With Orion finally taking on the duties of the crown, the entire country was throwing celebrations. Though Mica made certain to tell the people the boy was not fully recovered and might relapse into his illness, it didn't change much. Countless people had started sending gifts to the boy, from nobles to regular civilians. Moreover, there were quite a few news stories about the male, along with speculation, theories, and other revelations the public thought they had managed to think up.

At the same time, the boy was trailing his great uncle, being taught numerous things. Though Orion had been assigned tutors for a few subjects, Mica made it a point not to overwhelm him with the amount of work. Since he was already well-versed in other languages, the classes mainly focused on three things: domestic politics, foreign politics, and etiquette. In terms of etiquette, it was quite difficult to do it when he was being taken to meet with nobles. Every single noble in the country had requested a meeting with him, but, obviously, it was hard to meet them all. As a result, only the most influential were invited to the palace.

The first time the boy had sat down on the throne, he felt an inevitable sense of guilt. If not because he knew it as something that belonged to his grandmother, then because he didn't feel as though he was qualified just yet. His grandmother had also been made to sit on the throne at a young age, but she was naturally gifted in politics - a fact that never seemed to fade in the minds of each and every member of the royal family. As the boy's great uncle cheered him on from his side, his expectations were clear. He wanted to see his sister in him.

"Receive my greetings, child of the mist," the marquis bowed, head to the ground while he enunciated his words humbly, "It is an honor, your majesty. I've been awaiting the day you would finally take the throne. Please allow me to introduce myself. I am the Marquis of Adema. My wife, my sons, and my daughter."

"Child of the mist," the rest of the noble family greeted, keeping their eyes and heads low.

"I'm glad we've gotten the chance to meet," Orion smiled amiably despite the fact he was immensely bored.

"It is my highest honor to serve you, your majesty, and, if you'll allow it, I've brought some gifts to present to you."

Looking at Mica, the prince surmised it was alright, his great uncle encouraging him to take the gift. The marquis then had his servants bring forward a large box of different bottles. It became very clear that it was medicine. Though Orion might not have known his goal, the man must have had money in his reign. Even without that knowledge, however, he was fairly disappointed in the gift. He had realized a while ago that he felt better when (Y/n) was around. As long as she was near, he never felt better.

"This is very considerate of you, Marquis Adema," Mica chuckled, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder to get him to speak.

"Oh!" the male snapped back to attention, "Y-Yes. I am impressed by your loyalty."

The man began to speak about all of the things that he looked forward to, mumbling about his territory and encouraging the prince to visit his residence. For every noble that had been allowed to greet him so far, it was always the same spiel. Since Orion did not yet lean towards the nobles or the commoners, that might have been a part of it, but more so, they wanted to be his favorites. The boy's grandmother - as well as every other previous Vethelan ruler - had a favorite noble family.

Mica had told him all of the importance of having a favorite noble family. As a result, he knew the attempts so far were merely child's play. The family closest to the monarch of Vethela was often given countless benefits and privileges, all the while the monarch would use them to keep an eye on the nobles. Actually, there was only one noble family in Vethela that had over five ties to the royal family in the past. The Otsu family may only have been classified as a count family, but they had been the favorite family of over 32 previous rulers. It made one wonder why.

All of a sudden, in the middle of the meeting, fanfare sounded, alerting the prince. Shyly, he gazed up at his great-uncle, the man giving a gasp along with Presley. Both had forgotten to tell him about the arrival of some guests, prompting them to have to quickly dismiss the marquis and move to the front of the palace. Though Orion didn't understand why he was being made to rush nor why his great-uncle was panicking, he soon saw a familiar flag in the distance.

As it turned out, Umayena had heard of the rising tensions between Echal and Vethela. It became clear that they were there to try and bring Vethela back to their side. That was probably why they had such a noisy precession. No other country would come into the nation so boldly. Even President Kazuya and his ambassadors merely entered quietly in their own carriages with no fuss whatsoever.

Still, here Umayena was, parading with their luxurious carriages they had brought over from their country. Gold and white were their national colors, and they were incorporated everywhere from the horses they came in on to the flags and even down to the uniforms and badges their guards wore. A line of musicians began parading their national anthem all the way up to the palace, beating their drums strictly. No doubt, if even one of them was off-beat, the entire squad would be executed for damaging the country's "flawless" reputation. Orion wondered why he had ever liked the country.

"How much longer is this going to go on for?" a familiar voice huffed, the prince lighting up and moving quickly to hook his arms with (Y/n)'s, "Unfortunately, after all this, I still have my hearing. I'd prefer someone just put me out of misery. At least then I wouldn't have to come out here and watch them suck their own cocks."

Presley had to pinch his thigh to refrain from making a criticism. The language was definitely not suited for the palace, let alone in front of the prince. And when the younger male repeated the word, the knight reflexively covered his mouth, telling him not to use that word. Confused, he glanced back at the (h/c) haired girl, but she just smirk sinisterly like she hadn't said anything. He puffed his cheeks out, but flopped his head onto her arm nonetheless, snuggling against her. After the kiss, he had become noticeably more bold.

"Umayena," Sona hummed, assessing the carriage in front of them, "It must be Apostol de let Renjee. The eldest sister is the only one that leaves the country."

"Well, she culled three of her siblings to get that priviledge."

"And swore allegiance to her younger brother."

"I don't believe that for a second. She could kill him if she wanted. He's just more useful as her puppet dictator. Worst case scenario, she trades him out to the rest of the world to avoid a death penalty."

Sona shrugged. She wasn't at all inaccurate in her assessment. Though it went unnoticed by most of the world, Apostol held more power than it appeared. That was what made her so terrifying. For some reason, despite her clear abilities, she was waiting, acting meek. Perhaps it was a kindred spirit to (Y/n). That might have also been why the girl stared very carefully at the carriage, ignoring the rest of the formation.

A guard at the front, presumably of the highest rank, began speaking in a foreign language rapidly and almost aggressively, blowing a whistle. He then shouted the woman's name, placing his hand on his heart before dropping to his knees and groveling on the floor. The next line did the same, then the next, all proceeding for more than fifteen lines of men before it finally ended. The carriage door then opened, revealing a woman that reeked of elegance, void-like black hair, opaque blue eyes, and a skin-tight black dress that went to her ankles. She had minimal jewelry, but somehow it made her look all the more expensive.

The woman was paraded up the stairs. It was only when she stepped on the top step, facing the royal family that her escorts paused, rigidly standing in a military stance, their cold assessing eyes fixated on any possible threats. She was the first to bow to the royal family of Vethela, doing the correct greetings despite her thick accent. The rest followed, doing their best to mimic what she had said. Orion did not bow. The Vethelan monarch never bowed to anyone, regardless of their relationship, but, occasionally, a family member outside of the direct line would bow in his stead. Mica took this role, welcoming the woman.

"I understand there is speaking Athainian now," she grinned, giving a meaningful glance over to (Y/n) and the prince hanging off her arm, "I will speak, too."

"That's not necessary," Presley chuckled, "If you are more comfortable speaking Vethelan, we can always translate for his majesty."

"Forgive. I was not speaking Athainian for the majesty."

The woman then gave a small grin at the younger girl before she turned around. Strictly, she barked out an order in Yenan, all of her escorts giving a loud grunt in response and standing up. They then left palace grounds, leaving the woman with her unarmed militant bodyguards. Turning back, she gave a confident grin before following after the royal family, posture perfect. She said not another word as they all moved towards the royal study, only pausing to observe curiously as the (h/c) haired girl and her android left from the group.

As (Y/n) had stated to the prince, she was only curious who was bothering her to the point of wanting to kill someone. Since the noise had faded and there was no longer a circus outside of her room, she retreated. Though, she did have some difficulty. The male did not at all want her to depart, giving her teary eyes and mumbling he wanted her to stay. Nonetheless, she left all the same, the prince in a foul mood after that. The corners of Apostol's lifts lifted ever-so-slightly up. The expression lasted all the way to the study.

"I am here," the woman smiled, eyeing the prince as much as possible, "As, perhaps, expected, I am here before Echal."

"President Kazuya will be coming shortly," Mica informed her, clearing his throat to get her to focus on him, only for her to continue staring at the prince, "but, in light of everything that has happened - "

"You wish to 'throw us under bus'."

"If possible, we'd like to work out a peaceful solution for all parties. Would you be open to meeting with President Kazuya?"

"I will think over. Have you asked him if he wants to talk to me? We have never had good relationship."

"I'm sure he would be open to it. He is a man of peace, not of war."

The ravenette chuckled at the sentiment and the irony within. Nonetheless, as she kept her eyes on the prince, Presley kept twitching. Apostol had come to Vethela countless times before. Sometimes, it was because Umayena wanted to pay tribute. Others, it was because she simply wanted to get out of the country and made an excuse to become a diplomat. Either way, she had never been a particularly warm woman. The coral-haired knight had always known she was hiding her true claws, but, for some reason, at that moment, he suddenly found her to be a threat, and, even scarier, she noticed that fact.

"When will he come?"

"A few days."

"Until then, am I free to walk around the palace? Or, to make sure you look good to him, will I be locked up in room?"

"Of course not. You're free to enjoy what you always are."

They talked a bit more, mostly for appearance's sake. They didn't mention anything more about diplomacy or the issues at hand, but they did speak as if they were old friends. Mainly, it was Mica speaking. After all, Orion didn't know much about the woman. They had limited interactions before due to his illness, so he hadn't gotten to learn Yenan or its customs. It was probably for the best that his great-uncle took over.

All the while, Apostol would keep glancing over at the prince. Why she was, no one knew, and most tried to ignore the staring. After a while, Presley was used to it as well, but Orion was still very unnerved by it. She was well-versed in Vethelan etiquette, so she knew no one was allowed to stare at the prince for more than ten seconds at a time without prior permission. To lay your eyes on the descendant of a goddess was considered a privilege, so one had to humble themselves in the face of a Vethelan royal. It was proper for one to either keep their head and eyes down the entire time, in the case of greetings, or, if in a conversation, to dart their eyes away for a second to reset the timer. She did not do that.

Before long, she chose to leave, guided to her room by one of Mica's main servants, their hyacinth pin shining on their chest. As she was finally out of sight, the boy glanced up at his great-uncle with a look of confusion. He didn't understand why they were being nice to Umayena after what had happened with Echal. After all, no matter what, Echal and Umayena were going to be enemies. It was better that Vethela sided with the more powerful country, which just happened to be Echal. He didn't think they had to be nice or courteous to them when they were going to go to war with them. Unfortunately, Mica did not elaborate.

While they continued to teach Orion different expectations, Apostol was very much taking them up on their offer. When they said she could go anywhere she had been allowed during her previous visit, that also included the west wing. She didn't particularly know the exact location of the room she was looking for, but she could pick up clues. For instance, from the king's guards standing in front of one room, it was clear it was Verona's, so she walked past it. Moreover, the rest of the rooms had no guards. The only room that seemed to meet the requirements was the one with two regular knights standing outside of it.

As if to test the theory, the woman leaned her ear against the door, hearing a male speaking. The knights did nothing to deter her despite their reservations. As the woman continued to wait, she finally heard a feminine voice, prompting her to push open the door and give a big smile. Though the people inside were not too fond of her presence, both glaring at her for her rudeness, the younger girl managed to give a sigh and motion for her to enter. Apostol did so but not before she slammed the door on her guards, the men unable to do anything.

"It's only proper to knock if you want to enter someone's room," Sona harped, the woman chuckling, "Especially if you have never met before."

"But I hope to get to know Miss Shiratori. Please, take my introductions. You may call me Apostol."

"You can continue to call me Shiratori."

"Not so friendly, mm? But, I understand. Your boyfriends are upset with Umayena, so you are upset with me."

"Boyfriends? No - "

"Then, boyfriend and," A pause as the woman searched for the word, only to give up and instead note, "toy?"

The younger girl crossed her arms over her chest, wondering what exactly the woman wanted to say. Was she there to critisize her? Or, perhaps, she wanted to get in on it? It was highly possible there was envy involved, as well, but there was no way to tell her exact motives as of yet. She was doing a very irritating job of keeping her desires a secret, no doubt to get the most out of their talk.

"I will 'come clean', as is said. I have been keeping eye on you. At first, we only did so because of your relationship with President Akahito. But just day before, I get little video of a kiss. Now you have Vethelan prince. Impressive."

"So you're here to beg for scraps?"

"Apologies. This expression, I do not know."

"You want me to share?"

"No," Apostol chuckled, the smile not meeting her spite-filled eyes, "but I do understand you are person to talk to. President will attack us, regent will do nothing to stop it. Neither will listen. But you have power to change this, so I come to speak with you first."

"Then, you want me to seduce Umayena's way out of the human rights disaster they caused?"

"Seduce," Another pause as she recalled the meaning of the word, only for her to give another snicker, this time the smile echoing in her eyes, "Yes. Seduce. Vethela prince will do what you want. President's son may be harder, but possible. Obviously, I'll make it 'worth your while'."

"That's prostitution."

"Mm. This word does not exist in Umayena. Forgive, but this means what?"

(Y/n) lifted a brow at the request, turning to Sona to see the android merely shrug. Of course, she pushed him to give a definition, the woman listening with much interest. She then placed her hand to her chin, tilting her head with a look of amazement. Apparently, as she elaborated, paying for sex was not even a concept in her country. Rather, she hesitantly went on to state a rather shocking revelation, one that both of them knew she was forbidden from telling. Perhaps it was a ploy to appeal to guilt. Then again, she looked too worked up.

Umayena, as she remarked simply, was a country obsessed with their religion. They believed the rulers were the only ones that could hear the voice of their two gods, and, as a result, the country ran as a theology. Though, obviously, with what she described, it was far from holy. No men paid for sex, that was true, but most men were nonetheless provided with similar services. Apparently, all women were required to "serve" for at least two years. The way Apostol spoke, she had clearly gone through this as well, despite her position within the country.

"If I were given money in exchange, what luck, hm?" Silence. "Not a fun joke?"

"No. Not particularly."

"Point being: please seduce at least one of them. I prefer Vethelan prince, but is up to you."

"If she refuses?" Sona mumbled, receiving a strange look from the woman.

"If up to me, I will keep bothering until you accept. You like money. I know this is true. You like land. This, too. If up to my brother, then perhaps will hold you hostage. Echal will still attack, likely, but young prince is weak; will negotiate for you back and fight against Echal. This is good for my brother."

"It will be quite the challenge to abduct me," (Y/n) huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and looking down on the woman, "Two countries are devoting a lot of capital to make sure I am safe and sound."

"Yes, but Umayena soldiers are like trees. Matters not if are killed. There are always more. Sooner or later, there may be a gap. Though, I wish not for you to be abducted. I like you, you realize? You do what it takes to survive. I am the same. Let us survive together."

The younger girl again gave a look that portrayed her doubt. Still, the woman was unperturbed. Rather, it only made her want to try harder to form a connection with the (h/c) haired girl. What she was looking for was not just for (Y/n) to agree to the terms. It was to continue having a steady relationship with her.

If things went one way, she would be the wife of a genius inventor and the daughter-in-law to one of the wealthiest men in the world. If things went the other way, she could be the wife of the future Vethelan King. And should things turn out particularly well, she could be the wife of one and the lover of the other. With so much sway over them, she was an asset, one that Apostol wanted on her side, regardless of what her brother thought was best.

"You do not believe me."

"Well, would you? You walked in here rudely, without prior notice, demanded that I commit treason, and threatened me if I didn't comply. I don't put on a smile for people I don't like, so don't expect me to play nice like a dolly."

"Then, I will put differently. In Umayena, women are considered different species. Apart from men, I mean. We cannot sit when they do. We cannot look them in their eyes. We cannot leave a room without escort. Even I cannot receive education. When a woman give birth, if she birth a daughter, it is considered divine punishment. The daughter is a representation of woman's sin - ball of darkness expelled from her."

"Yes, I get the gist of it. Women are inferior."

"Do you know what happens when a woman gives birth to son?"

"She gets praised? Then told to make another one, I assume."

"Woman is given sweet words, yes. She raises boy for ten years. One week before boy's ten birthday, she has all limbs cut off of body. They make her to eat traditional foods. Just before she is to throw all up, she has lips sewed shut to prevent this. Woman is placed in barrel of seasoning and broth. At first, she screams because of salt on wounds, but lips are sewed together. Sometimes, it rips seams. If happens, they cut off lips and sew together again tighter. Woman dies slowly over course of week leading to boy's ten birthday. On birthday, if not dead, they sometimes cut head off. If not, when they bake woman, she feels much pain until dead. Then they bring body to big table. Father gets to choose what he wants first, then boy."

"They...eat her?"

"Woman is dirty and sinful until she dies. Then her body is most holy offering," A pause. "They make daughter watch. Men enjoy it. Men enjoy it."

"Is this what happens when you remove social stigma?" Sona questioned, genuinely confused at how human beings could do such harm.

"Men do not like women until they need them. This is fact of life. If woman is higher on pyramid than them, they enjoy the fall. Men enjoy it."

"What do you mean by that?"

"That is what man said to me. I am not sure what meaning. They watched the woman in the barrel for the first minute and then started to touch. Touch barrel. Touch woman. Touch part," A pause as the woman poked at Sona's crotch to elaborate, only for her to let out a soft hum as she realized he did not have a "part", "Much touching. Hours, I think. Man behind me said 'men enjoy it'. What do you think means?"

Even if she knew, the younger girl did not answer. She did not even hesitate to make the decision to be quiet. Sona followed her lead, but mostly because he didn't understand. All the while, Apostol gave a far away look out of the window, her pupils becoming clouded over. She said nothing further, just sat there motionless before leaving without a word. And yet, despite the irony, despite those circumstances, despite the pity, (Y/n) still knew without a shadow of a doubt that Apostol was still an evil woman.