Chapter 16

The sound of trickling water and crinkling paper were the only things to be heard alongside a set of breathing. An elegant, dainty hand covered with an navy blue embroidered silk glove turned the page from a rather sized stack of paperwork.

Sharp heterochromatic eyes flashed as they caught sight of the smallest flutter of black cloth. The hand that had previously been harmlessly turning a page took a throwing knife and nailed its target on the shadow guard's hood.

The woman had blonde hair put up in an intricate bun, strands escaping to frame her beautifully cold face. One of her eyes were blue, the other green. Her gown was a dark purple, accented with navy blue and made it seem like she was gliding on air.

The queen stood up, regal and graceful, and left the pavilion to question the shadow guard she had caught.

None of her movements made any sound.

"Have you neglected your training, Two?" She asked, voice deceptively even. Two took the throwing knife from her hood and got on one knee, bowing her head. "No, commander."

The queen took back her knife, slipping it into a sheath strapped in her sleeve. "Then what has gotten my best student so ruffled? Has it something to do with my...husband's decisions?"

"Answering the first question, commander, I found a very ambitious scheme that, if the schemer is enabled, will succeed. Answering the second question, commander, it has to do with the student with light magic who was recently admitted." Two answered dutifully.

"Elaborate," The queen demanded, flicking her wrist to motion the other to come with her as she returned to the pavilion.

Two did as ordered and didn't hold back.

Commander loved her children enough to do something about this, Two and everyone else were sure of this. Her...husband, on the other hand, was a complicated matter.

The shadow guards' loyalty was to the queen and the princes, not the king or the kingdom.

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This is what the common people know, the king and queen are deeply in love with each other, their love story sang by bards and hailed as one of the most romantic pieces to have graced the land of the living.

This is what the common people don't know, the king was a fickle, fickle man.

Chris mused to himself as the family of four—no, three sat in the dining room. Their father was flattering yet another young woman who was as the family of three dubbed, "auntie of the month".

They were a family of three, a mother and two brothers.

(Never his father, never the king because he had never been there, had never loved them or even looked at them in the eye once—not to insult or critic or compliment or even muse on how big they've grown by now.)

They were a family of three, with two extras sitting on the dining table, living in their home, leeching off of them.

This is something the common people would never understand, because theirs was a tale of love and loyalty, how could it grow to be like this?

(It was something Chris was afraid of, because if Rey ever found out that he had grew up in such a family, would he be disgusted?)

Leo picked at his food, mashing them into something unrecognizable. The queen, mother, their strict but loving mother, gave him a look that had him reeling to straighten up and eat properly, with manners.

Chris had to physically hold his breathe as to not choke on his laughter. (It was a small, petty spite not to laugh in the presence of the king. Because he didn't care, wouldn't notice anyways.)

The air was slightly tense between all of them, only the "auntie of the month" not noticing and giving the king sultry and flattering looks.

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Mother had once told them a story.

It had been autumn when an eight-year-old Chris couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out crying, throwing a tantrum, wanting to know why his father would keep bringing home new aunties and never talk to him or mother or Leo. A six-year-old Leo has supported him and wanted to know why too.

Mother had somehow gotten the two to stop and with mugs of hot chocolate in their hands—Chris had distinctly remembered asking for extra marshmallows—the three sat in mother's favorite pavilion and watched the fish swim around in a small pond.

(Chris still remembered how a leaf had fallen into the pond and the reflection of his mother rippled and it almost seemed like she was smiling. Which was weird to him back then because their mother nearly never smiled.)

"Once upon a time," she started.

"There was a charming young prince who always got what he wanted. Whether it be wealth, power or women, he would get it as long as he asked."

"Once everything was deemed boring, he left the confines and safety of his kingdom and went to another one."

"In this kingdom, there was a young woman who wanted to be a general."

"This woman wanted to prove to everyone that it wasn't only men who powerful. So she ignored any advance that these men would make."

Mother had them snorted, a nostalgic—sad, regretful, resigned—look in her eyes.

"The prince came to know of this woman and, wanting a challenge, decided to try and court her."

"But unlike all her other suitors, he was someone nobody knew and was thus thought of as a commoner. The woman, intrigued by the thought of a commoner had the guts—bravery to try something no noblemen had succeeded in doing, met with him."

"With the first meeting came the second and the third and the woman fell in love with the prince without ever knowing he was one."

"She announced that she would marry him."

"But here's the thing."

Mother was suddenly serious, looking at them—not at them, something else—with dead eyes.

"He was never in love with the woman."

Leo, butted in, face covered in cream and chocolate. "But mother! How could they get married if they're not in love with each other?"

Mother tutted and wiped his baby brother's face with a handkerchief that Chris didn't know where it came from. "Just listen to my story, questions later, alright darlings?"

Chris nodded solemnly, Leo watching and copying his big brother's actions.

(It was adorable.)

"The prince told the woman he was actually a prince from another kingdom and the woman was a fool in love—I mean, alright with that, because she loved him."

"Then she became his queen and bore him a child, the crown prince."

"The prince—now king, wanting to seek out more challenges, left the woman—now queen and started finding other women."

"The queen could not understand what happened and in a final act of desperation, got the king drunk—I mean... convinced him to have another child with her, the second prince."

Mother then smiled at them, with... something he couldn't perceive. "The end!"

Leo seemed to be struck by something and made this cute pose that he always said helped him think better before seeming to think very hard and realizing something with an "aha!". He pointed at mother, "You're the queen!"

He then pointed at Chris and himself, "and we're the princes!"

His baby brother then made that pose he usually did when he was proud of himself and wanted to be praised.

(It was adorable.)

Mother nodded and pat his head.

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It is to my attention that Chris and Leo's background has never been elaborated on before. So.

I thought of what kind of family would make one child cool and collected while the other flirty. And well.

Introducing two OCs, the king and queen. Still deciding on names. Also, the queen ties into several plot points, so yeah.

Including AN: 1329 words