THE NIGHT GREW cold as Vox Machina and their plus one began to find a way back to the capitol. They found the known road that lead to Emon. They waited until a carriage came up the road. The group stepped out onto the middle of the large path in order to block the on coming human.

"Good evening sir!" Percy tried. "Would you be so kind as to take us to-"

"I ain't no taxi." The man in carriage sneered.

"Look. We're tired, we're in pain, and we just want to bathe. We can do this the hard way or the easy way." Vex retorted, growing more tired with each word she spoke.

"You just said you were tired?"

"We can pay you." They all turned to Korelia, some looking at her like she was crazy to offer any kind of money that wasn't hers.

"Like I would ever trust a tiefling." The carriages man's eyes went wide, the ending tip of the Gate Keepers staff placed against his neck.

"Do you trust me now?" Her voice spoke behind the man, the body in front of him disappearing.

"She did that to us too." Scalan said with a smirk. The man gulped, holding onto the horse reins tighter.

"Where to?" Vox Machina sighed, relieved to finally get some rest. Korelia watched them all get on before getting onto her own staff.

"Are you not coming?" Vax asked with frown eyebrows.

"I have urgent matters to tend to back in Emon." She just needed to get home before morning. There is only so much her siblings can do for her.

"Please use the feather to contact me when information comes in."

"I am able to sense those beasts. They give me a pounding headache but it's how I can tell one is nearby. I will advise you someone in the council is working with it." Korelia frowned her eyebrows, looking over at Vex. While the woman did not quite like new people, even she knew having more help is useful when it came to something like dragons.

"I will have Opium look into it then. I wish you a safe journey." With that she took off, Opium giving Vox Machina a nod of his head before taking off after his master.

"Well she's a joy."

The ride to the castle was long but short enough to make it before sunrise. In fact, the red peaking just a bit to the east meant she had an hour left before morning.

Her window was left open, something she made sure to do every time she went out. She climbed in, her feet making light steps onto the marble floor. She took off her mask, setting it onto her desk. Her shoulders sagged, making her was to her bed where multiple lumps were tucked under the blanket.

Her siblings slept soundly, their mother tucked on the side. A worry frown was resting between her eyes, the younger girl looking at her mother with sad eyes. Korelia sighed, carefully placing her staff down before trying to wake her mother.

"Mother? I'm home." The dark skinned woman took in a deep sigh, mind hazy with worry for her eldest.

"Korelia?" Salda questioned groggily.

"Mother I believe there is a lot to talk about." When the empress finally got her eyes fully open, she gasped loudly, hands moving to cover her mouth. Korelia snapped her head to her little brother, who began to move in his sleep. But ultimately he went to back to sleep, drool coming from his open mouth.

"I'm so sorry, Korelia. This is all my fault." The mother silently sobbed, trying to keep her other kids from waking.

"There's nothing to be sorry about, mom. I just need you to explain it to me." With a sigh and shaky hands, Salda stood from the bed. She checked over her other children, before turning to lead Korelia out into the hallway.

"What happened to you, lovely?" Korelia sighed, trying to come up with the best explanation.

"I went with the mercenaries to fight with them. It turned out to be a dragon and I tried to lead it away from the Shale Steps but after I using magic for powerful spells this happened." Korelia looked down, the feeling of evil causing shivers to go down her spine. "I felt scared. As if something was trying to take over and cause harm to Tal'Dorei."

"You tried to fight against a dragon, Korelia!?"

"Mother, I currently have pink skin and horns receding into my head. Is your concern with my story really the dragon part?" Korelia asked incredulously. "It would be everyone's concern sure, but I am here talking to you and asking you about why I have pink skin and horns!"

The empress sighed and rubbed a tired eye with her hand, looking down shamefully at the floor.

"Mother why is it that I have magic and my siblings do not? Why did this happen to me?" Korelia looked down at her clawed hands, watching her nails shrink back down to their human appearance. The magic that was running through her veins seemed to be disappearing, her appearance going back to it's normal human look.

Looking back up, her mother reached a hand up to caress her daughters face, Korelia's brown eyes now looking upon her.

"As much as no one wants to relive a past like mine, some things will still come to light."

"What am I, mother?" Korelia asked quietly.

"You're my daughter."

"But I'm not fathers's, am I?" Salda sighed again.

"When your father was courting me, there was a dark period in time where I was kidnapped from my home." The empress began. "They did things to me. Things unimaginable."

"I spent a month there before being rescued by the council but the damage had already been done." Salda took a moment to continue, her eyes growing glassy and a far away look fell on her face. "They called him Burak. He was known to be the lead of the crime syndicate that had been running in Tal'Dorei for a while at the time. Your grandfather did something that he apparently didn't like, so he choose to get revenge by coming at your father, which lead the group to me."

"It was a hard time for me and when I learned about you, everything was different." Korelia looked at her mother, eyes downcast as she thought over what the story meant for her life. "How did you find out? About your magic?"

"I got my familiar when I was 15." She answered. "He explained to me how sorcerers gained their magic from outside forces. A human cannot be a sorcerer because they do not hold magic like elves or other species. So I went to Lady Allura, who agreed to help me try to find answers around all of Tal'Dorei. That's why I have been going out so much."

"And so far, there hasn't been any large cosmic event in Tal'Dorei since I was born." Korelia laughed lightly, Salda giving a small smile.

"I'm so sorry I never told you. It hurts me this is how you had to find out." Salda cried.

"Having to look at me everyday must've been enough punishment."

"Don't ever think you are a burden Korelia. You are my child. I gave birth to you and I will always love you. Do not think your father doesn't either." Salda said, her expression stern at her daughter for thinking such a thing.

"Why would a father want to sire a child that wasn't his? Much less one who was born from a Cambion." Korelia questioned.

"Your grandfather wouldn't let me give you up. When finding out about your lineage, he thought it would be best to keep you in the kingdom. My guess would be that the Sovereign assumed you would be useful for the kingdom." Salda thought back on it, scared her daughter would resent her adopted family from the truth.

"But what I turned on them? My demonic roots are still embedded into my DNA. Why would the Sovereign risk that chance? Of having a traitor among the castle."

"Than proper measures would be taken."

"He wanted to use me? Against an enemy of Emon. Didn't he?" Korelia felt angry, but she was never told this. She knew her mother didn't want her to know, wanting to protect her. Having 23 years of age and barely learning everything was telling her just as much.

"By the time your grandfather died, your father was already wrapped around your little finger. He loves you like his own, he would never want to use his daughter in such a way. So he took down the command, everyone was none the wiser and you were looked at as the first daughter of Sovereign Uriel Tal'Dorei." Korelia sighed.

"Your father loves you so much. Even if you aren't his. You grew up with him, he would never want to hurt or change you." The empress grabbed her daughters hands, holding them together and close to her. "You are Korelia Tal'Dorei, the fist born princess to the kingdom of Tal'Dorei and future heir. That is who you are. To me, your siblings, and your father, you are our child. No matter who you hail from."

Korelia raised her head, shoulders pushed back in a strong stance. She gave her mother a watered eyed smile, her emotions getting the best of her.

"So I am."

"'Lia?" Both the princess and empress turned to the bedroom door that swung open, the youngest Tal'Dorei stood at the door, hand rubbing at his tired eyes.

"Is it breakfast time?"

Word Count: 1617