East Heaven Kingdom was widely known as the kingdom of sorcery. Most of its inhabitants were some class of mage, and it was ruled by one of the oldest, most powerful family of mages since the Aeons. It was also a kingdom of tradition, and rules. Things were to be done a certain way, at certain times, by certain people, without exception. It was what kept things running so smoothly, allowing for generations of peace.

And it was all being threatened by a single person. Not an invader, no, nothing so easily handled.

It was the Crown Princess.

The double doors of the formal dining room were shoved open without ceremony, letting Mint in. She looked over the massive table, heavy with all the best foods of the kingdom, all the delicacies in the chef's repertoire laid out on the king's request. Every week he held a feast meal for his daughters and closest advisers, and Mint saw no reason to wait for them to get there. An empty room just meant she got first pick of everything. She rubbed her hands together with a grin, tongue passing over her lips. "Perfect timing."

"Princess, dinner is not to be called for another ten minutes." Ah, her grandfather was overseeing things. Of course. The old man strode up to her, robes billowing around him. "Please return to your room."

"I have been training all afternoon and I am starving," Mint informed him, brushing past without so much as a glance. "I'm not waiting for anyone."

"Princess, do not –" He gasped as she trailed a finger along the edge of a meat pie, the buttery crust flake under her fingertip. "Princess!"

"Relax, it's just ten minutes," Mint said. She picked up a spoon from one of the settings and sauntered towards the head of the table, eyes on one of the other pies. The room was thick with the scent of rich food, all the kingdom's best in one place. And he wanted her to wait? She scoffed, dipping the spoon into the pie and blowing over the steaming portion as she raised it to admire a moment. Chunks of potato and thick carrot coins were next to glistening chunks of meat, all draped in a thick gravy under a perfectly browned crust. When she took her bite, the meat practically melted on her tongue and she groaned in pleasure. "So good."

"Princess Mint!"

She sighed contentedly, leaning over to pluck up one of the small hand pies, admiring the golden crust before taking a bite. Her grandfather's protests were waved off as she finished her lazy walk to the head of the table and made herself comfortable in the largest and most ornate seat – her father's.

"That is His Majesty's seat!" He protested, reddening.

Mint smiled, licking a bit of filling off her lower lip. "Yeah, but it'll be my seat in no time."

"Yes, someday you will be queen of East Heaven Kingdom, however –"

"See? So it's no big deal." Mint waved it off, looking up as she heard a sharp gasp from the doorway. "Hm?"

"My goodness," Maya breathed, staring at her sister. She shook herself a little, striding into the room with the Imperial Magician a step behind. Doll Master was a good foot taller than the young princess, an imposing figure in red and black, down to the mask he'd worn so long as the girls had known him, and he framed Maya in ominous silence as she came to a stop at the head of the table. "What are you doing in Father's seat? Oh, sister we must talk."

"Can't it wait? I'm starving." Mint took another bite of the hand pie, making a sound of pleasure. "It's so good, Maya."

Maya stared at her in disbelief, lips parted slightly before she closed her mouth and swallowed against her immediate retort. A faint flush took to her cheeks, pink against her red hair. "Has it ever occurred to you the significance of the roles we play in this kingdom? Have you stopped to think of who you are, for even one second?"

Mint finished the pie, dusting off her hands and regarding her sister with an amused smile. "My role? Of course. I'm the crown princess, dear sister. I'm the next ruler of this kingdom, and the best thing to happen to it in centuries. "

"You're insufferably arrogant," Maya said. "But no, that is no longer your role."

Mint sat up straighter, eyeing her younger sister warily. "What are you talking about?"

It was Doll Master who answered her, stepping to the side and watching her dispassionately, his deep voice almost bored. "The high council convened this morning to discuss your behavior, and the vote was unanimous against your future succession of the throne."

Mint sucked in a breath, lips parting on the only word she could manage, "What?"

"You've lost your right to the throne," he said plainly, unconcerned with how pale she'd gone. "That right has gone to Princess Maya. She will be the next queen of East Heaven."

"What?" Mint jumped to her feet. "You can't do this! This is my birthright, I will talk with Father –"

"His Majesty supports the decision as well," Doll Master said.

Mint swallowed thickly. "That's not fair!"

"What did you expect?" Maya snapped, taking a step towards her sister. "You do nothing right! You skip out on your tutors, you break curfew, you spend lavishly, you have the mannerisms of a commoner – the list goes on and on. Did you really think a spoiled, selfish brat like you could become the queen of our renowned kingdom?"

"Excuse you, I've got plenty of time to do all that when I'm queen!" Mint retorted. "There's nothing wrong with having some fun before I have all those duties!"

"It's precisely that lax attitude that would destroy the kingdom!" Maya said. "And I will not tolerate it any longer, is that clear? You're going to start behaving correctly now, or face severe consequences."

"Just who the hell do you think you're talking to?" Mint said. Her hands glowed, magic swelling within her in response to her surge of temper. She raised a hand, light gathering at her fingertips. "You want to see who's better? I'll show you who's better. I'll beat you into the ground, Princess, then we'll see who has the rights to rule."

Maya arched a brow, smiling serenely, and removed a large tome from behind her back. It was thick, leather bound and in surprisingly good condition for its age, in part due to the magic that had a visible aura around it. "Oh you think so, do you?"

Mint stared, stunned. She'd only seen the book once in person, but anyone in the kingdom would know what it was. "What are you doing with the Book of Cosmos?"

"It has been entrusted to me, as the worthy heir of East Heaven," Maya said smoothly, a satisfied smile curving her lips. "So you see, dear sister, your little tricks and self-taught magics are useless. You don't stand a chance against our kingdom's greatest Aeon [relic]."

Mint snarled, her hands curling into fists and snuffing out the magic she'd summoned. "You coward!"

Maya chuckled, patting the book lightly. "I wasn't the one that started the fight, sister dear, I merely ended it. And now, I will be ensuring your obedience. From here on out, you will do as you're told. You will obey curfew. You will cease starting fights. You will come and go as you are instructed and not by whim. And if you do not..."

A dark shadow was the only warning before something landed on top of Mint, nearly knocking her over. She took a couple staggering steps back, shaking her head before refocusing. Dread was like a cold weight in her stomach and her lip curled in revulsion as she eyed the animated pumpkin, its carved face leering at her. "Maya..."

"That's right, pumpkins." Maya's smile darkened. "You will be served nothing but pumpkins, and I will confine you to your room with them."

"You're... you're kidding," Mint said, a slight tremor to her voice. The pumpkin's spindly arms stretched as if reaching for her and she shrieked, dancing back. "Maya! Call it off."

"Oh I don't think so," Maya said. "You wanted a fight? Have at it. And go think about what you've lost."

Mint snarled, stepping back, never taking her eyes off the creature. Damn her sister for even thinking to use that against her. "This isn't over, Maya! You haven't won!"

"Oh I dare say I have." Maya made a sweeping gesture with her hand, and watched the rolling pumpkin chase her sister out of the room. "Pitiful."

"The council has certainly made the right decision," Doll Master said. "You will make a far greater queen, Princess."

Maya glanced up at him, smiling faintly as the doors to the dining room slammed shut behind her fleeing sister. "Why thank you."

Mint managed to shake off the pumpkin, able to go up the stairs far faster and locking it out of her room. She took a moment to lean against the doorway, breathing hard, and closed her eyes. So... they thought they could take her birthright, just like that? Well. They'd find out who they were messing with. True, Maya did have a [relic] that outstripped Mint's own magic, but there were other [relics] in the world. Powerful [relics] just waiting to be found.

She looked around her room grimly, nodding to herself. Loathe as she was to leave the comforts of home, it had to be done. She'd show them exactly what they were missing. By the time she was done, she'd rule more than East Heaven – she'd rule the world.