When Seiji awoke, the first thing he felt was a splitting headache. He searched his surroundings and recognized that he was back in the lavish personal chamber of the Royal Family. Seiji groaned as he rubbed his head, turning to find Cora seated beside him sitting ramrod straight. Confused, he followed her gaze. He immediately stiffened as he made eye contact with the Valkyrie seated across from them.

Queen Eir sat on the plush beige couch with arms folded and legs crossed. She gave them a disapproving glare just like she had back in the Grand Garden. Though the Valkyrie wasn’t using an ounce of Dominion, Seiji still found it difficult to remain calm.

“You two are far too old to be acting like children,” the Queen began. She pointed a white wing at Cora, arms still crossed. “Cora, I know we raised you to act with class. Your display today was beyond embarrassing both for yourself and our family.”

“But–” Cora began, but Eir silenced her with a hand.

She pointed a finger at Seiji as she lowered her wing. “And you. If you wish to live in my home as a Servant, a butler, or even a street urchin, I expect you to treat my people with respect. You will not threaten anyone outside of a sanctioned battle, do you understand me?”

“Yes, Queen Eir.” Seiji bowed from his seat. “I apologize for my disrespect.”

Following their lackluster battle in the Hell Pit Revival, Seiji and Cora were both feeling a bit… battle-high. They’d gone on to challenge five different Bond Events, but none of them were particularly difficult. Most notably, they’d challenged the Botanist’s Bond Event Revival, but their opponents were only butlers and a few Royal Guards. They’d followed the same plan of fighting their opponents and robbing them, except this time they’d gone full tilt and fought to kill. Apparently, the Royal Guards weren’t allowed to fight at full power and the butlers weren’t powerful enough to keep up. In the end, they’d managed to gather every fruit and vegetable in the Grand Garden.

Things had gone south after they’d complained about a lack of challenge. Endora and Akio were busy helping around Haven, so they’d managed to challenge some tournament Bond Event to kill time. Much like the Botanist Revival, their opponents were just butlers and guards. Unable to accept this, Seiji and Cora decided to fight each other. When the Royal Guards attempted to intervene, they’d both turned on the Guards in hopes of starting some sort of riot. Seiji knew Cora’s Dominion was clouding her normal judgment. He himself, meanwhile, hadn’t tapped into it once since leaving the Hell Pit. He just wanted a good fight.

That’d come when Queen Eir had come to check on a reported disturbance in the area. As soon as Seiji and Cora saw her, they immediately tried to fight her. That fight ended as quickly as it began.

“You don’t understand!” Cora tried. “The Hell Pit Revival was boring! Right?”

“Oh,” Seiji said, still reeling from his ‘fight’ with Eir. “Yeah. I thought it was supposed to be hard.”

“The Hell Pit is a basic Soul test. You two have Soul in spades, so you made short work of that trial.”

I’m assuming Soul is what they call Dominion?

Seiji wasn’t sure what the reason was, but Endora didn’t use that word with them at all. She wanted to keep it a secret for some reason, so he decided not to ask Eir for clarification.

“Even so, that does not give you two an excuse to act like fools. Having a powerful Soul is fine, but it’s important that you two temper it. Allowing your base urges to guide you makes you no better than a wild animal, wholly unfit to be a Valkyrie and a Servant.”

Cora shot up. “I’m just trying to be a proper Valkyrie! Valkyries have to be intense, and they have to kill! My Soul helps me to do that!”

The Queen nodded. “You are correct, however, you must understand that our power is used to protect the weak and the defenseless. We are not warmongers, and we are not gladiators.” She stood, gesturing for Cora to sit with a finger. “That is something you both will learn soon, though. For now, you two need to apologize to those you have harmed and rest well. You both have a busy week ahead of you.”

Seiji exchanged a look with Cora, who hadn’t yet caught what he did. He felt his heart race as the Queen’s icy glare slowly turned to a knowing smile.

“What do you mean week? It’s day… twenty…” She trailed off, gasped, shot up, and squeezed her mother. “How?! We… how?!”

As Queen Eir put it, the decision was made hours ago. Apparently, the Hell Pit Revival was rarely challenged due to its famed difficulty. The last team to challenge it, in fact, was Endora and Akio seven years ago. They’d lost, but the fact that they’d even challenged it was enough for them to be the Favorites in their year. Lirio and Selene, after having challenged it as well, had all but solidified their spots as Favorites, but that came into question when Seiji and Cora managed to breeze through the Hell Pit Revival. Something that’d only been done once in Haven’s history. By Queen Eir and her previous Servant. That, at least, explained the Royal Guard’s exasperation.

Their pick had been solidified as they made short work of all the Bond Events, showing enough strength and Dominion to force the Royal Guards to call Queen Eir herself for backup. When she put it like that, Seiji couldn’t imagine Lirio and Selene being the Favorites anymore. He just couldn’t imagine them rampaging through Haven like they did. Strangely enough, he could imagine the Twins doing it, but Seiji wasn’t sure what that said about him and Cora.

“You must know,” Queen Eir said, still hugging her trembling daughter. “Selene and Lirio are quick to adapt to new circumstances. They have been informed that their spots have been chosen, and I have sent Endora and Akio to train with them for the remainder of the Exam.”

Cora pulled away from her mother and wiped tears from her eyes. For an instant, Seiji saw the Queen deflate as she looked down at Cora. Not deflate… brace. Oddly enough, he knew why. He’d gotten an odd feeling when Selene & Lirio acted funny during the Hell Pit, and that feeling grew when he learned about the truth of the Favorite’s Rites. It’d been all but confirmed when they eavesdropped on them before entering the Hell Pit Revival.

“How do you know how quickly they are to adapt?” Cora asked with a tone that said she knew the answer.

“I have… been training them through the Exam.”

Cora looked up at her mother with an almost dead look. She sat on the couch, sighed, and looked away. She didn’t utter a single word.

“Listen, Cora,” the Queen began, walking toward her daughter. She knelt before her and clasped Cora’s hands in her own. “I know what I said to you in the Garden, but please understand. I don’t want to be a Valkyrie to you during this Exam. I want to be your mother. I can’t do that if I’m training you for thirty days. I want to–”

“I don’t care what you are,” Cora interrupted, turning to her. Tears formed in her eyes once again as she spoke. “I just wanted to be with you. I’ve spent more time with Seiji and Endora than you this entire Exam!”

The Queen gave Seiji a look that he could only describe as dejected. Seiji stood from his seat and walked to the window overlooking Haven. When she spoke again, her voice was trembling.

“I am sorry, daughter. I won’t make excuses. I will be better to you, I swear it.”

“Mother…”

They were both crying, Seiji could hear. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to say something. Hell, he wasn’t even sure he was supposed to be here. How many people could say they heard Queen Eir cry?

How many people can say they pet the King? …Endora, probably.

“After you are Winged, I want to take you to Grand Lolena. Just the two of us, no Servants, no butlers, no Royal Guards. Just the two of us on a long vacation.”

“I want to go to Iphilia!”

“We can, Cora. We can do whatever you want. For as long as you want. I want to make more memories with you.”

“I love you, mother.”

“I love you too, Cora. I always will, my beautiful daughter.”

I can see the dorms from here. I wonder if I can see into my room if I look hard enough. Now that I think about it, I’ve never walked into the castle from the front, have I? This place is–

Eir coughed. Seiji looked over his shoulder and met her slightly red eyes. They shared a nod as Seiji returned to his seat beside Cora. When he did, she focused her attention on Cora.

“Before we can relax, Cora, we need to finish our work here. I need to drill some temperance in you.” She laughed. “You have the same eyes that I did in my youth, and that isn’t much of a compliment.”

“It is to me,” Cora smiled.

The Queen’s eyes glistened for a moment, but she gathered herself. She turned to Seiji, who almost instinctively turned away. It still didn’t feel right to be in the room right now. It was as that thought that the Queen’s words finally registered with Seiji.

“What about me?” Seiji asked, hoping he didn’t sound rude.

“I won’t be training you,” Eir said simply.

Seiji frowned. “Then who–”

A familiar masculine voice called from behind him and Cora, causing them both to jump.

“Hello!”

Cora hissed and lightly smacked her father in the head a few times, causing the Queen to laugh. The King put his hands on Seiji and Cora’s heads.

“I’ll be training you, Seiji! Bring some clothes and your favorite foods.” King Vassilis winced. “The selection in the Silent Antichamber is… limited.”

“Ah,” Queen Eir called. “V is correct. Cora, pack your training rations. Seiji, tell Thea to execute ‘Helping 87’. She’ll know what to do.”

“Okay,” Cora began. “I’ll–”

“After you two make your rounds. There are plenty of upset and disrespected workers out in Haven, and a fair amount of butlers that needed high-quality elixirs to heal.” Queen Eir said. She narrowed her eyes. “Expect the costs of all damages to come out of your stipends.”

“Okay…” Cora sighed.

I have a stipend?