Day: 1244

Days Left: 4236

Lives Saved: 6

Queen Corinna sat on the bench in front of the duck pond, noticing that the ducklings she had seen the last time she visited the park had grown, the feathers patchy in colour and fluffy, no longer following their mother apart from one that still swam close.

Eventually, Rhea Earl sat down on the bench, and Jane, the golem servant, sat in the middle, separating Cori and Rhea.

"I apologise," said Rhea. "If I kept Your Majesty waiting for too long."

Cori shook her head.

There was a moment of silence as they watched the pond, the ducks quaking as a passerby threw in some bread.

"I heard through the grapevine that Your Majesty is close to choosing a spouse," said Rhea.

She likely heard from one of her relatives who still worked in the castle, thought Cori, though it was not a secret. Somehow the information had been leaked to the public, likely Sophia's doing to stir some drama. Prince Karl was one of the favourites, probably due to him going around giving fireworks performances. But was that all he ever did?

"Yes," said Cori, using her own voice instead of speaking through her golem Jane. Her voice crackled, constantly sore.

Rhea frowned at hearing this. "Have you been to the doctor-"

"Yes, We did," groaned Cori. "There's nothing they can do." She paused. "It is just a sore throat, nothing malicious lying underneath."

"It has been going on for quite some time," muttered Rhea in concern.

Cori nodded. "It will likely be for the rest of Our life, but We can talk through Jane if it becomes too painful."

"So long as you are alright, dear," said Rhea, then quickly added, "Your Majesty," after remembering that she was speaking to an adult queen and not the young princess she was the nursemaid to.

"We are," replied Cori.

There was another moment of silence.

"So, these marriage candidates," Rhea began. "Any that take Your Majesty's fancy? Has it been difficult to decide?"

Cori hesitated for a while, preparing her words carefully. "We know which candidate would be best for certain circumstances."

"Circumstances?"

"We mean how We want to rule the country or what the purpose of Us marrying would be."

"And what purposes are those, Your Majesty?"

"To establish stronger foreign connections; have an heir with a powerful magical bloodline; the best person to run the country with Us; and..." Her voice trailed away.

Rhea smiled softly as if she could read that silence and what Cori wanted to say. "And what does Your Majesty believe is the more important? What does your partner require as a priority?"

Cori bowed her head in thought. "Whatever is best for the country."

Rhea nodded.

They both stared at the ducks in the pond.

"Does the country need to strengthen our foreign connections?" asked Rhea.

Cori turned her head. "Not necessarily need... It would be beneficial." She paused. "Our Foreign Adviser has reported that even hosting this marriage party has strengthened our connections."

"So it is not necessary to marry to secure stronger foreign connections?"

"No..." said Cori.

Rhea nodded.

They were both quiet again.

"How important is it for your heir to have a powerful mage?" asked Rhea. "Do they have to be on Your Majesty's level?"

Cori sighed and glanced away. "They... they..." She sighed again. "No, We suppose they do not. Magic does not influence someone's ability to lead. It would be beneficial, though; other countries may consider it weakness if a royal has little magic in their blood."

"And how much do other leaders' opinions affect Our country?"

"Even if Our Heir takes over, they still will have a strong military. They will not be fighting themselves, either, if they choose. So, Our heir having magic... it might not be necessary, it may be more difficult, but by something minuscule." Cori paused, then added. "When Alfreda came out to the media about her weak magic when she stopped wearing a mask and chose a veil, the public responded positively. The public liked royals revealing their more vulnerable side that they were more human... and the mage and non-mage inequality is becoming thinner by the day."

"So Your Majesty's heir not having strong magic..."

"Our heir could be born with no magic, and that will not change anything," said Cori slowly. Why did she get it in her head so much that they needed to be a powerful mage? Was it just for posturing?

Rhea smiled. "And then who would be the best to rule beside Your Majesty... do they have to aid Your Majesty? But, of course, not every consort aids the monarch in such a way; some only help in the public matter, doing charity work... or even lounge around and enjoy life."

Cori nodded. "We have advisers that work; We do not have to necessarily marry someone who will just replace an adviser or a general..."

Rhea glanced away, almost chuckling. "So, what does that leave Your Majesty with? What was the last purpose of marrying?"

Cori gazed at the duck pond, seeing the ducklings almost fully grown, and then she slowly turned to face Rhea. "Would that not be selfish?"

"Your Majesty is already sacrificing so much of Your time to this country," said Rhea. "Who could fault you for marrying someone you like instead of some political business arrangement."

"We do not know if..." Cori cleared her throat; having spoken so much in a short period was starting to strain her voice. "We do not know if We... if We..."

The queen grew silent.

Rhea waited patiently, but when it grew apparent that the queen was not going to finish, Rhea said softly, "these things take time, and it is a decision that should not be rushed."

Queen Corinna nodded.

After another moment of content silence, Cori quelled Rhea's anxious concerns about her great-niece Corinna's wellbeing before thanking her and leaving the park.

*

After the battle against Annika, who had turned into a giant dragon, both groups worked together to restore everything. Corinna and her friends offered shelter at their village for those who had lost their tents during the fight nor felt unsafe sleeping near the exposed Land of the Lost. Those who decided to take this offer all gawked at the village, given a tour to see all of the small innovations that improved the quality of life, all of them lining up to have a hot shower and praising Oscar's cooking, especially as he now had access to their silver food packets instead of just Abyss fruit and bark.

The next day, everyone gathered to share their opinion on what should happen next. The group that was settled at the food drop-off had their home destroyed mainly by Annika felt guilty for being so gullible to believe Annika's lies and kidnapped people, especially the children.

Corinna offered her original deal of peace as well as trading supplies and food for construction services. There was no dispute; the other group excitably agreed as they all had seen how cosy and safe the houses were, not to mention the reliable water source.

During this gathering, Jules apologised for his actions, replacing Kai and parading around as him for a month unnoticed. He joked at how clueless everyone was that he wasn't the real Kai and how close he had gotten on occasion to being uncovered, but then stopped as he noticed that Kai was not laughing. Jules was mainly forgiven, some embarrassed by what they had told him, especially Rin and Lili because they both asked him for love advice, but they remained mortified in silence.

Talon then took their turn apologising for lying as they feared their memories being erased by Annika shooting them if they disobeyed. Everyone was understanding, others having been threatened by Annika before and done the same in the past to save themselves, but Talon was not satisfied, wanting people to blame them as the guilt still tore at them from the inside.

With both groups now allied, everyone pitched in to help build the new houses, with Corinna working out where the foundations were strongest after the ceiling of the Land of the Lost had collapsed, suggesting that they dig it out to ensure it was safe. However, it would be a very long project.

Whilst both groups were amiable with each other, there was still a somewhat wary air around that lingered for a while before both parties relaxed. But not everyone was so happy, and that person was Kai.

During his time as Annika's prisoner, Kai wanted nothing more than to return to his friends, and yet now free, Kai spent most of his time with his new acquaintances from the other group, avoiding his friends if they dared approach him.

It soon became a hindrance when construction began as Kai would constantly switch projects if any of his friends joined, and Jules finally decided to speak to him.

"Hey," said Jules hesitantly as he caught Kai alone, the man plaiting rope from bark. "I know it might not be my business, but..."

Kai turned away, focused on plaiting, but his frustration could be seen with his incorrect plaits, missing a few knots and having to start all over again. "What is it?" he snapped. "I'm trying to concentrate."

Jules sat down in front of Kai, who was about to stand up and leave, but Jules grabbed his shoes to stop him. "I get it; I'm probably the last person you want to talk to! I know you're angry at me-"

"I'm not angry at you! I'm-" Kai shook his head, his forehead scrunching as he returned to plaiting.

"Then who are you angry at?" Jules asked softly.

Kai let out a long breath. "My friends... I was replaced for a month with an imposter, and they didn't even notice! Not even Dex!"

"Well, I guess I'm just that much of a good actor," Jules joked, then stopped smiling as he noticed Kai's frown grow tighter. "Have you talked to them about it-"

"I'm not talking to any of them ever again! I thought they were all my friends, but they barely know me clearly!" Kai grew silent. "You'd think that one of them would have worked it out at some point in that month... but none of them did..." Finally, he muttered barely audibly, "they' don't care about me..."

"They do care about you!"

Kai glanced away, angrily plaiting the rope incorrectly, groaning as he had to start again, almost breaking the bark.

Jules paused for a moment, considering what to say. "It was pretty difficult to be you, and I'm not just talking about getting caught." He smiled slightly. "It was difficult because everyone saw you as someone always smiling, giving good cheer; you are a positive influence in the group."

Kai remained silent, pretending to be distracted by his project of plaiting rope, but Jules saw him glance at him, listening.

"Here in the Eternal Abyss, it is difficult to stay so hopeful and full of energy and happiness, but that's what you were to everyone; you keep people hopeful with your optimism. They all go to you when they are feeling down or need advice, and they listen."

Kai stopped plaiting but still kept his head low, glancing away.

"And when I struggled to stay in character, everyone's first thought was concern. They would worry that you were unwell or sad and try to cheer you up." Jules paused. "You have a right to be angry at them and me too, but please don't think they don't care about you."

Jules heard Kai sniff and saw a glimpse of a tear roll down the man's cheek.

"You're pretty good at this whole lecturing people, huh?" Kai scoffed, attempting to swallow away his oncoming tears.

"I learned from being you a month," said Jules, chuckling slightly as he stood up. "And it wasn't so bad being you, you know?" he shrugged. "Especially with how many admirers you have."

Kai frowned. "What are you talking about?" Then his eyes widened. "Did you have sex with someone!"

"What! No! No!" Jules panicked.

"You kissed someone!"

"No! I-"

"Flirted?"

"I meant that you have a lot of people crushing on you!" Jules paused, then saw the look of confusion on Kai's face.

"I think I would know if someone had a crush on me," smirked Kai. "I'm an expert when it comes to things like that. I set up Betty and Bruno after they've been pining for each other for so long."

"Betty and Bruno are together now! Wow, I didn't know they were a thing-" Jules cleared his throat, getting distracted. "Anyway, no, I swear, you have like a whole harem-"

"Who? Who has a crush on me?"

"Corinna and-"

"Corinna is a clear lesbian," scoffed Kai.

"But she is always hugging-"

"Yeah, she loves hugs," said Kai nodding. "She gives great hugs as does Calanthe-"

"Yes, Calanthe must also-"

"Nope, just an affectionate person."

"What about Lili-"

"Also a lesbian," said Kai, then mumbled to himself, "and obviously slept with Corinna recently."

"Alright, fine," Jules folded his arms, unhappy that his theories appeared to be falling apart. "What about Dex?"

Kai frowned. "Are you just naming people now?"

Jules also frowned, then whispered, "is he not your boyfriend?"

"No... we just live together..." Kai said slowly, wondering what Jules had encountered to make him think this.

"But Klei was your ex-boyfriend, right?"

"What?"

"And what about Rin!" Jules grinned, believing that at least one of his theories must be correct.

Kai snorted. "No."

Jules sighed. "Let me guess, she also hugs a lot of people-"

"What! Rin?" Kai laughed. "Rin rarely hugs..." he then froze. "Did Rin hug you?"

Jules hesitated, then replied quietly, "yes?"

"What the fuck!" Kai's yell resounded across the camp, everyone looking at him due to his sudden outburst before returning to their work.

"Rin hugged you!" Kai hissed, jumping to his feet.

"Only the once-"

"Do you know how rare it is for Rin to hug someone? In all the years I've known her, I've only seen Rin hug Ivette once and Corinna twice! You stole my first-ever hug with Rin!"

"I'm sorry, I-"

"That hug represented how far our friendship had gotten! That I reached the hugging level like Ivette and Corinna! She might never hug me again!" Kai flung his arms in the air in frustration and groaned. "I would have preferred it if you had slept with someone."

Jules chuckled. "Alright, I must have misread some signals... all of them." He paused. "So, will you keep ignoring all your friends?"

Kai glanced at the ground, arms folded. "I'm going to be angry at them for a bit longer... then I'll consider talking to them again, I suppose."

Jules smiled and nodded, leaving Kai to start over his clumsy bark rope plaiting again.

Day: 1247

Over the weeks of construction, Corinna pitched even more ideas to make the area more efficient and beneficial to the group, staying up late building and drafting blueprints to the point that she was invited to sleep at the camp instead of having to walk home to the village so late. And eventually, everyone from the village ended up staying at the food drop-off camp to aid with construction, and with no one noticing, the two groups had become one.

Soon the village had been scrapped, the houses and equipment transferred to the food drop-off area, now the new village, and a new river from the Raining Marshes in the works, almost connected to the village.

Ambitious, Corinna began to create an area for the silver food packets to safely drop down from the portal and any new items for the Land of the Lost; both areas were now the same due to Annika breaking the ceiling.

Annika was still stuck in her baby dragon form, too weak to open her eyes. There was constant watch over her, no one knowing what to do with her as she seemed not to pose any threat in her current state, nor did it feel ethical to leave her somewhere when she appeared so fragile and vulnerable as a baby dragon. So, to ensure everyone's safety, she was moved away from the Land of the Lost so that any possibility of her regaining her power and strength was minimal.

The prisoners injured from the dragon battle or Alfreda were resting inside a newly built hospital ward run by Betty, a trained doctor specialising in radiology. One of the patients was Calixte, who had finally regained consciousness and transformed back into the amphibian, able to breathe but was still covering from suffocating for so long a prolonged period, not to mention the psychological trauma he had suffered from being near water, the shock rendering the man in bed for weeks.

Lingering near the entrance to the hospital ward was Alfreda, who regularly visited the doorway every day but could never seem to gain the courage to go inside. So instead, she would wait outside until Betty noticed her and give her updates, as the towering scary fire demon was too shy to ask the doctor herself.

"Your friend has made an almost complete recovery!" beamed Betty. "I'm certain he will be up and about in a matter of days or when he is mentally ready!"

Princess Alfreda rolled her eyes when Betty referred to Calixte as her friend, then was about to leave, but she hesitated as she glanced through the doorway and saw the numerous injured, those who had lost their memories and had yet to awaken, their injuries too severe.

Betty followed her gaze, her smile fading. "It should just be a few more weeks for those lot." She paused. "Would you like to come in and see them? Or volunteer? We can never have too many volunteers-"

But Princess Alfreda had already walked off with hurried stomps, heading back to her house. On the way, she bumped into another prisoner, who cowered underneath the fire demon's gaze, apologising. Other nearby prisoners all seemed to shrink away in her presence. Not everyone, but... enough for it to affect Alfreda.

She slammed her door as she entered her house, sitting on her newly built bed made from wood and moss.

Alfreda thought she had made progress after that fight with the dragon, but everything soon returned to the way it was before, where she was hiding away in her house, far from everyone else, only this time, when she did finally appear outside, it was not met with smiles but looks of apprehension and fear. The other group did not know how to react to Alfreda after she slaughtered so many of their friends, some of them having lost their memories because of her. She acted out of self-defence, at seeing her friends being held prisoner, herself and Mr Calixte about to meet the same fate, and then they threw that bucket of water over Calixte and... and then seeing him like that... Alfreda lost it; she did not hold back. At that moment, she was fighting for her life, for Calixte, for the children, Oscar, Calanthe, Lili, Corinna... and those other people whatever their names are.

A few of the prisoners from the other group had attempted to talk to her, to say that they did not blame her for what she did, but it didn't mean that they weren't afraid of her, that they didn't flinch if she approached.

The group doubled in size with so many new people, yet Alfreda was even more alone.

The three children that had grown fond of her still visited though not as regularly as before as they had so many new people to play with, the same with Calanthe and Corinna, so occupied with the new construction projects. But Lili strangely had become more clingy, attached and focused, making protecting Princess Alfreda her sole duty instead of helping everyone else. Alfreda found all of the attention suffocating as if Lili was coddling her, deeming her unable to do anything herself. Whilst Alfreda did like attention and not do any chores, there was a limit before she felt that she had no purpose but to sit and for Lili to do everything for her. How long before Lili wiped her arse for her or tucked her into a bed like a toddler?

Lili's sudden increase in work ethic was likely due to the dragon fight, the royal bodyguard perhaps feeling guilty about leaving guard duty for too long. Alfreda could see how much Lili was punishing herself to make up for it, skipping meals and occasionally staying up all night to ensure the princess' safety. It was destroying her. Alfreda always knew that Lili was devoted to her job and how serious she took, but her latest measures were self-destructive, the guilt she was acting upon... Would it have made a difference if Lili had been at the village then? Betty, with her black hole mask, would have captured Alfreda and whoever was nearby; perhaps it would have been Lili instead of Calixte. The result would have been the same or only had a slight change. Yet Lili was still letting this guilt control her.

And Alfreda wanted it to stop.

She wanted it all to stop.

How much has Lili sacrificed for her?

Alfreda remembered when Lili was with Riley, and that day's pure coincidence was when Corinna lost her mind to her mask and attacked everyone. Lili swore never to be distracted again, but what did that mean? That Lili could not have any happiness in her life? That all there was in it was her duty to protect a princess? She wasn't even being paid for her troubles, just doing all this out of foolish loyalty.

And what about Calanthe and Oscar?

And Pearl and Daina...

All five of them chose to join Alfreda to be imprisoned in the Eternal Abyss.

Two of them had already defected to her sister...

Whilst the other three...

Oscar lost all of his memories, and his whole body burnt alive...

Calanthe's smiles now all appeared forced, barely keeping it together; Alfreda could hear her crying almost every night...

And then there was Lili, sacrificing whatever she had left of herself still, rending herself to a shield and not remembering to eat and sleep if it meant for sure that Alfreda was now safe...

Princess Alfreda knew what she had to do to make them happy again.