Emma [♛] The Hero of Brightwall (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
roadtorule) wrote2013-01-22 11:19 pm
roadtorule) wrote2013-01-22 11:19 pm
application * ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
tushanshu
Player Information:
Name: Malathyne
Age: 22
Contact:littlesparrow ; AIM: whitepoof ; ![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
Malathyne
Game Cast: n/a
NOTE: For sake of ease, player choices are noted in green text and headcanon is noted in blue text.
Character Information:
Name: Emma (the Princess/the Queen/Hero of Brightwall)
Canon: Fable 3
Canon Point: The middle of Logan's trial, just before she makes her verdict
Age: It's never said canonically what the age of the Hero is. She is young enough to be considered (and called to her face) a child by her older brother, and young enough to possibly not have many memories of the old Hero King/Queen, based on the fact that she was told many stories by her mentor and father figure, Walter Beck. However, she's still old enough to be chosen to lead a revolution and take over the throne in her brother's stead. For the sake of ease, Emma left the castle at 21 and had her 22nd birthday while organizing the revolution.
Reference:
the Hero of Brightwall at the Fable Wikia
Fable 3 at Wiki
Fable 3 at the Fable Wikia
Albion at the Fable Wikia
Fable 3 Quests at the Fable Wikia
Setting:
Albion, the backdrop for the Fable series, is like a land out of a fairy tale book. It is lush and fertile, for the most part beautiful and idyllic. Amongst the trees and quiet villages, tall stony ruins stand, speaking of a time when the Old Kingdom was great and powerful. The green landscape of Albion becomes more mountainous the further west you move, and the further south you go, the forests slowly give way to swamps. Head east, and the Albion continent meets the sea, and if you continue eastward, you will encounter islands, including a larger one housing the desert country of Aurora.
But what makes Albion unique is not its geography. Albion, unlike our own Earth, is a land of magic. There is a wide array of monsters, magical artifacts from the Old Kingdom, and, most importantly of all, there are Heroes. These are the superheroes of Albion, being born with powers beyond that of a normal human. Common knowledge is that Heroes are Heroes because it is in their blood, though not all children of Heroes become Heroes themselves. Despite the name, being a Hero does not guarantee that the person is of the good alignment. It simply means that they have supernatural ability in at least one of three areas: Strength, physical prowess and endurance; Skill, agility, speed, and talent with ranged weapons; and Will, magic.
At the beginning of the series, Heroes were publicly revered and generally viewed as saviors. They were organized by the Hero's Guild, which not only sought out and taught young Heroes, but gave the people a place to turn to when they needed help. However, sometime between Fable I and Fable II, firearms were invented, giving the average human the capability to best a Hero in combat. Shortly afterward, there was a revolution of sorts, where the Hero's Guild was burned to the ground and the majority of Heroes were killed. Come Fable II, there are four Heroes left, and by Fable III, the Hero of Brightwall is treated as though she is the last Hero. This is a view that continues to exist in Fable: The Journey, which takes place fifty years after the end of Fable III, and it is said that there are no more Heroes left in Albion.
It could be said that Albion is seeing a decline in magic, but this simply isn't true. The number of monsters isn't decreasing, and, in fact, new threats are arising in the newest additions to the Fable series. Years prior to the events of Fable III, Logan, the king of Albion and the Hero's older brother, encountered a new evil in Aurora called the Darkness: inky-black, intelligent, and possessing the sole intention of devouring the world. A being called the Crawler commanded the Darkness, and it could plant seeds of itself inside a person's heart, "tainting" them.
After Logan encountered the Darkness, he was approached by Theresa, seer and guide to his mother, and she told him that the Darkness was coming for Albion and that it was inevitable that it would reach the kingdom. In order to save up enough money to prepare Albion's army to fight off the Darkness, Logan became a strict king. However, between his rising stress levels and the effects of the Darkness' taint, he grew into a harsh and cruel king. It wasn't long before the people went from unhappy to losing hope and fearing for their lives and those of their loved ones. An underground movement began, hoping to eventually grow into a full-blown revolution and remove Logan from the throne.
One such member of the rebellion was Walter Beck, an old soldier who was mentor and father-figure to the Princess, Emma. She had been living a sheltered life in the castle ever since her parents died (her mother, the old Hero Queen, of old age, and her father, a pirate from Bloodstone, at sea). Despite her lifestyle thus far, Walter's goal was to replace Logan with his sister because since he believed that she had the potential to be a Hero, like her mother, despite not having shown any obvious potential. He began to train her more heavily in combat with the intention of sneaking her out of the castle one day, but he did not move quickly enough.
One day, Logan had a worker executed for standing up for one of the children working in the factory. This shook up the citizens more than usual, and so Elliot asked her to speak to the kitchen staff about the incident. Despite her nervousness, Emma gave the staff an encouraging speech. After some training with her mentor, Walter, it was discovered that an angry demonstration was organized in front of the castle. When Logan began to order the castle guards to fire on the crowd, Emma and her boyfriend, Elliot, interrupted. In response, Logan ordered the leaders of the demonstration be brought into the throne room with Emma and Elliot. There, Logan offered Emma "the power over life and death." She had to make a choice: the leaders of the demonstration would be executed, or Elliot would. If she didn't choose, Logan would have them all be killed. Emma spent almost too long deliberating. In the end, despite Elliot's pleas for her to choose him, the leaders of the demonstration were marched away to be executed.
Due to these events, Walter could no longer delay taking Emma out of the castle. That night, he led Emma, her dog, Brom, and her butler, Jasper, through a secret passage in the Old Hero's tomb. It was there, in that tomb, where Emma's Hero powers were awakened and she gained her first spell. In a mystical realm called the Road to Rule, Emma also met Theresa, the seer who approached Logan, who not only explained how to use her new abilities and foreshadowed at what was to come, but told her that it she was born to become queen of Albion. Afterwards, Emma and her friends found themselves in a different mystical location called the Sanctuary. It was supposedly used by her mother and left behind for Emma. The Sanctuary functioned as an armory, treasury, closet, record-keeper, method of magical world travel, and tracking device for people who needed the help of a Hero. Although not shown in-game, considering the fact that Jasper lived in the Sanctuary until (assumingly) the end of his days, the Sanctuary is also highly likely to have had at least one bedroom.
Now that the four of them had successfully escaped the castle and had use of the Sanctuary, they immediately set about the task of gathering allies for the revolution. Emma had to prove herself to the people through many trials, as the people were wary and uncertain if they should trust the sister of their tyrant king. Example quests she embarked upon were helping an army outpost fight off a horde of undead, defeating a dangerous bandit leader, finding rare books for the Brightwall Academy, played the part of living toy Hero for a trio of essentially D&D players, and rescuing a woman's kidnapped fiancé so that she could continue to support the only shelter for the poor in Bowerstone. In this last instance, she reunited with Elliot, who had also escaped from the castle that fateful day of the demonstration. They couldn't bear to go their separate ways from each other, even after everything that'd happened while they were apart, and so Elliot vowed to Emma that, given the time to end his relationship with his fiancée in the best way possible, they would be together again.
Eventually, over time, by proving herself to be pure, virtuous, and reliable, she won over the support of the Dwellers, Brightwall, a part of the Royal Army, and the city of Bowerstone, making promises to people who would be the important players of the revolution. During this time, Emma began to mature in the face of the suffering of the kingdom and the battles she had to fight. She realized that being a Hero, while being all that she thought it was, had a lot more baggage than she expected, something that she confessed to Elliot.
At last, there was one last ally they had to win. Logan had made a promise to help the overseas desert country of Aurora, and he hadn't followed up on it. Walter knew that winning Aurora's support would be what sealed their victory, and so with the help of an old soldier friend, Ben Finn, they commandeered a ship and set sail. However, their ship was attacked en route. Emma and Walter woke up on the shore of what they could only assume to be Aurora, with no sign of the rest of the crew or Ben.
They pushed on through the desert, eventually finding a ruined temple. Not seeing any way through but by following the temple underground, Emma and Walter found themselves stumbling into the cave of Shadelight. They unknowingly walked into the lair of the Crawler, general of the Darkness, and were assaulted by it and its "children." Walter was strongly tainted by the Darkness, and when they finally fought their way out of Shadelight, he was still blinded by it. He was also severely weakened by their encounter with the Crawler, and so though Emma, not willing to leave him behind, tried to carry him, he collapsed. She had no choice but to run for the nearest settlement, but along the way, she learned that she, too, carried the taint of the Crawler, as it followed her into the sun and taunted her with images and tales of Walter's suffering. She passed out in the desert sands, but was luckily rescued by Ben Finn, who had led a group of Aurorans out to search for her and Walter.
Luckily, her Hero blood was strong enough to keep the taint from truly taking root, and it was lifted from her much more easily than it was from Walter. Emma awoke in Aurora and immediately sought him out. He had also been rescued, but was still unconscious; the Crawler's taint was too strong in him, and it would take longer to remove it. Emma had no choice but to wait, and so, encouraged by Ben and Kalin, the leader of the Aurorans, she went out to speak with the Auroran people and read the letters written to their loved ones that they pinned to the walls of their buildings. This, more than anything, was the most sobering part of her adventures. Albion was suffering under her brother's rule, but Aurora paid the true price of his tyranny, as he turned his back on them in their time of need. To make matters worse, she learned that Logan had also been to Aurora and had seen the Darkness that was devouring them -- and he still left them without support.
With these realizations, Emma returned to the Auroran temple in time to see the taint removed from Walter. She promised to Kalin that she would make up for the damage her brother had allowed to happen to Aurora, and with that, the final alliance was forged. With that, they set off to reunite with their other friends back in Albion... and to begin the fight for Albion.
In the action of pushing towards the castle, the Old Bowerstone Quarter was destroyed by the battle. However, with the help of all their allies, the rebellion successfully stormed the castle. Once they reached Logan, to everyone's surprise, he did not put up a fight. Instead, he spoke of having a reason for acting as he had before he was dragged away to the dungeon. The following morning, Emma was crowned queen of Albion... but her journey, she would learn, had only just begun.
During Logan's trial, all but two of Emma's allies during the revolution spoke in favor of Logan's death. The two that didn't were the voice of Bowerstone, Page, who actively protested to the idea, and Walter, who remained silent. When it came for Logan's turn to speak, he revealed that the reason he behaved as he did in the past several years was because of the approach of Theresa after he discovered the Crawler. This was when that Emma learned that the Darkness was coming for Albion. This visibly shook Walter, as well, who suggested to her that they could use Logan and his army's help against the inevitable war. At last, it was time for Emma to decide her brother's fate...
... and then she was pulled from the dark waters around Tu Vishan.
Personality:
When we're first introduced to the Princess, she is sleeping in late on her luxurious bed with her dog. In her brief lines in the beginning scenes of the game where she complains at her butler for waking her and engages in light-hearted flirty banter with her boyfriend, we are shown that she is an easy-going and free-spirited young woman. There is a definite impression that Emma was used to doing what she wanted, when she wanted to do it. Given the attention showered upon her as she passed by the nobles, guards, and castle workers, it's easy to come to the conclusion that she was also used to having her way -- and used to people automatically liking her, just because she is the princess. This is partly why she is so attached to Elliot, as he has always treated her as just another person, not as the princess to be revered. Despite this, she struggles dealing with when people don't like her, because she hasn't really learned how to cope with that.
She is shown to be initially nervous and uncertain when it comes to taking action against Logan: her casual and happy attitude was replaced by caution and trepidation once Elliot began to bring up Logan; Elliot told her Walter will be attending the speech she gave the kitchen staff in a tone that was meant to be comforting, hinting that he was aware she was nervous; and even Walter said to her, "maybe your brother will finally realize you have a mind of her own," further suggesting that she had yet to stand up against Logan for the things he'd done. When the demonstration began, her normally lively expression was frozen and blank as if in shock, even as Elliot encouraged her to take action.
However, once finally pushed into taking charge, Emma proved that she is good at putting on a brave face. When giving her speech to the kitchen staff, though she hesitates to search for words, her tone is confident, despite the nervousness hinted at earlier. When she bargeds in on Logan in the war room, she speaks firmly and with conviction. Later in her timeline, after becoming queen, she maintains a steady voice when declaring her decisions in the throne room, no matter how controversial the issue is. She further demonstrates this ability during the Kidnapped quest where she reunited with Elliot. Her actions suggest she's used to smiling to bear it; she tells him, "should almost be back to Linda," in a cheerful, if wavering, voice. The fact that she attempts that tone in such an awkward and emotional time reveals that this is a tried and true habit of hers; when all else fails, smile and be cheerful and push on until she gets through to the other side.
This does very well for her when talking to people, for it is shown through other characters that she is good at talking to people and earning their trust. After making her speech to the kitchen staff, Walter tells her that she has a knack for reaching out to people, and that they all looked up to her as a leader during the speech. Considering that Walter also intended to put her on the throne in Logan's place, he obviously had faith in her abilities to lead from the beginning, suggesting that the traits in her that make her a good leader (capable of making decisions in a crisis, dedication, loyalty to her people) have been showing themselves for years before the revolution.
Furthermore, once left to her own devices in making friends with people, Emma is shown to be charismatic, confident, and, in turns, take-charge and silly. One of the ways she likes to play with the people she likes is to tickle them, for example, and when she flirtingly dances with someone, she takes the lead no matter the gender of the other person. When she takes on the job of playing the lute, she is all smiles and sass, winking at passersby and all but flaunting. All of these things hint that a tomboyish (and possibly even competitive) personality lies beneath all the propriety and the instinct to duck her head and stay out of things, a trait she likely gained from growing up in the castle with Logan the tyrant.
After all, she's only human. Despite her efforts to keep up the appearance of being a proper member of the royal family, she is emotional underneath it all. Even Jasper comments on how she doesn't talk much ("whatever you say! ... or don't"), but in rare moments, usually with the people she's closest to, she speaks freely and reveals that there is a lot of emotion simmering. She is openly angry with Logan for the choice he forced upon her in the throne room ("I will never forgive you for this!"), and when she reunites with Elliot, she reveals, for the first time, just how much she has been affected by everything she's been through.
This is because she internalizes her feelings. Although she was once a boisterous child -- high-energy, stubborn, and an irrepressable dreamer -- she grew into the more quiet, unsure young woman seen at the start of the game as she began to lose the people close to her. Her father when she was very young, her mother when she was not much older... and then Logan, who had a heavy hand in her raising, began to grow distant. As a result, she began to move closer to those who were still there with her: Jasper, Elliot, Walter. Despite her giving and altruistic nature, she has a difficult time prioritizing other people over her family and closest friends... which is why she wasn't willing to lose Elliot, both to the gallows and to his fiancée. Because she was so young and helpless when she lost her parents and couldn't stop Logan from distancing himself, she has a fear that she won't be able to keep the ones she loves from harm (and from leaving her). This fear is suggested by the Crawler as he taunted her ("are you thinking of your loved ones now? how you will never see them again?"; "we are coming, for all those you wish to protect"; "you rule over a graveyard. is that what you wanted?").
This fear is the true drive for her desire to be a Hero. Ever since she was a child, Emma has desired to follow in her mother's footsteps. This desire is suggested by the way that NPCs frequently refer to the queen in Emma's presence. Although Emma was not old enough to know her mother on a personal level when she died, she holds a great love and respect for her mother. This is further proved when it was revealed that Emma has dreamed of being a Hero since childhood, encouraged by Walter telling her stories of her mother's adventures. While it's true that Emma wanted to be a Hero for everything that being a Hero entails -- the glory, the legends, the virtue, the acknowledgement of good deeds -- the true foundation of this comes from her desire to protect those she holds dear and cannot imagine living without. Because she is such a caring person, this can easily extend to the new friends she makes passing by on the street, and it does include the beautiful land that is her home. This is why, after she was faced with the reality of being a Hero and realized that there was so much more to it than the glory, she fought on. The weight that she carries from being a Hero is suggested on two separate accounts: one, when the Crawler uses it against her ("you tire of your travels, your burdens, the cries of the helpless, the cries of your dead"), and another, when she tells Elliot that being a Hero isn't all that it's cracked up to be.
Emma is incredibly loyal to the people closest to her. When the guards were leading her and Elliot to the throne room at the beginning of the game and one of them shoved Elliot to the ground, she immediately snapped at the guard: "Leave him alone!" Shortly afterwards, she vowed to him, "Whatever happens, we'll make it through this together." When she followed Walter away from the castle, her first thought was to ask about Elliot ("we can't leave him here"). And, in following Walter, she proved her trust in him. She clearly had no idea of how to go about winning allies or proving herself to the people of Albion, and she trusted him enough to let him make the plans and decide her path. She never complained or fought against any of his decisions, following willingly. In doing so, she proved she trusts him so much as to basically allow him to decide her future for her. Her loyalty to him is cemented when she refused to leave him behind in Aurora, and only did so when she had no other choice. It is revealed that she suffers great guilt from this by the Crawler, who taunts her for doing it ("he would have done anything for you, and now, he screams alone!" and "you let him die. you let us take him").
Her guilt extends to more than just having to leave Walter behind, however. Once again, this is revealed by the Crawler, who preyed on how she already regretted the decisions she'd made ("you've done terrible things. did you think I wouldn't know? did you think I would allow it?"). It is also suggested that she feels wholly responsible for the events in the throne room at the beginning of the game in her voice when she talks to Elliot when they reunite, as she tells him, "I made the choice that day," in a tone that is heavy with responsibility and regret. Even though she also says to him that the only one to blame for it is Logan, it's clear in her tone that she can't bring herself to entirely believe it. The fact that Jasper attempts to comfort her by saying "You mustn't blame yourself" even suggests that those who know her well are aware that she has a tendency to take the responsibility for things upon her own shoulders. Again, part of this likely draws from the fact that she wants to protect those around her, both because she honestly cares and because it is her duty as a member of the royal family and as a Hero, and partly from her helplessness to keep her loved ones close as a child. She will, more than willingly, take the weight of any kind of failure upon her own shoulders. As a Hero, it is within her power to do what others can't, and so she sees it as her duty to fix anything that is broken around her.
When Emma regains consciousness in Tu Shanshu, once the immediate shock of "where am I this wasn't where I was two seconds ago" wears off, and she receives her explanation, she will be disbelieving, at first, insisting that they send her back. There is, after all, too much for her to do, and she was in the middle of something. She needs to decide Logan's sentence, because if she doesn't, who will? Will they execute him because the majority of the people in that room thought he should be? And what about the Crawler? If the Darkness truly is coming for Albion, then she has to be there so she can fight it, so she can save Albion, and she can't do that if she's here. Once it is made absolutely clear to her that they can't send her back, then she'll be at a loss for a long moment, in another stage of shock. During which it will strike her to ask the kedan if they also saw a dog in the water, because she's so unused to not having him at her side, and though a part of her assumed he's there with her, she had immediate concerns that kept her from realizing his absence. In her following silence, some part of her will be frustrated with the lack of control over the situation she has, especially since she's queen now and this was supposed to be the time where she gets things done. In the end, her resolve to find a way home as quickly as possible will take over, though she will inevitably be swayed by the troubles of the other people stuck there and the kedan themselves. She will reach the conclusion that, perhaps, she was brought to this in-between place because it needs a Hero.
Appearance:
[image]
Tattoos: face, back, chest
Abilities:
As a Hero, Emma has supernatural abilities that fall under three categories: Strength, Skill, and Will.
Strength
Although it doesn't look like it, Emma has quite a lot of physical prowress at her disposal. Her strength outstrips that of an average human, letting her wield heavy weapons and deal incredibly hard hits in melee combat. Her Strength also makes her more hardy, letting her take more hits before going down, and her health will even recover over time if she is not being threatened.
Skill
When it comes to firearms, Emma is incredibly proficient in the use of both pistols and rifles. She is also much faster than the average human and can aim perfectly with minimal aim. Her high level of Skill has also increased her height, making her much taller than the average Albion citizen, though she is still shorter than Logan and Reaver.
Will
Her Will abilities are her spells. Thanks to magical gauntlets, Emma can cast spells, some of an elemental nature (fire, ice, lightning, wind), some not (force, which pushes enemies away, and blades, which summons ethereal blades to attack enemies at their own will), without having to expend any kind of her own energy. Her spells have five stages to them, and the strength and range of the spell is dependent upon how long she charges the spell. She is also capable of spell-weaving, where she can wear two different gauntlets and thus cast two spells at once -- fire and lightning, for example.
Emma's favorite spells to use are spell-woven Shock and Force Push. The Shock spell calls upon lightning, either from the sky or from the palm of the gauntlet, which then, along with dealing damage, stuns the enemy. The Force Push spell creates a, well, force that expands out from around the caster and pushes enemies away from them, thus throwing them into walls, trees, and other pieces of scenery. When woven together, the spells are effective at moving enemies away from Emma while stunning them, either from the impact with surroundings or from the electric shock.
It should be noted that though the gauntlets allow her to cast only offensive spells, that is not the only kind of magic in Albion. Given the flexibility of her bloodline, it may be possible for Emma to learn new ways, both offensive and otherwise, to use her Will. It should also be noted that, without these gauntlets, she is unable to cast any spells.
The Sanctuary
In canon, Emma could return to the Sanctuary at any point in time via the magical Guild Seal that she inherited from her mother. There, she could rest, change clothes, change weapons, and magically and instantaneously travel all across Albion. However, she will not be able to access the Sanctuary in Tu Shanshu.
Non-Hero Abilities
Should she be somehow drained of all of her Hero abilities, Emma will still be proficient in combat, as she was trained for many years by Walter. She is an acrobatic-type fighter no matter what weapon she uses, and though she is used to fighting swarms of monsters and thus it isn't really an option, when it comes to an individual enemy, she uses skirmishing tactics.
Inventory:
Emma will enter the game wearing the Queen's Suit, though dyed blue. The weapons she had on her at the trial are Chickenbane (fully augmented; image) and her Hero's Hammer, which has an Elegant handle and an Angelic hammerhead. The gauntlets that she will have equipped are Shock Spell and Force Push. She will also have a couple of Health Potions, one Slow Time Potion, one Summon Creatures Potion, and the Guild Seal on her.
Suite:
Emma would fit best in the Earth sector. Though she isn't necessarily "taciturn and grumpy," she is quiet on the surface, and her sense of justice and devotion mean she would feel at home with the people there. Though it is middle class and not high class like she grew up with, she spent a great deal of time on the run, so middle class would be a good place where she can re-adjust. (Besides, she is very fond of fine clothes, so the closer she is to her shopping, the happier she'll be.)
She would also be most comfortable having two floors to herself. Again, she grew up in a palace, and after being out on her own, she'd be used to having plenty of space to stretch out.
In-Character Samples:
Third Person:
The night after her coronation, the night before Logan's trial, Emma sits on the edge of the royal bed, alone for the first time all day. As fun as the celebration was, she now relishes in the quiet. It strikes her that it's so much easier to breathe now than it was at the coronation ball. Maybe it's because she spent much of her time casting her eyes around the crowd, searching, searching... For who? For someone who wasn't going to be there, because he was in the dungeon.
It makes her stomach twist to think of it. Logan... She wishes, despite everything... despite everything... that he could have been there. For any of it. For all of it. She has been searching for his face all day, she wishes it so much. But it isn't as though she doesn't know how he got there, or why. No, that lies very clear in her mind...
She finds herself thinking back to that day in the throne room. That day. The one that changed everything. She doesn't think she would call it a turning point. No... no. It was more of a starting point. That day... The day of the night she left the castle with Walter and Jasper...
Perhaps you think you should be the one making these decisions? You wish to defend those traitors?
That day has never left her. It's why she didn't, doesn't, hold it against Elliot, all those things he said when they found each other again. Couldn't. She understands. Even as much as it hurt, she understands. But she has never tried to forget it, or him, or the faces of those people she killed (even if she didn't pull the trigger, she killed them). She remembered, she remembers, because it's too important for her to forget.
But there was something worse. Deep inside... I felt happy. I felt happy, even as they were dragged away, that... I was still alive... I'm so sorry.
No, Elliot. No, I'm the one who's sorry. She had bitten the words back, re-picked those to be spoken, and more wisely, then, even if the first ones were more true. I'm the one who should be sorry. And I am. She didn't say them, because he didn't need the burden of her feelings, not when he could barely stomach his. She couldn't unload on him like... like he was on her. But she deserved that burden. She deserved it, because the thoughts she had while making that decision were a much greater sin than his could ever be.
Logan called them traitors and a violent mob. The thought hadn't occurred to her until he did, the thought that the people may try to hurt them. If they were after Logan, would they have also gone after her? Walter? Jasper? Elliot? If they were after only Logan, what would she have done? Would she have fought them to protect her brother? Or would she have let him suffer justice?
"We didn't want anyone to get hurt," those poor people sobbed. How could she think those things about them? How could she possibly even begin to consider -- ?
Don't worry. Whatever happens, we'll get through this together. She had promised Elliot. She had promised. She had promised. But it was her duty to look after the people.
Just as it was Logan's duty.
You have done terrible things. Did you think I wouldn't know? Did you think I would allow it?
Emma jerks herself out of her memories and reminds herself to breathe. No... no. Even if it is important for her to remember that day, there is also the day ahead to think about. The decision she has to make. Her first ruling as queen.
Her hands close into fists.
Network:
[This video features a young woman whose face may be new to the network, but she doesn't seem to have wasted any time in blending in fashion-wise with the kedan. Despite her elaborate-looking clothing, her brown hair is pulled back in a simple braid, and an artistic, flowery tattoo curls along one side of her face. When she speaks, it's with a refined British accent.]
Good afternoon. My name is Emma. I've recently arrived in Keeliai, and I have a few questions. Three, actually. My first pertains to the Emperor. I hear that it's possible to gain an audience with her. I was wondering if anyone who has succeeded in this would be willing to speak with me about it.
This ties into my next question: Has anyone learned of any way to leave this... in-between realm? I need to return to my kingdom immediately. [She hesitates (read as: catches herself).] Or, at least, as quickly as possible. There are... matters of vital importance that I need to attend to. [She smiles.]
Ah, and my third and final question... These -- bicycle contraptions. I hear they're a good way to get around faster than one would manage on foot. Back where I'm from, we used horses or carriages or even monorails if we needed to travel across land. As such, I've never... Well, would someone be willing to teach me how to ride one of these things? I'm sure I'll catch on quickly, I just, well. [She laughs.] Let me just say, trying to figure it out on my own wasn't the best idea.
Ahem. [Her smile becomes sheepish and even awkward. She never knows how to end these things.] Thank you for your time. [............. okay um she's just going to turn it off now]
Name: Malathyne
Age: 22
Contact:
littlesparrow ; AIM: whitepoof ; Game Cast: n/a
NOTE: For sake of ease, player choices are noted in green text and headcanon is noted in blue text.
Character Information:
Name: Emma (the Princess/the Queen/Hero of Brightwall)
Canon: Fable 3
Canon Point: The middle of Logan's trial, just before she makes her verdict
Age: It's never said canonically what the age of the Hero is. She is young enough to be considered (and called to her face) a child by her older brother, and young enough to possibly not have many memories of the old Hero King/Queen, based on the fact that she was told many stories by her mentor and father figure, Walter Beck. However, she's still old enough to be chosen to lead a revolution and take over the throne in her brother's stead. For the sake of ease, Emma left the castle at 21 and had her 22nd birthday while organizing the revolution.
Reference:
the Hero of Brightwall at the Fable Wikia
Fable 3 at Wiki
Fable 3 at the Fable Wikia
Albion at the Fable Wikia
Fable 3 Quests at the Fable Wikia
Setting:
Albion, the backdrop for the Fable series, is like a land out of a fairy tale book. It is lush and fertile, for the most part beautiful and idyllic. Amongst the trees and quiet villages, tall stony ruins stand, speaking of a time when the Old Kingdom was great and powerful. The green landscape of Albion becomes more mountainous the further west you move, and the further south you go, the forests slowly give way to swamps. Head east, and the Albion continent meets the sea, and if you continue eastward, you will encounter islands, including a larger one housing the desert country of Aurora.
But what makes Albion unique is not its geography. Albion, unlike our own Earth, is a land of magic. There is a wide array of monsters, magical artifacts from the Old Kingdom, and, most importantly of all, there are Heroes. These are the superheroes of Albion, being born with powers beyond that of a normal human. Common knowledge is that Heroes are Heroes because it is in their blood, though not all children of Heroes become Heroes themselves. Despite the name, being a Hero does not guarantee that the person is of the good alignment. It simply means that they have supernatural ability in at least one of three areas: Strength, physical prowess and endurance; Skill, agility, speed, and talent with ranged weapons; and Will, magic.
At the beginning of the series, Heroes were publicly revered and generally viewed as saviors. They were organized by the Hero's Guild, which not only sought out and taught young Heroes, but gave the people a place to turn to when they needed help. However, sometime between Fable I and Fable II, firearms were invented, giving the average human the capability to best a Hero in combat. Shortly afterward, there was a revolution of sorts, where the Hero's Guild was burned to the ground and the majority of Heroes were killed. Come Fable II, there are four Heroes left, and by Fable III, the Hero of Brightwall is treated as though she is the last Hero. This is a view that continues to exist in Fable: The Journey, which takes place fifty years after the end of Fable III, and it is said that there are no more Heroes left in Albion.
It could be said that Albion is seeing a decline in magic, but this simply isn't true. The number of monsters isn't decreasing, and, in fact, new threats are arising in the newest additions to the Fable series. Years prior to the events of Fable III, Logan, the king of Albion and the Hero's older brother, encountered a new evil in Aurora called the Darkness: inky-black, intelligent, and possessing the sole intention of devouring the world. A being called the Crawler commanded the Darkness, and it could plant seeds of itself inside a person's heart, "tainting" them.
After Logan encountered the Darkness, he was approached by Theresa, seer and guide to his mother, and she told him that the Darkness was coming for Albion and that it was inevitable that it would reach the kingdom. In order to save up enough money to prepare Albion's army to fight off the Darkness, Logan became a strict king. However, between his rising stress levels and the effects of the Darkness' taint, he grew into a harsh and cruel king. It wasn't long before the people went from unhappy to losing hope and fearing for their lives and those of their loved ones. An underground movement began, hoping to eventually grow into a full-blown revolution and remove Logan from the throne.
One such member of the rebellion was Walter Beck, an old soldier who was mentor and father-figure to the Princess, Emma. She had been living a sheltered life in the castle ever since her parents died (her mother, the old Hero Queen, of old age, and her father, a pirate from Bloodstone, at sea). Despite her lifestyle thus far, Walter's goal was to replace Logan with his sister because since he believed that she had the potential to be a Hero, like her mother, despite not having shown any obvious potential. He began to train her more heavily in combat with the intention of sneaking her out of the castle one day, but he did not move quickly enough.
One day, Logan had a worker executed for standing up for one of the children working in the factory. This shook up the citizens more than usual, and so Elliot asked her to speak to the kitchen staff about the incident. Despite her nervousness, Emma gave the staff an encouraging speech. After some training with her mentor, Walter, it was discovered that an angry demonstration was organized in front of the castle. When Logan began to order the castle guards to fire on the crowd, Emma and her boyfriend, Elliot, interrupted. In response, Logan ordered the leaders of the demonstration be brought into the throne room with Emma and Elliot. There, Logan offered Emma "the power over life and death." She had to make a choice: the leaders of the demonstration would be executed, or Elliot would. If she didn't choose, Logan would have them all be killed. Emma spent almost too long deliberating. In the end, despite Elliot's pleas for her to choose him, the leaders of the demonstration were marched away to be executed.
Due to these events, Walter could no longer delay taking Emma out of the castle. That night, he led Emma, her dog, Brom, and her butler, Jasper, through a secret passage in the Old Hero's tomb. It was there, in that tomb, where Emma's Hero powers were awakened and she gained her first spell. In a mystical realm called the Road to Rule, Emma also met Theresa, the seer who approached Logan, who not only explained how to use her new abilities and foreshadowed at what was to come, but told her that it she was born to become queen of Albion. Afterwards, Emma and her friends found themselves in a different mystical location called the Sanctuary. It was supposedly used by her mother and left behind for Emma. The Sanctuary functioned as an armory, treasury, closet, record-keeper, method of magical world travel, and tracking device for people who needed the help of a Hero. Although not shown in-game, considering the fact that Jasper lived in the Sanctuary until (assumingly) the end of his days, the Sanctuary is also highly likely to have had at least one bedroom.
Now that the four of them had successfully escaped the castle and had use of the Sanctuary, they immediately set about the task of gathering allies for the revolution. Emma had to prove herself to the people through many trials, as the people were wary and uncertain if they should trust the sister of their tyrant king. Example quests she embarked upon were helping an army outpost fight off a horde of undead, defeating a dangerous bandit leader, finding rare books for the Brightwall Academy, played the part of living toy Hero for a trio of essentially D&D players, and rescuing a woman's kidnapped fiancé so that she could continue to support the only shelter for the poor in Bowerstone. In this last instance, she reunited with Elliot, who had also escaped from the castle that fateful day of the demonstration. They couldn't bear to go their separate ways from each other, even after everything that'd happened while they were apart, and so Elliot vowed to Emma that, given the time to end his relationship with his fiancée in the best way possible, they would be together again.
Eventually, over time, by proving herself to be pure, virtuous, and reliable, she won over the support of the Dwellers, Brightwall, a part of the Royal Army, and the city of Bowerstone, making promises to people who would be the important players of the revolution. During this time, Emma began to mature in the face of the suffering of the kingdom and the battles she had to fight. She realized that being a Hero, while being all that she thought it was, had a lot more baggage than she expected, something that she confessed to Elliot.
At last, there was one last ally they had to win. Logan had made a promise to help the overseas desert country of Aurora, and he hadn't followed up on it. Walter knew that winning Aurora's support would be what sealed their victory, and so with the help of an old soldier friend, Ben Finn, they commandeered a ship and set sail. However, their ship was attacked en route. Emma and Walter woke up on the shore of what they could only assume to be Aurora, with no sign of the rest of the crew or Ben.
They pushed on through the desert, eventually finding a ruined temple. Not seeing any way through but by following the temple underground, Emma and Walter found themselves stumbling into the cave of Shadelight. They unknowingly walked into the lair of the Crawler, general of the Darkness, and were assaulted by it and its "children." Walter was strongly tainted by the Darkness, and when they finally fought their way out of Shadelight, he was still blinded by it. He was also severely weakened by their encounter with the Crawler, and so though Emma, not willing to leave him behind, tried to carry him, he collapsed. She had no choice but to run for the nearest settlement, but along the way, she learned that she, too, carried the taint of the Crawler, as it followed her into the sun and taunted her with images and tales of Walter's suffering. She passed out in the desert sands, but was luckily rescued by Ben Finn, who had led a group of Aurorans out to search for her and Walter.
Luckily, her Hero blood was strong enough to keep the taint from truly taking root, and it was lifted from her much more easily than it was from Walter. Emma awoke in Aurora and immediately sought him out. He had also been rescued, but was still unconscious; the Crawler's taint was too strong in him, and it would take longer to remove it. Emma had no choice but to wait, and so, encouraged by Ben and Kalin, the leader of the Aurorans, she went out to speak with the Auroran people and read the letters written to their loved ones that they pinned to the walls of their buildings. This, more than anything, was the most sobering part of her adventures. Albion was suffering under her brother's rule, but Aurora paid the true price of his tyranny, as he turned his back on them in their time of need. To make matters worse, she learned that Logan had also been to Aurora and had seen the Darkness that was devouring them -- and he still left them without support.
With these realizations, Emma returned to the Auroran temple in time to see the taint removed from Walter. She promised to Kalin that she would make up for the damage her brother had allowed to happen to Aurora, and with that, the final alliance was forged. With that, they set off to reunite with their other friends back in Albion... and to begin the fight for Albion.
In the action of pushing towards the castle, the Old Bowerstone Quarter was destroyed by the battle. However, with the help of all their allies, the rebellion successfully stormed the castle. Once they reached Logan, to everyone's surprise, he did not put up a fight. Instead, he spoke of having a reason for acting as he had before he was dragged away to the dungeon. The following morning, Emma was crowned queen of Albion... but her journey, she would learn, had only just begun.
During Logan's trial, all but two of Emma's allies during the revolution spoke in favor of Logan's death. The two that didn't were the voice of Bowerstone, Page, who actively protested to the idea, and Walter, who remained silent. When it came for Logan's turn to speak, he revealed that the reason he behaved as he did in the past several years was because of the approach of Theresa after he discovered the Crawler. This was when that Emma learned that the Darkness was coming for Albion. This visibly shook Walter, as well, who suggested to her that they could use Logan and his army's help against the inevitable war. At last, it was time for Emma to decide her brother's fate...
... and then she was pulled from the dark waters around Tu Vishan.
Personality:
When we're first introduced to the Princess, she is sleeping in late on her luxurious bed with her dog. In her brief lines in the beginning scenes of the game where she complains at her butler for waking her and engages in light-hearted flirty banter with her boyfriend, we are shown that she is an easy-going and free-spirited young woman. There is a definite impression that Emma was used to doing what she wanted, when she wanted to do it. Given the attention showered upon her as she passed by the nobles, guards, and castle workers, it's easy to come to the conclusion that she was also used to having her way -- and used to people automatically liking her, just because she is the princess. This is partly why she is so attached to Elliot, as he has always treated her as just another person, not as the princess to be revered. Despite this, she struggles dealing with when people don't like her, because she hasn't really learned how to cope with that.
She is shown to be initially nervous and uncertain when it comes to taking action against Logan: her casual and happy attitude was replaced by caution and trepidation once Elliot began to bring up Logan; Elliot told her Walter will be attending the speech she gave the kitchen staff in a tone that was meant to be comforting, hinting that he was aware she was nervous; and even Walter said to her, "maybe your brother will finally realize you have a mind of her own," further suggesting that she had yet to stand up against Logan for the things he'd done. When the demonstration began, her normally lively expression was frozen and blank as if in shock, even as Elliot encouraged her to take action.
However, once finally pushed into taking charge, Emma proved that she is good at putting on a brave face. When giving her speech to the kitchen staff, though she hesitates to search for words, her tone is confident, despite the nervousness hinted at earlier. When she bargeds in on Logan in the war room, she speaks firmly and with conviction. Later in her timeline, after becoming queen, she maintains a steady voice when declaring her decisions in the throne room, no matter how controversial the issue is. She further demonstrates this ability during the Kidnapped quest where she reunited with Elliot. Her actions suggest she's used to smiling to bear it; she tells him, "should almost be back to Linda," in a cheerful, if wavering, voice. The fact that she attempts that tone in such an awkward and emotional time reveals that this is a tried and true habit of hers; when all else fails, smile and be cheerful and push on until she gets through to the other side.
This does very well for her when talking to people, for it is shown through other characters that she is good at talking to people and earning their trust. After making her speech to the kitchen staff, Walter tells her that she has a knack for reaching out to people, and that they all looked up to her as a leader during the speech. Considering that Walter also intended to put her on the throne in Logan's place, he obviously had faith in her abilities to lead from the beginning, suggesting that the traits in her that make her a good leader (capable of making decisions in a crisis, dedication, loyalty to her people) have been showing themselves for years before the revolution.
Furthermore, once left to her own devices in making friends with people, Emma is shown to be charismatic, confident, and, in turns, take-charge and silly. One of the ways she likes to play with the people she likes is to tickle them, for example, and when she flirtingly dances with someone, she takes the lead no matter the gender of the other person. When she takes on the job of playing the lute, she is all smiles and sass, winking at passersby and all but flaunting. All of these things hint that a tomboyish (and possibly even competitive) personality lies beneath all the propriety and the instinct to duck her head and stay out of things, a trait she likely gained from growing up in the castle with Logan the tyrant.
After all, she's only human. Despite her efforts to keep up the appearance of being a proper member of the royal family, she is emotional underneath it all. Even Jasper comments on how she doesn't talk much ("whatever you say! ... or don't"), but in rare moments, usually with the people she's closest to, she speaks freely and reveals that there is a lot of emotion simmering. She is openly angry with Logan for the choice he forced upon her in the throne room ("I will never forgive you for this!"), and when she reunites with Elliot, she reveals, for the first time, just how much she has been affected by everything she's been through.
This is because she internalizes her feelings. Although she was once a boisterous child -- high-energy, stubborn, and an irrepressable dreamer -- she grew into the more quiet, unsure young woman seen at the start of the game as she began to lose the people close to her. Her father when she was very young, her mother when she was not much older... and then Logan, who had a heavy hand in her raising, began to grow distant. As a result, she began to move closer to those who were still there with her: Jasper, Elliot, Walter. Despite her giving and altruistic nature, she has a difficult time prioritizing other people over her family and closest friends... which is why she wasn't willing to lose Elliot, both to the gallows and to his fiancée. Because she was so young and helpless when she lost her parents and couldn't stop Logan from distancing himself, she has a fear that she won't be able to keep the ones she loves from harm (and from leaving her). This fear is suggested by the Crawler as he taunted her ("are you thinking of your loved ones now? how you will never see them again?"; "we are coming, for all those you wish to protect"; "you rule over a graveyard. is that what you wanted?").
This fear is the true drive for her desire to be a Hero. Ever since she was a child, Emma has desired to follow in her mother's footsteps. This desire is suggested by the way that NPCs frequently refer to the queen in Emma's presence. Although Emma was not old enough to know her mother on a personal level when she died, she holds a great love and respect for her mother. This is further proved when it was revealed that Emma has dreamed of being a Hero since childhood, encouraged by Walter telling her stories of her mother's adventures. While it's true that Emma wanted to be a Hero for everything that being a Hero entails -- the glory, the legends, the virtue, the acknowledgement of good deeds -- the true foundation of this comes from her desire to protect those she holds dear and cannot imagine living without. Because she is such a caring person, this can easily extend to the new friends she makes passing by on the street, and it does include the beautiful land that is her home. This is why, after she was faced with the reality of being a Hero and realized that there was so much more to it than the glory, she fought on. The weight that she carries from being a Hero is suggested on two separate accounts: one, when the Crawler uses it against her ("you tire of your travels, your burdens, the cries of the helpless, the cries of your dead"), and another, when she tells Elliot that being a Hero isn't all that it's cracked up to be.
Emma is incredibly loyal to the people closest to her. When the guards were leading her and Elliot to the throne room at the beginning of the game and one of them shoved Elliot to the ground, she immediately snapped at the guard: "Leave him alone!" Shortly afterwards, she vowed to him, "Whatever happens, we'll make it through this together." When she followed Walter away from the castle, her first thought was to ask about Elliot ("we can't leave him here"). And, in following Walter, she proved her trust in him. She clearly had no idea of how to go about winning allies or proving herself to the people of Albion, and she trusted him enough to let him make the plans and decide her path. She never complained or fought against any of his decisions, following willingly. In doing so, she proved she trusts him so much as to basically allow him to decide her future for her. Her loyalty to him is cemented when she refused to leave him behind in Aurora, and only did so when she had no other choice. It is revealed that she suffers great guilt from this by the Crawler, who taunts her for doing it ("he would have done anything for you, and now, he screams alone!" and "you let him die. you let us take him").
Her guilt extends to more than just having to leave Walter behind, however. Once again, this is revealed by the Crawler, who preyed on how she already regretted the decisions she'd made ("you've done terrible things. did you think I wouldn't know? did you think I would allow it?"). It is also suggested that she feels wholly responsible for the events in the throne room at the beginning of the game in her voice when she talks to Elliot when they reunite, as she tells him, "I made the choice that day," in a tone that is heavy with responsibility and regret. Even though she also says to him that the only one to blame for it is Logan, it's clear in her tone that she can't bring herself to entirely believe it. The fact that Jasper attempts to comfort her by saying "You mustn't blame yourself" even suggests that those who know her well are aware that she has a tendency to take the responsibility for things upon her own shoulders. Again, part of this likely draws from the fact that she wants to protect those around her, both because she honestly cares and because it is her duty as a member of the royal family and as a Hero, and partly from her helplessness to keep her loved ones close as a child. She will, more than willingly, take the weight of any kind of failure upon her own shoulders. As a Hero, it is within her power to do what others can't, and so she sees it as her duty to fix anything that is broken around her.
When Emma regains consciousness in Tu Shanshu, once the immediate shock of "where am I this wasn't where I was two seconds ago" wears off, and she receives her explanation, she will be disbelieving, at first, insisting that they send her back. There is, after all, too much for her to do, and she was in the middle of something. She needs to decide Logan's sentence, because if she doesn't, who will? Will they execute him because the majority of the people in that room thought he should be? And what about the Crawler? If the Darkness truly is coming for Albion, then she has to be there so she can fight it, so she can save Albion, and she can't do that if she's here. Once it is made absolutely clear to her that they can't send her back, then she'll be at a loss for a long moment, in another stage of shock. During which it will strike her to ask the kedan if they also saw a dog in the water, because she's so unused to not having him at her side, and though a part of her assumed he's there with her, she had immediate concerns that kept her from realizing his absence. In her following silence, some part of her will be frustrated with the lack of control over the situation she has, especially since she's queen now and this was supposed to be the time where she gets things done. In the end, her resolve to find a way home as quickly as possible will take over, though she will inevitably be swayed by the troubles of the other people stuck there and the kedan themselves. She will reach the conclusion that, perhaps, she was brought to this in-between place because it needs a Hero.
Appearance:
[image]
![[image]](http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101117190751/fable/images/a/a1/Female_Hero_of_Brightwall.JPG){kind=link}
Tattoos: face, back, chest
Abilities:
As a Hero, Emma has supernatural abilities that fall under three categories: Strength, Skill, and Will.
Strength
Although it doesn't look like it, Emma has quite a lot of physical prowress at her disposal. Her strength outstrips that of an average human, letting her wield heavy weapons and deal incredibly hard hits in melee combat. Her Strength also makes her more hardy, letting her take more hits before going down, and her health will even recover over time if she is not being threatened.
Skill
When it comes to firearms, Emma is incredibly proficient in the use of both pistols and rifles. She is also much faster than the average human and can aim perfectly with minimal aim. Her high level of Skill has also increased her height, making her much taller than the average Albion citizen, though she is still shorter than Logan and Reaver.
Will
Her Will abilities are her spells. Thanks to magical gauntlets, Emma can cast spells, some of an elemental nature (fire, ice, lightning, wind), some not (force, which pushes enemies away, and blades, which summons ethereal blades to attack enemies at their own will), without having to expend any kind of her own energy. Her spells have five stages to them, and the strength and range of the spell is dependent upon how long she charges the spell. She is also capable of spell-weaving, where she can wear two different gauntlets and thus cast two spells at once -- fire and lightning, for example.
Emma's favorite spells to use are spell-woven Shock and Force Push. The Shock spell calls upon lightning, either from the sky or from the palm of the gauntlet, which then, along with dealing damage, stuns the enemy. The Force Push spell creates a, well, force that expands out from around the caster and pushes enemies away from them, thus throwing them into walls, trees, and other pieces of scenery. When woven together, the spells are effective at moving enemies away from Emma while stunning them, either from the impact with surroundings or from the electric shock.
It should be noted that though the gauntlets allow her to cast only offensive spells, that is not the only kind of magic in Albion. Given the flexibility of her bloodline, it may be possible for Emma to learn new ways, both offensive and otherwise, to use her Will. It should also be noted that, without these gauntlets, she is unable to cast any spells.
The Sanctuary
In canon, Emma could return to the Sanctuary at any point in time via the magical Guild Seal that she inherited from her mother. There, she could rest, change clothes, change weapons, and magically and instantaneously travel all across Albion. However, she will not be able to access the Sanctuary in Tu Shanshu.
Non-Hero Abilities
Should she be somehow drained of all of her Hero abilities, Emma will still be proficient in combat, as she was trained for many years by Walter. She is an acrobatic-type fighter no matter what weapon she uses, and though she is used to fighting swarms of monsters and thus it isn't really an option, when it comes to an individual enemy, she uses skirmishing tactics.
Inventory:
Emma will enter the game wearing the Queen's Suit, though dyed blue. The weapons she had on her at the trial are Chickenbane (fully augmented; image) and her Hero's Hammer, which has an Elegant handle and an Angelic hammerhead. The gauntlets that she will have equipped are Shock Spell and Force Push. She will also have a couple of Health Potions, one Slow Time Potion, one Summon Creatures Potion, and the Guild Seal on her.
Suite:
Emma would fit best in the Earth sector. Though she isn't necessarily "taciturn and grumpy," she is quiet on the surface, and her sense of justice and devotion mean she would feel at home with the people there. Though it is middle class and not high class like she grew up with, she spent a great deal of time on the run, so middle class would be a good place where she can re-adjust. (Besides, she is very fond of fine clothes, so the closer she is to her shopping, the happier she'll be.)
She would also be most comfortable having two floors to herself. Again, she grew up in a palace, and after being out on her own, she'd be used to having plenty of space to stretch out.
In-Character Samples:
Third Person:
The night after her coronation, the night before Logan's trial, Emma sits on the edge of the royal bed, alone for the first time all day. As fun as the celebration was, she now relishes in the quiet. It strikes her that it's so much easier to breathe now than it was at the coronation ball. Maybe it's because she spent much of her time casting her eyes around the crowd, searching, searching... For who? For someone who wasn't going to be there, because he was in the dungeon.
It makes her stomach twist to think of it. Logan... She wishes, despite everything... despite everything... that he could have been there. For any of it. For all of it. She has been searching for his face all day, she wishes it so much. But it isn't as though she doesn't know how he got there, or why. No, that lies very clear in her mind...
She finds herself thinking back to that day in the throne room. That day. The one that changed everything. She doesn't think she would call it a turning point. No... no. It was more of a starting point. That day... The day of the night she left the castle with Walter and Jasper...
Perhaps you think you should be the one making these decisions? You wish to defend those traitors?
That day has never left her. It's why she didn't, doesn't, hold it against Elliot, all those things he said when they found each other again. Couldn't. She understands. Even as much as it hurt, she understands. But she has never tried to forget it, or him, or the faces of those people she killed (even if she didn't pull the trigger, she killed them). She remembered, she remembers, because it's too important for her to forget.
But there was something worse. Deep inside... I felt happy. I felt happy, even as they were dragged away, that... I was still alive... I'm so sorry.
No, Elliot. No, I'm the one who's sorry. She had bitten the words back, re-picked those to be spoken, and more wisely, then, even if the first ones were more true. I'm the one who should be sorry. And I am. She didn't say them, because he didn't need the burden of her feelings, not when he could barely stomach his. She couldn't unload on him like... like he was on her. But she deserved that burden. She deserved it, because the thoughts she had while making that decision were a much greater sin than his could ever be.
Logan called them traitors and a violent mob. The thought hadn't occurred to her until he did, the thought that the people may try to hurt them. If they were after Logan, would they have also gone after her? Walter? Jasper? Elliot? If they were after only Logan, what would she have done? Would she have fought them to protect her brother? Or would she have let him suffer justice?
"We didn't want anyone to get hurt," those poor people sobbed. How could she think those things about them? How could she possibly even begin to consider -- ?
Don't worry. Whatever happens, we'll get through this together. She had promised Elliot. She had promised. She had promised. But it was her duty to look after the people.
Just as it was Logan's duty.
Emma jerks herself out of her memories and reminds herself to breathe. No... no. Even if it is important for her to remember that day, there is also the day ahead to think about. The decision she has to make. Her first ruling as queen.
Her hands close into fists.
Network:
[This video features a young woman whose face may be new to the network, but she doesn't seem to have wasted any time in blending in fashion-wise with the kedan. Despite her elaborate-looking clothing, her brown hair is pulled back in a simple braid, and an artistic, flowery tattoo curls along one side of her face. When she speaks, it's with a refined British accent.]
Good afternoon. My name is Emma. I've recently arrived in Keeliai, and I have a few questions. Three, actually. My first pertains to the Emperor. I hear that it's possible to gain an audience with her. I was wondering if anyone who has succeeded in this would be willing to speak with me about it.
This ties into my next question: Has anyone learned of any way to leave this... in-between realm? I need to return to my kingdom immediately. [She hesitates (read as: catches herself).] Or, at least, as quickly as possible. There are... matters of vital importance that I need to attend to. [She smiles.]
Ah, and my third and final question... These -- bicycle contraptions. I hear they're a good way to get around faster than one would manage on foot. Back where I'm from, we used horses or carriages or even monorails if we needed to travel across land. As such, I've never... Well, would someone be willing to teach me how to ride one of these things? I'm sure I'll catch on quickly, I just, well. [She laughs.] Let me just say, trying to figure it out on my own wasn't the best idea.
Ahem. [Her smile becomes sheepish and even awkward. She never knows how to end these things.] Thank you for your time. [............. okay um she's just going to turn it off now]