Agora takes a step toward me, her face splitting into a wide grin.
Just as she opens her mouth to speak, Headmistress Selenia coughs gently.
It pulls everyones attention to her. Everyone except for Agora and the Matriarch, that is.
Agora stares at me, equal parts shocked, pleased, and determined. As if the moment she looks away, I may cease to exist.
The Matriarch, though?
She watches me with an intensity that makes me uncomfortable.
Beneath it, I catch a hint of something unexpected.
Relief, first and foremost. But also a hint of joy.
“Please, take a seat everyone. Get comfortable,” she says, her voice warm, but stern. “Would anyone like some tea before we begin?”
Finally, the foxkin woman blinks, taking a moment to glance about the room before inhaling slowly. She steps toward one of the empty couches with a slow grace that would put most nobles to shame.
Her attendants stand behind the couch itself, turning themselves into wallflowers without a sound. Agora joins them, though she stands behind the couch as a guardian instead of as a helper.
The rest of her companions spread throughout the room, taking up positions by the walls, windows, and door.
So... they’re like an escort? But why?
“Would you like some tea?” the Headmistress asks the Matriarch.
She glances away from my group to give her a small nod.
Then she turns back to us, that intense gaze once more boring into me. The suffocating silence lingers until the Headmistress passes her a cup of steaming tea. Once she returns to her place at the headmaster’s side, she clears her throat once more.
“Introductions are in order,” she begins. “I am Selenia, Headmistress of the Elderwynd Academy.”
She gestures to Headmaster Kophis, and he grunts with clear displeasure.
“Must we really be so formal?” he grumbles.
Selenia just glares at him until he surrenders with a sigh.
“I’m Kophis, the Headmaster.”
Selenia seems frustrated by his brusqueness, but she doesn’t voice it. Instead, she waves a hand towards my little group.
My heart jumps into my throat as all eyes in the room turn toward us, but I’d been leaning on Charisma hard since they appeared in the doorway. It’s not a perfect fix for my nerves, but it helps a lot.
That, and Bella is here.
“I am Arabella von Bysm, Princess of the Bysmara Dominion,” she says with a tiny bow of her head.
She looks to me, then, but Cari jumps in.
“And I’m Cari, Emi’s sister.”
She glares across the room at the Matriarch, her tone clipped and all but daring the other woman to challenge her.
It brings a small smile to my face, seeing her so protective. But it also worries me.
I don’t want her jumping into trouble she can’t handle...
So instead of letting her words linger, I take a slow breath, letting my nerves settle just a bit more before finally speaking.
“I’m Emilia.”
Even without Charisma’s guidance, I knew that every honorific I could use to fluff up my introduction would just spill secrets about myself that I have no reason to tell. But with it, I also knew that calling myself a Ken would have... implications.
The moment she hears my voice, her expression softens. Then, when it becomes clear that that’s all I’m going to say, it vanishes.
The Matriarch perks a silver brow at me, and for the first time since entering the room, she looks genuinely displeased.
“No, child, you are Emilia Ken,” she says, her tone low but full of steel. “Faulted No More, kin of my kin, and found at last.”
I almost fail to hold back the wince at her words. I can already tell that she’s going to be a lot to handle.
Then again, she also seems woefully uninformed about me. I count that as a small victory, even if she wants me to present myself differently.
When I don’t argue, she continues.
“As for me, I am Emsala Ken, Grand Matriarch of the foxkin,” she says, then glances back to Agora.
Agora smiles at me.
“I am Agora Laftala, head of the Grand Matriarchs protection detail,” she says.
Then she bows low, her head nearly touching the couch back.
In a softer voice, she says, “Though I am glad to see you live, I wish to apologize for failing you in your time of need.”
This time I do wince.
“Stop that, Agora,” I say before I can think better of it. “If you remember me, then you also remember I don’t like that. Just treat me normally, please.”
Agora quickly stands up straight, though she seems oddly dejected after my request.
Headmaster Kophis clears his throat.
“Now that introductions are out of the way, perhaps we can move on to the purpose of this meeting,” he says. “I do have a mountain of research waiting for me.”
Headmistress Selenia slowly turns her head and fixes him with a look. It’s effect is devastating, and the Headmaster visibly wilts under her ire.
“And I am, of course, delighted to spend my afternoon facilitating this meeting instead.”
The Matriarch ignores the exchange entirely, her attention never leaving me.
“I have spent these last thirteen years seeking out my kin. Gathering them. Safeguarding them,” she says. “Before the attacks, there were nearly two hundred thousand of us.”
She glances away, seeming almost wistful.
Then it fades, replaced by weariness so vast that I can’t even begin to comprehend it.
“Do you know how many of us there are now?” she asks me, tired eyes boring into my own.
I shake my head.
“Less than three thousand.”
I flinch at that.
I knew we were rare, but... so few?
Just how thorough were those Empire bastards? And how did they pull it off without causing an all out war?
“I see you understand,” she continues. “When Agora sent word of you last year, I set out to gather you.”
She shakes her head and sighs dejectedly.
“When I learned that the expedition had failed, I believed I had arrive too late. That I had failed to save another of my kin before the world took them from me.”
There’s no anger in her voice. If anything, she sounds tired.
“Then how did you find me again?” I ask. “Did the System tell you where I was when I accepted the clan name?”
I’m almost certain that’s exactly how she managed it, and for a brief moment, I regret accepting it.
Then I beat the regret into a pulp and throw it into the deepest, darkest corner of my mind.
The name is the last thing I have to remember my family by. Even if I knew of all the complications and headaches it’d bring into my life, I would make the same choice.
The Matriarch nods.
“The Grand Matriarch Title gives me total authority over the clan. I can see the condition of my kin, their locations, and even their levels and age.”
My ears flick back at the obvious breach of privacy, and a brand new concern is added to the pile.
Can she see my Status?
It only takes a breath to disregard it.
If she could see my Status, I’m certain this conversation would be going very differently. But instead, she simply watches me with that same quiet relief she’s had since entering the room.
I lean a little harder into Charisma, even going so far as to activate All For One to increase it further.
Inklings of a motive come to me, and the moment they do, I feel silly for not having thought of it before.
As far as she’s concerned, one of her kin had vanished into the Tunnels, only to then somehow emerge alive and quickly advance to Tier One. I am likely one of the most powerful foxkin alive, given just how few of us there are.
Add to that the fact that I’m attending the most prestigious Academy on the continent, and it’s pretty easy to understand why she’s probably seeing this as the best possible outcome despite the hiccups along the way.
Then she speaks, and ruins my rationale entirely.
“Now that you've been found,” she says, setting her teacup aside, “it is time for you to come home.”
She says it with the certainty of someone far too accustomed to being obeyed. There is no request hidden in her words. No negotiation.
Only expectation.
“Foxkin numbers continue to decline despite our efforts,” she continues. “Every year we lose more of our elders. Every year fewer children are born than the year before.”
Her gaze never leaves me.
“We cannot afford to remain scattered. We cannot afford to lose any more of our people.”
Something unpleasant settles in my stomach.
“That's not my problem.”
The words slip out before I can stop them.
The Matriarch's expression hardens.
“You’re right,” she replies. “It is our problem.”
I don’t miss the way she says it, and a low growl tears its way free of my chest, echoing through the room.
Instead of deterring her, though, her expression brightens.
“And such a pure bloodline!” she says. “You are young. Healthy. Powerful. Blessed with a bloodline that has remained remarkably pure despite everything our people have endured.”
The discomfort in my stomach immediately twists into disgust.
“Once you've settled in with the clan, suitable partners can be discussed,” she says. “There are still many strong bloodlines among our people. With proper guidance, there is no reason your line cannot continue for generations.”
She notices the look on my face, but seems to mistake my horror for uncertainty.
“You needn’t worry,” she continues soothingly. “No mate would be forced upon you. The final choice would be yours to make, provided they are suitable.”
She pauses, then chuckles.
“Though I imagine there will be considerable interest.”
“No,” I snarl.
She twitches. “No what?”
“No, I am not going anywhere with you. I am not leaving my sister behind. I’m not leaving my girlfriend behind,” I say, putting emphasis on the word ‘girlfriend’ to make it clear that I have absolutely no interest in whatever she’s trying to “offer”.
The approval vanishes from her face.
“That is not up to you, child. You have a duty to your kin, and it is my duty to ensure you fulfill it.”
Unsurprisingly, Cari speaks up then.
“Yeah, fuck that.”
The Matriarch turns her glare on Cari, but Cari doesn’t so much as flinch.
“Emi’s already got family,” she says, pointing at her own chest. “Me.”
“And she already has a mate,” Bella adds, grabbing my hand in her own and giving it a gentle squeeze.
Her voice is impressively steady despite the public admission. Under any other circumstances, I’m sure she’d be flaming red and stumbling over her words, unable to meet anyone’s gaze.
Now, though, Bella is gone. The cute, flustered woman I'd been teasing all week is entirely absent, replaced by Arabella von Bysm, Princess of the Bysmara Dominion.
Still, a ridiculous swell of pride blooms in my chest. Not because she called herself my mate—though that definitely does wonderful things too—but because she said it without hesitation.
I decide to get her a whole bouquet of snowbell flowers after this is all done. I’ll figure out the details later, when I’m not under threat of being kidnapped again.
Unfortunately, the Matriarch appears thoroughly unconvinced.
“You are all still young,” she says, her tone patient. “I understand that these bonds may feel important right now, but such feelings do not outweigh responsibility. Nor do they outweigh survival.”
A slight pressure builds in the room. Slowly enough that I almost miss it at first.
Except behind her, I find Agora’s expression tightening with concern. The other Laftala tribesmen and women visibly straighten throughout the room, like they’re preparing for a fight.
“Our people stand upon the edge of extinction,” she continues. “Every decision we make must be weighed against that reality. Personal desires are a luxury that our kin can no longer afford.”
The pressure grows even stronger. Not enough to be truly threatening, but enough to remind us all that she is Tier Three for a reason.
There is true power there, not unlike what Headmaster Kophis displayed when I refused to share my full Status with him. Worse still, the sheer certainty of her words presses against us, demanding agreement simply because her will cannot imagine being denied.
Beside me, Bella’s grip tightens around my hand, and Cari visibly stiffens.
Headmaster Kophis lets out a long, suffering sigh.
“Emsala.”
He says it like a warning, though a mild one.
Her attention flicks toward him, and for a moment the pressure seems to lessen.
Just a bit.
“Need I remind you,” he says, sounding more tired than angry, “that you are a guest in my Academy?”
Headmistress Selenia doesn’t say a word. She simply sets her teacup down with deliberate care and fixes the Matriarch with a look that somehow feels like a reprimand.
For a moment, I think that will be the end of it. That the two had come to my rescue, to keep her from just doing as she pleased.
Then a low growl begins to build in the Matriarch’s chest. Not loud—at least not yet. But it’s deep enough that I feel it more than hear it, and its purpose is just as clear: do not interfere.
Another growl answers, erasing the first entirely as the entire room vibrates with warning. As the Matriarch’s protest is eradicated, so too is the pressure she imposed upon the world around us.
Every head turns to the door, where Bluebell stands as though she’d always been there.
BluebellLevel ????
Nine tails drift lazily behind her, each one trailing faint prismatic colors that seem to fade into the air. Like the last time she’d appeared before me in what I’m starting to believe is her true form, the mana in the room shifts, drawn toward her with a strange eagerness.
My entire body relaxes. I hadn’t even realized I’d been so tense, but with Bluebell’s appearance, I can’t help but feel as though things will work out as they should.
The Matriarch stiffens.
For the first time since entering the room, the certainty vanishes from her face.
She spares a glance back at Headmaster Kophis with clear concern, but he just sighs, apparently thoroughly done with this whole ordeal.
A breath later, every Laftalan in the room crumples to the ground in supplication, their foreheads slamming into the floor at once. Even Agora disappears behind the couch as she bows.
Bluebell’s gaze drifts across the gathering before finally settling on me.
Her expression visibly softens into a smile.
“My,” she says cheerily. “This seems like an important meeting.”
Then her eyes slide to the Matriarch and turn cold. The smile never leaves her face, though.
“I sure hope nobody is attempting to make decisions for my family.”
Author's Note:
Phew! Okay, got a lot on my mind now.
I want to cover several things, and I need to do them all in the next chapter. But I'm not entirely certain I can fit it all into one chapter.
Like... here, I'll just list what I need to do:
Explain why the Laftalan's are with the foxkin at all.
Touch on why they seem to worship Bluebell.
Finalize the confrontation between Emilia and the Matriarch.
At least one other thing I can't mention because spoilers.
Balance all of that with character moments for all those present.
Try to keep it under 10,000 words. lol
It's a lot.
I will fit it into one chapter, because I'm not a quitter. But still. Daunting!
Anyways, I just wanted to... I dunno, rant a bit? Just get it off my chest a little. I feel like it helps.
Either way, I'm looking forward to writing the next chappy! A lot of the threads I've laid out are starting to come together, and while it's a bit overwhelming, it's also really, really exciting.
<3