Chapter 23

"When will you be free, Rey?" Chris asked, smiling at the other as he left the back to man the cashier. The black-haired teen answered, "After the morning rush, probably. But I'll have to be back by lunch."

Of course, Chris knew that, but for the sake of not being creepy, he asked anyways. Aiden, who looked like he was going to burst into tears after being called backto the bakery by another kingdom's prince, refused to look at anything other than the floor and shoes. That was fine.

Internally, he wondered, what the Ignis kingdom's reaction would be if they claimed to be holding their third prince hostage. It would probably be something that would dash Aiden's hopes even more and he couldn't find the heart to do it. Perhaps mother would do it if only to affect the enemy's morale a bit, but mother has always been slightly unpredictable.

Chris trusts her the most, nonetheless.

There is a pause and he checks the time, seeing it to be a suitable time, he drags the third prince of Ignis elsewhere, determined to turn the prince on his own country.

He wonders just how Ignis would react.

/|\|/|\|/|\|/|\|/|\|/|\|/|\|/|\

In the fandom of the famous otome game that Rey and Lily had reincarnated into, there were quite a few open secrets.

One of them was that the stranger dressed suspiciously that the player encounters in castle grounds was actually Aiden Gehennam, the third prince of Ignis. Depending on which dialogue options you choose, you would be able to one: immediately die, two: nothing happens or three: unlock his route.

That is why Lily was furious when she found that she was unable to access palace grounds. The guards looked completely unrepentant, telling her coldly that the queen had ordered for them not to let any stranger in.

Lily, having been coddled by her family her entire life and with the arrogance of a transmigrator, immediately started threatening them with the fact that she was a light magic user and the king favors her and bla bla bla.

The guards were blank-faced the entire time, but which reader did not know they were suffering inside?

"What is going on here?" A cold voice comes from absolutely nowhere and Lily looks up to see the most gorgeous woman ever—except for herself of course—with a cold stare and impassive face. Her looks were reminiscent of Chris and Leo.

The guards immediately move and bow, shouting, "Your majesty!"

This...was this woman the queen? She certainly looked beautiful enough to have produced two horribly good-looking sons. Lily had half a mind to shout at the queen to let her in but then she remembered.

Another open secret of the otome game was that both Chris and Leo absolutely adored their mother the queen. If Lily was able to get this woman to like her, then Leo would stop ignoring her and Chris will finally let her talk to him! Not to mention that the queen holds immense power whether in court or as an individual, it would do her only good to be in her royal highness' good graces.

So Lily plasters on the sweetest smile she could and tells the supposed queen, "Your majesty! I'm a classmate of Leo's and have come to bring him his homework."

The queen gives her a once over and narrowed her eyes, barking out an order with a single word, "Name."

"My name is Lily Lovell, your majesty."

The queen gave her a once over, looking down on Lily because of her tall stature that Lily recognized as a Terra thing. "Lily Lovell? The light magic student?"

So she recognized greatness when she saw it! This queen was turning out very good. "Yes, your majesty."

"Hmm. Then, I appreciate your looking out for Leo, however, Young Sir Vallenrett has brought him his due schoolwork and notes from the lecturers. Thank you for your time, but it will be dangerous for civilians to be seen interacting with anyone from the royal family of the army, please go back home."

Goddamnit Allan!

Lily huffed and stomped away, hearing the guards thanking the queen for getting rid of her.

/|\|/|\|/|\|/|\|/|\|/|\|/|\|/|\

"Ne, nee-chan!" A girl with long brown hair tied back into a charmingly tousled ponytail and startling green eyes—Hoshiko, her little sister...sister?—pulled at his sleeves. "I'll be going to a friend's house!"

Ieshige nodded, smiling. "Just don't stay out for too long, alright?"

"Ok, nee-chan!"

That night, the storm raged and Ieshige left to find Hoshiko, neither of them coming home.

/|\|/|\|/|\|/|\|/|\|/|\|/|\|/|\

Of course they mattered, how could they not? Hoshiko was her... his most precious baby sister, their family's baby and loved by all, in turn loving all and saying she didn't matter was as true as the sh*t smelling like a field of flowers and yet—

Everything was redundant in the end.

Hoshiko was a child of the stars, bright and beloved, as her big sister, how could Ieshige be allowed to leave so easily?

Remember this, Hoshiko was a child of the stars, and stars be damned if they let their child's beloved people leave her without meaning to.

Stars are—

They were—

And she was their child—

This world was their playground and nothing done weren't under their jurisdiction. Cruel, heartless, call them as such as much as any of you want but—

Stars be damned if they allowed their child's beloved people be harmed.

/|\|/|\|/|\|/|\|/|\|/|\|/|\|/|\

Idly, Allan moved a black horse on the chessboard. He looked up at his sister, Astara, and waited for her to finish her trap.

In Astara's hand, the white queen moved and Allan finally realized his mistake.

"Checkmate." She drawled out, revealing a smile.

There had been a lot of controversy about Astara within the noble's circle. She had a very recognizable magic that was... no longer supposed to exist, to say the least, and there had been a time where they thought she and the crown prince Christian would be engaged.

It was only logical. She was the daughter of a duke, had excellent manners, perfect grades and was a variant magic user.

If Allan had to be completely honest, he too believed Astara was the only one fit to be the future queen. It was just unfortunate that she wanted nothing to do with any of nobility's politics and threatened to start a riot if she ever was involved.

Truly, truly unfortunate, however, was that everyone looked down on women.

If Astara had been born a man, Allan knew that everyone would be scrambling to curry the Vallenrett household's favor.

Unfortunate.

"What do you think?" She asks, shadows stretching and curling on the board and putting the pieces back in their places. "Applicable? Or will father beg me to even consider getting involved with nobility again?"

They both knew very well that it was the same thing. Still, Allan nodded and replied, "Elroy will be delighted to dissect this one. On another matter, can I ask a favor?"

Shadows played with his hair and wrapped loosely around his neck. Allan and Astara smiled at each other. "Of course, big brother."

"There is this person..." he started, paying no mind to how the shadows still threatened him. This was normal, it was practice and was deadly not in the least. "I hope you can help take care of. Another matter, the queen had asked too, of your presence in the next council."

"Ha?" Mocking. "So you ask for my help?" There is a hint of curiosity and awe.

That meant that she was going, despite what she said. He still needed to put on a show though, or else it wouldn't be as fun.

"Yes. We intend to make a show of power, to deter further war." And they both knew Astara loved the thrill of a fight no matter the fact she was supposed to be a gentle and delicate young lady.

She smiled and willingly walked into the trap.

"Alright, Lily Lovell and the war council. I shall start, big brother."

As Astara walked out of the room, the shadows returned to their normal state, her own shadows at her heels and climbing up.

Like this, she looked like a queen of darkness.

/|\|/|\|/|\|/|\|/|\|/|\|/|\|/|\

Sorry! I just finished my end of semester exams and yeah...

Anyways! A new player has entered the stage! I repeat, a new player has entered the stage. You'll all see her role in the original game in the next chapter, hopefully.

Words: 1426