The Stars Align

The sound of thunderous footsteps echoed through the lavish hallways of Evergreen Palace, contributing to the overwhelming feeling of urgency permeating the atmosphere. The sound of the door hinges breaking was so loud that it split the air, leaving an uneasy silence behind. King Marcus let out a tired sigh, his eyes fixed on the colors of the sinking sun outside the window, yet his heart was heavy with loss.

"Father, you are as heartless as our mother! How could you? Why did you send Chantal to the battlefield? She's only twelve! You can't expect her to lead a war and win!"

A flurry of emotion and a barrage of accusations marked the entrance of Vinch, the third prince of Serenithia. His face was etched with deep concern for his little sister, and his resentment of their parents erupted as he faced his father.

King Marcus sighed again. "I have no choice."

"You are the Empire's king! You can decide for my sister!" Vinch's agitation fueled his desire to confront his father, the overwhelming urge to lash out simmering beneath the surface.

As he approached, however, the scene that awaited him left him momentarily paralyzed. To his astonishment, he witnessed the bloodshot eyes of his father, pools of despair, regret, and longing. A silence enveloped the room as the king bore the weight of his decisions.

"Do you think it was easy for me to send my only daughter away? Do you think it doesn't break me to see your mother cry every night to sleep and skip meals for twelve years because she misses her daughter, but we need to strictly abide by your grandmother's will? Do you think I am heartless? Tell me! Am I?"

"Father, you..."

"I know I am not good enough as a father! I couldn't even protect my daughter. But haven't you seen how hard your sister has trained since she was eight? This is her destiny to fulfill, and we can't do anything about it. No one in this family can take the heavy burden on her shoulders! But I could only grit my teeth and watch her!"

Vinch struggled to reconcile the image of his father as a ruler with the vulnerability before him. The third prince, however, could not accept the inevitability his father spoke of and implored, "Father, my eldest brother has already stabilized his position, and my second brother has made achievements in business and trade. Why can't I replace my sister in the military? Why must it be her? She's just a child who hasn't enjoyed much of her childhood! Why must she sacrifice her life?"

"Maybe it's time for you to know the truth. Come and read these documents."

Vinch sat down and read the documents his father shared. With the memory disk that his father had given him, his light brain scanned the data. He felt anxious and scared, but he could only force himself to be strong. Seeing the kingdom's secrets was a privilege, and intel was rarely shared with him or his second brother.

"No... You must be joking, Father." His fingers could be noticeably shaking, and his expression was grave. "Why must Grandfather make a deal with the Federation? Why should my sister get involved with that family?"

"We cannot change what's written in the prophecy, Vinch. We can only prepare your sister for better or for worse." The king slowly collapsed on his chair.

"Did my sister know?"

"Unfortunately, she did. It was she who gained visions of the future. And she reported her dreams to your grandmother. Your grandmother had authority and power through divination and opened the book of prophecies."

"Did she get scared?" Vinch was apprehensive about his sister's state.

"You know your sister has been expressionless since she was a child. She could only laugh with your grandmother around for most of the time. She also trained within the Order of the Knights, the Military, and the Medical Mercenary Guild. Fear was something she had long forgotten. Sometimes, I think she does not want to recognize that word."

The king's eyes glistened with unshed tears, but the stoicism of a ruler restrained him. Vinch's head remained bowed, grappling with the overwhelming sense of powerlessness that mirrored his father's own struggle.

Seven Years Later

The First Military Academy

First Military Academy buzzed with anticipation as the newly enrolled students navigated the campus in search of their classrooms. The majority of first-year students gathered on the academy's wide open field, eager to kick off their educational journey. Amidst the excited chatter, a mysterious figure with flowing red hair and captivating green eyes emerged, drawing the attention of everyone present.

As the enigmatic woman approached the group of standby teachers, a hushed silence fell over the crowd. Her presence was not lost on anyone. Images of her adorned the academy's forums, generating a sense of festivity. A flurry of questions rippled through the students:

[Who is she?]

[Is she a senior student?]

[She's so beautiful!]

[How is she related to Luminara's royal family?]

[That's right! I also noticed that her hair color was red and her eyes were green. These characteristics were not altered by technology, either!]

[I can confirm it since my family owns a company that manufactures potions, which can change these characteristics!]

[She's not one of us, right? It looks like she is moving towards the teachers!]

[She must be a student who has connections with the school administration! The royals have lots of connections anyway.]

[But First Military Academy is in the Federation, not the Imperial Military Academy! Royals have no power in this academy!]

The students were curious, but the instructors were observing them with beastly eyes as if wanting to hunt prey. So they did not make unnecessary movements to capture their attention. 

The teachers smiled, and all of them greeted the woman, "Good morning, Dean!"

"Morning," the woman responded lightly. She stood at the center of the teachers' line and silently scanned the crowd. "Start the ability test."

[Oh my gosh! She is the dean!]

[Are deans so young now?]

[Ah! I remembered her!]

[Who is she?]

[Is she truly a royal?]

[She was the Empire's princess who went to the battlefield at the age of twelve and won the rank of Major General in the military when she was only sixteen! I remembered my father talking about her achievements at home and scolding me for being useless!]

[But why don't I see pictures or news of her on Starnet?]