Her sister's predicament was a golden opportunity. This might be the chance she had long awaited—the perfect moment to prove that she, not her sister, deserved the throne.
Ever since childhood, her sister outshone her in every way. She excelled in everything, drawing far more favor from their parents than Diane could ever dream of. What stung most was that her sister seemed to enjoy rubbing it in. On the surface, she acted like the caring sibling, pretending to love Diane wholeheartedly. But Diane knew better. To her sister, Diane was nothing more than a tool—a means to make herself look better.
Diane had tried many times to expose her sister's true nature, but her sibling was an exceptional actress. Every attempt to unmask her had failed, until Diane devised a new plan—a much more effective one. She would steal everything her sister had, starting with her life, and take what was rightfully hers.
During the royal contest of their generation, her sister had taken first place, while Diane had been relegated to last. The humiliation from that defeat still clung to her, a permanent stain on her soul, one that demanded repayment. To regain her dignity, she had set out to have a child—a worthy heir who would overshadow her sister's success. But, once again, her sister beat her to it. She had a child before Diane could even conceive.
Would her sister's mockery never end? Diane's hatred only grew with each new affront. Every time she thought her feelings couldn't deepen, her sister would do something that propelled her anger to new heights.
What Diane longed for most was to see her sister's face contorted with despair, just as it had been when she had "lost" one of her children.
Diane had planted a spy in her sister's castle and learned that her sister had given birth to twins—a boy and a girl. Diane had planned to steal the son and raise him as her own. He would be trained to destroy his own mother, a perfect act of revenge. The idea was nothing short of poetic justice. However, her hired men had proven incompetent, stealing the wrong child. Instead of the boy, they had taken the girl.
What was she supposed to do with a daughter? Sure, Rose, her sister, had been a queen despite being female, but she was the exception. Diane had tried and failed, learning the hard way that women were not cut out for that title. Working with a daughter was useless. Thus, Diane had ordered the girl's disposal.
Though the mission had failed, it hadn't been a complete loss. Diane had at least gotten to see the face of despair she had so long craved. It was brief, but it had been enough to fuel her satisfaction.
She allowed her sister a year to bond with her son before trying again. This time, Diane would ensure that the despair would last much longer and be even sweeter.
To make sure her sister could never have another child, Diane had orchestrated an assassination attempt under the cover of night. The assassins were to steal the boy, fake his death, and intentionally destroy her sister's womb in the process.
The plan worked perfectly. For the first time, it seemed as though the world itself was acknowledging the injustice Diane had suffered, and it was giving her the chance to right the wrongs of her past.
Ten years later, Diane thought her moment had finally arrived. She was about to have a child of her own. At last, her dreams of a worthy heir seemed within reach. But when the day came to give birth, there were complications. The pain was unbearable, but Diane reminded herself that the reward of a son would outweigh the agony.
Then came the devastating news: the child was born with no magic. He was useless—an empty shell. After nine months of carrying him, this was the result. A worthless heir. Worse still, her womb had been ruined in the process, leaving her unable to ever conceive again. In her disgust, Diane discarded the child as though he were mere trash, just as she had done with the first one.
Things seemed dire. Was her quest for a worthy heir for nothing? Her plan to take Rose's son and use him as a vessel to birth an heir had been foiled by the boy's age—he was still too young.
But then an idea had come to her. She could still use Rose's son to father a worthy heir, provided she found a woman with strong magical potential. Tina seemed like a perfect candidate. Diane would have to wait two years for the boy to reach thirteen, but once he could produce the necessary seed, she would set her plan into motion.
Soon, she had twins. The son she had hoped for, the perfect heir, was proving to be everything Diane had expected. With him, she might finally take the kingdom for herself. But now, an even earlier opportunity to seize the throne had emerged.
Diane had learned of an impending war between the demons and the kingdom of Bermone before Rose had, and she saw this as an opportunity to both tarnish her sister's reputation and claim the kingdom for herself.
She sabotaged Rose's communications, ensuring that her sister would be blindsided. At the same time, Diane stirred up trouble among the nobles, using them to her advantage. She didn't have to do much—the nobles were already unhappy, and they were eager to place blame on Rose.
Even as her sister's reign teetered on the edge of collapse, Diane knew Rose's skill might allow her to reclaim her position. For that reason, Diane needed to strike at the source of her sister's potential recovery. She needed to know exactly what Rose was planning so she could sabotage it before it could take root.
Using the agitated nobles, Diane would set in motion an assassination plot—but she wouldn't let them succeed. Rose needed to remain alive to witness Diane's ultimate triumph.
Ideally, Diane would keep Rose in a state where she could only watch, powerless to intervene.
"Send word that I'll be visiting my sister at the castle," Diane commanded.
"Right away, my Lady."