Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Cheers, cries, and the clatter of heels–echoed through the castle halls. The servants marched around corners attending to the guests' needs; their temples draining beads of sweat. Even the gardeners rushed across the porcelain, their hands full with trays of wine, refreshment and other fermented juices.

Keeping an eye on everyone through her Yukis, Viola ensured everything flowed like clockwork. Seated by her vanity while her servants dolled her up to reflect her eventual title as the new queen, she focused only on the guests and especially the Ed' Edne Rune Family.

Decorated like a prince in a cobalt blue suit, Robin stood by her father–her clothes pinned with golden badges of her accomplishments. Silver threads hung from her shoulder, and a belt with her family crest of a tweety bird held up her deep orange-hued pants.

'Peculiar taste, but…' Opening her eyes to look at herself being extensively worked on, Viola figured she was in no way qualified to criticize Robin. However, there was one thing she could judge her for and she would be more than justified.

Brushing off the maids, Viola gestured to them to leave her alone, and although their work was left unfinished, they simply adhered to her command without any questioning.

Once the hoard was gone, Viola turned to face Milo who'd been sitting across from her in a chair–far too lost in thought to even realize that the maids were gone. Getting out of her own chair, Viola slowly moved towards him and feeling the cold getting closer along with her, Milo broke free of his thoughts and finally looked at her.

"To think the two love the same man," caught off guard for a moment, Milo's eyebrows squinted in confusion. He wasn't sure what Viola meant but it quickly became clear with what she said next. "Fantasizing about the hero with the person whom you were supposed to be wedded to soon…I'm not too sure what to think, my king.

Is your sister even ready to accept him or is this just a romanticization of her first time at intimacy?"

Letting the words melt into his mind, Milo loosened his eyebrows before pulling Viola closer to him by her arms. Setting her down in his lap, he wrapped his hands around her body, and once the two were enveloped in a sense of comfort, he gave an answer to her question.

"I'd rather it be him than one of the many nobles who've held back Athenia for as long as my father reigned. You saw his anger when I told him about my mother trying to ruin things in his home city–our city. I prefer his anger to the greed of those dukes and duchess or even the indifference of their compatriots while they drained the people of the lower city."

With a sigh, Viola placed a hand on Milo's chest and rested her head right next to his heart. Looking up at him with a smile, she took yet another deep breath and exhaled onto his neck, chilling him for a while.

"I used to easily beat you at chess, and now look who's always one step ahead of me?" Pinching his nose playfully, she lightly chuckled to herself before getting off of his lap. "Anyways, I should check on Tia, after all, I doubt you'll put a pearl on my finger before she gets married."

Waving her fingers in bye, Viola left the king's room dressed in her snow-clear dress. Like glistering ice drawn in cryptic patterns and snowflakes, her dome-shaped skirt carried a hint of her spiritual nature. Walking through the hallway in that dress, she left behind an afterimage made of spinning chilling smog that exuded from the dress.

Every step of her icy sandals reverberated a sound that pierced the ears of any relaxing servant. Her approaching footsteps were enough to straighten their spines and return them to work, not because they perceived her as cruel like the prior Queen, but because they didn't want to be seen as lazy by their just Queen.

Keeping their heads low and their hands and legs moving the servants stayed busy, not realizing that the Yukis mingled in between their ranks acted as the spirit's ears and eyes. However, not paying much mind to the servants as they already had a hard job, Viola let them slip a break here and there, and instead, she focused on the task at hand.

Arriving by the princess's room, she walked past the guards and into the bustling room. Giggles and laughs echoed from the countless girls circling the bride. It seemed like the daughters of other nobles had gathered to help her get ready for her vows. But the moment one of them saw Viola approaching, she nudged the others and their laughter died at the sight of the queen.

Bowing to her politely, the girls moved to the side–already assuming that Viola was there to check on the bride.

"No need to be so formal," fanning her hand by her lips, Viola let out a nervous chuckle. She wasn't used to such treatment and would've preferred if she never gets used to it. "I'm no different than you girls, if anything I'm just a spirit, ahaha~"

Baffled by the queen's words, the girls lifted their heads and looked around at each other, visibly uncertain. However, glancing past them and marching right towards Tia, Viola kept herself focused on what she'd come to do.

"I would like some privacy for a moment if you will, honorable Madames'," looking at the girls one more time, Viola smiled at them until the girls nodded back and with lifted skirts saw themselves out. Enjoy new chapters from m-v l'e|m,p-y r

Seeing as they'd all left, she turned her attention to the anxious princess who just kept mindlessly staring into the mirror in front of her seat.

"I'm sorry it has to be like this Tia," placing a hand on her shoulder, Viola squeezed her lightly. Looking up at the spirit, the princess breathed through her mouth–trying to ease her racing heart and anxiety. "An execution instead of vows, I doubt it's what you wanted. Nobody deserves that, but you already know why this needs to happen."

Moving behind Tia, her hand still on the princess' shoulder, Viola looked at her through the mirror and the princess stared back.

"Even so, I have to ask…" Squeezing her shoulders some more, Viola gave the princess one last chance to back out of the wedding. "Raven–the hero, you don't have to get married to him if you don't want to. So if you have another person you love or if you don't wish to marry him for any reason at all, I want you to tell me and I'll make sure it doesn't happen no matter what your brother says to you."

Tia's gaze lowered to the question. For a spell, all she could do was wrestle with its implications. Robin was her friend, but she had no intentions of marrying another girl, and although she'd been told that the new goddess who would soon be taking over, was laxing the rules on same-sex lovers, she still didn't want to entertain the idea.

'Not like anyone knows about this new goddess yet, I'd be hung just to even suggest it.' Lifting her gaze once more, she looked at Viola in the mirror and replied.

"I want to marry the hero, I've always dreamt of being a chosen's wife, and what greater purpose can there be as a priestess than to birth the child of our savior?" Viola's grip loosened up in an instant, she hadn't expected such a profound answer from the whimsical princess.

However, with her mind made, the spirit had no reason to dissuade her.

"Well then, you have my blessing," she whispered, blowing a protective blessing on the nape of the bride.

'Many lovers yet more are drawn to him, I suppose great men do attract more wives to carry their genes.' Thinking over that thought, Viola wondered if she would ever need to share Milo with another woman. However, since the time had yet to come, she shook her head and shrugged the thought right off.

"I'll send the girls back in, take your time in getting ready~" With a brief kiss on the back of Tia's head, the soon-to-be queen was headed back to the king. There was much left to be done, many aspects of the plan to put in motion, especially making sure that the dog named Roswalt wouldn't even dare an attempt to leave.

'Speaking of him, I haven't seen his wife anywhere…' Thought Viola, completely bewildered as to where that bitch was hiding. But it was only a matter of time before the veils of mystique fell down that question.