You know when you find yourself thrown into a situation and it suddenly hits you that you’re probably in deep shit?

Well, that was exactly what Ria was feeling.

She stared into Eres’ eyes, willing herself not to flinch or look away. It would be quite fitting to say, Kira, sorry, Eres, looked pissed.

Oh right, and did Ria mention that the richest person in this world was another one of her doppelgänger classmates? However, according to Daphne and the burning hatred flashing in the other queen’s eyes, this one also had no recollection of Ria.

It had taken about five seconds of staring to realize it, but the familiar facial structure and athletic dominance oozing off of the woman, keyed Ria into the reality that Kira was Eres. Well, kind of. Just like Krios and Kris and the two Marcels, Eres was a lot older than the high school Kira. But once the connection was made, Ria was willing to bet that Eres was exactly what Kira would look like in ten years.

Ria swallowed nervously.

Talk about killing a vibe. Ria and Blaze had single-handedly sucked the life out of the entire patry. It was awkward, but honestly, also a bit fun.

Eres pursed her lips. “If you are who you say,” her eyes narrowed, “To what do we owe the pleasure of having Your Majesty’s presence?”

Ria straightened. Here goes nothing.

In a haughty voice, she proclaimed, “I have heard that the Citadel is a kingdom of wealth and prosperity. I assumed that the mighty Eres would not turn away another guest.”

The other queen’s lips curled distatstfully. She gestured to the servants who hurried forward to prepare extra seats for the uninvited guests. The other guests took that as a cue to (pretend to) return to normal.

Ria had to admit, she was a bit intimidated by Eres. The other woman physically cut a powerful and dominating figure. She had to almost be as tall as Blaze. Not to mention, her gaze could make one feel so insignificant and small.

Eres did not bother with a smile. “I hope you find our hospitality to your taste, Four.” Her eyes glinted menacingly. “We shall talk after the banquet.”

Ria steeled herself. She thought back to how exactly she had gotten into this situation. A smirking Blaze had asked her, ‘What’s your price?’ And Ria had said, ‘An audience with the queen.’ She had also said, ‘I think a servant or something would do. Then, I’ll just sneak in and talk to her when I get the chance.’ Blaze had nodded and threw that entire plan in the Citadel’s sewage system.

Leaving one-way crumpled-up paper messages, their crude plan of using Ria’s status to get an immediate audience with Eres had landed her in this exact position.

Ria exhaled softly. She glanced over at Blaze, only to see that he had disappeared over to the food section. For such a big guy, he was really good at blending in with the crowd. Ria would facepalm if she could. To be fair, he had warned her that she would be on her own after they entered the castle, or “viper’s pit” as he put it.

“I would rather we talk now,” demanded Ria. She crossed her arms.

Eres stared at the girl blankly. Her anger had faded into boredom. The only reason the girl hadn’t been thrown out was because Eres was curious to see what would happen. Four’s presence meant Rex’s plan had failed. Eres was going to enjoy this show.

Ria’s expression was polite but her stormy eyes betrayed the girl’s true emotions.

The queen’s belittling attitude was exactly like how she viewed the miners. People that she paid to be kidnapped and worked to death so her kingdom could throw fancy parties and maintain control. Ria’s blood boiled. She thought of Daisy and the glimpses she got of the other children. The papers she would fill out assigned every person by number and letters. It sickened her every time she read the reports, only to see that their health and deaths were considered nothing more than a statistic.

Eres raised an eyebrow. “Is there a problem, Four?”

“Yes, I’m afraid there is.” Ria tried to push down her fear and anger. If she got on the other queen’s good side, maybe her plan could work. “It is a concern regarding the miners in your employment.”

“And what is this concern you bring?” Eres tilted her head. The large wolf at the woman’s feet growled lowly.

Holy shit, that was a scary-looking animal, Ria thought. Eres rose an eyebrow. “Do you have a problem with my miners?”

Ria started forward, her pulse racing like crazy. “Kira, no, I mean, Your Highness,” she paused to calm her racing heart. “Eres. I don’t know how much you know about this, but most of the miners are kidnapped from their homes. The others are tricked and taken against their will.”

“Are they?” Eres asked.

“Yes,” Ria nodded. “And it gets worse than that.”The entire room fell silent as they watched the two queens.

“The living conditions are horrible and the labor demands impossible to complete!” Ria shook her head helplessly. “The supervisors would sooner let a miner die than fail to finish their weekly quotas.” She thought of the reason why this plan had come into her mind in the first place. “And what’s worse is that there are children in there! Sick children!” She sucked in a breath. “A group of children have even been infected with the Child-Snatcher.”

Sharp gasps filled the room. Eres gripped her throne, leaning forward.

The Child-Snatcher was a well-known moniker for the vicious disease that targeted children. It attacked weak immune systems. Malnourished kids were especially susceptible to it. It was known as the peasant’s disease, but the Child-Snatcher’s contagiousness and the few noble children it killed made the disease well-known to all.

The mines had long been infected with the disease, but the supervisors had managed to cover it up. The moment a child showed early symptoms, they were taken away to the “Sick Area” before it could spread. Most were never seen again.

However, the newest group of children that had been brought in to mine the Dust, had been different. They had a member that was already in the late stages of infection. Usually, the supervisors would be alerted to the fact, but this time it was different. The child had a father that happened to work in the same mines. When the father recognized the symptoms, he hid them from the supervisors to prevent them from separating the two again. They hid it so well no one knew of the boy’s condition until they found the father crying over his body.

The little boy had died within a week of his arrival. The father’s years in the mine also made him susceptible to the disease. Barely conscious, the man went without protest to the “Sick Area”. Soon, more and more of the children and some adults were infected and sent into the “Sick Area”.

Stationed at the edges of the mine, the “Sick Area” needed no guards. The children dropped there were too weak to leave and the others stayed away from it in fear of catching the virus. In theory, if you had enough strength, it would be easy to escape. But very rarely did an infected make it off their ratty sleeping mats, much less out of the “Sick Area”. It was a death sentence in disguise.

Ria and the others tried to keep Daisy away. It was well known that the little girl was weak, prone to coughing fits. Lifting a bucket of rocks was enough to get her out of breath. So far, their small unit had been rewarded for their efforts, but Ria couldn’t help the recurring nightmares that plagued her. Dark dreams of one day waking up and finding the girl had been taken away to the “Sick Area” or worse.

Ria couldn’t stop the tremble from entering her voice. “They are dying. And the supervisors are covering it up! Please. As a queen, isn’t it your job to do something?” Ria lowered her head. “I beg you. Just come to the mines and see what it is like for us.”

“How do you know all of this?” Eres’ voice was unwavering. Cold.

Ria looked up, shocked. “Your Highness, people, little kids are dying!” She shook her head, that had to mean something, even to them! “And they are left to rot in the Sick Area with no help or medication! Surely, that affects your production as well!”

“The Citadel’s production and how I run my kingdom are of no concern to you.” Eres leaned back against her throne. “I will not repeat myself, even for you, Four.” Her eyes narrowed. “How do you know all of this?”

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Ria glanced at Blaze. To her surprise, he was staring right back at her. His eyes floated over to the throne, fixing his dark gaze on the queen. ‘Why would the queen ever want an audience with you?’ the mob boss had asked.

Ria lifted her chin.

“Because I was there,” she announced. The girl exhaled shakily. “I worked in the mines.”

In an instant, the room was engulfed with a deafening silence.

Someone coughed and, suddenly, the entire hall filled with laughter and outrage as the crowd erupted with noise. The lord and ladies gasped for breath. They made great fanfare over their disbelief. A queen in the mines? Well, it was the Oceanport one. Makes sense. But still! How utterly scandalous.

The little girl stared at the ground, gaze lowered.

Eres held up a hand, and the ballroom fell silent once more. “So, you are a miner?” Her hand covered her mouth. If it had been anyone else, it would seem as if she was trying to physically hold back her laughter. “You expect me to listen to the words of a miner? Bring me a real queen and then we’ll talk.”

“What right does a peasant have to stand in front of Eres?” a snobby voice called.

“In front of any of us?” retorted another. “Filthy Port-Dog.”

Ria stumbled back. She glanced around at the jeering fingers and cruel laughs. This wasn’t how the evening was supposed to go. Ria took another step back. The girl stumbled, tripping over the long fabric of her dress. Her eyes frantically searched the room once more, looking for her one familiar face, only to find that the mob boss was gone. Ria’s breath fastened. What could she do? She had to convince Eres to release them! But…

“Who do you think you are?” Ria froze at the memory of Kevin’s voice.

“You’re a nobody,” it echoed.

Ria faltered, frantic motions coming to a defeated stop. Maybe they were right… what was she doing? This wasn’t just a conversation between the popular girl and the quiet girl. This was an actual monarch with power, and Ria had an even lower status here than in the other world. She had truly become a nobody with nothing.

“Isn’t it ironic?” Ria froze at the voice echoing in her memory. Her mind pictured Finn in the sea cave cell, with his eyes closed, sighing. “Of all the people in the world, why’d they give so much power to a person who won’t even use it? If I had it…I’d be a hero. Save everyone.”

Ria clenched her fist.

She thought back to a few nights ago. She recalled Blaze’s unenthusiastic response when Ria had revealed that she was Four. ‘So?’ The young man had scoffed straight to her face. ‘You could be Rex for all I cared. If you want me to risk my neck to get a chance with Eres, you better give me a better reason.’

Ria stared at Eres and blocked everything else out. The queen lounged on her throne, fingers stroking the giant wolf’s fur. Gold bracelets hung off her arm. Gold that she bought with the miner’s backbreaking work. The work of second-class Port-Dog citizens. Ria ignored the rest of the hall and spoke to Eres, whose eyes flickered over to her.

She had to convince Eres. And Eres had said it herself, she would only listen to another queen.

“Because I don’t want to see my friends die,” Ria said. The hall froze at the power in her voice, but Four barely took notice as she stepped forward. “Because I’m sick of seeing starving children and dying old men living their lives in suffering! You may see them as nothing less than the dirt on your shoes, but nothing you have belongs to you! It is their labor that allows you snobs to live in luxury. Spending as you do! I cannot allow this to continue.” Her eyes burned brightly. “You want to speak to a real queen? Well, here she is.”

“I am Four,” Ria sneered, an unknown power filled her, overwhelming her with indignant fury. “The last queen of Milror.” She grasped her chest, glowering at the woman on the overrated, fancy chair. “They are my people. And I have come to take them back.”

The hall was silent.

Eres stroked her chin with her knuckle. “You say that with such eloquence,” she drawled. Then, she smiled sweetly. “But where is your proof?”

Ria’s brows furrowed. “What proof?”

The warrior queen rose to her feet. “You intrude into my hall uninvited. Wear a mask reserved only for the queen of my kingdom. And disrespect my wish for us to have this conversation in private.” Unbeknownst to even Rex, Eres had planted a trustworthy spy to serve by Rex’s side in the Capital. She knew what the first queen had done. “Even Rex and Sica would be wary of ever pulling such stunts in front of me. But you, Four, your brazenness is certainly something else.” She paused, smile falling. “That is… if you even are who you claim to be.”

“What are you trying to say?” Ria asked.

Varae got to its feet as Eres sneered, “Where is your Sacred Piece, Four?”

—

A cloaked figure stared at the working mines. The ringing bells signaled the end of the shift. Tired and slouching men, women, and children exited the mines and stumbled toward their sleeping quarters. Another person stood beside the cloaked figure. They rubbed their hands together, but the movement looked forced as if they were going through the motions rather than having any intent of generating heat.

In a monotone voice, they turned to the cloaked figure and asked, “My lady, why are we here?”

The cloaked figure shook their head and said nothing. Once the last miner exited, they took off towards the mine. Their servant followed obediently, dashing after them.

In the distance, the castle was brightly decorated. Despite the space that stretched between the figures and the festivities, they could make out muted sounds of music and voices.

Was that brief silence? The cloaked figure smirked.

Everything was coming together.

—

Ria’s mother was a forward-thinking woman. However, it was likely that even she would be disappointed to find out that her daughter was officially part of a chain gang. Guess I can add it to the resume, Ria thought glumly.

After the whole banquet fiasco, where Eres had magically known that Ria no longer had the Sacred Piece, the guards arrested her and the “fourth queen of Milror” was taken to the jail cells. Ria’s cheeks burned when she thought of how brazen and arrogant she had been. They are my people? And I demand them back? Ria groaned. She was so thankful cameras and phones were not invented yet.

After being tossed into her new prison, Ria had taken the chance to look around. It was a bit worrying how unfazed she was to find herself behind bars once more.

The cells had been surprisingly empty, with only two other prisoners. Ria quickly found out why. The Citadel didn’t believe in wasting resources, even prisoners were put to work. It took less than a day for Ria and the other two to be transferred out to the mines.

The girl almost laughed when she found out they were sending her to the same copper mines that she had been overseeing for the past few months. Truly, no use in wasting manpower should be the kingdom’s slogan.

Copper was a basic metal but it still sold for a good price on the market. Obviously, the metal wasn’t nearly as valuable as Dust, so the supervisors couldn’t care less if one of them messed up. As a result, Ria’s group of miners were mostly left to their own devices with monthly quotas they were forced to fill. Luckily, (or unluckily) the Citadel executed the prisoners with more serious crimes. (Ria wondered why Eres had spared her life, soft feelings did not seem to apply to the other queen) If the goal was to humiliate her, Ria could only laugh at the irony of such a punishment.

As such, Ria’s counterparts were mainly pickpockets and homeless stragglers that had had the unfortunate chance of being caught by the guards.

Heaving the pick over her head, Ria grunted as it came down and chipped away at the massive rock wall before her.

For the first time since her initial arrival, Ria was truly alone. More often than she’d like, Ria wondered how the others were faring. Did Old Luce recover his hearing after the explosion that was set off too soon? Had Finn’s twisted ankle gotten a chance to heal? Was Daisy all right?

Did they think she had found a way to escape and deserted them or did they assume she was dead?

It was a bit messed up, but she genuinely hoped it was the latter. Even if they didn’t know it, she didn’t like the thought of accidentally abandoning them twice.

Ria sighed. Best not to dwell on those thoughts for too long.

“You wouldn’t happen to know where the next shipment is, would you?” a familiar voice called.

Ria groaned. She wiped the sweat off her brow and looked up at Blaze. “Remind me why you’re not stuck in here as well?”

The young man shrugged. He had a deep cut on his right cheek but seemed otherwise fine. “They couldn’t catch me.”

Ria nodded towards the back and said nothing more. The girl lifted the pick. Freedom came at a cost. If the group didn’t finish their quota, all of them would get a nasty beating the next time the supervisor checked in.

Blaze murmured his thanks.

Ria ignored it and focused on the task at hand. Her ears picked up on the sound of approaching footsteps, but she refused to look up. Her arms trembled. Against their owner’s will, the tool fell from her grasp. Ria cursed. She leaned down to pick it up.

Suddenly, a letter was pressed into Ria’s hands instead.

The girl looked up in confusion.

“Don’t get the wrong idea,” Blaze said lowly. “I was paid good money to deliver this.” He paused and added cryptically. “Maybe next time you can pick somewhere a bit nicer for us to meet.” Right, because their first encounter had been an almost-riot, and the others had either been in a jail cell or an inhumane mining operation.

“I’d have to get out of here first,” Ria retorted.

Blaze smirked, “Exactly.”

And with that, he disappeared. Like some cartoon villain, Ria thought snarkily. What a jerk.

Still, she clenched the piece of paper in her hands like it was a lifeline. Hearing more approaching footsteps, (the heavy scruffs a sure sign that it was the supervisors), she hurried to stuff the paper underneath her shirt.

The girl picked up her pick and chipped dutifully away at the rock. If there was a hopeful franticness to her movements, no one had to know.

Watching for a moment, the supervisor turned to his co-worker. “Can you believe this one called herself a queen? Lied in front of Eres and everything.”

“At least she chose Four. Makes it a bit more believable!”

The two laughed and moved on.

Chip, chip, chip.

Ria glanced out of her peripherals. The men were gone.

She dropped the pick and hurried to pull the letter out. With shaky hands, she tore it open.

The girl took a deep breath and read the ugly handwriting:

“Ria, Finn here.

Why in Niamh were you messing with Eres? You are as crazy as Niamh. If you are reading this, glad you are not dead.”

Ria laughed. Only Finn would be able to curse her out in one line and congratulate her on not dying in the next. She glanced down and continued reading.

“Bad news.”

Ria squinted. She braced herself and read the rest of the letter. The action did nothing to prepare her.

The girl looked like a puppet with its strings cut as she sunk to the floor. She covered her mouth, shaking. Tears sprang freely from her eyes, dripping onto the precious paper but she couldn’t be bothered to wipe them away. She reread the words, once, twice, ten times, willing them to disappear or change, but it was to no avail.

“Daisy has the Child Snatcher. They took her to the Sick Area.”