Although Faust had tried to bully Viviana while she was in her normal state, that particular scheme had ultimately fallen flat. Still, the outcome was one both sides could live with — a rough draw, all things considered.
Not that Viviana would ever bother arguing otherwise.
And so Faust grew all the more convinced: Viviana was, without a doubt, an easy woman to handle.
It would be even better if Cinderella weren't quite so repressed.
"Your Highness, are you planning to send the letter right away? Forgive my bluntness — I would never doubt your charm, but no matter how charming a person may be, the other party must at least be made aware of it first."
In the corridors of the Kingdom of Aurum, Viviana walked alongside Faust as they discussed the matter of the marriage proposal.
Compared to her usual self, the girl looked noticeably more vibrant. The smile resting on her lips was the kind of drowsy, satisfied expression one only wore after a particularly good meal.
"I know. Getting rejected is only natural, but that's precisely the point — it gives me a perfectly reasonable excuse to travel to Wintertide."
Viviana pressed a hand to her full white blouse. "Are you going alone? If you need someone to accompany you, I'd be happy to come along."
Faust hesitated. By all common sense, he ought to bring a few trusted companions, and Viviana, with Cinderella at her disposal, was an obvious choice. With her around, any danger — no matter how dire — could presumably be swept away by Cinderella's love-fueled power.
But the prospect of two Witches coming into direct contact was something he genuinely wasn't ready for. He had no idea what might happen, and even Mephisto had no experience with it whatsoever.
"No idea. Never seen it. Don't ask me."
"That won't be necessary..."
In the end, Faust dismissed the suggestion with a wave of his hand.
"This is a trial I intend to face on my own. If I can't handle this challenge by myself, then everything that comes after would be built on nothing."
It wasn't fear of what might happen between the two Witches. Faust simply believed that relying too heavily on Cinderella would defeat the entire purpose.
If he was going to be this afraid of danger, this hesitant at every turn, why bother stepping outside his comfort zone at all? He might as well have stayed put from the start.
"That said, I will still need your help. If things come to the point of needing force — and I do mean if — then lead Aurum's royal guard and march for Wintertide."
Aurum's forces were laughable compared to Wintertide's military, practically a joke to bring along. But that was beside the point. All that mattered was that Viviana would be there.
He had no idea what the reclusive Wintertide was truly like. If Faust found himself in genuine trouble, he would have no choice but to call upon the Witch's reality-warping power.
Hearing how Faust had arranged things, Viviana understood perfectly well that she was being kept as his trump card.
The golden-haired girl pressed her lips together softly and gave a composed nod.
"Understood. I will remain on high alert at the border at all times. The moment you give the order, I will ride to your aid at the greatest possible speed."
Faust smiled. "Then I suppose it's time to start making preparations. First, let's get this letter sent off."
A marriage proposal of this magnitude had to go through the proper diplomatic channels, of course.
And so the prince went to find the current regent.
Ever since Eleanor had taken over as regent in his absence, she had moved her office into her own sorcery tower. She had no need of the professional bureaucrats Faust had spent years cultivating. On her own, she could dispatch an entire day's worth of state affairs in a fraction of the time — little more than an afterthought squeezed in between her daily academic research.
Compared to Faust's path as a Sovereign Ruler, Eleanor the Mage was far better suited to be a philosopher-king. Indeed, the philosopher-kings recorded throughout history had almost universally walked the path of scholars and mages.
When the silver-haired princess learned the reason for her brother's visit, she fixed him with a look of withering contempt, exactly as one might have expected.
"Faust... you were just wrapped around Viviana like you couldn't bear to let her go, and now you're already turning around to court some foreign princess a thousand miles away? Have you no shame whatsoever?"
Faust had long grown accustomed to his sister's disdain — cutting, yet strangely entertaining. He answered with characteristic arrogance.
"I simply caught wind of this princess's beauty and found myself curious to meet her. This is hardly a case of shifting affections. It's quite simple: I intend to have them both."
Eleanor's sage-blue eyes grew colder still. She swept the hair from her brow with a quiet sigh.
"What a wretch. What a thoroughly shameless, contemptible wretch. Why on earth did someone like you end up as my brother? And why on earth did I ever..."
Her voice trailed off, dropping lower with each word. After a long pause, she finally raised her head.
"I'll have it delivered," she said quietly. "As for what comes after... you're planning to go to Wintertide yourself, aren't you?"
Faust nodded. "That's the idea. I've been overdue for some real experience in the world. The Fae has already laid out a clear path forward for me."
To put his sister's mind at ease, Faust had little choice but to invoke Mephisto's name.
But unlike their father, who would abandon all further thought the moment the Fae was mentioned, Eleanor's cool expression didn't soften in the slightest.
She merely furrowed her brow faintly and shook her head.
"Wintertide... of all places. You were never supposed to set foot there in your entire life..."
"Sister... are you saying you don't want me to go out and train?"
Eleanor let out a short, icy scoff.
"And what reason would I have to stop you? Go frolic wherever you like, you overeager stallion."
With that, she took the marriage proposal Faust had written and promptly threw him out.
Far from being bothered by the treatment, Faust simply smiled and turned back toward Viviana, raising a single finger.
"Oh, right — speaking of horses, I need to find myself a white one. The purest coat you can find."
---
While Faust made his preparations for this first venture beyond Aurum's borders, Seraphina had finally made her way back to the imperial capital after departing the Kingdom of Aurum.
The imperial capital of the Radiant Dynasty was a magnificent city built upon a mountaintop. Legend held that it was here the founding emperor had slain a great dragon, and drawing out the beast's spine, drove it through the mountain range itself to lay the very foundation of the capital.
Eight hundred years had slipped quietly by. The mountains that had once stood bare and untouched were now largely leveled, transformed into a sprawling paradise of towering buildings rising freely in every direction.
Only the original summit where the dragon had been slain still stood in proud defiance above it all, serving as the grounds of the imperial palace. Above the palace, suspended in the sky, hung a solar disc.
It was not an especially grand spectacle, nor did it blaze with blinding brilliance. Yet its presence alone was a declaration of divine mandate, a proclamation that the Radiant Dynasty ruled in perfect accordance with the will of heaven.
This was a sacred city suspended above the world, where great mountain ranges had bowed their heads to become its stairways.
A low, resonant hum filled the air as a small, elegantly crafted airship descended onto the platform outside the palace. Seraphina stepped out, stretched with open satisfaction, and narrowed her eyes contentedly.
"Ah... nothing like the air back home. No matter how beautiful a place in the countryside might be, it never quite measures up."
Moments after Seraphina stepped off the airship, a detachment of imperial palace guards came marching in formation, their armored greaves striking the marble in crisp, synchronized beats.
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