《Wings and Cages》


 Caged Bird

    Blood gushed out of Princess Odetta¡¯s mouth, splattering all over her breakfast and the large oak table she and her brothers shared as she clawed desperately at her chest.


    Sunlight streamed in through the large windows of the dining hall, bathing the few members of the royal family left alive in warmth.


    There was a beat of silence as everyone, including the servants unlucky enough to have their shifts take place at this time, comprehended the situation.


    The silence was broken only when Rhylis, the youngest prince of Andalia, shot up and ran around the table to clutch onto Odetta.


    ¡°Odette, Odette! Get a doctor!¡± When he yelled his sister¡¯s name, it set the servants into motion, scrambling to find a palace doctor to treat their one and only princess. As if they always cared for her.


    Meanwhile, Odetta¡¯s vision got more and more blurry with each second. Pain erupted throughout her whole body and she could hardly breathe.


    ¡°Poi...son¡­¡± She slumped into Rhylis¡¯ arms. The world spun round and round, neverending in reminding her of the hell she lived in. She attempted to look up into her brother¡¯s face, noticing only his sky-blue eyes and her reflection in them. Extremely pale and covered in blood, she could only imagine how ghastly she looked to everyone else.


    ¡°Odette, it¡¯ll be okay, just hang in there. If it¡¯s really poison, we¡¯ll find an antidote.¡± Rhylis was nothing but concerned. He had always been the most attentive and caring out of her brothers. Odetta¡¯s heart squeezed at the sight of him, her feelings of confliction ever the more present.


    ¡®Aren¡¯t you¡­ happy that I might die?¡¯


    Indeed, although he showed concern for her, Rhylis did not seem to make a huge effort in getting help for her. But then again, what could he do except wait for the palace¡¯s doctor to come and inspect her? Only Odetta, to her knowledge, was aware of Rhylis¡¯ secret hobby, and it¡¯s not like he could just show it to everyone here. The palace, where all the servants and court nobles resided in, was where gossip spread like wildfire.


    ¡°Tsk, now I¡¯ve lost my appetite.¡± Danell, who had sat beside Odetta on the dining table, set down his silverware and took out a handkerchief to wipe away the tiny drop of blood from his hand. He was the first prince of Andalia who had ceded his rights to the throne long ago, pledging his loyalty solely towards their eldest brother and king. Besides that, he never cared about anything else except burying his head in his studies. It was rare for him to ever join them for breakfast, so Odetta felt sorry to have ruined it for him.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    How laughable. Danell never spared Odetta even a glance, but here she was, worried about making him uncomfortable.


    However, no matter how scholarly Danell seemed, he was still a long-time Valdnrosa prince unlike Odetta.


    And a prince like him was more than used to the sight of blood and violence.


    ¡°You never know when to shut up, do you?¡± Rhylis snarled at Danell.


    There was a glint in Danell¡¯s eyes as he regarded Rhylis and Odetta with otherwise utter disinterest. ¡°Only a spoiled brat like you knows how to speak so crudely. Perhaps it¡¯s a good thing His Majesty isn¡¯t here today.¡±


    Ah¡­ they¡¯re bickering even like this. Odetta should have expected her brothers to act like this. It seems she was the only one who truly thought of them as family, but of course, the Valdnrosas were no ordinary family.


    When Rhylis opened his mouth to retort against Danell, he felt Odetta slowly tear herself away from his arms.


    Her eyes were blue, such is a common trait of the royal family, and they were a shade of blue as deep as a lake. Paired with her ivory skin and her raven black hair so rare in this country, it was no wonder how she was nicknamed ¡®Sired From the Foam of Ocean Waves.¡¯ The few servants who had stayed behind in the dining room during the whole fiasco were stunned by how Princess Odetta remained beautiful even when she was ghostly pale and skinny to the point of her bones being in danger from jutting out of her skin. A red stream continued dripping down her chin and beyond, ruining the front of her white dress.


    ¡®That beauty is wasted on her¡­¡¯


    That¡¯s what the palace¡¯s servants and the nobles that bothered to look at Princess Odetta mostly thought. They would never support a princess confirmed to have a slave as a mother.


    ¡°Rhylis, Danell,¡± she addressed the two of them so serenely that she managed to capture their sole attention. With the little strength she had left within her, she grinned, revealing her teeth stained in red.


    Their grimaces were so similar it wasn¡¯t hard at all to see them as brothers.


    ¡°If I die, just know that I love both of you and Casrian sooooo much!¡±


    She then closed her eyes and promptly fell forward back into Rhylis¡¯ embrace, completely limp. It was then that the palace doctor arrived. After doing a quick inspection on the princess, he advised the servants to carry the princess back to her bedroom after getting the go-ahead from Rhylis. She was practically dragged out.


    After Odetta was gone, Rhylis and Danell were the only two left in the dining room. Neither of them bothered to eat their food again, not when one of the plates was covered in blood.


    Danell sighed, placing his hands on the table and pushing off his seat, careful not to touch where the blood was on the table¡¯s surface.


    ¡°She¡¯s as simple as always. If she managed to hold out that long after consuming poison, she¡¯ll be fine,¡± Danell said, tucking his handkerchief back into his pocket and moving to leave the dining room. Most likely he would go back to his study and bury his face in books and work, never to come out for a couple of days at least.


    Rhylis side-eyed him. ¡°This is the most I¡¯ve heard you speak in a long time. I didn¡¯t know you cared about our sister that much.¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡± Was that supposed to be a jab at Danell? It was true though, he didn¡¯t really care about his two younger siblings. He wouldn¡¯t even say that he loved his older brother, Casrian. They all simply were offered different levels of respect from him. He only put up with them because he had to, in the end.


    Just as Danell was about to leave, the doors to the dining room burst open. In came a small parade of palace guards and servants, and in the center of them¡­


    Rhylis narrowed his eyes, stiffening visibly.

 The Unlucky Princess

    King Casrian Valdnrosa, a man known for his extravagance among the common folk and debauchery among the nobles. Indeed, his brown hair was a mess as if he hadn¡¯t bothered to comb it that morning and he was still in his loose silk robes, one sleeve barely hanging off his shoulder, revealing part of his gold-kissed skin down to his navel. Rhylis and Danell wondered if the guards and servants that surrounded Casrian were also the same people that accompanied him in bed last night. It wouldn¡¯t be a surprise if they were.


    Casrian¡¯s sandals clacked against the marble floor as he walked towards his dear younger brothers who were already bowing towards him. Rhylis¡¯ eyes couldn¡¯t help but wander towards the sword that hung lazily on his waist. It was a sword passed down through generations of rulers, yet here the current king was, wearing it like an ornament.


    Of course, everyone knew of his prowess with the sword. There was a reason he managed to slaughter all their other siblings and the previous king, after all.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I was just about to leave.¡± Danell was already back to being expressionless. What a nuisance. First, Odetta insisted on sitting beside him for breakfast today, and now this.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to eat breakfast alone. I¡¯m already full.¡± Rhylis didn¡¯t bother addressing Casrian the proper way. His distaste for his older brother was well-known throughout the palace and maybe even the rest of the country.


    Casrian, luckily, did not care how anyone, much less his own siblings, addressed him.


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad, I just saw Galene being carried out of here,¡± Casrian responded, calling Odetta by her honorific name. Only the royal family members of Andalia were given honorific names, and only the royal family members were allowed to call each other by those names. But even then, they were rarely used. It was Casrian alone who was stubborn in calling all of them by their honorific names, and they let him be since he was their king.


    If anyone else dared to call Princess Odetta as ¡®Galene,¡¯ it would be punishable by death, even if no one held respect for her as one should normally towards a princess.


    ¡°She was poisoned,¡± Rhylis told Casrian.


    Casrian then scanned the table behind Rhylis and Danell, noticing the bloodstains. He grinned, the spark in his eyes the only hint of the crazed state Rhylis knew he was capable of. ¡°Poor Galene. If only I had come earlier to witness the spectacle.¡±


    Rhylis rolled his eyes. Of course Casrian thought that would have been entertaining.


    Danell sighed beside him. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll take my leave, Your Majesty. I apologize for not having breakfast with you today.¡± He fixed his glasses, promptly leaving the dining room for good after Casrian languidly waved him away.


    As Casrian turned back to face Rhylis, the servants frantically rushed in to clean the table and set out new dishes for the king.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ll be leaving, too?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Someone has to check on Odetta.¡±


    ¡°Will you now, Adonis?¡± Casrian kept on smiling. It should also be worth mentioning that he, like the rest of the currently alive royal family members, had blue eyes. They were as dark as Odetta¡¯s, which was more of a coincidence than anything else. Nevertheless, Casrian was undoubtedly their older brother, which irked Rhylis, as he wanted nothing but to disown himself from him.


    Casrian watched as his youngest brother left the room, presumably to visit their one and only sister. Well, the only sister he chose not to kill. He placed his finger on his chin, lost in thought.


    ¡®Galene¡­ perhaps I¡¯ll visit you later myself.¡¯


    ***


    Odetta vaguely remembered seeing Rhylis, him speaking with the palace doctor, and some words about how she needed to rest and wait it out since the poison didn¡¯t seem like it was meant to kill her.


    ¡®Of course¡­¡¯


    ¡®I was the one who drank the poison before going to breakfast.¡¯


    After that, she went back to being unconscious.


    By the time she woke up again, her bedroom was empty of people except for her. The servants had long since abandoned her after knowing she would stay alive. When she looked at the window of her room with its curtains still drawn back, she realized that it was already night time. She did not know if she simply slept through a whole day or several.


    ¡°Whatever. It¡¯s not like anyone would care.¡± Odetta sighed to herself.


    She then thought back to the events that transpired and clenched her fists on her blanket.


    When she was first recognized as a princess and taken against her will to the palace, Odetta was already aware of the darkness that swarmed behind the Valdnrosas, but not the details.


    Casrian was kind to her when she first arrived. So much so that she let her guard down. He told her to survive, but Odetta figured that since he had taken the throne at a young age, the fight for the position of heir wouldn¡¯t be until decades later. This put her at peace since she was too close to that position for her liking, with Casrian not having any children of his own yet.


    She should have never let her guard down.


    ¡®Make sure you do anything to survive here.¡¯


    Odetta could still feel the nausea that settled in her stomach and head. The poison she drank wasn¡¯t enough to kill her, but she must have overdosed on it. It was a mistake to have trusted the servants with preparing it, but on the other hand, she didn¡¯t have a choice.


    She sighed again, this time as a tear fell down her cheek. At least her maids bothered to change her into a nightgown. She could just continue to sleep, and she would do just that.


    Curling up into a ball beneath her blanket, Odetta hugged her knees to her chest in an attempt to ride out the pain. She realized only then that she had a fever, cold sweat making her hair stick uncomfortably to her skin. She knew better than to cry for help.


    ¡®Make sure you do anything to survive here.¡¯


    Princess Odetta Valdnrosa never imagined that acting crazy and consuming poison in an attempt to be immune to them would be part of surviving here in the palace.

 The First Prince

    Two Years Ago.


    Odetta¡¯s mother passed away. Living in a remote village meant that they had little access to medicines that could have cured her.


    And, well...


    No doctor would be willing to check on a person who so clearly had the mark of a former slave on their hand.


    Before that, Odetta¡¯s mother was very truthful about her lineage as the daughter of the previous king. She still remembered King Casrian ascending the throne eight years ago when she was nine years old, which was also when her mother moved them both here. Luckily, she was used to being destitute, so it wasn¡¯t much of a change for her. What was strange was the fact that her mother, who was never religious, made them kneel down together each day to pray to Serira, Andalia¡¯s main deity.


    The situation with her mother made Odetta more than aware of what Andalia¡¯s royal family was like. Her mother would always tell her how thankful she was that the Valdnrosas allowed them both to live, that they normally would be executed since it was forbidden for slaves to sire children of nobles, much less royalty.


    But what could there be thankful for in a family that has a tradition of killing each other for the throne, along with the country¡¯s citizens knowingly cheering them on?


    Odetta¡¯s mother both revered and feared the Valdnrosas, whilst Odetta decided she wanted nothing to do with them.


    And so, she was more than happy to carry out her mother¡¯s last wish conveyed to her: to live an extremely ordinary life.


    Surely the Valdnrosas had long forgotten about Odetta and her mother¡¯s existence since fifteen years had passed. They didn¡¯t have to worry about moving locations anymore whenever royal knights seemed to close by. Odetta had thought she only needed to worry about finding a job to keep herself well-fed. Because of that, she was quick to pack all her belongings, preparing to leave the village for good.


    Yet, a few days after her mother¡¯s passing, there came several knocks on her door.


    Rubbing her eyes as she sat up on her bed, Odetta wondered who would come to her run-down shed during the night.


    She opened the door only to find a tall man who wore the grandest clothing she¡¯d ever seen, donning vibrant robes with a fur collar that led her eyes to the sparkling jewelry he wore. Behind him were several people in what looked like knight uniforms, but not quite that either.


    Odetta couldn¡¯t see clearly at first because of the darkness, but that didn¡¯t stop her from gaping. Her eyes only widened when a torch was brought near the man¡¯s face, perhaps for him to have a better look at her as he bent slightly to match her height. The fire lit up his dark brown hair, blue eyes, sharp nose, and gold earrings that glowed fiercely in its light.


    Odetta couldn¡¯t speak. She couldn¡¯t even think. Never was there such a more magnificent man that she saw in her life.


    The man, who was Casrian, was amused by her gawking. He bent down on one knee before Odetta, taking her limp hand in his and kissing the back of it.


    ¡°So you must be my missing younger sister,¡± Casrian mused. ¡°The daughter of a slave who the previous emperor loved so dearly and wrote much about in his journals. He even wanted to make your mother queen, once.¡±


    ¡®Sister?¡¯


    That was the first word that managed to sink into Odetta¡¯s mind. It was also then that she realized that the people behind the man weren¡¯t knights, but palace guards who served their duty only to the royal family. She¡¯d only ever seen them once a long, long time ago when she lived in the capital with her mother.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡®That¡¯s right, he¡¯s my brother.¡¯ She could feel it in her bones. Meanwhile, a more quiet voice yelled at her to run.


    But there was a connection that coursed through both Casrian and Odetta in the moment that he held her hand. Something inevitable.


    And for the first time in her life, Odetta felt something akin to rainstorms and crashing ocean waves awaken in her veins.


    ***


    Present


    The doors to Danell¡¯s study opened, letting in a servant carrying a silver tray.


    ¡°Your daily tea, Your Highness,¡± the servant said after a bow. When Danell didn¡¯t bother to respond, he gulped and decided to take that as permission.


    The tray nearly slipped from the servant¡¯s sweaty hands as he placed the teacup down on the desk. All he wanted was to get out as fast as possible.


    But as the servant turned around to leave, he halted in his tracks when Danell suddenly spoke up.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    The servant almost sputtered as he faced the prince again. ¡°Is something the matter, Your Highness?¡±


    Danell stared at the servant expressionlessly, making him increasingly nervous with each second of silence that passed.


    Then¡ª


    ¡°What is today¡¯s tea?¡±


    ¡°Jasmine tea, Your Highness. Prepared by the head maid herself, who is known for her excellent skills in tea making. She says the petals were imported from the Seojin Empire.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Danell placed his chin on his palm, seemingly bored.


    The servant stood still, waiting with bated breath for any signal from the prince so that he could be dismissed. Cold sweat continued dripping down his back.


    ¡°Drink the tea.¡±


    ¡°...Your Highness?¡±


    Danell sighed. ¡°Are you new here? I can¡¯t drink something new without having someone check whether it has poison or not.¡±


    The servant went up to the desk, feeling the prince¡¯s piercing gaze on him as he picked up the teacup with both hands, fearing it would fall and shatter with how much he was trembling.


    He wouldn¡¯t dare go against an order from a member of the royal family.


    ¡®I just need to take a sip, right? He didn¡¯t say anything about poison.¡¯


    Danell watched the servant carefully as he lifted the teacup to his lips.


    A few seconds passed by until the teacup fell from the servant¡¯s hands. He dropped to the ground, right next to the shards of porcelain and the spilled leftover tea.


    Danell waited a bit longer as the body remained unmoving.


    ¡®Hmm.¡¯


    Few people knew that Danell had an eidetic memory and that he could remember anyone that he looked at, especially the servants that went in and out his room who should have stayed the same. There was no reason for any of his servants to be fired and replaced at this time. That¡¯s why this servant was certainly not one of his.


    Not to mention, he didn¡¯t take different teas each day. He only took lavender, as it helped him rest more easily in the evenings.


    After removing his glasses and placing them down on his desk, Danell stood and walked over to the servant¡¯s body. He prodded him with the tip of his shoe, making sure he was really dead. There was a tinge of disappointment when Danell turned the limp body over and found his eyes still open.


    ¡°What a hassle,¡± Danell mumbled to himself. His whole day was officially ruined.


    He bent down and grabbed the collar of the servant¡¯s uniform with one hand. Dragging the body out of his study, he made way for the throne room where Casrian was.


    The palace¡¯s head maid was a supporter of Rhylis.


    And if Rhylis was truly the one who did this¡­


    Casrian would like to hear about it.

 Scapegoats

    ¡°Danell,¡± Casrian spoke slowly as he sat on his throne, ¡°is that a dead body you¡¯re holding?¡±


    Danell had walked right past the guards at the throne room¡¯s entrance before they could say anything, pushing the doors open with little regard.


    Time came to a standstill at the first prince¡¯s arrival. There were a few court officials who were also in the throne room. The poor things trembled at the sight of Danell dragging what looked to be a servant by his collar.


    In any other time, Casrian would have thought Danell to look like a cat bringing dead prey to its owner. However, this was truly bad timing. Not that he really cared though, as he was getting bored out of his mind anyways.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were busy.¡±


    ¡°Pft.¡± Casrian grinned. Like him, his two brothers¡¯ had attitude problems. Yet, in a way, he still found them extremely adorable. ¡°It¡¯s alright, my meeting¡¯s going to finish soon anyways. Now, show me what you¡¯ve got.¡±


    Taking that as a signal, one of the court officials stepped up and bowed towards the dais where the throne was. ¡°Your Majesty, all of the most important issues for today have been settled already. I will just take my leave now, if you will allow.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Casrian responded with disinterest. At his dismissal, the rest of the court officials scurried out of the throne room like ants whose nest was disturbed.


    Once the throne room was empty except for the two of them, Danell flung the servant¡¯s body towards the dais. There was a thump as the servant¡¯s head hit the base of the dais, which resulted in a loud groan from him.


    ¡°It seems like you¡¯re alive, after all,¡± Danell deadpanned. If Casrian didn¡¯t know any better, he could have sworn there was a hint of disappointment in his voice.


    Casrian stood up from his throne and stepped down the dais. With his foot, he flipped the servant onto his back. He looked sickly pale, but there were no wounds.


    ¡°I believe Rhylis tried to poison me,¡± said Danell before Casrian could ask about it.


    He looked up, eyes slightly widened in surprise. ¡°Adonis? Why would that kid do this?¡±


    Danell became displeased. Did Casrian still think that Rhylis was an innocent child? He was aware that Rhylis was raised by Casrian when his mother died, but those times were long gone. What happened eight years ago was the catalyst that led to all the events up until now.


    But instead of pointing that out, Danell only shrugged and said, ¡°Don¡¯t know. Maybe he¡¯s throwing a temper tantrum.¡±


    Casrian crossed his arms. ¡°Keres, I¡¯m being serious here.¡± He looked down and kicked the servant on the side, making him groan again. ¡°Hey, did Adonis tell you to poison Keres?¡± When the servant didn¡¯t answer, he frowned.


    It wasn¡¯t that Casrian doubted Danell. He knew there was a reason for the suspicion on Rhylis.


    However, Rhylis had also never killed anyone to his knowledge.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡®Zerin¡­ I need to call Zerin here immediately.¡¯


    While Casrian was lost in thought, Danell wondered if he should just leave. As much as this concerned his own life, he still found it too much of a hassle. If he left the servant there, then Casrian could just continue to deal with it for him.


    Just as he was close to a decision, there was the sound of doors creaking open behind him.


    A pair of dark blue eyes peaked into the throne room from the side of the door. When Odetta saw that only Danell was with Casrian, she showed her face fully and beamed at them.


    ¡°Your Reverent Majesty, my dear brother Casrian, the King of Calamity¡­¡± Odetta spoke in a sing-song tone of voice. She skipped into the throne room, stopping to twirl on the tip of her toes and raise her arms to reveal the flower crown she held in her hands. ¡°Look what I made for you under the bright, bright sun!¡±


    Odetta continued twirling, letting her nightgown billow around her until she reached Casrian. Her face being so close to his, she bit her tongue to keep her expression neutral. She reached over and promptly placed the crown of blue cornflowers she¡¯d made on his head. After feigning studying him for a moment, she clapped her hands and exclaimed, ¡°Casrian! You look so pretty! It¡¯s sad that you almost never wear your crown¡­¡±


    Casrian chuckled softly. In one swift movement, he removed his cape and wrapped it around Odetta. ¡°Were you picking flowers from the garden barefoot in that nightgown? You have to be careful of people who may see you.¡± His hand moved to her face, and it took everything within Odetta to not jerk back from the graze of his fingertips on her cheek. ¡°But then again, I can just kill them.¡±


    Not wanting Casrian to see her trembling, Odetta turned away and switched her attention to Danell. ¡®Great. He doesn¡¯t care about me, so I¡¯ll go to him.¡¯


    ¡°Lovely Danell?¡ª¡± She started spreading her arms, planning to embrace him whether he liked it or not.


    However, she jumped when the doors to the throne room flew open fully. In came Rhylis who stomped in, his appearance positively ruffled.


    ¡°You! I told you I was busy! I?¡ªwait,¡± Rhylis paused as he took in the sight before him, ¡°Is that a dead body at your feet?¡±


    Odetta¡¯s head snapped towards Casrian, this time looking down.


    EEK! She was mere centimeters from that body just now! Was her vision really so narrowed on Casrian? Fear was a more powerful force than she thought.


    ¡°The servant isn¡¯t dead, just poisoned,¡± Danell corrected Rhylis, as if that helped with anything.


    Odetta decided to switch gears and hide behind Danell, which earned her an annoyed tsk from him.


    Casrian had sent a maid to summon Odetta with a message to come to the throne room during the evening. He must have called her two other brothers like that as well, which is why they were all here.


    Little did she know, Casrian had already set up a meeting with Danell days ago which he would reluctantly attend no matter the situation, and since Odetta so happened to be mysteriously poisoned, Casrian also decided to set up a meeting with his other siblings at the same time. Casrian also anticipated Rhylis to ignore him, so instead of a message, he sent the palace guards to snatch up his stubborn baby brother, which is probably why he currently looked like a mess.


    Rhylis seemed to understand the situation faster than Odetta. He sighed, running a hand back through his deep red hair?¡ªa trait said to have derived from the Conquerer Queen Evangelista herself?¡ªand said, ¡°It seems you have something you want to speak about, Your Majesty. Care to indulge us?¡±


    At that, Casrian smiled his beautiful smile. The cornflower crown on his head didn¡¯t match his grand attire of red and gold, but with him, he always looked like a king no matter what.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked, Adonis,¡± Casrian spread his arms wide, ¡°I¡¯ve gathered you all here to decide on a punishment for the rats in this palace who committed treason.¡±


    Treason?


    Casrian nodded at the entrance. ¡°Bring in the one who dared poison Galene.¡±

 Only I Can Kill You

    ¡®Serira, please let me faint right now.¡¯


    Odetta shut her eyes tightly, praying fervently to the goddess. When she opened them again, she found the tied up maid still on the ground.


    The same maid who gave her the poison that she overdosed on a few days ago.


    If Odetta hadn¡¯t worked so hard on building up her immunity to poisons as she was told, she would have died. Even now, she was masking her labored breathing from the remainder of the poison still within her.


    But that didn¡¯t mean she wanted to punish the maid!


    After the palace guards brought the maid to them, Casrian dismissed them and the rest of the servants in the throne room, leaving only the four royal family members and the supposed crime offenders who were now bound up together and made to kneel before them.


    Casrian stepped in front of the maid. When he yanked her hair back to make her look up, Odetta noticed the way her eyes looked slightly dazed.


    The maid was drugged.


    Once the realization dawned on her, Odetta¡¯s eyes darted between her brothers, wondering what they were thinking. She fumbled with her fingers in an attempt to distract herself, not knowing what to anticipate next.


    ¡°You were the one who poisoned Galene, right? Why don¡¯t you tell me your name?¡±


    ¡°My name¡­ is Hannah¡ª¡± It was then that the maid, Hannah, seemed to gain back some clarity as she took in the situation she was in, ¡°¡ªB-but it was not my fault, Your Majesty! The poison¡ªthe poison was asked for by the princess herself! I was only fulfilling my orders¡ªah!¡± She cried out as Casrian yanked her hair again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember asking you anything other than your name,¡± Casrian said, his voice quiet but menacing, ¡°And you will pay for insulting my sister.¡±


    The maid trembled non-stop as she looked up at the king. But she and everyone else in the throne room already knew what was coming for her in the end.


    King Casrian wasn¡¯t a ruler known for having mercy.


    However, contrary to what the maid expected to happen right then and there, Casrian instead straightened back up and let go of her. ¡°As usual, it¡¯s always the women who conspire. But before her punishment is decided, I want to ask something.¡± He turned towards Rhylis. ¡°Adonis, weren¡¯t you in charge of hiring Galene¡¯s maids? Not only that, but Danell says you sent this servant to poison him.¡±


    Rhylis gazed at Casrian straight on. He seemed neither worried nor shocked, despite the fact that all the evidence seemed to point towards him. ¡°It seems there was an error in my judgement. You know how nobles still doubt Odetta¡¯s place in this family. Perhaps it was one of them. I¡¯ll replace all of her maids as soon as possible. As for that servant¡­¡± He glanced pointedly at Danell. ¡°He¡¯s clearly still alive. If it was me, I wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to not give a lethal dose. Not that I would ever.¡±


    Odetta tensed. The servant may be alive, but he was incapable of talking and looked like he was barely holding onto life. He wasn¡¯t resistant to poison like her, so he would likely die anyways if no antidote was administered to him now.


    Although she doubted Rhylis¡¯ words, Casrian¡¯s expression only turned softer. ¡°Right, you wouldn¡¯t do that, would you now?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    In front of Odetta, she heard Danell scoff. She wondered if Casrian also heard that or if he was outright ignoring it.


    ¡°If that¡¯s so, then I don¡¯t care what happens to that servant,¡± Danell cut in, one side of his mouth curving up. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the decision up to you, Your Majesty.¡±


    This time, it was Rhylis¡¯ turn to roll his eyes. Odetta also wondered if he held no regard for the servant¡¯s life, either.


    ¡°Hmm, if that¡¯s what you want, then I won¡¯t oppose it.¡± Casrian turned back towards the maid and the servant. In one swift movement, he unsheathed the Imperial sword from his hip and pointed it towards them. Odetta swallowed hard as the temperature in the throne room suddenly jumped high.


    ¡®Is the same thing going to happen again?¡¯ She didn¡¯t want to be here. Not at all.


    Casrian¡¯s heart began to race as he held the sword casually with one hand. He rolled his head once in an attempt to regulate the heat that began to rush through his blood. It¡¯s been a while since he got to indulge in his bloodthirst. He knew that Danell felt it too, as he was the only other family member he knew who awakened the power secretly passed down through generations of the Valdnrosa family.


    Flickers of flame began to appear along the sword¡¯s blade as Casrian raised it higher and higher. It was then that the maid turned towards Odetta.


    ¡°Please, Your Highness! I was only doing what I was told! Please, don¡¯t let me die like this! Your Highness!¡± She screamed, streams and streams of tears running down her face as she attempted in vain to scoot away from the king. The servant next to her still knelt unmoving, never knowing in his ill state of the death that was about to come upon him. But all that only made Odetta freeze even more.


    ¡®What do you expect me to do?!¡¯ She yelled back in her mind. ¡®Don¡¯t you know what happened two years ago? You should know better!¡¯ That¡¯s right¡­ she allowed Hannah as a maid to ignore her all this time. She had already been merciful. It was Hannah¡¯s own fault for getting caught. ¡®Wait, no. I can¡¯t think like that. I¡¯m sorry, Hannah, I¡¯m so, so sorry.¡¯ Even if her maid treated her badly, she still never wanted her to die. She clutched her trembling hands together tightly.


    ¡°C-Casrian!¡± Her guilt finally won out. Thankfully, Casrian paused at the sound of her voice, his sword still stuck midair. ¡°I won¡¯t o-object to the servant. How dare he try to poison lovely Danell! B-but Hannah¡­ sh-she was my maid. Don¡¯t I get a s-say on her punishment, t-too?¡± She couldn¡¯t hide her stuttering as it increased by the end of the sentence.


    Casrian raised a brow. ¡°She already admitted to being the one who gave you the poison. She is no different from the servant.¡±


    ¡°Th-then¡ª!¡± Odetta still had to do something. Anything. But her eyes only widened as familiar orange flames rose and danced along the blade of Casrian¡¯s sword.


    All she could do was stare as he brought the flaming sword down, slicing both Hannah¡¯s and the servant¡¯s head in one swing.


    The fire erupted, burning both of the bodies to ashes right in the center of the throne room.


    Odetta dropped to her knees.


    Because the stench of the burning bodies started to appear, Danell was the first to leave after bowing towards Casrian. Meanwhile, Rhylis looked at Odetta in pity. Before he realized it, he reached his arm out towards her but stopped. He had no idea how to comfort her.


    And so, Rhylis also left the throne room soon after.


    Odetta didn¡¯t notice any of that, though. She only continued kneeling, staring endlessly at the fire for who knows how long. Hannah¡¯s last scream before her death echoed in her ears.


    Eventually, a pair of black shoes appeared in her vision. A light weight circled around her head. It felt like the cornflower crown she¡¯d given to Casrian. Two calloused hands gently grasped her face and tilted her head up. A pair of identical dark blue eyes stared into her bleak ones.


    ¡°Were you scared, Galene?¡± Casrian whispered. ¡°But this was also a lesson for you. Even if it¡¯s true that you tried to poison yourself, don¡¯t you remember what I told you long ago?¡±


    Of course she remembered. There was no way she would forget those words, which were just as chilling when he said it now as it was back then.


    ¡°Make sure you do anything to survive here. Because no one else is allowed to kill you but me. Not even yourself.¡±

 The Ruby

    The Valdnrosa family hadn¡¯t always consisted of the four.


    When Odetta first entered the palace at the age of fifteen, there were seven of them. Originally, the previous king had nine children. Two were killed by Casrian, leading him to win out of the heir apparents and ascend the throne.


    Casrian was a rather passive ruler during his first eight years as king. He let the kingdom of Andalia slowly build itself back up after years of war instigated by the previous king for decades on end. Odetta didn¡¯t understand most of it back then, so it was hard to imagine the amount of work Casrian had to go through even until now. It wasn¡¯t like he was going to tell her about it, either.


    Those first few months that Odetta experienced living in the palace from two years ago would be the most peaceful months she would ever have there.


    Odetta recounted that day multiple times in her head as she sat on the windowsill of her bedroom. She had sat there since dawn came, yet didn¡¯t seem to care.


    No, there was only the image of the woman that hung over the palace walls, the darkened sky, and that one night during the month it took for the sky to clear whilst seven of her siblings died¡­


    That hellish, hellish month.


    How ironic that although this bedroom was the exact place she almost met death, it was also the place she considered the safest.


    At one point during the day, maids Odetta were unfamiliar with came in to clean up her bedroom. Figured, since she had been cleaning it up herself all this time when her previous maids made a point of ignoring her. When one of them came up to her and ushered her to the bath, she complied without a word. However, that was as far as she let them get close to her. Once she got out of the bath, she told them to leave her to dress up alone, which made them glance at each other.


    Odetta sighed inwardly when she noticed their hesitation. She¡¯d already gone through this with the previous groups of maids Rhylis hired before.


    She picked up one of the cosmetic containers from the vanity where she sat. Without a word, she twisted to face the maids behind her. The container felt round and heavy in her hand.


    When the container flew and struck the head of the unfortunate maid who stood closest to her, plumes of white powder burst forth as its lid popped off. ¡°Ah!¡± the maid yelped, stumbling backwards.


    As the maids frantically fanned away the powder from the air, Odetta crossed her legs and glared at them. It wasn¡¯t so hard to do now that she¡¯s done it a few times.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you fools know that I hate when my room is tainted by the likes of you? Get out of my sight.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, Your Highness!¡± And with that, the maids left her bedroom at once.


    Odetta got up from her seat and retrieved the powder container from the ground. Either a maid would come in later to sweep up the mess or, if they knew what the previous group of maids would have done, come by to drop some cleaning supplies for Odetta to clean it up herself. To the people in the palace who did not know the princess very well, she was notorious for being so controlling as to micromanage down to the last speck of dust in her bedroom. Not that they complained, though¡ªit meant less work for her maids and fuel for even more gossip that already surrounded her.


    Too lazy to dress extravagantly, Odetta decided to sling a fuchsia colored mantle over her shoulder, wrapping it around her waist and using a silver brooch to pin it on her side over her plain white dress. It was basically the type of clothing she wore back when she didn¡¯t live in the palace, except her clothing now were dyed full of vibrant colors with dozens of precious jewels to adorn it whilst before, she could only afford threadbare fabrics made of wool.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    As for her hair, she let it hang down in waves down her back. She was long used to the murmurs about the color of her hair, how a few even thought that she must not be washing it enough for it to be this black.


    After Odetta got done dressing up, she went out to get a breath of fresh air at the palace gardens. It was probably one of the few other places she willingly went to in the palace. However, the last time she went there was also the same day she went to the throne room. How many days have passed since then? Not that she cared much.


    She finally reached the arbor that marked the entrance of the gardens. The curved structure was covered in lush vines and the very same cornflowers she had picked before.


    Before Odetta knew it, the sound of footsteps appeared near her. The first thing she saw when she turned her head to the side was hair the color of dried blood. Her heart clenched.


    ¡°Odette!¡± Rhylis waved at her. ¡°It looks like we¡¯re going the same way. Want to have some snacks with me?¡±


    ***


    Odetta clutched her hands together as she watched Rhylis¡¯ servants lay out the table before her, setting down slices of honey cake and cups of tea for them each along with an assortment of diced fruit in the center. A napkin was then given to her, which she placed upon her lap just as she was taught during those tiring etiquette lessons.


    It wasn¡¯t like she could refuse Rhylis¡¯ invitation. Even she knew how he was adored by the residents in the palace, including the king himself. No one knew why he himself seemed to hate Casrian, but as long as it wasn¡¯t the same the other way around, he remained a favorite around here.


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re feeling better from the poison,¡± Rhylis said after all the servants left them in the gardens. ¡°I thought you were building up your immunity. Have you already stopped?¡±


    Odetta considered not telling him the truth, staring down at her reflection upon the tea¡¯s surface. After a few seconds of pondering, she answered, ¡°No. I was working on it as you suggested. I consumed every amount you gave to my maids, but one of them decided to give me a bit more than usual.¡± Perhaps that maid did it as a cruel joke, knowing she wouldn¡¯t die. If only the reason for it could still be found out.


    ¡°Hmm, then it looks like she deserved to get executed.¡± Rhylis sipped his tea without batting an eyelash. It was an unspoken rule to not discuss whatever happened whenever Casrian went on a rampage.


    Not wanting to face him directly, Odetta unintentionally gazed at his fingers and counted the number of rings he wore.


    ¡®Three on one hand, two on the other.¡¯ One of the rings on his left hand caught her eye in particular as it was inlaid with a large ruby jewel that shone spectacularly in the daylight.


    Noticing her gaze on his rings, Rhylis grinned. ¡°If you¡¯re so interested in jewelry and fashion, we have enough money in the coffers to fill up the whole palace with them. Casrian wouldn¡¯t mind even if half of the treasury suddenly disappears.¡±


    ¡®He won¡¯t mind if it¡¯s you emptying the treasury.¡¯ But Odetta didn¡¯t say that out loud and only kept her gaze on his ruby ring. ¡°You¡¯re right, jewels can be just so pretty. Especially the ones on your rings.¡± She gently reached out to his hands after he set down his cup of tea. Rhylis, knowing none the better, let her examine his fingers.


    ¡°Live¡­ by your¡­ creed,¡± Odetta read each word etched onto one of the rings aloud. She was still working on her reading, but she was nowhere near as fluent as a member of the royal family should be. She still remembered being too embarrassed¡ªand afraid¡ªto admit about being illiterate until months after her arrival at the palace.


    Fortunately, Rhylis didn¡¯t comment on it despite being the one who caught her. ¡°Isn¡¯t it nice? That one doesn¡¯t have a jewel but the band¡¯s made entirely out of gold.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re all pretty, with or without jewels.¡± She smiled then withdrew her hands from his. ¡°Perhaps I should get some myself¡ªouch!¡±


    Odetta flinched hard, bending down to check on her foot underneath the table. She acted distracted enough to strongly sweep her hand over Rhylis¡¯ ruby ring.


    When she looked back towards him, she noticed that she had hit the jewel hard enough for it to fly off the ring and straight into his tea.


    She watched, frozen, as the jewel gradually dissolved and turned the tea a bright crimson.

 A Poisonous Tea Party

    ¡°Rh-Rhylis!¡± Odetta gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. Even she did not know if she herself was being genuine or not. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I think a bug bit my foot. Your ring, I...¡± Her words drifted off to nothing as she gaped.


    Rhylis wanted to press his palm against his forehead. ¡®Great, even she would know that a normal ruby wouldn¡¯t dissolve like this,¡¯ he thought. He knew the red powder in the tea wasn¡¯t especially harmful, so he decided to just play dumb.


    However, Odetta spoke again before he could. ¡°Rhylis¡­ if that substance is poisonous in any way, could I please drink it?¡±


    ¡°Drink?¡± Rhylis blinked. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Odetta put her hand on her cheek, looking at him as if this was the most natural thing in the world to do. ¡°I care so much about you, Rhylis. I would rather get poisoned in your place. That is, if it really is poison.¡± Somehow, she felt she had said something similar not so long ago¡­


    If this was anyone else, Rhylis wouldn¡¯t care in the slightest. He was never one to refuse a person¡¯s desire.


    ¡°Rhylis¡­ do you remember what I said to you two years ago?¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s right¡­¡¯


    Two years ago, when flames scorched the skies, shrouding the whole of Andalia in darkness for a month.


    When Rhylis and Odetta barely knew each other, yet found themselves facing each other at the end of that month¡ªwhen she danced through the hallways as her feet dripped with blood that didn¡¯t belong to her, happening upon him standing so still and with such blank eyes that she thought he was a statue.


    ¡®Ahahaha, so you¡¯re my brother as well! I wonder if you know how to survive.¡¯


    ¡®Survive? That¡¯s a strange thing to say.¡¯ That was the first time Rhylis began to have certain thoughts as he looked at his hands where he wore multiple rings. ¡®If you must know, I think you must strike your opponent when they least expect it. And only poison can do that¡­¡¯


    ¡®Hmm, but you have a history of being almost killed multiple times that way, no? I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s not resistant.¡¯


    Rhylis was lost in his own thoughts and Odetta, too, wasn¡¯t thinking straight after the unimaginable horror she had witnessed. Neither of them remembered much of their conversation from long ago, but their last few words were unmistakable.


    ¡®I would not mind being killed.¡¯


    ¡®Then, help me end this family once and for all.¡¯This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Even two years later, the sight of Odetta covered in blood as they made a deal was one of the clearest images of that month.


    ¡°Yes, you promised to help me in return for helping you survive.¡±


    Odetta¡¯s smile was soft and kind. It made her seem muted, although that was probably also due to her appearance in general. Rhylis had almost never seen her in anything other than white, extremely old fashioned clothing. Heaps of jewelry were also all the rage in Andalia, but she seldom wore them.


    What Odetta said in response made him tense. ¡°Mhmm. I know that the poison you gave me was from your own experiments, yet I still willingly took them. So please, let me protect you just this once.¡±


    ¡®And you¡¯ll be able to see how harder it is to kill me with poison.¡¯


    Somehow, Rhylis doubted that this was about her wanting to protect him.


    When he didn¡¯t say anything, Odetta decided to take that as a yes and reached out to take his teacup.


    She considered dropping the cup, letting it shatter into multiple pieces and rendering the tea completely undrinkable.


    But all the trust she might have once had in her siblings was now completely gone. She had built her sour reputation for a reason, and if she were to be regarded as weak to both Rhylis and the servants and she watched them warily from afar, worse things could happen to her than this.


    Being Rhylis¡¯ test subject was nothing compared to the doomed fate that arose in the distant horizon.


    But once her fingers reached its porcelain handle, he only knocked them away. ¡°Wait,¡± he said to stop her.


    Without another word, Rhylis took her own cup of tea and dunked its contents onto the grass beside them. He then proceeded to carefully pour only half of his contaminated tea into her cup and return it to her. Odetta stared down at it, perplexed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s share the burden, Odette. This way, you¡¯re less likely to get sick.¡±


    They both knew that only Rhylis was the only one who knew how poisonous the substance was. It was his first time turning venom into powder, to condense and cover it in a special type of sugar that made it look almost crystalline. Odetta had no choice but to trust him.


    She figured this was also why he visited her when she was still delirious from that poison overdose days ago. He likely wanted to know why his carefully concocted experiment had failed like this. But that¡¯s only what she thought of him.


    And so, in the end, the second prince and first princess of Andalia picked up their teacups and sipped serenely. Neither of them lost their composure, even as the extremely bitter tea burned their throats and lungs.


    Rhylis¡¯ fingers clenched on his teacup¡¯s handle. He knew that in a half hour at most, the uncomfortable ache in his body would disappear. Practicing mithridatism for years assured that, but he wasn¡¯t so sure about Odetta. The way she paled ever so slightly didn¡¯t go unnoticed by him, but by the looks of it so far, she should be okay.


    ¡®Good. That means you won¡¯t have to die yet.¡¯ He let out a small exhale in relief. Odetta thought that he was doing that because the poison wasn¡¯t so bad for him. She already felt sweat starting to drip down her back as her body became heavy.


    If she was already feeling like this after half a cup of poison, what would have happened if she drank the full cup? She shivered at the thought.


    After the two downed all of their poisoned tea, Odetta picked up a cube of dragon fruit whilst Rhylis continued eating his slice of honey cake. They both welcomed the sweetness that spread from their dessert and continued to make idle chatter that was easily forgotten about.


    If you were to look at this scene from the outside, it would look like any normal tea time between civil enough siblings.

 Song of Lamentation

    The Royal Family of Valdnrosa had a tradition of killing those in their family to ascend the throne.


    The first of them to die by Casrian¡¯s hand was Cinciara. The second, Elovia, his only full-blooded sister.


    And that was as far as he went¡­ at first.


    ***


    Eight Years Ago.


    Casrian wandered through the palace, striking down any soldier that came in his path. These were the same soldiers that Cinciara sent out to raze through the palace and kill the rest of their siblings.


    Little did they know, she died just moments ago along with Elovia and the King.


    Thanks to them, Casrian accomplished the first steps to becoming the new ruler of Andalia.


    At the age of sixteen, Casrian became the new King. To become a ruler of Andalia was to carry on the legacy of its founder and first queen, Evangelista. She was the one who bestowed upon her children¡ªand her descendents-to-come¡ªhonorific names that would set the Valdnrosas apart from the rest of the aristocracy forever.


    But the beginning of his rule was met with opposition. He had no coronation on the prospect that he had yet to remove the rest of his siblings. No, it would be more correct to say that he refused to.


    It was him against the world.


    And so, he set to work. Learning from the ground up wasn¡¯t easy as he never had proper prior education before this, but he was the previous heir apparent¡¯s younger brother, so it should come as no surprise of what he was capable of.


    Nonetheless, no one could have expected his declaration to all the nobles who joined him in an annual banquet one day. Much less, the second oldest out of the siblings, Yurene, to be standing beside him.


    ¡°From here on forward, I will no longer be part of the royal family. I will marry my beloved and take on his last name. Thank you for the wonderful life you have given me in this palace.¡±


    Whispers flowed through the audience, and Casrian only made a small grin. He was aware how they considered him to be an unofficial king; the factions that started to form behind the sibling each noble thought to be worthier as their ruler. Yurene, being only a few months younger than him as their mothers had conceived around the same time, had the largest number of supporters.


    With the knowledge Elovia gave him before her death, he erased Yurene¡¯s right to the throne without killing her.


    Of course, if he looked at himself during this time years later, he would have genuinely wondered why he didn¡¯t simply slew Yurene. But at this age, he still had yet to build many regrets.


    ¡°It¡¯s sad to see you go, Calliope. If you or Xandar are ever in need of anything, I¡¯ll always be here for you. Everyone, please give her your regards.¡± He raised his drink to the air, and the nobles followed suit. Some showed confused expressions, as this was the first time they heard a Valdnrosa address their family by their honorific name. This was likely even their first time hearing of it. However, since Casrian was technically allowed to do that, it was quickly brushed over.


    No one noticed the way Yurene turned pale as she met the gazes of everyone who made a toast to her in that banquet.


    Just like that, the number of siblings that could have a potential for the throne dwindled. Casrian managed to win over those who had sided with Elovia easily without the measures he took, but the rest only began to support him when they realized he was the only one left in the royal family willing to rule.


    It took a full year for a coronation to be held for him after the death of the previous king and his two elder sisters.


    Like Yurene, Vernien, Agnes, and Danell ceded their rights to the throne and went their own ways during the beginning of those eight years. Casrian quickly gained his foothold in the country¡¯s legislations and worked tirelessly at cleaning up the mess created after the war.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    And occasionally, just occasionally, he would let flames dance across his palms as he sat in his study among piles of paperwork.


    It was the same kind of power that made Elovia and Cinciara ultimately meet their demise.


    The palace seemed to become emptier with each passing moment. Eventually enough, years passed. For Casrian, it seemed all too soon when the only other person willing to stay and talk with him was a certain child around the age of fifteen.


    ¡°Cassie! CASSIE!!!¡±


    The boy paid the guards surrounding Casrian no heed as he sprinted past them in the hallways and grasped onto his arm.


    Rhylis, who Elovia took in as her own when his mother died during childbirth.


    ¡°There¡¯s some persimmons. I can¡¯t eat them all, so you haaave to help,¡± Rhylis whined. He repeatedly tugged on his brother¡¯s sleeve.


    Casrian sighed. He then lifted his other hand and flicked Rhylis on the forehead. Hard.


    ¡°OW!¡± he yelled exaggeratedly, stepping back and putting his hands on his forehead.


    ¡°I¡¯m busy. Just tell the servants to store the persimmons to eat later.¡± Casrian whipped away from him and continued down the hall. The lack of the sound of footsteps behind him meant that the child didn¡¯t bother to follow after him this time, which made him exhale in relief. It usually took several attempts to separate from him.


    Behind Casrian, Rhylis sniffled once and clenched his fists tightly. The middle of his forehead burned from the flick¡ªa testament to Casrian¡¯s strength. He wanted to yell at him that that was the same thing he always said many times before. But Rhylis also didn¡¯t want to admit how he asked the servants to bring his brother¡¯s favorite fruit and how the sight of the terribly dark circles beneath his eyes did not go unnoticed by him.


    In the end, Rhylis stomped off and spent the rest of the day sulking.


    Later that night, Casrian laid on his back in his bed. It was the dead of night, and although he was thoroughly exhausted, he couldn¡¯t find it in himself to sleep.


    ¡®Has it already been four years?¡¯


    The windows were shut tightly in lieu of the freezing winds that came with winter. And winter meant his birthday was near.


    The court officials have already been pestering him to marry, but he had all the intentions not to. For obvious reasons.


    Lost in his thoughts, Casrian barely noticed when the doors to his bedroom crept open.


    ¡°Cassie,¡± an all-too familiar voice called out to him.


    Casrian kept his eyes closed in hopes that he would go away.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, wake up! I need help with something.¡± On the contrary, the voice only became louder. When he still refused to respond, a pair of hands grabbed onto his shoulders and shook him almost violently.


    Casrian¡¯s eyes snapped open in annoyance the moment his head knocked against the headboard once. ¡°Jeez, persistent aren¡¯t you?¡±


    A lyre hovered above his face, a pair of large, sky-blue eyes behind it. ¡°I can¡¯t play this song. If I don¡¯t pass my next exam, I¡¯m going to have to go through those grueling lessons again! Again!¡±


    ¡°Why are you playing that old thing? I told her to teach you the pianoforte.¡± He sat up on his bed and faced Rhylis. Upon seeing his insistent face, Casrian sighed. ¡°Give me that and tell me what song it is.¡±


    Casrian played the lyre with ease. Rhylis would know as he grew up listening to him. It was the easiest instrument to acquire back when the previous king ruled and ignored them, hence his half-brother playing the instrument being one of his earliest memories.


    There was no one more adept at any and all kinds of instruments than Casrian. That is what Rhylis firmly believed.


    The next time Casrian opened his eyes was when hints of sunlight started to appear behind the curtains. He still held the lyre in his arms, leaning against the headboard. There was also a heavy weight on his shoulder. Locks of red hair could be seen in his peripheral vision. He must have drifted off to sleep at some point during the night and Rhylis hadn¡¯t bothered to wake him again, only joining him.


    At his age, Casrian hadn¡¯t experienced the same luxuries. He was thankful for that, though, as he wouldn¡¯t know what he would do if Rhylis was forced to go through the same hell as him when the previous king was still alive.


    For the future he strived to build, he mustn''t ever look back. If it meant he could experience the peace of a little brother who innocently slept on his shoulder over and over again, he would change the world.


    Yet.


    After Odetta arrived at the palace as the missing princess, when Casrian was twenty-two and Rhylis around seventeen:


    ¡°You¡¯re saying Elovia did all that¡­¡± The Sword of Valdnrosa clanged to the ground from Rhylis¡¯ hands. He fell to his knees. ¡°For the throne?¡±


    Around him and Casrian were the bodies of Yurene, Vernien, and Agnes. Danell remained in the shadows off to the side, watching silently. He was the only one who never came back to the palace during those six years, not even attending a single banquet. Not until now.


    Casrian looked down at him without answering, expressionless.


    ¡°Elovia would never have wanted this,¡± murmured Rhylis. Tears began to stream down his face.


    ¡°...How would you know what Elovia wanted?¡±

 Transience

    Eight Years Ago,


    After Prince Casrian killed Princess Cinciara¡¯s soldiers and decided to take the throne.


    In the darkness, a boy sat in a pool of his own blood. He clutched the wound on his stomach, his breath coming out in rasps.


    He had never cared much about living or dying, nor did he bother to pursue any means of happiness for himself. He was a prince who was ignored, lost amidst the glory of his half-siblings who won wars and earned favor among the aristocracy.


    When soldiers blocked him in the hallway after he came out of the library, he silently accepted his fate. If there was anything he desired, it was that he would find peace in the afterlife. Even the Hells would be better than the palace.


    Nothing could have prepared him for what happened after that first stab of a spear to the stomach.


    When he suddenly grabbed the spear, pulled the blade out himself, and barely felt any pain.


    When he dropped the spear and his vision pulsed with red.


    Without realizing himself, he raised his hand. He did not remember what happened next, only that the soldiers began to cough and fall to the ground in an instant, scratching at their throats desperately. Their faces turned green as their own blood began to rush and stop at their throat, their bodies turning numb.


    After each and every one of them was lying completely still on the ground was when the boy¡¯s vision finally cleared. He brought a hand to his mouth and coughed out violently. His hand came away red.


    Yet as he fell to the ground himself and felt his life draining with each second that passed, he could only stare at the bodies that surrounded him.


    He knew, in that moment, that he did not feel sick with himself because of how he killed so many people at once...


    But because he did not feel horrible about his actions at all.


    He thought he breathed his final breath when a light appeared in the darkness. Someone grabbed his shoulders and pulled him into their embrace.


    ¡°I did not know you also had the Valdnrosa Curse.¡±


    ¡®So it¡¯s a curse? I guess it makes sense. If that¡¯s true, then¡­ ¡°Thank you for killing me,¡± the boy whispered, only able to hope that the person holding him could hear.


    ¡°...Danell, I¡¯m not here to kill you,¡± the person murmured back. ¡°I¡¯ll use your true name to steer you away from death if I must.¡±


    Only then did Danell realize the light was made out of flames that would flicker out in too short of a time.


    ***


    Present


    ¡°Oh dear, did His Majesty push his work onto you again?¡± The pink-haired woman strided into Danell¡¯s study without knocking.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    He looked up from his papers and glared at her. ¡°If you know that, Lady Selvianne, then you should know not to come here without an appointment made at least two weeks prior.¡±


    ¡°The last time I made an appointment and knocked on your door, Your Highness thought I was a servant bringing your beloved tea. You walked over and locked the door right after hearing my voice! If you weren¡¯t so rude I wouldn¡¯t have retaliated.¡±


    Marchioness Zerin Selvianne, the talkative woman that made Danell want to cover his ears whenever they came across each other. She was famed for being the wealthiest person in the Kingdom of Andalia after inheriting all the money from her wife, Elovia, after she died and using it to own several successful businesses as well as investing in mines, land, and even inventions once deemed unnecessary but was now a daily part of life.


    Not to mention, she was also Casrian¡¯s Royal Advisor, making her all the more annoying for constantly having to come to the palace.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re making arrangements for the upcoming banquet?¡± Zerin did not wait for a reply from Danell and proceeded to sit on the edge of his desk, snatching up one of his papers to skim through it. All without permission. ¡°This kind of work belongs to the ruler¡¯s partner! But then again, His Majesty did ban all of his siblings from marrying. Who knew that he would include himself in it¡­¡± Zerin sighed.


    Danell frowned. ¡°If you¡¯re here to make pointless chatter, you may leave.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be such a spoilsport. I¡¯m here to give you information for your actual job.¡± Zerin twisted to face him and handed out an unsealed envelope that she fished from her dress¡¯ pocket, her grin a bit too suspicious for his liking.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± He asked, not yet wanting to accept it.


    ¡°All the information about Viscount Paullus. He borrowed money from the crown last year or so and his debt has been piling up ever since. When I tried to find him, I found out that he escaped. He¡¯s also a vassal of Duchess Avetorich, so who knows, we may finally find evidence of her ties to the human trafficking ring.¡± She winked.


    A year ago was around the same time Danell had failed to find the human trafficking ring in a covert mission. It was one of the biggest frustrations in his life to this day, as the Avetorich Duchy was far too powerful to be confronted directly according to Zerin. All that pride about having royal blood from another country or whatever.


    He promptly took the envelope and found it thick with several documents. As expected of the Royal Advisor, thoroughness being one of her few good qualities.


    Zerin gazed down at the prince fondly. His shoulder-length hair was beginning to loosen from its tie, strands of it falling down to his face, but he didn¡¯t seem to notice as he took out the documents and began to scan them almost eagerly.


    ¡°I hope you finally find some fun in your hunt, little brother-in-law.¡±


    ***


    It was late in the evening when Odetta arrived at the temple. She stepped down from the carriage, breathing in the fresh air.


    Although it was only for a short time, she was at last free from the suffocating palace. She could finally act a little more like her true self, if there was anything left of her true self at all.


    When Odetta went inside the temple¡¯s prayer room where the grand statue of the goddess Serira was, she was more than pleased to find it empty of people. She knelt down and clasped her hands together, closing her eyes to pray. It was more out of comfort than anything as she wasn¡¯t truly a devout believer. The sunlight that streamed through the domed, stained glass ceiling above the statue felt so lovingly warm on her face.


    ¡°¡ªcess Odetta? Your Highness?¡± A voice from behind the statue made Odetta jump out of her skin.


    The woman stepped out to greet her, smiling sheepishly. ¡°I apologize, I¡¯ve called Your Highness several times but you didn¡¯t answer.¡±


    ¡°Hi-High Priestess Liliana.¡± Odetta¡¯s tongue was tied, her whole body tense. The High Priestess was a woman who looked like she was made out of sunshine itself, with golden curls that fell down her shoulders in locks, her light brown skin seeming to glow in the sunlight. Even her eyes were the color of ember, the sparks before a flame.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t be scared, Your Highness,¡± the High Priestess hastily bowed towards her. ¡°I won¡¯t be hanged like the disgraced former High Priestess.¡±

 Liliana Evask

    Odetta did not know how to respond. She never thought a member of the Capital¡¯s temple could be so blunt, especially about the event that angered Casrian to the point of madness.


    ¡°Ah...hahaha.¡± She settled on laughing nervously. Ugh. If only she had the brains like her brothers to think of a more adequate reply. ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Liliana beamed at her, stepping closer to take her hand before she could object. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s been a month since you¡¯ve visited the temple. The children here still remember the time when you used to play with them back when I was still a normal priest years ago.¡±


    ¡°The children!¡± Odetta¡¯s eyes widened, distracted from the fact that the High Priestess was currently dragging her deeper within the confines of the temple. ¡°How¡¯s Connie? Opal?¡±


    ¡°Oh, they¡¯re doing fine! I think one of them managed to finally control their abilities so they chose to train to become a cleric!¡± Liliana giggled. They reached the back of the temple where an age-old oak tree stood.


    Odetta used to come here from time to time to converse and play with the acolytes¡ªpeople adopted by the Capital¡¯s Temple who had the power of light within them but failed to make it surface any more than a dim glow. Back when she first arrived in this city as a princess, happy and socializing with practically everyone.


    Nowadays, the temple was one of the few places she was allowed to go to since she seemed like a devout believer of Serira. Fortunately, that meant Casrian still believed she was in a shaky mental state and thus vulnerable to whatever outside forces may try to harm her, whatever that was.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind this since you told me to treat you normally before. There¡¯s actually something I want to give you,¡± Liliana said. She crouched on the ground next to the oak tree and began to fish around for something.


    ¡®Something to give me?¡¯ Odetta and Liliana had interacted before, but certainly not enough to be close friends and give each other gifts. She knew it wasn¡¯t her fault, but she wondered if she perhaps should have prepared something for the High Priestess and some of the acolytes that she knew better. However, a part of her also knew how pointless it would be, because she would never forget the fear in the eyes of those acolytes after the previous High Priestess¡¯ death.


    Still half-buried in her thoughts, she absentmindedly accepted the sparkling silver envelope. Only when she saw the wax seal did she do a double-take.


    ¡®This is the insignia of the Holy Lands!'' She froze, because there was only one person she ever knew who came from there. The person she was just thinking of previously. The one who was hanged yet still laughed in the end¡ª


    ¡°Forgive me, Your Highness.¡± Liliana bowed deeply towards her. ¡°As the daughter of Count Evask, I take full responsibility for committing an act of treason of speaking her name¡­ The High Priestess Annaelle wanted you to have this. As her last friend, I had a duty to deliver it.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Odetta tried her best to keep herself from wrinkling the envelope in her hands. Once again, she was proven to be too naive for this damned Capital. ¡°This act of transgression will never reach the King¡¯s ears.¡± She gulped. ¡°I heard nothing here today.¡± Everyone knew that Casrian despised the Holy Lands of Eurydite the most. If he heard of this, he would execute Liliana and her whole family at once, no matter that they were nobles of Andalia.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness. Thank you so much.¡± Liliana continued bowing towards her even as Odetta bid her farewell and rushed out of the temple as fast as she could, relying on her memories from her times here.


    When Liliana finally straightened, she gazed blankly at the pathway the princess disappeared down in. She then spun and padded back into the temple. The breeze that blew through the temple was cool as evening settled upon the city.


    The first thing she saw when she opened the doors to her private quarters was a young woman of fair hair sitting on her couch, back faced to her.


    ¡°What took you so long?¡± The woman glanced over her shoulder once she heard the doors close. Her dark eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the sight of the High Priestess.


    Liliana calmly slipped off her sandals and wordlessly joined the woman on the couch. The woman allowed her to help loosen the strings of her corset and remove her sleeves. Bandages along with a tattoo of a hummingbird on her shoulder blade was revealed. Liliana personally thought that the tattoo was too contradictory to the woman¡¯s personality.


    ¡°I was welcoming an esteemed guest,¡± she finally spoke.


    ¡°Oh? Tell me more about it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± She pretended to ponder for a bit. ¡°Well, if you really want to know, it was Princess Odetta.¡±


    The woman seemed to perk up at those words.


    ¡°Her Highness is seventeen years old, just like you, did you know? Anyways, I was talking with her about Annaelle,¡± Liliana continued while removing the bandages from the woman¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t Annaelle the High Priestess who was executed just for saying some words? The stupidity of the royal family here never ceases to amaze me.¡±


    Liliana smiled softly. ¡°Careful, Jessa. You¡¯ll get arrested someday for not keeping your mouth shut.¡±


    The woman, Jessa, rolled her eyes. ¡°As if I care.¡± She barely winced when the ointment was applied to her wound.


    Liliana sighed dejectedly. ¡°Of course, if Annaelle hadn¡¯t died, I would have never been High Priestess and the Archbishop wouldn¡¯t have cut off his ties with Andalia. But who would blame him? His daughter was executed without notice in another country.¡±


    Jessa had a feeling the High Priestess wasn¡¯t truly upset about that. If anything, she only spoke only to fill in the silence.


    Once new bandages have been wrapped around her arm, Jessa put her sleeves back on and carefully moved her arm. There was almost no pain thanks to her unique constitution, but it also meant she had to be more careful not to worsen the wound by doing reckless stunts.


    Not that she had much of a choice, though.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going out again.¡±


    Jessa looked back at the High Priestess again and smirked. ¡°Yes, I am. The city square is in need of some performers.¡±


    Liliana shook her head, exasperated. ¡®Does this child really think anyone will believe she¡¯s not wearing a wig?¡¯