The underground room smelled of old ink, melted wax, and that faint metallic trace that always accompanied Ghost when he was in a foul mood.
The only light came from an oil lamp that trembled every time the man clenched his fist on the desk.
Ghost scratched the paper with such force that the quill nearly snapped. The words came out twisted and illegible. Every stroke was a contained scream.
The door opened without a sound.
Skull entered wearing his usual skull mask and that relaxed posture that contrasted with the tension in the room. He stopped for a second when he saw the state of the desk.
"What's wrong with you? You look like you're about to murder the paper."
Ghost raised his head. The eyes behind the glass mask burned with cold hatred.
"That brat."
Skull let out a short, dry laugh.
"Can't concentrate because of a man? How cute."
"No. And it's not funny."
"Sorry, sorry." Skull raised both hands in a gesture of peace and approached the desk. "How did the meeting with the king go?"
Ghost set the quill down with a sharp thud.
"The idiot wanted to raise taxes again. Several people refused. The matter came to nothing because Duke Rosenthal opposed it and it ended in a dispute. Again."
Skull crossed his arms.
"That Duke Rosenthal is becoming a nuisance. He's been refusing almost everything the king proposes lately."
"The king is a puppet," Ghost growled. "The man is so stupid he doesn't even realize his own people are manipulating him. But that doesn't matter right now."
He leaned forward, his voice lower and more venomous.
"That brat is still alive. He dared to challenge us and publicly declare our existence."
Skull nodded slowly.
"The Festival of the Three Heroes is approaching."
Ghost barely lifted his head.
"Oh? What about it?"
"After your declaration of war, the palace will most likely take action against us." Skull tilted his mask. "Do they really think we're stupid enough to walk into such an obvious trap?"
"The queen is not stupid."
"Neither are we. And that is precisely why it is a perfect trap."
Ghost stared at him in silence for several seconds.
"I don't understand you."
Skull stepped closer and placed both hands on the desk.
"We will give them exactly what they want… but we will hold the real power."
Ghost remained still. Then he nodded once.
"I understand. How will we do it?"
"Freaks."
The name echoed through the room. A second later the air distorted and a thin figure appeared out of nowhere. He was small, though not extremely so. His long orange hair was tied with a ribbon, and his pale face wore a smile like a clown's. He was wrapped in a dark cloak. On his wrist gleamed a black metal bracelet etched with silver runes.
Freaks made an exaggerated bow.
"You called for me?"
Skull pointed at the bracelet.
"This is the new magical artifact I finished last night. It allows teleportation to unknown locations… as long as a mark has been left beforehand at the destination. We will send you to infiltrate several key places before the festival."
Ghost straightened.
"What exactly are you proposing?"
Skull smiled behind the mask.
"Use the events of that day to our advantage. Let the kingdom believe it controls the board… while we move the real pieces."
◇◇◇
Once breakfast was finished, it was time to work.
Queen Rosemary set the last sheet of documents on the desk and rubbed the back of her neck. The afternoon sun streamed through the stained-glass windows of the royal office, painting the marble floor in gold and blue.
Sharon, always impeccable in her red uniform, approached in silence.
"Your Majesty. She has arrived."
Rosemary looked up.
The door opened and the atmosphere in the room changed at once.
The person who entered was someone just as important as her, but with a different role.
Celistia Noah Rosewald walked in with firm, measured steps. Her light-blue hair fell in a long braided ponytail that nearly reached her waist, with loose strands framing a face of cold, determined beauty.
Her blue eyes, clear as ice under the sun, swept the room with the precision of someone accustomed to assessing threats in less than a second.
She wore an elegant white-and-silver armor with golden details that accentuated the generous curve of her chest and the narrowness of her waist.
The short plated skirt revealed firm thighs wrapped in armored stockings that ended in high-heeled boots.
A white cape with a deep-blue interior billowed behind her with every movement. In her right hand she held a long sword with a silver blade and golden hilt, resting it naturally against the floor.
The mere presence of the woman made the air feel heavier.
"Your Majesty," Celistia greeted with a perfect inclination of her head.
Rosemary smiled warmly.
"Celis. It's good to see you. Sharon, serve some tea for our guest and take a seat, please."
Sharon nodded and moved toward the side table. Celistia, however, did not head for the sofa in front of the desk.
"I would prefer to sit at your side, Your Majesty. Sitting across from you would feel… disrespectful."
The queen blinked in surprise, then let out a soft laugh.
"As you wish."
She stood and sat on the wider sofa by the window. Celistia settled to her right with a straight back, carefully resting the sword against the arm of the furniture. Sharon positioned herself behind the queen in silence.
Celistia turned her face slightly.
"Why did you summon me, Your Majesty?"
Rosemary let out a sigh and told her everything: the declaration of war against the Phantom Troop, the danger posed by the Festival of the Three Heroes, and the need to reinforce the security of the palace and certain key individuals.
Celistia listened without interrupting. When the queen finished, she nodded once.
"I understand the situation. You will have my help and that of the Grand Knights. I will not allow that organization to set foot near the festival."
She paused. Her blue eyes softened by a single millimeter.
"However… I have a favor to ask of you. A vital one."
Rosemary's eyes widened slightly.
"A favor? You have never asked me for one in all these years."
Celistia lowered her gaze to her own gloved hands.
"I am the youngest daughter of Count Rosewald, whose family has served as ministers for generations. From childhood I was in love with the sword. One day, while my older brothers were practicing in the courtyard, I took one of their swords and began to play. My eldest brother became furious. He said a woman should not wield a sword and challenged me to a duel to 'teach me my place.'"
A small, almost nostalgic smile appeared on her lips.
"I defeated him. I left him on the ground in less than a minute. From that day I knew the sword was my path. I graduated from the knight academy, served for years, and five years ago I accepted command of the order."
Rosemary tilted her head.
"I know that story. Why are you telling it to me now?"
Celistia raised her eyes. For the first time there was a crack in her impeccable expression.
"All this time I prioritized only my work. I buried any thought that did not involve protecting the kingdom. Until a week ago."
She paused.
"I was patrolling a park when I saw a young couple with a newborn baby girl. Looking at them, I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen. I went to the doctor. He said there was nothing physical. Days later, in a restaurant, I saw a father wiping his small son's mouth. The same pain. Every time I saw a certain type of people, it returned."
Her voice lowered.
"I finally understood when I passed in front of a church where a wedding was being held. I saw the bride smile… and I knew what it was."
Rosemary leaned forward.
"What is it that you want, Celistia?"
The commander took a deep breath. Her breasts rose beneath the white armor.
"I want a husband. One who will smile at me from ear to ear."
Time seemed to stop in the office.
Behind the queen, Sharon's eyes widened more than usual.
"Are you serious…?"
Celistia nodded with complete seriousness.
"I realized the time has come for me to become a mother. I had planned to leave my feminine side dead forever. I discovered that the desire to have children is stronger than anything else I have ever felt. That is why I found the perfect opportunity. I ask you, Your Majesty, to find me a husband."
Rosemary blinked several times.
"I… I understand what you are saying. I never expected to hear that from your mouth. Do you have any particular requirements?"
"I am not prejudiced about appearance or status," Celistia continued. "But the man must, without any doubt, be stronger than me. He must have good values and a nationalism as high as my own. And…" Her voice grew firmer. "he must possess a masculinity that shows he can give me many children. I do not want one. I want a minimum of four. A maximum of six."
The queen ran a hand across her forehead.
(Six children? Could she even…?)
"I can," Celistia answered as if she had read the thought. "Every minute that passes without me being pregnant feels like torment."
Rosemary sighed deeply.
"You know what they call you, right? The strongest female knight in the kingdom. Although… some say you are not entirely the strongest because of a certain man. And you hate him."
Celistia frowned slightly.
"That man does not count. More importantly, my request, Your Majesty—will you be able to help me with it?"
"Finding someone with those characteristics is extremely difficult," the queen said.
"I do not care about age. He can be old or young. He only has to meet those requirements."
Rosemary remained silent for several seconds. Then an idea crossed her gaze and a slow smile appeared on her lips.
"…I have an idea."
◇◇◇
Celistia left the office with the same dignity with which she had entered. The door closed softly behind her.
Rosemary let herself fall against the back of the sofa and released a long sigh.
Sharon approached.
"Is that plan all right, Your Majesty?"
"It is impossible to find a husband for a woman who makes men's virility shrink just by looking at her," the queen answered frankly. "There is not a single man in this country who does not fear her. That is why the only one who came to mind was him."
Sharon tilted her head.
"And how is your own plan to get closer to him going?"
Rosemary looked out the window. The afternoon sun bathed the royal gardens.
"Tonight I plan to visit him in a nightgown. The princesses will most likely try the same."
She placed a hand over her chest, right above her heart.
"One part of me rejects it because I still think of my late husband. Another part tells me I am crazy for desiring such a young man. And another… another part cannot understand how it is possible that my own daughters also want him… and that I do as well."
She closed her eyes.
"It is too much stress."
Sharon remained silent for a moment. Then she spoke softly:
"Then… why not take advantage of the festival to have a little fun?"
Rosemary glanced at her sideways.
"What are you talking about?"
"I mean we can use this opportunity so that 'he' does his job."
Rosemary furrowed her brows at that.
"That 'idiot' is not suited for work. He will only make things worse."
Sharon leaned in and whispered something into the queen's ear. Rosemary's eyes widened.
"Even an idiot like him can be useful," Sharon murmured, and for the first time in a long while a small smile appeared on her expressionless face.
◇◇◇
Celistia walked through the palace corridors with her cape billowing behind her. The metallic sound of her boots echoed with authority.
When she reached an empty hallway she stopped. She placed a gloved hand on her abdomen and whispered to herself with a determination that would have made any knight tremble:
"Finally the time has come to have a husband."
A sharp, almost predatory smile appeared on her lips.
"I will not make it easy for him. First I will go obtain a certain ingredient… to test whether that future husband is truly worth it."
And with that promise in her voice, the strongest woman in the kingdom continued onward.
_________________
The initial fanservice is dedicated to Celistia.
https://danbooru.donmai.us/posts/11731431
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Download the PDF with illustration here: https://mega.nz/file/PwpmTI4b#fVizbaKsRb6t0e-AKcPKFNT6ZKXtLsi73rVCVibOQ1E