And I Love You, Mom.

[Sophie]

The Empress’s Palace complex was massive. Everything contained within the outer walls was well over a hundred acres of land, including a large number of trees that the created illusion of a forested area that included a large pond, multiple courtyards, several housing structures for servants, a gymnasium, and even a baseball diamond constructed after the Princess had shown an interest in Galran baseball and of course the largest structure in the complex, the Palace itself. The Palace was primarily made of wood and stone with metal highlights including silver, gold, and even steel. Primarily, the Palace was painted red and used black for detail and highlights.

It was an extravagant structure that was undoubtedly as functional as it was a masterpiece of Kumo architecture. These decorative bricks lined the walls and were buffed with reinforced concrete. The outer structures of the palace were lined with countless windows that provided a sweeping view of the landscape around.

Typically the Palace drained an immense amount of energy to maintain the cooling system in place. However, it was relatively calm despite being mid-spring, and the system wasn’t needed. The Palace complex was relatively quiet, and the only bodies present were those of the Empress’s royal guard. The complete lack of any presence from the Empress’s servants was in thanks to the specific date- It was National Service Workers' day in Kumosenkan. As she had done every year since the holiday started, the Empress had given the day off to all of her servants.

There were only two heartbeats within the immense Palace, instead of the usual army of maids performing any number of different jobs. The one within the library belonged to the younger of the two present. Princess Reito had her nose deep in a book, reading by an electric lamp on a floor table. She’d been sitting in the library for the majority of the day as she didn’t have any classes for the holiday, nor did the Empress have any important meetings that she wanted the Princess to sit in on.

The Princess’s stomach growled, but she didn’t notice in her complete engrossment in the latest installment in a popular light novel series, “Chivalry of a Failed Knight.” It had been only minorly popular until the first novel was spotted inside the Princess's handbag by some gossip or another. At that point, nearly every young girl in Kumosenkan became obsessed with it.

The other heartbeat of the two inside the palace rapped gently on the door to the library before walking in. Empress Shiraori walked in to check on her daughter, all eight of her crimson eyes sweeping the room as her gaze fell upon the Princess seated upon a futon near the center of the room. Reito didn’t notice the Empress had entered the library until she placed her hands on her shoulder and sat down next to her. It shocked her at first, but she relaxed once she realized who it was.

“Spirits above mom, don’t sneak up on me like that.”

Shiraori’s porcelain white face frowned in confusion. “I knocked and said hello to you, my love. Are you telling me you really didn’t hear me?”

“N-no, I didn’t. Sorry, mom.” Reito looked away with a bit of embarrassment.

The Empress took a peek at what she was reading and smiled before lightly taking it out of her hands to examine it closer. “Is this the new volume?” She asked, peering at the title. “Do you like it so far?”

“Y-yeah!” Reito said, a bit excited, “It’s terrific so far. Kurogane just learned that Toka has feelings for her, but he went out on a suicide mission to help her restore her name.” She explained, pointing at the two characters pictured on the front of the novel.

“Oh, my,” Shiraori smiled, flipping through the pages before handing the book back to her daughter. “Quite the drama indeed. I’m happy you still enjoy the series. When the press reported you reading it, I was worried that the author would change their writing to pander to you.”

Reito frowned at the book, realizing that wasn’t something she had ever thought of. “I don’t think they would do that. They’re an excellent writer. I think they had started writing this one before that article about me came out anyway.”

Shiraori lightly brushed her daughter’s hair with a hand. “So you’re enjoying your day off then?”

Reito laid her head against her mother’s chest and closed her eyes as her pale white fingers softly sifted through her hair. “Yeah, it's been nice to catch up on all the light novels I’ve been putting off.”

“That makes me happy, my dear.” The Empress held her daughter close to her chest, enjoying the feeling of getting to hold the most important person in the world so close to her without anything else on her mind. “Are you hungry yet? We can call in a chef from the city to come and cook for us.”

Reito shook her head and clutched at her mother’s kimono. “Is it alright if we just lay here for a moment, mom?”

Her mother’s heart raced, and Reito smiled at hearing her mother’s heartbeat pound in her chest. “Of course, we can, dear. Whatever you want.” She continued softly weaving her fingers through her daughter’s hair, keeping her head close to her chest. “I love you, sweetheart .”

“I love you so much, mom.” Reito clutched her mother even tighter. The two simply sat there, alone in the library quietly for almost an hour before Reito spoke up again. “How do you always make time for me? Whenever I need you, you’re there. Don’t you have a million more important things to handle?”

“Not a single thing.” Her mother answered warmly. “You are the most important thing in the universe to me, my dear Reito. That’s been true since the day you hatched, and I saw your perfect red eyes just like mine.”

The answer made Reito smile and laugh a little bit. She knew it wasn’t functionally true, but she heard stories about other royalty children from other empires being completely neglected by their parents instead of being raised by maids or servants. She was thankful her mother was so directly involved in her life and educating her on what it’d take to be Empress.

Before either of them could say anything else, Reito’s stomach growled again. “So I should call a chef then?” The Empress laughed, something she only did around her daughter and maids.

Reito joined in the laugh for a moment and pushed her head off her mom. “Yeah, can we have Omurice again?” She asked with a bit of excitement.

“That sounds lovely. Do you want to make the call?” The Empress asked with a smile and stood up with her hand out.

Reito held her mom’s hand and stood next to her. “Sure, we liked temple garden, didn’t we? I don’t think we’ve had Kon-kas’s omurice in a while.” Holding her mom’s hand, she walked with her out of the library; they walked into one of her mother’s many offices. Reito sat behind the desk, and her mother passed her a book of phone numbers, which she flipped through until she came across Kon’s number.

The phone trilled only a single time before the line picked up. “Good evening Nishimura-kama. Is the princess in the mood for my omurice again?” The chef answered the phone, expecting the maid to be the one calling, as she always did.

“Yes, I am,” Reito answered firmly.

The line fell silent for a moment that, for Kon, lasted hours. “I am so sorry Princess Reito Kumo. I beg your forgiveness for my insolence.”

“You are forgiven, Kon-kas. Could you be here to make my mother and me dinner in the next hour? The princess answered kindly, which caused her mother to raise an eyebrow.

“Of course, Doku-kama. I will close up shop immediately and be there as soon as possible.” The voice was strained and immediately stressed. “Thank you for your kindness.”

Reito looked up to her mom, confused, as she hung up the phone and slumped back a bit. She knew she had done something wrong but wasn’t sure what.

“That is not how you talk to those beneath you, Reito. You don’t forgive; you don’t ask. You instruct. ‘You’ll be here to cook dinner for us in an hour.’ Both convey what you’re ordering him to do and that you have forgiven him.”

“Yes, of course, mother.” Reito bowed, “I was only modeling my behavior from how I’ve seen the maids order chefs. I understand now why that was wrong. Thank you for educating me on the proper actions of an Empress.” She felt the embarrassment of her actions build into a mounting pressure on her neck.

Satisfied, Shiraori smiled and patted her daughter on the head. “Good girl. You learn so well, my darling.”

The pressure almost entirely dissipated with the head pats, and Reito smiled brightly at her mother. “I have a wonderful teacher.”

The two again embraced but for a much briefer time than before. “I’ll call you when dinner is ready, my love, if you want to go back to reading. it’s still your day off, too, you know.”

“C- can I spend it with you, mom?” Reito asked, a bit ashamed to state what she wanted so bluntly.

The Empress’s heart melted. “Of course you can, my love. Anything you want.” She hugged Reito and held her head to her chest. “I love you so much. My sweet.”

Reito hugged her mother happily and nuzzled into her. “Do we have any Ramune left?” She asked, looking up at her mom with a smile.

“We do, my dear. Head on back to the library, and I’ll bring you some.” She answered with a smile.

---

Half an hour elapsed upon the face of the grand clock at the library’s far end when the shrill call of the phone echoed from down the hall.

Empress Shiraori and her daughter had been listening to a calming record on the phonograph together in the library while the Princess continued to read her book. Shiraori was happily sitting next to her daughter and braiding her hair up into a bun when they heard the ringing from her office. “I’ll be right back, my darling.” Shiraori placed a pin in her daughter’s hair and stood up.

Reito blew her mother a kiss, continuing her book as Shiraori walked one room over. Reito snuck away from her book and peeked her head into the room her mom now occupied. She could only hear her mother’s side of the call. Shiraori picked up the phone and answered. “Her Imperial Majesty speaking.”

“I see.” She answered with sadness in her voice. However, she noted that her mother's face remained bored, almost annoyed. “Are they going to be alright?” She barely moved aside from taping her left foreleg against the marble floor. “That’s good. Keep me updated.” The receiver clanged as she returned the phone to its cradle.

“Who was that, mom?” Reito crept into the room with a concerned face.

The Empress turned around, slightly startled. “The hospital, my dear. The chef we called was in an accident.” The words clearly brought worry to her daughter, so the Empress tried to assuage them quickly. “She’s alright, but she can’t cook for us. I’ll get someone else to come.”

“I hope she’ll be okay. Maybe we shouldn’t ask anyone else to come, just in case.” Reito answered with a twinge of guilt. In her mind, she thought that the chef wouldn’t have gotten hurt if she hadn’t called. “I’m not that hungry anyway. Aren’t there some snacks in the pantry?” As if to be a contrarian, her stomach growled loud enough for both of them to hear it clearly.

Shiraori frowned, “Some snacks?” Her eyebrow raised. “Do you think your mother can’t cook for you? When the maids aren’t here and the chefs can’t come, you ask for snacks before asking me?” Now she looked genuinely sad and even hurt. Her heart ached as she felt like she had been failing her daughter. Though truthfully, Shiraori had never cooked. Nor since she was born did she ever see her mother cook a single morsel of food.

Despite this, the Empress’s heart ached in pain. She wanted to have a much closer bond with her daughter than she could have even dreamed of having with her mother. “You can cook? I’ve never seen you in the kitchen.” Reito genuinely asked, but it still stabbed at her mother’s heart like a knife stored in ice.

However much it hurt, it was amplified by the fact that it was entirely accurate. Shiraori had never been in the kitchen. Nor did she know how to cook. “I am the Empress of Kumosenkan, the divine ruler of our people. Do you think I can’t make the most important Kumo in my life a nice meal?” She said with absolute confidence.

She took her daughter’s hand, and the two began quickly navigating the hallways and into the kitchen. Inside, the room was massive, as all rooms in the palace were. There were several fully electric stoves and ovens, refrigerators completely filled with perishables, several cabinets of different rare spices, and of course, two massive pantries.

Immediate panic set in for the Empress. She’d learned about all of these appliances when they were installed, but she hardly paid a lick of attention. “Well. I guess I’ll. Use one of Nishimura-kas’s recipes. I know she has a recipe for omurice around here somewhere. Help me find it won’t you?”

“Aren’t you the,” she smirked and spoke with snark, “‘divine ruler of our people’? Why do you need my help?”

Shiraori squinted and flicked her daughter’s forehead. “You are too, you know. Now get to helping.” The two of them began looking through every drawer and cabinet for any hint of a recipe book. Finally, Reito managed to find it. A massive leather-bound book with no inscriptions on the cover.

Her mother quickly grabbed it out of her hands and laid it out on the table. “Alright, omurice, omurice.” She spoke idly as she flipped through the pages until she got to the page with the recipe she wanted. “Alright, I’ll call out ingredients, and you go and get them.” The Empress ordered her daughter.

Reito nodded while looking at the page with her. “I can’t believe you can make this. It looks a little complicated.”

“Of course, I can.” She lied with a smile, “And now I’m going to teach you how to do it. So go and grab me,” She paused as she read the list of ingredients, “two tablespoons of butter.”

Reito turned around and looked around the room, dozens of cabinets, more than two fridges, and pantries. She turned back around to her mom. “Where’s the butter?”

Shiraori looked around the room for a moment, then remembered how their butter is always cold when they have okonomiyaki. “In one of the fridges, my dear.” She answered and kept reading the instructions.

Reito pulled open a fridge and took out an entire stick of butter. “How much is a tablespoon?”

“Each stick is a tablespoon.” She answered confidently before whispering under her breath.
“Probably.”

The two continued collecting all the ingredients and placing them on the counter. “Alright. We need to start by cooking the rice.” The Empress state, reading down the list in the book. She frowned at the book as all the first step said was ‘cook two cups of rice.’

“How do we do that?” Reito asked.

“Well, first. We take out a pot. Put in the rice and add some water and let it boil.” Shiraori guessed.

Reito remembered an ad she had recently seen in a newspaper and asked. “Don’t we have a rice cooker?”

Shiraori knew the words she said but not in tandem. Context clues made it easy. Clearly, they had some device that was dedicated to cooking rice. “That’s right. Just dump the rice in and hit cook.” She smiled at her daughter, exuding confidence.

Reito quickly found the rice cooker and started putting the rice in. However, some writing on the device caught her eye. “This says to add twice as much water as rice.”

“Yes, I thought that would be obvious.” Shiraori turned away so Reito wouldn’t see the look of relief that the text was there.

The mother-daughter couple scrambled around the kitchen together, following the increasingly vague instructions in the omurice recipe. Eggs sizzled on a skillet with vegetables, ham, and way too much butter. It sputtered violently as the rice cooker beeped angrily at them. Shiraori tried to keep the egg concoction stable while Reito was picking up shards of a broken bowl off the floor.

Both of them were drenched in sweat and running all over the kitchen to try and save their dinner when the egg potion lit aflame. The kitchen began to fill with smoke; Reito ran over to open a window while Shiraori covered the pan with a lid to snuff the flame. Through the newly-formed curtain of smoke and the smell of burnt food, the lid extinguished the fire, and they sought refuge outside, clinging to the side of the wall beside the kitchen window while the smoke cleared out.

When all was said and done, two plates of food were made. The eggs were somehow both burnt and runny. The vegetables and ham were completely overcooked, making the ham totally rubbery. The bottom of the rice piles were hard and fused together, the middle was perfectly cooked, and the top was wet and mushy.

The kitchen was a complete mess. Eggshells were strewn everywhere, the broken bowl was still in pieces on the floor, and the rice cooker was left with a fine layer of rice firmly stuck within. The pan they had used was utterly ruined, bits of charred food stuck to it like hardened steel.

Mother and daughter both sat at the table looking at what they made, completely dejected by their apparent failure. Reito was the first brave enough to take a bite of the mess. It was disgusting. It tasted like coal and raw eggs. She spent fifteen full seconds chewing the first bite, and as she swallowed, her entire body cringed.

With a pained look, her mother said. “No good, I guess.” She tried to laugh it off, but she again felt like a failure as a mother. For all of two seconds until Reito hugged her tightly.

“It’s the best omurice I’ve ever had, mom.” She held on tightly, “Because I got to make it with you.”

Shiraori looked down at the top of her daughter’s head with her mouth agape.

“I don’t know how I was blessed with such a lovely daughter,” she murmured through tears and hugged her daughter back. They dripped off her face and onto her daughter’s back, ever so slightly staining the expensive silk. “Alright, let's finish our terrible meal then.”

The two suffered through their burnt, undercooked omurice, but not a single bite was left on the plate. They laughed and shared idle stories about their week between chokes and shudders, drinking over a liter of water each just to try and wash it down. In the end, both of them were smiling and laughing.

As they walked back to the library to enjoy the rest of the day off, Reito posed a question. “Can we try cooking together once a week?”

Shiraori squeezed her daughter's hand with a smile. “Of course, we can. Every Sunday from now on, we’ll cook together and make something slightly less disgusting each time.” They both laughed as they heard the door open.

Running in was a very out of breath maid, Nishimura. “I am so sorry, your highness. I heard the chef you ordered was in an accident. I got here as quickly as I could. What would you like for dinner?”

Reito spoke up. “Actually, my mom and I already made omurice together.” She said happily.

“You… you cooked, Shiraori-kama?” the maid, who held herself to the absolute highest standard of professionalism and class, was shocked. Her mouth hung agape, and her eyes darted between the Empress and Princess.

The question made her squint. “Yes. I cooked.”

“And… how was it?” Nishimura asked while looking at Reito.

The Empress and Princess looked at each other and broke out laughing. They answered in unison.

“It was awful.”

[Sophie]

The lecture room was rather dull, though that was by design. The walls were a pallid white with a similarly colored carpeting. The only sounds coming from the room were a lazy ceiling fan pushing the cool spring breeze through the room and the bored lecturing of a maid. Reito, with her writing brush in hand, rested her cheek in it and stared up at the fan. She tried to spin her head in turn with it until the wooden blades would look like they were completely still.

"Reito," The voice of the maid barely registered in the Princess's wandering mind. "Reito." Again the voice might as well have been a whisper to the distracted teenager. "Reito!" The voice got louder, but still, her mind was elsewhere as her head shook back and forth, staring at the fan. "REITO!" Finally, the maid's calling penetrated Reito's thick fog of boredom.

"Y- yes, ma'am! I was paying attention." Reito answered in a knee jerk despite knowing it was a self-evident lie.

The maid sighed. "Reito. Understanding the history of Kumosenkan is a basic requirement for all children. Surely you understand why it's even more important for you, right?" She pleaded, hoping to reacquire the young Princess's attention.

Reito sighed, "I know. It's just hard to care about something that happened over a thousand years ago. How do we even know this is really what happened back then, Nishimura-kensi?"

The maid had to stop herself from sighing openly. "Because thousands of dedicated scribes worked incredibly hard to keep accurate accounts of everything that happened back then. The development of the first warships was one of the most culturally significant advancements of the Second Age of Famine. It was the beginning of our dedication to naval supremacy. For the era, the Kakunodate was the most powerful warship on the water. The Empress back then, your direct ancestor, realized the ship's importance immediately and explicitly ordered its permanent preservation. It's still in dock, less than an hour away. Your mother has a model of it in her bedroom. I cannot understate the importance of this era to our history.” She spoke with relatively apparent desperation, saying anything she could to lock the attention of Reito.

It did seem to work as Reito’s ears perked up. “My mom has a model of it? Can I see it?”

The question gave Nishimura both relief and new anxiety. “Yes. I will be right back.” She sighed quietly and walked out of the Princess’s lecture room. “Surely it's fine to touch the model if the princess asked me to, right?” She pondered, remembering her old mentor's strict instructions to not touch a single thing in the Empress’s bedroom without permission, especially the Kakunodate model. “I was barely older than Reito back then.” She mused for a moment.

The Empress’s bedroom, one of the most unseen rooms on the planet, was only entrusted to two highly vetted maids, Princess Reito, and the Empress herself. It was dark, nearly pitch black, with the drapes drawn and lights off. The air conditioner continued blowing icy air through the room. The Empress refused to wait for the massive space to be cooled down only when she was using it.

The bed frame was golden, though not truly; it was wood coated with gold leaf. The sheets were a perfect one-thousand thread count silk. The Empress’s silk. Given to expert craftswomen to make the finest bed sheets possible. A full wall painting hung directly over the headboard of the Empress and a much younger Princess. The Empress had an uncontrollable smile and was hugging her daughter much too tight. This painting was commissioned but deemed too unprofessional for the public, but the Empress refused to let it go and immediately hung it in her bedroom. A massive oak wardrobe stood with not a thing inside but a mirror as all her clothes were a door away, in a room just as big as this one.

A single writing desk with a lamp polluted the bedroom. Shiraori had initially never wanted to take her work to bed and swore that if work needed to be done at night, she’d do it in one of her offices. That died about a year into her reign as she dragged a desk herself into her bedroom, too embarrassed to ask a maid to do it.

Above the desk, on a shelf, was the model. The RBS Kakunodate. A very intricate one to seventy-eight scale wooden ship with a functioning ballista, adjustable sails, movable oars, and an utterly fleshed-out interior.

With an overabundance of caution, Nishimura gently picked up the model and walked out of the room. The lecture room was only a few doors down, but still, the labyrinth of the palace was unforgiving, and Reito was again distracted. She rested her head on her arm, tracing a dry brush against her wrist.

With a clack, the maid placed the wooden model down on the table. “The RBS Kakunodate. The world’s first battleship.” Reito’s attention caught as she took in the elaborate warship before her. “When Empress Ako was informed of the organized human empire on Granuras, she immediately ordered the newly invented ballista to be bolted onto the fore decks of the transport ships.” Nishimura pointed at the functional ballista on the model, accidentally touching it, causing it to turn just a bit.

“The ballista moves?!” Reito cried in astonished glee and reached out to touch its meticulously-crafted deck, accidentally triggering the firing mechanism. Nishimura heard a soft twang and clatter of the small bolt against the floor.

With a heavy sigh, Nishimura grabbed the toothpick-sized bolt off the floor. “Yes, every part that should move does. Please be careful. This is one of your mother’s prized possessions.” She slowly slotted the bolt back into the model weapon. “As I was saying,” Nishimura turned around to grab the textbook she was using to teach. “Empress Ako ordered over a hundred ballistas bolted onto transport vessels, and even ordered the construction of fifty-” Crieack

A chill shot up Nishimura’s back from the very base of her spine to the top of her neck as the worst possible sound penetrated her ears. Wood, snapping. Her eyes were the size of dinner plates as she slowly turned around. All eight of her paws tapped against the hardwood floor as her body swung around. One of her left eyes twitched in fear as she saw the cause of the noise. In the Princess’s hand the model ship’s main mast. Completely separated from the boat, at an angle, and splinters everywhere. “Wh… what did you do?” The maid, who had taken well over half a decade of etiquette classes, stammered.

Reito felt the same abject horror but on another level. She had never truly disappointed her mother. Shiraori had never even raised her voice at her, and now, Reito feared that streak was broken. Never had she broken anything of her mother’s or even disobeyed her. Her mother was her best friend. “I… you said everything moved… I wanted to see if the sail could be raised.” Her life flashed before her eyes as she spoke. She had seen her mother blow up at dozens of people, even going as far as to assault them physically. Including women she knew all the way from childhood.

Never had it been directed at her; now it was going to be. Tears burst from her eyes. Bawling, she looked up at the maid, with the mast still clenched in her hand. “P-please help me.” She dropped the mast onto the ship's deck and collapsed her face into her hands while tears flooded from all eight of her eyes.

Nishimura quickly ran to the sobbing Princess and hugged her close. “I- it’s going to be okay! We… we’ll get some wood glue; we’ll fix this together. It’s just a small snap.” She rubbed the Princess’s back and handed her some pocket tissues. “This thing is so old. I’m sure she'll never notice if we put it back exactly where I found it.”

Reito nodded her head rapidly and sniffled. “Okay. Okay. Please go and get the glue.” Reito begged as she wiped her face with a handful of tissues.

While the maid ran off to get the glue, Reito picked off the splinters from the deck while her makeup ran straight down her face all the way to her neck. She lined up the snapped-off mast, and her heart sank at seeing just how much was missing. If anyone looked at it for more than a second, it would be clear that it was destroyed.

Reito’s heart pounded, and she gasped desperately for air as tears fell out of her eyes, down her neck, and some went into her mouth. No matter how much air she gulped down, she still felt like she was suffocating. The walls collapsed in, and her vision shook and became fuzzier by the second.

Moments before the Princess would’ve collapsed, Nishimura returned with a bottle of glue. “Hey. Hey...” She quickly returned to the Princess’s side and noticed that she was having a panic attack. “We’re going to fix this. I promise.” She eased the mast out of Reito’s hand.

Though when she lined it up, she came to the same realization Reito had. This was damaged beyond repair. Still, she refused just to give up. She knew how vital the Princess’s relationship with the Empress was. For both of them. Reito was one of the only things from which Shiraori felt warmth, stability… happiness. She poured a generous helping of glue on the bottom of the broken mast and its mount. Then she jammed them together. “Here, hold this just like that.” She guided Reito’s hands to keep the mast steady against the mount. Then she collected the splinters and tried to fit them in like puzzle pieces.

The two worked together, both desperate to make this work. However, with every minute that passed, it became clearer that it was destroyed beyond what they could repair. A massive glob of glue drew eyes from a mile away to the mess of splinters jabbed in. When they let go of it, it tilted at a twenty-degree angle. It looked like someone had melted the mast.

The panic attack returned at full force. Reito gasped for air and cried harder than ever before. “Oh FUCK! Why couldn’t I just pay attention to you?! Why couldn’t I just give a fuck about history?! Why did I have to see my mom’s model?!” She panicked, her legs clenched in towards her body as she lost control of her hydraulic fluid while her mind flooded with worst-case scenarios. “I’m so sorry, Nishimura-kensi. I’m so sorry.” She rolled her torso down and held her hands over the back of her head while rocking herself. Reito continued apologizing, over and over.

“Shhh. ” The maid tried to calm the mess of a Princess down. “I promised always to protect you. I’m going to fix this, I swear to you, my liege.” She added the title to try and emphasize the oath of herself she was invoking.

Reito looked up at her, confused. After seeing the mess she had made, she couldn’t imagine any way out of it. But the look on her teacher’s face was severe and deadly determined. Nishimura took a deep breath and stood up. Reito watched as she picked up the model and walked out of the room.

With as much determination as if going to war, Nishimura walked straight down the halls of the Palace, knowing exactly where she needed to go. Reito, barely recovering from panicking, followed loosely behind her, having zero clue what the maid was planning. However, she figured it out when she knocked on her mother’s main office door—a new, different kind of panic now set in on the Princess.

“Come in.” A commanding voice boomed from the door. Nishimura turned the knob, and the Empress looked up at her with a smile. “Good afternoon, Nishim-” She cut herself off as she saw the model in her hands. “What are you doing with that? You know that’s off-limits.” Her voice quickly became firm, and the aura in the room plummeted from friendly to hostile.

Nishimura set the warship down on Shiraori’s desk without making eye contact. The maid slowly fell to the floor with her hands in front of her. She was bowing to the floor. “I was teaching Princess Reito the history of the second age of famine. I thought the model would be a good visual aid, so I took it despite knowing the rules and broke it.” Her voice shook, but still, she had no doubt this was the only correct course of action to take.

Shiraori felt an unending amount of anger and hurt boil in the pits of her soul. “Nishimura-kas. You, of all people, know how important this model is to me” Her eye twitched as she picked up the model to inspect the damage. “You completely ruined it.”

“I know I did, your highness.” She spoke with her diaphragm as her face was planted directly into the floor. “I thought I could fix it without you noticing, but now I realize how stupid that was of me.”

“This… is all I have left,” the Empress’s voice escalated until she was screaming. “Of my father!” She put the model back down and stood over the collapsed maid. “I don’t even have a painting of him anymore! Lost in the fire of nineteen-ten!” She screamed, her temper wholly lost. “This was all I could fucking save of him!” She raised one of her paws, ready to stomp on the maid’s hand.

“Mom, stop!” Reito burst into the room. Shiraori’s fury immediately halted against Nishimura and pointed at Reito, and it was ready to fire. “It wasn’t Nishimura-kensi’s fault. It was mine.”

Blinded by anger, Shiraori felt her hand pull back as she walked up to her daughter, but as she saw the tears in her daughter’s eyes, the completely ruined mascara, and the fear, she stopped as a memory flooded back to her.

---

Eighteen-ninety-nine. The winter breeze blew through the windows and comforted the young princess. She always loved winter. Of course, all Kumo did, but for her, it was different. Winter was the only time of year Shiraori felt she was allowed to be happy. Her mother was always in a much better mood for the entire season and sometimes even spent time with her.

Shiraori was practically skipping down the halls of the palace. After all, it was snowing! She knocked on the massive doors before her and opened them as soon as she heard the telltale “Enter.” from her mother.

“It’s snowing, mom!” The nine-year-old Kumo cheered. “Can we go build snowwomen like you promised?” Shiraori made sure to remind her mother of her promise because, deep down, she knew she had forgotten.

“How many times do I have to tell you?” The bright red spines on the crown spider Kumo twitched. “When I am in this office, you are to address me as either Empress or mother. Not mom.”

The child’s excitement waned, but she pressed on anyway. “I’m sorry, mother.” She corrected herself. “Can we please go build snowwomen together?” The Princess pleaded.

“I can’t.” Her mother answered firmly. “I’ve got too much to do.”

Shiraori’s heart sank into the depths of her soul. She had been expecting this, and yet it still hurt just as much. “Why not? You promised. You said I always have to keep my promises.” Shiraori asked defiantly. “Why don’t you have to keep yours?”

“Because the promise I gave to all the people of Kumosenkan comes first.” Again the answer came firmly without even looking up from her paperwork.

Shiraori didn’t budge and stared at her mother. “You promised. Can’t you stop working for one hour to build snowwomen with me?”

Finally, her mother stopped writing and looked up at her daughter. “There’s another rebellion in Elenria. Do you want me to wait for another two thousand Kumo to die so I can ensure the sun doesn’t burn you while you play in the snow?”

“I can put up with a little sunlight.” Shiraori stamped her paw and didn’t give.

“No, you can’t.” Her mother answered, almost bored, and returned to her paperwork. “You have albinism. You can’t just go out in the sun. I have to spend two hours making sure you can safely go outside just to roll up some snow and then go back inside. This is more important.” She tapped her brush against the page twice.

Tears fell from Shiraori’s eyes, but still, she stood firm. “You promised.”

“Shiraori. I said no. Every second of my time you continue to waste, more people are dying in Elenria.” She pushed a single page away and began working on the next.

The Princess’s mouth opened, but not a word came out. Instead, more of her tears just fell down her face.

The Empress sighed and looked up again. “Go. Away. I have too much to do.”

Shiraori took rapid, shallow breaths as her heart collapsed into pieces. She gathered all her strength to respond. “Yes, Mother.” She turned around and left her mother’s office.

As soon as the door closed, separating the two Shiraori began bawling. As the dam fully broke and rivers formed on her cheeks, she sprinted down the halls. Despite spending her entire life in these walls, it was still a maze to her. She ran blindly down the halls, wanting to escape her mother. She made turn after turn down the violet-painted halls. She wasn’t sure how, but she ended up in front of her mother’s bedroom door. She burst in, having never been allowed in before.

It was, dull. A bed, a desk, and a sterile painting of the Empress, Shiraori, and her father was pretty much all there was. No one was smiling. Her father rested a hand on Shiraori’s shoulder while her mother stood, looking directly ahead. She collapsed, weeping. She did so on the floor, knowing if she messed up her mother’s bed, it’d only get worse for her. Shiraori pounded her fists on the floor repeatedly until it was too physically painful to keep doing so.

The princess simply stayed there. Crying until she had no tears left. An hour had passed, and she was utterly exhausted. Her breaths were deep and interrupted by hiccups as she tried to fill her lungs. She pushed herself off the ground and got her eight legs up beneath her. Something caught her eye as she shook her head, trying to suppress her dreadful feelings.

A book on the top of her mother’s shelf over her desk. It looked completely different from any other book she’d ever seen. It was bound in a very thick, foreign leather and was incredibly ornate. It was decorated by a single person with an abundance of care. The full leather binding was covered with engraved characters of an unreadable text, giving the leather an uneven texture. As she went to pick it up, she realized dust covered it almost a full inch.

She took it in her arms and ran off. In her room, nearly on the other side of the palace, she sat by her desk and cracked open the book. It was foreign, though not completely. She recognized it somehow…

It was Elenrian. Shiraori had learned some Tanhuan, but she was still at the beginning of her lessons. She flipped open to the first page of full text. It was crammed with text and even had notes in the margins. She used her fingers to trace the characters to aid her memory of Elenrian text. “Burnt… No, that’s not it. It has a fire radical, so it has to do with cooked, right? Fried. No, wait! Roasted. That’s a bird radical. Uh… a goose? No, wrong form. A duck? A duck.” She sounded out the text as she went, considering each word.

“It’s a cookbook!!” Shiraori giggled to herself. “I never thought I’d read a real Elenrian book.” She sniffled and wiped away the last of her tears, and began reading.

Reading may have been a generous term for it, as she only understood about thirty percent of its characters, and even half of those were guesses from context clues. Still, she giggled to herself as she read. Especially the margins, which had even more detailed instructions specific to the town of the former owner of the cookbook. “Past the… swirlwater? No. That’s… waterfall! Long grass grows in… stalks! Wait, what’s long-grass? No… that’s… Garlic!! Past the waterfall, garlic grows in stalks!” The nine-year-old Shiraori laughed, the simple cookbook somehow ultimately cheering her up.

Hours passed as the young Princess continued to read the Elenrian cookbook, learning, guessing, and giggling all by herself. She almost completely forgot about the encounter with her mother from earlier.

The illusion shattered when her bedroom door swung open. “Shiraori-” The Empress had entered her room. “What is that?” She asked, the voice in her throat immediately agitated.

Shiraori tried to hide the book behind herself, but she was much slower than her mother, who snatched it out of her hands. She sifted through the pages, and the look of recognition, and soon after, anger painted her face. “Where did you get this?” Her words were pointed, deliberate, and each one clued to the fury Shiraori was in for.

“I… I…” Before the young Princess could formulate a single thought, she had been knocked to the floor. The side of her cheek screamed in pain. In reaction, she had pulled up her hands to her face, but touching the wounded area just made it hurt more. Her entire cheek tingled in agony, like a thousand pinpricks being inserted into her face over and over again.

The smack stopped echoing in the room as the Empress glared down at her daughter. She wiped off her hand with a handkerchief. “Never. Ever. Go in my room, or touch my shit.”

Shiraori still collapsed on the floor, didn’t move, and just let her tears fall to the floor. Her eyes were wide open as the side of her face continued to twitch in pain. She watched as small splatters of water continued to dot the hardwood. All she heard was a ringing in her ear and then her mother. “Get washed up for dinner.”

---

Empress Shiraori’s eyes darted between each of her daughter’s. Her hand still cocked back, but all her anger had been replaced with the most bottomless pit of depression. Reito stared back, tears still flowing down her cheeks. Shiraori’s hand slowly came forward, Reito flinched and squinted her eyes in anticipation of her punishment, but her mother’s hand gently caressed her. “I am so sorry, my dear Reito.”

Shiraori began crying as well and took a step forward, hugging her daughter as tightly as she could. Reito was stunned. She had no idea what to do until she hugged her mother back with all her strength. Nishimura was still bowing entirely to the floor but had been keeping an eye on the two and now watched as they wept into each other’s arms. “Please forgive me. Please, please, Reito, forgive me.”

Still weeping and still very confused, Reito asked. “F.. forgive you for what? I’m the one who broke your model and let Nishimura-kensi take the blame.”

Shiraori pulled back and again caressed her daughter’s face. “For ever letting you think I would get so mad over something as inconsequential as a model warship. For making you so scared that you had a meltdown before you even told me what happened. I am so sorry, Reito.”

Reito crumpled into her mother’s chest, letting her tears stain her mother’s shirt. “I’m so sorry I broke your model, mom. I had no idea your dad gave it to you. It just sounded so cool when Nishimura was describing it.”

“It is pretty cool, isn’t it?” Shiraori smiled and softly patted her daughter’s head. “And you know what?” She pushed Reito’s face up again and looked her in the eyes with a warm smile. “It’s even cooler now.”

Reito raised four eyebrows. “It’s cooler now? How?”

Shiraori laughed once and softly grasped one of her daughter’s hands. She walked her over to the desk and grabbed the broken mast of the model. It didn’t take a lot of effort to pull off the mast from its glue, and once it was off, Shiraori set it down on the model's deck. “Now it’s battle-hardened.” She laughed a little more and squeezed Reito’s hand.

Reito squeezed back and laughed a little before sniffling. “Battle-hardened?”

“Mhm. She’s had to fight for her life, but she’s still up and going.” She nodded and smiled at the model. “That’s much cooler than a sterile model that’s never seen combat.”

Reito looked at her mother as her face fought between a smile and breaking out sobbing again. “I love you so much, mom.”

[Sophie]

Knock knock knock the rapping on the door echoed through the room. “Reito? Can I come in?” The Empress’s voice drew the attention of the Princess and her maids.

Princess Reito ambled over to the door and pulled it open. With a smile and a bow, Reito greeted her mother. “Good afternoon, mom.” She twirled her crimson kimono her maids had helped put on her. “Do I look okay?”

“You look wonderful, my dear.” Empress Shiraori cooed, “But what are you getting so dressed up for?”

Reito looked at her mother with a bewildered expression. “Aren’t Ministers Kure and Okabe coming for a visit today?”

“They are, yes.” The Empress confirmed with a terse smile. “Though not on official business. I am simply offering Kure-kas a helping hand in a personal matter.”

“Oh.” Reito nodded, and Shiraori breathed a premature sigh of relief before her daughter spoke up again. “So what should I wear then?” The continued assumption that Reito would be present for the meeting dejected Shiraori as she slumped herself forward.

“I’m sorry, my darling. Kure-kas has asked for a private meeting with Okabe-kas and myself.” She brushed a bit of hair from her daughter’s face and pinned it back into her side bun. “I’m afraid you can’t attend.”

This information stunned Reito for a moment, “But for my thirteenth birthday, you said I’d attend all your meetings… so I could learn to be an Empress as good as you.” She pouted at her mother.

“I know, but this isn’t an Empress meeting. It’s,” she paused in thought for a moment. “It’s a meeting between friends.”

Reito continued her defiant pout up at her mom. “I could still learn a lot from attending! About how to be a good friend while still being Empress!”

“Not this time Reito,” Shiraori stated firmly. “Besides, Kure-kas’s bringing her daughter for you to hang out with.”

Reito’s heart skipped a beat. “Rui-Rui’s coming?” After a moment, she caught herself and coughed awkwardly. “Rui-kas is coming? I guess I wouldn’t mind missing the meeting in that case.”

Shiraori gave her daughter a questioning look but decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth. “I appreciate that, my dear Reito. Would you like to greet them with me? They should be here soon.”

“Ye-” She hesitated for a moment. “Is it alright if the maids finish my makeup first?”

With another curious eye, her mother answered. “You need makeup to hang out with Kure-kas?”

“I…” Reito thought for a moment. “An Empress must always be presentable. Right?”

“Good girl.” Shiraori nodded. “I’ll see you in the foyer in fifteen minutes then.”

---

“Welcome to our home. It is our true pleasure and honor to host you.” The greeting was old, stiff, and formal. It was, however, the typical greeting for guests to the Palace. The visitors, Minister of the Navy Riko Kure, Minister of the Hunt Ayano Okabe, and Ruri Kure bowed in response to Reito’s greeting.

“Thank you for welcoming us. We will be in your care.” Both the ministers responded in kind. Rui’s pink eyes met Reito’s with a very small, excited smile piercing through her professional facade. Her short, deep black hair contrasted her mother’s long champagne blonde. Like her mother, she too was a castle back Kumo.

“Follow me, ladies.” Empress Shiraori offered to the two ministers. “I’ve had my board room prepared for us.”

Minister Kure handed a small cardboard box to Rui with a static, professional smile. With a soft pat on the head, the minister walked away and followed after the Empress. As soon as her mother walked away, Rui tried desperately to fix her hair.

Still standing in the foyer, Reito watched her with a quick giggle. “You look fine, Rui-Rui.” She spoke in a sing-songy joy as she walked up to her. “What did your mom give you?”

Rui Kure struggled to meet Reito’s eyes and stammered. “I.. Um… Mom told me… My mom told me you were… interested in the Kakunodate… S… so I brought you a model.” She held the box out awkwardly. The “Azure Anchors” emblem blazed above the hand-drawn image of the RBS Kakunodate in combat. “I thought we could build it together.” She looked up at her with a smile. “I- if you want to!”

Reito laughed and took the box in her hand. “That… that sounds like fun, Rui-Rui~” With her free hand, she took Rui’s and began to lead her off to her room. Rui walked in amazement, not for the first time, as Reito led her through the labyrinth of the Palace. After passing well over a dozen other doors and hallways, Reito dragged Rui into her room.

With a sigh of relief, Reito said a silent thanks to the maids that her room was pristine after the mess she left it in getting ready.

The room was massive; a large chandelier hung overhead, only recently converted from candles to electric. Several soft Kumo-couches lay about the room, essentially just cushions affixed to the floor for Kumo to rest their bodies on, one with a small desk, another simply splayed out by the cold window as a daybed. Up against the back wall was her bed. It was large enough to comfortably sleep at least four Kumo, with a velvet comforter and over two dozen pillows. The walls were adorned with several massive drapes that covered nothing, and taped to one, just above her desk, was a poster for the ‘Chivalry of a Failed Knight’ light novel series.

Reito took a few steps ahead of Rui and bowed slightly. “W- welcome to my room! A.. again…” She spoke a bit awkwardly. “Here!” She exclaimed and skittered over to her desk, pushing aside the stack of novels. “We can build the model on my desk.” She set herself and the box down and motioned for Rui to join her.

Sheepishly, Rui ambled over to Reito’s desk and sat next to her. Her heart pounded hard in her chest. “It’s very kind of you to invite me into your room like this, Reito-kama.”

The use of the honorific made her frown for a moment. “You- you can just call me Reito. If… if you want.”

“S- sure, Reito.” Rui smiled at Reito, who smiled back. The two girls sat right next to each other, just smiling at one another for several hanging moments until Rui broke the silence. “W- we should build this.” She picked up the box and began to unpack the model.

A deluge of plastic parts came spilling out onto the desk. The two girls stared at them for a moment before Rui separated out the folded sheet of instructions. She quickly glanced over and frowned while sifting through the plastic mess. “I thought it would come with glue.” She held up one of the plastic sprues holding several parts of the model. “And a knife?”

Reito laughed momentarily, “I can have the maids get that for us.” She stood from the desk to leave, but Rui quickly grasped Reito’s wrist.

“Don’t go.” Rui’s breathless voice called out in desperation. “P- please.”

Reito’s heart caught in her throat as she looked down on her friend. Rui was looking down and away, but her grip held firm. “I… I’ll be right back, Rui. I promise.”

“I-” Rui tried to find the words she needed, but she didn’t know precisely why she protested Reito leaving in the first place. “Okay.”

With a confused smile, Reito stepped out of the room, leaving Rui Kure all alone in the bedroom of the Princess. She sat stiffly, her legs struggling to find a comfortable position beneath her despite being on one of the most well-crafted seats in the Empire. Trying to alleviate her anxiety, she looked around the room and had a quiet laugh about how much merchandise for the Failed Knight series was there to see.

Her eyes then turned to the books Reito had pushed aside. Most were from the light novel series, though one was completely unbranded. Curious, she picked it from the bottom of the stack. Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as she read the first line.

Esrellia 7th, 1930.

Mom said now that she’s teaching me how to be Empress, I should start keeping a journal to organize my thoughts.

Even though she knew what she was doing was wrong, she couldn’t help but look for a specific entry.

Vaylien 23rd, 1930.

I got to see Rui-Rui today! Its been almost a month since I had seen her last, and then I couldn’t really talk to her since I had to join my mom to oversee the naval exercise in the woodpool sea.

I don’t know why but whenever I see Rui-Rui, my heart beats really fast, and it's like I can’t breathe. Every action becomes manual, and I have to try really hard to remain proper. I just get lost in her eyes. She has to be the most beautiful girl in all of Ouhiri. Every moment I hang out with her is the best moment in my life.

I wish I could spend every day with her, but mom seems hesitant to invite Minister Kure over that often. I’ve tried to push for her to come over more often, but mom snapped at me, so I dropped it. After that, she apologized at least and said she’d ask Minister Kure to bring over Rui-Rui more often.

Rui’s heart pounded as she read and flipped forward a few pages.

Sablien 1st, 1930.

Rui-Rui came today! I’ve missed her so much. I don’t know how to explain this… painful feeling of longing whenever she leaves, so having her here was a blessing. My heart feels so whole when she’s around. It's like, an unexplainable fog clears when I’m with her.

While we were hanging out, mom said she could stay over for the night since Minister Kure had some business to deal with in Almerzhinsk. When Rui-Rui climbed into my bed, I felt like my heart was going to pop out of my chest. It was beating so fast. I didn’t sleep a wink, I just tried to stay as still as possible, but I just couldn’t help but take a peek at her every now and again. She looked so beautiful, so serene and peaceful. It ultimately settled my heart to see her like that. Her pajamas were so adorable; she even told me where to get my own pair later.

I hope Rui-Rui gets to stay over again soon. Now that she’s gone, that painful longing is already back. I can’t wait to see her again.

The knob to Reito’s bedroom turned, and Rui’s already pounding heart accelerated to a new high. With a quick slam, Rui closed the book and threw it next to the pile she had taken it from.

“I’m sorry that took so long, Rui-Rui,” Reito said as she walked back into her room. “Are you okay?” She asked, looking at her now panicked friend. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I’m fine!” Rui’s voice cracked as she shouted her answer.

With a raised eyebrow, Reito accepted her answer. “Okay, good.” She smiled and sat back down with the knife and quick setting glue. “Shall we get to building?”

“Y- yeah!” Rui smiled back and picked back up the instructions; she struggled not to drop them when Reito’s hand brushed against hers. “So… first we need to take part A one and A two and glue them together like this. I think it's the bottom of the hull.”

As Reito began to cut out the first piece, she noticed something that made her brow furrow. “Rui, did… did you touch my journal?”

Rui’s heart sank, and her eyes averted Reito’s gaze as she stumbled her way through an excuse. “I... I was just looking through your books, that one didn’t have a label, so I just opened it to see what it was.”

Reito’s concern and anxiousness grew. “Did you read it?”

As she was baking up a lie in her mind, Rui saw Reito’s face, that she was about to start crying and could no longer bring herself to lie. “I did… I… needed to know how you felt about me.” She began rambling faster and faster as Reito started to completely freak out. “I always thought that maybe you were only so nice to me because… because you’re the Princess! And I’m the Minister of the Navy’s daughter!”

“I can’t believe you read my journal Rui! That’s so embarrassing!” Her mind raced through everything she’d ever written in her journal, all the awkward and embarrassing private thoughts she’s had. Then her mind went to everything she had written about Rui. All the different thoughts and feelings she’d written trying to puzzle out exactly how she did feel about Rui. “Wait. What parts did you read?!”

“Only the stuff you wrote about me!” Rui answered instantly. “I promise that’s it.”

“That doesn’t make it better, Rui!” Reito almost shouted as she stood up and walked away with her journal in hand. “Those are my private thoughts! No one ever was supposed to read those! Not even my mom has ever read my journal.”

Rui stood up and walked over to Reito. “I… I’m sorry, Reito. I… I just had to know. How you… how you felt about me.”

“Why?” Reito turned around, her welling tears already smudging her makeup.

Rui hesitated. She knew the answer, but even with all the willpower she could muster, she couldn’t say it.

“Why did you have to read my journal? When you could have just asked Rui.” Reito begged the embarrassment, thoroughly flushing her cheeks.

Rui looked up into Reito’s eyes. “How do you feel about me… Reito?” She managed to gather the strength to ask.

Even though Reito had just teed it up, the question hit Reito like a freight train. “I… I don’t know Rui! I get confused and scared whenever I try to figure out exactly how I feel.” She answered in a huff and a hurry. Even though she had plenty of oxygen, she felt completely out of breath. “Y- you obviously know now I like you a lot Rui. I don’t… I…”

Reito continued to spiral in confusion, anger, and embarrassment, unable to meet Rui’s eyes, her whole face completely red.

Rui could barely bring herself to glance at the Princess, her own mind bouncing between the rules of hierarchy and the inexplicable attachment she had to Reito. Before she could second guess herself, Rui took a bold step forward and pressed her lips into Reito’s.

Reito’s eyes shot wide open with shock. Her whole body froze, but her heart kept pounding faster than ever. She stared at Rui’s face; all eight eyelids were tightly shut, and her lips were stiffly pressed against hers. Finally, Reito took a step back, still not knowing how to react. “R- Rui. I..”

“I love you, Reito.” Rui stared softly into the Princess’s eyes, with tears spilling out of her own. “I’m so sorry for reading your journal, but I needed to know if you loved me back.”

“I…” Reito hesitated. “You love me?”

Rui nodded twice. “Ever since the first day I met you, Reito.”

The Empress’s words echoed in Reito’s mind for a moment and influenced her following words. “Do… do you only love me because I’m the Princess?”

“I don’t care that you’re Princess, Reito,” Rui answered.

“H-how do I know you’re not just saying that to get closer to the Princess, Rui?”

“I…” It was a fair question, making Rui pause to find the correct answer. Unfortunately, there was none, “All I can do is promise that I love you for you, Reito. If you renounced the throne, I would still love you.”

Desperately, Reito wanted to believe the words Rui was speaking. “I… I love you, Rui-Rui.” This time Reito took the step forward and cupped her cheek before planting a kiss on Rui’s lips. The two of them were much more relaxed this time around. Rui let her arms wrap around Reito, and their lips much more softly pressed together. Reito softly caressed Rui’s face, the two only growing increasingly engrossed with each other’s comfort.

---

“And finally,” Minister Okabe continued. “The media is in a twenty-four-hour news cycle reporting the death of Mikuma. Now that the CMS soldiers have been discovered inside, the populace is ablaze with a desire for revenge and justice.”

Minister Kure nodded. “I’ve noticed it. I went to a local grocer yesterday, and the only thing on everyone’s mind was the Mikuma. Someone even approached me directly and begged me to get justice for her cousin. It was rather satisfying to see my work pay off so directly.”

“Very well.” Shiraori nodded solemnly. “Now that I’m up to speed, I can begin drafting my demands to the Mestrian leaders. Their inevitable refusal and denial of wrongdoing should work only to further doom their people to death beneath my pedipalps. We will win the day and, finally, have a foothold on the main continent.” She let her final words hang, carefully gauging the opinions of the two women before her. Satisfied that they were adequately amped, she spoke. “Is there anything else?”

“No, your highness,” Minister Kure answered, “I believe we’ve covered it all.”

“I agree.” Minister Okabe added. “I have everything I need to prepare our armies for what must be done. For you, your highness.”

“Then you’re dismissed,” Shiraori stated firmly. “I’ll let your daughter know you’re ready to leave.” Her words were formal, but her tone betrayed the slightest hint of ice towards her minister. This was not intentional, as the Empress worked exhaustively to retain positive relationships with all her ministers, especially so with the Minister of the Navy. As she, though not by law, was the third most powerful woman in the whole of Kumosenkan.

“Thank you, your highness. I will await her in the foyer.” Minister Kure bowed deeply and left the conference room in tandem with Minister Okabe.

Shiraori took a moment alone in the conference room to take a breath to herself. She quickly glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed, satisfied. “We finished early. That’s a first.” With the remark, she smiled, left the conference room, and made a direct line for her daughter’s bedroom.

With a few soft raps, Shiraori knocked on her daughter’s door. Though was quickly concerned when no response came. She knocked a bit harder this time. “Reito-sen? Rui-kas? Are you in there?” She waited a moment, but still, no response came. “Did they go somewhere else?” She mused to herself as she turned the knob to the door.

In the doorway she stood, stunned. Not mentally equipped to deal with what she saw, she just stood frozen. Her daughter’s face was mashed into the face of the daughter of her most detested Minister. Time froze as her eyes twitched, darting between Reito and Rui. “Kure-kas.” Her voice came out almost in a growl.

As the two girls finally heard the Empress, they hastily broke apart. Reito hurriedly tried to close her Kimono and retie her obi while Rui just stared at the Empress in fear. Her mouth hung open, desperate for any motive to explain her way out of the situation she caught herself in. Shiraori, too, was desperate for any explanation that wasn’t what she knew was happening. “Your mother is waiting for you. Go home.”

Rui shot a quick glance of panic back at Reito, who traded staring at the ground and back to her. Reito mouthed a fast, “Go.” Before returning her gaze to the floor. Rui’s eight legs skittered beneath her with all the strength and speed they could muster. As the door slammed behind her, only the Empress and Princess were left in the room.

“You can’t tell her mom.” Reito eked out, not daring to bring her gaze above the floor.

Shiraori stared daggers into her daughter. “And who are you to be giving me orders when I just caught you with your kimono half off and your tongue in another girl’s throat.”

Reito’s eyes burned as if someone had spit acid in her face. Tears welled, and her cheeks glowed in a bright red shame. As the first drop fell from her face to the floor, she pleaded in her weakest voice. “Please.”

Without a change in posture, her mother continued to stare at her daughter, her eyes twitching. “I’ll do you that favor.” She spat, “If you promise to never see her again.”

It was a fair deal, but still, Reito protested. “That’s not fair!” She finally looked up to challenge her mother, the quick motion of her face flinging some tears of her face onto the ground. “I know you like girls too!”

“This isn’t about liking girls or liking boys,” Shiraori growled. “This is about who she is. Who her mother is.”

“But, I-” Reito continued her objection.

“Enough.” Her mother snapped. “You will never have a moment alone with Rui Kure again. Or I will tell Riko Kure, everything, I just saw.”

Pained, Reito stared into her mother's eyes, pleading, but her mother gave no quarter. Dejected, her heart in more physical pain than it ever had been in the past, she looked back down at the floor. “Okay.”

“Get yourself together. We have to see our guests off.” Her mother finished and turned away, leaving her daughter alone in the room.

Without even a moment to grieve a love lost, reito hurriedly tied her Kimono back on with her obi, wiped her face clean, and left her room. In a moment, she was beside her mother, with a professional smile on her face.

Rui stood beside her own mother, not as well put together. She looked at the Empress in complete fear as she bade the visitors goodbye. She quickly glanced at Reito, who gave a quick, professional nod. She hoped that would convey what she needed it to; it did seem to sway some of the panic on Rui’s face.

As the Empress and Princess wrapped up their farewell, Rui stared, with worry and fear, at the girl she fell for. As small as she could and as quick as she could, Rui mouthed, “I love you.”

Reito, not daring to step out of line next to her mother, only responded again with a nod.

[Sophie]

Stay seventh, nineteen-thirty-one.

The Kumosenkan palace just outside of the city of Fuyonouso was abuzz with activity. A line of cars and taratect-drawn carriages had bloated to at least sixteen vehicles long, guards exhaustively inspecting everyone approaching the gates. To get in, one needed an invitation, an id, and permit the royal guard to thoroughly inspect themselves and their party before being allowed in.

A heavy flurry of snow fell from the night skies. Even though it was only four in the afternoon, the sun had already fully set. Though the snow had only begun falling mere moments ago, already an inch covered the ground in a soft white blanket.

"You look absolutely gorgeous, my liege!" The maid cooed in joy as she took a step back to appreciate her work. "I've never seen you look so perfect!"

Reito smiled and grabbed the mirror off her desk. A tear welled in her eye as she looked upon the glory her maid had achieved. Her face, neck and all the way down to her sternum were powdered white. Black wings highlighted her eight crimson eyes. Lipstick, in truth a paste of crushed rare red beetles, made her lips a brilliant shining red. Her eyebrows had been perfectly manicured and painted. A tight roll held Reito's silky pink bangs up, and a bun held the back of her hair up neatly. The sides of her hair were rolled and tucked into the bun. Pinned into her bangs were her classic golden comb and jade flowers.

"Come now, Reito-kama." A soft coo calmed the air. "You mustn't cry and ruin all my hard work." Reito's maid dabbed the Princess's tear ducts with a light cloth. "Now stand up. Let's get your yukata on."

Obeying orders, Reito got up on all eight legs and stuck her arms out. The maid draped the crimson floral yukata over her shoulders, the sleeves extended well past her hands. In a quick motion, she quickly wrapped the Kumo in her obi and tied it tightly into a perfect bow on her back. "Just like that, you're all ready to go."

“Um, Nishimura-kas. How many people are coming tonight?” Reito asked pensively.

“Just a few hundred, my dear.” The nonchalance of the answer didn’t cover the answer itself.

“Oh,” Reito swallowed. “That’s a lot more than last year.”

“Your fourteenth birthday is an important one, Princess Reito,” Nishimura assured. “Starting today, you are officially the second in command of the entire Empire, not just operating on your mother's authority. You now have your own authority, and the only one who can overrule you is the Empress.”

“I know.” Reito took a deep breath. “It's still a lot of people.”

“Oh, hush now,” Nishimura spoke with a bit of a laugh, still fiddling with the Princess’s outfit. “You’re going to be Empress one day. You’ll have to learn to deal with larger crowds than a few hundred.”

Of course, Reito knew this, but it still didn’t make her feel better now as her stomach twisted into knots. Her mind drifted to things that typically make her feel better. Mom’s going to be too busy managing all the guests. “Is Minister Kure attending?”

Nishimura’s eyebrows rose. “She is. All the Ministers are.”

“Did Minister Kure invite anyone with her?” Reito asked a bit pensively.

“Her husband and daughter are here with her, yes,” Nishimura answered incredulously, stepping back from the Princess and letting the Yukata settle on her. “Why?”

“I…” Reito hesitated, not looking the maid in the eye. “I just want to know everyone important who’s coming.”

“You know you’re not allowed to see Rui.” Nishimura tried to speak harshly, but her heart ached for Reito. She knew what it was like to love someone you were not supposed to.

Reito used all her strength to hold back the emotion welling up inside her. Yet, despite her best efforts, a weak frown did spoil her face. “Yeah, I know!” She tried to sound confident, but her voice was shakier than a Hawaiian beach in nineteen-ten. “I wanted to know if she was here so I could avoid her.”

“She is.” Nishimura again confirmed. “Promise me I don’t have to keep an eye on you two.”

“I promise.” Reito forced a smile. “Um, can I have a moment alone? To finish getting ready?”

With pursed lips, Nishimura agreed. “Your debut is in five minutes, okay?” She softly pet Reito on the head and walked out the door.

The ballroom where the Empress hosted the party was on the opposite side of the palace. Attached to it was a massive guest dining room with plenty of tables and a buffet of foods provided by local chefs. The palace maids were wandering around the ballroom and dining room with platters of appetizers and cocktails carefully balanced on a single hand. Of course, they were also using an amount of nearly invisible webbing to adhere the platters to their hand for extra security.

Nearly a hundred Kumo were lining the ballroom walls in their absolute most excellent outfits, primarily warm Yukatas. Even with all the bodies present and a full-blast heater, it was hard to fight against the subzero temperatures outside. Children, no younger than twelve, were tied up into their fanciest dresses and were on their best behavior. Young men and women awkwardly chatted with each other. Their parents are quietly in the background encouraging their children to make friends with other children of powerful families.

The families were predominantly members of the Shutoigen, better known as the Kumosenkan Nobility. Unlike typical nobility, these Kumo didn't earn their staus through mass land ownership. Instead, their status came from the massive companies they owned.

A white-spotted false widow Kumo stood against a wall chatting up another woman whose son was meeting her daughter. This was Countess Nezuko Kita, the owner of a massive steelworks conglomerate. "Did you hear?" The question was intentionally vague to bait a response from her conversation partner.

Duchess Sazae Kaji, who owned a company that controlled nearly thirty percent of mines on the home islands. Her voice and body language clearly conveyed her indifference to the Countess, raised eyebrows and disinterested eyes that accompanied a half-caring tilt of the head. "Hear what?"

"Baroness Adachi," She chittered at the Sierra Dome Kumo. "Was arrested for hoarding wealth."

Kaji spit out her sake, her eyes narrowing. "Adachi-kas?! How? Doesn't she only own two media companies?!"

"Four." Kita corrected. "She was underpaying her employees, and they started to strike. Then when the Empress investigated, she unveiled her fraudulent tax documents. Minister Tomori and Minister Takami raided her home last week and dragged her out in cuffs."

"What happened to her companies?" The Duchess asked interestedly, already buying them in her head.

Satisfied that she had successfully pulled the Duchess into a whole conversation, Countess Kita sipped her sake. "All her shares went to the Empress. They will probably be sold on the open market next week."

"Wait, where is the Empress?" Kaji asked, searching around the room. "Isn't Princess Reito's debut in," she quickly pulled out her gilded pocket watch, "now?"

All the Kumo sitting in the dining room enjoying appetizers filtered back into the ballroom. They all gathered, facing the room's north end, which had a raised platform up a set of stairs with a double door.

Once Empress Shiraori walked through the door, resplendent in her yukata makeup and crown, the entire room bowed before her. "Ladies and Gentlemen." Once she began speaking, everyone looked up at her. "Thank you for joining me on this special day. Not only for my daughter's birthday. But also for her induction as a factor within my court, and able to fully participate in Kumosenkan’s future. Ladies and Gentlemen. I introduce to you: the gracious Princess of Kumosenkan. Reito Doku Kumo."

Reito stepped out from behind the double doors as two maids held them wide open for her to raucous applause. The overwhelming amount of people in the massive ballroom had Reito’s eyes darting around.

While her face was a perfect mask of a Princess honored to be before so many dignitaries, beneath was a level of sheer panic only she could understand. She quickly looked up at her mother. There, she received a warm and comforting smile. The one that had always been there to help her through the pain.

Her mother’s solace granted her a bit of calm, enough to face the crowd before her.

“Thank you all for coming. I am blessed to have so many wonderful Kumo to celebrate my birthday with me.” Her eyes scanned the room and settled on a Spined Micrathena Kumo. She desperately searched around the Minister of the Navy and finally landed on her daughter. Rui! Reito cheered internally and smiled as their eyes met.

Rui, however, did not return the smile. As soon as their eyes met, she averted her gaze to the floor. The awkward moment renewed the anxiety in Reito’s heart, and she wished she could just hold her mother’s hand. Looking to mommy for comfort wasn’t precisely the strength she needed to be espousing, and she accepted the title of second in command. Instead, Reito traveled back into her memories and landed on the memory of her mother hugging her tightly after she broke her model of the Kakunodate. The memory quickly stilled her heart once more.

“I would like to extend a special welcome to the survivors from Royal Battle Ship Mikuma. Please, join me in a moment of silence for the nine hundred sailors who lost their lives on that fateful night.” Reito, Shiraori, and the entire room of Kumo bowed their heads for a full minute of silence. “May your ancestors guide you safely to the living stars.”

As she finished the quick prayer, two maids carried out a small podium covered by a silk blanket. “Minister Nagai,” Shiraori spoke towards the Minister of the Spirits, who was wearing her official priestess garb. “Would you join us for my daughter’s coronation?”

“It would be my honor, Empress Shiraori.” The minister’s soft voice cooed throughout the room as she joined the mother-daughter duo on the stage. With extreme care, the minister removed the blanket from the podium. Underneath, revealed a glass case upon a mahogany stand. Inside was a crown. A white gold finished with rhodium tiara extended upwards in a fractal snowflake pattern. They peaked in the center and slowly cascaded down to each end. In the center of each snowflake was a gemstone unique to each prefecture of Kumosenkan. The metal was encrusted with diamonds ranging from a tenth to a single carat. In the very center was a blazing ruby from the Korishiro Prefecture. The fourteen-carat pendeloque cut gem was only outdone by its seventeen-carat sister gem in her mother’s crown.

With the white gloves placed next to the crown, Nagai lifted the Tiara. Reito bowed down, bringing her four fore legs down to their knees. “Reito Doku Kumo. Daughter of Shiraori Tetsu Kumo. Do you swear upon the honor of your ancestors to support and defend the Empire of Kumosenkan against all Enemies?”

Without looking up or opening her eyes, Reito answered. “I do.”

“Do you swear to work in service of the Kumosenkan people and only the Kumosenkan people freely and without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion?”

“I do.” Reito again answered without hesitation.

“Do you swear to discharge the duties of Princess faithfully and in goodwill?”

“I do.”

“Reito Doku Kumo. Do you accept this crown and the responsibilities it represents?”

“I do.”

“I hereby coronate you, in the name of every Empress who came before you and the name of the Empress who stands before us.” Very slowly, the minister lowered the crown onto the Princess’s head. She pushed it into her very tightly kept hair. “I hereby introduce to all witnesses present Princess Reito Doku Kumo.” Reito stood and bowed before the procession.

The ballroom erupted in applause and cheering for the newly coronated woman. Reito smiled out at the crowd and tentatively touched her crown. The cold sharpness gave her a reaffirming sense of confidence. From the touch, her hand turned to a wave. Her smile was full and radiant, and tears welled up in her eyes. Not only was she legally the Princess, but the entirety of the royalty and ministry seemed to accept her as such fully.

“Thank you, Minister Nagai. And thank you all of you. I hope I may serve you all well as your Princess.” Reito spoke with absolute confidence. “Now, join us in the dining room for dinner.”

As the chaos of over a hundred Kumo walking from one room to the other ensued, Reito rushed into the crowd. Shiraori began skittering towards the dining room, more than satisfied with the ceremony.

While rushing through the crowd, Reito reached a hand into her yukata's neck and corset. Out she pulled a small envelope. She clasped it tightly until she finally bumped into its recipient. Rui Kure. The letter crumpled as Reito stuffed it into Rui's hand.

The Kumo collected food from the buffets and sat at an open place among the tables. Shiraori and Reito sat at their own table at the head of the room on throne-esque chairs. Reito picked at her meal while throwing near-constant glances at Rui.

Rui sat next to her mother. Not strictly by choice. From the moment Rui arrived, her mother's hand rested on the nape of their neck. While her mom focused on eating her meal, Rui uncrumpled the letter that the Princess passed to her.

"Rui Rui!
I miss you so much. I've never gone this long without seeing you. My heart has been in physical agony since you left. I am kept awake at night dreaming of resting my head on your bosom. My whole body aches from the memory of your embrace. I miss your velvety voice in my ear, and I miss your lips on mine. I've never felt an addiction as strong as you. I know you know my mother forbade me from seeing you, but I cannot bear another moment away. If you still feel the same, after the cake is displayed and cut, sneak out and meet me in the library.
Love,
Your Reito.”

As she read, Rui’s swirling cocktail of emotions nearly boiled over. She quickly stashed the note into her yukata and looked up at Reito with a worried expression. Their hearts skipped a beat once their eyes met, but Rui again looked away, instead focusing on her meal. Idle conversations carried through the massive dining room as over a hundred Kumo chatted. Children were doing their best to remain on their absolute best behavior.

Allowing plenty of time for people to finish their meals, maids began to wheel out a massive ten-tier cake. Each layer was a different flavor and had multitudes of icing and decor. However, the only decor worth mentioning was an entirely edible reproduction of Reito’s crown sitting on top. Shiraori cut the cake from the top layer, getting part of the crown on the piece, and passed it over to the birthday girl.

As the maids passed out the cake, people began returning to the ballroom for dancing as the orchestra that the palace had hired again began to play. Reito scarfed down her cake and whispered to her mother. “Is it okay if I sneak off to the bathroom?”

“Yes, but be quick. Everyone is here for you.” Shiraori nodded, patting her daughter on the head just beyond the tiara.

Reito quickly tried to scuttle out of the dining room, but being her party, she was caught a few times for conversations. “Excuse me, Princess Reito?”

Reito looked at the woman before her, trying desperately to place who she was in her head. The Yukata she was wearing was a cheap, mass-produced one; compared to the rest of the attendees, she stuck out with a sore thumb. “Yes? What can I do for you?”

“I… I’m Able Seaman Masami Fujino. I was on Mikuma when she…” The woman choked up and closed her eyes to try and hold back the pain she felt, even referencing the destroyed heavy cruiser. “I wanted to thank you. I never imagined I would have the honor of being invited to the palace or meeting you and your Mother. Um… ever since what happened… happened. Most days have been awful. But you and the Empress have taken great care of my shipmates and me. So, thank you.”

Reito wasn’t sure how to respond. She looked back at the sailor with a furious mix of emotions. “I… We should be the ones thanking you.” Reito fumbled for the words. “The sailors of the Royal Battle Fleet are Kumosenkan’s first and best defense against her enemies. You and the other sailors of Mikuma sacrificed everything to keep us safe. To keep my mother and me safe from foreign threats. Thank you for your sacrifice. We owe you everything. If there is ever anything more we can do, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Actually, there is.” The sailor affirmed. “Ever since the incident, my daughter has been near inconsolable. She just turned thirteen, and she won't go back to school. She’s afraid that something bad will happen if she lets me go.”

“I’m so sorry.” Reito’s heart ached for this woman. “How can I help?”

“My daughter really looks up to you, Reito-kama. Would you sign her copy of this light novel?” She handed a small book over to Reito. It was the first in the series of the ‘Chivalry of a Failed Knight.’ “Maybe write something about staying in school? The only thing she does anymore is read those books and try to take care of me.

Reito looked at the book with a mix of guilt and hesitation. “I…” She felt her mother’s words nag in the back of her mind about how people would try to profit off of her. “What’s your address? Instead, why don’t I write her a letter?”

“Y… you would do that for me?” Fujino stuttered. “Thank you, your highness. That is more than I could ever ask of you. Thank you so much. I live in Tsubame, fifty-second street, street number thirteen fifty.”

“It is the least I can do after everything you’ve done for our nation,” Reito assured. “Now, please, enjoy the rest of the party.” She was desperate to end the conversation because, as she looked around the room, she realized Rui had already made her exit.

The sailor bowed, a gesture Reito returned before stepping away. She only managed to make a few steps towards the dining room door before being interrupted again. “R-r-reito-kama?” The Duchess Yasuwa Kizu’s thirteen-year-old son was trying to talk to her, quite clearly at his mother’s direction as she stared holes into the back of his head. Yasuwa Kizu owned a massive shipyard company that spanned the southern coast, even with some facilities in Hawaii.

“Kizu-kas!” Reito spoke in surprise, as their last interaction had been less than favorable. He had made a snide remark about the power of ministers and how it should rightfully be in the hands of the nobles. Culminating in how Reito shouldn’t even talk to the kids of ministers.

Kouwa Kizu was highly nervous; his hands were already drenched in sweat. He looked back at his mom, who glared angrily at him and motioned him to keep talking. “I um… I wanted to say I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” Reito said with force, his apology only reminding her of how pissed he made her. “Exactly?”

“Uh…” He rubbed his hands together and stared at the floor. “I…” His thumb pressed furiously into his palm, and all eight of his legs tapped anxiously behind himself. The perfectly tailored Yukata only accentuated his lanky nature. “F.. for being so mean about the Ministers.” Again he looked back to his mother, who continued to urge him on. “I just really like you and felt jealous about how often the ministers’ kids get to visit you. Can you please forgive me?”

Reito sighed, wanting to get out of this conversation and see Rui. “Yes. I forgive you, Kizu-kas.”

“R-really?” Kouwa perked up a bit, not expecting her to forgive him so quickly. “Um… then maybe would you want to go on a date with me sometime? I could take you out on my family’s yacht!”

A laugh escaped Reito’s professional facade. “No. No, I will absolutely not go on a date with you, Kizu-kas. I may have forgiven you, but you still insulted my best friends in the world. No matter who your mother is, she is not more important than the ministers personally selected by my mother. When you belittle them, you belittle the Empress. I will never forget that.”

Reito began to storm off, and Kouwa looked down at the floor, already wholly defeated. Yet despite that, Reito couldn’t help but get one last jab in. “Also, if you want to impress a girl with a yacht. Make sure she hasn’t been on the bridge of a battleship.”

Finally, she was free as she walked away from the young boy. As soon as she was away from the party, she began to run as fast as she could. Thankfully, as a Kumo, a yukata didn’t obstruct her legs at all, so she was free to run at full speed. The library wasn’t far, and besides Rui, it was completely empty. Even the librarian maid wasn’t present.

Reito couldn’t help but stare at Rui with a goofy smile on her face. Rui’s jet black hair was perfectly curled and cascaded down to her shoulders which held up her Yukata. The yukata was a brilliant white with red and pink bouquets of snowflakes. It was a full yukata, so it fully extended over her exoskeleton. The pattern spread far up her castle back, covering up the spikes up her exoskeleton. “You came!” Reito’s cheer was both of joy and relief. “I wasn’t sure you would.”

Rui was stunned by the splendor of the Princess. Her eyes ran up and down as she took in all of her. “You look so beautiful.”

“So do you, Rui Rui.” Reito’s smile grew to the level of foolishness, but she didn’t care how dumb she might look.

“Reito. We can’t… we can’t see each other.” This relatively simple sentence took all of the strength Rui had ever had to say. Not only was she rejecting the person she loved most in the world, but also the Princess. “If my mom found out…” She hesitated. “If your mom found out…”

“I don’t care about any of that, Rui Rui. I love you. With all my heart. I want to be with you.” Reito pleaded as she had been expecting Rui to hesitate, understandably.

“I…” Rui’s eyes searched Reito’s, and her heart fluttered. She had to stand fast. “I want to be with you too, Reito.” Reito almost cheered and took a step forward before Rui put her hand up. “But I’m… I’m not you, Reito!” Rui shouted and turned around.

“What does that mean?” Reito asked, taking a step back.

“It means,” Rui turned back with angst and frustration. “I’m not the infallible Princess of Kumosenkan!”

This wounded Reito, and she whimpered back quietly, “I’m not infallible,” as Rui continued.

“And I don’t have a mom who,” Rui fumbled, never coming to this conclusion before in her life. “I don’t have a mom who…”

“A mom who..?” Reito asked.

“I don’t have a mom…” Rui looked past Reito as a tear crawled down her cheek. “Who loves me unconditionally.” She sniffled and tried to wipe away her tears as the dam broke.

Reito watched Rui collapse to the floor as she began crying. She got down with her and hugged Rui as tightly as she could. “Of course your mom loves you unconditionally, Rui. How could she not?”

“No,” Rui spoke between gasps for air as she wept. “She doesn’t. She loves the damn navy more than me. Out of her four kids, I’m her fifth favorite.”

“That’s not true, Rui; that can’t be true,” Reito assured her.

“It is.” Rui choked. “I used to think that was normal, and I could be fine with that. Especially when I watched your mom scream at mine. I thought that’s just how moms were. Their jobs were more important than their kids.” Rui sniffled and hiccupped while gasping for air and her tears slipped into her mouth as they flooded down her face. “But then, I saw how she changed when she was with just you. How loving and happy she was to see you and to be your mom. How nothing in the world mattered as much as you.”

Reito was stunned. She had absolutely no clue what to say, so she just held Rui as tightly to her as she could. “After your mom caught us kissing,” Rui continued. “I thought that would change, and it didn’t. If that were my mom. I… I wouldn’t have a mom anymore.”

“Rui…” Reito softly cupped Rui’s hand and brought her face up so she could look her in the eye. “What you just said, about how much my mom loves me…” Rui’s eyes searched Reito’s, darting back and forth. “That’s how much I love you, Rui.”

Rui’s heart exploded into emotion, and her sobbing took control of her entire body as she heaved forward into Reito. She grasped onto Reito’s back with all her strength. They clung to each other for a moment, and Reito softly caressed Rui’s back.

As Rui pulled back and looked into each other's eyes, Reito caressed her cheek once more. “If your mom won’t love you unconditionally, then I will. Forever.”

“Reito…” Rui mewled as she slowly leaned forwards and softly pressed her lips into the Princess’s. The two girls shared in the embrace for a while as the kiss quickly evolved into a deep make-out.

This continued for nearly ten minutes before Rui broke the kiss. With her tears no longer flowing, Rui spoke breathlessly. “Um… Reito.” She tried to talk as Reito wasn’t exactly keen on stopping. “You should… really get back to your party…”

“Oh shit, the party!” Reito pulled back from Rui’s neck. “I have to get back. You’re staying for the after-party, right?”

“N... no. Mom has some meeting with people from Zarich, so she has to get home early.” Rui answered.

“Then I’ll make sure you stay,” Reito decided for her definitively before leaving the library.

“There you are, Reito. I was about to go looking for you.” The Empress’s words were hushed so the other hundred Kumo in the rooms wouldn’t hear. “Are you alright?”

“I am. It's just, my period started.” Reito thought up quickly, and cleverly she hoped.

The Empress’s stern expression shifted to a sympathetic one. “Oh, My darling, I’m so sorry. We can end the party early if you’re not feeling well.”

“I’m fine now!” Reito assured. “Really.”

“Good,” Shiraori spoke, genuinely relieved. The mother-daughter duo stood at the head of the ballroom, overseeing the slow professional dancing. Children of different families were asking each other to dance. Wives danced with their husbands, and men asked women to dance, hoping to raise their social strata. It was a smorgasbord of political and social intrigue. One that neither Shiraori nor Reito had any interest in engaging in.

Though, one bold, recently widowed Baron made a bold move toward them. “Empress Shiraori,” he spoke with unearned confidence. “Your home is stunning. Would you care to join me for a dance?”

“No.” Shiraori’s voice was soft but firm as she shook her head. “I’m afraid I already have a date to this ball.”

“Oh?” The slightly deflated Baron asked. At least he would get some fiery gossip out of the approach. Or so he thought.

Shiraori looked over at her daughter and smiled. “This beautiful Princess. I want nothing less than to spend the rest of my life by her side.”

Dejected, the Baron walked away. His attempt hadn’t gone unnoticed to his chagrin, and the rumor mill was already chittering about the buffoonish Baron, sending a weak effort to woo the single most powerful woman on the planet.

“I saw you shoot down Kizu-kas’s son, by the way.” Shiraori mused. “Any reason why?”

Reito hesitated, trying to word it just right. “He was… unprofessional and opinionated. A man just needs to listen, right?”

“Especially to you,” Shiraori confirmed. “Is he the little snot that criticized my Ministers?” She hissed.

“That’s the one.” Reito nodded.

“Good job then.” Shiraori smiled before looking out to the crowd. “Oh no.”

“What’s wrong, mom?” Reito asked, confused.

“Viscount Niou Sugiyama is about to ask me to dance too,” Shiraori bemoaned.

With crumpled eyebrows, Reito asked, “How do you know he’s going to ask you to dance?”

“He’s been in love with me since we were kids.” She rolled her eyes. “Reito, my darling?” She turned to her daughter with a smile. “May I have this dance?” She held out her hand dramatically.

“Yes, my Empress. I would be honored.” Reito answered, taking her mother’s hand with a bow. Then the duo adjourned to the dance floor. Those on the floor quickly cleared a space, and the approaching viscount stood down. The two danced together with enthusiasm and passion to one of their shared favorite songs. For a moment, they forgot there were a hundred eyes on them as they just had fun together.

Once the song finished, the mother-daughter duo split up. The Empress went to make conversation with a group of her ministers and a handful of royals. At the same time, the Princess joined a group of her closest friends, including Rui, who rejoined the party a few moments into the mother-daughter dance.

After a few hours of the party continuing, Riko Kure called for her daughter. “Rui, we need to head back home now. Let’s go.”

“Actually, Kure-kas?” Reito interjected and walked up to her, away from the group of teenage girls. “I’ve invited Rui to the after-party. Can she stay?”

Minister Kure raised an eyebrow. “Of course, your highness.” She answered in a perfectly professional and yet still cold tone. “But, aren’t you two in a fight?”

“In a…” Reito paused in confusion. Though catching on quickly, she responded. “Not anymore. We just made up.”

“That’s great news.” Kure’s voice didn’t even slightly alter from its previous disposition. “Have a fun night then, your highness. I must find my husband and other children and head home.” She began to walk away but slowly swung her exoskeleton around to say, “Oh, and congratulations on your coronation. Princess Reito.”

“Thank you, Minister Kure.” Reito bowed slightly. “Have a good night.”

Kure returned the bow, and as she skittered off, Reito could feel her heart soaring.

What a beautiful night to be alive.

[Sophie]

Princess Reito’s eyes fluttered awake. The night previous, she struggled for hours to get to rest as her heart pounded in excitement. It was rare that Reito was given a blank check to do whatever she wanted for an entire day; even rarer was it that her mother promised to go with her.

The moment she arose, she checked her clock. It was only five AM; the sun hadn’t even risen yet. Even though she had only fallen asleep four hours ago, Reito launched out of bed and sat at her makeup table. Makeup was hard to apply with a hand as shaky as hers, so she had to take a moment to calm herself before getting ready.

Rather than her usual Yukata or Kimono, Reito donned a more modern dress made for her by a local tailor in a more modern style, with popping colors, lace, and patterns. She also let her hair down to roll off he shoulders. Once ready, she stood outside her mother’s door, practically bouncing off the walls with energy.

Shiraori didn’t wake up for an hour and wasn’t ready for another. By the time she left her room, Reito had fallen asleep against the wall. Upon seeing her, Shiraori could barely stifle a laugh before crouching down to wake her up. “Good morning, sunshine.” Shiraorio cooed at her daughter as her eyes fluttered open once more.

Reito quickly stood up and smiled at her mother. “Good morning!” She cheered at her mother all dressed up in her ‘public appearance’ Yukata, a delightful snow white with pink highlights. “Are you ready to go?”

“I certainly am,” Shiraori answered, now eyeing her daughter’s getup. With a cocked eyebrow, she asked. “Are you?”

Reito tilted her head. “I am!” Her eyes looked to her mother’s and thought. “Did I mess up my makeup or something?”

With a smile, Shiraori shook her head. “You look beautiful, my dear.” She spoke carefully and brushed her hand through her daughter’s hair. “Is that a new dress?”

“Mhm!” Reito cheered, bouncing back immediately. “I got it for my birthday, remember? Don’t you like it?”

“I-” Shiraori looked her daughter up and down. “I love it.” She spoke through her stiff smile. “It’s so, new.”

“Come on!” Reito grasped at her mother’s hand and began to tug on it. “Let’s go already!”

“Alright, alright!” Shiraori cried in faux pain while she was dragged outside. Just outside the door to the main palace, the Empress’s car waited idling. The pristine white vehicle had several separate sections. One for the driver, one for the Empress and the Princess, and one for her servants and guards. The car was armored but still made a decent one hundred kilometers per hour.

The car left the palace complex and made its way directly into the heart of the city of Fuyonouso. Once in the city, pedestrians began to line up at prepared barricades along the route, waving and even cheering as the Empress’s car drove through the secured streets, finally slowing to a stop at its destination: The Kusumoto Capital Theatre. Movie theatres were still very new, but Reito had been raring to go to them since she read about the latest movie that had just been released.

“A Slaying at Sea” was a classic novel by Minori Yamada with more twists than a hundred-foot python. Typically Reito would read the book a movie was based on before watching it, but she didn’t want any of the twists spoiled for her.

The Princess and Empress were alone in the theatre, aside from their usual guard and the theatre employees. For the first time for Shiraori, there were no live performers at the front of the room: the advances of audio technology development now allowed filmmakers to mix vocal audio and background music in a stunning feat of color and sound.

The movie opened on a newly constructed Sento Class battleship leaving port for a combat patrol in Hawaii. However, one week into her sail, the vessel's Captain was murdered. War correspondent and former detective Kuno Katsumi is luckily aboard to investigate. However, every time she is confident of the culprit, they, too, are murdered. Katsumi manages to make a radio call home, and the Naval Crime Investigation Unit requests her to stop the vessel by any means necessary so they may intercept and aid in the mystery.

Katsumi attempts to sabotage the ship’s engines but is stopped by the executive officer who had been aiding her up to this point. In a standoff with the woman, the XO reveals that the former captain was a serial abuser of her subordinates, and she had to be stopped by any means necessary. Questioned about the other deaths, she explains that the Captain had blackmail files on all of her victims that were to be released on her untimely end. Once they heard of the Captain's death, they individually committed suicide.

Katsumi stops the ship for the investigators, and while the XO prepares to surrender herself, Katsumi blames the murder on one of the already dead sailors. The NCIU unit accepts the verdict and assigns the XO as Captain of the battleship. The movie ends with the battleship sailing over the horizon toward the battle for Hawaii.

Reito was holding onto her mother’s arm and smiling at the screen. Shiraori, on the other hand, was baffled. “How was she not arrested? Where is that Katsumi woman’s sense of honor?”

Reito looked up at her mom with a scrunched brow. “What do you mean? She was trying to protect her sailors. She might not have gone about it the best way, but her honor is fully intact.”

“She murdered an officer. You must know how unacceptable that is. There is a proper channel to go through for abuse like that, and none of it is murder.” Shiraori scolded.

“She said that she tried! She went to NCIU, and the investigation into her ended the same day it began. A week later, one of her sailors killed themselves. What else was she supposed to do?” Reito pushed back, and her emotions were fully invested in the film's characters.

Shiraori pursed her lips and gave a half-hearted smile. “I don’t know, but murder like that... It's not the answer. There are better ways to handle these things. Ways that set an example and hopefully prevent more abusers like that from rising to power.”

“Well, I disagree.” Reito half pouted in her seat. “I would’ve done the same thing in that officer’s shoes.”

A twinge pulled Shiraori’s heart in a strange direction. Instead of continuing down this argument, she bit her lip. “I kinda miss the live music, though. The prerecorded soundtrack sounded a little flat compared to the real thing.”

“I liked the new way.” Reito contradicted. “There were so many more instruments! I could really focus on the screen without all the performers up front.”

“That’s a good point, I suppose.” Shiraori conceded. “I like that I could hear the voices so clearly. I really felt like I was there.”

“I really liked it too!” Reito cheered, now satisfied that her mom enjoyed the movie as well. However, as she raved about something else, her stomach growled.

Finally, Shiraori let a natural smile show. With a slight giggle, she poked her daughter in the stomach. “Shall we go get something to eat?”

“Can we eat at the mall? We’re already going there.” Reito asked with a bit of hope glimmering in her eye.

Unable to deny her daughter’s wishes, Shiraori stood and took Reito’s hand, and the two returned to the car. The teenager fidgeted excitedly in her seat with excitement. For the first time in her life, she was going to hang out in a real honest mall. The magazines she had managed to get her hands on declared them the hang-out spot for fashionable teens.

The moment the car parked, Reito launched herself free, not even waiting for the servants to open the door. Though her heart sank when she saw it. An empty parking lot, a blocked-off metro station, and a mall the size of a city block devoid of life. Her smile faded, and her shoulders slumped.

“What’s wrong?” Shiraori asked, following behind her daughter after her servants made way for her. She placed a hand on her daughter’s back and looked down at her with a concerned face.

“I guess…” Reito hesitated. “I was just hoping the mall would still be open.”

Shiraori put on her professional smile. “All the shops are still open, same with the restaurants.”

Reito shifted a lip and side-eyed the ground. “That’s not what I meant.”

With a short pause, Shiraori got down on her daughter's level. “I know. But you understand why, right?”

“I…” Reito met her mom’s eyes with a slight frown.

“You’re a powerful, smart, and strong woman. Without question, you are the second most important woman in the universe. There are a lot of people in this world who want you to lose that power. The easiest way to do that is simply to kill you. I simply refuse to put you in a single iota of danger.” Shiraori placed her hands on her daughter's head and wiped away a tear that had begun to well.

Reito’s lip quivered once as she nodded. “I know. I just…” She looked for the words. “I was hoping to feel normal, even for just a moment.”

“My love…” Shiraori held her daughter’s face. “Even if you weren’t my daughter, you would never be normal. You are much too smart and clever for that. The spirits blessed me with the smartest, strongest girl to ever have been born. I could never have a normal daughter with a normal life, so they gave me someone who’s not just strong enough to take it, but someone who wouldn’t live a normal life anyway.”

Reito smiled just a bit. “I know. It would have been nice to have an afternoon in a normal mall, though.”

“Come on, dear.” The mother stood full up and patted her daughter’s head. “You’re my strong girl. Now let’s go have some fun, okay?”

Reito nodded, and Shiraori took her hand. Both walked into the mall, and their guards followed shortly behind. First up was a classic restaurant where they shared a quick meal served by a very nervous waitress. The chef was overseen directly by a guard.

With their bellies full of yakisoba, the two left the restaurant and began to peruse the shops. “What on Ouhiri is this?” The Empress’s voice was filled with confusion and ick.

“That’s a backpack strap!” The proprietor explained. “Most schools allow only one backpack accessory, so a lot of young girls spend a lot of time picking one that best represents them.”

“I’m aware of this.” Shiraori took the strap off its hook and held it out to the owner. “Why is it of my daughter?”

The shopkeeper recoiled quite a bit at the Empress’s tone. “P- princess Reito is quite popular among kids these days. Almost every shop sells something like this.”

Shiraori sneered at the strap before putting it back. Just as she was about to speak, Reito spotted the strap. “Is that me?!” She nearly shouted as she picked it up. The owner nodded with a painted smile. “It's so cute!” The teenager cheered. “I’ve never been painted in such a cute style before.”

With a newfound smile, Shiraori bought the backpack strap for herself when Reito spotted one of her mother. She slapped it on the counter as the owner was ringing them up. “There’s one of me?!”

“Can’t I have it? I’ve never seen a picture of you looking so happy.” Reito pleaded upward. Shiraori obviously acquiesced to her daughter’s whims, and the two continued their shopping trip up and down the mall. They bought something from nearly every store, including more modern clothes for Reito. She even forced her mom to buy a matching outfit. A fanciful plaid dress that covered the entirety of their exoskeletons.

Just as the two began talking about getting something to eat again, Reito stopped. “No. No. No! Get the fuck out of here!” She shouted at the Kumo, who had just shown herself to the Empress and Princess.

The woman bent down and placed her hands and head on the floor in a complete bow. “I am deeply sorry, Princess.”

“If you are sorry, then leave Minister Tomori!” Reito lashed out.

“Reito!” Shiraori shouted. “That is not how you speak to our ministers.”

“Every time she shows up, you get cagey! And cut me out. I thought I was supposed to be your number two.” Reito stomped a pedipalp forward. “What is going on that you can’t tell me about?!”

“Now isn’t the time, Reito,” Shiraori spoke firmly. “What is it, Minister Tomori? You know I’m on a personal day with my daughter.”

“And for that, I must apologize to you too, my Empress.” The minister remained on the floor. “However, I’m afraid it is urgent. I would not dare interrupt you otherwise. This, I swear.”

Shiraori’s heart sank as the Minister’s words rang true. She turned to Reito, who immediately recoiled. “No. No. You promised!”

“Reito… I…” Shiraori stumbled for words.

“Just forget it. Fuck you.” Reito stormed off back into the parking lot to the Empress’s car.