“Time is the longest distance between two places.” ― Tennessee Williams, The Glass Menagerie

  ???

  “You’re just in time, Heiress Nightray,” The Academy librarian greeted Yulia with a smile as she approached the checkout table, her arms full of books. “I was just about to come looking for you. We’re closing in ten minutes.”

  “My apologies,” Yulia murmured with an apologetic nod of her head. “I lost track of time.”

  “No harm done,” The librarian hummed under her breath as she started the process of checking out the books that Yulia had brought to the counter.

  The bespectacled woman had served for years not only as the administrator officer of the Imperial Officers Academy, but also as their head librarian.

  She had seen students from all walks of life pass through these doors. Stressed students stressed over their grades, students on the verge of tears during exam season, and more. She had even lent a shoulder to cry on more than once, whether it was over a failed exam, bad news from home, or an arranged marriage that they didn’t want, which is sadly far more common than it should be, especially among the minor nobility.

  It wasn’t every day, however, that the librarian had witnessed a student checking out such a wide variety of books. Volumes on medicinal herbs, infrastructure development, healing, and even about post-war economics.

  And for that student to hail from one of the Ten Great Houses furthermore was something that she had never seen.

  “I’m not going to ask.” The librarian said at last, handing Yulia her stack of books along with her library card. “But if you’re pursuing knowledge on these topics, you might want to approach some of the third years or even the student clubs.”

  Yulia nodded. “I’ll take that in consideration. Have a good evening.”

  The night air was cool as Yulia stepped out of the library, with the only lights visible being that of the oil lamps on the walls that cast flickering shadows on the stone walls. Moonlight spilled across the marble courtyard, painting it in silver hues.

  Yulia paused, taking in the cool night breeze.

  The sounds of soft footsteps reached her ears, and she turned. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted the familiar figure of Rem, being trailed by the constant presence of his Crownsguard. She hadn’t seen him since earlier that afternoon, after Leighton Curnow and Nathan Hunt had dragged him away after Kaela’s outburst.

  The Crown Prince now looked almost as if he was haunted by ghosts, with bloodshot eyes and a pale complexion.

  “Yulia, can we talk?” Rem’s voice was hoarse, and he couldn’t seem to be able to look at Yulia in the eye.

  Yulia gave no reaction, but she pressed her lips tightly together, and her grip tightened over the books in her arms. “Are you actually going to listen to me this time?” she asked coldly. “Or just brush me off like always?”

  Rem flinched with Yulia’s cold and brutal words. Not far away, his Crownsguard winced as well with how harsh Yulia is being, his posture stiff with discomfort. And if the Crownsguard was being honest, he couldn’t blame the Nightray heiress.

  “I… How’s Merrin?” Rem asked meekly, as an attempt to make small talk.

  The unimpressed look on Yulia’s face told Rem that she knew exactly what he was trying to do—soften her up before they broach the serious matters. “She’ll be fine,” she said curtly. “Kaela’s tough. A woman from the Northern Holds has to be tough to survive not just the climate there, but also the constant threats from raiders and bandits.”

  Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

  Rem flinched again.

  It was true, and is common knowledge amongst the people. Most people knew better than to cross those from the Northern Holds, not just because of Lord Kael’s fearsome reputation. Being so close to the border with Nuvelle, the soldiers of House Kael were among the toughest in the kingdom. Winters there were brutal, and their survival often came down to sheer resilience.

  As far as Rem knew, the only forces that could rival House Kael’s were those of House Nightray.

  Rem hesitated, before he opened his mouth again. “Nathan and Leighton showed me the newspaper clippings. They told me everything.” Rem almost wilted with the look that Yulia is giving him. The one that made Rem feel very small. Like he’s a bug at the bottom of Yulia’s boot. “The border raids. The starving villages. Was…” He swallowed. “Was any of that true?”

  Yulia stared at Rem for several long moments without saying anything. Then, with a scoff, she shifted the books in her arms. “The Ten Great Houses have better things to do with our time than fabricate truth.” Her voice was cold. “The Crownsguard, for whatever reason, didn’t want to burden you with the truth.” Her eyes flickered towards the Crownsguard, who winced and flushed with shame. “Probably, they wanted to protect your innocence. Or maybe they thought that things would blow over, and you didn’t need to know just how bad things really were.”

  She sighed, her expression exhausted. “Lord Merren and I have both told you repeatedly over the years. A king is there to serve their nation and their people. You are their king, not their friend. What does it matter if people hate you or love you, as long as they’re alive to do the complaining?” Yulia’s voice rose with every word. “I told you this over and over for years, and you refused to listen! Where were you when I told you that entire villages were starving, and children were dying? What did you do? Where were you when I told you that our soldiers were dying in border skirmishes because they didn’t have proper gear and equipment, and were getting slaughtered by bandits? What did you do when I told you that Parliament was gutting the militia, and for some reason that escapes my comprehension, decide to downsize it?”

  Rem flinched with every word out of Yulia’s mouth. Blades would likely have hurt less than the disappointment and frustration in Yulia’s voice. The buildup of years of frustration and disappointment and desperation. Of the years when Rem was living in blissful ignorance and ignoring every warning that Yulia gave him.

  “Every king who follows a Nightray’s counsel never goes wrong,” Gaius had told Rem once.

  And what did Rem do?

  He ended up making the same mistake that his father had made years ago when Rem was small, when King Edric had ignored the counsel of Lord Hamilton Nightray.

  Yulia watched Rem with narrowed eyes. “There’s a reason why the Ten Great Houses are working on improving the skills and numbers of our own garrisons. And it isn’t because of an uprising like Parliament tried to have you believe!”

  Rem tried to speak, “I… I didn’t…”

  “You didn’t listen,” Yulia snapped. “I tried to tell you. So did Lord Merren. You were so afraid of being hated to do what needed to be done.”

  “I can’t just go against Parliament—”

  Yulia’s expression twisted with anger. And if her arms had not been full of books, Rem was fairly certain that she would have either throttled him or punched him. “What is stopping you from replacing them?” she demanded. “I know that was one of the first things I advised you to do, as did Lord Merren, and even Lord Hunt! But again, you didn’t listen!” Rem flinched. “Are your ears just for decoration? Declare martial law if you have to! I want to see them try to say no to the Crown Prince. Their heads would roll to the ground before they could even finish their sentence.”

  Rem’s breath hitched, and his gaze dropped to the floor beneath his feet, unable to meet with Yulia’s accusatory gaze. “I… The people would hate me…”

  Yulia sighed, exasperated. “I swear I’ve told you this before,” she muttered irritably. “This isn’t a popularity content, Rem. This is not about being liked. A king serves his people and his nation. He is born to carry burdens no one else can. And sometimes, that means being hated.”

  Rem’s gaze didn’t shift. “I thought…” he whispered, “I thought that I could change things peacefully. I thought I could—”

  “We’re just going around in circles at this point,” Yulia cut him off with a sigh. She adjusted her grip on the books in her arms. “Come find me once you’re ready to be a king, Rem. Until then, don’t look for me. I have better things to do. Like trying to fix the issues in my territory because a certain prince refuses to send aid.”

  Rem flinched.

  As Yulia turned to leave, she then paused in her tracks momentarily, murmuring in a voice just loud enough for Rem to hear, “Luca would have been a better king. At least he never ran from hard decisions.”

  Rem was frozen when Yulia walked away from him, her words echoing like a mantra in his head. A blade in his chest would probably have hurt less than Yulia’s words.

  Luca would have been a better king.

  Rem hadn’t thought about his twin in years.

  Not since the exile and when everything fell apart.

  Rem had known for years that Yulia wished that it was Luca who was still the Crown Prince, and the prince that she is protecting. And it wasn’t just her, but the entirety of House Nightray. And on the rare occasions when Rem had crossed paths with Lord Hunt in the Imperial Palace, there were times when there was something in Lord Hunt’s eyes that told Rem he felt the same way.

  And then, Rem’s thoughts drifted back to those long ago childhood days—back when Luca was still living in the Imperial Palace, and Yulia had made weekly visits, even if it’s mostly to spend time with Luca.

  More than once, he had found them huddled together by the window in Luca and Rem’s shared room, whispering about reforms, implementing new systems to improve the lives of the people in the kingdom, and even about making things safer for the soldiers. Things that would change the kingdom and help the people, even if they ended up hated.

  And even then, Rem had thought that they were too harsh. Too willing to get their hands dirty. Too ruthless. Too hard-handed.

  But maybe… Just maybe, they had the right idea all along.

  The Crownsguard stepped forward hesitantly, having nodded politely to Yulia when she had walked past him. “Your Highness? Should we return to your dorm? It’s getting late.”

  Rem swallowed, managing a weak smile. “Y-Yes.”

  As they walked away from the library and towards the dormitory wing, Yulia’s words haunted Rem’s mind repeatedly.

  Luca would have been a better king.

  And just maybe… Yulia might just be right.

  Maybe Luca would have been a better king.