Growing up, Eren had seen many things, so much so that he became a bit jaded towards others. Watching Meti's memory cemented the fact that bad things can indeed happen to good people. She was just a young girl simply following her father to assist a patient, and yet her entire life got overturned within the span of a week. He watched her go through three years of painstaking training to match her new role as crown princess. The merciless head maid with her duplicitous tongue was quick to always correct her, working day and night to snuff out the free spirit she once had as a child. As an adult, he can't turn a blind eye to the blatant cruelty.
"It was a trap from the very beginning, the King never intended to let them go."
"Oh, why do you say that? One could say he felt overwhelmed by gratitude, seeking to change the fate of his lifesaver, giving her all the finer things he could afford, even his own son." It's unknown when and how Jasper managed to nab a bag of chips from Eren's secret snack drawer. The grown dragon lord sat back, munching away with relish while watching the TV screen. His tone may appear light on the surface, but the depths of his eyes run deeper than still waters. It's easy to catch his disdain for the royal family.
"This is clearly a well-played game of deception. I come from a modern era without Kings or Queens, but the power moves of those with authority never change. It's obvious he named her as crown princess with something else in mind. Why bring Meti and her father to the capital at all, am I to believe that in a flourishing capital full of wealth and talent they couldn't find a single healer to treat him?"
"Fair enough, however, they likely would only have been able to extend his life for a few years. You saw the wound as well, they were inflicted by my father. Meti was only able to heal them because his mana recognized her and gave way. Otherwise, the skin her father had just cleansed would have rotted away again days later. A dragon's wrath can burn for many years."
"I get that, but that still doesn't explain the King's strange decision. If he felt any sense of gratitude, he would not force his 'benevolence' on her, he would have asked what she desired and offered that instead. It's clear he does not favor his son, matching her to him in his eye means nothing. It's only meant to act as a chain to tie her down to the royal family, under his watchful eye."
"Woah, amazing for one so young to see things so clearly. What a rare sight it is to see." Jasper's sincere smile nearly blinds him.
"I'm not that young, I'm 27. You don't know the kind of life I had to live in my world. Everyday was a struggle, the one's who should love me only used me when it was convenient and then discarded me soon after. My own mother said I was her burden." Eren sighs, looking up to hold back from crying before his idol.
Troubled by the bleak picture he paints, Jasper gets up, pulling him into a fierce hug. Eren is so taken back he doesn't understand what's happening, just freezes up like a mannequin. The dragon lord pats him on the back as though he were a child.
"It's okay, this too was part of the curse placed upon your soul at birth. You are not at fault. I wish I was stronger, I've never found myself so lacking as the day Ariellia was born. If I could control life magic I could have found your soul sooner, perhaps then you would not have had to bear all her sorrows."
"Her sorrows?"
"I told you once before, you and Ariellia are two sides of the same coin. While I and David sheltered Arie under our wing, lavishing her in so much comfort that we may have stunted her growth as a person in the process. You were bound to have her reverse fate, experiencing personal growth through many trials and hardships."
"…"
Eren clenched Jasper's coat in his hand, frowning but keeping his silence. What could he say, it's natural for them to care for Arie who was right in front of them rather than a soul in a foreign world.
"It's alright to hate or blame me, we knew you would receive a negative for every positive she gained and yet we could not bear to see that child suffer a single slight. Her reckless, arrogant nature is our fault, so is your weary, disillusionment as well. We were selfish bastards."
Eren shakes his head, finally unable to keep his silent tears from falling. "It isn't, no one knows Arie better than me. I too would not want to see that child sad or hurt in any way."
"You are a good child" Jasper sighs, "I wish we had a chance to raise you as well."
"I'm here now, the present is what matters." Eren breaks away from the dragon lord's warm embrace, briskly brushing aside his tears. He's known from a young age, crying doesn't solve the problem, it only depletes one's energy. What matters now is that he is here, trapped in this seal within Ariellia. The monster march is over, and he's managed to avoid her death-flag while learning all sorts of hidden plot twists he never got from the game. His new goal now is to find a way to either peacefully coexist with Arie or merge their fractured souls without one devouring the other in the process.
"Tsk what is it now?" Jasper frowns, looking off to the side like someone is calling him.
"What?"
"That fox boy from before, he complained about the efficiency of my talismans, but he's certainly not shy about using them."
He chuckles while roughly combing his hand through his hair. His worries are obvious, Ariellia and Rei are still experiencing the dream. If he is to answer Riell's summons, he'll have to break off the spell. This is a pivotal moment in Admetus' life, his choice back then is what shaped their current situation. This is vital information that could answer some of their questions regarding Daymon's origin.
"Damn it, he just burnt another one. Has the fox boy lost his marbles, or does he not know their value mistaking them for kindling or something!"
"Riell knows the importance of such high-level talismans. He would not carelessly use them without reason. Something must have happened, can't we simply revisit the dream once we get his situation resolved."
"I wish it were that simple. Memories are fragile things, you must have notice it too while watching. This dream is from Meti and my father's perspective, it was created from memories my father imparted to me before he lost his mind. He feared they'd become tainted by his corrupted mind, twisted far from the truth. There is a limit to how often I can invoke this dream."
"How many times?"
"Three. I have already watched it once myself to understand what happened. This is the second time I have invoked this spell."
"Save the third time, don't invoke it again. Since you've already watched it once, give us the summary when we get back. I don't think experiencing the rest firsthand will do them any good anyway. They're still too young to share in the faults and mistakes of adults." Eren can still recall his first encounter with Arie within the seal, how scared she'd been that his memories would override her own and erase her personality. This dream should be similar, perhaps it's a good thing it gets cut short. The two teens have already had to experience what feels like ten years within the dream, anymore and they run the risk of losing their true selves.
"You are right, but I did this to temper them for the journey ahead. Once they leave for the capital, their roles will change. Rei will no longer be a simple orphan, as a young dragon lord and prince there are things I can't teach him while I hatch David's egg. He'll need Admetus' memories to accelerate his growth. It is the same for Ariellia, as much as I love her immaturity, that place is a den of old monsters. As Rei's chosen, she can't be found wanting or they will pounce on her. An estranged prince from a distant fief without the duke's backing won't have the power to control their forked tongues. This is the best defense I can give them ahead of time."
"It's alright, they have me. Leave those deceitful old monsters to me, I assure you I am quite familiar with dishonest humans. For reasons I can't say right now, I know more about this world than I care to admit. I have ways to protect them, release the dream, and send us to Riell's side."
Jasper's red eyes curiously stare at the young man before him, finding him to be more enigmatic than before. Perhaps it's safe to entrust the fate of his two hatchlings to this frail yet unbroken figure. For once, the dragon lord finds himself willing to bet on the sincerity of another.
"Very well, I shall do as you say."