Recap: April and Donovan are reunited after Donovan's presumed death. The king decides to throw Akia a pageant and invites her friend Eleanor to the palace. Eleanor begged Akia to convince the king to allow her to marry the man she wants. Lady Kenya meets two women and exposes the location of the Stone and they set out to retrieve it.

in the last chapter preparations started for the pageant at the palace including the king indirectly undermining the queen's command.

Previously, the ocean king referred to Apollo the siren who saved Akia as Asuka. Just keep that in mind.

-

"What are you doing here?" Donovan asked and April shrugged.

"I think i may have upset the king."

"Why exactly are you here?"

"I got exiled from the kingdom." April said and Donovan cracks up.

"You're joking." Donovan said still chuckling. April rolled her eyes with a smile appearing on her face.

"You're not joking are you?" Donovan asked and April shakes her head. They both start laughing, both not really sure what they were laughing at.

"I've eaten people and stayed in the kingdom, how did you get exiled."

"I think my huge mouth may have had something to do with it."

"I'm blown away." Donovan said laughing until tears started falling down his cheek.

"It's not that funny." April said after explaining what happened to her in the palace.

"I just think that it's humorous how you went there thinking you were some knight ready to rescue a princess and instead you got kicked on your ass and then exiled.

"The king has not seen the last of me." April said.

"Usually when people are exiled to war, they start to think that maybe they were not in the right to begin with. You on the other ha-"

"I'm going to show everyone the king's true nature." April said staring up at the sky where flying humans were fighting soldiers who were on top of the wall shooting arrows at them. She saw one soldier plummet down from the very tall wall after being kicked of by the monsters.

"Why are we trying to bring down the king again?, i heard he's very understanding."

"It's not about who he is, it's about what he is. He's a witch Donovan. A witch cannot be in charge of our protection as humans."

"Didn't he exile his family under the same pretense?" Donovan asked.

"My point exactly." April said and Donovan is taken back.

"Are you sure this isn't about your sister?" Donovan asked.

"Are you jealous your sister is married first and to a king no less?" Donovan asked and april hit him in the chest. He crutches over in pain.

"Don't be an idiot, she's not married." April snapped and Donovan put his head down.

"Sorry."

"Besides me and akia are sewed by different cloths, we never had the same destiny from the very beginning. I can't be jealous when our paths were never the same in the first place. She's been mother's pet human from the beginning while I was mother's failed project. I don't mind though, mother used to have her waist tightened up with a corset while she slept, she'd wake up every morning with hideous bruises on her stomach, the corset was part of her skin for most of her life. better her than me I always said."

" anyway This is how we do it, we go around and gather all of the king's children and find out how they survived and what kept them alive and then we share it with the whole world. We take him down by getting him overthrown by the people." April said crunching over as well.

"That doesn't sound very smar-"

"I'm in, can I come?" A naked girl comes out the woods and April raises an eyebrow.

"It's not like that." Donovan explained.

"I'm sure." April said eying the girl before turning away from the naked people.

-

"My lady?" Ophelia said placing a hand on Akia's stomach.

She felt a shock of warmth surge through her after placing a hand on the girl's stomach.

"Lady?" She asked placing a hand on Akia's shoulder to shake her awake.

Akia's eyes flutter open.

"Morning, The king has requested you in his chambers for breakfast." Ophelia said.

Akia nods but turns around and nuzzles into Eleanor's sleeping body.

The girl had snuck in during the night to gossip.

"The king is having breakfast now my lady."

Akia held back the urge to groan. As a child she was taught never to make noises like that. Her mother was very uptight with things like politeness and posture.

"Can I have a bath first?" Akia asked turning to face the maid.

"I'll have one prepared for you." Ophelia said as Akia sat up.

"Eleanor, bath time." Akia said stroking Eleanor's silky chestnut brown hair.

"Not now." Eleanor said and akia sighed.

"I know how you feel." Akia stands up and immediately feels dizzy and nauseous. She closes her eyes and shakes her head attempting to shake away the sickness.

"Akia, wait."

Akia turns around to look at Eleanor.

"Do you have a cotton pad?" Eleanor asked Akia who nods.

She goes over to her closet and grabs a huge box.

"So it's a definite no to that bath then?" Akia asked watching as her friend stand up to grab the box.

"It's probably for the best." Eleanor said and akia laughed.

She hasn't had her cycle since she got here, must've been the baby.

"I guess you're good for one thing." Akia said patting her stomach.

Akia's bath was rushed and the hands on her body massaging in the scented oils after were even faster.

She felt almost dirty after it, like she had just been felt up by strangers.

They put her in a low neck cut baby blue dress embroidered with pretty yellow flowers.

"The king had it made especially for you. Said the color would look incredible against your dark skin. He was right but the measurements were a little wrong. Should we just put her in another one?" A maid asked another maid who shook their head.

"The king really wanted to see her in this. It's not too indecent, we'll just give her a scarf. " another maid replied looking at Akia's slightly exposed breast.

They tied a scarf around her neck but decided it threw off the dress. They tugged it off and just decided to leave the dress for the breakfast with the king and take it off after.

They put her coarse hair in a bun with two pretty twist braids falling on her face.

They powdered her and decorated her eyelids much to her protest. Glistening her lips with tough hands focused on keeping her still for the process.

Akia sat down opposite from the king around a smaller dining table.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting your highness." Akia said bowing once more from her entrance. The king looked at her and the dress and he smiled.

"I knew the color and design thought it would fit you very well." The king said as maids started placing food in front of them.

"I'm very grateful, thank you for thinking of me your highness." Akia said empty words through slightly clenched teeth.

She didn't want to be here but she had no choice.

When the maids are done placing the food down, they stand besides behind the king.

"You're all dismissed." The king said to them and they walked out in a straight line.

Akia was in the king's large perfectly decorated chambers alone. Last time they were alone like this, lustful actions took place.

"Don't be nervous, I just don't feel comfortable when the servants watch me eat.." the king said and akia nods grabbing a dishing spoon from the side and walking over to the king to dish his food.

Men never make their own plate mother always said, it's a woman's responsibility.

"Thank you." The king said and Akia is always taken aback by the king's manners. Who's ever met a king with good manners.

"I wanted to formally apologize. I've been thinking about my own actions and I understand your despair. It's tough being king, it's even harder trying to separate myself from this crown." He said grabbing the crown off his head and placed it on the table.

"I couldn't imagine it being easy." Akia said averting her eyes, not sure if it was okay for her to see the king in this state. She grabs a tea cup in front of the king and pours him some tea.

"I'm just sorry." He says quietly unable to explain his actions.

"I understand." Akia said before taking her seat again.

"I still want to learn how to read." Akia said and the king smiled.

"I haven't forgotten, don't worry. I'll find time, Go ahead and eat." The king said pouring tea into Akia's cup.

Akia begins with the food. She opens her mouth after the first spoonful.

"Wow." She said and looks up shyly at the king who's still looking at her.

"Do they make you a different pot?, this is so delicious." Akia said before grabbing a bigger bowl from the side to dish her food.

"I'm glad you like it, speaking of things that meet your favor. The pageant is tomorrow."

"Thank you your highness, I'm very excited to see the contestants and the whole design of the stage and everything, everything looks so pretty already." Akia said her face glowing just from talking about the pageant.

"I'm eager to see you out there tomorrow-"

"Oh no I can't run." Akia said almost dropping the bowl in her hand.

"I made the pageant solely for your participation."

"I don't want to set myself up for destruction. I mean some of the girls looked like they just walked out of paintings and fairytales." Akia said with a pout as she stirred around her soup.

"How can anyone be prettier than you?" The king said and akia almost chokes on her food. She turns her head to the side and downs her tea.

Trying her hardest not to cough.

"Who's making you so nervous?"

"There's a girl, she looks to be from the east but she's one of the prettiest girls I've ever seen, ever."

"I doubt that she's hold a candle light up to you."

"Well you'd be wrong." Akia said it without even realizing it. When the words adapted in her brain she gasped.

"I'm so sorry your highness." Akia said putting her head down.

The king said nothing just continued eating staring at her bowed head.

He could've told her it was okay and that she could lift her head, but he didn't.

He just kept eating, a nerve in him has been strike at the disrespect.

He had threw this extravagant pageant for her, saved her friend, personally designed a dress for her and even apologized and yet she still held resentment towards him. He wasn't expecting her to strip for him but he at least expected some kind of a thank you and at the very least her attendance in a show for her.

He suddenly didn't feel hungry anymore, he didn't even want to look at the girl.

"Eat in your own chambers." The king said, his voice low and gravelly and Akia's mouth gaped slightly.

She had no idea that he would take it her slip up this seriously.

"I'm sor-"

"Just go." He said looking away from her.

Akia bows and walks out.

Her heart surged up in her chest as she does.

"It wasn't that bad was it?, goddess how am I going to help Eleanor now." She thinks.

From afar a siren stares at her confused expression.

He walks towards her and smiles with a slight bow.

"Lady Kenya."

"Akia please" Akia was mesmerized looking at the person in front of her.

The beautiful 'girl' from the east with the shimmering dark eyes.

"I just stopped by to sign up for the pageant and I saw your dress. I have never seen anything this beautiful-"

"And tight." Akia said tapping her sides and exhaling dramatically.

The other laughs.

"And tight."

"Good luck in the pageant though I doubt you're gonna need it." Akia said.

"Thank you Akia, If the rumors I heard about it is true then I'm gonna need a lot more than luck."

"Akialine, where are you?"

Akia could hear Eleanor's voice from wherever she was calling her from.

"Excuse me." Akia said leaving to search for her friend.

Before she could get far Eleanor came charging at her with 3 of Akia's maids behind her.

"I heard you were dining with the king, did you do it?, am I gonna marr-" Eleanor said cutting herself off upon meeting eyes with the person Akia just left behind.

"On a side note where do I dispose of the pad." Eleanor said and akia shakes her head.

"You know back in the Olden days, women had to hide their cycles because the men used to think that women who bled for days and didn't die were witches." The siren Akia left behind said to Eleanor who made a grimace.

"Good things are different now then." Eleanor said.

"Of course, now we all love a good bleeding." The siren said with a slight smirk.

Eleanor grabs Akia's hand, she turns away.

"Bye-" Akia said waving behind her as she's dragged.

"Asuka."

"Bye Asuka-" Akia said as Eleanor drags her away.

"Urgh I got the weirdest aura off her. What a freak." Eleanor said and akia hit her arm.

"Don't be rude, she's beautiful."

"Something felt wrong, I can't shake it, I have a really bad feeling."

"A cycle is natural Eleanor, there's nothing for you to-"

"It's not about the cycle."

Akia yelped in pain grabbing her stomach.

Eleanor almost screamed in shock at the sudden shout of pain.

"What's wrong."

"Ah- it hurts-" Akia said clenching on to her stomach. Her neck was turning purple as she clenched her belly. Hazel and Brenda turn to run in the direct of the infirmary.

"Can you walk?" Ophelia asked and akia hesitantly nods.

Squatting with Eleanor's arms wrapped around her waist to hold her up as she walks slowly.

The siren who once saved the girl looks as she squats away this time it definitely wasn't lunar dust.

He lifts his head up to the very tall wall guarding the palace. He sees two figures with long goat skulls covering their face just before they turn and jump off.

"I'm not the only one searching for the Stone."