Orion gave a look of confusion when his father was pushed forward. Of course, the boy had vaguely known for a very long time that his uncle was mistreated by his aunt. He might not have known the extent of it, but he did know it existed. So he perhaps was not shocked at Satoru's confession, but now his father was being pushed forward. It felt like something he did not want to hear, the prince averting his eyes while trying to stop himself from thinking about the implication of his uncle's words.

"W-What are you -," the orange-haired man protested, trying to stand behind Satoru instead of in front of him, "I-I thought...you said..."

"You deserve closure."

"N-Not now! It's his birthday, and it's not fair to - "

"Not fair? You love your son. You did everything for him, spending all of your time looking for some possible way to cure him. You remained here for him despite all of these fuckers. You have done more than you ever needed to do."

"But - "

"Cadmus," A pause as Satoru looked in his eyes pathetically, "I need you to do this for me. Or you will never be free."

That seemed to have moved the man enough for him to, at the very least, consider it. He had always wanted to be free of the palace. It was his least favorite place in the world. The man wanted to return to the Sun God Sect and carry out the duties he so loved. He wanted to travel the world, too, and learn as much as he could. And since he'd met Satoru, he'd finally had someone to do those things with. But...

"Verona."

Satoru called out the woman's name, prompting her to glance up at the orange-haired man. He was trembling, on the verge of tears. Cadmus had never been anywhere as near as brave as Satoru was. He had never been the rebelling type like he was either. On the contrary, his entire life, he did what he was told and fulfilled all expectations that were placed on him. But he knew that was the problem, and, unfortunately, he didn't know how to break out of it the way that Satoru did.

"I know I've hurt you," the woman spoke softly, keeping her distance and looking away from him, "N-No, I've done more than that. There hasn't been a single moment where I provided you with what you needed. And I know I am not entitled to closure for the guilt I feel with you. But you are more than deserving of it. I wish to be punished. Please."

The man couldn't believe any of that. He didn't believe that the woman who had tormented him since he was a child was telling him to bring her to justice. It didn't seem like it was even possible for her, of all people, to feel guilt. Otherwise, why had he felt so torn about hating her? He thought he felt guilty for hating the descendant of the eternal flower. After all, to him, she was not mortal, and, therefore, above him. Who was he to question her actions? He thought it was all for the sake of the future.

But now that the woman was admitting she had done something wrong, he fell into a state of shock and confusion. Had he always been allowed to hate her? Was that even something he had the right to do? From the way she looked and the way she spoke, it seemed like she wanted him to hate her, as if that was the right thing for him to do. But that meant that all of his suffering that he had endured was pointless. So, then...why had he been made to suffer in the first place, if not for a greater purpose?

"Everyone wants you to be free," she continued, pausing by biting down on her lip, "because you are so lovable. I'm not anything like you, so I wanted to steal it from you somehow. I thought...forcing you into marriage and taking advantage of you would somehow give that to me. But I did nothing but bring my own evil to the surface. And, even after all of that, you have proven how much of an angel you are. You were in so much pain, I know, but you devoted yourself to others and shone so splendidly."

Verona began to cry. It was a soft, choky cry that forced her to bow her head. The words she spoke were true. She had tried to ruin him and take everything he was, but he only showed how incredible of a person he was. It was admirable. He deserved the world, not what she ended up "giving" him. But it was so hard to express. The words got caught in her throat, but, still, she felt a pressure there, as if the words were threatening to leap out all at once and bombard him with her futile regrets. Still, those were regrets for her, not for him, so she kept them to herself.

"But not everyone is like that. No. Very few people are like that. So, I will selfishly ask you to speak for their sakes," the woman sniffled, bowing as low as she possibly could, "Please, show them, if they only speak, they can bring even the most powerful people in the world to justice. Please show them they are capable of shining like you. And please show them, even if they choose to punish the people that laid their disgusting hands on them...that it doesn't, in any way, detract from their goodness."

Verona had done something unforgivable, using her own power to humiliate, steal, and hurt a man who wished others nothing but happiness. There was not a shortage of these kinds of people across the world. There will always be people that dominate others through sexual violence. But Verona was a rarity among them, not because she was doing a great kindness. On the contrary, what made her so rare was doing the bare minimum. She accepted her rightful culpability and did what she could to give her victim the chance to recover. And though this alone would not heal Cadmus, it gave him the much needed opportunity to take a step towards it.

Cadmus, like always, thought of others. It was because of this that he chose to turn to the people and confess his pain. He spoke softly, at first, speaking of the agony he endured because of Verona's actions. Hesitance flooded his tone, and his body language became closed off, just the same as Satoru. But, as Satoru and Orion held him tightly, he felt the motivation to continue, his voice just as gentle and soft as ever.

"...I was fifteen. I-I didn't know what to do...I didn't know who to tell...so I-I didn't do anything. But it hurts. A-And I don't want anyone to feel this way. Please tell someone. I - "

That was about all he could confess, having reached his limit. Satoru realized that, too, tugging him along out of the ballroom after letting Orion hug him tightly. Cadmus felt it was a waste; that he should stay longer and keep encouraging others to come forward. He felt, in some way, he had failed. But, as he left, again, applause sounded out, people cheering for his bravery, and others thanking him. And, yet, still, he felt it wasn't enough, as most others do, too.

Verona was not sentenced, mainly because she asked for Cadmus to be present for it. She also thought Orion needed time to process the heart-wrenching information. As a result, she requested to be locked up in the meantime, kissing her son on the forehead, muttering a faint apology, and turning to leave. Then she paused, glancing at the remaining members of the royal family. Kazuki and Ichiro had their pain, she knew, but they needed to confess that to their mother. She could do nothing for them. But there was still one more person.

The woman walked down to her great uncle. The man was in disarray, panicking about what was to become of his sister's legacy. She knew he would be like that, too. It was always about his sister. And though he thought he was privileged and was grateful for his belonging to the royal family, in truth, he had every right to be outraged. Like Satoru and Cadmus, he had also been wronged. Though the circumstances were different, he had nonetheless been chained just like they were. Verona placed her hand on her uncle's cheek.

"Please come talk to me about mother."

Mica was confused, trying to ask her what she meant. He insisted he was fine, darting his eyes around to the people that observed him as if they questioned that. The man was terrified. Just because his sister was dead didn't mean he couldn't hurt her reputation. In tears and torn apart inside, the man fled the ballroom, off to a place no one knew. He wouldn't return until the next morning, found collapsed next to his sister's grave and bleeding slightly from the wrists. The man wouldn't talk to anyone, either, a demented look in his eyes.

So many people had been hurt. There wasn't a single person in the royal family who was "fine". But, now, at the very least, they were able to talk to one another about it, unrestrained by the idea of their "godhood". Some were relieved, others in shock, and Orion, understandably, was angry. He, of course, wallowed in self-pity and anger, wondering how he could have ever thought his parents were in love.

Thinking to calm himself down from the anger, he looked around for the (h/c) haired girl, only to realize Haru was staring at him with a frown. The brunette seemed filled with some kind of negative emotion, especially when he glanced back at his father. He seemed displeased, as if he was asking if that was all. Orion ended up with both of his parents alive and better than ever, and Haru's mother had to die. It wasn't at all fair.

In his frustration over the inequality, Haru stormed out, too. The prince narrowed his eyes, pondering over whether he should see him or (Y/n). Then again, he supposed he did feel bad for the brunette. After all, unlike him, who was loved by everyone, other people found it hard to love him. It felt like Orion owed him something, so, quietly, he slipped away, off to find the male while Ichiro nervously trailed along behind him.

"I don't think we should leave right now," the bluenette trembled, tugging on the younger male's sleeve, "Things might get even worse. Y-You should go back inside."

"I'll be fine. I'm just trying to make things better."

The orange-haired male glanced around, trying to catch a glance of the brunette. Giving a small gasp, he found the male turning the corner to go behind the palace. Why he went in that direction, the prince didn't know. But he grabbed his cousin's arm and followed, dragging the bluenette into it. After all, he didn't know what Haru was planning to do. It was better to be safe than sorry. Though, when he knew Presley had also followed him to act as his shield, it was wholly unnecessary, making one wonder what he really planned taking Ichiro with him.

Orion found Haru had stopped, overlooking the cliff the palace was placed on. To him, it had always seemed like a sign of hubris. Of all places, the royal family chose to build their excessive castle on a cliff. How it had held up for hundreds of years, he didn't know, but he wished they would find some consequences in their actions. It would have been better if that happened years before. Maybe then he wouldn't have to risk losing everything and everyone he loved to that Vethelan hubris.

"Mister Haru!" Orion smiled, shuffling his feet along, "I noticed you were feeling lonely. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Go away."

"Ah, you really shouldn't push people away when you're hurting. When you're in pain, you should be with the people who care about you. I care about you. Will you let me - "

As the prince reached out to hold the male's hand, the brunette slapped his hands away, glancing at him with disgust. It was a rare sight for Orion, but he hardly had the time to analyze it when Ichiro stepped in between them. The boy smiled. Everything was so easy when people just wanted to coddle him. It would have been easy to be with (Y/n), too, if only Haru had kept liking him. But it was okay. Because everything was going to work out for him. He just felt bad for the brunette, so it was his responsibility as a nice boy to cheer him up. After all, it wasn't Haru's fault all the women in his life chose to leave him.

Orion's heart hurt. He really did feel bad for him. People didn't love him like they loved the prince, as the heir to the throne. They always made fun of him behind his back and pretended to like him to get something out of it. Haru must have been so lonely, so the orange-haired male couldn't help but frown for a moment when he saw the brunette close off his posture. He even opened his arms to give him a hug, but he was only met with untowards disgust.

Haru glared at him with so much hatred. It seemed unusual for Orion and hostile to Ichiro, but it was warranted. As the brunette stared, saying more than he could with his words, the princes remained, glancing at one another in confusion. The younger of the two started muttering this and that about how he was really genuine, but it was the older one that stepped forward. He didn't really like the disrespect his cousin was being shown.

"He's just trying to get along with you. Maybe Rei put up with this kind of behavior, but you're - "

"Leave."

"You won't even listen? Oreo's been worrying about you this whole time, you know! Even though he's super busy and has better things to think about, he's been constantly thinking of ways to help you! I know there's something going on with a girl you two both like, but - "

"I love her. He doesn't feel that way. He just wants someone to love him."

"That's not true!" Orion flushed, furrowing his brows as he balled his hands, "I love Miss Shiratori way more than you ever did! Besides, she's a deity, just like me, so, obviously, she should be with me!"

"You're an idiot."

The prince clenched his fist a bit more before rushing over to the brunette. He felt the greatest desire to hit him, and, yet, for some reason, he found himself at a loss for what to do once he was actually within range. The rage was still in him, but he knew he, on his own, wouldn't win any physical fight. A bit shocked, he bit down on his lip and let out a small groan of discomfort. Still, he chose to glare defiantly at the brunette.

"You know she would be happier with me. Why don't you just realize that already and stop making it hard for her? Miss Shiratori already has so much to worry about! She shouldn't have to carry all your worries on her shoulders, too!"

"At least she doesn't have to babysit me."

"T-That's - You! I-Ichi!"

"Stop harassing him!" the bluenette interfered.

As he came to break the two up, his cousin hid behind him with a sour look on his face. He looked like he was on the verge of tears. But, then, Haru wondered, if he was so bad at arguing and taking insults, why did he insist on instigating? Especially if he needed to call his cousin to do the fighting for him, he really shouldn't have gone around starting fights. Then again, Haru had always known Orion was not on his or (Y/n)'s level when it came to intellect. He excelled at nothing and struggled with the general things. Maybe he was trying to compensate for that by puffing out his feathers like a bird.

As Ichiro tried to defuse the situation, albeit heavily biased towards his cousin, Haru dazed off. He tried very hard to ignore the intruders in front of him. He never asked them to follow him. He wanted to be alone, but they had gone and trailed after him. And now, they kept yapping and yapping at him for his supposed shortcomings when all he wanted to do was curl up and cry. It was hard enough with the sudden death of his mother.

Thinking of her, he became more furious. These were the people that simply left her to die. With all their supposed control over their country, they couldn't do something as simple as finding two people. No, it had to be (Y/n) that found them. And, if she hadn't been able to, even Bastien would have died, all because the Vethelan royalty couldn't get it together enough to save them. He hated them so much. Why didn't they just leave him alone? Why didn't they apologize? Why didn't they do anything?

"...not even listening," Orion mumbled, glaring at the brunette.

"I wonder if he was so disrespectful to his mother, too," Ichiro added, narrowing his eyes as he continued, "Then again, I guess she raised him that way."

"Shut up!" Haru snapped, grabbing at the older prince's collar, "My mére loved me. She did everything for me. Don't you talk about her when it's your fault she's dead!"

"Ours?! Vethela did everything to help you! It was Umayena that - "

"You were so scared of the public finding out your security failed again that you refused to send anyone looking for her!"

"That's not true! We - "

"You're just spiteful. Your mére didn't love you, so it makes you feel better to talk about mine?! I don't think so! Whatever you say about her, it's only coming from a child born from a forced - "

"That's not his fault!" Orion yelled.

The prince screamed out with all of his heart. He had developed teary eyes, clenching his fists tightly despite Presley's reassurance that it would be okay. And though it might have seemed like he was trying to defend his cousin, he couldn't have cared less about Ichiro's feelings. The only ones that felt valid were his own. So, when Haru asserted such a thing, he was insulting him, too. How could he just let it be?

"He didn't ask to be born! He didn't make his mother...It's not his fault! How was he supposed to know?!"

"You both should've known. I would've noticed my frére crying anytime he saw my mére. I would have protected him."

"Liar! You didn't realize anything about Enmei! You didn't know your mother had been...," the prince trailed off, trying to use his words to transfer his pain onto Haru, "And, how do you know you aren't the exact same as him?" A pause. "Your mother was a maid. You don't think your father took advantage of that to - "

At once, the prince was tackled to the ground, Haru squeezing his throat as hard as possible. The brunette screamed out in the newly transferred pain, wanting to give it right back. The cycle continued again and again, like it always did. But, this time, the pain wouldn't linger about. It would consume. It was either Haru or Orion.