Every step that Calluna took sapped the strength from her still-recovering body. Lukas had split a poppyseed muffin with her before leaving the bedroom which, at the very least, granted her enough energy to stay awake through the conference. Unfortunately though, no amount of muffins would chill the burns that ran all over her legs and arms, nor heal her broken, aching ribs.
She hadn't worn a dress since she was a child in her past life, let alone an old-fashioned one with a large and uncomfortable cage skirt. It felt very inconvenient and tacky, but Calluna just felt fortunate that she wasn't forced into a corset due to her injury. She may have been a fairly wealthy CEO before, but never had she felt fabric as high-quality as the ones the gown she was wearing were tailored with; it almost made her feel guilty when she touched it.
When Eleanore presented her with the outfit, Calluna was completely astonished. The ensemble as a whole was entirely pink, which made her feel very unprofessional; but even after scouring the massive wardrobe in her room she was unable to find a single thing that wasn't a pastel color, and ended up giving in to the maid's initial suggestion.
Lukas was forbidden from entering the meeting since he was still too young, but demanded that he wait outside the door for them to adjourn. Calluna figured that it was more likely because the young prince wanted to eavesdrop; but she knew that she would have had the same idea were she in his place, and decided to let him do as he pleased.
So, on the way to the Grand Councilroom, she had two escorts rather than one. Vincenzo stood to her left and offered support if she needed it, and Lukas walked loyally beside her with one of her arms wrapped around his neck. It didn't actually help her very much since he was quite a bit shorter than her, but she couldn't bear to deny him when he made such a proud, pleased face as he did it. The trio walked in anxious silence until the princess felt the need to ask a few questions.
"Vin?" Calluna spoke up breathlessly, lungs already exhausted just from walking down a few halls.
"Yes, Princess?" His head tilted down to look at her when she called for him, his emerald eyes earnest and inquisitive.
"Do I need to be prepared to speak? Are they going to ask me any questions?"
It wasn't really a foreign situation to her due to the fact that she had not only attended hundreds of meetings as an employee, but had also spearheaded them as chief executive. In fact, she had so much experience she hardly felt nervous at all; but because she desired to leave a good impression on the people that would be working with her, she wanted to prepare as much as possible regardless.
"It's… hard to say, as this hasn't really happened before," he replied, raising a hand to his chin in contemplation. "My guess is that they've already made up their mind about what they want to do, and they're only holding a meeting to inform us now. They've always ran things behind the monarchy's backs. And, since the princess isn't typically supposed to attend these kinds of congregations anyway, I doubt they'll talk to you directly at all. They don't even usually call me either unless it involves war, so it's more a courtesy to have you and I here."
"Hmm. I guess there isn't much to worry about, then," the blonde heaved an irritated sigh, then continued to follow Vincenzo silently.
'I should have known that I'd have no say,' Calluna thought bitterly. 'It's annoying that I got spat into a misogynistic, classist world when I have already spent nearly fifteen years fighting gender norms in what was supposed to be a 'progressive' society.'
It was another ten minutes of walking before they arrived at the designated meeting place, and the size of each hall and doorway they passed through made even the giant structure that was Riversand Applications seem tiny in comparison. She felt somewhat overwhelmed at how grand everything around her was, but tried her best to ignore it and face the issue that was in front of her.
"Good luck," Lukas whispered once they were standing before the entrance. He gave her hand a careful squeeze before moving to sit somewhere nearby, which put a smile on both Calluna and Vincenzo's face.
"Ready to go?" The Captain queried as he blew a few stray strands of hair from his face.
"I guess so," she responded with a nod.
He grinned reassuringly and held his hand out in offer, which she took graciously. The man then pressed open the large, ornate door and led her slowly into the long and extravagant chamber. The walls were made of simple gray stone, as was most of the palace, but it was the decor that really made it stand out from the rest of the castle interior that she had seen so far.
There were multiple golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, all with lit candles and beautiful red gems swinging from them. Taking up most of the space was a massive oval table made from a shiny, black stone that Calluna had never seen before. On the tabletop rest multiple ornate velvet cloths, and the cushions on each of the seats positioned around the mesa were made of the same soft fabric.
After being ushered into one of the chairs by Vin, the princess took note that these seats were not only beautiful, but also quite comfortable to sit in. Considering how difficult it was to sit with all of her bruised bones and her aching spine, the padding on the back was greatly appreciated by the young woman.
Vincenzo gingerly took the seat nearest to her, his high ponytail swaying softly behind his head with the movement. She couldn't help but admire the confidence that he held himself with, as his facial expression was always relaxed and a bit smug – but never gave away any of his actual feelings. It was no wonder he was such a respected warrior.
There were many people gathered, and Calluna very quickly noticed that all of them were older men. She groaned inwardly at the observation, knowing full well that nothing good would come of the conversation that was about to be had.
There were a few more minutes of waiting as the last attendees arrived, but the discussion began with haste as soon as everyone was present. A man of average stature stood from his place at the head of the table, clearing his throat in preparation to speak. Everyone turned to look at him attentively, a clear sense of anxiety hanging over everyone's heads as they waited.
He wore long, black robes and had medium-length, unkempt gray hair. Calluna guessed that he was in his fifties, but she wasn't sure if her eye for age was exactly accurate in this world, so only took her impression as an approximation rather than fact. His eyes were an icy blue, and were equally as chilling to look at as they were devoid of any warmth or recognizable emotion.
"Welcome, Killian officials, and esteemed Princess Calluna. I am the Head Magistrate of Killia, Euros, and I will be leading this meeting today," the man stated coolly. "As everyone is aware, King Caspian and Queen Aurora were murdered in an act of arson by unknown individuals during the royal family's cabin trip two weeks ago, and that is what we are here to resolve today."
Vincenzo nudged Calluna gently during the man's brief introduction and whispered, "Euros never gets along with anyone other than the other judiciaries. If he's off-putting to you – don't worry, you aren't the only one."
She nodded and looked at the magistrate suspiciously, taking note of his position and his name to make sure that she could avoid him at all costs. Everything from his body language to his speech mannerisms all reminded her of a snake, and that absolutely rubbed her the wrong way.
"Since both monarchs are dead and their eldest child is Princess Calluna, we are without a king. As we are currently on the brink of war with the Luo Empire, having no leader is simply not an option. Our Kingdom will go into panic and begin to crumble from its roots if we do not have someone take the throne immediately.
"Typically, we would have had at least a few options when it came to heirs. Princess Calluna was in an arranged marriage until just recently, when the nobleman that she was betrothed to was killed in a border scuffle a little less than a month ago and there was no time to find another, due to the fact that, in some cases, screening for such engagements can take months.
"It is because of this that we, the judiciaries of Killia, have deliberated long and hard to find an alternative solution. Regicide of this order hasn't occurred in our Kingdom for hundreds of years, but after some deep digging we found that in some very ancient records, there were a few times that princes as young as six were made king. The magistrates and other officials acted as his council, making decisions for him until he was old enough to make choices independently."
Calluna felt heat rise to her face as she listened to Euros speak, the last several sentences causing fire to burn in her belly and her hands to subconsciously clench in this barely-contained rage.
'These bastards are trying to take advantage of a child.' She concluded, taking a painfully deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. Calluna turned to look at the auburn-haired man beside her, whose concerned and frustrated gaze met hers in equal measure. It was somewhat of a relief that he was worried as well; she was concerned that she'd be alone in her more 'modern' way of thinking.
"We propose that Prince Lukas be crowned King, and I, along with the other magistrates, be deemed as his council," Euros finished after several moments of contemplative silence, crossing his arms decisively as he waited for anyone to speak.
Calluna knew that she most definitely shouldn't act out, as making enemies as fierce as him was probably very dangerous… but despite her short time with Lukas and the limited knowledge she had of him, the girl found herself very attached to him. She knew that he was kind and gentle at heart, and also that he was very sickly and seemed to be in poor health most of the time. If they proceeded with this plan, they would not only be using an innocent kid for power, they would also, in doing so, take away what remained of his childhood.
"No."
Before she could convince herself to stop, the blonde, eye-patched princess had risen from her seat and declared her objection. Everyone in the room fell completely silent and turned to stare at her with wide eyes. Her frustration was no longer able to be kept at bay, and she decided at that moment that she wouldn't try to hide her feelings.
"Pardon me?" Euros asked, brows raised in skepticism and surprise.
"I said no, Head Magistrate. Lukas is a child."
"I mean no disrespect to you, Your Highness," he replied, his voice beginning to raise slightly, "but there are no other options. I understand you may be concerned for your younger brother, but I assure you that he will be in good hands."
"Why don't I take the throne? I am the eldest, after all, so it only makes sense," Calluna argued, her amber eye narrowing fiercely as she glared at him.
"Princess, we can't have just a Queen rise to power, it goes against all of our ancient traditions!" Euros' voice finally broke into a shout, his ill intent shining through for the first time.
"I never said I'd be the Queen," she spat bitterly, crossing her arms in determination.
"W-what are you implying?! You're a woman, you can't possibly be saying–"
"Where in our traditions does it say that the King must be a man?" Calluna demanded, her voice loud and venomous.
"It- it doesn't state it explicitly because it's common sense, my lady!"
"Common sense my ass," the girl retorted, her foul language earning multiple gasps from across the room, "if it isn't stated explicitly, then it isn't a part of the custom that must be followed."
"I- I-" Euros fumbled for words, finding himself at a complete loss due to this volatile outburst from what used to be the silent and indifferent princess. "I can't believe this! Of course you can't be the king, a princess like you must be more sensible than to suggest such outrageous things."
"Don't you dare preach sensibility when you suggested taking advantage of a child!" Calluna was now seething, and she could no longer feel the pains that plagued her as she retorted, "I will not tolerate such obscene ideals from the very man who is supposed to uphold justice."
She prepared to push her chair out of the way in order to leave, only to find that Vincenzo had already stood and pulled it away for her. She didn't know how the Captain would react to her actions, but she certainly didn't expect him to support her fully like this. He served a proud smile as he looked down at her, the scar on his lips and the one on his nose stretched slightly by the grand facial gesture. This simple act made her feel somewhat invigorated, and with this newfound confidence she found herself turning to face the table one last time.
"Henceforth, I will be King Calluna of Killia and anyone who doesn't treat me as such will be tried for treason and punished to the fullest extent."
"Well said," Vincenzo added with a smirk as he offered her to take his elbow for balance, "I will also be enforcing anything that the King asks of me. Let us go, your Majesty, to perform the official induction ceremony."
Calluna took his elbow and the pair left the Councilroom with, both walking great pride and powerful postures – and not even a single word of objection came from the stunned officials. It was after they had exited the chamber and closed the large door behind them that she felt all of the pain from her burns and bruises rushing back at once. Not only that, but the gravity of what she had just done finally started to weigh on her mind.
"I can't say I regret it, because I definitely do not… but what the hell did I just do?"