They hesitated for only a second before scrambling to obey, their faces pale with fear. The metallic scent of blood lingered in the air as they hurriedly dragged the corpse away.
Then Ramius stepped forward. His sharp moonlit ash eyes swept over the delegation like a blade cutting through silence.
"Do not overstep your bounds," he said, his voice smooth yet cold, filled with the weight of restrained violence. "I am barely holding back from slaughtering you all where you stand. Do you realize whose presence you are in?"
He let the question hang in the air, his gaze burning into them.
"This is Lady Nyxelene. Queen of Runevale. The woman whose lands you now kneel upon. Whose mercy your kingdom has come to seek. If she chooses to greet your king with a nod, then that is what he is worth to her."
He let his words settle before adding, "Unless, of course, the King of Namesh takes offense."
The tension in the air was suffocating.
A bead of sweat rolled down the King of Namesh's temple, but his face remained composed. He let out a slow exhale, forcing himself to relax before shaking his head.
"I take no offense, Lady Nyxelene," he said, choosing his words carefully. "A nod from you is worth more than flattery from a thousand men."
Ever since he had entered the room, Lady Nyxelene hadn't spoken a word to him, hadn't even looked him in the eye. But he could feel it—the weight of her presence pressing against him like a silent predator waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Ramius turned slightly and gave a subtle nod to one of the attendants. A soldier stepped forward and bowed.
"The noble children shall be escorted to the palace gardens," he announced.
That included me. As if they didn't want to introduce the children to violence.
I didn't argue, though I cast one last glance at my mother before turning to leave with the other children.
Just as I reached the door, her voice rang out, smooth and uninterested.
"I'm bored, King of Namesh," she said, tilting her head lazily. "Would you be kind enough to dance for me?"
The color drained from the King's face in an instant. His mouth opened slightly, but no words came.
Then my mother's lips curved into a faint smirk.
"Just kidding."
Laughter erupted through the hall, the tension breaking like a snapped bowstring. But even as I stepped outside, I had a feeling that my mother's little joke had sent an unspoken message.
She was reminding everyone—this was her court, her game, and everyone else was just trying to survive in it.
The other children were already getting acquainted, laughing and talking in small groups. I stood there, uncertain, feeling out of place among them. As the princess, I had never needed to approach anyone first—people always came to me. But here, I was just a little girl with no clue how to socialize.
A boy suddenly stepped in front of me, his brown eyes glinting with mischief. He had long, slightly messy hair and an easygoing smirk. "My name is Michael. What's yours?" he asked, extending his hand.
I hesitated for a moment before placing my hand in his. "Majesty," I answered, trying to sound composed.
The moment our hands touched, he pulled away, leaving something in my palm. I glanced down—and froze. A cockroach.
A shriek tore from my throat as I flung it away, stumbling back in horror. The other children turned toward me, startled. Some of them whispered, others giggled.
Michael, meanwhile, had collapsed in laughter, holding his stomach as if this was the funniest thing he had ever seen.
Before I could recover, a sharp smack landed on his head.
"Ouch! That hurt, Javier!" Michael whined, rubbing the spot where he'd been hit.
A boy with a long blonde hair and crystal blue eyes stood beside him, arms crossed in irritation. "Stop scaring people with insects. It's creepy."
Michael, still grinning, waved him off. "Javier, did you see her face just now? She looked like she might pass out!" He burst into another fit of laughter.
I glared at him, my face burning with embarrassment. My first impression of Michael? A complete idiot.
Deciding he wasn't worth my time, I turned and walked away, exploring the garden instead. It was my first time being around other children, and already, I wasn't sure I liked it.
I stomped away, barely paying attention to where I was going. My face still burned with embarrassment from Michael's stupid prank. I wanted nothing more than to get away from him and find a quiet place to be alone.
That's when I bumped straight into someone.
I stumbled back, blinking up at a fat boy dressed in fine silk, his clothes embroidered with the golden crest of Namesh. His small, beady eyes narrowed at me as a few other noble children from Namesh gathered behind him, their expressions twisted into amused smirks.
I sighed. "I'm sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going." I turned to leave, not wanting any trouble.
A rough shove sent me crashing to the ground. Pain shot through my knee as I scraped it against the stone path, blood trickling down my skin.
"You think 'sorry' is gonna cut it?" the fat boy sneered. "You ruined the dress my mother bought me for my birthday. Kneel and apologize properly."
His little gang snickered, watching eagerly, like this was some grand performance for their amusement.
I bit my lip. I had only apologized because I didn't want unnecessary trouble. If my mother found out, I don't even want to imagine what she'd do.
Before I could react, chaos erupted.
Michael suddenly appeared behind the boy, a mischievous grin stretched across his face. Before anyone noticed him, he shoved two cockroaches down the boy's collar.
The moment the boy felt the insects crawling inside his clothes, his face went ghostly pale. Then came the screaming.
"Aaahhh! G-GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!!" He flailed wildly, yanking at his clothes as he ran in frantic circles.
The noble children gawked in horror, their previous smirks vanishing.
Where does he even get these cockroaches?
"You idiot! What are you trying to do?!" one of the Namesh children shouted at Michael, his face red with anger.
Michael cracked his knuckles, his grin widening. "Just trying to beat the crap out of you for hurting my friend."
"Do you think you can take on all eight of us by yourself?" One of the Namesh children asked as he folded his arms with confidence.
"Without a doubt.?" Michael replied.
Then, without another word, he launched himself at them.
What followed could barely be called a fight. Michael moved fast—too fast for them. He dodged every weak punch, every clumsy swing, and within moments, the noble children were sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain.
Michael dusted off his hands like it was nothing, then turned to me and stretched out a hand.
"Are you okay, Majesty?"
I eyed his outstretched hand with suspicion.
I wasn't about to fall for the same trick twice.
Ignoring him, I pushed myself up. "Since when were we friends?"
I crossed my arms.
"I was fine on my own,"
Michael chuckled. "Oh, don't be like that. I'm sorry for scaring you with the cockroach earlier. Please don't be mad?"
I narrowed my eyes at him. He didn't seem the least bit sorry. But still… he had helped me just now.
Before I could decide how to respond, another voice called out.
"Michael! Where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you," Javier said as he approached. His sharp eyes scanned the scene—the noble children groaning on the ground, my scraped knee, and Michael looking far too pleased with himself.
Javier sighed. "Did you do this?"
"They started it first," Michael shrugged, gesturing lazily toward the beaten noble kids. "They were bullying my friend, Majesty. And I didn't even hit them that hard. They're just overreacting."
"Since when was she your friend?"
Javier shook his head, clearly exhausted by Michael's antics. Then, his gaze softened as he looked at me.
"Majesty, are you okay? Your knee is hurt."
I quickly straightened, trying to look tough. "It's nothing. Just a scratch."
Javier didn't seem convinced, but he didn't push. "Michael, let's go. There's something I want to show you. Majesty, do you want to come with us?"
I hesitated. "No, I don't want to go."
Michael pouted dramatically. "Are you still mad? Please forgive me." He clasped his hands together, his brown eyes wide and almost tearful.
I sighed. He was annoying, but… I was just a little girl back then, and I couldn't stay mad forever.
"Fine," I mumbled, reaching out to shake his hand in truce.
The moment my fingers touched his palm, something small and wriggling brushed against my skin.
I froze.
Then, realization struck like a bolt of lightning.
A cockroach.
A bloodcurdling scream tore from my throat as I threw it away, my entire body shaking.
Michael was already doubled over in laughter. "Y-you fell for it AGAIN!"