Sol was somewhat taken aback at the statement. She reckoned the odds of the Prince actually falling in love with her after the previous day’s events would only be worse if she killed his cat in the process. Considering that, Sol understood the Queen’s new approach. She hurriedly bowed.
“This servant wouldn’t dare. This servant has personally witnessed the Prince’s achievements, moral integrity, intelligence, and power. It’s this servant who’s unworthy of the Prince’s stature.”
Queen Blonsall nearly shattered her armrest at the girl’s rebuttal. Had anyone else overheard the exchange, Sol’s statement would sound as if she were complimenting the Prince and demeaning herself. Sadly, both Sol and the Queen understood Sol’s subtle jab.
‘Your son deserves someone as twisted and corrupt as himself.’ Was this not a slap to the face? The girl basically told her that her son’s achievements were lackluster, his moral integrity compromised, his intelligence lacking, and his power limited in comparison to Sol. How could Queen Blonsall take the insult without biting back.
“This Queen understands. This Queen’s son is rather stubborn though. In that case, this Queen will have to send regards to the young Lord Reviarra. Perhaps he can sway your mind.”
A direct threat this time? Sol’s lips curved up. She no longer retained the utmost courtesy. There was no longer a need at this stage. It was clear that Queen Blonsall was out to get her through any means. Sol brushed her dress to straighten it out and responded casually.
“Queen Blonsall, while this servant is aware of and respects the imperial family’s prestige, power, and influence. This servant is also educated beyond the layman's educational standard.”
Sol continued while increasing the intensity of her voice. “This servant is aware of many ministers who frequently purchase Iridescent products. As a merchant, this servant maintains a friendly relation to as many customers as possible. This servant is also aware that these ministers do not support the Prince’s endeavors, however they lack the funds to properly voice their opinion.”
Sol’s eyes turned sharp after her ominous declaration. She closed the distance between herself and Queen Blonsall while maintaining eye contact. Without a hint of the bashfulness displayed earlier, Sol was brimming with confidence. “While this servant is powerless in the face of imperial might, these ministers might not be. Should this servant or this servant’s brother receive any guidance or regards, then this servant will have to donate funds to get into these ministers' good graces. Perhaps they might advertise this servant’s company and bring in greater profit. This servant has avoided such adverts so far, however this servant has never taken the choice off the table.”
Queen Blonsall felt as if she kicked an iron plate. Of course she knew what Sol was saying. The girl didn’t even bother to hide the threat well. Touch my family and I’ll fuel your enemies. Sol’s attitude was something Queen Blonsall encountered only in rare circumstances.
In her position, those willing to refuse her are only those with nothing to lose while those willing to fight back are those with equal standing. Sol’s position was neither of those, however her monetary might alone was enough to let her bargain.
Queen Blonsall knew then that she made the wrong choice. She could only complain to herself that children weren’t supposed to be this difficult to deal with. Rather than continue the farce, Queen Blonsall dismissed Sol and called for her son. She needed to alter her boy’s opinion of Sol as soon as possible. Somehow, Queen Blonsall could tell the girl was a threat.
An and Sol met Christopher at the carriage drop off. The young man was already dressed in travel attire and his friends were idling in a nearby carriage. Sol understood at once that he must have been worried about her and waited.
Sol walked up and hugged her brother. It was this family that never gave up on her despite her declining health. No way would she allow anything untowards them. After getting in a good hug, Sol released her brother and prepared to send him off with a smile.
“Brother, study hard. Don’t play around too much.”
“Hahaha! Compared to our father's sessions and your plans, the school work is simple!”
The two fell into a momentary lull before Christopher became solemn. “Sol, Prince Elric won’t give up. If his plans to obtain you won’t work, he might move to eliminate you. Father’s position demands a degree of respect, however I’ve heard plenty of rumors that Prince Elric used dirty means to bring in line a few ministers in key roles. Be careful and remain alert.”
Sol blushed at the excessive care thrown at her. Her heart warmed up and the slight chill that froze her emotions when dealing with Queen Blonsall gradually broke apart. Her stiff smile turned natural and her eyes looked to her brother with a familial warmth.
“You don’t need to worry about me. Rather, take care of yourself. Queen Blonsall stopped just short of threatening me if I didn’t join her son’s faction. I was able to deflect her this time because she underestimated me. I’m uncertain if she will target you or myself in the near future. I gave her a warning, but it’s hard to say how effective it’ll be…”
“You… threatened the Queen?”
“Don’t look at me like that! It wasn’t a direct threat. That old lady was still trying to get me in that pervert’s bed. She even brought you up to me. I couldn’t just let her talk as she pleased.”
As soon as Christopher heard the backstory, his face blanched. He clenched his fists so hard his nails dug into his skin. Again. His little sister was protecting him again. He understood that there was no way Sol was under any less pressure, yet she still found the strength to cover for him as well.
Christopher swore an oath to himself at that moment and relaxed his nerves. It was time for him to grow a little quicker. He gave a final loving glance at his little sister and patted her head as their father wood. Just for extra security, he made sure to ruffle her hair a bit despite her complaints.
“Sol, take care of yourself. I can handle things on my end. Remember that father and I will always be on your side.” Leaving behind those words, Christopher left a dizzy Sol and hopped onto his friends carriage. Sol remained on site with a subtle look of confusion. She didn’t understand the abrupt change in her brother, however he certainly gave off a powerful air when he left.
Thinking such, Sol smiled to herself and led An to her carriage. The two boarded and their party took off under the protection of Sir Leory’s knight squad. Unbeknownst to her, two figures observed Sol’s departure from a hidden balcony. The two brothers remained silent until Sol was long out of their view. Prince Roland was released from house arrest only an hour or so ago, however he wasn’t as angry as one would expect. Rather, his face held a hefty smile and his eyes darted to the side to take peeks at his brother.
Initially, Prince Roland was infuriated at being taken out of the banquet. Later, he caught news of the setbacks that Sol dealt to Prince Elric and his mood skyrocketed. It was hard to describe his emotions. There was a sense of relief that it wasn’t him, but also a strange jealousy that he couldn’t witness the young girl in action. Beside him, Prince Elric spoke up. “Brother… Would you be interested in an alliance?”
Prince Roland’s eyebrow shot up. An alliance? They’re competitors. Why would they ally with one another? As if to read his brother’s mind, Prince Elric continued.
“Lady Reviarra is a threat to both of us. You’ve already attacked her brainchild, Iridescent, and this Prince has directly insulted her. As it stands, she has good reason to go against both of us and support second or third brother. What are your thoughts?”
Prince Roland thought carefully about the suggestion. It was true he already offended Sol, however he didn’t believe it was nearly as bad as Prince Elric. Though his intentions were the same, Sol never knew that. In a way, Prince Elric prevented him from lifting a brick and dropping it on his own foot.
Despite the outcome, Prince Roland was confident in his success had he acted in his brother’s place. He knew that his brother’s failure was the brief moment he took to inform his mother. That was the difference between himself and his brother. Although he respected his concubine mother and accepted her advice, Prince Roland would never defer to her.
Had he caught Sol in a moment of weakness, he would have taken her in the carriage or on the spot. Whatever was more convenient. Delaying the inevitable only gives rise to uncertain factors. The more Prince Roland thought about it, the weaker his brother seemed.
Sol Reviarra managed to pry apart the perfect image high society held of Prince Elric and Prince Roland already heard of many supporters questioning Prince Elric’s competency. He was taught a lesson by a 9 year old girl for God’s sake. Humorously, his brother could only taper the rumors and not quell them.
Few would understand the threat Sol was unless pitted directly against her. In a way, his brother and him understood Sol best as her enemy. Despite that, Prince Roland saw no need to form an alliance with his brother. If anything, he thought it would be more practical to set the two against each other more often.
That wasn’t even counting on Prince Roland’s forces. Although most people only saw his frontal strength, few were aware of the cards he kept hidden. There were plenty of options available to him and, technically speaking, his relationship with Sol was better than that between her and his brother.
Prince Roland concluded that any alliance with Prince Elric would be detrimental to his future ambitions. In fact, he even determined there was an opportunity to draw Sol into an alliance against his brother after such a fiasco.
