Chapter 19: Collapse

The annual August meteor shower was forecasted to be extremely impressive this year, enough so that some shooting stars might even be visible before sunset. As a result, there was an air of excitement in the Saturday afternoon crowd as Melia wandered through the downtown core, with Hogard trailing close behind her.

Being in public as the princess was no longer a surprise to anyone, having stepped outside with steadily increasing frequency for the better part of a year now. It was annoying to deal with the mask, and irritating to continue to act like a royal instead of a normal person, but it came with an unusually comforting sense of belonging to the community that she didn't think she had ever truly felt before. In fact, she was becoming enough used to it that she was considering giving some of the palace's other guards a chance to accompany her instead of just sticking to her cadre all the time. Maybe eventually her father would drop the requirement altogether.

She couldn't stop herself from overstepping her bounds and helping people, though. She wasn't technically supposed to touch citizens or their belongings aside from handshakes and the like, but dropped money, scattered papers, and kites in trees were just too strong a force to ignore. Her guard of the day would always remind her she was breaking the rules, but in the kind of way that everyone could tell was a mandated response that was not expected to actually be heeded. Besides, Kallian did such all the time too, and no one would think twice about trying to tell him otherwise.

But today, there was no such help to give. Everyone seemed to be gathering supplies for a night of stargazing, like snacks, blankets, and binoculars. Melia didn't need to do anything of the sort - she would just find some palace balcony to watch the spectacle from, higher than almost everyone else. As a result, she had to admit that being in public today was kind of boring.

Aiming to at least feel like she did something new, she decided to peruse a jewelry store. It wasn't like she needed any jewelry - quite the opposite, with an entire drawer stuffed full of massive gems and precious stones that were too flashy and cumbersome to bother with. But maybe she could spot something stately and subdued that would be worth acquiring. It would be nice to have something that could actually be worn without having to carry around what seemed like a ton of metal and chain.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, it was not to be. The instant it was recognised that the princess had entered the store, she had clerks all over her trying to offload their most massive and overdone pieces.

This is dumb. What's it take to get something simple around here? Ignoring the starstruck clerks, Melia walked right back outside and turned towards the nearest transporter, Hogard trailing along like a duckling. I'm going back to the palace. Perhaps Brother can source something actually reasonable-

Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud shriek. A green man-sized vaguely dragon-shaped bipedal creature was flying downwards, aiming towards the jewelry store she had just stepped out of. Accompanying the beast was a strong ether signature reminiscent of an upset child.

The crowd took notice of the intruder immediately. Cries of "Telethia!" flooded the streets as everyone haphazardly tried to get as far away as possible.

Without a word, Hogard quickly took Melia around the shoulders and started directing her towards the transporter at a pace just above what she was capable of maintaining. It was understandable and justified, given the level of danger present, but still frustrating to be manhandled in such a way.

The average person did not know much about Telethia aside from two major facts. Firstly, they were creatures that lived inside the Bionis, feeding on the raw ether inside and protecting the interiors from intruders; perhaps a bit less often than twice a century, one would accidentally escape into the outside world and begin a confused rampage to find sustenance, which tended to lead them to crystal deposits and populated areas. And secondly, they had the ability to read the minds of other beings, allowing them to avoid the majority of attacks and undermine most tactics. In addition, they had the uncanny ability to slip through Alcamoth's defences as if invisible, completely undetected by the autonomous turrets and safety fields that easily kept out all other antagonistic beings. The public was warned to, in the event of a Telethia attack, attempt to keep their minds as busy as possible and stick together in large groups while waiting for specialist help to arrive.

As a member of the royal family, Melia had been taught slightly more about the creatures. Various Telethia subspecies existed, with only the smallest and weakest escaping the Bionis as far as records could show; if one of the larger subspecies were ever to show its face(s), it would be a serious problem that only a massive force or the elite of the elite could handle. While the public was told that it was their telepathic abilities that allowed them to fool the unmanned defences and effortlessly invade the city, the truth was even more unsettling: every kind of ether scanner known to science would read them as High Entia and simply grant them passage, possibly due to the high amount of volatile ether present in their bodies confusing or even spoofing the systems, and despite millennia of research no solution had been found. Perhaps most important to know, their telepathy was based on a permanently-emanating aura, and so could be temporarily shut down if hit by an aura-clearing art - not that this really made dealing with them any easier, as such arts were difficult enough to use effectively when facing normal monsters, let alone one that knows what you are trying to do.

While Melia was being escorted towards the transporter to the palace, she saw that the specialist help was acting quickly. Two Issor ships with five warriors aboard each passed overhead at high speed, ready to surround and eliminate the Telethia. Strictly speaking, the recommended number of fighters to take on a single member of the weakest Telethia subspecies was five, with three being the absolute minimum for the most skilled of experts, but there was no reason to be stingy.

No sooner then the royal pair had completed the transport did Kallian frantically dash into the room, only slowing down upon recognising the two.

"Ah, Melia and Hogard, good to see you. I do not have to seek you out and advise you to return." He took a deep breath. "There was no trouble with the Telethia?"

Melia shook her head and was about to respond, but Hogard opened his mouth first. "There was not. The Phoenix Telethia appeared very close by, but did not attack us, preferring a nearby stash of gems."

"Very well. A bit of luck to help offset our unluck today." Kallian backed off a bit, allowing the two room to disembark the transporter pad. "The anti-Telethia corps were dispatched as soon as the threat was recognised. Did you see them on your retreat?"

"We did." Melia spoke quickly in an effort to avoid being marginalised in the conversation. "They arrived perhaps twenty seconds after the Telethia."

"Excellent. It is a hidden blessing that it decided to aim for downtown, a mass congregation of people and ether that confused it long enough for the corps to leap into action quickly after it reached the ground."

Melia could tell Kallian was referring to the previous Telethia attack, about seventy-five years ago. She was too young to remember it, but it had occurred in one of the lesser suburbs, resulting in a dozen deaths before help could arrive. By comparison, it seemed that this invasion would only result in a few injuries.

With the situation seemingly resolved, she saw no reason to hang around. "Is that all, then?"

"Yes, I suppose it is. All we can do now is wait for the report." Kallian turned to leave and go back to whatever he was doing before. "I shall see you at dinner, Melia."

"You as well." Melia dismissed her guard and headed back to her chambers. An uncomfortable feeling was bubbling in her gut.

Once she got to her room and began pontificating, she gradually nailed down what was so disturbing about what had just happened. Knowing that Telethia attacks were inevitable, she had her own expectations of what such an encounter would be like. It was the Telethia's ether signature that sharply deviated from what was expected: if she had closed her eyes and ears, she would have believed that it was a High Entia child, not a fearsome beast from the Bionis' interior.

Now it makes complete sense as to why our self-defence systems cannot tell the difference between a Telethia and a person: they are masters of their deceptive craft, able to fool even biological beings' ethersense. It is lucky they seem incapable of visual and aural stealth, as they are dangerous enough as-is.

Unsurprisingly, Melia's train of thought began turning towards what would happen if she had to fight a Telethia herself. As an ether user, she realised she was actually rather well-suited to such a task. Its mind-reading wouldn't have much of an effect on her elementals, as they would hit their mark regardless of whatever evasive maneuvers could be employed. Hypnotise would work in theory, Reflection would operate unhindered, and Burst End had too much range to reasonably avoid without abandoning the battle altogether. Spear Break and Shadow Stitch were really her only two arts that probably wouldn't have much effect in such a fight.

I still wouldn't want to fight one though. Its telepathy might not be effective at avoiding my attacks, but it would certainly help it land its own attacks by predicting my movements. I am grateful we have experts to handle such things.

"There you are, Lady Melia. Good as new."

Melia winced as the doctor tapped her shoulder one last time. It didn't hurt nearly as much as when he first popped it back into place and healed the surrounding damage, but it certainly didn't feel as if it was never dislocated to begin with.

"I appreciate your aid." Replacing her overcoat, she sourly stepped out of the hospital wing and towards her room. That third-floor staircase is a menace. If it injures me one more time, I'll be demanding that Father replace it with conveyors, tradition or not. There's no way I'm the only one who's ever had a problem with it.

She looked out a window at the clock tower. Four-twelve on a Thursday in March. Her father and brother wouldn't be finishing up imperial duties for at least another fifteen minutes or so - they didn't need to know about her recent injury, which while not exactly minor was fully repaired in no time. Besides, Sorean and Yumea would be heading to a dinner party with a mining guild tonight, and didn't need any further distractions.

With no obligations for the rest of the day, and no plans aside from avoiding aggravating her arm, upon reaching her chambers Melia dealt out a deck of cards and started playing FreeCell. It was probably her favourite solo card game at the moment, striking the right balance of skill and planning versus luck.

After about half an hour, there was a knock at the door. She could tell it was Kallian.

All right, what is this going to be about. She walked over to the door and opened it.

"Hello, Melia." Kallian looked a bit more...hasty than usual. "I'm sorry to interrupt but I have something to ask of you."

"Yes, what is it?" Let's see, what will it be this time? Do you need me to go somewhere? Fetch something? Fight something? Wait, maybe this would be an amusing time to slap him, I still haven't done that yet.

"I need you to attend a dinner with me."

...what. "Er, pardon?"

Kallian spoke quickly. "Chief Dunga of the Nopon has made a surprise visit to Alcamoth, two months ahead of schedule. Surely he has pressing matters to discuss with us. But as you know, Father and Mother already have an important dinner obligation of their own tonight. I cannot be the sole representative of the royal family at this event. So I ask that you accompany me."

"Must there be more than one of us present? Surely there is someone of more experience with the Nopon that can be recruited?" Melia figured that might be enough of a rebuttal - trying to have intelligent conversations while eating was something she really couldn't multitask at - but decided to add one more phrase. "Someone more reliable than I?" That should do it, he knows he can't rely on me for being part of a discussion, when I naturally sit back and-

"You are the single most reliable person I know."

The complete opposite of the expected reaction captured Melia's full attention.

Kallian continued. "You may be reluctant to commit to something, that much is true. But once the task is set, you never turn back on your word, stall for time, or provide anything less than your full effort, whether the task is agreeable to you or not. There are not nearly enough people of such reliability in this world. That is why I trust you with every fiber of my being."

Melia was highly stunned and incredulous. "E-Even more so than F-Father?"

Kallian was forced to think about it for a moment. "That is a difficult question. There are certainly some matters for which he is currently more reliable and trustworthy. But to be frank, the amount of those matters dwindles by the year. It is inevitable that you will overtake him in all ways." He paused for a moment. "Now, I suggest you dress up a bit. This is not a formal event, but it will require something a bit more refined than daily threads. I must go prepare myself; I shall see you in the third dining hall at six-fifteen." He hustled away.

Melia was left standing blankly at the door, still trying to process the nonsensical level of praise that had just been dumped on her. Moving a tiny amount to let the door swing closed, she staggered back to her desk chair and plopped down hard.

She had always known that Kallian held her in strong regard, more so than anyone of the family outside her deceased mother. But to claim that he saw her as more reliable than Sorean? Hyperbole at best. He is allowing himself to have selective memory of my many failures. To say that I best Father at anything is simply untrue.

I suppose I have no choice but to go along with his request. He is correct of course; he cannot meet with the chief of the Nopon alone. Melia walked into the closet and started paging through some of the more regal offerings. Knowing that the Nopon favoured bold colours and contrasts, she selected a burgundy-accented lavender dress and paired it with a sunset orange cloak, gloves, and shoes. She liked the more formal wear much better than her daily clothes, mostly because it didn't seem like it was trying to advertise her body nearly as much, but it was too cumbersome to wear during most daily activities. She decided to complete the look with her purple tea hat, sitting carefully perched on the desk lamp waiting for a time like this.

Would makeup be required for this dinner? Probably not; Nopon do not care for such minute details. They do however care for wing appearances. She stepped into the bathroom to fluff her feathers up a bit. It was an uncomfortable process, given how sensitive her wings were. If she had to wear her headdress and mask it wouldn't be necessary, but the Nopon chief and his chosen companions were considered trustworthy by the royal texts.

Fully physically prepared and with nothing else to do, Melia began heading to the third dining hall. The palace had four of them: three for major events and one for daily meals, each stationed in a different wing. The third hall was officially called "Aquistan Delight", after one of the imperial family's most elaborate dishes, and sat in the direction of the Bionis' head. It was historically preferred by the various Nopon chieftains for its grand view of Eryth Sea.

Melia got to the hall at five after six. No one else had arrived yet, but the table was already fully set for two royals and four Nopon. She decided to simply wait around.

Kallian arrived exactly at six-fifteen, dressed in a powerful shade of blue lined with a sharp yellow. Following behind him were two guards and four Nopon. Melia recognised the bearded purple Dunga, having seen him a few times during his visits every five years, as well as his main aide Kooloo, a large green Nopon with an even larger belt and a backpack full of papers. Behind them was a yellow Nopon with glasses and a vest, followed by a pink one with a flower necklace and a crude weapon on her back.

"Ah, well met to you, Melia!" Dunga spoke in his slightly choppy dialect, seemingly happy to be in Alcamoth. "You look every bit the princess you are."

Typical hollow praise. "Chief Dunga. I hope Frontier Village is doing well."

"Very well, very well indeed." He motioned to the other Nopon. "Now, I must introduce my comrades for today. Kooloo is my secretary. Bodido is my economist. And Dirigi is this year's Heropon, who has done very well to protect us on our journey here."

"Greetings to you all." Melia waited for Kallian to make the next move. She had trouble taking Nopon seriously; despite decades of indoctrination otherwise, their general appearance and mannerisms were so cute and endearing that it was extremely difficult for her to see them as anything more than animated pillow pets. Even now, she had to fight the urge to pick one up and squeeze it.

"Let's begin, shall we?" Kallian led the way into the dining hall, where the food had been brought in over the past few minutes. It didn't seem as perfectly prepared as usual, but having to suddenly cook two feasts at once certainly would be a challenge for the chefs, and it was understandable to direct the more hastily-done dishes to the dinner of lesser importance. Besides, it was still far above Nopon standards.

While his aides unsuccessfully tried to look refined while filling their faces, Dunga started the dialogue immediately. "I must begin with the matter of most importance. The Trapezius Passage is collapsing. We believe it will stop being traversable in the next month."

"Indeed, a most important matter." Kallian came very close to getting butter on his elbow, but avoided it at the last second. "Has anything been attempted to stem the collapse?"

"There is nothing the Nopon can do. Our resources are no match for that amount of stone."

"We can offer our aid, but not without great expense. The public assumes that Nopon can travel the Bionis without need for footpaths, as we often do, simply because you possess functional wings. They are oblivious to your species' true needs and nature. Any project to manipulate the Bionis' natural evolution, whose only benefit the public does not understand, will be met with great ire."

"A most disappointing reality." Dunga reached for his second plate; he was still a Nopon in appetite, but had learned over the years how to eat at High Entia banquets in a respectful manner. "But I am sure you can appreciate that we cannot have the Spinal Spiral be our only way to reach the sea."

"Of course not. We will not leave this room without a plan going forward, I can assure you of that." Kallian made an emphatic gesture and knocked one of his forks off the table, catching it just in time. "But if you would not mind, could we first go over the matters of your regular visits? Then we may afterwards attack the problem with full force."

"That is agreeable."

Dunga took an offered paper from Kooloo and began pursuing his agenda off it, discussing each point with Kallian and his aides. It was the typical diplomatic stuff - the current state of Nopon traders, suspected black markets to be investigated, concerns over racism and respect to foreign Nopon, confirmation that the Mechon continued to not care whatsoever about Frontier Village. Kallian had no issues to raise. Not that the High Entia usually did; it was extremely rare that any such issues could be resolved by seeking help from Nopon outside the city.

Melia simply ate and listened, having nothing of importance to add. Every now and then she'd conceive of a good point to make, but someone else would inevitably raise it themselves before she could get a word in. As she expected, she had nothing to contribute to the event.

Once the desserts came about, discussion finally returned to the Trapezius Passage. Kooloo had provided drawings made by an artist back in Frontier Village of the current situation: half of the narrowest part of the passage was blocked by boulders and rubble, and two thirds of the passage had been thinned in some way. Kallian deduced that the area would have to be completely cleaned out before any sort of retention efforts could be instated, but because the erosion would not stop until the walls were more horizontal than vertical, it would take many years of continuous labour working against the constant rock slides.

"Now for the sake of argument," Kallian continued, "let us consider leaving the rubble to fall until it halts by itself. As the passage fills in, there will naturally be less inclination to continue, and the collapse will end sooner with less destruction - perhaps by a factor of two or three. From there it will be much simpler to shore up the rubble and construct a more secure path. Obviously, the disadvantage of this plan is that the route would be impassable for years while we await its settlement."

Dunga nervously pawed the table. "Whichever option we choose, we cannot avoid several years worth of unsafe passage between our lands."

"It is conceivable for us to position men within the Spinal Spiral in an effort to improve its safety while the Trapezius Passage is inaccessible. But this would be an even stronger drain on resources and public opinion."

The conversation died for a moment while everyone's brows furrowed in thought.

Melia closed her eyes and envisioned the two paths between Makna Forest and Eryth Sea. Trapezius Passage ran across the outside of the Bionis' left shoulder and connected the forest to Bright Shoulder Plateau, from where the sea was close by. The Spinal Spiral was a tunnel that snaked through the Bionis' spinal column and connected everything from its head to its waist, but was constantly overrun by dangerous creatures and occasionally Telethia, and was difficult to traverse in the best of times with its major elevation changes and narrow passages. No effort was ever made to forge a path through Shaded Shoulder Plateau; it wouldn't be too difficult to find a route, but the pseudo-nocturnal beasts that prowled the arid and sunless land were just as much a threat as those in the spinal tunnel.

Looking at the map in her mind, she saw the giant tree of Frontier Village positioned directly in the centre of the forest. It was much closer to the sea than any of the adjacent land.

If only it were possible to build a shortcut from the village through the sea, then-

"Pardon?" Kallian turned to look at her. "Do you have a thought on the matter, Melia? Something about a shortcut?"

"Er..." Melia didn't realise she was muttering alongside her inner monologue. "I...I was considering how one could construct a direct means of passage between the village and the sea." Make something up, so it seems I was actually onto something. "Such as...an aquatic elevator up through the waters." Oh my goodness, what an atrocious idea, what's wrong with me? There's no possible way-

"An...an aquatic elevator." Kallian's hand snapped to his chin. "Long-range fluidic transport...yes, of course, a direct connection between any two line-of-sight pools...please excuse me for a moment." He darted out of the room.

"Oh-ho!" Dunga exclaimed. "I am not quite sure what you have suggested, Melia, but Kallian seems very excited about it! And that can only mean good things!"

Melia simply nodded, even more baffled than the chief was. Usually, when she was present in the Audience Chamber and suggested a solution to a problem, she would receive nothing better than "not a bad idea, but here's why it won't work". The few times she got a more positive reaction, her input was quickly revealed as something that everyone else also thought of at about the same time. She had no idea why a completely unfounded and senseless suggestion caused what looked to be a revelation.

After about six minutes, Kallian reappeared, talking to himself with a holoscreen in his hand. "...brilliant piece of engineering, if only Hufuwal saw its potential." Upon sitting down, he held the screen up for all to see. "Eighty years ago, our researchers devised the Hydro Transport Beam, a method of moving personnel and cargo between any two bodies of water within line of sight. It was pitched to the Nopon chief of the time, Chief Hufuwal, as a way to connect Apex Lake with any sea-level shore of Eryth Sea. He was not willing to pay the Nopon share of the cost of installation, which was indeed significant, as he saw no reason to doubt the existing land passages. With little need for the technology ourselves, the idea was shelved. But now that we have been reminded it exists, it is the perfect solution to the current problem, and to be frank may end up being the preferred method of transport."

"Chief Hufuwal, for all his benevolent actions, was too scared of modern Bird People science to appreciate its value." Dunga looked over one of the financial reports that Bodido had presented as part of the prior discussion. "I would gladly provide eighty percent of the cost for this project. The benefits will outweigh the costs by many times, cutting the travel time between our lands by half or more."

"Then we have a deal." Kallian reached out to shake Dunga's hand. "Pending the Emperor's judgement, of course, but I find it unfathomable that he would object to your generous offering of funds. The Trapezius Passage will be left to settle, and we will shore it up afterwards."

"Most excellent." Dunga turned to shake Melia's hand as well. "And you, my dear, while the technology is not yours, it was your intuition that brought us upon it. We shall name the watery transport beam after you."

No, don't do that. Melia had never had anything named after her before, but she had a strong gut feeling that it would be a permanently embarrassing experience. "That is not necessary. I require no credit for this solution."

"Perhaps not necessary. But I am quite partial to the name of Victoria Seabridge. It is rather fitting, is it not?"

Melia's face instantly turned red. No one was supposed to know about any of her three middle names; they were so peripheral to her life that they weren't even necessary to identify her from a legal standpoint, and she would always assert that she simply didn't have any.

Kallian picked up on the tension and killed it. "It is indeed a victory against the random whims of the world."

As the dinner concluded, the last remaining details about the transport beam were ironed out. The top end would connect to Latael Shore, the safest of all the possible sea-level destinations, and a transporter up to Hovering Reef 1 would be built there to match. In the best-case scenario, the project could be completed within three months, though five was more realistic. The undertaking would be initially presented to the public as fully Nopon-sourced with some minor costs, hopefully invalidating any complaints about wasting taxpayer money.

With goodbyes exchanged, the royals walked the Nopon back out of the hall and into the care of the guards, to be led back out of the palace.

Everyone else gone, Kallian couldn't help but pat Melia on the shoulder. "Sometimes, the best opinion is the one untainted by experience and unburdened by expectation. And that is why yours is so reliable, and why I value it so strongly." He departed, presumably preparing to get the jump on Sorean once his dinner was over and inform him of the decisions that had been made at this one.

Melia didn't really know how to respond, but did know one thing. If Brother says I am reliable, despite my limitless shortcomings, then I must be. And I should keep doing whatever it is I did to create that expectation.

Upon its completion in August, the Victoria Seabridge instantly became a rousing success. Nopon everywhere were pleased at the much easier travel to and from Frontier Village, and it showed in boosts to commerce and tourism. Even the stoutest Noponophobes had no choice but to admit the new transport mechanism was of benefit to all.

Melia couldn't say she cared all that much. It was intriguing to actually use the system to visit Apex Lake as part of the grand opening and stare up into the sea above while waist-deep in cheering Nopon. But aside from that maiden voyage, it was just a background object to her; one month later, and she'd almost forgotten it was there.

One thing that did change however was an interest in going outside on weekdays, not just weekends. With most people are work or school, the streets were quieter and mostly populated by seniors and young families, the kind of people that she enjoyed helping the most. She was also becoming more efficient at eating with her mask on, which required a drinking straw at all times and thus was always amusing.

This September day, she had decided to grace The Flying Fish with her presence for lunch, a ritzy seafood eatery. Unprepared to have Lady Melia walk through the door and request a seat, the manager clumsily dashed about and nervously stuttered as he placed her and her guard, Levos, at a table. The orders were placed and the food arrived with impressive speed.

Melia hadn't been on an anonymous excursion recently. It was a nice change of pace every now and then, being able to act outside the stuffy confines of her status. But ever since her royal popularity started to climb and stay without collapsing again, the comparative lack of respect for her citizen persona started to grow huge in contrast. Why should she tolerate getting reluctant-at-best service, or sloppy food at restaurants, when she could walk in as the princess and all but demand they do it right? She looked over the steaming meal in front of her and could just tell that if she were presented as a citizen, it would be much smaller, more tossed about, and twice as slow.

She hadn't used the Chozo interface in a while, either. Being able to teleport anywhere at will just didn't hold the same interest as it used to now that she had no real reason to do so, and the risk of being discovered seemed even greater than before. Besides, she now possessed a travel pouch as Kallian suggested, a tiny purple bag currently stashed under the back of her collar, where the remote to the Illustrious Alighting was stored. If she needed to return to the palace in an emergency, it would be a much safer method of transport.

Levos's meal had arrived slightly before Melia's, though this made sense as there was less of it. While he was almost one-forty, he was one of the newer palace guards, having joined a mere ten years ago; Melia was working down the ranks ensuring that everyone got a chance to take her outside. He initially seemed nervous about the prospect, but after he suggested The Flying Fish as a lunch target and Melia accepted, he looked much more at ease.

Once the meal was over, Melia had to figuratively shove her money into the manager's hands; at this point, she was used to people and establishments willing to let her have goods and services for free, but this was of course unacceptable.

Now outside with a perfectly full belly, she felt obligated to commend Levos's suggestion. He's never really dealt with me before; he needs to be praised for his efforts. "That was indeed quite a scrumptious meal, Levos. Thank you for your suggestion."

"Oh! Th-thank you, L-Lady Melia." The nervousness returned. "It...it was not a difficult choice, one of my old friends works there." He spoke quickly, as if he was unsure how much conversation he was allowed to have with the princess.

Melia nodded. "I see." She didn't think she needed to go on; he seemed uncomfortable enough that further talk wouldn't be a good idea.

The pair turned back towards the transporter to the palace; she felt full and satisfied enough that she didn't really want to do anything else outside. In fact, after a few steps, she decided that the next course of action would be to have a nap.

It didn't take long for her body to agree with this sentiment; she noticed that it was becoming somewhat difficult to lift her feet.

Actually, it was becoming very difficult to lift her feet. And to keep her torso upright.

Something's wrong. She jolted upwards as some adrenaline kicked in. I'm tired out of nowhere. That's not supposed to happen right after eating.

Her toe clipped into a seam in the sidewalk, sending her tumbling to the ground.

"Lady Melia? Are you all right?" Levos leaned over her as several onlookers gasped.

"...no. No, I am not all right." Melia leaped up and began clumsily running towards the distant transporter, forming a guess at what was going on. Something was in the food, something to put me to sleep. I have to get-

She tripped on something else that she couldn't see, probably another seam, but remained upright with no speed. She extended her staff and started lumbering along with a three-legged gait, desperately trying to reach the transporter while she still could. The public cleared a path but didn't dare help, deferring their judgement to the palace guard following along - even though said guard was quite suspiciously not helping.

Still quite far from her destination, adrenaline lost to tiredness and Melia collapsed onto the ground again, unable to even crawl.

"It's all right, Lady Melia." Levos bent down to pick her up and started carrying her in the opposite direction. "Do not worry, citizens. The situation is under control, I know what to do."

Everything started to go dark and silent. Incapable of movement, Melia could only compile one more thought.

...traitor...