The Princess & The Twilight Blade

Chapter 15

“Pray tell, Brother. What exactly are you doing here?”

“Aw, Come on. I can’t come visit just because I missed you?” The expression on my face remained blank as Abel leisurely walked around the dorm room. He paused briefly as he eyed the beds pushed together, then whipped around to face me again. “Where’s my soon-to-be sister-in-law?”

I seriously want to punch that smirk right off his dumb face! “She’s out training right now and probably won’t return for a while.” He sat down on the sofa as Leah placed a cup of steaming tea in front of him.

“You’re as impeccable as ever, Leah.” He said before taking a sip.

“You honor me with your praise, Your Highness.” She replied curtly before making herself invisible against the wall. I sat down across from my brother before asking again, a little more irritated.

“Spill it; you wouldn’t come for no reason.”

“Alright, just relax.” He said before muttering. “Maybe I’ll finally get a cute little sister when you two marry…” I only gave him a sharp glare in response. He took a long tea drink, emptying his cup before finally getting to the point. “I came to discuss a few things. First, Audrey’s participation in the tournament.”

I had sent a message to Luke after Audrey expressed her desire to participate. Personally, I didn’t think there were many downsides to allowing her to fight, but I wanted a second opinion on the matter.

“After discussing it with Mother and Father, we decided it would be fine as long as she keeps her power under control. No nobles would make a move on her while she’s under the guise of a foreign guest, even if she performs well.” I couldn’t help the smile on my face as I thought about how excited my girlfriend would be. But that was soon wiped away by my brother’s following words.

“And I doubt any nobles saw her up close during her time as your attendant. If they did, most would be too egotistical to remember a mere servant, anyway.” He laughed, but I could feel the blood drain from my face. There was one…

Abel seemed to notice my reaction finally. “What’s wrong, Lydia?”

I shook my head. “No… There was someone who did.”

“What do you mean?”

I wrung my hands together before speaking. “It was… Duke Rose. He met her up close during that time.”

“What?!” He stood in shock, knocking over the teacup he had been using. “Why haven’t you said anything!”

“I just forgot, okay?!” I said defensively. “At the time, I didn’t know she was his daughter! With everything else going on, it didn’t seem relevant!” I knew I was just making up excuses, but it was also the truth. I can’t believe it slipped my mind…

Abel sat back down and rubbed his temple. “Seriously… for as clever as you are, you’re just as airheaded.” I only lowered my head, unable to defend myself. “Did he seem to recognize her?”

I shook my head. “I don’t believe so, but thinking back on it… she did catch his attention.” A groan escaped me as I put my head in my hands. Even if it was only one time, and I didn’t know her circumstances yet, his focus on her should’ve raised a red flag in my mind.

“Well, that certainly throws a wrench into things. It’s unlikely he would realize Audrey is his dead daughter, at least. But if he attends the tournament and sees her now as a foreign guest, he’ll suspect something.” The room filled with an oppressive silence as we both sunk into thought. Audrey really wants to participate… I was hoping to make this happen for her, but it seems like it won’t pan out. I sighed in disappointment, only for Abel to shrug and blow away the atmosphere.

“Eh, just color her hair.”

“Excuse me?”

My brother smiled at me impishly. “Just color Audrey’s hair for the tournament. I’d think hiding her scarlet hair would be good enough.”

I could only gape at him, but that response was very… Abel of him.

“What? It’s not like he would see her up close again. At most, he would only see her from the stands, if he even attended at all.”

“That’s a fair point, I guess.” A small smile slipped onto my face as well. I couldn’t wait to tell my girlfriend the good news. Maybe It’ll earn me a kiss of gratitude even…

“Ha, your thoughts are showing. How lewd of you!” My brother poked my side, suddenly sitting next to me and causing me to jump.

“Wha— When did you even move?!” I shrieked. “And I wasn’t thinking anything of the sort!” I huffed as I slid away from him on the couch. “Don’t use your training to scare me like that!”

“Anyway. The next thing is pretty serious, Lydia.” He blew off my complaints and returned to the original seat he had been sitting on before leaning forward with his hands folded under his chin. The change in attitude shocked me. Abel’s never this serious.

“Attempts have been made on both Luke's and my life.” His words made my blood run cold.

“I-I assume that the assassins failed, then?” The dumb response was all I could manage as my thoughts whirled. Who would want my brothers dead? Why?

“Lydia, look at me. We’re both fine, and it would take more than a few assassins to do us in.” I took a few deep breaths before meeting his eyes.

“I know. It’s just surprising. I’ve heard about that kind of thing happening in other countries, but the kingdom’s political scene is so stable. We’ve never had to worry…” I trailed off at Abel’s sheepish expression as he rubbed the back of his neck. “This isn’t the first time, is it?” I asked.

“Well, Luke and I agreed it was better not to tell you. You’ve never been targeted, so we deemed it unnecessary at the time.”

“Are you telling me—!” I gripped the skirt of my uniform in anger.

“Now, Now. No need to get so—” My brother began before I continued.

“Are you saying I’ve never been worthy of assassination?!” Abel only stared dumbfounded as I continued to rant. “Are they underestimating me? Just because I’m a princess? I’ll show them!”

“That’s what you’re upset about?!” He exclaimed.

“Of course it is! It’s like you said! I know my brothers would never lose to lowly assassins!” Then I paused as a realization hit. “Wait, so if you’re now telling me, that means…”

He nodded. “Yes, we believe they are also targeting you this time.”

“There’s no need to worry, brother. I would never lose either!” I said with a confident thump to my chest. It was met with an exasperated sigh.

“If it were ordinary assassins, I’d play along with you. But they aren’t.” His serious tone knocked all the bravado away, so I put on a serious expression to match.

“What do you mean?”

“These guys were highly trained and possessed unknown magic. We captured or killed most of them between the two attacks. But it wasn’t without losses. Several knights were killed.” In shock, I brought a hand to my mouth and berated myself for my earlier attitude. But it only caused the resolve in my heart to burn hotter.

“You said most, right? Are we working under the assumption the remnants are going to try for my life next, then?”

“Only their leader escaped, but he was the most dangerous one. In pure skill, he’s no match for either Luke or me. But his magic allows him to manipulate and move through shadows.” Abel looked down in frustration. I’d never seen him like this before.

“Even so, I will not lose.” My words were laced with conviction, and he looked up at me. “This man has hurt the people of my kingdom and threatened my family. I will not allow him to harm anyone else.”

My brother smiled at my words. “That’s my little sister. We are arranging additional escorts for you. You’ll have them by next week.” He ran his hand through his dark hair in frustration again. “Honestly, I’d guard you myself, but we also can’t be sure Mom and Dad are safe either, so I gotta stay at the castle as the vice-commander of the order.” I giggled as he slipped into his usual casual speech, presumably which he picked up from the knights.

I reached over and took his hand in mine. “Thank you, brother. But additional guards are not necessary. I’m no slouch regarding combat, and I have the other girls with me. Lucia’s an incredible knight, as you know. And while Leah is a non-combatant, she is also a skilled mage.” I grinned to myself as I reassured him. “And my girlfriend is a divine guardian, for heaven’s sake. I promise we can handle anything as long as we’re together. So please keep the rest of you safe.” Then I froze as I realized what I just admitted. The smug expression was already overtaking his features.

“Girlfriend, huh? Why haven’t you informed your family of the news?”

“Wait—” I scrambled to let go of his hands. What had been a heartwarming moment was ruined as he began incessantly teasing me.

“Was there a particular reason? What, did you think we wouldn’t approve, my dear sister?” My face flushed in embarrassment as I stood up to escape, but he only followed me around the room, poking fun at me.

“I-I'll burn you! I mean it, back off!” I yelled. My eyes met Leah’s, who was still making herself invisible by the wall but only shook her head with a grin. That traitor!

The door slammed open as Audrey and Lucia rushed into the room.

“Get your hands off the princess, you scoundrel! The knight yelled with her sword brandished. Audrey already had magic surrounding her hands, ready to be launched at the enemy. But both froze as they saw nothing more than my brother in the room. I used the moment he was distracted to run and hide behind my girlfriend. And my girls save the day!

“Oh! Please help me, Audrey. This strange man is harassing me. Won’t my beautiful girlfriend intervene?” I pleaded dramatically, giving her the largest doe eyes I could manage. Lucia only rolled her eyes as she sheathed her blade.

Audrey stuttered. “U-Um…” Unsure of what to do as her eyes flicked between us.

Abel sauntered over to us. The audacity! “Hey, Audrey. Wow! You’ve grown since I last saw you!”

Audrey bowed stiffly in response. “I-It’s a pleasure to see you again, Your Highness.”

“Hey now, remember what I told you before? After all, I can’t have my sister’s girlfriend being so formal!” He shot her a wink, and she relaxed a little. “But I do have a question. How long have you two been together? Officially, I mean.”

“O-Oh, about two months, Prince Abel.”

“Really, now?” he smirked at me, and I avoided his eyes. “It seems my sister failed to tell anyone in our family about this splendid development.”

“This is exactly why!” I said, sticking my tongue out at him and his sarcastic tone. My attention turned to Audrey as she looked at me.

“You never told them?” her eyes started to tear up as she spoke. “Is it because you thought they wouldn’t approve of me?” I rushed to comfort her.

“Of course not! I just knew they would never let me hear the end of it! I promise it had nothing to do with you!” I wiped her tears as Abel patted her on the head.

“Exactly. If anything, Audrey. We think you deserve better.”

I gave him a swift kick to the behind, then pushed him out the door. “If that’s everything you came for, please be on your way, Brother.”

“Okay, Okay! I get it.” He caught the door right before I slammed it in his face, his voice serious. “Please be careful, Lydia. Promise.”

I smiled at him. “Of course. Who do you think I am?” He returned my smile before turning and making his way down the hall. I thought about everything he said as I turned back towards the other girls. Assassins, huh?

“Is everything alright, Lydia?” Audrey asked. “You seem preoccupied with something.”

“Everything’s fine, but we have a lot to discuss.”

***

I thought about what my sister had said as I left the academy grounds.

“Ha, She’s crazy if she thinks we’ll just leave her unguarded, Silly girl,” I mumbled. Lydia was strong-willed but never acted on emotion alone. If she genuinely thought the four could defend themselves, I had no reason to doubt that, especially since I could glean first-hand from seeing Audrey that my future sister-in-law was more competent than any of our court mages. The problem was she didn’t fully understand the enemy she was facing.

I masked my presence as I walked through the town and headed toward the castle. It was something I liked to do while I was turning over a problem. Seeing the citizens of my country living their everyday lives… It reminded me of the things I needed to fight for. Stepping into a nearby alley, I soon found Simon.

“How did it go, Your Highness?” the bespectacled attendant asked with a bow. I lazily shrugged in response.

“About as expected, she denied any reinforcements.” Simon only smiled faintly.

“How many agents would you like posted on her, then?”

I hummed in thought for a moment. “I’ll settle for two. One to report if something happens, the other to step in if the girls' lives are in danger.” Our eyes met. “They are not to reveal themselves to her unless they are giving their life.”

“Understood,” he said, then he was gone.

I yawned in boredom. Man, I really wanted to take a nap…

“Abel, please take this seriously.” Mother rebuked.

I waved a hand. “I am, I promise!”

Except for Lydia, the whole family sat around the table in Luke’s office, and I was pulled in there the second I arrived at the castle.

“I think we should just assign her more guards despite her complaints,” Luke said with a severe expression. “That man gave both Abel and I trouble, and while I’m not doubting her ability, Lydia’s never been in a situation where her life was at stake. Any number of things could go wrong.”

“Relax, I put two Ethereals on her. He only got away from us because it was a surprise attack. She may not know when, but Lydia knows of the danger. She won’t let her guard down.” I said, still trying not to fall asleep. “Do you know what she said when I filled her in?” Luke looked at me quizzically. “She said, “My brothers would never lose to lowly assassins.” We ought to have the same faith in her, yeah?” my brother wrung his hands together in worry.

“Yes, of course. It’s just…”

“Unless it’s my people you’re doubting?”

Luke met my eyes at my question. “No, I know how capable the Ethereals are. Their espionage skills are unmatched. I just don’t like my sister being in harm’s way; what’s so wrong about that?”

“As a father, I agree with you. But we all know that Lydia and Audrey must face this themselves.” Father chimed in after a sip of tea. “Isn’t that right, Duke Beldonna?” And all the royals in the room turned to face the two guests.

“That is correct, Your Majesty.” Duke Beldonna said. “I can assure you your daughters will come out just fine.”

“I can confirm as well, Your Majesty.” His son, Isaac Beldonna, concurred.

“Your words are reassuring, as usual,” Father said, but he had a frown on his face. But I’m sure that it will not be an easy fight. I dread the thought of any of those girls getting hurt…” Mother squeezed his hand tightly, clearly feeling the same. The Beldonnas exchanged a furtive glance before the older man sighed and nodded. Isaac spoke again, a little more hesitant this time.

“As you know, I care deeply for the princess. It pains me greatly to wait on the sidelines as well…” He clenched his fist, and I sensed no lies in his words. “But we need to have faith. Believe in your daughters and sisters. That is the most important thing we can do for them.” His eyes were unwavering, and it infected the rest of us.

“All right, that’s enough doom and gloom.” Mother clapped her hands and put on a smile. “Lydia and Audrey have their battle to fight, so we need to ensure we don’t lose ours.”

We all turned our attention to the map on the table. It was a world map with markings to show the Empire’s warpath. The Kingdom of Venyth was located on the southern end of the continent, with the Principality of Trazkel to the east and the Yamada Islands to the southwest.

“Treaty talks have just finished with both of our neighbors. But if the empire launches an attack on multiple fronts, I’m afraid foreign reinforcements are unlikely.” Father said.

Mother leaned over to point at the map, where the Rose territory bordered with the newly expanded empire. “The bigger problem is that bastard—” I smiled wryly as she corrected herself. “I mean, Duke Rose seems to be amassing troops in his territory.” She looked around the table and brushed some blonde hair out of her face. “It’d be alright, almost patriotic even, if it was in defense of the kingdom, but knowing him… I doubt that.”

With a hand on his chin, Luke voiced his agreement. “His proposals to increase private militaries have been stonewalled, but it seems he no longer cares to keep up appearances.”

“If I may, Your Majesties?” Duke Beldonna cut in, and Father gestured for him to continue. “I believe the most prudent action is to prepare for the worst-case scenario while keeping an eye on things. Making the first move will not end well.”

The office fell silent at his words, and I sighed in frustration. Sitting around and waiting isn’t really my style.

“I’ll assign some agents to watch over the border. If all we can do is plan, we’ll need all the information we can get.” And everyone nodded in approval.

“We have to be careful not to show our hand. Acting like we don’t see what’s happening will be advantageous.” Mother said with a grin. I’m sure she’s imagining the look on the Duke’s face when his plans fail. The meeting seemed to conclude, but then I remembered I had yet to report some crucial information.

“I didn’t know where to say this, but Lydia and Audrey are officially together,” I said with a smirk.

“Not surprising, you could cut that tension with a knife,” Luke said with a big smile.

“My little girl finally found someone…” Father wiped a tear away dramatically.

Mother’s blue eyes sparkled as she latched her hands together in excitement. “Ah! I finally have another daughter! I mean, I know I said Audrey was already my daughter, but now it’s official! And I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable before they left for the academy, so I held back! Oh, do you think she’ll call me “Mother” someday? When I finally meet Cecilia again, I’ll have so much to tell her!” Mother seemed to be lost in her own fantasies, and she turned to ramble to Father, who indulged her with a warm smile.

I noticed Isaac's sad smile, but he corrected his expression when he noticed my gaze. He does have a past with Lydia, so it makes sense. While I pitied him, all that mattered was my sister’s happiness.

The day ended in a bright celebration for our new addition to the family, for tomorrow would start in solemn preparation for the future.

***

It’s been a week since Lydia filled us in on the situation with the assassin, and I did everything I could to stay by her side.

“Honestly, the attack most likely won’t happen during the day, especially not with other people around,” Lydia said after noticing how attached I’d been.

“I can’t help it! His magic allows him openings that wouldn’t normally be a concern!” I replied seriously. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to her while I wasn’t around. “Unless I’m bothering you?” My voice wavered with uncertainty.

“That’s not what I mean; we’re almost always together anyway. I just want you to stop being wary of every shadow we pass.” I could sense the exasperation in her voice. I had been on edge ever since Prince Abel visited.

“I’m sorry.” I took a few deep breaths and tried to push the bad thoughts out of my head. We were going to the practice field, but she stopped and grabbed my hand.

“Don’t apologize, Audrey. I appreciate that you’re so concerned for me. But there is such a thing as being too paranoid. If everything seems out of place, you’ll overlook something when it truly matters.” She gave me a bright smile, and all the tension in my body finally relaxed.

“My girlfriend is right, as usual,” I said, giving her a smile of my own. We started moving again, our hands still intertwined.

“Besides, you should focus on training for the tournament right now.” She reminded me, and I got embarrassed thinking of my reaction when she delivered the good news. I had been so ecstatic about being able to participate that I had kissed her right then and there, right in front of the other girls. We still couldn’t escape their teasing, and Lucia and Leah’s smirks still haunt me.

“Definitely! That’s why we’re going to spar right now!” She laughed at my enthusiasm, and we arrived at the field a moment later. As we stretched and warmed up, a question suddenly came to mind.

“Are you not participating in the tournament yourself? I would’ve thought you had to as royalty.”

“No, I am. I’m competing in the physical combat bracket. I thought It would be great if both winners were from the royal family.” She winked at me after casually including me as her family. My face flushed slightly as I looked away.

“I see, that’s a shame, though. It would’ve been fun to fight you.” She paused at my words.

“Audrey… We’re literally about to spar.” She finished tying up her hair and helped me do mine.

“I know that!”

With the use of my stella, I managed to win consistently against Lucia in magic, which was why my new training partner was Lydia. Even though I could trigger my stella, I still didn’t have the same fine control over it that I had with pure mana. I did my best to be mindful of how much I was releasing, Aurora’s warning echoing in my head constantly, and because of that, my girlfriend consistently won our matches. But damn, did she look good doing it!

I giggled a bit as Lydia pulled me to my feet. “You really are something else; even with my divinity, you still manage to outpower me,” I said while using my hand to brush some dirt out of her blonde hair. She rolled her eyes as she returned the favor.

“But you’re holding back, right? I’m sure I’d be entirely at your mercy in an all-out fight.” Her choice of words ignited the urge to tease her, so I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close. She reflexively raised her hands to resist but froze as she nearly grabbed my chest. Her face flushed, and she averted her gaze as her hands fell limp to her sides. Oh, my Goddess! That was almost really bad! I think…? Somehow, I managed to maintain my composure on the outside.

“A-Audrey, let me go. I’m really sweaty right now. And we’re outside!” She said weakly.

“Oh? Are you saying it wouldn’t be a problem if we were inside?” I asked innocently while drumming my fingers lightly on her lower back. She squirmed at the motion and put her hands on my waist in an attempt to push me away. Her escape attempt failed spectacularly, considering she didn’t put much effort into it. My arms remained locked around her as I pulled her closer and whispered in her ear.

“Well, don’t you want to be at my mercy?” I said in the most sultry voice I could manage. One of my hands traced up her spine over her shirt, and I felt Lydia shiver slightly against my body. I might actually lose control at this rate… Suddenly, my girlfriend's eyes widened as she looked behind me.

“Oh, Lady Sasha!” Hearing my sister’s name caused me to jolt away from Lydia and turn around, but nobody was there. I turned around grumpily to face her again.

“That’s mean! What if she was actually here?” I asked with a pout. Lydia’s face was still flushed, but she had managed to put some distance between us.

“W-Well, what else was I supposed to do? You were getting carried away, and I refuse to have my first time out in the open!” I tilted my head in confusion.

“What do you mean “First time”?” Her emerald eyes widened, and she sputtered.

“Wha— Have you not discussed health and biology in your lessons yet?”

“No, we have. Mr. Tressum and I discuss how human bodies work with magic all the time.” Now, I was even more confused. Lydia sits in on most of my lessons and should know what I’ve learned. My response seemed to calm her down as she muttered.

“So she’s been doing all that without knowing what it leads to?” She moved towards me, grabbed my hand, and began dragging me to our room. “Alright, you need to have a special lesson with Leah. I followed her, still lost about what was happening, until she sat me down in front of our resident lady-in-waiting. My girlfriend then claimed to have a council business and left.

An hour later, I sat with my face burning in my hands. My thoughts filled with so many things I didn’t know before.

***

Tournament day had arrived before I knew it, and I felt confident knowing I had done everything I could to prepare. I had yet to win against Lydia in our sparring matches, but she assured me there wouldn’t be many students on her level. There still hadn’t been any signs of the assassin, and it worried me that something might happen while I was competing.

No, focus on the fight, Audrey. The assassin would be foolish to attack in front of so many people. Even if he did, Lydia would never lose. I slapped my cheeks softly and steeled myself. The tournament was organized into one-on-one duels, with four duels happening simultaneously across neighboring fields. The physical combat bracket was held on the other side of campus but was structured similarly.

I double-checked my uniform in the mirror. I wasn’t used to wearing the boy’s uniform, but having pants instead of the skirt was pretty comfortable. All students participating had to wear pants, as it ensured movement fairness, so the girls wouldn’t have to worry about any unfortunate accidents.

A groan escaped me as I glanced at the clock. The matches weren’t scheduled to start for another hour, and all my preparations were done. So, I had nothing to do but sit around and wait. My thoughts turned to my girlfriend, who had disappeared earlier, saying she wanted us to surprise each other in the new uniforms. Shouldn’t she be back by now? We agreed to meet back at the dorm room to encourage each other before our fights. The door opened as if responding to my thoughts, but nobody stepped through.

“Lydia?” I called out.

“I’m here! I’m just preparing myself!” she yelled back.

“Preparing yourself for what?” I asked, amused. “Just get in here!”

She appeared, dressed in the boy’s uniform and with her hair pulled into a simple ponytail.

“Wow! You look dashing, Lydia!” I exclaimed. She really did look incredible. Lydia looked me up and down, and a slight blush formed.

“As do you, Audrey.”

We spent some time calming our nerves with tea that Leah prepared for us and talking strategy.

“The matches are all in quick succession, so it’s best to win quickly so you don’t exhaust yourself,” Lydia said. “You need to win eight matches to be crowned the winner, and at most, you’ll only have fifteen minutes to rest between fights.”

“I can handle it! My training sessions last longer than that!” I said, and she only smiled awkwardly at me.

“Don’t underestimate your opponents and the toll fighting will take on your body.” She leaned back and laughed a little. “But it is you we’re talking about. I doubt I have to worry.”

Finally, the time for our matches arrived, and we went to our respective fields. I’d better not disappoint her by losing! I couldn’t help the massive grin as I lined up with the other students and the announcer called. “Let the tournament begin!”