Chapter Text
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The first night there was only dirt under her nails.
There was also a backpack full of gems sagging against the wall as if it’d been tossed there. Shattered sapphire and pretty blue topaz, decked across the room like it was nothing but trash. Amelia gathers it together with a frown, having no memory of why it was there or its purpose.
The second night she notices her tools are missing.
Her room above the Divorce Diner is on the opposite end of the hallway, farthest from the twins to avoid late night howling and closest to Elizabeth because some people are just more sane than others. Maybe Calli needed her things? She had all sorts of tools though. Excavators tool, carpenters tools, axes and pickaxes-
Pickaxe. Her head throbs.
It’s probably nothing.
The third night feels like she’s getting sick but she’s physically fine. She feels like she hasn’t slept in days but that’s not true. She’s been going to bed reasonably because there’s a curfew. That had been there long before her and the others got sent tumbling into this kingdom. The Stain threat curfew, which she guesses she’s free to ignore, but Elizabeth was mother henning her guild again. Early bird gets the dog treat. It works for her. Calli had been the one to give her a scandalized look and say She’s talking about the twins, detective.
Oh, well. Whatever.
The fourth night her nails are broken. She picks at them through breakfast, curled in her chair and feeling out of her wits. At the table, only Fuwawa sits, her ears flat against her head and the moods of the Diner somber.
“Come now, what’s with the long faces?” Elizabeth walks with purpose wherever she goes, a tilt to her head as she examines a parchment. “It’s breakfast, girls, the best meal of the day.”
“It’s the best but not so good without…” Fuwawa says and then trails off, glancing to the empty seat next to hers.
Amelia’s head throbs. She blurts, “What?”
Elizabeth pats Fuwawa’s shoulder as she passes her, “Chin up. Mococo will turn up safe before you know it.”
“What?” Amelia repeats, bewildered. Mococo, missing? Since when?
Calli puts a plate in front of her, her brow furrowed, “Dude, they’re been missing for two days. Where have you been?”
“What?” Amelia feels like she’s rotating off her axis. She would have noticed that! They share a building together! “Should we go- Should we mount a search?”
Elizabeth crosses her arms, “There will be no need for that, me and Calliope have it handled. You just-” She falters, eyeing Amelia for a long moment before smiling, “Get some rest, will you?”
Rest? Amelia stares, perplexed, feeling like the rug has been swept from under her. Calli goes the extra mile and puts her hand on her head to sway Amelia’s head back and forth.
“Seriously, get some sleep.” Calli mutters. “You look like you’re off your hinges.”
The fifth night there’s mud caked into her bed, over her knees and dripping off the side of the mattress. She stares down at it. She feels she should assume an intruder, but those are her muddy boots by the door. A backpack full of gems, thrown like dead weight to the corner of the room. Again. For the second time.
A pretty blue one catches her eye, shining white on the edges that she can’t help but hold it. She doesn’t know what to do with it and it frustrates her. She nearly falls down the stairs when she goes down them. She steps out to get some fresh air and nearly nose dives into a pit of mud by the front door.
“Ah, detective.” Elizabeth greets her- from the roof? Amelia looks up hazily. Sure enough, the guild knight is perched on the roof, her cape falling over the side. She has a shovel leaning against her shoulder. Somewhere out of sight, Calli is muttering. “We’re doing a clean up of the Stain filth. It’s best to stay inside, but you were already doing a good job of that.”
“Stain?” Amelia echoes. She knows that’s a threat but it just doesn’t seem pressing anymore. She holds up the blue gem beseechingly, “What is this?”
“What’s what?”
“This, can you tell me what this is?”
Elizabeth frowns down at her for a long moment, “That? That’s a diamond.”
“Diamond.” Amelia repeats. She stares at the gem but nothing happens. She’s blinking heavily and she’s realizing she’s about to go face forward into the mud when someone shrieks and catches her. She blinks, her entire vision smothered by yellows and oranges.
“Wh-What’s happened? Is she ill?” The voice holding her is scratchy-raw with emotions. Amelia clenches her hand. Yes, she’s still holding the diamond. That’s… important.
“Nice catch, Gonathan!” Elizabeth’s voice feels miles away. “She hasn’t been sleeping too well, could you help her inside? Actually, did you need something?”
“I- No, I did not, I was just-” The voice stutters, fingers cradling her elbows and moving up around her back. “It’s nothing. I was just passing by.”
Gentle hands help her stand up. Her head sways like a lead bowling ball, but she finally sees- right, the knight. The one who won the tournament. The one. Oh god, I wish Tylenol was real. Amelia makes a face. Gonathan’s frown lightens a little, pleased with the sign of life.
“Hello, Amelia Watson.” The knight greets her cheerily as they usher her back inside the Divorce Diner. “How are you on this fine day?”
“Oh, it’s okay.” Amelia can’t believe how tired she feels. She hadn’t felt it before when she was waking up or going down the stairs, but now it felt like reality was crashing into her. Something she was worried about wasn’t there anymore. She had no way to describe it. “And yours?”
“I’m doing quite well, I’m currently doing a… personal patrol of the city grounds! With the increasing Stain threat and the princess missing, I need to be especially diligent.” The knight helps her sit at a booth, falling to a kneel as if it was breathing for him. Amelia blinks, befuddled, but Gonathan is only smiling. Earnest. “With these dangerous threats, I’m hoping it’s not keeping you from getting a good night's sleep?”
“I’ve been sleeping.” Amelia protests. It only makes her frown, because she has. She remembers crawling into bed. She remembers waking up. The diamond in her palm aches. “I guess I’ve been having strange dreams.”
“About what?”
“About,” She scrambles for an appropriate word and blurts out, “diamonds.”
Gonathan blinks at her and, bizarrely, glances down at her hand. She looks at it too, stretching her fingers out to see if there’s anything wrong with it. Gonathan gently cups her hand under his own, his thumb brushing over her ring finger.
“Diamonds are a beautiful gem.” Gonathan says loftily, but it almost sounds somber. “It’s wonderful to dream about them. I hope you dream of plenty.”
“Oh.” Amelia breathes. “Thank you, knight.”
“It’s my pleasure.” He bows, halting some aborted motion to hold her hand. Instead, he whisks himself out of the Diner.
The sixth night is a haze. It feels like she never woke up. Suddenly, she’s outside, and she feels like a mess. There’s a ripped backpack by her feet, gems glittering over the grass like teardrops. Amelia blinks and keeps blinking. Her hands hurt. They hurt enough she looks down at them, cataloging the scratches and bruises along each digit. She has no idea what she’s doing. She’s standing outside the bathhouse.
A lantern catches her eyes and makes her wince, the sharp light too close and too much. Stepping quietly over to her is Gonathan, frown on his face, the same frown everyone had been wearing for her since she’d returned from the dungeon. Since she’d recovered her memories.
“My- Excuse me.” Gonathan murmurs, stepping close to her. “Amelia Watson, are you alright? It’s in the middle of the night.”
“I was-” Amelia stutters, her fingers twitching. “I don’t know. I’m looking for something.”
“Looking for something?”
Shoot. Shoot, where was-? “My diamond.” Amelia pats her pockets but it’s not there. Where the hell did she put the little thing? “I- Did I drop it? Where’s my diamond?”
Gonathan looks concerned, “You should look in the morning. It’s not safe this late at night.”
Amelia shakes her head. She’s crouching down with full intent to go looking for treasure in teardrops. Gonathan meets her halfway, plopping the lantern onto the ground and swiftly cradling Amelia’s hands. Amelia pauses. She hadn’t expected that. Gonathan looks like someone had given him terrible news.
“What has happened…?” Gonathan whispers, thumbs brushing over her palms. Amelia winces. “What were you doing?”
“Nothing.” Amelia blurts, self conscious. “Can you help me look? I don’t want to leave without it. It’s the only thing I know.”
Gonathan looks at her. There’s a small distance between them, lantern fire flickering off the side of his face. Amelia doesn’t realize she’s leaning forward until Gonathan puts a hand over her mouth. His face is cute, eyes closed tightly and expression pinched like it pained him to refuse a kiss.
“You should get to bed.” Gonathan says, voice strained. “Here- I will help.”
He helps her gather every misplaced gem. It doesn’t make her feel better. The backpack is a dead weight in her arms, full of nothing. She feels grim. Gonathan notices as he leads her to the door of the Divorce Diner. He cups her face and smiles at her.
“If you want, we can search for your diamond together.” He offers.
“Together?” That felt better. She felt much better for that. “I’d like to, yes.”
“Good! Please, get some sleep. Have a goodnight, Amelia.”
“Goodnight.” Amelia whispers. “Sleep well.”
Night seven.
Night seven?
It’s night eight. She’s standing in the bath house, her mind removed from her. There’s diamonds scattered across the floor. Gemstones. A dragon’s hoard of useless pretty things. Amelia feels like her chest is caving in. Where is it? She’d lost it, but it shouldn’t be such a big deal, but it is. She’s too out of it, barely retaining conversations around her. Everyone is giving her a wide berth, staring at her pityingly. Whispering.
Do they know? They know where it is. It’s upsetting. She wants to turn and bare her teeth, to get rid of this infernal ache, but when she turns there’s no one there. She’s alone.
Where is it?
Someone runs into the bathhouse, their cape whipping at their heels. They’re out of breath, shouting something. Amelia doesn’t think that’s important. She’s trying to focus on a point on the floor, anything that might stand out, but everything is blurring together. It’s too blue. She can’t find which one matters.
“Amelia.” A pleading voice, hands on her shoulders. “Amelia Watson, please, are you alright?”
“What?” Amelia mutters, “‘m fine, I need to find my-”
“I’m selfish.” The voice has a face now, close to hers, so close she feels she might go cross eyed. “I have been selfish, actually, I- The books did not work, I know, the letters- I’m sorry. I’ve been selfish in keeping the truth from you and it’s only been hurting you.”
Amelia blinks slowly. Gonathan’s face is a picture of grief and determination.
“We were- we-” Gonathan stutters, a pink hue crosses his cheeks. “You and I were-”
“Married!” Someone yells. Right. People are still here.
“Married.” Gonathan squeaks.
“Married.” Amelia repeats. She… has never considered that. It didn’t cross her mind but- Oh, she’s tired. She’s so very tired. She’s losing the battle with her legs and pitching forward. Gonathan catches her, gathering her in his arms like she was more precious than any gem on the floor.
“My pearl.” Gonathan whispers.
It’s like a light that flicks on in her head. Oh. Was it ever a diamond she was looking for? Marriage. A diamond ring? It doesn’t matter. She has the real deal, the real diamond, in her arms. She’s half asleep and barely lucid, but she won’t let this one go. Her hand clasps onto Gonathan’s sleeve tightly.
“My diamond.” Amelia mutters.
“Aww.” Someone coos. Gonathan stutters, lips pressed to the top of her head. He’s being so gentle with her it’s barely any wonder how she managed to even say that before she fell asleep, right there in his arms, for the first time in eight days.
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