"I'm sorry, I cannot eat this," Dawn declared as she pushed the raisin custard away. "My stomach is upset and I am still recovering from my previous ordeal."

She averted the eyes of the King and the Crown Prince, both trained on her. Instead, she used Aidan's eyes to observe them and try to read their expressions. Concern, a bit of anger, curiosity. Both brains began to formulate possible questions and the answers they would give. Claire gave in some information, it was clear. That they were 'invited' to dinner and not to a trip through the stockades was already a good sign that Claire didn't tell everything. They've kept Lucien and Helios in the dark about most of the situation, but if the two sat to talk and pooled their pieces of information along with interrogating Claire, they would gather most of the situation.

"It was about this previous ordeal that we called you back home, daughter," the King started his speech while Dawn felt the walls of the cage close around her. "What were you doing there that required this much time?"

Telling a lie would be stupid. Telling the whole truth would be stupid. Even a Sovereign as understanding as Helios would freak out if he knew what happened to Lumina before they restored her. Soul magic was considered almost universally evil.

"Are you sure we are going to have this conversation in front of the servants?" Dawn glanced up at the people lining up along the walls. Her forehead was already throbbing.

"Leave us," The King commanded and the people filed out. He spoke a command word and the wards in the room hummed into action, sealing it from eavesdropping. "Go ahead."

"We were working on bringing Lumina back, your majesty. The last step was very taxing to me and I had to rest all these days. I am still far from being completely recovered as you can well see."

"We are concerned about these side effects of whatever you are doing," Lucien added. "We would like you to explain what you are doing."

"I refuse," Dawn answered curtly as her eyes rose to meet Helio's.

Aidan could see the corners of Lucien's mouth twitch as the girl ignored him. As long as they believed her to be Lumina, she could ignore Lucien's station, but not the King.

"Daughter, we need to know. We see you in this weakened state and cannot help but get concerned for you."

The only thing in Dawn's mind after this line was, 'Helios is too good a man to be a King.' However, it was this doting parent that created the spoiled, haughty brat Lumina was.

"I am thankful to hold such a spot in your heart, your Majesty. What we are doing is not dangerous, just taxing and time-consuming." She glanced sideways at her co-conspirator and smiled, "The Headmaster is overseeing each step we take and making sure it is perfectly safe. Princess Lumina will be back soon."

"We already understand all of this. Now, would you be so kind as to explain what exactly is going on, without all this smokescreen and double meanings?"

'Big fat chance of that happening and we walking away from it unscathed,' thought Dawn. Still, without lying, she thought of an answer.

"It involves less savory parts of magic, your Majesty. We thought better to not disclose it as it leaves the Crown with plausible deniability."

Really not what Helios wanted to hear. Which, at this point, was something that would take years to really define if one took the time to pick through the King's brain. He glanced at Astromelicus, the archmage nodded. He glared at Claire, the princess flinched. And finally, his eyes laid on Aidan.

Because of course, if it is about the less savory parts of magic, blame the Underworld mage in the room. The tragic part was that he wasn't wrong.

"I thank you all for your concern," The King declared in a less than thankful tone, "But the time for secrecy is over. I demand the full story now."

In retrospect, Dawn noticed she felt like it was time to grow a spine for the second time in the same week. Dawn massaged her temples to try and fail at dimming her headache and looked back to the freaking trapped raisin custard. Stupidity born of her clouded mind made the girl throw caution out of the window. She took the spoon and monologued.

"You know what?" She said with a daring tone, "The raisins are not at a fault. If she wants to have a bias against raisins, that is on her. I'm totally doing them."

She took a huge spoonful of the custard and shoved it in her mouth. For crying out loud, Aidan ate his already, she knew the taste and texture. She started to chew the raisins and felt the rugged texture on her tongue. The skin of the raisins breaking and the dried coarse grape flesh underneath. The contrast between the grape tannin and the sugary caramel. She chewed and chewed and the raisins never got in a position to be swallowed. The image she got on her mind was of chewing decade-old dried zombie flesh. Her stomach warbled, she didn't even know it could do that but it was surely a statement made in protest that the organ would not be having any of that brought into its folds and it was ready and about to preemptively fight back the invasion.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Dawn stood up, shoving the chair back and causing it to topple and crash backward. She covered her mouth and ran to a side table where an almost empty silver pitcher was. She took the pitcher and placed her mouth on it. The wine at the bottom sloshed and she took in the wooden notes of the vintage beverage. Then she added her self-made kind of brew to the mix, fighting to not repeat the deed on her male body.

Sensing his student's plight, Astromelicus laid a hand over him and used a spell to calm his stomach.

Lucien was soon next to his sister's side, patting her back and helping her keep the pitcher over her mouth, "Take it easy," He whispered to reassure her.

Enraged, King Helios decided to take it out on the archmage, "Astro, what are you doing with my daughter to make her this weak?"

One can tell when things really go south when the two big fish in the pond decided to go one after another. Aidan only respite was that Cythrel didn't giggle once yet.

"I could ask you the same, summoning someone that was recovering for 'dinner'. You don't realize the weight your word has on these kids, Helios. She or any of these children would come running if you summon them, whichever state they would find themselves in."

"At least someone here still remembers I am King of this place. Maybe it is time to review some policies regarding your school, Astro."

The Headmaster narrowed his eyes. "As if I'd defer to a snot-nosed brat whose first diaper I changed just because he got some shiny trinket to put on his head. You forget who fought beside and crowned your great-grandfather in the throne of Yutis, Helios. You are letting your passions cloud your judgment and lash irrationally at anyone, my friend. This is not you."

The gravitas of the old archmage's speech sunk deep in Helios' mind. Those that knew little of the history of the realm were frozen in place, like Claire and Cythrel. Astromelicus fought alongside the first King of Yutis to liberate the land more than two centuries ago. Just how old was this mage? The King didn't answer, choosing instead to rest in his chair and dwell on the wisdom of his most trusted advisor.

Finished, Dawn left the pitcher with the Prince and returned to pull her chair up and take her seat. The half-eaten custard was nowhere to be seen anymore. She stared at the King and delivered her line.

"You can feel free to force me to speak, sire. Be warned that it will only hinder our timeline for bringing your daughter back. And another thing, I'd appreciate if you don't coax any more information from Claire. You can ask directly next time."

"How? Did you tell them anything?" Helios glared at Claire but the princess shrunk in her seat and shook her head.

"She didn't tell or signal us anything if that is your concern." Dawn moved to cover for Claire, "I could read the mood and figure everything out on my own. The tipping point was the raisins. Of course, a freaking impostor wouldn't know about Lumina's aversion to raisins. I bet you've never let a single one of those shriveled abominations anywhere near her in the last decade.

"I really beg your Majesty to forgive my insolence and not send me to the gallows," She continued, "But I swear that every single breath of mine ever since I woke up in this body was dedicated to either survive or get your daughter back. Maybe someday we can openly talk about what really happened, but that day is not today. Please be patient and trust us. We still need to show results and interference can jeopardize our progress.

"And if you don't remember, I tried to talk you out of shipping me to the Holy City back at the hospital, but you were too stubborn to listen and I had to fake my own kidnapping. So here we are again. Are you making me flee for dear life under half a meter of snow with only my clothes again?"

She had a hundred percent awareness she was being a big asshole right now, but she cared not a single bit. She pressed the palms of her hands against the temples and pushed.

Another big piece of news. Dawn could not eat raisins. Her body reacted to them as if they were poison. She could feel the inside of her mouth, tongue, and cheeks swell. Silently circulating Life mana and using the Healing Light alleviated the reaction, but not too much.

"Lumina, I – Are you really Lumina? I don't know what to believe in anymore," The King spoke after a long pause.

Dawn sighed and reached for his hand. Staring into his eyes to show her sincerity, she answered, "Of all the living creatures in this universe, I am the one closest to being Lumina there is. However, even though I alone hold the Key to bringing her back, I'm not Lumina. She is sleeping deep inside me but we are going to bring her back.

"Once more, if my vow is not enough just say the word, Sire. I am ready to disclose the full truth and deal with the consequences if you are willing to risk throwing your daughter's life away. I just ask that you wait for a month after Brody leaves. It would be unwise to leave that worm for her to deal with."

He looked away. Everyone knew how King Helios was pressured into giving Lumina away in marriage to cement the trade deal with the belligerent northern country. And everyone present but the King knew Crown Prince Brody of Heath was scheduled for leaving the ranks of the living soon enough.

"Will you one day tell me the whole story?" Helios' pain was tangible.

But that was the same kind of righteous and caring heart that would react badly to any mention of Soul magic performed on their Princess. It brought up another thing to Dawn's mind. She would have to disappear once Lumina returned. Big fat chance of successfully explaining how the princess suddenly had a clone.

"Maybe, maybe not. When Lumina is back in her own head and everything is fine, I'll do it. Until then I beseech for your Majesty's patience."

"I'll give you one month after Prince Brody leaves this city. Everyone present here will gather once more and I'll want the full story. Was that clear?"

Awesome. A compromise and a timeline. They would have to change their plans regarding Brody. Defeating him fair and square in a duel was out of the question. They would cheat and Dawn knew exactly how.

"Yes, sire. Everyone here will comply. However, Lumina will have taken my place by then."