After a couple of days’ journey, we finally returned to Sestia. I sent Lyall back to Ryujin—his family lived there, and he deserved a mont to breathe. As for , I went straight ho—to Aurelius.
The carriage ca to a gentle halt, and the door creaked open. The coachman stepped forward and offered his gloved hand, which I took as I descended. My pale blue dress rippled softly in the breeze, the fabric catching light like water under the sun. My long hair had been neatly braided and tucked beneath a white hat. I had sent Nox ahead to inform them of my return, so I wasn’t surprised to find the entire Aurelius household gathered at the entrance, waiting.
The mansion’s personnel had gathered in neat rows, and at the front stood my father, Duke Arthur Aurelius, alongside his ever-dutiful aide, Viscount Case Ainsworth. Even from a distance, I could see it—both of them had aged. Significantly.
"Reina!" My father rushed forward and pulled into a tight embrace.
I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around him, gently patting his back.
"Welco back, my little Princess," he murmured.
He felt lighter in my arms. When he finally pulled away, I noticed the tears glistening in his eyes.
"I missed you," he said.
I smiled softly. "I was only gone a couple of months, Father. Barely even two."
"Even a single day away from you makes miss you, my child."
He stepped back, giving a quick once-over like he was checking for damage. "Are you well? Did you eat properly? You didn’t eat anything bad, right?"
I reached out and held his arms, my gaze tightening. "I should be asking you that. Have you been skipping als again?"
"What? No, of course not!" he spluttered.
But Viscount Ainsworth cleared his throat aningfully. "He’s been neglecting his als more frequently ever since you left, My Lady."
"Y-You weren’t supposed to say that!" Father shot the Viscount a betrayed look.
I sighed and placed my hands on my hips. "That’s settled then. We’ll have lunch together. I’ll bathe and change first."
Father visibly relaxed, smiling again. "What about dinner? Are you going to Ryujin? Oh! Why don’t you invite Kai over? He’d be thrilled to have dinner with us!"
I shook my head gently, smiling. "No, it’s fine. I’ll go to Ryujin tomorrow."
He seed slightly disappointed, but didn’t protest. I turned him around, linking my arm with his as we walked back toward the mansion.
The staff bowed as we passed.
"Welco ho, My Lady," they said in unison.
After a long, warm bath, I changed into sothing comfortable and made my way downstairs with Nox by my side. The quiet sound of our footsteps echoed faintly in the halls until we reached the dining hall, where Father was already waiting.
The table had been set neatly, and the scent of freshly prepared dishes lingered in the air. As I took my seat, the staff began serving the food. Just as the plates were placed, Father leaned forward with a smile.
"So," he began, tone light, "how is Rune? And how did everything go?"
The question ca like a sharp arrow to my chest. My hand, instinctively tense, pushed the knife down a little too hard—it scraped against the porcelain with a harsh screech before the plate shattered beneath it.
"Oh, my!" Father exclaid, startled, and a maid quickly rushed forward to replace the broken plate.
"I’m sorry," I whispered, eyes low.
"It’s fine, Reina. Are you hurt?" he asked gently.
I shook my head. "No. I’m fine."
But I wasn’t. I resud eating for the sake of appearances, but the food tasted like ash in my mouth. My appetite had long vanished.
Father’s voice cut through the heavy silence again. "Reina, did sothing happen there?"
I lowered my gaze, my grip tightening on the fork before I slowly exhaled.
"The treaty went well. The three Princes were received warmly by the people of Denril, and everything... on the surface, went just as we hoped."
Father smiled, clearly relieved. "That’s good news."
"But..." I hesitated, the words thick on my tongue, "I... Well..."
I couldn’t bring myself to say it. I couldn’t admit that I had interfered with my brother’s budding relationship—that I had made choices in his place, thinking I knew what was best. My father must have sensed it, because he didn’t press.
Instead, he reached across the table and placed a warm hand over mine.
"It’s all right, Reina," he said, voice steady. "If you’re not ready to talk, I’ll wait."
I closed my eyes briefly, overwheld by the quiet, unshakable love in his voice. I didn’t deserve this—this patience, this unwavering trust. They always gave too much. Enough love to last more than just one lifeti.
I nodded wordlessly.
He let the mont rest before changing the subject, asking about Denril, the journey, and the things I had seen. I answered him as best I could, deliberately avoiding Rune and Celestia. And then, before I knew it, the al was over and the afternoon faded into a quiet blur.
Later, I sent Nox to Ryujin with a ssage—Roan’s command to gather my vassals for a eting a week from now. The sun was already low in the sky by the ti I found myself in the library, where silence reigned, wrapping around like a cloak.
I sat alone in front of the chessboard. The ivory pieces were untouched, perfectly aligned in their starting positions, each one waiting patiently. Waiting for movent. For action. For soone to decide the first sacrifice.
But I didn’t move them.
I had touched these pieces so many tis before. Set them into motion, plotted outcos, crafted victories—sotis at the cost of people’s hearts. Now, I couldn’t even bring myself to lift a finger. I stared at them, haunted.
The door creaked open behind .
Footsteps approached softly.
"Oh?" Father’s familiar voice filled the room. "Were you playing?"
"No," I replied, eyes still on the board.
He walked over and took the seat across from .
"Shall we play?"
"No," I said again, a little quieter this ti.
He studied carefully, then leaned forward with a gentle furrow in his brow. "Reina, sweetheart... what’s wrong? You’ve been carrying sothing heavy since you returned. Did sothing happen in Denril?"
I looked away.
The silence stretched between us like a fragile thread.
Then I spoke, "I... I did sothing bad."
He waited.
"Can you tell about it?" he asked softly.
I licked my lips, suddenly aware of how dry they felt. "I... crossed a line. I interfered. I ssed up Big Brother’s engagent."
There it was—raw and unfiltered.
His brows rose slightly in surprise, but he said nothing.
So I told him everything. Every mont. Every choice I had made. I watched his face carefully as I spoke, bracing myself for anger or disappointnt. But all he did was listen. When I finished, he sighed.
"And he didn’t say a word after that? You just returned?"
I nodded, unable to lift my gaze.
"My girl..." he murmured, standing from his chair. He walked over and knelt beside , gently taking my hands in his.
"You did what you believed was right."
"No," I whispered, shaking my head. "I crossed a line. It’s like... it’s like everyone around has turned into a chess piece. I can’t stop seeing them that way. Always moving them, always planning. I didn’t even realize when I stopped feeling."
I rubbed my hands across my face. "This habit of mine... it’s going to destroy ."
Father smiled softly, brushing a hand over mine.
"Do you see as a chess piece?" he asked.
My head snapped up, eyes wide. "Of course not!"
He chuckled. "And Rune?"
"No!"
"Then you haven’t lost your heart, Reina. What you did may have been misguided, but not malicious. You tried to protect him the only way you knew how. That matters. And Rune will co to understand that, too. We trust you. We always have. Don’t let one mistake beco a burden too heavy to carry."
His words wrapped around the guilt and quietly unraveled it.
"You think he’ll forgive ?" I asked, voice low.
Father nodded. "I know he will. That boy loves you more than anything in this world."
I stared at him for a long mont, thinking I might cry. But the tears didn’t co. I felt only a strange kind of stillness. As if my body was too tired to mourn anymore.
"Co now," he said gently, rising to his feet. "Let’s go have dinner."
And I followed him.
We had a quiet dinner with only the small talk before I retired to my room feeling considerably better after talking to Dad. I lay in my bed dressed in my pajamas and Nox hooted.
"Hopefully, he’ll forgive ." I mumbled and then turned over my chest facing Nox.
"What do you think, Nox? Will my brother forgive ?" I asked brushing my fingers over his soft, obsidian black feathers making him hoot.
I sighed and lay quietly in my bed staring off in the space until I dozed off.
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