Aefia's back hit concrete. Her shoulders pinned on either sides. The hand from her mouth and wrist unclasped, and she slowly opened her eyes.
Pastel pink hair and golden eyes.
Rosetta, princess of the Mides Kingdom.
Ever since she was exiled for Aefia, her living situation slowly worsened. Now, she was a servant who worked for commoners in their houses, in the Smod Empire.
"Congratulations..." She harshly said, a smirk on her face.
"For what?" Aefia asked, completely calm.
"Your engagement... That ring was a proposal. Am I right?"
"Yes, why?"
"That is why I congratulated you." She stepped back, leaving Aefia some space to stand.
As she could see, they were in a tight and small alleyway. No one was looking here or anywhere near.
Aefia's back hit concrete. Her shoulders pinned on either sides. The hand from her mouth and wrist unclasped, and she slowly opened her eyes.
Pastel pink hair and golden eyes.
Rosetta, princess of the Mides Kingdom.
Ever since she was exiled for Aefia, her living situation slowly worsened. Now, she was a servant who worked for commoners in their houses, in the Smod Empire.
"Congratulations..." she harshly said, a smirk on her face.
"For what?" Aefia asked, completely calm.
"Your engagement... That ring was a proposal. Am I right?"
"Yes, why?"
"That is why I congratulated you." She stepped back, leaving Aefia some space to stand.
As she could see, they were in a tight and small alleyway. No one was looking here or anywhere near.
Aefia straightened herself, brushing the dust from her hoodie. Her gaze remained fixed on Rosetta, but there was no immediate hostility behind it. She had expected an attack—perhaps some sort of desperate attempt at revenge—but instead this woman was standing there with an almost exhausted expression.
Her clothes were simpler than the ones Aefia remembered, and the expensive ornaments that once accompanied the princess were nowhere to be seen. Even her posture had changed. There was still pride in the way she held herself, but it was buried underneath something much heavier.
"So," Aefia muttered, "you dragged me into an alley just to congratulate me?"
Rosetta's smile faded. "No. I dragged you here because I knew you wouldn't listen if I approached you in the middle of the street."
Aefia tilted her head. "You could have just called my name."
"And risk having you walk away?" Rosetta scoffed. "You have become very difficult to approach."
"I learned from experience." That answer made Rosetta quiet. For a moment, neither of them spoke. The bitterness between them was still there, but it wasn't as sharp as before.
Aefia remembered the throne room. The accusations. The exile.
Rosetta remembered losing everything.
Yet somehow, neither of them seemed interested in restarting that argument.
"I hated you," Rosetta finally admitted. "For a while, I blamed you for everything. Losing my title. Losing my home. Having to work for people who barely knew my name. I thought you had ruined my life."
Aefia's expression remained still. "And now?"
"Now I realize you didn't force me to do what I did." Rosetta looked away. "I made my own choices. You just happened to be the person who exposed them."
Aefia blinked once. "That's surprisingly mature."
"Don't make me regret saying it."
Aefia almost laughed. "Fine."
Rosetta leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. "I also realized something else. You weren't actually trying to destroy my family."
"No."
"You were helping Cedric."
"Yes."
"And you didn't even want the throne."
"Absolutely not."
Rosetta gave her a strange look. "You are probably the first person I have ever met who gets involved in royal politics and then complains about being involved."
"Because royal politics is exhausting." Aefia sighed. "Everyone lies, everyone has an agenda, and somehow I always end up in the middle of it."
Rosetta let out a quiet laugh. It was brief, but genuine. The sound surprised both of them.
Aefia looked at her for a moment before her expression softened.
"I don't forgive everything," Rosetta said.
"Neither do I."
"Good."
"But I don't think we need to hate each other anymore." Rosetta looked directly at her.
"I agree."
The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable this time. It was simply the silence of two people who had finally decided that whatever happened between them didn't have to continue defining them.
Aefia glanced at Rosetta's worn sleeves. "How bad has it been?"
Rosetta's smile disappeared. "Bad enough."
Her fingers tightened around her sleeve. "After I was exiled, I couldn't exactly walk into another kingdom and announce that I was a princess. Especially after everything that happened. I came here because the Smod Empire was large enough that I could disappear into it. I found work with commoners. Cleaning houses. Cooking. Carrying things. Whatever people needed."
Aefia listened without interrupting.
"It isn't glamorous," Rosetta continued, "but I survived. And during those months, I started hearing things."
"What kind of things?" Aefia asked.
Rosetta's eyes moved toward the entrance of the alley. "People disappearing. Bodies being found. Travelers vanishing from roads. People who were supposedly safe inside their own homes suddenly turning up dead. At first, I thought they were unrelated."
Her gaze returned to Aefia. "Then I heard the same name."
Aefia's expression sharpened.
"Whose?" Rosetta lowered her voice.
"Kazimir." The name hung between them.
"Kazimir?" Aefia asked.
Rosetta took a slow breath. "He became a common serial killer now. At least, that's what people call him when they are brave enough to say his name—then die. Nobody here seems to know exactly where he comes from. He moves around. He doesn't stay in one place long enough for anyone to catch him. But he watches people before he kills them."
Aefia's eyes narrowed. "And you think he's watching me?"
"I know he is." The answer came immediately. Rosetta stepped closer. "You are not just another target, Aefia. He has been asking about you. Your movements. Your appearances. Your powers. Your connection to the Guardian Realm. Even your engagement."
Aefia's fingers slowly curled. "How do you know that?"
"Because I heard people discussing it. People who work for him." Rosetta's voice became quieter. "And apparently, you are not just someone he wants dead. You are his prized possession."
Aefia stared at her. "That's a disgusting way to describe a murder target."
"That's why I am warning you." Rosetta's expression was serious now. "He is obsessed with you. I don't know why, but he keeps bringing you up. And if what I heard is true, he doesn't intend to stop with you."
Aefia remained silent for several seconds. "What does he want with Mides?"
Rosetta looked down. "Everything." She clenched her hands. "Kazimir isn't only interested in killing people. He wants to bring the kingdom down. He has been manipulating things from the outside. Influencing people. Creating conflicts. Removing people who could interfere with him. If he gets enough control, Mides won't even recognize itself anymore."
Aefia's expression darkened. "And you came to me because..."
"Because you are an Aethalgard." Rosetta's eyes lifted. "You have authority that I don't have anymore. You can intervene where I can't. You can investigate without being dismissed as some former princess desperate to return home."
Aefia folded her arms. "And what exactly do you want from me?"
Rosetta hesitated before answering. "I want to go home."
Aefia's eyes narrowed. "Back to Mides."
"Yes."
"After everything?"
"I don't want my old position back because I miss the luxury." Rosetta shook her head. "I want my family back. I want my name back. I want the chance to stand in that kingdom without being treated like a criminal who needs to hide."
Aefia studied her carefully. "And what are you offering me?"
Rosetta gave her a faint smile. "Information. Access. Everything I have learned while living among commoners and listening to people who don't know they are being watched. I can help you find Kazimir."
"And in exchange?"
"You use your authority as the Third Aethalgard to help restore me to the Mides family. Like you did with my younger brother Cedric. Except. Now for my older brother's running crimes."
Aefia's face remained unreadable.
For the first time since the conversation began, the weight of the request truly settled between them. This wasn't simply Rosetta asking for forgiveness. It wasn't a friendship being repaired.
It was a bargain.
Aefia would have to involve the Guardian Realm, possibly the Mides royal family, and perhaps even people who would question whether she was abusing her new position.
"You realize I can't simply walk into Mides and declare that you are a princess again," Aefia said.
"I know."
"There are procedures."
"I know."
"And if I do this, people will question why."
"Let them." Rosetta's voice became firm. "I am not asking you to erase what happened. I am asking you to give me a chance to return. If they still reject me after that, then I will accept it."
Aefia looked at her first. "And Kazimir?"
"I will help you get rid of him."
Aefia looked up. Rosetta's golden eyes were completely serious.
"I know how he operates. I know the kinds of people he associates with. I know some of the places he has used. You have power, but I have information. Alone, neither of us may be enough."
Aefia slowly nodded. "That's true."
Rosetta stepped closer. "Then?"
Aefia didn't answer immediately. She looked toward the narrow opening of the alley, where the warm glow of the city lights could be seen. Somewhere beyond those buildings, Helio was probably still waiting for her. He had gone into the flower shop because he wanted to surprise her.
He had no idea she was standing in an alley discussing a royal serial killer and a political bargain with someone who had once tried to destroy her reputation.
"I need time," Aefia finally said.
Rosetta's expression softened.
"I need to think. I need to contact people. The Empress. The first Aethalgard. Maybe Cedric. Maybe others. I can't use the authority of the Third Aethalgard without knowing exactly what I am getting myself into."
"Then whenever you are ready..." Rosetta handed her a small paper. "Meet me."
She slipped the address Rosetta had given her deeper into her pocket. "And I need to verify what you have told me."
Rosetta nodded. "Fair."
"I am not promising anything yet."
"I know."
"And I am not going to let you use my authority simply because you want your old life back."
"I wouldn't expect you to."
Aefia studied her for another moment. "But if you are telling the truth about Kazimir..." Her eyes hardened. "Then I will deal with him."
Rosetta gave a small smile. "That is what I was hoping you would say." She stepped backward. "Take your time."
Aefia raised an eyebrow. "You just told me to take my time?"
"Yes." Rosetta glanced toward the street. "But don't make it too long."
Aefia almost smiled. "Fair enough."
Rosetta turned around. "I will be waiting at the location."
"Rosetta."
The former princess stopped. Aefia's voice softened.
"I am sorry things ended the way they did."
Rosetta looked over her shoulder. "Me too." Then she disappeared into the darkness beyond the alley.
Aefia stood there alone. She pulled the piece of paper from her pocket again and looked at the address. Her mind was already moving through possibilities.
If Rosetta was lying, this could be a trap. If she was telling the truth, then someone dangerous had been watching her for who knew how long. And if Kazimir really wanted to destroy Mides, then Rosetta's request wasn't simply about getting her old title back.
It could become an exchange that saved an entire kingdom.
"Why does everything have to become political?" she muttered. She folded the paper again and headed toward the street.
The moment she emerged, she spotted Helio standing outside the flower shop. He was holding a small bouquet and looking around anxiously. His eyes immediately found her. Relief crossed his face so quickly that she almost felt guilty.
"Where were you?" he asked, approaching her. "I looked away for two minutes."
Aefia opened her mouth, then stopped. She looked at the bouquet in his hands. "What are those?"
His expression softened. "Your favorite." He held them out. Pink lilies.
Aefia stared at them for a moment before accepting the bouquet. "You remembered."
"Of course."
She smiled faintly. "Helio..."
"Hm?"
"We need to talk."
His smile faded slightly. "That sounds serious."
"It is."
She told him everything. Rosetta. The conversation. Kazimir. The warning. The bargain. The location. She didn't leave anything out. Helio listened without interrupting, his expression becoming increasingly serious as the story progressed.
When she finally finished, he remained silent for a few seconds.
"So," he said, "you are thinking about helping Rosetta return to Mides in exchange for her help against Kazimir."
"Yes."
"And you need time to decide."
"Yes."
He nodded. "Then take the time you need."
Aefia looked at him. "Really?"
"Yes. But don't take too long."
She blinked. "You sound like Rosetta."
"Because she's right." He gently adjusted the flowers in her hands. "If someone is targeting you, we shouldn't sit around waiting for them to make the first move."
Aefia looked down at the lilies. "I was going to contact the Empress and Justice."
"Do it." He held out his arm.
Aefia hooked her arm around his. "Aren't you going to stop me?"
"Absolutely not." He smiled. "It's a serial killer... The least that woman can do is to keep you alive."
She looked at him quietly, letting out a sigh. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For that."
He squeezed her hand. "Always."
They began walking again, the city lights reflecting across the pavement as evening settled around them.
Aefia held the pink lilies, the silver ring on her finger catching the light every few steps.
The day had started with food, a flower shop, and a simple walk through the city.
Somehow, it had ended with a former princess offering her a kingdom's secrets and a killer apparently choosing her as his next target.
Aefia sighed. "You know..."
Helio glanced at her. "What?"
"I think our peaceful week off is already ruined."
He laughed. "Probably."
"And I was looking forward to doing absolutely nothing."
"We still can."
"With a serial killer after me?"
"We can do nothing while other people investigate."
She stared at him. "That's not how it works."
"It could be."
She laughed despite herself. Then she looked down at the lilies again, her expression softening.
"They are beautiful."
"I know."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." They continued walking together, neither knowing exactly what waited ahead.
For once... She was willing to forget everything about that guy—who once hit her head with a brick, and now trying to murder her too.
But... Whatever.