Moments later, the elegant rhythmic clicking of high heels filled the air within the lavish private dining room.
He looked up to see Princess Sophia making her way through the restaurant, accompanied by several of her attendants.
Sophia was dressed in a sleek business suit, her white hair falling like silk around her face.
The two siblings embraced warmly, and Chronos felt a sense of joy and contentment wash over him.
As they settled into their seats, he couldn't help but marvel at Sophia's grace and poise.
She was a force to be reckoned with in the world of politics, high finance and cutting-edge technology, yet still exudes warmth and kindness in all her interactions.
"Sophia, my dear sister, always so punctual,"
Chronos greeted her with a grin, rising to his feet to embrace her.
"Chronos, you're looking well,"
Sophia replied, smiling warmly.
"I hope you've been enjoying Aion."
"Oh, I certainly have,"
Chronos said, gesturing to the booth.
"Especially when I'm treated to such luxurious dining experiences."
Sophia chuckled, taking her seat opposite him.
"Well, we Royals do have to indulge ourselves from time to time,"
She said with a wink.
" Actually, Athena suggested we have a place of our own so we can avoid annoying boys, although I ended up having to set up and manage everything myself. How do you like our restaurant baby brother?"
Sophia asked lovingly.
Chronos chuckled, brushing his nose,
"Everything is impressive, but... the name...?"
Sophia let out a helpless smile.
" It's a compromise… Athena had initially insisted on Big Athena & Lil Sophia's Restaurant."
Chronos rolled his eyes.
"No... that's not what I mean... "
Chronos sat across from his sister at the lunch table, he couldn't help but notice the subtle hints that something was troubling her.
He studied his sister carefully.
Something was off with her, and it was unlike her to be so quiet around him.
Sophia was usually the more outgoing and talkative of the two.
Today, however, she seemed preoccupied and lost in thought.
Chronos watched her occasionally glance out the glass wall at the bustling press conference taking place outside.
Chronos watched his sister closely, picking up on every detail of her body language and the subtle changes in her tone of voice.
Her hands fidgeted with the silverware, and there was a slight tremble in her voice as she spoke.
Chronos looked out of the glass wall and traced his sister's occasional glance, he noticed that there was some sort of press conference going on amidst a bustling hive of activity.
A huge crowd of people was gathered in front of a stage holding neon signs and wearing masks that seemed all too familiar.
"Spill… What's bothering the great Sophia?"
Chronos asked, concern lacing his voice, his astute mind already piecing together the clues.
Sophia fidgeted with her silverware, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke.
" It's about the meeting I had earlier with the Astral Merchants Association. The Yamamoto Media Group has been aggressively taking over Astralian media companies and we can't stop them without good reason…"
"Yamamoto Media... they're from the Empire of Onogoro?"
Chronos asked, recognizing the name.
Sophia nodded.
"Yes, and they're also a branch of the Yakuza, an organized crime group that has managed to set up a chain of brothels in our Red Light District."
Chronos frowned, understanding the gravity of the situation.
Sophia continued,
"Their financial power and unethical tactics have allowed them to acquire several Astralian media companies. And to add insult to injury, they're announcing the signing of Prince today. This will significantly increase their influence in the Empire of Astral"
Chronos's eyes widened, and he was lost in thought for a moment.
Suddenly, he smirked.
"He's an imposter."
"Imposter? Who? What?"
Sophia asked with perceptible confusion in her eyes.
Chronos fiddled with his Comms watch for a few seconds and a social media profile started materializing in mid air.
A 3D masked white-haired character wielding two swords materialized between the siblings.
Beside him was a holographic screen that read:
[ Prince ]
[ Telluria Online Since Tertius Year 370 12/2 ]
[ 60.2 million followers ]
[ 0 Posts ]
Sophia's curiosity was piqued, and she asked,
"Why are you showing me Prince's social media profile?"
Chronos asked nonchalantly.
"What am I?"
Sophia asked with a perplexed expression,
"Huh? Chronos are you feeling alright? What are you rambling on about?"
Chronos smiled and pointed to the 3D holographic image, then to himself,
" I'm Prince Chronos Astral."
Sophia paused for a moment and as if a lightning had struck her, she stood up and slammed the table in shock,
"What?! You… You're…"
Chronos grinned,
" I might be able to solve your problem."
Sophia's eyes widened in surprise, the gears in her brain quickly spun into overdrive as her expression shifted from one of skepticism to one of amazement.
"Let's go…"
But Chronos held her back,
"Wait! There's no need to rush,"
"I remember you mentioning that the Yamamoto Group was under the banner of Susanoo Mikoto, the second in line to the Kingdom of Onogoro, yes?"
Sophia calmed herself and nodded in reply.
"Well, then what would Crown Princess Omikami give to deal a big blow to her ambitious brother?"
Chronos calmly said, as he let out a conniving smile.
Sophia took a deep breath and explained,
"The Kingdom of Onogoro has a primarily patriarchal culture, and Crown Princess Omikami has defied all odds by claiming her place as the heiress with her wit and talents. But Susanoo still holds the support of many of the elders and conservatives within their court."
"He's not one to be underestimated,"
Sophia continued,
"but the only reason he's garnered support is due to the fact that he's the eldest male offspring of the King. He's become increasingly ambitious over the years and more overtly so."
Chronos nodded in acknowledgement before asking,
"From the way you're addressing the crown princess, I'm guessing you have a relationship with her?"
"Of course,"
Sophia replied.
"Women at our level are numbered so we have a close friends group!"
Chronos nodded and asked,
"How fares the relationship between the siblings?"
Sophia hesitated for a moment, then replied with a slight frown,
"Prince Susanoo Mikoto is not in King Izanagi's good graces. He once shirked his duty as naval commander and caused great harm to Onogoro during a time of war. …"
" Moreover, he has always lived in the shadow of his sister, Crown Princess Omikami, and harbors deep resentment towards her."
"Finally, Omikami is the first woman in the kingdom's history to ascend to the first place in line for the throne, and she is not one to be trifled with."
"In other words,"
she continued with a resigned shrug,
" They have a highly contentious relationship and would not hesitate to eliminate one another given the opportunity."
Chronos, however, merely smiled in a way that made Sophia uneasy.
Sophia paused for a moment.
She recognized that innocent smile, her little brother was up to something...
But it didn't matter...
To the Astrals, family triumphs all.