"It is over," Aidan sighed and let his body slouch on the chair as Dawn reached the castle corridors.

"You did a lot of faces during the interview," Pointed out Claire. "How did it go?"

"Not as bad as I thought. I fear all of us are walking on eggshells, Claire. It pains me to hide the truth from the King but unless we show concrete results, the truth does not paint us in a good light. All we have are good intentions and an inert corpse. Brody's timing was terrible."

"Are you still going to enact your grand plan to deal with him?"

"Yes, I will," Aidan's resolve was visible. It was "You can understand my reluctance in letting him force himself on me."

The surreal image drew a chuckle from the Princess. "I think I can."

Aidan stood up, dismissed the wards, and extended a hand to Claire. "Come, your Highness. It is time to join up with them."

Not far from there, Dawn silently walked across the corridors besides Astromelicus, eager to leave the castle. One of the perks of playing the Princess role was that none of the servants, staff or nobles present would interrupt her if she was focused. They would just stop and bow.

Unless they have pressing business with Lumina, like Duke Glam and his daughter, Lory.

"Your Highness, Archmage," The Duke greeted them with a slight bending of his torso. "It is such a fortuitous event to meet you here. Please allow me a moment of your time."

Lory curtsied with a smile. Dawn caught her eyes on the Regalia Ring. It seemed this would become commonplace.

Dawn curtsied more than she needed, "Duke Glam. Of course, you can have our time, what brings you to the castle today?"

"I have secured your order, Princess Lumina. A merchant from Gohar arrived from the southeast. Dwarves all the way to the capital, can you imagine?"

Dwarves are not common in Yutis. The vast valleys, gentle hills, and forests do not entice the mountain people.

"Good, very good. Are the goods secure?"

"Yes, your Highness. There is only one slight problem. The dwarf had a nugget of orichalcum and more mithril than you requested, which I proactively purchased with my own funds. I think I can resell the excess at a loss if..."

"Your Grace," Dawn took two steps in the Duke's direction, getting too close. "This is amazing. Please tell me how much you spent, and I'll pay you back with a generous reward."

The Duke was disturbed for a brief moment before his decades of training brought back his composure. "Yes, your Highness, that would be marvelous. If you can forgive my indiscretion, why do you need this much mithril?"

Lory was worried and gesticulating, but Dawn didn't understand. Did she have anything on her?

"If you can keep a secret, Duke Glam, I'm sending Lord Aidan back to Gohar to escort Princess Pearl back home soon. I know a master smith there and I'll have my brother's sword repaired."

"Your Highness!" Duke Glam took a step back and bowed deeper than he had for Dawn.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened. Dawn was sure Lucien was right behind her. She turned around, lifting the hand with the ring to protect her chest and make the ring as evident as possible.

"Brother. Good to see you."

Lucien's eyes also flashed at the ring. He blushed a bit, but probably because of the ring and not something else in his field of view right behind the ring.

"Sister. Good to see you away from the academy. How are your studies?"

Dawn pouted on purpose, tapped her feet, and glared for a moment at Lucien before looking away with a demure face.

"It is improper to either brag or complain about my education in front of my tutor, Lucien," She realized she was chiding the Crown Prince in public but it was too late. "It is also bad to eavesdrop on conversations. Leave it for the gossipy crones."

Lucien took the scolding in stride. He seized Dawn's hand and kissed her cheek. "My apologies, sister. It was not my intent. I am sure you are getting the best out of your situation and that the Headmaster is taking really good care of Lumina, isn't it right, Astromelicus?"

The double entendre and hidden warning were obvious for those that knew of Dawn's situation.

Astromelicus scoffed and it felt like he'd grown a hand taller than Lucien, "Lucien, save your snark for the enemies of the Realm. I can assure you that all the students I've taken as my personal pupils this semester are superb in their studies. In the last two months, we've advanced our magical knowledge by centuries. And I'd be wary of getting on student Dawn's bad side.

"After all, haughty Royals by Archmages are humbleness taught." He infused arcane into his words at the end.

Scared witless, Lory hid behind her father and everyone else present flinched. The guards trembled clenching their spears and a few even took a step forward to try and fail at defending their Prince. The confrontation remained as Lucien refused to back off. The foolish Prince started a staredown contest with the angry Archmage. Dawn's only relief was the knowledge that reinforcements were getting near, just around a bend in the corner.

Lucien was burning up. The Prince was not used to this kind of treatment but Astromelicus had a sad and bored face that screamed 'how many times will I have to go through this?' Dawn ushered the reinforcements to move faster. "We need to hurry," Aidan told Claire with a low voice. "Lucien is about to do something very stupid. Stop him."

"You dare speak to me like that?"

"It is not a matter of daring or not. It is a matter of stating the truth. Do not think yourself above others, young Prince. It is a fault too hard to correct later in life. You should also not jeopardize centuries-old covenants, future King of Yutis."

Lucien was about to say something very rude from the look in his face. Right as he was vocalizing the first word Claire showed up around the corner.

"Brother Lucien!" She called out loud. Claire left Aidan behind and ran to hold the Prince's arm. "Brother, it is good to see you held sister before we left. Thank you."

Before Lucien could vocalize anything else, Dawn latched on Claire's side. "Claire. I have so many things to tell you, please let's find an empty sitting room. Headmaster, could I have an hour to talk to my sister? I'll rush back to the Academy on my own. Please return with Lord Aidan ahead of us."

Astromelicus was straining to not laugh. "Of course. Cadet Aidan, hurry up. Lucien, Duke Glam, miss Lory. If you excuse us, we have a lot of things to do."

Aidan walked as fast as he dared and left with the Archmage. Dawn turned to the Duke and nodded.

"Duke Glam, please calculate how much rice I owe you for your services. I'll visit you at your mansion tomorrow in the afternoon to collect the goods. Goodbye, brother."

Dawn left with Claire and quickly found an empty sitting room to hide in. She didn't look back and she intentionally missed Lucien's state of distress but from what she was able to see, he was about to burst.

"Lucien is distressed," Claire sighed after the two girls locked the door behind them. "Ever since they realized during that dinner that you weren't anymore in Lumina's body."

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"We talked about it already. Forget what happened and let it go. I'm not angry."

A knock on the door made them pause.

"Yes, who is it?" Claire asked out loud.

"Open up, sister. I know she is in there with you."

Dawn instinctively touched her flank, but the rapier was not there. She noticed the movement and realized she was afraid of Lucien. Claire asked with her eyes if she should open the door and Dawn nodded. Lucien entered in a hurry, almost throwing Claire down. She closed the door while the Prince paused to collect his thoughts.

"You." He pointed a finger at Dawn. "Where is my sister!"

"Lucien, I —"

"It is His Royal Highness Crown Prince Lucien to you, wretched doppelganger!" He took a step forward and reached for the hilt of his sword.

Dawn could feel. The true nature of Lumina's body was a scared and hesitant girl. The two personalities that ever inhabited that body masked that nature with either haughtiness and inflated pride or audacity and enthusiasm. But it was all a well-rehearsed act. The only reason Dawn was not freaking out right now was the tempering that Aidan's mind brought to the equation. But as he boarded the carriage and stretched their tether thin, that influence slightly dimmed.

Lucien's choice of words spoke of his true state of mind. He was losing it. Dawn could see fear, loathing, anger and just a tiny bit of concern in the Prince's face. Behind him by the door, Claire was doing her best to not faint or suffer incontinence. Dawn could not let Lucien go any further. She had only her magic to work with and most of it was not defensive. She really needed to craft the Force spells to shield them.

Haughty Royals are taught by Archmages, probably. There was none in the room. Dawn did the only thing she could. Kneel.

"Please forgive me, your Highness. I intended no disrespect out there in front of the Duke. However, His Majesty King Helios entrusted the Regalia Ring to me so I could pass as Lumina in public."

She could only see Lucien from the knee down as she refused to look further up from her position. His feet switched from a practiced combat stance to a relaxed, casual one.

"Good. At least you know your position. Now answer, where is my sister?"

"I'm under direct orders from your father, the King, your Highness. I cannot say."

Dawn stood up and Lucien moved to seize her arm. She could see his eyes drifting down for a moment to gaze at her exposed cleavage and felt the burning gaze. 'Damn, they can really tell,' her male mind thought.

"Lucien, stop before you do something you'll regret," Claire asked from behind him.

"I won't hurt her," He turned and answered. Dawn knew that to be a lie.

Rage and an idea flared in Dawn's mind. "Too late for that. You are hurting my arm right now," Dawn whimpered. "Please let go."

He released it but between Claire's anger and Dawn pretending to be hurt, he was confused. "No. I just held your arm."

"Really?"

Dawn started to unbutton the side of her dress before a couple of wide-eyed Royal siblings. Before Claire could react she pulled down, baring her left side. She covered her left breast with the left hand but Lucien had a front-seat view for a few moments. Her glare could drill a hole on the bridge of his nose.

"And how does your Highness think I got these red welts on my arm? Hold the arm again, you'll see they match your hand."

Lucien didn't touch her. He was hesitating, probably weighing his options. Or taking the time to commit the sight to his mind. Dawn had no idea which and she was not lowering her gaze to check. And to be honest with herself, she was not feeling any shame from flashing one boob. Maybe because she never had the strict upbringing and education girls received. Not counting Lumina's few memories that she evoked when they talked about how Dawn was free in her own body.

Claire was facepalming but Dawn cared not. "Dawn, don't expose yourself like that. It is unseemingly!"

"It is his sister's breast, Claire. Lucien felt nothing, isn't it true, your Royal Highness?" She forced to suppress her sarcasm. "You did hurt me," Dawn mumbled.

Claire turned Lucien's back to Dawn and mouthed 'dress up now' to her. Dawn obliged. The three sat in silence.

"You owe me an apology, Lucien," Demanded a still pouting Dawn.

The Prince was facing Claire and avoiding to look at Dawn. He didn't answer.

"Lucien, she is right. You were extremely rude to Dawn. It won't hurt to apologize, you are in the wrong," Claire tried to play the mediator but the stubborn man still didn't react.

Dawn stood up and yawned, "Claire, let it go. I, a commoner and a wretched doppelganger, won't hold it against the Prince. I won't even let it jeopardize the visit from Heath's heir or his true sister's return."

She looked at the still silent siblings and played her last card, "Oh, but I got such a marvelous tale to talk with Pearl tonight. She'll love to hear how Lucien handles women when he's angry."

There was no way she'd spend a Lifesight spell, but she was sure Lucien was struck with hypothermia. His head craned to meet Dawn's eyes and he stuttered.

"You! You have to keep what transpired here a secret!" Lucien demanded.

She was still angry. Dawn realized she was delivering payback for the terror she felt in the King's meeting on the Prince. She also felt drawn to this kind of petty payback like a moth to the flame. Her next sentences' wording was meant to hurt. She felt Lumina's influence and allowed it to run wild, even if it meant taking both the Prince and her down.

"Do you mean that I have to keep a secret how I had to undress to show you the bruises you inflicted by rough handling me? Or were you talking about how you locked me in a room and stripped me of my humanity? Because on either count, I'm not feeling inclined to comply with your demands, your Royal Highness Crown Prince Lucien of Yutis."

Lucien seemed to forget how to speak. Or maybe how to breathe. Dawn was too mad to figure out which. She knew she would regret what she was doing but didn't mind.

"Lucien, say something!" Claire nudged the frozen Prince. "Apologize before it is too late!"

"Do you loathe me this much, Lucien?" Dawn asked pretending to be hurt, "Maybe I should go away and vanish from your sight. Maybe I should give up on entertaining Brody or restoring Lumina."

That was the incentive to make him act.

"You can't do that! You have a duty —" Lucien's protest was cut off.

"I have no binding oaths!" Dawn yelled. "I am not beholden to you, your father or anyone in this castle! Not even the Conclave or the Twelve's advent would force me to move a finger. I'm enduring all this shit and toiling day after day because I fucking care."

Her emotions overflowed. Tears came easily and her voice was breaking, "But keep that shitty attitude for a moment more and I will cast away my citizenship, gather my things and depart to the corner of the world. I have better things to do than to appease pampered Royals and I've already wasted two years. Take this bleeding ring back to the King for all it is worth. Apologize now or wallow forever in shame and grief. Because if I'm gone or dead, Yutis loses both Lumina and the God-Slayer.

"Make your choice."