Smiling in the comfort of the spacious seats that were in Grove Cornelius' carriage, Victoria Magika had looked on at her reflection in the window - a creamy countenance with luscious red lips, slightly pulled upwards. Unbeknownst to her, a bewildered gazer had been staring blankly at her mystifying visage. He had given his lips a fine lick, and then he asked her a question to gather her attention.

"What are you smiling about?"

"Hmph! Why does it matter to you, general?" Victoria's peaceful thoughts had been intruded on.

"This is why you lack friends." Isaac returned as he quickly turned away from her side glance.

"Ahem..." An onlooker, Axel, coughed.

"What?" Isaac asked.

"Are we nearly there yet?" Asked Axel.

"You're such a child!" Isaac laughed aloud. "Yes, we are here. Can't you already smell that rich, snobbish stench?" He asked.

"No, we cannot. What is so wrong with Greenwich to you?" Victoria asked.

"It's a stupid capital city. The people are far too full of themselves. Stupid people. Tell me, what do you see outside your windows?" Isaac closed his eyes with a fitting smirk.

"Well, the city does seem a little poor. But it has beautiful buildings and street work, beneath all this poverty. Wasn't Greenwich a rich place?" Axel pondered.

"Huh! What are you on about?" Isaac quickly opened his eyes and rushed towards the window.

"My side shows the same observations Axel has. What seems to be your point, general?" Victoria smugly asked.

"Greenwich is supposed to be blindingly rich! Not this terrible trash! Something has happened here." Isaac boldly claimed.

"I will ignore your criticisms. The capital is undergoing a few changes, that is all." Grove bluntly said from ahead.

He had turned a corner of the road and granted sight of a stunning building. The carriage soon came to a halt, and the group had exited the carriage one by one, with Grove dragging their prisoner out. Each of them had rested their eyes on the unworldly exterior of the Greenwich Palace, a blinding beauty of polished gold. Everything had been encrusted in this shade of gold. Everything, except for the wonderful waterfalls that had been spewing a fresh supply of water from the two front towers of the palace. Moving about in slow, clunky movements, a bedazzling knight that had been concealed with sheets of golden plating had greeted them with a mechanical bow.

"Sir Grove, the Queen is waiting inside. Quite impatiently, may I add." They said.

"Yes, yes. I'm sure she is in a hurry. We best be going now, we would not want to waste her time." Grove said, sharply turning around to Isaac. "I hate to remind you this, but do not forget your manners. She is a queen." He rudely whispered to him.

As the magnificently arched doorways of the palace opened, a glimmer of the sweet sun had shined across the soft countenance of Queen Isabella Rosemary, a beauty for her youthful age, with subtle crimson eyes. This settled well alongside her rose-tinted white trails of hair. She had been twisting and twirling her smooth curls at the bottom of her long but delicate hair, as she looked down at her visitors with a hopeless smile. With her cool white hands, she placed one on the armchair of her throne, and one on her rosy cheek to elegantly support it. Her delicate legs sublimely crossed, like a barrier from the touch of hungry suitors, and the golden sandals on her feet clapping - one of them had been still, the other repeatedly touching the palm of her foot. Her throne was the centrepiece of the palace, acting as the immediate sight of all visitors.

Closely hopping her eyes across each of her visitors, she finally fell onto Isaac, who had particularly caused her sharp jaw to rise in passionate excitement. Deeply burrowing her rich red eyes into his darker pair, she had reached the inside of his mind, quite literally, and here she began making contact with him by using a divine power of telepathy. Just herself, and Isaac Rose.

"Do you have any fruit?" Her subtle voice had only been in his mind, causing a slight jolt to his stance, the others had been standing idle in wait for Grove to bring in their prisoner.

"Don't scare me like that! You can speak to me in person! And no, I don't have any fruit, why would I?" Isaac gave her an incisive glance.

"Bournington is our main supplier of fruit, and we haven't received any in over a week!" Isabella exclaimed.

"That does explain the situation on the streets." Isaac remarked.

"Yes, but that issue is partly because of me becoming queen though..." Isabella guiltily said.

"Why have you decided to become queen here? You're such a fool!" Isaac scowled.

"I didn't want to! They've forced me into it here! You and I both know where my eyes are set!" Isabella said, determination striking her luscious red pupils.

"Sure, they can force you here because your royalty here is confirmed. Your place in -!" Isaac had paused abruptly.

Lightly nudging him for his attention, Victoria had given him a sidelong glance with the corner of her azure blue pupil. He recognised her concern for something, and her wisdom had been one of the wisest in the room, and therefore he pulled his gaze away from Queen Isabella and turned to Victoria.

"Is something the matter? They will be here soon." Isaac whispered.

"Someone is using a divine power here. I don't see it anywhere though." Victoria returned.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Ah, I see..." Isaac bit his lip and turned to Isabella, his eye also briefly gathering the arrival of his prisoner. "...you have been found out Isabella. You can tell them yourself." He said.

"She is not to be called that! Her name is Queen Isabella, how dare you?" Grove viciously asked, staring challengingly at him.

"Oh, Grove! Can you stop for a moment, please? He is my older brother for goodness sake! I would prefer it if he called me by my name!" Isabella delightfully revealed, her red nails digging into her cushioned seat at the sight of everyone's shock.

The hall had been eclipsed into a sudden silence as the group began to compare Isaac and Isabella with their appearance and features. Smiling with this newfound knowledge, Victoria chuckled in defeat as she realised how easily she had been fooled - the similarities between the two Rose siblings were in fact quite close.

"Ah, this explains the name! Rosemary and Rose." Axel said as he puzzled the pieces together.

"Not to mention the similarities in their eyes, nose, ears, cheeks..."

"Alright." Isaac quickly put Victoria to silence. "We don't look that similar, do we?" Isaac asked with reserve.

"No...it's true. You two look very similar after having a second look." Said Grove, slowly chewing each of his words.

"Oh, Grove. Will you shoo? I want some privacy!" Isabella had signalled for his leave, which he reluctantly followed through with.

Isaac gave him a sincere smile, and then he returned his attention to Queen Isabella, the group quickly retracing their conversation. Stepping politely forwards, Victoria had begun a curtsy to the Queen before a firm grip from the general refused her the action.

"There is no need for that. Say what you will." He said.

"Ahem...your majesty..." Victoria began, with a lowered gaze.

"There is no need for that too, Victoria. Everyone will call her Isabella." Isaac demanded.

"Well then, Isabella, I would like to ask you, what is your divine power?" Asked Victoria.

"My power, it is the divine power of mind merging." Proclaimed Isabella.

"I've read that divine power can let you read minds!" Axel said with curious intrigue.

"Hah! I wish! My power can only go so far right now. A girl like me doesn't need to use it too often." Isabella miserably said, her elegant expression falling slightly.

"Ah, that means you cannot practice it too often." Axel said, lightly disappointed.

"Besides, if I want to get into someone's mind. I have other means." Isabella said with a menacing smile.

"Huh...what?" Axel stuttered out, taken aback by her icy change in tone.

"I'm only kidding! What a cute little reaction you have!" Isabella exclaimed, clapping her hands together in satisfaction.

"Ahem, I am quite older than you, Miss Isabella, so you must not trick me like that." Axel said, reaffirming himself.

"Actually, I'm sorry to tell you that she is the same age as you." Isaac interjected.

"Wha...! She looks far too young to be my age!" Said Axel with a wave of embarrassment that took him back a few steps.

"Haha! I love it! I don't know whether to take your words as a compliment or an insult." Isabella said with a smile curling across her thick red lips.

"A compliment, of course." Muttered Axel, his cheeks blushing.

"Mmm, why don't you say that a bit louder? It's a bit hard to hear up here. Or perhaps, you could come up next to my ear..." Isabella said, her fingers pressed to her seducing lips.

"Enough Isabella. Show some restraint!" Isaac intervened in her proposal.

"We are here on business after all." Said Victoria with a blush.

Casting her ruby eyes off Axel, Isabella reluctantly cast her gaze towards her dull inspiring brother, her smile slowly falling from her face at the bland sight. After a slight hesitation of words, he finally rose to project his voice, but his sister's sudden words quickly halted him.

"Is this to do with him?" She asked, having a demeaning look at Envy.

"Hahaha! I believe it is..." Envy chaotically laughed like a mad man.

"What has he done?" Isabella sighed.

"This is the Sin of Envy." Isaac observed the gruesome-looking man.

"Hmm?" Isabella rose one of her fine eyebrows. "He is the Sin of Envy? Why is he here?" She asked.

"We are planning on taking him to Bournington, but Grove insists he will stay here." Bitterly said Isaac.

"Yes, of course - take him away! I don't want a sin near me!" Defensively exclaimed Isabella.

"Thank you for your help, Isabella." Cheerfully replied Victoria.

"My help is not free, I'm afraid." Rather guiltily, Isabella confessed.

"What is it? What do you want?" Isaac asked.

"There's no need to be so agitated! I only ask for one thing." Her breaths nervy, Isabella said.

"Well, out with it!" Well accustomed to her antics, Isaac demanded.

"Stay here with me," Isabella curled her eyes to the carpet, "the others are free to go." She clarified.

"What? Why me?" Surprised, Isaac asked.

"Or perhaps, your friend instead?" Isabella suggested with a desperate glance to Axel.

"No. You will have me once you have told me your intentions." Isaac barricaded Axel off from her eager eyes.

"Being forced to sit here, alone and bored to death. It's not fair! They don't allow me to do anything here!" Bemoaned Isabella.

"Oh, come on Isabella, you're the Queen here! You can easily tell them what to do. Have you not abused your power before?" Isaac asked, causing Victoria to stare at him questionably.

"I can't use my power here. They tell me I am at a threat from something. I feel as if I'm in the way of something, so please. Help me out?" Isabella implored.

"I already told you, I will be staying here. Calm down, Isabella." Isaac sighed.

"But Isaac, Bournington?" Axel pondered.

"I entrust it to you for now." Isaac placed his hand on his shoulder. "Do me proud, Axel." He said.

"I will." Claimed Axel.

"Cute." Isabella sniggered.

Hesitantly leaving the main hall of the palace, Axel and Victoria kept their eyes on the Rose siblings as they awaited Envy to join them in the carriage. On their passing by, Grove had returned at the call of a bell, and with a look of agitation stuck to his face, he fixed his eyes onto the immovable Isaac.

"They will take the prisoner, Grove." Isabella said.

"Very well. Is - is Prince Rose going to join us to the carriage?" Reluctantly asked Grove.

"No, I shall stay here and assess how my sister is doing." Isaac said. "So, you may leave now, and do my friends a favour by assisting them to Bournington. Thank you, Grove." Isaac gave him an effortless goodbye.

"Very well. I will be back shortly." Affirmed Grove as he left the hall with Envy.

"Did you hear that? Prince Rose! How charming!" Isaac laughed.

"You did that so well. He is cunning though. You won't be able to have the upper hand on him like that for too long." Isabella sighed.

"You lack confidence Isabella, grow up." Replied Isaac.

While the two had already begun a spew of quarrelling, Axel and Victoria had swiftly departed on their journey back to the Greenhouse.