Prophecy Approved Companion

As Qube stood before the four cages, each holding a member of the Royal family, she felt her heart swell with emotion.

She knew they couldn’t see her. And she didn’t know how she could stop them from being infected with [The Bard’s Ballad] once they left the dungeon. But the point was, she was in the same room as the entire Royal family, and she wasn’t a gibbering mess.

Honestly, she was rather surprised that the Chosen One had agreed to using his [Save Scum Attack] to stop them being infected with Sencha Bard’s song. Given his general love of breaking things, and the fact they were searching for ways to avoid having to use the gems to overthrow the Evil Emperor, she would have expected him to be extremely eager to break their Royal minds.

But instead the Hero was actually bowing to the king and queen.

“Kingy and Queeny,” he said respectfully, “I have come to free you from your prison and overthrow the bad guy.”

“You have served us well, valiant subject,” the queen said, her gentle voice a soothing balm to Qube’s overworked nerves.

“You shall be rewarded for your heroic efforts,” the king added, his deep baritone tickling Qube’s brain and making her feel like she could leave everything in this man’s capable hands.

Even if they hadn’t been wearing their full court outfits, she would have known it was the king and queen. Who else could radiate such sheer majesty?

She didn’t know why the Evil Emperor had allowed them to stay in their finery, possibly it was all some twisted game to him, but nevertheless she couldn’t help but be grateful that he hadn’t offended their dignity by stripping them of their rightful outfits and putting them in potato sacks, or whatever prisoners typically wore. While she would have been stunned by their grace even in a sack, she just knew the Chosen One would have had something to say about it.

“It’s, uh, been an honour,” the Chosen One said, nodding his head to them. “The area outside the dungeon isn’t safe, so could you — if it would please your majesties, can you stay here while we secure the whole castle?”

What was the Chosen One doing? Why was he talking like Sencha Bard?

Qube knew her friend. She knew how he showed respect. Which, for the record, was barely and very inconsistently. He didn’t go around asking if it pleased people if he did things. He just did them, and then laughed at people for being confused.

“Naturally, we shall await your word that the tyrant has been defeated,” the queen said, tilting her head in acceptance in a move so smooth, Qube could believe she’d been made to be gracious.

“As our people’s champion requests,” the king agreed.

“Huh, guess you’re a man of your word,” the Exiled Prince said from his cell. He flicked his hair back in a move that Qube had almost forgotten. At the time she’d thought it looked painful, but somehow enthralling to watch. Now she just thought it looked oddly studied.

“You came back for us!” the Exiled Princess said, breathing heavily and clasping her hands together on top of her chest. This, too, now looked like but a pale imitation of the effortless majesty embodied by their parents.

Perhaps this was why parents tended to die before their children grew up: so their offspring wouldn’t forever live in their shadows.

If even Qube, the staunchest and most loyal of Royalists, couldn’t help but compare them, then surely those less Royally elevated than herself wouldn’t be able to stop themselves from pointing out how the Royal children were but candles to their parents’ suns.

But the Chosen One, her unacknowledged barometer for “less Royally elevated”, didn’t say anything of the sort. Instead he gave a jerky approximation of Sencha Bard’s bow, and hovered his hand over the giant metal cell key the guards had, for some reason, left on the table. It disappeared.

“Is there any item you could give us that would aid us on our final journey?” he asked, for all the world like he was in the habit of formally talking to leaders in a sensible manner.

“There is one item that was hidden during our deposition,” the king rumbled. “A staff, capable of pushing any Mage to their limit. You can find it in the flagstones beneath the area just outside the throne room. It is marked with a sun.”

“There is one item that was hidden during those terrible events,” the queen said. While regal and beautiful, she apparently wasn’t very good at listening to her husband, who’d already said there was one item, making this the second item. “A shield, capable of protecting any Fighter from the fiercest of blows. You can find it in the flagstones beneath the area just outside the throne room. It is marked with a moon.”

“You’ll need my personal necklace to unlock the sun flagstone,” the Exiled Prince said, reaching beneath his shirt and pulling out a coiled-up necklace. He must have been hiding it in an inner pocket. It was a big yellow disc, hanging from a leather cord.

“You’ll need my personal necklace to unlock the moon flagstone,” the Exiled Princess said, reaching beneath the top of her dress and also pulling out a coiled-up necklace. It was a delicate silver crescent, hanging from a white chain.

“Thank you,” the Hero said, accepting these tokens as he unlocked their cages. As soon as all four cages had been opened, he hesitated.

The cell rooms had beds in them. Nice beds. And a small bookshelf in each. They even had tiny tables, with meals on them, and a candlestick holder next to every plate. Even the bedsheets were different colours.

The Royals were grateful. The loot was visible. The Chosen One was right there.

“Then, if it’s okay, I’ll go… do the thing now,” he said, giving another awkward bow.

His behaviour was correct. It was what someone meeting the king and queen for the first time should (mostly) be saying and doing. It was certainly the closest Qube had ever seen the Chosen One get to acting with social grace.

“Chosen One,” she said, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. He spun around and looked at her, a hint of panic in his eyes.

“Was that okay?” he asked her quietly. “I didn’t do anything offensive, did I?”

“No,” she whispered back, struggling with her emotions. “No, you were perfect.”

She hadn’t acknowledged to herself until this very moment how worried she’d been that the Chosen One would upset the king and queen, and make the whole party look bad to the two most important and wisest people in the whole world. But he’d done it. He’d actually done it. He’d managed to scrape through a social situation without any weirdness or rudeness or causing anyone to gain the First Exposure to the Chosen One face.

He relaxed.

Too soon, as it turned out.

“Your majesties,” Sexy Screamy Spider Briar said, curtseying to the king and queen. “I am the child of Ruler Wefton, leader of the Forbidden Folk people.”

“It is an honour to finally meet our true rulers,” said Sencha Bard, giving a flourishing bow that put the Chosen One’s attempt to shame.

“I am the Mage Advisor of the realm,” Definitely Bad Guy introduced himself.

Of course! Qube flushed as she realised that the others must be just as pleased to finally meet the king and queen. And, unlike her, they could actually talk to these august beings.

“Thank you, Hero. We look forward to your victory.”

Only problem with that was that the august beings were ignoring the party.

“While I understand time is of the essence, there are a few matters I’d like to clarify before we get swept up in the next stage,” Sencha Bard said to the king and queen, only for them to not even acknowledge him.

“As a representative of the Forbidden Forest, we will be looking to bolster our relationship, and move towards a more equitable representation of the populace in future rulership.”

“Yes, thank you, Hero,” the queen echoed the king’s earlier sentiment, not even looking at the Bard and Hunter addressing her.

Qube wasn’t sure how much training it would take to be able to gracefully ignore a giant spider covered in screaming children’s faces addressing you, but the king and queen had clearly received ample.

However… just because they were gracefully ignoring her friends didn’t mean it was…

Qube felt her mind stutter.

“Yup, great,” the Chosen One also seemed rattled by the Royals non engagement with the other party members. “Uh, so, anyway, I guess I should introduce you to my other party members?”

“Whatever you think best to resolve the issue,” the king said calmly. “We await your triumph over the man who has imprisoned us for all these years.”

“Yes I think it best for you to say hi to my friends,” the Chosen One said uneasily. “Since that’s what they want and they’re also saving the world.”

Acting diplomatically was clearly taking a toll on him. He was looking increasingly uncomfortable.

For the first time the Royal family members looked at the other people in the room.

“Ah. Thank you,” the queen said vaguely. She went back to looking at the Chosen One.

“Indeed,” the king said regally. He glanced over the party, before refocusing on the Chosen One.

“While we are, of course, dedicated to our quest, we had some questions regarding your opinion of the Devs.” Sencha Bard was laying on the charm as thickly as Qube had ever seen but the Royals remained unmoved.

“The who?” the king asked, his expression still regally detached.

“The Devs, the people who made our realm,” Sencha Bard said, a trace of impatience in his voice.

“Yes, yes, very good,” the king said. “If that’s what you think right, then do so.”

“I was more interested in how you were planning to act once you retook the throne,” Sexy Screamy Spider Briar said, frowning slightly. “Far be it from me to imply you would be more amenable to concessions now, before we restore you to power, than afterwards, but I thought it best to get some initial promises about the rights of the people in your kingdom, and how we can avoid such a thick concentration on power in the future.”

“We look forward to returning to our rightful place on the throne,” the queen said. “Although we will be looking to retire shortly, to make way for the Exiled Princess.”

“You do not plan to keep the throne?” Definitely Bad Guy asked, steepling his fingers.

“We will be looking to retire shortly, to make way for the Exiled Prince,” the king replied.

Why were the king and queen referring to their own children as the Exiled Prince and Exiled Princess? Were those their actual names? They couldn’t be, unless their parents had been either very pessimistic about the future or they’d had their own Prophecy they were working off of.

More to the point, what was that they were saying about retiring? Royals didn’t retire! They lived as king or queen until they died and then their children became either king or queen. Even if the king or queen was really, really old, the power of their Royal blood meant that their mental facilities were always sharp, and they only became wiser the longer they reigned. Why would they voluntarily give up the chance to accrue more wisdom for the good of their kingdom and let their children co-rule?

Had their time in the dungeon shattered their confidence in their regality? Was that why they were acting so strange? They were supposed to be the pinnacle of society, the bedrock of their people! Laws sprang forth from their morality, and their very leadership determined if the lands prospered or not.

Qube looked to the Chosen One, instinctively searching for another perspective.

“That sounds great!” the Chosen One said, smiling at her. “Lots of Royals on the throne. Yup. They seem very good for the job.”

What was going on?!