𝔽𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕣 ℂ𝕣𝕠𝕨𝕟 || 𝕂𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕒𝕥𝕠 𝔸𝕪𝕒𝕥𝕠

29. A King Kneels Before No One But Her

The carefully curated case files quivered in Kanari's shaking hands. As always, she could not feel the smooth texture that she imagined the papers would have, her gloves saw to that. However, this fact did not stop her mind from wondering what these accursed files would feel like.

Would they show any sign of the malice the words imprinted on the paper held?

Surely not.

It was just paper, right?

But then again, many things were also just, but somehow, they were always more anyway.

It was just a name.

But it was so much more.

It was just a feeling.

But it was so much more.

Nothing, Kanari learned, was just. Nothing was as simple as the facade it displayed. There was always a catch, a little risk, the fine print.

The files in her hands were so innocent, they could've easily been mistaken for just another bundle of documents. Yet, as she stared at the inked letters before her, it was clear that it was nothing of the sort.

Maybe to someone else, it would be, but to her?

The first page had her father's profile, details about his life. His deceased wife, his only daughter, and all the questionable riches he'd gained over the course of his life. Simple enough.

The second page was where it began. It was almost like a table of contents, listing numerous cases of various crimes. Tax fraud, smuggling, illegal distribution of goods, scamming, thievery.

It made her nauseous, the thought of all the money they had being obtained in such ways. All the meals she ate, the little things she got, were they all bought with this dirty money?

Childhood, it seemed, was not a luxury she ever had.

Kanari shut her eyes briefly and thought of all the people her father must've scammed, the families he must've ruined, the businesses he must've closed down. It was shallow of her to have thought that she and her mother were the only victims of her father's wrath. Did she have it bad really, compared to the people who had to work every second of their day just to feed their family?

What was better? Being poor and loved, or being rich and abused?

In short, what was worth sacrificing more? Material objects, or emotional support?

At that moment, Kanari was not sure.

The sound of the meeting room door opening jerked her from her thoughts, and she inhaled sharply. Court officials, and "trusted" advisors clamored around the table, each of them bowing in Ayato's direction before they sat down. Though, the king did not seem to care much, as he was mostly preoccupied with the activity of openly observing Kanari.

Of course, this did not prompt a reaction from her. She did not even move her head in response to the crowd gathering around the table. Whatever others thought of her, she found herself unable to care for at that moment. A more pressing matter was currently sat in her hands, staring back at her like it didn't give her insurmountable waves of guilt and shame.

King Diluc and Princess Fischl sat on the other end of the long wooden table, the latter on the former's right, mirroring Ayato and Kanari in a way. An air of what could only be described as nobility descended upon the room, suffocating Kanari in its grip. The lofty aura that exuded from the Mondstadian royals sung of their privilege. They were the few who were born without the need to toil for a single day of their lives, and with that fact came bitter hints of envy. The morality of power was neither here nor there. Respect, love, and reverence, all came with power, but then again, so did disgust, fear, and loathing.