Chapter Text
Furina took a deep breath as she stood before the doors of Neuvillette’s office. All around her, the various staff members of the Palais Mermonia murmured and whispered to themselves.
“Is Lady Furina really going to abdicate?”
“After the trial, how could she not. The Oratrice declared her guilty.”
“Yeah, but didn’t it also call her the Hydro Archon.”
“Don’t forget it stopped working just after the trial. I think the Oratrice malfunctioned. Why else would Neuvillette cancel the death penalty and take over delivering verdicts. It might even have started back when it pronounced that Harbinger guy guilty.”
“Even so, there’s no denying her popularity isn’t what it was, especially in Poisson.”
Furina winced when she heard mention of Poisson. She let out a sigh and pushed open the door to Neuvillette’s office, sliding through and closing it behind her like a thief.
Across the room, Neuvillette was standing, looking out the window, an ornate glass likely filled with imported water sloshing back and forth in his hand. Outside the window, the skies were a patchwork of sunny blue and dark grey clouds, likely left overs from the great flood, the waters of which only fully receded two days ago.
Furina had wanted to leave sooner, but the process of abdication, even for a figurehead like her, was no simple matter, even with Neuvillette expediting the process. She had spent the meantime packing and looking for a place to move into. Now, she’d made the arrangements sight unseen and with the paperwork finished, all that remained was for her to finalize her abdication.
Neuvillette’s melusine assistant, Sedene, noticed Furina and tugged on the tail of Neuvillette’s coat. Neuvillette turned and upon noticing Furina, nodded to Sedene, who then skipped away towards the door.
“Lady Furina,” the melusine said with a polite bow as she left the room. Furina tried to smile in return, but it ended up looking more like an apologetic grimace. Once the Melusine left, Furina looked to the ground and took another deep breath.
“Please, come forward,” Neuvillette offered when he noticed Furina hesitating in an attempt to sound inviting. He didn’t realize it had the opposite effect.
Furina sheepishly and silently walked across the room to approach the desk. Atop was the formal declaration of abdication with two lines for signatures. One had been filled out already by Neuvillette. The one which remained was for her.
“Whenever you are ready,” Neuvillette said, handing her a quill.
Furina looked at the quill in her hand, then the paper. Just a few strokes, and I’ll be free… she thought, …free to disappear behind the curtain. Yet despite that, she hesitated. She knew full well that freedom meant no longer being needed. Even if she hated the never ending performance, it was all she had ever known. She looked up from the page and caught eyes with Neuvillette, his expression inscrutable as ever. As she examined his lavender, draconic eyes, she thought she noticed the faintest signs of softening in his gaze. She had once taken great comfort in his presence, but after the trial, he inspired a feeling more akin to dread in her.
She looked back down to the paper and, mustering what little modicum of courage she felt she had left, signed Furina de Fontaine , with the same flourish she had used for the last five centuries. Just like that, she was nothing more than a normal human.
She let out a sigh of relief before looking up to Neuvillette and asking, “Is there anything else you need from me?”
“Actually there is. Could you take a seat?” Neuvillette replied and gestured to the couches.
Furina’s eyes widened, “Oh, of- of course,” she nervously said, trying to conceal the sudden anxiety that flooded her thoughts. What does he want from me? Could this be about my crime of deceiving the people? What is he going to do?
Neuvillette walked out from behind his desk and sat on the couch opposite of Furina. His hands rested atop his cane, giving him a stately and regal appearance, which, when combined with his infamously inexpressive countenance, only served to heighten Furina’s fear of the man that so very recently declared her guilty.
“Lady Furina, are you… nervous?” he asked.
“Huh, what?” Furina stammered in reply, before noticing her hand had unconsciously started tapping atop her crossed leg. She covered it over with her other hand and tried to recompose herself. “Forgive me. I am… fine.” she said after a deep breath. “Do you have some legal matter to discuss regarding my former position?”
Neuvillette’s brow furrowed with a look of remorse, or perhaps sympathy as he began. “No,” he replied, “I merely believe you deserve to be made aware of certain details in connection to what transpired.”
“O-oh, that’s all then?” Furina asked meekly.
“Yes, that is all. ”
“Okay then. Please, continue,” Furina said.
Neuvillette nodded, before detailing to Furina his encounter with Focalors, relaying the late archon’s gratitude and remorse for what Furina endured, and how her only wish was that Furina could “Live happily as a normal human.” All the while, Neuvillette paid close attention to Furina’s countenance. He could see her anxiety subside, but also saw that whatever energy she had seemed to go along with it, like debris dragged out by the tide.
When Neuvillette finished, Furina made no immediate reply. An awkward silence settled over them as Neuvillette tried to read her, but could not discern any sign of either sadness or comfort. She merely lowered her almost vacant gaze to Neuvillette’s hands as they rested atop his cane.
After a few moments of stagnant silence, Neuvillette finally broke the quiet and asked, “Are you… feeling alright, Lady Furina?”
She slowly looked up and forced a weak smile, “I’m just tired… and need some time to rest.”
“I see…” Neuvillette said sympathetically.
“Will that be all, Monsieur Neuvillette?” she asked, still smiling as she tilted her slightly to one side.
“Yes I… suppose that will be,” Neuvillette answered. He wished to say more, say something to comfort or reassure her, but he could find no words that would do so. After five hundred years of working for her, there were many things he wished to express, but felt that it would be improper, and only make the change more difficult for her.
Furina nodded and rose stiffly from her seat. “Then I will take my leave. Farewell, Monsieur Neuvillette,” she said as she closed her eyes and tilted her head to the right, before turning to leave.
For a brief moment, Neuvillette saw Focalors smiling back at him. Stunned by the resemblance and overcome by a sudden wave of melancholy, he failed to properly return her farewell. As she reached the door, Neuvillette shook his head and spoke, accidentally letting a hint of urgency slip into his voice, “Lady Furina,”
Furina stopped before the door and her shoulders tensed slightly at being addressed by the judge once more.
“Is there… anything you need?” Neuvillette asked.
She turned and shook her head, “I just need some time to rest,” she parroted her earlier answer, before slipping back out through the doors.
As soon as she stepped out, the sounds of conversation once again died throughout the main hall of the Palais Mermonia. Furina scanned the room. Everyone avoided her gaze, trying to appear at work while stealing furtive glances when they thought she wasn’t looking at them. Even so, Furina could still feel their gaze, their judgment. For a moment she lowered her head and clenched her fist over her chest. It started to feel as if she was back on that stage, back in the defendant’s seat.
“Ahem, I believe you all have work to do. Monsieur Neuvillette can’t run this nation all by himself,” Sedene piped up, breaking the silence. The workers, a little embarrassed, gradually resumed their work.
“Lady Furina? Lady Furina ?” the melusine asked in a semi songlike fashion trying to get her attention.
Furina unfroze and shook her head before looking at Sedene, “Oh, sorry. I was just lost in thought. Please don’t mind me,” she said, unconsciously trying to paint her standing there in a better light, just as she’d always do when she slipped ip.
“It’s no trouble, Lady Furina. Shall I accompany you to your room?” Sedene offered.
“No, there’s no need. After all, it’s just Miss Furina now,” Furina replied softly, before taking her leave and heading up to her room.
Sedene watched as she did with her head tilted to the side. Evidently an idea then occurred to Sedene, and she entered Neuvillette’s office.
…
After a few hours passed, Sedene was skipping through the halls of the Palais Mermonia with a small to-go box for a slice of her favorite cake in hand. Furina had looked so sad earlier that Sedene decided, with Neuvillette’s blessing, to go and buy a slice of cake for her. When she finally reached the door of Furina’s suite, she called out, “Miss Furina, it’s me Sedene. Are you there?”
She waited a few seconds, but there was no answer.
“Hello? Miss Furina?” she said as she knocked on the door. After the first knock, the door cracked open, evidently unlocked.
Pushing the door fully open, Sedene saw that the lights were off, and all of Furina’s personal belongings had been cleared out.
Sedene looked around the room for a moment before she looked down at the cake in her hand. “Oh,” she said to herself, the cake’s intended recipient evidently having already left.