Creating the fortress of Gurf's Vigil was hardly considered an exercise for Dawn. With her entwined mind and soul spread over two bodies and the coordination that the last two years of practice brought, she used the plentiful materials available in the mountains around to create the fort, a wall around the mouth of the tunnel and pathways connecting both and to the city. An invasion from the tunnel was all but impossible without powerful magic and for the Princess of the adjacent nation to do that, it meant a lot of trust. Aidan was social and strategically placed as a mere helper. After all, they were one person with two faces.

It took a week because it would be unfitting for a Princess to work from dawn to dusk. Social functions devoured most of the time and they had to make the construction of the fortress to look like a hobby. The worst thing was to deal with Marisol's animosity. The Princess of Argyris had a bone to pick with Lumina and her "twin sister" was the perfect proxy. Aidan was sure some of the wilful Sky Princess' karma rubbed on him after he merged with most of her soul.

But the deed was done and the "God-Slayer's" party was present with all the important people of the city to the inauguration of the fortress by the Crown Princess. With that out of the way, Aidan could focus on the main reason he came to Elmhill, escorting Pearl just the cover. But the fake hero party wasn't letting them.

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Two days after the inauguration, three Princesses were sitting on Baron Elmhill's backyard gazebo, enjoying tea and some local pastries.

"I am amazed at how good with Earth magic you are, Lu... Dawn," Marisol said in a pointed way, meaning the compliment as an insult.

Unfazed, Dawn took a small sip of her almost boiling tea before gracefully laying the cup back on the saucer. Then she met Marisol's eyes. "I dabble in most Elements though my main is four, Marisol. It is really useful to have a broad range of options and resistances."

Between the two, Pearl also took a sip of her own tea at the same time Dawn finished her line. Marisol's was yet untouched. "Is the tea not to your liking, darling?" The petite princess asked the ringlet blonde.

A brief flash of pink took Marisol's cheeks before she reined herself. She understood perfectly what they meant and also that she was outnumbered. She gazed Pearl with disbelief and then her eyes drifted to the steaming cup in front of her. She held the cup's wing, forcing her face to remain still. It was almost burning her fingers.

"Didn't you summon the otherworlders, Pearl?" Marisol asked to gain time. With the other hand on her lap, she drew the diagram for a heat-sink spell and cast it.

"Yes, I did. A terrible blunder by a younger and foolish me," Pearl admitted too easily. If it were Marisol, she'd bury the incident and embellish the truth until she shone as either the heroine or the victim. Not admit her fault to two foreign Princesses like that. Pearl shouldn't do that, as powerless as she was. That realization caused Marisol's breathing to halt for a moment. She felt confused.

"But the tea..." She mumbled.

Was Pearl using some kind of spell or enchantment to drink the tea? Marisol knew very well the price of a summoning ritual, the reason she refused to learn it, leaving the "honor" to her sister Arianna. Frustrated by the lack of information, Marisol sipped her tea. It still singed her tongue. She couldn't help but wince, her mind distracted trying to figure out what the two were doing. Was it some kind of hazing? Was Dawn using fire magic to make her tea hotter?

"Is something wrong, Marisol?" Dawn asked, concerned.

It was weird. Marisol was good at reading people but the short-haired girl in front of her seemed genuinely concerned. She was Royalty, Marisol could see the Crest of Yutis floating over the girl's head with her Regalia Sight. But she lived as a peasant up until last year. She might have some kind of tutor teaching her the manners of high society. She wasn't uncouth like Marisol expected. It also meant the whole 'kidnapped' thing was some kind of hoax invented by Yutis. There's no way the kidnappers would educate their victim into a refined lady.

She could raise a few hypotheses on why Yutis decided to hide Lumina's twin sister while giving her some support. An easy one was to guarantee the bloodline. You couldn't murder a Princess whose existence was unknown. Another, to keep them valuable. A Kingdom that has a single Princess has one treasure. Three or more and they are just expensive baubles. Like Pearl. She was heiress to the throne and yet could screw up a dozen ways and run away to the next country and keep holed in there for a year and a half without much issue because King Jett had seven children. If she were the only Princess, the King would send for her the next week. That made sense because King Helios was also hiding his bastard Daughter as Lumina's maid.

"I was wondering how do you feel living as Royalty now, Dawn. It must've been a shock to find out you were a Princess."

To Marisol's surprise, Dawn chuckled and almost choked on the petit-four she was about to bite.

Her laughter paused for a moment to say, "You have no idea how shocked I was."

Even Pearl was full of mirth, a broad and knowing smile plastered on her face. That was one of two mysteries harder to figure out than to find a purple unicorn. Dawn and Pearl seemed to be too close to be Princesses. How could these two... share the spotlight like... best friends? Maybe Dawn that was raised as a peasant or lower nobility but Pearl? She was groomed to be a Queen since before she first sucked on her milkmaid's teats. Marisol knew Pearl. She had an inner candidness that put the other Princesses at ease but being this open? Anathema.

The other one was that boy that came with Pearl's entourage. The one Yama seemed wary of. Marisol knew too little of him. Just that he was a mage with many talents, tamed a dragon, married an elf and a squirrel-kin and was Pearl's champion. At first, she thought Aidan and Pearl had something going on but from what Marisol could observe and probe, they behaved more like respected friends or even siblings than lovers. The boy didn't steal glances at Pearl or forced unnecessary physical contact. He always spoke in a very polite and respectful way with Pearl but without much deference.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Next, Marisol thought he might be Dawn's lover. But the boy and the Princess treated each other like acquaintances at best. They only spoke the minimum with each other and most of the time it was like one did not recognize the other's existence. And yet they showed coordination without peer in building the fortress. Marisol knew how hard was to mages to coordinate their spells. And these two did that as if they were apprentices to the same master.

In fact, it seemed that there was something going on between Aidan's wives and Dawn. While it wasn't unheard of that a Princess would find solace in another female's arms, it was still a scandal.

Marisol needed to find the truth.

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"So you were saying, Sora, this one knows the truth, right?" A spiffy, spunky elf with the nose pointing slightly upwards in smug confidence threw the passive-aggressive question like a challenge to the third party in the private booth of a restaurant.

The two squirrel tails in the room twitched in alarm at the smaller girl's words. Yama nodded. "Of course. No member of the squirrel tribe would fail to recognize the true God-Slayer." She said with a sigh.

Both arms crossed over her lap, Cythrel slammed the table with her telekinetic hand, the muscles of her neck stiff as she glared at the outsider. "Then why support this travesty? I heard the reasons from Sora and Aidan and while they are fine with that, I want to hear from your mouth."

Her words pierced Yama's heart more than she knew. It was a travesty, the younger squirrel-kin knew that more than anyone. A painful but necessary travesty. One she submitted to willingly. She didn't need to have her hypocrisy thrown at her face like that but maybe she deserved. Yama sighed.

"Even if it is a lie, I wanted to feel how it was to go on a grand adventure. To feel what it could be if it were me and not Sora the chosen one," She blinked and the tears came down her cheeks. "I... you have no idea how much I envy you." She sobbed and stopped talking.

Sora gently held Cythrel's forearm under the table, squeezing it as a sign that she should ease the pressure.

"And how is it working for you so far, Yama?"

Sora got no reply. Yama's chest rose and fell without rhythm as she bit her lips and clenched her eyes to stop, head almost touching the table. Yama knew Sora could read her mood by the movement of her tail, mostly involuntary. And her tail was telling a tale.

Most of the time Dolion made for a good stand-in. He was closer to the legends of the god-slayer the general public knew than Aidan. It was par for the course as Dolion studied the same legends extensively to build his fake persona. He was a womanizer but Yama wasn't so attached as to want to keep the fake all to herself. Her eyes wandered between the two wives the real one took. Since it was all make-believe, she wasn't too worried about avoiding him too. And Dolion was an experienced womanizer. The things he could do with a girl in his hands...

Yama blushed as she reminisced. Her tail moved in a sinuous way and she rosed her head to meet a grin from Sora.

"Lady Cythrel," Yama finally broke her silence. "I beg your forgiveness and understanding. Dolion is hurting nobody even though he is a farce, he even solves some problems here and there. I believe sister Sora explained to you how he feels about me." - 'He' being Aidan.

The elf rolled her eyes and rose an arm stub to point at her. A chill born out of fear and respect rose in Yama's chest. In her tribe, the commitment to the God-Slayer family was almost at worship levels. Ever since they released them from servitude to the other beast-kin tribes, that friendship has paid itself over and over through the dozens of centuries afterward as the God-Slayer always helped them, a genuine friendship that endured the test of time. Being selected to become the new generation companion was the greatest honor one could achieve, becoming one's mate was to achieve unsurpassed bliss.

Yama couldn't help but feel respect for the elf. That she jumped in front of certain death to protect him, was a feat even Yama would have hesitated to do.

But she crossed her arms and tilted her head away, pouting. "Yes, they talked to me. They were even happy they had an impostor. But I can't let those grubby hands tarnish the reputation of my husband," she emphasized 'husband'. It was as if she'd stabbed Yama. "But I guess if you want to keep fantasizing in your little lie, you can. I have no power to tell you what to do but I can ask."

Her sharp tongue felt worse than being flogged. "Yes, ask!" Yama clung to that shard of hope.

"Keep his harem from expanding. Especially keep him out of the Mary Princess' panties. The least I want is some Royal bimbo claiming to bear the God-Slayer's child."

Yama sighed in relief. She didn't request anything absurd. "Don't worry. Her Highness Marisol has to keep herself chaste."

To her surprise, Cythrel snorted. "I know more Princesses than I'd care to. Save rare exceptions, they are an opportunistic bunch that is desperate for a man of sufficient status. The only reason they keep their legs together is to maintain their expensive status. I have no doubt the blonde will gladly take him when she is sure he is the real deal. That she hadn't so far means your Doll-on is still on probation."

Her wisdom baffled Yama. Did the elf glimpse that much insight from just one meeting? But going back to what she witnessed, Yama knew she was right. Marisol playfully rejected Dolion's advances in a playful way that enticed him to chase her. At first, Yama thought the Princess was just playing hard to get but the revelation brought by the elf gave it a whole new dimension. Marisol was not stupid, Yama concluded.

As for Yama, she felt like rejected goods ever since she lost to Sora, twelve years ago. Condemned to a lifetime of mediocrity while the woman across the table lived with the status she desired for herself. She was the first one to accept Dolion on her bedroll and she didn't regret it.

"I can do that," Yama nodded. "Lady Cythrel, I admire you. Your courage, your wisdom, your fierce devotion," Yama confessed openly.

"He saved me," Cythrel shifted away from the offensive and opened her heart. "I had one of those collars on my neck and was starving when he found me stealing out of all things. I know you can understand how wonderful he is. Yama, he gave me everything and asked for nothing."

"Yes, I can understand. Lady Cythrel, that is wonderful!" Yama reached across the table and touched the stump of her forearm. "Do you still feel you don't deserve your place?"

It was the elf's turn to moisten her eyes and cheeks. Cythrel's throat rose and fell in a spasm and she gently nodded. Sora put a hand on her back and rubbed.

"One day I'll take you to my tribe," Yama promised. "And then you'll see how much you deserve your place. You have my gratitude for being there for him, Lady Cythrel. Stand tall, raise your head. Wash away those doubts, milady! Look no further than Sora's face. I know my sister understands more of you than me and she too accepts you."

Cythrel wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief and smiled.

"Maybe you are not that bad, Yama," She finally smiled candidly. "Can we start over?"

Yama's grasp on the other girl's arm tightened, "I'd be honored, milady!"