“That’s enough lava, Sere.”
We weren’t sure when and where it would happen, but it was looking likely that I would have to go up against Schneider, so Asu was teaching me fire magic on a bare hill not far from the Twilight Palace.
“Why? I want to make a lot, just like you did.”
“I was able to do that because we were in a desert. If you did that here, it would kill the forest. And lava flows from above to below, anyway, so unless you can fly like me, it’s not always possible to use it.”
“Should we practice more flames, then?”
“That seems best for now.”
When I made flames, I shot them from my palms, but if there was ice floating all over the sky, I wouldn’t be able to keep up with just two hands. I want to be able to melt a large swath of ice all at once... Maybe I could use that thing from my past life? But I’d have to talk to Miyu about that.
“Asu, I want to contact Miyu. What should I do?”
“Notice the flow of your magic, then close your eyes and focus on Miyu’s magic inside you...”
Just then, something touched the barrier around us. Asu and I shared a glance. This presence is... I relaxed my guard.
“The emperor wants to see you, Asu, Miss.”
It was unusual for Arthur to come himself. Since when did Arthur start calling me Miss? Some kind of way of asserting dominance? Arthur called Asu a bird spirit like everyone else in Galé at first, but those who could see him were starting to call him Asu.
“Did something happen? You don’t usually come to get me.”
“No... I offered to come. I was hoping to watch some of your training...”
“Hmm... Can I have time to change clothes?”
“You have to change whether you have time or not!” Asu chided me. I was in my gray ninja outfit, by the way.
“Okay, I’ll go back to my room first and then head to the palace. Bye!”
I started into a dash toward the Twilight Palace. Asu flew directly to Gillain.
“What?! Wait!” echoed Arthur’s voice in the distance.
Arthur led Lou and Sakaki into Gillain’s office. Gillain, Asu, and Regueid were already in the room.
“Lady Serephione, why are you wearing...that?” Regueid was hesitant for once. It was a nice sight.
“These are Arthur’s old clothes. I don’t go out in public anymore ever since we announced our engagement, so I don’t need to wear a gown, right? I usually wear a soft cotton dress in my palace, but this is more comfortable for me since I’m used to wearing pants from my time in school and in Marsche. I don’t know any tailors in Galé, but I borrowed Arthur’s clothes from when he was younger, and they fit perfectly! Waste not, want not!”
I had arrived in Arthur’s hand-me-downs and boots. They may have been hand-me-downs, but they were from the son of a marquis. I wore a white silk shirt and black pants. They were both crisp, as if Arthur had only worn them a couple times. My hair was in a short braid.
“Arthur!” Regueid shouted.
“I didn’t agree to this! I only gave them to her because she said she wanted old clothes! I never thought she would come to the palace in my clothes from when I was ten!”
“Sakaki!”
“I’m used to seeing her like this from back in Marsche.” Sakaki’s shoulders slumped.
“It’s fine, we all know each other here,” I insisted. “Wait, these are clothes from when you were ten? That kind of ticks me off! Oh, and this outfit will make it easier to fight back if I’m suddenly attacked like I was before!”
I’d stopped speaking formally with everyone here since the engagement announcement ceremony. Nobody took me to task for it. Strength was what mattered in Galé.
I looked at Regueid and raised my right eyebrow. He smiled through an uncomfortable expression.
“I’ll personally accompany you to the best dressmaker in Galé tomorrow, so be prepared. Can we move on to the main subject now, Your Imperial Majesty?”
“Well... Sere, Prince Gardner from Judore asked me to set up a meeting with you.”
Huh?
“What does he want?”
“He says it’s to foster goodwill between our nations.”
“Why does he want to see me and not just you?”
“I believe he said he wants to give you a commemorative gift as a noble lady from Judore who married into Galé.”
That’s quite the stretch... He must be determined.
“What do you think, Prime Minister?”
“Well, he probably wants support. It already looked like there was a big chasm between him and the first prince, but it seems their relationship has become antagonistic. He most likely wants you and Galé on his side.”
My summary... I think the upper class of Judore implicitly understand that I was almost killed for not helping Prince Schneider in his battle for the throne and had to flee to Marsche...
“Does Prince Gardner know about your bond with the heavenly beast of the west?” Arthur asked.
“No,” I replied.
Regueid chuckled. “I thought it was foolish for him to have let you leave the kingdom in light of your bond, but if he doesn’t even know about it, that itself is what makes him an idiot... Ha ha!”
Hey, Judoran royal family, you’re being laughed at!
Gillain had found me and Lou in Judore in a short time. Prince Gardner had overlooked me in his own kingdom because he’d been slacking on his training. That was definitely negligent of him. Well, it was partially because I’d been trying to avoid being noticed, but Prince Schneider had been able to find me...
Prince Gardner...
The prince had been the sun to me in the book. We played together and held hands as little kids. He put flower crowns on me and kissed my cheek. It was the beginning of a little romance.
“Let’s be together forever, Serephione.”
We made time to be together even when we went into the academy. We were tutored in magic by the magician’s association, disguised ourselves to see how the people lived, and had serious talks about the future of Judore.
“I love you, Serephione. Being with you gives me strength.”
I loved him from the bottom of my heart.
But when Maribelle came around, Prince Gardner and I spent less and less time together. I practiced magic on my own, went into town to learn the people’s grievances on my own, and wrote him notes about my opinions on Judoran policy, only for him to discard them before reading them.
And then, the war began...and I was condemned.
“You’re not fit to be queen!”
“I’m disappointed in you, Serephione. Our engagement is over!”
“I could never make a righteous nation with someone with as much blood on their hands as you. Maribelle and I are going to make a kingdom where everyone can be happy.”
I had no chance to explain myself. He turned on me with no hesitation and broke my heart.
“I have no hope left for you. Atone for your deeds by offering your magic to the nation until you die here.”
I was sucked dry of my magic until I died. The one who imposed the sentence was Prince Gardner. I died a slow, cruel death at his hand.
“Sere!”
I popped back into reality. Lou was looking at me intently.
“Sorry...”
“No, you were doing a good job of hiding that you were getting emotional. I think it probably just looked like you were deep in thought to Regueid and Arthur. You can’t fool your family, though.”
I looked up and saw Gillain staring at me with a slight crease between his eyebrows, as well as Asu tilting his head and sadly smiling. I switched my train of thought.
“What would you decide, Prime Minister?”
“I think you should meet with him. We have information about the first prince via His Majesty, but we have too little to judge about the second prince. Is he really just a fool? Is he a bona fide idiot?”
You’ve already decided he’s stupid either way...
There was no way I could stay calm while face to face with Prince Gardner, but it would be best to take the advice from the third party that was the crooked prime minister.
Also, I wasn’t alone. I nodded to Gillain.
“Arthur, send a messenger,” Gillain ordered. “Don’t write anything unnecessary. Just say we’re available for a meeting. That’s all.”
“Yes!”
“And Sere...”
Gillain tilted his head at me slightly.
“I’m not happy to see you wearing another man’s clothes in front of me.”
“Ah...”
I vaguely remember being told the same thing a long time ago...
“Y-Your Imperial Majesty, forgive me!” Arthur crumpled to the floor in the face of Gillain’s intimidation.
“Ho ho... Perfect, perfect!”
Regueid!
Gillain grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and led me out of the room. He left me stripped down to nothing and wrapped in a blanket in his bedroom until the tailor came...
My holy beast was no help; all he did was slap the ground with his front paws in a fit of laughter.
“Sere.”
“Yes?”
“I’ll wrap you in even more of my magic than before to keep you safe, so rest assured.”