Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chirp. Chirp. Chirp.

Such a sweet sound was filling the ears of the traveler on horseback on such a nice day. The traveler, a girl at the age of 21, looked up to the clear sky with a smile on her face. She’d travelled this path quite a few times now, coming home every few months before leaving again after a couple of other months to either go on adventures or visit an Uncle of hers in the Rolance Empire. But this time was different; she wasn’t sure if she can ever go home this time. It was one thing to be a riotous youth in your teens, raising hell like a common hooligan in taverns around town; it was an entirely different thing to run away from home just because you didn’t like what your parents said to you about your heritage. But, can one really blame her? After all, she was raised to believe that she was supposed to be some sort of paragon of virtue despite her attitude.

‘It’s nice to be free like this every once in a while.’ She thought to herself as she continued to guide her horse around the Volgran Forest. It was pretty calm today; not much Hellions that attacked her in her way. Surprisingly. She was no Shepherd but she does know how to hightail it when she sees a Hellion. As her horse meandered around on their way to Lastonbell, something shiny caught her eye. The traveler was surprised to see one of those things HERE of all places but she wasn’t surprised of its actual presence, seeing as how she’s been picking them up once a week wherever she went. She hasn’t even had the time to research what they were. What she did know was that they showed her snippets of events long past, always about the same person; a girl with long black hair, a tattered coat, a bandaged arm that sometimes mutates and the moments she shared with her companions, especially the blonde haired little seraph that she took a shine to and the pretty red head she captured after a fight. The girl often thought her as odd; she was a Hellion...but at the same time not. Well, at least her arm Hellionized but the rest of her was...plain and normal as any normal person. Sure, she was consumed by revenge but how do you not after being stuck in a pit for three years? Getting off her horse, she walked over to it and picked it up, seeing a vision of the dark haired girl yet again.

The girl’s surroundings turned from the grassy woodlands she was standing on earlier to some marshy ruins with a plot of land that’s filled with flowers. Looking around, she saw the group of people she’s been seeing previously only this time, they were accompanied by two other blondes. If she didn’t think critically, she would’ve thought they were twins but the blonde lady looked a bit older than the boy with the bandaged face. She noticed how they were arguing, even though she couldn’t properly hear them for some reason. The older blonde lady knocked the bandaged boy out and merged with the Hellion behind her. They fought. She was taken down. After a few exchanged words, the bandaged boy armatized with his seraph. But clearly there was something wrong it, especially after he was defeated by the group. Undeterred, he rushed at them, clearly intent on attacking the little seraph with his opponent’s group. The dark haired lady was faster, however, and she used her arm to defeat him. And they all saw as he fell, never to awaken yet again. Clearly an accident and was done in self-defense. His sister attacked and she retaliated as well, using her claw to prevent her from attacking any further. The traveler watched as the blonde lady weakly crawled to her brother, shedding tears and speaking words never to be heard by the body before her. And when all was said and done, she too died, feebly attempting to hold his hand one last time.

And the traveler couldn’t feel anything but anger at the vengeful girl who killed these two siblings.

After the vision, the traveler pocketed the new item that she found before getting back on her horse. She really needed to look these things up; maybe the Celestial Record has something on them. Lastonbell is nearby, night is fast approaching, she’s pretty drained; it’s time to call it a day.

The girl entered the room she paid for at inn, weary from the day’s travels after her bath from the inn’s bathhouse. She threw her towel to one of the nearby chairs before sitting down and putting her socks on to keep her feet warm. Reclining back into her bed, she grabbed the book placed on her nightstand and flipped it open. She must’ve read this thing hundreds of times and still she finds something new. Probably because she could never really memorize the contents of the Celestial Record like her mother can. Granted, there were only specific passages that her mother memorized but still leagues better than hers. She flipped through the pages of the book, idly absorbing the words she’s read so many times over the course of her young life, until she landed on one page that caught her attention. Her eyes widened as she softly read the passage out loud.

“Over the course of his journey, The Shepherd Sorey slowly learned of what brought about the Age of Chaos our time was facing through these small artifacts acquired along the way. These are the Iris Gems; physical manifestations of an Earthen Historia that was expelled from the Earthpulse, the energy that courses through our world. Everything that happens in the surface, every war, every transgression, every major or even minor event in human history is recorded in the Earthpulse and turned into the Earthen Historia. After all, the land sees all…and there is no escaping it.”

On the page next to that entry is a well drawn sketch of an iris gem and the girl saw that she was picking them, up all along.

‘So an Iris Gem is an Earthen Historia when expelled from the Earthpulse and allows people to see events of the past.’ She thought to herself. But if that’s the case, then why was it showing her memories of a certain group. It’s honestly too much of a coincidence. Maybe the land wanted her to see these things. Maybe they were connected to the ancestor she loathes so much to the point that she ran away when she was told of her lineage. Most of her recent young adult angst has been revolving around that fact in the past few months anyway. Setting the book back on her nightstand, she stood up once more and looked out her window, barely seeing her reflection. Blonde hair tied let down in preparation for bed, facial features that were a perfect mix of her parents’, blue eyes that she inherited from her mother; her mother who was descended from the First Shepherd from a thousand years ago. How they managed to pin that down she’ll never know. Maybe the First Shepherd had seraph friends from a thousand years ago and they informed her parents of it. Once upon a time, she was proud of her lineage. Pressured, yes? But Proud? Very. It didn’t matter to her that it wasn’t a royal lineage. But to be descended from a paragon of virtue. To be a scion to such a legacy. True she had her many, many faults but it amazed her nonetheless.

That was until she learned of the other half of her lineage…

Of course, the First Shepherd had a son to continue her line…but who, oh who, was the child’s other parent? She certainly didn’t like it when she found out but she did hope it explained her volatile behavior. The girl shook her head as she rubbed her face in frustration just as a knock sounded at her door. She walked up to the door, seeing one of the inn’s maids outside.

“Yes?” She gently asked so as to not scare or intimidate the girl, who was holding pieces of envelope in her hands. One was sealed with the crest of Hyland’s Royal Family.

“Letters for you, my lady. From Ladylake.” She said as she handed the letters.

“I…thank you.” She said as she took the letter and handed the maid a few gald as a tip. “For your troubles.”

The maid curtsied before walking away. The girl sat on her bed before opening one of the letters. And just her luck, the first one she opened just happened to be from her parents.

Claudia,

     We hope these letters find you well and in good health. You’re most likely wondering how these letters got to you in Lastonbell or how we even knew you were heading for Lastonbell; I’ll only say that you’re not exactly doing a good job of hiding yourself when most of the world know whose daughter you are. You run into a lot of fellow travelers and word does get back here to Ladylake.

     I know we didn’t exactly part on good terms but we’re worried about you and we miss you and we wish you would come home. Rose wasn’t exactly pleased when she learned you ran off while you still have the last of your studies to finish up and said that she was going to give you “the worst thrashing you’ve ever felt in your life”. But you know how she is; she’s just worried about you. And so are Lailah and the others. Even Edna is worried. I know that you didn’t like what you learned after the expectations that we, and so many others, heaped on you but…if ever you feel weary of your journey, if you finally find the answers you seek, the peace of mind you crave or if you simply want to come home, you can do so at any time you wish.

     Take care and know that we love you.

                                                        Your Mother,                                                               

                                                        Alisha Diphda

“Formal as always.” She muttered to herself as she put the letter back in its envelope and placed it next to the unopened pile. Deciding to leave the others for tomorrow, she leaned back on her bed and fell asleep.

Chapter Text

The next morning saw Claudia travelling through the Meadow of Triumph on horseback on a rainy day. She read the rest of her letters during breakfast this morning. They were merely well-wishes on her journey and trying to appeal to her to see reason and just come home (with Edna even threatening to hunt her down, wallop her hard with her umbrella and carry her back to Ladylake herself if she has to and she totally can). Zaveid, at least, tried to keep it lighthearted but it all boiled down to telling her to come home because her parents were worried about her. And any time her parents were mentioned in those letters, it made her think back to their letter from yesterday.

Claudia Aria Diphda had the fortune (or misfortune, depending on what side of the spectrum you’re in and in Claudia’s case, it’s a little bit of both most of the time) of being born into Royal Family of Hyland. Her mother, Alisha, was the farthest from inheriting but when her brother, the King, died childless from an early death of ear infection about 3 years after the Hyland-Rolance war, he saw no worthier successor (and by worthier, he meant someone who wouldn’t A. run the country to the ground, B. let the greedy and corrupt nobles take over or C. let Rolance invade) other than his half-sister who worked hard to foster peace between their two countries. So, Alisha became Queen at the ripe young age of 20, working closely in the shadows with the current Shepherd and her old friend, Rose, to foster peace. But apparently working in secret with someone would lead to feelings inevitably developing and some 8 odd years later, Rose asked Alisha to marry her and surprise, surprise, she said yes. The Shepherd had decided that the world was safe enough for now and to avoid the scandal of a Shepherd being biased to one country, she, under the suggestion and blessing of the Prime Lord Lailah, relinquished her title of Shepherd to follow her heart’s desire after doing so much for the world during the 11 years she was Shepherd. So far, there was no immediate need of a new Shepherd and it wasn’t much of a loss; with Rose’s knowledge as merchant, she had a pretty good head when it came to trade so she was made the Head of Hyland’s Trade Relations with Rolance and she WAS a citizen of the country to boot. Thus, Rose became the consort to the Queen of Hyland. It caused quite the uproar amongst the nobles, but no one was willing to go against the popular Queens. Especially when the Queen managed to give birth to an heir with her consort merely 2 years after their marriage. It caused quite a bit of strain on the young marriage until Claudia was born, as Rose accused Alisha of having an affair; a sentiment shared by the nobles. After the birth, however, no one can refute that it was that their child because the sweet babe was the perfect mix of them and no one can explain how it happened; not the Queen, not her consort, and not even the Seraphim that were their closest companions. Lailah merely chalked it up as the blessings of other Seraphim, the dormant Maotelus or maybe even The Four Empyreans. Despite what happened in the months that passed, Rose was overjoyed when she realized that the blonde haired baby was hers.

“It’s just a gut feeling. It was just a gut feeling but when I laid my eyes on her, I knew she was mine.” Were the words that Rose said when asked by others on how she knew Claudia was her child and no one else’s. Though she would deny she would ever say anything that cheesy if you ask her now.

Thus, Claudia was born. A true blue miracle baby. The pride and joy of Hyland and the jewel of the realm. The daughter of a former Shepherd and her former Squire. Claudia will admit that she had a pretty good childhood; almost anything she asked, she received. Tutors who taught her history, biology, warfare, politics, trade, arithmetic, among other things; everything she needed to know as a child, a student, and her mother’s heir. It was drilled in her head that she had to be the perfect Princess if she were to survive the cutthroat world of Politics; graceful, elegant and knew how to stand up for herself. Being the daughter of one Shepherd and her squire and the descendant of another Shepherd merely fanned those flames and put unnecessary pressure on the girl, who now also thought she had to be as pure as her parents. Mikleo and the others, who dropped by every so often just to see the highly resonant little Princess, taught her the ways of the world that she can’t learn from simply sitting in a classroom. When she was old enough, her mother’s former subordinates, Ian and Shiller, taught her how to use a bow and basics with the sword. Her mother, Alisha, taught her the ways of the lance she learned from Lady Maltran while Rose and the Sparrowfeathers taught her how to be quick with daggers, how to use her surroundings to her advantage, how to be a ghost in the night; anything she learned from Brad and the Windriders. Alisha wasn’t exactly pleased with her consort teaching their child the ways of an assassin but she can’t deny that someday soon, Claudia will most likely need to get her hands dirty in either self-defense or an unavoidable war. Her parents showered her with as much love and attention they could despite their duties and Claudia loved them dearly.

However, everything changed when she was 13. When both her parents determined that they’ve taught her everything in their combat expertise, they revealed that they’ve arranged for her to be fostered by her Uncle Sergei in Pendrago to be taught how to fight with a sword under the Platinum Knights. Hyland had formidable swordfighters yes, but it can’t be denied that the Platinum Knights are the best with the sword. Thus started the downward spiral in Claudia’s behavior. She felt discarded by her parents, especially when it was the time they started being busy with various problems with the nobles of Hyland. She left Hyland angry at her parents. She put up a polite front with the Platinum Knights and Uncle Sergei as well as the Royal Family of Rolance when they invited her to dine with them every once in a while. But even Claudia can’t deny that she felt a tinge malevolence swirling inside her because of her anger at being dumped at a foreign territory by her parents. Without her parents’ watchful eye, she became more…liberal…than most princesses should be; she learned to drink, how to gamble, how to get into and win a bar fight with her friends in the Platinum Knights and for a moment, she felt at home with her friends. That wasn’t to say her parents and the other Seraphim never visited her. They did obviously. The Seraphim came whenever they wanted; sometimes all together, sometimes one at a time, sometimes in pairs and sometimes just three of them because one decided to gallivant around the continent in their own adventure. Her parents, on the other hand, always came together. Usually it was to discuss trade and other diplomatic things required of them with Emperor Lyte. But those always took their first priority while she remained as an afterthought; only visiting on the tail end of their trip and never staying for more than a few hours at a time before hightailing back to Hyland. There were even a few times when they didn’t visit at all, only leaving a letter with Sergei to pass on to her. And in those moments, she felt that little twinge of malevolence growing stronger and stronger that it somewhat scared her. It made Claudia wonder if one’s susceptibility to malevolence could be inherited from a bloodline like resonance can. But she dared not ask Lailah and the others; it would only make them worry.

When she was 18 and bested her Uncle with the Lion’s Howl arte, he deemed that he has nothing left to teach her. Claudia was satisfied with her skill and all that she learned for the past five years and after some heartfelt goodbyes to him, her friends and extending her gratitude to the Royal Family, Alisha and Rose arrived to pick her up and take the princess back to Ladylake. Frankly, she should’ve been overjoyed but upon seeing her parents after being separated from them for 5 years…but it was like she barely knew them. And she knew that even they could barely recognize Claudia anymore. Few words were exchanged before she got on the carriage and they went on their way. An awkward silence prevailed amongst the family. Unable to take it, Alisha attempted to lighten the mood.

“There’s going to be a party when we get back. To celebrate our Princess’ return. Oh sweetheart, we missed you so much.” The Queen said with a happy tone as she held her hands. As if she was still talking to the 13 year old she shipped off to Rolance. As if she wasn’t gone for the past 5 years. As if everything was still the same as always. Rose, on the other hand, merely smiled and ruffled her hair. Claudia almost threw up on the inside and resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

“I look forward to it.” She replied with a sardonic smile as she pulled her hands away and continued looking out the window to see the scenery, pretending that she missed Alisha’s hurt look. They missed her, yeah, but they didn’t miss her enough to attempt to see her more in Rolance. Claudia wanted to understand. Really, she did. But she felt robbed of the years she knew she could’ve spent with them. Thus, the entire trip back to Ladylake was spent in silence.

The party was magnificent though, even if it made her feel even more alone than she ever was, with the older nobles looking at her with disdain because she was an obstacle in obtaining the power they wanted and the younger nobles only interested in her for either the purpose of marrying into the Royal Family or just to plain use her to enhance their standing. They all probably thought she was a freak because she was born to two women too. But, by the end of the night, she got to dance with Lailah on a balcony, away from the prying eyes of others so that was something. The first memory of being back in her homeland that she so cherishes (unless you count the time Sergei brought her horse, Sir Trots-a-Lot, to Ladylake to reunite them). A lot of people may be able to see seraphim now compared to Shepherd Sorey’s time but some (emphasis on the some) petty nobles tend to resent the seraphs that hang around their monarchs every once in a while solely for their youth while they grow old and decrepit each and every day.

The next 3 years were pretty much uneventful; her relationship with her parents were a bit improved compared to how it was when she came home but she still kept her distance from them. They even let her join the meetings with the nobles so she can learn something new, though she usually just glared the nobles and wanted nothing more than to leave because it was just so boring in that room. They even let her go on her adventures on the condition that she check in on their territories as well (and of course, they learned and weren’t pleased with her causing trouble in taverns every once in a while) But…one day…that one day that led to her running away from Ladylake came. Claudia still shivers when she thinks to that night…even though it’s been like…4 months since she left.

4 months ago

As night fell upon Ladylake, Claudia was sitting by the desk in her room, finishing up the last letter she was writing for one of her friends in Pendrago and adding it to the pile once it was in its envelope. Just as she was done, a knock sounded on her door.

“Come in.”

One of the maids in Roundtabel Palace came in and curtsied as always while she drank her wine.

“Princess Claudia, Queen Rose and Queen Alisha request your presence in Queen Alisha’s office.”

“What for?” Claudia asked as she poured herself another cup of wine.

“I do not know, my lady. But Queen Rose was pretty cross when she sent for you.” The maid said plainly. Claudia waved her hand in dismissal and the maid went on her way, with her following a short while. She took the walk to her mother’s office and entered without even knocking, seeing her parents seated by the desk discussing something while Alisha was holding a letter.

“You rang?” She asked nonchalantly as she swirled her cup of wine. Rose took the letter from Alisha and held it up as she walked around.

“You’re gonna burn a hole in the floor if you keep that up.” Claudia said. Finally, Rose stopped and looked at her.

“Your Uncle Sergei wrote.” She said darkly, meaning that Claudia will most likely not like the contents of the letter if it displeased her parents this much.

“And that’s news to me because…” Claudia trailed off before making it clear that she needs it spelled out to her.

“Because he disclosed what you were up to when you were in Pendrago!” Rose yelled out at her.

“Rose!” Alisha cried out in surprise. Claudia rolled her eyes and completely gulped down her wine.

“How you went out drinking nobles under the table! How you got into fights with others! How you basically raised hell in nearly every tavern in Pendrago! Is that where you got the idea to do the same here in Ladylake and Marlind?”

“Ah, good times. They were funny moments. But you know what’s even funnier? How the both of you only learn of these things about…say…what age was I in when I started those? 16? Oh right, you only learned of these about five years after they happened.” She retorted in a quiet manner. Finally, Alisha stood up from her seat and spoke.

“Why? Why did you do it? Did you not care how those nobles will look at you in the future? Did you not stop and think that they will say ‘this is the future of Hyland.’ Did you?”

“I did it because I was young! I was impetuous! I was angry at being shipped off to Pendrago without my input! I was angry because my parents weren’t there when I needed them the most! Of course, not that either of you would even care since the two of you were busy with your diplomatic duties every time you went to Pendrago!” Claudia finally yelled out, stunning her parents into silence. Nearly ten years of pent up feelings were finally out in the open and now it was her parents’ turn to respond.

“Claudia…everything your mother and I did, we did for you. We sent you there so you can learn to defend yourself, to understand the people of Rolance and we know it was wrong for our diplomatic duties to become our priorities while you were growing up, it was so you can someday have a stable reign and a life free from the worries of war like we did.” Alisha quietly tried to defend them as tears sprang in her eyes. But Claudia merely looked at them with hurt and disappointment for daring to use that card on her.

“I didn’t need or want anything else. I could’ve dealt with those in time. I just wanted you both.” Claudia said as she clenched her free hand before looking at Alisha. “You once told me that you didn’t want to be the parent your father was to you; who was hardly there for you when you were growing up. Well, congratulations. You became the very thing you feared the most; a parent who wasn’t there when her own daughter needed her!”

Claudia suddenly felt a sting on her cheek as her head was thrown to the side, her eyes widening in surprise as she turned her head. Rose had slapped her. Her mother slapped her. Her mothers barely raised a hand against Claudia while she was growing up but…she can acknowledge that she deserved this one. It was a hurtful accusation and she knew her mother loved her wife enough to defend her from anything that might cause her pain. Even if it was their darling daughter.

“Don’t you dare speak to Alisha like that ever again! Understood?”

Claudia nodded just as another knock sounded.

“Come in.” Rose said as she turned away to face the maid who just entered. It was one of the highly resonant maids in the palace who greeted them.

“Your Majesties, the Lords Mikleo and Zaveid and the Ladies Lailah and Edna are here to see you.” She said with a curtsy and Alisha waved, not trusting her own voice, to let them in. Zaveid sauntered in first, followed by Edna and Mikleo as Lailah closed the door behind them.

“Well, well, who died? Why is everything so gloomy here?” Zaveid asked lightheartedly while Mikleo and Lailah nervously stood aside. Rose merely handed Lailah the letter as she sat next to Alisha. The four seraphim read the contents of the letter and were…sufficed to say…shocked, seeing as how she never seemed to have this behavior when they visited in Pendrago.

“Whoa...looks like the little Princess here was quite the hell raiser.” Edna commented with a small smile as Rose rolled her eyes and rubbed her temples from the stress.

“When did you guys arrive? And how much did you hear?” Rose asked them.

“A few minutes ago. And we heard everything.” Mikleo gently answered as he looked at Claudia with a kind and understanding gaze. Claudia could only look down at her empty cup to hide from it.

“Looks like the fires of Calamity burns bright with this one.” The shirtless Seraph said with a large grin before realizing what he just said. The look of horror on his face would’ve been priceless for Claudia, who was always close to him, had it not seem so serious.

“Zaveid!” They, except for Claudia, all yelled at the same time. The young princess slowly lifted her head with a questioning look.

“What was that supposed to mean?” She asked with eyes widened in surprise. They all looked at each other and Alisha and Rose nodded in approval. Lailah gestured for her to sit and she did so almost immediately.

“Claudia…you know you were descended from the First Shepherd through Rose, right?” The Prime Lord asked her with a serious look as she sat across the girl.

“Eleanor Hume. Yeah. Through her son, Arthur. What about it?” Claudia asked, increasingly getting suspicious.

“Well…there’s one tiny detail that was blotted out from history. To protect both Eleanor and her son.” Zaveid interrupted, earning a questioning look from Lailah. “It’s alright, Lailah. I got this. Eizen told me all of this, after all. I figure it should come from me.”

Lailah merely nodded in response and Zaveid continued.

“What history left out was that Arthur…was just like you.”

To say the least: Claudia was heckin’ bamboozled. She was stunned. She could only laugh for a moment before talking.

“I-If by ‘like me’ you mean a miracle baby born of two women, then that’s impossible. The records say that Arthur Hume had a father who died before he was even born and Eleanor decided to give him her last name instead of the father’s.”

“But the father’s name was never once mentioned wasn’t it? Birth records from those time show that it was expunged. Probably by Prince Percival Asgard himself.” Edna said as she leaned by the fireplace, twirling her umbrella in her hand. Claudia’s studies in history never mentioned such a thing but she was shown the records when her parents first told her of her ancestry when she was ten. Finally, she asked her question.

“Why would they go through so much trouble to hide a child’s father?”

“Because…people saw Eleanor Hume as the first Shepherd. Humanity’s guiding light. Rose is considered to be your “father”, isn’t she? Because you’re still her daughter and you know what a scandal it caused for her and her mother. Now think how scandalous it would’ve been had word got out that her child’s “father” was none other than the first Lord of Calamity herself.” Mikleo answered. Once again, Claudia was stunned into silence before she bolted from her chair and towards the liquor table.

“I told them all of this. I told Rose of her ancestry. It took me a lot of tracking but I eventually found out where her ancestry came from. I was one of the few people, along with Prince Percival and Edna’s brother, Eizen, who knew of Arthur’s parentage. That his other parent…was actually Velvet Crowe.” Zaveid added with a pained tone in his voice. Claudia poured herself a full cup of wine before drinking it wildly, enough to make an obvious stain on her black nightshirt. Putting the cup down, she approached the door.

“I…can’t do this right now.” She said before she left and stiffly retreated to her room, pretending not to hear Alisha’s sobs echoing throughout the corridor.

xxx

By midnight, Claudia was wide awake on her bed, thinking about the events prior. She heard her door open and she closed her eyes as she continued to listen to the footsteps approach until it stopped in front of her and sat by her side. Barely cracking her eyes, she saw a familiar dress. It was her mother, Alisha. As she feigned sleep, she felt her mother’s gentle caress on her face. Just like she used to when she was a child afraid of the rain and the thunder and the lightning. She always said it was just Uncle Sorey and Mikleo’s grandfather fooling around but she knew the truth; Uncle Sorey and Mikleo’s grandfather died about 13 years before she was born because of the Lord of Calamity. But it did always comfort her. After a while, she felt the gentle touch of her mother’s lips on her forehead. The last time she felt this was when she was thirteen and eve of her departure to Pendrago when she cried herself to sleep at the prospect of being separated from her parents for who knows how long. She felt her mother stand and walk towards the door but didn’t hear her leave immediately.

“Good night, my brave little sunbeam. I love you.”

With those words said, she walked out the door. And almost immediately, she threw her blankets off and got dressed. All the clothes she could bring and the gald she had (which was A LOT) was packed in a single bag. She grabbed her sword, a gift from her mothers for her 15^th birthday, and swung it over her shoulder before securing it over her waist. Black was a good color to wear if you plan on running away at nighttime so she passed by the Palace wholly undetected. Claudia grabbed Sir Trots-a-Lot and slowly led him down to the city gates. Just as she passed by the inn, a voice stopped her.

“Leaving already?”

Stopping in her tracks, Claudia winced as she turned, seeing Lailah standing behind her.

“Prime Lord or not, you’re not stopping me.” Claudia warned the woman known as the Lady of the Lake.

“Of course not. I believe that you need to seek the answers that you seek on your own. So I won’t stop you as much as it pains my heart to let the daughter of my two dearest friends just walk away.” She gently said. Claudia chuckled as she looked at Lailah.

“I always did love you for letting me be myself when I was growing up.” She said with a fond smile on her face. Claudia had no idea when…maybe it was the time when they danced on the balcony when she returned…maybe it was during one of those times she paid her a visit in Pendrago and made her origami cranes…or maybe it was even way before that…but at some point, she just stopped looking at Lailah as that friend of her parents who used to visit her to play and look after her and started looking at her as a beautiful woman she pined for.

But not even Claudia was a fool; she knew it would never work out. She was a seraph. Lailah will outlive her and continue to watch the world grow and fall and rise again while she would grow old and die and turn to dust with nothing but the words in the pages of history to forever immortalize her for her deeds. So, Claudia never told Lailah her feelings. And she was fine with that.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what will you be looking for?” Lailah asked her with a tinge of worry. Claudia hesitated but answered.

“Peace. Answers. I haven’t had both since the day I left for Pendrago. Maybe somehow, I’ll find it somewhere in Glenwood.”

“What about the Kingdom? You’re your mother’s heir. If something happens-“

“Mother has other siblings. Cousins. Uncles. People who can take the throne when she passes and continue the Diphda name. It might not be the ideal choice but it’s the only one she has. Maybe if she’s lucky she has a relative who shares the same ideals. But I can’t be here for now.” She said, pausing to catch her breath before continuing. “Not with this shadow looming over my parents and I. I can’t do that to them. Tell them…I will return. Someday soon. When I find my peace. And my answer on what I want with life.”

Lailah merely nodded before approaching her and holding her hand.

“I pray to the Empyreans for your safe journey. They may slumber for now…but I hope Maotelus…and your Uncle Sorey…protect you.”

With those words said, Lailah leaned down a bit (if there’s one thing Claudia could be proud of, it’s that Lailah wasn’t that much taller than her thanks to her ridiculous growth spurt) to press a kiss to her cheek. She relished the feeling, knowing it would probably be the only one she gets, before they separated. Claudia led Sir Trots-a-Lot out of the city, not daring to look back even once, before mounting him and riding off.

Since that day, it’s just been her, Sir Trots-a-Lot and the road. She hid in Marlind for about a month to check on the territory before leaving. Eventually, she started picking up these Iris Gems and started seeing scattered visions of the hellionized woman and her group. It became apparent that they were scattered, seeing as how there are times certain members of the party weren’t with them in one vision and then there in the next.

“So, where should we go next, Sir Trots-a-Lot? Goddodin? Lohgrin? Pendrago? Nah, you’ve-“

She cut herself off as she looked up once again, seeing a familiar glint from afar. Claudia immediately dismounted and tied Trots-a-Lot’s reigns to a nearby tree. He’s loyal to a fault but he’s pretty jumpy at times. She approached the Iris Gem and slowly kneeled before it. Looking around for a moment to ensure no one sees her, she looks back at it and picks it up.

And the vision began once again.

Chapter Text

When Claudia opened her eyes, she was no longer in the grassy fields of the Meadow of Triumph but rather, on a ship at night in the open ocean. Judging from the sails, she was on a pirate ship. She smiled, amazed. Since the continents merged and formed Glenwood, sailing was no longer needed except for fishing and recreation for nobles. Claudia has longed to sail the seas on a ship of her own but...as usual...her mothers forbade it, saying the ocean held its own risks and dangers and their not willing to lose their only heir at sea for going on some fool’s errand to find lands that may never even be there anymore. Claudia averted her gaze from the sky and saw the dark haired lady yet again, leaning against the side of the ship. This time, the red haired lady with pigtails approached her. Claudia observed them once again, talking and joking around rather pleasantly, even though she can’t hear what they’re saying. It probably has something to do with the young seraph boy they seem to be co-parenting or...something of the like.

“Far cry from the enemies they once were previously.” She muttered with a gentle smile. She didn’t know their names but...it intrigued her nonetheless. They continued to speak and the ebony haired woman turned to the ocean again with a small smile on her face.

“I didn’t know she had smile muscles.” Claudia said with another small smile. The red haired girl stayed for a moment, watching the woman before her with a fond smile on her face. She then approached the bandaged woman and gave her a pat on the shoulder before attempting to walk away. Just before she can take another step, however, the dark haired girl grabbed her hand and suddenly kissed her. It didn’t take long for the other girl to reciprocate for a moment. Claudia averted her eyes, shocked at the sudden scene she was seeing. It’s not like she hasn’t seen two women kissing before. She had to talk to her parents once and entered their room, only to turn around and walk out so fast in a split second because they were making out. It’s just...the sheer boldness of the scene. Claudia kinda wished she was that gutsy. Eventually, they separated and the redhead led her away to the lower cabins as Claudia’s vision started to fade.

Just as the vision ended, Claudia heard a sword unsheathing behind her. Immediately, she unsheathed her own sword and swung it as she turned, blocking the sword just in time to see three bandits surrounding her with one of them engaged in a sword-lock with her. The second bandit swung his sword and she ducked and hit him in the gut with the hilt of her sword before kicking him down on the ground. The third bandit swung his sword while she was distracted, grazing her arm. She yelped in pain before parrying his next attack and thrusting her sword forward and injuring him in turn. As he recoiled from the pain, Claudia swung his sword towards his face, cutting his cheek. In anger, he pulled out a dagger and swung it around, hitting her abdominal area and drawing blood. Claudia tackled him in retaliation and gave one hard punch, knocking him out immediately. The bandit leader finally attacked her but Claudia dodged and blocked his attack with her sword. She immediately disengaged and thrust her sword, only to find her attempt blocked. The leader punched her twice in the face before pulling out a dagger and managing to cut her face by the eye. Claudia finally had enough and slashed at his leg, injuring him and making him fall to the ground. Claudia pointed her sword at him as she tried to stem the bleeding from her wounds.

“Who are you? Who sent you? I demand you answer me.” She ordered him as the leader held his hands up in surrender.

“No one sent us.” The leader replied.

“You’d do well to ensure that you don’t attack a Princess of Hyland next time. Unless you want to be responsible for an international crisis. Go. I’ll spare you your lives this once. But attack me again and I won’t be so merciful.” Claudia said as she sheathed her sword. The bandits stood up and ran off with their tails between their legs immediately. With the adrenaline of the fight finally gone, Claudia felt the pain of her wounds and so she limped back to Trots-a-Lot and untied his reigns before mounting him.

“Come on. Let’s find a good place to camp.”

The rain seemed to only get worse in the night. Claudia hid beneath a group of trees with thick foliage to protect her and the fire she made from the rain. She managed to heal her wounds with the miniscule healing artes she knows and wrapped them up with bandages to prevent them from opening again. Her left eye is even covered up by bandages now. She pulls out the Celestial Record from her pack and starts reading once again.

“The Shepherd, his squire and the Seraphim travel to Lohgrin to learn more about the Earthen Historia and the Dawn of the Era of Chaos. There, they meet the storyteller, Mayvin. Seraph Lailah requests for his help in shedding light about the Lord of Calamity. However, Mayvin advises them to search for more Iris Gems in order to learn the truth. Thus, the Shepherd travelled once again and acquired all the Iris Gems needed. Returning to Lohgrin, the storyteller finally assists them and takes them to a room with a large monolith and finally…they understand…and know the truth of Heldalf, Lord of Calamity.”

In the next page was a sketch of the broken tower and a monolith. Claudia snaps the book shut. She had heard of Mayvin before. Mother Rose had nothing but fond memories of him since she knew him since she was a child with Claudia’s adoptive grandfather, Brad, and the Windriders.

“If it doesn’t all add up, the sensible conclusion is that you’re missing a piece somewhere.”

Mother Rose always told her that to encourage her whenever she gets frustrated because she can’t figure something out. She said Mayvin himself told them those words during their adventure. And for Claudia, it was always somewhat encouraging. Unfortunately, the old storyteller died during their adventure. Claudia would’ve loved to have met him; she would’ve loved to hear his stories.

As for Lohgrin, Claudia always was an eager student of history. She’s read the history of the tower from records as far back as she could. The grand tower where King Claudin Asgard, the alleged Shepherd whom Claudia was named after, died. Unfortunately, after a thousand years and the shifting of the continents, half the structure crumbled to dust while the other half remains standing today just past the Zaphgott Moor and the Great Camelot Bridge. But at least she knows her next destination now and she’s bound to pick up more gems along the way.

“Trots-a-Lot, we’ve plotted our course and we’re heading for Lohgrin. Get some rest.” She said with a fond smile and a pat before falling asleep as well.

Claudia lost track of how long they’ve been travelling now. She made a stopover in Pendrago to let Trots-a-Lot rest properly and to pick up some supplies. After two days, they were well on their way again and now that they were in Zaphgott Moor, Claudia knew that they were nearing Lohgrin. As she predicted she did pick up Iris Gems along the way but what’s odd is that she hasn’t picked up anything new since the bridge. It can’t be the end of it all. She’s seen the beginning. She’s seen the middle. But where is the end? There’s still too much confusion. Finally, she arrived at the gates of Lohgrin and she tied Trots-a-Lot to a nearby trough so he can eat and drink before entering the broken tower. She walked around town, seeing the people go about their business. Claudia never really understood how people could live in a place like this. It made her wonder how they survive despite the struggle of living in an arid desert. But hey, whatever floats their boat. Ascending the stairs, she saw what was in the middle tower and was thoroughly amazed. Despite all odds, life managed to bloom in this tower. What caught her eye the most, however, is the large monolith she read about in the Celestial Record. She approached it and put her hand to it.

“Come on. Come on. Come on. Please work.” She begged to herself. But unfortunately, nothing happened.

“Something’s missing. It doesn’t all add up. Something has to be missing somewhere.” She muttered as she turned away from the monolith and walked out the door.

Funny thing is…had she just wandered around a bit more, she would’ve found that missing piece in the flowers.

Claudia walked up to the makeshift inn and reserved herself a place to sleep at before continuing to walk around until she saw the Item Shop. Amongst their wares, she saw a book that caught her interest.

“Tale of the Calamity by Magillanica Lou Mayvin. Mayvin…”

“Ah, I see that caught your eye.” The old shopkeep said with a kind and gentle smile. He was a portly old man with a pipe and a graying beard to go with his graying hair. “Judging from your clothes, I’d say you’re from Hyland. And a noble to boot.”

Damn…if people out here in the sticks can tell she’s a noble then her mother’s letter was right; she was NOT doing a good job of hiding who she is. A pair of dark trousers, white poet shirt and boots that she was wearing now would’ve done the trick. All she would need to do to avoid looking like a slob who just got out of bed would be to add a simple jacket in. What was probably giving her off was what she was actually wearing outside; a blue doublet with intricate patterns. If she took off the cloak she was currently wearing, one would be able to clearly see the crest of the Hyland Royal Family. But even if she was wearing the cloak, that doublet alone was giving her away since it’s not really something the common folk wear. It’s not like she can just ditch them seeing as how everything she has would give her away. Even her simplest vests would do that.

“Uh…yes…I am. I’m currently travelling. About this book…uh…what’s it about?” She asked him.

“Oho…that particular one was banned after the reign of King Percival Asgard, lass. His grandson banned it. It was about the first Lord of Calamity and all the good she allegedly did in the world. Naturally, the young King couldn’t accept that so he had all the writings of first Storyteller of Time banned. They say this was the last she ever wrote. Well, the last published one at least.”

“The first Storyteller? And the first Lord of Calamity?” Claudia asked as her head snapped up to look at him so fast she was surprised it didn’t fly off to the sky.

“Aye. There was a storyteller ‘round these parts some 30 or so years ago. He died unfortunately. Name was Mayvin. Everyone reckoned he was a descendant of the first Storyteller.” He explained to her. Claudia nodded in response as she dug out a handful of gald from her pouch and handed it to him.

“I’ll take this. Keep the change if I gave too much.” She said as she started to walk away, book in hand. Before she got too far she turned around.

“One more thing, that monolith upstairs. How does it work?” Claudia asked him.

“Can’t help you there, lassie. Rumors say you need a Storyteller of Time to harness its power.” The old shopkeep answered her as he shook his head.

“Thank you.” Claudia said as she walked back to the makeshift inn and opened up the book. She scanned the entire book reading about the adventures of Velvet Crowe and her group. Just as the old shopkeep said, the book praised the first Lord of Calamity for the good she did; stopping the suppression of human emotions and all that. SOME of the information here somewhat matched the beginnings of the Celestial Record but…not what was in there was not as detailed as this one. And it certainly didn’t paint Velvet Crowe as the hero Magillanica Lou Mayvin saw her as. All the events described matches what she was seeing in the Iris Gems. It seemed Magillanica Mayvin was quite a close friend to Velvet Crowe and Eleanor Hume…even if she probably did get on their nerves like she thought. But like what Percival Asgard had done to Arthur Hume’s father, it seemed like she scrubbed Velvet and Eleanor’s…for the lack of a better word…love story from the pages of her book. She skipped towards the end and saw the last words.

“To Velvet, Laphicet, Eizen, Rokurou and Eleanor. Thank you for allowing me to live again. For helping me remember how to feel emotions. How to love. How to laugh. How to care for another. How to welcome and embrace each and every day. I love you all."

'I watch the world with measured gaze as moments turn to history. The world, a lute the people play, and history its melody.

Venture on. Venture on. Let your actions turn the world. And I shall watch, and I shall watch. Until the final star winks out.

If solitude must be my fate, then people are my heart, my heart. I know your sins and shrieks and joys, for people are my heart, my heart.'

Claudia flipped to the next page and gasped. The page contained a sketch of the people the first Storyteller travelled with. It was the people she was seeing in the Iris Gems. Claudia’s hunch was right; the Iris Gems were showing her events related to her ancestors. The people she was seeing all along was Velvet Crowe and Eleanor Hume. Even Edna’s brother, Eizen, was there. Claudia pulled at her hair as she threw the book at the wall. She would’ve screamed had she not wanted to take consideration to the other people around. She was being bombarded by information she was having a hard time processing, she was all out of Iris Gems, no closer to the answers nor the peace she seeks and on top of that, no Storyteller of Time to help her activate that goddamned monolith! Taking a deep breath, she picked up the book yet again. It’s a miracle she hasn’t succumbed to the malevolence yet. There is one place mentioned in the book that she hasn’t been to yet. Some place that hasn’t either been destroyed by time or the shifting of continents. The northern area of Glenwood where Meirchio should be located.

“Meirchio it is, then.” She decided before finally turning in to sleep. 

Chapter Text

‘This is…by far…the ABSOLUTE worst idea of my life.’ Claudia thought to herself as she and Sir Trots-a-Lot travelled through the frozen wasteland described as the Gaiburk Ice Field in Magilannica’s book. She’s tired, she’s freezing and she didn’t even find any single Iris Gem on her way here. Not even the coat she bought and wore helped her out. It was just so cold. She was shivering from where she sat and her teeth chattered, no matter how hard she tried to keep warm. Looking up, she saw lights in the distance and tried to stay awake as they approached. The cold finally got to her, however, and she fell from her horse and passed out.

xxx

When Claudia woke up again, she was already in a warm bed, covered in a blanket. She slowly got up and put on her boots and coat before slowly leaving her room with her sword. The young princess headed downstairs and approached the reception desk and grabbed the check-in ledger. The dates were extremely unfamiliar to her and it seems to have come from a thousand years past. The last page she flipped to had only one name.

Velvet Crowe

It dawned on Claudia now just where exactly she was. Meirchio. She saw in one of the Iris Gems how Velvet signed this book, at the urging of the little Seraph boy she was with.

Clang! Bang!

Being jumpy than she usually is, Claudia immediately took up a defensive stance and pulled out her sword as she cautiously approached the room behind the reception desk and saw that it was the dining hall. She continued her walk until she approached the kitchen door and continued hearing the moving pots and pans, unsettling her greatly.

‘I swear to god if there’s a ghost here...’

Unable to take it any longer, she burst into the room with her sword raised high above her head…

…only to see two normins in the kitchen.

“Bieeeeennn! Don’t hurt us!” The darker colored normin with a top hat and a mask cried out as he held his arms out in defense while the gray normin with the witch hat merely stared at her with a blank look on her face.

“Oh…” Claudia said in shock as she slowly put her sword down and laid it on one of the tables as she kept her gaze on the normins.

“It’s okay. I won’t hurt you. I was just…being cautious.” She assured them as she approached with her hands held up. The gray colored normin merely sighed in response.

“Do…uh…do you know how I got here?” She asked them as she sat on a chair.

“Bien…we found you passed out on the snow near the inn. You must’ve come a long way. But why go through all the trouble of going to an abandoned village?” The black colored normin asked her as they got on the table to be at eye level with her.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa…before you go around asking me personal stuff, why not give me your names first?” She requested of them.

“Our apologies. My name is Grimoirh.” The gray normin answered politely.

“And I’m Bienfu.” The black normin responded with a proud grin and a puffed out chest, bringing a smile to Claudia’s face.

“Well, I suppose it’s only fair I introduce myself. I’m Claudia Aria Diphda, crown princess to the Kingdom of Hyland and descendant of the Shepherd Eleanor Hume.”

“You-You’re Madam Eleanor’s descendant?” Bienfu asked in surprise while Grimoirh merely looked at her with a curious glance.

“Yeah. I came here following these two books, looking for the village of Meirchio. You knew Eleanor Hume?” She asked as she showed them the two books she has. Bienfu picked Magillanica’s book up and his eyes widened.

“Well…you’re in luck. You’re already in Meirchio.” Grimoirh answered her. Before she could answer, Bienfu suddenly spoke up.

“This-This is…the last book Miss Magilou ever published!”

“You knew Magillanica Lou Mayvin?” Claudia asked in surprise and amazement with a grin on her face.

“Oh yes…I was her malak.” He answered cheerfully.

“Amazing…my mother has a normin seraph of her own.” She answered with an enthusiasm to match his own. Alisha did have a normin seraph that came every now and then…a little normin named Priventi. She said Priventi protected her when she was young and she fell in the Mt. Mabinogio ruins even though she couldn’t see him at the time.

“Seraph? What are those?” The normin asked her.

“Oh…that’s what we call Malakhim now. And daemons are now called Hellions.” She answered with a smile. They heard a cough that caught their attention and both turned to Grimoirh.

“If I may ask, why would you risk your life to find an abandoned village in the middle of nowhere? And how are we supposed to believe you that you are indeed Eleanor’s descendant?” She asked her, stoically but politely as ever.

“Oh…well…a seraph named Zaveid told me. He’s great friends with my parents. Here.” Claudia answered as she flipped to one page of the Celestial Record that showed Rose with Zaveid. “This is my mother. One of Hyland’s Queens. Like Arthur Hume, I was born of two women.”

“Oh…well, she does look teeny bit like Madam Eleanor.” Bienfu said as he looked at the sketch.

“And you know Zaveid too. That’s quite odd; people are no longer supposed to see malakhim. But again, why risk your life to get here?” Grimoirh asked her.

“Uh…to be honest, I was just told that I’m not just descended from the first Shepherd but that I’m also descended from the first Lord of Calamity. I didn’t like that. And being impetuous, I left home. To find some peace and quiet. But then I started finding these.”

Claudia dug into her coat’s inner pocket and dug out an Iris Gem from the pouch inside. Grimoirh observed it with curiosity but refused to touch it.

“What are those?” Bienfu asked her in amazement.

“They’re Iris Gems. Pieces of the Earthen Historia that were expelled from the Earthpulse. I thought they might help me find what I need. They kept showing me the visions of Velvet Crowe’s adventure. Everything that was shown to me, matches Magilou Mayvin’s book.” She explained to them before pausing. After a while, she continued to speak. “But…I know there’s a bigger picture here. Something I’m missing…but I haven’t found any other Iris Gems since I arrived in Lohgrin. That’s what we call Lothringen nowadays. I saw the beginning of Velvet’s journey. I saw the middle. But I can’t find the end. I thought coming here to Meirchio might lead me somewhere.” 

Grimoirh contemplated her words for a moment before sighing continuously.

“Oh…” She said nonchalantly. Claudia had no idea how to take that. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

“I’m afraid you’re not going to see the end with these Iris Gems of yours.” The normin answered her. Claudia looked at the normin questioningly, her face showing that yes, she does need to elaborate that for her.

“You said these Iris Gems are parts of the Earthen Historia, correct?”

Claudia nodded in response.

“The Earthen Historia is created because it’s a recording of all that happens in the surface of our world. Now, tell me how would the Earthpulse go about recording something that never happened on the surface of the world in the first place?” Grimoirh asked her.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Velvet Crowe’s final battle with Innominat never took place in the Earth…but in the skies. Velvet and her allies ascended to Innominat’s form outside our planet in order to combat him and Artorius Collbrande. And from there on, she sealed herself away with Innominat for all eternity. With Innominat gone, Laphicet decided to become the new Fifth Empyrean; Maotelus. That is where the Silver Flames of Purification comes from.” The knowledgeable normin answered her. Claudia could barely believe what she was saying and grabbed Magilou’s book. If there was any truth to her words, it would be reflected in this book. True enough, everything Grimoirh said matched the events in the book. Even the part where that sweet little malak boy became the Fifth Empyrean. She completely skipped over that part and just jumped right to the end when she first read this. This is a breakthrough. A part of history never properly recorded before.

“She…never even knew about Arthur, did she?” Claudia asked her solemnly. Both her parents only had one parent to raise them…it kinda made Claudia wonder if her line was cursed to never have a complete family until she came along.

“Probably not. Not even Eleanor knew she was suddenly with child until about a month or two after everything.” Grimoirh told her.

“Bieeen…it was a sad subject for Madam Eleanor. Madam Eleanor felt somewhat sad that they were never going to see one another. She really loved Velvet.” Bienfu added in a sad tone.

Claudia looked down as she continued to hold on to the book. She may have felt ashamed of being descended from the first Lord of Calamity, the person who chose vengeance above all else, but even Claudia had to admit that she really did do some good in stopping the Suppression. And even she had to acknowledge that no one, no matter how horrible you may have been, deserves to be robbed of the chance to raise their child. Claudia always believed that children provided a better moral compass for their parents. After all, no parent wants their child to be ashamed of them.

“Velvet knew what was at stake. She knew that if Innominat were to die, she, Laphicet and the other therions would as well. And in the end, she decided to forego any chance of happiness, a life with Eleanor, and decided to seal herself away. Even now she’s sealed away with him in a happy dream of the life she never got with her brother.”

“I…see.” Claudia conceded. “Then, I suppose there’s no reason for me to stay here any longer now.”

“Wait…before you decide to go ride off into the night…you might want to wait this blizzard out and stay here for now.” Grimoirh said nonchalantly. Well, she can’t say she doesn’t have a point.

“I’ll do that. Thank you.” Claudia responded before sitting down for a moment.

“How long have the two of you been here?” She asked them.

“Hundreds of years.” Grimoirh answered in a straightforward manner. Claudia was stunned. Just her and Bienfu in an isolated and abandoned village in a godforsaken frozen wasteland. It must’ve been pretty lonely here if it was just the two of them.

“Would…uh…would the two of you like to come with me? To Ladylake? I mean…there are normins there. You’d see members of your own kind again.” She kindly offered to them. The pair looked at each other for a moment before nodding and with a small smile, Grimoirh turned to her.

“We would be honored, Princess Claudia.”

“Just Claudia is fine. Well, it’s late. I’m going to rest up. We leave in the morning.”

With a nod, Claudia stood up and retreated to her room with her books. She sat in front of the fireplace for a moment to keep warm before gradually falling asleep.

Travelling back to Lohgrin took her less than travelling to Meirchio did. They rode almost non-stop. They did, however, made a stopover to the Trizolde Cave so that Bienfu and Grimoirh could see the poet Mayvin’s grave. The Mayvin whom they confirmed was indeed Magillanica Lou Mayvin. After a while, they returned to Lohgrin.

“So…this is Lothringen now. What a sorry sight.” Grimoirh contemplated with a sigh.

“Come. I have something to show you.” Claudia said, paying her comments no mind and she led them upstairs to where the monolith was.

“Wowee!” Bienfu exclaimed in amazement as he approached the monolith ahead of them.

“They say that it shows you something from the Earthen Historia so long as you have the Iris Gems but…I can’t activate it. You need a Storyteller of Time. And I’m still missing an Iris Gem. Probably. I think.” She explained as she walked. Grimoirh, on the other hand, was more fascinated by the flowers around her. In the olden days, when she was with Velvet and Aifread’s Pirates, Lothringen was completely intact and covered and this entire area was nothing but an empty room. Now…it’s beautiful. If King Claudin really died here, she imagined he would be happy at the amount of flowers littering the place where he died.

“Hey…look what I found!” They heard Bienfu exclaim. They both approached him and Claudia gasped; in the little normin’s hands was an Iris Gem.

“No way. I didn’t notice this the last time I was here.” She said as she took it from him. The odd thing was…it wasn’t showing her anything.

“No. No. Why won’t it work?” Claudia said in disbelief as she continued to examine the gem. It didn’t lack the same luster the other gems had so there was obviously nothing wrong with it physically. Grimoirh approached the monolith as she examined the Celestial Record before turning to Claudia.

“Claudia…if you may, please put your hand on the monolith. There’s something I would like to try.” She requested of her. With no other choice, Claudia did as asked, closing her eyes once again.

“Come on. Come on. Come on. Please work. I have to know. I’m so close.” She prayed just like before. Such was her concentration that she didn’t notice Grimoirh speaking words in an ancient language as Bienfu stood beside in her in amazement.

And when Claudia opened her eyes once more, she was far from Lohgrin and in an entirely different environment entirely.

Chapter Text

Claudia’s surroundings changed from the odd mixture of flowers and stone of Lohgrin to the autumn colors of some village that she’s never been to or even seen before. The village looks abandoned, with no sign of life in its streets. The structures still stood but there was no one else there. She walked through the village, unsettled by its emptiness. Seeing the Item Shop, she realized that she has indeed seen this village before; the Village of Aball in Eastgand. The village doesn’t exist anymore in her time, probably destroyed by the shifting of the continents but if the comparison between old and current maps were to be believed, Lakehaven Heights was once the Perniya Cliffside while the Morgana Woods became the Aroundight Forest. Ladylake itself even sits on Lake Perniya when some of its waters were drained by Ladylake's founder. Finally, she reached one isolated corner of the village where a lone house stood. She saw two familiar gravestones decorated with Princessias. What surprised her were the two fresh gravestones beside the old set. She approached and kneeled before it. Claudia traced the names written on them. Or at least tried. She didn’t want to touch anything.

Velvet Crowe

Laphicet Crowe

Those were the names engraved on the two new graves. Before she could do anything else, she heard screaming coming from the house. Then she flipped when she realized that she was hearing actual SOUNDS in a vision. She entered the house and saw a group of people sitting by the dusty kitchen table. Claudia was familiar with all of them and knew their names from Magilou’s book. It only took a little piecing together with the Iris Gems to figure out who was who based on their descriptions on the book.

The two dogs, Orthie and Russ, were sitting by the foot of a tanned little girl with green hair. Kamoana. Sitting beside her was Dyle. Looking out the window was a blonde man wearing a long brown cloak. Claudia recognized him as Percival Asgard. Sitting on the table were Grimoirh and Bienfu while on the chairs were Eizen and Rokurou. Aside from longer hair, their appearances didn’t change much from the last time she saw them on the last Iris Gem she picked up. Another scream resounded from the one of the rooms in the small house, making the two small dogs whine in fear.

“Dyle, what’s wrong with Eleanor? Why are Medissa and Magilou taking too long?” Kamoana asked him in worry. Dyle patted her shoulder in assurance before answering her.

“Don’t worry, Kamoana. Eleanor’s giving birth to her baby. It’ll take a while but it’ll be over soon.” He gently responded.

“Eleanor’s having a baby? Will she be okay?” Kamoana asked him, her worry not alleviated. Before Dyle could answer again, a blonde woman wearing a dress walked out. Claudia recognized her as the medusa therion, Medissa.

“How is she?” Rokurou asked as he stood from his chair.

“She’ll be alright.” Medissa answered with a gentle and serene smile. “It’s a boy.” She added. Kamoana ran up to her in her excitement.

“Can I go see them, Medissa? Can I? Can I?” The child asked her, making Claudia chuckle at her enthusiasm. Medissa hesitated for a moment before nodding in consent.

“Alright. But be gentle, alright.” She demanded in a somewhat stern voice. Kamoana rushed inside with Bienfu and Grimoirh just as Magilou came out.

“Well, it’s a bouncing baby boy. Hardly any Eleanor in there. It’s all Crowe looks. Red hair, amber eyes, some of Eleanor on the face. Emphasis on the word “some”.” She commented in her usual manner. But despite that, the happiness she felt for her friend was apparent. Claudia followed after the little girl and saw her sitting beside Eleanor, cooing over the child in her arms. Claudia noticed how exhausted she was; her hair, now longer compared to its length during their adventure, was let down and plastered to her face. She was drenched in sweat, making her blood stained white dress stick to her body and all in all, ready to pass out. She probably would’ve had she not have to worry about holding a baby and entertaining a young child at the same time.

“He’s so cute, Eleanor.” Kamoana exclaimed as she looked at the child.

“A beautiful boy, Eleanor. He’ll grow up to be a fine young man.” Grimoirh commented with a small smile. Bienfu, on the other hand, lightly tapped the child’s nose, making him scrunch his face in annoyance.

“Hey there, little guy.” He greeted the baby. The others quietly entered the room and watched them.

“Well, aren’t you a handsome fella? You’ll grow up to be a strong one. Then you’ll spar with your Uncle Rokurou, right?” Rokurou joked around with the baby as he tickled his stomach.

“How are you feeling, Eleanor?” Eizen asked her, his face stoic but his voice showing his worry.

“I’m fine. Just a little tired.” The red headed Shepherd replied with a tired smile on her face.

“I knew we shouldn’t have travelled here to Aball this late into your pregnancy.” The Earth Seraph said with his arms crossed. Claudia remembered when Edna told her about how Eizen left her when she was a child because of his reaper’s curse. He always blamed himself for every bad thing that happened to them then. She wouldn’t put it past him if he blamed himself now.

“Don’t beat yourself up over it, Eizen. I was due any day now anyway.” Eleanor gently reminded him.

“So…what will you name him?” Percival asked her as he gently laid his hand on the child’s head. Eleanor contemplated on it for a moment before answering.

“Arthur.”

Needless to say, everyone was shocked by that.

“Of all the names you can give, why name him that?” Magilou asked in that flamboyant manner of hers, trying to get the Shepherd to see sense. Eleanor, however, was having none of it.

“I’m naming him not after the Artorius that Velvet hated…but the Arthur that she loved. The one who raised her with Celica.”

“A fine name. But what will his last name be?” The Prince asked her. The way the room suddenly got quiet informed Claudia that the topic of her son’s last name was a sore spot for Eleanor.

“I…can’t give him Velvet’s last name, can’t I?”

“I’m afraid not. Magilou will already attempt to make Velvet’s deeds known to society. But they will no doubt look at it differently. For the sake of your son, you must not give him the Crowe name.” Percival solemnly answered. Tears streamed down Eleanor’s face as she looked down at her son and gently stroked his cheek.

“It’s not fair. It’s the only thing he’ll ever have of Velvet and we’re taking it away from him.” She said in between her sobs as she held her child close. “I just…wanted to prove that Velvet was more than just the Lord of Calamity after all.”

Her sobs were heartbreaking to hear. The first Storyteller pulled her into a comforting embrace as she cried and continued to hold little Arthur close. Claudia couldn’t take it anymore and she walked out of the house. But instead of the autumn colored foliage of Aball, she was suddenly in a lush green field. Turning around, she gasped at the sight.

“Why am I suddenly in Artorius’ throne?” She asked herself as she tried to get rid of the shock of seeing a shiny, tall ass, silver dragon. Claudia ran up the stairs and was met with a familiar person. It was Eleanor, holding her child in her arms. The dragon appeared to be sleeping and the one speaking to Eleanor was the boy Claudia recognized as Laphicet, his form composed of silver flames.

“He’s a beautiful boy, Eleanor.” The new Empyrean complimented with a bright and childish smile as the Shepherd showed her son off to him.

“Thank you, Maotelus.” She replied with a gentle and serene smile. Maotelus’ smile slowly dropped as he gently touched the baby, his flames not bringing him the slightest amount of pain.

“He takes after Velvet. Mostly.” He said in a sad tone.

“Yes.” Eleanor said with a sad smile. “I…wish she could at least see him. Just once.”

Maotelus looked up to the sky with a solemn look on his face before speaking up.

“As do I.”

Claudia walked away from the scene and tried to leave the area. As she walked, however, her surroundings suddenly turned different. Now, she was in an unknown house somewhere. When she turned yet again to take in her surroundings, she saw Eleanor asleep in a spacious bed, little Arthur in a bassinet right beside her. Claudia approached the bassinet and saw the babe, wide awake with his little feet kicking up in the air.

“Hey, little buddy.” She greeted him with a smile as she tried to touch him. Unfortunately, her fingers merely passed through his. Figures. He was bigger compared to the previous vision she saw him in, giving Claudia the hint that this vision was taking place months later. She stepped away from him, intending to leave when she suddenly saw two figures materialize out of nowhere. Her eyes widened when she saw who it was: Maotelus…in his form as Laphicet…and Velvet Crowe, still wearing the same outfit she wore on her journey. However, her left arm was no longer bandaged and was actually back to normal. For now, at least.

“Phi…why did you bring me here? Innominat-“

“Will remain in his slumber. We won’t be here long. We’re in Loegres right now. Unseen by others but there’s someone you need to see.” Maotelus told her. Velvet turned her gaze and gasped as she saw them. She slowly walked up to the bassinet and saw her son, as Claudia knew, for the first and last time.

“Eleanor expressed her wish for you to see him a few months ago.” Maotelus informed her. “Velvet, he’s your son. His name is Arthur.”

“Arthur.” She repeated in a daze. Eleanor shifted in her sleep and unknowingly faced Velvet. Her face was stained with tears, a tell tale sign that she’d been crying until she fell asleep.

“I…left her alone in this.” The Lord of Calamity mused to herself as she looked on at her beloved before kneeling in front of their son. The boy smiled and giggled to himself, unaware that his other parent was actually watching him right now, amazed at the life she managed to create despite being who she was. Just the thought of her having a son with a woman she loved, that she at least left Eleanor something of herself…it made her smile a little, even though she had no idea how to process the recent information. Velvet reached out to touch him and much to the surprise of everyone who was conscious in the room, she managed to do so. As if she had a corporeal form. As if she was really there and not in some eternal slumber somewhere.

“I wish I could stay for you and your mother but…if it keeps you safe, I’ll stay where I am. I wouldn’t turn back time or take anything back because…if I did…then I wouldn’t meet your mother…and you wouldn’t be here.”

Velvet paused for a moment to take a deep breath before continuing. It was clear to both Maotelus and Claudia that she was trying to keep her emotions in check, trying her best not to cry in front of the son who probably couldn’t, and will never, even see her.

“Look at me being all sappy.” Another pause and she took her time to fondly look at him as she stroked his chubby cheeks. “Take care of your mother for me. She may be strong and stubborn but…deep down, she’s still just a crybaby.”

She stayed silent for a moment, before continuing on. 

"When I'm gone...after tonight...he won't even know me. He won't even remember me or this." She spoke, addressing Maotelus. "He'll never feel my love. As much I want him to."

"It's been decided. Eleanor will let him know. She'll make sure he knows how much you love him. She'll tell a lie, saying you died shortly after he was born. That you were looking forward to meeting him and loving him and that you did love him and will continue loving him even in death. She'll lie and everyone will lie until he's old enough to know the truth. It's a lie...but she'll make sure he knows. I'll make sure he knows." Maotelus assured her.

Velvet could only nod in agreement, knowing that Eleanor's decision was the best she could make for their son.  With those words said, she turned to Eleanor and stroked her hair gently and lovingly. The entire vision made Claudia realize that everything Magilou wrote was true; the first Lord of Calamity was never a bad person. Just…a grieving girl consumed by vengeance and hate in an attempt to get rid of the pain of having all she loved taken from her. And in the end, after all she’s done…after all she’s sacrificed…she never even got her happy ending. It made Claudia feel bad for judging her too harshly and too quickly.

“She’s having a hard time moving on from you.” Maotelus solemnly informed the former Lord of Calamity. Velvet shook her head and leaned closer.

“I love you.” Velvet lovingly whispered to her. “I pray you live a good life with our son…and that you love again.”

With those words said, Velvet Crowe kissed her love for the last time before kissing Arthur’s forehead, knowing it’s the only one she’ll ever get to give him.

“Velvet, we have to go.” Maotelus solemnly told her as he gently patted Arthur’s forehead. Wordlessly, Velvet approached him and turned one last time before fading away.

“Thank you…for proving that even monsters like me can learn how to love.”

When the vision ended, Claudia slowly separated herself from the monolith and dropped to her knees, feeling weak all of a sudden. She didn’t even realize the tears streaming down her face until she brought a hand to her face. The baffling thing was…Claudia felt like there was a weight being lifted from her shoulders.

“Well?” Grimoirh asked as she approached the young princess. “Did you find your answer?”

Claudia nodded in confirmation. Deep down, this was the question she’s been asking but never dared voice out; was her other ancestor really the monster who caused the world’s suffering as history painted her to be? Or was there more to her than what was told? And now she has her answer. For the first time, in a long while, she was at peace. Both with herself and everything around her. She can finally settle down and accept everything that is.

“Yes. I realized now that…even monsters are capable of doing good in the world. As well as love.”

Claudia stood up and dusted herself off.

“Come on. Let’s go home. But first, we need to make some stopovers.” She told the two normins. With a nod, the three of them walked out the door and Claudia lingered, turning back one last time to look at the Monolith. Almost 6 months, a trip around the continent, and two near death experiences and who would’ve thought she would find her answers in a large slab of stone in Lohgrin?

With that chapter in her life done, Claudia closed the doors and walked away.

Chapter Text

Wow! This is Loegres now?” Bienfu exclaimed as they entered Pendrago.

“Yeah. It’s known as Pendrago now. The name changed when Earl Pen Dragonia took the throne and became Emperor.” Claudia explained to him. She got along quite swimmingly with her normin companions but it was Bienfu she was pretty chummy with. During the days they were travelling, they were both genuinely curious, both about her and the state of the current world. Grim was pretty curious about the world and Bienfu about Claudia herself. She even learned that Grim taught Maotelus Ancient Avarost when he was still known as Laphicet; before he became the Fifth Empyrean.

“How’s the resonance of the people nowadays?” Grim asked her.

“Well…before the Great Shepherd of Order…my Uncle Sorey…slumbered with Maotelus to purify the land, he and the Seraphim with him predicted that it would take centuries for people to see the Seraphim again. The unification of humans and seraphim was always a dream of Uncle Sorey’s, you see. He was kinda right…but he’s also kinda wrong. Their blessing spread throughout the land faster than they expected. Granted, those who see Seraphim are still the minority nowadays but the numbers of those who see them now was still higher compared to those who could 30 years ago. The Seraphim were tipped off when they realized my mother, Queen Alisha, could see them with hardly any difficulty. Mother Alisha had resonance but it wasn’t as strong as Mother Rose’s.”

“I see.” Grimoirh responded before sighing. Damn, if that’s what 6000 plus years of life would do to you, Claudia would be fine living a measly 80 plus years. A hundred if she’s lucky.

“Well, here we are. There’s just someone I got to pay a visit. Wanna come with or stay here with Trots-a-Lot?” She asked them as she dismounted her horse.

“I think I’ll take a look around. See what’s changed.” The intellectual normin answered as she got off the horse.

“I’ll be by the Shrinechurch. Bienfu?”

“I’ll come with you, Claudia.” He said as he hopped on her shoulder. Once Trots-a-Lot was tied to the nearby trough, they went on their way. Claudia picked up two bouquets of flowers as they walked. Passing by the tavern, however, a voice called out to her.

“Claudia!”

Freezing in her tracks, Claudia turned and saw Sergei standing before her with his arms crossed.

“Uncle Sergei!” She jovially greeted him, attempting to play it cool. Claudia bore no ill will towards Sergei for informing her parents of her…former activities but no doubt he would drag her back to her parents without a moment’s notice.

“Your parents wrote a few months ago. Said you ran away. Honestly, Claudia, do you not realize how foolish your actions were? You are the heiress to the Kingdom of Hyland. Do you not realize how much your parents worried? Not just as Queens worried for their heir but also as parents worried for their child?”

Claudia would’ve retorted but she knew she would’ve gotten quite the beating from Sergei if she did. And she wasn’t really in the mood to get a public ass whooping from the Captain of the Platinum Knights. Sorry. Former Captain. She heard too late he was a General now.

“I know, I know. I should go home, get on my knees and beg their forgiveness but…there’s something I have to do here first.” Claudia told him with a small smile.

“What is that?”

“I…need to get into the Shepherds’ Rest in the Shrinechurch. Can you get the Pope to give me access? Or do I have to bend over backwards in front of Emperor Lyte?” She asked him in a lighthearted manner. It was incredibly hard to get into the Shepherds’ Rest. Only the Pope, the clergy and the Rolance Royal Family are the only ones who can enter that section of the cemetery on a normal day out of fear of vandals and grave robbers. If you want to pay your respects to Shepherds long passed, you’d need an audience with the Pope to gain approval.  

“I see but…what could you possibly want in the Shepherds’ Rest?” Sergei asked her.

“Pay my respects? That such a bad thing? I’m sure they’d make an exception for the daughter of Shepherd Rose and Queen Alisha, right?” The young princess speculated. Sergei sighed and nodded before gesturing to follow him.

“Come on. You can wait by the church while I ask.” Sergei said as they approached the Shrinechurch.

“Wow! That’s the Cathedral, now?” The normin on her shoulder asked in amazement.

“Yep. The Pendrago Shrinechurch. Built a thousand years ago…built to last a thousand more.” Claudia responded with a chuckle as they entered the church. Claudia approached the altar up front first, seeing the rather…plump cat sitting there.

“Lord Morgrim.” She greeted as she put in some gald as an offering to the Lord of the Land.

“Ah…Princess Claudia.” The cat greeted as she scratched her face. Claudia patted Morgrim and she let out a purr. Once when she was all sad and sullen about being sent to Pendrago, she wandered into the Shrinechurch and just sat there when a plump cat approached her, asking what’s got her so sad. It was then that Claudia struck up a friendship with Morgrim. She advised that she make the best out of her current situation and that’s exactly what Claudia did. Claudia even saw her in her visions in the Iris Gems that she was picking up.

“Hey, Morgrim! It’s been a while!” Bienfu greeted her.

“Oh my! Bienfu! It’s been a while indeed.” Morgrim greeted him.

“You know each other?” Claudia asked them both.

“Oh yes. Back when I encountered the first Lord of Calamity. Bienfu was the malak of Eleanor Hume but Magilou reclaimed him eventually.”

“Funny you should mention that, Claudia here is studying up on Velvet and Eleanor’s adventures.” Bienfu said with a smile. Before Morgrim can respond, however, Sergei returned with a rolled up paper in his hands.

“I’ll try to drop by before we leave, Lord Morgrim.” She said.

“Of course. Good luck, Princess.” The Lord of the Land said before returning to her perch in the altar. Claudia, meanwhile, approached Sergei once the conversation was done.

“Show this to the guards when you get there. They should let you in. Try not to cause too much trouble while you’re here. One sign of it and I’m shipping you back to your parents.” He lightly threatened with a smile. Claudia responded with a nod and a smile of her own.

“I know. I will. Thank you…for this.” She said, voice filled with genuine gratitude. Sergei took her in his arms and gave her a hug. Claudia loved her Uncle’s hugs; it was made her feel the protection of a father. Rose was a good parent and did a great job than any father could in raising her but…Sergei’s hugs were different. Being a frightened child in a strange land, he was a great comfort since she’s known him as a child. She wagered it was because he never really had children of his own. ‘I’m working on it’ is what he’d always say whenever someone bugged him about marrying and settling down.

“I’m glad you’re safe, Claudia. Try to return home soon. I’m sure your parents would be glad to see you.” He said as he ruffled her hair. Claudia merely nodded in response once again before he walked away while she went to the side exit that would lead to the cemetery. She walked the lengthy walk with Bienfu, each of them carrying a bouquet. Finally, they arrived at the Shepherd’s Rest, guarded by two knights of Rolance and partitioned by a low fence. Showing them the letter of approval from the Pope, they let her in immediately. She walked past the few gravestones of Shepherds long passed and arrived at the grandest one. For slabs of stones worth a thousand years old, they were pretty well-kept and still grandest of them all. She kneeled down and laid the bouquets before the two gravestones. Afterwards, she traced the names on both stones while Bienfu wiped the tears from his eyes.

Eleanor Hume

Beloved Mother and the First Shepherd of Order

“A guiding light for humanity.”

Arthur Hume

Beloved Son, Father, and Husband

“A dutiful son who upheld his mother’s bright legacy”

“They lived a good life.” Bienfu said as he wiped his tears. Claudia took him in her arms and allowed him to cling to her shoulder as he cried. Looking to her right, she saw a slab of stone, still fresh and seemingly misplaced along with a chisel. Grabbing them both, she got to work at carving out a name on the stone. It was crude but it did the job. She used the chisel to dig out a slot for the stone and slid it in before making sure it was secure. Afterwards, she looked back to observe her work.

Velvet Crowe

“Proof that even monsters can learn how to love.”

“She deserves to have a marker next to her son and the woman she loved.” Claudia said, answering Bienfu’s unspoken question as she dusted her hands. She took a princessia from one of the bouquets and put it on the new marker. Then she sat in silence in front of the tombstones for a moment before speaking up.

“I…I wonder if Velvet involves them in that eternal dreamscape of hers.”

“I like to think she does. At least there, they get to be a family.” The normin said in an optimistic manner. The young princess chuckled in response. What merciless lives and merciless childhoods her ancestors lived; one lost her parents and sister at a young age then followed by heaps upon heaps of misfortune. The other lost her mother as a child and felt guilty for it for years to come. But…they took the hands that life dealt them and managed to make something good out of it. That made Claudia respect them more than anything.

“Come on. Let’s go. I have a letter to write.” She said as she stood up, Bienfu still on her shoulder. She put a hand on the tombstones, giving a short and silent prayer before walking away.

Later that night, the Pope of Rolance was still in his office, hard at work in his plans to guide their people in their faith. Out of nowhere, a knock resounded on his door.

“Come in.” A guard walked into the room, holding an envelope in his hand.

“Your Holiness, a letter from the Kingdom of Hyland.” The guard reported as he handed the letter to the Pope. Examining the front tipped him off that the letter was from the Royal Family of Hyland itself. He had heard from their ambassadors that young Princess Claudia had ran away almost 6 months ago. He thought it rather uncharacteristic of her; aside from a few mishaps that all teenagers of her age (but definitely not someone of her station) got involved in, Princess Claudia was a rather exceptional student, both in combat and other subjects, and a calm soul. The Pope thought that the letter was a plea to keep an eye out for her and bring her home if possible; a plea that Emperor Lyte would no doubt fulfill. They owed Queen Alisha for the peace they enjoyed now, after all. Grabbing the letter opener, he retrieved the letter, only to learn that it wasn’t from Hyland’s Queens at all.

To his Holiness, the Pope of Pendrago,

     Greetings, I hope this letter finds you well and in good health. I know we’ve met each other before but for formality’s sake, allow me to introduce myself. I am Claudia Aria Diphda, crown princess to the Kingdom of Hyland. I write you this letter to ask a small favor. I have recently paid a visit to the Shepherds’ Rest and added an additional grave next to Eleanor and Arthur Hume’s final resting place. A grave marker for a person I personally feel deserves to have a marker by their side. The favor I ask is that the grave marker be allowed to remain there for as long Eleanor and Arthur Hume’s graves are there. Should you have any doubts, at least bring the matter up to Emperor Lyte. I would be grateful if this marker were to remain. I will be in Pendrago until tomorrow noon. Please do know that I shall respect whatever course his Holiness or his Majesty will decide on. I hope I will have your answer by then.

                                           Regards,

                                          Claudia, Princess of Hyland

Having read the letter, the Pope immediately wrote two letters and once he was satisfied, he knew what he had to do.

“Guard!” He called out. The guard from earlier came in immediately. He handed both rolls of paper to the guard.

“Take this to the guards at the Shepherds’ Rest. The grave marker next to the Shepherds Hume is not to be touched or removed by any means necessary.” He sternly ordered the young guard. “The other letter is to go to Princess Claudia. Learn where she is staying for the night and have it brought to her by the morning.”

“Yes, your Holiness.” The guard said before he left the room. The Pope leaned back in his chair and sighed. Hopefully, with the fulfillment of the Princess’ request, it would finally send her home. And quickly. Word is trouble is brewing in Ladylake due to her disappearance and she might be the best chance of stopping it.

The next morning, Claudia was making her final preparations before leaving for Ladylake. Grimoirh was seated atop Trots-a-Lot’s head while Bienfu was on her shoulder as always. She already said her farewells to Sergei earlier this morning and was now ready to leave.

“Princess Claudia!” A voice called for her. The startled young Princess almost slipped off the horse she was attempting to mount because it started moving when it got spooked. Thankfully, she managed to mount without injuring herself or anyone else and she gave the approaching soldier a stern glare.

“Anyone ever tell you not to startle horses while people are mounting them?” She sarcastically asked him.

“Apologies, your highness. I have a letter to you from the Pope.” He said as he handed the roll of paper to her. Unraveling the ribbon tied around it, she read its contents and smiled.

“Tell the Pope he has my gratitude. I ride for Ladylake today and I hope he and Emperor Lyte can attend the Sacred Blade Festival this month.”

“I’ll inform him, your grace.” The soldier responded.

“Thank you.” Claudia said with a nod of her head. “Trots-a-Lot, let’s go.”

Spurred onwards, Claudia and her noble steed ride away from Pendrago as fast as they can, eager to be home after nearly 6 months.

Chapter Text

They were already at Lakehaven Heights when Claudia suddenly brought Sir Trots-a-Lot to a halt. She examined her options for a moment as she looked on; there’s the road that would lead her to Ladylake and end her 6 month journey, while the other would lead her to Elysia, the Home of the Seraphim. Claudia was no stranger to Elysia; Mikleo used to take her there when she was a child to improve her resonance and so that she can be exposed to other Seraphim that wasn’t him, Edna, Lailah or Zaveid (though, Claudia knew that, deep inside, Mikleo was just jockeying to get an impressionable child such as her away from Zaveid, who would no doubt teach her things no child her age at the time should know). She knew that going to Elysia would eventually lead her to Camlann and then Artorius’ Throne. And that might be the one last thing she needs to do.

“We’re going to Camlann for a moment. Let’s go.” She declared, much to the surprise of her normin companions and led Trots-a-Lot away. Just a few more minutes of riding around the Aroundight Forest directly led Claudia to Elysia.

“What’s in here, Claudia?” Bienfu asked her in curiosity.

“This place is Elysia, the Home of the Seraphim. The Great Shepherd of Order grew up here. But there’s another village beyond here. One that was once locked off due to the overflowing malevolence. That village was called Camlann, the Origin Village. But that was 30 years ago so some people can come and go as they please now. Not a lot do though since it’s pretty isolated. There’s just something I need to check out in that village.” She explained to her companions.

“Interesting. I think I’ll stay here while you go on that excursion of yours.” Grim responded while looking as if she’s in deep thought.

“That’s fine. There are some normins staying here too so you should talk to them.”

Looking forward once more, she saw a familiar figure whose back was face her. He was wearing a light blue and white ensemble and his long silver and blue hair was tied into a ponytail.

“Hey! Mikleo!” She called out with a smile. The water seraph turned to face her and though that stern, disapproving look that she can see from afar was enough to send chills down her spine, it was the short blonde girl he was talking to that sent fear into her heart.

“Oh, sh-“

Before she could even finish that sentence, she felt pain around her face and she fell off her horse and into the ground. The object that landed beside her tipped her off that an umbrella was thrown directly at her face.

“Bieeeeen…are you alright, Claudia? Don't die on us!” Bienfu exclaimed in worry. He honestly looked like he was gonna straight up start bawling any moment now.

“Ugh…Bienfu, go to Ladylake and tell my parents I love them.”

“Don’t be so melodramatic. You deserve a whole lot more than that.” A sardonic voice said. Craning her neck a little, Claudia saw that it was Edna looking down on her.

“I don’t know man…I could’ve broken my neck. Hyland could’ve been left without its only heiress.” Claudia said from where she lay on the ground.

“Well, at least you finally came back to your senses.” Edna said as she crouched to poke the young princess’ face. Finally, Mikleo approached them.

“It’s good to see you, Claudia. How have you been?” He asked her as he helped her up.

“Been better. No one’s thrown an umbrella at me before.” She responded as she tried to get her bearings.

“Why do you have normins with you?” Edna asked as she looked to the horse and saw Grim and Bienfu. Bienfu merely greeted with a smile and wave.

“Oh, I picked them up when I went to Meirchio.” She replied as she grabbed Sir Trots-a-Lot’s reigns and led him away, the two seraphim following after her.

“I’m Bienfu. This one here is Grimoirh. Nice to meet you.” The top hat wearing normin greeted jovially.

“Charmed.” Grim added.

“You went to Meirchio? Way up north? Why?” Edna asked her in surprise.

“Not important.” Claudia replied with the straightest face she could muster.

“I’m Mikleo. This is Edna. It’s nice to meet you.” The water seraph introduced himself to the normins. “So…what brings you here, Claudia? You never come over unless I drag you here.” He added as they continued their walk.

“Well…that’s the thing…I need to get into Camlann. My parents can’t know of this side trip but I’ll be on my way home after this.” She explained.

“Camlann? What could you possibly want to do there?” He asked her, his voice suddenly dropping to a sad tone.

“Now, you’ve gone and made Meebo sad, Claudia.” Edna said as she poked her with her umbrella.

“I just wanna see it.” Claudia answered, ignoring Edna’s quip. Mikleo hesitated but gave in after a few seconds.

“2 hours. I’m giving you 2 hours in Camlann. After that, you have to get home. There’s a succession crisis in Ladylake because of your departure.” He reported to her. Claudia’s eyes widened at the news.

“A succession crisis? I ran away! I didn’t die!” She said in a panic.

“Well…the nobles think otherwise. They haven’t seen you in Roundtabel for nearly 6 months now. They think your parents are covering up your death or that you’ve been disowned or…something. They’re scrambling for power now, attempting to force Alisha to choose a new heir.” Edna told her. Claudia nodded as she puffed her cheeks out in contemplation.

“I’ll make it quick. Please watch over Trots-a-Lot. Bienfu and Grim will be staying here to explore. See you later.” She said before bolting off in the direction of the Mt. Mabinogio Ruins.

After about an hour, Claudia finally arrived in Camlann. It was free of hellions now, with the clear sky in full view. But it’s still as empty as before ever since her country ran it to the ground. Walking past the rows upon rows of empty houses, she stopped at one of them and entered. She recognized this as Shepherd Michael’s home from the Celestial Record. Of course, she knew Shepherd Michael was Mikleo’s uncle too so maybe she can ransack something of his mother and uncle’s for Mikleo to have. And just as if a higher power answered, she saw it. A sketch of a family; Shepherd Michael, Mikleo as a baby and his mother, Muse. She picked it up and put it inside her coat’s pocket, intending to give it to Mikleo when she gets back, before leaving the house and continuing her climb to Artorius’ Throne. Once she was at the foot of the temple, she pulled out her copy of the Celestial Record.

“’When the sky runs red, the world will be shrouded in evil.’ Those words have been said since ancient times in reference to the Scarlet Night; a phenomenon that was once said to turn men into hellions. Of course, in our time, a Scarlet Night no longer occurs due to unexplained circumstances. However, when the Great Shepherd and his companions approached Artorius’ Throne for the final battle against the Lord of Calamity, the skies around the temple did run red. And hellions ran amok the temple that once housed the Fifth Empyrean. A place that was once so pure…now so tainted with malevolence.”

Closing the book and returning it to where she puts it, Claudia ascended the temple and once she was at the very top of the lengthy staircase, she sat down and looked at the clear sky. Somehow…somewhere up there…or maybe even in the depths of this temple, Velvet Crowe remains sealed off with Innominat. When Claudia herself is gone and her bones turn into dust, Velvet Crowe will remain that way. It kinda mirrors Sorey’s situation, to be honest. Both sealed off for the betterment of such a selfish race like humans. It was sad to think of and she hopes that she just stays where she is. Not out of spite or malice…but because, unlike Sorey who will still have the Seraphim to see should he wake up hundreds of years from now, there’s nothing left for Velvet Crowe here. At least…in her dreams, she would have her friends and family with her.

“They lived a good life, you know.” Claudia said out loud as she rubbed her hands together for comfort, wondering if Velvet could somehow hear her. “Eleanor Hume became a Shepherd in service of the people, spreading the word that the world is under Maotelus’ protection. She died a natural death surrounded by her loved ones. Her son, her grandchildren, her great-grandchildren. And I’m sure she thought of you in her final moments. Your son, meanwhile…he lived a good life…followed Eleanor’s footsteps…and he was a good man. Arthur Hume lived a full and wonderful life…and I am proof of that.” Another pause. She puffed her cheeks out before continuing.

“So, you don’t need to worry. Rest. Be at peace…Velvet.”

With those words said, Claudia walked back down the stairs and before she completely went on her way, she turned around for a moment.

“Thank you…for allowing me to be here and experience life...and all its ups and downs.”

And she walked away without looking back.

‘Just in time.’ Claudia thought to herself as she approached Mikleo and Edna.

“Oh, you’re back. Edna and I were just about to go get you.” The water seraph said in relief.

“Glad I made it then. I’d hate for Edna to throw an umbrella at me again.” She said with a lighthearted smile. Then, she remembered. “Oh, I picked this up for you. Thought you’d like it.” She said as she handed him the sketch of his family. His eyes widened as he gently took it as if it were a relic from a bygone era. But then again, for a man who never got the chance to know his biological family, it probably was.

“I…thank you, Claudia.” Mikleo said with a smile as he put it in his pocket.

“Well…I should get going. I have a succession crisis to end.” Claudia lightheartedly quipped.

“No running away now. Though I doubt you will. It is the Sacred Blade Festival. Tomorrow’s the last day.” Edna told her as she handed the reigns to Claudia. The Sacred Blade Festival was always Claudia’s favorite festival in Hyland solely for the fun and energy everyone had during the entire celebration.

“We’ll follow tomorrow. Maybe even Zaveid would pop by.” Mikleo said with a smile.

“Alright. Take care.” She said before she went on her way.

“Bye!” Bienfu said as he waved at them. Claudia spurred her horse onwards and they left Elysia behind.

It took her about an hour to get to Ladylake. The moment she returned, bypassing all the merchants who needed to show off their permits to get in, a guard ran back to Roundtabel Palace yelling out “The Princess has returned!” as he went. She stared after him in a dumbfounded manner as another guard took Trots-a-Lot to the stables. Shaking herself out of her shock, Claudia toured Bienfu and Grim around the city and told them about the Sacred Blade Festival.

“Years ago, the Sacred Blade Festival wasn’t just for merriment. It was a search for the next Shepherd. There used to be a blade in the Sanctuary that housed the Lady of the Lake; the Lady Lailah. Whoever could pull it out becomes the Shepherd and earns Lailah as their Prime Lord. Some 30 odd years ago, a boy from Elysia pulled it out and became the Shepherd. That boy was Sorey, the Shepherd my parents Squired for. Nowadays, the Sacred Blade Festival celebrates the day of his arrival as well as a day of extreme reverence to the Seraphim.” Claudia explained to her companions as she handed them some grilled sweetfish on a stick. They were intently listening to her explanation as they took a bite from their snacks.

“Delicious!” Bienfu said with a wide smile on his face.

“I see. And this Shepherd Sorey is now sealed off with Maotelus?” Grim asked her as she reclined on the stone steps they were sitting in. The young princess nodded in response to her query. Before either of them could say anymore, two familiar soldiers approached. Both were wearing a Hyland Soldier’s uniform. The first soldier had long auburn hair tied in a ponytail, green eyes and bow slung across her chest while her officer accompanying her had long loose black hair, gray eyes, a sword strapped to her waist and a stern look on her face.

“Princess Claudia, your mothers requests your immediate presence at Roundtabel Palace.” The dark haired girl sternly said, her face looking like she was ready to give her the beat down of her life.

“Oh…it’s nice to see you too, Ian and Shiller.” She sarcastically greeted them as she moved away from the guard rail she was leaning on. Being loyal soldiers of her mother since she was a 17-year-old knight, it’s no surprise Ian and Shiller are a bit cross with her for all the trouble she caused.

"Good to see you too, Princess." Ian cordially greeted her. "Pardon my boldness but I hope you know how much trouble you've caused your parents these past few months." The brunette continued, surprising Claudia. Ian was never one to say things plainly to her face.

"Well...look who learned to be so direct. I'm well aware though. No need to remind me. So, shall we go?" She asked them as she mockingly gestured for them to go ahead of her but neither of them budged. It was then that it was made clear to her that they intended to escort her to the palace, properly. Like full on bodyguard mode. With a roll of her eyes, she went ahead with Bienfu and Grimoirh trailing behind her. They all walked back to the Palace and entered in silence. They were all met by Priventi and a maid. At the sight of his fellow normins, Priventi hopped in excitement and approached them.

“Good morning, Princess Claudia. Your things are already in your room. Would you like me to take your cloak?” The maid requested as Priventi conversed with Grim and Bienfu.

“Yes, please. Thank you.” Claudia said as she shed her cloak and handed it to her. With a nod, the maid walked away and she turned to Priventi.

“Priventi, you know your way around. Can you please give Bienfu and Grimoirh a tour of the palace?” She gently requested of the little normin as she gave him a grilled sweetfish. The normin happily took the snack and nodded before walking away, with Grimoirh and Bienfu trailing behind him. Claudia walked the opposite direction escorted by Ian and Shiller until they stopped in front of the conference room.

“Queen Alisha, I’m afraid you must pick a new heir! It’s been 6 months and there’s no sign of that wayward daughter of yours ever returning! She could be dead in a ditch for all we know!” A familiar voice boomed from the other side of the door, startling all three of them and forcing them to share knowing glances. The Chancellor. More ambitious than his predecessor as ever and Bartlow was as rotten as they come. Unfortunately, the man was groomed for his position by Bartlow himself so his election to the job was completely out of her Mother Alisha’s hands and into the council’s entirely. Before another word could be spoken, Claudia burst into the room, slamming the door open as hard as she could as she coolly sauntered in. Ian and Shiller remained outside and gently closed the door. The entire council was extremely surprised by her sudden appearance. Clearly they didn’t hear that one guard yelling around.

“Chancellor…I find your lack of faith disturbing. You almost sound as if you want me dead.” Claudia said with a mocking smile, always eager to oppose those she didn’t like in authority. She sat by Alisha’s left hand side, noticing the proud smirk Rose sent her way.

“I-Pri-Princess Claudia! I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just-you were gone for so long that we-“

“Oh I’m sure you are so worried about me. Well then dear Chancellor, I would like to inform you and the council that I merely went out on a…lengthy scholarly expedition.” The princess said as she held her hand out to prevent anyone else from interrupting her. Murmurs erupted amongst the members of the council, clearly not pleased with the interruption in their quest for power.

“What’s going on now?” She asked as she leaned toward Alisha’s direction.

“They’re debating if they’re going to continue with this. Now that you’re back…they’re most likely going to jockey for us to vote on a spare in case something happens to you before you have a child.” Alisha explained to her as she gently patted her head.

“Right…time to put an end to this.”

With a devilish wink, Claudia banged her hand on the table. Her parents most likely kept this debacle up in order to placate their nobles. Well, Claudia wasn’t a queen yet now, is she? If she needed to use threats to put them in their place, she would do it. If she needed to be the Princess and future Queen that they need to respect through fear, then so be it. It was bad to be this blasé about the situation, knowing she wouldn’t put it past them to have her and her family assassinated in their sleep, but if it’ll get this entire issue over and done with…

“Clearly just moments ago, all of you expected me to be dead. Well, I’m here now. And I say this succession crisis is over.” She stated plainly, earning gasps from the council.

“Princess Claudia, we’re merely-“

“I know you’re taking measures if I’m to kick the bucket before I have a child. But that is not gonna happen anytime soon. All of you can cross that bridge when we get to it because frankly, it’s insulting for you guys to talk about this like you’re already planning my funeral.” She said before she stood up and looked onto all of them. But her gaze is mostly fixed on the Chancellor. The man who is no doubt responsible for this aside from her. “You will end this succession crisis, Chancellor. Do not wait for me to use fear just to gain your respect. I am more than capable of doing that.”

“I think the Princess has made herself clear enough. She remains the sole heir to Queen Alisha’s throne.” Rose spoke up, as Alisha was too stunned by Claudia’s actions to say anything.

“Of course, Queen Rose.” A nobleman said. Clearly, he was someone who knows when to bow out.

“I think we’re done here.” Alisha declared as she stood. The members of the council stood, bowed to show their respects and walked out of the room. Soon enough the three of them were the only ones left. And once the doors were closed again, Claudia expected to get that “worst thrashing of her life” that Alisha wrote to her a month ago.

“My brave little sunbeam.”

Instead, what she got was a tight embrace from both her parents.

“We missed you so much.” Rose whispered in her ear. Claudia, though she was shocked at first, eventually settled into the warm embrace and wrapped her arms around her parents and spoke.

“I missed you guys too.”

Later that night, Claudia sat in her bed, freshly bathed and wearing her usual nightwear of loose pants, socks and a loose night shirt. Alisha and Rose sat beside her in one side of her spacious bed, also in their nightwear. Currently, they were reading the journal Claudia kept of her adventure. It only held the important bits in but it’s a great way to bring them up to speed on what she’s been up to these past months. To be honest, she wrote that so that her parents would know what she was up to in case she dies on the road or something. They were even complete with sketches of key features in the entry.

“So you passed out on the snow in the northern lands?” Rose asked as she read along.

“Yeah. It’s where Bienfu and Grim picked me up.” She said like it was no big deal as she shifted her gaze to the three normins sleeping on one of the couches in her room. Grim, Bienfu and Priventi were all huddled up on one couch, with the former of the two exhausted from their travels. "But seriously? After all the things that were said and done in that journal, that's what you zeroed in?" She asked her. Not speaking a word, Alisha closed the journal and put it on the nightstand next to Rose, an awkward moment of silence emerged between the small family. Finally, Alisha thought it best to address the elephant in the room.

“You know…when Zaveid first told Rose of her ancestry, she was pretty much like you.” Alisha informed her with a small yet sad smile. Claudia’s eyes widened in surprise; Mother Rose was never really one to care for what others thought of her. She didn’t care when they were met with a lot of opposition before marrying, she didn’t care when the nobles called her selfish and greedy for giving up the mantle of the Shepherd to marry Alisha and she certainly didn’t care when the nobles were giving her thinly veiled insults to her face while they were raising Claudia so…what did she have to worry about now?

“YOU were?” She asked. Rose merely nodded before she spoke up. The way she did…it was all clear to Claudia that she wished not to be interrupted.

“It was around…oh, maybe 4 years into being the Shepherd. I was also starting to date your mother at the time as well. Never really knew how Zaveid did it but…when I learned of it…I doubted. Something I never did before. Something your Grandpa Brad taught me to never do. I doubted if I was worthy of someone as pure as Alisha and I doubted if I was even worthy of being the Shepherd, being descended from the Lord of Calamity and all. I thought ‘What if malevolence could be inherited like resonance?’ I didn’t want to hurt anyone innocent…especially Alisha. I didn’t want to undo Sorey’s hard work too so there’s that. Not even the seraphim could snap me out of it…” She trailed off for a moment before continuing. “But your mother made me realize…I’m me. That assassin with a pure heart who only killed to keep the common folk safe. And I was chosen to continue Sorey’s job for a reason. And I stopped caring about it eventually.”

Claudia smiled as she saw how Rose said all that with a fond look directed towards Alisha. A fond look returned by her spouse. It was clear that through the years…through the ups and downs…they still love one another dearly. As if they were still in their 20s when their love was just starting to blossom. She found it hard to believe that they ever had the marital problems that was caused by her sudden conception.

“Claudia…sunbeam…you’re you. You are not our ancestors. No matter what, you’ll always be our little girl. And so long as you retain that pure heart of yours, no amount of malevolence will ever consume you.” The redheaded woman said as she ruffled her daughter’s blonde hair with a small smile. It was funny; a few days after Claudia saw the vision of Eleanor, Arthur, and Velvet, when she was musing about what she saw at their campsite, she came to the exact same conclusion.

“Okay…sure…thanks.” The princess replied with a small smile.

“There’s also the issue of when we sent you to Pendrago…” Alisha said with a sad tone. Before she can speak another word, Claudia cut her off.

“Look, if you’re going to tell me it was for my own good…you can forget it. I get it. It was wrong for me to get angry and say those things when I learned so much during my time there.”

“That’s not it. We know it was for your own good; we’re not taking that logic back. But…we know we made so many, many mistakes in that regard. We should’ve communicated with you more. We should’ve made the effort to see you more. We should’ve-“

“Mother, come on-“

“I’m not finished. There were so many things we should’ve done. And we can’t take that back but…you best believe that from now on…we’ll be here for you more.”

Alisha finished her tirade with tears in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around her precious daughter. Rose joined in, embracing her wife from behind and extending her arms long enough to wrap her child in a warm hug too. Eventually, they all separated and Rose leaned down to kiss her forehead.

“Now, get some sleep. The last day of the festival is tomorrow and I’m sure you want to go see it.” She lightheartedly said. Barring the years she spent in Pendrago, they never failed to take her to the Sacred Blade Festival. While there were boundaries, the good people of Ladylake knew not to treat them like royalty during the festival but rather as a normal family grateful for the arrival of the Great Shepherd of Order and the blessings of the Empyreans in general.

“Sleep. Everything will be better in the morn. We’ll be here when you awaken.” The blonde queen said with a smile as she got under the covers with Claudia, with Rose following suit not long after on her other side, effectively sandwiching the former knight between her consort and her daughter. The young princess tried to fight them on the sleeping arrangements earlier but she couldn’t find it in her to resist after seeing that they really wanted to spend time with her. Even if it something as idle as sleeping. Claudia faced the window of her room and was pleasantly surprised when she felt Alisha wrap her arms around her waist and pressed her lips to her temple. It reminded her of those halcyon days of her childhood when she would cuddle up to Alisha or Rose after a long day of playing and lessons. This warmth reminded her of that and with a small smile, she fell asleep.

Chapter Text

Claudia was standing in a tranquil cape, facing the sea. She could feel the cool breeze in her hair, smell the sea salt fragrance only found in places like this, relish in the warmth of the sun. Then, she heard it; the carefree, joyous peals of laughter from a little boy. Turning, Claudia saw a short redheaded boy with amber eyes, who looked no older than 5 years old, running towards her. He was wearing a simple red shirt and brown shorts with boots. Then, he tripped. Right in front of her. She helped him up and dusted him off immediately.

“You okay, kid?” She asked him gently as she continued to kneel before him. Despite the scratches, he gave her an energetic and wide smile.

“Yep. Thank you, miss!” He said. Claudia smiled at his energy and ruffled his hair before she stood.

“Where are your parents?” She asked him lightheartedly.

“They’re by the edge of the cape. I’m supposed to meet them there.” The boy answered before he took off running once again, laughing as he went on his way.

“Hey, slow down! Hey!” Claudia yelled after him as she gave chase. If she were to be entirely honest, she had fun running in this lush green space. Finally, they were approaching the edge of the cape and she slowed in her tracks as she saw the two women sitting by the edge.

The first woman was wearing a white dress and she had loose red hair with its strands being blown by the wind. Oddly enough that didn’t bother her companion, whose shoulder her head was resting on. The other woman was wearing a simple red villager’s shirt and black pants, her dark hair braided into a ponytail.

“Moms!” The boy yelled. The dark haired woman turned and she stood up with her companion. Claudia’s breath was caught in her throat as she realized who they were; Velvet and Eleanor. Then that means that the little boy must be…

“Arthur.” She muttered to herself as she watched Arthur run into Velvet’s arms and be lifted and twirled around, his laughter ringing all around them. It made Claudia wonder where exactly she was. Was this family unknowingly visiting her in her dreams? Was this some sort of afterlife? Or was she somehow pulled into Velvet’s eternal dreamscape as she’s locked away with Innominat? If it was the latter, then it means Bienfu was correct in thinking that Velvet does indeed have her family in her dreams. Tears streamed down Claudia’s tears as she watched the two women embrace their son, finally a complete family. She finally let Arthur down and he walked over to Eleanor to be led away and given a fishing rod as his mother gently instructed him. Meanwhile, Velvet stayed rooted to where she was before turning to the spectator. Claudia stood up straight and wiped her tears as they stared each other down. And finally, after a few moments, the former Lord of Calamity gave her a mere nod and a smile to acknowledge her presence. Claudia gasped in shock but after a few moments, she returned the gesture and watched Velvet walk back to her beloved and their son.

Everything became brighter and brighter and brighter until Claudia could see them no more.

And then she woke up.

Claudia’s eyes suddenly flew open and she sat up in a stiff fashion, managing not to wake her parents up with her sudden movement. What the hell was that? Was that a dream? A message? Some sort of acid trip from going to bed immediately after dinner? Whatever it was, there was no way she was going back to sleep for now. Looking out her window and seeing the moon still high up in the sky told her that morning was far from arriving. Craning her neck, she saw that her mothers were still asleep, with Rose’s arms tightly wrapped around her wife. Claudia gently smiled and covered them with her blanket before putting her boots, her coat and her sword on and walked out of her room. Unlike before, she had no intention of leaving home again. She merely needed a walk to clear her head from what she saw. Her wandering around the palace hallways somehow led her to the garden where a familiar figure sat, observing the flowers and making origamis under the gentle glow of the moonlight. The lady’s back was facing hers, so Claudia was able to lean against the pillar for a few moments to observer her with a smile on her face. After a while, she decided to speak up.

“You look…beautiful. Especially under the moonlight.”

The woman turned to her and Claudia smiled wider upon seeing Lailah’s shocked face. But somewhere inside Claudia, she wanted to slap herself. The hell was she thinking saying something like that?

“Claudia! I heard you had returned home. I’m sorry I didn’t get to see you earlier. Uno and I were discussing things.” She said in sadness at having missed her arrival.

“It’s alright.” Claudia said as she continued to lean on that pillar.

“Would you like to sit with me?” Lailah asked her with a small smile. Claudia thought about it for a moment.

“And ruin the view?” She asked with the same wide smile plastered on her face for a few minutes now. Wow. When did she become this bold? She pretended to miss the blush on Lailah’s face.

“Don’t be silly. Don’t you think the view would be better up close?” The Seraph of Fire retorted. Well, color her impressed; Claudia didn’t think Lailah would say that. She was half-expecting that Lailah would just send her back to bed or something. Holding her hands up in surrender, the young princess approached and sat beside the prime lord.

“So…how was your adventure?” The seraph asked as she continued to make origami cranes while Claudia made flower crowns from the flowers she was picking at. The young princess thought for a moment, trying to attain a better set of words to describe her adventures these past few months.

“Long and exhausting.” Was her honest answer.

“Would you…tell me about it?” Lailah shyly asked her. Okay, something is definitely wrong here. She’s never really known Lailah to be they shy type, so what’s going on now? But to put her at ease and give her some sense of security, Claudia obliged to her request and told her the story of her adventure. She recounted and Lailah asked her questions, saying a few stupid puns here and there, and she even showed off the scars she earned in her abdominal area from the bandit attack a month ago (which only earned fussing and a scolding from the elegant seraph). But by the end of her story, Lailah was smiling widely and that made the princess very happy.

“Did you find the answers you seek? Or your peace of mind?” The seraph asked her. Claudia nodded without hesitation before speaking up.

“When Zaveid told me...I had one question. One I never dared voice out or even admit to myself; was there more to the first Lord of Calamity than what history said? I mean, there had to be if a Shepherd can fall in love with her, right? I learned that things aren’t always as black and white as they seem. Velvet…did awful things that made the world what it is now. But so did Artorius. Neither of them was right or wrong. Neither of them was truly evil to begin with. I mean, if it weren’t for him…Velvet wouldn’t have done the things she did. They were both just sad and grieving people who lost the people they loved and couldn’t do anything about it. I learned that not all daemons are evil…and not all heroes good. And I'm me. I'm not them. I don't have to keep up with the legacy of people from a thousand years ago. I don't need to make the same mistakes they did or mirror their actions.”  

Lailah smiled and nodded, content with the princess’ answer. She was so proud that the girl she watched grow up has matured into the fine young woman sitting before her. Finally, Claudia concluded her story.

“So, after all that, I went to Camlann for a moment, got Mikleo a little something, then I hightailed back here. And that’s it.” She explained as she added a finishing touch to her flower crown.

“I see. You must’ve had a lot of fun then.” Lailah said before the two of them fell into an awkward silence.

“Okay, what’s wrong?” Claudia finally asked as she flopped the flower crown on Lailah’s head. Lailah looked at her in surprise, clearly thinking of a lie to placate her. She rolled her eyes; for a thousand year old seraph, she sure does suck ass at lying. Great at keeping secrets though so there’s still something to balance that out.

“You always attempt to be more engaging. Now you’re quiet. What is it?” She asked her in order to clarify what she meant. Lailah hesitated for a moment before speaking up.

“When you left…Rose was devastated to say the least. She went into your room in an attempt to look for clues into your behavior while you were in Pendrago…all the while wondering if she and Alisha went wrong somewhere while raising you. Then she found the journal you kept while you were in Pendrago.” Lailah explained before looking towards her for a reaction. Claudia stayed stoic and stone-faced through it all as she reclined on her side on the ground next to the seraph.

“No way. I checked. The drawer I kept it in was still locked earlier.” She said with a straight face but Lailah shook her head. Her eyes widened in realization and she bolted up to a sitting position. “She picked my drawer!?”

“We…kind of…read its contents before putting it back and locking it again. Everything.” The fire seraph said as she fiddled with her hands. The young princess sighed and rubbed her face in frustration; that particular journal held all her feelings and activities from her time in Pendrago. Particularly, her budding feelings for Lailah that never really went away and only evolved as time went by. Well, now that it was all out in the open, she might as well see it through. Claudia took Lailah’s hand on her own and gently held it.

“I meant what I said there, you know. You don’t have to give an answer or even reciprocate but…well…I figured you might as well know.” She said bashfully as she avoided Lailah’s gaze. Okay, now she was really expecting Lailah to send her to bed now and tell her she’s being a silly child. Instead, however, she felt a gentle kiss on her cheek and a fond and understanding look from Lailah.

“I can’t give you an answer now…but I’ll at least acknowledge your feelings. I only ask that you let me think this over.” She requested with a small and hopeful smile. One that Claudia couldn’t help but return. She knew what Lailah was asking for; time. A commodity she had a sheer abundance of. A commodity that Claudia sorely lacked compared to her. On the off chance that she does reciprocate, she hopes that Lailah wouldn’t be bothered by the passage of time; Claudia will, after all, grow old while she remains youthful as ever. However, despite that, it made her feel hopeful that the Lady of the Lake may return her feelings after all.

“Of course. Whatever you need.” The young princess answered with a smile. Lailah moved her head to her lap and she started running her fingers through her hair.

“Now, sleep. The last day of the festival is tomorrow and I’m sure you wouldn’t want to miss it.” Lailah said. Claudia merely chuckled before complying with the woman’s orders.

The young princess fell asleep in that garden under the gentle moonlight, surrounded by flowers and origamis, as the Lady of the Lake gently stroked her hair.

Cheers filled the streets as the last day of the Sacred Blade Festival came. The sun was high up in the sky as the people reveled and danced around the fountain plaza. Edna and Mikleo arrived and partook in the dancing part festivities while Zaveid was drinking with a couple of men a little ways away from them. A pack of normins led by the top-hat wearing Bienfu ran around and played with several children while Grimoirh conversed with the seraph, Uno. The Sparrowfeathers were alternating between joining the festivities and peddling their wares like they’ve always done every time the festival rolled by. Meanwhile, the Royal Family of Hyland walked into the fountain plaza, escorted by the Prime Lord Lailah. Though the people bowed and curtsied to them, one wave from Alisha’s hand allowed the festivities to continue. However, they all noticed that there was a wide berth, inviting the family to dance with them. Not one to disappoint their people, Alisha and Rose quickly joined in with wide smiles on their face while Claudia stayed behind with Lailah, watching them with fond smiles on their faces.

“32 years of knowing each other and 23 years of marriage hardly changed them. Their love is still as pure and strong as the day they realized it.” Lailah mused to herself. Claudia, however, heard her clear as day.

“I know. They had their problems but…in the end, the only solace they seek is in each other’s arms. I’m lucky to have parents who love each other as much as they do.” The princess said with a wide smile as she watched Rose lift Alisha in the air out of nowhere, catching the blonde queen off-guard. Then, she turned to Lailah.

“Dance?” The young princess asked as she held her hand out to her. Lailah took it without hesitation and she led them to the middle of the dance area next to her parents. The Sacred Blade Festival is the one particular event where the Lord of the Land releases his power, enhanced throughout the years of purification caused by Shepherd Sorey’s slumber with Maotelus, to allow the good people of Ladylake to see the Seraphim. It only started happening 9 years ago. Claudia bowed and Lailah curtsied, as was custom when starting this particular dance, before the princess twirled the seraph twice. She let her go and slowly rounded her while Lailah elegantly twirled and followed her movements at the same time. Claudia took her hand yet again and twirled her once before they put an arm around each other’s waists, Claudia’s left arm pinned to her back. They both started spinning, eyes glued to one another, as the people around them, including the queens, Mikleo, and Edna, locked hands and formed a ring and started circling them. At the climax of the dance, Claudia took Lailah’s hand and spun her once before kneeling to gently and lovingly kiss her hand, signaling the end of the dance. Everyone gave each other a round of applause before the dancing continued. This time, however, Alisha took Claudia as her partner while Zaveid took Lailah for this one. Mother and daughter danced the simple waltz everyone was currently dancing now.

“Where’s Mother Rose?” The young princess asked her.

“She went to check on the Sparrowfeathers.” Alisha answered with a smile, clearly enjoying her time with her only child. “Are you having fun, sunbeam?”

“Definitely. Most fun I’ve had in years.” Claudia responded with a wide smile. The blonde smiled and cupped her cheek as they continued to dance.

“I’m glad. Have you found the answers you seek? Or the peace you craved?”

“I am satisfied about myself right here, right now, mother. No need to worry about that.” She replied. Overwhelmed with emotion, Alisha embraced her child, one that was eagerly returned by the princess and eventually, they were joined in by Rose before they separated. For a moment, Claudia looked up the sky and saw an eagle flying by. Such a simple sight…yet it was enough to bring a wide smile to her face.

Having found the answers she sought, Claudia Aria Diphda was finally at peace with everything she is, was, and ever will be.