Thursday, July 19th ( 18, Mizami, Dies Rei, L.S.L 10041 )

Mizarmonie lay entangled in the Den. Dawn was approaching, and she didn’t want to get up. It was warm. However, her discipline won out.  She slowly detangled herself from two of her chevaliers, crawling around several other sleeping bodies,  and crept into her changing room to put on her morning workout clothes.  Compression capris, sports bra, and running shoes. She grabbed her workout pack and headed to the kitchen for a protein bar, some fruit, and the smoothie she knew would be prepared by Cook.

“High Majesty,” Cook said with a bow, “I hope you slept well.”

“Yes, thank you.” She responded, picking up the fork laid by a heaping plate of fresh fruit salad. Delicately taking a bite of pear, she reviewed her early morning schedule.

“Are you excited about your party tomorrow? You only get to turn 13 once.” Cook winked at her as she sat her smoothie next to the bowl and returned to preparing the royals’ breakfast as the rest of the staff finished preparing the Academy’s breakfast. She picked up the protein bar and smoothie and headed to the elevator to the sub-level training hall.

She wasn’t ready to rise. She just wanted to be—to live a normal life like an ordinary teenage girl. Her father had promised her that, but still, she was preparing for her Rising—her accession into adulthood, and there were no plans for her to leave to experience the life she had asked for.

When she arrived at the training facilities, it was just like she expected. Her morning workout supplies were laid out for her. This is the life of a princess.

“Thursday.” She muttered with a sigh.

 Twenty minutes of non-stop moving. Miza sat down to stretch, twisting her body to warm up her muscles. Her watch beeped at 5 A.M, and she pushed the button on the countdown and got to work in quick succession, completing jumping jacks, high knees for each leg, sidekicks, squats, crunches, and pushups with weights. Exhausted, she started a slow jog onto the track to wind down. As her feet hit the ground, she repeated to herself.

“I will be the best. I’ll make papa proud.” Miza didn’t fully understand why it mattered so much to her that he was proud. She knew his feelings about her. His disappointment was palpable. It was a heavy shroud that she and Mavrick wore. Mav was the ‘dumb queer’ who refused to live up to his duty as a prince. Too soft. Too weak. Not enough of a man. And she? She was a murderer in his eyes. 

She may not be ready to rise, but she knew who she was born to be and couldn’t deny it. During the Spring Festival, it became apparent. She was losing a battle to be herself. The distance between her and her father had slowly closed since her confirmation into the priesthood, but she still could see the anger in his eyes when he looked at her. 

There was a lot of resentment between them. He resented her for existing, and she resented him for not being her father and for entrusting her to the care of his soldiers. Donnie was always good to her. She adored him. He left her father's service for her, but she still hated her father for treating her less.

Coming back to the starting point, she grabbed her bag and drank the last of her smoothie, alternating sips and bites of the protein bar as she made her way to the Eminentia Taniere—her two-story residence nestled into the middle of the Provincial Palace. Various den-mates were still asleep as she re-entered the Nest, so she quietly slipped into the bathroom to shower for the day. As the hot water warmed her skin, she thought about what she needed to do that day.

 Jamie had announced that her father would be returning from Lestania. He had a meeting in D.C. early next week but needed to consult her before her birthday festivities began. But her thoughts immediately dispersed when she felt Valon’s presence.

“Miza, you know better than to leave without one of us.” He said, leaning down to kiss her cheek.

“Am I not safe in my own home? Can I not defend myself?” She smirked, turning to kiss him lightly on his cheek, requiring him to lean down for her to reach. “You worry too much. You’ve been with me for 13 years, Valon, since my birth, and you don’t believe I can protect myself?” Her face scrunched in distaste at the idea.

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He laughed with a stunned look.

“Perhaps it’s my wise years.” He said dryly.

“You are only 23, Val; I don’t know if wise is the word I would use. Overprotective, love-struck fool.” She pressed her lips to his arm and then turned off the water, leaving the shower. She could hear the den stirring as noises throughout their residence could be heard as the denblings that had stayed in the Nest started to go; her chevaliers were waking.

“Lovestruck? Yes, and I will deny it to all others as requested. Overprotective? Yes. It is my duty. But never a fool.  We are blood-bonded by duty, and I am your consort above all others. We both know it. Remember who you are.” He snapped.

Miza gazed at him. “You are hiding something from me, V.” She said, approaching him to caress his face. “I don’t know what it is, and I assume you have a reason, but don’t be afraid for me.” She stared into his eyes and smiled sadly, then walked away.

“Distance.” she reminded herself.

She set the boundary. She needed to maintain it. She had begged for a life similar to a typical “American” teen. She was trying to get her father to agree that it was possible and to allow her to leave. Temporarily, but still, she wanted this adventure. 

But they kept slipping, especially with her birthday coming. About a year ago, they stopped pretending to be only platonic. Outside of the den, they appeared to be a favored princess and the head of her guard, but in the privacy of the den, they fought to find equilibrium in her having the childhood she craved.

The day she was born, an alliance between the Lavine Clan and the Imperial Family was drawn up using their children as collateral. At ten years old, Valon left his family to live with his newborn fiance. When she was younger, She and Val agreed they would stay friends because she wanted to go to a real school outside the veil, like her mother. She didn’t just want to be a royal and follow her duty. She didn’t understand why they wanted her to marry so young. The Imperial House Council had, at several points over the years, pushed them to marry and solidify the alliance early due to her bond with Valon. 

Entering the bedroom, she smiled as she watched the chevaliers roll out of bed, disentangling themselves from the last of their den-mates. Their family really did enjoy nesting together.

“Good morning.” She sang out as she disappeared into the wardrobe to dress. Black skinny jeans, red crop, a ‘leather’ jacket, and boots.  She stared at the young girl staring back at her. Saturday was the day she was supposed to leave the childhood she was fighting for behind. She and her den would step towards a future as she claimed the crown as an official crown princess. She picked up her medallion, the symbol of her faction. Each member of her Nest, she and her chevaliers, had one, a silver circle with a wolf relief on one side and their motto “Islac Ve Consta. Vedi Ve Custi.” “Loyalty unto this circle. Fidelity to our cause.”,  engraved across the back in the characters of the ancients. She brushed her fingertips across the wolf, remembering why Donnie and Valon had picked this. Their simple explanation seemed lacking, so Miza wondered if there was a secret meaning beyond what she was told. 

“We are a pack. Your blood and trust bind us. We have important work to do. We belong to you solely, and this represents that.” Donte had said to five-year-old Miza.

She put the medallion around her neck and quickly fluffed her hair curls. As she walked out, she noted a near-empty room. Her second consort, Justin, stood back against the post of the large canopy bed.

“Someone is in a bad mood,” He teased, opening his arms to her. She fell into him, burying her face in his chest. She looked up at him.

“Justin, I’m not ready to deal with him yet. It’s one thing to know your father thinks you murdered his wife, but to hear him actually say it. I just don’t know if I’m ready to deal with this. For him to throw it in my face again. I know it's going to happen.” Miza whined.

“Don’t take it to heart. We know it’s not your fault, so don’t let it bother you. The Queen Consort was an amazing woman. Her loss hit this kingdom hard, but no one but your father sees it that way. It is simply his grief.  She was the love of his life. He brought her to Lestiania, and he promised to open our borders. It broke something that was already darkening his soul. ” Justin took her hand and guided her out of the bedroom to the suite's common room where many of his denblings were waiting. “So, seeing that none of us have assignments, I thought we should take Miza to the watering hole for a bit. What do you say, Donnie? Val?”

Both nodded.

“Alex, on our way down, let Cook know we will be out for lunch and need a picnic for the den. Let’s eat.” Justin instructed his Nestmate.