Embers of Sun and Flame: Before We Have It (Fuegoleon x OC)

Chapter 16 Wouldn't dream of it

"[So... What did you talk about with the Queen?]" Adlai asked as his posture slouched forward over the table, twirling his drink in his glass; the second of the evening as agreed.

"[Well... I... I asked about why she vetoed the decision,]" she spoke with an exhale. "[Or, well, I actually assumed to her that it was because of the 20th Cardinal Law.]"

"[Yeah, Ler talked about that,]" Ad sighed. "[I thought it was just her having second thoughts, because of something that occurred to her. But father, interestingly enough, said that to be less likely.]"

"[Your father? Really?]" Lara quirked an eyebrow.

"[Yeah, apparently if the Queen has a change of heart, she brings up her concerns after the voting, and that results into a discussion about how to address those concerns. Because, well, it's not entirely unorthodox for some matters to get overlooked before voting takes place, since there's so much to think about.]"

"[True, true.]"

"[So... Because the Queen 'just' vetoed it, it made father think that it was about something else,]" he continued.

"[Which is why the 20th Law,]" Ler pointed out with a hushed tone, speaking as if under their breath.

"[But even then, it's... strange,]" Ad frowned. "[Like if she had just told us that she's worried about how this will affect our affairs with our already existing allies, which is why they require this one to be postponed until after the war, and provide aid in the form of people choosing to fight as themselves, instead of as representatives of a nation, or something along those lines... We would have understood. I mean, sure, it's a bit... questionable, and bending the rules, but we would have gotten it.]"

"[Yeah...]" Solara nodded while staring into her drink.

"[So...]"

"[What does she 'need' to do?]" Ler inquired.

"[She... umm... I think she has a... Well, I don't want to say 'desperate need', but she does want to have a hand at play when it comes to maintaining balance.]"

"[Balance?]" Ad quirked an eyebrow, as Ler took a sip of their drink.

"[Yeah, y'know, because the balance of 'light' and 'dark',]" she pointed out.

"[Uhh... Lara, I was terrible with mana-ecology and power balance...]" he said with a hushed tone and cleared his throat. "[So... short answer please.]"

"[Devils pouring in will offset the balance, and the Queen, with the lineage being what it is, probably feels strongly about it. As in, she 'feels' it, and has a compelling need to do something about it, which is difficult because she can't leave the island.]"

Ad nodded, but didn't say anything.

"[That doesn't answer the original question,]" Ler pointed out, which made Ad frown and look at Lara.

"[I know,]" she replied. "[The thing is... that she... wants to be involved in it, despite the restrictions.]"

This time, both Ler and Ad frowned at her, and the expressions stayed plastered on their faces as they struggled to understand the implications of the statement. Because there was no logical way to go about it; the implications couldn't have been what they thought them to be.

Ad looked at Ler, but the confusion being present on their face as well, only deepened his own uncertainty.

"[Lara... Like, what's that supposed to mean?]" He asked, turning his eyes back to her.

She let out a sigh, placing both of her elbow onto the table and supporting herself against them. "[I... don't really know...]" she admitted with a tone that dripped onto the table like autumn rain. "[She... talked a bit about something, it was a proposition, I got that much, but it got so technical,]" she half said, had whined. "[I barely got... 20% of it, I think.]"