Chapter 21: The Duke's Daughter Prepares for War

Chapter 21:
The Duke’s Daughter Prepares for War

 

THREE DAYS LATER, I headed to the castle to represent Armelia in the meeting of the nobility. Everyone else in attendance was a man—I was the only woman. I wore a tuxedo-cut jacket with a skirt made of the same fabric. I hadn’t been instructed to do so, but it helped me get in the mood.

I was led to a large conference room separate from the throne room. The seats were placed evenly apart in a semi-circle arcing toward the center, like a parliament chamber. This was a vestige from when the kingdom was founded; Tasmeria became a kingdom after winning over or conquering all the lords of the various regions. In order to avoid chaos when the kingdom was new, they had gathered the lords who governed their various domains in this very room for meetings. Here, the lords had presented their opinions to the king regarding how they thought the kingdom should proceed.

Several nobles spotted me and whispered amongst themselves. Some were frowning, some threw looks of contempt my way. To be honest, I was incredibly irritated that they made no attempt to hide their reactions.

Just then, I spotted my uncle, Marquis Anderson, surrounded by people. He smiled when he saw me. That was all it took to banish my dark feelings, and I smiled at him in return.

The seats had been decided beforehand. They were arranged in order of each family’s rank. I sat in the first seat reserved for a duke’s family. Marquis Marea, who was sitting next to me, scowled in my direction. He had quite the presence, as usual. Even though he was only a marquis, he sat in a seat equal to that of a duke—with an incredibly arrogant attitude, I might add.

As I scanned the room, I noted that most of the nobility was in attendance. Even Count Sagitalia and the nobles from Prince Alfred’s faction had come, though they had resigned from their posts. The only one I didn’t see in attendance was Baron Messi.

An attendant announced that the royal family was about to enter, so the room fell instantly quiet. Queen Ellia, Ed, and Yuri appeared from the main doors and took their seats.

“I have summoned you all here today for one reason and one reason alone—to discuss this kingdom’s next king,” Queen Ellia said in a solemn voice once everyone was settled in their seats. “As you all know, the kingdom is in great turmoil. This is even more reason why we need a strong leader. And what better person is there than Edward?”

She phrased it as a question, but it sounded like a statement to me. I was certain the others in the room thought the same.

“The queen is right! No one is more well suited to ascend the throne than Edward! We must all celebrate our new king!” Marquis Marea declared.

The second prince’s faction applauded to echo his words.

Ed rose from his seat. “Thank you, everyone. I swear to be a wonderful king, one who will live up to your hopes.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “What a farce.”

“What a farce.”

Amidst the rejoicing, my voice and another overlapped. The dissenting opinions silenced the room, and everyone turned their attention to us.

“Lord Anderson! What do you mean, a farce?” Even though I’d said the same thing, Queen Ellia ignored me. Instead, she shouted at my uncle with a glare.

“According to the kingdom’s laws, the rightful successor to the throne is the oldest child,” said my uncle. “And unless the oldest child is seriously ill or otherwise unable to ascend, they ought to become the ruling monarch. So what else could you call a decision made by the royal family, which violates its own laws, other than a farce?”

“You think someone who hasn’t even deigned to be present would make a better king? Impossible.”

“It’s not for you to decide, Your Majesty. You do not have the power to decide the order of succession. Since the king has passed, the right of succession was immediately passed to his first child. That’s the law of this kingdom. In other words, he does not need the permission of the former queen.”

As my uncle spoke, Ellia turned her gaze from him to me. It was a spiteful gaze, as if she despised me from the depths of her soul.

“And Your Highness,” my uncle continued as he addressed Ed, “you’ve just told us your intention to be a wonderful king. Well, just how do you plan to overcome the difficulties presently plaguing this kingdom?”

“I don’t have to answer to you.”

“In fact, you do,” I said. “If you want to continue receiving aid from my domain, that is.”

“Why should I listen to you?” Ed scoffed. “I’m the next king! To speak to me in that manner is nothing less than insolence, even if you are a noble!”

“Th-that’s right! Someone kick this woman out!”

No one moved a muscle, not even the soldiers who stood guard in the chamber. You see, the castle guards who usually stood at that post had been replaced with guards who belonged to my grandfather. They would not move unless under his direct orders. Even though my grandfather had withdrawn from the battlefield, he was still Tasmeria’s hero. Nothing could weaken that power. To be honest, I had never intended to involve my grandfather in this, but here we were.

“At least forty percent of the grain and corn you’ve levied has come from my domain,” I said.

“Well, that’s…”

“And if you consider the scope of this disaster, it’s no wonder there’s a food shortage. But why has one domain been asked to supply so much of the food when there are so many others to call upon—all of whom are represented here?”

“Because your domain is so large! Moreover, a duke’s family should want to do everything it can for the kingdom!”

“What are you talking about? Do you have any idea what it means to take forty percent of your levies from a single domain? You truly don’t understand, do you? You know, I was shocked when I heard the results from the survey. I wonder how many citizens will go hungry once my domain stops supplying you with relief? Food production in the capital is especially low, so it wouldn’t take very long for the situation to grow dire. That is why I’m asking. What plans and measures will you take to deal with this problem?”

I laughed as I glanced over at the second prince’s faction. Some among them shared Queen Ellia’s reaction, but those who were already experiencing scarcity in their domains averted their eyes uncomfortably.

Several other nobles raised their voices in assent. They were either part of the first prince’s or the neutral faction, whom I had already either bought or bribed to join my alliance.

You see, Armelia’s assets and rations overwhelmingly surpassed any other domain’s. Thus, I’d gone to negotiate with them all with that card up my sleeve. I’d done so with House Anderson as well. Even though we were related by blood, we both had our own citizens to protect. Our deal, in short, was that they would provide us military strength while Armelia offered them funds. Once our two domains were united under the same flag, many other domains had followed suit.

As soon as I arrived in the capital, I’d rushed to visit as many houses as I could, as well as had Tanya deliver letters. The domain north of Armelia was part of the second prince’s faction, so that had been difficult, but since we were separated by mountains and they bordered House Anderson’s domain to the west, they had succumbed to our alliance, as had the domains adjoining them.

Ed scowled slightly, perhaps surprised to hear that anyone agreed with me. “I’m receiving supplies from you so that disaster doesn’t occur, aren’t I? No other answer is needed.”

“My duchy can’t spare any further resources. My citizens are going hungry. As the acting governor of Armelia, I decline your request to lend further aid to the kingdom.”

“What?! That’s utter nonsense! You listen here, if you continue to defy the royal family, we’ll send soldiers to Armelia to deal with you appropriately!”

“You think the kingdom—or you, for that matter—have the support for such an undertaking? If you are really to become king, I believe you’d be better served thinking about your plans very carefully.”

“Silence! This kingdom is mine! I could have you both arrested for treason right now and seize your domains—and that would solve everything!” Ed’s eyes flared as if he thought he really had a brilliant idea.

Queen Ellia and Marquis Marea instantly offered their agreement, as did the other members of his faction.

That was the moment I’d been waiting for. The same went for my uncle.

“In that case, we shall excuse ourselves,” he announced in a cold voice. “Staying here a moment longer is simply a waste of our time.”

I rose at the same time as he did. Nearly half of the other attendees rose from their seats as well, to show their assent.

“Everyone, please calm down!” Yuri cried in a loud voice. “Don’t look so angry! Our first priority right now needs to be the citizens!”

Ed seemed to think her frantic tone admirable, because he beamed at her.

“Let’s talk this over—for the sake of the citizens!” Yuri went on. “I’m sure Prince Edward’s brother will understand!”

Understand what? I thought to myself in confusion.

“After all, he’s not even here,” Yuri said. “I’m sure Prince Edward’s brother is a very sensitive man. So…”

“Yuri, you have such a kind heart… Everyone, listen to yourselves! Compared to her, you’re—” Ed broke off. “Just as Yuri said, my brother has been out of the picture for a very long time. He couldn’t handle the pressure of being the first prince. That’s exactly why I’ve been responsible for this kingdom in his stead. I will protect the citizens.”

“You needn’t be king to protect the citizens, Your Highness. And yet you’ve done absolutely nothing, save for one thing—seek aid from Armelia.” My uncle glared coldly at Ed. “And Miss Yuri, daughter of a baron. This is not a playground for daughters of nobles. You have no right to speak here.” He didn’t even bother looking at her as he spoke.

“What…? Th-that’s so mean!” Yuri gasped, shedding tears.

“Lord Anderson! How dare you say such cruel words to my fiancée!”

“Are they really cruel?” I muttered.

Ed turned his spiteful gaze toward me.

“‘Please have mercy! I walked all the way here with only water and nothing to eat!’” I said.

Ed scoffed at me, as if he had no idea what I was talking about.

“‘Please at least help my children! I don’t care what happens to me as long as my children are taken care of!’”

Those were the words I’d heard when I traveled to the border. The voices of the people that would not leave my ears.

“These are the voices of citizens from other domains who traveled to Armelia. You say we are here to speak for the sake of the citizens? Yet what in the world have you done for those citizens to save them from such pain and suffering?” My voice shook with anger. “I have found, due to an investigation, that the sizable levies of food and goods taken from my domain are being stored in the castle and the residences of nobles. You said my uncle’s words were cruel? Your complete inaction while you protect yourselves and abandon the citizens of this kingdom is far, far crueler.”

“I-I don’t know anything about that!”

“Prince Edward is right! If such a thing is true, then it’s been done to frame us!” Yuri exclaimed.

Ed glared at me again. “Th-that’s right! Anyway, there’s no proof that Lady Iris has even sent us any levies at all! I’m sure this is all a bluff—an attempt to lay the blame on us!”

I heaved a sigh.

“Iris, there’s no point in continuing this,” my uncle said.

Those standing with our alliance agreed. We of course had receipts and proper records to document our donations to the crown—in other words, definitive proof.

“We’ll be going now,” my uncle said.

“Wait! If you leave now, then you admit that what I said is true, and I will send every soldier—”

“Well, I don’t think that would be a very good idea. The royal family doesn’t have as much power as you seem to imagine it does. And if our two houses forsake you now, it will be over for you.”

The room was abuzz with increasing chaos, but then someone else suddenly walked in, and it fell deathly silent. Not even Ed could speak.

The reason for everyone’s shock was not that this man had interrupted a prince, it was that he had appeared through the same doors that the royal family had.

But I was the most shocked out of every person there. Not because someone else had walked through those doors—I couldn’t understand why he had walked through them. What was Dean doing here?!

“Who are you?” Ed asked, baffled.

“What a terrible thing to ask of your half-brother.”

“What?!” Queen Ellia and Marquis Marea leapt to their feet.

“My name is Alfred. Alfred Dean Tasmeria. The rightful heir to the throne of this kingdom.” Dean’s voice struck the room like lightning. He didn’t speak with any particular volume, but it echoed through each corner of the room. A chill ran through everyone who heard it, as if they’d been touched by divine revelation. It had a strange, alluring quality that compelled one to want to do just as he said.

“Wh-what proof do you have of this claim?” Marquis Marea shouted anxiously.

“Step away! This man is His Highness, Prince Alfred!” A man appeared from behind Dean, chastising the marquis. “How dare you doubt a member of the royal family! You do realize that’s grounds for treason, don’t you?”

When I saw who it was, I couldn’t believe my eyes. My own cousin, Rudy. I had never been more confused in my life.

“Now, I just heard some very interesting things in this chamber,” said Dean. “‘No one is more well suited to ascend the throne than Edward’? That’s simply false. Because the rightful heir to the throne is the first prince—me. That was the first law put to writing when this kingdom was founded; why, it’s written in our constitution. And absolutely no one has the power to break that law. In fact, you are all under arrest for treason under the grounds of plotting to usurp the crown.”

“Wh-what?! What proof—”

“Proof again? Well, this very meeting is proof enough. Isn’t that right, Father Rafsimons? You aren’t a noble of this kingdom, so I shall ask you. Did I imagine everything I just heard in this chamber?”

“No, Your Highness. I heard exactly the same thing.”

“That’s what I thought. Quite foolish of you to rush things without confirming my death.”

“No one will follow you, anyway! Why, your mother was nothing more than the daughter of a count!” Queen Ellia screamed. Her face was twisted with rage, her eyes filled with hatred. As I stared at her, it almost looked like the face she had taken such pains to beautify with makeup was crumbling before our very eyes.

“Is that right? Many in this room rank below a count. How dare you say such a thing? I don’t believe I can allow you to be in this room any longer. Take these two away at once.”

The guards immediately sprang into action.

“What?! How dare you?! Let go of me at once!”

They resisted, but it was useless. The guards dragged Ellia and her father away.

“Grandfather! Mother!” Ed cried to try to stop them, but they were already gone. “You bastard! How dare you…!”

Ed lunged toward Dean, but the remaining guards surrounded him and Yuri. She was trembling with fear.

“I can understand why a person might think that Queen Ellia’s claims make sense,” I said to break the tension. I looked straight at Dean. “I wouldn’t say that Prince Edward should be king, but what will change if you ascend the throne? Prince Alfred, it seems as though you have not forsaken us, but if I am to be confident that you won’t, I must know your plan.”

For a moment, Dean seemed shocked by my challenge, but then he flashed me a confident smile.

That’s the smile of his that I love the most, I inadvertently thought.

“Forsake you? I should be afraid that you might forsake us.” Dean turned to the rest of the gathered. “To you fools who agreed with my younger brother when he foolishly said these two should be arrested and their domains seized: Think carefully. Armelia provides forty percent of the aid to this kingdom, yet life in that duchy remains more prosperous than anywhere else. No other domain could possibly amass as many resources as they have. If Armelia withdraws their aid, where will your domains source their food and goods? Your aid will be nearly halved. Even if you don’t presently require assistance, if the Armelian businesses in your domains withdraw to their homeland, your economies will suffer a serious blow. They continue to do business with our kingdom so long as they see profit from the relationship. But if the disadvantages outweigh the benefits, they’ll merely start doing business with other kingdoms instead. Armelia has a port; this would be easily done. The only reason they haven’t done so yet is because it would require slightly more effort.”

“B-but if we arrest these two, then we can take their goods for the kingdom!” a noble from the second prince’s faction said.

“As I said, that would be foolish. My brother said he would send the military, but the leader of that military is General Gazell. Not only does the general belong to House Anderson, but that house has a long-standing connection with House Armelia. Moreover, the two domains border each other. If these houses are allied, we cannot send the military to face them.”

“But…”

“Enough. Even if we took Armelia by force, the kingdom would not have the means to govern it. The citizens would not obey. They are loyal to her—that’s the domain she’s built.”

The other nobles flinched at Dean’s words.

“I’m so happy to hear you think so highly of my domain,” I said. “And that is why I shall ask again—how do you plan to deal with the difficulties that plague our kingdom?”

Dean had defended Armelia, so now it was my turn. I needed to give him the opportunity to have his moment—and to defend his plan. Hence why I sounded so harsh.

“I’ve already started. I’ve recalled the majority of the counterfeit gold coins in circulation. Only a small number are left floating at the marketplaces. And if any further counterfeits are found, I vow to exchange them for genuine gold. I’ve also developed a means by which to notify the public and spread word about this plan.”

“My, you’ve already taken them out of circulation? How did you do that?”

“The nobles who sold their stockpiles to a certain merchant immediately used their profits to begin doing business with other merchants.”

This clearly rang a bell, as the color drained from several nobles’ faces.

“I used the belongings of the former pope as bait. I couldn’t believe the speed and passion with which they parted with their new gold. It would have been one thing if they were to spend it for the sake of the citizens, but to use it for their own selfish desires? I was speechless.”

“I see… So that’s how you got the counterfeit coins out of circulation. You didn’t even impact the kingdom’s economy by doing so. And by using items that had once been owned by the pope, you ensured they were tempting. Additionally, if these nobles had enough gold on hand to purchase them, then the chances were good that they used the counterfeit gold they had just received.”

“That’s right. Then I had the counterfeit gold coins melted down and the impurities removed, then smelted back into pure gold coins. Having confiscated most of the counterfeit gold in this manner, I kept tabs on your actions and immediately confiscated counterfeits from whatever your own people collected. Of course, it will be impossible to catch every single coin, but we’ve done the work. I must credit Marquis Anderson with his tenacity on this issue.”

My uncle bowed his head.

“But Prince Alfred, what about the critical issue of the food shortages?” I asked.

“I have traveled across the sea to another kingdom and negotiated with them. At first, I was planning to recover enough to replace the stockpiles that had been sold, but I could not have foreseen the natural disaster that occurred in my absence. I’m terribly sorry to see my people endure such pain. But the goods I secured from the other kingdom have been delivered upon my return. All that’s left now is to distribute them to each domain. For this, I must thank Father Rafsimons for his help. He sent valuable monetary aid during this crisis on behalf of the Darryl Church.”

“Despite the mistakes the Church made, Your Highness was so lenient with us,” said Father Rafsimons as he bowed his head. “All I wish is for the money to be used for the citizens of this kingdom.”

I was amazed that he’d so deftly used this opportunity to restore the Darryl Church’s status. Bowing his head to Dean demonstrated his obeisance, while at the same time this public gratitude demonstrated the power of the Church. I was certain that he was doing this to show both publicly and privately that the Church was acting in the right, just as he had aimed for.

The same Church had once demanded donations from the nobles and thrown charity galas. I had a feeling that these events were where the Church’s new donations had come from. There had likely also been some help from whatever funds the queen dowager had secretly stowed away.

“Then I am certain this kingdom will know peace and prosperity should you ascend the throne,” I said and bowed my head. “As acting governor, I pledge Armelia’s full support to your claim.”

I had shown my and House Anderson’s support. Dean had already explained the power of our two domains to the gathered. On top of that, he had just illustrated his own sterling track record. By his own hand, he had laid the path for the kingdom to recover. Anyone who stood against him now would in essence be rejecting the only path to salvation. The only others they could turn to—Queen Ellia and Marquis Marea—had been arrested.

“Wh-what a splendid birth of a king we just witnessed.”

“I-I agree. We just witnessed something magnificent indeed.”

One by one, those nobles who had supported Ed now praised Dean. The waves of affirmation gradually increased until the entire chamber was filled with applause.

“Don’t be fooled!” Ed had been standing there, completely flabbergasted, but now he screamed angrily. “It was said before—there’s no proof that he’s my older brother! His attendant there belongs to House Anderson! He’s nothing more than an impostor, dead set on usurping the crown!”

All of a sudden, Yuri turned toward the doors and shrieked. “S-somebody! Help!”

“What is it?” a voice called in response.

At her cry, several men wearing knights’ armor rushed in. Ed and Yuri let out sighs of relief at the sight of them.

“Arrest them! They’re impostors trying to usurp the crown!” Ed howled, but the knights did not move. “Why aren’t you moving?!”

“Your Highness, I’m terribly sorry, but that is Prince Alfred. We live to serve the royal family. We cannot possibly turn our sword against one of them.”

“What are you talking about?! Where is the proof that he is my older brother?!”

“Well, we had the honor of serving him at the detached palace.”

Watching this exchange, Yuri was completely astonished. “No…” she murmured. “No… I don’t know these knights… Where is the knight commander?!”

“The knight commander is under house arrest,” Dean said gaily. “Lord Meleze was a knight in name only, so he never had any right to become the knight commander. There were several such unqualified persons in the knighthood, and they have all been removed from their posts. Now, to continue with what I was saying, I must attend to more pressing matters, so there is nothing more to say on this matter. Shall we move on to the next subject?”

Everyone stared, wondering what he would want to talk about—including me.

“But first—guards! Arrest by brother and Yuri.”

“What?!”

“What?!”

Before the two of them could even shout, the guards surrounding them sprang into action and seized them both.

“Why…?” Ed croaked as he was arrested.

“I told you why. You, your mother, and your grandfather were engaged in a plot to usurp the throne. So it’s only natural that you must face the consequences for that.”

“But Yuri has nothing to do with this!”

“Perhaps. But she is not a member of the royal family, yet she walked into this room through the door reserved for royals, and furthermore, she’s been using funds from accounts reserved for royals. That is nothing less than fraud: impersonating a member of the royal family. Or have she and Edward already been married? Father Rafsimons?”

“No. The Darryl Church has no record of such a union.”

“Then she must be arrested as well.”

“Let me—” Edward was still trying to protect Yuri. He loved her so much that he wanted to take the arrow for her.

“I’d say the larger problem is that you did nothing to stop her,” Dean said to him. “But the responsibility lies with her. Even if you tried to protect her, she has committed various other crimes. You will be jailed separately until sufficient evidence is gathered to prove the case against her. Take them away.”

“Please wait! Your Highness! Why would you punish your own flesh and blood, your own younger brother like this? Please reconsider!” Yuri resisted the soldiers and tried to approach Dean.

“Perhaps that argument would carry weight if we were normal siblings.” Dean murmured, bringing hope into Yuri’s eyes. “But we are royalty. Each drop of blood that flows through our veins exists for this kingdom. And anything that serves to hurt this kingdom must be cut away.”

“No!” Yuri cried weakly, shedding tears—playing the role of the damsel in distress. Several witnesses probably felt sorry for her, the poor girl pleading for her fiancé despite being under arrest herself.

Dean walked over to her. She gazed up at him with desperate eyes.

I wanted to scream. Don’t you dare look at him like that!

“It seems as though your friend let many of his comrades into this castle,” said Dean. “I had them all leave, along with him. So don’t imagine that you have a chance to worm your way out of this one.”

“What?!”

Dean leaned toward her and whispered something into her ear. I don’t know what he said, but it must have been something meaningful, because as soon as he pulled away, she let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Everyone in the room stood shocked at her sudden change in demeanor.

“Yuri!” Ed slipped out of the guards’ grasp and ran over to her. “Yuri, are you all right? Yuri!”

But Yuri did not answer him. All she did was mumble, “It’s a lie, it’s a lie…” over and over again with vacant eyes.

Ed stood protectively between her and a guard. “There’s something wrong with her! Take her to the hospital!”

“A doctor can examine her after she’s jailed. Guards.”

The guards moved once more to seize them.

“Stop it! Yuri!”

Yuri wept. Ed reached toward her, trying to take hold of her hand. Dean coolly watched as he once more told the guards to take them by force. He was obeyed.

“Now, we got quite off track there, but let’s get back to business,” said Dean. “Shall we, Berne?”

Hearing that name come from Dean’s mouth shocked me. I turned to see Berne walk through the doors the other nobles had entered through. The entire chamber was filled with confusion as Berne strode toward Dean. I couldn’t even believe the person I saw was my brother. His hair was cut short, he was incredibly thin, and there were bags under his eyes. The naivete in his eyes was gone, replaced now with a sharpness I’d never seen before.

Berne bowed his head before Dean.

“You heard everything, didn’t you? The voices of these fools agreeing with Edward that we should seize Armelia and Anderson’s domains?” Dean chuckled with amusement.

Berne was completely expressionless. Instead, he looked around the room. His piercing gaze shot through everyone.

“I’m sure they will agree with Your Highness’s plan if it benefits the citizens,” Berne said, his eyes growing even more intense.

“I’ll have Berne explain our plans moving forward. Everyone, listen carefully to him.”

My brother took a step forward and spoke. He began with a list of nobles. The point was not immediately apparent.

“The nobles I just named will forfeit their domains and be stripped of their titles.”

Berne’s statement rocked the chamber. This was without a doubt the first time in the history of Tasmeria that so many nobles would have their titles removed. The room was suddenly filled with cursing and shouts. Berne seemed intimidated by this, and he lowered his gaze. The yelling grew even louder at that.

They looked to Dean, demanding to know just how their domains would be controlled without them, but he just smiled. Meanwhile, Berne looked up.

Suddenly, the people cursing him all fell silent as they saw his face—or more accurately, his eyes. Berne looked around the chamber, expressionless. His eyes were filled with hatred…and violent anger. Anger so intense, it made the fury displayed earlier seem lukewarm. He didn’t speak, but the way he stared at them made it seem like he was saying “Is that all you’ve got?”

“He reminds me of your father,” my uncle murmured with amusement.

“The people whose names I just listed sold their stockpiles for their own profit—even the bare minimum of rations they are, by law, required to keep. Leaders who wrong their own citizens should be removed from their posts at once,” Berne said quietly. But what was quiet about it was his expression, for his voice was filled with just as much malice as his eyes.

“Y-you’re saying we have to give up land that’s been in our family for generations for such a small offense?!”

“A ‘small offense’? That small offense cost thousands, no—tens of thousands of lives!” Berne snarled. His rage seemed to fill the entire chamber.

“Wh-what else could we do? My family has been impoverished for quite some time!”

“We didn’t know a flood was coming! Even Prince Alfred said he couldn’t have foreseen it!”

“Those rations were supposed to be in place in case of that exact kind of unforeseen disaster. Even if the flooding hadn’t occurred, you were still in the wrong and would still be punished accordingly,” Berne responded coolly to those who protested and complained.

“Why?!”

“Because as I just said, you broke the laws of this kingdom. You didn’t realize you were using counterfeit coins to do business, you wastefully expended your domains’ fortunes, and you brought chaos to the kingdom.”

“That’s—”

“But your greatest crime was making deals with an enemy kingdom while we were under a cease-fire.” Berne didn’t say that last sentence loudly. But the words fell heavily on every person in the room.

“Wh-what did you say?!”

“You didn’t know? The merchant you did business with—Divan? He’s a vanguard from Tweil. The reason he bought so much food is because he’s sending it back to his kingdom, and in doing so, depleting our kingdom of its resources.”

“What proof do you have?!”

“Stop with the lies!”

None of them would accept Berne’s words—because the moment they accepted it, they knew no mercy awaited them.

“I have proof.” Berne wasn’t worried. He reminded me of how I had been back during my excommunication scandal. I’d had that same look on my face—a confidence that I really had my enemies where I needed them. “Lord Messi has already captured citizens from Tweil who were traversing back and forth across our borders. They told us all about the relationship between Divan and Tweil.”

My brother had changed so much since the day he yelled at me about my broken engagement… In a good way, of course.

“Furthermore, thanks to Lord Messi, we’ve recovered a portion of the food that was supposed to be sent to Tweil. Some was hidden or already sent by Divan, but the stores we recovered were marked with the family crests of those families I named.” Berne smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “How lucky for us that noble families take so much pride in their name that they brand everything with it, hm? They’re so dedicated to the practice that not even Divan could erase it off everything. Family crests are quite wonderful, so I very much understand the urge.”

To me, it sounded like he was saying: “You lot take pride in nothing but for your family name. And that’s what wrapped the noose around your neck.”

I was all but certain that this was what was going through his mind.

“You can take a look at the recovered crates later, if you’d like,” Berne said. “Although I’ve already shown the prince, and he agreed that it was sufficient proof.”

“Then, once you take all of that into consideration, look into a certain baron. Ask yourself why he doesn’t even stay in the capital during the social season.”

These were the words Milo had said that Tanya had reported to me. Of course, she had looked into it. Divan’s company was based in Count Monroe’s domain. No matter how well Divan hid his spoils while they were in the kingdom, ultimately he sent them to Tweil—which meant he had to travel from Count Monroe’s domain through Baron Messi’s. Once Divan reached the Monroe domain, he had a free pass to deliver his goods.

When Baron Messi wasn’t in the capital, he was patrolling the border of his domain, which was also the border of the kingdom with Tweil. Lately, he’d spent much more time patrolling the border between his domain and Count Monroe’s. In other words, he had worked vigorously toward gathering evidence to expose the corruption within the kingdom, including Divan’s plans and the secret exchange of goods between Monroe and Tweil.

“As such, I’m always in a war frame of mind, if you will.”

Baron Messi said that to me on the night I met him. He was right. It was a war, even though there were no actual battles taking place. Dean wasn’t just fighting for the throne against Ed, nor was he merely fighting for power against House Marea in the nobility’s game of musical chairs. He was fighting for the entire kingdom, a much graver responsibility than I had.

And yet he had given me so much help. That thought made tears spring unbidden to my eyes.

Dean took a step forward.

“Your Highness,” said Berne cautiously.

Dean smiled and held up a hand, so Berne quickly bowed and stood back.

“Nobles are exalted people,” Dean said. “But they are not exalted by birth. No, they were chosen by the citizens to stand above the rest to guide and protect the people. But some among those who call themselves nobles are arrogant and ignorant; they have forgotten why they stand so high, and instead they look down on those below.”

Once again, Dean’s voice struck the room like lightning. This time, there were no arguments or objections. “When one has committed the crime of treason with an enemy kingdom, social status no longer matters,” he said. “No status can change the fact of treachery against your own kingdom, and it must be punished accordingly. Isn’t that correct?”

The members of the first prince’s faction, who had remained seated after Dean appeared, slowly began to stand up, one by one. Then they bowed, one after another, showing their respect to their chosen prince. It was a deep bow, the kind one would perform in the presence of one’s king.

I followed suit and curtsied.

“Arrest the persons from the list of names Lord Berne read! And I call this meeting adjourned.”

“Finally, if you could all remain in the capital for the time being,” said Berne. “In a few days, His Highness will summon you for another meeting.”

 

***

 

That meeting shook the kingdom to its core. A few weeks passed, but it felt like longer, because in that short amount of time, the capital changed drastically. Thanks to the aid that Dean secured from other kingdoms, in addition to the stockpiles recovered from the border, life in the city was almost back to normal.

The food and goods I sent to the capital from Armelia were indeed found to have been at the castle and with nobles belonging to Prince Ed’s faction, just as Berne had claimed. These were confiscated and redistributed to the citizens. But perhaps the greatest change was that the vast majority of counterfeit gold coins disappeared from circulation. The marketplaces were once again beginning to bustle with activity.

There were many changes inside the castle as well. The nobles on Berne’s list were being held under house arrest until their trials. I had a feeling more charges would be filed against them before their trials, as well. Furthermore, due to their crimes, Queen Ellia and Marquis Marea were beheaded. Count Monroe met that same fate.

The treacherous nobles were stripped of their titles, and their lands were confiscated. Not even their distant relatives were allowed to take over for them. Plotting to disrupt the lawful order of succession and bargaining with an enemy kingdom were severe crimes. The close family members of the guilty parties would either be killed or sent to live out the rest of their lives in monasteries and convents.

There wasn’t as much of an interruption in the governance of the kingdom as I feared there might be. Those in the first prince’s faction who didn’t resume their posts were so well regarded in their fields that they took to work for Dean like fish to water.

On one particular day, I was headed to House Anderson. Their mansion was quite close to the Armelia mansion. It didn’t take long at all for my carriage to arrive at their gates. A servant showed me into a room where my uncle awaited me, along with my aunt and my grandfather.

“Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to meet with me today,” I said.

“Iris, we’re flesh and blood. There’s no need for those formalities. Now sit down,” my uncle said kindly as I bowed to him.

I did as he said and sat. “Grandfather, Uncle, I can’t thank you enough for your help with recent matters. I’d like to personally express my gratitude, as well as on behalf of Armelia. Thank you so much.”

“Nothing could make me happier than helping you, Iris!” My grandfather let out a hearty chuckle, as he always did.

“It was a winning strategy. You’re the one who came up with the idea to get out of the deadlock, so there’s no need to thank us.” My uncle smiled gently at me. He had the same smile as Rudy.

“Honestly, why can’t you just admit it?” my aunt said. “Your uncle was terribly worried about you and Merry, but he said it wasn’t easy to take action just because of his position as governor. So he was thrilled when you came to him with your idea, Iris.”

“I wasn’t worried about Merry! She’s the kind of person who wouldn’t die even if you killed her!”

“Goodness!”

The turn in the conversation immediately relaxed me, and I joined in on the laughter.

“Well, we can’t rest easy just yet,” said my uncle. “Not until we see which direction Prince Alfred leads this kingdom in.”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” said my grandfather. “Rudy thought him worthy enough to be his master, and I trained him myself. I can vouch for his fighting spirit.”

“That’s true. He has the power to make ideals into reality,” I said. “And his little sister is simply wonderful. I know that she’ll give him a great deal of support as part of the royal family.”

My uncle looked a bit surprised. “You’ve met Leticia?”

I’d let my guard down during the course of the conversation, but it was too late to regret it now. “Y-yes, my mother introduced us. She’s a truly lovely person.”

They must have accepted my answer, because no one asked me anything else about her.

“By the way, Iris,” said my grandfather. “I heard something through the grapevine that I need to ask you about.”

“What is it?” I tensed up; it was unusual for my grandfather to beat around the bush.

“I heard the prince of Acacia offered you his hand in marriage.”

I froze.

“Are you going to accept?” he asked.

Naturally, I couldn’t answer him.

“Father, you’re putting Iris in a difficult position here,” said my uncle. “This isn’t the sort of matter for us to meddle in.”

“Ah, forgive me. I was just worried. Iris, I want you to put your own future first. You remember what I said before? I meant it.”

“You don’t have to force yourself to marry. You can stay at home and do whatever makes you happy. And if you ever find yourself with nowhere to go, you can always come to me.”

I smiled, thinking of these words that he’d said to me so long ago.

“Thank you for your concern,” I said. “I will be discussing that matter with my father, and we shall decide from there.”

My heart ached a bit when I said that. Truthfully, I already knew my answer. My heart just hadn’t caught up.

I thought of how Dean had looked in the chamber before the nobility. I wanted to see him. At the same time, he was the last person I wanted to see, because he was the only one who could sway me from my decision. I needed to take action as soon as possible, before any lingering feelings or regrets forced me to stall.

 

***

 

Not long afterward, I received an invitation, just as Berne had said we would. There were even some individuals in attendance this time who hadn’t seen fit to be present at the previous meeting. I attended to represent my father, just as I had last time. Once again, I was the only woman in the chamber.

Everyone took their seats. A few moments later, Dean entered the room. Rudy and Berne followed him. “Thank you all for coming. I’ll get straight to the point—I’d like to discuss my future plans for the kingdom, and I ask you all to listen to me with open hearts and open minds.” He glanced at Berne.

Berne nodded and began to speak. While everyone focused their attention on my brother, I stared at Dean while I listened.

He seemed so far away.

It was profoundly disrespectful to think of a member of the royal family in such a way, but in some ways, he was much closer to me now than when he had been merely Dean. Yet for some reason, he also felt much, much farther away from me than when he had been in Armelia by my side.

I suppose that only made sense. We both had our own responsibilities and duties to bear. I would never compromise on that, and I knew he wouldn’t either. Once, we had been walking down the same road in the same direction, but things were different now. We had started down different paths. He was so close—so close that I could reach out and touch him…

I never imagined my heart would ache with such sadness. I reached up and clasped my hand to my chest.

Never could I have dreamed that our first meeting would lead to such things. I’d come prepared that day, but this one was different. The distance between us made that all too clear.

Berne continued speaking as I lost myself in my reverie. He declared that all the confiscated domains were to be claimed under the crown. Officials from the palace would be sent to each domain as inspectors, to ensure something of this nature never happened again. They would furthermore be granted the power to interfere in the governance of domains. This was done with two goals in mind. First, to better enable the spread of policies set forth by the kingdom. Second, to engender mutual accountability between the governors and inspectors sent from the castle.

I was sure it wouldn’t be long before an inspector was sent to Armelia. Up until now, I’d had complete freedom to reform Armelia as I saw fit, but I had a feeling it wouldn’t be so simple anymore. Not only that, but after I saw Berne’s performance at these meetings, I had a hunch that my days as acting governor of Armelia were numbered either way.

The meeting continued smoothly. No one really objected to anything. That made sense, as the vast majority of attendees were members of the first prince’s faction. They were already in his camp to begin with.

I found myself recalling when Count Sagitalia had leaked these ideas to me at his party.

“I’m confident the prince could succeed. He can change our systems and build the one true kingdom.”

The purpose of today’s meeting was clear: it was the first step to strengthening the monarchy. Even though the neutral faction understood this, they did not object. Perhaps they found it difficult to speak up when the majority of the attendees were of the first prince’s faction, but likely they also feared causing a commotion. They sensed that no matter what objection they raised, Berne would swiftly refute it with sound reasoning. While his outer change had come as a surprise, he had clearly changed within as well.

Berne faced the cunning vipers and the sly foxes that had vied with each other in the castle for decades and silenced them all without budging one bit. Word of his intimidating presences had already traveled around the castle. I wasn’t sure who had said it first, but word was that the fire in our bloodline certainly hadn’t died out.

Now, when Berne received new information, he had it thoroughly investigated before coming to a conclusion, so unlike that time when he had confronted me about my broken engagement. He’d really grown up and shed his old skin.

While I was lost in my thoughts, one of the nobles spoke for the first time at this meeting. “May I say something?”

“As you wish, Lord Dungley.”

Speaking of the Dungleys, I was certain that Mimosa’s wedding had been called off, given that her fiancé belonged to one of the families on Berne’s list. I had also sent him the lists that Moneda and Tanya had made to ensure these families wouldn’t escape from their crimes. I’d have to send a letter of congratulations to Mimosa soon, although the idea of congratulating someone on a broken engagement seemed odd.

“I understand your proposals going forward very well, but I’d like to ask about His Highness’s coronation.”

“I can answer that,” Dean answered before Berne could. “As you all know, this matter has left lasting effects on the kingdom. Therefore, I am prioritizing settling the matters at hand, so my coronation won’t be for another year.”

“I understand Your Highness’s arguments. However, and please forgive me for saying this, it’s an undeniable fact that the flames of the opposing faction are still smoldering. The fact that Prince Edward has not yet been punished is proof enough of that. I believe His Highness should take the throne immediately to solidify his position and demonstrate to all that he is our king.”

“I take heed of your warning, Lord Dungley. I’ll make arrangements to hold the coronation as soon as possible.”

Marquis Dungley bowed his head and took his seat.

Shortly after, the meeting was called to an end. We were told we were free to either return to our domains or remain in the capital. Personally, I wanted to hurry back to Armelia, but I hadn’t decided what to do just yet.

I was about to leave when a servant stopped me. “Lady Iris, His Highness Prince Alfred wishes to see you.”

I froze for a moment. The servant handed me a letter, and it was indeed penned in Dean’s handwriting. I couldn’t believe he was summoning me now, of all times.

“All right. I’ll go right away.”

The letter was genuine, but one could never be too careful, so I elected to have Tanya come with me. The servant led me to a courtyard inside the castle. Dean was already sitting there. He gestured for me to sit in front of him, so I did so. For a moment, Tanya looked surprised when she saw Dean, but she soon recovered her poker face.

“Lady Iris of Armelia, I welcome you.”

I plastered a smile onto my face. “I am honored to be here, Your Highness.”

“Please allow me to introduce myself to you once more. I am Alfred Dean Tasmeria, the first prince of this kingdom.”

This was his farewell. Perhaps he didn’t think of it that way, but that was what it sounded like to me.

“And I am Iris Lana Armelia.” Even though we knew each other well, we introduced ourselves as if we were meeting for the first time. Since he was so far above me in status, I couldn’t call him by name until he introduced himself to me, and I to him.

In this instant, Dean was in all ways a prince, and I a noblewoman. Here, the past we shared together did not exist.

“I’m terribly sorry for the trouble I’ve caused for both you and Armelia. Please allow me to formally apologize.”

“I don’t deserve such a thing, Your Highness. I only performed my obligation as a noble.”

“Iris, you—I mean, Lady Armelia, you are more of a noble than any other I’ve ever known,” Dean said with a smile.

I wasn’t entirely sure if that was a compliment, but my heart ached. I had seen that same smile so many times.

Silence fell between us, a stark contrast to all those days when we were so pressed for time, neither of us could stop talking to the other.

Dean waved his hand, dismissing his servants from the room.

“Tanya. Leave us,” I said when she didn’t move.

“But…” Tanya hesitated and looked back and forth between me and Dean.

“It’s fine.”

It was slightly inappropriate to be alone with the prince, but this wasn’t a private room—we were outside under the vast sky.

“Yes, my lady.”

Now it was only me and Dean.

His manner of speech immediately changed. “So were you surprised?”

“Yes, quite. Never in a million years did I guess that I would see you there that day.”

Even though I couldn’t see them, I knew there were people nearby—guards, at the very least. That was why his question was so vague, and I kept my answer the same.

I went on. “But at the same time, I finally understood why someone like you had appeared in front of someone like me.”

I knew better than anyone that Dean was highly educated, so much so that it had never seemed plausible that he came from a simple merchant’s family. In that sense, I wasn’t so much surprised that he’d turned out to be the first prince as I was satisfied by the explanation. I suspected he’d come to Armelia to observe me. After all, I was the daughter of a duke who had been expelled from school, suddenly made governor, yet I wasn’t just sitting on my hands—I had instantly taken action.

Dean laughed wryly. Apparently, my hunch was correct. I laughed inadvertently as well.

“What is it?” Dean looked at me curiously, given my sudden change in demeanor.

“Ah, it’s not important. I was just thinking.”

It really wasn’t that important. I had only been thinking of why he came to see me. Then I’d realized it didn’t matter anymore. I didn’t hold his deception against him, and it didn’t upset me either. I couldn’t be angry or alarmed that he had kept his true identity from me. After all, I had accepted his subterfuge from the beginning, even though I had nursed suspicions all along about his origins. Furthermore, both my grandfather and mother had both known and trusted him.

No, that was pure sophistry. At some point, neither my acceptance of his artifice nor his apparent accolades had even mattered anymore. I’d told myself that as long as Dean was by my side, it didn’t matter who he was. I’d thrown out all questions of why. That was why I had absolutely no right to blame him.

As I thought about that, I laughed. I laughed at myself for still being captivated by him even this late in the game. It seemed that love was a terrible illness.

“By the way, Your Highness… Why was Berne with you?” I pushed away my feelings and changed the subject.

“Lord Louis recommended him to me. Apparently, Berne went through quite the shocking experience. He showed up before me one day, saying he’d do anything as long as we could change the direction in which this kingdom was headed. I could tell he’d become quite a different person from the Berne I remembered.”

“I was surprised to see that too. When I saw him at the meeting, I nearly didn’t recognize him—inside or out. Especially the inside… I wondered what must have happened, to give him such resolve.”

“I wondered the same thing, and I asked. All he said was, ‘I saw hell on earth.’ It seems he visited a domain of one of the nobles who he named, and the conditions there were most cruel.”

“I see.”

“After seeing this, perhaps because he once took pride in being a noble, he came to despise the nobility, including himself. That was why he came to work under me. He was the one who devised the majority of this system that will give the monarchy more direct control. He worked tirelessly with both my people and Armelian officials to gather sufficient evidence to ensure those guilty nobles will be held accountable. He barely stopped to take a breath while he gathered the evidence to shed light on this situation. He worked so hard that I really do have to wonder if he was sleeping.”

“I see. Well, I’m most pleased to hear that he’s been of service to Your Highness.” I was staying in the mansion in the capital, yet I’d not seen a speck of Berne. I had thought he was merely busy, though it seemed that he certainly was. As a member of House Armelia, I was awfully pleased by his growth.

“I’d like to thank you for letting me have Berne. We’ve made various decisions about numerous things, but this issue is far from resolved. It has left lasting effects on each domain. There is still so much left to do.”

“I understand,” I said. “This kingdom has lost so much.”

Dean gave me a troubled smile. “I did the best I could. I did everything I could. But I don’t hear the screams of those we’ve lost. I understand that there are things we can’t recover.”

If this were a game, this would have been the happy ending. The moment would fade to the title screen, and the player could reset and do better next time.

But this was reality. By no miracle could I start all over again. I wasn’t God. It was ridiculous of me to even think that I could save everyone and everything.

Then again, I didn’t regret a thing. I wasn’t going to run away or give up on anything. However, the idea that I could have done a little bit more plagued my thoughts.

“The results are everything,” said Dean. “Even if we do all we can, it doesn’t change reality, where there were people neither you nor I could save.”

“You’re right…”

“But that burden isn’t yours to bear. You did do your best. And the one who is ultimately responsible for it all is the one who sits on the throne: me.” The expression on Dean’s face was one of resolve—as if he had tried to swallow up all of his sadness and anger at once. His tone was the same as the one I’d grown so used to hearing back in Armelia.

“De—” I started to say his name.

But the wry smile on his face stopped me. It was like he was telling me to go no further.

“May I ask something?” he asked.

“What do you wish to ask, Your Highness?”

“Would you grant the kingdom’s officials the chance to learn at Armelia’s academy of higher learning?”

I had to let out a chuckle at the sudden change of topic. “Local and national governments are very different. I’m not sure how helpful they would find the courses at the academy…”

“I believe it is important for the monarchy to learn from local governments. Besides, that’s not all they can learn at the academy. They should be educated in far more than bureaucratic policy.”

“I see. Forgive me for saying this, but there is still a shortage of teachers in Armelia. It would be quite difficult for us to take on kingdom officials at this point.”

“I’m not saying I’d send them all at once. I could assign them in small groups, just as you do with the Armelian officials. And I think it would be best for them to study for a fixed period of time, like an exchange program.”

“I see. Well, it would depend on how many officials and for how long. Allow me to consult with the headmaster.”

“Thank you.”

“I think you should bring this opportunity up with Berne as well, since sooner or later, he will become governor of Armelia.”

“Are you resigning…?”

“Yes. I’m a woman, after all. Sooner or later, I’ll have to go off and get married.” I didn’t even mean to blurt it out. But it was already a foregone conclusion in my mind. My heart just hadn’t caught up yet. Perhaps that was why the words fell so naturally from my mouth.

Dean looked shocked. “You’re saying yes to his proposal?”

His expression was so serious, and that shocked me. But I supposed it was only natural for the first prince, the future king of this nation, to know everything that happened within the borders of his kingdom.

Why in the world had I brought it up in the first place?

I debated long and hard over whether to deny it, even so. At last, I forced out a word. “Yes…”

“I see…”

That was his only response. A reaction neither negative nor positive. Just a reaction. But to me, it sounded as if he approved.

The shock of that filled me with sadness. How unbelievably selfish of me. I was the one who’d brought it up, so what right did I have to be heartbroken? I couldn’t stand it. Somewhere deep within me, I had hoped he might object…and ask me to be with him instead. That shallow desire made me sick with myself.

“What is it?” asked Dean.

That was the second time he’d asked me that in this courtyard. That simple inquiry, and our solitude, just went to show how terribly I’d let down my guard.

“Pardon me, Your Highness. But is that all?” I asked.

“What?”

“I’m terribly sorry, but I haven’t been feeling well lately… So if you’ll excuse me.” I stood up, forcing the meeting to an end.

I bowed, then fled the courtyard. Why? I thought, again and again, and I blamed myself the entire time.

Hadn’t I learned anything from Ed? Love makes everyone a fool. You fall and you fall, until you drown. You hope that happens to the one you love as well. You hope they fall and drown as terribly as you do—no, even more. You want them to lose themselves so hopelessly in you that they can’t even breathe.

That’s what I wished for. Without even considering his feelings, I had done the same thing again. I got my hopes up and then grew upset when things didn’t go my way. I was pouting like a child whose toy had been taken away.

At some point I realized that Tanya was walking behind me. She must have followed me the moment I left the courtyard. She didn’t say a word; she just silently shadowed my footsteps.

Once I reached a spot near the entrance, I stopped. Even though my heart felt so heavy with emotion, for some reason, my chest felt lighter than usual. I reached up to my bosom.

I lost it! I always wore my pocket watch around my neck, except for when I wore low-cut dresses to parties, but it was gone. Lost. The revelation made every last drop of blood drain from my face.

“My lady?” Tanya paused, concerned.

“Tanya, I’m sorry…but I forgot my pocket watch back there. Will you go back and get it for me?”

“But…”

“Please. I can’t lose it, no matter what. But I also can’t go back there. I’ll stay here and wait. Please.” I was fully aware that I was revealing more weakness than I ever usually did. But I could not leave this pocket watch behind, especially now of all times.

“All right. Stay here then, my lady.” Tanya hesitated a bit before leaving my side, but she finally relented.

“I will.” I watched her go and obediently waited for her. I placed a hand on my chest. That gesture had become such a habit of mine. Honestly, though, what was I hoping for? Even if the pocket watch were returned to me, what would it do? Looking back on those happy times would only grieve me further.

I stared absently out at the garden until I felt someone approaching me. I thought it was unusual that Tanya had come back so soon, but when I turned around, I laid eyes on Dean.

Before I could even ask what he was doing there, he took me by the hand and started to walk. This unusual assertiveness filled me with confusion. He pulled me into a nearby empty room and let go of my hand.

“Dean!” I finally said the name that had been so difficult for me to articulate before.

He held something out toward me. “Here.”

It was the pocket watch I’d sent Tanya back for.

“You picked it up for me? Thank you.” I looked at him, waiting to take it back. Then I suddenly remembered I’d called him by his name, just like I’d done before. “…Forgive me, Your Highness, for addressing you so rudely.”

The moment I said that, a sad and troubled smile spread across his face. “I thought perhaps you left this behind because you didn’t need it anymore.”

“Your Highness…”

“Are you really going to say yes?”

It took me a moment to realize what he was referring to. When I did, I looked into his eyes. They looked so weak, as weak as his voice when he asked me that question. I’d never seen him like this before.

Without thinking, I reached up to caress his cheek. I’d forgotten every bit of decorum, it seemed.

“I’m sorry for asking such a question,” he said as he placed his hand over mine.

“No… No.”

Dean wanted to know if I was serious. That was why he’d come after me, to ask again. That was more than enough for me. His eyes said more than his mouth ever could. He was so conflicted that he couldn’t even say it out loud.

“As the future king, I should be congratulating you. This union could be of no greater benefit to this kingdom.” It almost sounded as if he were making an excuse to himself. “And yet…”

No other words were necessary. Or rather, my good sense was telling me I couldn’t let him continue. My love was nothing more than a burden to him.

First of all, he was right; a marriage between an Acacian prince and House Armelia would greatly benefit the kingdom. I hadn’t thought of a single reason to turn down the prince’s offer. Furthermore, staying in Armelia would never bring me any advantages. I was Ed’s former fiancée, a man who was currently jailed on suspicion of treason. Even though our engagement had been broken long ago, it would still forever be associated with my name.

So even if I were to become engaged to the first prince, there would surely be nobles who objected, even among those close to him. Although, it was possible that the noble closest to him, Rudy, would think it only natural for me to marry Dean, when you considered the influence and power of our family.

But it was far too risky for Dean to choose me. He was to become the next king, and I was a liability. If I became his fiancée, House Armelia would in time turn into the next House Marea, whether we liked it or not. Moreover, the people would fear that the nobility was once more controlling the monarchy, which would only serve to weaken the royal family’s authority. Discord remained among the nobility, and the situation in the kingdom was in disarray. I couldn’t possibly permit myself to plant more seeds of strife.

Even if I weren’t such a problematic choice, there were always other women, many far more suitable as a match for a king—someone who would be of greater political benefit. I had known it all along. I knew it. I just didn’t want to admit it. No matter what.

“Dean.” I whispered his name. He lifted his gaze and met mine. “You were already mine a long time ago, weren’t you?” I asked.

His eyes opened wide with surprise, but then he smiled.

“Yes, I was.”

My entire body trembled with happiness. That was enough for me. Now I knew he felt the same for me as I did for him.

“You’re a cog in the wheel of this kingdom,” I said. “And so am I. We aren’t meant to collide. Even if we travel down different paths, we’ll continue on in the same direction. So, knowing that, I can go anywhere and do anything.”

I stepped away from him. “I’m so deeply grateful for your feelings, Your Highness. And so, I’ll take those feelings as a parting gift as I offer myself up for the greater good of my domain, and our kingdom.”

Now it was time to say farewell, selfishly, to my selfish feelings. It was profoundly self-serving. But I couldn’t bear to see him like this any longer.

Dean didn’t say anything else.

“If you’ll excuse me, Your Highness.”

With that, I left him. I went out of the room and returned to where I had been waiting before. Tanya was already there.

“Tanya.”

“My lady!” she cried out, which was unusual for her—she must have been concerned when I wasn’t where she’d left me.

“I’m sorry I left without a word.”

“I’m just glad you’re safe, my lady. Please forgive me. I was unable to find your pocket watch. I shall come back to look for it after I escort you home in the carriage.”

“Don’t worry, Tanya. Actually, I looked in my dress again, and I realized it was caught on the fabric. I’m sorry.”

“Please don’t apologize. I’m just glad you found it, my lady.”

“Thanks. Ah, Tanya? Will you follow me, no matter where I go?”

“Of course!”

“I see.”

I wondered if I would ever regret this decision. I was certain I would. If that time ever came, I was sure I would wonder what would have happened if I’d made another choice. But right now, this was the best decision for me. I had to trust in that and move forward. Because I’d just said goodbye to my sweet dream.

After that, Tanya and I returned to the mansion in the carriage. Strangely, I felt calm.

However, once I returned home, for some reason, the air was tense.

Am I nervous to tell my family my decision? I wondered as I headed toward my father.

“Iris, I’m glad you’re home.” My mother’s stern tone almost took my breath away.

“What’s wrong?”

“Tweil has sent soldiers across the border. The war has started once again.”

My entire mind went blank.

 

***

 

Deep in a jail reserved for those of the upper-class, where other nobles were held prisoner…Yuri was also held. She stared absently out the barred window. Sometimes, she would mutter to herself.

“What’s all this commotion in the castle? You, over there. You go check and see what’s going on.”

But there was no one there. There was never anyone else in the room besides her, other than to bring her meals or a change of clothes.

“Oh, I see! So everything’s going according to plan!”

She didn’t seem bothered that she received no answer. Within her mind, she was giving orders to an invisible lady-in-waiting, who had just left the room to carry out those orders.

“Divan, I knew you would come for me. Yes, I know. That’s right. There’s no way you would abandon me. The first prince is so full of nonsense.” Yuri smiled with relief.

“You’re just a doll. A doll that Divan made.” He—the first prince—had scornfully said that in her ear. “A sad, sad doll abandoned by her maker. I heard that Divan left the capital long ago, along with his cronies.”

These were the words she had uttered before she let out that scream in the chamber.

Divan left the capital? she thought. He abandoned me?!

But that didn’t matter anymore. Because…

“This kingdom will be destroyed soon anyway. I was foolish to become so attached to becoming its queen.” She laughed to herself. “Now hurry up and come get me, Divan.”

But as always, there was no one to hear her mutterings.