Huff. Huff. Huff.
Sio's lungs burned as she sprinted toward the queen's palace, her feet slapping against the stone path in a desperate rhythm. She could already see the crowd ahead. People streaming out of the main entrance, carriages pulling away one by one, voices carrying in the open air.
She slowed down as she pushed through the last of the crowd, her chest heaving, her hair probably a complete mess. People noticed her. A few nodded in her direction, and she nodded back, still catching her breath.
Then Queen Mother appeared.
"Where were you, Sio?" she said with a warm, exasperated smile, reaching out and patting Sio's head firmly. "Go inside and rest. The speech is already over, you little rascal. Coming in late like this." She shook her head with fond disapproval and moved ahead, already greeting others and preparing for Princess meeting.
Sio barely had time to recover before Nat swept past and squeezed both her cheeks with both hands.
"Well done, my little Sio." Nat smiled brightly at her, eyes sparkling with pride, then turned and walked toward her carriage where Maid Emmy was waiting. Emmy gave Sio a small, quiet nod of acknowledgment.
"Oh my! Hello there, dear Sio! Long time no see! Did you forget about these uncles of yours?"
A man stepped forward and wrapped her in a gentle hug before pulling back and holding both her hands with warm affection, his eyes soft filled with delight seeing her after considerable amount of time.
"Hey there," Sio said, a little breathless, still trying to catch up with everything happening around her.
"My little girl, how are you?" Another pair of hands came down from behind and ruffled her head gently.
"Uncles, I'm fine!" Sio laughed, straightening up and trying to fix her hair. "You both look good as always. Did you enjoy watching Big Sister Nat's speech?"
Three answers came at once:
"Yeah."
"Yep."
"Nope. It was boring."
Sio burst out giggling at the honesty of the last response.
"Fathers, stop bullying my little sister." Maren appeared out of nowhere, stepping between them with playful authority. She pulled Sio loose from her fathers' grip and gave her a firm push toward the entrance. "Go inside. Shoo, shoo!" She waved her hand, then flashed Sio a thumbs-up with a grin that said you did good.
"Byeeee!" Trio fathers waved cheerfully after her before turning and strolling toward their own carriage, still chuckling among themselves.
Sio was still smiling when two familiar figures stepped closer.
"Sio, are you okay and what about her?" Mother Isafold's voice was low, making sure no one else hears it. Mother Veny stood just beside her, both of them watching Sio with quiet concern etched across their faces.
"I'm fine," Sio said with a small nod. "And she will be too. Don't worry, Mothers."
The two women exchanged a brief look, then both smiled and gently patted her shoulder before heading off.
"Oye, Sio! You finally decided to show up."
Little Princess appeared beside her, voice lilting with lazy amusement. The crowd had mostly dispersed by now, leaving behind a rare pocket of quiet just for them.
"Did you have fun out there? You were so late. If I'd gone, I would've finished way faster." She tossed back some strands of her hair that came out of her beautifully tied bun hair, feeling far too pleased with herself.
Sio shot her a glare. "Shut up, you long-legged animal." She stuck out her tongue and raised her hand.
Clap! Clap!
Their palms met midair in a sharp, familiar rhythm.
Behind them, Alfie nodded solemnly. With a smug little smile, he clapped in the air against an imaginary partner, perfectly in sync with their rhythm.
The two of them drifted off together, brushing past Sio, their laughter echoing faintly in the thinning crowd.
Sio stepped inside and immediately spotted a tall, straight-backed figure standing with quiet pride.
"Big Sister Fia!"
She broke into a jog and threw her arms around Fia's waist, hugging her tightly. Fia's hand came down to rest gently on top of Sio's head, patting her with calm, familiar warmth.
"Go to him," Fia said softly, nodding toward the last figure lingering in the thinning crowd. "He was really worried about you. We can talk afterward."
She gave Sio one final affectionate pat before stepping aside.
Sio turned and saw a gentle big figure looking at her with worried eyes.
Big Guy stood a short distance away, his broad back slumped with lingering worry. He hadn't left quickly like the others. He had stayed, waiting for her.
The moment he saw her looking at him, he moved with quick steps. And dropped into a crouch just as she reached him.
His arms wrapped around her in a tight, solid embrace, no hesitation, no restraint.
And just like that, the tension Sio had been carrying all day quietly melted away in his arms.
"Sio." His voice was low and relieved. "You look fine. I'm glad."
She pressed her face against his shoulder, and before she even realized it, tears were sliding down her cheeks.
SNIFF... SNIFF....
"We did our best," she said quietly, her voice a little thick with emotion. "I'm okay. Thank you for worrying about me."
Big Guy released her slowly and pulled back just enough to cup her face in both hands, thumbs brushing her wet cheeks with gentle care.
"Did someone...?" he asked carefully, his eyes searching her face for an answer she might not want to give. "Did anyone hurt you?"
Sio looked up at him steadily. "What if yes, would you hate me?"
"Nope.... Never." He said it like a fact and smiled goofily the same way he always did.
Sio let out a small breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "Hehe. No, nothing happened to me. But they did try." She hesitated, and her expression shifted, growing quieter. "Big Sister Maid stepped in and took the hit for me. I hope she's okay with Big Brother Oliver right now. I feel guilty... because of me, she suffered."
Big Guy was quiet for a moment. Then he gently lifted her chin with one finger so she was looking at him again.
"She's a brave woman," he said. "We should be grateful to her. How about this, once all of this is over, we go visit her, together and thank her for everything she did for us!"
Sio's mouth curved slightly. "Hmm. Yes!!"
"And don't think too much." He pinched her cheek lightly, grinning. "Brother Oliver will take care of her. You did great today, so feel proud. If you don't, then her sacrifice meant nothing. Okay?"
Something warm settled in Sio's chest. She straightened up slowly, lifted her chin, put her fist on her hip, and announced with great dignity:
"I am better at my job than someone who slept with an older woman to complete his job. Humph." She grunted, cutting a sharp look in his direction.
"That's exactly why I'm proud of you." Big Guy didn't even flinch. "Sio is the most talented one among us, hehe." He stood up, ruffled her hair thoroughly into a mess, and walked away with a wave of his hand.
"GEEZ! That is not the reply I wanted!" Sio shouted after him. "At least show some remorse! And don't ruin my hair!" She pointed accusingly at the back of his head.
Big Guy just looked back over his shoulder and smiled while nodding, completely unbothered by her protests.
"HUMPH!"
Sio crossed her arms tightly. But after a moment, her expression softened on its own, and a small smile pulled at the corner of her mouth as she watched the last carriages rolling away toward the 5th Rock.
Queen Mother came back quietly, having seen the last guests off. Her one of the four expert queen guards walked steadily behind her. Expressionless, masked, composed as always.
Sio drifted toward them and hugged Queen Mother's arm, resting her cheek against her soft muscle.
Sighhhh.....
"I hope everything goes well," Sio murmured, watching the last carriage disappear down the road. "Did Big Brother Zack find anything useful?"
"Don't worry." Queen Mother patted her hand and began walking at an easy pace. "Believe in them. Even if they come up short, we'll find another way." She glanced down at Sio with gentle eyes. "Now, how did it go for you? Did you do well?"
Sio was quiet for a moment. Then the words came out with an edge sharp enough to cut.
"Queen Mother... why didn't you do anything for them sooner? The women there, they're suffering so much. Every single one of them is just a plaything to those men. Why can't you just kill those filthy bastards?" Her teeth pressed together, jaw tight with frustration.
Queen Mother exhaled slowly. "Sigh."
"I wanted to," she said, and her voice was tired in a way it rarely was. "But the 5th Rock Leader, he contributed enormously to how this island runs. If I try to touch him, I'm not fighting one man. I'm fighting most of the Crown houses at once, all by myself." She shook her head, the weight of it visible in her posture. "I built this system years ago to give people motivation, and for a while it worked. It genuinely helped this island grow. But it also created a massive monopoly, and now he wants to use that power to bite back." She paused. "I'm sorry, Sio. Your Queen Mother is incompetent."
"No." Sio looked up at her quickly. "I'm not blaming you. I understand nothing in this world is perfect." She held Queen Mother's arm a little tighter. "And from talking with the people there, I know they still believe in you. They truly do... Otherwise, they wouldn't have helped us at the last second."
Queen Mother looked at her for a moment, then smiled sweetly.
"Ara. My little daughter is more mature than she lets on." A sharp spark lit in her eyes then she raised one hand dramatically. "That's right! We'll defeat them together, and kill every last one of those filthy men. Right?????!"
"Right!!!!"
CLAP!
Sio slapped her palm against Queen Mother's raised hand with enthusiasm.
Then they both turned and looked back at MIss Expert Queen Guard.
The guard's eyes twitched slightly. After a beat of silence.
"...Yeah." She hesitantly raised both hands.
CLAP!!!!!
All three clapped together at the same time.
Laughter spilled out between them as they walked deeper into the palace, voices overlapping, the warmth of it echoing off the stone walls.
"Ah, Queen Mother, want to hear something interesting?" Sio's eyes lit up as she leaned in closer, practically vibrating with excitement.
"Oh? What is it, what is it?" Queen Mother's face brightened immediately, her curiosity rising to match Sio's energy.
"Guess what! Big Brother Oliver has another woman chasing him!" Sio blurted out, barely able to hold it in. "The Big Sister Maid I went with today, she was the one!" The secret tumbled out of her like water from a cracked jar.
Queen Mother let out a rich laugh. "Ara~ That man really is a lady killer, but I already know about her. Isafold did mention a lady in his house had taken an interest in him or rather she was always in love with him, everyone in his house knows that." She shook her head, still smiling. "But honestly, this isn't surprising at all. Oliver is handsome, well-mannered, and he knows exactly how to make women feel cared for. Haha, that man is dangerous."
"Well, I agree with that part," Sio said, nodding. Then her expression shifted, a small frown pulling at her brow. "But isn't it unfair to Big Sister Emmy?" she grunted with slight annoyance.
"Hmm? How so?" Queen Mother asked, tilting her head.
"What do you mean, how so?" Sio's brows shot up. "Big Brother Oliver clearly started having feelings for Big Sister Emmy, and now he's running around with other women? In the same way Big Brother Zack has done the same thing with other women, and even Big Guy slept with some older woman..... GRRR." She shook her head sharply. "All men are the same. Running after women like a hungry animal!!!"
TAK!
"OW! Queen Mother!" Sio's hand flew to her head, rubbing the spot as Queen Mother looked at her with calm, serious eyes.
"Don't speak about your brothers that way." Her voice was steady but firm. "The fact that they respect women's feelings already says they are good men. You're accusing them, but what about you girls?" She held Sio's gaze without wavering. "Nat was harassed many times by that Cok bastard and others. Emmy stood by Nat's side through all of it. Do you think her body has gone untouched? And what about you, Sio? Is your body pure?"
Sio went still.
"...I'm sorry," she said after a moment, her voice smaller. "I didn't mean my brothers are bad. I've just been around so many men lately who treat women like nothing. It made me angry." She hesitated, then added quietly, "But you said we were harassed. We didn't choose that. My brothers chose to be with those women. That's different."
Queen Mother's eyes softened, but her voice stayed even.
"Choice," she repeated slowly. "You think choice alone is what decides purity, Sio?"
Sio pressed her lips together. "Isn't it? We were victims. They were not. That is the difference."
"For a child, that logic is clean," Queen Mother replied. "For a woman who has lived long, it is incomplete."
"I don't understand," Sio said, her brow creasing with confusion.
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END OF CHAPTER -- 91 PART 1