Why didn't I realize it sooner?
The poppies and snowdrops blooming in the garden. The beautiful orange leaf that fell on her palm upon arrival.
It's autumn here…
Which concluded that a period of around six months had passed between Vivia's death and the present. It then occurred to her that seasons in the Human and Demon Realms changed based on an aural tide flowing cyclically from Mount Lavos to the Aetherios Tree.
When it ebbed southwestward from Mount Lavos, the aural tide drained the warmth, marking the beginning of autumn and flowing toward the northeast from Aetherios brought heat and warmth that signified spring.
It was spring in the Demon Realm this whole time, but the gap between the seasons never clicked to her. It was spring in Stras when she took her last breath, and seeing a similar weather in the Demon Realm - the season of "Spring" simply remained in her subconscious. The difference that spring in Rudaheim equated to autumn in Emberlain never occurred to her.
"What happened dear? You look confused. Is there something wrong?" Regina asked with concern, noticing a layer of disbelief forming on her face.
But the jarring realization had snatched away her ability to think rationally. It had come to her as an instinctive assumption that her and Clairette's death would have occurred around the same time, which propelled her reincarnation. But now the reality struck her crystal clear - Vivia died first, followed by Clairette six months later.
So for the world…I've been dead for six months already? But how?
If I died way earlier than Clairette, then how did I reincarnate so much later?
What happened in between these six months?
"I'll summon the doctor right away! You don't look well at all."
"No, Mother..!" She quickly pulled her back, trying her best to smile through her pounding heartbeats.
"I'm doing fine. It's just that the seasons confused me. It's spring in the Demon Realm, so seeing autumn here puzzled me for a moment..."
Regina heaved a sigh of relief. "Ah. That can happen. It can feel disorienting when we go from one realm to the other since we've opposite seasons, after all."
"...Yes, I remember it now."
Regina's gentle pats on her head doused a bit of her uneasy breathlessness.
"I have so many things to talk to you about, Clairette. So much to ask you about your stay at Rudaheim, but I'll reserve that for later. You must be tired from your long journey. I'll let you rest."
Guilt stabbed Vivia. The longing in Regina's warm gaze and her excitement to spend time with her after almost losing her daughter to death sparkled in her eyes like pearls, yet she chose to hold herself back.
"Forgive me, Mother-"
A light smack dropped on her head.
"There's nothing to ask forgiveness for, silly. I only want you to recover as soon as possible. Talking? We can do that anytime," she heartily chuckled.
Is this how…it feels to have a mother?
As if a curtain of calm draped over her perturbed heart, Vivia's sweaty palms eased up a bit as she drew out a long exhale. Queen Regina Emberlain had always been a distant subject for her. As Vivia, she hadn't much pondered about the Human Realm's royalty. But somewhere in her heart, a prejudice always persisted, mostly fueled by the talk of the town.
Nobles and royals lived in a different world than hers. Probably always too fascinated with luxury and convenience. How much did they truly value their familial relationships when only status mattered to them?
But feeling Regina's warm hand holding hers in this very moment, she didn't seem different than any other mother, who only loved and cared for her children's wellbeing.
As Regina retreated, Vivia quietly locked the door and silently breathed out. Allowing her weak knees to collapse, her shoulders bumped against the door, the questions from before barraging her mind like explosives. Her trembling arms reached out to hug herself, unsure if the chill was due to the approaching winter or her own nightmarish reality.
"Just what happened in these six months? I…I must visit Stras. I need to visit Stras!"
—
Rudaheim.
The atmosphere at the dining hall was riddled with suffocation. At first, only Nefarion and Zerath were seated at two opposite ends of the large dining table. Then arrived Veloria with the help of the head maid.
Zerath stepped forward to pull the chair for her, but her severe, loathsome gaze stopped him in his tracks. It alone was enough to scream at him for keeping his distance from her. Standing still for a moment, he slowly returned to his seat.
A long stretch of silence later, Zerath broke the quiet spell, albeit with a hint of nervousness fidgeting at the tips of his fingers.
"I asked Chef Andras to prepare your favorite strawberry sponge cake, Your Majesty."
Veloria's countenance didn't reveal much particular delight. Her gaze that would always subtly sparkle at its sight remained dim. Another drag of stuffy silence ensued, lifting an awkward smile on Zerath's lips.
A light cough from Nefarion escaped as he slid the dessert plate towards his wife. "I had a bite. As always, Andras doesn't disappoint. Don't miss out on it, dear."
She chose silence as her answer, though aware of his intentions.
Nefarion's gaze returned to Zerath, his voice low and mournful. "Are the preparations for Malphas's funeral in place?"
Zerath grimly nodded. "Yes, Father. Everything is prepared for tomorrow."
Her austere gaze attempted to attack his defenses. "I want to hear more on the part where we'll be holding Emberlain responsible. We must summon them immediately. They killed one of our esteemed Orders."
"Your Majesty, I believe we need more investigation in this matter."
"What more investigation do we need after Nephis's confession?"
"I do agree that Nephis confessed some important truths, but I wonder if we can fully rely on him. If Sir Malphas were still alive, then we would've known his side of the story too. A double confession would've made our case stronger. But Sir Malphas is no more, and who knows if somebody else is playing Nephis like a puppet?"
"What do you want to say?"
A flutter of tension darted around his stiff expression.
"I just want to emphasize that one wrong accusation against Emberlain will bring a deep crack in our peaceful relations we've worked so hard to maintain over the years. If it so happens that we missed an important piece of evidence somewhere, then King Rosrell won't be so forgiving-"
"I knew it," Her vehemence sliced through his words before he could finish.
"You're hesitating to go against the humans because of that Princess, aren't you?"
His eyes stretched wide. "No, Your Majesty."
"Don't lie to me. Now I see why you proposed the engagement with Princess Clairette. Using her for our realm's interests was all just a farce, wasn't it?"
"That's not-"
"That's why you're suddenly speaking in their favor despite the clear confession that the Emberlain Princes are involved."
Watching her pale complexion turning paler as her breaths became more painful and laborious, Nefarion rose quickly, patting her back reassuringly.
"Calm down, Veloria. Taking so much stress will only make you sicker," he urged, "You need not worry. Malphas's death will be handled with utmost importance. I won't overlook this matter in the slightest. Also…"
He cast a stringent gaze towards Zerath. "You're overthinking about Zerath and Princess Clairette. It was merely formality between them being fellow royals. There's no way the Demon Realm's Crown Prince will fall for a human. Am I right, Zerath?"
Even though subjected to his scrutiny, no signs of jitters unveiled through his expression in the slightest. "Yes, Father."
Reassured with Nefarion's finality, her piercing light toned down.
"I expect the same dedication from Zerath as well. A soft heart is not an option. You weren't so gullible and influenced while punishing Astaroth, were you? Or…were you so passionate in exposing him because he hurt the princess?"
"No, Your Majesty. As the Crown Prince, I simply carried out my duty, which was holding him responsible for Nethermoor and the embezzlement. It was only fair to punish him for hurting the princess since she was our guest, after all. We…"
He stared into her prying eyes. "We would've been in a difficult position had Princess Clairette not hidden her injury."
"She didn't do us any favor. It's preposterous to even think that we're afraid of humans. From Nephis's confession, it's clear that either of the prince himself wanted her to be hurt, and now they killed Malphas because their plan failed. It'd really take some shamelessness from them to blame us for anything."
"...But it's also true that without an inside demon's help, deliberately hurting the princess was impossible. We're equally responsible. That's why I urge Your Majesty and Father to not rush with our judgment."
Pushing the plate of dessert away from her, Veloria rose from her seat.
"Where are you going? You've hardly eaten anything," Nefarion tried to stop her.
"I'm not hungry anymore. I'll retire to my room and rest."
Despite his protests, Veloria left the dining hall anyway. Zerath rushed out, panicked, and hastily tugged at her elbow from behind.
"Please wait, Mother! It isn't good for your health if you skip meals."
"Don't touch me!"
Harshly jerking his hand away, an unexpected slap forced his head to tilt to the side. Its crackling sound ushered across the hallway far and beyond.
"Your Majesty..!" Moira shrieked. She quickly stepped forward, helping Veloria stand steady.
"Why! Why does Zerath always do this!? I told him a hundred, no, a thousand times not to touch me. To never approach me. To never address me as his mother. Yet he still acts arrogant as if he's my real son! Why doesn't he understand his place!?"