Her room looked exactly the same as she left it. Maybe, cleaner and orderly. She was never a neat child to begin with, but even now Oriana was scared to touch any of the pristine furniture or to sit on the bed and stain the expensive fabric with the dirt and dust in her clothes and hands. One old lady from the staff came into her bedroom, excusing herself, to warn the young Calmreich that her bath was ready for her. The lady was new, she didn't work with the Calmreich when Oriana was still living here, but some familiar faces were delighted to have Dulce Calmreich back. Dulce Calmreich. A name Oriana was not used to anymore. It felt like it didn't belong to her. On the corridor, on her way to her old room, a friendly servant would call for her birth name and it took her a second to acknowledge it was her they were speaking to. In her private bathroom, she was asked to leave the dirty clothes in the basket as usual, they would collect her clothes and wash them the following day. Oriana spent her time in the bath refocusing her mind, processing what had happened. She was repeating Asta's question in her mind.
How did a training session turn into a family reunion, indeed. So much for taking a stand against my fears.
Oriana retraced her steps that day. She should've never listened to Mereoleona's inspiring advice. No, before that. She should have ran as fast as she could before anyone had noticed. Nope, even before that. Zora was right, none of them should've left their bed that morning. Once they did, everything went wrong. Remembering then the tone in Zora's voice, Oriana held her knees closer to her chest. It wasn't disdain, he could never have the same despise for Oriana as he had for the other Royals, it was utter disappointment. It was worse. She had lied to him. Oriana enlaced her fingers around her legs and rested her forehead on her knees. She had done it again. By now, Zora was somewhere furious with her. This time, she wasn't sure if she could bring him back, or if there was a way to reignite the bond they shared.
Coming back into her room, wrapped in silk robe and towels, Oriana found a long dark red dress. The skirt seemed a little too narrow for Oriana's taste and there were little bows on the elbows. She fought the urge to retrieve her dirty outfit and her Black Bulls robe. Shifting her weight from one leg to the other, she stared at the dress with a grimace. The dress accentuated her chest and fell to her feet. It was uncomfortable, she would never be able to fight wearing something like this.
When she was younger, she would always get away from these silly dresses and get herself some comfortable clothes she could run and practice her magic while still looking the part, as her maid used to say. Ever since she remembered, Oriana wanted to be a Magic Knight. Their glory and victorious demeanor were contagious and she craved it like most children her age at the time. She would drag Finesse in the streets of the Capital and play with any group of kids that were around. It was fun until her sister became too sick to do any physical activities. It was around the same time the two sisters were officially betrothed to the Vaude brothers and, consequently, when her father ran out of patience for her foolish dreams. As a member of the Calmreich family and as a possible heir to the Clover Throne, Dulce Calmreich could never become a Magic Knight. However, Oriana was never one to pretend and the fire inside her would never cease. She was never able to remember her manners, to behave and stand with a pretentious grin and cocky look in her eyes. To sit quietly and learn how to paint or how to play an instrument. She liked to read, though, but even the sappy novels she was given were unsatisfying.
There was a soft knock on her door. Oriana was still observing her figure in the mirror, but had no trouble in telling her sister to come in. Finesse herself was wearing her usual pink gown and a flaring cape, her locks of hair neatly combed, her perfect posture. Finesse belonged in this Castle, but her kind eyes and soft spoken voice made her different from other Royals. That's probably why Finesse was always the person Oriana looked for to do pretty much anything.
"You look breathtaking, Dulce." Finesse looked at her with a glimmer of nostalgia in her eyes. "I picked the dress for you."
"It's beautiful, thank you." Oriana forgot to add how hard it was to walk with the narrow skirt.
"I'm so glad you're back," Finesse took Oriana's hand and pulled her to one of the chairs in the middle of her excessively large room, sitting in front of her. "Tell me, are the Magic Squads fun?"
"Yes, it's a really fun time with those guys." Oriana smiled fondly. "It can be hard sometimes, but there is never a dull moment."
Finesse took both of Oriana's hands into her own.
"How did you even get there? We thought you were dead, Dulce." Finesse's concern was dictating that sentence. Oriana was sure that if Finesse ever saw her sister again, she would be mad furious. It was the natural reaction when someone you care about simple vanishes. "I was so worried and yet, you weren't that far at all."
Oriana cleared her throat. She tried to figure when it would be a good time to ask Finesse to stop calling her by that name.
"You know what father did to me, right?"
"What do you mean?" Finesse's tone was so innocent.
Oriana figured that her sister wouldn't have a clue. If she had spoken to her back then, maybe now she wouldn't be in this situation.
"Father was against me becoming a Magic Knight." Oriana spoke and her sister nodded knowingly. "He did everything in his power to keep me from using my magic at all. He would put restraints on me to suppress my magic, he would lock me in this room for hours in the dark."
All the things Oriana would rather forget, they were coming back to her. Finesse looked terrified in her small and fragile self, but Oriana continued,
"One time I tried to resist the restraints and he broke my arm…"
"I thought you had fallen when that happened." Finesse gasped.
"That was what our father said. It was a lie." Oriana said. "Most of what he says is a lie."
Oriana clenched her fists on the table, Finesse's touch lightened.
"I'm sure you were just confused."
"I'm not confused, Finesse!" Oriana yelled, not being able to keep her cool anymore, she lifted herself from the chair. "Our father is a monster! That's why I ran away! I was lucky Captain Yami found me and brought me to the Black Bulls!"
Finesse retracted her arms, seeming even smaller.
"He was the one who told you I was dead, right? Well, look at me. I'm alive!" Oriana pleaded.
She knew their father would never hurt Finesse the same way, because Finesse was not like her sister. She was obedient, content with her life, but Oriana always wanted more than the luxurious and pretentious Royal costumes. She dreamed bigger.
"Open your eyes, Finesse!"
Then, the estate was shaking with an exploding sound. Oriana held on to the table in front of her. Something had just invaded the Clover Castle.
The crash in the Kira Estate had the whole castle tremble. The Royal Guards called for reinforcements as the smoke lifted and revealed many figures standing in the debris, however there was no stopping Captain Yami or the Black Bulls now. Their imminent presence and spiking mana made the guards shake in their boots while holding their grimoires open.
"What in the heavens is this?" Albert Calmreich was rushing downstairs. "You fools better have someone protecting the king! His majesty shall not be bothered by this nonsense." Albert spoke to the guards, taking in the scene in front of him. "I'll deal with this."
"But, Lord…"
"Are you disobeying a direct order?"
With that, the few guards ran upstairs to the King's room, leaving Oriana's father alone with the Black Bulls.
"I hope you recognize the consequences of this invasion." Albert spoke. "This will cost immensely. I'll have every single one of the Black Bulls thrown into jail!"
"Give Oriana back!" Asta yelled, ignoring the man's words.
Yami bit his cigarette,observing the old man's moves. He definitely was in charge, however he had yet to see the Black Bulls rage. One of his kids was taken away from him, Yami was not one to let that happen without a fight. He narrowed his eyes,
"Excuse our intrusion, your Highness ass." Yami rested his hand on the handle of his katana. "I heard that you were taking care of one of my weirdos and came to pick her up." his voice echoed through the entrance hall. Or what was left of it.
His gravelly tone had Oriana's father scowling in rage. Although keeping his distance, his tone was assertive and definitive.
"Dulce has a duty as a member of the Calmreich family. I allowed my daughter to play Magic Knight long enough, now is time to fulfill her role."
Yami clenched the handle of his swords, fighting the urge to cut the man's head then and there.
"You allowed her?" Yami mumbled. "She ran away from this place until I found her in some village wandering around."
Yami still recalls how every single one of his members received the Black Bulls robe and Oriana was no different. He knew exactly who she was, all that was taken from her. Oriana never told him how her father used to mistreat her. Only bits and pieces. However, the bruises in her body told the rest. Yami had taken upon himself to help her. Give her a new name and identity and let her join his squad.
"Of course she had assistance. Dulce would never be able to get away with such a scheme on her own." Albert commented.
"It's a shame you don't recognize your daughters potential."
"I do recognize her potential. You think I don't feel her blessed mana even here? You thought I didn't know she was alive?" Albert asked, not waiting for a response. "I was well aware of what she was doing. In spite of her talent to be a Magic Knight, she has a role to fulfill. If His Majesty is to pass away without leaving any heirs, my oldest daughter would be next in line, but she is too sick and fragile to accept the crown. For that reason, Dulce Calmreich stands as the rightful heir to the Clover Crown in the present moment."
Captain Yami heard a few gasps around him. He wasn't surprised, he had his own suspicions on the matter. He only wondered if Oriana didn't tell him as one of the things that she decided to keep to herself or if she wasn't even aware of it at all.
"Oriana might be the next queen?" Finral mumbled under his breath.
"Even the hard heads in the Black Bulls can understand that Dulce is going to be too busy to play Magic Knight in the future."
"Isn't that her own choice?" Yami asked, lifting his chin, the tone in his voice signaled he was running out of patience. "Have you thought that she might not want it?"
"What does that matter? I've already decided for her! She is my daughter and she will be the next queen of the Clover Kingdom!"
In a flash, Yami was on Albert's face, his purple mana emanating from his body and his katana in hand. Albert Calmreich fell to his feet.
"Are you saying that your own greed is more important than your daughter's dreams? What a shit father you are." Yami grumbled, biting on his cigarette. Then, he turned to his squadmates. "Go find the kid. We are bringing her home."
"Right, sir!"
"She is already home! You can't take her!" Albert yelled, still unable to stop his body from shaking.
Yami pierced the carpet right by the Royal's side and glared into his soul.
"If you have a problem, you can solve it with me."
"You will not get away with this! She belongs here!" backing away, his voice brittled as he got up and ran in the opposite direction from Yami. "I will get her back from you criminals!"
It was only a matter of seconds before a servant came to retrieve Finesse from Oriana's room and locked her inside. The metallic click of the lock sent her down to her knees.
Not now. Not yet.
She wanted to fight it, she wanted to escape. She knew it was coming, before long, they would come back with the shackles. Then lock her again until she agreed to behave. Her cloudy eyes didn't allow her to see anything else but that image. Her senses were blocked by that thought.
Oriana got her hands in something great, but it was in her DNA. She tried to change, but she could never pretend to be someone else. That's why she was punished so many times. Oriana tried to get back to her feet, fight back, run away, but she would only stumble for a second before she fell again. All her life, she was told she was nothing special, but she didn't care about that. Those words never diminished her dreams. Her tenacity only led her to have her own personal, princess-like cage. She would be locked for weeks if needed. How long it took to discourage her.
One day, after gaining her grimoire, the desire to escape wrote a spell. It wasn't like she could use it in her restraints, but all she had to do was to be patient and act the part. The following day, that was the last day she ever stepped in those halls. It's been five years and there she was again. She could never get used to the cell.