The capital, Gorinville, was abuzz as people worked to clean up the streets, restock their store shelves, and hang decorations for the coming festivities. The air was optimistic, yet a dour bitterness also clung to the people. Store shelves weren't as full as last year, and not as many decorations were being hung. A time of reverence was stained by the continued supply shortage that plagued the capital after Trent's exile. Brilliant Dawn was filled with plenty of competent merchants who were brought in with plenty of gold, but the restrictiveness of James' leadership didn't allow any of them to shine which caused the problem to persist.
"This way," a hushed voice from under a brown cloak hurried their companion through the streets. Two cloaked figures made their way through Gorinville while doing their best to avoid the increased patrols. The figures eventually reached a tavern with a sign depicting a knight beheading a gryphon demon, and they ducked inside. There weren't many patrons and what few people were there were drowning themselves in drinks despite it still being early afternoon.
"…?" The man behind the bar looked up as the cloaked figures entered and gave them an expectant look.
"I'll take a Gryphon's Blood with ice," the taller figure gave their order to the barkeep.
"…I'm fresh out here, try downstairs." Accepting the code phrase, the barkeep motioned for the two figures to head through a door next to the bar.
"Mm." The taller figure gave a nod and led their compatriot through the door and down a flight of stairs. The stairwell was far longer than a normal tavern would require and eventually led to a large door that was being guarded by figures in black cloaks.
"…" They briefly regarded the brown-cloaked figures before opening the door, revealing a massive underground room. A large round table was at the center of the room, and magic lanterns lined the walls to fill the chamber with light without choking them out with smoke or heat. Chairs around the table were filled with disgruntled nobles who were arguing with each other while their escort knights stood back against the walls.
"Enough is enough, already!" one of the nobles shouted. "The Crown Prince continues to ignore the plights of the people, despite our constant council for aid! He ties the hands and feet of Brilliant Dawn with so much rope you could hang the entire populace!" He slammed his fist on the table and gestured in the general direction of Gorinville's market district. "A single caravan of supplies for the entire month!? In this city!?"
Another disgruntled noble spoke up about their grievances, "Not to mention the tax increases that were recently imposed. Does the Crown Prince think our money grows on trees?" He gave a disparaged sigh, and scoffed, "The people of my county are growing antsy as the news spreads, and everyone's worried about the hike I'll have to impose to meet the imperial family's demands."
"We've become a laughing stock among the other nations," a noblewoman piped up as she fanned herself to ease her discomfort. "I did my best, but Yulash's envoy left in disgust after being asked to cut back on their eating habits because the palace was running out of food for other guests." She rubbed her temples as she remembered the embarrassment of that encounter. She turned and addressed the leader of the gathering, "We must act sooner rather than later, Prince Terence."
"…Agreed." Terence sat at the far end of the room away from the entrance door. He had been silently listening to the noble's complaints as he waited for the final member to arrive. "Based on the report, Duke Mordrist is ready to keep Duke Hoffman preoccupied if we fail at immediately capturing the palace. So, we need to make sure we don't fail and prolong this into winter." His eyes looked over to the door as the two brown-cloaked figures entered, and he greeted, "I hope you bring good news, Duke Ordrin." All the nobles in the room gave a hushed bow as Richard removed his hood and took a seat in an empty chair while his companion stayed just behind him.
"While I wish it were better, I do believe I have a way to keep Einbore out of the conflict and get him to accept your ascension to the throne," Richard reported and glanced at his companion.
"Better?" One of the nobles excitedly exclaimed, "Being able to convince the Duke of Lorn of our cause is wonderful news!" The room quickly filled with a joyous atmosphere as now the scales were in their favor.
Terence, however, saw Richard's hesitation and reluctance, and asked, "Is there a catch to this, Duke?" Terence's words brought the mood under control. "Did Duke Einbore ask for something outrageous in return for at least turning a blind eye to our dealings?"
"No, it's just that the source of this method will require some…compromising." He sent a glare at his companion.
"You make me sound like a villain~," an overly jovial voice responded from beneath the hood which sent a chill throughout the room. As she removed her hood, Lucina mockingly greeted, "Countess Lucina Sanguine greets Arlexia's Little Panther, Your Highness Terence Arlexton."
"What!?" some of the nobles shouted as fear gripped the room. The escort knights who came with the nobles all drew their swords and moved to either defend their charge or attack Lucina.
"W-Wha-!?" Only for all the drawn weapons to be ripped from their hands as an invisible force brought all of them to the center of the table. The metal weapons collided with a loud clang and started to distort as Lucina's gravity magic forced them into a tight ball of sizzling metal.
"Now now~, there's no need for that~," Lucina cooed as she released her magic. The metal ball made a deep thud as it hit the center of the table. Knights eyed their now emptied hands with dumbfounded expressions, and the nobles looked ready to faint. "If anyone wants to try, I'm more than willing to continue, but let's all do our best to keep things civil~!"
"…Explain, Duke Ordrin," Terence commanded in a low, threatening voice as his hand hovered over the dagger hidden in his robe. If he managed to catch Lucina off guard he might have a chance at striking her.
"I can explain myself, Prince Terence," Lucina interrupted before Richard could speak. "After all, I'm the one who convinced Duke Einbore to stay quietly in the north while you all commit your coup."
"…!?" The nobles were apprehensive at Lucina's words, and one of the braver ones shouted at Lucina, "As if we would believe the Crown Prince's obedient dog!" He started looking around, thinking that they were about to be ambushed by James' shadow knights.
"If I wanted you all dead, you'd already be dead," Lucina mentioned as she watched the panicking man. When he reluctantly sat back down, Lucina turned her gaze to Terence, and said, "Now, as for business, I'm here to help you all start a fire that will burn away the Crown Prince and bring about a new, brighter age for our Arlexia!" She put a hand over her heart and raised the other into the air for dramatic effect.
"…" Which Terence didn’t find amusing. "I'd sooner believe in an orc being civil than you claiming to work for the greater good, Countess."
"Who said anything about the greater good?" Lucina countered as she gave the most unnerving smile that sent a shiver down Terence's spine. "I can't have Olivia living in an Arlexia ruled by James, now can I?"
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
"…So it's back to her," Terence muttered. He looked to Richard, who was doing his best to control himself and keep his composure, before returning his gaze to Lucina, and asking, "I take it something's happened in Solfin? You'll have to forgive my arrogance, Countess, as I'm lacking in manpower to keep up to date on your city."
"I know," Lucina cheerfully answered, "You lost quite a few of your shadows during that little raid on my mansion, after all~." She wasn't even attempting to hide her hostility and openly called out Terence about his shadows being in the raid to 'free' Olivia. Her smile didn't match the festering disdain in her eyes that stared through Terence. "But don't worry, I completely understand that it was all done with the best of intentions; just like me helping you now~."
"…And what help would the Butcher of Toldrin offer us?" Terence brought up Lucina's old nickname. "Will you be lending us your Hellhounds? Will you personally take to the field?"
"Why would I do that?" Lucina scoffed and dismissively waved her hand at the idea. "The imperial family's mess should be solved by the imperial family unless you also want to become a useless ruler. Also, getting directly involved would take away from my time with Olivia." She felt Richard's urge to punch her rising, so she got to the point, "Instead, I'll tell you how to receive the perfect justification to dethrone Marcus and oust James with the full support of the people."
"!?!" Hushed whispers danced across the room. Lucina's words were hard to believe, but Richard had personally brought her here and was letting her speak which lent them some credence. Even if the source was dubious at best, they could at least hear her out.
Terence motioned for her to speak, "And, Countess, what justification is that?"
But Lucina waged her finger, and countered, "Nothing in life is free, Prince, especially not between you and I."
A disgruntled noble let their anger get the better of them, and yelled out, "The fate of Arlexia hangs in the balance and you speak of deals!?"
Lucina coldly countered the man, "Should I come to the one that almost killed my Olivia with open arms, then? After what his men did?" Her glare sent the noble fidgeting back into his seat.
"…What?" Richard immediately perked up as he wasn't informed about what Terence's shadows tried to do to Olivia during the raid as his own shadows had already left by then. Terence shifted uncomfortably in his chair and the hand resting on his dagger started to sweat. While he, too, was in the dark as to what actually ended up happening since none of his shadows made it back, the anger on Lucina's face was most certainly real.
"A story for another time~," Lucina teased as she created a crack in the trust between Richard and Terence as payback for what happened. Even if Terence took the throne, Lucina would make sure he never truly received Holst's complete loyalty; there would always be a doubt. "Back to the matter at hand, there is something I want that only you can provide me, Prince Terence."
"…And that would be?"
"The title of 'Crown Prince'." Lucina's words sent a stir in the room, so she explained, "Are you aware of the slave contract on Olivia's collar?"
"For the most part." Terence knew the basics but didn't know any details of the collar's official contract as that was something that required the magic seal which only James and Lucina had. "While the Royal Grace has ended, Lady Olivia is still co-owned by my brother which allows him to use the magic to order her around."
"Correct, the Crown Prince is Olivia's co-owner, can issue her orders, and is the only one who holds the authority to remove the collar, and therein lies what I'm after." She smiled brightly as she explained the loophole she wanted to exploit in the contract, "James Arlexton is never mentioned by name in our contract, only the 'Crown Prince'."
"…!" Understanding dawned on Terence's face as he followed Lucina's line of thinking. However, there were issues, "The magic of imperial slave collars is extremely intricate. A coup might not properly transfer over the magic to me as it could view me as an illegitimate successor rather than the true 'Crown Prince' that's specified. In such cases, I read the slave collar then becomes a permanent fixture on the slave's neck until death."
"And that's where I come in to help," Lucina nodded. She placed a hand on her heart, and proudly declared, "What more legitimacy do you need than the official endorsement of the Harbinger of Zulm given after you reveal the ugly secret that James is hiding that would discredit him in the eyes of the temple?" Even if the imperial family and temples were at odds, they still held a balance by the temples being the ones to officially endorse the next heir to the throne. While they never exercised this power and often went with what the current ruler wanted, if something significant enough happened then they would get involved.
Terence pondered Lucina's words before asking, "And I'm assuming this 'secret' my brother is hiding is part of the deal you're offering, Countess?"
"Yes." Lucina gave a grand gesture with her arm, and proposed, "If you swear that you will remove Olivia's slave collar when you are recognized by the gods as heir, then I will tell you the secret to discrediting James in the eyes of both the temples and the masses."
"…" Lucina's words were enticing. James was married to Alm's Saintess, and even if they didn't like it, that meant the temples wouldn't move against James arbitrarily. The capital was in unrest and the nobles were antsy, but there still hadn't been an 'incident' that could spark the coup.
"Will you accept, Little Panther?" And Lucina had that spark.
"…I accept."
"My Prince!?" The nobles gathered obviously weren't happy with Lucina, even if she could offer them a solution. "While we do need to move, we are not so pressed for time that we need to so quickly accept-"
"It's not a hard deal to fulfill," Terence placated his allies and raised his hand to silence them. "I always intended on freeing Duke Ordrin's daughter, one day, so if that day can come sooner along with the key to ousting my brother and father; so be it." He turned his gaze back to Lucina, and in a threatening tone, made sure, "Your source for this 'secret' is reliable, Countess?"
"I've verified it myself," Lucina confirmed. "All you have to do is follow these instructions…"
***
Crickets chirped from the ground below the balcony of the master bedroom of Lucina's mansion while Sailest lit up the night sky. Olivia stood in her nightgown as a cool breeze danced through the night while she looked out over Solfin. The same magic streetlights she and Lucina had invented to light up Wortrest lit the streets of Solfin with a soft orange glow that contrasted the purple-reflected light from Sailest. It was a calm, peaceful night, except for one glaring issue.
"…She's not back, yet." Lucina told Olivia about how she was going to make a deal with Terence to gain his help in removing her slave collar, but she still hadn't returned despite the sun long having gone down. She felt nervous when Lucina wasn't around. Even if she wasn't in direct line of sight, knowing Lucina was in the mansion was enough to put Olivia at ease. "But she's still not back…" Her fingernails dug into her crossed arms as her anxiety mounted. "She'll be alright… She'll be fine…" Olivia shivered, but not for the cold air. "She'll-"
"…" The wind gently brushed against Olivia's long white hair, and some distant wind chimes sang a song.
"…" As if a warm hand was hugging her heart, Olivia felt her anxiety lessen. Her mind couldn't help but wander as the melody of the chimes dug into her memories. With a bitter chuckle, and without fully knowing why, she did something she hadn't done in a long time and prayed to her mother; to Ayaka Fukuda's mother. "I'm… It's Ayaka." While there was no grave to pray to, Olivia summoned her aura to fill the balcony with softly glowing white lilies. She plucked one of the lilies, placed it on the railing as an 'offering', and continued, "I go by Olivia Ordrin, now… And I'm a bit…farther away than I was last time, to the point you'd probably call me crazy and take away my phone... If I still had it."
"…" The wind blew through the aura flowers and made them happily sway back and forth. The plucked flower on the railing turned a gentle pink and its petals took on the look of cherry blossoms as her reminiscing mind affected her aura.
"There's… A lot's happened to me. To start, I'm the daughter of a duke; like in those stories I always liked sharing with you. The ones you never fully got but still followed along since I looked like I was having fun. Don’t think for a second I didn't notice that!" Despite not doing much, Olivia's heart continued to calm. "But…I didn't do a very good job since… I'm a slave, now."
"…" The wind stopped and the chimes fell silent.
"Even with a second chance at life, I still messed up… I'm still just as dumb as I was back then. While I didn't end up dead, this time, I still…" Olivia had to pause so she wouldn't immediately break down. "I was so caught up in the 'original plot' that I neglected myself and the people around me. And, you know what?" Would her mother notice the tears she was fighting back? "In hindsight, I can see how completely stupid it was." Would Olivia's words reach her even if they no longer shared the same sky? "Stupid…"
"…" The wind picked up and blew the flowers at Olivia's feet as if nudging her to keep going while the chimes sang a somber song.
"…But it wasn't completely bad, I guess." Olivia brushed some hair off her face as she happily reported, "In the end, I was able to find love…though it's a bit twisted." She paused, laughed, and corrected herself, "Okay, it's very twisted, but that…doesn't bother me at all. I'd take Lucina's twisted love that's obsessed with me over Tanaka's that… Ah, damn it. Now that I'm thinking about it, I never got to punch him and Suzuki for cheating on me." Olivia lightly kicked at her flowers and watched them sway in kind. "I'm a perverted muscle-head that has the knowledge of an empress, the wisdom to use it of a baby, and romantic taste more toxic than Grandma's cooking." She laughed at her self-deprecating joke. "You'd think I would have learned by now."
"…" The wind gave a gust that rustled Olivia's hair.
"I suppose so." After fixing her hair, Olivia took in a deep breath to clear her thoughts. "I'll see if I can convince Lucina to help me build a small shrine in the garden. The gods here wouldn't mind a small shrine so I can properly pray for you, right?"
"…" The wind was gentler with its gust and the chimes rang a soothing melody.
"…" Sailest silently watched from the sky.
Olivia watched the pink petals flutter away on the wind, and she whispered, "Next time… I'll try to bring better news."
"Olivia?" Emerging from the doorway came Lucina who was still wearing her commoner disguise and brown cloak.
"You're back!" Olivia spun around in her flowerbed and happily pranced over to Lucina to bring her into a hug.
"I'm sorry it took so long," Lucina apologized as she returned the hug and buried her face in Olivia's shoulder. "That damned Prince and his people wouldn't stop asking me questions, and bickered with each other until my ears bled." The scent of fresh flowers filled the air and put Lucina at ease.
"Then, let's turn in for the night." A yawn overtook Olivia and she started heavily leaning into Lucina.
"Sounds like you're the one that needs to turn in," Lucina chuckled as she helped Olivia back into the bedroom. "…?" But before she left, Lucina looked around the balcony with a confused expression as she thought she heard wind chimes when she initially approached. She would have to ask Jeremy about it tomorrow since Lucina swore there weren't any wind chimes on the estate's grounds.