The throne room always felt too large. Cold lavender light spilled through towering stained glass windows, washing the pale stone in bruised shades of violet and gold. Heavy drapes swallowed sound beneath the vast domed ceiling, turning every movement into an echo.
Jamila sat upon the massive throne resting atop the pale stone steps. Gold curled around her like claws.
It was too much.
Jamila hated it.
Too many dark memories lived here. She had to fight the thoughts every time she sat on his throne. Just being in the room made a shiver run down her spine. Sometimes it felt as though her father was still watching… examining… looming.
As if every terrible thing that had gone wrong in her life was some well deserved curse.
She tried her best to never use the room, but today was an exception.
Shani’s knight knelt before her at the base of the stairs, stumbling over his own words as he tried to defend his actions. His hands moved with every excuse, fingers twitching and dancing as he piled one justification on top of another.
Jamila watched him in silence, unmoved by every excuse he offered.
Exhaustion washed over her with each passing minute. She rested her head against her hand, listening quietly while the man continued to ramble. His voice grated against her nerves as the memory of Shani crying alone resurfaced.
A cruel part of her wanted to make him cry. Wanted to make him feel abandoned the way her daughter had.
But she refused to become a ruler like her father.
She had to be fair. She had to let him speak. A chance to defend himself for his years of service to the crown. A chance to salvage what remained of his honor.
Even if every word felt like drivel.
She hated that she had been forced to leave Shani so soon after returning. She wanted nothing more than to curl up with her daughter, comfort her, and tell her over and over again how perfect and wonderful she was.
But this could not simply be ignored. What this man had done was completely inappropriate for a knight of the palace.
Leaving a royal defenseless.
That was not something to be taken lightly.
Especially since her family line had long been revered almost like gods, Noxis blessing them with their lavender eyes as a divine right to rule.
At least… that was how the story went.
Still—
the man would not stop talking.
Even the knights lining the room, men and women who had undoubtedly served beside him for years, had begun shifting uncomfortably. Their eyes flicked anywhere but the scene before them.
Jamila turned her lavender eyes back toward the man kneeling before her. Sweat glistened along his temple now. His eyes darted side to side, desperately trying to find some way out of the situation.
Jamila exhaled softly.
Enough.
He had gone on long enough.
She raised her hand.
The man froze mid sentence. The silence that followed felt louder than anything he had said.
Jamila tilted her head slightly, finally letting her gaze fully settle on him.
“So…” she began quietly, almost gently, though there was an undeniable edge beneath her voice.
“Your excuse for failing to protect my daughter… a princess bearing Noxis’s blessing… is?”
A flicker of flame passed through her purple eyes.
The knight swallowed hard before forcing himself to answer.
“Your Majesty… I was keeping my distance as ordered. I believed the interaction to be harmless and feared intervening would draw attention to her,” he explained quickly.
“They were only children after all…”
Jamila’s eyes narrowed.
“I obviously misjudged the situation…” He lowered his head, sweat beginning to bead along his neck.
Jamila straightened slightly in the throne, her expression softening just enough.
“I appreciate that you attempted to follow what you believed I wanted…” she said softly, almost motherly.
A relieved smile slowly began creeping onto the knight’s face.
“However—”
The single word cracked through the room sharply enough to echo against the stone walls.
“The result remains the same. You left your princess in a dangerous situation and failed to act, even after those girls laid hands on her.”
Her tone hardened, each word deliberate.
The knight stared at her in stunned silence.
“But they were only children! How was I supposed to—”
“And if those children had been assassins?” Jamila interrupted calmly.
The man froze, his mouth still half open.
“May I remind you it is not uncommon for less than reputable people to train children as killers?”
A disgusting practice… and one of the many reasons she and Jaziel had spent much of their childhood isolated in the palace.
Silence filled the room once more. This time, Jamila noticed the other knights watching the man differently now. Harder.
They understood.
“Moreover,” she continued, her gaze unwavering, “because you failed in your duty, your empress was forced to intervene herself.”
Another pause.
The man’s face slowly began to pale.
“That is simply unacceptable.”
Jamila rose from the throne, chin lifting slightly as she looked down at him.
“Valen, you will receive severance pay,” she said evenly.
“But you will not receive a letter of recommendation, and your knighthood shall henceforth be revoked.”
Another pause. Long enough for the words to settle.
“Be gone from my sight by the end of the day.”
The man slowly lifted his eyes toward her again, anger beginning to overtake the panic on his face.
“You… you can’t do that!” he hissed. “I have served the royal family since I was a boy!” He took a step forward.
“What am I supposed to do now without my title?!”
“That,” Jamila replied coolly, “is no longer my concern.”
She motioned toward the knights nearby when she noticed him taking another step. The guards immediately grabbed his arms and began pulling him toward the massive wooden doors.
Valen tore himself free from their grip and shot Jamila one last glare filled with open resentment.
Then he left.
The doors slammed shut behind him.
The silence that followed felt heavier than before.
Jamila slowly sank down onto the steps, the tension leaving her all at once.
She closed her eyes.
Gods…
She truly hated this damned room.
Jaziel, freshly cleaned and thoroughly pleased with his work, strolled through the palace halls whistling a tune their mother used to sing. He ran a hand through his hair, straightening the strands until they looked presentable.
He approached the nearest maid, a pleasant smile already resting on his face.
“Have you seen Her Majesty?” he asked kindly. The young maid immediately blushed and lowered her eyes to the floor.
“Her Majesty is currently in the throne room…” she answered shyly.
“Thank you, Melody,” he said with a bright smile before turning and heading toward the throne room.
A little faster now.
He understood better than anyone how much his sister despised that place. He arrived just as a knight stormed through the doors, his face twisted with rage.
“That bitch… who does she think she is…” the man muttered under his breath.
"She’s the crown thief, not the crown itself… just a thornblood whore playing queen."
The knight paid Jaziel no mind as he continued past him.
Jaziel watched him leave with glacier eyes, but a vein pulsed sharply in his neck at hearing the man call his sister a whore.
He clicked his tongue softly.
She let him live…
His gaze followed the man for a moment, quietly taking note of his face, height, age… everything important.
A loose end. One he would deal with later.
But for now… He had more important matters to attend to.
He entered the throne room.
The tension inside shifted almost instantly. The remaining knights straightened, relief flickering across their faces at his presence. Jaziel offered them a warm, reassuring smile… the kind that promised everything was under control. A few of them bowed and quietly slipped out, leaving the siblings alone.
Jaziel glanced briefly toward the massive clock mounted along the wall before approaching the throne. Jamila sat on the steps, her hands holding her head. She heard his steps and peered up to see Jaziel sitting on the steps beside her, compassion filling his face.
“Rough day?” he asked lightly, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder.
She looked up at him, weary but grateful.
“You have no idea…”
She began explaining everything that happened in town. Jaziel listened without interruption, his attention unwavering as he took in every detail.
Every word.
Every mistake.
Every weakness.
By the time she finished, his conclusion was simple… She had been far too generous. He let out a sigh. She was kind, too kind. The throne really did not suit her. But it was what she wanted, so he would help her.
She was so lucky he was around to take care of her.
He knelt before her, taking her hands in his own, his thumb brushing gently across her skin; the same comforting gesture he had used when they were children.
“You did your best,” he said softly. “You treated him far more fairly than Father ever would have.” It was the truth. And it worked. Jamila’s shoulders eased slightly, a small, grateful smile forming.
“Thank you…” She mumbled as she leaned forward until her forehead rested against her brother’s. They sat there in silence for a moment before she pulled away.
“How was the palace while we were gone?” She asked with a tired smile.
“Not much of note, I kept the place from burning down at least.” He said with a playful smile. Jamila laughed lightly. Then his face morphed as if he had just remembered something important.
“Oh, Nimue came looking for you earlier,” Jaziel added casually.
Jamila tilted her head.
“Really? That’s strange… Did she say what she needed?”
Jaziel reached into his jacket and withdrew a folded document, handing it to her. It was a request for leave signed by Nimue and the manager of the palace, Jaziel.
“She said she needed to visit some distant family,” he said. “She was planning to leave through the Valedros port.”
The lie slipped from him as easily as breathing. Jamila frowned in confusion for a second but returned her attention to the piece of parchment, studying everything.
The signatures.
The formatting.
The seal.
Everything was in order… except, there was no return date. She felt her heart get heavy, but she would be understanding over the short notice. Afterall, perhaps someone was ill, maybe she didn’t know how long she would be gone. Nimue had helped her out so often in all her years the most Jamila could do was be patient and wait for the woman's return..
“I wish I could have said goodbye…” Jamila murmured, her voice soft with regret. The words hung there for a moment, heavier than they should have been.
Jaziel lifted a hand, gently cupping her cheek. A quiet, grounding touch. She leaned into it, just slightly, before letting out a tired sigh.
“Well… I suppose Shani will need a new tutor for a while,” she said, rubbing her temple. Just another burden, another responsibility, another problem to solve.
Jaziel rubbed his chin as he thought over the statement.
“Well… I thought… Perhaps I could help.”
Jamila blinked at him, surprised.
“You? Don’t you have enough to manage already?” She asked, feeling slightly bewildered by the offer. Jaziel chuckled slightly at the expression on her face.
“Yes,” he admitted lightly. “But I have the luxury of adjusting my own schedule.” he said, though Jamila still looked unconvinced. He smiled.
“And if I’m unavailable… I could always find someone to fill in, but I don’t think that would be an issue.” He continued trying to convince her. Jaziel was quite skilled in history, courtly graces, and many other things… perhaps he would be a good fit for the job. It was only for a few hours a day after all… but she hated putting that kind of pressure on her brother.
He noticed the hesitation.
“I was just thinking it would be a good opportunity to get to know Shani better.” He said, the Sullivian name tasting bitter on his tongue but it did not show on his face.
Jamila’s expression softened as she smiled at Jaziel. He could truly be so darling sometimes. She grabbed his hand.
“Very well… but let me know it's just too much…” She said, concern etching her face. Jaziel laughed.
“Too much? If I can handle you I can handle anything.” He said with a playful wink. Jamila nudged his shoulder slightly but he didn’t move. She had missed this, their relationship had been weird for a while but it finally felt like maybe… they were moving past the weirdness.
They sat there for a moment longer before Jamila stood and dusted off her light ivory gown.
“I should go check on Shani…”
Jaziel began to rise beside her when suddenly, the doors to the throne room burst open.
A maid rushed in breathless, sweat coating her uniform.
“I… I can’t find the princess!”