Luna Lizia didn’t reply to Roman’s question. Roman quickly scanned the faces of those who sat around and spoke again, apparently not hoping for her response.
“How did we win this position!” He yelled at everyone, turning his gaze towards Jedian.
“Don’t you remember Deon being thrown out as soon as that guy came in?”
A cough came up from Jedian’s throat, which almost sounded like a sore throat. He knew. about the existence of the twelfth prince who had been pushed out after his second term.
“Who do you think will be next? Huh? Is everyone confident that you won’t be kicked out?” Roman concluded, throwing his arms out as if to emphasize his point.
“No way that could happen,” answered the thirteenth princess, her face as pale as a ghost. “Not me. I don’t want to go back to that playhouse of a palace.”
At her words, everyone recalled the same thing. The day when Levisia became one of the many ‘nameless royal families’ living without a sense of presence.
Born with skills that couldn’t match that of a Kraiden, they saw the light only because they had a choice of successors. If it weren’t for that, they’d still be enduring the disapproving glances of the non-royalty.
A stifling atmosphere fell over everyone, as if they were being weighed down by all the previous generations of royalty.
Luna was the first one to break the uncomfortable silence.
“Everyone might know this, but there is nothing we can do about it. If that’s what they mean, we have no choice but to accept it.”
A few faces twisted painfully as if they’d eaten bitter medicine. Though they were angered by it, they all knew that what she said was right. From the beginning, there was no way that they could decide what they were in the ‘chosen’ position for.
With the tension lifting up slightly, Jedian looked at the others and nodded.
“Aren’t we here because we got lucky anyway?” He muttered under his breath.
“Luck? You think this is luck?” Roman cracked a twisted smile and tilted his head crookedly at Jedian, “You think we’re lucky? You’re barely chin-up with the second term.” Roman shot to his feet, knocking his chair backward. His hands were clenched in tight fists.
“Roman, stop it.”
The thirteenth prince leapt to his feet and blocked Roman with his arms, but Roman ignored him and jabbed his finger at Jedian.
“You’re telling me that I should accept that all of your abilities are down to luck?” He snapped, slamming his hands onto the table and jolting the teacups. Ignoring the scalding liquid pouring over his hands, he turned away from Jedian. Luna began to mop up the spilled tea with a pile of napkins.
“Of course it was down to luck. Luck that we had been gifted these abilities.” Jedian pushed his chair out and got to his feet. “After all, weren’t we all tested for our abilities, and had to be verified?” He smirked at Roman and folded his arms across his chest.
“R-right! W-we’re all here because we’ve been tested for our abilities, right?” The thirteenth princess piped up, her hands clasped in front of her heart. Her gaze altered between Jedian and Roman. “We were all tested, and we all reacted to the fairy stone. Right?”
“Not all of us.” Jedian frowned, his eyebrows knitting together. “There is someone out there who didn’t even react to the fairy stone.”
“Yeah, Levisia seems to have no abilities of her own and had no reaction to the fairy stone. Yet, she gets to hang around with the Kraidens all day.” Roman wiped the tea off his hand with a napkin and drummed his fingers on the table. “I wonder if the Kraidens know about this? They’ll leave as soon as they find out, and what will happen to Levisia then?”
“There’s no way they don’t know what we know,” the eleventh princess murmured in a tone of voice as if he didn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Ah, but you see. You’ll just have to reveal it to everyone. How ridiculous it is for someone as insignificant as Levisia to take such an important role.” Roman chuckled and clasped his hands together. “Then we will see how special Levisia really is. Or rather, isn’t.”
A hushed silence fell over the room, with everyone looking at each other and back to Roman. They all nodded in silent agreement, before returning to their now cold tea and requesting that a fresh pot be brewed for them.
Luna Lizia didn’t reply to Roman’s question. Roman quickly scanned the faces of those who sat around and spoke again, apparently not hoping for her response.
“How did we win this position!” He yelled at everyone, turning his gaze towards Jedian.
“Don’t you remember Deon being thrown out as soon as that guy came in?”
A cough came up from Jedian’s throat, which almost sounded like a sore throat. He knew. about the existence of the twelfth prince who had been pushed out after his second term.
“Who do you think will be next? Huh? Is everyone confident that you won’t be kicked out?” Roman concluded, throwing his arms out as if to emphasize his point.
“No way that could happen,” answered the thirteenth princess, her face as pale as a ghost. “Not me. I don’t want to go back to that playhouse of a palace.”
At her words, everyone recalled the same thing. The day when Levisia became one of the many ‘nameless royal families’ living without a sense of presence.
Born with skills that couldn’t match that of a Kraiden, they saw the light only because they had a choice of successors. If it weren’t for that, they’d still be enduring the disapproving glances of the non-royalty.
A stifling atmosphere fell over everyone, as if they were being weighed down by all the previous generations of royalty.
Luna was the first one to break the uncomfortable silence.
“Everyone might know this, but there is nothing we can do about it. If that’s what they mean, we have no choice but to accept it.”
A few faces twisted painfully as if they’d eaten bitter medicine. Though they were angered by it, they all knew that what she said was right. From the beginning, there was no way that they could decide what they were in the ‘chosen’ position for.
With the tension lifting up slightly, Jedian looked at the others and nodded.
“Aren’t we here because we got lucky anyway?” He muttered under his breath.
“Luck? You think this is luck?” Roman cracked a twisted smile and tilted his head crookedly at Jedian, “You think we’re lucky? You’re barely chin-up with the second term.” Roman shot to his feet, knocking his chair backward. His hands were clenched in tight fists.
“Roman, stop it.”
The thirteenth prince leapt to his feet and blocked Roman with his arms, but Roman ignored him and jabbed his finger at Jedian.
“You’re telling me that I should accept that all of your abilities are down to luck?” He snapped, slamming his hands onto the table and jolting the teacups. Ignoring the scalding liquid pouring over his hands, he turned away from Jedian. Luna began to mop up the spilled tea with a pile of napkins.
“Of course it was down to luck. Luck that we had been gifted these abilities.” Jedian pushed his chair out and got to his feet. “After all, weren’t we all tested for our abilities, and had to be verified?” He smirked at Roman and folded his arms across his chest.
“R-right! W-we’re all here because we’ve been tested for our abilities, right?” The thirteenth princess piped up, her hands clasped in front of her heart. Her gaze altered between Jedian and Roman. “We were all tested, and we all reacted to the fairy stone. Right?”
“Not all of us.” Jedian frowned, his eyebrows knitting together. “There is someone out there who didn’t even react to the fairy stone.”
“Yeah, Levisia seems to have no abilities of her own and had no reaction to the fairy stone. Yet, she gets to hang around with the Kraidens all day.” Roman wiped the tea off his hand with a napkin and drummed his fingers on the table. “I wonder if the Kraidens know about this? They’ll leave as soon as they find out, and what will happen to Levisia then?”
“There’s no way they don’t know what we know,” the eleventh princess murmured in a tone of voice as if he didn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Ah, but you see. You’ll just have to reveal it to everyone. How ridiculous it is for someone as insignificant as Levisia to take such an important role.” Roman chuckled and clasped his hands together. “Then we will see how special Levisia really is. Or rather, isn’t.”
A hushed silence fell over the room, with everyone looking at each other and back to Roman. They all nodded in silent agreement, before returning to their now cold tea and requesting that a fresh pot be brewed for them.
