Crownless Reincarnation: New World? Nah I'd win

At that moment when his guard was down—.

The door of his room quickly swung open.

'Shit!'

Akamir quickly moved his pants back up and Sephrina flinched.

He quickly pushed the chair away from the woman.

Sephrina blinked innocently before her annoyed look moved towards the door.

From the outside Inara walked in within the room.

Her gaze first moved towards Akamir sitting on the corner adjusting his shirt.

Then, her eyes turned towards Sephrina kneeling on the floor.

For a breath the room went utterly still.

Akamir rubbed his eyes already feeling a headache.

Sephrina remained kneeling where she'd dropped, her emerald cloak spread like a small field of green.

And Inara stood framed in the doorway, staring down at her.

"Inara—" Akamir started.

Her gaze shifted to him, cool and sharp. "I see you're… occupied."

Sephrina straightened slowly, brushing dust from her skirt with deliberate calm.

"Queen Inara," she said, inclining her head with a small, court-perfect bow. "I didn't expect you so soon."

Inara stepped inside and closed the door behind her with a quiet click.

"Clearly."

Her voice held no raised edge.

Akamir forced a slow breath, choosing steadiness over rush.

"Nothing happened," he said evenly. "We were talking strategy."

"With her kneeling on the floor?" Inara asked, looking at him. "What type of strategy were you discussing for her to lower herself?"

Sephrina's lips curved faintly. "I dropped a scroll," she offered, light as air. "He was helping—."

"Don't take me as a fool, Lady Sephrina." Inara cut her off firmly. "I don't think you can do that."

A sharp silence followed Inara's words.

The kind that made even the air feel heavier.

Sephrina's faint smile lingered, but the amusement behind it cooled.

She rose fully, every movement graceful and deliberate, and met Inara's crimson gaze without a flinch.

"I don't take you for a fool," she said softly. "I take you for a queen who asks direct questions."

Inara stepped closer, each footfall precise on the marble floor.

She stopped just a few paces from Sephrina, the silver of her crown catching the late light.

"Then give me a direct answer," Inara said. "Why were you on the floor with my fiancé?"

Akamir's jaw tightened. "Inara—"

Her hand lifted, gesturing him to keep himself out of it.

Her eyes never left Sephrina.

Sephrina tilted her head slightly, like a dancer acknowledging a step in a duel.

"I bent down to pick something I had dropped. He moved to help me. That is all."

Inara's gaze narrowed. "And the door I never heard knock, the startled look on both your faces?"

"Your entrance was sudden," Sephrina replied evenly. "Even elves can be surprised."

The two women stood nearly eye to eye now, quiet strength meeting quiet confidence.

Akamir rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Finally Inara spoke again, her voice still calm but edged.

"Akamir." She said, looking at him. "Tell me what's going on."

"Would you be angry if he said something absurd?" Sephrina asked before he could reply.

Inara didn't answer as she kept on staring at him.

Akamir let out a sigh as he glanced at Sephrina.

He slowly stood up from the seat while Sephrina moved towards the bed.

She picked up the black net mask as she covered half her face.

Akamir gestured at her. "This is Sephrina." He said. "I helped in curing her curse."

Inara remained silent as she kept on looking at him.

"Back in Sylvan Kingdom we were together for a long time because of the Greater One Kros."

Inara frowned. "But you were hardly gone for a few days."

"It was Kros's magic." Sephrina informed her. "He trapped us in a dream-like world."

"And to get out of that world…." Akamir said with a tired sigh. "…. Sephrina had to get married."

Inara's breath caught, a faint intake that barely moved her shoulders.

"Married," she repeated, the word sharp enough to cut the quiet. "To whom?"

Akamir held her gaze. "To me."

Inara's crimson eyes flicked between them. "You're saying the two of you… are married?"

Sephrina lowered her head slightly. "In a way that exists only in that dream world. A binding to break Kros's curse. Nothing more."

Akamir nodded though he kept his mind calm.

"It wasn't a choice. The magic wouldn't release us until the rite was completed. We both wanted to survive, nothing else."

Inara studied them, her expression blank as she was holding back her emotions.

Her voice, when it came, was steady but cold. "And you both simply forgot to mention this when you returned?"

"I tried." Akamir's tone was quiet, almost weary. "But the timing never—"

"That is not an excuse," she cut in, her words sharp though her face remained calm.

Sephrina stepped forward, emerald cloak brushing the marble floor.

"If there is blame, it's shared. I asked him to keep it quiet until the after-effects faded."

Akamir glanced at her as she tried to keep him out of the blame.

'…Well, I don't think this is going to help anyway.'

Inara's gaze softened for a heartbeat, then hardened again. "So you chose silence and left me to hear it like this."

"It wasn't meant to betray you," Akamir said. "It was survival. Nothing about it changes what I chose when I came back to you."

The room felt smaller as those words settled.

Finally Inara exhaled, a slow breath that eased the tension in her shoulders.

She looked from Sephrina to Akamir, and back again.

"I believe you," she said, each word deliberate. "But belief doesn't erase what I feel right now."

Sephrina inclined her head. "I accept that and I will stay out of your path until trust is whole again."

Inara held her eyes for a long moment, then gave a single short nod. She turned to Akamir.

"We will speak again… privately—when the palace matters are done."

Akamir nodded his head. "I understand."

"For now." Inara said, turning around. "Come with me."

Akamir gave Sephrina a glance who was smiling brightly at him.

The door closed with a soft click, leaving Inara and Akamir alone.

Inara began to walk without a word and Akamir moved closely behind her.

He let out a sigh. "Inara—."

"Shut up." She cut him off. "I don't want to hear anything right now."

"At least listen to me—."

"Do you understand," she said quietly, "how it felt to walk in and see that?"

Akamir kept his eyes on her back. "I don't…"

Her fingers curled against the hem of her dress. "We promised not to hide anything from each other…. do you remember that?"

He let the words settle before answering. "I didn't want to burden you with something that was forced on us. I was afraid it would hurt you for no reason."

"…It hurt more to hear it like that." She almost snapped but managed to keep her calm.

"….I was aware you would go for more than one woman, Akamir. I know you very well for fuck's sake."

"…But this," she went on, still walking, "this wasn't about choice or desire. It was about trust."

Akamir exhaled, steady but low. "You're right. I should have told you."

She stopped at a quiet corner of the corridor.

"I don't care about the dream-marriage," she said, voice steady. "Urgh, we will talk about that later on… We need to solve the task in hand first."

Akamir tilted his head as if asking what she meant by that.

"Princess Sylari." She spoke softly. "She is asking for us to go to war right now."

Akamir frowned. "Why?"

Inara drew a slow breath, her crimson eyes narrowing with thought.

"She claims that the Aure kingdom is ready to use foreign weapons." She said slowly. "And once they use it… winning against them will be really difficult."

Akamir slowly nodded his head as he fell deep in thought.

He was sure that there was something wrong with all this.

In the first place, he wasn't keen on trusting anything she was saying.

It was beyond stupidity to believe in her anyway.

'…But I can't deny the problems of the unknown.'

Even though Akamir wasn't sure about the whole ordeal.

He knew one thing… the weapons that they hold were a complete mystery.

He wasn't really sure if he could take them head-on if they had enough time to prepare.

'…. Is it really wise to keep this war on?'

Akamir was having second thoughts about it.

'…I should really end it before things get out of hand.'

For that he would need much better control of the whole situation.

Akamir drew in a deep breath as he looked at Inara. "Where is she?"

Inara tilted her head. "Princess?"

He nodded. "Yes."

She frowned. "She is in the lower floors." She replied. "Why do you ask?"

Akamir let out a sigh as he began to move towards the place she told.

At the same time, he also ordered the mimickers in the palace to get in formation.

"Akamir—."

"I am taking over your meeting." He said, glancing back at her. "Just rest for a while."