Rene couldn’t think of any way to avoid explaining Elina’s visit without mentioning the creation effort—and she couldn’t mention the creation effort without sharing her role in it. In a way, Adelinde deserved the truth.

She just worried it might be too much for Adelinde to actually process, if only because of who it concerned. It took a lot of self-convincing to move past that worry—the fear of the risk. Honestly, she hated that she still feared risk that she managed to get the request out just out of spite of herself.

She decided talking it over at the palace would be better than at home. In the best case, it gave Adelinde enough room to walk away if she needed to—in the worst case, if Adelinde thought it better if Rene left, then Matteo and Tara wouldn’t have to watch. Rene wasn’t quite sure which outcome she expected the most, just focusing on how she wanted to explain everything.

She promised Lord Dazuz she would, after all, even if any evidence she once had was likely null and void by now because of that promise. She doubted they would risk her giving away any meaningful information.

They chose Adelinde’s old room for the meeting, if only because it was the least likely to be passed by. Adelinde sat on the bed, facing Rene at the door. Rene tried to simplify it the best she could.

She told the story of the fall of a nation, of a girl who was given a position as a new nation’s ruler but died, of the shrine her spirit was placed in—as much as she remembered from what Lord Dazuz first told her in Eyset, and the pieces she heard in the time since. Rene watched Adelinde’s expression the entire time, looking out for any signs she might leave. Her wife always wore a frown, but never quite fell into the same expression she gained while they were dating and she remembered Aurik. Rene took that as a good sign, if not just that Adelinde wasn’t as sensitive to it as she used to be.

Rene wrapped up with a small summary.

“The same legend has different variations; a basic version of the ending—of a girl being told she would have a position as a ruler of a nation—is typically interpreted as Dakari’s creation story. What version you hear is, from my experience, dependent on the amount of people who have origins from the first island.”

Adelinde took a little breath. Her first point of concern didn’t surprise Rene.

“…It’s the story Aurik used to defend himself.”

Rene looked away during her response. “He died in what he believed in, at least—and saying this might not help, but it didn’t earn him any favors. Lord Dazuz visited him, but only to chastise him; Aurik said too much and acted too soon. There were…’better’ methods that didn’t involve him telling the court about his ideals.”

“Does Lord Dazuz believe in fairytales as well?”

“The whole family does—I did too, before I met you. Elina, Leo, and I were all told different variations, though.” She paused to think of the best way to clarify; just calling it ‘fairytales’ seemed vague. “It’s not so much the story that they believe in than the promise in it—a new nation for the people descended from the first island. It’s still a creation story, just not for Dakari.”

Adelinde hesitated; whatever she wanted to ask, she didn’t really want to know the answer. Still, with a certain kind of bravery, she carried on instead. Rene admired that.

“Do you know how many people think it’s true?” Adelinde asked. She needed another second to add, “How many people are willing to or have gone through the lengths Aurik had?”

“My first guess? A few hundred families. They tend to tell the story to orphans and nobles with first island blood—those likely to believe it because they think they have nothing to lose, or those who think they would have had more if Gin and Kuro were still standing.”

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“But it’s not real. Stories are stories, they just misinterpret them.” It sounded as much of a question as a statement, more afraid than hesitant.

Rene sighed. As much as she didn’t want to, she’s come to far to back out now.

“…I wish it wasn’t. Would’ve made my life a hell of a lot easier.”

She glanced back at Adelinde just to see her expression and regretted it; she bore enough emotions at once that she looked completely blank instead. Rene had to work up a kind of courage to actually elaborate.

“Remember when I went on that trip with Lord Dazuz after we were engaged?” Rene asked. Adelinde quietly nodded. “That was for ‘the effort,’ as he calls it—the creation of a new nation to replace the old one. In order to awaken the first leader of said nation, they need two omyn strong enough to bind things but with some amount of first island blood. Aurik was supposed to be one of them, but died before they found a second omyn.”

Adelinde’s expression shifted to a kind of understanding, and Rene carried on.

“I have that same power,” Rene explained. “Lord Dazuz didn’t realize until after Aurik was executed, and for a while they did the same thing: they waited. Unlike Aurik, though, I slipped away—I moved on. Lord Dazuz didn’t want me to ‘ruin’ it, I guess; he brought me to a shrine, had me bind my blood to a gravestone and it changed color.”

“That’s where you got the cut,” Adelinde realized. She went back to a frown after a second. “Can you break the connection?”

“I’ve tried and I can’t—it’s my proof that the legend is real. I think the fact that I can’t unbind it is the reason behind my migraines, which may or may not be made worse because I’m a bit of all three nations in the area.”

Adelinde fell silent, and Rene waited for more questions. She expected to be asked if Rene had done anything more than that to aid them, asked if she was doing something for Lord Dazuz when they met, asked at what point she gave it up.

Oddly enough, Adelinde’s thoughts must not have run the same course as Rene’s—not yet, at least. She had enough faith in Rene to believe her word. That…was as much of a relief as it was an honor.

“Do you think Elina’s visit the other day was related?”

“Probably,” Rene agreed, albeit frowning. “Tara definitely seems to have the right qualifications; Elina asked after Matteo before she left. They’re probably trying to find a second omyn to speed up the process. Either that, or she wanted to confirm that they were the kids she saw while they were traveling.”

She told Tara not to let anyone else know she can bind things, but it was entirely possible that the girl showed someone without meaning to; that’s how Lord Dazuz found out Rene had the ability, at least, and how Rene knew Tara was strong enough for it.

“…All right,” Adelinde said after a minute or two. She stood up and walked over to brush Rene’s hand with hers. “I trust you, and I believe you. Can I help?”

Rene smiled back at her for the offer.

“I don’t think so, but I appreciate the thought. There’s no inherent harm in it, as far as I’m aware—even if that’s not quite enough. For you—as former queen, at least—to do anything, more people would need to know; that could ultimately backfire.”

Adelinde nodded some understanding, then hesitated.

“Should we tell the children, too?”

“Matteo could probably handle it, if you can,” Rene admitted after some thought. “But I’m…more worried for Tara. She barely talks to people now—I’m not sure if she’ll ever leave the house if we said something.”

“And it wouldn’t be fair to her if only Matteo heard,” Adelinde mused. She offered a little smile and a light kiss. “Thank you for telling me, at least. I finally know what’s been bothering you—what you’ve been through. I’ll still worry, but if nothing else it doesn’t feel like you’re hiding something.”

“I expect nothing less. Thank you, Adelinde, for listening.”