The office was oval shaped, white ivory wallpaper in a soft silver geometric pattern, in a light grey frame a painted the imagery of the forest covered in white snow, large windows in a black iron frame lit the hall bathing the interior in natural light that made a celestial sight as if the sky could filter in through the open the window.

A week and a half had gone through from the coronation ball.

Raeb had techno-glass tablets reviewing documents and plans, the projection orb in the center of the desk displayed his summit with the governors of dozens of states inside the kingdoms of Nevermoore, municipal districts sent their farewells flooding the message board as Raeb closed their session.

Raeb sighed as he turned off the monitor, and a loud sigh scaped his lungs. His strength leaved his body, the performance of decor and uptight royal behavior dissolved as his breath crawled away from his chest, taking off his blazer and setting it on a chair, Raeb rolled up his sleeves, he materialized a napkin and erased the make-up that covered his bags, eyeliner and mascara and disintegrated with the snap of a finger once the pristine swipe had gone black.

Not so far off, there was a copper-colored mini cart filled with empty dishes and bones, bottles and glasses empty, crumbs from deserts and cakes lingering on the main tray.

He sighed.

"Shajae"

His advisor came into the chamber, her earrings dangling on each step.

"I need something to eat, Oh and bring my sister in."

"As you command"

She bowed and began to access the catering services of the palace, not soon after an android came in to retrieve the tray with the dirty dishes.

Far up, on the fifth level atop the main building the royal chambers hosted Bianca's room, there in secrecy she kept her plans to herself as well as many trinkets and memories from times long gone before the crowning. Shelves displayed bionic birds, levitating aircraft replicas, crystals in cool tones: Magenta, seaweed green, icy blue, all shimmering in splendid incandescence providing discreet air conditioning to her room.

Her furniture was all ivory-white, while the wallpaper was a creamy lemon green with the motif of a birch forest, a holographic node in the ceiling tweaked the lights so that the illusion of the outside world would seem realistic, providing occasional leaves falling, and at night glimmering little fireflies. Her room a simulation of a forest she had seen in her dreams, she always ran in those dreams though she didn't know from what.

Bianca had sat on her desk, where she tinkered with a prothesis, the limb in question was a left arm to which she had attached a small laser beam powered by a psionic amethyst, in theory this would allow the user to work on smaller, meticulous operations and surgeries, it had been a personal project she had from before the accident, she wanted to help her dad's blood clots, but now... well there was no revolutionary instrument that could save him.

Bianca sighed as once again, the integration pattern to the nerves busted out and failed.

"Oh, come on."

She resumed her efforts without paying attention to how her brother's advisor nocked and knocked on her door looking for an answer.

"One minute."

She spoke as she pulled on her bath coat, as if she had thought of taking a bath before her visit.

"Yes?"

"The king requires your presence, my princess."

Answered Shajae

"Where?"

"Main office, you should try something official."

Bianca gulped.

After the ball she wondered if her brother had been madding at her for not assisting in the reunions with the dignitaries, then again Raeb had told her to enjoy, that he would take care of the royals. She wondered if it had to do with Wilhelm, but once again they only discussed his fated ascension as lord of Toscana. Bianca could guess, and maybe not even that. By the end of the whole ordeal, they bid their goodbyes and nothing more.

She showered and pampered herself, her pajamas were replaced by a streamline lilac dress, adjusted to her figure, she put on a blazer the same color, and stockings a soft lavender hue like a mist that stretched all the way to upper thigh. Her shoes were purple, the long-forgotten color of royals. She thought it was a way to pay respect, but also demand it, Raeb would not mind. Would he?

She looked at Shajae, she wore a headdress of gold and rubies, her suit intense orange in a type of fabric matte-like as if it was plastic, the royal pin on her right lapel, her white blouse unmistakably made of silk, and shoes golden as well, a bejeweled brooch on her long flowing scarf. Bracelets, rings, and ringlets decorated her skin, but barely, elegantly, she had quite the eye for matching jewelry.

"I'm ready."

The advisor looked her from top to bottom, she smiled casually.

"Sure"

The princess inhaled the air, it had been an entire month from the last time she went into the royal office, it had been three weeks and a half from the funeral of her parents, one week since she last saw her brother. Perhaps she too needed to move on, perhaps time would heal her wounds.

On the verge of swallowing her pride, Bianca stepped right outside the office door, she fixed her hair before her ear, not knowing what to expect she faced a dear brother who held a call with some dignitary on his personal glass.

"I'm telling you; the design is as it is, we need him in order to make the blueprints work."

The muffled sound of the response barely got to her.

"Yes, Yes, perfect, it's just what I need, please don't disappoint me."

He hung up while he signaled his sister to take a seat on one of the small armchairs in front of the glass desk.

"Bianca, darling, how have you been?"

Her brother inquired anxiously.

"I'm fine... is-it a bad moment?"

She pointed at the desk full to the brim with papers, tickets, and folders.

"Oh no, it's just a project I've been working on."

Raeb answered.

"See I-I was wondering if you ever got word back from that little prince of yours?"

"He-he-he hasn't messaged me yet."

"My, what a shame, I thought you two would look great together."

She stammered.

"I..."

"Nevertheless, I thought we may need to talk."

Raeb's words came almost melodically, sending shrivels down her neck, she knew quite well her brother only used that tone when he was about to nitpick at something.

She scanned his face, the grin, a grin she knew like the back of her hand, was... off, she could tell he had make-up on.

"See I've talked to some high-profile royals and dignitaries on the night of the crowning and, well you know I'm bad with names, so, some people pointed out something that I think was most curious."

"What is it?"

Bianca began to tap her right hand's cuticles.

"They told me that our kingdom, our people have been asking for change, they said that perhaps the house of Venras was much overdue to wave the past behind and begin to look into the future."

The monarch looked at his stepfather's crown in a display shelf close to the exit of the office, and stood up, his steps ever precise, ever dutiful. Raeb was a well-oiled machine to her.

He placed a hand over the display looking at the crown; the crystals glimmering a reflection, Raeb only saw himself, he saw his cheekbones, somehow one of the many distinguishing traits from King Clay, and at the same time the only physical trait he shared with his stepfather.

"Perhaps we are to step up into our future."

"I couldn't agree more."

"I'd fear you'd say something like that."

Raeb shifted his voice turned into a somber echo, had she had seen him in the dark his eyes would have glimmered.

"When you look into the mirror, what is it that you see?"

"What do you mean?"

"Just answer Bianca."

His voice went deeper.

"I-I"

"Stop stammering"

"I see myself."

Bianca snickered, playing it as if she had not heard him raise his voice.

"Stop lying to me."

The monarch turned his sight on to his sister, his eyes flickering in anger.

"You know about the way they have been referring about you, how many times they have called to concoct a date or a proposal about you?"

"I didn't know..."

"Royals twice my age, thrice your age, it's disgusting."

Raeb fidgeted with his ring.

"Drop the façade Bianca and start acting like a true royal."

The king commanded in a heavy voice.

"It hasn't been even a month and they have begun to see you as a ladder to the throne, as a way to defy me, a way to get me out of the throne."

"I'm-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

His sister breathing began to get heavy.

"Of course, you didn't mean to, how could you?"

Raeb threw his hands up in the air as anger overcame his better judgement, he began to count his breathing as he saw his sister at the verge of tearing up.

Something bottled on his throat. He was being too hard on her; he was being like...

"Bianca... what I do, what I've sacrificed is for the best of us, both of us. I-I've, I'm doing the better not only for the kingdom, but for us, for our family."

Raeb extended his hand to his sister, Bianca clutched it counting each time, she asked herself: How many times? How many years?

"Raeb, I'm so sorry. I don't know what else to do."

"It's Okay"

They hugged, his sister on the verge of watering his suit, Him being the angst fueled creature he was, he could not leave behind those nasty habits.

"I need you to promise me, you won't take any chances, you are not to take any proposal from any man, you are not to leave the palace grounds, and you are not to engage with any prince, at least not right now."

Bianca thought of it for a second, she thought of her sadness, of how her brother was right, they only had each other, their house was in danger. And Bianca was no ruler, she was not cut out to lead, But Raeb was a natural at planning, he listened, he saw, he designed little steps to a greater goal, he was conniving in the right way.

"I promise, I can make a post if..."

"No, right now that would add fuel to the fire."

She assured holding her brother's left hand.

They separated once she began to breathe normally.

Brother and sister continued talking about the tiny details of their days, how finally Raeb had reached down to an inventor who had captivated his mind as a child, and how they would use his designs to upgrade the security droids.

Bianca talked about their time completing royal missions, she reminisced on their travels and adventures before they had to take responsibility on who they are.

By the end of it they had tea together with a pantry full of pastries and fruit.

"I promise you; the prince will come soon, I will arrange all that you two may need if you so desire, but first we need certainty."

"I understand."

She bit her lips, breathing calmly, as Raeb's words jumbled and turned into the sounds of flies as she stared out the window into the woods, she knew her home no longer felt like it. when would Wilhelm come take her home?

Raeb's voice range her back to the room while holding her hand.

"The power we hold over this land demands a powerful image will you be up to it?"