3 Oath

The day was warm as Lumielle held her brother's hand. The two of them entered the knight's arena. "What are we doing here, Mielle?" Aris asked looking around at the young men who stood tall in their presence.

Today, Lumielle had continually dressed frugally. A light pink dress that had been in style a year ago and a pink ribbon that highlighted her innocence, "We're here to pick some knights for us." After all, she needed protection and she needed someone to teach Aris how to wield a sword. The two of them had suffered greatly due to their latent education. Her brother's inability to bond with others made him dependant on his sister. It was absolutely suffocating for his social life and when he became Emperor, he had no one he could trust or befriend other than his own kin.

Her eyes scanned the barracks as the Chief Commander of the Knights approached her and bowed. "Good afternoon to the Stars of the Empire."

Lumielle gave him a smile, "Good Afternoon. Aris and I are delighted to be here." Her younger brother's attitude towards adults still waned. He lacked trust and understandably Lumielle did as well. Prior, in her first time-line, Lumielle was terrified of adults and the way that they lashed out at her. Raising voices and angry fists made her cower in fear. It wasn't until she reached fourteen that she was able to shed her anxiety, yet still, she couldn't help but tremble at the sight of certain triggers. It was as if her own body remembered the trauma.

"I heard that you were looking for knights, Princess. We have many capable young men. If y—" It was pointless to listen to him talk as Lumielle had already made up her mind on who she would be selecting. Lumielle had asked her father for his request on purpose; she would never act without a plan.

She was young enough to pull this type of stunt without raising much alarm. "I want them!" Lumielle exclaimed pointing at the two blue-haired boys. Leo and Rowan were two commoner boys that would later rise through the ranks due to their swordsmanship. She remembered hearing the maids gush over them as their appearance and tact was unrivaled. With rumors, Lumielle did not take much time to listen to frivolous ones, only listening to those that benefited her.

Leo and Rowan were commoners and as such, they had no last name. Brought to the knight's barracks, they were on the lowest rung. Looked down upon by the nobility, they suffered cruelly. Injustice happened everywhere and it was not Lumielle's goal to give them sanctuary. She knew the future and she knew that they would later become great warriors that her father would even acknowledge. Leo would end up leading the Silver Knights that was directly underneath her father while Rowan would become the Commander of the Imperial Army. Both would do so before the age of twenty.

If she was only twelve, then they would be fifteen. Their bodies were small just like her own as the Chief Commander of the Knights looked alarmed at her selection.

"Princess, they—"

Ignoring them, she let go of her brother's hand to approach the two boys, "What are your names?" Lumielle asked a smile curving on her lips. There was not a modicum of hesitation in her actions as she shook off the Chief Commander.

There was hesitance as the one on the right spoke up, "Leo. My Lady."

The two boys in front of her were taller than her, their statures were slim from the lack of food. They looked haggard. That was fine. The more they were abused, the more she would appear to be a savior. In a way, she was saving them, but at the same time, it was for selfish reasons. Both of them had blue hair, cut short due to the regiments that the knights went through. Their eyes were a warm copper, "Leo and?" She inquired taking Leo's hand in her own and looking brightly at the other boy.

"Rowan."

They were twins, the only differentiating mark being a small beauty mark dotting underneath the eye of Rowan. "Leo and Rowan, will the two of you protect us?" Lumielle felt the need to almost apologize. She would be taking away their glory, stunting their growth, and making them her knights for her own personal gain. She would be ripping away the future that they had in the first timeline. Molding them into her personal knights, she needed power—she needed someone that would act as her strength. Then again, Lumielle would take away part of their pain; they would be able to live lavishly and not undergo the ridicule that persecuted them. Crucified by her own selfish desire, she would make sure to help them the best that she could. It was all she could do.

"Princess," The Chief Commander stated his voice cutting through as Lumielle glanced up at him. Her hands were still holding his own as Aris pouted tugging on his sister's arm, annoyed by the fact that these two men were taking away his sister's attention. "These two are still young and they may not be up to the standard for the Princess."

What a useless argument. She knew that they were ex-slaves, common-folk.

Squeezing their hands she gave the twins a comforting smile, "But, it'll be nice to have friends my age for me and my brother." Tilting her head, she looked at him with a confused gaze; it was all perfectly manipulated.

Lumielle knew that the twins had no choice but to accept; even if she was a Paper Princess, she still had some power, even if it was useless. "Will you accept?" Lumielle asked giving another warm smile towards the two of them. What a pointless inquiry but she knew that it was better than to demand. After all, Cosette had been correct—her personality had been absolutely brutal, calculating; she didn't try and hide her nefarious persona. That was right. She knew better this time and would play the same cards that Cosette did.

Two years, that was all she had before Cosette's father died. Her hazy memory could not recollect the reason behind her father's death and that was because of her own personal situation with maid Viria. What a pain. Lumielle would have to deal with those troublesome characters before they ripened into fruition. It almost made her laugh. How was a normal twelve-year-old child supposed to deal with all this?

Leo was faster to act than his brother as he kneeled on the ground taking her hand and kissing the top of it, "I swear loyalty to the Eldest Princess of Endora, Lumielle Asterley Castillo and I also give my knight's oath towards the Crown Prince of the Endora Empire, Aristele Damian Castillo." Lumielle didn't despise those that were quick to catch on and it seemed that Leo was. She could use someone who had such a sense.

Quickly, Rowan also reacted taking her other hand and kissing the top of it. "I swear my sword and heart to the Eldest Princess of Endora, Lumielle Asterely Castillo. I also give my knights oath towards the Crown Prince of the Endora Empire, Aristele Damian Castillo." How perfect. An oath was what she needed.

"Sister," Aris responded as Lumielle finally turned to her brother; he was shorter than her still. Malnutrition and abuse had stunted his growth, but she would fix that. Lumielle had been weak in her past life. She had been absolutely powerless until she had doused her hands in crimson while alienating everyone else.

"I accept your oaths."

Turning towards her brother she gave him a smile, her fingers gently tousled his hair. "Don't worry. You trust me don't you?" Lumielle inquired, "I'll protect you." She had been unable to do so before. Like a useless pawn, she was only able to endure the abuse of the maids and the ridicule of high society. Tossed aside, Lumielle was nothing more than a rotting corpse.

Carefully Aris nodded as she turned to Sylvia, "Sir Leo and Sir Rowan, we'll have you officially knighted at a later date. Shall we return back to the Ruby Palace? Sylvia, help the two of them adjust." There was a smile on her face, twisting upon her features as she gently took her brother's hand into her own. Sylvia gave a gracious nod as Lumielle turned towards the Chief of the Knights; indignation splattered upon his features, "Thank you so much for you and your knight's time."

Aris sat inside the carriage with a pout on his face, "What's the matter?" Lumielle asked looking amused at her brother. She wanted nothing more than to pinch his cheeks but she did her best to resist.

"Do you like older men?" Aris inquired.

Blinking, Lumielle couldn't help but laugh. The mere thought of anything else other than revenge and her brother had never even crossed her mind, "Why? Are you nervous that I'll leave you?" She asked cooing the words as her brother's cheeks grew red.

"No! It's just that," he pouted, "They're too old for you!"

"They're only a couple years older."

"That's still a lot!"

Lumielle shook her head, "Don't worry. I won't do anything that'll make you unhappy." It was times like these that Aris couldn't help but stare at his older sister. She was only older than him by a year and yet, her golden eyes held something that he could not name. After her brush with death, she had changed. It was almost as if she was being chased by something. Lumielle would lie with him before he went to sleep, a mountain of books by her side as he tried to stay awake only to fall asleep.

"When I get older," Aris promised, "I'll protect you, sister."

Lumielle laughed. Even in this timeline, it seemed that Aris would say the same thing, "You won't need to," she promised, "Because there won't be anything that'll harm me."

Aris leaned back pouting, "Why can't you just let me be cool?"

Lumielle laughed once more freely, "It's my job to humble you."