16 Stanint V

In the meeting chamber sat the Baron, his attendant, Calluna and Vincenzo. The crown prince had just divulged her plans to become king in great detail, and complimented the Baron's fine work in Stanint. Vincenzo chimed in when necessary for any additional explanation, or occasionally to vouch for her credibility as a ruler.

The middle aged man had sat and listened to their speech with a tightened facial expression. "I see what you're trying to do, and I think your words are crafted eloquently, but I can't help feeling hesitant. I am going to explain my concerns to you out of nothing but respect, so bear with me, Your Highness.

"It was only a year ago that you sat in this very estate and, please pardon me, had such a sour and unbearable attitude the whole time that even the maids can recall in great detail the things you said and requested. I am very worried about such a… naive individual taking the throne.

"Along with that, you are a woman. I don't mean to question your abilities or anything, but never has there been a female sovereign all on her own. It's simply unheard of. Is this really something worth breaking tradition and culture for?"

Calluna listened intently to what he had to say, ready to take his criticism to heart. Well, until he started talking about her gender, of course. A bitter taste filled her mouth as she grew frustrated by his statements. It took a moment to bite back the spiteful words that had risen to her lips, but she took a breath and prepared her rebuttal.

"Baron Shen, do you have any children?" Calluna asked.

"...Yes, but I don't see how that's relevant‐"

"How old are they?"

"My son is five, and my daughter is three. How is this-"

"When I woke up after the attempt of regicide on my family, my younger brother Lukas and I were the only ones left alive in that burning building. He is nine years old. Now, imagine this:

Your son is nine years old and you are killed. The nobles declare your son as the Master of your house, as the Baron, simply so that they can have control of his decisions. Would you like that?"

Calluna's eyes narrowed as she stared at the man, whose features grew sullen and slightly distressed as she spoke. He bit his lip and looked downward for a moment before responding: "No, of course I wouldn't like that…"

Calluna, "Of course you wouldn't! Now put yourself in my shoes, Baron Shen. My younger brother was about to become a puppet for the judiciaries of Killia. I would rather die than let an innocent young person have their whole life ripped from them before it even started."

"Yes… when you put things in perspective that way, I do understand where you're coming from." The Baron said quietly.

"Now, I understand that I was a handful and a brat prior to the accident. However, when I woke up from my injuries, I knew that I needed to change. I do not expect you to believe in me or to think that I have matured overnight simply because I said so, which is why I am going to propose a deal to you, Baron Shen," the crown prince stated, her voice full of confidence and authority.

The dark-haired man looked at her expectantly rather than answering, which gave her the cue to state her case.

"If you offer your support for my coronation, I promise you that within my first six months I can, and will, prove to you that I am worthwhile and capable. If not, I will step down from my role as King and I will find a man to take my place. What do you think?"

Baron Shen was visibly surprised by the black and white stakes she had set for herself, but her gall seemed to resonate with him. "I… will take your deal, Crown Prince. I am still skeptical, but your aura is quite… different from when I met you last. Maybe you have a chance, after all."

-

After their meeting was adjourned, Vincenzo followed up with the official paperwork and got the Baron's signatures for the necessary coronation support documents.

In order to have her coronation be successful, she needed the support of both the people and the nobles. Having the barons endorse her beforehand was a great way to raise her approval ratings throughout the nation, which was the goal of their trip in the first place.

Fortunately, all of the post-agreement work went by quickly.

They returned to their rooms before dinner time and began packing their things to hit the road again. Guinevere had already done most of the tidying up by the time Calluna got back to her quarters, which the prince was extremely grateful for. Having to talk to someone she knew didn't respect her was daunting and stressful, leaving her with very little energy to spare at the end of the day.

Calluna sat on the end of the bed and heaved a deep sigh, tears prickling in the corner of her eye in response to the pain in her ribcage that had gotten progressively worse throughout the day. She coughed a bit in surprise at the stabbing sensation, and placed her head in her hands.

"Miss, are you alright?" Guinevere asked quietly, moving to stand before the girl.

"I'm alright," Calluna answered instinctively, immediately regretting the words. She wasn't doing well; her bruised and healing body screamed for help and her tired mind wasn't much better.

'I am so used to being independent out of necessity. Why do I do this to myself?' Calluna scolded herself inwardly.

"Nonsense."

Calluna's honey-toned eye shot up at the unexpected reply and she cocked her brow at the brunette, "What?"

"You heard me. I'll go fetch the pain relievers, please wait here."

"Thank you, Guin… I'm... I'm glad I chose to bring you." The crown prince stepped out of her comfort zone to express her gratitude, feeling a weight in her chest lift when she spoke the words of thanks.

"Of course, Calluna." Guinevere said; the way she spoke the prince's name oozed affection and kindness. The woman then turned to leave the room to fetch the healing supplies with haste.

Once the door closed behind the maid, Calluna was unable to hold back the emotions she had been continuously swallowing throughout the day. Though her confidence had originally been unwavering, she couldn't help but feel that the mountain she had started to climb was far too steep. Despite having earned the baron's support, her mind was plagued with thoughts of inadequacy and the fear of failure.

Each sob that escaped her lips drove tumultuous and unidentifiable pains through her upper body. She felt as though her chest were bursting with lightning and her core burned by embers. It was an endless cycle where she felt the need to cry, but crying aggravated her injuries – and that pain only led to more tears.

"Guin told me you were in a sorry state, but I didn't think it was so bad," a familiar voice stated in a near whisper.

Calluna felt the space next to her on the bed become weighed down, and she didn't even look up to identify the speaker. Instead, she leaned onto his shoulder and sniffled wordlessly. He accommodated the her head by twisting his torso toward her slightly, and then he carefully wrapped a reassuring arm around her waist.

"Do you need to talk?" Vincenzo asked.

Though she initially thought not to say anything, after a couple moments she forced a response. "I'm just… overwhelmed."

"You've taken so much onto your plate all while having amnesia, it's only natural to feel like that," he replied, "anyone would be overwhelmed in your position."

"Even you?" She asked jokingly, trying to force herself to relax a bit.

"Especially me." He emphasized the word 'especially', then added, "I'm a huge baby, believe it or not."

"I believe it."

"Hey, now hold on a second. You're not supposed to agree with me like that," Vincenzo whined. "I'm your Chief of Military, in case you've forgotten."

"Yeah, but only a baby would have believed the show I put on this morning," the prince teased.

"Show? You mean you were pulling my leg this entire time?!"

"Maybe."

"I can't believe this, I've actually been sad thinking I got the chance to sleep with the future woman King and wasn't even able to remember it!" The man said with an exaggerated sigh. "I was devastated, truly."

Calluna's tears were all but forgotten as her sobs turned to laughter, and the heavy atmosphere that had been on her shoulders was soon replaced by a sense of belonging and reassurance. The two continued their usual banter until Guinevere returned with the ointments and other medications.

Vincenzo turned his back out of respect as the maid began to apply the various salves to Calluna's skin. The pungent scent of eucalyptus and other herbs filled the chamber and caused the prince to scrunch her nose in distaste.

"Oh, V?" She called when a question rose to the front of her mind.

"Hm?"

"Where's the next city we are going? I'd like to read my notes."

"Next stop is Tethore, your Highness."