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For someone like Sveta, who had grown up in times of war and instability, with all her country's neighbors posed to march on Morgal at the first sign of weakness, it was almost miraculous. Countries coming together to fight a single threat, despite their other interests... She'd gotten a taste of what she dared to hope was possible when she joined up with Matthew and the others to fight the Grave Eclipse, but to see it on larger, political scale exceeded even her own dreams.
But now that Tuaparang no longer hung visibly in the skies...things were slowly going back to normal.
Perhaps..."normal" was not the correct word, Sveta thought. Sana was firmly out of Morgal, and the ties made during the Grave Eclipse hadn't frayed. Neither had the ones made with Champa, Ayuthay, or Yamata. Things were better than they were a decade ago, better than what was left for her brother Volechek, and hopefully Sveta herself could leave something at least as stavle.
But as for Bilibin… The border was still open – it had been ever since they themselves threw off the Tuaparang and joined the other nations of Angara in the fight - but relations were otherwise ice cold. And they were in the midst of committing a far worse insult than anything they had done before.
Karis and Tyrell had all also been delayed in Border Town for multiple days when the guards realized they had come to see her, the Queen of Morgal. They were here now, at least.
Sveta waited for them in the “museum”, the lobby of Eclipse Tower. Though her friends had come for a personal visit, there was a business reason as well. Karis was coming up the stairs, pulling the helmet off her head and the goggles off her eyes. Even from that distance Sveta could smell the sweat on her brow. She and her father had designed a prototype for a sort of light-absorbing armor similar to the Umbra Gear that even humans could wear. Sveta had thought it was wise and had given her blessing when she heard their plans, but not all her countrymen had agreed. She had read in the hearts of more than one of her countrymen that it was outrageous that humans were trying to take something that belonged to the beastmen’s ancestors via their own blood and labor and make their own, but there was nothing Sveta could do. She had already heard rumors of other places in the world developing similar equipment in the aftermath of the Tuaparang war.
Matthew, who was coming up behind Karis along with Tyrell, smiled when he saw her. Throwing off royal protocol in front of their close friends, Sveta embraced him, and he kissed her on the nose.
"Well," Karis said with a sigh, opening her notebook, "The levels of light Psynergy are still really high down in the Dynamo-"
"I don't know why everyone is so surprised," Tyrell said, "considering that it was hit dead-on by the Apollo Lens."
"But it shouldn't be this high!" Karis snapped. "Not after all these years. And not...after what we used it for, afterwards."
Sveta frowned. Anyone with any sort of Psynergetic power who went by the museum could tell something was off, and the human-born beastmen in particular were noting a lot of restless spirits. She had, too.
"What do you think the cause is?"
"That's really hard to say," Karis said, closing her notebook. "We didn't take proper measurements when we activated it again, and we certainly didn't have time to do any sort of analysis when we fired the Apollo Lens, so we don't know what's really 'normal' for this kind of machine. Or if it's replenishing itself or not. I was looking though some of dad's old records for when we went to Contigo to visit my Aunt Hama several years ago, and the copies of the ones taken at the other lighthouses. The levels aren't as high here are they are at the actual elemental lighthouses, but the way it's distributed.... It's different."
Sveta looked up, past the winding staircases above and at the tower’s ceiling. “Why was something so dangerous left standing?”
"Well, can't you do something about that?"
Sveta looked over at Tyrell in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Aren't you the Queen? If you wanted to take apart Eclipse Tower, you could! You don't have to go through a council like a lot of places have to."
Sveta frowned. "I may be the Queen, but my position still depends on the goodwill of my people. I cannot do whatever I please." And even in these relatively peaceful times...it would still be difficult to convince either her nobles or the common people of the wisdom of getting rid of such a powerful weapon. Certainly some would agree - it was the cause of the Grave Eclipse, a disaster that Belinsk was still struggling to rebound from even today - but between those who still didn’t forgive Sana, and Bilibin’s coldness…
“I’m just saying.”
Karis sighed and rolled her eyes. “It’s too dangerous to touch right now, Tyrell.”
“I know that! But if it gets to the point where it isn’t-”
“We can’t do anything about that today,” Matthew interrupted. “But it’s getting late. You guys want to meet our baby before the day’s over, right?”
Karis and Tyrell brightened.
“Yeah!”
“Of course.”
Sveta smiled, relieved herself to be away from the situation and having an excuse to visit the nursery. “I believe he’s with his grandmother right now. Come, we’ve been dying to have you meet him.”
***
From down the hall they could hear cooing. Sveta's heart lifted. Good, he is awake.
They arrived in the room. Her mother-in-law, Jenna, was sitting by a fire, a bundle of blankets surrounding a golden furball in her lap. Volechek, their Volechek.
Jenna looked up and smiled at them. "There you are!"
"Hey, Mom," Matthew said.
"Hello, Mother," Sveta said.
"Hey, Jenna," Karis said.
"How's it going, Grandma? Bones hurt yet?" Tyrell said.
"Oh!" Jenna snapped, swatting at a grinning Tyrell. "Did your dad put you up to this, or did you come up with a way to be rude all by yourself?"
"I'm a big boy."
"Don't remind me," Jenna sighed.
Sveta's mother-in-law had arrived a little before Sveta had given birth to support her and Matthew during the early months. Her mother-in-law could be a little bossy, but Sveta was grateful for a maternal presence during this time. Having a child had made her miss her own parents more than she had in ages, and she knew Matthew must be suffering too, even if the absence of his dad wasn't quite the same.
Matthew stepped forward, chuckling. "How's he been, Mom?"
"He woke up not too long ago, and Matroyna fed him, so he's in a good mood," Jenna said.
"He is always in a good mood," Sveta said, approaching with a smile. She took her son from her mother-in-law's arms. She and Matthew had been warned that having a child - even with help - would be exhausting. And that was true, but they had also been surprised by how relatively easygoing their baby was. He slept most of the day, like most newborns, and awoke mostly to feed. He did not even cry that much - mainly when he was hungry, or when things were too loud for his sensitive little ears. That unfortunately meant that they all had to stay on top checking him for dirty nappies, since it usually didn't bother him enough to complain. But Sveta could smell now that he was fine, and when Volechek saw his mother's face, he smiled. Sveta had been exposed to the most powerful source of light on earth, but even that still paled in comparison to the brightness of her son’s smile.
"Wow... He’s so cute," said Karis.
"Yeah," agreed Tyrell. "And he's using the blanket I made him."
"He loves it," Matthew said.
"Yes," Sveta said as she sat down. "I was surprised: I did not know you could sew." She ran one of her claws over some of the stitches, which were very neat and well-done.
"When I was a kid, I used to get my clothes caught on branches all the time. Dad eventually got tired of having a new tear to mend every day and he told me I had to start fixing them myself if I didn't be more careful."
"I think he just wanted you to stop ripping your clothes," Jenna said.
"Regardless, thank you,” said Sveta. “Thank you all for the wonderful gifts."
Karis and her father had made a toy soarwing that flew with Jupiter Psynergy ("though I guess that's more for when he's older," she wrote, though Sveta, Matthew, and Jenna had all gotten a lot of enjoyment out of it already).
Kraden, Rief, and Nowell sent a mobile in the shape of planets circling a Golden Sun. It greatly resembled the design deep with the Belinsk Ruins. ("I know what it looks like" Rief had written, "but it's best to start his education early! And you can use Psynergy to make the sun in the middle glow! It doesn't get very bright - we don't want to keep him from sleeping.") Though Sveta and Matthew had been concerned about the glassy orbs potentially falling into the crib below, the craftsmanship looked very sturdy. And Volechek had gone on to watch the colorful spheres circle above him in open-mouthed awe.
"Don't mention it," Karis said. "We're just sorry we couldn't get here to see him sooner!"
"We're all busy," Matthew said. "Eoleo's the only one who's actually been able to come. Though I guess it is a bit easier to make stops when you spend half your time on a ship,"
"Yes..." Sveta said.
He had taken everyone by surprise, showing up with a protective charm he’d forged himself. It had been nice to catch up, though Sveta knew that Eoleo's visit was also political as much as it was personal. Champa was acknowledging the heir to Morgal's birth, expressing an interest in keeping diplomatic ties open and warm. The same for the gifts that Amiti and Himi's family sent, as political as they were deeply personal. Sana had also sent a gift, one that Sveta did not need any cultural explanation for: bracelet with beautifully carved jade and silver, whose clinking was supposed to ward off evil spirits and protect the baby.
Bilibin, however...had sent nothing.
Pushing that thought out of her mind, Sveta focused instead on spending the evening with her friends and family. They spent the next while catching up and being entertained by every noise and movement that Volechek made. Eventually, though, her son was overcome by tiredness and fell asleep in the middle of a stretch.
"You know, I'm curious," Tyrell said. "Have you ever tried reading his mind?"
"I sometimes did at the beginning when she cried," Sveta admitted. "But he doesn't cry very often, and I can usually tell what he wants by now. And when he isn't crying...he usually only thinks about how comfortable his surroundings are."
"That's what Dad I was like when I was a baby. I didn't think about too much for a while."
"That's hard to believe, Karis," Matthew said and Tyrell snickered.
"How...is your dad doing now, Karis?" Jenna asked. "Yours too, Tyrell."
"He's okay," Tyrell said, fidgeting a little.
"He's better," she said. "It's been hard - and I know it's been hard for everyone - but he's sure that his vision of Isaac being alive and well is true. And that helps a lot..."
Jenna nodded, her features darkening. "And Alex is still around, too."
The room went silent, with the exception of Volechek’s snoring.
"Yeah..." said Karis, uncomfortably. "But we can't do much about that until it happens. Take all the precautions that we can, and then take it as it comes."
"Uh, anyway," Tyrell said. "Your parents - and Isaac's - are talking about coming to see you guys."
"Good," Jenna said, brightening a little. "I think it would really do Dora a lot of good to see her great-grandchild."
"Yeah."
No one said anything for a few more minutes. Then, Matthew yawned.
"I guess it is getting kind of late," Karis said. "We all have a lot of things to do tomorrow, and we have more time to catch up before we leave."
"Yes... We will see you all the in the morning."
They all embraced and said their goodnights, until it was only Sveta, Matthew, Jenna, and Volechek in the room.
"How about you, Mom? How are you doing?"
Jenna blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I mean..." Matthew fumbled for words.
"You are welcome to stay here in Belinsk as long as you want," Sveta said.
Jenna stared at them for a minute, and then scowled and turned away from them. "If you're worried about me staying on my own in Kalay, I'm fine. You don't need to feel sorry for me."
Sveta and Matthew exchanged glances. Jenna was very sensitive and Sveta could tell she needed support, but she did not like having this point out.
"We just mean that we really need you around and-"
"Of course you need me around!" Jenna spun around, but she was no longer scowling. "Parents should be around when their grandchild is born!"
Sveta's ears perked up. There was the sound of running in the hallway, coming closer and closer. Suddenly the door flew open. It was one of her guards.
"Your Majesties!"
"What is wrong?"
"Ah, nothing's wrong, exactly. We just have...visitors? They say they're messengers from Bilibin?"
***
They were two human messengers, looking rather frazzled. One was holding a small package. The one that was empty-handed stepped forward and bowed low.
"Thank you for having us, Your Majesty," he said. "Again, we're so sorry for the late arrival. We were…repeatedly held up by several setbacks."
Sveta motioned for him to rise. "I am sorry for your hardship, but I am glad that you made it through safely. What is the nature of this errand?"
The empty-handed messenger motioned for the other to come forward. "The thing is, Milady- Milord, I mean - wanted to send her- his! ...Wanted to send their congratulations for the birth of his highness, the Crown Prince Volechek."
Two of Sveta's own guards stepped forward and looked at the package. One of them glowed briefly and then the box itself faintly glowed. Neither of the Bilibino messengers seemed to notice the actual glowing of the box. They must not be Adepts. After a moment, the glowing stopped and her guards nodded. They took the box and brought it over to Sveta.
"Thank you for your kindness," Sveta said. She herself then sniffed it, and then used her own Spirit Sense on it. Whoever had made this gift had made it with pride, but the senders themselves had no strong feelings. But indifference...was better than malice.
Sveta looked up at the messengers. "You both look exhausted. Please, allow us to give you shelter for the evening, at least."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" the second one said, bowing so lowly and quickly that he almost tumbled to the ground. "Unfortunately, we've been delayed to the point where Mila- our ruler requires us back as soon as possible, but we will gladly stay the night."
Sveta nodded. She instructed her guards to show the two to their accommodations for the night, and she was left alone with her family members. As Matthew and Jenna leaned in around her, Sveta tore away the wrapping and opened the box.
It was a small silver spoon, the size that a baby could grasp, and the handle was gold-plated. In its bowl was the intricate engraving of a three-forked road, a large city at the end of one of the paths. Bilibin.
"A spoon?" asked Jenna, leaning in further. “That’s it? And what’s that design supposed to be in the middle?”
"It’s a crossroads," Sveta said. "A sign for Bilibin...and for trade." Bilibin wasn't the world's strongest trading power - or even the area's: that was still Kalay - but it was still a place through which many goods passed: Hermes Water from Imil, anything from the West passing from Kalay into Ei-Jei, and any of Morgal's exports going West.
"That's…promising? " Matthew murmured.
Sveta nodded. “It is…mildly promising.”
***
Volechek had woken up once more for a feeding and a changing, but afterwards Sveta and Matthew had left their little son soundly asleep in his crib, wrapped up comfortably in Tyrell’s quilt and under both Rief’s mobile and Eoleo’s charm. But Sveta herself still lay wide awake in her bed.
Aren't you the Queen? If you wanted to take apart Eclipse Tower, you could! You don't have to go through a council like a lot of places have to.
“Sveta? Are you awake?”
Sveta looked over at Matthew. He was already looking at her.
“I’m sorry…did I wake you?”
He shook his head, his blond spikes getting mussed up against the pillow. “What’s wrong?”
Sveta sighed. "I cannot stop thinking about the tower...and what Tyrell said."
“Try not to let him get to you,” Matthew replied. “You know how Tyrell can be.”
"But Tyrell," she said, "has a point." She sat up in bed and wrapped her arms around her knees. "How many of the deaths during the war with the Tuaparang could have been avoided if the ancients had dissembled Luna Tower when they realized its strength instead of simply sealing it? Even after all this time, I cannot understand why the reaction of a haggard continent coming together in the aftermath of the first Eclipse was simply to create another powerful machine to turn it off, instead of finding another, safer way to harness light…if such a way exists.” Matthew turned over on his back and took a long, deep breath. “I don’t know.”
Sveta shook her head and looked back over at Matthew. “I am sorry. I know you too think about these things-”
“No, it’s okay.” He turned back over toward her. "When I got a little older, Dad and Mom told me more about the choices they had to make. I knew the story like everyone did, that they thought alchemy would destroy the world, but it was actually needed to sustain it. But even at the time they had an idea of how dangerous it could be in the wrong hands, and that was even before they knew what Alex was up to. They had to choose…whether to let the world waste away for sure or risk other people possibly destroying it.”
“And then they had you – and Karis and Tyrell and Rief and Nowell - to watch over the world in their place, when they thought their time was limited.”
Matthew nodded.
Volechek was born to fulfill Sveta and Matthew's duties in their place. The same for Matthew for his parents, and the same for her and her brother for their own parents. Sveta had felt that royalty was a burden, but she had given it to her son anyway. What other choice was there?
And yet Sveta couldn’t help wonder… The beastmen as a race were young, only a little over forty years old by this point. Who were her parents before they became beastmen? They never told her when she was young, and Volechek didn't seem to know the answer either. But whoever they had been, they had taken responsibility for the budding nation always under attack from the humans around it, and that meant making some sort of preparation for when they were gone. As much of a burden as it was to be royalty, the path her parents had chosen...Sveta could not imagine the weight upon her conscience if she left it all behind.
(It was the same with her in-laws, with the parents of many of her friends... They'd accepted the responsibility either for the world or their nation around them... And now it was their turn.)
Sveta turned to Matthew.
“At the very least, Matthew, I am glad you’re here. Regardless of why.”
Matthew smiled. “Me too. And Mom and Dad feel the same way, I know, even if Dad’s…well, Dad, about the way he shows it. Grandma’s like that too. Your parents must have, too.”
“Yes…” Sveta sniffed. "I want the best for little Volechek, I don’t want him to suffer like we did. But if that’s out of our control…must have at least one thing for him: in whatever responsibilities he has, he must have the support of companions like we did."
"He will. We'll be there for him. And if something happens to us, Mom is here, and Karis and Tyrell and everyone else. Someday, Dad will be, too. We just need to make sure he knows when he grows up that she doesn't need to take on everything alone."
"He cannot," Sveta said. "It is not possible."
Matthew shook his head. Then he yawned.
Sveta smiled. “You should get some sleep.”
“What about you?” He asked.
“I will fall asleep soon, I can feel it. And in the morning…I want to talk about the idea of a conference between the countries of Ei-Jei…to see what agreements we can come to.”
Matthew blinked. “Because of Bilibin?”
“Regardless of Bilibin, I have wanted to do it. But now that Bilibin has shown us the decency of acknowledging our child’s birth and signs that they still want to trade…I don’t think the effort of inviting them would be wasted.” Sveta herself started to yawn. “But we shall…talk more about that…in the morning.”
Matthew smiled. “All right.”
They lay down together, Sveta snuggled into Matthew’s embrace. It may be hard to all get on the same page, but for the sake of their descendants, they needed to try.