Chapter 26

It took a few hours, but eventually, we all found a dress we liked that also had the queen’s approval.

“It’s finally over…” Lydia sighed in relief as she sat down, careful not to wrinkle the gold ballgown we had settled on for her. Apparently, fashion had been trending away from the obnoxiously puffy skirts and more toward gowns that highlighted a woman’s natural figure. If only we could be rid of the corsets next…

Every time I saw my girlfriend dressed up, I was reminded that she was, in fact, a princess. I sat next to Lydia, careful of my own outfit as well, and grabbed her hand.

“I’m proud of you for surviving. You look stunning, as usual.” I said with a laugh. “It feels like I’m going to run out of compliments every time we do something like this.”

“You look beautiful as well, Audrey.” She replied with a tired smile. It seemed the queen had a theme in mind, so our gowns matched our respective hair colors. “That red makes your eyes stand out.”

I blushed at her observation. “The same goes for you; I could get lost in your eyes.” We smiled bashfully at each other until Sasha suddenly interrupted.

“Enough flirting!” She pouted. “What about me, Sister? How do I look?” She did a cute twirl, causing her light brown and white gown to flair out slightly.

“You’re very cute, Sasha.” I patted her on the head, thankful we hadn’t done our hair and makeup yet. She beamed at my words.

“You too! You both look incredible…” She said before trailing off. “Do you think I’ll look like that one day?”

“You look beautiful now,” I said, correcting my earlier statement. “And when you grow up a bit more, I bet you’ll look even prettier than us.” This seemed to make her feel better, and she linked arms with me.

“I think the three of us will be equally pretty.” Sasha amended with a smile.

“Right.” I nodded.

“You all look absolutely perfect!” Aunt Bella said with a clap of her hands, having returned from changing into her own attire. Her gown was several shades lighter than Lydias, more yellow than gold to mirror the differences in their hair. “We have just enough time to finish our makeup and hair, so no doddling!” She chirped, and the army of maids moved around us to begin.

“And so the gauntlet begins again…” I heard Lydia mumble, and I gave her a wry smile.

“It’s not that bad…” The four of us stood in front of a large mirror, giving feedback on ourselves and each other as the maids styled our hair and makeup. Keeping with the unintentional pattern we’ve established, Lydia and I sported matching styles. Our long hair was down, curled slightly near the ends, and braided loosely throughout to add depth. Sasha’s hair was shoulder-length, so it was simply pulled into a cute ponytail and tied with a pretty green ribbon to match her eyes.

Aunt Bella, on the other hand, took the longest to style. As queen, she had to be at her best constantly in public, and that was reflected in the elegantly complicated updo her attendants had put together.

The makeup was simple: use lipstick and eyeliner to accentuate our natural features instead of covering them. A touch of mascara highlighted our eye colors, and a light blush that glittered subtly under the right light added the final touches. We finished with minutes to spare, and I couldn’t help but admire how Lydia and her mother looked together. It’s like a pair of goddesses descended…

“You say that having met an actual goddess?” Aurora asked with exasperation, and I couldn’t help but smile with mischief.

“Sorry, I think they have you beat.” I was just messing with her. The truth was they were about par with each other at the moment. However, Lydia is always breathtaking to me.

“I mean…” My goddess hesitated. “They are attractive… But I’m a literal goddess, Audrey!”

“Wait… do gods even feel attraction?” I asked curiously since, in human literature, the divine were usually held above such emotions.

“O-Of course we can!” Aurora sputtered, and I nearly let out a laugh. “Just like humans, it usually stays between the divine…” She paused as Lydia grabbed my arm.

“It’s time to go, talk and walk.” She ordered, and I let myself be pulled along as we left the room. Aunt Bella and Sasha walked in front of us, talking about the celebration excitedly. I couldn’t help but be happy at the sight of them getting along.

“What are you talking to your goddess about?” my girlfriend ventured. She’s never asked about that before, but I thought this was a good conversation to share.

“Oh, my goddess was just saying she thinks you and Auntie are attractive,” I said with a massive grin.

“What?!”

“What?!”

I winced at the sudden yelling inside and outside my head. Aunt Bella and Sasha stopped and turned around, eyes wide at Lydia’s outburst.

“What’s wrong, dear?” Aunt Bella asked, concerned. “You’re not getting cold feet, are you?”

“O-Of course not!” Lydia said, probably louder than she meant to. Aunt Bella looked concerned but turned back around to keep leading us to the ballroom.

“Ah, don’t worry. She knows you're taken, Lydia.” I teased with a smile. “I have a feeling my goddess prefers Auntie anyway.” My girlfriend only gaped at me in shock.

“Stop talking right this instant, Audrey!” Aurora demanded, her voice trembling. “How would you know my preferences anyway?!”

“The same way you know my thoughts sometimes, even if I’m not directing them at you,” I say back. I’ve noticed lately that she sometimes responds to things that I hadn’t meant for her to hear.

“L-Look… it’s not my fault! Our bond has just been strengthening at a rapid pace!” Aurora defended. I actually didn’t have an issue with it since it went both ways, and I didn’t need to hide anything from her.

“A goddess thinks I’m attractive… and she’s into my mother?” Lydia muttered quietly, her eyes distant. Oops, I broke her…

“No doubt about that! Have you forgotten that deities are practically a myth to most people?” Aurora sighed. “I guess it’s partly my fault you’ve gotten so comfortable…” I just shrugged.

“You feel more like a mother than a god,” I said bluntly.

“I… feel both honored and offended.” She said, and I did my best to stifle the smile on my lips.

“Seriously, what is wrong with you, darling?” Aunt Bella asked, this time stepping backward to check on her daughter. “What on earth are you muttering about?”

“Sorry, Auntie. That's my fault…” I said, trailing off, uncertain if I should repeat it. Shattering people's worldviews is usually not a good idea. Lesson learned.

“I heard something about your goddess, right?” She asked. “What was that about?”

“Um—” I started.

“Don’t you dare say it again.” I could tell that Aurora was incredibly embarrassed, but then I suddenly remembered how she had teased me the night before about this very thing.

“I was just passing along the fact that my goddess finds you both attractive,” I stated. “You especially, Auntie.” The queen’s eyes widened in shock for a few moments before a sly grin appeared on her lips.

“Is that so? Your goddess uses your senses, right?” She asked, and I tilted my head, confused.

“Yes, why do you—” Suddenly, she grabbed my chin gently, forcing me to look at her.

“I’m flattered, goddess. Unfortunately, I’ll be quite happy with my husband for the rest of my life.” She leaned down, her breath tickling my ear as she whispered. “Why don’t we try this again in the afterlife?”

My face flushed at her proximity and words. The effect doubled from Aurora’s feelings rushing into me. “Y-Yes, Ma’am.” The words escaped me before I could think about them.

Aunt Bella’s eyes crinkled with a smile. “Was that from you or your goddess?”

“Yes,” I answered, my heart pounding. Or is that Aurora’s heart? Aunt Bella chuckled, then turned back to walk alongside Sasha again, who looked entirely lost.

“Audrey, please bring my daughter back to her senses so she doesn’t make a fool of herself during her birthday celebration,” Aunt Bella called over her shoulder as the two of them started to move down the hallway again.

I was still in my own state of shock, so I merely nodded my head.

“Let’s… Never talk about this again.” I suggested.

“Agreed.” Aurora’s voice was quiet, almost breathless.

I shook my head to clear the haze that had settled from that interaction and turned toward my girlfriend, who was now staring at me, even more shell-shocked.

“D-Did my mother just—” I quickly grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her gently.

“Don’t think about it! Come back to me, Lydia!” I cried dramatically, which worked to bring her eyes back into focus. We stared at each other for a moment before we both started to giggle, which turned into a full laugh as our foreheads pressed together.

“You talk to a goddess about things like that?” Lydia said, wiping a tear from her eye, careful not to smear her makeup.

“I talk to my goddess about nearly everything,” I said simply, my heart feeling light.

“Well, next time… Give me a warning before you drop information like that… Though I am very flattered.” She took my hand in hers, still staring at me from point-blank range. “And yes, I am very taken.” She squeezed my hand, and then we followed the others down the hall, picking up the pace a bit to catch up.

***

That was a little insane! I thought to myself as Audrey and I entered the ballroom through the door reserved for us royals. My mind was still spinning from what just happened. A goddess… A being above the literal world I know finds me attractive? I was doing everything I could to stop it from getting to my head, but my ego definitely inflated a bit.

Not to mention, I just watched my own mother flirt back with said goddess through my girlfriend! I was having a hard time wrapping my head around what just transpired, and as Audrey and mine’s arrival was announced to the room, I decided it was just best to shelf it for now. I took a few deep breaths to clear my head, then regrettably released Audrey’s hand.

“We’ll have to hold back a little in front of this many people,” I whispered to her. “Unlike the academy, these nobles are quite stuck in their ways.”

Audrey nodded at my explanation, but I could see the faint sadness in her eyes. I’m sure I look the same way. Unfortunately, we had to be mindful of complete strangers, but it was just how things were. But I’m working to change it, and I will succeed. After a few more moments, I put myself into princess mode and led the way.

As we entered the room, we quickly made our way to where the rest of my family waited, and I couldn’t help but be surprised at how Audrey carried herself. It was evident that the lessons with my mother had paid off. There was still a faint stiffness to her movements, but she walked gracefully with her head held high.

As tradition dictated, I greeted my parents with a slow curtsey, and Audrey followed suit after I was done. It looked and felt a little different than what I was used to, but that was because of the newer gowns mother had us wear. The skirts were much slimmer and lighter than your standard ballgown.

As I looked around the room, I realized that everybody, especially the men, was gazing at us with rapture. Then it clicked. When Mother said it was the new trend, she meant we would be starting it… That would have been good to know beforehand since Audrey seemed uncomfortable being stared at by so many.

I subtly linked our pinkies together in a show of comfort, and she smiled at me as we took our seats. I spotted a few familiar faces in the crowd, Yuzuki and Sasha, to name the important ones. I assume Sasha split from my mother so she could enter with her own parents, who were standing behind her.

For the first time since I met Audrey, I saw the entirety of House Rose in the same room. I could tell my girlfriend was making an effort not to look in their direction, so I studied them for her.

Duke Rose stood behind his daughter, his hands resting gently behind him. He was the same as ever: Head held high in baseless confidence. His gaze passed right over me when our eyes met like I wasn’t even there. This party is for me!

The second duchess, Victoria Rose, stood beside her husband. She had been the daughter of a baron. Marrying the duke was the best thing to ever happen to her, but she never realized their marriage cost her family their monopoly on the newly discovered diamond mines on their lands. She stood now, nothing but jealousy in her eyes as she studied the gown Sasha wore. She’s quite pretty on the outside, but it seems that's where it ends.

Sasha was slightly more reserved than I had seen the last two days. She knew Audrey was alive now, but she stood between the two people responsible for her death in the first place. I could tell she was doing everything she could to act normal in front of her parents.

“Thank you all for coming! Today, we’re celebrating the biggest milestone for any child: my daughter, first princess Lydia Venyth's eighteenth birthday!” My father said, his voice projecting uncontested over the crowd. “Today, we happily welcome her to adulthood!”

The crowd clapped and cheered as my father finished, and he turned to me, his kingly facade dropping for a moment as he spoke to me directly. “Happy birthday, my sweet daughter.”

“Thank you, Father,” I replied with a bright smile. Then he turned back to the crowd, raising his hand into the air. “Let the celebration commence!” At his command, the whole room shifted into motion. People turned their attention away from where we sat, turning to their neighbors to chat or moving to the banquet tables laden with various snacks and sweets. A gentle melody filled the space as a live orchestra played in the corner.

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A line started forming, leading up to my seat as nobles took turns giving me well wishes on my special day. I suppressed the sigh that threatened to break free as the line only grew, no matter how quickly I cycled through the people. It’s not that I hated having such a public event for my birthday, but I’ve always preferred the company of those close to me to the shallow congratulations from strangers.

Then… there’s this. It happens every year…

“Your Highness! You look absolutely dazzling in that gown!” A young nobleman complimented me dramatically. “You shine brighter than the sun at dawn!” The polite mask I wore nearly slipped as I thanked him. His eyes shone with hope, his intentions clear through his words. “Perhaps you’d like to have tea sometime?”

“I’m thankful for the invitation, sir. But I fear I must decline.” I shot him down as clearly as possible, hoping he would take the hint. Sadly, it seemed this particular noble had traded his intelligence for empty bravado.

“Don’t say that, Your Highness! I’m quite the catch if I do say so myself…” His lips twisted into what I’m sure he thought was a charming smile. “Do you not agree?”

I felt my temple throb and did everything in my power to keep my face composed in a pleasant expression. “It’s not for me to say… If I may, there are still others I wish to greet.” I evaded his question and urged him to be on his way. I looked over at my family for help, but the only person paying any attention to us right now was my girlfriend, who looked like she was about to drop this man into the shadow realm.

Wait... but I have a valid excuse this year! Before now, I was told I couldn’t lie about it because it would stir up trouble if proven false. Now, however, my family supports us. So there should be no issue, right?

I turned back to the man, my smile bright with excitement. “I’m flattered by your words, sir. But I’ve already been promised to somebody else.” The immediate area around us went silent at my words, and sweat dripped down my face as my smile strained. Damn…

I had intended only to shoo this man away, not announce an engagement. My parents turned to me, eyes wide. Their thoughts of "What the hell are you doing?!" were clear on their faces. Oh, now you pay attention! The silence slowly overtook the room, whispers of what I said moving from mouth to mouth.

The celebration had just started, and I’d already made a mess. The silver lining was that Audrey looked happy as could be, no longer exuding murderous intent. Father quickly cleared his throat and took control of the situation.

“My daughter seems more excited than I thought about a prospective engagement!” He said while emphasizing it wasn’t a sure thing. Mother rubbed at her temples in exasperation as my brothers came up behind me.

“What was that?” Luke whispered. His face was turned into a pleasant smile, but his eyes were anything but.

“What a thing to say, Lydia!” Abel said, barely containing his enjoyment of the situation. But as I thought about it, I realized I could use this to my advantage. If I’m vague enough…

I turned toward my father dramatically, purposefully speaking in a higher tone than usual. “But Father, I love them!” I declared boldly, really laying on the emotions. His eyes widened in confusion, and I could see Mother go from exasperation to outright anger. I saw a flash of mana in her hand, but it disappeared just as quickly. Did she just consider freezing me?!

I knew the consequences of this would be harsh, but I didn’t care. They owed me this much for even considering sending Audrey to the battlefield. Real tears sprang to my eyes as I continued. “It may not be official yet, but I won’t have anyone else!” My honest feelings slowly replaced the act I had planned.

“They already have my heart, and I theirs! There’s nothing you can do or say to change that!” I announced to the crowd. I took a haggard breath. Resisting the urge I had to look at Audrey. To see what emotions were painting her face right now. But it would give away who I was talking about with so many eyes on me, and I couldn’t let that happen. Not yet.

I knew my family understood and accepted my feelings, but society would be entirely different. If I didn’t lay the groundwork now, when the time came, I knew my family’s duty to the kingdom would come first. It wasn’t outside the realm of possibility for them to decide Audrey and I needed to be separated if the situation got bad enough.

But before Father could respond, a sudden scream pierced the air. A wave of heat— no, fire, rushed toward me. Huh? It’s so weak. I raised my hand to deflect the attack, but before I could even summon my mana, a blade of water cut through the flames, dissipating the magic. My girlfriend was in front of me, water covering her arms.

Another attack, this time with stone spears, flew toward my father, who easily side-stepped them. The crowd sat in stunned silence for a mere moment before turning to chaos. More attacks were launched from the crowd, but the knights stationed on security acted quickly, forming a defensive line in front of my whole family. Surely this wasn’t his plan!

Realizing they wouldn’t be able to get to us anymore, the unknown assailants turned their attention toward the panicked crowd. Magic flew in every direction as nobles fled the room, defending themselves from the indiscriminate attack.

“Leah!” I called to my lady-in-waiting, who was standing in front of me defensively with Lucia and Audrey now. “Can you find the enemies?” But she shook her head at my question.

“Apologies, my lady. There’s too much mana in the air. I can’t accurately detect the initial attacks with my wind.”

“There are multiple attackers,” Lucia stated, effortlessly blocking a barrage of water arrows that came our way. “I’m doing my best to track the sources of the attacks, but it’s difficult with the chaos. If I had to guess, I’d say there’s around five.” She said.

My brothers and I looked at each other. Five…

“What is he thinking?!” Luke growled.

Then, something caught my attention. “Brother… Why hasn’t the crowd thinned?” I asked, looking toward the door, soon finding the answer. All the doors to the room had been blocked with massive stone walls. I saw nobles attempting to destroy them with various magic, but it was ineffective. They must have a powerful earth mage.

Another shout drew our attention to the chaos. “Duke Rose has been injured!” I looked through the crowd and confirmed Audrey’s father was indeed lying on the floor, blood seeping from a wound in his shoulder. The Duchess and Sasha were frozen in fear beside him. What is going on?! Before I had time to think, A vast wave of fire flew toward the duke and his family.

I launched my own magic from where I stood, but dread filled my stomach as I realized I was too far away to intercept the attack in time. I cried out as the fire enveloped Sasha and her parents. Audrey… I turned to look for my girlfriend, but she was nowhere to be seen.

“Look, they're alright, my lady,” Leah said happily, drawing my attention back to the Roses to see Audrey standing there, her arms wrapped protectively around her sister. A thin wall of water surrounded the family, absorbing the attack. I breathed a sigh of relief, but my breath hitched as I saw Audrey raise a hand, her face twisted in anger.

Silver overtook the blue of her eyes, and her body started to glow with power.

“No! Audrey, don’t!” I screamed, but my voice was lost in the crowd as her magic sprang forth.

***

Everything moved in slow motion as I saw the fire approaching Sasha, and without thinking, I quickly sunk into the shadows. Appearing next to my sister in an instant, I raised a barrier of water reinforced with my divinity just in case. The heat broke against my water, and I let my magic fade as I held Sasha in my arms.

“S-Sister…” She said quietly, her eyes filled with fear and unshed tears.

“It’s alright, I’ll protect you,” I said back, smiling at her before turning my attention back to the chaos. How dare they attempt to hurt my sister. I didn’t even look at my parents, who were no doubt staring at me right now. Pulling on my stella, I raised a hand.

“Audrey, if you do this, you’ll be revealing yourself as a divine guardian. There’s no going back.” My goddess warned.

“It’s fine.” I didn’t even hesitate. “I know Lydia will protect me. Besides, people are getting hurt. They tried to hurt Sasha. I won’t stand by and watch.” As Leah said, It was impossible to tell who was launching the attacks by mana alone since some people were using magic defensively. If that’s the case…

I focused my senses through the shadows at everyone's feet, then using my stella, I stretched and materialized the shadows to bind everyone casting magic. I was careful not to overuse my divinity like last time and avoided binding anyone who obviously wasn’t a suspect, like the knights and the royal family.

The room was filled with even more screams, as I no doubt caught more innocent people than enemies, but I figured the knights would be able to sort out who was who quickly. I turned toward Lydia, and guilt flooded me as I saw her outstretched hand and the despair on her face as she looked at me.

“I’m sorry.” I mouthed to her with a resigned smile. My girlfriend composed herself and gave me a slow shake of her head. The two princes, quickly grasping my intentions, led the knights through the room to inspect everybody who was bound and calm the confusion of those who weren’t. I saw Lydia consult with her parents before she, too, led some knights to help sort things out. I can still help.

First, I turned to my Father, who sat on the ground clutching his shoulder. I avoided his gaze as best I could as I knelt down, holding my hands over his bleeding wound.

“Heal,” I whispered. My hands glowed white with holy magic, and his wound slowly closed. Being so close to my Father and stepmother was making me physically ill, so I quickly stood up, telling Sasha to stay with our parents, and looked for any reason to leave. Sadly, the room was filled with a chorus of cries, but it worked for me as I moved to the nearest source of distress.

A noblewoman had been hit with fire, and the dress she had been wearing burned away on the left side of her stomach. Her skin was seared and blistering as she cried in pain. A female knight was struggling to hold her still long enough to bandage the wound, so I put a hand on her shoulder.

“It will be alright.” I comforted, my hand hovering over the burned area as I once again whispered the trigger word. “Heal.” I was grateful the incantations for healing were relatively short. I hadn’t used it since the attempt on Lydia’s life, so I still used the phrases to help me focus on the outcome I wanted.

Both the knight and the noblewoman looked at me in shock as her skin healed over until there was no trace of the burn.

“T-Thank Y-You.” The woman said, her face stained with tears. “A-Are you an angel?” She asked me.

“Something like that,” I said with a small smile before moving on to the next person that needed my help. There were dozens of injured people, and I didn’t know the severity of their injuries, so I practically sprinted all over the room.

They need me, I can help! The thought helped me push through the nausea I felt building in my stomach as I witnessed and healed wound after wound—a broken leg… more burns… an impaled shoulder… I couldn’t let myself dwell on what I was seeing.

I pushed through a group of people, following the heartbroken cries of a woman. As I found the source, my heart sank. A woman was crying desperately over the body of her husband, a bloodied stone spear embedded in his chest.

I shook my hesitation off and quickly knelt down beside her.

“Let me,” I said, repeating the same motion I’d been doing. My hand glowed a brighter white as I tried to heal him. “Total Recovery.” The man’s eyes stared vacantly toward the ceiling.

“Total Recovery.” I tried again, this time more fervently, using more stella.

“Total Recovery.” Again, there was no response. I need more. I infused even more stella into my mana.

“Total Recovery!” I shouted angrily, tears pricking my eyes. I can save him!

“Audrey…” Aurora said sadly.

“No! Don’t say it!” I pleaded, still trying to heal the man.

“His soul is already gone…” My hand slowly fell to my side at her words, my magic fading. Staring at the ground, I bit my lip in frustration.

“I’m sorry…” I said to the noblewoman, who broke out into a heartbroken sob, throwing herself over her husband’s corpse.

“Daniel! No! Please don’t leave me!” Hearing his name broke something in me, and I stood up slowly, leaving the grieving woman. The nausea I had been fighting threatened to boil over as I held a hand to my mouth.

“Audrey!” I turned toward the voice, and my girlfriend ran up to me. “By the Goddess, you’re covered in blood! Are you hurt?” She asked frantically, patting me down and letting out a breath of relief when I slowly shook my head.

“It isn’t mine; I’m okay,” I said, a bit numbly. The dress Aunt Bella gave me is ruined… Even though my dress was red to start with, the fabric was obviously stained. I guess I wasn’t paying attention while healing.

Lydia pulled me into a hug, her arms cradling my head. “It’s alright, don’t cry, Audrey.” Crying? I’m not— But when I touched a hand to my face, it came away wet. Oh.

I wrapped my arms around her tightly. “I-I couldn’t save him!” I wept in her embrace. Back when I killed the assassin, I hadn’t felt anything at the loss of life. He had deserved it after the life he had chosen to live. But now, I cried over the death of a stranger.

“It isn’t your fault,” Lydia said quietly. “The responsibility for this falls on the attackers and…”

“Probably my father… right?” I asked. “But he was also injured, nearly killed.”

She pushed herself away from me a little bit so we could see each other's faces. “Never mind that… Let’s find you somewhere to sit down.” I shook my head, sniffling as I wiped at my eyes.

“No, I’ll rest later. There are still people who need help, right?” The room had quieted drastically from before, but I could still hear people in pain. I wanted to help them, but I was still shaken from before. I don’t know if I can do it alone right now… “Will you come with me?” I asked Lydia, and she smiled.

“Of course, I took the knights to assess injuries earlier. You already healed the worst ones, luckily.” She took me around the room to the remaining injured, and I healed them until the pain was gone. Right as I finished the last one, the princes found me.

“Audrey, we’ve figured out who the perpetrators are.” I nodded, taking a moment to confirm my healing worked, then followed them through the room and released everybody from the shadows they pointed at, leaving only five people dressed in the castle servant's uniforms.

“We know the face of most of the staff working the celebration today,” Abel said, his face turning grim. “We’ve never seen these people before, and neither have any of the real servants.” The suspects were scattered throughout the room and were still trying to break away from the bonds that held them.

“They’ve practically confirmed our suspicions with how desperate they’ve been trying to escape,” Prince Luke scoffed. “They are quite the amateurs.” I saw some sparks of magic shoot from their bodies, but I had my shadows binding their hands and feet and covering their mouths so that they couldn’t use anything long-range. My shadows are also reinforced with my stella, so no matter how strong their magic is, it won’t break through.

After a quick deliberation about what to do with them, it was decided they’d be interrogated later after the mess they caused was cleaned up. I disconnected my shadows from the ground so the knights could take the culprits to the dungeons, then finally found a seat to rest in for a bit.

“You saved a lot of people today, Audrey. Thank you.” Prince Luke said, bowing his head to me in gratitude.

I waved my hands in panic. “No, need to thank me, I only did what I could… and still…” my eyes drifted over the corner, where three bodies lay covered with sheets. People were gathered around them, grieving their loved ones. Including the woman from earlier. “I couldn’t save everyone…”

Luke kneeled before me in my chair, taking my hand. “Nobody can, Audrey. But there were many people with fatal injuries that you did save today.” I could see the deaths pained him as well, but he still comforted me. “Focus on what you accomplished, not what you didn’t. If you plan to stay by my sister’s side and join our family, likely, this won’t be the only time you feel this way. You’ll need to learn to accept the bad with the good.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, and Prince Luke looked at me confused. “What’s so funny?” he asked.

“It’s nothing… Lydia said something similar to me before we left the academy, that’s all.” I thought back to the conversation we had when I learned of my limits. “You two are very similar, sometimes.” I giggle.

“I’ll assume you meant that as a compliment.” He said with a small smile before standing up again. “I have quite a daunting task, cleaning this up and what Lydia said.” I blushed as he reminded me of my girlfriend's surprise confession before everything went to hell.

“Please, let me know if there’s anything else I can do to help,” I said, but he waved me off and ran a hand through his hair. You’ve done enough, Audrey. Please leave some work for the rest of us.” With that, I was left sitting alone with my thoughts until Lydia found me again.

“We should get cleaned up,” she said, offering me her hand. Her own gown had gotten dirty, though not as much as mine had. “I sent Leah ahead to start a bath for us.” I nodded, and as I reached for her hand, an angry shout echoed through the now-destroyed ballroom.

“What is the meaning of this, Your Majesty?! " I turned to find none other than my father causing a scene. He had my stepmother, and Sasha pulled in close like he was actually afraid for their safety. My stepmother had an excited blush on her face as she gazed at her husband, but Sasha looked like she’d rather be anywhere else but there.

“Just who is that girl?! And why were your advisors unaware of such an asset to the kingdom?!” He gestured toward me, and Lydia's lips trembled with laughter as I pointed at myself in confusion.

Uncle Stephan looked like he was done with the whole situation, his mask as king just barely holding on. “Duke Rose. She is not an ‘asset’ as you so eloquently described. She is a member of our family.”

“Ridiculous! No such member exists!” My father shouted. That’s rich, coming from a man who doesn’t even recognize his own daughter. “There is no record of a girl other than Her Highness in the current royal family!” His eyes moved to me, and I was surprised to see anger directed my way. Lydia supported my back as I flinched a little bit, but my run-in with Leslie had already knocked all the genuine fear from my system.

“You are correct; she is not related by blood,” Uncle Stephan conceded. “But she is family nonetheless.” The confidence in his voice warmed my heart, and Lydia squeezed my hand. The remaining nobles in the room started to form a crowd again as my father argued with his king.

“She holds power beyond even our most talented court mage! Yet the royal family hid her away instead of utilizing her to fight the empire!” My blood ran cold at his words, and I felt Lydia stiffen up beside me. “Not to mention those healing abilities are gifts only bestowed among those blessed by the divine!” Oh no…

Uncle Stephan hesitated, “It is true; she is blessed by the divine.” The admission sent a wave of whispers through the gathering crowd, and my father’s face twisted in victory. “However, " the king said, stealing everyone's attention again. We were not hiding her away. She was being trained.” My heart stopped as he continued talking. “She just recently finished her training, and we had planned to reveal her to the public soon and send her to the front lines.”

My mind stopped. What? I turned to Lydia, who was looking at me with pain. “Is that true? Was that really the plan?” Her mouth opened and closed, wordless, before she averted her gaze.

“It is.” She finally said, and I felt my heart break. The worked slowed to a halt around me. I don’t want to hear anymore… My body started darkening, and Lydia desperately reached out for me. “Please let me explain, Audrey—” But her hand passed right through mine as I sunk into the shadows.