"Ridiculous." Titania uttered once more, but this time there was no more weakness in her voice, it was now emotionlessly freezing.
Titania was sure of it now. The effect of Envy's corruption on the psyche was not merely limited to mania, erraticness or otherwise changes in personality. She had harboured suspicions that it was even more horrifying than that, that it could perhaps flip how someone perceived their memories or even outright rewrite them. And now she was certain that one or the other was true.
The things that Alan was saying were that bizzare.
She stood to her feet and watched as the 2 Grand Elders who had been stabbed distanced themselves from Alan. They were in critical condition but they would live.
"Alan. Do you remember that one cloudless night 160 or so years ago? It was a night where the moon was only half of its true form but it was surrounded by the full brilliance of a million stars and shone brightly… It was a beautiful night, and it was also the night you asked me to have your child. Do you remember my answer?"
Alan snorted. "You seem to have finally developed some humour, Titania. Impressive! I remember that night very well, it was the first time I had truly courted you with all my passion!"
He waved his arms dramatically.
"I was very dedicated to accomplishing the great goal that every warm blooded male usually has for their wife, but your answer… How funny. If you can call a frigid glare an answer then I have truly misunderstood you. Please then my Queen, 163 years later, explain what that meant by that look. Wait no, let me guess. Could it have meant… 'no'?"
For a moment Titania didn't respond and only the sound of rain and the tormented groans of injured Elves could be heard, but then she let out a short humourless laugh.
"You… remember incorrectly. That night, I had told you that we should wait until we were both in the 4th Realm. Thanks to the knowledge granted by Lady Ciera, I had found out that the best way to produce the highest quality offspring was to do so after the 4th Realm where lifeforms can receive the augment granted by Tribulation Essence and even obtain a unique bloodline if they are special enough, which as you should know, I have. I told you all of this and you agreed happily, even praising my foresight. Do you not remember that?"
"What nonsense! I..." A confused look slowly appeared on his face but then he flinched and looked ahead blankly as if he had seen something frightful. But Titania knew that that couldn't be so because her Spirit Sense had long spread out to envelop their surroundings and she knew that nothing notable had emerged. So what was making him so scared?
Alan started shaking as multiple facial expressions flashed through his face and he looked like he was experiencing excruciating pain, but then he fell slack a moment later. Before Titania could even begin to make a rudimentary guess at what on Eridius was going on, anger re-emerged on his face seamlessly.
"You are many things Titania, but I did not think that being a flagrant liar was amongst them." He spoke as if nothing had happened.
"Yes, these are things you had told me, but that was many propositions filled with disdainful glances later. It was when I had reached the 3rd Realm and made my last request that you finally deigned it necessary to tell me this plan of yours. How dare you lie to my face like that, do you think that I'm a fool and would just agree to anything you say? Or did you think that your Sound Laws have become so great that you could befuddle my memory? Well unluckily for you, I'm not the weakling that you used to know."
His emerald eyes glowed brighter and Titania noticed his fingernails gradually change to a similar colour.
'Is he being corrupted further right before my eyes, or is he only revealing more of what has already happened?' Titania's skin crawled.
The words coming out of Alan's mouth were blatant lies like what he was accusing her of, or so she would think if this wasn't all a giant confirmation that Alan was a victim who's memories had truly been manipulated. He really believed what he was speaking to be the truth.
But the real truth was that she had revealed her plan to him that night, she had not given him any disdainful looks whatsoever, and Alan had never made multiple propositions for a child like he claimed. In reality he had been perfectly understanding and had never made a second request.
Alan had always been understanding and that was a good part of the reason as to why she had taken him as her consort. In fact, the title of Consort was never something he had shown shame for in the past, instead he had been prideful when he mentioned it to others.
"But I'm glad you can at least admit that you told me that we should wait until we reached the 4th Realm." He then took a spin and spread his arms with a mocking grin.
"We are both in the 4th Realm, and yet we are still both virgins. Well, I still am, perhaps you've been sneaking around my back and-"
"ALAN!" David bellowed as he tightened his grip on his blood stained spear. "MIND YOUR TOUGUE YOU TRAITOROUS BARBARIAN!"
"Oh shut up you fool, do you ever get tired of yelling all the time?" Alan asked with an annoyed glance.
"I WI-"
"Calm down, David. I want to hear his final words." Titania spoke.
David blinked with surprise then gave a clipped nod in understanding. "Yes your majesty."
Titania turned to Alan. "I suppose you were about to ask why we haven't tried to create a child like we had planned upon reaching the 4th Realm."
"Final words you say." Alan scoffed, then shook his head as if it was not worth paying attention to. "But yes, and do not lie to me again. Don't give me a nonsense excuse either. Tell me the real truth." He was deathly serious this time, there were no more theatrics to his tone.
"As planned, I had come to you to finally produce a child a few days after you had entered the 4th Realm, but this time it was you who rejected me. You wanted us both to reach the 9th Stage for the best possible results. I had seen your desire for me but you had still shown such restraint. I had been very impressed and I made sure to express that to you. Don't you remember?"
For a moment Alan just stared, but then a tear ran down his cheek.
"You liar…" He whispered.
*BZZZZZZ!* Lightning flared across his entire body, then he pounced.
_________________
ANNOUNCEMENT!
There is 1 position left for the game's tournament. If you're interested in taking place and have the boldness to seek the precious reward, I advise you to try your best to take the last place as soon as possible.
I'll also be more present in the game so if you have any questions and want to have a conversation with me, you just might find me there.
Happy cultivating :)