"Good morning, your majesty." 

"Oh, Faer, you know you don't have to do that." 

"Yes, I know, but I might as well." The fiery monster looked up with a quirky grin, knelt onto one knee before the Queen's throne, her helmet between her hip and the crook of her arm, opposite to her sword. Toriel shook her head and chuckled softly, beckoning the warrior forward with a quick flick of her hand, smiling warmly as the female stood. 

"What brings you here, my dear?" Faer stepped forward and postitioned herself to the right of Toriel, hand overlapping one another behind her back as she held perfect posture, her fingers hanging onto the neck guard of her helmet. 

"I felt like talking."

"About?"

"Mm, just talking." Toriel smiled and slumped in the cushioned chair, an elbow propped up on the throne's arm, her large paw holding up her head. 

"Then you have permission to speak." The Queen glanced over to see the flame monster's expression change slightly, holding back another grin as she attempted to keep a straight face. 

"I was simply wondering how you were doing on a fine morning such as this." Toriel rolled her eyes and gazed around the room, studying the different guards that bustled about, along with various monsters of age and size doing different tasks, some washing windows, other's watering the small garden that spread through the courtyard. 

"As I would be any other morning. Lazily soaking in the sunlight." Above was open to the sky, or what the monsters believed to be. It worked like one, at least, during the day casting beautiful light and warmth onto the inhabitants of the underground, and night going dark, small crystals in the caves walls glimmering like stars. 

"Is that so?" Toriel could hear the laughter in the elemental's voice, and barely contained her own.

"It is my duty as Queen. Be lazy, eat food, sleep. Totally ignore the demands of the capital and instead nap in the middle of the courtyard while my servants fan me off with a giant leaf." The Queen chuckled as her guard doubled over, clutching her stomach and letting out laughter at her sarcasm. 

"With all due respect, your highness, I want to say: 'As if'!" Faer straightened and wiped the tears from her eyes, trying to contain the bubbling snicker that begged to be let out. Toriel tittered in response, laying a paw against her chest as she sighed happily, trying to regain her composure.

"Oh, but it is just a dream." Toriel smiled warmly and sat straight in her throne, her elegant dress swaying over her feet as she shifted. Faer went back to her position at her side, arms stiff and pointing straight down, shoulders square and her chin held level to her neck. 

"You say that with longing, my Queen." Toriel's smile fell as she looked straight ahead, her eyes becoming hazy as she was reminded of her sorrow for those she missed.

"Indeed. It is not that I wish to have such luxuries, not that I don't, but more of I wish to have someone to join me in such joyous play and to make new memories with." Faer was silent as she looked in the same direction as Toriel, watching a guard dressed in armor like herself play with his children, their mother, a servant, laughing nearby.

"I know how you feel, your majesty." 

"You do, don't you?" Toriel shook her head lightly, the gold of her crown glinting in the unnatural light of the underground, the jewels embedded into the yellow metal shimmered.

"Let us not dwell in the past any longer, Tori. There is no use to lamenting about what has been done and cannot be changed." Toriel hummed in agreement, blinking away the wavering wetness in her vision. 

They sat in silence for awhile, listening to the content buzz of workers and maids conversing with one and another, at one point their voices joined together as they sang a sweet medley that told of the life monsters would have when they reached the surface.  

Eventually Faer broke free from her troubled thoughts and shook her head, her fiery hair flickering over her shoulders. 

"Permission to speak, my Queen?" 

"Granted. You know that, Faer." The elemental glanced to the goat woman, noting that her expression was empty and the warmth in her voice had evaporated. 

"It is my duty to ask."

"What did you want to say, Faer." The guard smiled and inhaled deeply, letting out a soft sigh as her chest deflated. 

"I was going to ask for authorized access to the old lab." Toriel's interest peeked and she met Faer's gaze, her eye brow raised in question.

"Of course. As long as you have a way to enter, I could never deny you that right." Faer nodded, looking away like before and shifting her weight on her feet. Toriel furrowed her brow at the lack of reason but let it pass, instead turning her attention upwards to study the so-called sky.

"Is that all you wanted?" Faer had a quirky smile as Toriel looked at her again, knowing too well that the female wouldn't ask just one question and be over with it. She smiled a little and made a mock serious look. 

"Tell me." She said playfully, smiling more when Faer stiffled laughter, failing to make a straight face.

"Well, there is one more thing.." Toriel nodded slowly, tilting her head.

"Yes?" Faer met her gaze and simpered, a mischevious flash in her eyes setting off small alarms in the Queen's mind. "..What did you do?" 

Faer shrugged innocently, breaking eye contact and averted her eyes.

"Faer, what did you do this time?"

"I may have switched the helmets on the knights." Toriel cracked a smile as she thought of the armory where there was mannequins along the wall close to the entrance, each baring a different suit of armor.

"Elaine is going to have your skin for that. Ya know how she is with her 'works'." Faer chortled and closed her eyes, imagining the blacksmith's reaction when she was the imperfect of the panoply of metal suits.

"If she finds out it was me." 

"Why do you say that?"

"Oh, I may have left a few pieces of evidence." Toriel rolled her eyes and leaned back, chuckling. 

"You're starting to convince me that I made the wrong choice of appointing you as a Royal Guard." Faer's shoulders stiffened under the metal plates that protected them, her expression dubious as the royal next to her studied her paw, turning it to look at her nails.

"You would have made a great jester." Toriel shook her head as if she were contemplating past decisions, leaning her cheek against her paw. Faer scrunched her face in confusion, about to inquire what the older woman meant when it clicked into place in her mind.

"OOOOHHH!" She exclaimed loudly, a wide grin spreading onto her cheeks.

"You had me there for a second!" Toriel laughed as Faer slapped the palm of an empty hand against her forehead.

"I thought you.. And then.. Oh my stars, Toriel, your terrible!" The goat monster only laughed in response, catching the attention of the others in the court who laughed with her. Faer shook her head as Toriel cracked up. 

"You thought I was serious?! That's priceless!" Toriel hollered in laughter and held her midsection, doubling over in her seat. Faer continued to shake her head, sniggering lightly. 

"Am I really that gullible?" Faer asked herself outloud, only adding to the humored noises escaping Toriel, joining into the laughter when the Queen snorted.

It took awhile for everyone to calm down and get back to their duties, though there were still bouts of laughter that reached the pair at the back of the court. When Toriel finally got over it, Faer was still standing at her side, her helmet on now. 

"Come on. It was funny."

"Not as funny as you snorting." Silence, then;

"I am a queen. I do not snort." Faer held out her phone and promptly pressed a button, playing a grainy video of Toriel, indeed, snorting. The woman narrowed her eyes and looked at the guard.

"If you delete that, I'll give you a raise."

"And a royal pardon for any mischevious activity in the next few days."

"Faer-" Toriel stopped as the phone screen showed a small message pop up, asking if Faer was sure she wanted to send the message to every contact in her phone's memory. Thing is, being a Royal Guard, everyone needs to have your number. 

Glaring, Toriel sighed and gave her what she wanted, the dismissed her.

"I'll still delete the video, ya know."

"Goodbye, Faer." She could hear the smile in her Queen's voice as she left the courtyard, deleting the video as she walked through the large and welcoming halls of the castle.