What's With This Sassy Lonely Princess?

by Kalacakra108

Kiran is summoned into the world of Zenith, handed some weird blinky gun that shoots people– literally, and is thrust into a war with hardly a second to think. Who can blame him if he falls hopelessly head over heels in love with the cutest thing he sees? And who can blame him if she's the crown princess of the enemy faction? What's that? Everyone does? Ah. Whoops.

5. Paralogue 3: Trick or Defeat!

AN: Haha whoops. Sorry, I guess I lied. Looks like y'all get a (belated) Halloween special before you do the first Xenologue (which is almost finished! I swear! I just have the last scene or two left to write!). This thing kind of spun out of control and grew a lot longer than I thought it would, at just over 14.5k words, which is over half of what Xenologue 1 is currently sitting at (23k words), but I'm also kind of pleased at this fact, since it means that I am now able to write longer and faster (compare the 4 days this took to the near month and a half I have been writing the Xenologue for).

Note: For clarity's sake, I want to inform you that when Veronica uses "We" or "Us" or "Our" with the capital first letter, she is using the so-called 'Royal We'. English, and most modern European IE languages don't have a formal and informal I, in the way that we do in Hindi (mein vs. ham; though that's also technically "I" vs. "we", but w/e) so I decided to use this to contrast the way she speaks when she's with her subjects or servants other than Leticia, with whom she uses "I", "me", and "mine", like any of us would. Of course, if y'all see her use one of these words without the capital…well, I'll just let y'all figure it out, nyehehe.

Now, on with the story!

December 02, 2021: Moved and renamed chapter from Paralogue 2 to Paralogue 3.

---

"What's With This Sassy…Lonely Princess?"

Paralogue 3: Trick or Defeat!

---

(Ten Months After Kiran's Summoning to Askr)

Kiran walked into the Great Hall one morning, seeking to break his fast. He found Anna therein, directing the castle serfs in decorating the chamber with tapestries woven with rich reds, golds, and dark greens, as well as other earthy colours, depicting bushels of wheat, grapes, and other signs of fertility.

After he grabbed a plate of food, he went to join the Askrian royal siblings at their table as was usual for him, only to stop short at the sight of the usually simply-dressed pair garbed in festive robes– Alphonse in a long, dark brown suit with a golden wheat pattern, and Sharena in a lovely dark green dress with an embroidered apple motif– fiddling around with little knives and…turnips?

"Sharena, Alphonse…what's going on?" Kiran asked hesitantly.

"Ah, Summoner! Good morning to you!" Alphonse said, surprisingly cheery.

"Kiran! Today's the harvest festival!" explained the peppy princess.

"What are you two doing?" he asked, pointing at the root vegetables in their hands.

"Oh oh! We're carving Geistenwarden from turnips to ward off the bad spirits tonight and ensure a good and safe harvest! Join us!" Sharena exclaimed, showing Kiran the…face(?) she had carved into it. He felt a drop of sweat slide down the back of his neck as he involuntary took a step back. An artist she was not. "I'm sure any evil spirts will stay far away if they see that face."

'If only because that thing is far more terrifying than any evil spirit I can think of.'

"Aww, thank you! It's supposed to be Alphonse's face! Look," she said holding it up to her brother's face, which was wearing a rather annoyed expression. "Doesn't it look just like him?"

"Sh-Sharena!" Alphonse shouted, pushing the turnip away, his cheeks pink with embarrassment. "It doesn't really look like me, does it, Kiran?"

Kiran had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Unfortunately for him though, he unwillingly let out a snort from his nose, which only drew the prince's attention.

"Kiran!" he cried, cheeks now a bright red against his fair face.

This, however, proved to be too much for the Summoner, who burst into laughter, bending over to hide the tears in his eyes, which only led Sharena to start laughing just as hard as Alphonse shrunk into himself, now red up to the tips of his ears. He suddenly tossed a large turnip at the Summoner, who juggled it around a few times, almost dropping it twice, before he caught.

"Let's see how good you do," the prince said surlily.

Wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes, Kiran took a deep breath and sat down. "Trying to brain your tactician with a turnip, Alphonse? I'll give you points for creativity, but here's a word of advice: next time try doing when there are fewer witnesses around, alright?" He took a bite of food and picked up his own knife, to start carving his own turnip, choosing to go the safe route and just make a standard jack-o-lantern pattern, with triangle eyes and fanged mouth.

"If I wanted your head, I wouldn't need a turnip," Alphonse muttered, still embarrassed.

"Oh that is certainly true, Your August and revered Majesty. Please forgive this mere servant for outstepping his bounds," Kiran replied, giving him a sarcastic little bow, whose effect was only enhanced by the fact that he was seated at the bench. Sharena at this point was nearly falling out of her seat from laughing so hard. Her face was also similarly red, though this was due more to covering her mouth with her hand to keep herself from making any more noise. She eventually calmed down and went back to hollowing out the turnip so they could put a candle inside later that night.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me," Kiran said after a few moments, breaking the silence. "We kind of have a similar tradition such as this in the land I hail from. There's a similar festival over there around…" he checked his phone for the date. "Oh! Today actually. It's called 'Halloween' or 'All Hallow's Eve', and it's roots, actually, are quite similar to this festival of yours, I think. Though, we carve these large orange gourds, called pumpkins. Do you guys not have those here in Zenith? Actually, now that I come to think of it, before the discovery of my country, the people in my world that originally celebrated that festival used to use turnips as well."

The two siblings looked up at him with surprise. "Pumpkins, you say? I think I've probably seen a do have them in Zenith, actually," Alphonse informed him.

"You do? How come you don't have any here? Especially around this time of year? They're one of my favourite foods." Something Alphonse said stuck out to him as odd. "Wait. 'Seen'? You make it sound as though you haven't had any in a long time."

"Well, the thing is," Alphonse began hesitantly, "while they do indeed grow on Zenith, they don't exactly grow all that well here, in Askr."

"Then whe– Embla."

"That's right. Sharena and I saw some when we were younger and our countries were still at peace, but since the war began again and Embla cut off all trade to us, it's been years since any pumpkins– as well with any other Emblian goods– have crossed our borders."

"Huh. How interesting!" Kiran remarked. A few moments later, he had put the finishing touches on his carved turnip when Feh flew over with a letter addressed to him. He looked at the sender's name on the envelope.

From: The Rosenmaiden

To: The Elderbloom

Kiran stood up immediately. That set of codenames was known only to one person other than himself. He couldn't wait to get back to his room and read it in privacy.

"Who's it from, Kiran?" Sharena asked curiously.

"Ah, um, it's uh…" he stumbled over his words, unsure of how to answer without revealing everything. "It's from a, uh, 'friend' of mine. Rose."

Alphonse smiled. "Well, it's nice that you're making 'friends' here. And it's good to see you're getting over Princess Veronica."

"Ahaha, y-yeah…" the Summoner replied shakily, with a nervous laugh. "R-right. So, uh, I'm gonna go back to my room and read this now, if Your Eminent Grace would be so kind as to give me leave?" he asked with an ironic bow.

"Yes, yes, get out of here before I throw another turnip at you," the prince grumbled.

"Your word is my will, Milord," Kiran said with a wry smile.

"Don't think I can't see that smile under there, Kiran," Alphonse said, threateningly holding up a rather large turnip. Deciding that he'd teased Alphonse sufficiently to get the pair of siblings off his track, Kiran concluded that discretion was the better part of valour and beat a hasty retreat back to his room.

He barely made back into his private quarters and shut the door before he set upon that envelope like a wolf, prying open the thick wax seal with a blade as fast as he could. It was from Leticia!

At some point after he had sent that first letter to the princess of Embla– followed by many others afterwords– it seemed he had caught the attention of her personal handmaiden, Leticia, and she wrote one back to him– the first he had ever received from Castle Embla. She told him how she wanted her mistress to find love and happiness in her life, something she was sorely lacking, due to her father (and mother's death), her brother's disappearance, and her stepmother's neglect. Reading that had nearly broken Kiran's heart, and he vowed in that moment that he would be the one to bring her all the love and happiness she deserved for the rest of her days. Leticia had also been the one to establish their codenames: Rosenmaiden for herself, as the handmaiden to the princess of thorns herself, who, naturally, was referred to as Lady Rose, and Elderbloom for him, a reference to the tea he had originally sent her. This was a way to keep both of them safe, as their identities would remain hidden if their letters fell into the wrong hands.

Kiran pulled the letter out of the envelope with trembling hands. As he opened it up, a thick card fell out from it, which he picked up. It was a deep, rich black, embossed with golden-orange lettering and ornamentation, inviting the bearer to attend a ball at the Imperial Palace in Embla. Curious and confused, Kiran decided to read the letter and see what word Leticia had for him.

Dear Elderbloom,

I hope this letter finds thee well and in good health. The weather has begun to take a turn for the colder, and the winter winds will start to blow in from Nifl. But before that, we should take the time to celebrate this season, this glorious Fall, and enjoy the blessings of the Earth and her harvest. To this end, the Imperial Family of Embla host each year a masked ball at the capital, attended by all manner of nobility and wealthy merchants. This year's ball will also mark Lady Rose's official debut into Emblian high society, and thou canst be certain that she shall be courted by any number of the aforementioned figures who all seek to make inroads with the Imperial Family. Thou knowest already of that I am a steady supporter of thine love for my lady, and I would that she give her hand and heart to a man who would truly love her than some mere opportunist.

To that end, I have enclosed within this letter an invitation for thee to be able to attend the ball this evening. I will have a carriage prepared for thee at the edge of the garden where the roses bloom, beyond the elderflowers' forest. I urge thee to come there before the sun fully sets so that thou mayst make full use of the time that tonight grants thee. Within the carriage, I will also have prepared a costume and mask for thee, as the ball is, in fact, a masquerade. When thou arrivest, thou shalt be announced as the duke of a minor provincial duchy, to avoid attracting too much attention to yourself. Shouldst thine affections towards milady be shown to be reciprocated, thou shouldst expect to attract the envy and enmity of some among the number of higher-ranked nobles and merchant princes. This should not be a problem, however, as thou shalt doff this false identity for but one night, and then disappear. Still, I say this now to forewarn thee of any possible one does hope to meet thee at least this once in person and thank thee for the love thou holdest for mine Lady.

My Lady's True Servant,

– Rosenmaiden

Kiran gasped in shock at the message. Looking out the window, he saw that the sun had already passed its zenith, and sundown was soon approaching. He didn't have long to get ready! Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. which caused him to nearly jump out of his skin. He hid the letter under his bed sheets, and yelled "Coming!"

After taking a moment to calm his fast-beating heart, Kiran walked over and opened the door to see Sharena there.

"Kiran! I forgot to ask earlier, but you will be attending the festivities tonight, right? The whole festival goes on till the end of the week, but tonight's going to be amazing since the Geistenwarden will look best when they're freshly-carved," she informed him, looking at him expectantly. Kiran felt somewhat bad at having to betray his friend's expectations, but there was no way he was missing that ball at the Imperial Palace tonight even if it killed him! Still, he couldn't just blow Sharena off. Not only was she his close friend and supporter, but also the princess of this realm.

"I, uh…I was thinking of going out for a bit tonight, down to the town, and seeing how things are like over there," he said, noticing her excited expression slowly sadden. "But! I, uh, might be a bit late but I'll try my best to make it tonight, alright?!"

The blonde princess cheered up and gave him a quick hug. "Wonderful! Ah, I can't believe I didn't realize," she said, her face taking on a smug look.

'Oh no.'

"You're going to meet 'Rose', aren't you?" she asked, making sure to wink and put special emphasis on the false name he had given her and and her brother earlier.

"Ah, uh, yes. Yes I am." It was technically true. He was. In a way. And she was his friend. In a way.

Sharena just smirked at him and patted him on the shoulder as she sauntered away.

'Oh gods…'

Kiran held his face in both of his hands, uncertain of how long he would be able to keep this misconception going. Sighing, he sent out four messages, asking Nowi, Henry, Jakob, and Sakura to meet him outside the castle in an hour, ready to leave on a secret mission.

---

The Summoner somehow managed to avoid running into either of the Askr royals or Commander Anna as he slipped outside. He had just barely turned the corner of the castle to where he was supposed to meet his party of four when something barreled into him from behind, knocking him to the ground.

"Ow…someone get the license plate of the truck that hit me," he groaned.

"Oops! Sorry Kiran!" came Nowi's cheerful voice from atop his back, as she patted him on the head like a little child. "Henry and I were playing Hide-and-Dragon-go-Seek, and I guess I kind of got a little too into it, heehee!"

"Nyahaha!" came Henry's…er, only slightly maniacal laughter from behind him. They were working on that together with Olivia. And he was getting better. Sort of. "Are you sure you're alright, Kiran? You sure took one hex of a fall! Nyehehehe!" Okay, so it wasn't working exactly as hoped for. Bite him.

"I'm…ugh, alright."

"Well that's good! Are you bleeding?" Henry asked. "Mmm, blood," He muttered under his breath, though Kiran still caught it.

"Er no, I don't think s–"

"Want me to check?!–" the dark mage asked again, sounding a bit too excited. Kiran was sure that all this talk about blood was definitely making it drain from his face.

"Nope! I'm good! Haha, fit as a fiddly do, haha. Ha." The Summoner let out a fake laugh he hoped was enough to get Henry off his back.

"Aww, okay. Maybe next time."

Speaking of getting people off his back– "Nowi, could you please get off of my back? I kind of need to stand up."

"Aww." He could hear the pout in her voice as she messed up his hair for a few more moments before finally letting up and getting off his back. "But your hair was so soft! You have to make it up to me and bend down to let me pat you on the head next time, okay?" she said, glaring up at him with the most adorable little glare he had ever seen, though he chose to keep that to himself.

"Uh…yeah. Sure."

"A-are y-you okay?" asked a girl's voice timidly. Up ahead, Princess Sakura of Hosido, and Jakob, the Corrin's butler from Nohr, entered the small glade they were in, seemingly drawn by the noise. The girl held out her staff and a wave of healing magic passed through him, seemingly restoring him to perfect health and cleanliness. Thank goodness. He had taken a bath before leaving, and really did not want to be attending the masquerade covered in dirt and dust.

"Ah, yes, Princess Sakura. Thank you. I'm fi–"

"He's fine, Lady Sakura. Such a tumble never killed anyone."

'Wow. Thanks Jakob. I'll remember that next time you get hurt in battle.'

"B-but he…"

"As Jakob said, I'm quite alright. And your healing helped out a ton, so I'm all good. More importantly, I called you all here because we're all going on a mission tonight."

"This had better important enough to justify pulling me away their Lordships," Jakob said sourly.

"Aww, but I wanted to go to the party!" came Nowi's voice.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry, but this is a super important mission. Top-secret. And you guys are the only ones I can trust for this. I'll try to get us back in time for you all to enjoy the festivities. Besides, Nowi, if everything goes well, you'll be able to enjoy a party when we get to where we're going."

"Ooh! A top-secret party? I'm in!" cried the manakete, instantly cheered up.

"A-are you sure you want m-me for this?" asked Princess Sakura, looking down at the ground as rubbed the back of her hand.

"Absolutely. I wouldn't have asked for you if I didn't believe in you, your Highness. In fact, you've got a very important super-special role tonight. And besides, you've helped me quite a bit already now, haven't you?" Kiran asked with a reassuring smile.

"O-okay! I-if you're sure I'm up to it! I-I'll do my best!"

"Thank you all for coming. Our mission is to infiltrate a very fancy-schmancy party in the capital of Embla. More specifically, we will be sneaking inside the yearly masquerade held by the Imperial Family of Embla inside the Imperial Palace. We are there to gather as much knowledge we can glean from listening into the discussions of the chief nobles and merchants of that country. And, if possible, to sow the seeds of confusion, by spreading false rumours."

"And just how do you propose we do that?" Asked Jakob suspiciously.

Kiran reached into his breast pocket and pulled out the invitation card, holding it up for all to examine. "I may or may not have a secret agent on the inside," he said smugly. "In reality, there's going to be less sneaking in and more just…dissimulating ourselves in. My contact has arranged for me to take on the persona of a minor noble from some provincial duchy and has prepared a carriage for us, along with a costume for me. Now, considering Princess Veronica has already seen my face, I will need to be most careful. That's where you come in, Jakob. Your job is to get me ready once we get inside the carriage and make sure I look clean and presentable."

The butler nodded with a serious expression on his face, any traces of his earlier banter gone.

"Now Princess Sakura, remember how I said you have a very important role?"

She nodded back.

"I need your help to mould me into a member of the nobility. At least in terms of behaviour. Basically, I need you to give me a crash course on how to speak, act, and just generally conduct myself in the presence of my 'peers', on the way to the border and during the carriage ride. Think you can do that?"

The shy princess smiled and nodded her assent.

"Phew, thank you. I don't know what I would have done had you said no. I guess I could have asked Maribelle but I'd rather not get whacked by her parasol for holding my pinky out at the wrong angle. I don't know what she's got hidden inside that thing, but I could have sworn I once saw her break a training dummy's head with it." Kiran shuddered. "But anyways, I'm getting off track. I need you and Jakob to also act as my retainers once we get inside. I also have something very important I need you to hold for me if you wouldn't mind," Kiran said, handing her a thin wooden box around two hands wide in the shape of a square. "My apologies in advance for giving you such a lowly role, your Highness."

The Hoshidan princess giggled. "I-it's okay, I'm just glad I c-can help."

"Thank you so much," Kiran answered back, giving her a short bow. "Nowi, Henry," he said, turning to his remaining companions. "You guys are basically going to be the firepower on this mission. I'm going to need y'all to be our backup, in case things go south real quick and we end up needing to bust out of there. Nowi, I've got an Emblian Legion manakete uniform for you here. And Henry, I've got a mage's uniform for you too."

"Nyahaha, cawstumes sure are a hoot, aren't they?!"

"Henry…those aren't even the same…birds…though…" Kiran said, dumbfounded, before shaking his head. "Whatever, I'm getting off track again. We don't have much time. I made sure to get four horses ready ahead of time. They should be all tacked up and ready to go. I made sure they were tied right about…here," he said, leading them into the woods behind the castle, where there were indeed four horses, tied to a few trees in a little clearing.

Kiran climbed up onto the saddle after helping Nowi and Princess Sakura. "Alright. Let's go."

And the four rode like thunder.

---

Three hours later, the group of five had made it to the edges of Askr. Just past the mountains up ahead, which formed a natural border, was their mortal foe– the Emblian Empire. Kiran, who had grown tired of trying cram Princess Sakura's etiquette lessons as best he could while also riding a horse that was galloping at full speed, suddenly felt a burst of new energy at the thought of soon seeing his Beloved, the beautiful Princess Veronica. At the realization that they were nearing their destination, Kiran found his thoughts drifting towards his ultimate goal of winning her heart. He pushed on ahead of his companions and broke out of the woods onto the plain leading to the mountains. There was no real road to speak of here because of the area's status as a border zone, which served to make it harder for any invading force to simply roll on through. Unfortunately, it also meant that Kiran and company had to dismount from their steeds and make the rest of the journey on foot. And though he laughed and spoke with his companions, Kiran was restless with their speed. In his eagerness to see the girl who had stolen his heart, he found it hard to keep from simply sprinting to the carriage as swiftly as his feet would take him.

Unfortunately for the lovestruck boy, there was a trial that he would have to face before he could even get that far.

"Uh-oh," Henry chuckled darkly. "Looks we have some caws for concern. I think there's a murder of enemies coming our way, Kiran. Nyehehehe…but murder for who, I wonder."

The Summoner was about to respond to the dark mage, when the air around them suddenly darkened, despite the remaining sunlight, and a march of glowing green ghosts, wailing horribly rushed past in front of him, causing him to jump back in alarm. He had no time to gather his bearings however, as just at that very instant, a blur came swooping through the air firing a stream of spooky spirits in the form of black cats, jack-o-lanterns, and bats, among other things, at the party. Kiran was forced to throw himself to the side and roll away to avoid the attack. He recovered from the sudden maneuver quickly and turned and pointed Breidablik at the retreating flyer before pulling the trigger. There was a burst of magic from the relic as Nowi disappeared, before shooting out from the relic's 'barrel' in her dragon form as she flew after the mysterious attacker.

Henry cut through the ghastly ghosts with a red blade tome, only to find a version of himself standing on the other side…dressed as a vampire holding a giant coffin with Grima's symbol on it?! Kiran had to rub his eyes to ensure he wasn't seeing doubles, but there he was. Henry, in all his vampiric glory, with a glowing green tome in his other hand and a crow perched on his shoulder. Besides him stood another Jakob, dressed like a monster, wielding a bow, and another Princess Sakura, dressed like a cat spirit and holding a throwing weapon.

Just then, Nowi landed beside him with a "thump", still in her dragon form. Above her, on a broom, flying in circles, was…another Nowi?! Dressed as a witch, to boot!

"Well then. This is getting weird," he remarked drily to no one in particular.

"Henry, you wanna take care of that one over there?" he asked pointing at the Plegian's costumed counterpart.

"Wizard fight! Wizard fight!" his Henry cheered, firing a series magic swords from his spell-book.

"Wizard fight! Wizard fight!" cried the other one, shooting off another spell from his Spectral Tome.

"Nowi! You take care of that one!"

"Got it!" she shouted, firing off a draconic breath charged with lightning energy. "How do you like that?!" she challenged?

The flying manakete witch zipped around on her broom, dodging all of his Nowi's attacks while firing back with her, which splashed more or less harmlessly off of his unit's scales. The fight was decided a few moments later, when his Nowi clipped the end of her broom with her breath attack, sending her spiraling down to the ground.

On the other side, Henry had shattered his opponent's coffin with his bladetome, defeating him. Jakob and the Hoshidan Princess, too, had taken care of their opponents.

"Good job you four. Princess, would you mind healing them back up so we can send them back to their homes?" Kiran asked. She nodded and used her Restore staff to bring their former opponents back to life, now that they were freed from Princess Veronica's contract.

"Thank you guys for helping free us!" the other Nowi said, right as rain. She flew over on her and patted Kiran on the head. "What a good boy. Ah! Your hair is so soft, heehee!"

"Isn't it?" asked his Nowi, joining in.

"H-here's some candy…" said the cat-costumed Princess Sakura, handing them all some chocolates.

"Finally, I can stop wasting time here and get back to serving my liege," muttered the Jakob in a monster costume.

"That sure was fun! You really made me eat crow!" laughed the vampiric Henry. "I haven't that much fun since magic camp, Nyehehe. I hope you call on us again!"

Their attackers departed and the party made their way towards the carriage again.

By the time the battle was over, the sun had already set a quarter of the way. The five made haste for where the carriage was awaiting them, despite their tiredness, due to the delay the fight had caused them.

After about another half hour of trekking through the border plains, Kiran and his party snuck into Embla through a secret mountain passage laid out by Leticia that helped them bypass the border guards altogether. Kiran thanked Leticia's kindness and his own lucky stars that they found their way out of that passage into the carriage that was awaiting them, hidden behind a rocky outcropping. The driver started at seeing three unknown figures being escorted by what looked like Emblian soldiers coming towards him, and made ready to run away, before the Summoner pulled out his invitation and held it up for him to see.

The driver breathed a sigh of relief at the sight, glad that he wasn't about to be arrested or executed for treason and greeted the party of five.

"The branch of the eldertree grows towards the rosebush," Kiran replied with the code phrase Leticia had set up.

The five of them made their way inside the rather spacious, seven-horse carriage, and started getting ready for their infiltration. Jakob reluctantly helped him into his costume and fixed the mask to his face so it wouldn't fall off. The clothing Leticia had provided for him was a finely tailored suit; there was an undershirt of soft wool, over which he wore a tunic of thick, black silk which was embroidered with a pattern of large pumpkins on vines. Atop the tunic went a vest of golden silk, embroidered with the same pattern, but with black thread, creating an inversion of the tunic's design. Around his shoulders hung a long cape of black wool, lined on the inside with golden silk. Leticia had also provided him with a pair of black silk pantaloons and long black boots which went up to the base of his knees. On his face was a golden mask that covered the top half of his face, shaped like a pumpkin with triangular eyes carved into it that hid the majority of his features.

Two hours later, the carriage driver announced that they were approaching the western gates of the capital city of Embla. They cracked open the slats of the carriage windows to take a look. The sun had set long ago, but a large, orange full moon glowed brilliantly in the sky, casting an unearthly glow on the city below. A sight of sweeping, gothic steeples greeted their eyes. At the center of the rapidly-nearing city, atop a hill, rose the largest of these buildings. Multiple dizzying spires and towers, capped in beaten gold that shined in the light of the harvest moon rose up from the darkness of the earth below.

They held their breath as the driver was stopped by the guards. The security was tightened for the festival since it was war time, he had warned them on the way there. Thankfully, it seemed his paperwork was all in order, and once the guards looked inside and saw what did indeed appear to be a rather wealthy minor noble guarded by two Emblian soldiers– including a manakete and a mage!– they let Kiran and his retinue through without much issue.

After about twenty minutes of observing the gaily-decorated streets, lit with strings of orange paper lanterns and many carved pumpkins with candles placed inside, the group arrived at the gates to the castle, where another set of guards stopped them. These were even more thorough in their inspection of the party, but it seemed that Leticia's disguise was solid enough for them to allow the carriage to enter the Imperial Palace grounds. The driver pulled the carriage up to the entrance of the palace before hopping down and opening up the door. He placed a set of stairs in front of the door to allow the 'duke' to descend more gracefully. First came Nowi, playing the role of the bodyguard perfectly. She was followed by Kiran, dressed as a minor noble, behind whom was Jakob, the perfect steward. Next was Sakura, dressed as an Emblian cleric, and last of all was Henry, the rearguard of the group.

They were ushered into the foyer of the palace and into the main imperial ballroom wherein the celebration was being held. As the doors opened, a crier announced his presence.

"Now presenting! Duke Varynys of Province Rann!"

The present nobles and high merchants tittered and whispered to each other as 'Duke Varynys' entered with his entourage. While having a guard detail of a manakete and a mage was rather rare– particularly for a provincial lord– for the decadent aristocrats and waremongers attending the ball, most of whom were fully insulated from the effects of the war and whose biggest daily concerns tended to revolve around the question of how to outdo their peers socially, what most drew their attention was Kiran's outfit. Many of the partygoers wore similar outfits– silk tunics, woolen capes, pantaloons. What stood out on Kiran's suit, however, was the pumpkin motif embroidered so boldly on his clothing and his mask. Where most of the revelers there were dressed as various monsters or frightening animals, the ersatz duke was the only one wearing an agriculturally-themed outfit. The degenerate nobles and uppity merchants laughed and mocked his clothing among each other.

"I must confess," tittered one rather corpulent lady nearby who was nearly bursting out of the seams of a light blue silk angel costume in an ear-piercingly high voice, "I don't believe I've ever heard of the Duchy of Rann!"

"Ohohoho!" laughed her friend, a similarly rotund noblewomen who was dressed in a black devil costume. "He must really be from the provinces!"

Similar conversations about this heretofore unknown Duke Varynys were taking place around the ballroom. Kiran just hid his smirk behind a goblet of wine he had picked up from one of the serfs walking around. Leticia's plan was going perfectly. He would hide in plain sight by becoming the center of attention as an object of ridicule. By playing the part of a minor provincial noble, unaware of the customs of the 'city-folk'– barely a step up from a country yokel to these folks– he would be able to play off his knowledge of Emblian customs as a result of his distant upbringing from the imperial capital.

Jakob and Princess Sakura followed dutifully behind him as he walked around the ballroom listening in on the various conversations going on as Nowi and Henry– in their Emblian Legion uniforms– flanked him on either side. After some time of doing this, Kiran and his company heard a large bell toll ten times, announcing the time. The assembled revelers grew silent and looked up at the main staircase leading up to the indoor balcony of the ballroom on the second level. Kiran and his party looked up as the doors at the top of the stairs opened up and out stepped another serf, who took a deep breath before beginning to speak.

"Now presenting! At her imperial debut! Her August Majesty, the Dragon's Daughter, Her Imperial Highness, Princess Veronica of Embla!"

The room as a whole dropped to one knee, with their heads bowed. Kiran and his entourage followed soon after.

He heard the clacking of heals on the stairs above getting louder as they descended and couldn't keep his gaze from drifting upwards. Apparently, he wasn't the only, as sighs of appreciation filled the room.

Kiran looked up. In front of him was the vision of Beauty and Grace themselves given form and incarnated into living flesh. Princess Veronica walked down the stairs dressed in a gown of midnight dark silk, lined with fur, which was cinched around her slender waist with a belt of thin gold chains. Around her shoulders hung a cloak of black feathers whose tips had been gilded, that was held in place with a golden brooch in the shape of a dragon's head, and she wore her Imperial Tiaras and other regalia, newly polished and gleaming, atop her own head. A gold mask, shaped like a pair of wings, covered the part of her face around her eyes. Kiran found himself unable to tear his eyes off her form as she drew ever closer with each step. Her pale, creamy skin, her thick, silvery hair, her rosy, pink lips, and her bright, crimson eyes– these all filled his sight and heart as they veritably glowed in the light of all the lanterns in the ballroom.

The princess stopped at the top of the lower of the two flights of stairs and cleared her throat. "We thank you," she proclaimed, her beautiful voice sending the Summoner's heart aflutter, "for attending this celebration held in my honour during this time of war. It is important for us to remember why we fight, and equally as important for us to take a rest from such strains as we do. That you have come to Our debut is a kindness that shall be remembered by Us in the years to come. Your fealty behooves you, loyal subjects of Our empire. and shall not go unrewarded. But for tonight, We urge you to eat, drink, and make merry, on this night of the Harvest."

The ballroom burst into applause as the princess finished her speech. Kiran was sure, however, that he was clapping the hardest of all, his explosive applause drowning out any of his neighbours, whose own applause was polite than anything sincere. The princess' ruby eyes glanced his way for a second, drawn by the noise. The Summoner felt his face grow warm as their eyes met; her eyes widened briefly before she narrowed her gaze, and he feared that his disguise had been seen through, before she turned away and disappeared into the crowd. This was perhaps the first time he had seen and heard her at her true imperial majesty, and he had to admit, it was perhaps the most attractive thing he had ever experienced. He felt his cheeks flush and was grateful for the mask hiding his face, not only because it obscured his face but also how much of a lovestruck fool he truly was.

Jakob coughed into his fist, breaking Kiran from his reverie, and whispered in the false duke's ear. "Let us get moving, we have more information to gather." Kiran sighed internally, as he beat himself up for making up that excuse, before he nodded. He saw Veronica dancing her debut dance with her steward, an old man who had essentially raise her, he later found out, and was taking the place of her father, who had died years back. Kiran spent the rest of the nighttrying to interact with the various nobles and merchant-princes in attendance, but most answered his question very perfunctorily before making some excuse and leaving if they didn't simply treat him with outright disdain. He found that he didn't mind all that much anyways, as his own attention wandered over to see what Princess Veronica was doing. The few times he saw her, she was either schnoozing with various wealthy merchants or dancing with some well-dressed noble, and he had to grind his teeth as he burned with envy.

After about an hour of this, Kiran felt completely exhausted, and practically collapsed onto a couch as Princess Sakura handed him a glass of chilled pumpkin juice. He thanked her and took a sip before sighing. Leticia's plan was working well. A little too well, perhaps. Very few of the revelers were willing to give him the time of day, and he could still hear some of them who were standing around him gossiping about his supposed background. He knew it was all an act, at the end of the day, but it still kind of hurt to be so overtly excluded. He chuckled bitterly and shook his head, before he felt a presence behind him.

"We, for one, find this costume rather charming," declared a clarion clear voice from behind him that silenced the gossipy nobles and sent his heart-rate sky-high. He looked up and found himself gazing into the depths of a pair of eyes as red as the blood that ran in his veins, which were framed by a golden masquerade mask. He felt a hand brush his shoulder, lingering briefly on the embroidered vines and pumpkins before retreating. Kiran's felt a lot hotter all of a sudden as he realized just how close he was to the figure of his affections.

Unfortunately for him, it seemed that Princess Veronica wasn't quite finished with him. She held out a hand. "Would you care for a a dance?" Kiran nearly tripped over himself trying to get up off the couch.

"Y-yes, Milady! Er, your Gra– your Highness!"

The princess' lips quirked slightly into an amused smirk as he took hold of her outstretched hand, and she led him to the center of the ballroom. She guided his hands, so warm, one held in hers, the other to her hip, as they began to move to the music. "Hm hm," she quietly chuckled to herself, looking into the ersatz duke's eyes, where his warm, dark eyes, gazed back at her, wide-eyed and enchanted.

"Your Highness?" Kiran asked, simultaneously confused and elated.

"Duke Varynys of Rann. You certainly seem to be the talk of the party tonight, what with this outfit of yours." Her right hand, pressed against his breast, could surely feel the beating of his heart, which only grew faster as she felt the design, he thought. "Some people here seem to think your dress quite provincial, though, as I have already said, I find it…charming, in its own way."

Kiran once again felt grateful for the mask that covered his cheeks, which were surely as red as any apple by now. "Your Highness?" he ventured hesitantly. "Why did you ask me to dance? N-not that I'm not honoured or happy that you did!"

"Ufufu…why indeed. After hearing about you all night, I suppose I wanted to see this sight for myself," she smirked.

"Milady!" Kiran pouted.

"'Twas because when I saw you, you were looking a bit like an abandoned little kitten. And I suppose I couldn't just let you alone in that state, especially after you've come so far." Kiran's ears were visibly red now. "In truth, I felt some sort of familiarity with you," she continued, scrutinizing his face. You remind me of someone I know well." Kiran drew a sharp breath in his surprise. "And yet, I know we've never met. You haven't ever left your duchy to attend any functions here in the Capital, as far as I'm aware. What changed your mind?"

Kiran took a deep breath, glad that he had his backstory to fall back on to answer her. "Well, Your Highness. My domains are indeed far from the Capital, which is why I've held off on coming to pay my respects and swear my fealty for so long, a sin for which I do hope Your Highness might forgive me. But I knew I would eventually have to one day, and, well," he looked away, unable to match her gaze with what he was about to say, "rumours of Your Highness' beauty have reached even us, out in the hinterlands. And when I heard Your Higheness would be making her official debut, I knew this would be the right moment. And…I'm glad I came." He could have sworn he saw her cheeks pinken in hue.

"You are quite the flatterer, Duke Varynys, and quite well-spoken for one from afar. I might have to be careful. You seem far more dangerous than any of these other men who wish to court me. They only want me for my wealth and name, but you seem to be true in your admiration."

Kiran blushed at her assessment of him, though he was also very happy that she recognized his feelings.

She was silent for a second before she spoke up again. "And you may call me Lady Veronica, if you wish," she said with another smirk.

"Your High– no. Lady Veronica! Is…Would that truly be okay? For one such as myself to even utter your name so casually…Would not people see it as rude?"

She laughed, a musical sound. "If…haha…if it is, then I will be sure to let them know I gave you permission."

They glided across the ballroom floor, spinning round and round, for what seemed like an eternity to Kiran, who was basically on cloud nine. Sadly, the music had to stop eventually. The pair stopped dancing, along with the other revelers and caught their breath. Kiran smiled up shyly at the princess who had up until then been in his arms. She gave him a small smile as well, before disentangling herself from his hold. "Well then, Duke Varynys," she began, smoothing out her hair and dress. "Thank you for the dance; it was quite enjoyable."

"N-no, thank you, Lady Veronica! It was my honour and pleasure!"

"Ufufu. Was it now?" She turned around and made to leave, her gown swaying behind her as she walked away, her heels clacking against the ground. She suddenly stopped, after she had taken a few steps, before partially turning back towards him with her lips quirked in a teasing smile. "And as far as forgiving your 'sin' goes, I think you will have to try to convince me again– next time." She swept her cape around behind her as she walked away and disappeared into the crowd again.

Kiran was unable to tear his eyes away from where she disappeared, even as his heart sank as she left. The very next second, came a low whisper in his ear. "The Rosenmaiden waits for the rising sun."

Kiran whipped around, only to find a serf with a smile on his face holding out another goblet of wine. "Another drink., sir?" he asked, pressing the drink into his hand. "Certainly, milord!" Kiran took the proffered cup with a dumbfounded look and the serf disappeared back into the crowd.

Around the stem of the goblet was a small piece of folded paper. Someone was trying to pass a message to him? Kiran moved to the corner and quickly unfolded the message.

Dear Elderbloom,

Thine handmaid waits in the eastern garden. Prithee, do not keep her long, lest her heart grow cold in the Autumn winds.

–Rosenmaiden

Leticia! She was nearby! He wheeled around excitedly, catching sight of a set of glass doors that led out onto a moonlit garden, and if his sense of direction was right, then that was indeed the east!

He rushed through the crowd and out the doors, too fast even for his entourage to follow.

"Rose!" he whispered loudly. "Where are you?"

Out from behind a tree stepped a comfortably pretty woman who looked to be in her late twenties, dressed in the garb of a maid. On her face was a mask shaped like a pair of bird wings, much like Veronica's, though this woman's was black. In her hand, she carried a Candlelight staff.

"The Gardener has broken the solitude of the Rose Garden," she greeted him in code.

"The Elderblossoms fall gently among the Roses, white upon red," Kiran answered likewise.

After a few moments of silence, she smile and pulled off her mask, revealing a pair of kindly brown eyes. Kiran took off his mask as well, finally showing her his face as well. The two co-conspirators saw each other face to face for the first time. Jakob and the rest of his entourage came running outside right behind him, only to see him take his mask off in front of some unknown woman. "Sum– Duke Varynys, please do not leave us behind like tha–"

"Leticia!" Kiran cried, flinging himself towards the maid with his arms wide open and cutting the butler off, mid admonition.

"Sir Kiran!" she whispered back, just as excitedly, returning the hug warmly. They held it for a few seconds before Leticia pulled away and held Kiran at arm's length, examining his face closely. She smiled at him again, seemingly satisfied, and gave him a quick hug before stepping back. "It is so wonderful to see you in person!"

"I should be saying that!" Kiran laughed. "I wouldn't even be here if not for you. Thank you so much for your help! I appreciate it so much."

"No, no. Thank you. I wouldn't have gone this far if I didn't think your feelings towards my lady were real. I do so hope you two can find happiness together, despite the state of our countries now."

Seeing as this woman somehow knew their Summoner's real name, Jakob felt it alright to use the title as he approached cautiously, slipping a dagger out from the sleeve of his coat into his palm, in case she proved to be a threat. "Summoner, who is this woman?"

"This was the 'inside agent' I was telling you guys about earlier!" Kiran said, turning around with a big smile on his face. "Everyone, meet Leticia, codename: Rosenmaiden."

"Ooh, so this is that 'Rose' person Princess Sharena keeps going on about!" Nowi giggled.

Kiran sighed as he imagined the peppy Askrian princess telling everyone about his purported crush on 'Rose'. He'd probably need to have a talk with her later. "Anyways," he said after a moment, "it's all thanks to her that we were even able to make it here. I…have something I need to do. Princess Sakura, would you mind handing me that box I gave you earlier?"

"A-ah, yes," she said digging around for it in her healer's pouch. "Here it is…w-what's inside, if y-you don't mind my asking?"

"Well," Kiran looked around, "come closer." The others gathered around him and he opened up the box to reveal a circlet made from several silver hoops wide enough to fit around a person's head like a crown. Woven into them, however, were sprays of elderflowers, which shone just as brightly as the metal under the white light of the moon.

"Aww, i-it's so pretty!"

"Thank you, Your Highness, I made it myself!" Kiran said proudly.

"Wowee," Nowi said. "Is that for Miss 'Rose'?" Nowi asked, waggling her eyebrows. "You should've put roses in it in that case!" she teased him.

Leticia started laughing softly behind him. "Why, Sir Kiran! Is that so? I sure am flattered, but here I thought you were a loyal man. Perhaps I should reconsider helping you?"

"Wha– I– no! This is for Princess Veronica!" he said, blushing. "Leticia, stop laughing!"

Unfortunately for him, this only had the effect of making the handmaid laugh even harder, which made Nowi join in too.

"Heehee, aww, Kiran, are you blushing?"

He was fairly sure he even heard Princess Sakura giggling faintly, though she at least had the decency to try and hide it. Kiran looked up at Jakob for help, but found no mercy there. If anything, the prickly butler looked like he was enjoying watching him writhe in embarrassment. Sadist.

"A-Anyawy, I think we've plenty of good information tonight, just from eavesdropping," he told his units. "We should be good with just this. Now, we may need to get out of here real quick depending on how things go next. You guys should stay out here and be ready to leave when I get back."

"I put aside some food and drinks for you all," Leticia spoke up, pulling out a large cloth-covered basket. "You four can enjoy them out here while you wait."

"Wow! Thanks, Leticia!"

"T-thank you, Miss Leticia."

"Nyaha, I guess this will keep me busy for a little while!"

"Indeed. Thank you, maid. It is good to see someone so devoted to their duty. Though I don't know if I'd let this one near my liege."

"Yeah, alright, thanks, Jakob. Love you too."

The maid just laughed before pulling out a smaller basket from behind the bush and handing to Kiran. "Here, hold this. Shall we go?"

"Sure. What's in this though?"

"I'll tell you on the way," she answered, leading him towards the servants' exit. Thankfully, nearly everyone else was either serving the guests at the ball or had already left for home to celebrate so they were able to make it into the palace interior without running into anyone else. Kiran put his mask back on just in case they did encounter anyone. Leticia lit up the way with her Candlelight staff and led Kiran through the servants' paths.

"So, what's in this basket?"

"I made some food for the two of you to share, if everything works out. I made her favourites. I hope you enjoy it too, because if things go well, you'll probably be eating all of this often in the future."

Kiran blushed at the implication before smiling. "I hope so too." A thought struck him. "Wait, why are we going into the Palace, anyways? Wouldn't Lady Veronica still be at the ball? It is her debut after all."

"Ah, no, Milady is not one for these sorts of events. She finds them dreadfully dull and usually just leaves early. She's also got a keen eye, and isn't fond of most of the people who attend these events. She knows that most of them are just after her money or her name. She was obligated to go tonight because it was her debut ball, but she had already informed me that she would be returning to her quarters after speaking with 'Duke Varynys'," Leticia said with a sly smile.

"I seriously owe you for this, Leticia. I don't think I can ever pay you back for helping me this way."

"I'm not doing it just for you, you know?" she asked with a laugh. "I truly came to care for Milady over the years, and judging by what she's said about you over the last few months, I think she's also curious about you."

"Wait. She talks about me?!" Kiran asked, suddenly energized.

"Indeed she does, though I'm not at liberty to reveal what Milady tells me. Though, let me put it like this– I wouldn't have asked you to come here today, if not for what she's told me about you. And so far, I think I've made the right choice. We're here," she said, stopping at the end of a hallway on the palace's southern wing. "So don't let me down now, alright, Sir Kiran?"

"Yes ma'am!" Kiran said, snapping of a salute.

"These are her chambers. If you go out this balcony and climb around the wall, you can climb into her balcony and knock on her window."

Kiran felt the blood drain from his face as he thought about the task.

"Oh, don't worry so much," Leticia said with a laugh as she pulled out a length of rope from her apron. "Just tie this around your waist. I'll tie the other end here," she said, pointing to the solid stone bannister, and hold you up from this side so you don't fall down." Kiran nodded his head and made a determined face as he looped the rope around his body and tied it tightly, before clambering up onto the bannister. Thankfully, the crenelations on the wall were just wide enough for one foot and the upper balcony floors close enough to grab from below. Kiran did a strange sort of crab shuffle along the edge of the wall as he rounded the corner to Princess Veronica's balcony, trying not to look down.

Finally, after what felt like several long, shaky, and terrifying aeons (in reality, it was about three minutes at most) he saw the bannister of Veronica's balcony and quickly stepped over onto the wider surface. Unfortunately for him, he did not expect the Princess of Embla to be sitting in a chair, reading a book on her balcony in the middle of the night, as the moonlight shining on her form gave her an ephemeral, almost ghost-like appearance. For a few seconds, both of them were just struck dumb at encountering each other in this way. They froze up and just stared at each other for a few seconds, wide-eyed.

Veronica was not expecting someone to be bold enough to try and sneak into her private chambers on the night of the harvest festival to try and assassinate her, and she definitely wasn't expecting it to have been the duke with whom she had participated in a rather enjoyable dance and chat, but she had faced stranger circumstances, and she recovered from her surprise far more quickly than her 'assailant', and drew her tome in a split second. Green magic began to gather around her, lending the scene an eerie air.

Kiran panicked and threw up both arms in front of himself. "Wait! Don'–aaaaa!" Unfortunately for the Summoner, in his panic to try and stop the princess from frying him with her magic, he lost his balance and fell forwards off the bannister. Into the princess' balcony. As he fell, his hands ended up smacking the book out of Veronica's hands, which the floor with a loud "Thud!"

Incidentally, that tome also saved his face from meeting the same fate, and it instead impacted with the cover of the thick book. While it still hurt, it was no where near as bad as it could have been had his face hit the stone balcony floor instead. Thankfull the basket of food and his gift seemed to be okay. Above him he heard the sound of a dagger being unsheathed and had to roll away and press himself up against the opposite wall with his hands outstretched to ward away a knife strike.

"W-wait! Dontkillmeplease!" he yelled out. The princess' footsteps stopped. A bead of sweat dripped down his back. This was proving to be an ordeal even more frightening than his climb over here.

"Duke Varynys? What is the meaning of this?" she asked frostily. "Did you come here tonight to assassinate me, then? You may have stolen my grimoire but do not think this means that I am defenseless. You will not claim my life without losing yours in return!" she hissed, pointing the blade at him.

"What?" It was then that Kiran realized that he had apparently grabbed the book when he rolled away just a few seconds ago and was now holding it in his hand. "Oh. Sorry. No, you can have this back," he said holding the book out. "Just please don't kill me. At least, not yet. Please. I did not come here to hurt you. Quite the opposite."

"What?" She grabbed the book from his hand, now simply looking more confused than anything else. "A-anyways, you have ten seconds. Explain yourself."

"Lady Veronica…I am afraid have lied to you. I am not who I have claimed to be. I'm not the duke of some far-off province of the Emblian Empire. But I'm also not here to kill you. You were right earlier tonight when you said I was true in my admiration for you. I'm just a simple man who fell in lo–"

Kiran's words were cut off as his mask, which had been cracked by the impact with Princess Veronica's tome, finally gave up the ghost, falling apart into two pieces and falling off his face.

"YOU?!" Veronica cried pointing at him with her dagger, before blushing and covering her mouth. "You?!" she hissed in disbelief. "Ugh, I knew you seemed familiar. I can't believe it was you this whole ti–"

"Your Highness, is everything alright?! We heard a loud noise and you shouting from inside!" came a guard's voice from outside her bed chambers. Kiran felt the blood drain from his face at the possibility of being found by them in this place and looked up at Veronica with panic in his eyes. He started gesticulating wildly without saying a word as he tried to convince her to wave them off. She smirked down at him and Kiran felt dread in the pit of his stomach as she turned her head and opened her mouth–

"We are quite alright! 'Twas but a foolish insect that surprised Us as We were reading. We are fine. As you were," she answered haughtily, mischief sparkling in her eyes.

"Yes, Your Highness!" came the guardsman's answer.

Kiran breathed a sigh of a relief, which only drew the princess' attention back on him. He quailed under her glare. It really was unfair that her irises were so brilliantly red, he thought to himself. She didn't even have to try to be scary.

"I knew you seemed familiar, but I thought it was because your skin was dark like my brother's. Not because you were…well, you.

"Honestly…" she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Of all the most absolute foolhardy things you've ever done…How did you even come up with this idea?"

"I'm a, uh…good actor?" Kiran offered sheepishly. The silver-haired princess just gave him with a flat stare. He didn't really want to implicate Leticia in all of this, so he came up with a better fib. "Well, actually, the Order wanted to know more about the state of the Empire. They wanted to know what the nobles and other rulers of the Empire were like, and how they compared to Askr's. And I volunteered."

"So," she said, after a moment of silence. "How do you find them?"

"Honestly? Kind of the same. Fat, decadent, degenerate lords, being preyed upon by even fatter, more decadent, and more degenerate merchants who've gotten too big for their britches– in more than one way."

Princess Veronica snorted and her lips quirked up into a wry smile. Kiran took a breath of relief. It seemed like she was in a good mood.

"How did you get in here?" she asked him.

"Surely you didn't think you were the only capable of breaking and entering into other people's countries, did you?" Kiran asked with a laugh. Seeing the glare on the princess's face he sighed and made something up. "Our more surreptitiously-inclined heroes may have been responsible for getting me in somehow or another," he fabulated, playing up the Order's own capabilities.

It was a bit of a dangerous game to be boasting of their supposed puissance in front of the enemy chief, but he felt it was probably the best excuse he could come up with while also protecting Leticia, who had been responsible for giving him one of the best nights of his whole life, just within the span of time he had danced and talked with Veronica at her debut ball.

"Why did you even decide to volunteer for this mission? Surely those other heroes could have gone in your stead? Aren't you important to Askr?" she eventually asked him.

"Well, it sure as hell wasn't to talk to those stuck up old bats down there, I can tell you that. Why do you think, Princess? I came here so I could see you." Her cheeks turned pink and she looked away from him, embarrassed.

"I cannot even fathom the depths of your foolishness…You could have died! You could have been killed!"

"I could have," Kiran said seriously, with a nod. "You're right. But honestly? I would do it again. Just to be able to see you. And tonight, I was able to experience a lot more than just that. Princess, this has honestly been one of the best nights of my life. Just being able to speak with you at length was already amazing, but getting to dance with you? In public? I…that was probably the happiest I've ever been since I came to this world, if not in my whole life. She glared at him, but he found that the impact was kind of ruined since her blush also deepened.

"Do you really not care about your own life? Are you that eager to throw it away?! You could have died trying to get into the party! You could have died trying to climb over here! I could have killed you twice over just now!" she hissed.

"Yeah. You could have," he answered simply.

"Then why?!"

"Because I don't believe that you would. Or, at least, that you would want to. But thank you."

"Huh? What for?"

"You sound like you're concerned for me, and that makes me happier than you could know."

"Y-you idiot…" she muttered, turning away from him to hide her reddening cheeks. "H-how do you know that I won't just kill you at any moment?!"

"The same way you can know I won't. I trust you."

"Wh-what are you saying? Why?"

"I trust you."

"That doesn't even make any sense!"

"I still trust you."

"…" The tips of her ears had turned a bright red by now, something Kiran could see even though she was facing away from him.

'Ah, so cute!'

"But, no, seriously. I am essentially putting my life in your hands. You really could have killed me many times over tonight. You could have called those guards in and had me arrested or executed. But you didn't…And if I even needed a reason to trust you beyond my heart saying that I could, then I think those should be enough."

Sighing, she sat back down in her chair and patted the free one next to it, motioning for him to sit next to her. "Fine. You still make no sense to me, but whatever. I will let it pass for now.

"What's in the basket?" she asked pointing at the item he had dropped in the confusion earlier.

"Oh no!" Kiran cried as he ran over to check on it. "I brought you some food for us to share! I hope it's still alright…" he muttered, kneeling down to open the basket. Thankfully, it nothing inside had been terribly squished or ruined. All the dishes looked to be unbroken as well. "Oh, thank the gods. It's still okay." He put the tray on the table between the chairs and pulled out two plates, a tray of sandwiches, and a little cake, frosted orange to look like a pumpkin, with two chocolate triangles for 'eyes' and a chocolate crescent for a 'mouth'.

"Goat cheese and fig jam sandwiches? Pumpkin cake? How did you know these were my favourites?" the princess asked suspiciously.

"They are? Oh, thank goodness. I actually snuck in here through the kitchens and there was still quite a lot of food in there that hadn't been brought out, so I decided to borrow a basket so I could carry it all up here," Kiran lied. He picked up a sandwich at random and bit into it. "Oh man, that's really good! I think this might become my own favourite, actually. I can't believe I've never had this combination before. It's so amazing!" He noticed that Veronica was still looking at him and hadn't touched anything. "What's wrong? You don't want any? Oh! I got it! Sorry, I know it's rude of me to begin eating on my own. Here, let me get you a plate," he said, picking up a dish.

"I can get my own food," Veronica said, plucking it from his hands. Kiran just chuckled and let her do it. He noticed her waving her hand over the sandwiches and a wave of soft green light passed over it.

"Ooh, what was that?" Kiran asked.

"I was checking to make sure they weren't poisoned."

"Cool! You can do that?" he asked excitedly.

"Yes. It's a simple trick. Even a child could learn it." She noticed his amazed expression and sighed. "You know… you really should feel offended. Most men would."

"Offended? What for?" Kiran asked, somewhat taken aback.

"That I can't just…trust you the way you trust me," she answered, unable to meet his gaze.

"Oh, that? Those are just my feelings. You don't need to feel any pressure to return them. And besides, while I may have my personal pride, I do realize that we are in a rather strange situation. I understand why you have to do that," he smiled. "And I'm not offended."

Veronica sighed, and just decided to enjoy the meal. She hadn't had anything to eat while she was at the ball earlier, so those sandwiches really hit the spot. The pair ate in silence for a while, just enjoying the night. Kiran was just happy to see her enjoying herself for once, and felt his heart warm at being able to do this for her and see her like this. After they polished off the sandwiches, Kiran cleared the table and pulled out the cake.

At that moment, came the sound of a ringing bell. Princess Veronica shot up in surprise.

"Wait right here and don't let yourself be seen from my room." She went back into her chambers, and a few seconds later, Kiran heard the sound of a heavy door creaking opening.

"Yes, Leticia? What is it? Did you need something from me at this hour? You should take off. Enjoy the harvest festival. I'll give you the feast off." Upon hearing the maid's name being called, Kiran peeked around the balcony's doorframe to see her standing there with a small service cart atop which was a steaming pot and several cups. Leticia caught sight of Kiran hiding behind the doorframe and smiled.

"Ah, thank you for your kindness, Milady. But, I thought we might share some hot chocolate, like we so often do," she said with a wink. "It would help ward you against the coming chill, as well."

Veronica found herself unable to provide a good reason as to why this would be a bad time for their usual custom, as she had already retired to her room for the night, and so, accepted a cup of the thick, hot, chocolatey beverage from her handmaid.

They sat down at a table in the salon of Veronica's apartment, and chatted as they sipped at the hot chocolate. The princess tried to feign her engagement, but her thoughts kept drifting to how bad it would be if the Summoner were to be caught, sitting on her balcony.

Leticia took a sip before suddenly standing up and heading quickly towards said balcony. Veronica, alarmed, stood up and followed right behind her.

"Leticia, wait! What happened? Why are you going to the b-balcony?"

"Ah, apologies milady," she said with a bow. "I just realized I left a book on the table there. I'll just get it really quickly so I don't forget it again," she said, turning back to head out.

"No!" Veronica almost shouted again. "I mean…wait. Yes, it would be no problem for me to get it for you since you brought me this wonderful hot chocolate. I feel warmer already. Allow me to get it for you," she offered nervously.

"Oh no, Milady!" Leticia said with a laugh. "I couldn't possibly allow you to bother yourself over little old me. But that is sweet of you, Your Highness. I appreciate it!" she said, practically skipping over to the balcony. Veronica reached out weakly with one hand to stop her, but she let it fall down as the maid stepped out onto the verandah.

Kiran wasn't sure what Leticia had in mind as she walked through the doorway. She turned towards where he was facing and brought both of her hands to her face in surprise, before giving him a wink and mouthing "Play along," at him silently.

Princess Veronica felt her heart sink as her maid came across the man sitting on her balcony. This would surely lead to a most troublesome scandal if word of this got out to the rest of the court. Oh, she never should have let the Summoner sta–

"Duke Varynys? What are you doing in Her Highness' chambe– are you the Summoner of Askr?!"

"W-Wait!" Kiran cried, acting as though he were genuinely worried. "Th-There's a good reason for this. I can explain!"

The maid stared him down for a few seconds with her hands on her hips, before breaking into a sunny smile. "Well what are you doing out here in the chill? Come in and warm up with a cup of chocolate! Ah! Were you dining with Milady? How sweet! And you even brought a little pumpkin cake– that's her favourite!" she exclaimed, picking up the little plate and ushering the ersatz gentleman inside.

"What." deadpanned Veronica, who was not expecting her handmaid to be this perceptive or welcoming of the foreign Summoner's affections for her.

"What?" muttered Kiran, nearly as surprised as the princess, as he wondered just where she was going with this drama.

He allowed himself to be seated at the table with the princess and her maid and be served a cup of still warm chocolate. But he didn't take a sip. He just looked up at the maid with a confused look on his face, only half acting at this point.

"So, you are the infamous summoner of heroes in the employ of our neighbouring kingdom, hm? And you have the gall to not only impersonate a duke of the Empire but also sneak into Her Highness, the Imperial Princess' private chambers?" she asked mischievously. "How utterly romantic!" she squealed.

"H-huh?" Kiran stuttered. Veronica too looked completely dumbfounded at this never-before-seen side of her chief maid.

"I simply adore stories about love. Especially forbidden romances about two star-crossed lovers from different sides! And Milady has told me so much about you! She always talks about your antics and capers whenever she returns home from a sortie. She never said me just how handsome you are, though," Leticia said with a little laugh that made Kiran's face heat up and turn away from the two women out of embarrassment.

He glanced back at Veronica only to see that she was quite pink herself.

"In any case, why don't we all just enjoy our drinks first? Sir Kiran, you must be cold. Please, drink some of this chocolate. It should warm you right up from the inside."

Grateful for a distraction, Kiran took a sip of the rich, velvety chocolate beverage, enjoying how the thick ribbons of molten cacao slipped down his throat. He could taste a hint of vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg blended into the drink that really did start warming him up as the spices took effect. "Aah," he let out a sigh of relief. He looked up to see Leticia whispering something in her liege's ear which seemed to be making her blush deepen with each passing word.

"Milady…don't…ed him som…ke? I'm su…ke him…ppy!"

"W-wha…n't do…ht!"

"…st wa…ch as I…it!"

Leticia picked up the plate upon which the little pumpkin-shaped cake sat in one hand and a fork, before cutting a little piece of the cake with the utensil and holding it out towards the Summoner.

"Sir Kiran~! Why don't you try some of this–"

"I-I've gotten the idea, I can do it myself!" interjected Princess Veronica as she grabbed the plate and fork, her cheeks now looking for all the world like two roses had bloomed upon them. "H-here. Open your mouth."

Kiran felt his own cheeks bloom with flame as the blood rushing to his face warmed him so much that he couldn't even feel the earlier cold, but he opened his mouth nonetheless.

The princess gently guided the fork with a piece of cake to his mouth and he leaned forward and ate it, before sitting up straight in his chair. It was tasty, but throughout that entire ordeal, he found himself unable to tear his gaze from the princess' eyes, which gleamed like rubies as she fed him, or her pink lips, which shone in the light cast by the fireplace inside her apartment. He swallowed the piece of cake without even realizing, so entranced was he by Veronica's charms. Noticing that he had finished that piece, she brought another piece to his mouth with a shaking hand. Kiran opened his mouth again and ate the piece of cake she proffered. He smiled back at her shyly and she looked away, completely flustered.

"Are you going to just let her feed you?" came a whisper in his ear that froze him in his spot. "I'm sure Milady would like for you to feed her as well."

Kiran felt his heart swell with joy and embarrassment at the thought, but he cleared his throat and addressed her. "P-princess Veronica? If I may?" he asked, gently taking the plate and fork from her hands. She felt her breath hitch as his warm fingers brushed her icy cold hands.

Kiran quickly cut a piece and held it up in front of her lips before she could realize that he was trying to reverse their roles from earlier. The silver-haired maiden's eyes widened and her blush grew even more intense as she understood just what he was trying to do. She shot her maid a look, but Leticia just clenched her hand into a fist and pumped it, mouthing "Go for it!" at her silently.

Veronica took a deep breath to calm herself and parted her lips slightly to allow the cake-bearing fork to enter her mouth. After a few more pieces, she took the desert from Kiran's hands before feeding him again. They repeated this ritual of feeding and being fed in turn throughout the night. At some point, Leticia had slipped out of the room without either of their notice, leaving the pair alone in the salon.

"Th-that was the last of the cake," Veronica whispered, setting the plate down. From somewhere in the palace, the bell of the clocktower struck twelve, thundering peals resounding through the air.

"Y-yes, it was," mumbled Kiran, equally as shyly. "Ah, y-you've got some frosting on your face."

The princess hastily picked up her napkin and wiped her mouth, but the little bit of orange-coloured frosting remained.

"Hold on, let me get that for you." Kiran offered, taking the napkin from her hands. He leaned over her, putting his left hand on her chair to steady himself as he gently wiped away the frosting with the silk cloth. The princess grew even more flustered under his gentle ministrations and felt her heart begin to beat quicker at his closeness. She took a deep breath to calm down, only to inhale instead Kiran's scent– warm, spicy, and masculine– and she felt her face grow even hotter.

"There, all done!" Kiran exclaimed, pulling the napkin away from her face. He noticed Veronica red face and leaned in even closer, till he could feel her sweet breath upon his own face. "Is everything alright, Princess?" Her heart just beat even faster at his increased closeness.

Before she could answer him, however, the door to the salon opened, and they both turned to face Leticia, who stood in the doorway with wide eyes and one hand covering her open mouth. "Oh my! I'm sorry to interrupt you two."

It was then that Kiran realized exactly what sort of a position he was in with Veronica, and how it probably looked to someone else. He felt his face burn, and stumbled back into his own chair like a thief who had been caught red-handed.

"My! I never would have thought you to be such a rogue, Sir Kiran."

He hid his face in both hands, letting out a muffled groan of embarrassment.

Leticia laughed at his state before speaking again. "Alright, alright, I'm done teasing you now. I only came back to say that it's getting rather late. It would probably be best if you and your companions left for now, Sir Kiran."

He looked up and nodded, before throwing on his cloak and leaving the room to gather his belongings from the balcony. He came back inside a few minutes later to see the maid pestering a blushing princess for tales of what had happened after she had left, and decided to spare the poor girl the embarrassment by clearing his throat, which drew their attention. Leticia, I'm ready to leave. How do I get out of here without attracting attention?"

"I think it would be best if we hid you under this serving trolley," she said, lifting up an edge of the white tablecloth that prevented the inner contents of the cart from being visible from the outside. Kiran scrutinized the cart. It certainly looked sturdy enough, seeing as it was made from solid wood reinforced with iron brackets. He'd probably be able to fit, though it would be pretty tight.

"Are you sure you'll be able to push the cart with me inside?"

"Absolutely," Leticia reassured him. "With these wheels it shouldn't be a problem."

He nodded and turned to bid Veronica, who was standing up now, farewell. But she spoke first.

"I…Tonight was…fun," she mumbled. "I had a lot of…fun. Dancing, talking, eating. I-I don't know how to put this…into words. Th-thank you," she whispered, looking down.

Kiran smiled before stepping closer. Before she could realize what was happening, his arms were wrapped around her and his forehead was resting on the top of her head. "It's fine. I understand. I had a lot of fun tonight as well. I'm so glad I came. Veronica, I lo–like you. A lot. I hope one day we might be able to meet without having to resort to costumes and secrecy like this, as entertaining as it might have been." He took a deep breath before whispering in her ear. "I'm going to miss you, and I hope part of you will miss me too, as selfish as that might be. But I also have something for you to remember me by," he said as he stepped back and pulled out the little wooden box from earlier.

He opened up the box and presented it to her. Both Veronica and Leticia gasped what it held. Gingerly, Kiran picked up the little circlet before setting the box down, and with both hands, put it on Veronica's hair. The silver rings of the crown blended in with her hair, while the white elderflowers glowed like so many little starts about her head.

"You look beautiful," Kiran whispered as he gave her one last squeeze before taking both of her hands into his and kissing them on the back. He didn't dare look back as he climbed into the cart until he was settled within, knowing that he would have otherwise been unable to leave. Once inside, he looked up at Veronica, who looked utterly downcast at his leaving. It broke his heart to see such a look on her face– that too because of him. He gave her a sad smile which she eventually returned.

Leticia smiled at seeing her lady manage to work up the courage to see her suitor off with a smile, and let the cloth fall, hiding Kiran from view, and pushed the cart outside. They made it out of the princess' apartment without a problem and soon reached the kitchens after riding in silence for nearly ten minutes. She knocked on the top of the cart and told Kiran it was okay to come out.

He stepped out with his mask covering his face once again. At some point during the ride he had fixed it back onto his face. "Leticia, I can't even begin to thank you for everything you've done for me. For us."

The maid laughed it off and gave him a quick hug. "You make my lady happy and that's all the reason I need to help you out. I've seen her grow up before my eyes, and I can't remember the last time she got so excited about something since…well, since her brother left home."

"I swear I will do my best to keep her happy for the rest of her days. But I can't do it without your support," he said, offering her a deep bow. "Thank you so much, Leticia."

The maid felt her eyes mist with tears and she give him another hug, nearly crushing him.

They eventually made their way out back to the rose garden, where his party was still waiting. "Hey guys. Sorry for the delay. Let's get out of here."

"Finally. I'm sure my lieges must be in trouble without my service. Let us make haste."

"A-alright. I was getting w-worried, anyways."

"Sorry, Princess Sakura. We should be good to leave now, I think." He looked around, taking in the sight of the palace for what would probably be the last time in a long time, before something caught his eye. As part of the decorations for the harvest festival, there were several pumpkins in the garden. He walked over and picked up a decently sized one before walking over to his group with the orange gourd cradled in his arms.

"Alright, now we can get out of here."

Leticia led the five of them out to where she had prepared their carriage. They mounted the car, and shot off in the night towards the Askrian border, making it there in about an hour and a half. Once they had reached friendly territory, Nowi transformed back into her manakete form to carry Kiran and Sakura back to the Order's castle. Jakob and Henry would ride just behind them with horses they had left tethered in the woods.

They made it back to the castle around three in the morning. It was late, but the castle was still lit up as it seemed the festivities would be going on late into the early hours of the morning.

As soon as he stepped into the Great Hall, Kiran was beset by Alphonse and Sharena, who each grabbed onto one of his arms and dragged him to their table. Both of their faces were flush and they looked as though they had been reveling for the whole night. Even the usually stoic and reserved Alphonse had loosened up a bit and looked happy to finally see him.

"Kiran!" Sharena cried. "Where were you all this time?! You just missed Hector and Dorcas down a whole tankard of ale!" she whined, pointing at the two axe-wielders from Elibe who were slumped against each other, asleep. Both of them did, in fact, have a very large wooden barrel at their feet.

"Haha, well I was here and there, and I might have lost track of time. Sorry, you two. I'll make it up to you. We can hang out together for the rest of the festival, alright? I promise I'll stay right here."

Sharena stuck out her tongue at him, before bursting into giggles and agreeing to his promise. Alphonse peered curiously at the object clutched in his lap. "Kiran, what is is that?"

"Oh yeah! I can't believe I forgot!" he cried standing up suddenly. "Remember how you guys said you hadn't seen a pumpkin in ages? Well, here you go," he said with a little bow. They looked at the gourd dumbfounded. Then back at him. Then back at the gourd.

"Oooooh…Alphonse! Think of how big a Geistenward we can make from this thing!"

"A Geistenward? Think of the pie we can finally make from Mother's cookbook!"

"Oh thank you, Kiran!" Sharena said, throwing her arms around the Summoner. Alphonse clapped him on the back.

"Seriously. I can't even imagine how you could have managed to get your hands on of these."

"I uh," Kiran laughed nervously. "I had a lot of help."

The prince shook his head with a helpless smile. "You're unbelievable, you know that?"

"This is the best harvest festival ever!" the princess cried, before running off to join her other friends among the Order to show them the "rare, and mysterious pumpkin".

Kiran left for his own room not long after. The day had been long and he was exhausted. He took off his clothes and tossed them into a hamper before falling back onto his bed.

That night, as he fell asleep, he dreamt of visions of pretty little princesses with vibrant red eyes that sparkled like rubies, hair that shone like silver, lips as pink as petals of a lotus, and cheeks that blossomed like roses…

---

AN: I hope y'all enjoyed the sweetness here and the (temporary) new cover picture, drawn by ringozaka_0913 on twitter. As always, please, please, please leave a review after reading this. Thank you! :3

So! This was kind of a long chapter, eh? This was the most effort I've ever put into a chapter of this story, but I really think it was worth it. I, at least, found it really rewarding to write, finish, and publish. And hope you found it worthwhile too :)

I really wasn't sure how exactly to go about spinning the story to smuggle Kiran into Embla, but this is what I came up with. I really wanted a way to give Veronica a chance to demonstrate some agency of her own and the chance to show off her confident, imperial, and queenly qualities as someone who belongs to royalty after making her so flustered and reactionary to Kiran's advances in the previous three chapters. So I really wanted to add some depth and reality to her character as an actual person and not just completely flanderize her. I hope that came across in a realistic way. Plus I also wanted to give Kiran the chance to fall in love with her even more at seeing this other non-"moe" side of her that was strong, independent, and sovereign. But I also wanted that "gap-moe" to show the difference between those two sides of her– one strong, confident, and noble in her bearing, knowing what she wants and able to go for it, the other, unused to overt affection and and male attention that isn't from her father or brother or Xander and is decidedly non-brotherly.

As for Leticia, someone once asked me for a bit more of her and a "candlelight sneaking" of Kiran into meeting with Veronica, so I took that idea and ran with it. I hope you enjoyed seeing her! I guess I might bring her back in future Paralogues if people really liked her.