hi, i'm alive :)

~

The world lurched toward Sophie. Her screams flickered within her; lightning and raindrop forms of sharpened ice catapulted from her body in a last-ditch survival effort. A panic response her body has favored whenever she is so frightened to the point of screaming.

But the black soul of Mephala cut through them as a sail glides through the wind.

Sophie, pointlessly and stupidly, put her hands up to cover her face. As if it would help her. The black abyss lunged for her.

Light peeked through her hands, coming from atop her head. Her hands shakily dropped from her face.

Mephala's soul writhed against the holy artifact atop her head, the ancient crown of Inalia. From the pocket deep in her armored robes was a shallow rumble. Kassandra's glass stress ball glowed through the fabric beneath Sophie, and she clumsily grabbed it. Almost dropping it, Sophie held the glass ball up high above her head.

The purple and black ocean inside hissed against the glass, reacting the closer to the black soul of Mephala it was.

So, the new queen of Inalia shoved the sphere into the cloud of darkness in front of her. She watched as the soul screeched, almost as if in pain. It funneled into the sphere, the small ocean inside raising a bit. And with stunning silence, Sophie was alone atop that mountain with her new glittery crown and Kassandra's portion of Mephala's soul trapped in a little orb at her feet.

Sophie stared at it, not moving an inch. Alexios wavered over, his feet not holding him properly.

"Amalia?"

Sophie didn't respond. She scooped up the small ball and got onto her feet with shaky hands. Her mind began to unravel as it slowly came to terms with what had just happened.

Sophie meekly turned her head to the white-haired corpse only a few feet from her. Kassandra's skin was sunken in, like wet fabric clinging to the bones of the ancient queen. White locks turned brown from the mud she landed in. Sophie swore white stained her own golden hair too.

"She's dead. And her last words were making me queen." The words were sour to say. And the next realization even more so.

"And you helped her." She finally met her brother's eyes.

They were still lined with tears.

Sophie's head hung as she sat on the edge of her bed. She stared through the mop of gold to the white strands of the right side of her head. Marie Antionette's syndrome is what the healers on board called it. The shock of an event makes part of the hair white or grey. It was only a few strands for her. They said she was lucky it wasn't her whole head. They called her lucky.

So she is scarred down her face, has whitened hair, and the eye bags that only the most seasoned veterans have.No one predicted this future for Allesandro's sweet daughter.

She didn't move when a gentle rapping at her door came for the third time that day.

"Amalia? I know you're in there. And I know you don't want to speak with me." Alexios muttered through the wood.

"You knew," She wanted to say, "You conspired with our aunt and it led to her bloody end."

But Sophie just stared silently at her hair. Then the wall. Then out the small porthole window where water crashed against her cabin. Her tongue didn't sit in her mouth right. Her hair was forever knotted, and her hands were knobby and too slender. Gone were the gentle caresses she would rub up and down Lilac's back when the little girl had a nightmare. Or when Ruy needed comfort, and she guided him to her lips for an ever-perfect distraction.

The world chewed her up and spat her back out.

She heard her darling brother knocking again, after a moment of silence. Then gentle tears and a wavering voice, "Please don't lock me out Amalia."

Sophie's head rose.

"Please. Just let me explain. I can't lose you again, please let me explain."

The cabin door gently creaked open to reveal Alexios's quivering lip and raggedy hair. His eyes widened as he took in his sister.

She had locked herself away in this cabin for two days. She didn't even come out to eat. They were on their way back to Egypitnat, to their hidden valley to reconvene after this disaster of a trip.

Sophie stood to the side, allowing just enough space for Alexios to squeeze into the room.

Alexios opened his mouth, but Sophie shoved a glass sphere into his hands. Kassandra's sphere.

"You told me that Kassandra carried this to abate her anxiety. But when Mephala was released from her, he was sucked in here. What is it? Truly."

Not a question. An order.

Alexios swallowed, tossing the gentle sphere between his calloused fingers.

"Kassandra had been up late with Maria. Kassandra wanted to try and remove Mephala from her body as much as possible so her death wouldn't kill too many people. The only reason you are still alive and Mephala didn't kill you or enter your body is because the rest of his soul was tucked into this little thing. And the crown on your head. It is an artifact against Mephala after all. That is how she orchestrated her death. With her crown on your head and the Thekeres in your hands. Protection as she passed onto the next life."

Sophie stared down at the small sphere. The Thekeres is what Kassandra had named it.

"Maria made this? And the mini sea in here is-"

"Kassandra's part of Mephala's soul. And her hope in making it with Maria is that she can save Elrond and Lysandra as well."

Sophie's head darted up. The queen wanted to save Lysandra- or Eira now. Sophie somewhat understood that, but Elrond? Halvar? The man who hunted them down like wild animals?

"The man that butchered our family? She wants to save him?!" Sophie stood sharply, making Alexios' eyes widen.

Alexios took a shaky breath, "She was racked with guilt. Some part of her, deeply tucked away, was guilty. She felt like she did destroy their lives. This was her way of atoning."

Kassandra did everything she could to stop Mephala in her time. Fucking everything. And she still carried guilt for something that was out of her hands.

"Fine. That explains that piece of-" Sophie stopped herself from cursing, trying to keep herself reined in. She grabbed the crown she had haphazardly thrown across the room when she first entered the ship. She held it up to Alexios' face, "This is what really matters."

Sophie took a cautious step back, "You said Kassandra orchestrated this. You mean to tell me she planned to put this... thing on my head and name me the new pointless useless queen that our nation doesn't follow." Sophie took a daring step towards her brother- no, her cousin. Blood brothers and sisters don't do this to one another. They don't hold one down while the other is given another burden on their shoulders.

"Did you know she was going to do this? Did you and Maria know she was going to place this stupid hunk of metal on my head?"

Alexios's jaw flexed. His voice was barely above a whisper, "Maria only made the Thekeres. The crowning was just between me and Kassandra. She wanted you to be her heir."

Sophie couldn't stop the tears from watering along her lashes. Her voice was watery, "And how long have you two idiots been planning this?"

"Four months."

Four months. Four fucking months her brother and aunt- people she trusted more than anything- were planning this.

"Four months you've been planning to hold me down and place this crown on my head."

Alexios's head dropped, "I was told I was to be the witness. And to make sure that crown was to go atop your head at any cost."

Sophie was so sick being the last person to learn shit. Especially important shit.

"And you just want me to forgive you?" Sophie hugged herself tightly. If not her brother, then who could she trust?

Alexios took a shaky breath, facing the floor and kicking the dust bunnies. He took a shaky breath, "I don't regret what Kassandra and I did, Amalia. It is time to leave the shadows again."

Sophie straightened, "The last time we did that, my eye was slashed open and a spy infiltrated our home. Oh, and burned it to the fucking ground with me still inside."

Alexios squared his shoulders, "You remember that contract we did with the Cardinal? You said it is time for new gods."

"I didn't mean me, you idiot!" Sophie snapped.

"I think we both know that is not true. You've been a god to our people for a long time now, Amalia. Now you have the crown to prove it. The only thing I regret is I had to push you onto the knees. I had to tune out your own weeping-"

"Get out! I won't listen to you try and victimize yourself. I had to deal with it too much when I was handling the Elven Council, I won't tolerate it with you." Sophie grabbed the rope handle of her cabin door and pulled it with such force that the wood splintered a touch from the hinges.

"Out!" She cried, tears running over her soft, freckled cheeks.

Alexios, with matching tear-stained freckles, thought about it for a moment. Trying to think of what else he could say to her to help her understand.

But instead, he stalked out the door and closed it behind him silently.

Sophie's feet met the uneven sand of Egypitnat, and she was already moving. It was a miracle that her crew survived the crash along the coast. Everyone came home with her from her expedition.

Everyone except her aunt.

Sophie strode through camp with her chin up, pretending she wasn't sobbing in the corner of her cabin 20 minutes ago. And everyone's head turned to her. It was more than the recognition of their mentore. It was the awe of a new queen striding through camp pretending like her crown wasn't stuffed in her knapsack and part of her head wasn't stained white. Sophie made it to the far back tents, slightly larger than others. The Morretti tents. Sophie had questions for Maria, wanted to search through Kassandra's belongings, and maybe even cry if she could find the time.

Sophie pulled back the tent flaps and froze at the point of a spear, a mere breath from her nose. Royal Medjay surrounded the small congregation area in their tents. Almost like their living room.

In the center of the room was the low table surrounded by pillows, their dining table for the past four years. And lounged on those pillows was Queen Arsinoe of Egypitnat, carefully swirling tea in a stemless chipped cup. Maria warily eyed Sophie, clenching her jaw in the queen's presence. Lilac was slightly off to the side, playing quietly with Prince Darius, Arsinoe's son. Lilac stared at the Medjay, invading her home with no hidden terror.

Arsinoe noticed Maria stopped pouring her tea and gracefully glanced over her shoulder to the Mentore.

Sophie was as white as a sheet when Arsinoe carefully spoke, "I should have you thrown in the river. Hiding under my nose for so long- it's deplorable. But that is no way to treat a new queen, is it?"

Maria's eyebrow hitched. That's right. She didn't know about Alexios and Kassandra's crowning scheme.

Arsinoe sat up a bit and carefully gestured to the pillow opposite her. It felt like Arsinoe was peering down into her even when the Egypitnat Queen was sitting. Arsinoe kept her eyes trained on her tea, her jaw tightly clenched. 

(screenshot from AC Origins )

"Sit. And explain to me why you thought hiding in my territory was a smart idea. I would speak fast if I were you. I've a short temper today."

Sorry this is so late! I was incredibly depressed and trying to avoid visiting grippy sock jail, if you know what I mean. This chapter is mostly exposition with no art, I know :( but don't worry, more wild chapters will be coming soon!

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_Sibylline_