Chương 24: We’re Mutual Enemies

"It has four legs! It's a farm animal!" Mateo sat on the edge of the carriage bench; his eyes fixed on the paper card his brother held above his head.

"You can ride them!"

"Cow!" Marco shouted across from him. Tori squinted at her little cousin and the card that said 'horse'.

"You... ride cows?"

"You can ride a cow!" Marco defended himself.

"It's pulling the carriage right now," Tori said in a deadpan voice. Marco looked at her quizzically.

"Horse?"

"Next!" Mateo flipped the small hourglass over and Marco tossed the card to the side and grabbed the next one.

"It's the animal on cousin's store!"

"Lion!" Oh, thank goodness he at least got that one.... Mateo flipped the small hourglass again, but the larger one on Tori's side was about to run out. She smiled.

"And... time!"

"No!" Marco let out a pained cry and looked at the small stack of cards next to him.

"I only got four this round!"

"Let's total it up," Tori said as she opened a little notebook filled with small lines and notes.

"Okay... Mateo's total score... 25. Not bad. Now Marco... adding the four this round...." She looked up and saw the tense looks on the twins' faces.

"26. Sorry, Mateo. Marco wins." Marco let out a cry of triumph as he raised his arms in the air. Mateo looked stunned.

"Wait... one more round!"

"We agreed on five rounds each," Tori said as she reached forward to gather the cards.

"It looks like half my dessert will go to Marco tonight."

"Hehehe...." The older twin looked pleased as he gave his brother a smug look. Mateo crossed his arms over his chest and slumped back against the carriage.

"I can win with one more round."

"We don't have time for one more round," Tori said as she pushed aside the curtains of the carriage.

"We're already here." As she gathered the cards and put them away, the twins scooted to the window to look outside. Just up the road were the main gates of Presidio; old, reinforced clay brick structures that led to the largest city in Sur, the southern region where their family's march was located. At the top of the hill, overlooking the city, was the fortress Tori awoke in months ago. In the late afternoon sun, it looked particularly inviting.

They had been traveling for a week and were in the carriages all day; just the thought of getting to stay in one place for a while and not have to smell like ginger to travel was welcoming. Like the twins, she looked out the window closest to her to try to get a good look at the city. As large as it was, it was only a fraction of Horizon. Soleil was a sprawling empire with 35 administrative regions and its heart in Horizon.

It was surrounded by the Central Corridor and beyond that, the five duchies, which were mainly agrarian, but dotted with mines and forests that could be sourced. They were physically the closest high-ranking nobility to the center of politics and when people talked about 'local nobles' in Horizon, they counted the duchies. Because of their vast resources and territories all over the empire, they tended to also be the wealthiest nobles and were constantly competing with each other.

Then, there were the twelve marches, with the four largest made up of the original expansion territories of Soleil when it was still a kingdom vying for land. As the kingdom grew into an empire and stretched out its dominance, a patchwork of smaller marches was created to be buffer areas along the former borders.

Soleil's military power was spread along the twelve marches, but the Eastern March of Schwert that oversaw most of Osten, the eastern region of Soleil, and the Southern March of Guevera, which oversaw Sur, controlled about a quarter of the empire's military each as a result of their locations and history. All the smaller marches in their region also reported up to them. According to Kasen, they were the two marches that had the best quality militaries.

The Western March, controlling Anlar, was coastal and closest to some of the client states and annexed territories off the mainland. As a result, they held two-thirds of Soleil's naval power. The remaining third was under the Gueveras, technically, but were split into three smaller portions amongst three smaller marches closer to the coast. The Northern March, in Nordur penninsula, had a sparse population with little to defend in terms of resources.

Their military was trained to be more like emergency service personnel. They trained jointly with the other three big marches, taking up logistic or medic roles within them. All in all, the four main marches were deeply united from the empire's early expansion to secure its borders. Unlike the duchies, the marches were on exceedingly good terms and nobles from one march often married into another.

Her paternal grandmother was the daughter of the late and former Marquis O'Tuagh and her grandmother's nephew was the current Marquis O'Tuagh. This made Marquis O'Tuagh's son, Admiral Andrew O'Tuagh of the Anlar Fleet, one of Tori's cousins. He was a bit older than Sebastian, but the youngest of his siblings. Victoria's memory recalls him trying to teach her how to swim when she went to visit as a child. Tori leaned back against the carriage.

In retrospect, it wasn't just the Gueveras whose power and influence backed her. She had distant relatives in high places. Unfortunately, she didn't retain any memories from Victoria about how said relatives saw her. Whether or not they had a good impression of Victoria was unknown. They weren't mentioned in the wiki article, either. Tori had to learn about these blood and political ties from Kasen.

It would probably be a good idea to become closer to them, if only to have another layer of protection from whatever the game decided to throw at her. Also, in her original world, she had a massive extended family and she always liked that. The carriage continued to move forward and they were waved through the fortress gates. Ahead of them was her aunt and uncle's carriage.

It would've been too cramped with five people in a single carriage, so Tori volunteered to essentially babysit her cousins and use them as market research for pictionary, charades, and heads-up. She didn't have time to make the bingo cards for traveling, so she'd have to work on that while she was home. They were led into the outer courtyard and, on the steps below the main entrance, three adults were waiting for them.

Tori's eyes crinkled up as she saw her parents and grandfather with expectant looks on their faces. She smiled. For people she'd only known for a few months, she'd had them in her heart securely. The game may be against her, but it didn't leave her helpless. Her lips curled up. That was probably its mistake. The carriage came to a stop and as soon as it did, the twins threw open the door and shot out.

"Gramps!" Their screams filled the courtyard as they jumped into the open arms of the Elder Marquis. He laughed and lifted them up, one in each arm, and squeezed them, happy to see his youngest grandchildren. Tori stepped out of the carriage and before she could take a step towards her grandfather, her parents surrounded her.

"Tori, welcome home!" Her mother's tight embrace filled her with warmth as she was pulled forward.

"How was the journey? You must be tired. It's much longer in the winter."

"It was just two days longer, Mama. It's fine," Tori said as her mother stepped back and held her at arm's length to study her.

"Your mother had the cooks prepare your favorites for dinner," her father said as he gave her a hug.

"Even your favorite dessert."

"Half of it is mine!" Marco cried out. Tori let out a little snort.

"Yes, yes, that was the deal." She rolled her eyes and headed over to greet her grandfather. The door to the first carriage was now open and she watched her Auntie Lucia step down, wearing her down coat.

"Oh, my! It's much colder here than I thought it would be. It's good that I brought my coat with me." She wore a smug expression as she looked directly at her older brother. Tori's father frowned as he saw his sister parading in front of them, shamelessly showing off the coat.

"Lucia," he said in a droll voice.

"Good to see you."

"Gregorio, I can't believe you came outside in such thin clothing," Auntie Lucia let out a small, mock gasp. She gave the marquis a pitiful look.

"It's a shame you don't have a nice warm coat, like mine." The corner of the marquis' eye twitched.

"Yes...."

"Do you like it?"

"It's-""Tori designed it, you know. Specifically, with me in mind. It's called the Biancci women's trench." She walked in a circle and the marquis scowled. A nervous Uncle Maurizo rushed to her side.

"My love, perhaps we should go inside now. It's getting colder and the sun will set soon."

"Maurizo." The marquis' voice was low as his blue eyes glared at his brother-in-law.

"Are you also wearing a trench?" Uncle Maurizo froze for a moment before turning to face the marquis with a weak smile.

"Ah... yes.... Tori made me and her aunt a matching pair." She saw her parents turn their heads towards her and she quickly hugged her grandfather to avoid their eyes.

"Gramps, how are you? Have you been busy?" The old man snorted and let his grandsons down before embracing his only granddaughter.

"I'm fine. Suffering from popularity, as always," he said with a lopsided grin. He looked over the top of her head and gave his children an annoyed look.

"They've been traveling all day. Everyone should go inside and relax." He stepped back and urged Tori up the steps.

"Dinner isn't for some time. Go and take a nap. I will send someone to wake you for dinner."

"Thanks, Gramps. By the way, where are Kasey and Sebby?" Tori looked around. She expected her brothers to be the first ones to rush up to her after her parents.

"I sent them on some business to the garrison," her father said, casually. The Presidio garrison was a half day's ride away and usually if someone went, they'd stay the night.

"They'll be back for dinner." Tori nodded and looked back at the carriage. The servants were starting to unload and she pulled away from her grandfather.

"Can you take that box to the family room?" she asked as she pointed to a new trunk about half the size of the one she left with.

"What's inside, my dear?" Her mother craned her neck and looked over the trunk.

"It's my first time in Horizon, so I bought everyone commemorative gifts." Her parents' eyes sparkled with excitement and Tori wondered if Victoria ever bought her poor parents gifts before. It was a minor detail she couldn't remember. Her grandfather once more urged her to go to her room and rest after her long journey. She was more than happy to do so. She just wanted to rest and not think about the taxing carriage ride, the game, or that weird encounter with Constantine before she left.

Tori planned to just lay down for a moment and then unpack her bag of things before she was called to dinner, but as soon as she laid across her big bed, in her room already warmed by the fire in the hearth, she was out. It wasn't until she heard knocking on the door and her name being called by a maid that she opened her eyes. The light crystals were glowing a dim yellow light, likely to let her sleep, and the curtains across her windows were pulled closed.

There was no light coming from them, meaning it was already dark out. Tori rolled into a sitting position and rubbed her eyes.

"I'll come down in a moment! I'm just washing up!" She heard the maid confirm and then a few fading footsteps before Tori walked to the ceramic basin and jug. The water was now room temperature and was likely warm when it was brought in. After washing her face and re-doing her hair in a bun with a headband, she straightened her clothes and headed downstairs to the dining hall.

"Tori!" She opened her door and found Sebastian waiting for her in the brightly lit hall.

"Welcome home!"

"Sebby." She smiled and raised her arms to give him a hug. Her brother happily accepted and kept one arm around her shoulders as they walked downstairs.

"When did you get back?"

"A few hours ago. Papa knew you were coming home today, but he still sent us out to do some work at the garrison. I tried to talk him into letting us go tomorrow, but no. He said it had to be today. And do you know what it was for? Reassignment orders and delivering joint training directives." Her brother complained all the way to the ground floor, where they found Kasen standing just outside the dining hall. He saw them approaching and smiled warmly.

"Welcome home. Did you get some rest?"

"I fell asleep as soon as I got to my room," Tori said as she greeted him with a hug.

"I heard Papa sent you to the garrison."

"He didn't need to send both of us," Kasen said with a frown as he walked beside her.

"But he kept insisting it was important." Tori chuckled and stepped into the dining hall with her brothers on either side. It was already noisy, with the twins explaining that they had been playing games Tori made and that the winner for the day would get half of Tori's dessert as a prize.

"I'm glad you two are having fun with your cousin, but is it necessary to take half of her dessert every night?" Auntie Lucia asked as she sat beside her husband.

"Cousin got to keep the other half," Mateo said, as if the prize was valid and in no way unfair to their cousin.

"Tori, you're here!" Her mother rose from her seat and rushed to her to take her arm and lead her to her seat.

"The twins were telling us about the tents you made." If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"I didn't make them myself, I just put together the design and asked it to be made so my group could have somewhere to sleep on the excursion," Tori said as she took her seat. She scooted forward and looked across the table at the twins.

"Did you two bring one of the tents?"

"They brought everything," Uncle Maurizo replied with a slight grimace.

"They want to 'camp' out in the courtyard."

"Oh yeah!" The twins looked at each other eagerly before turning to their uncle.

"Uncle, can we camp in the courtyard?" Auntie Lucia gave her husband a disapproving look for reminding them. The marquis furrowed his brows.

"Isn't it a bit too cold for that?"

"We have sleeping bags and vests!"

"You two will just get in the way of morning training," Auntie Lucia said.

"And we've been on the road for a week. Don't you two want to sleep in a big bed?" The duo shook their heads.

"We slept in beds all the way here."

"We should get to sleep outside!" Everyone seemed to want to disagree and Tori watched the twins become more and more disappointed. As the food was served, Tori began to cut her meat and spoke up.

"I'd like to show everyone the tent. Maybe tomorrow, the twins can help me set it up after morning training, just to show everyone? If they can't camp outside overnight, what about just for the day? We can cook lunch on a campfire."

"If it's during the day, it'll be warmer," her mother said, thoughtful.

"As long as it's after morning training, it should be fine. We'll section off an area for the twins to set up," her father agreed. He looked at the duo.

"But you can't sleep outside at night when it's this cold."

"Sure, Uncle!"

"We won't!" The twins looked at Tori and gave her obvious winks. She chuckled and continued to eat. Dinner conversation was dominated by her parents asking her about school and her store that they heard so much about.

"What about your roommate? You said she's staying in Horizon for the winter break?" her mother asked. Tori nodded.

"Her father got her a room at an inn and she's splitting her time between doing some desk work at the guild with Henrik or going to Sonia and JP's for riding lessons. I was going to invite her to come, but her father already reserved the room. We've been calling every night and she's reporting what everyone is up to, since I'm the only one who left for the break." Her mother smiled warmly and her eyes seemed to dampen.

"I'm happy to hear that you are getting along... and making friends. You never really... got along with anyone your age here; I was worried you wouldn't make any friends in Lycée." Tori squinted and her lips straightened into a line. Wow, Mama... your low expectations kind of hurt. As soon as dinner was finished, her father seemed to urge everyone to the family room. It was a large hall with a massive hearth that already had a roaring fire to warm it.

There were plenty of places for everyone to sit and folded blankets laying across the various sofas and seats to help keep them warm. Tori brandished a key and went straight to the trunk she'd asked the servants to bring. While Auntie Lucia and her family sat further away, her parents, brothers, and grandfather seemed to huddle close to the trunk, all wearing expectant looks. With a big grin, Tori opened the trunk and began to pass out the gifts she'd brought home.

"For Gramps and Mama and Papa, I brought you some regional wine." She handed each person a bottle and they cooed over it, admiring the bottles in their hands as if they had been handed an award.

"For Kasey, I got you the latest book on trade regulations, directly from His Highness Prince Emil himself!" She happily presented a bound book to her brother, who nodded as he accepted it.

"And for Sebby, a new satchel."

"Oh... thank you...." She handed the leather bag to her eldest brother and could faintly see the light of expectation die in his eyes. Tori kept a wide smile on her face as she closed the trunk and sat on top of it.

"Well?" she asked.

"What do you think?" Sebastian looked at the bag with barely restrained disappointment.

"Is this all?" Kasen elbowed him and shot him a glare.

"Were you hoping for something else?"

"No! No, I love the satchel! I don't need anything else!" Sebastian hugged the bag against him and forced a smile as their parents and Kasen also began to ramble about how wonderful their gifts were. After about a minute, her aunt began to laugh.

"Tori, stop teasing them! Just give them what they want." Her eyes were crinkled up and she lifted a hand to wipe at them.

"Honestly, they look so sad." Tori chuckled and stood back up. She opened the trunk and began to hand out garment bags.

"For Gramps, a winter coat. It's not as dense as the ones we sell in Horizon, since it doesn't get as cold here, but it comes with a hood and plenty of pockets. The material is also water resistant." The beaming old man took it from her hands and quickly pushed aside the garment bag to admire the black coat within. Rather than the down coats, they were more traditional wool coats with some modern embellishments.

"Oh... my look at all these pockets."

"There is one inside that can hold a dagger," Tori said as she handed her parents each a bag.

"Mama and Papa also get matching coats. These are spider silk with mohair. Mohair is lighter and breathable. It's good for the weather here. You both look good in brighter shades of blue, so Mama gets the lighter blue and Papa gets the darker one." Her father yelled for someone to bring down a mirror as her mother stood up to put her knee-length coat on. The fur trim was silver and shorter than the ones on the down jackets.

"What about us?" Sebastian nearly pushed Kasen aside to get to her first. Tori handed them a bag.

"Sebby gets brown, as he looks good in earthy colors. Kasey gets navy. These are also mohair coats, but they'll hit your mid-thighs and don't have belts. You'll notice the straighter cuts and the accent lines on the lapels, hems, and cuffs. I thought they'd be good for when you're outside. I also brought some sweaters for Grandpa and Grandma Sophos."

"This is perfect!" Sebastian said as he held out the coat to examine it. He couldn't seem to stop smiling.

"I'm going to have to reconsider what I'll wear for the balls now to match this." Pleased that he liked it, Tori smiled even more.

"How many balls do you plan to go to?"

"We're attending three this winter and then we have our usual solstice dinner party with the family," Kasen told her as he checked the accent lines on the cuffs. Tori tilted her head to the side and squinted.

"We?"

"Yes." Sebastian looked at her as he put his arms through his coat.

"The three of us are going to attend some local balls to represent the family. Isn't that great, Tori? You love parties!" She was never one for big parties. She'd been to them. She'd organized them. She'd even hosted them, but large numbers of people she wasn't necessarily close to exhausted her and she would need at least a few days afterwards to recover.

Tori was now facing three parties and, to add to the awkwardness of going to a ball for the first time, she was going to meet peers she wasn't on good terms with. Tori remembered Victoria's reputation and her usual actions at Presidio gatherings, as well as knew that she had two-faced followers. However, Tori didn't recall the individual names of the people. She wasn't sure if this was a hole in her memory or if Victoria simply didn't place enough importance on her local peers to remember them.

Victoria obviously held her family in high regard, as she remembered not only the family she lived with, but the extended family she rarely saw. If she wasn't related to them, she didn't give them much thought. This left Tori in an awkward situation. How would she interact with peers who were essentially strangers and that she treated terribly in the past? It wasn't technically her who was a horrible person, but she now owned the body of the one who was.

It was Victoria who caused this problem and Tori silently cursed her for being a spoiled little bitch. This was just another consequence of Victoria's questionable life choices that Tori had to deal with and if Sebastian had given her the option, she would not go. However, the invitations had been accepted and replied to. They had selected three balls to attend while she was home.

Tori needed to figure out how she was going to react and she narrowed down her choices to "pretend nothing happened" and "address it if it comes up". A knock came from her door and Tori looked out of her walk-in closet, where she was sorting through dresses to find suitable ones to wear. She took half a step out and craned her neck.

"Who is it?"

"It's me." Tori furrowed her brows and walked out, across her room, to open the door for Kasen. Her second brother was standing outside her door and he gave her a gentle smile.

"You're worried about the balls this week." She drew her head back and looked at him, wide-eyed.

"How'd you know?" She stepped aside and opened the door wider to let him in.

"After Sebastian told you, you became quiet," he said. He walked inside her brightly lit room and took a seat on one of the large, plush chairs in front of the fireplace. He looked up at her with a calm expression.

"You used to float in midair when you heard there was any sort of gathering to attend. What happened?" Tori had closed the door and walked after him. She sat on the matching chair across from him and let out a low breath. Her eyes rose and met his.

"I fell off a horse is what happened," she said. She was exhausted just thinking about it.

"I forgot a lot of things. I forgot a lot of people." Kasen seemed to take a moment to let her words sink in. He nodded slowly.

"You can always re-learn them." Tori shook her head.

"It isn't just that. I don't remember people, but I do remember how I acted." She gave her brother a wry smile.

"You can't tell me I was a good person to them." His eyes narrowed a bit.

"Are you worried about how you'll be treated?"

"I don't think it's necessarily that. I don't remember the people involved, but I know I was rude and unsociable. I wouldn't put it past them to describe me as a bully. I acknowledge my past, but... I am not such a person anymore. After the accident...." She trailed off, unsure how to explain exactly what she was feeling. She didn't want to use 'I'm a different person now'. That sounded so shallow, no matter how truthful it was.

"I am regretful that I was such a horrible person to them, but I don't feel like begging for forgiveness and trying to explain myself."

"Then don't." Kasen's answer was simple.

"Even if you feel guilty for your past actions and want to make amends, there is no guarantee that begging for forgiveness or doing anything else will give you that forgiveness. That's not something they owe you after an apology. It will likely give them a momentary feeling of satisfaction, but you've already hurt them and nothing will change that. What amends can you make for acting... as you did." Tori nodded.

"That's what I thought. If they want to be rude to me or exclude me or pretend I don't exist, I understand. I don't want to have to explain or excuse myself over and over. They know about my accident. Even if I try to explain that I got partial amnesia and have... I don't know, changed my outlook on life, it won't excuse my past actions in any way."

"Since your accident last summer, there hasn't been much talk about you that you wouldn't expect. You didn't go out much after you woke and afterwards, you left for Lycée. I'd expect them to be curious about how you fared at school." The corner of Kasen's lip curled up in a bittersweet smile.

"Perhaps they hope that you're not doing well."

"I did start off on a rather unpopular note," she said with a shake of her head. She looked at her brother and wrinkled her nose.

"Should I apologize and then leave it at that?"

"Do you want to?" For herself, no. Tori didn't know these people. However, she lived in this world and had to deal with them, so she needed to be proactive in changing or at least mediating other's opinions of her. She didn't need more enemies.

"I suppose I should. I did do them harm and nothing will change that, but I should at least apologize for my behavior. Whatever happens after that happens." Kasen raised a brow as he crossed his legs.

"Do you think they'll accept your apology?" She let out a muffled snort and shook her head. A wry smile tugged at her lips.

"No, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't. Since I don't know who exactly I was rude to, if it's brought up, I'll respond. I don't plan to engage much with them, anyway." Her brother leaned over and gently patted her head.

"Despite what I'd like, not everyone in the world will love you." Tori laughed.

"I already knew that. It's good enough that I have you and the family and my friends at Lycée." Kasen's eyes filled with joy.

"I'm glad you made friends, Tori. Axton and Benedict told me you're always with them and that you get along well." She thought about her little circle of friends and smiled to herself.

"I got really lucky." She looked at her brother curiously.

"Did you get Instructor Ignatius to spy on me like Axton and Piers?" He gave her a vague shrug and smirked.

"I needed a set of eyes at Lycée. It was pure coincidence that he happened to be your electives instructor. Cry Baby Benny is more responsible than he looks." I just heard something I shouldn't have.... Tori pursed her lips.

"Please don't put too much pressure on him. He really has helped me and he agreed to oversee my crystal experiments."

"You make it sound as if I'm bullying him. I wouldn't do such a thing." He smiled and Tori couldn't help but think that he would do such a thing.

"Sebastian on the other hand...."

"About Sebby," Tori said. She pulled up her legs on to the chair and tucked them to the side, so she could sit against them.

"Is it true that he's the reason they stopped doing those anniversary tournaments?"

"148 imperial knights, from newly recruited to veterans, downed in less than a week, without a scratch on him." Kasen confirmed.

"There's a reason they call him a monster."

"Can Sebby beat Axton?" Her brother scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Axton can't even beat me."

"Then only Sebby can beat you?" Tori chuckled.

"There are a few masters, obviously," Kasen told her. She didn't expect him to admit it.

"Uncle Lorenzo. I'm on par with Auntie Lucia, at least when she was practicing. General von Schwert is still the best of the best. I think he's the best swordsman in the empire. Who else... oh. Piers." Tori jerked her head back. She was doubtful.

"Piers? I've never seen him touch a sword."

"He started learning from his uncle, General von Schwert, at an early age. Then Axton joined him. When the two went off to the border the first time, Sebastian happened to be in Horizon and taught Piers in his place at the General's request," Kasen said.

"This is also the reason why Axton doesn't need to always be around him as a personal guard. He can defend himself for the most part. I believe the second prince's guard is almost always with him." Tori smirked.

"Well... it's not like he'll be of any use right now." Kasen raised a brow.

"I heard you had a slight tussle with Sir von Dorn and won."

"I may have cracked a few ribs, but he's the one who challenged me to that ridiculous duel."

"He has no practical experience." Kasen seemed to brush off Fabian completely.

"He's fine in one-on-one children's tournaments, but when it comes to battle... personally, I think they should assign the second prince a more experienced knight."

"I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Is he picking on you?"

"No. If anything, we're mutual enemies." Tori narrowed her eyes and glared at the fire. She hadn't said much about it to Kasen; only that she and the second prince didn't get along, but it wasn't anything serious. Despite Gideon being a prince, Kasen didn't seem to have him in his eyes and seemed to regard their animosity as a sort of playground grudge.

"I don't think he should be considered for crown prince. He's not as intelligent or clever as Piers. It's because he's personable and the local nobles like him," Kasen said. Tori furrowed her brows.

"Is Piers not well liked?"

"You've met him," Kasen said with a knowing look.

"He's distant. He's quiet. He's not good at dealing with people. Nobles don't feel they can trust him or find his silence unnerving. They'd rather have someone with the second prince's personality, who is more open and amiable. He's still young, so there is still time for him to show his ability, if any." While most of the nobility practiced absolute primogeniture, Soleil's imperial family did not.

As long as the emperor or empress was still in good health and power, they would carefully select the future ruler from their viable heirs. They took into consideration the heir's abilities, intelligence, accomplishments, how well they dealt with their subjects, as well as watched what factions backed them. In a way, this was a good thing, as it would usually ensure the most suitable heir was then primed to rule. On the other hand, competition could get fierce between siblings and the factions that supported them.

"Is there a legitimate chance that the second prince may become the crown prince?" Tori asked with some hesitancy. Kasen frowned.

"He'd still face formidable opposition. All twelve marches have agreed that Piers is best suited for emperor, even if he is awkward with people. In an empire this large, we can't risk incompetence. The marches would be the first to have to deal with any external problems and we don't need any more than we can handle." Tori wracked her brain, trying to confirm if the wiki article mentioned Gideon becoming the crown prince. She was almost certain it did and considering her luck, it was going in that direction.

"How much support does the second prince have?"

"Many of Horizon's local nobles, the wealthy elite of the city, a few counts, viscounts, and barons here and there. We marches try to move as a monolith to influence the court when we're constantly distanced from it due to the nature of our positions, but we alone aren't enough to secure the chamber's favor for Piers. The representative chamber is even worse. Commoners want someone who understands them and is in touch with their needs. Piers... doesn't like dealing with anyone."

"Ultimately, it's still up to the emperor, but...."

"But if he chooses an heir to the throne that enough influential people are against, there will be significant backlash," Kasen said with an agreeing nod.

"Enough of that can de-stabilize the empire. For instance, if the duchies support the second prince and the marches support the first prince, there will be an issue. While we control the military, the duchies are wealthier and their lands supply the majority of food and raw materials to our military. An internal struggle is the last thing we want."

"Then, Piers just has to win more influence on his side," Tori said, more to herself than to her brother.

"The crown prince must have sizable support. It also plays into how much he'll be able to influence his people and how well he'll be able to use his power when he takes the throne." I don't even have to choose a side. Of course, I'm going to pick Piers. Like hell I want that douchebag Gideon, who can't separate himself from Alessa for one goddamn second to think straight, to be emperor. Tori scowled at the very idea.

"Then, I'll throw my support behind Piers." Kasen grinned.

"I'm sure he'll appreciate it." A small flash of light caught their attention and they looked at the small compact on the round table in front of them. Tori got up immediately.

"It's Ilyana. It's time for our nightly call!" Kasen chuckled as he stood up.

"Then I'll leave you to chat. Don't stay up too late." He saw himself out as Tori picked up her comcry and slid her finger across the crystal.

"Hello, did you go riding again today?"

"Yes! Sonia and I went around the grounds next to the stables. Don't worry, one of the bodyguards was with us," Ilyana said, dutifully reporting her day.

"What about you? You've arrived at home, right? What are your plans for this week?" Tori let out a heavy sigh and glanced towards her closet.

"Apparently, confronting my terrible past."