Royal Reboot: Level up, Your Majesty!

The Student Council Meeting

2

“I never questioned your loyalty, did I? Or perhaps I should have?”

Theo’s eyes flicked back to hers, then dropped away again.

At the window, Astra finally turned. And just like that, she was back to normal. She was no longer flustered, but cold and unreadable, as if she had tasted the tension at once and, true to form, sliced straight through it.

“Are we planning a mission, or am I just here to witness a lovers’ quarrel?” 

Athena’s glance grazed Theo; the glimmer of hurt in his eyes stabbed her first. She hadn't done anything wrong, had she? He was the one keeping secrets.

She stood, sliding her tablet into her bag carefully. “The Gala’s next Saturday. Find a way in.”

Theo’s shoulders tensed before he let out a tired breath. “Thena… I barely survived that last encounter. Watching your back and someone else’s? I’m not sure I can handle it.”

He didn’t say the word, but she heard it anyway. Inadequate.

Was she that much of a burden to him? She frowned, watching as Theo stared down at his coffee cup, avoiding her eyes.

“I can handle myself,” she said, sharper than she meant to, and turned.

His fingers closed around her wrist gently. “It’s not about you,” he said sincerely. “It’s about me. I don’t want to watch someone I care about get hurt. Especially not you.”

Her eyes dropped to his hand, then climbed back to his face. “Then keep your guest out of it. You can send them home before things get complicated.”

Relief eased his shoulders. “That… might work. I wasn’t thinking straight.” He raked a hand through his silver hair. “I’ll figure it out.”

Astra cleared her throat. "I’m leaving. Shopping,” she said, her was almost transparent. “You two clearly have things to discuss.”

"Actually,” Athena said, “I'll join you."

As they stepped into the hallway, Theo’s conflicted expression stayed with her.

Astra stopped abruptly and turned to her, her crimson eyes cool and direct. “Don’t do that again.”

“Do what, exactly? I respect your mind’s privacy.”

“That's not what I meant," Astra said. "Sometimes people need space. Theo included. Don’t be so hard—”

“On him?” 

"On yourself," Astra corrected. "His reaction had nothing to do with your power. But you think it did. That was all over your face.”

Athena looked away.

“Not everyone is as unshakable as they seem,” Astra added. “Not him, and certainly not you."

“That’s an assumption.”

“You snapped your pen.”

Athena glanced down. The pen was intact, but her grip had left faint indentations in her palm. She looked back up to see the smallest twitch at the corner of Astra’s mouth. 

Was that… amusement? Since when was Astra playful?

As Astra turned and walked on, Athena followed, still processing. That comment was blunt, but honest. And it had felt more comforting than it had any right to.

Maybe Theo’s hesitation wasn’t fear.

Maybe she wasn’t as perceptive as she thought.

She lengthened her stride to catch up and asked with a reluctant smile, “We are shopping, correct?”

Astra didn’t look at her. “Skipping class now?”

“Maybe, I’m a regular in detention anyway.”

“Then you’re paying,” Astra said, almost smiling.

Athena waved a sleek black credit card. “Adrian is. So go wild.”

Astra nodded, then asked, "Your ride or mine?"

“I think I’ll pass on the motorcycle,” Athena answered with a chuckle. “I’d rather not end up in the hospital.”

Astra scoffed. “Hyperbole, and a bit offensive.”

Their voices faded as they disappeared down the corridor, already debating Astra’s driving skills.

Envy glided toward the Library’s staff room, a translucent ripple under afternoon sun. Inside, Eydis sat cross-legged in the middle of a lopsided chalk pentagram, flipping through a tome. Whatever she was doing, it seemed to be one sigil away from brilliance. 

Or disaster.  

Possibly both.

She squinted. “This should absolutely, definitely, probably work… I suppose.”

"With your brilliance, My Queen, success is inevitable.” Envy intoned, materialising into an elegant serpent draped across her shoulders. Obsidian scales winked with violet iridescence.

“Less flattery, more facts,” she said, eyes still on the page. “What’s the update on Theo?”

Envy hissed dramatically. "Your Majesty, as your most loyal, stylish, and devastatingly beautiful Sin, I must inform you that your roommate is part of the student council. I risked my shimmering life sneaking around. The price I pay for your royal ears.”

“Save the melodrama, Envy, or I’ll repurpose you as a retractable whip.”

Envy gasped, "Of course…but first, a teeny tiny favour, Your Majesty," it bargained. "Could you banish that mongrel from your mind? His odour alone is—“

Eydis pinched the serpent mid-tirade and plopped it inside the pentagram. Standing, she began to chant.

The chalk flared. The sigil pulsed with a bright light. Envy yelped, watching in horrified disbelief while its luxurious sheen leached to ghastly white.

"Oops," she said, batting her eyelashes innocently. “Accidentally ordered extra bleach instead of extra healing.”

She turned thoughtful. "Though, this spell does seem familiar..."

The serpent thrashed. "Your Majesty, ALBINO? Have you been consulting that sanctimonious unicorn or, worse, the Charming-Lite knight? Where's my seductive, black-violet shimmer?"

“I would not label Theo sanctimonious,” she mused, "besides, look at the bright side, Envy, you're a limited-edition collectible now. Think of the exorbitant price you'll fetch on the black market if you continue to whine.”

Envy sputtered. “But my mystique, my seduction?”

Eydis lifted a hand. Silence obeyed. “Before we try again, debrief.”

"Let's not even try again, Your Majesty! I heard they're…” Its gaze darted ever so slightly away before meeting Eydis's. “They’re… analysing your blood. Something about a match in a database.”

Hmm.

She hadn’t been as thorough as she should’ve been, but at least Envy had taken care of the sigil. But what if these people had some strange way of cataloging blood? She mentally drafted a dozen alibis, just in case.

But then again, the authorities seemed surprisingly relaxed about that colossal eye in the sky. Maybe she wasn't in immediate danger, for now.

Catching Envy's shifty eyes, she smirked. "You're holding out on me, aren't you?"

“Never!” Envy’s tongue flicked nervously. “I offer only the purest truth. As pure as…” It glanced down at its bleached body. “…as pure as I look, thanks to your... shall we say creative beautification efforts."

Without a word, Eydis erased a few glyphs and redrew the sigil. She plucked the serpent from her shoulders again and dropped it into the center with a faint “oof.”

The glyphs lit up. Envy barely had time to protest before it began giggling uncontrollably.

“Tee-hee—Y-Your Majesty—what did you do?!”

"Purest truth," Eydis repeated playfully. "You have a way with words, Envy, but perhaps you haven't shared all the information, have you?"

Envy let out a squeal, its tongue vibrating with each ‘tee-hee.’ "Y-Your tee-hee Majesty! Have you turned me into a tee-tee-tick-hee-lish schoolgirl?!"

Eydis knelt, resting her chin on her hand. “Stress-relief enchantment. Remarkable efficacy.”

The familiar writhed helplessly, "Please... Stopp hahahahaha! I'll tee-tee-tell you absolutely everything!"

She snapped her fingers, ending the spell. "Remember, Envy. Next time you withhold information, laughter might be the mildest form of persuasion I use."

Envy sagged, breathless. "Okay, before you get mad… I might have trended. Online. Briefly. Or not so briefly. There’s some… attention that would make your black market comment somewhat... prophetic.”

Eydis’s smile faded just slightly. “Go on.”

“Right now?” 

Eydis reached for chalk.

Envy swallowed. “Immediately. Immediately! There’s a meme. Or three. Possibly viral. Very viral. One includes—”

She sighed. “You don’t need to go back that far, Envy.”