The sun set high in the afternoon when Oriana yawned and rested her head on the palm of her hand. By the counter in the main hall, the group who had just arrived from their mission wasn't in high moods like usual. Dealing with stuck-up royals would tire anyone, even the most energetic members of the Black Bulls. Especially when the mission didn't go as smoothly as it was supposed to.

Between her almost closed lids, Oriana spotted Hinata sneaking around the group. His curious nature took the best of him most of the time. And if he caught anyone with free time, he would ask to practice with him. Whatever the time of the day, whoever it was. Anyone would do.

"Oriana?" Hinata called.

"No."

"So mean!" the boy cried. "I was going to ask what is going on with you. Was the mission difficult?"

"I want to hear about it too!" Kageyama came out of nowhere.

"Let's say we had an unexpected company." Oriana explained.

"Unwelcomed company." Magna corrected.

"I thought the tension between our squad and the royals was over. Apparently not." Vanessa spoke.

The group sighed loud and in unison.

"Who cares what they think!" Asta's voice boomed as he straightened in his seat. "Let's continue to prove them wrong at every turn! I'm not done yet!" he yelled.

"Too loud." Oriana moaned.

At that moment, the door to the Black Bulls base opened and closed immediately. Oriana recognized Noelle's mana without having to lift her eyes from the counter, however something about it was different. Why was it growing and menacing?

"Oh no, Noelle is angry." Asta spoke up in a panic.

Oriana gazed at the incoming girl. Her cold gaze fell upon them but nothing about her, besides her revolting mana, pointed out to that fact.

"How can you tell?"

"Well, you can see her mood by her hands. Like right now, she has her wand. I don't think that means she's happy to see us."

"Maybe her siblings tattle tale on us." Vanessa whispered.

"Already? The mission was before lunch. It's barely the afternoon." Oriana said.

"Wasn't she having lunch with her siblings today?" Magna lifted his head from his folded forearms.

The group glanced at each other in worry.

"We're screwed." Asta screeched.

A cough snapped their heads up simultaneously. Noelle's glare froze them in their seats. With her wand in hand, she gripped it tightly.

"How was lunch?" Vanessa asked with a nervous sweat.

"It was fine. I had the chance to hear all about your conjoined mission this morning." Noelle's voice was as cold as ice.

"It was fine. Everything went smoothly and no one raised their voice at anyone." with a fake laugh, Magna tried to dismiss the subject.

Oriana bit the inside of her cheek. She told them nothing but the truth, however, seeing Noelle and listening to her words, made Oriana understand her mistake. Hesitantly, Oriana dropped her forearm and straightened in her seat.

"Listen, Noelle. About that..." Oriana started. "I'm sorry I snapped at your sibling like that. It was uncalled for. But it seriously pissed me off that they tried so hard to protect me just because of my name. And I was already mad about the news this morning. I know it's no excuse and that you asked us to get along with your sibling or at least not kill each other, but at the time, well, I fucked up. I'm sorry Noelle."

"I am thankful for all of you. I am thankful that the Black Bulls took me in," Noelle's voice was sincere. One of honest and serious moments when she didn't try and control the truths she told. "Despite how my family treated me, we are trying to make amends right now. And I'm thankful for that too. Please, try to make a better effort at keeping the resentments to yourselves."

The girl put away her wand and her body relaxed.

"So, you're not mad?"

She sighed and smiled in response.

"You had good intentions, that's why I'm forgiving you." she flicked her side pony off her shoulder. Her gaze grew warmer as her smile grew wider.

"You know what the best remedy is for a quarrel?" Vanessa was suddenly more enthusiastical.

"There's no quarrel," Noelle said. "I forgave you."

"The booze!" Oriana shouted to Vanessa. "You promised to come drink with me!"

"I was going to say a shopping spree, but we can do both!"

"I want to go too!" Asta yelled.

With no other missions or patrols in sight, even though it wasn't their day off, the group joined in a shopping spree by the Royal Capital.

However, something else filled Oriana's mind.

Oriana knew the lines to that book by heart. Those were the moments she wished to have brought more of her books. Most of her collection stayed at the apartment in the South. Maybe she would go back to bring back more one day. In spite of the fact that it would take one week to arrive in the South and another one to come back. Maybe after the war was over.

Because of the way she had memorized every dialogue, she couldn't help but skim through the pages as her eyes got blurry. Her head was heavy with other preoccupations. Not even her horror tales kept worrisome thoughts away.

Eventually, her shoulders dropped and her gaze fell on the sunset beyond the boundary on the forest. Under her favourite tree, at her favourite time of the day, while Magna and the others kept the Karasuno boys busy. It was Oriana's opportunity to read in peace. However, she can't focus on the book on her hand.

She caught herself with the memories of her mother more and more often, wishing she had more moments and things to remember her by. She made the decision to distance herself from the duties of the crown as the Heiress to the Clover Kingdom. On that day, Oriana pondered if that was the best decision. She did the right thing for herself.

Although, she fought to understand if she had done the right thing for everyone else.

The engines inside her mind were twisted and turned in all directions, in attempts to find peace with her own mistakes. She made the decision to keep her own heart out of danger. But she still had the urge to scream it to the world. So that they would understand too.

A deep breath. Oriana returned to her book, to read all the lines she recognized. She barely had time to skim to the next page when Zora reached his hand to her shoulder. He glanced down at her. Without a word, he sat down by her side on the tree trunk. His arms reached out for her body and dragged Oriana into his lap. One of his arms fell on her legs and his head rested heavily on her shoulder.

"Zora?" Oriana called.

Instead of a reply, he buried his face deeper into her neck. Oriana smiled fondly. Whatever it was, he would tell her soon. In fact, it didn't take long at all. After a few minutes in silence, Zora whispered against the skin of her neck.

"What's on your mind?"

Oriana closed her book and marked the page with her thumb.

"The article from this morning… I can't get it out of my head. Everyone knows. Absolutely every person in this kingdom knows that Dulce Calmreich is secretly alive and is a Magic Knight in the Black Bulls squad. All because someone thought it was worth to ruin my life in exchange of money."

"We could track down this person and beat the shit out of them." Zora suggested.

Oriana laughs weakly. There was much negative thoughts towards whoever decided to sell her out. On the other hand, the article might be a sign that she had been waiting for. She tried breaking the chains to the place where she didn't belong before and never worked. In fact, everytime she believed to be free, another manacle tightened around her ankles and wrists and weighed her down.

"I don't want the crown. I could never be queen of anyone. But, there's more to this. It was different when it was secret, but now that the word is out… I can't stand still anymore. I can no longer pretend it doesn't involve me. Rather than running away, I should do something about it."

"What are you going to do about this, then?"

"I have a plan."

Zora lifted his head from her shoulder. His eyes met hers before he spoke again,

"Tell me. I want to know where you stand, so I can be by your side. Every step of the way."

Meanwhile, peering through the window, Vanessa and Finral observed Oriana and Zora by afar. They imagined what the couple talked about, secretly wishing the life of the Magic Knights wasn't as lonely as it is. But despite the intrusive thoughts, other questions raised on their minds. Especially Vanessa's, who was constantly thinking of the other people around her. She was the kind of woman to worry for her friends, always pondering ways to help them.

"Have you stopped to think Zora is literally dating the Heiress to the throne?" she wondered to Finral. "Dulce Calmreich is in our squad. The Black Bulls, the most infamous Magic Knight squad there is."

"I never thought of it that way." Finral murmured. "To me, she's just Oriana. We've known her forever and it's strange to think of her as someone else. But I admit the thought crossed my mind."

"If she were to take the crown… and marry Zora… he will become the thing he hates the most. A royal."

Finral laughed at the remark. It was such an irony of life.

"That's hilarious. Imagine a king who harasses everyone on sight."

Both laughed at the image, but soon their light tone voices turned dour and serious.

"You think she will take it?" Vanessa asked, holding her breath as she waited for Finral's opinion.

"Genuinely, I can't even visualize Oriana willingly taking the crown. But," he paused and lowered his gaze. "The pressure might get to her sooner or later."

"What do you mean?" she leaned to the side, closer to the mumbling man.

"Up until now, we didn't have an Heiress. Or at least, not a suitable one as Finesse is too sick to take the crown. All of a sudden, the King's healthy and strong niece emerges from the dead. That would've been fine if only the Royal family and us knew about it. But by now, every single living person in this Kingdom knows where she is and who she is supposed to be. I don't know what Oriana will do once Dulce Calmreich is asked for." he furrows his brows. "I'm from a smaller noble family and the pressure is insane already. I was purged from my family. But Oriana was in a situation in which she had to run away herself because it was too much."

"And then there's that gang that has been after her. They knew about her even before the press."

"Let's hope there will be no more groups who are stupid enough to try and kidnap her."

Vanessa nodded in agreement.

"This timing is weird," she spoke again. "The constant raids subsided. The press comes out with this scoop some days later. And what happens next?"

As a realization crossed his mind, Finral's figure froze. His eyebrows raised and his eyes widened. Already in defeat, his body drooped towards the wall.

"Finral? What's wrong?"

"They are gathering more people. Whatever their cause may be. Whoever is paying them or not. Now that the whole kingdom knows, there will be more people willing to join the group for the money. Think of how many families are out there in need of aid to put food on the table. Desperate people."

Vanessa covered her mouth in shock.

"They want to gather an army."

On the window of the Clover Palace, Oriana observed the gardeners working under the morning sun. It was the place she had the strongest memories of her mother. When she was a newborn, her mother hugged her tightly and Oriana could hear her beating heart. Like riots that manifested not only the wish to protect her, but also to oppose any kind of dangers her daughter might face. Silver words she sang to her baby. Oriana remembered her voice vaguely, but at twenty years of age, she no longer recalled the lyrics to those songs.

The love of a mother is not like any other one will ever experience. Even though Oriana lost that love so early in her life, it still warmed her heart from the base of light.

Over the course of five days Oriana spent on the Clover Castle, many were the gowns that passed through her body. On that day, she wore a simple gown with a flowing skirt and gathered waist. One single long wide sleeve covered her left arm. The white, vivid red and golden tones complimented her black hair. It was her sister who helped choose the colours. Finesse always insisted on tight waists for her sister, because of her lean and strong figure.

Five days of walking with a straight spine, relaxed shoulders and lifted chin. One could rest books over Oriana's head to be assured that they wouldn't falter.

For five days, Oriana followed her sister on her errands and free time. Practically imitating her behaviour and patterns. Never had she observed her sister so closely. Mirroring her every gesture, the tone of her voice, the words she used.

It didn't have to be the end of her, of Zora's or anyone. It was just the life she was delivered to and it shouldn't be so hard. Do not get confused, Oriana knew her way back home with no map required. She shredded it months ago.

On the first light in the silent halls, Oriana longed for the life she had pieced together along with all the people she ever met. It was all she ever wanted and it seemed miles away from her. But it didn't have to be.

Five days was what it took to convince her father that she would take the crown. It was how long Oriana had to endure the life that was hers from birth to convince her father for authorization to clear her name from that horrid article. To plead her case as an innocent woman.

Finally, he agreed.

No one expected an angel to set the world on fire.

A/N:

What do you think Oriana has up her sleeve? Literally, because her gown only has one sleeve. I'll stop now.

Oriana is a woman with a plan and the support of the whole Black Bulls squad, nothing can stop her. For real, don't try to stop her.

About the article, who actually outed Oriana, what is their objective, etc, etc. It's all conspiracy theories at this point. But towards the end it will make sense and everything will be pieced together. I also hope you're ready for angst. That's all I'm gonna say...