The royal family gathered at the palace, Matriarch Crystalsa sitting in her chair by the fire. The elders of her family sat in the couches and loveseats around that same fire. Bryson sat stoically, tear trails dried onto his cheeks. The rest of the family sat in somber silence.
"Akira Mei has committed a grave atrocity against our family, and Princess Kyera. Why should Kyera be punished?" Rose asked continuing the conversation that had been going on for hours now. The blond across from her raised a delicate eyebrow.
"That doesn't change Kyera's lineage. If we cut ties from Akira Mei and oust her, then it stands to reason Kyera and her husband shall no longer be members of our royal family." She explained as if talking to an idiot. Reever growled lightly.
"Watch your words, Lilith." He warned very softly, the angry animal within him was nearly to the surface now. Rose took his hand gently soothing him. She had this well in hand.
"If we oust her, it will be as if Akira Mei died. Therefore Kyera would still be part of our family, a Snow Dancer." Rose pointed out knowing her brother in law was just too tired to argue with this woman.
"Please remember your place, Brother in law. I am still your brother's wife even in death." She replies her voice sharp and cold. Those words snapped the fragile control Bryson had over his emotions and he went to tell her so. "Also it was Fantasy who made this so complicated. Kyera never should have been accepted as a Snow Dancer after having become the shameful proof of a brother's betrayal."
"No, remeber your place, Lilith. You are nothing but a scheming maid who killed the rightful heir of Roland before he had taken his first breath. You pretended to be Fantasy's truest freind and all the while you poisoned her. You then snuck into his bed and bed him like a wanton dog in heat. Just because brother in law was blind does not mean I am, I simply kept my silence to protect Grandest mother but you will NOT accuse Brother in Law of betrayal when it was you who ruined Roland's family and what's worse is he let you." Rose roared the frosty white fur of her fox form threatening to over take her. The white fur fluffed out on her neck as she struggled to remain human.
"You bitch, tossing such careless and ridiculous accusations at me. It was Fantasy's inability to conceive for Roland that forced him to my bed for comfort." Lilith replied sitting up straighter in her chair. Reever laughed darkly.
"Nice line, but I personally gave Fantasy the prenatal care she needed before that baby died in her womb. Your tea wasn't untraceable and I have proof you not only drugged my brother to create your daughters, but I can also prove neither of those children were my brother's kin." Reever added as he raised his hand to the back of his wife's neck and began gently stroking the fur there to soothe her. He wanted to rip her throat out, but he couldn't risk hurting his mother more than his words already had.
Crystalsa's head was in her hands as two arms gently wrapped around her from behind. A chin came to rest gently on her shoulder. Crystalsa looked back to see a familiar face hugging her. Those long white locks and warm golden eyes that had been lost so long ago. Shock coursed through her. Standing not far behind her, was the God of Death, he and the Lady Raven standing side by side.
"I would like to address you all, if I may." Fantasy's sweet voice filled the room. Bryson watched as his lover, made flesh again, stepped daintily into the middle of the room like a dancer. Her eyes passed over all of them and Reever and Rose stared in disbelief.
"You may, I give you that authority, since I have brought you home, Crystalsa." The Shadow King pointed out, waving her forward. The Old ones had granted him one wish for their wronging him. Thus… here they were.
"I return here by the wishes of Lady Raven and the Shadow Lord to reveal the truth of our past and set things straight for our future. This kingdom would not exist if not for the Shadow King and his blessing of the flower. It seems Fate knew this, and could not tolerate it. She sent a challenger to the royal family, to destroy its peace, and break the tie between myself and Roland." Fantasy spoke clearly, her eyes swept over the people in the room and landed on Lilith. "My fate was to be damned to live alone, solitude and die without a child. No one expected love to break that fate, and in so doing Bryson and I conceived my child, the future mother of the Demi Gods and Goddess of Moria. It was Roland who broke that tie, not I. Therefore my daughter is the legitimate daughter of Prince Bryson and as such my Grand Daughter the true heir to his name as first born."
Bryson nodded, knowing this to be true, relishing in her voice and every word from her lips. She had been gone so long.