The Prince in Question Is Not Stable

Ymir stepped forward with Graves following a few paces behind him, the attention of Cerevisian knights fixed upon the Prince as they waited to receive him.

The two Rain Lions that had pulled it had already been released from their harnesses. They stood beside the carriage, their enormous bodies were dark under the evening lights, golden eyes moved lazily across the courtyard.

None of the knights approached them.

One of the beasts noticed violet and lifted its head. Violet stopeed, and the Rain Lion stared at her for several seconds before slowly walking in her direction.

A few knights immediately stiffened.

The Rain Lion reached Violet and lowered its enormous head.

She looked at it, and then at its ears.

One of them moved slightly beneath her gaze. She extended her hand with a playful smile and the creature stepped closer.

She placed her fingers against the side of its head, and the lion leaned into her hand.

*Purrrr~*

A deep purr rolled through its chest, and several knights stared at the scene.

"See...they’re so cute cats," she said looking at the knights.

’Cute...cats?’ they thought.

Theo just waited near the entrance, and it seemed as if none of the people had recognized who Violet was since she had changed her clothing style.

It was evident, since Violet has not made many public appearances either.

The second Rain Lion approached from behind and pressed its head on her back.

"Ah," Violet almost lost her balance when Theo caught her from falling.

Graves and Ymir glanced back.

"They’ve never acted like that with me," Ymir murmured.

"I have fed them all my life, your highness. They never acted like that with me either," Graves whispered back, but he looked like he was about to cry.

"Don’t worry," Ymir placed his hand on Graves’s shoulder.

"The beasts are biased, it’s not us," he said.

"I am starting to believe that, your highness," Graves nodded.

A faint laugh came from ahead of them. The man standing at the foot of the staircase had been watching the entire exchange.

He was dressed in deep crimson coat over a black shirt, the long red hair that fell over his shoulders contrasted against the golden ornaments woven into the fabric around his collar.

He stepped forward.

"His Highness, the fifth, Ymir Celestie of Lunar." His voice carried easily through the courtyard. He was a clearance five magician.

"I am Regory White VI, Duke of Cerevisia," he bowed.

"Cerevisia is honored by your presence," he said.

Ymir inclined his head, and nodded.

The two men regarded each other for a moment, and then Regory’s gaze moved past Ymir.

Towards Violet. The Saintess was still playing with the Rain Lions, One of them had settled against her side while other kept disturbing her again and again.

"I see you’ve brought someone very dear to you, Your Highness," Regory said.

He hadn’t recognized Violet, yet.

Violet looked up at that statement, and Ymir glanced back at her.

Regory continued before either could answer.

"Forgive me if I presume. It is simply rare to see the Rain Lions take to anyone so quickly." One of his wives smiled faintly behind him.

Another whispered something into her companion’s ear.

"She is accompanying me," Ymir raised his shoulders once.

Regory gave a knowing nod.

Then Cerevisia shall make certain she is comfortable." He said.

Violet patted the lions once, and then approached slowly.

Regory’s eyes followed her, because there was something familiar about her face.

She stopped beside Ymir, and spoke in the usual quiet voice.

"Duke Regory." She said.

Regory’s eyes widened slightly, the familiarity reached him. His gaze moved from her eyes to her violet hair, then back at her face.

There was a very long silence.

"...Your Holiness?" he was baffled.

"Yes." Violet smiled.

Regory stared at her for a moment, he then looked at Ymir, and the Rain Lions. Everything now made sense.

"I see," he nodded.

"Cerevisia welcomes you as well, Your Holiness." He bowed deeply this time.

"Thank you." Violet returned the gesture.

"I must confess, I did not recognize you," he straightened up.

"I’ve heard that before today," she gave a light smile.

"Then, tonight has already improved my education." He glanced at Ymir once and then back at Violet.

Then, on his slight gesture, all twenty0three women stepped forward. Some wore long dresses suited to formal receptions, others wore the lighter garments common to the performers of Cerevisia, their styles differed enough that no two seemed alike, yet there was a similar confidence in all of them.

Regory extended his hand.

"My Wives." He said.

Violet raised her brows, seeing it upfront seemed excessive.

One after another, they introduced themselves to Ymir and Violet, and they listened without interruption.

Some were musicians, some managed estates, one manages vineyards, another was responsible for theatres, two were dancers, one was doctor, another had recently taken charge of one of Cerevisia’s largest charitable houses.

Violet’s eyes moved between them with growing curiosity.

"You may find the number excessive," Regory commented on Violet’s curious sight.

"You remember all of their names?" she asked back.

"I would have died long before if I forgot one, Your Holiness," Regory laughed.

"Your highness, you have arrived at the Castle of Symphony. It would be insulting to receive you at the door and then send you to bed." Regory said, and gestured towards the main entrance.

"I have high expectations, Duke Regory," Ymir said.

"Excellent. Then we will make sure to exceed them," Regory smiled.

The great doors opened up, and music spilled into the courtyard.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Snow struck the window with gusts of air. The fire in Cymbal’s chambers burned low enough that most of the room sat in shadow.

He sat on the edge of the bed in an open robe, the fabric was hanging loose off one shoulder. The sheets were a mess, twisted, wet and pulled hallway off the mattress.

The woman he had chosen in the Castle of Black Ice, lay sprawled across the centre of the bed, completely naked. Her legs were still spread, thighs still marked with red hand handprints. Cum streaked her stomach and the inside of one thigh, more of it had dried on her lower belly and between her breasts.

Her breathing was shallow and uneven. She hadn’t moved since he finished with her.

Cymbal didn’t look at her, he reached for the glass on the side table, and drank the strong wine.

*Knock*

A knock pulled him out of his daze.

"Come in," he said.

Elias entered with a single folded page in hand. His eyes flicked once to the naked woman on the bed, and then to Cymbal.

"Word from Cerevisia, Your Highness," Elias said.

"Say it." Cymbal said.

"Ymir, the fifth, has arrived. Officially. Received at the Castle of Symphony by Regory White himself, full honors. He brought a woman with him, unnamed in the report."

"A woman?" Cymbal furrowed his brows.

"There is no name," Elias said.

"Cerevisia." Cymbal’s jaw tightened. "He knows."

"He couldn’t, nothing has moved yet that would tell him---"

"He doesn’t need signs, that is what none of you understand about him. This...his presence is not a coincidence at all," he said.

Elias said nothing.

"I don’t know how," he lowered his tone. "How a scholar with no title and a prince keep landing in the same places where I have plans."

"You think they’re working together? Winifred had the same theory, according to you," Elias said.

"You could go for assassination. But...on foreign soil, against a sitting prince, hosted by a duke who hasn’t yet declared anything. If it fails, cover up will going to be a difficult task," he said.

"Why...are you so primitive. Find someone who has never worked for House Krell, never for the crown. No name that could every be traced back through Winifred’s old contacts or mine, some who kills for money and nothing else, and who values his own silence more than he values his life," Cymbal said.

"Pay more than gold usually buys, we...cannot have anomalies at this stage of our plans. It gives us an opportunity to put Regory’s hospitality in humiliation, and Cerevisia in a position it has never been in,"

"This...is an opportunity," he said.

Elias nodded. It did seem like a perfect opportunity, but execution without planning could be the end of their plans, and he needed to be extremely discrete.

"I shall see through this," Elias bowed, and left the chambers in silence.

Cymbal set the glass down, and turned back toward the bed. He reached out, and closed his hand around the woman’s thighs, fingers pressing hard into the already red skin.

She flinched with a soft, broken sound but did not pull away.

"I suppose," He squeezed once, roughly. "We’ll finally learn something about my brother, one way or the other."