the eminence in shadow: The Royal Eminence 8

Chapter 8: The Beginning

"Point! Cid Midgar!"

The black-haired prince breathes a small sigh as he and his opponent step away from each other. The two bow in respect before the teacher sends them away to start the next match.

The spar was nothing to write home about. Although Cid is part of the advance course with a black training gi to reflect his status, his combat abilities are rather average. He wins fights as much as he loses them, though for some students, this is to be expected. They had no real expectation of the so-called Bastard Prince, who was said to be remarkably average in comparison to his more successful siblings.

Speaking of which—

"Alexia Midgar versus Jacques Merde," the instructor calls.

The silver-haired princess boldly steps into the ring, her training sword already in hand. Across from her is her opponent. The two bow as is customary between opponents, though almost everyone can sense the glowering hostility radiating from Alexia's form. Jacques fails to see it, somehow sporting a confident smile.

"How in the hell did he get off with a month's worth of detention and clean-up duty?" one of the students asks while shaking his head in disbelief. "He did pull a sword on Cid, didn't he? Right in front of everyone, too. I would've thought he'd get the boot."

The girl next to him, Christina Hope, scoffs. "As if. His father is an archduke. Way I hear it, he and Assistant Principal Lutheran are pretty close. The Assistant Principal is a bleeding heart and Archduke Merde has a lot of money to keep funding the school's more lucrative projects."

"So he had to go running to daddy?" Another student snickers.

Jacques, who overhears all of this, shoots a glare at the three. They quiet down, though Christina shoots him a smug smirk that serves to infuriate him. While Jacques did walk away with what amounts to a slap on the wrist, the subsequent talk with his father is another story. It was no mere tongue-lashing, and there was no screaming involved. The archduke did not express his disappointment with words, but with violence. While Christina did not know the extent, her expression made it clear she knew his father was upset for his blatant disgrace in front of everyone at the cafeteria two weeks ago.

Jacques clicks his tongue in annoyance and ignores the girl in favor of the kingdom's second princess. It's common knowledge she doesn't practice the Bushin or Royal Bushin method like her sister, instead relying on what many refer to as the "common sword". He's only seen it a few times, but Jacques can only think of it as mediocre swordplay. Compared to her sister, a genuine prodigy of the sword, she's weaker. Jacques is confident he will win.

"I'll try not to hurt you too badly, Your Highness," Jacques tells her condescendingly.

Alexia smiles with wrinkled eyes. The instructor raises his hand.

"Begin!"

In the next second—

"Die."

—Jacques is slaughtered in front of everyone's eyes. The rules state death is not allowed in any circumstance, but the lengths in which Alexia went to inflict severe bodily harm pushed the rule to its limit with the amount of broken bones and blood loss Jacques suffers. On this day, Alexia earned a new moniker among her classmates.

"The Argent Berserker."

Naturally, it's Cid who coined the nickname in the first place.

X x X x X x X x X

"No offense Your Highness, but wasn't that unnecessarily brutal?" Suzuki asks warily.

"I say she didn't go far enough," Christina says. "I think he could have used a tad more tenderizing."

"Oh? Awfully bloodthirsty of you, miss Christina," Alexia notes with a wry smile. "Not that I don't disagree with you. Sadly, the instructor thought otherwise."

"I'm no fan of Jacques. He's the sort of person who deserves to be humiliated, wouldn't you agree?"

I'm not sure whether to be happy or concerned that Alexia and Christina are getting along. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad my new cohorts in mobhood can get along with my family, but what's the point of fading into the background if someone is just going to drag you into the spotlight regardless? It's one of the many downsides of being royalty. In any case, I hope Jacques gets well quickly. Contrary to what people think, I don't hate him. Sure, he's a little annoying, but I pity him more than anything. I've had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting Archduke Merde once. Once was enough.

To an extent, I can sympathize with Jacques. It's why I tried to tell him to calm down. While my own parents from my Minoru days were nowhere near as bad, they were still adamant I perform well at school. They weren't happy I got average grades, but they also never raised too much of a fuss. Archduke Merde reminds me of them, albeit way worse.

Still, I wonder what Jacques did to piss off Alexia so much? You would think she was trying to commit murder with the way she came at him. Maybe they know each other from when Jacques stayed at the palace for a few years? Wait, was this some kind of jilted lover scenario? Were they in a relationship? A childhood romance?! Now that I think about it, Alexia came at Jacques like a woman scorned.

Holy shit. This sounds like it belongs in a soap opera.

"Enough talk about that fop," Alexia suddenly declares, removing me from my thoughts. "Let's discuss something else. Have you all heard of Mitsugoshi?"

Claire perks up. "Has the store here in the capital opened already?" she asks in surprise. "I was under the impression it would not be ready until next month."

"The grand opening was a few days ago. It's already the talk of the town."

I frown. "Mitsugoshi? What's that?"

"It's a new company that sprung up a few months ago. I don't know much about it myself, but it has a lot of items no one's heard of before with a wide-range of selections. Iris was asked to attend the grand opening and got to try something called coffee."

Coffee? Wait, as in coffee coffee? That actually exists in this world? Okay, this I have to see for myself.

"Oh, I think I've heard of that!" Kanade chimes in. "It's supposed to be really bitter! And they have really tasty food! Do-do you think we might be able to go?"

"It wouldn't hurt, but I wouldn't hold my breath," Alexia tells her. "The lines are atrocious. Worse comes to worse, Cid and I can use our status and get ahead of the line."

Suzuki sweatdrops. "Isn't that an abuse of power?"

"Who cares?!" Kanade suddenly bursts past us. I swear I see stars twinkling in her eyes. "Come on, let's go already!"

Alexia was not kidding when she said the lines were ridiculous. There are so many people in the crowd I can scarcely count them all, and said crowd filling the entire street and wrapping around the store's side. Actually, calling it a "store" is a misnomer. If anything, it reminds me of the malls back on Earth; it's easily the biggest building on the block with a strip of window panes sandwiched between the concrete and plaster. Hanging above the storefront is the Mitsugoshi company logo, which isn't written in the language native to this world. Instead, it's written in kanji.

Looking at the Mitsugoshi store building, I wonder how this place exists. Is it possible I'm not the only one who got the isekai experience? Was the mastermind behind this place someone from Earth?

"Holy crap, this place is packed," Suzuki marvels. "Business is booming."

"The shine will probably wear off in a few weeks," Christina half-heartedly scoffs. Even she's enraptured by the mysterious novelty of Mitsugoshi. "What's the sign say? I don't recognize the language."

"Maybe it's from the unmapped continent?" he asked. "Though I've heard the people there aren't friendly."

Alexia looks at the line. "This…might pose a problem," she says hesitantly. "I, uh, don't think my authority is any good here. I doubt they have anyone overseeing the line that far back."

"Then…n-no food?" Kanade looks like a kicked puppy, teary eyes and everything.

I glance at the crowd. If there are any store employees out here, I can't see them. Just then, I sense a magic signature approaching us. The magic power is above average, more than what you'd expect to find from a typical spellsword. An elven woman with long dark blue hair and matching eyes walks up to us with a kind smile, wearing a blue dress with frills and detached sleeves.

"Excuse me," she says. "Yes, you five! Would you waaah!" She yelps as she falls to the ground face-first, causing us to wince. "Owwie… Stupid ground! Why is it so uneven!"

What the hell are you talking about? You tripped over nothing!

"Um, are you okay?" Christina asks worriedly.

The elf woman pulls herself up to her feet. "I'm fine!"

"You're bleeding," I point out.

"I'm fine!" she insists. "No cause for concern!" She picks herself up and dusts off her dress. She clears her throat and addresses us properly. "As I was saying, would you be interested in filling out a survey for us?"

"A survey?" Alexia parrots. "What sort of survey?"

"Oh, nothing unusual. The Mitsugoshi Company is still expanding its line of products, and our current wares are mainly geared towards the general populace. Unless I'm mistaken, you are all students at the Midgar Royal Spellsword Academy, is that right? Our CEO, Luna, wishes to expand our products to things students might enjoy."

Christina hums thoughtfully. "Is that so? I'm no expert when it comes to business, but wouldn't you be stretching yourselves thin trying so many things at once?"

"We are quite innovative, and we have cash to burn, so to speak," the woman assures. "As an incenstive, we will offer you all a special 75% discount."

"So low?!"

Kanade looks like a starving wolf. "Does that include food?!"

"Of course!"

"We'll take it!"

"Kanade!" Alexia hisses. "Don't go making decisions for us!"

The elf woman claps her hands. "Wonderful!" she beams at us. "Follow me, please!"

She leads us into the store. Just as the exterior was eye-catching, the inside is a bustle of activity. Escalators allowing access to different floors, shelves packed to the brim of all sorts of bobs and ends, ranging from clothes to food items and children toys. Some were items I'm used to seeing in other places, but some things immediately catch my attention.

"Ramen? Yukata?"

The ramen comes in instant cups, the kind where you just have to pour hot water and wait a few minutes for it to be ready before adding anything else. The yukata are colorful and elegant, all sporting unique designs. The most popular design among the girls is pink with cherry blossom designs along the bottom right side and left sleeve.

I'm almost positive that whoever this Luna character is, they are definitely a reincarnator like me. For some reason, something in the back of my head tingles. It feels like I'm forgetting something important and something is trying to remind me. It's staring me dead in the face, but I'm drawing a complete blank.

Strangely, the elf girl pulls us into different parts of the store to fill out the surveys. "Right this way, Your Highness," the girl says as she leads me to the far back of this store.

I shouldn't be surprised she knows who I am, though it does rankle me a bit. What's the point of being a wallflower if you can't just sink into the background and disappear?

The girl stops in front of a wooden door and gestures for me to enter. I open the door to find a break room, complete with a table and two sofas on either side. A familiar-looking blonde-haired elf with emerald green eyes dressed in a slim black pin-stripe suit with gloves and a navy blue tie is waiting for me, sitting on the leftmost sofa.

"Zeta?" I ask in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Zeta looks up at me and smiles. "Long time no see, Lord Shadow. I trust our Mitsugoshi Company has met your expectations thus far?"

I blink dumbly, wondering what she means before it suddenly dawns on me. I suddenly remember why this place was familiar. Zeta talked about creating a business that could provide funds for Shadow Garden in response to our group's rapid growth over the last two years. I signed off on the idea and gave her a starting stipend from my own pocket, seeing as how I had plenty of cash to burn thanks to my royal allowance. If the king knew about the amount of money I gave to Zeta to start her venture, he said nothing. In order to ensure the business' success, Zeta needed merchandise and exotic goods that couldn't be found anywhere else. I told her about things from my world, though I couldn't give her all the details. I was a high schooler when I died, and there was some stuff I never bothered to learn, things I thought were inconsequential in my pursuit to become an eminence in shadow.

I half-expected Zeta to fail, but from the crowd and quality of her items alone, business wasn't just booming, it was on fire.

How much money did this girl make? I wanna know. I really wanna know! No, wait. Focus, Cid! You're Shadow right now. You need to get in character like everybody else!

"Superb," I say as I take the seat across from her, assuming a badass pose with my leg crossed and my hands folded on my lap. "I see things are going well?"

"We're still crunching numbers, but our projected estimate of sales from this month alone is around 3.5 trillion zeni," Zeta tells me.

I do everything in my power to keep a straight face. HOLY FUCK WE'RE RICH! WOOHOO!

"I can't claim all the credit, though. Most of what you see here is thanks to Chi," Zeta adds as she gestures to the blue-haired elf, who now stands beside her. "She has quite the knack for business."

Chi bows her head. "Thank you for your kind words, Lady Zeta. Of course, most of our success is also thanks to Lady Eta. Thanks to Lord Shadow's wisdom, she was able to create most of our products. The yukata is proving quite popular among the womenfolk as well as some of the men."

"I see."

Ze~ni ze~ni! So much ze~ni~!

"Unfortunately, Nu isn't here to greet you. I have her performing other important matters," Zeta apologizes. "Speaking of important matters, I assume you are here regarding Epsilon's report?"

I'm gonna be bathing in—wait, what's this about Epsilon? "Correct."

"I'm ashamed to say this, but I do not recall anyone by the name of Zenon Griffey during my time in the cult." Zenon? I thought this was about Epsilon. Oh, wait, is this about what Alexia told me and Rose the other day? Do they think Zenon's part of the cult or something? "Having said that, Epsilon reported seeing Zenon meeting with Assistant Principal Lutheran privately. For some reason, Assistant Principal Lutheran created a silencing bounded field to ensure no one could eavesdrop, so she was unable to determine the nature of their conversation. The fact that Lutheran went to such lengths does warrant further investigation, so just to be safe, I've asked Nu to observe the school discreetly."

In other words, you're being overprotective. It's not unreasonable to be cautious, I guess. Alexia is a princess, so it makes sense they want to make sure she's safe. Still, thinking Zenon and someone as nice as old man Lutheran are part of the Cult are part of the cult is going overboard, don't you think?

…still, this might be a good opportunity.

Ever since I learned about this mysterious cult, I've been doing everything I can to live up to my expectations as the premiere eminence in shadow. I did not spend these past two years twiddling my thumbs, no sirree. I have refined and honed my craft to become the ultimate shadowbroker, a feat I dare say I've pulled off with flying colors thanks to our little group of larpers. Well, I guess they aren't larpers anymore. They still think the cult Zeta used to work for is the Cult of Diabolos I made up, and I haven't had the heart to tell them otherwise. I'm sure they'll figure it out eventually, and whoo boy that is not a conversation I look forward to.

Anyway, I make it a point to read any and all reports Alpha sends me. Well, I try to. For some reason, a lot of the reports, the ones I'm guessing are uber important, are all written in that weird-ass "ancient language" Alpha made up. Rather than suck up my pride and risk embarrassing myself, I resolved to break Alpha's code without any help.

I'll just say this. Alpha has way too much damn time on her hands. Or hell, maybe it's something she cooked up during her childhood with her family before her possession happened. In any case, the code is a difficult nut to crack, but I haven't given up hope!

…actually, now that I think about the cult…

"Are you in any danger?" I ask, partly out of curiosity and partly out of concern for my newest money maker and friend. "You haven't used the slime suit to disguise yourself?"

Unlike the rest of Shadow Garden, the cult knows who Zeta is since she used to be a member. It doesn't seem like she's doing anything to hide her face from the public, which is a little stupid when you think about it. The cult would have to realize Mitsugoshi has ties to Shadow Garden if they know one of its members is in charge.

Zeta's cheeks turn pink for some reason. "T-thank you for your concern, Lord Shadow, but I am not in any danger. My blatant presence as Mitsugoshi's CEO is part of a strategy Gamma and myself devised."

"I-I see… If you're that confident, I will say no more on the matter." If Gamma is in on this, I guess there's no reason to worry. She's a smart cookie. In fact, the only one I can think of in Shadow Garden that's better than her is Alpha, though that's not saying much. Alpha is good at everything she does. Which is to be expected of my right-hand and co-founder. "Still, if you need help, don't hesitate to ask. I'll be there if you need me."

Zeta's cheeks go from bright pink to atomic red. I'm almost certain I see steam rising from the top of her head as well. Does she have a fever or something? Maybe she's working too hard.

X x X x X x X x X

"If you need help, don't hesitate to ask. I'll be there if you need me."

Uwah, why did you have to go and say things like that, Lord Shadow?! My poor heart can't take this!

The small Zeta in the elf's head flails her arms around like a gushing schoolgirl. Zeta's heart is racing as she remembers the day Shadow saved her life and whisked her away from the cult. It's her most cherished memory, as well as the day her savior captured her heart. She knows the other Seven Shadows (save for Eta, who's interest in Shadow is of a more concern matter) view him much the same, with Delta and Beta being the most open in their affections. Were she like the others, she would have thrown her hat in the ring and declared her intentions to become Shadow's wife.

Zeta, however, knew there was not a chance in hell she could ever take such a position. The simple fact is that she is not worthy of Shadow's affections. He is a man destined for great things, whereas she is a bloodstained and filthy woman. Although she longs to hold his hand and stand beside him as an equal, she cannot bear to touch him. No matter what he says, she knows her sins are beyond reproach and atonement. Shooting Star made justifications for her actions, not knowing the hell she condemned so many in the name of "peace".

If only she had known…

Shadow, contrary to his name, is a shining light. He is her beacon of hope, the guiding hand that pulls her away from the terrible darkness that is the Cult of Diabolos. It is for that reason that, instead of basking in the light like the others, Zeta chooses to linger in her lord's shadow instead. She would watch him from afar, protect him from threats that escaped his notice alongside the rest of the Seven Shadows. She would do everything in her power to make him happy.

Zeta's affection is one of unrequited desire, purposefully and suited for those who watch from afar. It is the only place she can truly feel at peace.

Besides—

Lady Alpha would kill me if she saw this.

It is common knowledge among the rest of Shadow Garden, even among the Numbers, that Alpha and Beta are the closest to Shadow. While the latter is vocal in her affections and adoration for their master, Alpha is more reserved, yet she speaks of Shadow with confidence. She holds absolute faith in him, just as Shadow entrusts Shadow Garden's operations in her capable hands. It makes sense to Zeta, seeing as how Alpha was the first among the Seven Shadows and Shadow Garden as a whole to join Shadow in his mission to destroy the Cult of Diabolos.

Beta, naturally, is jealous of the seeming close bond between them, not at all helped by Alpha's decree that no one in Shadow Garden is allowed to "get ahead".

Zeta shivers, remembering the cold, dark look in her eyes when she made that declaration. She reminded her of Fenrir at that moment. The killing intent exuding from him as he executed a traitor.

Needless to say, Zeta has no intention of getting in her way.

X x X x X x X x X

The trip to Mitsugoshi proves to be a far more interesting venture than Alexia first assumed. The survey is surprisingly detailed and takes everything into account, though when comparing what she saw with the others, she learns the nature of the survey was different between them. Each question was tailored for them. It does not surprise Alexia that Mitsugoshi knows who she is.

Time passes relatively quickly as they explore and start making their purchases. Kanade practically beelines it for the food court, ordering the most expensive items on the menu and digging into it like some sort of starving wolf. The way she eagerly digs disturbs her and makes her wonder what sort of upbringing she has. While barons are the lowest rank of nobles, they are still nobles. She knows little about the Doe family, but she is certain they are not hurting for money and can buy quality food.

Suzuki buys a fancy pair of glasses and Christina buys a beautiful pink yukata for herself. Alexia takes a gander at the lingerie and decides to drag her cousin with him, not out of any desire to embarrass him but rather to help find a gift.

"Why do you need my help?" Cid asks dumbfoundedly. "I don't crossdress."

Alexia rolls her eyes. "It's a gift for Iris, you dummy. She still wears the same old bear-printed underwear, so I thought it might be a good idea to get her something else for a change."

"Like what?"

"Well, how about this?" Alexia grabs the first thing she sees and hoists it up, only to blink. Claire sputters as her cheeks go bright red. She doesn't blame Cid's knight as the panties in her hand are obscenely risqué. She hesitates to even call them panties when it's little more than strings. "Is-is this really underwear? How can anyone wear something like this?"

"That's called a G-string," one of the store employees helpfully informs her. "It's very popular among our older customers! They actually sold out during the grand opening. They seem to be quite the hit among married women."

I can see why, Alexia thinks. "Well, Cid? What do you think?"

To her mild disappointment, her cousin doesn't even so much as blush. "I think Princess Iris…" He trails off as Alexia glares at him. He sighs and corrects himself. "Cousin Iris might question why you got her a G-string. I think she'd die of embarrassment if she tried wearing something like that. She might appreciate something red, I would think."

"I can see that," Alexia agrees and sets the G-string aside. She looks more closely at their selection and pulls out another pair of panties. It's nowhere near as risqué as the G-string, but the design and feel of the fabric is enough to make her imagine how flustered Iris might be were she to wear it. It even came with a matching bra. "How about this one?"

"Yeah, I think that looks good."

Seriously, not even a hint of pink on your face? What are you, a eunuch?

Alexia starts to worry whether Cid has any real attraction to the opposite sex. Rose is a sweet girl, not to mention a hopeless romantic who adores Cid. The two princesses got along very quickly after Alexia realized Rose values Cid and what he can achieve were he not bogged down by everyone's condemnation and expectations of him. Rose and Cid went on plenty of dates, and while Cid assured her everything went fine, she still worries whether the marriage will turn out fine. At the very least, she hopes Cid is the sort that values inner beauty.

She sighs to herself and proceeds to place the bra and panties in the bag she was given, though not before eyeing the G-string and another set of bra and panties. A devious idea came to her as she smiles and looks at Claire. "Say, Claire, why don't you and I try these on?"

"W-what?!" As expected, Claire's face turns as red as Iris' hair. "L-Lady Alexia, please, there's no reason to…!"

"Oh, come on! What's the harm? Don't you want to try and woo the boys a little? I know for a fact you have a few admirers." Alexia's sadistic side slowly rises to the surface as a predatory smile flitters across her lips. Claire, seeing this, flinches and steps back. "C'mon, don't you want to take advantage of this rocking hot bod, just once?"

"L-Lady Claire, please…!"

Her resistance ultimately proves futile. In the end, a blushing and reluctant Claire is dragged into the fitting room with Alexia, the latter trying on the G-string panties she picked up earlier. As she expected, the G-string is so obscene that only someone with little shame could wear it without the appropriate legwear.

Fortunately, Alexia is confident in her rear figure.

After changing back into her original underwear, Alexia steps out of the stall. She finds Claire still in the adjacent stall. "What's wrong, Claire?"

"N-nothing, it's just… C-could you help me put this on?"

Alexia raises an eyebrow. What could possibly be giving her so much…

The second she opens the curtain, she cannot help but stare in a mix of awe and dead fury. Claire Pendragon is a fairly attractive woman, of that there can be no doubt. Among the students, she's one of the most sought-after women in the royal academy despite not being enrolled. No boy dared approach her, for the moment they did, they were frozen by her piercing red eyes and the partially withdrawn sword at her hip.

It is only now Alexia realizes just how shapely the young knight really is. Her skin is nearly totally flawless and compliments the well-toned muscles adorning her form. Her best features are those same muscles, particularly her abs, her hips, and the mountain peaks on her chest.

"I-I think I you grabbed the wrong size," Claire stammers.

Alexia stares flatly at the traitor. Internally, she rages at the injustice in display before her.

So fucking unfair!

X x X x X x X x X

The last school day of the week arrives with little fanfare. Throughout the day, classes go by normally. The only real things of interest are the students talking about Alexia's brutal slaughter of Jacques and Mitsugoshi. Christina pays the topics of conversation little mind, instead focusing on the matter at hand.

For reasons she doesn't quite understand, the student council president called her into the student council room. Christina is certain she has done nothing that warrants a meeting with the princess of the Oriana Kingdom, but she's nonetheless nervous. Without question, Rose Oriana is one of the most talented spellswords in the whole academy, if not the strongest student outright. Her swordplay is second-to-none, with her only true equal being Alexia Midgar, who's talent with a sword is similarly undisputed. A recurring question among her classmates in sword training was which girl would win were they to cross swords.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Miss Hope," Rose smiles beatifically at Christina. The princess went the extra mile and prepared tea. It's easily one of the best blends Christina's had in a while. "I hope I'm not interrupting your schedule."

"No, not at all," Christina assures her. "If you don't mind me asking, what's this about? I haven't done anything wrong, have I?"

"Not that I know of," Rose tells her, much to her relief. "Actually, I have a request to ask of you." The pink-haired girl straightens in her chair. A request from a princess is not something she gets every day. "You're friends with Alexia, is that right?"

The question gives Christina pause.

Alexia Midgar, the Silver Princess, is the second princess of the Midgar Kingdom. Politically speaking, she holds less influence than her older sister, but otherwise she's exceedingly popular among the lower ranks of the nobility. Several children of barons and viscounts are among her social circle, though Christina is unsure who among them are supporters and followers of Alexia and which are merely friends. It helps that Alexia displays no classist attitude the way Jacques and Eliza does, treating everyone equally with no favoritism.

As someone who endured the viper's nest that is the imperial palace, Christina admires Alexia Midgar the way she does with Cid. Her admiration of Alexia is different, however, in that whereas Cid prefers to wait and strike from the shadows, Alexia braves any and all political threats head on and meets them accordingly. Granted, she is not as graceful as Iris is when dealing with such matters, but she nonetheless challenged the corrupt and vile arch nobles and high-ranking members of the royal court. In a sense, her decision to practice the "common sword" is one means of defiance. The Bushin and Royal Bushin swordstyles are popular and widely-used across the kingdom, after all.

Unfortunately, it seems there is some sort of "wall" between Christina and Alexia that she is unsure how to breach. She doesn't understand why the princess is so guarded around her when she has done nothing to warrant suspicion, save perhaps her friendship with Cid Midgar. Perhaps her years in growing up in the palace made her question the motives of people around her, especially where her cousin is concerned. There was some progress where Jacques Merde's near-death is concerned, but otherwise, they remain at an arm's length.

Truthfully, Christina wants to be friends with Alexia, if only for self-serving reasons. Her status as princess would go a long way in her own goals, and based on what she knew of the Silver Princess, Alexia despised corruption as much as she does. There was certainly no shortage of such characters in the palace, after all.

"We are…acquaintances, at best," Christina says after a moment of thought. "We are not as close as I would like, truth be told."

Rose frowns. "I see… To be frank, I'm a little concerned for her. You are aware that Sir Griffey is one of her suitors, yes?"

"I'm well aware. Many believe he's the best choice for her," Christina answers. "Does Princess Alexia think otherwise?"

"She has doubts of his character, though I can't imagine why. I think she could simply be stressed is all. While Cid hasn't told me much of anything that happens in the palace, I know there's significant tension between His Majesty and his court."

"I doubt there will be any talks of succession in the near future," Christina says confidently. "As I see it, we've yet to reach the point where people want King Klaus gone."

"But there is frustration with his decision to maintain neutrality, even in important matters."

The pink-haired girl concedes to Oriana's princess on that point. While King Klaus has been known to dither in important matters, it's become especially problematic as of late. She doesn't understand why he dithers in such matters, especially when they are of great importance to Midgar and its future, but then again, she is not the king. She cannot claim to understand what goes through his mind. For all she knows, his neutrality is part of some greater ploy. Even so, his neutrality is driving a wedge between him and his court, now more than ever. The White Faction led by Duke Kaiser is steadily gaining strength, though it is unlikely that they would launch a coup of any kind in the near future. While it is publicly known Duke Kaiser and King Klaus are no longer friends, there is still mutual respect between them. The only way the duke would depose his old friend was if the king was lost to the throes of madness.

"In any case, I would appreciate it if you could lend Alexia your shoulder if she needs it," Rose says. "I'd do it myself, but my duties with the student council often interfere." The gold-haired princess sighs. "It really is vexing. I seldom have the opportunity to spend time with Cid, even though I can see him anytime now."

Christina stifles a smile. Must be nice to be in love, she thinks to herself. "I'll see what I can do." She's not entirely confident she can win Alexia's trust, but she resolves to try anyways. It is a request from Oriana's princess and the future queen of the Oriana Kingdom, after all.

The last period of the day is sword training. As a spellsword-in-training with excellent magic control, Christina excels in this class. Her opponents are skilled in their own right, but they all fall short of beating her. It isn't a difference in experience, but in skill. Not a single student here has been in an actual fight where their ability is truly tested.

At least, not until today.

"Miss Hope," Alexia suddenly says after class ends. "Would you be willing to spar with me?"

Christina isn't sure why the silver-haired princess approached her, but she doesn't complain. It is obvious that Alexia still doesn't trust her, however; her smile doesn't reach her eyes, and there's a hint of hostility in her words. Nonetheless, she takes this opportunity to help clear the air and lessen the distance between them, if not make it clear to Alexia that she is not her enemy.

Alexia rents one of the small arenas for their private use and dons her training garb. By the time Christina is prepared, both are in their black training gi and their blunt swords are unsheathed.

Christina assumes her stance and channels her mana into her sword. She gauges the distance between her and her opponent while recalling the times Alexia sparred with other students. The one-sided slaughter of Jacques Merde sticks out in her mind.

My best bet is to stay on the defensive and outlast her. If I can—

Before she has time to blink, Alexia is already in front of her, sword raised and coming down on her. Christina quickly blocks the strike, only to nearly buckle under the weight. At such a close distance, she can feel Alexia's magic flowing through the training sword. It isn't like a waterfall, but the weight of her mana is enough make Christina grit her teeth. With great effort, she pushes the silver-haired girl back and counters with a thrust to the chest. Alexia side-steps around the thrust and pivots on her heels, her sword aiming for her neck.

Christina pushes as much magic as she can muster in her legs and turns, just barely parrying Alexia's swing. Once more, she finds the princess' attack overpowering her and stumbles, nearly falling to the floor.

"Is that all?" Alexia's smile is mocking. It reminds Christina far too much of the nobles who look down on others and abuse their authority. "Don't tell me you're done?"

"You asked for it!"

Ultimately, her promise to beat, if not momentarily surpass Alexia, is little more than a pipe dream.

No matter how hard Christina pushes her abilities, she can't find a way to bridge the gap. The difference in skill is so vast, Christina may as well be an ant challenging a lion. To call this spar "one-sided" would be kind.

Alexia ends the spar with a thrust to her midsection. The blunt end enhanced by magic knocks the wind from her sails, if not nearly making her throw up from the force of the blow alone. She lands flat on her side, her vision blurry with tears and her chest straining for oxygen. She hears Alexia saying something, but she can hardly hear her over the rapid drumbeats of her heart as it rages in her chest.

Christina never prided herself on her skills. She knew she was only slightly stronger than her classmates and that there were people much, much stronger than her in the academy. To her frustration, Jacques Merde is one of those people. That someone like that is stronger than her and abuses his power to torment and take advantage of others infuriates her. It's why she covets power, why she wants to get stronger. Going into this spar, Christina knew she would more than likely lose to Alexia, but being shown the difference in power first-hand…

I hate this. I hate this so much!

Frustration and anger burn in her breast. Her grip on her sword tightens as she rises unsteadily to her feet. "One more time."

"What?"

Christina glares at Alexia. "One more time!"

X x X x X x X x X

What is with this girl?

When Alexia went into this spar, she had every intention of humiliating Christina Hope. She could put on all the smiles and wear the face of a "friend" around her cousin, but she knows a fake smile when she sees one. She isn't sure what infuriates her more, that this-this hussy has the gall to try and get close to her brother or that she intends on roping him into whatever unsavory plans she might have. Ever since her decision to embroil herself in the kingdom's politics in the hopes of gathering enough political power to oppose the palace nobles, Alexia made it a point to learn about every noble family in the capital who might pose a threat.

The Hope family, a prestigious noble lineage dating back to the kingdom's founding, is a known supporter of Duke Kaiser and his White Faction. Her feelings of the White Faction are neutral at best, but the Hope family itself is cause for concern. There is more than one rumor stating how Duke Hope is involved in unsavory business, with many claiming him to be involved with a nefarious criminal organization called the Thirteen Night Swords.

That name, Alexia knows.

She has no idea if Christina does have ties to them or through her father, but the fake smile she puts on tells her enough that she can't trust the girl. When she overheard Christina and Rose's conversation earlier in the day, Alexia got an idea. The best way to determine the pink-haired girl's intentions toward her cousin (and maybe warn her off) is to speak to her in a language everyone universally understands; the language of the sword.

In terms of skill, Christina isn't bad. If given enough time and a competent teacher, she can easily flourish into a talented spellsword. Her skill with the Bushin method isn't too bad, either. Unfortunately for her, Alexia spars with Iris, who is considered one of the best practitioners of the swordstyle for having not only mastered it, but seamlessly merge with the Royal Bushin method to create her own unique swordplay. In terms of magic, Christina has a slight advantage over her in that department, but it's offset by her lack of experience. She's had training, but it pales in comparison to Alexia's own.

In the end, Alexia emerges the victor. She thrusts her sword into Christina's midsection and knocks her harshly to the floor. Her satisfaction dims when she sees how close Christina is to vomiting and how she's cradling her stomach. She never meant to go that far.

"You aren't half-bad," Alexia says with genuine praise. "But, as you can see, I'm far stronger. I have no idea why you approached Cid, but if you think you can…"

"One more time."

She blinks in surprise. The pink-haired girl rises unsteadily to her feet, holding her training sword in a vice grip. A fire burns in her eyes. Alexia reels from the intensity as well as familiarity. She knows those eyes. She's seen them before, but where?

"What?"

"One more time!" Christina shouts as she assumes a stance.

Alexia frowns. There's no reason to indulge in this farce any longer. Christina won't last for very long if they continue. By all rights, she should call the match off and walk away.

Her eyes… Where have I…?

Curiosity gets the better of her. "Alright," she nods. "Best two out of three."

In the end, Christina falls. Her body is bruised, her clothes are in total disarray, and her training sword is cracked. An ugly black mark slowly forms across her left cheek. Alexia, meanwhile, only has a single bruise across her face with sweat clinging uncomfortably to her skin. By now, the victor can not be disputed. Alexia has won by a landslide.

And yet—

She kept getting back up, no matter how hard I went at her, Alexia thinks with slight awe, her opinion of the girl having changed over the course of the spar. She should be unconscious by now, if not the last three times we fought!

What should have been a simple rematch became three more rematches. A total of five bouts, all of which Christina lost. If nothing else, Alexia can only admire her schoolmate's tenacity and drive. At this point, she realizes there's a fire in her; a burning passion, an all-consuming desire that propels her forward. She also realized why the fiery look in Christina's eyes was so familiar.

Alexia has the same eyes.

The frustration of being helpless and weak. The infuriation of lacking the power to stand against others. The desire to overcome weakness and become strong enough to stand up to injustice.

Midgar's second princess now realizes she's made a mistake in challenging Christina, much less needlessly antagonizing her. The girl is no threat. She is so much like her, it hurts.

"One…" Christina groans out as she fruitlessly tries to get back on her feet, leaning on her sword for support. She no longer has the energy to stand up as she falls back on her knee. Her hands tremble as she tries to maintain her hold over her sword. "O-one more…"

Alexia drags a hand down her face, ashamed she let things get to this point. She remembers how she used to distrust Cid for wearing a liar's smile before realizing why he wears it. Once again, she's made the same mistake.

"We're done here." Alexia slides her sword into her sheath. She approaches Christina and gently pulls her arm over her shoulder. "Come on, let's get you to the infirmary."

"I-I can still…"

"For the love of… Alright, consider this an order from your princess. You know what will happen if you refuse a royal decree, right?"

Christina doesn't utter a word until they make it to the infirmary.

As Alexia expects, the nurse gives her a severe tongue lashing. The only reason she doesn't inform their parents is because of Christina's insistence that things only got to where they did because of her pleas for them to keep going. The faculty was going to hear about this nonetheless, and Alexia knows for a fact word will make its way back to the palace somehow. She knows better than to trust students and idle gossip to keep sealed lips.

Christina sits on one of the cots, her hands and face wrapped in bandages and gauze. Alexia is next to her, unsure what to say. It's her fault she's in this situation in the first place, and there's no way the girl won't somehow hold a grudge against her after this.

What would Cid and Iris do in this situation, Alexia thinks while chewing on her bottom lip in thought.

Surprisingly, it's Christina who breaks the uncomfortable silence between them. "I never stood a chance against you, did I?"

"You didn't," Alexia replies bluntly. "You aren't weak, but I trained with Iris. You won't find a better sparring partner than her."

The girl beside her laughs weakly. "Kind of hard to find someone in our country that can match the Scarlet Princess." Her laughter dies swiftly as the familiar gaze of frustration starts to settle in her features. "…I hate losing."

"I know."

"I hate feeling weak."

"I know."

"…how do you deal with it? How to you learn when to stop hating yourself because you're weak?"

Alexia closes her eyes. One of her most cherished memories replays in her mind.

The garden is in full bloom. Colorful flowers sprawl across the bushes and grass everywhere she looks. In the center is a gazebo with four people without a servant in sight. Her father is smiling as he watches her and Iris fruitlessly try to rope a dawdling Cid into one of their conversations. She doesn't remember what they were talking about except that they wanted Cid to be part of it. They succeeded, even managing to get a small smile out of him. It's slightly ruined by the distant look in his eyes as though his mind is elsewhere, but Alexia considers it a small victory nonetheless.

Ruby eyes steel with an ironclad promise and desire. "You fight. You keep fighting for the sake of your ideals, for the idea that your efforts will help the people you want to protect more than anything. You fight until your arms and legs fall off. You keep fighting until you can't stand anymore. You keep pushing, no matter how impossible your dream is."

"…I see." The dim look in Christina's eyes brightens slightly. For a moment, the tense silence between the girls returns before she breaks it again. She looks Alexia fully in the face with a serious expression. "Your Highness. What exactly do you know about my father? About Duke Hope?"

"I'm aware he is part of the White Faction and an avid supporter of Duke Kaiser," Alexia replies. "However, I've also heard rumors he's in league with a criminal organization."

"I'm afraid those are not rumors," Christina grimaces. "Despite my father's position, he's a coward who folds at the slightest danger. No matter what he says, the Thirteen Night Swords hold all the cards. Because of that, he turns a blind eye and supports their activities, if only so it spares him any trouble. It's despicable how they can do anything with no one willing to put a stop to them, and even more so when my father refuses to stand up for himself." The girl bites into her lower lip, threatening to draw blood. "I should hate my father. I want to hate him for choosing to be a coward. And yet…"

"You hate yourself more for not being able to help him," Alexia finishes in her stead. Christina nods shamefully. The silver-haired princess smiles to herself as she leans back on the cot and looks up at the ceiling. "Believe me, I understand that feeling all too well. A long time ago, I used to hate myself for not being as strong as Iris. My sister is stronger than anyone else I know in Midgar, and she has this bad habit of taking things upon herself, like she alone can solve everyone's problems. Even now, it feels like the distance between us is getting bigger and bigger. I realized I can't be as strong as Iris, though. Instead, I took another path."

A boy with raven-black hair and red eyes comes to her mind.

"And… There's someone else I want to help. To do that, I need to be more than a spellsword. I need to be better, both as a swordswoman…and as a princess."

"You have a heavy burden, then."

"You have no idea," Alexia laughs. Surprisingly, this also causes the pink-haired girl to laugh as well.

Before long, the icy animosity between the two women begins to thaw, and the distance starts to close.

"I owe you an apology, Christina. I thought you were the same as all those stuffy nobles back at the palace, so I wound up getting a little overprotective of my cousin. I'm sorry."

Christina waves off her apology with a wry grin. "It's fine. I would do the same in your position. Still, I don't think you have to worry about Prince Cid. He's stronger than you think."

Oh, you have no idea…

Alexia almost tells her of when she saw her cousin's steel waltz, but refrains. It is not her secret to share, after all. She is happy, however, that there's someone in the academy who also realizes how special Cid is.

Idly, Alexia wonders if this is what it is like to have a friend. A proper, genuine friend and not a political ally.

X x X x X x X x X

"It's coming…"

"Is something wrong, Lord Shadow?"

"Can't you feel it, Beta? A storm is coming."

Heh. Fucking nailed it!

X x X x X x X x X

The next day, Alexia Midgar does not show up to class.