Trapped in Another World With No Magic

Chapter 107: The Captured Queen

Daniel sits slumped and exhausted on his lounge sofa in the hangar, while Hekate sits on his chest, cuddling with him and sleeping on top of him. It has been about a week since he retrieved the scarf that Ryukana left behind, and he has learned a few things about the elementals that are spawned by it. They retain their memories when they switch out, but can’t be taught to speak, and they will happily eat treats, but don’t need sustenance. They also have a tendency to become envious and protective in regards to Daniel.

For now, the dark elemental, Luceniel is sleeping on Hekate’s head, nestled conveniently in the feldrok empress’s crown between her triangular ears. Occasionally, Luceniel shifts, which causes a disturbance on Hekate’s ear, and her ear flicks, even with her fast asleep.

Daniel has been held hostage for the entire week by his various companions, and they haven’t left him much private time -and certainly not without someone spying on him-.

Reignleif finally laid her second egg, while Geirahoel’s and Ryuogriar’s next ones are already starting to show. Treia and Gwenesphia, as well as Aoloan and Kera’tai, have spent the week ‘trying to catch up’, and Doephluev sneaks in every chance she gets.

And, on top of that, Aramellianna is attempting to conduct business as if her own territory isn’t being invaded by Daniel’s and Hekate’s forces at present. She discovered the stash of anime Daniel has on his phone, and though she was off-put by the content of the specific one Thymeria stumbled across, she became almost obsessed. She grilled Daniel for hours on the various applications of both the animations and the indecent aspects, asking how and why Earth had such things to understand.

Her goal; to determine if she can make money off of either of them. Daniel knows that forms of entertainment in this world are comparatively limited to those of Earth. There are some plays, though only a few, and in most cases, most of the nobility have probably seen an enactment of the few that exist already. There are orchestras, but again, the variety is limited. And, it also requires the players or musicians to have travelled to a place nearby. There are court jesters, and magic performers. Daniel even watched a troubadour telling their story, which actually helped him learn the language by giving him catchy songs to sing to himself. Surprisingly, rumors from the castle had already turned into troubadour songs within the few weeks Daniel was learning the language and doing manual labor.

Brothels are also a thing in the human cities, at least, but they are a part of the dark underbelly of society, and not something that nobles would acknowledge. Daniel described the difference between artistic nudity and the more secular nudity shown in all forms, from drawings to pictures and videos.

And, for the videos, he had to show her the different types, such as documentary videos, animated videos, livestreams, and fictional movies and shows. He has quite a collection on his phone thanks to its one terabyte storage capacity,

Naturally, Daniel doesn’t have the know-how to make the necessary components of computers. He might be able to make a film camera if he had someone to make the film itself, which he doesn’t know enough about the composition of film.

But, magic opens doors Daniel might be able to work with. Using Wenlianna, Reignleif, and even Doephluev and Vaergraes, they may be able to make recordings on a magic device, similar to how the magic photo devices work. Daniel knows, having worked on Treia’s and participated in Hekate’s recording, that the devices can hold images and sound presumably indefinitely, so long as power is available. And, with what he knows, the ‘memory’ of those devices is little more than a simple river stone with some sort of magic glyphs. If Daniel could make a ‘catalog’ of memory stones, he might be able to make ‘frames’. But, space constraints would make it tricky, and he would have to make some means of sequencing the individual frames. 

And, Daniel doesn’t know if the volume of the memory stone has an effect, or if the size of the glyphs makes a difference. If the glyphs can be shrunken by carefully writing them smaller, then it’s possible that he could make a much more condensed memory system. Though, even then, it won’t compare to solid state circuits, like modern Earth technology uses.

But, it’s one more thing to work on. Daniel knows that Wenlianna is already working on something, and Reignleif is recovering from laying her second egg. The Grand Duchess is always keeping her eyes open for gold mines and golden geese, so when she realized that Daniel saw entertainment value in the videos on his phone, she wanted to make them happen for Zenkon…

… And be the matron benefactor to such a development.

Daniel doesn’t mind. She knows how to turn a profit and run a business, which very few of his inner circle are capable of. Shek and Skloe are managing internal affairs simply because anything greater than nothing is better than what demon kin -especially goblins- are used to. They’re dedicated and diligent to organizing farming, road ways, construction projects, and immigration and integration.

Xyreko appears nearby, walking in view of Daniel. Daniel smirks when he sees her. “What is it now, Xyreko? I’ve had too much rest?”

She replies without missing a beat, “Yes. Are you doing well, Daniel?”

He smiles at Hekate, brushing a lock of her hair out of her face. “I’m getting drooled on by an Empress. Couldn’t be better.” And, he sincerely means it. It’s certainly not dignified, but it is more charming to him than anything.

“There has been a… complication with the invasion.”

“What’s the problem?” asks Daniel, trying to speak softly so as to not wake Hekate.

“The first-contact forces made an arrest.”

“Someone we know?” asks Daniel a little facetiously.

“I believe so. She’s on her way here. One Queen Heralesse kos Mornistae, of the kingdom of Mornistae.”

Daniel stares at her in disbelief. He asks after he has a moment to ponder options, “Was she on the front lines for some god-awful reason?”

“I suppose you could say that… According to the commanders, she arrived at the gulf-side estate of the Grand Duchy’s expanded territory. She apparently wanted to consult with Grand Duchess Aramellianna.”

“And… she just arrived on a shuttle, huh?”

“That’s correct.”

Daniel looks at Hekate and Luceniel. Luceniel is virtually weightless, so he’s less worried about her even if she were to ‘fall’ off of Hekate’s head. Hekate is sleeping peacefully after giving Daniel an earful about neglecting her for his mistresses.

And, Hekate’s chosen way to spend time with him is to cuddle on his chest and sleep. 

Daniel sighs softly. “Let’s do this.” Daniel carefully stands up from his seated position, earning only a grumble from Hekate as she adjusts herself to continue sleeping in his arms. He carries her without complaint, following Xyreko to the teleportation pads. Hekate jolts awake only on their arrival at the control room, where the shuttle brought the young teenage Queen of Mornistae has landed at the flyway.

Hekate looks around with glassy eyes, trying to make sense of her new surroundings.She looks at Daniel, and he smiles. “Hey, Sweetpea. Sleep well?”

“Mmrrnn… Daniel?”

“Yep.”

She lays her head back down against his head. She grumbles, “Get the squeaky toy off my head,... Dan… iel…”

He chuckles softly, carrying the sleepy little empress without obeying her imperial decree. He knows Luceniel isn’t causing much trouble, so he leaves her be. 

He does ask Xyreko, “If it’s really Heralesse, please summon everyone who wants to meet with her informally, but specifically Eri. Both of them will want to know the other isn’t being mistreated.”

Xyreko nods. “They will be here soon.”

Daniel wakes Hekate up as Heralesse and one of her knights is being walked into the control room. “Hekate, wake up. You have to meet with a captured Queen.”

Hekate flops her tail, indicating that she’s mostly conscious, but she doesn’t lift her head. Daniel jostles her, and she groans in frustration.

The image is already ruined, since Heralesse notices them, but it won’t really matter much. Daniel sets Hekate down, and she rubs her eyes as she yawns. “Daniel… Can’t we do this some other time?”

“You want Erimaya’s sister to be our prisoner for even longer without telling her?”

Hekate twitches. She turns to face the group approaching them, consisting of golem guards and the two prisoners.

She straightens her posture and fixes her dress and mantle, as well as quickly having Daniel check her hair ribbons. Her gloves are also on, and she puts on her best empress face and assumes her most elegant posture, having drilled with Erimaya for weeks now.

She leads Daniel to meet with Heralesse, and she states confidently, “Queen Heralesse kos Mornistae, is it? It seems you stumbled across our plans.”

“What’s going on!?” snaps the weary young queen. “Who…” She looks at Daniel. “So, it’s true…”

Daniel nods, bowing. “Queen Heralesse. I’m glad to see you in good health.”

“Where is my sister!?” snaps the teen. 

“Princess Erimaya is safe, your majesty. But, you need to calm down.”

“No! You hold my sister hostage, and you launch an invasion on Mornistae!? Your actions are tantamount to war!”

Hekate and Daniel share a glance for a moment. Hekate replies bluntly, “It’s not tantamount to war. It is war. In retaliation for several invasion attempts, the Fievegal conquered and captured Fort Twilight. This would have been enough for us, but then, the kingdom of Mornistae eradicated Fort Twilight with a new weapon.”

Heralesse goes silent, and she loses some of the color in her face.

“Elder Sister!?” cries out Erimaya’s voice as she enters the control room area. Heralesse snaps out of her trance, and she looks to the young princess. “Eri!” She runs to the princess, and Daniel gestures for the golems to hold, while the Knight tries to warn her, “Your majesty! Wait-!”

Heralesse hugs Erimaya, who is stunned to see her elder sister more than anything. “Wh-What are you doing here, Elder Sister?”

“I…” Heralesse sighs, and she sinks to a kneel in front of Erimaya. “I… don’t know what’s going on anymore…” She cups her sister’s cheeks, asking urgently, “Have they hurt you? Have they mistreated you? Are you enslaved?”

“Wha-!? No! None of those! I came here of my own free will, Heralesse. Hekate is my very good friend, and Daniel promised to marry me if no one else does.”

Heralesse flinches, and she looks at Daniel in shock and horror.

Daniel sighs, and he adds gently, “That’s not how that conversation went. Erimaya is an honored guest here, which is why we have no intentions of harming you in any way, your Majesty.”

Heralesse ponders his words for a moment, considering the situation. She asks Erimaya, cupping the younger girl’s cheek and petting her head to confirm she’s real, “Is this true, Eri?”

Erimaya nods with a smile, gently taking her elder sister’s hand. “Yes. They have treated me as one of their own family. I have access to a vast library of information, Daniel’s technology, and I’ve met a lot of wonderful people.” Erimaya frowns a little, and she looks at Daniel. “Daniel? Is… my elder sister a prisoner?”

Hekate answers in his stead, “Yes. She was captured during our invasion. Though, I’m unclear as to why so early.”

Heralesse slumps a little. She replies, “It’s true, Eri. I… I went to meet with the Grand Duchess, but… their forces… Did you… Eri, did you…?”

“Erimaya had nothing to do with the invasion,” replies Daniel curtly. “She tried to stop us, but we can’t overlook Rikuto’s weapon.”

Heralesse’s expression fills with pain. “That’s… the same thing he keeps saying about you…”

“I’m sure it is…” replies Daniel softly.

“Regardless, Daniel didn’t use his weapons on any soldiers or people,” retorts Hekate. “He used it to save this world. And, the fact that we have them should make you all quiver in fear of us and leave us alone, but it didn’t. He attacked, and so, we’re going to conquer his kingdom and destroy his weapons.”

Heralesse looks at the young feldrok empress, studying her for a moment. “So… you are Hekate…”

“That’s ‘Empress Hekate fell Lawson’,” replies Erimaya gently. “With her permission, you may regard her casually.”

Heralesse sucks her teeth. But, Erimaya is in perfect health, dressed well in a beautiful dress, and wearing her tiara as if she were a princess of the Citadel.

Heralesse sighs, and she carefully takes a kneel, her hands bound by shackles. She says softly and humbly, “Empress Hekate, you have clearly taken good care of my younger sister. For that, I thank you.”

Hekate’s expression softens, and she replies, “You can stand up. Xyreko;” She gestures at the golem nearby, and Xyreko snaps her fingers. With that, the shackles fall off of Heralesse’s arms. She rubs her wrists as she looks up in surprise. “You’re still our prisoner and won’t be allowed to leave the Citadel for now, but I’ll leave you in the care of Eri. Is that alright with you, Eri?”

Erimaya nods happily. “Gladly. If you’ll leave it to me, I’ll make sure she doesn’t do anything wrong.”

Heralesse finally climbs to her feet, and she looks at Erimaya. “Eri… Why? Why did you side with them? They’re invading our home?”

“Because Mornistae is already lost,” replies a stern woman’s voice as she and a new group of surprising visitors arrive.

Accompanying the other members of Daniel’s inner circle are the entire Stalvaltan royal family, from the Grand Duchess herself to her youngest daughter Haldestania.

“G-Grand Duchess!?”

Aramellianna bows her head respectfully as she approaches. She replies coldly, though. “Yes. Your husband has seen to the destruction of good faith and common sense in our world. I have seen the damage caused by his weapon, and the attack on Twilight was unprovoked, as it was ceded to the Fievegal by the Empire. Retaliation was imminent.”

“So… you just surrendered your territory? Aramellianna… This… This is…”

“The height of treachery? If a fool of a king or queen leads a kingdom to its destruction, is that not the greatest treachery there is? I tried multiple times to talk Rikuto out of his actions, and to no avail. He even tried to recruit my daughters to the project. Would you have seen my eldest daughter abandoned and killed on the front lines as Ahok was?”

“Wh-What!?”

“Oh? You didn’t know? Rikuto sent Lady Ahok to the front lines to service his weapon, and then had her betrayed and left for dead.”

Heralesse’s gaze trembles as her face drains of color. She had thought she hadn’t seen Ahok for a while, but she never thought to ask.

Ryuogriar, cradling her egg in her harness, replies warmly, “We should be thanking the young otherworlder king, Grand Duchess. What he incorrectly considers trash, we consider treasures.” She gestures to the side, where Ahok approaches and stands next to Wenlianna. She is wearing a lab smock similar to Wenlianna, each with a black left shoulder and a white silhouette of the Fievegal’s sigil; a fox-eared girl with a big tail… and seeing her in person, Heralesse is immediately certain that it is Hekate.

“L-Lady Ahok…?”

“Your Majesty,” replies Ahok dryly. “Forgive me, but I accepted my forced resignation. The Fievegal was looking for skilled Magic Artisans, so I was in the market.”

Heralesse looks completely defeated. Two extremely important personages -no, more than that including Wenlianna and her sisters- have betrayed the kingdom of Mornistae and joined the Fievegal on their own.

Aramellianna adds, “Territories that resist will be met with combat. I had no intention of wasting my soldiers on Rikuto’s foolishness.”

“That vile human also attacked Fort Twilight when we were taking leave there, and he gravely wounded one of our own,” adds in Geirahoel, speaking caustically. “You are lucky we are not burning your entire country to ash.”

Heralesse remains quiet. She has no words. She is already prisoner, so she has no position from which to negotiate. And, she knows calling them traitors is meaningless. Aramellianna knows better than anyone the weight of her own actions, but she also makes a strong point. Rikuto’s obsession with stopping Daniel burned through much of the economic resources he had painstakingly built up, all for a weapon that can supposedly erase an entire fortress.

But, the Grand Duchess could have usurped Rikuto internally, and the notion of invasion could have been avoided…

“Would it be any different if I enacted my authority, Heralesse?” asks the Grand Duchess, as if reading the young Queen’s mind. “I would be branded a traitor if I was defeated, a hero if I am victorious. The only options would be to wait for rebellion, like what happened in Bromlund, or invasion from neighboring territories due to the economic turmoil Rikuto’s practices have put on them. Rikuto attacked the Fievegal unprovoked. Would you expect Mattarglos or the Empire to ignore an unprovoked attack by an inexperienced upstart? I did not condone it then, and so, I have chosen the path of least destruction for the people I am charged with protecting. And, if all goes according to plan, that will include the Kingdom as well.”

Heralesse asks softly, “What… what about… our family? What becomes of them?”

“Nothing,” replies Hekate bluntly. “Rikuto is our enemy, now, and anyone who backs him. But, all we really want is him deposed. He’s not a king by blood, but by modern knowledge from a world more advanced than this one. If Mornistae abandons him, then we will have no problems. Your family can even go back to ruling.”

“Huhuhuhu,” chuckles Ryuogriar with a thinly veiled attempt to ‘hide’ it. “You should be grateful, young Majesty Heralesse. I understand human cultures would execute a wife and children for the errors of a terrible king.”

“H-He wasn’t… always terrible…” replies Heralesse, trying to deny any part of what’s happening.

Daniel counters her gently, “He’s crumbling to his emotions. I have made mistakes as well, but for all the fear he has of what I can do, he certainly didn’t hesitate to use it against people.”

“Th-The weapon… Your… ‘god-killer’... Is it real? Is… Why did you make it if not to use it against the rest of the world?”

Geirahoel snaps, “Do not compare Mukori to other humans. He used his weapon to kill a creature with the power of a god, and only that. He did not target soldiers or working civilians with it.”

Heralesse is speechless again. She finally murmurs, “Th-There were… civilians…?”

Geirahoel nods curtly. Though Choul managed to evacuate a lot of people, several hundred were still lost. And, not all of them were in soldier capacities.

Erimaya takes Heralesse’s hand to comfort her. Neither of them say it, but the knight that was brought with Heralesse retorts fearlessly, “Those were casualties of war. Do not try to poison her Majesty’s heart with guilt.”

Everyone looks at him, and he only rises to straighten his posture, trying to hide the intimidation of so many looking at him.

Ryuogriar replies coldly, “You’re right. What is your name, brave sir knight?”

He replies, equally stoic, “I am Sir Clauxsten kos Inglemoen, proud Royal Knight of her Majesty, Queen Heralesse kos Mornistae.”

The platinum dragon nods once. “Very good. Xyreko, have the soldiers find everyone Sir Clauxsten has ever met; his family, his children, his wife, and childhood friends. I believe, as a noble, there will be a registry to begin with. Ensure everyone of his contacts is a ‘casualty of war’.”

Xyreko replies, “As you wish. I see a Miss Jyamalaera for a wife and two sons, Clauxsten the Second and Yalen. They live near the border to the Grand Duchy, so I will extract further connections from them.”

This causes Sir Clauxsten to go pale, and he can no longer form words.

Ryuogriar asks viciously, “What’s wrong, Sir Clauxsten? Our family was specifically targeted at Fort Twilight. Casualties of war, and all. Or, perhaps you will speak when spoken to from now on…”

He falls to his knees, all but whispering, “F-F-Forgive… Forgive me… I… spoke out of turn…”

“So long as you know,” retorts Ryuogriar coldly. She turns her condescending gaze back to Heralesse, who is equally terrified of this development. It only took seconds for Xyreko to confirm his immediate family. The platinum dragon in human form restores a calculating smirk to her face. “You see, Heralesse? You are outclassed in every way, and all Rikuto has done is anger us. I hope you are prepared to watch your Kingdom surrender or fall to ruin.”

Heralesse can’t say anything, and Daniel says gently, “Eri, take your sister and get her settled in. Sir Clauxsten will be in the detention center. You both may check on him as often as you wish.”

Erimaya nods quietly. She murmurs, “Thank you, Daniel.”

He kneels in front of her, saying as he makes eye contact with the younger sister. “I promise we won’t hurt your family, but this is how it has to be.”

She nods again. “I know…”

Daniel and the others watch them depart, and once it’s safe, Aramellianna states, “Your compassion is admirable, but naive, Your Grace Daniel.”

“Trust me, I know, your Grace. I never saw battle in my world, though.”

“I remember. You were some sort of… artificer sailor, yes?”

“That’s correct. And, the ship I served on never had to fight while I was there. Or, no… We launched fighter jets. Airplanes like the shuttles we have here. Those would go far out and fight enemies where they were, so ideally, not even enemy ships would get close to us. And, there weren’t any conflicts major enough where ships would be fighting to get close to us.”

Aoloan asks with surprise, the fastest to voice the question, “You had a ship that carried a shuttle?”

Daniel chuckles. “Yes, creatively enough, we called it an ‘aircraft carrier’. It could launch and service something like fifty or sixty fighter jets, a couple of electronic warfare jets, and a couple of multipurpose craft.”

Everyone is silent at him. They look at the shuttle that brought Heralesse and Clauxsten to the Citadel, trying to imagine sixty of them and a vessel large enough to carry them.

Daniel chuckles, “The fighter jets were a little smaller than the shuttle. Anyways, your Grace, to answer your question, I want to believe that we can get through this without unnecessary bloodshed. When I fought at Fort Peony, I was able to convince myself well enough that it was like a video game. I-I’ll explain that later. Anyways, imagine it as a sort of… illusion simulation for battle. I partook in a lot of these simulations, so… it gave me enough courage through denial to succeed. And, the beings that were my enemies were similar to… monsters… in the simulation. Please forgive the comparison.” The last sentence is directed at the dragons, goblins, and two demon kin, the latter four of whom were present at the battle of Fort Peony.

Kera’tai playfully teases, “I’ll make you make it up to me, Daniel. Don’t worry.” The others chuckle, and Ryuogriar says proudly, “I am quite monstrous, so I don’t mind. Though, if we are monsters, then you are an abyssal abomination, Mukori.”

He chuckles. “I don’t WANT to kill anyone sentient, but I had to do what I did to survive getting this far. Now that I have so much dangerous power at my fingertips, I have to be careful with how I use it.”

Aramellianna smiles. “I admire your dedication to such noble and non-discriminatory principles, so please allow me to offer you advice, your Grace.”

“Please do.”

“Impotence is just as much an abuse of power as tyranny. The consequences are simply recognized differently. If you bind your own hands for fear of your enemies smearing your reputation, your enemies will smear you as a coward.”

Yanidere, understanding the point her mother is getting at, adds when Daniel doesn’t respond, “Your enemies are not always on the other side of a battlefield, your Grace.”

Daniel gives a gentle smile. “I understand. I just would rather fail on the side of coward than tyrant. I’ve always compared myself to a rattlesnake on Earth… a, uh, type of serpent that does its best to warn if you’re getting too close to it, and then a poisonous bite.”

“Serpent?” asks Hekate.

He chuckles. “Legless lizards that eat insects, rodents, and whatever else they can fit down their throats. Rattlesnakes use venom to kill their prey or enemies with a single fast strike.”

The dragons chuckle together, having witnessed the effect firsthand on the self-proclaimed mightiest race of Zenkon. Reignleif states with a facetiousness to her soft tone, “That does seem most fitting for Mukori.”

Others nod in agreement as well, including Kera’tai and Aoloan, who were defeated faster than they could process in their brief skirmish with Daniel.

Hekate asks, “Then, what if we do just that? A fast, hard strike on Rikuto? Or at least the castle?”

Daniel chuckles. “Usually, rattlesnakes retreat if they can buy themselves an opening. But…” Daniel’s expression darkens a little as he thinks of Choul. “I very much dislike this feeling of sitting around doing nothing after my friend was… put in that state.”

Xyreko speaks up this time. “Daniel, may I remind you that we have a greater interest in the artifact than in the kingdom of Mornistae. If nothing else, we can capture the current king and forcibly install Grand Duchess Aramellianna as the Queen Regent and let her deal with the aftermath. Apologies for the trouble, Grand Duchess.”

“That is indeed an option,” replies the Grand Duchess with amusement in her voice. “But, it sounds like you wish to shortcut the troubles of conquering a kingdom.”

Xyreko nods. “Of course. Daniel is my master, and my master’s wishes are for the Fievegal to be left alone. As I understand it, you have not only the experience, but also the respect and loyalty of a portion of the kingdom, which will afford you an easier time of rule than anyone from the Fievegal.”

Aramellianna cups her cheek as she feigns concern. “My my… That’s such a big responsibility you wish to thrust upon me, and I was so hoping to retire soon.” She looks at Wenlianna with a devious look, and the magic artisan flinches. “M-Mother?”

“Fret not, dear. I know, you are to be an emperor’s wife. Which leaves…” She looks at Yanidere. The second eldest of the Stalvaltan daughters turns pale. “M-Me? Qu-Queen?”

“Queen regent, at the least; a temporary position until the affairs of the kingdom can be sorted out.” Aramellianna looks at Hekate, Daniel, and Xyreko again. “Your Greatness, is that the plan you wish to undertake?”

Hekate nods. “Yes. A fast and hard strike will consume less of our resources and endanger fewer people. Once we’ve seized the castle, we’ll arrest Rikuto and turn over rule to the Stalvaltan family. You may govern the kingdom as you see fit from there.”

Aramellianna nods, and Treia cuts in. “Pardon me for asking, but… How do you plan to get past the city walls? To my knowledge, the Royal Capital of Mornistae is a walled city for defense, is it not?”

Aramellianna nods. “It is indeed. But,...” She looks at the shuttle, and then the three dragon women. “I don’t think the royal capital has the defenses to withstand the Fievegal.”

Daniel looks to a distant part of the crowd, “Doephluev.”

“Y-Yes!?” He caught her off guard, since she usually keeps a low profile around the others.

“Where are we at on the alchemy projects?”

“Oh! There are several doses complete, Master. Though, there was more waste than we hoped… My sincere apologies.”

“Will we be able to make more?”

“In time, yes. Though, we are now out of starfall powder.”

“Starfall powder?” asks Daniel.

She nods. “Yes. The purity of what was stocked was low, and so, the greater waste.”

“Is… the source what I suspect?” asks Daniel. He looks at Reignleif, who has a heavy amount of book knowledge.

Reignleif nods. “Yes, Mukori. Starfall powder comes from the impact site of fallen stars, or meteors.”

He nods, thinking. “Diamonds harder than diamonds, is it?”

This catches everyone’s interest, but none more so than Aramellianna. “Continue, Daniel.”

He chuckles at the momentary lapse of decorum from the most strict of anyone he knows. He doesn’t mind of course. He’d prefer to speak on relaxed terms. “If I remember right, it’s called ‘lonsdaleite’. It was named after a crystallographer of Earth, and the pressure comes from the impact of the meteorite when it lands. Though, they can also be made synthetically… I think.”

Aramellianna grins. “How very interesting…”

“Mother, I must remind you, they need these starfall diamonds for an important project.”

“Yes, and whatever that project, I am sure a price tag can be put on it, yes? After Emperor Daniel’s work is done, of course.”

Daniel chuckles. “If I can get it to work, then you have a deal, your Grace.”

She gestures her hand up and down at Daniel, and he cocks his head. He kneels, which makes her smile, and she hugs him to her chest, surprising everyone. “Please, Daniel. Feel free to call me ‘Mother’. I can’t replace the one that was left behind on Earth, but I would be honored if you would allow me to continue to support you here on Zenkon.”

“M-Mother!” complains Wenlianna, but she and everyone else stops.

Daniel seems to notice it himself, and his own expression becomes one of surprise. He wipes his cheek, finding a small drop of liquid.

He doesn’t break down in sobs, but the unmistakable flow of tears has started down his cheek.

***

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