As Remno's first Prince was living in his season of darkness, the sole Princess of the Tearmoon Empire was living in her season of light. As Gain Remno was wallowing in his winter of despair, Mia Tearmoon was enjoying the fruits of her spring of hope. It really was the best of times for Mia— plague, famine, revolution, and her own execution at the guillotine—they felt like they had happened in another lifetime. Well, thanks to a magical do-over, they had happened in another lifetime. But, Mia had done more than escape tragedy in her second chance at life—she was now adored by a citizenry that had once despised her existence, old enemies had become trusted friends—and she even had a boyfriend—life could not be more perfect!

"Mia—my baby! This has been such a wonderful three weeks!"

Well, almost perfect...

For three solid weeks, Mia had spent her every waking hour essentially fulfilling every wish on the Emperor's father-daughter bucket list—dinners, dancing, picnics, plays, and games. After four years of trying to maintain a 'healthy distance' in their father-daughter relationship, the bill had come due. For his part, the Emperor had unquestionably supported her every project, followed her every advice in every situation, and forgave her every heart-attack-inducing adventure. There was no question that he would yield the Empire to her once she came of age. And yet, this last wish on her father's must-do list had her questioning if it was really worth it.

"Ugh, Georgia, how much longer!"

"Well, that depends on the two of you. Doesn't it? Now, stand up straight and smile."

Georgia was the court artist and had painted Mia's portraits since she was a baby. Tall and thin with dark knowing eyes—her weathered skin somehow seemed to enhance her beauty—she didn't wear makeup and seemed fine with the silver strands that mixed nicely with her formerly jet-black mane.She dressed neatly, but simply in loose fitting white blouse and black trousers.

It might have been a slight overstatement to say that Georgia was a replacement maternal figure for Mia, but Georgia may have been the only woman in the castle that the young Mia respected. Even in the discarded timeline, Georgia was not someone that Mia could push around—it's not that Mia didn't occasionally try—it just was pointless—how does someone push around a mountain? Besides, Mia needed Georgia—not because she was a gifted painter (which she was), but because no one could paint a portrait as fast as Georgia, and the Emperor constantly demanded new portraits of his little girl—producing portraits quickly was essential to Mia's sanity. Speed painting was essential to Georgia's sanity as well —painting portraits was boring—but extremely necessary to pay the bills, and finishing portraits quickly enabled Georgia to have the time and resources to do what she loved—traveling the continent and painting pictures of flowers and landscapes. So, the (formerly) selfish princess and the fiercely passionate artist somehow managed to stay on the same page through at least two timelines.

Unfortunately, today someone was intruding on the pair's collaboration—someone who was on a different page entirely!

"Oooh! I wish this day would never end!"

Sitting in front of the standing Mia was the Emperor. His chair was facing Georgia—but he still managed to turn his head back to Mia every time he had something to say—which was quite often.

"Your Majesty, you heard Georgia—stay still!"

Mia was talking through her teeth—wearing the most plastic of all plastic smiles—with eyes that screamed that she wanted to be anywhere else.

Anne looked over Georgia's shoulder. "It's a very good likeness, Madam Georgia. Your Majesty, you look very handsome, and Mia, you look just beautiful!"

"Really Miss Anne? I am so excited. It's been years since our last family portrait. Mia has been so busy."

It was true that Mia had been busy. For the past five years, she had been taking on more and more of the Emperor's duties. Even acknowledging that she had the tremendous help of talented friends and vassals—not to mention a magical do-over, it would be uncharitable to say that she had done anything less than a marvelous job as Princess and de facto leader of the Empire. Tearmoon remained well-fed and peaceful, the school Mia established had become so successful that even some families from the central nobility were joining Outlanders, native peoples, and orphans in sending their own children to the academy, and the only ones that ever called the Newmoon District "the slums" these days were young people trying to be trendy, and old people completely ignorant of new trends. So, Mia had been busy. But that wasn't the reason she hadn't posed for a portrait with the Emperor for over six years...

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"So, Mia, tell me more about your plans with Abel."

"Your Majesty—face forward!"

Just lunch with her father could be infuriating, but being held captive for six solid days (for what should have been a two-day job)...was enough to try a saint's patience (and despite popular opinion, Mia still was no saint).

Mia grimaced, "Your Majesty..."

"No 'Your Majesty!', Papa! Please, I hardly see you anymore. Please call me Papa!"

"Princess Mia! If he starts crying again we won't be able to finish today," an exasperated Georgia groaned. "Just call him Papa for Moon's sake!"

Even in the three weeks of granting the Emperor's every father-daughter wish, there was one line the young princess just would not cross!

"Father, Abel and I are close. Very close. You have met him many times. You like him..."

"I have met him twice. But, yes, he seems to be a good boy. He sort of reminds me of myself when I was younger..."

"Ugg!" Comparisons involving her beautiful Abel and her father were something that Mia just did not even want to contemplate, and a sour expression even broke through her plastic smile. "Anyway, it is time for me to visit his family in Remno..."

"Your Majesty, Your Highness—smiles!"—Georgia just wanted to go home and paint some orchids.

"I don't want you to go..."

Mia forced her artificial smile back onto her face. Ever so adept at talking through her teeth, she argued, "We have discussed this a thousand times. I am going."

"Yes, but I don't have to like it. At least take some of the Princess Guard with you!"

"Prince Abel is bringing an escort from Remno. I want Abel's parents to know I trust them."

"I like Prince Abel, I really do. But, Remno is not like Tearmoon. I will go with you!"

"You will not!"

"Are you embarrassed by me? Your father?"

"Of course not!"

Of course, Mia was embarrassed by her father. There was nothing about her father that wasn't embarrassing. Still, she couldn't tell him that. That would be mean—and he would start crying again—and the portrait would never get done!

"Then why won't you let me meet them?"

"You will meet them...eventually." many years from now- at our wedding, preferably. "But, please let me meet them first."

"Wow! That's a great portrait!"

"Abel!"

Having quietly walked in while Georgia and Mia were persuading the Emperor to stay still, Able felt it was time to announce himself,

"Princess Mia, Miss Anne, Your Majesty it's so nice to see you all."

Abel bowed. However, this was one of the few times that Mia did not return a polite bow with an elegant curtsy—Mia was on the clock, and she wanted to get this portrait done! However, even as her body kept her perfect princess pose that she had been maintaining for five days, her face had become something different entirely— her plastic smile ran away and was replaced by something that might have actually befitted the woman occasionally known as the Beauty of the Empire—and it didn't stop with her mouth, her cheeks glowed and eyes sparkled—she looked every bit the maiden in love that she was.

"Prince Abel, this is Madam Georgia, our court painter. Georgia, are we done now?"

"Well, now that I have finally seen you really smile, I guess we are done!" Georgia flashed her own rarely-seen motherly smile at Mia.

"Thank you, Georgia!" Mia ran up and gave Georgia a kiss on the cheek.

"Madam Georgia gets a kiss on the cheek?" The Emperor frowned.

"Well, she's been painting my portrait since I was a baby!"

"But, you nev—"

"Okay Abel, let's go!"

"Mia, I haven't had a chance to say hello to His Majesty."

"You said hello when you walked in—we don't want to be late." With that, Mia took Abel by the arm and began to escort him from the Throne Room.

"Your Majesty, I really do want to talk to you, would you have time when we get back?"

"Of course,Prince Abel. Or... would you rather stay in Tearmoon for a few weeks, instead of making that long trip to Remno?"

"Sure, I would much rath—"

Mia pulled Abel out the door, "We have to go now. Goodby Georgia! Goodbye Your Majesty!—we will have cake when I get back."

The Emperor frowned. "Goodby Mia."

But, Mia didn't hear His Majesty's goodbye, or see the sadness in his eyes—she was already through the door. Abel's voice could be heard echoing from the hallway, "...when we get back Your Majesty!"

Just as soon they were out of the line of sight of the Emperor, Mia sighed, "Thank goodness that is over!" Then she turned and put her hands in his, "Abel I've missed you so much!" She then pulled him close and gave her boyfriend a big hug—because that is what boyfriends and girlfriends do—they hugged and stuff like that. Now, what all "stuff like that" entailed had not quite been established yet, but Mia had read in the Chronicles of Saint Princess Mia that she and Abel would have eight kids. So, she figured "stuff like that" fell somewhere in between hugs and eight kids. Anyway, Mia liked hugging Abel, and she really looked forward to stuff like that (in the future).

"Okay, Anne, you can turn around, now."

Anne, ever the maiden, had not quite gotten used to Mia's maturing relationship with Abel and instinctively turned away at their increasingly frequent shows of affection —yes, they were just that cringey!