Maidenless No Longer (Elden Ring)

Chapter 12: Melina

Did he mean to fight her? Melina had metaphorically wrinkled her nose at the thought. Queen Rennala was... addled. All knew it. The loss of her husband, the ruin of each of her children... it had all proven too much for the woman. Once the greatest sorceress in all of Caria, she was now a shadow of her former self. What was even the point, of attacking a cripple in her dotage?

But of course, Melina did not consider it her place to contradict or take her Tarnished to task, and so she had not stepped in. She almost wished she had at this point. Because far from fighting her, what her Champion had actually done was MUCH worse.

Melina can't help the shiver that runs through her discorporate body, as her Tarnished waves goodbye to the Queen and her... sweetings. Having just finished a veritable orgy with the lot of them, her Tarnished leaves the Grand Library of Raya Lucaria with a content smile on his lips. Because he's a lecher. But unfortunately, he's all she has.

Honestly though! Walking into the Grand Library practically naked?! Embracing the Queen of the Full Moon and kissing her?! For a moment, Melina had assumed the Tarnished lost! But then she'd realized... Rennala, with her Great Rune of the Unborn, had seen the same thing Melina had. She'd seen the Tarnished's Perfection.

Knowing that, it was almost understandable, what had happened next. ALMOST understandable. Seething, Melina watches as her Tarnished settles down at a Site of Grace, as underdressed as he had been following his fight with the Fell Omen. Tch, except the battle he'd had with Margit, and the 'battle' he'd had with the Queen of the Full Moon were two VERY different beasts indeed.

Before she has a chance to truly examine her feelings and think logically about her course of action, Melina finds herself materializing on impulse next to the Tarnished at the Site of Grace. Falling to her knees, clutching angrily at her cloak, she tries to contain her emotions, even as the Tarnished gives her a smile and nod in greeting.

Then, she does something she wouldn't normally do. She lies. Oh, keeping information about herself back is fine, and she's doing quite a lot of that. Lies by omission, essentially. But this, what she's doing right now? Tis a flat out lie.

"Spoken echoes of Queen Marika linger here. Shall I share them with you?"

Twas certainly not true. There was nothing of Queen Marika in the Academy of Raya Lucaria. But her Tarnished shouldn't know that. So then, why was he giving her this knowing smile, like he knew she was deceiving him and saw right through her act? Melina bristles, but before she can explode at the Tarnished, he just nods his assent, gesturing for her to go on.

... He knew she was lying, but was humoring her anyways? Melina's face colors and she finds herself suddenly regretting taking a corporeal form here. Perhaps she was hasty. And yet... ah, she had to follow through now, didn't she? The reason she'd chosen to lie... because Queen Marika's words were the better way to say what she wanted to say, then if she tried to say it herself.

"In Marika's own words then. I declare mine intent, to search the depths of the Golden Order. Through understanding of the proper way, our faith, our grace, is increased. Those blissful early days of blind belief are long past. My comrades; why must ye falter?"

They were Queen Marika's words, spoken to those in the Golden Order who would have preferred to remain blind to the truth of their loyalty, to the truth of the Greater Will that reigned over them all, even She Who Was Eternal. But they were also applicable to this situation, here and now. Or so Melina felt. Her Tarnished sat before her, having promised to take her to the foot of the Erdtree... naked, after having an orgy with a Queen and her bastard get.

What was Melina supposed to think? Why did her chosen champion falter so? She had need of him, and yet he was here, dealing with these... these trivalti-!