Mira's eventual arrival was met with as much fanfare as expected, if perhaps more than he rightfully deserved as a mere myrh. Not that Lycoris thought poorly of him, just that… when she heard the commotion from the guards while walking the halls, all talking about the "purple demon terrorizing the service lift" and "causing a ruckus for the poor cleaning staff," she reflexively buried her face in her hands and ordered that she be led to wherever he was, to resolve the situation herself.  Lycoris knew well that Mira would be a prideful curmudgeon without her or one of the Oxalis sisters present. Rather than let her loyal steed be the source of palace gossip for who knew how long, she made the correct decision to head things off at the pass.

Which is how, without too much grief, the last of her companions came to stay within the Transfixion of Heaven. Aside from Gier, at least… but somehow it didn't feel like her business what he got up to. Technically, the same should've applied to Cecily and Vanessa, but they ended up serving her independently of her wishes. And considering what Gier thought of the Empire, it was only natural that he'd stay far away from its capital. Though Lycoris did make a mental note to see about helping him leave, if he still wanted to at least.

Lycoris's initial worries that Mira would either not have enough room, or not appreciate living inside of the palace itself were both short-lived when she saw how energetic the animal was, and how much he delighted in the various accoutrements provided to him. Even just having a space belonging all to himself seemed to liven the myrh up.  After a while, it'd become a habit to come visit him with a book on days where she didn't have much else planned, lean against him as he sat perched atop the large flat stone and read to him. Of course, she made sure not to do so at times when she knew the Oxalis sisters would be coming by, as she didn't want them to know her reading skills were probably worse than even Cecily's.

With that as her current goal, over the next few months, as the season turned from cold to budding warmth—not that anything within the Palace itself ever changed from its eternally temperate comfort—she improved dramatically on that front. She hadn't fully graduated from picture books, but was too self-conscious to bring those ones down with her, so instead she'd tough it out with a more loquacious book and an accompanying dictionary.  At least until one time, when Mira started trying to chew on the edges of a dictionary she set down unattended for too long.

Despite the occasional minor setbacks in that vein, Lycoris found herself growing rather comfortable with the state of her life. Or perhaps even including them; they added a splash of color to the canvas her life had become. She had everything she could ever reasonably ask for, it was only natural that complacency had taken root in her heart…

＊　＊　＊

On one particular day, Lycoris received the most unexpected of visitors while resting after a workout. She was in the middle of throwing a frisbee for Mira—who demonstrated incredible athletics skill and would jump to intercept it no matter what, unless she'd put enough strength into it to cause the air to snap when she flicked her wrist—when the doors opened and the sound of a trumpet blared out, starling both Lycoris and Mira.

"Attention: Her Majesty, the Exaltare, has arrived," proclaimed the guard accompanying her.  "H-Huh?! Mama?"  "Kwah?"

Both Lycoris and Mira jumped and spun to look at the door, the latter rushing over and hiding behind Lycoris like the brave and noble steed he truly was. There was no denying the adage "They're more afraid of us than we are of them," when it came to this particular specimen.  Although given who was walking in, there probably wasn't a single creature alive that wouldn't instinctively cower.

Wearing full formal regalia, her hands folded over her abdomen and her eyes scanning the room appraisingly, Lilianna slid inside and locked eyes with Lycoris. The moment the door closed behind her, her shoulders loosened slightly and she smiled brightly. Walking to the edge of the grass, she beckoned Lycoris over to her wordlessly.  Naturally, Lycoris dropped the frisbee—which Mira snapped up off the ground—and rushed over to her mother. She didn't immediately embrace her—technically she was slightly dirty from playing with Mira in the grass, and wasn't sure if her mother had any more important business in the day. Instead, she awkwardly held her hands against herself and smiled up at Lilianna.

"Good day, Mother. What calls you to Mira's stable?" she asked in her practiced formal tone. If Lilianna went to the trouble of having her arrival be formally declared when there was nobody else present, Lycoris took it as signalling that she should behave as though they were in a public space.  Her mother placed her hand upon Lycoris's head and softly stroked her fingers through her hair. "Your presence will be required in Court this afternoon. We've already sent Athena to the Elysian Sanctum to begin prepping a bath and change of clothes for you."  "H-Huh?" Lycoris's demeanor broke as she faltered. "Court? Did something happen? Is… What do we do? I haven't prepared at all for—"  "Our little flower has no need to fear, we shall share all you need know and say on our way back to your room."

＊　＊　＊

Within the room that housed the Exaltare's throne and the stained glass triptych behind it, lined with obsidian pillars and a wide crimson carpet leading from the doors to the steps up to the seat reserved for her mother, Lycoris shifted about awkwardly.  Once more she had been put in a formal dress, colored in blues, whites and golds; one that flared out at the hips and stretched all the way down to her feet, with cascading frills like a multi-layered waterfall. The sleeves were similarly structured, which would have been fine if not for how it made her feel far more weighed down and restricted than her usual choice of wardrobe. Her hair had been tied up into twintails and done up with her favorite chrysanthemum pins, though the ends had been curled into loose springs that bobbed and bounced as she moved around. It was tough to resist wiggling and jumping to make them spring about. Obviously that would have been inappropriate, so she forced herself to refrain.  She'd been put in the spotlight, where all her practice in posture and etiquette was being tested in as challenging a scenario as she could imagine. There were few things more horrifying than being in a room swarming with Vampires, even if they were sorted from left to right by color like a perplexing rainbow of luxurious clothing. But she was unarmed, and they were all nobility… or at least important enough to stand among the nobility.

The room was lit by classic torches hanging from the walls, and an orange glow shined through the stained glass from someplace beyond, casting a warm and welcoming ambiance in the room that'd felt overwhelmingly oppressive on Lycoris's first time within.  Not that she felt any less under duress, considering how many important figures were present. Though there were members of the Seven in the flesh attending, there were far more courtiers from lesser vassal families beneath each of them, meaning not every individual Vampire was on par with Lycoris in terms of importance.

Hanging from the obsidian pillars were banners of the Seven Families, and gathered around each were courtiers from said family, with the closest on the left showing a dark rosewood-red symbol of a pair of bat wings enveloping a globe with an unfamiliar pattern on it, embossed onto an emerald-green banner. The Sefer family, the one that looked like a moving garden with their clothes in various shades of green.  The next in line were the Vanas, with their bright golden-yellow banner with a half-tipped overflowing chalice. No doubt it was supposed to be blood dripping out of that particular cup. Everyone under that banner looked like a field of sunflowers, if one was being charitable—or a gilded eyesore, if not. None of them looked particularly nervous, which left Lycoris wondering how well her mother's plan would work…  Beside them, and somewhat out of place in their glistening silver clothes and washed-out pastel accents, were the Ochros. Their banner was the most stark as well, a sterling silver banner emblazoned with a pitch black, leafless tree crowned by crimson stars.  Perhaps fittingly, the family furthest back and directly opposite the throne, with their blood-red banner sporting a pure white hand whose fingers were made of serpent-like heads clutching an orb. As she looked at their camp of red-suited noblemen, Lycoris met eyes with the last person she wanted to see again. A golden-blonde Vampire in a form-fitting white suit, Speaker Cedric Idra.  Quickly flattening her expression, Lycoris forced herself to glance away toward the other half of the room, where she saw the Mano beneath their bright pink banner of two small golden bats with crossed wings.  Beside them were the Tamisrah beneath their purple banner, sporting a spherical bottle encircled by concentric cog-toothed rings, like a strange mechanical astrolabe.  And closest on the right were the Drimus, their royal blue banner decorated with a vertical silver sword wreathed by a vibrant green laurel. Of course Lycoris didn't miss the fact that it was the exact same colors the Aphtangloa wore.  Lycoris spent a fair while searching for her, but she didn't see Rosa anywhere in the Drimus group. It came as something of a surprise to her, she had assumed Lilianna's sister would be an obvious member of the Court considering they were twin sisters. But much to her dismay, she couldn't find a single friendly face in the crowd to latch onto.

The most unnerving part of the entire affair thus far was that Lycoris had become the center of attention the instant she arrived. And she was quite literally standing alone, escorted out to stand beside the throne by a pair of guards who formally declared her as "Crown Princess Lycoris Aphtangloa, Heir-Significate," before guiding her up the carpet to where she now stood.  Lycoris had been grateful for the pannier under her dress that kept the skirt from catching on her feet, even if it felt weird to have the dress of her skirt flare out so dramatically. She probably would have tripped and embarrassed herself several times over by now without it.

It was apparently standard Court procedure for everyone—including Heir-Significate—to be present before the Exaltare's arrival. Given that this was Lycoris's first formal appearance since her initial debut, it was obvious what the end result would be.  Everyone began whispering to each other about her the moment she took her place beside the throne, as her arrival could only mean that she would be important to the afternoon's proceedings. Her ears twitched as she heard her name repeatedly come up in barely-hushed whispers, and she had to close her eyes and purse her lips tightly to avoid making obviously improper facial expressions.

Just as Lycoris began to wonder if she should worry about breaking into a nervous sweat and staining the back of her dress, the lighting dimmed and the sound of trumpets blared out, and reverberating through the room and her own small body alike, a voice gravely announced the arrival of Her Majesty Lilianna Aphtangloa, The Exaltare.  In a burst of blue flame—directly beside Lycoris in front of the throne, which would have terrified her into passing out if her mother hadn't demonstrated it in private beforehand—the Exaltare appeared and boldly stepped forward with her arms raised, wasting no time in addressing the courtiers.

"Greetings to all, we hope the warming spring weather has been agreeable," she paused to smile sharply at the Idra camp directly across the hall from her, then continued, "Before anything else, we have one urgent matter to discuss, hence why we have requested the presence of every Family. No doubt, you have already noticed our beloved daughter has joined us today."

Lilianna gestured to Lycoris, seeming to resist the urge to place her hands on the girl in a hug or pat.  She took the cue to step forward—inching towards her mother—and curtseyed to the crowd. Time to follow the script she'd been handed, finally.

"Good day, everyone. I know you have all been waiting and wondering why I am here, but…" she put a hand to her chest and closed her eyes, a small frown naturally painting itself across her face. "I regret to inform you all that it is not for a happy reason. Perhaps that comes as no surprise, especially to those who have kept up with recent events, and my recent trip to Kranes County.  "While I was in Condore to oversee the relief efforts after the strange invasion of Kranes on Moonsend, my hotel room was broken into, my attendants poisoned, and all three of us abducted."

A ripple of gasps and murmurs of horror spread through the crowd. Several of the courtiers rushed about within their own groups and picked up their phones to make whispered calls.  Lycoris took another nervous step closer to her mother, standing right at the top of the steps leading down to the general assembly. She hadn't messed up at all so far, but she could hear the pounding of her heart in her ears. Perhaps it was for the best, otherwise she'd be able to pick up on what all of the people were mumbling about.

"And though I did not recognize the faces of our assailants, 'twas by design to be the case. I am sure that it is an open secret amongst all present today that one particular family of the Seven wields just such a certain shadowy cabal."

She made no effort to conceal her irritation and disdain for the gaudy golden constituents as she stared in their direction. Naturally, the enraptured gaze of everyone else followed her toward the Vanas. It felt almost laughably easy to control the crowd, though she was technically only following her mother's momentum and script. But Lycoris felt like she was doing a passable job with her emoting and delivery, a swell of pride filling her chest as she silently chuckled at her earlier nervousness.  One that she had to suppress to maintain her contemptuous glare, when the group shuffled and parted as one woman stepped forward. She wore a grand beige dress, frilled gold at the ends and accented with scarlet buttons, her bodice strung tight enough that Lycoris wasn't sure how she could even breathe… until she remembered that Vampires didn't need to. It certainly had an exaggerated effect on her bosom, when paired with the boldly plunging neckline of her garment. Her sleeves were equally tight, until they widely flared out at the wrist to expose the meticulously manicured crimson fingernails that twinkled like tiny rubies.  She reached up and brushed her fingers through the braided tresses of hazy steel-blue hair, looking almost as silvery as Lycoris's when the light caught it at a certain angle.  Just as her mother had planned, Margravine Aloba Vanas took the spotlight in response to Lycoris's assertion.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Do you even understand the sort of accusation you make, child? As head of the family, they heed my word above all else. To speak as you have is to weigh the sin of kidnapping—" Lycoris winced at the word, "—upon my shoulders. It is an assumption with grave consequences."  "They heeded the word of one Bartholomew Vanas. A… individual who felt slighted that I expressed little interest in speaking to him. Do not ask me how he came to control them, but there are multiple witness accounts of their presence and them heeding his instruction."  "Who?"  Lycoris glanced up at her mother, who gave her the okay to continue. "Athena Ochros, a maid in my employ and one of the victims. Seraphine Ethlow, a former officer in the army and one of the victims."  "Those are both—"  "One Gerald Rivlet," Lycoris continued, louder over the annoyed voice of Aloba. "A Fangchaser with no ties or connections to myself or Mother. In fact, he's perhaps less fond of our rule than the Vanas seem to be."

Nervous chuckles spread throughout the assembly, though most continued to wait for the hammer to drop as the corners of Lycoris's lip curled.

"And, of course, Count Verndil Eltash, the individual appointed to Kranes County by the Vanas Family. He has already given his testimony to Mother, and I believe it was even published in the news…?" She was no stranger to printed papers, even if she didn't ever read them herself. Presumably Vampires had some equivalent, otherwise her mother likely wouldn't have told her to bring it up.  "That's… absurd! How in the world did he get his hands on them?!"

Lycoris sighed and shook her shoulders in an exaggerated fashion, expressing her genuine disbelief that so powerful a figure could fall for such a simple trap. She'd even warned her not to ask.  Lilianna stepped in front of her daughter, placing a hand atop her head as she inched the girl behind her back.

"A terribly good question, indeed. Perhaps thou wouldst like to answer that thyself? As thou proclaimed, 'they heed my word above all else.'"  "Perhaps she lost track of some of them?" Lycoris poked her head around her mother's waist to weigh in.  "Y-Yes, exactly. They are a specialist covert operations force used for the good of the Empire. I would have no need for them in the middle of Moonsend! Not to mention how busy with the festivities I was!"  "There are three problems with thy words," Lilianna boldly proclaimed. "Firstly: Boldly admitted such negligence is astonishing. We have no doubt that all present can see through such a thin facade. Secondly: The midst of celebration is the most opportune time for one to move covertly behind the scenes. Especially if one were… dissatisfied with a certain ruler. Especially if they were displeased with the announcement of an Heir-Significate."

She paused for a moment to force the tension away from her knuckles. Lycoris could see her subtly wipe away blood with her thumb. Even the thought of her child not being liked by all Vampire-kind seemed to incense her mother to the border of rationality.  Not that Lycoris particularly liked any of them, either. In that sense, it only seemed fair they remained at a distance, despite what her mother felt.

"And was there not an individual who thou closely associate with, and spoke at length to after the festivities thou were'st so busy with, who decried our dearest daughter as a phony?"  At that, Cedric brushed one of the individuals in front of him aside and laughed airily, "Goodness, throwing accusations my way now, Your Majesty? Surely you know the truth of the matter."

The Exaltare stared impassively at him, then back at the Vanas to permit her a chance to answer the question. She'd already supplied all the rope the Margravine needed, it was up to her to determine if she'd hang herself or try to hogtie one of her family's closest allies.

"…While we did speak at length about the novel surprise, His Grace made no mention of anything seditious. I can confirm his conscience is clean."  Lilianna's lips curled into a sneer. "But of course, the rumblings we've dealt with bear no markings of Idra on them. They are just as much victims in this as us all, Margravine. Third: In the wake of the catastrophe at Den-Ghel, we discovered that thou hast been quite busy indeed. Occupied by under the table negotiations with the Geolle."  "What?!"  "In our meeting with President Halls at the Spire, we learned that the Vanas were cutting deals behind the rest of our backs, attempting to maneuver the Geolle into a better position in the aftermath of their petty rebellion. At first, we thought it foresight on thy part, an attempt to keep them snugly under the hand of the Empire. But… is that not strange? How wouldst thou know of a rebellion five years before any inklings of one began? And, these terms put them on better footing with the Vanas, not the Empire at large. An important distinction, given their public impression of us after the 'incident.' If our grasp of the Empire were to slip, with their aid, you would be perfectly poised to usurp the Idra's position as leader of the Traditionalist bloc."  "H-How should I know? I was given an augury! One that said for the good of the Empire, my family would need to forge stronger ties with the Geolle."

Both Lilianna and Lycoris froze. The girl felt her blood boil as a singular face came to mind. It was the most obvious link in the world, yet the rest of the court murmured in bemusement and wonder. That only made sense. None of them shared the same privileged information she possessed.

Her mother seemed to be on the same page as her, as she continued, "An augury? Such an important thing that did not come to our attention? For what reason was it kept secret, Vanas."  "I… could not ascertain the veracity of it. Or, rather, the character of the one who gave it. I was naturally skeptical, but when I confided with my associates," she shot a glare toward the Idra and Ochros camps behind her, "and the rest of my immediate family, they seemed to agree that it was worth pursuing, cautiously. We… decided that in the worst case, it could serve as a bargaining chip."

The crowd exploded with whispers and jeers, some proclaiming that it was just as the Exaltare said, that she was scheming to destabilize the Empire, or even that she was responsible for the crises with the Geolle and the Whisper incursion.  But a loud baritone voice silenced them, as everyone's attention was drawn to the forest of green standing nearest the Vanas. A man who Lycoris could only describe as old—even by Vampire standards—stepped forward. His orange hair and beard were dotted with flecks of black hairs, his skin had wrinkles all over, leathery and tough as though he were a farmer who'd been out in the sun most of his life. Though, that'd be impossible for a Vampire.  He wore a three-piece suit, all varying shades of green, and his pointed shoes clacked cleanly on the tile as he languidly stepped toward the carpet.

"It is a strong claim, but every piece of evidence in favor is circumstantial. I ask that you all think this through carefully before speaking out of turn." He turned to Lilianna, deferential but undaunted by her imposing demeanor. "I can think of few things that would cause you to bite at the Traditionalists in so bold a manner, Your Majesty."  "Y-Yes, exactly!" The Vanas woman nodded. "It was just a coincidence. Unfortunate timing, even. Or perhaps this is exactly why it is important to be wary of witches and oracles."  "Hah! Trying to win favor with the Traditionalists now Benet?" called out a female voice from the opposite side of the Vanas. A woman in a tight-fitting pure-white dress stepped out, covered in sparkling silver sequins. "It'll take more than that to change the rest of our opinions."  "Rialla, let Her Majesty finish before you begin raking me over the coals, will you?"

As the crowd silently watched two of the Seven bicker back and forth like children on a playground, Lilianna cleared her throat.

"Indeed, the reason we levy these accusations is—"  "Bullshit!" Lycoris shouted, ignoring everything else as she stepped forward and glared furiously at Aloba Vanas. The room fell deathly silent, as several individuals either scurried out of her path to the Vanas, or stood ready to intercept as though expecting her to charge. Instead, she snarled, "If you met with Tatyana, you knew exactly what you were getting into."  "How dare you address me with such foul—"  "That monster will sell out anything and anyone to get what she wants. And you just admitted to speaking with her! She's the one who's tried to assassinate me, twice! How convenient it is that she spoke to you and you alone, how convenient that you happened to position yourself to benefit from this whole mess, how convenient that my death would be nothing but beneficial for you. How convenient that you just happened to be missing some of your cherished lobotomized killers right around a major catastrophe. And gee, don't you think sabotaging a cloud generator is exactly the sort of thing a secret agent like that would be perfect for?"

Lilianna frowned at Lycoris, but the girl didn't stop. She'd gone slightly off script, but she had already hit her limit the moment she heard the word "Witch." She thrust her finger out and spat at the dumbfounded Aloba, her pupils narrowed in fury and ears standing on end.

"I bet you were sneering the whole time, thinking you could take advantage of a lesser being, or maybe even truly work together with her. But you are a fool thrice over!"  "I had no hand in the assault those Humans were responsible for! Never once have I considered harming a hair on Your Highness's head!"

The room remained deathly silent in the wake of her accusation, as Lycoris's wicked smile looked poised to take Margravine Vanas's head clean off in a single fell slice, such was its sharpness.  But it wasn't her who spoke up next.

"What Humans?" asked Speaker Cedric Idra, his baleful glare joining the Aphtangloas' in boring through the Vanas, before he turned to raise a brow at Lycoris. "And who is this you speak of, Your Highness?"  "The ones who came seeking the heads of us and our daughter," Lilianna calmly intoned. "Ones that we have… never spoken of before now. You should be aware of the 'ghoul attack' yes? That merely came in the wake of these Humans. Perhaps someone was furiously trying to finish the job, or cover her tracks."  Aloba audibly gulped. "I-It… I had… have good reason for knowing that! There were Operatives within the Palace during their raid. I was informed through them!"  "And what were those doing in the Palace in the middle of an assault by the Hero's Party?!" it had become Lilianna's turn to vent her fury. "The one, might we add, that this Tatyana was part of."  "I… I don't know who that even is! I've never met her before! I-I-I told you, I didn't trust that augury! I had my spies sent because—"  "LIAR!" shouted Lycoris. "Why call her Witch then? Clearly it's how she was dressed, wasn't it? Or perhaps you saw some of her magic firsthand? Or her signature? I've seen it before, too. You wanna guess where? On a certain cloud generator in Kranes."

The room practically exploded with noise, people shouting in a cacophony about a Hero's Party and jostling each other, some in an attempt to get their hands on Aloba directly, with the Vanas trying to hold off the tide as a ballroom brawl was on the verge of breaking out. Some called for her head, others exclaimed that this was a national emergency.  Above it all, the Exaltare raised her hand and in it formed a black-iron staff, capped by a pair of mythril bat wings with several rings hanging from them.

"SILENCE."

She slammed the staff into the ground, and the room was stifled. People continued to moves their mouths and vainly attempt to shout for a moment, but quite literally no sound other than Lilianna's voice could be heard. "The Heir-Significate has spoken out of turn, but her accusations have been confirmed to be true. This 'Tatyana' is a member of the Hero's Party, a dangerously wise and talented Mage. To knowingly conspire with such a figure is grounds for immediate execution. To unknowingly conspire with one is still foolishness enough to warrant banishment from the Imperial Court. The fact that thou hast admitted to installing spies within our palace, regardless of cause, is already a grave offense. We offer you one opportunity to dictate terms, Aloba Vanas. How will you join our Ancestors?"

The tide of Vampires parted, leaving Aloba, head of one of the Seven Families, alone in the center facing Her Majesty. There was indignation and fury in her eyes as she stared at Lilianna, and there was reticence, shame, and grief too. Perhaps that was how Lycoris looked almost a year ago, though armored and with sword in hand. She didn't envy the Vanas's position, but she couldn't deny the part of her that was elated to see her get her comeuppance.  The Margravine visibly gulped and steeled herself. Resolutely, she closed her eyes, tore the seams off of a part of her dress to reveal a pocket with a concealed vial, lifted the glass to her lips after popping the cork off, and downed the contents in a single gulp.  Seconds later, she was dead on the floor.

Without pause or anymore words on behalf of the deceased, Lilianna continued, "The Hero's Party was annihilated, though the Witch remains at large. Any information on this Tatyana will be personally rewarded by the Aphtangloa treasury. The Vanas's schemes have been brought to light, and for scheming the death of the Exaltare and Crown Princess, they shall be henceforth exiled and their retainers disbanded. Any direct mention of the Family name within our palace shall be met with immediate arrest and interrogation."

Even as she spoke, guards silently marched in to remove the body and begin arresting members of the Vanas, a few going as far as tearing down their banner hanging from the pillar. Lycoris was surprised by how orderly it all proceeded. Not a single member attempted to resist arrest.  Though, many of them were likely just retainer families in the Vanas's service, and probably assumed they would be released after an investigation came up empty.

She hadn't been told that the Vanas were corrupt all the way to their highest figure. The surprise that Tatyana was a known quantity to the Margravine shook Lycoris to a worrisome extent. Hopefully the nobility would overlook her outburst—she realized she had acted quite improperly. Maybe they'd write it off as her being an impulsive child again, but that didn't sit right with her either. She didn't want to be lumped in with the other noble kids.

"The rest of Court shall be spent determining how to manage the former Vanas family's holdings and territory."

Lilianna slammed the staff down once more, and sound returned to the room in one massive sigh.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.