Witch Princess: Part 1: Chapter 22
Witch Princess by Verlie
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Chapter 22
 
The Academy maintained several beautiful gardens, and many had private sections that students took advantage of. Amirya arrived at a gazebo with Sephine next to her, who carried a basket full of fruit, crackers, cheese, and some water. 
 
Cinna excitedly ran throughout the nearby flowerbeds, and Amirya winced as her beast trampled their beauty and kicked up their roots. 
 
Finri sat under the gazebo in the shade already, the little bits of sunlight that entered bounced off her hair, creating a halo effect. She looked up at their entry, her yellow eyes catching the light. They reminded Amirya of a savage, intelligent animal who stalked through the woods - the eyes of a predator, a hunter.  Her aura, as bright as ever, still maintained in a tight ball at her chest. Quite belatedly, Amirya comprehended that her immediate unease in her first life was intimidation caused by Finri’s strength and wild beauty. 
 
The cinematic image dissipated as she stuck out her tongue and let out a disgusted noise, “Why is she here?”
 
Sephine scoffed with a smile in response and held her nose up, “Why wouldn’t I be? Do you think the princess keeps secrets from her lady? Her best friend?” Sephine articulated the last two words with intent and raised her eyebrow, an obvious goad. 
 
Finri took it. She rolled her eyes and spread out - she leaned back, uncrossed her legs, and placed both arms up on the railing behind her, a confident vibe rolling off her. “That’s a nice joke. I know her better than you.”
 
Sephine laughed. She set the basket down; now, Cinna ran over,  jumped on the platform, and shoved his nose through the side. Amirya shouted ‘hey’ and batted him away. Sephine unfolded the blanket she had underneath her other arm and fluffed it out on the ground, sitting down in a relaxed position. She smiled at Finri, “Fat chance, you uncouth oaf.”
 
“Jeez,” Amirya muttered, although amused. She sat down as well.
 
Finri quickly slipped from her seat to the cloth.
 
“What do you think you’re doing?” Sephine said coldly. “You can remain up there. This is for the princess and her attendants.”
 
“I’m with the princess,” Finri stated stubbornly.
 
“You’re not noble enough to share the same blanket as her,” Sephine retorted.
 
Finri opened her mouth to retort, but Amirya interjected, “Dear goddess, you two, cut it out.”
 
Sephine smiled and agreed quickly, satisfied to have had the last word. Finri made faces at Seph while Amirya wasn’t looking, but Sephine presented an unimpressed expression to her antics.
 
Finri focused in on Amirya to the point the girl became uncomfortable and asked, “What?”
 
“You seem fine,” Finri murmured. She reached over and moved some hair from Amirya’s face. 
 
Flustered, she asked, “Yes, fine, perfectly fine. Why?”
 
“…” Finri shook her head and changed the topic, asking, “So how much does she know? What’s the benefit of having an outsider know?” 
 
“Y’all are acting like little children who don’t want to share a toy,” Amirya said with a disappointed tone. “Anyways. I told her everything.”
 
“Why?” Finri pressed.
 
“She doesn’t have to explain anything to you,” Sephine argued.
 
Amirya looked up to the ceiling of the gazebo, regretting her choices. She sighed and then reached for the basket to pull out the food for them. Sephine immediately tried to stop her and do it, but Amirya instructed her to relax and let her. Sephine blushed slightly and then rubbed her nose, a smile behind her hand; who can say they were served by the princess? 
 
“Now,” Amirya said, “Eat. Be calm. Lady Finri, you said you got something you were after?”
 
“Just Finri,” Finri stated obtusely. 
 
She grabbed the bag behind her and pulled out a large stack of papers. She chuckled, sounding almost like a villain, “This is smuggler routes and inventory checklist for the last couple of months, thanks to a little inside helper. Where they got what and then where it went to, how much was paid. There are code words for people and beast people as well as certain drugs. I already decoded a few things. Then, the falsified papers showing the misuse of the social welfare funds. Some of these places never were constructed, like soup kitchens and whatnot. Instead, it went to getting the marshal of that area and all the patrolling knights on a payroll. There’s a direct connection between the Midnight Sins and that department; they work hand in hand. And, best of all, this.”
 
Amirya and Sephine were bug-eyed. A strawberry sat between Sephine’s lips, who stopped chewing. They inched toward the girl, focused on the packed folder she held up. Finri grinned, “It seems like someone has trust issues.” 
 
They patiently waited for her to continue.
 
“Enough suspense!” Amirya reached for the folder, and Finri let her take it. She opened it, flipping through the papers. They were extremely similar; contract after contract with slightly different terms and a different name on each but Viscount Rowley’s name on all of them. “Contracts?”
 
“Do you know the Viscount’s skill?” Finri asked, pleased.
 
“...” Amirya sheepishly shook her head. Sephine excitedly ate grapes, speaking with her mouth full, “Wait - I do. Yes. My father - he’s in business and he always says he steers clear of the Viscount even though he’s amassing wealth and success at a crazy speed. He bought two higher nobles titles in like, five years. But, he makes everyone do a contract because he blood binds them.”
 
“Blood binds?” Amirya asked.
 
“His skill,” Finri explained, “Allows him to make contracts spirit to spirit. You’re bound to the contract, and if it’s violated, you can enact punishment. These contracts aren’t made on paper. They’re made through verbal agreement and some aura and blood from the contracted. The bind appears on the Viscount, like a temporary tattoo. While I was not spying but just innocently walking through the mansion-” Sephine scrunched up her face at this, “-I saw him without a shirt, and he’s riddled with it. It’s a wonder his human spirit is supporting all that, really. Makes me wonder actually. Anyways, he’s so distrustful though, he makes them sign paper contracts. Because they could deny involvement and claim they were blackmailed or forced. It’s insurance. In case his crimes are uncovered. ‘If you snitch on me, I’m bringing you all down too’.”
 
“Wow.” Amirya said, astonished. “Finri - what. How the hell did you get this?” 
 
“In different places,” Finri said in a sing-song voice. “The routes and inventory, there were some in the palace, some at the auction house, and some in the Viscount’s mansion. Felicity helped. We’ll need to protect her when it all goes down.”
 
“Palace?” Sephine asked, alarmed.
 
“I have a little mouse of my own,” Finri said proudly. She faced Amirya, expectant. “Well? I did great, right? Praise me.”
 
Amirya laughed. How could such a strong, capable person act like that? She reached over and patted her shoulder and said, “Good job.”
 
She was a little concerned about the mouse in the palace comment but decided against mentioning it. Finri tilted her head towards the princess at the touch. Amirya hesitated, then patted her head with mirth. Sephine frowned. Cinnamon, muddy and panting, returned from his frolicking and crawled between them, rolling on his back.
 
“I am not petting you when you’re that dirty,” Amirya said. Cinna whined, but he was ignored.
 
“Wait, these drop-offs,” Sephine said, looking through the evidence. “Is this… the location of the auction house, illegal brothels, Midnight Sins hangout… and the arena…?”
 
“Yup,” Finri said.
 
“And all these names of the noblemen involved!” Sephine motioned to the folder Amirya still held.
 
“Yup!” Finri grinned.
 
“All that’s left is wherever the secret Academy stuff is,” Sephine stated. 
 
For the first time, Finri’s aura flickered in surprise and interest. She cocked her head to the side with her eyes glinting and engaged Sephine without any form of micro-aggression, asking, “Secret Academy stuff?”
 
“Oh, right.” Sephine straightened her back, smirking. “I forgot my best friend, Her Highness Princess Amirya, didn’t give you the update yet.” 
 
Finri scowled and looked away from Sephine to Amirya; her eyes almost gave an accusatory impression.
 
“I hadn't had the chance yet,” Amirya said, not sure why she defended herself. “I know - obviously, missing people, especially from the borders, are trafficked into this.” She motioned to the papers. “But the people in the capital too, and, not just this. The Academy is involved. I’m not sure how. And none of the papers have any connection.” 
 
Not only that, but this information didn’t even exist in the book. 
 
However, it did show a fault in Finri’s and Valerian’s approach: they hit the arena and auction house and took down those present. By the time they tracked down the other stations, the members of the gangs, and the involved aristocrats, everything had been cleaned up. Some of it was messy enough to track down once more, but many got away, and many missing people were not recovered. 
 
Worse, a small detail, just two lines in the book, was the criticism that bodies were found at an alarming rate the following month. The slaves, prostitutes, and other ‘unfortunates’ were evidence, so they were killed.
 
“We have to make sure it all comes out at once,” Amirya said.
 
“Sure,” Finri agreed while Sephine nodded.
 
The two younger girls watched the princess, waiting for her direction. Amirya felt the pressure but embraced it instead of thinking to run away. She looked up and said, “I think I know how to find where the Academy might be holding the missing children. For the rest, we’ll need to get the twins and Sir Raven’s assistance. Here’s what I’m thinking…”
 
She took the plan that Finri used from the book, but instead of the discovery of involvement afterwards, it would unravel at the scene. Finri stated she would let the twins know what they needed to do. Amirya told them she’d let them know the plan for the Academy soon and that it’d be simple. After she finished, the three girls ate and barely spoke, pondering deeply.
 
 
….
 
 
Sephine bid Amirya a good night and left her room. Amirya sighed heavily, throwing herself onto a loveseat in her room; Cinna ran to her and pushed his head under her hand, trying to comfort her. He smelled like roses from the bath Yanafir gave him earlier.
 
On the way to the teleport station to return from the Academy, Faedi and Jyn found them, and while Jyn tried to calm and hold Faedi back, the cat girl screamed until she began to cry. She yelled that she thought they would help her, but they’ve done nothing. It wasn’t like Amirya could tell the girl about everything. 
 
She asked them to be patient, but Faedi spat at the ground and said she should have known all nobility would act like this. Sephine was ready to scold the girl, but Amirya instructed her to ignore it. They all left with a heavy heart. Amirya placed her hand on her forehead.
 
“You look like you need a shoulder to lean on.”
 
Amirya gasped and jumped to her feet as her heart raced, “What the hell!”
 
“Oh, that’s not very princess-like,” Nix said with fake surprise, widening his eyes. He leaned against the opened balcony door - the one that had been closed moments before when Sephine had left. 
 
His aura still resembled smoke; it curled around him in an almost ominous way. The dull lapiz blue swirled with the slated gray. Gray was a color that raised caution in the princess, the impression she received from those who had it mixed in was never good.
 
“...why and how...” Amirya stated.
 
She pulled the robe over her long nightgown completely closed subconsciously. His intrusion felt disrespectful and invasive, so she immediately was put on edge. He wasn’t the first to roll in unannounced, and while she found Finri’s sudden appearances annoying, she hadn’t given them much thought. Since Finri had been actively helping her, she had ignored it.
 
Nix smirked. He kicked off the door and leisurely strolled through her room, his finger trailing along the surface of furniture he passed. 
He replied, “So curt towards the one who saved you. What’s that? Do you know how deeply the knights are trying to vet me? Their questions never stop, no matter how much I say I was just a poor illegal slave. And, wow, they just won’t stop asking me about the knights who attacked, no matter how much I say, I only saw thugs.” He turned and gave a pouty look. “Don’t you want to take care of me and treat me favorably? Then I will feel even more indebted.” 
 
“There is no debt,” Amirya said clearly. “You’re aware that breaking into the princess’s room could have a punishment as harsh as death.” She nearly stated he could be killed for this, but she retracted that verbiage quickly; who even knew if there was a single person in the palace currently that could manage to kill him?
 
“But I’m just having a secret rendezvous with my master.” Nix replied. He grabbed the chair and dragged it closer towards her, stopping when Cinna growled a warning, and then sat on it backwards, crossing his arms over the top and leaning his chin on them. He grinned, “It’s so nice to see you. I haven’t seen you once since you abandoned me at the gate.”
 
“It hasn’t even been a week,” Amirya muttered.
 
“Did you figure out who tried to hurt you?” Nix said.
 
Hurt. Not kill. Amirya responded, “Well, now I’m assuming you do.”
 
“Of course,” he said simply. “You must have heard how short the lone survivor lasted in prison. Princess, oh princess, aren’t you planning something? Why aren’t you asking me for help? You could use me as you like.”
 
“I desire no such thing, especially from a man who still hasn’t answered the why and how.” Amirya glared. 
 
Nix chuckled and apathetically responded, “It’s an easy jump to your balcony, my princess. Also, like I said, I want to be used for our plans.”
His grin unnerved her. She clicked her tongue, “Just leave.”
 
Nix watched her, and as his grin left, the neutral expression on his face was even more unnerving. Her heart beat faster, in warning. “You’d said you’d make me a servant of the palace,” the cold voice sent a shiver through Amirya, “but I’m just left to the knight’s will and their will isn’t kind.”
 
“Sure,” Amirya placated. “I’ll do something.”
 
“Yay!” The snap change from scary to happy had Amirya recoil. “I’ll see you soon then.”
 
He disappeared off the balcony quicker than Amirya could follow, but she didn’t care; she shut the balcony door and locked it. She heart still beat quickly, and she made her way to the drawer that held the sedative potions. Cinna began to whine, and it made her hand pause over the handle for a moment.
 
She hated it. Her powers weren’t progressing fast enough. While she managed to hold off her attackers, she was still defenseless, even in her own palace. Most of these people trained since early childhood, and she fell behind - maybe she should devour a devil like Finri, apparently.
Finri. Amirya grew more aggravated. She ran her fingers through her hair on the sides of her head, digging her nails into her scalp slightly. She stopped suspecting her since she helped with Valerian, and after the memories, she started trusting the girl a little more.
 
But she was too familiar with her, too aggressive at times. It threw the princess off balance, but Amirya felt too caught up in the current schemes to respond to it. She’d have to address it, and if Finri really wanted to be friends, then…
 
A knock at the door stopped her thoughts.
 
“Dear Goddess,” she cursed, closing her eyes.
 
Cinna, though, did not growl. Instead, his tail wagged. 
 
“Must be someone good then,” Amirya muttered. She called for them to enter.
 
Raven came in and bowed, “I apologize for visiting your Highness so late, but I could not find you earlier.”
 
“It’s fine; I actually need to talk to you as well, Sir Raven. Why are you here?” Amirya asked.
 
“Baroness Estel has informed you of the King’s order,” Raven stated, and when he looked up, his expression was painted by disappointment. “That, to travel without an royal escort, can only happen through teleportation travel, and in which, a knight of the highest order from the Academy will accompany you and wait outside your classes and studies. And for any other travel, you must have an royal knight of the highest order- the Golden Guard, with you.”
 
“Yes,” Amirya looked away, knowing already what she was in trouble for.
 
“It’s been well followed for a week, but then today, you lost your guard for several hours.” 
 
“Mm…”
 
“A knight trained to that degree would not lose a girl by his own accord,” Sir Raven stated. Amirya still did not meet his eyes, twiddling her thumbs.
 
“Uh-huh…”
 
“Your Highness, the Princess.” Raven said with a firm tone.
 
Amirya sighed, “Yes.”
 
“I was wrong to be so doubtful of you the last time you asked me for help.”
 
“Yes - what?”
 
Her mind buffered for a second as she caught up to him.
 
“I have always prided myself on carrying the values that my father, the Marquis Overyn, instilled in me. Which included being kind to those weaker as well as forming my own opinions, outside of the influence of others. I try to always uphold these.”
 
You were nice to me because I was weak? Well, I can’t decide if that’s better or worse than you thinking me pathetic. 
 
“Sir Raven,” Amirya cut in. 
 
But the large knight knelt down, bowing his head, “I never gave the princess a chance. I assumed the worst, even when you told me you just wanted to protect Baroness Estel. I know how this palace is, but even after your father gave you permission to utilize me as a knight for your own, I still reported to him for his approval, even though you weren’t asking for anything illegal or wrong.”
 
“I’m feeling uncomfortable,” Amirya said, stopping in front of him, her hands raised. “Please stand up.”
 
Raven looked up and instead of standing, he took her hand and held it, “I’m not ignorant of Her Majesty the queen and His Highness the prince. And your father, His Majesty, keeps a distance so that they are not aggravated. But princess, I do not have to do such a thing. I wanted you to know that you can count on me. I will follow your will and protect you.”
 
Amirya planned on bewitching him slightly. She still wasn’t good at it, but with close eye contact and physical touch, she could put thoughts and instincts for a short time in others. 
 
“But why?” She asked softly.
 
Raven placed the back of her hand against his forehead. “...I wrote the princess off like everyone else. A… a spoiled child… but I know that it was wrong. That you were just a child who didn’t understand the atmosphere of the palace. But I’ve seen the change in you and how you’re trying to adapt to survive. Her Majesty the Queen and His Highness the Crown Prince can be… ignoble…”
 
He was about to say more, but Amirya cut him off. The pieces fell together so suddenly.
 
“Ah, I see,” she stated, almost emotionless, “so it really was the queen that ordered it?”
 
“...We identified the corpses left behind,” Raven responded instead.
 
It was two knights and thugs. The knights must have been connected to the Rivertill duchy somehow. The palace planned to sweep this all away, probably as thugs acting alone - right, they hounded Nix; they needed to make sure he didn’t know there were knights present.
 
“Does my father know?” Amirya asked.
 
“Princess,” Raven said in a gentle tone.
 
“Enough, that answers enough.” Amirya took her hand away.
 
“He’s not just ignoring it,” Raven quickly stated.
 
“Right, it just won’t be dealt with publicly,” she muttered. Real consequences weren’t going to happen, so they couldn’t let anyone know. This also meant Commander Hale wasn’t able to contain it, though, if it reached all the way to the king.
 
Raven finally stood. He took a step towards her but hesitated. Amirya bite the nail on her thumb, sizing him up. Since he entered, his calm and gentle aura vibrated with worry and sheepishness.
 
“So, you’re saying you’ll basically be my knight now?” Amirya said.
 
“Yes,” Raven confirmed. “Though I must, of course, place the king first as I am a member of his Golden Guard.”
 
“Good. I have something for you. Something you can’t tell your superiors. Something you’ll have to rope in a few knights under you that you trust.” Amirya stated coldly. “Don’t worry, it’s not a murder plot - oh, but it wasn’t murder was it?” She remembered what those men stated. “No, a murder of a beast and a maid, as though that isn’t a crime, and whatever was left for me.”
 
Raven was concerned about what she wanted, she could see it and feel it. She knew it was unreasonable to feel resentful towards the man who died for her in her last life, so she tried to relinquish her feelings. 
 
Cinna, her familiar, obviously trusted and liked Raven. At the thought of Cinna, he bounded up to her, rubbing his head against her legs, a way to say it’s okay. She told Raven to close the door and sit down. 
 
 
…
 
 
Corentine sat gracefully in the king’s meeting room, connected to his bedroom, her legs crossed with her beautiful, green silk dress slipping over them. The dress had an intricate white lace top layer, and she wore simple gold jewelry to match with finely done make-up. When a servant stopped and told her Galien requested her presence that night, she had Regina and her other maids dress her meticulously. 
 
As she left, Hale nearly missed her. He almost grabbed her in his hurry, and she cursed him, but he whispered something that made her blood run cold.
 
‘The king identified the knights.’
 
Since Cassivan was assaulted, and they successfully hid his true whereabouts during the attack, she thought they could say the same thugs must have attacked the princess. They would double down on finding who exactly hurt her son, and then punish them for both assaults, so the true assailants would never even enter the discussion.
 
But those worthless knights died. Because of some slave. She still didn’t worry when she heard that, because those knights shouldn’t have been identified. Hale explained some knight apprentice recognized one of their faces from two years prior, when he came with the Duke and was left here. 
 
How? It was like the universe worked against her. Why was an apprentice involved with the investigation? Hale should have had it all under control! She cursed him and hit him, but she balled up energy in her hands, harvesting her aura characteristic of lava.  Hale shielded his skin with his own energy but still received a bad burn.
 
When he glared at her, she hissed at him what he thought he was doing and who he thought he was. It was the fault of his incompetence here, after all.
 
She controlled her face and kept her poise as her husband sat across from her.
 
“You’re coming to the wrong conclusions,” Corentine stated first to take control of the conversation.
 
A manservant poured tea and left at Galien’s wave.
 
“Enlighten me,” he said simply and coldly. He did not reach for the tea as he blankly stared at her.
 
She cleared her throat, “I was actually working on coming to you after I figured out what happened.”
 
“Oh?”
 
Corentine had to hand it to Hale for at least this much - without the warning, this conversation would not have gone in her favor whatsoever. It would’ve blindsided her, and she would have made a mistake. 
 
She almost reached for the tea - something to do with her hands, but she pulled back before ever touching it, suddenly feeling a strong sense of distrust. No matter how much she yearned for this man, who she loved since she was nineteen, he only showed her real, warm affection exactly once - when Cassivan was born. She tried desperately to have another child, but he wouldn’t have it. So she tried to earn his love, but that damn illegitimate unimportant girl and her bastard daughter stole her chance.
 
“As you know, Cassivan was recently injured, and there is still no culprit.” Corentine watched him carefully, but his expression was steadfast. “Then, I heard a concerning rumor. The little royal princess is running around the ghetto, messing with the inhabitants. Bad habits aside, she was seen only with a fellow academy student, not even an escort. It’s simply unsafe.”
 
She was careful here. A rumor. A student. As though the information didn’t come from her spies.
 
“That girl despises me… just like you, she blames me for… poor Vuschia’s death,” Corentine breathed deeply and swallowed her disgust. “She wouldn’t listen to me, and I fear that she would throw a tantrum at any guard sent. The knights were to supervise the paid lowlives. They would stop the carriage, demand money, and then leave. It was to scare her and show her the importance of an escort. If that… man hadn’t randomly appeared, my knights would be here to testify to you. And you’d be thanking me for correcting bad behavior, because she isn’t even obeying your escort command.”
 
Galien laced his fingers together, resting them in his lap as he maintained eye contact. Corentine knew this move; it had worked against her many times. He’d simply stay silent, and she felt like she needed to speak more, which always led to a mistake. 
 
“That’s all,” Corentine said, determined not to add anything else.
 
“...You have no reason to be so concerned with the princess.” Galien stated. His voice alarmed Corentine; her body stiffened and her heart sped up. Had he used his ability in the room? No, he wouldn’t dare - not on her. 
 
“I’m her mother.” Corentine said softly.
 
“You are not,” this time, Galien’s reply was harsh. “Corentine. Out of twenty-two siblings, I rose to the throne.” He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. “Do you think I could do such a thing if I was stupid?”
 
Corentine kept her head up and said with a warning tone, “I am the queen. I am Duke Rivertill’s daughter. Don’t you-”
 
It was a line she used often. Galien smirked and dread filled Corentine, stopping her mid-sentence. 
 
He said, “You are not his only daughter now. Izelle is of the age to marry. If I had to, I can placate Duke Rivertill well enough. His grandson is set for the throne. He doesn’t care for much else. He doesn’t have love for you, he loves what he can get our of your position. I do not have the patience for schemes in this palace. My father poisoned this palace. I stained it with so much blood, it’s a wonder we all don’t drown in it. But it’s exactly that which allows you to sit on your throne.”
 
Anger swelled in Corentine, and even though her hands shook, she restrained herself. Veins protruded in her neck, and her mouth became a thin line, “Galien, don’t threaten me.”
 
“Don’t threaten my children. They’re my blood before anything else,” Galien said. Corentine felt the pressure from the energy he released with those words. “This is your only warning. Be thankful I don’t send you back to the Duke.”
 
“Galien-”
 
“Get out, and don’t test my patience.”
 
Corentine kept her chin up high. She stood with an elegance ingrained in her since birth and delicately swept her dress around her. She nodded to him, “I will see you later. When you’re calm and can see reason.”
 
They both knew the havoc Corentine was about to create in her palace, but Galien, like always, would pretend not to know. He let out a deep sigh and leaned back in his seat, calling for his prime minister to come back in. 
 
“Your Majesty,” Prime Minister Vonne said softly, “perhaps it’s time to consider sending Her Highness the Princess to either the Eastern Royal Palace under the guise of visiting her grandmother, the Queen Dowager, or even send her to the north to visit her future mother-in-law, Duchess Beaumont.”
 
Galien stayed quiet for a couple of minutes, his face hidden behind his hand that rubbed his forehead. In a tired voice, he said, “No. That girl doesn’t hate me. Not yet. Even if I deserve it. If I send her away… anyways, although there are snakes in this palace, it’s easier to protect her when she’s within reach.”
 
“I understand, sire,” Vonne said sympathetically. 
 
…
 
 
In the morning, Yanafir attended to the princess for the first time since the incident. Amirya sat at her vanity in her nightgown, and Yanafir stood behind her, tenderly brushing her hair and adding a hair cream to it after so the curls would remain without frizz. The princess still only allowed very few maids, along with her ladies and nanny, into her palace.
 
“Yanafir,” she called.
 
For the first time, Yanafir glanced up and caught the other’s eyes. Her half-lidded eyes had long and thick lashes, tinted blue just like her hair, and it casted a sad or tired look to her eyes often. Her normally solemn and submissive aura felt turbulent.
 
“I assume that the queen has long since called you to see what happened.” Amirya stated nonchalantly. 
 
Yanafir moved around the chair, kneeling in front of Amirya. She clasped her hands together in front of her, “I didn’t say anything about you, Princess! I swear! I told Her Majesty that the carriage was stopped, and they opened the door, and we were all pulled out and they kicked Cinna. Then, out of nowhere, that man came…”
 
Amirya was ready to feel annoyed, expecting her to react with fear just like in the library when Amirya originally called her out for reporting to the queen. She blinked and analyzed the way the aura in front of her danced with worry and earnestness.
 
“I am loyal to you, Princess.”
 
“It’s okay,” Amirya found herself replying. She placed her hand on top of Yanafir’s. “I already know that.” 
 
I’m sponsoring her family, so of course I’ve bought her loyalty, but this is more than just a surface level emotional reaction to our relationship… 
 
“You did well.”
 
Yanafir’s face relaxed and even though she felt joy, tears bubbled in her eyes. She wiped them away quickly.
 
Amirya debated her next move. She seemed to have won Yanafir over. She felt sorry for the defenseless maid, who the queen used without a second thought. She had no choice but to obey someone with such a higher rank to not only defend but feed her family.
 
“She meant to kill you,” Amirya said more to herself than Yanafir.
 
Yanafir’s shoulders slumped as she faced the floor. She already knew.
 
“...Don’t worry.” Amirya took her hand away, angling her face away from her. “You’re basically one of mine now, right? I even sponsor your family. I’ve invested too much at this point to let someone else trample over you like that. So, I’ll protect you. I will.”
 
Sephine, Estel, Cinna, Raven, even her father who would grow sick… she would protect all of them. Finri as well, even though Amirya was sure that girl could destroy anything that crossed her path.
 
“Princess,” Yanafir said with a cry in her voice. The girl’s head leaned into the princess’s knee. “Princess, I will be loyal to you for the rest of my life, I swear. My siblings, and my nieces and nephews, they will too. The potions you left… my sister is able to get out of bed… and…” She trailed off, choking up. Amirya caressed the top of her head. 
 
None of us asked to be born into our positions.
 
“Yanafir… if what you say is true,” and Amirya knew that it was from her spirit, “then I do need your help with something.”
 
...
 
[Unfortunately, no illustration. I have been doing better, but I've been using my available energy to edit and write. But I'm hoping I have some art for you next update, there was a silly thing I wanted to draw with a few of the girls. Thanks for reading~]
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