"It sounds like a lot of responsibility, I can see why you wouldn't want to do it forever. And why people might want to cling to someone who's been demonstrated to be good at it. Personally I like magic as a way of making things better, all the benefit to other people and none of the headachey judgment calls."

Elspeth chuckles dryly. "Sometimes. Often I find that the choice of where and when and how to apply the magic takes a number of judgement calls."

"...I see your point. Sometimes it's easy," she does not does not does not look at Tylendel and Vanyel, "but I imagine there are some easy decisions in monarching too."

"Some." Elspeth glances over at Tylendel. "Anyway, lad, how does it feel to be alive again? Anything troubling you?" 

"N-no," Tylendel stammers out. "It's really g-good." 

"He feels super guilty, but I think that's not the kind of thing you meant?"

"...I'm actually pleased to hear that," Elspeth says, very serious. "Not that I'm rejoicing in your pain, lad, but - you did something very wrong. It caused a lot of deaths and hurt a lot of people. Valdemar paid a high price for your actions. Vanyel paid an even higher one."

Her voice softens. "I'm not saying that because I think you deserve punishment. The circumstances were - extreme, and it's understandable how you reacted. Just, I think guilt is the right response, and understandable doesn't mean excusable. It's on you to figure out what went wrong, why, and what has to change in you so it can't ever happen again." 

Tylendel is busy curling up smaller and smaller.

"...I understand, your Majesty." 

Lucy gets up and walks over to Van-and-'Lendel and sits down and hugs the latter. 

"...Given my druthers, the people who died in the explosion are high on my priority list for people to bring back. For obvious reasons." 

"Except for Krebain, I hope," the Queen says dryly. "I'd rather avoid having to run that particular trial. Anyway, bringing back the rest would - do a lot to smooth the politics here, I think, once we've gotten an angle on that. Which isn't going to be right away, this deserves consideration. The reason I'm here today is that Lancir says you're wanting to bring Staven back with more urgency, is that right?" 

"I'm a twin. Wilbur being dead is difficult and unpleasant to think about." 

"Understandable. And, well, Staven's death is one of the factors that contributed to our little disaster." She looks over at Tylendel again. "Bringing him back might well give us more resilience against that particular scenario recurring. I'd just want to make sure he was well away from anywhere he could try to claim title to the Frelennye lands again. Which, it sounds like k'Treva is a possibility." 

Queen Elspeth gives Tylendel another hard look, then turns back to Lucy. "How certain are you that you could pull off, er, retrieving his remains without garnering suspicion?" 

"I'm...absolutely sure I could make it there and back without anyone figuring out I existed. I'm extremely confident I could steal the coffin without being caught. I'm mostly sure I could make it so you'd have to look closely to see that the soil had been disturbed at all? Possibly I can and should practice that here in lower-stakes circumstances first."

"Yes, that would be a good idea. And let Lancir have a look at your results. If he says it's convincing enough, I'm happy to sign off on this, er, plan." Her nose wrinkles. "As long as you're willing to be the one who comes clean to Vanissa that we robbed her family graveyard, when we're ready to have this all in the open." 

"You know what, that's fair, I'll tell her."

"Good. Then it sounds like we have a plan." Elspeth rises, and nods again to Lucy. "Thank you for your service to Valdemar." She sweeps out of the room, Lancir on her heels. 

"You're welcome!" she calls. 

...

"Whew. So that was the Queen," she says, flopping a little more onto Tylendel. 

Tylendel will flop right back at her. "...That could've gone worse. She only chewed me out for a few sentences." 

"Yep. You've chewed yourself out way worse than that."

Tylendel pulls Vanyel closer to him. :Have I really?: he sends privately to Lucy.

:Remind me again how many times I've had to tell you you're not a monster?:

:...All right, fine:

"Ooh, ooh, are you going to go practice digging up graves now?" Donni says brightly. "Can I watch?" 

"I'm not going to practice on any actual graves unless there's someone else I'm authorized to resurrect who's buried somewhere no one's going to make a fuss if I don't get it perfect the first time, you know."

"All right, fine, pretend graves. I still wanna watch."