The Villainess's Reputation [Kingdom Building]

13 Years Ago, One of the courtyards, Imperial Palace of Ancorna

The courtyard between the Imperial Church and the Empress's Wing bloomed with natural vibrancy, as if the manicured hedges and jewel-toned flowers competed for the sunlight's favor. Roses the color of spilled wine climbed marble trellises, their perfume thick enough to drown in. Yet beneath this splendor, hidden in the dappled shadows of the ancient oak at the garden's heart, a girl's muffled sobs went unnoticed by passing courtiers.

Thirteen-year-old Ravenna Solarius curled against the gnarled roots, her ink-black hair tangled with leaves. The hollowed knot in the tree's trunk held her secret treasures: stolen pastries wrapped in silk, a dagger too fine for a child, and most damningly, a copy of Herptian's Canticles bound in forbidden scarlet leather.

"I... hic... didn't..." Her small fists clenched around the hem of her ruined dress. "Take Mother's Odyssey Ring..." She cried.

The accusation had shattered her. The ring—a sacred heirloom of the church that sustained her mother's health—had gone missing, and her brother Nolan had been quick to blame her. "She's always been greedy," he had declared to the court. "And as a Herptian Apostle, isn't lust for power in her nature?" The words had spread like poison.

"Then you should have said so." A voice came

Ravenna's breath hitched. In one fluid motion, she swiped at her tears and snatched the dagger from the hollow, her voice sharpening into imperial command: "Who dares—?"

The intruder stepped into the light. A girl her own age, but where Ravenna was all sharp angles and stormy glares, this stranger moved with the easy grace of a sunbeam. Flame-red curls framed a face the bards would someday mourn, her blue eyes bright with mischief. The Flask family crest glittered at her throat.

"Aurora of House Flask," the girl curtsied, her smile revealing a chipped front tooth from some past adventure. "I thought you'd be taller."

Ravenna's grip on the dagger tightened. "This area is restricted."

"Yet here we both are." Aurora plucked a fallen oak leaf from Ravenna's hair, unfazed by the blade. "You're nicer than they say." she said.

"I execute insolent—" Ravenna raged

"Liar." Aurora's laughter rang like temple bells. "You won't call the guards. Then you'd have to explain why you're hiding like a scullery maid."

The truth of it stung. Ravenna couldn't return—not until the Emperor's rage cooled. Not until they found the ring.

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Aurora circled her, a shark scenting blood. "Did you really steal it? The ring that heals the Empress?"

Ravenna lunged. Aurora dodged with infuriating ease, catching her wrist. "I don't want Mother to die!"

The confession tore free, raw and ugly. "Nolan lied! They always believe him because I'm—"

"Because you're Herptian's Apostle," Aurora finished quietly. Ravenna went rigid. "How... how do you know that?"

Without hesitation, Aurora loosened the top of her dress just enough to reveal a mark above her right breast—an intricate sigil.

The same mark Ravenna bore. Aurora was also an Apostle of Herptian.

Present, Ravenna's Bedroom, Lord Castle, Kim City, Kim Island

"Marie," Ravenna said, her voice dangerously calm as a maid secured the final button on her day dress. "What, precisely, did I tell you about comporting yourself as a lady?"

The girl's exuberance dimmed like a snuffed candle. "Manners..." she mumbled, placing the letter on the bedside table with exaggerated care, her head bowed in contrition.

At that moment, Alice burst into the room, her chest heaving. Wisps of hair had escaped her normally impeccable bun, and a sheen of sweat glistened at her temples. "I, apologize—Ravenna," she gasped between breaths. "I shouldn't—have told Marie—about the correspondence."

Ravenna arched one perfectly shaped brow, her fingers already reaching for the letter. The wax seal—a distinctive jade green—was unmistakable.

"We will discuss this lapse in judgment later," she said, tucking the letter into her sleeve with deliberate nonchalance. "After I've dressed properly and reviewed whatever nonsense Kenric has seen fit to—"

A sudden commotion in the hallway cut her off. The distant clatter of armored boots grew louder, accompanied by Hughes' distinctive barked orders. Ravenna's eyes narrowed.

It seemed the morning's surprises were only beginning. The morning's fragile peace shattered as Dame Aisha burst into the chamber, her polished breastplate rattling with each hurried step. Sunlight glinted off the sweat beading at her temples as she dropped into a deep bow, one gauntleted hand pressed to her chest.

"Forgive the intrusion, Your Highness," she gasped, her voice tight with urgency. "A vessel approached the northern docks under a flag of parley. Before our ballistas could loose, a messenger falcon arrived bearing this." She said,

From her belt pouch, she produced a scroll case marked with the Flask family crest—a silver serpent coiled around a blood-red rose. The sight of it sent a jolt through Ravenna's chest.

"Aurora?" Ravenna's fingers twitched toward the case before she could stop them.

Dame Aisha kneeling, but her eyes flicked upward. "The ship flies no colors, but our lookouts report seeing a woman matching Lady Aurora's description on deck. She's... not alone."

"Why would she—" The words died as she caught herself. With deliberate slowness, she accepted the scroll, breaking the wax seal with her thumbnail. The familiar looping script—bold and unapologetic, just like its author—leapt from the parchment:

"Dearest Ravy,
If you're reading this, your overzealous archers nearly sent me to servitude in Celestia Castle. I come bearing gifts and gossip that will curl even your pretty unruly ears. Grant me sanctuary please, I am quite desperate.
—A"

Ravenna, not fully dressed yet, stood up "She requests asylum?" Ravenna's voice dripped frost. her mind raced. Aurora Flask, Ravenna's oldest friend, fellow Apostle, and the one person who knew every secret she'd buried since childhood—was here. Now. With unknown companions.

A beat of silence. Then—

"Move the ballistas to defensive positions," Ravenna ordered, already striding to get dressed fast. "But allow her ship to dock." Her fingers traced the hidden Apostle's mark at her thigh as she sat again. "I'll greet my old friend personally."