The execution was scheduled for dawn. I'd seen death before – in my previous life, it was through a hospital window. But watching Uncle Nasaki and his wife march to the executioner's block was different. Clinical death had been replaced by the raw pageantry of public justice.
"You don't have to watch, Your Highness," Sora whispered from my left. Her hand rested on the hilt of her sword, as if she could protect me from the reality before us.
"A prince must witness the consequences of treason," I replied, though my voice didn't sound quite as steady as I'd hoped. The morning air was crisp, carrying the scent of frost and fear across the castle courtyard.
Uncle Nasaki looked different without his usual smirk. His silver hair – a trademark of the Gavurnale bloodline – was matted with dirt from the dungeons. As he passed beneath my balcony, he looked up. Our eyes met, and for a moment, I saw something there that made my blood run cold: not fear, but triumph.
"Something's wrong," I muttered, gripping the balcony's stone railing. "Shion?"
My shadow-walking guard materialized beside me. "Yes, my prince?"
"That message you intercepted last night – what exactly did it say?"
"Only fragments, Your Highness. Something about 'when the ax falls' and 'the real dance begins.'"
Below, the Southern Empire's envoys watched from their designated platform, their black and gold robes rippling in the morning breeze. The female envoy I'd been admiring yesterday caught my eye and smiled. Not the kind of smile I usually appreciated from beautiful women – this one reminded me of a snake about to strike.
Father stood on the main platform, his imperial regalia glinting in the rising sun. "Nasaki Gavurnale, you have been found guilty of conspiracy against the Southern Empire, endangering the peace between our nations. Do you have any last words?"
Uncle Nasaki straightened his shoulders. "Only that the sunrise is particularly beautiful today." He paused, then added with peculiar emphasis, "A perfect day for dancing."
The executioner raised his ax.
That's when I saw it – the glint of metal from the rooftops, the subtle shift of shadows where there shouldn't be movement. My previous life's corporate paranoia combined with this world's magical senses screamed danger.
"ASSASSINS!" I shouted, simultaneously casting the most powerful shield spell I knew. A dome of blue energy erupted around our balcony just as arrows began raining down.
The courtyard erupted into chaos. The Southern envoys pulled weapons from beneath their robes – they'd somehow smuggled them through our security. Uncle Nasaki's chains fell away – they'd been fakes.
"Protect the Emperor!" Guards rushed toward Father's platform, but they were met with waves of dark magic from the false envoys.
Sora grabbed my arm. "We need to get you to safety, Your Highness!"
"No!" I pulled away, channeling magic into my hands. "Father is—"
A massive explosion rocked the castle walls. Through the smoke and screams, I saw Uncle Nasaki standing free, arms raised as he chanted in the ancient tongue. Dark energy swirled around him like a corrupt hurricane.
"My dear nephew," his voice boomed across the courtyard, "did you really think I'd let them execute me? The Southern Empire made me a better offer – the throne itself, once we dispose of your father's outdated regime."
Rick and Beni formed a defensive circle around me as more explosions shook the castle. I could see Mother being rushed away by her guards, while Father drew his ceremonial sword, magic blazing around the blade.
"You always were a fool, Nasaki," Father called out, his voice carrying the weight of imperial authority. "The throne isn't something you can bargain for with foreign powers."
"No?" Uncle Nasaki laughed. "Then perhaps we should let the people decide. Tell me, brother, how many of your subjects are happy with your peaceful policies? How many hunger for the glory of conquest?"
As if in answer, parts of our own military began turning on each other. I watched in horror as soldiers I'd known my entire life chose sides, their uniforms becoming meaningless as chaos consumed the courtyard.
"Your Highness," Shuna's voice was urgent in my ear, "we have to move. Now."
This time, I didn't resist. My guards hustled me back into the castle as the sounds of battle grew louder. Through windows and corridors, I caught glimpses of the spreading conflict – palace staff running in terror, guards clashing in hallways, magical duels scorching ancient tapestries.
"The safe room," Rick decided, leading our group down a hidden passage. "We'll regroup there and—"
Another explosion, closer this time, cut him off. Through the newly created hole in the wall, I saw something that would haunt me forever: the Southern Empire's warships appearing in the distance, their black sails blocking out the morning sun.
This wasn't just a coup. This was an invasion.
And somewhere in the chaos, I heard Uncle Nasaki's laughter, a sound that would fuel my nightmares – and my revenge – for years to come.
At least the female envoy had been attractive, I thought hysterically as we ran. Leave it to me to appreciate beauty even as my world crumbled. Some habits really do die hard – harder than empires, apparently.