NoGift

THE WHOLE capital of Albion was brimming with gossip. The talk of the town was of course the royal family.

Today was the day that the first prince - or should they say the former first prince - would be exiled to the southern region. Many commoner born women were happy to hear the news. A lot of them fell victim to the prince's perverseness. But since he's the prince, they couldn't do anything about it. They couldn't even file a complain because it would only be pushed under the rag. They might be happy that he would be gone in the capital but they still think that the punishment he got was not enough for all the things he had done.

There were some people talking about the sudden reemergence of the famous opera singer - Madame La Chanteuse. They never expected that she would show herself in such a public manner. Or that she suffered a lot of wrongdoings under the hands of the first prince. On another note, the song she sang during the party was posted on [Jiffy] by an anonymous user. A lot of people saved that on their sPhones. Because who wouldn't want to hear again such a heavenly voice?

After the party, the second prince's good reputation also rose rapidly. Many praised him for bravely introducing his mother to the aristocrats of Albion. He didn't care if he suffered a backlash, he just did it to give justice to his mother who suffered. Many were touched by the scene of him standing beside his mother like a loyal guard trying to protect the most important person to him. Commoners who saw that felt a sense of cameraderie towards the prince. Maybe because his mother was a commoner just like them. Seeing him being close to his mother made them want to support him even more.

But the most talked about was the first princess. It's no secret that among the royal children, the first princess was the one most loved by the masses. She's also the one who interacts with the common people the most. With all her charity events and wonderful projects, the people couldn't help but feel close to her. They always saw her as the gentle, kind, and sweet princess. That's why it was a shock to them when they saw that video of her being accused as the one who's really responsible for the kidnapping of the second prince's mother.

Although nothing has been proven yet, the people's hearts already produced doubts against the first princess. They couldn't help but think that if the accusations against the princess were true, then wouldn't all the kind things she did in the past be nothing more than an act? If so, then how could they support such a princess? If she became the Queen, would the people of Albion really be alright?

If the capital was brimming with gossip, then at the royal palace almost everyone was suffocating from the tense atmosphere.

The former first prince was being escorted to a carriage by a group of guards. No, escorted should not be the right term. It should be more accurate to call it being dragged. Because the prince was fighting off the guards and refusing to leave, the guards had no choice but to force him to go with them. He kept shouting and calling for the King but no one seemed to hear him. The guards continued to drag him and then pushed him inside the carriage. It was rather unsightly.

Jasper still couldn't believe what was happening. Just last week he was still a glorious prince, and now he was being stuffed into a carriage like some unwanted baggage. He didn't even know how things turned out this way. All the things that happened during that party were blurred to him. It's like his memory of that night had been jumbled up. Then he was suddenly told that he was being exiled and that he's no longer a prince. How the hell could he come to terms with that?

But what could he do? He was being exiled and yet his father didn't even come. Even his mother was not there. Jasper stopped struggling. It's like all the fight in him just left him. He couldn't help but laugh out loudly. But soon that laugh turned into tears that continuously flowed down his eyes.

Near the entrance of the palace stood the second princess and the third prince. They watched as the carriage carrying their brother drove off the long driveway of the palace. They were the only ones there to say goodbye to the former first prince. The King couldn't be bothered. The Queen was banned from leaving her chambers because the King was sure that she would certainly stop the first prince from leaving. While the first princess was locked inside her chambers.

Noelle sighed sadly. What was happening to their family? She knew they were different from ordinary loving families but at least there was still a semblance of order. But now? Now they're falling apart.

"S-Sister, d-don't be s-sad," Vale suddenly said beside her. "I-I'm sure everything will be alright."

Noelle tried to smile and stroke her brother's hair. "Thank you for cheering me up, Vale."

Vale shook his head. "Sister is al-always kind to me, so I sh-should cheer up Sister."

This time, Noelle truly smiled. "I'm going to check up on Mother, do you want to come with me?"

Knowing their mother, she was probably destroying everything in her chambers right now.

"N-no. I-I think I'll pass," Vale readily said.

Noelle did not force her brother to go with her. She knew how Vale disliked violence. He would only panic if they saw their mother in such a state. "Then I'll go first."

Vale watched her second sister walked away. The timid expression on his face was no longer there. Instead it was replaced by mockery. His pale blue eyes filled with a certain crazed glint. "Idiot."

Then he walked towards the opposite direction.

----------

In Hanover manor, a different kind of farewell was taking place.

Ruby just received a call from the servant of the master painter she's supposed to apprentice with. Apparently, her soon-to-be master suddenly came out of his retreat. He ordered her, yes, ordered, to meet him at his mansion tomorrow. Since that master painter was known for his strictness, she has to follow what he said. If she didn't come back to Gaul at once, then she could probably say goodbye to her apprenticeship.

So now, even if Ruby still has a splitting headache due to what happened during the prince's party, she still has to go. She was in the driveway of the Hanover manor saying goodbye to the twins and to Black as well. A carriage was waiting behind her that would take her to a gryphon station. Riding a gryphon would be the fastest way for her to go to Gaul.

"Are you sure you don't want us to send you to the gryphon station?" Argent asked.

"It's fine. Just promise me that you will take revenge for me against that assassin who impersonated me." Ruby was still pissed off about that. Aside from the headache she got, the humiliation she received was even worse. Especially with Aurum and Black constantly teasing her.

"Yes, yes," Argent said just to appease Ruby. She couldn't really truly promise it since she doesn't know if she could meet that assassin again.

Ruby turned to Aurum. "And you, don't you dare post that picture on [Jiffy]."

"What picture?" Aurum asked innocently.

"Stop acting, it's giving me goosebumps," Ruby said with a shudder. "Just promised me you won't."

Aurum cluck her tongue. "Fine."

Ruby finally let out a sigh of relief. "Bye you two. You too, Black."

"Bye-bye Ruby," Black said.

Then Ruby went inside the carriage. And it immediatelty drove off.

The three were about to walk back inside the manor when Argent suddenly felt a vibration coming from her ear stud. It was three short vibration, followed by three longer vibration, then another three short vobration. That was a distress signal. There were only two objects that could produce that signal. One was the signal from Aurum's limiter. And the other was from the bracelet she gave their mother. Which could only mean one thing.

Their mother was in trouble.