily "Witch, even you have to recognize that none of us could ever stand a chance against Radahn"

"Morgott could" I simply stated.

"Okay, now I'm getting worried about you, Witch. What makes you think that Morgott of all people could beat Radahn in a fight? Godwyn? Sure, I can see an argument, but Morgott?"

"Remember Radahn's 27th birthday?" I asked.

She nodded.

"Well, then you remember that sparring match he asked to have with Morgott after the third or so bottle of wine he emptied that afternoon"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Who won that match?"

She hesitated "Well..."

"Who...?"

"That was differe-"

"Who won?" I pressed firmly.

She sighed "Morgott did... But that doesn't count!" She quickly protested.

"How so?!"

"He's still not stronger than Radahn" She argued.

"But why?"

She frowned "What do you mean?"

"Sure he's 'weaker' than Radahn, but he still won. And You wanna know why?" I asked.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Well, that day..." I began.

• • •

Leyndell Castle's Gardens, 12/11/1995

"Oh, c'mon, Morgott, you promised!" Mally said, though 'whined' would be a better way to describe it.

"The Tiny Dancer wants to see you fight, Morgott, don't spoil her fun!" Radahn added, trying to use Mally as an excuse to convince Morgott to sparr with him in front of everyone.

Stars, is this all these barbarians do? Fight each other for fun. Haven't they ever heard of LITERALLY ANYTHING ELSE?!

I guess I should've foreseen this already. Big family reunion, Radahn asking for a birthday party out in the open, the hints were all there. I can't stand this nonsense, where's Mohg again...? Oh, yeah, of course...

The tall and dark figure of my chess partner wasn't difficult to find, still sitting alone at the picnic table we had lunch a few hours ago. Everyone moved to the artificial lake after lunch, but he stayed behind to finish reading a book, telling everyone that he would catch up to us eventually.

There was no surprise when we all realized that it had been almost two hours and he was still nowhere to be seen, which is pretty usual by this point, so no one really pointed out or anything.

I was just gonna leave him to his devices, but Miquella is taking a nap right now, and our parents are all busy with some old people talk, so I don't have many options in regards to company now that everyone else is gonna sit to watch Radahn fight Morgott.

"Having fun?" I asked Mohg, sitting beside him as he seemed to be sketching some new contraption on his notebook "Ooh, what's that?"

He sighed "There goes my peace..."

I scoffed "You've been brooding here for more than three hours now, we gave you plenty of time to have peace. Now, answer me" I playfully demanded.

He sighed again "This is a new model of a brewing stand I'm designing. As for your first question, I was. Well, at least as much fun as I could have being forced to bake under the combined light of the sun and the Erdtree"

"You're on the shade. Stars, you're so dramatic"

"At least I can entertain myself without the need to bother anyone. Are you really that desperate for attention that you came here to look at my drawings? As far as I'm aware, the only art pieces you seem to enjoy are Malenia's illustrations you keep collecting when you think no one is watching" He casually said.

"I-I, how did you..."

"What's happening there? Morgott finally accepted Radahn's request for a sparring match?" He cut me off.

"Uh? Oh, yeah... They're about to bash their heads to see who's got the densest skull. Mally's jumping on her feet to see that happen" I answered.

"I see. Not interested in the spectacle?" He asked.

I scoffed "Yeah, I'm dying to see a pointless display of violence between our siblings"

He scoffed back "Don't pretend to be a goody two shoes, Witch, it doesn't suit you. We both know that violence is not a problem for you"

"Well yeah, but only when there's a point to it. What do we gain from watching those two fight each other? Everyone knows how this is gonna end" I explained impatiently.

"Is that so?"

"Well, duh. Not to offend your brother or anything, but Radahn can wipe the floor with him if he really wants to" I deadpanned.

"Well, that's interesting" He said, setting his notebook aside "Let's make a bet then. If Radahn wins, I'll owe you a favor, anything you ask, same thing for you, deal?"

I looked at him in disbelief for a moment, but eventually gave him a smirk.

"If you're willing to die on that hill, I won't be the one to stop you, Pointy Boy. Deal!" I confidently said, that's gonna be the easiest bet I've ever won.

***

"HOW THE FUCK DID HE WON?!" I shouted, standing from my seat to look with pure disbelief at Morgott pining Radahn against the floor.

The fight was pretty much what I expected up until the very end. My Brother was expectedly aggressive and landed most of the hits. Morgott kept a defensive fight style, using his conjured weapons to keep Radahn at medium range.

He was literally running away through most of the fight, so how did he managed to turn the tables so quickly?!

It only took one misstep from Radahn for Morgott to kick him out of his balance and cast a rain of daggers to subjugate my Brother right before finishing him with a heavy hammer of light.

"Gods, there's no need to shriek on my ear, Witch..." Mohg protested beside me.

"How did he... How did... HOW?!" I exclaimed, turning to face him with a clueless expression.

He sighed tiredly "Variables, Witch. Honestly I'm surprised that you couldn't notice that"

"Variables?" I questioned him.

He nodded "For starters, only one of them was completely drunk, and even if he was sober, this is still a friendly match, none of them would go all out anyway, so the odds were pretty balanced"

I left out a small scoff "'Odds'... That's a load of bullshit if I've ever seen it" I mumbled.

"You can cry all you want, but you owe me a favor now. Don't worry about it, I'll think about something later. It's always nice to have a pair of tiny hands to help me calibrate the nuts and bolts that I can't reach on my contraptions"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever..." I mumbled, resting my cheek over my hand.

"Don't be so miffed about it. Also, there's another factor that hinted at this outcome, in fact it was the most crucial of all. Let's do this, you guess what was it and I'll cancel our bet"

"For real?" I snapped.

"Yes, but only if you guess it correctly. Think well, what is the main difference between Morgott and Radahn?" He asked, taking a sip of wine right after that.

I thought about that for a good while. It's really vague... 'Difference'? There's like a million differences between those two. I can't think of something specific that could be the decisive factor on that fight...

"Fuck, I can't think of anything! I give up, you won" I blurted in defeat.

He sighed, shaking his head in disappointment "Well, at least you're big enough to admit it. Let's make it easy for you then. Why did you thought Radahn would win in the first place?"

"I... Well, I don't know. He's strong, like I can't- couldn't imagine him losing a fight..."

"Exactly, and so did he. Your brother is so blessed that he can't conceive a reality where he's not the winner. Morgott walked into that fight fully prepared to lose it, Radahn did not. That's the difference between them" He explained.

I facepalmed "Shit, you're right. Stars, how did I not see that?"

"I told you. You were blessed as well"

• • •

"See, Radahn is so full of himself that he couldn't even beat Morgott, so that already makes him a worse option. The fact that Mohg was the only one who noticed that before everyone else is just another reason why he's my main pick for the throne" I explained.

"Yeah... I still think Morgott just got lucky. I've sparred with both of them before, Morgott was waaaay easier to keep up with compared to the Big Boy" She replied, and I rolled my eyes.

"Well duh, Sassy Pants. He was going easy on you, which is something no one ever told Radahn how to do. But enough arguing about that. We know the first places, but how would you rank the rest of us?" I asked.

"Like all of us?"

I nodded.

"Well, I'll be the last, no doubt, Mohg would be second last... Then Rykard, Godwyn, Morgott, you, and then Miquella and Radahn at the top" She said.

"Ooh, putting me right at the top 3, huh? I'm flattered" I playfully commented.

She scoffed "Look who's full of herself now. What's your list, Miss 'strength isn't everything'?"

"Glad you asked. Starting from the bottom: Radahn, Godwyn, Rykard, me, you, Morgott, Miquella, and finally Mohg"

"Wait, I'm on top of you?" She exclaimed.

My lips curled into a smirk "What's the big surprise? As far as I can remember you've already been on top of me before~" I teased.

She tensed up slightly "You know what I meant. Also, get your mind or if the gutter, will ya?" She shot back, and I giggled.

"Yeah, yeah. But seriously now, the only reason for placing you that high is because you have a better life experience than I do. Besides I don't have much patience for all that mise en scène. Speeches, parades, social events, I can stand attending to those, but being the center of attention every goddamn time? Yeah, count me out" I explained.

"I see... Wait, what do you mean 'better life experience'?" She inquired.

"Like Mohg said, it's the way I think about Radahn, the same way all of us who were born normal see the world. We never knew what real struggle feels like, not like the four of you" I said, and she stopped to think about it for a moment.

"I... Wow, I never thought about it like that..." She eventually said.

"Well, thinking was never your strong suit anyway..." I commented with a light chuckle.

She hummed in annoyance.

"Hey, no need to get feisty. You know I'm just messing with you" I gently added, moving to wrap my arms around her, resting my chin on her shoulder.

That seemed to ease her tension a bit, so I planted a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Better?" I asked.

She hummed again, but after a short moment of hesitation I felt her leaning back against me.

"Anything else you wanna talk about?" She eventually asked.

I shook my head lightly "I'm good for now, but I'm still bored. Got any ideas to help pass the time?"

"I'd offer myself to play a few songs but I kinda need to keep my hands on the reins" She playfully replied.

"Fair enough... Oh! I got it! I spy with my little eye..."

That got an instant groan out of her "Really? What are you, five?"

"Got any better ideas?" I shot back.

"..."

"Didn't think so. I spy with my little eye..." And as she sighed heavily in defeat, our journey south went on.

Tomorrow we'll finally reach Limgrave.

Chapter Text

The dim lights of the library hit my eyes whilst the smell of oakwood and parchment invaded my nostrils.

'When did I fell asleep...?' I thought, moving my head from its resting position over my crossed arms on the table.

'Grace. What time is it?' I pondered, taking a look around to seek some sort of hint on that topic, but the only thing that I found was the peaceful figure of a young blonde woman sleeping on one of the library's armchairs, a heavy book resting over her lap.

"Oh, that's right..." I murmured in a raspy voice, as I began to remember last night...

• • •

"We're not getting anywhere with this, shouldn't we just stop for today?" Fia asked.

It's almost 11:00 p.m. and we've been reading book after book looking for an answer the whole day, so perhaps it really is time to let go for today. After all there's not much 'today' left.

I sighed "You're right..." I replied, massaging the bridge of my nose "I just... I'll stay for a little longer if you don't mind. But you should go and have some rest, Lady Fia"

She shook her head lightly "If you're staying, I'm staying" She firmly stated back.

"Please, you don't have to-"

"No, I don't. But we're in this together, Young Prince. Besides, I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing that you're still here, so if you're not resting, then I'm not resting too" She argued.

I left out half amused sigh "Well, I tried... Fine, but at least grab a better seat. That chair won't help your back if you want to stay here any longer" I gently said.

"Okay... What about your back?" She asked, whilst moving towards an armchair.

I waved a dismissive hand "Mine's fine for now. I'll move in a bit, just gotta finish this chapter real quick, don't worry" I said with a smile.

"Are you really sure?" She asked.

"Yeah, I don't really like to break my reading flow after I start a chapter. If I move now I'll end up losing my train of thought" I explained.

She seemed a bit hesitant at first, but ended up complying. As she sat down on the armchair and went back to her book, I proceeded to do the same.

Just one more chapter won't hurt.

• • •

Well, seems like it ended up being a little bit more than just one more chapter after all.

I looked at the window, still dark outside, better go to sleep.

I moved to stand up and... Grace, my back hurts like Hell. I should've listened to Fia. Yeah, ain't no way I'm walking back to my room like this...

'Well, plan B it is' I thought, moving towards the armchair beside Fia's, being really careful as to not wake her up.

Even if this isn't the best place to rest, she still had a pretty bad night of sleep yesterday, so I'll leave her like that for now.

As I sat on the armchair and tried to get reasonably comfortable there, I tried to run our discoveries, or to better put it, lack there of, from yesterday's research on my mind.

Most of what we've found were failed attempts and, at best, fiction novels that talked about combining different currents of magic. No wonder Miquella had such a hard time finding a viable way of doing this.

The closest we got from an actual solution were the channeling rituals. Let's say that you could hypothetically imbue an object with both blessings, that should, in theory, create a temporary synergy capable of putting my theory to the test.

Two problems: One, I can't effectively use Miquella's ritual of purification, so if we want something effective, we'll need an object that has already been unalloyed by him. Not a big problem since I can send a message to Morgott asking for one of Malenia's old prosthetics. The second and worse problem is that Fia said that her blessing can't be bestowed upon non living beings, so even if we had a piece of Unalloyed Gold, it wouldn't help us that much if it can't be imbued with her magic. So we're back at square one.

I sighed tiredly, looking at the dark, cloudy sky throught the window.

'The longer we go without you, the worse our situation gets, Miquella...' I thought, but quickly shook those thoughts off.

No use in bashing my head against that wall now, I better try and get some rest. Hopefully tomorrow will bring us a solution...

***

"Milord!" A voice shouted from the library door.

My eyes instantly snapped wide open, as I tensed up on the armchair, already raising my fists out of reflex.

The first thing I noticed was Fia, which was thankfully still beside me, and was now just as confused and alarmed as me. The second thing that got my attention was the pale blue light invading the windows.

It's already morning.

My eyes finally went to the soldier standing by the open door. A young man, panting heavily.

"What is it, soldier?" I demanded, moving to stand up.

"Y-your sister, Milord..."

"Malenia?! What about her?"

"She's... She's at Castle's courtyard, Sir..."

"Wait, what? I thought I've let it clear that no one was allowed to-"

"She fell, Sir..."

"What?"

"From the sky... She was fighting a creature at the bridge, some sort of winged beast, they landed on the courtyard a few moments ago" The soldier nervously explained.

"And how's she?" I impatiently asked.

He hesitated, that alone made my stomach drop like a block of lead.

"How's Malenia, soldier?!" I exclaimed.

"S-she's wounded, and... Unconscious, Sir... We took her and Lady Ranni to the infirmary..."

"Good Grace..." I mumbled, moving impatiently towards the door, before abruptly stopping at the doorframe "Lady Fia, I'm sorry, but I have to..." I began, but she just shook her head lightly.

"Go see your sister" She said, and I exited the room.

What have you got yourself into now, Tiny Dancer...?

~~~

"Can you please slow down a bit? I don't mean to be a bad passenger here, but unless you want my breakfast all over your hair you better go easy on the bumps" Ranni complained from behind me, her hands firmly clinging to my shirt.

"Sorry, but I can't really help it, she's really anxious today" I replied, trying to stabilize our horse.

It's been a while past the break of dawn, and we're crossing the bridge connecting Liurnia to Limgrave, which ended up being shorter than I expected, as the foggy silhouette of Limgrave was already visible in the distance.

It should be clearer by now, but the weather surrounding Stormveil is always cloudy at best. We're lucky it's not raining yet, be pretty bad to get caught by a storm without any shelter nearby.

The problem, however, it's been our horse. She's been pretty stubborn for a few minutes now, and as you can imagine that's driving Ranni insane.

"Well, if she don't give us a break soon, anxiety will be the least of her problems" Ranni threatened, thought her target didn't seem to be fazed by it.

I sighed "Can't you just try to endure this for a while? We're almost at the end. And don't threaten her like that" I argued back, trying to find a way to end this discussion in a somewhat peaceful way.

"Yeah, like she cares. And I shouldn't have to 'endure' shit, Sassy Pants. What's even got to this horse today? She was fine when we woke up"

"Well, maybe she's just afraid of heights" I commented, but not even I was convinced of that. She crossed the bridges in and out of the Lake Town without a problem, so it's gotta be something else.

Ranni scoffed "'Heights'" She mockingly air quoted "We're not even at the edges of the bridge for her to see any height. Besides, she was pretty fine during the first half of the bridge, so why is it only affecting her now?"

That is actually a great question...

"I don't know, okay? I'm doing my best here, so can you please give me a break?"

"Humph! It's easy for you to say. You're not the one whose stomach is turning around itself" She shot back.

I sighed tiredly "Just- Try to focus on something else, okay? Like... Look, we can already see Stormveil from here" I said, gesturing to our right.

Stormveil Castle was standing imposingly over the irregular rock formation beside the bridge.

"Yeah, what a thrill. It's a castle, if you've seen one, you saw them all" She sarcastically replied.

I was about to respond to that comment, when our horse began to neigh and stomp frantically on the ground.

"Woah, woah, woah! Easy, girl, easy!" I tried to calm her down.

It didn't work.

"Hey! What the fuck is- WoaoAowOoaaah!" Ranni squeaked, whilst we were both thrown on the stone cold floor.

"Goddamn it..." I growled "You okay...?" I asked Ranni, as our horse went galloping aimlessly in front of us.

"I'm gonna kill that horse..." She fumed in response, as I moved to stand up and grabbed her with me.

"Yeah, we can see about that later. First we gotta get her back" I commented, noticing our horse rapidly gaining distance.

"Argh, fucking horses... I'll get her back, stand aside" Ranni said, moving her hands as if she was reaching for the horse.

"What are you doing?"

"Radahn taught me a thing or two about gravity magic. I'll pull her back, just gimme a second" She replied.

"Oh... Wait! You can't pull her like that! What if you hurt her?!" I protested.

"Relax, this won't hurt her... Much"

"Witch!"

"She's got our baggages, Mally. You wanna run after her, go for it, but don't leave- Fuck!"

"Huh?!" I frowned.

"Look!" She gestured her head towards the horse and- Oh fuck!

"What the hell is even that?!" I exclaimed, as the dark, humanoid figure emerged from the right side of the bridge, quickly standing in front of our horse and scaring it back towards us.

The creature turned to face our direction, a grey skull on top of a corpse like body, two dark withered wings adorned its back, and... Is that a beak? Is that thing some kind of bird?

Well, whatever it is, it's big, and it's now rushing towards us, crawling like some kind of rabid animal, which might actually be.

"ShitShitShit, SHIT! What are we-" Ranni exclaimed.

"Focus, Witch! I'll get the horse and take her away from that thing. You cover me up" I promptly ordered, taking my stance and drawing my sword.

"I- You can't fight th-"

"We don't have time for arguing, Witch! You have more range, cover me!" I impatiently exclaimed back.

I raised my left hand in front of my face, the golden bracelet in it quickly morphed into a helmet around my head.

"Mally-" Whatever it was she was gonna say, died in her lips as I charged towards that bird.

Finally some fucking action!

I felt the whole world slowing down as I got closer to our horse. The dark bird is only a few meters behind it now. I can't possibly get the horse away from it quick enough as to not risk hurting her in the process, so the best option here would be...

The world caught up to me as I moved past the horse, standing between it and that bird, as the creature prepared itself to hit me. I moved to the left, preparing an attack against the bird's right arm.

The creature has some kind of staff with a curved tip on its right hand, so it's intelligent enough to use rudimentary weapons at least.

If it's smart enough to wield weapons, it's dumb enough for me to bait a reaction. And just as I expected, it did.

After noticing me coming from its weapon side, the creature's natural response was to counter my blow with his staff, giving me a perfect opportunity to parry it with my katana.

I jumped towards its shoulder, after successfully deflecting its strike and directing the staff downwards.

I was about to land an overhead slash to chop its arm off, when the morbid image of that bird skull turned to face me, right before letting out a roaring scream, which caused a shockwave that stunned me before hitting it.

Before I could come back to my senses, the bird made a quick spin to hit me with its damaged wings. I managed to block it at the last second, but that still managed to sent me flying towards the edge of the bridge.

"MALLY!" Ranni screamed, as I hit the balustrade.

I managed to land mostly on my feet, swallowing the sharp pain on my left shoulder after it hit a corner of the concrete.

"Mother fucker..." I growled, locking eyes with the beast that was still screaming its lungs out trying to intimate me.

I looked at Ranni, the horse had already moved past her, one last thing to worry about for now, there's not much place for her to go anyways.

"Change of plans Witch! I'll chop this thing down. We can worry about the horse later!" I shouted.

"Are you insane?! That thing will kill you!" She shot back.

"I'll be fine, just cover me, okay?!" I exclaimed, as that thing began to move towards me.

"Don't give me orders! And I can't-" Ranni shouted, but was cut off by the bird screaming again. I can't pay much attention to her anyways, so that's gotta wait.

My lips curled up into a maniacal grin, as I stood back up, facing that creature. I ripped away the fabric covering my prosthetic, and discarded my glove.

"Well, let's try this again, shall we?" I said, locking my sword on my forearm contraption.

The bird, however, was the first one to move, charging towards me on all fours.

I positioned my feet to get impulse from the balustrade, then launched myself to meet the beast.

As we were about to clash, the creature didn't use its staff, nor its other limbs to attack, but once again its head, though this time it was a physical blow instead.

I managed to foresee that move as I noticed a tilt of its head back before it attacked. Fortunately, that created a perfect opportunity for me.

I dashed between the creature's legs as it landed a powerful headbash on the floor, cracking the stone with ease.

Before it could realize that its attack haven't landed, my blade was already embedded with the blood that erupted from its legs, as I severed both of them before backing away towards the other edge of the bridge.

The creature collapsed on the ground, shrieking in pain, struggling to keep its balance.

I looked back at Ranni, who was still frozen in place.

I gave her a 'Why aren't you attacking, Witch?!' look, but she just responded with a glare of her own. Guess I couldn't expect much more, but it's fine, I can handle this thing by myself. At least our horse is safe now, and seemed to have stopped not too far away.

"Okay, time to finish this-" I murmured, but as soon as I turned to look at the bird again, I felt the temperature around me drop several degrees.

What met my eyes made me confused though, as I saw a pool of white flames engulfing the beast, as it made raspy and incoherent high pitched noises.

I knew it was too easy to be true.

It was also at that moment that I noticed the freezing sensation of that creature's blood dripping from my blade into my hand.

That fucker uses cold magic as well, now that's concerning to say the least.

Suddenly, all of the flames stopped, being absorbed into that creature's body. The silence couldn't have lasted more than a few seconds, but the dread I felt whilst being taken by that cold atmosphere was enough to make it seem like a hundred hours instead.

And then, it exploded.

A shockwave of cold flames spread across the bridge. Wasn't for my necklace, I don't think I would've been able to face all of that raw power without getting hurt.

This is bad, really bad...

I saw that thing reemerging from the center of the explosion, fully restored, legs attached back to its torso, and its wings were now wide spread, embedded with a dark coat of what I assume is magic.

It looked deep into my eyes without a look of its own. The dark voids that seemed carved into that skull stared at me whilst the creature moved like a predator looking at its prey. Grace, it almost feels like I'm facing Uncle Maliketh.

It shrieked again, jumping in the air and lunging towards me.

I can't fight this thing head on... I need a better angle... Fuck!

I moved towards the balustrade, facing the irregular stone wall only a few meters away from the bridge.

'Well, this is gonna be fun...' I thought, just a second before launching myself towards the wall.

I landed on top of a relatively large flat surface amongst the natural rock formations under Stormveil. The impact was hard, but I can't afford any time to process the pain right now, I need to move, and move fast.

I quickly began to jump upwards. As I expected, the bird followed suit, crawling on the stone wall and waving its wings to close the distance quicker.

This might be just a bet, but I doubt that this thing can actually fly, or at least fly well, with those wings. If it could, it would definitely have used them to cross that gap better than it did. Not to mention the fact that it looks a little too decrepit to fly now. Whatever it is, it doesn't matter, as it's definitely using the wings for balance, so all I need to do is bring it to a place where I got the upper hand.

I gotta keep its other limbs busy, so the only thing left to take care of will be the head.

I climbed rapidly through the rocks, keeping an eye on that thing, whilst checking on Ranni to see if she was close enough to make my plan work. I won't have a better chance, but I need to do this before I get any higher...

I stopped about 50 meters above the bridge level, just at the beginning of the Stormveil's actual structure.

I looked at Ranni, she was close, her eyes were glued on me, good. Let's just hope Radahn taught her more than just one trick...

As the bird crawled towards me, I removed my sword from my forearm and back to my hand. I positioned myself to fully face it, flexing my knees to get impulse.

'Here goes nothing...' I thought, leaping forward and rapidly dropping on top of its head.

It didn't have time to react, most of its limbs were still clinging to the wall. Before it could register anything, my sword was already deep into one of its eye sockets.

"DIE!!!"

I gave it a final twist before pulling it back and lunging myself back towards the bridge.

"WITCH!" I shouted, looking at Ranni whilst the beast collapsed and I fell down.

She promptly got the idea, casting a gravity spell midway through my fall to slow me down.

My body met the cold concrete of the bridge with a dull, but still bearable thud. Ranni rushed to meet me, as the bird fell in the gap between the bridge and the stone wall.

"Don't you ever think about anything?!" She shouted, checking my body with her hands.

I groaned "Not really... But if it works..."

"Don't start with the 'if it works' talk now, you stupid Troglodyte! What in the world were you thinking about when you rushed towards an unknown creature with nothing but a sword and a helmet?!" She exclaimed.

"Well, my plan was to have you cover me up, remember?" I shot back, fighting the pain so I could sound more pissed than I actually was "I knew that I couldn't handle that thing by myself"

"Watch your tone, Brickhead! And how was I supposed to give you support when you say one thing and proceed to change your mind at the next second? You should've grabbed the horse and get out of there, remember? You can't just decide to fight that thing like you actually know what it's capable of!" She retorted, giving me a light push on the shoulder.

"Ouch! Okay, I get it, you're mad. I thought that there was more space for me to get the horse out of there, but there wasn't. My mistake, I assume... But I kinda had to improvise when I got closer to the bird if I wanted to slow it down. But even so, you should've covered me, remember?"

"With what?! My spells can't track targets that move like that stupid bird. Not to mention that you two were out of my fucking reach, and after that explosion I couldn't afford to risk getting closer! If you wanted me to hit it, you should've done a better job at keeping it still!"

"Oh, pardon me for not making things easier for you whilst I was literally fighting for my life!"

"'Your life'?! Who's the person who just used her magic to save your life, Sassy Pants? And by the way, you're welcome for getting your ass back here in one piece. I don't know if your monkey brain can understand this, but slowing down a falling object as large as you from that distance isn't exactly the bread and butter of sorcery!" She exasperatedly shot back.

I was about to spit back some snarky comment out of reflex, but stopped myself before saying anything.

Instead, I took a deep breath.

"I... I'm sorry, okay?" I murmured, turning my gaze down.

"You better be..." She mumbled, then sighed tiredly "Well, at least you're safe now. C'mon, let's get the horse back and get out of this bridge for once" She said, standing up and offering me a hand.

"Yeah, thanks..." I replied, beginning to stand on my feet just to notice that my right leg was way worse than I thought, as I tilted to the side whilst the mere contact against the floor send painful shiver all the way up my spine.

"You okay?" Ranni said, moving to support me on her shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah... I can heal this... Just need the seal in my bag, then I can cast a quick healing spell..." I said, between light groans.

"You stay here, I'll go grab the horse" Ranni said, and I just nodded.

As she moved towards our horse, I felt the cold morning breeze against my skin.

'We definitely need to communicate better in the future...' I thought, as the breeze got colder.

'It's fine (well, it actually isn't, but that's not the point now) to have communication issues whilst dealing with our personal relationship, but we definitely can't afford that luxury in the battlefield. We'll have to work on- Wait. The breeze is really cold now...

Oh, no.

As I turned my head back, the only thing I felt before I was able to lay my eyes upon what was behind me was the sharp pain of claws dinging through my torso, as the bird had crawled its way back here and managed to catch me off guard.

I left out an excruciating scream, which got Ranni's attention immediately.

"Mally-!" She shouted.

I looked at her, words failing to come out of my mouth as the pain took over my body. Suddenly I felt the ground beneath me disappear, and shortly after, it all went dark.

~~~

I was just a few steps from reaching the horse when I heard a sound, a sound that haunted my dreams for four whole years now. That distinct sound was enough to make my blood run cold at the second it hit my ears.

She screamed. It wasn't just a cry for help, no, what came out of her mouth was pure and agonizing pain, just like when her eyes were consumed by the Rot.

I immediately turned to face her direction.

"Mally!" I shouted, as my eyes caught the horrifying image of that thing digging its filthy claws on her.

I looked in her eyes, seeing as those golden orbs faded into unconsciousness.

At that very moment, the world turned red.

"LET HER GOOO!!!" I shouted, as the bird began to fly away with her. My hands moved on their own, as I felt every drop of blood inside my body boil.

It took me less than a second to cast a spell on my feet, and even less to visualize all of the gruesome ways I could torture that bastard before killing it.

I took a huge leap towards that thing, using Radahn's magic to glide in the air before conjuring a barrage of ice spikes aimed at its head.

"You're not running away from me!" I growled between clenched teeth.

I unloaded dozens of sharp spikes on that thing. I had to be careful not to hit Malenia, so the bastard got to avoid most of my attacks, but the few that hit, did some good damage.

It might use ice to attack, but it definitely isn't immune to getting cut by it.

The creature shrieked and faltered as it tried to get even higher in the sky. So it can actually use those things to fly. Not that It matters anyway. I won't let it get far.

As it tried to get some recovery time at the stone wall, I saw Mally being hit against the rocks.

"SON OF A BITCH!!!" I shouted, amplifying the energy output of the gravity spell on my feet, doing an air leap towards that thing.

I quickly got closer to the bird, conjuring an ice blade around my right arm. This bastard won't get to die slowly.

"GIVE HER BACK!" I shouted, right before it swung that fucking staff to conjur the white flames again.

Too bad that I'm not in the mood to care.

I used my other hand to create a spherical blizzard around me, as I dived into the flames.

I pierced that thing's shoulder with my ice blade, reveling at the squeaks of pain that came out of its mouth.

"I SAID: GIVE! HER! BACK!" I shouted, digging my blade on its putrid flesh with each word and finally getting its right arm off.

As I was about to strike for the head, I saw it moving like it did earlier. It was about to scream, so I backed away, still managing to hover around it from a safe distance.

As the creature's insufferable screeches prevented me from reaching it, my strategy went back to long range attacks. Unfortunately for me, losing my control with the gravity magic along with the different spells I cast in such a short period of time is consuming all my mana really quickly, I need to end this soon.

But before I could think of any strategies, the bird dug its remaining hand deeper on the stone wall, grabbing chunks of stone and throwing them at my general direction.

Fuck! I can barely stay still on the air right now, how am I supposed to dodge those without completely running out of mana? Think, Ranni, think...

'That's it' I thought, ceasing the spell on my feet completely, falling down as the rocks flew past where I was staying.

Now this is gonna be my final gamble. I can't afford to miss...

After falling a few meters, I quickly flexed my knees and focused my gaze on my target, redirecting my energy back towards the bottom of my feet.

One 'gravity push' amplified leap later, and I was flying at lightning speed towards that thing.

My blade pierced through its torso just as it was beginning to fly away.

"YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" I growled, digging my ice weapon deeper inside of its chest, as I felt the remaining traces of my mana disappear.

Unfortunately for me, that bastard was still resilient. As it left out a deafening shriek, the thing managed to spread its wings in a desperate attempt to fly away, taking us with him up the rock formations, and eventually Stormveil's walls.

I looked at Mally, still unconscious, and trapped in the bird's clutches, her torso is pure crimson by now.

"I told you! You're not getting out of this!" I somberly whispered, pressing my fist even further and getting more and painful groans out of it.

Soon we were high, way higher than the bridge, and have even passed the towers of Stormveil already. I kept my hand pressed against its torso for dear life, as it bled cold rivers over me, but I didn't care. It can't fly away forever.

'I need to bring this thing down quickly... C'mon, I need more mana...' I thought, trying to squeeze a single more drop of mana out of my core, but it was empty.

Making this thing fall isn't the problem, I can kill it with my ice blade, the problem is how fucking high we are right now. I need to find a way to land this thing without dying in the process as well, but I can't even think of a way to do that without a single drop of mana left in my body.

Before I could get even more stressed about the shithole of a situation we're currently in, the bird began to stop moving its wings.

'Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK! YOU PICK NOW TO DIE?!!!' I screamed internally.

The bird stopped, and we began to fall. That stupid bird decided to die mid flight just to screw us up even further.

I saw the Castle's structure bellow us growing rapidly while we fell. I then looked at Mally, and thankfully it hadn't let go of her.

But That doesn't matter now, its claws won't save her from being turned into a puddle of blood on the ground. Fuck!

'This can't be how it ends...'

I felt my heart beating frantically.

'We can't afford to die in a place like this...'

The cold wind is like razors against my skin.

'I can't let this happen...'

My head can't focus on anything.

'I can't let her die...'

Suddenly everything went quiet. The whole world stopped.

"I WON'T LET HER DIE!" I shouted.

I felt it once again. Just like that night at the base of the Erdtree, power.

Raw, pure, unadulterated power.

My rune awakened again.

After we absorbed the shards of the Elden Ring last week, we agreed to not use any magic until our runes were stable within our bodies. The thing is, once they were actually fully merged to our bodies and souls their presence went completely silent. All that power we felt after receiving a piece of the Elden Ring was seemingly gone.

We didn't give too much thought to that at the time. Mother and Maliketh theorized that this power would require some sort of trigger to resurface again, so we should try to activate it again once we get the chance to practice.

So far, neither Mally nor I felt anything different, but to be fair, we hadn't had much spare time to test that out anyway.

That was, until just a second ago. As I felt the wind against my face getting stronger with the fall, the energy of my Great Rune started to flow within me, restoring my mana as the image of Stormveil got closer and closer by the second.

"C'mon... We need to STOP!" I shouted, casting a reverse gravity field under us before the impact against the castle's courtyard.

The next thing I felt was a dull impact against my head before everything else went completely dark.

Chapter Text

"What is this...? Who are they...?"

Where am I...?

"What kind of dragon is this...?"

Dragon...?

"I don't think that's a dragon..."

"Careful there. Don't touch it..."

"Is Lord Godwyn up already? He's gonna want to see this..."

Godwyn's here...?

"Look at her arm, that's... Princess Malenia...?"

Mal- MALLY!

The sound of Mally's name brought me back to consciousness, as I finally remembered where we were.

My eyes snapped open just to be met with the blurry silhouette of a crowd of soldiers staring at me.

I groaned, as the faces of the soldiers became more clear "Where's... Where's her...?" I muttered.

"How's she speaking? Have you seen how hard they fell? Where did they even came from?" I heard a random foot soldier ask.

"The bridge... Where's Malenia?" I mumbled, whilst trying and failing to get up.

"Careful there, Miss... Can you tell me your name?" Another soldier asked, and I noticed the copper like taste om my mouth.

I looked around for any signs of Mally. They mentioned her, so she can't be far away. Unfortunately the crowd around me made it impossible to see five feet ahead of me. Not that I could move much anyway.

"Where's her...?" I shot back, fighting the urge to fall back into unconsciousness.

"The woman with you, right? Is she...?"

"Mally!" I shouted, trying again to at least sit up.

"Lady, careful there! What is your name?" The soldier pressed further, whilst holding me by the shoulders to prevent me from falling to the side.

I half sighed, half growled at him "I'm Ranni, The Snow Witch, Daughter of Rennala, Heir of the Carian Throne!" I spat back impatiently "Now, WHERE IS MALENIA?!" I demanded.

He was visibly taken aback by my outburst, but quickly recomposed himself. I'm sorry for being so harsh on someone who's basically holding me in place, but I have to know if Mally's ok.

"Uh, m-my apologies, Your Highness. Your frie- Princess Malenia is there..." He said, gesturing towards a place behind me.

I painfully turned my head around to lay my eyes on another crowd of soldiers, some were standing, but most were kneeled around what I knew now is Mally.

"How's she-" I began, but the sharp pain on my ribs stopped me before I could get to my point. Fortunately, I didn't need to.

"We don't know, Your Highness. She's still breathing, but the wounds on her torso seem to be pretty severe..." He said, then quickly turned to another soldier "You, c'mere. Go call Lord Godwyn, explain him the situation. Tell him that his sister is wounded, and that we're taking her to infirmary" He ordered, and the other soldier.

"Y-yes, Sir!" The soldier said, and was about to move when stopped for a moment "Uh... Sir, what exactly is 'the situation'?" He hesitantly asked.

"We were at the bridge, that thing attacked us-" I explained, right before a sharp sting on my ribcage stopped from talking any further.

I felt my sight blurring off as my adrenaline seemed to finally fell off. Damn it! I gotta see Mally before I black out again...

"Hey, calm down, Lady Ranni. You're pretty injured as well" The first soldier said, trying to stop me from moving towards Mally.

"I... gotta see her..." I mumbled, feeling my voice getting weaker by the second.

"I understand, but we're taking care of her. Our healers will provide the first aid treatment before we take you both to the infirmary" He explained, as I noticed the soldiers moving Mally away from the corpse of that bird.

"I can't... I can't leave her alone..." I said, feeling my arms shake as I tried to support my body weight on them. It didn't work.

"I... I understand, but you're not leaving her. I promise" The soldier said, and just as I turned to face him and give a response, I fell down.

He was quick to hold my head before it hit the ground.

"Quick! You two, help me here! And get her a healer as well!" I heard him shout, his voice slowly fading away as the world went dark again.

As I fell into unconsciousness once again, I realized what he probably meant. Of course I wouldn't leave her, I'm going to the infirmary as well.

My stupid brain was so worried about her that I forgot how fucked up I must be as well.

***

"How can I have a life like this?... I'm a monster... A disease... I hurt everyone I get close to... How can I even have a wife someday? Or kids? Or anything?" She said, and that got me by surprise, I never thought she wanted those things. In my head she was like Radahn, a dumb warrior who never thinks about having a family or anything... She seems so... Vulnerable now.

The memory of Mally's words after she lost her eyes was cut off by a warm feeling on my chest. Why was I dreaming about that specific moment to begin with?

Well, it doesn't matter. As I began to open my eyes, I heard a familiar voice.

"Good Grace, you're awake! You two scared the hell out of me" Godwyn said in relief.

"We... Mally!" I shouted, snapping up on the bed I just realized I was lying down on.

"Woah! Calm down, Little Witch!" He said, moving slightly away from me.

"Where's her?!" I impatiently said, searching the room for any signs of Mally on one of the many infirmary beds.

"She's here, calm down" He said, and I noticed the bed right behind him. A scarlett cascade of messy locks falling down a pillow caught my attention.

I moved to stand up from the bed, but Godwyn stopped me.

"She's fine, Ranni, don't worry. I took care of her wounds personally before helping the healers with yours. She just needs some rest now" He explained.

I was reluctant at first, but decided to comply, laying down on the bed, but not daring to take my eyes away from her.

Godwyn relaxed on his chair beside my bed "That's better. Now, can we talk about how you are? Your wounds weren't as bad as hers, but I'm still impressed by the fact that you managed to stay awake for a few minutes according to what my soldiers reported"

I sighed nonchalantly "I'm fine"

"Really?"

"Really, Golden Boy. That thing might've tried real hard, but I don't break that easily" I shot back, finally meeting his eyes.

"Okay, okay, no need to take it out on me" He defensively stated.

I noticed how tired his eyes looked, then looked at the clock on the wall. It's late afternoon already.

I looked away from him "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be that rude... Thanks for the help" I quietly said back.

He smiled "Anytime. And you don't have to apologize. Considering what you two must've been through, I wouldn't expect a happy go lucky reaction when you wake up anyways" He playfully said "Oh, before I forget. I sent a patrol after your horse. She's at our stables, so you don't have to worry about yours and Malenia's belongings. Seems like all your baggage is still intact"

"You..." I sighed in relief "Thanks... Again" I said, my mind was so busy up until now that I forgot the fact that Master Lusat's staff is still with that horse.

He smiled again "Anytime... Again. Now, do you mind talking about what happened on the bridge? I mean, what even is that creature?" He asked, reclining on his seat and stretching his back.

I adjusted myself on the bed as well "Well, you tell me. That thing was hanging around your backyard, Golden Boy. It appeared from beneath the bridge, spitting white flames and screaming like a-"

"White flames? Were they... Cold?" He cut me off, looking more serious now.

I stopped for a second "Yeah... I'm pretty sure that it wasn't fire, even if it clearly looked like it. Those flames froze down whatever it touched. Which brings me to the fact that Mally got extremely lucky, if it wasn't for the stone your mother gave her last week, she would've had a lot more trouble with that thing and... Are you okay?" I asked, noticing the stone cold expression on his face.

He didn't move for a few more seconds, then he looked down.

"Fuck" He muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Oh no... You're swearing, I don't like it when you swear. What happened, Golden Boy?" I demanded, shifting to sit up straight.

He sighed "That thing... It came from Stormveil"

I was slightly taken aback, trying to piece together what exactly he meant by that.

"So... You're into some weird kind of necro-aviculture now?" I frowned.

"What? No" He said, then sighed again "It's... It's more complicated than that"

Great, as if things weren't complicated enough for us so far.

"Well, I'm all ears, Golden Boy" I said, resting my back against the headboard.

He took a deep breath, then began "Well, the morning I arrived at Stormveil..."

***

"... After that we called it a day. So basically that's the situation now. I have a basement full of undead creatures and no actual way to fight them. And to top it all off, seems like they're already finding ways to exit the castle" He explained, clenching his fists at that last sentence.

I took a moment to absorb everything he dumped over me, massaging my temple in thought.

"That's..." I sighed "Yeah, that definitely deserves a 'fuck', Golden Boy" I said.

"With a capital 'F', yeah. I sent messages to the family already. Things have been under control so far, but if that changes, your mother told me to let her know as soon as possible"

I smiled out of reflex "Of course she did..."

"Yeah, but how about you and Malenia? How's the search going so far?" He asked.

I froze for a moment, trying not to think about the little 'breaks' we had during our trip.

"It's... Actually it's not that bad. We have a reasonable decent lead about the black knives, and we're heading to Caelid to see if it pays off" I explained.

He smiled "Well, that's some good news. And how's the trip going overall? I see that you two haven't managed to kill each other yet, so how is the partnership thing going?" He playfully asked.

I couldn't hide a subtle smile from showing up on my face. Maybe the dubious meaning of the word 'partnership' in my head made his question funnier than he originally intended, or maybe I'm just genuinely impressed by the fact that the partnership itself is actually working quite smoothly, all things considered.

"Yeah, we're getting along pretty well. I mean, there's still a bunch of... Minor disagreements every now and then, but overall we're doing pretty fine" I said, whilst looking briefly at Mally sleeping on the other bed.

Godwyn let out a brief chuckle "Would you look at that. Rykard's theory had some weight to it after all" He said, and I frowned.

"Rykard's what?"

He recomposed himself, looking at me with a half embarrassed smiley face.

"Well, Rykard and I had this conversation about you two when Malenia and Miquella were away. He commented that you looked really sad during that time, and I presumed it was obviously because of Miquella's absence. And Rykard, being Rykard, came up with the theory that you missed Malenia just as much, if not more than you missed Miquella" He explained, and I had several thoughts about that.

One: very nice of Rykard to go around telling people that I'm sad. Two: I wasn't even that sad to begin with. I missed them, sure, but just as everyone else did, and I would consider myself more bored than 'sad' anyways. Three: how was Rykard so sure that I missed Mally more than Miquella back then?!

"Is that so?" Was all I opted to say instead, giving him a doubtful look.

"Oh, yeah. I thought it was nonsense as well. After all, anyone with a brain cold see that you two couldn't stand each other for more than fifteen seconds. After I said exactly that to Rykard, he proceeded to explain his argument"

"Stars, I can already imagine it..."

"Yeah, according to him:

'Affection and hate are two sides of the same rune. Sure, they might bicker, whine, and occasionally physically assault each other every time they're together, but more often than not, they still come back and try to interact again. Why do you think that is?'

Afer he said that, I counter argued saying that Miquella was the reason why you two kept interacting with each other that often, to which he responded with:

'He might be a reason, but you can see the way those girls always manage to find something to fuel their banter. I might be wrong here, but we both know that I'm not, when I say that they like having that dynamic'

And so I scoffed, saying 'You think they like fighting each other?' To which he responded with:

'I don't think they know how to 'like' each other in the traditional meaning of that word, but I think they want to, even if they don't know how, so they chose to fight instead, showing their affection in the only language the other knows how to respond to. But what do I know?'

He finally said. And I gotta admit, that lived rent free on my head for a while now, Little Witch" Godwyn said with a smile.

I took a moment to think about that 'Fucking Rykard...'

"So, was he right about something?" Godwyn asked, noticing the several seconds of silence that had probably given him an answer already.

I looked at Mally again. I want to deny everything, to say that Rykard is just a delusional egomaniac that reads too much into everything. But lets be honest, not even the me from a week ago would buy into that explanation, so it's better to just rip off the band-aid for once.

"Perhaps he was..." I mumbled, a little louder than a whisper.

"It's really annoying, isn't it?" Godwyn asked with a smirk.

"What?" I turned my face back to him.

"When your siblings are actually right about something related to you before you realize it. Mohg used to do that to me all the time. That one is such a know it all" He playfully commented.

I left out a light chuckle "Yeah, tell me about it..."

A few seconds of silence followed before I spoke again.

"About that girl... 'Fia', right? You trust her?" I asked, going back to the topic of the castle's situation.

He took a breath "Overall, yes. I think it's safe to give her a little bit of credit after everything she did so far. Besides, it's not like I had much of a choice anyway. Her magic seems to be our best shot at getting rid of creatures like that bird"

"You mean if you two manage to make it work with the Unalloyed Gold, right?"

He sighed in defeat "Yeah, that's the big 'if'. Oh, that reminds me. You helped Miquella with his experiments, right? Do you have any useful inputs for me? I don't wanna sound desperate or anything, but I'm literally desperate for anything that helps"

I thought for a moment, holding my chin between my thumb and index.

"Well, in Mally's case things were different, at least from what I recall. Back then Miquella had to maximize the output of his blessing and run that energy through her body until the Rot was completely purged, so he tried to find a source of magic that could sustain that process. Not easy, sure, but still feasible. In your case..." I said.

"I know that face, you think my plan isn't..." He began, sounding anxious.

"I didn't say that, Golden Boy. No need to panic, okay?" I quickly cut him off "Miquella's plan emerged from the need of something that could serve as fuel for the purging ritual, hence why he picked the primeval current of sorcery. In your case, you already have the two kinds of magic you want to combine. These are different scenarios, so we can't apply the same logic. But, one thing real quick. Do you even know how that's gonna work to begin with? Like, do you even have a strategy once the magic types are combined?" I asked.

He began to fidget with his hand, looking aimlessly to the walls "I... Yes... Well, kind of..."

"Your plan was to just shoot them with it, wasn't it?" I deadpanned.

He stopped, looking slightly embarrassed for a second "Well, yeah... But if it works..."

I rolled my eyes "Oh, not you too. Listen here, if you're gonna make that poor girl spend her time here trying to find a way to make your plans work, you better have an actual plan to begin with"

He backed off slightly. I'm not gonna lie, it's funny to see these tall, over muscular grown men get that flustered by the tiniest bit of counter argument to their logic.

"Okay, okay. Sorry for not thinking that far ahead, but we're kinda running against the clock here. And apparently we have even less time than I initially thought to come up with a solution, given that something as big as that bird escaped from the dungeons already" He defensively stated.

"Yeah, time's been a real pain in the ass for all of us. But going back to what I was saying. Your situation is quite complicated given that her blessing can't be used on objects, but fortunately for you, Miquella's can actually work on living beings, so you only have to enchant a body with both spells and use that person as a sort of catalyst to fight those creatures. I'm not saying that it's gonna be optimal, or even practical, but it's possible" I explained.

"Wait, really?!" His eyes widened with hope "Well, that's some good news" He beamed, but quickly went back to a defeated look "I mean... That's good, but we still need to use Miquella's ritual on someone, and I might know how to do it, but it still wouldn't work. I can't fully execute the ritual by myself"

"With that attitude, of course you can't"

"Huh?"

"Do you know why Miquella's ritual doesn't fully work for you?" I asked.

He shook his head lightly.

"Miquella is pure. His body was never tainted by the changes of adulthood, so his connection to the ethereal world remains strong. We don't have that kind of connection as strongly as he does, at least not by ourselves. Putting into terms that you troglodytes can understand, Miquella had the technique to cut, but not an actual weapon, you have the weapons, but you don't know how to use them"

"So, you're saying that..."

"You have to compensate, Golden Boy. Despite what your siblings keep telling you, you're not perfect. So, if you can't cast Miquella's spell alone, you gotta get someone else to help you"

"Someone... You mean Fia...?" He asked, and I nodded.

"You don't need to execute Miquella's ritual completely, you just need to execute half of it, then leave the other half to Fia. She seems like a pretty good candidate for that, if what I've heard about Deathbed Companions is actually true. So, once she gets the basics down, it's only a matter of using her to cast both of them on you. Her ritual will come out as usual, but Miquella's will be only half complete, and that's when you come with the other half. And as his ritual is permanent, she'll only have to reapply hers if the effect runs off" I explained.

He just stared at me, his chin remained dropped for several seconds before he spoke.

"Wow, that's... Wow! How long do you think that'll take?" He asked, already itching to get up from that chair and start working on it.

I shrugged "As long as it takes her to learn Miquella's ritual, and a lot more than that for you two to execute the ritual properly, I guarantee. The synergy required for that kind of operation is absurd"

He stopped on his tracks "How much 'absurd' are we talking about?"

"Well, I've only heard of a few casters, who were mostly twins, or at least really close relatives that were actually capable of doing it. So,yeah, pretty hard"

He sighed "Well, that's a bummer, but it's something at least"

"Yeah, you're welcome"

"I'll owe you that... Wait. You said that we'll have to enchant me? Why can't it be someone else?" He asked.

"Our flesh, Golden Boy. When I told you that Miquella's ritual works on living beings, I didn't meant all of them. A regular body couldn't stand the process, but a demigod's can. So it has to be you" I explained.

"I see... Well, I better tell Fia about that, and you better get some rest" He said, getting up and stretching his back again.

I scoffed "Who are you, my Father? I'm not five anymore, Golden Boy"

"Then stop whining about it as if you still were, will ya? I'll be gone for a while, so keep an eye on Malenia for me. Anything you need, just ring the bell and a caretaker will come by"

"Room service too?" I sarcastically replied.

He just rolled his eyes "I told them not to bother you two while you are resting, so if you're waiting for someone to bring you food or anything by themselves, you'll starve before anyone enters that door. So yeah, call them before that happens"

I made an exaggerated reverence "Yes, My Lord" I mockingly said.

He just ignored that and left.

After he was gone, I adjusted myself to lay on my side, turning my body to face Mally's bed.

I looked at her for a few moments, enjoying how peaceful she looks.

"You're really cute when you're sleeping, y'know that?" I sighed "Sorry for letting you get hurt again..."

~~~

All I could feel was pain, which by now was just like an old friend to me. After I drifted off at the bridge, I almost felt like that was it, and to be honest, a part of me was glad with that thought. I just wanted the pain to stop, and it did.

Now everything that happened feels just like a bad dream. In that dream, I was reckless, I was impatient, and I could've got Ranni killed because of that. What I got instead were that thing's claws piercing me like I was just a piece of meat.

That wasn't a dream, but it's all I can remember before opening my eyes to see the gray stone celling above me, hearing the wind howling in the distance, and feeling the smell of something really strong invading my nostrils.

I blinked a few times, trying to move my body, and realizing that I was thankfully still in one piece (Or as much as 'one piece' my body was).

"Easy, Sassy Pants. Your Brother spend the whole morning patching you up" Ranni's voice came from beside me.

I turned my head to look at her sitting on a bed, eating a bowl of what I assume is what's smelling so much in here.

"W-Witch...?" I mumbled, my voice coming out really raspy.

She smiled "Good morning to you too, well, it's almost 'good night' by now, but you got it" She said.

I tried to sit up as well, but my muscles were really rusty, so I couldn't do more than support myself on my elbows.

"Where are..."

"Stormveil. Here, I'll help you with it" She said, putting the bowl aside and standing up to help me sit with my back against the headboard.

"How did we..."

"After that thing caught you, it tried to fly away. I managed to kill it in the air, but we all fell down on Godwyn's lawn. Which came in clutch, 'cause we were pretty fucked up by then. So here we are now, safe and sound at Stormveil's infirmary" She explained, adjusting a pillow on the back of my head.

"Are you okay?" I asked, and she just shrugged.

"M'fine. My injuries weren't as bad as yours. Comfortable?" She asked, looking at me to make sure I wasn't about to fall down to one side.

"Yeah, I'm good..." I replied, she just gave me a warm simile.

"Good. How do you feel?" She asked, sitting on the edge of my bed.

"I... Weak, I guess..." I commented, surprised by just how casual she's been so far.

"Yeah, that's a side effect of the healing spells, it'll pass in few minutes. So, you want something? You gotta be hungry, right? I got some onion soup, but if I knew you were about to wake up I would've asked for something for you as well..."

"Ranni" I cut her off.

"What?" She asked, whilst looking me in the eyes, but I couldn't meet her gaze, facing my hands over my lap instead.

"I... I'm sorry..." I whispered.

"For what?" She promptly shot back, and I don't know why, but that made this whole thing worse.

"You serious? I almost got you killed today. I mean, was it 'today'? How long have we been here...?" I asked, but didn't give her much room for an answer, going back to my rambles as my eyes began to water down "Anyway, it doesn't matter. Y-you said that we fell here?! How could I've been so stupid as to let that thing- Argh...! And you said your injuries weren't as bad as mine? How bad were-"

"Mally! Calm down" She firmly said, holding my left hand and looking me in the eyes. This time I couldn't avoid her gaze "I'm fine, and you're fine too. What happened today, and yes, it was still today, wasn't your fault" She said.

I swallowed a sob "How can you say that? You told me yourself that I couldn't handle that thing, and you were right. I should've just got the horse and- Oh, Grace! The horse! Your staff is still-"

"She's safe, she's here, don't worry" She cut me off again, giving a reassuring squeeze on my hand.

Her other hand moved to wipe the few tears on my cheeks, caressing my face tenderly as she did so.

"I don't like you when you cry" She said "Listen, it's not your fault, okay? That thing caught you off guard, and even if you could've seen it coming, you couldn't even stand on your feet back then. There was nothing you could've done"

I looked at her, noticing a shift in her gaze, as she looked down in embarrassment.

"If anything, it's my fault for leaving you there..." She muttered.

"No, you're not- it was just a few seconds-"

"And look at what happened to you in those seconds, Mally!" She exclaimed.

I was about to say something back, but whatever it was, it never came out. Instead, I just stood there in silence with her. It was a minute of that, probably more, but we didn't move, nor let go of each other's hands.

"We should've thought about that before..." I broke the silence.

"What do you mean?"

"Situations like that. Fighting together. We should have predicted something like that" I explained.

"Yeah... If we fought together from the start, that thing would've been any trouble. But we don't even know how the other thinks, let alone how we handle a fight. You thought my spells had more range, because I never cared to explain what they actually do. And honestly I didn't know you could plan a strategy like that one with the wall. We don't really know each other" She commented back.

I nodded "We gotta work that kind of thing out if we want to find Miquella"

She sighed "I never worked well with anyone..." She said, tracing random patterns with her thumb over my hand.

I left out a dry chuckle "Tell me about it. I couldn't do it even if I wanted to"

"Great, we're both antisocial freaks who gotta work together as a team. Not to sound alarming or anything, but we're definitely screwed" She playfully said.

I gave her a small laugh "Perhaps we are... But it wouldn't be the first time, right?"

She raised an eyebrow "Meaning...?"

"Well, we also thought that we could never be friends, but look at us now. Just because we're screwed, doesn't mean that we can't work things out eventually" I said, giving her a smile.

She hesitated, but smiled as well "Yeah, though we didn't get to be 'just friends' for too long, right?" She teased.

"Hey, if it works, it works" I said, and she rolled her eyes.

"I swear, if we ever have kids, I'll forbid you to say that in front of them" She over dramatically stated, and we laughed together for a while.

"I wonder what would you teach them instead. Father always told me how improvisation is fundamental for surviving in a hostile environment" I argued.

She scoffed "You're insane if you think I'll let my hypothetical kids anywhere near a 'hostile environment'"

"Oh, so they're 'your hypothetical kids' now?" I laughingly asked back.

"Mostly. After all, I got more experience dealing with educating other living beings than you do" She stated matter of factually.

"You better not be comparing raising kids to training your dog" I tiredly said, and she shot me an offended look.

"He's a wolf, and I was referring to you. 'Cause if I can turn their mother into a functional human being, I can certainly... Wait, are we... Actually talking about having kids together?!" She exclaimed, and I was just as surprised as the realization hit me like a hammer on the nail.

We stood in absolute silence for a few seconds before I finally spoke.

"We're tired"

"Definitely!"

"Super tired"

"We're just saying random stuff"

"Random weird stuff"

"Totally random and weird"

"Definitely not making sense anymore"

"I can't even remember what the conversation was about"

"Neither can I"

"Exactly!"

"Exactly!"

"Exactly " We both stated together.

After a few minutes of awkward air, as she finished her soup and I tried to occupy myself with anything aside from thinking about that conversation again, unfortunately, she had other plans.

"S-sorry for bringing that up..." She mumbled, as we still avoided looking back at each other.

"I... You don't have to be... It was weird, that's all..." I replied.

"But I do. I made things awkward with you. It's just- I thought about what you said that night, that you wanted a family and all, and the topic kinda got stuck inside my head, and..." She tried to explain, but something else caught my attention.

"What night?" I asked, finally looking at her with a frown.

"Huh?"

"What night are you talking about? I don't remember having that kind of talk with you"

"I... Did I said 'night'? I don't think I did..." She embarrassedly tried to throw the topic away, but you can assume how bad that backfired for her.

"Witch. What night are you talking about, and what exactly did I said back then?" I pressed further, and she looked around to avoid my gaze.

"The... The night when... Oh, fuck me, I can't do this" She mumbled, positioning herself to sit on the edge of her bed to face me "The night you lost your eyes..."

"Oh... The talk before my eyes...?" I cautiously asked.

She shook her head lightly, looking really uncomfortable now.

"After that... You probably won't even remember this, but... After a while, Miquella asked me to stay in the room with you while he went away, and you kinda..."

My eyes widened "Oh my Grace. That was you?!" I exclaimed.

She curled up slightly on her seat "Yeah..." She shyly said.

"You mean... Why didn't you say anything before? I always thought that Miquella was the one who..."

"Yeah, and I wanted you to have that memory. I mean, we basically hated each other back then, and you had this moment where you opened your heart about the things you wanted and all... It just didn't felt right to not let you have Miquella there for you instead of me" She explained, speaking rapidly without even stopping to breathe.

I stopped to digest everything she just said for a moment, looking at her embarrassed figure. Arms closed in front of her stomach, head down, legs intertwined. She just looks... Cute.

I stood up, and she kept her gaze down "You... You should've told me before. I mean, not then, because I get what you said, but we're practically girlfriends now, Ranni" That word felt heavier than a block of lead on my tongue, but it's out there now, and I can't take it back.

I moved sit beside her, giving her a side hug before continuing "I... I'm glad that you were there for me" I said, as my touch seemed to have catch her off guard.

She seemed a little nervous at first, looking at me in pure disbelief, as I met her gaze with a somewhat coy smile.

After a moment of hesitation, she smiled as well "I'm glad that I could help" She finally said, leaning into my touch.

We stood there for a few more seconds before something else caught my attention.

"You Talked to Godwyn?"

"Mhm? Oh, yeah, we talked. He left to see Fia before you woke up, and hasn't returned since" She explained.

"Fia?"

"Oh, right. So, that's gonna be a long story, but when he arrived here a few days ago..."

***

"Ghostflame?" I asked, after Ranni was done with the explanation.

She nodded "Yeah, that's why your Glintstone gem saved you back then. It's magic based, so your necklace can deflect it as well"

"I se... I gotta thank Mother again for it after she comes back" I playfully said.

"And you should. Honestly, it's so unfair that you gets to have a talisman that useful against magical attacks" She mumbled, but I just squeezed her arm a little, pulling her even closer to me.

"Aaawn, little Ranni is getting jealous?"

"Shut up!"

"It's okay, I'll let you borrow it every once in a while. That is, if you behave properly" I teased.

She tilted her head up.

"Are you testing your luck just because we're already in an infirmary, Sassy Pants? I can screw you up real bad before anyone enters that door. Matter of fact, your brother told everyone else not to bother us while we're here, so even if I did turned you into a redhead flavored ice cream, no one would come here to help you anyways" She shot back, that snarky attitude of hers sounding more amusing than annoying if I'm being honest.

I chuckled, as an interesting and undoubtedly stupid idea found its way up my head "Oh, but that goes both ways, Witch. No one could save you from me as well" I said.

She just scoffed "And what could you even do-"

Her retort was promptly cut off by a quick, but tasteful kiss on her lips, right before she immediately backed her head away slightly.

"Have you lost your mind!?" She whispered-shouted with an incredulous look on her face.

I just chuckled "What? You said it yourself, no one's entering that door until we say so" I simply replied, giving her a teasing smirk.

"But that- But we- I mean..."

"Oh, c'mon, Witch. It's just a kiss. besides, I'm kinda hungry here as well, so I decided to see if that soup you were having tastes as good as it smelled" I playfully explained.

She still looked slightly pissed, but opted to just roll her eyes instead "Really? Is that the excuse you came up with?"

I just shrugged "It's true. Well, half true at least. I mostly just like kissing you"

I saw a blush on her cheeks after I said that, but she quickly recomposed herself "Well, you better get used to waiting, 'cause I'm not taking any chances whilst we're still here" She stated, tiring her head away.

I made a faux pout "Not even a final peck? I mean I did almost die today protecting you..." I mumbled in a shy voice, mostly just to tease her. I don't really mind waiting to kiss her again.

Before I could move away from the bed and let all that teasing aside, she abruptly turned her face back to me, grabbing my shirt by the collar.

"You better savour it, 'cause I'm only giving you another one after we're a day of trip away from here" She authoritatively said, right before taking my lips into hers.

And boy, how I savoured it. The warmth of her lips could be enough to make me forget about anything else in the world. Which apparently happened this time, because during the short lived moments of our kiss, the infirmary door was not only opened, but someone actually got inside before we parted our lips.

"Who wants some din-" Godwyn stopped mid sentence, as we both turned to face him with the most terrified and shocked looks you could imagine.

No one moved a single muscle for I don't even know how long.

"So... I brought you guys some dinner... Am I..." He cleared his throat "Interrupting something?" He asked.

"Uh..." I began, and before I could finish my sentence.

"FUCK!" Ranni said.

And yeah, that sums it up pretty well.

FUCK!

Chapter Text

"I thought you'd be here" I said, approaching Fia, who is standing in front of the creature's burning corpse.

"Are they okay?" She asked, not averting her gaze from the fire.

"They are. Malenia is still unconscious, but Ranni woke up just a few minutes ago. She... Confirmed your assumptions. It came from the castle" I said, as I stopped right beside her.

"These filthy monstrosities..." I heard she mutter between clenched teeth.

I could feel the passion behind her words, as well as the immense amount of hatred that came along with it. I know where a part of, if not most of that hatred is directed towards, my Mother. I didn't want to overstep my boundaries whilst she's so focused on her feelings, so I gave her a few moments before I spoke again.

After a while, she sighed "You don't have to be so polite, Young Prince, but I appreciate it none the less" She broke the silence instead "What is it that's making you so anxious?"

"I- Wha- anxious?" I asked, a bit stunned by her sudden commentary.

"Your foot. You've been tapping it repeatedly for the last thirty seconds" She commented, turning her face to show me a subtle smile "What is it?"

I looked at my foot, left out a faint chuckle, then turned back to her "Gotta keep an eye on that. Anyway, I don't know if I commented this with you already, but Ranni helped Miquella develop the treatment with the Unalloyed Gold"

She squinted briefly, trying to remember it "Yeah... I think you've mentioned something like that"

"Okay. So, I asked her for some inputs on our current situation with the merging of different techniques. She told me a few interesting things about the nature of Miquella's magic, along with a pretty good idea about how we can circumvent the limitation of me not being able to fully cast it" I said, and she got genuinely surprised.

"Oh, really?" She said, her features getting instantly less somber.

I smiled lightly "Yeah, although it won't be easy, and it might take some time, but it's already something" I explained, noticing the spark in her eyes growing with each word.

"Well, what are we waiting for? We gotta start this as soon as possible" She exclaimed "What is her idea?" She asked, and I smiled out of reflex.

"Well, she told me that Miquella's prowess in magic from such a young age came from the fact that his body never left childhood, so if I want to perform a ritual as complex as his, I would have to break down the process to an amount my body could take. The thing is, to do that I would need someone else to compensate for the part my body couldn't handle" I explained.

She crossed her arms, moving a hand to hold her chin "I see... That is really complicated indeed... You'll need someone that balances your natural output of magic energy... Most people who are capable of performing spells in conjunction are close relatives, who are usually souls that complement each other. I don't think you have... Wait, perhaps one of your siblings could help you! Your sister, when she wakes up-"

"That wouldn't work" I stopped her before she could finish.

"Oh... It wouldn't?"

I shook my head "Malenia doesn't have the capability for that level of incantation. She only knows a few basic spells, mostly to heal herself quickly in the middle of a battle" I explained, and Fia frowned.

"I see..." She's mumbled, looking down for a bit.

"But don't worry, we can find an alternative" I said, and her face went back up "Yeah, and by 'we' I actually mean we, Lady Fia"

She looked confused for a moment, then realization hit her.

"You mean... Me?"

I nodded "Mmhm. Deathbed Companions are supposed to be well versed in magic, right? And you told me that you wanted to take this matter in your own hands, isn't that correct? So, if I can teach you how to properly execute my Brother's ritual, do you think you'd be able to cast it with me?" I asked.

She didn't answer right away, seeming a bit hesitant by my proposition.

"I... I'm not sure if I'm the right person for that kind of operation..." She hesitantly stated.

"You... I mean, I know that it won't be easy, but we should at least give it a try, right?" I commented, finding it strange that her attitude shifted so quickly. A moment ago she was ecstatic about me finding a possible solution, so what changed?

"I... Can't you find another caster to do it with you? You surely must have connections with people more talented than me" She suggested, and now I'm definitely sure something ain't right.

I frowned slightly, closing my arms whilst studying her features, noticing that she is trying to look anywhere but my face right now.

"I know a few skilled people, sure, but bringing them here would cost us some precious time that we currently don't have. Not to mention that the castle is still under lockdown. But I don't think that your capabilities are the problem here, Lady Fia" I said, noticing her freeze in place as I got closer to my point "What aren't you telling me?"

"I... I'm not..."

"I'm gonna cut you right there. We both know that you haven't told me everything about yourself. I let that slide until now because you've been proofing yourself to be more useful than harmful for us, but if there's something, anything that's getting in the way of making this temporary partnership work, you gotta tell me now. I know how much you want to fix things in here, so what could possibly be the reason that's stopping you from going through with it?" I firmly questioned her.

She took a moment to absorb my question, looking visibly uncomfortable. This is probably the first time I've been this cold towards her ever since our first encounter at the Castle's gates.

"I..." She began, and after a moment of hesitation, she took a deep breath before continuing "I can't perform your brother's ritual... I mean, I probably could, but..." She said, and I noticed that ever present hint of resentment every time she talked about the Deathblight. I know where this is going.

"You don't want to" I finished for her, and after a quick pause, she embarrassedly nodded.

"I'm... I'm sorry, but I won't perform a ritual such as that" She stated, sounding a bit hesitant, but still keeping her tone clear.

I kept staring at her soft features being lit by the fire beside us.

"May I ask you why?" I asked, still keeping a more somber tone to my voice.

"Th- the Golden Order... The incantations your family uses derives from the essence of the Erdtree, isn't that correct? I might tolerate the presence of the Greater Will looming over my head during every moment of my days... But I just can't bring myself to get my hands close to that kind of magic... I'm deeply sorry, My Prince, but you'll have to find someone else" She explained, bowing her head, almost looking ashamed of herself.

I didn't know how to feel about what she just said. Does her hatred towards the Erdtree and the Greater Will really goes that deep? To a point where she'll just ditch her whole mission in the blink of an eye if it meant that it'll keep her from learning a spell that uses that kind of magic.

I just can't stop myself from judging this attitude. Yet somehow, I understand how much this whole thing gotta mean for her to stand her ground like that.

After a moment of pondering about those things, I eventually left out a tired sigh.

"Guess I'll find someone else then... See you later, Lady Fia" I said, as I moved to take my leave.

She didn't say a single thing whilst I walked away, at least not until I reached the door leading to the inside of the Castle.

"I'm sorry!" I heard her exclaim, turning my head to face the thin figure dressed in black against the glowing orange behind her.

I only smiled at her "Don't be. I shouldn't rely on anyone else to get my job done anyways. You did your best, I'm thankful for that, Lady Fia. Now if you excuse me, I'm in a desperate need for a shower" I playfully said, leaving without giving her any time to reply.

Perhaps it's better this way. If she couldn't get over something like that in order to save the people living in here, and potentially everyone in Limgrave, then it's probably better to not give her as much credit as I initially did.

Now, moving away from that topic, I really do need a shower now. Perhaps I could have dinner with the girls after that, Malenia should probably be awake by then.

Yeah, that sounds good. I'll go there after I search through my list of enchanters looking for a nice substitute for Fia.

It's gonna be good to have a nice family moment after that. Grace knows I need some rest after today.

***

"FUCK!" Ranni exclaimed, then immediately turned towards Malenia "I told you we couldn't do that here!" She said, whilst slapping Malenia's arm repeatedly.

"Ou- ouch! Calm down. You are the one who-" Malenia tried to protest, but Ranni was quick to cut her off.

"I only did it because you did it first, you brainless Troglodyte! This. Is. All. Your. Fault!" She exclaimed, punctuating each word with another slap.

I just stood in place, holding a tray with the food I got on the way here. My eyes aren't pulling a prank on me, and even if they were, the scene in front of me right now makes it more than clear.

They were kissing, like for real, with their lips, direct contact, romantically, together, Ranni and Malenia... Is this even real?!

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry... Ouch. You didn't have to be so goddamn harsh. I just woke up from almost dying today, remember?" Malenia shot back at Ranni, as they finally seemed to stop with the physical assault.

"Well, 'sorry' won't do us any good now. Honestly, how can I let you make me act so stupidly?!" Ranni groaned in frustration, converting her face and dropping on back over the bed.

Meanwhile, Malenia stopped rubbing her left arm to finally look at me again, though only for a moment before her gaze turned back down.

"H-hi, Golden Boy..." She mumbled.

"Hi... Are you-" I cleared my throat "How do you feel?" I asked, regaining a bit of my movement after these first few moments left me froze in place.

"I... I'm good. You did a good job... How 'bout you?" She sheepishly asked, fidgeting with her fingers intertwined over her lap, still not looking at me.

"Been better, not gonna lie. Castle's not in its best days, but we're dealing with it" I commented.

"That's... That's good. Is that food?" She asked, giving a quick glace at the tray I am holding.

"What- Oh, this?" I mumbled, having forgotten about the very reason for me to come here in the first place "Yeah, it's... You hungry?"

"I- yeah! You brought it for me?" She embarrassedly asked.

"I did... I mean, for us. I haven't had dinner yet, so..."

"Oh, for fuck's sake! Can't you two stop acting like you didn't just saw what you saw?" Ranni bursted, moving to sit back up "Aren't you gonna say anything?!" She asked me impatiently.

I couldn't answer for afew seconds, but eventually managed to come up with something.

"Do... Do you guys mind if we talk about that while we're eating?" I cautiously said.

Ranni glared at me for a moment, then closed her eyes to take a deep breath, and after releasing it, all she said was:

"Fine"

We were a few chews into our shared meal, (at least me and Malenia, Ranni said she was already full) when I decided to rip off the band-aid.

"So... How long has it been since you two..."

"A week!... More or less... It's complicated..." Ranni promptly said.

Since Rykard's wedding? Well, that's a shock...

"Could you try to explain it, at least?" I asked her.

She sighed "I don't know, okay? It just..."

"I kissed her" Malenia interjected.

I turned towards her, a bit stunned by just how blunt that blow felt coming from her.

She continued "At Rykard's wedding party... I don't know why I did it... It just..."

"It just happened, okay?" Ranni finished for her.

I hummed in thought for a while before speaking again "So, is this some kind of 'we're just curious' thing?" I asked, and Malenia bowed her head in embarrassment, Ranni on the other hand, was more vocal.

"We're not 'just curious'!" She outragedly shot back.

I backed off slightly "Okay, okay, I'm sorry" I defensively stated, noticing Malenia reach for Ranni's hand to calm her down.

That alone was enough to make Rykard's words pierce through my brain like a spear. They actually have... Something?

Ranni calmed down after Malenia squeezed her hand for a few moments. Meanwhile I picked my next words very carefully.

"I didn't mean to offend you two or what this is, but you can imagine how lost this whole thing makes me feel. I mean, you two... How?" I asked.

For a moment, none of them could answer, but eventually Malenia began.

"I guess... I guess these kinds of things just happen. I mean, I can't explain what I'm feeling when I'm with her, I just know that I want to feel that all the time... If that makes any sense" She mumbled in a shy tone.

Meanwhile, Ranni just stared at her face, making an expression I've never seen on her face during all these years. Is she... Flustered? I mean her cheeks are a lively shade of red now, it can't be just that. No, she's flattered!

"I... I see... And for how long have you been feeling that way?" I asked.

She looked shyly to the side "A bit after I got back home... Maybe even before that..." She muttered.

"Oh, 'before' as in..."

"No, not that long" She promptly cut me off "But maybe... Maybe for a few months before I came back, though I couldn't know what it was by then. But yeah, there was definitely something" She explained.

"I see..." I took a moment to process that, then turned to face Ranni "And how about you, Little Witch?" I asked her, and she looked just as embarrassed as Malenia, although in her own way.

"I... Ummm... Probably the same thing... Actually, probably way before her" She quietly said, leaving even Malenia surprised by that admission.

"You- really?" My Sister asked her, and Ranni immediately curled up in embarrassment, nodding her head slightly.

"I mean, I don't know... You always made feel... Strange. And after you lost your arm, I kinda felt... I was really afraid of losing you..." Ranni mumbled, and if seeing her acting so vulnerable was enough to leave me speechless, what happened next was enough to turn me into stone.

Malenia quickly wrapped her arms around Ranni, as if out of pure reflex, like she could sense how difficult it was for Ranni to admit all that, she wanted to soothe her. And what's most impressive about that is that Ranni let her do it. Ranni was almost as touch averted as Mohg, to a point where I can't even remember the last time she hugged someone besides her parents. And now she's just letting Malenia hold her like a pillow?!

"Well, that's not something you see everyday..." I managed to say, after a few moments of silence "So are you guys like... A thing right now?" I cautiously asked, but apparently not as cautiously as I thought, as they both looked visibly uncomfortable with that question.

"W-we... I mean, we..." Malenia began, finally letting go of Ranni.

"We don't know what we are yet" Ranni said, and Malenia looked at her "But I... I don't want to leave her as well" She timidly finished.

I'll admit, that got a shy smile out of my lips.

After a few moments in which they just looked into each other's eyes, I finally decided what I want to do about this.

"Well, I guess that's all good then!" I happily stated, and they both turned to me in surprise.

"Wait, what?! Was that it?" Ranni asked, and I just shrugged.

"What else is there to discuss? You two have feelings for each other, you're together, and I'm happy for you" I simply stated, returning to my dinner.

Ranni was visibly shocked "But, we- but you- but-"

"We're related! Godwyn, can't you see the problem here?!" Malenia abruptly exclaimed.

I paused to look at them. That's probably been a huge problem for them so far. To be honest I completely forgot that was a thing, I never saw them as sisters anyway, no matter how much they look alike, I never got the same energy from them as from Malenia and Miquella, or even Malenia and Radahn. These two were always something different, I just didn't know what that 'something' was until now.

But we still have that elephant in the room to talk about, so I gotta tell them something. Of course I can't just tell them that their relationship is usual or anything, but I can't let them have an obstacle that big in the way of their happiness as well, specially considering that it's not that big at all.

"You're half related. It's not a crime to have a relationship with someone that close to you. A bit odd? Sure, but definitely not a crime. Besides, there's not many people out there who actually care about that to begin with" I said, trying my best to sound reassuring.

"But we- wait, what do you mean people don't care?" Malenia asked.

"Amongst royalty, your relationship would be tame in comparison to what the old monarchy would do. The original Carians were all cousins, and that's the more reserved ones. As for the people, go to any small village in the south, and you'll be sure to find similar cases. The thing about blood related relationships is that people do it in an opposite amount to which they talk about it. So, yeah, you two are fine. Better yet considering the fact that none of you is the first in line of succession, and you can't have blood heirs, so it's not a big deal at all" I explained, and they just started at me with the most blank expressions I've ever seen. It's quite comical, actually.

Eventually, Malenia spoke.

"So, you're saying that we are..."

"As far as I'm concerned, good for me, and good for society. And even if you weren't, who even cares what people say? Live the life you want. Love whomever you want. Stop thinking about everyone's-"

"But what about the family?" Ranni interjected "You might be okay with this, but..." She mumbled, not being able to complete her sentence.

"How do we know the others won't think different?" Malenia managed to voice out their concerns.

I took a few moments to think about that. I don't think everyone would love the idea, sure, but overall?

"Look-"

A knock on the door stopped me before I could continue.

The girls jumped slightly on their sits, looking apprehensively at the door.

"Uh... Yes?" I asked.

"It's me, Lord Godwyn. May I come in?" Fia asked room the other side.

Ranni scoffed "At least someone here knocks first" She mumbled.

Malenia gave her a light bump on the arm, and I just rolled my eyes in amusement. Perhaps our talk will have to wait.

"Yes, you may, Lady Fia" I finally answered, and she entered the room.

"My deepest apologies if I'm interrupting something important, but I had to talk to you properly about earlier today. I just... It wasn't correct of me to refuse to help in the way I did, and I wanted to explain myself better" She said, looking visibly nervous.

"'Refused'? Wait, you mean she didn't agree with my idea?" Ranni abruptly asked me, then turned back to Fia "What's wrong with my plan? Oh, and I'm Ranni, by the way"

Fia seemed a bit taken aback by Ranni's question, but managed to give her an answer, although in an ashamed manor.

"There wasn't anything wrong with your theory, Princess Ranni. Actually I think it might work pretty well. I just... I can't bring myself to use Prince Miquella's magic" She explained.

"And I told you that I can manage that, Lady Fia. There's no need to apologize even further, really, it's okay" I said, and I wanted to believe that, but after not finding many available options on my list of possible substitutes for her, I began to consider pressing her a little more on that matter later today.

"Woah, woah, woah! Hold your fucking horses, Golden Boy. Fia, why can't you use Miquella's magic?" Ranni impatiently asked.

"I... It's the..." Fia mumbled, clearly not expecting to have other parties to this conversation.

"It's the Golden Order" I interjected "She doesn't want to use a spell derived from that source, isn't that correct?" I explained, looking at Fia.

She embarrassedly nodded.

"Oh, not a fan of the Greater Will, aren't ya? Can't blame you. But, if that's the problem, you can relax, 'cause Miquella's magic isn't derived from the Erdtree at all" Ranni casually explained, and WHAT?!

"What?" Me and Malenia said in unison.

Rani just chuckled "Yeah, I can't blame you guys for assuming that as well. But no, his magic had nothing to do with the Greater Will"

"He... How? I taught him how to cast spells every since he was five, how did I not knew that already?" I asked.

"Because..." She began, moving towards her bed to grab something beside her pillow "He only found out recently as well. Here, after he was done with Mally's treatment, he made frequent entries on our journal about the nature of his ritual. After being exposed to such a huge amount of that energy thanks to the Primeval Current, he noticed a clear difference between that and the conventional Golden Order spells. They might feel similar at first, but Miquella's magic has a clear different source" She said, handing me a notebook.

"I recognize this... Wait, you said 'our journal'? I've seen Miquella with this notebook plenty of times. He never told me that you wrote on it as well" I commented, whilst going through Miquella's notes.

"When did you get that, Witch?" Malenia asked Ranni.

"While you were sleeping. I asked a servant to grab it for me at the stables, along with a few other things..." She commented, giving Malenia a suggestive look. Considering what I know now about those two, it's better to just let that go before I find even weirder stuff about them.

"I see... According to his notes, Miquella definitely didn't knew what was the source of his power. It wasn't the Erdtree... Mmm, that's odd..." I mumbled, noticing how his notes got really incoherent for a while there.

"His spell isn't... Wait, how come he create a spell and not know what's its source?" Fia asked. Pretty valid point actually.

Rani shrugged "Don't ask me, he was the prodigy. All he told me is that the idea came to him in a dream a few months before Mally lost her arm-" She quickly stopped, frowning in thought.

"It's one hell of a coincidence..." I commented, catching up to what she was probably thinking.

"Wait, you guys actually think that..." Malenia began.

"Something gave Miquella that dream... The question is what?" Ranni said.

"Wouldn't it be better to ask why?" Malenia suggested.

Ranni shook her head "We already know the 'why'" She said.

Malenia frowned "We do?"

Ranni just sighed tiredly "Yes, we do, Sassy Pants. Whatever or whomever it was that it gave Miquella that dream, it wanted to save you"

Chapter Text

"Wait, what?" I exclaimed, and Ranni just rolled her eyes, as she usually does whenever I ask her something.

"Think about it for a second. Why else would something, presumably an outer god, send Miquella a vision of a way to cure you right before your curse manifested itself?" She said.

I thought for a second. It isn't that much of a stretch if I'm being honest, given the fact that none of us ever found out what entity cursed Miquella with the eternal youth, which doesn't really look like much of a punishment compared to me or the twins.

"Well... Yeah, that makes sense" I agreed, and Godwyn nodded as well.

"It does, but that still brings us to your initial thought, Little Witch. Who, or to be exact, what could've done something like that? I mean, the outer gods can't really send visions to anyone who isn't a vessel, right?" Godwyn said.

"Well, not necessarily" Fia interjected "The God of Death didn't use me as a vessel before sending me here. That might be the case for your brother as well" She suggested.

Godwyn shook his head "I don't think so. Yes, Miquella didn't have to be a vessel for whatever it was that send him that dream, but a connection between a mortal and an outer god isn't something that can be created out of nowhere. If he really didn't know what the source of that power was until recently, then it's safe to assume that he never interacted with said source up until then. You prayed to the god of death, makes sense that it would send you a message, but if Miquella wasn't even aware of this thing..."

"Then it must've found a way to create a connection with him by itself" Ranni finished Godwyn's train of thought.

My Brother nodded "You're thinking the same thing as me, aren't you?" He asked her.

"What is it?" Fia asked, and I turned to look at her, being kinda lost in the conversation as well.

"The thing that sent him the vision, it can only be the same entity that cursed him in the first place. It probably had a connection with him ever since he was born, so finding a way into his mind wouldn't be a problem" Godwyn explained.

Ranni nodded "Now everything falls in place. Why eternal youth, and why shortly before the Rot manifested itself on you. Miquella's curse wasn't just a way to attack him, it was a way to give him the tools to cure you" She said, looking at me.

'So he... He wasn't... My curse was...' The thoughts began to cascade inside my head, like a pile of dominos that just needed a single flick to collapse over themselves.

I was static, completely frozen in place, the realization of what this whole thing meant was hitting me repeatedly the more I thought about it.

Ranni frowned "Mally..." She said with a hint of uncertainty to her voice,as she reached for my right arm, but I barely noticed her touch. Her voice quickly faded as my thoughts got louder, deafeningly louder.

Everything began to melt inside my head, suddenly it was all just white noise buzzing in the back of my head. But even in the midst of all that chaos, one thing rang louder than the rest, a single sentence, a set of words that are now burning brighter than the Erdtree inside my brain.

"I cursed him..." I whispered, staring at the floor with a blank face.

"Malenia..." Godwyn muttered.

"What...?" Fia followed suit with his confusion.

I felt my lips curling up into a broken smile.

"Ha... Of course I did... How could it be anything else..." I whispered.

"M-Malenia, what are you..." My Brother began, but was quick to cut him off.

"HAHaHAhAhaHA..." I began to cackle, throwing my head back and pressing my hands against my eyes "Can't you see, Golden Boy?!" I exclaimed, removing my hands from my face to look at him "It's the same old story of my life. Miquella can't have a life because I'm always in the way. And now we know just how much that is the case, right?" I blurted between broken cackles.

"Y-you..." Godwyn mumbled, failing to come up with something to say, so I continued.

"He spent six years of his life trying to fix me. SIX YEARS of sleepless nights and headaches trying to find anything that could put an end to something that wasn't even his responsibility. Oh wait, IT APPARENTLY WAS, wasn't it? 'Cause if I wasn't so fucked up to begin with, there wouldn't be a reason for something to take away his life just so he could mend the broken mess that was his-"

"Enough!! Here, look at me!" Ranni demanded, holding me by the shoulders and turning me to face her "Don't you dare repeat that, you hear me?!" She firmly stated, piercing my eyes with a determined look.

"Why?!" I shot back, turning to face her as I felt my eyes watering "It's... It's my faul-"

"It isn't! You can't blame yourself for being born in this world, okay?! You were a victim, just as much as he was. Don't you dare twist the logic of what happened to you two just to put the blame on you somehow. That's not how it works. This is not your fault!" She stressed, not even flinching whilst speaking to me.

"S-she's right" Godwyn finally spoke "I know how much you care about Miquella, Tiny Dancer, I do too. I witnessed first hand what dealing with your condition did to him during those years, and to all of us as well, but we can't just take the responsibility for all the bad things that happen to someone just because we don't want them to suffer" He tried to lean closer to me, or as close as he would get without standing from his seat "You can't waste your time wondering about what life could've been if 'this' or 'that' didn't happen, you can only do your best with the tools you have now-"

I left out an exaggerated scoff "Now?! Well 'now' he's gone!" I shot back, meeting his gaze with a glare, and shutting my eyes right after that, as the sadness quickly turned into anger "He's gone, okay?! Gone because he's too much of a menace to be left with us, because he cured ME! If I wasn't broken to begin with, he wouldn't have to fix me" I fumed, letting a few dry chuckles escape my mouth before continuing "Now only Grace knows who took him away and I... I..." Tears were flowing out of my eyes as I vented about how bad I fucked up Miquella's life.

"M-Mally..." Ranni mumbled weakly, tightening her grip on my arms.

I wanted to push her away, to storm out of this place and be alone, but I just didn't have the strength to do it, instead, I just cried.

"I cursed him... That's all I ever was... That's all I know what to be... A disease, a fucking disease!" I said between light sobs, letting my head fall over my hands as I curled up on my seat.

Rani wrapped her arms around me carefully, rubbing my back whilst I cried my eyes out on my palms.

After a while, she spoke, though not to me "Can you two give us a moment, please?" She said, and I recognize that tone, it wasn't a request.

I wasn't looking at them, but I assume Godwyn just nodded in agreement, taking Fia out with him shortly after.

After they were gone, I heard Ranni whisper.

"Do you... Do you want me to leave...?"

Suddenly my previous desire to be left alone vanished. I don't know what it was about her voice that made me so vulnerable when she talked like that, but before I could even realize, I was burying my face on her neck.

She was stunned at first, but quickly relaxed her muscles, embracing me as I kept crying over her shirt. I'm glad we're not wearing our actual clothes right now, 'cause her infirmary garb wil be completely ruined after I'm done sobbing over it.

A few long minutes passed by as I kept my face nestled on the crook of her neck, as she stood there, patiently waiting for me to calm down, tracing circles on my back with her hand.

"Why does it have to be me...?" I eventually broke the silence, calming down and regaining some sort of composure.

She didn't answer, just made a questioning 'hum' instead, my voice was probably more muffled than I thought, so I moved my head in order to sound more clear.

I cleared my throat briefly "Why couldn't this happen to anyone else? Why did I had to be born this way?" I quietly said, taking my head out of  its resting place to look at her eyes "Why?"

She sighed "I... I don't know..." She hesitantly said "But I hate that it had to be you... You were the strongest person I knew, and then you just... Wasn't that person anymore..."

I scoffed "The 'strongest person' you knew? Me? At twelve years old?" I said, looking away from her and letting out a dry chuckle.

"I'm not talking about your body, dumbass-" She promptly cut herself off "Sorry..." She took a quick breath, then continued "You were... Brave, in a way I couldn't be. You were never afraid of anything, which got on my nerves every time you got us and Miquella in trouble because of that. But at the same time you made me feel... Safe, somehow" She said, and I looked back at her eyes.

"Safe?"

"Yeah, I might be older than you two, but I never felt like I was 'taking care' of you and Miquella back then. You were never a 'responsibility' for me..." She looked to the side for a moment "After you lost your arm it seemed like reality had finally hit us. You finally found something you couldn't fight against. After that I knew that you wouldn't be the same" She said in a somewhat somber tone.

Another moment of silence passed before I said something again.

"I guess you're right. I might feel stronger now, but I still have nightmares where I go back to those years, and all that rage, all that fear, all that pain is still real. That fearless girl you admired so much... She really died when I turned twelve" I muttered, resting my head on her shoulder again.

"No, she didn't" I perked up slightly "I still see her every time I look at you, and that's why I hate what your curse did to you. It hurt you so bad that it made you think there was no way to be yourself again. That's why it killed me to see you talking about having a family someday after you lost your eyes. Because that was the part of you that still believed in a better future, that wanted to be happy, and you almost lost it completely that night..." I could sense her getting more uncomfortable as she remembered that night.

"Ranni..." I began, but she shook her head.

"Let me finish, okay? I gotta... I gotta tell you something" She said, and I shifted to look directly at her face.

She took a breath "You're probably not gonna like to know this, but I gotta tell you and there's no 'good time' for it, so it's better to do it right now"

I frowned in curiosity "Okay..."

"It's the other thing I kinda... Kept it a secret about you and me... Well, more about me..." She timidly said.

I hesitated for a second "Okay... What about you?" I asked, as she took a deeper breath.

"I was helping Miquella with his research to find a way to cure you, that part you know. What you don't know is that after months without any viable sources of energy capable of making his spell work as intended, he just... He gave up" She said, and I frowned slightly.

She noticed that and promptly added "He didn't give up on trying to find a way to cure you, just on his original idea. That was about a month before your sixtieth birthday. During that month I talked to Master Azur about Miquella's theory, and he told me that the Primeval Current could work with it, but that doing that would come with a price..."

"A price?"

She nodded "I suppose you remember the ritual he performed, right?"

I nodded. How could I ever forget something like that.

"Yeah, it almost killed him in the process" I said.

"Well, it should've... The Primeval Current is naturally unhinged compared to other sources of magic, it drains your energy to a point of near death if you push it too far. I knew he couldn't do a ritual as complex and taxing as that without dying in the process, so I came up with a way to circumvent the... Side effects"

"Circumvent?" I parroted, noticing how nervous she seemed to be now "Witch, what have you done?" I cautiously asked.

She sighed "I gave him a part of my energy as well"

After a moment of silence "You- Wait, what?!"

She curled up slightly "Yeah... Before you guys left to the Haligtree, I gave him an amulet, and told him that it was a power source I created to help him at the ritual, which technically was... The thing is, that amulet was actually a part of my Primeval Glintstone, which is basically a physical form of my soul. If he used it, the ritual would kill that before killing him" She explained, doing her best not to avert her gaze from me. I wasn't going well for her.

I stared at her face in silence for a good while, trying to process everything she just dumped over me.

"Wait... You're saying that..."

"Can you please not make a big deal out of this? Yes, I helped him a little more than he told you, and even more than he knew, and yes, that includes me technically killing a part of myself in order for the ritual to work, but that's not the point here. The point is-"

"The point?!" I exclaimed, backing away from her slightly, and sounding a little more outraged than I intended "Ranni, what the hell are you even talking about?! You killed a part of yourself?! How am I supposed to not make a big deal out of this?!" I exclaimed.

"Because it isn't, okay? Miquella did most of the heavy lifting anyway. He was the one who could've died completely in the process, I just-"

"What?! Died a little bit instead?" I cut her off with an over exaggerated sarcastic tone "Why didn't you tell me that before? O-or Miquella... Grace, you haven't told him... He's your best friend, he-"

"He wouldn't let me do it if he knew. Believe me, I wanted to tell him, and if we had more time I think he would understand it eventually, but the only way to get your eyes back would be to act quickly, and... Listen, that's not point, okay?"

"Okay, and what's 'the point' then?" I inquired, crossing my arms as I waited for her response.

She sighed "Okay, let's try this again. I'm sorry for not telling you all of this before, I really am, but I didn't want to make it seem like you owned me or anything"

'Well, duh. How could I ever not own you anything for literally saving my life?!' I thought, as she took a brief pause.

"But I wanted you to know what I did for you, and I want you to know that I didn't need a greater reason, or some kind of 'pre-destined' excuse to do any of those things. You weren't 'my responsibility' like Miquella probably thought you to be his, and you don't owe me nothing! I did all of that because I cared about you, simple as that... I always did, on my own weird, inconsistent way..." She smiled shyly, as she looked me in the eyes "I know how silly this sounds, but it's true. I did, and I always will"

"Witch..." I could barely whisper any words before she pressed her index against my lips.

"Miquella didn't cure you because he was cursed to do it. He did it because he loves you. And I should know, because..." Her eyes watered slightly as she hesitated to finish her sentence.

But after a quick sigh, she straightened up.

"Because I love you too" she finally finished.

Okay, now I'm speechless. I kept staring at her, looking for something to say, but the words simply won't come out. Fortunately, she broke the silence before I had to.

"I know that you might think that your existence is a 'curse' for the people in your life, but I can assure you that you haven't cursed me" She came closer, reaching for my hands, rubbing them softly as she started to caress my arms "If you're happy, I'm happy, if you're fighting, I got your back, and if you're crying, I'm here to wipe your tears away, because I love you. I'm with you because my heart chose you, because I chose you, okay? And I'll never, ever regret choosing you" She finished, caressing my face with both of her hands.

I couldn't hold back the tears from reemerging in the corner of my eyes, though these ones weren't the same as before. No, this time a different sentence came to my mind to overwrite that one from earlier. As clear as the light of day, all I could say at that moment was...

"I love you too" I uttered, barely louder than a whisper.

She got even closer, our faces merely inches apart from each other, a tender smile appeared on her lips as she whispered back.

"Then we're in this together. Never forget that, okay?" And as I gave her one final and reassuring nod, she met my lips with hers, entrapping me into a whirlwind of pure bliss.

I can't tell how much time passed before we separated, but as the subtle knock on the door brought us back to reality, I realized that it probably was a lot longer that we both thought.

"Are you girls alright?" Godwyn asked.

Ranni looked at the door, then turned to face me again "Are you okay?" She asked, still holding me loosely on her arms.

I nodded "I am. We're okay, Golden Boy. You guys can come in now" I said, letting go of Ranni for now, and returning to my original position on the bed.

The door was slightly open "You sure? We can give you more time, if you..." He began, cautiously entering the room with Fia right behind him.

I shook my head "I'm good, but thanks. I just needed some time to think a little better" I said, giving Ranni a kind grin, which she replied with one of her own.

Godwyn sighed in relief "Well, I'm glad to hear that. I know that we don't really talk about our feelings with each other that often, but if you ever need to..."

"I know, and thanks. I'm glad that you care so much..." I said with a smile, then turned to look at Ranni "But I got someone taking care of the feelings part already" I gently said, giving her hand a soft squeeze.

He looked surprised, and so did Fia, but I couldn't care less. He was right, it's ridiculous to hide what I feel for her when it means so much for me right now. Who cares if people find out anyway? And thankfully for us, Ranni seemed to be on the same page as me, as she didn't seem to care that we're not alone as well.

Godwyn was slightly stunned, but smiled shortly after "I'm glad to hear that" He said, taking his seat back in front of us "So, let's go back to where we were at?"

Ranni promptly nodded "So, I assume you and Godwyn won't have any problems now, right?" She asked Fia "He can teach you the incantation, which we all know now that isn't derived from the Erdtree, so you two can use it to clear his basement without putting any extra weight on your consciousness, okay?" She playfully said.

"Oh, yes... We um, we talked about that whilst we were back at the hallway. I believe everything is fine in regards to that" Fia timidly said.

"That's great then" She beamed, standing from our bed "So, Golden Boy, does this place have showers anywhere, or will you just hand me a bucket and a sponge? I'd like to clean myself while you guys finish your dinner..." She eyed the plates over the improvised dinner table Godwyn set between the beds "Which is probably cold by now, sorry..."

My Brother just shook his head with a smile "Not a problem, Little Witch, and yes, we do. Ask one of the servants around the corner, they'll show you the bathroom" He said, and after a short 'yes sir' salute, Ranni began to search on her bag for some clean clothes.

"I shall take my leave as well, Young Prince. Seems like the reason for my presence here no longer exists. I'll see you later to discuss our next steps with the plan?" Fia asked, approaching the door.

"Sounds good to me. I'll catch up to you after I'm done here. See you later, Lady Fia" He said, and after a subtle bow, Fia left.

"You two look cute together" Ranni commented, finally choosing something to wear from inside her bag.

She brought way more clothes than I did. Honestly I'm kinda regretting not doing the same, given how my favorite shirt was completely destroyed this morning.

"Huh?" Godwyn said.

"You and her, y'know, together" She simply replied, stopping beside my bed.

"We... Oh... Oh! She's not, no, no, no. I barely know her" Godwyn playfully said, waving a dismissive hand at Ranni.

"Well, you better work on that then, 'cause you'll have to get pretty intimate with her if you want to cast a spell together. Though you probably won't have to go too far, so no need to be greedy, but you'll definitely need a stronger connection with her, so lock in, Romeo" Ranni casually said.

My Brother frowned "'Too far'? Wha- what does that even-"

"I'll tell you when you're older" She quickly cut him off with a shrug "Now, if you excuse me..." She resumed her walk towards the door.

"When I- What are you even talking abo-"

"~Later~" She said in a high pitched voice, waving a hand as she exited the room.

I chuckled for a bit, and Godwyn just sighed in annoyance.

"That girl... Is that what you have to deal with everyday?" He said, grabbing his plate.

"Pretty much, but don't worry. It gets easier with time" I answered between chews.

He raised an eyebrow "Oh, does it?"

I gave him a light shrug "A few things, at least"

"Please, don't even tell me..." He said, faking a shiver.

"Not that kind of thing, you pervert!" I said, grabbing a pillow and throwing it in his general direction, missing him on purpose.

"Hey, don't blame me for reading too much into your weird relationship with your girlfriend. Specially when you make vague statements about her with that dumb smile on your face" He shot back.

"What do you even mean 'dumb smile'? My smile is totally normal" I replied.

He scoffed "Yeah, keep telling yourself that... Oh, and sorry for calling her your..." He quickly shifted to an apologetic tone "Y'know, I'm still getting used to this whole... I know you two aren't really sure what this is yet, and..." He embarrassedly said.

I giggled a little "It's okay, Golden Boy. Even if I love to see you all nervous and all, it's okay to say that" I said, feeling relieved that I can finally talk openly about my relationship with someone else "I think we're good with 'girlfriends' for now, so it's fine for you to say it"

He sighed in relief "Thank Grace... And that reminds me. I wished to have Ranni here as well, but she left before I could remember, so you can tell her once she's back" He said, and I turned my head to pay attention to what he was gonna say.

"It's about what the family would think once they find out about you two. I didn't get the chance to talk about it before"

"Oh, that... Yeah, I remember..."

"Honestly I can't predict what their exact reactions will be, but I might have a good guess. Except for Mohg though. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't give more than eight seconds of attention to the topic before going back to whatever it is that he does" He said, and we laughed together at that.

"But fo real now. Rykard was probably predicting at least 70% of this already, so I don't think it'll be that much of a surprise for him, just like for Rennala, she always liked to see you two getting along when you were younger. Morgott would probably faint, so please let me be there when you tell him. I have no clue about what Radahn would do, but surely it'll be loud, so be prepared. And Our parents... Well, I think they'll just be happy for you two as well" He finally said.

"What about Miquella?" I asked, and he smiled.

"He was probably the one who got you two together in the first place. If Rykard could see something a little more... Suggestive between you two, Miquella definitely saw it coming from a mile away and pulled the strings to make it happen. Probably so he could hang around with you two without all the bickering" He joked, and we both laughed together for a while.

"Yeah... He probably was..." I said, and we went back to our dinner.

We might not have planned to stop here at Stormveil, but I have to admit that I'm glad we did. I really missed spending time with the Golden Boy.

~~~

I was halfway through the path towards my room when I noticed that I also haven't had any dinner yet, so decided to change my route to stop by the kitchen in the way there.

I know Godwyn says that I can just ask someone to bring me the food to my room, but it doesn't feel right to do that when I can easily stop by the kitchen and have a meal there. Besides, walking helps me think better, and I've been thinking a lot since I left the infirmary.

I mean, I don't like to be too judgmental, especially when it comes to people I know next to nothing about, but I can't wrap my head around how Ranni and Malenia are nothing like Godwyn described.

From what I recall, he described them in a few stories about his family, and based on those descriptions it's almost impossible to corelate the girls he talked about, with what I saw in the infirmary.

He described them as 'polar opposites' or 'natural enemies who haven't managed to kill themselves yet', but either he was being heavily exaggerated on those descriptions, or those girls changed their so called 'dynamic' completely when he wasn't looking.

Either way, I shouldn't be giving that of all the things that happened today this much thought. It's not like the relationships of two royal girls have, or will ever have any actual impact on my-

'What's happening there?' I thought, noticing a group of guards gathering around the windows to the northern side of the castle.

I approached one of the soldiers, trying to look past the crowd to see what they were looking at, but unfortunately I'm not tall enough to see anything beyond their helms.

Luckily I didn't have to ask what was happening, as one of them suddenly shouted.

"Sound the alarms! Someone go get Lord Godwyn immediately! Tell him that we might be under attack!"

Attack? But how? By who? An army couldn't have got this close without anyone noticing it before it was already visible from within the castle.

I finally got to look through a window as the soldiers began to act on the recently given orders. What I saw from across the window was the silhouette of Stormveil's northern wall, and behind it was a subtle, but thanks to the night, very visible gloom, that seemed to be approaching the castle.

There's no evidence that what's approaching us right now is an army, but something in my stomach told me that, whatever it was, it's definitely not good.

After a moment of hesitation I began stride towards the direction the soldier, probably a commander, was going.

Soon enough I had reached my destination, the southern watchtower. I have managed to find my way through the chaos of the many soldiers whilst they assumed their positions to secure the castle.

Luckily for me, no one questioned my presence at the watchtower. It's still strange to be left so boundless within the castle, even if I'm 100% certain that as soon as I make anything slightly suggestive, someone will pop out of a corner and put a blade against my neck.

Paranoia aside, I finally took a look at the large group approaching Stormveil at the distance. It's not a large contingent, but it's definitely a military entourage.

"Inform Lord Godwyn. It's a small group, not more than 300 soldiers, they aren't hoisting any recognizable colors, and they seem to be... Good Grace..." The Commander responsible for the watchtower gasped.

"Sir...?" A foot soldier said, as the Commander seemed to be incapable of uttering another word.

The reason behind that man's current state became more evident as the group of soldiers got closer to the castle, as the opaque effect surrounding them, which I and probably everyone else thought to be just mist at first, revealed their true nature.

"They're ghosts..." I muttered. And if that realization alone wasn't enough to make my stomach drop, the tall figure at the center of their frontline was enough to make my blood run cold.

"What in Godfrey's name is even that?" A random soldier said, looking at the horrid creature leading that army.

It was definitely not human, despite walking on two legs, that slender, pale figure covered in worn out white garments was too tall to be a regular person. No, that's a creature my Mother once taught me to fear, telling me horrifying stories about ghouls that once persecuted our kind to harvest the power of the Deathbed Companions and turn it into something repulsive.

There's no doubt, that's one of them. The milky pale robes, and the slithery way of movement left no room for argument.

"That's an Apostle" I finally said, barely louder than a whisper "Get Godwyn here... Now!"

Chapter Text

"Not even a step further!" The Commander shouted from beside me, as the Apostle approached the main gate, leaving his small spectral army waiting for his command behind him.

He stopped about ten meters away from the entrance, standing unfazed whilst under the gaze of more than 40 archers holding him under their aim.

"Identify yourself and state your intentions at Stormveil, now!" The Commander demanded.

"You have to attack now..." I nervously commented, not even daring to take my eyes off that thing.

"We can't just open fire at anyone who approaches this castle, at least not before they give us any justifiable reason to do so. No matter how... Unusual their appearance might be" The Commander answered, sounding just as disturbed as I am right now.

"'Justifiable'?! He's got an army!" I shot back. These stupid soldiers, he knows this is bullshit-

"Greetings!" The Apostle exclaimed, making a short reverence "I am but a humble emissary, guided to your doors by a glorious purpose..." His voice was low and raspy, savouring each syllable as if he was reciting a poem.

"Fear not" He continued "For this place has been sanctified!" He exclaimed, raising his arms in excitement "Hear my words, and rejoice, for those present here tonight shall be granted the honor of being part of a miracle!" He said, and his soldiers cheered from behind him.

"He's insane, shoot him down already!" I pleaded, but the Commander stood unfazed. How much more proof does this man still needs?!

"Ooooh, won't you look at that..." The Apostle said, taking a few steps towards the castle.

"I told you to stay put!" The Commander nervously shouted, as the tension kept raising amongst our soldiers.

The Apostle only chuckled, looking directly at us "I should've expected this, after all this place is practically a beacon right now. Although I never expected to see one of your kind again. But in the end seems like one of you managed to find your way here as well heheheheh... You know, I was really really craving a treat on the way here. After all it's been sooo long... But at last our paths align once again!" He creepily exclaimed, looking directly at me.

"Is he talking to you?" The Commander asked, but before I could give him an answer...

"I'm thankful that my prayers have been answered, my little sheep. You'll be a fine appetizer before I get to the Queen's first born"

It took less than a second for the Commander to hear the voice of reason after the Apostle said those words.

"Intruder, listen to me! You have FIVE SECONDS to back away and take your troops with you! Archers!" He shouted, as the archers across the walls pulled their strings and waited for his command.

"FOUR...!"

And before 'three' the Apostle promptly obliged, backing away, though not in the way the Commander was probably expecting. As he turned to face his soldiers, raising his arms once again.

"I, hear by reclaim what was once promised! Go, my children, go and FEAST! For this is Her will! Go, and bring them SALVATION!" He exclaimed, and in the split second between the Commander's signal for the archers to shoot, and the arrows flying towards their target, the Apostle closed the distance between him and the gate.

"He's reached the main gate. Soldiers, Oil!!" The Commander shouted to the soldiers positioned at the wall above the gate.

It took me just long enough to realize what that meant before shouting.

"No!!"

But it was already too late. The barrels filled with boiling oil had already been opened above the Apostle's head.

• • •

Summonwater Village, Years Ago

'Where is it... God, why can't I find anything in this house...?' I thought, whilst browsing through the large piles of old books and random trinkets 'stored' at the attic, though 'lazily piled up' would be a better description.

After a particularly heavy tome fell over a pile of old mattresses and spread a cloud of dust directly into my face, I finally lost my patience.

"Argh... Mom! Where's your anatomy book?!" I shouted at the first floor of our house.

"What?!" My Mother answered from inside the kitchen. Our place isn't big by any definition, but the stone walls make it pretty difficult to communicate with each other from different rooms.

I moved closer to the entrance to the attic "Your book, the one you showed me when I was little. The one with muscles drawn all over it!" I said.

"Oh, that book!... Why?"

"Lady Margot asked me to help her at the hospital. I told her that I had a book that might help, so where's it?!"

"It's somewhere around the attic!" She answered, and I rolled my eyes.

"I know, Mom. That's why I'm here, but I can't find it in the middle of all this junk! Why do we keep so much stuff anyway?!" I asked, taking a look at a basket filled with pickled onions that looked particularly repulsive.

"Because one day your daughter might need an old book you haven't opened in ten years, that's why" She sarcastically shot back "I'll get it for you in a second, just have to finish in here first"

"Okay..." I answered, moving to sit with my back against a wooden pillar.

"I still don't see the point in- Ouch!" I mumbled to myself, as something hit my head, then fell directly on my lap "What the..." I scratched the top of my head, whilst looking at the heavy book that fell on me.

I recognized it immediately. It was my Mother's prayer book, containing everything she was taught about how to be a Deathbed Companion. She read a few excerpts for me while I was learning the basics of our family's tradition, but it's been a good while since the last time she actually used it. Nowadays she just says stuff out of memory during our lessons.

I hesitated for a moment, but picked the book up, surely there's no problem in just taking a peak at it, right? It's not like I have anything else to do here anyway.

I flipped through the pages at random, looking for anything that caught my attention, and honestly there wasn't much. The few pages that I stopped at had mostly stuff I've heard from my Mother already.

I was about halfway through the book when something finally caught my attention, an image. It was a rough sketch of a slender man in some raggedy clothes, and above him it read...

"'The Inquisition'...?" I frowned. My Mother never mentioned anything related to this. This is probably a future lesson...

My eyes went down that page, and my confusion only grew bigger.

Spawn of the devil... Sacrifice rituals... A flame of corruption... Persecution... Torture.

"What the hell is even this...?" I thought, growing simultaneously more disgusted and curious about that section, which seemed to be surprisingly extensive given how I've never even heard about it before.

This whole thing seems really relevant to be just some random detail my Mother forgot to tell me about, and if it's actually part of my training, why hasn't she talked about it until now? I'm almost sixteen, according to her I'll be a fully trained Companion by then... Strange. Was she... Hiding all of this from me? But why?

After reading a bit more, I found what that reason probably was. There were other sketches on the following pages, showcasing what the 'Apostles' did to my kind, along with detailed descriptions of what seemed like a tale straight out of a fantasy book.

The illustrations included, but were not limited to: various methods of torture, most of which involved skinning the victim down; an illustrated list of 'tools' that they used on sacrifice rituals; creepy illustrations of naked women dancing around an Apostle while it held the severed arm of a victim as an offering to the heavens, and a lot more stuff.

I can't lie, I'm used to seeing sick people at the hospital, but this is actually making me really nauseous somehow. I mean, those women were like... Like my Mother... Like me! And there's so much blood, and... God, why would someone do-

"What's that on your hand?!" My Mother exclaimed, as she climbed the ladder into the attic.

I jumped on my seat, letting out a high pitched squeal.

The book fell from my hands in the process, landing right in front of her. She glanced at it for a second, then left out a tired sight.

"Fia, what did you see?" She asked in a worried tone, moving to sit in front of me.

"I- I'm sorry. I didn't knew what- I thought it was okay..." I stumbled upon my excuses "T-those images, I just..."

"I know, I know..." She waved a hand to calm me down, then sighed "It's my fault anyway, I can't just let something here and expect you not to find it, but I should've talked about that book with you by now. That is... It's not for your age. By the look on your face I can assume that you understand why that is" She said, and I just nodded shyly.

"I guess I do... Mom, there were... What were those things? What's the Inquisition? What happened to our sisters?" I reluctantly asked.

My Mother took the book in her hands, taking a deep breath before answering my question.

"The worst happened, my Dear... It was long before my time, before Queen Marika stole the Rune of Death, when the enemies of the Golden Order roamed free through these lands. One of those groups were a religious cult that worshiped a deity called The Gloamed Eyed Queen"

"An outer god that was also a queen?" I asked.

"She wasn't an outer god, or even a god, it's more complicated than that. The Gloamed Eyed Queen was a human who lived in this world and wished to end the Age of the Erdtree, so she performed ancient rituals to achieve a dark power. She created the Apostles, an army whose sole purpose was to spread chaos in her name. The Apostles however, were never capable of standing on equal footing to any of the other gods. That was until they found out about the existence of Deathbead Companions. You see, they also worshiped the God of Death, but due to being artificial forms of life, their souls could never form a true connection to the essence of death, as they were never truly alive. The solution they found was to make that connection through... Different means"

"So they... Oh..."

She gave me a small nod "Unfortunately, yes. As it turns out there's a lot of power to be harvested from a Deathbed Companion's flesh, and of course they tried many different ways to achieve that goal, so there you have the... Rituals you saw in the book"

"That's... Oh my God..." I felt my stomach turning around itself again. This is insanity... "How could they even... How can someone-"

"No one could, Fia" She promptly cut me off, holding my wrist reassuringly "That's why you can't compare those monstrosities to human beings. They were abominations, mindless creatures whose only purpose was to kill and defile. There's no use in trying to find a reason for what they did" She stressed, sounding so much colder than usual.

I've never seen her so... Serious. Guess talking about the deaths of God knows how many of our sisters doesn't really help. No wonder this was a conversation she was probably avoiding having with her teenage daughter.

Still, there's something I want to ask her.

"I get it, well I think I do... But what do you mean by 'a true connection' to the God of Death? What do the Apostles actually gain from..."

Thankfully I didn't have to finish my question, as she caught up to what I meant, taking the book and flipping through its pages until she found what she was looking for.

"This is what they gain" She said, showing me a page that I haven't reached previously.

Just like the others, this one was mostly filled with illustrations of Apostles killing and torturing Deathbed Companions, but this time they were using some kind of strange magic.

"Are these... Shadows?" I asked.

She shook her head "Those are flames. The Gloamed Eyed Queen aspired to burn down the Erdtree, so she infected herself and the Apostles with an undying ember. But fire alone wasn't enough to fulfill their deprived ambitions, so the Apostles found a way to corrupt that flame, by absorbing our souls and using them to create a flame of their own, the Black Flame" She explained, and I went back to staring at that page for a while.

"I see... But while I was reading the book, I felt... Different. It was almost like I was-"

"There, I know" She cut me off "That's why I don't want you to read it. That book holds too much emotional impact from the ones who wrote it. That kind of sensation can fall over the reader if they don't know how to keep their head steady"

"So... What I felt was... Oh my God, the things they did... If they find us..." I mumbled.

It's not everyday that you discover that you have a target painted on your back just by existing. And if just a hint of what they did affected me that intensely...

My Mother promptly reached for my shoulders "No one is gonna hurt you, Fia. There are no more Apostles, okay? The Gloamed Eyed Queen died ages ago. There's a reason for me not mentioning the Inquisition to you before. Telling you all that happened to our people wouldn't do you any good, it would only make you worried about fairy tales, trust me. We're safe, okay? No one is coming for us"

She gave me a reassuring smile, and I managed to give her a timid grin in response. She's right, I shouldn't give that much thought to something that has happened so long ago, no matter how... Unnerving those images were.

"Okay" I finally said "Can you help me find that book now?" I asked, and she just nodded.

As we dug our way through the piles of random trinkets and old stuff, I tried to brush the thoughts about the Apostles and the Gloamed Eyed Queen away, even though I'm not really sure I'll be able to forget the things I saw in that book any time soon.

• • •

My Mother was wrong. Deep down I've always thought that she was, because no matter how many times she insisted that the Apostles were basically a myth by now, I just couldn't stop what I saw that day from haunting my dreams.

She asked me to leave that book at the attic, saying that there was nothing useful for me there. At first I agreed, one glance was more than enough for me back at that time, but as time kept passing me by, I just couldn't silence the voice inside my head that wanted to know more, to see more.

So it became some sort of morbid curiosity I didn't even know I had back then, or maybe it was just an interest born out of hatred, but whatever it was, it kept drawing me back to that book.

Night after night, while my Mother was asleep, I went back to the attic. The more I read, the more it made me feel like I was doing something wrong and filthy, as if human minds weren't meant to bear witness to the horrors described in those pages, but I just couldn't bring myself to care.

The Black Flame is more intense than regular fire, so it spreads faster, but on the contrary of what one might assume, it doesn't consume what it touches faster as well. Those flames were meant to torture, so they'll burn your flesh as slowly as possible, while draining your vitality in the process.

The Black Flame was not only used to kill my sisters, it was also said to be one of the forbidden arts of blasphemy against the outer gods. So you can imagine how desperate I was when the Commander ordered the soldiers stationed above the main gate to drop boiling oil over that Apostle.

Unfortunately for all of us, it was already too late to stop the soldiers. It was less than a second between the soldiers looking at me in confusion and the surge of black flames exploding from beneath the wall, reaching the barrels of oil in a chain reaction that engulfed the top of that wall completely.

The barrels exploded right after that, instantly killing everyone at that section of the wall, along with a part of the wall's structure, which sent a rain of stone shards against us.

Along with the wall's debris, came a heat wave that was strong enough to reach the watch-tower as well. As the shockwave that came with the explosion knocked all of us down, The Commander tried to protect me with his shield, and thankfully that blocked most of the head.

Still, I was sent backwards against the wall, so I had to think fast. At that moment all I could try to do was to position myself in a way to prevent hitting my head against the rock solid wall behind me, which luckily I managed to do, though my landing was far from perfect.

My head landed safely over my forearm, which also blocked the impact against the wall, but in choosing to focus on my head, I ended up not paying much attention to my ankle, which hit the floor so hard that I wouldn't be surprised if I had tore a ligament there. Add to that a bunch of light bruises and scratches, making my situation here increasingly worse by the second.

"Fuck..." I groaned, feeling the dust falling over my head as the buzzing on my ear combined with the sharp pain on my ankle were almost enough to make me wish I had passed out after the fall.

After a few seconds of trying and failing to get back on my feet, my ears finally began to recover from the buzzing, as I heard the muffled sounds of metal clashing from within the castle.

They got inside. For God's sake, Godwyn, where the hell are you?!

There's no time to think about that. I need to find somewhere safe, 'cause even if I was a fighter, which I clearly am not, I wouldn't be able to help anyone at my current state.

"You... You have to find somewhere safe. Go back inside the Castle!" The Commander said between coughs, as he helped me to stand on my knees, not doing very well himself.

After he led me towards the watchtower's exit, he returned to his position, leaving me to find my way back somewhere safe.

I managed to crawl my way towards the eastern wall, but even if the pain wasn't enough to stop me from reaching an exit towards the Castle's inner sections, the voice that came from behind me certainly was.

"There you are, my little sheep" The Apostle said.

I turned my head to see his already blood soaked robes, as he carried a strange weapon with a curved blade on one end.

'How is he already here?!'

"Leaving so soon? Just when I'm getting worked up?" He asked with a twisted smile on his face "Y'know, I changed my route just to come and see you. Courtesy dictates that you should be more considerate towards my act of generosity" He started to walk towards me, as I ignored all the pain to desperately try to run away from him, which only caused me to force my ankle and fall right after it.

"Oh, what is it? The little sheep broke a trotter?" He said, then started cackling "My apologies, I too wished you could run away properly to make this whole thing more enjoyable for the both of us, but a complaining tongue reveals an ungrateful heart, and my heart is very, very pleased right now. Trust me, I'll do my best to enjoy the time we have, even if it's not as much as I wanted" His tone was so joyful it made me sick.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!!" I shouted, but he kept slowly walking towards me, laughing almost childishly as he did so.

"There's not many of you left in these lands. I was almost convinced that I would never taste the flesh of someone touched by the kind hand of our God again, but in His benevolence he handed me you! Oh, what a day! What a wonderful day!" And as he exclaimed the last word, I felt the burning pain of my calf being pierced by his blade.

I screamed, crying so hard that I could barely recognize the sound of my own voice.

"Yes! Sing for me! Give me more!" He stabbed my right thigh "So tender, so warm" He stabbed me again, laughing hysterically as he did so "Oh, this brings me memories! I can't wait to feel your tas-" A heavy blow cut him off, making an impact so strong that I could even feel the small shockwave of something as it hit the Apostle.

He was launched to the side, bursting through the corridor's wall, and thankfully taking the blade that was still inside my leg with him. That thing was probably drenched in the Black Flame's magic, my legs felt so much heavier now, and my God, they burn so much.

I could only see a foggy silhouette standing between me and him before my vision went completely blurry. My head felt really heavy, as I fought to stay awake, but it was all for naught, I can't keep my eyes open anymore.

And right before all consciousness left my body, I heard a distant voice.

"I'm here..." Godwyn said, and then everything disappeared.

~~~

"She made you ice cream?" I asked Malenia, and she just nodded with her mouth still full.

"And it was perfect" She said after swallowing the last bite of her food "I still can't believe she did all that while we were in the middle of nowhere"

"Yeah" I agreed, though I know ice cream is not that difficult to make, especially if you're a snow witch, but it's nice to see her talking so fondly about Ranni, so I won't comment on that. What I will comment on is...

"But I still can't believe we're talking about the same Ranni. The girl would literally slap my hand just from opening a lid to smell what she was cooking" I said.

Malenia scoffed playfully "And you think I get any privileges with the lid? Trust me, I love her food, but I can't stand to be there while she's cooking it"

I chuckled a bit "Fair enough" I said, moving to stand up from the bed "Better get going. The thing about castles is that you can't take your eyes off them for more than a second without things going-" And just before I finished my sentence, the alarms ringed from across the corridors.

"Which one's that?" Malenia asked. Good to know she remembers that we have different alarms for different situations.

"Enemies by the northern entrance... And they're close" I answered.

"And they're only sounding the alarms now?!" Malenia inquired, quickly getting up from her bed as well and moving towards the corner where Ranni's bag was resting.

"What are you..." I began, but she cut me with a groan of frustration.

"Really Witch? You couldn't ask them to get my stuff too?"

"Your stuff- Malenia, what are you doing?" I asked, as she rushed towards the door.

"I'm getting my sword, what else would it be?" She impatiently asked, as she reached the door "Are you coming or not?"

"Wait- You're still not fully rested- I can't let you-"

"I'm rested enough. And look who's talking, Mr. heavy eyelids. Don't act like you weren't almost falling asleep while we were talking during dinner" She shot back.

No matter how much I hate to admit it, she's right. Healing hers and Ranni's injuries all morning took a lot of my energy. This is really an awful timing for an attack on my door if I've ever seen one.

"So? You coming or not?" She insisted, and I left out a quick sigh.

"At the stables. We left your belongings there in case you had to leave quickly" I answered, and we both exited the room "Get your sword and meet me at the gate" I said, as we went our separate ways.

"Yes Sir!" She jokingly shot back, showing me a smirk before she turned a corner and disappeared on the path to the stables.

I quickly moved past the many soldiers and servants as they assumed their positions to deal with the situation, heading directly at the main watchtower of the castle's northern section, but before I could reach it, the explosion coming from the main gate's direction made me stop.

'This can't be good' I thought.

I don't know who's at the other side of that wall, but from now on I must assume that it found a way in. Shit!

I reached a corridor with a view to the courtyard leading towards the northern section, just to be met with the sight of my soldiers trying to hold back an army of... Ghosts? Well, that explains the element of surprise they had on us.

The gate was completely destroyed, along with a part of that wall. Fortunately my men seemed to be holding the enemy with relative ease. The defensive formation in front of the entrance was still strong and- What?!

Suddenly all of those soldiers were taken by what looked like a whirlwind of shadows. As their formation was broken, a figure emerged from amongst the shadows, holding what seemed like some sort of twinblade.

He was quick, slashing and piercing through the remaining soldiers like they were nothing. There was no doubt, that's their leader. But contrary to what I was expecting, he didn't push further into the Castle, making his way towards the watchtower instead. Stretching his pale body to reach the top of the tower with ease.

'I've seen that before... Where was it...?' I thought, whilst positioning myself to jump through the window down towards the courtyard.

As I landed on the courtyard, I quickly rushed through the chaos to follow that thing, stopping only to deflect a blow about to strike one of my soldiers.

"M-my Lord?" He said, as I punched the ghost that was attacking him away, getting the attention of the nearest soldiers at the battlefield. They need to see me here, I have to send them a message.

"WITH ME, MY SOLDIERS! SHOW THEM THE POWER OF THE STORM" I shouted, raising my fist. And as I heard a few roars of determination from across the courtyard, I helped them push the enemy back towards the gate, whilst making my way across the many ghosts until I finally reached the wall their leader climbed.

I can't take too long on this diversion. Taking out their leader is the priority, as he is probably the one keeping these ghosts active, but that doesn't neglect the fact that as much as they'll still take hits, these ghosts won't stop fighting before we do, so finishing this quickly is the key to minimizing our losses.

A few jumps later and I was following the trail of dead soldiers across the inner section of the wall. And just as I picked up the pace, I heard a scream. It wasn't far, and it came from the direction I was heading towards, but what stuck out was that I recognized that voice.

"Fia" I whispered, hoping to be wrong. What would she even be doing here?! She went to her room, right...?

"Shit!" I muttered, feeling my blood running cold as I  rushed across the corridor.

I got closer, just in time for my ears to be met with more screams. And as I turned a corner, I saw him, holding Fia in place with his blade pierced through her leg. The floor beneath her drenched in a pool of crimson, while he laughed uncontrollably.

At that moment my mind could barely process the scene unfolding in front of me before my body acted by itself, as I charged as fast as I could towards him and landed a heavy kick on his head, sending him flying through the wall.

As he collapsed on the outer section of the wall, I quickly moved towards Fia.

"It's okay, It's okay... I am here" I gently said, but she had already lost consciousness. Her wounds didn't seem severe, but the pain was probably enough to knock her out. I checked her pulse, noticing that she was really hot, could it be from the explosion? It doesn't matter.

I raised my seal over her injuries, casting a quick spell to prevent the wounds from getting worse. I'll treat her properly after I make sure this place is safe. I still gotta see if the-

A black orb came right through the hole on the wall. Luckily I was still paying attention to that area, so I managed to move out of its way in time, taking Fia with me further into the corridor.

'So my kick wasn't enough. I wasn't expecting to kill it right away, but I wasn't holding back either. Shit! I must be even more tired than I thought...' I pondered, watching as he reentered the corridor, walking through the lingering flames of his previous attack- Wait, flames?! Fuck me, is that one of... Them?!

"Didn't your mother teach you any manners, kid?" He said, stretching his neck as he moved to face me "It's really rude to get in the way of a man and his food" He said with a twisted grin.

I analyzed him carefully, standing up between him and Fia. There's no doubt, that's a Godskin crusader. I should've expected this, there aren't many necromancers walking around these days, my Mother made sure to ban that kind of magic from these lands, but as always, the worst of the bunch is usually the last one to perish.

"She's not 'food', and you're not a man" I said, moving closer to create more space between him and Fia.

He giggled "Oh, I'm not? And how would you know, young prince? It takes one to recognize another, and you've barely left your diapers"

"My age? Really? How creative" I scoffed "Wouldn't expect a better insult from a coward like you anyway. Torturing a helpless woman for fun... Your kind makes me sick" I said, clenching my fists.

"'My kind'? And what would that mean to you, young prince? Do you even know who I am?"

"I know what you are. Those robes... I've read about your kind before. Thought you all were extinct, but I shouldn't be surprised to see you here. After all, parasites tend to be extremely resilient when they're so close to death" I answered, whilst channeling my mana on my hands.

I can't afford to waste energy with this guy, so sticking to physical combat is my best option, but I still need to hit harder if I want to hurt him through those robes. I'll have to use my mana carefully.

"Parasite? How flattering coming from the descent of the longest lineage of parasites to ever lay foot on these lands" He said, making circling motions with his twinblade. He was also preparing to attack.

"Well, my ancestors never skinned their opponents just to wear their flesh as protection" I said, assuming my fighting stance.

"Oh, so you do know what I am" He happily stated "What an honor, most of my victims didn't get the chance to know who took their lives, but it seems like that won't be the case for you, Godwyn The Golden"

"Seems like it goes both ways, Apostle" I shot back, and after a second of silence, he attacked.

Predictably, he used the flames, probably trying to attack me in a way that puts Fia in danger as well. Unfortunately for him, my hands were already charged with holy energy.

As the surge of dark flames took over the corridor, I responded with an energized slap of my hands that sent a huge shockwave forward, dissipating his flames and sending him a few meters back as well.

He stopped himself from going further back by planting his twinblade on the floor.

"Hahahaha! So that's the power of Hoarah Loux's blood! You'll make a fine addition to my set, GODWYN!!" He shouted, jumping towards me and stretching his body like a snake.

His reach will be a problem, especially if I'm only using hand-to-hand combat. The thing is, I can't rely on proper spells now, my mana output is too low.

I usually avoid traditional weapons, as most of them only end up getting in my way. Don't get me wrong, I know I can't just get into any fight bare fist and breeze through it like it was nothing, but if I'm not literally out of options, my hands are all I need.

Unfortunately for me, sticking to my fists and legs won't be enough in this fight. I need to keep him at medium range at most, and as magic is not an option right now...

I closed my eyes.

'Release'

And just a second before his blade reached my body, it was already on my hands, as I used it to land a heavy counter blow with my great axe right on his torso. Even if it didn't breached through his garments, it still accomplished my goal to send him back through the hole on the wall. I need to take this fight away from Fia.

I exited the corridor to meet him at the outer section of the wall, as the battle in the courtyard kept going meters below us.

"You know, I was considering holding you back for a while until my sister got here. Knowing her, she'd be pretty pissed if I didn't let her join me here..." I said, walking towards him as he panted lightly whilst recovering from my previous attack "The thing is, I can't afford to take my time with you when my Castle still needs me. So much so that I had to use this" I rested my father's axe over my shoulder "And let me tell you, I hate using this thing. So let's get this over with already, shall we?" He finally stood up, a trail of dark blood flowing from his nostrils.

He spat some blood on the floor, showing me a large smile right after that.

"So the daughter of the Rot is here as well? This couldn't get any better..." He said, giggling mischievously as he did so "But I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you, young prince. This isn't over just because you got yourself a new toy. Believe me, you won't get to rush this. I'll take my time to savor you, then the sheep, and then your little failure of a sister as slowly as I can" He shot back with a maniacal grin on his face.

I took the axe in both hands again, closing my eyes and letting out a brief sigh "I'll only say this once, so listen carefully" I said in a flat tone, opening my eyes to look directly at him "I'm not giving you a quick death because you deserve one, I'm giving you a quick death because something like you is not even worth the time I'd take to make you pay for what you did to Fia"

"So she is that important to you, isn't she? Perhaps I should let you live for a little longer just so I can make you watch" He said, starting to spin his twinblade in some sort of warm up.

I just stood unfazed, positioning myself for battle as well.

"If I'm correct, your kind can't cross the bridge to the after life, just like you can't be reborn by grace either. So tell me, how do you feel knowing that your god will never accept you? How do you feel knowing that once I'm done with you, your pathetic and miserable existence will be reduced to nothing?" I said, and that seemed to hit a nerve, as the Apostle's smug expression faded from his face.

"Foul child. You know nothing about my god" He spat back.

"Well, I know that just like me, it also doesn't care about you. If it did, it would've kept you inside whatever hole you were hiding for all these years. That is of course, if it ever knew you even existed" I said with a smirk, and his expression got angrier.

"Watch your mouth, child. I'd choose my last words more carefully if I were you" He growled.

I scoffed "Last words are for the useless idiots who can never shut their fucking mouths. No surprise you give that much thought to them. Do me a favor and have the decency to die in silence"

Chapter Text

• • •

"Can you two give us a moment, please?" Ranni asked me and Fia. I hesitated for a second, but perhaps it's better to just let her with Malenia for a while, given how... Closer they seem to be now.

I nodded briefly, standing up to take Fia out of the room with me. After leaving the room, I took her to the healer's resting room just across the corridor.

The room was empty, Fia took a seat on one of the couches and I chose to stay standing, looking aimlessly around the room.

"I'm glad that we can work together on my plan again, Lady Fia" I eventually said "I'll give you a quick summary of Miquella's technique once I'm done here. You can study it before we can actually practice the real deal. I'd start practicing with you as soon as possible, but it seems like today already took a lot of my energy. We can start practicing tomorrow in the morning, does that work for you?"

"Uh, yeah... I think so... Are you okay?" She timidly asked, and I noticed my foot tapping on the floor again. Stupid habits!

I sighed internally, finally turning to look directly at her "I am, it's just... I was never good at talking to my siblings about their curses, especially Malenia. It's the thing about being optimistic. You believe things can always get better if you try hard enough, so you try to encourage others to think that way too, but for her... I just couldn't look in her eyes and-" I sighed for real this time "I knew that it would only make her feel worse. Optimism can only go so far before it does more harm than good" I explained.

Fia hummed thoughtfully "Well, I can't tell you that I know exactly how you feel, after all I never had siblings, but I can imagine how hard it must've been for you to see her suffering that much without being capable of doing anything" She commented.

"But that's the thing, I could've. I could've tried to be more present, or try to get her to open herself a bit more, but I just... I didn't know how. I could play, or chat, or train with her every time I visited the Capital or when she came here, but now I just feel like that wasn't enough, and after the Rot..." I sighed again "Miquella always liked spending time with me. It was easier to talk to him, but with Malenia was... I should've been a better brother for her" I bitterly admitted.

"Hey, don't be so harsh on yourself" Fia interjected, standing up to talk to me face to face "You couldn't be there for her all the time, even if you didn't have to take care of this place. I am sure that you were there for her when you could, and I know that she thinks that too" She kindly said.

"Maybe, but still... Back there I saw her accepting Ranni's help so easily..." Makes sense that she would, after all their relationship is really different from what it was, but I better not mention that to Fia.

But even if they're dating or whatever it is that they're doing now, it doesn't change the fact that... "I felt so useless back then. She's my Sister and I can't even comfort her when she needs it" I said, whilst looking at the floor.

"Godwyn..." Fia began, sounding clearly uncertain about what to even say in response. I better brush that topic away before I end up dumping all of my stupid insecurities over her.

I used to have that kind of talk with Kristoff. The man was the closest thing to a friend I had outside of the family. Now he's gone, and I'm still getting used to the fact that he's not coming back...

"It's okay, Lady Fia, really" I said with a smile "I shouldn't be bothering you with my personal problems anyway-"

"You're not bothering me!" She promptly cut me off, then went back to a more shy expression "I... You can tell me... That is, if you want to"

I studied her face for a moment, pondering if I really should dive into that kind of conversation with her right now. Perhaps I'm just blowing this out of proportion, or maybe I just miss having someone to actually talk to. Whatever it is, her big clear blue eyes are making it really difficult to argue against it.

After thinking about it for a while, I just decided to mentally murmur a 'fuck it, why not?' and sit down.

She followed suit, and waited while I gathered the right words to express myself. Eventually I started.

"Tell me, Lady Fia, do you know how the Tarnished came into existence?" I asked, and she responded with a not so confident nod.

"I mean, I know the stories. Some folks believe that it's a test of some sort, for the Greater Will to spot the non believers by offering them an easy way out of here. Others, like myself, believe that it was some sort of way of preventing another war" She said.

"Well, your theory is half correct at least. Offering humanity the option to strip themselves of the grace of the Erdtree without it being considered an act of heresy sounds like a good way to keep any 'non-partisans' for the lack of a better term, from revolting against the new establishment. The thing is, The Greater Will never intended to do any of that" I said, and she showed me a subtle, but clearly visible frown.

She's probably not surprised at all to know that the Greater Will wanted to keep all of its subjects caged in this continent.

I continued "The Greater Will was indeed trying to prevent a war, it just wasn't the kind of war you are probably thinking. Y'see, my father is not called the first Tarnished just because he was the first person to accept the offer. After the Golden Order had finally unified the Lands Between, Godfrey, the First Elden Lord longed for his next campaign, and when he realized that there wouldn't be any more battles to be fought here any time soon, it didn't took him long to make a statement" I explained.

"A 'statement'? So he..." Fia began, and I nodded.

"He wanted a fight, either here or somewhere else, and you can imagine how much of a well tempered diplomat he was when he made that proposition. So yeah, he didn't leave much room for an argument back then. He could either wage war beyond the fog, or start a new one right here. You can already guess which one the Greater Will picked" I explained.

"So... But wait, how about the Queen?" Fia asked.

"He only married my Mother so she could secure the Golden Lineage. It was more of a 'favor' than a real relationship, the throne needed a Lord, at least for a while. Once that was taken care of, he left without even looking back. Marching with an army of warriors to seek battles in other lands" I finished with a dry chuckle.

"That's... Wow, I had no idea. I mean, there were some weird stories, but-"

I scoffed "The 'stories'. Who do you think writes those stories, Lady Fia? The Golden Order had an image to maintain, that's all that it ever was. They couldn't let something such as an Elden Lord that winningly resigned the title come out to the public, at least not without sugar coating it quite a bit. So there you have it, a story about how my Mother sent him on a supposed crusade in her name, when the truth is that my father was just a blood thirsty troglodyte waiting for the next chance to get himself killed on a random battlefield" I finished.

After a moment of silence, Fia began "That... It must've been really difficult for you"

"Difficult? I was barely six" I laughed sarcastically, letting some of the resentment I was holding down finally slip through my tone "Morgott and Mohg weren't even two years old, and he just leaves?!" I blurted out, standing up to pace around the room.

Fia looked at me with a worried expression, staying in silence as I kept walking around the room.

"And you know what's worse?" I continued "I would understand his decision if he had shown any signs of not wanting to be there or at least if he seemed unhappy or anything, but he didn't. He had a family, he was happy with us, I remember that. And then what? One day he just woke up and decided to leave all of that behind?"

I paused for a moment, waiting to see if Fia had something to say. She didn't, so I kept going.

"After he left us my Mother was desolate, even if she won't admit it, I saw it in her eyes. Even if she never really loved him, they'd spent almost a decade together. Ten years creating something together just for the other person to throw it away?! I can't even start to think about what could've happened to her if Radagon never left Queen Rennala and..." I sighed, trying to keep my voice from coming out too loud.

Fia remained silent, so eventually I continued.

"Look, I don't hate him for what he did, but that doesn't change the fact that because of him my Brothers never had a real father in their lives. I can't forgive that, not while knowing how much they needed him back then"

"I... I remember you talking about them, and their curse. I can't even imagine how hard that must've been for them, or for you..." She finally commented.

I left out a short scoff "Who cares if life has been 'hard' for me? I could still walk out in public without being mistaken by a monster" I vented, then paused for a moment to take a quick breath before continuing.

After I calmed down a bit, I started again.

"They needed someone they could look up to, someone to tell them that this world might be harsh, and unfair, and even straight up cruel sometimes, but that you can't let that put you down. So I took that responsibility" I sat down again, this time at the couch in front of her "I studied, I trained, and I did everything I could so I could be the best example for them. I wanted to show that if there was anything they wanted to do or be, I would be there to help them achieve it. That's the role of the older brother after all" I finished.

Another moment of silence followed, as we just listened to the subtle noises of the wind howling outside the windows.

"Sometimes I wish I could've been that kind of brother for Malenia as well. But she was born when I took the role of Lord here, so as much as I tried, I couldn't be actually there most of the time. It didn't help that she and Miquella were seemingly normal until they turned twelve, so I didn't pay as much attention to them compared to Mohg and Morgott. And there's also the fact that Malenia had an actual father growing up"

"I see" She said, as we both looked down in thought "I never knew my Father. He left my Mother before even knowing she was pregnant, so my opinion isn't really worth much of anything here, but to me you were a better father than Godfrey could've ever been" She said, and I looked at her eyes, as she smiled kindly at me.

"I don't really know you, Godwyn, but what I know is that you care, not only for your family, but for everyone around you. Even me, a total stranger you met four days ago. You made me feel safe around you just by being who you are. I know that sometimes it might seem like you could've done this or that a little better, but it's not about how much you do, is about where your heart is at when you do it"

"Fia..."

"You're not your father, Godwyn. And I know you'll never be like him, because the man you described, the man you despise so much, couldn't be further away from the man in front of me right now" She finished.

I took a moment to get back on my feet. I wasn't expecting her to be so... Nice. That kinda caught me off guard. But thinking about it now, it makes perfect sense that she would know how to comfort someone like that, after all, she's still a 'companion'.

"Thanks" I finally said "It's really nice to hear that from you, La-... Fia" I said with a smile, and she greeted me with a warm grin as well.

"The pleasure is mine, Godwyn"

• • •

All my life I tried to stay away from my father's image, but it seemed like fate had other plans.

After I took the position of Lord in Limgrave, I was granted Stormveil's symbol of lordship, which in most places would be a crown or a scepter, but in my case was the battle axe of the warrior who conquered the castle years before.

My father's axe, which I keep sealed at all times in the form of a talisman attached to my belt, has been unleashed for the first in a real battle.

The Apostle scoffed "Demigods. I'll teach you to show some respect, child" He spat, going for a quick jump attack, which I blocked at the last moment.

'He's fast. Probably knows how to optimize his energy output to enhance his movements. That along with the Black Flame and the extra protection from his gear might turn him into a real danger if I'm not careful enough'

He quickly followed his initial strike with a sequence of spinning slashes, trying to push me back against the wall.

'He's still trying to get to Fia. If he keeps pushing me like that I'll be forced into a defensive approach. I can keep up with him using the axe, but that doesn't neglect the fact that I'm still using the slower weapon here. Fuck...'

"What is it, prince?! Didn't you say you were gonna end this quick?!" He said with a psychotic smile as I deflected his successives strikes.

He kept laughing while I was slowly being pushed back by his attacks.

'He can't keep this up forever... C'mon, an opening, I need an opening...'

I was preparing to counter his attacks when he changed his pattern, holding his weapon in just one hand instead. My body reacted instinctively, shifting to catch him off guard, but I stopped that motion before it was too late, as I noticed his free hand about to cast a spell.

I was barely able to dodge his hand as it came directly into my face, spreading waves of dark flames where my face would've been a split second before.

'This bastard. He won't give me room to breathe. Well, if that's how he's gonna play this, I'll have to create an opening by myself'

I took his brief recovery time to jump back in front of the hole. I need some space for this, but I can't go away from the entrance to the corridor, so these few meters of distance will have to be enough.

As expected, he went right after me to keep the pressure up, as I raised the axe to bait him into higher attack, which he promptly went for, stretching his torso to reach me even quicker, and just as he was about to land the hit, I casted Rejection.

The shockwave that came from my body was enough to send him flying back before he landed a hit, or so that's what I thought, as I felt the lingering pain of something burning on the left side of my torso.

'Fuck! He actually got a scratch...' I thought, scolding myself for not paying enough attention to his attacks 'I was right in being so careful to avoid his slashes before, this isn't a regular cut...'

I flinched slightly, but quickly reassumed my stance 'I can lick my wounds later...' I thought, as the Apostle started to get back on his feet. I won't have another opening after he's fully standing again, I need to act now!

'If I'm correct, this won't be enough make this section of the wall collapse, but I really hope that there aren't any servants passing through the the room bellow us' I thought, before landing a charged stomp on the floor, which sent a shockwave across the wall.

The impact destabilized the Apostle, and as he fought to keep his balance over the crumbling floor, I charged towards him.

'If my predictions are correct, he shouldn't have enough time to react if he was a regular person, but he's not a regular person, so the best option to stabilize himself in a situation like this would be to...'

He tried to escape by stretching his upper body to reach a safe spot out of the reach of the impact, exposing my target for a clear strike. And as the part of his garbs that was covering his upper torso moved away from his lower half, I landed an overhead slash on his unprotected flesh.

My intention was to cut him in half right then and there, but the bastard was quick to move his lower half away as well, so my cut hadn't fully landed, but as the Apostle landed away from the crumbled ground, I could clearly see his dark blood flowing through his lower half.

He pressed a hand against the now covered wound "Nice hit, kid..." He panted, struggling to stand straight "Seems like I underestimated Godfrey's lineage a little too much..." He spat some blood, then continued "It won't happen again" And so he raised his twinblade with both hands "BEAR WITNESS, MY QUEEN!" He shouted.

Whatever that was, I had to stop it before he could finish it.

I charged towards him again, trying to finish hm off right then, but he was still quick to dodge my slower moves. Before I could try to create another opening, he casted a wall of Black Flames around him, making me jump back.

I landed away from his attack, but as soon as I shifted my stance to hit the floor with another stomp, he was quicker, casting a tornado of Black Flames around himself, just before exploding into an overwhelming storm of dark flames, covering a huge area around him.

I knew that I couldn't avoid getting hit by that attack, so I used my last traces of mana to cast a fire protection blessing around my body, along with positioning my axe in front of me to absorb some of the initial wave of heat before my body took in the rest of the damage.

'SHIT!' I screamed internally as the whirlwind of Black Flames took over the area around me.

After the explosion had finally cleared out, I was standing on my knees, trying to support myself with my hands on the floor.

Thankfully my spell neglected most of the immediate damage, but definitely didn't feel like it did. My body might be relatively unharmed, but every inch of it feels like it's boiling in acid.

I could barely stand crouched on my knees as I was, let alone move a single muscle beyond that position.

"Fuck..." I painfully groaned.

"What's the problem, young prince?... Surely a little bit of fire wouldn't be enough to harm your golden flesh, right?" The Apostle breathlessly said, along with a few cracked chuckles.

That attack was his trump card. If I had blocked it, I could've...

He caught his breath, beginning to walk towards me as I tried to move, but my body felt heavier than a mountain, pushing me harder and harder against the ground.

"Yes, feel it. That's the weight of what your dear harlot of a mother did to this world. That's Death eating your flesh from the inside out. Unfortunately you'll still come back after it's done consuming your body, but fortunately that's a topic we're already taking care of, so I wouldn't count on the grace of the Erdtree to save you this time, young prince" He said with a sadistic laugh.

"W-we...?" I managed to say.

"Oh yes. I'm not alone, young prince. Believe me, this is no longer a battle to see if the Golden Order will fall, this is a battle to see who's gonna come out on top once we've reduced it to cinder"

What the hell does that mean?! How many allies does he have? I have to-

"Now..." He stopped in front of me "Do me a favor, young prince. Stay still and die in silence!"

He lifted his blade, and just as I expected the feeling of my flesh being pierced by that weapon, something else invaded my senses instead, the sound of metal clashing above my head.

"Stay away from my Brother!"

~~~

I could hear the explosion coming from the northside as I reached the stables.

"Dammit..." I said, quickly moving towards the stall our horse was in. She seemed excited to see me "Sorry, girl, but I don't have any carrots for you right now..." I said, browsing through her saddle to get my katana.

I finally found it, and was about to leave when I noticed Ranni's bag of potions. I thought about it for a second.

"Better safe than sorry" I said, quickly opening it and getting a flask of crimson tears.

I rushed towards the northern side of the Castle. It took me a few minutes to get there, and let me tell you this, Godwyn was absolutely right. Never underestimate how bad things can get in just a few minutes.

I reached the northern courtyard just to be met with a fight that had already gotten past the castle's walls, as my Brother's knights were fighting a bunch of ghosts and- Wait what?!

Seriously, Golden Boy, what's with this place and dead things- Oh, right, that's why Fia came here... Anyway, living or dead, they're still on my way to reach Godwyn.

I took a breath, then prepared myself to burst through the crowd ahead of me, and just as I was about to take the first step...

"What the-" I began, as she landed in the middle of the battlefield, diving from the sky and creating a huge cloud of snow as she clashed against the ground.

I covered my face as the cold dust spread across the courtyard. And after it finally settled down, I saw Ranni, wearing a loose shirt, along with her usual navy blue pants as she stood barefoot in the middle of that chaos.

She moved quickly, casting a variety of spells to immobilize the ghosts around her, avoiding the soldiers while she did so. I can't lie, she looks really hot doing all that, especially with her hair still wet and- Focus, Malenia!

I brushed that train of thought away, moving to meet my girlfriend at the battlefield. And before I could even say something to draw her attention...

"Seriously, can't anyone have a single moment of peace in this fucking castle?! You!" She said, pointing to a knight next to her "Where's Godwyn?"

"U-uh..."

"For fuck's sake" Ranni rolled her eyes impatiently, shooting an ice spear at a ghost without even averting her gaze from the knight "English, soldier, do you speak it?!" She shot at him.

"Y-yes! Lord Godwyn is at the western wall fighting their Commander" The knight explained.

"Well, then someone should go help him, 'cause I can hold these fuckers back, but they just won't die! He's gotta take down the necromancer and- Mally?!" She said, finally noticing my presence.

"Hi... Problems with the shower?" I said with an awkward grin.

"What are you even doing here? Why aren't you with Godwyn?" She asked, sending a gravitational push at another ghost. How did she never tell me she's this good with fights?! I can barely focus on what she's saying right now. And Grace, she looks so goo- FOCUS!

"I- I had to get my sword" I quickly explained, gesturing my katana in front of her.

"Were at a castle, there are swords literally everywhere!" She protested, before shooting an ice spike on a ghost coming for a surprise attack "Argh! Stupid ghosts. News flash for you, coffin dust, fighting forever doesn't make you strong, it just makes you unbearably annoying!" She said to the ghost as it fell on the ground.

"You know they can't understand you, right...?" I asked.

"Don't ask me to be coherent now, Sassy Pants. It's their fault my shower time was ruined" She shot back, channeling a sphere of condensed snow and shooting it at the direction of the gates "So, got your sword, great! You have to reach your brother. Their leader is probably the necromancer. If Godwyn went after him you have to reach him and make sure that he kills it as soon as possible. I'll hold them back here, got it?"

I was surprised by just how... Assertive she's acting right now. Maybe she's really focused when she's angry. Whatever it is, it suits her really well, so I just nodded.

I was about to run towards the western wall, when I stopped to look at her.

"Witch" I called, and she showed me an impatient, but still somewhat soft look "Just... Don't push yourself too much here, okay?" I said.

I'm not an expert on spells, but I know that she's not holding back with those attacks. Call me whatever you want for being worried about something so stupid, but this might actually get her exhausted pretty soon.

She on the other hand, seemed completely uncaring about that, only smirking confidently at me in return.

"Relax. I'm just getting started"

"This is no time to be cocky, Witch!"

"I'm not. Trust me, I got this. Now go!" She finished with a firm tone, returning her attention to the ghosts.

I was mildly annoyed by her attitude, after all that was the same attitude that almost got us both killed this morning. But I can't think about that now.

I made a mistake today, and I can only hope she's not repeating that mistake now.

'Be careful, Witch' I thought, rushing towards the western wall.

I made my way through the corridors connecting the watchtowers, following a trail of corpses until I reached the entrance to a long corridor with a hole on one of the sides. The trail of corpses stopped here, but there was still blood on the floor.

I was about to move on when a giant explosion came from outside the walls, spreading some kind of black magic into the corridor through that hole. There's no doubt, they're here.

I moved towards the hole, but noticed a figure laying down a few meters past the hole.

"Fia!" I gasped, moving quickly past the hole to check on her. I just have to check if she's still breathing, Godwyn still needs me...

I sighed in relief after noticing that she is still alive, although her legs seemed to be pretty bad. I poured some of the crimson tears on her lips. That should take care of her until I'm done.

After making sure she was okay, I promptly moved towards the hole. Just hope Godwyn left me some of the fun-

My eyes went wide, as I was petrified by the sight of my Brother being subjugated by some creepy looking pale man.

"Now, do me a favor, young prince. Stay still and die in silence!" He said, lifting his twinblade to pierce Godwyn's back, and before I could even think about anything, I was blocking his strike with my katana.

I looked at that thing's disgusting face, feeling the rage inside of me boiling to the point of exploding.

"Stay away from my Brother!" And with a quick move, I pushed his weapon to the side, connecting a clean vertical slash to cut him from the shoulder down.

The miserable bastard was quick to react though, jumping away before my sword met his flesh.

"So the queen's living failure came to pick up your pieces, young Godwyn" He said, and I positioned myself between them, taking a quick look at Godwyn.

I took my stance, studying my opponent. Seems like Godwyn did some good damage already, as the enemy seemed to be pretty tired and was already bleeding. Still, that bastard is really fast. I wouldn't expect any less of someone who uses twinblades, so I have to be careful.

"Can you move?" I asked Godwyn, but he just stood still, trying to mumble something.

"M... M-Mal..."

"I'm here, Godwyn can you move?" I asked, and he just groaned.

The pale man laughed "Don't waste your time, daughter of the Rot. My flames penetrate deep into the flesh. Your Brother is lucky to still be breathing. Soon, his body shall perish to the will of the Gloamed Eyed Queen, and so shall yours" He said, but I didn't move a muscle, still looking for any weak points before attacking.

"Godwyn, if you can hear me, listen. I won't have a long opening, if you can move, turn" I said, trying to be just loud enough so only he would hear me.

And before that man could think about what I said, I charged towards him, going for a piercing attack, and as expected he dodged it. I have to create an opportunity. His weapon might be fast, but his movements are hindered by its design. I have more mobility, so I just need to bait him into a streak of attacks. He'll slip up somewhere, I just have to be patient.

He caught up to my rhythm almost instantly, trying to punish my attack with a sequence of diagonal slashes. I ducked, avoiding his attacks and pretending to target his legs, which made him jump away again.

I pressed further, locking my katana on my forearm and going for a sequence of quick slashes. He was quick to block them, as we traded fast attacks with none of us letting the other land an actual hit.

'Fuck, he's good... No wonder Godwyn had so much trouble with this guy. Argh! I told you you were too tired!'

I kept pushing him to get more greedy with his attacks. He's violent, probably can't resist the urge to strike me if I leave him a good opening, so I'll use that...

As I felt my stamina being drained after our incessant clashing, I quickly locked my katana off my forearm, making it seem like it had just detached after one of his hits. Predictably he took the bait, and as he moved to slash my lower half, I took the opportunity to slash him for real this time.

As we both landed our attacks simultaneously, our reaction was practically the same. None of us actually 'landed' the hit. He went for a cheap shot at my left leg, so the Unalloyed Gold absorbed all of the impact instead of my flesh. As for me, his weird clothes seemed to have done the same thing as my leg.

I was too reckless, his garments are stronger than they seem. I'll have to change up my strategy if I want to go through those...

After a final clash of our weapons, we both backed away. We stared at each other for a moment, both of us breathing heavily.

"Impressive... You'd be a fine addition to our cause, daughter of the Rot... It's a pity that fate put you on the wrong side of this battle"

"Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?" I shot back.

He scoffed "Seems like the apple really doesn't fall far from the three. You demigods are all the same, none of you can see past the surface. So impatient, so ungrateful and selfish" He said, spinning his weapon to begin another attack.

"I might be impatient, and yeah, all of those other things too, every now and then. But let me tell you, I can still see pretty far ahead" I said, rushing towards him.

He promptly positioned his weapon to deflect my attack, but I wasn't going for him. After dodging past him, I moved towards Godwyn, who managed to turn around to lay on his back.

Taking that man's focus away from his surroundings allowed me to get him between Godwyn and me, creating a perfect opportunity to bait a reaction to a fake attack and finally reach my Brother.

And as I reached him, I quickly took the crimson tears and poured them on his mouth. I don't know how much he needs, but I hope this will be enough. The flask was halfway through when that man finally reacted to my move and charged to attack us.

I was quick enough to block him with the katana, but I'm currently kneeled beside Godwyn. I can't do anything besides hold him with my sword before he makes another move and...

"I told you, child. Your precious brother is gon-" Suddenly Godwyn's hand was choking that thing, as he moved at lightning speed, standing half kneeled in the gap between me and that man.

"Your blade can't breach through his clothes..." Godwyn said in a cold tone. The man looked at him with his eyes wide and his mouth gaping for air.

A split second before he could react, I moved my sword to deflect his desperate move to slash Godwyn, sending his twinblade out of the way so I could clear the way in front of my new target.

As my brother held him in place, I pierced my katana through his mouth and across his head.

He flinched with an unnerving shiver and a creepy gasp before finally losing his movement, as he fell cold on the floor.

I pulled my sword from his head, panting as Godwyn stood completely still, his arm still extended as if he was still holding that thing's throat.

"Godwyn..."

"Fia... Is she okay?" He muttered.

"I- She is. I found her on the way here" And as the sounds of battle below us faded along with the ghosts summoned by that thing, my Brother fell on the floor.

"Godwyn!" I gasped, moving to catch him before he hit the ground. He was still alive, just unconscious.

I gave him more of the crimson tears, but his wounds were already healed. He's not dying, he just needs some rest now. That flame must've really screwed him up.

I sighed in relief, adjusting him to lay down on the floor.

"Get some rest, Golden Boy. You won"

Chapter Text

"Why can't you stay?! I asked, practically begging for her to change her mind as she stood at the pier.

She sighed deeply "Please, don't make this harder than It already is-"

"Well, it is  hard, okay? How couldn't it be?! So why do you have to leave?" I shot back, knowing very well that it was useless to do it.

"Fia..."

"It's not fair..." I whispered.

"I know... But this is my path to follow, and staying here is yours" She firmly stated.

"Says who?!" I shouted.

"Don't raise your voice against me, Young Lady" She authoritatively shot back, making me curl up in embarrassment "I trained you for this, so behave accordingly" Her tone was cold, but there was also something else to it, something I couldn't quite get.

"I... I'm sorry, Mother" I eventually muttered.

She sighed again, looking down before reaching for my shoulders with her hands "Look, I know how this might sound to you, but believe me, it's the only way. This world, the world that betrayed our God, the world that created me, must end. A new world will take its place, a world created by people like you, a better world where I hope you can find your place. Be it of a Deathbed Companion, be it of something else..."

"Mom..."

"I love you, Fia. Even if I'm no longer here, remember that your mother will always love you"

The same dream, every single time. Honestly it's almost a relief to have dreamless nights more often than not. Reliving that day is just... Wait, where am I? Oh my God, Godwyn!!

As my mind started to work again, a familiar voice slowly became more clear not too far away from me.

"... And the gate?" Ranni asked.

"They're taking care of it. It's still far from being fixed, but it's already secured by now. If anything changes we'll be the first ones to know" Malenia answered.

"Good, good. Now, we just have to- Oh, are you awake?" She asked, as I moved on my bed, trying to open my eyes to see what I correctly assumed is the infirmary.

"Where... Godwyn..." I mumbled.

"You're safe, Fia" Malenia, said, as I finally opened my eyes to see her approaching my bed "I brought you and the Golden Boy here after the fight was over. We're at the infirmary" She said, gently rubbing my arm with her hand.

Is she wearing armor? And why is her armor warm- Oh, right, that's her arm. Is it actually warm? It feels so strange... Anyway, as she backed away slightly I was able to see the bed next to mine.

"He's still unconscious" Ranni said, as I looked at Godwyn laying down on the bed "His physical wounds weren't as severe as yours, at least according to what Mally described, but still, whatever that hit you guys isn't something you can just treat with usual healing, even my flask of crimson tears couldn't do much beyond the surface level" She explained.

"What happened to him?" I asked.

"Basically the same thing that happened to you, just, y'know, worse" Ranni said.

"Witch!" Malenia interjected, bumping Ranni on the shoulder.

"What? I'm telling her the truth" The shorter redhead shot back.

"You don't have to say it like that"

"Like what?"

"You know how. That... Casually. They almost died last night. It's not right" Last night? But it's still dark outside... How long have we been...

"Oh, for fuck's sake. This is the way I talk, how come you haven't got used to it yet?"

"I am used to it, Fia is not!"

"Girls..." I tried, but they were too focused on themselves, and yeah, now I can clearly see what Godwyn meant.

"She's not a child. I'm sure that unlike some people that I won't name here, there's an actual brain inside her head instead of, I don't know, material used for construction works"

"Did you just seriously made that whole word play just to call a Brickhead? Again?"

"Girls..." I tried again.

"Well, you're the one who's always complaining about the ways I call you. Don't blame me for being creative from time to time"

"I only complain about one. And no surprise, it's the one you won't give up on"

"And I'll die on that hill, Sassy Pants. I don't even know what's the problem with calling you 'Mally' of all things. It's literally how I call ou ever since you were born"

"That's exactly the problem. You call me the same way ever since you were two goddamn years old!"

"So what? You don't see me complaining for you calling me 'Witch' all the time"

"You are a-"

"Girls!" I said more firmly, finally getting their attention "May I have some water, please?" I timidly asked.

"Uh? Oh, yeah, of course" Malenia promptly said with an embarrassed smile on her face "I'll be right back, and you give her an apology" She firmly said to Ranni, before moving to grab a jar of water at a table on the other side of the room.

"Really? Over that?" Ranni protested with an annoyed expression on her face.

"Yes, over that. Now do it" Malenia firmly shot back.

While she poured the water, Ranni took a seat on the edge of my bed, rubbing her eyes with her fingers while she sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry, okay? You're barely awake, and I don't know how bad things were for you and Godwyn back there. Mally's right, I shouldn't talk to you like that" The young witch said.

"Oh, it's fine. This must've been a pretty stressful day for you girls as well. And everyone has the right to be stressed after all" I said, shifting to sit with my back against the headboard.

"See? Even she agrees with me" Ranni said to Malenia, as the latter served me a glass of water.

"That's not the point, and we've talked about this. It doesn't matter if they feel offended or not, that part is subjective. What matters is that you admit it when you're being rude for no reason. Plus, you gotta understand that being kind is not only good for the people you talk to, but also for you" Malenia said, making something that almost made me choke with the water, as she planted a soft, and not so short kiss on Ranni's cheek.

It wasn't the mocking, annoying kind of thing you would expect from someone who's just teasing someone else. That was affection, and what's even more confusing to me was that Ranni visibly liked that.

Okay, so what's the deal with these two?!

Whatever it is, they seemed to notice that I found that little exchange kinda odd to say the least, as Malenia promptly began to explain.

"Oh, yeah, this is something we've been working on ever since I caught this one shouting at a poor soldier earlier today for being, and I quote: 'so incompetent that I'm surprised only half of your squadron died during the battle'" She said, mimicking Ranni's way of speech.

"I don't talk like that!" The witch protested.

"Yes, you do" Malenia retorted matter of factually.

Meanwhile I was still processing what she said before. I've heard that royalty behavior isn't something one can just mimic, and seeing the young Carian Princess in front of me now makes me feel like that statement had some actual weight to it. This girl has some sort of 'royal aura' all around her that I doubt even Godwyn could muster if he tried.

"Oh, wow. That's... Yeah that's not very nice" I commented slightly surprised.

"That's what I told her. So after that, and after pulling her ear to see if some physical conditioning would help, I decided to make her promise to apologize to anyone I say she owes an apology to without questions" Malenia explained.

"I see... That's really interesting, but what was the kiss about?..." I asked, trying not to sound too invasive.

Malenia didn't seem to care, just shrugging and saying a simple "Her reward, my end of the deal. Positive reinforcement and all that psychology stuff"

"I see, psychology..." I commented, as she picked up a chair to sit down in front of Godwyn's bed.

Ranni scoffed "Yeah, let her convince you with that excuse. 'Psychology stuff'" She mockingly air quoted "She's just trying, and I hate to break it to her, definitely failing to give me some sort of 'taste of my own medicine' with that treatment. It won't work, Sassy Pants, if anything, I like being rewarded when I do something right, even if it doesn't make sense to me" She said to Malenia.

"Yeah, yeah. You can act all high and mighty all you want, Witch, I'll still make you apologize to people. And if rewarding you like a dog is what it takes for you to do it, so be it" Malenia shot back.

Okay, now I'm getting really confused here. Even if they're just a pair of friends who enjoy bickering with each other a lot as Godwyn's descriptions and their previous arguing would have me believe, that still doesn't explain the kind of talk we're all having right now.

I mean, the way they talk... It almost feels like they're-

"Fia..." Godwyn's voice came from beside us.

"Oh, look who's finally back from his beauty sleep" Ranni commented, as Godwyn began to move on his bed.

"Witch!" Malenia scolded her, whilst moving to assist her brother on the bed.

"Fine, fine. I'm sorry... Do I get another kiss for this?" She asked, and Malenia just answered with roll of her eyes, focusing on her brother instead.

"She's here. She's safe. How do you feel, Golden Boy?" She kindly asked.

"Awn, so cute. The first thing they do after waking up is calling each other" Ranni said in a slightly high pitched voice.

Malenia sighed tiredly "Not gonna happen. I know when you're doing it on purpose, Witch" She said.

Ranni huffed exaggeratedly in frustration "Well, I had to try"

"I'm okay, I guess... What time is it?" He asked.

"About 4:00 a.m." Malenia answered "But you don't have to worry, okay? The castle is safe" She reassured.

"Well, that's a relief..." He said, taking a look around to situate himself. Quickly, his eyes stopped when he saw me.

I stared into his clear blue orbs, trying to figure out what to even say in a situation like this. Eventually, he took the initiative instead.

"How's your leg?" He kindly asked, his voice still slightly raspy.

"My- Oh, it's fine..." I said, slightly taken aback "H-how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. Pretty good actually, considering all the Black Flame that Godskin threw on me" He playfully said, stretching himself a bit to lay against the headboard as well.

"So it was actually a Godskin?" Ranni asked "I saw the corpse before they burned it down. Wasn't really sure if it was actually one of them"

"What's a 'Godskin'?" Malenia asked.

"Really?! How do you not remember? You were literally there with me when Morgott told us the stories" Ranni shot back.

"He told us lots of stories. How am I supposed to remember that one in specific?"

Ranni rolled her eyes "Stars, you're lucky you're cute. The Godskins, or as they like to call themselves, 'the Apostles' were the ones who created the Black Flame to kill the gods about a thousand years ago. The ones they killed, they skinned and used as 'armor', which is disgusting enough by itself. They hunted a lot of gods, along with making some sick sacrifice rituals and- Oh Stars" Ranni abruptly turned to face me with a concerned look on her face "Fia, did that thing..."

I just looked down briefly "Almost... Godwyn saved me before it could go any further" I said, trying to brush away the memory of that creature's terrifying laugh as it pierced me repeatedly.

"What does she mean?" Malenia asked Ranni, being visibly confused. But as the shorter redhead was about to give her an answer, Godwyn interjected.

"The Black Flame was created by defiling the bodies of Deathbed Companions and consuming their flesh whilst they were still alive" He said, shifting to sit on the edge of the bed, waving his hand dismissively as Malenia tried to stop him "I'm fine, don't worry. As I was saying, they couldn't stand against our kind by themselves, so they harvested the strength of others instead. They persecuted Deathbed Companions for centuries, hence why there were so few of them even before they started to leave the Lands Between. Most people thought the Godskins to be already extinct by now, but just like any other parasite, you can't seem to get rid of them" He explained.

"Exactly. Can you imagine what it must've been like for Fia to be face to face with something like that? Something that had killed almost your entire kind? Thank Stars Godwyn got to her in time" Ranni commented.

Malenia thought about it for a moment, then left out a heavy sigh "Yeah, I can't even imagine what would've happened to her if he didn't"

"And that brings us to another point" Godwyn said, then looked directly at me "I must apologize to you, Fia. I promised that you'd be safe within the walls of this castle, but I failed. I am sorry" He said, bowing his head.

"I- no- you don't have to, really. What happened to me was mostly my fault. I went to gate by myself. Couldn't expect things to end up any differently if I'm being honest. If anything, I should be the one apologizing for getting in the way" I ashamedly admitted.

"That's another mistake I made. My soldiers should've kept you safe. No one should've let you near the danger. That responsibility still falls on me" He argued, but before I could say anything in response...

"You heard the alarm and went straight to the gate?" Ranni asked "Wow, zero survivability instinct. She's quite the catch, Golden Boy. Just as crazy as the rest of you brutes" She playfully added.

"Okay, that's enough. Wait for me at the corridor" Malenia fumed.

"But I didn't-"

"Witch!" She cut her off, glaring at Ranni until she eventually got out of the bed and marched towards the door and out of the room.

Malenia sighed tiredly, rubbing her eyes with her left hand.

"Honestly, sometimes I just can't bring myself to be patient with her"

"Troubles in paradise?" Godwyn asked with a smile.

"Please, don't even start" She said, then sighed again "I'll give you guys some privacy to talk about who's fault is that someone else entirely attacked this place in just a moment. First I gotta give you a quick summary of our situation, Golden Boy"

"Oh, right. I was about to ask you that" Godwyn said.

"Yeah, I can see that you're already itching to get out of here and start getting reports, but calm down, okay? The castle is fine, there weren't many losses on our side. Even if the gate being destroyed is still pretty concerning, the soldiers are already taking care of that. Ranni also reported the situation to the rest of the family, along with politely suggesting to your soldiers to send out more patrols to secure the area around the castle" She explained.

"And by 'politely' you mean..." He began.

"I literally had to pull her ear for insulting one of your soldiers about an hour ago"

"That girl..." He said with an amused chuckle "Well, at least she knows how to keep her head cool during situations like these. I'm glad that you two were here to help, Tiny Dancer"

"Anytime. Now, please don't push yourself too much just because you're awake, okay? I'll call your men to give you the detailed reports in just a few minutes, so no need to leave this room for now. Stay, and rest" She said, sounding just like my Mother.

He smirked "Grace, Ranni's attitude has clearly rubbed off on you. Never seen you being so 'bossy' before"

"What can I say? I'm a quick learner" She playfully shrugged it off "Now, I'll go catch up to her before she traumatizes another of your servants at the corridor. See you later, Golden Boy" She said, standing up and walking towards the door, stopping just before grabbing the doorknob "Oh, Fia. I know this is a lot to ask, but can you make sure he stays here and actually gets some rest before bursting out of this door?"

"You want her to babysit me? Really? Do you not trust me at all?" Godwyn protested, in faux outrage.

Malenia shrugged "Goes both ways. Don't act like you wouldn't do the same" She stated matter of factually "So, can I trust you to keep an eye on him?" She asked me again.

"I... Yes, sure. I'll... I'll do my best" I said, trying to sound confident, even though I have no idea how I could possibly stop Godwyn from doing anything at his own castle.

Malenia smiled "Great! See ya later" And so she closed the door, leaving me alone with her brother in the room.

Godwyn sighed "Well, guess I'll be staying for a little longer then" He said, standing up and moving towards the table with the jar of water over it.

"So, you won't really leave?" I asked.

"Nah. Well, I mean, I want to, but I'm still kinda tired if I'm being honest. I trust Malenia's word that things have been taken care of, and even though there's definitely still work to be done, I'm not on my full capacity to get back into it for now. So, I better let my crew take care of the ship while I'm still recovering" He said, pouring a glass of water for himself and returning to sit on the edge of his bed.

"I see..." I said, as a thought came across my head "Do all of your siblings are trained to manage a place like this?" I asked, thinking about how Ranni and Malenia looked really comfortable with the whole attack situation just now. Like Godwyn said, they'd spent seven hours managing, or at least helping Godwyn's servants manage a pretty complex situation here. So I assume they gotta have some sort of special training for this, right?

"Yes. Well, yes and no" He said, after emptying his glass on a single sip "We all have a general sense of how a castle's inner workings are executed, but the preparation for lordship is only mandatory to the firstborn, so they don't know as much as I do" He explained.

"I see. Makes sense" I commented.

"Yeah, but it being mandatory for me doesn't make it so my siblings couldn't take it as well. Morgott is an example, he knows just as much, if not more about running a castle than I do. Which is the reason we picked him to sit on the throne while my Mother is absent" He said, moving to rest his back against the headboard again.

"You must be really proud of him" I said, and he nodded.

"Who wouldn't be? He's a good man, and it's gonna be a great ruler as well..." He said, then turned to look at me directly "Look, I know I can't convince you that what happened to you was my responsibility, Fia. So please, let me just say it this time that I'm sorry, okay?"

"Godwyn, you don't have to-"

"I know, but I want to. Even if it's just to make me feel a little better about myself, but I want you to accept my apologies, okay? That way I can stop thinking about this, and hopefully you won't have to think about it again either" He said, his voice coming out contained, but somehow still filled with his usual intensity.

"I... Okay. I'll accept your apologies if you accept mine too" I firmly stated, and he just showed me a kind smile.

"Very well then. Apologies accepted" He said.

"So are yours" I politely replied.

"So, we're still trapped here for a while. Wanna discuss something? Perhaps I can begin to teach you Miquella's ritual" He suggested, but I had something else in mind, well, actually more than just one thing.

"I'd love to, but can we do that in a bit? I have some- I mean, I have two things I wanna ask you before that... If you don't mind it, of course" I embarrassedly said.

He perked up, getting visibly curious.

"Oh, okay. I don't mind it at all, well, if I can answer them. What's the first one?"

I hesitated for a moment, thinking about which one to start with. Eventually I began "Why... Why do they call you 'Golden Boy'?" I timidly asked.

He smiled "Oh, that. Rykard used to call me that when we were young. He stopped eventually, but when he mentioned it to Miquella years later, the nickname inevitably came back" He playfully explained.

"Oh... But why did Rykard call you that way?"

"He always liked to mock me for trying to be better, like with the training, helping others and such. So, he came up with the nickname, which was also a way to imply that I was the 'favorite' in the family as well" He explained, and well, can't blame Rykard there.

Anyone would think Godwyn is the favorite child in his family. Being the only one who isn't literally cursed probably has something to do with that.

"And you don't mind them calling you that?" I asked.

"Nah, I know what people see when they look at me. Can't blame them for voicing what everyone else is thinking, even if I don't actually believe it" He casually said "So, that answers your question?"

"Uh, yes. I think it does..."

"Good. What's the next one?" He asked, and I could feel the discomfort on my stomach growing with how embarrassed I was to ask him about this, but I just can't help it.

This would either be an awkward, but funny moment, or the moment where he sees me as  some sort of nosy freak, but I gotta ask...

"What's happening with Malenia and Ranni?" I blurted out, and as he made a slightly surprised/confused face, so I added "I mean, are they..." Oh God, how do I even say this...?

"'Are they'...?" He parroted.

I sighed "Why do they act so... Strangely around each other?" I managed to ask.

Godwyn just kept looking at me with an expression I couldn't quite understand. Eventually, he opened his mouth.

"What have they done exactly?" He carefully asked.

God, this is embarrassing "They... I mean. You talked about them before, and you said that they practically hated each other, but then yesterday they looked so close, and I got confused... But then before you woke up they were arguing and I thought that maybe what you told me was true to some extent, but then..."

"Then..." He said, paying full attention to me now.

"Malenia kissed her. And after that they looked like... I mean, you saw them just now too, right? I haven't really flirted in my life, but I've seen the way people look at someone they're trying to... Oh, this is getting weird. I'll just stop now, and we can pretend I never said anything, okay-"

"No, no, it's okay. It's not weird... I mean, it kinda is, but you're not weird for thinking about it..." He left out a quick sigh "I might regret this, but if they were being so blatantly obvious about that in front of you, I don't think it's a problem to explain it you as well" He said, and now he is the one who looks visibly uncomfortable with this.

"Explain...?" I asked.

He nodded "What I told you about them was true. They actually hated each other growing up, but apparently ever since Malenia came back from the Haligtree... Well, they got closer. And even I only found out about that yesterday, so yeah, you probably won't catch them acting that way everywhere, but they will definitely behave in 'strange ways' in more private spaces. Guess that's just how they are now..."

I frowned, trying not to misinterpret what he said  "So they are..."

"I won't say what they are, mostly because I don't even know it myself, but they're definitely more than just friends. Honestly, I think it's fine for you to ask them if you really want to know. After all, they didn't seem to be trying to hide it from you... Though I'd recommend you only ask Malenia about it. Ranni tends to be a little..."

"Yeah, I get it" I said with an awkward grin.

"Just know that whatever they are, I'm not sure they're ready for the rest of the world to know it just yet. So be careful there, okay?" He clarified.

"I understand... I'm just a bit surprised that they were comfortable enough around me to be so open about their relationship" I said, and Godwyn was quick to respond with a gentle grin.

"Well, I'm not surprised at all. If they trusted me (more or less) to know about them, I can't see a reason why they wouldn't trust you as well" He said, but honestly I can't really see a reason why he thinks that way.

"If you say so... But they don't even know who I am" I commented.

"They know I trust you, and that's all they need. Y'see, when you grow up surrounded by events filled with aristocrats, bankers, and all sorts of bootlickers, you tend to develop a pretty good sense of who's actually worth trusting around you. So they know that if I put that much faith in you, they can do it too" He explained, and I couldn't help but feel like even more of an awful person for ditching our plan when I thought I'd have to use a miserable Golden Order spell.

I feel so childish, so stupid right. This man is quite possibly the nicest man on earth, and I literally turned my back on him out of pure spite against something that isn't even his fault. Hell, he almost died trying to protect me literally hours ago!

'Why is he like this? Why am I like this?! Why can't I just accept that he wants to be nice to me?!'

As some thoughts I've been avoiding ever since I met him started to fill my mind all at once, I felt my eyes watering down, looking down to sulk into the weight of the shame I am feeling right now.

"Hey, hey, are you okay? Did I say something wrong?" He promptly asked, moving to sit on the edge of his bed and reaching his hands to hold mine gently.

I shook my head "You didn't... It's me..."

"Fia..."

"I hate you..." I whispered, looking up to meet his gaze, as the tears were yet to fall from my eyes "All my life I hated everything you represent, Godwyn" I admitted, and he just looked at me in slight confusion "The Golden Order created a world where my kind was hunted like a bunch of animals, where we had to hide and suffer for centuries. And after all that suffering, what do they do? They create a world where my Mother is forced to abandon me. I've hated you for so long, and I wanted to hate you now, I wanted to hate you so much..." I said, looking directly at his eyes, feeling the tears finally falling down my cheeks.

He didn't reply, so I continued "My Mother never explained to me why she had to leave, but after today I can finally understand. The Apostles can sense the presence of the God of Death, that's how they found my sisters so easily in the past. The more Deathbed Companions in one place, the stronger our 'scent' gets. I never thought about that because she said that there were no longer any Apostles" I left out a dry chuckle "Guess she lied about that, because why wouldn't she, right? She couldn't stay, she couldn't take the risk, 'cause if she did that thing would've eventually found us, so she left me here to fix the world your mother broke. God, I hate her!" I angrily said.

"Fia, you..." He tried, but I wasn't finished yet. I gotta get this out of my chest.

"And you know what's worse? I tried to hate you too! Your whole family, I tried for years, and for a while I actually did, but when I finally met you, you were- Argh! I can't hate someone like you! I don't want to hate someone as kind as you, Godwyn! But I just can't stop thinking about her every single day! The Golden Order took her away from me, Marika took her away from me!" I blurted, trying and failing to hold back the sobs from coming out as I leaned my head forward.

After a few moments of crying my eyes out as he kept holding my hands, I finally calmed down enough to speak again.

"I miss her all the time... I can't dream, and when I do, all I have are nightmares about the day she left... And I just- I just don't know what to do with these feelings..." I mumbled helplessly, then lifted my head to face him again.

He just stood in front of me, patiently staring at my face while I vented about how much his family made my life worse. How can he be so calm in a situation like this?

"Won't you say anything?" I anxiously blurted out "I just told you that I hate your mother, for God's sake! Say something, Godwyn! Anything!" I cried, closing my eyes and bowing my head.

"I agree with you"

What?!

"What?" I muttered, opening my eyes to look at him.

"You're right. You have all the reasons to hate my Mother for what she did. I can't blame you for that" He said.

"But she- she's your mother"

"And she did horrible things, unspeakable things, probably way more than we'll ever get to know. I can't pretend that never happened, Fia, and I won't even try to. Trust me, I wouldn't forgive her if I were in your place as well"

I was genuinely stunned. I never expected him to react to what I told him like he did, but I never actually intended to tell him everything I just did in the first place, so I can't say I expected any reactions at all.

He continued "I don't believe what the Golden Order did to this world was correct, but for a while it seemed like the best solution in my opinion, so I never put too much thought into it. But as of recently some things have been making me question whether or not it's worth it to keep things as they currently are" He admitted, and I noticed that he was yet to release my hands.

"'Some things'...?" I asked.

He nodded "The Golden Order might not be perfect, but my parents literally gave their lives for it, so I can't just throw that away as if it means nothing. What I can do, however is look at what else the Golden Order means to my family. That would be how it cursed all of my siblings by bringing them into a war they were never a part of just by being born in this world. And that, that I can't forgive. So believe me, I know exactly how you feel" He somberly said.

"What are you saying...?" I asked.

"I'm not fighting for the Golden Order, Fia. The only thing I care about is protecting the people that are important to me, the people who depend on me to protect them" He firmly said "I want you to know that even if you hate me for being what I am, I still want to protect you, not just because you're my responsibility, but because you are important to me too" He finished, looking deep into my eyes.

I was lost for words, feeling the tears coming back, but this time I managed to keep them inside, taking a breath before speaking again.

"I can't hate you, Godwyn" I said, looking down "And I don't know why you care so much about someone like me" I said, but of course I know why, I just can't bring myself to actually say it.

He needs me here. We have a job to do, that's all this ever-

"I like you" He said, as I perked up my head to look at his face again "You might be useful, sure, but that doesn't change the fact that I like you for who you are. I like having you around, I like talking to you, and I don't want to lose what we have, whatever the hell that might be" He finished with a smile.

I looked at him, his soft expression almost feeling like I was looking at the sun itself.

"Why?" I muttered in disbelief "Why me?"

His smile grew wider "Because you're different. Because you're you" He said reassuringly.

I smiled in bewilderment, still holding the tears within my eyes.

"You don't even know me" I tried arguing back.

He just left ou quick chuckle.

"Of course I know you. You're Fia, you're my friend" He said with a tender smile.

I never cared for anyone's friendship in my life. Even when people told me that they liked spending time with me and considered me a friend back at home, I never really felt like it meant as much to me as it did for them.

Attachments make you vulnerable, friendships make you vulnerable, and I never wanted to feel so vulnerable because of someone else again. After my Mother left, I promised myself that I wouldn't let anyone else hold that kind of power over me.

So how can it be that simply hearing something so mundane as 'you're my friend' coming out of his mouth makes me feel so... Happy.

The answer is obvious. It's because it was he the one who said it, this man that I've known for less than a week, and that somehow managed to make me feel like I finally had a purpose again just by believing in me. I'm happy because he's Godwyn, I'm happy because...

"I like you too" I replied with a smile, and as the tears fell from my eyes once again, he wrapped his arms around me in a warm hug.

I accepted his gesture almost instinctively. It's been years since the last time I hugged someone, yet somehow this feels so natural, so right.

As I let myself be submerged into his embrace, I couldn't help but wish that we could stay like this forever, facing the truth that I once hated this man without even knowing who he is, and that right now...

"I don't wanna lose you too"

Chapter Text

"Thinking about the weather?" I asked Ranni, who is standing in front of a window at the end of the corridor.

"Something like that..." She mumbled, seeming to be really focused on whatever it is that's outside that window, but as I stopped beside her to look, I couldn't see anything but the usual view of the East portion of the castle below us.

"Well, if I was to take a guess at it, I'd say cloudy, with about 120% chance of rain for today, but that's just a guess" I playfully commented, but she didn't seem to care, not even to retort with some snarky comment of her own.

This is odd, not her being quiet, surprisingly enough she stays like this every so often, but now I'm worried that it might be because of something I did.

Perhaps I was a bit too harsh on her when I told her to leave the infirmary just now. I mean, that alone can't be enough to put her in a mood, right?

Better not put too much thought into that and just be straightforward with her for once.

"Is everything okay?" I eventually asked.

"Yeah, everything is... Nice" Her tone is strangely relaxed. I've only heard her speak like this after we've slept together. Oh Grace, is she high?!

"Are you actually okay?" I carefully asked.

"I am... I... I can feel it" She quietly said, letting a dorky smile form on her lips.

"Okaaay... Feel what?" I inquired, noticing an unusual hint of awe to her words. She's definitely high.

But when did she even find the time to... What would she even be high on in the first place?! There's nothing stronger than wine in this place.

"During the battle yesterday you told me to be careful with my spells, so I wouldn't run out of mana there, remember?" She said, sounding more serious now.

"Uh, yeah, and I remember you telling me that you got that covered (more or less)" I said, and she turned to face me.

"I did, and I wasn't just being over confident or anything. I felt genuinely ready to fight. Back there I just thought it was because I was fully rested due to Godwyn's treatment, but no... I wasn't just rested, I was... Better" She affirmed.

"'Better'?"

She nodded "When I fought that bird, I ended up running out of mana just before it took us flying above Stormveil. After that thing finally died in the air, I had to think of a way to save us from the fall, so I tried to squeeze everything I could out of my body. It was at that moment that I felt it again. It awakened!"

"Wait, you mean your Great Rune?" So that's the reason for her... Whatever the hell this is. Thank Grace, she's not high... As far as I can tell.

She nodded again "That's what saved us. But after waking up at the infirmary I couldn't really feel it like we did back at the Capital, so I thought it had gone away again. I didn't even think about it again until I had to stop my shower time to jump in front of the gate and take care of those ghosts" She explained.

"So, during the battle..."

"I awakened, for good. It was almost out of pure instinct, but my body remembered the feeling of when I used it for the first time that morning. And now I've been thinking about it again and I can actually use it now, whenever I want to!" She excitedly explained.

"Wow, really? How is it?" I asked, feeling quite excited myself, even though I'm a bit jealous as well.

After we claimed the shards of the Elden Ring back at home, everyone described the feeling of their Great Runes within them. They felt stronger, lighter, or weirdly relaxed, but me, besides a tingly thing on my belly that only lasted a few minutes (and that might've been just the shrimp they served at the wedding party) I felt literally nothing different.

Aunt Rennala told us that each shard would be different, so we shouldn't compare our experiences when it comes to figuring out our new abilities, but I'm literally lost here! I want to awaken mine as soon as possible, if not even sooner, but I just can't feel anything, Argh!

So yeah, I'm really interested in how Ranni could get hers to work yesterday.

It's not just because I'm trying to use her experience to learn anything that could help me awake mine too, which I definitely am, but also, she looks visibly happy about it, and if it makes her happy to talk about how she finally managed to figure it out, then I'm more than willing to let her go on.

"It's... I don't really know how to explain it..." She began "It's my eyes. I can see everything. I mean, it's still the same, but it's so... Different, somehow" She said, but that only made me more confused.

"So, you can see things better?"

"It's not just 'better', there's more now... Like if the whole world was blurry and squiggly before, but now..." She reached to hold my face with one hand "Everything is so clear" She said, looking at me as if it was the first time she ever saw a human being in her life.

"R-really?" I said with an awkward smile.

She nodded "I can see so much more now... There's energy all around us, just waiting to be used. But it's not just that, everything else looks so much more intense" She said, as her hand kept caressing my cheek, which made me blush really quickly.

I swallowed a lump "'Intense'?" I asked, as she moved closer and closer to me.

We kind of agreed on not really trying to hide our true relationship anymore after yesterday, (given how insanely good we were doing at it so far). After all, this isn't just something we're 'figuring out' anymore.

I already see her as my girlfriend, even if I haven't really formally asked her out yet... Grace, I'll deal with that later.

Going back to the present now, even if we're not really hiding anything anymore, the idea of her kissing me, or even showing me the tiniest acts of affection in public like she's doing right now is enough to make my heart jump out of my chest just by thinking about it.

"Stars, you're so pretty" She whispered tentatively, as I could notice something... Different about her eyes.

Maybe it's just my mind trying to play tricks on me, but those big puppy golden eyes somehow look... Brighter? That's either the effect of her Rune, or I've reached a point where I'm so down bad for her that she's starting to literally glow for me... Probably both.

"Witch, we're in the middle of the corridor..." I said, trying to get a grip of myself as the random sounds coming from the many rooms around us reminded me that this place is still a castle full of servants who can walk on us being... Us at any moment.

"So?" She said, idly tracing her digits around my face, and I couldn't help be feel my eyelids getting heavy as the touch of her hand against my skin felt almost too good. That combined with our hectic sleeping schedule these last few days is making me really keen to the idea of just falling asleep on her arms right now.

I fought the urge to let my body go completely  dozy as she rubbed her thumb under my eyes, feeling her touch getting softer as she traced the tip of her thumb over what I'm sure she's looking at with her new 'Rune enhanced' vision.

"I still don't like to see them in the mirror..." I commented, slightly opening my eyes "But some wounds can't be fully healed... I assume they're even more clear for you to see now as well..." I muttered, slightly embarrassed about my scars.

"They are" She said, moving her face really close to mine "I love them" She whispered, right before planting soft kisses over the light pink skin under my eyes.

"Why?" I whispered back after she backed her head a little.

"They make you real, they make you perfect" She said, then promptly proceeded to punctuate her statement with a deep kiss, as she wrapped her arms around my back and neck.

I don't really know what she sees in my scars, or even in me as a whole, but the way she talks about them, along with a few other things I've been noticing about her recently are finally giving me some insight on what that explanation could be.

After our lips finally parted, her eyes remained completely focused on me, as I also drank in the image of her porcelain-like skin mere inches away from my face.

"You've always liked broken things, didn't you?" I commented, moving a loose strand of hair from face with my fingers.

"You're not broken" She firmly shot back "Broken things need to be fixed, I've always hated having to fix things"

"Is that so?" I asked. Honestly it makes sense, knowing her as well as I do now. Well, there goes my theory then.

She nodded "I don't fix, I experiment, I transform, I create"

"So, that's what you're doing with me?" I playfully asked.

"Pretty much" She shrugged.

"I see... 'Experimenting' is pretty on the nose, but what about the rest?" I asked.

"Well, I transformed you into a almost fully functional girlfriend in just over a week, so that's gotta be worth something at least" She joked.

"Ha ha, very funny. And what abou- Wait, did you called me your girlfriend just now?!" I uttered in genuine surprise.

She just nodded, though a bit hesitantly "Is there something wrong with that?" She asked.

"N-no, no, not at all" I promptly clarified "It's just... I kinda wanted to... Ask you out, y'know, properly" I timidly said.

She shifted through looking surprised, amused, and frustrated in a span of just a few seconds, but after that she settled for what I can only describe as the most sympathetic smile I've ever seen on her face.

"Go on!" She said.

"What?"

"Ask me out, dummy. Go on" She laughingly said.

"Oh- right here?"

"Yeah! Well, we can go somewhere else if you want to, but I don't mind doing it here"

I thought about that for a moment,  wondering if I actually wanted to drag her somewhere else just to ask her a question she's already answered. The whole thing seems so silly looking at it from that angle. Still...

"C'mon, I know a place" I said, grabbing her hand and pulling her down the corridor.

"You- Oh, okay... Wait, 'a place'? Are you dragging me into some weird sex dungeon or something?" She asked, making me visibly embarrassed as we rushed through the corridors.

"Someone could hear you, Witch! And no, I'm not, okay? And how's that your first guess?!" I shot back.

"What?! Everyone knows Godwyn has a sex dungeon somewhere in this place" She argued.

"He definitely doesn't, and eeew. Who even told you that?"

"A reliable source"

"Rykard?"

"I didn't say that" She answered, and I rolled my eyes.

After a while we finally arrived at our destination, the old Southern watchtower.

"Is this... Your 'place'...?" Ranni asked, slowly panting as we stood before the locked entrance to the tower.

"Almost..." I said, grabbing the lock on the wooden door and twisting it with my right hand, opening the door as the rusty pieces of metal fell on the floor "Let's go"

"Aren't you gonna get into trouble for that? And also, did you seriously break down an iron lock with your bare hand?!" She asked, as we began to walk up the tower steps.