Prologue
CLACK, CLACK.
The sound of pawns clattering across a chessboard rang through the room, soon joined by a knock at the door.
“Excuse us,” came a voice from the other side.
My eyes slid over to the source, and sure enough, Gilbert and Tommy entered my quarters. However, something was amiss. Not with Gilbert—I was quite used to him bringing me stacks of paperwork while dressed in his properly worn and well-coordinated uniform. That was the same as ever. The problem was with Tommy.
Tommy was a reliable sort and, although few knew it, a close confidant of mine. Oddly enough, he looked phenomenal standing there in maid’s attire. Adorable, really. He’d likely come to consult me once again on matters he wished to keep secret. Out of consideration for my reputation, were I to be seen in his company without a female attendant, he’d chosen to dress this way around me.
Since the three of us had a great many things to discuss as of late, I had unfortunately been subjected to this particular spectacle many times over. I still wasn’t accustomed to it, and I had to hold back my laughter every time. Refraining from chuckling at his appearance, I excused the other servants from my presence.
“Our sincerest apologies for visiting at such a late hour,” Gilbert said. “There was a sudden demand for document approvals.”
“I see. It’s not a problem,” I replied.
I got up from my seat, walked over to the chair where I conducted official business matters, and sat back down. I listened closely to what Gilbert had to say as I signed paper after paper.
“Is that all of them?”
“Yes. Thank you for your time.”
“I told you, I don’t mind. My duties are of utmost importance to me,” I said with a wry smile.
I was Luxeria Von Ausgrid. Though I was once born in a world called Earth amid the cosmos, my past life had been uneventful. One day, I suddenly perished—and was reborn into another world. Being reborn in such a manner was shocking enough, but this also turned out to be a world where magic was real. My rebirth and all it entailed sounded like something out of a fantasy novel. But for a number of reasons, this world was no fairy tale.
I was born into royalty. Not just any sort of noble upper class but as the sole heir to the throne. Rather than leading the spoiled life of a princess, I was held in captivity for most of my youth. I had powerful, overwhelming magic, and this magic was feared.
When a mage was born into this world, they came to possess a singular type of magic. Similar to how no two humans were exactly alike, neither were two types of magic. The one I commanded, Heart Realm, allowed me to hear others’ thoughts and control them as I wished. The kingdom had judged this power to be uncontrollable and dangerous—enough to destroy myself and those around me—so I was hidden away at a young age.
Perhaps this was for the best. Had I not been given such power, I would have struggled to keep control of the throne. It was easy to imagine, given the royal family’s waning influence at the time.
The royal family’s title was little more than a grandiose facade. The sphere of influence my family commanded was rather limited in scope, akin to that of a feudal lord in my previous life’s history. Over the years, their political power and authority was slowly stripped away. Eventually, the Great Five Marquess Houses became the ones who commanded great power in the kingdom.
Truth be told, my life in captivity wasn’t a bad one. I wasn’t required to endure any menial labor, I was fed, and I had freedom in my daily activities. During that time, I also met my one and only friend. I’d have lived a happy enough life had those days continued without interruption, but everything came to a screeching halt when my parents died.
They didn’t die from some normal cause like illness or old age; they were murdered in cold blood. And the ones pulling the strings in the shadows were the Great Five. The moment my parents were attacked, the Great Five attempted to kidnap me. I ended up losing my one true friend in the process. Life as I knew it shattered to pieces.
All that remained was my desire for revenge and my hatred toward those who took everything I held dear. Thus, I made a vow. A vow to make those wretched, cruel, power-hungry monsters kneel before me. I wanted to abase them, humiliate them, and see them squirm. I vowed to reform this nation, which their machinations had long distorted beyond recognition, and watch them wither away in defeat.
I took the crown, inheriting the throne that was once my father’s. Now that I was reflecting upon it, I had lived quite a solemn life.
“I am honored you feel that way, my queen.”
Gilbert’s reply brought me back to reality. “Your bureaucrats’ efforts have paid off over these past months, Gilbert,” I said. “The plan is proceeding as intended, and I have you to thank. I can see the final phase taking shape as we speak.”
It was on the day of my coronation that I set the ominous waves of my revenge in motion. The first to fall victim to my master plan was the house of Lord Radford, whose son was my betrothed. The Radfords’ very own descendant, along with the myriad Radford loyalists who populated my kingdom, were executed on that fateful day. In the six months that had passed since then, my bureaucrats had been hard at work reclaiming the infrastructure that the marquesses had stolen from me, taking back my ability to directly govern the land.
“But of course, my queen.” Gilbert raised the hand that wasn’t holding any papers and quickly pushed his glasses back up against his brow, his eyes glittering behind them.
His reaction piqued my curiosity, so I encouraged him to explain. “But of course, you say?”
“In my humble opinion, a plan with too many unforeseen variables is a half-baked one at best. You carefully considered every possible risk during the planning phase and prepared for the worst, making it clear that you considered it vitally important. Why else would I have been ordered to make so many preparations?”
His rhetorical question prompted me to chuckle a bit. “You are quite correct.”
I’d once heard that wars were won before they were ever fought. Political matters were similar. This was exactly why I had to consider how much money we would need, how many servants I would require, and how many risks I would have to take for my plan to come to fruition. Being unprepared for what came after bringing judgment upon the Radfords would’ve been incredibly foolish.
“You will need some kind of reward eventually,” I said. “Few are aware of how much effort you’ve put into our plan, even beyond overseeing the bureaucrats.”
“Oh, please. Watching such intriguing circumstances unfold is its own reward,” he replied.
“You truly want for nothing, don’t you? Regardless, there will come a day when things change.”
The kingdom’s civilians had no knowledge of what their political rulers were doing, nor how much effort was needed to accomplish anything. But this was a world without television or internet. There was no helping the fact that commoners didn’t have an opportunity to learn about the inner workings of their government. All they could judge and bear witness to were the results of our actions. Taking responsibility for such results was part of my duty to the kingdom, but my efforts were as visible as the wind passing through their villages.
Though I supposed my citizens’ ignorance was comparable to how people acted in my previous life. Even with greater access to information, there had been many who held no interest in politics, not to mention the ones who’d criticized political movements based on convenient assumptions. I shouldn’t judge them, for I avoided political subjects in those bygone days myself.
Gilbert dipped his head at my previous statement. “Indeed. We’ve only told the populace a tiny fraction of the truth thus far.”
“And the time will come when they must learn the whole truth. While I trust you, I also feel that we run quite the risk by focusing solely on restoring the royal family’s governing rights.”
“You may be right, but I think we should worry about that later.”
“That is fair. We have our own sinister schemes to concoct in the meantime.” A gleeful, menacing grin formed on my lips. “Let us make haste. We must purge the Great Five once and for all.”
Tommy, who had been silent the entire time, smiled at that. Only four of the Great Five Marquess Houses remained: Houses Alcott, Slade, Weston, and Beckford.
“I had a feeling you’d propose that sooner rather than later,” Gilbert said. “Nevertheless, we should consider what must be done after they’ve been eliminated. Our experience dealing with the Radfords should prove insightful. We simply must consider the characteristics of the regions each house rules as we formulate our plans.” His anticipation and excitement were as plain as the sun shining on his face.
“Indeed. Thank you for being so reliable. Hee hee… Ha ha ha!” I could no longer hold back my laughter, which burst forth from the depths of my being. “Ah, my apologies. Just the very thought of ridding the kingdom of those miserable snakes fills me with joy.”
Stifling further maniacal snickering, I continued, “What sort of emotions will the Great Five reveal when they realize they’ve been undone? Regret? Despair? Anger? Hatred? Ha ha ha! Thinking of it has my heart racing!”
Enduring bliss washed over me as I imagined their cold, dead eyes. Gilbert, on the other hand, turned pale.
“Ah, I’m sorry. You have little free time to spare, and I shouldn’t be wasting it. You’re welcome to excuse yourself,” I assured him.
“You are not wasting my time, Your Majesty. But I shall take you up on your offer. Pardon me.”
After Gilbert left, Tommy finally spoke up, paperwork still in hand. “What a pity,” he said. “Your venom struck him so deeply that he was blue in the face.”
“Venom?”