Lily's Point of View

We step out from the meeting room, leaving the princess and Lady Tepet to finish up any remaining matters.

To be quite honest, my discomfort around the Princess increases the more I know about her ability.

I was always quite fond of magic, and I never had any problems about using it for surveillance or information gathering... but the magic in my former life used for this was far more flawed. You would often get imprecise or unrelated information, as you simply wouldn't know the correct questions to ask. When you don't know the correct questions to ask, you miss a lot of things that could be crucial. Thus using it for spying on people was... limited. Quite far from the way princess Emilia has used her magic, to gain such detailed information on both the royal affairs and House Tepet's private matters.

To be honest, I find her ability disgusting.

To know that the ghosts stalk you every moment of the day and night with or without your permission makes my skin crawl... it takes away every little bit of time I have to be myself and express myself in private.

Those ghosts become nothing more than immoral and rude spies.

...of course, I am not ignorant to the power their knowledge brings. If not for that power, then Emilia wouldn't have proof of the royal corruption, knowledge of the underground tax system or the final condemning 'evidence' against House Salender... nor would she have been able to arrange everything for the battle in the throne room.

Yet, my stomach knots up with frustration at the thought of having been watched while I cried pitifully, when I made that indecent joke at Lionel... or when I was flustered as he called me cute. Even when he ended up saying, that he thought his love for me was the reason he had turned on Alstair.

Those are things I want nobody else to know. It only makes it worse that these things have likely been told to a child, who is still too young to fully comprehend the consequences of her actions.

...Even so, I suppose I need to focus on the matter at hand rather than my own pride. I made the matter of Asher's possible heritage quite clear during the meeting just now, but Asher didn't seem to be paying attention. I even tried to force him into the conversation by snapping at him to fill up the tea cup, but the moment he was done with the task, he stopped listening again. Of course, I may be wrong about all of this, but if I am not, then it may end up as a part of the peace negotiations.

I glance to Asher and Magdalin as they head with me to the north wing, where our rooms have been arranged for us. Asher still seems somewhat spaced out.

"Asher... did you pay attention to the conversation in the meeting room?"

I want to ensure that he's not just acting calm. He didn't look affected at all during the meeting, so he might not have realized it might have been about him.

Unexpectedly Asher gives a nod of confirmation, though followed with a bitter look.

"Yes I did, my Lady."

His eyes shift to me, but I don't see any conflict in his eyes. How could he not be conflicted over this?

"I suppose I realized about the same time as you. However, I don't intend on changing the path of life I have decided on and fought for. No matter whether or not I happen to be the missing Prince, I have no intention of becoming nobility."

He reaches for a breast pocket, likely for a token given to him by his family.

"I adore my parents. They had the kindness in their hearts to adopt me, and raise me as their own. There is no better family for me than them."

With that his lips form a calm and happy smile.

I have to admit that while his words make sense, I cannot relate to his decision.

"Have you no interest in the man you were born to be?" I ask with genuine curiosity.

Granted, to ponder at 'what could have been, or what could be' is mixture of desire and regret, I don't think I could keep myself from wanting to search for that knowledge. Asher, however, seems unfazed by my question.

"No matter who I was born as, I will always be the man that my parents have raised me to be, and the person you inspired me to grow into. I fought for this path I've taken in life, and it is a path a truly believe is the right one. I have no intention of breaking my promise to my Lady."

He speaks these words with a clear sense of well deserved pride. His smile has faded though.

"I don't feel any need to know what could have been, and nor the life with prince Jacques as my brother."

Had this been my old world, then I would have had the duty to demand he return to any family he had by blood, unless he had married. Even if that family is or was currently my enemy.

That said, while you can lead a horse to water, you cannot force it to drink.

The clicking of Magdalin's heels from behind us stops abruptly.

"Is that really okay?"

Her words are unusually quiet and carry a tinge of anger. By the time I turn to look at her, her hands have clenched into her dress and she stares at Asher with surprising harshness in her usually gentle eyes.

"It wasn't like the little prince was mistreated and thrown away by prince Jacques. The prince actually has someone that is searching for him and cares. Do you really think that it is okay, just to ignore that someone's hope, love and efforts like that?"

She snaps those words out at Asher, and her eyes glisten with unveiled frustration as Asher... refuses the one thing Magdalin never had:

A loving family member.

A tense silence spreads through the hallway, and I look back at Asher, who has been put in a hard situation. I was somewhat expecting him to bend to her frustration and ease the tension, but...

"I do not want to be obliged to love someone, who just happens to decide, that I am the one they have been looking for... and with everything that has happened over the last few months, I really cannot believe that blood is truly thicker than water. Even if I was to look beyond that, I do not intend to forgive him for the death of my companions simply because of a coincidence. I will meet with him and fulfill my role if needed, but no order or request, no matter by whom, can change my feelings either."

He stops... and the two of them stare at each other for a moment, before Magdalin lowers her gaze. She stares bitterly down at the floor, even biting her lip a bit.

She takes a deep breath and looks up at him with her bright eyes.

"Even so... I envy you."

Unexpectedly, Asher smiles.

"You have no need to. Soon you will have far more than you wish for."

While I don't know what he meant, Magdalin's eyes widen with surprise. She accidentally glances to me before looking back to Asher flustered.

"A-anyway, we should continue."

Seeing both of them turn from each other and get ready to continue, I get a nagging feeling in my stomach. Are they keeping a secret from me?

—-*—-
Prince Jacques Point Of View

—- Day of the Peace Treaty —-

"You have gotten way better since last I saw one of your portraits, Jacques," Princess Catarina hums out fascinated as she stares at the painting in progress standing nearby.

Catarina brings a hand to his chin and tilts his head to the side.

"Is this supposed to be that brother of yours?"

He grins and glances at me with narrowed eyes. I decide to ignore him, though he subconsciously leans his female body forward in his party dress, easily exposing most of his breasts.

Some of the ghosts around us can't help but to oogle.

I hold in a sigh and glance to the painting I made of Azure. He would be an adult by now, and a baker just like the man that raised him. I always imagined Azure as having gotten a bit chubby. Our chefs are almost all on the heavier side, and the bakers in the bakeries around town seem heavier set as well... but always warm people.

I like to imagine him working in a bakery with his family. Smiling wide enough to reach his violet eyes and laughing as he chats with other villagers. At this age he might even be married as a commoner. He might even have children.

So, in the portrait I made of him I made his brown hair and his cheek have streaks of flour. I also made him look more like his mother than our father, though that is probably more of a personal preference.

Either way, none of that has anything to do with Catarina.

"Instead of worrying about that, shouldn't you be downstairs preparing for your party?"

I try to redirect his mind back to his beloved 'Party for the reincarnates'. Ever since the reports came in that the peace treaty was going to be signed, Catarina has been happily obsessed with it.

"Everything is great down there. Just had to check up on our host."

Catarina straightens up as he says that.

"Aren't you coming down to greet them at the door?"

I stare down at the papers in front of me and find myself gripping my pen tightly.

"No. I shall meet them in the throne room. I am sure you have your own plans for how to greet Lady Lily, and I have no intention of interfering."

With all honesty... I merely do not wish to go down before at the very last minute, as both Jesmaine and Helena are there as well. I don't want to face her yet.

That said, King Landon will likely entertain both of them happily, as they are all from the same place.

Catarina grins at me, then claps my shoulder once.

"Still heartbroken I see," he hums before leaving. Even flipping his long hair. For a man in a woman's body, he has adjusted quite well.

I put the pen down and rub my temples.

...Once today is over, this charade will be over.

I stand up from my work desk and stare at the portrait of Azure, as though I hope it would give me the strength needed to get through today without faltering.

Even though I did ask them about Azure, I admit I don't expect them to find anything. It's... merely a selfish desire to know that he is well, and living happily. And perhaps... just once to disguise myself and visit his shop to see him up close, without him noticing me.

"My lord, the Princess of Ristaze has arrived with her retinue."

One of my ghost diplomats float in through the wall. His expression is lit with excitement and secrecy. Ever since the princess departed from Castle Tepet, the ghosts that return all have this same look of excitement.

"I see."

Unwillingly I head towards the window and glance out over the courtyard where the carriage is arriving, still partly surrounded by obviously paranoid knights.

They all look rather tense. Well, most of them. The one closest to the carriage...

The one closest...

My stomach felt like it rose, and the low background noise from the ghosts became fuzzy and quiet... for... the young knight closest to the carriage looked almost like his mother... all but for his eyes, that even from down there pierced the crowd of ghosts around him. His eyes were just like our fathers.

That... is that Azure?!

I slam my hands against the window and lean closer. He is far slimmer than I imagined, and looks like a proper knight too... but I am almost completely certain that he's-

"His name is Asher Baker. He's also the knight assigned as Lady Lily Celeste's bodyguard."

I snap my gaze to the diplomat ghost.

Asher...?

"Wait, isn't that the name of the knight that fought his way to Lady Lily when we attempted to trap her?!"

I look back to Azure... Asher.

"His family story appears to match the possibility that he is Prince Azure, and Asher himself has been made aware..."

The ghost trails off awkwardly as soon as he mentions Asher being aware he might be my brother.

"It's fine. I am the prince of Headal. I did not expect him to hold any positive feelings for me."

Yet, I stare at Asher as he dismounts, and a warm feeling pushes away all of my worries. I snap for a gasp of air.

Relief washes over me.

He's alive.

Thank god, he's alive.

My chest feels tight as I pull away from the window and I cover my face as my eyes begin to burn with tears.

Thank goodness.

(A/N: In this chaotic time, be safe everyone :) )