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Maevis sighed heavily, then looked to Peggy; “If the offer still stands, I’ll take that drink now, dear.”

Peggy nodded with a small smile, then headed out the doors to fetch a good bottle of whiskey. As soon as she shut the door, Skye sat down at the table. Peggy had gotten Maevis a chair to sit in earlier, so she took her seat as well. After a moment to collect her thoughts, Maevis took a deep breath before she started..

“Based off of what Tidas said, and what the journal says, you know that the first king’s bloodline was betrayed and dethroned. What you don’t know is that the MacArthurs, the Garcias, the Ruscos, the Grecos, the Tokuga, and the Kurtz nobles plotted together to destroy the first king’s line. They systematically destroyed any trace of a bloodline that they could.. But they didn’t think to check the Fae Kingdom on the south continent.”

“The Warrick King was not only trying to completely merge the Fae and humans, but he tried to do what Sai has just started to do: dismantling the class system.. Instead of getting the nobles to voluntarily give up their power, he used his loyalists like the Winchesters, the Mani Clan, and the common people to force their hands. It led to a greed-fueled coup d’état that divided the entire continent into the kingdoms you know today. Well, give or take a bit of land here and there..”

Skye inwardly chuckled at Maevis’ phrasing. Magnus had just told her something similar, but Mae was giving her far more details. The traitorous nobles she’d mentioned were all founders of generational kings. The MacArthurs ruled Alcon, the Garcia family ruled Meccano, the Ruscos did rule Ruscovic, although it was currently being governed by Lawrence until his son took the throne.

The Kurtz Clan was like the Mani Clan; they originated from the first northern tribes. They were the first people to create records after the Great Shift. Skye wondered if they were the ones she saw in her dream, but pushed the thought aside for now. Maevis was still explaining how they founded the Sync kingdom by killing off most of the land’s natives.

Skye didn’t like the Sync kingdom in general. Their history of cruelty was too extensive for her. Any time they went to war, their people suffered. Their last six kings believed in ‘survival of the fittest’, and held no sympathy for their weaker subjects. It had been so bad lately that that the rumors of cannibalism weren’t as far fetched an idea as one might want to think.

Ital was currently ruled by the Greco family, but they hadn’t always maintained it. A few other families had taken power throughout their history, basically whenever they lost a war. They would be overthrown, but always paid their way back into the court. Which led to copious amounts of plots and intrigue. It was one of the most confusing histories of the Star continent.

.....

The Tokuga Klan had created the Toku Kingdom originally. It changed to the Odenwa Kingdom for about sixty years before the Tokuga took it back again. They were the current royalty when the kingdom changed to the Sai Republic. The heir was still alive technically, but he’d supposedly stepped down peacefully after his father was executed. The queen had passed away years before, so the only Tokuga left was the prince...

Skye and Maevis discussed the families at length. From how well each was at governing, to how well the current kingdoms were doing. Karena’s brother was king of Meccano, and was a generally pleasant person the two times she’d met him. Once for his sister’s anniversary, and once more during the Summer Games. He was tall and attractive; more or less a male version of Karena.

Armando was a mostly fair ruler, so long as they could work. Meccano didn’t have outright slavery, but their penalties for breaking the law might as well be called what it was. Any debt and most crimes could be worked off, but at a ridiculously low wage. He garnished their wages for food, clothing, and housing.

Most found it unfair because even if you had a home; if you were a commoner, you were forced to stay in the work camps. Nobles were generally allowed to stand around(supervisors), and go back to their villas afterwards. The whole thing was one giant, oppressing, never-ending loop of free labor. Anyone who spoke out against the system usually wound up a part of it.. Like Karena; Armando didn’t take criticism too well.

As the two discussed the ridiculousness of the current world, Tidas came in to the room with Peggy. She had a chilled bottle of medium-dark whiskey, three cups, Maevis’ thimble, and a large bowl of baked potato chips. She’d had the chefs slice and bake some for the princess, in case she wanted a snack while drinking.

He held the cups as Peggy poured, then they all clanked their glasses together. The whiskey had a bit more of a bite to it, but the finish was smooth. As Skye whirled the dark amber liquid around in her glass, she debated on telling them of her discussion with Magnus. Her possible ties to the Warrick family scared her slightly. ‘Will this change me in any way? What will Tidas think? From what Maevis said, the MacArthurs led the coup d’état.. Will me bein’ a Warrick matter to Tidas? I’d imagine not, but..’

As random thoughts bounced about within her head, another name Maevis said stuck out to her: Winchester. The name took a moment, but Skye recalled where she’d heard it before. Turning to her husband, she confirmed; “Wasn’t yer mother’s last name Winchester?”

Tidas held his cup out for Peggy to refill as he answered; “Aye, why do you ask?”

Skye quirked her head towards Maevis; “You said that the Winchesters were loyalists to the first king, correct? And the MacArthurs were the ringleaders of Alconia’s collapse..”

“What’s your point, dearie?” Maevis inquired as she followed Tidas’ lead, and held her cup out for a refill.

“No point; just find it to be an odd coincidence, that’s all. The two rival sides united in blood within me husband.. Just sounds very.. Forboding to me is all.”

Maevis quirked an eyebrow at Skye; “That does sound like something that would be in the legend. It’s an odd way to put it, lassie. And actually, I bet that your husband had a bit of all the royals in him. The ruling families have been marrying their children off to each other for generations; usually to form alliances. He most likely has a touch of all the families involved in the original betrayal within him.”

“Yeah.. ‘Him’ is right here, so ‘he’ would appreciate you two acting and speaking like it,” Tidas stated as he sipped his whiskey.

Skye chuckled and apologized while Maevis smirked. Tidas crouched down and petted Zazzy, who had made herself comfortable by happily wrapping herself around Skye’s feet. She lazily cracked her eyes open to see who was touching her, and gave a soft, happy-sounding trill upon seeing her father’s soft smile.

“At least you’re on my side, right Zazzy?” Tidas asked jokingly.

Taking his words in an obscured literal sense; Zazzy stretched slightly, got up, then knock her father over to cuddle up against his side. Skye, Maevis, and Peggy all laughed as the prince huffed testily, but stayed on the floor a few moments to rub Zazzy’s belly. Her tongue flopped out as one of her back legs began to kick in the air; just like when you scratched a dog’s belly in just the right spot.

The soft smile on his lips, and the gentle look in his eyes as he loved on the baby dragon made Skye wish that her and Tidas were alone at that moment. ‘He looks so sweet and cute with Zazzy! I just want to squeeze them both! Then take Tidas over to the bed, and..’

“Skye?! SKYE! Snap out of it! That’s a right creepy face yer makin’ right now!” Peggy bellowed inches from Skye’s face.

Skye jerked her head back in surprise; “Huh?! What?! I wasn’t thinkin-*Cough*-Mhmm.. W-What did ye want?”

Peggy glared at her; “I know what ye were thinkin’, the drool on yer chin it proof enough..”

Skye wiped at her chin and immediately began to turn a shade of pink. There was a tiny drop there, but she didn’t mind. With a cocky grin, Skye replied; “Ima not ashamed to be attracted to me husband. I actually count me self lucky tha-HEY!”

After Peggy grabbed Skye’s glass from her, she stated with sass; “That’s it, yer cut off.”

Tidas chuckled before he slid the ball of Zazzy over towards Skye’s feet again. He brushed off his pants, stood up, then slammed the bit of whiskey in his glass. Once he’d set his cup down, Tidas leaned in to kiss his wife before speaking.

“Since I didn’t get much work done during the day, I need to head over to the RMC Headquarters and catch up. I have the majority of the treaty between Alcon and the Fae Kingdom worked out, and the investigation into who sent the assassin is looking promising.”

“How so?” Maevis asked Tidas.

“Thanks to Skye’s information about his accent, we were able to trace his travels back to the Meccano Kingdom. Marco’s supposed to be sending an inquiry squad there to investigate, but he wants me to pick the investigators, and do all the paperwork for it,” Tidas sighed as he finished.

“Oh.. So we won’t be sleeping together tonight then..”

Guilt surged within Tidas as he cupped his wife’s cheek; “Sorry love, but not tonight. I will try to be quick, but don’t wait up for me. We can break our fast together in the morning, if you’d like?”

Skye bit the tip of her thumb a moment before replying with an impish smile; “Sounds like a date, husband.”

“Good,” Tidas leaned in for a slow, sweet kiss; “Then I’m off. The two guards outside will stay here. So if you need me, send one of them to fetch me. They’re both speed-type Tanks, so it won’t take me but a minute to get back.”

As Tidas closed the door, he shouted; “Don’t keep her up too late, Mae. Shasta will throw a fit if she misses her training tomorrow!”

Peggy and Maevis smiled and giggled while Skye contemplated what kind of hell she was walking into tomorrow. She’d sent Klaus to tell her she’d cancelled, and had forgotten to ask how she’d taken the news. ‘He was still in one piece, so she couldn’t be that mad, right? ...It’s gonna be a long day tomorrow..’

As Skye lamented within her mind, Maevis felt she could relax a bit. She truly did like Tidas, but his presence caused a fury of emotions to well up within her ever since they’d come to the palace. Too many memories filled the halls and rooms for her to really see anything else. Everywhere she looked, visions of Tiberius clouded her nostalgic mind.

He was her one true love, and he loved her just as much. But the obligations of a king are extensive. Fae and humans cannot bare children, so their relationship was seen as ‘unfit’ for a king. Heirs were part of his responsibility to both his family and people, and it was the one thing Maevis couldn’t give him..

Skye watched a malignant sadness begin to cover Maevis’ features. Her heart ached for her friend, and she wished she could do something for her..

“Would ye like to talk? Or just drink? Ima fine with either or,” Skye stated before an uncomfortable silence could settle.

Maevis swirled her drink in her hand, then slammed it back before she replied; “I don’t want to, but we need to talk.. You need to know everything I do in case the information is useful or needed later.. I just..

Maevis swallowed hard to fight the lump in her throat; “It’s just much more difficult to be back here than I thought it’d be.. I have So many memories here; mostly good ones.. You would’ve liked Tiberius; Tidas is a lot like him.. Not as cocky, but close.”

Maevis smiled brightly; “That stupid man.. Despite my size, he loved me.. We found a special magical item that allowed me to become the size of a human for twenty-four hours at a time. It was charged by the moon’s waxing and waning. Something about gravity and magical alignment..”

Maevis’ soft smile grew cold as she spoke; “I’ll tell you about Tiberius and how we saved the kingdom, but then you have to answer a couple questions for me; agreed?”

Skye thought for about five seconds before she agreed with a nod, then said; “I’ll tell ye what I can..”

After Peggy refilled Maevis’ cup, and she grabbed a chip; Maevis began her tale...