Roar! Romance is In the Air.

Ruby slowly closed her eyes as she crossed the finish line. She could hear the roar of the crowd. As they cheered loudly, she slowly opened her eyes and saw Mia in front of her.

It was finished. She didnt make it. All that was left was to watch her opponent, a small woman, get farther and farther away.

Thats all Ive lost.

It took a while for her to realise what was going on, but she was ready. Sheshould have been ready.

No regrets. She had agreed with herself. After all, she had done everything she could and pushed herself as far as her body and time would allow. She had done everything she could, but she had lost.

She had been given the chance. She had been able to fightreally fight, with all her heart and soulfor the person she loved.

That was a wonderful thing to do. A blessing. So she had no reason to feel bad. No reasonto despair

It was a good fight. A good fight, for sure. And in a fight, someone loses. Sometimes Ill be the one. I know what to do. I

Her voice was shaky. She took a shaky breath in.

I I can take it when I lose. Im

Words turned into gasps of desperation. Her diaphragm turned against her and started shaking on its own. Her short, quick breaths squeezed the air out of her lungs.

The world around her started to look like a kaleidoscope, but then it turned into a dull sea of colour. One tear after another fell from her eyes. She rubbed hard and desperately at them, but they wouldnt stop.

Ruby cried. She cried like a young girl who had just lost something important to her.

Im the one who won, hnnngh! Me! So why do I have to go through this?

Not only did she do a victory lap like a sack of potatoes, but she also got hit in the face with another one of Kuolans nasal cannons. She walked slowly toward the changing tent while cursing this bad turn of events.

You were amazing, milady! Absolutely amazing! Dont worry. Ill clean you up and make you look nice in no time!

All right, Anne, thanks Ugh, my hair

She saw Ruby off in the distance as she walked. She had her back turned from Mia.

Hm I might have made a few mistakes along the way, but a win is a win. She can no longer bother me about Sir Vanos. She might not like it, but shell have to just deal with it.

Mia put her hands on her hips and made a huffing sound.

All of this was her fault. If she hadnt dragged me into this whole mess, I wouldnt have had to go through the shame ofall this! I need to say this out loud! Okay, Ruby, get ready, because Im going to brag a little bit!

She went up to Ruby and circled around her so she could get close so she could laugh off her anger.

Who

She couldnt get the rest of her sentence out of her throat. Ruby was crying so hard that it sounded like her heart was breaking.

Huh? Excuse me? Why is this girl crying?!

Mia was completely lost. Even worse

It was amazing how Her Majesty rode that horse.

Indeed, it was. How exciting! She always does a good job.

Her smart ears picked up the sounds of Tion and Rafina coming closer. It was the perfect timing. A very badly perfectly timed.

That is, very, very bad. Uh oh! If people see me like this with Ruby, they will think I made her cry. Ill look like a mean-spirited bully.

She decided quickly to grab Rubys hand and lead her toward the changing tent.

All right, come this way. In you go.

Malongs sister was the only other girl who had signed up for the tournament, so the changing tent was pretty much a private space for now.

Anne, could I ask you to stand guard outside and make sure no one gets in?

Still, it doesnt hurt to be extra careful. Mia looked at Ruby after Anne nodded and left the tent. She had stopped crying, but she still had tears all over her face.

Even so, Mia didnt look any better.

The fact that the dried fluid on Rubys face came from a human might have given her the edge in the whos dirtier competition.

Well, here.

She gave Ruby a small towel and said, Wipe your face first.

As she thought about why Ruby was crying, she was trying to figure out what was wrong.

Who am I kidding, right? As if I need to think about things a lot. Its pretty clear what to do. After all, I can be pretty smart when it comes to things like this, if I do say so myself.

Mia had been reading a romance novel that Chloe had lent her and couldnt put down. She felt like she knew everything there was to know about relationships after all that reading.

When she saw this situation, her mind went straight to romance, and she was able to pinpoint with practised accuracy the romantic conflict in the situation.

She understood why Ruby was crying.

Ruby, correct me if Im wrong, butyou like Sir Vanos, dont you?

Then, when she had one of those moments of being able to see things clearly after being in a certain mood for too long, she changed her mind about what she had thought.

She thought with a wry smile

Well, that might be going a little too far. Im pretty sure hes single, but theres a big difference in age and status between them Also, look at that face I mean, I know hes a nice guy, but his face looks a little too bandit.

Mia thought about it some more and decided that Ruby probably cried because she was upset and angry about losing. In that case, the idea that she had a crush on Vanos would sound silly, but she thought it might help break the ice as long as Ruby thought it was a joke.

Ruby did not take it as a stupid joke.

You really are as wise as people say. How did you know?

Instead, she gave a soft nod. Mia stood up when she saw how red she was getting.

What?! Mia yelled out in shock at this sudden turn of events.

Then, when she realised that her reaction was different from what she had said before, she tried to explain it.

Well, I thought the same thing, but Im surprised you admitted it. Its pretty brave of you to, you know, do that

She changed the way she thought about the situation on the inside as she tried to make it seem like it made sense.

So whats going on is that Ruby likes Vanos and Imin her way? Hold on, am I the bad guy here? Hm How do most of these situations turn out?

Mia looked through her mental library of books.

Uh oh. From what Ive learned, horses tend to kick people who get in the way of someone elses love.

She looked around nervously and saw what was without a doubt the largest group of horse hooves on the island at that moment.

Even though this was something she had learned from reading romance novels that Chloe had suggested, it didnt stop a chill from going up her spine.

A-And, at the end of that one book, didnt the bad guy get stabbed?

If Ruby, who has a lot of experience with swords, decided to show her displeasure in the same way, Mia wouldnt stand a chance.

When he looked uncomfortably in Rubys direction, he saw that she had bloodshot eyes, but they didnt seem angry.

Im pretty sure theyre red because Ive been crying, but I can totally see the day when it will be because she wants to drink my blood.

Mia remembered that in her past life, she had gone to the Redmoons during the revolution to ask for help, but she was turned away.

If Vanoss death was the reason they didnt want to go, it would all make sense. If she thought I was to blame for what happened in Sealence Forest, she would hold a grudge. She probably didnt help because of this.

With romance mode lubricating her brain, Mias mind kept going and going, connecting random events into a web of sense.

Ruby was at the centre of it all. She was the source, and her tragic love was the centre of everything. She kept looking into what this completely new idea meant, which gave her confidence.

So, when I asked her for help to get revenge for the man she loved, she said no, even though it would bring her down. Love before life. The body may die, but the heart must stay loyal until the end Moons, thats such so romanti mean so dangerous way to act.

She thought it was too risky to leave Rubt alone, so she took a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking.

Redmoon Etoile Ruby. You promised me something, and Ill make sure it is kept.

Rubys shoulders were shaking. Mia paid it no mind.

Please give me your sword, she said, putting out her hand.

Was she taking the sword away from a person who might kill? Symbolically taking away the pride of a brave noblewoman?

No, not even close. When she asked for the sword, she wanted to get both the sword and the person who used it.

I want you to pledge it to me so I can give entrust you with taking care of the Princess Guard.

Huh?

Ruby blinked in complete surprise.

You will be appointed adjutant to the current captain, Sir Vanos, Mia said in the tone of a royal order. Im counting on you to help him run and watch over the Princess Guard.

When she said that, she did a quick calculation.

Still, Ruby might be a Chaos Serpent. She didnt want to believe that the girls tears were a lie, but she knew that a Serpent could easily put on a show like that.

Given that, I need to figure out how likely it is that Ruby will become a Serpent in the future versus how likely it is that she is already one. This calls for extreme discretion.

If she took Rubys sword and caused her and Vanos to break up, she would break Rubys heart. Would the Chaos Serpents pass up a soul that was so weak and ready to be taken?

Unlikely.

In the army, the House of Redmoon has a lot of power. If the Serpents want to take down the empire from the inside, Ruby would be a very useful pawn. Having a grudge against Ruby and seeing her turn into a Serpent was about the worst thing that could have happened.

What if, instead, she put Ruby near Vanos? Assuming that the Serpents hadnt gotten to her yet, this plan would make it very hard for them to get into her mind in the future. Besides that, she would have done her a huge favour.

If, on the other hand, Ruby was already a Serpent and she lied about having a crush on Vanos to join Mias faction

I went through the same thing with Sapphias Better to keep her close to Vanos so he can watch over her.

So, if she really is a serpent, she wont be able to do anything. She said she loved Vanos, so she would have to stay close to him to keep up the act. She would be stuck being watched all the time because her front gave her no room to complain. Thats much better than just letting her go.

When I have control over someone, its easier to deal with them.

That was the main point of the quick math she did.

But she was also thinking about how much she wanted Ruby and Vanos to fall in love. Why, you ask?

Its delicious to love someone from a different social class! Because Mia was becoming a romance nerd, and she liked dating people from different classes.

One of the books she had borrowed from Chloe was a dramatic love story between a knight and a princess, and the idea of seeing one in real life made her mouth water. Plus, from a front-row seat!

I cant miss this!

At the end of the day, all of her thinking and planning was just an excuse for her love of romantic melodrama.

Ruby, on the other hand, was still trying to figure out what was going on.

I Im joining the Princess Guard?

Mia nodded.

Youre right. Just between us, Ruby, I want the Princess Guard to do some very important jobs in the future. They wont just be responsible for making sure Im safe. I want them to do what I say. My own army under my control.

During the Great Famine, Ludwig worked hard to prepare and send out food transports, but they were often attacked before they got to their destination.

Hungry crowds and soldiers who were starving turned into bandits who attacked supply waggons. Sometimes the guards on the transports would go rogue and steal the food. Every time her troops betrayed her, Mia wanted them even more.

I wish I had a good team I could count on Soldiers who will never betray me and always do their jobs right.

She had learned that not having to worry about being betrayed at every turn was a great luxury. Knowing this, she had been wondering if her most trusted soldiers, the Princess Guard, could be used to protect these important food transports if they were needed.

It would be great if I could get Ruby to help Very nice indeed. With her on board, the Redmoons might even agree to send troops from their private elite army.

She really needed reinforcements in the previous timeline, and she might be able to get them now.

Im getting ahead of myself, thats true. Who knows? Maybe things wont go that well. For now, its enough for me to see how this relationship between Vanos and Ruby develops. Oh, I cant wait!

She thought with a smile as she imagined what might happen between the two of them.

Mia Luna Tearmoon, the Empress of Tearmoon, is known to have a lot of friends.

People like Saint Rafina Orca Belluga, the Etoiline Esmeralda Greenmoon, Chloe of Forkroad & Co., and Tiona Rudolvon, the daughter of the Outcount Rudolvon, are often named as some of her closest friends. Even though they came from different places, these women became close friends with Empress Mia.

So, what about her most loyal allies? Those who stayed close to her through both friendship and a promise to do right?

Even though people have different ideas, I would like you to think about the name Ruby Etoile Redmoon.

The fact that she was born into the House of Redmoon and was the daughter of one of Tearmoons famous Four Dukes should have been enough to give her a place in history.

But as you know, her fame isnt because she was born into a wealthy family. Instead, its because she was the first woman in Tearmoons history to be the Ebony Moon Minister.

As the head of the Ebony Moon Ministry, which is in charge of military matters, she used the power of her family and the help of Grand General Dion Alaia a lot. This gave her the ability to make big changes in the imperial army.

She gave Tearmoons military a new lease on life by getting rid of inefficient old practises and putting in place new, effective systems that fit with the times. This was a big part of Empress Mias plan to reform the empire as a whole.

Its interesting that no one knows for sure how she got so involved with military matters. Even though the House of Redmoon has had strong ties with the Ebony Moon Ministry for a long time, no one knows why the daughter of their duke chose to throw herself into the cruel world of war and bloodshed. There are no records of why she did what she did.

Based on the fact that she started out as a soldier in the Princess Guard, it seems likely that at least some of the arrangement is due to the will of the then Princess Mia, but this is just a guess and probably always will be.

A second mystery surrounds her, and it has something to do with her husband. In particular, the strange fact that there isnt much known about the man. The Four Dukes are the most powerful nobles in Tearmoon, after the empress herself. It seems impossible that we dont know the name of one of their sons-in-law from history, but thats what we have to deal with.

One theory is that she had a May-December romance and married a soldier from a normal family. She would have stayed with him for the rest of her life. Even though they were very different in age and social standing, the theory says that Empress Mia and her friends gave them the support they needed to pursue their love.

This is, of course, pure speculation, but the fact that people even think this way shows how interesting the mystery is. I think this story stuck around because all three of her sons grew up to be tall men, but there didnt seem to be any other noble men at the time who were as tall as her sons and fit her status.

An excerpt from a historians essay