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Just as Orias Viertel prohibited entering and leaving his castle, so did the King Golden to his. The same is done to those afflicted. Burnt.

It wasn't a pretty sight for the commoners and poor outside the castle. They began to rally every day, fighting for their dead children and family. King Golden would not give them an audience, at least not while the crow disease lived.

Meanwhile, Princess Freya Golden makes a strange observation. She had recently gotten a paper cut while writing letters addressed to the Silver and Bronze Kingdoms. Her dear Father has made the horrible decision to let her do his writing related work because he got carpal tunnel or something. She couldn't care less about him or the face the silver Queen would make upon seeing the way she's addressed.

Silver Queen of the robot kingdom—

Bronze King of mud baths...

Perhaps Rinoa Yue could've done a better job at creating her characters to be more than bastards and bitches. To think she'd face the consequences of her lazy writing this way.

I am not Rinoa Yue any longer. She shakes her head.

"The Golden Kingdom begs you to open your walls for our people. A strange disease has been spreading throughout our kind and the healthy have no place to go. Should you let our people seek refuge in your kingdom we will return your generosity three fold.

King Golden
Of the Golden Kingdom"

"Stupid father, they'll never agree to this." She mumbles after writing.

Upon setting the papers aside she doesn't notice the paper tore through a thin layer of the soft skin of her pinky, leaving a cut. A small drip of blood falls onto the table that she misses and she leaves her room to do the usual activities of a rude Princess.

Her day consisted of talking to her girlfriend, having the letters sent out, and watching men get chased by chickens for her entertainment. When she returns to her desk and spots the now dried blood, she notices the oddity to its texture. Feathery. This gives her an idea.

Three unfortunate souls were called by the princess into her room, Freya prepared three cups of the juice with a couple drops of her blood in each. One had a little more than the other two.

"Drink. And don't leave a drop behind." She demands. Two of the three are young, frail appearing men who seemed fearful of the princess. The first to take the cup and chug the drink down is a young castle handmaid who seemed used to the eccentric demands of their lady.

The maiden puts the cup down and steps back, feeling nowhere out of the ordinary.

"How do you feel?"

"Normal, my lady."

"You two." Freya turns her attention to the shivering men. "Drink it now or I'll throw you both into the pile of burnt corpses crawling with crow disease."

They look at each other and take their cups at the same time.

"My lady uh... Do you fear someone has poisoned the juice? I can assure you th—"

"Shut up, and drink the juice. Now. I do not answer to lanky fools who can't lift a sword without making a face."

The man who spoke drinks first, the other casts a quick glance at his lanky comrade and drinks. A look of relief washes over them afterwards.

"Now leave. I'll be back to check on you three in a couple days. Oh and take these cups away too."

"Of course, my lady." The handmaiden now with a creeping feeling of malice takes the cups into her arms and leaves. The Princess is never up to anything good, but the lanky fools seemed to forget that.

These men can't even clean plates, of course they'd see things as just that!

---


No word came from the king & queen of the two kingdoms, much to Princess Freya's (not) surprise. King Golden is livid, thumping around his room, throwing chairs and denting walls. Age hasn't mellowed out the man, did opposite in fact.

Eka so happened to pass by his room, hearing his rage.

"Has something happened?" She asks a guard who stands by the door. The usual guard, one of the more competent ones. Of course the king wouldn't let no whiny mouse be the one to stand watch.

"He has received no reply from king Bronze and queen Silver."

"Of course he hasn't."

The bronze maiden continues walking to her girlfriend's room.

"Freya?" She knocks. No one came to the door, but she hears the a few weary and pleading voices.

"And you?"

"A mild fever, princess."

Eka wondered whether she should intrude, it wasn't usual for Freya to have guests that isn't her and isn't there for business.

"And this one is already rotting."

"My lady you must let us go! You might catch the disease."

"You do not tell me what to do."

Her eyes widen. Eka had a feeling Freya was keeping something important from her, but she can't even begin to imagine what mischief the stubborn woman has been up to. Does this even fall under mischief? Or is she just being diabolical. Freya falls under the latter most of the time.

"I do not need you three any longer. I have confirmed my suspicions."

"M-my lady we'll be burned!"

"Of course you will. No one is exempted not even the King."

One of the two lanky men runs out of the princess' quarters, rushing past as if Eka wasn't there. All he could see is a puddled world with the tears that coat his eyes.

"You are truly horrible, my lady." The other two leave. They feel no need to hold their tongues, they'll be dead people by the next sunrise.

"What is going on her Freya?" The confused lover steps in, closing the door behind her. The tips of her fingers briefly trail over the sculpting of the door.

"I used them to test a theory I have."

"What is it this time? And what could've possibly made them that upset? Usually they're more err... scared or angry. This time they look so hateful."

"I gave them juice."

Eka stares, waiting for Freya to continue explaining herself but she says nothing more. The bronze girl rubs her temples.

"More context please?"

"With a bit of my blood."

"And...?"

"They all contracted crow disease. The one whose cup had more of my blood progressed faster."

"Are you being serious?"

"It would be a distasteful joke if I'm not."

"You tend to make distasteful jokes."

Her hazel eyes scan the princess' face for any sign of a giggle, or awkwardness. Anything to prove it's just an extra sick joke. Nothing. Nope. She's serious. "So you used them as lab rats!? And you're saying your blood causes the crow disease?"

Freya nods her head.

"Has anyone ever observed my body after I die?"

"They say it turns into a black goop."

"Just as my drying blood. I thought it may be far-fetched but never impossible."

"Then what shall we do, my love?" Eka takes her lover's hand, looking at her with a face full of worry.

The princess shrugs. "The only way to fight illnesses is to find a cure, or preventive measures. One way is just to make sure I never bleed and never get killed again, but with that psycho around it wouldn't be that easy. We also can't be a hundred percent sure that I'm the cause, and only cause for the crow disease."

"Do you plan to tell your father about this?"

"Not for a while. He'll be too busy throwing tantrums and trying to get help from our neighbor kingdoms. Oh and my love, I have a favor. Please make sure those three that left my room are removed from the castle immediately."

"I will. I kind of feel bad for them though..."

"You feel bad for everyone." Freya wraps her arms around Eka, lifting her off the floor a little bit. "I love that about you."

"If you do then be a bit nicer to others." Eka pouts.