***Two weeks before the imperial wedding***

"What do you mean the decorations aren't ready?" James angrily barked at the servant who was bowing their head in fear. The imperial palace was abuzz with activity to prepare for James and Beatrice's wedding which included adorning the main hall with golden silk banners etched with the imperial family's crest that would weave across the upper balconies like a canopy of gold above the hall. "Didn't I say to have them ready by today?"

"Y-Yes, Your Highness!" the servant stammered out while keeping his head hung low and following James through the hall.

"Then why do I not see them?"

"B-Because, Your Highness, we aren't able to get a hold of the silk!"

"What?" James stopped storming across the hall and turned to give the servant a baffled look of confusion. "How is there no golden silk?"

"It's all silk, Your Highness!" the servant reported. "All the boutiques and tailors in the capital are having a hard time importing silk which is causing a shortage."

"What are the merchants doing!?" James demanded which caused the servant to flinch. "I pay them good money and they don't deliver!? Do they take the imperial family as a joke?"

"When it comes to the palace's specific supplies they always deliver, but the capital's silk supply has always been handled by the merchants from Trent. Since the wedding is a large event we've had to look for help preparing for it, Your Highness."

"…Ha!" James laugh was like the bark of a dog and he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Even after she's gone, Olivia is still finding ways to annoy me!" James blamed Olivia for this situation and, despite having no way of knowing it, he was actually correct about this. After receiving a letter from Olivia, Margaret had Trent deprioritize the capital and put economic pressure on key industries to slowly cause unrest. Unrest that was about to be accentuated by James' next command, "We have no use for merchants that refuse to do business. They're intentionally causing trouble for my wedding which is nothing short of a slight against the crown! Let it be known that the Trent group is banned from doing business in Gorinville!"

"B-Banned!?"

"I want their warehouses emptied, their ships sailed from our ports, and their merchants gone from my city!" James held a confident grin as he believed he was getting one over on Olivia's plan. "She and her followers think they can stop my wedding with such a cheap trick? Hah!"

Hesitantly, the servant asked, "B-But Trent is deeply rooted in many businesses across the capital! Wouldn't banning them outright have a terrible impact on-?"

"Olivia's been running that company since she was a young kid," James wrongly assumed. "If even a child can do it, then surely the brightest minds in the empire can! We're just bringing in some silk! How hard could that be?" He sent an expectant glare to the servant as he added, "So, ban Trent and get our merchants to pick up the slack!"

"At once…Your Highness!" the servant replied and quickly scurried away. Even though he had his orders, the servant was hesitant to execute them as he could not predict what would happen if Trent was gone. But James had spoken, so he had to obey. He hoped things wouldn't turn out too badly.

***One week before the imperial wedding***

"It's such a lovely day. And the refreshments are…quite nice!" a noblewoman exclaimed as she sipped her fruit drink while sitting around a table with other noblewomen in the dining room of a noble's mansion. Sofas and tables were brought in to accommodate all the guests turning the room into a nest for rumors. The social season was in full swing and with the imperial wedding close at hand many noblewomen were frequenting parties and salons to keep up to date with the latest gossip. However, over the past few days, the mood at most gatherings was becoming more and more tense as time went on due to an ever-growing shortage of a variety of items. While the cool, fruity drinks they sipped tasted good, it was obvious that the ingredients weren't the freshest. "The servants certainly know how to make oranges into lemonade~," the woman teased as she set down her glass.

"I'm surprised you can taste the difference, Baroness~," the host of the salon bit back. "Considering this is the third time you've worn that dress in a row, I thought your sense of taste would be as bad as your style."

"I just have an eye for good clothing, why wouldn't I wear it?" Venom was filling the air.

"Because I can practically see the seams wearing out~. I worry you'll have an accident one of these days." The two women's bickering was quickly souring everyone else's moods and murmurs were bubbling to the surface. "If you want, I have an old-"

"I find the Baroness' dress quite lovely," Cassandra interrupted the two women and brought all eyes to herself. "And the drinks are a wonderful reprieve from the day's heat. Wouldn't you say?"

"…" The bickering stopped but the murmurings continued. Cassandra had kept an eye on how cracks were starting to form in the nobility due to the supply shortages that were cropping up, and things were proceeding exactly as planned. "…The drinks are, indeed, quite refreshing."

Cassandra led the conversation toward her goal, "Even if the fruits aren't the freshest, I'm sure we'll all be able to enjoy the richness we've come to expect once the imperial wedding starts!"

"Really?" one of the women who was originally staying silent took Cassandra's bait. "But, the prices…"

"Aren't an issue for the imperial family," Cassandra finished the woman's thought. "Besides, they would know best how to navigate this shortage since they're the ones who created it~."

"…!?" All eyes and every ear in the room were immediately focused on Cassandra who spoke loud enough to be heard through the whole salon. "They did!?" The nobles who weren't as in tune with the happenings of merchants were practically left in the dark about what was going on and were like hungry beasts waiting for a scrap of information.

"Of course~." Cassandra remembered what Olivia's letter asked her to spread, so she got to work, "I'm good friends with Margaret Trent, so I have some insider information~." The room was dead quiet except for Cassandra. "After Lady Olivia's enslavement, the imperial family started attacking the Trent group with fines, taxes, and tariffs. I recently spoke with Margaret and it turns out that, just last week, the imperial family outright banned Trent from even entering the city!"

"Oh my!?" Disparaging whispers danced through the salon as the nobles started gossiping.

"Did they have to go that far?"

"The bakery I loved is practically out of business since they can't get any sugar. Was that why?!"

"But sugar is different from fabrics, and my favorite dress designer said he was running out of materials! Was that Trent, too?"

"Hmm~." Cassandra softly hummed to herself and covered her mouth with her fan as she let the rolling rumors pick up speed. Not many nobles gave much thought to where the materials their favorite products were made of came from, so none of them realized how much they inadvertently relied on Trent's merchants.

"Lady Cassandra?" Eventually, the gossiping nobles turned back to Cassandra. "If the Trent group is gone, why do you think the wedding will be different?"

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"Because His Highness started a merchant group a while back that supplies the palace," Cassandra happily explained. Twisting truths with speculations, she said, "With Trent gone, I'm sure this is His Highness' way of fully cutting off Lady Olivia. Once the wedding is over, I'm sure a magnanimous ruler like His Highness will turn his merchants to solving the capital's issues."

"Ah… You must be right." Enthusiasm was mixed with slighted apprehension as the nobles' slowly building ire was turned to a new target.

"His Highness won't let us down," Cassandra calmly said and took another sip of her drink. The expectations would now firmly be placed at James' feet once the salon ended and the ladies dispersed to spread the word of what happened with Trent. Cassandra was under no illusion that James would actually solve the supply problems in the capital because of one key difference between how James and Olivia ran their merchant groups; Olivia was never the boss of Trent. James was the official head of the imperial family's newly created merchant group, Brilliant Dawn, and took an active role in running and directing the merchants which was why his wedding was getting the priority of what few goods managed to get to the capital. His merchants had to follow his orders to the letter and needed to receive explicit approval from James if they wanted to do anything outside of his orders. Olivia, on the other hand, was just Trent's largest sponsor and a friend of the owner. She would provide capital and the occasional product idea to distribute through them and would use her pull to get them to expand in certain directions, but she left the managing and running of the group to Margaret and her father. She left the profession to the professionals since she knew her limits. Cassandra set down her drink and gently fanned herself while whispering, "I can't wait for the after-party."

***Day of the imperial wedding***

"You look amazing, Saintess!" a palace maid complimented as she and the rest of the maids took a few steps back to admire Beatrice in her wedding gown.

"You really think so?" Beatrice idly played along as she once more found herself in the all too familiar dress that still haunted her. Intricate lace patterns adorned the dress and matched the flower designs that lined her veil. Beatrice was glad the veil was covering her face since she felt sick.

"The dress was finished just yesterday!" one of the maids happily explained to try and show off James' wealth. "His Highness made sure to use only the finest materials so that you would shine like no other!"

"How romantic~!" the other maids all giggled as they took in Beatrice's beauty.

"It really-?" A strange sound from her room's bathroom caught Beatrice's attention. It sounded like a mix of glass breaking and ice cracking.

"What wa-?"

"Could you all leave me for a moment?" Beatrice distracted the maids with her request. "I'd like to spend some time admiring James' gift in private~."

"Of course, Saintess! But we need to get you to the hall, and that sou-"

"It was probably just a bottle falling over," Beatrice deflected the maid's worries. "I'll take a look inside and let you know if we need a broom. I won't be long."

"Very well, Saintess." The maids all gave a respectful bow before leaving the room.

Once Beatrice was sure the maids were no longer right next to the door, she walked over to the bathroom, opened the door, and bowed her head in greeting, "Saintess Beatrice of our Hearth Mother greets you, our Harbinger."

"You don't seem surprised to see me," Lucina said while idly sitting on the edge of the bathtub. She was wearing her commoner disguise since she had been running errands, but there was still an air of nobility in how Lucina carried herself. "Shouldn't you be calling for the guards?"

"I would never do such a thing to our Violet King's Harbinger," Beatrice replied and kept her head bowed.

"…Raise your head, Saintess," Lucina sounded annoyed. "Seeing you bow to me isn't pleasant if you do it yourself." She originally stopped by to scare Beatrice, but was finding her behavior strange. Why was she showing respect for Lucina when Lucina was actively trying to be hostile?

"As a Saintess, it is only right I show my respect for our Harbinger," Beatrice answered Lucina's unspoken thoughts which caused her to slightly flinch. Could Saintesses read minds too? "While I cannot read minds, I am granted a degree of insight by our Hearth Mother. Your intentions are also written all over your face."

"…Cheeky," Lucina dryly stated as her eyes took in Beatrice's dress. "That's quite a provocative dress you're wearing." The thin, lace designs that adorned most of Beatrice's dress allowed her skin to show through since she wasn't wearing anything underneath it, especially around her chest and stomach.

"I'm told James had it personally designed for me," Beatrice explained and seemed to show no shame.

"There will be a lot of people fantasizing about you in that," Lucina tried to get a rise out of Beatrice.

"If that is what James and the others want, then I don't see a problem with it," but Beatrice kept her composure.

"I'm not just talking about men," Lucina tried a new tactic, closed the distance between them, and wrapped an arm around Beatrice to pull her close. "As you know from graduation, I prefer women, and you just sent all the servants away."

Their eyes were locked with one another, Beatrice's sunsets gazed into Lucina's briar, and Beatrice calmly replied, "But I know you won't do anything since that would betray Lady Olivia."

"…Tch," Lucina clicked her tongue in annoyance at not being able to throw Beatrice off. She quickly let go, went over to the bathtub, turned on the hot water, and started to wash the hand that touched Beatrice as if to wash away the 'stain' left when Lucina touched her.

"I took a bath before putting on the dress, which was also freshly cleaned," Beatrice joked since she knew the real reason Lucina was acting this way.

"…" Lucina didn't respond and went over to a cabinet to fetch a clean towel to dry her hand.

"You seem to know your way around here," Beatrice mentioned as she watched Lucina effortlessly move around the room.

"That's because this used to be Olivia's room."

"…" Lucina's words dug at Beatrice as a reminder of what happened just over a month ago. In a somber voice, as if filled with regret, Beatrice asked, "Is Lady Olivia doing alright?"

"…?" Lucina paused. She looked over at Beatrice with a neutral expression that hid malice and replied, "What does it matter to you if she is?"

"Even though we were at odds, I never hated Lady Olivia," Beatrice explained and held a hand over her heart. "No matter what she did to me, I understood."

"Olivia never did anything to you," Lucina bitterly clarified.

"Correct, not in this life," Beatrice softly chuckled.

"…Explain." Lucina set down the towel and studied Beatrice, waiting to analyze every move and word she would make.

Beatrice walked over to a closed window and said, "Even if I did, Harbinger, I don't think you would belie-"

"Did she hurt you in the life where you only stole James from her? Or the one where you ended up with Derik?" Lucina played her card.

"!?!" Beatrice instantly spun around after hearing Lucina's words. "Wh-… You…know about that?"

Lucina's expression softened slightly and was no longer filled with as much malice as she went on, "Or the one where you sided with Andrew and the tower? Or trying to flee with Solomon?"

"You do kno-!"

"The one where you threw Olivia to a pack of demons?" Lucina's tone took a sharp dive as her eyes drilled into Beatrice.

"I-…I never wanted to do that!" Beatrice's calm demeanor broke and she started frantically explaining, "I just wanted to save Arlexia! I only went with that heretic since he had connections the others didn't, so I thought I could change things with him! Just like the square promised!"

"Heretic?" Lucina cocked an eyebrow at Beatrice calling Solomon a heretic. Wasn't he an Elder of Alm? And what did she mean by square?

"…Harbinger!" Beatrice got down on her knees, clasped her hands together in prayer, and bowed her head to Lucina. "As our Violet King's chosen, please help me save Arlexia!"

"…You're speaking of the prophecies?" Lucina became intrigued and got closer to Beatrice, and now that she wasn't staring only at her eyes, Lucina noticed something underneath Beatrice's dress.

"To you, they may be prophecies, but to me, they were my past lives!" Beatrice explained and revealed her greatest secret to Lucina. "I was a foolish girl who grew up in a distant orphanage that was blinded by the dazzling wonder of nobility and the allure of a prince who would take me away! Even my soul reflection was unique as a square with words that guided me to a path of love; our Hearth Mother's favored outcome!" Lucina moved closer to Beatrice and reached for the strings on the back of her dress. "Yet that love only led to death and destruction! A death and destruction that was not my end as our Hearth Mother and Storm Father would not give me peace. My sin for blindly following my soul reflection damned Arlexia, our Violet King's favored land, so I was sent back to find a way to stop it! And that was when I realized my mission!" The strings easily came undone and the dress hung down Beatrice's arms that were still clasped in prayer. "My soul reflection changed from leading me to James to a destiny with Derik Ordrin! Each time I tried something different, yet the ending always stayed the same. Only with this life was I given the true purpose of my punishment! Arlexia is doomed so long as those four remain! So even if I was still to be sent to that academy and have those four lust after me, I would see it through for an Arlexia that would still stand! I used all I learned about them to bring them together with me as their focal point!" Beatrice was starting to hyperventilate, but continued to force herself to confess, "This time, Olivia Ordrin lived and the Duke of Holst didn't rebel! I reached a future I didn't ruin! I…" Lucina eyed the fingernail scratches that lined Beatrice's back and the various kiss marks that dotted her skin where the dress would normally cover. "…I'm tired, Harbinger." Beatrice's normally gentle voice that was like a summer's breeze was now as somber as a winter's rain. "You didn't exist in my past lives and Olivia Ordrin is not the villainess she was who tormented me every chance she got because of it…so… I want to rest." Tears streamed down Beatrice's face and lightly crashed against the tile floor. "You are his chosen. His voice to us. Harbinger…when does it end?"

"…" Lucina silently contemplated Beatrice's words. She had her suspicions of Beatrice back at the academy, but they were of her knowing the prophecies and aiming for a specific one, not her having lived through the previous four only to end up in the fifth. Beatrice was not Lucina's, or Olivia's, enemy. "It ends with this life." Lucina retied Beatrice's dress.

"…?" Beatrice raised her head and once more locked eyes with Lucina. "It does?"

"Olivia was granted five prophecies foretelling of the past lives you lived, but also of this one." Lucina gently grabbed Beatrice's hands and helped her to her feet. "You getting together with those four fools, my existence, and even me enslaving Olivia were all foretold…but not anything that happened after."

"Nothing after? But if a prophecy doesn't say what happens after…" Beatrice's face started lighting up with hope as she exclaimed, "Then, our Violet King has granted us freedom!"

"While there is still unrest from Duke Ordrin and Duke Mordrist, it is contained. It is also clear that James is not fit for rule if he allowed Arlexia to fall four times already." Lucina held Beatrice's hands until she was stable enough to stand on her own. "The prophecies are over, so now our actions can truly shape the future."

"Blessed be! Oh, blessed be!" Beatrice continued to cry with her hands firmly clasped together as a weight was lifted off her shoulders.

"Saintess," Lucina spoke to bring Beatrice out of her prayers, "…I need your help to bring about the future we both want."

"Of course, Harbinger!" Beatrice happily replied as a joyful smile parted her tears. "I will continue to faithfully play my part!"

"You will?" Lucina cocked her head to the side and asked, "Even if you have to be married to all four of them? Your body-"

"Is the price I pay for my sin." Beatrice gave Lucina a reassuring nod and explained, "Please, Harbinger, let my fifth death be the last, and let it bring a new day to Arlexia."

"…" There was not a single hint of hesitation in Beatrice's eyes as she was already at terms with her future death. Perhaps it was passing pity, or maybe Lucina did care about Beatrice, but she asked, "You don't want to live in that new Arlexia?"

"Great change requires a great catalyst, Harbinger," Beatrice explained in a motherly voice that even eased Lucina's heart. "Allow me to be the tinder that ignites that change and finally atone for my sin."

"…Okay." Lucina walked around the bathtub and used her gravity magic to bring the ball of metal she was hiding into the air as she tossed a dagger to the side. The two objects were suspended in bright light as Lucina didn't activate her portal quite yet. "I will return later when I have a more in-depth plan on what to do. I don't know when that will be."

"I will hang on as long as needed and await your next visit with bated breath, Harbinger." Beatrice once more gave a bow and said, "Zulm's will be done!"

Lucina activated her portal and returned to Solfin while replying, "Zulm's will be done."