"Any news from the north, Baron?" Richard asked as he sifted through a stack of documents on his desk. Currently, the vassal lords of Holst were in Wortrest holding a seasonal meeting in Richard's office as fall was fast approaching.

  "None, Duke," Baron Lyllium replied and sighed half-heartedly.

  "Even after Countess Sanguine helped clear his yard, he still remains so passive?" Richard muttered. The real reason for the meeting, however, was to discuss the preparations for the upcoming coup to depose Marcus and James, and instate Terence onto the throne. The kindling of unrest in the capital was allowing them to act unseen as the crown's eyes were preoccupied, but they still needed the right spark to ignite the flames of revolt. "For now, we assume he's siding with the Emperor and plan accordingly." Richard crossed off something on one of the documents, tossed it into a pile, and picked up a new document. "How's the south?"

  Another vassal spoke up, and answered, "Duke Mordrist has secretly amassed a sizable force on Relsh's border and is ready to strike and keep Duke Hoffman occupied for as long as necessary." He flipped through his report before handing it to Richard. "Neither the crown, nor Duke Hoffman, have made any moves indicating they realize what is happening."

  "At least there's one piece of good news," Richard joked as he thumbed through the report sent by Kyrie indicating she was ready to invade Relsh. "We still don't have enough troops near the capital to deal with the royal guard, so make sure she waits." The royal guard was primarily made up of powerful Auristers who were fiercely loyal to the imperial family; namely Marcus and James. Though their size wasn't as large as the full force of Holst, they held considerable strength in their Auristers and Richard couldn't use all his forces for the initial attack. "As for-"

  "My Lord!?" Interrupting Richard, the head butler burst into the room with a panicked look on his face.

  "What is it?" Richard put down the report and looked at the butler. He swore he heard muffled voices out in the hall.

  "Countess Sanguine is here and demanding an audience," the old man replied and bowed his head low.

  "She's what?" Richard turned to the vassal he assigned to keep an eye on Solfin and inform him whenever Lucina made a move.

  "T-That's impossible!" the vassal countered and turned to Richard while placing a hand over his chest. "I have the Helker and all roads out of Solfin monitored! How could she be-"

  "Duke~!" As if in defiance of the vassal, Lucina burst into the office with Duchess Alice and her maids following behind. They all looked like they wanted to stop Lucina but none of them dared make the first move. Noticing the vassals, Lucina coldly ordered while still wearing a smile, "Everyone but the Duke and Duchess please leave."

  "How dare!?" one of the vassals shouted and pointed an accusatory finger at Lucina. "An outsider like you has no business being here, Countess! The County of Solfin isn't part of Holst and this is a meeting of Holst vassals! The imperial family's hound has no-!?!" Lucina walked past the man as if he wasn't there and approached Richard who was sitting behind his desk. "Hey!?"

  "Speaking of mutts~…" Lucina sounded jovial yet there was a sinister venom laced in her voice as she stared down Richard. "I'm here about yours."

  "And what is-?" Richard paused when Lucina tossed a letter onto his desk. Inspecting it, the letter looked to be one he or Alice would send to Olivia. But when he opened the letter and read the contents, Richard's face darkened and the pen in his hand snapped in two.

  "Duke!?" the vassals were on edge but a raised hand from Richard silenced them.

  After a long silence, Richard ordered in a low voice, "We will reconvene this meeting tomorrow."

  "…" There was no room for arguing with how threatening Richard looked, so the vassals all bowed before taking their leave. With a motion from his hand, the maids were also dismissed from the room.

  Richard addressed the butler before he could leave, "Has Derik left for the capital?"

  "…No, my Lord. According to his schedule, Lord Derik will leave for Gorinville tomorrow morning." The butler couldn't read Richard's expression, though he knew nothing good was about to come of it.

  "Bring him here." Richard's tone was flat, his posture rigid, and his eyes burning with anger. "Now."

  "At once, my Lord!" the butler responded and quickly left to fetch Derik, leaving the office in a crushing silence.

  "…Richard?" Alice cautiously approached her husband whose face was now buried in his hands as he set the letter down on his desk. No one stopped her, so Alice picked up and read James' letter to Olivia. "Th-…This…?" She turned over and inspected the paper multiple times. The paper came from their office, the seal was the real Ordrin family seal, yet the words the letter contained repulsed Alice to her core. "What is…?"

  Lucina stood firm in front of Richard, but glanced over to Alice as she answered, "Olivia almost sliced her stomach open during a tea party she was having with Lady Cassandra and Margaret Trent."

  "!?!" Alice stumbled backward and had to sit on one of the couches to not collapse to the floor. Her eyes read and re-read the letter over and over again as she tried to disbelieve its contents.

  "I suppose you were right, Duke," Lucina spat as she lost all pretense of pretending to be jovial and started to openly show her hostility. "Olivia isn't safe in Solfin with me…since, apparently, I never realized I had to also protect Olivia from her own family!"

  "…" Richard was silent, his face still buried in his hands, and that only made Lucina angrier.

  "Nothing to say? What happened to the Duke that demanded I return his 'precious' daughter? Huh?" Lucina put both her hands on the desk, leaned forward, and in a sickened voice said, "If Olivia had been brought back here, she'd have been dead by the end of the week!"

  "…" Richard remained silent. Unmoving.

  "Duke!?" Lucina was about to start shouting before she was interrupted by the doors to the office being thrown open.

  "How dare you come here, Countess!" Derik barked as he strode into the office.

  "Ah~, the mutt's finally here." Lucina turned to face Derik, looked him over, and bitterly spat out, "And you aren't wearing any plate armor. Here I was hoping to crush you into paste and be done with it."

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  "I'm the heir to the Duchy of Holst! How dare-"

  "Derik Ordrin!?!" Richard roared with such ferocity that the entire room shook as if thunder had rocked the keep. The Duke shot up from his chair, his imposing figure silhouetted against the window behind him, and he glared hellfire at his son.

  "F-Father?" Derik had never seen his father this angry before. "W-Wh-"

  "Did you conspire with the Crown Prince to kill your sister?!" Richard didn't beat around the bush and directly asked Derik the one question he wanted answered.

  "What do you…?" Derik noticed his mother hunched over on the couch and the letter that was gripped in her shaking hands. "Father… That slave was-"

  "That slave!?!" Richard shouted in disbelief at Derik's dismissive way of addressing Olivia. "She's your sister!"

  "She's a despicable woman who fell because of her own hubris!" Derik shouted back.

  "…" Despite Olivia being belittled and insulted, Lucina stayed silent as she wanted Derik to continue digging his own grave.

  "Hubris!?" Richard scoffed and slammed his hand on his desk. "The hubris of reprimanding a commoner who was openly approaching her fiancé!? The hubris of following an absurd imperial decree and staying silent in Solfin!?"

  "Beatrice isn't a commoner! She's the Saintess and the woman I love!" Derik retaliated and looked genuinely hurt that his father would speak so harshly of Beatrice.

  "You already have a wife!"

  "And she can deal with her duties as a duchess while I deal with mine, but that doesn't mean we care for each other!" Derik stepped forward and put a hand on his chest. "I will not apologize for defending the one I love because I know you would do the same!"

  "…?" Lucina caught movement in the open doorway and saw strands of blue hair hiding just beyond.

  "…" Vivian remained rooted in place just outside the office and behind the wall, weighed down in the muck of Derik's uncaring neglect. She couldn't bring herself to enter the room she never felt she had a place in.

  "How dare you compare your twisted lust to Alice and my's love!" Richard moved out from behind his desk and started walking toward Derik. The yelling continued, "You would attach sororicide onto your actions and call it love?! Have you no shame?!"

  "Olivia isn't even dead!" Derik countered as he didn't back down from his father and stood firm. "The order was only to harm herself and the Countess has a priest of Alm by her side so it wouldn't even have been fatal!"

  "…" The words being spat out by her son brought tears of sorrow to Alice's eyes that cascaded down her face and crashed against the letter.

  Derik continued his delirium, "Why are you taking her side when she's been rightfully convicted as a slave?! I'm your son! Your heir!"

  "And does that give you free rein to discard your morality?!" Richard almost slapped Derik across the face but held his temper back. His voice lowered, and Richard said through clenched teeth, "You are to remain in Wortrest."

  "Father!?"

  "You will remain here!" Richard shouted, "And you will reflect on your actions!"

  "…Her again?" Derik muttered under his breath.

  "What?" Richard didn't catch what Derik said. "Who agai-"

  "What's the point when you refuse to listen to my words?" He shot a glare at Lucina but only got a nonchalant stare in return. "I warned His Highness about you, Countess, and now it's clear that I was right."

  Lucina dismissively scoffed, "Right, sure."

  "…" Derik turned and started to leave.

  "Derik!?" Richard moved to stop him.

  But Derik shot back, "I will secure the Duchy's future, Father… If you can ever believe in me, then believe that."

  "…" Richard stopped and silently watched Derik leave the office and storm down the hall. "…Damn it," he muttered to himself and rubbed his temples.

  "Duke?" Lucina leaned against the desk.

  "Not now, Coun-"

  "When's your next meeting with Terence?" Lucina's words brought a heavy air to the room.

  "…" Richard was motionless as he let out a long sigh. Moments passed before he answered, "At the end of the month. We plan to use the setup for the capital's harvest festival to hide our movements."

  "When you have a set date and time, let me know." Lucina got up from the desk and headed for the exit.

  "You're getting involved?"

  "If it's about your son, then I won't kill him just yet as that would frighten James enough to notice the coup. Other than that…" Lucina's words trailed off as she met Richard's gaze over her shoulder. "I was willing to be a good dog, stay in Solfin, and let you all kill each other by yourselves…but now I can't," Lucina answered before stopping just outside the doors.

  "…" Vivian's head was hung low so Lucina couldn't see her face.

  "…Is it really worth it?" Lucina's voice was quiet so only Vivian could hear her.

  "…" Vivian didn't respond.

  "…" So Lucina continued down the hall as she left Wortrest.

  "…" Lucina's words dug into Vivian's mind as she looked down at her dress and jewelry that were all chosen for her by Alice; not a single piece was from Derik. When was the last time Derik had gotten her anything? When was the last time they'd eaten together without the Duke or Duchess initiating it? When was the last time they talked without Derik getting frustrated and leaving first? When was the last time Vivian didn't feel so exhausted?

  "Alice?" Richard sat down on the couch next to his wife and wrapped an arm around her shoulder to pull her close. "Are you…?" Silent movement in the doorway caught his eye. "…Vivian?"

  "Vivian!?" Alice immediately looked up and saw Vivian standing in the doorway to the office with a sullen expression on her face. It was clear she heard everything.

  Alice moved to get up, but Vivian's voice stopped her when she said, "Duke… Duchess… Thank you, for all that you've done for me until now."

  "…" The Ordrin couple stayed quiet as they watched Vivian give them a deep bow.

  With a shaky, yet resolved voice, Vivian declared, "There's…something you both should know regarding Derik and I's wedding…and subsequent years of marriage…" She paused, hesitating one final time, but ultimately pushed forward and revealed a secret that had been gnawing away at her for years.

  ***

  "Again, Father takes her side again!" Derik complained as he leaned back in his seat inside the carriage that rode its way out of Wortrest keep. Before Richard could enforce his order, Derik decided to leave for the capital today instead of tomorrow. "I'm his firstborn son and heir yet he treats me like nothing when compared to Olivia! Just because I'm not an Aurister like her doesn't mean I'm any less capable of ruling Holst! Just because she's weird and learned to read and talk before her peers? Because she got lucky with Trent?" He tapped his head against the wall in frustration as he vented to his traveling companion. "His Highness and all the others in the knight order agree with me. Even as a slave, Olivia's still a threat to me inheriting the duchy." Derik's eyes looked over to his companion, and he mentioned, "I thought her being in Solfin would fix things, but your sister's biting the wrong hand that feeds her. Can't you talk some sense into her, Adam?"

  "Unfortunately, Lucina is also out of my control and always has been since birth." Adam Felswore was calmly listening to Derik's rant while staring out the window back at Wortrest Keep. Adam feigned interest to keep Derik talking by speaking words he didn't mean or care about, "But either way, isn't your position fully secured since slaves can't inherit titles? Why risk angering Lucina when it's known how big of a problem she can be?"

  "His Highness pushed for it," Derik admitted with a groan. "Something happened while I was here in Wortrest and His Highness suddenly sent me the letter to send to Olivia."

  "Does it have to do with why the Saintess hasn't made any appearances?" Adam's eyes remained fixed on Wortrest Keep until it was out of sight and obscured by buildings as the carriage rode into town.

  "Maybe," Derik sighed. He tapped his fingers against the glass window as he guessed, "I think there might have been a breakthrough with what Andrew Mystyr was working on, so I'll check it out when I return to Gorinville." Derik looked at Adam, and mentioned, "Thanks for helping me on such short notice, even if it's going against my father's wishes."

  "It's no issue," Adam idly answered. "I was leaving, anyway, so taking you to Ertrum so you can take a carriage to the capital isn't a difficult request."

  "I appreciate it," Derik finally smiled and gave a laugh. "Even if my family's against me, I can still count on my trusty friend to back me up."

  "That's what friends are for." Adam looked at Derik but his eyes didn't focus on him; as if Derik weren't there.

  "Yeah… Say?" A thought suddenly crossed Derik's mind, so he asked, "What were you doing in Wortrest, anyway?"

  "Hm?"

  "While there was a vassal meeting, the Felswores don't usually attend unless it's a state of emergency, or specifically called on, so I know your father wasn't there." Derik seemed to have no idea what his father was planning.

  "…" And Adam wasn't going to be the one to tell him.

  "So, what brought you to Wortrest?" Derik pressed his original question.

  "…Just some sightseeing," Adam technically told the truth while keeping his neutral expression.

  "Is your estate so boring you have to hang around mine?" Derik laughed and turned his attention to looking out the window at the city of Wortrest. "Though, I will admit, Wortrest's a great city." He watched the citizens weave to and fro through the streets around them as commerce bustled and the city came alive. Talking about the city, Derik idly said, "She's beautiful."

  "Yes… She is," Adam replied, not talking about the city.

  "Hmm…Mm?" Derik looked back over to Adam and asked, "Are you still not going to cut your hair?"

  "Should I?" Adam looked at his reflection in the window and at his long brown hair that went down to his mid-back that was held in a ponytail.

  "It would be a lot cooler and easier to manage." Derik ran a hand through his short black hair to accentuate his point. "You also wouldn't need to keep using that ribbon to keep it controlled in a ponytail." Derik gestured to the yellow ribbon that Adam used to tie his hair back.

  "True…but I like my long hair." Adam twirled his ponytail around his finger before moving his hand up to gently caress the ribbon.

  "One of these days, I'm going to force you to introduce me to the girl that gave you that," Derik chided with a smile. "Ever since you got that ribbon, you'd randomly get that dumb smile on your face."

  "What smile?" Adam sarcastically asked while giving Derik a dumb smile.

  "That one!" Derik groaned. "In all the years I've known you, you never smile! Seriously, as your friend I also want you to find the happiness of love! I want to see you walk down that aisle with the girl who can make you smile like that!"

  "…" Adam continued to silently smile but refused to answer.

  "Yeah yeah, keep your secrets." Derik gave a dismissive wave of his hand and went back to looking out the window to pass the time until they reached Ertrum.

  "…" Adam kept his gaze fixated on Derik for a few seconds as he went over what to do next before he too went back to looking out the window. While he appreciated his friend wishing for his happiness, Adam couldn't accept it as his happiness was a forbidden hope he had to keep buried in his heart…at least for now. Derik and the Duke had a major falling out and Adam wasn't blind to the coming coup that had the potential to completely erase Holst as everyone knew it. Times were changing with an uncertain horizon looming over Arlexia, and Adam couldn't help but smile.