"Can I see your power?"
Amy looked up from the chessboard with a stunned expression. Jennifer, who pulled back at her sudden reaction, felt she hit a sore spot somehow.
After what seemed like a really long time, she spoke, "I mean I am curious about the power that gave Violet Anthos the Saintess title considering you have the same one." She explains sheepishly.
Amy looks down and resumes her move, "I'd rather not. She and I may have purification powers but even that has its own differences."
She rests her head on her arm on the table, "Why not?" she whined as she placed her piece.
So annoying. she thought as she made her move, "I prefer not to use my abilities. I could erase someone out of existence if I'm not careful. Unlike me, my sister can pinpoint anyone and anything and purify it from that distance. I can try the same thing but only under very certain circumstances and certainty."
She got up from her relaxed state and appears shocked, "Have you?"
Amy shook her head in response, "No, but I rather not risk it."
This game is a strategy lesson. Jennifer has been pushing her for more cultural, social and political lessons of Solin. Jennifer is a poor player for a noble, but she knows how to play the game and has got a few wins while playing together. The only way a royal mistress can gain traction outside of charm is power, and power starts with knowledge so this chess game is a way to read around her so that she would know what to work with.
So, far, she couldn't find any significant flaws.
Amy internally groaned. It is difficult to find any flaws in Jennifer and even if she did have flaws, it can be solved with education, and she is already a fast learner. At this rate, she could easily be Leon's ideal woman and even a noble that Solin would admire but despite his strong infatuation of her, he still insists that she has a lot to work with.
What does that mean?
Amy looks at the lovely girl as she ponders her next move. Amy had spent the next few weeks watching Jennifer train and she can finally admit that she is at a level in which she could safely say that she is Princess material. Leon always brags and beams at her callous hands, excellent grades and improvement in understanding sociology, anthropology and political science and the bruises she gets from training saying she is a warrior Solin would be proud of. Jennifer's reputation among the lower nobility is leaning more positive as they are seeing her relationship with Leon as some sort of real-life Cinderella story. Lower nobles in Getel usually never marry that high in their station let alone to foreign royalty unless they are extremely wealthy or blue blooded like the central noble faction. If she and Leon were to ever marry, then it would truly fulfill a lot of people's fantasy.
As for the higher nobility in the Academy, they still hate her; No need to question that. Amy actually prevented two attempts to publicly humiliate her in one day, and one assassination attempt on her life just last week and yet she never told anyone nor investigate since she is constantly so busy and stressed.
Jennifer put in the effort in her studies and reputation in the school, turning into some sort of angelic presence as she began to use Leon to help some of the villages in various places in the kingdom using both his teleportation and during school events.
Some of the students who hate Jennifer also began hating Amy and even began calling her "The Homewrecker's dog". Insulted yet patient, Amy decides to wait for the day when this all ends.
Staring at the chessboard with a hint of frustration, she huffed and leaned back in her seat. "I forfeit. You win this match." she groaned.
"Already? You barely did much in this match." Jennifer says with disappointment.
"I don't feel like in the mood to play." She says honestly.
"Then how about this? I will ask a bold question. Leon kept asking me to live in Solin with him. How will people see me? Will I become his princess?"
Amy was about to open her artbook when she froze, unsure how to answer it.
"Do you really think you have what it takes to become the Crown Princess?" Amy asks.
"You said that the Princess is chosen by a selection based on their abilities, right? Then in that case, why aren't you or Violet Anthos the Crown Princess? Surely the Purification ability is powerful and useful than the healing ability, right?"
Amy sighs, "It's a formality and not the only factor. In reality: age, bloodline, and political affiliation is taken into account when taking a spouse. Melissa Orlando is chosen as that person because her family is one of the ducal families whose family is aligned with the queen. Leon is going to have many enemies and a wife who is related to a powerful family with great military prowess, loyalty and popularity are useful to the Crown as an ally. Besides, I think it says a lot for public opinion if a destructive ability like mine is preferred over a useful healing ability."
Jennifer looks sullen at her words. Good. It is best not to sugarcoat anything or give her false hope.
"Then what about as a royal mistress. You told me that Royal mistresses exist right?"
Amy had to think for a bit. She never really look into the Royal family history especially when it comes to their private life, but she knows that past rulers have had extramarital affairs but only a few come into mind, and they are either known for being femme fatales that could topple a King's reputation or capabilities or being de facto queens especially in times of crisis. When she found out about Jennifer, she decided to look into stories of royal mistresses and how they got to where they are, both insignificant and powerless to powerful and famous. So far, two of them are foreign and none of them had good endings. One of them is a short-lived sultana whose mother is a low-ranking concubine and unloved by her father who didn't even see her as a useful political tool but a traitor. Another one is a foreign dance who died in childbirth.
Amy pulled out her charcoal pencil and starts drawing on a blank sheet, "It depends on the person. With Leon's personality, he will definitely want you as a lover. He isn't weak against his parents and is against authority. You should understand that he is an unmarried prince. You will be seen as fling and not a mistress. But once he marries, society and the court will want you kicked out. When he becomes King, you will not have your own place in the Palace, you will be living somewhere else, and you have to pray that you will not be abandoned. Any children you have will not even be in the line of succession unless the Queen couldn't bear any heirs or if she's dead. You cannot outshine her or replace her. No past royal mistress has ever become queen." she explains and show her finished work to Jennifer who could suck in her breath in return.
The beautiful drawing shows a vase full of flowers each showing a different kind of decay. One flower is wilted dry, another is deprived of all its petals that gather on the table, another is a flower cut from the stem. The last flower is a bud that has yet become a flower but will meet the same fate as the others. Other than that, there are no butterflies to attract. The symbolism is very clear to her as she let out a nervous gulp. Amy ripped the page off and gave it to her.
After looking at the time, Amy got up. "You should go back. It's getting late." She then left her to her thoughts as she quickly head to her room. Amy knew Jennifer wouldn't snitch to Leon for telling the truth. After she got back to her room, she began working again.
She had been multitasking as she drew various designs and notes on her notebook. Mako's instructions for the type of weapon was pretty vague. He says he wants a weapon on the same caliber as the Arisugawa. He didn't say it had to be a spear like the Arisugawa. As long as it has the ability to create biblical level storms and power then that is enough.
She spent the entire day studying the Arisugawa and realized how much difficult this is going to be.
When it comes to making magical weapons, especially emitter kinds, the design doesn't matter to much as it is quite straightforward. But they are all custom made for the owner to use himself and to give the weapon power, it takes time, effort, resources and a lot of magic. But the Arisugawa doesn't have any blemish, marks that could depict runes or magic crystal where she could copy and decipher or decode. It looks like a typical silver-tipped spear. Demons aren't known for possessing a flair for design,
She also began doing other things to the point of losing sleep over it, mostly to distract herself from her sister. She is relieved to know that she is safe and is in the midst of getting rescued, but this is taking too long and despite what the queen's warning, she somewhat defied her order by asking someone's help without implicating herself. Amy wanted to smile at this plan of hers. If it is this person, then surely there will be nothing to worry about.