The Queen’s Dominion

The entire hall fell silent.

A few mages exchanged bewildered glances, comprising the President, Vice President, and various department heads of the Mage Association.

These were, ostensibly, the kingdom’s most formidable mages.

The Queen intended to defeat them all with a mere second-tier fire manipulation spell? Could such a feat be possible?

They yearned to dismiss the notion, but the Queen was now wreathed in ascending flames, an inferno that crowned her with an extraordinary aura, blazing like a crimson sun.

This sight instilled a profound hesitation within them.

“It is merely a second-tier spell, yet you gentlemen falter? Are these truly the elites of our kingdom’s mages? Perhaps your salaries would be better allocated to the soldiers who defend our nation.”

The Queen’s words dripped with derision.

The President’s aged face instantly flushed crimson.

‘Then do not blame me for my lack of courtesy!’

Still, he maintained his decorum, bowing deeply.

“Then, Your Majesty, if we should prevail in this battle, Prince Eli shall secure his right to the throne. What say you?”

“Hmph.” The Queen let out a scornful laugh.

“Do you truly treat the assessment of a king’s qualification so flippantly? Are you genuinely fit to preside over the Mage Association? To determine a claim to the throne based on a single skirmish? Are you a barbarian from some uncivilized empire?”

“No wonder the Mage Association is held in such low regard, for you are nothing but a collection of arrogant and ignorant fools, trapped in your own hubris.”

The President’s face, already crimson, deepened further, as did those of the other mages. They glared fiercely at the Queen, each poised to unleash their most potent spells.

“Hmph.”

The Queen extended her palm.

Flames coalesced into two phoenixes in the air; one lifted the Queen aloft, her toes delicately touching its back, while the other circled her, dancing and soaring.

“Come, all of you.”

The old men unleashed spells of the seventh and eighth tiers, a display that frankly startled Eli. ‘I know you’re desperate, but perhaps a little restraint? What will happen if you accidentally kill the Queen?’

‘After all, no matter how overwhelming her aura, it’s still only a second-tier spell.’

This sentiment echoed through the minds of many nobles present.

Yet—

The circling phoenix soared high.

It spun, burned, and burst forth.

It devoured every single spell.

Then, the phoenix beneath the Queen’s feet shot forward, hurtling towards the group of old men.

A violent explosion and conflagration erupted within the palace hall.

Several nobles scrambled to douse the flames. From within the inferno, the President and department heads emerged, their garments tattered and scorched, clearly having narrowly escaped a fiery demise.

“You… how could a mere second-tier spell defeat us…”

The President appeared to have aged decades in an instant.

“Your Majesty, I wish to offer a suggestion.” Vina stepped forward, one hand pressed to her chest, speaking with utmost reverence.

The Queen tilted her head slightly. “…Granted.”

“May I kiss the back of your hand as a sign of my loyalty?” Vina inquired, her head bowed.

‘What could this possibly mean!?’

The nobles all harbored a deep fear of Vina.

They feared Vina for her merciless disposition, the innate dominance she exuded, and her habit of viewing them as mere trifles, dreading the profound insignificance they felt in her presence.

Thus, one question had always confounded them: why was Vina so utterly deferential only to the Queen?

Yet, at this very moment, a sudden realization dawned upon them.

The Queen, they now understood, held Vina in her sway, and Vina, in turn, harbored a profound adoration for the Queen. This was an impure, immoral, and unethical affection, yet one that bound two formidable powers.

Seen in this light, the Queen’s usual gentleness was nothing but an elaborate pretense.

‘Ah, so that’s it. Vina is a monster, and the Queen is too—’

The nobles could no longer feel any closeness towards the Queen as they once had; only a profound apprehension remained.

Vina stepped forward.

She lowered her head, pressing a gentle kiss to the Queen’s left hand, then cast a sidelong glance at everyone below, her eyes devoid of emotion.

‘Everyone now fears the Queen.’

‘Ha, how foolish.’

‘Thus, you shall dance like puppets at my fingertips, swayed by my every command.’

She clapped her hands, and a group of mages entered the hall. These were none other than the commoner mages Ophelia had attempted, yet failed, to recruit just days ago.

“Gentlemen, the Queen defeated you with a mere second-tier spell. What does this signify? It signifies that magic is not some innate glory, but a tool.”

A ripple of murmurs spread through the audience.

“The Queen wields this tool with greater skill than any of you, which is why she could defeat you with a second-tier spell. Magic ought to be a tool used for the people, yet you guard it jealously as if it were a family heirloom.”

“Therefore, on behalf of the Queen, I hereby establish a new department: the Ministry of Magic. Composed of these talented yet bloodline-less mages, they shall henceforth be under our direct control, solely to ensure that the people may be better served and benefited by magic.”

Everyone exchanged bewildered glances.

“No! This cannot be! It has been decreed since ancient times! Magic, combined with bloodline, is the very proof of nobility!”

The President of the Mage Association stared at this new Ministry of Magic, utterly dumbfounded.

Vina cast a troubled glance at the Queen.

The Queen’s voice was calm, yet clear.

“Must traditions from ancient times always be upheld? Is ‘it has always been so’ synonymous with ‘it is right’?”

Silence descended upon the audience.

Every noble lowered their head.

‘If this “always been so” is now under question, does that include the hereditary rights and privileges of nobility?’

‘The Queen once embraced commoners in the outskirts; could it be that she sees no difference between them and nobles?’

“By the way, Your Majesty, how would you propose to handle a high-ranking noble who commits a crime?” Vina suddenly interjected.

“Naturally, they shall be dealt with according to the law. What distinction is there between a high-ranking noble and any other citizen of the kingdom? Before death, all beings are equal, and thus, should be so from birth.” The Queen replied serenely.

‘Ah, how outrageous, how utterly outrageous, how utterly outrageous, how utterly outrageous.’

‘To actually believe that nobles and commoners are equal.’

‘Today, she revealed her domineering true nature.’

‘Her former weakness was merely a facade.’

‘She believes nobles and commoners are alike; she believes “always been so” is wrong.’

‘She—’

‘Poses a threat to the noble class.’

‘However, Vina shows hesitation, implying she doesn’t share these radical views towards nobles.’

‘Therefore.’

‘Vina, please grow quickly, reclaim the Queen’s true power, imprison the Queen forever in your cage, let her be a caged bird for eternity.’

‘We fear the Queen, but we are loyal to you.’

Some nobles gazed at Ophelia with affirmation and adoration in their eyes, yet most kept their heads bowed, their thoughts inscrutable.

Vina’s head remained bowed.

A subtle curve played on her lips.

‘This is something akin to the Queen’s second personality; it emerges whenever the Queen encounters a situation she is unequipped to handle.’

‘This second personality possesses absolute calculating abilities; it seems the numerical values I perceive are precisely what this second personality computes.’

‘Except when it concerns Ophelia, it remains absolutely rational.’

‘Absolute rationality, however, implies a lack of understanding for human emotions.’

‘Calculating you is far too simple. You are not the Queen I love. By what right do you occupy her body? Her body belongs to me alone!’

‘So I shall simply make use of you for a time.’

‘Regret it to your dying breath. Once I possess the Queen’s body, I shall seal you away. You will be my pawn, leading the Queen into my abyss.’

She subtly lifted her gaze.

‘This is for you, for your sake. To prevent your death, I must personally extinguish the meaning and value of your existence. I truly cannot bear to see you die again, or I will break.’

‘I’m sorry, I love you. I’m sorry, I love you. I’m sorry, I love you.’

‘I love you deeply, Ophelia. It’s alright. Once you become a caged bird, you will be my purpose, and I will be yours. We will be each other’s antidote, and we will be together, forever and ever.’

‘You’ll praise me, won’t you? After all, I’ve kept our promise beautifully!’

‘Only a few steps remain. Just a little longer, my love. Although each rebirth causes shifts in the timeline, this time, everything is entirely within my control. There are no miscalculations.’

‘Just a little longer, Ophelia, just a little longer, and we will be together forever.’

A breeze swept through.

No one noticed Vina.

For the first time, she smiled with an innocent sincerity, just like the little girl she once was.