Tucked behind a makeshift changing screen, Lycoris held her hands over her chest. There was a terrible scowl on her face, and from the other side she could hear water splashing as Vanessa very delicately scrubbed and rinsed Lycoris’s blouse with the aid of a cleaning spell.

  The reason for her scowling was the startled and bashful exclamations from Vanessa and Cecily upon seeing her remove her top and expose the “startlingly mature” (as the littler sister put it) pure-lace white bra beneath. She had asked Athena for a more mature wardrobe, and she hadn’t questioned the result in the moment, but that… wasn’t exactly what she had in mind.

  She wasn’t sure if it was better that it was two complete strangers that saw her rather than her mother, or not; the look the two of them gave had been forever seared into her mind, but it had probably spared her maid’s life. Still, she felt quite self-conscious as a result.

  And it didn't help that Cecily began to mutter things to herself like, “so that’s the difference between me and a princess,” after.

  Mira, meanwhile, had to be pried away from Lycoris and treated to some dry Fangchaser rations in order to give her some modicum of privacy. He wouldn't fit behind the screen, and apparently, was male; though, that didn’t explain his strikingly unusual coloration. One of the Fangchasers suggested that he was so overprotective of Lycoris because his odd colors marked him as the odd one out of his pack—something she could certainly empathize with—and he was reciprocating the kindness she’d shown him. Myrh were apparently matriarchal—much like vampires—so Mira was essentially treating Lycoris like his pack leader.

  She couldn’t fathom what she had done to earn such prestigious treatment by the horsebird, just petting him in the zoo hardly felt like it'd earned this sort of treatment and respect, but she was more than grateful for his coming to her rescue and also being a source of warmth and comfort to rest against.

  “I’m sorry we don’t have a proper bath here, Your Highness. Not that… we should… would? Um, it’s bad to subject a princess to a civilian sort anyways… Did I say it right, Big Sis?”

  “Cecily, don’t bother Her Highness.”

  “It’s fine, she’s no bother at all.”

  Perhaps resting against the myrh had left her with a rather… strong scent. Though such things were obviously never part of her life before, Lycoris found herself desperately missing the luxurious big bath back home. The grime clinging to her felt that much more noticeable for how long she had been in its absence.

  “If anything, I feel… somewhat ashamed for being so unpresentable before my subjects. Perhaps it was a mistake to sleep against Mira like that… My back definitely feels sore…”

  “Myrh are really soft, aren’t they?”

  Cecily beamed at Lycoris. She was remarkably unafraid, perhaps because she thought they were the same age—which might not even have been wrong—and that just because she was Crown Princess, that didn’t mean Lycoris was particularly scary.

  Once more, she appreciated being treated normally, even if Vanessa was (perhaps appropriately) terrified for her little sister’s sake. Lycoris’s gaze wandered from the direction of the unconscious Athena back toward Cecily, a wry smile on her face.

  She forced all of her less pleasant emotions aside and put on her best smile before giving Cecily a cheery nod.

  “I was truly surprised when I first felt Mira’s fur… or, feathers rather. They felt even softer than my bedsheets! Are you… familiar with the creatures, Cecily?”

  “Hehehe… Her Highness said my name.” The girl chuckled and wiggled about, before scooting a little closer toward Lycoris. “We owned a farm. We had a few myrhs there, but… um… none of them behaved like Mira. Maybe because they were all farm raised and he wasn’t?”

  “Really? Mira is one of the first myrh I’ve encountered, I didn’t realize how rare he was. He was at the zoo and his unique color drew me to him.”

  Cecily nodded agreeably. “Rare pigmentation happens sometimes… but wait, he’s not yours?”

  “Well, he came to my rescue and is in this with us now, but he belongs to the zoo, so… I don’t even have a saddle for him or know what to feed him or how to wash him or… *ahem* There is a lot that goes into caring for an animal, and I haven’t asked Mother permission yet, either.”

  “Oh oh, I can help! I can show you what to do. The ones back at our farm really really liked it when I combed them! And washing and feeding them is easy! A scented spray bottle and a light combing in the harder-to-reach places is more than enough since they’re naturally prone to preening themselves, and—”

  “Cecily,” Vanessa muttered in a warning tone.

  “Oh, um, sorry, Your Highness.”

  “As I stated before, it’s fine. Hearing someone gush about their interests is honestly something of a relief, after all the recent stress I’ve gone through. …Perhaps I should have kept that to myself, hehe.” Lycoris put her fingers to her lips and chuckled demurely. “Thank you for speaking to me, Cecily.”

  “Of course, Princess Lycoris! U-Um… is it okay if I ask you something?”

  “Go ahead.”

  “Can I braid your hair? It’s so pretty… and we’re stuck waiting anyway.”

  “B-Braid…?”

  Lycoris reflexively reached for and gripped the locket resting against her chest. Her thoughts immediately turned to Mizar, and how she’d once told him that his hair was too long… so his solution was to simply braid it to keep it out of the way. Apparently Fawaris thought his long hair looked good, so he was averse to actually cutting it off…

  “I… Hm, why not? Go ahead, but be gentle. You’re tending to a princess’s hair, after all.”

  “Hooray!”

  The little girl immediately cheered with joy, while her older sister let out another troubled sigh. The sound of suds had long vanished, she was probably just listening and standing watch over them while letting Lycoris’s blouse dry.

  Cecily scooted around behind Lycoris and sat down, immediately taking one of the two large separated bundles of hair and removing the red wing-shaped ribbons. While Lycoris braced herself for the inevitable tugging and pain that’d come with a child playing with her hair, the girl had a surprisingly delicate touch as she carefully ran her fingers through the strands. Perhaps she was actually well-accustomed to doing this… Come to think of it, Fawaris often played with Mizar’s hair.

  “It’s so silky smooth…”

  “Oh, um… thanks? Athena spends a lot of time on combing and rubbing salves into it every day. I admit, a lot of that goes over my head…”

  With nothing in particular to focus her attention on, and a rather good excuse to stay as motionless as possible, Lycoris found her eyes wandering back in the direction of Athena and Seraphine, concealed from her view by the propped-up curtain.

  I hope they’ll be okay… Two days isn’t that long, I’m sure it’ll be fine. They’ll get treated right away and wake up as soon as we get to the house of… hospital. Just have some faith in them, Lycoris.

  While the shelter was filled with the sound of Vampires and Fangchasers preparing for their great march that evening, the corner of the large space Lycoris and the two girls were in was still somewhat quiet.

  Lycoris wasn’t sure how long she spent wallowing in her thoughts, but a gentle tug on one of her twintails pulled her out of her own head. Turning around, she saw a long flowing braid, fastened at the end by the crimson bat-wing ribbon.

  Her eyes gradually wandered up from the hands working on the other lock of hair to the girl smiling softly. She paused once she noticed Lycoris looking at her—or rather, she probably stopped because Lycoris turning her head was causing her hair to tug out of Cecily’s hands.

  “Are you worried about your servants, Princess?”

  “Huh?”

  “Um, the two unconscious ladies. They were in the bags you came in with, so… they’re your servants, right?”

  “That’s… I would call them friends, rather than servants. They’re very important people to me. I really want to bring them to a healer as soon as I can. But don’t worry, I’ll make sure that everyone gets there safely, so stay close to your sister and keep to the middle of the group once we move, alright?”

  “Hehe, you sound just like Big Sis, Your Highness.”

  “Vanessa sounds wise indeed, then. You should heed what she says.”

  “Oka~y…”

  There was a subtle shifting sound on the other side of the screen.

  The two of them fell into silence once more, until Cecily paused braiding to speak up once more.

  “Your Highness?”

  “Hm?”

  “Is it okay if I call you Lycoris?”

  This time the sound that came from the other side of the makeshift screen sounded more akin to a dying animal, and then there was the sound of an actual animal making a concerned cry as he wandered over to the three of them. Perhaps confused by who the sound came from, Mira poked his head around the screen and stared at Lycoris and Cecily.

  “That… might be a touch dangerous, Cecily. I would love nothing more than if you did, but…”

  Lycoris wrung her hands together worriedly.

  Part of the reason she was even here, that this mess had even gotten her involved in the first place, was because she had been avoiding setting clear boundaries with others. Not that she should have had to. If anything, being Crown Princess meant she should be free to do whatever she wanted!

  …But that would endanger whoever she interacted with. And endangering the people closest to her was something she wanted to do the least. Especially for those who were otherwise fine on their own…

  “…I think it would be—”

  “Yay! Then Lycoris it is.”

  “N-no wait, I don’t think—”

  “Kwwee!”

  “W-Wait, no, Mira! Bad Mira bad. Don’t—”

  Perhaps sensing Lycoris’s agitation, Mira let out a pining cry and pushed toward her… knocking the makeshift screen over and attracting the attention of those who were otherwise busy disassembling boxes and preparing themselves.

  Feeling a pair of arms—and her own hair—wrap around her front protectively, Lycoris stared dumbfounded as Cecily shouted on her behalf.

  “None of you are allowed to peep at Princess Lycoris!”

  ＊　＊　＊

  Lycoris sat atop Mira’s back as he sauntered around the room, checking on the various groups. …After Cecily rather expertly scolded the bird. Apparently she really was a (fellow) farmgirl, and one far more adept at handling animals than Lycoris ever remembered being.

  The shelter had split into three main groups. Those who would be joining Lycoris and fending off Whispers that came for them, though she was prepared to do all the work herself; those who would be protecting the noncombatants in a perimeter; and, of course, the noncombatants themselves.

  Lycoris had handed off the assassins’ firearm to one of the members of the vanguard, since they needed every weapon they could get that wasn’t just a sharpened stick (which would do little to deter a Whisper), and she would rather wield her scythe regardless. They’d spent the day tearing apart boxes and crates, making shields of sheet metal and wood, and improvising clubs and spears out of pipes and planks. Some suggested that they find an armory to properly outfit themselves, but that would require them to travel all the way to the walls, and find a way to the barracks within.

  Which would be a drastic detour from Lycoris’s goal of leading them all to a safe hospital. She also still had the awful bangles on, which were leaving irritated marks around her wrists. But she couldn’t remove them yet, not until they were about to leave.

  “Kwaah…”

  Mira shuffled about underneath her, letting out a somewhat irritated noise. They had made a makeshift saddle for him, using some blankets and ropes, but it seemed as though it either wasn’t all that comfortable on him, or he had never been saddled before and wasn’t exactly pleased by it.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Lycoris gave his neck a comforting rub, ruffling his feathers a little as she reached under to scritch his skin.

  “I know, but if I’m going to be riding you into battle, it’s important for both of us. Otherwise I’d be squeezing your sides much harder…”

  “Chrrrr…”

  “Um, Excuse me, Your Highness?”

  One of the non-combatants nervously approached, her ears folded down over her head as she wrung her hands together. The brown-haired woman had been the one looking after Lycoris’s unconscious friends, though she admitted there wasn’t anything she could do other than make sure they didn’t get dirty.

  She wasn’t particularly tall, but myrhs didn’t stand as high off the ground as horses, so Lycoris still had to look up to meet her gaze.

  “Yes?”

  “I’m—We’re wondering how we should handle carrying your two unconscious companions.”

  “Is there a problem with stowing them in the bags they were brought here in? I was told it’d be fine, but perhaps that was a lie…”

  “H-Huh? But, isn’t that… illegal?”

  Lycoris blinked in surprise.

  Not that there was any particular reason it should have come up, but she hadn’t realized it was an illegal practice. Obviously it wouldn’t stop the unscrupulous sort of individuals who’d take a princess hostage, but that an Exaltare had to issue a law forbidding the act was…

  “Well, explains why the Kingdom never had to deal with surprise bag Vampires…” Lycoris muttered under the din of conversation and coordination.

  “What was that, Your Highness?”

  “*ahem* I said that there is no need to concern yourself with that. This is an exceptional situation, and the Crown Princess is issuing the order. So long as it doesn’t cause them any further harm, I see no reason to refrain from doing so. We have our hands full enough as-is. If they’re too heavy, we can always tie them to Mira’s saddle.”

  “Bwark!”

  “Of course, my apologies Princess!”

  The Fangchaser scurried off with her tail literally tucked between her legs, while Lycoris turned her attention back to the group before her.

  Several more of the fluffy-eared folk were shaping steel and fastening it to planks for shields, but one among them stood back with a scowl on her wrinkled face. Beside her was a man with his hands on a metal pipe, staring directly at Lycoris with a matching frown; though, as soon as Lycoris met his gaze, he looked away.

  “Excuse me, Miss. The non-combatants are gathered over there, to avoid confusion.”

  “Don’t you tell me where to go, little devil,” the old Fangchaser barked back.

  “I… what?”

  Lycoris stared in shock, not expecting such vitriol to be thrown at her. Ever since she’d first become a Vampire, the only time she’d ever been talked down to was by Lesath—which was understandable given her proximity to Lycoris’s mother.

  Maybe it was the woman’s choice of words, calling her a “devil…”

  The other people working froze in the middle of their work and set the pieces of scrap down, slowly backing away from the pair of discontented individuals. Like a school of fish that sensed the presence of an encroaching shark…

  …Except Lycoris wasn’t angry with the two of them, like she had been when Cedric questioned her family. She was just confused, and a little hurt as well. Lycoris had gone to tortured lengths to avoid behavior she considered anything short of saintly.

  “That seems rather harsh, considering that I am here to aid you.”

  To say nothing of the fact that the woman was addressing royalty.

  “Hmph. Like I give a damn. Don’t think you’ll fool me, wringing your hands and talking like some Tender lass, thinking she’s doing what’s right for the fields when it’s all your damn fault we’re in this mess! You damned devils are the reason we’re even stuck living here. Tell her, son.”

  The man holding a pipe grimaced. “Mother, you should do as she says and wait with the other noncombat—”

  “I’d sooner burn in the Dragon’s flames than go play nice with those bloodsuckers! I won’t go out there and be fodder for any devil!”

  “Mom, you were the one who complained about being left behind in the first place.”

  Well, I’m not sure where I’d find a dragon, but I could certainly have commiserated with her a few months ago.

  “Regardless of how you view us, Miss, I am going to do what I can for… for my people. If you are wise, and care for the lives here, you will avoid causing a disturbance. If you can’t put your own prejudices aside, then I will do as I must to save the greatest number of lives,” Lycoris leaned forward on Mira’s back, at eye-level with the Fangchaser, “Do I make myself clear?”

  The man with the pipe guffawed reflexively, letting go of his mother. “Hah! ‘Your people.’ We both know exactly who you mean by that. And it’s not us ‘emergency rations’ you lot keep around.”

  “E-Emergency…?” Lycoris’s already-pale face blanched further at the phrase. “I… we don’t… What?”

  “You tell her, son. Don’t let that prissy little thing push you around, calling herself Princess and all that!”

  “Y-Yeah! And it’s exactly your fault for creating all these machines that are assaulting us now, that forced us from our homes, forced us to live under your horrible clouds, and abide by your rules.” The man started working himself into a frenzy at his mother’s urging, the dam breaking as his pent up feelings spilled forth. “You’re a petty tyrant, whose self-interest only extends as far as the petty games your kind play in those… petty spires!”

  Though it was the first time she had ever dealt with being the target of this exact line of rhetoric, it wasn’t the first time the Lieutenant-Commander had to talk down someone about to make a mistake. Worst case scenario, she could pin him down and apply some physical pressure to force him to calm down.

  Lycoris briefly looked around the chamber, seeing fear and hatred and curiosity in the eyes of everyone who’d stopped working to watch the drama unfold.

  “And?” She tilted her head, sliding her eyes back to the incensed pair baring their fangs. “Even if that reductive, absurd statement was the truth, what good does it do to cut your own foot off to spite your liege? Is your hate so great that you would sabotage the lone ray of hope shining down upon everyone here? Do you want me to fly into a fit of rage, kill all present, so you can go ‘aha, I told you so’ before you expire? Do you wish to drag down everyone alongside yourself, because you cannot bear the thought of perishing alone? Because, if you want to make a mistake,”

  “Caw!”

  Lycoris slid down off of Mira’s back, keeping her eyes carefully fixed on the two of them, wary of any sudden movements. She fell quiet, speaking to herself more than the people before her.

  “You should at least try and say something I disagree with.”

  Of course, it didn’t matter what she said, as the man was too wound up to do anything but release his tension like a furious spring. He swung the pipe, but he was just a civilian; and bangles or otherwise, Lycoris was more than prepared to deal with a reckless fool.

  She slipped under his guard, let his momentum pull him forward, and kicked him in the shin to trip him into the myrh. Before he could get back up, a large feathered paw pressed down on his back, and he gasped for air.

  “Gier!”

  “Wait, Mira. Don’t hurt him. Just… keep him held down until he cools off.”

  “Bwok.”

  Whether Mira understood Lycoris’s instruction or just wanted to have a slightly cozier seat, the myrh walked around and sat down on top of Gier, as the man curled up his fists and cursed to himself.

  Meanwhile, Lycoris turned to face the old woman, her expression hardening.

  “I will overlook this just once. I admit I am largely ignorant of what sort of history the Fangchasers and Vampires have together, but as I implied earlier: not a single whit of that is relevant to this situation. You are one of my citizens too. If you want to live to complain tomorrow, heed my words and obey for today. I trust I do not need to tell you what the alternative is.”

  “Don’t act so high and mighty, you little brat! If even a single hair on my son’s hide is hurt, I’ll—”

  “Alright Ma’am, that’s enough.”

  Finally deciding he’d seen enough—or perhaps overcoming the shock of what was unfolding—the shelter leader put his hand on the old woman’s shoulder. His rifle was slung over his back, and he was wearing some makeshift padded armor.

  “Don’t tell me you’re taking their side, Bolte! You… you traitorous dog!”

  “If you really cared that much, you’d have moved out to the plains on the other side of the deadlands. We all know you were perfectly cozy at home up until the power went out. You should count your blessings that Her Highness has chosen to spare your lives, rather than take the shortest, most tyrannical route.”

  He began dragging her off, heavily emphasizing the last part as though to reinforce Lycoris’s earlier ultimatum, and shot the Princess a wry smile of gratitude.

  Turning her back on them, Lycoris walked around Mira and delicately crouched down to pick up the heavy iron pipe, tapping it against her palm as she looked down at the man named Gier.

  “Have you calmed down, somewhat?”

  “Go away, devil.”

  “I resent that remark.” She thunked the pipe on the ground like a cane. “I take great pains to act in the best interest of others, and in accordance with the—with my own principles, that disavow any sort of pointless bloodletting or cruelty. Truthfully, I didn’t even know Vampires could drink Fangchaser blood. The idea has me a little queasy…”

  “Yeah, right,” Gier scoffed, “Beneath that veneer of kindness, you’re the same as every other Vampire. A slavering devil waiting to suck this planet dry. I bet in your head, you’re envisioning yourself bashing my head in right now, aren’t you? I’ve seen what you really are, how you treat even the nobles beneath you.”

  Lycoris closed her eyes and sighed. “I know not what you speak of, but I won’t try to change your mind. If your family truly hates it here so much, then perhaps I can arrange for your departure once things have settled. I… can’t exactly say I blame you. The plains are a nice place, if a little too exposed for my tastes.”

  Gier’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’ve been—I mean, yeah. Right. I’ll believe it when I see it… Not like that would solve the problem anyways.”

  Gently thumping the pipe against her shoulder, Lycoris crawled back onto Mira and coaxed him into standing up, before somewhat awkwardly brandishing the iron implement like a baton.

  “Go stay with your mother. If you cannot bear the thought of defending Vampires, then at least think of it as safeguarding her. If either of you raise a stink again, I’ll have you tied up and left in the shelter until this crisis is resolved and someone can come pick you up.”

  “Hmph, abandoning us to rot. You really are a petty—”

  “You are the one to decide whether you ‘rot’ or not. I would rather see you two survive, so I can see the face Mother will make when I ask her for a favor. I wonder if you’ll have the same strength of will when that time comes, and we send you on your merry way out of the Empire.”

  “Uh…”

  He fell into an awkward silence, remaining on the ground even after Mira began to saunter off. Whether it was because he hadn’t considered that the Exaltare would potentially be personally gracing his presence, or that the weight of who he’d been mouthing off at had finally sunk in, or even just that his emotions had abruptly settled and he realized it had all been bravado, Lycoris didn’t care.

  She hadn’t told him a single lie, and a lot of what they said bothered her, but she had far more important things to worry about than a single discontented family right now. She could always ask her mother about their discontent after she weathered this crisis.

  Guiding Mira over toward Varilas, she met his eyes and he nodded his head.

  “Preparations are complete, Your Highness. Within half an hour, the sun will finish setting and we can move at your signal.”

  “Have everyone stand ready, then. Mira and I will scout ahead and lead the Whispers away as we discussed.”

  “As you command, Princess.”

  He bowed deeply, and Lycoris fidgeted with the cursed bangles on her wrists.

  Her earlier restlessness in anticipation of the coming fight bubbled back up as her emotions remained high after being personally insulted. Gier’s words stuck to the back of her mind like a wet tissue. She couldn’t entirely discredit them, when she thought of how even that overly salty can of condensed blood tasted better than what she’d been drinking before.

  Nor could she tell if it was actually just anxiety at leaving the shelter, or if she was just eager to carve her way to the bastard responsible for this mess.