[40th Year of Foresai, Middle Wind Month, Day 28]

The news that her brother arrived arrested Renner’s soaring thoughts; she knew she would have to yield the rest of her afternoon in the sitting room to greet him. Standing up, she walked into the attached bedroom, and began to contemplate the rest of her day. Her short heels made muffled steps along the carpet then clicked against the tile floor, both equally potent displays of wealth. Renner entered her bedroom, which itself was an equal display of the decadence afforded to nobles. Even as a third princess, a spare among spares, Renner received quarters exceeding what most humans in this world would ever hope to see.

Sitting in front of her vanity, Renner grabbed a small pocket mirror. Flipping open its gilded casement with her dexter hand, she spied at her reflection. Although it was still daytime, the portion of her room where she sat was distant enough from the window to be inconveniently dim. Yet, when she opened the mirror, it cast her relief in such light as to be clear and visible. This was because it was imbued with magic

This was a gift from Laykus back when she still saw me as a princess. She likely feels embarrassed, in retrospect.

Observing her face, Renner reached with her left hand for a brush. With a few deft motions, she reapplied her blush. No matter what her peers thought of her intelligence, she was undeniably beautiful. The iridescence of her blue eyes burned with warmth, and her golden hair draped like silk over her body. She was slender with a moderate bust - though she was not more thinly figured than most ladies of the court - and stood a pace and a half in height. Doubling down on her physicality, Renner curated a set of outfits to match her features, and today she wore a pale blue dress with all the accompanying golden jewelry one would expect from her title. She paused, observing the subtlety of her cheeks.

Barbro perceives me as more naive and innocent than anyone else, but if I apply additional blush like I do for our private meetings, some of the maids would notice. When they pass that off to their houses, they’ll make the conclusion that I’m pining for the attention of a male in the room. I don’t want to be hearing rumors from the noble faction that I’m starting to become lovesick for their sons in attendance. Father’s patience would run thin, and the tentative allusions to marital schemes would be tiring, not to discount actual proposals. I need to find the right balance here.

Renner gently resumed, moving slower and more deliberately than before. After another visual inspection, she clasped the mirror shut, set it back onto the table, and stood. Acutely aware she was alone, she cracked her back and stepped over to her closet. Entering, she stepped to the bar supporting her dresses, and selected a few. Lifting their hangers off and setting them near her dressing stand, she paused her movement and looked at the door back out to her sitting space. Three minutes and fourteen seconds passed before she heard the outer door open.

He always comes without pause.

A second later, she heard that wonderful voice from beyond the door.

“Your Highness, you requested my presence?”

His timbre is intoxicating, the little wavers and uncertainties he lets creep in.

“Yes, come in!”

The handle turned, and Renner resumed her movement, patting out the small crevices in the dress infront of her she had left unattended the last three minutes. To anyone who entered, it would give off the impression that she was ever so slightly overwhelmed by the task she was so diligently performing. It would inspire a sense of protectiveness, the sight of a beautiful princess tending to her appearance in preparation for an important event, but still being in need of assistance. A perfect persona of innocence, and the perfect way to draw the desired emotions out of Climb. The door swung open, revealing the object of her affection

“I’m sorry for my tardiness. I was at the exercise grounds speaking with Ekhan and I didn’t want to track dust in here.”

He gave a bow both as a greeting and apology. As he was wont, he had been training. Be it simple athletics, guardwork, or swordplay, he was unrelenting. His loyalty was profound, bearing a boyish desire to protect the woman that had plucked him off the streets and gave him bed and board. As he grew, so did it grow into an ambition to not only be her bodyguard, but her sentinel. It was his purpose, and besides the rest days a fretting Renner mandated for him, he spent his time training his swordsmanship. To that end, he was now donned in a breastplate and some light leathers, dinged and battered from repeated strikes from wooden swords. Similarly, he was bruised and scuffed as well.

“Oh no, it’s fine, I know my request was sudden. I just wanted your assistance in picking an outfit for seeing my brother.”

Climb quickly swallowed, and rose from his bow with an undeniably nervous smile.

“Of course, Your Highness. Are those dresses what you’ve narrowed your selection to?”

Had she been given the choice, she would have dragged Climb to her bedchamber right then. Of course, she couldn’t. Maid Laina was standing right behind him, with a less-than-hidden disdain on face. Renner being alone with any male would cause a political cataclysm, much less one of common blood. That slight aside, the rugged scrapes on his cheeks put Renner in mind of her desires.

“Mhmm! Now, I’ve narrowed my choice to either of these. I love the trim on both, though I’m unsure which one works better. Look at the flower embroidery on the sleeve here. Isn’t it wonderful?”

“It's quite beautiful, Your Highness.”

These were her happiest moments, and they were all too short.

—

Renner was standing at the side of her father when the double doors opened. A court crier stood and spoke in a booming voice.

“Presenting to His Majesty, King Ramposa the Third, Defender of the Kingdom of Re-Estize, his Highness, The Crown Prince Barbro Andrean Ield Ryle Vaiself.”

At that moment, Barbro entered the room, flanked by his retenue. He strode forward in full plate, his booming footsteps belying his stature and constitution. With his helmet in the nook of his left arm, he cast his gaze upon the throne, sweeping then to Renner’s brother Zanac, and then her.

Renner had four siblings, and she was the youngest of all of them. The royalty of the Re-Estize Kingdom observed strict orders of birthright and inheritance, and Barbro, being the firstborn son, was entitled to the kingdom itself. Zanac Valleon Igana Ryle Vaiself, the second son, was entitled to nothing but token allowances, and would need to carefully campaign and maneuver himself into a position to maintain even a fraction of his father’s status. For the first, second, and third daughters Vena, Lulara, and Renner, there was even less - only a pittance’s worth of the crown lands. For a woman of nobility, marriage would be the only option for prosperity, often with consideration only for the political undertones of the matrimonial bond. Vena and Lulara had already met their fate in this regard, and had married off in strategic fashion as offers of peace to other nobles; unfortunately for the stability of the kingdom, this was to little effect.

As Barbro approached the throne, he passed ranks of nobility and those sent in lieu of those lords not in attendance. Although they stood in neat lines, respectfully bowing to the man set to inherit the kingdom, this order was a farce. In reality, many were at each other’s throats, desperately clamoring for any scrap of advantage. Nobles would lay backstabs upon backstabs, political ripostes slithering in lower channels before realizing victories or defeats. Factionalism was rampant, and the kingdom found itself divided between those loyal to House Vaiself and those who stood alongside the growing power of the nobility itself. By those in high places, this was shortened to the Royal and Noble factions. Of those present, six stood above the rest in prestige and influence: of the Royals, Margrave Urovana, Marquis Blumrush, and Marquis Pespae; of the Nobles, Marquis Boullope and Count Lytton; of the independents, Marquis Raeven. In this moment, however, they stood side-by-side in silence.

Barbro stopped, now but two paces from his father. He kneeled, his armor clanking as he lowered himself into a bow. Once down, he raised his head, showing his proud and confident visage to his father.

Arrogant. Had it not been for the order of his coming into the world, he would be nothing.

“Father, I have returned from our border with the decrepit Empire. E-Rantel remains impervious to any attack the imperials can muster. I have driven away their scouts and probes in the villages surrounding the city. I have purged many of the undead of the Katze plane, and have taken the head of a lich we believe to be in the service of Zurrernorn. The glory of this land remains undamped. I will stand before any threat to this Kingdom, be they soldiers or spies.”

That wasn’t written for him, he's trying his own hand at these sorts of addresses. Oh Barbro, why are you ignoring the advice Zanac gave you? Even the Royals will be snickering at that tonight.

In truth, Barbro was beyond dull. This was not simply relative to Renner, but to the entire nobility. Worse, he was not a quiet dullard, but was loud, proud, and always blundering in halls of power. He was a liability for his father and his faction, but much to the shagrin of the nobles, they could never reliably use him in their schemes precisely because of his impulsivity. Had Zanac been the first son, things would be much different.

“I am proud to hear your declarations. Any day with you is a warm day. You are the Sword of the Kingdom.”

Everything Ramposa III had just said was a lie, but none were borne from malice. He possessed a genuine love for his children, which is more than most highbloods could say honestly. He was certainly embarrassed by his son’s speech, and his own fear about his son and the nation’s future certainly sapped any happiness he could have snatched from seeing Barbro. In addition, in no respect was Barbro “The Sword of the Kingdom”; that was the domain of the Warrior-Captain Gazef Stronoff, who stood flanking the throne from stage-right. He was a peerless fighter, and without a doubt represented the pinnacle of human strength in this world of monsters.

Although Renner could find fault in this love, she dared not question it. It was because of this same blind adoration that she had avoided marriage. To be the fifteen year old daughter of the king and unmarried was in of itself a controversy; but Ramposa’s habit of lending a welcome ear to his children had given Renner her out. Thus, the Golden Princess remained unmarried, and no suitors had yet seriously attempted to seek her hand. Such double-edged realities were inseparable from the politics of Re-Estize.

You’re such a fool! Why do you campaign in the first place? Is there cause? Surely you recognize your place is secure? You needn’t fight for the approval of the people; doing so for boldface glory is a new low in actionable objectives. Our father is tangled in the webs of the nobles and even he maintains his popularity - even as our strength is sapped by the wars with Baharuth. Brother-dearest, can’t you see how much damage you’re doing?

Renner did not shift her gaze away from her father as he spoke, but focused her peripheral vision on Marquis Raeven. Among all of the nobles here, Elias Brandt Dale Raeven was the most derided. Perceived as an opportunist, he elegantly weaved his way between the Royals and Nobles, picking up concessions and small victories which had soon built up to a considerable store of political and financial capital. Considered a turncoat, accepting a deal from him was tantamount to making one with a devil. Everyone, sans one, in attendance saw him as a snake of a man

You need to hurry and establish a working relationship with Barbro. The Royals won’t hold together unless you can keep him in their courtship once father dies.

In truth, Raeven was desperately trying to hold the royalty together. He was deeply loyal to the king. His actions, even those taken against the royalty, would always bear unifying force, if in the form of capital, political influence, or a common enemy. The most recent of these schemes had been a play with Count Lytton, entering into a price cartel on certain grains and cereals. The subsequent crisis mandated the intervention of House Vaiself, spurring the release of a grain store at below market rates. Though his own coffers took a hit, Raeven had drained Lytton of significant capital, having secured buyers to offload stock long in advance of speaking to Lytton. Though his brutalistic behavior was clearly on display, his public bearance and poorly obscured professions of independence had successfully shaped the perception of all those that surrounded him that he was a slave to his own advancement, and nothing else. Renner had seen through this by the time she was eleven.

“Thank you my father. I bring gifts from the demesnes of the borderlands”

Unexpected. He seems content to not only go off script, but write whole new ones.

Barbro stood, and one of his retenue, Adjutant Knight Teloran, walked forward. In his hands he was carrying a sword in its sheath; its leather was bleached white, elegantly embroidered with a woven gold fiber in the pattern of a lion. The knight came to just below the side of the throne, and handed the sword to nonplussed Gazef. After giving it a ceremonial inspection, Gazef went to his knee, and presented it to the king.

Ramposa was old. This year was the thirty-ninth of his reign. He had not ruled from vanity, nor from a base refusal to give up control, but simple fear for his people. To cede the throne would have been to give it to Barbro or - worse in his eyes - to Zanac. His third daughter would likely be forced into marriage, and the security of the eastern border would fall into question. He was not only tired, he was exhausted. None-the-less, he stood, and with Gazef gripping the sheath, he set his hand on the haft of the sword and drew it.

“This was the sword of an Imperial scout leader that we assisted Count Bajan in driving from his lands.”

Hushed whispers ebbed fourth from the nobility, a general atmosphere of confusion permeating the room.

I did not expect him to forge connections that quickly with Bajan. This is an unanticipated power play on his part. He intends to show himself as a martial king, one fit to defend the land from the Empire. Further, he’s trying to show father as weak. Brother, it seems I underestimated your desire for the throne. You don’t care if it rips the Royals apart; if you can carry the voices of the Nobles behind you, you can take the throne. Interesting.

Renner, while analyzing the situation, was giving an innocent and awed look befitting of a young princess. Still, something began to nag at her.

Why is Gazef doing that?

Quite invisibly to the rest of the chamber - for all were either focused on the King or the Crown Prince - Gazef was subtly running his fingers along the engravings on the sheath. Although he was otherwise still, Renner realized the look on his face was not the look of ceremonial reference he typically bore, but was one of stoic concentration.

Strange, I haven’t the faintest idea why he’s doing that. Still, Barbro’s alliance with the nobles of the borderlands will only help his case as a strong ruler. I wonder if they’d choose to back him on the basis of his foolishness. Perhaps, though, doesn't that raise more questions? After all, why not simply pretend to be an idiot and-

Renner’s face suddenly froze, and despite herself, she visibly swallowed. Ramposa caught the light of the waning day on the edge of the weapon, and gave a nod.

“Thank you, my son. This is a gift that will ring through the Kingdom’s halls. A show of our glory, a show of our indomitability, an arrow knocked and set loose at the Empire to say that we will not buck from their aggression. That we will meet every challenge of theirs, and win”

Ramposa sheathed the sword, and then sat.

Is he deliberately cultivating a personality of incompetence? If he can give the impression that he will be easily manipulated, then he can very easily earn the support of the Great Houses. They would push far harder for the abdication of my father if they thought that Barbro was imbecilic. Everyone wishes to be the vicar whispering in the King’s ear.

Renner’s mind was racing. She began stepping through the actions of Barbro in great detail, reframing them as part of plans for a much grander ascension as king than she had anticipated. She realized she was bearing a strange face.

I hope they haven’t noticed. This would be tough- wait, no. They’ll probably just perceive my frozen expression as me suppressing embarrassment at my brother. Ah, yes. Still that means I’m playing into his plans if he is faking his incompetence.

Renner’s smile widened.

I would not have guessed this. I wonder if he has predicted any of my actions so far. To think that he would also put on a persona of stupidity to advance his aims.

Barbro stood, and he wore a proud smile.

“I will defend the kingdom with all my strength. When I take your mantle father, the glory of Re-Estize will be safeguarded forever.”

The room froze.

Ah, nevermind.

—

Renner sat down on her bed. The evening was long, filled with the reception of Barbro and his stories of conquest and valor on the eastern border. Renner had found her leave to retire soon after Zanac had - for it was the place of any resident princess to entertain even after her brothers found their exit. She had done her best, wearing her persona as the third Princess Renner to the best of her ability. Still, she was undeniably tired, and after the climax of the evening's events, she had returned to her room long past the twain of the night.

If only they could see the real issues of the kingdom. How much more satisfying would the polity find their lives? How much more coin would those with titles find to sate their greed? How much more of a secure future could I build for me and Climb?

Renner schemed for one thing, a safe place for her and her darling. A life they could live out together. All the bargaining power at her disposal would be spent towards that end. The simple goal was to find a suitable noble, and after enthralling him in her web, bind him in a false marriage with Climb as her concubine. Although such extramarital indulgences were certainly the field of the kings and lords of the world, it was not entirely unheard of for a woman to earn that same right. Thus, her and her Climb could live out their lives together; happy, in love.

I love my puppy.

Extinguishing the lamp by her bedside, Renner slipped under the covers and accounted for the day’s work. Still, little of note had actually happened, and she had no opportunity to truly advance her aims. Upon review of the ceremony, her mind snagged.

What was that look on Gazef’s face for? Maybe he sensed the weight of the blade or felt magic in its construction. Still, why run his hands along the sheath? What was he searching for? Maybe El-Nix - more likely his monster - has found some new technological advancement in enchantment that allows blades to do… something. I have no sense for such matters. Self sharpening or something to that effect. How befitting of the Empire, they may soon begin to exceed the Theocracy in the depths of their magic.

Exhausted, Renner closed her eyes, and let herself drift off to sleep.