116. A Real Family

"Yawn..." Ravenna stretched, her arms rising above her head as she leaned back into the velvet-cushioned chair. The golden hues of the setting sun streamed through the large arched window behind her, casting elongated shadows across the room. A warm breeze drifted in, carrying the scent of the sea and the distant hum of city life.

She sighed in relief. "It feels so good to finally be out of those suffocating capital dresses..." she muttered, slumping back into her seat and letting her posture loosen. The capital might have been cooler in climate than Jola, but with the heat of summer in full swing, even its chill couldn’t compare to the breathable, airy comfort she had in her sheer dresses with slits she got used to wearing on the island.

Just as she reached for a jug of cool water on her desk, a knock came at the door.

“It’s Alice,” came the familiar voice from outside. “You can come in,” Ravenna called, sitting up slightly.

The door opened with a soft creak, and Alice stepped inside, her presence as polished and composed as always. Her neatly combed brown hair was tied into a simple braid, and her glasses framed her intelligent, sparkling eyes. She held a folder in her hands.

“You should’ve taken a proper rest, Your Highness,” Alice said gently, closing the door behind her. “You just arrived today.”

“I’ll rest when I’m done,” Ravenna said with a tired smirk.

Alice shook her head with a soft chuckle. “Anyway, here are the reports you requested.” She stepped forward and placed the stack of papers neatly onto the desk.

Ravenna accepted them and began flipping through the pages. “Thanks. By the way… how’s Mina? She was burning up with fever the day I left for the capital.”

Alice’s expression softened. “She’s doing well now—completely recovered. Hughes and I looked after her night and day. The priests came by with healing rituals, and with a bit of divine aid and a lot of rest, she’s back to her mischievous self.”

“Hmm, that’s good to hear.” Ravenna’s voice grew quieter as her eyes scanned the budget reports, her expression gradually turning serious.

Alice took notice. “So... why did you request the full breakdown of our defensive budgets the moment you got back? Did something happen in the capital?”

Ravenna paused for a heartbeat, then replied, “We need to prepare.”

Alice frowned. “Prepare for what?”

Ravenna hesitated before finally speaking. “I’ve been reinstated into the succession race.”

Alice froze. “W-What…?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “But I thought… I thought you were done with all that. You told me you were going to focus on building Jola into something of your own. Away from the capital.”

Ravenna turned away, trying to push forward. “That was then. Let’s just focus on getting our—”

“No,” Alice cut her off, her voice trembling slightly but resolute. “I can’t do this, Ravenna.”

Ravenna blinked, surprised. “What do you mean?”

Alice looked down for a moment before meeting Ravenna’s eyes, her voice soft. “I’m just a lowborn maid who got lucky. Educated and given purpose by her majesty. Everything I have, I owe to your kindness. You gave me a life. I’ll always be grateful… but I can’t follow you back into that storm.”

“What are you saying, Alice?” Ravenna asked, her voice quiet, confused.

“I always saw you as family, as a sister. You protected me, guided me, trusted me with more than anyone else ever did.” She gave a bittersweet smile. “Back in the capital, I’d sneak into libraries, flirt with guards, steal documents—do whatever I had to so our faction could have an edge. Even just a month ago, when you got the invitation to return, I was prepared to dive right back in without hesitation.”

She looked down again, then added, more slowly, “But then Mina got sick.”

Ravenna listened, silent.

Alice took a breath. “And for the first time… I stopped to think. I have a home now. People I want to protect in ways that don’t involve manipulation or palace games. I have a family here. I am someone here. And I can’t… I just can’t go back to being a pawn on someone else's chessboard.”

She looked directly at Ravenna now, her expression clear, her voice steady. “So I need to ask you something honestly—do you really need the throne?”

Ravenna didn’t hesitate. “I have to,” she answered firmly, her voice calm but resolute.

She leaned forward, her fingertips resting on the edge of the desk. “That doesn’t mean we’re moving back to the capital. I’m still officially exiled. If we do this… we do it our way—from here, From the home we carved out of nothing.”

Her voice grew stronger as she stood upright, her tone sharpened with conviction. “You know me, Alice. I don’t stop until I’ve claimed everything I want. But this isn’t just about ambition anymore. The Imperial Family, those halls of pretense and poison—they aren’t my family.”

She began pacing slowly, her eyes darkening with buried memories. “My father never once looked at me like I mattered. To him, I was a mistake in royal silk. Nolan? The only time he ever acknowledged me was to pin the blame for mother’s illness on my shoulders. And the irony? He’s not even her blood.”

She scoffed. “Landon? That man would let the world freeze over before sparing a thought for his so-called sister. William? He rejoiced in framing me for Mother’s death. Every whisper in the halls was his doing. And Serena? She’s so obsessed with being superior, she never once looked past her own nose.”

Ravenna stopped pacing and turned toward Alice, her voice softening but losing none of its intensity.

“No one in that palace ever showed me Affection. No one except you guys. You, Hughes, Uncle Kevin, Olvia and Mother.”

She took a slow step forward. “Marie looks at me like I’m someone worth admiring. The people of this dukedom cheer not because they’re forced to, but because I gave them hope. A future.”

Ravenna now stood directly in front of Alice, her presence strong, unwavering. She gently placed her hands on Alice’s shoulders, her voice quiet but fierce.

“You all are my family, Not them. You.” Then, without warning, she pulled her into a firm embrace.

“You know me,” Ravenna whispered, her breath close to Alice’s ear, “I never…”

Alice, tears silently rising in her eyes, finished the sentence with her—softly, almost like a prayer between the two of them.

“…never let my/your possessions be mishandled.”

They stood there for a long moment, in silence, the sunset bathing the room in gold as two women—sisters not by blood, but by choice reaffirmed where their hearts belonged.

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