Akia's snung in a dark red dress. It's simple and comfortable as she looks at herself in the mirror. She's bloated that much was sure, from not only from the pregnancy but from the crying and strangling as well.

The women decorated her eyebrows, eyelids and lips wrapped a pretty silk scarf around her neck and hair.

Akia's led by guards to the place's giant open entertainment space. The space was built for entertaining the previous king who liked to watch men beat each other to dead in the name of battle.

Akia is early and is placed near the king and queen's throne to her surprise.

The stage has already been decorated with bright large candles and trinkets.

The king walks in, Akia bows but he doesn't acknowledge her. Doesn't even look at her. The sick feeling settles in her guts again.

The queen follows suit. Her dress is breathtaking and the pale white silk robes she wore made it even more elegant. The crown she wore today was different. It was much larger. Made out of pure gold and Covered by emeralds that complimented her dress.

Before the pageant even begun it was obvious that she was the most beautiful woman in the palace.

The king smiled as she bowed to him in greeting.

"Should I shut down the pageant now, I think I decided my winner." The king said and the audience of palace maids surrounding the Area around the pedestal awed loudly.

"At least pretend to play fairly, my king."

"I've never seen a woman prettier than you." The king said and the queen visibly reddened.

Akia stifled.

"Court lady nam?" She calls out upon seeing the woman passing by with the palace kitchen staff meant to distribute snacks during the evening.

"Yes, Lady Akialine." The court lady said walking to the pedestal.

"I'm starving. Can I have some of the snacks?"

"Of course, my lady what would you like."

"Can I have the sugary popcorn, the chocolate, can I get the milk one and the dark one. Do you have plantain chips as well?"

"Yes."

"Can I have those too, wait are they salted?"

"Yes my lady."

"Do you have any grape juice?"

"Yes my lady."

"Can I have that too."

"Is there anything else?"

"Do you have any cakes?"

"They're still being made."

"Can I have some of that when it's been made?"

"You can have anything you want my lady."

"That's it, thank you."

The court lady turns to the king and queen and bows.

"Anything for you your majesties."

"Just wine. You have quite a bit on your hands already." The king said and the queen chuckled.

"I thought you were watching your weight Akialine."

"Im sorry if you misunderstood me my queen. I never said I was watching my weight, watching my weight now would be a waste of time considering the fact that I'll be getting bigger anyway."

"Baby weight and plain corpulence are very different things." The queen said and Akia looks away, embarrassed. The king toned out the conversation when Akia got involved turning to talk to a general who sat on his side.

The show was about to get started when a man approached Akia. He's holding a bouquet of flowers.

He greets the king and the queen first and then turns to Akia.

"These are for you my lady, I hope you have a fruitful pregnancy." The man said and gives Akia the flowers. Akia thank him. She's grateful looking at the snowdrops.

"Thank you. I wish I could give you something in return." She said and the man shakes his head.

"Your appreciation is enough. Bless the sun king." The man said before bowing to the king and queen once more.

After him another man comes.

"Kia?" Another man said coming up to Akia.

"Gorge?, Oh my-"

Akia is presented with a bunch of peaches in a basket.

"The orchard did well this season. Bless the sun king."

He says and Akia smiles.

About 5 other people came giving Akia flowers and fruits. The maids start collecting them.

"you have many fans here tonight." The queen said and Akia is too shocked to think of anything to say.

"People already trying to get the sun King's blessings before he's even arrived."

The general besides the king said.

"What do I offer for my blessings lady Kenya?" General worship asked and Akia pretended to think about it.

"Can I have Eleanor? The sun king wants Eleanor to stay near me forever."

"I'm not sure it's the sun King's wish, you little lady have been asking for Eleanor since you were a child."

"Enough. Michael," The king called out. Michael walks over to the king and bends down so the king can speak over the cheers.

"No more visitors tonight."

"Understood sire."

The next group of people that come up the stairs are stopped by guards who receive the present of Akia's behalf.

Akia waves at them and smiles brightly.

She felt the King's eyes in her and stifled, putting her hands down.

His smell was back but it was so potent that it strung her nose. Made it hard to breath around him.

"You must be very excited, I bet you've never received so many presents before." The queen said, jaw clenched looking down at Akia from her way higher throne.

"Ah- well on my eighteenth birthday I went with my father to the congregation in Irecon, I grew up there and all my childhood friends came with a lot of presents. Someone gave me a boat, but it was a courtship so my father said I couldn't keep it."

"You were courted?" The queen asked genuinely surprised.

"Since I was 14." Akia said with a blinding smile.

"Hm, so why didn't you choose a suitor."

"I did." Akia said voice low remember the hot hunter who she had saved her when she was 16 and later asked for her hand in marriage.

"I wanted to wed him but my parents didn't want me to marry at least not the traditional way through courtship."

"How did they want you to marry?"

"They wanted me to have a fairytale relationship, An irresistible love story with nothing but happiness between me and my lover. They never wanted anything less from me."

"It's sad that you believe that. Were you defied as a child?" The queen asked and Akia is taken aback at the vulgarity of the question.

" it would definitely explain the way you were raised." The queen said as maids began setting up a table with wine and tiny cookies for her and the king.

The queen leans over to pick up a cup of poured wine to hand to the king.

"Your husband was the first to defy me your majesty. I promise." Akia said acid on her tongue. The queen's hands shake but she doesn't spill a single drop of wine.

Akia's table and various food comes and she eats. She eats like the world is going to end and the queen watched in amusement.

The pageant starts with an announcer, he's talking loudly with help of an enchanted sea shell.

"Single men all over the kingdom should prepare themselves for the show of a life time. These women are the best of the best. All bearing resembles to the sun goddess herself." The man said as the girls come out with incredibly intricate dresses.

Akia gasped at how beautiful they all looked. They all walked with their backs straight with their hands on top of the front of their dresses. Their hair was decorated in high creative ways.

"Your majesty." The queen asked the king.

"Yes my love." The king was being oddly affectionate. Akia choked on her grape juice at that.

"What made you throw this pageant?" The queen asked. "Don't tell me you're looking for a new wife." The queen said and the king kissed her cheek, then her jaw and her neck.

"I wanted entertainment, but now that I'm here, it's a bit too superficial for my taste. besides, what purpose would a new wife serve me if the one I have now still owns my heart."

Akia stood up and gathered her mountain of snacks. She bowed to the king and queen excusing herself. She walks down long stone steps until she reaches the front. A guard follows behind her.

The queen cuddles up to the king.

The show goes on.

Eleanor walks out with a light yellow dress that makes Akia's heart fluttered. Her hair was in a high ponytail but it was decorated so beautifully by lilies that Akia was just overwhelmed. Eleanor discretely waved at her and Akia blew her many kisses.

"You are already winning this." Akia mouthed to her friend.

And then Asuka walks from behind the red velvety curtain. She's wearing black once more, a beautiful black dress with a corset tucked under to show off her waist in the best possible way. She's the only one wearing a dark color on the stage. She looks so confident with the purple shadow surrounding her eyes. Her hair isn't help up high like the rest of the girls, it cascades down her slender pale body until it reaches her waist.

She's undeniably beautiful. the air immediately changed the moment she walked out. Small gasps could even be heard.

The girl scans the audience and finds Akia who's smile had simmered upon laying eyes on Eleanor's fierce competition.

Asuka waved and Akia waves back a little uncomfortable and confused but does it to avoid coming off as rude.

She stuffs a plantain chip in her mouth after, feeling sorry for Eleanor.

Eleanor was beautiful no doubt but even the queen with her boundless beauty would cower like an old witch in the presence of the girl.

Akia is getting more and more anxious as it transitions into the talent portion of the pageant.

Akia would usually do something silly and unforgettable that'd capture her audiences attention. She's really good at miming, even if it makes her seem a little hallow headed it's usually good enough to get people laughing and applauding. She's also very good at voice impression, especially her impression of men.

Eleanor usually played her xylophone which was no doubt beautiful but it was often excitement drying.

This time though Eleanor picked something much more exciting, a trumpet. she picked up the heavy brass instrument and blue everyone away with its sound.

The applause she got was unmatched.

When Asuka came on stage, that changed.

She's wearing a long black robe when it starts. Music starts to play from the side of the stage, it's a string instrument Akia has never heard before.

She begins dancing, it's a gentle tone so her moves are fluid and soft. There's an innocence behind her dance, like she's doing it because she likes it not because she's expecting anything from it.

Akia doesn't see anything necessarily overwhelmingly attractive about it but she turns to her left and see that a man has tears in his eyes from the performance.

She decides that she's being too biased and turns her attention back to the girl. She does a twirl and jumps with one leg extended and falls back into a twirl this time bringing the leg in. Akia would be a lying fool to say that didn't take all the air out of her lungs.

The contest ends and the judges go up to the king to hear his final words. Akia sneaks back stage, her dress is covered in crumbs but she doesn't have time to care.

She pleads with the announcer to make a speech before he closes the pageant. The announcer reluctantly agrees.

Akia's stomach churns, she so nervous that she's practically vibrating instead of just shaking.

She's standing with a shell in her hand waiting for the announcer to introduce her.

A while after the announcer announces that he was going to tell the winner of the contest after akia came forward to say a couple words. Akia was ushered by a stage hand to a platform behind the curtain. The curtain opened up and there she stood being stared down by familiar faces an unfamiliar faces alike. The hall was filled to the brim with people and all that scared her really were the eyes of king. He probably knew what was coming. He probably sensed something bad was coming.

Akia lifts her head up and her eyes meet a girl who doesn't live too far from her home that looked almost suspiciously like her sister April. The girl smiles at her and she gets a burst of energy thinking about how April would act in this situation. No one who'd ever know her sister would ever associate the world weak with her name. She was courage, she was determination and if she was here she'd be standing right besides akia daring anyone to defy her.

"MY NAME IS AKIA KENYA." There were a bunch of cheers from people who knew her. She's empowered by them as she continues.

"DAUGHTER OF THE GREATEST MILITARY GENERAL THIS KINGDOM HAS KNOWN OR WILL EVER KNOW. I"M STANDING HERE HOPING YOU WILL TRUST AND GUIDE ME AS I LEAD THIS KINGDOM AND RAISE THE SUN KING. I HOPE YOU WILL ACCEPT ME AS THE QUEEN MOTHER OF THIS NATION AND WORK WITH ME TO PUSH FORWARD TO A PATH ONLY OF SUCCESS AND COMFORT." Akia finishes with a bright smile. She had spoken with such power and confidence that all she could feel was her own power, her own strength.

The queen's jaw dropped and her mouth is left gaped as the whole hall stands to their feet. They all proceeded to kneel.

"LONG LIVE THE QUEEN MOTHER." Was chorused through the hall.

General worship is flabbergasted.

"Your majesty who gave her permission?" He asked shock evident in his voice, he turns to the king and sees that he's staring at her but his eyes are no longer there. There are just hollow holes in his face projecting green light. His hands are clenched into fist and he's about to blow when Michael the palace guard grabs his fist. He rises the king onto his feet and begins dragging him away. The king absentmindedly follows.

The people bow again.

"LONG LIVE THE QUEEN MOTHER."

Two women watch from on top of hall.

"We attack tonight." One woman said before they retreated.

Although both the queen and king left the pageant continues.

"The most beautifulest woman in the kingdom is lady Asuka of the east." The announcer said and akia held Eleanor as the girl in black silk walks up to the stage and receives the roses.

"I'm sorry you lost." Akia said and the brunette leans onto her shoulder.

"Lost?, who lost?, I'm going to be a lady in waiting to the queen mother. Who considers that a loss?"

"What are you going to ask the king?" the announcer asked the girl.

"I'm going to ask that the king take me as one of his servants, who just wants to aid in the survival of this kingdom."

"God what a bore" Eleanor complained. Akia chuckles.

"What would you have asked fo-"

"Lady Akia, the king requested for your presence in the throne room."