Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

[THIS IS not enough.]

Nero, who was catching his breath after creating a snowstorm that produced sharp icicles instead of snow, wasn't satisfied with his current level. Even though the cave where he spent his time training in secret (he sneaked out of the villa while his mother was talking to his father via a communication device) was now covered with ice and icicles, he still felt like he was lacking.

[Neoma and her dragon are stronger than me and my Soul Beast.]

His twin sister didn't summon her Soul Beast when she was at Hazelden a few days ago, but she didn't have to call the dragon to let him know how much stronger she had grown.

He felt it.

[Neoma's Moonglow is stronger than mine, and she's better at controlling her Soul Beast than me. She's more of a de Moonasterio than I am, it seems.]

But even though he loved Neoma to death, he still didn't want to lose to her.

[How can I protect her if I'm weaker than her?]

His thoughts were distracted when Sev, his two-tailed wolf, walked to him weakly while panting.

"Are you already tired, Sev?" Nero asked, then he got down on one knee and gently patted the wolf's head. "Hang in a little more. We can't be satisfied with our current strength."

Sev whimpered as if he was complaining. <"Prince Nero, I don't feel well.">

It wasn't the first time that he heard his Soul Beast's voice that sounded like it belonged to a young boy.

But this was the first time that Sev complained about being sick, so he got worried.

"You don't feel well?" he asked worriedly. "Should I call William?"

William was lurking in the shadows while stalking his mother. It looked like his mother hadn't forgiven William yet, so the Grand Spirit thought that stalking would make his mother forgive him.

But he kept his mouth shut because he wanted William to suffer longer after the way he treated Neoma in the past. The Grand Spirit had mellowed down these days, but he was the type of person to hold grudges.

[I haven't forgiven him yet for calling my Neoma a "filthy bug" before.]

"Prince Nero, one of my tails feels heavy."

Tail?

His eyes automatically went to Sev's two tails.

Much to his shock, one of the wolf's tails grew longer.

Wait, scratched that.

The tail had completely changed in appearance!

"A tail feather?" he asked, confused.

Sev turned his back on him to let him see his strange tail feather closer.

[Ah, it's really a tail feather.]

It was a long, dark purple tail feather. The feathers looked like they were made from ice, though. It was strange, yet beautiful.

The tail feather was thirteen-inch long, but it didn't look awkward since Sev was huge.

"Why did your tail become like this?" he asked, then he carefully touched the tail feather with his finger. "It's cold…"

<"Is that you, Prince Nero?">

It wasn't Sev's voice, but it sounded close to his Soul Beast's voice.

"Who…" Nero asked, but he soon trailed off when his consciousness quickly faded away. [Ah, Mother would get worried if I faint here…]

***

AFTER William followed the strange aura that he felt earlier, he found himself in front of a cave. The cave's entrance was blocked by a huge ice wall, and the Fletcher Twins were desperately trying to break it by attacking the ice wall with her Mana waves. Of course, it was futile. The ground shook because of the twins' attacks, but the ice wall remained unscathed.

It could only mean one thing.

His hunch was correct.

[Nero is there.]

"It's no use," William said, causing the Fletcher Twins to turn around and glare at him. "I'll get Nero out of the cave."

"How?" Wyatt Fletcher, the older twin, asked while giving him a suspicious look. "The ice wall is practically unbreakable."

"And we can't use too much force," Warren added. "If the cave collapsed, we might put Prince Nero in danger. We suspect that His Royal Highness has fainted because he wasn't responding to our call."

"The barrier around the cave at the moment is the type of barrier that would fend off anyone– anyone but the Rosehearts," he explained to the Fletcher Twins, then he walked past them. After that, he placed his hand on the ice wall. Just like what he expected, his hand pushed through the ice wall effortlessly. "See?"

The Fletcher Twins looked stupefied.

He didn't wait for the twins to give a remark and just walked through the ice wall that didn't restrain him in any way.

It didn't take him long before he found Nero.

The young prince was unconscious on the ground, lying down next to the unconscious wolf with two tails…

[Wait, is that a tail feather?]

Confused, he got down on one knee to observe Nero and his Soul Beast.

He put one hand on the young prince's head and used thermal magic to keep him warm, while he used his other hand to touch the tail feather carefully. But as soon as his finger grazed the tail feather, he pulled his hand away immediately.

It hurt.

The tail feather was so cold that it hurt.

[Could it be…]

William's eyes widened in shock when the realization hit him, then he turned to Nero and let out a laugh. "Nero, did you gain another Soul Beast?"

And it wasn't just an ordinary Soul Beast.

William could tell that Nero's second Soul Beast was rarer than all of Nikolai de Moonasterio's four Soul Beasts combined.

***

<"THE SUN Priestess has already left the palace. She just dropped by to report that the Sun Goddess' eyes have been blocked by Darkness. Now, both the Sun Goddess and the Moon God can't help us with their visions.">

Mona was relieved to hear that the confrontation between Neoma and the Sun Priestess was over.

But at the same time, she was concerned with what Nikolai said.

[The Darkness is becoming a threat to the human race again…]

<"And Neoma won.">

She raised her eyebrow, amused at how Nikolai looked so smug at the moment.

The wall adorned with Mana Stones that functioned as a communication device showed Nikolai's image clearly. She could tell that the emperor was back in his bedroom. This time, he was leaning against the headboard of his luxurious bed.

[But he's still wearing his work clothes?]

<"Neoma overwhelmed the Sun Priestess easily,"> Nikolai said proudly. <"To be honest with you, the Sun Priestess beat Neoma in the past. But it was a bitter memory for our daughter, so we don't talk about it. Now that Neoma has gotten her revenge, I guess it's alright to tell you about her previous loss.">

She couldn't help but laugh while shaking her head. "Nikolai, narcissism really runs in your blood. Out of all the things that our Muffin could inherit from you, it really has to be your big ego, huh?"

<"Neoma brags about her looks and skills all the time. It's not like I can't stop her from doing that because whether or not we accept it, she really has the face and the skills worth bragging about. Especially now that she has become stronger.">

"I see that you're spoiling our baby well."

<"I'm doing my best to make it up to our children, especially to Neoma,"> Nikolai said softly. <"I know that treating Neoma well in my remaining years wouldn't be enough to make it up for all the horrible things that I did to her in the past. Even so, as long as I'm alive, I swear on my life that I will treasure Neoma with all that I've got.">

Her smile slowly vanished.

Of course, she was happy to hear how much Nikolai treasured their children. But she didn't like the way he put it.

"Nikolai, I don't like how you're talking as if you'd be gone soon."

He looked surprised by her remark. <"Ah, did I? I didn't notice. I'm sorry for making you worried.">

"Is everything alright?"

He paused for a moment before responding. <"Of course.">

"You're lying."

<"Everything is fine, Mona,"> he insisted gently. But when she just stared at him, he caved and let out a sigh. <"My Moonglow… I think it's getting weaker day by day.">

She felt a pang in her heart as fear rose in her chest. "Nikolai…"

<"It's a natural process that all incumbent emperor goes through, Mona,"> he said, assuring her gently. <"The Moonglow is the symbol of the current emperor passed down to his successor. But Neoma and Nero both inherited my Moonglow. Thus, the stronger the twins become, the weaker I get.">

She clenched her hands tight.

The previous emperors whose Moonglow were "stolen" by their successors died eventually…

<"I know what you're thinking, Mona,"> he said worriedly. <"But it won't happen. Our children won't kill me.">

"But all the other emperors in the past died after their successors claimed the throne…" she trailed off when she felt something strange, then she immediately stood up.

<"Mona, what's wrong?">

"Nero," she said worriedly. "Nero's Mana disappeared."

She was about to bolt out of the room to look for her son when suddenly, William appeared in front of her.

And the Grand Spirit was carrying the unconscious Nero in his arms.

"My baby," Mona said as she walked towards William to check on her son. "What happened to my son, William?"

"Nero is going through his second Awakening as a de Moonasterio," William informed her, then his gaze went past her. The Grand Spirit looked at Nikolai whose image was still clear on the wall. "Nero just gained another Soul Beast, Nikolai de Moonasterio."

Mona and Nikolai, needless to say, were both pleasantly surprised by the news.

***

[A BLUE phoenix?]

The phoenix, who was standing on the branch of a dying and leafless tree, was at least twelve meters in height, and twenty meters in length. Its wingspan was huge, too– naturally.

[It's cold and icy in color…]

The ice phoenix had a medium blue tone at the top of the head, and it gradually got darker as it went down the body. Finally, just like what he saw earlier, the tail feather was a dark shade of purple.

[Neoma would love this beautiful creature.]

After all, his sister loved anything and everything beautiful.

Although Nero didn't care much about things like that, he would admit that he was mesmerized this time.

He couldn't help but admire the beautiful bird in front of him while he was in the middle of a snow-covered field. The "sky" was clear, but it was white everywhere he looked. Even the pine trees around him were covered with snow. Yet, he could tell that he wasn't in the real world.

Moreover, he knew the bird in front of him wasn't an ordinary bird.

[It's a Soul Beast.]

"This is the first time I've seen a blue phoenix," Nero said, then he raised an eyebrow. "Ah, should I call you an ice phoenix instead?"

<"You've got it right, Prince Nero,"> the ice phoenix said, and his voice was definitely the one he heard before he fainted earlier. <"I am the older brother of the wolf you named 'Sev.'">

That actually confused him.

[Soul Beasts could be siblings? By blood or what?]

Well, not that he cared.

"Am I in my second Awakening as a de Moonasterio?" he asked. "Are you here to become my second Soul Beast?"

<"I'm not as soft as my brother, Prince Nero.">

"I see," he said, then he opened his hands while preparing to attack. "You chose the hard way, huh?"

<"You know the rules, Prince Nero,"> the ice phoenix said while flapping its gigantic and beautiful icy blue wings. <"If you want to tame me, you have to find out my real name.">

***

NOTE: I just posted a new side story on my ko-fi page. Episode 2: Nichole and Nikolai's 13th Birthday: [In which Nikolai gave Nichole the best and the worst birthday present a brother could give his twin sister.]

The side stories come with a simple art from me, so please check it out. Hehe.

Link to my ko-fi account (or just type sola_cola on the search bar): ko-fi.com/sola_cola

Link to the story: https://ko-fi.com/post/EPISODE-2-NICHOLE-AND-NIKOLAIS-13TH-BIRTHDAY-T6T3CTBAL

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Hi. You may now send GIFTs to our Neoma. Thank you~

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