Princess Aurelia was busy during the rest of the evening and night, overseeing the suppression of the anti-royalists and Prince Marcus’s forces.
The next day, she cancelled morning court. Mid-morning, she found time to head down to the dungeons. There were now several more imprisoned mages, but she was here for two people: her brother and her father.
Marcus’s cell was first. Marcus had moved the only chair in the room, arranging it at a diagonal. He was seated upon it, looking calm. His finished breakfast dishes were still on the table and he had a book in his hand.
“Marcus.”
Marcus ignored her.
Aurelia didn’t bother to engage further, so she continued walking.
Marcus’s face darkened with irritation.
Aurelia arrived at King Augustus’s cell. King Augustus was also awake. When he saw her, he stood up and rushed forward as far as his chains would let him.
“You! Damn you and Pollux!” King Augustus’s face was flushed with anger.
“Good morning, Your Majesty,” Aurelia said.
“How long have you been planning this? You must have been conspiring with the Sedaverians! You and Ignis and—Helios!”
“I work for the benefit of the country, Your Majesty.”
“It’s your fault that Pollux didn’t sign the contracts…no, you must have sabotaged them, and signed a fake version in front of me—”
“I signed the proper contract and I didn’t sabotage them. You never asked me to make Pollux sign, as he doesn’t attend morning court. From what I understand, you were safe in your quarters. At such a critical time, why did you let anyone in?”
King Augustus gnashed his teeth.
“Note, Your Majesty, that I haven’t harmed you, and because of that contract, I can’t harm you. But I can keep you safe, here.”
“Harm? Safe? In a place where assassins can kill me in the middle of the night?” King Augustus let out a callous laugh. “Then you’ll let me go at once and return my magic to me!”
“The shield barriers are as good as your quarters. I won’t interfere with the return of your magic. But signing that contract doesn’t mean I have to support you, Your Majesty. You are a disgrace and a traitor to the kingdom.”
King Augustus’s expression went from suspicion, to a frown, to a sneer. “You think you can contain me once my magic returns? That would be your own hubris.”
Aurelia said nothing. Yes, she believed that King Augustus could be contained—keep him asleep if he was outside the cells, and continuously extract his magic while he was inside. Neither of these were technically harmful. They had placed numerous empty magic crystals, twice more than should be necessary. As they filled up, they could use them or sell them, thus reducing the pressure on the coffers.
On some level, Aurelia wanted to ask King Augustus why. Why did he do all the things that he did? On the other hand, it wasn’t a high priority for her to know.
King Augustus narrowed his eyes. “What?” he snapped.
“Someone will inform you of the charges laid against you later today. Your trial is set for tomorrow’s morning court.”
Both of them knew the reason for the urgency—to sentence King Augustus before his magic returned.
“I’ll see you in the courtroom, Your Majesty.”
“You will not leave until you’re dismissed—”
Aurelia walked away. As she was heading out, she passed by Marcus’s cell again.
“Aren’t you afraid of being charged as a corrupt judge?” Marcus said suddenly.
“Someone will come down tomorrow to inform you of the charges laid against you,” Aurelia said, not entertaining Marcus for a moment. “Your trial is set for the day after tomorrow’s morning court. If you need anything, speak to your guards. We will fulfil any reasonable requests. Have a good day.”
Marcus muttered an insult under his breath.
Aurelia ignored it, her face cold and impassive.
Seeing her father and her brother chained up like that—by her doing—generated complex feelings in her heart. However, now was not the time to waver or second-guess herself.
Now, it was time to complete the ‘final blows.’
The people in the Capital had tightly shut their doors when the city gates had been closed earlier than usual the day before. They stayed inside while various forces battled outside.
This morning, it was calm. The city gates opened as normal, letting traders and visitors in and out.
“What happened?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“I don’t know—”
Ktf Oūqlafg ojwlis oiju kjr ralii oislcu, rb atf gfyfir wera tjnf ojlifv. Dea yfsbcv atja, wbra qfbqif vlvc’a xcbk.
Dea atfc, atf cfkr rajgafv ab rqgfjv jr qfbqif ajixfv klat fjmt batfg.
Ktbrf ilnlcu cfjg atf mjraif tjv lcobgwjalbc jybea atf gfyfir jcv atf jyvlmjalbc—
“Rebels attacked the castle yesterday! Yes, really!”
“Princess Aurelia made them leave though. There was so much lightning, it was deafening!”
“No, no, that doesn’t sound right. Are you sure His Majesty abandoned the throne? But why? And how???”
“Didn’t you hear the bells yesterday? It was to announce the abdication!”
Ktbrf ilnlcu cfjg atf beafg mlas kjiir tjv lcobgwjalbc jybea atf jyvlmjalbc jcv Uglcmf Zjgmer’r jaafwqafv rlfuf.
“Oh, there was a lot happening outside the city last night. There were loud announcements that Prince Marcus has been captured and that King Augustus abdicated!”
“I saw so many mages and nobles…”
“Wait, if King Augustus abdicated and Prince Marcus has been captured, then…is Princess Aurelia queen now?”
As the day passed, the news on both sides met, and more information was released.
Two attempted coups had occurred last night. None were successful.
Prince Marcus had secretly incited the anti-royalists to attack the castle, planning to let them and King Augustus’s guards tire each other out before he swooped in.
Unfortunately for him, Princess Aurelia had prepared even better. She took the opportunity to suppress both the anti-royalists and Prince Marcus.
King Augustus had indeed abdicated. He was also charged with treason, as was Prince Marcus. Their trials were set for the next two days, followed by the trials of other captured insurgents.
King Augustus’s reign was over.
There was no mention of succession. But was there any need to? Princess Aurelia had clearly taken over—the only thing left was a formal announcement and ceremony.
Three attempted coups had occurred. Only one was successful.
What kind of queen would Princess Aurelia be? Would she be better than King Augustus?
Would anything really change for the people at the very bottom?
Only time would tell.
Ren Xiyang was in the crow’s nest, gazing at the Hraun Nation islands that were now visible on the horizon. He was quietly absorbing sun energy—napping up here reminding him of laying on top of the Rosewood manor roof.
He could sense Rian approaching him.
Rian climbed into the crow’s nest in front of him, forcing him back lest they bump heads.
(Or maybe that was Rian’s original purpose—to have an excuse to accidentally kiss him.)
“Something urgent?” Ren Xiyang said.
“It’s done,” Rian said mysteriously.
Ren Xiyang had a deadpan expression. “Amazing. What, out of your thousands of projects and tasks, are done?”
Rian smiled and leaned in to whisper in his ear. “The coup in which we had absolutely no involvement in.”
Ren Xiyang’s ear felt tingly. He nudged Rian’s head away as he thought. It took him a moment to realise that Rian must have received a long-distance message from one of his secret agents in Angio. He cast a privacy spell around them and said, “Aurelia?”
“She’s not queen yet.”
“Yet.”
Rian smiled pointedly. “King Augustus is in a cell, laid with dozens of magic extractors. I wonder if they had any inspiration from your magic rechargers.”
Their first Azure & Rosewood product were the heating lamps that could be recharged outside in the sun during the day, before being used during the cold night. Many of their later products had similar functions, making the charging of magical crystals more commonplace and accessible than it used to be.
“Our. You led the development of those spells.”
Rian smirked, brushing their shoulders. “Why, thank you. Now, we should—”
“—Prepare for arrival,” Ren Xiyang cut in. “Did Count Aegean tell you how long we have left til we arrive?”
Rian’s expression soured. “Why are you always asking me about Count Aegean? You can go talk to him by yourself.”
“Okay—”
“No, wait, you’re not allowed to do that.”
“Then are you coming with me?”
“…Yes.”
The two of them climbed down from the crow’s nest and went to find Count Aegean, while the Hraun Nation islands became larger and larger.
In the evening, the five Sedaverian ships entered the harbour of the Hraun Nation’s main city. The ships themselves anchored themselves in the deeper part of the harbour, before the convoy disembarked onto smaller Hraun boats that took them to the docks.
Many people gathered to watch, with King Firestone and his great extended family in the forefront. Musicians played drums and other percussion and colourful banners flapped in the wind.
The Firestone family was named for the combined earth and fire speciality—lava manipulation. On this set of islands with several volcanoes, they rose to power and had been the rulers firmly for many hundred years. The members of the family had a combination of black and red hair and eyes. King Firestone himself was a big and tall man, with waves of hair and beard that went from red at the scalp to black at the tips.
“Welcome to the Hraun Nation!” he greeted as the boats approached.
Rian and Duke Blewitt disembarked first, followed by the rest of the Sedaverian contingent.
“Welcome, Prince Rian—or should I say, Crown Prince Rian. Congratulations! Welcome, Duke Blewitt,” King Firestone said, stepping forward to shake their hands.
Rian smiled. “Thank you for the warm welcome, Your Majesty.” He turned to the other gathered people and waved to them too.
King Firestone welcomed Earl Rosewood, Count Aegean, Healer Mage White, Lady Clara Storm, and Baroness Blanc in turn. He also introduced them to the great Firestone family, from his queen-wife, to his children, siblings, grandparents (including the previous king and queen), aunts and uncles.
During this process, Ren Xiyang had come to Rian’s side.
King Firestone chuckled as he saw them standing together. “Hoho, I’ve heard a lot about you both.”
Rian smiled back. “Good things I hope, Your Majesty.”
“I’ve heard about you too, Your Majesty,” Ren Xiyang said seriously.
“Good things, I hope,” King Firestone said with laughter in his eyes and voice.
“Yes,” Ren Xiyang said. “I’m interested in your lava manipulation and how you can predict volcanic eruptions and soothe them or use them to your advantage. We could apply this to earthquake prediction.”
King Firestone’s eyes crinkled in amusement. “Well, don’t make such a serious face. Tomorrow is business, tonight is celebration! Unless you want to challenge me to a duel over dinner.”
Ren Xiyang glanced at Rian and then looked back at King Firestone. “I didn’t plan to, but if Your Majesty wishes then we can fight.”
Rian took a small step forward, placing himself partially between Ren Xiyang and King Firestone. “Your Majesty, we’ve been forbidden from duelling foreign royalty on this trip. But there’s nothing wrong with some friendly showcases, is there?”
King Firestone had a booming laughter. “Hahaha! Now, my children would be more than happy to engage in some friendly showcases, wouldn’t they?”
“Yeah!” said one of the outgoing princesses. “We want to see what you mainlanders can do!”
“—And show you what we can do,” a more reserved prince said.
King Firestone clapped his hands. “Perfect! Now, let’s move the conversation—and dinner party—elsewhere, shall we?”
“Lead the way, Your Majesty,” Rian said.
“Come, come.”
As a big group, they moved to the Firestone palace complex where tonight’s welcoming feast was held. The stone and wood buildings were set into the volcano’s side, with multiple buildings set increasingly high up, connected by stairs. A small stream with constructed tiny waterfalls trickled through the centre of the complex. Both within and outside the palace complex, there were numerous plants, trees, and flowers.
The Sedaverian convoy were to stay at the ambassadorial building, while the feast was held in the main entertaining complex.
“Sit, sit, sit freely where you wish,” King Firestone said grandly. “Our chefs will present a range of Hraun specialities—I’ll like to see if you are brave enough to try them all, hohoho!”
Duke Blewitt’s face stiffened, while Rian became more curious. He looked at Ren Xiyang.
“Perhaps our Earl Rosewood can make a feast of Rosewood-style cuisine later for His Majesty.”
Ren Xiyang looked back at Rian. His deadpan expression hid his mild surprise that Rian offered his cooking services to someone else.
Count Aegean was also hiding his surprise. He distinctly remembered how Prince Rian had monopolised Earl Rosewood’s cooking during their beach-side dinner back in his fief. Prince Rian must be in a very good mood—or he had a secret plan.
King Firestone stroked his beard. “In that case, I have to accept. However, I heard Earl Rosewood engaged in a cooking duel with a fire-metal noble from Angio. How would you feel competing against one of our fire-earth mages?”
“Sure,” Ren Xiyang said.
“Now, are you brave enough to compete against my aunt, Princess Cora Firestone? She’s been cooking for decades, including with the heat from the volcanoes and lava.”
King Firestone’s aunt was an old plump woman, the very image of a warm and lovely grandmother who made unbeatable home-cooked meals.
“It will be Earl Rosewood’s pleasure to have the opportunity to compete with such a distinguished mage and chef,” Rian said.
King Firestone laughed. “Earl Rosewood?”
Ren Xiyang inclined his head in agreement. “Sure.”
“If I may suggest two changes,” Rian said. “Instead of having five servant staff, why don’t you have a single mage assistant, and call it a cooking contest instead?”
“Oh?” King Firestone said.
“I would be honoured to be Earl Rosewood’s assistant,” Rian said modestly.
King Firestone chuckled and turned to his aunt, Princess Cora Firestone. “Auntie Cora, what do you think?”
“I think that’s a lovely idea. I do have someone in mind to be my assistant,” Princess Cora said.
“Am I the one on your mind?” King Firestone asked.
Princess Cora laughed heartily. “Oh, dear, only if you want me to lose.” She turned to Earl Rosewood. “I look forward to our cooking duel—I mean, contest.”
Ren Xiyang and Princess Cora shook hands to seal the deal.
Count Aegean looked at the energetic Prince Rian and belatedly realised his plan—he had wrangled himself into a duel!
Count Aegean: What happened to not being allowed to duel?
Rian: Hm? This is a contest, not a duel.
Queen Mira: …
Ren Xiyang: 😑
HAHA I just realised that I’ve set King Firestone up as the complete opposite of King Augustus!
Q. End this sentence: “It’s time to—”
A. “—take over the kingdom!”
B. “—party!”
C. “—d-d-d-d-ddddduel!!!”
D. Answer in the comments~
why not all of them 🤭
That is a correct answer 😆😆😆
C! Then, naturally, B. 🤣
Thank you for the chapter.
🤣🤣🤣🤣 thank you for reading!
B! Just vibes, all the way down! Thanks for the chapter!
Vibes, all the way down, I like that!
It is time to eat
OMG true 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Cooking Duel begin!
🤭🤭🤭
A B AND C PLEASE. Tysm for the chapterr
All of them heyy 😎😎😎😎
My knee jerk reaction was C. Thank you for the fantastic chapter and story. I can’t wait to see the new types of chilli that will be found and brought back to kill people’s tongues back at the Rosewood group. XD
Heheheh the yugioh is strong~ Thank you for reading! Hmm I never thought about the origin of chilli in this story 🤔🤔🤔 But you gave me an idea~
B!
time to par-tay!
And as always, thank you! 😘
Sorry, didn’t mean to reply 😅
No worries 🤭
omg 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I love the idea of Rian making it “fun” for Ren Xiyang. It sounds like an excuse for a duel though 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Of course the duel will turn into a party, and new foods will require certain plantings, whereby Earl Rosewood will take over the new kingdom with gastronomic gusto! Thanks for the latest — even though Rian missed his kiss 🤣❤️🤣❤️🤣❤️
hehehe, yeah! Rian needs lots of kisses u_u
I’ve been conditioned to choose C 😆
😎😎😎😎😎 yugioh is strong u_u
b
party!!!
oh King Firestone is delightful!!!!! and i think its time to do it all ajxhjabx
King Firestone is out there living his best life 😉😉😉😉😉😉 that is a correct answer~!
Thank you for the chapter, i think i will lobe this royal family !
Thank you for reading! This royal family is definitely the most chill and well adjusted 🤣🤣🤣
👌🏾❤
🥰🥰🥰