Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

In the tale as old as time, the good would be rewarded, and the evil would be punished. What was good and what was evil, this was a concept made, not a concept born. Doing something for the sake of somebody else is good. Doing something that harms somebody else is evil.

When Focalors chose this path to deceive heaven, she had signed her own death warrant.

Let her be harmed for the good of Fontainian children, the blood and sacrifice of Lady Egeria.

She did not start it, but she shall end it.

Focalors had always been the most clever, dutiful, and willing to sacrifice amongst all of Lady Egeria’s familiars. Perhaps that was why Egeria chose her.

If Focalors had to fight the prophecy herself without a smidge of help, then she would. And she will make her own companion to force to walk this path with her... and she named her Furina. Herself, in a way.

Furina was her entire humanity compressed into one beautiful creature. A human Focalors so hoped to be. The joy, the sorrow, the smug, the naivety. An extension of herself that she had to make suffer for the good she aimed to achieve. Once all things were achieved, Focalors would end herself and let Furina live happily as a human. That was why Focalors only invited Neuvillette to explain her plan and return the rightful power of Hydro to the Sovereign. Focalors never wanted to steal the limelight Furina had been under. She was her precious ideal, the ultimate perfection of a heroine to a play.

How could Focalors have the heart to steal her precious Furina’s spotlight...?

Focalors was the bad guy who forced the hapless Furina to pretend... and as a bad guy, she would redeem herself by putting her life in exchange for Fontaine.

But that was all in vain. Furina was gone, and Focalors returned to her mortal body as if nothing ever happened. Nothing except for the tear in her heart that could never be filled ever again, destined to remain empty. An ugly gash of consequence.

Focalors wailed along the storm that hit Fontaine under Neuvillette’s grief. Afterward, the two returned to their own arrangement. Neuvillette couldn’t bear to look at her, and Focalors didn’t want eyes on her.

Focalors cursed the sky. Hatred and resentment filled her human heart, the heart she never touched for five hundred years. But despite her endless resentment, she felt guilt above all others.

She failed, and she harmed someone.

She’s a sinner.

“I’m the sinner.” She whispered to her clasped hands. “I’m the sinner...” She sobbed in front of the Statue of Seven for she didn’t know where else to cry.

She didn’t want to go to Neuvillette; they would just break each other’s hearts.

Furina was gone.

Egeria had long gone.

Five hundred years had passed, and she had no friends nor compatriots she could pour her human emotions into. All of her Oceanid friends had vacated Fontaine, scattered like loose sand without the water of Lady Egeria binding them together. Egeria chose Focalors, and the rest left one by one once Lady Egeria died. They felt Fontaine was a failure, the reason for Egeria’s desperate demise, and Focalors was just a part of that failure in their eyes.

The only thing she could do was to cry to the landmark that hadn’t changed in these last centuries. A depiction of Lady Egeria. Her mother.

“Fontaine is saved. Yet this one, the greatest sinner, survives the blade of execution.” Focalors lowered her head. “Does justice even exist? Or what you said was true, Lady Egeria. That it was blind. So blind, it takes away the innocent victim.”

It was not fair.

“Furina!”

Focalors raised her head and glanced back, spotting the golden-haired traveller and her faithful flying companion.

“We’ve been looking for you!” Paimon exclaimed. “People said they saw you going here. What are you doing in front of the statue? And oh, what’s with the fashion change?” She scrutinized the black dress Focalors wore and also the veil over her head.

Focalors was not in the mood to talk to anybody. She’d been avoiding people for the past weeks and slammed doors in some people’s faces no less than ten times just to avoid interacting with anyone. She knew her limit; it had been five hundred years since she felt emotions, and she could only manage to feel one at a time. If anything was added on top of her grief, she would snap.

But she had to get used to this, didn’t she? The ups and downs of human emotion. Ah, dear Furina, what a strong person you are...

“Why are you so silent? You won’t talk to us?” Paimon said, disappointed. “People said you’ve been acting strange after err... the flood. Everyone is worried. Paimon wonders what you’re up to.”

Lumine eyed ‘Furina’ silently. “Are you holding a grudge?” she asked softly. “I understand if you do.” Lumine did hope she could meet Furina again and acted normal, but she was not above apologizing if Furina did take offense to what she had done to drag her into the trial.

“Ah-“ Paimon fluttered, distressed. “Are you, Furina? You can’t be holding a grudge against everyone. I’m sure Neuvillette should have explained why we did it, right? Oh! Or we can do you a favor—”

“I can apologize,” Lumine said, cutting Paimon off. “The trial was rough on you, I can imagine. We fell into doing the prophecy anyway in an attempt to learn the truth. It was a mistake. I... was unnecessarily cruel. Sorry.”

“Yes, you were,” Focalors said quietly. “Very unnecessarily cruel. I didn’t expect it to be like that. But the trial wasn’t a mistake.” She stood up. “The prophecy was meant to happen, there was nothing we could do.”

“Furina...” Lumine trailed off, compassion in her eyes. “Furina, I—”

“Pleased to meet you, Traveler.” Focalors cut her off. Her dainty hand raised over her chest. “I’m not Furina. I am Focalors, former Hydro Archon.”

Lumine froze and gazed at Focalors in shock, Focalors’ words were almost like a physical attack to her, making her stagger back in disbelief. Paimon crossed her arms.

“Huh? What do you mean by that?” Paimon tilted her head. “Are you using your other name now? Isn’t Furina your personal name? Why change the name now? Paimon doesn’t understand.”

“Paimon, shut up.” Lumine shot her companion a look. “You are... Focalors.” Her eyes scanned the ‘Furina’ in front of her. The face and figure were still the same, only the attire changed. This ‘Furina’ no longer wears her eccentric outfit with a blue blazer and light-colored shorts; it has now been replaced with a long black dress. The flashy blue top hat had also been replaced by a black veil. The heeled shoes... There were no shoes. Focalors, in front of Lumine, was barefoot.

“Indeed.” Focalors nodded. “Regardless of what happened in the trial, I must thank you for assisting Fontaine while I couldn’t. It was always nice to have more people survive.”

Lumine faltered. “Then... Where is Furina?” she asked lamely.

Focalors’ expression faltered. Despite mustering up all effort to look indifferent, her grief still seeped through. “She’s gone.” She inhaled deeply and stared straight back into Lumine’s eyes. “Her soul disappeared, and I’m... here. In this body,” she added hauntingly.

“W...What...?” Lumine gasped.

Focalors turned her back to Lumine, staring dazedly at the statue again. “Whatever you wanted to convey to Furina could no longer be conveyed. Apologies or invitations... all invalid.”

“Paimon doesn’t understand.” Paimon looked at Lumine and Focalors, at a loss.

“What happened?” Lumine clenched her hands, still staring at Focalors’ back.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Focalors said coldly.

“Who else knows?” Lumine inquired. “Nobody told—”

“Nobody else but Neuvillette knows,” Focalors lowered her head absently. “Have you talked to him?”

Lumine pursed her lips. She did talk to Neuvillette when the rebuilding was in full swing. When she asked about Furina, the Iudex’s robotic voice went quiet, and he told her not to worry about it. Now she understood why Neuvillette looked away from her when she asked that question.

No wonder...

No wonder there had been so many rains and storms across Fontaine ever since the flood. She had chalked it up as an aftereffect of the prophecy, but never expected this at all.

Drops of water fell from the sky, and a drizzle soon followed. Focalors looked up and sighed. “Ah, he’s sad again...” Focalors pursed her lips. When it rained, she knew Neuvillette was thinking about Furina, and when she thought about it too, she got sad too. “Why couldn’t I die instead?” she murmured darkly.

Lumine stiffened.

.

Lumine stumbled away from Focalors a new woman. Paimon was silent for once, leaving her to her own thoughts. Inevitably, she remembered Furina’s heart of hearts. Her guarded heart, her hidden vulnerability, and finally the truth. Everything came stabbing back at her.

Lumine pressed the heel of her palm to her eye. The pain was as bad as when she had to witness Rukkhadevata erasing her existence for the sake of Sumeru and Teyvat. The painful silence with everyone ignorant of the loss.

Rukkhadevata erased her existence from everyone’s mind, but what about Furina? She existed in everyone’s minds. Her body was still here, but it was her other self... not her. Lumine understood Focalors’ bitterness. Nobody can replace anyone.

Lumine stumbled back to the city and bumped into Clorinde and Navia.

“Why do you look like that?” Navia asked, concerned.

“You were looking for Lady Furina, right?” Clorinde furrowed her brows. “Did you meet her? Did she... say anything?” She asked quietly, hiding her anxiety towards her former lady.

Lumine looked at them, and at that moment, the rain grew stronger. Navia exclaimed, holding onto her umbrella tighter.

“We’ll talk somewhere else. Quick!” Navia grabbed Lumine’s hand, and they soon ran for shelter at a café.

Lumine sat down heavily as Navia complained about the weather. Clorinde gazed at Lumine devotedly.

“You met Lady Furina,” Clorinde judged.

Navia sat down after shaking her umbrella. “Is that true? How is she? Did she talk to you?” Navia asked curiously.

Lumine lowered her head. Paimon took over the conversation. “Furina said she’s not Furina, but Focalors.”

“What?” Both Navia and Clorinde blinked.

Paimon shook her head. “Paimon doesn’t understand either. What did she mean by that, Traveler? You seem like you know.”

Lumine clenched her hands. “She’s gone.” She exhaled. “Furina is gone. She’s long gone.”

“What do you mean? Lady Furina is alive and fine. Don’t speak nonsense.” Clorinde snapped firmly.

Lumine’s head dipped even lower, shaking. “The one that you’ve all seen... she’s not Furina. She’s Focalors, the real hydro archon.” She stared at her clenched hands.

Navia furrowed her brows and looked at Clorinde, but Clorinde’s whole attention was on Lumine, stupefied. “What are you talking about?” Navia asked urgently, turning back to Lumine. “Can you please explain?”

“I don’t know.” Lumine inhaled deeply. “I don’t know.” She needed to find Neuvillette.

The girls bumped into the Duke of Meropide and his head nurse on the way to find Neuvillette. After finding out the other side wanted to find Neuvillette too, they resolved to go together.

When they arrived in front of his office, Sedene seized Sigewinne anxiously, begging her to advise Neuvillette to rest or something.

After assuring the distressed Melusine, the group knocked and entered.

Neuvillette looked up and startled himself when he saw so many people coming in when he had only recalled that Wriothesley and Sigewinne were scheduled to meet him.

“Don’t look at me, I met these ladies at the front,” Wriothesley said, shrugging. “The Iudex is so popular.”

Sigewinne jabbed his side, and Wriothesley’s mouth closed shut.

Neuvillette looked at the ladies, furrowing his brows. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

Lumine stepped forward, her eyes strained. “I’ve met her.”

Neuvillette stared blankly.

Lumine inhaled, she knew Neuvillette knew who she meant. “Can you tell me what happened? Between Focalors and Furina...”

Neuvillette’s expression sank for a split second before recovering into the same blank and exhausted face. “I see. I suppose it’s not surprising you’ll find out. I should have brought it up a long time ago but...” He didn’t have the strength to.

Clorinde stepped forward, frazzled. “What does this mean, Monsieur? I... I don’t understand. What’s going on with Lady Furina?”

Neuvillette folded his hands on the desk, grim. “Furina is gone. Approximately after the flood, or perhaps before it... She’s been gone since then.”

Silence fell. Wriothesley stared in shock and looked at them all incredulously. His eyes flicked to each of them, not understanding what they were talking about. For a split second, he felt he probably needed to go to the surface more. “Gone...? What do you mean, I’ve seen her after the flood.”

“That’s not her,” Neuvillette lowered his head. “That’s Focalors. The former Hydro Archon’s divinity.”

The rain outside poured harder.

“Roughly five hundred years ago after the first Hydro Archon passed and the second Hydro Archon stepped up. The one who succeeded her was Focalors. Focalors was trusted by Egeria, the first Hydro Archon, to deal with the prophecy.” Neuvillette fiddled absently. With a twist of his cane, something seemed to isolate them from the outside world. “She then came up with the plan to deceive the heaven.”

Everybody turned grim.

“Focalors separated herself into two, one is the divinity who took care of all manners of the divine, she hid in the Oratrice to gather powers to prevent the prophecy from destroying Fontaine completely, she referred to herself as Focalors. The other one is the humanity, born without memory of the past, naïve and a complete mortal, she’s Furina.”

“For the last five hundred years, Furina had taken a part to act as the Hydro Archon to deceive the prophecy.” Neuvillette closed his eyes. “She was instructed by Focalors to make sure nobody found out that she wasn’t the archon or else Fontaine would be doomed, so she played the part.”

Neuvillette patiently retold the story of Focalors and Furina to the group, he didn’t tell them about the throne of hydro or Focalors’ plan in passing him the power to forgive the people. He told them enough things for them to understand the rough picture.

“So, it was true. Lady Furina was a completely normal human?” Sigewinne frowned in distress.

“Five hundred years... that must be rough,” Wriothesley murmured.

“It was rough,” Neuvillette said. He couldn’t even imagine. “She was a mortal through and through. She was not made to sustain such a long life. But Focalors cursed her to live a long life while remaining human.”

“I can’t believe it...” Navia gasped softly. “Then... then... what we all did...”

“Paimon doesn’t expect this at all...”

Lumine clenched her hands. “I know this.”

Everyone looked at Lumine in surprise.

“I already know all of this. I just want to know how Focalors is in Furina’s body now,” Lumine questioned firmly.

Neuvillette stared straight at her. “Something went wrong. Focalors gave away her life to help reverse the prophecy and should have died, but she woke up in Furina’s body instead. Instead... Furina’s soul was gone. We don’t know what happened. Maybe it’s an irony. Perhaps the prophecy noticed the one crying on her throne was not the real Hydro Archon but a normal human so it forcibly exchanged Focalors and Furina... But in truth, it’s all just speculation.”

“Furina is gone...”

Drip...

Drip...

“Monsieur...” Navia’s eyes widened when she saw tears rolling down Neuvillette’s cheek.

Crash!

Before anyone could react, Clorinde tried to stand up and her knees gave up, resulting in her crashing to the ground. Navia and Lumine quickly helped her up. “...Gone... She’s gone...? Lady Furina...?”

“The one who we thought Lady Furina after the flood was not actually Lady Furina but Lady Focalors?” Wriothesley asked in shock.

Sigewinne covered her mouth. “S-so... Lady Furina is truly gone?” she looked at Neuvillette, almost begging for him to say it was not true, but Neuvillette nodded. “NO!” Sigewinne teared up. Wriothesley hugged the small Melusine instinctively.

“I-is there no way to bring her back? We can’t bring her back at all?!” Paimon asked, fluttering worriedly.

Neuvillette shook his head. “Maybe this is retribution. As to what, I don’t know. I just know Lady Furina is the most undeserving of punishment. She has sacrificed a lot.”

“She has...” Lumine’s lips trembled.

Neuvillette smiled, bitter. He turned his back on them, hiding his emotion. “As with my current mood, I’m afraid I can no longer do my official duty for the day. I need to excuse myself. Duke, may I trouble you to come back tomorrow?”

Wriothesley nodded numbly. Let alone Neuvillette, he didn’t think he could talk business after receiving this bombshell.

All of them exited the office. Neuvillette went deeper into the Palais, likely to shut himself in his room, and finally stopped worrying the melusines working with him.

When the group was going to the exit, they shockingly encountered the object of their conversation earlier.

Focalors slowed to a stop when she saw Lumine and the others. She nodded calmly without an ounce of Furina’s liveliness or deep fondness for every single child of Fontaine. Her eyes had boundless gentleness, like cloud, soft and gentle... but so distant, untouchable. In her arms was a bunch of Lakelight Lilies that contrasted heavily with her black dress and black veil.

She walked past without saying a word under their eyes. Clorinde was in utter shock, not because of Focalors’ presence or indifference but at how she didn’t notice the obvious difference prior to this. Even the way she walked was completely different from the way Furina walked. Furina’s walk was elegant and light, but there was a bounce of life in it. Meanwhile, Focalors looked like she was gliding, inhumane.

What was worse in the world? When the dead were buried, you never see the body ever again. Or when the dead were still walking, a constant reminder that she was gone and the one walking was no longer her...

Clorinde had executed way too many people in a duel, the blood she shed hardly made her expression twitch. But at this moment, her stomach churned. “Excuse me.” She kept her grace as Lady Furina’s former bodyguard intact by excusing herself first before she dashed off, leaving behind a blitz of lightning.

Wriothesley glimpsed her back one last time before she disappeared, sighed, and grabbed Sigewinne’s hand. “We’ll head back to the hotel. Traveler, Demoiselle Navia, we’re going first,” he said evenly and pulled Sigewinne along, giving his coat to the small Melusine to avoid the rain.

Navia turned to Lumine. “Are we... going to make this public?” she clenched her umbrella nervously. She couldn’t imagine the chaos this news would make in the already murky water of Fontaine. They no longer had an archon, Lady Focalors had withdrawn from the seat as Lady Furina just after the flood. Neuvillette was busy and also grieving for his companion of five hundred years.

They just had what they thought as their happily ever after. Navia wondered why this happened to Fontaine.

Lumine zoned out for a bit and closed her eyes. She inhaled and exhaled. “That’s your choice to make. I... I can’t interfere anymore.” Lumine felt awful. She interfered Fontaine’s murky water and what happened? An innocent soul lost. Not through necessary sacrifice, not through her own will even. Furina was gone just like that. She was not given a choice.

Lumine’s eyes contained hurt and pain. She recalled the dark stage in Furina’s heart of heart. She squeezed her eyes shut. ‘She never had a choice...’

“I think... all of you should discuss with Neuvillette and Focalors about this,” Lumine whispered.

Furina was never given a choice, and now Lumine was reluctant to make a choice.

Lumine pinched the bridge of her nose. “If you need anything, send me a letter. I’ll come and help any way I can.” She took one trembling step into the rain.

“Where are you going?” Navia asked hastily, also stepping into the rain with her umbrella to shield Lumine with her.

“I have something to do in Sumeru.” She needed Nahida. She needed to talk to the small Dendro Archon, a complete outsider to this whole situation, whom she could trust with this matter. “I will be back before you realize it,” Lumine assured Navia with a firm look. “I’ll help you in whatever all of you decide to do after this. I promise.”

This was the only way she could repent herself.

Navia pursed her lips and looked at Lumine with sympathy. She nodded and didn’t follow Lumine as she once again stepped into the rain and walked away with Paimon.

The next day, Navia took Clorinde with her to talk about the possibility of telling the truth to the whole Fontaine. Initially, Clorinde was resistant to the idea, but after accidental encounters with some people of Poisson who still hated that ‘Lady Furina’ didn’t do enough to help them and a group of children still adoringly pondered when would Lady Furina hold another grand performance, Clorinde also arrived at a conclusion that it had to end.

The current situation would do nothing good for the people of Fontaine and would only fester confusion in the long run. So, in the afternoon, both Navia and Clorinde waited in the Palais’s lounge to meet with Neuvillette after his appointment with the Duke of Meropide.

When they just sat down to wait, the door to Neuvillette’s office opened, and Wriothesley peeked out. He didn’t look surprised to see them and instead invited them to come inside with a silent gesture.

So once again, everyone who knew the truth, save for the Traveller and her flying companion, was now in the same room again.

Navia curtseyed and straightened up. “Monsieur, with no intention to overstep,” Navia started. “When... will we tell the whole Fontaine the truth about the lady’s situation?” she asked vaguely.

Wriothesley gestured to Navia as if he expected she would say that and shrugged as if to say, ‘I told you so.’ It went without saying that the Duke certainly also raised this question before the two ladies came here.

“Truthfully speaking, I never consider it,” Neuvillette said bluntly, dumbfounding everyone.

“What do you mean you never consider it?” Clorinde stared at the ever just judge in disbelief.

“You mean you just expected people to keep going with their lives without telling them that Lady Furina is no longer with us?” Wriothesley’s jaw almost dropped to the ground. “You know, even in the darkest place deep in Meropide, some people would still talk about Lady Furina, right?”

Sigewinne, who knew Neuvillette better than everyone here, furrowed her brows in sadness. “You are sparing us from the despair you felt, because you don’t think fragile humans can withstand it, do you?”

All eyes widened, and they all turned back to Neuvillette in shock and dawning understanding as Neuvillette avoided their gazes.

Sigewinne squinted and pursed her lips tightly. “Monsieur...” she sobbed. “You could have told Sedene and the others at least!” she rebuked. “Why did you suffer in it alone?!”

“How could I even start trying to explain it to you when her flesh and person still walked amongst us?” Neuvillette said quietly.

“Regardless,” Wriothesley started again, patting Sigewinne’s back all the while. “Now, all of us in this room have known this. What’s the plan now? I think... Fontaine deserves to know. But most of all, I think Lady Furina deserves a real farewell.”

Neuvillette closed his eyes. “You are right.” He inhaled deeply. “But run it through Focalors first. She will be the one who deals with Fontaine once they all know about the switch. I don’t know if she’s willing to deal with it. I’ve already called her here.”

Clorinde, Navia, and Wriothesley looked at each other, but they didn’t have the time to discuss anything when the door opened gently. The ever elegant and graceful former archon stepped in, barefoot. Long flowing black veil perched from the top of her head to the floor, dragging behind her.

Her heterochromatic eyes scanned the occupants of the room, bypassing them as if they were small ripples that didn’t affect her. She smiled, too calm and shallow for Furina’s theatrical confident smile. Her presence demanded attention that was not like a scream, but a gentle grasp of one’s chin that turned heads, captivating anyone whom she wanted.

“What do you need?” Focalors asked calmly, dropping her smile.

Navia briefly noticed Neuvillette turning quiet, Clorinde was stupefied, and Wriothesley was lowering his gaze, so she stepped forward and bowed slightly. “Lady Focalors, I’m Navia Caspar, President of Spina di Rosula. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Focalors tilted her head. “Is it?”

Navia spared her a smile but desperately glanced over to Neuvillette.

Neuvillette looked up. “What do you think of revealing your and Furina’s situation to the public? How do you think it should be handled?”

Focalors blinked and tapped her chin. “Hm, I think that is quite a hassle. I’m in favor of telling everyone to pretend Furina is dead, and I also won’t interact with them unless needed.” She smiled. “Fontaine is the nation of opera, playing pretend is in our blood. I’m sure this can be arranged.”

Everyone save for Neuvillette stared at her incredulously.

“The world isn’t a stage,” Neuvillette said evenly. “It shouldn’t be a stage. Furina suffered doing it, I’m not letting anyone turn the world into a stage again.”

Focalors hummed again. “That’s so boring. Furina would like to see it.” She stroked the petals of Lakelight Lily she brought with her. “If everyone acted along with her, it would have been much easier. She wouldn’t feel so lonely. Too bad...”

“You’re seeing it through your divine unfeeling eyes again,” Neuvillette pointed out, almost exhaustedly angry.

Focalors let the silence stretch in the room as she gave all of her attention to the flower in her grasp. She brought it up and exhaled contentedly. Then, as if she just remembered there were other people too in the room, waiting for her to say something, she turned and spoke up as if nothing had happened. “Just tell them Furina died for everyone’s sins. And I, the real archon, sacrificed her for the life of all Fontainians. That might shut up the voices of dissent that grates my ears every time I go out to do a pilgrimage to Egeria’s statue.”

“That might affect your quality of life, especially now you’re a human,” Neuvillette said. There was no blame in his voice, only pity.

The both of them were two people suffering from the loss of Furina the most.

“That doesn’t matter. What do you think of me playing the villain role?” Focalors smiled again, and she started rocking on her heels. “Having evil streaks in a character seems to be the rage in this century, or was it the last? There are too many books in Furina’s room. She didn’t separate them chronologically.”

“Lady Focalors.” Wriothesley stood up, cutting off Focalors’ talk. He walked forward three steps and gestured politely to the seat, offering it to her. “Please have a seat.”

Focalors blinked. For a split second, everyone thought she would decline, but she compassionately didn’t embarrass Wriothesley and walked over to sit down.

Sigewinne also disappeared and reappeared with a cup of tea. “Lady Focalors... please have some tea.”

Both Wriothesley and Sigewinne looked at each other. They could recognize a manic patient when they see one. Focalors might not seem like it to normal people, but the longer she talked, the more Wriothesley and Sigewinne were sure she was in a manic episode, she just hadn’t broken down yet.

Focalors picked up the teacup and took a sip. Just like that, her words stopped coming, and she focused on Wriothesley. “I remember you. You killed your foster parents when you were young.”

Wriothesley’s lips twitched, but he had a very high level of indulgence towards her. “That was me. In the flesh.”

Focalors nodded and took another long sip of the tea. “Poor boy.” She sighed, lost in the memory of the past when she was inside the Oratrice. Her eyes then brightened a bit. “Furina left early during that trial, yes? I remember each time she left early during trials. Twenty-one times in almost five hundred years.” She played with her fingers, counting.

Focalors smiled fondly, once again, her eyes stared into space.

“Yes, yes, thrice during the second century. Six times during the third. Five times during the early fourth. Seven times in the last fifty years. She got really impatient the longer she lived.” Focalors nodded.

Wriothesley smiled wryly. “It must’ve been a boring trial. I don’t blame her for leaving.”

“Oh, no. It wasn’t because it was boring,” Focalors denied. “I can assure you, she felt bad that the one in the stand was not your dead foster parents rather than you.”

“Focalors.” Neuvillette called out to her, bringing her attention back to him. “How do you want to approach this situation for Fontaine’s public?”

“It’s up to you, Neuvillette.” Focalors smiled. “I’ll respect your arrangement.” They also had their own difficulty. The matter of deceiving the Heavenly Principle couldn’t be told to just everyone. The traveller was fine, but others couldn’t be cursed by this knowledge too. “If that’s all, please excuse me. I have other things to attend.”

It rained again when Navia and the others left the Palais, they were forced to stand at the entrance while watching the rain pouring harder and harder, threatening anyone who dared to cross it with some severe beatings.

They looked up and were surprised to find Focalors there by the fountain right in the middle of the harsh rain.

She was dancing gracefully, her steps were light and smooth, even with her dress clinging tightly around her. If the rain hurt her, she didn’t show it.

Clorinde instinctively wanted to chase after her and… do something. Anything to shield her from the rain. She almost did it if it wasn’t for Wriothesley grabbing her hand and pulling her back.

“We can watch, but we can’t disturb her,” Wriothesley stated bluntly.

Clorinde clenched her hands and nodded. So they were stuck watching Focalors dancing absently in the rain to a melody they didn’t know, but upon closer inspection, Focalors’ lips seem to be moving. Due to the harsh rain, however, her singing couldn’t be heard by them.

A chasm stretched between them and their supposed former archon. Knowing who she was, they felt even more bitter. From start to end, they were never supposed to know her. Between Focalors and Fontaine, stood Furina. But now Furina was gone, only a chasm was left.

The rain receded as she danced but her passionate feeling didn’t recede with it, staying strong like a surging river, endless. Out of nowhere, shadows flashed from a blind corner of the garden.

“DIE YOU FAKE ARCHON!”

Wriothesley and the others snapped out of their daze in alarm, four visions flashed grimly. But before they could take action, Focalors swatted the attacker’s hand off, deviating his trajectory of swinging. Her dainty hand jabbed him in the chest, hard enough to push air out of him, before slithering to his neck and shoving him aside. At the same time, she also slid slightly to the left, avoiding the second attacker’s swinging knife, her leg accurately struck the second attacker’s unstable footing and also tripped him over. Everything happened in under three seconds.

Focalors gazed at the two men on the ground. “Children, I’m not in the mood.” She weighed the sword she stole from the first attacker. “The offense of trying to assassinate a former leading figure is twenty years in prison, the offense to attack an unarmed person is ten years in prison, planned assassination is fifteen years if failed, doing criminal offense within the Palais’ peripheral is additional three years, causing ruckus in the city is one year, illegal weapon ownership is five years. According to old law book of Egeria, any offenses that exceeded fifty years of prison time is an automatic death sentence.”

She gazed upon them expressionlessly, cold, harsh, and calculative. Her hands kept weighing the sword as if she was preparing to execute them in place herself. Wriothesley and Clorinde quickly rushed forward to stop her, but Focalors suddenly dropped the sword.

“But that was before the Oratrice.” She closed her eyes mercifully and smiled vacantly.

From the light rain, a blue light flashed above Focalors and a vision appeared, shocking everyone.

Focalors grasped it and brought it down, looking at it with as much emotion as someone looking at grass on the ground. “Hydro vision.” She looked at the small four-pronged likening dragon claws on the vision. “Leave,” she ordered the two attackers.

They seem shaken, but when faced with a cold look from Focalors’ delicat,e beautiful face, they snapped. “Don’t underestimate—”

Click.

Clorinde already pressed the barrel of her gun threateningly close to the first attacker while Wriothesley slammed back the second attacker when he tried to get up.

“Doing crimes in the Palais’ ground is another level of stupid, you know? I will enjoy seeing you two in the fortress for re-education,” Wriothesley joked. “Lady Fu- Lady Focalors, I’ll handle this. Please enjoy your day.” He held her cold emotionless gaze with a look of gentle friendliness while inwardly sweating. He never thought a cold look on that face could ever shake him this badly.

Wriothesley didn’t see Furina often, but when he did, there was always a touch of kindness and deep worry in her eyes that were rooted in love. Which was why, Wriothesley held nothing but warm affection for the archon he rarely met. But Focalors, despite it being literally Furina’s eyes and face, brought an entirely different feeling to that beautiful face. Wriothesley found himself thinking the beautiful face of Fontaine’s most adored celebrity should never look that cold.

Clorinde pursed her lips, staring at Focalors with part reluctance and part heartache as she nodded.

“Okay, I’ll leave it to you, your grace,” Focalors said and turned around, dragging her soaked self away with a movement that resembled a glide rather than a walk.

“My lady,” Clorinde blurted out worriedly, feeling ashamed of herself. No matter how many times she reminded herself, the ever-young woman was Focalors and no longer Furina, she still couldn’t stop seeing Furina. Seeing Furina, all drenched and sad, walking away, unbearably distressed Clorinde. “Where are you going? Shall I accompany you?”

Focalors paused. “Me?” She blinked in confusion. “Oh, I will go take a dive and think underwater. I like being alone.”

Clorinde stepped back. “I understand.”

After she was gone, Wriothesley exhaled heavily. “I won’t get used to that.” He truly can’t. In his mind, Lady Furina had always been the heart of a party, beating so lively, the stars in the sky and the light of the room. Seeing her being cold was so wrong. He glanced at Clorinde with pity. If he, the one who rarely interacted with Furina, couldn’t get used to that, he couldn’t imagine how much harder it was for Clorinde.

Clorinde clenched her fists harder and lowered her head in dismay. “Let’s bring these two in immediately. I need to go home.” Home and break down.

Chapter Text

When Arlecchino returned to Fontaine to visit her children, it was right at the time a disturbing announcement spread across Fontaine about the demise of ‘Lady Furina’. For all her calmness in the face of shocking change, it was still a confounding news to be greeted with.

She arrived in the House of Hearth, and Lyney greeted her personally with a little relief.

“The news?” Arlecchino arched her brows.

Lyney looked sideways, one part hesitant and one part uncertain. She was very sure she had nailed into Lyney’s head that poker face was always essential and, normally, he was quite devoted to her teaching. “I also heard the news. The Duke of Meropide, Spina di Rosula, and the Palais confirmed the news and called for a mourning period. But I did see Lady Furina not long ago and Lynette saw her even more recently. We’re currently trying to get into the details on what makes the three powers announce this news.”

Arlecchino nodded and coincidentally in that moment, Freminet returned with a pale, disturbed face. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw Arlecchino but quickly returned to neutrality.

“Father, you’re back.”

Lyney exhaled. “Here you are, did you get any explanation about this weird announcement?”

Freminet nodded. “Mn... I snooped around and heard from Demoiselle Navia that... the one that’s been roaming around the city and waters wearing mourning dress is not Lady Furina. I find it hard to believe that they would say things like that if they didn’t mean it.” He frowned tightly.

Lyney stared at Freminet like he just grew two heads. “What? Did she tell you this herself or...”

“I overheard, she was talking to the Duke of Meropide.”

Arlecchino frowned. “Stop investigating. I will find and confirm it.”

“Yes, father.” The two boys quickly bowed their heads.

Arlecchino turned on her heel and left with loud clicks of her heels.

Personally, she didn’t believe the news, because it was too sudden. Surely if things this big happened, it would have been obvious or told beforehand. An idea that the former fake archon wanted to kill her old identity so she didn’t have to face the people of Fontaine’s righteous anger flashed in the Knave’s mind. If her suspicion was true that she had to withdraw her improving impression of the former archon.

Arlecchino expected to find the fake archon in the Palais or even around the grounds of Palais, but she encountered her outside the city, sitting on a jutting boulder by the water. She stopped and waited for her to notice her.

She didn’t have to wait long.

When those pair of heterochromic eyes landed on the Knave, she felt cold blood wash over her entire body, the same feeling she got when the Tsaritsa looked at her. Her red eyes widened, and something in her chest weighed down.

But everything turned back to normal when those heterochromic eyes left her as the owner of those eyes turned away, arms raised, hands crossed overhead. And she...

Danced.

Her feet touched the deep water but the water seemed undisturbed, holding her up, bowing to her will. Ripples of water spread from each step she took, breaking fractals of lights reflected on the water like rains without the rain itself. Rushing and without calmness, like gasps of breath after cries, yet to naked eyes, it was the same as seeing a distant avalanche; a slow and tragic crumble.

A very private moment.

Arlecchino lowered her eyes and walked away.

...

Returning to the House the next day, Arlecchino was still in a daze inwardly and began to think how to report this to the Tsaritsa when Lyney and Lynette ran toward her with a troubled look.

“Father.” They stopped before her.

“I think it’s better if you don’t investigate it yourself,” Lyney said, and Lynette nodded.

“The current Lady Furina, well, she’s not Lady Furina but the true Hydro Archon, Focalors,” Lynette said. “Lady Furina herself was confirmed to be... gone.”

Arlecchino furrowed her brows. “The true hydro archon?”

“Yes, the details are greatly hidden for now. It is a tightly guarded secret from the Palais, and only a few people know the inside story. We still don’t know what happened, but the matter of the true hydro archon is true.”

The Knave worked the timeline in her head. She left Fontaine again not long after telling the traveller about Furina’s lack of divinity, she had received letters from Lyney that they were going to bring her to court, and when she returned to Fontaine again, it was to provide disaster relief and also get the gnosis. The one who gave her the gnosis was Neuvillette, there was no ‘hydro archon’. At that time, Arlecchino even suspected the hydro archon was Neuvillette all along until she rejected this idea since it made no sense at all.

“After the flood, did any of you see her again?” Arlecchino glanced at her children. “Right after it.”

The twins shook their heads. “She did not appear in public anymore, just an announcement that she stepped down from being an archon.”

“The soonest you saw her again?” Arlecchino pressed on.

“About a week later,” Lynette spoke up. “Freminet saw her when he was diving outside.”

“She was wearinga  black dress, I almost didn’t recognise her.” Freminet appeared from the doorway and walked up to them.

Arlecchino closed her eyes. “So the Furina all Fontaine knew had died during the flood,” She concluded.

The three children looked at each other with a flash of bewilderment in their eyes.

The four of them stood in silence for about five seconds and Arlecchino turned around to go to her study and write this report. But a head popped out of the doorway, revealing a young face of Rael, another little boy from the House.

“Lyney? Lynette? The traveller is here, she’s looking for you.”

Arlecchino paused. “Bring her to my study,” she told her children and left.

It did not take long before the golden-haired traveller arrived at her office, looking less spirited than the last time she saw her.

“Knave, you might like to leave Fontaine until the situation stabilises!” The traveller’s pitchy flying companion exclaimed to warn her.

“Oh?” Arlecchino indulged.

The traveller shook her head. “Things are not looking good. I’m here to suggest you don’t meddle any more than this. You already got the gnosis.”

Arlecchino raised her brows. She didn’t expect the traveller to speak so much to her. “I was only after the gnosis. Naturally, I won’t mix with Fontaine’s deep water anymore after this target is acquired.” She remarked dignifiedly.

The traveller nodded, and Paimon chattered things Arlecchino already heard from her children so the Knave tuned her out and only focused on the traveller’s expression. Lumine lowered her head, closing her eyes in defeat. “We made a mistake, Knave...”

Arlecchino’s eyes shifted slightly.

“A grave mistake...”

Arlecchino’s eyes lowered silently. Paimon stopped talking, and silence fell as Arlecchino sat there, with her seemingly permanent cold and calculative expression.

“I see,” she said, after a while. Emotionless.

Rapid footsteps approached, and Lumine finally raised her head. Three knocks sounded, and the door was opened before any signal of permission, a sign of emergency.

“Father, Lady Furina...” Little Marie started.

Lumine stood up and rushed out, bumping past the little girl. Arlecchino remained seated in thought.

.

.

.

“Focalors—” Lumine stepped out and heaved a little. The atmosphere around Focalors was always heavy. It wasn’t just metaphorically, literally. Ever since she got her Vision, the water molecules in the air seemed to interact with Focalors’ emotions, weighing heavily on anyone close enough to her. Breathing around her was hard for normal people, and she seemed to prefer it that way.

“Where is she?” Focalors asked directly.

“She...?” Paimon questioned back.

Focalors’ face darkened. “I asked for the knave. The one with white and black hair, and crimson eyes.”

“What do you need from her?” Paimon asked, speechless. Lumine’s eyes narrowed.

“Milady, if I may say something,” Lyney stepped up confidently as if the heavy air didn’t affect him at all. “May we entertain you in the guest hall with tea and snacks while we wait for my father?” he smiled charmingly, but Focalors didn’t even glance at him.

Acknowledging no one who was clearly useless to her, Focalors lifted her foot and started to walk deeper inside.

Lynette appeared out of nowhere, standing on her path firmly but politely.

Focalors looked straight. “Are you obstructing the seat of justice?”

Lyney quickly stepped beside his sister. “Milady, I assure you, it won’t be long before our father is here.”

“Why is Lady Furina here...?” Other orphans, who didn’t go into hiding yet, were confused as to why they were told to go into the house when they didn’t perceive the visitor as a threat.

Focalors gasped and held her chest. The name ‘Furina’ alone utterly devastated her. “Step aside,” she ordered the twins.

“Focalors, don’t make it hard for them,” Lumine persuaded.

Focalors’ eyes snapped up. “Children of Fontaine, you listen to me!”

Everybody froze. The atmosphere coagulated, wrapping them in a sense of apprehension they rarely felt after Arlecchino took over the House of Hearth.

It wasn’t just the House of Hearth, the sense of apprehension spread through the whole neighbourhood.

Lumine noticed this immediately and stood in front of the twins instinctively.

“No need.”

Arlecchino appeared with a flurry of red, and Lumine dropped her stance, gazing at her in worry as she stepped past.

Focalors’ impatience faded, and she stared at Arlecchino. “Here...” she murmured.

She raised her hand and clenched her fingers around nothing. Bluish lights gathered around Arlecchino, and she reacted.

A blood-coloured scythe appeared, and she slashed towards the black-clad former archon.

A claymore of hydro appeared in response, and the former archon swung it without mercy.

The resulting explosions spread to the sides, shaking the foundation of House of Hearth. Lyney and Lynette turned on their tails and started grabbing anyone they could grab while yelling at the rest to run out.

Paimon screamed out in terror. “What are you two doing! Hey!”

Arlecchino frowned deeper. If previously he half-believed this was no longer Furina, the spotlight-loving fake archon she met before, she now believed this was not Furina. The difference was more than just her gaze and eyes, but also her gait and skill.

When the Knave was distracted, the former archon suddenly appeared in front of her. Just as Arlecchino was about to raise her scythe, the former archon raised her leg and kicked her midsection hard, sending her flying into a wall.

“AAAHHH!!” Paimon screamed.

BAM!

From the debris, Arlecchino walked out. Ruffled, but not injured.

She attacked again with her scythe, a flurry of flame bursting out. Focalors raised her claymore, unfazed.

The air once again thickened, and the bursting flames coming out of Arlecchino’s scythe were extinguished, weighed heavily by the moist air.

Arlecchino noted the change but kept swinging. Just before it hit Focalors, it burst back into flame, undisturbed by the heavy, moist air. But Focalors already met her scythe with her claymore, effectively suspending it for enough time for her to jump and land square on her scythe’s blade like a butterfly on a flower, extinguishing it again.

Arlecchino’s eyes widened.

Lumine decisively jumped in and distracted Focalors. Arlecchino pulled back as the former archon flipped back to avoid Lumine’s charge.

Now it was on, the way Focalors’ eyes turned to focus on the traveller, she already registered the traveller as an enemy too. The hydro claymore on the ground vaporised and appeared back in Focalors’ hands.

“ORDER!”

Everyone snapped up, and Paimon cried out in relief.

“Iudex Neuvillette!”

The former archon turned around slowly and looked at Neuvillette calmly, and the Iudex walked in authoritatively with his cane, followed by Clorinde and Wriothesley. With a slam of his cane, Neuvillette neutralised the heavy airs caused by Focalors

“You broke the law and trespassed into the property of House of Hearth. What do you have to say about yourself?” Neuvillette questioned bluntly, giving Focalors plenty of chance to explain herself and letting the head of the House of Hearth hear it.

Focalors stayed silent with slightly furrowed eyebrows, a strong sense of dislike of the notion.

“Focalors,” Neuvillette reiterated. “I have no time for this.”

The sentence fell, and silence settled uncomfortably.

“...I want that woman.” Focalors looked at the Knave.

“I believe attacking and restraining an individual without reason is unconstitutional,” Arlecchino remarked calmly.

Focalors pointed at her. “I do not intend to entertain the thought of keeping your presence on my side or under my name. You have what I want on you and I want it to be returned.”

Neuvillette furrowed his brows and stepped up. “Focalors. If it’s about the gnosis, I gave it to her voluntarily,” he said indifferently. “If you have the time, we can discuss about it in details.”

“NON! Who cares about the gnosis!?” Focalors snapped. “Not mine, this body’s!” she heaved. “She has Furina’s tears on her, I want it back!”

Silence reigned for what felt like eternity. Lumine couldn’t resist looking back at Arlecchino with shrinking pupils. Paimon hid behind her on instinct.

“Tears...?” Neuvillette repeated, dazed.

“I’ve collected all of her tears. Most converges to the fountain of Lucine. It wasn’t easy to gather, but that was fine, you know?” Focalors explained, almost manic. “The ones that don’t converge there usually just end up in her books...” she held her hands together as if reliving the moment of her holding those tears preciously.

“She...” She pointed at the Knave. “She’s the only one of two people who got her tears. One of them was the traveller, but I already collected the one that stuck to her. She...” she took a step forward. “I don’t know who you are, but I can sense it. I could never mistake the presence of her tears.”

Arlecchino stared at her, still emotionless.

“I wanted to take it from you when I saw you in the lake, but I had a pilgrimage for her. So I can only do it now.” Focalors’ eyes were wide, shaking, but focused.

“Then how do you want to retrieve it?” Neuvillette asked.

“Like this.” Focalors raised her hand again.

Blue lights reappeared on Arlecchino and she held herself from reacting this time, mainly because Neuvillette raised his hand and assured her it was not malicious.

It was a brief light that only appeared for three seconds and then disappeared, converging into a small bead of water.

Focalors raised both hands to welcome it. “Here...” she laughed softly, and it arrived in her hands. She stared lovingly at the bead of tears.

Everything seemed to end happily, until Focalors’ smile was wiped out the longer she stared at the bead of tears.

Lumine closed her eyes in defeat, having a feeling this would evolve into something more out of hands.

“You...” Focalors breathed out, manic eyes on Arlecchino.

“Focalors!” Neuvillette shouted in warning before chaos descended.

Chapter Text

Many people learned that day that Focalors could fight. She could fight very well.

To Lumine, Focalors might be the archon with most fighting skills shown this far, because Venti and Zhongli hid deep, Raiden Shogun ended her fights too quickly for any fair judgment, and Nahida was Nahida.

In an ironic sense, Lumine felt it was so fitting. The archon of electro ended fights quickly, just like how lightning is swift and quick. Water, however, smothers slowly.

And that was what Focalors did.

Boy, did Arlecchino put up a fight, but Focalors smothered all her attempts to retaliate.

She chased after them, followed by a trail of people more concerned about the former archon than the Fatui Harbinger. Had anyone ever mentioned how unfair it was to fight a Hydro vision user in Fontaine? Lumine didn’t think so. Perhaps because nobody else was using it like how Focalors was using it.

The absorbing capability of the city’s newly installed plumbing system was put to the test, and everywhere they chased, the streets were littered with puddles.

It took a while to find the duelling former Archon and Fatui Harbinger.

“Stay still,” Focalors loudly pronounced. “You sought the archon, and I wasn’t there. Now you behold me, then face me properly.”

Arlecchino swung her spear, more to reposition herself than to provoke another exchange. There was a cut on her cheek, and she was rather ruffled, but otherwise unharmed. “I was wrong at that time. But drastic time requires drastic measures.”

“Is that what your ambitious but foolish archon taught you?” Focalors demanded scathingly. “I must pay the tsaritsa a visit to judge her hubris and lack of trust between nations.” She pointed. “If she intended to take any measure to defy one above, then she must first accept my judgment. Though, I, Focalors, no longer hold the seat of archon, I still have the right to judge her!”

No amount of manipulation or her history in negotiation could ever prepare the Knave for this situation at all. Focalors was no longer a divine, but her skill was powerful even on the Harbinger standard. This reminded her of the old Fontaine tale. The first Hydro Archon, Egeria, was a gentle soul despite her experience in battle field, as a result, her retainers were all mostly efficient and ruthless to cover up their mistress’s gentle flaw. It was a known fact the second Hydro Archon was chosen by the first one before the Cataclysm and was one of her retainers.

A ruler’s flaw made their retainers’ weakness or strength... Egeria’s flaws made her retainers’ strength.

Arlecchino stood straight. “Although I overreached back then, it was done out of care. Now I realize I seemed to have made a mistake and wronged someone else, for that, I express my regret.” She summoned her fire. “But what about you? Five hundred years of inaction and watching in silence, sacrificing someone else to take the heat off of you.”

Focalors glowered. “Five hundred of peace is what we gave to Fontaine. Your hubris is not what I need to hear. You are rotten, despicable, and uncaring.” She pointed her claymore towards the Knave. “You said you cared, but didn’t you come to steal the gnosis?” she asked coldly.

The surroundings became absolute zero.

“You do know the archons held gnosis so they can significantly boost their power, unless passed down or held by another of The Seven, the gnoses are basically an accessory. What do you intend to do by taking away Fontaine’s archon’s gnosis when the prophecy was around the corner?” Focalors stated coldly.

“You want us to die,” Focalors accused bluntly. “You don’t actually care about Fontaine. You were here to steal what was mine, a relic that might assist me to work against the prophecy and for what...?” She emphasised.

A complicated emotion flitted past Arlecchino’s cold mask. Not quite guilt, perhaps a little regret?

“To help us...?” Cold tears streamed down Focalor’s cheeks. “Don’t make me laugh.”

“!!” Arlecchino stepped back alertly when the former archon appeared before her, the tip of her claymore hovering on her neck.

“Your justification is weak,” Focalors hissed.

All waters in the air fell, the weighing atmosphere extinguished Arlecchino’s flame again.

“Justice doesn’t wear a mask, knave.” Focalors flicked her wrist.

SLASH!!!

“No!” Paimon screamed.

The mist dispersed, and the bloody scene everyone expected wasn’t there. Instead, Neuvillette stood between Arlecchino and Focalors. One hand on Focalors’ claymore while the other on Arlecchino’s scythe.

“I must ask for orders for the two ladies,” Neuvillette spoke politically. “Knave, I believe we will find boon in a closed meeting. Focalors, you’re not the Judge, Jury, and Executioner.”

Silence fell, and it seemed the matter was temporarily solved. The onlookers slowly dared to breathe again when Focalors’ voice made them hitch again.

“You’re right. I’m not a Judge, Jury, or Executioner,” Focalors said quietly. “Neither did she.” She glared at Arlecchino. “Neither did the queen she served.”

Arlecchino pursed her lips slightly, a crack on her mask widening.

“Why are you not answering me, Knave?” Focalors demanded. “What do you have to solve the prophecy before? What does the Tsaritsa have to block the prophecy? Answer me, answer me!”

“Focalors.” Neuvillette’s brows furrowed.

“You don’t care, do you!” Focalors cried out. “You don’t actually care! Neither did your archon. What does the Tsaritsa care about us, the oceanids in Fontaine? She’s a coward who shut herself. She sent her pawns to do her bidding, while she sat in her icy throne- watching the world burn. Is her ice no longer clear that she failed to see the reflection of herself at how pathetic she has fallen? A being of emotions that shut away her emotion,” she spat venomously.

“What right does she have to judge that she has more right to own that gnosis over me to send a heartless pawn like you to test me.”

Arlecchino inhaled deeply. “I cared deeply,” she said calmly but firmly with, dare Lumine say it? a hint of regret. “My lack of knowledge of the deep waters of Fontaine has hurt the relations and trust between the two nations. Please accept my deep apologies.”

“No.” Focalors shook her head, voice cracking. “The one who can forgive you is no longer here.”

Heavy rain swept the whole of Fontaine without warning. Profound sadness washed over the fontainian onlookers, and the rain hid their grief.

“Tell every word I’ve said to the Tsaritsa,” Focalors said coldly. “I will pay her a visit when she least expects it.”

“...” Arlecchino closed her eyes and assented wordlessly.

Focalors turned to Neuvillette and smiled, it would be a stretch to call it a smile, her lips merely stretch bleakly. “I’m sorry, I made you sad again.” She pursed her lips. “I’m really sad too.” She cried.

Her sob broke down softly at first, but the harder the rain poured, the louder she also became.

With a weak flick of her wrist, a faded glimmering blue floated above her palms, she held it preciously like her own firstborn. Then, she presented it to Neuvillette.

“Take it. Take it and judge her, honorable Iudex,” Focalors choked up. “I shall not deliver my biased judgment. Please deliver yours.”

Neuvillette reached but hesitated before he could touch the bead of tears. Just like anything about Furina after the flood, Neuvillette was reluctant to touch it. He was afraid it would disappear like a bubble, leaving him nothing of the original Furina.

But above all else, with his current turmoil, he didn’t trust himself enough to deliver a judgment without his attachment getting in the way. He clenched his fist and turned away. “We’ll hold a closed trial,” he stated.

A closed trial. A rare, almost unheard of, event in Fontaine that treasured theatrics even in its justice system— but that didn’t mean it couldn’t be done.

“Yeah! Let’s... all take a step back and take this somewhere else!” Paimon spoke up from behind Lumine, braving herself to have a say. “It’s raining so heavily, how about we wait until it dries?”

Lumine nodded absently to show her agreement with Paimon’s advice. Even though she knew Fontaine wouldn’t likely be dry anytime soon at all.

“It will also be a diplomatic disaster if you keep trying to attack the Knave, no?” Paimon reasoned nervously.

“So what?” Focalors asked coldly. “If the Tsaritsa has time to wage war against Fontaine, then so be it.” She and the Tsaritsa had roughly the same situation. She had to focus on her plan to destroy the throne and couldn’t be the archon, and the Tsaritsa couldn’t possibly wage war at the moment when her entire focus was somewhere else; to go against the Celestia.

They couldn’t afford to go against each other, because there’s a third party above that would swipe in and eliminate them both once they got weak from fighting each other.

“R-right...” Paimon hid behind Lumine nervously.

Focalors turned her back to everyone. “Inform me of the court date. I want that woman to be brought to justice... no matter how late it’s been.” A veil of water formed over her head, and she left, trudging away like a lost soul. The only thing that felt human about her was her resentment and grief.

Lyney, who had followed the fight here also, looked at his Father with genuine worry but Arlecchino only glanced at him for a second before turning to Neuvillette.

“I will comply with all manners of court procession, please send the letter to House of Hearth when you desired so, Chief Justice.”

Neuvillette nodded, but he couldn’t bear to look at the Fatui Harbinger.

Focalors arrived at the closed trial way before it started. She made her way to the balcony where Furina often sat in to watch trials for five hundred years, almost every single day.

Initially, Focalors didn’t want to go there, she never touched that seat ever since she inhabited this mortal body again. She was itching to destroy it even because this was the throne in the prophecy, but then again this was the last place her poor Furina had been before she passed. Destroying it would be like destroying Furina’s resting place.

But for this trial, Focalors decided to go up there and sit on the throne overlooking the trial of the perpetrator that made her Furina cry.

As this was a closed trial, not many people were present. The traveler arrived neither early or late, the president of Spina di Rosula was here early, the champion duelist had been present even earlier but hid in the shadow- only revealing herself when a few people already present, the Duke of Meropide and his nurse arrived the latest but not late. The orphans of House of Hearth also had arrived early with their father, quite a few were present but ultimately not everyone- only those who were old enough to know and aware.

One thing that was the same was that they were all damp.

It had been nonstop storm for the last three days. Before that? Rain. Focalors guessed Neuvillette must’ve finally looked into the memory in that bead of tears three days ago, causing the storm. But being the fair honorable judge he was, he refrained from trying to assassinate Arlecchino- a feat Focalors couldn’t do.

It took three days for him to calm and rage in a place nobody knew. But when he appeared to start the trial, his face was pale. He was even more haggard than three days ago. Remove the grandeur court uniform, and he would have looked like a corpse.

For the sake of everything else, Neuvillette refrained from laying his eyes on Arlecchino so he didn’t lose control of his emotion. He, however, paused when he saw Focalors in the balcony his partner of 500 years usually sat in. Then he avoided looking at Focalors too,

Focalors couldn’t blame him, sometimes it was hard for her to look in the mirror too.

The proceeding was short and simple, Arlecchino simply admitted her wrongs. It deserved to be a closed trial. There were no theatrics, drama, or argument.

Such a boring and bland trial.

Should that theatrical acting-archon was still here, she would gasp and lament how boring the trial was.

The attendees even waited for her that familiar dramatic gasp but it never came, reminding themselves ruthlessly that the one sitting at that exclusive seat was no longer the beloved archon who would do all of that.

“Miss Arlecchino has plead guilty to all charges. Your diplomatic immunity extends to attempt to harm the former active political figure as no severe physical harm was caused at that time,” Neuvillette said robotically. “According to the law of Fontaine, you will be fined and banned from stepping into Fontaine permanently. Any issue?” he clenched his hands.

His heart yearned to go wild and frantically seek revenge on the audacious Fatui Harbinger who had intended to harm Furina in the past, but his rationality- something that Furina helped him to nurture over the centuries- desperately forced him to be the fair Chief Justice Neuvillette. Not the mourning Dragon Sovereign Neuvillette.

He suppressed the memory of Furina cowering, begging for her life in fear for Fontaine’s safety. But even if he tried to suppress it, it kept replaying itself like a self-imposed punishment for failing to protect her when she needed it.

“Is there any further complaint?” Neuvillette inhaled and looked at Focalors above.

Focalors inhaled deeply and shook her head. She was willing to let this go, in respect for Neuvillette and the law she had represented. But that didn’t mean she would not visit Snezhnaya in the future to vent her frustration. “You are fair,” Focalors said quietly.

What was the use of being fair? Neuvillette thought.

Did being fair save her?

Neuvillette slammed his cane and sealed the verdict.

The traveler heaved a sigh of relief. She knew this was a heavy concession, be it from Neuvillette or Focalors. She walked to the knave's side, patting her shoulder. Arlecchino exhaled heavily and glanced at her children, who gazed at her dependently and worriedly.

The water of Fontaine was deep; it was her mistake for being too impatient right off the bat. She could only accept the verdict to atone. Just as Focalors said, the one who could overturn the verdict with her forgiveness was no longer around, only the cold law was her atonement.

The House of Hearth would survive just fine without her visiting it directly. She would appoint Lyney as the new head and honor Fontaine's verdict.

Neuvillette rarely slept ever since the flood. He was busy, and sleeping became optional. Even when Fontaine was finally stable again, he still rarely slept. It wasn’t due to the lack of trying, like all the Melusines claimed.

He tried. Really tried.

In fact, he tried to sleep a lot after the flood. He rejected the new reality he was in without Furina. He directly went to sleep after he reunited with Focalors instead of Furina. When he woke up, he wished Focalors were gone, and Furina would be waiting for him at the parlor with desserts.

Naturally, this denial didn’t last long.

Then, he couldn't sleep because the thought of Furina kept him awake always.

He prayed she would visit him, even in a nightmare.

But all the dreams that graced his subconscious never had Furina. Neuvillette wondered if she was mad at him in her last moment, hence, she took away all of her presence in Neuvillette’s dream world.

But tonight, something different happened.

He was in a courtroom, the day’s trial to be exact, with all the attendees. But the courtroom was not gloomy and dark like it had been during the trial. Instead, dreamy light surrounded the hall as if morning sunlight peered into the courtroom, and not a smidge of storm cloud presence out there. 

“Boooorrriiiinnnngggg~!”

Neuvillete’s eyes widened and he looked up to the familiar, now sacred, balcony.

A girl with an elaborate dark blue dress-suit sat on the throne, one leg raised on a stool, her chin on her right palm, propping her head. Her smile was ever so familiar, a grand star glinting with proud flair. “My dear Iudex, how could you hold such a boring trial?!” Furina complained.

Neuvillette stared at her, drinking in the lively sight of his archon. The months they’d been apart had felt like a hundred- no, five hundred years of ache. Seeing her moving again felt like finding an oasis in a desert.

“Where’s the drama? The thrill? The emotions!” Furina clicked her tongue, rolling her eyes.

Neuvillette’s gaze softened. “My apologies, my lady.” He bowed a bit and smiled gently. “The future trials will be much more interesting so... Please keep watching over us.” He gazed at her ardently.

Furina smiled smugly. “Naturally! If I don’t watch, all of you will just devolve into boringness. Do not worry, I, Furina de Fontaine, will await your promised interesting trials!” She beamed. “Don’t disappoint me, my dear Iudex!”

...

Neuvillette woke up with the sun in his eyes- a rare sight nowadays compared to the gloomy dark clouds that had hung around Fontaine for months.

He simply laid on the bed silently. His chest ached, but he smiled.

After months of his suffering, she finally graced his dream.

He laughed softly, tears of joy in his eyes.

“Thank you.” He sobbed. He smiled uncontrollably.

“I won’t disappoint you.”