At around midnight, I hear a knock on the door. I open the door and see Arthur on the verge of tears.
"What happened?" I ask.
"They... attacked..." he manages to get out.
"Who's 'they?'" I inquire.
"I don't know... but they call themselves the 'Defenders of Italian Entities.' How's that for irony?"
"What did they attack?"
"My..."
"You don't have to answer if you don't want to."
"No. It's okay. We have to be strong, right? They attacked my... my home."
"They attacked the palace?"
"Yes... and the area around it. They killed 800 people, Celeste! Eight hundred innocent lives lost! Why would they? It's so cruel! Many of them were children whose lives had barely begun! They call themselves protectors of Italy, but they attack it! Why?"
This nearly brings me to tears.
"I'm so sorry."
"It's not my home I'm worried about. I just wish there was something we could do to reverse it all, or, at the very least, help the people whose loved ones were lost in the attacks. We can barely give them money to rebuild their homes after the D.I.E. bombed them!"
"Look, I can try to pull some strings and get some sort of donation from Illéa over there. Maybe start a fund out in the provinces. It's the least we can do for them. They've lost everything. We can try to compensate for their homes. It won't bring back their loved ones, but it's a start."
"I can't ask you to do that."
"Don't worry. They attacked an alliance. The D.I.E. will definitely NOT get away with it. Ahren's going back to France soon. I might be able to get him and Camille to donate, too."
"Is that even possible?"
"Yes... But only if you're the baby sister of the French Prince Consort and are able to persuade the Illéan heir. I have my connections."
"I don't doubt that for a second. But you're sure you can pull it off?" Arthur asks, skeptical.
"Yes," I reply, reassuring him. Besides, Kaden is probably telling Emilia the same exact thing. United, the two of us are a force to be reckoned with. We always have been, and always will be, even if we end up in different countries when we're older.
"What?" Eadlyn asks when I tell her what I want to do.
"The Italian palace and its surroundings were attacked. Eight hundred lives were lost. We want to try to compensate them. France is donating. Besides, it'll look good for your image, which your actions aren't necessarily helping," I say.
"Easy for you to say. Some of us don't have as perfect reputations as you do."
"What? Eady, you may not read the papers, but I do. My image is far from perfect."
"Yeah, right. You're the one everybody admires."
"Admires? Definitely not. You may not be affected by gender bias, but some of us are."
"Like what? I've never heard them insult you or anything."
"You don't read the papers. Remember when you and Ahren were twelve and Kaden and I were ten and we had gone out for a ride in public for the first time? We were all riding stallions. The next day, in the papers, reporters commented on your elegance , Ahren's abilities, how Kaden was a natural, and, I quote, 'ten-year-old girls aren't meant to ride stallions,' even though Kaden was also ten. I got the short end of the stick. They could have talked about a number of things, but they chose to ridicule me for riding a stallion."
"But that was a long time ago. They must have changed."
"In the papers, they either call us by our names, rankings, or by the names they think 'define us.' You are The Heir, Ahren is the Lover, Kaden is The Golden Boy, Osten is The Prankster, and I am The Twin. They think being Kaden's twin is what defines me. Not fencing, not charity, not that I speak several different languages, but that I am Kaden's twin sister."
"Oh. I had no idea."
"Yes. Because you are going to be the next ruler, you are spared from all this. Think about that next time you complain about YOUR life being unfair."
"Why do you need two countries?" Eadlyn inquires, changing the subject.
"Because one won't be enough. It's a lot of people. Just a little bit counts for the people," Kaden replies.
"I'll see what I can do," Eadlyn replies.
Author's Note
Celeste's life isn't as perfect as it seems.
-Nom Nom
