I sigh when I get to the gates.
I would not have gone if the moon hadn't sent me a lucid dream.
Essentially the princes were going to get assassinated if I didn't go.
Sorry??? Excuse me??? Bestie??? No-
I was sent to stop the assassination.
"I was sent to stop the assassination." I deadpan. "I did not come here out of my own will."
"Sure sure whatever you say," The crown prince grins.
"Your highness Zachary I'm this close to beating your ass." My fingers are touching.
"OHOHOHOHO-" Zachary bolts and I chase after him.
I couldn't be bothered about manners right now. Zachary has been bothering me for the past 5 weeks with nonstop letters I am literally about to kill the future emperor right now. He's single anyways, we might as well replace him with Prince Hades and his wife.
"Don't get killed for treason~!" Iyla sings.
"PIECE OF SHIT-" I run after the prince, and he laughs.
"Much more energetic than before!" The prince taunts.
"I'm actually so close to murdering your ass-!" I lunge at him, and I put him in a chokehold. "THERe!!"
"Seven bills Albie!" Iyla cheers. "I told you she'd get him!"
"She's really fast..." the fifth prince mumbles. "Alright you have the say in the next 7 bills I propose."
"Nice," Iyla grins.
"How come the Zach isn't in power though? Is it because he's single?" I let the seventh prince go, and I stand up to brush off the dust.
"On the contrary, it's because he's currently choosing a wife." Iyla speaks up. "Didn't you hear? Terence's wife was originally going to be paid to be released."
"Huh," I stare at the princess. "I didn't know that was legal,"
"It isn't" Albert hums. "One of Zach's men caught the duke in time. He's been placed under house arrest."
"To avoid the tyrant title?" I stare at him.
"No, we're investigating and digging up all the dirt on him so that we can destroy the family all at once," Albert hums. "A one-kill."
"Two birds with one stone," I mumble. "How fitting."
The prince stares at me, and then smiles.
"NoO Don't YoU LOoK At ME LiKe ThAT-" I hiss.
"-?"
Zachary pounces on me, and Hades finally speaks up.
"So... you all travelled here... just to have tea with her?"
"Eclipse's mom wouldn't leave me alone." I pipe up. "Dreamed that you all would die-"
Just as I speak, the barrier catches an arrow mid-air.
"Oh lookie!" I grin. I grab the arrow and throw it back in the same direction. I hear a phut sound, and then a person drops dead onto the ground.
"Sixty bucks it's from Princess Bria's family."
"Seventy bucks that it was hired by Bria." Zach drags the unconscious body into the house.
"Take a right and then first door in the basement!" Hades calls from behind him. "Call Estrina when you finish!"
"Thank you Hades!" Zach calls from behind us.
"So..." I sip my tea, and stare at the princess. "How is the princess' love life?"
"Dry," She sighs. "No man is worthy."
"Facts," I sigh.
"Speaking of which, how come the eclipse is so bent on having you hang out with Crystalia?" Iyla drops another sugar into her tea.
"Apparently she's important to my past," Albert hums. "You know how I don't remember what happened two years ago?"
"Ah," Iyla remembers.
"She also wants us to remember soon so I've been trying to cultivate the eclipse rose," Albert reminds. "But the rose just isn't blooming for some reason."
"Ah I heard that only one crystal rose of each gem can be cultivated at once," Iyla mumbles. "Perhaps someone else is growing crystal roses?"
Ah. That someone is me.
"Maybe the girl I grew them for originally." The fifth prince shrugs. "I'll be trying to grow the solar eclipse one then. The lunar eclipse one doesn't work, and neither does sunstone or moonstone."
"So if you find the flowers then they basically give away where the girl is."
"Pretty much," Albert smiles. "Unless she sold them,"
"Who would sell crystal rose seeds though?" I stare at him. "Unless the woman you loved was tight on money or wanted to get rid of your presence entirely."
"True," Iyla mumbles. "Ah Crysta is the tea we're having today butterfly pea flower?"
"Nope, we're having sunny moonflower tea today," I smile. "I saved the butterfly pea flower tea for another time."
"I see," Iyla mumbles. "What's the different between sunny and lunar again?"
"Sunny tea is dried in the sun, and then lunar tea is usually dried at night only." I smile. "Lunar tea is actually harder to get though, darkness tends to be more humid compared to light."
Ok idk I just made that up. I don't remember if I ever wrote a reason for the tea. Yes I was addicted to the sun and moon concept and yes I still am. I liked tea before, and I guess my teenage self just went with whatever she wanted to.
UGH THE INCONSISTENCIES ARGHHHH
Albert stares at my hands, and then speaks up. "What flowers do you tend to?"
"Huh?"
"Your hands have callouses that rose tenders usually have."
"Ah yeah my flowers are rather cursed." I smile. "They like twisting and gripping my hand."
"The moving ones?" Albert raises an eye.
"Crow vines," I hum. "The black ones that sell for twice the market price in Phoenicia compared to Diana."
"Ah the witch's vines."
"Yeah," I smile. "They have incredible healing qualities for people who aren't the host. I bring one when I heal the villagers, and occasionally I sell them to the villagers for low prices."
"I heard they eat their host from the inside out?"
"Those are rumors to prevent people from growing their own," I smile. "They're like children if you treat them well enough."
"Do you recommend growing them?"
"No," I shake my head. "It takes being a moon's blessed to cultivate them. It also draws power from the moon to grow well."
"I am the eclipse's blessed." Albert reminds.
"But the eclipse is already sick enough, there's no point in draining her power for a simple flower."
"Then how come the villagers are able to cultivate them?"
"I never said anyone could cultivate them, I said that everyone is discouraged from growing them."
"Do you get tired hosting them all the time?"
"Occasionally," I smile. "But the roses don't take up that much unless it's a full moon."
"I see..."
I like crow roses until they eat me empty. They also leech off of a person's powers. My mana's been running low because of it. What a pain in the ass.
"Ah the sun is setting," I mumble. "Then I shall take my leave today."
"I shall see you soon."
I nod and run off.