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Chapter Text

It was a beautiful Autumn day, and the sun was reflected in the small puddles of water scattered around the road towards Royale High. Laura von Falmar was once again sitting in the carriage towards Royale High, as it had been two weeks since the Autumn ball. She had briefly returned home with her parents, and together they had taken some time off to forget about everything that had happened in the past weeks. She had also missed Felix very much... They'd only just revealed their feelings for each other, and they already had to spend two weeks away from each other. They'd exchanged letters here and there, but it was nothing compared to being together in person. Still, Laura felt refreshed and ready to go to school for real this time. When she arrived, she grabbed her luggage and passed through the gate with a smile on her face. 

"There you are, took you long enough..." a certain someone greeted her, leaning against the entrance of the castle.

"Felix!" Laura shouted, running towards him and tightly embracing him, "I missed you..."

"I missed you too. It's only been a week, but it feels like months... at least you're finally here," Felix whispered, kissing her.

"But now we'll be seeing each other every day again, and that's what matters."

"How about we see how the others are doing?" Felix asked, and Laura nodded. Together, they went inside the now familiar school, and immediately found Glen in the entrance hall, talking to three girls. It seemed like some things would never change...

"Felix, Laura, good to see you two again!" he greeted the duo. He was talking to Audrey, princess of Brightwald, Isabella, a commoner from the same country who was Audrey's close friend and her protector, and the last girl was Amaya, princess of Mistlyn.

"It's good to see you too, Glen. It appears you've found yourself quite the company," Felix responded. Laura giggled.

"I find him quite boring..." Amaya said.

"He reminds me of that noble who was at court a few days ago. He was flirting with every girl, despite being married! Rumor has it he has four more-"

"You shouldn't be spreading rumors and gossip," Isabella interrupted Audrey.

"You say that every time, but she never listens..." Amaya sighed.

"I'm going to look for different company..." Glen quickly walked away from the group.

"I think I'm going to go to my dorm, I want this luggage gone from my side," Laura said.

"Oh, me too. How about we meet in the garden in an hour from now? Principal Abigail is having her speech at the end of the afternoon, so we can go there after the garden," Felix suggested.

"Sounds good to me, see you in the garden!" And with that, Laura turned around and went towards the dorms. It felt satisfying to stand in front of dorm 10 again, and this time all four of its inhabitants got along. The first thing Laura saw upon walking into the dorm was Anna standing on a ladder.

"Hi Laura!" she exclaimed, "look at all of these plants I bought! Don't they just look adorable?"

"Indeed they do!" Laura responded. Astrid was sitting on the couch, embroidering floral patterns onto a pillow.

"Hello Laura, how was your vacation?"

"Oh, it was wonderful," Laura sat down, "I went shopping for hours with Eleanor, mother took me with her to a charity event, and father and I went riding..."

"And your courtship?" Astrid was always a nosy one... Everyone already knew that Laura and Felix were now a thing, and Astrid had immediately demanded to hear the whole story.

"We've exchanged a few letters, and we're meeting in the garden in a bit," Laura shot up and took her luggage with her to her room. "Give my regards to Elizabeth!"

After unpacking her luggage, Laura immediately left her room. She traversed the halls of the school and came across so many people, once again reminding her of how wonderful this school was. People from all over the continent attended, and that was what made this place so prestigious. When Laura reached the music room, she saw that the doors were open, and peeked around the corner. Inside, she saw Elizabeth playing the piano, joined by Levi, who was playing the violin. It was a wonderful and harmonious melody, as was to be expected of the two of them.

"Could you go a little higher for that part?" Elizabeth asked.

Levi nodded, "right. It's been a while since I played the violin."

"You're doing wonderfully, don't worry. Now, one, two, three!" And they started playing again. Laura decided to let them be, and she continued on towards the garden. But when she passed by the library, she ran into someone. That someone fell on the floor.

"Ah, f-forgive me!" the boy apologized.

"No, no, the fault is mine, I should have paid attention to where I was going... Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm alright," the boy got up from the floor, "my name is Apollo, and I'm the prince of Fayiron. I don't believe we've formally met before..."

"A pleasure to meet you, Apollo. I'm Laura, princess of Falmar. But I really have to be on my way, someone's waiting for me. Sorry for running into you!" Laura continued walking towards the garden, hoping she wasn't late. Apollo was known to be a bit of a lone hermit, fitting for a country where people lived isolated in the snowy mountains. Fayiron had always had tense relations with Falmar due to nautical disputes near the Amestou Archipelago, but Apollo didn't seem too interested in that. Laura finally arrived in the garden, and went towards the sitting area, where she saw Felix already waiting for her.

"Am I late?"

"A little, but we still have plenty of time. Around an hour or two," Felix smiled. Laura sat down on a chair, and looked at the flowers that were still blooming like it was Summer.

"So, what did you do during the break? I hope you didn't have to get Glen out of any messes..."

Felix laughed, "no, not once. I had to do my usual duties as heir of Gaspard territory, so I didn't even see Glen." He let out a sigh.

"And what about Alexander? Couldn't you spend time with him?"

"Nope. He seems to have developed a new hobby in studying tactics and strategy, and is now in Divinia a lot as well, as he's become friends with Astrid's sister, Emma..." Laura giggled, and the two continued talking about this and that.

Outside of Royale High, plenty of things were happening too. In Earth, a carriage from Aurion arrived, and three people stepped out. One was a noble lady, and the other two were noblemen who closely followed her. They were Sigrid, Christian, and Adrian, heirs to three of Aurion's four noble houses. The three of them walked past a flower stand, and both men immediately bought bouquets for Sigrid. She smiled and gracefully accepted both of them, while Christian and Adrian shot each other death glares. Elsewhere, in the capital of Belmont, Prince Erric waved his younger brother, Prince Howard, farewell as the young prince stepped into a carriage and left. In the capital of Divinia, Emma and Alexander were playing in the garden under the watchful eye of Edith. Elliot was out in the streets doing his usual business as Cardinal.

Back at Royale High, everyone was gathering in the cafeteria for principal Abigail's opening speech. Laura sat down next to Elizabeth and near Astrid and Anna, while Felix went towards Glen and Levi. The other seat next to her stayed empty for a while, until a familiar face sat down.

"Laura, can I sit here?"

"Eleanor! Of course you can!" Laura and Eleanor had become great friends in the two weeks they were home, just like their parents had always been. Eleanor has excellent taste in fashion and loved sewing. She'd made a beautiful hat for Laura that she was planning to wear soon. Laura was about to introduce her to Elizabeth, but principal Abigail arrived, making everyone go quiet.

"Greetings, my dear students. It does my heart well to see you all here today, ready to start the school year for real. We may have lost a lot of time due to the actions of ex-principal Mary, but I speak on behalf of the whole staff when I say that we believe that it is still possible to continue the school year as per schedule. We will spend the coming weeks trying to make sure everyone is caught up, especially those who have had to miss a lot of lessons. In addition, there will be extra tuition every day after school until dinner for those who require it. There will be exams coming up in a while, so make sure to study well! After the exams, the winter break will start, and everyone will have vacation for two weeks to spend with their families. Up next will be a few announcements," Abigail took a sip of the glass with water that she had with her, "first up, I am very honored to announce that, for the first time in Royale High School's history, a member of the royal family from every country on our beautiful continent is attending, as prince Howard of Belmont has unexpectedly decided to start attending Royale High School starting tomorrow!"

"She isn't kidding, this was very unexpected. Both Fayiron and Belmont haven't been on the best terms with Divinia, so to see members of their royal families attending here is almost unspoken of," Astrid whispered.

"Why do they have bad relations with Divinia?" Laura asked.

"I can't begin to guess why for Fayiron, but for Belmont it's because the church doesn't approve of the study of the dark arts that is allowed to take place in Belmont."

"Ah, that's right, Belmont is the only place where you can study dark magic. And as the only place where you can study light magic, Divinia is the polar opposite, right?"

Astrid nodded, "yes, it's only natural that light and dark magic clash with each other. Nonetheless, I've heard that Prince Howard isn't that bad of a person, and neither is his older brother Erric, who is the heir to the throne. Both of them do study dark magic, though, as Belmont's national treasure is the dark spell of Azazel."

"Finally, some damn decent people in this school!" Drake exclaimed, just barely not loud enough for Principal Abigail to hear, "I'm bloody tired of all of these boring people."

"And the final announcement I want to make is that we will be forming a student council that will help guide students and ensure that everything will go smoothly together with the staff. There will also be voting for a student council president. Details will be revealed for this tomorrow, so be sure to check the notice board! And with that, it's high time to end this meeting. We all hope you will have a wonderful school year at Royale High School!" Everyone started clapping, and Laura started to wonder what kinds of crazy things would happen in the year to come. At least it would never be as crazy as what happened before this, right?

Chapter Text

Once Principal Abigail had concluded her speech, Elizabeth got up with a sigh. She knew that her father's actions had left a permanent mark on the school's history, nigh, the continent's history, and her own history. There were probably many that would rather she rotted away in a dungeon for the rest of her days and see the kingdom of Theros abolished altogether. She had to do something to make things right. Her mother had signed countless peace treaties, and yet it was not enough. Only Falmar, Aurion, and Magnos agreed on a mutual peace. The rest of the continent didn't even consider it, not even their former ally Fayden. Even in the eyes of the Divinian church, it would take a long time to be spoken of in a more favorable manner. Perhaps, if she... Her thoughts were interrupted by her fiancé approaching her.

"Liz, do you want to get a drink in Earth together?"

"That would be lovely." And so, the two took a carriage towards Earth. Even though it wasn't yet evening, it was already starting to get dark, and once they arrived, the streetlights were illuminating the central hub for merchants all across the continent. They walked past the many market stands, into the tavern that was popular among the students from Royale High. They ordered a drink and sat down at a small table. Elizabeth was staring out of the window, looking at the marketplace, where the merchants were gathering their stuff and cleaning up. There was a child climbing a tree, a woman who walked out of the bakery, and a few men walking into a different tavern.

"Elizabeth? Are you alright?" Levi suddenly asked.

"Yes, why so?"

"You've been staring out of the window, you haven't had even a drop from your drink, and you didn't respond the last four times I called your name."

"Sorry, I have been a bit under the weather recently, no need to worry," Elizabeth lied. Levi already worried enough for her, she really did not want to burden him with her personal struggles as well. They then started conversing normally about various topics, and, after finishing their drinks, left again. They were about to walk back to their carriage, when Elizabeth heard singing in the distance.

"I think I'm going to stay here for a bit longer. I want to... check on the concert hall."

"Alright, see you later then," Levi said, kissing Elizabeth and leaving on his own. Elizabeth went into the direction of the singing with a determined look on her face.

It only took a few turns before Elizabeth identified the source of the singing, which was a young woman lifting a crate. The woman might have been happily singing, but she looked like she was struggling to hold the crate, so Elizabeth decided to approach her.

"Do you need any assistance?"

"Oh, that would be really appreciated, thank you," the woman answered, and Elizabeth grabbed the crate from the other side.

"Where does this need to go?"

"The cathedral, just turn left and then the first door on the right." The two women carried the crate across the street. The moon was already starting to shine on the empty streets of Earth, combined with the light coming from the streetlights and houses. Once they reached the cathedral, they went inside and put the crate down on the altar.

"It's a new supply of candles, we were running out of them," the woman explained.

"Oh, are you a member of the church?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes, though just a regular cleric. We serve under bishop Peter of Earth, who serves under cardinal  John, who serves under archbishop Hayes."

"I see... I'm not the most familiar with the structure of the Divinian church, being from Theros myself. What do the cardinals do?"

"They oversee all of the churches in their respective parts of Divinia; cardinal John in the north, cardinal Clare in the east, cardinal Joseph in the south, and finally, cardinal Elliot in the west. Cardinal Elliot is especially important as his part includes the capital, where archbishop Hayes resides in the headquarters of the church, the holy tower of Saint Divinia."

"I believe I may have already met father Elliot before... but the cardinal system seems quite familiar to the four dukedoms of Aurion."

"You probably saw him because he also oversees the royal family. And yes, it is somewhat similar to Aurion. Anyway, is there anything I can do to repay you?" Elizabeth thought for a second about anything she could ask, and she got an idea.

"I am in need of some advice on a matter... I wish to know the view of... the teachings of Saint Divinia."

"Of course, that is part of my job! You are free to ask whatever you seek advice on."

Elizabeth sighed, and looked up at the giant chandelier, "I assume you've heard of the recent events at Royale High, caused by King Richard, my father." The cleric nodded. "I... may have been misled by him, but I have helped cause his failure as well. And yet... I feel that it is not enough to repent for my father's sins, and even my own. I wish to change people's view of Theros, and show them that we are not evil."

"I see... I believe, no, I am convinced that Saint Divinia would have wanted you to just stay kind to people and help them, and, most importantly, give them time to heal. If you show them that you are a contrast to your father, they will realize that you are not like him eventually, even if it is not immediately."

"Thank you very much, I know what to do now. I must go now, farewell."

"Take care, your majesty. I see good things awaiting you in the future." Elizabeth waved at the cleric, and walked out of the cathedral.

"I've made up my mind, I'm going to try my best to restore Theros' honor!" Elizabeth said to herself.

Once Elizabeth returned to her dorm, she saw everyone sitting together around the table, eating a bunch of cookies Astrid had baked.

"Elizabeth, sit down! We were almost starting to worry," Astrid greeted her, handing her a plate with cookies.

"Thank you, Astrid. Did I miss anything important?" Elizabeth asked, sitting down next to her fiancé.

"We were just seeing if anyone is going to run for student council president," Laura explained, "Astrid, are you?"

"No, as the school was founded and is overseen by the royal family, it would be unfair for me to run. What about you?"

"You know I don't like talking in front of crowds... Anyone of you guys?" Laura asked. All of the guys and Anna shook their heads.

"Actually, I want to run," Elizabeth said, "wait! I can't..."

"Why not?" Anna asked.

"I have to retake the entrance exam this Wednesday because of my father, and there are a lot of math exercises in it... Failing means I can't run for student council president, and I will most certainly fail the math exercises."

"Hey, don't give up hope before even trying! We can help you study, and we can make homework together!" Levi offered.

"And you can sit next to me during our math lessons," Anna added.

"Then you have nothing to worry about, Anna is the best of the class," Glen laughed.

"Laura isn't bad at it either, right?" Felix asked. Laura nodded.

"We'll help you, Elizabeth. If you want to run, then we will ensure that you shall win!"

"Even after everything I've done?"

"Of course Elizabeth, you're our friend now," Astrid said.

"Thank you, I'm truly blessed to have met all of you."

Chapter Text

The next day, everyone had to start taking their regular lessons again, including Elizabeth. Miraculously, math was their first lesson for the day.

"Just great... of all the things to start with!" Elizabeth sighed, grabbing her books.

"Don't worry, Lizzie, it will be fine! I'll be right next to you to help," Anna reassured her friend.

"Thank you, Anna." The two walked towards the classroom, where everyone else was already waiting. Once the teacher arrived, everyone sat down and waited for him to start the lesson.

"Welcome, students. I am delighted to be able to teach math again here at Royale High School. My name is Sir Lawrence, and today we will be going into more practical cases of math, namely managing funds, which is a skill that is required for monarchs and nobles alike." Everyone took out their notebooks, and grabbed a pen. Elizabeth gulped.

"The thing funds most go to in kingdoms outside of Divinia is military. As was recently proven, managing a strong and big army is of grave importance to prevent invasion, but also to rid the lands of rogues and bandits. In fact, an average of 50% of countries' funds go towards the army. The amount of money can of course vary. Magnos spends the most, as it also hires many mercenaries alongside having the largest army on the continent. However, it possesses mainly foot soldiers alongside small cavalry legions. On the other hand are countries like Mistlyn and Falmar, which spend great amounts of money on pegasi and tacticians, respectively, alongside many boats in the case of Falmar," Sir Lawrence briefly paused to let everyone take notes, "another important thing funds go to is infrastructure and expanding cities. This is where most of Divinia's funds go to, as can be seen with newer cities like Moonlight Square. For most other countries, about 30% of funds go towards this."

"I don't understand any of what he's saying," Elizabeth whispered.

"Look at it like this," Anna said, drawing a circle. The divided it into two, and colored half of it. "This is the amount of the total money in a kingdom goes to."

Anna then colored about half of the remaining part of the circle, "this is what goes towards infrastructure and new towns and cities."

"I see... I think I understand it now," Elizabeth whispered. For the remainder of the lesson, Elizabeth took notes while Anna helped her by visualizing the explanations the teacher gave. Elizabeth was glad she could finally start to understand things with Anna's help, and it motivated her to keep going with studying for the entrance exam.

After school, Elizabeth sat down with Levi in the library to do their homework together. Anna was unavailable as she went to help out at the stables. They started working on their regular homework first, and Levi was going to help Elizabeth study for the exam after that.

"How's it going so far?" Levi asked.

"Anna's visualizations have helped a lot. I'm just struggling with this one equation here."

"Let's see... have you tried multiplying by three?" Levi suggested.

"I haven't, thank you, Levi," Elizabeth smiled. She took Levi's advice, and multiplied the equation by three, which helped her solve it. After that, there were only a few more exercises left before she finished her homework.

"I'm done! I'm actually done! And I even managed to answer every question! Thank you, Levi, I'm really grateful for your help," Elizabeth said, hugging Levi. They put their homework aside and grabbed the books Elizabeth needed to study, but were interrupted when Astrid and Laura approached them.

"Here, I hope they'll help you study," Astrid said, handing Elizabeth a paper bag filled with cookies.

"And take this too, it's a special blend of my mother's, it helps you concentrate," Laura added, putting down a cup of tea.

"Thank you two, I'm blessed to have your support," Elizabeth thanked her friends, and the girls left again so as to not disturb her. Elizabeth and Levi continued studying, and he helped her understand multiple kinds of charts and diagrams as well as helped her with remembering the tables quicker. When it was time for dinner, Elizabeth felt confident in her ability to succeed in the exam. All of the help from her friends and fiancé helped boost her motivation a lot. She couldn't be more grateful for their help. It was hard to imagine they were enemies just a few weeks ago. They had been very forgiving towards her and were willing to give her a second chance. She would treasure these people for the rest of her life. When she retreated into her room after dinner to revise, she knew that this was going to be her chance to prove to everyone that she had changed for the better, and by becoming student council president, would help guide everyone with all she had learned in her life.

The next day, after school, Elizabeth went towards the classroom where she was going to retake the entrance exam. Everyone else had gone with her to cheer her on and wait for the results together, and she couldn't be more glad they had.

"Good luck, Elizabeth. I'm sure you will do well," Laura said.

"May saint Divinia bless you with her fortune," Astrid prayed.

"Annihilate those numbers!" Glen said.

"Or, you know, just fill in the correct answers," Felix laughed.

"You can do it, Lizzie!" Anna smiled.

"Liz," Levi said putting his hands on her shoulders, "I believe in you, you can do this."

"Thank you, all of you. I can't thank you enough... I... I think I'm going inside now," Elizabeth smiled, opening the door and going inside.

"Elizabeth, welcome! Take a seat. Howard will be taking the exam alongside you. Best of luck!" Principal Abigail greeted her.

"Thank you, principal Abigail. Best of luck, Howard," Elizabeth said, sitting down.

"You too, Elizabeth," Howard answered. Elizabeth opened her exam papers and looked at them. First up was history, which was easy for her as she had read many history books before. Geography and astrology were easy as well. Eventually, she only had math left to do, and yet she had no worries. She thought of the friends that had helped her get this far, and the answers came to her like it was nothing. When she finished, she handed Principal Abigail her papers and went outside.

"How did it go?" Anna asked.

"I think I did quite well," Elizabeth answered with a huge smile on her face. They all sat down, and were later joined by Howard, who had finished too. Everyone silently waited for the door to open, and after what seemed like an eternity that only lasted ten minutes, Principal Abigail opened the door.

"Elizabeth, Howard, I am delighted to inform you that you have both passed for all subjects, and wonderfully at that!"

"Elizabeth, you did it!" Levi shouted.

"I did!" Elizabeth shouted, jumping into his arms. 

"Congrats to you as well, Howard, and welcome to Royale High," Laura said.

"Thank you, I'm sure I'll enjoy it here," Howard answered.

"Now, let's get you into the student council president position!" Anna said. Elizabeth nodded.

Chapter Text

When she woke up the next day, Elizabeth felt more determined than ever to make sure she'd be chosen as student council president. Today she would have to hold a speech to convince the students and staff to choose her, and she had already written down what she wanted to say. She took it with her on her way to breakfast to show the others.

"Have you heard that Elizabeth is running for student council president?" she suddenly heard someone say.

"No way! How is she even allowed to do that after what her father did?!" a second person responded.

"Like father like daughter... she's probably just trying to seize power for some kind of political gain."

"Or trying to please her dead father." The two people laughed, and went out of Elizabeth's hearing range. With her confidence shattered once again, she entered the cafeteria, where she spotted Laura and Felix sitting alone together, Glen sitting with a group of girls, and Astrid, Anna, and Levi all sitting together. She sat down with her friends and fiancé with a sigh.

"Elizabeth? You seem down..." Astrid said, putting her hand on Elizabeth's shoulder.

"What happened?" Levi asked.

"Nothing, I'm fine."

"Lizzy, please, we want to help you. Is it about the speech today?" Anna asked.

"No. Well, yes. I..." Elizabeth sighed, "I just overheard some people talking about me. They said I was probably running for power and to please my father..." Elizabeth saw her other friends turn around and sit with them too.

"That's despicable..." Laura said.

"You mean perfect! This is your chance to deliver a speech so powerful it will shatter all of the prejudice those people have about you!" Felix grinned.

"Felix, I think you're the only person on the continent who could off something like that," Glen laughed.

"He does have a point, though. Liz, have you started on your speech yet?" Levi asked.

"Yes, this is what I have written down so far," Elizabeth answered, grabbing the paper from her bag. Everyone looked at it and started reading over the speech.

"Hm... it looks good so far, but it could use a bit more passion. It feels pretty stiff," Glen suggested.

"Are you crazy?! This is a speech for a school position, not a love declaration! It could use some more formality," Laura suggested.

"I think it could use more power rather than formality. It needs to blow everyone away!" Felix said.

Astrid shook her head, "it's powerful enough as is. You should talk more about how you'll support the students."

"I think that part is covered, Lizzie should probably elaborate more on how she'll support the staff," Anna suggested.

"It's more important that it feels sincere and touches everyone's hearts," Levi argued.

Elizabeth started laughing, "how about a bit of everything?" She was truly blessed to have these wonderful friends in her life. They were all so very different, yet so similar at the same time. She'd learned much from them. They all spent the rest of their breakfast time perfecting Elizabeth's speech, making sure every word would be remembered and was powerful enough to convince students and staff alike that Elizabeth was the perfect person for the position of student council president. Once lunch came around, everyone went to the library to help Elizabeth practice her speech, making sure she would not forget a word and she would look convincing and confident enough. The remaining time after school was spent perfecting the last few things, which included finding the perfect clothes to wear for the extra effect. And soon enough, it was time.

Once everyone had wished her good luck, Elizabeth went behind the auditorium of the school, and waited on a chair. Besides Principal Abigail, there were only two other people. One of them was Prince Drake of Wyvernston, and the other one was Prince Howard of Belmont. They would likely be fierce opponents. Principal Abigail stood up and went onto the stage. Elizabeth would be first once the principal had finished.

"Good luck, both of you," Elizabeth said.

"Likewise," Howard answered.

"Hmph. Don't expect me to get all sentimental, I'm going to crush you both," Drake laughed. Elizabeth looked at Howard, who raised his shoulders, looking just as confused as she did. She didn't want to make assumptions, but perhaps Amaya was right about Drake.

"And first up is Elizabeth!" she heard Abigail say. This was her chance to set things right. She took a deep breath, stood up, and walked onto the stage. She saw her friends clap, but they were the only ones. She would have to convince all of them here and now.

"Greetings, my fellow students, and staff members of Royale High. As you know, I am Elizabeth, princess of Theros. I imagine that there are many that are surprised to see me stand here, and I cannot blame you. I am aware of both my father's and my own actions. I stand here today to run for student council president to atone for these actions by helping guide others, so they may never go down the same path I did. But more importantly, I, as the oldest student at Royale High, believe myself more capable than anyone else of guiding the students as they go through some of the most complicated years of their life. I also believe myself capable of maintaining close contact with the staff working at this school and ensuring that everyone here, student and staff alike, will remember this year as a beautiful, enjoyable year. I am no longer the person I was a few weeks ago, I now have the school's best interest at heart, and I pray that all of you will share that same viewpoint and choose me for this position." Once Elizabeth was finished, it was quiet at first, but soon enough, everyone started clapping. Elizabeth started to smile, bowed, and went off-stage.

The next day, everyone got together in the auditorium again to wait for the results. Elizabeth was nervous, but she knew she did all she could.

"I'm sure you're going to win this, Lizzie!" Anna said.

"Are you sure? The other speeches were quite fierce too," Elizabeth answered.

"Are you kidding? Drake's was just an informal request for power, and Howard's felt more like he was running for gaining personal knowledge than anything else," Glen laughed.

"As is to be expected of someone studying dark magic..." Astrid sighed.

"Astrid, you shouldn't think like that... But considering how hard people were clapping yesterday, I think Elizabeth won," Laura said. Principal Abigail walked onto the stage.

"It's beginning," Felix whispered. Levi grabbed Elizabeth's hands and held them in his own, smiling at her.

"Greetings, dear students. As you all know, I will be announcing the results of the student council president voting. But before that, I wish to express my gratefulness towards all three who applied, it takes a lot of confidence to do that. Now... After looking at the votes and discussing it among the staff, we felt that there was only one person right for the position, and they also got the majority of votes. This person is none other than... Elizabeth!" Elizabeth immediately stood up, hugged Levi, and walked towards the stage.

"Thank you everyone. I swear that, in the name of my ancestor, Empress Adelina, I will not disappoint you."

Chapter Text

"I'm glad the lessons are over for the day, it felt like years!" Anna said. She was walking out of class with Elizabeth. It had been 3 days since the results of the student council president voting, and now for the first time in a while, the Monday sun was shining through the windows of the hallways.

"Well, I should be on my way. I have a student council meeting in ten minutes," Elizabeth explained.

"I should be on my way too, I decided to help out in the stables every day!" Anna answered.

Elizabeth, "that's very much like you to do. Have fun!"

"Thanks, Lizzie!" After parting with Elizabeth, Anna walked off towards the stables. She grabbed the bucket filled with food for the horses, and went inside after changing her shoes. She was busy feeding the horses and talking with them when she heard someone come in. It was Amaya, princess of Mistlyn. Since Amaya didn't seem to notice her, she continued feeding the horses.

"Alright Amaya, you can do this! Just be confident," Amaya said to herself. Anna looked up, and saw the girl slowly walking closer to one of the horses. With every step she took, her face got more and more pale, and when she was within arm length of the horse, she suddenly froze.

"I can't do this!" And Amaya turned around and walked away again. Anna decided it'd be best to try helping her, so she followed Amaya outside the stables, where she found her sitting on a bench.

"Are you alright? You looked pretty scared around the horses," Anna asked.

Amaya's face turned red, "w-what?! P-Pretend you didn't see that! I am NOT afraid of horses, got that?"

Anna sat down next to Amaya, "I can help you if you want, since I love horses! I even have my own at home, her name is Cinnamon!"

"I do have my own pegasus, but I've been scared of her ever since I was a child... Her name is Aella."

"You have your own pegasus?!" Anna jumped back up again, "I used to love looking at them in books and on portraits! I've always wanted to see one for myself..."

"Well, I can call her here if you want." Anna only now noticed the whistle Amaya had hanging around her neck like a necklace. "It's a special whistle that produces a sound only pegasi can hear. Every pegasus rider has one, and they all create an unique sound their pegasus can hear from across the entire continent." Amaya grabbed the whistle and blew on it.

"Now we just need to wait."

"Wouldn't it take a while? We're pretty far away from Mistlyn..."

"Pegasi are really fast, it will likely only be ten minutes before she arrives," Amaya explained. 

And right she was, because ten minutes later, the flapping of wings could be heard in the distance, and soon enough the beautiful white pegasus landed on the ground. She was decorated with green and silver armor and the Mistlyn emblem as the centerpiece. Amaya took a few steps back. Anna stood frozen to the ground in awe of the majestic creature that just landed before her.

"C-Can I touch her?" Anna asked.

"Of course. Pegasi are pretty friendly creatures, so Aella likely won't mind. I hope." Anna approached the pegasus slowly, and put her hand on Aella's head. Aella smiled at Anna.

"I can't believe I'm actually standing in front of a pegasus! Do you want some food? It must be tiring, flying that huge distance in such a short time," Anna grabbed her bucket with carrots, and gave one to the pegasus, "here you go!"

Aella ate the carrot and seemed to smile after that, which made Anna hug her.

"Is that a pegasus?!" someone suddenly shouted in the distance. It was Audrey, followed by Isabella.

"I've never seen one before, she looks amazing!" Isabella said.

"She seems to like all of you too," Amaya laughed, still standing at a distance. She was surprised Aella just let all of these girls approach her like that. Aella had never seen many humans in her life, as Amaya had been scared of her since she got her, which was not long after Aella was born. Aella hadn't seen much life in general, Amaya could only recall her ever interacting with the pegasus of flightleader Mistral as well as her mother's pegasus.

"I suppose it was to be expected that you'd have a pegasus, considering you're the princess of Mistlyn," Audrey said.

"Actually, most people in Mistlyn have at least one in their family, as Mistlyn's terrain makes travel otherwise very difficult and lengthy. Most pegasi are not fit for war though, as that requires special training, and, of course, an equally trained rider. Except for the royal family's pegasus knights, every trained pegasus knight serves directly under flightleader Mistral. She serves as the commander of half of our army, the other half being commanded by wind sage Zephyr, who, as his name suggests, commands our wind magic users. The monarch has authority over both of them, as they are a master of both pegasus riding and wind magic, but they rarely have to take to the field themselves, as Mistlyn has never been invaded since its founding."

"So you're a master at pegasus riding and wind magic too?" Isabella asked.

"Well..." Amaya was interrupted by the sound of wings coming closer. The strange thing was that her pegasus was still on the ground, so it couldn't be her. It couldn't be...

"Is another pegasus coming?" Anna asked.

"No, something way worse..." Amaya answered. For a second, the sun was covered by what looked like a ferocious beast. But when the girls looked up, they saw it was something less dangerous.

"A wyvern!" Audrey shouted. The wyvern slowly descended onto the ground, and sitting on it was none other than Drake. Once Aella's eyes crossed that of the wyvern, the pegasus seemed to get aggravated.

"What's this damn pegasus doing here? One flap from Set and those fickle creatures fall like flies!" Drake laughed.

"Shut your mouth, Drake, I won't let you insult Aella like that!" Amaya shouted.

"Oh, so the pony's yours? I heard you're scared to death of the thing. I hope she likes company, because Set'll be staying here from now on. Who knows, maybe he'll hurt her, wyverns don't like pegasi at all, and I can't blame them." 

"Wait, you can just bring your pegasi, wyverns, and horses here?" Anna asked.

"Rules say if you have permission from the principal you can have a place reserved in the stables. Of course, that damned Mary wouldn't let anyone use them." Once he had said that, Drake and Set went inside the stables. Amaya was starting to get more and more frustrated with Drake's presence here at Royale High. That sad excuse of a human being had no place here. And he had the nerve to insult her like that... She was going to prove him wrong, right here and now!

"Girls, I need your help. I need to get over my fear of horses. Now."

Chapter Text

"Now?! Amaya, are you sure?" Isabella asked.

Amaya nodded, "yes, now. I believe it's high time I get over that silly childhood fear."

"But Drake-"

"Leave it to us!" Anna interrupted Audrey, and the four girls went inside the stables. Amaya looked around, but it seemed like Drake had left through the back exit. Set was still there though, just a few meters away from Aella.

"Amaya, are you ready?" Anna asked.

"Y-Yes!" Amaya walked towards the other girls, "I'm ready." She was not. All the horses were terrifying. What if the horse bit her. Or kicked her. Or-

"Now, all you need to do is approach the horse. We're here, so everything will be fine," Isabella explained.

"Are you sure the horse won't do anything bad, like bite me? N-Not that I'm worried about that."

"Don't worry, if horses would bite or eat people, we'd have known it," Audrey laughed. Amaya nodded, and faced towards the horse. She slowly took one step forward, and then another. She kept taking small steps until she was just one step removed from the horse. Amaya looked behind her, and saw the other girls urging to keep doing. She took a deep breath, and took the last step. She was now right in front of the horse. Nothing happened, so she raised her hand, and slowly put it on the horse's forehead. Amaya slowly started patting the horse gently.

"I... I did it!" Amaya said, and the other girls started celebrating, which made her smile. Now all that was left was to approach Aella without getting scared. Perhaps this wouldn't be so difficult after all! She walked towards her pegasus with a determined face, and approached her. But much to her shock, the pegasus turned around the moment Amaya reached out her hand to pat her.

"What?!"

"Huh? Is something wrong with Aella?" Anna asked.

"She... turned away..."

"That's strange, she got along with the rest of us just fine," Audrey said.

"Maybe she was just frightened... I've never tried to touch her before." Amaya took a deep breath, and once again reached out her hand towards Aella, but this time the pegasus took a few steps backwards once Amaya got close.

"What?" Why did Aella suddenly dislike her? At least, that was the only thing Amaya imagined could be the case. Why else would her own pegasus refuse to be touched? She tried one more time, but Aella backed off even further.

"Fine! Have it your way!" Amaya shouted, walking out of the stables, "I'll just go do something else!" Amaya went towards the garden, leaving the other girls behind in a state of confusion. Amaya knew there was another thing she could work on in the meantime while Aella could calm down and reflect on her behavior, if pegasi could even do that. Amaya still needed to get better at using wind magic if she ever wanted to have any hope of being able to use Mistlyn's national treasure, the wind tome of Ventorus. Thankfully, the garden was big enough and visited by few enough students that Amaya was able to easily secure a quiet, open area for training with the basic wind tome she always had on her in case of emergencies, and this was quite the emergency.

Once Amaya had observed the surrounding area, which was just a few trees, a pond with a bridge, as well as a few flower beds. Amaya decided to fire her spell at one of the trees, as it would be an easy target to practice on. She closed her eyes and concentrated on speaking the lines for the spell in her head. Trained mages like her mother and wind sage Zephyr didn't even need to do that, but beginners like herself still needed to know the lines to cast spells.

"Have you read this passage yet?" a voice suddenly asked, making Amaya shriek, and more importantly, made her lose concentration, sending a loose wind spell towards where the voice came from. She only now noticed two boys sitting down with books behind the tree. One of them stood up and cast a spell she'd never seen before, neutralizing her wind spell.

"I'm so sorry, it was an accident! Are you alright?" Amaya apologized, running up to the boys.

"Quite fine, thanks to Howard's quick reflexes," the other boy said, also standing up.

"That's what a brother who's relentless with training does to a man," the first boy laughed.

"What kind of spell was that? I've never seen it before..." Amaya asked.

"A Flux spell, it's basic dark magic."

"Dark magic? Then you must be-"

"Prince Howard of Belmont, indeed. Pleased to meet you..."

"Princess Amaya of Mistlyn. Pleased to meet you too."

"And I'm Prince Apollo of Fayiron. If I may ask, what were you doing here practicing wind magic? We have been reading here daily for the past week, and nobody has ever come here."

"Well, I assumed this would be a quiet place to hone my skill in wind magic, but it seems I was wrong."

"Well, it is usually a quiet place. Can we be of any assistance?" Howard asked.

"Sure, I wouldn't mind the help. Not that I'd need it, but just in case. Just make sure I can concentrate this time!"

"Of course," Apollo laughed, "for starters, are you familiar with the trinities of magic?"

Amaya turned her head away,  "o-of course I am! B-But please, do explain."

"There are five types of magic: light magic, dark magic, wind magic, fire magic, and thunder magic. These last three are all variations of anima magic, which is a nature-based magic type. Within anima magic, wind is strong against thunder, thunder is strong against fire, and fire is strong against wind. Dark magic strong against all three types of anima magic, but weak against light magic, with light magic in turn being weak against anima magic. I assume you're already aware of how to cast spells, so I'll leave it at that."

"And how do I get better at wind magic?" Amaya asked.

"When I was still a beginner at dark magic, my would always put targets everywhere to practice my aim, so I'm sure it will work for you too," Howard answered.

"I agree, when I was studying light magic, I did the same," Apollo added. Howard grabbed his notebook, ripped out a few papers, drew circles on them, and hung them onto the trees around Amaya.

"There. Now try hitting them all." Amaya nodded, and once again concentrated on casting a wind spell. Her mother would always do this without any effort. Amaya really was nothing like her... She was able to cast one wind spell, but she missed the target by a lot. She tried a second time, but missed again.

"Ugh, it's no use!" Amaya grumbled.

"Don't give up that quickly, it's normal to miss at first, you just need to keep trying," Apollo said. Amaya sighed, but tried again anyways. After multiple more tries, she managed to hit the first target, and the others soon followed.

"You're a quick learner, I'm sure you'll be able to cast spells effortlessly soon enough," Howard said.

"Thank you for the help, I feel a lot better now." Now all that was left was to get Aella to cooperate. Amaya hoped it wouldn't be too difficult...

Chapter Text

The next day, Amaya woke up feeling more determined than ever to bond with Aella, and she was hoping her pegasus had already forgotten all about yesterday. Once she stepped foot out of her room she saw that all of her dorm mates were already awake too. As much as the three of them were a noisy bunch and would sometimes irritate her to no end, she would definitely miss their company. Eleanor's skills at mending clothes and making delicious tea were unrivaled, as were Audrey's lively court gossip stories and Isabella's skill at cooking.

"Good morning," Amaya yawned.

"Good morning! How did you sleep?" Audrey asked.

"Not the best, but it's nothing you should worry about."

"Is it about Aella? You seemed frustrated when you left us yesterday," Isabella said.

"N-No! Well, yes, but I said you don't need to worry!" Amaya answered, leaving the dorm, making the others laugh.

"Who is Aella? An unrequited crush?" Eleanor asked.

"Oh god no, Eleanor! It's the name of Amaya's pegasus. Amaya has always been scared of pegasi up until yesterday, but when Amaya tried touching Aella, the pegasus backed away," Audrey explained.

"I hope Amaya will be able to fix things... That must be awful." And trying to fix things was what Amaya was going to do right now, because she immediately went towards the stables to hopefully gain Aella's trust for good. She opened the door and saw Drake tending to his wyvern.

"What are you doing here?!" Amaya asked.

"That's none of your damn business!" Amaya rolled her eyes and ignored Drake, walking towards Aella, who was already wide awake because of a certain wyvern being a looming threat that would likely never go away. Amaya tried her best to smile to appear friendly towards Aella. Perhaps it was fortunate that Drake was here. She just needed to do this one thing and then she could immediately prove to him that she was better than him. The expression on Drake's face would likely be priceless. Aella stared at Amaya with a slightly distrusting look, but Amaya kept smiling. She reached out her hand towards Aella's forehead, but once again the pegasus took steps backwards. 

"Why do you keep doing this?!" Amaya immediately covered her mouth upon saying that. She forgot for a moment that Drake was also there. Amaya turned around to see Drake with the most disgusting, loathing grin on his face. She could even swear she saw Set having the same grin.

"Pathetic," he said, taking Set with him and leaving. Amaya had just embarrassed herself in front of Drake, and it was all Aella's fault.

"Thank you for the help, now he thinks I'm even weaker than he already did!" Amaya shouted, leaving the stables.

Amaya went back inside the school and joined everyone else at breakfast. She was not in the mood to talk or even listen to anything the others had to say, so she quietly observed the room from her table. It was always the same people sitting together, and it annoyed her now more than ever. Everything annoyed her right now, though. There was the group of her, Audrey, Isabella, and Eleanor. Then there was the group that was seemingly at the center of everything, consisting of Anna, Elizabeth, Felix, Levi, Laura, Astrid, and that annoying Glen that just wouldn't leave any girls alone. Amaya recognized Howard and Apollo sitting together in the corner, one table filled with the annoying Theros nobles that remained even after Richard's actions and the whole school disliking them for their annoying behavior, Elizabeth included. The rest of the tables were quite similar, as most people sat with their countrymen, and most nobles and commoners sat separately. Not that there were many commoners, probably around seven in total including Isabella. Finally, there was always only one student missing from every meal, which was Drake. Nobody knew where he ate, but he always disappeared for every meal and returned for the lessons. It was rumored that he was meeting with a girl he was dating (Audrey managed to convince almost the entire school of this, despite the fact that Drake had the social skills of a boulder.), but Amaya guessed he was just drinking away in some tavern in Earth. Perhaps he gambled, if that was a thing in Divinia. Ugh, just thinking about Drake made Amaya angry again. Why wouldn't Aella just like her?! If only she hadn't just been scared of anything with hoofs for her entire life... Perhaps she could have trained with the other pegasus knights, and she would have been a fully-fledged pegasus knight by now. But no, her own pegasus disliked her... And yet, how could Amaya just give up like that? Her mother would be disappointed her... She decided to give bonding with Aella one last chance after school.

Sadly, that chance didn't arise until after dinner, late into the evening, due to the amount of homework Amaya had to do. The exams were slowly itching closer and if she didn't keep up, she would definitely fail. Amaya had to quietly walk on her toes through her dorm, because the others were already sleeping. When she went inside the stables, she saw that Aella wasn't sleeping. Amaya gestured for her to follow her, and surprisingly, Aella did indeed follow her. Amaya hoped it wasn't just so the other horses wouldn't wake up. The two walked toward a place that was out of sight of any balconies and castle entrances. Once they stood still, Amaya grabbed her wind tome from her bag and cast a spell in the air.

"Look, I learned this yesterday. Great, isn't it?" Amaya said. Aella didn't seem impressed. 

"Now, do you want to try it while flying?" Amaya tried once again to touch Aella, but was refused once more.

"Why won't you just let me ride you?! If I ever want to be like my mother and be better than Drake you need to like me!" And after she said that, it hit her. Pegasi could sense people's true feelings and intentions.

"Wait... that's it, isn't it?" Aella seemed to nod. Amaya fell on her knees and looked at the ground.

"I... I've been so selfish. I was so caught up in my mother's expectations and my rivalry with Drake that I never thought about your feelings... I'm sorry, Aella." Aella walked towards Amaya and sat down, and Amaya hugged the head of her pegasus.

"I'll stop being selfish from now on, and be considerate towards your feelings too, even if I can't understand what you say. It's alright if you don't want me, though." Aella stood up, and spread her wings. Amaya looked up, and smiled.

"I guess you don't need to speak our language for me to understand you." Amaya walked up to her pegasus, and sat down in the saddle. Aella started flapping her wings and went into the sky. Amaya looked at the surroundings, and cast a wind spell towards the moon.

"Thank you, Aella, I promise I'll never neglect you again."

Chapter Text

"Push back the string, aim, take a deep breath, and... release." An arrow flew towards a tree with great speed, and hit the bullseye of a target.

"Looks like you've still got it," Felix said, pinching the arm of his friend.

"Of course I do! Did you ever doubt me?" Glen asked.

Felix laughed, "not for a moment. Although, not too long ago you were missing quite a lot, and you even stopped flirting with women. Just like that!"

"That was just a small phase, a dip of sorts, I'm over that now," Glen aimed and shot another arrow into the bullseye, "Royale High is the perfect place for me! All the girls from across the continent gathered in one place, and so many local beauties too! And since I'm a prince, I don't have to worry about finding someone of good station. Though, you don't need a lecture on that, Felix. Or should I say future king-consort of Falmar?"

"Shut up. You know that I don't love Laura because she's a princess."

"Well, anyway, may the whole school know that Glen of Aurion is back in the game!"

"Yeah, yeah, we get it, you're a show-off. We have classes in a bit, so come with me." The two guys went back to Royale High and went towards their first class: literature. Glen's favorite. Not. Books were his biggest nemesis, and he loathed them more than anything. Still, being smart would impress all of the girls, so he had no choice but to try overcoming his disgust for letters and paper. Once the teacher had arrived, everyone went inside the library and towards the books they needed. Glen saw it as the perfect chance. First, he had to choose a target. None of the princesses were good ones, as Laura and Elizabeth were taken, Amaya would punch him, Astrid and Anna just wouldn't feel right, and Audrey would ensure that the whole school would gossip about him. With that, it also eliminated Audrey's other dormmates, Eleanor and Isabella, as they were known for feeding the princess' desire for gossip and rumors. So a noblewoman, or even two, it would have to be. Thankfully, there were still plenty of targets to choose from. Glen settled on two noblewomen from Brightwald. It would be risky, with Audrey being who she was, but both of them were quite the beauties.

"Ladies, let me carry those heavy books for you," Glen offered, walking up to his targets. The ladies giggled and let him take the books. He also balanced one on his finger before throwing it onto the pile with a wink. He then carried the books towards the table and laid them down.

"Say, you wouldn't happen to be available sometime soon, would you? I know an amazing place in Earth that I'm sure you'll find the best. We could drink a bit, play some games, and have a nice time together. What do you say?" Glen asked.

"Sorry boy, but I'm already engaged to someone," one girl said, grabbing her books and going to a different table.

"And I'm not interested," the other girl said, following her friend. A boy. She called him a boy. That was pathetic! How was it possible that this was a failure? Glen never picked the wrong targets, he always chose ones that were interested in him! This must have been some kind of mistake... Oh well, this was just the first opportunity since he'd returned to his usual business. It was bound to happen.

Once lunchtime arrived, Glen walked up to the table where his friends were sitting and grabbed Felix and Levi.

"Sorry, urgent men-only discussion, I need to borrow your boyfriends," Glen turned to Astrid and Anna, "and boy friends." Glen took them with him to an empty table.

"What was that for?!" Felix asked.

"You won't believe what happened during literature class!"

"What? You read a book?"

"Not funny, Levi. I was trying to flirt with two girls-"

"As usual..."

"Stop interrupting me, for god's sake! I tried my usual tricks, but it didn't work! That's never happened before!"

"Glen, I think you're exaggerating... I mean, it's true that your tricks have never failed before, but that doesn't mean it's the end of the world. Just try again after lunch," Felix said. 

"Fine, I guess there's no helping it..." Glen sighed.

Once lunch had ended, Glen saw a new chance appear at the start of etiquette class. This time, a noble lady from Wyvernston caught his eye. And so, in the midst of a lecture about table etiquette, Glen slowly approached her.

"This is all so boring, isn't it? I mean, a lecture of forks and spoons, really? We could, you know, slip out and go out into Earth for a drink?" Glen suggested with a wink. The girl was about to respond, when someone else interrupted.

"Finally, someone else who thinks this damn talk about table whatever is a waste of time! Let's leave right now," Drake said. The girl rolled her eyes and walked off. Yet another failed attempt.

"Actually, I think I'll stay..."

"Suit yourself, I'm out. And keep your mouth shut about me leaving, or else!" How did this keep happening?! Girls were supposed to come to him like bees to flowers!  Was it really possible that he'd lost the passion he had before coming to this place? But how... He wasn't doing anything differently than before, and it couldn't be the girls either, he'd faced far more difficult girls to interest. Glen needed to find a girl that could become interested in him and stay interested... If he didn't leave Royale High with a girl at his side, then his fate would be sealed for good... Once school was over, Glen locked himself in his room to focus. He looked at his prized bow, Quintain, lying in the corner. How was he supposed to shoot targets if he couldn't properly aim for a girl's heart?

"Glen? We're going to study together, are you coming too?" Felix asked on the other side of the door.

"Not now, Felix," Glen sighed, falling onto his bed.

"What's with him?" Levi asked Felix.

"I have no idea... I've never heard him like that, and he hates studying alone... There's something more going on with him."

"Could it be that he's still down about those girls rejecting him?"

"He was in such high spirits this morning... Something tells me more girls rejected him and he now thinks he can't make any girl like him anymore..."

"Why is all the flirting so important to him? He seems desperate to get a girlfriend..."

"You'd be better off not knowing..." Felix sighed. "Besides, if there's one thing Glen loathes more than being rejected, it's people pitying him."

"But we have to do something! He can't go on like this."

"I agree. We need to find something to once again lift his spirits and get him back in the game!" Felix said.

Chapter Text

Felix and Levi immediately sat down in their dorm to think of a plan to help Glen, who had gone to Earth to sit in a tavern and drink his sorrow away. One hoped he would stay away from alcohol.

"Maybe we could take him out into Earth and let him flirt with some girls there?" Felix suggested.

"No, we need to get his mind off of flirting for now, otherwise he'll be reminded of how he failed today," Levi said.

"It's the middle of the week, we can't exactly go far away from Royale High..."

"Then we could go hunting in the forest?"

"Levi, you know just as well as I that weapons aren't allowed in Divinia, the church would arrest us for hunting, and we could get expelled!"

"Oh please, almost every student has a weapon secretly with them. I have my sword with me, and I know you do too. As for the church, they would never go into the forest of all places, and whatever we catch we can just sell to a foreign merchant with the story that we found it like that."

"I suppose that would work. How about we invite some of the other guys too? We could ask Apollo, who probably will ask for Howard to come too, and Howard's dormmates could come too."

"Hm... Cheston knows the forest well since he lives in Earth, and he's good with a bow too. Bayard is the only Theros noble I'd call decent besides Margaret, and he likes hunting too. But there's also Drake..."

"He'll tag along the moment we taunt him, and he's quite the amusing company when he sees something as a competition," Felix laughed. They asked the other guys, who all immediately agreed to come with them tomorrow. Now all that was left was to wait for Glen to return. Thankfully, he arrived rather quickly, having only sat in a tavern for a bit before deciding to go back to Royale High.

"Hunting? I don't have much better to do, so I guess I'll come..." Glen said.

Thankfully, the other guys also immediately accepted, except for Drake, who accepted once Levi asked him if he was perhaps bad at hunting. And so, Levi and Felix waited for everyone in front of Royale High once classes had concluded. Glen quickly arrived, with a bow and quiver filled with arrows in his hands. Felix and Levi were going to use daggers as their weapons of choice. Next up were Bayard and Cheston, who both also had bows and arrows with them. They were quickly followed by Howard and Apollo, who seemingly had nothing with them for hunting.

"We're going to use magic for the hunt," Howard explained.

Felix's eyes widened, "please don't tell me you're going to use fire magic."

"No, I'm using light magic and Howard uses dark magic," Apollo answered.

"What's the sudden concern about fire magic?" Glen asked.

"Laura's been practicing it lately, you don't know how many fires I've had to put out. If I see one more fire I'm going to scream..."  Felix sighed. Everyone laughed.

"Now where is Drake? He's certainly taking his time..." Levi wondered. Everyone waited for a bit longer, until he finally arrived with a hatchet in his hands.

"This is Wyvernston's finest kind of hatchet, no doubt I'll get way better catches than you guys with this!"

"Yeah, yeah, we should go now, before we won't be able to hunt at all," Felix said, and everyone went off into the forest.

Once they arrived deep in the forest, they split into two groups of four. One group consisted of Glen, Felix, Bayard, and Cheston, while the other consisted of Levi, Howard, Apollo, and Drake. Glen's group went north, towards a clearing, where they had a better view of their surroundings. Glen really enjoyed hunting with his friends like this, it made him forget all about what happened yesterday. He especially loved the thrill of trying to catch an animal in time before it fled. Suddenly, everyone heard something in a bush nearby. Everyone turned around, and Glen gestured for them to be silent. The bush wasn't that big, so at best it was a fox. They all readied their weapons, but they heard a small screech, which made Cheston lay down his bow and walk towards the bush, where a squirrel popped out.

"I knew it! Hi there, mister Squirrel! It's been so long since I last saw you."

"Ches, don't tell me you talk with animals..." Bayard sighed.

"I do! They're all so cute and friendly, and I've known them for years!"

"Let's go back to hunting, please," Felix said. They all went back to the clearing and looked around the nearby bushes. Glen decided to look near a small pond, and he heard something walking around. He immediately drew his bow and started aiming around. When a pheasant popped out of the bushes, he managed to hit it first try, taking it out.

"I did it!"

Meanwhile, the other group had gone to the northwest, towards some small ruins. They were looking around, but didn't find much.

"I can't find anything... How come the forest is suddenly empty?" Levi asked.

"Because you damn amateurs probably scared away all the animals!" Drake shouted.

"I think that's on you..." Howard sighed.

"Shut your damn-"

"I found something!" Apollo shouted. The three others quickly went towards Apollo, who was looking at some footprints in the grass. Apollo slowly followed the footsteps, and stopped in front of a destroyed stone wall covered in vines. Behind it was a pheasant. Drake pushed the others away and grabbed his hatchet, carefully aiming at his target. Once he threw it, it immediately took the pheasant out.

"Easy."

"We should probably regroup with the others, there's nothing else left in this area," Levi suggested, and everyone went back to where they started. On the other side of the forest, Glen's group had also gone back to the meeting point, and the two groups were quickly reunited.

"Looks like we both didn't have the best of luck..." Felix sighed.

"At least we had fun, right?" Levi turned to Glen, "just us guys, out in the woods."

"So that is what this was all about... I suppose I owe you an explanation," Glen said.

"I don't flirt with women because I'm some kind of creep that wants to date four women at the same time. I flirt and show off because it's the only hope I have of finding a girlfriend."

"What do you mean?" Levi asked.

"If I'm not in a relationship when I come of age, my parents are going to marry me off to whoever can get them the best alliance. In fact, they've tried this when I was young too, since I was almost engaged to Laura. Because of that, I made a deal with them that if I was in a relationship when I came of age I wouldn't have to marry someone they choose."

"Glen, that's awful..." Apollo said.

"Please, I really don't need your pity, just your understanding."

"Then how about we go to Earth and leave this for some other time?" Felix suggested.

"Yeah, I ain't going to sit here for some damn crying party," Drake said, and everyone laughed. When they boys arrived at Earth, they quickly hid their weapons and sold the pheasants to a merchant, earning them a small sum. They decided to use the money by buying some drinks at their favorite tavern, but on the way there, something else happened.

"Well, if it isn't Glen and Felix!" a familiar voice said. It was Sigrid, followed by Adrian and Christian.

Chapter Text

"Sigrid? What are you doing here?" Felix asked.

"We were getting bored of court, so we decided to leave Aurion for a while," Christian answered.

"And we felt that Divinia was the perfect place to prove who is more worthy of Sigrid's love, as sword fighting always ends up in a tie," Adrian added.

"These are some damn crazy folks," Drake whispered loud enough for everyone to hear.

"And who are all of these fine specimen? Are they here to greet the famous lady Sigrid, renowned for her beauty, in an attempt to win my favor?"

"No, we just came back from..." Glen had to quickly think of a lie to cover the fact that they'd been hunting in Divinia, "a walk on the beach. Now, let me introduce everyone. You of course know Felix already. This is Levi, crown prince of Fayden, Drake, crown prince of Wyvernston, Howard, prince of Belmont, Apollo, crown prince of Fayiron, Bayard, a noble from Theros, and Cheston, a commoner from Earth. Guys, this is Sigrid, heir to the dukedom of Devon, Christian, heir to the dukedom of Artos, and Adrian, heir to the dukedom of Grivia."

"I'm getting confused with all of these names..." Cheston said.

"Let me help you with that. All you need to know is that the sneaky one is Adrian and the gallant one is Christian, and I think Sigrid speaks for itself," Felix explained.

"Always the cheeky one, aren't you, Felix? Well, anyway, we're looking for things to do. Competitions of sorts for the guys. Do you know any activities like that?" Sigrid asked.

"Well, you could try beach volleyball? The beach is just down the street," Levi suggested.

"It's Autumn..." Adrian said.

"It doesn't need to be summer for beach volleyball! All you'll need is a ball and a net, and you can easily get those at the beach," Howard explained.

"I suppose it's worth a try. Will you all be coming along as well? Playing one against one is hardly fun..." Sigrid asked.

"Do we look like bloody serva-"

"Sure, why not!" Glen cut Drake off, which made the latter give Glen a deadly glare.

Everyone went towards the beach, walking down the still busy main street. It might have been Autumn and thus dark early but plenty of merchants kept their stalls open until late in the evening, hoping to sell their goods. The small group arrived at the beach and immediately found a net that was still up, and quickly found a ball near some trees.

"Alright, whoever wins this is the one worthy of Sigrid!" Christian shouted.

"And what do we do?" Apollo asked.

"Split yourselves up, of course! Five against five! Hurry, we don't have long before it gets dark!"

"Sheesh, she's certainly the bossy type," Bayard whispered to Glen.

"What can I say? She likes being in the spotlight..." The group split into two teams, one led by Christian with Glen, Cheston, Apollo, and Levi, and the other led by Adrian with Felix, Bayard, Howard, and Drake. At first, it looked like team Adrian was going to win, partially because Drake and Adrian were cheating, but Christian's team soon took the upper hand after Glen scored multiple times in a row. Meanwhile, Sigrid was sitting on a chair she found trying to keep track of the score, pleased with the fact that ten guys were battling for her attention. It was now 11-10 for Christian's team, and it was almost time for the match to end.

"Looks like I'm about to finally win this thing, pal!" Christian shouted.

"Don't get too confident now, friend!" Adrian shouted back, smashing the ball over the net and scoring a point, bringing the game to a tie.

"Alright, leave this to me. No way in hell I'm losing at anything," Drake said, catching the next ball.

"Time's up!" Sigrid shouted before Drake could smash the ball over the net.

"Goddamn, I was about to win! Lass, do you actually want to have one of these two bloody admirers as your husband?!" Drake shouted.

"I was just going by the rules of the game, which can't be said about you!" Sigrid bit back at Drake.

"Look!" Cheston shouted, and everyone looked at the sea. The sun was going down, and the reds and oranges were reflected by the sparkling waves, creating a beautiful sight akin to the colors of the leaves that were at the bottom of almost every tree.

"Isn't the most important thing that we had fun?" Christian asked, "there are still so many other things we can do to prove who is going to win Sigrid's hand another time..."

"I agree with you, pal, it's not often we battle with such a large group," Adrian agreed. Glen looked at the sun, and suddenly he realized something, which made him smile.

"You look quite content with yourself, prince," Sigrid said.

"I could say the same about you."

"That's none of your business, really." Glen laughed, and walked away from the future duchess, towards his friends.

"What do you guys say we head back home before they make us sleep in the forest?"

After parting with the Aurion trio, Glen and the others went back to Royale High, and after facing a stern look and a 'you're late' speech from Principal Abigail, they all went back to their dorms. Bayard decided to write some poems about the sun setting, Cheston immediately fell asleep, Howard continued his studies on dark magic, Drake sneaked out to visit Set in the stables, Levi decided to work on composing a new song to play on his violin, Apollo read a book, and Glen went on his balcony to watch the stars.

"Why are you still up?" Felix asked, walking inside Glen's room.

"I couldn't sleep."

"Well, you seem in high spirits, so that's a relief. I assume you liked today?"

"More than you can imagine. It taught me something. My future may be uncertain, and there may only be one way out, but it's no excuse to let it control my life like an obsession. I need to make sure I'm having fun too. I saw the same with Sigrid, when she ended the match. It wasn't time yet, but she ended it early so it'd be a tie. So Adrian and Christian wouldn't stop doing all these activities with her and enjoy them, and it worked."

"Sigrid probably has different reasons than you..."

"Likely, but it's still an important lesson. From now on, I'll never forget it. Once I get married, no matter to who, I at least want to say that my time here was a lot of fun."

"I know you'll find a way, Glen. When I came to Royale High I certainly wasn't expecting to find the love of my life, but here I am. I'm sure you will too."

"I hope so too, Felix."

Chapter Text

Drops of rain were gently falling from the sky when Eleanor left her favorite supply store. She took out her umbrella and raised it above her head to keep herself and the fabrics she'd purchased from getting wet. She was wearing her favorite skirt and jacket, which matched with her beret and her latest addition, her new gloves, all of it in various Autumn shades to fit the season. Though she'd never admit it herself, there was a reason people considered her the most fashionable student at Royale High. She was also the only student who didn't ever go to the clothing store she was just passing by. A woman just stepped out of that same clothing store and looked at Eleanor.

"Forgive me for disturbing you, but may I ask where you got those clothes from? They look wonderful and match so well together!"

"Oh, I made them all myself. It's a sort of hobby of mine to make my own clothes," Eleanor answered.

"That's spectacular! You see, I'm the owner of this store, and I've been looking for someone who can make a Winter collection that will blow everyone away, especially all of my loyal customers from Royale High. I would be delighted if you could make that for me! Of course, you will be generously compensated for it."

"Oh my... That's quite the generous offer. I... I don't know what to say! I'd be honored to help you!"

"Thank you so much! Do you think you can finish a whole collection before the end of the week?" the woman asked.

"Yes, I think that's enough time, but if something happens I'll let you know. Thank you again!" Eleanor said, and she immediately ran to her carriage, so she could tell her friends back at school.

"So you're telling me you're going to make the Winter collection for the best clothing store in Divinia?!" Audrey shouted. Eleanor nodded.

"That's wonderful, Eleanor!" Laura said.

"I can't wait to buy your creations and wear them... I'll have to be the first customer, before everything sells out!" Isabella added.

"People will be so jealous!" Audrey said.

"Please, you're all making me blush..."

"Is there anything you need help with? I'll gladly help you out," Laura offered.

"Yes, actually. It's too late to start today, but I want everything ready for tomorrow, so..." Eleanor took everything off of her desk, "Laura, I want you to grab all of my tools, they're in my closet. Audrey, could you grab my sketches, paintings, and fashion books? They're under my bed. Isabella, could you get my fabrics? Just the blues, whites, purples, and golds, I don't need any other colors. They're in the other closet." The girls immediately grabbed everything from the places Eleanor pointed to, and laid it out on her desk. Once it was all there, Eleanor sorted everything from the pile that had formed and placed it all in order of color to help her remember where everything was. Once they were done, it was time to eat dinner, so the girls left the dorm again, still excited at the opportunity Eleanor had gotten.

The very next day, Eleanor went to breakfast as usual, but once she entered the cafeteria she noticed that a lot of people were looking at her. She knew that those weren't looks of disgust or disapproval, but looks of awe. Eleanor had no idea what could have caused it, as she didn't tell anyone else about the Winter collection. Eleanor looked at her clothes and touched her hair. Nothing out of the ordinary there either. She pretended to not notice and walked to her usual table with Audrey and Isabella. Amaya was a lot in the stables during breaks lately, so Laura was sitting in her place today. Eleanor once again noticed people staring at her, so she slammed her tray on the table a little too hard, catching the attention of surrounding students, and sat down.

"Alright, is one of you going to tell me what this is all about?"

"Well, we tried to keep your job for the clothing store a secret, but..."

"Audrey may have told anyone within hearing distance before you came in," Isabella finished Laura's sentence.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to tell people, I swear!" Audrey shouted.

"You really need to learn to keep your mouth shut more..." Laura sighed.

"What's done is done, I'll probably be able to live with the looks just fine. It'll just be a few days," Eleanor said.

"I'll make sure nobody bothers you," Audrey reassured her. Eleanor nodded, and the four resumed eating like nothing happened. Though it was slightly scary that the whole school was now waiting for her to complete her designs, it was nothing Eleanor couldn't handle. As a noblewoman, she had been through way greater things. One time her father had been sick, so she had to speak on his behalf to all the nobles of Falmar, as well as the king and queen. She was so nervous she was shaking through the whole thing. There was also the time when Laura had asked her to instruct the royal seamstresses because her parents were hosting a ball in honor of their wedding anniversary. It felt like they were all annoyed at the fact that a noble was lecturing them on something they specifically studied for. And of course, how could she forget the time when she was four, when her father shouted around the castle for an entire hour because she'd lost her favorite teddy bear. People at court still sometimes asked her if she was that girl... Still, she loved her father dearly, as he wouldn't have gone to such lengths if he didn't care for her. Compared to that, the expectations of a school were nothing.

Once school was over, Eleanor retreated to her dorm to start working on her designs. She opened her sketchbook, and grabbed her paintings and fashion books for inspiration. What would work for a Winter collection? It needed to be something that had never been done before, something jaw-dropping, fit for the most popular store in Earth. Since nothing came to mind, Eleanor decided to try her other method for finding inspiration: mixing fabric colors. She took all the fabrics she could find and threw them onto the floor creating a colorful mess. Sadly, nothing came to mind this time either. Eleanor decided to resort to her last option for inspiration, one she had never had to use before: writing down words to base a theme on. Eleanor wrote down about a thousand words related to Winter and snow and all the legends and myths she knew surrounding it, but once she'd written down 'snowflake' for the third time, she knew she'd run into a problem. She couldn't get any inspiration.

Chapter Text

Eleanor decided to look around the school for inspiration, as there were many unique and colorful places to take inspiration from. One huge designer secret was that nature is the best example, so Eleanor went into the gardens. Sadly, as it was Autumn and approaching Winter, there weren't many things left in bloom. Most trees had lost their leafs as well. Eleanor went towards the hedge maze, but saw Laura looking at a small flower bed in the corner.

"Laura!"

"Oh, hey, Eleanor. What brings you here?"

"I'm just looking around for some inspiration for the Winter collection, but it seems that there isn't much to find in nature in this time of the year..."

"Yes, most flowers are already out of bloom again, but look!" Laura pointed to the flowers in front of her, all in full bloom, "they're Marigolds! They're my favorite flowers, because they bloom in a time when no other flower can, the darkest time of the year. It reminds me that there is always something beautiful in the darkest of things, always a small spark of hope..."

"That's wonderful, Laura... That might be a good theme for the collection, light in the darkest of times... But then again, that's probably been done a lot, given what our continent has been through."

"It might be a good start, though," Laura tried to comfort Eleanor.

"You're right! I'll just have to keep looking elsewhere, see you around!"

"Good luck, I'm sure you'll find something." Eleanor left the gardens again and tried to think of other places in the school that could help her find inspiration. There were a few places on her mind, like the art gallery, the library, the ballroom... Sadly, Eleanor didn't have enough time to check them all, so she decided to visit the art gallery, hoping it would be able to get her the inspiration she needed.

Eleanor entered the art gallery through a large door in the main hall, and she was greeted by a long and empty hallway. The ceiling was high, and there weren't many windows, as most of the walls were filled with paintings. Depicted here were many of the continent's most important people since it was founded up until present time. All of Divinia's rulers and the church's archbishops had paintings here, as did a lot of the rulers from the other countries, but also people who were just famous. Renowned knights, legendary blacksmiths, even mythical creatures like dragons. As the art gallery was nothing but just paintings, most students never came here. Eleanor walked on the white and gold carpet, which were Divinia's national colors, looking at the paintings.

"Eleanor, what are you doing here?" someone suddenly asked. Eleanor looked to the right and saw Audrey walking towards her.

"Oh, I'm just looking around to find some inspiration for the Winter collection, I'm struggling a bit at the moment. What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for a portrait of Lanford, the founder of Brightwald, it's for some silly history project."

"And did you find a portrait?"

"Nope. I'm just going to ask someone to help me, because I really can't be bothered to look through this whole hall on my own... Good luck with the inspiration thing, I'm sure it'll work out! Bye!"

"See you..." Eleanor said, but Audrey was already gone. That girl was a fast one. Eleanor continued looking at the portraits, studying everyone's clothes carefully to see what she could take inspiration from. She was particularly fascinated by a portrait of a woman staring at the night sky. Her attire seemed to suggest she was Divinian royalty.

"I see Queen Meissa has taken your interest," Principal Abigail suddenly said, walking towards Eleanor.

"Yes, I was looking at her dress, the pattern on it is very complex and detailed..."

"Queen Meissa was the queen of Divinia roughly two hundred years ago, and she was known for her passion for astrology. It earned her the title of Star Queen, hence the pattern on her dress and the starry sky in the background," the principal explained.

"Really? Do you know who made the dress?"

"I do. It was made by the famous designer Victoria, she made many clothes for most royal families at the time. Many have tried to replicate her patterns like the star one here, but none have succeeded, and her methods have remained a secret to this day."

"I see... That's unfortunate, I was hoping to make something with a pattern like that myself..."

"Don't give up that quickly, I'm sure you'll figure out something. No one has ever accomplished anything by giving up."

"You're right. Thank you, Principal Abigail," Eleanor said, and she left the art gallery again. She only had enough time left to visit one more location at school, so she decided to stop by the library. Eleanor hated reading with a passion, but if she wanted to make the Winter collection a success, she had no choice.

Eleanor looked around in the library, hoping to find some books on historic fashion. When she found the dedicated shelf, she also found Isabella looking at it.

"Isabella, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was just looking at some books. I heard Elizabeth talking about her first ball when she was a child in the cafeteria earlier, and it seemed to magical, so I read up on it. Turns out they hold these balls where people wear masks called masquerades in Theros! This book is all about the clothing styles at these balls throughout the years."

An idea suddenly hit Eleanor, "could I borrow that book? I think it might be helpful for the Winter collection."

"Of course! Here you go!" Isabella said, handing Eleanor the book. Eleanor quickly thanked her friend and ran off to her room. She looked at the pages and found the perfect style to take inspiration from. She also quickly borrowed some marigolds from Laura and a telescope from the principal. Once it was night, Eleanor went onto her balcony and looked through the telescope at the sky, seeing the beautiful star-filled night sky. She immediately spotted a constellation most people called 'the maiden', as it looked like a young girl plucking a flower. She also saw the Great Dragon constellation, as well as the constellation called 'the war'. While looking for the warrior constellation, Eleanor saw a shooting star pass by, and she quickly wished for the Winter collection to be a success. Finally feeling inspired, Eleanor grabbed her sketchbook and pencil and started designing the Winter collection. Hours later, she'd fallen asleep on her desk after finishing the final sketch with a content smile on her face. On the paper beneath her was the collection design, titled 'Midnight Shooting Star.'

Chapter Text

When Eleanor opened her eyes again it was early the next morning. There were only four days left before the deadline, and Eleanor hadn't started on making anything. She quickly got out of bed, changed, and immediately started working on the first dress. Since she normally only made clothes for herself, she didn't have any mannequins to work with, so her bed became the dump for everything she finished instead. Eleanor was so focussed on the sowing of her second dress that she didn't hear the knocking on her door the first three times. Only when she heard someone whisper her name did she get up from her desk and opened the door to greet Isabella.

"Eleanor, why are you awake, it's 4 in the morning..." Isabella whispered.

"Sorry, I woke up and just had to start working on the collection..."

"Could you be a bit more quiet then? I don't care that much, but you know how prickly Amaya and Audrey can be when it comes to their sleep..."

"Right, sorry, I'll try to be more quiet," Eleanor apologized. Isabella closed the door again and went back to sleep. Eleanor returned to her desk, and she realized that unless she wanted to give up on sleeping for the next days, there was going to be no way she'd finish in time.

Eleanor went to breakfast feeling hopeless. There was still a lot to do before the collection was done, and she also had to do her schoolwork as well... While walking through the cafeteria, people kept asking her about the collection, and she told them all the same lie, that she was almost done. She really didn't want to let anyone down.

"Good morning, Eleanor! How is the collection doing?" Audrey inquired.

"Oh... well... it's... nearing completion... somewhat."

"Alright, what is going wrong with it?" Isabella asked.

"What?"

"We've known you for a while now, it's pretty easy to tell when you're lying."

"I'm sorry... I just don't want to let you down... The truth is that I don't think I'll be able to finish in time. I only finished the sketches yesterday and started for real this morning..."

"Then we can help you!" Laura offered, "with the four of us, it should be easy getting everything done."

"Really? You'd do that?"

"Well, it's the least I could do to make up for spreading word around the whole school..."

"Thank you all so much... You're the best friends I could ask for." The school bell rang, and the girls quickly rushed back to class. After school, they all gathered in Eleanor's room to help her with the collection. Eleanor resumed sewing, while Audrey grabbed materials for her, Isabella laid down all the completed pieces on the bed, and Laura was folding everything and putting it into boxes. They worked like this for three days, from the moment they finished their homework until eight in the evening, trying their best to finish the collection in time. On the final day, they only had to work for two more hours.

"Girls..." Eleanor said, "I think we did it!"

"I knew we would! We should hurry and deliver everything to the store," Laura suggested. Eleanor nodded, and they carried the boxes towards the carriage. They took a second carriage and drove to Earth. The group quickly made their way to the clothing store, where Eleanor nervously walked inside.

"Hello?"

"Ah, there you are! Did you finish the collection?" the store owner asked, walking into the store from the storage. Eleanor nodded, and showed the boxes. The woman opened them and looked at one of the dresses. She then grabbed one of the corsets.

"Marvelous! I must say, I had high expectations, yet I am still impressed! What is the name of the collection?"

"Midnight Shooting Star."

"Wonderful! I would be delighted if you could attend the presentation of the collection tomorrow, as the guest of honor."

Eleanor's eyes widened, "of course! I'd love to! Thank you so much!" The other girls giggled.

The next day, Eleanor arrived at the store an hour before the presentation, as it was weekend, and she had no school work left to do. She was wearing the best clothes she didn't feel bad about reusing, and was extremely nervous. All of the pressure was finally catching up to her, and she was worried people wouldn't like her clothes. Maybe her clothes weren't as good as people said they were...

"Eleanor..." a manly voice suddenly spoke behind her. Eleanor turned around.

"F-Father?! What are you doing here?" Eleanor ran up to her father and hugged him.

"I got a letter from the princess telling me to come here because my daughter had made an entire Winter collection in the most renowned clothing store in Earth, and it looks like she was right!"

"Oh father, thank you for coming..."

"I'm so proud of you... It felt like yesterday when I saw a little girl sitting on her mother's lap, looking at all her dresses... and look at you now..."

"Eleanor, it's time," Laura whispered, peeking in from around the corner.

"I should head to the front of the store too," Eleanor's father said. Eleanor went to the front of the store, took a deep breath, and opened the door. Outside was a moderately-sized crowd, waiting for the store owner to open the door.

"Hello everyone! It is my great honor to introduce Eleanor, the person who created our latest collection, titled 'Midnight Shooting Star'. Eleanor, where did you get your inspiration?"

"At first, it was really difficult finding anything, but with the help of a few friends, I managed to take inspiration from the Marigolds that were blooming in the gardens of our school, from the portrait of the Star queen Meissa with the patterns made by the great designer Victoria, and the books about the masquerades in Theros. It all came together to create this collection." Everyone in the crowd cheered, and the doors to the store opened, which made everyone storm inside. Eleanor looked on with great joy as people purchased her creations.

"You did a wonderful job, Eleanor," her father whispered.

"I agree. Your daughter is very talented! I would love to have her design for me again sometime soon," the store owner added.

"I'd love to! I'll have exams in a few weeks, but I will definitely be interested after that!"

"Very well. After your exams are finished, come to me." Eleanor felt like she was walking on the clouds. This really was a dream come true... She hoped she'd be able to make other people happy with her clothes for the rest of her life.

Chapter Text

A few days after the hectic presentation of Eleanor's Midnight Shooting Star collection, Laura was checking her schedule after she had finished her homework. It was only a few more weeks before the exams would start. She would definitely have to start studying now if she wanted to get perfect grades. Thankfully, Laura had already prepared a schedule that would ensure that she would achieve just that. She grabbed her books, locked the door to her room, and started with her least favorite subject: geography. Laura was in the middle of studying the different climates across the continent when she heard someone knock on her door.

"Yes? What is it?"

"Laura, aren't you coming to get dinner with us?" Astrid asked.

"I already have dinner here with me so I can keep studying, you can all go eat without me," Laura answered.

"Alright, good luck!" Laura heard the footsteps of Astrid, Anna, and Elizabeth all leave the dorm and then resumed her studies. The most common weather of every kingdom was especially difficult to remember. She of course knew Falmar was cold during the Winters and humid during Summers with relatively frequent rain during Autumn and Spring, but how was she supposed to remember that Belmont had frequent rain during the first 2 months of the year, snow for the next 3 months, more rain for another 4 months and then sun for another 3? It was tedious and frustrating. 

Meanwhile, the other girls arrived in the cafeteria to get their dinner. They sat down at the table where, Levi, Felix, and Glen were already waiting.

"Is Laura not coming?" Felix inquired.

"She wanted to study for the exams, so she already grabbed dinner to eat in her room," Anna explained.

"I see... I'll go and check on her," Felix said, leaving the others behind. He went towards the dorms and went inside dorm ten. He saw that Laura's door was locked with a huge 'do not disturb' sign on it. Felix went ahead and knocked on it anyway. As her boyfriend, he could probably ignore the sign.

"Laura, the others said you were studying, and I was wondering if you wanted to study together." Laura was woken out of her geography studies and went to open the door.

"Felix, I think we both know I study best alone, I'll be fine," she reassured.

"I know..." Felix returned Laura's smile. "Take care." He kissed her forehead and left the dorm again. Laura closed the door and returned to her books. The exams would consist of math, history, geography, science, literature, etiquette, and astrology. Etiquette, astrology, history, and literature would be easy, but math, science, and especially geography would be difficult. She had to make sure she was absolutely prepared for the exams, otherwise she would never get the perfect grades she wanted. And perfect grades she would get! Only the best was enough for the future queen of Falmar. She could probably pull a few all-nighters here and there to ensure that... What was sleep in the grand scheme of things anyway if it was hindering her path to perfection?

Page 23: volcanoes. Volcanic eruptions can lead to many things, one of those being the creation of new islands. The Amestou Archipelago to the west of Falmar and north of Divinia was created by a volcanic explosion in the year 87. Now in place of the volcano rests a beautiful tropical paradise that's widely inhabited by various flora and fauna, showing no traces of what was once there.

Laura heard her friends enter the dorm and leave for their rooms.

Page 42: meteors. Meteors are pieces of debris from space that enter out planet. When colliding with the surface of our planet, they can cause great damage, especially if big in size. The lake in the middle of Divinia is believed to have been created by the biggest meteor that ever landed. Two lakes in Theros are also believed to have been created in this fashion.

Nearly the whole school was now fast asleep. Laura looked out of her window and saw Drake leaving the stables, likely having just come back from Earth.

Page 57: climate of Fayiron. Fayiron is the coldest country of the continent. Only the coast areas ever have temperatures above the freezing point. The rest of the country is covered in snow and ice year-round and is frequently hit by snowstorms. The cause of this is its high altitude and the influence of the northern winds. Fayiron is the only place where one can see the phenomenon known as the Aurora.

The hours passed by as Laura continued studying geography, and before she knew it, it was 7:15 AM. She was feeling tired and exhausted, but had a solution for it. There was a drink from the Archipelago called coffee that would help with staying awake. As it happened, it was popular in Divinia too and on the menu in the Royale High cafeteria. Laura ordered one cup and took it with her to the library, where she continued her studies until her lessons started. When she drank the coffee, she immediately felt more awake and energetic. Her first lesson was history, and Laura was glad she could start the day with a more relaxing subject. She listened to the lecture on the history of Belmont's fashion throughout the years while taking notes and once again knew she'd easily ace history.

"How did your studying go?" Felix whispered. He was sitting next to Laura as usual.

"Good."

"Good? Until how late did you study?"

"Felix, I am attempting to pay attention," Laura snapped, focusing on the class again. Felix looked puzzled but paid his girlfriend's sudden change in attitude no mind. The lesson quickly passed by, and everyone was slowly leaving the classroom.

"Laura!" Glen said, walking up to her, "are you coming with us to Divinia Park after school? We thought it'd be nice to get some time away from school together."

"Have you lost your mind? Need I remind you that we have only a few weeks left before our exams begin! I shall be studying in absolute seclusion in my quarters, and I urge you all to do the same like any other sensible person!" Laura snapped, walking away to her next class.

"That was... weird. Do you think something's wrong?" Anna wondered.

"Definitely. Maybe she stayed up too late studying..." Elizabeth answered.

"If she's reverting to formalities then something's definitely wrong," Glen added.

"She wasn't at breakfast this morning either... and she skipped dinner yesterday too, all to study. I hope she's not taking it too far," Felix sighed.

Chapter Text

Laura was in the middle of studying history when there was only one week left before the exams would begin. She had managed to study every subject perfectly and had entered the phase of revisions. Laura had barely left her room except for lessons and to get food and drinks. She felt exceptionally optimistic about the exams, the perfect grades she wanted were within her grasp now. Her parents would be so proud of her... She was going to become the queen Falmar deserved. The history test would be about every war in the continent's history starting with the war of Saint Divinia, as the Divinians liked to call it. In reality, she was aided by many heroes in their quest to free the continent from the grasp of powerful creatures known as dragons, which was why the war was known as the Dragon War everywhere else. But the Divinians were way too prideful to admit that their Saint couldn't have done it alone. Laura had heard the tales of this war from a young age, being a descendant of two of those heroes, the brothers Nicholas and Gerard. Nicholas had been the wielder of the fire spell Fenflame, Falmar's national treasure, during the war, while Gerard had been the group's tactician. Those two were also the cause of the second war she had to study, as Nicholas was brutally murdered shortly into his rule as Falmar's first king. He had been murdered at the command of Adelina, first empress of Magnos, though this was often disputed by the people of Magnos and Theros, including the empress herself, which had led to a war that cost Magnos the territory that became Aurion. Laura smiled, she could probably pass her history exam with her eyes closed. She made the occasional mistake with math and geography, but by the end of the week she'd no longer have to worry about that.

The other girls were also quietly studying in their rooms, each enveloped in a different subject. Anna was focusing on literature, Elizabeth was trying to wrap her head around math, and Astrid was trying to understand why her family's genes for astrology just had to skip her and go to her sister instead. In the first boys dorm, Felix and Glen were studying together in Glen's room while Levi was studying on his balcony to take advantage of the rare clear days Autumn offered, and Apollo's room was taken by him and Howard.

"You know, I'm worried about Laura..." Felix broke the silence.

"Eight," Glen responded.

"What?"

"That's the eight time you've said that. Just go to her dorm, Felix."

"She won't talk to me," Felix turned the page, "you've known her for longer than I do, what helps her in situations like this?"

"You're asking this to the guy she calls a pig... Felix, you're her boyfriend, you should know her better than me."

"I know, but I have absolutely no idea on what to do... How can I help her if she won't even open the door?"

"You know she can be a stubborn ass sometimes-"

"And now you're insulting her..."

"What I'm trying to say is, maybe you should use a bit more brute force. On the door, I mean. You've thrown a chair around before, I'm sure you can break down a door."

Felix stood up, "you're right! I'm going to the dorm, see you." And he left the room.

"That was a joke..." Glen mumbled to himself with a sigh.

Felix walked through the hallways and knocked a little too hard on the door of dorm ten. Anna opened the door.

"Felix, Laura is still in her room if yo-"

"I know." Felix walked right past the girl and stormed towards Laura's door.

"Laura, come out." Laura was mildly annoyed by the sudden disturbance from her history studies and sighed.

"No."

"Laura, you haven't left the room at all for the past weeks, this isn't healthy and we're all worried sick. I'm going to knock the door down if you don't come out." Felix didn't get a response, and so he took a few steps back and then ran into the door, knocking it down and creating a noise loud enough for Astrid and Elizabeth to leave their room as well.

"What do you think you are doing?! You've no permission to enter these chambers!" Laura screamed. Felix looked at his girlfriend and was horrified. Her hair was a mess, the circles under her eyes were darker than his hair, and the floor and bed were cluttered with books.

"Laura, when did you last sleep?" Laura still looked angry, so Felix walked up to her and put his arms around her, his right hand resting in her hair. Laura broke down into tears.

"I don't remember."

"You're going way too overboard, Laura..."

"It's the only way I'll be able to get perfect grades! How else will I be the perfect queen..."

"You don't have to be perfect. You just have to be you."

"Being a good queen doesn't come from striving for perfection, but from knowing, protecting, and guiding your people as though they were your children. Celebrate their strengths and embrace their flaws, and they will do the same to you," Elizabeth added.

"But my parents..."

"Your parents feel the same. They'll be proud of you no matter what your grades are, I'm sure of it," Astrid answered.

"Maybe we should take Lizzie's advice and just study together so we can help each other out!" Anna suggested. Everyone agreed, and they went to get the others and ask them to meet at the library. Laura and Felix stayed behind to clean things up together.

"I'm sorry, Felix. For shutting you out instead of spending time together, and for snapping at you back at history a few weeks ago."

"And I'm sorry for breaking down your door like that." They both laughed.

"I'm glad I have you and the others in my life... If this had happened back home, I might have become seriously ill..."

"And I'm glad I have you. If it hadn't been for you, I would have probably given up on this school a long time ago." Felix smiled, and let his fingers go through Laura's hair, which was now combed and tidy again. The pair drew closer as their lips pressed together for a brief kiss.

"Let's go study with the others in the library," Felix whispered after breaking off their lips.

"Hopefully without breaking down any doors," Laura giggled as the pair left the dorm walked through the halls hand-in-hand. "By the way, have you ever heard of coffee?"

Chapter Text

Everyone was sitting together in the library to study together, and the whole table was cluttered with books. With only one week left before the exams, there was still much to do. Of course, as Laura learned today, it was also important to take plenty of breaks. She was helping Felix with etiquette, while Anna was once again helping Elizabeth with math, who was helping Anna with literature. Levi was everyone's strength for geography, Astrid helped with history (though only the Divinian version of it), Glen was helping with astrology, and Felix with science. This way, everyone could learn something from each other.

"Astrid, which constellation is this?" Glen asked.

Astrid stared intensively at the drawing, "the weeping maiden?"

"Correct."

"Now that we're on the topic of weeping and sadness, is everything alright with you? You seemed down a few weeks ago."

"It was just a small problem, nothing to concern yourself with."

"I assume it was solved, then?"

"Astrid, I've told you before, stay out of my business," Glen said, grabbing the book again, "now, which constellation is this?" Astrid sighed and returned to staring until the answer came to her. Meanwhile, Anna was trying to keep up with Levi's geography tips.

"The best way to remember the names of the mountains is to translate them into short tunes you can associate them with," he explained, "for example, you could use this for Mistlyn peak." Levi showed Anna a small piece of sheet music. Anna looked confused.

"Levi, I think that only works for us," Elizabeth clarified.

"Well... maybe... But it's the best way of studying I know!" The trio laughed. Laura and Felix were in the middle of studying table manners when Felix suddenly started smiling at Laura.

"What are you thinking?" Laura inquired.

"I'm thinking that after the exams, we have two weeks of vacation, and we have two homes. We could go together and stay one week at each place."

"That sounds wonderful! I can't wait for you to meet my pare- wait. This is you trying to distract me from etiquette, isn't it?" Laura raised her eyebrow. She had almost fallen for her boyfriend's trap.

"It was a distraction, but it was also a serious suggestion."

"Well, Felix, if you want to meet my parents in Falmar, I think you better get back to table manners or else you'll be embarrassing yourself over there."

"Fine, fine."

The group of seven continued studying like this for the rest of the week and everyone was starting to feel more and more confident about the exams with each passing day. They had helped everyone with the subjects they were struggling with and exchanged studying methods. Laura, too, was completely ready for the exams. She knew she wasn't going to get perfect grades, and she was content with that now. The lesson of the cost of perfection she had learned was far more important for her future as a queen than any grades could be. She got up at 8:15 and after breakfast, met everyone at the lecture hall, where they would be taking their exams for the next four days. Laura arrived first, and Felix arrived quickly after.

"Good morning," he greeted her, "you're early."

"So are you," Laura responded. Felix got closer, and their faces were almost close enough to make contact.

"Or did you know I'd be early?" he whispered.

"Maybe..." Felix was about to lean in for a kiss when Astrid entered the hallway.

"Good morning!"

"Good morning, Astrid," Laura said, her face turning red.

"Oh my, did I interrupt something?"

"No," Felix answered.

"Your face says otherwise!" Glen laughed, walking into the hallway too. He was quickly followed by Anna and Levi.

"Never mind that, where's Elizabeth?" Laura asked.

"She had to do some student council president stuff, she told us to go ahead."

"I'm here!" Elizabeth shouted, walking into the hallway. "And just in time, from what I can see."

"It's time," Anna said. She reached out her hand in the middle of the circle of seven. "Let's do this." Astrid put her hand on top of Anna's, quickly followed by Laura's, Felix's, Glen's, Levi's, and Elizabeth's. They then raised their hands in the air and all gave each other a high-five at the same time before entering the lecture hall.

On Friday, after the exams, everyone was anxiously waiting in the cafeteria for Principal Abigail to arrive to announce the results to everyone. They had all done their best, but there was still that usual fear that something had gone wrong and they hadn't done as well as they hoped. Laura had firmly grabbed Felix's hand to calm her nerves. The entire room immediately became silent as soon as the principal entered. She went to the front of the crowd.

"Good day, my dear students. I am so very proud of you for the dedication and hard work you've shown these past days when making your exams, and of course the past weeks in your studies. I speak on behalf of the entire faculty and student council when I say that we are extremely proud to have you all here. Now... I am very, very honored to announce that the results of these exams are the highest average in the history of our school, as not a single student has failed a subject. Once again, we are so proud of you." The whole room started clapping and cheering in pure joy.

"We did it, Laura," Felix smiled.

"I knew we would."

Dear father and mother,

We just received the results of our exams earlier today, and so I thought I would write you a letter. Up until last week, I was striving for perfect grades to prove myself to you and admittedly, to myself as well. I failed to realize that that journey came at the expanse of many other things that are important, like socializing, which was why you sent me to Royale High in the first place. Thankfully, I had my friends and Felix to remind me of the importance of enjoying life outside of books. Even though I didn't get the perfect grades I wanted, I am still content with my results, as the lesson I learned before that was more important than anything a book could teach me. I will be coming home soon for our vacation, and Felix and I decided to split it between Falmar and Aurion, so we could visit both of our homes together. I can't wait for you to meet him properly, he is a wonderful person who I can't imagine living without.

Your loving daughter,

Laura.

Chapter Text

Once the exam results meeting had been fully concluded, Anna went to the stables to give everyone one last treat before closing up, like she did every day. She was about to enter when she heard footsteps approaching in the stables. She hid behind a tree and peeked out to see who it was. Nobody ever visited the stables this late into the evening but her. In the faint light coming from the stables she spotted Levi entering the building. Anna had never seen him visit the stables before... She was about to enter when she saw him leave on a horse, into the dead of night. Anna ran into the stables and mounted her beautiful Cinnamon, and pursued Levi. She admittedly didn't know her best friend's fiancé that well, but from the looks of it, she was the more skilled horse rider of the two, as Anna was quickly catching up to him. Levi was so concentrated on his destination that he almost fell off his horse when Anna suddenly appeared next to him.

"Anna, what are you doing here?!"

"I saw you leave the stables, so I decided to follow you. Where are you going?"

"To Fayden."

"What?! Now? But it's only two more days until we have vacation for two weeks..."

"I know. But I'll be spending my vacation with Elizabeth in Theros. I'm heading home for diplomatic reasons."

"Diplomatic reasons? What kind of diplomatic incident could be that bad?"

"As you likely know, my parents ended our alliance with Theros after Richard went to war with Falmar and Aurion, but just today they cut off all trade routes as well. Elizabeth and her mother shouldn't have to suffer for what Richard did... So I will convince my parents to renew the alliance."

"And you think they'll listen?"

"It's worth a shot..." Levi sighed, "but I'm not going back until I've convinced them."

Anna smiled, "well, then I'm coming with you! I care about Elizabeth too, she's like a sister to me... and it might help convince your parents if the Imperial Princess of Magnos is there to vouch for her."

"Thank you, Anna. It'll only be a two days journey, and we'll likely be back before the start of the vacation."

The duo quickly made their way across the continent, leaving Divinia by daybreak and boarding a ship at a port city in Magnos by the evening of the second day. They had stopped and rested at an inn in Magnos under fake names to let their horses rest and sleep for a night. Anna was quite terrified at the prospect, but Levi had his blade and his fiery determination with him to protect the girl. Thankfully, not many people had seen Anna in person or seen a portrait of her, so she wasn't recognized. It was early in the morning when the two arrived in Fayden's capital. The capital was never busy in the morning, as that day was no exception. Levi walked straight to the palace in a pace Anna could barely keep up with. He was going to change his parents' mind if it was the last thing he did. He quickly arrived at the gate.

"Y-Your Highness! We weren't expecting you back from your studies so soon!" a guard greeted him, "shall I announce you?"

"No need. I must speak with my parents. Do you know if they are in the palace?"

"Yes, sir, they have not left the palace today."

"Thank you. Please take these two horses to the royal stables." Levi walked through the gate and entered the palace, Anna quickly following behind him, leaving no time to admire Fayden's architecture, which she'd never seen in person.

"You!" Levi approached a servant, "where exactly are my parents?"

"In the study, Your Highness." Levi took a sudden turn left and Anna almost hit the corner trying to keep up. After a few turns, Anna became confused.

"Weren't we just here? Couldn't we have just gone through that hallway?" she inquired.

"Yes, but I have... bad memories with that hallway, so I always avoid it." Levi entered the study.

"Father, mother, we need to talk."

"Levi? What brings you home so early from your studies?" his father asked.

"You look worried, dear, is someth-" his mother paused upon noticing Levi wasn't alone, "is that the Imperial Princess? What brings you here so suddenly and unannounced?"

"We heard you broke off trade routes with Theros. Why?" Levi inquired. "Haven't they suffered enough? Do Linda and Elizabeth really have to pay for what Richard did? Breaking off the alliance was one thing, but cutting off trade?"

"The only thing that alliance did was empty our treasury and cost us troops, and for what?" Levi's father argued, "Theros never supported us or helped us out. It was a fruitless alliance that kept taking but never gave anything. The only reason your engagement hasn't been broken off is because you and Elizabeth love each other."

"We cut off trade with Theros because bandits kept sneaking into our country through the border disguised as merchants. Of course, Theros' musicians and opera troupes are still more than welcome," his mother clarified.

"Wouldn't Theros do something about the bandit problem?" Anna wondered.

"Of course not! Their troops are too occupied with cleaning up the mess their king made!"

"Dear children, you should return to Royale High, this is something you will understand when you're older," the queen spoke.

"No!" Levi shouted, "I'm not leaving until you reverse this!"

"Neither am I!" Anna added.

"If you wish to throw away everything you've studied at Royale High in favor of waiting here for the impossible to happen, then by all means. It will be a good lesson," the king said.

"Anna, dear, I don't think your father will want you to speak on his behalf," Levi's mother advised, "he has worked very hard to build peace with everyone, and if word spreads that his daughter is openly supporting Theros, people will see it as reason to end that peace."

"I'm not speaking on my father's behalf. I'm speaking on behalf of Elizabeth, who is like a sister to me."

"This is a waste of time," Levi concluded, turning around to the door, "we're leaving."

"But you just said we would stay..." Anna quickly followed the prince.

"We are, but we need to come up with a plan, because that's the only way to convince my parents."

"But how..."

"We'll figure something out. I love Elizabeth too much to let the continent just walk over her. Especially not my parents. Let's go walk around the capital and think of something."

Chapter Text

Levi and Anna left the Fayden royal palace once again and went into the streets of the capital to think of a plan. They sat down on a bench next to a fountain.

"Sorry for dragging you into this," Levi apologized.

"Don't apologize. I went here because I wanted to go, and I'm staying until we accomplish our goal," Anna replied, "for Elizabeth."

"I just wish I knew how to properly convey it to my parents..."

"We'll find a way, I'm sure," Anna tried to encourage him, "perhaps you can show me some places in the capital in the meantime? This is my first time visiting."

"Of course." The two got up and started walking through the city. While Levi showed Anna all of his favorite spots - the concert hall, the park, his favorite tavern, and the training grounds - his thoughts trailed off to Elizabeth. She wasn't even queen yet, and she already had to feel the crown's burden. As her fiancé and hopefully soon-to-be husband, he had to support her in those bad times, as he would swear on his wedding vows one day. But even their marriage wouldn't be able to solve his problem, as his parents didn't show any signs of abdicating any time soon, which would prevent a merger of their kingdoms and with that, no need for an alliance. His parents were convinced that Theros would not support Fayden in return, so Theros would obviously have to prove them wrong, but how? Theros had plenty to trade, but generous trade offers would hardly convince his parents. It would have to be military support, but Theros' military was hardly in a good position. Aside from the troops that had been lost at the battle at Royale High, Theros' military was too busy making sure the nobles still loyal to Richard didn't start a civil war. If only his parents would just... listen to him.

"What is that wonderful smell?" Anna suddenly asked. They were almost back at the palace.

"That's the bakery," Levi answered, pointing to a building on their right, "over there you can get the best food in all of Fayden."

"Really? Can we take a look?" Levi nodded, and they approached the building. A woman dressed in black with a hat that had a veil attached to it, making her face hard to see left the bakery, almost bumping into Anna. She immediately recognized the woman.

"Aunt Linda?! What are you doing here?" Anna always called Elizabeth's mother 'aunt', even though she was a way more distant relative than that.

"Anna? I could ask you the same."

"I'm here with Levi." Linda only then noticed him.

"Prince Levi? Shouldn't both of you still be at Royale High?"

"I'll gladly explain, but not here in public," Levi answered, gesturing for everyone to relocate somewhere else.

The three of them moved to a quiet corner of the city where they could discuss things safely without arousing suspicion. Linda took off the veil.

"What brings you in Fayden, Linda?" Levi inquired. Linda took the cloth off the basket she was holding, revealing a lot of apple tarts.

"I bought them since you and Elizabeth were coming over next week for your vacation. I know how much you two like them, and I wanted to do something special."

Levi smiled, "how thoughtful of you..."

"What brings you two in Fayden?" Linda asked.

"We're here because we heard Levi's parents cut off trade routes with Theros," Anna responded, "we were hoping to convince them to renew the alliance, but things didn't go the way we wanted..."

"That's very thoughtful of you... I have sent letter after letter asking for your parents to reconsider, but they have all been ignored. I had to come here disguised because of it."

"I just wish my parents would understand that an alliance with Theros would be beneficial..." Levi sighed.

"As much as it pains me to say it, they were right about one thing," Anna said, "Theros never really provided any military support, even in times of peace." Levi suddenly widened his eyes.

"I think I might have an idea. Linda, how is the military situation in Theros at the moment?"

"Emperor Albert was kind enough to send three whole battalions to help stabilize the situation, so at present everything is under control."

"Do you think you could send one squadron into Fayden?"

"Yes, that would be possible."

"What are you planning, Levi?" Anna wondered.

"I just got an idea. You see, there have been a lot of bandits in the north lately..."

After Levi had explained his plan to Linda and Anna, the Queen Regent went back to Theros after giving the two a few strawberry tarts. The duo quickly returned to the palace, confusing the staff even further. Levi didn't really care what the staff thought, because they'd forget all about it if his plan succeeded, and he had no doubt that it would. He quickly found his parents in the throne room, talking to their advisors.

"Son, what brings you back during these busy hours?" his father inquired, "I hope you haven't come to bring those sensitive topics up again."

"Not at all, father. I've come to ask for permission to lead troops to the north to deal with the bandits plaguing the villages."

"Are you certain? You haven't lead any troops before..." his mother responded.

"I think it's time I start preparing myself for the future, and I'm already here, so it's the perfect chance."

"I think it will be a wonderful learning experience for you. What about the Imperial Princess? We can prepare a carriage back to Divinia for you, if you wish to return."

"No need, father. She will accompany me."

"Are you sure that is wise?"

"Don't worry, Your Highness, I can defend myself, and I, too, could use the experience," Anna reassured the queen.

"How many men will you take?" the king asked.

"Two platoons."

"Just two? Are you sure?"

"We have the advantage of the terrain, and the element of surprise. Taking more men would be a waste of soldiers."

"Very well. You should prepare for battle, my son." Levi nodded, and left with Anna for the stables.

"What weapon will you be using?"

"I think a lance will do just fine, considering our national treasure is one," Anna answered, grabbing a lance from a table.

"It's time for battle, but not against bandits. No, we're fighting the battle for the alliance with Theros."

"For Elizabeth!" Anna exclaimed.

"For Elizabeth!" Levi repeated. This was going to work. He just knew it.

Chapter Text

Thankfully, the journey to the bandit hideout wasn't a long one. Not nearly as long as the journey from Royale High to Fayden's capital had been, but long enough for Linda to have arrived back in Theros. Levi smiled as the group arrived.

"Alright, men, we will now surround the hideout and wait for me to sound the signal. Ten of you will remain here to protect the Imperial Princess. I will take charge the south front, go!" Levi shouted, and everyone moved out. Anna stayed behind on her horse wondering what Levi had planned and how it involved Theros. Levi and the group he was leading quietly approached the hideout and observed the surroundings. There seemed to be few bandits lingering about outside, which was fortunate, as then they still had the element of surprise. A few bandits were standing on guard duty, but overall, it seemed like most of the bandits would be inside.

"Archers, draw your bows. Do not fire until I give the order," Levi whispered. The group of archers drew their bows, all aiming at a guard. Levi looked around and saw that the other groups were ready to charge as well.

"NOW!" Levi shouted, giving the signal to charge. The archers released their arrows, taking out the guards, and the army rushed inside. The bandits were taken by complete surprise, which allowed the army to quickly storm in and initiate battle. Levi was fighting near the front, but not so close that there was a risk of Fayden losing its heir to the throne. Levi had been practicing sword fighting since he was five years old, and so was able to keep up with the rest of his army just fine. He knew Anna had no experience in using weapons, which is why he had her stay behind. Since the bandits had no time to coordinate a proper defense, he easily took them out one by one. Within minutes, they were routed almost entirely. Now he just needed to wait for his gambit to pay off. It likely wouldn't be long. Levi was correct, as one of the soldiers he'd assigned to guard Anna came running into the fortress after a few minutes.

"Your Highness, there is a large force of bandits approaching from the east! It seems the bandits here were just the ones staying behind on guard duty. We'll be soon outnumbered!"

"We will hold out in here for as long as we can," Levi responded. He cleaned the sweat off his forehead.

"But that would be suicide, sir!"

"Fear not, I can feel fortune smiling on us. We are not leaving until I give an order saying so or until I am dead. Return to your post and guard the Imperial Princess."

"Very well, sir." Levi smiled and joined everyone at the eastern entrance. All they had to do was hold out long enough.

The bandits almost immediately charged, while Levi's army stayed on the defensive. So far he'd lost no men, and he wanted to keep it that way. For now, the bandits weren't able to break through, but Levi didn't know how long it would last. Please hurry up. He took a swing at a bandit that was in front of him and then heard a loud signal. The one he'd been waiting for.

"Your Highness, it's the Theros army! They've surrounded the fort!"

"Take the offensive, now! The Theros army will help us pincer the bandits!" Levi ordered, and his army took a sudden offensive. The troops from Theros, led by Linda, approached from behind the force, and the bandits were now outnumbered greatly. They were routed easily within a matter of minutes. The two armies regrouped in the hideout.

"Queen Linda, we thank you for your assistance. Without you, we surely would have faced an embarrassing defeat. I'm certain my father would be most glad if you accompany us to the capital so he can thank you personally."

"It would be my honor," Linda smiled.

"Levi!" Anna shouted, getting of her horse and running inside. "Aunt Linda?! What is the Theros army doing here?"

"They helped us defeat the bandits," Levi answered.

"So that was your plan..."

"I hope it pays off," Levi said, and the three of them rode for the capital.

"I see..." Levi's father responded to the reports on the battle, "it would appear my son has outsmarted us all. It seems I was wrong about Theros. Queen Linda, I believe a conversation regarding the alliance between our countries is in order."

"It would be my honor, Your Majesty," Linda answered. Levi and Anna tried their best to hold in their excitement.

"You must promise to never pull a risky gambit like that again, Levi," his mother scolded, "many men could have been hurt if it had failed, including you."

"Of course, mother."

"Nonetheless, your commanding skills were remarkable. I am proud, my son. I believe it is time you got your birthright." His father stood up and grabbed the blade that was laying on a pedestal. It glowed blue.

"Father, are you sure?!" Levi asked, "Aetherius is our national treasure, it should be by the king's side."

"You've earned it, Levi," his mother argued. Levi then took the blade from his father's hands and raised it in the air before putting it in his scabbard. "You should be returning to Royale High School now, people will be worried."

"We won't make it back in time before the start of the vacation..." Anna sighed.

"I might have a solution for that," Linda cut in. She grabbed a staff out of her pocket. "I received this from Cardinal Elliot of the Divinian Church as a wedding present, many years ago. It's a rare Warp Staff, and it can teleport you anywhere on the continent. I can't think of a better way to use it then to bring you to Elizabeth." Levi said his goodbyes to his parents, and the trio made their way to the stables, to bring the horses back to Royale High too.

"Are you ready?" Levi and Anna nodded, and Linda used the staff. After a bright flash, the duo and their horses were standing on the road in front of Royale High.

"Go," Anna said, "tell her. I'll take the horses." Levi nodded, and ran into the school. It was a Sunday afternoon, so Elizabeth was likely in the music room. He already the piano in the hallway, and when he saw her face he was bursting with happiness. She got up as soon as she noticed him.

"Levi! Where have you been? I was worried sick!"

"I went with Anna to Fayden. It's a long story, but the alliance has been restored!" Elizabeth looked like she had gotten a heart attack.

"You restored the alliance?! And is that Aetherius you have with you? How did-" Elizabeth was stopped when Levi pressed his lips against hers. They shared a passionate kiss together.

"I did it for you," Levi whispered.

"Thank you... I don't know what to say."

"I love you too."

Chapter Text

"Are you nervous?" Laura asked. She and Felix were sitting in a carriage headed to Falmar's capital. It was the first day of their two-week vacation, and they had arranged to spend one week at each of their homes. This meant that Felix would spend a week with Laura's parents.

"Hardly. I've met your parents before, they're decent people."

"Yes, but that was when we were trying to avoid a conquest of the continent, and with everyone else around."

Felix laughed, "I've had to tell Glen's parents about the trouble he gets into with girls, how bad could the parents of my girlfriend be?" Laura smiled back at Felix before returning to the book she was reading.

"Are they like you?"

"Not at all," Laura chuckled, "they're very open, and especially when they're in private circles they don't care much for formalities. It's when they're dealing with official business that they get scary. Even worse than I was when I came to Royale High." Felix just hoped her parents didn't consider their relationship 'official business'. Laura was easy to handle when she was at her most formal, but that was because they were of the same age and in a school setting. Her parents were the king and queen of an allied nation. Maybe this was a little scary.

"We've arrived!" the driver shouted, and the carriage stopped. The duo stepped out into the courtyard of the Falmar palace. Two footmen took the luggage and brought it away, towards the bedchambers, Felix assumed. He and Laura were about to head into the palace when the doors opened and her parents walked out. King Robert and Queen Alice were both wearing red mixed with gold and looked quite a lot more imposing than they had when Felix had first met them. The two duos walked towards each other and stopped when they were in front of each other. Felix was reminded that these two people were some of the most powerful people on the face of the continent.

"Father, mother, it's good to see you again," Laura greeted them.

"Indeed. Your last letter was very promising," her father answered.

"Felix," her mother said, "how wonderful to finally meet you under more peaceful circumstances."

"Your Highness, it's a pleasure to see you."

"Oh, no need for that!" the queen laughed, "just 'Sir Robert' and 'Lady Alice' is fine!"

"Felix, how about I show you around the palace?" Laura suggested. Felix nodded, and the four went around the palace. It quickly became clear that this place was way bigger than his father's estate. Royals really were on another level... There were so many rooms Felix immediately forgot the purpose of. Thankfully, his bedroom was close to Laura's. That should at least make sure he didn't get lost...

After touring the palace, Laura suggesting visiting the market, and Felix agreed. He bought a beautiful necklace for Laura, and received one of his favorite books in return. After tasting Falmar's best soup, he also made sure to buy something for Alexander and his father to bring home. Once they'd finished that, they went back to the palace for dinner, which was a far more busy affair than at home. It wasn't just him, Laura, and her parents. The queen's ladies-in-waiting were also there, and so were their husbands and the king's other friends, including a man Felix immediately recognized as Eleanor's father. The cuisine in Falmar was quite different from Aurion's, as there were fewer spices and a lot more meat. It was likely because Aurion's climate was a lot warmer, allowing a greater variety of things to grow. Nonetheless, the food was delicious. Most of the conversations were about business and foreign relations and hunting, so Felix didn't say much or paid any attention. Thankfully, everyone left after dinner, leaving the four of them to play cards together in the drawing room. Laura was slightly hesitant, as she hated card games, but eventually gave in and joined. Felix had played plenty of times before, but King Robert and Queen Alice were both formidable opponents.

"Alice, dear, does your hand contain royalty?"

"It does."

"A king perhaps?" Robert inquired. Alice placed the king of hearts on the table, clearly pleased to have bested her husband. "Perhaps now is the right time to discuss Falmar's next king." Felix immediately froze.

"Father."

"I know you don't want to discuss it, but it's important that Falmar's future is secure."

"Your father is right," Alice added, "just look at Wyvernston. King Leonard and Queen Charlotte died so young, Prince Drake was only four years old... One day you could have a family and the other you could be the last member. It's important Nicholas and Gerard's bloodline stays safe."

"Felix and I are not even engaged! Of course, I hope that will one day change, but there is a chance things won't go that way. You cannot just pressure him like that!" Laura stood up, "I am retreating to my quarters for the night." She walked out, leaving Felix alone with her parents. Felix was panicking, so he quickly withdrew as well. He hadn't seriously given the matter of him possibly becoming Falmar's king consort in the future any thought. Glen had teased him, but it was now hitting him that he could actually get that position. He had never been too excited about the position of duke, and had seriously been considering turning it away so Alexander could inherit it after his brother had begun maturing and becoming interested in tactics, in spite of his previous reservations against his brother inheriting the position. But now he had the position of king to worry about. Who could even give him advice? There weren't many king consorts on the continent... Amaya's father had passed away many years ago, as had King Leonard of Wyvernston. Astrid's father was shrouded in mystery and was never crowned king consort, and every other king was a king regnant. Sure, being a king consort was in some ways better than being a duke, as all the power went to Laura in this case, but it was still a king consort. His father would of course immediately accept that Felix couldn't inherit the dukedom, but Felix had no idea how Alexander would feel... Maybe Felix would ruin his brother's plans for the future by passing the position of duke onto him... And what if Alexander wouldn't be able to handle the pressure of the rough studies he'd have to do for the position? Felix couldn't sleep, his head was too filled with questions about the future. This was only supposed to be a quiet and peaceful vacation...

Chapter Text

The next morning, Felix was immediately greeted by Laura. He hadn't slept at all, but thankfully it was hard to notice.

"I'm sorry if my parents scared you yesterday. They don't mean any harm, but they're just really insistent on securing Falmar's future."

"It's alright. It made me realize what I have ahead of me if our relationship keeps developing, which I have no doubt will happen. I'm just not sure on how to tackle my other future position." The pair walked through the halls of the palace, on their way to breakfast.

"Do you still think Alexander won't be able to be a good duke?"

"No, on the contrary, I think he'll be a wonderful duke, but he's been so busy with his new hobbies lately... I don't want to ruin his future plans."

"I think you're being a little overprotective. You should at least consult him about it."

Felix shook his head, "he'll immediately accept, even if he's planning to travel the whole continent for the rest of his life."

"I'm not saying you should tell him about the position of duke, just bring up the subject of future plans with him, of course without telling him your future plans." Laura placed her hand on Felix's shoulder. "I'm sure you'll figure it out somehow." Felix returned Laura's gentle smile and the two went to breakfast. The rest of the week was thankfully a lot more peaceful, and the topic of Falmar's future didn't come up again. Alice and Robert seemed to be warming up to Felix, and he even won a round of cards against them. The week flew by, and Felix grew quite fond of Falmar and its culture. He especially loved the weather, which was a lot colder than in Aurion. There had even been a few days of snow, which Felix had never seen in Aurion before, with half the country covered in desert and the other half still very warm. He and Laura had even played in the snow, and she had annihilated him in a snowball fight. She had a lot of skill for someone who had never had friends before coming to Royale High... Felix wouldn't mind living in Falmar, he just wasn't sure about being king and how it would work.

Before he knew it, he was already sitting in the carriage again, headed towards Gaspard territory. Maybe Laura would be able to advise him...

"Laura, do you know what a king consort is supposed to do?"

"Besides supporting me, which you already do, I have no idea. I've been tutored for the position of monarch, not consort. Perhaps if my engagement to Glen had gone through, I'd have known more."

"You were betrothed to Glen?!"

"For a few hours, until the two of us worked some magic to break it off. I was twelve back then... I still don't think I would have known much about the position of consort, though. Of the few marriages between two royals the continent has seen, all of them had one of the two royals stake their claim to their throne in favor of a sibling. Glen and I are both only children, so a merger or co-rulership of each other's countries would have had to take place... It's a miracle I managed to avoid that ordeal."

"I wish we had any living king consorts left to ask for advice..."

Laura placed her hand on Felix's, "we'll figure it out as we go along, I'll be by your side every step of the way." Felix smiled.

"Thank you, Laura."

"Besides, knowing my parents, they won't abdicate at all and stay young and healthy for the next four hundred years and we won't be inheriting a thing." They both laughed.

When the carriage arrived at Duke Gaspard's estate, Felix helped Laura out and escorted her to the front door, where his father was already waiting alongside Alexander.

"Your Highness, we are honored to receive you here," his father greeted the pair.

"Please, ma'am is fine." Felix tried not to laugh. No matter how much Laura loosened up, she wouldn't just let everyone cal her by her name. Ma'am was also known by many commoners as an old lady thing. Felix didn't have the heart to tell Laura that.

"As you wish, ma'am. Please allow me to show you your room." The four of them traversed the estate towards their rooms, where their luggage was brought to as well. Felix's father then left to take care of affairs of state, leaving Felix, Laura, and Alexander behind in the drawing room, where they were having tea.

"It's so wonderful to see you again, Alexander," Laura said, "how have you been? Astrid told me you've been in Divinia a lot to spend time with Princess Emma."

"Yep!" Alexander exclaimed, "we love to watch the stars together!"

"How have your studies of tactics and strategies been going?" Felix inquired, hoping Alexander would reveal some plans for the future.

"Great! I've learned so much, and I've been seeing if I can become good enough to study at the Tactician's Academy in Falmar! I also want to study at the Belmont Academy for Anima Magic!" Alexander answered. Felix went pale.

"That's wonderful!" Laura said, "I'm sure my parents would be able to get you enrolled if you have the right qualifications."

"Excuse me." Felix shot up and left the room abruptly. Why did this have to happen?! With how much Alexander had been studying, he would almost be guaranteed a place at the academy in Falmar, and Felix was sure his brother would have no trouble getting into the Anima Magic academy either. How could he possibly tell his brother that his future was in jeopardy because he was to become duke now?! Their father would never let Alexander go once that became known... Maybe Felix could just do both. Maybe Laura's parents would live a long and healthy life and never abdicate and he would never become king, and could instead become duke... But he could never ask Laura to give up her life in Falmar just so he could stay in Aurion to advise Glen... Maybe he had to end things with Laura... No, he loved her too much to shatter her heart, and his own as well. Why did Felix have to get stuck in an impossible dilemma?! He would either ruin Alexander's future, or his own. Felix entered his room and fell onto his bed. He stared at the ceiling, knowing that it wouldn't help at all. Why did this have to happen to him of all people?

Chapter Text

"Felix?" Laura's voice spoke on the other side of the door. Felix got up and opened it.

"Sorry for leaving like that. How's Alexander?"

"He's fine, but I'm more worried about you... I had no idea Alexander would have such big plans."

Felix sighed, "neither did I... I can't ruin his future, Laura." Laura closed the door and sat down next to Felix on his bed.

"Then what do you intend to do? If you were to become duke, we would never see each other... I can't live like that!"

"Neither can I, but I can't ruin Alexander's future, either!"

"Felix, you know I love you, and I would never try to say anything to upset you, but..." Laura took a deep breath, "you need to stop jumping into the crossfire for others without a thought for yourself. It's very admirable that you care so deeply about your brother, but you're destroying yourself in the process, and he doesn't even know it. This can't go on."

"What do you suggest I do?"

"Talk it out with Alexander, see what he thinks, tell him you don't want him to give up his dreams. Maybe you can find a way together. It's better than pondering about it all day."

"You're right," Felix paused, "this is going to be difficult."

"If anyone can do it, it's you."

"Thank you." Felix gave Laura a kiss before leaving to find his brother. 

Felix quickly found Alexander sitting in the drawing room, reading a book. What neither of them heard was the front door opening and closing. Felix knew this wasn't going to be easy, but what he didn't know was how Alexander would react. He was 10, he could cry, get angry, or even throw a tantrum. At that age, Felix would probably lock himself in his room for days and refuse to come out and eat or even sleep.

"Alexander," Felix sat down next to his brother, "we need to talk about something important."

Alexander closed the book, "what is it?"

"As you likely know by now, Laura and I are in a relationship..."

"Yes, she's a really nice girl!"

"That's true, and with the way things are going, it's very likely we will stay together and get married."

"Does that mean you'll be king? That's so cool!" Felix felt bad for his brother. He wasn't getting the hints, and now the news would be such a slap in the face...

"It does, but that also means I can't succeed father as duke, which means..."

"I'll be duke."

"I know you were very excited about your plans for the future earlier, but I didn't know how else to tell you..."

"So that's why father was acting so weird when I asked to enroll in Falmar. He already knew."

"I'm sorry, Alexander." Felix could see his brother's heart breaking right in front of him.

"Why can't I do both? I don't have to be duke tomorrow!"

Felix sighed, "because you also have to be tutored for the position of duke, and the tuition is rigorous."

"Oh, my dear boys..." their father suddenly spoke, entering the room. "This is all my fault."

"Father?" Felix questioned.

"Ever since your mother passed away, I fear I have allowed my grief to eclipse my compassion... I was so occupied with making sure you would be ready for the position of duke in case something happened to me that I forgot that you have your own dreams and aspirations... I'm sorry."

"What will we do now?" Alexander asked.

"Felix, you will be a wonderful king and husband, if life ends up taking you there. Alexander, you have my permission to enroll at the Tactician's Academy and any other academy you wish to enroll at after that. You two will make me the proudest father on the continent. There is plenty of time to prepare for the position of duke, I will not leave the position anytime soon."

"Thank you!" Alexander exclaimed, hugging his father tightly, dragging Felix with him too.

That same day, Laura had written to her parents to ask if Alexander could enroll. A reply came the next day, and Alexander immediately left to start his studies at the academy. It was unfortunate that Felix couldn't spend the last few days of his vacation with his brother, but he knew that Alexander was now doing what he loved most, and that made up for every moment without him. Of course, Felix and Laura still had a lovely time together, visiting the nearby towns and reading together by the fire during the dark and long Winter evenings. There was only half a year left at Royale High, but Felix knew that he would never leave Laura's side again. Not as a noble, and not as a king. He just hoped Alexander's future would be bright as well. Studying tactics, anima magic, and the position of duke and the king's advisor was a lot of work. Still, Alexander was a determined boy who didn't let himself get intimidated by anything. In that regard, Felix could still learn a lot from his younger brother. Felix then returned to the book he was reading. This Saturday evening was a special one, as it was the last day of the year 489 of the Iolan calendar. The duo was waiting for the clock to strike midnight.

"I wonder how everyone else spent their vacation," Laura said.

"Glen was probably out chasing after girls again," Felix laughed.

Laura chuckled, "I know Levi was visiting Elizabeth, Anna was going to spend some quality time with her father, Astrid wanted to spend time in seclusion and prayer, and Eleanor was going to make another fashion collection."

"What a year this was... so much happened."

Laura nodded, "we watched a war happen, prevented another, met so many people... and of course, we met each other."

"And you went crazy before the exams," Felix teased.

"Felix!"

"I'm kidding, don't worry. I'm sure every year ahead of us will be just as great as the last."

"I wish we didn't have to return to Royale High tomorrow... Spending time together was a lot of fun."

"It might have been fun, but I do miss the others." Suddenly, the clock signaled that it was midnight. Both Felix and Laura shot up and dropped their books.

"Happy new year!" Laura exclaimed. Felix hugged her.

"Happy new year to you too." The couple walked onto the balcony and watched as people in the nearby town were igniting fireworks. Nobody knew what this year had in store for the continent, but Felix did know that it could never be a boring year as long as he had his friends and family with him. Especially Laura.

Chapter Text

"Hugh, there better be a damn good reason for you to wake me up!" Drake shouted, flinging the doors to the throne room open. He sat down on his throne and waited for his advisor and commander to give him a bloody explanation. Drake always sat on his throne when people wanted to speak to him, because they had a tendency to underestimate him because he was seventeen, which was grave mistake. Though he hadn't been crowned yet due to being underage, he refused to be addressed as a crown prince, and only listened to people who would recognize him as king, a title he had borne since he was four years old. Unlike that Elizabeth from Theros, who had her mother serve as regent (the lady Linda now had three titles: Queen Regent, Dowager Queen, and Queen Mother, which was probably a record), Drake had never had a regent, mostly because there were no other members of the royal family left, and having anyone else as a regent was taboo. Not that Drake needed one, he could rule Wyvernston just fine.

"It is Lord Jasper, the Baron Clayfort, Your Majesty." The name was enough to make Drake shoot up from his throne. That damned man was a thorn in his side. He never obeyed orders, complained about everything and anything, and was arrogant to boot. If it hadn't been for the fact that Jasper was the richest mine owner in the country and so paid Drake a lot of tax money (which was about the only thing he did for the crown), the pompous noble would have lost his head already.

"What is it this time?" Drake rolled his eyes and let out an audible sigh.

"He has... taken people prisoner and forced them to work in the mines, after his workers quit due to the low wages they receive. I'm saddened to report that this includes women, children, and elderly. Nobody has been spared, Sir."

"That despicable piece of thrash!" Drake yelled. His voice echoed through the room. "I will not let him do this. Summon the army immediately, that buffoon won't live another day!"

"I would advise against fighting with our army. Many of our soldiers have comrades in Lord Jasper's private army, and having them fight each other could unleash civil war. Asking foreign support would be better."

Drake laughed, "we will not beg others for help, Hugh. We don't need other countries to clean up our messes. But feel free to try, I doubt anyone will help us, anyway. We ride out tomorrow, together or with help, and we'll take that Jasper's head!" The king left the throne room and went to his wyvern, Set, to prepare for the next day. Hugh went to write letters asking for foreign help.

The next morning, Drake woke up especially early. He'd fallen asleep in Set's room, as he often did when at home. (Unlike at that insufferable Royale High School, which he only attended because he'd become bored. The King Richard ordeal had immediately made him regret that decision.) Since his priced wyvern was still sleeping, Drake quietly left the room and went to retrieve a weapon perfect for ending Jasper. Only he and Hugh knew where it was located, and for good reason. Lazarus was Wyvernston's national treasure, and it would be disastrous if it were to fall into the wrong hands, like Magnos' national treasure had. Thankfully, Drake wasn't stupid enough to let that happen. The king opened the secret vault and grabbed the axe from its pedestal. It glowed blue, as all national treasures did when held by those capable of using them. Seeing the portrait of his parents infuriated Drake. Mentioning the names of King Leonard and Queen Charlotte was strictly forbidden, as he didn't want to be reminded of how those fools died because they were trying to help people escape a collapsing mine (the same one people were now forcibly working in thanks to Jasper). Everyone got out, except the King and Queen, leaving Drake as king at four years old. He knew he would never be stupid enough to get himself killed the way his parents did.

When Drake left the vault, he heard voices coming from the throne room, which was very unusual. The palace barely had any servants, and none of them ever went in the throne room. When he got closer, he could clearly recognize Hugh's voice, but also another, more infuriating voice.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Drake shouted, entering the room. Hugh was standing in the middle, joined by Drake's greatest rivals: Queen Julianna and Princess Amaya of Mistlyn. There was also a boy Drake faintly recognized as Prince Howard of Belmont.

"Trust me, I don't want to be here either," Amaya responded, but nobody responded to her remark.

"I sent letters to Mistlyn and Belmont yesterday to ask for military support on the issue of Baron Clayfort," Hugh answered.

"My brother and father apologize for not coming personally, but rest assured, I am just as capable," Howard explained.

"Don't bother, you're wasting your time. With Lazarus, I can handle that damn Jasper on my own," Drake scoffed.

"Good, then we'll leave again," Amaya declared, "good luck with getting killed."

"Amaya, mind your manners!" Julianna scolded, "no matter our personal feelings, we cannot tolerate this atrocity, and we will do anything to end it."

"Your Majesty, have you brought your pegasi with you? They would be a useful asset if we were to engage in battle," Hugh inquired.

"Alas, no. They are not accustomed to the underground tunnels that Wyvernston is home to and would most certainly get hurt. Regardless, our wind magic will more than suffice." Drake scoffed. Pegasi had always been the weaker animal compared to wyverns. What kind of pathetic creature couldn't fly through tunnels?

"Our dark magic will also be of great use, the dark caves are ideal for it," Howard added.

"How many soldiers did you bring?"

"We brought eight wind mages," Amaya answered.

"I am accompanied by four of our best dark mages, we are few but powerful," Howard explained.

"Then I suggest we depart at once. Your Majesty?"

"I'll get Set." Drake left the throne room and went towards his prized wyvern. How Hugh had gotten it in his head to actually ask for foreign help, he did not know. Drake had merely joked about it. And of course, it just had to be Mistlyn too. Hugh was lucky he was still alive, asking Wyvernston's biggest enemy for help. Drake knew that Hugh thought the king needed advisors and allies to keep his country alive, but he couldn't be more wrong. Friends would only get in the way. The only person Drake needed was himself.

Chapter Text

After Drake retrieved Set from his room, the group embarked on a quiet and horribly dull journey to the city where Baron Clayfort had his mine. At least, it was quiet for Drake because he was so far behind he couldn't hear the conversations the others were having. On purpose, of course.

"Tell me, Sir Hugh, how do you light up all of these caves? I imagine you must be burning through forests worth of torches every day!" Howard inquired.

"We do not need torches, Prince Howard. Our caves are filled with special kinds of crystals only found in Wyvernston that emit enough light to make torches redundant. They may be small in these tunnels, but in the caves where our cities are, they can become the size of a small house," Hugh explained proudly.

"Luminescent crystals? How fascinating!"

"Why do you not export these crystals? Surely that would be very profitable," Julianna asked.

"Because if they are removed in any way, they stop emitting light. The only export product native to Wyvernston is salt, as, with all due respect, Mistlyn has hogged most of the mineral export in the last century."

"We live in the mountains, so it's not like we have many other options," Amaya scoffed.

"Neither do we, living underground."

"Perhaps we should discuss strategy instead," Julianna changed the topic, "what will we do once we reach the city?"

"We will take the path that goes through the outskirts of the city, towards the manor of Baron Clayfort. That way, we will avoid a battle in the city itself," Hugh explained.

"What are his numbers?" Howard inquired, "perhaps we can sneak inside of his manor."

Julianna shook her head, "our group is too big for a surprise attack. I think a frontal assault would be better."

"I agree, though I think it would be best if we spare as many lives as possible. I do not imagine the baron's private army is made up of volunteers, but rather forced recruits," Hugh explained.

"If the wind mages can lure all the soldiers in one corner, my dark mages can cast an illusion to trap them in place," Howard suggested.

"Is it safe to use wind magic down here? Won't the caves collapse?" Amaya inquired.

"Rest assured, our caves are centuries old. One of the last battles of Saint Divinia's heroes against the dragons was fought in these very caverns, and even against the might of all the national treasures, the caves remained intact," Hugh stopped as they arrived at a massive stone arch, which was the entrance into the city. "I think that the plan of gathering and then confusing the soldiers is the best option we have. In the meantime, I will be able to free everyone from the mines, and you can seize Jasper."

"Aren't we forgetting something..." Amaya sighed.

"What do you mean?" Howard asked.

"A certain stubborn buffoon..."

Drake was still lagging behind, but the silence allowed him to think of a plan to finally kill Jasper. He would definitely send the others to free the people in the mines, because they were all soft enough to come to their rescue. The thought of being like that alone was enough to make Drake want to throw up. His parents were like that, and look where it got them! No, he had Lazarus with him, and with it, he was almost impossible to kill. He would easily kill Jasper and get revenge on him for all the countless times he'd been a thorn in the king's side.

"Come now, Amaya, don't be so moody, this is a great learning experience," Julianna said.

"I wanted to stay at home for the holidays, not get forced into an irrelevant conflict with our biggest enemy, together with that... cockroach!"

"Why the hell are you standing still here?!" Drake yelled, "and shut your damn mouth, pony princess."

"Because we just made a plan and were waiting for you so we could execute it," Howard answered politely, though Drake could hear the annoyance in his voice.

"What plan?"

"We will lure the soldiers in one place using wind magic and then use dark magic to trap them in an illusion to avoid any casualties, while I free everyone from the mines," Hugh explained.

"Good. Then I'll take the back entrance and handle Jasper," Drake concluded.

"Actually, from one ruler to another," Julianna advised, "it might be better for you to go to the mines to free your people, it would bring them great comfort."

"That is why you'll never be a strong leader, wasting time on comfort only makes you weak. I'm going to show Jasper that, and you can bring comfort!" Drake shouted, jumping onto Set and flying off.

"Your Majesty, please wait!" Hugh tried to shout, but to no avail. The king was already gone.

Amaya let out a sigh, "if his stupidity won't be the reason for his death, then his insufferable pride will be."

"I have tried my hardest to convince him to forge alliances and work together, but he stays firm in his belief that he should do everything on his own," Hugh explained.

"It can't be easy, becoming king at four without a regent or parents to look to for advice..." Howard said, "if things had gone differently, perhaps he would have been a wise ruler. Maybe he can still change."

"Sadly, fate can be cruel sometimes," Julianna agreed, "but I suggest we continue on and stick with the plan we agreed on." Everyone nodded, and the small army marched towards the manor of Baron Clayfort. Hugh split off and went into the mines, and the main group started with forcing open the gate, which had been fortified considerably. Thankfully, the wind spells applied so much pressure that the gate quickly opened. The soldiers on the other side immediately charged at the two mage groups. The battle had begun.

Drake, on the other hand, had easily managed to reach the back side of the manor undetected. Jasper had probably been stupid enough to order all of his guards to fight at the front gate. Drake grinned. That stupid fool hadn't even taken an attack from the back into account. He easily flew into the manor (as most larger buildings had entrances specifically made for wyverns to fit through) and went looking around. This was going to be the easiest revenge in his whole life. With Lazarus still in hand, Drake reached the grand stairs to the second floor. He stopped to decide where to go next, but he suddenly heard footsteps. A lot of footsteps. Archers and thunder mages appeared on the second floor and aimed their weapons at the king. Jasper walked down the stairs.

"Well, well, if it isn't the wyvern prince. I have been waiting for you."

Chapter Text

"What the hell is the meaning of this?!" Drake cursed. How could this have happened?! He'd let himself get carried away with revenge so much that he'd dropped his guard and let himself get surrounded. Gah!

"You are so very predictable, Your Majesty. Always so vengeful and self-centered, and for what? All of your allies are outside fighting on your behalf, and yet here you are, all alone. Has your foolish belief of doing everything on your own worked as well as you hoped, Drake?"

"Shut up!" Drake yelled. He was fuming. He was a descendant of the hero Badrick, and the rightful king of Wyvernston, how could Jasper get it into his head to threaten him?! Drake tried to get closer to the baron, but every archer and thunder mage aimed at Drake. Jasper had chosen the biggest weaknesses of wyverns...

"I wouldn't come any closer if I were you. Unless you would rather die now."

"You're bluffing! You wouldn't kill a monarch! Regicide is the worst crime on the continent!"

Jasper burst out in laughter, "only if people find out about it. Tell me, did you ever question how your parents died?"

"They were saving people working in your mine because it was collapsing," Drake shouted.

"Use your head, idiot!" Jasper shouted, "the mines down here don't just collapse naturally, or else the whole city would be collapsing under those pegasus wenches' wind magic right now!" No. No. No, no, no! It couldn't be!

"You... YOU!" Drake yelled, "I will snap your neck in half with my bare hands!" He was reminded of how impossible that was all too quickly.

"Charlotte and Leonard were so foolish and sentimental, and I'd hoped the crown would be ready for the taking if they died, but their pathetic worm of a son ruined it all. The way those other royals offered to protect you and recognized you as king... and for what? The most self-centered and arrogant king the continent has ever seen! Thankfully, that will end today."

"Nobody will accept you as king!"

"Do you really think it matters what the other royals think? They don't give a damn about Wyvernston, because you've ruined every chance at alliances with them! As for my soon-to-be subjects, I have my private army, and soon the royal army. They won't have much of a choice..." Jasper laughed, "oh, don't look so sour, Drake. Did I not give you the final gift of knowing the truth of your parents' death? I'm afraid this is the end, though... Goodbye."

Meanwhile, everyone outside was still fighting off the soldiers, trying to make the plan a success. No one had any idea of what was happening inside. Julianna's group of wind mages were attempting to drive the soldiers into a corner, with Howard's dark mage group just behind them, waiting for the right moment to cast their illusion on them. Amaya was a little further behind, not yet skilled enough with wind magic to fight at the frontline. The soldiers were hardly putting up a fight; they'd already realized they would never win and were hardly willing to die for a corrupt noble. The only reason they didn't drop their weapons was because they feared what would happen if Jasper somehow won and found out his soldiers had surrendered. This allowed them to be quickly driven into a corner, and with the signal from Howard, the soldiers were trapped in an illusion that would last at least until the end of the battle.

"What now?" Amaya asked, "where is the Baron?"

"I would wager he's inside, letting his soldiers do the dirty work," Howard answer.

"Then we should enter the manor and arrest him, before he can get away," Julianna ordered, and the group headed towards the front door. This one was barricaded too, but a few wind spells easily solved that problem, and the doors flew open. What Julianna and the others saw upon entering was much worse than they'd expected.

For a moment, Drake's life had been flashing before him, and he was pondering what his last words should be. For the others to barge into the hallway, he was completely unprepared. When both parties had realized what had just happened, the wind mages immediately attacked the thunder mages, who now suddenly found themselves at a disadvantage thanks to wind magic being effective against thunder magic, while the dark mages attacked the archers, who couldn't hit their arrows thanks to their magic's power of deception. This left just one target for Drake: Jasper. The baron realized he no longer had the upper hand and tried to flee, but Set was faster than him. Once he'd caught up, Drake jumped off his wyvern, right on top of Jasper, who fell onto the ground. Drake held Lazarus at the baron's throat.

"P-Please, Your Majesty, I'm worth so much more alive than dead! You can lock me up, o-or exile me, or-"

"Shut your damn mouth," Drake spoke, "I won't be listening to your bloody groveling. You're a rotten soul, Jasper. Goodbye." And with that, Drake had avenged his parents.

Drake went to reunite with the others, and informed everyone that Jasper was dead, much to the relief of his soldiers. He decided to keep the truth of his parents' death to himself. Everyone believed they'd died a noble death saving their subjects, and Drake felt like they deserved to be remembered that way by history. He just hoped there was still time for him to make sure he wouldn't be remembered as Iola's worst monarch. When the group entered the courtyard, they noticed Hugh approaching with the mine workers who had been freed. Drake approached the people, who all looked terrible and exhausted.

"Your Majesty," one of them said, "thank you for coming to our aid."

"It is merely my duty as your king to protect my subjects." He just hoped the others didn't hear that. Or saw the smile on his face, which was a bloody genuine one too.

"I can't believe it! Drake being humble?!" Amaya quietly laughed.

"This is the first time I have seen the king smile since the death of his parents... I wonder what caused it," Hugh whispered. Drake watched as the soldiers escorted the mine workers to their homes, and then turned his attention to the mages from Mistlyn and Belmont.

"You... Thank you... for helping," Drake mumbled, "but I don't want to hear a bloody word about this when we go back to school!" he quickly added. Amaya burst out into laughter, quickly followed by Howard.

Chapter Text

Alexander felt like he was going to freeze to death. Even from inside his family's carriage, the air was frigid. Winters in Falmar were clearly more like actual Winters were supposed to be, as opposed to those in the deserts of Aurion. When he arrived in Kolnovo and stepped out of the carriage, he noticed, however, that he was the only one who had any issue with the cold. As he looked around, he realized he was dressed rather lightly. He had prepared himself for studying at the Tactician's Academy, not really focusing on other things, like packing the right clothes. Oops.

"Pardon me, are you Alexander Gaspard?" a voice behind him asked.

Alexander turned around and was met by a man his father's age, who towered over him like a giant. He had raven hair, and striking brown eyes. Quite scary, all things considered.

Alexander nodded, "and you are?"

"I am Lord Ashwood, but you can call me Darren. Their Majesties have asked me to be your guide during your stay here in Kolnovo for your studies at the Tactician's Academy. You will be staying as a guest at my estate. It's right near the academy."
Wow, so Laura's parents had not only managed to get him into the academy despite his young age, but they had also found someone willing to house him (even if this Darren terrified him). They were so nice to him, and they weren't even in-laws yet. Felix had really found the perfect girl to fall in love with.

Alexander handed over his luggage to Darren's valet, who would bring it to the estate while he followed the marquess (or so Darren seemed to imply when he said that Alexander would one day rank just above him now that he had become the heir to the Dukedom of Gaspard) towards the academy. Darren insisted on walking, so that Alexander could better acquaint himself with Kolnovo, his home for the foreseeable future. What immediately struck him was how different the buildings were compared to those in Aurion. They were clearly made to accommodate a colder and more humid climate, as was evident by the piles of snow still scattered around at the edges of every street. Alexander had never seen snow before in his life. He had only seen it in paintings and in books. Seeing it in real life with his own eyes made him hope he could have an opportunity to play in it soon. He wanted to have a snowball fight, to slide down a hill on a sleigh, to go ice skating. He had to stop himself from getting too excited. Alexander had come to Falmar to study, not to play around. It was important to focus.

After a relatively short walk, Alexander and Darren arrived at the Tactician's Academy. The building was very grand, like nothing he'd ever seen before. Royale High was certainly bigger, but it was more inviting, as most buildings in Divinia tended to be. The academy, by contrast, was more sober and domineering, and did not seem inviting at all. Luckily, Alexander had been invited, so he went in after Darren. He barely had time to look around, as there was already someone waiting for them.

"Good day to you, Lord Ashwood, Lord Alexander. I am Kenneth, the headmaster of the academy and the 8th Baron of Heathward. You may call me Mr Heathward. Please follow me, I will show you around the academy."

While the outside was grand and domineering, the inside of the academy felt like an endless maze. There were so many classrooms, study rooms, libraries, and whatever else he might have missed during the large tour of the place.

"Like all the other students, you will be expected to attend seminars five days of the week, and do homework outside your classes, starting tomorrow. You may have been allowed to enroll at a younger age than most other students, but you will have to work just as hard as everyone else. The academy is not easy for those who do not take it seriously, and a lot of students don't make it past the first year. Consider yourself warned," Mr Heathward spoke as the entrance appeared once more. Alexander wasn't afraid of what was ahead of him, he knew he could face it.

When the tour concluded, Mr Heathward bid Alexander and Darren farewell, and left for his office. As the evening was approaching, Darren suggested going to his estate for dinner. The carriage ride was rather quiet and awkward, as Alexander really didn't know what to say to the marquess, a feeling that was likely mutual. Alexander went to read in a corner of the drawing room while Darren retreated to his study, and they stayed there until the butler showed up to announce that dinner was ready. He sat down in the dining room, which was rather large compared to the one he was used to, back in Aurion. At least, it seemed large with just the two of them and a few servants.

"Is the dining room always this empty?" Alexander asked to break the ice.

Darren shook his head, "normally, the other nobles and the King and Queen come to dine here quite often, but Their Majesties are on their New Year's tour around the country, and so most of the nobles stay home too. Any other year, my daughter Eleanor would be here too, but she is in Divinia to study at Royale High School this year."

"My brother told me about her when he was visiting for New Year's, he said she had made a Winter fashion collection a while ago."

Alexander could've sworn he saw a twinkle in Darren's eyes after saying that. Clearly, he was fond of his daughter. 

"I'm glad to hear word of it has already reached Aurion. My daughter is very talented, and I'm sure she'll be known all over Iola one day."

Apparently, Darren wasn't the scary brute Alexander had imagined. In fact, he was a softie with a weak spot for his daughter. That certainly made him feel more at ease.

After the ice had been broken between them, conversation seemed to come a lot more easily to Alexander. In fact, he rather liked talking to Darren. He was a nice man, even if he really liked to show how proud he was of his daughter. His own father was a lot more reserved and modest, so it was a completely new experience for Alexander. So when Darren advised to him retire to his room after dinner, he heeded his advice without question and went upstairs. There, he unpacked his luggage and prepared himself for the night. As Alexander turned off the lights, he once again realized that this was his new life. Darren's estate would be his home for the foreseeable future, and the marquess the only person to socialize with inside. He would be spending most of his time at the academy, though, and he could only hope the people there weren't too bad. They were a lot older than him, but it wasn't unusual to have friends with a large age gap... right?

Chapter Text

The next morning, Alexander unexpectedly found himself alone at the breakfast table, as Darren had gone out for some business matter, leaving Alexander in the hands of his more than capable staff. He enjoyed a quick but delicious breakfast before taking the spare carriage towards the academy. Alexander was a bit early for his first class, hopefully giving him enough time to traverse the maze that was the academy. He felt some slight nerves now that he was here for real, but reasoned that there were plenty of people who believed in him, so he had nothing to fear.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" a voice called out. Alexander turned around and was faced by a man clearly some years older than him, and probably at least three times his height. Alexander very nearly had a heart attack when the man walked up to him.

"I-I'm studying here."

The man scoffed, "really? What's your name, kid?"

"Alexander Gaspard."

He watched as a cheeky smirk then formed on the man's face.

"Oh, I've heard all about you. Your ambitious father must be proud of his sons, pushing them into royalty. Your brother is already gonna be our king one day, and you'll be a grand duke when you marry Princess Emma of Divinia," he mused, "and now you're also attending this school, for prestige I imagine."

Alexander wanted to respond to the unknown man and his weird remarks, but before he could open his mouth, the bells rang, and it was time for his first class. The man walked off without another word, and Alexander had to focus his attention in finding the right classroom.

Thankfully for him, the classroom he needed to go to was just around the corner, and he was able to walk in without being late. He chose a seat near the back of the class, not wanting to stand out just yet. As everyone else, including the professor, were getting ready, he took some time to ponder the strange man's words. What had he been talking about when he said that Alexander would marry Emma? They were just friends, not to mention that they were only ten years old. No one was thinking about marriage at that age, Alexander included. The man must have misunderstood something or heard a nasty rumor.

Alexander's thoughts were interrupted by the words of the professor, who cleared his throat and bade them good morning and hoped they were excited to start the new year, before jumping straight into the lecture,
"Our beautiful country has been a place for tacticians and strategists to study and flourish ever since its founding, neatly five hundred years ago. This very academy was founded by King Gerard, who, before becoming its patron, had been the tactician of the Legendary Heroes of Iola and the brother to our first king, Nicholas. It was Gerard, who, after Nicholas' assassination on the orders of Empress Adeline, took charge of the war against Magnos. It was his genius plans that allowed the Falmarian army to take the territory that is today the independent kingdom of Aurion."
Alexander was busy taking notes, though he already knew most of the information. He had already received extensive lessons on the history of Aurion, which started with the same war.

"For your first assignment of the year, you will be put into pairs and receive one of Gerard's tactical plans to study and create a solution for. This will be used to gauge everyone's current level of skill, as well as team-working skills. The difficulty of the rest of your lessons will be determined by your results."

Oh gosh, they were really serious here. Alexander would need to do well on the assignment, or he'd have come for nothing. He had been allowed to enroll at a younger age than was usually allowed for his potential, and so he had to prove that everyone had been wise to put faith in him.

Alexander walked down towards the list of pairs the professor had drawn up, hoping for a good partner. It was a group project, after all, and so the result depended on his partner just as much as on him. He looked down at the list for his name, and for that of his partner. Andy Whitewood. He didn't know anyone by name yet, so he hoped he would just find this Andy somehow. He hoped Andy was a nice person.
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" he heard a familiar voice exclaim next to him. He looked over and saw the man from before staring at him. Alexander then knew at once who Andy Whitewood was. Just his luck. He could only hope Andy was more friendly when forced to work with him.

"Now, listen here, kid, you gotta pull your weight for this assignment. I can't do the work for you when it gets too difficult."
This was hopeless. He was doomed. Oh well, he was stuck with it now, maybe he could at least try to prove himself somehow.

"Where will we be working on the assignment?" he asked.

"It can't be at my place. It's filled with guests. My mother is trying to find a suitor for my sister. I don't suppose you're staying at anything better than a cramped inn."

"Actually-"

"Alexander! Kiddo, it's good to see you!" Darren exclaimed as he approached the duo, "I just finished up my business for the morning, and since I would pass here on my way back, I thought I'd give you something nice for lunch."
Darren handed him a crêpe, which Alexander gladly accepted.

"Now, don't be home too late today, we're having supper early, as Their Majesties have returned from their tour, and they've invited us to spend the evening with them."

"Of course. See you in the afternoon," Alexander responded, and the marquess left again.

"You're staying with Lord Ashwood? Well, in that case, let's meet at your place tomorrow after school, if His Lordship doesn't mind," Andy suggested.

"I'm sure he doesn't."

Luckily, the rest of the day Alexander could spend far away from Andy, as even though they shared nearly all of their classes, at least he wasn't forced to sit next to him. He had to admit that he was rather relieved when the day was over, though. The classes and professors weren't bad, he just hadn't imagined that of all things, a man with an attitude would be his biggest problem.

"So, how was your first day?" Darren asked him at dinner.

"It was... interesting," Alexander diplomatically responded. Truth be told, it was also terrifying.

Chapter Text

Alexander had always liked group projects, but the fondness for them had been draining away with every minute he spent sitting awkwardly in Darren's carriage with Andy after class the next day. They weren't even talking to each other, they just shot each other annoyed glances every so often. Alexander did not believe that Andy was a bad person, but they had certainly got off to a rough start. In his eyes, he could see an emotion he couldn't place. Was it resentment? Jealousy? Hurt pride? He couldn't say with certainty, but it clearly had to do something with his age. Andy clearly looked down on him for being younger, maybe even thought he was privileged, and probably rightfully so. He had been the youngest student ever to enroll, and only by recommendation from the king and queen, which had only been possible because he knew Laura through Felix. But what choice did he have? Alexander didn't want to admit it, but he knew he didn't have the advantage of time. He had to study in Falmar and then Belmont young, because it was likely his father would not be around much longer. He had looked like he was ready to depart from the day their mother had died. Andy really didn't have to judge him that harshly for something he had no choice in.

When they arrived at Darren's estate, they went straight to the library to start working on the assignment. They both wanted to have it done as quickly as possible, if only so they never had to speak again. The butler entered soon after and asked if they wanted anything to drink. Andy asked for coffee, and since they apparently did not have orange juice in Falmar, which was everywhere in Aurion, Alexander settled for tea. With the butler gone again, they began to look at the tactical problem they would have to solve. It was about the situation Gerard found himself in after the long siege of Damasna. The city had come under their control, but the Magnos army now threatened to partially encircle them by advancing north rapidly to cut off their routes to Falmar in the west, with secondary attacks coming from Gaspard in the east and Grivia in the south. Moving out with the full army meant abandoning a highly strategic city that had cost a lot to capture, but moving out with only part of the army left both groups vulnerable to surprise assaults by the larger Magnos army. A footman briefly entered the room to give them their drinks before they moved on to looking at a map of where the various segments of the Magnos Army were deployed, as well as the strength of the Falmar army. It would be a complex puzzle to solve, that much was certain.

Alexander pondered the problem for a while, until a potential solution came to him.

"Wouldn't it be wise to move out the whole army from Damasna and split it in half, with one half kicking Magnos' remaining garrison in the east in Gaspard, with the other half going south to secure Grivia, and with it, the border with Magnos proper, which is easily defendable. That would leave the Magnos army in Aurion stranded with no supply or hope of reinforcements."

"And what then?" Andy scoffed, "they're still way stronger than the Falmar army, and they'll easily defeat them when split up, not to mention that they could just huddle up in Damasna in the meantime, or take Artos and cut off the route to Falmar. No, what we need to do is rapidly move out half of the army towards the Magnos army on both sides of the main river, and then perform a pincer attack from both sides towards the river, trapping the Magnos army."

Alexander acknowledged that his plan was just a mere fleeting idea, and that Andy's concerns were legitimate, as was the plan he suggested. It still disappointed him that he didn't manage to come up with a better suggestion himself. But still, he was young and new to this whole thing, so he had plenty of time to learn.

They worked together for the rest of the day to iron out the details of Andy's idea, and when Andy had left to go home and Alexander was in his room that night to work out the final details, he found himself feeling conflicted. There were major flaws in Andy's plan, such as the security of the flanks and the morale among the Magnos army, and he wasn't sure if he'd be able to remedy them in time. His mind flickered back to his own idea, which did not have the flaws he was struggling with. Andy had made some good points, but perhaps they could be looked deeper into. Would it be terribly cruel to go with his own idea for the assignment, even if it could be possibly be a better one? He supposed he would find out, as Alexander turned on the oil lamp and placed it on his desk as he sat down and began detailing out his ideas. As it turned out, the Falmar army, especially when split up, was many times faster than the Magnos army, filled with heavy armored knights and cavaliers, and so could easily secure the south and east of Aurion before Magnos would have time to take Damasna or Artos, with enough time for the Falmar army to regroup and prepare for a decisive strike against the cut-off Magnos army. Alexander cheerfully jumped from his seat upon finishing the assignment.

The cheerful mood quickly vanished the next day as Alexander arrived at the academy. He had to explain to Andy that he had changed their plan for the assignment without his consent, and considering they already didn't get along, this would only make him dislike Alexander more.

"There you are, kid. Do you have the assignment?" Andy asked, approaching him with curiosity.

Alexander nodded, "but I ended going with my plan instead, I found too many flaws, and I was abl-"

What?!" Andy exclaimed, "you must be daft! We'll be kicked out if we hand in that plan of yours!" Andy was fuming, and Alexander was sure he would kill him. "If this ruins things, it'll be your fault, and you won't forget it!"

Alexander nervously nodded as he tried his best to hold back the urge to run away and hide as they made their way to the classroom, where Mr Heathward had joined the professor to look at the assignments. His hands were shaking as they approached the two professors and handed in the assignment.

"Alexander did everything without telling me, as he didn't find my ideas good enough," Andy clarified, and Alexander was ready to collapse on the floor. Mr Heathward and the professor looked over the assignment without commenting in Andy's words, and he saw Mr Heathward's eyes wide.

"Why, this is a genius plan!" he exclaimed, "I daresay even the best I have ever seen. Well done, Mr Gaspard. You clearly have great potential, reminiscent of that of Gerard himself. My compliments." At first, Alexander felt his heart drop, before a wide smile appeared on his face along with a great sense of pride. He really was made for this. This was his destiny. He looked over and saw Andy's shocked face, and it only made him feel prouder.

"I should warn you, however, that cooperation is vital, even if there is disagreement or there are personal feelings involved. I believe it will be beneficial if you and Mr Whitewood permanently pair up and receive lessons directly from me at the highest level, so you may learn from each other too."

"What?!" Alexander and Andy shouted in unison. Oh well, not everything could be perfect.

Chapter Text

A chilly breeze blew through Abigail's hair as she said her goodbyes to the final few teachers that had remained at Royale High as they departed for their well-earned winter vacation. Now that the school was completely empty, it was time for her to go home too. She passed through the gates and locked them behind her, sealing the building off from the rest of the world for the next two weeks. She threw a scarf around her neck and was ready to depart towards Earth when the call of her name, or rather, the nickname only a select few called her by, caught her attention and stopped her in her tracks.

"Abi!"

Abigail looked at the road ahead and saw her two oldest and closest friends she had known since she was a little girl, Samson and Bianca, making their way to her. She recalled that she had not had time to speak to them since the school year had begun due to their busy jobs, and so she was elated to see them.

"Samson, Bianca, how wonderful to see you!" she spoke as she approached them.

"Oh, we've been well. We knew your vacation had just started, and so we were wondering if you'd like to go to the teahouse in Earth to catch up?" Samson asked.

Abigail did not have to think twice; a chance to catch up with her friends was one she would eagerly take.

"I would very much love that."

As it turned out, Abigail's life hadn't been the only one with major changes, as Samson had become a father to a sweet little girl, and Bianca and her boyfriend had moved to Diamond Beach, where, according to her, the housing was much more affordable and spacious, and she had a lovely view of the ocean. Sitting at the teahouse with her friends, catching up on their lives made Abigail feel like it was just like old times.

"But what about you, Abi? We don't see you for half a year, and suddenly we read in the papers that you're in charge of Royale High now!" Bianca said.

Abigail laughed heartily at her comment, realizing how odd it must have seemed from their perspective to read about their friend's involvement in major Iolan history.

"The short explanation is that after King Richard and Principal Mary took over the school, I fled with some of the students, and we made a plan to save everyone. When it was all over, Her Majesty offered me the position of principal herself, and I accepted."

"We both figured you had been part of the whole scandal, but I had no idea you'd actually escaped and helped save the continent! Gosh, Abi, you're like an actual hero!" Samson exclaimed.

"It really wasn't like that, I just stayed behind in the safety of the Gaspard residence in Diamond Beach to pray with Sister Edith and Father Elliot to stop the Saint's Wrath from being enacted. It was the students and the other royals who stopped Richard and Mary."

"Well, you're still principal now, aren't you? That has to count for something," Samson reasoned, and Abigail found it hard to disagree, so she just nodded.

"I suppose your new position means you'll be too busy to take a vacation?" Bianca informed, "Samson and I met yesterday, and we had the idea of going on a cruise around Amestou with the three of us, just like old times."

"I thought Divinian ships weren't allowed in Falmarian waters because of the Sunset Island dispute?" Abigail asked.

"The tensions around that have cooled a lot over the decades. I think the Falmarians realized that their crazy dreams of taxing the continental trade are never going to come to fruition, because the ban hasn't been enforced for years."

"I only have one matter to take care of, so I would love to come along! A tropical vacation is just what I need."

"Perfect!" Samson said, "we can meet up at the main market square at 8 in the morning tomorrow, and then we can go to Diamond Beach together and meet up with Bianca at the cruise terminal."

Thankfully, the cruise terminal wasn't too busy, as during the winters Fayiron was a more popular destination, with its many activities in the snow and on the ice. They had managed to reach the ship with only a few mishaps, as Abigail had nearly forgotten her work bag and Bianca had nearly boarded a ship headed towards Brightwald. The three of them quickly boarded the ship and brought their luggage to their rooms before heading above deck to bathe in the sun. There was still a cold breeze in the air, but it would soon be replaced by the warm air of the Amestou Archipelago. Sitting in her chair with the ocean ahead of her, Abigail felt young again, like she was still living as a student in an apartment with her two best friends, going to the less orderly taverns of Earth every weekend to drink and dance to the music. None of them were wild and young anymore, but this island cruise felt like an opportunity for Abigail to prove to herself that she had not become boring since taking up the mantle of principal.

She then realized the boat ride was the perfect opportunity to get started on her schoolwork. She took out her calendar and began to circle all the important dates, fully focused.

"Abi, can you hear me?" Samson called out, and Abigail looked up at the confused looks on the faces of her friends.

"What are you doing?" Bianca inquired.

"Well, normally there is a midsummer ball after the final exams for the students to celebrate before their graduation," Abigail began to explain, "but this year, Crown Princess Audrey of Brightwald will have her debutante ball around the same time, so she asked me if the whole school could attend the debutante ball instead of having the midsummer ball. I'm trying to see if it can fit into the schedule and if it can be managed with the school budget."

"Oh, you should absolutely do that. A giant party in Caltara sounds like a lot of fun!" Bianca said.

Abigail laughed heartily.

"A debutante ball is much more refined, I'm afraid. It's one of the most high-profile and proper events that exist, nearly on par with coronations and royal weddings. It's hardly a party like we're used to."

"I suppose that's only right," Samson responded, "not every party can be like the one where Bianca was so drunk she thought you were her boyfriend and tried to kiss you."

"You promised you'd never bring that up again!"

"Was that before or after you had mistaken me for your great-grandmother?" Abigail asked Samson in return, and the three of them laughed at their shared memories. Abigail really needed a fun vacation with her friends to catch up and to remind her that she had not let her new position get to her head and that she was still the same person as before. She did, however, need to make sure the debutante ball question was settled before the end of the vacation.

Chapter Text

After a quiet, relaxing cruise, the ship docked at the main island of the archipelago the next morning, and Abigail and her friends made their way towards the city of Lano, the capital of the islands. Even though they were part of Falmar, they enjoyed a rather high degree of autonomy, and a lot of affairs of the archipelago were run from Lano rather than Kolnovo. As they entered the streets of the vibrant city, Abigail really appreciated how lovely it was that the islands had tropical weather year-round, which allowed for an environment not seen anywhere else in Iola. She had taught about it many times in her geography classes, of course, but it was quite another thing to experience it firsthand. The palm trees, bright flowers, lush greenery, and unique wildlife could hardly be done justice by the drawings in the books the students read. With the sun shining brightly in the sky and the gentle tropical breeze touching her skin, Abigail really felt herself immersed in the atmosphere of the islands, even if the debutante ball matter lurked in the back of her mind.

"I'm glad we could go now, because the islands are becoming a more popular holiday destination every year since the taxation for foreign ships went down and the Sunset Island dispute tensions diffused," Bianca said, "if we'd have come here five years from now, the place would be filled with tourists, and they'd ruin the authentic feel of Lano."

"I think we're in luck if we want to experience the authentic city feeling, as there's a market today," Abigail responded, pointing to a nearby sign.

"That's lovely! I could buy some gifts for my wife and the little one!"

"Oh, that's a great idea, Samson! I could get something for my boyfriend too."

Abigail couldn't resist a smile. Even though she had not yet found the right person for her, it was nice to see her friends so happy with their significant others. She could always get something for herself, or perhaps even something for the school. The former geography teacher in her also felt the urge to look for some rocks native to the islands to bring back and display in the classroom.

As they traversed the many market stalls, Samson became absolutely obsessed with the tropical flowers, and he bought some necklaces and bouquets of them. What a newborn girl would do with that, Abigail had no idea, but she was amused nonetheless. Bianca settled on some seashell decorations, and Abigail made the adventurous choice to try coconut milk, which was extremely tasty. She also bought some untouched seashells and rocks, much to the amusement of her friends. After finishing their tour of the market, they enjoyed their lunch at an outdoor café that had a view over the whole city and its beautiful architecture. Besides the lighthouse towering above the city, Abigail was very impressed by the headquarters of the Amestou fleet, one half of Falmar's grand and renowned navy. The building was grand and imposing, no doubt to remind all who sailed by of Falmar's unparalleled naval strength. Abigail also figured it stood out more because there were no nearby palaces or estates to outdo its grandness.

After spending the afternoon looking at other shops, the three of them entered a tavern where there was a music performance going on, something they all enjoyed immensely. While Samson and Bianca went to the bar to get drinks, Abigail stayed at their table and took out her work things to hopefully solve the debutante ball question. While she had concluded that it would not interfere with the graduation date or the final exams, the budget was her main concern. The costs for the debutante ball would be way higher than those of the midsummer ball, with the great number of carriages needed for transport to Diamond Beach and the ferry ride from there to Caltara. That was only half of the problem, though, as there was also the dress code to consider. Unlike the midsummer ball, a debutante ball required the most formal of attire, something that she could not expect the students to pay for but was also not available in the school collection. Abigail already had doubts about whether the budget would be able to cover the expected expenses, and a quick calculation only confirmed this fear.

"Are you at this again, Abi?" Bianca asked. Abigail looked up at her two friends, who had returned with the drinks and concerned looks on their faces.

"I have no choice, I'm afraid," Abigail responded as she took her drink, "I have to settle this matter before the end of my vacation."

Samson sat down and looked at Abigail's messy calculations for the budget.

"Things were never this urgent when you were just a teacher..."

"Back then, the most difficult thing I had to do was make tests, which didn't need much preparation. Now I have a whole school depending on me, and my decisions impact everyone there," Abigail looked at her friends' concerned faces, "oh, I'm sorry. I'm ruining the whole vacation with this."

"Of course not," Samson reassured her, "we just need to get used to your change in position and the work that comes with that responsibility."

Bianca nodded, "I feel the same. How about Samson and I go to dance and give you some space for your work?"

"Would you? Thank you, both of you. That means a lot."

With her thoughts once again occupied by the budgeting for the debutante ball, Abigail tried to calculate if she could use some of her own income to cover the expenses. Her salary had increased significantly since becoming principal, and as she had always been a bit frugal since becoming a teacher, she had some comfortable savings set aside. After doing the calculations, however, she concluded that she would not be able to pay for everything herself either. The costs were simply too high. It really frustrated her that it had proven so difficult to arrange this trip, as it seemed like the perfect opportunity for the students to put all their lessons into practice and truly experience everything they had studied for. It would also be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many of the students, with similar events being so rare and exclusive, not to mention that it would be a wonderful treat for a group of students who had a more difficult year than any other group before them. Abigail was determined to find a way to make it work.

Chapter Text

Abigail let out a loud sigh at the sight in front of her. A few days had passed, and there was still no solution in sight for the debutante ball matter. She was now sitting on a terrace on a cliff by the beach, where she could see Samson and Bianca playing volleyball in the water, while she was pondering possible cuts in the school budget. A feeling of melancholy came over her. She had gladly accepted the position of principal when it was offered to her, eager to help her dear students out on a level she could not before, but she had not been prepared for situations like the one she had found herself in. Her friends probably thought she'd become awfully full of herself in her new position, given how little time she'd been able to spend with them. In previous years, the three of them would be running on just a few hours of sleep for a whole week with how much they were doing, but now... The fear that her friends could believe that she thought herself too good for them gnawed away at her, and all because of a matter of school finances!

"Still no solution?" Samson inquired when her two friends returned from the beach to check up on her. Abigail shook her head in response, waves of guilt hitting her upon seeing her friends' saddened expressions.

"I'm so sorry for getting so caught up in this. I'm sure you must feel like I think myself too important to spend time with you..."

Upon hearing those words, her friends immediately sat down with smiles on their faces.

"Oh, Abi, we would never think that of you!" Bianca said, "we both understand that your new position means you have more responsibilities, too."

"And just because you're a 'Your Magnificence' now doesn't mean you're not still our dear friend," Samson added.
Abigail reached out to embrace her friends. "Thank you both so much... I really do want to have fun with you, but the budget situation is really important to me. I want the students to have this opportunity to show all they've learned."

"And that only goes to show how much of a heart of gold you have," Bianca said.

"We've been talking about it too, Bianca and I, and we want to help you."

Abigail's eyes widened in surprise before she smiled brightly at the duo.

"Thank you so much. I really do love you two."

Abigail couldn't be more lucky to have Samson and Bianca in her life. They really were the most wonderful friends... The two of them immediately helped her write down a list of potential options for creating enough money before beginning to cross off the ones that weren't viable options or would take too much time, quickly leading to the list being empty again. It was past dinnertime when Samson had an idea.

"Why can't we just ask Her Majesty for the money we need? You've met her, haven't you, Abi? Maybe you could show her how wonderful of an opportunity this is and how much the students suffered because of Richard and Mary. Our queen never struck me as very frugal when it came to helping others. It's worth a try, at least."

"I hadn't thought of that!" Abigail responded, "you're right, I doubt Queen Madelyn would refuse such a request. I could write her a letter as soon as we are back in Divinia."

"Well, isn't that wonderful? We've finally found a solution! We should celebrate!" Bianca suggested,

"You're absolutely right. I could really use a brandy after all that hard work..."

With the debutante ball matter finally resolved, Abigail could finally enjoy her vacation without any worries on her mind, something she was in desperate need of. Things were just like old times, with the three of them going to the popular taverns in the evenings to have a fun time, partying like they were still students sharing an apartment together. Still, they also now had a more fine eye for things that would have probably been a bit boring to them in those days, like admiring the beautiful architecture, the delicious cuisine, the dreamy beaches, and the soothing music. Perhaps best of all were the New Year's celebrations, with the stunning fireworks and creative entertainment. Celebrating the new year with her friends once again reminded her of how lucky she was that they were always there for each other no matter what, something she hoped would stay true for many years to come.

After arriving back on the mainland in Diamond Beach, the three of them parted ways, and Bianca and Samson wished her both good luck with the rest of the school year, and they promised to meet again once it was over. Abigail immediately began writing her letter when she had unpacked, trying her best to win over Queen Madelyn. A reply followed within a few days, and she was relieved to see the required money accompanying it. She immediately began preparations for the debutante ball and was ecstatic to see the students' reaction to the news once they returned from their vacation. Abigail quickly prepared an anonymous form to hand over to the student council for the students to fill in, so she would know how many of them needed the appropriate attire and what kind they wanted, before immediately heading towards the closest carriage service to book the amount she needed for everyone, followed by a trip towards Diamond Beach for the ferry tickets they'd need. With everything prepared, Abigail was ready to sit down in her house and spend the last two days of her vacation resting when the sound of knocking at her front door stopped her. She opened it and saw that a package had been delivered. She looked at the card that was attached.

Here's a present from us for the best principal Iola has ever seen. Go easy on the brandy in Caltara, or they'll probably fire you. Kisses from S & B.

Abigail snickered loudly as she put the card from her friends aside and opened the package. Inside was a beautiful white dress with contrasting black gloves, clearly meant for the debutante ball. Abigail held it in front of her as she silently thanked her two friends for being the best people on the whole continent. 

Chapter Text

"Honestly, I really don't get this school sometimes. They keep insisting that everyone is equal while we're here, but then they make me curtsy in front of Drake, since he's technically a king and outranks me!" Amaya complained loudly when she was far enough from the etiquette classroom. Isabella had to resist a chuckle at her frivolous complaint, and was glad to see Eleanor and Audrey looked much the same.

"You only have to curtsy for Drake and Elizabeth, what's there to complain about?" Eleanor asked, "poor Isabella had to curtsy to everyone."

"Really, I don't mind. I live at court in Brightwald, I'm used to it," Isabella reassured before Amaya could get defensive.

As usual, any damage control Isabella tried to do was immediately ended by Audrey.

"That's the first time you've acknowledged Drake as king. Have you gone soft on your prickly cousin?" she asked, eyeing Amaya closely.

"It's impressive how you always find an opportunity to look for a scandal," Amaya responded, glaring at Audrey.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"Must have said it wrong."

Isabella and Eleanor glanced at each other and snickered as the other two girls argued.

With their classes finished for the day, the four of them quickly made their way to their dorm and sat down in their shared living room to do their homework together. Isabella had found that working together made it a lot easier, not to mention more enjoyable, even if Audrey and Amaya had a habit of clashing on every subject, with Audrey always keeping her cool and Amaya... well, not so much.

"I just had a wonderful idea!" Eleanor exclaimed when they were nearly done, "how about we visit the tea house in Earth after we finish? We haven't had a moment to spend time together since coming back from our winter vacation."

"Oh, not me, I'm afraid. I have after-school activities today," Isabella said, "but don't let that stop you three. I don't mind."

She really didn't, and she was glad she had sports instead, as she never liked those refined and proper tea houses. She just felt so out of place and uncomfortable there, especially with her friends. Audrey and Amaya were the heirs to two kingdoms, and Eleanor was the heir to a highly respected Marquess, while she was just 'the commoner'. Her friends didn't care about their difference in station, but it was so hard to ignore at those places. She only avoided it at the court in Caltara because she and Audrey were inseparable, and Audrey was far from the ideal princess when it came to her behavior, while Isabella was the only one with any chance of reigning it in.

"Are you sure? We can always just go some other time..." Amaya suggested.

"Let's not pressure Isabella when she insists it's alright," Audrey cut in before Isabella could answer. Isabella raised an eyebrow in response. That wasn't like Audrey at all, she always wanted her along with whatever they did. She was clearly trying to hide something from her, which usually meant she had once again underestimated the consequences of her gossiping habits. Isabella knew there was no stopping it, and she quietly braced herself for the storm that would no doubt follow in the next few days. Eleanor and Amaya seemed to accept Audrey's words, and the four of them quickly finished their homework before all heading into their respective rooms to change, Isabella for sports and the other girls for the tea house. Isabella looked like she came from a different planet when the four of them came out of their rooms. The three girls were wearing elegant dresses, complimented by gloves, hats, and parasols, while Isabella was wearing a loose shirt and baggy pants. The others didn't seem to mind, however, and they quickly parted ways.

Participating in sports activities after school always made Isabella feel at peace. It really allowed her to forget the troubles being a commoner at a school for people from high society brought with it, and especially the stress Audrey's gossiping habits brought with them. Even if it was a lot of work, she still cared about Audrey. They were still best friends, even if she drove her mad sometimes. Perhaps because she drove her mad sometimes.

When she made her way back to her dorm after taking a bath to wash the sweat away, Isabella noticed a paper from the student council for the students to apply for extra tuition for the final exams. It dawned on her just how fast the school year was going and that in a few months, they would be doing their final exams. The thought made her realize she would have to start thinking about her future beyond Royale High. As a child, she had wanted to join the military, and hoped to one day become one of the famed Three Generals of Brightwald, but now that seemed unrealistic. For better or worse, her life had become so intertwined with Audrey's that anything that would separate them seemed unthinkable. She would likely have to aspire for some sort of position at court beyond just being a friend to the Crown Princess and future queen—something with actual substance. What that was supposed to be, she had no idea. In truth, she could hardly name any positions at court that weren't those of servants.

When she entered the dorm, she noticed that the others had already returned, as they were chatting and laughing in their living room. For a second, Isabella wished she had gone along, but then she remembered she had no clothes that came close to matching those of the girls. She knew Eleanor would gladly make them for her without any cost, but Audrey would not be able to keep that to herself, and Isabella didn't want the whole school to know she had to rely on charity.

"How was the tea party?" Isabella asked as she closed the door behind her.

"It was a lot of fun, but it didn't feel complete without you," Eleanor responded, the kindhearted soul that she was.

"Well, it certainly made me realize I better enjoy every moment I have left before I turn 18..." Amaya cryptically added, confusing Isabella. Was she referring to Audrey's upcoming 18th birthday? What did that have to do with tea houses?

"Amaya, I need your help with a dress I'm making. Could you come with me to my room?"

"I don't know anything about fashion, Eleanor."

Eleanor shot Amaya a knowing glare, and Isabella felt utterly lost.

"Oh," Amaya said, "of course." The two girls stood up and left for Eleanor's room, and Isabella began to suspect it was a deliberate attempt to have her alone with Audrey, which could only mean one thing. Isabella braced herself for the scandal that would no doubt follow.

"Audrey, is there something I need to know?"

Audrey's eyes widened, "oh, no, this isn't what you think! Unless you think me suspecting that Amaya is warming up to Drake is a huge scandal. I haven't told anyone, I swear!"

Yet, Isabella added in her head.

"Then what is this about?"

"Well, you know how I'll be turning 18 soon, right?"

"Of course I know! Do you think I would forget my best friend's birthday?"

"Oh, I wasn't suspecting you'd forget," Audrey reassured her, "but since I'll become an adult, it's a bigger birthday than usual. As is custom when a member of the royal family turns 18, daddy will be moving the annual debutante ball to my birthday to allow me to debut into society on the day."

Isabella knew all about this, as Audrey had talked of nothing else since her 17th birthday. The debutante ball had been a dream of hers since she'd attended as a child with her father.

"After the debutante ball, I'll also get my own household as I begin my royal duties. I've already chosen a lady's maid and most of my ladies-in-waiting, but I... well, I was hoping that, as my best friend, you'd want to become one of my ladies too."

Isabella nearly fainted. This was absolutely not what she had expected to happen.

Chapter Text

Isabella's mouth was wide open in shock as Audrey looked at her in amusement.

"I knew you'd be surprised, but I didn't think you'd be this surprised. I understand you'll need some time to consider, but I really hope you'll accept. It would mean a lot to me."

Audrey stood up and left for her room, leaving Isabella behind. She let out a sigh of relief, as she had no idea how to respond. It hurt her to know that her first instinct had been to refuse if Audrey hadn't left. She didn't feel like a lady-in-waiting was something for her at all, it just didn't sound right. Then again, she had no idea what a lady-in-waiting actually did. She definitely needed to know more about the position first, and maybe it would change her mind. She could also use a good night's sleep, as she was still exhausted from the sports she'd done.

When she woke up the next morning, Isabella noticed she was later than usual. She'd been awake until late thinking about Audrey's offer. She was still pretty unsure about it, truth be told. The other girls were already at breakfast, so Isabella hurried down to the cafeteria on her own. She quickly spotted her dormmates sitting with some of her other classmates.

"Good morning!" Anna greeted her, "Audrey was just telling us about her household for after her graduation."

Of course she was. Audrey couldn't keep anything to herself. Isabella sat down with a smile.

"It's something you'll have to think about carefully," Elizabeth warned, "your ladies and your maid need to be people you absolutely trust." Clearly, she was speaking from experience, with her own father's betrayal still a fresh memory.

"Have you sorted out your household yet, Elizabeth?" Laura inquired.

She nodded, "during the winter break, just before I turned 18. I won't have time when I come home after graduation, what with all the planning for the coronation coming up."

In a way, Isabella was glad she did not have to worry about coronations and households. It all seemed extremely stressful.

"I can't wait to select my household, it seems like a lot of fun," Astrid chimed in.

"Oh, I quite agree," Laura said, "I think it's important to have the dignity of an entourage and a lady's maid of my own."

"Of course you do," Glen commented.

"I don't see the whole fuss, to be honest. All I'm entitled to is a valet when I turn 18," Felix remarked.

"For now," Levi teased.

"Stop! I don't want to hear talk of weddings at the table!" Amaya complained.

Isabella almost wanted to comment that she was not entitled to any servants or ladies, but she didn't want to sour the mood.

"Will you receive your household here at school, Audrey? Since you said you've already chosen them," Eleanor asked.

"Yes, they're arriving this afternoon for proper introductions in my dorm. I know them all, but most of them don't really know each other that well. They were very excited to come visit and see some of Earth in the process."

Another reason for Isabella to be hesitant. She didn't know any of the other girls Audrey had selected, and there was a chance they wouldn't like her.

"Oh, does that mean the three of us are banished from the dorm for the afternoon?" Amaya asked, irritation clear in her voice.

"No, Isabella will be there too. She's a potential lady-in-waiting, too."

Despite being her best friend, Isabella wanted to strangle Audrey at that moment.

"You mean to have a commoner as a lady?!" Laura exclaimed in horror.

"Why, is there something wrong with it?" Astrid asked.

"It would be an unprecedented break in tradition, and many noble women at court would be offended that a commoner would be chosen above them in Falmar. I imagine it must be worse in Brightwald, with more noble families to choose from. You would have a national scandal on your hands before you could even have your debutante ball!"

That did not help to reassure Isabella at all.

"Nonsense! My mother has commoners in her household too, and nobody has ever batted an eye about it. My mother was a performer from Belmont before she became queen, and she is well-beloved by the people. Don't let some silly traditions stop you from surrounding yourself with friends, Audrey," Elizabeth argued. Laura scoffed in response, but did not comment further.

Thankfully, the conversation steered in a different direction after that, and the matter didn't come up again for the rest of the day. Isabella sat through her classes next to Audrey, feeling nervous about the meeting that afternoon and worried that the other ladies would be of the same mind as Laura. At least with Laura, it was clear she had warned Audrey to protect Isabella from scorn, even if it came out rather snobbish, but Audrey's ladies would almost certainly not have her best interests at heart. Isabella went for a quick run after classes to clear her head before changing into her most respectable clothes and returning to their living room. The dorm was still empty, except for an excited Audrey.

"Am I the first one here?" she asked.

Audrey nodded, "the others will be here any moment.

As if summoned by her words, there was a knock on the door. Audrey opened it and six girls their age walked in, none of whom Isabella knew. Her friend greeted them with excitement as they all sat down. Audrey handled the introductions: first up was Susan, who was Marchioness of Accora in her own right since the passing of her mother, followed by Lady Harriet, daughter of the Duke of Giraldi, who would serve as Mistress of the Robes, the most important lady-in-waiting; Lady Eileen, daughter of the Countess of Cellini; Lady Sybil, daughter of Viscount Longo; Lady Rose, daughter of Baron Valier; and finally, to Isabella's relief, Kate Vasari, another commoner who was to be Audrey's lady's maid.

"Now that we're all here, I thought it would be a good idea to first go over everything that will be expected of each position and practice the formation of the entourage," Audrey explained, handing everyone a book on the various positions at a royal court. As Isabella read through the pages on ladies-in-waiting she felt like she was pretending to be something she wasn't. She did like the idea of following behind Audrey at all times, but not at all managing her correspondence and schedule, always matching her outfits, keeping up with court gossip (Audrey had no doubt added this detail herself), and helping her plan charity events. That was not the sort of person Isabella was, she didn't want to feel like she was some sort of accessory. She accidentally flipped a page further than was required and ended up on the chapter about the personal guard. That caught her attention way more than any of the details on dresses and perfumes.

Sadly, her attention was forced back to the group as Audrey wanted to practice their formation. Like many things regarding etiquette, it was strictly determined by precedence, and Isabella found her usual place at the back next to Lady Rose, only in front of Kate. She felt like she was an entertainer, not a part of the household of Brightwald's future queen. Thankfully, the whole ordeal was over after that, and the other girls left to get settled at the inn in Earth.

"Well, what did you think?" Audrey asked when they were alone, "do you want to be my lady-in-waiting?"

Isabella's head was screaming for her to refuse, but Audrey's hopeful gaze made her hesitate. She felt like she could hardly refuse her best friend and princess, even if she didn't like it, so she went against her better judgment and accepted.

Chapter Text

The next morning was a Saturday, but Isabella still felt like she had been traveling through the mountains of Mistlyn on foot for three days in a row, having barely slept for the second night in a row. She tried her best to conceal the dark circles under her eyes before the group gathered again, but if one of the girls wanted to comment on it, they'd have another thing coming.

"Now, your job will not just entail what the book explained, as you'll also be required to serve as my eyes and ears at court whenever you're not with me. You'll need to gather any important information and gossip you can find, from assassination attempts, to affairs, pregnancies, impending divorces, etcetera. I want to know it all," Audrey explained.

"Are you sure that's wise?" Isabella asked, completely forgetting the presence of the other girls.

"Don't presume to instruct the princess!" Eileen scolded her. Isabella immediately disliked her, as she began to have a feeling Audrey had chosen girls who had just as much of an appetite for gossip as she did.

"It's alright, Eileen, Isabella is my best friend, and I know she has my best interests at heart."

Eileen shot her another glare but backed down.

"You know, I did recently see the Dowager Duchess of Barbato enter the chambers of the Countess of Rosso quite a few times," Sybil began.

"Isn't the countess married?" Rose asked.

"Yes, but her husband is an awful prig, and keeps delaying the divorce proceedings," Audrey explained.

"The poor duchess has been so lonely since the death of her wide, I'm happy for her if she's found new love with the countess, even if she won't be a countess anymore when the divorce is done," Susan added, a sentiment Isabella agreed with.

"By the way, I've heard whispers that the Grand Duke of Farnese is planning to court me once he returns from his history studies in Fayiron," Harriet said.

"Cousin Bertie?! Congratulations, Harriet! I'm sure you'll get along," Audrey responded.

Finally, a name Isabella recognized. Herbert, known by the family as Bertie, was Audrey's cousin, the son of her father's late sister, Princess Alexandra.

"What is a grand duke?" Kate asked. Isabella had wondered the same, but didn't have the courage to ask.

"It's a title that's usually given to younger children of a monarch when they come of age. Bertie's title was given to his mother by my grandmother, and he inherited it."

From there, the conversation steered back towards court gossip, and Isabella zoned out completely, not recognizing any names and not wanting to hear any scandalous slander.

After their meeting concluded, the other girls had gone sightseeing in Earth for the afternoon, leaving Isabella and Audrey behind. Audrey had suggested a walk in the school gardens together, and Isabella had accepted. Isabella felt the dislike towards the position of lady-in-waiting grow with every passing second. She did not want to participate in gossip, she did not want to have to deal with those snobbish friends of Audrey's, and she certainly did not want to be constantly reminded that she was pretending to be something she was not.

"I'm so looking forward to being an adult. We can go to balls together and wear matching dresses, and-"

"I can't do it," Isabella interrupted Audrey, "I'm sorry, Audrey, but I can't."

"Is this about Eileen?" she asked, "because she might be cold at first, but she'll warm up to you soon, I promise!"

"No, it's not that," Isabella replied, irritation seeping into her voice, "I can't be your lady-in-waiting because that's not the kind of person I am. It would be unbearable, not just because I'm a commoner, but also because I would never be happy in that position."

"Isn't being close to me enough?"

"No. I want to be close to you, of course, but I want to do something that's rewarding and that I'm interested in, not spend the rest of my life walking in your shadow being the scandal of the court, judged by everyone."

Audrey seemed in shock for a moment before frowning at Isabella.

"Then why did you accept the position in the first place?" she asked.

"I don't know... I guess I felt like I couldn't refuse such a big honor from a princess."

"How could you say that?!" Audrey suddenly exclaimed. Isabella's eyes widened. She hadn't expected this.

"Are you angry?"

"Yes, I am. I'm angry, because after all these years of us being best friends, you still let our difference in rank get in the way of telling me how you feel!" And with those words shouted out, Audrey turned around and ran off. Isabella took a moment to truly process what she just heard, before running after her to try to mend things. Instead of finding Audrey, however, she nearly bumped into Elizabeth.

"Oh, dear, you look quite upset. What happened?" she asked. Before she knew it, Isabella told her everything.

"I see... that's quite the predicament you've found yourself in. You clearly should have voiced your opinion on the matter sooner, but it's also obvious Audrey was pressuring you to choose in her favor rather than to do what was best for both of you."

"I haven't seen her this upset since her governess left when she was twelve. She spoiled her so much, she threw a tantrum whenever she didn't get what she wanted," Isabella remarked with a dry chuckle.

"Well, I don't think this is a tantrum. Audrey is clearly upset because she cares very deeply about you, and fears losing you after she settles into her royal duties if you're not in her household. I would suggest waiting for her to calm down before you try talking to her again."

"Thank you, Elizabeth. I really needed to near that."

Like many others, she hadn't been sure when Elizabeth wanted to become student council president, weary of her father's actions against them, but now she perfectly understood why she had won the position. She really cared about making things right, and she knew just how to help everyone. Thanks to her, she knew how to confront Audrey.

When Isabella returned to her dorm, she noticed Audrey's room had been locked, so she sat down in the living room to wait. There, the book they'd read with the other ladies once again caught her eye. She found herself once again returned to the chapter on Audrey's personal guard, the only one that had caught her attention before. Then, she suddenly had an amazing idea. Isabella jumped up and began knocking on Audrey's door.

"Audrey, please open up, we have to talk!"

She heard some shuffling inside, before the lock turned and Audrey opened up.

"Oh, Isabella, I'm so sorry! I've been so selfish..." she immediately said.

"I'm sorry too. I should have told you sooner how I felt, but I just had an idea on how to solve this!" Isabella pulled Audrey out of her room, and towards the book.

"Look, the book says you'll also be entitled to a personal guard when you become an adult. I could be its commander. I've always wanted to go into the military, and this is the perfect option, as we'll still see each other every day!"

"That's a great idea! I'll write to daddy immediately to suggest it, I'm sure he won't refuse," she replied, "oh, Isabella, this is amazing!"

"So... does that mean we're friends again?"

"Of course we are!"

Chapter Text

Elliot approached the door ahead of him with a sense of dread. He had been urgently summoned by Archbishop Hayes with no reason given, and that alone was enough to terrify him. He had not done anything that could be seen as a cause for an urgent summons, and so he was left to wonder all the possible reasons on the way to the archbishop's office. After taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door and waited for permission to enter, which was swiftly given.

"Your Eminence," Elliot greeted his superior with a small bow before walking further inside. Hayes was sitting behind his desk, his usual stern expression adorning his face.

"Cardinal Elliot," he acknowledged him with a small nod, "please close the door before you seat yourself."

Elliot obeyed without question, his heart pounding loud enough for the archbishop to possibly hear.

"I have summoned you here on a grave matter that requires your assistance. Last night, the holy tapestry of Saint Divinia, an item of great value, as you well know, vanished from its resting place in the Saint's Tower. We believe it to have been stolen, and the prime suspect is a high ranking church member under your jurisdiction, namely Bishop Brigid of Fantasia."

Elliot was shocked at the accusation, but tried his best to not show it.

"I see. That is an unfortunate predicament."

"The bishop has been placed under arrest here in the capital, and will not see anybody for the time being. I believe I do not have to remind you that stealing an artifact of the Saint herself is considered treason, punishable by life in prison."

"Of course not, Your Eminence."

"I want you to launch an investigation tomorrow to inspect the scene of the crime and to question the bishop, so the artifact may be returned."

"It shall be done, Your Eminence."

In the solemn silence that the Saint's cathedral provided in the late hours of the day before the evening service, Edith always felt at peace when lighting the many candles of the grand chandeliers. She always worked alone, glad of the small moment of calm between the many hectic hours of church work. When her brother entered the cathedral, however, Edith knew that today would not be peaceful. She could see immediately that the meeting with the archbishop had been anything but pleasant, as was sadly to be expected.

"How did the meeting with the archbishop go?"

"Not here," Elliot merely replied, and she knew enough. She laid down her candlesticks and followed her brother to the backroom, where the acoustics would ensure they would not be heard on the other side of the city.

"The tapestry of Saint Divinia has gone missing, and Hayes has put Brigid under arrest as the prime suspect. I am to lead the investigation," Elliot explained.

Edith let out a gasp before covering her mouth.

"Brigid would never do such a thing!"

"I know, but we shall have to prove it regardless."

"It's preposterous! You don't think it's because she-"

"Do not speak of it, sister. You never know who might be listening," Elliot warned. Edith scowled. She hated not being able to speak freely, she hated that Brigid had been caught up in something like theft, and she hated having her false sense of peace shattered.

"We have to prove Brigid's innocence, or she will be in prison for the rest of her life!"

"That is why I will do everything in my power to use the investigation to prevent that from happening," her brother tried to reassure her. It didn't help.

"What can I do to help?"

"I don't know yet, but I will think of something. For now, we will have to wait until tomorrow."

Edith nodded, and her brother left her alone again. Her sense of peace did not return as she lit the remaining candles. She could not believe something like this could have happened. She had known Brigid since they were children, and she knew for certain Brigid would never steal anything. That meant that nothing could be found that would prove Brigid was guilty. At least, Edith hoped as much.

Thankfully for Elliot, Brigid's home wasn't a large one, and he knew it well. Brigid rarely came to Antares, as her position as Bishop of Fantasia Island meant she was hardly ever on the Divinian mainland. Elliot had sent Edith off to do her usual duties so as to not arouse suspicion, but she was prepared to act the moment she received word from him. Elliot grabbed the key from his pocket and turned it in the lock. He was about to open the door when Cardinal Joseph arrived, far away from the territory he had jurisdiction over.

"Good day, Cardinal Elliot. Archbishop Hayes has assigned me to the investigation as well, so the results shall be as... unbiased as possible."

Elliot was not surprised to hear that.

"Of course," he dryly replied, "we must be critical of each other's discoveries and theories to ensure there can be no suspicion of... foul play."

His fellow cardinal scoffed and opened the door, Elliot following behind him into Brigid's house. The two of them went in separate directions, with Joseph heading upstairs and Elliot staying downstairs. He quickly wrote a note for Edith, as her role in the investigation would be different now that Joseph was a part of it. He handed the note to his page, who would discreetly deliver it.

Edith immediately laid down her work on the altar of the cathedral when she saw her brother's page arrive. He handed her a note, and she quickly unfolded it and glanced over the words.

Joseph has joined the investigation, so stay away from us as much as you can. Take the time to look around the Saint's Tower, Hayes is away for the day.
Burn this.

After reading it, Edith used a nearby candle to burn the note before heading off to the tower. Elliot really hadn't needed to remind her to burn the note, they had exchanged notes in secret since they were children. She quietly entered the holy tower, making her way to where the stolen tapestry had hung. When she entered the hallway, she immediately noticed its absence. The one thing that was certain about a tapestry of its size was that taking it without being seen or attracting attention would be nearly impossible, so there had to be clues left behind.

Edith immediately began looking around the hallway for anything that was suspicious, but she realized she didn't really have an eye for finding evidence of theft. She couldn't find anything that could explain the theft, which she hoped would be a sign of Brigid's innocence. Edith was about to leave when she spotted something from the corner of her eye. She knelt down and picked up a few strands of hair from the floor. Red hair. The same color as Brigid's. She couldn't believe it, but it was true. Edith took the hairs with her and left as quickly as she could.

Chapter Text

I found some strands of red hair by the pedestal with the jewels of Queen Meissa, next to the tapestry. I still believe Brigid is innocent.

Burn this.

Elliot watched as Edith's note smoldered in the fires of the closest candle. He could only hope his sister was right about Brigid's innocence, as there were few others with access to the room of the tapestry with red hair. At least now, that piece of evidence would not be found, and there had been no other evidence found in the house so far, to his great relief. Elliot knew that would likely change when he heard Joseph call for him. He made his way to his fellow cardinal and watched as he held up a lock pick made from a hairpin.

"She must have used it to get into the room of the tapestry," Joseph concluded.

Because criminals conveniently left evidence lying around in their bedroom. Elliot was skeptical, but evidence was evidence, so he placed the hairpin in a small box meant for containing the evidence.

"I believe we have searched enough of the house for now, we should take our leave," Elliot suggested, and to his relief, Joseph agreed, suggesting they head towards the scene of the crime.

The room that had contained the tapestry looked quite different now that it was gone. It was hard to miss the empty spot on the wall where it had hung. There was no time to lament the change, though, so the two men immediately began looking around. Elliot took advantage of Joseph's distraction to covertly watch him search around, as he was not convinced he had been able to find the hairpin so easily on his own. He watched as Joseph slowly made his way to roughly the spot where Edith had found the strands of red hair, and saw the cardinal's eyes widen upon noticing their absence.

"What? But that's impossible!" he exclaimed.

"Is something the matter?" Elliot innocently asked, feigning ignorance.

"I-It's nothing. I was merely... mumbling to myself."

Elliot tried his best to suppress a victorious grin as the two of them continued searching for evidence, but found nothing. As the two of them concluded their search for the day and parted ways, Elliot knew there was much to share with his sister.

Edith was not as surprised as she perhaps ought to have been upon learning the details of Elliot's search of the day. If anything, it only strengthened her belief in Brigid's innocence.

"Joseph was clearly looking for the hair strands you took, so someone must have told him in advance that they would be there," Elliot concluded.

Edith nodded.

"Someone is clearly trying to frame Brigid for this."

Edith watched as Elliot reached into his bag and took out a small box, containing the hairpin he had spoken of. He held it up in the light of the fireplace.

"I doubt Brigid would ever leave something like this behind in a place where someone would find it," Elliot remarked.

"That can't even be hers, Brigid doesn't use hairpins. She always wears her hair loose or in a ponytail, anyone who has seen her can come to that conclusion."

"I doubt that will matter. Whoever is trying to frame Brigid has the tapestry, and I can imagine it will soon suddenly appear in her house."

Edith felt her heart sink. She could not let this happen.

"We have to prevent that from happening," Edith said, "I can only think of a few suspects..."

"No," Elliot cut in, "it would be too dangerous for you to take the tapestry. Think of the trouble you would be in if you were caught!"

"Think of what will happen if we don't stop this, Elliot! Brigid will be in prison for the rest of her life, and if they're doing this why I think they are, all we've done will have been for nothing. Besides, we would be betraying a loyal friend. Two of them."

Elliot let out a sigh in frustration. Edith knew he understood what was at stake.

"Very well, I'll allow it. But promise me you will not put yourself in danger."

"I won't disappoint you, brother."

As she sat down in her bedroom, Edith began to draw up a list of potential suspects for the framing of her friend. It was not a long list, but she would need more certainty. She narrowed it down to just the people who were in the capital at this moment, which left with just two. Still, it was not enough. She needed to be absolutely certain. Edith had to find out who had broken into Brigid's house and planted the hairpin. To find that out, Edith would have to find Brigid and question her as soon as she could. Edith decided to do that in the morning, and act as soon as she knew who would be hiding the tapestry. She needed to clear Brigid's good name, she had been her close friend ever since she joined the church as a teenager. Brigid did not deserve a life in prison.

Elliot felt himself admiring his sister's determination to help save Brigid. She had become a grown woman in the past few years, and so he was hardly surprised to see her dive head in into danger and to support him as much as she could. Yet he still worried about her, as it was not without its dangers. Edith had been too young to truly understand the events of '80 that still kept him awake at night, which was why he had always tried to make sure Edith remained invisible, not well-known like he was, because being invisible would be the only way to keep her safe. Brigid's framing only served to confirm this. If she were imprisoned, others would be in danger too. Elliot desperately hoped that could be avoided, but he had to prepare for the scenario regardless, so he sat down to write a letter.

Things have taken a turn for the worse. Brigid has been detained, and we fear it is because they have discovered she has valuable information that they can get out of her if she were imprisoned. Have an escape route ready in case she is convicted. Seek sanctuary outside Divinia if this happens, or all will have been for nothing. We are trying all we can to prove Brigid's innocence, but you should know just as well as me how powerful they are; they take no risks. Stay safe, old friend, and pray that all will be well.

Elliot.

Burn this.

Chapter Text

Edith was relieved to see that Brigid had not been held in some damp, underground prison cell, but instead in a place that could almost pass for a perfectly normal room. Almost. The guards at the door served as a reminder that until Brigid could walk out of the room with her good name restored, she was not safe.

"Halt! No one is allowed to see the prisoner under strict orders from the archbishop," one of the guards said. Edith had been prepared for this and tried to look as innocent as possible.

"I am a cousin of Brigid's," she lied, "my mother sent me here to hand her this," Edith held up a string of beads meant for prayer, "she said that if I didn't, the Saint would judge me, and anyone who stopped me..." Edith tried her best to sound like she was scared of the Saint's wrath, hoping to act on the guards' devotion to their church.

"Very well," the other guard relented, "you may see her, but only for a moment."

Edith tried her best to suppress a triumphant smile.

"Thank you. May the Saint bless you."

"Gullible idiots," Edith remarked after the guards had closed the door behind her. Brigid exclaimed her name and shot up from her bed, running towards her with her arms stretched wide.

"I'm so glad to see you!" Brigid said, "I don't know what they've told you, but I didn't steal the tapestry, I promise!"

"I know. Elliot and I are doing everything we can to prove it," Edith responded as they sat down on the bed.

"I had hoped as much, but it's a relief to have confirmation."

"I don't have much time, so I'm afraid we'll have to catch up another day. Whoever stole the tapestry is trying to frame you, and they have access to your house. They placed a lockpick made from a hairpin and placed it there, and they took strands of your hair and placed it near where the tapestry was on display."

Brigid's face grew pale as her eyes widened.

"That would prove my guilt immediately!"

Edith took Brigid's hand into her own.

"Don't worry," she softly said, "I found the hair strands first and took them with me. A hairpin alone won't be enough to convict you, and whoever is framing you knows that too. It's likely they'll place the tapestry itself in your house soon, so if anyone had broken into your house before your arrest, or if you had any stranger visitors... Please, tell me."

Brigid did not respond immediately, likely trying to recall whatever she could about the days before her arrest. The look on her face did not give Edith much hope, but thankfully, Brigid seemed to remember something.

"Cardinal Joseph visited me a few days ago to congratulate me on my brother's wedding, which was why I was in Antares to begin with. I thought it was strange, because I hardly knew him and we hadn't spoken before, but I didn't think much of it..."

"Would he have had an opportunity to plant the evidence in your house and take the hair strands?"

"Yes, he was! I had to open the door for a tourist who was lost and looking for an inn," Brigid explained, "but that was probably no tourist. I can't believe I let myself get tricked like that!"

"Don't worry about that now, I have all the information I need. I will do everything I can to get you out of here, I swear."

Edith meant every word of what she told Brigid. Elliot would never approve, but Edith knew the only way to prevent Brigid from being convicted was to break into Joseph's house and take the tapestry before he could place it in Brigid's house. But even if she were too late, she could always warn Elliot about it so he could take it out before Joseph could find it again. As Edith made her way to Joseph's house, she ran into her brother's page, who handed her another note.

The investigation will be delayed until the afternoon. Joseph has a meeting with the archbishop.

Burn this.

As Edith burned the note, she realized that she had just been given the perfect opportunity to look around Joseph's home while the cardinal was away. She sped up her pace and was relieved when she saw that the house was not some large manor that would take hours to look around. Edith went around the building and climbed over the fence into the backyard unseen. From there, she used a rain pipe to climb towards an open window on the first floor. Edith jumped through, right into the cardinal's bedroom. She immediately began to look around for the tapestry, hoping she wouldn't find anything obscene instead. Sadly, the cardinal's bedroom was rather empty and did not contain the tapestry, so she went to the next room she suspected: his study.

Luckily for Edith, any servants Joseph had would be attending the Sunday service, so she didn't have to worry about being seen as she traversed the hallway towards the study. It was just as mundane as the bedroom, but there was more to investigate, much to Edith's frustration. Edith came increasingly closer to giving up hope with every corner that did not contain the tapestry, and after yet another drawer with nothing, she allowed herself to fall down on a chair in frustration. As she hit the cushion, however, an odd sound caught her attention. She stood back up and saw that the cushion had moved ever so slightly. Edith moved it further away and uncovered a secret compartment. In it, she found the lost tapestry. She immediately grabbed it in her hands and left the house as fast as she could, determined to bring it back where it belonged.

Elliot felt like something was off the moment he arrived at Brigid's house. Joseph was even later than he had said he would be in his letter, and when he finally did arrive, he looked like he'd seen a ghost. When Elliot asked him about it, he seemed quite tense and eager to get the investigation over with. The two of them went inside and resumed their search, but to Elliot's great relief, they found nothing. He didn't know why the tapestry wasn't in Brigid's house, but he was relieved. It occurred to Elliot that Edith might have been responsible, and he decided to confirm his suspicion by suggesting to Joseph that they return to the scene of the crime. Elliot could barely suppress a grin when he saw that the tapestry had been returned to its place.

"T-That is impossible!" Joseph exclaimed upon seeing it.

"Perhaps this was all a great misunderstanding," Elliot reasoned, pretending to be just as surprised as Joseph, "but this is irrefutable proof of Bishop Brigid's innocence. You should tell the archbishop the good news while I free the bishop."

Joseph merely grumbled in acceptance.

As soon as Brigid was freed, Elliot took her back to his house, where Edith had clearly been expecting them. Elliot was not exactly pleased with Edith's methods, but even he had to concede that it was the only way.

"Thank you both so much for helping to free me," Brigid said, "I don't know what would have happened if not for your help."

"All the glory goes to Edith, she found the tapestry," Elliot responded, beaming with pride.

"To think I would have missed it completely if I hadn't sat down on that chair! Who hides a tapestry under a cushion?"

Elliot let out a laugh before turning to Brigid.

"You should probably stay on Fantasia Island for the time being, until things are safer."

"Have things ever been safe for the past ten years?" Edith commented with a sigh.

"We all wish things were different, but we must make do with the situation we're in now," Elliot said.

"I'm sure nothing will happen on Fantasia Island, but what about you two? Will you be safe?" Brigid inquired.

"My position will keep me safe, so long as I do not overstep, and Edith's invisibility should keep her safe as well. You needn't worry too much, dear friend," Elliot reassured her.

"Very well. Until safer times, then," Brigid said, before leaving through the back door.

Chapter Text

"What do you mean there is no room?" Sigrid exclaimed at the innkeeper, horrified at his refusal.

"It's quite usual this time of year, with the Earth Market Week coming up. Doubt you'll be able to find an inn in the city that isn't filled to the brim with merchant families. Sorry, lass," he explained.

Sigrid regained her composure, narrowing her eyes and lifting her chin, standing proudly before the innkeeper.

"Do you have any idea who you are talking to, sir? I am Lady Sigrid, heiress to the Duchy of Devon!" she scolded him.

The man laughed at her, infuriating Sigrid further.

"I don't care if you're the Empress of the High Seas, full is full."

Sigrid angrily glared at the man before scoffing and stampeding out of the inn.

When she arrived outside, she spotted Christian and Adrian sitting on a nearby bench, waiting for her. She strode towards them, and they rose from their seat simultaneously upon seeing her. Sigrid was still furious at being treated so poorly, and it was clearly visible on her face.

"What happened? You look like you've just come out of parliament," Christian said.

"Every inn in Earth has been booked full by merchant families because of some market thing coming up, and the innkeeper is like any Divinian, preferring the shine of money over the prestige of hosting distinguished nobles like ourselves."

"Then perhaps we should forge identification documents and impersonate a family who has booked a room," Adrian suggested, as Machiavellian as always.

"Good luck in the Divinian prison if you're actually serious about that," Christian remarked with a pretentious snicker, "we shall have to find some other place to stay."

"Oh, and where would we find one? Did you miss the part about everything being full?"

Sigrid didn't pay their arguing any mind, instead losing herself in her own thoughts as she tried to find a solution. When she looked across the street at the signs advertising the various places to see in Earth, she had an idea.

"I know a place where they can't possibly refuse us!" she exclaimed.

"What do you mean you can't have us here?!"

As it turned out, Sigrid's plan had not been as genius as she had expected. She had hoped that, with Glen's help, they might be able to stay at Royale High School as guests. At first, Glen even lectured her on the fact that it was a school and not an inn, but after some persuasion, he relented somewhat.

"It's not my decision to make, Sigrid," Glen responded, "you should see the principal, Abigail, and hope she takes pity on you. Though knowing you, that shouldn't be too hard."

Sigrid rolled her eyes at Glen's comment and left with Adrian and Christian to the principal's office. Once they arrived there, Adrian rushed ahead to hold the door open for her, earning him a furious glare from Christian, and Sigrid pretended she did not see.

Abigail warmly greeted them and had offered them to sit down on the comfortable couch of her office, even offering them tea, and it made Sigrid glad to see someone who finally treated them as was befitting their station.

"Now, what can I do for you? You do not seem like prospective students wanting to learn more about the school. Are you perhaps related to one of the students?"

"I'm afraid not, we came here as a last hope for a rather frustrating predicament. We had wanted to stay for a while here in Earth, but due to the upcoming Market Week, it has become impossible to find a place to stay," Sigrid explained.

Abigail briefly frowned before returning to her warm demeanor.

"I see... are you here for business or just traveling around?"

"This is highly confidential information, but..." Sigrid said, pretending to be secretive," as the heirs to three of Aurion's four duchies, we are here in Earth to represent our parents at highly secretive meetings at the Aurion embassy. I'm afraid we cannot reveal more than that." That last part was true, as Sigrid had not thought of more than that for her lie. It was the only way she hoped the principal would be sympathetic to their situation. If she discovered they were just in Earth for regular travel, she would never let them stay.

"And Glen and Felix, will they have to attend these meetings too?" Abigail asked. She clearly wasn't fooled so easily. Sigrid panicked, she didn't have an excuse ready. Luckily for her, Adrian came to her rescue.

"Felix is no longer the heir to the duchy after he signed away his rights not too long ago, and his brother is studying in Falmar, so he cannot attend either."

"And the royal family never attends these meetings. To reveal why would mean exposing information that could endanger Aurion's national security, an offense punishable by life imprisonment," Christian added. Sigrid was so glad to have her two admirers to help her.

"Very well, you may stay here and make use of our cafeteria, but you must not disturb the students under any circumstances, and I will expect payment at the same rate as the inns in Earth."

"We will not make any trouble, Your Magnificence," Sigrid reassured her, "we are most grateful."

Abigail handed them the key to dorm number eight, which had become vacant after the departure of some Therosian students after the whole King Richard debacle. Sigrid was just glad her plan had worked out.

While the trio was on their way to their dorm, Sigrid turned to Adrian and Christian.

"Thank you both for helping me out there, I couldn't have done it without you."

"Of course, my dearest, I'll do anything for you," Christian softly replied, irritating Adrian.

"I would devote my life to you if you wanted it, Sigrid," Adrian said, this time ticking off Christian.

Sigrid pretended not to notice and turned around with a content smile. Almost immediately after turning a corner, they ran into a familiar face.

"Felix!" Sigrid exclaimed happily, especially upon seeing the girl by his side.

"Sigrid?! What are you doing here?"

"It's a long story, but to summarize it, we're staying her at Royale High as guests for a bit."

Felix rolled his eyes and let out a sigh before turning to the girl.

"Allow me to introduce Crown Princess Laura of Falmar. Laura, these are Sigrid, Adrian, and Christian, the heirs to the other duchies."

Sigrid was about to speak to Laura, when Felix urged her to walk ahead.

"We'd love to stay, but we're going to have dinner at the Golden Swan restaurant. Goodbye."

Sigrid scoffed. She'd find another chance to hear all about Felix and his royal girlfriend.

After entering the dorm and unpacking their luggage, the trio went down to the cafeteria to eat their dinner. The place was filled with students, all eager to have their dinner. Sigrid made her way to an empty table in the corner, which Abigail had reserved for them, and sat down.

"Shall I get dinner for you?" Adrian offered.

"I could get it for you too."

"I offered first!"

"Thank you very much," Sigrid replied with her signature charming smile, and the two men walked off. Sigrid took the time alone to take her small mirror out of her bag and see if her hair was still in proper shape. When she looked at the glass, however, she saw a girl headed her way. She looked up as the girl sat down across from her, clearly not caring that those seats were taken.

"Who are you?" she asked pointedly.

"Lady Sigrid Devon. And you are?"

"Crown Princess Audrey of Brightwald, pleasure to meet you."

Ah, the crown princess of Brightwald. Sigrid had heard her name mentioned many times, as she was infamous for her reputation as a gossip in certain social circles, ones Sigrid also happened to frequent.

"So, which one of those two men are you going to marry?"

"I beg your pardon?" Sigrid responded, astonished at her bluntness.

"I'm not stupid, Sigrid, I know what courtship looks like, and those two are clearly head over heels for you. But which one does your preference lean towards?"

"That is none of your business," Sigrid spat. In the distance, she could see Christian and Adrian making their way back to the table, and clearly, so did Audrey, as she rose from her seat.

"I will find out, Sigrid, mark my word."

Sigrid watched in astonishment as the crown princess left again, horrified to see that someone of her station would have the audacity to speak in such a way. Of course, she understood the curiosity, many people shared that with Audrey. Everyone always seemed to want to know which of Adrian and Christian she would choose, but no one would ever come to know that she would not choose either of them.

Chapter Text

Sigrid woke up the next morning feeling quite refreshed. She took off her sleeping mask and looked around the comfortable room she had been given to use for her time at Royale High. The beds were certainly a lot better than any inn could ever hope to offer, which was to be expected of the most prestigious school on the continent. She rose from her bed with a loud yawn and began rummaging through her luggage to find her toiletries. Instead, she took out the seashell she had with her. It was white with shades of pink and orange on the inside. A shell beautiful on the outside and inside, just like her, she had once been told. Now it only caused her pain, as it was a reminder that she could never be happy. That did not stop her from always bringing it with her, though. She could not bear to part with it.

Sigrid quietly departed from her bedroom, as Christian and Adrian were still sleeping, and made her way into the bathroom, where she got herself ready for the day. When she finished, she saw that she still had some time left until breakfast began, so she decided to take a walk in the school gardens. They were quite lovely, though nowhere near as unique as the ones found in Aurion. It was also a lot colder in Divinia, but it was nothing her beauty would not survive. After passing by a small pond, she came across Glen, who was doing a morning run.

“Felix told me you managed to secure a dorm,” he commented.

“No one can resist my skills of persuasion,” Sigrid replied with a charming smile.

“It’s quite unusual to see you without Christian and Adrian.”

She did not like the implication that she was an odd sight to behold in her own right, but she remembered that Glen did not think very highly of her, so that could not be a common view of her.

“I wanted to go for a walk, and they were still sleeping,” she nonchalantly commented.

“That sounds about right. I imagine having to fight over your attention has to be very tiring.”

Glen left her no room to respond, already preparing to run away again, but there was one question Sigrid still needed an answer to first.

“Do you know Princess Audrey well?”

“I would stay far away from her. She is a notorious gossip who spreads rumors like wildfire and tries to uncover every secret she can find. How she is going to have to rule a country one day is beyond me.”

“Thank you for the warning,” Sigrid said, allowing Glen to leave.

Apparently Audrey was even worse than she suspected, and that did not bode well for her.

Breakfast proved to be another taste of the menace that was Audrey. While Sigrid was busy discussing new competition ideas with Christian and Adrian, she caught Audrey staring intently at her whenever the princess thought she wasn’t looking. Perhaps being the mysterious visitors staying over was not the best role to play at this school, as it made them easy targets of intrigue and curiosity. Sigrid narrowly avoided making eye contact with Audrey and looked around the cafeteria instead. She saw many people she recognized as royalty, others as people she had her debutante ball with in Falmar a few months ago, and many new faces. It was quite unfortunate that her parents had never considered sending her to Royale High, but at least she could still indulge in the revels of having two attractive young men vying for her hand in marriage.

After finishing her breakfast, Sigrid gracefully made her way to the exit, her admirers trailing behind her from a slight distance. She was about to be relieved from Audrey’s gaze when she saw her coming her way from the corner of her eye. Sigrid pretended not to notice, confidently striding on, but the princess was faster and passed by her. She felt a note being slipped into her pocket, and upon reading it, she saw a message instructing her to come to dorm 5 after lessons were over without her suitors. Sigrid let out an audible sigh. Just what kind of terrible mess had she gotten herself into?

Sigrid felt her heartbeat increasing as she knocked on the door of dorm 5, hoping desperately that this was not some sort of cruel prank. She had not seen Audrey all day, as she had gone with her admirers into Earth for some shopping while also trying to see which of the two could carry the most bags for her. Adrian ended up winning, putting him one point ahead of Christian in the race. She had told them that she was going to meet up with some lady friends in order to be able to go to the dorm alone. A girl with short red hair and green eyes who was certainly not Audrey opened the door, looking extremely confused.

“What are you doing here?” she asked bluntly.

Sigrid took the note from her pocket and showed it to the girl.

“Princess Audrey gave me this.”

The girl immediately turned around, leaving the door open for her.

“Audrey, the new girl is here!” she shouted while Sigrid followed her into the dorm.

Audrey quickly emerged from her room with a smile on her face when she saw Sigrid.

“I’m glad you decided to come.”

“Look, if you wanted me here to turn me into the latest juicy gossip story for you to spread, you should have chosen someone more naive to target,” Sigrid bluntly stated.

Audrey looked quite offended by her words.

“I don’t know who you have been talking to, but I am not like that at all. I would never spread any secrets.”

The girl loudly scoffed as she walked into her bedroom.

“Ha! Since when?”

“What do you want from me?” Sigrid asked.

“I’m only curious to know which of the two noble heirs you’re going to choose.”

Sigrid had no desire to talk about this again, and Audrey’s curiosity about the topic was quite frustrating.

“Who says I have to marry either of them?” Sigrid angrily said.

“I knew it!” Audrey exclaimed loudly, “I knew you were just leading them on. And now I want to know why you would let two men fight over your hand when you don’t intend to choose either of them.”

Sigrid realized her mistake too late. It would be hard to convince Audrey of anything else now.

“I didn’t mean it that way, you’re twisting my words,” she tried to explain.

“No, you’re lying, and not just to me, but to those two men too.”

“Then I’ll tell you a bit of truth. You’re a nosy and spoiled little princess who doesn’t care about other people’s feelings at all, only that she’s entertained and the center of attention!” Sigrid shouted.

Audrey seemed undeterred by her insults.

“Well, that would make two of us, since you’re a manipulator taking advantage of two young men and their feelings for you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, you know nothing about my life and all the difficulties I’ve had to face!”

And with those words spoken, Sigrid stormed out of the dorm. She ran straight back to her own dorm, past her admirers, and locked herself in her bedroom. Christian and Adrian tried talking to her, but she did not respond. She was furious. With Audrey, with the world, and with herself.

Chapter Text

The days passed by, but Sigrid could not stop thinking about what Audrey had told her about leading her admirers on. She had been angry at first, believing that Audrey was wrong to think ill of her for it, as she had never actually promised Christian and Adrian that she would choose one of them in the end. Of course, the two of them did believe that to be the case, so she had made it so by not contradicting it. Yet Sigrid also knew that if she lost their affection and adoration, no one would show it to her. No one except… As her thoughts trailed off, Sigrid glanced over at the seashell in her luggage. She let out a loud sigh. What she was thinking about was impossible and would never become reality. No one would ever take her seriously if she even considered the possibility. There was no point in dwelling on it, so she decided to leave her bedroom and stop sulking. Christian and Adrian were sitting in the shared living space, going over their total victories over each other. They immediately rose from their seats upon seeing her emerge.

“Is everything alright? You’ve been very absent these past days,” Christian asked.

She put on her usual charming smile and shook her head.

“I just needed some time alone, so you do not need to worry. I was actually thinking we head into Earth today and see who can run there the fastest.”

“Oh, I’ll easily win that!” Adrian boasted.

“We’ll see about that,” Christian argued.

She had hoped that with a few days’ time, Audrey’s words would go away and that things could go on as they always had. The opposite was true. Sigrid had begun to feel immensely guilty for setting up Christian and Adrian against each other any longer, now more determined than ever with their victory total once again tied. It weighed heavily on her conscience to know that Audrey considered her selfish for carrying out the whole scheme, so she decided to pay the princess another visit to make her understand that she was not the monster Audrey believed her to be.

“So, if I am hearing this correctly, you’re leading those two for the attention and flattery it brings you because your parents are too focused on your seven younger siblings to care about you? Is that right?” Audrey asked after she had come to her dorm and explained everything.

Sigrid nodded, confirming that everything was true.

“I would have imagined you would be the favorite in the family, as you’re the heir to the prestigious title and all.”

“If only that were the case. My parents prefer raising children who can choose their own path in life and develop their talents, not a child whose entire future is set in stone.”

“Even if you want attention because of that, how does that justify what you’re doing? Manipulating two young men makes you no better than your parents.”

It was a valid point that even Sigrid understood, but she felt she had no other options.

“I don’t know what I’d do if I lost the attention of Christian and Adrian…” she admitted.

“Try to find love with someone you do intend to marry.”

It was such an obvious suggestion, but not to Sigrid. For Sigrid, the very notion of love hurt her.

“I cannot love anyone. Not anymore.”

“Why?”

“I once loved a man, his name is Collin,” Sigrid hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should share more, but continued anyway, “he is the captain of a pirate ship. I could never marry him or even be publicly associated with him. I would be the embarrassment of the country, and I would never be invited to any party or social event ever again.”

The princess’ eyes lit up. She probably thought it was the perfect story to gossip about.

“Isn’t he perfect for you, then? His inclusion into your family would be so shocking that your parents would have to notice you and pay attention.”

Sigrid let out a loud chuckle. Audrey’s enthusiasm was quite amusing.

“You make it sound so easy.”

“Do you still love him?”

Sigrid nodded.

“I never stopped doing so.”

“Then follow your heart and stop caring about what others will think. Let him be the one to give you the love and attention your family cannot. It will be even better than whatever you have now, with no manipulation needed, even if it will likely be the relationship of the century.”

Sigrid had to admit that Audrey’s words were inspiring for someone who had never been in love herself, and she was actually considering the possibility of seeing Collin again. It was a sudden change, but deep inside, she had always known that fighting for the man she loved would be better than the cage she had put herself in.

“Very well, but I have one condition,” Sigrid relented, “if you share even one word of this conversation with anyone, I will make sure Brightwald’s harbors will endure pirate raids until the economy collapses.”

“I promise I won’t say a word.”

Sigrid doubted it was worth much, but it was better than nothing.

After leaving Audrey’s dorm, Sigrid immediately headed back towards her own dorm. She was relieved to see that Christian and Adrian were still away to spend some time with Glen, as she did not want to face them again. Sigrid packed her belongings and wrote a letter to leave behind, explaining everything to the two men and apologizing for what she had done. She did not deserve their forgiveness, but she hoped they would at least one day be able to work professionally with her again, as they were still the heirs to their respective duchies. Without another thought, she placed the letter on the table and left.

Sigrid took a carriage to Earth and, from there, made her way to the beach, making sure she was as far away from the public eye as possible. Once she felt she had reached a quiet spot, she took the shell from her bag and brought it to her lips. Collin had given it to her and told her that if she were to blow into it, he would hear its call no matter where he was. In this instance, Sigrid hoped he was nearby. She blew into the shell, and despite not hearing anything herself, she trusted it had worked. Surely enough, after what couldn’t have been more than an hour, a large ship appeared on the horizon. A small boat quickly appeared in the water in front of it, slowly making its way towards the shore. Sigrid had to blink a few times to make sure it was really Collin she saw making her way to her.

The pirate captain stepped out of the boat and stood in front of her, and Sigrid immediately felt at ease.

“My love, you called,” he said, a hopeful smile already on his face.

Sigrid nodded, her heart overflowing with happiness.

“I wanted to see you because I want to give us a second chance.”

“I thought nobody would ever approve, and it was impossible?”

“I don’t care about that anymore. I’ve had enough of living in this prison. I want to be with you. That is… if you’ll still have me?”

Her heart was racing, but Collin quickly eased her worries by wrapping his arms around her.

“Of course I will. You have no idea how much I have longed for this moment ever since we parted ways.”

He placed a soft kiss on her hand, as though he were a prince rather than a pirate. It hardly mattered to her.

“Can I come with you?”

“Of course you can.”

Sigrid leaned in to softly kiss his lips, something he gladly reciprocated.

Chapter Text

As soon as her classes for the day were over, Astrid quickly made her way towards the principal’s office, hoping Abigail had not yet closed her office for the day. Much to her relief, Astrid heard her voice on the other side of the door after she knocked on it. She went inside and sat down across from the principal, who was going through a pile of paperwork.

“What can I do for you, Astrid?”

“I would like to request an exemption from all classes for the next two weeks. My mother has asked me to organize the annual Earth Market Week on her behalf.”

Abigail looked quite surprised at her request.

“Oh? Will Her Majesty not be involved this year?”

Astrid shook her head.

“She has other commitments that require her attention this year, I’m afraid.”

Her mother had written how saddened she was to miss the event this year, but the formation of a new government after the resignation of the last one over the events from the start of the school year required all her attention. The recent sighting of a pirate ship in Divinian waters was threatening to derail the negotiations completely. That was confidential information, however, so Astrid did not tell Abigail this.

“How unfortunate,” Abigail remarked, “I will allow you the exemption, as your grades are no cause for concern and organizing such an event will teach you just as much as your lessons, but you must not forget that the final exams will be coming rather soon.”

“Thank you, Your Magnificence. I will not neglect my studies.”

After leaving the office, Astrid grabbed the list her mother had given her and made her way to Divinia Park, the site of the event. She read it through as she sat in the carriage that would bring her there. A stage would have to be built, lights would have to be ordered and hung around the park, signs would need to made and put up around Earth and Diamond Beach, the decorations made by the church and schools would need to be fetched and put in place, she would need to memorize the speech her mother had given her, a meeting with the representatives for the merchants would have to be held to assign them their spaces throughout the park for their stalls (something the city council had luckily already done for her), she needed to approve the special menus for the lakeside café, and, finally, she would to approve the designs for the lanterns that would be floating into the sky on the closing day of the event. It would be a lot of work, but Astrid was confident that she could manage it.

The first thing she did upon entering the park was make her way to where the stage would be. She was glad to see that the work was already pretty far along, thanks to Earth’s best builders. Among the crowd of workers, Astrid also spotted her classmate, Cheston. The two of them made eye contact, and he cheerfully waved before standing up and approaching her.

“What brings you here?” Astrid asked, “are you helping out?”

He nodded.

“My dad is a carpenter and has helped out every year. I’ve been tagging along for the past two years, too.”

Astrid was glad to see that this event could inspire so many people to help. Divinians had always been a charitable and selfless people, but this event always made it even more apparent.

Cheston’s father noticed her presence as well and went to greet her.

“The construction should be done by tomorrow afternoon, Your Highness,” he explained.

Astrid nodded in understanding. Things were going swimmingly so far, which was certainly a relief.

Cheston’s mother and younger brother Lucas then arrived with sandwiches and something to drink as everyone took a break. They had offered Astrid too, but she politely turned their offer down, explaining that she still had a lot of work left to do. Her next destination was the cathedral, where she would meet with Bishop Peter.

Astrid was just passing by the fountain, headed towards the gates of the park, when she came across Glen.

“Hello there,” he greeted her, “what brings you here? You look like you’ve come to demolish the place with that clipboard you’re holding.”

Astrid let out a soft chuckle, as amused as always by Glen’s charm.

“I’m afraid not. I’m organizing the Earth Market Week this year.”

Glen raised his eyebrows in response.

“My, my, that sounds like quite the responsibility. Do you need any help?”

Astrid was surprised by the offer, as Glen had always been more focused on his flirtations than helping out his friends. It made her very curious as to what caused this change.

“I could use someone to help me out, especially since I’m also trying to manage our schoolwork, especially with the final exams coming up soon.”

“In that case, I’m more than willing to help. Where are we headed?”

Astrid walked with Glen through the busy streets of Earth, heading towards the city cathedral. There, they met and talked for a while with Bishop Peter, who eagerly showed them the decorations both the church and the various schools in the city had made. There were quite a few boxes, and Astrid was glad to see Glen’s strength was not just for show when he picked up the boxes like it was nothing. A fleeting thought in her head whispered to her that he was quite attractive when lifting those boxes, but she paid it no mind. She would not be caught by Glen’s charms. Especially since she knew it was hardly genuine. She still wanted to know what he was hiding, however. There had been no opportunity to inquire since their meeting at the beginning of the school year. These long days of preparation spent together were the perfect opportunity.

After loading the boxes onto a cart that would ride to the park, where they would be placed in a nearby storage room, Glen and Astrid made their way to a small café for a break. He ordered fruit juice, something Astrid had heard was very popular in Aurion, where the warm climate allowed many exotic fruits to grow, which could then be turned into juice. She herself preferred a nice brew of tea, one that soothed her soul and eased her nerves over hosting this whole event, something that served as a test to see her capabilities as a future queen. Instead, she felt herself thinking that this was a good opportunity to interrogate Glen.

“How are you doing? I feel we seldom get a chance to talk without the others being there too,” Astrid said, adorning a gentle smile.

“I’m doing fine. I like staying at Royale High and focusing more on sports and other hobbies instead of the horrors of court back home. I wish it could last forever.”

Astrid noticed that his eyes were lit up as he spoke so fondly of Royale High and his experience there.

“Why is that?” she asked, curious to know more.

He raised an eyebrow at her, seemingly annoyed by her question.

“Are you always this curious about other people’s lives?”

Astrid was taken aback by his blunt question, not having expected it.

“I’m just looking out for everyone,” she said hastily.

Glen did not respond and stayed quiet as they finished their drinks. Astrid knew Glen had a point and that while she was helpful and nurturing with other people, she was never as curious about Glen as with other people. She honestly did not know why he was different from other people.

Chapter Text

Astrid was quite surprised when she saw Glen waiting by the school exit the next morning, as she had believed his help would only be for the afternoons. After greeting him and asking why he was there, he explained that he had gone to see Abigail first thing in the morning and asked for an exemption from all classes too. It had taken some convincing, but Abigail had relented with a stern warning about keeping up with homework, something Astrid knew Glen was not nearly as dedicated to as she was. He tried to reassure her that everything would be alright and that he wouldn’t slack off, and she could only hope he was telling the truth.

After getting out of the carriage and walking back into the park, Glen wasted no time in hurrying things along.

“What’s next on your list?” he asked.

Astrid did find his sudden helpfulness a bit strange, but she hoped she would find out soon enough. Not that she was complaining, of course. Astrid took out her clipboard and looked at the list.

“We should see if the lights have arrived yet and see how the stage looks for now,” Astrid suggested, and Glen nodded. The two of them made their way back to the site of the stage and were relieved to see it had been completed. The volunteers were taking a small break, and with all the excellent work they had delivered, Astrid could understand completely. To her relief, the lights had also arrived and were waiting to be hung all around the park. Astrid suggested she and Glen begin to save the others work, as they had some time to spare as well. Glen fetched a ladder, and Astrid climbed on top to hang the lights while he held it.

“Who will be turning all these lights on and off? It seems like a monstrous task,” Glen remarked.

“There are groups of volunteers within the church who will be managing all the lights, one group will light them early in the morning, and another will douse them again late into the evening when the park closes,” Astrid explained.

Glen raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“I have to admit… I do admire how charitable and helpful the church is, even if I don’t really understand their beliefs.”

“You’d be surprised…” Astrid sarcastically remarked without thinking, immediately regretting her choice of words.

“What do you mean?”

"Nothing," Astrid casually remarked, climbing down the ladder.

Glen offered her his hand, and she took it as she descended the last few steps. The feeling of his soft hand holding hers made her cheeks feel warm and sent a shock through her body. Why was this happening to her? She should know better than to fall for Glen's charms, she knew full well that they were not genuine, and the need to know the reason behind it had been plaguing her since she met him.

Astrid cleared her throat and focused back on reality.

"We shouldn't be dallying around," she said, checking her schedule for the day with the clock tower in the distance, "it's time to return to the school for dinner."

“Wouldn’t it be better if we had dinner here in Earth instead? We would be able to return to work more easily,” Glen suggested.

Astrid wasn’t sure if he was trying to be helpful or if this was a thinly veiled invitation for a date.

“Going for dinner together in Earth? Am I your next flirtation?”

Astrid didn’t know why she said that. It just came rolling out, and she immediately regretted it upon seeing Glen’s reaction.

“Don’t be silly. This is different,” he said.

“How so?”

“It just is.”

As they ate their dinner together in silence at one of Earth’s many restaurants, Astrid found her thoughts lingering on the prince in front of her. He was such a paradox for her. On the one hand, she could not deny that she found him attractive and pleasant company, especially with how helpful he was being. On the other hand, she did not like his need for secrecy around his feigned interest in the female students of Royale High. The fact that Astrid had been one of the few girls he had not pursued, even though she was one of the few who had gotten to know him, only puzzled her further. But she reminded herself that she had other things to worry about, like making sure the Market Week was a success. She really had no time for flirtations.

“Astrid? Hello?” Glen called out.

She looked up from her meal and let her thoughts drift off.

“I’ve called your name four times. Is there something distracting you?”

“It’s nothing,” Astrid said, using her napkin to clean her mouth, “what did you want to ask me?”

“I was just wondering what we would be doing after dinner,” Glen explained, “with the planning, I mean,” he quickly added.

Astrid took a moment to enjoy Glen’s flustered face as he tried to act like his words hadn’t accidentally come out extremely flirty before finally grabbing the clipboard from her bag.

“Let’s see… for tonight, I’ve arranged meetings with the lantern designers and the owners of the park café to decide on which lantern design and which menu will be best for the event.”

“That shouldn’t be too difficult to manage. Are you sure you need my help with that?”

“Of course. It never hurts to have a second opinion,” Astrid responded, a smile forming on her face as they paid for their meal and prepared to leave.

The whole process didn’t take long. Astrid quickly settled on a lotus design for the lanterns, as the flower seemed perfect to symbolize the peace the continent, and trade with it, had now found itself in after a rough time of war and even violence on Divinian soil. Glen had no objections, though he was a lot more talkative when it came to choosing the menu for the café, to the point where the two of them were engaged in a proper debate over the matter. Glen felt that the menu contained too little variety and only boasted Divinian things and argued for more variety, while Astrid felt it important to focus on her homeland because Divinia was so central to continental trade. It was nothing personal, just a small disagreement, and eventually they settled on a compromise where there was some variety with Divinia still being the main focus, something they both reluctantly agreed was the perfect balance. The discussion also made Astrid realize she had genuine feelings for Glen that she could no longer deny, something she would not share with anyone.

The next day, Astrid was relieved when Glen stayed at school for the morning to focus on his homework, leaving Astrid alone to focus on her task instead of being distracted by her feelings. She had met with the merchant representatives and made sure everyone knew where their stalls would be. After that, she walked around the park to see how the decorating was going. She was relieved to see that it was progressing well and that the volunteer groups were also working on making the signs together. Astrid took advantage of the well-advanced progress by going inside the small storage building near the café and sitting down there to recite her speech for the opening of the event. She was just finishing her second recital when Glen walked inside.

“Be careful with the door, the lock is broken, so it can’t be opened from the inside,” Astrid warned him. He nodded and kept the door ajar.

“Why are you hiding in here?”

“I’m not hiding, I’m practicing my speech for the opening. What are you doing here?”

“I needed some space.”

His response puzzled Astrid. Had something happened to him?

“Why?”

He shot her a look of irritation that she had never seen on his face before. Whatever it was that had happened, it had clearly upset him.

“There you go, trying to pry in my business again! If you want to know so badly, maybe you can answer some of my questions first. Like why you make remarks on the purity of the church while claiming to be a devoted member, or why your mother suddenly can’t organize the event when coincidentally her wedding anniversary is coming up, and most importantly, why no one has seen or heard from your father for the past decade?”

Astrid’s eyes widened. How long had Glen been wanting to ask those questions? Why was he even interesting in the first place? And why ask them in this way?

“That’s none of your concern,” Astrid sneered back.

“Then you’re a hypocrite. You’re always trying to know more about me, yet you keep your own secrets to yourself.”

“I just want to help you…”

“That’s no excuse for the constant nagging when I’ve told you that I don’t want to tell you. I know the church probably teaches you to help people in need or someth-”

“Stop!” Astrid shouted.

“I’m not criticizing the church.”

“No, I mean stop the door!” Astrid said, pointing to the door that was slowly closing in front of them. Glen turned around but was too late as it shut into the lock. He tried and failed to get it open again.

“Wonderful. Now we’re stuck,” Astrid remarked, sitting down on the floor. The timing of this couldn’t have been worse.

Chapter Text

Astrid watched as Glen tried and failed multiple times to get the door to open again before he accepted their unfortunate situation and sat down on the floor next to her, cursing under his breath. An awkward silence hung between them, their previous argument still lingering. She had never seen Glen so agitated as she had just now, and his question had been so personal, leaving her to wonder if perhaps he suspected something of the truth Astrid had been hiding nearly her whole life. It had been a story she had wanted to share with someone for years. Perhaps Glen could be that person.

“I’m sorry for pushing you about your private life,” Astrid said, breaking the silence, “I shouldn’t have.”

Glen turned to face her with a melancholy expression on his face.

“I’m sorry too. Asking you about the church and your father… it was a low blow.”

“I… I’ve wanted to share this story with someone for years,” Astrid confessed, “could I confide in you?”

Glen’s eyes widened before he adorned a gentle smile.

“Of course. I won’t tell a soul.”

“While it may seem like the church is kind and charitable if you look on the surface, the truth is that there is extreme corruption present inside, a problem that has been around for generations. At the heart of the corruption are the archbishop and the four cardinals, though Elliot is an exception to this. Many bishops are also part of this. The higher church members enrich themselves using donations and expand their authority into places they have no business in. Remember how it was the archbishop who forced a ceasefire during last year’s war, something that was clearly in favor of Falmar and Aurion, thereby violating our neutrality.”

“Why did the royal family never stop this?” Glen asked, “surely they have the power to remove corrupt members of the church.”

“We’ve tried for generations, but we can only remove an archbishop. The monarch of Divinia has no power to remove the cardinals, who are appointed by the archbishop. It is the cardinals who vote for a new archbishop, usually among themselves. The bishops under a cardinal’s jurisdiction have the power to vote them out of office, but when a lot of bishops are also corrupt... It’s nearly impossible to completely clear out all corruption. My father Nathaniel tried, together with Elliot, when they discovered the corruption on accident by both becoming cardinals and trying to get another friend into the position as well so they could remove Archbishop Hayes and vote in a different person. Things derailed when my father fell in love with my mother, and the royal family became directly involved. Hayes trusted my father, and so allowed him to serve as both king consort and cardinal, but he became suspicious when my mother had a second child, something unusual among royal families. When the time came for the vote to elevate Bishop Peter of Earth to the rank of Cardinal, Hayes was informed of their plans by a priest named John, and everything fell apart. My father had Elliot and Peter deny their roles in the plan to safeguard their positions, while he was forced to flee for his life. Peter did not become cardinal, while Elliot was moved from South to West so Hayes could have him under constant watch, and Clare, another corrupt loyalist, became cardinal in my father’s place. Hayes also threatened my mother that if she were to act against his interests, her role in the plot would be exposed to the public.”

Glen’s expression softened throughout her story, and near the end of it, he placed his hand on her shoulder.

“Where is your father now?” he asked softly.

“On an island hidden in the middle of the lake that Divinia surrounds. There’s a shrine there that contains Saint Divinia’s final resting place and our national treasure, Dawnlight. Only a small circle of people even know of the island’s existence, and even fewer know of my father’s presence there. Merchant ships have to pass by the nearby Fantasia Island to pay tolls, and the island is not shown on maps, making it the perfect hiding place. The bishop of Fantasia Island is also a loyal friend of Elliot’s.”

Glen took a deep breath, probably taking in everything she had just told him.

“Astrid… I’m so sorry. I had no idea you and your family have suffered so much.”

“I feel so relieved to have finally told someone. All this time, I’ve had to keep this to myself. Emma doesn’t even know.”

“Maybe that means I should tell you about my situation too…” Glen said.

Astrid immediately looked up to face him, surprised to hear him say those words.

“Do you truly want to?” Astrid asked.

He nodded.

“The reason I pursue girls so relentlessly is…” Glen took a deep breath, “because I want to fall in love as soon as possible. If I come home from Royale High without a courtship, I will be placed into an arranged marriage and forever lose my chance to spend my life with someone of my own choosing. Just today, my parents sent me a letter saying that their chosen candidate is a Lady Eileen from Brightwald, someone I don’t even know.”

Now Astrid understood why Glen had been so frustrated earlier. He had just been told his entire future was set in stone with a woman he did not even know, unless he found someone in a matter of weeks.

"I'm so sorry to hear that... As someone who has heard more than enough tales of Queen Julianna's disastrous arranged marriage, I can imagine how terrible of a prospect this is to you."

“It is,” Glen agreed with a sigh, “but I guess it’s a burden people like us have to live with.”

Astrid didn’t know what else she could say to comfort him, so she took a leap of faith and asked a question that was now on her mind.

“Why did you never… pursue me?” she nervously asked.

Glen’s eyes widened, and he looked away from her, facing the wall.

“Because you’re so caring and supportive of everyone. I thought that if you discovered my reasons, you would think me a selfish person…”

Astrid took Glen’s hand into her own.

“I would never think that. You have every reason to try to find a way out of a miserable future. There is nothing selfish about that. And it’s not like you were leading on any of the girls you pursued, right?”

Glen shook his head.

“No, never. I was always very clear about my intentions. I would never string someone along just to get my parents off my back.”

Astrid was about to respond when she heard footsteps outside. She watched Glen shoot up and begin banging on the door, calling out for help. It didn’t take long for it to open, with Cheston on the other side. Both of them hastily thanked him before running to continue the rest of the preparations.

The rest of the preparations flew by, and before Astrid knew it, she had finished giving her opening speech. Throughout the week itself, she found herself spending even more time with Glen, their interactions more open now that there were no longer any big secrets between them, except for the fact that Astrid most certainly had feelings for him. She wasn’t sure if she should tell him, though. He seemed so happy now that he didn’t have to worry about pursuing someone for a little while. She felt it was better to stay quiet, at least for now.

The final evening of the Market Week quickly arrived, and Astrid was so glad to see the event had been a success again, like every other year. It was so wonderful to see everyone come together, both before and during the event. The event also brought back a lot of profit for the city and its merchants. Astrid had also managed to prove that she was more than capable of organizing events and filling in for her mother, even if she had a bit of help. It was almost unfortunate that the event was almost over, with the lanterns about to be set free above the lake to mark its end. Astrid had gone on a walk through the park with Glen, occasionally brushing their hands together, something Astrid pretended not to notice. As they reached a quiet corner by the lake, they sat down on a bench.

“You know, I’ve been thinking… maybe there’s a solution for both our problems,” Glen said.

Astrid was taken aback by his words, but curious as to what it could be. She had thought of possible solutions to the corruption in the church many times.

“What could that be?”

“Let me court you.”

“Excuse me?”

Astrid nearly fainted at the proposal. Did she really just hear Glen say that?

“It will solve my arranged marriage problem, and for you, a future personal union with Aurion gives you more options against Hayes and his loyalists and could help bring your father back. I know it’s no solution to the corruption problem, but you would at least be able to wrestle back some power from the church.”

This was not real. This could not be happening.

“But surely that won’t be a solution for you, as you want a marriage for love.”

“It would be for me.”

Astrid felt her heart racing at those words, and for a moment, she just looked into his eyes and repeated them in her head. She then slowly moved her hand to his cheek, and he leaned in closer until their lips met in a slow, gentle kiss. At the same time, the lanterns were released over the lake in front of them. Astrid took it as a sign from Saint Divinia that her future would be a bright one.

Chapter Text

Emma woke up feeling refreshed, something that was usually the case on Saturdays. She was always glad when the weekend finally arrived, and she didn’t have to go to school for two days. It was not that she disliked her school, but five days was way too long. It didn’t help that she had barely any company, with Astrid at Royale High and her mother busy with her duties as queen. After rising from her bed and allowing the light to shine into her room by opening the curtains, Emma opened the window to allow fresh air into her room before dressing herself. She was always so jealous of her mother, who had a lady’s maid to dress her, while she had to wait until she was 18 to get one. The one advantage of not having one was that she was free to take as long as she wanted, choosing what to wear without having to worry about someone else watching her.

Chapter Text

Emma must have looked extremely shocked—and in all fairness, she was—because Edith looked at her with quite some worry etched on her face.

“What’s wrong? Has something happened to Alexander?” she asked.

“Why did no one tell today is Father’s Day?”

“What do you mean? Where is this coming from so suddenly?”

Emma handed Edith the letter.

“Alexander wrote how he feels bad about neither him nor Felix being able to visit their father for Father’s Day, as Alexander has to study for his exams,” Emma explained, a slight hint of bitterness in her voice.

“Why would you hide this from me?”

“Your mother figured that reminding you of the day would only make you miss your father more,” Edith answered, clearly nervous.

“But Astrid does know, doesn’t she? That why she took me to the observatory or some other place every year to distract me, just like you were doing.”

“Your father’s situation is very complicated, and-”

“What do you mean? He’s just on a long journey around the continent to spread the teachings of Saint Divinia, isn’t he?”

It was only then that Emma realized just how silly that story that she had been told since childhood really was.

“Is he really?” Emma asked, “or are you all hiding something from me about him?”

“I’m forbidden from saying anything on the subject, Emma. I have already said way too much.”

Emma grumbled in frustration. She had clearly already gotten more information out of Edith than she would have wanted, meaning it would be nearly impossible to get her to speak of the subject again. Indeed, Edith barely spoke another word to her for the rest of the afternoon. That did little to deter Emma. One way or another, she would find out the truth. If Edith did not want to cooperate, she would just have to get more creative.

Emma spent the entire afternoon with the mystery lingering in her head, and she barely thought of anything else. It frustrated her that there was something about her father that her not just her mother and sister were keeping from her, but also Edith and likely Elliot as well. Emma liked a mystery, but not if it involved the man she had wanted to know in more than just letters for her whole life. With no regard for privacy, Emma had gone into Astrid’s bedroom, hoping to find a clue of some sort. Her sister was a lot more careful than Emma had hoped, having taken her diary with her to Earth and leaving nothing Emma’s eyes weren’t mean to see, if such things had ever even been there. It did confirm one thing to Emma, though. Whatever it was that they were hiding from her about her father, it had to be something big.

After searching her sister’s room, Emma saw that it was nearly time for dinner. She changed into her dinner clothes and decided it would be best to just confront her mother outright after dinner to ask for the truth. Whatever this was, there was no way they could justify hiding it from her any longer. To send a clear signal that she knew something was up, she decided to put on the star-shaped earrings her father had sent her for her seventh birthday. With a proud look in the mirror, she left her bedroom and went downstairs to the Silver Dining Room. Edith and Elliot were staying over for dinner, but that was such a common occurrence that they had moved out of the Golden one long ago.

Emma entered the room, and a footman immediately rushed over to pull back her seat. Elliot and Edith were already sitting at the table, their conversation immediately reaching its conclusion. Her mother was still absent. Emma noticed that Elliot looked quite uneasy, which meant that Edith had likely already told him of what had happened earlier that day. She paid it no mind and sat down, the footman pushing her seat towards the table.

“How did your meeting with the Archbishop go?” Emma asked Elliot, before taking a sip from her water.

“Quite well,” he responded with no emotion in his voice.

The conversation died down again.

It didn’t take long for her mother entered, looking as regal and elegant as she always did. Even when they were dining informally with just the two of them, her mother would still put in the effort to look her best. As the monarch, she also always wore a tiara at dinner. Her current one was what she called her ‘casual’ tiara. Emma couldn’t help but feel jealous, as she was not yet old enough to have her own tiaras. Dinner finally began when her mother was seated, and Emma didn’t want to waste another second. She had planned to wait until dinner was finished, but she couldn’t help her curiosity any longer.

“How did your meeting with the new Brightwald ambassador go, mother?” she asked, knowing quite well that no such meeting had taken place.

Her mother gave Edith a subtle glance before answering.

“It went quite well, dear. How was your day?”

“Eye opening.”

Her mother gave her a look Emma couldn’t decipher, but it probably meant that she had a suspicion.

“Well, then you must tell me all about it after dinner,” she simply said, before moving on to Elliot and Edith, “you two should stay for the night and join us after dinner. I should hate to send you out on the streets at such a late hour.”

“It would be an honor, Your Majesty,” Elliot answered.

To say that Emma was confused was an understatement. Her mother had clearly implied that Emma ought to be patient and wait until after dinner, with her clearly also desiring the presence of Elliot and Edith, but Emma wasn’t sure if her mother knew what she had discovered. Throughout the rest of dinner, she spoke about normal conversations as she always did, but after dinner, once they went to the drawing room, her mother told the butler that she did not require her lady’s maid for the night and gave the entire staff that would normally wait on them for the evening an early night off. The suspense was killing her, and she couldn’t take it anymore. When everyone was seated, she spoke her mind.

“I know about Father’s Day, mother.”

“Edith informed me that this was the case.”

“Your Highness, there really is nothing-”

“Let’s not keep this up any longer, Elliot. We all knew we could not keep this from Emma forever. She is old enough to know the truth.”

There it was, at last. Now she would finally know the truth. Her mother turned back to her, placing her hands into her own.

“Emma, you must promise me that you will not repeat the story you are about to hear to anyone, not even Alexander. It is a forbidden topic, and we would all be in great danger if anyone ever discovered that this conversation took place.”

Emma nodded obediently. She would stay silent, she vowed to herself. All she wanted was to know more about her father.

“I promise.”

Her mother took a deep breath before beginning her story.

“It all began when I fell in love with one of the cardinals of the church…”

After the story concluded, Emma couldn’t help but be in shock, unable to speak. She never could have imagined that something so horrible could have happened in her beautiful and peaceful Divinia. Emma understood now why they had kept this hidden from her.

“The real reason Elliot and I were away today was so I could arrange to visit Nathaniel tomorrow, while Elliot was distracting the Archbishop,” her mother explained.

“After what happened to Bishop Brigid, we’ve had to take extra precautions to avoid coming off as suspicious. It’s becoming increasingly likely that Hayes will try to uncover Nathaniel’s sanctuary.”

“But now that you know, I would like it very much if you could make a gift for your father and come with me tomorrow to finally meet him after all these years,” her mother said, “and the two of you should come along too. We have pressing matters we need to discuss with Nathaniel.”

“You want the four of us to go, Your Majesty? Are you sure that is safe?” Edith asked.

“It is. I will explain more when we arrive.”

Emma then leaned towards her mother, hugging her tightly.

“I’m sorry this happened to you and father,” she whispered.

“I have learned to live with it. You and your sister make bearing the burden a lot easier, my sweet daughter,” her mother responded, gently stroking her hair.

Emma was overwhelmed by emotions. Shock, disgust, sadness, hope. Most importantly, of all, however, she was excited to finally meet her father.

Chapter Text

When the next morning finally arrived, Emma woke up feeling extremely excited for what was to come today. She had always wanted to meet her father, to see him outside of portraits and to actually feel his presence, and now the moment was nearly there, after so many years. It was unfortunate that Astrid wouldn’t be there to complete their family, but Emma had a feeling that Astrid had probably seen her father a few times in secret, like their mother clearly had.

The whole revelation had made her wonder how long the secret could be kept, as she had heard of rumors that there was someone living on a hidden island while at school. Of course, she had never thought for a moment that it could have been her father. Emma figured the best thing she could do was keep quiet and allow her mother and Elliot to take care of any rumors. One thing was certain, though: Emma would never believe the Church again. She couldn’t, not after what she had heard yesterday.

Emma got out of bed and took her time to dress herself. She wanted to make sure she wore all the gifts her father had given her over the years. There were, of course, the earrings she had gotten for her seventh birthday, the pink hairband she had gotten for her sixth, and the dress she had gotten most recently, for her tenth. Her hair took a bit longer, as she really wanted it to look perfect. When she was finally done, she went downstairs to eat a quick breakfast before everyone was due to meet in the entrance hall. Emma was the last one there, and they immediately departed.

Traveling to the secret island was quite a complicated process. Emma and her mother split from Edith and Elliot when leaving the castle, not wanting to be seen leaving together. Her mother brought her towards the stables, where they then made their way to a closed carriage Elliot had procured under a fake name. After a small wait, Elliot and Edith also arrived, and the carriage departed. It took a large detour through the city, avoiding the main streets, and then made its way east, towards the coast of Divinia’s large inland lake. Emma hated all the secrecy around their travel, all because if they were ever recognized, they risked her father’s hiding spot being discovered. It was cruel. At least it was a relief to hear it had worked for years.

After arriving at some docks at the coast, they stepped onto a small boat, which her mother was surprisingly steering. She told her that it had been her father who had taught her how to steer a boat, which prompted Emma to ask for more stories about him, something she had been too scared to ask about for years. As her mother spoke, she tried to look on the horizon for the island, but it took a while for it to appear. When it finally appeared, Emma realized that this was truly happening and not a dream.

After her mother finished her last story and the island was only a few more minutes away, she turned to her.

“Once we arrive at the island, I want you to wait with Elliot and Edith while I go to your father. He has not seen any of you in years, and you were a baby when he last saw you. I don’t want him to be overwhelmed.”

Emma nodded politely. She had waited years for this moment. A few more moments wouldn’t hurt.

The boat then arrived at the docks, and Emma looked up at the only building that fit on it. It was a temple of sorts, built with elaborate white marble and gold accents, much like other buildings in Divinia. Yet this one, despite its small size, seemed even more imposing than all the others. Emma had a suspicion it had been there for centuries. She kept looking at it as she waited with Elliot and Edith for her mother to return with her father.

“How does he feed himself?” Emma asked, the quiet suspension too much for her.

“He goes to Fantasia Island every day for food and anything else he may need. Everyone there knows who he is,” Elliot clarified.

“Fantasia Island is so isolated from the Divinian mainland that the events of 480 took almost a year to reach there. The people on the island, like most others, still support your father, even if they can’t always show that publicly,” Edith added.

“There is only one church on the island, and the bishop is someone we can trust. It also falls under my cardinal jurisdiction, so the others don’t have any authority here, and the Archbishop has no reason to think anything of a remote island with only a small population of fishers. Until recently, at least.”

Emma knew they would tell her the story of what happened with the bishop of Fantasia Island later, and she hoped it was not so dangerous that her father would have to flee even further away from them. She wanted to thank Edith and Elliot for protecting her father, when she heard voices approaching.

Emma turned around and saw her mother and her father. She immediately knew it was him, despite having no memories of him. Emma ran up to him and tightly hugged him.

“Papa!” she exclaimed.

“Oh, my darling girl, is it truly you?” her father asked, wrapping his arms around her.

They stayed like that for a while. Emma had waited her whole life for this moment. She wanted it to last as long as possible.

“You’ve grown so much… and you look just like your mother,” her father mused, looking at her fondly.

“I… I’ve wanted to meet you for so long…” Emma said, “I never knew…”

“I know,” her father whispered, stroking her hair, “I’ve dreamed of this day too, and I can’t wait for you to tell me everything that’s happened. But first…”

Her father turned towards Elliot and Edith, who bowed and curtsied for him, addressing him as ‘Your Majesty’ like nothing had happened.

“Elliot, my old friend,” her father merely said, “I’m glad to see you. And you, Edith, you have grown into a young woman since I last saw you.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Edith said, clearly a bit flattered by the compliment.

“Let us all go inside and sit down,” Emma’s mother suggested with a smile on her face.

The five of them walked into the shrine, with Emma holding tightly onto her father’s hand. She was too old to be doing things like that, but this was an exception, as she never had the chance to do so with her father.

The shrine apparently had a separate wing that was meant for living, as Emma walked right past most of it, heading through a door into a modest living room. There, she sat down with her father and Edith while Elliot helped her mother prepare something for them. They returned with some fresh juice and cookies.

“Now that we are all together, there is some news I wish to share,” her mother said, “I have received a letter from Astrid informing me that she has begun a courtship with Crown Prince Glen of Aurion. She tells me that although it is very much one based on mutual affection, it is also a very strategic one, as she has told Glen of our family’s struggles. Glen has informed Astrid that we shall have the full backing of Aurion’s resources should we ever wish to take a stand against Hayes and his corrupt system.”

“How would that be of use? We cannot ask them to invade Divinia, as that would risk enacting the Saint’s Wrath. We were very lucky last year; surely we cannot risk it a second time?” Elliot asked.

“No invasion would be necessary. Aurion has other resources at its disposal that we do not. Glen, once king, would have the ability to hire… discreet people that I cannot because of our status as a neutral, non-militarized country. There are many options to consider, and we will have all the time we need to make further plans.”

“How wonderful to finally have some hope to hold onto after all these years... This calls for a toast!” Edith exclaimed.

Everyone brought their glasses together, and the room was filled with the sound of them clinking against each other.

After chatting for a long time and taking the time to catch up, her father and mother showed Emma around the shrine, which had been built shortly before Saint Divinia’s death, more than four hundred years ago. They eventually arrived at the top floor, in front of a set of imposing golden doors.

“Behind these doors lies Saint Divinia’s tomb, as well as the keeping place of our national treasure, the light magic spell of Dawnlight. Whenever someone of Saint Divinia’s bloodline touches it for the first time, they are granted a small glimpse into the future,” her father explained.

“When I touched it for the first time, I saw a glimpse of the Great Fire of Belmont, which happened only a few weeks later,” her mother clarified.

“I want to see Dawnlight,” Emma said, “and touch it.”

Her father nodded at her request, and pulled a key from his pocket, which he used to open the doors. Behind them was a spacious room. Emma’s gaze was immediately pulled in by the large golden casket in the center of the room, which she assumed must be Saint Divinia’s. After walking past it, Emma saw the golden lectern in the back of the room, with a book of the same color lying on it. A fountain of rainbows and beams of light coming forth from it.

“There is a small hole in the ceiling to let the sunlight through. The book is able to reflect it this way because it is light magic in its most powerful form, blessed like all the other national treasures,” her father explained.

Emma slowly approached the book, feeling the light on her face. It was like a warm summer day.

“Place your hand gently on the book and let it rest. The vision will come to you,” her mother instructed.

Emma did as she was told, slowly lowering her hand onto the book. It began glowing in a shade of blue immediately upon making contact with her skin. She thought for a moment that nothing would happen, but then it flashed white before her eyes.

Emma was suddenly somewhere completely different. She was standing in a small cottage of sorts, which was very richly decorated with drawings and plants. In front of her was a young woman with long black hair. Emma could only see her from the back, but she looked like she was wearing glasses. The woman was reading a book with a cup of tea by her side. It looked like a very peaceful scene. Except it wasn’t. Emma then noticed the man standing in a dark corner of the room. She could hardly make out any of his features, only that he was a man and that he was staring ominously at the woman in question. He began approaching her from behind, and Emma wanted to call out to her, when she suddenly found herself back in the shrine, her hand still resting on Dawnlight.

“What did you see, dear?” her mother asked, “do not be too disappointed if it was something mundane; my own father only saw a few ducks in a pond he came across a few weeks later.”

The remark made Emma laugh, somewhat easing her fears about the scene she had been shown.

“It was nothing important,” she lied, before trying to change the topic, “can we go back and talk some more? I still have so many questions about papa!”

“Of course we can,” her father said, “we still have so much to catch up on.”

Emma followed her parents back to her father’s living quarters, eager to forget about the confusing scene of the future and instead spend time with her father, whom she had wanted to see for so long.

Chapter Text

The end of a long competition was supposed to feel quite rewarding, or at least relieving, Christian always thought. As he looked at the score tally between Adrian and him, however, he felt disappointed and betrayed. He was so certain that Sigrid would choose him over that no-good, shady Adrian, but instead she had chosen to run off with some pirate, whom she had apparently loved all along. The revelation of her feigned interest in him broke his heart into a million pieces. He felt like he had been a stupid fool, letting himself be used by her, thinking she could return his genuine feelings for her. Christian wanted nothing more than to rip up the tally and throw it away, but he never got the chance, because someone knocked on his bedroom door.

Christian opened the door and saw Adrian standing there. He didn’t look quite himself either, clearly surprised by Sigrid’s sudden departure too. Christian did notice that he was not nearly as distraught by the news as he was, but Adrian was never quite as open with his feelings as he was.

“Can we talk?” Adrian asked.

Christian nodded, and followed Adrian into the main dorm room, where they sat down in seats opposite each other.

“Now that Sigrid is gone,” Adrian began, getting straight to the point, “we have no reason to keep being so prickly to each other, don’t you think?”

“Yes, I suppose the entire reason for our rivalry is now gone. There is no point in constantly trying to see who is better.”

“Hmmm,” Adrian replied vaguely, “how about a truce, then?”

Christian readily agreed with that, and the two shook hands. He remembered how soft Adrian’s hands were for a self-proclaimed scoundrel from the time they had tried arm-wrestling. Not that it had helped him win in any way.

An uncomfortable silence took hold of the room after they shook their hands and sat back down. After so much time spent being rivals and fighting for the affection of Sigrid, it was difficult to imagine what their relationship would be like going forward. Could they be friends? Before Sigrid had come into the picture, they had been lukewarm acquaintances. The way Adrian went about things was always so underhand, and the fact that he was always trying to tease and provoke really irritated him, even if he knew Adrian never had any bad intentions. But that was when they were younger, and when they hadn’t known each other the way they did now. Christian was used to it by now, and though he did not like to admit it, he did sometimes find Christian’s teasing amusing.

“So… what do we do now?” Adrian asked, breaking the silence.

“I don’t know.”

He really didn’t. The only way they had entertained themselves all this time was through their rivalry. They had both already completed the education required of them as heirs to their respective duchies, and Christian had no appetite for pursuing any sort of other education. He was quite certain Adrian felt the same way. Christian didn’t see himself doing any sort of charity work, either. That only left going home as an option, but strangely enough, he didn’t want to part ways with Adrian. It didn’t feel right. Maybe they could stay at Royale High for the time being.

“I saw an advertisement for an art exhibition in Earth the other day; perhaps we could visit it together? That should at least entertain us for today,” Christian suggested.

“If we’re going to Earth, then I’d rather go to a tavern and drink away my sorrows.”

“I’m not going to drink, especially not while we’re in Divinia. I get extremely political when I’m drunk, and I would rather not be known for causing a riot.”

“Well, then how about we go to that art exhibition in the afternoon, and then go to a tavern of my choosing for the evening, where you can drink tea for all I care? That way, we both get what we want.”

“Oh, very well, but I’m not dragging you back here if you drink too much.”

“I’m flattered to hear you would consider it if I didn’t drink too much.”

Christian rolled his eyes at that remark.

Adrian would hardly ever describe himself as a very artistic person. He didn’t really feel much for paintings or statues, like some people did. When Christian told him they ought to look more presentable for their visit to the art exhibition in Earth, he had looked at him like he was crazy for a second. He only obliged him because he would be able to go to a tavern afterward and have a drink to ease his worries. He needed it, after everything that had happened. With Sigrid out of the picture, things would be very different, and he needed to mentally prepare for that.

The two of them quickly departed towards Earth, first taking a carriage to the city center and then walking the rest of the way. Adrian had a feeling this art exhibition was quite serious, judging by the building it was taking place in. It was in the Divinian Museum of Iolan Art—a museum especially for artists outside Divinia. According to Christian, who looked quite like a child who had just gotten a new toy, the exhibition was by a famous painter from Aurion. Adrian would have to take his word for it.

“It looks like there aren’t too many people yet,” Christian observed, “that will make it easier to view the paintings without a crowd in the way.”

“Why are you so drawn to art? To me, it all seems like boring paintings my mother might hang in the drawing room as decoration.”

“It’s about the process behind it,” Christian explained, pointing to a nearby painting of a meadow, “look at how the artist used the colors to make it come alive as if you were standing in a real meadow. And this one, here, this one is filled with symbolism of love and devotion.”

“You certainly know a lot about it,” Adrian remarked.

“Well, I like to paint from time to time, so it’s kind of required…”

“I had no idea you were an artist yourself.”

“Just because I’m not as reserved about my life as you doesn’t mean that I share everything,” Christian remarked, “and besides, I haven’t done it as much since we began…”

Adrian knew what he meant. Sigrid had thrown quite a wrench into their lives. He wished Christian hadn’t been so blunt about him, though. If he were as open about himself and his feelings as Christian was, things would have gone wrong a long time ago. He needed to keep himself on a leash, if only to protect himself.

“Adrian? Shall we go further?” Christian asked, giving him a curious glance.

He cursed to himself. Now was not the time to get lost in his thoughts. He followed Christian around, stopping at every painting, which Christian then studied and told him everything he knew about it. No matter how boring or dull the paintings were, Adrian had to admit that it was nice to see Christian come alive and be so passionate about something. He had only ever seen him like this once, just before Sigrid came into the picture. It felt good to know that version of Christian was still there.

The two of them finally arrived at a portrait Christian seemed to have been purposefully avoiding, likely to save it for last. Adrian had no idea why, as it looked extremely odd, like it wasn’t a painting at all.

“It’s not like the other paintings,” Christian explained, as if reading his thoughts, “it was made of a thin kind of wool, which was then painted over. It’s meant to be touched.”

“Who would come up with that?” Adrian scoffed.

“The painter wanted to incorporate the gentle and soft character of his husband as he painted his husband’s favorite place of retreat.”

Christian placed his hand on the painting, brushing over it, before looking back at Adrian.

“You should try it too.”

He reached out and took his hand into his own, moving it towards the painting. Adrian hardly registered the touch of the wool, his mind completely occupied by Christian’s touch. It was too much for him.

“W-We should go,” Adrian said, turning away from Christian, his gaze focused on the exit.

“I suppose you’re right. It’s getting late, and I did promise we would go to a tavern.”

Adrian couldn’t get there fast enough. He needed a drink, and fast. He could only hope Christian wouldn’t see his crimson cheeks and the sweat on his forehead in the meantime.

Chapter Text

The tavern Adrian had chosen for the two of them to visit was not far from the art exhibition, though it was one he had never heard of before. It was not too crowded, and it looked like a perfectly respectable establishment, which seemed uncharacteristic of Adrian to pick. Christian sat down next to Adrian at an empty table. Adrian had been quiet since they had left the art exhibition, which made Christian wonder if something was wrong. He wanted to ask him about it, but the waiter arrived to take their order.

“A Mango Sensation cocktail for me,” Adrian said, rather too hastily for Christian’s liking.

“And a cup of caramel vanilla tea for me,” Christian said.

The waiter nodded and left. Christian made use of the opportunity to strike up a conversation between them again.

“What made you choose this place? It doesn’t seem very… you.”

“It was close by, and I’ve heard a lot of good things about the drinks here. I’ve wanted to go here with you since we arrived in Divinia.”

The words made Christian raise an eyebrow. He wanted to go here with him? What about Sigrid? She was not around at that moment, but she had been with them throughout their entire time in Divinia before. Didn’t Adrian want to bring her here? Christian had wanted to ask him about it, but their order arrived, and Adrian immediately began indulging himself.

“I’m glad Sigrid is with her pirate boyfriend,” Adrian remarked after taking a big sip from his cocktail.

Christian wondered if he had been reading his thoughts.

“Why?”

“Because if she were here, you would ruin the moment by arguing with me about who could drink the fastest or find some other thing to prove yourself to her,” Adrian said, a playful smirk on his face.

The remark was supposed to be offending, but he found himself rolling his eyes and having to suppress a smile.

“Aren’t you cheeky today? I recall it was you who was always trying to prove yourself,” Christian responded, blowing at his tea before taking a sip.

“Then you have a bad memory. I’m much better than you at being modest.”

“See, there you go again. You’re the most boastful person I’ve ever met.”

Adrian merely snickered and smiled at him. It was the usual teasing again, and yet Christian felt it was even more infuriating than usual. In a good way, of course.

As they kept drinking and talking, Christian admitted to himself that he found Adrian’s company to be a lot more enjoyable now that Sigrid had departed. It felt a lot more natural somehow. Their rivalry over Sigrid seemed so much more disingenuous in hindsight. It was a strange feeling that he found difficult to understand. Though not nearly as much as the fact that Adrian ordered another one of that odd cocktail.

“Do you want to try it?” Adrian asked, eyeing him with an amused look on his face.

Christian wondered yet again if he could read his thoughts, but said nothing and reached out for a small sip. The taste made him wonder if perhaps Mango Sensation was meant to be a sarcastic name.

“That is disgusting; what is even in there?”

“It’s a mix of mango, peach, and orange with a small hint of white wine. They’re quite popular back home, in the south of Aurion.”

Christian waited for Adrian to laugh at him and reveal the real ingredients. That moment never came.

“I knew you had bad taste, but I had no idea it was this bad.”

“Bad enough to lead me to Sigrid. I suppose it also brought me to you, though.”

Christian was extremely frustrated when he felt himself blushing at the remark. He couldn’t believe Adrian’s alcohol-induced flirting was having an effect on him.

“How strong are those drinks?” Christian asked, the irritation seeped into his voice.

“Oh, they’re strong, alright.”

Christian let out a disappointed sigh. This could become a very long evening.

It did, in fact, end up becoming a long evening, but not for the reasons Christian expected. It seemed like the more drunk Adrian got, the more his tongue began waggling. In the span of just a few hours, Adrian told him of his favorite activities and hobbies, his childhood pranks, his favorite food, his childhood memories, and even some of his embarrassing moments (which Christian would definitely remind him of later). It was like he was seeing a whole different side of Adrian. A version of him that was vulnerable, open, and not constantly trying to tease him or prove himself. A fleeting thought that he had more in common with Adrian than he ever did with Sigrid ended up souring things for Christian, and he signaled his intention to return to Royale High. Thankfully, Adrian agreed and finished his last drink.

As the two of them paid the bill and made their way outside, Christian got the feeling that Adrian may have overindulged (even by his standards), and was unlikely to make it back to Royale High on his own two legs. Christian reluctantly allowed him to lean on him as they walked back to the nearest carriage departure stop. He wasn’t sure whether it was the close contact or the exhaustion from carrying Adrian that made him feel like he was burning up.

During the carriage ride, Adrian was half asleep while Christian looked out the window. He was now certain of the fact that something had shifted between the two of them today. They had obviously made the step from rivals to friends, but Christian couldn’t help but feel like there was something more to it than that. The confusing thing was that neither of them was very different from before, which made him wonder if things had perhaps always been this way, and he just hadn’t seen it.

Much to Christian’s relief, the gates of Royale High were still open. He dragged Adrian inside and, with much difficulty, up the stairs to the dorm they had been using. By the time they were inside, Christian’s body gave up, and he was forced to push Adrian onto the couch, which jumped him out of his half-asleep state. He stared at Christian for a moment, before saying words that made his heart stop.

“You know, Christian… I never really liked Sigrid. I was only competing with you because I liked you instead.”

Christian’s eyes widened, and he could swear he nearly fainted.

“You don’t mean that. You’re drunk,” he retorted. He didn’t want to believe it. All that time…

“I do mean it! Do you want me to prove it?”

Adrian shot up from the couch and approached him closely. Christian wasn’t sure if he wanted to know. That would mean he would need to reevaluate everything he had ever known. Adrian stopped when he was only inches away from him. He placed his hand on Christian’s cheek and leaned in closer.

“Do you?” Adrian whispered against his lips.

Christian didn’t stop him when Adrian leaned in for a kiss. He tasted like that awful drink from earlier, the scoundrel. He loved it. That was the thought that scared him the most, and the moment their lips parted, Christian ran into his bedroom and locked the door behind him.

Christian lied down on his bed and knew that he would have to face this in the morning. He would have to see Adrian again, and whether he remembered what he had done wouldn’t matter. He would remember. Would remember how good that kiss felt, how he felt better than any moment with Sigrid ever had. The revelation that he had enjoyed kissing another man was not the problem. It was the fact that this was Adrian. They had been competing for years, trying to see who was best. And he had enjoyed that more than Sigrid’s approval at the end of it. Christian cursed to himself and decided to just go to sleep.

Chapter Text

Adrian woke up on the couch the next morning with a splitting headache. He knew he had overindulged, but apparently it had been so bad that he hadn’t even made it to his bed. Why had he overindulged so much again? Oh right, he had been trying his very best to forget about his feelings for Christian, especially after he had touched his hand so intimately at the art exhibition. It was a miracle he’d been so insufferable at the tavern, acting like he had bad taste in drinks and giving him that annoying, judgmental look for ordering more. And then, afterward, he had… he had…

Oh no.

Adrian wanted to jump out of a window. He had forgotten how, in all his drunkenness, he had told Christian quite literally everything about his life, including how he had never liked Sigrid, but had always held feelings for Christian instead. If that wasn’t mortifying enough, the memory of him kissing Christian also flooded back to him, and Adrian was quite certain he would be better off locking himself in a small room and never coming out again. The kiss had been heavenly, better than he could have ever imagined after all that time pining for him, but Christian had run off into his bedroom immediately after, and instead of talking about it like a sensible, sober person, Adrian had fallen asleep on the couch immediately after.

To say he had messed up was an understatement. Adrian had probably frightened Christian beyond words, if not disgusted him. After all those years of carefully hiding his feelings, pretending he cared about Sigrid when it was so obvious that she held feelings for another, all it took was one touch and a few drinks to make it all come rolling off his tongue. It was safe to say that after all that time trying to prove he was the best, he had lost the competition utterly. Perhaps it was best to cut his losses and go home. He let out a loud sigh and went to his room to begin packing.

Christian kicked a pebble ahead of him as he walked around the school gardens in the early morning. He had barely gotten any sleep the night and, at a certain point, had given up entirely, choosing instead to linger his mind on the events that had preceded. After much thought about his feelings, he had concluded that he was never in love with Sigrid. It was merely a feeling that seemed like love at the time. Christian knew now that he never would have felt the way he did if he had kissed Sigrid instead of Adrian. It had been a magical, exhilarating feeling that could not compare to anything else in his life.

Perhaps, Christian wondered, he had only been competing with Adrian because he liked impressing him, and he just didn’t know it. He would be lying if he said he had never thought Adrian was attractive, but the feeling was so much more intense now. He longed to put his hands through those dreamy brown curls and to gaze into those hazel eyes that looked like an enchanting forest in autumn. It was thus very frustrating that Adrian had been drunk when kissing him, and if he even remembered it, he would probably say it didn’t mean anything.

He let out a frustrated sigh and kicked the pebble into the pond, where it made a soft splashing sound before sinking to the bottom. He then noticed Glen and his new girlfriend, Astrid—the entire school had learned about that union within a day—walking in his direction.

“You look rather downcast, Christian. What is the matter?” Astrid asked.

“I realized last night that I never loved Sigrid.”

“You’re joking,” Glen said, his eyes wide in surprise.

Christian shook his head.

“I think I like Adrian instead.”

“You can’t be serious. Next thing, you’ll tell me you saw Saint Divinia!”

A murderous glare from Astrid quickly shut Glen up.

“What has caused this sudden change?” Astrid asked, turning back to him

“Adrian drunkenly kissed me last night and told me that he never loved Sigrid, and was just competing with me so he could be with me. And I… well, I’ve felt things with him that I’ve never felt with anyone else.”

“Have you told Adrian about this?” Glen asked.

“No. He wasn’t awake when I went outside.”

“You should speak with him,” Astrid advised, “if you don't, you may never find peace with yourself. I speak from experience,” she added, looking over at Glen with a fond smile.

She was right, of course. He needed to see Adrian. At best, his feelings would be returned, and at worst, he would always have last night’s kiss to comfort him.

“I will. Thank you,” Christian responded, before turning around and running off.

He heard Glen saying that he needed to tell Felix about this just before he left. Perhaps informing him about this all wasn’t the best idea.

After packing his luggage, Adrian left this bedroom. He glanced over at Christian’s room, which was still empty. It was probably for the best if he just left and saved him the embarrassment of recounting last night’s memories. He knew he couldn’t avoid Christian forever, especially since they were both heirs to very important positions, but avoiding him until they could at least move on from the drunken confession and kiss was probably for the best, if that was even possible.

Adrian moved through the hallways of the school, both hoping and not hoping to run into Christian. He wanted to see him again, to kiss him again. All that time, he had never allowed himself to think about it, but now that he had experienced a taste, he wanted more. That was also why he didn’t want to run into him, because there was a very big chance he would be rejected. He wasn’t sure he could take it. That was why he went towards the carriage that could take him back to Earth, and from there he would find a way back to Aurion. As fate would have it, however, that wouldn’t be so easy.

“Adrian!”

He didn’t need to turn around. Christian’s voice was one he had memorized in great detail. He would hear it above a thousand other ones.

“Christian…” he responded, slowly turning around, afraid to face him.

“Is that your luggage?” Christian asked, “are you… leaving?”

Adrian took a deep breath, unsure what to say.

“I’m sorry for last night. I was drunk and not thinking clearly, but I know that’s no excuse. I never should have-”

“I like you.”

Adrian’s mouth fell open, and he wasn’t sure if he heard it correctly.

“What?”

“I panicked last night because when we kissed… it felt so right, and I realized I felt things for you that I never felt for Sigrid, but I didn’t see it until that moment. Her departure allowed me to see what was there all along…”

Christian reached out to cup his cheeks, closing the distance between them.

“I like you, Adrian Grivia.”

Adrian’s eyes lit up, and he watched as Christian slowly leaned in. They shared a much deeper and more passionate kiss than they did last night, and Adrian, now actually sober enough to enjoy the moment, was in absolute bliss. He had wanted this for so long, and it was actually happening. Christian liked him back.

“Don’t leave,” Christian whispered when their lips parted.

“How could I? Not when you’re here.”

Christian chuckled softly. It was a wonderful sound to hear.

“Do you think Abigail will let us stay for longer?” Adrian asked.

“Not in the way we are now. If we began attending the lessons, perhaps. We wouldn’t get a graduation, but we would be able to stay here.”

“That’s just a small sacrifice for me. All that matters is being with you,” Adrian said, stroking Christian’s hair.

Christian smiled before leaning in for another kiss.

Chapter Text

Apollo had a hard time with knowing where people were. He was looking for Elizabeth, as she was the student council president, but even though he knew who she was, he had no idea where she could possibly be. She had been absent from the student council office, which made it difficult to locate her, as Apollo barely knew her. 

After a helpful tip from a fellow student, he had made his way to the music room, where he was glad to see her with Levi and Anna. Elizabeth was seated behind the piano, while Levi had a violin in his hands. Anna stood by their side, watching the other two as they played. Apollo cleared his throat, and their heads turned towards him.

“I, uh… I need permission to leave school for a few days to go home. I should be back by the end of the week,” he explained.

“And what is the reason for this trip? I hope you know it’s quite close to our final exams,” Elizabeth asked.

Oh, he knew. He was dreading the exams, especially with the time lost when it came to studying.

“It concerns important royal duties. It is a tradition back in Fayiron for every member of the royal family to make the journey from the Winter Palace in the capital to the cave that contains the Agios Staff, our national treasure. It can only be done the day after an aurora has occurred during a full moon, something that only happens every five years, with the next time being this week.”

“That sounds pretty scary,” Anna remarked, “do you have to do it alone?”

Apollo shook his head.

“It’s tradition for at least one person from outside Fayiron to accompany whoever makes the journey, as Saint Divinia did with Fina when she first brought the staff to the cave, right after being crowned Queen of Fayiron. Howard will accompany me for the journey, and so he will need permission to leave as well.”

“I see no problem with that. I will forward it to Principal Abigail, who will have it sorted,” Elizabeth reassured him.

“I wish I could go along…” Anna lamented, “I’ve always wanted to visit the Winter Palace and see the art collection.”

“I agree. I have heard many stories of the palace’s grand always and the chandeliers that look like ice crystals put together,” Elizabeth added.

Apollo gave them a weird look. It was odd to hear people talking about his home like it was some kind of mythical land.

“Well, in that case, why don’t the three of come along,” Levi suggested, “you know… to observe Fayiron’s culture and to support Apollo. You wouldn’t mind, would you?”

“Not really,” Apollo said with a shrug.

“Now hold on a second. We cannot just lift along with Apollo like that, and we are already heading to Brightwald in a few weeks for similar reasons,” Elizabeth protested.

“But Lizzie, think about the chandeliers!” Anna pleaded.

“And I’ve also heard there’s a beautiful opera hall near the Winter Palace.”

“Fine,” Elizabeth relented with a sigh, “I will discuss it Abigail.”

Apollo couldn’t resist snickering at the successful attempt of Elizabeth’s best friend and boyfriend to convince them to come along. It seemed that in addition to making his journey to the Agios Staff, he would also be playing tourist guide.

“I should warn you to wear warm clothes; Fayiron is freezing cold for people who aren’t used to it even during the summer.”

“I don’t think we have any of those clothes. We should ask Eleanor if she can arrange something for us. She’s basically a famous designer now, so she should have some connections,” Anna suggested.

Apollo wished them good luck.

The next morning, Apollo waited in the hallway for Howard to emerge from his dorm room. He had arranged to meet with the others at the school gates, but he liked meeting with Howard first before going there. Apollo never really liked the fact that he and his best friend didn’t share a dorm. It didn’t take long for Howard to emerge, thankfully. 

“There you are. Have you got everything?”

“I think so,” Howard responded, smiling as soon as he saw Apollo, “I’m glad you had warm clothes to spare and that we are roughly the same size. Belmont is not nearly as cold, so I don’t have many, and certainly didn’t think to bring any with me to Royale High.”

“You’re welcome. I didn’t really use most of them anymore, so you’re more than welcome to keep them.”

Howard’s eyes widened.

“Really? Thank you, Apollo, that’s really kind of you.”

“Don’t mention it. I have more than enough, and they suit you.”

As the two of them approached the school gates, Apollo saw the others already standing there with their luggage in hand, and he readied himself for his role as tourist guide. He didn’t really mind it, as he was glad to see people being interested in his home country and its culture. As Iola’s smallest country, Fayiron’s culture often went unnoticed, especially due to its relative isolation. At least that isolation meant that Fayiron was always quiet and peaceful, perhaps even more so than Divinia.

When Howard and him arrived at the school gates, Apollo noticed that Eleanor was standing with the other three, carrying luggage as well.

“Are you coming along as well?” Howard asked.

“Indeed. When Anna explained me of your plans, I just had to come too. I’m dying to find out how the people of Fayiron apply manage to make their clothes so uniquely warming without making them too thick or big, among other fashion techniques unique to them.”

Apollo was both glad to hear more interest in his country, but also amused by the fact that their company had grown from two to six.

The six of them stepped into a carriage, just barely managing to all fit inside. It didn’t go very fast, with their luggage also weighing it down by quite a bit.

“How will we travel to Fayiron?” Elizabeth asked.

“We’ll take a ferry to Fayiron’s closest port city from Diamond Beach and from there take a ride towards the capital.”

“Aren’t we traveling through Falmar?” Anna asked, “I thought that, since Fystaria is closer to the border with Falmar, it would be the faster route.”

“It might look that way on a map, but the border between Falmar and Fayiron is entirely covered by a rough mountain range that is very difficult to pass. It’s only really possible through one road, the Frigid Pass. I think the name should tell you more than enough about how comfortable of a journey that is. Boats are also faster than carriages.”

“Sea travel it will have to be then,” Levi remarked, “I think I would much prefer the calm waters of Amestou to that Frigid Pass.”

The journey was thankfully as peaceful as Levi had hoped. The waters between the various islands of the Amestou Archipelago were regarded as some of the safest waters of the oceans surrounding Iola, even despite recent rumors of a pirate ship crossing by them towards Divinia. Apollo then watched in amusement as everyone had to stop to change into their warmer clothes as soon as they arrived in Fayiron. Even if the ports weren’t frozen during the summer, it was still cold enough to prevent snow from melting. When he saw the clothes Eleanor had procured, Apollo wondered if she had contacts in Fayiron, as the clothes almost resembled ones his sisters or mother might wear.

After walking through the port city for a while, they arrived at a taxi spot. To the surprise of the others, there was no regular carriage, but instead a sleigh carriage, which was much better equipped to traverse Fayiron’s harsh landscape. Due to the constant, year-round snow and the frequent blizzards in the autumn and winter, regular carriages stood absolutely no chance. Elizabeth and Eleanor sat down a bit wearily, holding on for dear life to the seats, while Howard, equally fearful, clutched his arm so tightly Apollo wondered if there was even still blood flowing to his hands. He was glad when Howard finally felt safe enough to let go.

After a somewhat long journey, they finally arrived at the gates of Fystaria, Fayiron’s isolated capital. The layers of snow were much bigger than they had been back at the coast, and the temperature was a lot lower, to the point where the others were shivering even in their warm clothes. Apollo was glad to see his home again, after having been away for almost a year. The Winter Palace quickly came into view, being in the center of the city. As they passed by the statue of his late father, Apollo hoped he would look over him during his trial.

Chapter Text

When they finally arrived at the courtyard, they were quickly attended to by a group of footmen, who took their luggage and helped them out of the carriage.

“Will we be received at the palace?” Elizabeth asked as the group entered the building.

“From what I know, my whole family is coming to greet us,” Apollo explained. He had missed them a lot, and exchanging letters had hardly been sufficient.

Right after turning a corner, Apollo’s words were confirmed. Standing at the bottom of the stairs stood his entire family. His mother, his sisters, and his grandparents were all there to greet him and the guests he had brought along. His grandparents came forth first, with his grandfather warmly embracing him.

“There are more guests than you had reported to us,” his grandmother commented.

Apollo let out a nervous chuckle, scratching the back of his head.

“They were interested in Fayiron and its culture, so I saw no harm in bringing them along.”

“And right you are. The more, the merrier,” his mother chimed in, hugging him tightly.

Apollo introduced everyone to each other, applying titles where necessary. That immediately led to some friction when it came to Elizabeth.

“Do you wish to be addressed as queen? It is the position you hold, is it not?” his grandmother asked.

“I would prefer not to, Your Majesty. Not until I have had my coronation.”

“How proper,” was the sarcastic reply of his grandmother.

“Don’t be unkind, granny,” Cynthia, the middle sibling, chimed in.

Apollo could only hope his grandmother would be tame during their stay. She was a fierce woman with a sharp tongue, known as the ice queen for a reason. He pitied the people in her household, as she seemed to have a new ladies’ maid almost every month.

“Anyway…” Apollo said, hoping to end the awkward silence that had followed.

His grandfather seemed to catch the hint and spoke up.

“Daphne will guide them to your rooms. Feel free to entertain yourselves and look around until seven, when dinner will be served. In the evening, you are all invited to come with us to the Fystaria Opera Hall, where we will watch The Duchess and The Mirror from the royal box.”

Apollo then watched as the others followed his mother, while his sisters dragged him off.

“Tell us everything about Royale High, brother! The people, the teachers, the rooms, the food, the lessons…” Delphine exclaimed, ever the enthusiastic youngest sibling.

“Calm down, Delphine,” Cynthia scolded her, before turning back to Apollo, “but please, do tell us about Royale High. I want to know if I want to go there too.”

Apollo smiled at them, resisting the urge to laugh at his sisters’ enthusiasm.

“I like Royale High. The people there are really nice,” he explained, “a lot of them are more relaxed and informal than here at court, though some people are mere elegant refined. There are people who could even match granny,” he remarked, the crown princess of Falmar on his mind.

The three of them made their way to a nearby drawing room and sat down to talk more.

“Is it really true you were held hostage by the king of Theros?” Delphine asked.

Apollo nodded.

“Almost everyone at Royale High was. Even the teachers.”

“The family was quite in a state after hearing about it. Even granny seemed quite vexed,” Cynthia explained.

“If our father had been there, he would have showed that King Richard a thing or two,” Delphine joked.

The three of them laughed, but Apollo couldn’t help but think that his father probably wouldn’t have allowed himself to be captured if he had been in his place.

“Are you nervous for your trial?” Delphine asked.

“I am, but I think most people would be,” Apollo answered.

That was not entirely true, of course. His father did the trial easily without any fear. His trial had been the fastest in Fayiron’s history.

“We should probably get back to our lessons,” Cynthia said, looking at the time.

“But I don’t want to!” Delphine complained.

“Do you want granny to scold us?”

Apollo had never seen someone rise from their seat as quickly as Delphine upon hearing those words.

With his younger sisters busy with their lessons, Apollo decided to head into the gardens to see his father’s grave. The late Crown Prince Orion had never wanted to be buried with the generations before him in the royal mausoleum, as he preferred simplicity and nature, and those wishes had been respected. Apollo liked it better, as that made visiting the grave a lot easier.

Seeing the grave made a feeling of sadness overwhelm him. His father just as beloved by his family as he had been by his people. When he had become ill and passed it been a great shock because he had been such a strong and incredible man. Even though he would one day watch over and wield one of Iola’s two strictly defensive weapons, he was a ferocious warrior who could best any foe. Yet despite that, he also possessed a kind heart and was actively involved in charity and the development of Fayiron.

His father had been so beloved that when he passed, people came to Fystaria to mourn him for weeks on end from even the most remote parts of the country. The front gates of the palace had become so loaded with flowers and tree branches that they had been opened, with more room made in the palace gardens. It had been perhaps the most intense display of mourning he had ever seen. The wide public sympathy had also helped the family process their own grief.

“I had a feeling I would find you here.”

Apollo turned around to see his mother approaching him, a fond smile on her face.

“We all miss him every day,” she added.

“He meant so much to the people, and to me too. It’s almost like the way Divinians talk about Saint Divinia.”

His mother chuckled softly before placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Perhaps, in a way… but your father was not perfect, even if it may have seemed that way. He never liked to listen to other people’s opinions, as he always thought his way was the right one; he never really thought things through, always diving into things headfirst; and he never had a talent for diplomacy, unlike your grandfather.”

“I suppose granny must have scolded him a lot for that.”

“She did, and so did I. But Orion would not have been the way he was without his flaws. No one is perfect, no matter how beloved. Our flaws are what makes us special and unique,” his mother told him, “you must not forget that.”

Apollo nodded and looked at his mother.

“Thank you, mother. We should go back inside, it’ll be time for dinner soon.”

Chapter Text

To Apollo, the performance his grandfather had brought them to had been rather uneventful. It was not a bad show, but Apollo never really had a taste for ballet, preferring regular theater without all the dancing to distract the viewer. The others liked it well enough, though. Elizabeth, Anna, and Levi all seemed very fond of the performing arts, and Eleanor insisted on meeting the costume designer after the show had ended. As for Howard… well, Apollo had the impression he just liked being around him.

With the performance over, they had all gone to bed. Apollo had hoped desperately for a good night’s sleep for his trial, and luckily fate had mercy on him. It was all the peace he would get, as he woke up with the nerves already coursing through him. He knew he absolutely could not fail this trial, not if he ever wanted to be seen as a worthy king of Fayiron. The last person born into the royal family who had done the trial had been his father, who had set the expectations quite high. Apollo had to do this and do it right.

At breakfast, everything seemed peaceful. Howard and the others had gone for a morning walk across the city, leaving just his family at the table. Apollo could tell the subject of his trial was on the tip of everyone’s tongues, and he was waiting to see who would bring it up first. In the end, it was Delphine.

“Will we have a party when Apollo finishes his trial?”

“You’re slouching, dear,” his grandmother told her, ignoring her question completely.

Apollo had never seen someone move faster to readjust their posture.

“I’m afraid a party will have to wait, as Apollo will have to head back to Divinia after his trial so they can arrive at Royale High before dark. We will have a party in a few weeks when Apollo has come back from graduation,” his grandfather explained.

The words made Apollo realize just how close he was to his final exams, and that he really needed to begin studying more when he returned to Royale High. He didn’t have time to worry about it until his trial was over, however.

“We ought to hurry up so we can see Apollo off to his trial,” his grandmother remarked.

“Oh? Is the trial so precisely timed?” his mother asked sarcastically.

“Well, only if you want Apollo to be back from the cave before dark, unlike others in the past.”

Apollo had to look away to avoid either of them hearing him snicker. When his mother had done the trial after marrying into the family, her compass had broken, and so she had taken until late into the night to return. It had been ammunition his grandmother was never going to let go.

“Things have been cold between granny and mama because they disagreed over which of them should become president of some charity committee,” Cynthia whispered to him.

“Wars are fought with less intensity,” Apollo remarked, making them both laugh.

It was a bit of relief he needed before he set off.

After making sure to dress in his warmest clothes, putting on more layers than he was used to, Apollo traveled with everyone else to the gates of Fystaria. In front of him lay a seemingly endless snowy landscape, dotted with trees sticking out to break up the horizon. With Howard by his side, he parted ways with his family and his other classmates, beginning the journey into the frigid wilderness. The cave that contained the Agios Staff was south of the city, and considering the area around the capital was surrounded on all sides by rivers, there was at least no chance of him wandering until he reached the border with Falmar.

“How will we know if we’re on the right track?” Howard asked him as they entered a dense forest.

“There are quite a few landmarks that I’ve memorized, and I have a compass.”

“And if we get lost?”

“When the sun begins to set, the whole army will come looking for us. No one has ever gotten lost, and this trial has been done for centuries,” Apollo reassured Howard, increasingly under the impression that he was scared of getting lost.
Howard nodded, and they continued on.

As they ventured through the wilderness, Apollo and Howard both stayed silent. It wasn’t just because they were concentrated on finding their way, but also because they liked each other’s company to the point where even in silence, it was more enjoyable than being alone. It stayed that way until they reached a large boulder between the trees, with engravings on it that signaled human presence at some point. Apollo knew all too well about it; it had been his father who had made those engravings with his blade.

“You know, I was always so amazed by the stories about your father’s battle prowess,” Howard remarked, “it just seems odd to think about, considering he would have been expected to wield a staff.”

Apollo let out a sigh. He didn’t blame Howard, but he had heard that remark at least a million times.

“He was a very strong man, that’s true.”

“Is something wrong? Did I say something I shouldn't have?” Howard asked, catching onto his tone.

Apollo was almost frightened by how easily Howard could tell when something was wrong with him.

“It’s nothing. We should continue,” he said.

The two of them continued onwards, slowly making the journey to the cave. Apollo was relieved when he saw the frozen pond that marked the halfway point. His legs were beginning to hurt, and his breathing grew a bit heavier. He was not used to walking very long distances, especially not through terrain like this. Unlike his father, Apollo was not really all that athletic; his focus lay on using staves and anima magic, which required little stamina. Apollo glanced over at Howard, who seemed to handle it a lot better than him. It was hardly surprising; dark magic, which Howard practiced, was heavy compared to the other kinds of magic and required more concentration and stamina.

Apollo tried to ignore the pain in his legs and kept going, determined to make it to the end. He had to; it was required. He could never be worthy of succeeding his grandfather as king if he couldn’t even do this. There was no time to complain, he had to-

“Apollo, you need a break,” Howard said.

“I don’t. I’m fine.”

Howard raised an eyebrow.

“You’re not. You’re out of breath. Let’s just sit down for a moment.”

Apollo wanted to, really, he did, but he couldn’t.

“I can’t do that, Howard. I’ll be a disappointment if I do that.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because I’ll have to succeed my grandfather instead of my father. My father was perfect for people—someone with no apparent flaws, even if he did have them. I can’t ever be like that. I’m not a strong fighter, an extroverted and charismatic person, or confident and outspoken like he was.”

Apollo tried his best to fight back the tears that threatened to form in his face.

Howard’s gaze softened, and a reassuring smile formed on his face.

“I understand. I often feel like I’m not good enough compared to Erric either when I see him sometimes. He’s also outspoken, confident, charming… those aren’t qualities I’d describe myself as having either, but I remind myself that I’m not Erric, nor am I my father or my mother. I’m my own person. If our parents defined who we were, Elizabeth would not have become student council president, nor would we have let her come along with us. Your people will see that too, Apollo, and they’ll appreciate your unique qualities, which I know you possess. You’re good at diplomacy, you’re patient, you always listen to others, and you think things through. Those are qualities I’m sure people would wish they had.”

“I suppose that’s true…” Apollo admitted, a small smile appearing on his face. He felt flattered to hear Howard talk about him like that, and he was glad to have him with him. Despite that, however, he still wanted to keep going.

Howard seemed to notice those toughs in his head, and let out a playful sigh before reaching out and sweeping him off his feet.
“If you’re going to be so stubborn, the least I can do is make sure you reach the cave alive,” he remarked.

Apollo burst out into laughter, allowing Howard to carry him as they resumed their journey. He didn’t want to admit it, but he appreciated the respite it gave him to rest for a bit.

Apollo was relieved when the cave finally came into sight, and he jumped out of Howard’s arms to walk the last part himself. He let out a sigh of relief when he entered. He looked around the cave and was in awe when he saw the plants growing and the fresh water ponds the cave contained. It surprised him when he realized he wasn’t feeling warm because of the walking he had done, but because the temperature was higher in the cave than outside.

“How is this possible? So much life and greenery in such a cold, frigid place?” Howard wondered.

“It must be the staff’s doing. I suppose that’s part of why it’s called the staff of solace,” Apollo said, his glance wandering to the rock in the middle of the cave, which contained the most important object of his country. Now all he had to do was reach out and touch it to complete his trial. Before he did that, however, he turned to Howard and reached out to hug him.

“Thank you for helping me, Howard. You’re the best friend I could ask for,” he whispered.

“O-Of course,” Howard stammered, seemingly taken aback.

Apollo then focused his attention back on the staff. He took a deep breath before reaching out to touch it. As all national treasures did when touched by someone who could wield them, the staff glowed a bright blue as his hand made contact. Additionally, a pillar of light emerged, reaching up to the sky through a hole in the ceiling. Apollo walked outside, and saw an aurora in the sky.

“It’s beautiful… I’ve never seen anything like it,” Howard said, looking up in amazement.

“It’s a special kind of aurora that signals that I’ve completed the trial. This one is orange, but the natural ones are a mix of blue, green, and purple,” Apollo explained.

He looked up at the sky, glad it was all over now. The light signaled not only the completion of the trial, but for him, it also represented that he now had faith that he could become a good king one day, and be good enough to serve his people.

Chapter Text

Howard felt a sense of uneasiness course through him as he stepped out of the carriage back at Royale High. He had enjoyed the past few days immensely, being able to see Apollo’s homeland and spend time alone with him, something he wished could have lasted longer. Now that was over, however, and they would have to return to their studies and prepare for their final exams.

After retrieving their luggage from the carriage and parting ways, Howard and Apollo made their way across the hallways of Royal High towards their dorms. On the way there, Howard spotted Abigail emerging from a hallway to the left of him. Accompanying her was a laugh Howard instantly recognized.

Sure enough, his older brother Erric appeared just behind the principal. The two stopped walking when they saw Apollo and him, and immediately Erric approached to greet him.

“Hello there, little brother. I was hoping I would run into you,” he said, his usual charming smile on his face.

“What are you doing in Divinia?” Howard immediately asked.

Erric would never leave Belmont if there wasn't something serious going on.

“Relax, brother,” Erric reassured him, “I’m here on a mission from our dear father. As you know, relations between Divinia and Belmont have been slowly warming over time, and now I've come here to meet with some important people, including Cardinal John from the Church, to discuss normalization of dialogue between the institutions of dark and light magic. It's all very dull diplomatic stuff,” Erric said, before continuing on, “I was in the area today, so I thought I might visit my favorite brother. I came across the principal, and we reminisced on my own time here, incognito to avoid a scandal back home. She generously offered me a room to stay here until we both leave for the debutante ball in Brightwald. It’s certainly a lot more convenient than having to go back and forth from the palace in Antares, even if Queen Madelyn is delightful company as well.”

“So you’re staying here?” Howard asked for clarification, ignoring his brother’s ramblings.

Erric nodded.

“It seemed like the perfect opportunity to spend some time together.”

“I’ll leave you to it, then,” Abigail cut in, before walking away.

“I think you’ll find that I’m much too busy at the moment, with my final exams coming up,” Howard said.

“I remember those, I barely passed them. I don’t I’ve ever been so nervous,” Erric remarked with an amused chuckle, which also made Apollo laugh.

As if he were a predator discovering its prey, Erric immediately turned to Apollo, extending a hand to him.

“How nice to finally meet the person Howard won’t stop talking about,” Erric remarked, shaking hands, “Apollo, right?”

Apollo nodded.

“I hope it’s good things you hear about me.”

“Howard would never speak ill of anyone, rest assured.”

Howard couldn’t help but feel annoyed by Erric. He didn’t like it when his brother embarrassed him to act popular, especially in front of Apollo.

“We should be going,” he remarked gruffly, hoping to get away from him.

“I’ll come over to catch up as soon as I’m settled in,” Erric retorted, “see you then, brother.”

Howard took Apollo with him and walked away, ignoring his brother’s remark. When they were far away enough, he let out a loud sigh. He could only hope his brother would not make too much trouble for him, especially not so close to his final exams.

“You didn’t seem too excited to see your brother. Are you not on good terms?” Apollo asked.

“It’s hard to explain… we’re just very different.”

Erric couldn’t help but smile as he unpacked his luggage. It was extremely kind of Abigail to let him stay without asking anything in return. She truly was a woman with a heart of gold, if there ever was one. Erric had known that for certain the moment she had asked him to stay after geography class back when he had studied at Royale High to assure him that she had discovered his true identity and that she would not mention it to anyone. Erric knew the school was in good hands under her guidance.

After deciding that he had settled in sufficiently, Erric made his way towards Howard’s dorm. He really needed to speak with his brother. Catching up was his main concern, of course, but there were also serious things they needed to address, things he knew Howard would not like to discuss. Erric quickly found the dorm and knocked on the door. He had heard that his brother shared a dorm with that ghastly Drake, and he hoped he could avoid running into him.

Luckily for Erric, it wasn’t Drake who opened the door. Instead, it was a boy who was clearly confused to see Erric, looking at him like he was a burglar.

“I’m here to see Howard. He’s my younger brother,” Erric clarified.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” the boy mumbled, “d-do I need to call you Your Highness?”

Erric wanted to respond, but Howard, who appeared in the doorway, beat him to it.

“Thank you, Cheston. I can manage it from here,” he responded.

Erric followed Howard into his bedroom, looking around. His brother was certainly a lot more tidy than he had been in his own time. The large pile of books told him that Howard was taking his final exams quite seriously.

“How are you enjoying Royale High?” Erric asked.

“I’m glad I went. I’ve learned a lot.”

“And have you made many friends?”

Howard seemed annoyed by the question.

“A few. I mostly spend time with Apollo.”

Erric let out a sigh. He was worried it would come to that sooner rather than later.

“We ought to talk about your friendship with him,” Erric said.

“Why? Is there something wrong?” Howard asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Apollo is the crown prince of Fayiron. He has a duty to continue the bloodline of Fina to keep Fayiron stable and safeguard its future. It is the burden of all of us who are in line to inherit a bloodline of Iola’s heroes and the throne that comes with it.”

“Apollo has two sisters.”

It immediately confirmed everything for Erric.

“So it’s true, then? You see him as more than a friend?”

Howard’s expression hardened at the question.

“Did papa send you to tell me off for it?” he asked.

“Papa does not know, and you can be very glad for that. I, however, do know, and I see it as my duty to stop you to prevent a lot of heartbreak and hurt feelings.”

“I can’t choose who I fall in love with, Erric.”

“I know that. But you do have a choice to take control of your feelings before they take control of you.”

Howard eyed him furiously, and Erric wondered if Howard would have lunged at him if he were stronger than his older brother.

“If that is all you came to see me for, then you’re better off staying at the palace in Antares. Maybe Queen Madelyn will enjoy your lectures more.”

Erric tried not to let the remark sting.

“I’ll be going back to my room so you can calm down. We’ll meet again tomorrow.”

Erric left before Howard could respond, wishing his younger brother wouldn’t be such a petulant and spoiled child who wanted everything to go his way. He had to recognize that what he was doing would only lead to disappointment.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Erric couldn’t help but feel like things were going terribly. It was not exactly true, as his diplomatic mission seemed to be going well so far, but when it came to Howard, things seemed hopeless. Erric had hoped that with a good night’s rest, his brother would calm down and see reason, but instead he seemed undeterred and refused to speak with him. It was still hardly surprising, however. Howard wasn’t used to things not going his way.

Erric settled in a quiet corner of the school gardens, taking his paperwork out of his bag and looking through it. Diplomacy required a lot of careful reading, which was hardly Erric’s favorite activity. But the fate of relations between Divinia and Belmont depended on it, so he had to read every line with great care. He could hardly allow the Divinian church to deceive him with hidden clauses.

When he heard footsteps approaching him, Erric looked up to see Apollo and his brother walking by him. Howard scowled upon seeing him.

“I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who likes to get work done outside,” Apollo remarked, oblivious to the tension that hung in the air.

“I hate to do work sitting at a desk in a boring office,” Erric responded, a charming smile on his face.

“It’s also convenient for any spies, as they can read confidential documents together with you,” Howard jabbed.

“Well, then the spies will certainly be more interested in reading than I am.”

The remark made Apollo laugh, something Erric tried hard not to enjoy. Howard rolled his eyes and beckoned Apollo to leave.

Howard tried his best to not let it show how much his brother irritated him, not wanting Apollo to notice, but Erric hardly made it easy for him. He hoped his brother would not decide to follow the two of them. He led Apollo to a different part of the gardens and sat down so the two of them could begin studying together.

“What do you want to start with? History or politics, governance, and relations?” Apollo asked.

Howard chose history. It was the subject he needed the most help with.

“Alright, let me see,” Apollo said, looking through his notes, “what was the main cause behind the Therosian War of Independence?”

Howard hesitated for a moment, trying to recall what it was.

“The economic differences between Magnos and Theros?” Howard guessed.

Apollo shook his head. Howard was not surprised.

“It was a feud between the emperor and his younger brother, as the former barred the latter from having any political power. The young prince then went to Theros, where the people felt like their lives were determined too far away from them, and declared an independent kingdom.”

Seeing the sad frown on his face, Apollo turned the pages of his notes, looking for something else.

“Here, let me pick something closer to home for you. Can you name the cause for the First Bels War?”

Howard felt stupid, because he really should have known the answer. History just wasn't something he was good at.

“It started as a result of Belmont damming the river that fed the Montinian Sea, south of what we would call Upper Belmont today. This turned the sea into just a river, drying up the land surrounding it. Belmont and Brightwald both claimed the new land, which led to outright war. When Mistlyn decided to support Brightwald, Wyvernston began to support Belmont, seeing it as a chance to weaken its longtime rival, leading to the structure of alliances in Western Iola that persists to this day,” Apollo explained.

“I’m sorry…” Howard apologized with a deep sigh, “I just can’t wrap my head around history at all.”

“Why don’t we go through everything together from the start, then?” Apollo offered.

Howard wanted to accept, but hesitated for a moment. He could hear his brother scolding him for even still so much as being in the company of Apollo. Erric was quite mistaken if he thought he knew what was best for him.

“That would be great, thanks,” Howard said, a smile on his face.

After he got about halfway done looking through his paperwork, Erric made his way to the office of Cardinal John. They would be discussing the terms of the agreement he had come to negotiate on behalf of his father to hopefully improve relations. Most of the major points were already done, but the most difficult ones had been saved for last. On the Divinian side, the most thorny issues were the constitutional ban on light magic and its teachings in Belmont, as well as the travel ban for members of the Divinian Church. On his side, the most important issues were the Divinian staff export embargo and the non-recognition of Belmont’s sovereignty of Lower Belmont. It meant he probably had a tough meeting ahead of him.

“I thought we could perhaps begin by discussing the travel ban your country still enforces against members of our church. The Archbishop insists that no treaty be signed unless this ban is removed,” John said.

“The ban is only applied vis-à-vis the staff embargo. We in Belmont would be more than glad to remove the ban if the embargo is also removed.”

“People have a fundamental right to travel where they please, while access to staves is not a right. The two issues can hardly be compared,” John argued.

Erric couldn’t help but be annoyed by the fact that the church cared so much about the travel ban. They were talking as if Belmont was a popular holiday destination for its bishops or something. He had to find a way out of this argument. He decided to change the topic.

“Even so, we expect Divinia to stop recognizing Lower Belmont as part of Brightwald. They have not controlled the territory for over fifty years now and are in no position to retake it.”

“That territory is disputed, and neither party has sought to bring it to a court to resolve it. Changing our position on the matter would risk violating Divinia’s neutrality and jeopardize relations with Brightwald, not to mention the precedent it might set for Falmar’s own claims on Sunset Island.”

“But then surely the status quo would also violate Divinian neutrality, as it is blatantly in favor of Brightwald. All other countries except it and Mistlyn also recognize the territorial reality,” Erric argued.

“In that case, the only comparable countermeasure would be to change your constitution in regard to light magic.”

Erric let out a quiet sigh, trying to mask his disappointment. That was the one thing his father had forbidden him from conceding on in any way. These notations were certainly going to be difficult, and he was starting to wonder if they even had any chance of success. It was not like he had much choice, though. The relations between Divinia and Belmont were at a pivotal point. Any sort of failure could easily ruin decades worth of careful diplomacy. If that were to happen under his supervision, it would ruin his reign as king before it could even begin. His father would no doubt be disappointed in him and tell him how much better Howard would have handled it. It was something he heard often.

Chapter Text

Why was history so difficult to understand? It was what Howard wondered as Apollo was helping him to understand everything they needed to know for their final exams. Apollo was now going at it for the third time, and Howard still had the idea that he was not making any sort of progress in mastering the subject. It didn’t help that the sun was out in full force, casting its golden rays on Apollo’s blonde curls, which then made his deep blue eyes and his soft cheeks stand out even more.

Damn, the outside air was not really helpful when it came to studying this time. Why had they agreed to study in the gardens again? Oh, who was he kidding. The venue hardly mattered for Howard; he would admire Apollo to the point of active distraction anywhere. The thought made Howard wonder if perhaps Erric had been right in a way; his feelings for Apollo would not do him any favors. Howard looked at Apollo for a moment before turning away. Apollo wouldn’t be able to help him study, and, Howard increasingly suspected, would likely never return his feelings either.

Taking a deep breath, Howard abruptly stood up. Apollo stopped mid-sentence and looked at him in confusion.

“Sorry, Apollo, but I think I might be better off studying alone. I know you mean well and I really appreciate the effort you put in, but it’s just not working.”

Howard turned away and left before Apollo could even answer.

Erric groaned in frustration as he sat in his room. In front of him were the various drafts for the treaty with Divinia, and he had to make the final decision of choosing the one that would see the light of day. His only other options were to go back to the negotiating table and make unpopular or impossible concessions or to abandon the treaty and risk a complete collapse in diplomatic relations. Erric had the increasing suspicion that no matter what he ended up choosing, he would be a failure. He could already his father telling him how a certain someone else would have done a much better job.

His concentration was interrupted when someone knocked on the door. He couldn’t help but be glad to have a distraction, even if for just a few seconds.

“Come in,” Erric said.

The door opened to reveal Howard, probably the last person Erric had expected to see. Erric wasn’t the superstitious type, but he wondered if his thoughts about his brother just now had somehow conjured him in front of his door.

“What can I do for you?” Erric asked, gesturing for his brother to sit down.

Howard closed the door and sat down on a nearby chair.

“You were right about Apollo and my feelings for him…” Howard admitted, “I’ll break off contact with him when we graduate.

Erric was surprised to hear those words, but he was glad to see Howard making progress. Perhaps he would be more willing to hear him out now.

“I’m glad to hear you’ve changed your mind,” Erric responded, “but why wait? Surely it would be better to break off contacts now and stop any temptation to act on your feelings.”

“Why can you never stop for a moment to think about my feelings?” Howard shouted, seemingly snapping at his question.

Something about Howard’s words made Erric snap too, and they descended into shouting with equal fervor.

“I never hear anything else but your feelings. The whole world revolves around you and has to do whatever you want it to!”

“You’re not being fair. Apollo is the first real friend I’ve made and I can’t just drop him like he means nothing,” Howard argued, “I’m not like you, befriending every other person walking down the street with just a conversation and a charming smile.”

Erric scoffed loudly at Howard’s words.

“You think you’re the one with problems? All I ever hear is how good you are and how people wished I was more like you. Even now, I’m forced to sign a humiliating treaty with Divinia or none at all, and papa will just beat me for being a poor crown prince and how much better you would have managed it,” Erric sneered, “all these years, I’ve been hearing your praises. You’ve been spoiled and indulged while I had to be the perfect prince, ready to follow in our father’s footsteps while still never being considered good enough.”

An awkward silence followed as the words spoken sunk in between the two of them. To Erric, it felt like years of resentment and bottled up frustrations had just come to the surface, and it made the anger in him slowly subside. In the end, it was Howard who broke the silence.

“I never knew you felt that way,” he admitted quietly, “I always thought you really were a perfect crown prince. People flock so easily to you and like you for your natural charisma. It’s something I wish I had.”

“I never knew you felt that way either,” Erric answered.

He guided his brother to his bed, where the two of them sat down next to each other.

“I guess we both admired each other for having something we lacked.”

Howard let out a soft chuckle.

“We were both being quite childish, weren’t we?”

Erric nodded. It was hard to deny that he hadn’t exactly acted like a responsible older brother these past few days.

“I’m sorry for pressuring you about Apollo, and so close to your exams, especially. I should have been more accommodating.

“And I’m sorry for not listening to you and being so prickled about it.”

Erric was glad they had both apologized and gotten back on good terms, and he decided he owed his brother some help.

“How about I help you out with making friends when go home? And maybe we can find some other man who will be right for you? Or a woman, if you’d prefer that,” Erric teased, though his words were genuine, “and just so you know, history is one of the few subjects I was actually good at when I stayed here. I can help you study and make sure you pass.”

Howard chuckled before looking back into his eyes with a smile on his face.

“Only if you let me help you wit the treaty business. We should show those Divinians some Belmont diplomacy.”
Erric found himself laughing at that remark and gladly accepted.

Howard waited anxiously a few days later for Erric to return from his final meeting with the Divinians, knowing what was at stake. He was relieved he had been able to help his brother out of a rather nasty deadlock caused by the stubbornness of the Divinians by suggestion a compromise that involved minor concessions on both sides. The travel ban and staff embargo would both be lifted, and while Divinia would not go so far as to recognize Lower Belmont as territory of Belmont, it would no longer recognize it as part of Brightwald either, taking a truly neutral position. In return, Belmont would allow just one light magic institution under very strict government supervision.

In return for Howard’s help with the compromise, Erric had helped him with his studies in history. His brother was not a very bright student, but luckily history was an exception, and Erric was always good at explaining things. It also helped that his brother knew exactly what the structure of the final exam was like, allowing Howard to prepare more easily.

Howard held his breath when he saw his brother walking down the hallway, hoping desperately for a diplomatic victory. He was elated when Erric took out the signed treaty and waved it in front of him.

“But it’s all thanks to your compromise. The ambassador even called it an unprecedented diplomatic victory,” Erric explained.

“That’s wonderful!” Howard exclaimed, “though I’m sure you charm must have won over the Divinians in the end.”

Erric snorted and ruffled his younger brother’s hair. Howard didn’t mind it this once.

“How did your exams go?”

“Everyone passed,” Howard said, “I got all the history dates right thanks to you.”

“I only helped you a bit. It’s your clever brain that did the work.”

Howard smiled at the compliment. He was glad he was getting along much better with his brother now.

“I’m glad you’re my brother,” he said.

“I’m glad you’re my brother too.”

Chapter Text

Anna looked in awe through the window of the carriage as they entered onto the bridge that led to Caltara, the capital of Brightwald. It had been quite the journey from Divinia, but now they were finally approaching Iola’s largest city, both in size and population. According to many, it was also the most beautiful city on the continent, but Anna had a bias towards Tousaki, the capital of her beloved Magnos. Anna tried to have an open mind, however, allowing herself to be impressed.

She was sitting in a carriage with Astrid, Laura, and Lizzie, and the other girls seemed to be just as excited as her about what they were about to see. The city was in front of the carriage, and so it was hard to see anything but the mighty Caltara River, from which the city got its name. Anna knew that the city was somewhere in the middle of the river, which gave it much of its fame on the continent.

When they finally arrived at the square in front of the royal palace and were able to step out of the carriage, Anna couldn’t help but be amazed. The palace was centered on a large square that faced a sort of lake in the middle of the city. In the middle of that lake was a large statue of what looked like a fusion between a human and a fish. She had heard about the statue, and how it represented the fact that the fish of the river and the people of Caltara lived in harmony, but seeing it in person was a whole different experience.

The entire group gathered in the main hallway, where Principal Abigail explained to them that they were free to explore the city and prepare for the debutante ball for the next five days, as the ball was on Saturday. She furthermore added that the palace maids would show them to their rooms, where they could unpack and relax if they wished. Anna walked along with her friends after one of the maids until they reached a comfortable bedroom for four.

Immediately upon entering, Anna placed her luggage by her bed and sat down, glad to have a moment to rest. She was impressed by the room, with the soft colors of the walls and bedding. They seemed to be quite fond of pastel blues at the palace. Anna found that she quite liked the colors as well.

“What should we do first?” she asked the others, “do we stay here and rest, or are we going to see some of the city?”

“I would love to see some of the historical sights,” Laura said.

Looking around the room, it quickly became clear that idea would be pushed down the schedule for later.

“Perhaps we should visit a dress shop and look for dresses for the ball,” Elizabeth suggested, “it will be much nicer to enjoy our time here if we’ve got that sorted.”

That idea got a lot more of an enthusiastic response, and so they headed out.

It took some looking around and asking some of the people from Caltara until they found the dress shop they were looking for. According to Laura, who had spoken to Eleanor, it was a renowned dress shop, popular among the royal and noble families for various social events. The four of them looked around the shop, hoping to find the perfect dresses for the ball. Laura, Elizabeth, and Astrid all quickly found something to their liking, but Anna had a difficult time finding what she was looking for. While all the other girls were fitting, she looked out the window while taking a break.

Outside, people were walking by the store, going about their day. Anna looked at them, knowing she would never encounter those people again, wondering what each of them was going towards. She was surprised when she saw a familiar face walking by. She recognized one of the passersby as Reeve, one of the footmen in the imperial household back in Magnos. Anna was curious to see what had brought him all the way on other side of the continent and went outside to greet him.

“Reeve!” she called out, “It’s me!”

He stopped in his tracks and turned around, a surprised look on his face when he recognized her.

“Your Imperial Highness,” he said with a bow, “I was not expecting to see you here.”

“Neither was I. What brings you all the way to Caltara?”

“Im here for a point-to-point that’s taking place on Friday just outside the city,” he explained.

“I had no idea you competed in equestrian sports,” Anna remarked.

She knew every member of the imperial household by name and function and sometimes liked to chat with some of them, but she never knew one of the footmen liked horses just as much as she did—if not more.

“I have been doing so since I could sit in the saddle and won some prizes along the way, Your Imperial Highness,” Reeve responded with pride beaming from his face.

Anna looked back and saw that her friends were about to finish their fitting.

“I, uh… I should head back inside, but it was nice seeing you. Good luck with the point-to-point.”

“Perhaps we will see each other around, Your Imperial Highness. Goodbye.”

Anna walked back into the shop, and when she saw the looks other friends’ faces, she knew they had seen her outside.

“Who was that?” Laura asked.

“Reeve. A footman from the household back home.”

Astrid raised an eyebrow.

“Is he now?” she remarked suggestively.

Glen’s manners were starting to rub off on her.

“Let’s help Anna find a dress and talk about this later,” Elizabeth suggested, sensing her discomfort.

Anna gave her a grateful nod, and the other girls scattered across the store.

After finally finding a dress Anna liked, they returned to their bedroom. The group then scattered as all three of the other girls wanted to see their boyfriends, with Anna deciding to head into the city to see where the point-to-point was taking place. She had seen it on a map and needed to find the bridge out of Caltara that would lead her to the left bank of the river, but quickly found herself lost in the endless maze of bridges, islands, and canals that was Caltara.

Anna was relieved when she saw Margaret and Bayard emerge from a nearby museum, glad she saw people she recognized and could ask for help.

“I’m trying to find the exit to the city for the point-to-point, but I’m lost,” Anna explained.

“You’re in luck; I have a map with me, so we can bring you where you need to go,” Margaret offered, something Anna was grateful for.

“Let’s see…” Margaret said, inspecting the map closely, “we should travel by gondola. It will be much easier than walking and save some time, as we’re near the bridge to the left bank.”

“Oh, but that’s where I need to go,” Anna responded.

“The banks of the river are determined by the direction it flows in, which is from east to west. You actually need to go to the right bank for the point-to-point,” Bayard explained.

Anna let out a short ‘o’ before following the duo to a nearby gondola. She felt a bit embarrassed, as she probably should have remembered that detail from geography. Thankfully, Margaret and Bayard didn’t seem to mind. With their more skilled guidance, they quickly reached the right bridge and walked out of the city towards the site of the point-to-point.

“Did you want to watch the practice?” Margaret asked, “Elizabeth tells me you’re fond of horses.”

Anna nodded.

“A friend of mine is competing, actually,” Anna said, leaving out the details.

“Well, we’d be glad to join you,” Bayard answered, guiding them to the stands, where they sat down.

Anna became quickly enthralled when the competition began. She was extremely excited to see people who were passionate about horses and horsemanship and making it into competition and entertainment. It was also good to see Reeve doing well. He had even managed to take the lead for a moment before other racers passed him again. Before Anna knew it, it was already over, and Reeve had finished in fourth place.

With the practice round over, Anna snuck away from Bayard and Margaret to congratulate Reeve. She found him by the sidelines, tending to his horse.

"Congratulations," Anna said, "you did quite well."

"Thank you, Your Imperial Highness. That is high praise from a seasoned equestrian like you."

"Clearly, you're the skilled equestrian here," Anna remarked.

"I meant what I said. Everyone always speaks of how good you are with horses and how well you ride," Reeve said, "have you ever ridden competitively?"

Anna shook her head.

"You should give it a try, Your Imperial Highness. Perhaps you will do quite well. There is still time to register for the point-to-point."

Anna didn't know how to respond. This was far from what she had expected when she departed from Divinia for Brightwald for a debutante ball...

Chapter Text

“Your Imperial Highness? Is everything alright?” Reeve called out, shaking Anna from her thoughts.

“Sorry,” Anna responded, trying to appear collected, “I don’t think I could participate. I don’t have a horse or riding attire with me.”

“Those are available to borrow here, if you wish to use them,” Reeve explained, probably sensing her apprehension.

Anna felt a bit embarrassed at being so hesitant about the offer. As much as she loved riding, participation in an event like that would instantly turn all gazes to her, and especially if she were to do well, the whole continent would like be abuzz with the news of the Imperial Crown Princess of Magnos participating in sports competitions. Something like that was rather unheard of in Iola.

“I’ll have to think about it,” Anna said, “good luck with your training.”

She left him before he could say anything else.

Anna went back to her shared bedroom and enjoyed her own company for a while until they all gathered for dinner. King William had had invited them all to welcome them to Brightwald, with Principal Abigail noting that it would be good to have a formal dinner to practice their etiquette skills before the actual ball. Notably, this meant that King William decided in which direction the conversations took place, which meant that Anna had to talk to Elizabeth, something she didn’t mind.

“Where did you go after we came back from the dress shop? I didn’t see you around the palace,” Elizabeth queried.

“I went to watch the practice for a point-to-point that’s taking place just outside the city on Friday.”

“That’s lovely,” Elizabeth remarked with a smile, “perhaps you could go riding tomorrow? We won’t mind you spending some time alone, and you can easily borrow riding attire from the palace. You’re the same size as Audrey, so that should be no problem.”

“Thank you, but I would rather not have anything to do with horse riding right now,” Anna said, still feeling quite shaken up by the idea of competing in the point-to-point.

“Why is that?” Elizabeth asked.

Anna tried to think of an excuse, but she was saved when King William switched the talking direction to the left, leaving Anna to face Astrid instead.

“So… will you tell me more about that footman and what brings him so far away from Magnos?” Astrid asked.

Anna really wished that Astrid wasn’t quite so nosy. She meant well, but it really came across as overly curious sometimes.

“He’s here for a point-to-point.”

“Really? I thought he was here for you.”

Anna blushed at the suggestion, and gave Astrid an admonishing glare.

“I’m just teasing, don’t worry. He seems friendly enough.”

Anna hoped dinner would be over soon.

Much to Anna’s relief, Astrid quickly switched to more neutral topics of conversation, and the conversation didn’t go the other way, back to an Elizabeth who would certainly want to know more. Anna felt herself quite safe from prying eyes and difficult questions as the girls went to their shared room. The illusion was, ironically enough, not shattered by Astrid or Elizabeth, but by Laura.

“Eleanor heard from Margaret that there is a horse riding competition of sorts on Friday. Shall we go and watch?” she stated, looking at Anna and Elizabeth, “I know you two are quite fond of horses.”

“I would like to go and watch, but it seems Anna has a sudden aversion to horses,” Elizabeth remarked.

“Why is that?” Astrid asked.

“That’s not true,” Anna argued, “I just don’t feel like going horse riding while we’re here.”

“I don’t suppose this has anything to do with Reeve or the practice you watched yesterday?” Elizabeth asked.

Anna took a deep breath. As always, Elizabeth saw right through her. It was not surprising, with her experience as student council president and their longstanding friendship. Perhaps it would be better to share the truth.

“Reeve asked me if I was interested in participating in the point-to-point, as the registry closes tomorrow.”

“And you don’t want to participate, but you also don’t want to give Reeve false hope by going riding on your own?” Laura theorized.

“I do want to participate, but… what will people say? It would be scandalous for me to participate in professional sports. I don’t know what I would do with all those eyes on me, and with everyone talking about me.”

Elizabeth stood up and sat down next to Anna on her bed, placing her hand on top of hers.

“You shouldn’t worry so much about what other people will think. Do what makes you feel happy, and let people say what they will,” she reassured her, “and besides, I think you’ll receive more support than you think. We support you, for one.”

“And you’re far from the only one of us who does these sorts of things. Glen often enters professional archery tournaments too. It may have been surprising for people the first time, but they get used to it faster than you think,” Astrid explained.

“I also remember Apollo’s late father participating in various sports with no one batting an eye. People in Fayiron do not mind as much as they might here, but I would still hardly expect a scandal as large as you think,” Laura added.

Anna couldn’t help but smile at the advice her friends had given her. She felt a lot more confident about participating now, and grateful to have her friends there to back her up. She reached out and hugged all three of them.

“Thank you, girls. I’m so glad I have you to count on.”

After that, Anna went to sleep feeling much more reassured and less nervous, and she knew exactly what she wanted to do tomorrow.

Anna woke up early the next day, changing quietly while the others still slept. She then made her way across the palace and into the city. Having learned from the last time she had tried to traverse it on foot, she took a gondola this time towards the bridge that led out of the city. She made her way to the practice course, and spoke to the organisers. She wrote down her name and officially entered the competition, which earned her a surprised look.

After arranging that, Anna made her way to the stables, where she had been assigned a horse to borrow with a corresponding set of riding attire. She changed a second time and took her time to get familiar with the horse. It was quite tame compared to what she was used to, and it took hardly any effort to establish a connection. She then led the horse outside to begin some solo practice.

“Your Imperial Highness!” Reeve called out as soon as she left the stables, “have you decided to join the competition?”

Anna nodded.

“It took some convincing, but here I am.”

“I am glad you decided to join. It will be nice to have some familiar competition.”

Anna found herself smiling as she mounted her horse and looked down on Reeve.

“You better watch you, Reeve. Rest assured, I will give it my all,” she said before spurring her horse on and galloping away.

Chapter Text

As Anna prepared herself for her first practice round the next day, she couldn’t help but lament the fact that her own horse wouldn’t be there for her first competition. She treasured her dear Cinnamon very much, but she also knew it wouldn’t be possible to get her to the other side of the continent in a few days while keeping it fit enough to compete in a point-to-point. Anna knew for a fact that this would be the only time she would race without her, though.

Not that she disliked the horse she had borrowed, of course. She had gotten a beautiful white stallion that was very gentle and accommodating, and he was more than capable of getting her through the course, as she had discovered in her rounds of solo practice.

From the corner of her eye, Anna saw Reeve approaching on his own horse. Since this was the first time she would be joining the official practice, it meant that she would race against Reeve for the first time.

“It is an honor to be able to compete against you, Your Imperial Highness,” he spoke.

“The feeling is quite mutual,” Anna reassured him, “if I had known you were such a veteran equestrian sooner, I would have asked you for a race before I went to Royale High.”

The words gave Anna an idea.

“In fact… once I return, Elizabeth will no longer be able to ride with me, as she will be busy with her duties as queen. Perhaps you could take her place and join me?” she suggested.

“Really?” Reeve asked.

Anna wanted to answer, but was interrupted when some familiar faces arrived.

When glancing down from her horse, Anna spotted Margaret, Bayard, and Astrid walking towards her.

“So it’s true, then. You’re participating?” Bayard asked, “I thought it may have just been idle gossip from Audrey.”

Anna had no idea how Audrey had discovered that she was participating, but if it was true, then it was likely the whole city would know within an hour or so.

“How wonderful for you. I have never seen anyone as devoted to horses as you are, so I’m sure you’re right where you belong,” Margaret said.

“We’ll all be cheering you on the coming days,” Astrid reassured her, “the others are already seated in the royal box. King William insisted on it when he discovered you were participating.”

Anna found her heart race at the idea of her participation already being known by the king. Her parents were likely to hear before she even got home.

After thanking her friends for their support and seeing them off, Anna turned back to Reeve, who seemed quite in awe.

“It’s so odd to think about you being friends with all those important people,” he remarked.

Anna shrugged.

“I never really think about it that way. We don’t really have much formality at Royale High outside of etiquette lessons, so it feels like we’re all just regular people. I suppose it will also be relevant at the debutante ball, though.”

Reeve nodded in understanding, before turning his gaze to the track.

“Looks like it’s time,” he said, pointing to the other riders preparing and making their way to the starting line.

Anna jumped onto her horse and went with Reeve towards the starting line. She mentally prepared herself, reminding herself to have fun and enjoy the moment and not think about what other people might think. When the signal to start came, she dashed off, and let go of all her worries. She realized it felt just like her normal rides on horseback, but she was now trying to avoid other horses instead of trees or things by the side of the road. It was not surprising that she was far from the best in the competition, but she was not quite in last place either. She tried to keep track of where her performance could be improved, but was quite satisfied with how she had performed for her first time.

After passing the finish line and dismounting her horse, Anna was quickly greeted by Elizabeth and Levi.

“Congratulations, Anna. You did quite well,” Levi said.

“And it was wonderful to see you having so much fun,” Elizabeth added.

Anna couldn’t help but smile at their comments, especially since she agreed with them.

“I don’t know why I hesitated so much… I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed horse riding to this extent before,” Anna remarked.

“Hold onto that feeling for the actual competition,” Levi commented, “we’ll be back to cheer you on for it.”

The remaining training sessions flew by in a blur, during which Anna only felt her performance improve. She even managed to come ahead of Reeve one time, which felt like quite a personal victory. Most importantly, however, Anna enjoyed every moment of it. Competitive horse riding was clearly something she enjoyed, and there was no way she would ever consider pulling back now. No matter how well she performed, she would always remember the competition fondly. It also helped that all her friends were seated in the royal box, cheering her on.

Anna brought her horse to the starting line, next to Reeve. They exchanged a competitive glance and wished each other good luck before awaiting the moment they could dash off. A man started counting down from three, and after reaching one, he lowered his flag. It lasted for perhaps a second, but all the horses dashed off at once, aiming for the lead.

Her start was quite well, something Anna was glad to see, as it was one thing she had struggled with at first. She was somewhere in the middle of the pack, and could see Reeve a few places ahead of her, competing for the lead. One of the competitors next to her was giving her a hard time, pushing her off to the side and almost off the track. Anna decided to speed ahead to try to shake them off, and was glad to see that a show of force got them to back off. If she was counting right, she was in sixth place right now, a new personal best.

After the chaotic first part, their positions in the race seemed to somewhat stabilize, with Anna hovering between sixth and seventh for most of it. She was back in sixth place for the last round, and Anna decided to go for a risky last push at the end. She spurred her horse on and concentrated as best as she could, and only noticed when she had passed the finish line that she had managed to secure a fifth place in the last second.

As she got off her horse, Anna glanced at the scoreboard. She noticed Reeve had managed a second place, and saw her own fifth place confirmed. For her very first competition, it was an amazing result that Anna was extremely proud of. Spotting Reeve among the crowd, she rushed towards him, pulling him in for a victorious hug and congratulating him. After realizing how badly she had just broken protocol with someone who worked for her father, she quickly separated, feeling a blush creep onto her face.

The small incident did nothing to dissuade her celebratory mood, however. Anna was extremely elated to have found a thrilling new passion in her life. She was extremely grateful to Reeve, who had suggested it and allowed her to consider something she never thought possible for herself. Anna decided she would insist he come to the debutante ball as a way of showing her gratitude.

Chapter Text

Being back in Brightwald was certainly a wonderful feeling, or so Audrey thought as she was seated with her future ladies-in-waiting in the gardens of the palace, basking in the Friday afternoon sunlight while being served refreshing drinks by the palace footmen and playing cards. Tomorrow was her debutante ball, but today she was occupied by something even more important: gossip.

“Now that you’ve had a few days to see them all, I simply have to know what you think of my classmates from Royale High,” Audrey said.

“Well, all the pretty ones seem to be taken…” Sybil lamented.

Harriet let out a soft giggle.

“Oh, dear Sybil, I don’t think that’s what Audrey means.”

“Indeed,” Audrey confirmed, “what I want to know is if you have managed to uncover anything interesting or juicy.”

Audrey knew this brief visit home with her whole class was a great way to see if her future ladies were as good at spying as they were at keeping her company, and she intended to fully take advantage.

“I overheard that the Imperial Crown Princess asked your father to grant an invitation to tomorrow’s ball to someone named Reeve,” Eileen began.

Anna had asked that? Audrey couldn’t help but be intrigued. The princess of Magnos was always so shy, preferring the background. She didn’t seem like the type to have friends all the way in Caltara.

“I’ve heard that name!” Rose exclaimed, “he came in second place at the point-to-point this morning.”

Anna and her secret equestrian lover, huh? Not so innocent as she looked, clearly.

“This is exactly the sort of information I want to hear. Well done!” Audrey exclaimed in excitement.

“I saw something interesting too,” Susan chimed in, “when I looked through my bedroom window last night, I saw Crown Prince Drake meeting with Crown Prince Erric in the garden.”

Harriet gasped loudly.

“You don’t think they’re planning some kind of conflict with Brightwald, do you?” she asked, turning to Audrey.

“No, I don’t think so,” Audrey answered, “not so soon after the King Richard debacle.”

At least, she hoped so.

“I also heard Crown Princess Amaya mention that she would not be able to live without something sweet,” Sybil said, giggling as she spoke.

“Amaya’s secret candy addiction?” Audrey said, and they all giggled.

Unfortunately for her, the gossip sessions was interrupted when the butler entered the garden.

“His Majesty wants to see you, Your Highness.”

Her father? That would have to be important. Audrey quickly excused herself to her friends and followed the butler to her father’s office. She figured it was probably about the debutante ball, as the ceremony of the event usually involved Brightwald’s national treasure.

“Her Highness Crown Princess Audrey,” the butler announced as she entered the room.

Her father rose from his seat while the butler closed the door, confirming Audrey’s suspicion that it was something significant. Audrey greeted her father warmly and he gestured for her to sit down. Once they were both seated, Audrey immediately spoke up.

“Is it about the ball?” she asked.

Her father nodded.

“Indeed. I assume you know the procedure for the evening?”

“Of course. First, I kneel before Armagedon, our national treasure, and then I gently place my hand on top of it while you place a circlet with three white feathers on my head.”

If life hadn’t been so cruel, it would have been her mother, the queen, who would have placed the circlet other head, while her aunt, as a former royal debutante, would have escorted her into the room.

“How good of you, my little angel,” her father complimented her, “most of the other girls will be escorted by their mothers, and Susan by her aunt, General Fiona. For you, I have arranged for the Dowager Duchess of Barbato to escort you.”

Audrey nodded in approval.

“That’s alright with me.”

She could see in his eyes that her father was also thinking about his wife and sister.

“I will be very proud to have the ability to bring my daughter out into society as a young woman,” he simply said, clearly sentimental.

Audrey couldn’t help but smile at his words.

“I’m glad you’ll be there on that special day,” she responded, “as I hope you’ll be at my graduation, I hope.”

Her father laughed.

“Of course I will! After the ball is over, I will be on the first boat to Divinia.”

Audrey stood up after that.

“I should probably get back to my ladies.”

“Ah, please just wait a bit longer. There is one more thing you should know. Something no one can know.”

Audrey immediately sat down, realizing the gravity of the situation.

“The entrance to Armagedon has been opened for the ball tomorrow. You should go and see it before the ball. You will succeed me one day and watch over it, after all.”

Audrey nodded obediently.

“Of course. I will make sure to see it.”

“You must not tell anyone,” he warned again, and Audrey nodded before leaving.

As she made her way back across the palace, Audrey couldn’t help but think about how exciting it was that she would get to see her country’s national treasure on her own at its resting place. She had only ever seen it outside of it and always in the presence of her father, and she hadn’t even been allowed to touch it and see the blue glow that would come if she did. She was always so jealous of her classmates Glen and Levi, who had their national treasures with them, proudly showing them around to everyone.

On her way back to the garden, she ended up running into Harriet, who had just come back from powdering her nose.

“How did the talk with your father go?” she inquired.

“He has arranged for the Dowager Duchess of Barbato to escort me at the ball…” Audrey remarked, trying not to snicker.

“Goodness!” Harriet exclaimed, “I hope she can keep up with you without falling over.”

Audrey couldn’t hold it in anymore, and the two of them burst out into laughter.

“There’s more…” Audrey ominously said, going down to a more hushed tone, “but you can’t tell anyone, not even the others.”

“I won’t tell a soul,” Harriet swore.

“My father told me that the entrance to Armagedon has been opened and that I should go and see it alone before the ball,” Audrey whispered.

“The national treasure? That must be so exciting!”

Audrey nodded.

The two of them walked back to the garden after that to return to their usual gossip with the others. Despite her father’s warnings, Audrey saw no harm in having told Harriet, as she was her closest confidant after Isabella and would never break a promise like that, especially not with something as important as Armagedon.

Audrey sat back down in the garden and enjoyed gossiping with her ladies for the rest of the afternoon, as well as discussing the upcoming ball in great detail. Not for a single moment did Audrey think about just how grave the consequences of choosing to disclose such confidential information could be.

Chapter Text

The very next morning, all the students of Royale High slowly trickled into the dining hall for their breakfast, which was much less formal than dinner. Anna was one of the students already up early, and she sat down next to Reeve and her usual friends.

“It’s finally the big day,” Astrid remarked, the excitement clear in her voice.

“Exciting, isn’t it?” Elizabeth added, turning to Anna.

“Absolutely,” she chimed in, “though I wish my back wasn’t still sore from the point-to-point yester-”

She stopped her words, instead looking around her.

“Why are there so many people looking at me?”

“It must be the point-to-point. Don’t let it get to you,” Levi responded.

Anna nodded and was about to resume eating when one of the students approached her. It was a girl from Brightwald, her name had escaped her.

“Is it true?” the girl asked.

“Yes, and I’m quite proud of it,” Anna remarked confidently.

The girl adorned a revolted expression before shrugging.

“Well, I guess some people take pleasure in that sort of dynamic. I just hadn’t expected it from you, of all people.”

Anna raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“What are you talking about?”

“I heard that you’re secretly dating a footman from your father’s household.”

“What?” Anna exclaimed, feeling her face turn red, “I’m not! I thought you were talking about the point-to-point.”

“Oh… I see…” the girl muttered before walking off again.

“What an irritable girl!” Laura scoffed.

“Well, that certainly explains all the looks!” Anna exclaimed.

“Who would spread such a nasty rumor?” Reeve asked, clueless about the usual goings at Royale High.

“There is only one person who would do that, and that’s-”

Felix didn’t get to finish his sentence, as the doors to the hall slammed open, revealing a furious Drake.

“I’ll kill that damned wench!” he shouted.

“What’s wrong?” Glen asked, unsure if he wanted to know the answer.

“It’s only going around the palace that the two of us are planning to declare war on Brightwald, and only because we were seen together in the garden at night,” Erric explained.

“Well, what were you doing in the garden at night?” Apollo asked.

“We were going to the arena to place bets together,” Drake answered.

Howard scoffed.

“Why doesn’t that surprise me at all… you two are real scoundrels.”

“I’ll show that spoiled brat a scoundrel,” Drake growled.

“Oh, please, calm down; it’s all just some harmless gossip that will pass in a few d-” Amaya remarked, a newspaper in front of her, which made her eyes widen, “I’LL DESTROY HER,” she then screamed.

Eleanor took the newspaper from Amaya’s hands, looking at the headlines.

“‘Princess Amaya’s greatest weakness revealed: her addiction to anything sweet’, oh dear,” Eleanor read, trying her best to stifle her laughter.

Drake did not, bursting out immediately.

“I’ll kill her, I swear,” Amaya vowed.

“Who are you all talking about? Who is she?” Reeve asked, still clueless.

“Well, it’s-”

“Audrey!” Isabella exclaimed, cutting off Anna.

When Audrey entered the dining hall, she immediately saw that there was quite a commotion going on. All eyes were on her, and the gazes were varying between confusion and absolute rage, which piqued her interest.

“What is all this fuss about?” Audrey asked, “could it be that you’re all impressed by my stunning looks in preparation for tonight?”

“The fuss is about the terrible rumors going around about our classmates. We suspect you to be the source,” Isabella explained.

“Suspect?” Drake cut in, “they’ve almost got her damn name on them!”

Isabella handed Audrey the newspaper, which covered all the rumors she had supposedly spread. She immediately scoffed upon reading it.

“I didn’t say those things,” she remarked nonchalantly, “it’s not my fault if people twist my words for their own benefit.”

“But the rumors still began with you, did they not?” Elizabeth argued, “they could seriously damage people’s good names and reputations, not to mention continental stability because of our stations.”

“Oh, you exaggerate; it’s really just harmless gossip,” Audrey refuted, “you all have no sense of humor. I’ll just eat with my ladies instead, at least they know better.”

Audrey left the room without another word.

As she walked through the palace halls, Audrey couldn’t help but think that her classmates were being overly dramatic and sensitive. All she had done was discuss some intriguing events with her ladies. If other people took that information and came to their own conclusions that were completely different, then that was their fault, not hers. And it was all just rumors. No sane person would threaten continental stability over that. It was all just harmless and delicious gossip.

After taking breakfast with her ladies and discussing the outrageous situation in the dining hall, Audrey remembered that her father had asked her to go and see Armagedon before the ball tonight. Thinking that it was the best time of the day to do so, Audrey made her way to the secret resting place of her country’s national treasure.

She couldn’t help but be in awe of the waterfalls that cascaded down the walls of the room below the castle as she walked down the stairs, the noise loud but not overwhelming. She looked down at the water as she reached the bottom of the stairs, careful not to fall off the rather narrow walkway to the altar where Armagedon rested. Her father had once told her that the water in the room came down from the Caltara river above, which prevented the river from overflowing and destroying the city that was placed in the middle of it. From this room, the water flowed further downward through caverns and aquifers, all the way down to Wyvernston.

As Audrey approached the altar, she tried not to strain her eyes, as the room was rather unusually lit by glowing crystals imported from Wyvernston, which managed to survive only thanks to the water. Torches, of course, would require constant maintenance and more people needing to access the room. But there was no light needed to make clear the plain truth in front of Audrey. Armagedon was no longer there.

Audrey rushed through the palace halls as she tried to find Harriet. She hoped desperately that there was some kind of misunderstanding and not an extremely terrible disaster. Audrey finally managed to find Harriet in the music room. She closed the door behind her, not wanting anyone to hear.

“Did you tell anyone about the entrance to Armagedon being unsealed?” she asked, panting from running.

“No, of course not. I would never spread something so important,” Harriet responded, “why do you ask?”

“I went to see it. It was gone.”

Harriet gasped out loud.

“How could that have happened?”

Audrey believed Harriet’s innocence. The shock on her face was evidence enough that she hadn’t told anyone. She herself had not told anyone, either. That just left one possibility. Someone had overheard them and decided to take matters into their own hands. The very thought was enough to terrify her. She thought of Podira, Magnos’s national treasure, which had also been stolen and used to blackmail the royal family. She couldn’t let that happen to her.

“Someone must have overheard us and taken it,” Audrey explained to a waiting Harriet.

“We must tell your father, then. He will have a search party set up within minutes, and can put the city on lockdown.”

“No,” Audrey said resolutely, “we can’t cause panic in the city, not with the ball tonight. Not to mention that there are people from all over the continent watching tonight. We can’t just let them see we’re too weak to even protect our own national treasure. Not to mention that my father would never forgive me for being so careless.”

“But then what will we do?” Harriet asked.

“We’ll have to find out who took Armagedon and get it back ourselves.”

“With just the two of us? Whoever took it is clearly skilled, as not a single guard noticed anything.”

“We’ll need to make a plan, but we also need more help.”

Audrey knew, however, that just the help of her household would not be enough to get it back. She would need the help of her classmates and Isabella. It didn’t exactly help that she had just vilified them all earlier, but she would have to swallow her pride and get them on her side again. This was too important to mess up.

Chapter Text

Audrey was relieved to see that all her classmates were still gathered in the dining hall, with some still eating and others just chatting before they got started with their day. Most of them wouldn’t do any big things anyway, as the debutante ball was tonight. She walked inside alone, having sent Harriet to fetch Kate and her ladies and bring them to her sitting room.

“I need your help. It’s important,” Audrey announced as she walked inside, immediately being met by everyone’s gaze.

“What is it?” Isabella asked, clearly concerned.

Before she could explain, Amaya cut in.

“We’re not going to help.”

“Why?” Audrey asked.

“You can’t expect us to help you after you helped spread nasty rumors about us,” Anna said.

“Anna is right. You at least owe everyone an apology,” Elizabeth agreed.

Audrey couldn’t believe they were all still hung up about this.

“This again? I already told you, it’s just-”

She wanted to say it was harmless gossip, but remembered how her gossip had also led to the national treasure being stolen.

“Alright,” she relented,  “I’m sorry for gossiping. I won’t do it again.”

Not everyone was convinced, but Audrey didn’t have time to do more.

“What can we do to help you?” Isabella asked.

“We can’t talk about it here,” Audrey said, looking around the room, “we should all go to my sitting room, where we can talk openly.”

“You managed to get Armagedon stolen?!” Isabella exclaimed after she had explained everything.

“Did it ever occur to you that we were right when we warned you of the perils of engaging in gossip and spreading secrets?” Laura scolded.

“I do believe Audrey has learned her lesson now,” Elizabeth intervened, “we should focus on finding solutions to find the shield now.”

“How do we know the culprit is still here, at the palace?” Apollo asked.

“I can still feel Armagedon’s energy nearby,” Audrey explained.

All those who carried the blood of Iola’s heroes could feel their national treasures nearby. Even if Audrey couldn’t use it to find the actual location, at least she would know when it left the palace or the city.

“There are hundreds of people at the palace, from guests to servants… we’ll have to find out who the culprit is as quickly as we can,” Audrey said, turning to her ladies and Kate, “you should use your talents to look around court for anyone suspicious or out of place. Ask anyone if they have seen something.”

The girls nodded and immediately left. That was at least one aspect taken care of.

“Now we’ll need a way to break into the culprit’s room and immobilize them in case they are in their room,” Audrey explained, figuring that it would be foolish to have the shield with them at all times.

“I can scale the palace walls to break in and open the door from the inside, but I can’t do that with the culprit still inside,” Glen suggested.

“How will we immobilize the culprit?” Eleanor asked, “we can’t very well knock them down.”

“Maybe a sleep staff?” Isabella suggested, “that is, if we have anyone among us who could use it.”

“I can’t. It requires a B-level proficiency in staves. I’m only at C-level,” Astrid said, already seeing some people looking at her.

“I can use it,” Apollo spoke up, “Fina’s bloodline grants me an innate S-level proficiency in staves.”

“And where would we buy something like that? I doubt they’re for sale at the street market,” Drake argued.

“They should be sold at a secret shop, and there should no doubt be one in Iola’s largest city. I have a member card we could use to gain entry and purchase it,” Felix suggested.

“Where did you get a member card?” Laura asked with a confused frown on her face.

“I won it at a duel a few years ago.”

“But a sleep staff will cost a fortune. I don’t think anyone has the funds for that on hand,” Glen said.

“We won’t need many funds,” Amaya chimed in, “I’m good at bargaining. The shopkeeper there won’t see it coming.”

Audrey knew all too well how persuasive Amaya could get, and intimidating if that did not work. She already pitied the shopkeeper, even if it was an emergency.

“Good. Then you should leave immediately.”

The two of them left, and the rest continued with the rest of the plan.

“Now we’ll need to find a way to distract the culprit to give Glen enough time to break into their room and for Apollo to enter and prepare to use the sleep staff.”

“I could pretend to be a servant and spill tea over them or something,” Anna suggested.

“I will join you,” Elizabeth added, “servants are usually not alone, and we both have some skill when it comes to acting.”

“I’ll help you two. I can distract the other servants and make sure you can get the right clothes,” Reeve offered, being used to servant routines.

“Perfect. Now we need to find a way to make sure neither my father nor my cousin Bertie will go to the shield’s resting place before it’s been placed back,” Audrey explained.

“I can distract King William. I can ask him about the history of the debutante ball. That won’t be suspicious, I think,” Laura offered.

“I’ll handle your cousin,” Erric chimed in, “I should be able to talk to him about enough things to keep him busy.”

“I’ll help you out, just in case,” Christian added.

Audrey had almost forgotten about Christian, with him and his boyfriend having followed lessons voluntarily since Sigrid’s departure. She was glad of the help they could provide, in any case.

“Next up, we’ll have to find a moment when the resting place of Armagedon is least guarded so we can easily place back the shield. Isabella, can you look at the guards’ schedule?”

Isabella shook her head.

“I’m afraid not. I only know where it is, but I don’t get access to it until after graduation, when I start my military training.”

“I saw some guard’s attire lying around earlier. I could easily refit it for one of us so they can get in without trouble,” Eleanor suggested.

“I’ll do that. I should hopefully resemble a guard the most,” Levi offered.

“You would have to pass by too many not to get recogized,” Isabella argued, “we would have to take a side entrance, but that one is locked.”

“I can pick the lock with ease. I have years of experience,” Adrian said.

With another part of the plan taken care of, the group went off so Eleanor could get started with the refitting immediately, a task that would take some time.

“Now we’ll just have to find something to do about the guards that will still be there,” Audrey turned to Howard, “could you perhaps cast an illusion with your dark magic?”

Howard nodded.

“But it won’t last long, so you can’t take too long with placing back the shield.”

“Understood. Then I will only need someone who can stay with me to prepare for the ball, as the Dowager Duchess of Barbato will be with me the whole day to practice the ceremony, and she won’t let me out of her sight.”

“I’ll stay with you,” Astrid suggested, “you can tell her Kate is ill and that I offered to do your hair in her place. Once the others have recovered the shield, I can distract her so you can go with Howard to place it back.”

“Good. Then we have a solid plan. Thank you everyone,” Audrey said, “I can only hope it works out.”

“3000 gold is too expensive!” Amaya shouted at the shopkeeper, “it should be no more than 500!”

Felix had been watching the shouting match from the sidelines, unsure if he ought to be more terrified of Amaya or the shopkeeper, who was also standing his ground. They had already managed to get the price down from 5000, and Felix feared he might throw them out if they bargained too much.

“500? This is no charity organization! And you’re not even the one with the member card here, lass; you have no right to complain about the prices,” the shopkeeper refuted.

“1000, then,” Amaya suggested.

“2000.”

“1300.”

“1700.”

“Amaya please, mayb-”

“1500, and you’ll have my word that I’ll speak well of your shop at the royal court,” Amaya offered, interrupting Felix.

“Fine. The staff’s yours,” the shopkeeper relented.

Felix handed the man the gold and took the staff, quickly leaving again afterward, knowing that time was of the essence.

“Good grief, Amaya, if I had a silver card on me, you probably could have managed to persuade him to give it for free,” Felix said, wishing he had indeed possessed the special card that halved prices while shopping for military matters.

“I’m good at exerting pressure,” Amaya casually remarked, “I learned it from my mother.”

Felix took it as a warning to never get on her bad side.

Laura tried her best to hide her nerves as she entered King William’s office, knowing she was not always the best actress. Audrey’s mistake, no matter how foolish, would have to be rectified, and it depended on her to make sure her father would not discover it. She could only hope it would help her through it.

“Your Majesty,” Laura greeted him with a small curtsy.

“What can I do for you, Crown Princess of Falmar?” he asked, clearly not having much time for pleasantries.

“I… was very intrigued by the way the debutante ball was organized. We do not have anything like it in Falmar, and so I just had to know everything about it,” Laura explained, trying her best to sound as genuine as possible.

“You should ask in the library. The librarian no doubt knows where to find books on the subject,” William answered.

“But I would so love to hear it from someone who has seen it with his own eyes. You have been to many such balls, have you not, King William?”

“I have,” he answered, before a small smile appeared on his face, “I met my late wife at my first, and I have been present every year since.”

“That must be romantic,” Laura responded, realizing fond memories might be the way to get him to talk for a while, “will you tell me more if you can spare the time?”

“Of course. Please, sit down. I will ring for some tea.”

Laura was relieved to hear it, and she hoped Erric and Adrian would have just as much luck with Bertie.

Erric was relieved when he spotted Bertie, the cousin Audrey mentioned. He didn’t even have to think about ways to keep him busy, as he recognized the man.

“I say, you must be that gentleman from the arena yesterday! Herbert, was it?” Erric greeted the Grand Duke.

“Indeed,” he responded, “though most people call me Bertie.”

“Well, Bertie, I must compliment you on your betting skills. I did not see you place a losing bet even once yesterday,” Erric said, hoping flattery would keep him entertained.

“I have spent much time refining my skills,” Bertie answered, “I must excus-”

“Didn’t I also see you at the museum of abstract arts on Tuesday?” Christian swiftly cut him off, “from what I can recall, you seemed quite interested in the contemporary works.”

A smile appeared on Bertie’s face, and Erric was relieved to see that art seemed to do the trick and that he had an expert on the matter with him.

“Indeed. Those pieces of art always seem to invite me to discover their hidden meanings.”

“Oh, then you must tell me what meanings you have discovered so far,” Christian urged.

“Well, for starters…”

 Kate ran as quickly as she could through the hallways of the palace without arousing suspicion of any kind. Together with the ladies of Audrey’s household, they had managed to find enough information to hopefully discover the culprit. She was relieved when she saw at least some of Princess Audrey’s friends.

“Your Highn-”

“We don’t have time for that now,” the Crown Princess of Theros cut her off, urging her to speak.

“We’ve identified the likely culprit as an unnamed gentleman with black hair, brown eyes, and a scar on his left cheek who arrived yesterday. He was spotted by a maid last night walking around holding a staff of some kind. The maid said she had never seen it before, but that it was gold and blue and had an odd shape,” Kate explained.

“Rewarp!” Apollo exclaimed.

“What is that?” Anna asked.

“It’s a staff that works similarly to warp and rescue, but instead of transporting someone else around, it teleports the user. They are very rare and expensive, and there are very few of them in existence. If the culprit has one of those, they’re clearly not some common thief.”

“All the more reason to apprehend them, then,” Levi said.

“Do you know which room this man is staying in?” Howard asked.

Kate nodded and began explaining where it was.

Elizabeth was growing rather weary of walking around the palace hallways pretending to be a maid. They knew now where the culprit was staying and had waited patiently for him to leave his room, but he hadn’t come near it for some time now. With every minute that passed, the risk of them being discovered grew bigger. It didn’t help that she was carrying a heavy tea tray.

“Are we really sure Sybil saw him go this way?” Anna asked in a hushed voice, “surely he would have returned by now.”

“Let’s be patient,” Elizabeth said, not sure if it would be worth it.

They walked around the area for a little longer, until Anna came running her way.

“He’s headed this way; he could turn the corner any moment now.”

Elizabeth nodded, and turned to face him, the tea tray still in hand. When he finally showed his face, she waited one moment before pretending to trip, spilling tea over the man, who also fell to the ground and cursed loudly.

“Patricia, you clumsy fool!” Anna pretended to scold her, complete with a fake name, “my most sincere apologies, sir. Please allow me to escort you to the laundry so we can fetch you some dry clothes.”

“That won’t be necessary,” the man said, standing back up and immediately walking away again.

“But, sir, please wait!” Anna called out, to no avail.

She turned back to Elizabeth and saw the shocked expression she had on her face since tripping over.

“Lizzie? Is something wrong?”

“That man… one of his rings was the exact same one as Audric, with a purple thunderbolt.”

Anna looked at her in confusion.

“Your father’s advisor? The one that vanished after your father was stopped?”

Elizabeth nodded.

“Despite the arrest warrant from the Iolan High Court, no one has been able to find him. It’s like he vanished from the continent,” Elizabeth explained, “and now a man with the same ring as him turns up here in Caltara, stealing a national treasure… Maybe it’s a relative of Audric’s.”

“Maybe it’s just a coincidence,” Anna reassured her, no doubt sensing how unsettled she was, “maybe it’s a popular ring, or this person just happened to have a similar one. We don’t have to worry yet.”

“Perhaps. Let’s see if we can find out more once the others have apprehended this man.”

Elizabeth figured it would be the only way to find out more, as she couldn’t submit it as evidence for finding Audric to the Iolan High Court without revealing that Armagedon had been stolen. She would have to keep the information between Anna and herself.

Isabella guided Levi and Adrian towards the locked side entrance of the guards’ quarters, relieved to see there were no people around it. It was an often forgotten entrance, perhaps even a weak spot in the palace’s defenses, which was hardly surprising, as the palace had not come under any real attack for centuries. She would point it out once she began her military training, but for now, she was grateful for it.

“Eleanor sure is a good seamstress. This attire fits me perfectly,” Levi remarked.

“She’s fast too. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone work that fast,” Isabella added with an amused smile.

They approached the door, and she pointed to the lock.

“Well, here we are. Adrian, the floor is yours.”

“With pleasure,” Adrian responded, before kneeling down and using what Isabella assumed could only be a tool used for picking locks of some kind.

The lock sprung open within a minute or so, and Adrian opened the door for them.

“You really ought to invest in better security. Any common thief could have opened that lock,” Adrian said.

Isabella rolled her eyes. As if she hadn’t already thought of that.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she responded dryly before turning to Levi, “now it’s your turn.”

Levi nodded and entered the room. He looked around the quarters, trying to make as little noise as possible. Some guards passed by him, but he was relieved to find that they did not suspect anything amiss. He then found a piece of paper with the schedules, one of them being referred to as ‘extraordinary duties’, which he figured was code for the guards at the entrance to Armagedon’s resting place. He took out a notebook and wrote down all the times when the entrance was briefly less guarded before leaving as discreetly as possible.

Drake’s patience was running thin as he waited with Apollo outside the room of the culprit for Glen to open the door. He was starting to regret not going out to scale the wall himself, as he would have done so much quicker. He gave an irritated look when the door finally opened.

“Took you long enough,” he remarked.

“Sorry about that. I had trouble getting through the window safely.”

“We shouldn’t waste any time and start looking,” Apollo urged them on, and the three of them entered the room, closing the door behind them.

While Glen searched the bedroom and Apollo the bathroom, Drake took care of searching through the living room, hoping to find the shield that idiot of an Audrey had managed to get stolen. He looked through seemingly every nook and cranny, but found nothing. He was on the verge of reuniting with the others, when he heard footsteps down the hallway. Drake immediately traversed the room and hid behind the door to avoid being seen.

He could see the culprit from behind as he entered, the stain of tea visible even from his hiding spot. Drake found it amusing. Elizabeth and Anna had certainly done their job well, even if they could have stalled him a bit longer. Now Apollo would have to use the sleep staff on him, but Drake had a sinking feeling that the man could overpower the smaller and weaker prince of Fayiron. Seeing the culprit head towards the bathroom, Drake wasted no time and left his hiding spot.

“Hey, turn around, you bastard,” he called out.

When the culprit turned around, he was met with a painting Drake had taken from the wall, which immediately knocked the man out on contact. It didn’t take long for Glen and Apollo to appear after hearing the noise.

“Quick thinking, Drake,” Glen praised him, “I imagine you’ll have no trouble with the sleep staff, Apollo.”

Apollo nodded and knelt down in front of the man, the staff in his hands. He closed his eyes, and the staff began to glow, with some sort of powder falling on top of him before disappearing.

“There. That should keep him asleep for at least a few hours,” Apollo said, standing up again and tucking the staff away.

“Good, then all we need to do is find the sh-” Drake cut himself off when he inspected the back of the painting, “cheeky bastard,” he cursed, spotting the shield on the back of it, “no wonder it knocked him flat out; he got hit with the thing he stole.”

Glen laughed out loud.

“It’s certainly a good hiding spot. I don’t think most people often check behind paintings,” he remarked, “except you, of course.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Drake scoffed, “here you go. You go and bring it to the idiot and your girlfriend while Apollo and I handle the culp-”

As all of them turned to the culprit, they made the horrifying discovery that there no longer was one.

“Bloody hell.”

“I thought you had put him to sleep,” Glen told Apollo.

“I did!” Apollo said, “it’s impossible for him to have woken up this soon without someone else using a restore staff.”

“We don’t have time for this. The important thing is that we have the shield,” Drake argued.

“The only thing we can do now is hope the man won’t return,” Glen added.

Audrey tried her best to hide the fact that she was still very much in a state of panic as she practiced the debutante ceremony with the Dowager Duchess. Astrid was watching the two of them and was a lot calmer than Audrey was. How she managed it, Audrey had no idea. There would be a small window of opportunity to return the shield coming up, but considering the group that was trying to retrieve it hadn’t yet returned, Audrey was starting to lose hope.

Upon finishing the practice round of the ceremony, Audrey sat down next to Astrid while the Dowager Duchess rambled on about what she still needed to improve on. Astrid gave her a look that reassured her that she found the woman’s complaints rather excessive as well. Luckily for Audrey, Astrid then tapped on her shoulder and nodded towards the doorway, where Howard and Glen were peeking inside. She immediately shot up.

“My apologies, Duchess, but I’ve just remembered I would help cousin Bertie decide on a gift for Harriet he wishes to give her at the ball,” Audrey said.

“Surely the Grand Duke can wait,” the Duchess argued.

“Dear Duchess,” Astrid chimed in, “you must understand how important these things are. Have you not had people give you gifts at your debutante ball?”

“Oh, most certainly. I was the star of my debut season. There was a line of people wanting to give me gifts, first among them…”

Audrey took advantage of the woman’s ramblings to Astrid to sneak away.

Once she was far away, she joined up with Glen and Howard.

“Did you get the shield back?” she asked, her heart racing.

Glen nodded at her and took it out of a bag he had brought with him. Audrey immediately let out a sigh of relief. She took it in her hands, which caused it to start glowing in a blue light.

“I should go out and reinforce Astrid,” Glen said, walking off, “good luck!”

Audrey then went with Howard to the entrance of the shield’s resting place, waiting just a moment for a pair of guards to leave and change places with new ones. She watched as Howard took out his tome and cast the spell, which, according to him, created an illusion that would make Audrey invisible as she entered.

“Now it’s all up to you, Audrey. Good luck.”

Audrey nodded at him and walked past the guards as discreetly as she could, creating as little noise as possible.

She walked back down the familiar stairs and entered the shrine once more, the water still cascading down around her. Taking care not to slip, she approached the altar and placed the shield back. She expected the shield to stop glowing, but instead there was a bright white flash, and a spirit of some kind stood before her when she could see again. She immediately recognized him.

“Lanford?! Is that you?” she asked, not quite believing the man who had founded her country really stood before her.

“Indeed. I always appear when one of my descendants comes here for the first time and touches the shield,” he answered in a deep voice that seemed to echo across the room, “though in your case, it is the second time, as I had foreseen.”

“I’m really sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused. I really thought I’d lost the shield forever with my careless gossip,” she lamented, lowering her head.

“Gossip is both your greatest weakness and your greatest strength. If you learn to better use it for good, it can be a very powerful asset.”

“How do you know that? Can you see the future?” Audrey asked.

“I can see bits and pieces of the futures of all my descendants.”

“What will mine be like?”

“It will be bright, so long as you take good care of yourself,” Lanford answered.

It was probably the vaguest possible answer she could have gotten.

“Now, my child, you must prepare for your ball. I cannot appear here much longer.”

Audrey nodded obediently.

“Thank you. I will try my best to live up to your name,” Audrey vowed.

“I have no doubt about that.”

And with that, the spirit vanished just as easily as it had appeared.

It was probably the strangest conversation Audrey had held in her entire life. She couldn’t wait to tell her ladies about it.

She immediately stopped herself at the thought. Had she learned nothing? She would keep this to herself.

Chapter Text

Laura couldn’t help but frown a little as she looked in the mirror at the crimson dress with gold accents she was wearing. Something about it seemed not quite right.

“Are you sure this isn’t too risqué? Maybe I should be wearing gloves,” she remarked.

“Is that your definition of risqué? With gloves, you would look like you’re attending a service of the Divinian Church, not a ball,” Elizabeth responded with a chuckle.

Anna couldn’t resist giggling, while Astrid looked less amused and tried to change the topic.

“I do wish I could keep the ladies’ maid we have here. She’s done such a wonderful job with my hair,” she said, holding up a hand mirror.

“By the way, Anna, did you manage to find an appropriate outfit for Reeve?” Elizabeth asked, “this isn’t a black tie event like the Autumn Ball was, and you know how judgmental people at white tie events can get when someone isn’t dressed right.”

Anna nodded.

“I managed to get a suit for him. It was in a perfect state, so he should be fine.”

“That’s good. He’ll be able to match with Glen; he chose a suit too,” Astrid chimed in.

“Levi went with something more regal, and I’m glad he did. It looks great on him,” Elizabeth added.

“What will Felix do, Laura?” Anna then asked.

Laura didn’t know how to answer for a moment, taking the time to think.

“He didn’t say. I suppose he’ll go with a suit, as that’s simpler and less elaborate.”

Astrid stood up from her seat after that, urging the others to stand too.

“Enough about that. I do believe it’s time for a tiara reveal. How about I start?”

She didn’t wait for an answer and walked behind a dressing screen. When she reemerged, she was wearing a silver fringe tiara adorned with small diamonds.

“That looks wonderful,” Laura complimented.

“It’s the Paradise Gateway Tiara. My mother wore it on her wedding day,” Astrid explained.

Anna went after her, disappearing behind the dressing screen before emerging with the Imperial Floral Tiara, which had, as the name implied, a floral design with gemstones of various colors. Elizabeth followed with the Symphony Diadem, which had been made for her mother at her coronation and had been given to Elizabeth to show her status of unofficial queen. Finally, it was Laura’s turn, and she grabbed the Ruby Peacock Tiara. She would have preferred a more simple tiara to use as her first one, as per tradition, but her mother had insisted she use this one, as a debutante ball was such a formal event. At least it seemed to match well enough with her dress.

The tiara show was cut short by the sound of knocking on the door. A maid entered and bowed before them.

“Your escorts are waiting for you in the amber drawing room, Your Highnesses,” she announced before turning to leave again.

Laura and the others left the room, making sure they had everything with them, before making their way to the amber drawing room, where the boys were already waiting. Glen, Levi, and Felix were all seated together, with Reeve more off to the side, clearly feeling out of place. Laura could only hope Anna wasn’t placing him in too much discomfort with this.

Laura’s eyes widened when she saw the attire Felix was wearing. Unlike what she had expected, he wasn’t wearing a simple suit but instead something much more regal and… befitting of a Crown Prince. The very thought made her blush. As the guys rose from their seats, the girls approached their respective partners for the night, and Laura smiled as Felix took her hand into his own and walked with her towards the ballroom.

“I was surprised by your choice of attire,” Laura whispered.

He chuckled softly.

“I had a feeling you wouldn’t hold back when it came to the formality of your attire, so it felt only natural to do the same so we could match.”

Laura looked fondly at her boyfriend.

“I really do love you very much, you know that, right?”

Felix softly squeezed her hand in response as they entered the ballroom, being announced as Crown Princess Laura and Lord Felix Gaspard. The two of them traversed the still somewhat empty room towards a quiet corner, where they watched as everyone else slowly dripped in.

First up were Margaret, who wore a lovely silver dress, and Bayard, who was wearing matching attire. Next up was Eleanor, wearing a black and beige dress that Laura could tell she probably made herself. Abigail followed after her and surprised Laura with her elegant white dress and contrasting black gloves, a daring combination she hadn’t expected from the school principal. Amaya, on the other hand, wore a predictable jade dress and a tiara decorated with emeralds, with green being Mistlyn’s national color. Finally came Isabella, who wore a simple turquoise dress, her preference for simplicity shining through.

As she looked around, Laura noticed that most of the men had followed Glen’s example and chosen to wear a simple suit, with only Felix, Levi, Bayard, Christian, and Erric having gone with something more formal. She found it unfortunate, even if she understood the desire for simplicity.

“So… do you have any idea how this debutante thing actually works?” Felix asked, turning her attention away from the other guests.

“From what King William told me, the action takes place in the other half of the ballroom, behind those screens,” Laura explained, pointing to the barriers that had been erected across the room, “the ceremony takes place there, with the debutantes entering one by one through another entrance.”

“Why the secrecy? Is there something wrong with other people seeing it?”

“The ball is a high-profile event, and the whole point of being a debutante is coming out into society and becoming allowed to attend those sorts of events. Being there with everyone else before the ceremony takes place, and it becomes allowed, would go against protocol,” Laura answered, “but don’t worry, we’re lucky this year. Members of the royal family are not bound by those rules, so we will be able to see Audrey’s ceremony. Hers is more of a formality.”

“So we get to see Audrey’s part of the event, but not that of the others?” Felix asked.

Laura nodded.

“That’s why she’s the last of the debutantes, the others will be going through it first.”

Laura wanted to explain more, but then she heard the music change to A Waltz of Flowers, one of her favorite songs to dance to.

“Felix, I believe we should take to the floor,” she urged him on, and he happily obliged, taking her hand.

“I do hope you know the steps,” she said as they took a free space on the dance floor.

“Don’t worry. This one was a favorite of my mother’s, too,” he reassured her, “though it’s quite different from the first dance we shared together.”

Laura couldn’t help but laugh. Their first dance had been that horrid, chaotic country dance they had shared in Earth at the start of the school year.

“Indeed it is,” she remarked, “that dance was when I first realized I liked you.”

“No one noticed us dancing back then, yet now we’re the center of attention,” Felix remarked, looking over her head.

“Good. Then let’s show everyone how a proper waltz is done.”

Naturally, the two of them managed to show everyone how a proper waltz was done just fine, though Laura was not sure if that was really what people were paying attention to. After that, they took a break and watched as Astrid and Glen took to the dance floor, this time for a more lively and uptempo dance Laura couldn’t recall the name of. Laura looked around the room at everyone gathered and noticed that Anna was standing alone, looking not quite herself. She excused herself to Felix and made her way over to her friend.

“Is everything alright?” Laura asked, “you look a bit… dismayed, and I don’t see Reeve anywhere either. Did something happen?”

“He’s just gone to get some air,” Anna explained, “I feel quite guilty for inviting him here now, as he’s used to serving at events like these instead of being a guest. He must feel extremely out of place.”

Laura gave her friend a reassuring pat on the back.

“You like Reeve quite a lot, don’t you? I mean, you went through all the effort to allow him to accompany you here, and now you’re so concerned for his wellbeing. Will we perhaps be seeing more of him in the future?”

“I don’t know…” Anna answered with a sigh, “we’ve just been friends until now, but… competing with him at the point-to-point felt amazing. Even if I were to feel something more for him, though, a relationship for someone like me with one of my father’s footmen would shock the continent, not to mention the whole palace.”

Laura nodded in understanding.

“I understand, but don’t let those things dissuade you if you end up deciding that you really do like him very much. People will get over the shock eventually, and you should guide him in getting used to your way of life. It can be… intimidating for outsiders.”

“I won’t let what other people say or think stop me if it’s what I want,” Anna answered, “though I’m surprised you’re talking about something like this so casually and accepting.”

Laura couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Not as surprised as I am to see your determination to stand up for yourself and your openness to putting yourself in the spotlight,” she joked, making both of them laugh.

Their attention was stolen away before they could continue their conversation as the screen dividing the ballroom began to be taken down. Felix promptly arrived at Laura's side.

"Looks like it's time for Audrey's big moment," he said.

Laura wanted to stay with Anna to make sure she was alright, but she placed her hand on her arm and gently nudged her towards Felix with a nod to let her know everything was alright. Laura nodded back and took Felix's outstretched arm, walking towards the crowd that was forming on the other side of the room. As she looked behind her, Laura was glad to see Reeve return and watched as he offered his hand, with Anna accepting it, blushing as she did so. It wasn't clear to everyone, but Laura was now certain they would be seeing and hearing more of him in the future.

Glen and Astrid joined the two of them soon enough, clearly exhausted from the dance they had been doing together.

"Is it time for our favorite danger to continental stability to be unleashed into high society?" Glen joked.

"Don't be unkind," Astrid chided him, though it was obvious she was trying to stifle a giggle.

"I'm only joking," Glen responded, pulling her closer, "I think she's learned from nearly losing Armagedon."

"I agree, and I quite admired her ability to formulate a solid plan to fix her mistake in such little time. I don't know whether I could have done something like that without succumbing to stress."

"That much is true, at least the first part. You would have never allowed something like that to happen," Glen said, leaning in for a kiss.

Laura decided to turn to Levi and Elizabeth, who had just joined them as well, and Felix immediately followed her.

"Is it nearly time? They're certainly keeping us in suspense," Levi remarked.

"I do find the whole thing quite enjoyable and elegant," Elizabeth chimed in, "I wish I could have a debutante ball like this."

"Well, you have a coronation to look forward to, don't you?" Felix argued, "if you think about it, that's just a bigger debutante ball."

"I wish you hadn't reminded me," Elizabeth chuckled dryly, "my mother has already been making plans with me in our correspondence..."

"I imagine this year's social season must be one of the biggest in years, with the debutante ball here, the graduation back in Divinia, and both your and Drake's coronations in addition to the usual events," Levi noted.

"No time quite like the present, indeed," Laura concluded.

"Her Highness, Crown Prince Audrey of Brightwald!" a voice announced.

The whole room went silent and turned to the doors that opened to reveal Audrey, dressed in her elaborate white dress, the feathers in her hair of the same color that were carefully placed behind her tiara bouncing back and forth with every step she took. Laura had been told the feathers were a tradition among debutantes to symbolize their becoming adults, ready to fly the nest, even if that almost never occurred in their first season.

Laura watched as Audrey slowly walked towards her father, who was waiting on his throne with a proud smile. She curtsied gracefully before the king, before walking further towards Armagedon, where she curtsied a second time before placing her hand on the shield. As expected of someone with the blood of Iola's heroes, Lanford's in this case, the shield began to glow in a blue light until Audrey retreated her hand and turned to face the crowd. Laura joined the crowd in the applause that followed while Audrey made her way to her father, who took her hand. It was customary for the reigning monarch to have the first dance with every royal debutante, and so father and daughter took to the dance floor.

Taking Felix's hand, Laura moved to join the royal duo on the dance floor, along with almost everyone else. From the corner of her eye, she was glad to see Anna and Reeve among them, too. The night had already become such a wonderful event for her and a memory she knew she would treasure. There was something truly heartwarming about seeing everyone from all over the continent having a good time at such a beautiful and big event, and Laura hoped everyone could look back on it as an unforgettable day.

Laura’s mind was still on the debutante ball even on graduation day, a few days later. She was waiting in front of the school for her parents’ carriage to arrive, and was relieved to see the familiar carriage slowly approaching.

“It’s good to see you,” Laura said as her parents stepped out of the carriage.

“Well, certainly better than the last time we met you here,” he remarked jokingly.

“It’s a delight to see our dear daughter graduate,” her mother added, pulling her in for a hug.

Her father also hugged her before looking around.

“Where is Felix? Is he not here with you?”

“He’s with Alexander, who also just arrived. They’re waiting together for their father,” Laura explained.

“I heard Alexander was traveling with Lord Ashwood. He seems to have grown rather fond of the man. We had offered a seat in our carriage, but Alexander was most insistent on traveling with Darren.”

Laura nodded, having already heard that piece of news herself.

“Eleanor told me as much, too.”

“Now, I do believe we did not come here for gossip,” her father cut in, “why don’t you show us the way, Laura?”

Laura led her parents through the halls of the school towards the auditorium, where the graduation would take place. Her parents sat down in one of the back rows, while Laura went towards the front, where all the students were sitting. It didn’t take long for Glen to take a seat next to her.

“You’ll never guess who arrived just now,” Glen whispered, clearly annoyed.

“Who?”

“Sigrid and her new pirate boyfriend. They’re here for the graduation, though I can’t think why. Christian and Adrian are up in arms about it.”

“I can see why, considering she left them both with broken hearts and not a single word, even if the two of them are now together,” Laura responded.

“Let’s hope they don’t cause a scene. None of them are students, and it’ll reflect badly on me if words get out about it.”

“I’m sure they won’t take it that far. They know how important the graduation is,” Laura reassured him.

Glen grumbled.

"I'll ask Astrid to put in a good word with the Saint, just to be sure," he joked.

Laura laughed at the remark, though she couldn't help but think how lovely it was to see Glen having found the one and no longer being burdened by the prospect of an arranged marriage.

After everyone had arrived in the auditorium and found a seat, the room waited with anticipation for Principal Abigail to arrive. When she walked onto the stage, everyone burst out in applause, which brought a smile to the woman's face. When the crowd was silent again, she began speaking.

"Thank you all for taking the time to come here today from all corners of the continent for the graduation of your loved ones. I speak on behalf of all the faculty here at Royale High School when I say that this past year has perhaps been one of the most unique in the school's history, with a terrible tragedy on the one hand, and an extraordinary opportunity for the students to attend a debutante ball in Caltara on the other. It was a very enjoyable event, but in a sense, it was also a greater test than the final exams were. Though I can say with pride that, just like those exams, the students passed it all with flying colors."

Abigail took a moment of silence to catch her breath and drink some water, which was filled with another round of applause.

"This year has taught everyone more than just the usual subjects of the curriculum. It has also taught us the importance of peace, unity, and vigilance, things that are more important than any piece of etiquette. It is now my great honor to hand the students their diplomas, the keys to a bright and grand future that I know awaits all of them."

After another round of applause, everyone student was called on stage one by one to receive their diploma, along with some kind words from Principal Abigail. When it was over, everyone moved to the school gardens, where an informal party was held to close things off.

After talking some more with her parents, Laura decided to look for Felix, whom she found talking with his father.

"Congratulations on your graduation, Your Highness," Lord Gaspard greeted her.

"Thank you very much, Your Grace. Congratulations to you as well," she responded, glancing at Felix.

"Please, call me Thomas," he corrected her, "there is no need for the address."

"Oh, father, Laura isn't someone for an informal-"

"Of course, Thomas," Laura interrupted Felix, "I would love to visit your estate in Aurion again soon. And please, do call me Laura."

"We would be delighted to have you."

With a nod, Laura parted ways with Felix's father, walking away with her boyfriend to chat alone for a moment. She had an amused smile on her face.

"You really do surprise me sometimes," Felix said.

"Thomas is your father," Laura responded knowingly, "he's an exception."

Felix let out an amused chuckle before putting his arm around her shoulder, a gesture she gladly leaned into.

Elsewhere in the gardens, Alexander was sitting with Emma on a bench, the two of them eager to catch up in person.

“How are your studies going?” Emma asked.

“It’s going well, but I have this annoying classmate. His name is Andy, and I keep getting paired up with him…” Alexander lamented.

“I’m sure you’ll get through it, don’t let anyone bully you!” Emma reassured him.

“What about you? What have you been doing lately?”

“I’ve been going to school, and doing fun things with Edith whenever she has time off,” Emma answered, “I’ve also decided I want to go to Royale High when I’m older,” she added.

“That’s great. I’m happy you know what you want to do next,” Alexander responded, smiling at her.

Astrid smiled as she looked at her sister talking with Alexander in the distance, glad to see her not burdened by the secret Astrid knew she now had the burden of keeping too. She then turned back to her conversation with her mother, Glen, Edith, and Elliot.

“We’re all very grateful to you for offering your assistance in this delicate matter, Glen,” her mother said.

“I’m not sure how I’ll be able to help yet, but I will do everything in my power to make sure your husband can return to Divinian society, not just for Astrid, but for all of you.”

“Isn’t he amazing, mother?” Astrid remarked, smiling at her boyfriend.

Her mother chuckled at the remark.

“Indeed. You remind me of Nathaniel and me when we were younger,” she answered, “though I certainly hope the similarities end there.”

“In any case, we must remain discreet, now more than ever. Princess Emma also knows the truth, and it could become dangerous if more people were to find out,” Elliot warned.

Astrid couldn’t help but wish she had been there when all of them had gone to visit her father on the island, if only to have their whole family together after so long. She was also curious about another thing, though.

“Did Emma ever share what she saw when she touched Dawnlight?” Astrid asked.

Edith shook her head.

“She said it was nothing important, though it’s possible she saw something she thinks is better kept to herself.”

“I’m sure Emma knows what’s best when it comes to that information,” Glen reassured her, “in any case, I think it’s time for us to share a toast.” He raised his glass. “To a brighter future.”

“To a brighter future,” the others repeated, raising their glasses as well.

Though Sigrid felt quite nervous being back at Royale High herself, she could see that Collin was not having an easy time either.

“Are you alright?” she asked, squeezing his hand softly.

“Of course, my jewel,” he responded with a smile, “but I have a feeling we’re not just here to congratulate your countrymen.”

She nodded, feeling a bit ashamed for not being more transparent, especially considering Collin saw right through her a lot of the time.

“You’re right. There is another reason, its…”

She trailed off when the reason walked by in the distance.

“I’m sorry. I’ll be right back,” she hastily said before walking away.

When she caught up to Christian and Adrian, it didn’t take long for them to see her. Their conversation immediately fell silent.

“I know you’re angry at me,” Sigrid said, “and you have every right to be. But please, hear me out for just a moment, and then you’ll ever have to see me again.”

“Please, just buzz off-”

“Tell us what you have to, Sigrid,” Christian interrupted Adrian, which earned him an angry glare.

Sigrid nodded.

“I want to say that I am sorry for leading you two on the way I did, knowing I would never choose either of you because my heart belonged to another. It was selfish of me, and I hadn’t stopped to consider other people’s feelings in my bitterness toward the world. I wish I could make it up to you, but I know I can’t.”

A silence followed her words, the tension clear between the three of them. She braced herself for what would happen next, and she took a deep breath when Christian opened his mouth. The smile on his face threw her off completely.

“In a way… you’ve already made it up to us,” he said.

“What do you mean?” Sigrid asked, completely caught off guard.

“After you left, we realized we hadn’t really been competing for your validation… but for each other’s,” Adrian said, taking Christian’s hand into his own.

Sigrid didn’t have much difficulty putting two and two together.

“You’re… together?” she asked hesitantly.

Christian nodded.

“I’m quite surprised,” Sigrid admitted, “but I’m happy for you.”

Adrian then let out a defeated sigh.

“It won’t do Glen or Aurion any good in the long run if there’s a grudge between us, so I suppose we can accept your apology.”

Christian smiled at the response, squeezing his boyfriend’s hand.

“Could we perhaps meet the pirate that managed to keep your heart for so long?” he then asked.

Sigrid’s eyes widened.

“O-Of course… and thank you. He’s waiting over there.”

“You know, I’m really proud of you,” Audrey’s father said as he looked at her diploma, his reading glasses on his nose.

Audrey couldn’t help but feel extremely guilty about the remark. Her father was coming to that conclusion based on incomplete information. She felt she couldn’t keep up the pretense that everything was fine any longer.

“I’m not as deserving of your pride as you think… there’s something I’ve been hiding from you, and I feel like I should tell you the truth.”

“I know about the theft of Armagedon, and the role you played in that,” her father reassured her.

Audrey’s mouth fell wide open.

“How?”

“I suspected something was up on the day that it happened, and Bertie managed to get the whole story out of Harriet after some persuasion. I only took those measures because I had a feeling it was something big.”

“Are you disappointed?” Audrey asked, bracing herself for the answer.

“I was, at first. But not anymore,” he said with a smile, “because I’m really proud of my little princess for putting together such a good plan and leading her classmates the way she did.”

Audrey couldn’t help but smile either, a wave of relief washing over her.

“In that case, ‘little princess’ is a bit outdated, isn’t it?” she joked, before hugging her father tightly.

Isabella, meanwhile, was chatting with Amaya, Neil, and Queen Julianna. It had been a while since Isabella had seen Amaya’s half-brother, but the two siblings seemed to get along much better.

“Amaya tells me you will be going to military school,” Neil said.

Isabella nodded.

“It’s hard work, but never boring,” he explained, “I’m sure you’ll do well.”

“Thank you,” Isabella responded, before turning to Amaya, “will you be practicing wind magic on your pegasus much this summer?”

Amaya scoffed.

“Of course not. I’m practically an expert at it,” she boasted, before seeing the looks of everyone around her, “o-of course, more practice can never hurt.”

It made everyone burst out into laughter.

Drake was not surprised to see Hugh still lingering around. He had spotted him in the crowd during the graduation and just knew he would wait to talk to him.

“Congratulations on your graduation,” he said, “I can see that you’ve grown a lot from your time here.”

“Don’t play the older brother, Hugh. It’s embarrassing,” Drake sneered.

Hugh, of course, pretended to be deaf.

“Your parents would have been so proud if they could see you now…”

Drake could see a tear of pride in Hugh’s eyes and gave him a handkerchief with a deep sigh and a roll of his eyes.

“Here you go, you sentimental boar.”

Howard was surprised when the queen of Divinia approached Erric and him, not expecting her to risk being seen with them, even if they were fellow royals.

“I was very glad to hear of the diplomatic victory you achieved, Prince Erric. I appreciate your clear commitment to improving relations,” Queen Madelyn said.

“I do not deserve all the credit for that feat, Your Majesty. My brother Howard was the one who helped me break the deadlock when I was ready to give up,” Erric responded, putting the queen’s gaze on Howard.

“How wonderful,” she remarked, “and my felicitations for your graduation as well. I am sure you two will both do great things.”

With those words uttered, the queen left again, as suddenly as she had approached.

“Well, she is certainly a lot more accommodating than those snobs from the church,” Howard said bluntly, making his brother chuckle.

“That’s why they never send her to negotiate any treaties,” Erric quipped.

Both of them laughed loudly.

Elsewhere in the gardens, Apollo had two sisters and a mother hanging on his every word, filled with pride at his diploma.

"Your grandparents were both very sad they couldn't make it, but they send their congratulations," his mother said to him, "though your grandfather showed it a lot more than your grandmother, as was to be expected."

Apollo immediately burst out into laughter.

"Thank you. I'm glad to hear I've made you all proud."

"Will you be relieved to go back home?" Cynthia asked.

Apollo took a moment to ponder the question. It was difficult to say.

"I will miss the friends I've made here, and the great atmosphere…” he lamented.

"Well, we're both very glad to have our older brother back," Delphine said, hugging him tightly.

"Well, if there is one thing I won't miss about Divinia, it will be the hot weather. I prefer the cold of Fayiron any day."

Eleanor was trying her best to still breathe in the tight grip her father had in her as he hugged her, a feat that was proving quite difficult.

"I'm so proud of you!" he exclaimed, before letting her go.

"I'm glad to hear it," she responded, taking deep breaths.

"Will you be continuing your fashion work over the summer?"

Eleanor nodded enthusiastically.

"I've already begun working on a summer collection to submit for Earth Fashion Week. It will open a lot of doors for me if I can make my debut at a fashion week event. I'm hoping it will lead to me opening a shop of my own in Falmar one day."

"There is no doubt in my mind that I'm the father of a great designer," her father praised her, "though I'll have to make sure I can create a quiet space at our estate in Kolnovo, what with the little lord staying and having that friend Andy coming over often. Things are a lot noisier now."

"Oh, don't worry about it," Eleanor reassured him, "I don't mind having some liveliness in the house, it might even prickle my inspiration."

Cheston was still feeling a bit euphoric from everything that had happened lately, from the debutante ball to the graduation and now the garden party. He couldn’t help but think that it was great to see his family again, though.

“I have to admit, I feel quite out of place here, with all those royals and lords and ladies walking about. I even saw the queen just now, and I nearly fainted when she greeted me,” his mother said.

"And all because of our son's clever brains," his father said, ruffling his hair, "you're the talk of the neighborhood, Cheston."

"What will you do after this?" Lucas asked.

"Well, I thought about going into woodcutting like dad did," Cheston answered, looking at his father, "but now I feel like botany is the right calling for me."

"That's a fine study to choose. Remember, we'll be proud of you no matter where life takes you," his mother reassured him.

Cheston was about to thank his parents for their support, when Lucas jumped up.

"I see Lizzie!" he exclaimed, before running off.

“My, what a year this has been…” Margaret remarked, a sigh escaping her lips.

Bayard couldn’t help but nod in agreement.

“I’m glad we made it all the way through, with everything that happened.”

“I’m feeling quite anxious about heading home again, I have to admit. Divinia has such an air of peace around it, something Theros lacks,” Margaret said.

“Because they still haven’t found Audric, you mean?”

“Not just that. Theros is still hopelessly divided. I don’t need to remind you that we are the only nobles that stayed at Royale High. Many families back home still support King Richard’s views and disapprove of the way Queen Linda and Elizabeth have been handling things.”

This time, it was Bayard who let out a sigh.

“That’s true, sadly. Elizabeth has the burden of inheriting a country divided between those who want to enact revenge for centuries in which our statehood has been denied for a lack of a national treasure and those who want to seek acceptance and friendlier ties. It won’t be easy to reconcile those positions.”

“I suppose all we can do is stand by Elizabeth’s side no matter what, especially in the years to come,” Margaret concluded.

“Indeed. It’s our duty to do so,” Bayard agreed.

Duty and queenship were on Elizabeth's mind a lot throughout the graduation and the celebrations after, with her coronation soon and her reign ahead of her, all much earlier than she would have liked or expected. But at least right now, she had people she cared about around her. Specifically, Levi and her mother.

"I am extremely proud of both of you," her mother said, "you've both grown so much this past year, and yet you are exactly the same when you're together."

"We certainly came out of this year stronger and wiser than before, and that matters more than any mistakes we might have made along the way," Levi agreed, squeezing Elizabeth's hand lovingly.

"You came out stronger in a literal sense too," Elizabeth remarked, "even if you can't show it off here in Divinia."

Levi laughed, understanding it was about Fayden's national treasure.

"It's certainly a pleasant reminder to never be afraid to stand up to do the right thing."

"And we're eternally grateful for that," Elizabeth said, kissing his cheek.

"Indeed. Without you, relations between Theros and Fayden might have never thawed again, leaving Theros in a very perilous position," her mother agreed, "but thanks to your effort, the mutual embassies will soon reopen."

"How wonderful!" Elizabeth said, before looking around the garden at all the others who had graduated alongside them, people she would likely not see for some time, "you know… I'm really glad I was able to earn the good will of the other students again. There was a short time I believed I might never make up for the things I did.

Levi immediately pulled her closer.

"You've been an amazing student council president. No one else could have done a better job," he reassured her.

"Let's have a toast together, to our respective victories," her mother suggested, a notion Elizabeth and Levi agreed with immediately.

Anna could see the relief on Reeve’s face as the two of them walked away from her parents to talk together for a while. It didn’t help her feelings of guilt one bit.

“I’m glad we’re alone now,” he said, “your parents were staring at me quite a lot.”

“I’m so sorry, Reeve. I never meant to drag you along like this and make you uncomfortable…” Anna apologized.

“Is that what you think?” Reeve asked, “I wouldn’t let myself be ‘dragged along’, as you put it. Yes, things are a bit uncomfortable sometimes due to our differences in station, but that’s worth it to spend more time with you… if that’s not too impertinent to say.”

Now it was Anna’s turn to feel relieved. She felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

“It’s not. I appreciate you saying that,” she admitted, her cheeks a bit flushed as a smile appeared on her face.

“I suppose it’ll be hard to return to normal when we’re back in Magnos, after all this,” Reeve joked awkwardly.

“Well, maybe we won’t quite have to go back to normal,” Anna said, “Elizabeth will be busy as queen soon, and that means I’ve lost a riding partner. Maybe… you’d like to fill that spot?”

It was an absolutely brazen request Anna made without thinking, but she was starting to believe that she spend too much time overthinking, and that going with her first instinct from time to time couldn’t hurt.

“O-Oh, I, uh… that’s… I’d be delighted,” Reeve stammered.

It made Anna’s day.

From a distance, Abigail was watching all her students socializing with their friends and family, proud of each and every one of them. By her side were her dear friends, who she had invited to celebrate with her.

“This is quite the party you organized, Abi. Well done,” Bianca praised her.

“I thought it would be nice to have something more simple and casual, as we already had an extravagant ball back in Caltara.”

“We’re both dying to hear all the stories from that particular event,” Samson teased her, making her laugh.

“You’ve done a wonderful job guiding these students after everything they went through with Mary and King Richard,” Bianca added.

“I shouldn’t say this because of my position, but I do not think I will ever have a group of students as close to my heart as this one,” Abigail admitted.

“So that means you’ll be staying on as principal, then?” Samson asked.

Abigail nodded.

“I very much look forward to guiding the next group into as bright a future as I can see this one having.”

Chapter Text

It felt strange, really, to be packing up the last few things from the student council office, at least for Elizabeth. For nearly a year, she had presided over the room, giving advice to everyone who needed it and helping out the staff of the school, most of whom had suffered from longer periods of captivity than even the students had. And now that was all over, and within a few weeks, she wouldn’t just be Elizabeth anymore; she would be Queen Elizabeth of Theros and carry the burdens that came with it. She was certain that she would be a better queen thanks to her time at Royale High, and so she smiled fondly as she closed the curtains and then locked the door behind her.

In front of the school, Margaret and Bayard were waiting for her. The three of them were going to share a carriage back home while their parents traveled with her mother. She was glad to still have two allies with her. As much as Elizabeth treasured her other friends, they had their own lives to attend to in their own respective home countries, even Levi and Anna. Margaret and Bayard would always be close by. She knew she would need them to help sway the rest of the nobility away from the ideas of her father. She was glad, then, to see their enthusiasm to help her plan her coronation. It was an event that still required a lot of things to be done. Elizabeth feared it would be some time before she could have a vacation.

Locking the front gate of Royale High was something that elicited a lot more emotion than Abigail had expected. Last year, when she had still just been a geography teacher, she had just walked out of the gates and not turned back. She was not just a geography teacher anymore, though. As principal, she had gotten to see the school in a completely different light, and it had become a lot more linked to her. In a way, the school was hers now, even if she owned exactly zero percent of the building or the land. Now, the building would be empty for five weeks and void of students for six, and a part of her would remain inside, waiting for her return.

Instead of heading home, Abigail made her way across Earth towards Divinia Park, where she had agreed to meet with Bianca and Samson. In the distance, she saw Cheston, one of her now former students, walking with what she assumed was his younger brother, a toolkit in their hands. She stood there for a moment, watching the two boys make their way to the docks, where their father was working on some repairs. Life went on for her former students too, she reminded herself. She then made her way to her friends, who were already eagerly waiting for her. She sat down with them and began chatting about a potential vacation with the three of them. As much as she had loved it, the school year had left her exhausted, and she really needed a wild vacation with friends to recuperate.

The journey back home was a nice break for Laura. She shared her carriage with Felix and Alexander, who had unexpectedly not asked to travel with Darren. Instead, it seemed, Alexander really wanted to spend more time with his brother, which Laura gave them space for. Felix would be staying with her for a week, and so she still had more than enough time together ahead of them. Instead, she chose to read a book she had purchased at some point but never got the time to read. She finished it just before they arrived back at the palace, which felt quite fitting.

After arriving, they said their goodbyes to Alexander, who was headed to Darren’s estate with him and Eleanor. Laura’s parents had already invited the trio over for dinner later that week. This time, dinner was a lot less awkward than the last time Felix had visited her in Falmar, with him slowly growing closer to her parents, something Laura was glad to see. After an evening spent chatting and reading, Laura went to her bedroom. There, her luggage had already been unpacked, with her diploma on her desk. She took it into her hands and hung it on the wall, where it stood as a reminder that she would always try her best without overexerting herself.

Anna knew that she had done the right thing, and yet that didn't stop her from still feeling absolutely terrified. If the summer break was meant for relaxation and calmness, she had failed on day one. She had already decided that she wanted to be more than friends with Reeve, and so when she saw the opportunity to kiss him, she took it, and now she was dating one of her father's footmen in secret. To say that things would get complicated would be an understatement. Her friends had made relationships seem so easy, but they had all chosen suitable people for the world around them. Anna would likely have to fight tooth and nail for the man she had feelings for.

She went out riding with Reeve again that day, going out to a small town near Tousaki, where they got something to drink together. It was not a town where Anna woud be easily recognized, and even if people did know who she was, they paid her no mind. Being there allowed her to forget about all the worries and secrecy for a moment and just have a fun time with Reeve. It was a stark contrast compared to dinner that evening, where they were so close to each other and yet it would be disastrous for them to even make eye contact. It was what made Anna decide that she wouldn’t keep this a secret for years to come, and that she would need to be brave if she wanted to keep him.

The week after graduation was filled with showing Glen around Divinia for Astrid. He knew Earth already, but there were still so many other places she wanted to show him. They went to Moonlight Square, Fantasia Island, and a few small towns Astrid was fond of. Of course, she also showed Glen around the capital, and they spent plenty of time relaxing in the palace gardens. When the week was over, Astrid still felt like there was so much to show him, but she knew it had to wait. They parted ways, and Glen vowed before her to do everything he could for her. It nearly made her cry.

After that, Astrid wanted to pick up some royal duties to assist her mother, but her mother advised her to wait until the end of the summer break, something she reluctantly agreed to. Astrid had to admit that it was nice to take a break from time to time, and that she wouldn’t have much opportunity for it for most of the years ahead of her. It was also good to spend more time with Emma, whom she hadn’t seen much the past year. The highlight of it all, however, was the evenings where she sat down with Emma and her mother and planned a visit to her father. It was something she looked forward to.

Sigrid was glad she’d been able to have the opportunity to reconcile with Christian and Adrian. Apart from the fact that they would be working together a lot once they’d all taken up their respective family titles, they were also just good people to have on her side. She was glad she was able to part with them on good terms, as while the two of them went back to Aurion, she went with Collin back to his ship to once again traverse the seas, at least for a short while. She was not quite ready to go home.

Standing on deck, she could feel the wind blowing through her hair, and she could smell the saltiness of the water. It wouldn’t have done much good to stay any longer; word was already spreading of a pirate ship docked on Divinia’s coast. Sigrid had a feeling she would already be the subject of enough gossip soon enough.

“Brooding again, are you?” Collin teased her.

“I was only thinking that I don’t want to marry you in scandal,” she answered, “I think I’d like for my family to get used to you first.”

He nodded.

“I would love to meet them all, though I have a feeling that remembering the names of your siblings will take some time,” he joked, “but let’s not worry about that right now. Here.”

He stepped aside from the steering wheel, gesturing for her to take his place. Sigrid’s eyes widened for a moment before she began to smile and took his place. Standing behind her, Collin then took her hands and began to guide her, telling her how to steer a ship.

The carriage ride back to Brightwald was really important to Isabella. It would be her last time spent with Audrey before both of them would become occupied with other tasks and thus be unable to see each other as frequently as they had ever since they met. The two of them reminisced about the school year that had concluded but also about the years ahead of them. Audrey, of course, was excited to finally have a real household and begin to carry out royal duties and be a ‘real’ princess. Isabella was also excited, but she would never be able to match Audrey’s enthusiasm.

Sadly for her, Isabella could not enjoy a summer break like everyone else did. She would immediately have to begin military training, as it had a summer break before schools had theirs to allow people enrolled to attend shortened courses at university during that time if they so wished. Isabella lamented the lack of a break, but she was also really excited to begin, and so she moved towards the training barracks without complaint, knowing that she was doing something she enjoyed.

While everyone attending school, including Astrid and Emma, could enjoy their summer break, life went on as usual for Elliot. Members of the church didn’t have long breaks the way others did and instead had a few weeks sprinkled throughout the year. As a cardinal, however, actually being able to take advantage of those breaks was a rare occurrence, and he was not presiding over a service at the Saint’s Cathedral in place of the bishop, who had fallen ill.

He couldn’t help but feel cynical as he spoke to the people gathered, though he did not show it. Despite the new hope Prince Glen of Aurion seemed to offer the royal family, he couldn’t help but feel guilty for being part of a corrupt church, even if he had pure intentions. Even now, he saw one of Hayes’ spies in the crowd, always watching him to make sure he did not misstep. It was truly ironic that he was constantly preaching to people when he no longer had any hope for change in the way his life had been since Nathaniel had fled.

Eleanor didn’t think long breaks were really the sort of thing for her. She spent most of the carriage ride back to Falmar sketching ideas for the summer collection she wanted to make, making sure the sketches were as detailed as possible. If it worked out, this would be her debut in the fashion world under her own name, and that was an opportunity she would only get once. By the time the carriage arrived, she nearly had a complete collection planned out, with only some minor side pieces left to create.

Her father looked quite confused when they arrived home, as he was informed by one of the servants that a rather large amount of mail had come in during his absence, in addition to the mail he had already been keeping for Eleanor while she had been at Royale High. It was perhaps even more surprising, then, that all this new mail was for Eleanor too. She had planned to read it later, but curiosity got the better of her. She opened one of the letters and saw that it was an offer from a popular clothing store in Divinia. A few more opened letters revealed that this would likely be the subject of every single piece of mail, coming from all corners of the continent. Eleanor was in shock, while her father took the opportunity to praise her.

Her mother had offered her a ride in the carriage, but Amaya had refused, even though it was a lot more relaxed. Instead, she had made her way over to the stables, and saddled up Aella, brought her outside, and took to the skies. Was going all the way home to Mistlyn in the skies on her own a good idea? Absolutely not. Was she biting off more than she could chew? Probably. Was something like that ever going to stop her? Certainly not. Amaya took out her wind tome and practiced some spells while above the clouds for good measure, glad to see she was starting to get better at both flight and casting some stronger wind spells.

When she arrived home, it was to quite the surprise. Her mother, during the carriage ride, had made up her mind to grant Neil a title. It was just any title, though. He was now Marquess of Aillos, their late father’s family title. Her mother had withheld it when he had passed away, both out of spite for her cheating husband and because it would have gone to Amaya since Neil was illegitimate, at which point it would inevitably merge with the crown. Amaya wasn’t sure how to feel about her father’s title being continued, but when she saw how Neil looked up to her mother, a woman who had despised both his parents, she could see that both of them wanted to move on from the past, and so she accepted it too.

Spending time together with Astrid in Divinia had probably been the most carefree Glen had ever been in his life. Doing simple things like walking to impressive buildings, or looking through small shops, or sitting at a café felt like the most amazing and wonderful things possible. Perhaps it was because he was doing those things with the most incredible girlfriend he could have possibly wished for, or because the stress of finding someone to avoid an arranged marriage was finally gone. It felt like such a huge relief to no longer have that burden and just enjoy life.

Parting ways with Astrid was a small disappointment, but the thought of coming home and telling his parents that they could end their arranged marriage for him was a big comfort. His heart raced with every syllable spoken as he informed them of his relationship with Astrid, and he awaited their reaction. There were some concerns, of course, as they were both future monarchs, which could lead to minor complications in the event they had no children or just one, but overall, they were pleased. They were confident that Astrid would make a good queen, something Glen wouldn’t doubt even if she weren’t a princess. What was perhaps most important was that he was free. Womanizer Glen could finally go into retirement, and his charms would be solely reserved for Astrid.

Leaving behind Royale High, and with it, the only friends he had made, wasn’t easy for Howard. He had kept up his friendship with Apollo until they had parted ways after the graduation. The confidence to tell him it was over never came to him. In the carriage ride back, he had cried for some time with Erric next to him to comfort him. Despite his brother being the one who had told him to end it, Howard could tell Erric felt terrible about it. Howard knew it was for the best, though, as getting his heart broken further down the line would have only hurt even more.

When they arrived back in Belmont, Erric had followed up on his promise and helped to introduce Howard to some people he knew and friends of friends, and it had helped him a lot. Howard was still a bit shy and apprehensive at first, but soon enough, he found the sort of friendship he knew he wanted in life and ended up as part of a very close group of friends who were happy to have him join them. It helped to ease some of the pain he felt at not being able to see or speak to Apollo again.

Audrey couldn’t help but miss Isabella, even after she had only been gone for a single day. She was her best friend, and for years they had seen each other almost every day, but now she would barely see her. With any luck, Isabella would be guarding her for the rest of her life, but that didn’t help with the waiting she would have to endure in the short term. It didn’t help that Bertie immediately set upon her with a long lecture on not putting the whole country in danger that she thought she had avoided when her father had forgiven her.

She still had other things to look forward to, though. Now that she was officially a debutante, she formally had a household, which meant that all her other friends were now by her side on a semi-permanent basis. There were also the royal duties she would be carrying out, with attendance at a fundraiser being her first one once the summer break was over. For now, she could go shopping with her household for the perfect dress to wear. Her friends all had plenty of gossip to share, and she refused as much as she could, having learned her lesson. In the end, however, curiosity got the better of her, and she asked to know all of it.

Alexander wished he could have stayed in Divinia to keep chatting with Emma, gone home with his father to spend time there, or even stayed longer at the palace with his brother and Laura, but sadly for him, he wouldn’t have his summer break for another two weeks. In a way, it wasn’t too bad, because he wouldn’t be disturbing Eleanor too much as she worked on a summer collection. He also liked his studies very much, but they did, admittedly, leave him quite busy. He had already been reading up the chapters he would need for the upcoming week in the carriage ride back to Falmar.

When he arrived at Darren’s estate, he was surprised to find that there was a guest waiting for him. He wasn’t sure who it could be, but he wasn’t surprised either when he walked into the drawing room and saw Andy there. They didn’t get along well, but they were almost always paired together. Sure enough, Andy explained to him that Kenneth had given them ‘some horrid’ assignment to work on together while he had been away. Andy was beating around the bush about it for about five minutes before finally admitting that he needed Alexander’s help, and with a sigh, they sat down together.

Levi had wanted to remain by Elizabeth’s side for longer, to support her in the time leading up to her coronation, but he had duties of his own to attend to back in Fayden, and Elizabeth insisted that she could manage. It was hard not to miss his time at Royale High. There was something extremely comforting about always having friends around, as well as being able to spend so much time with Elizabeth. Now he would be home again, unable to see everyone as often, and instead stuck with his parents, who were good people but not always the most entertaining people. Levi figured that if he was going to pass the time, he might as well begin taking up more royal duties.

As it turned out, his first engagement in that regard would be one that was close to his heart. His parents, still not quite eager to engage much with matters relating to Theros, had tasked him with attending the reopening of the Therosian embassy. There was a small protest of people a bit further away from the building, but most people didn’t really care whether or not there were good relations with Theros or not, focusing on their own lives. Some merchants and other business folks were a bit more eager to attend, as were people from Theros living nearby. Levi was quite overjoyed himself, knowing how much both Theros and Elizabeth meant to him.

Drake was glad to be home again. It wasn’t that he had hated Royale High or anything, but he felt so restricted all the time with those weird rules they had in Divinia. He much preferred Wyvernston, where he could do as he pleased. It also wasn’t as extremely bright as in Divinia. Being underground again made him feel a lot more safe and at home. Seeing the open sky and the sun was nice, but he would always prefer the dark, mysterious tunnels of Wyvernston. Though, if Divinia had one appealing quality, it was certainly the fact that he didn’t have Hugh and his advisors nagging him about his coronation. He wished he could just be proclaimed king, and that was it, but he sadly had to plan a whole affair.

When the nagging was over for the day, Drake quickly found that he had trouble sleeping in his own bed. It had been some time since he had laid in it, and he always had trouble sleeping the first night in a ‘new’ bed. He cursed under his breath and decided to go for a walk across the palace. Walking around blindly, he eventually stumbled on an old storage room where valuable things were kept that couldn’t fit anywhere else. Among them, he was surprised to see a portrait of his parents. He recalled how it had always hung in the great hall until their deaths. Seeing it now, after he knew the truth of what happened to them, made him a bit emotional, though he didn’t admit it. Shaking his head, he decided to grab the portrait and place it back where it had once stood. Come tomorrow, he would then pretend to be very surprised to see it there and act like he didn’t care if it was there or not, if only to stop Hugh from sulking at him.

As she was walking down the street towards the post office, Edith couldn’t help but feel like someone was following her. When she turned around, however, she saw no one. It seemed strange, really, as she was just posting a letter she had written to Brigid, who likely wouldn’t be leaving Fantasia Island for some time to avoid any further pressure on her. Figuring she must have imagined it, she walked into the post office and handed over the letter, chatting with the woman behind the counter for a while.

When she left the building again, she remembered that she was going to help Elliot out with some-much needed redecorating of their living room later in the afternoon, and so she went back home to grab her purse in order to buy some things beforehand. When she walked by the post office again, she saw someone inside who looked vaguely familiar. Sure enough, she saw the figure again when she walked further along the streets, and it was not hard to draw the conclusion that Hayes must have figured out she had helped save Brigid and had ordered her under constant surveillance from his minions. She didn’t pay it any mind, figuring she would get used to it soon enough, as Elliot had over the years. Her letter being intercepted and read didn’t worry her, either, as it was just friendly correspondence. Edith was nothing but careful in her day-to-day life, as her brother had taught her.

Adrian couldn’t help but smirk as he shared his carriage back to Aurion with Christian. He hadn’t thought Sigrid would actually have the guts to come to Royale High, during the graduation no less, to talk to them. But things went well enough in the end, even if he still resented her somewhat. It was perhaps ironic, considering he had never believed himself in love with her, unlike Christian, who had been a lot more forgiving. At least Sigrid seemed to have a good taste in men, with that pirate of hers being a nice enough guy.

Christian snapped his fingers at Adrian, having already called out his name multiple times. When his boyfriend started brooding about something, it was hard to get him out of it.

“I was just asking you what you think our families will say when they find out about us,” Christian said.

Adrian scoffed.

“I think they’ll probably get a damn good laugh out of it,” he remarked.

“Well, I was thinking… if they’ll be accepting, why don’t we head to Damasna first to spend some more time together. We can just tell them later, and for now, just focus on us,” Christian suggested.

“That sounds perfect,” Adrian agreed, reaching out to kiss him.

When he arrived back at the palace, Apollo was surprised to find out there was a crisis of sorts going on. His mother quickly discovered that his grandmother had gone through yet another ladies’ maid while they were away. The cause of dismissal this time had been a drunken husband, which was apparently too scandalous for a ladies’ maid of the queen. Apollo got a pretty good laugh out of it, even if he did pity the next person who would have to work for his grandmother. His sisters then began asking him to go into the city with him, but his grandfather came in and asked to see him first.

Apollo dutifully followed his grandfather to his office, where they sat down. His grandfather seemed quite serious and explained that it was high time Apollo became introduced to the technicalities of ruling Fayiron, joking that he wouldn’t live forever, unlike his wife. Apollo resisted a chuckle and nodded, telling his grandfather that he would be delighted to learn more. His grandfather seemed quite pleased by his enthusiasm, telling him that Apollo’s father had always been making up excuses to avoid all of it.

Spending more time back in Falmar was something Felix found himself enjoying even more than the first time. It did also help that his brother was also nearby, even if he still had classes to worry about. Felix found it wonderful to spend more time with Laura, but he also found himself growing closer to Robert and Alice, who were wonderful people now that they were starting to be convinced that he was a good person who cared about their daughter very much.

Felix quickly got to see just how much Laura’s parents trusted him one evening, when he ended up alone with Robert in the drawing room, with Alice and Laura already having gone to bed. They had been chatting casually for some time when Robert turned more serious.

“There is something important I want to tell you,” he said.

Felix nodded, waiting for a response.

“I know this won’t be relevant for you soon, but I want you to be prepared for this now. It’s important, considering we carry the blood of Nicholas and Gerard,” Robert explained, “if this relationship continues and you believe yourself ready to propose, you may come to me for the ring.”

Felix nodded and took a deep breath.

“I understand.”

It had been a long day, and it was already dark by the time Emma came home from her day spent with Edith visiting the theater. She had always wanted to see a performance, but things had just always been too busy for it to happen with her mother or Astrid. She ate a quick dinner before going upstairs to her bedroom. Opening her balcony doors, she sat down behind the telescope her mother had given her for her birthday last year, gazing at the stars above. She took out a piece of paper and began drawing them.

Her mind flashed back to the scene she had seen when she touched Dawnlight not too long ago. The woman, reading a book just as peacefully as Emma was right now, except there was a man watching her ominously from the shadows. Emma had to look behind her just to make sure she wasn’t being watched either. Her mother seemed to imply that there was no way to change or prevent what she saw, so what was the point? Emma shook her head in frustration. She was just going to forget about it. She returned to her drawing, thinking about how she wanted to show it to her father the next time she saw him.

Erric had just finished yet another interview when Howard came waking into the drawing room.

“Are you nearly finished?” he asked.

Erric nodded.

“Just one more left to go.”

“You should think carefully before you choose an advisor. Whoever has that position will have a lot of power, especially when you’re king,” Howard warned.

“I know, and I will. You needn’t worry, brother.”

Howard seemed reassured enough and left him to receive the last person for the day.

Erric called out to the guards to let the last person in. He looked at his list and saw that it was a man with the name Raymond, who had studied politics at the University of Motina and had an excellent track record, having worked at a few businesses and as advisors to local politicians. Erric looked up from his list as the man entered and bowed before him.

“Your Highness,” he spoke.

Erric wasn’t sure why, but he had a good feeling about this man.