“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” - Antoine de Exupéry (The Little Prince)

  ???

  It had been nearly three years since Yulia had last stepped foot into the Imperial Palace, but it hasn’t changed a bit.

  And then again, I’d be shocked if it had, Yulia grumbled to herself internally as her feet took her into the halls of the Imperial Palace, the ancestral home of the royal family of Alathia, her arms full of reports that the head instructor had “volun-told” her to deliver to the palace’s administrators.

  “Anyone else that I could send would either be too intimidated by the Imperial Palace or too awed,” The head instructor had told Yulia cheerfully just a few hours earlier, after lessons had wrapped up for the day. He had smiled far too brightly for someone assigning errands to someone who didn’t volunteer for it. “You’ve been to the Imperial Palace before. Countless times, in fact. And you won’t let yourself be intimidated by any of the palace staff or even the soldiers. In fact, take this as good practice for when you are named Student Council President next year.”

  Yulia wanted to groan at the thought of the head instructor’s last words. It is true that there was no one else qualified for the role. And here, Yulia wanted to shudder when she imagined Felix or even Gale in the role of the Student Council President next year.

  She wanted to wince at the mere thought.

  ‘Half the school would be involved in fights or duels before the end of the first month,’ Yulia thought to herself with amusement, taking the route towards the west wing where the administrative offices and the government offices were housed.

  At this time of the day, activity in the Imperial Palace was slow. Apart from the occasional maid dusting or cleaning, or even the occasional Protectorate soldier on duty, Yulia met no one else on the way.

  Even the administrative offices were unusually quiet when Yulia arrived, placing the stack of folders onto the desk of the amused-looking officer.

  “I certainly didn’t expect you to be the one to deliver these reports to me, Heiress Nightray,” The administrator remarked, picking up one of the folders and flipping through it, nodding to himself. “Everything seems in order.”

  Yulia sighed. “It wasn’t exactly by choice,” she grumbled. “I was volun-told for the task.”

  The administrator looked even more amused. “‘Volun-told’?”

  “Yeah, when your head instructor basically told you that you had no choice in the matter…” Yulia muttered. “Well, if that is all—”

  The door to the administrative office opened just then, and the royal advisor stepped in. Gaius Merren looked equally surprised to see Yulia in the office as she was to see him, a black folder tucked under his arm.

  “Oh, Lord Merren.” The administrator bowed politely to the royal advisor, who nodded back. “You have the reports, then?”

  “Yes, as the prince requested,” Gaius said, handing the black folder over. Yulia’s brow furrowed slightly with the mention of Rem. The administrator behind the desk flipped through the pages of the folder. “Status reports from each region, detailing what supplies have been dispatched. Mountain Garrison Command has been deployed as guards throughout the kingdom, whereas Protectorate is working to root out bandit strongholds. I don’t expect this to fix things overnight, but…”

  “It’s a start,” The administrator finished the sentence, and Gaius nodded solemnly. He closed the folder with a light snap. “Well, let’s hope the prince can keep this up.” He scribbled something into a notebook. “We’ll be monitoring the situation of the various regions with the assistance of Protectorate as well as the Great Houses.” His gaze flickered towards Yulia.

  To his credit, Gaius didn’t react. He merely nodded solemnly. “Well, if there’s nothing else, I will leave you to your work,” he said, and the administrator nodded.

  Yulia followed Gaius quietly when he left the office, but before she could take the route to leave the Imperial Palace, Gaius spoke. “Lady Yuliana.” Yulia turned towards him. “If I may have a moment of your time?”

  Yulia’s first instinct was to say no. But she had always respected Lord Merren, who had been by Rem’s side even when she hadn’t. And after that fateful Parliament session nearly two months ago, she hadn’t seen either Gaius or Rem since, save for the few joint classes that both Advanced Classes shared. And even then, Yulia hardly said a word to Rem.

  From what she knew from the other Great Houses, and even from Gareth’s reports, things in the regions were picking up gradually. The issues can’t be resolved overnight. But it is a start.

  Yulia nodded. “I don’t have any classes scheduled for the rest of the day,” she said, and Gaius nodded. “I wouldn’t mind some tea.”

  It was just a little past noon, and sunlight was pouring in through the tall arched windows of the Imperial Palace as Yulia walked down the hallways, following Gaius Merren back to his office. Activity in the palace at this hour was slow, with most soldiers out on patrol, but Yulia found the silence comforting.

  Even the overall atmosphere in the Imperial Palace seems to have relaxed considerably since the last time that Yulia was here. Despite that, however, Yulia didn’t like this place. She never did. Not since Luca’s exile.

  Finally, Gaius stopped outside his office door, pushing the oak door open, and gesturing for Yulia to enter. She hasn’t been in Gaius’s office since the last time she had come to the Imperial Palace nearly three years ago to demand Rem send aid to the regions.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  And the office hasn’t changed. The space was still modest by palace standards.

  Most palace officials and ministers seemed to take it as some kind of competition as who had the gaudiest office ever decorated, that it sometimes makes Yulia’s head hurt on the rare occasions when she had to drop by the offices of councillors or ministers in the position as Heiress Nightray, only to be met with either clashing colours of the walls and carpets, or see the gaudiest and ugliest paintings or figurines that costs enough to feed entire villages for at least a year.

  In contrast, Gaius’s office was decorated modestly, being lined with walnut bookshelves on one side of the wall that were filled with books and tomes of all kinds. A low round table was positioned just below the single window in the office, with two armchairs placed neatly by it. A pot of lavender was placed on the windowsill, giving the entire office a fragrant aroma. A low burning lantern was also placed on the desk in the middle of the room, with the usual stacks of paperwork and folders on it. And in the far corner, a hearth lay unlit.

  Yulia took the chair in front of Gaius’s desk, even as the royal advisor busied himself with a teapot and porcelain cups, bringing it over to the desk on a tray. Yulia watched Gaius carefully as he poured the tea with slow, precise movements.

  The royal advisor looked faintly amused as he placed a cup of tea in front of Yulia, with the tea smelling faintly of bergamot and lavender, and even lemon. “You’re watching my hands. And even the cups,” he commented, a note of amusement in his voice.

  Yulia’s lips quirked as she picked up the cup, sniffing in a way that isn’t obvious to check for poisons or drugs, as is ingrained in every Nightray. “It’s a habit by now,” Yulia commented. “Nightrays are trained to be immune to most poisons and drugs from early childhood. My food and drinks are regularly laced with mild poisons and drugs that only got stronger as I grew older. And I wasn’t the only one. All Nightray children went through that. It’s tradition.”

  Gaius chuckled, taking his chair. “Yes, I remember your father mentioning that,” he commented. “I was horrified in the beginning when I heard that House Nightray had a tradition of poisoning their children, until Lord Hamilton explained the reasoning. And if things go wrong, you have medics and poison specialists within your House.” He took a sip from his cup. “Lord Hamilton later told me that poison immunity was standard training for all Nightrays. And that the only way you wouldn’t fall prey to poison is through immunity. And that Nightrays could identify most poisons or drugs by scent alone by the time they reach adulthood.”

  Yulia smiled but said nothing. It is nice to hear about her father from someone who isn’t Gareth or Lord Hunt.

  “From what I gather from the administrators of the palace, you’re currently the top student in the Academy,” Gaius said softly. “Even beating out Prince Rem in some subjects, I hear. And even the head instructor and dean’s favourite choice as Student Council President next year.”

  Yulia muttered something beneath her breath, and Gaius laughed.

  “There is literally no one else suitable to be the Student Council President next year,” Gaius pointed out, amused.

  Yulia sighed. “I got my territory to be worried about,” she grumbled. “But I understand the reasoning. If I’m offered the position, I wouldn’t say no. But I’m going to need help from the rest of the Student Council, and it better be my choice who the rest of the members are.”

  Gaius fell silent for several moments. Then finally, he set down his cup, looking at Yulia. “He’s doing better,” he said suddenly, but Yulia knew who Gaius was referring to. “Prince Rem is finally listening. He’s finally doing something. He’s taking my advice. Listening to my counsel.” Yulia said nothing, but Gaius wasn’t deterred. “But I think that the person whom Prince Rem would listen to the most at this point will be you, my lady.”

  A muscle in Yulia’s jaw twitched, but still, she remained silent. Her silence, however, said the words that she wouldn’t.

  Gaius let out a long sigh. “I certainly wouldn’t blame you if you’ve given up on him,” he murmured. “To be honest, you’ve been more patient than I’ve expected. Even the rest of your House have given up on him. If anything, they’ve been furious for years. But Prince Rem had changed. And he’s trying. I’m seeing it.”

  Yulia set down her cup, looking at Gaius. “He’s going to have to prove it to me,” she said at last, her voice cool and composed. “That he has changed. And that he indeed has what it takes. And that he will be the king that this kingdom needs.”

  She looked in the direction of the window, where golden light was streaming in through the glass panes. “I’ve already seen one terrible king in my lifetime, Goddess keep his soul,” she murmured, but there was no reverence in her voice. Only mild bitterness. “I was a child, then. But I remember how and why the war with Nuvelle happened. It was because of King Edric’s decrees. Despite the advice of my father and even the royal advisor at that time, he refused to listen to either of them. Not even Queen Lysandra could change his mind. I have no desire to see Rem repeat his father’s mistakes. Or even see a second unworthy king rise for the second generation in a row.”

  Gaius gave a slow nod. “I understand that,” he murmured. “Lord Hamilton argued often with King Edric. He never agreed with most of King Edric’s decisions. And you are right to be angry. King Edric…” His lips pressed tightly together. “He wasn’t a good ruler. And certainly not a good father.”

  Yulia clenched her jaw. But still, she said nothing.

  “And in a way, you’re still angry with Prince Rem, aren’t you?” Gaius asked gently. Yulia’s gaze snapped toward him. “You’re still angry with the Crown Prince because of what happened to Prince Lucien.”

  Yulia said nothing for several moments. Then finally, she sighed, leaning back into the chair. “For years,” she admitted. “I’ve been angry since the day the exile order was passed down, and none of House Nightray was able to prevent it. Even my father could barely manage to persuade King Edric to exile Luca instead of executing him, which was the original sentence. But even before that, we all saw what the king was doing to him. And because he was the king, there wasn’t anything any of us could do. That’s why Luca kept sneaking away to Evershade.”

  Her voice was quiet. “And then, when the exile order came down on the eve of the war with Nuvelle, we knew that we couldn’t do anything. I was Luca’s guardian. He was the Crown Prince. Exiled and stripped of his title through no fault of his own. He was seven.” She sighed, but Gaius stayed silent. “They took everything from Luca. And we let it happen.”

  Yulia’s hands clenched into fists on the desk. “And then, when the war ended, and Rem was officially named the Crown Prince after the mourning period, I went to him and begged him to release Luca. I told him that I would leave Alathia with Luca if I had to. That no one would ever have to know that Luca existed. And that I’d take Luca away from Alathia. We’d disappear. Start over. Just let him be free.”

  She gave a bitter chuckle. “But Rem refused. Flat out refused. He said it wasn’t the right time, and that he can’t, and that it’ll destabilise the kingdom if the people found out about Luca, and several other excuses that he gave at that time.” A muscle in her jaw tightened. “I never wanted to hit Rem as much as I wanted at that time,” she whispered. “And to this day, I still have no idea what he was thinking. Whether he was afraid, or if King Edric forbade him to do so before his death. Or even if…” She swallowed. “Deep down within Rem, he agreed with that decision.” She exhaled. “I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t even know if I ever knew Rem at all.”

  Gaius was silent for several long moments. Then, finally, he set his cup down on the desk. “You might be right about all of it, and your anger at Prince Rem is justified,” he said, not even trying to make excuses for Rem, as he knew Yulia would just see right through it. “But he’s trying now. I’m seeing it. And I believe you’ve seen it as well. But he isn’t doing it to earn your forgiveness. I believe that Prince Rem knows that he won’t get it that easily, and I don’t think he ever believes he’ll ever get it either. But he’s doing all this… Trying to make amends and doing something for the people because it’s the right thing to do. He’s doing it for the sake of the kingdom. And for the people.”

  Gaius sighed. “People, however, are still angry, and I can hardly blame them. Even most of the soldiers are. But I believe that this trial might let the prince grow into the king Alathia needs.”

  Yulia was silent. Finally, she rose to her feet. “For his sake, he had better be,” she said. “Because I’m all out of patience and time to care. The next time his inaction leads to chaos in the kingdom again, or even harms anyone else…” She trailed slowly, meeting Gaius’s startled eyes. “Even I won’t be able to hold my House back. House Nightray isn’t just the royal guardians. We are also responsible for safeguarding the kingdom itself. Even from the king, if necessary. It wouldn’t be the first time House Nightray has eliminated a king on the throne because they’re endangering Alathia.”

  Gaius was silent but nodded solemnly. “I understand, my lady.”

  Yulia pushed the chair back into its original position. “I’ll take my leave here,” she said quietly. “Watch over him, Lord Merren. Make sure Rem learns what he needs to, and that this isn’t just a one-off.”

  Gaius nodded solemnly. “I promise.”

  Yulia paused, her grip hesitating on the back of the chair. “Because if it comes down to it, I have no problems announcing Luca’s existence to all of Alathia. That there is another with a claim to the throne. A stronger one, as Luca is the firstborn.” She looked at Gaius, who had stiffened, knowing what Yulia was implying. “Rem is on his last chance with me. And with House Nightray. One year from now, if he still proves himself unworthy, I will make my move to secure a future for Alathia. I’ll bring Luca home. Even if it leads to civil war.” Her eyes were like gimlets. “And we both know at this point that it wouldn’t be just my House that would back Luca in a heartbeat. More than half the kingdom would, too.” Yulia locked gazes with Gaius. “So, before it comes to that, make sure Rem learns what he needs to. That he would become the king that this kingdom needs. Not a puppet who dances to Parliament’s tune.”