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Even though I was exhausted, overwhelmed, and stuffed full of food, I managed to stand up defiantly. “Your Highness, I won’t let you just—”

Nora’s loud, exasperated sigh cut off my words. “You’re not expecting us to take you seriously right now, are you?” she exclaimed in a peevish tone.

The prince’s hand trembled as he reached for the rapier at his side. “You had better!” he threatened, attempting to assert his dominance. “One shout from me, and this room will be flooded with guards!”

Vernie simply settled back comfortably in her chair, a look of boredom crossing her face. “If they truly respected you, they would have accompanied you here in the first place.”

Tetora sniffed the air twice. “They’ve abandoned this entire hallway. Face it, Your Highness, you don’t have a power base inside these walls.”

Even Aleph remained seated, unperturbed. “You will feel better once you release your frustrations, Prince Mito. You’ve had quite a rough day as well. Join us and share them in good company.” His tone carried a hint of genuine concern that was usually reserved for me when I was acting extra childish.

“Cease this pretense of familiarity!” he thundered in theatrical fervor. “Was the theft of my heart’s dearest treasure insufficient for your rapacious desires? And now, in the dead of night, you dare to abduct my very soul, hurling me into the maelstrom of political machinations—a veritable tempest from which there is no sanctuary, no respite!”

Confused, I glanced at Vernie. “Did you steal something from him? You better give it back if you did.”

Vernie returned my gaze indignantly. “Why’d you think of me first? Nora’s nimble fingers are just as suspect!”

“Really!?” Nora beamed, taking it as a compliment. “Hahaha! Thanks!”

“Imbeciles!” Prince Mito shrieked. “I speak of the grand stage! Had your shadows not darkened its hallowed grounds, it would yet stand, resplendent and unyielding, yearning for the echo of my returning footsteps!”

Oh well... there’s a certain truth to that.

“What about the second part?” I asked. “Political machinations?”

“I am to venture forth to Chairo to sow the seeds of your deceitful tales! Meanwhile, my forsaken father treads the inevitable path toward the twilight of his life, abandoned and alone! Have you no shame?”

The problem was indeed the opposite. “Oh... I’m so sorry...” I murmured, feeling a sting in the corner of my eyes. King Saulus may have had a few weird ideas about how I should live my life, but I didn’t wish him any ill will. It seemed he didn’t exactly subscribe to all the rhetoric from the church but still managed to provide some support to those under its care. Yet here we were, stealing his last son away from him...

“Aha! The hero never cries!” Prince Mito declared as if victorious. “More evidence that you’re just an imposter.”

Seriously? I was empathizing with you!

“So, the hero shouldn’t ever care that her actions might cause suffering in others?” I asked angrily as I marched towards him. “She should just do whatever she needs to, without considering the repercussions? That doesn’t sound like a hero to me!”

“The hero acts with integrity and strides unwavering along the path of righteousness! She dwells not upon her deeds, for they are inspired by the hand of the divine!”

“Not holding yourself accountable for your actions is just stupid,” I argued. “Euphridia or... the church, at her behest, may assign Purpose, but it’s pretty much left up to us how to carry it out! And we screw up all the time, especially if we don’t take the time to self-reflect now and again!”

I should know. I’m a subject matter expert.

“The hero doesn’t...” he said in a quieter voice, drawing back.

“Then why does she keep dying? Are you telling me Euphridia wants her to lose and die?!” That wouldn’t bode well for me at all!

“No... That’s not what I’m saying...”

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Realizing I had the upper hand, I drew myself up, put on my most brave face, and started with a blatant lie. “I don’t care what you think about me.” I folded my arms to hide their quivering. “Sometimes I feel like an imposter, so there’s even a bit of truth to your tirade. And I am sorry I’ve unintentionally caused you so much trouble. However, our goal is to stop the council from abusing the system and figure out how to get the world working right again, and for that, I apparently require your assistance. Otherwise, we’re going to have to resort to a battle where countless citizens will get hurt or even die. So rant and rave all you want behind closed doors like a selfish, spoiled jerk, but once we get to Chairo proper, I need you to at least act like you’re a prince who cares about the people you’re supposed to be serving!”

“I....” He continued to step back toward the open doors, suddenly quivering with fear.

I wasn’t that scary, was I? Well... maybe I should make the best of it. “Do you think you can do that? Or is the world stage just too much for you to handle?”

I am such a hypocrite. I might as well be yelling at myself.

“Rae... think you can dial down the brightness just a little?” Nora murmured from behind me.

Brightness? I glanced down at myself and realized my aura must have been as triggered as I was. The golden glow emanating from me was a bit too bright indeed. I inhaled sharply through my nose and exhaled out my mouth to release the tension and dim my glow somewhat. “I’m waiting for an answer.”

“I shall embark on this path alongside you, Chosen One...” he uttered to the floor after descending to his knees. “Pardon my transgressions, I beseech you.”

I felt my eyes stick slightly as I rolled them skyward. Honestly, some part of me liked the idea that he was suspicious of me. It was honest and refreshing. But I knew it wasn’t my words or convictions that had convinced him, either. It had been my aura, which felt like the shallow cheat of a big, powerful bully. “Stand up. Princes should stand tall even after defeat.”

He scrambled up and inclined his head. “Yes, Captain.”

“Rae.”

“I beg your—”

“Call me Rae in private. Alright?”

Nora let out a loud guffaw. “And a bit of advice: never refer to her as a concubine again, even if she would have been your most favored!”

His eyes opened wide as he recalled his earlier demonic declarations. “A thousand pardons! I was only—”

“I’ve already forgotten about it,” I lied again, watching the smirk on Nora’s face spread. One point for you. I hope it was worth it...

I reminded myself to seek petty revenge later and turned back to our newest recruit. “Don’t expect too many ‘Your Highnesses’ out of me, either. I am just going to call you Mito... Unless you have another name I should call you.”

“Mito will suffice...”

“Rae,” Aleph addressed me as he stood. “I think I will go see if I can find Relias now. You seem to have the situation well in hand here.”

Really? I did well?

“He and King Saulus are reminiscing...” Prince Mito explained with a sigh. “About my father’s glory days.”

“Oh...” I nodded as Aleph took his leave.

“I believed him a charlatan for his failure to aid my father... but he does seem to know things about His Majesty that others would not,” he murmured, hanging his head. “I... shrank from delving deeper into that trove of unsettling truths and came here instead.”

To vent your frustrations, just like Aleph said.

“I’ll try to send you back here as soon as possible,” I promised. “I know you’re needed here, too.”

He lifted his head, targeting me with a calculating gaze. “I am in no position to ask you for any favors... however, my friends find themselves bereft of both livelihood and permanent shelter. Do you think you could convince my father to rebuild what was lost on the morrow?”

“Your friends? You mean at the theatre?”

He nodded. “Father refused to meet with them upon learning of the day’s calamity, and they haven’t been recompensed for their performance. I secured lodgings for them at a nearby inn as an anonymous patron, but after I leave...”

“Do they know you’re the prince?”

“No,” he answered hesitantly. “I don’t think so... They think of me as a minor nobleman with too much time on my hands.”

“It’ll probably come out to them soon if it hasn’t already,” I warned him with a furrowed brow. “You should probably tell them yourself first.”

“Yes…” He sighed warily. “I am to meet with them in the morning, anyway.”

“Then we’ll talk to your father together after you return. I think they promised me dinner with the king, and it would be weird if they weren’t in attendance.” I figured should also tell him what happened so he doesn’t think assassins are in the shadows. Well, any more so than usual.

Reginald slowly poked his head into the room. “Good evening, Your Highness. Your father wishes to speak with you again.”

With a final respectful bow, Prince Mito turned on his heels and followed Reginald out of the chambers, closing the heavy doors behind him with a definitive click.

“How much did he hear?” Vernie asked Tetora.

“Pretty much the whole thing,” Tetora replied, standing with a stretch. “Eavesdropping’s a second habit to men in his position.”

“Smart of him not to interfere, though,” Vernie acknowledged as she flopped on the couch. “He better hurry back and take us to our private accommodations. I might just fall asleep here.”

Nora giggled. “I can’t wait to see your fellow thespians at dinner tomorrow, Rae. Can you imagine their faces when they realize who you are?”

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